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This brief report describes the major operational changes resulting from accelerator design and implementation of the LAMP scope. Improvements in operational performance are discussed, along with implications for integration with the existing LANSCE accelerator complex. Potential impacts to the present LANSCE operational modes and integration with the existing personnel and machine protection systems are also discussed.
The purpose of this report is to provide a survey of neutron sensors applicable to the low power levels (low neutron fluence rate) for reactor monitoring and controls. A survey of detectors for reactor power monitoring and controls from various commercial vendors—Reuter Stokes, Framatome, Exosens, and Mirion—is presented in the following sections based on application of reactor power ranges. Detector specifications are provided where available per each of the vendor’s catalogues and specification sheets found on their websites. While this is not an all encompassing list, it provides an example of detector options. Fission chambers and self powered neutron detectors (SPNDs) for in-core application with changes to the neutron-sensitive materials—fissile depots for fission chambers and emitters for SPNDs—for regenerative capabilities will be discussed in the latter sections.
An initial thermal power dispatch (TPD) concept of operations was evaluated that couples a nuclear power plant to a nearby hydrogen production plant. GSE Systems’ generic pressurized water reactor full-scope simulator was modified with a TPD model comprised of a thermal power extraction and delivery system. A prototype human-system interface (HSI) was developed to interact with the TPD model and allow participants to execute the basic operating scenarios for normal operations. Four retired operators performed the evaluation, and due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, the original in-person experimental design was restructured to support a remote participator evaluation using a web meeting platform. Data from operator feedback, observations from the research team, and quantitative survey responses revealed that the initial TPD concept of operations is feasible. The operators were comfortable with the engineered system and HSI and could manage it without adverse impacts to reactor power, plant safety, or equipment. Findings are discussed in terms of both the TPD system design and HSI performance.
The AGN-201 is a nuclear reactor at Idaho State University (ISU) and is currently being used in the development of a digital twin (DT) with Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The goal is to create a DT (called the AGN-201 DT) which can monitor an operating nuclear reactor to determine when the reactor is being operated normally; normal operations are any operations that is declared by the ISU staff. To accomplish this, researchers at INL developed a DT ecosystem which can ingest data from the AGN-201 reactor. This data is fed into a series of machine learning (ML) and reactor physics models. The ML and reactor physics models assess the data and determine if the reactor is operating normally. Event(s) that are flagged as anomalies are investigated by the INL staff to determine if any undeclared experiments were conducted. The AGN-201 DT was verified in July/August 2023, when the ISU staff performed undeclared experiments and the INL staff were able to assess the anomalous events and determine what likely caused each event. This project was a steppingstone to promote the use of DTs for international safeguards and marks the first time a DT was able to monitor a nuclear reactor for this purpose. This document provides the concept of operations (CONOPS) for the AGN-201 digital twin (DT). The CONOPS describes how the AGN-201 and AGN-201 DT are expected to operate and details how each are established.
Here, we present an imaging system that employs zero-knowledge protocols to protect sensitive geometrical information, along with procedures to increase confidence in the result. The goal of this work is to enable the inclusion of warhead confirmation measurements in future arms control treaties. We present a demonstration of both true positive and true negative measurements that validate models and establish authenticating procedures toward meeting acceptance requirements for use in nuclear facilities. We use a two-dimensional time-encoded fast neutron imaging system with an anti-symmetric mask pattern; the fast neutron count values exceeding minimum or maximum thresholds indicate that two measured items are not identical. Laboratory measurements over twenty trials show that alarm rates for negative confirmation measurements are within uncertainties of model predictions. Positive confirmation measurements indicate that alarm rates are large enough to encourage treaty compliance.
