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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 1,099 records · Page 61
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1991

New estimates of nitrous oxide emissions from biomass burning

The recent discovery of an artifact producing increased levels of N2O in combustion gas samples collected and stored in grab bottles before chemical analysis has resulted in the downgrading of fossil-fuel combustion and the questioning of biomass burning as important sources of N2O. As almost all reported analyses of N2O produced from biomass burning have involved essentially the same collection and analysis protocols as used in the fossil-fuel studies, this source of N2O must also be reexamined. Here, measurements of N2O made over a large prescribed fire using a near real-time in situ measurement technique are reported and compared with measurements of N2O from simultaneously collected grab-bottle samples. The results from 27 small laboratory biomass test fires are also used to help clarify the validity of earlier assessments. It is concluded that biomass burning contributes about seven percent of atmospheric N2O, as opposed to earlier estimates of several times this value.

Cofer, W. R., III↗
DOE OSTI2022

Reactor physics benchmark of Westinghouse PWR core design suite for high burnup/high enrichment fuel - Part 2: 2D and 3D core simulations

Westinghouse has performed a comprehensive set of code-to-code benchmark comparisons to corroborate application of its state-of-the-art NEXUS-based code suite to high burnup and high enrichment (HB/HE) fueled PWR core design and reload analysis. The benchmark consisted of a progression in complexity from modeling single 2D pin cells, through 2D lattices and finally to whole core 2D and then 3D scenarios. The accompanying paper (Part 1) presented the results for a variety of pin cell and lattices representative of high energy cores and established the ability of the MPACT code to accurately match the predictions of the Monte-Carlo code SERPENT2 such that the former may be used as a surrogate reference code in spatially complex whole core modeling applications where using Monte-Carlo methods is somewhat impractical. This paper focuses on comparisons at the whole core level using a representative high power density 3-loop Westinghouse NSSS core operating for 24 month cycles employing high enriched fuel with use of combined burnable absorbers to hold down excess reactivity. The evolution of the core reactivity and power distribution characteristics throughout the cycle are calculated using the Westinghouse NEXUS-based code suite and compared to the results using MPACT. The results of this whole core benchmark confirm the conclusions that the Westinghouse code suite accurately models HB/HE fuel designs, with very good prediction of core reactivity and power distribution throughout the cycle. The industry can be confident that the NEXUS code system can be deployed to support PWR reload safety and operational analyses for cores featuring HB/HE fuel and 24-month cycle operation. (authors)

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Preliminary Thermal-hydraulics and Selected Safety Analysis for Holos-Quad Reactor Design

This report presents thermal hydraulics and safety analyses of the 10 MWe Holos-Quad micro-reactor design developed by HolosGen LLC. These analyses were executed under steady-state and station black-out (SBO) transient conditions using the System Analysis Module (SAM), with a focus on ensuring peak fuel temperatures do not exceed the safety thresholds of 1,250°C for steady state normal operating conditions and 1,600°C for transient conditions. For steady-state temperature predictions, a coupled 1D fluid-to-3D solid heat conduction methodology was used. The steady-state simulations included a model of the central core region where power peaking occurs to predict the maximum steady-state fuel temperature, and a coarse-mesh full-core model to provide the initial condition for the consequent transient SBO decay heat removal simulation. The maximum fuel temperature predicted from the central core region simulations under the normal operating condition was 1,222°C, which is below the design limit 1,250°C. To simulate a SBO transient, a full core model was necessary because of the non-axial symmetric core design and heat loss from the outer core structures to the environment. To reduce the required computational costs, a novel scaled subassembly approach was used to model the full core domain. With the full core steady-state temperature distribution provided as the initial condition, the passive decay heat removal of the core was simulated with the scaled subassembly full core model under SBO transient conditions. This analysis showed that the peak fuel temperatures of the Holos-Quad core remained below their steady-state values during the transient, therefore much lower than the safety limit 1,600°C. This is mainly due to the large thermal inertia of the graphite matrix, relatively low power density, and the large surface-to-volume-ratio of the core. The preliminary analyses presented in this report confirm the inherent safety of the Holos-Quad micro-reactor thermal-hydraulics design, as the peak fuel temperatures under both normal and off-normal operational conditions remain within design and safety limits.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Relationships between Vehicle Pricing and Features: Data Driven Analysis of the Chinese Vehicle Market

