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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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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Assessment of Cloud-Based Applications Enabling a Scalable Risk-Informed Predictive Maintenance Strategy Across the Nuclear Fleet

The current light water reactor fleet uses time-based or failure-based maintenance strategies to achieve high-capacity factors. But to make nuclear more competitive in the energy market, these reactors could utilize emerging technologies in terms of artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing to enable a cost-effective, predictive maintenance strategy. This report examines the feasibility of cloud computing for the nuclear industry’s needs in terms of the cloud’s computing capabilities, feasibility, and regulatory concerns. The technical viability of cloud computing was analyzed using one year worth of data from a boiling water reactor’s safety relief valve. Models were hosted on a local desktop, Idaho National Laboratory’s high-performance computer, and Microsoft Azure. Data was loaded, processed, and two types of models were trained in an A/B fashion. Based on the speed at which these actions were completed, it was used to determined that cloud computing has adequate computing resources. Additionally, the computing power can scale with the demanded load. To enable cloud computing in the existing fleet, additional sensors, networks, and other requirements must be implemented to ensure a smooth transition from current maintenance strategies. However, there is a benefit as the plant no longer needs manage their own servers, software, cybersecurity, and IT support staff. Many of these features can be offloaded on to the cloud provider. A comprehensive analysis was completed that showed the current annual cost of operating is more expensive than using cloud computing resources. Lastly, the regulatory framework does not explicitly address AI or autonomous control. Currently, the NRC and other regulatory bodies are evaluating providing guidance to address gaps rather than new regulations to address the use of AI and ML. But since many of the AI applications are focused on non-safety related applications, such as balance-of-plant components, they will likely have little or no regulatory restrictions or necessary approvals. Demonstrating how AI can improve maintenance and operation of these non-safety related systems seems like the likely path forward for implementing AI and cloud computing resources inside nuclear power plants (NPPs).

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2022

Multiphysics modeling of SOFC performance degradation caused by interface delamination and active layer cracking

In solid oxide device operation, delamination and cracking cause more catastrophic damage to cell life than other degradation mechanisms, leading to more rapid cell failure. The electrochemical performance degradation caused by electrode/electrolyte interface delamination and active layer cracking were investigated through in-house developed three-dimensional multiphysics simulations. Here the multiphysics simulations, fully calibrated against experimental datasets for button cells in a previous study, were extended to quantitatively investigate the effects of electrode/electrolyte interface delamination and active layer cracking. The simulated polarization curves and impedance behavior with various levels of delamination and cracking provided insights of the performance degradation. Furthermore, the local current distributions within the cell were analyzed for three different operating modes: constant voltage, constant current, and constant power. Finally, a practical strategy was proposed to mitigate the performance degradation in the realistic cell operations, extending overall cell lifetime.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2026

Balance of Plant Modeling and Real-Time Hardware-in-the-Loop Integration with the Microreactor Automated Control System

The advent of novel microreactor technology has driven a focused effort to explore safety and efficiency improvements that can be achieved through the use of automated system control. Development of control strategies, especially for initial demonstration, requires an adequate surrogate environment to safely research failure modes and control integration with realistic hardware delay. However, efficiency gains from control strategies are improved when the scope of controller action is expanded to include system-level dynamics such as downstream heat extraction and mass flow. For this reason, a balance-of-plant (BOP) model of a representative microreactor system has been developed using the TRANsient Simulation Framework of Reconfigurable Models library in Modelica. This model captures a reactor and primary NaK coolant loop that represent corresponding system components of the Microreactor Applications Research Validation and EvaLuation (MARVEL) design as well as a secondary coolant loop and heat extraction representative of the Microreactor Agile Non-Nuclear Experimental Test Bed (MAGNET). This model configuration allows for hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) integration with microreactor automated control system (MACS) hardware in real time through a Python-based gRPC client. Real-time simulation of model performance with emulated hardware and communication delay suggests that under independent proportional-integral-derivative control of BOP model drum dynamics and downstream heat extraction, stable power load following is achievable. A slight delay in load following, filtering of high-frequency dynamics, and localized temperature fluctation suggest room for improvement through the development of higher-level control strategies. The simulated coupling of the MAGNET facility lays the groundwork for future digital twin analysis with a coupled MACS-MAGNET HIL demonstration.

