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At least 1,279 records · Page 71

FY16 Safeguards Technology Cart-Portable Mass Spectrometer Project Final Report

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory project for the Next Generation Safeguards Initiative Safeguards Technology Development Subprogram has been involved in the development of a cart portable mass spectrometer based on a Thermo ITQ ion trap mass spectrometer (referred to simply as the ITQ) for the field analysis of 235U/238U ratios in UF6. A recent discovery of the project was that combining CO2 with UF6 and introducing the mixture to the mass spectrometer (MS) appeared to increase the ionization efficiency and, thus, reduce the amount of UF6 needed for an analysis while also reducing the corrosive effects of the sample. However, initial experimentation indicated that mixing parameters should be closely controlled to ensure reproducible results. To this end, a sample manifold (SM) that would ensure the precise mixing of UF6 and CO2 was designed and constructed. A number of experiments were outlined and conducted to determine optimum MS and SM conditions which would provide the most stable isotope ratio analysis. The principal objective of the project was to provide a retrofit ITQ mass spectrometer operating with a SM capable of achieving a variation in precision of less than 1% over 1 hour of sampling. This goal was achieved by project end with a variation in precision of 0.5 to 0.8% over 1 hour of sampling.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Assessing the Potential of Social Networks as a Means for Information Diffusion the Weatherization Experiences (WE) Project.

In April 2009, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) formally tasked Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) with conducting two impact and process evaluations of DOE’s Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), known as the retrospective and American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) period evaluations, respectively. The former focused on WAP Program Year (PY) 2008, which covers the period from April 2008 to June 2009. The latter focused on PY 2010. This report presents in-depth analyses from ORNL’s social network study, the Weatherization Experiences (WE) Project, an exploratory study conducted as part of the ARRA period WAP evaluation. The WE Project explored the potential for WAP recipients and staff to influence energy savings beyond their homes and day jobs. Several studies conducted through ORNL’s evaluation of WAP found that the program has the ability to profoundly impact the lives of the people it serves (Tonn et al. 2014b). Recipients of WAP provided statements ranging from the newfound ability to pay utility bills and prescription medication to reduced emergency department visits for asthma and medical conditions associated with thermal stress. Through this exploratory research project, the stories of hundreds of weatherization recipients and providers were documented. The WE Project was designed to further investigate whether or not shared experiences with weatherization have the power to stimulate home energy saving action within an individual’s social network.

96 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION↗

Fort Mason Center: Pier 2 Project

The rooftop Photovoltaic (PV) panels and radiant piping project was constructed by Fort Mason Center as part of its $21 million comprehensive rehabilitation of the Pier 2 shed which include the shed’s electrical, natural gas and water systems. Fort Mason Center improved performance while reducing energy and water usage and costs to demonstrate the efficiencies and opportunities available to large multi-function facilities. The scalable demand of these facilities required a layered approach to conservation, control and production. The project employed a comprehensive retrofit of electrical natural gas, and plumbing systems to maximize efficiency and lower carbon footprint specifically to demonstrate the effectiveness of these strategies in a public setting with varied and diverse use. The project was completed in July 2014 and met the expected outcomes regarding increased comfort and operational efficiency throughout the Pier 2 shed as well as on site electrical generation of current consumption. The entire Pier 2 shed project won a 2015 California Preservation Foundation design award for historic rehabilitation.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Final Scientific/Technical Report for project “Geomechanical Monitoring for CO 2 Hub Storage: Production and Injection at Kevin Dome

After learning that the TDS value in the target injection formation at the Kevin Dome site is too low to qualify for an EPA Class VI CO2 injection permit, the BSCSP project was re-scoped such that injection of CO2 is no longer planned. With no injection planned, the Geomechanics project was closed. In this final report, we describe the objective and approach of the project as proposed, and the limited results obtained before stopping work. The objective of the proposed research was the development & validation of an integrated monitoring approach for quantifying the interactions between large-scale geological carbon storage (GCS) and subsurface geomechanical state, particularly perturbations relevant to reservoir integrity such as fault reactivation and induced fracturing. In the short period of work before knowing the fate of the Kevin Dome project, we (1) researched designs for both the proposed InSAR corner reflectors as well as the near-surface 3C seismic stations; (2) developed preliminary elastic geomechanical models; (3) developed a second generation deformation prediction for the BSCSP Kevin Dome injection site; and (4) completed a preliminary map of InSAR monuments and shallow MEQ wells in the vicinity of the BSCSP injection pad.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

