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DOE OSTI2020

Study on Intelligent Compaction-Equipment Logistics Scheduling and Propagation Characteristics of Vibration Wave in Nonlinear Systems with Multistability Based on Field Test

The equipment scheduling and propagation characteristics of vibration wave from vibratory roller ⟶ filling material nonlinear systems with multistability are the core problems of subgrade intelligent construction technology, and the logistics scheduling of the equipment is directly related to the construction efficiency. Aiming at the shortages, one typical subgrade located at the Gu’an station of Beijing-Xiong’an city railway is selected to research and finish the field tests; some findings are shown as follows: first, some valuable suggestions about the logistics scheduling of intelligent equipment are proposed, which can break the barriers between the organizations and improve construction efficiency; second, when the vibration wave propagates from the vibratory roller ⟶ surface of filling material ⟶ different buried depths of filling material, the peak acceleration of vibration wave gradually decreases and is hyperbolic distribution approximately. At the same time, the sensitive of attenuation is shown as follows: Z R 2 >0.9), and the concrete functional relationship among different amplitudes of harmonics can be summarized as y = Ae −BX ; fourth, the vibration energy is mainly concentrated near 10–30 Hz in the vibratory roller, but when the vibration wave propagates from vibratory roller⟶filling material, the vibration energy gradually decreases with the increase in depth, and the marginal spectrum gradually changes from one peak to two peaks, that is, 30–50 Hz and 50–100 Hz; fifth, the vibration energy in the vibrational wheel is distributed averagely in the compaction process, and the effective compaction time is two seconds, which will be helpful for revealing the propagation characteristics of vibration wave, optimizing the compaction quality control models and providing some support for the development of intelligent compaction theory of railway subgrade.

Han, Yixuan↗

DOE OSTI2015

Complex software dedicated for design and simulation of LPCE process for heavy water detritiation

The main purpose of this paper is to present a comprehensive software, SICA, designed to be used in water-hydrogen liquid phase catalytic exchange process (LPCE). The software calculates the water-gas catalytic isotopic exchange process, following the transfer of any H, D or T isotope from water to gas and vice versa. This software is useful for both design and laboratory-based research; the type of the catalytic filling (ordered or random) can be defined for any of these 2 cases, the isotopic calculation being specific to the package type. For the laboratory-based research, the performance of a catalytic packing can be determined by knowing the type and by using experimental results. Performance of the mixed catalytic packing is defined by mass transfer constants for each catalytic and hydrophilic package in that specific arrangement, and also for the isotope whose transfer is studied from one phase to another. Also, it has been established a link between these constants and commonly used parameters for the fillings performance defined by HETP (Height Equivalent of Theoretical Plate). To demonstrate the performance of the software, we present a comparative analysis of water-gas catalytic isotopic exchange on a column equipped with 3 types of filling: successive layers, random and structured (ordered package filled with catalyst). The program can be used for the LPCE process calculation, process used at detritiation facilities for CANDU reactors or fusion reactors. (authors)

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2016

Electromagnetic coupling and array packing induce exchange of dominance on complex modes in 3D periodic arrays of spheres with large permittivity

In this study, we investigate the effect on wave propagation of array packing and electromagnetic coupling between spheres in a three-dimensional (3D) lattice of microspheres with large permittivity that exhibit strong magnetic polarizability. We report on the complex wavenumber of Bloch waves in the lattice when each sphere is assumed to possess both electric and magnetic dipoles and full electromagnetic coupling is accounted for. While for small material-filling fractions we always determine one dominant mode with low attenuation constant, the same does not happen for large filling fractions, when electromagnetic coupling is included. In the latter case we peculiarly observe two dominant modes with low attenuation constant, dominant in different frequency ranges. The filling fraction threshold for which two dominant modes appear varies for different metamaterial constituents, as proven by considering spheres made by either titanium dioxide or lead telluride. As further confirmation of our findings, we retrieve the complex propagation constant of the dominant mode(s) via a field fitting procedure employing two sets of waves (direct and reflected) pertaining to two distinct modes, strengthening the presence of the two distinct dominant modes for increasing filling fractions. However, given that one mode only, with transverse polarization, at any given frequency, is dominant and able to propagate inside the lattice, we are able to accurately treat the metamaterial that is known to exhibit artificial magnetism as a homogeneous material with effective parameters, such as the refractive index. Results clearly show that the account of both electric and magnetic scattering processes in evaluating all electromagnetic intersphere couplings is essential for a proper description of the electromagnetic propagation in lattices.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2025

