Results for “planned” — Page 88

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Inverse Text Normalization of Air Traffic Control System Command Center Planning Telecon Transcriptions

We present a hybrid neural network and rule-based Inverse Text Normalization (ITN) method for domains containing unique technical phraseology, specifically Air Traffic Control System Command Center (ATCSCC) planning telecon audio transcriptions. The ATCSCC hosts bi-hourly planning telephone conferences (or planning telecons) to ensure smooth operations within the National Airspace (NAS). Access to both live and post meeting transcripts of this speech audio would enable quick review of meetings. Provided speech transcripts, ITN is the process of converting unformatted raw Automated Speaker Recognition (ASR) model transcripts into a human (expert) readable written form. Our hybrid ITN framework utilizes a fine-tuned Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers neural network to format conversational English, and rule-based methods to format domain-specific aviation text. With an overall Punctuation Error Rate (PER) of 25.56 and Word Error Rate with Punctuation and Capitalization (WER PC) of 5.47, we show that this method has vast potential in being applied to ATCSCC planning telecon audio and other audio/text based data available in ATM.

ATM↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Inverse Text Normalization of Air Traffic Control System Command Center Planning Telecon Transcriptions

We present a hybrid neural network and rule-based Inverse Text Normalization (ITN) method for domains containing unique technical phraseology, specifically Air Traffic Control System Command Center (ATCSCC) planning telecon audio transcriptions. The ATCSCC hosts bi-hourly planning telephone conferences (or planning telecons) to ensure smooth operations within the National Airspace (NAS). Access to both live and post meeting transcripts of this speech audio would enable quick review of meetings. Provided speech transcripts, ITN is the process of converting unformatted raw Automated Speaker Recognition (ASR) model transcripts into a human (expert) readable written form. Our hybrid ITN framework utilizes a fine-tuned Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers neural network to format conversational English, and rule-based methods to format domain-specific aviation text. With an overall Punctuation Error Rate (PER) of 25.56 and Word Error Rate with Punctuation and Capitalization (WER PC) of 5.47, we show that this method has vast potential in being applied to ATCSCC planning telecon audio and other audio/text based data available in ATM.

ATM↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Update on NASA’s ISRU Development and Mission Plans for the Artemis Program

In 2017, NASA initiated the Artemis program to send astronauts back to the lunar surface, create a sustainable human lunar exploration program, and lead the first human exploration mission to the Mars surface. While much of NASA’s plans for the Artemis program currently focus on the Human Lunar Return and the ability for astronauts to explore the lunar surface for limited durations each year, the longer-term vision for the Artemis program is to enable sustained human exploration and commercial operations in cis-lunar space and the lunar surface. An important aspect of achieving this long-term vision, is to better understand and characterize the resources on the Moon and Mars and learn how to extract and use these resources. Known as In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU), the identification, mapping, extraction, and processing of space resources has the potential to greatly reduce the cost and risk of human exploration. These are achieved by reducing what needs to be delivered from Earth and the dependency on these supplies, lowering costs through commercial operations, and expanding infrastructure for safer and more capable exploration and surface operations. To guide development of ISRU technologies and systems on the ground and demonstrate these capabilities on the Moon and Mars, the NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) created and released the ISRU Envisioned Future Priorities (EFP) strategic plan in 2022 and updated it in 2023. While lunar ISRU technology development had already started, these publicly released strategic plans have been used to guide and prioritize technology development, and assess the progress in achieving the vision. Since the release of the ISRU EFP, there have been several significant activities/events that have occurred with respect to human lunar exploration, surface infrastructure, and ISRU. One was the release of the Artemis Architecture Definition Document Revision 1 that included ISRU as a sub-architecture. The second was the release of several STMD solicitations including the Announcement of Collaborative Opportunities (ACO) and Tipping Point (TP). The third was the release of a Request for Information for the Lunar Infrastructure Foundational Technology-1 (LIFT-1) mission with the primary objective of extracting oxygen from lunar regolith. The fourth was the release of STMD technology and capability Shortfalls, and the review, ranking by numerous stakeholders and individuals, and subsequent prioritization of the Shortfalls that will be utilized in future solicitation and development plans. This paper will provide an overview and status of on-going technology and system development activities, an update of ISRU into the Artemis campaign, an update on ISRU-related mission, and the impacts of the Shortfall prioritization.

