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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1982

Aerospace technology and commercial nuclear power; Proceedings of the Workshop Conference, Williamsburg, VA, November 18-20, 1981

An attempt has been made to compare the technologies, institutions and procedures of the aerospace and commercial nuclear power industries, in order to characterize similarities and contrasts as well as to identify the most fruitful means by which to transfer information, technology, and procedures between the two industries. The seven working groups involved in this study took as their topics powerplant design formulation and effectiveness, plant safety and operations, powerplant control technology and integration, economic and financial analyses, public relations, and the management of nuclear waste and spent fuel. Consequential differences are noted between the two industries in matters of certification and licencing procedures, assignment of responsibility for both safety and financial performance, and public viewpoint. Areas for beneficial interaction include systems management and control and safety system technology. No individual items are abstracted in this volume

Grey, J.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Detailed performance analysis of the A.A.D. - concept B

New concepts for engine performance improvement are seen through the adoption of heat regeneration techniques; advanced methods to enhance the combustion; and higher efficiency air handling machinery, such as the positive displacement helical screw expander and compressor. Each of these concepts plays a particular role in engine performance improvement. First regeneration has a great potential for achieving higher engine thermal efficiency through the recovery of waste energy. Although the concept itself is not new (this technique is used in the gas turbine), the application to reciprocating internal combustion engines is quite unusual and presents conceptual difficulties. The second important area is better control of the combustion process in terms of heat transfer characteristics, combustion products, and heat release rate. The third area for performance improvement is in the adoption of high efficiency air handling machinery. In particular, positive displacement helical expander and compressor exhibit an extremely high efficiency over a wide range of operating conditions.

Sekar, R.↗
DOE OSTI2019

Molecular Bridge Thermal Diode Enabled by Vibrational Mismatch

We elucidate a significant thermal rectification effect in molecular bridges (MBs) that covalently bond gold and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by nonequilibrium molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. We find asymmetric heat flux across these MBs, resulting in significant thermal rectification. Thermal rectification ratios are found to decrease with the number of the MBs and increase with the lengths of CNTs, reaching a value as high as 3.75. In addition, the calculations show that the thermal conductances vary with the orientation of the crystal planes of Au, the number of molecular bridges, and the length of the CNTs. They are in a range of 40–250 MW m K, agreeing well with the reported experimental results. Detailed analysis suggests that the thermal rectification can be attributed to the mismatch of vibrational modes between neighboring sulfur and carbon atoms in the MBs. As a result, this discovery could provide theoretical guidance in designing molecular thermal diodes, paving alternative routes to potential applications in nanoscale heat manipulation, waste energy harvesting, chip cooling, and molecular phononics.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Modular Chemical Process Intensification: A Review

Modular chemical process intensification can dramatically improve energy and process efficiencies of chemical processes through enhanced mass and heat transfer, application of external force fields, enhanced driving forces, and combinations of different unit operations, such as reaction and separation, in single-process equipment. Dramatic improvements such as these lead to several benefits such as compactness or small footprint, energy and cost savings, enhanced safety, less waste production, and higher product quality. Because of these benefits, process intensification can play a major role in industrial and manufacturing sectors, including chemical, pulp and paper, energy, critical materials, and water treatment, among others. This article provides an overview of process intensification, including definitions, principles, tools, and possible applications, with the objective to contribute to the future development and potential applications of modular chemical process intensification in industrial and manufacturing sectors. Drivers and barriers contributing to the advancement of process intensification technologies are discussed.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS2015