McConnell, Jono [ORNL] (ORCID:0000000238984741)↗
DOE OSTI2021

Cost- and Risk-Based Seismic Design Optimization of Nuclear Power Plant Safety Systems

Seismic analysis, design, and qualification of systems, structures, and components (SSCs) is a significant contributor to the capital cost of a nuclear power plant. To reduce capital costs of advanced nuclear power plants and make commercial nuclear energy more competitive, innovations are needed in their structural design and construction, and not just in the reactor core and associated systems. Seismic isolation has been identified as an important cost-cutting technology that enables standardization of equipment across various sites. This paper develops and demonstrates a cost- and risk-based seismic design optimization of a representative safety system in a nuclear power plant with the dual goals of minimizing overnight capital cost and meeting safety goals. The design optimization can also include component seismic isolation, in which case, the optimized design includes a set of equipment that needs to be seismically isolated to minimize capital cost. The open-source codes MASTODON and Dakota are used for seismic probabilistic risk assessment and design optimization, respectively. A generic nuclear facility with a safety system comprising SSCs that are common to nuclear power plants is considered for the demonstration of the design optimization and is assumed to be located at the Idaho National Laboratory site. Generic costs and seismic design cost functions are assumed for the SSCs of the safety system. The sum of the costs of the SSCs is minimized in the optimization process, while the risk of failure of the safety system is provided as a constraint. Furthermore, results show that the optimization process reduces capital costs significantly while automatically prioritizing the safety of SSCs that contribute most to the risk of the safety system.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Status Update for the Bearing Test Article Design Development – FY2025

Argonne National Laboratory’s (ANL) Mechanism Engineering Test Loop (METL) team has completed the design of a new Bearing Test Article (BTA) to test mechanical bearings for sodium fast reactor (SFR) mechanism applications. Recognition of the need for further bearing testing arose due to failure of rolling element bearings during testing of components for in-vessel fuel handling machines (FHMs) conducted at ANL in the METL facility. While the initial concept of the BTA arose from a need for bearing testing for FHM applications, the BTA design is configurable to test bearings of various sizes, types, and materials submerged in liquid sodium. Requirements for loading, shaft speed, temperature, and bearing size range were chosen based on requirements for SFR fuel handling. Modular components in the test bearing housings and shaft sleeves allow the design to accommodate a wide range of bearing sizes without modification to the larger assembly. Loading will be applied with screw jacks on the air side of the test article that will be adjusted to apply radial, thrust, or combined loading conditions. Applied force will be measured by load cells in-line with the loading mechanisms. In FY25 we have completed the design of the test article that will be fabricated and undergo testing at the METL facility. Drawing packages for the fabrication of the test article have been drafted and are being reviewed to add part tolerances and we have started ordering off-the-shelf components. The report will summarize the development of the Bearing Test Article design starting with an overview of the entire test article, then a more detailed examination of the bearing test section, loading mechanisms, test article ports and seals, and support structures, including analysis that went into significant design choices.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Probabilistic Multi-Hazard Performance Assessment of Concrete Structures in Nuclear Installations

