Results for “Processing” — Page 56

DOE OSTI2023

Analyses of hot/warm CO2 removal processes for IGCC power plants

Abstract Compared with a pulverized coal power plant, the integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) has several advantages, including, among others better environmental performance and low CO 2 capture cost. Hot/warm CO 2 removal from syngas has also been a subject of research due to its potentially higher thermal efficiency. In this study, we proposed a generic adsorption based hot/warm CO 2 removal process for IGCC power plants. Through analyses of the proposed generic process we have demonstrated that higher temperature of the hot/warm CO 2 removal process will results in larger heat of adsorption, which in turns may increase energy consumption of the process. Under most of the operating temperature range, hot/warm CO 2 removal process will lead to more electricity loss compared to the baseline Selexol process. However, if the adsorption step takes place at a temperature close to or higher than the highest steam temperature in steam cycle, our analysis indicates that the process may lead to minimal electricity loss. The study also provided some other insights into the pathways for hot/warm CO 2 removal process to improve its energy performance through process and sorbent designs. Graphical Abstract

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2023

Understanding structure-processing relationships in metal additive manufacturing via featurization of microstructural images

Understanding and predicting accurate property-structure-processing relationships for additively manufactured components is important for both forward and inverse design of robust, reliable parts and assemblies. While direct mapping of process parameters to properties is sometimes plausible, it is often rendered difficult due to poor microstructural control. Exploring the direct relationship between processing conditions and microstructural features can thus provide significant physical insights and aid the overall design process. Here, in this study, we develop an automated high-throughput framework to simulate an uncertainty-aware additive manufacturing (AM) process, characterize microstructural images, and extract meaningful features/descriptors. A kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) based model of the AM process is used to simulate microstructural evolution for a diverse set of experimentally relevant processing conditions. We perform a parametric study to explore the relationship between microstructural features and processing conditions. Our results indicate that a many-to-one mapping can exist between processing conditions and typical descriptors; therefore, multiple descriptors are thus necessary to unambiguously represent microstructural images. Our work provides crucial quantitative and qualitative in-formation that would aid in the selection of features for microstructural images. Featurized microstructures could then be utilized to build data-driven models for predictive control of microstructures and thereby properties of additively manufactured components.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2015

Multicriteria cost–benefit assessment of tannery production: The need for breakthrough process alternatives beyond conventional technology optimization

The worldwide use of chromium-based processes in tanneries generates increased concerns about their related environmental burdens. Cleaner production alternatives for leather production are being proposed, based on the optimization of specific aspects or criteria, for instance, reducing demand for specific materials and energy, or reducing local toxicological emissions. While improvement on individual characteristics of the process is certainly to be favored, a more comprehensive evaluation of alternatives is also needed to prevent the risk of shifting the burden to increase global load while addressing one specific critical factor of production. This work aims to discuss the importance of a multicriteria, multiscale approach to address cleaner production strategy costs and benefits. For this, materials balance, an economic approach, and emergy (with an “m”) accounting methods are applied to selected unhairing/liming, pickling/tanning and wastewater treatment steps in a tannery process, which was chosen as a case study. Results show that the assessed recycling cleaner production strategies assessed allow the manufacturer to reduce by one half the amount of water used and the demand for chemicals up to 4% with respect to the business-as-usual process, at the expense of increasing electricity demand by 10%. Economic cost-to-benefit ratio was 25$ benefits per 1$ invested, as well as an emergy-based cost-to-benefit of 33Em$ per 1Em$ invested, of course these improvements were limited to the three investigated process steps. The improvement in cost/benefit ratios indicates that converting scenario #0 into #1 is favorable under economic and emergy views. However, when the two scenarios are investigated from the point of view of the imbalance in local and renewable resource use versus imported and nonrenewable use, the emergy method shows a small overall increase in renewability (from 3.51% to 3.85%), a low, but expected, emergy yield ratio equal to 1, and a high environmental loading ratio (24.95 and 27.47). While the environmental cost–benefit ratio shows that recycling is a favorable option, the emergy performance indicators highlight that the efficiency of recycling is still insufficient and improvements in the tanning processes are needed to ensure renewability and sustainability. A number of process chemicals were involved in the investigated tannery operations, which required emergy evaluations. As a side result of this study, the Unit Emergy Values (UEVs) of SO{sub 2}, H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} Na{sub 2}SO{sub 4}, HCL, Na{sub 2}S, NaOH, CaO, Ca(OH){sub 2}, Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3}, MnSO{sub 4}, and Al(OH){sub 3}, were also calculated thus adding to the emergy database about chemicals. - Highlights: • Cleaner production strategies for tannery processes are presented and evaluated. • Local and global scales are considered under economical and biophysical approaches. • A multicriteria approach should be considered for decision making. • Recycling strategies have better indicators than traditional processes. • Emergy integrates energy and monetary indicators for more comprehensive assessment.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2019

