Systems and methods for harvesting and storing materials produced in a nuclear reactor

DOEpatents

Heinold, Mark R.; Dayal, Yogeshwar; Brittingham, Martin W.

2016-04-05

Systems produce desired isotopes through irradiation in nuclear reactor instrumentation tubes and deposit the same in a robust facility for immediate shipping, handling, and/or consumption. Irradiation targets are inserted and removed through inaccessible areas without plant shutdown and placed in the harvesting facility, such as a plurality of sealable and shipping-safe casks and/or canisters. Systems may connect various structures in a sealed manner to avoid release of dangerous or unwanted matter throughout the nuclear plant, and/or systems may also automatically decontaminate materials to be released. Useable casks or canisters can include plural barriers for containment that are temporarily and selectively removable with specially-configured paths inserted therein. Penetrations in the facilities may limit waste or pneumatic gas escape and allow the same to be removed from the systems without over-pressurization or leakage. Methods include processing irradiation targets through such systems and securely delivering them in such harvesting facilities.

Fuel shipment experience, fuel movements from the BMI-1 transport cask

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bauer, Thomas L.; Krause, Michael G

1986-07-01

The University of Texas at Austin received two shipments of irradiated fuel elements from Northrup Aircraft Corporation on April 11 and 16, 1985. A total of 59 elements consisting of standard and instrumented TRIGA fuel were unloaded from the BMI-1 shipping cask. At the time of shipment, the Northrup core burnup was approximately 50 megawatt days with fuel element radiation levels, after a cooling time of three months, of approximately 1.75 rem/hr at 3 feet. In order to facilitate future planning of fuel shipment at the UT facility and other facilities, a summary of the recent transfer process including severalmore » factors which contributed to its success are presented. Numerous color slides were made of the process for future reference by UT and others involved in fuel transfer and handling of the BMI-1 cask.« less

324 Building spent fuel segments pieces and fragments removal summary report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

SMITH, C L

2003-01-09

As part of the 324 Building Deactivation Project, all Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) and Special Nuclear Material were removed. The removal entailed packaging the material into a GNS-12 cask and shipping it to the Central Waste Complex (CWC).

10 CFR Appendix D to Part 73 - Physical Protection of Irradiated Reactor Fuel in Transit, Training Program Subject Schedule

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... radioactive cargo —Function and characteristics of the shipping casks —Radiation hazards —Federal, State and... Contingencies —Accidents —Severe weather conditions —Vehicle breakdown —Communications problems —Radioactive...

10 CFR Appendix D to Part 73 - Physical Protection of Irradiated Reactor Fuel in Transit, Training Program Subject Schedule

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... radioactive cargo —Function and characteristics of the shipping casks —Radiation hazards —Federal, State and... Contingencies —Accidents —Severe weather conditions —Vehicle breakdown —Communications problems —Radioactive...

10 CFR Appendix D to Part 73 - Physical Protection of Irradiated Reactor Fuel in Transit, Training Program Subject Schedule

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... radioactive cargo —Function and characteristics of the shipping casks —Radiation hazards —Federal, State and... Contingencies —Accidents —Severe weather conditions —Vehicle breakdown —Communications problems —Radioactive...

AIR SHIPMENT OF HIGHLY ENRICHED URANIUM SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL FROM ROMANIA AND LIBYA

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Christopher Landers; Igor Bolshinsky; Ken Allen

2010-07-01

In June 2009 Romania successfully completed the world’s first air shipment of highly enriched uranium (HEU) spent nuclear fuel transported in Type B(U) casks under existing international laws and without special exceptions for the air transport licenses. Special 20-foot ISO shipping containers and cask tiedown supports were designed to transport Russian TUK 19 shipping casks for the Romanian air shipment and the equipment was certified for all modes of transport, including road, rail, water, and air. In December 2009 Libya successfully used this same equipment for a second air shipment of HEU spent nuclear fuel. Both spent fuel shipments weremore » transported by truck from the originating nuclear facilities to nearby commercial airports, were flown by commercial cargo aircraft to a commercial airport in Yekaterinburg, Russia, and then transported by truck to their final destinations at the Production Association Mayak facility in Chelyabinsk, Russia. Both air shipments were performed under the Russian Research Reactor Fuel Return Program (RRRFR) as part of the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI). The Romania air shipment of 23.7 kg of HEU spent fuel from the VVR S research reactor was the last of three HEU fresh and spent fuel shipments under RRRFR that resulted in Romania becoming the 3rd RRRFR participating country to remove all HEU. Libya had previously completed two RRRFR shipments of HEU fresh fuel so the 5.2 kg of HEU spent fuel air shipped from the IRT 1 research reactor in December made Libya the 4th RRRFR participating country to remove all HEU. This paper describes the equipment, preparations, and license approvals required to safely and securely complete these two air shipments of spent nuclear fuel.« less

Risk Assessment of Structural Integrity of Transportation Casks after Extended Storage

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ibarra, Luis; Medina, Ricardo; Yang, Haori

This study assessed the risk of loss of structural integrity of transportation casks and fuel cladding after extended storage. Although it is known that fuel rods discharged from NPPs have a small percentage of rod cladding defects, the behavior of fuel cladding and the structural elements of assemblies during transportation after long-term storage is not well understood. If the fuel degrades during extended storage, it could be susceptible to damage from vibration and impact loads during transport operations, releasing fission-product gases into the canister or the cask interior (NWTRB 2010). Degradation of cladding may occur due to mechanisms associated withmore » hydrogen embrittlement, delayed hydride cracking, low temperature creep, and stress corrosion cracking (SCC) that may affect fuel cladding and canister components after extended storage of hundreds of years. Over extended periods at low temperatures, these mechanisms affect the ductility, strength, and fracture toughness of the fuel cladding, which becomes brittle. For transportation purposes, the fuel may be transferred from storage to shipping casks, or dual-purpose casks may be used for storage and transportation. Currently, most of the transportation casks will be the former case. A risk assessment evaluation is conducted based on results from experimental tests and simulations with advanced numerical models. A novel contribution of this study is the evaluation of the combined effect of component aging and vibration/impact loads in transportation scenarios. The expected levels of deterioration will be obtained from previous and current studies on the effect of aging on fuel and cask components. The emphasis of the study is placed on the structural integrity of fuel cladding and canisters.« less

Radionuclide production and dose rate estimation during the commissioning of the W-Ta spallation target

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Q. Z.; Liang, T. J.

2018-06-01

China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) is intended to begin operation in 2018. CSNS is an accelerator-base multidisciplinary user facility. The pulsed neutrons are produced by a 1.6GeV short-pulsed proton beam impinging on a W-Ta spallation target, at a beam power of100 kW and a repetition rate of 25 Hz. 20 neutron beam lines are extracted for the neutron scattering and neutron irradiation research. During the commissioning and maintenance scenarios, the gamma rays induced from the W-Ta target can cause the dose threat to the personal and the environment. In this paper, the gamma dose rate distributions for the W-Ta spallation are calculated, based on the engineering model of the target-moderator-reflector system. The shipping cask is analyzed to satisfy the dose rate limit that less than 2 mSv/h at the surface of the shipping cask. All calculations are performed by the Monte carlo code MCNPX2.5 and the activation code CINDER’90.

Development of a conditioning system for the dual-purpose transport and storage cask for spent nuclear fuel from decommissioned Russian submarines

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dyer, R.S.; Barnes, E.; Snipes, R.L.

2007-07-01

Russia, stores large quantities of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) from submarine and ice-breaker nuclear powered naval vessels. This high-level radioactive material presents a significant threat to the Arctic and marine environments. Much of the SNF from decommissioned Russian nuclear submarines is stored either onboard the submarines or in floating storage vessels in Northwest and Far East Russia. Some of the SNF is damaged, stored in an unstable condition, or of a type that cannot currently be reprocessed. In many cases, the existing Russian transport infrastructure and reprocessing facilities cannot meet the requirements for moving and reprocessing all of this fuelmore » from remote locations. Additional transport and storage options are required. Some of the existing storage facilities being used in Russia do not meet health and safety and physical security requirements. The U.S. has assisted Russia in the development of a new dual-purpose metal-concrete transport and storage cask (TUK-108/1) for their military SNF and assisted them in building several new facilities for off-loading submarine SNF and storing these TUK-108/1 casks. These efforts have reduced the technical, ecological, and security challenges for removal, handling, interim storage, and shipment of this submarine fuel. Currently, Russian licensing limits the storage period of the TUK-108/1 casks to no more than two years before the fuel must be shipped for reprocessing. In order to extend this licensed storage period, a system is required to condition the casks by removing residual water and creating an inert storage environment by backfilling the internal canisters with a noble gas such as argon. The U.S. has assisted Russia in the development of a mobile cask conditioning system for the TUK-108/1 cask. This new conditioning system allows the TUK 108/1 casks to be stored for up to five years after which the license may be considered for renewal for an additional five years or the fuel will be shipped to 'Mayak' for reprocessing. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in cooperation with the U.S. DOD Office of Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR), and the DOE's ORNL, along with the Norwegian Defense Research Establishment, worked closely with the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Atomic Energy of the Russian Federation (RF) to develop an improved integrated management system for interim storage of military SNF in Russia. The initial Project activities included: (1) development of a prototype dual-purpose, metal-concrete 40-ton cask for both the transport and interim storage of RF SNF, and (2) development of the first transshipment/interim storage facility for these casks in Murmansk. The U.S. has continued support to the project by assisting the RF with the development of the first mobile system that provides internal conditioning for the TUK-108/1 casks to allow them to be stored for longer than the current licensing period of two years. Development of the prototype TUK-108/1 cask was completed in December 2000 under the Arctic Military Environmental Cooperation (AMEC) Program. This was the first metal-concrete cask developed, licensed, and produced in the RF for both the transportation and storage of SNF from decommissioned submarines. These casks are currently being serially produced in NW Russia and 108 casks have been produced to date. Russia is using these casks for the transport and interim storage of military SNF from decommissioned nuclear submarines at naval installations in the Arctic and Far East in conformance with the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START II). The design, construction, and commissioning of the first transshipment/interim storage facility in the RF was completed and ready for full operation in September 2003. Because of the RF government reorganization and changing regulations for spent fuel storage facilities, the storage facility at Murmansk was not fully licensed for operation until December 2005. The RF has reported that the facility is now fully operational. The TUK-108/1 SNF transport and storage casks were designed to have a 50-year storage life. Current RF practice is not to condition the submarine SNF or cask during the cask loading. Current RF regulations allow up to 4 mm of residual water (up to 3.2 liters) to remain in the casks. It has been determined that allowing this amount of residual water to remain untreated for a period longer than two years can produce hydrogen gas through hydrolysis which will increase the risk of explosion and could cause some corrosion of internal components. A solution to this problem was to develop and utilize a cask conditioning system to remove the residual water and create an inert storage environment in the cask by back-filling the internal cask cavity with an inert gas, such as helium or argon. This system is compatible with the existing TUK-108/1 design and is mobile for use at multiple submarine dismantlement sites. The RF has required that this cask conditioning system be tested and commissioned at the 'Zvezda' Shipyard in the Far East near Vladivostok, one of the major RF submarine fuel off loading and storage facilities. Currently, the fuel cannot be transferred to 'Mayak' for reprocessing until the completion of the 20 km railroad connector between 'Zvezda' and the main rail line to 'Mayak'. The cask conditioning system will allow extension of the currently-stored casks for an additional three years, at which time the rail connector line should be completed. The current license to store these casks at 'Zvezda' was scheduled to expire on 31 Dec 2006. Without the cask-conditioning system, the license could not be extended, no more fuel could be off-loaded from the decommissioned submarines, and the START objectives could not be met at 'Zvezda'. Completion of this cask conditioning system has removed a significant bottleneck for the completion of the Russian submarine decommissioning program under the START II Agreement. (authors)« less

Adsorbed radioactivity and radiographic imaging of surfaces of stainless steel and titanium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jung, Haijo

1997-11-01

Type 304 stainless steel used for typical surface materials of spent fuel shipping casks and titanium were exposed in the spent fuel storage pool of a typical PWR power plant. Adsorption characteristics, effectiveness of decontamination by water cleaning and by electrocleaning, and swipe effectiveness on the metal surfaces were studied. A variety of environmental conditions had been manipulated to stimulate the potential 'weeping' phenomenon that often occurs with spent fuel shipping casks during transit. In a previous study, few heterogeneous effects of adsorbed contamination onto metal surfaces were observed. Radiographic images of cask surfaces were made in this study and showed clearly heterogeneous activity distributions. Acquired radiographic images were digitized and further analyzed with an image analysis computer package and compared to calibrated images by using standard sources. The measurements of activity distribution by using the radiographic image method were consistent with that using a HPGe detector. This radiographic image method was used to study the effects of electrocleaning for total and specified areas. The Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) of a film-screen system in contact with a radioactive metal surface was studied with neutron activated gold foils and showed more broad resolution properties than general diagnostic x-ray film-screen systems. Microstructure between normal areas and hot spots showed significant differences, and one hot spot appearing as a dot on the film image consisted of several small hot spots (about 10 μm in diameter). These hot spots were observed as structural defects of the metal surfaces.

Preliminary risk assessment for nuclear waste disposal in space, volume 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rice, E. E.; Denning, R. S.; Friedlander, A. L.

1982-01-01

Safety guidelines are presented. Waste form, waste processing and payload fabrication facilities, shipping casks and ground transport vehicles, payload primary container/core, radiation shield, reentry systems, launch site facilities, uprooted space shuttle launch vehicle, Earth packing orbits, orbit transfer systems, and space destination are discussed. Disposed concepts and risks are then discussed.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ingham, J.G.

The IDENT 1578 container, which is a 110-in. long 5.5-in. OD tube, is designed for shipping FFTF fuel elements in T-3 casks between HEDL, HFEF, and other laboratories. The thermal analysis was conducted to evaluate whether or not the container satisfies its thermal design criteria (handle a decay heat load of 600 watts, max fuel pin cladding temperature not exceeding 800/sup 0/F).

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ibarra, Luis; Sanders, David; Yang, Haori

The main goal of this study is to evaluate the long-term seismic performance of freestanding and anchored Dry Storage Casks (DSCs) using experimental tests on a shaking table, as well as comprehensive numerical evaluations that include the cask-pad-soil system. The study focuses on the dynamic performance of vertical DSCs, which can be designed as free-standing structures resting on a reinforced concrete foundation pad, or casks anchored to a foundation pad. The spent nuclear fuel (SNF) at nuclear power plants (NPPs) is initially stored in fuel-storage pools to control the fuel temperature. After several years, the fuel assemblies are transferred tomore » DSCs at sites contiguous to the plant, known as Interim Spent Fuel Storage Installations (ISFSIs). The regulations for these storage systems (10 CFR 72) ensure adequate passive heat removal and radiation shielding during normal operations, off-normal events, and accident scenarios. The integrity of the DSCs is important, even if the overpack does not breach, because eventually the spent fuel-rods need to be shipped either to a reprocessing plant or a repository. DSCs have been considered as a temporary storage solution, and usually are licensed for 20 years, although they can be relicensed for operating periods of up to 60 years. In recent years, DSCs have been reevaluated as a potential mid-term solution, in which the operating period may be extended for up to 300 years. At the same time, recent seismic events have underlined the significant risks DSCs are exposed. The consideration of DCSs for storing spent fuel for hundreds of years has created new challenges. In the case of seismic hazard, longer-term operating periods not only lead to larger horizontal accelerations, but also increase the relative effect of vertical accelerations that usually are disregarded for smaller seismic events. These larger seismic demands could lead to casks sliding and tipping over, impacting the concrete pad or adjacent casks. The casks may also slide and collide with other casks or structural components. Also, the different DSC components may impact each other during these events. This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of DSCs subjected to these extreme demands, including the effect of vertical accelerations, and soilstructure interaction.« less

Air Shipment of Spent Nuclear Fuel from Romania to Russia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Igor Bolshinsky; Ken Allen; Lucian Biro

Romania successfully completed the world’s first air shipment of spent nuclear fuel transported in Type B(U) casks under existing international laws and without shipment license special exceptions when the last Romanian highly enriched uranium (HEU) spent nuclear fuel was transported to the Russian Federation in June 2009. This air shipment required the design, fabrication, and licensing of special 20 foot freight containers and cask tiedown supports to transport the eighteen TUK 19 shipping casks on a Russian commercial cargo aircraft. The new equipment was certified for transport by road, rail, water, and air to provide multi modal transport capabilities formore » shipping research reactor spent fuel. The equipment design, safety analyses, and fabrication were performed in the Russian Federation and transport licenses were issued by both the Russian and Romanian regulatory authorities. The spent fuel was transported by truck from the VVR S research reactor to the Bucharest airport, flown by commercial cargo aircraft to the airport at Yekaterinburg, Russia, and then transported by truck to the final destination in a secure nuclear facility at Chelyabinsk, Russia. This shipment of 23.7 kg of HEU was coordinated by the Russian Research Reactor Fuel Return Program (RRRFR), as part of the U.S. Department of Energy Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI), in close cooperation with the Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation and the International Atomic Energy Agency, and was managed in Romania by the National Commission for Nuclear Activities Control (CNCAN). This paper describes the planning, shipment preparations, equipment design, and license approvals that resulted in the safe and secure air shipment of this spent nuclear fuel.« less

Present experience of NRI REZ with preparation of spent nuclear fuel shipment to Russian Federation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Svitak, F.; Broz, V.; Hrehor, M.

2008-07-15

The Nuclear Research Institute Rez plc (NRI) jointed the Russian Research Reactor Fuel Return (RRRFR) programme under the US-Russian Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI) initiative and started the preparation of the spent nuclear fuel (SNF) shipment from the LVR-15 research reactor back to the Russian Federation (RF). The transport of 16 SKODA VPVR/M casks with EK-10, IRT-2M 80 %, and IRT-2M 36% fuel types is planned for the autumn of 2007. The paper describes the experience gained so far during the preparatory works for the SNF shipment (facility equipment modification, cask licenses) and the actual preparation of the SNF formore » transport, in particular its checking, repacking in a hot cell, loading into the VPVR/M casks, drying, manipulation, completion of the transport documentation, etc., including its transport to the SNF storage facility at the NRI before it is shipped to the RF. The paper also briefly describes a regulatory framework for these activities with a focus on legislative and methodological aspects of the return of vitrified waste back to the Czech Republic. (author)« less

Used fuel extended storage security and safeguards by design roadmap

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Durbin, Samuel G.; Lindgren, Eric Richard; Jones, Robert

2016-05-01

In the United States, spent nuclear fuel (SNF) is safely and securely stored in spent fuel pools and dry storage casks. The available capacity in spent fuel pools across the nuclear fleet has nearly reached a steady state value. The excess SNF continues to be loaded in dry storage casks. Fuel is expected to remain in dry storage for periods beyond the initial dry cask certification period of 20 years. Recent licensing renewals have approved an additional 40 years. This report identifies the current requirements and evaluation techniques associated with the safeguards and security of SNF dry cask storage. Amore » set of knowledge gaps is identified in the current approaches. Finally, this roadmap identifies known knowledge gaps and provides a research path to deliver the tools and models needed to close the gaps and allow the optimization of the security and safeguards approaches for an interim spent fuel facility over the lifetime of the storage site.« less

Management of spent nuclear fuel on the Oak Ridge Reservation, Oak Ridge, Tennessee: Environmental assessment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1996-02-01

On June 1, 1995, DOE issued a Record of Decision [60 Federal Register 28680] for the Department-wide management of spent nuclear fuel (SNF); regionalized storage of SNF by fuel type was selected as the preferred alternative. The proposed action evaluated in this environmental assessment is the management of SNF on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) to implement this preferred alternative of regional storage. SNF would be retrieved from storage, transferred to a hot cell if segregation by fuel type and/or repackaging is required, loaded into casks, and shipped to off-site storage. The proposed action would also include construction and operationmore » of a dry cask SNF storage facility on ORR, in case of inadequate SNF storage. Action is needed to enable DOE to continue operation of the High Flux Isotope Reactor, which generates SNF. This report addresses environmental impacts.« less

Final Technical Report: Imaging a Dry Storage Cask with Cosmic Ray Muons

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yang, Haori; Hayward, Jason; Chichester, David

The goal of this project is to build a scaled prototype system for monitoring used nuclear fuel (UNF) dry storage casks (DSCs) through cosmic ray muon imaging. Such a system will have the capability of verifying the content inside a DSC without opening it. Because of the growth of the nuclear power industry in the U.S. and the policy decision to ban reprocessing of commercial UNF, the used fuel inventory at commercial reactor sites has been increasing. Currently, UNF needs to be moved to independent spent fuel storage installations (ISFSIs), as its inventory approaches the limit on capacity of on-sitemore » wet storage. Thereafter, the fuel will be placed in shipping containers to be transferred to a final disposal site. The ISFSIs were initially licensed as temporary facilities for ~20-yr periods. Given the cancellation of the Yucca mountain project and no clear path forward, extended dry-cask storage (~100 yr.) at ISFSIs is very likely. From the point of view of nuclear material protection, accountability and control technologies (MPACT) campaign, it is important to ensure that special nuclear material (SNM) in UNF is not stolen or diverted from civilian facilities for other use during the extended storage.« less

AIR SHIPMENT OF SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL FROM THE BUDAPEST RESEARCH REACTOR

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dewes, J.

2014-02-24

The shipment of spent nuclear fuel is usually done by a combination of rail, road or sea, as the high activity of the SNF needs heavy shielding. Air shipment has advantages, e.g. it is much faster than any other shipment and therefore minimizes the transit time as well as attention of the public. Up to now only very few and very special SNF shipments were done by air, as the available container (TUK6) had a very limited capacity. Recently Sosny developed a Type C overpack, the TUK-145/C, compliant with IAEA Standard TS-R-1 for the VPVR/M type Skoda container. The TUK-145/Cmore » was first used in Vietnam in July 2013 for a single cask. In October and November 2013 a total of six casks were successfully shipped from Hungary in three air shipments using the TUK-145/C. The present paper describes the details of these shipments and formulates the lessons learned.« less

TN International and ITS operational feedback regarding the decommissioning of obsolete casks dedicated to the transport and/or storage of nuclear raw materials, fuel and used fuel

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Blachet, L.; Bimet, F.; Rennesson, N.

2008-07-01

Within the AREVA group, TN International is a major actor regarding the design of casks and transportation for the nuclear cycle. In the early 2005, TN International has started the project of decommissioning some of its own equipment and was hence the first company ever in the AREVA Group to implement this new approach. In order to do so, TN International has based this project by taking into account the AREVA Sustainable Development Charter, the French regulatory framework, the ANDRA (Agence Nationale pour la Gestion des Dechets Radioactifs - National Agency for the radioactive waste management) requirements and has deployedmore » a step by step methodology such as radiological characterization following a logical route. The aim was to define a standardized process with optimized solutions regarding the diversity of the cask's fleet. As a general matter, decommissioning of nuclear casks is a brand new field as the nuclear field is more familiar with the dismantling of nuclear facilities and/or nuclear power plant. Nevertheless existing workshops, maintenance facilities, measurements equipments and techniques have been exploited and adapted by TN International in order to turn an ambitious project into a permanent and cost-effective activity. The decommissioning of the nuclear casks implemented by TN International regarding its own needs and the French regulatory framework is formalized by several processes and is materialized for instance by the final disposal of casks as they are or in ISO container packed with cut-off casks and big bags filled with crushed internal cask equipments, etc. The first part of this paper aims to describe the history of the project that started with a specific environmental analysis which took into account the values of AREVA as regards the Sustainable Development principles that were at the time and are still a topic of current concern in the world. The second part will deal with the definition, the design and the implementation of the decommissioning processes and the applied techniques. The third part will present a two years operational feedback. The last part will introduce new processes which are currently under investigation and will put into light that decommissioning of nuclear casks is a continuous activity that is in perpetual mutation. (authors)« less

Defense Remote Handled Transuranic Waste Cost/Schedule Optimization Study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pierce, G.D.; Beaulieu, D.H.; Wolaver, R.W.

1986-11-01

The purpose of this study is to provide the DOE information with which it can establish the most efficient program for the long management and disposal, in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), of remote handled (RH) transuranic (TRU) waste. To fulfill this purpose, a comprehensive review of waste characteristics, existing and projected waste inventories, processing and transportation options, and WIPP requirements was made. Cost differences between waste management alternatives were analyzed and compared to an established baseline. The result of this study is an information package that DOE can use as the basis for policy decisions. As part ofmore » this study, a comprehensive list of alternatives for each element of the baseline was developed and reviewed with the sites. The principle conclusions of the study follow. A single processing facility for RH TRU waste is both necessary and sufficient. The RH TRU processing facility should be located at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Shielding of RH TRU to contact handled levels is not an economic alternative in general, but is an acceptable alternative for specific waste streams. Compaction is only cost effective at the ORNL processing facility, with a possible exception at Hanford for small compaction of paint cans of newly generated glovebox waste. It is more cost effective to ship certified waste to WIPP in 55-gal drums than in canisters, assuming a suitable drum cask becomes available. Some waste forms cannot be packaged in drums, a canister/shielded cask capability is also required. To achieve the desired disposal rate, the ORNL processing facility must be operational by 1996. Implementing the conclusions of this study can save approximately $110 million, compared to the baseline, in facility, transportation, and interim storage costs through the year 2013. 10 figs., 28 tabs.« less

An Investigation into the Transportation of Irradiated Uranium/Aluminum Targets from a Foreign Nuclear Reactor to the Chalk River Laboratories Site in Ontario, Canada - 12249

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Clough, Malcolm; Jackson, Austin

2012-07-01

This investigation required the selection of a suitable cask and development of a device to hold and transport irradiated targets from a foreign nuclear reactor to the Chalk River Laboratories in Ontario, Canada. The main challenge was to design and validate a target holder to protect the irradiated HEU-Al target pencils during transit. Each of the targets was estimated to have an initial decay heat of 118 W prior to transit. As the targets have little thermal mass the potential for high temperature damage and possibly melting was high. Thus, the primary design objective was to conceive a target holdermore » to dissipate heat from the targets. Other design requirements included securing the targets during transportation and providing a simple means to load and unload the targets while submerged five metres under water. A unique target holder (patent pending) was designed and manufactured together with special purpose experimental apparatus including a representative cask. Aluminum dummy targets were fabricated to accept cartridge heaters, to simulate decay heat. Thermocouples were used to measure the temperature of the test targets and selected areas within the target holder and test cask. After obtaining test results, calculations were performed to compensate for differences between experimental and real life conditions. Taking compensation into consideration the maximum target temperature reached was 231 deg. C which was below the designated maximum of 250 deg. C. The design of the aluminum target holder also allowed generous clearance to insert and unload the targets. This clearance was designed to close up as the target holder is placed into the cavity of the transport cask. Springs served to retain and restrain the targets from movement during transportation as well as to facilitate conductive heat transfer. The target holder met the design requirements and as such provided data supporting the feasibility of transporting targets over a relatively long period of time. A suitable transport cask was selected and a device for housing irradiated targets for loading, unloading and transportation has been designed, built and validated. The device was successful in meeting all design requirements for this feasibility study. Experiments were conducted with a custom test facility to confirm that the design met the maximum temperature requirements during shipping. Results from tests showed that the peak temperature in the apparatus was 300 deg. C. By compensating for experimental considerations, such as reduced thermal conductivity of the test cask versus that of the actual cask the expected maximum target temperature reduces to 231 deg. C. This is below the designated peak value of 250 deg. C. It can therefore be concluded, based on the content of this paper and from a heat-removal standpoint, the feasibility of transporting targets from a foreign nuclear reactor to Canada is possible, although further testing with irradiated targets and a full size cask would be a recommended next step. (authors)« less

CANISTER TRANSFER SYSTEM DESCRIPTION DOCUMENT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

B. Gorpani

2000-06-23

The Canister Transfer System receives transportation casks containing large and small disposable canisters, unloads the canisters from the casks, stores the canisters as required, loads them into disposal containers (DCs), and prepares the empty casks for re-shipment. Cask unloading begins with cask inspection, sampling, and lid bolt removal operations. The cask lids are removed and the canisters are unloaded. Small canisters are loaded directly into a DC, or are stored until enough canisters are available to fill a DC. Large canisters are loaded directly into a DC. Transportation casks and related components are decontaminated as required, and empty casks aremore » prepared for re-shipment. One independent, remotely operated canister transfer line is provided in the Waste Handling Building System. The canister transfer line consists of a Cask Transport System, Cask Preparation System, Canister Handling System, Disposal Container Transport System, an off-normal canister handling cell with a transfer tunnel connecting the two cells, and Control and Tracking System. The Canister Transfer System operating sequence begins with moving transportation casks to the cask preparation area with the Cask Transport System. The Cask Preparation System prepares the cask for unloading and consists of cask preparation manipulator, cask inspection and sampling equipment, and decontamination equipment. The Canister Handling System unloads the canister(s) and places them into a DC. Handling equipment consists of a bridge crane hoist, DC loading manipulator, lifting fixtures, and small canister staging racks. Once the cask has been unloaded, the Cask Preparation System decontaminates the cask exterior and returns it to the Carrier/Cask Handling System via the Cask Transport System. After the DC is fully loaded, the Disposal Container Transport System moves the DC to the Disposal Container Handling System for welding. To handle off-normal canisters, a separate off-normal canister handling cell is located adjacent to the canister transfer cell and is interconnected to the transfer cell by means of the off-normal canister transfer tunnel. All canister transfer operations are controlled by the Control and Tracking System. The system interfaces with the Carrier/Cask Handling System for incoming and outgoing transportation casks. The system also interfaces with the Disposal Container Handling System, which prepares the DC for loading and subsequently seals the loaded DC. The system support interfaces are the Waste Handling Building System and other internal Waste Handling Building (WHB) support systems.« less

Apparatus for safeguarding a radiological source

DOEpatents

Bzorgi, Fariborz M

2014-10-07

A tamper detector is provided for safeguarding a radiological source that is moved into and out of a storage location through an access porthole for storage and use. The radiological source is presumed to have an associated shipping container approved by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for transporting the radiological source. The tamper detector typically includes a network of sealed tubing that spans at least a portion of the access porthole. There is an opening in the network of sealed tubing that is large enough for passage therethrough of the radiological source and small enough to prevent passage therethrough of the associated shipping cask. Generally a gas source connector is provided for establishing a gas pressure in the network of sealed tubing, and a pressure drop sensor is provided for detecting a drop in the gas pressure below a preset value.

Calcium/calmodulin-dependent serine protein kinase (CASK), a protein implicated in mental retardation and autism-spectrum disorders, interacts with T-Brain-1 (TBR1) to control extinction of associative memory in male mice.

PubMed

Huang, Tzyy-Nan; Hsueh, Yi-Ping

2017-01-01

Human genetic studies have indicated that mutations in calcium/calmodulin-dependent serine protein kinase ( CASK ) result in X-linked mental retardation and autism-spectrum disorders. We aimed to establish a mouse model to study how Cask regulates mental ability. Because Cask encodes a multidomain scaffold protein, a possible strategy to dissect how CASK regulates mental ability and cognition is to disrupt specific protein-protein interactions of CASK in vivo and then investigate the impact of individual specific protein interactions. Previous in vitro analyses indicated that a rat CASK T724A mutation reduces the interaction between CASK and T-brain-1 (TBR1) in transfected COS cells. Because TBR1 is critical for glutamate receptor, ionotropic, N -methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunit 2B ( Grin2b ) expression and is a causative gene for autism and intellectual disability, we then generated CASK T740A (corresponding to rat CASK T724A) mutant mice using a gene-targeting approach. Immunoblotting, coimmunoprecipitation, histological methods and behavioural assays (including home cage, open field, auditory and contextual fear conditioning and conditioned taste aversion) were applied to investigate expression of CASK and its related proteins, the protein-protein interactions of CASK, and anatomic and behavioural features of CASK T740A mice. The CASK T740A mutation attenuated the interaction between CASK and TBR1 in the brain. However, CASK T740A mice were generally healthy, without obvious defects in brain morphology. The most dramatic defect among the mutant mice was in extinction of associative memory, though acquisition was normal. The functions of other CASK protein interactions cannot be addressed using CASK T740A mice. Disruption of the CASK and TBR1 interaction impairs extinction, suggesting the involvement of CASK in cognitive flexibility.

78 FR 73456 - List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: HI-STORM 100 Cask System; Amendment No. 9

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-06

...-2012-0052] RIN 3150-AJ12 List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: HI-STORM 100 Cask System; Amendment... International HI-STORM 100 Cask System listing within the ``List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks'' to... requirements for the HI-STORM 100U part of the HI-STORM 100 Cask System and updates the thermal model and...

Casks (computer analysis of storage casks): A microcomputer based analysis system for storage cask review

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, T.F.; Mok, G.C.; Carlson, R.W.

1995-08-01

CASKS is a microcomputer based computer system developed by LLNL to assist the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in performing confirmatory analyses for licensing review of radioactive-material storage cask designs. The analysis programs of the CASKS computer system consist of four modules: the impact analysis module, the thermal analysis module, the thermally-induced stress analysis module, and the pressure-induced stress analysis module. CASKS uses a series of menus to coordinate input programs, cask analysis programs, output programs, data archive programs and databases, so the user is able to run the system in an interactive environment. This paper outlines the theoretical background on themore » impact analysis module and the yielding surface formulation. The close agreement between the CASKS analytical predictions and the results obtained form the two storage casks drop tests performed by SNL and by BNFL at Winfrith serves as the validation of the CASKS impact analysis module.« less

76 FR 17019 - List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: HI-STORM Flood/Wind Addition

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-28

... Storage Casks: HI-STORM Flood/Wind Addition AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Direct final... regulations to add the HI-STORM Flood/Wind cask system to the ``List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks... cask designs. Discussion This rule will add the Holtec HI-STORM Flood/Wind (FW) cask system to the list...

CASK regulates CaMKII autophosphorylation in neuronal growth, calcium signaling, and learning

PubMed Central

Gillespie, John M.; Hodge, James J. L.

2013-01-01

Calcium (Ca2+)/calmodulin (CaM)-dependent kinase II (CaMKII) activity plays a fundamental role in learning and memory. A key feature of CaMKII in memory formation is its ability to be regulated by autophosphorylation, which switches its activity on and off during synaptic plasticity. The synaptic scaffolding protein CASK (calcium (Ca2+)/calmodulin (CaM) associated serine kinase) is also important for learning and memory, as mutations in CASK result in intellectual disability and neurological defects in humans. We show that in Drosophila larvae, CASK interacts with CaMKII to control neuronal growth and calcium signaling. Furthermore, deletion of the CaMK-like and L27 domains of CASK (CASK β null) or expression of overactive CaMKII (T287D) produced similar effects on synaptic growth and Ca2+ signaling. CASK overexpression rescues the effects of CaMKII overactivity, consistent with the notion that CASK and CaMKII act in a common pathway that controls these neuronal processes. The reduction in Ca2+ signaling observed in the CASK β null mutant caused a decrease in vesicle trafficking at synapses. In addition, the decrease in Ca2+ signaling in CASK mutants was associated with an increase in Ether-à-go-go (EAG) potassium (K+) channel localization to synapses. Reducing EAG restored the decrease in Ca2+ signaling observed in CASK mutants to the level of wildtype, suggesting that CASK regulates Ca2+ signaling via EAG. CASK knockdown reduced both appetitive associative learning and odor evoked Ca2+ responses in Drosophila mushroom bodies, which are the learning centers of Drosophila. Expression of human CASK in Drosophila rescued the effect of CASK deletion on the activity state of CaMKII, suggesting that human CASK may also regulate CaMKII autophosphorylation. PMID:24062638

78 FR 78165 - List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: HI-STORM 100 Cask System; Amendment No. 9

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-26

... Spent Fuel Storage Casks: HI-STORM 100 Cask System; Amendment No. 9 AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory... storage regulations by revising the Holtec International HI-STORM 100 Cask System listing within the...

CASKS (Computer Analysis of Storage Casks): A microcomputer based analysis system for storage cask review

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, T.F.; Mok, G.C.; Carlson, R.W.

1996-12-01

CASKS is a microcomputer based computer system developed by LLNL to assist the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in performing confirmatory analyses for licensing review of radioactive-material storage cask designs. The analysis programs of the CASKS computer system consist of four modules--the impact analysis module, the thermal analysis module, the thermally-induced stress analysis module, and the pressure-induced stress analysis module. CASKS uses a series of menus to coordinate input programs, cask analysis programs, output programs, data archive programs and databases, so the user is able to run the system in an interactive environment. This paper outlines the theoretical background on the impactmore » analysis module and the yielding surface formulation. The close agreement between the CASKS analytical predictions and the results obtained form the two storage asks drop tests performed by SNL and by BNFL at Winfrith serves as the validation of the CASKS impact analysis module.« less

ASSEMBLY TRANSFER SYSTEM DESCRIPTION DOCUMENT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

B. Gorpani

2000-06-26

The Assembly Transfer System (ATS) receives, cools, and opens rail and truck transportation casks from the Carrier/Cask Handling System (CCHS). The system unloads transportation casks consisting of bare Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) assemblies, single element canisters, and Dual Purpose Canisters (DPCs). For casks containing DPCs, the system opens the DPCs and unloads the SNF. The system stages the assemblies, transfer assemblies to and from fuel-blending inventory pools, loads them into Disposal Containers (DCs), temporarily seals and inerts the DC, decontaminates the DC and transfers it to the Disposal Container Handling System. The system also prepares empty casks and DPCs formore » off-site shipment. Two identical Assembly Transfer System lines are provided in the Waste Handling Building (WHB). Each line operates independently to handle the waste transfer throughput and to support maintenance operations. Each system line primarily consists of wet and dry handling areas. The wet handling area includes a cask transport system, cask and DPC preparation system, and a wet assembly handling system. The basket transport system forms the transition between the wet and dry handling areas. The dry handling area includes the dry assembly handling system, assembly drying system, DC preparation system, and DC transport system. Both the wet and dry handling areas are controlled by the control and tracking system. The system operating sequence begins with moving transportation casks to the cask preparation area. The cask preparation operations consist of cask cavity gas sampling, cask venting, cask cool-down, outer lid removal, and inner shield plug lifting fixture attachment. Casks containing bare SNF (no DPC) are filled with water and placed in the cask unloading pool. The inner shield plugs are removed underwater. For casks containing a DPC, the cask lid(s) is removed, and the DPC is penetrated, sampled, vented, and cooled. A DPC lifting fixture is attached and the cask is placed into the cask unloading pool. In the cask unloading pool the DPC is removed from the cask and placed in an overpack and the DPC lid is severed and removed. Assemblies are removed from either an open cask or DPC and loaded into assembly baskets positioned in the basket staging rack in the assembly unloading pool. A method called ''blending'' is utilized to load DCs with a heat output of less than 11.8 kW. This involves combining hotter and cooler assemblies from different baskets. Blending requires storing some of the hotter fuel assemblies in fuel-blending inventory pools until cooler assemblies are available. The assembly baskets are then transferred from the basket staging rack to the assembly handling cell and loaded into the assembly drying vessels. After drying, the assemblies are removed from the assembly drying vessels and loaded into a DC positioned below the DC load port. After installation of a DC inner lid and temporary sealing device, the DC is transferred to the DC decontamination cell where the top area of the DC, the DC lifting collar, and the DC inner lid and temporary sealing device are decontaminated, and the DC is evacuated and backfilled with inert gas to prevent prolonged clad exposure to air. The DC is then transferred to the Disposal Container Handling System for lid welding. In another cask preparation and decontamination area, lids are replaced on the empty transportation casks and DPC overpacks, the casks and DPC overpacks are decontaminated, inspected, and transferred to the Carrier/Cask Handling System for shipment off-site. All system equipment is designed to facilitate manual or remote operation, decontamination, and maintenance. The system interfaces with the Carrier/Cask Handling System for incoming and outgoing transportation casks and DPCs. The system also interfaces with the Disposal Container Handling System, which prepares the DC for loading and subsequently seals the loaded DC. The system support interfaces are the Waste Handling Building System and other internal WHB support systems.« less

Compton Dry-Cask Imaging System

ScienceCinema

None

2017-12-09

The Compton-Dry Cask Imaging Scanner is a system that verifies and documents the presence of spent nuclear fuel rods in dry-cask storage and determines their isotopic composition without moving or opening the cask. For more information about this project, visit http://www.inl.gov/rd100/2011/compton-dry-cask-imaging-system/

Concrete Shield Performance of the VSC-17 Spent Nuclear Fuel Cask

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sheryl L. Morton; Philip L. Winston; Toshiari Saegusa

2006-04-01

In 2003, representatives from the Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI) requested development of a project with the objective of determining the performance of a concrete spent nuclear fuel storage cask. Radiation and environmental effects may cause chemical alteration of the concrete that could result in excessive cracking, spalling, and loss of compressive strength. The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) project team and CRIEPI representatives identified the Ventilated Storage Cask (VSC-17) spent nuclear fuel storage cask as a candidate to study cask performance, because it had been used to store fuel as part of a dry cask storage demonstrationmore » project for more than 15 years. The project involved investigating the properties of the concrete shield. INL performed a survey of the cask in the summers of 2003 and 2004. Preliminary cask evaluations performed in 2003 indicated that the cask has no visual degradation. However, a 4-5 mrem/hr step-change in the radiation levels about halfway up the cask and a localized hot spot beneath an upper air vent indicate that there may be variability in the density of the concrete or localized cracking. In 2005, INL and CRIEPI scientists performed additional surveys on the VSC-17 cask. This document summarizes the methods used on the VSC-17 to evaluate the cask for compressive strength, concrete cracking, concrete thickness, and temperature distribution.« less

77 FR 9591 - List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: HI-STORM 100, Revision 8

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-17

... Fuel Storage Casks: HI-STORM 100, Revision 8 AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Proposed... spent fuel storage cask regulations by revising the Holtec International HI-STORM 100 dry cask storage... Amendment No. 8 to CoC No. 1014 and does not include other aspects of the HI-STORM 100 dry storage cask...

SRNL Development of Recovery Processes for Mark-18A Heavy Actinide Targets

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Allender, Jeffrey S.; Bridges, Nicholas J.; Loftin, Bradley M.

2015-07-14

Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) are developing plans for the recovery of rare and unique isotopes contained within heavy-actinide target assemblies, specifically the Mark-18A. Mark-18A assemblies were irradiated in Savannah River Site (SRS) reactors in the 1970s under extremely high neutron-flux conditions and produced, virtually, the world's supply of plutonium-244, an isotope of key importance to high-precision actinide measurement and other scientific and nonproliferation uses; and curium highly enriched in heavy isotopes (e.g., curium-246 and curium-248). In 2015 and 2016, SRNL is pursuing tasks that would reduce program risk and budget requirements, including furthermore » characterization of unprocessed targets; engineering studies for the use of the SRNL Shielded Cells Facility (SCF) for recovery; and development of onsite and offsite shipping methods including a replacement for the heavy (70 ton) cask previously used for onsite transfer of irradiated items at SRS. A status update is provided for the characterization, including modeling using the Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport Code (MCNP); direct non-destructive assay measurements; and cask design.« less

Multiple-Angle Muon Radiography of a Dry Storage Cask

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Durham, J. Matthew; Guardincerri, Elena; Morris, Christopher

A partially loaded dry storage cask was imaged using cosmic ray muons. Since the cask is large relative to the size of the muon tracking detectors, the instruments were placed at nine different positions around the cask to record data covering the entire fuel basket. We show that this technique can detect the removal of a single fuel assembly from the center of the cask.

