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

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At least 127 records · Page 7
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1993

Summary and recommendations on nuclear electric propulsion technology for the space exploration initiative

A project in Nuclear Electric Propulsion (NEP) technology is being established to develop the NEP technologies needed for advanced propulsion systems. A paced approach has been suggested which calls for progressive development of NEP component and subsystem level technologies. This approach will lead to major facility testing to achieve TRL-5 for megawatt NEP for SEI mission applications. This approach is designed to validate NEP power and propulsion technologies from kilowatt class to megawatt class ratings. Such a paced approach would have the benefit of achieving the development, testing, and flight of NEP systems in an evolutionary manner. This approach may also have the additional benefit of synergistic application with SEI extraterrestrial surface nuclear power applications.

Doherty, Michael P.↗
DOE OSTI2025

An Evaluation and Qualification of U.S.-Based Research Reactors for Irradiation Capabilities Supporting Advanced Nuclear Systems

Irradiation experiments are a prerequisite for evaluating nuclear reactor system designs, analyzing the performance of these systems, and obtaining licenses. Likewise, irradiation facilities are necessary for producing the radioisotopes used in industrial and medical applications. Recent developments in modeling and simulation capabilities and advancements in computational resources have further enabled the design of irradiation experiments for evaluating radiation-induced phenomena and determining nuclear fuel, material, and system design and safety criteria pertaining to both normal and accident scenarios. These computational tools and models require comprehensive experimental datasets acquired under prototypic radiation conditions—for exploring material and system performance under the uniquely harsh environments found in nuclear reactors—to enable verification and validation for qualification and licensing purposes. However, qualification of irradiation experimental facilities, primarily research and test reactors (RTRs), necessitates that their performance be evaluated based on the irradiation environment (e.g. flux, power, testing capabilities) using an appropriate scoring matrix. Although many university campus RTRs are available for research and development (R&D) activities and initiatives, this study focuses on evaluating and qualifying the irradiation facilities (mostly RTRs) within the United States that are suitable for advanced nuclear fuel, material, and system irradiation experiments aimed at establishing operational-performance limits and informing component and fuel designs so as to improve operational efficiencies and mitigate proliferation vulnerabilities, as well as for radioisotope production aimed at multipurpose applications. As a result, the findings of the present study support the acceleration of nuclear fuel and material qualifications, thus hastening new and advanced nuclear energy system demonstrations and radioisotope production efforts by using extended R&D.

irradiation experiment↗
DOE OSTI2023

A liquid metal dropper for experiments on the wettability of liquid metals on plasma facing components

A liquid metal dropper has been developed as a part of the Ion-Gas-Neutral Interactions with Surfaces 2 (IGNIS-2) facility at The Pennsylvania State University. The dropper has the capability of directly applying drops to candidate plasma facing materials for nuclear fusion reactors to enable measurements of their liquid metal wetting properties. The results presented here are specific to the use of lithium in the dropper. This paper discusses the design choices of the liquid metal dropper and its chamber, including the heating and temperature control and the dropper’s motorized operation. Lithium drops of masses ranging from 0.05 g up to 0.13 g, equivalent to drop diameters between 5.6 mm to 1 cm, have been consistently dispensed by the dropper. A new algorithm is developed and used to automate the analysis of the contact angle between the liquid drops and substrate material for efficient analysis of video data recorded to study the wetting properties of candidate plasma-facing components.

