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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 1,333 records · Page 74
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
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Power and Propulsion Element Steerable High Gain Antenna Lunar Transit Thermal Analysis Tracking Methodology

The Power and Propulsion Element (PPE) is an ion thruster propulsion spacecraft developed as an element of Space Reactor (SR-1) Freedom to provide propulsion, communications and power for the spacecraft. PPE was originally being developed for the use with the lunar orbiting space station Gateway as one of the first two planned elements. PPE was to be launched with the Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO) element in a configuration called the Co-Manifested Vehicle (CMV) that would arrive at a Near-Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO) around the Moon via a lunar transit spiral trajectory phase. The PPE communication system is equipped with two Steerable High Gain Antennas (SHGA) each steered by a two-axis gimbal (TAG) mechanism. A thermal analysis was conducted during the near-Earth spiral phase of the mission using Thermal Desktop (TD). This analysis utilized multiple axis Earth tracking articulators in combination with SINDA system internal environmental heating symbols to produce accurate Earth ground station tracking communication system temperatures. This presentation provides an overview of the communication system thermal model and the analysis methodology.

Thermal Analysis↗
DOE OSTI2013

SCALE Uncertainty Quantification Methodology for Criticality Safety Analysis of Used Nuclear Fuel

A methodology based on stochastic sampling of input data covariances has been developed for uncertainty quantification with the SCALE code system. This provides the capability to determine uncertainties for a wide range of responses computed with any SCALE sequence. The methods used in the stochastic computation are discussed here for determining the uncertainty in the multiplication factor of used nuclear fuel (UNF), taking into account the impact of nuclear data uncertainties on the depletion calculations.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Development of a Novel Gas Pressurized Process-Based Technology for CO2 Capture from Post-Combustion Flue Gases Preliminary Year 1 Techno-Economic Study Results and Methodology for Gas Pressurized Stripping Process

Under the DOE’s Innovations for Existing Plants (IEP) Program, Carbon Capture Scientific, LLC (CCS) is developing a novel gas pressurized stripping (GPS) process to enable efficient post-combustion carbon capture (PCC) from coal-fired power plants. A technology and economic feasibility study is required as a deliverable in the project Statement of Project Objectives. This study analyzes a fully integrated pulverized coal power plant equipped with GPS technology for PCC, and is carried out, to the maximum extent possible, in accordance to the methodology and data provided in ATTACHMENT 3 – Basis for Technology Feasibility Study of DOE Funding Opportunity Number: DE-FOA-0000403. The DOE/NETL report on “Cost and Performance Baseline for Fossil Energy Plants, Volume 1: Bituminous Coal and Natural Gas to Electricity (Original Issue Date, May 2007), NETL Report No. DOE/NETL-2007/1281, Revision 1, August 2007” was used as the main source of reference to be followed, as per the guidelines of ATTACHMENT 3 of DE-FOA-0000403. The DOE/NETL-2007/1281 study compared the feasibility of various combinations of power plant/CO2 capture process arrangements. The report contained a comprehensive set of design basis and economic evaluation assumptions and criteria, which are used as the main reference points for the purpose of this study. Specifically, Nexant adopted the design and economic evaluation basis from Case 12 of the above-mentioned DOE/NETL report. This case corresponds to a nominal 550 MWe (net), supercritical greenfield PC plant that utilizes an advanced MEAbased absorption system for CO2 capture and compression. For this techno-economic study, CCS’ GPS process replaces the MEA-based CO2 absorption system used in the original case. The objective of this study is to assess the performance of a full-scale GPS-based PCC design that is integrated with a supercritical PC plant similar to Case 12 of the DOE/NETL report, such that it corresponds to a nominal 550 MWe supercritical PC plant with 90% CO2 capture. This plant has the same boiler firing rate and superheated high pressure steam generation as the DOE/NETL report’s Case 12 PC plant. However, due to the difference in performance between the GPS-based PCC and the MEA-based CO2 absorption technology, the net power output of this plant may not be exactly at 550 MWe.

