NCS design and evaluation of new high-density storage containers
NCS design and evaluation of new high-density storage containers
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Results of the Analyses of SMECT Mercury Sample Collected During Mercury Pump (MB1) Functional Check
A pump added to remove mercury from the sump of the Slurry Mix Evaporator Condensate Tank (SMECT) in DWPF was successfully tested in 2020, resulting in a sample of contaminated mercury obtained from the Mercury Purification Process (MPP) cell. The mercury in the sump of the SMECT was present as a result of steam stripping of sludge slurry in the Sludge Receipt and Adjustment Tank (SRAT) at DWPF. A schematic of the MPP system provided by DWPF personnel is shown in Appendix A. DWPF personnel supplied the following detailed description of the Hg sampling: “The sample provided is the result of DWPF extraction of mercury by means of the Mercury Pump-Water Cart. The Mercury Pump extracted the sample from the SMECT mercury sump. The pump uses pressurized water to transfer a small amount of mercury to a leachate bucket located at the Lab Mercury cell. The mercury and water were allowed to be self separated, and mercury was gravity decanted from the leachate bucket.” DWPF personnel indicate that the leachate bucket is equipped with both a top stopcock/drain and a lower/bottom stopcock/drain from which the mercury was decanted or drained out, while the separated water layer remained above the mercury during draining. The DWPF customer requested SRNL to analyze the sample for the following: gross alpha/nonvolatile beta analysis and perform a Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) per the Environmental Protection Agency's Test Methods for Evaluating Solid Waste: Physical/Chemical Methods, SW-846. While the TCLP was preferred, a Total Metals analysis of the eight Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) metals was deemed acceptable.2 The analytical data collected on this mercury sample will be used in planning for sample disposition as well to start a profile for future Hg disposition of Hg collected from steam stripping.
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Results from Accelerated Environmental Testing of Barcoded Identifiers for UF 6 Cylinders
This report provides the qualitative and quantitative results from the accelerated environmental testing campaign. A total of 444 samples were subjected to 10 tests that included UV, salt fog, temperature, blowing dust, high pressure and temperature water, and impact exposure. Each sample included a two-dimensional barcode and an alphanumeric string representing the cylinder identification number. When evaluating the results, primary attention was placed on the decodability of the barcodes using a barcode verifier device, since machine scanning a barcode offers the greatest efficiency and accuracy gains when reading cylinder identification numbers during safeguards activities. Contrast was considered the critical test parameter because maintaining contrast under a wide range of environmental conditions is of fundamental importance to decoding the identification number of the barcodes. Additionally, manual readability of the alphanumeric string was considered an important factor in determining whether an inspector or operator could still read the identification number of the cylinder if the barcode proved to be undecodable.
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Status Update for the Canister Deposition Field Demonstration
This report updates the high-level test plan for evaluating surface deposition on three commercial 32PTH2 spent nuclear fuel (SNF) canisters inside NUTECH Horizontal Modular Storage (NUHOMS) Advanced Horizontal Storage Modules (AHSM) from Orano (formerly Transnuclear Inc.) and provides a description of the surface characterization activities that have been conducted to date. The details contained in this report represent the best designs and approaches explored for testing as of this publication. Given the rapidly developing nature of this test program, some of these plans may change to accommodate new objectives or requirements. The goal of the testing is to collect highly defensible and detailed surface deposition measurements from the surface of dry storage canisters in a marine coastal environment to guide chloride-induced stress corrosion crack (CISCC) research. To facilitate surface sampling, the otherwise highly prototypic dry storage systems will not contain SNF but rather will be electrically heated to mimic the thermal-hydraulic-environment. Instrumentation throughout the canister, storage module, and environment will provide an extensive amount of information for the use of model validation. Manual sampling over a comprehensive portion of the canister surface at regular time intervals will offer a high-fidelity quantification of the conditions experienced in a harsh yet realistic environment.
