SEARCH · Engineering Papers
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.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
This presentation, part of an NREL-hosted webinar in April 25th 2024, discusses ComStock end-use savings shapes and public datasets.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
It is shown that flaring activity as seen in X-rays usually encompasses two or more interacting magnetic bipoles within an active region. Soft and hard X-ray spatiotemporal evolution is considered as well as the time dependence of the thermal energy content in different magnetic bipoles participating in the flare, the hardness and impulsivity of the hard X-ray emission, and the relationship between the X-ray behavior and the strength and 'observable shear' of the magnetic field. It is found that the basic structure of a flare usually consists of an initiating closed bipole plus one or more adjacent closed bipoles impacted against it.
Abstract not provided.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
The aim of this project was to update the SRS Dose Release Factors (DRF's) for the Maximally Exposed Individual (MEI) for 20 area release points onsite. To update, potential MEIs now include onsite locations and modeled stack heights were updated to match onsite operations. The DRF's and MEI locations are used to ensure DOE and EPA compliance is met for dose standards. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires the use of the computer model CAP88 to estimate doses for demonstrating compliance with 40 CFR 61, the National Emission Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP). The location of the maximally exposed individual (MEI) by sector and distance is required for execution of CAP88. The worst-case sector is the sector and distance where an offsite individual would receive the highest dose due to a potential release from a designated release location at a facility. The worst-case sector analysis addresses potential ground-level and stack-height releases from 20 areas of Savannah River Site (SRS). Weather patterns were analyzed at each of these areas relative to sixteen compass points. The analysis makes use of recently updated distance data and meteorological data. The computer model, CAP88 is EPA's software system used by the Department of Energy (DOE) to calculate the receptor dose due to routine atmospheric releases via a gaussian plume at the Savannah River Site (SRS). The dose-release factors (DRFs) are used to estimate the offsite and onsite dose from facility-specific releases and represent the dose to a receptor exposed to 1 Ci of a specified radionuclide being released into the atmosphere. The DRFs are simply a ratio of the TED to the release rate and, therefore, are directly scalable. The DRF values listed in the Appendix can be applied to expected release values from each area to estimate the potential dose to an individual adult at each location. NESHAP DRFs have been supplied to Environmental Compliance and Area Closure Projects (EC and ACP) for many years and are periodically updated to include changes in Cap88. estimate the potential dose to an individual adult at each location DRF in mrem Ci{sup -1} are estimated by modeling the total effective dose (TED) in mrem yr{sup -1} assuming an annual atmospheric release rate of 1 Ci yr-1 of the associated radionuclides. TED = Effective Dose (ED) + Committed Effective Dose (CED). TED = DRF/RR. Approach and Methods: Determine possible MEI locations Onsite/Offsite including buildings and farms; Determine the distances from the release area to the possible MEI location and the direction from the release to the MEI location; Using the most recent meteorological data (2007-2011) and parameters, run CAP88 for each release area for each compass sector and previously calculated distances to MEI locations using a 1 Ci release rate for tritium; Use the calculated the air concentration values to determine the MEI for each sector from CAP88. The relationship between air concentration and received dose is directly proportional and can be used to determine which locations to calculate DRF's and a dose for an MEI; The DRFs are found for each compass sector from 20 SRS release areas using CAP88-PC Version 4.0; Each location is calculated with ground level releases evaluated for each area for a list of radionuclides, some with and some without progenies; Compare the DRFs of the potential onsite MEIs to offsite MEIs. Based on the 2018 MEI Report, the Site worst case sector MEI is located 593 mW of B-Area. This MEI location represents a point along the main road that travels through a tract of land leased to the SC National Guard. While this location is estimated to have the highest exposure, minimal radioactivity is released from B-Area. In 2017, SRS requested and was approved by the EPA to change the location for modeling site releases from the Center of Site to H-Area, and to use six stack heights. H-Area emission account for approximately 90% of all radioactive operations onsite. The MEI for H-Area was found to be 11,458 m NNE which locates the Savannah River Ecology Lab Conference Center. Comparisons for 2018 data and 2014 shows the new methods of calculation are more conservative yet still remain well below the DOE 100 mrem limit.