A full-scale understanding of the dynamics of the Chinese vehicle market can benefit stakeholders with respect to rational decision-making and effective long-term investment. This study attempts to discover the common vehicle pricing patterns in the Chinese market by quantifying statistical correlations among critical vehicle features from intrinsic powertrain systems to extrinsic market positioning. The data samples involve almost all passenger vehicle models sold in 2013 to 2019. After comparing multiple statistical methodologies, a log-transformation variant of the multinomial linear regression model was found to be the best one, and the goodness of fit shows that this model can offer stable estimates, which were validated using 2019 market data. The insights achieved are: (1) The price and major performance features of SUVs/crossovers are similar to those of sedans; (2) If all other explicit features remain the same, the price of a Japanese midsize sedan is 62% higher than that of a Chinese midsize sedan, and European midsize vehicles have the highest prices overall. (3) The incremental price of fuel consumption varies by vehicle class and fuel economy. For example, from 30 to 50 MPG, the vehicle price increases by $119 for a Chinese brand sedan vehicle, by $69 for a Chinese brand SUV.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Particulate Emission and Optical Measurements in n-Heptane Low-Swirl Non-Premixed Flames at Elevated Pressures

A series of ground combustion tests conducted at elevated pressures demonstrates in-chamber optical measurements of soot emissions, combined with conventional gaseous and particle emissions sampling techniques. Utilizing a micro-radial-entry counter-swirl (MRX) burner, we successfully stabilized an n-heptane low-swirl, non-premixed spray flame across a wide range of equivalence ratios at pressures reaching 250 psia. Our optical diagnostics feature a temporally gated diffused-backlight illumination extinction imaging (DBI-EI) system, equipped with a 470-nm strobe high-intensity LED array as the illumination source, along with a line-of-sight telecentric camera. By accessing the flame tube, the pulsed DBI-EI provides illuminating optical extinction images, enabling experimental estimation of soot volume fractions within the reaction zone. This imaging technique will allow for real-time observation of soot formation dynamics occurring above the air-blast fuel injector. To further enhance our analysis, we employed simultaneous gaseous and particulate extractive diagnostics, interpreting in-flame particulate information through CO2 sampling, exhaust particle sizing, and particle counting. The processed dataset reveals a promising application of DBI-EI for propulsion emission analysis in high-pressure environments, where optical beam-steering effects can significantly impact results. This report is essential to bridging the divide between in-flame optical diagnostics and exhaust extractive measurements. By achieving an understanding of non-premixed combustion emission characteristics, we attempt to provide invaluable data for computer code validation, advancing the field of combustion research and supporting the development of cleaner, more efficient engines.

high-pressure flame↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Particulate Emission and Optical Measurements in n-Heptane Low-Swirl Non-Premixed Flames at Elevated Pressures

A series of ground combustion tests conducted at elevated pressures demonstrates in-chamber optical measurements of soot emissions, combined with conventional gaseous and particle emissions sampling techniques. Utilizing a micro-radial-entry counter-swirl (MRX) burner, we successfully stabilized an n-heptane low-swirl, non-premixed spray flame across a wide range of equivalence ratios at pressures reaching 250 psia. Our optical diagnostics feature a temporally gated diffused-backlight illumination extinction imaging (DBI-EI) system, equipped with a 470-nm strobe high-intensity LED array as the illumination source, along with a line-of-sight telecentric camera. By accessing the flame tube, the pulsed DBI-EI provides illuminating optical extinction images, enabling experimental estimation of soot volume fractions within the reaction zone. This imaging technique will allow for real-time observation of soot formation dynamics occurring above the air-blast fuel injector. To further enhance our analysis, we employed simultaneous gaseous and particulate extractive diagnostics, interpreting in-flame particulate information through CO2 sampling, exhaust particle sizing, and particle counting. The processed dataset reveals a promising application of DBI-EI for propulsion emission analysis in high-pressure environments, where optical beam-steering effects can significantly impact results. This report is essential to bridging the divide between in-flame optical diagnostics and exhaust extractive measurements. By achieving an understanding of non-premixed combustion emission characteristics, we attempt to provide invaluable data for computer code validation, advancing the field of combustion research and supporting the development of cleaner, more efficient engines.