NGEE Arctic Phase 4 Plant Functional Type Framework for Pan-Arctic Vegetation

The NGEE-Arctic research team identified a common set of hierarchical plant functional types (PFTs) for pan-arctic vegetation that we will use across our research activities. Interdisciplinary work within a large team requires agreement regarding levels of functional organization so that knowledge, data, and technologies can be shared and combined effectively. The team has identified plant functional types as a crucial area where such interoperability is needed. PFTs are used to represent plant pools and fluxes within models, summarize observational data, and map vegetation across the landscape. Within each of these applications, varying levels of PFT specificity are needed according to the specific scientific research goal, computational limitations, and data availability. By agreeing on a specific hierarchical framework for grouping variables in our vegetation data, we ensure the resulting research products will be robust, flexible, and scalable. In this document, we lay out the agreed upon PFT framework with definitions and references to existing literature. Table 1 included in the "NGA700_Phase4PFTFramework_about*" file outlines the relationship between NGEE-Arctic Phase 4, Tier 1 PFTs and the PFTs used within prominent arctic literature as well as publications by the NGEE-Arctic team during phases 1-3.This dataset consists of a table detailing a hierarchical PFT framework that spans 4 tiers with the most granular PFTs listed in tier 1 and the most general PFTs in tier 4. The PFTs within each tier has a single column in the dataset where the PFTs are named and a separate column where the characteristics used to define that PFT are listed. Grey fill of the cells is used to indicate where a given PFT starts to “lose” tier 1 details as you look from left to right. Note the excel file has merged cells to indicate grouping of PFTs across the Tiers- it will not translate into a delimited filetype (.csv, .txt, etc) without modification thus the hierarchical PFT framework table is available in three different file formats: 1) NGA700_Phase4PTS.xlsx – maintains the merged cells and grey fill; 2) NGA700_Phase4PTS.csv – merged cells are split, and grey fill is removed; 3) NGA700_Phase4PTS.pdf – image of the table with merged cells and grey fill. Metadata document included as a *.pdf and file-level metadata and data dictionary as *.csv files.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2023

Real-Time Monitoring of Fracture Dynamics with a Contrast Agent-Assisted Electromagnetic Method

In collaboration with the Advanced Energy Consortium, our team has previously demonstrated that the placement of electrically active proppants (EAPs) in a hydraulic fracture surveyed by electromagnetic (EM) methods can enhance the imaging of the stimulated reservoir volumes during hydraulic fracturing. That work culminated in constructing a well-characterized EAP-filled fracture anomaly at the Devine field pilot site (DFPS). In subsequent laboratory studies, we observed that the electrical conductivity of our EAP correlates with changes in pressure, salinity, and flow. Thus, we postulated that the EAP could be used as an in-situ sensor for the remote monitoring of these changes in previously EAP-filled fractures. This paper presents our latest field data from the DFPS to demonstrate such correlations at an intermediate pilot scale. We conducted surface-based EM surveys during freshwater (200 ppm) and saltwater (2,500 ppm) slug injections while running surfaced-based EM surveys. Simultaneously, we measured the following: 1) bottomhole pressure and salinity in five monitoring wells; 2) injection rate using high-precision data loggers; 3) distributed acoustic sensors in four monitoring wells; and 4) tiltmeter data on the survey area. We demonstrated that injections into an EAP-filled fracture could be successfully coupled with real-time electric field measurements on the surface, leading to remote monitoring of dynamic changes within the EAP-filled fracture. Furthermore, by comparing the electrical field traces with the bottomhole pressure, flow rate, and salinity, we concluded that the observed electric field in our study is influenced by fracture dilation and flow rate. Salinity effect was observed when saltwater was injected. EM simulations solely based on assumptions of fracture conductivity changes during injection did not reproduce all of the measured electric field magnitudes. Preliminary estimates showed that including streaming potential in our geophysical model may be needed to reduce the simulation mismatch. The methods developed and demonstrated during this study will lead to a better understanding of the extent of fracture networks, formation stress states, fluid leakoff and invasion, characterizations of engineered fracture systems, and other applications where monitoring subsurface flow tracking is deemed important.

