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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

Hydrodynamic Modelling for Tidal Energy Kites: Cooperative Research and Development Final Report, CRADA Number CRD-24-30123

The primary goal of the work is to improve accuracy of hydrodynamic loads acting on the lifting surface of the kite turbine due to complex air-water-lifting body interaction in a low-order numerical model using high-fidelity numerical input. The result of this study will help the Participant better design control algorithms for the kite turbine so that the turbine can harvest more energy while maintaining stability of the platform as well as its reliability. The use of hydrodynamic coefficients/load components from computational fluid dynamic simulation will inform better inputs for a medium-fidelity dynamic model (specifically an OrcaFlex model) which is intended for use in rapid design iterations in the design process.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2025

Particle removal from a flat surface using a translating bounded vortex flow

A bounded vortex flow is a hydrodynamic approach for removal of particles from a surface without scattering the particles onto nearby surfaces. The bounded vortex flow field is generated by a nozzle that combines azimuthally tilted jets arranged in a circular pattern and a central suction port. When the nozzle face is directed toward an ‘impingement surface’, the flow develops a wall-normal intake vortex below the suction outlet, which causes high shear stress on the impingement surface. When particles are present on the impingement surface, the high shear stress causes particles to roll along the surface and to be lifted off the surface and transported up the core of the wall-normal vortex into the suction outlet. In typical applications, the nozzle would be translated along the impingement surface to clean particles from the surface. The current paper reports on an experimental study of the effect of nozzle translation on the effectiveness of the bounded vortex flow field for particle mitigation. The effectiveness of particle mitigation was examined as a function of flow rate through the nozzle, particle size, and nozzle translation velocity relative to the impingement surface. As a result, numerical computations are used to relate the flow rate to the maximum shear stress on the impingement surface, which is then used to theoretically predict onset of particle motion.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Long-term hydro-economic analysis tool for evaluating global groundwater cost and supply: Superwell v1.1

Abstract. Groundwater plays a key role in meeting water demands, supplying over 40 % of irrigation water globally, with this role likely to grow as water demands and surface water variability increase. A better understanding of the future role of groundwater in meeting sectoral demands requires an integrated hydro-economic evaluation of its cost and availability. Yet substantial gaps remain in our knowledge and modeling capabilities related to groundwater availability, recharge, feasible locations for extraction, extractable volumes, and associated extraction costs, which are essential for large-scale analyses of integrated human–water system scenarios, particularly at the global scale. To address these needs, we developed Superwell, a physics-based groundwater extraction and cost accounting model that operates at sub-annual temporal and at the coarsest 0.5° (≈50 km × 50 km) gridded spatial resolution with global coverage. The model produces location-specific groundwater supply–cost curves that provide the levelized cost to access different quantities of available groundwater. The inputs to Superwell include recent high-resolution hydrogeologic datasets of permeability, porosity, aquifer thickness, depth to water table, recharge, and hydrogeological complexity zones. It also accounts for well capital and maintenance costs, as well as the energy costs required to lift water to the surface. The model employs a Theis-based scheme coupled with an amortization-based cost accounting formulation to simulate groundwater extraction and quantify the cost of groundwater pumping. The result is a spatiotemporally flexible, physically realistic, economics-based model that produces groundwater supply–cost curves. We show examples of these supply–cost curves and the insights that can be derived from them across a set of scenarios designed to explore model outcomes. The supply–cost curves produced by the model show that most (90 %) nonrenewable groundwater in storage globally is extractable at costs lower than USD 0.57 m−3, while half of the volume remains extractable at under USD 0.108 m−3. The global unit cost is estimated to range from a minimum of USD 0.004 m−3 to a maximum of USD 3.971 m−3. We also demonstrate and discuss examples of how these cost curves could be used by linking Superwell's outputs with other models to explore coupled human–environmental system challenges, such as water resources planning and management, or broader analyses of multisectoral feedbacks.