Used Fuel Cask Identification through Neutron Profile

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rauch, Eric Benton

2015-11-20

Currently, most spent fuel is stored near reactors. An interim consolidated fuel storage facility would receive fuel from multiple sites and store it in casks on site for decades. For successful operation of such a facility there is need for a way to restore continuity of knowledge if lost as well as a method that will indicate state of fuel inside the cask. Used nuclear fuel is identifiable by its radiation emission, both gamma and neutron. Neutron emission from fission products, multiplication from remaining fissile material, and the unique distribution of both in each cask produce a unique neutron signature.more » If two signatures taken at different times do not match, either changes within the fuel content or misidentification of a cask occurred. It was found that identification of cask loadings works well through the profile of emitted neutrons in simulated real casks. Even casks with similar overall neutron emission or average counts around the circumference can be distinguished from each other by analyzing the profile. In conclusion, (1) identification of unaltered casks through neutron signature profile is viable; (2) collecting the profile provides insight to the condition and intactness of the fuel stored inside the cask; and (3) the signature profile is stable over time.« less

Audio Script for Information Center Transportation Display

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NA

2003-05-26

Can waste be transported safely to Yucca Mountain? Both the Department of Energy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission have found that spent nuclear fuel can be shipped safely and securely. In fact, over the last 30 years there have been more than 2,700 shipments of spent nuclear fuel traveling more than 1.7 million miles, and there has never been a release of radioactive material harmful to the public or the environment--not one. Spent nuclear fuel is a solid material--it cannot leak, burn, or explode. The shipping containers, called casks, are the most robust in the transportation industry and must bemore » certified by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. They are designed to protect public health and safety under normal and severe accident conditions. Typically, every ton of shipped spent fuel is contained within approximately 4 tons of protective shielding and structural materials. How many shipments would be made to Yucca Mountain? DOE would use mainly trains and some legal-weight trucks to move spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste to Yucca Mountain. Once the repository opens, DOE estimates and average of 130 rail shipments and 45 truck shipments per year for 24 years.« less

78 FR 78285 - List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: HI-STORM 100 Cask System; Amendment No. 9

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-26

...-2012-0052] RIN 3150-AJ12 List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: HI-STORM 100 Cask System; Amendment... document proposed to amend the NRC's spent fuel storage regulations by revising the Holtec International HI...

Performance testing and analyses of the VSC-17 ventilated concrete cask. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McKinnon, M.A.; Dodge, R.E.; Schmitt, R.C.

1992-05-01

This document details performance test which was conducted on a Pacific Sierra Nuclear VSC-17 ventilated concrete storage cask configured for pressurized-water reactor (PWR) spent fuel. The performance test consisted of loading the VSC-17 cask with 17 canisters of consolidated PWR spent fuel from Virginia Power`s Surry and Florida Power & Light Turkey Point reactors. Cask surface, concrete, air channel surfaces, and fuel canister guide tube temperatures were measured, as were cask surface gamma and neutron dose rates. Testing was performed with vacuum, nitrogen, and helium backfill environments in a vertical cask orientation. Data on spent fuel integrity were also obtained.

SCAN+

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kenneth Krebs, John Svoboda

2009-11-01

SCAN+ is a software application specifically designed to control the positioning of a gamma spectrometer by a two dimensional translation system above spent fuel bundles located in a sealed spent fuel cask. The gamma spectrometer collects gamma spectrum information for the purpose of spent fuel cask fuel loading verification. SCAN+ performs manual and automatic gamma spectrometer positioning functions as-well-as exercising control of the gamma spectrometer data acquisitioning functions. Cask configuration files are used to determine the positions of spent fuel bundles. Cask scanning files are used to determine the desired scan paths for scanning a spent fuel cask allowing formore » automatic unattended cask scanning that may take several hours.« less

How we shipped our flip and standard too

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Deigl, H.J.; Feltz, D.E.

1984-07-01

This paper highlights the planning and handling activities for the shipment of irradiated TRIGA fuel from Texas A and M University to the Argonne National Lab/West (ANL/West) reactor facility at Idaho Falls, Idaho. Attention is focused on the enormous time spent on the planning and preparations prior to the shipment. The actual handling time at the NSCR for three shipping packages containing a total 51 elements was only 4 days, but, the time spent in planning and preparation exceeded 16 months. The fuel was transferred for shipment without incident - and from a health physics standpoint the exercise went verymore » well. Whole body exposures and hand doses were minimal for such a large undertaking. ANL/West health physicists reported contamination of the lifting devices for the HFIR when they received the cask. These pieces were wipe tested and contamination was found to be less than 200 dpm. If they were contaminated we were extremely fortunate during handling not to contaminate our facility or personnel.« less

Preparation for Testing, Safe Packing and Shipping of Spent Nuclear Fuel from IFIN-HH, Bucharest-Magurele to Russian Federation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dragolici, C.A.; Zorliu, A.; Popa, V.

2007-07-01

The Russian Research Reactor Fuel Return (RRRFR) program is promoted by IAEA and DOE in order to repatriate of irradiated research reactor fuel originally supplied by Russia to facilities outside the country. Developed under the framework of the Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI) the take-back program [1] common goal is to reduce both proliferation and security risks by eliminating or consolidating inventories of high-risk material. The main objective of this program is to support the return to Russian Federation of fresh or irradiated HEU and LEU fuel. Being part of this project, Romania is fulfilling its tasks by examining transportmore » and transfer cask options, assessment of transport routes, and providing cost estimates for required equipment and facility modifications. Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) testing, handling, packing and shipping are the most common interests on which the National Institute of Research and Development for Physics and Nuclear Engineering 'Horia Hulubei' (IFIN-HH) is focusing at the moment. (authors)« less

Testing and COBRA-SFS analysis of the VSC-17 ventilated concrete, spent fuel storage cask

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McKinnon, M.A.; Dodge, R.E.; Schmitt, R.C.

1992-04-01

A performance test of a Pacific Sierra Nuclear VSC-17 ventilated concrete storage cask loaded with 17 canisters of consolidated PWR spent fuel generating approximately 15 kW was conducted. The performance test included measuring the cask surface, concrete, air channel surface, and fuel temperatures, as well as cask surface gamma and neutron dose rates. Testing was performed using vacuum, nitrogen, and helium backfill environments. Pretest predictions of cask thermal performance were made using the COBRA-SFS computer code. Analysis results were within 15{degrees}C of measured peak fuel temperature. Peak fuel temperature for normal operation was 321{degrees}C. In general, the surface dose ratesmore » were less than 30 mrem/h on the side of the cask and 40 mrem/h on the top of the cask.« less

76 FR 2277 - List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: NUHOMS® HD System Revision 1

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-13

... Fuel Storage Casks: NUHOMS[supreg] HD System Revision 1 AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION... amend its spent fuel storage cask regulations by revising the Transnuclear, Inc. (TN) NUHOMS[supreg] HD System listing within the ``List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks'' to include Amendment No. 1 to...

Development of New Transportation/Storage Cask System for Use by DOE Russian Research Reactor Fuel Return Program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Michael Tyacke; Frantisek Svitak; Jiri Rychecky

2010-04-01

The United States, the Russian Federation, and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have been working together on a program called the Russian Research Reactor Fuel Return (RRRFR) Program. The purpose of this program is to return Soviet or Russian supplied high-enriched uranium (HEU) fuel currently stored at Russian-designed research reactors throughout the world to Russia. To accommodate transport of the HEU spent nuclear fuel (SNF), a new large-capacity transport/storage cask system was specially designed for handling and operations under the unique conditions for these research reactor facilities. This new cask system is named the ŠKODA VPVR/M cask. The design,more » licensing, testing, and delivery of this new cask system are the results of a significant international cooperative effort by several countries and involved numerous private and governmental organizations. This paper contains the following sections: (1) Introduction/Background; (2) VPVR/M Cask Description; (3) Ancillary Equipment, (4) Cask Licensing; (5) Cask Demonstration and Operations; (6) IAEA Procurement, Quality Assurance Inspections, Fabrication, and Delivery; and, (7) Summary and Conclusions.« less

Development of a New Transportation/Storage Cask System for Use by the DOE Russian Research Reactor Fuel Return Program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Michael J. Tyacke; Frantisek Svitak; Jiri Rychecky

2007-10-01

The United States, the Russian Federation, and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have been working together on a program called the Russian Research Reactor Fuel Return (RRRFR) Program. The purpose of this program is to return Soviet or Russian-supplied high-enriched uranium (HEU) fuel, currently stored at Russian-designed research reactors throughout the world, to Russia. To accommodate transport of the HEU spent nuclear fuel (SNF), a new large-capacity transport/storage cask system was specially designed for handling and operations under the unique conditions at these research reactor facilities. This new cask system is named the ŠKODA VPVR/M cask. The design, licensing,more » testing, and delivery of this new cask system result from a significant international cooperative effort by several countries and involved numerous private and governmental organizations. This paper contains the following sections: 1) Introduction; 2) VPVR/M Cask Description; 3) Ancillary Equipment, 4) Cask Licensing; 5) Cask Demonstration and Operations; 6) IAEA Procurement, Quality Assurance Inspections, Fabrication, and Delivery; and, 7) Conclusions.« less

A preliminary evaluation of the ability of from-reactor casks to geometrically accommodate commercial LWR spent nuclear fuel

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Andress, D.; Joy, D.S.; McLeod, N.B.

The Department of Energy has sponsored a number of cask design efforts to define several transportation casks to accommodate the various assemblies expected to be accepted by the Federal Waste Management System. At this time, three preliminary cask designs have been selected for the final design--the GA-4 and GA-9 truck casks and the BR-100 rail cask. In total, this assessment indicates that the current Initiative I cask designs can be expected to dimensionally accommodate 100% of the PWR fuel assemblies (other than the extra-long South Texas Fuel) with control elements removed, and >90% of the assemblies having the control elementsmore » as an integral part of the fuel assembly. For BWR assemblies, >99% of the assemblies can be accommodated with fuel channels removed. This paper summarizes preliminary results of one part of that evaluation related to the ability of the From-Reactor Initiative I casks to accommodate the physical and radiological characteristics of the Spent Nuclear Fuel projected to be accepted into the Federal Waste Management System. 3 refs., 5 tabs.« less

Nondestructive Evaluation of the VSC-17 Cask

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sheryl Morton; Al Carlson; Cecilia Hoffman

2006-01-01

In 2003, representatives from the Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI) requested development of a project with the objective of determining the performance of a concrete spent nuclear fuel storage cask. Radiation and environmental effects may cause chemical alteration of the concrete that could result in excessive cracking, spalling, and loss of compressive strength. The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) project team and CRIEPI representatives identified the Ventilated Storage Cask (VSC 17) spent nuclear fuel storage cask, originally located at the INL Test Area North, as a candidate to study cask performance because it had been used to storemore » fuel as part of a dry cask storage demonstration project for over 15 years. The project involved investigating the properties of the concrete shield. INL performed a survey of the cask in the summers of 2003 and 2004. The INL team met with the CRIEPI representatives in December of 2004 to discuss the next steps. As a result of that meeting, CRIEPI requested that in the summer 2005 INL perform additional surveys on the VSC 17 cask with participation of CRIEPI scientists. This document summarizes the evaluation methods used on the VSC 17 to evaluate the cask for compressive strength, concrete cracking, concrete thickness, and temperature distribution.« less

KSC-2011-6659

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-06-30

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the RTG storage facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the shipping cask enclosing the multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission is lowered to the floor of the high bay in preparation for lifting the cask from around the MMRTG. The MMRTG will generate the power needed for the mission from the natural decay of plutonium-238, a non-weapons-grade form of the radioisotope. Heat given off by this natural decay will provide constant power through the day and night during all seasons. Waste heat from the MMRTG will be circulated throughout the rover system to keep instruments, computers, mechanical devices and communications systems within their operating temperature ranges. MSL's components include a compact car-sized rover, Curiosity, which has 10 science instruments designed to search for evidence on whether Mars has had environments favorable to microbial life, including chemical ingredients for life. The unique rover will use a laser to look inside rocks and release its gasses so that the rover’s spectrometer can analyze and send the data back to Earth. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is scheduled for Nov. 25 from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

78 FR 22411 - List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: HI-STORM 100, Amendment No. 8; Corrections

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-16

... Fuel Storage Casks: HI-STORM 100, Amendment No. 8; Corrections AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission... revising the Holtec International, Inc. (Holtec) HI-STORM 100 Cask System listing within the ``List of... the Holtec HI-STORM 100 Cask System, Amendment No. 8. The purpose of this document is to provide...

75 FR 27463 - List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: NUHOMS® HD System Revision 1; Correction

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-17

... Fuel Storage Casks: NUHOMS[supreg] HD System Revision 1; Correction AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory... fuel storage casks to add revision 1 to the NUHOMS HD spent fuel storage cask system. This action is... Federal Register on May 7, 2010 (75 FR 25120), that proposes to amend the regulations that govern storage...

Development of Friction Stir Processing for Repair of Nuclear Dry Cask Storage System Canisters

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ross, Kenneth A.; Sutton, Ben; Grant, Glenn J.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has identified chloride-induced stress corrosion cracking (CISCC) of austenitic stainless steel dry cask storage systems (DCSS) as an area of great concern. Friction Stir Processing (FSP) was used to repair laboratory-generated stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in representative stainless steel 304 coupons. Results of this study show FSP is a viable method for repair and mitigation CISCC. This paper highlights lessons learned and developed techniques relative to FSP development for crack repair in sensitized thick section stainless steel 304. These include: development of process parameters, welding at low spindle speed, use of weld power and temperature controlmore » and optimization of these controls. NDE and destructive analysis are also presented to demonstrate effectiveness of the developed methods for SCC crack repair.« less

Results for the Aboveground Configuration of the Boiling Water Reactor Dry Cask Simulator

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Durbin, Samuel G.; Lindgren, Eric R.

The thermal performance of commercial nuclear spent fuel dry storage casks is evaluated through detailed numerical analysis. These modeling efforts are completed by the vendor to demonstrate performance and regulatory compliance. The calculations are then independently verified by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Carefully measured data sets generated from testing of full-sized casks or smaller cask analogs are widely recognized as vital for validating these models. Recent advances in dry storage cask designs have significantly increased the maximum thermal load allowed in a cask, in part by increasing the efficiency of internal conduction pathways, and also by increasing the internalmore » convection through greater canister helium pressure. These same canistered cask systems rely on ventilation between the canister and the overpack to convect heat away from the canister to the environment for both above- and below-ground configurations. While several testing programs have been previously conducted, these earlier validation attempts did not capture the effects of elevated helium pressures or accurately portray the external convection of above-ground and below-ground canistered dry cask systems. The purpose of the current investigation was to produce data sets that can be used to test the validity of the assumptions associated with the calculations used to determine steady-state cladding temperatures in modern dry casks that utilize elevated helium pressure in the sealed canister in an above-ground configuration.« less

76 FR 33121 - List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: HI-STORM Flood/Wind Addition

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-08

... Storage Casks: HI-STORM Flood/Wind Addition AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Direct final... regulations to add the Holtec HI-STORM Flood/Wind cask system to the ``List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage... Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations Section 72.214 to add the Holtec HI- STORM Flood/Wind cask...

Feasibility Study For Use Of Commercial Cask Vendor Dry Transfer Systems To Unload Used Fuel Assemblies In L-Area

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Krementz, Dan; Rose, David; Dunsmuir, Mike

2014-02-06

The purpose of this study is to determine whether a commercial dry transfer system (DTS) could be used for loading or unloading used nuclear fuel (UNF) in L-Basin and to determine if a DTS pool adapter could be made for L-Basin Transfer Pit #2 that could accommodate a variety of DTS casks and fuel baskets or canisters up to 24” diameter.[1, 2] This study outlines the technical feasibility of accommodating different vendor dry transfer systems in the L-Basin Transfer Bay with a general work scope. It identifies equipment needing development, facility modifications, and describes the needed analyses and calculations. Aftermore » reviewing the L-Basin Transfer Bay area layout and information on the only DTS system currently in use for the Nuclear Assurance Corporation Legal Weight Truck cask (NAC LWT), the authors conclude that use of a dry transfer cask is feasible. AREVA was contacted and acknowledged that they currently do not have a design for a dry transfer cask for their new Transnuclear Long Cask (TN-LC) cask. Nonetheless, this study accounted for a potential future DTS from AREVA to handle fuel baskets up to 18” in diameter. Due to the layout of the Transfer Bay, it was determined that a DTS cask pool adapter designed specifically for spanning Pit #2 and placed just north of the 70 Ton Cask lid lifting superstructure would be needed. The proposed pool adapter could be used to transition a fuel basket up to 24” in diameter and ~11 feet long from a dry transfer cask to the basin. The 18” and 24” applications of the pool adapter are pending vendor development of dry transfer casks that accommodate these diameters. Once a fuel basket has been lowered into Pit #2 through a pool adapter, a basket cart could be used to move the basket out from under the pool adapter for access by the 5 Ton Crane. The cost to install a dry transfer cask handling system in L-Area capable of handling multiple vendor provided transport and dry transfer casks and baskets with different diameters and lengths would likely be on the same order of magnitude as the Basin Modifications project. The cost of a DTS capability is affected by the number of design variations of different vendor transport and dry transfer casks to be considered for design input. Some costs would be incurred for each vendor DTS to be handled. For example, separate analyses would be needed for each dry transfer cask type such as criticality, shielding, dropping a dry transfer cask and basket, handling and auxiliary equipment, procedures, operator training, readiness assessments, and operational readiness reviews. A DTS handling capability in L-Area could serve as a backup to the Shielded Transfer System (STS) for unloading long casks and could support potential future missions such as the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Exchange or transferring UNF from wet to dry storage.« less

Early thermal testing of type B radioactive material packages in USA to environments beyond regulatory package thermal test standards

DOE PAGES

Yoshimura, H. R.; Pope, R. B.; Kubo, M.

2007-06-01

Three separate fire test programmes exposing casks beyond the regulatory thermal test requirements were performed by Sandia National Laboratories during the late 1970s and mid 1980s. The results of these test programmes can be used to assist in addressing the adequacy of the regulatory thermal test of fully engulfing exposure at 800°C for 30 min and how that test might relate to real accident thermal environments. The test programmes were undertaken on obsolete and new casks on behalf of the US Department of Energy (DOE), the US Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Japanese Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Developmentmore » Corporation (PNC), currently known as the Japan Atomic Energy Agency. Two of the tests involved exposure of casks in damaged transport vehicles to fully engulfing fires for 72–125 min, and the other test involved four exposures of a cask to torch environments for 30 min. Much of the original documentation regarding these tests and their results is no longer readily available. The documents relating to these tests have been surveyed; this paper presents summaries from this survey of the tests and their results. Specifically, for the pool fire exposures, the temperatures measured in the flames of both exceeded the flame temperature required by the Transport Regulations; yet an obsolete 67 t cask endured 90 min of exposure before evidence of failure was detected, and a new cask endured the 72 min exposure while retaining its containment integrity. For the exposure of a modified obsolete cask to four different torch environments, the integrity of the cask was retained and the relative temperature increases within the cask were well within acceptable limits and well below the values that could be expected if the cask was exposed to the regulatory thermal test. In this paper, a review of these three thermal test programmes, establishes that the two older cask designs and one new cask design have the ability to survive environments that were different from (the torch environments) or more severe than the environment specified by the existing thermal test requirement in the Transport Regulations. Finally, these results can be extrapolated to apply to modern casks that generally have more robust designs as well as better quality assurance applied during the manufacturing process.« less

CASK and CaMKII function in Drosophila memory

PubMed Central

Malik, Bilal R.; Hodge, James J. L.

2014-01-01

Calcium (Ca2+) and Calmodulin (CaM)-dependent serine/threonine kinase II (CaMKII) plays a central role in synaptic plasticity and memory due to its ability to phosphorylate itself and regulate its own kinase activity. Autophosphorylation at threonine 287 (T287) switches CaMKII to a Ca2+ independent and constitutively active state replicated by overexpression of a phosphomimetic CaMKII-T287D transgene or blocked by expression of a T287A transgene. A second pair of sites, T306 T307 in the CaM binding region once autophosphorylated, prevents CaM binding and inactivates the kinase during synaptic plasticity and memory, and can be blocked by a TT306/7AA transgene. Recently the synaptic scaffolding molecule called CASK (Ca2+/CaM-associated serine kinase) has been shown to control both sets of CaMKII autophosphorylation events during neuronal growth, Ca2+ signaling and memory in Drosophila. Deletion of either full length CASK or just its CaMK-like and L27 domains removed middle-term memory (MTM) and long-term memory (LTM), with CASK function in the α′/ß′ mushroom body neurons being required for memory. In a similar manner directly changing the levels of CaMKII autophosphorylation (T287D, T287A, or TT306/7AA) in the α′/ß′ neurons also removed MTM and LTM. In the CASK null mutant expression of either the Drosophila or human CASK transgene in the α′/ß′ neurons was found to completely rescue memory, confirming that CASK signaling in α′/β′ neurons is necessary and sufficient for Drosophila memory formation and that the neuronal function of CASK is conserved between Drosophila and human. Expression of human CASK in Drosophila also rescued the effect of CASK deletion on the activity state of CaMKII, suggesting that human CASK may also regulate CaMKII autophosphorylation. Mutations in human CASK have recently been shown to result in intellectual disability and neurological defects suggesting a role in plasticity and learning possibly via regulation of CaMKII autophosphorylation. PMID:25009461

CASK and CaMKII function in the mushroom body α'/β' neurons during Drosophila memory formation.

PubMed

Malik, Bilal R; Gillespie, John Michael; Hodge, James J L

2013-01-01

Ca(2+)/CaM serine/threonine kinase II (CaMKII) is a central molecule in mechanisms of synaptic plasticity and memory. A vital feature of CaMKII in plasticity is its ability to switch to a calcium (Ca(2+)) independent constitutively active state after autophosphorylation at threonine 287 (T287). A second pair of sites, T306 T307 in the calmodulin (CaM) binding region once autophosphorylated, prevent subsequent CaM binding and inactivates the kinase during synaptic plasticity and memory. Recently a synaptic molecule called Ca(2+)/CaM-dependent serine protein kinase (CASK) has been shown to control both sets of CaMKII autophosphorylation events and hence is well poised to be a key regulator of memory. We show deletion of full length CASK or just its CaMK-like and L27 domains disrupts middle-term memory (MTM) and long-term memory (LTM), with CASK function in the α'/β' subset of mushroom body neurons being required for memory. Likewise directly changing the levels of CaMKII autophosphorylation in these neurons removed MTM and LTM. The requirement of CASK and CaMKII autophosphorylation was not developmental as their manipulation just in the adult α'/β' neurons was sufficient to remove memory. Overexpression of CASK or CaMKII in the α'/β' neurons also occluded MTM and LTM. Overexpression of either Drosophila or human CASK in the α'/β' neurons of the CASK mutant completely rescued memory, confirming that CASK signaling in α'/β' neurons is necessary and sufficient for Drosophila memory formation and that the neuronal function of CASK is conserved between Drosophila and human. At the cellular level CaMKII overexpression in the α'/β' neurons increased activity dependent Ca(2+) responses while reduction of CaMKII decreased it. Likewise reducing CASK or directly expressing a phosphomimetic CaMKII T287D transgene in the α'/β' similarly decreased Ca(2+) signaling. Our results are consistent with CASK regulating CaMKII autophosphorylation in a pathway required for memory formation that involves activity dependent changes in Ca(2+) signaling in the α'/β' neurons.

Status update of the BWR cask simulator

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lindgren, Eric R.; Durbin, Samuel G.

2015-09-01

The performance of commercial nuclear spent fuel dry storage casks are typically evaluated through detailed numerical analysis of the system's thermal performance. These modeling efforts are performed by the vendor to demonstrate the performance and regulatory compliance and are independently verified by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Carefully measured data sets generated from testing of full sized casks or smaller cask analogs are widely recognized as vital for validating these models. Numerous studies have been previously conducted. Recent advances in dry storage cask designs have moved the storage location from above ground to below ground and significantly increased the maximummore » thermal load allowed in a cask in part by increasing the canister helium pressure. Previous cask performance validation testing did not capture these parameters. The purpose of the investigation described in this report is to produce a data set that can be used to test the validity of the assumptions associated with the calculations presently used to determine steady-state cladding temperatures in modern dry casks. These modern cask designs utilize elevated helium pressure in the sealed canister or are intended for subsurface storage. The BWR cask simulator (BCS) has been designed in detail for both the above ground and below ground venting configurations. The pressure vessel representing the canister has been designed, fabricated, and pressure tested for a maximum allowable pressure (MAWP) rating of 24 bar at 400 C. An existing electrically heated but otherwise prototypic BWR Incoloy-clad test assembly is being deployed inside of a representative storage basket and cylindrical pressure vessel that represents the canister. The symmetric single assembly geometry with well-controlled boundary conditions simplifies interpretation of results. Various configurations of outer concentric ducting will be used to mimic conditions for above and below ground storage configurations of vertical, dry cask systems with canisters. Radial and axial temperature profiles will be measured for a wide range of decay power and helium cask pressures. Of particular interest is the evaluation of the effect of increased helium pressure on heat load and the effect of simulated wind on a simplified below ground vent configuration.« less

Genetics Home Reference: CASK-related intellectual disability

MedlinePlus

... XL-ID with or without nystagmus (rapid, involuntary eye movements) is a milder form of CASK -related intellectual ... to promote development of the nerves that control eye movement (the oculomotor neural network). Mutations in the CASK ...

Test Plan for Cask Identification Detector

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rauch, Eric Benton

2016-09-29

This document serves to outline the testing of a Used Fuel Cask Identification Detector (CID) currently being designed under the DOE-NE MPACT Campaign. A bench-scale prototype detector will be constructed and tested using surrogate neutron sources. The testing will serve to inform the design of the full detector that is to be used as a way of fingerprinting used fuel storage casks based on the neutron signature produced by the used fuel inside the cask.

CASK and CaMKII function in the mushroom body α′/β′ neurons during Drosophila memory formation

PubMed Central

Malik, Bilal R.; Gillespie, John Michael; Hodge, James J. L.

2013-01-01

Ca2+/CaM serine/threonine kinase II (CaMKII) is a central molecule in mechanisms of synaptic plasticity and memory. A vital feature of CaMKII in plasticity is its ability to switch to a calcium (Ca2+) independent constitutively active state after autophosphorylation at threonine 287 (T287). A second pair of sites, T306 T307 in the calmodulin (CaM) binding region once autophosphorylated, prevent subsequent CaM binding and inactivates the kinase during synaptic plasticity and memory. Recently a synaptic molecule called Ca2+/CaM-dependent serine protein kinase (CASK) has been shown to control both sets of CaMKII autophosphorylation events and hence is well poised to be a key regulator of memory. We show deletion of full length CASK or just its CaMK-like and L27 domains disrupts middle-term memory (MTM) and long-term memory (LTM), with CASK function in the α′/β′ subset of mushroom body neurons being required for memory. Likewise directly changing the levels of CaMKII autophosphorylation in these neurons removed MTM and LTM. The requirement of CASK and CaMKII autophosphorylation was not developmental as their manipulation just in the adult α′/β′ neurons was sufficient to remove memory. Overexpression of CASK or CaMKII in the α′/β′ neurons also occluded MTM and LTM. Overexpression of either Drosophila or human CASK in the α′/β′ neurons of the CASK mutant completely rescued memory, confirming that CASK signaling in α′/β′ neurons is necessary and sufficient for Drosophila memory formation and that the neuronal function of CASK is conserved between Drosophila and human. At the cellular level CaMKII overexpression in the α′/β′ neurons increased activity dependent Ca2+ responses while reduction of CaMKII decreased it. Likewise reducing CASK or directly expressing a phosphomimetic CaMKII T287D transgene in the α′/β′ similarly decreased Ca2+ signaling. Our results are consistent with CASK regulating CaMKII autophosphorylation in a pathway required for memory formation that involves activity dependent changes in Ca2+ signaling in the α′/β′ neurons. PMID:23543616

Signatures of Extended Storage of Used Nuclear Fuel in Casks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rauch, Eric Benton

2016-09-28

As the amount of used nuclear fuel continues to grow, more and more used nuclear fuel will be transferred to storage casks. A consolidated storage facility is currently in the planning stages for storing these casks, where at least 10,000 MTHM of fuel will be stored. This site will have potentially thousands of casks once it is operational. A facility this large presents new safeguards and nuclear material accounting concerns. A new signature based on the distribution of neutron sources and multiplication within casks was part of the Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy’s Material Protection, Account and Controlmore » Technologies (MPACT) campaign. Under this project we looked at fingerprinting each cask's neutron signature. Each cask has a unique set of fuel, with a unique spread of initial enrichment, burnup, cooling time, and power history. The unique set of fuel creates a unique signature of neutron intensity based on the arrangement of the assemblies. The unique arrangement of neutron sources and multiplication produces a reliable and unique identification of the cask that has been shown to be relatively constant over long time periods. The work presented here could be used to restore from a loss of continuity of knowledge at the storage site. This presentation will show the steps used to simulate and form this signature from the start of the effort through its conclusion in September 2016.« less

Adapting Dry Cask Storage for Aging at a Geologic Repository

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

C. Sanders; D. Kimball

2005-08-02

A Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) Aging System is a crucial part of operations at the proposed Yucca Mountain repository in the United States. Incoming commercial SNF that does not meet thermal limits for emplacement will be aged on outdoor pads. U.S. Department of Energy SNF will also be managed using the Aging System. Proposed site-specific designs for the Aging System are closely based upon designs for existing dry cask storage (DCS) systems. This paper evaluates the applicability of existing DCS systems for use in the SNF Aging System at Yucca Mountain. The most important difference between existing DCS facilities andmore » the Yucca Mountain facility is the required capacity. Existing DCS facilities typically have less than 50 casks. The current design for the aging pad at Yucca Mountain calls for a capacity of over 2,000 casks (20,000 MTHM) [1]. This unprecedented number of casks poses some unique problems. The response of DCS systems to off-normal and accident conditions needs to be re-evaluated for multiple storage casks. Dose calculations become more complicated, since doses from multiple or very long arrays of casks can dramatically increase the total boundary dose. For occupational doses, the geometry of the cask arrays and the order of loading casks must be carefully considered in order to meet ALARA goals during cask retrieval. Due to the large area of the aging pad, skyshine must also be included when calculating public and worker doses. The expected length of aging will also necessitate some design adjustments. Under 10 CFR 72.236, DCS systems are initially certified for a period of 20 years [2]. Although the Yucca Mountain facility is not intended to be a storage facility under 10 CFR 72, the operational life of the SNF Aging System is 50 years [1]. Any cask system selected for use in aging will have to be qualified to this design lifetime. These considerations are examined, and a summary is provided of the adaptations that must be made in order to use DCS technologies successfully at a geologic repository.« less

Ship Trim Optimization: Assessment of Influence of Trim on Resistance of MOERI Container Ship

PubMed Central

Duan, Wenyang

2014-01-01

Environmental issues and rising fuel prices necessitate better energy efficiency in all sectors. Shipping industry is a stakeholder in environmental issues. Shipping industry is responsible for approximately 3% of global CO2 emissions, 14-15% of global NOX emissions, and 16% of global SOX emissions. Ship trim optimization has gained enormous momentum in recent years being an effective operational measure for better energy efficiency to reduce emissions. Ship trim optimization analysis has traditionally been done through tow-tank testing for a specific hullform. Computational techniques are increasingly popular in ship hydrodynamics applications. The purpose of this study is to present MOERI container ship (KCS) hull trim optimization by employing computational methods. KCS hull total resistances and trim and sinkage computed values, in even keel condition, are compared with experimental values and found in reasonable agreement. The agreement validates that mesh, boundary conditions, and solution techniques are correct. The same mesh, boundary conditions, and solution techniques are used to obtain resistance values in different trim conditions at Fn = 0.2274. Based on attained results, optimum trim is suggested. This research serves as foundation for employing computational techniques for ship trim optimization. PMID:24578649

Calcium/calmodulin-dependent serine protein kinase CASK modulates the L-type calcium current.

PubMed

Nafzger, Sabine; Rougier, Jean-Sebastien

2017-01-01

The L-type voltage-gated calcium channel Ca v 1.2 mediates the calcium influx into cells upon membrane depolarization. The list of cardiopathies associated to Ca v 1.2 dysfunctions highlights the importance of this channel in cardiac physiology. Calcium/calmodulin-dependent serine protein kinase (CASK), expressed in cardiac cells, has been identified as a regulator of Ca v 2.2 channels in neurons, but no experiments have been performed to investigate its role in Ca v 1.2 regulation. Full length or the distal C-terminal truncated of the pore-forming Ca v 1.2 channel (Ca v 1.2α1c), both present in cardiac cells, were expressed in TsA-201 cells. In addition, a shRNA silencer, or scramble as negative control, of CASK was co-transfected in order to silence CASK endogenously expressed. Three days post-transfection, the barium current was increased only for the truncated form without alteration of the steady state activation and inactivation biophysical properties. The calcium current, however, was increased after CASK silencing with both types of Ca v 1.2α1c subunits suggesting that, in absence of calcium, the distal C-terminal counteracts the CASK effect. Biochemistry experiments did not reveals neither an alteration of Ca v 1.2 channel protein expression after CASK silencing nor an interaction between Ca v 1.2α1c subunits and CASK. Nevertheless, after CASK silencing, single calcium channel recordings have shown an increase of the voltage-gated calcium channel Ca v 1.2 open probability explaining the increase of the whole-cell current. This study suggests CASK as a novel regulator of Ca v 1.2 via a modulation of the voltage-gated calcium channel Ca v 1.2 open probability. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

CASK interacts with PMCA4b and JAM-A on the Mouse Sperm Flagellum to Regulate Ca2+ Homeostasis and Motility1

PubMed Central

Aravindan, Rolands G.; Fomin, Victor P.; Naik, Ulhas P.; Modelski, Mark J.; Naik, Meghna U.; Galileo, Deni S.; Duncan, Randall L.; Martin-DeLeon, Patricia A.

2012-01-01

Deletion of the highly conserved gene for the major Ca2+ efflux pump, Plasma membrane calcium/calmodulin-dependent ATPase 4b (Pmca4b), in the mouse leads to loss of progressive and hyperactivated sperm motility and infertility. Here we first demonstrate that compared to wild-type (WT), Junctional adhesion molecule-A (Jam-A) null sperm, previously shown to have motility defects and an abnormal mitochondrial phenotype reminiscent of that seen in Pmca4b nulls, exhibit reduced (P<0.001) ATP levels, significantly (P<0.001) greater cytosolic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]c) and ~10-fold higher mitochondrial sequestration, indicating Ca2+ overload. Investigating the mechanism involved, we used coimmunoprecipitation studies to show that CASK (Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent serine kinase), identified for the first time on the sperm flagellum where it co-localizes with both PMCA4b and JAM-A on the proximal principal piece, acts as a common interacting partner of both. Importantly, CASK binds alternatively and non-synergistically with each of these molecules via its single PDZ (PDS-95/Dlg/ZO-1) domain to either inhibit or promote efflux. In the absence of CASK-JAM-A interaction in Jam-A null sperm, CASK-PMCA4b interaction is increased, resulting in inhibition of PMCA4b’s enzymatic activity, consequent Ca2+ accumulation, and a ~6-fold over-expression of constitutively ATP-utilizing CASK, compared to WT. Thus, CASK negatively regulates PMCA4b by directly binding to it and JAM-A positively regulates it indirectly through CASK. The decreased motility is likely due to the collateral net deficit in ATP observed in nulls. Our data indicate that Ca2+ homeostasis in sperm is maintained by the relative ratios of CASK-PMCA4b and CASK-JAM-A interactions. PMID:22020416

A new rational-based optimal design strategy of ship structure based on multi-level analysis and super-element modeling method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Li; Wang, Deyu

2011-09-01

A new multi-level analysis method of introducing the super-element modeling method, derived from the multi-level analysis method first proposed by O. F. Hughes, has been proposed in this paper to solve the problem of high time cost in adopting a rational-based optimal design method for ship structural design. Furthermore, the method was verified by its effective application in optimization of the mid-ship section of a container ship. A full 3-D FEM model of a ship, suffering static and quasi-static loads, was used as the analyzing object for evaluating the structural performance of the mid-ship module, including static strength and buckling performance. Research results reveal that this new method could substantially reduce the computational cost of the rational-based optimization problem without decreasing its accuracy, which increases the feasibility and economic efficiency of using a rational-based optimal design method in ship structural design.

Survivability Tests on a Nuclear Waste Cask in Simulated Railroad Accident Fires.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-06-01

Axial Reference Point ( XRP ) .......... 19 4. A View of the Torch Facility with the Nozzle Directed Side-On to the HNPF Cask... XRP and the TIC for Various HNPF Cask Surfaces in Test Number 1 .................... 47 16. The Spatial Distribution of Sensors in a Cross-Sectional...Plane Through the HNPF Cask at 289.6 cm from the XRP as Viewed from the Top End with the TIC Located at 900 for Test Numbers 1 and 2

KSC-2011-6646

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-06-30

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission, enclosed in a shipping cask in the MMRTG trailer, arrives at the RTG storage facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. During transport, coolant flows through hoses connected to the cask to dissipate any excess heat generated by the MMRTG. The MMRTG will generate the power needed for the mission from the natural decay of plutonium-238, a non-weapons-grade form of the radioisotope. Heat given off by this natural decay will provide constant power through the day and night during all seasons. Waste heat from the MMRTG will be circulated throughout the rover system to keep instruments, computers, mechanical devices and communications systems within their operating temperature ranges. MSL's components include a compact car-sized rover, Curiosity, which has 10 science instruments designed to search for evidence on whether Mars has had environments favorable to microbial life, including chemical ingredients for life. The unique rover will use a laser to look inside rocks and release its gasses so that the rover’s spectrometer can analyze and send the data back to Earth. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is scheduled for Nov. 25 from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

RH-TRU Waste Shipments from Battelle Columbus Laboratories to the Hanford Nuclear Facility for Interim Storage

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Eide, J.; Baillieul, T. A.; Biedscheid, J.

2003-02-26

Battelle Columbus Laboratories (BCL), located in Columbus, Ohio, must complete decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) activities for nuclear research buildings and grounds by 2006, as directed by Congress. Most of the resulting waste (approximately 27 cubic meters [m3]) is remote-handled (RH) transuranic (TRU) waste destined for disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). The BCL, under a contract to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Ohio Field Office, has initiated a plan to ship the TRU waste to the DOE Hanford Nuclear Facility (Hanford) for interim storage pending the authorization of WIPP for the permanent disposal of RH-TRU waste. Themore » first of the BCL RH-TRU waste shipments was successfully completed on December 18, 2002. This BCL shipment of one fully loaded 10-160B Cask was the first shipment of RH-TRU waste in several years. Its successful completion required a complex effort entailing coordination between different contractors and federal agencies to establish necessary supporting agreements. This paper discusses the agreements and funding mechanisms used in support of the BCL shipments of TRU waste to Hanford for interim storage. In addition, this paper presents a summary of the efforts completed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the 10-160B Cask system. Lessons learned during this process are discussed and may be applicable to other TRU waste site shipment plans.« less

Estimation of Inherent Safety Margins in Loaded Commercial Spent Nuclear Fuel Casks

DOE PAGES

Banerjee, Kaushik; Robb, Kevin R.; Radulescu, Georgeta; ...

2016-06-15

We completed a novel assessment to determine the unquantified and uncredited safety margins (i.e., the difference between the licensing basis and as-loaded calculations) available in as-loaded spent nuclear fuel (SNF) casks. This assessment was performed as part of a broader effort to assess issues and uncertainties related to the continued safety of casks during extended storage and transportability following extended storage periods. Detailed analyses crediting the actual as-loaded cask inventory were performed for each of the casks at three decommissioned pressurized water reactor (PWR) sites to determine their characteristics relative to regulatory safety criteria for criticality, thermal, and shielding performance.more » These detailed analyses were performed in an automated fashion by employing a comprehensive and integrated data and analysis tool—Used Nuclear Fuel-Storage, Transportation & Disposal Analysis Resource and Data System (UNF-ST&DARDS). Calculated uncredited criticality margins from 0.07 to almost 0.30 Δk eff were observed; calculated decay heat margins ranged from 4 to almost 22 kW (as of 2014); and significant uncredited transportation dose rate margins were also observed. The results demonstrate that, at least for the casks analyzed here, significant uncredited safety margins are available that could potentially be used to compensate for SNF assembly and canister structural performance related uncertainties associated with long-term storage and subsequent transportation. The results also suggest that these inherent margins associated with how casks are loaded could support future changes in cask licensing to directly or indirectly credit the margins. Work continues to quantify the uncredited safety margins in the SNF casks loaded at other nuclear reactor sites.« less

NRC approves spent-fuel cask for general use: Who needs Yucca Mountain?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Simpson, J.

1993-07-01

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on April 7, 1993, added Pacific Sierra Nuclear Associates`s (PSNA`s) VSC-24 spent-fuel container to its list of approved storage casks. Unlike previously approved designs, however, the cask was made available for use by utilities without site-specific approval. The VSC-24 (ventilated storage cask) is a 130-ton, 16-foot high vertical storage container composed of a ventilated concrete cask (VCC) housing a steel multi-assembly sealed basket (MSB). A third component, a transfer cask (MTC), shields, supports, and protects the MSB during fuel loading and VCC loading operations. The VCC is a cylindrical reinforced-concrete cask 29 inches thick, withmore » a 1.75-inch-thick A 36 steel liner. The cask contains eight vents-four on the top and four on the bottom-to provide for MSB (and fuel rod) cooling. Its concrete shell provides protection against shearing and penetration by tornado projectiles, protects the MSB in the event of a drop or tipover, and is designed to withstand internal temperatures of 350 degrees Farenheit. The VCC is closed with a bolted-down cover of 0.75-inch-thick A 36 steel. The MSB, which provides the primary boundary for 24 spent fuel rods, is a cylindrical steel shell with a thick shield plug and steel cover plates welded at each end. The shell and covers are constructed from SA 516 Grade 70 pressure vessel steel. Fuel is housed in a basket fabricated from SA 516 Grade 70 sheet steel. Penetrations in the MSB`s structural and shield lids allow for vacuum drying and backfilling with helium after fuel loading. Although its manufacturer claims a design life of 50 years, the NRC has licensed the VSC-24 cask for 20 years.« less

Cosmic Ray Muon Imaging of Spent Nuclear Fuel in Dry Storage Casks

DOE PAGES

Durham, J. Matthew; Guardincerri, Elena; Morris, Christopher L.; ...

2016-04-29

In this paper, cosmic ray muon radiography has been used to identify the absence of spent nuclear fuel bundles inside a sealed dry storage cask. The large amounts of shielding that dry storage casks use to contain radiation from the highly radioactive contents impedes typical imaging methods, but the penetrating nature of cosmic ray muons allows them to be used as an effective radiographic probe. This technique was able to successfully identify missing fuel bundles inside a sealed Westinghouse MC-10 cask. This method of fuel cask verification may prove useful for international nuclear safeguards inspectors. Finally, muon radiography may findmore » other safety and security or safeguards applications, such as arms control verification.« less

Verification of Spent Nuclear Fuel in Sealed Dry Storage Casks via Measurements of Cosmic-Ray Muon Scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Durham, J. M.; Poulson, D.; Bacon, J.; Chichester, D. L.; Guardincerri, E.; Morris, C. L.; Plaud-Ramos, K.; Schwendiman, W.; Tolman, J. D.; Winston, P.

2018-04-01

Most of the plutonium in the world resides inside spent nuclear reactor fuel rods. This high-level radioactive waste is commonly held in long-term storage within large, heavily shielded casks. Currently, international nuclear safeguards inspectors have no stand-alone method of verifying the amount of reactor fuel stored within a sealed cask. Here we demonstrate experimentally that measurements of the scattering angles of cosmic-ray muons, which pass through a storage cask, can be used to determine if spent fuel assemblies are missing without opening the cask. This application of technology and methods commonly used in high-energy particle physics provides a potential solution to this long-standing problem in international nuclear safeguards.

Sensitivity analysis for best-estimate thermal models of vertical dry cask storage systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

DeVoe, Remy R.; Robb, Kevin R.; Skutnik, Steven E.

Loading requirements for dry cask storage of spent nuclear fuel are driven primarily by decay heat capacity limitations, which themselves are determined through recommended limits on peak cladding temperature within the cask. This study examines the relative sensitivity of peak material temperatures within the cask to parameters that influence both the stored fuel residual decay heat as well as heat removal mechanisms. Here, these parameters include the detailed reactor operating history parameters (e.g., soluble boron concentrations and the presence of burnable poisons) as well as factors that influence heat removal, including non-dominant processes (such as conduction from the fuel basketmore » to the canister and radiation within the canister) and ambient environmental conditions. By examining the factors that drive heat removal from the cask alongside well-understood factors that drive decay heat, it is therefore possible to make a contextual analysis of the most important parameters to evaluation of peak material temperatures within the cask.« less

Cosmic ray muon computed tomography of spent nuclear fuel in dry storage casks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poulson, D.; Durham, J. M.; Guardincerri, E.; Morris, C. L.; Bacon, J. D.; Plaud-Ramos, K.; Morley, D.; Hecht, A. A.