Simulation Apps Bring Us Closer to Mars

My work with mathematical modeling and computer simulations began in earnest in 1987 when I signed on with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, better known as NASA. At the time I was developing computer simulations to support the design of carbon dioxide (CO2) removal systems for the International Space Station (ISS) life support system. CO2 is a human metabolic waste, produced at a rate of a kilogram per day per crewmember. CO2 must be removed from the crew cabin, as it will quickly become detrimental to crew health. The systems used to remove CO2 are typically based on sorption processes, which include complex interactions of heat transfer, mass transfer, and gas flow through porous media. At this time, there were no commercial options for solving a set of coupled mathematical models such as partial differential equations (PDEs); you either force-fit the physics into a thermal analysis package or wrote your own code, complete with discretization, meshing, and solution algorithms. Unfortunately, coding CO2 removal processes from scratch did not allow an appropriate focus on the challenging yet crucial task of understanding and capturing the underlying physics via appropriate mathematical models. Configuration control was often simply ignored due to tight schedules, resulting in a code that would be quicker for a second party to rewrite than modify. In the early 2000s, I decided to move CO2 removal simulations to a platform with built-in meshing, solvers, and postprocessing capabilities, and that could solve user-defined multiphysics PDEs. The program chosen to meet these needs was COMSOL Multiphysics®. Along with freeing the engineer to focus on the underlying physics, a degree of configuration control was automatically achieved via a consistent user interface, thus allowing COMSOL users to share computer models. My team has developed simulations that are already providing a valuable debugging capability for the ISS CO2 removal system, and will provide guidance in upgrades to that system.

Knox, Jim↗
DOE OSTI2016

Brownfields to Brightfields: A Sustainability Initiative at DOE'S East Tennessee Technology Park Cleanup - 16120

As DOE works toward completing their cleanup mission at the East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP), the ultimate goal is to return property no longer needed for government use to the community for beneficial re-use. The vision for ETTP is to transform the former gaseous diffusion facility into a commercial industrial park, leveraging the site's infrastructure to attract businesses to the site. While hundreds of acres at ETTP have been transferred for re-use, areas within the former production footprint of the site have future use restricted due to the presence of residual contamination, underground structures and utilities and/or physical features that limit their reuse potential. Brownfield redevelopment with solar energy generation has proven to be an excellent option for beneficial reuse and sustainability thanks to the flexible nature of solar photovoltaic technology and design that can address the restrictions and limitations of the site. Developing a solar project on a cleanup site can be challenging due to a large number of stakeholders and regulatory compliance issues of the environmental legacy at DOE cleanup sites; however, the challenges can be offset by the available infrastructure and low cost property. The requirement for large amounts of land or surface area is a major constraint to the growth of photovoltaic solar systems. An average solar generating facility requires 2 or more hectares (5 acres) for each megawatt (MW) of power generated. Re-using land that is otherwise un-developable provides a cost effective site for renewable energy generation to innovative solar developers. At ETTP, DOE's Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management and the community reuse organization (Community Reuse Organization of East Tennessee - CROET) supported a local small business (Restoration Services, Inc. - RSI) familiar with the site and environmental regulations to secure a power purchase agreement with the regional electric provider (Tennessee Valley Authority - TVA) for a 1 MW utility-scale photovoltaic solar facility. The solar facility, Powerhouse Six, was developed through a commercial partnership (RSI and Vis Solis, Inc.) that worked closely with the lead ETTP site cleanup contractor (URS-CH2M Oak Ridge LLC - UCOR) and the local government. The selected site at ETTP had limitations on subsurface disturbance to 10 feet below ground surface because of utility ducts and residual contamination. Near surface relics (facility foundation remnants) were also found to prohibit ground penetration. A photovoltaic solar design using a ballasted ground mount system was developed to conform to the restrictions. The ballasted system could follow existing land contours, eliminating the need for any extensive site preparation and avoiding the risk of ground penetration. The lead cleanup contractor's role in facilitating the completion of this project included making the necessary environmental assessment documentation available to obtain the construction notice to proceed from the regional electric provider. They accelerated the transfer of ETTP power lines and electric demand to the city electric department to accommodate connection to the electric grid and supplied the communication connection required for metering the electric power generation. DOE's support along with their cleanup contractor's re-industrialization program and power integration group provided regular communication with the project stakeholders for more than six months to facilitate the early transfer of the utility infrastructure. Powerhouse Six sustainability benefits: - Generates enough clean energy to power more than 100 homes or prevents pollution equivalent to removing 240 cars from the road annually (1,141 metric tons of carbon dioxide); - Provides Brownfield reuse/redevelopment at ETTP; - Eliminates the generation of wastes through excavation and saves money to cleanup other areas for re-use; - Supports regional electric provider's renewable energy initiative; - Offers community economic development/ jobs and property tax income to the City of Oak Ridge; - Demonstrates benefit of ETTP re-industrialization; - Provides long-term lease payments to the community reuse organization; - Supports DOE renewable energy goals; - Demonstrates collaboration between DOE and a public utility for renewable energy development. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2020

