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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 1,261 records · Page 70
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

UFCC Calibration Measurements for Bulk U 3 O 8 Powder Samples

The uranium UF 6 coincidence counter (UFCC) was designed to measure 5A/B cylinders containing UF 6 in the passive neutron self-interrogation mode. The purpose of the present report is to extend the UFCC capability to other sample types such as oxides and liquids that might be found during verification activities. A 252 Cf source was introduced into the detector to make the active mode measurements possible, because only the UF 6 samples have adequate neutron emission for self-interrogation. The sample enrichments varied from 0.72% to 91% to establish the shape of the calibration curve and the measurement uncertainties. The measurements included the singles, doubles, and triples rates. The time correlations between the 252 Cf source and the induced fission reactions reduced the statistical error in the doubles and triples rates to be small enough for useful measurements in 5-10 minutes.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2020

(U) Jezebel Densities and Uncertainties

The 239 Pu Jezebel benchmark is a keystone for plutonium nuclear data evaluation. At a recent presentation at a nuclear data workshop, Morgan White (LANL P-27) presented a slide about the Jezebel plutonium-alloy part densities and their uncertainties. There are two major errors and one opinion presented as fact.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Machine Learning Using Open Data Sources for Detection of Nuclear Proliferation Activities (U)

In FY2020, Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) in collaboration with the Sanghani Center for Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics (SCAIDA) at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (VT) and funded by the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation Research and Development, began developing a demonstration prototype system that uses multiple machine learning and data analytic methods on large-scale open data sources to identify new, developing, and/or undeclared nuclear programs. Using the announcement in May 2018 of the proposed Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility (SRPPF) as a test subject, the goal of this 2-year project is to forecast the SRPPF using only data prior to May 2018. The project work is split into a preliminary prototype development for the first year with an initial evaluation of viability followed by the second year of development to create an integrated prototype system and more extensive performance evaluation. This report documents the results of the preliminary-phase tasks.

98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL P↗
DOE OSTI2021

(U) Radiation Hydrodynamics in the Ristra Project’s Symphony code: Initial release

One of the recent focuses in the next-generation code (NGC/Ristra)project at LANL is to develop a cell-centered Lagrangian radiation-hydrodynamics code under FleCSI framework. The FleCSI frame-work provides a unified data and execution model in order to insulate production code development from the uncertainty of evolving runtimeand architectures. We have developed the code, Symphony, which in-corporates the hydrodynamics code, FleCSALE, and the radiation transport code, Puno.This memo is intended to describe the coupling of radiation and hydrodynamics within the Ristra Project’s code Symphony.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2021

(U) A Linear Response Model Predicts Reactivity From a Density Profile

We tested the ability to predict the system reactivity, described by alpha, given a density profile using a simple linear system response. We generated a suite of 1-dimensional density profiles that consisted of nominal density, a discontinuity, and a decay. These profiles were prescribed a functional form and the mass was conserved in all cases. From these density profiles, we calculated the alpha value of the 3-dimensional system.We calculated a linear response function given a training set of the 1-dimensional density profiles, and the system reactivity described by alpha. We tested the robustness of the response function using the remaining test data. Our results showed very good agreement between the predicted and calculated test values, where the distribution of alpha differences was centered about zero and had a standard deviation of 0.005 gens/shake. The predicted and calculated alpha values did not significantly differ (t=-0.0009 p<0.99). We used Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) to reduce the matrix rank by retaining95% of the cumulative singular value contributions. This reduced the matrix rank by 91.7%. We generated the linear response matrix and calculated the difference between the predicted and calculated alpha values. Using the reduced order matrix, we showed good agreement between the predicted and calculated alpha values where the distribution of differences was centered near zero, the standard deviation was 0.006 gens/shake, and the statistical t-test showed good agreement (t=0.02, p<0.98). These results show a linear relationship between a series of 1-dimensional density profiles,where the mass was conserved, and the system reactivity. The next steps of this work will be to investigate the linear response using 2-dimensional density profiles.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

(U) Segmented Scintillator Pitch, Thickness, and Septa Material Effects on the Swank Factor, Quantum Efficiency, and DQE(0) for High-Energy X-Ray Radiography