Global Change Analysis Model (GCAM)↗
DOE OSTI2026

Pinned Clouds over Industrial Sources of Heat during TRACER

An analysis of stereo-camera data from the Tracking Aerosol Convection Interactions Experiment (TRACER) campaign in Houston, Texas, reveals the existence of pinned clouds sitting atop industrial heat sources. These are not plumes of vapor and condensate emanating from stacks: The pinned shallow cumuli have cloud bases at about the lifting condensation of near-surface air. On many mornings, the pinned clouds are the only shallow cumuli in the field of view of the stereo cameras, persisting by themselves for at least an hour. On those mornings, the lower atmosphere straddles the boundary between stable and unstable, and the waste heat from industrial facilities is able to pin moist convection overhead. When solar heating of the surface becomes sufficient later in the morning, those mornings transition to having widespread shallow moist convection. Occurring within the field of view of the stereo cameras and other TRACER instruments, these pinned clouds represent steady plume-like moist convection triggered by known heat sources in a well-characterized atmosphere, making them a rich target for further study. Significance Statement This article introduces steady-state cumulus clouds observed during the Tracking Aerosol Convection Interactions Experiment (TRACER) campaign that were pinned to industrial heat sources. These pinned clouds were present in the early morning only when conditions were primed for moist convection, but for which there was not yet enough solar heating to trigger widespread convection. They persist in a statistical steady state and therefore provide a natural setting to explore the mechanisms controlling convective dynamics, which play a central role in Earth’s atmospheric circulation and radiative balance.

Atmosphere↗
DOE OSTI2026

Role of Surface Hydroxyls and Lattice Oxygen in Governing Selectivity and Restructuring During Acetic Acid Conversion on Fe 3 O 4 (001)

Understanding the reactivity of carboxylic acids on metal oxide surfaces is critical for elucidating ketonization mechanisms relevant to biomass upgrading. Here, we investigate the adsorption and thermal decomposition of acetic acid (CH 3 COOH) on Fe 3 O 4 (001) using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), temperature-programmed reaction spectroscopy (TPRS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). At room temperature, acetic acid adsorbs dissociatively to form ordered bidentate acetate (CH 3 COO) overlayer that lifts the (√2 × √2)R 45° surface reconstruction. TPRS reveals ketene (CH 2 CO) as the dominant product, along with CO, CO 2 , and H 2 O, the latter evolving via a Mars–van Krevelen (MvK) mechanism. Isotopic labeling shows preferential CO 2 formation from the carboxyl carbon and a more balanced CO/CO 2 ratio from the methyl carbon, suggesting distinct oxidation pathways. STM imaging reveals embedded acetate intermediates filling surface oxygen vacancies created in MvK steps. Upon product formation completion (~700 K), extensive surface etching is observed, with pits elongated along the octahedral Fe rows. Approximately 20% of the surface oxygen is removed, consistent with vacancy formation stoichiometry inferred from product distributions. These findings demonstrate that carboxylate-induced restructuring of Fe 3 O 4 (001) involves both surface healing and reduction processes, offering mechanistic insights relevant to ketonization and broader carboxylic acid chemistry on metal oxides.

acetic acid↗
DOE OSTI2025

The Efficiency of Water Vapor on Top‐of‐Atmosphere Radiation

Earth's climate sensitivity is greatly affected by the compensation between temperature feedback and water vapor (WV) feedback. Using abrupt 4xCO 2 experiments, we show that the global-mean WV feedback is nearly a linear function of the temperature feedback, the slope of which is explained by the longwave radiative efficiency of WV (ϵ). Although ϵ remains constant across models in the global mean, it exhibits substantial spatial variations and is particularly weak in Antarctica, where near-surface inversions decouple the surface from the free troposphere. We introduce a surface–free troposphere temperature difference (SFTD) metric, showing that positive SFTD (e.g., high lifting condensation level) amplifies ϵ, while negative SFTD (e.g., strong surface inversion) suppresses it. These findings provide a clear explanation of how local climate conditions modulate the radiative compensation between temperature and WV feedbacks.

climate feedback↗
DOE OSTI2025

Relative Contributions of Surface Parcel and Atmospheric Environment to Convective Potential during Interstorm Periods

Convective instability is affected by both surface heat fluxes into near-surface air parcels and the atmospheric profile encountered as these air parcels are lifted aloft. In this study, we investigate the evolution of buoyancy experienced by surface-based parcels, taking interstorm soil moisture drydowns as fundamental time periods. We use profile observations of atmospheric temperature and humidity from ground-based passive remote sensing and in situ observations available at the U.S. Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Southern Great Plains site in Oklahoma, United States, and examine drydown events during the warm seasons from 2017 to 2022. Results reveal new insights on the emergence and growth of convective available potential energy (CAPE) during drydowns. We observe that the peak convective potential appears in the afternoon and grows in the midtroposphere (68% of 66 drydown events), with the largest CAPE values toward the end of the drydown event. We also find that the near-surface parcel contributes more to the evolution of CAPE than the atmospheric environment (86% of drydown events). These findings highlight the importance of surface heat fluxes and moisture availability from surface-based parcels in modulating the evolution of atmospheric conditions favorable for convection, underscoring the interplay between surface processes and atmospheric dynamics in driving convective instability.