This environmental calculation file (ECF) documents the methodologies, assumptions, and results of four sensitivity analyses that reevaluate the representativeness of solid-waste radionuclide inventory and release rate from three solid waste sites included in the recently completed Hanford Site Composite Analysis (CA) (DOE-RL-2019-52, Composite Analysis for Low-Level Waste Disposal in the Hanford Site Central Plateau (FY 2020), Rev. 1) (hereinafter called the CA Update). Specifically, this ECF reevaluates the representativeness of the base case inventory and radionuclide waste release rates from three solid waste sites (i.e., 218-E-12B, 218-W-3A, and 218-W-3AE) and two radionuclides (i.e., carbon-14 [C-14] and technetium-99 [Tc-99]). These three waste sites and two radionuclides were identified as being the most significant contributors to groundwater contamination and dose in the CA Update for the Inner Area boundary at times periods after the compliance period. This ECF first evaluates the representativeness of the C-14 and Tc-99 inventory and second, radionuclide release rates for the three waste sites1. If the inventory and release rates assumed in the CA Update are determined to be not representative, as hypothesized in the CA Update, then this ECF evaluates the impact of more representative inventories and release rates on the transfer of radionuclides to the vadose zone. The four analyses described in this ECF are as follows: 1) 218-E-12B C-14 Inventory and Release Rate Sensitivity Case – Determine the representativeness of the C-14 inventory and associated waste release rate from the 218-E-12B waste site assumed in the CA Update. If the inventory and associated waste release are more appropriately characterized as being different from the assumptions in the CA Update, then update the predicted C-14 release rate and compare the results to the results presented in the CA Update (DOE/RL-2019-52); 2) 218-W-3A C-14 Inventory and Release Rate Sensitivity Case – Determine the representativeness of the C-14 inventory and associated waste release rate from the 218-W-3A waste site assumed in the CA Update. If the inventory and associated waste release are more appropriately characterized as being different from the assumptions in the CA Update, then update the predicted C-14 release rate and compare the results to the results presented in the CA Update (DOE/RL-2019-52); 3) 218-W-3AE Tc-99 Release Rate Sensitivity Case – Determine the representativeness of the Tc-99 inventory and associated waste release rate from the 218-W-3AE waste site assumed in the CA Update. If the inventory and associated waste release are more appropriately characterized as being different from the assumptions in the CA Update, then update the predicted Tc-99 release rate and compare the results to the results presented in the CA Update (DOE/RL-2019-52); 4) 218-W-3AE Tc-99 Release Footprint Sensitivity Case – Determine the representativeness of the Tc-99 waste area footprint for the 218-W-3AE waste site assumed in the CA Update. If the footprint of the waste is more appropriately characterized as being different from the assumptions in the CA Update, then update the predicted Tc-99 release rate and compare the results to the result presented in the CA Update (DOE/RL-2019-52).
This report examines the financial implications of the high-flow experiment (HFE) conducted at Glen Canyon Dam (GCD) during water year (WY) 2017. It is the eighth in a series of reports examining the financial implications of experimental flows conducted since the 1996 Record of Decision (ROD) was adopted in February 1997 (Reclamation 1996). The 1996 ROD implemented the Modified Low Fluctuating Flow (MLFF) regime. This is the first report since the 2016 ROD was adopted in January 2017 (Reclamation 2016). The 2016 ROD implemented the Long-Term Experimental and Management Plan (LTEMP) regime for monthly water releases, daily and hourly operating criteria, and experimental releases. A report released in January 2011 examined WYs 1997 to 2005 (Veselka et al. 2011); a report released in August 2011 examined WYs 2006 to 2010 (Poch et al. 2011); a report released in June 2012 examined WY 2011 (Poch et al. 2012); a report released in April 2013 examined WY 2012 (Poch et al. 2013); a report released in June 2014 examined WY 2013 (Graziano et al. 2014); a report released in September 2015 examined WY 2014 (Graziano et al. 2015); and a report released in November 2016 examined WY 2015 (Graziano et al. 2016). An experimental release may have either a positive or a negative impact on the financial value of energy production. Only one experimental release was conducted at GCD in WY 2017, specifically, a HFE release in November 2016. For this experimental release, financial costs of approximately $1.15 million were incurred because the HFE required sustained water releases exceeding the power plant’s maximum flow rate. In addition, during the month of the experiment, operators were not allowed to shape GCD power production, neither to follow firm electric service (FES) customer day-ahead energy deliveries nor to respond to market prices. This study identifies the main factors contributing to HFE costs and examines the interdependencies among these factors. It applies an integrated set of tools to estimate financial impacts by simulating GCD operations under two scenarios: (1) a Baseline scenario that mimics HFE operations both during the experiment and during the rest of the year when it complies with the 1996 daily/hourly operating criteria and the 2016 ROD monthly water release mandates, and (2) a counterfactual Without Experiments scenario identical to the Baseline scenario except it assumes that the HFE did not occur. The Generation and Transmission Maximization Superlite (GTMax SL) model was the main simulation tool used to simulate the dispatch of the GCD hydropower plant and associated water releases from Lake Powell. GCD is a Colorado River Storage Project (CRSP) power resource that is a component of the Salt Lake City Area Integrated Projects (SLCA/IP). In the modeling process the research team used extensive data sets and historical information on SLCA/IP power plant characteristics, hydrologic conditions, and Western Area Power Administration’s (WAPA’s) power purchase and sale prices. In addition to estimating the financial impact of the HFE, the team used the GTMax SL model to gain insights into the interplay among ROD operating criteria, exceptions made to criteria to accommodate the experimental releases, and WAPA operating practices.