The Use of Long-wave Infrared Cameras for Hazardous Waste Remediation - 20457

For over fifty years, infrared cameras have been used in military applications, nondestructive testing, condition monitoring, and predictive maintenance. As infrared cameras continue to become more sophisticated and less expensive, they are providing value in an ever-increasing variety of unique applications, including hazardous waste remediation. This paper describes several instances of how infrared cameras have been used within the US Department of Defense and the US Department of Energy in support of waste remediation projects, including the author's recent use of an infrared camera in support of the Calcine Retrieval Project at the Idaho National Laboratory. Infrared cameras provide images of infrared radiation, or heat energy, which is otherwise invisible to the unaided eye. Infrared radiation is part of the electromagnetic spectrum, which includes visible light. But unlike visible light, infrared has wavelengths longer than the human eye can detect. Infrared is emitted by everything with a temperature above absolute zero (-273 deg. C, or -459 deg. F); the higher the temperature, the greater the infrared thermal radiation, or heat, that is emitted. Even objects that feel cold to us, like ice, emit thermal radiation and can be imaged by infrared cameras. These cameras are typically used to look for abnormally hot or cold spots on a component or target area under normal operating conditions. The method provides a rapid, wide-area, noncontact technique for identifying problems associated with a temperature differential. All infrared cameras can provide qualitative thermal information by displaying relative differences in temperatures within a two-dimensional image. More expensive infrared cameras can also provide quantitative information where an absolute temperature value is assigned to each pixel associated with the displayed two-dimensional image. Proper camera calibration and a solid understanding of heat transfer and thermography techniques are required when using an infrared camera to obtain quantitative information. Case studies outlined in this paper include the rapid, non-intrusive detection of hazardous decontamination solution within one-ton shipping containers at Pine Bluff Arsenal, the non-intrusive identification of residual elemental sodium within the cooling loops of the Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBR-II) reactor at the Idaho National Laboratory, process monitoring of heat exchanger melt-and-drain efforts during EBR-II decommissioning, and the remote detection of internal steel supports within calcine storage bins prior to bin penetration. For each use of thermography, the author describes a summary of the waste remediation effort, the infrared camera used, the thermal imaging technique employed, and the results obtained. The paper concludes with a discussion on common mistakes to avoid for similar applications of thermography. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2017

Development of Membrane Distillation Technology Utilizing Waste Heat for Treatment of High Salinity Wastewaters

Membrane distillation (MD) can serve as a cost effective method to treat high salinity wastewaters, especially if waste heat is utilized for its operation. The goal of this work is to study the feasibility of employing MD technology for the treatment of high salinity wastewaters which are generated as a result of natural gas production and active reservoir management for CO 2 sequestration. This study also aimed at quantifying the availability of waste heat which could be used as the primary source of thermal energy to drive the MD process. Bench scale studies were carried out with several commercially available membranes using both synthetic and actual high salinity wastewaters. The membranes tested with real wastewater samples exhibited excellent rejection of dissolved ions, including naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM). Long term bench scale experiments with real produced water from the Marcellus shale play revealed that iron oxide could precipitate on the feed side of direct contact MD (DCMD) module but had a negligible effect on the performance of the system. Based on the bench scale experiments, an ASPEN Plus simulation, which incorporated a mathematical model with fundamental heat and mass transfer equations, was developed and used to evaluate the process energy requirements. Despite low operating temperature and pressure for MD, it had a large thermal energy requirement for operation, which could make this technology expensive compared to reverse osmosis (RO) and forward osmosis (FO). However, it is important to note that RO and FO have limited applicability for high salinity shale gas wastewater. Moreover, MD could be integrated with renewable energy sources such as wind or solar energy or industrial waste heat sources to offset the thermal energy requirements and enhance the economics of wastewater treatment. Natural gas compressor stations (NG CS) have been proposed in this study as the source of waste heat based on the estimate of quantity and quality of available waste heat in the exhaust streams of gas turbine and internal combustion compressor engines. Using the actual installed capacity and location of compressor stations in the U.S., this analysis revealed that an average of 610 TJ/day of thermal energy is available at existing NG CS and that this source of waste heat is of high quality with temperatures above 645 K. A systems-level integration of MD with waste heat from NG CS revealed that approximately 56% of available waste heat at NG CS in Pennsylvania is sufficient to concentrate (from 10% to 30% salinity) all wastewater associated with shale gas extraction. Techno-economic assessment (TEA) accounting for capital as well as operating and maintenance costs with and without waste heat integration was conducted for a hypothetical 0.5 million gallons per day (MGD) DCMD plant using experimental and modeling results from this study. TEA revealed that the total cost of shale gas wastewater treatment using MD is $5.7/m 3 feed for the base case scenario in which the thermal energy requirements are met by external steam, however, the total cost can be reduced to $0.74/m 3 feed when integrated with free waste heat from NG CS. Sensitivity analysis revealed that thermal energy cost and feed TDS are the most important factors in total cost of high salinity wastewater treatment using DCMD.