NASA↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The Land Surface in Current and Planned MERRA Reanalysis Products

Current global atmospheric reanalysis products such as the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts Reanalysis version 5 (ERA5), the NASA Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications version 2 (MERRA-2), and the Japanese Reanalysis for Three Quarters of a Century (JRA-3Q) provide estimates of land surface states and fluxes, including soil moisture, soil temperature, snow mass, latent and sensible heat fluxes, and runoff, that are widely used in research and applications. These land surface estimates are based on land surface process models and, depending on the reanalysis product, on precipitation observations or the assimilation of land surface observations of soil moisture, soil temperature, snow conditions, and screen-level air temperature and humidity from satellite observations and in situ measurements. In this presentation, we review the land surface modeling and data assimilation components of the suite of current and planned MERRA reanalysis products. In addition to MERRA-2, we will discuss the latest NASA reanalysis, MERRA for the 21st century (M21C), which is currently under production, as well as the development and planning of the next version of the MERRA reanalysis, tentatively labeled MERRA-3. In MERRA-2, observations-based precipitation data products are used to correct the precipitation falling on the land surface. Outside of the high-latitudes and Africa, the daily, 0.5-degree, gauge-based Climate Prediction Center (CPC) Unified (CPCU) product is used. In Africa, the pentad, 2.5-degree, satellite- and gauge-based CPC Merged Analysis of Precipitation (CMAP) product is used. Poleward of 62.5 degrees latitude, the land surface sees the precipitation generated by the atmospheric model in the cycling data assimilation system. This configuration provides improved soil moisture estimates compared to those of the original (version 1) MERRA estimates, which did not benefit from the use of precipitation observations. Moreover, the use of precipitation observations facilitates a seamless spin-up of the land surface initial conditions across the MERRA-2 production streams. The use of a gauge-only precipitation product in MERRA-2 across much of the globe, however, adversely impacts the quality of the MERRA-2 land surface estimates in regions with poor gauge coverage, including most of South America and Australia. Therefore, the forthcoming M21C reanalysis uses satellite- and gauge-based precipitation from the Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for the Global Precipitation Measurement Mission (IMERG). This change results in significant improvements in the quality of the M21C soil moisture estimates in the Southern Hemisphere compared to those from MERRA-2. Planning for MERRA-3 focuses on the assimilation of soil moisture observations from the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission and the Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT), along with snow cover area fraction observations from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) to further improve the quality of the land surface estimates from the reanalysis. As a first step towards the assimilation of land surface observations in MERRA-3, the offline (land-only) M21C-Land reanalysis is currently under development as a supplemental M21C product that includes the assimilation of SMAP, ASCAT, and MODIS observations. Preliminary results from M21C and M21C-Land will be discussed in the context of MERRA-2 and plans for MERRA-3.

Rolf Reichle↗

DOE OSTI2021

Variational Information Planning for Sequential Decision Making

We consider the setting of sequential decision making where, at each stage, potential actions are evaluated based on expected reduction in posterior uncertainty, given by mutual information (MI). As MI typically lacks a closed form, we propose an approach which maintains variational approximations of, both, the posterior and MI utility. Our planning objective extends an established variational bound on MI to the setting of sequential planning. The result, variational information planning (VIP), is an efficient method for sequential decision making. We further establish convexity of the variational planning objective and, under conditional exponential family approximations, we show that the optimal MI bound arises from a relaxation of the well-known exponential family moment matching property. Here, we demonstrate VIP for sensor selection, experiment design, and active learning, where it meets or exceeds methods requiring more computation, or those specialized to the task.

Pacheco, Jason↗

DOE OSTI2022

Providing Levelized Cost and Waiting Time Inputs for HDV Hydrogen Refueling Station Planning: A Case Study of U.S. I-75 Corridor