Energetics of electrochemically mediated amine regeneration process for flue gas CO 2 capture

The electrochemically mediated amine regeneration (EMAR) process presents an alternative route to the conventional thermal regeneration of amines for carbon capture from a flue gas source. In this study, chemical and electrochemical measurements were performed to validate the speciation and activity coefficient models that describe the solution thermodynamics. Electrochemical kinetics and efficiencies were identified and process level energetic calculations were performed using these validated models to understand the effects of various operating parameters on the energy demand for CO 2 capture. An isothermal EMAR process requires about 52 kJe/molCO 2 , and the net energy demand can be reduced to about 37 kJe/molCO 2 if waste heat is available at temperatures below 90 °C. The EMAR process is able to desorb CO 2 at pressures up to 20 bar with negligible additional energy penalty. These results suggest that the EMAR process is competitive with the conventional thermally regenerated amine processes. Preliminary assessments also indicate the solvent fomulation with NaCl requires less electric energy among other conventional supporting salt candidates (e.g. Na 2 SO 4 ) for electrolytic processes. Furthermore, advanced process designs, process optimization, and the identification of improved solvents may offer the potential to further reduce the energy demand for CO 2 capture.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2022

A pilot-process for calcium hydroxide production from iron slag by low-temperature precipitation

The production of Ca(OH) 2 via thermal decomposition of limestone is an energy intensive process resulting in significant CO 2 emissions. However, if produced in a manner that obviates the need for the thermal decomposition of limestone, Ca(OH) 2 could be a “CO 2 -negative” material. Herein, we design and demonstrate the operation of a continuous, low-temperature (< 100 °C), aqueous-phase pilot-process to produce Ca(OH) 2 using calcium extracted from alkaline industrial wastes. The three-step process encompasses unit operations including: (i) calcium leaching from basic oxygen furnace BOF slag, (ii) leachate concentration by reverse osmosis (RO), and (iii) Ca(OH) 2 precipitation by temperature swing. Here this process presents several advantages compared to the traditional route. First, it advances the recycling of waste from the steel industry. Second, it operates significantly below the temperature used in conventional lime production (900 °C) as it bypasses limestone calcination, responsible for ~65% of the CO 2 emissions from the current process. Thus, the new process has a lower CO 2 footprint and enables the use of industrial waste heat. The mass and energy balances were quantified to reveal that increasing the calcium concentration of the feed solution and the precipitation temperature, decrease the energy demands of the RO step, thereby reducing the process’s overall CO 2 footprint. The pilot system operated continuously and achieved a production rate of nearly 1 kg per day of Ca(OH) 2 with a purity greater than 95 wt%. The average particle size of the precipitates depended on the residence time in the precipitation reactor, demonstrating an ability to produce size-controlled particulates. Importantly, the process achieved full water recirculation/reutilization level indicative of a low-consumable water demand. The outcomes offer new insights and understanding relevant to developing and upscaling low-CO 2 processes for cement, lime, and portlandite.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2025

Low embodied energy and carbon, high lifetime silicon boules via a combined chemical vapor deposition/float zone process

