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At least 1,117 records · Page 62
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Tech-X contributions to the Center for Tokamak Transients (CTTS) Scientific Discovery through Advanced Computing (SciDAC) project (Final Report)

The Center for Tokamak Transients Simulations (CTTS) consists of computational plasma physicists, computer scientists, and applied mathematicians who are together developing and applying simulation software to improve our understanding of and ability to predict and control transient events in tokamak discharges, particularly those that lead to violent disruptions. We have major simulation activities concerning disruptions that are caused by violating ideal MHD stability criteria, vertical displacement events, resistive wall modes, and tearing modes. We are performing comprehensive modeling of disruption mitigation techniques, particularly by shattered pellet injection (SPI). The Center is built around two mature extended MHD codes: NIMROD and M3D-C1. These codes are being extended in a number of ways as required by the demands of disruption modeling, and are being optimized to work well for larger problem size and modern computer architectures as required to model tokamak plasmas with realistic parameters over the required timescales. The codes will be coupled to the FronTier code for state-of-the-art modeling of SPI. Validation with experimental data on DIII-D, NSTX, and JET is being facilitated by rigorous uncertainty quantification (UQ). The high-level objectives of the center are to: (1) Develop better understanding and improved predictive capability of when crossing a linear stability boundary will likely lead to a disruption, (2) Provide a tool for calculating vessel forces, both axisymmetric and non-axisymmetric, for worst case VDE and other disruptions in tokamaks, (3) Develop increased understanding and improved predictive capability for locked mode disruptions and how best to avoid them, (4) Develop, verify, and validate 3D models for disruption mitigation by shattered pellets that can be used to design and optimize a system for future tokamaks, and (5) Increase the efficiency and scalability of the M3D-C1 and NIMROD codes so that they can model disruptions in ITER scale devices using the most powerful DOE HPC hardware, and (6) Demonstrate code-coupling via FronTier coupling with NIMROD and M3D-C1 and by interfacing these codes within a WDM framework.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2023

MOSAiC Radar b1 Processing: Corrections, Calibrations, and Processing Report

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility deployed many instruments on board a German ice breaker, the Research Vessel (RV) Polarstern, for one year from October 2019 to October 2020. The purpose of the Multidisciplinary Drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) field campaign was to study the decline in the sea-ice pack around the North Pole, and what factors may be at play. After the campaign ended, efforts were undertaken to provide a calibrated radar data set for future studies. MOSAiC presented new challenges to this process, as existing methodologies often were not applicable for the frozen environment with little to no ground clutter, and concurrent engineering updates or calibrations could not be accomplished once the ship set off. Like the previous Cloud, Aerosol, and Complex Terrain Interactions (CACTI) and Cold-air Outbreaks in the Marine Boundary Layer Experiment (COMBLE) documentation (Hardin et al. 2020, Matthews et al. 2023), the data correction and calibration process is known in ARM as creating a “b1” datastream. This means that the radar datastreams have been well characterized to the best possible quality. This report will detail the status of the raw “a1” level data sets during the MOSAiC campaign, the corrections that were applied to create the “b1” data files, and the details of the applied methods.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Thermal Hydraulic Experimental Test Article - Fiscal Year 2023 (Final Report)

