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At least 1,747 records · Page 97
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2018

Developing a Strategy for Full Nuclear Plant Modernization

Recognizing the important role commercial nuclear power generation plays in the powering the economy and providing energy security to the nation, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has established the Light Water Reactor Sustainability (LWRS) program to perform research and development (R&D) that further establishes the technical foundations for managing the long-term, safe, and economical operation of nuclear power plants (NPPs). One particular R&D area in the LWRS program is the Plant Modernization pathway, which includes human factors R&D and instrumentation and control systems engineering to enable full plant modernization. By funding R&D on plant modernization, the LWRS program provides important technical information that can be used by decision makers on how to best proceed with modernizing the existing fleet of NPPs. Under the LWRS program Plant Modernization pathway, a considerable amount of R&D has been performed in the human factors and I&C engineering areas. This work has been done in collaboration with many different U.S. utilities, and focused on both control room instrumentation and control (I&C) upgrades, and I&C upgrades in the field. The work performed to date under the LWRS program has had a notable impact on the ability for these utilities to continue to operate their respective fleets of reactors, and LWRS program researchers are intent on doing even more. In order to do this, a more unified strategy for full nuclear plant modernization needs to be developed. This report documents the latest step LWRS program researchers have taken to develop this strategy. Taken together with prior reports written on this specific topic the work described here provides an even clearer picture on what the strategy for full nuclear plant modernization should look like.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Clean Energy Cybersecurity Accelerator Cohort 1: Authentication and Authorization

In the 2023 National Cybersecurity Strategy, the Biden-Harris Administration defines the need for a "defensible, resilient digital ecosystem where it is costlier to attack systems than defend them." The strategy cites the Clean Energy Cybersecurity Accelerator (CECA) as an exemplary effort to bolster the security and resilience of clean energy generation. These efforts help "secure the clean energy grid of the future and [generate] security best practices that extend to other critical infrastructure sectors" and promise broad and far-reaching impacts to bridge the capabilities of private industry and the needs of energy production. Cohort 1 of CECA launched in the fall of 2022 with a focus on solutions that provide strong authentication and authorization for industrial control systems to mitigate attacks on the energy grid. Authentication and authorization verify that the identity (authentication) and permissions (authorization) of a user or device are aligned with their assigned roles. Weaknesses in either can have serious repercussions. To assess the strength of Cohort 1's solutions, CECA devised threat scenarios grounded in historical precedents: the CECA team reviewed exploits from real-world case studies of state-sponsored actors to match the assessment's attack paths and targets. Cohort 1 results provided the energy industry, product vendors, and related agencies valuable insights into the efficacy and applicability of solutions in common system configurations under realistic threat scenarios. The results of the assessment highlight points for interrogation and improvement in subsequent technology iterations. CECA's evaluations are part of an ongoing conversation and collaboration to bolster U.S. cyber resilience against adversaries today and in the future.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2021

Design and testing of a free floating dual flap wave energy converter

With a wide variety of wave energy device archetypes currently under consideration, it is a major challenge to ensure that research findings and methods are broadly applicable. In particular, the design and testing of wave energy control systems, a process which includes experimental design, empirical modeling, control design, and performance evaluation, is of interest. This goal motivated the redesign and testing of a floating dual flap wave energy converter. As summarized in this paper, the steps taken in the design, testing, and analysis of the device mirrored those previously demonstrated on a three-degree of freedom point absorber device. The method proposed does not require locking WEC degrees of freedom to develop an excitation model, and presents a more attainable system identification procedure for at-sea deployments. The results show that the methods employed work well for this dual flap device, lending additional support for the broad applicability of the design and testing methods applied here. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate that these models are particularly useful for deducing areas of device design or controller implementation that can be reasonably improved to increase device power capture.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2012