02 PETROLEUM↗

DOE OSTI2014

High Thermal Conductivity, Radiation Resistant Adhesive for High Energy Physics

High Energy Physics systems include particle detector electronics that are integrated with cooling channels and structural housings. Adhesives used to bond these devices to the cooling lines and housings should contribute to cooling by conducting heat away from the electronics and preventing hot spots from developing in either the electronics or the housing. Effective cooling can produce order of magnitude reduction in electronics failure rates. During Phase I, Surmet demonstrated feasibility of a novel radiation-tolerant high-thermal-conductivity adhesive for HEP systems. This was achieved through use of suitable high thermal conductivity fillers to resin adhesive. Feasibility of the technology was demonstrated through key processing and characterization/testing work. The novel filled adhesive was produced in thin-film form to promote heat removal performance and simplify assembly. It was shown to have thermal conductivity >35x that of conventional epoxies. It was shown to successfully withstand strong gamma and proton irradiation. This was demonstrated through density and microstructural characterization as well as thermal conductivity and strength measurement, before and after irradiation. Finally, production of the novel filled adhesive relies on mature processing techniques, simplifying the transition to scale-up and commercialization. During the course of Phase I, Surmet held discussions with a number of researchers working on DOE HEP systems, to understand requirements. These discussions guided the Phase I research, and will be used to plan out follow-on Phase II work. In Phase II research, we will optimize the filled adhesive and tailor it to various product forms to address the multiple applications. Surmet has teamed with a major filled-resin products manufacturer who sees a high commercialization potential for our technology. This team-up will promote development of technology that is well suited for commercialization beyond Phase II.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2015

Predictive Engineering Tools for Injection-Molded Long-Carbon-Fiber Thermoplastic Composites - Second FY 2015 Quarterly Report

During the second quarter of FY 2015, the following technical progress has been made toward project milestones: 1) Autodesk reviewed 3D fiber orientation distribution (FOD) comparisons and provided support on improving accuracy. 2) Autodesk reviewed fiber length distribution (FLD) data comparisons and provided suggestions, assisted PNNL in FOD and FLD parameter settings optimization, and advised PNNL on appropriate through thickness thermal conductivity for improved frozen layer effect on FOD predictions. Autodesk also participated in project review meetings including preparations and discussions towards passing the go/no-go decision point. 3) Autodesk implemented an improved FOD inlet profile specification method through the part thickness for 3D meshes and provided an updated ASMI research version to PNNL. 4) The University of Illinois (Prof. C.L. Tucker) provided Autodesk with ideas to improve fiber orientation modeling 5) Purdue University re-measured fiber orientation for the fast-fill 50wt% LCF/PA66 edge-gated plaque, and delivered the fiber orientation data for this plaque at the selected locations (named A, B, and C, Figure 1) to PNNL. Purdue also re-measured fiber orientation for locations A on the fast-fill 30wt% LCF/PP and 50wt% LCF/PA66 center-gated plaques, which exhibited anomalous fiber orientation behavior. 6) Purdue University conducted fiber length measurements and delivered the length data to PNNL for the purge materials (slow-fill 30wt% LCF/PP and 30wt% LCF/PA66 purge materials) and PlastiComp plaques selected on the go/no-go list for fiber length model validation (i.e., slow-fill edge-gated 30wt% LCF/PP and 30wt% LCF/PA66 plaques, Locations A, B, and C). 7) PNNL developed a method to recover intact carbon fibers from LCF/PA66 materials. Isolated fibers were shipped to Purdue for length distribution analysis. 8) PNNL completed ASMI mid-plane analyses for all the PlastiComp plaques defined on the go/no-go list for fiber orientation (FO) model validation and compared the predicted fiber orientations with the measured data provided by Purdue at Locations A, B, and C on these plaques. The 15% accuracy criterion based on evaluation of tensile and bending stiffness was used to assess the accuracy in fiber orientation predictions. 9) PNNL completed ASMI mid-plane analyses for all the PlastiComp plaques defined on the go/no-go list for fiber length distribution (FLD) model validation and compared the predicted length distributions with the measured data provided by Purdue at Locations A, B, and C on these plaques. The 15% accuracy criterion based on evaluation of tensile and bending stiffness was used to assess the accuracy in fiber orientation predictions. 10) PNNL tested the new ASMI version received from Autodesk in March 2015, examined and discussed 3D fiber orientation predictions for PlastiComp plaques. 11) PlastiComp, Inc. (PlastiComp), Toyota Research Institute North America (Toyota) and Magna Exteriors and Interiors Corporation (Magna) participated in discussions with team members on the go/no-go plan. Toyota continued the discussion with Magna on tool modification for molding the complex part in order to achieve the target fiber length in the part.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2015