The Thermal Hydraulic Experimental Test Article (THETA) is a facility that is used to develop sodium components and instrumentation as well as acquire experimental data for validation of reactor thermal hydraulic and safety analysis codes. The facility simulates nominal conditions as well as protected/unprotected loss of flow accidents in a sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR). High fidelity distributed temperature profiles of the developed flow field may be acquired with Rayleigh backscatter based optical fiber temperature sensors. The facility was designed in partnership with systems code experts to tailor the experiment to ensure the most relevant and highest quality data for code validation. THETA is comprised of a traditional primary coolant and secondary coolant system. The primary system is submerged in the pool of sodium and consists of a pump, electrically heated core, intermediate heat exchanger, and connected piping and thermal barriers (redan). The secondary system, located outside of the sodium pool, consists of a pump, sodium to air heat exchanger, and connected piping and valves. To date a test matrix has been completed utilizing the primary system of THETA. These tests, along with computational fluid dynamics and systems code models, determined the heat transfer across the core barrel and intermediate heat exchanger outlet was too great to effectively represent scaled thermal hydraulic phenomena of a liquid metal cooled reactor. Therefore, a significant effort was made to remove the primary system from the METL 28” test vessel #4 and clean the residual sodium from the primary system to facilitate upgrades. Thermal insulation was then incorporated in the core barrel and intermediate heat exchanger outlets. The primary system was then replaced, and a series of tests were performed to assess the performance of the thermal insulation. With primary system testing and upgrades complete, the secondary system could then be brought online. The tube side of the shell-and-tube intermediate heat exchanger was installed onto the primary system flange to begin installing the secondary system. The support structure for the secondary system was then erected on the METL mezzanine alongside the THETA primary system to facilitate installation of the secondary system components (sodium-to-air heat exchanger, flowmeter and pump). The piping and expansion tank were welded into the secondary system. Non-destructive examination of the secondary system welds was completed in order to satisfy ASME B31.3 pipe code for class M process fluids. The heating system and insulation were then added to prepare the system to be filled with sodium. The ancillary electrical equipment was installed which included the pump control box, blower VFD, pipe heater control system, etc. The secondary system will be filled, and a test matrix will be completed in early FY2024.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Turboexpander for Direct Cooling in Hydrogen Vehicle Fueling Infrastructure

Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) have been identified as one of a few options for zero carbon emissions transportation. A major advantage of FCEVs is that they can fuel quickly and follow a familiar fueling behavior to hydrocarbon-fueled vehicles. Whether light duty or heavy duty, the goal for a hydrogen dispenser is to fuel a vehicle in the same amount of time as the fossil fuel equivalent. When hydrogen is dispensed into the vehicle storage system, however, the temperature rises due to the Joule-Thomson effect and the heat of compression. Typically, vehicles store the compressed hydrogen in composite overwrapped pressure vessels that have a polymer liner with an operational temperature limit of 85°C. This temperature limit can be exceeded during fast fueling if hydrogen is not precooled. Precooling allows for a dispenser to fuel a vehicle at a faster flow rate by preventing the storage tank on the vehicle from overheating. Fueling protocols and requirements are presented in SAE J2601 Fueling Protocols for Light Duty Gaseous Hydrogen Surface Vehicles [1]. A heavy-duty equivalent is under development with similar requirements for precooling. Currently, conventional precooling for light-duty vehicle refueling uses a heat exchanger and chiller to cool the hydrogen gas to -40°C before entering the vehicle. The precooling system represents a significant part of the station capital and operating costs, so if the cost of the precooling system can be reduced by improving its efficiency, the overall station capital and operating cost can be reduced. In this project, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) researchers teamed up to investigate the turboexpander precooling application. A turboexpander is a device that places a turbine in a flow path where a pressure differential can be attained. This expansion device will extract work and lower the temperature of the fluid as the pressure reduces. While initial calculations based on established principles showed potential for a turboexpander to generate cooled gas, much work needs to be done to prove the concept. Turboexpanders typically work best under steady state conditions, while the dispenser is a very dynamic flow system. Dynamic turboexpander systems have been proven, such as a turbocharger on a gasoline vehicle. The inlet pressure at a dispenser is also much higher than any other known turboexpander system but should behave similarly to higher density fluids at lower pressures. Having both performed initial calculations, NREL and SNL researchers teamed up to investigate the turboexpander precooling application further. A project was soon built around the idea with SNL performing system modeling using previously proven capabilities and NREL performing hardware characterization with established station capabilities. Creare LLC was contracted as the turbomachinery expert to design and build the concept device. Part way through the project, however, contracting issues with the funding partner caused the project to terminate early before building and characterizing the concept device. While the project could not continue, many key findings were already learned. This paper is a summary of those findings.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2022

Biofuel Viability for the Ocean-Going Marine Sector

Marine transport contributes significantly to global carbon dioxide emissions but is one of the most difficult sectors to decarbonize because full electrification is infeasible. Renewable, low–carbon biofuels offer a potential path to decarbonization of the marine sectors but the understanding of the effects of new biofuels on engine performance and emissions is limited. In this document we report on the results of a series of studies on the techno-economic, life cycle and technical feasibility of biofuels as replacements for heavy fuel oils currently used to fuel large ocean-going vessels.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2021