CASL has developed a formalized process to release the Virtual Environment for Reactor Applications (VERA) to non-CASL users through the Radiation Shielding Information Computational Center (RSICC). This milestone represents a major release of VERA with updates that significantly reduce computational resources required and introduce new capabilities related to fuel performance integration. This release will also be used by CASL Test Stands and training activities. VERA 3.6 represents an incremental release, with improvements to core component capabilities, significant performance improvements, and updated documentation. This release followed a significantly revised release process, with formal documentation, testing, readiness reviews, and release authorization. The major tasks that were completed as part of this milestone were: 1) Revision of the VERA RSICC Release Process and Procedures; 2) Identification of the VERA release components; 3) Creation of a Release Candidate; 4) Independent evaluation of the Release Candidate by the Advanced Modeling Applications (AMA) Focus Area; 5) A Release Candidate Readiness Review; 6) Development and execution of a System Test Plan; 7) Updates of manuals and other required documentation; 8) Export Control reviews; 9) A Release Readiness Review; and 10) Delivery of the release package to RSICC. Synopses of the work done to complete each of these major tasks are summarized in Section 2 below. Supporting details are provided in the PHI Kanban ticket #4424 Support VERA 3.6 Release Activities and its child tickets.
Abstract Batan Teknologi (BaTek) operates an isotope production facility in Serpong, Indonesia that supplies 99mTc for use in medical procedures. Atmospheric releases of Xe-133 in the production process at BaTek are known to influence the measurements taken at the closest stations of the International Monitoring System (IMS). The purpose of the IMS is to detect evidence of nuclear explosions, including atmospheric releases of radionuclides. The xenon isotopes released from BaTek are the same as those produced in a nuclear explosion, but the isotopic ratios are different. Knowledge of the magnitude of releases from the isotope production facility helps inform analysts trying to decide whether a specific measurement result came from a nuclear explosion. A stack monitor deployed at BaTek in 2013 measured releases to the atmosphere for several isotopes. The facility operates on a weekly cycle, and the stack data for June 15-21, 2013 show a release of 1.84E13 Bq of Xe-133. Concentrations of Xe-133 in the air are available at the same time from a xenon sampler located 14 km from BaTek. An optimization process using atmospheric transport modeling and the sampler air concentrations produced a release estimate of 1.88E13 Bq. The same optimization process yielded a release estimate of 1.70E13 Bq for a different week in 2012. The stack release value and the two optimized estimates are all within 10 percent of each other. Weekly release estimates of 1.8E13 Bq and a 40 percent facility operation rate yields a rough annual release estimate of 3.7E13 Bq of Xe-133. This value is consistent with previously published estimates of annual releases for this facility, which are based on measurements at three IMS stations. These multiple lines of evidence cross-validate the stack release estimates and the release estimates from atmospheric samplers.