State of Modeling Symmetry in Hohlraums

Modeling radiation drive asymmetry is challenging problem whose agreement with data depends on the hohlraum gas fill density. Modeling to date uses the HYDRA code with crossbeam energy transfer (CBET) calculated separately, and backscattered light removed from the input laser. For high fill hohlraums (~>1 mg/cc), matching symmetry requires ad hoc adjustments to CBET during picket and peak of drive. For near-vacuum hohlraums, there is little CBET or backscatter, and drive is more waist-high than predicted. For intermediate fill densities (~0.6 mg/cc) there appears to be a region of small CBET and backscatter where symmetry is reasonably well modeled. A new technique where backscatter and CBET are done “inline” appears it could bring high fill simulations closer to data.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2018

High Density Chip Interconnect Technology Using High Density Glass Interposers

Demands for high density and high speed interconnect solutions are not satisfied by current technology offerings. Platforms such as printed circuit boards (PCBs), ceramic substrates and silicon interposers don’t provide the small form factor nor the I/O density to support 5G or 1Tbps gigabit ethernet solutions. Current solutions also don’t support die to die assembly with integrated tiled solutions for wide area and fanout solutions for lager data and signal processing. A solution with through vias provides an order of magnitude or smaller density supporting much higher density attach and assembly By fabricating a very fine pitch metal filled through glass via solution it’s possible to deliver the necessary improvements in performance, reliability, even higher data speed rates with smaller area and much denser geometries. There are a number of opportunities across a wide variety of industries for through glass interposers as they become the replacement for printed circuit boards (PCBs) and ceramic substrates. The broad array of opportunities include renewable energy, medical electronics (ME), defense electronics (DE)/space and consumer electronics (CE), but likely will impact every industry and market segment. Compared to PCBs, through glass via (TGV) solutions provide the next generation platform for semiconductor assembly improvements. The ability to generate lines, spaces, trenches and vias similar to wafer level geometries delivers wired solutions one to two orders of magnitude smaller than traditional organic PCB and ceramic substrate offerings. Higher density connections also include the thru vias that connect multiple metal layers, fanout. It’s possible to deliver filled metal vias that are 20um diameter with much tighter pitch than can be offered with PCB. Our goal is to provide 20um diameter and smaller via, 50um and smaller pitch, and aspect ratios at 25:1 and greater with hermetically metal filled vias. The goal of CVI is to replace or eliminate PCBs, ceramic substrate and through silicon vias (TSV) providing a glass interposer with metal filled, fiber plugged and/or optional wireless interconnectivity. The end plan is to deliver a glass substrate platform that provides improved electrical performance, versatility, inertness, and much improved cost and cycle time (development, drawing, and delivery) to performance in the form of small millimeter sized substrates or full 8” wafer substrates. Glass delivers an improvement over silicon thru vias (TSV) in the number of processing steps, cost, reliability and cycle time. In addition to metal plugged vias, our glass interposers are capable of fiber and antennae solutions providing two additional very high density and ultra-high speed data transfer capabilities.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2019

Advanced truck and bus radial materials for fuel efficiencies (Final Report)

PPG Industries, Inc. and Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (BATO) propose to develop a novel surface-modified silica technology and demonstrate 4-6% improved fuel efficiency of Truck and Bus Radial (TBR) tires built from the technology. The proposed fuel efficiency increase will be achieved while maintaining or improving tear strength and tread wear. During rubber mixing, distributing silica in the rubber matrix is a challenge. This is because silica has a very polar surface, while rubbers have little polarity. It was hypothesized that surface treatments could cover part of the surface by hydrophobic groups, and reduce the surface polarity, thus helping to wet the silica with rubber during mixing and improving silica dispersion. During the project, the effect of different silica surface treatments on the surface energy of silica were determined, and related to the silica dispersion in rubber compounds. The results demonstrated that reducing the surface energy of silica samples improved dispersion in rubber compounds. Also, the preference for silica to migrate to the different phases in polymer blends was determined. The studies performed in binary polymer blends showed that carbon black has a preference to distribute in the different polymer phases in the order: SBR>BR~NR. Commercially available silica samples (treated and untreated) showed a preference in the order of SBR>NR>BR. Finally, the silica prototypes showed a preference in the order SBR=NR>BR. The knowledge gained regarding dispersion of treated silicas in rubber compounds was used to perform a series of studies to develop a silica – rubber compound combination with optimum performance for TBR treads. Initially, two silica prototypes (BXR-990 and BXR-991) were developed and used for a tire build at BATO’s tire plant in Warren County, TN. Results were evaluated and further silica and compound optimization was performed, prior to a final tire build. Manufacturing of the final silica prototype (BXR-1006) for the final tire build was performed at the PPG Silicas Pilot Plant in Monroeville, PA. Afterwards, experimental tires with silica-filled treads and control tires with carbon black-filled treads were built at BATO’s Warren County tire plant. The experimental TBR tires with silica-filled treads achieved the project goals for lab performance indicators, tread hardness and tear strength. The tires showed a 2.2% improvement in fuel efficiency compared to the control tires. While this improvement is lower than the 4% goal set initially, the improvement is significant and there are indicators that up to a 5% improvement in fuel efficiency could be achieved. This is supported by the confirmation of the validity of the fuel efficiency indicators made at the beginning of the project, and by the improvement in hysteresis and rolling resistance from tires built earlier in the project. The experimental tires produced using the BXR-990 silica prototype showed 47% improvement in tan δ at 60°C and 16% improvement in rolling resistance. Based on the results obtained, it is valid to estimate that the tires built with BXR-990 could provide around a 5% improvement in fuel efficiency, should we perform a fuel efficiency test. Tire wear for the experimental tires was 31% worse than for the control tires with the carbon black-filled tread compound. Other tools and further analysis of factors affecting wear are necessary to be evaluated to produce a silica tire with wear comparable to carbon black. Experimental and control tires were provided to the DOE for independent testing.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

