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At least 127 records · Page 7

CRADA 376 Final Report Development of Protective Coatings for 1 kW Hot Zone

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has extensive experience in the development, fabrication, and evaluation of surface treatments and protective coatings for metallic solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) components. For example, modified (Mn,Co)3O4 spinel coatings and coating/metal interfaces have been shown to substantially improve oxidation resistance, electrical performance, and oxide scale adhesion of ferritic stainless steel interconnects in planar SOFC stacks. At the time of the establishment of this CRADA, Protonex Technology Corporation had been working in the field of SOFC development for over 12 years and had demonstrated more than 250 thermal cycles with a less than 15 minutes start time and more than 2000 hours of continuous operation on a 250W tubular solid oxide hot zone module as part of a program for the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD). An industrial version of the military system, denoted P200i, had been developed that was launched at the 2015 Fuel Cell Expo in Tokyo. Feedback during beta testing of this unit was very positive. However, Protonex recognized that to transition from military markets, the commercial system would require longer life time and higher power. Leveraging their novel thermal management strategy from the tubular hot zone that allowed for rapid and repeated thermal cycling, Protonex developed a planar 1kW module aimed at the industrial and commercial market. However, more robust interconnect coatings were needed to bring the system into the 1000+ hour life time requested by customers. Therefore, PNNL’s experience and technology were engaged to enable the 1kw system to transition from military applications to commercial and industrial applications. In this CRADA, PNNL teamed with Protonex to leverage PNNL’s expertise in protective coating techniques for solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) applications. As the first step in the collaboration, protective spinel coatings were fabricated at PNNL onto ten AISI 440 stainless steel bus bars provided by Protonex. A precursor slurry containing spinel powder was applied to the steel surfaces via an ultrasonic spray process. The coated bars were then subjected to a reducing atmosphere heat treatment (i.e., heated to 850°C at 3°C/min in a hydrogen atmosphere and held at that temperature for five hours). Five of the bars were left in this reduced condition; the other five bars were subjected to an oxidizing heat treatment (i.e., heated to 1000°C at 3°C/min in air and held at that temperature for one hour). The bars were then sent to Protonex for testing. Subsequently, Protonex decided to discontinue their SOFC development activities, so they had no further interest in continuing the collaboration with PNNL, and the CRADA activities were terminated.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗

A Section 106 Evaluation of the Mercury Bowling Alley, Area 23, Nevada National Security Site, Nye County, Nevada, with Photographic Documentation Addendums

The National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Field Office (NNSA/NFO) anticipates demolition of the Mercury Bowling Alley (Building 23-517) on the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) in Nye County, Nevada (Figure 1). This survey was prompted by plans to construct new facilities at the Bowling Alley location to support NNSS’s changing role in national security. The Bowling Alley has been largely vacant since the mid-1990s following the end of nuclear testing at what was then the Nevada Test Site (NTS). The building is suffering rapid decay. An Area of Potential Effects (APE) of 4.5 acres was surveyed, resulting in recording and evaluation of the Bowling Alley (SHPO Resource Number B14451) and one associated resource (AR1). The APE is located in Section 11 T15S R53E MDBM (projected) at the principal NNSS base of Mercury in Area 23. In 2010, the NTS name was changed to the NNSS, and will be referred to as such throughout this report. Fieldwork and report preparation were done by Desert Research Institute (DRI) cultural resources staff. Architectural descriptions and portions of this report specific to the architecture of the Bowling Alley were completed by Ron Reno, Ph.D., RPA who meets Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualifications Standards for Architectural Historian. Administration of the project was by Colleen M. Beck, Ph.D. Historical background regarding Mercury and the NNSS was developed by Maureen King. Beck photographed the building and its environs. Copies of the building form and report are on file in the Nevada Cultural Resources Inventory System at the Nevada State Office of Historic Preservation (SHPO); DRI, Las Vegas; and in the NNSA/NFO curation facility, Las Vegas.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Resilience: Concepts from Engineering, Ecology, and the Social Sciences