Widespread use of diesel fuels in freight transportation leads to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that play an important role in air pollution. The air pollution, as well as the energy crisis, drives the transition from diesel fuel to cleaner and more energy-efficient fuels such as hydrogen fuels. With such a transition, the strategic planning and optimization of supporting refueling infrastructure along the national highway for heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs) become a necessity. Cost and service level are two essential factors to be considered in hydrogen refueling station location and capacity optimization. The service level in this study is assessed by the delay (waiting time) at fueling stations as well as the fueling demand fulfilled. To this end, this study presents a methodology to provide waiting time (delay) and levelized hydrogen fuel cost inputs under different station configurations (number of dispensers and fill rates) for hydrogen refueling station planning. Determining the station configurations based on the trade-off between the two inputs is further discussed. Particularly, this study points out that the levelized cost and waiting time are affected by hourly demand patterns and estimates the two inputs under different peak hour fueling demand scenarios. The results suggest that, with the same daily demand, the cost, as well as the waiting time, increases obviously with the peak hour demand. In the case study, the cost grows at least 30% when the peak hour visit frequency of the daily total visits increases from 5% (evenly distributed pattern) to 10% (the most common pattern for existing diesel fueling stations along I-75). Accounting for this peak hour effect in hydrogen refueling station planning is recommended. Overall, the waiting time model and cost analysis provide key inputs for optimizing hydrogen refueling station location and configurations based on anticipated refueling demand patterns. The paper is the second in a series that aims to build a comprehensive modeling plan and optimize hydrogen refueling infrastructure along the Interstate 75 (I-75) corridor for HDVs.

Liu, Yuandong↗

DOE OSTI2023

Representing the Future Role of Hydropower and Pumped Storage Hydropower (PSH) in Electricity Planning Tools

Existing tools for long-term electric sector planning struggle to represent hydropower's nuanced site-specific technical and operating characteristics, which depend on technical specifications as well as water management practices and regulations. As a result, long-term planning models and tools insufficiently characterize hydropower value and incentives, and they cannot fully represent the role hydropower can play in a future electricity system that could include a high penetration of variable wind and solar generation, battery storage, and other low-carbon technologies. This presentation demonstrates the culmination of a multi-year effort to enhance hydropower representations in electricity planning models at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), as part of the U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE) HydroWIRES Initiative. New modeling techniques are demonstrated using the NREL Regional Energy Deployment System (ReEDS), an open-access electric sector capacity expansion model used extensively in a wide range of technology deployment and integration analysis, including the 2016 USDOE Hydropower Vision. ReEDS uses a least-cost optimization approach to understand investment and operation of electricity generation, storage, and transmission technologies under future scenarios of electricity technology innovation, demand, policy, and other sectoral drivers. ReEDS was modified to better represent value and opportunities for both pumped storage hydropower (PSH) and hydropower systems without pumping. We incorporated a new national closed-loop PSH resource and cost assessment to explore new PSH deployment opportunities and added plant-level data to better represent the existing PSH fleet. New upgrade pathways enable opportunities for enhanced hydropower flexibility by adding pumps, upgrading dispatchability, increasing capacity, or increasing energy availability. The model was also modified to better represent the value of long-duration energy storage beyond diurnal time scales, allowing both hydropower and PSH to better balance energy supply and demand variations in high-renewable systems. These new features are demonstrated under reference and high-renewable futures and a range of sensitivity scenarios to understand which hydropower and PSH deployment and upgrade opportunities are the most attractive. These scenarios indicate potential for new closed-loop PSH deployment and for hydropower flexibility improvements to have important impacts on long-term electricity system emissions and economic outcomes. Increasing flexibility of the existing hydropower fleet can reduce the need to invest in new flexible grid technologies and help achieve decarbonization goals. Systems with sufficient energy storage could also be valuable for balancing seasonal differences in renewable energy availability, particularly from solar energy. The methods developed for ReEDS and subsequent scenario results reveal important considerations for future hydropower and grid system planning, and all data and code is freely available in a public code repository for use throughout the hydropower industry.

capacity expansion↗

DOE OSTI2023

A Plan to Qualify New Fuel for the High Flux Isotope Reactor for Material Minimization