DOE OSTI2019

The Wind Energy Workforce in the United States: Training, Hiring, and Future Needs

Researchers received 247 completed interviews from wind industry employers and 50 completed interviews from representatives from educational institutions with wind energy courses, to better understand the wind industry workforce, hiring needs, and educational pathways . The interviews revealed that 68% of wind industry firms interviewed had difficulty hiring across most occupations. Twenty-five percent of firms searched outside of the United States to find candidates with appropriate skills and experience, which some employers consider lacking, among domestic candidates. At the same time, interview results showed that people who graduate from wind energy educational programs often do not enter the wind industry upon graduation - the majority find employment outside of the wind industry. In addition, some educational and training institutions with wind or renewable energy-specific programs reported difficulty filling courses. This difficulty of employers finding well qualified workers while wind and renewable energy graduates report difficulty finding jobs in the wind industry is the wind energy workforce gap. Narrowing this workforce gap - decreasing hiring difficulty while increasing graduates' ability to find jobs in the wind industry - could reduce recruiting costs, better satisfy employer needs, and grow the domestic wind workforce. Narrowing the gap would simultaneously help educational institutions more efficiently fill classrooms and communicate wind-industry career options to potential students. Twenty-five percent of firms searched outside of the United States to find candidates with appropriate skills and experience, which some employers consider lacking, among domestic candidates. At the same time, interview results showed that people who graduate from wind energy educational programs often do not enter the wind industry upon graduation - the majority find employment outside of the wind industry. In addition, some educational and training institutions with wind or renewable energy-specific programs reported difficulty filling courses. This difficulty of employers finding well qualified workers while wind and renewable energy graduates report difficulty finding jobs in the wind industry is the wind energy workforce gap. Narrowing this workforce gap - decreasing hiring difficulty while increasing graduates' ability to find jobs in the wind industry - could reduce recruiting costs, better satisfy employer needs, and grow the domestic wind workforce. Narrowing the gap would simultaneously help educational institutions more efficiently fill classrooms and communicate wind-industry career options to potential students.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2021

ORNL Input to GDSA Repository Systems Analysis FY21

This document satisfies the M3 milestone M3SF-21OR010304082 titled “ORNL Input to GDSA Repository Systems.” This document describes the current status of Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s (ORNL’s) efforts related to analyses of dual-purpose canister (DPC) disposal in unsaturated alluvium with a focus on thermal hydrological constraints on criticality timing and power output. This analysis updates previous analyses of thermal hydrological constraints on timing and power output of a potential criticality event in Dual-Purpose Canisters (DPCs) in a hypothetical repository in unsaturated alluvium using a more realistic representation of heat transport inside dry DPCs. PFLOTRAN was used for the simulations of multiphase thermal hydrology near a single DPC. The scenario considers a DPC failure at 9000 years, allowing water to enter and eventually fill the DPC. Once the DPC is filled to a level that could support a criticality event, different values for criticality power output were added to the decay heat. The main objective is to bound the power output that could be produced by a criticality event without driving water out of the package. For the conditions analyzed here, following a package breach, the alluvial formation could supply enough water to allow enough accumulation in the DPC to support a criticality event. However, the power output that would be generated is limited to modest values by loss of water moderator due to evaporation and vapor diffusion. In the reference case scenario, the DPC would not start to fill with water until about 16,000 years post closure and would not fill to a level that allows a criticality event until approximately 25,000 years post closure. The long-term average power output that could be sustained without driving off the water and terminating the criticality event is limited to approximately 100 W. Sensitivity to assumed conditions and parameters in the reference case, especially the deep percolation rate, need to be addressed but could not be undertaken because of numerical failures of the PFLOTRAN code running in general mode in the dry conditions of an unsaturated alluvium repository