“Resilience” is fast becoming a key word for describing the desired result of the activities we group under the heading of “homeland security.” Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Napolitano has made resilience a key theme in her speeches, highlighting the efforts of DHS to “strengthen the resilience of ... infrastructure, computer networks, and of ... communities and citizens.” She has talked about resilience as “strengthening the ability for our systems, our cities, our towns, and our country to bounce back quickly from an attack or a natural disaster, and to be even stronger than before. This paper first provides an overview of resilience concepts from U.S. government and academic research sources. It then discusses resilience concepts and metrics from the academic literature in more detail, focusing on three types of resilience: engineering resilience, ecological resilience, and community and regional resilience. Next, it discusses system characteristics that have been associated with increased resilience. Based on this background, we propose a model of the infrastructure resilience analysis process. We then review LANL capabilities for each process element and indicate areas where capability development opportunities exist. Appendices provide additional information on funding sources and key players in infrastructure resilience, and a more detailed technical explanation of ecological resilience.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Summary Report of the Tri-Lab Workshop on R&D Pathways for Future Energy Systems, July 24-25, 2018

Under Secretary of Energy Menezes called for an integrated view of U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) applied energy activities and requested that the three applied energy laboratories - Idaho National Laboratory, the National Energy Technology Laboratory, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory - take a fresh look at their portfolios for gaps and coordination opportunities. A workshop was held July 24-25, 2018 with teams from DOE, INL, NETL, and NREL.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

9 th American Conference on Neutron Scattering (ACNS 2018)

The 9th American Conference on Neutron Scattering (ACNS) was held June 24-28, 2018 in College Park, Maryland. The meeting was coordinated by the Neutron Scattering Society of America (NSSA) and attracted 335 registered attendees. The meeting was chaired by NSSA vice president Patrick Woodward (The Ohio State University) assisted by NSSA president Despina Louca (University of Virginia, NSSA secretary Katherine Page (Oak Ridge National Laboratory), and local organizing chairs Rob Briber (University of Maryland) and Peter Gehring (NIST Gaithersburg). As in past years, the Materials Research Society assisted with planning, logistics and operation of the conference. The meeting schedule consisted of a morning common session featuring a lecture by a scientist receiving an award from the NSSA and a plenary lecture. The remainder of the scientific program consisted of four parallel sessions featuring invited and contributed talks together with poster sessions in the afternoon / evening. The science program was coordinated by program co-chairs Efrain Rodriguez (University of Maryland) and Matt Helgeson (University of California Santa Barbara) and was divided into the following research areas: (a) Advances in Neutron Methods; (b) Hard Condensed Matter; (c) Soft Matter; (d) Biological Structures and Dynamics; (e) Neutrons for Energy and Sustainability; (f) Materials Chemistry and Synthesis; (g) Structural Materials and Engineering; and (h) Neutron Physics.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Contingency Contractor Optimization Phase 3 Extension User Manual Contingency: Contractor Optimization Tool - Engineering Prototype (Release 2.3)

This User Manual provides step-by-step instructions on the Contingency Contractor Optimization Tool's major features. Activities are organized by user role. The Contingency Contractor Optimization project is intended to address former Secretary Gates' mandate in a January 2011 memo and DoDI 3020.41 by delivering a centralized strategic planning tool that allows senior decision makers to quickly and accurately assess the impacts, risks, and mitigation strategies associated with utilizing contract support. Based on an electronic storyboard prototype developed in Phase 2, the Contingency Contractor Optimization Tool engineering prototype was refined in Phase 3 of the OSD ATL Contingency Contractor Optimization project to support strategic planning for contingency contractors. The planning tool uses a model to optimize the Total Force mix by minimizing the combined total costs for the selected mission scenarios. The model will optimize the match of personnel groups (military, DoD civilian, and contractors) and capabilities to meet the mission requirements as effectively as possible, based on risk, cost, and other requirements.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Contingency Contractor Optimization Phase 3 User Manual - Contingency Contractor Optimization Tool Prototype - Release 2.2

This User Manual provides step-by-step instructions on the Contingency Contractor Optimization Tool's major features. Activities are organized by user role. The Contingency Contractor Optimization project is intended to address former Secretary Gates' mandate in a January 2011 memo and DoDI 3020.41 by delivering a centralized strategic planning tool that allows senior decision makers to quickly and accurately assess the impacts, risks, and mitigation strategies associated with utilizing contract support. Based on an electronic storyboard prototype developed in Phase 2, the Contingency Contractor Optimization Tool engineering prototype was refined in Phase 3 of the OSD ATL Contingency Contractor Optimization project to support strategic planning for contingency contractors. The planning tool uses a model to optimize the Total Force mix by minimizing the combined total costs for the selected mission scenarios. The model will optimize the match of personnel groups (military, DoD civilian, and contractors) and capabilities to meet the mission requirements as effectively as possible, based on risk, cost, and other requirements.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

EPC_Interactive_7_20_18

This report details environmental the environmental monitoring systems in place at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. It was presented to the Secretary of the New Mexico Environment Department.