high-pressure flame↗
DOE OSTI2020

Performance of U 3 Si 2 in an LWR following a cladding breach during normal operation

High-density fuels have been proposed as a possible replacement for uranium-dioxide as a fuel for light water reactors (LWRs) due to their increased loading of fissionable material. The objectives of this proposal are (1) to increase reactor cycle length and reactor power, and (2) to offset any neutronic penalty associated with advanced cladding systems. Of the high-density fuels under consideration, there is particular interest in triuranium disilicide (U 3 Si 2 ) due to its increased metal density and favorable thermal properties as compared to UO 2 . However, there are concerns regarding the chemical compatibility of U 3 Si 2 with water and steam as used for LWR coolant.This paper summarizes research on fuel-coolant chemical compatibility for UO 2 LWR fuel during a cladding breach and highlights that generally, because of its chemical inertness, UO 2 -coolant reactions are of little consequence to reactor operation. However, the volumetric expansion associated with the reaction of UO 2 and oxygen is a concern for possible conditions encountered during air ingress of dry storage. These same concerns arise for U 3 Si 2 , which exhibits greater volumetric expansion than UO 2 when exposed to water or steam. These reactions ultimately result in increased fuel volume that the cladding must accommodate, as well as additional heat generated as the fuel reacts.The BISON fuel performance code was used to perform a comparative analysis on the behavior of UO 2 and U 3 Si 2 under normal operation. Silicide fuel simulations were then extended to demonstrate how varying thermodynamic and chemical kinetics influence fuel expansion and subsequent cladding performance during a cladding breach. These simulations were further extended to a 3D subsection of a fuel rod to demonstrate the characteristics of the resulting cladding crack.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Techno-Economic Analysis of Reversible and Paired Solid Oxide Cell Systems for Hydrogen Production

This is the Journal of the Electrochemical Society manuscript that details an NETL analysis on comparing the performance and cost of reversible solid oxide cell (SOC) units versus paired fuel cell (SOFC) and electrolysis cell (SOEC) units. The analysis compares tradeoffs such as capital costs versus rate of performance degradation, sensitivity to natural gas prices, sensitivity to imported power costs, and other relevant analyses. The systems include a high rate (98%) of carbon capture. The analysis shows that given a certain cost of electricity input, either approach could be viable in the market and points to the need to incorporate into a full system to understand impacts.

Noring, Alex↗
DOE OSTI2022

ANS Winter 2022: ATF-2C Physics Safety and Scoping Analysis

ATF-2C comprises four tiers with six rodlets each. The experiment test train (TT) is situated in Loop 2A in the center flux trap (CFT) of the ATR, in which typical pressurized water reactor (PWR) conditions shall be approximated. Tier 1 (bottom) of the TT tests Framatome silicon carbide (SiC) cladding, containing molybdenum heater rods. Low-enriched uranium (LEU) Framatome rodlets with chrome-coated M5 cladding have been modeled in their place for the physics safety analysis to allow the substitution of this tier with fuel if needed. Tier 2 tests LEU Framatome rodlets with M5 cladding, which had irradiated in ATR in prior ATF experiments. Tier 3 tests General Atomics SiC composite cladding, also containing molybdenum heater rods. Tier 4/5/6 (top) tests the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA)/Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) fueled rodlets. This upper tier tests LEU rodlets with chrome-coated MDA cladding—several with temperature or pressure instrumentation. To flatten the axial power profile, lower portion of Tier 4/5/6 is surrounded by a hafnium (Hf) shroud, and the bottom two UO2 pellets are of natural enrichment. The ATF-2C TT is to be irradiated in the CFT of ATR (Fig. 1) for three or four 60-day cycles.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2020