This work evaluates a new process route to making float zone (Fz)-quality silicon wafers using a combination of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling and technoeconomic analysis. Our analysis finds that the new process competes with Czochralski (Cz)-grown wafers on a levelized cost of energy system level. The new process also decreases embodied energy and carbon of silicon photovoltaics (PV) by ~6x circumventing the energy-costly Siemens process used in polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) production plants to generate feedstock for Fz and Cz boules. Instead of using poly-Si from the Siemens process to feed crystallization, the new process uses the high-purity, trichlorosilane (TCS) precursor gas to grow a poly-Si feed rod in-situ during a modified Fz1,2 boule growth process. The gas-to-boule float zone process enables opportunity to produce high-purity (low metals and oxygen content), uniformly doped single crystal silicon boules and wafers with high bulk lifetimes (τ bulk > 15 ms) to enable higher efficiency cells (>27 %) with fewer known degradation mechanisms than Czochralski (Cz)-grown wafers. These benefits reduce the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of PV-produced electricity. Here we show the results of our CFD and chemical modeling of the process to prove feasibility and economic viability.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2017

An environmentally friendly ball milling process for recovery of valuable metals from e-waste scraps

Highlights: • A new ball milling process was successfully developed for recovery of metals from e-waste. • The process produce soluble metallic compound with dry ball milling and benefits the leaching process. • Precious metals were successfully separated from base metals during the process. • Mechanism of the mechanochemical reactions was proposed. - Abstract: The present study reports a mechanochemical (MC) process for effective recovery of copper (Cu) and precious metals (i.e. Pd and Ag) from e-waste scraps. Results indicated that the mixture of K{sub 2}S{sub 2}O{sub 8} and NaCl (abbreviated as K{sub 2}S{sub 2}O{sub 8}/NaCl hereafter) was the most effective co-milling reagents in terms of high recovery rate. After co-milling with K{sub 2}S{sub 2}O{sub 8}/NaCl, soluble metallic compounds were produced and consequently benefit the subsequent leaching process. 99.9% of Cu and 95.5% of Pd in the e-waste particles could be recovered in 0.5 mol/L diluted HCl in 15 min. Ag was concentrated in the leaching residue as AgCl and then recovered in 1 mol/L NH{sub 3} solution. XRD and XPS analysis indicated that elemental metals in the raw materials were transformed into their corresponding oxidation state during ball milling process at low temperature, implying that solid–solid phase reactions is the reaction mechanism. Based on the results and thermodynamic parameters of the probable reactions, possible reaction pathways during ball milling were proposed. Suggestion on category of e-waste for ball milling process was put forward according to the experiment results. The designed metal recovery process of this study has the advantages of highly recovery rate and quick leaching speed. Thus, this study offers a promising and environmentally friendly method for recovering valuable metals from e-waste.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

DOE OSTI2023

Interpreting inorganic compositional depth profiles to understand the rate-limiting step in vapor phase infiltration processes

Vapor phase infiltration (VPI) is a post-polymerization modification technique that infuses inorganics into polymers to create organic–inorganic hybrid materials with new properties. Much is yet to be understood about the chemical kinetics underlying the VPI process. The aim of this study is to create a greater understanding of the process kinetics that govern the infiltration of trimethyl aluminum (TMA) and TiCl 4 into PMMA to form inorganic-PMMA hybrid materials. To gain insight, this paper initially examines the predicted results for the spatiotemporal concentrations of inorganics computed from a recently posited reaction–diffusion model for VPI. This model provides insight on how the Damköhler number (reaction versus diffusion rates) and non-Fickian diffusional processes (hindering) that result from the material transforming from a polymer to a hybrid can affect the evolution of inorganic concentration depth profiles with time. Subsequently, experimental XPS depth profiles are collected for TMA and TiCl 4 infiltrated PMMA films at 90 °C and 135 °C. The functional behavior of these depth profiles at varying infiltration times are qualitatively compared to various computed predictions and conclusions are drawn about the mechanisms of each of these processes. TMA infiltration into PMMA appears to transition from a diffusion-limited process at low temperatures (90 °C) to a reaction-limited process at high temperatures (135 °C) for the film thicknesses investigated here (200 nm). While TMA appears to fully infiltrate these 200 nm PMMA films within a few hours, TiCl 4 infiltration into PMMA is considerably slower, with full saturation not occurring even after 2 days of precursor exposure. Infiltration at 90 °C is so slow that no clear conclusions about mechanism can be drawn; however, at 135 °C, the TiCl 4 infiltration into PMMA is clearly a reaction-limited process, with TiCl 4 permeating the entire thickness (at low concentrations) within only a few minutes, but inorganic loading continuously increasing in a uniform manner over a course of 2 days. Near-surface deviations from the uniform-loading expected for a reaction-limited process also suggest that diffusional hindering is high for TiCl 4 infiltration into PMMA. In conclusion, these results demonstrate a new, ex situ analysis approach for investigating the rate-limiting process mechanisms for vapor phase infiltration.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2014