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Ground Motion Inputs for the Seismic Shake Table Test
Currently, spent nuclear fuel (SNF) is stored in on-site independent spent-fuel storage installations (ISFSIs) at seventythree (73) nuclear power plants (NPPs) in the US. Because a site for geologic repository for permanent disposal of SNF has not been constructed, the SNF will remain in dry storage significantly longer than planned. During this time, the ISFSIs, and potentially consolidated storage facilities, will experience earthquakes of different magnitudes. The dry storage systems are designed and licensed to withstand large seismic loads. When dry storage systems experience seismic loads, there are little data on the response of SNF assemblies contained within them. The Spent Fuel Waste Disposition (SFWD) program is planning to conduct a full-scale seismic shake table test to close the gap related to the seismic loads on the fuel assemblies in dry storage systems. This test will allow for quantifying the strains and accelerations on surrogate fuel assembly hardware and cladding during earthquakes of different magnitudes and frequency content. The main component of the test unit will be the full-scale NUHOMS 32 PTH2 dry storage canister. The canister will be loaded with three surrogate fuel assemblies and twenty-nine dummy assemblies. Two dry storage configurations will be tested – horizontal and vertical above-ground concrete overpacks. These configurations cover 91% of the current dry storage configurations. The major input into the shake table test are the seismic excitations or the earthquake ground motions – acceleration time histories in two horizontal and one vertical direction that will be applied to the shake table surface during the tests. The shake table surface represents the top of the concrete pad on which a dry storage system is placed. The goal of the ground motion task is to develop the ground motions that would be representative of the range of seismotectonic and other conditions that any site in the Western US (WUS) or Central Eastern US (CEUS) might entail. This task is challenging because of the large number of the ISFSI sites, variety of seismotectonic and site conditions, and effects that soil amplification, soil-structure interaction, and pad flexibility may have on the ground motions.
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Replaceable Paddle Tip Fabrication and Testing for Saltstone Production Facility (SPF) Mixer (FY2020 Update)
Details of the operations and issues related to the paddles used in the Saltstone Production Facility (SPF) employing the 10-inch READCO ™ -Kurimoto co-rotating dual shaft continuous mixer are provided in SRNL-ST1-2019-00142, Based on a recent effort performed by the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) and funded by Savannah River Remediation (SRR), eight different replaceable paddle designs were proposed and the angled notched design was selected for this study. This design was selected over the other designs due to its simplicity and its ability to meet the fitness of duty requirements. There are two types of angled notched replaceable tip designs, one being flat and the other helical. Either of these designs can be used for blending the premix with the salt solution. Stress calculations performed on this design (the use of the bolts and connections) are documented in M-CLC-Z-00137 showing it was suitable for use.
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Proceedings of the 2021 Airborne Wind Energy Workshop
On March 2-3, 2021, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) conducted a virtual workshop to evaluate the status, potential development, and technical viability of AWE systems as a source of energy in the United States. Stakeholder input provided at the workshop will contribute to the report to Congress. This report summarizes key workshop findings, current technology research and development activities in the United States, and opportunities and potential modes of collaboration and coordination for future technology research and development activities. The workshop focused on U.S. stakeholders in AWE, with approximately 100 experts and industry stakeholders from AWE technology developers, operators, engineering firms, consultants, government, national laboratories, and university researchers. The workshop began with an explanation from DOE's Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO) Technology Manager, Ben Hallissy, of the context and purpose of the workshop, including a request from Congress that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) deliver a "report on the potential for, and technical viability of, airborne wind energy systems to provide a significant source of energy in the United States, including a summary of research, development, demonstration, and commercialization needs, including an estimate of Federal funding requirements, to further examine and validate the technical and economic viability of airborne wind energy concepts over the 10-year period." The workshop began with brief introductions from attendees who explained their interest in AWE. Nicolas El Hayek of Planair summarized the proceedings from the AWE workshop held in September 2020 by the International Energy Agency (IEA) Wind Task 11. This was followed by a presentation by Roland Schmehl of TU-Delft summarizing European AWE R&D efforts. Chris Vermillion of North