Atmosphere-land interaction↗
DOE OSTI2026

Demonstration of GaAs-Based Photovoltaics on Acoustically Spalled Surfaces Grown by MOCVD

This study demonstrates the potential of sonic lift-off (SLO) technology for repeatable substrate reuse in gallium arsenide (GaAs)–based photovoltaics (PVs), offering a pathway toward cost effective production for terrestrial PV applications. Single-junction GaAs solar cells fabricated on acoustically spalled substrates achieved performance metrics comparable with those grown on standard commercial substrates, exhibiting short-circuit current densities (J sc ) of approximately 26.2–26.4 mA/cm 2 , open-circuit voltages (V oc ) around 1001 mV, fill factors (FFs) of 84%, and AM1.5G efficiencies near 22%. These results confirm that one reuse cycle can be realized without a performance penalty, offering a direct pathway to reducing substrate cost in fabrication. Furthermore, subsequent reuse of the substrates highlighted critical challenges, as devices fabricated from reused substrates showed significant degradation in performance (J sc of 15.5 mA/cm 2 , V oc of 748 mV, FF of 72%, and efficiency of 8%), primarily due to degradation of the epitaxial structure resulting from repeated spalling cycles.

Acoustic Spalling↗
DOE OSTI2024

Are Marine Low Cloud Droplet Concentrations Buffered by Entrained Aitken‐Mode Aerosol (Final Technical Report)

During the summertime, the high-latitude oceans come to life with green phytoplankton, which gain their energy from sunlight and are food for sea creatures small and large. When the phytoplankton are eaten or die, sulfur-rich gases are released under the ocean surface and mix into the air. Observations suggest that, over the Southern Ocean, frequent storms lift this air high into the atmosphere while raining out particulates like salt. As a result, the sulfur-rich air then spawns high concentrations of small ‘Aitken-mode’ aerosol particles. We hypothesize that these particles work their way down into the marine boundary layer, where they can replenish the supply of cloud-condensation nuclei scavenged by frequent precipitation. Further, this process maintains high concentrations of liquid cloud droplets in austral summer, promoting more sunlight to be reflected to space. We call this ‘Aitken buffering’. The primary objective of this project has been to document and test what role Aitken-mode aerosols play in clouds over the Southern Ocean and elsewhere. This effort has included three main components: 1) developing a computer model that realistically simulates the aerosol processes and the small-scale turbulent air motions that move aerosols around and create the clouds, 2) using that model to interpret and extend these observations for process understanding, by allowing different factors that contribute to the aerosol budget, such as surface wind speed, precipitation, surface gas exchange, etc. to be separated, and 3) studying Aitken-mode aerosol and its variability with a focus over the Southern Ocean and Antarctica, using data from Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) sites and other available observations. Initial computer studies in more idealized conditions found that elevated concentrations of Aitken-mode aerosols above the clouds could help prevent the breakup of those clouds by acting as cloud-condensation nuclei after they were entrained into the cloudy boundary layer. Simulations of a day during the ACE-ENA field campaign showed that Aitken-mode aerosols could also prevent cloud breakup under more realistic conditions. A new method that extracts information about Aitken-mode aerosols from measurements of aerosols onto which cloud droplets can form finds that Aitken-mode aerosols do vary seasonally over the Southern Ocean, with a peak in summertime, as described above. Other work during this project has focused on understanding how patterns of water vapor, clouds and precipitation are coupled within low-lying clouds over the oceans, and also on how cloud droplets cluster within clouds and how the distribution of cloud droplet sizes change as dry air is mixed into clouds, with the latter studies also using observations from ACE-ENA.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