Infrared thermography for laser-based powder bed fusion additive manufacturing processes

Additive manufacturing (AM) has the potential to revolutionize discrete part manufacturing, but improvements in processing of metallic materials are necessary before AM will see widespread adoption. A better understanding of AM processes, resulting from physics-based modeling as well as direct process metrology, will form the basis for these improvements. Infrared (IR) thermography of AM processes can provide direct process metrology, as well as data necessary for the verification of physics-based models. We review selected works examining how IR thermography was implemented and used in various powder-bed AM processes. This previous work, as well as significant experience at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in temperature measurement and IR thermography for machining processes, shapes our own research in AM process metrology with IR thermography. We discuss our experimental design, as well as plans for future IR measurements of a laser-based powder bed fusion AM process.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

DOE OSTI2014

SU-E-CAMPUS-T-04: Statistical Process Control for Patient-Specific QA in Proton Beams

Purpose: To evaluate and improve the reliability of proton QA process, to provide an optimal customized level using the statistical process control (SPC) methodology. The aim is then to suggest the suitable guidelines for patient-specific QA process. Methods: We investigated the constancy of the dose output and range to see whether it was within the tolerance level of daily QA process. This study analyzed the difference between the measured and calculated ranges along the central axis to suggest the suitable guidelines for patient-specific QA in proton beam by using process capability indices. In this study, patient QA plans were classified into 6 treatment sites: head and neck (41 cases), spinal cord (29 cases), lung (28 cases), liver (30 cases), pancreas (26 cases), and prostate (24 cases). Results: The deviations for the dose output and range of daily QA process were ±0.84% and ±019%, respectively. Our results show that the patient-specific range measurements are capable at a specification limit of ±2% in all treatment sites except spinal cord cases. In spinal cord cases, comparison of process capability indices (Cp, Cpm, Cpk ≥1, but Cpmk ≤1) indicated that the process is capable, but not centered, the process mean deviates from its target value. The UCL (upper control limit), CL (center line) and LCL (lower control limit) for spinal cord cases were 1.37%, −0.27% and −1.89%, respectively. On the other hands, the range differences in prostate cases were good agreement between calculated and measured values. The UCL, CL and LCL for prostate cases were 0.57%, −0.11% and −0.78%, respectively. Conclusion: SPC methodology has potential as a useful tool to customize an optimal tolerance levels and to suggest the suitable guidelines for patient-specific QA in clinical proton beam.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2015

SU-E-T-760: Tolerance Design for Site-Specific Range in Proton Patient QA Process Using the Six Sigma Model

Purpose: To show how tolerance design and tolerancing approaches can be used to predict and improve the site-specific range in patient QA process in implementing the Six Sigma. Methods: In this study, patient QA plans were selected according to 6 site-treatment groups: head &neck (94 cases), spine (76 cases), lung (89 cases), liver (53 cases), pancreas (55 cases), and prostate (121 cases), treated between 2007 and 2013. We evaluated a model of the Six Sigma that determines allowable deviations in design parameters and process variables in patient-specific QA, where possible, tolerance may be loosened, then customized if it necessary to meet the functional requirements. A Six Sigma problem-solving methodology is known as DMAIC phases, which are used stand for: Define a problem or improvement opportunity, Measure process performance, Analyze the process to determine the root causes of poor performance, Improve the process by fixing root causes, Control the improved process to hold the gains. Results: The process capability for patient-specific range QA is 0.65 with only ±1 mm of tolerance criteria. Our results suggested the tolerance level of ±2–3 mm for prostate and liver cases and ±5 mm for lung cases. We found that customized tolerance between calculated and measured range reduce that patient QA plan failure and almost all sites had failure rates less than 1%. The average QA time also improved from 2 hr to less than 1 hr for all including planning and converting process, depth-dose measurement and evaluation. Conclusion: The objective of tolerance design is to achieve optimization beyond that obtained through QA process improvement and statistical analysis function detailing to implement a Six Sigma capable design.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2015