EVALUATION OF PRESSURE DROP CORRELATIONS FOR THE WIRE-WRAPPED ROD BUNDLES

The accurate prediction of pressure drop in the fuel rod bundle is of importance for the design and thermal-hydraulic analysis of nuclear reactor system. Due to very complex geometry of wire-wrapped fuel rod bundle geometry for the Sodium Fast Reactor (SFR), a simple method using hydraulic (equivalent) diameter is not sufficient to predict the pressure drop of rod bundle accurately. For several decades, many experimental works have been performed to develop an accurate correlation for wire-wrapped fuel bundle friction factor. In these works, the friction factor correlation of wire-wrapped fuel bundle has been developed as a function of Reynolds number of the flow and the design parameters such as fuel pin diameter, wire diameter, rod pitch, and wire lead length. The Cheng and Todreas correlations are well-known and used in many subchannel analysis code, such as CADET, TRIO-U, MATRA-LMW, SE2-ANL, etc. Novendstern model, Rehme model, Baxi and Dalle Donne model are also well-known and widely referred. Computational Fluid Dynamics is another typical approach to predict the pressure drop of wire-wrapped fuel rod bundle, but it requires the model validation because the accuracy of pressure drop prediction by the CFD simulation depends on what turbulence model is employed. The present work aims at evaluating the existing pressure drop correlations for the wire-wrapped fuel rod bundle and evaluating the pressure drop of 217-pin rod bundle by the CFD analysis.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Investigation of the OECD/NEA PWR MOX/UO{sub 2} core transient benchmark using a coupled whole core pin-by-pin route in WIMS

This paper investigates the new CAMELOT coupling route developed in WIMS, which uses prepared tabulated cross-sections combined with the flux solver MERLIN module and the integrated sub-channel thermal hydraulics solver ARTHUR module to solve for the coupled core state. This coupling route is applied to the OECD/NEA pressurized water reactor (PWR) core transient benchmark exercise, involving 3-D neutronics and thermal-hydraulics analysis of a full-sized PWR core featuring MOX fuel at various core states, as well as simulating a control rod ejection transient. Analysis of the results for each part of the benchmark demonstrate that the high-resolution pin-by-pin analysis used in WIMS closely matches the other participants in the benchmark, with differences of between 20-200 pcm for k-effective, 1-2.5% RMS difference for assembly-averaged powers, 2-8% difference in rod worth calculations, < 200 ppm for calculations of critical boron concentration, zero difference in delayed neutron fraction calculation and a very close match for power response to the rod ejection transient. This is the first application of the WIMS-CAMELOT approach for the transient analysis of a full-sized reactor and as such further improvements such as reducing computational cost through parallelization, optimisation and memory reduction, are currently in active development. This paper demonstrates the accuracy and flexibility of the CAMELOT coupling route, providing a straightforward and consistent user image that can be easily used for a variety of modelling problems involving coupled neutronics and thermal-hydraulics. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
NASA NTRS1993

HYPULSE combustor analysis

The analysis of selected data from tests of unit fuel injectors in a generic scramjet combustor model is presented. The tests were conducted in the NASA HYPULSE expansion tube at conditions typical of flight at Mach 13.5 and 17. The analysis used a three-stream tube method, with finite-rate chemistry, in which the fuel, test gas, and mixing/combustive streams were treated independently but with the same static pressure. Performance of three candidate fuel injectors is examined based on deduced mixing and combustion efficiencies.

Rizkalla, O. F.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Seal Technology Development for Advanced Component for Airbreathing Engines

Key aspects of the design of sealing systems for On Rotor Combustion/Wave Rotor (ORC/WR) systems were addressed. ORC/WR systems generally fit within a broad class of pressure gain Constant Volume Combustors (CVCs) or Pulse Detonation Combustors (PDCs) which are currently being considered for use in many classes of turbine engines for dramatic efficiency improvement. Technology readiness level of this ORC/WR approaches are presently at 2.0. The results of detailed modeling of an ORC/WR system as applied to a regional jet engine application were shown to capture a high degree of pressure gain capabilities. The results of engine cycle analysis indicated the level of specific fuel consumption (SFC) benefits to be 17 percent. The potential losses in pressure gain due to leakage were found to be closely coupled to the wave processes at the rotor endpoints of the ORC/WR system. Extensive investigation into the sealing approaches is reported. Sensitivity studies show that SFC gains of 10 percent remain available even when pressure gain levels are highly penalized. This indicates ORC/WR systems to have a high degree of tolerance to rotor leakage effects but also emphasizes their importance. An engine demonstration of an ORC/WR system is seen as key to progressing the TRL of this technology. An industrial engine was judged to be a highly advantageous platform for demonstration of a first generation ORC/WR system. Prior to such a demonstration, the existing NASA pressure exchanger wave rotor rig was identified as an opportunity to apply both expanded analytical modeling capabilities developed within this program and to identify and fix identified leakage issues existing within this rig. Extensive leakage analysis of the rig was performed and a detailed design of additional sealing strategies for this rig was generated.