Concrete structures in nuclear installations are subject to time-dependent degradation mechanisms that can deteriorate their physical and mechanical properties, potentially exacerbating the risk of structural failure under external forces such as a seismic event. Previous research has extensively investigated the seismic response of nuclear concrete structures and the associated risk, as well as their effect on structural components safety margins. However, substantial work is still necessary to incorporate concrete aging effects into such evaluations. In fact, most models in the literature assume pristine concrete conditions and do not account for the impact of aging on the structural components’ fragility curves. This work identifies relevant time-dependent degradation mechanisms and provides simplified models to predict the the evolution of key material properties based on data from the literature. Namely, this work focuses on the aging effects of corrosion, alkali–silica reaction (ASR), and irradiation on reinforced concrete within US Department of Energy (DOE) nuclear facilities and nuclear power plants (NPP) structures. Furthermore, degradation models based on literature data are presented that define the relationship between probabilistic material properties and the concrete’s age. In this work, sampled material properties served as input for a simplified finite element model (FEM) of a critical nuclear structural system, with the output of the FEM being the seismic response for a given ground motion. The results of the FEM were then used within a probabilistic performance assessment with a statistically significant number of samples. The research presented herein addresses the detrimental effects of hazards caused by natural phenomena on deteriorated concrete elements of nuclear installations. This work directly benefits the safety analysis performed on US DOE/ National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) nuclear facilities located in areas prone to seismic activity. The results presented herein could aid in the improvement of DOE-STD-1020, the DOE Standard that addresses seismic risk analysis and capacity evaluation in DOE facilities. DOE-STD-1020 refers to the requirements in American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) 4-98, now superseded by ASCE 4-16, that shall be met in performing dynamic response analyses and generating in-structure response spectra, provided that such requirements are consistent with the requirements of ASCE/Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) 43-05. Moreover, the results presented herein could also aid in the updating of section C3.1.1. of ASCE 4-16 to account for the effects of aging on the stiffness of reinforced elements and American Concrete Institute (ACI) 349.3R-18, “Report on Evaluation and Repair of Existing Nuclear Safety-Related Concrete Structures.” Ultimately, this work can assist the risk assessment of potential lifetime extension of the existing US commercial nuclear fleet (light water reactors) and the safety analysis of the emerging advanced nuclear reactors. The proposed proof-of-concept methodology employs open-source DOE computational tools and is transferable to commercial software commonly used by engineering firms.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Civil Procedure for the Anthropocene

Climate considerations must become an element of procedural analysis. Scholars, rule makers, legislators, and judges have historically prioritized procedural values including cost, speed, and accuracy. More recent waves of scholarship—including critical perspectives—have emphasized participation as a further procedural goal. Yet this list has grown stale. Current environmental realities force all areas of law, including civil procedure, to reckon with climate change. In the future, proceduralists will be forced to integrate climate-aware thinking into their analyses, proposals, and discussions. Predictably, minds will disagree on how to accomplish this and the kinds of trade-offs that are warranted. Yet the fundamental point of this article remains: climate change resilience is a procedural concern that has not been recognized but must be. This signals not the genesis of a new branch of procedural scholarship but an opportunity to broaden the discussion for all procedural scholarship. In addition, this Article serves as a guide for rule makers and legislators who have just recently begun to show interest in climate-aware procedures. It directs them to procedural topics that require urgent attention, provides implementation strategies for developing resilient procedures, and considers the attendant costs and benefits of different approaches ranging from laissez-faire to aggressive engagement. Just as civil procedural innovations contributed to the emergence and success of the civil rights movement, our collective response to climate change will also be shaped by civil procedure. This Article prepares for this future and offers a corrective to the field’s failure to anticipate and respond to climate change.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Determining the Crosslinking and Degradation Reaction Kinetics in Photovoltaic Encapsulants Using Accelerated Aging: Preprint

Degradation of photovoltaic (PV) module encapsulant mechanical characteristics that lead to embrittlement and delamination remains a cause of failure in solar installations. A multiscale reliability model based on detailed molecular degradation reaction kinetics was previously published, connecting the encapsulant mechanical properties (elastic modulus, yield strength, and adhesion energy) to the degraded molecular structure and interfacial bond density to adjacent solar cell and glass substrates. The model, developed primarily for poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) (EVA) encapsulants, remains to be experimentally validated. Determining the degradation and crosslinking kinetics of alternative encapsulants, such as polyolefin elastomer (POE) and EVA/POE/EVA composites (EPE), can further generalize the model. Importantly, the activation energy for crosslinking of fully cured PV encapsulant products from temperature or UV is presently unknown or unavailable. In this work, we subject EVA, POE, and EPE encapsulants to a set of accelerated aging conditions, varying the temperature, UV intensity, and relative humidity. We use DSC, FTIR, and Soxhlet extraction (gel content) to characterize the encapsulants' changing molecular structure. This allows for determination of the photochemical degradation and crosslinking kinetics of the encapsulants. Preliminary results show an increase in gel content (crosslinking) and a decrease in crystallinity of EVA, POE, and EPE encapsulants under hot-aerobic (90 deg C, 22% RH) and hot-anaerobic (90oC, sealed in N2 air) accelerated aging, even in the absence of UV and crosslinking initiating agents. For a least squares regression with an assumed first-order crosslinking kinetics, the crosslinking rate parameters were computed for the three encapsulants under hot-aerobic and hot-anaerobic aging conditions. FTIR analysis showed insignificant encapsulant degradation for hot-aerobic and hot-anaerobic aging, demonstrating the critical role of UV and moisture in accelerating degradation. Aging conditions with UV exposure and elevated humidity are presently in progress.