Chen, Shiaoguo↗
DOE OSTI2014

Design Methodology: ASICs with complex in-pixel processing for Pixel Detectors

The development of Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC) for pixel detectors with complex in-pixel processing using Computer Aided Design (CAD) tools that are, themselves, mainly developed for the design of conventional digital circuits requires a specialized approach. Mixed signal pixels often require parasitically aware detailed analog front-ends and extremely compact digital back-ends with more than 1000 transistors in small areas below 100μm x 100μm. These pixels are tiled to create large arrays, which have the same clock distribution and data readout speed constraints as in, for example, micro-processors. The methodology uses a modified mixed-mode on-top digital implementation flow to not only harness the tool efficiency for timing and floor-planning but also to maintain designer control over compact parasitically aware layout.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Dark Energy Survey Year 1 Results: Multi-Probe Methodology and Simulated Likelihood Analyses

We present the methodology for and detail the implementation of the Dark Energy Survey (DES) 3x2pt DES Year 1 (Y1) analysis, which combines configuration-space two-point statistics from three different cosmological probes: cosmic shear, galaxy-galaxy lensing, and galaxy clustering, using data from the first year of DES observations. We have developed two independent modeling pipelines and describe the code validation process. We derive expressions for analytical real-space multi-probe covariances, and describe their validation with numerical simulations. We stress-test the inference pipelines in simulated likelihood analyses that vary 6-7 cosmology parameters plus 20 nuisance parameters and precisely resemble the analysis to be presented in the DES 3x2pt analysis paper, using a variety of simulated input data vectors with varying assumptions. We find that any disagreement between pipelines leads to changes in assigned likelihood $\Delta \chi^2 \le 0.045$ with respect to the statistical error of the DES Y1 data vector. We also find that angular binning and survey mask do not impact our analytic covariance at a significant level. We determine lower bounds on scales used for analysis of galaxy clustering (8 Mpc$~h^{-1}$) and galaxy-galaxy lensing (12 Mpc$~h^{-1}$) such that the impact of modeling uncertainties in the non-linear regime is well below statistical errors, and show that our analysis choices are robust against a variety of systematics. These tests demonstrate that we have a robust analysis pipeline that yields unbiased cosmological parameter inferences for the flagship 3x2pt DES Y1 analysis. We emphasize that the level of independent code development and subsequent code comparison as demonstrated in this paper is necessary to produce credible constraints from increasingly complex multi-probe analyses of current data.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Robust PV Degradation Methodology and Application

The degradation rate plays an important role in predicting and assessing the long-term energy generation of PV systems. Many methods have been proposed for extracting the degradation rate from operational data of PV systems, but most of the published approaches are susceptible to bias due to inverter clipping, module soiling, temporary outages, seasonality, and sensor degradation. In this manuscript, we propose a methodology for determining PV degradation leveraging available modeled clear-sky irradiance data rather than site sensor data, and a robust year-over-year (YOY) rate calculation. We show the method to provide reliable degradation rate estimates even in the case of sensor drift, data shifts, and soiling. Compared with alternate methods, we demonstrate that the proposed method delivers the lowest uncertainty in degradation rate estimates for a fleet of 486 PV systems.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

An improved methodology for numerical forensics analysis of spent reactor fuel

An improved system was developed to recover the initial parameters and operating conditions from spent nuclear fuel. This work is an expansion of a previous proof-of-concept system developed by the author. The improved system increases the fidelity of the forward model within the spent fuel forensic inverse analysis using two unique methodologies. The first improvement consists of developing a system to accurately create one-group neutron crosssection libraries for any user-specified reactor system. As such, a detailed model using the depletion code MONTEBURNS is developed. During MONTEBURNS execution, cross-section libraries are generated at every user specified burnup step in time. These libraries could be developed for many reactor systems, then housed in a database and used for analyzing spent fuel.

inverse depletion↗
DOE OSTI2018

Integrated Decision Methodology for Final Disposal of Radioactive Sources

Radioactive sources are used throughout the world, and their beneficial uses are many. Sources are at the core of many applications in different branches of industry, medicine, agriculture and research. Sources are present in a very wide range of equipment that is used for, inter alia, cancer treatment, killing bacteria in food, sterilizing medical supplies, measuring instruments such as gauges used to measure soil moisture and soil density and many other components, irradiating seeds for enhancing food production, protecting buildings from lightning strikes, mapping underground sources of water, prospecting for oil and gas reserves, measuring density of soil for construction projects, or even detecting smoke. At their “cradle” and when in use, radioactive sources are usually properly managed and controlled. It is when a source has reached the end of its useful life when they are at a higher risk of being under inadequate control, poorly managed, or even becoming orphan. Sources that have reached the end of their useful life must be carefully and safely managed. The “grave” of disused sources needs a proper disposal process to prevent them from posing a potential threat to people or the environment. To protect the public and the environment from the potential hazards of ionizing radiation, and to prevent disused sources from becoming orphan, a “cradle-to-grave” control of radioactive sources is essential, as promoted by the Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources. This approach requires a national policy and strategy, an adequate legal and regulatory framework, and adequate resources and infrastructure. Many IAEAMember States have expressed the need for effective solutions to this challenge. There is also a gap related to the life cycle costs of potential disposal practices. This paper proposes a multi-attribute decision making methodology to compare disposal options using both economic and non-economic criteria leading to a preferred option for disposal and a strategy for final disposal of disused radioactive sources that is specific and optimized for each IAEA Member State.