H 2 Production Pathways Cost Analysis (2016 - 2021) (Final Report)

This final report documents cost analysis conducted for the Department of Energy over a five year period (2016 to 2021) pertaining to hydrogen production and delivery system components, focusing on the key remaining challenges of the technology pathways within the Hydrogen Production and Delivery sub-program portfolio. A particular focus was placed on electrolysis for the generation of hydrogen. The effort primarily used the H2A discounted cash flow computational model as a tool to project hydrogen cost ($/kgH 2 ) and determine status improvements resulting from technology advancements. The effort also considered cost as a function of production volume, employed error bars to illustrate uncertainties in the cost estimates, and utilized sensitivity analyses to show the potential for cost reductions. The project examined a range of hydrogen production and delivery related systems. These included WireTough wire-wrapped pressure vessels for hydrogen storage, proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysis, solid oxide electrolysis (SOE), anion exchange membrane (AEM) electrolysis, photoelectrochemical (PEC) electrolysis, solar thermochemical hydrogen (STCH) production, the cost of energy transmission, and a study on the necessary price of hydrogen to produce competitively-priced electricity via fuel cell conversion.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2023

Modeling of High Solids Biomass Liquefaction, Techno-economic Assessment and Life Cycle Assessment for Industrial Scale UP

Biomass liquefaction improves corn-stover slurry transport within a biorefinery, and reduces challenges associated with solids handling. Slurries, formed with yield stresses (i.e., viscosities) that are low enough to facilitate pumping from one unit operation to the next, and that enable mixing at reasonable power inputs in large fermentation vessels, enable scaling of cellulose fermentations. Three liquefaction methods: enzyme, enzyme mimetic, and a hybrid approach were analyzed by a combination of techno-economic and life-cycle analyses, resulting in an assessment of cost-effectiveness and environmental impact. Of the three scenarios, enzyme-based processes emerged as the most efficient, both in cost and emissions reduction (gCO2-equivalent/kg slurry).

Ramirez, Jorge↗
DOE OSTI2024

Charliecloud is not affected by CVE-2024-21626 or related vulnerabilities

As you may be aware, four vulnerabilities in popular open-source container implementations were announced on January 21. Nicknamed “Leaky Vessels” by the Snyk Security Labs team that discovered them [1], these vulnerabilities in runC (CVE-2024-21626) and Moby BuildKit (CVE-2024-23651, CVE-2024-23652, and CVE-2024-23653) allow malicious container images or builds to execute arbitrary code on the container host with the privileges of the container runtime, i.e., a “container breakout”. Often, including typical configurations of Docker and/or Kubernetes, that means full root access.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2023

Addendum to Capability Needs for Irradiated and Radioactive Materials Research (Ad Hoc Committee Summary Report)

Nuclear materials and fuels studies are challenging research and engineering targets because of their inherent radioactivity as well as their heterogeneous microstructure. Advanced light sources have made significant underpinning scientific contributions to the understanding of structural and fuel cladding material microstructure and properties and the development of structure-property relationships. These facilities have the potential to help advance the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) mission priorities providing underpinning understanding of technically important challenges, including: irradiation induced embrittlement and swelling; stress corrosion cracking and corrosion in extreme environments; ageing of reactor pressure vessels steels; nuclear fuel characterization; and nuclear waste form optimization as well as playing a major role in the development of a materials performance matrix to aid in the design of new materials to meet the needs of advanced reactor concepts. However, the delivery of underpinning understanding is the mission of DOE Office of Science (DOE-SC). While filling such knowledge gaps is important, efforts in this direction should not be confused with the strategic technology focused mission goals of DOE-NE to enable the continued operation of existing U.S. nuclear reactors, to enable the deployment of advanced nuclear reactors, to develop advanced nuclear fuel cycles, and to maintain U.S. leadership in nuclear energy technology.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Reconstruction of 3D Concrete Microstructures Combining High-Resolution Characterization and Convolutional Neural Network for Image Segmentation