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2023

Final Report DE-FE0031785 Mohsen Ahmadian, Ph.D. Demonstration of Proof of Concept of a Multiphysics Approach for Real-Time Remote Monitoring of Dynamic Changes in Pressure and Salinity in Hydraulically Fractured Networks

Hydraulic fracturing has evolved into a multistep process with varying flow rates, carrier fluids (e.g., gel or slickwater), proppant loadings, and proppant grain sizes. As a result, primary recovery from a hydraulically fractured tight-oil reservoir is often a tiny fraction of the original oil in place, ranging between 5 and 10%. As stated in the FOA1990, “part of this problem is due to the inability of current well completion processes to effectively stimulate the entire reservoir volume in contact with the wellbore. Innovative technologies are needed that can help improve the effectiveness of reservoir completion methods, maximize stimulated reservoir volumes, and optimize recovery over the entire producing life span of a well”. We first need to enhance the current fracture diagnostic techniques to improve a well-completion design. However, detecting and delineating a subsurface hydraulic fracture is extremely difficult because the induced fracture network is only fractionally propped, and these propped fractures are generally very thin. Microseismic and tiltmeter monitoring techniques can provide information on the fracture extent but provide little or no information on the movement and final distribution of proppant or production fluids. On the other hand, electromagnetic (EM) imaging has shown the capability to monitor proppant distribution throughout the fracture area, especially in the presence of Electrically Active Proppants (EAPs). A previous EM survey of hydraulic fracturing at the Devine Fracture Pilot Site (DFPS) and subsequent EM code developments demonstrated this survey as a robust technique to remotely interrogate the extent of the EAP-filled hydraulic fracture during its propagation. The objectives of the project were threefold: (1) to capitalize on the material properties of an EAP to demonstrate remote monitoring of relative changes in pressure, pressure, and flow that are commonly encountered during production from a hydraulically fractured reservoir; (2) to evaluate EM imaging tools, to achieve Objective 1 in near real-time; and (3) to develop a multi-physics joint inversion approach to precisely predict flow patterns and physiochemical changes within an EAP-filled fracture network. This research project was built upon our previous work at the Devine Test Site managed by the Bureau of Economic Geology (BEG) at The University of Texas at Austin (UT-Austin). It also leveraged a significant investment from the Advanced Energy Consortium (AEC) to address the DOE's interest in subsurface flow, containment, and characterization by multiple signals. This three-year and three-month project succeeded in demonstrating the feasibility of a real-time dynamic fluid flow mapping technique at Technology Readiness Level 5 (TRL5) by utilizing a commercially available surface-based Controlled-Source Electromagnetic (CSEM) method (Objectives 1, 2). We demonstrated that injections into an EAP-filled fracture could be successfully coupled with real-time electric field measurements on the surface, leading to remote monitoring of dynamic changes within the EAP-filled fracture. Furthermore, the observed electric field in our study is influenced by bottomhole pressure, flow rate, and salinity, which is demonstrated by comparing these parameters with the electrical field potentials. EM simulations solely based on assumptions of fracture conductivity changes during injection did not reproduce the whole measured electric field magnitudes. Preliminary estimates showed that including Streaming Potential (SP) in our geophysical model is likely needed to reduce the simulation misfit.