adhesion↗
DOE OSTI2025

Benchmark Exercise Report for Experimental Study of Bubble Scrubbing in Water Coolant Pool

Mechanistic assessments of radionuclide release during postulated accidents are expected to be included in advanced reactor license applications. The mechanistic source term (MST) provides an opportunity for vendors to realistically evaluate the radiological consequences of an incident, and may aid in justifying reduced emergency planning zones and plant sites. However, the development of MSTs for advanced nuclear reactors is challenging because there are numerous phenomena that can affect the transport and retention of radionuclides. As part of a trial MST assessment for a metal-fueled, pool-type sodium cooled fast reactor (SFR), led by Argonne National Laboratory, a simplified radionuclide transport code (SRT code) was developed, which includes models to estimate the quantity of fission product aerosols scrubbed in the sodium pool during postulated accident scenarios. In a pool-type SFR, when fission products are released into the coolant pool due to failure of fuel pins, most of the radionuclides are scrubbed by the coolant pool, but some have the potential to migrate to the cover gas region through entrainment within gas bubbles. The SRT code contains a model that evaluates this scrubbing behavior and calculates the fraction of fission product aerosols that reach the cover gas. Due to a lack of available validation data for sodium pool scrubbing, the U.S. Department of Energy funded an experiment at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to measure aerosol scrubbing by injecting air bubbles containing aerosol into a coolant pool. Prior to performing an experiment with liquid sodium, a water loop experiment was performed. Their experiment evaluated the effect of changing the aerosol size, aerosol density, aerosol concentration, bubble size, and pool depth on the aerosol scrubbing efficiency of the pool. In this benchmark experiment, the base tests were conducted by repeated tests of isolated bubbles. Afterwards, more prototypic tests with bubble swarms were performed to evaluate the interactions between the bubbles. The bubble swarm test was able to confirm that a larger amount of aerosol scrubbing occurred than the single bubble test. It was also confirmed that as the bubble size, aerosol density, and pool height increase, the extent of pool scrubbing also increases and does not change with the aerosol concentration. In addition, since the degree of scrubbing is the lowest at aerosol sizes between 0.01 and 1 μm, that is, the largest amount of aerosol is emitted, it was confirmed that the analysis of this size in MST is the most important. This benchmark experiment informs the direction of future sodium experiments.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Adhesion Capabilities of Permanent Foaming Fixatives