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The objective of this report is examine anticipated advanced reactor designs that incorporate high levels of autonomy in operation of advanced reactor systems or facilities, and to begin identifying the human factors engineering (HFE) considerations relevant to those designs. The insights gained will help identify areas where U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) may need to develop or update review guidance to adequately address HFE considerations essential for safe operation. The adequacy of existing guidance, along with recommendations for updates or new guidance, may be addressed in future reports. We use the term “landscape analysis” to describe the review, analysis, and characterization of publicly available information on the anticipated future state of the industry regarding particular technologies or operational concepts. This landscape analysis considers the potential range of advanced reactor automation concepts that may be used for monitoring and controlling nuclear systems and facilities, including the potential for highly automated, near autonomous, or fully autonomous operation of advanced nuclear reactors.
TRADITIONAL TECHNIQUES OT/IT Concepts Operational Technology (OT) and Information Technology (IT) concepts can often be difficult to visualize Teaching Methods Traditional teaching methods lack the intuitive & immersive aspects of hands-on activities Caveat: Unless taught by Team B! Physical Limitations Digital Twins require existing systems/hardware to mirror UPDATED TECHNIQUES Virtual Environment By making use of a virtual environment, we can represent abstract concepts in a more approachable and digestible way Increased Engagement Students are more engaged with the activities and are more likely to retain the information they are given. New/Emerging Technologies As the system is currently growing and developing, the technologies in use, as well as those represented by the system, stay up-to-date.
JET, the only tokamak capable of operating with deuterium–tritium (D–T) fuel (since TFTR was shutdown in 1999), has provided essential experimental data to support ITER and DEMO design and operation. Within the EUROfusion Tokamak Exploitation Work Package, JET completed its final campaigns (2022–2023), culminating in the third D–T campaign (DTE3). These experiments addressed key challenges in plasma scenarios, exhaust control, and tritium management under reactor-relevant conditions. Significant progress was achieved in demonstrating ITER-like integrated scenarios with impurity seeding, achieving partial divertor detachment and high confinement ($H_{98}(y,2)$ ≈ 0.85) at 3 MA in D–T plasmas. Advanced exhaust regimes such as quasi-continuous exhaust (QCE) and X-point radiator (XPR) were successfully achieved first in D–D and then extended to D–T operation, confirming their relevance for mixed isotope operation. Operational milestones included a new world record of 69 MJ fusion energy in tritium-rich hybrid plasmas and long-pulse H-mode operation up to 60 s, contributing with unique data to the CICLOP database. Physics studies focused on peeling-limited pedestals in support of ITER and improved understanding of edge stability and impurity screening in metallic environments. Extensive usage of the shattered pellet injector (SPI) on JET provided critical information for the design of the ITER disruption mitigation system (DMS). Real-time control systems for D/T ratio control and plasma exhaust were deployed and demonstrated in D–D and D–T, while energetic particle physics investigations unfolded the role of fast ions in turbulence suppression mechanisms. Comprehensive tritium retention studies using gas balance method, post-mortem analysis, and ITER-relevant laser induced desorption spectroscopy (LIDS) diagnostics provided essential input for tritium accountancy strategies. These results are validating the ITER operational concepts, inform DEMO design, and deliver critical experience in nuclear operation and scenario integration.
This work reports on the development of two robust, heavy-ion beam tracking concepts operating at low pressure (< 15 Torr) for high rate applications (> 200 kHz). The first concept consists of a Multi-Wire Proportional Counter (MWPC) with a central anode consisting of 12 μm Au-plated Tungsten wires spaced 1 mm from each other. The anode grid is sandwiched between two segmented cathodes aligned orthogonally in the two dimensions for (x,y) particle localization. The second detector is a Parallel-Plate Avalanche Counter (PPAC) that uses the same readout geometry as the MWPC, but replaces the wire anode with a 150 nm silver layer deposited on both sides of a thin (< 1 mg/cm 2 ) polypropylene foil. Additionally, the bias circuitry for the PPAC anode central foil is equipped with an Anti-Discharge Unit (ADU) to prevent transitions from proportional operation to streamer formation, thereby avoiding damaging discharges. The localization capability of both detectors was tested with a low-rate alpha-particle source (241-Am). A position resolution of < 1 mm (FWHM) was achieved under stable, high-gas-gain (> 1000) operating conditions. Their performance in terms of detection efficiency as a function of the isotope charge (Z) was determined by irradiating the detectors with a cocktail beam (Z ≤ 15) with energy of ∼ 100 MeV/u. Full detection efficiency is maintained for all available fragments under optimal operational conditions (i.e., voltage bias). Full detection efficiency was achieved at rates above 200 kHz by irradiating the detectors with a 1 cm diameter 238 U beam at an energy of 143 MeV/u.