WE-AB-201-02: TPS Commissioning and QA: A Process Orientation and Application of Control Charts

Treatment planning systems (TPS) are a cornerstone of modern radiation therapy. Errors in their commissioning or use can have a devastating impact on many patients. To support safe and high quality care, medical physicists must conduct efficient and proper commissioning, good clinical integration, and ongoing quality assurance (QA) of the TPS. AAPM Task Group 53 and related publications have served as seminal benchmarks for TPS commissioning and QA over the past two decades. Over the same time, continuing innovations have made the TPS even more complex and more central to the clinical process. Medical goals are now expressed in terms of the dose and margins around organs and tissues that are delineated from multiple imaging modalities (CT, MR and PET); and even temporally resolved (i.e., 4D) imaging. This information is passed on to optimization algorithms to establish accelerator movements that are programmed directly for IMRT, VMAT and stereotactic treatments. These advances have made commissioning and QA of the TPS much more challenging. This education session reviews up-to-date experience and guidance on this subject; including the recently published AAPM Medical Physics Practice Guideline (MPPG) #5 “Commissioning and QA of Treatment Planning Dose Calculations: Megavoltage Photon and Electron Beams”. Treatment Planning System Commissioning and QA: Challenges and Opportunities (Greg Salomons) This session will provide some key background and review publications describing prominent incidents relating to TPS commissioning and QA. Traditional approaches have been hardware and feature oriented. They aim to establish a functional configuration and establish specifications for regular testing of features (like dose calculation) to assure stable operation and detect failures. With the advent of more complex systems, more patient-specific testing has also been adopted. A number of actual TPS defects will be presented along with heuristics for identifying similar defects in the future. Finally, the Gamma test has become a popular metric for reporting TPS Commissioning and QA results. It simplifies complex testing into a numerical index, but noisy data and casual application can make it misleading. A brief review of the issues around the use of the Gamma test will be presented. TPS commissioning and QA: A process orientation and application of control charts (Michael Sharpe) A framework for commissioning a treatment planning system will be presented, focusing on preparations, practical aspects of configuration, priorities, specifications, and establishing performance. The complexity of the modern TPS make modular testing of features inadequate, and modern QA tools can provide “too much information” about the performance of techniques like IMRT and VMAT. We have adopted a process orientation and quality tools, like control charts, for ongoing TPS QA and assessment of patient-specific tests. The trending nature of these tools reveals the overall performance of the TPS system, and quantifies the variations that arise from individual plans, discrete calculations, and experimentation based on discrete measurements. Examples demonstrating application of these tools to TPS QA will be presented. TPS commissioning and QA: Incorporating the entire planning process (Sasa Mutic) The TPS and its features do not perform in isolation. Instead, the features and modules are key components in a complex process that begins with CT Simulation and extends to treatment delivery, along with image guidance and verification. Most importantly, the TPS is used by people working in a multi-disciplinary environment. It is very difficult to predict the outcomes of human interactions with software. Therefore, an interdisciplinary approach to training, commissioning and QA will be presented, along with an approach to the physics chart check and end-to-end testing as a tool for TPS QA. The role of standardization and automation in QA will also be discussed. The recommendations of MPPG #5 and practical implementation strategies (Jennifer Smilowitz) The recently published recommendations from Task Group No. 244, Medical Physics Practice Guideline on Commissioning and QA of Treatment Planning Dose Calculations: Megavoltage Photon and Electron Beams will be presented. The recommendations focus on the validation of commissioning data and dose calculations. Tolerance values for non-IMRT beam configurations are summarized based on established criteria and data collected by the IROC. More stringent evaluation criteria for IMRT dose calculations are suggested to test the limitations of the TPS dose algorithms for advanced delivery conditions. The MPPG encourages users to create a suite of validation tests for dose calculation for various conditions for static photon beams, heterogeneities, IMRT/VMAT and electron beams. This test suite is intended to be used for subsequent testing, including TPS software upgrades. In the past, the recommendations of some reports have not been widely implemented due to practical limitations. Implementation strategies, tools and processes developed by multiple centers for efficient and “do-able” MPPG #5 testing will be presented, as well as a discussion on the overall validation experience. Learning Objectives: Identify some of the key documents relevant for TPS commissioning and QA Understand strategies for testing TPS software Gain a practical knowledge of the Gamma test criteria Increase familiarity with the process of commissioning a TPS Learn about the use of Control Charts for TPS QA Review the role of the TPS in the overall planning process Increase awareness of the link between TPS QA and chart checking Gain an increased appreciation for the importance of interdisciplinary communication Understand the new recommendations from MPPG #5 on TPS Dose Algorithm Commissioning and QC/QA Learn practical implementation processes and tools for MPPG #5 validation recommendations.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2015