Hyde, Peter Alden↗

Evaluation of Fire Station 23-425, Mercury, Area 23, Nevada National Security Site, Nye County, Nevada

The U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Field Office (NNSA/NFO) plans to modernize the Mercury town site at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) in Nye County, Nevada, to meet current and future National Weapons Science, Global and Homeland Security Programs, and Environmental Management mission requirements. These plans—including anticipated demolitions, consolidations, and rebuilding at Mercury—are considered an undertaking subject to review under Title 54 U.S.C. § 306108, commonly known as Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, Title 54 U.S.C. § 300101, et seq., and its implementing regulations, 36 C.F.R. Part 800. Desert Research Institute (DRI) completed an architectural survey of Mercury. This effort resulted in the identification, recordation, and evaluation of the Mercury Historic District, including the identification of its contributing components. This district was recommended eligible for listing to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP or National Register) under Criteria A and C but was unevaluated under Criteria B and D at that time. The Mercury Historic District contains 153 individual landscapes, buildings, and structures. Of these resources, all except one are recommended as contributing elements of the historic district during its period of significance corresponding to nuclear testing from 1951 through 1992. During most of the Cold War, the land now called the NNSS was named the Nevada Test Site (NTS). This report concerns the proposed demolition of the 1966 Fire Station 23-425 in Mercury as a phase of the larger modernization program mentioned above. Further evaluation of this property indicates that it does not meet any of the Secretary of the Interior’s Significance Criteria for eligibility for the NRHP at either the national or local levels. However, it does remain an important contributing element of Mercury Historic District. This is part of a series of reports.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Evaluation of 1950s-Era Architectural Resources in Blocks 10, 11, and 17, Mercury, Area 23, Nevada National Security Site, Nye County, Nevada

The U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Field Office (NNSA/NFO) plans to modernize the Mercury town site at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) in Nye County, Nevada, to meet current and future National Weapons Science, Global and Homeland Security Programs, and Environmental Management mission requirements. These plans, including anticipated demolitions, consolidations, and rebuilding at Mercury, are considered an undertaking subject to review under Title 54 U.S.C. § 306108, commonly known as Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, Title 54 U.S.C. § 300101, et seq., and its implementing regulations, 36 C.F.R. Part 800. The Desert Research Institute (DRI) completed an architectural survey of Mercury. This effort resulted in the identification, recording, and evaluation of the Mercury Historic District (Nevada State Historic Preservation Office [SHPO] Resource No. D230), including the identification of its contributing components (Reno et al. 2018). This district was recommended eligible to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP or National Register) under Criteria A and C but was unevaluated under Criteria B and D at that time. The Mercury Historic District contains 154 individual landscapes, buildings, and structures. Of these resources, DRI recommends all except one as contributing elements of the historic district during its period of significance corresponding to nuclear testing from 1951 through 1992. During most of the Cold War, the land now called the NNSS was formerly the Nevada Test Site (NTS). This report is concerned with evaluating resources dating to the 1950s in Blocks 10, 11, and 17 in Mercury prior to the proposed demolition of 22 resources in Blocks 10 and 11 as a phase of the larger modernization program mentioned above. Although the Mercury Historic District as a whole is eligible to the National Register, further evaluation of these properties as detailed in this report indicates that none are individually eligible under any of the Secretary of Interior’s Significance Criteria, either at the national or local level. This is one report in the report series "Evaluation, Finding of Effect, and Mitigation Documentation for 1950s-Era Architectural Resources, Mercury, Area 23, Nevada National Security Site, Nye County, Nevada".