BACKGROUND: Controlled release of transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) to a bone defect may be beneficial for the induction of a bone regeneration cascade. The objectives of this work were to assess the feasibility of using biodegradable polymer microparticles as carriers for controlled TGF-beta1 delivery and the effects of released TGF-beta1 on the proliferation and differentiation of marrow stromal cells in vitro. METHODS: Recombinant human TGF-beta1 was incorporated into microparticles of blends of poly(DL-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). Fluorescein isothiocynate-labeled bovine serum albumin (FITC-BSA) was co-encapsulated as a porogen. The effects of PEG content (0, 1, or 5% by weight [wt%]) and buffer pH (3, 5, or 7.4) on the protein release kinetics and the degradation of PLGA were determined in vitro for as long as 28 days. Rat marrow stromal cells were seeded on a biodegradable poly(propylene fumarate) (PPF) substrate. The dose response and biological activity of released TGF-beta1 was determined after 3 days in culture. The effects of TGF-beta1 released from PLGA/PEG microparticles on marrow stromal cell proliferation and osteoblastic differentiation were assessed during a 21-day period. RESULTS: TGF-beta1 was encapsulated along with FITC-BSA into PLGA/PEG blend microparticles and released in a multiphasic fashion including an initial burst for as long as 28 days in vitro. Increasing the initial PEG content resulted in a decreased cumulative mass of released proteins. Aggregation of FITC-BSA occurred at lower buffer pH, which led to decreased release rates of both proteins. The degradation of PLGA was increased at higher PEG content and significantly accelerated at acidic pH conditions. Rat marrow stromal cells cultured on PPF substrates showed a dose response to TGF-beta1 released from the microparticles similar to that of added TGF-beta1, indicating that the activity of TGF-beta1 was retained during microparticle fabrication and after growth factor release. At an optimal TGF-beta1 dosage of 1.0 ng/ml after 3 days, the released TGF-beta1 enhanced the proliferation and osteoblastic differentiation of marrow stromal cells over 21 days of culture, with increased total cell number, alkaline phosphatase activity, and osteocalcin production. CONCLUSIONS: PLGA/PEG blend microparticles can serve as delivery vehicles for controlled release of TGF-beta1, and the released growth factor enhances marrow stromal cell proliferation and osteoblastic differentiation in vitro. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Controlled release of TGF-beta1 from PLGA/PEG microparticles is representative of emerging tissue engineering technologies that may modulate cellular responses to encourage bone regeneration at a skeletal defect site.
We examined the release of acetylcholine (ACh) and dopamine (DA) using a novel probe through which striatal neurons could be both superfused and stimulated electrically in both anesthetized and freely moving awake animals. Optimal stimulation parameters for eliciting ACh release from cholinergic neurons differed from those required for eliciting DA release from dopaminergic terminals: at 0.6 ms pulse duration, 20 Hz and 200 microA, ACh release increased to 357 +/- 30% (P < 0.01) of baseline and was blocked by the addition of tetrodotoxin (TTX). Pulse durations of 2.0 ms or greater were required to increase DA release. Unlike ACh release, DA release showed no frequency dependence above 5 Hz. The maximal evoked releases of ACh and DA were 556 +/- 94% (P < 0.01) and 254 +/- 38% (P < 0.05) of baseline, respectively. Peripheral administration of choline (Ch) chloride (30-120 mg/kg) to anesthetized animals caused dose-related (r = 0.994, P < 0.01) increases in ACh release; basal release rose from 117 +/- 7% to 141 +/- 5% of initial baseline levels (P < 0.05) and electrically evoked ACh release rose from 386 +/- 38% to 600 +/- 34% (P < 0.01) in rats given 120 mg/kg. However, Ch failed to affect basal or evoked DA release although neostigmine (10 microM) significantly elevated basal DA release (from 36.7 fmol/10 min to 71.5 fmol/10 min; P < 0.05). In awake animals, Ch (120 mg/kg) also elevated both basal (from 106 +/- 7% to 154 +/- 17%; P < 0.05) and electrically evoked (from 146 +/- 13 to 262 +/- 16%; P < 0.01) ACh release.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS).
ABSTRACT Releasing fish at varied life stages is an underutilized hatchery‐rearing practice. Columbia River Treaty tribes have been working to reintroduce extirpated Coho Salmon to historical habitats in upper watersheds. This effort has included the release of hatchery‐origin fish at both the parr and smolt life stages in the Yakima River Basin (Washington State USA), a tributary to the Columbia River. We evaluated releases of parr and smolts tagged with passive integrated transponders over 11 brood years. We assessed emigration timing, fish survival, and age‐at‐return for the two release groups. Emigrating juveniles released as smolts had higher survival and arrived downstream earlier than fish released as parr. Survival from release locations to adult return did not significantly differ for the two release groups. However, we observed a difference in apparent marine survival as fish released as parr had mean juvenile‐to‐adult return rates greater than fish released as smolts. Parr releases also tended to return at older age than smolt releases. Our results indicate that implementing practices to reduce homogenization of hatchery releases may produce survival and diversity benefits as fish mature to later life stages. Given the rapid ecosystem changes Pacific Salmon are experiencing throughout their life cycles, practices such as this may have increasing utility and import.