DOE-EM have identified an operational requirement for a fixative that can immobilize and/or encapsulate residual contamination in 3D void volumes (pipes, gloveboxes, waste containers, etc.) during D and D activities. Failure to safely and effectively immobilize residual contamination can: Put workers at risk; Contaminate the public and environment; Drive up costs. Commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) polyurethane (PU) foams is one possible solution and is currently being investigated by Savannah River National Lab (SRNL). Adhesion testing will dictate how well PU foams will adhere and immobilize residual contamination onto a substrate. Results can provide a performance criteria for Section 5 of ASTM E3191: Standard Specification for Permanent Foaming Fixatives Used to Mitigate Spread of Radioactive Contamination. Initial mechanical testing showed intumescent rigid PU foams were best in class (tensile, compression, TGA/DSC) Application of intumescent rigid PU foam in pipe scenario with 'contamination' showed excellent adhesion capabilities as long as foam had contact with pipe. The foam, however, was not able to penetrate 'contamination' but created pockets where the contamination interacted with the substrate. Pretreatment options of pipe were considered to produce better immobilization capabilities. Pretreatment options included COTS products like baking spray, rubber cement, and soap. Foam was still able to immobilize on a global sense, but not a local sense. Essentially acted as a mechanical plug. A tensile tester (MTS Criterion Series 43) was utilized to evaluate the tensile adhesion strength of 6 COTS PU foams. ASTM D1623: Tensile and Tensile Adhesion Properties of Rigid Cellular Plastics. Procedures: PU foams were cured between two smooth 2'' x 2'' 304 stainless steel coupons with hinges glued on plates for gripping support. Parameters Used: Pull rate of 0.1 in/min. Calculations: Tensile adhesion strength, elongation, and ImageJ analysis of how PU foam is left on substrate. Outcome: The PU foam with the best adhesion capabilities would be downselected for further evaluation to be used as a permanent foaming fixative. The rigid PU foams had the best adhesion capabilities with the R1 foam having a max load of 236 N. One of the I-R2 samples reached almost 450 N and another sample reached 2500 N before slipping. The other intumescent foam, I-F4, had the most coverage on the stainless steel coupon's surface from the ImageJ results (61.43% surface coverage). The intumescent foam, I-R2, will be the foam of choice for future testing due its fire retardant and adhesion capabilities. Future directions: Conduct the following experiment in a pipe scenario with the down-selected PU foam. Procedures: PU foam will be cured between in a 304 stainless steel pipe (ID: 4'', OD: 4.5'', Height: 4''). Parameters Used: Compression testing results will be referenced to determine if foam's adhesion strength would be greater its compression strength as its being compressed. Calculations: Compression strength, shear stress, total time elapsed. Conduct further adhesion testing with the down-selected PU foam (I-R2) to be treated as a permanent foaming fixative (PFF). Determine the minimum contact the PFF should have with the substrate for adequate results. Evaluate if PFF's adhesion capabilities is time dependent (3.1.5 of ASTM E3911). Subject PFF to seismic stressors addressed in Safety Basis of Interim Operation documents (SBIO) to further evaluate adhesion capabilities.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2026

Operational Parameter Database for Molten Salt Thermal Energy Storage Tank Modeling

The second generation of concentrated solar power (CSP) plants is characterized by the use of a central receiver (either cavity or external), two molten nitrate salt tanks (60 wt.% NaNO 3 and 40 wt.% KNO 3 ), and a steam Rankine power-generation cycle connected through a primary heat exchanger. Molten salt thermal energy storage (TES) tanks have been widely deployed in commercial CSP plants worldwide and have been essential for increasing plant dispatchability and capacity factor, while also reducing the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). These systems enable energy storage at the gigawatt-hour scale, typically providing 6 to 17 hours of storage duration. Despite being a commercial technology, the multiple failures observed after only a few months or years of operation in plants around the world demonstrate the technology's relative infancy and highlight the need for further research to improve its reliability. The National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), in collaboration with industry partners and academic and research institutions, has been leading multiple projects funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). These projects focus on addressing molten salt tank failures by improving tank design and welding fabrication practices, evaluating new alloys and weld fillers, and providing guidelines for tank commissioning and safe operation. In particular, this report presents modeling results on the effect of key tank operation parameters during 60 minutes of operation, including the mass flow rate and temperature of the salt inflow, tank salt inventory temperature, and inventory level for a representative molten salt tank design. These results form a database of tank operation behaviors that captures the effects of each specific parameter during charging, charging/discharging, and discharging processes.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Investigating Resiliency of Transportation Network under Targeted and Potential Climate Change Disruptions

Ensuring robustness and resilience in intermodal transportation systems is essential for the continuity and reliability of global logistics. These systems are vulnerable to various disruptions, including natural disasters and technical failures. Despite significant research on freight transportation resilience, investigating the robustness of the system after targeted and climate-change-driven disruption remains a crucial challenge. Drawing on network science methodologies, this study models the interdependencies within the rail and water transport networks and simulates different disruption scenarios to evaluate system responses. Here, we use the data from the U.S. Department of Energy Volpe Center for network topology and tonnage projections. The proposed framework quantifies deliberate, stochastic, and climate-driven infrastructure failure, using higher resolution downscaled multiple Earth System Models’ simulations from Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase version 6. We show that the disruptions of a few nodes could have a larger impact on the total tonnage of freight transport than on network topology. For example, the removal of targeted 20 nodes can bring the total tonnage carrying capacity to 30% with about 75% of the rail freight network intact. This research advances the theoretical understanding of transportation resilience and provides practical applications for infrastructure managers and policymakers. By implementing these strategies, stakeholders and policymakers can better prepare for and respond to unexpected disruptions, ensuring sustained operational efficiency in transportation networks.