Instruments & Instrumentation↗
DOE OSTI2025

MPACT Safeguards Modeling: FY25 Update

Sandia National Laboratories develops and maintains several open-source software packages to support material accountancy analyses. This includes the Material Accountancy Performance Indicator Toolkit (MAPIT), the Fissile Facility Flow Modeler (F3M) and the Separation and Safeguards Performance Model Library (SSPM-L). MAPIT is responsible for performing statistical safeguards analyses on bulk and itemized data from nuclear fuel cycle facilities and can operate on real or synthetic data. MAPIT is the only open-source software for such analyses. F3M is a library of modules, built in MATLAB Simulink, that contain pre made blocks to represent different generic fuel cycle processes. These blocks can be used together in a modular fashion to represent and simulate nuclear fuel cycle processes with the goal of improving facility-level accountancy during the design phase. F3M is also an open-source library. Finally, the SSPM-L library is a series of completed models built from F3M. The library includes facility models such as a generic PUREX facility and a fuel fabrication facility. The SSPM-L library is not open source, but is available to collaborators with a relevant use case. These tools include modeling and simulation pipelines to simulate nuclear fuel cycle facilities and the underlying software needed to simulate measurement uncertainty and perform statistical analyses. Together, these tools can perform end-to-end nuclear material accountancy analyses. This report documents the various improvements made to these tools in FY25. Specifically, we added new statistical test, new statistical modeling capabilities, new fuel cycle facility models, and launched a new open-source model component library.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2020

Solvent Hold Tank Sample Results for MCU-19-569-571 (December 2019), MCU-20-1-28 (January 2020), and MCU-20-29-30-31 (June 2020) (Quarterly Report)

A trend summary of three Solvent Hold Tank (SHT) monthly samples MCU-19-569-570-571 (December 2019), MCU-20-1-28 (January 2020), and MCU-20-29-30-31 (June 2020) are reported. Most of the conclusions are based on the June 2020 SHT sample (MCU-20-29-30-31). Analyses of the June 2020 SHT sample indicated that the Modifier (Cs-7SB) and the Extractant (MaxCalix) concentrations were above their nominal recommended concentrations (169,000 mg/L and 46,900 mg/L respectively) by 6% and 7% respectively. The Suppressor (N,N’,N”–tris(3,7-dimethyloctyl)guanidine or TiDG) concentration has remained at 833 ± 16 mg/L, but it is above the minimum recommended concentration (479 mg/L). The Semi-Volatile Organic Analysis (SVOA) and FT-HNMR did not detect any organic impurities. Another impurity observed in the samples was mercury. Based on the June 2020 SHT sample, up to 23 ± 5 micrograms of mercury per gram of solvent (or 19 ± 4 mg/L) was detected. The mercury concentration steadily decreased from 34.8 ug/g solvent (or 21.9 mg/L) in the December 2019 SHT sample to 34.8 ug/g solvent (or 19 mg/L) in the June 2020 SHT sample. The gamma concentration (~3.33E4 dpm/mL) measured in the June 2020 SHT samples was consistent with previous values observed when MCU was idle (for example, between February 2017 and August 2017). If additional SHT samples become available, the laboratory will continue to monitor the quality of the solvent for any new impurities or degradation of the solvent components.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
NASA NTRS1975

A preliminary systems-engineering study of an advanced nuclear-electrolytic hydrogen-production facility

An advanced nuclear-electrolytic hydrogen-production facility concept was synthesized at a conceptual level with the objective of minimizing estimated hydrogen-production costs. The concept is a closely-integrated, fully-dedicated (only hydrogen energy is produced) system whose components and subsystems are predicted on ''1985 technology.'' The principal components are: (1) a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) operating a helium-Brayton/ammonia-Rankine binary cycle with a helium reactor-core exit temperature of 980 C, (2) acyclic d-c generators, (3) high-pressure, high-current-density electrolyzers based on solid-polymer electrolyte technology. Based on an assumed 3,000 MWt HTGR the facility is capable of producing 8.7 million std cu m/day of hydrogen at pipeline conditions, 6,900 kPa. Coproduct oxygen is also available at pipeline conditions at one-half this volume. It has further been shown that the incorporation of advanced technology provides an overall efficiency of about 43 percent, as compared with 25 percent for a contemporary nuclear-electric plant powering close-coupled contemporary industrial electrolyzers.