A Preliminary Review of U.S. Forest Service Business Practices To Authorize Special Uses, Including Energy Infrastructure Projects, on National Forest System Lands

The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Special Uses-Lands Program is in jeopardy. Although this program, authorized in Title 36, Part 251, of the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (36 CFR Part 251), ranks among the top four revenue-generating programs for use of National Forest System (NFS) lands, along with the Timber, Minerals, and Special Uses-Recreation Programs, the Special Uses-Lands Program is in a state of neglect. Repeated cuts in funding (a decrease of 26% from fiscal years 2010 to 2014) are adversely affecting staffing and training, which in turn is affecting timely permit processing and ultimately the public’s ability to use and benefit from NFS lands. In addition, highly experienced staff with valuable institutional knowledge of the program have begun to retire. The ability of the program to function under these dire circumstances can be attributed to the dedication of Special Uses staff to the program and their commitment to the public. The initial focus of this report was to identify opportunities for improving performance of permitting and review for large energy infrastructure-related projects. However, it became clear during this analysis that these projects are generally adequately staffed and managed. This is due in large part to the availability of cost-recovery dollars and the high-profile nature of these projects. However, it also became apparent that larger issues affecting the bulk of the work of the Special Uses-Lands Program need to be addressed immediately. This report is a preliminary examination of the state of the Special Uses-Lands Program and focuses on a few key items requiring immediate attention. Further investigation through case studies is recommended to dig deeper into the Special Uses-Lands Program business process to determine the most costeffective strategies for streamlining the overall process and the metrics by which performance can be evaluated, including for the permitting and tracking of energy infrastructure projects.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Final Project Report for DOE/EERE High-Capacity and Low-Cost Hydrogen-Storage Sorbents for Automotive Applications

This report provides a review of the objectives, progress, and milestones of the research conducted during this project on the topic of developing innovative metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and porous organic polymers (POPs) for high-capacity and low-cost hydrogen-storage sorbents in automotive applications.1 The objectives of the proposed research were to develop new materials as next-generation hydrogen storage sorbents that meet or exceed DOE’s 2017 performance targets of gravimetric capacity of 0.055 kg H 2 /kg system and volumetric capacity of 0.040 kg H 2 /L system at a cost of $400/kg H 2 stored . Texas A&M University (TAMU) and Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) collaborated in developing low-cost and high-capacity hydrogen-storage sorbents with appropriate stability, sorption kinetics, and thermal conductivity. The research scope and methods developed to achieve the project’s goals include the following: Advanced ligand design and synthesis to construct MOF sorbents with optimal hydrogen storage capacities, low cost and high stability; Substantially improve the hydrogen uptake capacity and chemical stability of MOF-based sorbents by incorporating high valent metal ions during synthesis or through the post-synthetic metal metathesis oxidation approach; Enhance sorbent storage capacity through material engineering and characterization; Generate a better understanding of the H 2 -sorbent interaction through advanced characterization and simulation. Over the course of the project 5 different MOFs were developed and studied: PCN-250, PCN-12, PCN-12’, PCN-608 and PCN-609.2-3 Two different samples were submitted to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in order to validate their hydrogen adsorption capacity, PCN-250 and PCN-12. Neither of these samples reached the project’s Go/No-Go requirements but the data obtained did further prove the hypothesis that the presence of open metal sites oriented towards MOF pores help to surpass the predicted hydrogen uptakes described by Chahine’s rule.4 These observations are believed to have a major impact on the hydrogen storage community, and may potentially lead to the development of a material that could meet the DOE goals for hydrogen storage systems for automotive applications.

08 HYDROGEN↗

Merging symmetry projection methods with coupled cluster theory: Lessons from the Lipkin model Hamiltonian

Coupled cluster and symmetry projected Hartree-Fock are two central paradigms in electronic structure theory. However, they are very different. Single reference coupled cluster is highly successful for treating weakly correlated systems, but fails under strong correlation unless one sacrifices good quantum numbers and works with broken-symmetry wave functions, which is unphysical for finite systems. Symmetry projection is effective for the treatment of strong correlation at the mean-field level through multireference non-orthogonal configuration interaction wavefunctions, but unlike coupled cluster, it is neither size extensive nor ideal for treating dynamic correlation. We here examine different scenarios for merging these two dissimilar theories. We carry out this exercise over the integrable Lipkin model Hamiltonian, which despite its simplicity, encompasses non-trivial physics for degenerate systems and can be solved via diagonalization for a very large number of particles. We show how symmetry projection and coupled cluster doubles individually fail in different correlation limits, whereas models that merge these two theories are highly successful over the entire phase diagram. Despite the simplicity of the Lipkin Hamiltonian, the lessons learned in this work will be useful for building an ab initio symmetry projected coupled cluster theory that we expect to be accurate in the weakly and strongly correlated limits, as well as the recoupling regime.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Management of the Cs/Sr Capsule Project at the Hanford Site. Technology Readiness Assessment Report