After water, concrete is the second most used material in the world. Concrete’s forming adaptability and low-cost constituents make it a predominant material used in the construction of civil infrastructures in nuclear power plants such as concrete biological shields, containment buildings, turbine buildings, fuel handling and storage buildings, underground piping for cooling, cooling towers, and so on. Depending on environmental and operating conditions, these passive structures are subject to time-dependent phenomena that can either enhance (e.g., continued hydration) or degrade concrete’s structural performance. Unlike components such as the reactor pressure vessel and the primary circuit, concrete composition varies regionally because it is manufactured using local aggregates and cement. Hence, concrete performance metrics over time cannot be derived confidently using empirical relations. Alternatively, the specific characteristics of the local concrete constituents and their assemblage in concrete must be considered.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

An Assessment of Machine Learning Applied to Ultrasonic Nondestructive Evaluation

In the United States, the nuclear industry performs inservice inspection (ISI) through nondestructive examination (NDE) methods in accordance with guidelines specified in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (BPVC), Section XI, Rules for Inservice Inspection of Nuclear Power Plant Components. Ultrasonic nondestructive testing and evaluation (NDT&E) is one of the more commonly used techniques for inspecting Class 1 structural components in nuclear power systems. As the number of qualified NDE inspectors declines, the nuclear industry is looking to take advantage of advances in automation to enhance inspection capabilities. Advances in computational power, cloud-based computing, and machine learning algorithms make automated data analysis possible. Machine learning (ML) has shown huge potential in automated data analyses for ultrasonic NDE in the context of weld inspections.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Methodological guidelines on concrete degradation based on predictive models and the release of MOSAIC for industry use

In light-water reactors (LWRs), the concrete biological shield (CBS) designates the concrete structure directly facing the reactor pressure vessel (RPV). The primary function of the CBS is to protect equipment and personnel from the neutron and gamma radiation exiting the RPV. Most CBSs in operation in the United States also provide structural support to the RPV. Based on a long-term structural analysis, the structural integrity of the CBS to transfer the in-service passive load to the foundation, dynamic loading during an earthquake, and thermal loading during a loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) must be maintained. Based on test reactor data for accelerated conditions, the mechanical properties of irradiated concrete are affected when exposed to neutron fluence higher than ≈ 10 19 n.cm -2 (E > 0.1 MeV). At 80 years of operation, the fluence estimates at the surface of the CBS range between 1×10 19 and 7×10 19 n.cm -2 (E > 0.1 MeV): the fluence value depends mostly on the design. Although fluence attenuates through the CBS by virtue of the shielding properties of concrete, about 5% to 10% of the CBS wall depth is affected by high fluence. The main degradation mechanism is the so-called radiation-induced volumetric expansion (RIVE) caused by the amorphization of aggregate-forming minerals. RIVE causes large deformation of up to 18% in pure quartz, and it also reduces the structural properties of concrete. The structural effects of long-term exposure to fast neutron irradiation in LWRs was studied in the report entitled “Assessment of the Effect of the Irradiation-Induced Degradation on the In-Service Structural Performance of the Concrete Biological Shields” (M3LW-23OR0403013). This report illustrates that (1) irradiation-induced damage expands further than the region subject to a cumulative fluence of 10 19 n.cm -2 (E > 0.1 MeV) to reach the steel reinforcement location, and (2) the irradiation-induced damage region shows no substantial residual bearing capacity and should not be accounted for in the integrity assessment of the CBS.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Sample Testing Basket: Design and Capabilities Report

SFR designs all require integral components that can withstand prolonged submersion in the liquid sodium primary coolant as well as in the gas space of the reactor vessel. Materials are often desired to withstand these conditions for the lifetime of the reactor. The Sample Testing Basket (STB) was designed and fabricated to meet the anticipated need for material exposure testing in prototypic reactor coolant environments; in the liquid sodium primary coolant and the sodium-vapor-laden gas space. Developed at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), the STB is a piece of equipment designed for use in the Mechanisms Engineering Test Loop (METL) to allow for sodium exposure testing of materials within the METL facility.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Hydrogen Storage for Load-Following and Clean Power: Duct-firing of Hydrogen to Improve the Capacity Factor of NGCC Plants (Final Report, Phase II Pre-Front End Engineering Design Study)