Snyder, Philip H.↗
NASA NTRS1977

The vehicle design evaluation program - A computer-aided design procedure for transport aircraft

The vehicle design evaluation program is described. This program is a computer-aided design procedure that provides a vehicle synthesis capability for vehicle sizing, external load analysis, structural analysis, and cost evaluation. The vehicle sizing subprogram provides geometry, weight, and balance data for aircraft using JP, hydrogen, or methane fuels. The structural synthesis subprogram uses a multistation analysis for aerodynamic surfaces and fuselages to develop theoretical weights and geometric dimensions. The parts definition subprogram uses the geometric data from the structural analysis and develops the predicted fabrication dimensions, parts material raw stock buy requirements, and predicted actual weights. The cost analysis subprogram uses detail part data in conjunction with standard hours, realization factors, labor rates, and material data to develop the manufacturing costs. The program is used to evaluate overall design effects on subsonic commercial type aircraft due to parameter variations.

Oman, B. H.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Current Test Capabilities of NASA Langley’s Arc-Heated Scramjet Test Facility

The Arc-Heated Scramjet Test Facility at NASA Langley Research Center has demonstrated itself repeatedly as a key contributor to fundamental hypersonic research and scramjet engine technology development in the Mach 4.7 to 8 range. Since its inception in the 1970’s, the facility has hosted numerous scramjet engine configurations that explored the performance and operability of airframe-integrated hydrogen-fueled scramjet flow path concepts, successfully maturing both analysis tools and design technique and methodology for hypersonic propulsion. Contributions to major programs include extensive tests of the hydrogen-fueled NASP and Hyper-X scramjet engines, and the hydrocarbon-fueled HIFiRE Flight 2 scramjet flow path, in addition to fundamental in-house research. The facility capabilities have expanded to include direct-connect flow path support, gaseous hydrocarbon fuels, dynamic trajectory simulation and extension of flight simulation down to Mach 2.2. The low-Mach upgrades include increased air flow rate and controls capability and two new low-Mach nozzles (Mach 2.2 and 3.5). The facility recently completed verification of the new operational range through successful envelope expansion tests with the Mach 2.2 nozzle. With these new modifications, the operating envelope for the facility is now Mach 2.2 – 8.0(+), with a demonstrated dynamic pressure simulation of 2000 psf at the low end, and margin available for even more. Lastly, a continuous run time of over 5 minutes has been demonstrated, indicating that run time is limited only by test hardware or back-pressure requirements. This paper will provide a detailed description of these previously unreported upgrades and expanded simulation capabilities.

Hypersonic↗
DOE OSTI2023

Degradation and recovery of solid oxide fuel cell performance by control of cathode surface acidity: Case study – Impact of Cr followed by Ca infiltration

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) have attracted attention as clean and efficient energy conversion devices with low emissions. However, several degradation mechanisms limit the electrochemical performance of current SOFCs, with cathode degradation due to Cr-poisoning from metal interconnects particularly problematic. The acidity/basicity of binary additives has been found to be a sensitive descriptor of the oxygen exchange kinetics, indicating that acidic Cr-species/basic Ca-species can be expected to deactivate/activate the cathode surface, respectively. Inspired by recent advances, the feasibility of relative acidity as a tool for reviving degraded SOFCs is demonstrated by neutralizing Cr-poisoned SOFCs by subsequent serial infiltration of Ca-species. Furthermore, a model mixed ionic and electronic conducting oxide, Pr 0.1 Ce 0.9 O 2-δ (PCO), is selected as the cathode material. Area-specific resistances (ASR) of symmetric cells obtained by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy show that Cr-infiltration results in a seven-fold increase in ASR, while subsequent infiltration of Ca-species leads to complete recovery. Performance degradation and recovery are attributed to depressed/enhanced redox properties at the PCO surface, as supported by XPS analysis. Experiments using anode-supported fuel cells show a reduction in peak power density by 26% upon Cr-infiltration, reversed following Ca-infiltration, after which no degradation is observed during subsequent operation for 100 h.

