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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 1,351 records · Page 75

AmeriFlux US-UTG UFLUX Green River

This is the AmeriFlux version of the carbon flux data for the site US-UTG UFLUX Green River. Site Description - This station is located adjacent to a large pivot that irrigates alfalpha. The pivot is in line with the predominant wind direction.

Inkenbrandt, Paul [Utah Geological Survey]↗

AmeriFlux CA-WRF White River Fen

This is the AmeriFlux version of the carbon flux data for the site CA-WRF White River Fen. Site Description - This flux tower is installed in a 10 ha natural boreal intermediate fen dominated by sedges.

Barreto, Carlos [Ontario Ministry of Natural Resou↗

Hero Carbonsafe Phase 2 Project in the Columbia River Basalt Group: Technical Program Overview

The Hermiston, Oregon Basalt CarbonSAFE Phase II project (HERO CarbonSAFE) seeks to accelerate the deployment of commercial carbon dioxide (CO2) storage projects in basaltic rocks. Hermiston is located near the center of the Columbia River Basalt Group (CRBG), which is one of the largest basalt flows in the US. Basalt CO2 storage has potential advantages to conventional saline storage reservoirs including 1. The potential for rapid mineralization of CO2, 2. associated decreases in pressure and CO2 migration risks, 3. reduced long-term monitoring requirements with respect to plume tracking, 4. widespread geographic distribution and, 5. large storage potential due to thickness, porosity, and CO2 interactions with basalt. For locations such as the Pacific Northwest (PNW), Hawaii, Iceland, India and Japan, whose localities are isolated from large sedimentary basins offering conventional saline storage options, basalt may offer the only feasible option for local CO2 storage. However, mineralization/basalt storage still has many uncertainties, as there are limited field-scale assessments of CO2 storage in basalt. There are significant uncertainties hindering the effective implementation of carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) in basalt. These include the lack of proven storage capacities, challenges in methodologies for modeling the area of review in igneous formations, limited understanding of mineralization kinetics and timing, and uncertainties in injectivity. Additionally, the domestic availability of specialized services and drilling expertise is constrained, and existing CCUS permitting and regulatory frameworks, originally developed for conventional saline reservoirs, may not adequately address the unique requirements of basalt systems. HERO CarbonSAFE is designed to address major research gaps and uncertainties associated with basalt storage. Specifically, the project will assess the feasibility of CO2 injection in the deep layered basalts of the CRBG, long-term storage (mineralization), practical approaches for large-scale implementation (50+ million metric tons of CO2 over 30 years), lithology-specific risks, and the technoeconomic potential for CO2 storage in basalts.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Watershed response of the Feather River Basin, California, United States of America to future climate changes

Increasing mean annual temperatures under climate change are expected to reduce seasonal snowpack, increase evapotranspiration (ET), and alter summer baseflow in headwater watersheds worldwide. Strong regional variability in hydrologic responses highlights the need for catchment-scale, physically based models to assess future flood risk and water availability. This study examines climate-driven changes in the hydrologic response of the Upper Feather River watershed in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, California. Four priority climate models and two representative concentration pathways (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5) are used to evaluate future hydrologic responses of the watershed. Hydrologic processes are simulated using an objectively calibrated Soil and Water Assessment Tool Plus model for a historical baseline (1986–2005) and a future period 2070–2099), driven by observed and projected precipitation and temperature. Results indicate a declining contribution of snowfall to annual precipitation, with peak snowfall and water yield shifting 1–3 months earlier. Long-term annual maximum flows are projected to increase considerably, whereas low-flow responses are mixed, with both increases and decreases projected by the end of the century. These findings highlight the need for adaptive watershed management to enhance flood protection, water storage, and drought resilience. Future water resource planning should also account for one-to-three-month shifts in peak water yield and surface runoff due to changes in snowmelt timing and a lower snowfall-to-rainfall ratio under climate change. The modeling framework and insights are transferable to other snow-dominated headwater watersheds experiencing climate-driven change.

Tigabu, T [UC Davis]↗

Simulation of Sediment and Cesium Transport in the Ukedo River and the Ogi Dam Reservoir during a Rainfall Event using the TODAM Code

The accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in March 2011 caused widespread environmental contamination. Although decontamination activities have been performed in residential areas of the Fukushima area, decontamination of forests, rivers, and reservoirs is still controversial because of the economical, ecological, and technical difficulties. Thus, an evaluation of contaminant transport in such an environment is important for safety assessment and for implementation of possible countermeasures to reduce radiation exposure to the public.