Beatty, Randy↗
DOE OSTI2016

An Analytical Methodology to Evaluate Thermal-Hydraulic Performance of Compact Heat Exchangers, Accounting for Heat Loss

High efficiency and compactness, offered by the Printed Circuit Heat Exchanger (PCHE) makes it a strong candidate for use as an Intermediate Heat Exchanger (IHX) and/or Secondary Heat Exchanger (SHX) for Advanced High Temperature Reactor (AHTR) systems and also the Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR). Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has been developing a computer code for the PCHE design and analysis [1], and will construct an experimental loop to evaluate the thermal hydraulic performance of PCHEs [2]. In order to correctly compare experimental results with the simulations, the extraneous heat losses from the PCHEs must be determined and incorporated. These heat exchangers operate at high temperature and consequently, despite the use of external thermal insulation, experience non-negligible heat losses to the surroundings. The objective of this work is to develop an analytical methodology for quantification of these heat losses based on experimental data to evaluate and predict the performance of the heat exchanger accurately.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Radioactive Material Inventory Optimization Using the Plutonium-239 Equivalent Curie Methodology

ABSTRACT The purpose of this paper is to provide the technical basis for application of the Plutonium 239 equivalent curies (PEC) concept used to optimize and limit the material-at-risk (MAR) in the Irradiated Materials Characterization Laboratory (IMCL) located at the Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC). The PEC concept offers a method to normalize all radionuclides to a common radiotoxic hazard index that can be summed to a single value. This paper describes the technical approach to applying the PEC concept, documents the weighting factors and specific activities to be utilized in the calculation, and provides an example of the application of the concept to a radionuclide distribution that is representative of materials encountered in the IMCL. The IMCL is operated to provide a dynamic, re-configurable capability to analyze and characterize irradiated or non-irradiated radioactive material samples. The operations unique to the IMCL include sample storage, preparation, and analysis using experiment-specific instrumentation such as, Electron probe micro-analyzer (EPMA), Focused ion beam (FIB), Transmission electron microscope (TEM), and Scanning electron microscope (SEM). The methodology used to characterize the radioactive material inventory enables the IMCL to operate in such a way that complements their capability and program goals without compromising the safety of the worker, co-located worker, or the general public. The PEC concept offers a method in which all radionuclide inventory is normalized to a common radiotoxic hazard index that can be summed to a single value. The PEC concept is useful in the comparison of various material types for hazard categorization and for identifying worst-case and bounding inventory.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗
DOE OSTI2019

Quasi-Static Times Series PV Hosting Capacity Methodology and Metrics: Preprint

Distributed photovoltaic systems (DPV) can cause adverse grid impacts, including voltage or thermal violations. The installed capacity at which violations first occur and above which would require system upgrades is called the hosting capacity. Current methods for determining hosting capacity tend to be conservative by either only considering infrequent worst-case snapshots in time and/or only capturing coarse time and spatial resolution. Additionally, current hosting capacity methods do not accurately capture the time-dependence making them unable to capture the behavior of voltage regulating equipment and of some advanced controls mitigations. This can trigger delays from unnecessary engineering analysis or deter solar installations in areas that are actually suitable. We propose a quasi-static-timeseries (QSTS) based PV hosting capacity methodology to address these issues. With this approach, we conduct power flow analysis over the course of a full year, to capture time-varying parameters and control device actions explicitly. We show that this approach can more fully capture grid impacts of DPV than traditional methods.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2019

Methodology for Fast Iterations of Blade Designs Using Thermoplastic Composite Materials: Preprint

Tidal energy is still in the early research and development phases, therefore the ability to quickly manufacture and evaluate prototype blades with new blade designs and materials is critical. This paper investigates using a Stratasys three-dimensional printer to rapidly prototype scale-model turbine blades by printing the blade tooling and using vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) to manufacture blades. This work outlines a methodology for cost effectively designing and manufacturing model-scale tidal turbine blades to be used in testing campaigns, and for evaluating new thermoplastic composite materials for tidal energy applications. Demonstration blades were designed in ANSYS and manufactured using an infusible thermoplastic resin system called Elium(R). The development of scale-model thermoplastic blades enables research into their fatigue performance in realistic conditions at a cost-effective scale, and manufacturing using 3-D printed tooling enables fast and low-cost blade design iterations.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2019

A Misload Analysis Methodology Supporting Criticality Analysis of Spent Nuclear Fuel Canisters Using As-Loaded Configurations