Scintillator design is an important aspect in constructing a radiographic facility in order to collect the most robust data possible. For the proposed Enhanced Capabilities for Sub-critical Experiment (ECSE) facility in Nevada, we explored a permutation of 13 segmented scintillator designs in order to understand the best performance and trade offs for each design. We calculated the quantum efficiency, Swank factor, and detective quantum efficiency at zero-frequency (DQE(0)) for each scintillator design in order to compare performance.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2021

(U) A Theoretical Study of Asay Foil Trajectories (V.02)

We consider the trajectory of a generic Asay foil ejecta momentum diagnostic sensor, for scenarios where ejecta are produced at a planar surface and fly ballistically through a perfect vacuum to the sensor. To do so, we build upon a previously established mathematical formalism derived for the analytic study of stationary sensors (i.e., piezopins). First, we derive the momentum conservation equation for the problem, in a form amenable to accelerating sensors, in terms of a generic ejecta source areal mass function (“source model”). This defines an integro-differential equation (IDE) for the foil trajectory. When ejecta production is instantaneous - as is generally assumed in momentum diagnostic data analyses - the IDE leads to an implicit and easily calculable closed-form solution for the foil trajectory in a perfect system, as long as the ejecta particle velocity distribution is twice-integrable. General properties of the instant-production trajectory solution indicate the existence of a boundary condition the particle velocity distribution must satisfy in order for the analytically predicted foil trajectories to be compatible with certain features commonly observed in foil data. This boundary condition is identical to one derived previously from a consideration of piezopin data. Armed with the analytic solution for instant production, we also consider various techniques used to extract time-dependent cumulative ejecta masses from foil trajectories, and derive an expression for the error imposed by using an approximated equation of motion. This analytic trajectory solution furthermore makes it possible to examine the common practice of presenting inferred cumulative ejecta masses as a function of a normalized implied velocity; we derive conditions under which this methodology is and is not meaningful. We also propose a strategy for extending the instant-production trajectory solution to time-dependent source functions.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2021

(U) Archive of Historic Pu-239 Jezebel Documents

The 239 Pu Jezebel experiment of 1954–1955 was reevaluated for the 2013 edition of the International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Project (ICSBEP) Handbook. Experimental logbooks, original drawings, mass accountability statements, internal reports, and published reports were used to model four actual Jezebel assemblies with high fidelity in three dimensions. Because plutonium-alloy part masses from 1954–1955 (the time of the original experiments) were not found, assumptions were made. The most important assumption was that the assembly masses given in Los Alamos report LA-4208 (Ref. 3) in 1969 were correct. With this basic assumption, and using information found in the logbooks and mass accountability statements from 1958–1960, a distribution of the LA-4208 assembly mass among the Pu-alloy parts was postulated. Subsequently, the SF Material Transfer Receipt (November 24, 1954) was found. It lists the masses of the major parts and several minor parts as of late-November 1954. In addition, as-built drawings for the initial delivery of the major parts (October 1954, before they were remachined to reduce their reactivity) were found. These important documents, which were discovered by accident, motivated what we hope will be the final detailed Jezebel reevaluation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Western Sector In-Situ Chemical Oxidation Project: Additional Injection Pilot Testing Supplemental Results (U)

Trichloroethylene (TCE) and tetrachloroethylene (PCE) are persistent at elevated concentrations in the Western Sector of the M-Area Hazardous Waste Management Facility (HWMF) groundwater plume. Migration of these chlorinated ethenes as Dense Non-Aqueous Phase Liquids (DNAPLs) occurred from the M-Area Settling Basin along geologic strata resulting in a high concentration groundwater plume in Western Sector. Pump-and-treat has been active for over 30 years at the M-Area HWMF to hydraulically contain the primary sources of the plume in addition to other remediation strategies throughout the contaminated zone, like soil vapor extraction, dynamic underground stripping, groundwater recirculation wells, and bioremediation. In-situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) has been identified as a viable treatment method for removal of these volatile organic compounds (VOCs) due to the complex lithology and high concentrations in this part of the aquifer. In addition to ISCO, a new recovery well (i.e., RWM018) was also installed in Western Sector to contain the high concentration VOC plume. The ISCO projects have utilized the gradient induced by RWM018 to help plan the injection and monitoring locations. The combination of ISCO and the additional pump and treat in Western Sector with the installation of RWM018 will help to control the plume and maximize remediation efforts.