2017-01-01

Radiography with cosmic ray muon scattering has proven to be a successful method of imaging nuclear material through heavy shielding. Of particular interest is monitoring dry storage casks for diversion of plutonium contained in spent reactor fuel. Using muon tracking detectors that surround a cylindrical cask, cosmic ray muon scattering can be simultaneously measured from all azimuthal angles, giving complete tomographic coverage of the cask interior. This paper describes the first application of filtered back projection algorithms, typically used in medical imaging, to cosmic ray muon scattering imaging. The specific application to monitoring spent nuclear fuel in dry storage casks is investigated via GEANT4 simulations. With a cylindrical muon tracking detector surrounding a typical spent fuel cask, simulations indicate that missing fuel bundles can be detected with a statistical significance of ∼ 18 σ in less than two days exposure and a sensitivity at 1σ to a 5% missing portion of a fuel bundle. Potential detector technologies and geometries are discussed.

Sensitivity analysis for best-estimate thermal models of vertical dry cask storage systems

DOE PAGES

DeVoe, Remy R.; Robb, Kevin R.; Skutnik, Steven E.

2017-07-08

Loading requirements for dry cask storage of spent nuclear fuel are driven primarily by decay heat capacity limitations, which themselves are determined through recommended limits on peak cladding temperature within the cask. This study examines the relative sensitivity of peak material temperatures within the cask to parameters that influence both the stored fuel residual decay heat as well as heat removal mechanisms. Here, these parameters include the detailed reactor operating history parameters (e.g., soluble boron concentrations and the presence of burnable poisons) as well as factors that influence heat removal, including non-dominant processes (such as conduction from the fuel basketmore » to the canister and radiation within the canister) and ambient environmental conditions. By examining the factors that drive heat removal from the cask alongside well-understood factors that drive decay heat, it is therefore possible to make a contextual analysis of the most important parameters to evaluation of peak material temperatures within the cask.« less

Dry transfer system for spent fuel: Project report, A system designed to achieve the dry transfer of bare spent fuel between two casks. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dawson, D.M.; Guerra, G.; Neider, T.

1995-12-01

This report describes the system developed by EPRI/DOE for the dry transfer of spent fuel assemblies outside the reactor spent fuel pool. The system is designed to allow spent fuel assemblies to be removed from a spent fuel pool in a small cask, transported to the transfer facility, and transferred to a larger cask, either for off-site transportation or on-site storage. With design modifications, this design is capable of transferring single spent fuel assemblies from dry storage casks to transportation casks or visa versa. One incentive for the development of this design is that utilities with limited lifting capacity ormore » other physical or regulatory constraints are limited in their ability to utilize the current, more efficient transportation and storage cask designs. In addition, DOE, in planning to develop and implement the multi-purpose canister (MPC) system for the Civilian Radioactive Waste Management System, included the concept of an on-site dry transfer system to support the implementation of the MPC system at reactors with limitations that preclude the handling of the MPC system transfer casks. This Dry Transfer System can also be used at reactors wi decommissioned spent fuel pools and fuel in dry storage in non-MPC systems to transfer fuel into transportation casks. It can also be used at off-reactor site interim storage facilities for the same purpose.« less

78 FR 16619 - List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: MAGNASTOR® System

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-18

...-0308] RIN 3150-AJ22 List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: MAGNASTOR[supreg] System AGENCY: Nuclear... proposing to amend its spent fuel storage regulations by revising the NAC International, Inc., Modular Advanced Generation Nuclear All-purpose Storage (MAGNASTOR[supreg]) Cask System listing within the ``List...

Verification of Spent Nuclear Fuel in Sealed Dry Storage Casks via Measurements of Cosmic-Ray Muon Scattering

DOE PAGES

Durham, J. M.; Poulson, D.; Bacon, J.; ...

2018-04-10

Most of the plutonium in the world resides inside spent nuclear reactor fuel rods. This high-level radioactive waste is commonly held in long-term storage within large, heavily shielded casks. Currently, international nuclear safeguards inspectors have no stand-alone method of verifying the amount of reactor fuel stored within a sealed cask. In this paper, we demonstrate experimentally that measurements of the scattering angles of cosmic-ray muons, which pass through a storage cask, can be used to determine if spent fuel assemblies are missing without opening the cask. Finally, this application of technology and methods commonly used in high-energy particle physics providesmore » a potential solution to this long-standing problem in international nuclear safeguards.« less

Verification of Spent Nuclear Fuel in Sealed Dry Storage Casks via Measurements of Cosmic-Ray Muon Scattering

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Durham, J. M.; Poulson, D.; Bacon, J.

Most of the plutonium in the world resides inside spent nuclear reactor fuel rods. This high-level radioactive waste is commonly held in long-term storage within large, heavily shielded casks. Currently, international nuclear safeguards inspectors have no stand-alone method of verifying the amount of reactor fuel stored within a sealed cask. In this paper, we demonstrate experimentally that measurements of the scattering angles of cosmic-ray muons, which pass through a storage cask, can be used to determine if spent fuel assemblies are missing without opening the cask. Finally, this application of technology and methods commonly used in high-energy particle physics providesmore » a potential solution to this long-standing problem in international nuclear safeguards.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

J. Bisset

This calculation documents the design of the Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) and High-Level Waste (HLW) Cask storage slab for the Aging Area. The design is based on the weights of casks that may be stored on the slab, the weights of vehicles that may be used to move the casks, and the layout shown on the sketch for a 1000 Metric Ton of Heavy Metal (MTHM) storage pad on Attachment 2, Sht.1 of the calculation 170-C0C-C000-00100-000-00A (BSC 2004a). The analytical model used herein is based on the storage area for 8 vertical casks. To simplify the model, the storage areamore » of the horizontal concrete modules and their related shield walls is not included. The heavy weights of the vertical storage casks and the tensile forces due to pullout at the anchorages will produce design moments and shear forces that will envelope those that would occur in the storage area of the horizontal modules. The design loadings will also include snow and live loads. In addition, the design will also reflect pertinent geotechnical data. This calculation will document the preliminary thickness and general reinforcing steel requirements for the slab. This calculation also documents the initial design of the cask anchorage. Other slab details are not developed in this calculation. They will be developed during the final design process. The calculation also does not include the evaluation of the effects of cask drop loads. These will be evaluated in this or another calculation when the exact cask geometry is known.« less

Canister Design for Deep Borehole Disposal of Nuclear Waste

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-05-01

radioactive waste disposal (not yet released) Fortunately, transportation casks for spent fuel have already been approved, built, and used as...would allow use of the current designs for transportation casks ; or, place the fuel assemblies into the final disposal canisters 21 prior to transport ...16 Figure 1-5. Typical Spent Fuel Transportation Casks

Test Plan for the Boiling Water Reactor Dry Cask Simulator

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Durbin, Samuel; Lindgren, Eric R.

The thermal performance of commercial nuclear spent fuel dry storage casks are evaluated through detailed numerical analysis . These modeling efforts are completed by the vendor to demonstrate performance and regulatory compliance. The calculations are then independently verified by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Carefully measured data sets generated from testing of full sized casks or smaller cask analogs are widely recognized as vital for validating these models. Recent advances in dry storage cask designs have significantly increased the maximum thermal load allowed in a cask in part by increasing the efficiency of internal conduction pathways and by increasing themore » internal convection through greater canister helium pressure. These same vertical, canistered cask systems rely on ventilation between the canister and the overpack to convect heat away from the canister to the environment for both above and below-ground configurations. While several testing programs have been previously conducted, these earlier validation attempts did not capture the effects of elevated helium pressures or accurately portray the external convection of above-ground and below-ground canistered dry cask systems. The purpose of the investigation described in this report is to produce a data set that can be used to test the validity of the assumptions associated with the calculations presently used to determine steady-state cladding temperatures in modern vertical, canistered dry cask systems. The BWR cask simulator (BCS) has been designed in detail for both the above-ground and below-ground venting configurations. The pressure vessel representing the canister has been designed, fabricated, and pressure tested for a maximum allowable pressure (MAWP) rating of 24 bar at 400 deg C. An existing electrically heated but otherwise prototypic BWR Incoloy-clad test assembly is being deployed inside of a representative storage basket and cylindrical pressure vessel that represents the canister. The symmetric single assembly geometry with well-controlled boundary conditions simplifies interpretation of results. Various configurations of outer concentric ducting will be used to mimic conditions for above and below-ground storage configurations of vertical, dry cask systems with canisters. Radial and axial temperature profiles will be measured for a wide range of decay power and helium cask pressures. Of particular interest is the evaluation of the effect of increased helium pressure on allowable heat load and the effect of simulated wind on a simplified below ground vent configuration. While incorporating the best available information, this test plan is subject to changes due to improved understanding from modeling or from as-built deviations to designs. As-built conditions and actual procedures will be documented in the final test report.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Luna, R. E.

This paper provides a simple model for estimating the release of respirable aerosols resulting from an attack on a spent fuel cask using a high energy density device (HEDD). Two primary experiments have provided data on potential releases from spent fuel casks under HEDD attack. Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) conducted the first in the early 1980's and the second was sponsored by Gessellshaft fur Anlagen- and Reaktorsicherheit (GRS) in Germany and conducted in France in 1994. Both used surrogate spent fuel assemblies in real casks. The SNL experiments used un-pressurized fuel pin assemblies in a single element cask while themore » GRS tests used pressurized fuel pin assemblies in a 9-element cask. Data from the two test programs is reasonably consistent, given the differences in the experiments, but the use of the test data for prediction of releases resulting from HEDD attack requires a method for accounting for the effects of pin pressurization release and the ratio of pin plenum gas release to cask free volume (VR). To account for the effects of VR and to link the two data sources, a simple model has been developed that uses both the SNL data and the GRS data as well as recent test data on aerosols produced in experiments with single pellets subjected to HEDD effects conducted under the aegis of the International Consortium's Working Group on Sabotage of Transport and Storage Casks (WGSTSC). (authors)« less

77 FR 9515 - List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: HI-STORM 100, Revision 8

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-17

... Storage Casks: HI-STORM 100, Revision 8 AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Direct final rule... regulations by revising the Holtec International HI-STORM 100 dry cask storage system listing within the... and safety will be adequately protected. This direct final rule revises the HI-STORM 100 listing in 10...

75 FR 27401 - List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: NUHOMS® HD System Revision 1; Correction

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-17

... Storage Casks: NUHOMS[reg] HD System Revision 1; Correction AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION... HD spent fuel storage cask system. This action is necessary to correctly specify the effective date... on May 6, 2010 (75 FR 24786), that amends the regulations that govern storage of spent nuclear fuel...

10 CFR 72.240 - Conditions for spent fuel storage cask reapproval.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... has been determined by the NRC. The application must be accompanied by a safety analysis report (SAR). The new SAR may reference the SAR originally submitted for the approved spent fuel storage cask design. (c) The design of a spent fuel storage cask will be reapproved if the conditions in § 72.238 are met...

Results for the Aboveground Configuration of the Boiling Water Reactor Dry Cask Simulator

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Durbin, Samuel G.; Lindgren, Eric Richard

The thermal performance of commercial nuclear spent fuel dry storage casks are evaluated through detailed numerical analysis. These modeling efforts are completed by the vendor to demonstrate performance and regulatory compliance. The calculations are then independently verified by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Carefully measured data sets generated from testing of full sized casks or smaller cask analogs are widely recognized as vital for validating these models. Recent advances in dry storage cask designs have significantly increased the maximum thermal load allowed in a cask in part by increasing the efficiency of internal conduction pathways and also by increasing themore » internal convection through greater canister helium pressure. These same canistered cask systems rely on ventilation between the canister and the overpack to convect heat away from the canister to the environment for both above and belowground configurations. While several testing programs have been previously conducted, these earlier validation attempts did not capture the effects of elevated helium pressures or accurately portray the external convection of aboveground and belowground canistered dry cask systems. The purpose of the current investigation was to produce data sets that can be used to test the validity of the assumptions associated with the calculations used to determine steady-state cladding temperatures in modern dry casks that utilize elevated helium pressure in the sealed canister in an aboveground configuration. An existing electrically heated but otherwise prototypic BWR Incoloy-clad test assembly was deployed inside of a representative storage basket and cylindrical pressure vessel that represents a vertical canister system. The symmetric single assembly geometry with well-controlled boundary conditions simplifies interpretation of results. The arrangement of ducting was used to mimic conditions for an aboveground storage configuration in a vertical, dry cask systems with canisters. Transverse and axial temperature profiles were measured for a wide range of decay power and helium cask pressures. Of particular interest was the evaluation of the effect of increased helium pressure on peak cladding temperatures (PCTs) for identical thermal loads. All steady state peak temperatures and induced flow rates increased with increasing assembly power. Peak cladding temperatures decreased with increasing internal helium pressure for a given assembly power, indicating increased internal convection. In addition, the location of the PCT moved from near the top of the assembly to ~1/3 the height of the assembly for the highest (8 bar absolute) to the lowest (0 bar absolute) pressure studied, respectively. This shift in PCT location is consistent with the varying contribution of convective heat transfer proportional with of internal helium pressure.« less

Tandem SAM Domain Structure of Human Caskin1: A Presynaptic, Self-Assembling Scaffold for CASK

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stafford, Ryan L.; Hinde, Elizabeth; Knight, Mary Jane

2012-02-07

The synaptic scaffolding proteins CASK and Caskin1 are part of the fibrous mesh of proteins that organize the active zones of neural synapses. CASK binds to a region of Caskin1 called the CASK interaction domain (CID). Adjacent to the CID, Caskin1 contains two tandem sterile a motif (SAM) domains. Many SAM domains form polymers so they are good candidates for forming the fibrous structures seen in the active zone. We show here that the SAM domains of Caskin1 form a new type of SAM helical polymer. The Caskin1 polymer interface exhibits a remarkable segregation of charged residues, resulting in amore » high sensitivity to ionic strength in vitro. The Caskin1 polymers can be decorated with CASK proteins, illustrating how these proteins may work together to organize the cytomatrix in active zones.« less

Evaluation of Cask Drop Criticality Issues at K Basin

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

GOLDMANN, L.H.

An analysis of ability of Multi-canister Overpack (MCO) to withstand drops at K Basin without exceeding the criticality design requirements. Report concludes the MCO will function acceptably. The spent fuel currently residing in the 105 KE and 105 KW storage basins will be placed in fuel storage baskets which will be loaded into the MCO cask assembly. During the basket loading operations the MCO cask assembly will be positioned near the bottom of the south load out pit (SLOP). The loaded MCO cask will be lifted from the SLOP transferred to the transport trailer and delivered to the Cold Vacuummore » Drying Facility (CVDF). In the wet condition there is a potential for criticality problems if significant changes in the designed fuel configurations occur. The purpose of this report is to address structural issues associated with criticality design features for MCO cask drop accidents in the 105 KE and 105 KW facilities.« less

76 FR 17037 - List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: HI-STORM Flood/Wind Addition

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-28

...-0007] RIN 3150-AI90 List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: HI-STORM Flood/Wind Addition AGENCY... or the Commission) is proposing to amend its spent fuel storage cask regulations to add the HI-STORM...: June 13, 2011. SAR Submitted by: Holtec International, Inc. SAR Title: Safety Analysis Report on the HI...

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Montgomery, Rose; Scaglione, John M; Bevard, Bruce Balkcom

The High Burnup Spent Fuel Data project pulled 25 sister rods (9 from the project assemblies and 16 from similar HBU assemblies) for characterization. The 25 sister rods are all high burnup and cover the range of modern domestic cladding alloys. The 25 sister rods were shipped to Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in early 2016 for detailed non-destructive and destructive examination. Examinations are intended to provide baseline data on the initial physical state of the cladding and fuel prior to the loading, drying, and long-term dry storage process. Further examinations are focused on determining the effects of temperatures encounteredmore » during and following drying. Similar tests will be performed on rods taken from the project assemblies at the end of their long-term storage in a TN-32 dry storage cask (the cask rods ) to identify any significant changes in the fuel rods that may have occurred during the dry storage period. Additionally, some of the sister rods will be used for separate effects testing to expand the applicability of the project data to the fleet, and to address some of the data-related gaps associated with extended storage and subsequent transportation of high burnup fuel. A draft test plan is being developed that describes the experimental work to be conducted on the sister rods. This paper summarizes the draft test plan and necessary coordination activities for the multi-year experimental program to supply data relevant to the assessment of the safety of long-term storage followed by transportation of high burnup spent fuel.« less

Natural convection heat transfer for a staggered array of heated, horizontal cylinders within a rectangular enclosure

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Triplett, C.E.

1996-12-01

This thesis presents the results of an experimental investigation of natural convection heat transfer in a staggered array of heated cylinders, oriented horizontally within a rectangular enclosure. The main purpose of this research was to extend the knowledge of heat transfer within enclosed bundles of spent nuclear fuel rods sealed within a shipping or storage container. This research extends Canaan`s investigation of an aligned array of heated cylinders that thermally simulated a boiling water reactor (BWR) spent fuel assembly sealed within a shipping or storage cask. The results are presented in terms of piecewise Nusselt-Rayleigh number correlations of the formmore » Nu = C(Ra){sup n}, where C and n are constants. Correlations are presented both for individual rods within the array and for the array as a whole. The correlations are based only on the convective component of the heat transfer. The radiative component was calculated with a finite-element code that used measured surface temperatures, rod array geometry, and measured surface emissivities as inputs. The correlation results are compared to Canaan`s aligned array results and to other studies of natural convection in horizontal tube arrays.« less

Mutated CaV2.1 channels dysregulate CASK/P2X3 signaling in mouse trigeminal sensory neurons of R192Q Cacna1a knock-in mice.

PubMed

Gnanasekaran, Aswini; Bele, Tanja; Hullugundi, Swathi; Simonetti, Manuela; Ferrari, Michael D; van den Maagdenberg, Arn M J M; Nistri, Andrea; Fabbretti, Elsa

2013-12-02

ATP-gated P2X3 receptors of sensory ganglion neurons are important transducers of pain as they adapt their expression and function in response to acute and chronic nociceptive signals. The present study investigated the role of calcium/calmodulin-dependent serine protein kinase (CASK) in controlling P2X3 receptor expression and function in trigeminal ganglia from Cacna1a R192Q-mutated knock-in (KI) mice, a genetic model for familial hemiplegic migraine type-1. KI ganglion neurons showed more abundant CASK/P2X3 receptor complex at membrane level, a result that likely originated from gain-of-function effects of R192Q-mutated CaV2.1 channels and downstream enhanced CaMKII activity. The selective CaV2.1 channel blocker ω-Agatoxin IVA and the CaMKII inhibitor KN-93 were sufficient to return CASK/P2X3 co-expression to WT levels. After CASK silencing, P2X3 receptor expression was decreased in both WT and KI ganglia, supporting the role of CASK in P2X3 receptor stabilization. This process was functionally observed as reduced P2X3 receptor currents. We propose that, in trigeminal sensory neurons, the CASK/P2X3 complex has a dynamic nature depending on intracellular calcium and related signaling, that are enhanced in a transgenic mouse model of genetic hemiplegic migraine.

Validation Test Report For The CRWMS Analysis and Logistics Visually Interactive Model Calvin Version 3.0, 10074-Vtr-3.0-00

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

S. Gillespie

2000-07-27

This report describes the tests performed to validate the CRWMS ''Analysis and Logistics Visually Interactive'' Model (CALVIN) Version 3.0 (V3.0) computer code (STN: 10074-3.0-00). To validate the code, a series of test cases was developed in the CALVIN V3.0 Validation Test Plan (CRWMS M&O 1999a) that exercises the principal calculation models and options of CALVIN V3.0. Twenty-five test cases were developed: 18 logistics test cases and 7 cost test cases. These cases test the features of CALVIN in a sequential manner, so that the validation of each test case is used to demonstrate the accuracy of the input to subsequentmore » calculations. Where necessary, the test cases utilize reduced-size data tables to make the hand calculations used to verify the results more tractable, while still adequately testing the code's capabilities. Acceptance criteria, were established for the logistics and cost test cases in the Validation Test Plan (CRWMS M&O 1999a). The Logistics test cases were developed to test the following CALVIN calculation models: Spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and reactivity calculations; Options for altering reactor life; Adjustment of commercial SNF (CSNF) acceptance rates for fiscal year calculations and mid-year acceptance start; Fuel selection, transportation cask loading, and shipping to the Monitored Geologic Repository (MGR); Transportation cask shipping to and storage at an Interim Storage Facility (ISF); Reactor pool allocation options; and Disposal options at the MGR. Two types of cost test cases were developed: cases to validate the detailed transportation costs, and cases to validate the costs associated with the Civilian Radioactive Waste Management System (CRWMS) Management and Operating Contractor (M&O) and Regional Servicing Contractors (RSCs). For each test case, values calculated using Microsoft Excel 97 worksheets were compared to CALVIN V3.0 scenarios with the same input data and assumptions. All of the test case results compare with the CALVIN V3.0 results within the bounds of the acceptance criteria. Therefore, it is concluded that the CALVIN V3.0 calculation models and options tested in this report are validated.« less

78 FR 63375 - List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: Transnuclear, Inc. Standardized NUHOMS® Cask System

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-24

... include: adding a new transfer cask (TC), the OS197L, for use with the 32PT and 61BT dry shielded.... 1004. Specifically, Transnuclear, Inc. requested changes to: (1) add a new TC, the OS197L, for use with... with NUREG-1745 requirements. Deleting the TC dose rates for all currently licensed payloads (TSs 1.2...

Cosmic ray muons for spent nuclear fuel monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chatzidakis, Stylianos

There is a steady increase in the volume of spent nuclear fuel stored on-site (at reactor) as currently there is no permanent disposal option. No alternative disposal path is available and storage of spent nuclear fuel in dry storage containers is anticipated for the near future. In this dissertation, a capability to monitor spent nuclear fuel stored within dry casks using cosmic ray muons is developed. The motivation stems from the need to investigate whether the stored content agrees with facility declarations to allow proliferation detection and international treaty verification. Cosmic ray muons are charged particles generated naturally in the atmosphere from high energy cosmic rays. Using muons for proliferation detection and international treaty verification of spent nuclear fuel is a novel approach to nuclear security that presents significant advantages. Among others, muons have the ability to penetrate high density materials, are freely available, no radiological sources are required and consequently there is a total absence of any artificial radiological dose. A methodology is developed to demonstrate the applicability of muons for nuclear nonproliferation monitoring of spent nuclear fuel dry casks. Purpose is to use muons to differentiate between spent nuclear fuel dry casks with different amount of loading, not feasible with any other technique. Muon scattering and transmission are used to perform monitoring and imaging of the stored contents of dry casks loaded with spent nuclear fuel. It is shown that one missing fuel assembly can be distinguished from a fully loaded cask with a small overlapping between the scattering distributions with 300,000 muons or more. A Bayesian monitoring algorithm was derived to allow differentiation of a fully loaded dry cask from one with a fuel assembly missing in the order of minutes and negligible error rate. Muon scattering and transmission simulations are used to reconstruct the stored contents of sealed dry casks from muon measurements. A combination of muon scattering and muon transmission imaging can improve resolution and thus a missing fuel assembly can be identified for vertical and horizontal dry casks. The apparent separation of the images reveals that the muon scattering and transmission can be used for discrimination between casks, satisfying the diversion criteria set by IAEA.

Cosmic ray muon computed tomography of spent nuclear fuel in dry storage casks

DOE PAGES

Poulson, Daniel Cris; Durham, J. Matthew; Guardincerri, Elena; ...

2016-10-22

Radiography with cosmic ray muon scattering has proven to be a successful method of imaging nuclear material through heavy shielding. Of particular interest is monitoring dry storage casks for diversion of plutonium contained in spent reactor fuel. Using muon tracking detectors that surround a cylindrical cask, cosmic ray muon scattering can be simultaneously measured from all azimuthal angles, giving complete tomographic coverage of the cask interior. This article describes the first application of filtered back projection algorithms, typically used in medical imaging, to cosmic ray muon scattering imaging. The specific application to monitoring spent nuclear fuel in dry storage casksmore » is investigated via GEANT4 simulations. With a cylindrical muon tracking detector surrounding a typical spent fuel cask, simulations indicate that missing fuel bundles can be detected with a statistical significance of ~18σ in less than two days exposure and a sensitivity at 1σ to a 5% missing portion of a fuel bundle. Finally, we discuss potential detector technologies and geometries.« less

NEUTRON CHARACTERIZATION OF ENSA-DPT TYPE SPENT FUEL CASK AT TRILLO NUCLEAR POWER PLANT.

PubMed

Méndez-Villafañe, Roberto; Campo-Blanco, Xandra; Embid, Miguel; Yéboles, César A; Morales, Ramón; Novo, Manuel; Sanz, Javier

2018-04-23

The Neutron Standards Laboratory of CIEMAT has conducted the characterization of the independent spent fuel storage installation at the Trillo Nuclear Power Plant. At this facility, the spent fuel assemblies are stored in ENSA-DPT type dual purpose casks. Neutron characterization was performed by dosimetry measurements with a neutron survey meter (LB6411) inside the facility, around an individual cask and between stored casks, and outside the facility. Spectra measurements were also performed with a Bonner sphere system in order to determine the integral quantities and validate the use of the neutron monitor at the different positions. Inside the facility, measured neutron spectra and neutron ambient dose equivalent rate are consistent with the casks spatial distribution and neutron emission rates, and measurements with both instruments are consistent with each other. Outside the facility, measured neutron ambient dose equivalent rates are well below the 0.5 μSv/h limit established by the nuclear regulatory authority.

Cosmic ray muon computed tomography of spent nuclear fuel in dry storage casks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Poulson, Daniel Cris; Durham, J. Matthew; Guardincerri, Elena

Radiography with cosmic ray muon scattering has proven to be a successful method of imaging nuclear material through heavy shielding. Of particular interest is monitoring dry storage casks for diversion of plutonium contained in spent reactor fuel. Using muon tracking detectors that surround a cylindrical cask, cosmic ray muon scattering can be simultaneously measured from all azimuthal angles, giving complete tomographic coverage of the cask interior. This article describes the first application of filtered back projection algorithms, typically used in medical imaging, to cosmic ray muon scattering imaging. The specific application to monitoring spent nuclear fuel in dry storage casksmore » is investigated via GEANT4 simulations. With a cylindrical muon tracking detector surrounding a typical spent fuel cask, simulations indicate that missing fuel bundles can be detected with a statistical significance of ~18σ in less than two days exposure and a sensitivity at 1σ to a 5% missing portion of a fuel bundle. Finally, we discuss potential detector technologies and geometries.« less

Characterization of neutron sources from spent fuel casks. [Skyshine

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Parks, C.V.; Pace, J.V. III

1987-01-01

In the interim period prior to the acceptance of spent fuel for disposal by the USDOE, utilities are beginning to choose dry cask storage as an alternative to pool re-racking, transshipments, or new pool construction. In addition, the current MRS proposal calls for interim dry storage of consolidated spent fuel in concrete casks. As part of the licensing requirements for these cask storage facilities, calculations are typically necessary to determine the yearly radiation dose received at the site boundary. Unlike wet facilities, neutron skyshine can be an important contribution to the total boundary dose from a dry storage facility. Calculationmore » of the neutron skyshine is in turn heavily dependent on the source characteristics and source model selected for the analysis. This paper presents the basic source characteristics of the spent fuel stored in dry casks and discusses factors that must be considered in evaluating and modeling the radiation sources for the subsequent skyshine calculation. 4 refs., 1 tab.« less

Basic aspects and contributions to the optimization of energy systems exploitation of a super tanker ship

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faitar, C.; Novac, I.

2017-08-01

Today, the concept of energy efficiency or energy optimization in ships has become one of the main problems of engineers in the whole world. To increase the fiability of a crude oil super tanker ship it means, among other things, to improve the energy performance and optimize the fuel consumption of ship through the development of engines and propulsion system or using alternative energies. Also, the importance of having an effective and reliable Power Management System (PMS) in a vessel operating system means to reduce operational costs and maintain power system of machine parts working in minimum stress in all operating conditions. Studying the Energy Efficiency Design Index and Energy Efficiency Operational Indicator for a crude oil super tanker ship, it allows us to study the reconfiguration of ship power system introducing new generation systems.

High energy neutron transmission analysis of dry cask storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greulich, Christopher; Hughes, Christopher; Gao, Yuan; Enqvist, Andreas; Baciak, James

2017-12-01

Since the U.S. currently only approves of storing used nuclear fuel in pools or dry casks, the demand for dry cask storage is on the rise due to the continuous operation of currently existing nuclear plants which are reaching or have reached the capacity of their used fuel pools. With the rising demand comes additional pressure to ensure the integrity of dry cask systems. Visual inspection is costly and man-power intensive, so alternative nondestructive testing techniques are desired to insure the continued safe and effective storage of fuel. One such approach being investigated by the University of Florida is neutron based computed tomography. Simulations in MCNP are preformed where D-T energy neutrons are transmitted through the dry cask and measured on the opposite side. If the transmitted signal is clear enough, the interior of the cask can be reconstructed from the measurement of the alterations of neutron signal intensity using standard mathematical techniques developed for medical imaging. Preliminary efforts show a correlation between energy and number of scatters (which is an indication of retention of position information). Work is ongoing to quantify if the correlation is strong enough that an energy discriminator may be used as a filter in future image reconstruction. The calculated transmission probability suggests that an image could be reconstructed with a week of scanning.

Research on Spent Fuel Storage and Transportation in CRIEPI (Part 2 Concrete Cask Storage)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Koji Shirai; Jyunichi Tani; Taku Arai

2008-10-01

Concrete cask storage has been implemented in the world. At a later stage of storage period, the containment of the canister may deteriorate due to stress corrosion cracking phenomena in a salty air environment. High resistant stainless steels against SCC have been tested as compared with normal stainless steel. Taking account of the limited time-length of environment with certain level of humidity and temperature range, the high resistant stainless steels will survive from SCC damage. In addition, the adhesion of salt from salty environment on the canister surface will be further limited with respect to the canister temperature and anglemore » of the canister surface against the salty air flow in the concrete cask. Optional countermeasure against SCC with respect to salty air environment has been studied. Devices consisting of various water trays to trap salty particles from the salty air were designed to be attached at the air inlet for natural cooling of the cask storage building. Efficiency for trapping salty particles was evaluated. Inspection of canister surface was carried out using an optical camera inserted from the air outlet through the annulus of a concrete cask that has stored real spent fuel for more than 15 years. The camera image revealed no gross degradation on the surface of the canister. Seismic response of a full-scale concrete cask with simulated spent fuel assemblies has been demonstrated. The cask did not tip over, but laterally moved by the earthquake motion. Stress generated on the surface of the spent fuel assemblies during the earthquake motion were within the elastic region.« less

Mutated CaV2.1 channels dysregulate CASK/P2X3 signaling in mouse trigeminal sensory neurons of R192Q Cacna1a knock-in mice

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background ATP-gated P2X3 receptors of sensory ganglion neurons are important transducers of pain as they adapt their expression and function in response to acute and chronic nociceptive signals. The present study investigated the role of calcium/calmodulin-dependent serine protein kinase (CASK) in controlling P2X3 receptor expression and function in trigeminal ganglia from Cacna1a R192Q-mutated knock-in (KI) mice, a genetic model for familial hemiplegic migraine type-1. Results KI ganglion neurons showed more abundant CASK/P2X3 receptor complex at membrane level, a result that likely originated from gain-of-function effects of R192Q-mutated CaV2.1 channels and downstream enhanced CaMKII activity. The selective CaV2.1 channel blocker ω-Agatoxin IVA and the CaMKII inhibitor KN-93 were sufficient to return CASK/P2X3 co-expression to WT levels. After CASK silencing, P2X3 receptor expression was decreased in both WT and KI ganglia, supporting the role of CASK in P2X3 receptor stabilization. This process was functionally observed as reduced P2X3 receptor currents. Conclusions We propose that, in trigeminal sensory neurons, the CASK/P2X3 complex has a dynamic nature depending on intracellular calcium and related signaling, that are enhanced in a transgenic mouse model of genetic hemiplegic migraine. PMID:24294842

Thermal-Hydraulic Results for the Boiling Water Reactor Dry Cask Simulator.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Durbin, Samuel; Lindgren, Eric R.

The thermal performance of commercial nuclear spent fuel dry storage casks is evaluated through detailed numerical analysis. These modeling efforts are completed by the vendor to demonstrate performance and regulatory compliance. The calculations are then independently verified by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Carefully measured data sets generated from testing of full sized casks or smaller cask analogs are widely recognized as vital for validating these models. Recent advances in dry storage cask designs have significantly increased the maximum thermal load allowed in a cask in part by increasing the efficiency of internal conduction pathways and by increasing the internalmore » convection through greater canister helium pressure. These same canistered cask systems rely on ventilation between the canister and the overpack to convect heat away from the canister to the environment for both aboveground and belowground configurations. While several testing programs have been previously conducted, these earlier validation attempts did not capture the effects of elevated helium pressures or accurately portray the external convection of aboveground and belowground canistered dry cask systems. The purpose of this investigation was to produce validation-quality data that can be used to test the validity of the modeling presently used to determine cladding temperatures in modern vertical dry casks. These cladding temperatures are critical to evaluate cladding integrity throughout the storage cycle. To produce these data sets under well-controlled boundary conditions, the dry cask simulator (DCS) was built to study the thermal-hydraulic response of fuel under a variety of heat loads, internal vessel pressures, and external configurations. An existing electrically heated but otherwise prototypic BWR Incoloy-clad test assembly was deployed inside of a representative storage basket and cylindrical pressure vessel that represents a vertical canister system. The symmetric single assembly geometry with well-controlled boundary conditions simplified interpretation of results. Two different arrangements of ducting were used to mimic conditions for aboveground and belowground storage configurations for vertical, dry cask systems with canisters. Transverse and axial temperature profiles were measured throughout the test assembly. The induced air mass flow rate was measured for both the aboveground and belowground configurations. In addition, the impact of cross-wind conditions on the belowground configuration was quantified. Over 40 unique data sets were collected and analyzed for these efforts. Fourteen data sets for the aboveground configuration were recorded for powers and internal pressures ranging from 0.5 to 5.0 kW and 0.3 to 800 kPa absolute, respectively. Similarly, fourteen data sets were logged for the belowground configuration starting at ambient conditions and concluding with thermal-hydraulic steady state. Over thirteen tests were conducted using a custom-built wind machine. The results documented in this report highlight a small, but representative, subset of the available data from this test series. This addition to the dry cask experimental database signifies a substantial addition of first-of-a-kind, high-fidelity transient and steady-state thermal-hydraulic data sets suitable for CFD model validation.« less

A Geographic Optimization Approach to Coast Guard Ship Basing

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-06-01

information found an optimal result for partition- ing. Carlsson applies the travelling salesman problem (tries to find the shortest path to visit a list of...maximum 200 words) This thesis studies the problem of finding efficient ship base locations, area of operations (AO) among bases, and ship assignments...for a coast guard (CG) organization. This problem is faced by many CGs around the world and is motivated by the need to optimize operational outcomes

Shielding calculation and criticality safety analysis of spent fuel transportation cask in research reactors.

PubMed

Mohammadi, A; Hassanzadeh, M; Gharib, M

2016-02-01

In this study, shielding calculation and criticality safety analysis were carried out for general material testing reactor (MTR) research reactors interim storage and relevant transportation cask. During these processes, three major terms were considered: source term, shielding, and criticality calculations. The Monte Carlo transport code MCNP5 was used for shielding calculation and criticality safety analysis and ORIGEN2.1 code for source term calculation. According to the results obtained, a cylindrical cask with body, top, and bottom thicknesses of 18, 13, and 13 cm, respectively, was accepted as the dual-purpose cask. Furthermore, it is shown that the total dose rates are below the normal transport criteria that meet the standards specified. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Interaction of cosmic ray muons with spent nuclear fuel dry casks and determination of lower detection limit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chatzidakis, S.; Choi, C. K.; Tsoukalas, L. H.

2016-08-01

The potential non-proliferation monitoring of spent nuclear fuel sealed in dry casks interacting continuously with the naturally generated cosmic ray muons is investigated. Treatments on the muon RMS scattering angle by Moliere, Rossi-Greisen, Highland and, Lynch-Dahl were analyzed and compared with simplified Monte Carlo simulations. The Lynch-Dahl expression has the lowest error and appears to be appropriate when performing conceptual calculations for high-Z, thick targets such as dry casks. The GEANT4 Monte Carlo code was used to simulate dry casks with various fuel loadings and scattering variance estimates for each case were obtained. The scattering variance estimation was shown to be unbiased and using Chebyshev's inequality, it was found that 106 muons will provide estimates of the scattering variances that are within 1% of the true value at a 99% confidence level. These estimates were used as reference values to calculate scattering distributions and evaluate the asymptotic behavior for small variations on fuel loading. It is shown that the scattering distributions between a fully loaded dry cask and one with a fuel assembly missing initially overlap significantly but their distance eventually increases with increasing number of muons. One missing fuel assembly can be distinguished from a fully loaded cask with a small overlapping between the distributions which is the case of 100,000 muons. This indicates that the removal of a standard fuel assembly can be identified using muons providing that enough muons are collected. A Bayesian algorithm was developed to classify dry casks and provide a decision rule that minimizes the risk of making an incorrect decision. The algorithm performance was evaluated and the lower detection limit was determined.

Binding of Y-P30 to Syndecan 2/3 Regulates the Nuclear Localization of CASK

PubMed Central

Landgraf, Peter; Mikhaylova, Marina; Macharadze, Tamar; Borutzki, Corinna; Zenclussen, Ana-Claudia; Wahle, Petra; Kreutz, Michael R.

2014-01-01

The survival promoting peptide Y-P30 has documented neuroprotective effects as well as cell survival and neurite outgrowth promoting activity in vitro and in vivo. Previous work has shown that multimerization of the peptide with pleiotrophin (PTN) and subsequent binding to syndecan (SDC) -2 and -3 is involved in its neuritogenic effects. In this study we show that Y-P30 application regulates the nuclear localization of the SDC binding partner Calcium/calmodulin-dependent serine kinase (CASK) in neuronal primary cultures during development. In early development at day in vitro (DIV) 8 when mainly SDC-3 is expressed supplementation of the culture medium with Y-P30 reduces nuclear CASK levels whereas it has the opposite effect at DIV 18 when SDC-2 is the dominant isoform. In the nucleus CASK regulates gene expression via its association with the T-box transcription factor T-brain-1 (Tbr-1) and we indeed found that gene expression of downstream targets of this complex, like the GluN2B NMDA-receptor, exhibits a corresponding down- or up-regulation at the mRNA level. The differential effect of Y-P30 on the nuclear localization of CASK correlates with its ability to induce shedding of the ectodomain of SDC-2 but not -3. shRNA knockdown of SDC-2 at DIV 18 and SDC-3 at DIV 8 completely abolished the effect of Y-P30 supplementation on nuclear CASK levels. During early development a protein knockdown of SDC-3 also attenuated the effect of Y-P30 on axon outgrowth. Taken together these data suggest that Y-P30 can control the nuclear localization of CASK in a SDC-dependent manner. PMID:24498267

Inspection and Gamma-Ray Dose Rate Measurements of the Annulus of the VSC-17 Concrete Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Cask

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

P. L. Winston

2007-09-01

The air cooling annulus of the Ventilated Storage Cask (VSC)-17 spent fuel storage cask was inspected using a Toshiba 7 mm (1/4”) CCD video camera. The dose rates observed in the annular space were measured to provide a reference for the activity to which the camera(s) being tested were being exposed. No gross degradation, pitting, or general corrosion was observed.

The scaffold protein calcium/calmodulin-dependent serine protein kinase controls ATP release in sensory ganglia upon P2X3 receptor activation and is part of an ATP keeper complex.

PubMed

Bele, Tanja; Fabbretti, Elsa

2016-08-01

P2X3 receptors, gated by extracellular ATP, are expressed by sensory neurons and are involved in peripheral nociception and pain sensitization. The ability of P2X3 receptors to transduce extracellular stimuli into neuronal signals critically depends on the dynamic molecular partnership with the calcium/calmodulin-dependent serine protein kinase (CASK). The present work used trigeminal sensory neurons to study the impact that activation of P2X3 receptors (evoked by the agonist α,β-meATP) has on the release of endogenous ATP and how CASK modulates this phenomenon. P2X3 receptor function was followed by ATP efflux via Pannexin1 (Panx1) hemichannels, a mechanism that was blocked by the P2X3 receptor antagonist A-317491, and by P2X3 silencing. ATP efflux was enhanced by nerve growth factor, a treatment known to potentiate P2X3 receptor function. Basal ATP efflux was not controlled by CASK, and carbenoxolone or Pannexin silencing reduced ATP release upon P2X3 receptor function. CASK-controlled ATP efflux followed P2X3 receptor activity, but not depolarization-evoked ATP release. Molecular biology experiments showed that CASK was essential for the transactivation of Panx1 upon P2X3 receptor activation. These data suggest that P2X3 receptor function controls a new type of feed-forward purinergic signaling on surrounding cells, with consequences at peripheral and spinal cord level. Thus, P2X3 receptor-mediated ATP efflux may be considered for the future development of pharmacological strategies aimed at containing neuronal sensitization. P2X3 receptors are involved in sensory transduction and associate to CASK. We have studied in primary sensory neurons the molecular mechanisms downstream P2X3 receptor activation, namely ATP release and partnership with CASK or Panx1. Our data suggest that CASK and P2X3 receptors are part of an ATP keeper complex, with important feed-forward consequences at peripheral and central level. © 2016 International Society for Neurochemistry.

Research on theoretical optimization and experimental verification of minimum resistance hull form based on Rankine source method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Bao-Ji; Zhang, Zhu-Xin

2015-09-01

To obtain low resistance and high efficiency energy-saving ship, minimum total resistance hull form design method is studied based on potential flow theory of wave-making resistance and considering the effects of tail viscous separation. With the sum of wave resistance and viscous resistance as objective functions and the parameters of B-Spline function as design variables, mathematical models are built using Nonlinear Programming Method (NLP) ensuring the basic limit of displacement and considering rear viscous separation. We develop ship lines optimization procedures with intellectual property rights. Series60 is used as parent ship in optimization design to obtain improved ship (Series60-1) theoretically. Then drag tests for the improved ship (Series60-1) is made to get the actual minimum total resistance hull form.

Impact of Reactor Operating Parameters on Cask Reactivity in BWR Burnup Credit

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ilas, Germina; Betzler, Benjamin R; Ade, Brian J

This paper discusses the effect of reactor operating parameters used in fuel depletion calculations on spent fuel cask reactivity, with relevance for boiling-water reactor (BWR) burnup credit (BUC) applications. Assessments that used generic BWR fuel assembly and spent fuel cask configurations are presented. The considered operating parameters, which were independently varied in the depletion simulations for the assembly, included fuel temperature, bypass water density, specific power, and operating history. Different operating history scenarios were considered for the assembly depletion to determine the effect of relative power distribution during the irradiation cycles, as well as the downtime between cycles. Depletion, decay,more » and criticality simulations were performed using computer codes and associated nuclear data within the SCALE code system. Results quantifying the dependence of cask reactivity on the assembly depletion parameters are presented herein.« less

Three dimensional contact/impact methodology

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kulak, R.F.