Onishi, Yasuo↗

Summary Report for the Environmental Protection Agency MERL/FRMAC/RAP Mission Alignment Exercise held at the Savannah River Site on June 9-13 2014

From June 9th thru June 13th 2014, members of the Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center (FRMAC), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy Radiological Assistance Program (DOE RAP) Region-3 participated in a joint nuclear incident emergency response exercise at the Savannah River Site (SRS) near Aiken, South Carolina. The purpose of this exercise was to strengthen the interoperability relationship between the FRMAC, RAP, and the EPA Mobile Environmental Radiation Laboratory (MERL) stationed in Montgomery, Alabama. The exercise was designed to allowed members of the DOE RAP Region-3 team to collect soil, water, vegetation and air samples from SRS and submit them through an established FRMAC hotline. Once received and processed through the hotline, FRMAC delivered the samples to the EPA MERL for sample preparation and laboratory radiological analysis. Upon completion of laboratory analysis, data was reviewed and submitted back to FRMAC via an electronic data deliverable (EDD). As part of the exercise, an evaluation was conducted to identify gaps and potential improvements in each step of the processes. Additionally, noteworthy practices and potential future areas of interoperability between FRMAC and EPA were acknowledged. The exercise also provided a unique opportunity for FRMAC personnel to observe EPA sample receipt and sample preparation processes and to gain familiarity with the MERL laboratory instrumentation and radiation detection capabilities. The observations and lessons-learned from this exercise will be critical for developing a more efficient, integrated response for future interactions between the FRMAC and EPA assets.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Flooding Capability for River-based Scenarios

This report describes the initial investigation into modeling and simulation tools for application of riverine flooding representation as part of the Risk-Informed Safety Margin Characterization (RISMC) Pathway external hazards evaluations. The report provides examples of different flooding conditions and scenarios that could impact river and watershed systems. Both 2D and 3D modeling approaches are described.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Radiological impact of 2016 operations at the Savannah River Site

This report presents the environmental dose assessment methods and the estimated potential doses to the offsite public from 2016 Savannah River Site (SRS) air and liquid radioactive releases. Also documented are potential doses from special-case exposure scenarios, such as the consumption of wildlife or goat milk.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Groundwater flow simulation of the Savannah River Site general separations area

The most recent groundwater flow model of the General Separations Area, Savannah River Site, is referred to as the “GSA/PORFLOW” model. GSA/PORFLOW was developed in 2004 by porting an existing General Separations Area groundwater flow model from the FACT code to the PORFLOW code. The preceding “GSA/FACT” model was developed in 1997 using characterization and monitoring data through the mid-1990’s. Both models were manually calibrated to field data. Significantly more field data have been acquired since the 1990’s and model calibration using mathematical optimization software has become routine and recommended practice. The current task involved updating the GSA/PORFLOW model using selected field data current through at least 2015, and use of the PEST code to calibrate the model and quantify parameter uncertainty. This new GSA groundwater flow model is named “GSA2016” in reference to the year in which most development occurred. The GSA2016 model update is intended to address issues raised by the DOE Low-Level Waste (LLW) Disposal Facility Federal Review Group (LFRG) in a 2008 review of the E-Area Performance Assessment, and by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in reviews of tank closure and Saltstone Disposal Facility Performance Assessments.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Crystal River 3 Cable Materials for Thermal and Gamma Radiation Aging

The Expanded Materials Degradation Assessment Volume 5: Aging of Cables and Cable Systems (EMDA) summarizes the state of knowledge of materials, constructions, operating environments, and aging behavior of low voltage and medium cables in nuclear power plants (NPPs) and identifies potential knowledge gaps with regard to cable operation beyond 60 years. The greatest area of uncertainty relates to how well the accelerated aging used in the original equipment qualification (EQ) processes predicts the performance of cable materials in extended operation. General opinion and utility experience have indicated that actual operating environments of in-plant cables are not as severe, however, as the operating and design basis environments used in the qualification process. Better understanding of the long term aging behavior of cable insulation materials in service conditions and the analysis of actual cable operating environments are the objectives of ongoing research to support subsequent license renewal activities in particular and long term cable aging management in general. A key component of the effort to better understand cable material aging behavior is the availability of representative samples of cables that have been installed in operating light water reactors and have experienced long term service. Unique access to long term service cables, including relatively rich information on cable identity and history, occurred in 2016 through the assistance of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). EPRI facilitated DOE receipt of harvested cables from the decommissioned Crystal River Unit 3 (CR3) pressurized water reactor representing six of the nine most common low voltage cable manufacturers (EPRI 103841R1): Rockbestos, Anaconda Wire and Cable Company (Anaconda), Boston Insulated Wire (BIW), Brand-Rex, Kerite and Okonite. Cable samples received had been installed in the operating plant for durations ranging from 10 years to 36 years. These cables provide the opportunity to assess actual in-plant material aging and compare it to the expectations for service aging implied in original equipment qualification. The received samples are from cables manufactured as early as 1971 and as late as 1998. Of the original manufacturers, BIW, Anaconda and Kerite no longer supply low-voltage cables to the nuclear industry. Okonite, Rockbestos, and Brand-Rex do still supply nuclear-grade low-voltage cables, but most cable insulation formulations have changed over the years. Thus the availability of the CR3 samples representative of cables installed in existing U.S. NPPs also presents the opportunity for additional aging studies on the most relevant insulation and jacketing materials. This report describes the cables received from CR3 through EPRI assistance, some of the specific knowledge gaps that study of these cable materials can be used to address, and experimental plans for addressing those gaps using these materials. Harvested cables from CR3 and other NPPs that have experienced long term service, new old stock cables (manufactured before 2000, but never put in service), and relevant modern nuclear cables and materials from cable manufacturers are enabling research to address identified knowledge gaps and better understand long term aging behavior for cable materials currently installed in NPPs. This research, combined with refined understanding of actual service environments and conditions, will both support subsequent licensing activities and more efficient plant cable aging management.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