02 PETROLEUM↗

DOE OSTI2021

Salt Vessel-Sample Generator Interface

The goal of the salt sampling program at Argonne is to develop and deploy automated molten salt sampling approaches for interfacing relevant unit operations with salt analysis to improve the timeliness and accuracy of sampling-based accountancy measurements. One technology under development is a vacuum sampler loop module. In this system, molten salt is drawn from a process vessel through a heated sampling line and into a charge vessel. Next, one or more samples are split from the volume in the charge vessel and the remaining salt is returned to the process. The vacuum sampler loop module is being developed to interface with other sample processing and analysis modules to enable rapid at-line sample characterization. The main purpose of the vacuum sampling loop module is to enable the collection of samples that are more representative of the bulk salt by replacing traditional point samplers (i.e., dip probes) with a sampling approach that captures a larger cross section of salt. Additionally, the vacuum sampling approach eliminates the risk of dross contamination of samples and avoids the use of moving parts in the salt. Two methods of interfacing the vacuum sampling loop with a precision pneumatic sample generator were investigated in FY21. This report covers the testing of fluidic coupling between the two modules. Two iterations of the fluidically coupled modules were tested. The first iteration system coupled the two modules using a freeze valve to seal the vacuum sampler during filling and to control flow into the pneumatic sample generator. While this integrated system functioned as intended, some changes were implemented to make the system more robust and better suited to remote deployment. Specifically, the system was made to be more modular and active control of the vacuum filling operation was replaced with a passive control mechanism. For passive filling, the salt charge vessel was vented to a small gas tank that was at negative pressure, causing salt to be drawn into the vessel until the force of the fluid head was in equilibrium with the gas pressure. The passive control system performed well and will be used in future iterations. Another change in the second system was a newly configured pneumatic sample generator in which sample ejection occurred through a hole in the reservoir’s stainless-steel side wall instead of through a non-wetted sapphire orifice on the bottom. This alternate configuration may be better suited for near-process deployment because it enables on-line orifice maintenance and an orifice bypass drain back to the process. A third change in the second iteration system was the transition to a two-chamber charge vessel which split off a fraction of the sampled salt as a liquid aliquot. The goal was to create a buffer mechanism that would allow reproducible aliquoting of samples, independently of variability in the charge vessel fill height. While the two-chamber design was functional, the sample size reproducibility was below target values. To improve reproducibility and overcome many of the impediments to remote deployment of the vacuum sampling loop module, separate work was conducted to replace the two-chamber liquid aliquoting mechanism with aliquoting into single-use sample tubes. Solid salt transfer in the sample tubes will replace fluidic coupling for integrating the vacuum sampler with downstream modules. Because the proposed operations can all be executed with simple overhead actuation mechanisms or other existing hot-cell technology, there will be no need for large investments in novel hot cell sample handling technologies using this alternate approach. As such, near-term deployment of the vacuum sampling technology will be achievable. This new approach for automated coupling of sample tubes with down-stream modules is covered in a separate FY21 report, and a remotely operated version of the vacuum sampler loop module with the tube aliquoting feature is planned for FY22.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

DOE OSTI2024

Identify and Assess Technical Challenges in Safeguards Measurements of Spent Advanced Reactor Fuels

Advanced reactor (AR) designs use various nuclear fuel types that can be significantly different than conventional light-water reactor (LWR) fuels, including differences in sizes, compositions, and chemical forms (e.g., oxide, carbide, metal). Nearly all the proposed AR fuels use high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU), which will have higher enrichments (5–20 wt% 235 U) than LWR fuels (currently limited to <5 wt% 235 U). In advance of the wide use of these new fuel types around the world, international safeguards organizations such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA]) are working with some of the AR vendors to formulate safeguards approaches for these AR fuel cycles. As part of the overall safeguards approach, it is important to identify the potential technical challenges in performing safeguards verification measurements of these AR fuels (both fresh and spent fuels) in advance of the widespread adoption of these new fuel types, because new safeguards technologies can take several years to develop, test, and approve for use. This report documents work performed in fiscal year 2024 based on modeling and simulation to assess the performance of the existing safeguards measurement technologies for irradiated or spent AR fuel elements or items. This work is a continuation of the work performed in fiscal year 2023 that focused on fresh AR fuels. Spent AR fuels have a distinct difference from their LWR counterparts: unlike the spent LWR fuels typically stored in a water-filled pool, some spent AR fuels—such as tristructural-isotropic (TRISO)-based fuels—will most likely be stored in air-filled hot cells. Because most safeguards measurements on spent fuel performed to date have been conducted under water, the air-filled hot cell environment could present unique challenges to safeguards measurements. Fork detector (FDET) and Cerenkov viewing device (CVD) systems have been the two primary instruments used by the IAEA for several decades to measure spent LWR fuel assemblies stored in pools for safeguards verification purposes. Because the lower refractive index of air causes Cerenkov light to be of lower intensity in air than in water, existing CVDs are likely unable to perform safeguards verification measurements for spent fuel stored in an air-filled hot cell, as is the case for the TRISO-based spent fuel elements (e.g., pebbles, graphite fuel blocks). Unlike FDET measurements, CVD measurements do not require fuel be moved, so they are a simpler and faster to take than FDET measurements. The inability to perform CVD measurements on the TRISO-based AR fuel types presents a major technical challenge in the effort to use existing technology to perform safeguards measurements on spent AR fuels. This study was mainly conducted through the modeling and simulation of an FDET or an FDET-like system on five spent AR fuel types, including one metallic fuel type and four TRISO-based fuel types in both pebble and graphite block forms in their respective storage configurations and environments. Because the various AR fuel types have significantly different dimensions, FDET systems must be adapted to accommodate them. Partial defect tests were also simulated in this study to assess the FDET’s ability to detect potential fuel diversions. The FDET measures the fuel’s total passive neutron and gamma emissions. The simulated FDET results from spent AR fuel items are compared against results from a typical spent pressurized water reactor (PWR) assembly. High-purity germanium (HPGe) gamma detector measurements were also simulated for the spent AR fuel types and the PWR assembly because the signature photopeaks have been used in LWR safeguards verifications, although HPGe is usually not used to detect diversions because of the fuel’s self-attenuation effects on those photopeaks. The results indicate that these detectors have significant challenges in performing safeguards measurements of the spent AR fuel items, including incompatibilities between AR fuel items and existing FDETs, lower neutron count rates, lower sensitivities to fuel diversions in certain AR fuel items, and significantly higher interference from a neighboring fuel item when the measurement is performed in air. These results suggest that an alternative technology or significant and timely technology development is needed to perform adequate safeguards measurements of some of these AR fuel items.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