The harmony between nuclear reactions and nuclear reactor structures and systems

Advanced nuclear energy is one extremely viable approach for achieving the required goals. With its extraordinarily high energy density (both, per unit mass and per unit volume), it produces over seven orders of magnitude less waste than fossil fuels per unit of energy generated. Applying nano-technologies to nuclear reactors could potentially produce the extraordinary performance required. The actual nuclear reactors lack of performances, the complexity and hazard of the fuel cycle are in part due to the lack of understanding of the nature's laws related to energy distribution applied to fission products, and in part to the current technologic capabilities that make the economical optimum. In order to produce the desired increase of performances a novel multi-scale multi-physics and engineering approach have been developed, starting from the nuclear reactions involved, analyzing in detail the key features and requirements of the 'key players' in the process (neutrons, compound nucleus, fission products, transmutation products, decay radiation), the consequences of their interaction with matter. That complex interaction generates new reactions and new key-players (knock-on electrons, photons, phonons) that further interact with the matter represented by the nuclear fuel, cladding, cooling agents, structural materials and control systems. The understanding of this complexity of problems from fm-ps scale up to macro-system and mitigating all the requirements drives to that desired harmony that provides a safe energy delivery. (authors)

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Conceptual design of minor actinides burner with an accelerator-driven subcritical system.

In the environmental impact study of the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository, the limit of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) for disposal is assessed at 70,000 metric tons of heavy metal (MTHM), among which 63,000 MTHM are the projected SNF discharge from U.S. commercial nuclear power plants though 2011. Within the 70,000 MTHM of SNF in storage, approximately 115 tons would be minor actinides (MAs) and 585 tons would be plutonium. This study describes the conceptual design of an accelerator-driven subcritical (ADS) system intended to utilize (burn) the 115 tons of MAs. The ADS system consists of a subcritical fission blanket where the MAs fuel will be burned, a spallation neutron source to drive the fission blanket, and a radiation shield to reduce the radiation dose to an acceptable level. The spallation neutrons are generated from the interaction of a 1 GeV proton beam with a lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) or liquid lead target. In this concept, the fission blanket consists of a liquid mobile fuel and the fuel carrier can be LBE, liquid lead, or molten salt. The actinide fuel materials are dissolved, mixed, or suspended in the liquid fuel carrier. Therefore, fresh fuel can be fed into the fission blanket to adjust its reactivity and to control system power during operation. Monte Carlo analyses were performed to determine the overall parameters of an ADS system utilizing LBE as an example. Steady-state Monte Carlo simulations were studied for three fission blanket configurations that are similar except that the loaded amount of actinide fuel in the LBE is either 5, 7, or 10% of the total volume of the blanket, respectively. The neutron multiplication factor values of the three configurations are all approximately 0.98 and the MA initial inventories are each approximately 10 tons. Monte Carlo burnup simulations using the MCB5 code were performed to analyze the performance of the three conceptual ADS systems. Preliminary burnup analysis shows that all three conceptual ADS systems consume about 1.2 tons of actinides per year and produce 3 GW thermal power, with a proton beam power of 25 MW. Total MA fuel that would be consumed in the first 10 years of operation is 9.85, 11.80, or 12.68 tons, respectively, for the systems with 5, 7, or 10% actinide fuel particles loaded in the LBE. The corresponding annual MA fuel transmutation rate after reaching equilibrium at 10 years of operation is 0.83, 0.94, or 1.02 tons/year, respectively. Assuming that the ADS systems can be operated for 35 full-power years, the total MAs consumed in the three ADS systems are 30.6, 35.3, and 37.2 tons, respectively. For the three configurations, it is estimated that 3.8, 3.3, or 3.1 ADS system units are required to utilize the entire 115 tons of MA fuel in the SNF inventory, respectively.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Improving to the neutron fluence rate monitor measurement system at the Advanced Test Reactor [Poster]