GTI Energy (GTI) and team members Southern Company Services (SCS), Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) performed a Phase II Pre-Feed Study under contract DE-FE0032008 for Hydrogen Storage for Load-Following and Clean Power. The configuration of the proposed system consists of subsystems for on-site H 2 production, on-site H 2 storage (up to 54 MWth in commercial vessels) and H 2 combustion in a duct burner in a Heat Recovery Steam Generator (HRSG) integrated with an existing fossil asset. Here, the firing rate of the duct burner is varied to let the plant respond to fluctuations of electrical load and H 2 production is relatively constant by storing H 2 . The proposed system is an improvement over alternate low carbon dispatchable power options. Technoeconomic analyses show H 2 produced with GTI’s patented Compact Hydrogen Generator (CHG) with inherent carbon capture will be lower cost (Levelized Cost of Hydrogen, LCOH) relative to hydrogen produced with a Steam Methane Reformer (SMR) with an amine system for carbon capture. This lower cost hydrogen enables our integrated system to deliver electricity (Levelized Cost of Electricity, LCOE) at 17.4% lower cost relative to a SMR sourced H 2 -fired HRSG (with an amine system for carbon capture) – Steam Turbine Generator (STG). Our analysis using EPRI’s US REGEN macroeconomic model shows our system will have significant demand in the power market and therefore require significant capacity expansion (CHG plants built to deliver hydrogen) to deliver low cost, low carbon power. In Phase II, our Team has completed a detailed system definition including the development of process models, definition of battery limits, Process Flow Diagrams (PFDs), Piping and Instrumentation Drawings (P&IDs), and a plant layout. A preliminary design for the key components of the CHG was developed including component lists & specifications. An evaluation of environmental and permitting considerations was completed and included the development of an Environmental Information Volume (EIV). The duct burners, which are flexible and can burn hydrogen and/or natural gas, were defined and initial CFD analyses were completed.

03 NATURAL GAS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Automated Model for Improved Mapping of Country-Scale High-Resolution Coastal Bathymetry

Accurate and up-to-date maps of coastal bathymetry are critical for a variety of sectors from vessel navigation to port construction and are increasingly vital to inform coastal infrastructure management amid accelerating sea-level rise and more frequent and severe storm-surge events. The primary challenges to accurate and efficient bathymetric mapping from optical remote sensing are: accurately modeling light attenuation in both the atmosphere and water column; and inefficient data processing pipelines for highresolution satellite imagery. To address the effects of light attenuation within the water-column we have developed a novel physics-based bathymetry model that accounts for variations in water-column inherent optical properties on a pixel-by-pixel basis in optically-shallow aquatic environments, which represents a major advancement. For applications to satellite imagery, we have developed a software package that automatically applies the robust 6S atmospheric correction algorithm, estimates the bottom depth from the physics-based bathymetry model, which corrects for attenuation by suspended particulate matter and colored dissolved organic matter in the water column on a pixel-by-pixel basis, and leverages highperformance computing for rapid application to region-scale (e.g., CONUS) 2-meter resolution imagery datasets. Our approach is tailored to sensors that collect data at two-meter resolution with high return times for frequent updates. We mapped 591 WorldView satellite images for Florida, North Carolina, and Alaska and validated the maps against LiDAR-derived bathymetry data. Results show median RMSE of 1.75, 1.59, and 2.67 meters, respectively. By combining the strengths of Oak Ridge National Laboratory in high-performance computing and remote-sensing science with the water-column modeling expertise of Scripps Institution of Oceanography we advance the state of bathymetric mapping capability.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Results of Speciation Determination Measurements of Insulating Sulfur Hexafluoride Gas