03 NATURAL GAS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Preliminary Enhanced LAW Glass Formulation Algorithm

This report summarizes the Preliminary Enhanced Low-Activity Waste Glass Formulation Algorithm (GFA), its background information, and the calculations it performs. The Preliminary Enhanced Low-Activity Waste GFA is a tool developed in MATLAB to formulate glass for a given waste composition while attempting to maximize waste loading. It is intended for use at the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant, where nuclear waste will be vitrified into glass. The formulated glass is required to satisfy several processing and product quality constraints. In addition, calculations must account for associated uncertainties in constraint prediction and measurement. The GFA adheres to Pacific Northwest National Laboratory nuclear quality assurance procedures and has been validated and verified. In this second revision to the report, two constraints: the lithium and zirconia target constraints were amended to Table 3.1 and programmed into the algorithm. Additionally, three sections were added. Section 3.2.1 includes the Enhanced LAW Correlation Rules, an addition to the glass optimality criteria. Section 4.0 discusses a stepped process approach taken to ensure the algorithm can adequately react to differences between its recommended output and the actual measurements and transfers made during plant operation, and calculation of specific radionuclide concentrations. Section 5.2 describes changes to the user interaction with the algorithm program including the addition of a graphical user interface and compilation of the software.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2014

Fate and transport of uranium (VI) in weathered saprolite

We conducted batch and column experiments to investigate sorption and transport of uranium (U) in the presence of saprolite derived from interbedded shale, limestone, and sandstone sequences. Sorption kinetics were measured at two initial concentrations (C0; 1, 10 mM) and three soil:solution ratios (Rs/w; 0.005, 0.25, 2 kg/L) at pH 4.5 (pH of the saprolite). The rate of U loss from solution (mmole/L/h) increased with increasing Rs/w. Uranium sorption exhibited a fast phase with 80% sorption in the first eight hours for all C0 and Rs/w values and a slow phase during which the reaction slowly approached (pseudo) equilibrium over the next seven days. The pH-dependency of U sorption was apparent in pH sorption edges. U(VI) sorption increased over the pH range 4e6, then decreased sharply at pH > 7.5. U(VI) sorption edges were well described by a surface complexation model using calibrated parameters and the reaction network proposed by Waite et al. (1994). Sorption isotherms measured using the same Rs/w and pH values showed a solids concentration effect where U(VI) sorption capacity and affinity decreased with increasing solids concentration. Moreover, this effect may have been due to either particle aggregation or competition between U(VI) and exchangeable cations for sorption sites. The surface complexation model with calibrated parameters was able to predict the general sorption behavior relatively well, but failed to reproduce solid concentration effects, implying the importance of appropriate design if batch experiments are to be utilized for dynamic systems. Transport of U(VI) through the packed column was significantly retarded. We also conducted transport simulations using the reactive transport model HydroGeoChem (HGC) v5.0 that incorporated the surface complexation reaction network used to model the batch data. Model parameters reported by Waite et al. (1994) provided a better prediction of U transport than optimized parameters derived from our sorption edges. The results presented in this study highlight the challenges in defining appropriate conditions for batch-type experiments used to extrapolate parameters for transport models, and also underline a gap in our ability to transfer batch results to transport simulations.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2013