The High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is one of five high power research reactors the Office of Material Management and Minimization (M3) Program, Office of Conversion is working to convert from using highly enriched uranium (HEU) fuel to using low-enriched uranium (LEU) fuel. This effort stems from the primary objective within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) to achieve permanent threat reduction by minimizing, and when possible, eliminating weapon-usable nuclear material around the world. Under M3’s Office of Conversion, the U.S. High Performance Research Reactor (USHPRR) Project is pursuing fuel qualification and licensing of LEU fuels to support the high-performance reactors. All high-performance reactors except HFIR will be converted to LEU monolithic uranium-molybdenum alloy fuel. HFIR will be evaluated for conversion to LEU using a uranium silicide fuel, namely, U3Si2-Al dispersion fuel. The mission of the USHPRR Project is to develop the technology needed to reduce, and eventually eliminate, worldwide use of HEU in civilian applications. The goal is to develop the technical means needed to use low enriched uranium (LEU) instead of HEU fuel in research and test reactors without significant penalties in performance, economics, or safety of the reactors. The USHPRR Project has four major elements, called Pillars: Fuel Qualification (FQ) managed at Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Fuel Fabrication (FF) managed at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Reactor Conversion (RC) managed at Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne), and Cross-Cutting (CC) managed at Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL). FQ is responsible for the qualification of the fuel type. RC is responsible for supporting reactor conversion analysis and overseeing licensing submittals leading to conversions of domestic reactors to LEU fuel. For the FQ effort, FQ (INL) worked in collaboration with RC (Argonne) and ORNL to develop the plan for the uranium silicide fuel qualification for HFIR. The resulting HFIR Fuel Qualification Plan provides the general approach for the USHPRR team to move the selected uranium silicide fuel design for HFIR conversion through qualification. Authorization and use in HFIR will be approved through the DOE’s Office of Science. Uranium silicide fuel was previously qualified in NUREG-1313 at an approximate maximum heat flux of 1.4 MW/m2 and a maximum fuel section temperature of about 130°C. In addition to the different regulator process utilized by DOE, these upper limits will be exceeded in HFIR; therefore, further testing will be necessary to ensure the fuel can meet HFIR qualification requirements. The HFIR fuel loading may exceed 4.8 gU/cm3 which was determined in the NUREG-1313 safety evaluation to be acceptable for use in non-power NRC-licensed reactors provided there exist no other safety considerations. In addition, the uranium silicide fuel will need to be qualified in a HFIR-specific design. This plan includes the currently available information from the USHPRR Project Functions and Requirements document and expands these requirements to ensure that planned tests have traceable results providing evidence that the requirements have been met. Data collection methods are discussed as well as the process to show that the requirements have been met. This document is designed to provide a pathway for researchers to obtain data necessary and at the appropriate quality level for HFIR fuel qualification

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

DOE OSTI2019

Test and Chemistry Plan for MEDE Treatment of Fermi-1 Blanket Materials

There exists approximately 34 metric tons of Fermi-1 nuclear power reactor blanket assemblies at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). Contained in this material is about 365 kg of sodium metal. In 2000, the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Treatment and Management of Sodium-Bonded Spent Nuclear Fuel was issued. In the EIS, the No Action Alternative was preferred for the Fermi-1 blanket material. Under the No Action Alternative, two options were analyzed: • Continued storage until 2035 or until development of a new or currently less mature technology to treat all or part of the sodium-bonded material. • Direct disposal of the sodium-bonded material in high-integrity cans. This report with document how the Melt-Drain-Evaporate (MEDE) process, developed by Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), can be used to treat full-length Fermi-1 blanket material to remove the sodium, eliminate the hazards associated with that metal, all while minimizing the effort needed. Previous work by ANL showed the process worked very well with chopped, shorter segments of this material. If successful, the removal of the sodium from the material may allow the Fermi-1 blanket material to be disposed via existing or future planned disposal pathways for similar materials. This document presents the test plan for the evaluation of sodium removal from intact Fermi-1 reactor blanket materials by the MEDE process. This test plan establishes the objectives for such testing, which includes the anticipated outcomes, a summary of the testing parameters, and an overview of the testing process. This test plan does not provide technical direction or work control guidance; that is the role of a Laboratory Instruction (LI) that will be issued to govern the work.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2023

A Plan to Qualify New Fuel for the High Flux Isotope Reactor for Material Minimization