Climate Change Disruptions↗
DOE OSTI2021

AGGREGATE: dAta-driven modelinG preservinG contRollable dEr for outaGe mAnagemenT and rEsiliency (Final Report)

The AGGREGATE project team successfully developed and validated various modules for outage management. Brief summaries of each module are provided to showcase their strength for outage management and restoration for a distribution system with a high penetration of connected distribution energy resources (DERs). In recent years, inverter-based DERs have been widely deployed in distribution system. A most of behind-the-meter (BTM) solar power generation is not visible to the utility. The data-driven DER and load estimation modules are using machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) to manage this issue, which provides an opportunity for distribution system operators (DSOs) to operate systems and make decisions in real-time for a distribution system with a high penetration of DERs deployed. Also, the estimated DER and true load can be further leveraged in network aggregation and cold-load pick up estimation for reducing the computing complexity and providing for fast restoration. After load demand and DER power generations have been estimated, the information will support topology and state estimation (SE). The topology estimation module demonstrated the viability of mixed integer linear programming (MILP) formulation to estimate the most likely operational radial topology and outage sections using power flow measurements, historical/estimated load and DERs data and smart meter ping measurements. Formulation includes continuous (power flow, load and DERs data) and binary measurements (smart meter ping measurements) in a single formulation. Errors in continuous data and binary data are modeled as normal distribution and Bernoulli distribution, respectively. In the future distribution grid, the power injection from controllable DERs will be essential for efficient and resilient grid operation. However, determining the optimal DER injections and restoration actions is dependent on knowledge of the system states. State estimation (SE), already the cornerstone of transmission energy management systems, will become commonplace in distribution management systems as more measurements become available from deployment of automated metering infrastructure (AMI). Observability analysis is the first step in SE, as it determines the sufficiency of the available measurements for accurately estimating the current system states. A new type of pseudo-measurement called a Correlational Measurement (CM) is introduced in this module, to enhance the observability of the system to enable more accurate SE. CMs encapsulate knowledge of correlation between demand patterns for similar classes of loads as well as injection patterns for same-technology renewable DERs. During grid contingency scenarios, DERs have been traditionally disconnected, without any fault ride-through capabilities. However, with new regulations and better technology, it is feasible for these resources to contribute to the grid’s restoration after an adverse event and hence enhance resilience. The controllability module proposes a two-step restoration scheme for the power system restoration process by leveraging additional degrees of freedom in power electronics interfaced DERs for mitigating voltage problems. In a resilience mode without the utility system, the distribution grid relies on DERs to serve critical load. In such a severe event with multiple faults on the distribution feeders, actuation of various protective devices (PDs) divides the distribution system into electrical islands. The undetected actuated PDs due to fault current contributions from DERs can delay the restoration process, thereby reducing the system resilience. The Advanced Outage Management (AOM) and the Advanced Feeder Restoration (AFR) modules developed in this project provide improved system resilience with multiple DERs. AOM identifies the faulted sections and actuated PDs in a distribution system with DERs by incorporating smart meter data. The most credible outage scenario including fault locations, PD actuations, and fault indicator (FI) failures is identified by a set of binary integer linear programming incorporating hypotheses. The AFR module serves to restore a distribution system with available energy resources taking into consideration the availability of utility sources and DERs. By partitioning the system into islands, critical load will be served with the available generation resources within islands based on the solution of a MILP. When the utility systems become available, the optimal path will be determined by a spanning tree search algorithm that reconnects these islands back to substations and restores the remaining load. The transmission and distribution (T&D) co-simulation module was used to validate the effect of a control action performed on the distribution side assets as it propagates to the transmission side. This ensures that the control action performed results in a feasible operating point on both the transmission and the distribution system. In addition to validation, the team used the T&D co-simulation module to demonstrate how distribution system assets can be used to mitigate issues on the transmission system. Specifically, the team demonstrated that appropriate switching operations on the distribution side can alleviate the line overload condition on the transmission side without causing new operational constraint violations.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2021

Development of a compressive failure model for carbon fiber composites and associated uncertainties.