1987-01-01

The simulation of three-dimensional interface mechanics between reactor components and structures during static contact or dynamic impact is necessary to realistically evaluate their structural integrity to off-normal loads. In our studies of postulated core energy release events, we have found that significant structure-structure interactions occur in some reactor vessel head closure designs and that fluid-structure interactions occur within the reactor vessel. Other examples in which three-dimensional interface mechanics play an important role are: (1) impact response of shipping casks containing spent fuel, (2) whipping pipe impact on reinforced concrete panels or pipe-to-pipe impact after a pipe break, (3) aircraft crashmore » on secondary containment structures, (4) missiles generated by turbine failures or tornados, and (5) drops of heavy components due to lifting accidents. The above is a partial list of reactor safety problems that require adequate treatment of interface mechanics and are discussed in this paper.« less

Parallelization of KENO-Va Monte Carlo code

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramón, Javier; Peña, Jorge

1995-07-01

KENO-Va is a code integrated within the SCALE system developed by Oak Ridge that solves the transport equation through the Monte Carlo Method. It is being used at the Consejo de Seguridad Nuclear (CSN) to perform criticality calculations for fuel storage pools and shipping casks. Two parallel versions of the code: one for shared memory machines and other for distributed memory systems using the message-passing interface PVM have been generated. In both versions the neutrons of each generation are tracked in parallel. In order to preserve the reproducibility of the results in both versions, advanced seeds for random numbers were used. The CONVEX C3440 with four processors and shared memory at CSN was used to implement the shared memory version. A FDDI network of 6 HP9000/735 was employed to implement the message-passing version using proprietary PVM. The speedup obtained was 3.6 in both cases.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

This volume contains the interim change notice for sample preparation methods. Covered are: acid digestion for metals analysis, fusion of Hanford tank waste solids, water leach of sludges/soils/other solids, extraction procedure toxicity (simulate leach in landfill), sample preparation for gamma spectroscopy, acid digestion for radiochemical analysis, leach preparation of solids for free cyanide analysis, aqueous leach of solids for anion analysis, microwave digestion of glasses and slurries for ICP/MS, toxicity characteristic leaching extraction for inorganics, leach/dissolution of activated metal for radiochemical analysis, extraction of single-shell tank (SST) samples for semi-VOC analysis, preparation and cleanup of hydrocarbon- containing samples for VOCmore » and semi-VOC analysis, receiving of waste tank samples in onsite transfer cask, receipt and inspection of SST samples, receipt and extrusion of core samples at 325A shielded facility, cleaning and shipping of waste tank samplers, homogenization of solutions/slurries/sludges, and test sample preparation for bioassay quality control program.« less

Safety Analysis of Dual Purpose Metal Cask Subjected to Impulsive Loads due to Aircraft Engine Crash

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shirai, Koji; Namba, Kosuke; Saegusa, Toshiari

In Japan, the first Interim Storage Facility of spent nuclear fuel away from reactor site is being planned to start its commercial operation around 2010, in use of dual-purpose metal cask in the northern part of Main Japan Island. Business License Examination for safety design approval has started since March, 2007. To demonstrate the more scientific and rational performance of safety regulation activities on each phase for the first license procedure, CREPEI has executed demonstration tests with full scale casks, such as drop tests onto real targets without impact limiters(1) and seismic tests subjected to strong earthquake motions(2). Moreover, it is important to develop the knowledge for the inherent security of metal casks under extreme mechanical-impact conditions, especially for increasing interest since the terrorist attacks from 11th September 2001(3)-(6). This paper presents dynamic mechanical behavior of the metal cask lid closure system caused by direct aircraft engine crash and describes calculated results (especially, leak tightness based on relative dynamic displacements between metallic seals). Firstly, the local penetration damage of the interim storage facility building by a big passenger aircraft engine crash (diameter 2.7m, length 4.3m, weight 4.4ton, impact velocity 90m/s) has been examined. The reduced velocity is calculated by the local damage formula for concrete structure with its thickness of 70cm. The load vs. time function for this reduced velocity (60m/s) is estimated by the impact analysis using Finite Element code LS-DYNA with the full scale engine model onto a hypothetically rigid target. Secondly, as the most critical scenarios for the metal cask, two impact scenarios (horizontal impact hitting the cask and vertical impact onto the lid metallic seal system) are chosen. To consider the geometry of all bolts for two lids, the gasket reaction forces and the inner pressure of the cask cavity, the detailed three dimensional FEM models are developed and calculated. Main criteria for estimating the maximum leakage rate for the lid metallic seal system are no loss of the pre-stress of the lid bolts, no appearance of the plastic region between the metal seal flanges, and no large relative deformation of the lid seals. Finally, in both cases, the low leakage rate for the metal cask lid closure system under the impulsive loads due to aircraft engine crash will be proved thoroughly.

Evaluation of RAPID for a UNF cask benchmark problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mascolino, Valerio; Haghighat, Alireza; Roskoff, Nathan J.

2017-09-01

This paper examines the accuracy and performance of the RAPID (Real-time Analysis for Particle transport and In-situ Detection) code system for the simulation of a used nuclear fuel (UNF) cask. RAPID is capable of determining eigenvalue, subcritical multiplication, and pin-wise, axially-dependent fission density throughout a UNF cask. We study the source convergence based on the analysis of the different parameters used in an eigenvalue calculation in the MCNP Monte Carlo code. For this study, we consider a single assembly surrounded by absorbing plates with reflective boundary conditions. Based on the best combination of eigenvalue parameters, a reference MCNP solution for the single assembly is obtained. RAPID results are in excellent agreement with the reference MCNP solutions, while requiring significantly less computation time (i.e., minutes vs. days). A similar set of eigenvalue parameters is used to obtain a reference MCNP solution for the whole UNF cask. Because of time limitation, the MCNP results near the cask boundaries have significant uncertainties. Except for these, the RAPID results are in excellent agreement with the MCNP predictions, and its computation time is significantly lower, 35 second on 1 core versus 9.5 days on 16 cores.

Comparative changes in color features and pigment composition of red wines aged in oak and cherry wood casks.

PubMed

Chinnici, Fabio; Natali, Nadia; Sonni, Francesca; Bellachioma, Attilio; Riponi, Claudio

2011-06-22

The color features and the evolution of both the monomeric and the derived pigments of red wines aged in oak and cherry 225 L barriques have been investigated during a four months period. For cherry wood, the utilization of 1000 L casks was tested as well. The use of cherry casks resulted in a faster evolution of pigments with a rapid decline of monomeric anthocyanins and a quick augmentation formation of derived and polymeric compounds. At the end of the aging, wines stored in oak and cherry barriques lost, respectively, about 20% and 80% of the initial pigment amount, while in the 1000 L cherry casks, the same compounds diminished by about 60%. Ethyl-bridged adducts and vitisins were the main class of derivatives formed, representing up to 25% of the total pigment amount in the cherry aged samples. Color density augmented in both the oak and cherry wood aged samples, but the latter had the highest values of this parameter. Because of the highly oxidative behavior of the cherry barriques, the use of larger casks (e.g., 1000 L) is proposed in the case of prolonged aging times.

Concrete Shield Performance of the VSC-17 Spent Nuclear Fuel Cask

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Koji Shirai

2006-04-01

The VSC-17 Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Cask was surveyed for degradation of the concrete shield by radiation measurement, temperature measurement, and ultrasonic testing. No general loss of shielding function was identified.

Effect of a dual-purpose cask payload increment of spent fuel assemblies from VVER 1000 Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant on basket criticality.

PubMed

Rezaeian, M; Kamali, J

2017-01-01

Dual-purpose casks can be utilized for dry interim storage and transportation of the highly radioactive spent fuel assemblies (SFAs) of Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant (NPP). Criticality safety analysis was carried out using the MCNP code for the cask containing 12, 18, or 19 SFAs. The basket materials of borated stainless steel and Boral (Al-B 4 C) were investigated, and the minimum required receptacle pitch of the basket was determined. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Thermal modeling of a vertical dry storage cask for used nuclear fuel

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, Jie; Liu, Yung Y.

2016-05-01

Thermal modeling of temperature profiles of dry casks has been identified as a high-priority item in a U.S. Department of Energy gap analysis. In this work, a three-dimensional model of a vertical dry cask has been constructed for computer simulation by using the ANSYS/FLUENT code. The vertical storage cask contains a welded canister for 32 Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) used-fuel assemblies with a total decay heat load of 34 kW. To simplify thermal calculations, an effective thermal conductivity model for a 17 x 17 PWR used (or spent)-fuel assembly was developed and used in the simulation of thermal performance. Themore » effects of canister fill gas (helium or nitrogen), internal pressure (1-6 atm), and basket material (stainless steel or aluminum alloy) were studied to determine the peak cladding temperature (PCT) and the canister surface temperatures (CSTs). The results showed that high thermal conductivity of the basket material greatly enhances heat transfer and reduces the PCT. The results also showed that natural convection affects both PCT and the CST profile, while the latter depends strongly on the type of fill gas and canister internal pressure. Of particular interest to condition and performance monitoring is the identification of canister locations where significant temperature change occurs after a canister is breached and the fill gas changes from high-pressure helium to ambient air. This study provided insight on the thermal performance of a vertical storage cask containing high-burnup fuel, and helped advance the concept of monitoring CSTs as a means to detect helium leakage from a welded canister. The effects of blockage of air inlet vents on the cask's thermal performance were studied. The simulation were validated by comparing the results against data obtained from the temperature measurements of a commercial cask.« less

Conceptual Design Report Cask Loadout Sys and Cask Drop Redesign for the Immersion Pail Support Structure and Operator Interface Platform at 105 K West

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

LANGEVIN, A.S.

1999-07-12

This conceptual design report documents the redesign of the IPSS and the OIP in the 105 KW Basin south loadout pit due to a postulated cask drop accident, as part of Project A.5/A.6, Canister Transfer Facility Modifications. Project A.5/A.6 involves facility modifications needed to transfer fuel from the basin into the cask-MCO. The function of the IPSS is to suspend, guide, and position the immersion pail. The immersion pail protects the cask-MCO from contamination by basin water and acts as a lifting device for the cask-MCO. The OIP provides operator access to the south loadout pit. Previous analyses studied themore » effects of a cask-MCO drop on the south loadout pit concrete structure and on the IPSS. The most recent analysis considered the resulting loads at the pit slab/wall joint (Kanjilal, 1999). This area had not been modeled previously, and the analysis results indicate that the demand capacity exceeds the allowable at the slab/wall joint. The energy induced on the south loadout pit must be limited such that the safety class function of the basin is maintained. The solution presented in this CDR redesigns the IPSS and the OIP to include impact-absorbing features that will reduce the induced energy. The impact absorbing features of the new design include: Impact-absorbing material at the IPSS base and at the upper portion of the IPSS legs. A sleeve which provides a hydraulic means of absorbing energy. Designing the OIP to act as an impact absorber. The existing IPSS structure in 105 KW will be removed. This conceptual design considers only loads resulting from drops directly over the IPSS and south loadout pit area. Drops in other areas of the basin are not considered, and will be covered as part of a future revision to this CDR.« less

Radiation Templates of Spent Fuel in Casks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vanier, Peter

BNL and INL propose to perform a scoping study, using heavily collimated gamma and fast neutron detectors, to obtain passive radiation templates of dry storage casks containing spent fuel. The goal is to demonstrate sufficient spatial resolution and sensitivity to detect a missing fuel assembly. Such measurements, combined with detailed modeling and decay corrections should provide confidence that the cask contents have not been altered, despite loss of continuity of knowledge (CoK). The concept relies on the leakage of high energy gammas and neutrons through the shielding of the casks. Tests will emphasize organic scintillators with pulse shape discrimination, butmore » baseline comparisons will be made to high purity germanium (HPGe) and collimated moderated 3He detectors deployed in the same locations. Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) detectors and data acquisition electronics will be used with custom-built collimators and shielding.« less

Spent fuel cask handling at an operating nuclear power plant

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pal, A.C.

1988-01-01

The importance of spent fuel handling at operating nuclear power plants cannot be overstated. Because of its highly radioactive nature, however, spent fuel must be handled in thick, lead-lined containers or casks. Thus, all casks for spent fuel handling are heavy loads by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission's definition, and any load-drop must be evaluated for its potential to damage safety-related equipment. Nuclear Regulatory Guide NUREG-0612 prescribes the regulatory requirements of alternative heavy-load-handling methodologies such as (a) by providing cranes that meet the requirements of NUREG-0554, which shall be called the soft path, or (b) by providing protective devices atmore » all postulated load-drop areas to prevent any damage to safety-related equipment, which shall be called the hard path. The work reported in this paper relates to cask handling at New York Power Authority's James A. FitzPatrick (JAF) plant.« less

Modification and benchmarking of SKYSHINE-III for use with ISFSI cask arrays

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hertel, N.E.; Napolitano, D.G.

1997-12-01

Dry cask storage arrays are becoming more and more common at nuclear power plants in the United States. Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 72, limits doses at the controlled area boundary of these independent spent-fuel storage installations (ISFSI) to 0.25 mSv (25 mrem)/yr. The minimum controlled area boundaries of such a facility are determined by cask array dose calculations, which include direct radiation and radiation scattered by the atmosphere, also known as skyshine. NAC International (NAC) uses SKYSHINE-III to calculate the gamma-ray and neutron dose rates as a function of distance from ISFSI arrays. In thismore » paper, we present modifications to the SKYSHINE-III that more explicitly model cask arrays. In addition, we have benchmarked the radiation transport methods used in SKYSHINE-III against {sup 60}Co gamma-ray experiments and MCNP neutron calculations.« less

Development of Neutron Energy Spectral Signatures for Passive Monitoring of Spent Nuclear Fuels in Dry Cask Storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harkness, Ira; Zhu, Ting; Liang, Yinong; Rauch, Eric; Enqvist, Andreas; Jordan, Kelly A.

2018-01-01

Demand for spent nuclear fuel dry casks as an interim storage solution has increased globally and the IAEA has expressed a need for robust safeguards and verification technologies for ensuring the continuity of knowledge and the integrity of radioactive materials inside spent fuel casks. Existing research has been focusing on "fingerprinting" casks based on count rate statistics to represent radiation emission signatures. The current research aims to expand to include neutron energy spectral information as part of the fuel characteristics. First, spent fuel composition data are taken from the Next Generation Safeguards Initiative Spent Fuel Libraries, representative for Westinghouse 17ˣ17 PWR assemblies. The ORIGEN-S code then calculates the spontaneous fission and (α,n) emissions for individual fuel rods, followed by detailed MCNP simulations of neutrons transported through the fuel assemblies. A comprehensive database of neutron energy spectral profiles is to be constructed, with different enrichment, burn-up, and cooling time conditions. The end goal is to utilize the computational spent fuel library, predictive algorithm, and a pressurized 4He scintillator to verify the spent fuel assemblies inside a cask. This work identifies neutron spectral signatures that correlate with the cooling time of spent fuel. Both the total and relative contributions from spontaneous fission and (α,n) change noticeably with respect to cooling time, due to the relatively short half-life (18 years) of the major neutron source 244Cm. Identification of this and other neutron spectral signatures allows the characterization of spent nuclear fuels in dry cask storage.

PRELIMINARY REPORT: EFFECTS OF IRRADIATION AND THERMAL EXPOSURE ON ELASTOMERIC SEALS FOR CASK TRANSPORTATION AND STORAGE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Verst, C.; Skidmore, E.; Daugherty, W.

2014-05-30

A testing and analysis approach to predict the sealing behavior of elastomeric seal materials in dry storage casks and evaluate their ability to maintain a seal under thermal and radiation exposure conditions of extended storage and beyond was developed, and initial tests have been conducted. The initial tests evaluate the aging response of EPDM elastomer O-ring seals. The thermal and radiation exposure conditions of the CASTOR® V/21 casks were selected for testing as this cask design is of interest due to its widespread use, and close proximity of the seals to the fuel compared to other cask designs leading tomore » a relatively high temperature and dose under storage conditions. A novel test fixture was developed to enable compression stress relaxation measurements for the seal material at the thermal and radiation exposure conditions. A loss of compression stress of 90% is suggested as the threshold at which sealing ability of an elastomeric seal would be lost. Previous studies have shown this value to be conservative to actual leakage failure for most aging conditions. These initial results indicate that the seal would be expected to retain sealing ability throughout extended storage at the cask design conditions, though longer exposure times are needed to validate this assumption. The high constant dose rate used in the testing is not prototypic of the decreasingly low dose rate that would occur under extended storage. The primary degradation mechanism of oxidation of polymeric compounds is highly dependent on temperature and time of exposure, and with radiation expected to exacerbate the oxidation.« less

75 FR 49813 - List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: MAGNASTOR System, Revision 1, Confirmation of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-16

... Storage Casks: MAGNASTOR System, Revision 1, Confirmation of Effective Date AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory... spent fuel storage regulations at 10 CFR 72.214 to revise the MAGNASTOR System listing to include...

75 FR 42339 - List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: NAC-MPC System, Revision 6

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-21

...; minor design modifications to the Vertical Concrete Cask (VCC) incorporating design features from the... (ALARA) principles; an increase in the concrete pad compression strength from 4000 psi to 6000 psi; added...

Fire resistant nuclear fuel cask

DOEpatents

Heckman, Richard C.; Moss, Marvin

1979-01-01

The disclosure is directed to a fire resistant nuclear fuel cask employing reversibly thermally expansible bands between adjacent cooling fins such that normal outward flow of heat is not interfered with, but abnormal inward flow of heat is impeded or blocked.

78 FR 78693 - List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: Transnuclear, Inc. Standardized NUHOMS® Cask System

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-27

... dangerous to living organisms, including insects, microbes, bacteria or virus that attach to dust that.... According to his comment, ``[T]he Deer Tick has carried a spirochete bacteria for millions of years, but...

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Evans, J.H.; Chipley, K.K.; Nelms, H.A.

An evaluation of the ORNL loop transport cask demonstrating its compliance with the regulations governing the transportation of radioactive and fissile materials is presented. A previous review of the cask is updated to demonstrate compliance with current regulations, to present current procedures, and to reflect the more recent technology.

Ageing of a neutron shielding used in transport/storage casks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nizeyiman, Fidele; Alami, Aatif; Issard, Herve

2012-07-11

In radioactive materials transport/storage casks, a mineral-filled vinylester composite is used for neutron shielding which relies on its hydrogen and boron atoms content. During cask service life, this composite is mainly subjected to three types of ageing: hydrothermal ageing, thermal oxidation and neutron irradiation. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of hydrothermal ageing on the properties and chemical composition of this polymer composite. At high temperature (120 Degree-Sign C and 140 Degree-Sign C), the main consequence is the strong decrease of mechanical properties induced by the filler/matrix debonding.

Nonlinear optimization method of ship floating condition calculation in wave based on vector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ding, Ning; Yu, Jian-xing

2014-08-01

Ship floating condition in regular waves is calculated. New equations controlling any ship's floating condition are proposed by use of the vector operation. This form is a nonlinear optimization problem which can be solved using the penalty function method with constant coefficients. And the solving process is accelerated by dichotomy. During the solving process, the ship's displacement and buoyant centre have been calculated by the integration of the ship surface according to the waterline. The ship surface is described using an accumulative chord length theory in order to determine the displacement, the buoyancy center and the waterline. The draught forming the waterline at each station can be found out by calculating the intersection of the ship surface and the wave surface. The results of an example indicate that this method is exact and efficient. It can calculate the ship floating condition in regular waves as well as simplify the calculation and improve the computational efficiency and the precision of results.

Optimizing the US Navy’s Combat Logistics Force

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-01-01

Optimizing the US Navy’s Combat Logistics Force Gerald G. Brown, W. Matthew Carlyle Operations Research Department, Naval Postgraduate School...Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). Abstract: We study how changes to the composition and employment of the US Navy combat logistic force...evaluate new CLF ship designs, advise what number of ships in a new ship class would be needed, test concepts for forward at-sea logistics bases in lieu

75 FR 36449 - Yankee Atomic Electric Co.; Yankee Atomic Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation; Issuance...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-25

... Specification (TS) Surveillance Requirement 3.1.6.1 to verify the operability of the concrete cask heat removal....6.1 to verify the operability of the concrete cask heat removal system to maintain safe storage...

75 FR 34181 - Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Company, Haddam Neck Plant, Independent Spent Fuel Storage...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-16

... Specification (TS) Surveillance Requirement 3.1.6.1 to verify the operability of the concrete cask heat removal... Specification (TS) Surveillance Requirement 3.1.6.1 to verify the operability of the concrete cask heat removal...

Disposition of Chicago Pile 5 (CP-5) Converter Tubes in the 10-160B Cask

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pancake, Daniel C.; Rock, Cynthia

This paper will focus on the unique characterization, packaging, and transportation issues associated with the disposition of the two CP-5 Converter Tube assemblies from Argonne National Laboratory. The converter tubes were constructed of combinations of HEU and alloys of zirconium, and were part of the original research facilities attached to the CP-5 reactor during operating evolutions. These assemblies were heavily irradiated during their operational lifetime, and were segregated from the balance of irradiated test specimens when the reactor was deactivated and slated for Decontamination and Demolition (D&D). In addition, the substantial contribution of fissile material to the assemblies’ inventory mademore » the potential disposition pathways extremely challenging. As a result, these items became part of Argonne’s legacy “nuclear footprint”, and were added to the Nuclear Footprint Reduction Project scope for disposition. The Project was responsible for the size reduction and characterization of these items, as well as the ultimate disposition. After negotiating a disposal pathway for these tubes, there were significant transportation issues that required a small team to overcome, in order to successfully ship these items to the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS). The Project team at Argonne, technical support from transportation specialists, licensing support from the 10-160B license owner, the Savanah River National Lab (SRNL) Packaging Certification Team (PCT, and the DOE EM-33 staff contributed to license and safety analysis report amendments that eventually authorized the shipment of the material. The paper will identify the organizations, and the specific actions, required to successfully make three “one of a kind” shipments of irradiated test specimen material. This will include the unique packaging configurations, contents modification for the cask license (via the Amendment process), criticality evaluations, and associated review and approval processes.« less

EPRI/DOE High Burnup Fuel Sister Pin Test Plan Simplification and Visualization

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Saltzstein, Sylvia J.; Sorenson, Ken B.; Hanson, Brady

The EPRI/DOE High Burnup Confirmatory Data Project (herein called the "Demo") is a multi-year, multi-entity confirmation demonstration test with the purpose of providing quantitative and qualitative data to show how high-burnup fuel ages in dry storage over a ten-year period. The Demo involves obtaining 32 assemblies of high-burnup PWR fuel of four common cladding alloys from the North Anna Nuclear Power Plant, drying them according to standard plant procedures, and then storing them in an NRC-licensed TN-3 2B cask on the North Anna dry storage pad for ten years. After the ten-year storage time, the cask will be opened andmore » the rods will be examined for signs of aging. Twenty-five rods from assemblies of similar claddings, in-reactor placement, and burnup histories (herein called "sister rods") have been shipped from the North Anna Nuclear Power Plant and are currently being nondestructively tested at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. After the non-destructive testing has been completed for each of the twenty-five rods, destructive analysis will be performed at ORNL, PNNL, and ANL to obtain mechanical data. Opinions gathered from the expert interviews, ORNL and PNNL Sister Rod Test Plans, and numerous meetings has resulted in the Simplified Test Plan described in this document. Some of the opinions and discussions leading to the simplified test plan are included here. Detailed descriptions and background are in the ORNL and PNNL plans in the appendices . After the testing described in this simplified test plan h as been completed , the community will review all the collected data and determine if additional testing is needed.« less

High Burnup Dry Storage Cask Research and Development Project, Final Test Plan

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

2014-02-27

EPRI is leading a project team to develop and implement the first five years of a Test Plan to collect data from a SNF dry storage system containing high burnup fuel.12 The Test Plan defined in this document outlines the data to be collected, and the storage system design, procedures, and licensing necessary to implement the Test Plan.13 The main goals of the proposed test are to provide confirmatory data14 for models, future SNF dry storage cask design, and to support license renewals and new licenses for ISFSIs. To provide data that is most relevant to high burnup fuel inmore » dry storage, the design of the test storage system must mimic real conditions that high burnup SNF experiences during all stages of dry storage: loading, cask drying, inert gas backfilling, and transfer to the ISFSI for multi-year storage.15 Along with other optional modeling, SETs, and SSTs, the data collected in this Test Plan can be used to evaluate the integrity of dry storage systems and the high burnup fuel contained therein over many decades. It should be noted that the Test Plan described in this document discusses essential activities that go beyond the first five years of Test Plan implementation.16 The first five years of the Test Plan include activities up through loading the cask, initiating the data collection, and beginning the long-term storage period at the ISFSI. The Test Plan encompasses the overall project that includes activities that may not be completed until 15 or more years from now, including continued data collection, shipment of the Research Project Cask to a Fuel Examination Facility, opening the cask at the Fuel Examination Facility, and examining the high burnup fuel after the initial storage period.« less

Full-Scale Accident Testing in Support of Used Nuclear Fuel Transportation.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Durbin, Samuel G.; Lindgren, Eric R.; Rechard, Rob P.

2014-09-01

The safe transport of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste is an important aspect of the waste management system of the United States. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) currently certifies spent nuclear fuel rail cask designs based primarily on numerical modeling of hypothetical accident conditions augmented with some small scale testing. However, NRC initiated a Package Performance Study (PPS) in 2001 to examine the response of full-scale rail casks in extreme transportation accidents. The objectives of PPS were to demonstrate the safety of transportation casks and to provide high-fidelity data for validating the modeling. Although work on the PPSmore » eventually stopped, the Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future recommended in 2012 that the test plans be re-examined. This recommendation was in recognition of substantial public feedback calling for a full-scale severe accident test of a rail cask to verify evaluations by NRC, which find that risk from the transport of spent fuel in certified casks is extremely low. This report, which serves as the re-assessment, provides a summary of the history of the PPS planning, identifies the objectives and technical issues that drove the scope of the PPS, and presents a possible path for moving forward in planning to conduct a full-scale cask test. Because full-scale testing is expensive, the value of such testing on public perceptions and public acceptance is important. Consequently, the path forward starts with a public perception component followed by two additional components: accident simulation and first responder training. The proposed path forward presents a series of study options with several points where the package performance study could be redirected if warranted.« less

Impact Analyses and Tests of Metal Cask Considering Aircraft Engine Crash - 12308

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, Sanghoon; Choi, Woo-Seok; Kim, Ki-Young

2012-07-01

The structural integrity of a dual purpose metal cask currently under development by the Korea Radioactive Waste Management Cooperation (KRMC) is evaluated through analyses and tests under a high-speed missile impact considering the targeted aircraft crash conditions. The impact conditions were carefully chosen through a survey on accident cases and recommendations from the literature. The missile impact velocity was set at 150 m/s, and two impact orientations were considered. A simplified missile simulating a commercial aircraft engine is designed from an impact load history curve provided in the literature. In the analyses, the focus is on the evaluation of themore » containment boundary integrity of the metal cask. The analyses results are compared with the results of tests using a 1/3 scale model. The results show very good agreements, and the procedure and methodology adopted in the structural analyses are validated. While the integrity of the cask is maintained in one evaluation where the missile impacts the top side of the free standing cask, the containment boundary is breached in another case in which the missile impacts the center of the cask lid in a perpendicular orientation. A safety assessment using a numerical simulation of an aircraft engine crash into spent nuclear fuel storage systems is performed. A commercially available explicit finite element code is utilized for the dynamic simulation, and the strain rate effect is included in the modeling of the materials used in the target system and missile. The simulation results show very good agreement with the test results. It is noted that this is the first test considering an aircraft crash in Korea. (authors)« less

Feasibility study for a transportation operations system cask maintenance facility

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rennich, M.J.; Medley, L.G.; Attaway, C.R.

The US Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) is responsible for the development of a waste management program for the disposition of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high-level waste (HLW). The program will include a transportation system for moving the nuclear waste from the sources to a geologic repository for permanent disposal. Specially designed casks will be used to safely transport the waste. The cask systems must be operated within limits imposed by DOE, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and the Department of Transportation (DOT). A dedicated facility for inspecting, testing, and maintaining the caskmore » systems was recommended by the General Accounting Office (in 1979) as the best means of assuring their operational effectiveness and safety, as well as regulatory compliance. In November of 1987, OCRWM requested a feasibility study be made of a Cask Maintenance Facility (CMF) that would perform the required functions. 46 refs., 16 figs., 13 tabs.« less

Analysis of Corrosion Residues Collected from the Aluminum Basket Rails of the High-Burnup Demonstration Cask.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bryan, Charles R.

On September, 2015, an inspection was performed on the TN-32B cask that will be used for the high-burnup demonstration project. During the survey, wooden cribbing that had been placed within the cask eleven years earlier to prevent shifting of the basket during transport was removed, revealing two areas of residue on the aluminum basket rails, where they had contacted the cribbing. The residue appeared to be a corrosion product, and concerns were raised that similar attack could exist at more difficult-to-inspect locations in the canister. Accordingly, when the canister was reopened, samples of the residue were collected for analysis. Thismore » report presents the results of that assessment, which determined that the corrosion was due to the presence of the cribbing. The corrosion was associated with fungal material, and fungal activity likely contributed to an aggressive chemical environment. Once the cask has been cleaned, there will be no risk of further corrosion.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Winston, Philip Lon

Prior to performing an internal visual inspection, samples of the headspace gas of the GNS Castor V/21 cask were taken on June 12, 2014. These samples were taken in support of the CREIPI/Japanese nuclear industry effort to validate fuel integrity without visual inspection by measuring the 85Kr content of the cask headspace

78 FR 16601 - List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: MAGNASTOR® System

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-18

... Storage Casks: MAGNASTOR[supreg] System AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Direct final rule. SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is amending its spent fuel storage regulations by revising the NAC International, Inc. (NAC) Modular Advanced Generation Nuclear All-purpose Storage...

78 FR 32077 - List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: MAGNASTOR® System

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-29

... Fuel Storage Casks: MAGNASTOR[supreg] System AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Direct... final rule that would have revised its spent fuel storage regulations to include Amendment No. 3 to... All-purpose Storage (MAGNASTOR[supreg]) System listing within the ``List of Approved Spent Fuel...

Ultrasonic Fingerprinting of Structural Materials: Spent Nuclear Fuel Containers Case-Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sednev, D.; Lider, A.; Demyanuk, D.; Kroening, M.; Salchak, Y.

Nowadays, NDT is mainly focused on safety purposes, but it seems possible to apply those methods to provide national and IAEA safeguards. The containment of spent fuel in storage casks could be dramatically improved in case of development of so-called "smart" spent fuel storage and transfer casks. Such casks would have tamper indicating and monitoring/tracking features integrated directly into the cask design. The microstructure of the containers material as well as of the dedicated weld seam is applied to the lid and the cask body and provides a unique fingerprint of the full container, which can be reproducibly scanned by using an appropriate technique. The echo-sounder technique, which is the most commonly used method for material inspection, was chosen for this project. The main measuring parameter is acoustic noise, reflected from material's artefacts. The purpose is to obtain structural fingerprinting. Reference measurement and additional measurement results were compared. Obtained results have verified the appliance of structural fingerprint and the chosen control method. The successful authentication demonstrates the levels of the feature points' compliance exceeding the given threshold which differs considerably from the percentage of the concurrent points during authentication from other points. Since reproduction or doubling of the proposed unique identification characteristics is impossible at the current state science and technology, application of this technique is considered to identify the interference into the nuclear materials displacement with high accuracy.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ingham, J.G.

Maximum cladding temperatures occur when the IDENT 1578 fuel pin shipping container is installed in the T-3 Cask. The maximum allowable cladding temperature of 800/sup 0/F is reached when the rate of energy deposited in the 19-pin basket reaches 400 watts. Since 45% of the energy which is generated in the fuel escapes the 19-pin basket without being deposited, mostly gamma energy, the maximum allowable rate of heat generation is 400/.55 = 727 watts. Similarly, the maximum allowable cladding temperature of 800/sup 0/F is reached when the rate of energy deposited in the 40-pin basket reaches 465 watts. Since 33%more » of the energy which is generated in the fuel escapes the 40-pin basket without being deposited, mostly gamma energy, the maximum allowable rate of heat generation is 465/.66 = 704 watts. The IDENT 1578 fuel pin shipping container therefore meets its thermal design criteria. IDENT 1578 can handle fuel pins with a decay heat load of 600 watts while maintaining the maximum fuel pin cladding temperature below 800/sup 0/F. The emissivities which were determined from the test results for the basket tubes and container are relatively low and correspond to new, shiny conditions. As the IDENT 1578 container is exposed to high temperatures for extended periods of time during the transportation of fuel pins, the emissivities will probably increase. This will result in reduced temperatures.« less

Test report dot 7A type a liquid packaging

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ketusky, E. T.; Brandjes, C.; Benoit, T. J.

This test report documents the performance of Savannah River National Laboratory’s (SRNL’s) U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Specification 7A; General Packaging, Type A shielded liquid shipping packaging and compliance with the regulatory requirements of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). The primary use of this packaging design is for the transport of radioactive liquids of up to 1.3 liters in an unshielded configuration and up to 113 mL of radioactive liquids in a shielded configuration, with no more than an A2 quantity in either configuration, over public highways and/or commercial aircraft. The contents are liquid radioactive materialsmore » sufficiently shielded and within the activity limits specified in173.435 or 173.433 for A2 (normal form) materials, as well as within the analyzed thermal heat limits. Any contents must be compatibly packaged and must be compatible with the packaging. The basic packaging design is based on the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Model 9979 Type A fissile shipping packaging designed and tested by SRNL. The shielded liquid configuration consists of the outer and inner drums of the 9979 package with additional low density polyethylene (LDPE) dunnage nesting a tungsten shielded cask assembly (WSCA) within the 30-gallon inner drum. The packaging model for the DOT Specification 7A, Type A liquids packaging is HVYTAL.« less

Optimization of 200 MWth and 250 MWt Ship Based Small Long Life NPP

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fitriyani, Dian; Su'ud, Zaki

2010-06-22

Design optimization of ship-based 200 MWth and 250 MWt nuclear power reactors have been performed. The neutronic and thermo-hydraulic programs of the three-dimensional X-Y-Z geometry have been developed for the analysis of ship-based nuclear power plant. Quasi-static approach is adopted to treat seawater effect. The reactor are loop type lead bismuth cooled fast reactor with nitride fuel and with relatively large coolant pipe above reactor core, the heat from primary coolant system is directly transferred to watersteam loop through steam generators. Square core type are selected and optimized. As the optimization result, the core outlet temperature distribution is changing withmore » the elevation angle of the reactor system and the characteristics are discussed.« less

Research on design method of the full form ship with minimum thrust deduction factor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Bao-ji; Miao, Ai-qin; Zhang, Zhu-xin

2015-04-01

In the preliminary design stage of the full form ships, in order to obtain a hull form with low resistance and maximum propulsion efficiency, an optimization design program for a full form ship with the minimum thrust deduction factor has been developed, which combined the potential flow theory and boundary layer theory with the optimization technique. In the optimization process, the Sequential Unconstrained Minimization Technique (SUMT) interior point method of Nonlinear Programming (NLP) was proposed with the minimum thrust deduction factor as the objective function. An appropriate displacement is a basic constraint condition, and the boundary layer separation is an additional one. The parameters of the hull form modification function are used as design variables. At last, the numerical optimization example for lines of after-body of 50000 DWT product oil tanker was provided, which indicated that the propulsion efficiency was improved distinctly by this optimal design method.

10 CFR 72.230 - Procedures for spent fuel storage cask submittals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Procedures for spent fuel storage cask submittals. 72.230 Section 72.230 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE INDEPENDENT STORAGE OF SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL, HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR-RELATED GREATER THAN CLASS C...

10 CFR 72.240 - Conditions for spent fuel storage cask reapproval.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Conditions for spent fuel storage cask reapproval. 72.240 Section 72.240 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE INDEPENDENT STORAGE OF SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL, HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR-RELATED GREATER THAN CLASS C...

77 FR 64834 - Computational Fluid Dynamics Best Practice Guidelines for Dry Cask Applications

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-23

... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [NRC-2012-0250] Computational Fluid Dynamics Best Practice... public comments on draft NUREG-2152, ``Computational Fluid Dynamics Best Practice Guidelines for Dry Cask... System (ADAMS): You may access publicly-available documents online in the NRC Library at http://www.nrc...

77 FR 26050 - Burnup Credit in the Criticality Safety Analyses of Pressurized Water Reactor Spent Fuel in...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-02

... Pressurized Water Reactor Spent Fuel in Transportation and Storage Casks AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission... of pressurized water reactor spent nuclear fuel (SNF) in transportation packages and storage casks... for the licensing basis, (b) provide recommendations regarding advanced isotopic depletion and...

A review of ventilated storage cask (VSC) system projects and experience

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McConaghy, W.

1995-12-31

First, the author discusses the ventilated storage cask (VSC) design and an operations summary is given. Next VSC project status at Palisades, Point Beach, Arkansas Nuclear One, Fast Flux Test Facility and Zaporozhye is discussed. Lastly, VSC operational experience and VSC transportation interfaces are reviewed.

10 CFR 72.214 - List of approved spent fuel storage casks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... specified in their Certificates of Compliance. Certificate Number: 1000 SAR Submitted by: General Nuclear Systems, Inc. SAR Title: Topical Safety Analysis Report for the Castor V/21 Cask Independent Spent Fuel... Model Number: CASTOR V/21 Certificate Number: 1002 SAR Submitted by: Nuclear Assurance Corporation SAR...

10 CFR 72.214 - List of approved spent fuel storage casks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... specified in their Certificates of Compliance. Certificate Number: 1000 SAR Submitted by: General Nuclear Systems, Inc. SAR Title: Topical Safety Analysis Report for the Castor V/21 Cask Independent Spent Fuel... Model Number: CASTOR V/21 Certificate Number: 1002 SAR Submitted by: Nuclear Assurance Corporation SAR...

10 CFR 72.214 - List of approved spent fuel storage casks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... specified in their Certificates of Compliance. Certificate Number: 1000 SAR Submitted by: General Nuclear Systems, Inc. SAR Title: Topical Safety Analysis Report for the Castor V/21 Cask Independent Spent Fuel... Model Number: CASTOR V/21 Certificate Number: 1002 SAR Submitted by: Nuclear Assurance Corporation SAR...

Benchmarking Data for the Proposed Signature of Used Fuel Casks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rauch, Eric Benton

2016-09-23

A set of benchmarking measurements to test facets of the proposed extended storage signature was conducted on May 17, 2016. The measurements were designed to test the overall concept of how the proposed signature can be used to identify a used fuel cask based only on the distribution of neutron sources within the cask. To simulate the distribution, 4 Cf-252 sources were chosen and arranged on a 3x3 grid in 3 different patterns and raw neutron totals counts were taken at 6 locations around the grid. This is a very simplified test of the typical geometry studied previously in simulationmore » with simulated used nuclear fuel.« less

77 FR 24585 - List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: HI-STORM 100, Revision 8

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-25

... Storage Casks: HI-STORM 100, Revision 8 AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Direct final rule... revising the Holtec International HI-STORM 100 System listing within the ``List of Approved Spent Fuel...) 72.214, by revising the Holtec International HI-STORM 100 System listing within the ``List of...

77 FR 60479 - Burnup Credit in the Criticality Safety Analyses of Pressurized Water Reactor Spent Fuel in...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-03

... Pressurized Water Reactor Spent Fuel in Transportation and Storage Casks AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission... 3, entitled, ``Burnup Credit in the Criticality Safety Analyses of PWR [Pressurized Water Reactor... water reactor spent nuclear fuel (SNF) in transportation packages and storage casks. SFST-ISG-8...

10 CFR 72.240 - Conditions for spent fuel storage cask renewal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... to exceed 40 years. In the event that the certificate holder does not apply for a cask design renewal...) The application must be accompanied by a safety analysis report (SAR). The SAR must include the following: (1) Design bases information as documented in the most recently updated final safety analysis...

10 CFR 72.240 - Conditions for spent fuel storage cask renewal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... to exceed 40 years. In the event that the certificate holder does not apply for a cask design renewal...) The application must be accompanied by a safety analysis report (SAR). The SAR must include the following: (1) Design bases information as documented in the most recently updated final safety analysis...

10 CFR 72.240 - Conditions for spent fuel storage cask renewal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... to exceed 40 years. In the event that the certificate holder does not apply for a cask design renewal...) The application must be accompanied by a safety analysis report (SAR). The SAR must include the following: (1) Design bases information as documented in the most recently updated final safety analysis...

Translation and evaluation of the Cultural Awareness Scale for Korean nursing students.

PubMed

Oh, Hyunjin; Lee, Jung-ah; Schepp, Karen G

2015-02-20

To evaluate the effectiveness of a curriculum for achieving high levels of cultural competence, we need to be able to assess education intended to enhance cultural competency skills. We therefore translated the Cultural Awareness Scale (CAS) into Korean (CAS-K). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cross-cultural applicability and psychometric properties of the CAS-K, specifically its reliability and validity. A cross-sectional descriptive design was used to conduct the evaluation. A convenience sample of 495 nursing students was recruited from four levels of nursing education within four universities in the city of Daejeon, South Korea. This study provided beginning evidence of the validity and reliability of the CAS-K and the cross-cultural applicability of the concepts underlying this instrument. Cronbach's alpha ranged between 0.59 and 0.86 (overall 0.89) in the tests of internal consistency. Cultural competency score prediction of the experience of travel abroad (r=0.084) and the perceived need for cultural education (r=0.223) suggested reasonable criterion validity. Five factors with eigenvalues >1.0 were extracted, accounting for 55.58% of the variance; two retained the same items previously identified for the CAS. The CAS-K demonstrated satisfactory validity and reliability in measuring cultural awareness in this sample of Korean nursing students. The revised CAS-K should be tested for its usability in curriculum evaluation and its applicability as a guide for teaching cultural awareness among groups of Korean nursing students.

Detection of Missing Assemblies and Estimation of the Scattering Densities in a VSC-24 Dry Storage Cask with Cosmic-Ray-Muon-Based Computed Tomography

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, Zhengzhi; Hayward, Jason; Liao, Can

We report that highly energetic, cosmic-ray muons can penetrate a dry storage cask and yield information about the material inside it by making use of the physics of multiple Coulomb scattering. Work by others has shown this information may be used for verification of dry storage cask contents after continuity of knowledge has been lost. In our modeling and simulation approach, we use ideal planar radiation detectors to record the trajectories and momentum of both incident and exiting cosmic ray muons; this choice allows us to demonstrate the fundamental limit of the technology for a particular measurement and reconstruction method.more » In a method analogous to computed tomography with the attenuation coefficient replaced by scattering density, we apply a filtered back projection algorithm in order to reconstruct the geometry in modeled scenarios for a VSC-24 concrete-walled cask. We also report on our attempt to estimate material-specific information. A scenario where one of the middle four spent nuclear fuel assemblies is missing—undetectable with a simple PoCA-based approach—is expected to be detectable with a CT-based approach. Moreover, a trickier scenario where one or more assemblies is replaced by a dummy assembly is put forward. Lastly, in this case, we expect that this dry storage cask should be found to be not as declared based on our simulation and reconstruction results.« less

Detection of Missing Assemblies and Estimation of the Scattering Densities in a VSC-24 Dry Storage Cask with Cosmic-Ray-Muon-Based Computed Tomography

DOE PAGES

Liu, Zhengzhi; Hayward, Jason; Liao, Can; ...

2017-08-01

We report that highly energetic, cosmic-ray muons can penetrate a dry storage cask and yield information about the material inside it by making use of the physics of multiple Coulomb scattering. Work by others has shown this information may be used for verification of dry storage cask contents after continuity of knowledge has been lost. In our modeling and simulation approach, we use ideal planar radiation detectors to record the trajectories and momentum of both incident and exiting cosmic ray muons; this choice allows us to demonstrate the fundamental limit of the technology for a particular measurement and reconstruction method.more » In a method analogous to computed tomography with the attenuation coefficient replaced by scattering density, we apply a filtered back projection algorithm in order to reconstruct the geometry in modeled scenarios for a VSC-24 concrete-walled cask. We also report on our attempt to estimate material-specific information. A scenario where one of the middle four spent nuclear fuel assemblies is missing—undetectable with a simple PoCA-based approach—is expected to be detectable with a CT-based approach. Moreover, a trickier scenario where one or more assemblies is replaced by a dummy assembly is put forward. Lastly, in this case, we expect that this dry storage cask should be found to be not as declared based on our simulation and reconstruction results.« less

Smart Winery: A Real-Time Monitoring System for Structural Health and Ullage in Fino Style Wine Casks

PubMed Central

Cañete, Eduardo; Chen, Jaime; Rubio, Bartolomé

2018-01-01

The rapid development in low-cost sensor and wireless communication technology has made it possible for a large number of devices to coexist and exchange information autonomously. It has been predicted that a substantial number of devices will be able to exchange and provide information about an environment with the goal of improving our lives, under the well-known paradigm of the Internet of Things (IoT). One of the main applications of these kinds of devices is the monitoring of scenarios. In order to improve the current wine elaboration process, this paper presents a real-time monitoring system to supervise the status of wine casks. We have focused on a special kind of white wine, called Fino, principally produced in Andalusia (Southern Spain). The process by which this kind of wind is monitored is completely different from that of red wine, as the casks are not completely full and, due to the fact that they are not renewed very often, are more prone to breakage. A smart cork prototype monitors the structural health, the ullage, and the level of light inside the cask and the room temperature. The advantage of this smart cork is that it allows winemakers to monitor, in real time, the status of each wine cask so that, if an issue is detected (e.g., a crack appears in the cask), they can act immediately to resolve it. Moreover, abnormal parameters or incorrect environmental conditions can be detected in time before the wine loses its desired qualities. The system has been tested in “Bodegas San Acacio,” a winery based in Montemayor, a town in the north of Andalusia. Results show that the use of such a system can provide a solution that tracks the evolution and assesses the suitability of the delicate wine elaboration process in real time, which is especially important for the kind of wine considered in this paper. PMID:29518928

Spent nuclear fuel integrity during dry storage - performance tests and demonstrations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McKinnon, M.A.; Doherty, A.L.