WE-AB-201-03: TPS Commissioning and QA: Incorporating the Entire Planning Process

Treatment planning systems (TPS) are a cornerstone of modern radiation therapy. Errors in their commissioning or use can have a devastating impact on many patients. To support safe and high quality care, medical physicists must conduct efficient and proper commissioning, good clinical integration, and ongoing quality assurance (QA) of the TPS. AAPM Task Group 53 and related publications have served as seminal benchmarks for TPS commissioning and QA over the past two decades. Over the same time, continuing innovations have made the TPS even more complex and more central to the clinical process. Medical goals are now expressed in terms of the dose and margins around organs and tissues that are delineated from multiple imaging modalities (CT, MR and PET); and even temporally resolved (i.e., 4D) imaging. This information is passed on to optimization algorithms to establish accelerator movements that are programmed directly for IMRT, VMAT and stereotactic treatments. These advances have made commissioning and QA of the TPS much more challenging. This education session reviews up-to-date experience and guidance on this subject; including the recently published AAPM Medical Physics Practice Guideline (MPPG) #5 “Commissioning and QA of Treatment Planning Dose Calculations: Megavoltage Photon and Electron Beams”. Treatment Planning System Commissioning and QA: Challenges and Opportunities (Greg Salomons) This session will provide some key background and review publications describing prominent incidents relating to TPS commissioning and QA. Traditional approaches have been hardware and feature oriented. They aim to establish a functional configuration and establish specifications for regular testing of features (like dose calculation) to assure stable operation and detect failures. With the advent of more complex systems, more patient-specific testing has also been adopted. A number of actual TPS defects will be presented along with heuristics for identifying similar defects in the future. Finally, the Gamma test has become a popular metric for reporting TPS Commissioning and QA results. It simplifies complex testing into a numerical index, but noisy data and casual application can make it misleading. A brief review of the issues around the use of the Gamma test will be presented. TPS commissioning and QA: A process orientation and application of control charts (Michael Sharpe) A framework for commissioning a treatment planning system will be presented, focusing on preparations, practical aspects of configuration, priorities, specifications, and establishing performance. The complexity of the modern TPS make modular testing of features inadequate, and modern QA tools can provide “too much information” about the performance of techniques like IMRT and VMAT. We have adopted a process orientation and quality tools, like control charts, for ongoing TPS QA and assessment of patient-specific tests. The trending nature of these tools reveals the overall performance of the TPS system, and quantifies the variations that arise from individual plans, discrete calculations, and experimentation based on discrete measurements. Examples demonstrating application of these tools to TPS QA will be presented. TPS commissioning and QA: Incorporating the entire planning process (Sasa Mutic) The TPS and its features do not perform in isolation. Instead, the features and modules are key components in a complex process that begins with CT Simulation and extends to treatment delivery, along with image guidance and verification. Most importantly, the TPS is used by people working in a multi-disciplinary environment. It is very difficult to predict the outcomes of human interactions with software. Therefore, an interdisciplinary approach to training, commissioning and QA will be presented, along with an approach to the physics chart check and end-to-end testing as a tool for TPS QA. The role of standardization and automation in QA will also be discussed. The recommendations of MPPG #5 and practical implementation strategies (Jennifer Smilowitz) The recently published recommendations from Task Group No. 244, Medical Physics Practice Guideline on Commissioning and QA of Treatment Planning Dose Calculations: Megavoltage Photon and Electron Beams will be presented. The recommendations focus on the validation of commissioning data and dose calculations. Tolerance values for non-IMRT beam configurations are summarized based on established criteria and data collected by the IROC. More stringent evaluation criteria for IMRT dose calculations are suggested to test the limitations of the TPS dose algorithms for advanced delivery conditions. The MPPG encourages users to create a suite of validation tests for dose calculation for various conditions for static photon beams, heterogeneities, IMRT/VMAT and electron beams. This test suite is intended to be used for subsequent testing, including TPS software upgrades. In the past, the recommendations of some reports have not been widely implemented due to practical limitations. Implementation strategies, tools and processes developed by multiple centers for efficient and “do-able” MPPG #5 testing will be presented, as well as a discussion on the overall validation experience. Learning Objectives: Identify some of the key documents relevant for TPS commissioning and QA Understand strategies for testing TPS software Gain a practical knowledge of the Gamma test criteria Increase familiarity with the process of commissioning a TPS Learn about the use of Control Charts for TPS QA Review the role of the TPS in the overall planning process Increase awareness of the link between TPS QA and chart checking Gain an increased appreciation for the importance of interdisciplinary communication Understand the new recommendations from MPPG #5 on TPS Dose Algorithm Commissioning and QC/QA Learn practical implementation processes and tools for MPPG #5 validation recommendations.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2023