Integrated Operations for Nuclear: Work Reduction Opportunity Demonstration The DI BCA document also identifies specific, digitally enabled WRO categories for further study. These were selected as most relevant by Reference Plant personnel from a larger list of WRO areas identified across the nuclear industry as captured INL/RPT-21-64134, “Process for Significant Nuclear Work Function Innovation Based on Integrated Operations Concepts.” This ION WRO demonstration report was developed to provide illustrative, specific, and actionable direction for intertwined PTPG changes associated with digital modernization efforts. The coordinated changes in these areas are intended to maximize safe plant operational and economic performance. This includes enabling WROs associated with detailed configuration, implementation, and use of digital systems and how they are supported over their lifecycle. Illustrating this direction through a minimum set of advanced technology examples establishes a model PTPG framework that can be leveraged across the spectrum of nuclear plant digital modernization efforts going forward. This document addresses many related concepts. To promote an integrated understanding of the topics that make up this work, this document contains an extensive set of internal hyperlinks. This set includes hyperlinks to page numbers in the table of contents, section numbers, items in lists, figures, tables, and references to other documents within the report. When hovering the cursor above hyperlinked text in Adobe, the cursor will change from “ ” to “ .” When the “ ” appears, a left mouse click will take the reader to the referenced location in the document. To return to the original location in the document, the reader need only press and hold the “alt” button on the keyboard and then simultaneously press the “<” directional key on the keyboard.
The purpose of this research was to realize one of the advanced training work reduction opportunities first presented in the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) report, “Process for Significant Nuclear Work Function Innovation Based on Integrated Operations Concepts” (INL/EXT-21-64134) [1], with a nuclear power plant (NPP) research partner. Researchers modernized two trainings: (1) an accredited instructor-led training (ILT) overview course on Westinghouse DS 480-volt (V) circuit breakers to a multimedia-focused computer-based-training (CBT) learning module, and (2) an on-demand chaptered video on how to properly rack and un-rack a Westinghouse DS 480-V circuit breaker. These modernized work products were developed and implemented in a manner consistent with the industry guidelines found in Institution of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) Teaching and Learning 23-001 [2]. Researchers calculated that the modernized accredited training course reduced the time necessary to prepare and deliver the training material by a factor of 8:1. The amount of time learners spend in class could be reduced by this same factor. In other words, if a course took 8 hours to deliver a class, the new CBT instruction would take just over 1 hour. The researchers noted that the requirement for any practicum training by the learners with the instructor(s) would remain in place. But through interviews with new and experienced learners, the researchers discovered that the confidence of these learners in performing the racking and un-racking of the circuit breaker improved as a result of using the new modernized CBT process. Additionally, the learners who tested the modernized work products enjoyed the modernized CBT and the learning video significantly more than current in-class learning methods. These are encouraging results for the nuclear industry, as this modernization of training can be applied to other classes and is scalable across the industry. In line with the Integrated Operations for Nuclear (ION) model, positive workload analysis supports the investment of resources in modernizing NPP training processes and infrastructure. Implementation of the advanced training technologies in this report is likely to result in substantive long-term workload benefits to instructors and learners and result in hard-dollar savings on contractor spends. Additionally, investment in these modernized training processes will result in improved learner proficiency. The results of this research can be applied to additional operator, technical, and general training topics to provide additional workload and learning benefits in addition to what was explored.