1997-06-01

This report summarizes the results of fuel integrity surveillance determined from gas sampling during and after performance tests and demonstrations conducted from 1983 through 1996 by or in cooperation with the US DOE Office of Commercial Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM). The cask performance tests were conducted at Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) between 1984 and 1991 and included visual observation and ultrasonic examination of the condition of the cladding, fuel rods, and fuel assembly hardware before dry storage and consolidation of fuel, and a qualitative determination of the effects of dry storage and fuel consolidation on fission gas release frommore » the spent fuel rods. The performance tests consisted of 6 to 14 runs involving one or two loading, usually three backfill environments (helium, nitrogen, and vacuum backfills), and one or two storage system orientations. The nitrogen and helium backfills were sampled and analyzed to detect leaking spent fuel rods. At the end of each performance test, periodic gas sampling was conducted on each cask. A spent fuel behavior project (i.e., enhanced surveillance, monitoring, and gas sampling activities) was initiated by DOE in 1994 for intact fuel in a CASTOR V/21 cask and for consolidated fuel in a VSC-17 cask. The results of the gas sampling activities are included in this report. Information on spent fuel integrity is of interest in evaluating the impact of long-term dry storage on the behavior of spent fuel rods. Spent fuel used during cask performance tests at INEL offers significant opportunities for confirmation of the benign nature of long-term dry storage. Supporting cask demonstration included licensing and operation of an independent spent fuel storage installation (ISFSI) at the Virginia Power (VP) Surry reactor site. A CASTOR V/21, an MC-10, and a Nuclear Assurance NAC-I28 have been loaded and placed at the VP ISFSI as part of the demonstration program. 13 refs., 14 figs., 9 tabs.« less

Smart Winery: A Real-Time Monitoring System for Structural Health and Ullage in Fino Style Wine Casks.

PubMed

Cañete, Eduardo; Chen, Jaime; Martín, Cristian; Rubio, Bartolomé

2018-03-07

The rapid development in low-cost sensor and wireless communication technology has made it possible for a large number of devices to coexist and exchange information autonomously. It has been predicted that a substantial number of devices will be able to exchange and provide information about an environment with the goal of improving our lives, under the well-known paradigm of the Internet of Things (IoT). One of the main applications of these kinds of devices is the monitoring of scenarios. In order to improve the current wine elaboration process, this paper presents a real-time monitoring system to supervise the status of wine casks. We have focused on a special kind of white wine, called Fino, principally produced in Andalusia (Southern Spain). The process by which this kind of wind is monitored is completely different from that of red wine, as the casks are not completely full and, due to the fact that they are not renewed very often, are more prone to breakage. A smart cork prototype monitors the structural health, the ullage, and the level of light inside the cask and the room temperature. The advantage of this smart cork is that it allows winemakers to monitor, in real time, the status of each wine cask so that, if an issue is detected (e.g., a crack appears in the cask), they can act immediately to resolve it. Moreover, abnormal parameters or incorrect environmental conditions can be detected in time before the wine loses its desired qualities. The system has been tested in "Bodegas San Acacio," a winery based in Montemayor, a town in the north of Andalusia. Results show that the use of such a system can provide a solution that tracks the evolution and assesses the suitability of the delicate wine elaboration process in real time, which is especially important for the kind of wine considered in this paper.

Optimization Design of Minimum Total Resistance Hull Form Based on CFD Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Bao-ji; Zhang, Sheng-long; Zhang, Hui

2018-06-01

In order to reduce the resistance and improve the hydrodynamic performance of a ship, two hull form design methods are proposed based on the potential flow theory and viscous flow theory. The flow fields are meshed using body-fitted mesh and structured grids. The parameters of the hull modification function are the design variables. A three-dimensional modeling method is used to alter the geometry. The Non-Linear Programming (NLP) method is utilized to optimize a David Taylor Model Basin (DTMB) model 5415 ship under the constraints, including the displacement constraint. The optimization results show an effective reduction of the resistance. The two hull form design methods developed in this study can provide technical support and theoretical basis for designing green ships.

78 FR 63408 - List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: Transnuclear, Inc. Standardized NUHOMS® Cask System

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-24

...: Gregory R. Trussell, Office of Federal and State Materials and Environmental Management Programs, U.S... Access and Management System (ADAMS): You may access publicly-available documents online in the NRC... continues to be ensured. The direct final rule will become effective on January 7, 2014. However, if the NRC...

A&M. Radioactive parts security storage area, heat removal storage casks. ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

A&M. Radioactive parts security storage area, heat removal storage casks. Plan, section, and details. Ralph M. Parsons 1480-7 ANP/GE-3-720-S-1. Date: November 1958. Approved by INEEL Classification Office for public release. INEEL index no. 034-0720-60-693-107459 - Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Test Area North, Scoville, Butte County, ID

78 FR 73379 - List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: HI-STORM 100 Cask System; Amendment No. 9

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-06

..., and criticality control. If there is no loss of confinement, shielding, or criticality control, the... would prevent loss of confinement, shielding, and criticality control. If there is no loss of...;Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 235 / Friday, December 6, 2013 / Rules and Regulations#0;#0; [[Page 73379...

75 FR 42292 - List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: NAC-MPC System, Revision 6

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-21

... modifications to the Vertical Concrete Cask (VCC) incorporating design features from the MAGNASTOR system for...; an increase in the concrete pad compression strength from 4,000 psi to 6,000 psi; added justification... system while adhering to ALARA principles; (5) an increase in the concrete pad compression strength from...

Optimal structural design of the midship of a VLCC based on the strategy integrating SVM and GA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Li; Wang, Deyu

2012-03-01

In this paper a hybrid process of modeling and optimization, which integrates a support vector machine (SVM) and genetic algorithm (GA), was introduced to reduce the high time cost in structural optimization of ships. SVM, which is rooted in statistical learning theory and an approximate implementation of the method of structural risk minimization, can provide a good generalization performance in metamodeling the input-output relationship of real problems and consequently cuts down on high time cost in the analysis of real problems, such as FEM analysis. The GA, as a powerful optimization technique, possesses remarkable advantages for the problems that can hardly be optimized with common gradient-based optimization methods, which makes it suitable for optimizing models built by SVM. Based on the SVM-GA strategy, optimization of structural scantlings in the midship of a very large crude carrier (VLCC) ship was carried out according to the direct strength assessment method in common structural rules (CSR), which eventually demonstrates the high efficiency of SVM-GA in optimizing the ship structural scantlings under heavy computational complexity. The time cost of this optimization with SVM-GA has been sharply reduced, many more loops have been processed within a small amount of time and the design has been improved remarkably.

Romania: Brand-New Engineering Solutions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ken Allen; Lucian Biro; Nicolae Zamfir

The HEU spent nuclear fuel transport from Romania was a pilot project in the framework of the Russian Research Reactor Fuel Return Program (RRRFR), being the first fully certified spent nuclear fuel shipment by air. The successful implementation of the Romanian shipment also brought various new technology in the program, further used by other participating countries. Until 2009, the RRRFR program repatriated to the Russian Federation HEU spent nuclear fuel of Russian origin from many countries, like Uzbekistan, Czech Republic, Latvia, Hungary, Kazakhstan and Bulgaria. The means of transport used were various; from specialized TK-5 train for the carriage ofmore » Russian TUK-19 transport casks, to platform trains for 20 ft freight ISO containers carrying Czech Skoda VPVR/M casks; from river barge on the Danube, to vessel on the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean. Initially, in 2005, the transport plan of the HEU spent nuclear fuel from the National Institute for R&D in Nuclear Physics and Nuclear Engineering 'Horia Hulubei' in Magurele, Romania considered a similar scheme, using the specialized TK-5 train transiting Ukraine to the destination point in the Russian Federation, or, as an alternative, using the means and route of the spent nuclear fuel periodically shipped from the Bulgarian nuclear power plant Kosloduy (by barge on the Danube, and by train through Ukraine to the Russian Federation). Due to impossibility to reach an agreement in due time with the transit country, in February 2007 the US, Russian and Romanian project partners decided to adopt the air shipment of the spent nuclear fuel as prime option, eliminating the need for agreements with any transit countries. By this time the spent nuclear fuel inspections were completed, proving the compliance of the burn-up parameters with the international requirements for air shipments of radioactive materials. The short air route avoiding overflying of any other countries except the country of origin and the country of destination also contributed to the decision making in this issue. The efficient project management and cooperation between the three countries (Russia, Romania and USA) made possible, after two and a half years of preparation work, for the first fully certified spent nuclear fuel air shipment to take place on 29th of June 2009, from Romanian airport 'Henri Coanda' to the Russian airport 'Koltsovo' near Yekaterinburg. One day before that, after a record period of 3 weeks of preparation, another HEU cargo was shipped by air from Romanian Institute for Nuclear Research in Pitesti to Russia, containing fresh pellets and therefore making Romania the third HEU-free country in the RRRFR program.« less

Using flight simulators aboard ships: human side effects of an optimal scenario with smooth seas.

PubMed

Muth, Eric R; Lawson, Ben

2003-05-01

The U.S. Navy is considering placing flight simulators aboard ships. It is known that certain types of flight simulators can elicit motion adaptation syndrome (MAS), and also that certain types of ship motion can cause MAS. The goal of this study was to determine if using a flight simulator during ship motion would cause MAS, even when the simulator stimulus and the ship motion were both very mild. All participants in this study completed three conditions. Condition 1 (Sim) entailed "flying" a personal computer-based flight simulator situated on land. Condition 2 (Ship) involved riding aboard a U.S. Navy Yard Patrol boat. Condition 3 (ShipSim) entailed "flying" a personal computer-based flight simulator while riding aboard a Yard Patrol boat. Before and after each condition, participants' balance and dynamic visual acuity were assessed. After each condition, participants filled out the Nausea Profile and the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire. Following exposure to a flight simulator aboard a ship, participants reported negligible symptoms of nausea and simulator sickness. However, participants exhibited a decrease in dynamic visual acuity after exposure to the flight simulator aboard ship (T[25] = 3.61, p < 0.05). Balance results were confounded by significant learning and, therefore, not interpretable. This study suggests that flight simulators can be used aboard ship. As a minimal safety precaution, these simulators should be used according to current safety practices for land-based simulators. Optimally, these simulators should be designed to minimize MAS, located near the ship's center of rotation and used when ship motion is not provocative.

75 FR 57841 - List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: NAC-MPC System, Revision 6, Confirmation of Effective...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-23

... Spent Fuel Storage Casks: NAC-MPC System, Revision 6, Confirmation of Effective Date AGENCY: Nuclear... include Amendment Number 6 to Certificate of Compliance (CoC) Number 1025. DATES: Effective Date: The... regulations at 10 CFR 72.214 to include Amendment No. 6 to CoC No. 1025. Amendment No. 6 changes the...

78 FR 8050 - Spent Fuel Cask Certificate of Compliance Format and Content

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-05

... Rule for CoC Format and Content The petitioner states that amending 10 CFR part 72, subpart L, to... conforming changes be made to 10 CFR 72.13. The petitioner argues that ``[n]ew or amended NRC staff positions... 72, subpart L, be amended to remove the requirement that the empty weight be marked on storage casks...

78 FR 67348 - Invitation for Public Comment on Draft Test Plan for the High Burnup Dry Storage Cask Research...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-12

... will be executed will be added when Dominion Virginia Power, who is part of the Electric Power research... Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) to document what is planned to be accomplished by the CDP. DOE is... Storage Cask Research and Development Project (CDP) AGENCY: Fuel Cycle Technologies, Office of Nuclear...

Characterization of the radiation environment for a large-area interim spent-nuclear-fuel storage facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fortkamp, Jonathan C.

Current needs in the nuclear industry and movements in the political arena indicate that authorization may soon be given for development of a federal interim storage facility for spent nuclear fuel. The initial stages of the design work have already begun within the Department of Energy and are being reviewed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. This dissertation addresses the radiation environment around an interim spent nuclear fuel storage facility. Specifically the dissertation characterizes the radiation dose rates around the facility based on a design basis source term, evaluates the changes in dose due to varying cask spacing configurations, and uses these results to define some applicable health physics principles for the storage facility. Results indicate that dose rates from the facility are due primarily from photons from the spent fuel and Co-60 activation in the fuel assemblies. In the modeled cask system, skyshine was a significant contribution to dose rates at distances from the cask array, but this contribution can be reduced with an alternate cask venting system. With the application of appropriate health physics principles, occupation doses can be easily maintained far below regulatory limits and maintained ALARA.

Corrosion of aluminum clad spent nuclear fuel in the 70 ton cask during transfer from L area to H-canyon

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mickalonis, J. I.

2015-08-31

Aluminum-clad spent nuclear fuel will be transported for processing in the 70-ton nuclear fuel element cask from L Basin to H-canyon. During transport these fuels would be expected to experience high temperature aqueous corrosion from the residual L Basin water that will be present in the cask. Cladding corrosion losses during transport were calculated for material test reactor (MTR) and high flux isotope reactors (HFIR) fuels using literature and site information on aqueous corrosion at a range of time/temperature conditions. Calculations of the cladding corrosion loss were based on Arrhenius relationships developed for aluminum alloys typical of cladding material withmore » the primary assumption that an adherent passive film does not form to retard the initial corrosion rate. For MTR fuels a cladding thickness loss of 33 % was found after 1 year in the cask with a maximum temperature of 263 °C. HFIR fuels showed a thickness loss of only 6% after 1 year at a maximum temperature of 180 °C. These losses are not expected to impact the overall confinement function of the aluminum cladding.« less

Corrosion of aluminum clad spent nuclear fuel in the 70 ton cask during transfer from L area to H-canyon

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mickalonis, J. I.

2015-08-01

Aluminum-clad spent nuclear fuel will be transported for processing in the 70-ton nuclear fuel element cask from L Basin to H-canyon. During transport these fuels would be expected to experience high temperature aqueous corrosion from the residual L Basin water that will be present in the cask. Cladding corrosion losses during transport were calculated for material test reactor (MTR) and high flux isotope reactors (HFIR) fuels using literature and site information on aqueous corrosion at a range of time/temperature conditions. Calculations of the cladding corrosion loss were based on Arrhenius relationships developed for aluminum alloys typical of cladding material withmore » the primary assumption that an adherent passive film does not form to retard the initial corrosion rate. For MTR fuels a cladding thickness loss of 33% was found after 1 year in the cask with a maximum temperature of 263 °C. HFIR fuels showed a thickness loss of only 6% after 1 year at a maximum temperature of 180 °C. These losses are not expected to impact the overall confinement function of the aluminum cladding.« less

Storage, transportation and disposal system for used nuclear fuel assemblies

DOEpatents

Scaglione, John M.; Wagner, John C.

2017-01-10

An integrated storage, transportation and disposal system for used fuel assemblies is provided. The system includes a plurality of sealed canisters and a cask sized to receive the sealed canisters in side by side relationship. The plurality of sealed canisters include an internal basket structure to receive a plurality of used fuel assemblies. The internal basket structure includes a plurality of radiation-absorbing panels and a plurality of hemispherical ribs generally perpendicular to the canister sidewall. The sealed canisters are received within the cask for storage and transportation and are removed from the cask for disposal at a designated repository. The system of the present invention allows the handling of sealed canisters separately or collectively, while allowing storage and transportation of high burnup fuel and damaged fuel to the designated repository.

Teaching Old Packaging New Tricks - 12593

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

England, Jeffery L.; Shuler, James M.

2012-07-01

Waste disposition campaigns have been an industry and government focus area since the mid- 1970's. With increased focus on this issue, and a lot of hard work, most waste packaging and transportation issues have been addressed. The material has been successfully shipped and dis-positioned. DOE has successfully de-inventoried materials from multiple sites to meet material consolidation, footprint reduction, nonproliferation, and regulatory obligations with cost savings from reduced maintenance and regulatory compliance. There has been a wide range of certified shipping packagings for the transportation of hazardous materials to meet most of the waste needs. The remaining materials are problematic, generallymore » low volume, and do not meet the certified content of the existing inventory of packaging. Designing, testing and certifying new packaging designs can be a long and expensive process and for small volumes of material it is cost prohibitive. One very cost effective option is to lease and use a certified packaging to overpack waste containers. There are many robust certified packagings available with the capability to envelope the waste content. The capability to use inner containers, inside the current fleet of certified casks or packaging, to address specific content problems of additional shielding (e.g., U-233) or containment (e.g., sodium bonded nuclear material) has successfully expanded the capability for timely cost effective shipment of unique contents. This option has been used successfully in the NAC-LWT, T-3 and other packagings. (authors)« less

Improvement of operational safety of dual-purpose transport packaging set for naval SNF in storage

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Guskov, Vladimir; Korotkov, Gennady; Barnes, Ella

2007-07-01

Available in abstract form only. Full text of publication follows: In recent ten years a new technology of management of irradiated nuclear fuel (SNF) at the final stage of fuel cycle has been intensely developing on a basis of a new type of casks used for interim storage of SNF and subsequent transportation therein to the place of processing, further storage or final disposal. This technology stems from the concept of a protective cask which provides preservation of its content (SNF) and fulfillment of all other safety requirements for storage and transportation of SNF. Radiation protection against emissions and non-distributionmore » of activity outside the cask is ensured by physical barriers, i.e. all-metal or composite body, shells, inner cavities for irradiated fuel assemblies (SFA), lids with sealing systems. Residual heat release of SFA is discharged to the environment by natural way: through emission and convection of surrounding air. By now more than 100 dual purpose packaging sets TUK-108/1 are in operation in the mode of interim storage and transportation of SNF from decommissioned nuclear powered submarines (NPS). In accordance with certificate, spent fuel is stored in TUK-108/1 on the premises of plants involved in NPS dismantlement for 2 years, whereupon it is transported for processing to PO Mayak. At one Far Eastern plant Zvezda involved in NPS dismantlement there arose a complicated situation due to necessity to extend period of storage of SNF in TUK- 108/1. To ensure safety over a longer period of storage of SNF in TUK-108/1 it is essential to modify conditions of storage by removing of residual water and filling the inner cavity of the cask with an inert gas. Within implementation of the international 1.1- 2 project Development of drying technology for the cask TUK-108/1 intended for naval SNF under the Program, there has been developed the technology of preparation of the cask for long-term storage of SNF in TUK-108/1, the design of a mobile TUK-108/1 drying facility; a pilot facility has been manufactured. This report describes key issues of cask drying technology, justification of terms of dry storage of naval SNF in no-108/1, design features of the mobile drying facility, results of tests of the pilot facility at the Far Eastern plant Zvezda. (authors)« less

Spent nuclear fuel dry transfer system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stewart, L.; Agace, S.

The U.S. Department of Energy is currently engaged in a cooperative program with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) to design a spent nuclear fuel dry transfer system (DTS). The system will enable the transfer of individual spent nuclear fuel assemblies between a conventional top loading cask and multi-purpose canister in a shielded overpack, or accommodate spent nuclear fuel transfers between two conventional casks.

Safety evaluation for packaging for the transport of K Basin sludge samples in the PAS-1 cask

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

SMITH, R.J.

1998-11-17

This safety evaluation for packaging authorizes the shipment of up to two 4-L sludge samples to and from the 325 Lab or 222-S Lab for characterization. The safety of this shipment is based on the current U.S. Department of Energy Certification of Compliance (CoC) for the PAS-1 cask, USA/9184/B(U) (DOE).

Nonlinear Ultrasonic Diagnosis and Prognosis of ASR Damage in Dry Cask Storage

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Qu, Jianmin; Bazant, Zdenek; Jacobs, Laurence

Alkali-silica reaction (ASR) is a deleterious chemical process that may occur in cement-based materials such as mortars and concretes, where the hydroxyl ions in the highly alkaline pore solution attack the siloxane groups in the siliceous minerals in the aggregates. The reaction produces a cross-linked alkali-silica gel. The ASR gel swells in the presence of water. Expansion of the gel results in cracking when the swelling-induced stress exceeds the fracture toughness of the concrete. As the ASR continues, cracks may grow and eventually coalesce, which results in reduced service life and a decrease safety of concrete structures. Since concrete ismore » widely used as a critical structural component in dry cask storage of used nuclear fuels, ASR damage poses a significant threat to the sustainability of long term dry cask storage systems. Therefore, techniques for effectively detecting, managing and mitigating ASR damage are needed. Currently, there are no nondestructive methods to accurately detect ASR damage in existing concrete structures. The only current way of accurately assessing ASR damage is to drill a core from an existing structure, and conduct microscopy on this drilled cylindrical core. Clearly, such a practice is not applicable to dry cask storage systems. To meet these needs, this research is aimed at developing (1) a suite of nonlinear ultrasonic quantitative nondestructive evaluation (QNDE) techniques to characterize ASR damage, and (2) a physics-based model for ASR damage evolution using the QNDE data. Outcomes of this research will provide a nondestructive diagnostic tool to evaluate the extent of the ASR damage, and a prognostic tool to estimate the future reliability and safety of the concrete structures in dry cask storage systems« less

An Optimization Model For Strategy Decision Support to Select Kind of CPO’s Ship

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suaibah Nst, Siti; Nababan, Esther; Mawengkang, Herman

2018-01-01

The selection of marine transport for the distribution of crude palm oil (CPO) is one of strategy that can be considered in reducing cost of transport. The cost of CPO’s transport from one area to CPO’s factory located at the port of destination may affect the level of CPO’s prices and the number of demands. In order to maintain the availability of CPO a strategy is required to minimize the cost of transporting. In this study, the strategy used to select kind of charter ships as barge or chemical tanker. This study aims to determine an optimization model for strategy decision support in selecting kind of CPO’s ship by minimizing costs of transport. The select of ship was done randomly, so that two-stage stochastic programming model was used to select the kind of ship. Model can help decision makers to select either barge or chemical tanker to distribute CPO.

Storage, transportation and disposal system for used nuclear fuel assemblies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Scaglione, John M.; Wagner, John C.

An integrated storage, transportation and disposal system for used fuel assemblies is provided. The system includes a plurality of sealed canisters and a cask sized to receive the sealed canisters in side by side relationship. The plurality of sealed canisters include an internal basket structure to receive a plurality of used fuel assemblies. The internal basket structure includes a plurality of radiation-absorbing panels and a plurality of hemispherical ribs generally perpendicular to the canister sidewall. The sealed canisters are received within the cask for storage and transportation and are removed from the cask for disposal at a designated repository. Themore » system of the present invention allows the handling of sealed canisters separately or collectively, while allowing storage and transportation of high burnup fuel and damaged fuel to the designated repository.« less

Performance of bolted closure joint elastomers under cask aging conditions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Verst, C.; Sindelar, R.; Skidmore, E.

The bolted closure joint of a bare spent fuel cask is susceptible to age-related degradation and potential loss of confinement function under long-term storage conditions. Elastomeric seals, a component of the joint typically used to facilitate leak testing of the primary seal that includes the metallic seal and bolting, is susceptible to degradation over time by several mechanisms, principally via thermo-oxidation, stress-relaxation, and radiolytic degradation under time and temperature condition. Irradiation and thermal exposure testing and evaluation of an ethylene-propylene diene monomer (EPDM) elastomeric seal material similar to that used in the CASTOR® V/21 cask for a matrix of temperaturemore » and radiation exposure conditions relevant to the cask extended storage conditions, and development of semiempirical predictive models for loss of sealing force is in progress. A special insert was developed to allow Compressive Stress Relaxation (CSR) measurements before and after the irradiation and/or thermal exposure without unloading the elastomer. A condition of the loss of sealing force for the onset of leakage was suggested. The experimentation and modeling being performed could enable acquisition of extensive coupled aging data as well as an estimation of the timeframe when loss of sealing function under aging (temperature/radiation) conditions may occur.« less

Alternative Splicing of a Novel Inducible Exon Diversifies the CASK Guanylate Kinase Domain

PubMed Central

Dembowski, Jill A.; An, Ping; Scoulos-Hanson, Maritsa; Yeo, Gene; Han, Joonhee; Fu, Xiang-Dong; Grabowski, Paula J.

2012-01-01

Alternative pre-mRNA splicing has a major impact on cellular functions and development with the potential to fine-tune cellular localization, posttranslational modification, interaction properties, and expression levels of cognate proteins. The plasticity of regulation sets the stage for cells to adjust the relative levels of spliced mRNA isoforms in response to stress or stimulation. As part of an exon profiling analysis of mouse cortical neurons stimulated with high KCl to induce membrane depolarization, we detected a previously unrecognized exon (E24a) of the CASK gene, which encodes for a conserved peptide insertion in the guanylate kinase interaction domain. Comparative sequence analysis shows that E24a appeared selectively in mammalian CASK genes as part of a >3,000 base pair intron insertion. We demonstrate that a combination of a naturally defective 5′ splice site and negative regulation by several splicing factors, including SC35 (SRSF2) and ASF/SF2 (SRSF1), drives E24a skipping in most cell types. However, this negative regulation is countered with an observed increase in E24a inclusion after neuronal stimulation and NMDA receptor signaling. Taken together, E24a is typically a skipped exon, which awakens during neuronal stimulation with the potential to diversify the protein interaction properties of the CASK polypeptide. PMID:23008758

FINAL SAFETY ANALYSIS REPORT--SNAP 1A RADIOISOTOPE FUELED THERMOELECTRIC GENERATOR

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dix, G.P.

1960-06-30

The safety aspects involved in utilizing the Task 2 radioisotope-powered thermoelectric generator in a terrestrial satellite are described. It is based upon a generalized satellite mission having a 600-day orbital lifetime. A description of the basic design of the generator is presented in order to establish the analytical model. This includes the generator design, radiocerium fuel properties, and the fuel core. The transport of the generator to the launch site is examined, including the shipping cask, shipping procedures, and shipping hazards. A description of ground handling and vehicle integration is presented including preparation for fuel transfer, transfer, mating of generatorsmore » to final stage, mating final stage to booster, and auxiliary support equipment. The flight vehicle is presented to complete the analytical model. Contained in this chapter are descriptions of the booster-sustainer, final stage, propellants, and built-in safety systems. The typical missile range is examined with respect to the launch complex and range safety characteristics. The shielding of the fuel is discussed and includes both dose rates and shield thicknesses required. The bare core, shielded generator, fuel transfer operation and dose rates for accidental conditions are treated. mechanism of re-entry from the successful mission is covered. Radiocerium inventories with respect to time and the chronology of re-entry are specifically treated. The multiplicity of conditions for aborted missions is set forth. The definition of aborted missions is treated first in order to present the initial conditions. Following this, a definition of the forces imposed upon the generator is presented. The aborted missions is presented. A large number of initial vehicle failure cases is narrowed down into categories of consequences. Since stratospheric injection of fuel results in cases where the fuel is not contained after re-entry, an extensive discussion of the fall-out mechanism is presented. (auth)« less

VISIR-I: small vessels, least-time nautical routes using wave forecasts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mannarini, G.; Pinardi, N.; Coppini, G.; Oddo, P.; Iafrati, A.

2015-09-01

A new numerical model for the on-demand computation of optimal ship routes based on sea-state forecasts has been developed. The model, named VISIR (discoVerIng Safe and effIcient Routes) is designed to support decision-makers when planning a marine voyage. The first version of the system, VISIR-I, considers medium and small motor vessels with lengths of up to a few tens of meters and a displacement hull. The model is made up of three components: the route optimization algorithm, the mechanical model of the ship, and the environmental fields. The optimization algorithm is based on a graph-search method with time-dependent edge weights. The algorithm is also able to compute a voluntary ship speed reduction. The ship model accounts for calm water and added wave resistance by making use of just the principal particulars of the vessel as input parameters. The system also checks the optimal route for parametric roll, pure loss of stability, and surfriding/broaching-to hazard conditions. Significant wave height, wave spectrum peak period, and wave direction forecast fields are employed as an input. Examples of VISIR-I routes in the Mediterranean Sea are provided. The optimal route may be longer in terms of miles sailed and yet it is faster and safer than the geodetic route between the same departure and arrival locations. Route diversions result from the safety constraints and the fact that the algorithm takes into account the full temporal evolution and spatial variability of the environmental fields.

Neutron flux measurements on a mock-up of a storage cask for high-level nuclear waste using 2.5 MeV neutrons.

PubMed

Suárez, H Saurí; Becker, F; Klix, A; Pang, B; Döring, T

2018-06-07

To store and dispose spent nuclear fuel, shielding casks are employed to reduce the emitted radiation. To evaluate the exposure of employees handling such casks, Monte Carlo radiation transport codes can be employed. Nevertheless, to assess the reliability of these codes and nuclear data, experimental checks are required. In this study, a neutron generator (NG) producing neutrons of 2.5 MeV was employed to simulate neutrons produced in spent nuclear fuel. Different configurations of shielding layers of steel and polyethylene were positioned between the target of the NG and a NE-213 detector. The results of the measurements of neutron and γ radiation and the corresponding simulations with the code MCNP6 are presented. Details of the experimental set-up as well as neutron and photon flux spectra are provided as reference points for such NG investigations with shielding structures.

Congeners in sugar cane spirits aged in casks of different woods.

PubMed

Bortoletto, Aline M; Alcarde, André R

2013-08-15

The profile of volatile compounds and aging markers in sugar cane spirits aged for 36 months in casks made of 10 types of wood were studied. The ethanol content, volatile acidity, aldehydes, esters, higher alcohols, and methanol were determined. In addition, gallic, vanilic and syringic acids, siringaldehyde, coniferaldehyde, sinapaldehyde, vanillin, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural and furfural were identified and quantified. The profile of volatile compounds characterised aging in each type of wood. The beverage aged in oak cask achieved the highest contents of maturation-related congeners. The Brazilian woods, similar to oak, were jequitibá rosa and cerejeira, which presented the highest contents of some maturation-related compounds, such as vanillin, vanilic acid, syringaldehyde and sinapaldehyde. Although oak wood conferred more chemical complexity to the beverage, Brazilian woods, singly or complementarily, present potential for spirit characterisation and for improving the quality of sugar cane spirits. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characterization of Hydrogen Embrittled Zircaloy-4 by Using a Van de Graaff Particle Accelerator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Budd, John

2013-04-01

On-site, dry cask storage was originally by the intended to be a short-term solution for holding spent nuclear fuel. Due to the lack of a permanent storage facility, the nuclear power industry seeks to assess the effective lifetime of the casks. One issue which could compromise cask integrity is Hydrogen embrittlement. This phenomenon occurs in the Zircaloy-4 fuel-rod cladding and is caused by the formation of Zirconium hydrides. Over time, thermal stresses caused by the heat from reactions of the stored nuclear fuel could result in significant breaches of the cladding. Our group at Texas A&M University- Kingsville is conducting experiments to aid in determining when such breaches will occur. We will irradiate samples of the alloy with protons of energies up to 400 keV using a Van de Graaff particle accelerator. Once irradiated, their properties will be characterized using scanning electron microscopy and Vickers hardness tests.

Multi-Innovation Gradient Iterative Locally Weighted Learning Identification for A Nonlinear Ship Maneuvering System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bai, Wei-wei; Ren, Jun-sheng; Li, Tie-shan

2018-06-01

This paper explores a highly accurate identification modeling approach for the ship maneuvering motion with fullscale trial. A multi-innovation gradient iterative (MIGI) approach is proposed to optimize the distance metric of locally weighted learning (LWL), and a novel non-parametric modeling technique is developed for a nonlinear ship maneuvering system. This proposed method's advantages are as follows: first, it can avoid the unmodeled dynamics and multicollinearity inherent to the conventional parametric model; second, it eliminates the over-learning or underlearning and obtains the optimal distance metric; and third, the MIGI is not sensitive to the initial parameter value and requires less time during the training phase. These advantages result in a highly accurate mathematical modeling technique that can be conveniently implemented in applications. To verify the characteristics of this mathematical model, two examples are used as the model platforms to study the ship maneuvering.

Safety aspects of nuclear waste disposal in space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rice, E. E.; Edgecombe, D. S.; Compton, P. R.

1981-01-01

Safety issues involved in the disposal of nuclear wastes in space as a complement to mined geologic repositories are examined as part of an assessment of the feasibility of nuclear waste disposal in space. General safety guidelines for space disposal developed in the areas of radiation exposure and shielding, containment, accident environments, criticality, post-accident recovery, monitoring systems and isolation are presented for a nuclear waste disposal in space mission employing conventional space technology such as the Space Shuttle. The current reference concept under consideration by NASA and DOE is then examined in detail, with attention given to the waste source and mix, the waste form, waste processing and payload fabrication, shipping casks and ground transport vehicles, launch site operations and facilities, Shuttle-derived launch vehicle, orbit transfer vehicle, orbital operations and space destination, and the system safety aspects of the concept are discussed for each component. It is pointed out that future work remains in the development of an improved basis for the safety guidelines and the determination of the possible benefits and costs of the space disposal option for nuclear wastes.

Lateral control system design for VTOL landing on a DD963 in high sea states. M.S. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bodson, M.

1982-01-01

The problem of designing lateral control systems for the safe landing of VTOL aircraft on small ships is addressed. A ship model is derived. The issues of estimation and prediction of ship motions are discussed, using optimal linear linear estimation techniques. The roll motion is the most important of the lateral motions, and it is found that it can be predicted for up to 10 seconds in perfect conditions. The automatic landing of the VTOL aircraft is considered, and a lateral controller, defined as a ship motion tracker, is designed, using optimal control techniqes. The tradeoffs between the tracking errors and the control authority are obtained. The important couplings between the lateral motions and controls are demonstrated, and it is shown that the adverse couplings between the sway and the roll motion at the landing pad are significant constraints in the tracking of the lateral ship motions. The robustness of the control system, including the optimal estimator, is studied, using the singular values analysis. Through a robustification procedure, a robust control system is obtained, and the usefulness of the singular values to define stability margins that take into account general types of unstructured modelling errors is demonstrated. The minimal destabilizing perturbations indicated by the singular values analysis are interpreted and related to the multivariable Nyquist diagrams.

Study on process design of partially-balanced, hydraulically lifting vertical ship lift

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xin, Shen; Xiaofeng, Xu; Lu, Zhang; Bing, Zhu; Fei, Li

2017-11-01

The hub ship lift in Panjin is the first navigation structure in China for the link between the inland and open seas, which adopts a novel partially-balanced, hydraulically lifting ship lift; it can meet such requirements as fast and sharp water level change in open sea, large draft of a yacht, and launching of a ship reception chamber; its balancing weight system can effectively reduce the load of the primary lifting cylinder, and optimize the force distribution of the ship reception chamber. The paper provides an introduction to main equipment, basic principles, main features and system composition of a ship lift. The unique power system and balancing system of the completed ship lift has offered some experience for the construction of the tourism-type ship lifts with a lower lifting height.

A robust ordering strategy for retailers facing a free shipping option.

PubMed

Meng, Qing-chun; Wan, Xiao-le; Rong, Xiao-xia

2015-01-01

Free shipping with conditions has become one of the most effective marketing tools available. An increasing number of companies, especially e-businesses, prefer to offer free shipping with some predetermined condition, such as a minimum purchase amount by the customer. However, in practice, the demands of buyers are uncertain; they are often affected by many factors, such as the weather and season. We begin by modeling the centralized ordering problem in which the supplier offers a free shipping service and retailers face stochastic demands. As these random data are considered, only partial information such as the known mean, support, and deviation is needed. The model is then analyzed via a robust optimization method, and the two types of equivalent sets of uncertainty constraints that are obtained provide good mathematical properties with consideration of the robustness of solutions. Subsequently, a numerical example is used to compare the results achieved from a robust optimization method and the linear decision rules. Additionally, the robustness of the optimal solution is discussed, as it is affected by the minimum quantity parameters. The increasing cost-threshold relationship is divided into three periods. In addition, the case study shows that the proposed method achieves better stability as well as computational complexity.

Navy Enhanced Sierra Mechanics (NESM): Toolbox for predicting Navy shock and damage

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moyer, Thomas; Stergiou, Jonathan; Reese, Garth

Here, the US Navy is developing a new suite of computational mechanics tools (Navy Enhanced Sierra Mechanics) for the prediction of ship response, damage, and shock environments transmitted to vital systems during threat weapon encounters. NESM includes fully coupled Euler-Lagrange solvers tailored to ship shock/damage predictions. NESM is optimized to support high-performance computing architectures, providing the physics-based ship response/threat weapon damage predictions needed to support the design and assessment of highly survivable ships. NESM is being employed to support current Navy ship design and acquisition programs while being further developed for future Navy fleet needs.

Navy Enhanced Sierra Mechanics (NESM): Toolbox for predicting Navy shock and damage

DOE PAGES

Moyer, Thomas; Stergiou, Jonathan; Reese, Garth; ...

2016-05-25

Here, the US Navy is developing a new suite of computational mechanics tools (Navy Enhanced Sierra Mechanics) for the prediction of ship response, damage, and shock environments transmitted to vital systems during threat weapon encounters. NESM includes fully coupled Euler-Lagrange solvers tailored to ship shock/damage predictions. NESM is optimized to support high-performance computing architectures, providing the physics-based ship response/threat weapon damage predictions needed to support the design and assessment of highly survivable ships. NESM is being employed to support current Navy ship design and acquisition programs while being further developed for future Navy fleet needs.

Military Readiness: Progress and Challenges in Implementing the Navy’s Optimized Fleet Response Plan

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-05-02

deployments for sailors and for the ship repair industrial base. They have also resulted in declining ship conditions across the fleet, and have...at shipyards.2 This report also describes Navy and industry officials’ perspectives on the impact that Navy installation and personnel security...and we interviewed officials at public and private shipyards involved in maintaining Navy ships. Additionally, we interviewed Navy and industry

Numerical study of a permanent magnet linear generator for ship motion energy conversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahmuddin, Faisal; Gunadin, Indar Chaerah; Akhir, Anshar Yaumil

2017-02-01

In order to harvest kinetic energy of a ship moving in waves, a permanent magnet linear generator is designed and simulated in the present study. For the sake of simplicity, only heave motion which will be considered in this preliminary study. The dimension of the generator is designed based on the dimension of the ship. Moreover, in order to designed an optimal design of rotor and stator, the average vertical displacement of heave motion is needed. For this purpose, a numerical method called New Strip Method (NSM) is employed to compute the motions of the ship. With NSM, the ship hull is divided into several strips and the hydrodynamics forces are computed on each strip. Moreover, because the ship is assumed to be slender, the total forces are obtained by integrating the force on each strip. After the motions can be determined, the optimal design of the generator is designed and simulated. The performance of the generator in terms of force, magnetic flux, losses, current and induced voltage which are the primary parameters of the linear generator performance, are evaluated using a finite element analysis software named Maxwell. From the study, a linear generator for converting heave motions is designed so that the produced power from the designed generator can be determined.

Final design review summary report for the TN-WHC cask and transportation system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kee, A.T.

1997-01-17

This document represents comments generated from a review of Transnuclear`s Final Design Package distributed on December 10, 1996 and a review of the Final Design Analysis Report meeting held on December 17 & 18, 1996. The Final design describes desicn features and presents final analyses @j performed to fabricate and operate the system while meeting the Cask/Transportation Functions and Requirements, WHC-SD-SNF-FRD-011, Rev. 0 and specification WHC-S-0396, Rev. 1.

Safety analysis report for packaging (onsite) multicanister overpack cask

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Edwards, W.S.

1997-07-14

This safety analysis report for packaging (SARP) documents the safety of shipments of irradiated fuel elements in the MUlticanister Overpack (MCO) and MCO Cask for a highway route controlled quantity, Type B fissile package. This SARP evaluates the package during transfers of (1) water-filled MCOs from the K Basins to the Cold Vacuum Drying Facility (CVDF) and (2) sealed and cold vacuum dried MCOs from the CVDF in the 100 K Area to the Canister Storage Building in the 200 East Area.

Pulse Shape Analysis and Discrimination for Silicon-Photomultipliers in Helium-4 Gas Scintillation Neutron Detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barker, Cathleen; Zhu, Ting; Rolison, Lucas; Kiff, Scott; Jordan, Kelly; Enqvist, Andreas

2018-01-01

Using natural helium (helium-4), the Arktis 180-bar pressurized gas scintillator is capable of detecting and distinguishing fast neutrons and gammas. The detector has a unique design of three optically separated segments in which 12 silicon-photomultiplier (SiPM) pairs are positioned equilaterally across the detector to allow for them to be fully immersed in the helium-4 gas volume; consequently, no additional optical interfaces are necessary. The SiPM signals were amplified, shaped, and readout by an analog board; a 250 MHz, 14-bit digitizer was used to examine the output pulses from each SiPMpair channel. The SiPM over-voltage had to be adjusted in order to reduce pulse clipping and negative overshoot, which was observed for events with high scintillation production. Pulse shaped discrimination (PSD) was conducted by evaluating three different parameters: time over threshold (TOT), pulse amplitude, and pulse integral. In order to differentiate high and low energy events, a 30ns gate window was implemented to group pulses from two SiPM channels or more for the calculation of TOT. It was demonstrated that pulses from a single SiPM channel within the 30ns window corresponded to low-energy gamma events while groups of pulses from two-channels or more were most likely neutron events. Due to gamma pulses having lower pulse amplitude, the percentage of measured gamma also depends on the threshold value in TOT calculations. Similarly, the threshold values were varied for the optimal PSD methods of using pulse amplitude and pulse area parameters. Helium-4 detectors equipped with SiPMs are excellent for in-the-field radiation measurement of nuclear spent fuel casks. With optimized PSD methods, the goal of developing a fuel cask content monitoring and inspection system based on these helium-4 detectors will be achieved.

Quantity and management of spent fuel from prototype and research reactors in Germany

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dorr, Sabine; Bollingerfehr, Wilhelm; Filbert, Wolfgang

Within the scope of an R and D project (project identification number FKZ 02 S 8679) sponsored by BMBF (Federal Ministry of Education and Research), the current state of storage and management of fuel elements from prototype and research reactors was established, and an approach for their future storage/management was developed. The spent fuels from prototype and research reactors in Germany that require disposal were specified and were described in regard to their repository-relevant characteristics. As there are currently no casks licensed for disposal in Germany, descriptions of casks that were considered to be suitable were provided. Based on themore » information provided on the spent fuel from prototype and research reactors and the potential casks, a technical disposal concept was developed. In this context, concepts to integrate the spent fuel from prototype and research reactors into existing disposal concepts for spent fuel from German nuclear power plants and for waste from reprocessing were developed for salt and clay formations. (authors)« less

Measurement of chlorine concentration on steel surfaces via fiber-optic laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy in double-pulse configuration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, X.; Le Berre, S.; Fobar, D. G.; Burger, M.; Skrodzki, P. J.; Hartig, K. C.; Motta, A. T.; Jovanovic, I.

2018-03-01

The corrosive environment provided by chlorine ions on the welds of stainless steel dry cask storage canisters for used nuclear fuel may contribute to the occurrence of stress corrosion cracking. We demonstrate the use of fiber-optic laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (FOLIBS) in the double-pulse (DP) configuration for high-sensitivity, remote measurement of the surface concentrations of chlorine compatible in constrained space and challenging environment characteristic for dry cask storage systems. Chlorine surface concentrations as low as 5 mg/m2 have been detected and quantified by use of a laboratory-based and a fieldable DP FOLIBS setup with the calibration curve approach. The compact final optics assembly in the fieldable setup is interfaced via two 25-m long optical fibers for high-power laser pulse delivery and plasma emission collection and can be readily integrated into a multi-sensor robotic delivery system for in-situ inspection of dry cask storage systems.

Nuclear cask testing films misleading and misused

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Audin, L.

In 1977 and 1978, Sandia National Laboratories, located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and operated for the US Department of Energy (DOE), filmed a series of crash and fire tests performed on three casks designed to transport irradiated nuclear fuel assemblies. While the tests were performed to assess the applicability of scale and computer modeling techniques to actual accidents, films of them were quickly pressed into service by the DOE and nuclear utilities as proof'' to the public of the safety of the casks. In the public debate over the safety of irradiated nuclear fuel transportation, the films have served asmore » the mainstay for the nuclear industry. Although the scripts of all the films were reviewed by USDOE officials before production, they contain numerous misleading concepts and images, and omit significant facts. The shorter versions eliminated qualifying statements contained in the longer version, and created false impressions. This paper discusses factors which cast doubt on the veracity of the films and the results of the tests.« less

Nuclear cask testing films misleading and misused

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Audin, L.