Escher, W. J. D.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Multilayered Network Models for Security: Enhancing System Security Engineering with Orchestration

Security engineering approaches can often focus on a particular domain—physical security, cyber security, or personnel security, for example. Yet, security systems engineering consistently faces challenges requiring socio-technical solutions to address evolving and dynamic complexity. While some drivers of this complexity stem from complex risk environments, innovative adversaries, and disruptive technologies, other drivers are endogenous and emerge from the interactions across security engineering approaches. In response, INCOSE's Systems Security Working Group identified the need to better coordinate “disparate security solutions [that] operate independently” as one of eleven key concepts in their IS21 FuSE Security Roadmap. From this perspective, this need for “security orchestration” aligns with the perspective that security is a property that emerges from interactions within complex systems. Current efforts at Sandia National Laboratories are developing a systems security engineering approach that describes high consequence facility (HCF) security as a multidomain set of interacting layers. The result is a multilayered network (MLN)-based approach that captures the interactions between infrastructure, physical components, digital components, and humans in nuclear security systems. This article will summarize the MLN-based approach to HCF security and describe two preliminary results demonstrating potential benefits from incorporating interactions across disparate security solutions. Here, leveraging the logical structure of networks, this MLN model-based approach provides an example of how security orchestration provides enhanced systems security engineering solutions.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2021

FY2020 performance assessment annual review for the E-area low-level waste facility

The Savannah River Site (SRS) E-Area Low-Level Waste Facility (ELLWF) consists of six types of disposal units described in the Performance Assessment (PA) (WSRC, 2008): Low Activity Waste Vault (LAWV), Intermediate Level Vault (ILV), Trenches [Slit Trenches (STs), Engineered Trenches (ETs), and Component-in-Grout (CIG) Trenches], and Naval Reactor Component Disposal Areas (NRCDAs). The ELLWF is a part of the Solid Waste Management Facility (SWMF). SWMF is managed and operated by the SRS Management and Operations prime contractor, Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS). Within SRNS, the Solid Waste Management (SWM) organization is responsible for operating the SWMF, and the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) is the technical agency responsible for preparing and maintaining the PA. SWMF operations have been performed at SRS since 1952. The mission of the SWMF is to provide storage, processing, disposal, and shipment of radioactive, hazardous, and mixed waste. The SWMF is committed to treat, store, and dispose of these waste products in a manner that protects the environment and the health and safety of the facility worker, the co-located worker, and the offsite general public. Wastes handled in the SWMF include low level waste, transuranic waste, hazardous waste, Toxic Substances Control Act waste, and mixed waste (containing both hazardous and radioactive constituents). The FY2020 PA Annual Review for the ELLWF affirms that the disposal facility continued to operate within the bounds of the current PA and Composite Analysis (CA) baseline and the subsequent SA’s and satisfied all the requirements, conditions, and limitations identified in the 2008 DAS (DOE 2008a), RWMB SRNL_STI-2020-00588 Revision 0 vi (McGill, 2020), and ELLWF Low-Level Waste Acceptance Criteria (SRS-1S, 2014). This annual review affirms that the supporting studies performed in FY2020 do not alter the conclusions of the ELLWF PA (WSRC, 2008) and that there is a reasonable expectation that the ELLWF will meet the performance objectives delineated in DOE Manual 435.1-1 (DOE 2011)

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

AVANTech's Liquid Radwaste (LRW) Processing System Upgrade at the Farley Nuclear Plant - 20328

This paper looks at the Liquid Radioactive Waste (LRW) processing system configuration at Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Plant (Plant Farley). A combination of factors led the staff at Plant Farley to seek a better way to manage and process liquid waste. These factors were: - Reduce effluent activity; - Reduce waste volume; - Improve cost efficiency. The LRW processing system changes made at Plant Farley are identified and discussed. The information and technologies cited in this paper are directly applicable to other nuclear power plants who might contemplate an upgrade of LRW processing systems or of individual system components. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2021

Installation of Lysimeters and Monitoring Wells in Support of the Revised Approach to E-Area Performance Monitoring