Under the direction of the NNSA NA-231 Mo-99 Program, SRNL has provided technical assistance to U.S. companies under cooperative agreements. One such area of technical assistance has been for the recommendation for contamination management methods in the eventuality that tritium contaminates the insulating gas of a high-voltage ion source used in the accelerator-based process developed by SHINE Medical Technologies to produce Mo-99. The SHINE accelerator process uses tritium as the target of a deuterium ion beam, where the ion beam is produced within a high-voltage ion source insulated with sulfur hexafluoride (SF 6 ), and is separated from the tritium target by an extensive pump train. Normal operating conditions preclude the conditions necessary for contamination of the insulating gas, however certain atypical conditions could result in a tritium contamination event. Accelerator based processes for medical isotope production represent an anomalous tritium contamination challenge due to the presence of SF 6 . SF 6 decomposes through normal use as an insulator gas, and the exact speciation of the decomposition byproducts depends on a variety of factors. This creates a scenario where the anticipation of species present in the insulating gas mixture is difficult. In turn, the fate of tritium within such a chemical system is unclear. This document discusses the results of measurements made in-situ of the SF 6 insulating gas in use within a SHINE Medical Technology’s high-voltage ion source. This was done in an effort to determine the chemical speciation of the gas, allowing for the recommendation of management strategies in the event that tritium contaminates the insulating gas. The results of the measurements reported in this work suggest that tritium contamination in the insulating gas may result in two chemical forms of tritium in the system, tritiated water and molecular tritium. These two forms of tritium would be captured by two methods. Tritiated water may be captured and removed from the SF 6 by an adsorbent canister already present within the pressure vessel that houses the insulating gas while in use. It may also be separated from the SF 6 during routine purification of the SF 6 , which is performed by SHINE personnel routinely. The purification cart will perform all non-embedded systems cleanup necessary to remediate tritiated species in the system. The purification cart passes the insulating gas through several filters, followed by the liquefication of the SF 6 . The filters will separate tritiated water from the SF 6 at this stage. It is expected that molecular tritium will accumulate in the gas-phase during the liquification step, which is separated and stored. Tritium may be recovered from this mixture through more conventional hydrogen purification methods such as a palladium diffuser.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2024

Analysis of Second Target Station Target Segment Removal Dose Rates

This report documents the analysis of the dose rate fields in two configurations of the target system of the Second Target Station (STS) at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in support of the remote handling target segment removal operation. The two configurations detailed in this report are both assuming 8 hours since beam was incident on the target. The first configuration assumes all shielding is in place just as it was during operation and allows for confirmation of hands-on maintenance capability of the target drive components. The second configuration assumes that a hatch in the target drive room ceiling has been opened to the high bay, the target segment removable core vessel shield block has been removed, and there is a direct line-of-sight to the target segment some 5 m below the target drive room elevation. Dose rate fields in both configurations are documented in this report along with details of the methods of computation. The dose rate fields included in this report are intended to support the engineering of remote handling special equipment and the planning of remote handing operations. The models and analysis detailed in this report are in support of the preliminary design of the STS and future analysis is needed to support the final design of the STS.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗
DOE OSTI2024

TEAMER Technical Support for Aquantis (Materials) (Final Report)

The Aquantis Tidal Power Tug is a unique synthesis of best-available technologies and materials configured as a novel spar vessel to create an optimal platform for tidal stream energy conversion. The Power Tug utilizes an upstream-facing horizontal, 2-bladed rotor. To drive down capital costs and extend life, Aquantis proposes to employ new materials for the blades that are both less expensive than current state-of-the-art materials and are potentially better suited for survival in a submerged, seawater environment. Coupons from a novel geopolymer material will be tested in a load frame to characterize material properties. The Requestor is requesting technical assistance for evaluating mechanical properties of a novel geopolymer material for application in tidal stream energy conversion systems. This work will establish characteristic properties of a geopolymer material under dry and saturated conditions through material coupon testing. Material coupons will be tested to characterize properties including: a) Tensile strength, b) Compression strength, c) Flexural strength, d) Modulus of elasticity, e) Fatigue strength at varying load levels. The types of material tests performed will be guided by characteristics required to validate material properties for use in full-scale structures. Characterization of material properties that consider the demands of a full-scale structure is a necessary step in research and development that can enable the use of geopolymer materials in tidal stream energy conversion systems.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