In 1977 and 1978, Sandia National Laboratories, located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and operated for the US Department of Energy (DOE), filmed a series of crash and fire tests performed on three casks designed to transport irradiated nuclear fuel assemblies. While the tests were performed to assess the applicability of scale and computer modeling techniques to actual accidents, films of them were quickly pressed into service by the DOE and nuclear utilities as ``proof`` to the public of the safety of the casks. In the public debate over the safety of irradiated nuclear fuel transportation, the films have served asmore » the mainstay for the nuclear industry. Although the scripts of all the films were reviewed by USDOE officials before production, they contain numerous misleading concepts and images, and omit significant facts. The shorter versions eliminated qualifying statements contained in the longer version, and created false impressions. This paper discusses factors which cast doubt on the veracity of the films and the results of the tests.« less

A Robust Ordering Strategy for Retailers Facing a Free Shipping Option

PubMed Central

Meng, Qing-chun; Wan, Xiao-le; Rong, Xiao-xia

2015-01-01

Free shipping with conditions has become one of the most effective marketing tools available. An increasing number of companies, especially e-businesses, prefer to offer free shipping with some predetermined condition, such as a minimum purchase amount by the customer. However, in practice, the demands of buyers are uncertain; they are often affected by many factors, such as the weather and season. We begin by modeling the centralized ordering problem in which the supplier offers a free shipping service and retailers face stochastic demands. As these random data are considered, only partial information such as the known mean, support, and deviation is needed. The model is then analyzed via a robust optimization method, and the two types of equivalent sets of uncertainty constraints that are obtained provide good mathematical properties with consideration of the robustness of solutions. Subsequently, a numerical example is used to compare the results achieved from a robust optimization method and the linear decision rules. Additionally, the robustness of the optimal solution is discussed, as it is affected by the minimum quantity parameters. The increasing cost-threshold relationship is divided into three periods. In addition, the case study shows that the proposed method achieves better stability as well as computational complexity. PMID:25993533

Multiple quay cranes scheduling for double cycling in container terminals

PubMed Central

Chu, Yanling; Zhang, Xiaoju; Yang, Zhongzhen

2017-01-01

Double cycling is an efficient tool to increase the efficiency of quay crane (QC) in container terminals. In this paper, an optimization model for double cycling is developed to optimize the operation sequence of multiple QCs. The objective is to minimize the makespan of the ship handling operation considering the ship balance constraint. To solve the model, an algorithm based on Lagrangian relaxation is designed. Finally, we compare the efficiency of the Lagrangian relaxation based heuristic with the branch-and-bound method and a genetic algorithm using instances of different sizes. The results of numerical experiments indicate that the proposed model can effectively reduce the unloading and loading times of QCs. The effects of the ship balance constraint are more notable when the number of QCs is high. PMID:28692699

Multiple quay cranes scheduling for double cycling in container terminals.

PubMed

Chu, Yanling; Zhang, Xiaoju; Yang, Zhongzhen

2017-01-01

Double cycling is an efficient tool to increase the efficiency of quay crane (QC) in container terminals. In this paper, an optimization model for double cycling is developed to optimize the operation sequence of multiple QCs. The objective is to minimize the makespan of the ship handling operation considering the ship balance constraint. To solve the model, an algorithm based on Lagrangian relaxation is designed. Finally, we compare the efficiency of the Lagrangian relaxation based heuristic with the branch-and-bound method and a genetic algorithm using instances of different sizes. The results of numerical experiments indicate that the proposed model can effectively reduce the unloading and loading times of QCs. The effects of the ship balance constraint are more notable when the number of QCs is high.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rauch, Eric Benton

This report serves as a comprehensive overview of the Extended Storage of Used Nuclear Fuel work performed for the Material Protection, Accounting and Control Technologies campaign under the Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy. This paper describes a signature based on the source and fissile material distribution found within a population of used fuel assemblies combined with the neutron absorbers found within cask design that is unique to a specific cask with its specific arrangement of fuel. The paper describes all the steps used in producing and analyzing this signature from the beginning to the project end.

Proliferation resistance assessment of various methods of spent nuclear fuel storage and disposal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kollar, Lenka

Many countries are planning to build or already are building new nuclear power plants to match their growing energy needs. Since all nuclear power plants handle nuclear materials that could potentially be converted and used for nuclear weapons, they each present a nuclear proliferation risk. Spent nuclear fuel presents the largest build-up of nuclear material at a power plant. This is a proliferation risk because spent fuel contains plutonium that can be chemically separated and used for a nuclear weapon. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards spent fuel in all non-nuclear weapons states that are party to the Non-Proliferation Treaty. Various safeguards methods are in use at nuclear power plants and research is underway to develop safeguards methods for spent fuel in centralized storage or underground storage and disposal. Each method of spent fuel storage presents different proliferation risks due to the nature of the storage method and the safeguards techniques that are utilized. Previous proliferation resistance and proliferation risk assessments have mainly compared nuclear material through the whole fuel cycle and not specifically focused on spent fuel storage. This project evaluates the proliferation resistance of the three main types of spent fuel storage: spent fuel pool, dry cask storage, and geological repository. The proliferation resistance assessment methodology that is used in this project is adopted from previous work and altered to be applicable to spent fuel storage. The assessment methodology utilizes various intrinsic and extrinsic proliferation-resistant attributes for each spent fuel storage type. These attributes are used to calculate a total proliferation resistant (PR) value. The maximum PR value is 1.00 and a greater number means that the facility is more proliferation resistant. Current data for spent fuel storage in the United States and around the world was collected. The PR values obtained from this data are 0.49 for the spent fuel pool, 0.42 for dry cask storage, 0.36 for the operating geological repository, and 0.28 for the closed geological repository. Therefore, the spent fuel pool is currently the most proliferation resistant method for storing spent fuel. The extrinsic attributes, mainly involving safeguards measures, affect the total PR value the most. As a result, several recommendations are made to improve the proliferation resistance of spent fuel. These recommendations include employing more advanced safeguards measures, such as verification techniques and remote monitoring, for dry cask storage and the geological repository. Dry cask storage facilities should also be located at the plant and in a secure building to minimize the proliferation risk. Finally, the cost-benefit analysis of increased safeguards needs to be considered. Taking these recommendations into account, the PR values of dry cask storage and the closed geological would be significantly increased, to 0.57 and 0.51, respectively. As a result, with increased safeguards to the safeguards level of the spent fuel pool, dry cask storage would be the most proliferation resistant method to store spent fuel. Therefore, the IAEA should continue to develop remote monitoring and cask storage verification techniques in order to improve the proliferation resistance of spent fuel.

Handling and Emplacement Options for Deep Borehole Disposal Conceptual Design.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cochran, John R.; Hardin, Ernest

2015-07-01

This report presents conceptual design information for a system to handle and emplace packages containing radioactive waste, in boreholes 16,400 ft deep or possibly deeper. Its intended use is for a design selection study that compares the costs and risks associated with two emplacement methods: drill-string and wireline emplacement. The deep borehole disposal (DBD) concept calls for siting a borehole (or array of boreholes) that penetrate crystalline basement rock to a depth below surface of about 16,400 ft (5 km). Waste packages would be emplaced in the lower 6,560 ft (2 km) of the borehole, with sealing of appropriate portionsmore » of the upper 9,840 ft (3 km). A deep borehole field test (DBFT) is planned to test and refine the DBD concept. The DBFT is a scientific and engineering experiment, conducted at full-scale, in-situ, without radioactive waste. Waste handling operations are conceptualized to begin with the onsite receipt of a purpose-built Type B shipping cask, that contains a waste package. Emplacement operations begin when the cask is upended over the borehole, locked to a receiving flange or collar. The scope of emplacement includes activities to lower waste packages to total depth, and to retrieve them back to the surface when necessary for any reason. This report describes three concepts for the handling and emplacement of the waste packages: 1) a concept proposed by Woodward-Clyde Consultants in 1983; 2) an updated version of the 1983 concept developed for the DBFT; and 3) a new concept in which individual waste packages would be lowered to depth using a wireline. The systems described here could be adapted to different waste forms, but for design of waste packaging, handling, and emplacement systems the reference waste forms are DOE-owned high- level waste including Cs/Sr capsules and bulk granular HLW from fuel processing. Handling and Emplacement Options for Deep Borehole Disposal Conceptual Design July 23, 2015 iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This report has benefited greatly from review principally by Steve Pye, and also by Paul Eslinger, Dave Sevougian and Jiann Su.« less

76 FR 78929 - Establishing Timeframes for Implementation of Product Safety Labeling Changes; Request for Comments

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-20

... labeling; (2) supply chain issues; and, (3) other issues. FDA may use the information received to develop...? B. Supply Chain Issues 3. What are the supply chain factors (including storage, shipping, and... the optimal point in the supply chain (e.g., newly manufactured product, newly shipped product) and...

Rail Shock and Vibration Pre-Test Modeling of a Used Nuclear Fuel Assembly

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ross, Steven B.; Klymyshyn, Nicholas A.; Jensen, Philip J.

The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE), Office of Fuel Cycle Technology, has established the Used Fuel Disposition Campaign (UFDC) to conduct the research and development activities related to storage, transportation, and disposal of used nuclear fuel (UNF) and high-level radioactive waste (HLW). The mission of the UFDC is to identify alternatives and conduct scientific research and technology development to enable storage, transportation and disposal of used nuclear fuel and HLW generated by existing and future nuclear fuel cycles. The Storage and Transportation staff within the UFDC is responsible for addressing issues regarding the long-term or extendedmore » storage (ES) of UNF and its subsequent transportation. Available information is not sufficient to determine the ability of ES UNF, including high-burnup fuel, to withstand shock and vibration forces that could occur when the UNF is shipped by rail from nuclear power plant sites to a storage or disposal facility. There are three major gaps in the available information – 1) the forces that UNF assemblies would be subjected to when transported by rail, 2) the mechanical characteristics of fuel rod cladding, which is an essential structure for controlling the geometry of the UNF, a safety related feature, and 3) modeling methodologies to evaluate multiple possible degradation or damage mechanisms over the UNF lifetime. In order to address the first gap, options for tests to determine the physical response of surrogate UNF assemblies subjected to shock and vibration forces that are expected to be experienced during normal conditions of transportation (NCT) by rail must be identified and evaluated. The objective of the rail shock and vibration tests is to obtain data that will help researchers understand the mechanical loads that ES UNF assemblies would be subjected to under normal conditions of transportation and to fortify the computer modeling that will be necessary to evaluate the impact those loads may have on the integrity of the UNF assembly. The shock and vibration testing along with computer modeling is a vital part of research to achieve closure of a gap in information related to the ability of ES UNF to maintain its safety function when subjected to NCT. In support of this effort, preliminary structural dynamics modeling is presented herein. The modeling investigates the rigidity of a hypothetical cask and cradle structure by comparing it to a monolithic concrete mass. The concrete mass represents a practical option for achieving the necessary cask and cradle mass on a flatbed railcar, but this comparative modeling study investigates whether or not the dynamic loads transmitted through a monolithic concrete configuration are adequately representative of a realistic cask and cradle system. This modeling highlights the need for rail testing by reporting the phenomenon of structural transmissibility. As shown herein, this structural transmissibility can cause an amplification of shock and vibration loads through the structure, which could potentially lead to accelerated mechanical degradation of UNF under NCT.« less

FFTF disposable solid waste cask

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Thomson, J. D.; Goetsch, S. D.

1983-01-01

Disposal of radioactive waste from the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) will utilize a Disposable Solid Waste Cask (DSWC) for the transport and burial of irradiated stainless steel and inconel materials. Retrievability coupled with the desire for minimal facilities and labor costs at the disposal site identified the need for the DSWC. Design requirements for this system were patterned after Type B packages as outlined in 10 CFR 71 with a few exceptions based on site and payload requirements. A summary of the design basis, supporting analytical methods and fabrication practices developed to deploy the DSWC is provided in thismore » paper.« less

Array Detector Modules for Spent Fuel Verification

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bolotnikov, Aleksey

Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) proposes to evaluate the arrays of position-sensitive virtual Frisch-grid (VFG) detectors for passive gamma-ray emission tomography (ET) to verify the spent fuel in storage casks before storing them in geo-repositories. Our primary objective is to conduct a preliminary analysis of the arrays capabilities and to perform field measurements to validate the effectiveness of the proposed array modules. The outcome of this proposal will consist of baseline designs for the future ET system which can ultimately be used together with neutrons detectors. This will demonstrate the usage of this technology in spent fuel storage casks.

Neutron field characterization at the independent spent fuel storage installation of the Trillo nuclear power plant.

PubMed

Campo, Xandra; Méndez, Roberto; Embid, Miguel; Ortego, Alberto; Novo, Manuel; Sanz, Javier

2018-05-01

Neutron fields inside and outside the independent spent fuel storage installation of Trillo Nuclear Power Plant are characterized exhaustively in terms of neutron spectra and ambient dose equivalent, measured by Bonner sphere system and LB6411 monitor. Measurements are consistent with storage casks and building shield characteristics, and also with casks distribution inside the building. Outer values at least five times lower than dose limit for free access area are found. Measurements with LB6411 and spectrometer are consistent with each other. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An improved CS-LSSVM algorithm-based fault pattern recognition of ship power equipments.

PubMed

Yang, Yifei; Tan, Minjia; Dai, Yuewei

2017-01-01

A ship power equipments' fault monitoring signal usually provides few samples and the data's feature is non-linear in practical situation. This paper adopts the method of the least squares support vector machine (LSSVM) to deal with the problem of fault pattern identification in the case of small sample data. Meanwhile, in order to avoid involving a local extremum and poor convergence precision which are induced by optimizing the kernel function parameter and penalty factor of LSSVM, an improved Cuckoo Search (CS) algorithm is proposed for the purpose of parameter optimization. Based on the dynamic adaptive strategy, the newly proposed algorithm improves the recognition probability and the searching step length, which can effectively solve the problems of slow searching speed and low calculation accuracy of the CS algorithm. A benchmark example demonstrates that the CS-LSSVM algorithm can accurately and effectively identify the fault pattern types of ship power equipments.

A new approach on the upgrade of energetic system based on green energy. A complex comparative analysis of the EEDI and EEOI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faitar, C.; Novac, I.

2016-08-01

In recent years, many environmental organizations was interested to optimize the energy consumption which has become, today, one of the main concerns to the whole world. From this point of view, the maritime industry, has strove to optimize the fuel consumption of ship through the development of engines and propulsion system, improve the hull design, or using alternative energies, this way making a reduction in the amount of CO2 released to the atmosphere. The main idea of this paper is to realize a complex comparative analysis of Energy Efficiency Design Index and Energy Efficiency Operational Indicator which are calculated in two cases: first, in a classical approach for a crude oil super tanker ship and second, after the energy performance of this ship has been improved by introducing alternative energy sources on board.

A new improved artificial bee colony algorithm for ship hull form optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Fuxin; Wang, Lijue; Yang, Chi

2016-04-01

The artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm is a relatively new swarm intelligence-based optimization algorithm. Its simplicity of implementation, relatively few parameter settings and promising optimization capability make it widely used in different fields. However, it has problems of slow convergence due to its solution search equation. Here, a new solution search equation based on a combination of the elite solution pool and the block perturbation scheme is proposed to improve the performance of the algorithm. In addition, two different solution search equations are used by employed bees and onlooker bees to balance the exploration and exploitation of the algorithm. The developed algorithm is validated by a set of well-known numerical benchmark functions. It is then applied to optimize two ship hull forms with minimum resistance. The tested results show that the proposed new improved ABC algorithm can outperform the ABC algorithm in most of the tested problems.

Determining Domestic Container Shipping as an Enforcement of Indonesian International Hub Port

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nur, H. I.; Lazuardi, S. D.; Hadi, F.; Hapis, M.

2018-03-01

According to Presidential Regulation Number 26 year of 2012 about the National Logistics System Development Blueprint, the Indonesian government proposed to build two international hub ports, which were in Port of Kuala Tanjung for the western region and Port of Bitung for eastern region. Therefore, the optimum routes and fleet size are required to support the enforcement of Indonesian International Hub Port. The optimization model is used to obtain the optimum route and fleet by minimizing the total shipping costs, while considering the container demand. The result of analysis obtained that the optimum route and fleet size for the western region of Indonesia were: (1) Kuala Tanjung-Belawan required 15 ships of 1,000 TEU; (2) Kuala Tanjung-Tanjung Priok required 73 ships of 2,500 TEU; (3) Kuala Tanjung- Tanjung Perak required 44 ships of 2,500 TEU. Meanwhile, the optimum route and fleet size for the eastern region of Indonesia consisted of: (1) Bitung-Sorong required 1 ship of 500 TEU; (2) Bitung-Banjarmasin required 3 ships of 500 TEU; and (3) Bitung-Makassar required 1 ship of 1,500 TEU.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kasparek, Eva M.; Voelzke, Holger; Scheidemann, Robert

Rigid, closed-cell polyurethane foams are frequently used as cask impact limiters in nuclear materials and hazardous waste transport due to their high energy-absorption potential. When assessing the cask integrity in accidental scenarios based on numerical simulations, a description of the foam damping properties is required for different strain rates and for a wide temperature range with respect to waste heat generation in conjunction with critical operating and environmental conditions. Implementation and adaption of a respective finite element material model strongly relies on an appropriate experimental data base. Even though extensive impact experiments were conducted e.g. in Sandia National Laboratories, Savannahmore » River National Laboratory and by Rolls Royce plc, not all relevant factors were taken into account. Hence, BAM who is in charge of the mechanical evaluation of such packages within the approval procedure in Germany, incorporated systematic test series into a comprehensive research project aimed to develop numerical methods for a couple of damping materials. In a first step, displacement driven compression tests have been performed on confined, cubic specimens at five loading rates ranging from 0.02 mm/s to 3 m/s at temperatures between +90 deg. C and -40 deg. C. Materials include two different polyurethane foam types called FR3718 and FR3730 having densities of 280 kg/m{sup 3} and 488 kg/m{sup 3} from the product line-up of General Plastics Manufacturing Company. Their data was used to adapt an advanced plasticity model allowing for reliably simulating cellular materials under multi-axial compression states. Therefore, an automated parameter identification procedure had been established by combining an artificial neural network with local optimization techniques. Currently, the selected numerical material input values are validated and optimized by means of more complex loading configurations with the prospect of establishing methods applicable to impact limiters under severe accidental conditions. The reference data base is provided by experiments, where weights between 212 kg and 1200 kg have been dropped from heights between 1.25 m and 7 m on confined 10 cm cubic foam specimens. By presenting the deviations between experimental values and the corresponding output of finite element simulations, the potentials and restrictions of the resulting models are highlighted. Systematic compression tests on polyurethane foams had been performed at BAM test site within the framework of a research project on impact limiters for handling casks for radioactive waste. The experimental results had been used to adapt numerical models for simulating the behaviour of different foam types at different temperatures. The loading speed, however, turned out to have a major influence on their flow curves that can not be captured by simple strain-rate dependent multipliers. Especially for guided drop tests that come close to real accidental scenarios there is a significant gap between experimental and numerical results even when applying such advanced material models. Hence, the extensive data base is currently deployed for expanding the standard algorithms to include adequate dynamic hardening factors. (authors)« less

Human-Machine Collaborative Optimization via Apprenticeship Scheduling

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-09

prenticeship Scheduling (COVAS), which performs ma- chine learning using human expert demonstration, in conjunction with optimization, to automatically and ef...ficiently produce optimal solutions to challenging real- world scheduling problems. COVAS first learns a policy from human scheduling demonstration via...apprentice- ship learning , then uses this initial solution to provide a tight bound on the value of the optimal solution, thereby substantially

Optimal Transport Destination for Ischemic Stroke Patients With Unknown Vessel Status: Use of Prehospital Triage Scores.

PubMed

Schlemm, Eckhard; Ebinger, Martin; Nolte, Christian H; Endres, Matthias; Schlemm, Ludwig

2017-08-01

Patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and large vessel occlusion may benefit from direct transportation to an endovascular capable comprehensive stroke center (mothership approach) as opposed to direct transportation to the nearest stroke unit without endovascular therapy (drip and ship approach). The optimal transport strategy for patients with AIS and unknown vessel status is uncertain. The rapid arterial occlusion evaluation scale (RACE, scores ranging from 0 to 9, with higher scores indicating higher stroke severity) correlates with the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale and was developed to identify patients with large vessel occlusion in a prehospital setting. We evaluate how the RACE scale can help to inform prehospital triage decisions for AIS patients. In a model-based approach, we estimate probabilities of good outcome (modified Rankin Scale score of ≤2 at 3 months) as a function of severity of stroke symptoms and transport times for the mothership approach and the drip and ship approach. We use these probabilities to obtain optimal RACE cutoff scores for different transfer time settings and combinations of treatment options (time-based eligibility for secondary transfer under the drip and ship approach, time-based eligibility for thrombolysis at the comprehensive stroke center under the mothership approach). In our model, patients with AIS are more likely to benefit from direct transportation to the comprehensive stroke center if they have more severe strokes. Values of the optimal RACE cutoff scores range from 0 (mothership for all patients) to >9 (drip and ship for all patients). Shorter transfer times and longer door-to-needle and needle-to-transfer (door out) times are associated with lower optimal RACE cutoff scores. Use of RACE cutoff scores that take into account transport times to triage AIS patients to the nearest appropriate hospital may lead to improved outcomes. Further studies should examine the feasibility of translation into clinical practice. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

VISIR-I: small vessels - least-time nautical routes using wave forecasts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mannarini, Gianandrea; Pinardi, Nadia; Coppini, Giovanni; Oddo, Paolo; Iafrati, Alessandro

2016-05-01

A new numerical model for the on-demand computation of optimal ship routes based on sea-state forecasts has been developed. The model, named VISIR (discoVerIng Safe and effIcient Routes) is designed to support decision-makers when planning a marine voyage. The first version of the system, VISIR-I, considers medium and small motor vessels with lengths of up to a few tens of metres and a displacement hull. The model is comprised of three components: a route optimization algorithm, a mechanical model of the ship, and a processor of the environmental fields. The optimization algorithm is based on a graph-search method with time-dependent edge weights. The algorithm is also able to compute a voluntary ship speed reduction. The ship model accounts for calm water and added wave resistance by making use of just the principal particulars of the vessel as input parameters. It also checks the optimal route for parametric roll, pure loss of stability, and surfriding/broaching-to hazard conditions. The processor of the environmental fields employs significant wave height, wave spectrum peak period, and wave direction forecast fields as input. The topological issues of coastal navigation (islands, peninsulas, narrow passages) are addressed. Examples of VISIR-I routes in the Mediterranean Sea are provided. The optimal route may be longer in terms of miles sailed and yet it is faster and safer than the geodetic route between the same departure and arrival locations. Time savings up to 2.7 % and route lengthening up to 3.2 % are found for the case studies analysed. However, there is no upper bound for the magnitude of the changes of such route metrics, which especially in case of extreme sea states can be much greater. Route diversions result from the safety constraints and the fact that the algorithm takes into account the full temporal evolution and spatial variability of the environmental fields.

Energy saving by using asymmetric aftbodies for merchant ships-design methodology, numerical simulation and validation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dang, Jie; Chen, Hao

2016-12-01

The methodology and procedures are discussed on designing merchant ships to achieve fully-integrated and optimized hull-propulsion systems by using asymmetric aftbodies. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has been used to evaluate the powering performance through massive calculations with automatic deformation algorisms for the hull forms and the propeller blades. Comparative model tests of the designs to the optimized symmetric hull forms have been carried out to verify the efficiency gain. More than 6% improvement on the propulsive efficiency of an oil tanker has been measured during the model tests. Dedicated sea-trials show good agreement with the predicted performance from the test results.

Parameter study of shipping conditions for the ready-to-use application of a 3D human hemicornea construct in drug absorption studies.

PubMed

Beißner, Nicole; Zorn-Kruppa, Michaela; Reichl, Stephan

2018-01-30

In this study, a shipping protocol for our 3D human hemicornea (HC) construct should be developed to provide quality-maintaining shipping conditions and to allow its ready-to-use application in drug absorption studies. First, the effects of single and multiple parameters, such as the type of shipping container, storage temperature and CO 2 supply, were investigated under controlled laboratory conditions by assessing cell viability via MTT dye reaction and epithelial barrier properties via transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) measurements. These investigations showed that TEER is more susceptible to shipping parameters than cell viability. Furthermore, the results were used to determine the optimal shipping conditions and critical values for subsequent overnight, real-time shipping experiments. Epithelial barrier properties were then investigated via TEER and the permeation of sodium fluorescein for shipped and not shipped HC. The results underscore that acceleration forces and changes in position may have a great impact on the epithelial barrier of 3D models. Low acceleration values and short changes in position caused only minor impairments. However, combined or intensive separate effects resulted in considerably low yields after shipping. Consequently, barrier-maintaining shipping of 3D in vitro models seems to be challenging, as mechanical forces have to be reduced to a minimum. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Creation of a Geant4 Muon Tomography Package for Imaging of Nuclear Fuel in Dry Cask Storage

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tsoukalas, Lefteri H.

2016-03-01

This is the final report of the NEUP project “Creation of a Geant4 Muon Tomography Package for Imaging of Nuclear Fuel in Dry Cask Storage”, DE-NE0000695. The project started on December 1, 2013 and this report covers the period December 1, 2013 through November 30, 2015. The project was successfully completed and this report provides an overview of the main achievements, results and findings throughout the duration of the project. Additional details can be found in the main body of this report and on the individual Quarterly Reports and associated Deliverables of the project, uploaded in PICS-NE.

Used fuel rail shock and vibration testing options analysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ross, Steven B.; Best, Ralph E.; Klymyshyn, Nicholas A.

2014-09-25

The objective of the rail shock and vibration tests is to complete the framework needed to quantify loads of fuel assembly components that are necessary to guide materials research and establish a technical basis for review organizations such as the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). A significant body of experimental and numerical modeling data exists to quantify loads and failure limits applicable to normal conditions of transport (NCT) rail transport, but the data are based on assumptions that can only be verified through experimental testing. The test options presented in this report represent possible paths for acquiring the data thatmore » are needed to confirm the assumptions of previous work, validate modeling methods that will be needed for evaluating transported fuel on a case-by-case basis, and inform material test campaigns on the anticipated range of fuel loading. The ultimate goal of this testing is to close all of the existing knowledge gaps related to the loading of used fuel under NCT conditions and inform the experiments and analysis program on specific endpoints for their research. The options include tests that would use an actual railcar, surrogate assemblies, and real or simulated rail transportation casks. The railcar carrying the cradle, cask, and surrogate fuel assembly payload would be moved in a train operating over rail track modified or selected to impart shock and vibration forces that occur during normal rail transportation. Computer modeling would be used to help design surrogates that may be needed for a rail cask, a cask’s internal basket, and a transport cradle. The objective of the design of surrogate components would be to provide a test platform that effectively simulates responses to rail shock and vibration loads that would be exhibited by state-of-the-art rail cask, basket, and/or cradle structures. The computer models would also be used to help determine the placement of instrumentation (accelerometers and strain gauges) on the surrogate fuel assemblies, cask and cradle structures, and the railcar so that forces and deflections that would result in the greatest potential for damage to high burnup and long-cooled UNF can be determined. For purposes of this report we consider testing on controlled track when we have control of the track and speed to facilitate modeling.« less

Experimental and theoretical study of magnetohydrodynamic ship models.

PubMed

Cébron, David; Viroulet, Sylvain; Vidal, Jérémie; Masson, Jean-Paul; Viroulet, Philippe

2017-01-01

Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) ships represent a clear demonstration of the Lorentz force in fluids, which explains the number of students practicals or exercises described on the web. However, the related literature is rather specific and no complete comparison between theory and typical small scale experiments is currently available. This work provides, in a self-consistent framework, a detailed presentation of the relevant theoretical equations for small MHD ships and experimental measurements for future benchmarks. Theoretical results of the literature are adapted to these simple battery/magnets powered ships moving on salt water. Comparison between theory and experiments are performed to validate each theoretical step such as the Tafel and the Kohlrausch laws, or the predicted ship speed. A successful agreement is obtained without any adjustable parameter. Finally, based on these results, an optimal design is then deduced from the theory. Therefore this work provides a solid theoretical and experimental ground for small scale MHD ships, by presenting in detail several approximations and how they affect the boat efficiency. Moreover, the theory is general enough to be adapted to other contexts, such as large scale ships or industrial flow measurement techniques.

Ice and AIS: ship speed data and sea ice forecasts in the Baltic Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Löptien, U.; Axell, L.

2014-12-01

The Baltic Sea is a seasonally ice-covered marginal sea located in a densely populated area in northern Europe. Severe sea ice conditions have the potential to hinder the intense ship traffic considerably. Thus, sea ice fore- and nowcasts are regularly provided by the national weather services. Typically, the forecast comprises several ice properties that are distributed as prognostic variables, but their actual usefulness is difficult to measure, and the ship captains must determine their relative importance and relevance for optimal ship speed and safety ad hoc. The present study provides a more objective approach by comparing the ship speeds, obtained by the automatic identification system (AIS), with the respective forecasted ice conditions. We find that, despite an unavoidable random component, this information is useful to constrain and rate fore- and nowcasts. More precisely, 62-67% of ship speed variations can be explained by the forecasted ice properties when fitting a mixed-effect model. This statistical fit is based on a test region in the Bothnian Sea during the severe winter 2011 and employs 15 to 25 min averages of ship speed.

Ice and AIS: ship speed data and sea ice forecasts in the Baltic Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Löptien, U.; Axell, L.

2014-07-01

The Baltic Sea is a seasonally ice covered marginal sea located in a densely populated area in northern Europe. Severe sea ice conditions have the potential to hinder the intense ship traffic considerably. Thus, sea ice fore- and nowcasts are regularly provided by the national weather services. Typically, several ice properties are allocated, but their actual usefulness is difficult to measure and the ship captains must determine their relative importance and relevance for optimal ship speed and safety ad hoc. The present study provides a more objective approach by comparing the ship speeds, obtained by the Automatic Identification System (AIS), with the respective forecasted ice conditions. We find that, despite an unavoidable random component, this information is useful to constrain and rate fore- and nowcasts. More precisely, 62-67% of ship speed variations can be explained by the forecasted ice properties when fitting a mixed effect model. This statistical fit is based on a test region in the Bothnian Bay during the severe winter 2011 and employes 15 to 25 min averages of ship speed.

Experimental and theoretical study of magnetohydrodynamic ship models

PubMed Central

Viroulet, Sylvain; Vidal, Jérémie; Masson, Jean-Paul; Viroulet, Philippe

2017-01-01

Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) ships represent a clear demonstration of the Lorentz force in fluids, which explains the number of students practicals or exercises described on the web. However, the related literature is rather specific and no complete comparison between theory and typical small scale experiments is currently available. This work provides, in a self-consistent framework, a detailed presentation of the relevant theoretical equations for small MHD ships and experimental measurements for future benchmarks. Theoretical results of the literature are adapted to these simple battery/magnets powered ships moving on salt water. Comparison between theory and experiments are performed to validate each theoretical step such as the Tafel and the Kohlrausch laws, or the predicted ship speed. A successful agreement is obtained without any adjustable parameter. Finally, based on these results, an optimal design is then deduced from the theory. Therefore this work provides a solid theoretical and experimental ground for small scale MHD ships, by presenting in detail several approximations and how they affect the boat efficiency. Moreover, the theory is general enough to be adapted to other contexts, such as large scale ships or industrial flow measurement techniques. PMID:28665941

Cost-effectiveness of reducing sulfur emissions from ships.

PubMed

Wang, Chengfeng; Corbett, James J; Winebrake, James J

2007-12-15

We model cost-effectiveness of control strategies for reducing SO2 emissions from U.S. foreign commerce ships traveling in existing European or hypothetical U.S. West Coast SO(x) Emission Control Areas (SECAs) under international maritime regulations. Variation among marginal costs of control for individual ships choosing between fuel-switching and aftertreatment reveals cost-saving potential of economic incentive instruments. Compared to regulations prescribing low sulfur fuels, a performance-based policy can save up to $260 million for these ships with 80% more emission reductions than required because least-cost options on some individual ships outperform standards. Optimal simulation of a market-based SO2 control policy for approximately 4,700 U.S. foreign commerce ships traveling in the SECAs in 2002 shows that SECA emissions control targets can be achieved by scrubbing exhaust gas of one out of ten ships with annual savings up to $480 million over performance-based policy. A market-based policy could save the fleet approximately $63 million annually under our best-estimate scenario. Spatial evaluation of ship emissions reductions shows that market-based instruments can reduce more SO2 closer to land while being more cost-effective for the fleet. Results suggest that combining performance requirements with market-based instruments can most effectively control SO2 emissions from ships.

Environmental impact of exhaust emissions by Arctic shipping.

PubMed

Schröder, Christian; Reimer, Nils; Jochmann, Peter

2017-12-01

Since 2005, a dramatic decline of the Arctic sea-ice extent is observed which results in an increase of shipping activities. Even though this provides commercial and social development opportunities, the resulting environmental impacts need to be investigated and monitored. In order to understand the impact of shipping in arctic areas, the method described in this paper determines the travel time, fuel consumption and resulting exhaust emissions of ships navigating in arctic waters. The investigated case studies are considering ship particulars as well as environmental conditions with special focus on ice scenarios. Travel time, fuel consumption and exhaust gas emission were investigated for three different vessels, using different passages of the Northern Sea Route (NSR) in different seasons of years 1960, 2000 and 2040. The presented results show the sensitivity of vessel performance and amount of exhaust emissions to optimize arctic traffic with respect to efficiency, safety and environmental impact.

Payload and Survivability Tradeoffs in the Presence of Risk

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-06-01

9. SPONSORING /MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) N/ A 10. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY REPORT NUMBER 11. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES The...DISTRIBUTION CODE A 13. ABSTRACT (maximum 200 words) The objective of this thesis research is to find an optimized throughput plan for ship...considering cargo ship size, quantity, speed, range, and risk when traversing through a designated travel area. Data collected from previous theses

Evaluating a digital ship design tool prototype: Designers' perceptions of novel ergonomics software.

PubMed

Mallam, Steven C; Lundh, Monica; MacKinnon, Scott N

2017-03-01

Computer-aided solutions are essential for naval architects to manage and optimize technical complexities when developing a ship's design. Although there are an array of software solutions aimed to optimize the human element in design, practical ergonomics methodologies and technological solutions have struggled to gain widespread application in ship design processes. This paper explores how a new ergonomics technology is perceived by naval architecture students using a mixed-methods framework. Thirteen Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering Masters students participated in the study. Overall, results found participants perceived the software and its embedded ergonomics tools to benefit their design work, increasing their empathy and ability to understand the work environment and work demands end-users face. However, participant's questioned if ergonomics could be practically and efficiently implemented under real-world project constraints. This revealed underlying social biases and a fundamental lack of understanding in engineering postgraduate students regarding applied ergonomics in naval architecture. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Managing aging effects on dry cask storage systems for extended long-term storage and transportation of used fuel - rev. 0

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chopra, O.K.; Diercks, D.; Fabian, R.

The cancellation of the Yucca Mountain repository program in the United States raises the prospect of extended long-term storage (i.e., >120 years) and deferred transportation of used fuel at operating and decommissioned nuclear power plant sites. Under U.S. federal regulations contained in Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 72.42, the initial license term for an Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) must not exceed 40 years from the date of issuance. Licenses may be renewed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) at the expiration of the license term upon application by the licensee for a periodmore » not to exceed 40 years. Application for ISFSI license renewals must include the following: (1) Time-limited aging analyses (TLAAs) that demonstrate that structures, systems, and components (SSCs) important to safety will continue to perform their intended function for the requested period of extended operation; and (2) a description of the aging management program (AMP) for management of issues associated with aging that could adversely affect SSCs important to safety. In addition, the application must also include design bases information as documented in the most recent updated final safety analysis report as required by 10 CFR 72.70. Information contained in previous applications, statements, or reports filed with the Commission under the license may be incorporated by reference provided that those references are clear and specific. The NRC has recently issued the Standard Review Plan (SRP) for renewal of used-fuel dry cask storage system (DCSS) licenses and Certificates of Compliance (CoCs), NUREG-1927, under which NRC may renew a specific license or a CoC for a term not to exceed 40 years. Both the license and the CoC renewal applications must contain revised technical requirements and operating conditions (fuel storage, surveillance and maintenance, and other requirements) for the ISFSI and DCSS that address aging effects that could affect the safe storage of the used fuel. The information contained in the license and CoC renewal applications will require NRC review to verify that the aging effects on the SSCs in DCSSs/ ISFSIs are adequately managed for the period of extended operation. To date, all of the ISFSIs located across the United States with more than 1,500 dry casks loaded with used fuel have initial license terms of 20 years; three ISFSIs (Surry, H.B. Robinson and Oconee) have received their renewed licenses for 20 years, and two other ISFSIs (Calvert Cliffs and Prairie Island) have applied for license renewal for 40 years. This report examines issues related to managing aging effects on the SSCs in DCSSs/ISFSIs for extended long-term storage and transportation of used fuels, following an approach similar to that of the Generic Aging Lessons Learned (GALL) report, NUREG-1801, for the aging management and license renewal of nuclear power plants. The report contains five chapters and an appendix on quality assurance for aging management programs for used-fuel dry storage systems. Chapter I of the report provides an overview of the ISFSI license renewal process based on 10 CFR 72 and the guidance provided in NUREG-1927. Chapter II contains definitions and terms for structures and components in DCSSs, materials, environments, aging effects, and aging mechanisms. Chapter III and Chapter IV contain generic TLAAs and AMPs, respectively, that have been developed for managing aging effects on the SSCs important to safety in the dry cask storage system designs described in Chapter V. The summary descriptions and tabulations of evaluations of AMPs and TLAAs for the SSCs that are important to safety in Chapter V include DCSS designs (i.e., NUHOMS{reg_sign}, HI-STORM 100, Transnuclear (TN) metal cask, NAC International S/T storage cask, ventilated storage cask (VSC-24), and the Westinghouse MC-10 metal dry storage cask) that have been and continue to be used by utilities across the country for dry storage of used fuel to date. The goal of this report is to help establish the technical basis for extended long-term storage and transportation of used fuel.« less

Analysis for Eccentric Multi Canister Overpack (MCO) Drops at the Canister Storage Building (CSB) (CSB-S-0073)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

HOLLENBECK, R.G.

The Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) Canister Storage Building (CSB) is the interim storage facility for the K-Basin SNF at the US. Department of Energy (DOE) Hanford Site. The SNF is packaged in multi-canister overpacks (MCOs). The MCOs are placed inside transport casks, then delivered to the service station inside the CSB. At the service station, the MCO handling machine (MHM) moves the MCO from the cask to a storage tube or one of two sample/weld stations. There are 220 standard storage tubes and six overpack storage tubes in a below grade reinforced concrete vault. Each storage tube can hold twomore » MCOs.« less

Air Shipment of Highly Enriched Uranium Spent Nuclear Fuel from Romania

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

K. J. Allen; I. Bolshinsky; L. L. Biro

2010-07-01

Romania safely air shipped 23.7 kilograms of Russian origin highly enriched uranium (HEU) spent nuclear fuel from the VVR S research reactor at Magurele, Romania, to the Russian Federation in June 2009. This was the world’s first air shipment of spent nuclear fuel transported in a Type B(U) cask under existing international laws without special exceptions for the air transport licenses. This shipment was coordinated by the Russian Research Reactor Fuel Return Program (RRRFR), part of the U.S. Department of Energy Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI), in cooperation with the Romania National Commission for Nuclear Activities Control (CNCAN), the Horiamore » Hulubei National Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering (IFIN-HH), and the Russian Federation State Corporation Rosatom. The shipment was transported by truck to and from the respective commercial airports in Romania and the Russian Federation and stored at a secure nuclear facility in Russia where it will be converted into low enriched uranium. With this shipment, Romania became the 3rd country under the RRRFR program and the 14th country under the GTRI program to remove all HEU. This paper describes the work, equipment, and approvals that were required to complete this spent fuel air shipment.« less

KSC-2011-6651

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-06-30

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission, enclosed in a shipping cask, rolls into the high bay of the RTG storage facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The MMRTG will generate the power needed for the mission from the natural decay of plutonium-238, a non-weapons-grade form of the radioisotope. Heat given off by this natural decay will provide constant power through the day and night during all seasons. Waste heat from the MMRTG will be circulated throughout the rover system to keep instruments, computers, mechanical devices and communications systems within their operating temperature ranges. MSL's components include a compact car-sized rover, Curiosity, which has 10 science instruments designed to search for evidence on whether Mars has had environments favorable to microbial life, including chemical ingredients for life. The unique rover will use a laser to look inside rocks and release its gasses so that the rover’s spectrometer can analyze and send the data back to Earth. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is scheduled for Nov. 25 from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

KSC-2011-6658

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-06-30

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the high bay of the RTG storage facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a crane lifts the shipping cask enclosing the multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission from its transportation pallet. The MMRTG will generate the power needed for the mission from the natural decay of plutonium-238, a non-weapons-grade form of the radioisotope. Heat given off by this natural decay will provide constant power through the day and night during all seasons. Waste heat from the MMRTG will be circulated throughout the rover system to keep instruments, computers, mechanical devices and communications systems within their operating temperature ranges. MSL's components include a compact car-sized rover, Curiosity, which has 10 science instruments designed to search for evidence on whether Mars has had environments favorable to microbial life, including chemical ingredients for life. The unique rover will use a laser to look inside rocks and release its gasses so that the rover’s spectrometer can analyze and send the data back to Earth. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is scheduled for Nov. 25 from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

KSC-2011-6647

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-06-30

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission, enclosed in a shipping cask, is seen through the open door of the MMRTG trailer that delivered it to the RTG storage facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The MMRTG will generate the power needed for the mission from the natural decay of plutonium-238, a non-weapons-grade form of the radioisotope. Heat given off by this natural decay will provide constant power through the day and night during all seasons. Waste heat from the MMRTG will be circulated throughout the rover system to keep instruments, computers, mechanical devices and communications systems within their operating temperature ranges. MSL's components include a compact car-sized rover, Curiosity, which has 10 science instruments designed to search for evidence on whether Mars has had environments favorable to microbial life, including chemical ingredients for life. The unique rover will use a laser to look inside rocks and release its gasses so that the rover’s spectrometer can analyze and send the data back to Earth. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is scheduled for Nov. 25 from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

KSC-2011-6650

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-06-30

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Workers use a forklift to transport the shipping cask enclosing the multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission to the door of the high bay of the RTG storage facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The MMRTG will generate the power needed for the mission from the natural decay of plutonium-238, a non-weapons-grade form of the radioisotope. Heat given off by this natural decay will provide constant power through the day and night during all seasons. Waste heat from the MMRTG will be circulated throughout the rover system to keep instruments, computers, mechanical devices and communications systems within their operating temperature ranges. MSL's components include a compact car-sized rover, Curiosity, which has 10 science instruments designed to search for evidence on whether Mars has had environments favorable to microbial life, including chemical ingredients for life. The unique rover will use a laser to look inside rocks and release its gasses so that the rover’s spectrometer can analyze and send the data back to Earth. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is scheduled for Nov. 25 from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

KSC-2011-6648

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-06-30

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Workers use a forklift to offload the shipping cask enclosing the multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission from the MMRTG trailer that delivered it to the RTG storage facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The MMRTG will generate the power needed for the mission from the natural decay of plutonium-238, a non-weapons-grade form of the radioisotope. Heat given off by this natural decay will provide constant power through the day and night during all seasons. Waste heat from the MMRTG will be circulated throughout the rover system to keep instruments, computers, mechanical devices and communications systems within their operating temperature ranges. MSL's components include a compact car-sized rover, Curiosity, which has 10 science instruments designed to search for evidence on whether Mars has had environments favorable to microbial life, including chemical ingredients for life. The unique rover will use a laser to look inside rocks and release its gasses so that the rover’s spectrometer can analyze and send the data back to Earth. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is scheduled for Nov. 25 from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

KSC-2011-6653

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-06-30

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the high bay of the RTG storage facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, measurements are taken to determine the level of radioactivity emitted from the multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission, enclosed in a shipping cask in the background. The MMRTG will generate the power needed for the mission from the natural decay of plutonium-238, a non-weapons-grade form of the radioisotope. Heat given off by this natural decay will provide constant power through the day and night during all seasons. Waste heat from the MMRTG will be circulated throughout the rover system to keep instruments, computers, mechanical devices and communications systems within their operating temperature ranges. MSL's components include a compact car-sized rover, Curiosity, which has 10 science instruments designed to search for evidence on whether Mars has had environments favorable to microbial life, including chemical ingredients for life. The unique rover will use a laser to look inside rocks and release its gasses so that the rover’s spectrometer can analyze and send the data back to Earth. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is scheduled for Nov. 25 from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

KSC-2011-6662

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-06-30

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the high bay of the RTG storage facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Department of Energy contractor employees remove the external and internal protective layers of the shipping cask enclosing the multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission. The MMRTG will generate the power needed for the mission from the natural decay of plutonium-238, a non-weapons-grade form of the radioisotope. Heat given off by this natural decay will provide constant power through the day and night during all seasons. Waste heat from the MMRTG will be circulated throughout the rover system to keep instruments, computers, mechanical devices and communications systems within their operating temperature ranges. MSL's components include a compact car-sized rover, Curiosity, which has 10 science instruments designed to search for evidence on whether Mars has had environments favorable to microbial life, including chemical ingredients for life. The unique rover will use a laser to look inside rocks and release its gasses so that the rover’s spectrometer can analyze and send the data back to Earth. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is scheduled for Nov. 25 from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

KSC-2011-6663

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-06-30

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the high bay of the RTG storage facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the external and internal protective layers of the shipping cask are lifted from around the multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission. The MMRTG will generate the power needed for the mission from the natural decay of plutonium-238, a non-weapons-grade form of the radioisotope. Heat given off by this natural decay will provide constant power through the day and night during all seasons. Waste heat from the MMRTG will be circulated throughout the rover system to keep instruments, computers, mechanical devices and communications systems within their operating temperature ranges. MSL's components include a compact car-sized rover, Curiosity, which has 10 science instruments designed to search for evidence on whether Mars has had environments favorable to microbial life, including chemical ingredients for life. The unique rover will use a laser to look inside rocks and release its gasses so that the rover’s spectrometer can analyze and send the data back to Earth. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is scheduled for Nov. 25 from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

KSC-2011-6649

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-06-30

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Workers use a forklift to offload the shipping cask enclosing the multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission from the MMRTG trailer that delivered it to the RTG storage facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The MMRTG will generate the power needed for the mission from the natural decay of plutonium-238, a non-weapons-grade form of the radioisotope. Heat given off by this natural decay will provide constant power through the day and night during all seasons. Waste heat from the MMRTG will be circulated throughout the rover system to keep instruments, computers, mechanical devices and communications systems within their operating temperature ranges. MSL's components include a compact car-sized rover, Curiosity, which has 10 science instruments designed to search for evidence on whether Mars has had environments favorable to microbial life, including chemical ingredients for life. The unique rover will use a laser to look inside rocks and release its gasses so that the rover’s spectrometer can analyze and send the data back to Earth. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is scheduled for Nov. 25 from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

KSC-2011-6660

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-06-30

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the high bay of the RTG storage facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the shipping cask enclosing the multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission is lifted from around the MMRTG using guide rods installed on the support base. The MMRTG will generate the power needed for the mission from the natural decay of plutonium-238, a non-weapons-grade form of the radioisotope. Heat given off by this natural decay will provide constant power through the day and night during all seasons. Waste heat from the MMRTG will be circulated throughout the rover system to keep instruments, computers, mechanical devices and communications systems within their operating temperature ranges. MSL's components include a compact car-sized rover, Curiosity, which has 10 science instruments designed to search for evidence on whether Mars has had environments favorable to microbial life, including chemical ingredients for life. The unique rover will use a laser to look inside rocks and release its gasses so that the rover’s spectrometer can analyze and send the data back to Earth. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is scheduled for Nov. 25 from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

Induction of meiotic gynogenesis in ship sturgeon Acipenser nudiventris using UV-irradiated heterologous sperm.