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Unpacking the Disconnect Between Wholesale and Retail Electric Rates [PowerPoint]

The 2017 DOE Staff Report to the Secretary on Electricity Markets and Reliability noted a disconnect between falling wholesale electricity prices and flat or rising retail investor-owned utility (IOU) electricity prices between 2008 and 2016. This analysis sought to assess recent trends in utility costs, retail sales, and/or retail rates vis-à-vis wholesale market prices in order to help explain this disconnect. Using FERC Form 1 and ICE Power Indices data, Berkeley Lab researchers developed key annual metrics between 2007 and 2016 at a regional level for five of the seven NERC regions: Midwest Reliability Organization (MRO), Northeast Power Coordinating Council (NPCC), ReliabilityFirst Corporation (RFC), SERC Reliability Corporation (SERC), and Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC). The analyses of these metrics enabled Berkeley Lab researchers to arrive at the following conclusions: Retail and wholesale rates were increasingly disconnected across all included NERC regions; Reductions in wholesale electricity market prices happened concurrently with reductions in IOU fuel and purchased power (FPP) costs, but sizable regional differences in the degree of FPP cost reductions existed; Reductions in IOU FPP costs were offset in part by increases in non-fuel operations and maintenance (O&M) costs, but modest regional differences in the degree of these cost impacts existed; Reductions in IOU FPP costs were also offset in part by increases in capital expenditures, but regional differences in the magnitude and type of investments existed; and, Reductions in retail sales tended to mitigate the effect on retail rates from reductions in total utility costs, but regional differences existed that were sometimes counterintuitive and suggest the value in a more detailed analysis of utility costs vis-à-vis general rate case filings and decisions to better understand retail rate changes over time.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Physics Briefing Book [Input for the European Strategy for Particle Physics Update 2020]

The European Particle Physics Strategy Update (EPPSU) process takes a bottom-up approach, whereby the community is first invited to submit proposals (also called inputs) for projects that it would like to see realised in the near-term, mid-term and longer-term future. National inputs as well as inputs from National Laboratories are also an important element of the process. All these inputs are then reviewed by the Physics Preparatory Group (PPG), whose role is to organize a Symposium around the submitted ideas and to prepare a community discussion on the importance and merits of the various proposals. The results of these discussions are then concisely summarised in this Briefing Book, prepared by the Conveners, assisted by Scientific Secretaries, and with further contributions provided by the Contributors listed on the title page. This constitutes the basis for the considerations of the European Strategy Group (ESG), consisting of scientific delegates from CERN Member States, Associate Member States, directors of major European laboratories, representatives of various European organizations as well as invitees from outside the European Community. The ESG has the mission to formulate the European Strategy Update for the consideration and approval of the CERN Council.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Army Re-tuning™ Implementation Guides

The Army is a large, geographically dispersed organization with 156 installations and over 980 million square feet of building space to operate and maintain. The building stock spans a wide range of vintages and missions, with many serving cross-cutting functions and purposes. To meet Federal mandates and reduction goals organizationally, in recent years the Army has aggressively pursued policy and energy efficiency projects and programs resulting in a 9.6% reduction in energy use intensity (EUI) from fiscal year (FY) 2015 to FY2017. Despite these successes, the Army remains the largest consumer of electricity in the Federal government and spent approximately $1.1 billion in energy-related costs in FY2017 The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), in support of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Installations, Energy and Environment) (ASA (IE&E)), was tasked with a multi-year study and pilot demonstration to develop a business case for the potential energy and cost reduction benefits from re-tuning™ efforts for the Army. Re tuning is a systematic process aimed at minimizing building energy consumption by identifying and correcting operational problems that plague buildings. The methodology was developed by PNNL research staff in an effort to improve building operational efficiency at no- or low-cost, primarily through building automation system (BAS) controls. The methodology is based on two basic principles: If the equipment is not needed, turn it off; and if the equipment is not needed at full power, turn it down. Implementation of identified low-cost/no-cost operational improvements through the re-tuning process results in increased building energy efficiency, reduced operating costs, and improvement to occupant comfort.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Highlights and Lessons Learned from Army Re-tuning™ Pilot Demonstrations

The Army has aggressively pursued policy and energy efficiency projects and programs in recent years to meet Federal mandates and reduction goals organizationally (EISA 2007, AR 420-1, 42 U.S.C. § 8253), resulting in a 9.6% reduction in energy use intensity (EUI) from FY2015 to FY2017. Despite these successes, the Army remains the largest consumer of electricity in the Federal government and spent approximately $1.1 billion in energy-related costs in FY2017. Many of the low-cost/no-cost conservation measures have been deployed, so finding additional savings and projects that either (a) are cost effective or (b) can be bundled with more costly capital improvement projects to improve life cycle cost effectiveness, is imperative for the Army. Leveraging building control systems (BCS) and optimizing building performance through re-tuning represents a great opportunity for the Army. In 2016, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), in support of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Installations, Energy and Environment), i.e. ASA (IEE), was tasked in 2016 with a multi-year study and pilot demonstration to develop a business case for the potential energy and cost reduction benefits from re-tuning efforts for the Army.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Contingency Contractor Optimization Engineering Prototype – Release 2.3 (Phase 3 Extension – Training Examples)