The existing fluence monitor wire scanning system at the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) was designed and installed for use in the Engineering Test Reactor (ETR) when it began operation in 1958. The wire scanner was operated in ETR for over 20 years until ATR began operation, when it was moved to the ATR west canal area in 1971 and subsequently moved to the west canal in 2006 where it presently resides. With a continued service life of 65 years the system is well beyond the typical design life of 20 years for these types of systems. The need to update the data acquisition and control system was identified, and the benefits of replacing the existing sodium iodide (NaI) detector with an electronically cooled high-purity germanium (HPGe) detector are discussed. The wirescanner system in the ATR canal is utilized after every reactor cycle by the ATR Radiation Measurements Laboratory (RML) to assess the activation of cobalt and nickel dosimeter wires during the cycle. These wires become activated through exposure to thermal and fast neutrons respectively during the irradiation cycle and are highly radioactive upon shutdown. It is for this reason that the wirescanner is used in the ATR canal rather than transporting the dosimeters to another facility. A scoping study was performed to develop a base-line design to ensure that existing capabilities could be replaced with a new system. The new hardware will enable automated measuring of several flux monitor holders without necessitating the removal of the flux wires. In this way, flux wire measurements will be performed with minimal dose to the technicians and will not be limited by canal operations as is presently the case. The new control and acquisition software will be based on commercially available and supported systems that have a wide user-base to provide long-term stability. An electronically cooled HPGe detector will be used to provide high-resolution gamma-ray measurements, an improvement from the low-resolution sodium-iodide detector that is presently deployed. The electronic cooler eliminates the need for liquid nitrogen to cool the detector head. A new collimator has been designed to house the new detector and allow for sufficient counting rates.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2016

The effects of thermal manipulations during embryogenesis of broiler chicks on growth of embryo and skeletal traits

Incubation temperature is one of the important environmental factors that can induce epigenetic thermal adaptation of different physiological control systems. Thus, post hatch thermo tolerance ability of birds may be gained using these manipulations during different incubation periods. The current study was carried out to reveal the effects of temperature manipulations during early and late embryogenesis on weight of embryo and size of skeletal bilateral traits (face, wings, metatarsus, tibia, and femur) in broiler chicken embryos. One thousand commercial broiler eggs from 46 week old breeder flock were used in study. Treatments consisted of eggs incubated at 37.8°C and 55% relative humidity throughout (control; DG1), heated to 36.9°C and supplied 60% relative humidity for 6 hours daily from day 0 to 8 (DG2), heated to 36.9°C and supplied 60% relative humidity for 6 hours daily from day 10 to 18 (DG3), heated to 41°C and supplied 65% relative humidity for 3 hours daily from day 8 to 10 (DG4), and heated to 41°C and supplied 65% relative humidity for 3 hours daily from day 16 to 18 (DG5). Measurements of embryo weight and bilateral traits were obtained at 20 day of incubation and at hatch (at day 21). It was determined that the live weights of embryo and chick were affected significantly by treatment; DG3 group has shown higher mean values than the other treatment groups (P<0.05). There were differences in lengths of femur, tibia and metatarsus among treatment groups at hatch. Particularly, the high incubator temperatures at the second half of incubation accelerated growth of body and bone in embryos. These consequences of the treatments performed at different temperatures and times indicate that the different metabolic shifts realized by the embryos.

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTAN↗
DOE OSTI2015

The LCLS-II LLRF System

The SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory is planning an upgrade (LCLS-II) to the Linear Coherent Light Source with a 4 GeV CW superconducting (SCRF) linac. The SCRF linac consists of 35 ILC style cryomodules (eight cavities each) for a total of 280 cavities. Expected cavity gradients are 16 MV/m with a loaded Q L of ~ 4x10 7 . The RF system will have 3.8 kW solid state amplifiers driving single cavities. To ensure optimum field stability a single-source single-cavity control system has been chosen. It consists of a precision four-channel cavity receiver and RF stations (Forward, Reflected and Drive signals). In order to regulate the resonant frequency variations of the cavities due to He pressure, the tuning of each cavity is controlled by a Piezo actuator and a slow stepper motor. In addition the system (LLRF-amplifier-cavity) is being modeled and cavity microphonic testing has started. This paper describes the LLRF system under consideration, including recent modeling and cavity tests.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Fluid Force-Induced Detachment Criteria for Nonmetallic Inclusions Adhered to a Refractory/Molten Steel Interface