High-Order Wall-Modeled Large-Eddy Simulation of High-Lift Configuration

This paper presents the assessment of several recent enhancements for a high-order wall-modeled large-eddy simulation (WMLES) approach and demonstrates order independence with a fixed data exchange location in the wall model. The two enhancements include the use of isotropic tetrahedral elements to improve accuracy and an explicit subgrid-scale model, the Vreman model, to improve accuracy and robustness. The [Formula: see text] study focused on the high-lift Common Research Model (HL-CRM) at the angle of attack of 19.57 deg, a benchmark problem from the 4th AIAA High-Lift Prediction Workshop. Solution polynomial orders of [Formula: see text], and 5 were used in the study. The study demonstrated [Formula: see text] independence in integrated forces, pitch moment, velocity profile in the wall-normal direction, and surface flow topology. It also showed that a [Formula: see text] order of at least 3 ([Formula: see text]) was needed to correctly predict the external inviscid flow and the surface flow topology. Thereafter, [Formula: see text] simulations over several other angles of attack demonstrated that the high-order WMLES approach can correctly predict the maximum lift and flow separation regions for HL-CRM with about 40 million degrees of freedom (DOF) compared to at least 250 million DOF required by second-order methods.

Engineering↗
DOE OSTI2025

Lake Huron Enhances Snowfall Downwind of Lake Erie: A Modeling Study of the 2010 New Year’s Lake Effect Snowfall Event

In the Northeast and Great Lakes regions of the United States, the influence of multiple lakes on the overlying air can greatly affect lake-effect snowfall over downwind communities. To assess the impact of Lake Huron on snowfall downwind of Lake Erie, we simulated a lake-effect snow event which occurred from 1 to 6 January 2010 using the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS). We found that the presence of Lake Huron enhances snowfall downwind of Lake Erie by almost 20% and leads to much heavier local snowfall totals than when Lake Huron is not present. This increase in snowfall is due to a lake-to-lake (L2L) convective band, as secondary circulations associated with lake-effect convection form over Lake Huron and persist overland between the lakes before reintensifying over Lake Erie. As these secondary circulations move over Lake Erie, lifting within the upward branch of the circulations accelerates the development of convection within the L2L band. Surface fluxes and convection over Lake Huron deepen the boundary layer, promoting deeper vertical development of this L2L band over Lake Erie. However, although this boundary layer modification strengthens the L2L band, we found that it actually reduced lake-effect snowfall produced by wind-parallel bands (WPB) in other parts of the lake. This indicates that boundary layer modification from upstream lakes may impact L2L bands differently than WPB which are not connected to upstream secondary circulations.

Lake effects↗
DOE OSTI2025

Surface orientation ambiguity for single molecules at dielectric interfaces

Fluorescent molecules emit light in a dipole radiation pattern that can be used to infer their orientation through defocused fluorescence microscopy. Proper measurement of the orientation requires mathematical modeling of the radiation pattern expected for a dipole in the geometry of interest and subsequent comparison against experimental data. We point out an ambiguity in common calculations of these patterns that appears to compromise orientation measurements for molecules that are especially near dielectric surfaces. This results in a rotation of the measured emission dipole toward the surface for near-interface molecules, which can be mistaken for a preferentially horizontal orientation among the emitters. The proper treatment for on-surface emitters requires consideration of finite-sized current elements between two dielectric media, and we show that the theoretical ambiguity can be lifted via finite-element modeling. A prescription is provided for correcting measured orientations at arbitrary interfaces.

Dey, E. [University of Texas, Arlington, TX (Unite↗
DOE OSTI2025

Enhanced Boundary Layer Height Detection Using Ceilometer, Surface Meteorology, and Radiation Products With a Random Forest Ensemble Method