Top-Down Proteomics of Mouse Islets With Beta Cell CPE Deletion Reveals Molecular Details in Prohormone Processing

Altered prohormone processing, such as with proinsulin and pro-islet amyloid polypeptide (proIAPP), has been reported as an important feature of prediabetes and diabetes. Proinsulin processing includes removal of several C-terminal basic amino acids and is performed principally by the exopeptidase carboxypeptidase E (CPE), and mutations in CPE or other prohormone convertase enzymes (PC1/3 and PC2) result in hyperproinsulinemia. A comprehensive characterization of the forms and quantities of improperly processed insulin and other hormone products following Cpe deletion in pancreatic islets has yet to be attempted. In the present study we applied top-down proteomics to globally evaluate the numerous proteoforms of hormone processing intermediates in a β-cell-specific Cpe knockout mouse model. Increases in dibasic residue–containing proinsulin and other novel proteoforms of improperly processed proinsulin were found, and we could classify several processed proteoforms as novel substrates of CPE. Interestingly, some other known substrates of CPE remained unaffected despite its deletion, implying that paralogous processing enzymes such as carboxypeptidase D (CPD) can compensate for CPE loss and maintain near normal levels of hormone processing. In summary, our quantitative results from top-down proteomics of islets provide unique insights into the complexity of hormone processing products and the regulatory mechanisms.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2024

AN OVERVIEW OF PLASMA PROCESSING OF SRF CAVITIES AT JLAB

Plasma processing is a common technique where the free oxygen produced in a low-pressure RF plasma breaks down and removes hydrocarbons from surfaces. This increases the work function and reduces the secondary emission coefficient of the treated surfaces. Jefferson Lab has an ongoing R&D program in plasma processing. The experimental program investigated processing using argon/oxygen and helium/oxygen gas mixtures. The initial focus of the effort was processing C100 cavities by injecting RF power into the HOM coupler ports. We also developed the methods for establishing a plasma C75 cavities where the RF power is injected via the fundamental power-coupler. As part of the process development we processed, three C100 cryomodules in our off-line cryomodule test facility. In May 2023 we processed four C100 cryomodules in-situ in the CEBAF accelerator with the cryomodules returning to an operational status in Sept. 2023. The cumulative improvement in field emission free operation, as measured on a cavity by cavity basis, was 59 MeV or 24%. We recently started processing 7 cryomodules in the CEBAF accelerator in August 2024. Methods systems and results from processing cryomodules and individual cavities in the vertical test will be presented. Current status and future plans will also be presented.