This paper presents an assembly misload analysis methodology developed to support criticality safety analysis of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) dual-purpose canisters (DPCs) using as-loaded configurations. The misload analysis approach is based on Interim Staff Guidance 8 “Burnup Credit in the Criticality Safety Analyses of PWR Spent Fuel in Transportation and Storage Casks” (ISG 8 rev. 3), but extended to support as-loaded configurations. The two misload scenarios analyzed included; (1) the correct assemblies are selected from the pool but placed incorrectly into the most reactive configuration inside the canister, and (2) the incorrect, most reactive assembly/assemblies in the pool is/are placed into the most reactive position(s) in the canister. Results from this misload analysis approach can be combined with misload probability to support criticality safety assessment of SNF during storage, transportation, and disposal. The misload analysis has been applied to 67 loaded DPCs at two sites using a disposal scenario. The analyzed sites include both PWR and BWR reactors and two canister variants—MPC-32 and MPC-68.

Liljenfeldt, Henrik↗
DOE OSTI2019

Development of the FaMUS Methodology for Quantify Materials Understanding and its Application to the NSUF Research Portfolio.

The NSUF has been operating since 2007 and has developed a significant portfolio of supported science and engineering research. Therefore, it is appropriate to consider its achievements and to determine its successes and shortfalls. As part of this analysis of the NSUF research program, the NSUF has developed a new, novel and elegant formalism for assessing the current level of understanding of nuclear fuels and of (advanced) materials for use in nuclear environments, especially in reactor: the NSUF Fuels and Materials Understanding Scale (FaMUS). The NSUF’s FaMUS methodology is being applied to the NSUF portfolio to quantify the progress made in the understanding of radiation effects in nuclear fuels and materials. This presentation will describe the status of the assessment exercise, and present a summary of any notable outcomes found as well as preliminary conclusions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Validation of Maui PSCAD Model: Motivation, Methodology, and Lessons Learned: Preprint

As power systems become increasingly dependent on inverter-based resources, the dominant physical and control interactions that determine system stability may no longer be accurately captured in positive sequence dynamic simulation tools; electromagnetic transient (EMT) simulations may be needed. This paper describes the process of creating and validating an EMT model of the entire Maui island transmission system in PSCAD software. The model is validated against the utility's PSSE model and against field data for an event that consisted of a single-phase fault followed by a generation trip. The methodology and lessons learned are summarized here.

41 EE - Solar Energy Technologies Office (EE-4S)↗
DOE OSTI2021

Cyber Threat Assessment Methodology for Autonomous and Remote Operations for Advanced Reactors (Conference Presentation)

The next generation of Advanced Reactors include planned capabilities for both Autonomous (operating without human interaction for a set period-of-time) and Remote (operating with human interaction from a separate physical location) Operations. Existing Nuclear Reactor architectures include a set of safety and security constraints tightly coupled with personnel policies and procedures. As Advanced Reactors are fielded with these new Autonomous and Remote operational capabilities, the architectures and associated infrastructure services and components will perceivably expand the overall attack surface and risk calculations with regards to safe and secure operations. This paper is part of an FY21 work program focused on ensuring Advanced Reactor designs are informed with threat-based guidance on design and operation of Secure Architectures with a specific focus on the deployment of Autonomous Systems in support of Advanced Reactor Operations. The next phase of this research program is to complement produce a methodology for assessment of the cyber threat against these architectures as well as a catalogue of Use Cases to support the Advanced Reactor community in their implementation of Autonomous and Remote Operations.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2017

Risk Methodology for Assessment of Fuel Debris Retrieval Options at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station

The mission of the Nuclear Damage Compensation and Decommissioning Facilitation Corporation (NDF) includes the mid-to-long-term decommissioning planning of the reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. To carry out its mission, NDF needs to be able to assess worker safety and public health risks that currently exist at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station and the implications of various actions that may be taken to reduce such risks. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) entered into a contract with NDF to support NDF’s mission by developing a risk assessment methodology that will support NDF’s evaluation of options for transitioning molten and solidified fuels within each unit into safer, more stable, configurations given the ever-changing state of knowledge and large uncertainties. The underpinning of this approach, which incorporates both expert elicitation and adapts probabilistic risk assessment and hazard analysis techniques, is its organization of potential release mechanisms and accident scenarios into a more manageable set of safety issues, which are systematically characterized to allow for useful comparison between fuel debris retrieval options as well as the identification of risk drivers and discriminators. The approach also lends itself to be easily updated as the general state of knowledge improves and will serve as a vital input to prioritizing future investigations associated with human health and safety at the Fukushima site. This paper describes the overall approach developed by PNNL to risk-inform the comparison between fuel debris retrieval strategies and discusses lessons learned from implementing the approach.

Fukushima, Risk Assessmnet, Nuclear Decommissionin↗