Tritium confinement is performed using different barriers to minimize releases to the environment. Primary confinement is usually performed by process piping and components, secondary confinement typically by inerted gloveboxes connected to a continuously operating tritium stripper system. Some facility designs employ tertiary tritium confinement by using process room confinement with a tritium stripper system activated after an accident to further mitigate tritium releases to the environment. Secondary confinement of some tritium systems such as radiation-hardened or shielded-cell enclosures are not easily achieved using designs for inerted glovebox. These enclosures can be challenging to seal for secondary tritium confinement due to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) needs for temperature control, as well as feedthroughs for equipment and instrumentation, are potential pathways for tritium leaks or loses. Additional tritium leak paths can be created in secondary confinement enclosures due to a Design Basis Accident (DBA) seismic event. These new, larger tritium leak rates from the DBA event are usually not part of the stripper system design basis so all tritium released to the secondary confinement enclosure is assumed released to the environment. Detritiation strategies for shielded enclosures and/or gloveboxes with significant leak rates are necessary to minimize off-site radiological dose consequences. To address this, the relationship between the confinement system leak rate and stripper system (recirculating) flow rate was evaluated to meet prescribed maximum allowable environmental tritium emissions from the event. The simple analysis described assumes a constant leak rate from the confinement system (i.e. shielded enclosure or glovebox) while a recirculating stripper system strips tritium from the system– a competition between tritium release and tritium recovery. At a high level, the resulting expression summarizes the relationship between system leak rate (F L ) and stripper flow rate (F S ) relative to allowable tritium release (Q A ) and initial tritium release (Q 0 ): $\frac{F_L}{F_s}$ ≈ $\frac{Q_A}{Q_0}$. This report derives the relationship between these parameters, examines the impact of finite stripping times followed by purging of the stripped volume. The analysis provides example results for up to 30 gram tritium releases: the maximum tritium inventory of a Hazard Category III (Department of Energy) Nuclear Facility. The detritiation model presented represents a high-level analysis of tritium recovery versus losses for “leaky” confinement enclosures such as shielded cells after large tritium releases. Key parameters for doing the analyses are the system leak rate, stripper flow rate, initial tritium release, and allowable tritium release values. The analyses show a proportional decrease in releases with reduction in initial tritium release but a non-linear increase in tritium recovery with increased stripper flow rate or reduced leak-rate. The analyses also apply to glovebox confinement systems which could have significant increases in leak rates after a DBA. The analysis recognizes but does not include tritium absorption followed by re-emission from the walls of the confinement volume – an analysis which could be pursued in future studies.
High temperature testing of intact TRISO particles previously irradiated in the AGR-5/6/7 experiment was performed in the Furnace for Irradiated TRISO Testing (FITT) to directly confirm diffusive release of silver and europium from intact TRISO particles. Testing was conducted from 1,100–1,600°C for exposure times up to 100 h to directly confirm silver through layer release below safety testing temperatures. The FITT analysis showed highest levels of silver release at 1,300–1,400°C which confirms athermal release behaviors previous observed in step-wise and transient safety tests. Additionally, release was non-uniform with some particles releasing a majority of their inventory while others did not appear to release silver under identical testing conditions, which was consistent with historic observations. An assessment of the effective silver diffusion coefficient in the SiC layer was conducted and indicated maximum values in the 1,300–1,400°C range. The magnitude of the calculated diffusion coefficients also exceeded currently accepted diffusion coefficients. The release behavior of europium from intact particles was also analyzed in FITT for at 1,450–1,550°C for 500 h to 750 h. Direct confirmation of europium release below safety testing temperatures was confirmed absent contributions from matrix release. The analysis indicated europium release follows a general Arrhenius behavior and suggests general uniform release and indicates irradiation conditions influence observed release response. Calculated diffusion kinetics agree well with historic experiments.