Jose Cabrera dismantling and decommissioning project

The Jose Cabrera Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) was the first commercial power reactor (Westinghouse 1 loop PWR 510 MWth, 160 MWe) commissioned in Spain and provided the base for future development and training. The reactor construction started in 1963 and it was officially on-line by 1969. The NPP operated from 1969 until 2006 when it became the first reactor to be shut down after completing its operational period. The containment is reinforced concrete with a stainless steel head. In 2010 responsibility for D and D was transferred to Enresa to achieve IAEA level 3 (a green field site available for unrestricted re-uses) by 2017. Of the total of more than 104,000 tons of materials that will be generated during dismantling, it is estimated that only ∼4,000 tons will be radioactive waste, some of which, 40 t are considered as intermediate level long-lived wastes and the rest (3,960 t) will be categorized as VLLW and ILLW. The Project is divided into five phases: Phase 0 - Removal of fuel and preliminary work.. Phase 1 - Preparatory Activities for D and D. complete. Phase 2 - Dismantling of Major Components. Phase 3 - Removal of Auxiliary Installations, Decontamination and Demolition. Phase 4 - Environmental Restoration. Phase 2, is currently ongoing (50% completed). To manage the diverse aspects of decommissioning operations, Enresa uses an internally developed computerized project management tool. The tool, based on knowledge gathered from other Enresa projects, can process operations management, maintenance operations, materials, waste, storage areas, procedures, work permits, operator dose management and records. Enresa considers that communication is important for both internal and external stakeholder relations and can be used to inform, to neutralize negative opinions and attitudes, to remove false expectations and for training. Enresa has created a new multi-purpose area (exhibition/visitor centre) and encourages visits from the public, local schools, local and national politicians and technical groups. Greenfield is the final end state objective. The total cost of this project, including a 20% contingency as estimated in 2003 is 135 Meuros. This figure does not include the management of the plant spent fuel, which has constituted an independent project that has been completed in 2009 (35 Meuros). Enresa, with 15 staff on site are managing a team of ∼250 workers, 40 of whom belong to the previous operator. The spent fuel is On-Site prior to the final destination in the future Spain Centralized Spent Fuel Installation. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2019

High Performance Computing to Enable Next-Generation Low-Temperature Waste Heat Recovery

US manufacturing industry fails to recover an estimated 900 trillion BTUs of low-temperature waste heat from its processes each year. A grand research challenge has been to develop waste heat recovery technology that can be applied to industrial manufacturing processes and vehicle operations. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)/Eaton research team performed computational research and development to design an innovative direct-contact heat exchanger (DCHE) technology to deliver low-cost, compact, longer-lifetime, high-efficiency waste heat recovery that is optimized for a low-temperature organic Rankine cycle. ORNL resources and expertise in high performance computing (HPC) and multiphase flows were utilized to realize this goal while advancing the fundamental understanding of two-phase, two-immiscible-fluid turbulent flow heat transfer for heat exchangers. In the first stage of the project, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of a DCHE was developed. Verification and limited validation of the numerical solution were performed using experimental data from published literature. To support efforts in verification and validation, two-dimensional CFD models were also developed with the objective of investigating different boundary conditions to reach converged, steady-state solutions.Based on benchmarking efforts, a baseline industry-grade design of a DCHE was developed, which consists of two horizontal pipes of different cross-sectional areas – joined by a converging-diverging nozzle in the middle and relies on a three-phase system with co-current flows for operation. Evaporation of the cold liquid (n-pentane or methanol) by the hot liquid water occurs in the first pipe. The first pipe contains two inlets for liquid water and liquid pentane (or liquid methanol). The second pipe with the larger cross-sectional area serves as a gravity-driven phase-separator. It contains two outlets that are staggered to avoid entrainment of the liquid water phase by the gas phase. This baseline design resulted from several trial-and-error evaluations using two-dimensional CFD models. Confirmatory three-dimensional CFD models were also run for different mass flow rates and inlet temperatures (inlet water temperature ranging from 50°C to 90°C), and efficiency plots were produced to fully characterize the proposed industrial-grade design of the DCHE.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2012