Since nonmetallic inclusions (NMIs) in steel cannot be completely avoided, a greater understanding of their development and evolution during the steelmaking process is required. In particular, this includes the adhesion of microinclusions to the refractory/steel interface in the flow control system between the tundish and the mold. This phenomenon, commonly referred to as clogging, causes losses in productivity and product quality. Inclusions transported from the bulk melt to the boundary layer may adhere to the refractory/steel interface due to formation of a fluid cavity. A detailed model was derived for the detachment of NMIs adhering to a nozzle wall and is based on the local hydrodynamic conditions combined with the specific interfacial properties in the system consisting of the inclusions, the refractories, and the steel. The model is evaluated for three different application-oriented cases. This study has been focused on providing a better understanding of fluid flow in the near-wall region in order to reduce clogging during steelmaking.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2020

XPS guide: Charge neutralization and binding energy referencing for insulating samples

This guide deals with methods to control surface charging during XPS analysis of insulating samples and approaches to extracting useful binding energy information. Furthermore, the guide summarizes the causes of surface charging, how to recognize when it occurs, approaches to minimize charge buildup, and methods used to adjust or correct XPS photoelectron binding energies when charge control systems are used. Additionally, there are multiple ways to control surface charge buildup during XPS measurements and examples of systems on advanced XPS instruments are described. There is no single, simple, and foolproof way to extract binding energies on insulating material, but advantages and limitations of several approaches are described. Because of the variety of approaches and limitations of each it is critical for researchers to accurately describe the procedures that have been applied in research reports and publications.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2012

Impact of E4 Training and Field Auditing of GSA Heartland Region Facilities

To assess the impact of energy efficiency expert evaluation (E4) training and field audits performed since 2007, the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) undertook a follow-up study on the implementation of E4 recommendations and an analysis of energy savings. The building property manager and O and M contractor of each facility were interviewed to obtain feedback and implementation status of the E4 recommendations. Overall, there were more than 160 recommendations documented in the E4 reports; about 50% of these recommendations were fully implemented and the remaining 50% either partially implemented or not implemented. In four buildings, the E4 recommendations were aligned with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) projects replacing HVAC equipment or upgrading the building control system. The E4 recommendations were not followed-up in two buildings because of uncertainty of the long-term use of the facility or personnel changes. Results of this followon study are reported in this document.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Progress Update on the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant Pulse- Jet Mixed Vessel Testing Program - 16286

The Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) is designed to use cylindrical-shaped pulse-jet mixers in the black cell vessels to mix the radioactive waste during process operations. Pulse-jet mixers operate like large turkey basters, using air pressure to suck radioactive waste up into the mixer and eject it back into the vessel at high velocity. Using pulse-jet mixers for keeping waste in process vessels adequately mixed is one of the design features that ensures that there are no mechanical parts inside the black cells that would require maintenance. The WTP Project is conducting a testing program to ensure the pulse-jet mixed vessels can address three design and nuclear safety concerns: 1) pulse jet mixer controls, 2) hydrogen gas generation, and 3) the potential for inadvertent criticality in the vessels. The currently planned pulse-jet mixed vessel testing program is divided into three major test campaigns. The first campaign consists of testing to demonstrate pulse-jet mixed vessel control system design and operating concepts. The second test campaign consisted of informational testing of select prototypic PJM vessel features in a reduced scale facility. This testing informed decision making on selection of different mixing system configurations. This test campaign was completed in March 2015. The third test campaign is planned to test the complete functionality of a pulse-jet mixed vessel at full-scale using a prototype standardized high-solids vessel design. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2024

Calibration and Measurement techniques in the LLRF systems of the Fermilab PIP-II Linac

he PIP-II Accelerator is an 800 MeV superconducting Linac in the injection chain of the Fermilab accelerator complex. The LLRF systems are a based on two different hardware platforms controlling a variety of cavity types and resonance control systems including temperature, pneumatic and piezzo tuners. The various calibrations required prior to beam operation include, signal power, gradient, amplifier characterization, cavity Q measurement and detune constants. Measurements such as piezzo capacitance, cavity piezo transfer function help in determining tuner health and in devising microphonics control strategies. These measurement and calibration methods of the PIP-II LLRF system are discussed here.