Increasingly, coal-fired power plants are required to balance power grids by compensating for the variable electricity supply from renewable energy sources. Fossil-fueled power plants, originally designed to be base loaded, will increasingly need to operate on a load following or cyclic basis. This demanding requirement for operational flexibility will need to be evaluated for resilience to frequent start-ups, meeting major and rapid load changes, and providing frequency control duties. Our research objective was to evaluate and improve flexibility of existing power plants by improving and redesigning components and defining new operational strategies, with acceptable impacts on component life, efficiency and emissions.
A study was designed for a reconfigurable, full-scale, full-scope nuclear power plant control room simulator to compare two different thermal power dispatch systems, on separate simulator platforms, demonstrating a TPD concept of operation. A TPD system can provide a desirable alternative revenue source for utilities but requires addressing new and unique operational issues. The selection of representative scenarios and the scenario-based experimental design are presented as key elements to capture evidence for validating the developed TPD concept of operations overcome these operational issues.
The Rancor Microworld Simulator is a simplified, pressurized water, small modular reactor simulator that includes a multi-unit plant model server, an advanced digital human-machine control interface, and the Rancor Integrated Procedure System (RIPS). Rancor provides a research and development tool that can be used for collecting operator performance data and for prototyping concepts of operations (ConOps) for advanced reactor development. RIPS is meant as a research tool and includes many unique features: (1) RIPS has a robust procedure authoring system. (2) RIPS has the capability to run any of the three IEEE-Std-1786 computer-based procedure types. (3) RIPS can be configured to take on the look and feel of different vendors’ computer-based procedure systems for the purpose of developing and evaluating different ConOps for plant upgrades or new builds. (4) RIPS includes the capability for logging operator procedure use, including integrating procedure logs with Rancor simulator logs, thereby allowing automated data collection of operator scenario runs. (5) RIPS integrates with the Human Unimodel for Nuclear Technology to Enhance Reliability (HUNTER), a dynamic human reliability analysis environment that creates a digital human twin or virtual operator to mimic reactor operator performance. (6) RIPS includes support for automation of plant monitoring and control functions. While RIPS is explicitly built into Rancor, it may also be used with full-scope training simulators. This functionality allows RIPS to be used for existing plants and advanced reactors under development.
Here, the 2022 National Defense Strategy (NDS) shifts focus primarily to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the pacing challenge, with acknowledgement of the other threats. President Joe Biden introduced the updated version by stating the U.S. is living in a decisive decade. While the country does not know when the next conflict will happen, leadership believes it will happen soon and the DoD is preparing for this eventuality in the Indo-Pacific region by rethinking operations and concepts. Traditionally, large, fixed installations have been the primary means of operating and generating airpower for the United States Air Force (USAF). Additionally, the service has the capabilities to establish contingency locations based on two primary criteria: a runway and a water source. However, policies and strategy must be updated to create a more agile and dispersed force.
The increasing number of air travelers each year presents a challenge as many airports are near their capacity in terms of resources and space for passenger screening. Fortunately, advancements in technologies like next-generation millimeter wave scanning offer solutions to ease this strain. The focus remains on managing risk while enhancing the passenger experience for the traveling public. The risk model presented in this paper known as the Aviation Security Screening Optimizer for Risk and Throughput (ASSORT) is designed to assess risk-based approaches for passenger screening and checkpoint operations. Additionally, ASSORT is exploring various traveler categories — general, trusted, and trusted-plus — along with different checkpoint screening Concept of Operations tailored to each traveler type. For instance, travelers with a higher trust level may experience fewer screening technologies, resulting in quicker processing times at the checkpoint. The output of ASSORT provides a risk score for predefined threat scenarios, as well as the overall risk to the checkpoint, aircraft, and airport by traveler type. In conclusion, benefits of using this tool include assessing the trade-offs between the overall risk associated with checkpoints and the throughput rate of passengers screened. We show for example the impact that different passenger volumes at the checkpoint can have on risk.