Savannah River Site (SRS) has developed a revised approach to performance monitoring of the E Area Low Level Waste Facility (ELLWF) that adds a saturated zone component to the existing vadose zone monitoring program (Kubilius, 2019). The revised approach specifies modifications to the vadose zone monitoring program, the addition of new lysimeters at Engineered Trench 3 (ET3), and the installation of water table monitoring wells to complement the existing well network surrounding the ELLWF. This project summary report is intended to provide the final construction details and layout for the new vadose zone lysimeters at ET3 and the water table monitoring wells installed as part of the new saturated zone component of the revised performance monitoring program.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2023

Characterization of the Soluble and Insoluble Portions of Solids from the Salt Waste Processing Facility Tank 201 and Tank 202 Samples

The Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF) Tank 201 and Tank 202 samples have been characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope/energy dispersive x-ray (SEM/EDX), particle size analysis (PSA-Microtrac), Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance ( 1 H NMR) spectroscopic techniques to characterize and identify organic and inorganic components in Tanks 201 and 202 as part of efforts to understand the problems occurring at SWPF due to the presence of solids in the recovered solvent.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2023

Characterization of the Soluble and Insoluble Portions of Solids from the Salt Waste Processing Facility Tank 201 and Tank 202 Samples

The Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF) Tank 201 and Tank 202 samples have been characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope/energy dispersive x-ray (SEM/EDX), particle size analysis (PSA-Microtrac), Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance ( 1 H NMR) spectroscopic techniques to characterize and identify organic and inorganic components in Tanks 201 and 202 as part of efforts to understand the problems occurring at SWPF due to the presence of solids in the recovered solvent.

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

Panel Session 90: US DOE Mixed Waste: Proposals for Dealing with Problematic Waste Streams and Policy Changes

This panel focused on generation and management of low level and mixed low-level radioactive wastes, challenges for disposition, innovative solutions applied at DOE sites, and collaboration among sites to ensure that waste disposition pathways are understood. In addition, potential policy initiatives were discussed including depleted uranium, elemental mercury, and treatment of legacy mixed waste components. As part of the introduction, Theresa Kliczewski provided an overview of why this panel is relevant: problematic mixed waste streams still exist across the DOE cleanup complex. Theresa noted that the DOE EM Headquarters Office of Waste and Materials Management (EM-4.2), for which she is employed with, continues to work with the DOE cleanup sites on a path forward for these problematic mixed waste streams. As part of this effort, EM-4.2 requested that the Energy Facility Contractors Group (EFCOG) perform a review of all the DOE sites problematic mixed waste streams. Panelists with presentations: Challenging Waste Streams: Disposition of Depleted Uranium Oxide Conversion Product (Douglas Tonkay); EFCOG WMWG Challenging Waste Subgroup (Tammy Monday); Mercury Waste Challenges (John Wrapp); Legacy Large Mixed Waste Components (Kalli Shupe)

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

Hazard Analysis to Support Fusion Systems Safety Assessments

Reliability, safety, and performance are vital aspects of any nuclear operation. Fusion technology continues to grow in public, private, and research interest, and coupled with rapidly growing energy needs, fusion technology research is poised for fast progress. The development of a Fusion Nuclear Science Facility (FNSF) is seen as stepping stone for demonstrating long-cycle fusion. Naturally, such operation requires systems that are available, reliable, and safe. This work provides a novel demonstration of systems theory coupled with traditional hazard analysis to provide insights into the risk priority of components and systems found within the FNSF. The results of this work are a set of identified hazards that should be considered for the risk-informed design and development of the FNSF.