Ganey, Tiffany↗

DOE OSTI2013

Novel Magnetically Fluidized Bed Reactor Development for the Looping Process: Coal to Hydrogen Production R&D

The coal to hydrogen project utilizes the iron/iron oxide looping process to produce high purity hydrogen. The input energy for the process is provided by syngas coming from gasification process of coal. The reaction pathways for this process have been studied and favorable conditions for energy efficient operation have been identified. The Magnetically Stabilized Porous Structure (MSPS) is invented. It is fabricated from iron and silica particles and its repeatable high performance has been demonstrated through many experiments under various conditions in thermogravimetric analyzer, a lab-scale reactor, and a large scale reactor. The chemical reaction kinetics for both oxidation and reduction steps has been investigated thoroughly inside MSPS as well as on the surface of very smooth iron rod. Hydrogen, CO, and syngas have been tested individually as the reducing agent in reduction step and their performance is compared. Syngas is found to be the most pragmatic reducing agent for the two-step water splitting process. The transport properties of MSPS including porosity, permeability, and effective thermal conductivity are determined based on high resolution 3D CT x-ray images obtained at Argonne National Laboratory and pore-level simulations using a lattice Boltzmann Equation (LBE)-based mesoscopic model developed during this investigation. The results of those measurements and simulations provide necessary inputs to the development of a reliable volume-averaging-based continuum model that is used to simulate the dynamics of the redox process in MSPS. Extensive efforts have been devoted to simulate the redox process in MSPS by developing a continuum model consist of various modules for conductive and radiative heat transfer, fluid flow, species transport, and reaction kinetics. Both the Lagrangian and Eulerian approaches for species transport of chemically reacting flow in porous media have been investigated and verified numerically. Both approaches lead to correct prediction of hydrogen production rates over a large range of experimental conditions in the laboratory scale reactor and the bench-scale reactor. In the economic analysis, a comparison of the hydrogen production plants using iron/iron oxide looping cycle and the conventional process has been presented. Plant configurations are developed for the iron/iron oxide looping cycle. The study suggests a higher electric power generation but a lower hydrogen production efficiency comparing with the conventional process. Additionally, it was shown that the price of H 2 obtained from our reactor can be as low as $\$$1.7/kg, which is 22% lower than the current price of the H 2 obtained from reforming plants.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗

DOE OSTI2018

Processing of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) to Hydrogen Final Report CRADA No. TC-0989-94

The project objective was to develop a two-stage process for the conversion of municipal solid waste (MSW) to hydrogen. The first stage or the pre-treatment process stage was the main technical focus of the work because the overall processing approach was to use Texaco's existing gasification process with only minor modifications as the main processing stage. LLNL's main task was to develop the pre-treatment process through a scale of about 1 ton/day of feed capacity. Texaco's main task was to integrate the new pre-treatment process with its commercial gasification process and thus scale up the combined process to commercial size.

08 HYDROGEN↗

DOE OSTI2021

Antifoam Development for Eliminating Flammability Hazards and Decreasing Cycle Time in the Defense Waste Processing Facility

Foam, due to the high gas generation rates of boiling and chemical reaction offgasing, requires control measures to prevent the foam from contaminating the condensate and to facilitate efficient plant operation. Antifoam was utilized to minimize foam production during chemical processing in the DWPF and during High-Level Waste (HLW) evaporation at SRS and Hanford. However, the current antifoam used in the SRS DWPF increases flammability risk during chemical processing (generates three flammable degradation products) and while feeding the melter (can decompose to CO/hydrogen). It is also the likely source of methyl functional groups for the organo-mercury present in the tank farm and excessive mercury in Saltstone. Additionally, the planned startup of Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF), with much higher throughput, will challenge DWPF to process at higher gas generation rates. DWPF employs Antifoam 747, a superspreader produced by Momentive Performance Materials, as an antifoaming agent during waste processing. During DWPF chemical processing, antifoam must be effective up to boiling (i.e., up to 103°C) and between a pH of 3-13. Antifoam 747 is most effective at a pH range of 6-8 and degrades as pH deviates. In addition, SRNL identified three flammable antifoam degradation products using mass spectrometer (MS) and fourier transform infrared (FTIR) offgas analyzers during simulations. A new antifoam or a new method to control foam is needed to minimize DWPF processing time and reduce the risk of contamination. In addition, testing should be completed to ensure that other antifoams used in HLW processing do not have similar flammability hazards or cause unintended impacts in downstream processing.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