Modeling Ion-Exchange Processing With Spherical Resins For Cesium Removal

The spherical Resorcinol-Formaldehyde and hypothetical spherical SuperLig(r) 644 ion-exchange resins are evaluated for cesium removal from radioactive waste solutions. Modeling results show that spherical SuperLig(r) 644 reduces column cycling by 50% for high-potassium solutions. Spherical Resorcinol Formaldehyde performs equally well for the lowest-potassium wastes. Less cycling reduces nitric acid usage during resin elution and sodium addition during resin regeneration, therefore, significantly decreasing life-cycle operational costs. A model assessment of the mechanism behind ''cesium bleed'' is also conducted. When a resin bed is eluted, a relatively small amount of cesium remains within resin particles. Cesium can bleed into otherwise decontaminated product in the next loading cycle. The bleed mechanism is shown to be fully isotherm-controlled vs. mass transfer controlled. Knowledge of residual post-elution cesium level and resin isotherm can be utilized to predict rate of cesium bleed in a mostly non-loaded column. Overall, this work demonstrates the versatility of the ion-exchange modeling to study the effects of resin characteristics on processing cycles, rates, and cold chemical consumption. This evaluation justifies further development of a spherical form of the SL644 resin.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2020

Feedback from International Decommissioning Planning Projects - 20269

Decommissioning of Nuclear Power Plants is an increasing reality in many countries with nuclear power. Already many years before final shutdown, planning of the decommissioning work is usually started in order to understand for example the costs, waste volume capacity and licensing work needed. In many countries it is required to have a final decommissioning plan before any decommissioning work is allowed to start. Westinghouse has been involved in international decommissioning planning for more than 30 years, where the first 20 years was mostly funding and preliminary plans due to that decommissioning was many years away. However, as many more plants are now moving into decommissioning, the focus has shifted to final decommissioning plans with budgets instead of funding plans, strategic decisions instead of choices, waste volume specifications instead of estimates and a defined approach instead of what ifs. Westinghouse has developed a methodology based on the planning and execution of many decommissioning projects in Europe, America and Asia. That international experience and understanding helps the customers to adopt a systematic planning process where strategy development is done with the end state in mind, where the goals are clearly outlined and the starting point described. The process and steps to reach the desired end state need to be clearly defined and all options/alternatives evaluated from a cost/benefit point of view. This is followed by a thorough and quantitative risk analysis in order to give solid recommendations and credible conclusions. One important feedback has been that real decommissioning experience from reference projects is invaluable for an efficient and timely progress in order not to spend unnecessary time and effort on understanding the barriers and links between different activities in decommissioning. Skilled project managers or engineers can drive the project forward, but without decommissioning experience previously gained, valuable lessons learned are not used and the same mistakes can be made again. Many utilities have invested in knowledge transfer from other decommissioning projects through site visits, exchange programs and supplier meetings, which is a valuable asset and way of implementing lessons learned from performed decommissioning projects into the planning process. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI1996

Nuclear Safety [Vol. 37, No. 1, January-March 1996]