22 - GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2022

ASC FY2023 Implementation Plan Revision 0

The DOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Stockpile Stewardship Program (SSP) is an integrated technical program for maintaining the safety, security, and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile. The SSP incorporates nuclear test data, computational modeling and simulation, and experimental facilities to advance understanding of nuclear weapons. The suite of data analyzed comes from activities including previous nuclear tests, stockpile surveillance, experimental research, and development and engineering programs. This integrated national program requires the continued use of experimental facilities and the computational capabilities to support the SSP missions. These component parts, in addition to an appropriately scaled production capability, enable NNSA to support stockpile requirements. The ultimate goal of the SSP, and thus of the Advanced Simulation and Computing (ASC) Program, is to ensure that the U.S. maintains a safe, secure, and effective strategic deterrent.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Advanced Simulation and Computing: FY25 Implementation Plan

The DOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Stockpile Stewardship Program (SSP) is an integrated technical program for maintaining the safety, security, and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile. The SSP incorporates nuclear test data, computational modeling and simulation, and experimental facilities to advance understanding of nuclear weapons. The suite of data analyzed comes from activities including previous nuclear tests, stockpile surveillance, experimental research, and development and engineering programs. This integrated national program requires the continued use of experimental facilities and the computational capabilities to support the SSP missions. These component parts, in addition to an appropriately scaled production capability, enable NNSA to support stockpile requirements. The ultimate goal of the SSP, and thus of the Advanced Simulation and Computing (ASC) program, is to ensure that the U.S. maintains a safe, secure, and effective strategic deterrent.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Consideration of Decabromodiphenyl Ether Flame Retardant in Thermal and Radiation Aging of Crosslinked Polyethylene Cable Insulation

Decabromodiphenyl ether (decaBDE) has been used as a flame-retardant additive in nuclear-grade electrical cable insulation. However, decaBDE has been identified as a persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) substance, leading to regulatory scrutiny. On January 6, 2021, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a final rule to phase out decaBDE. The 2021 rule set a two-year compliance deadline for “processing and distribution in commerce of decaBDE for use in wire and cable insulation in nuclear power generation facilities.” In recognition of industry concerns following a sudden discontinuation of decaBDE-containing Class 1E wire and cable essential for nuclear power operations and the time needed for qualifying the individual components using the alternative insulation technology, an extended compliance deadline was set in the finalized amendments to the 2021 rule as published by the Environmental Appeals Board on November 12, 2024. The 2024 rule set the compliance deadline for processing and distributing decaBDE-containing wire and cable insulation until the end of the service life of these materials. Since decaBDE has long been relied upon as the flame retardant in one of the most common cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) nuclear cable insulation formulations, RSCC Firewall III insulation, questions have naturally arisen regarding whether changes in cable performance might be expected for XLPE containing a decaBDE alternative, especially for safety-related cables that must perform their safety function in a design basis event such as a loss of coolant accident.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Fast Neutron Irradiation of a Multichannel JFET-Based Optical Encoder

Modern electrical components are susceptible to damage from high levels of radiation and extreme temperatures found near reactors in terrestrial nuclear power plants and in aerospace applications. Radiation-hardened electronics are being developed, largely for the aerospace industry, but they sometimes rely on application-specific, small-batch semiconductor fabrication processes. These processes tend to be prohibitively expensive to develop and maintain outside major industrial facilities or governmental agencies. Recently, commercially available, nonradiation-rated junction-gate field-effect transistors (JFETs) were shown to maintain their functionality at gamma doses exceeding 1 MGy, suggesting that nonrated, commercially available electrical components could be used to develop systems that are tolerant to ionizing radiation. However, gamma ray survival is not indicative of neutron dose survival, and few studies characterize JFETs under neutron irradiation. To address this knowledge gap, a JFET-based analog multiplexer and optical pulsewidth modulation (PWM) encoder was developed and irradiated using a 252 Cf source to 1.6×10 13 n/cm 2 . The multiplexed optical encoder (MOE) system maintained functionality throughout testing and showed little evidence of radiation effects. These results indicate that circuitry tolerant to fast neutron damage can be developed using low-cost, nonradiation-rated, commercially available JFETs, which could provide a lower production cost alternative to specialized semiconductor processes when designing and building electronics better able to survive neutron irradiation.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