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

Reconstruction of Pre- and Post-Test Surfaces at the U-20az BARNWELL Site, Nevada National Security Site

Technical report on results of photogrammetric reconstruction task at NNSS. Modern photogrammetric methods were applied to historic aerial photographs taken six days before and four days after the BARNWELL underground nuclear explosion (UNE) to recreate the pre-UNE topography and the fresh post-UNE surface. The surfaces were compared to each other to characterize surface effects of the BARNWELL UNE. Topographic changes between the pre-UNE and post-UNE surfaces were limited to minor rock fall and intentional changes related to construction activities. Methods developed in this study could potentially be used across a much wider area to discover and catalogue as yet undescribed subtle underground nuclear explosion surface effects.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Updated Estimate of Tritium Permeation from TPBAR Disposal Containers in ILV (U)

A tritium source term analysis was performed for TPBAR disposal in the E-Area Intermediate Level Vaults for the E-Area Low-Level Waste Facility Performance Assessment (PA). This analysis is based on an earlier source term analysis which treated the bulk oft he tritium residual as tightly bound by the TPBAR getter material, with only a small fraction existing as tritiated moisture in the lithium aluminate ceramic pellets. Together with atmospheric moisture trapped in the free volume, the tritiated water vapor is assumed to corrode steel surfaces inside the disposal container, covering them with a magnetite film while generating hydrogen. The carbon steel walls of the disposal container are permeable to hydrogen, providing a path way for tritium to escape containment. The rate of hydrogen generation is assumed to be limited by the rate of corrosion, which is assumed to be governed by parabolic reaction kinetics obtained from the literature. This relies on the further assumption that the water vapor consumed by the corrosion reaction is continually replaced by moisture from the lithium aluminate pellets until all of that moisture is gone. In addition to tritium permeation, the analysis also includes a slow leak through the disposal container walls at the maximum allowable leak rate, 1 x 1CH standard cm3/s. Results were obtained for four different combinations of internal and container wall temperatures, established in an earlier thermal analysis that considered two different vault loadings and two different TPBAR activity levels. Instantaneous release rates for these four cases are plotted in Figure ES-1 below

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

(U) Validation and Optimization of a 1-Dimensional Quasi-Isentropic Compression Model Using a Functionally Graded Material Flyer Plate

The fields studying highly compressed materials have been around for many years. These fields have given birth to better understandings of the solar fusion cycle and the liquid-metallic core of Jupiter. The highest pressures achieved have been at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) and more recently, the Z-Machine. One method to achieve higher levels of compression is to use quasi-isentropic (QI) compression. In practice, this means minimizing the amount of temperature increase of the target material. In their paper, J.H. Nguyen et. al. manufactured a functionally graded material (FGM) in order to help them achieve QI compression. The aim of the study described in this paper is to validate a 1-dimensional (1D) FLAG model that uses an FGM flyer to compress a copper (Cu) target. Once validated, the density/composition profile of the FGM is varied and optimized using Markov Chain Monte Carlo, specifically using a Metropolis-Hastings algorithm to find the optimal FGM profile that minimizes the temperature increase in the copper.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Characterization of Tank 22 Demister Solids Responsible for Preventing Adequate Purge Ventilation Flow (U)

In December 2020, about 2.5 grams of the solid material from the Tank 22 purge ventilation demister, responsible for preventing adequate purge ventilation flow, were delivered to Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) by Savannah River Remediation (SRR) for analysis to identify the chemical nature of the solids and possibly address why fresh water and caustic flushes with 50 wt. % sodium hydroxide solution are essentially ineffective in dissolving or dislodging the accumulated solids from the Tank 22 demister at low ambient temperature conditions.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