Nuclear Safety is a journal that covers significant issues in the field of nuclear safety. Its primary scope is safety in the design, construction, operation, and decommissioning of nuclear power reactors worldwide and the research and analysis activities that promote this goal, but it also encompasses the safety aspects of the entire nuclear fuel cycle, including fuel fabrication, spent-fuel processing and handling, and nuclear waste disposal, the handling of fissionable materials and radioisotopes, and the environmental effects of all these activities. Table of Contents for this issue follows. GENERAL SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS: 1 A Decision Support System for Maintenance Management of a Boiling-Water Reactor Power Plant, J. H. Shen, A. Ray, and S. Levine; ACCIDENT ANALYSIS: 12 On Prediction of the Ignition Potential of Uranium Metal and Hydride, M. Epstein, W. Luangdilok, M. G. Plys, and H. K. Fauske; 26 An Overview of the Primary Parameters and Methods for Determining Condensation Heat Transfer to Containment Structures, J. Green and K. Almenas; DESIGN FEATURES: 49 Modem Tornado Design of Nuclear and Other Potentially Hazardous Facilities, J. D. Stevenson and Y. Zaho; U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION INFORMATION AND ANALYSES: 73 1994 Accident Sequence Precursor Program Results, R. J. Belles, J. W. Cletcher, D. A. Coplnger, B. W. Dolan, J. W. Minarick, and P. D. O'Reilly; ANNOUNCEMENTS: 93 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AlChE) Spring 1997 National Meeting; 94 European Safety and Reliability Association International Conference on Safety and Reliability ESREL ’97; 95 Criticality Safety Challenges in the Next Decade; 96 21st International Symposium on the Scientific Basis for Nuclear Waste Management; 84 The Authors; 88 Letter to the Editor; 90 Indexes to Nuclear Safety, Volume 36.

05 NUCLEAR FUELS↗
DOE OSTI1996

Nuclear Safety [Vol. 37, No. 1, January-March 1996]

Nuclear Safety is a journal that covers significant issues in the field of nuclear safety. Its primary scope is safety in the design, construction, operation, and decommissioning of nuclear power reactors worldwide and the research and analysis activities that promote this goal, but it also encompasses the safety aspects of the entire nuclear fuel cycle, including fuel fabrication, spent-fuel processing and handling, and nuclear waste disposal, the handling of fissionable materials and radioisotopes, and the environmental effects of all these activities. Table of Contents for this issue follows. GENERAL SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS: 1 A Decision Support System for Maintenance Management of a Boiling-Water Reactor Power Plant, J. H. Shen, A. Ray, and S. Levine; ACCIDENT ANALYSIS: 12 On Prediction of the Ignition Potential of Uranium Metal and Hydride, M. Epstein, W. Luangdilok, M. G. Plys, and H. K. Fauske; 26 An Overview of the Primary Parameters and Methods for Determining Condensation Heat Transfer to Containment Structures, J. Green and K. Almenas; DESIGN FEATURES: 49 Modem Tornado Design of Nuclear and Other Potentially Hazardous Facilities, J. D. Stevenson and Y. Zaho; U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION INFORMATION AND ANALYSES: 73 1994 Accident Sequence Precursor Program Results, R. J. Belles, J. W. Cletcher, D. A. Copinger, B. W. Dolan, J. W. Minarick, and P. D. O'Reilly; ANNOUNCEMENTS: 93 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AlChE) Spring 1997 National Meeting; 94 European Safety and Reliability Association International Conference on Safety and Reliability ESREL ’97; 95 Criticality Safety Challenges in the Next Decade; 96 21st International Symposium on the Scientific Basis for Nuclear Waste Management; 84 The Authors; 88 Letter to the Editor; 90 Indexes to Nuclear Safety, Volume 36.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Dry Cask Shipments of ATR Spent Nuclear Fuel at INL