(Pr,Ce)O2-δ↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Brief Overview of Subsonic Single Aft Engine (SUSAN) Transport Aircraft Concept and Trade Space Exploration

The SUSAN concept uses a 20-megawatt Electrified Aircraft Propulsion system to enable advance Propulsion Airframe Integration in transport category aircraft. Alternative fuels will be used to reduce the amount of emissions per energy used. By combining these features there is the potential to reduce aircraft emissions by 50 percent per passenger/mile while retaining the size, speed, and range of large regional jets. The SUSAN is has a 750-mile economic mission, a 2500-mile design range and a maximum capacity of 180 passengers. The SUSAN configuration utilizes a single aft mounted engine and distributed electric wing-mounted thrusters on a tube and wing arrangement with a T-tail empennage. The SUSAN Electrofan employs a hybrid powertrain to enable: single turbofan operation on a large transport category aircraft; increased aerodynamic and propulsive efficiency through placement of electric engines; optimized turbofan sizing and efficiency through control and electric boosting, reduced control surface sizing through thrust augmentation. A single use battery is employed as the power source in case of turbofan failure. The design study also considers the constraints of operating within the current airport, airspace, and economic constraints. Forward work includes optimizing the overall aircraft configuration and including certain hard to model features like boundary layer ingestion or natural laminar flow across all appliable subsystems. Additional work forward work is a more extensive analysis of the configuration using alternative fuels.

Ralph Jansen↗
DOE OSTI2022

Next Generation System Analysis Model: Recently Added Features and Future Plans

To better enable informed decision-making regarding the back-end of the nuclear fuel cycle, the Integrated Waste Management System (IWMS) program within the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) has been sponsoring the development and application of system analysis tools capable of analyzing various system options for the management of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high-level radioactive waste (HLW).With these tools, IWMS architecture analyses are being conducted to support the future deployment of a comprehensive nuclear waste management system that considers all major back-end aspects of the nuclear fuel cycle (i.e., transportation, storage, and disposal). The Next Generation System Analysis Model (NGSAM) is an agent-based simulation software tool expressly designed to be capable of modeling features within various IWMS architectures. NGSAM imports data from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)’s unified database (e.g., historic assembly information, thermal profiles for assembly heat, and at-reactor dry storage loadings) to ensure that each simulation initializes with a realistic representation of the state of commercial SNF in the U.S. Recent major enhancements implemented into NGSAM in the period since NGSAM was last presented at the WM2019 conference include: • Tracking of railroad escort car acquisition and buffer car acquisition • The addition of heavy haul truck (HHT) and barge routes for some sites, as well as support for user-defined inter-modal routes • Updates to the logic that checks the transportation cask thermal limit maps prior to package transport • An allocation method that predicts when reactor sites would pack assemblies from their spent fuel pools for dry storage, and prioritizes shipments directly from the pools of those reactor sites in the preceding periods (before the predicted loadings to dry storage), thus reducing the number of casks loaded into dry storage at reactor sites • The addition of “reactor site family” operational limits to restrict the number of loads of SNF taken from the pool and from dry storage at a given reactor site each year • Added support for multiple canister loading map options and packages with multiple compatible transportation overpacks • Updates to the handling of non-commercial SNF, including a new database that contains data to support the updates • Updates to allow analysis of hypothetical scenarios which include repackaging at reactor sites, e.g., for possible comparative analysis with other scenarios • Implementation of additional output reports, or modification of existing ones • The ability to generate and implement user edits via the NGSAM website • The ability to model loading SNF from pool storage at an interim storage facility (ISF) into dry storage at the ISF • The ability to model consolidating SNF from different existing storage containers at a DOE site into the same DOE standard canister • The ability to model transferring SNF casks from one transportation mode to another, e.g., from HHT to rail, referred to as transloading. These new features have improved NGSAM capabilities and users’ experience with the model. Preliminary NGSAM requirements for modeling advanced reactor fuels, reprocessing, treatment, and conditioning were considered, and this paper describes them at a high level. Other nuclear fuel cycle system analysis tools developed under sponsorship of DOE-NE, like the VISION code developed at Idaho National Laboratory, might be better suited for initial high-level analysis of those technologies and advanced fuel cycles. As technologies are developed and system concepts evolve, NGSAM could provide value by providing more detailed modeling of transport, storage, and disposal of spent fuel and wastes from advanced reactors and advanced fuel cycles at the fuel element and waste container level.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