This study develops and evaluates a Random Forest (RF) model for estimating planetary boundary layer height (PBLH) using 9 years of data from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Southern Great Plains (ARM SGP) user facility, with potential application in the NOAA Surface Radiation (SURFRAD) Network. The model integrates ceilometer, surface meteorology, and radiation measurements, and is trained using thermodynamic PBLH estimates derived from radiosondes. This approach aims to bridge gaps between aerosol-based and thermodynamic-based PBLH estimates. The RF model outperformed traditional methods during daytime and better captured transition periods, demonstrating improved accuracy and robustness. At ARM SGP, it showed a substantial reduction in both bias and RMSE, with a bias near zero (−4.9 m) compared with traditional Haar Wavelet (HW) (70.9 m) and Vaisala BL-View software (124.1 m), and an RMSE of 303.2 m, lower than both BL-View (566.9 m) and HW (404.6 m). During daytime hours, RF consistently outperformed both alternatives, maintaining lower bias and RMSE across all periods. At a second evaluation site, RF achieved the lowest overall RMSE (323.7 m), similar to HW (326.4 m) and significantly better than BL-View (738.3 m). However, all models showed reduced accuracy under stable nighttime conditions, limiting the reliability of PBLH estimates. Key predictors for the model included the lifting condensation level height (LCLH), aerosol gradients, and month for seasonal variability. The study underscores the potential of integrating machine learning with multiple data sets such as surface energy and thermodynamic data to advance PBLH estimation.

boundary layer height↗
DOE OSTI2024

In-Plane Liftout and Push-to-Pull for In Situ Mechanical Testing of Irradiated Inconel X-750

A streamlined sample preparation method for nanomechanical testing is needed to improve the quality of specimens, reduce the cost, and increase the versatility of specimen fabrication. This work outlines an in-plane liftout focused ion beam (FIB) fabrication procedure to prepare electron-transparent specimens for in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) nanomechanical testing. Ion etching and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) techniques were used to lift out a [110] oriented grain from a neutron-irradiated bulk X-750 alloy. Careful control of voltages and currents ensured precision. Top surface thinning sweeps prevented resurfacing and redeposition while dog-bone geometries were shaped with a 1:4 gauge width-to-milling pattern diameter ratio. Nanotensile testing in the TEM with a picoindenter allowed for the estimation of an ultimate tensile strength of 2.41 GPa, and inspection revealed a high density of bubbles in the X-750 matrix. The proposed fabrication procedure is significant for preparing samples from radioactive materials, studying complex structures that are orientation-dependent, and analyzing desired planar areas.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

A Review of Modeling Approaches for Predicting Frost Growth and Defrosting on Tube-Fin Heat Exchangers: Preprint

Frost formation and growth on the evaporator surface is a common process that deteriorates the air-refrigerant heat transfer and restricts airflow. This degrades the performance of the vapor compression system by increasing temperature lift and air-side pressure drop. To accurately predict these effects during coil frosting, as well as the energy use and duration of the defrost process, there is a need to estimate the heat and mass transfer, momentum transport, and solid-liquid and liquid-vapor phase change. Therefore, in the past few decades, continuous effort has been made to model frosting and defrosting processes using approaches ranging from empirical correlations to computational fluid dynamic models. To provide a clearer overview for researchers, engineers, and manufacturers in this field, this paper provides a comprehensive literature review for frosting and defrosting models. The paper begins with theoretical background of frost formation and defrost processes, and then reviews the common modeling approaches in literature and their underlying assumptions when trying to account for various physical phenomenon. Based on the literature review, the most critical modeling effort for frost formation is the determination of frost densification rate and frost growth rate. Various methods to predict these two parameters are reviewed. Empirical correlations commonly used for frost density and thermal conductivity are presented and compared. For the defrost process, various multi-stage models have been proposed with different assumptions. Some assume the presence of air gap between the tube wall and the frost, while others consider the melted frost flow due to gravity. We also review physics-based and empirical approaches to integrate defrost models into heat pump models. We conclude by identifying research gaps and providing recommendations.

defrost↗
DOE OSTI2026

Urban Land Surface Effects on Summertime Clouds and Moist Convection in Houston Under Different Synoptic Conditions