Understanding and predicting fuel performance at high burnup require improving our understanding of transient fission gas release. High-burnup operations enable new mechanisms of fission gas release, which affect fuel performance. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has recently published its interpretation of existing fuel fragmentation, relocation, and dispersal data in a research information letter. There, transient fission gas release was identified as one of the main factors that contributes to fuel fragmentation, relocation, and dispersal, and therefore limits fuel extension to high burnup. However, transient fission gas release is a complex phenomenon that cannot be fully described by simple empirical descriptions. This report summarizes the development of a mechanistic model for high-burnup transient fission gas release in the fuel performance code BISON. This research was supported by the Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation program during fiscal year 2023 to improve our understanding of high-burnup transient fission gas release and ability to predict it as a function of operation history. To support the development of a mechanistic transient fission gas release model, the existing Simple Integrated Fission Gas Release and Swelling (Sifgrs) model in BISON has been completely refactored to make it more modular and extensible. This effort supports the model's application to high-burnup conditions, its extension to other fuel forms, and the continuous improvement of its current features. Once refactoring was completed, models for high-burnup structure formation, fission gas transfer from non-restructured fuel to high-burnup structure, high-burnup structure intragranular and intergranular fission gas behavior, high-burnup structure bubble evolution, fuel pulverization, and the resulting transient fission gas release were tested and implemented in the Simple Integrated Fission Gas Release and Swelling (Sifgrs) model or tightly coupled to it. The new mechanistic model was then compared to an empirical model developed in parallel by a Nuclear Energy University Program project using a Studsvik high-burnup loss-of-coolant-accident assessment case. Finally, the report details the preliminary BISON results for a benchmark activity organized by the Nuclear Energy Agency to evaluate fuel performance codes' predictive capabilities for burst fission gas release. This work represents an important step toward a mechanistic understanding of fission gas release in high-burnup conditions.
Contamination of soils with heavy metals may pose long-term risk to groundwater quality leading to health implications. Bioavailability of heavy metals, like cadmium (Cd) is strongly affected by sorption and desorption processes. The release of heavy metals from contaminated soils is a major contamination risks to natural waters. The release of Cd from contaminated soils is strongly influenced by its mobility and bioavailability. In this study, the kinetics of Cd desorption from ten samples of contaminated calcareous soils, with widely varying physicochemical properties, were studied using 0.01 M EDTA extraction. The median percentage of Cd released was about 27.7% of the total extractable Cd in the soils. The release of Cd was characterized by an initial fast release rate (of labile fractions) followed by a slower release rate (of less labile fractions) and a model of two first-order reactions adequately describes the observed release of Cd from the studied soil samples. There was positive correlation between the amount of Cd released at first phase of release and Cd in exchangeable fraction, indicating that this fraction of Cd is the main fraction controlling the Cd in the kinetic experiments. There was strongly negative correlation between the amount of Cd released at first and second phases of release and residual fraction, suggesting that this fraction did not contribute in Cd release in the kinetic experiments. The results can be used to provide information for evaluation of Cd potential toxicity and ecological risk from contaminated calcareous soils.
This report examines the financial implications of experimental flows conducted at the Glen Canyon Dam (GCD) in water year (WY) 2015. It is the seventh report in a series examining the financial implications of experimental flows conducted since the Record of Decision (ROD) was adopted in February 1997 (Reclamation 1996). A report released in January 2011 examined WYs 1997 to 2005 (Veselka et al. 2011); a report released in August 2011 examined WYs 2006 to 2010 (Poch et al. 2011); a report released June 2012 examined WY 2011 (Poch et al. 2012); a report released April 2013 examined WY 2012 (Poch et al. 2013); a report released June 2014 examined WY 2013 (Graziano et al. 2014); and a report released September 2015 examined WY 2014 (Graziano et al. 2015). An experimental release may have either a positive or negative impact on the financial value of energy production. Only one experimental release was conducted at GCD in WY 2015; specifically, a high flow experimental (HFE) release conducted in November 2014. For this experimental release, financial costs of approximately $2.1 million were incurred because the HFE required sustained water releases that exceeded the powerplant’s maximum flow rate. In addition, during the month of the experiment, operators were not allowed to shape GCD power production to either follow firm power customer loads or to respond to market prices. This study identifies the main factors that contribute to HFE costs and examines the interdependencies among these factors. It applies an integrated set of tools to estimate financial impacts by simulating the GCD operations under two scenarios: (1) a baseline scenario that mimics both HFE operations during the experiment and during the rest of the year when it complies with the 1996 ROD operating criteria, and (2) a “without experiments” scenario that is identical to the baseline except it assumes that the HFE did not occur. The Generation and Transmission Maximization (GTMax) model was the main simulation tool used to simulate the dispatch of hydropower plants at GCD and other plants that comprise the Salt Lake City Area Integrated Projects (SLCA/IP). The research team used extensive data sets and historical information on SLCA/IP powerplant characteristics, hydrologic conditions, and Western Area Power Administration’s (WAPA’s) power purchase prices in the modeling process. In addition to estimating the financial impact of the HFE, the team used the GTMax model to gain insights into the interplay among ROD operating criteria, exceptions that were made to criteria to accommodate the experimental releases, and WAPA operating practices.