The Federal Project Director (FPD) for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Richland Operations Office (RL) Waste Management and D&D Division (WMD) requested a Technology Readiness Assessment (TRA) for the Management of the Cesium/Strontium Capsule Storage Project (MCSCP) at the Waste Encapsulation and Storage Facility (WESF) on the Hanford Site in Washington State. The MCSCP CD-1 TRA was performed by a team selected in collaboration between the Office of Environmental Management (EM) Chief Engineer (EM-3.3) and RL, WMD FPD. The TRA Team included subject matter and technical experts having experience in cask storage, process engineering, and system design who were independent of the MCSCP, and the team was led by the Director of Operations and Processes from the EM Chief Engineer's Office (EM-3.32). Movement of the Cs/Sr capsules to dry storage, based on information from the conceptual design, involves (1) capsule packaging, (2) capsule transfer, and (3) capsule storage. The project has developed a conceptual process, described in 30059-R-02, "NAC Conceptual Design Report for the Management of the Cesium and Strontium Capsules Project", which identifies the five major activities in the process to complete the transfer from storage pool to pad-mounted cask storage. The process, shown schematically in Figure 1, is comprised of the following process steps: (1) loading capsules into the UCS; (2) UCS processing; (3) UCS insertion into the TSC Basket; (4) cask transport from WESF to CSA and (5) extended storage at the CSA.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Project Final Report: The Institute for Sustained Performance, Energy, and Resilience (SUPER)

This project concentrated on various aspects of creating and applying tool infrastructure to make it easier to effectively use large-scale parallel computers. This project was collaborative with Argonne National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.C. San Diego, University of Maryland, University of North Carolina, University of Oregon, University Southern California, University of Tennessee, and University of Utah. The research conducted during this project at the University of Maryland is summarized in this report. The complete details of the work are available in the publications listed at the end of the report. Many of the concepts created during this project have been incorporated into tools and made available as freely downloadable software (www.dyninst.org/harmony). It also supported the studies of six graduate students, one undergraduate student, and two post-docs. The funding also provided summer support for the PI and part of the salary of a research staff member.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Final Technical Report- Virginia Solar Pathways Project

This Report provides a technical review of the final results of a funding award to Virginia Electric and Power Company (Dominion Energy Virginia (DEV) or the Company) for a project under the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office. The three-year project was formally known as the Virginia Solar Pathways Project (VSPP or the Project). The purpose of the VSPP was to develop a collaborative utility-administered solar strategy (Solar Strategy) for DEV’s service territory in the Commonwealth that could serve as a replicable model for other states with similar policy environments.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Impact of Research and Development, Analysis, and Standardization on PV Project Financing Costs

The technical report discusses how R and D efforts focused on removing perceived risk from cash flows to investors have the potential to lower the cost of capital and increase the amount of leverage in a solar project. It also discusses how creating business efficiencies that allow financing transactions to occur more quickly with less effort can reduce the upfront costs associated with arranging financing for a solar project or group of projects. The paper then assesses the impact that these R and D activities might have on the volatility of PV asset cash flows and asset value, as well as the upfront costs of arranging a financial transaction. Finally, we insert these assumptions into financial models to analyze their impacts on the cost of capital for equity and debt investors, project leverage, and upfront financial transaction costs.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Project Plan: Salt in Situ Heater Test.