Carolina State University and Jason Jonkman of NREL presented an overview of U.S. R&D efforts. Then five panelists discussed AWE markets, sizes of AWE systems, challenges, and opportunities. Panelists included: Cristina Archer, professor at the College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment and associate director at the Center for Research in Wind (CReW) at the University of Delaware; Stephan Brabeck, chief technology officer at SkySails; Thierry Delahave, innovation and technology development lead at Saipem; Rob Creighton, founder and chief executive officer at WindLift; and David Schaefer, founder and chief executive officer at eWind Solutions. The second day of the workshop began with a brief overview of five key topics that are crucial to enabling AWE in the United States. These topics range from estimates of the U.S. wind resource, technical generation potential, economic analysis, environmental challenges, status of current technology and R&D activities, and needed activities to enable commercialization of AWE. This set the stage for a robust discussion in breakout groups where individuals could offer their opinions on the potential opportunities for AWE in the United States. The following topics were discussed in the breakout groups: resource potential and energy output, technical potential, social and environmental impacts, and permitting, techno-economic analysis and markets, technology assessment and upscaling and demonstration and commercialization needs. The second day concluded with reports by the NREL research team, communicating the key themes and outcomes from each of the breakout group discussions.
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Package Review Guide for Reviewing Safety Analysis Reports for Packages (Revision 4)
This Package Review Guide (PRG) provides guidance for Department of Energy (DOE) review and approval of packages to transport fissile and Type B quantities of radioactive material. It fulfills, in part, the requirements of DOE Order 460.1D for the Headquarters Certifying Official to establish standards and to provide guidance for the preparation of Safety Analysis Reports for Packages (SARP). This Package Review Guide is intended for use by the United States Department of Energy Headquarters Certifying Official and their staff, DOE Secretarial offices, operations/field offices, and applicants for Department of Energy package approval. This Package Review Guide is generally organized at the chapter-level in a format similar to that recommended in United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission Regulatory Guide 7.9. One notable exception is the addition of Chapter 9 Quality Assurance, which is not included as a separate chapter in Regulatory Guide 7.9. Within each chapter, this Package Review Guide addresses the technical and regulatory bases for the review, the manner in which the review is accomplished, and findings that are generally applicable for a package that meets the approval standards.
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Operational and Mission Highlights: A Monthly Summary of Top Achievements July 2021
A monthly summary of top achievements at Los Alamos National Laboratory for July 2021 in the areas of Nuclear Security; Science, Technology, and Engineering; Mission Operations; Community Relations, and Selected Media Coverage.
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Versatile Remediation Module Final Operational Testing Results
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) successfully demonstrated the Versatile Remediation Module (VRM), a prototype module designed and built by ORNL for performing the on-site remote repair of welded stainless-steel storage containers for spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste. This report describes the VRM prototype and its design features, components, qualification tests, operational procedures, and demonstration results to support continued long-term storage or off-site transportation of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste currently stored in storage containers. A remote (i.e., 100 ft away from the simulated radiative environment) demonstration of the VRM was successfully performed on a full-scale mock-up welded stainless-steel canister. The VRM is designed with features to accommodate remediation techniques beyond those currently selected and described in this report. Therefore, many of the VRM’s features could benefit other remote nuclear or nonnuclear applications. The VRM is envisioned to serve as a development center to facilitate and enhance the further development of new remediation technologies.
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Large Plate Experiment of Chloride-induced Stress Corrosion Cracking in Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Canisters
This report is the comprehensive description of the completed experiment to evaluate the corrosion behavior of a large section of welded plate material harvested from the Sandia National Laboratories’ (SNL) full-size mockup of a spent nuclear fuel (SNF) dry storage canister. The plate was subjected to conditions aggressive to chloride-induced stress corrosion cracking for a total time of 2 years. The details of the establishment of this experiment, and the corrosion results are reported. This work is intended to inform aging management programs for SNF canisters under conditions of extended dry storage.