The High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is one of five high power research reactors the Office of Material Management and Minimization (M3) Program, Office of Conversion is working to convert from using highly enriched uranium (HEU) fuel to using low-enriched uranium (LEU) fuel. This effort stems from the primary objective within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) to achieve permanent threat reduction by minimizing, and when possible, eliminating weapon-usable nuclear material around the world. Under M3’s Office of Conversion, the U.S. High Performance Research Reactor (USHPRR) Project is pursuing fuel qualification and licensing of the high-performance reactors to operate with LEU fuels. All high-performance reactors except HFIR will be converted to LEU monolithic uranium-molybdenum alloy fuel. HFIR will be evaluated for conversion to LEU using a uranium silicide fuel, namely, U3Si2-Al dispersion fuel.The mission of the USHPRR Project is to develop the technology needed to reduce, and eventually eliminate, worldwide use of HEU in civilian applications. The goal is to develop the technical means needed to use low enriched uranium (LEU) instead of HEU fuel in research and test reactors without significant penalties in performance, economics, or safety of the reactors. The USHPRR Project has four major elements, called Pillars: Fuel Qualification (FQ) managed at Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Fuel Fabrication (FF) managed at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Reactor Conversion (RC) managed at Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne), and Cross-Cutting (CC) managed at Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL). FQ is responsible for the qualification of the fuel type. RC is responsible for supporting reactor conversion analysis and overseeing licensing submittals leading to conversions of domestic reactors to LEU fuel. For the FQ effort, FQ (INL) worked in collaboration with RC (Argonne) and ORNL to develop the plan for the uranium silicide fuel qualification for HFIR.The resulting HFIR Fuel Qualification Plan provides the general approach for the USHPRR team to move the selected uranium silicide fuel design for HFIR conversion through qualification. Authorization and use in HFIR will be approved through the DOE’s Office of Science. Uranium silicide fuel was previously qualified in NUREG-1313 at an approximate maximum heat flux of 1.4 MW/m2 and a maximum fuel section temperature of about 130°C. In addition to the different regulator process utilized by DOE, these upper limits will be exceeded in HFIR; therefore, further testing will be necessary to ensure the fuel can meet HFIR qualification requirements. The HFIR fuel loading may exceed 4.8 gU/cm3 which was determined in the NUREG-1313 safety evaluation to be acceptable for use in non-power NRC-regulated reactors provided there exist no other safety considerations. In addition, the uranium silicide fuel will need to be qualified in a HFIR-specific design. This plan includes the currently available information from the USHPRR Project Functions and Requirements document and expands these requirements to ensure that planned tests have traceable results providing evidence that the requirements have been met. Data collection methods are discussed as well as the process to show that the requirements have been met. This document is designed to provide a pathway for researchers to obtain data necessary and at the appropriate quality level for HFIR fuel qualification.

Shokes, Tamara↗

DOE OSTI2017

The Port Hope Area Initiative's Port Granby Project: From Planning to Execution - 17451

The Port Hope Area Initiative's Port Granby Project involves the construction of a new, secure long-term waste management facility (LTWMF) and supporting infrastructure, and the excavation and relocation of some 450,000 m{sup 3} of LLRW and marginally contaminated soil from the former Port Granby Waste Management Facility (PGWMF) to the newly constructed LTWMF. Presented is an overview of the Port Granby Project and a description of the planning needed to execute the project successfully. A comprehensive suite of approximately 40 pre-construction submittals were developed and submitted for review and approval by Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL), the project authority. Importantly, comprehensive training programs were developed and implemented to ensure all project staff fully understood the scope of the planning documents (covering such things as Quality Control, Environmental Monitoring, Radiation Protection, Dust Management, Noise, Radiation Protection etc.) and possess the appropriate competencies for completing the work to which they have been assigned. The effective planning that has been invested in the Port Granby project, from initial design to project planning and implementation, has allowed this complex project to proceed with minimal difficulty. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2018

Preliminary Planning of Radwaste Management for the Decommissioning of Chinshan NPP in Taiwan - 18201

The Chinshan NPP was the first commercially operated nuclear power plant in Taiwan since 1978. There are two BWR units in Chinshan NPP, which each unit has electrical output of 636 MWe. After 40 year's period of license, the final shutdown date of Unit No. 1 and Unit No. 2 will be in December, 2018 and in July, 2019, respectively. According to 'Nuclear Reactor Facilities Regulation Act' in Taiwan, decommissioning of nuclear reactor facilities should be implemented by the strategy of DECON (Decontamination followed by dismantling) within 25 years when the permission is approved by Atomic Energy Council (AEC). The decommissioning plan of Chinshan NPP has been permitted by AEC in the end of June, 2017. The implementation of Chinshan NPP decommissioning will be started while the Environmental Impact Assessment is approved by EPA. In this study, the Turbine Building in Chinshan NPP is selected as a case study for the preliminary planning of decommissioning. First, we thoroughly examine the inventory of all macro-components in the Turbine Building to estimate the waste amounts. Accordingly, the work breakdown structure (WBS) for dismantling of facilities is scheduled. Then, considering to minimize waste amounts, several suitable decontamination techniques, such as chemical and mechanical methods, which are developed by INER are considered to be adopted. As for the estimation of man hours of dismantling facilities, all events during the decommissioning tasks are classified into 16 work procedures and appropriative factors of corresponding team hours are gotten. In addition, the detailed methodology of the preliminary plan of decommissioning is also discussed. Finally, we hope the results of this planning can provide practical benefits to upcoming decommissioning work in Taiwan. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2020