An approach to increase the value of carbon fiber for wind turbines blades, and other compressive strength driven designs, is to identify pathways to increase its cost-specific compressive strength. A finite element model has been developed to evaluate the predictiveness of current finite element methods and to lay groundwork for future studies that focus on improving the cost-specific compressive strength. Parametric studies are conducted to understand which uncertainties in the model inputs have the greatest impact on compressive strength predictions. Furthermore, a statistical approach is also presented that enables the micromechanical model, which is deterministic, to efficiently account for statistical variability in the fiber misalignment present in composite materials; especially if the results from the hexagonal and square pack models are averaged. The model was found to agree well with experimental results for a Zoltek PX-35 pultrusion. The sensitivity studies suggest that the fiber packing and the interface shear strength have the greatest impact on compressive strength prediction for the fiber reinforced polymer studied here. Based on the performance of the modeling approach presented in this work, it is deemed sufficient for future work which will seek to identify carbon fiber composites with improved cost-specific compressive strength.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Weakly solvating ester electrolyte for high voltage sodium-ion batteries

Ethyl acetate (EA) was identified as a promising electrolyte solvent for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), exhibiting low viscosity, cost-effectiveness, and low toxicity. Despite a significant portion of aggregation being linked to the weak solvation of Na + /EA as revealed by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, pulsed-field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance (pfg-NMR) analysis identified a noteworthy Na+ diffusion coefficient of 3.95×10 -10 m 2 s -1 at 25°C in the presence of 1 m NaPF 6 salt. Employing fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC) as a film-forming additive to create electrode-electrolyte interphase, this electrolyte surprisingly made ~210 mAh Na 0.97 Ca 0.03 [Mn 0.39 Fe 0.31 Ni 0.22 Zn 0.08 ]O 2 (NCMFNZO)/hard carbon (HC) pouch cells achieve a lengthy cycling lifetime of 250 cycles with ~80 % capacity retention, cycled up to 4.0 V at 40°C. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) revealed increasing interphasial organic species over cycling, augmenting charge transfer resistance on both cathode and anode, particularly during fast charging or low temperatures (<10°C), promoting Na plating. Finally, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry combined with density functional theory identified CO 2 as the major gas generated from charged cathode/electrolyte interactions, exhibiting temperature/voltage dependence.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Elucidating size effects on the yield strength of single-crystal Cu via the Richtmyer–Meshkov instability

Capturing the dynamic response of a material under high strain-rate deformation often demands challenging and time consuming experimental effort. While shock hydrodynamic simulation methods can aid in this area, a priori characterizations of the material strength under shock loading and spall failure are needed in order to parameterize constitutive models needed for these computational tools. Moreover, parameterizations of strain-rate-dependent strength models are needed to capture the full suite of Richtmyer–Meshkov instability (RMI) behavior of shock compressed metals, creating an unrealistic demand for these training data solely on experiments. Herein, we sweep a large range of geometric, crystallographic, and shock conditions within molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and demonstrate the breadth of RMI in Cu that can be captured from the atomic scale. In this work, yield strength measurements from jetted and arrested material from a sinusoidal surface perturbation were quantified as Y RMI = 0.787 ± 0.374 GPa, higher than strain-rate-independent models used in experimentally matched hydrodynamic simulations. Defect-free, single-crystal Cu samples used in MD will overestimate Y RMI , but the drastic scale difference between experiment and MD is highlighted by high confidence neighborhood clustering predictions of RMI characterizations, yielding incorrect classifications.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2025

Hygrothermal Aging and Thermomechanical Characterization of As-Manufactured Tidal Turbine Blade Composites