PubMed

Hassanzadeh Saber, Mohammad; Noveiri, Shahrouz Baradaran; Pourkazemi, Mohammad; Yazdani, Mohammadali; Ghoroghi, Ahmad; Bahmani, Mahmoud; Pourdehghani, Mohammad; Chakmehdouz, Fereidoon; Yarmohammadi, Mahtab; Nowruzfashkhami, Mohammadreza

2014-05-01

Diploid gynogenesis was induced in ship sturgeon Acipenser nudiventris using UV-irradiated sperm from Siberian sturgeon Acipenser baerii. The optimal condition for the retention of the second polar body in ship sturgeon was determined to be 10 min after activation/fertilization in experiments. The temperature of cold shock and its duration were 2.5 °C and 30 min, respectively. A total of 30 gynogens of known parentage from experimental treatments were screened using microsatellite DNA analysis, and uniparental transmission in meiogens was confirmed. The results show that heterologous Siberian sturgeon sperm is applicable as UV-irradiated sperm for the induction of gynogenesis in ship sturgeon. This technique may recover the critically endangered sturgeon species that are becoming extinct.

Feedback Implementation of Zermelo's Optimal Control by Sugeno Approximation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clifton, C.; Homaifax, A.; Bikdash, M.

1997-01-01

This paper proposes an approach to implement optimal control laws of nonlinear systems in real time. Our methodology does not require solving two-point boundary value problems online and may not require it off-line either. The optimal control law is learned using the original Sugeno controller (OSC) from a family of optimal trajectories. We compare the trajectories generated by the OSC and the trajectories yielded by the optimal feedback control law when applied to Zermelo's ship steering problem.

Simulation of product distribution at PT Anugrah Citra Boga by using capacitated vehicle routing problem method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lamdjaya, T.; Jobiliong, E.

2017-01-01

PT Anugrah Citra Boga is a food processing industry that produces meatballs as their main product. The distribution system of the products must be considered, because it needs to be more efficient in order to reduce the shipment cost. The purpose of this research is to optimize the distribution time by simulating the distribution channels with capacitated vehicle routing problem method. Firstly, the distribution route is observed in order to calculate the average speed, time capacity and shipping costs. Then build the model using AIMMS software. A few things that are required to simulate the model are customer locations, distances, and the process time. Finally, compare the total distribution cost obtained by the simulation and the historical data. It concludes that the company can reduce the shipping cost around 4.1% or Rp 529,800 per month. By using this model, the utilization rate can be more optimal. The current value for the first vehicle is 104.6% and after the simulation it becomes 88.6%. Meanwhile, the utilization rate of the second vehicle is increase from 59.8% to 74.1%. The simulation model is able to produce the optimal shipping route with time restriction, vehicle capacity, and amount of vehicle.

Development and Experimental Benchmark of Simulations to Predict Used Nuclear Fuel Cladding Temperatures during Drying and Transfer Operations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Greiner, Miles

Radial hydride formation in high-burnup used fuel cladding has the potential to radically reduce its ductility and suitability for long-term storage and eventual transport. To avoid this formation, the maximum post-reactor temperature must remain sufficiently low to limit the cladding hoop stress, and so that hydrogen from the existing circumferential hydrides will not dissolve and become available to re-precipitate into radial hydrides under the slow cooling conditions during drying, transfer and early dry-cask storage. The objective of this research is to develop and experimentallybenchmark computational fluid dynamics simulations of heat transfer in post-pool-storage drying operations, when high-burnup fuel cladding ismore » likely to experience its highest temperature. These benchmarked tools can play a key role in evaluating dry cask storage systems for extended storage of high-burnup fuels and post-storage transportation, including fuel retrievability. The benchmarked tools will be used to aid the design of efficient drying processes, as well as estimate variations of surface temperatures as a means of inferring helium integrity inside the canister or cask. This work will be conducted effectively because the principal investigator has experience developing these types of simulations, and has constructed a test facility that can be used to benchmark them.« less

Spent fuel behavior under abnormal thermal transients during dry storage

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stahl, D.; Landow, M.P.; Burian, R.J.

1986-01-01

This study was performed to determine the effects of abnormally high temperatures on spent fuel behavior. Prior to testing, calculations using the CIRFI3 code were used to determine the steady-state fuel and cask component temperatures. The TRUMP code was used to determine transient heating rates under postulated abnormal events during which convection cooling of the cask surfaces was obstructed by a debris bed covering the cask. The peak rate of temperature rise during the first 6 h was calculated to be about 15/sup 0/C/h, followed by a rate of about 1/sup 0/C/h. A Turkey Point spent fuel rod segment wasmore » heated to approx. 800/sup 0/C. The segment deformed uniformly with an average strain of 17% at failure and a local strain of 60%. Pretest characterization of the spent fuel consisted of visual examination, profilometry, eddy-current examination, gamma scanning, fission gas collection, void volume measurement, fission gas analysis, hydrogen analysis of the cladding, burnup analysis, cladding metallography, and fuel ceramography. Post-test characterization showed that the failure was a pinhole cladding breach. The results of the tests showed that spent fuel temperatures in excess of 700/sup 0/C are required to produce a cladding breach in fuel rods pressurized to 500 psing (3.45 MPa) under postulated abnormal thermal transient cask conditions. The pinhole cladding breach that developed would be too small to compromise the confinement of spent fuel particles during an abnormal event or after normal cooling conditions are restored. This behavior is similar to that found in other slow ramp tests with irradiated and nonirradiated rod sections and nonirradiated whole rods under conditions that bracketed postulated abnormal heating rates. This similarity is attributed to annealing of the irradiation-strengthened Zircaloy cladding during heating. In both cases, the failure was a benign, ductile pinhole rupture.« less

10th Annual Systems Engineering Conference: Volume 2 Wednesday

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-10-25

intelligently optimize resource performance. Self - Healing Detect hardware/software failures and reconfigure to permit continued operations. Self ...Types Wake Ice WEAPON/PLATFORM ACOUSTICS Self -Noise Radiated Noise Beam Forming Pulse Types Submarines, surface ships, and platform sensors P r o p P r o...Computing Self -Protecting Detect internal/external attacks and protect it’s resources from exploitation. Self -Optimizing Detect sub-optimal behaviors and

Computational Fluid Dynamics Best Practice Guidelines in the Analysis of Storage Dry Cask

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zigh, A.; Solis, J.

2008-07-01

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods are used to evaluate the thermal performance of a dry cask under long term storage conditions in accordance with NUREG-1536 [NUREG-1536, 1997]. A three-dimensional CFD model was developed and validated using data for a ventilated storage cask (VSC-17) collected by Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The developed Fluent CFD model was validated to minimize the modeling and application uncertainties. To address modeling uncertainties, the paper focused on turbulence modeling of buoyancy driven air flow. Similarly, in the application uncertainties, the pressure boundary conditions used to model the air inlet and outlet vents were investigated and validated.more » Different turbulence models were used to reduce the modeling uncertainty in the CFD simulation of the air flow through the annular gap between the overpack and the multi-assembly sealed basket (MSB). Among the chosen turbulence models, the validation showed that the low Reynolds k-{epsilon} and the transitional k-{omega} turbulence models predicted the measured temperatures closely. To assess the impact of pressure boundary conditions used at the air inlet and outlet channels on the application uncertainties, a sensitivity analysis of operating density was undertaken. For convergence purposes, all available commercial CFD codes include the operating density in the pressure gradient term of the momentum equation. The validation showed that the correct operating density corresponds to the density evaluated at the air inlet condition of pressure and temperature. Next, the validated CFD method was used to predict the thermal performance of an existing dry cask storage system. The evaluation uses two distinct models: a three-dimensional and an axisymmetrical representation of the cask. In the 3-D model, porous media was used to model only the volume occupied by the rodded region that is surrounded by the BWR channel box. In the axisymmetric model, porous media was used to model the entire region that encompasses the fuel assemblies as well as the gaps in between. Consequently, a larger volume is represented by porous media in the second model; hence, a higher frictional flow resistance is introduced in the momentum equations. The conservatism and the safety margins of these models were compared to assess the applicability and the realism of these two models. The three-dimensional model included fewer geometry simplifications and is recommended as it predicted less conservative fuel cladding temperature values, while still assuring the existence of adequate safety margins. (authors)« less

An optimal design of wind turbine and ship structure based on neuro-response surface method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Jae-Chul; Shin, Sung-Chul; Kim, Soo-Young

2015-07-01

The geometry of engineering systems affects their performances. For this reason, the shape of engineering systems needs to be optimized in the initial design stage. However, engineering system design problems consist of multi-objective optimization and the performance analysis using commercial code or numerical analysis is generally time-consuming. To solve these problems, many engineers perform the optimization using the approximation model (response surface). The Response Surface Method (RSM) is generally used to predict the system performance in engineering research field, but RSM presents some prediction errors for highly nonlinear systems. The major objective of this research is to establish an optimal design method for multi-objective problems and confirm its applicability. The proposed process is composed of three parts: definition of geometry, generation of response surface, and optimization process. To reduce the time for performance analysis and minimize the prediction errors, the approximation model is generated using the Backpropagation Artificial Neural Network (BPANN) which is considered as Neuro-Response Surface Method (NRSM). The optimization is done for the generated response surface by non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-II (NSGA-II). Through case studies of marine system and ship structure (substructure of floating offshore wind turbine considering hydrodynamics performances and bulk carrier bottom stiffened panels considering structure performance), we have confirmed the applicability of the proposed method for multi-objective side constraint optimization problems.

Navy LPD-17 Amphibious Ship Procurement: Background, Issues, and Options for Congress

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-04-07

and Options for Congress 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e . TASK NUMBER 5f...disrupting the optimal construction sequence and application of lessons learned for follow-on vessels in these programs...statements among others, although not necessarily in the order shown below: • “I am deeply concerned about Northrop Grumman Ship Systems’ ( NGSS

Navy LPD-17 Amphibious Ship Procurement: Background, Issues, and Options for Congress

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-07-01

Background, Issues, and Options for Congress 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e . TASK...performed out of sequence and significant rework has been required, disrupting the optimal construction sequence and application of lessons learned...deeply concerned about Northrop Grumman Ship Systems’ ( NGSS ) ability to recover in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, particularly in regard to

Navy LPD-17 Amphibious Ship Procurement: Background, Issues, and Options for Congress

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-06-10

Background, Issues, and Options for Congress 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e . TASK...out of sequence and significant rework has been required, disrupting the optimal construction sequence and application of lessons learned for...concerned about Northrop Grumman Ship Systems’ ( NGSS ) ability to recover in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, particularly in regard to construction

Navy LPD-17 Amphibious Ship Procurement: Background, Issues, and Options for Congress

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-29

and Options for Congress 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e . TASK NUMBER 5f...performed out of sequence and significant rework has been required, disrupting the optimal construction sequence and application of lessons learned...deeply concerned about Northrop Grumman Ship Systems’ ( NGSS ) ability to recover in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, particularly in regard to

Getting it right for the North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaenaglacialis): a last opportunity for effective marine spatial planning?

PubMed

Petruny, Loren M; Wright, Andrew J; Smith, Courtney E

2014-08-15

The North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) faces increasing pressure from commercial shipping traffic and proposed marine renewable energy developments. Drawing upon the successful Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary model, we propose a multi-stakeholder marine spatial planning process that considers both appropriate positioning of offshore wind farms and redefining commercial shipping lanes relative to whale migration routes: placement of wind turbines within certain right whale habitats may prove beneficial for the species. To that end, it may be advisable to initially relocate the shipping lanes for the benefit of the whales prior to selecting wind energy areas. The optimal end-state is the commercial viability of renewable energy, as well as a safe shipping infrastructure, with minimal risk of collision and exposure to shipping noise for the whales. This opportunity to manage impacts on right whales could serve as a model for other problematic interactions between marine life and commercial activities. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modeling and performance of HF/OTH (High-Frequency/Over-the-Horizon) radar target identification systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strausberger, Donald J.

Several Radar Target Identification (RTI) techniques have been developed at The Ohio State University in recent years. Using the ElectroScience Laboratory compact range a large database of coherent RCS measurement has been constructed for several types of targets (aircraft, ships, and ground vehicles) at a variety of polarizations, aspect angles, and frequency bands. This extensive database has been used to analyze the performance of several different classification algorithms through the use of computer simulations. In order to optimize classification performance, it was concluded that the radar frequency range should lie in the Rayleigh-resonance frequency range, where the wavelength is on the order of or larger than the target size. For aircraft and ships with general dimensions on the order of 10 meters to 100 meters it is apparent that the High Frequency (HF) band provides optimal classification performance. Since existing HF radars are currently being used for detection and tracking or aircraft and ships of these dimensions, it is natural to further investigate the possibility of using these existing radars as the measurement devices in a radar target classification system.

Used fuel storage monitoring using novel 4He scintillation fast neutron detectors and neutron energy discrimination analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelley, Ryan P.

With an increasing quantity of spent nuclear fuel being stored at power plants across the United States, the demand exists for a new method of cask monitoring. Certifying these casks for transportation and long-term storage is a unique dilemma: their sealed nature lends added security, but at the cost of requiring non-invasive measurement techniques to verify their contents. This research will design and develop a new method of passively scanning spent fuel casks using 4He scintillation detectors to make this process more accurate. 4He detectors are a relatively new technological development whose full capabilities have not yet been exploited. These detectors take advantage of the high 4He cross section for elastic scattering at fast neutron energies, particularly the resonance around 1 MeV. If one of these elastic scattering interactions occurs within the detector, the 4He nucleus takes energy from the incident neutron, then de-excites by scintillation. Photomultiplier Tubes (PMTs) at either end of the detector tube convert this emitted light into an electrical signal. The goal of this research is to use the neutron spectroscopy features of 4He scintillation detectors to maintain accountability of spent fuel in storage. This project will support spent fuel safeguards and the detection of fissile material, in order to minimize the risk of nuclear proliferation and terrorism.

Impact of modeling Choices on Inventory and In-Cask Criticality Calculations for Forsmark 3 BWR Spent Fuel

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Martinez-Gonzalez, Jesus S.; Ade, Brian J.; Bowman, Stephen M.

2015-01-01

Simulation of boiling water reactor (BWR) fuel depletion poses a challenge for nuclide inventory validation and nuclear criticality safety analyses. This challenge is due to the complex operating conditions and assembly design heterogeneities that characterize these nuclear systems. Fuel depletion simulations and in-cask criticality calculations are affected by (1) completeness of design information, (2) variability of operating conditions needed for modeling purposes, and (3) possible modeling choices. These effects must be identified, quantified, and ranked according to their significance. This paper presents an investigation of BWR fuel depletion using a complete set of actual design specifications and detailed operational datamore » available for five operating cycles of the Swedish BWR Forsmark 3 reactor. The data includes detailed axial profiles of power, burnup, and void fraction in a very fine temporal mesh for a GE14 (10×10) fuel assembly. The specifications of this case can be used to assess the impacts of different modeling choices on inventory prediction and in-cask criticality, specifically regarding the key parameters that drive inventory and reactivity throughout fuel burnup. This study focused on the effects of the fidelity with which power history and void fraction distributions are modeled. The corresponding sensitivity of the reactivity in storage configurations is assessed, and the impacts of modeling choices on decay heat and inventory are addressed.« less

Ship Maintenance Processes with Collaborative Product Lifecycle Management and 3D Terrestrial Laser Scanning Tools: Reducing Costs and Increasing Productivity

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-09-20

optimal portfolio point on the efficient frontier, for example, Portfolio B on the chart in Figure A1. Then, by subsequently changing some of the ... optimized portfolio controlling for risk using the IRM methodology and tool suite. Results indicate that both rapid and incremental implementation...Results of the KVA and SD scenario analysis provided the financial information required to forecast an optimized

Minimizing the Total Service Time of Discrete Dynamic Berth Allocation Problem by an Iterated Greedy Heuristic

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Berth allocation is the forefront operation performed when ships arrive at a port and is a critical task in container port optimization. Minimizing the time ships spend at berths constitutes an important objective of berth allocation problems. This study focuses on the discrete dynamic berth allocation problem (discrete DBAP), which aims to minimize total service time, and proposes an iterated greedy (IG) algorithm to solve it. The proposed IG algorithm is tested on three benchmark problem sets. Experimental results show that the proposed IG algorithm can obtain optimal solutions for all test instances of the first and second problem sets and outperforms the best-known solutions for 35 out of 90 test instances of the third problem set. PMID:25295295

Harmony search optimization algorithm for a novel transportation problem in a consolidation network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davod Hosseini, Seyed; Akbarpour Shirazi, Mohsen; Taghi Fatemi Ghomi, Seyed Mohammad

2014-11-01

This article presents a new harmony search optimization algorithm to solve a novel integer programming model developed for a consolidation network. In this network, a set of vehicles is used to transport goods from suppliers to their corresponding customers via two transportation systems: direct shipment and milk run logistics. The objective of this problem is to minimize the total shipping cost in the network, so it tries to reduce the number of required vehicles using an efficient vehicle routing strategy in the solution approach. Solving several numerical examples confirms that the proposed solution approach based on the harmony search algorithm performs much better than CPLEX in reducing both the shipping cost in the network and computational time requirement, especially for realistic size problem instances.

Effect of Control Blade History, and Axial Coolant Density and Burnup Profiles on BWR Burnup Credit

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ade, Brian J; Marshall, William BJ J; Martinez-Gonzalez, Jesus S

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) have initiated a multiyear project to investigate the application of burnup credit (BUC) for boiling water reactor (BWR) fuel in storage and transportation systems (often referred to as casks) and spent fuel pools (SFPs). This work is divided into two main phases. The first phase investigated the applicability of peak reactivity methods currently used in SFPs to transportation and storage casks and the validation of reactivity calculations and spent fuel compositions within these methods. The second phase focuses on extending BUC beyond peak reactivity. This paper documents themore » analysis of the effects of control blade insertion history, and moderator density and burnup axial profiles for extended BWR BUC.« less

EPRI/DOE High-Burnup Fuel Sister Rod Test Plan Simplification and Visualization

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Saltzstein, Sylvia J.; Sorenson, Ken B.; Hanson, B. D.

The EPRI/DOE High-Burnup Confirmatory Data Project (herein called the “Demo”) is a multi-year, multi-entity test with the purpose of providing quantitative and qualitative data to show if high-burnup fuel mechanical properties change in dry storage over a ten-year period. The Demo involves obtaining 32 assemblies of high-burnup PWR fuel of common cladding alloys from the North Anna Nuclear Power Plant, loading them in an NRC-licensed TN-32B cask, drying them according to standard plant procedures, and then storing them on the North Anna dry storage pad for ten years. After the ten-year storage time, the cask will be opened and themore » mechanical properties of the rods will be tested and analyzed.« less

Integrating SHM and Time Variant System Performance of Naval Ship Structures For Near Real Time Decision Making Under Uncertainty: A Comprehensive Framework

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-12-06

direction and speed based on cost minimization and best estimated time of arrival (ETA). Sometimes, ships are forced to travel 43 Lehigh Technical...the allowable time to complete the travel . Another important aspect, addressed in the case study, is to investigate the optimal routing of aged...The public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing

Navy LPD-17 Amphibious Ship Procurement: Background, Issues, and Options for Congress

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-11-21

PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e . TASK NUMBER 5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES...optimal construction sequence and application of lessons learned for follow-on vessels in these programs. In the LPD 17 program, the Navy’s reliance on an...I am deeply concerned about Northrop Grumman Ship Systems’ ( NGSS ) ability to recover in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, particularly in regard to

Navy LPD-17 Amphibious Ship Procurement: Background, Issues, and Options for Congress

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-10-15

Issues, And Options For Congress 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e . TASK NUMBER 5f...19 has been required, disrupting the optimal construction sequence and application of lessons learned for follow-on vessels in these programs. In...although not necessarily in the order shown below: • “I am deeply concerned about Northrop Grumman Ship Systems’ ( NGSS ) ability to recover in the

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

This volume contains the interim change notice for the safety operation procedure for hot cell. It covers the master-slave manipulators, dry waste removal, cell transfers, hoists, cask handling, liquid waste system, and physical characterization of fluids.

Coatings masking in near, medium, and far infrared used for ship camouflage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milewski, S.; Dulski, R.; Kastek, M.; Trzaskawka, P.; Barela, J.; Firmanty, K.

2011-11-01

The increasing range of naval engagements results in development of camouflages applied on warships that mask their signatures first in visible and next in and IR spectra. Camouflage applied on warships that mask their IR signatures is one of the most basic countermeasure methods against attacks by heat-seeking missiles. A set of special coatings applied to the ship's hull allows misidentification by enemies weapon and so make the ship harder to destroy. Thus the knowledge on actual thermal contrast between the ship and surrounding background is required in order to provide an effective antimissile defense. The paper presents selected aspects related to ship's camouflage realized by altering its thermal signature as well as the results of radiometric measurement of thermal radiation of IR-masking coatings. Measurements were performed using IR imaging spectrometers in near, medium and far infrared spectra. The presented measurement results constitute the basis for the assessment of the effectiveness of IR masking methods and additionally provide the opportunity to effectively simulate the properties of masking coatings and further to optimize their radiometric properties in the infrared range.

Type B drum packages

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McCoy, J.C.

1994-08-01

The Type B drum packages (TBD) are conceptualized as a family of containers in which a single 208 L or 114 L (55 gal or 30 gal) drum containing Type B quantities of radioactive material (RAM) can be packaged for shipment. The TBD containers are being developed to fill a void in the packaging and transportation capabilities of the U.S. Department of Energy as no container packaging single drums of Type B RAM exists offering double containment. Several multiple-drum containers currently exist, as well as a number of shielded casks, but the size and weight of these containers present manymore » operational challenges for single-drum shipments. As an alternative, the TBD containers will offer up to three shielded versions (light, medium, and heavy) and one unshielded version, each offering single or optional double containment for a single drum. To reduce operational complexity, all versions will share similar design and operational features where possible. The primary users of the TBD containers are envisioned to be any organization desiring to ship single drums of Type B RAM, such as laboratories, waste retrieval activities, emergency response teams, etc. Currently, the TBD conceptual design is being developed with the final design and analysis to be completed in 1995 to 1996. Testing and certification of the unshielded version are planned to be completed in 1996 to 1997 with production to begin in 1997 to 1998.« less

Disposal Of Irradiated Cadmium Control Rods From The Plumbrook Reactor Facility

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Posivak, E.J.; Berger, S.R.; Freitag, A.A.

2008-07-01

Innovative mixed waste disposition from NASA's Plum Brook Reactor Facility was accomplished without costly repackaging. Irradiated characteristic hardware with contact dose rates as high as 8 Sv/hr was packaged in a HDPE overpack and stored in a Secure Environmental Container during earlier decommissioning efforts, awaiting identification of a suitable pathway. WMG obtained regulatory concurrence that the existing overpack would serve as the macro-encapsulant per 40CFR268.45 Table 1.C. The overpack vent was disabled and the overpack was placed in a stainless steel liner to satisfy overburden slumping requirements. The liner was sealed and placed in shielded shoring for transport to themore » disposal site in a US DOT Type A cask. Disposition via this innovative method avoided cost, risk, and dose associated with repackaging the high dose irradiated characteristic hardware. In conclusion: WMG accomplished what others said could not be done. Large D and D contractors advised NASA that the cadmium control rods could only be shipped to the proposed Yucca mountain repository. NASA management challenged MOTA to find a more realistic alternative. NASA and MOTA turned to WMG to develop a methodology to disposition the 'hot and nasty' waste that presumably had no path forward. Although WMG lead a team that accomplished the 'impossible', the project could not have been completed with out the patient, supportive management by DOE-EM, NASA, and MOTA. (authors)« less

KSC-2011-6652

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-06-30

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Workers reconnect the coolant hoses to the shipping cask enclosing the multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission upon its arrival in the high bay of the RTG storage facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Coolant flows through the hoses to dissipate any excess heat generated by the MMRTG. The MMRTG will generate the power needed for the mission from the natural decay of plutonium-238, a non-weapons-grade form of the radioisotope. Heat given off by this natural decay will provide constant power through the day and night during all seasons. Waste heat from the MMRTG will be circulated throughout the rover system to keep instruments, computers, mechanical devices and communications systems within their operating temperature ranges. MSL's components include a compact car-sized rover, Curiosity, which has 10 science instruments designed to search for evidence on whether Mars has had environments favorable to microbial life, including chemical ingredients for life. The unique rover will use a laser to look inside rocks and release its gasses so that the rover’s spectrometer can analyze and send the data back to Earth. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is scheduled for Nov. 25 from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

KSC-2011-6665

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-06-30

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the high bay of the RTG storage facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the external and internal protective layers of the shipping cask are lifted away from the multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission. The MMRTG no longer needs supplemental cooling since any excess heat generated can dissipate into the air in the high bay. The MMRTG will generate the power needed for the mission from the natural decay of plutonium-238, a non-weapons-grade form of the radioisotope. Heat given off by this natural decay will provide constant power through the day and night during all seasons. Waste heat from the MMRTG will be circulated throughout the rover system to keep instruments, computers, mechanical devices and communications systems within their operating temperature ranges. MSL's components include a compact car-sized rover, Curiosity, which has 10 science instruments designed to search for evidence on whether Mars has had environments favorable to microbial life, including chemical ingredients for life. The unique rover will use a laser to look inside rocks and release its gasses so that the rover’s spectrometer can analyze and send the data back to Earth. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is scheduled for Nov. 25 from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

KSC-2011-6654

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-06-30

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the high bay of the RTG storage facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Innovative Health Applications employee Mike McPherson measures the level of radioactivity emitted from the multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission, enclosed in a shipping cask at right. The MMRTG will generate the power needed for the mission from the natural decay of plutonium-238, a non-weapons-grade form of the radioisotope. Heat given off by this natural decay will provide constant power through the day and night during all seasons. Waste heat from the MMRTG will be circulated throughout the rover system to keep instruments, computers, mechanical devices and communications systems within their operating temperature ranges. MSL's components include a compact car-sized rover, Curiosity, which has 10 science instruments designed to search for evidence on whether Mars has had environments favorable to microbial life, including chemical ingredients for life. The unique rover will use a laser to look inside rocks and release its gasses so that the rover’s spectrometer can analyze and send the data back to Earth. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is scheduled for Nov. 25 from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

KSC-2011-6661

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-06-30

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the high bay of the RTG storage facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Innovative Health Applications employee David Lake measures the level of radioactivity emitted from the multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission as the external protective layer of the shipping cask is removed. The MMRTG will generate the power needed for the mission from the natural decay of plutonium-238, a non-weapons-grade form of the radioisotope. Heat given off by this natural decay will provide constant power through the day and night during all seasons. Waste heat from the MMRTG will be circulated throughout the rover system to keep instruments, computers, mechanical devices and communications systems within their operating temperature ranges. MSL's components include a compact car-sized rover, Curiosity, which has 10 science instruments designed to search for evidence on whether Mars has had environments favorable to microbial life, including chemical ingredients for life. The unique rover will use a laser to look inside rocks and release its gasses so that the rover’s spectrometer can analyze and send the data back to Earth. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is scheduled for Nov. 25 from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

KSC-2011-6656

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-06-30

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the high bay of the RTG storage facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Department of Energy contractor employees attach cables to the shipping cask enclosing the multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission during preparations to lift it from its transportation pallet. The MMRTG will generate the power needed for the mission from the natural decay of plutonium-238, a non-weapons-grade form of the radioisotope. Heat given off by this natural decay will provide constant power through the day and night during all seasons. Waste heat from the MMRTG will be circulated throughout the rover system to keep instruments, computers, mechanical devices and communications systems within their operating temperature ranges. MSL's components include a compact car-sized rover, Curiosity, which has 10 science instruments designed to search for evidence on whether Mars has had environments favorable to microbial life, including chemical ingredients for life. The unique rover will use a laser to look inside rocks and release its gasses so that the rover’s spectrometer can analyze and send the data back to Earth. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is scheduled for Nov. 25 from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

KSC-2011-6655

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-06-30

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the high bay of the RTG storage facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, preparations are under way to attach the shipping cask enclosing the multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission to the cables that will lift it from its transportation pallet. The MMRTG will generate the power needed for the mission from the natural decay of plutonium-238, a non-weapons-grade form of the radioisotope. Heat given off by this natural decay will provide constant power through the day and night during all seasons. Waste heat from the MMRTG will be circulated throughout the rover system to keep instruments, computers, mechanical devices and communications systems within their operating temperature ranges. MSL's components include a compact car-sized rover, Curiosity, which has 10 science instruments designed to search for evidence on whether Mars has had environments favorable to microbial life, including chemical ingredients for life. The unique rover will use a laser to look inside rocks and release its gasses so that the rover’s spectrometer can analyze and send the data back to Earth. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is scheduled for Nov. 25 from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

KSC-2011-6657

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-06-30

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the high bay of the RTG storage facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a Department of Energy contractor employee attaches a crane to the shipping cask enclosing the multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission during preparations to lift it from its transportation pallet. The MMRTG will generate the power needed for the mission from the natural decay of plutonium-238, a non-weapons-grade form of the radioisotope. Heat given off by this natural decay will provide constant power through the day and night during all seasons. Waste heat from the MMRTG will be circulated throughout the rover system to keep instruments, computers, mechanical devices and communications systems within their operating temperature ranges. MSL's components include a compact car-sized rover, Curiosity, which has 10 science instruments designed to search for evidence on whether Mars has had environments favorable to microbial life, including chemical ingredients for life. The unique rover will use a laser to look inside rocks and release its gasses so that the rover’s spectrometer can analyze and send the data back to Earth. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is scheduled for Nov. 25 from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

27 CFR 26.206 - Marking packages and cases.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

..., rectifier, or bottler shall serially number each case, barrel, cask, or similar container of distilled... distiller, rectifier, or bottler shall plainly print, stamp, or stencil with durable coloring material, in...

Optimization of the Costs and the Safety of Maritime Transport by Routing: The use of Currents Forecast in the Routing of Racing Sail Boats as a Prototype of Rout Optimization for Trading Ships

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Theunynck, Denis; Peze, Thierry; Toumazou, Vincent; Zunquin, Gauthier; Cohen, Olivier; Monges, Arnaud

2005-03-01

It is interesting to see whether the model of routing designed for races and great Navy operations could be transferred to commercial navigation and if so, within which framework.Sail boat routing conquered its letters of nobility during great races like the « Route du Rhum » or the transatlantic race « Jacques Vabre ». It is the ultimate stage of the step begun by the Navy at the time of great operations, like D-day (Overlord )June 6, 1944, in Normandy1.Routing is, from the beginning, mainly based on statistical knowledge and weather forecast, but with the recent availability of reliable currents forecast, sail boats routers and/or skippers now have to learn how to use both winds and currents to obtain the best performance, that is to travel between two points in the shortest time possible in acceptable security conditions.Are the currents forecast only useful to racing sail boat ? Of course not, they are a great help to fisherman for whom the knowledge of currents is also the knowledge of sea temperature who indicates the probability of fish presence. They are also used in offshore work to predict the hardness of the sea during operation.A less developed field of application is the route optimization of trading ships. The idea is to optimize the use of currents to increase the relative speed of ships with no augmentation of fuel expense. This new field will require that currents forecasters learn about the specific needs of another type of clients. There is also a need of teaching because the future customers will have to learn how to use the information they will get.At this point, the introduction of the use of currents forecast in racing sail boats routing is only the first step. It is of great interest because it can rely on a high knowledge in routing.The main difference is of course that the wind direction and its force are of greater importance to a sail boat that they are for a trading ship for whom the point of interest will be the fuel consumption and the ETA respect.Despite that, sail boat routing could be use as a prototype to determine the needs, both in term of information and formations of ship routers and skippers2.

InstrumentationPod (IPOD) User Guide

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Parker, Robert F.

2014-06-12

This document describes the Instrumentation Pod (IPOD) and its operation and use. The IPOD is a low-power detector system comprising a 3He tube with preamp for neutron detection, a microcontroller-based data acquisition system, a GPS receiver for locationdetermination and time-synchronization, and power filtering and protection. The IPOD is intended to be bolted to the top of Dual-Use Casks stored at Baikal-1 in Kazakhstan in order to maintain continuity of knowledge of the materials stored within the cask. The data acquisition system receives pulses from the neutron-detection preamp, combines this information with other sensor data, and stores the result on twomore » SD cards that are part of the data acquisition system. Firmware in the data acquisition system controls collection and storing of the data and enables configuration of the acquisition parameters.« less

Horizontal modular dry irradiated fuel storage system

DOEpatents

Fischer, Larry E.; McInnes, Ian D.; Massey, John V.

1988-01-01

A horizontal, modular, dry, irradiated fuel storage system (10) includes a thin-walled canister (12) for containing irradiated fuel assemblies (20), which canister (12) can be positioned in a transfer cask (14) and transported in a horizontal manner from a fuel storage pool (18), to an intermediate-term storage facility. The storage system (10) includes a plurality of dry storage modules (26) which accept the canister (12) from the transfer cask (14) and provide for appropriate shielding about the canister (12). Each module (26) also provides for air cooling of the canister (12) to remove the decay heat of the irradiated fuel assemblies (20). The modules (26) can be interlocked so that each module (26) gains additional shielding from the next adjacent module (26). Hydraulic rams (30) are provided for inserting and removing the canisters (12) from the modules (26).

The used nuclear fuel problem - can reprocessing and consolidated storage be complementary?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Phillips, C.; Thomas, I.

2013-07-01

This paper describes our CISF (Consolidated Interim Storage Facilities) and Reprocessing Facility concepts and show how they can be combined with a geologic repository to provide a comprehensive system for dealing with spent fuels in the USA. The performance of the CISF was logistically analyzed under six operational scenarios. A 3-stage plan has been developed to establish the CISF. Stage 1: the construction at the CISF site of only a rail receipt interface and storage pad large enough for the number of casks that will be received. The construction of the CISF Canister Handling Facility, the Storage Cask Fabrication Facility,more » the Cask Maintenance Facility and supporting infrastructure are performed during stage 2. The construction and placement into operation of a water-filled pool repackaging facility is completed for Stage 3. By using this staged approach, the capital cost of the CISF is spread over a number of years. It also allows more time for a final decision on the geologic repository to be made. A recycling facility will be built, this facility will used the NUEX recycling process that is based on the aqueous-based PUREX solvent extraction process, using a solvent of tri-N-butyl phosphate in a kerosene diluent. It is capable of processing spent fuels at a rate of 5 MT per day, at burn-ups up to 50 GWD per ton of spent fuels and a minimum of 5 years out-of-reactor cooling.« less

Modeling and simulation of a hybrid ship power system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doktorcik, Christopher J.

2011-12-01

Optimizing the performance of naval ship power systems requires integrated design and coordination of the respective subsystems (sources, converters, and loads). A significant challenge in the system-level integration is solving the Power Management Control Problem (PMCP). The PMCP entails deciding on subsystem power usages for achieving a trade-off between the error in tracking a desired position/velocity profile, minimizing fuel consumption, and ensuring stable system operation, while at the same time meeting performance limitations of each subsystem. As such, the PMCP naturally arises at a supervisory level of a ship's operation. In this research, several critical steps toward the solution of the PMCP for surface ships have been undertaken. First, new behavioral models have been developed for gas turbine engines, wound rotor synchronous machines, DC super-capacitors, induction machines, and ship propulsion systems. Conventional models describe system inputs and outputs in terms of physical variables such as voltage, current, torque, and force. In contrast, the behavioral models developed herein express system inputs and outputs in terms of power whenever possible. Additionally, the models have been configured to form a hybrid system-level power model (HSPM) of a proposed ship electrical architecture. Lastly, several simulation studies have been completed to expose the capabilities and limitations of the HSPM.

Aberrant antibody affinity selection in SHIP-deficient B cells.

PubMed

Leung, Wai-Hang; Tarasenko, Tatiana; Biesova, Zuzana; Kole, Hemanta; Walsh, Elizabeth R; Bolland, Silvia

2013-02-01

The strength of the Ag receptor signal influences development and negative selection of B cells, and it might also affect B-cell survival and selection in the GC. Here, we have used mice with B-cell-specific deletion of the 5'-inositol phosphatase SHIP as a model to study affinity selection in cells that are hyperresponsive to Ag and cytokine receptor stimulation. In the absence of SHIP, B cells have lower thresholds for Ag- and interferon (IFN)-induced activation, resulting in augmented negative selection in the BM and enhanced B-cell maturation in the periphery. Despite a tendency to spontaneously downregulate surface IgM expression, SHIP deficiency does not alter anergy induction in response to soluble hen-egg lysozyme Ag in the MDA4 transgenic model. SHIP-deficient B cells spontaneously produce isotype-switched antibodies; however, they are poor responders in immunization and infection models. While SHIP-deficient B cells form GCs and undergo mutation, they are not properly selected for high-affinity antibodies. These results illustrate the importance of negative regulation of B-cell responses, as lower thresholds for B-cell activation promote survival of low affinity and deleterious receptors to the detriment of optimal Ab affinity maturation. © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The Direct Path To WIPP - 12471

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Spoerner, M.T.; Burger, M.J.; Garcia, J.

2012-07-01

Sandia National Laboratories/New Mexico (SNL/NM), designated as a small quantity site (SQS) by the National TRU Program (NTP), generated contact-handled (CH) and remote-handled (RH) transuranic (TRU) waste primarily from the decontamination and clean-out of glove boxes at the Hot Cell Facility (HCF) at Technical Area (TA) V. All of the waste required repackaging, with the CH TRU waste being repackaged from late 2007 through 2011. Three shipments of CH were completed in October 2011, which de-inventoried SNL/NM's legacy TRU waste. In FY11, RH TRU waste was repackaged at the Auxiliary Hot Cell Facility (AHCF) located in TAV with the supportmore » of the Central Characterization Project (CCP). The waste was originally packaged in SNL/NM fabricated casks, cement or lead-lined 55-gallon drums, or 30-gallon drums. The AHCF is a small hot cell, with access only through a roof port which presented challenges for inserting and removing waste from the hot cell. The CCP provided visual examination operators (VEOs) to observe and document each waste item repackaged, removal of prohibited items, and radiological sampling. Dose-to-Curie measurements were calculated by CCP after a radiological report was prepared using scaling factors determined by the analysis of swipe samples. Finally, headspace gas samples were taken and sent to the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project (AMWTP) for analysis. Despite the challenges, the RH waste is on track to be shipped to WIPP in early FY12. The processes used and procedures developed to conduct the repackaging operations, the issues identified and mitigated were challenging but the cooperation between SNL/NM and the Central Characterization Program (CCP) enabled SNL/NM to complete the repackaging and support the characterization and shipment. An inventory list, identification of the campaigns, discussion of the challenges and mitigations, and the final loading of the RH 72-B casks at TA-V for direct shipment to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) will be discussed. Lessons learned from the RH campaigns are: - Some containers that were originally identified as HC-3 have been re-evaluated and became < HC-3 due to the conservative estimates made by the original generators - Operators at the AHCF were not accustomed to the detail required by the VE operators. However, they worked well together and the repackaging was completed ahead of schedule. - The AK was not always accurate as was demonstrated by the solid waste found in the drum during the first visit by EPA. That waste has since been determined to be low-level. - Two drums originally thought to be RH turned out to be CH and arrangement for RTR had to be made quickly. - Six of the original RH repacked drums became low level. - Lessons learned from the CH campaigns were helpful in avoiding many issues. The RH repackaging effort has been a success due to the expertise of the AHCF operators, supervisor, and manager, the conscientious attention to detail of the CCP VE operators, the experience of the CCP DTC and headspace gas sampling staff, and the guidance and support from CCP and CBFO. Sometimes schedules had to be adjusted, processes updated, and issues discussed, but the communication between CCP and SNL/NM was good. SNL/NM hopes to have the legacy RH TRU waste shipped off-site by early 2012. (authors)« less

Evaluation of microwave cavity gas sensor for in-vessel monitoring of dry cask storage systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bakhtiari, S.; Gonnot, T.; Elmer, T.; Chien, H.-T.; Engel, D.; Koehl, E.; Heifetz, A.

2018-04-01

Results are reported of research activities conducted at Argonne to assess the viability of microwave resonant cavities for extended in-vessel monitoring of dry cask storage system (DCSS) environment. One of the gases of concern to long-term storage in canisters is water vapor, which appears due to evaporation of residual moisture from incompletely dried fuel assembly. Excess moisture could contribute to corrosion and deterioration of components inside the canister, which would in turn compromise maintenance and safe transportation of such systems. Selection of the sensor type in this work was based on a number of factors, including good sensitivity, fast response time, small form factor and ruggedness of the probing element. A critical design constraint was the capability to mount and operate the sensor using the existing canister penetrations-use of existing ports for thermocouple lances. Microwave resonant cavities operating at select resonant frequency matched to the rotational absorption line of the molecule of interest offer the possibility of highly sensitive detection. In this study, two prototype K-band microwave cylindrical cavities operating at TE01n resonant modes around the 22 GHz water absorption line were developed and tested. The sensors employ a single port for excitation and detection and a novel dual-loop inductive coupling for optimized excitation of the resonant modes. Measurement of the loaded and unloaded cavity quality factor was obtained from the S11 parameter. The acquisition and real-time analysis of data was implemented using software based tools developed for this purpose. The results indicate that the microwave humidity sensors developed in this work could be adapted to in-vessel monitoring applications that require few parts-per-million level of sensitivity. The microwave sensing method for detection of water vapor can potentially be extended to detection of radioactive fission gases leaking into the interior of the canister through cracks in fuel cladding.