Urban landscapes modify cloud formation and convection through complex thermodynamic and aerodynamic processes; however, their influence under different synoptic regimes remains poorly understood. This study investigates the impact of the Houston metropolitan area on summertime cloud cover and convective cell characteristics using a combination of satellite observations, radar data, and high-resolution process-based modeling. We isolate urban effects by comparing model simulations with realistic urban land cover against hypothetical scenarios where all urban areas are replaced by rural vegetation. Results reveal that Houston's land cover consistently enhances cloud fraction and convective activity relative to surrounding rural areas, altered by large-scale meteorological forcing. Under weakly forced conditions, enhanced surface heat flux primarily contributes to driving low-level convergence and vertical ascent, leading to over 8% cloud fraction increase between 2 and 6 km over the city. Under strongly forced conditions, urban influences manifest differently depending on cloud type. For non-convective clouds, the city acts as a barrier that decelerates and lifts moist southerly inflow, increasing low cloud cover over the urban core, while decreasing it downwind the city. For convective clouds, both synoptic ascent and urbanization modulate moisture redistribution and cloud structure, producing modest cloud enhancement over the city and slight suppression over the downwind area. Urbanization exerts small changes in the intensity of the convective cells; however, it significantly decreases their duration and traveling distance. This work highlights the importance of accounting for land surface heterogeneity in modeling clouds and precipitation and demonstrates that urban impacts on clouds are highly regime-dependent.

Liu, Ye [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PN↗
DOE OSTI2025

Tuning Interface Electronic Properties via Chiral Two‐Dimensional Metal‐Organic Frameworks

Control over structural symmetries in nanomaterials offers a powerful approach to engineer electronic properties. For instance, breaking of mirror symmetries in two-dimensional (2D) materials with a hexagonal lattice can lead to nontrivial electronic topologies and correlated-electron phenomena. Yet, the impact of structural chirality on the electronic properties of 2D materials and interfaces remains underexplored. Here, how chiral phases of a 2D metal-organic framework (MOF) with a hexagonal lattice—consisting of hexaazatriphenylene molecules coordinated to Cu atoms—scatter, confine, and perturb the Shockley surface state (SS) electrons of an underlying Ag(111) substrate is investigated. Via low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy, noncontact atomic force microscopy, and numerical calculations based on an electronic plane-wave expansion method, modifications of the Ag(111) SS band structure are shown and quantified, including gap openings and lifts of band degeneracies, driven exclusively by the structural chirality of the 2D MOF phases. These findings highlight how structural symmetries, in particular chirality, affect electronic states at material interfaces, expanding on the toolkit for designing 2D materials with tailored electronic properties.

band structure engineering↗
DOE OSTI2026

Flaw Tolerance Assessment for DOE Standard SNF Dry Storage Canisters - 26550

The U.S. DOE has designed four spent nuclear fuel (SNF) dry storage canisters for storing DOE standardized SNFs. The DOE standard canisters are cylindrical shells with a diameter of 24 inches (610 m) or 18 inches (457 m), a wall thickness of 0.5 inches (12.7 m) or 0.375 inches (9.53 m), and a length of 15 feet (4.57 m) or 10 feet (3.05 m). These DOE canister geometries are completely different from commercial canisters. The latter may experience chloride-induced stress cracking corrosion (CI-SCC) because they are stored near coastal regions. The former may not experience CI-SCC but face different challenges because they are stored in the SNF storage facilities. Because of large residual stresses, mechanical flaws may occur in the DOE canisters during long-distance transportation or lifting handling. To date, only limited structural integrity analyses were carried out through drop tests on the DOE canisters, but a more general flaw tolerance assessment has not been performed. Therefore, the failure assessment diagram (FAD)-based fracture mechanics method, as codified by the latest API 579-1/ASME FFS-1-2021 Edition, is adopted in this work to assess surface flaw tolerance for DOE canisters under operation loading and welding residual stresses (WRS), where the new code-recommended WRS distributions are used. To more adequately consider the transverse distribution of WRS, an equivalent WRS distribution is proposed to account for the WRS reduction with distance from the weld centerline. Moreover, the closed-form solutions of stress intensity factor K, which serves as the crack driving force during subcritical crack growth, are developed from the tabular data of the K factors provided in API 579-1/ASME FFS-1 and used to determine more accurate flaw sizes at flaw instability. Subsequently, the Level 2 assessment procedures with 12 assessment steps, as codified and detailed in API 579-1 and ASME FFS-1, are followed to assess the flaw tolerance for the surface flaws in the DOE standard canisters with consideration of normal or accident operation loads combined with WRS. The assessment results show that the four designs of DOE standard canisters can tolerate all surface flaws that meet the code permitted maximum sizes of a flaw length of 8 inches (i.e., 200 mm) and a flaw depth of 80% wall thickness. This demonstrates that all designs of DOE standard canisters are robust and reliable.

DOE standard canister↗