This project plan gives a high-level description of the US Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition (SFWD) campaign in situ borehole heater test project being planned for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) site This plan provides an overview of the schedule and responsibilities of the parties involved. This project is a collaborative effort by Sandia, Los Alamos, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories to execute a series of small-diameter borehole heater tests in salt for the DOE-NE SFWD campaign. Design of a heater test in salt at WIPP has evolved over several years. The current design was completed in fiscal year 2017 (FY17), an equipment shakedown experiment is underway in April FY18, and the test implementation will begin in summer of FY18. The project comprises a suite of modular tests, which consist of a group of nearby boreholes in the wall of drifts at WIPP. Each test is centered around a packer-isolated heated borehole (5" diameter) containing equipment for water-vapor collection and brine sampling, surrounded by smaller-diameter (2" diameter) satellite observation boreholes. Observation boreholes will contain temperature sensors, tracer release points, electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) sensors, fiber optic sensing, and acoustic emission (AE) measurements, and sonic velocity sources and sensors. These satellite boreholes will also be used for plugging/sealing tests. The first two tests to be implemented will have the packer-isolated borehole heated to 120°C, with one observation borehole used to monitor changes. Follow-on tests will be designed using information gathered from the first two tests, will be conducted at other temperatures, will use multiple observation boreholes, and may include other measurement types and test designs.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Configuration Management History Report for the RH LLW Disposal Facility Project

This document outlines and summarized the configuration management process that was used for the RHLLW Disposal Facility design and turnover to operations in support of process readiness reviews. The project was originally solicited as a design-build-operate contract, but awarded as a design-build project only to Areva Federal Services in 2014. The RHLLW requirements were captured in two documents: 1) SPC-1437, Design-Build-Operate Performance Specification for the Remote-Handled Low-Level Waste Disposal Project; and 2) TFR-483, Technical and Functional Requirements for the Remote-Handled Low-Level Waste Disposal Project. TFR-483 and SPC-1437 outlined the requirements for the facility and SPC-1437 documented additional requirements regarding quality, design, and construction. A Code of Record (COR) was generated during conceptual design and updated during final design to document the design-basis codes and standards (INL/EXT-10-20044).

42 ENGINEERING↗

Summary paragraphs for recently-awarded DOE-SC projects at Sandia in Quantum Information Science

Sandia National Laboratories was recently awarded 3 new projects in Quantum Information Science (QIS) by the Department of Energy's Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR) program and 2 new projects in quantum technologies both DOE's Basic Energy Sciences. Two of the ASCR projects are for work in quantum testbeds, while the third is in the area of quantum algorithms. A fourth QIS project was awarded in FY17, also in the area of quantum algorithms.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Development of Intelligent Monitoring System (IMS) Modules for the Aquistore CO 2 Storage Project

The monitoring data generated at a CO 2 storage site can quickly result in large amounts of data, often requiring significant labor- and time-intensive efforts to process and analyze before being able to make operational decisions. Implementing an intelligent monitoring system (IMS) can reduce the associated data-processing and analysis costs, which can thereby improve the efficiency of the monitoring process and enable real-time operational decision-making. The Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) has completed a 3-year project focused on developing an IMS comprising new workflows, algorithms, and a user interface for the automation and integration of geologic carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) storage site-monitoring and simulation data. The design for the IMS was based on using injection and monitoring data acquired from Aquistore, an operating CO 2 storage project. Managed by the Petroleum Technology Research Centre, the Aquistore Project is injecting CO 2 captured from SaskPower’s coal-fired Boundary Dam Power Station into a deep saline formation for geologic storage. Using data from the Aquistore Project provided a real-world basis to develop an IMS.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

SE 296 Capstone Project Proposal for Katelyn Yeamans UCSD Fall 2018

This project shall be a comprehensive evaluation in the changes in the physical attributes of PETN pellets when stored for prolonged periods under typical storage conditions. The scope of this project is intended to meet the Capstone Project requirements of the UCSD Structural Engineering Master’s Degree and provide useful insight for pellet production and processing. The intended result is a summary report and an accompanying MATLAB program file. The duration of this investigation is not to exceed twelve weeks. If the project cannot be completed within the given time frame,report documentation shall consist of progress-to-date and recommended future work summary and a to a progress-to-date version of the MATLAB file.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Publicly Accessible Charging Site Host Recruitment During The EV Project

Several assumptions were established at the start of The EV Project. One of the assumptions upon which the Project was based was that plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) drivers would require some form of charging infrastructure away from their residences. The basic need for infrastructure outside the home was assumed to be a key foundation of future EV growth. This assumption was based on surveys conducted as part of the EV Project1, on previous experience of The EV Project management team with charging infrastructure deployment and use, and on a strong desire by Nissan (which was the initial PEV partner of The EV Project), to have visible away-from-home charging infrastructure to support vehicle sales. It was assumed that PEV drivers would have range anxiety and have an expectation that charging infrastructure will be there for their use.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