Planning for Nuclear Power Plant Site Visits - 20481

The U.5. Department of Energy Office of Integrated Waste Management (DOE-IWM) is planning for future large-scale transport of commercial spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high-level radioactive waste (HLW) to eventual disposal and/or storage facilities. As part of its planning efforts, DOE conducts evaluations of removing SNF from nuclear power plant sites. Site visits are a pivotal piece in the site evaluations that are conducted by DOE, and significant planning efforts are undertaken to design and implement site visits. Site visits typically include three days of surveys and meetings, including one day each for the nuclear power plant site visit, evaluating near-site transportation infrastructure, and meeting with community engagement panels or advisory boards. This paper outlines DOE-IWM's planning process for conducting nuclear power plant site visits and summarizes the key activities carried out to prepare for a site visit, including a discussion of the background research conducted prior to a site visit. Additionally, the paper describes the development of reference databases for site visits, the identification of unique site characteristics, and the use of geographic information system (GIS) applications to enhance the quality of the information collected during a site visit. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2024

FUEL PERFORMANCE SIMULATION OF HIGH BURNUP FUELS IN PLANNED INTEGRAL DESIGN BASIS ACCIDENT EXPERIMENTS

High burnup (HBu) fuel rods from the Byron Nuclear Generating Station (BNGS) were recently received at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to support a variety of planned Nuclear Energy fuel cycle R&D objectives ranging from fuel performance, fuel recycle, and spent fuel research topics. Among these R&D activities, these fuel rods will be the subjects of multiple in-pile experiment programs at the Transient Reactor Test (TREAT) facility as well as detailed characterization and testing in the hot cells at INL and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). TREAT RIA experiments are planned for the Nuclear Energy Agency Framework for Irradiation Experiments (FIDES) Joint Experimental Program called High burnup Experiments in Reactivity Initiated Accident (HERA) program. TREAT and ORNL-furnace LOCA experiments are part of the Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Fuels Campaign (AFC) program U.S. consensus LOCA test plan, and the in-pile experiments have also been proposed in a FIDES project called Loss of Coolant-High Burnup (LOC-HBu). The results of these test programs will provide crucial data about safety performance enabling extended licensable burnup limits for these fuels. The purpose of this paper is to document fuel performance computational simulations of the BNGS fuel using the Bison code. The detailed assessments include (1) the irradiation history of the fuel to provide prediction of as-run fuel conditions and (2) extending the irradiated fuel conditions into the as-designed experiment conditions for the HERA-HBu RIA experiments and for the LOC-HBu LOCA experiments. The results of these assessments will inform post-irradiation examinations (PIE) of the BNGS parent rods and detailed final design of the planned experiments.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

DOE OSTI2024

FUEL PERFORMANCE SIMULATION OF HIGH BURNUP FUELS IN PLANNED INTEGRAL DESIGN BASIS ACCIDENT EXPERIMENTS

High burnup (HBu) fuel rods from the Byron Nuclear Generating Station (BNGS) were recently received at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to support a variety of planned Nuclear Energy fuel cycle R&D objectives ranging from fuel performance, fuel recycle, and spent fuel research topics. Among these R&D activities, these fuel rods will be the subjects of multiple in-pile experiment programs at the Transient Reactor Test (TREAT) facility as well as detailed characterization and testing in the hot cells at INL and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). TREAT RIA experiments are planned for the Nuclear Energy Agency Framework for Irradiation Experiments (FIDES) Joint Experimental Program called High burnup Experiments in Reactivity Initiated Accident (HERA) program. TREAT and ORNL-furnace LOCA experiments are part of the Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Fuels Campaign (AFC) program U.S. consensus LOCA test plan, and the in-pile experiments have also been proposed in a FIDES project called Loss of Coolant-High Burnup (LOC-HBu). The results of these test programs will provide crucial data about safety performance enabling extended licensable burnup limits for these fuels. The purpose of this paper is to document fuel performance computational simulations of the BNGS fuel using the Bison code. The detailed assessments include (1) the irradiation history of the fuel to provide prediction of as-run fuel conditions and (2) extending the irradiated fuel conditions into the as-designed experiment conditions for the HERA-HBu RIA experiments and for the LOC-HBu LOCA experiments. The results of these assessments will inform post-irradiation examinations (PIE) of the BNGS parent rods and detailed final design of the planned experiments.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