This study investigates the hygrothermal aging behavior and thermomechanical properties of as-manufactured glass fiber-reinforced epoxy and thermoplastic composite tidal turbine blades. The blades were previously deployed in a marine environment and subsequently analyzed through a comprehensive suite of material characterization techniques, including hygrothermal aging, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), tensile testing and X-ray computed tomography (XCT). Hygrothermal aging experiments revealed that while thermoplastic composites exhibited lower overall water absorption (0.78% vs. 0.47%), they had significantly higher diffusion coefficients than epoxy (2.1 vs. 12.1 × 10 −13 m 2 s −1 ), suggesting faster saturation in operational environments. DMA results demonstrated that water ingress caused plasticization in epoxy matrices, reducing the glass transition temperature and increasing damping (112 °C to 104 °C), while thermoplastic composites showed more stable thermal behavior (87 °C glass transition temperature). Tensile testing revealed substantial reductions in ultimate strength (>40%) for both materials after prolonged water exposure, with minimal change in elastic modulus, highlighting the role of matrix degradation over fiber reinforcement. XCT image analysis showed that both composites were manufactured with high quality: no large voids or cracks were present, and the degree of misalignment was low. These findings inform future marine renewable energy composite designs by emphasizing the critical influence of moisture on long-term structural integrity and the need for optimized material systems in harsh marine environments. This work provides a rare real-world comparison of epoxy and recyclable thermoplastic tidal turbine blades, showing how laboratory aging tests and advanced imaging reveal the influence of material and manufacturing choices on long-term marine durability.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2023

AGR-5/6/7 Thermal Model with Non-uniform Gas Gaps

Fuel compact temperatures are a crucial factor in assessing the irradiation performance of tri-structural isotropic fuel particles. In the absence of direct measurement, fuel compact temperatures were calculated using a three-dimensional finite element thermal model, which is subject to simulation uncertainty. The most dominant factor in the uncertainty of calculated fuel temperatures is the gas gap uncertainty due to the nub-to-shell clearance caused by a design error of AGR-5/6/7 capsules. The thermal model was revised to examine the most probable graphite offset position for six different days during the irradiation for Capsules 1 and 2. The analysis varied the offset distance and azimuthal direction at both the top and bottom of the holder. The best-fit offset was estimated based on the minimum root mean square error of the residuals (measured minus calculated) for the operational thermocouples (TCs). From these results, the following conclusions were made: (1) The holder offsets led to slightly lower average temperatures but wider temperature variations (lower minimum and higher peak fuel temperatures) for both Capsule 1 and Capsule 2. (2) During earlier cycles (162A–164B), when numerous TCs were still operational, the best-fit offset distance varied over a specific range for both the top and bottom ([0.002–0.0035 in.] for Capsule 1 and [0.003-0.004 in] for Capsule 2). In contrast, the offset azimuthal direction varied widely, especially for the offset at the bottom of the Capsule 1 holder. This is because holder movement was somewhat constrained at the top of Capsule 1 by the TC leads running through the capsule head and into the holder and by the through tubes in Capsule 2, but the Capsule 1 bottom did not have this type of constraint. (3) During later cycles, when all TCs failed, applying the maximum possible offset of 0.006 in. to the northwest direction for both the top and bottom resulted in a calculated peak fuel temperature of 1557? in Capsule 1 (i.e., a 135? increase from 1422? with zero offset on September 20, 2019 (166A)); the maximum offset of 0.0068 in. to the south for both top and bottom resulted in a calculated peak fuel temperature of 1110°C in Capsule 2 on April 20, 2020 (i.e., a 116? increase from 994? with zero offset (168A)). High peak fuel temperatures in Capsule 1 during Cycle 166A could be the cause of massive particle failure near the end of this cycle. (4) Even though the highest temperature at the tip of Type-N TCs, such as TC-1-7, slightly exceeded 1000?, the temperature along the TC wire reached as high as 1335? assuming an offset of 0.006 in. in the northwest of Capsule 1 holder near the end of Cycle 166A. This temperature significantly exceeds the temperature threshold at which TC degradation is expected to occur, ultimately contributing to considerable particle failures in Capsule 1. For eight Type-N TCs in Capsule 2, the peak TC line temperature was much lower (i.e., 1029°C for TC-2-5), assuming maximum offset of 00068 in. to the south during cycle 168A.

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