Varghese, P.↗
DOE OSTI2015

Ultraprecision XY stage using a hybrid bolt-clamped Langevin-type ultrasonic linear motor for continuous motion

This paper presents a design and control system for an XY stage driven by an ultrasonic linear motor. In this study, a hybrid bolt-clamped Langevin-type ultrasonic linear motor was manufactured and then operated at the resonance frequency of the third longitudinal and the sixth lateral modes. These two modes were matched through the preload adjustment and precisely tuned by the frequency matching method based on the impedance matching method with consideration of the different moving weights. The XY stage was evaluated in terms of position and circular motion. To achieve both fine and stable motion, the controller consisted of a nominal characteristics trajectory following (NCTF) control for continuous motion, dead zone compensation, and a switching controller based on the different NCTFs for the macro- and micro-dynamics regimes. The experimental results showed that the developed stage enables positioning and continuous motion with nanometer-level accuracy.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2012

Progress on Enabling an Interactive Conversation Between Commercial Building Occupants and Their Building To Improve Comfort and Energy Efficiency: Preprint

Many studies have reported energy savings after installing a dashboard, but dashboards provide neither individual feedback to the occupant nor the ability to report individual comfort. The Building Agent (BA) provides an interface to engage the occupant in a conversation with the building control system and the building engineer. Preliminary outcomes of the BA-enabled feedback loop are presented,and the effectiveness of the three display modes will be compared to other dashboard studies to baseline energy savings in future research.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2020

Current Status of the Synroc Waste Treatment Facility - 20263

Construction of the Synroc Waste Treatment Facility is well underway at ANSTO. This plant has been designed to treat intermediate level liquid waste arising from the production of Mo-99 within the newly constructed ANSTO Nuclear Medicine (ANM) precinct [1]. The facility utilises ANSTO Synroc technology that has been tailored to the chemical, physical, and radiological properties of the waste. The result is a highly durable wasteform with a significant reduction in the final volume of the treated waste. This paper presents the construction status of the Synroc Waste Treatment Facility and the status of the associated technology maturation plan. Construction of the building is scheduled for completion in late 2020 followed by process installation and commissioning. A key component of the technology maturation plan has been the construction of an Inactive Engineering Demonstrator [2]. This has aided in the mitigation of risks with respect to technology selection, process integration, and process nuclearisation. Furthermore, the demonstration facility has provided an environment for the design and development of the instrumentation and control philosophy resulting in a seamlessly integrated plant control system. Successful demonstration of the technology by the inactive engineering demonstrator has significantly reduced the associated risks. Details of the Synroc Waste Treatment Facility project progress will also be presented. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2017

Increasing ROI Using Your Digital Twin for Model Based Engineering

The purpose of this work is to identify innovative ways of using the plant reference simulator or digital twin differently than it has traditionally been used in the past. This paper will identify reasons that the plant reference simulator will support varying levels of model based design and engineering. I will point out real world examples in which the plant reference simulator was used to identify problems with engineering designs, digital control systems and plant modifications. The earlier these issues can be identified and resolved, the less impact they have on the plant modification or upgrade. By using the plant reference simulator earlier in the engineering process, utilities and engineering organizations can minimize costly outage extensions and increase the return on the investment made in the simulator.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2023

Open-Loop Control Co-Design of Semisubmersible Floating Offshore Wind Turbines Using Linear Parameter-Varying Models

Here, this paper discusses a framework to design elements of the plant and control systems for floating offshore wind turbines in an integrated manner using linear parameter-varying models. Multiple linearized models derived from aero-elastic simulation software in different operating regions characterized by the incoming wind speed are combined to construct an approximate low-fidelity model of the system. The combined model is then used to generate open-loop, optimal control trajectories as part of a nested control co-design strategy that explores the system’s power production and stability using the platform pitch tilt as a proxy in the context of crucial plant and control design decisions. The radial distance between the central and outer columns and the diameter of the outer columns of the semisubmersible platform are the plant design variables. The platform stability and power production are studied for different plant design decisions. The effect of plant decisions on subsequent power production and stability response of the floating wind turbine is quantified in terms of the levelized cost of energy. The results show that the inner-loop constraints and the plant design decisions affect the turbine’s power and, subsequently, the cost of the system.

17 WIND ENERGY↗