The High Load Charger (HLC) cask will be replacing the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) spent fuel transfer cask that has been used at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to wet-transfer spent ATR fuel elements from ATR to Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) in order to support future plans at both facilities. INTEC intends to discontinue use of the CPP-666 storage pools in compliance with the Idaho Settlement Agreement and the basins will no longer be available to store spent ATR fuel elements. In order to support the core-internals change out in 2021 for ATR, spent ATR fuel elements must be removed from the canal and shipped to INTEC. INL contractors will use the HLC cask for safe, dry transfer of spent Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) fuel elements between the ATR Complex managed by Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC and the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) managed by Fluor Idaho, LLC. The HLC cask (also known as the High Load Charging Cask or High Load Charger) is a lead-shielded, stainless steel transfer container originally designed in 1954 by the Idaho Nuclear Corporation to meet the radiation and contamination controls requirements of the time for shipment of spent nuclear fuel. The cask has been modified over the years and is currently used for wet-to-dry transfers at INTEC. It is approved only for out-of-commerce transfers. The cask will arrive at the ATR where eight spent ATR fuel elements will be loaded into two, newly-designed buckets. Each bucket is a quarter section, right-cylinder shape that has four compartments. The cask will be lifted out of the ATR canal allowing most of the water to drain from the cask. Processing the 12,500 kg cask will be completed in ATR and then transported on a tractor trailer to INTEC where the loaded buckets will be removed from the cask. The loaded buckets will undergo a drying process before placing the four buckets into a canister for long-term storage in the Irradiated Fuel Storage Facility (IFSF) at INTEC. A new transportation plan that was submitted to, and approved by, the U.S. Department of Energy to provide the cask safety basis, which describes the hazard analysis and accident analysis for the cask during transport. Supporting accident analysis include criticality, thermal, dose, and drop analyses. Of particular interest for this cask was the drop analysis from which was derived the speed limit for the transport. The drop analysis addressed drops in air onto an unyielding surface and in water onto an energy-absorbing pad for the cask in the ATR facility. These analyses are typically applied as the bounding drop scenarios during transport; however, this resulted in a safety basis speed limit of 12.9 kph. In order to more accurately represent the in-transit accident scenario, LS-DYNA software was procured and the model was updated to more closely represent the potential drop heights and impact surfaces of asphalt and soil for the cask while in transit. This analysis resulted in a safety basis speed limit of 48 kph. This safety basis speed limit is more practical to implement and control.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2014

Sample Results from MCU Solids Outage

Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) has received several solid and liquid samples from MCU in an effort to understand and recover from the system outage starting on April 6, 2014. SRNL concludes that the presence of solids in the Salt Solution Feed Tank (SSFT) is the likely root cause for the outage, based upon the following discoveries: A solids sample from the extraction contactor #1 proved to be mostly sodium oxalate; A solids sample from the scrub contactor#1 proved to be mostly sodium oxalate; A solids sample from the Salt Solution Feed Tank (SSFT) proved to be mostly sodium oxalate; An archived sample from Tank 49H taken last year was shown to contain a fine precipitate of sodium oxalate; A solids sample from ; A liquid sample from the SSFT was shown to have elevated levels of oxalate anion compared to the expected concentration in the feed. Visual inspection of the SSFT indicated the presence of precipitated or transferred solids, which were likely also in the Salt Solution Receipt Tank (SSRT). The presence of the solids coupled with agitation performed to maintain feed temperature resulted in oxalate solids migration through the MCU system and caused hydraulic issues that resulted in unplanned phase carryover from the extraction into the scrub, and ultimately the strip contactors. Not only did this carryover result in the Strip Effluent (SE) being pushed out of waste acceptance specification, but it resulted in the deposition of solids into several of the contactors. At the same time, extensive deposits of aluminosilicates were found in the drain tube in the extraction contactor #1. However it is not known at this time how the aluminosilicate solids are related to the oxalate solids. The solids were successfully cleaned out of the MCU system. However, future consideration must be given to the exclusion of oxalate solids into the MCU system. There were 53 recommendations for improving operations recently identified. Some additional considerations or additional details are provided below as recommendations. From this point on, IC-Anions analyses of the DSSHT should be part of the monthly routine analysis in order to spot negative trends in the oxalate leaving the MCU system. Care must be taken to monitor the oxalate content to watch for sudden precipitation of oxalate salts in the system; Conduct a study to optimize the cleaning strategy at ARP-MCU through decreasing the concentration or entirely eliminating the oxalic acid; The contents of the SSFT should remain unagitated. Routine visual observation should be maintained to ensure there is not a large buildup of solids. As water with agitation provided sufficient removal of the solids in the feed tank, it should be considered as a good means for dissolving oxalate solids if they are found in the future; Conduct a study to improve prediction of oxalate solubility in salt batch feed materials. As titanium and mercury have been found in various solids in this report, evaluate if either element plays a role in oxalate solubility during processing; Salt batch characterization focuses primarily on characterization and testing of unaltered Tank 21H material; however, non-typical feeds are developed through cleaning, washing, and/or sump transfers. As these solutions are processed through MCU, they may precipitate solids or reduce performance. Salt batch characterization and testing should be expanded to encompass a broader range of feeds that may be processed through ARPMCU.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