DOE OSTI2024

Fuel Performance Simulation of High Burnup Fuels in Planned Integral Design Basis Accident Experiments

High burnup (HBu) fuel rods from the Byron Nuclear Generating Station (BNGS) were recently received at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to support a variety of planned Nuclear Energy fuel cycle R&D objectives ranging from fuel performance, fuel recycle, and spent fuel research topics. Among these R&D activities, these fuel rods will be the subjects of multiple in-pile experiment programs at the Transient Reactor Test (TREAT) facility as well as detailed characterization and testing in the hot cells at INL and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). TREAT RIA experiments are planned for the Nuclear Energy Agency Framework for Irradiation Experiments (FIDES) Joint Experimental Program called High burnup Experiments in Reactivity Initiated Accident (HERA) program. TREAT and ORNL-furnace LOCA experiments are part of the Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Fuels Campaign (AFC) program U.S. consensus LOCA test plan, and the in-pile experiments have also been proposed in a FIDES project called Loss of Coolant-High Burnup (LOC-HBu). The results of these test programs will provide crucial data about safety performance enabling extended licensable burnup limits for these fuels. The purpose of this paper is to document fuel performance computational simulations of the BNGS fuel using the Bison code. The detailed assessments include (1) the irradiation history of the fuel to provide prediction of as-run fuel conditions and (2) extending the irradiated fuel conditions into the as-designed experiment conditions for the HERA-HBu RIA experiments and for the LOC-HBu LOCA experiments. The results of these assessments will inform post-irradiation examinations (PIE) of the BNGS parent rods and detailed final design of the planned experiments.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

DOE OSTI2023

Disjunctive optimization model and algorithm for long-term capacity expansion planning of reliable power generation systems

This paper proposes a new optimization model and algorithm for long-term capacity expansion planning of reliable power generation systems. The model optimizes both investment decisions (e.g., size, location, and time to install, retire and decommission facilities) and operation decisions (e.g., on/off status, operating capacity, and expected power output). It is also able to optimize reserve systems (or backup systems), as well as the main systems, to improve power systems reliability. An impact of operational strategies of generators (i.e., participating in electricity production vs. remaining as idle units during operation) on power systems reliability is considered. Probability of equipment failures and capacity failure states are used to rigorously estimate the power systems reliability depending on design and operation strategies. The optimization model is formulated with Generalized Disjunctive Programming (GDP), which is reformulated as a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model using the Hull relaxation. Two reliability-related penalties, such as downtime penalty and unmet demand penalty, are included in the objective function to maximize reliability while minimizing the total net present cost. Furthermore, a bilevel decomposition with tailored cuts is developed to reduce computational times of the multi-scale optimization model. The effectiveness of the proposed model is shown by comparing the results with the results obtained from the expansion planning models that do not explicitly consider reliability. In conclusion, we also show that the proposed bilevel decomposition is computationally efficient for solving large scale problems through 5-years and 10-years planning case studies.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

DOE OSTI2022

Integrated charging infrastructure planning and charging scheduling for battery electric bus systems

We report studies on the electric bus system planning problem have typically focused exclusively on either the deployment of charging infrastructure or the scheduling of charging events; few have examined the impact of charging facility deployment on charging activities. Considering the interdependence of system design and operational strategies, this study proposes a two-phase optimization framework for charging infrastructure planning and charging scheduling for battery electric bus systems. An integrated optimization model is first developed to simultaneously optimize charger deployment, on-board battery capacity, and charging schedules. A charging scheduling model is further proposed and a rolling horizon approach is utilized in the second phase to optimize the real-time charging scheduling of electric buses. Compared to existing electric bus system planning methods, the proposed integrated model can reduce the total system cost by 19.5%. In addition, compared to uncontrolled charging, the proposed rolling horizon-based charging strategy can reduce the total charging cost by 68.3%.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