This document provides training examples to provide users practice in using the tool. Detailed instructions on how to use the tool can be found in the User Manual (SAND2015-6028).The Contingency Contractor Optimization project is intended to address former Secretary Gates’ mandate in a January 2011 memo and DoDI 3020.41 by delivering a centralized strategic planning tool that allows senior decision makers to quickly and accurately assess the impacts, risks, and mitigation strategies associated with utilizing contract support. Based on an electronic storyboard prototype developed in Phase 2, the CCOT-P engineering prototype was refined in Phase 3 of the OSD ATL Contingency Contractor Optimization project to support strategic planning for contingency contractors. CCOT-P uses a model to optimize the total workforce mix by minimizing the combined total costs for the selected mission scenarios. The model will optimize the match of personnel groups (military, DoD civilian, and contractors) and capabilities to meet the mission requirements as effectively as possible, based on risk, cost, and other requirements.

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEF↗

A Detailed Vehicle Simulation Process to Support CAFE and CO 2 Standards (MY 2021–2026 Final Rule Analysis)

In 1975, Congress passed the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA), requiring standards for corporate average fuel economy (CAFE), and charging the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) with the establishment and enforcement of these standards. The Secretary of Transportation has delegated these responsibilities to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). NHTSA has contracted the DOT Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center) to provide analytical support for NHTSA’s regulatory and analytical activities related to fuel economy standards. Unlike long-standing safety and criteria pollutant emissions standards, fuel economy standards apply to manufacturers’ overall fleets rather than to individual vehicle models. In developing the standards, NHTSA made use of the CAFE Compliance and Effects Modeling System (the “CAFE model”), which was developed by DOT’s Volpe Center for the 2005-2007 CAFE rulemaking and has been continually updated since. The model is the primary tool used by the agency to evaluate potential CAFE stringency levels by applying technologies incrementally to each manufacturer’s fleet until the requirements under consideration are met. The CAFE model relies on numerous technology-related and economic inputs such as market forecasts and technology cost and effectiveness estimates; these inputs are categorized by vehicle classification, technology synergies, phase-in rates, cost learning curve adjustments, and technology “decision trees.” The Volpe Center assists NHTSA in the development of the engineering and economic inputs to the CAFE model by analyzing the application of potential technologies to the current automotive industry vehicle fleet to determine the feasibility of future CAFE standards, the associated costs, and the benefits of the standards.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Report series: Evaluation, Finding of Effect, and Mitigation Documentation for the 1960s Dormitories and 1950s Quonset Hut Foundations, Mercury, Area 23, Nevada National Security Site, Nye County, Nevada [3 Reports Consolidated]

The U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Field Office (NNSA/NFO) plans to modernize the town of Mercury at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) in Nye County, Nevada, to meet current and future National Weapons Science, Global and Homeland Security Programs, and Environmental Management mission requirements. These plans—including anticipated demolitions, consolidations, and rebuilding at Mercury—are considered an undertaking subject to review under Title 54 U.S.C. § 306108, commonly known as Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, Title 54 U.S.C. § 300101, et seq., and its implementing regulations, 36 C.F.R. Part 800. Desert Research Institute (DRI) completed an architectural survey of Mercury in 2017. This effort resulted in the identification, recording, and evaluation of the Mercury Historic District, as well as the identification of its contributing components. This district was recommended eligible to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP or National Register) under Criteria A and C, but was unevaluated under Criteria B and D at that time. The Mercury Historic District contains 153 individual landscapes, buildings, and structures. Of these resources, DRI recommends all except one as contributing elements of the historic district during its period of significance corresponding to nuclear testing from 1951 through 1992. During most of the Cold War, the land now called the NNSS was referred to as the Nevada Test Site (NTS). This report evaluates resources dating to the 1950s and 1960s between Jangle and Knothole Streets and south of Ranger Avenue in Mercury prior to the proposed demolition of all resources in that area between Sandstone and Greenhouse Avenues as a phase of the larger modernization program mentioned above. Although the Mercury Historic District as a whole is eligible to the National Register, further evaluation of these properties, as detailed in this report, indicates that none are individually eligible under any of the Secretary of Interior’s Significance Criteria, either at the national or local level.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