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Adaptation of the NWM Cloud Environment for an ISF Project
The DOE-NE NWM Cloud was designed to be a generic set of tools and applications for any nuclear waste management program. As policymakers continue to consider approaches that emphasize consolidated interim storage and transportation of spent nuclear fuel, a gap analysis of the tools and applications provided for spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste disposal in comparison those needed for siting, licensing, and developing a consolidated interim storage facility and/or for a transportation campaign will help prepare DOE for implementing such potential policy direction. This report evaluates the points of alignment and potential gaps between the applications on the NWM Cloud that supported SNF disposal project, and the applications needed to address QA requirements and for other project support needs of an SNF storage project.
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Autonomous Inspection of Geologic Repositories: Current State of the Art and Future Directions
Geological repositories for nuclear waste, including spent nuclear fuel, present a significant challenge for traditional International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards tools due to their inaccessibility and demanding operational conditions. The IAEA has been working closely with Member State organizations currently involved in repository construction and planning, including Euratom, the Finnish and Swedish regulatory authorities, and relevant facility operators. However, the verification challenge remains unsolved, and there persists an out- standing need for tools and approaches that will help the IAEA verify that no nuclear material is diverted from a repository environment. The challenge is also not static. Activities must encompass verification of the design, prior to and during the construction/operation phase, and post backfill. Throughout these various phases, it is imperative that the IAEA maintains a continuity of knowledge (CoK) of all material including information on material inventory and flow. This paper highlights these challenges and outlines how they might be addressed by using remote or autonomous vehicles. Specifically, we discuss the current state of the art in robotic autonomy for known or partially known environment mapping and patrolling, as well as shared autonomy, where humans collaborate with closed loop autonomation to complete tasks. We explore the feasibility of using rovers for these verification tasks, along with the challenges associated with system implementation. Hardware and software suggestions are provided based on the adoption of similar technologies in other comparable areas and ability to close technical gaps. Lastly, human-robotic interactions are considered based on the challenges of the environment of the repository and effective deployment and continued operation of the robot system.
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WSF PISA example for SAFER pilot
On October 15, 2021, the Radioactive and Hazardous Waste Management Facility Manager declared a Potential Inadequacy in the Safety Analysis (PISA) due to a new information relating to an error discovered in calculation AB-WSF-20-002. Calculation AB-WSF-20-002 is used to determine source terms and heat release rates for vehicle and aircraft impacts with fuel fires involving TRU waste containers. The source term for an aircraft’s impact has different source terms factors (i.e., DR, ARF, RF, LPF) that are applied to multiple categories of drums impacted in the accident scenario based on the physical stresses of the aircraft impact and involvement in the subsequent fuel pool fire. The source terms of the multiple categories of affected drums are summed to determine the final source term for the accident scenario. Certain categories of affected drums are modeled to lose their lid, causing material to eject and burn unconfined on the ground. For these specific categories, a lower ARF value was incorrectly applied in AB-WSF-20-002 (i.e., an ARF value of 1E-3 was used instead of the DOE-STD-5506-2007 directed ARF value of 1E-2). For these categories, the ARF is applied to a relatively small number of low-activity drums (i.e., 17 drums at 2.9 PE-Ci each) compared to the total number of drums affected (i.e., 166 drums totaling 621.8 PE-Ci). Therefore, this error is not expected to significantly increase final dose for the accident scenario. No immediate actions or compensatory measures are required to maintain the facility in a safe condition.