DOE OSTI2022

Balancing Functionality and Printability: High-Loading Polymer Resins for Direct Ink Writing

Although direct ink writing (DIW) allows the rapid fabrication of unique 3D printed objects, the resins—or “inks”—available for this technique are in short supply and often offer little functionality, leading to the development of new, custom inks. However, when creating new inks, the ability of the ink to lead to a successful print, or the “printability,” must be considered. Thus, this work examined the effect of filler composition/concentration, printing parameters, and lattice structure on the printability of new polysiloxane inks incorporating high concentrations (50–70 wt%) of metallic and ceramic fillers as well as emulsions. Results suggest that strut diameter and spacing ratio have the most influence on the printability of DIW materials and that the printability of silica- and metal-filled inks is more predictable than ceramic-filled inks. Additionally, higher filler loadings and SC geometries led to stiffer printed parts than lower loadings and FCT geometries, and metal-filled inks were more thermally stable than ceramic-filled inks. The findings in this work provide important insights into the tradeoffs associated with the development of unique and/or multifunctional DIW inks, printability, and the final material’s performance.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2017

Magnetohydrodynamic Simulations of the Formation of Molecular Clouds toward the Stellar Cluster Westerlund 2: Interaction of a Jet with a Clumpy Interstellar Medium

The formation mechanism of CO clouds observed with the NANTEN2 and Mopra telescopes toward the stellar cluster Westerlund 2 is studied by 3D magnetohydrodynamic simulations, taking into account the interstellar cooling. These molecular clouds show a peculiar shape composed of an arc-shaped cloud on one side of the TeV γ -ray source HESS J1023-575 and a linear distribution of clouds (jet clouds) on the other side. We propose that these clouds are formed by the interaction of a jet with clumps of interstellar neutral hydrogen (H i). By studying the dependence of the shape of dense cold clouds formed by shock compression and cooling on the filling factor of H i clumps, we found that the density distribution of H i clumps determines the shape of molecular clouds formed by the jet–cloud interaction: arc clouds are formed when the filling factor is large. On the other hand, when the filling factor is small, molecular clouds align with the jet. The jet propagates faster in models with small filling factors.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

NASA NTRS1976

Multiple ring structures and the problem of correlation between lunar basins

Comparison of multi-ringed, mare-filled basins on the nearside of the moon indicates that a simple one-to-one correspondence of all rings between lunar basins does not exist. The only rings which can be correlated reasonably well between such basins are concentric systems of mare ridges and basin rims, and the frequently cited square-root-of-2 spacing relationship does not correctly describe their spacing. It is concluded that the Cordillera is the rim of the Orientale Basin and is equivalent to the 1340 km diameter ring of the Imbrium Basin and the rims of the other mare-filled basins. The area between the Rook and Cordillera rings is believed equivalent to the marginal shelf areas of the more completely mare-filled basins. A circular arc approximately 520 km diameter located just inside the outer Rook Ring would have been the most likely site for formation of a concentric system of mare ridges, had filling of the Orientale Basin been complete.

Brennan, W. J.↗