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Dual-Purpose Canister Filling Demonstration Project Progress Report
This report discusses the progress made at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory to support direct disposal of dual-purpose canisters (DPCs). Acceptable filler materials should demonstrate that the probability of criticality in DPCs during the disposal timeframe is below the probability threshold for inclusion in a repository performance assessment. This effort, which will ultimately result in a full-scale demonstration, includes computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling developed to gauge the filling process and to uncover any unforeseen issues. Filling simulations of the lower region (mouse holes) of a prototypic DPC show successfully simulate filling of the void space inside the canister and a smooth, even progression of the liquid level. Flow through a pipe that is similar to the drainpipe in a DPC is being investigated separately to gain valuable insight of the flow regime inside a pipe. Three physical experiments validating the computational filling model have been completed using surrogate liquids. One experiment using molten metal has been completed and the results demonstrate adequate filling of the canister void spaces. Although the scale experiment observed some void spaces related to shrinkage of the metal during cooling, the volume filled is expected to be sufficient to meet the purpose of moderator exclusion. Further experiments will scale up the geometry, moving towards a full-sized DPC demonstration, and provide a more rigorous investigation of candidate filler materials.
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Report on Field Test at INL Cask Farm of Single Detector Fast Neutron Spent Fuel Cask Verification System
Detecting diversion of spent fuel elements in dry storage casks is challenging due to the thick shielding used in cask construction. Measurements on top of the cask to map the underlying arrangement of the fuel elements and looking for anomalous changes over time has proven difficult to achieve using gamma rays due to the high scattering and attenuation from the thick steel structure, weakening information on the present or absence of fuel bundles. Simulations and laboratory experiments suggest that the high-energy neutron flux (>200 keV) measured directly above each fuel bundle is sufficient to produce a position map that enables detection of the present or absence of fuel bundles, and therefore diversion of a spent fuel bundle. A single-detector spent-fuel monitoring technique based on this principle was development at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). The INL Cask Farm in the INTEC technical area at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) offers the capability to test this technique on an MC-10 storage cask which has a distribution of full and empty fuel positions. An experimental test plan for the single-detector verification system was developed in consultation with INL personnel to be completed in FY2021. Due to travel advisories related to COVID-19, the experimental test plan was adapted to enable INL personnel to carry out the measurements in consultation with LLNL personnel following shipment of the LLNL system to INL. Field test measurements of the single detector verification system were successfully carried out at the INL cask farm on September 7-9, 2021. This document summarizes results of the field test.
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Technical Basis for Extended Dry Storage of Aluminum-Clad Spent Nuclear Fuel
This report addresses previously identified technical knowledge and technology gaps and presents the key findings of the multiyear, EMTD-funded research efforts with the goal of evaluating whether ASNF can be safely stored dry for many decades and whether changes to existing ASNF management practices are appropriate. The findings formulate the technical basis for the extended dry storage of ASNF, leading to the main conclusion: All completed work to close the identified knowledge gaps on extended (>50 years) ASNF dry storage supports the conclusion that extended ASNF dry storage is both safe and viable.
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Open Reproducible Electron Microscopy Data Analysis
Electron microscopy (EM) is a cornerstone technique in the materials and biological sciences capable of imaging structures at nano- to atomic-scale resolution. Advances in technologies mean that one acquires datasets at increasing data rates and sizes. These advancements present enormous opportunities for researchers to understand complex systems. However, processing the resulting large-scale, complex data in a reproducible and shareable way is a real challenge for researchers. The building, managing, and maintaining complex workflows in a reproducible manner requires extensive knowledge in several areas outside the researchers’ core skill sets, such as software engineering, data science, and high-performance computing (HPC). Our work demonstrates an innovative approach to solving these problems, enabling reproducible EM data analysis through container encapsulated pipelines. Using modern container technologies, we encapsulate processing elements and connect them using shared memory. We expose user-friendly, advanced algorithms and tools to allow end users to utilize without expert programming skills. The platform enables reproducible, scalable, shareable pipelines for the analysis and visualization of EM data. Focusing on interoperability, we leverage the DOE and other agencies’ existing investments to provide a powerful software platform for EM data analysis.
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