Automated generation of weld path trajectories.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sizemore, John M.; Hinman-Sweeney, Elaine Marie; Ames, Arlo Leroy

2003-06-01

AUTOmated GENeration of Control Programs for Robotic Welding of Ship Structure (AUTOGEN) is software that automates the planning and compiling of control programs for robotic welding of ship structure. The software works by evaluating computer representations of the ship design and the manufacturing plan. Based on this evaluation, AUTOGEN internally identifies and appropriately characterizes each weld. Then it constructs the robot motions necessary to accomplish the welds and determines for each the correct assignment of process control values. AUTOGEN generates these robot control programs completely without manual intervention or edits except to correct wrong or missing input data. Most shipmore » structure assemblies are unique or at best manufactured only a few times. Accordingly, the high cost inherent in all previous methods of preparing complex control programs has made robot welding of ship structures economically unattractive to the U.S. shipbuilding industry. AUTOGEN eliminates the cost of creating robot control programs. With programming costs eliminated, capitalization of robots to weld ship structures becomes economically viable. Robot welding of ship structures will result in reduced ship costs, uniform product quality, and enhanced worker safety. Sandia National Laboratories and Northrop Grumman Ship Systems worked with the National Shipbuilding Research Program to develop a means of automated path and process generation for robotic welding. This effort resulted in the AUTOGEN program, which has successfully demonstrated automated path generation and robot control. Although the current implementation of AUTOGEN is optimized for welding applications, the path and process planning capability has applicability to a number of industrial applications, including painting, riveting, and adhesive delivery.« less

Application of Post Modern Portfolio Theory to Mitigate Risk in International Shipping

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-24

The concept of portfolio optimization pioneered by Dr. Harry Markowitz and still used today for investment diversification is applied to the ...is currently referred to as “Post-Modern Portfolio Theory .” It begins with the foundations of portfolio optimization as created by Harry 14... Portfolio Theory ,” and is still considered to be one of the foundations of economic theory , garnering

Numerical study of fairing installed between brackets based on CFD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xi, Peng; Xiong, Ying; Tang, Xin

2017-10-01

In view of the low speed and instability of the flow between the two arms of the bracket in front of the propeller, the fairing is installed between the arms of the bracket taking example of compensating duct, in order to speed up the flow between the bracket arms and improve the flow quality. A four-propeller surface ship was studied and an integral mathematic model including hull, appendage and propellers was established. Using a RANS solver, its installation height, angle and airfoil is optimized. Then ship models with fairing and without fairing are calculated. The result shows that fairing improves propeller efficiency behind ship with 1.1% of the outer propeller and 1.6% of the inner propeller, which indicates that fairing helps improve the flow quality

75 FR 25120 - List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: NUHOMS® HD System Revision 1

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-07

...-235, clarify the requirements of reconstituted fuel assemblies, add requirements to qualify metal matrix composite neutron absorbers with integral aluminum cladding, delete use of nitrogen for draining...

10 CFR 72.236 - Specific requirements for spent fuel storage cask approval and fabrication.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... maintained in a subcritical condition under credible conditions. (d) Radiation shielding and confinement... confinement of radioactive material under normal, off-normal, and credible accident conditions. (m) To the...

10 CFR 72.236 - Specific requirements for spent fuel storage cask approval and fabrication.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... maintained in a subcritical condition under credible conditions. (d) Radiation shielding and confinement... confinement of radioactive material under normal, off-normal, and credible accident conditions. (m) To the...

10 CFR 72.236 - Specific requirements for spent fuel storage cask approval and fabrication.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... maintained in a subcritical condition under credible conditions. (d) Radiation shielding and confinement... of radioactive material under normal, off-normal, and credible accident conditions. (m) To the extent...

10 CFR 72.236 - Specific requirements for spent fuel storage cask approval and fabrication.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... maintained in a subcritical condition under credible conditions. (d) Radiation shielding and confinement... of radioactive material under normal, off-normal, and credible accident conditions. (m) To the extent...

10 CFR 72.236 - Specific requirements for spent fuel storage cask approval and fabrication.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... maintained in a subcritical condition under credible conditions. (d) Radiation shielding and confinement... confinement of radioactive material under normal, off-normal, and credible accident conditions. (m) To the...

The Storage, Transportation, and Disposal of Nuclear Waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Younker, J. L.

2002-12-01

The U.S. Congress established a comprehensive federal policy to dispose of wastes from nuclear reactors and defense facilities, centered on deep geologic disposal of high-level radioactive waste. Site screening led to selection of three potential sites and in 1987, Congress directed the Secretary of Energy to characterize only one site: Yucca Mountain in Nevada. For more than 20 years, teams of scientists and engineers have been evaluating the potential suitability of the site. On the basis of their work, the U.S. Secretary of Energy, Spencer Abraham, concluded in February 2002 that a safe repository can be sited at Yucca Mountain. On July 23, 2002, President Bush signed Joint Resolution 87 approving the site at Yucca Mountain for development of a repository, which allows the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to prepare and submit a license application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Concerns have been raised relative to the safe transportation of nuclear materials. The U.S. history of transportation of nuclear materials demonstrates that high-level nuclear materials can be safely transported. Since the 1960s, over 1.6 million miles have been traveled by more than 2,700 spent nuclear fuel shipments, and there has never been an accident severe enough to cause a release of radioactive materials. The DOE will use NRC-certified casks that must be able to withstand very stringent tests. The same design features that allow the casks to survive severe accidents also limit their vulnerability to sabotage. In addition, the NRC will approve all shipping routes and security plans. With regard to long-term safety, the Yucca Mountain disposal system has five key attributes. First, the arid climate and geology of Yucca Mountain combine to ensure that limited water will enter the emplacement tunnels. Second, the DOE has designed a waste package and drip shield that are expected to have very long lifetimes in the repository environment. Third, waste form solubilities limit radionuclide releases, and the invert material below the package would further delay radionuclide movement. Fourth, rock units in the unsaturated and saturated zone at Yucca Mountain will delay and dilute any radionuclides that have migrated away from the emplacement tunnels. Fifth, disruptions due to volcanism, seismic events, or nuclear criticality have been evaluated and all are shown to have very low likelihood of causing unacceptable doses. Volcanism could result in a small, but calculable, dose during the regulatory period of 10,000 years.

A network of autism linked genes stabilizes two pools of synaptic GABAA receptors

PubMed Central

Tong, Xia-Jing; Hu, Zhitao; Liu, Yu; Anderson, Dorian; Kaplan, Joshua M

2015-01-01

Changing receptor abundance at synapses is an important mechanism for regulating synaptic strength. Synapses contain two pools of receptors, immobilized and diffusing receptors, both of which are confined to post-synaptic elements. Here we show that immobile and diffusing GABAA receptors are stabilized by distinct synaptic scaffolds at C. elegans neuromuscular junctions. Immobilized GABAA receptors are stabilized by binding to FRM-3/EPB4.1 and LIN-2A/CASK. Diffusing GABAA receptors are stabilized by the synaptic adhesion molecules Neurexin and Neuroligin. Inhibitory post-synaptic currents are eliminated in double mutants lacking both scaffolds. Neurexin, Neuroligin, and CASK mutations are all linked to Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Our results suggest that these mutations may directly alter inhibitory transmission, which could contribute to the developmental and cognitive deficits observed in ASD. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.09648.001 PMID:26575289

Bioremediation of Mercury by Vibrio fluvialis Screened from Industrial Effluents

PubMed Central

Saranya, Kailasam; Shekhar, Sudhanshu; Swaminathan, Sankaran; Balasubramanian, Thangavel

2017-01-01

Thirty-one mercury-resistant bacterial strains were isolated from the effluent discharge sites of the SIPCOT industrial area. Among them, only one strain (CASKS5) was selected for further investigation due to its high minimum inhibitory concentration of mercury and low antibiotic susceptibility. In accordance with 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequences, the strain CASKS5 was identified as Vibrio fluvialis. The mercury-removal capacity of V. fluvialis was analyzed at four different concentrations (100, 150, 200, and 250 μg/ml). Efficient bioremediation was observed at a level of 250 μg/ml with the removal of 60% of mercury ions. The interesting outcome of this study was that the strain V. fluvialis had a high bioremediation efficiency but had a low antibiotic resistance. Hence, V. fluvialis could be successfully used as a strain for the ecofriendly removal of mercury. PMID:28626761

Bioremediation of Mercury by Vibrio fluvialis Screened from Industrial Effluents.

PubMed

Saranya, Kailasam; Sundaramanickam, Arumugam; Shekhar, Sudhanshu; Swaminathan, Sankaran; Balasubramanian, Thangavel

2017-01-01

Thirty-one mercury-resistant bacterial strains were isolated from the effluent discharge sites of the SIPCOT industrial area. Among them, only one strain (CASKS5) was selected for further investigation due to its high minimum inhibitory concentration of mercury and low antibiotic susceptibility. In accordance with 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequences, the strain CASKS5 was identified as Vibrio fluvialis . The mercury-removal capacity of V. fluvialis was analyzed at four different concentrations (100, 150, 200, and 250  μ g/ml). Efficient bioremediation was observed at a level of 250  μ g/ml with the removal of 60% of mercury ions. The interesting outcome of this study was that the strain V. fluvialis had a high bioremediation efficiency but had a low antibiotic resistance. Hence, V. fluvialis could be successfully used as a strain for the ecofriendly removal of mercury.

The Need for Integrating the Back End of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle in the United States of America

DOE PAGES

Bonano, Evaristo J.; Kalinina, Elena A.; Swift, Peter N.

2018-02-26

Current practice for commercial spent nuclear fuel management in the United States of America (US) includes storage of spent fuel in both pools and dry storage cask systems at nuclear power plants. Most storage pools are filled to their operational capacity, and management of the approximately 2,200 metric tons of spent fuel newly discharged each year requires transferring older and cooler fuel from pools into dry storage. In the absence of a repository that can accept spent fuel for permanent disposal, projections indicate that the US will have approximately 134,000 metric tons of spent fuel in dry storage by mid-centurymore » when the last plants in the current reactor fleet are decommissioned. Current designs for storage systems rely on large dual-purpose (storage and transportation) canisters that are not optimized for disposal. Various options exist in the US for improving integration of management practices across the entire back end of the nuclear fuel cycle.« less

The Need for Integrating the Back End of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle in the United States of America

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bonano, Evaristo J.; Kalinina, Elena A.; Swift, Peter N.

Current practice for commercial spent nuclear fuel management in the United States of America (US) includes storage of spent fuel in both pools and dry storage cask systems at nuclear power plants. Most storage pools are filled to their operational capacity, and management of the approximately 2,200 metric tons of spent fuel newly discharged each year requires transferring older and cooler fuel from pools into dry storage. In the absence of a repository that can accept spent fuel for permanent disposal, projections indicate that the US will have approximately 134,000 metric tons of spent fuel in dry storage by mid-centurymore » when the last plants in the current reactor fleet are decommissioned. Current designs for storage systems rely on large dual-purpose (storage and transportation) canisters that are not optimized for disposal. Various options exist in the US for improving integration of management practices across the entire back end of the nuclear fuel cycle.« less

Effects of ship-induced waves on aquatic ecosystems.

PubMed

Gabel, Friederike; Lorenz, Stefan; Stoll, Stefan

2017-12-01

Most larger water bodies worldwide are used for navigation, and the intensity of commercial and recreational navigation is expected to further increase. Navigation profoundly affects aquatic ecosystems. To facilitate navigation, rivers are trained and developed, and the direct effects of navigation include chemical and biological impacts (e.g., inputs of toxic substances and dispersal of non-native species, respectively). Furthermore, propagating ships create hydrodynamic alterations, often simply summarized as waves. Although ship-induced waves are recognized as influential stressors, knowledge on their effects is poorly synthesized. We present here a review on the effects of ship-induced waves on the structure, function and services of aquatic ecosystems based on more than 200 peer reviewed publications and technical reports. Ship-induced waves act at multiple organizational levels and different spatial and temporal scales. All the abiotic and biotic components of aquatic ecosystems are affected, from the sediment and nutrient budget to the planktonic, benthic and fish communities. We highlight how the effects of ship-induced waves cascade through ecosystems and how different effects interact and feed back into the ecosystem finally leading to altered ecosystem services and human health effects. Based on this synthesis of wave effects, we discuss strategies for mitigation. This may help to develop scientifically based and target-oriented management plans for navigational waters that optimize abiotic and biotic integrity and their ecosystem services and uses. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Reliability based design of the primary structure of oil tankers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Casella, G.; Dogliani, M.; Guedes Soares, C.

1996-12-31

The present paper describes the reliability analysis carried out for two oil tanker-ships having comparable dimensions but different design. The scope of the analysis was to derive indications on the value of the reliability index obtained for existing, typical and well designed oil tankers, as well as to apply the tentative rule checking formulation developed within the CEC-funded SHIPREL Project. The checking formula was adopted to redesign the midships section of one of the considered ships, upgrading her in order to meet the target failure probability considered in the rule development process. The resulting structure, in view of an upgradingmore » of the steel grade in the central part of the deck, lead to a convenient reliability level. The results of the analysis clearly showed that a large scatter exists presently in the design safety levels of ships, even when the Classification Societies` unified requirements are satisfied. A reliability based approach for the calibration of the rules for the global strength of ships is therefore proposed, in order to assist designers and Classification Societies in the process of producing ships which are more optimized, with respect to ensured safety levels. Based on the work reported in the paper, the feasibility and usefulness of a reliability based approach in the development of ship longitudinal strength requirements has been demonstrated.« less

Effective Association of SAR and AIS Data Using Non-Rigid Point Pattern Matching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Z.; Ji, K. F.; Xing, X. W.; Zou, H. X.

2014-03-01

Ship surveillance using multiple remote sensing sensors becomes more and more vital presently. Among the various sensors, space-borne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) is optimal for its high resolution over wide swaths and all-weather working capabilities. Meanwhile, Automatic Identification System (AIS) is efficient to provide ship navigational information. Limited to the progress of ship surveillance using SAR image only, the integration of them significantly benefits more. Data association is the fundamental issue. Many algorithms have been developed including the Nearest-Neighbour (NN) algorithm, the Joint Probabilistic Data Association (JPDA) method, and the Multiple Hypothesis Testing (MHT) approach. Ship positions derived from SAR image can be associated with the ones provided by AIS. State-of-the-art method (NN algorithm) is proved to be feasible. But it faces more challenges under adverse circumstances, such as high-density-shipping condition. We investigate the non-rigid Point Pattern Matching (PPM) method to solve this problem. To the best of our knowledge, this paper is the first to introduce non-rigid PPM to the data association of SAR and AIS. On the basis of introduction to the data association, Coherent Point Drift (CPD) algorithm is investigated. Experiments are carried out and the results illustrate that the CPD algorithm achieves higher accuracy and outperforms state-of-the-art method, especially under high-density-shipping condition.

Management of the Cs/Sr Capsule Project at the Hanford Site. Technology Readiness Assessment Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None, None

The Federal Project Director (FPD) for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Richland Operations Office (RL) Waste Management and D&D Division (WMD) requested a Technology Readiness Assessment (TRA) for the Management of the Cesium/Strontium Capsule Storage Project (MCSCP) at the Waste Encapsulation and Storage Facility (WESF) on the Hanford Site in Washington State. The MCSCP CD-1 TRA was performed by a team selected in collaboration between the Office of Environmental Management (EM) Chief Engineer (EM-3.3) and RL, WMD FPD. The TRA Team included subject matter and technical experts having experience in cask storage, process engineering, and system design who weremore » independent of the MCSCP, and the team was led by the Director of Operations and Processes from the EM Chief Engineer's Office (EM-3.32). Movement of the Cs/Sr capsules to dry storage, based on information from the conceptual design, involves (1) capsule packaging, (2) capsule transfer, and (3) capsule storage. The project has developed a conceptual process, described in 30059-R-02, "NAC Conceptual Design Report for the Management of the Cesium and Strontium Capsules Project", which identifies the five major activities in the process to complete the transfer from storage pool to pad-mounted cask storage. The process, shown schematically in Figure 1, is comprised of the following process steps: (1) loading capsules into the UCS; (2) UCS processing; (3) UCS insertion into the TSC Basket; (4) cask transport from WESF to CSA and (5) extended storage at the CSA.« less

A FRAMEWORK TO DEVELOP FLAW ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA FOR STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY ASSESSMENT OF MULTIPURPOSE CANISTERS FOR EXTENDED STORAGE OF USED NUCLEAR FUEL

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lam, P.; Sindelar, R.; Duncan, A.

2014-04-07

A multipurpose canister (MPC) made of austenitic stainless steel is loaded with used nuclear fuel assemblies and is part of the transfer cask system to move the fuel from the spent fuel pool to prepare for storage, and is part of the storage cask system for on-site dry storage. This weld-sealed canister is also expected to be part of the transportation package following storage. The canister may be subject to service-induced degradation especially if exposed to aggressive environments during possible very long-term storage period if the permanent repository is yet to be identified and readied. Stress corrosion cracking may bemore » initiated on the canister surface in the welds or in the heat affected zone because the construction of MPC does not require heat treatment for stress relief. An acceptance criteria methodology is being developed for flaw disposition should the crack-like defects be detected by periodic Inservice Inspection. The external loading cases include thermal accident scenarios and cask drop conditions with the contribution from the welding residual stresses. The determination of acceptable flaw size is based on the procedure to evaluate flaw stability provided by American Petroleum Institute (API) 579 Fitness-for-Service (Second Edition). The material mechanical and fracture properties for base and weld metals and the stress analysis results are obtained from the open literature such as NUREG-1864. Subcritical crack growth from stress corrosion cracking (SCC), and its impact on inspection intervals and acceptance criteria, is not addressed.« less

An Analysis of the Hidden Costs of Competition in the Procurement of Spare Parts at the Navy Ships Parts Control Center: A Framework for Process Improvement

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-03-01

setting of sub- optimal goals and quotas, barriers between departments, and awarding contracts primarily on price are all anti-TQM practices that hinder...customer focus, the setting of sub- optimal goals and quotas, barriers between departments, and awarding contracts primarily on price are all anti-TQM/L...surveys are often required to determine if a lower competitive price could be achieved before exercising options. This requirement is a sub- optimal

10 CFR 72.214 - List of approved spent fuel storage casks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... STORAGE OF SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL, HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR-RELATED GREATER THAN CLASS C WASTE General License for Storage of Spent Fuel at Power Reactor Sites § 72.214 List of approved spent...

10 CFR 72.214 - List of approved spent fuel storage casks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... STORAGE OF SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL, HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR-RELATED GREATER THAN CLASS C WASTE General License for Storage of Spent Fuel at Power Reactor Sites § 72.214 List of approved spent...

76 FR 12825 - List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: NUHOMS® HD System Revision 1; Confirmation of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-09

... definitions for Damaged Fuel Assembly and Transfer Operations; add definitions for Fuel Class and Reconstituted Fuel Assembly; add Combustion Engineering 16x16 class fuel assemblies as authorized contents...

Integrated System for Retrieval, Transportation and Consolidated Storage of Used Nuclear Fuel in the US - 13312

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bracey, William; Bondre, Jayant; Shelton, Catherine

2013-07-01

The current inventory of used nuclear fuel assemblies (UNFAs) from commercial reactor operations in the United States totals approximately 65,000 metric tons or approximately 232,000 UNFAs primarily stored at the 104 operational reactors in the US and a small number of decommissioned reactors. This inventory is growing at a rate of roughly 2,000 to 2,400 metric tons each year, (Approx. 7,000 UNFAs) as a result of ongoing commercial reactor operations. Assuming an average of 10 metric tons per storage/transportation casks, this inventory of commercial UNFAs represents about 6,500 casks with an additional of about 220 casks every year. In Januarymore » 2010, the Blue Ribbon Commission (BRC) [1] was directed to conduct a comprehensive review of policies for managing the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle and recommend a new plan. The BRC issued their final recommendations in January 2012. One of the main recommendations is for the United States to proceed promptly to develop one or more consolidated storage facilities (CSF) as part of an integrated, comprehensive plan for safely managing the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle. Based on its extensive experience in storage and transportation cask design, analysis, licensing, fabrication, and operations including transportation logistics, Transnuclear, Inc. (TN), an AREVA Subsidiary within the Logistics Business Unit, is engineering an integrated system that will address the complete process of commercial UNFA management. The system will deal with UNFAs in their current storage mode in various configurations, the preparation including handling and additional packaging where required and transportation of UNFAs to a CSF site, and subsequent storage, operation and maintenance at the CSF with eventual transportation to a future repository or recycling site. It is essential to proceed by steps to ensure that the system will be the most efficient and serve at best its purpose by defining: the problem to be resolved, the criteria to evaluate the solutions, and the alternative solutions. The complexity of the project is increasing with time (more fuel assemblies, new storage systems, deteriorating logistics infrastructure at some sites, etc.) but with the uncertainty on the final disposal path, flexibility and simplicity will be critical. (authors)« less

Coolant Density and Control Blade History Effects in Extended BWR Burnup Credit

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ade, Brian J; Marshall, William BJ J; Bowman, Stephen M

2015-01-01

Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission have initiated a multiyear project to investigate the application of burnup credit (BUC) for boiling water reactor (BWR) fuel in storage and transportation casks. This project includes two phases. The first phase investigates the applicability of peak reactivity methods currently used for spent fuel pools to spent fuel storage and transportation casks and the validation of reactivity (k eff) calculations and predicted spent fuel compositions. The second phase focuses on extending BUC beyond peak reactivity. This paper documents work performed to date investigating some aspects of extended BUC. (The technicalmore » basis for application of peak reactivity methods to BWR fuel in storage and transportation systems is presented in a companion paper.) Two reactor operating parameters are being evaluated to establish an adequate basis for extended BWR BUC: (1) the effect of axial void profile and (2) the effect of control blade utilization during operation. A detailed analysis of core simulator data for one cycle of a modern operating BWR plant was performed to determine the range of void profiles and the variability of the profile experienced during irradiation. Although a single cycle does not provide complete data, the data obtained are sufficient to determine the primary effects and to identify conservative modeling approaches. These data were used in a study of the effect of axial void profile. The first stage of the study was determination of the necessary moderator density temporal fidelity in depletion modeling. After the required temporal fidelity was established, multiple void profiles were used to examine the effect on cask reactivity. The results of these studies are being used to develop recommendations for conservatively modeling the void profile effects for BWR depletion calculations. The second operational parameter studied was control blade history. Control blades are inserted in various locations and at varying degrees during BWR operation based on the core loading pattern. When present during depletion, control blades harden the neutron spectrum locally because they displace the moderator and absorb thermal neutrons. The investigation of the effect of control blades on post operational cask reactivity is documented herein, as is the effect of multiple (continuous and intermittent) exposure periods with control blades inserted. The coupled effects of control blade presence on power density, void profile, or burnup profile will be addressed in future work.« less

Item Unique Identification (IUID) Marking for a Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Class Mission Module (MM) at the Mission Package Support Facility (MPSF): Implementation Analysis and Development of Optimal Marking Procedures

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-06-01

scanners, readers, or imagers. These types of ADCS devices use two slightly different technologies. Laser scanners use a photodiode to measure the...structure of a ship, but the LCS utilizes modular mission packages that can be removed and replaced when the threat , environment, or mission changes...would need to support a wide array of business applications and users (Clarion, 2009). The DoD’s solution to this deficiency is called IUID. IUID is a

Fault detection for piecewise affine systems with application to ship propulsion systems.

PubMed

Yang, Ying; Linlin, Li; Ding, Steven X; Qiu, Jianbin; Peng, Kaixiang

2017-09-09

In this paper, the design approach of non-synchronized diagnostic observer-based fault detection (FD) systems is investigated for piecewise affine processes via continuous piecewise Lyapunov functions. Considering that the dynamics of piecewise affine systems in different regions can be considerably different, the weighting matrices are used to weight the residual of each region, so as to optimize the fault detectability. A numerical example and a case study on a ship propulsion system are presented in the end to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed results. Copyright © 2017 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Particle swarm optimization: an alternative in marine propeller optimization?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vesting, F.; Bensow, R. E.

2018-01-01

This article deals with improving and evaluating the performance of two evolutionary algorithm approaches for automated engineering design optimization. Here a marine propeller design with constraints on cavitation nuisance is the intended application. For this purpose, the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is adapted for multi-objective optimization and constraint handling for use in propeller design. Three PSO algorithms are developed and tested for the optimization of four commercial propeller designs for different ship types. The results are evaluated by interrogating the generation medians and the Pareto front development. The same propellers are also optimized utilizing the well established NSGA-II genetic algorithm to provide benchmark results. The authors' PSO algorithms deliver comparable results to NSGA-II, but converge earlier and enhance the solution in terms of constraints violation.

Test plan for evaluating the operational performance of the prototype nested, fixed-depth fluidic sampler

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

REICH, F.R.

The PHMC will provide Low Activity Wastes (LAW) tank wastes for final treatment by a privatization contractor from two double-shell feed tanks, 241-AP-102 and 241-AP-104. Concerns about the inability of the baseline ''grab'' sampling to provide large volume samples within time constraints has led to the development of a nested, fixed-depth sampling system. This sampling system will provide large volume, representative samples without the environmental, radiation exposure, and sample volume impacts of the current base-line ''grab'' sampling method. A plan has been developed for the cold testing of this nested, fixed-depth sampling system with simulant materials. The sampling system willmore » fill the 500-ml bottles and provide inner packaging to interface with the Hanford Sites cask shipping systems (PAS-1 and/or ''safe-send''). The sampling system will provide a waste stream that will be used for on-line, real-time measurements with an at-tank analysis system. The cold tests evaluate the performance and ability to provide samples that are representative of the tanks' content within a 95 percent confidence interval, to sample while mixing pumps are operating, to provide large sample volumes (1-15 liters) within a short time interval, to sample supernatant wastes with over 25 wt% solids content, to recover from precipitation- and settling-based plugging, and the potential to operate over the 20-year expected time span of the privatization contract.« less

KSC-2011-6664

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-06-30

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the high bay of the RTG storage facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a Department of Energy contractor employee guides the external and internal protective layers of the shipping cask as they are lifted from around the multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission. The MMRTG no longer needs supplemental cooling since any excess heat generated can dissipate into the air in the high bay. The MMRTG will generate the power needed for the mission from the natural decay of plutonium-238, a non-weapons-grade form of the radioisotope. Heat given off by this natural decay will provide constant power through the day and night during all seasons. Waste heat from the MMRTG will be circulated throughout the rover system to keep instruments, computers, mechanical devices and communications systems within their operating temperature ranges. MSL's components include a compact car-sized rover, Curiosity, which has 10 science instruments designed to search for evidence on whether Mars has had environments favorable to microbial life, including chemical ingredients for life. The unique rover will use a laser to look inside rocks and release its gasses so that the rover’s spectrometer can analyze and send the data back to Earth. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is scheduled for Nov. 25 from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

Development of an Analysis and Design Optimization Framework for Marine Propellers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tamhane, Ashish C.

In this thesis, a framework for the analysis and design optimization of ship propellers is developed. This framework can be utilized as an efficient synthesis tool in order to determine the main geometric characteristics of the propeller but also to provide the designer with the capability to optimize the shape of the blade sections based on their specific criteria. A hybrid lifting-line method with lifting-surface corrections to account for the three-dimensional flow effects has been developed. The prediction of the correction factors is achieved using Artificial Neural Networks and Support Vector Regression. This approach results in increased approximation accuracy compared to existing methods and allows for extrapolation of the correction factor values. The effect of viscosity is implemented in the framework via the coupling of the lifting line method with the open-source RANSE solver OpenFOAM for the calculation of lift, drag and pressure distribution on the blade sections using a transition kappa-o SST turbulence model. Case studies of benchmark high-speed propulsors are utilized in order to validate the proposed framework for propeller operation in open-water conditions but also in a ship's wake.

Report on Status of Shipment of High Fluence Austenitic Steel Samples for Characterization and Stress Corrosion Crack Testing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Clark, Scarlett R.; Leonard, Keith J.

The goal of the Mechanisms of Irradiation Assisted Stress Corrosion Cracking (IASCC) task in the LWRS Program is to conduct experimental research into understanding how multiple variables influence the crack initiation and crack growth in materials subjected to stress under corrosive conditions. This includes understanding the influences of alloy composition, radiation condition, water chemistry and metallurgical starting condition (i.e., previous cold work or heat treatments and the resulting microstructure) has on the behavior of materials. Testing involves crack initiation and growth testing on irradiated specimens of single-variable alloys in simulated Light Water Reactor (LWR) environments, tensile testing, hardness testing, microstructuralmore » and microchemical analysis, and detailed efforts to characterize localized deformation. Combined, these single-variable experiments will provide mechanistic understanding that can be used to identify key operational variables to mitigate or control IASCC, optimize inspection and maintenance schedules to the most susceptible materials/locations, and, in the long-term, design IASCC-resistant materials. In support of this research, efforts are currently underway to arrange shipment of “free” high fluence austenitic alloys available through Électricité de France (EDF) for post irradiation testing at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and IASCC testing at the University of Michigan. These high fluence materials range in damage values from 45 to 125 displacements per atom (dpa). The samples identified for transport to the United States, which include nine, no-cost, 304, 308 and 316 tensile bars, were relocated from the Research Institute of Atomic Reactors (RIAR) in Dimitrovgrad, Ulyanovsk Oblast, Russia, and received at the Halden Reactor in Halden, Norway, on August 23, 2016. ORNL has been notified that a significant amount of work is required to prepare the samples for further shipment to Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The preliminary work for sample shipment between Halden and Oak Ridge includes fabrication of an inner cask sample container, decontamination and preparation of a Type A container, preparation of new activity calculations, all necessary paperwork, and handling. ORNL will continue to work to track progress of sample preparation and shipment status, and to work toward an agreement that covers material shipping costs between the Halden Reactor and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.« less

The conceptual solutions concerning decommissioning and dismantling of Russian civil nuclear powered ships

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kulikov, Konstantin N.; Nizamutdinov, Rinat A.; Abramov, Andrey N.

From 1959 up to 1991 nine civil nuclear powered ships were built in Russia: eight ice-breakers and one lash lighter carrier (cargo ship). At the present time three of them were taking out of service: ice-breaker 'Lenin' is decommissioned as a museum and is set for storage in the port of Murmansk, nuclear ice-breakers 'Arktika' and 'Sibir' are berthing. The ice-breakers carrying rad-wastes appear to be a possible source of radiation contamination of Murmansk region and Kola Bay because the ship long-term storage afloat has the negative effect on hull's structures. As the result of this under the auspices ofmore » the Federal Targeted Program 'Nuclear and Radiation Safety of Russia for 2008 and the period until 2015' the conception and projects of decommissioning of nuclear-powered ships are developed by the State corporation Rosatom with the involvement of companies of United Shipbuilding Corporation. In developing the principal provisions of conception of decommissioning and dismantling of icebreakers the technical and economic assessment of dismantling options in ship-repairing enterprises of North-West of Russia was performed. The paper contains description of options, research procedure, analysis of options of decommissioning and dismantling of nuclear ice-breakers, taking into account the principle of optimization of potential radioactive effect to personnel, human population and environment. The report's conclusions contain the recommendations for selection of option for development of nuclear icebreaker decommissioning and dismantling projects. (authors)« less

A&M. Radioactive parts security storage area. camera facing northwest. Outdoor ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

A&M. Radioactive parts security storage area. camera facing northwest. Outdoor storage of concrete storage casks. Photographer: M. Holmes. Date: November 21, 1959. INEEL negative no. 59-6081 - Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Test Area North, Scoville, Butte County, ID

U.S. regulatory research program for implementation of burnup credit in transport casks

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-09-10

In 1999 the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (U.S. NRC) initiated a research program to : support the development of technical bases and guidance that would facilitate the implementation of : burnup credit into licensing activities for transport an...

Integrating Research on Global Climate Change and Human Use of the Oceans: a Geospatial Method for Daily Monitoring of Sea Ice and Ship Traffic in the Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eucker, W.; McGillivary, P. A.

2012-12-01

One apparent consequence of global climate change has been a decrease in the extent and thickness of Arctic sea ice more rapidly than models have predicted, while Arctic ship traffic has likewise increased beyond economic predictions. To ensure representative observations of changing climate conditions and human use of the Arctic Ocean, we concluded a method of tracking daily changes in both sea ice and shipping in the Arctic Ocean was needed. Such a process improves the availability of sea ice data for navigational safety and allows future developments to be monitored for understanding of ice and shipping in relation to policy decisions appropriate to optimize sustainable use of a changing Arctic Ocean. The impetus for this work was the 2009 Arctic Marine Shipping Assessment (AMSA) which provided baseline data on Arctic ship traffic. AMSA was based on responses from circumpolar countries, was manpower intensive, and took years to compile. A more timely method of monitoring human use of the Arctic Ocean was needed. To address this, a method of monitoring sea ice on a scale relevant to ship-navigation (<10km) was developed and implemented in conjunction with arctic ship tracking using S-AIS (Satellite Automatic Identification Systems). S-AIS is internationally required on ships over a certain size, which includes most commercial vessels in the Arctic Ocean. Daily AIS and sea ice observations were chosen for this study. Results of this method of geospatial analysis of the entire arctic are presented for a year long period from April 1, 2010 to March 31, 2011. This confirmed the dominance of European Arctic ship traffic. Arctic shipping is maximal during August and diminishes in September with a minimum in winter, although some shipping continues year-round in perennially ice-free areas. Data are analyzed for the four principal arctic quadrants around the North Pole by season for number and nationality of vessels. The goal of this study was not merely to monitor ship traffic and ice conditions concurrently, but also to demonstrate a new method of ocean monitoring based on daily assimilation, data fusion, and integrated visualization of satellite ice remote sensing data and S-AIS ship data. In the future, as Arctic ship traffic and cryosphere sea ice cover variability are both expected to increase, this method can provide near real-time physical data on global climate change and human dimensions of ocean use of to guide policies addressing arctic resource management, Search and Rescue (SAR) operations, oil spill response, and issues such as ship noise impacts on marine mammals, and whale-ship collision avoidance. An internationally agreed implementation of this methodology would benefit ships operating in the Arctic and advance sustainable use of the Arctic Ocean.

SLUDGE TREATMENT PROJECT COST COMPARISON BETWEEN HYDRAULIC LOADING AND SMALL CANISTER LOADING CONCEPTS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

GEUTHER J; CONRAD EA; RHOADARMER D

2009-08-24

The Sludge Treatment Project (STP) is considering two different concepts for the retrieval, loading, transport and interim storage of the K Basin sludge. The two design concepts under consideration are: (1) Hydraulic Loading Concept - In the hydraulic loading concept, the sludge is retrieved from the Engineered Containers directly into the Sludge Transport and Storage Container (STSC) while located in the STS cask in the modified KW Basin Annex. The sludge is loaded via a series of transfer, settle, decant, and filtration return steps until the STSC sludge transportation limits are met. The STSC is then transported to T Plantmore » and placed in storage arrays in the T Plant canyon cells for interim storage. (2) Small Canister Concept - In the small canister concept, the sludge is transferred from the Engineered Containers (ECs) into a settling vessel. After settling and decanting, the sludge is loaded underwater into small canisters. The small canisters are then transferred to the existing Fuel Transport System (FTS) where they are loaded underwater into the FTS Shielded Transfer Cask (STC). The STC is raised from the basin and placed into the Cask Transfer Overpack (CTO), loaded onto the trailer in the KW Basin Annex for transport to T Plant. At T Plant, the CTO is removed from the transport trailer and placed on the canyon deck. The CTO and STC are opened and the small canisters are removed using the canyon crane and placed into an STSC. The STSC is closed, and placed in storage arrays in the T Plant canyon cells for interim storage. The purpose of the cost estimate is to provide a comparison of the two concepts described.« less

Alcohol promotions in Australian supermarket catalogues.

PubMed

Johnston, Robyn; Stafford, Julia; Pierce, Hannah; Daube, Mike

2017-07-01

In Australia, most alcohol is sold as packaged liquor from off-premises retailers, a market increasingly dominated by supermarket chains. Competition between retailers may encourage marketing approaches, for example, discounting, that evidence indicates contribute to alcohol-related harms. This research documented the nature and variety of promotional methods used by two major supermarket retailers to promote alcohol products in their supermarket catalogues. Weekly catalogues from the two largest Australian supermarket chains were reviewed for alcohol-related content over 12 months. Alcohol promotions were assessed for promotion type, product type, number of standard drinks, purchase price and price/standard drink. Each store catalogue included, on average, 13 alcohol promotions/week, with price-based promotions most common. Forty-five percent of promotions required the purchase of multiple alcohol items. Wine was the most frequently promoted product (44%), followed by beer (24%) and spirits (18%). Most (99%) wine cask (2-5 L container) promotions required multiple (two to three) casks to be purchased. The average number of standard drinks required to be purchased to participate in catalogue promotions was 31.7 (SD = 24.9; median = 23.1). The median price per standard drink was $1.49 (range $0.19-$9.81). Cask wines had the lowest cost per standard drink across all product types. Supermarket catalogues' emphasis on low prices/high volumes of alcohol reflects that retailers are taking advantage of limited restrictions on off-premise sales and promotion, which allow them to approach market competition in ways that may increase alcohol-related harms in consumers. Regulation of alcohol marketing should address retailer catalogue promotions. [Johnston R, Stafford J, Pierce H, Daube M. Alcohol promotions in Australian supermarket catalogues. Drug Alcohol Rev 2017;36:456-463]. © 2016 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

Environmental data and analyses for the proposed management of spent nuclear fuel on the DOE Oak Ridge Reservation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Socolof, M.L.; Curtis, A.H.; Blasing, T.J.

1995-08-01

DOE needs to continue the safe and efficient management of SNF on ORR, based on the requirement for future SNF storage capacity and implementation of the ROD for the PEIS. DOE is proposing to implement the ROD through proper management of SNF on ORR, including the possible construction and operation of a dry cask storage facility. This report describes the potentially affected environment and analyzes impacts on various resources due to the proposed action. The information provided in this report is intended to support the Environmental Assessment being prepared for the proposed activities. Construction of the dry cask storage facilitymore » would result in minimal or no impacts on groundwater, surface water, and ecological resources. Contaminated soils excavated during construction would result in negligible risk to human health and to biota. Except for noise from trucks and equipment, operation of the dry cask storage facility would not be expected to have any impact on vegetation, wildlife, or rare plants or animals. Noise impacts would be minimal. Operation exposures to the average SNF storage facility worker would not exceed approximately 0.40 mSv/year (40 mrem/year). The off-site population dose within an 80-km (50-mile) radius of ORR from SNF operations would be less than 0.052 person-Sv/year (5.2 person-rem/year). Impacts from incident-free transportation on ORR would be less than 1.36 X 10{sup -4} occupational fatal cancers and 4.28 X 10{sup -6} public fatal cancers. Credible accident scenarios that would result in the greatest probable risks would cause less than one in a million cancer fatalities to workers and the public.« less

Numerical Estimation of the Spent Fuel Ratio

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lindgren, Eric R.; Durbin, Samuel; Wilke, Jason

Sabotage of spent nuclear fuel casks remains a concern nearly forty years after attacks against shipment casks were first analyzed and has a renewed relevance in the post-9/11 environment. A limited number of full-scale tests and supporting efforts using surrogate materials, typically depleted uranium dioxide (DUO 2 ), have been conducted in the interim to more definitively determine the source term from these postulated events. However, the validity of these large- scale results remain in question due to the lack of a defensible spent fuel ratio (SFR), defined as the amount of respirable aerosol generated by an attack on amore » mass of spent fuel compared to that of an otherwise identical surrogate. Previous attempts to define the SFR in the 1980's have resulted in estimates ranging from 0.42 to 12 and include suboptimal experimental techniques and data comparisons. Because of the large uncertainty surrounding the SFR, estimates of releases from security-related events may be unnecessarily conservative. Credible arguments exist that the SFR does not exceed a value of unity. A defensible determination of the SFR in this lower range would greatly reduce the calculated risk associated with the transport and storage of spent nuclear fuel in dry cask systems. In the present work, the shock physics codes CTH and ALE3D were used to simulate spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and DUO 2 targets impacted by a high-velocity jet at an ambient temperature condition. These preliminary results are used to illustrate an approach to estimate the respirable release fraction for each type of material and ultimately, an estimate of the SFR. This page intentionally blank« less

Aerodynamic Simulation of A Containership to Evaluate Cargo Configuration Effect on Frontal Wind Loads

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Majidian, Hamed; Azarsina, Farhood

2018-04-01

Fuel consumption has always been a matter of concern for ships propulsion. In this research we aim to develop computer models of several containership cargo stacking configurations and discuss an optimal configuration at a constant front wind speed. The paper presents the simulation results by using ANSYS CFX for a 1:4 scale Post- Panamax 9000 TEU containership. The ship is modelled in a cubic domain that contains unstructured mesh with details, in such a way that can demonstrate the influence of the container configuration on wind force. Also the numerical results are verified versus wind tunnel test data. An optimal stack configuration led to about 25% reduction in air resistance. It is proposed that in order to reduce the wind drag force and consequently reduce the fuel consumption and pollutant emissions, empty spaces between the cargo containers and unbalanced cargo distribution over the deck should be inhibited. Also, it is advised to make the cargo distribution on the most forward and aftward deck areas more streamlined.

Environmentally safe areas and routes in the Baltic proper using Eulerian tracers.

PubMed

Höglund, A; Meier, H E M

2012-07-01

In recent years, the shipping of environmentally hazardous cargo has increased considerably in the Baltic proper. In this study, a large number of hypothetical oil spills with an idealized, passive tracer are simulated. From the tracer distributions, statistical measures are calculated to optimize the quantity of tracer from a spill that would stay at sea as long as possible. Increased time may permit action to be taken against the spill before the oil reaches environmentally vulnerable coastal zones. The statistical measures are used to calculate maritime routes with maximum probability that an oil spill will stay at sea as long as possible. Under these assumptions, ships should follow routes that are located south of Bornholm instead of the northern routes in use currently. Our results suggest that the location of the optimal maritime routes depends on the season, although interannual variability is too large to identify statistically significant changes. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

27 CFR 28.211 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... TREASURY LIQUORS EXPORTATION OF ALCOHOL Exportation of Wine With Benefit of Drawback § 28.211 General. Wines manufactured, produced, bottled in bottles packed in containers, or packaged in casks or other... which are filled on premises qualified under this chapter to package or bottle wines, may, subject to...

Draft evaluation of the frequency for gas sampling for the high burnup confirmatory data project

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stockman, Christine T.; Alsaed, Halim A.; Bryan, Charles R.

2015-03-26

This report fulfills the M3 milestone M3FT-15SN0802041, “Draft Evaluation of the Frequency for Gas Sampling for the High Burn-up Storage Demonstration Project” under Work Package FT-15SN080204, “ST Field Demonstration Support – SNL”. This report provides a technically based gas sampling frequency strategy for the High Burnup (HBU) Confirmatory Data Project. The evaluation of: 1) the types and magnitudes of gases that could be present in the project cask and, 2) the degradation mechanisms that could change gas compositions culminates in an adaptive gas sampling frequency strategy. This adaptive strategy is compared against the sampling frequency that has been developed basedmore » on operational considerations. Gas sampling will provide information on the presence of residual water (and byproducts associated with its reactions and decomposition) and breach of cladding, which could inform the decision of when to open the project cask.« less

Usage of FT-ICR-MS Metabolomics for Characterizing the Chemical Signatures of Barrel-Aged Whisky

PubMed Central

Roullier-Gall, Chloé; Signoret, Julie; Hemmler, Daniel; Witting, Michael A.; Kanawati, Basem; Schäfer, Bernhard; Gougeon, Régis D.; Schmitt-Kopplin, Philippe

2018-01-01

Whisky can be described as a complex matrix integrating the chemical history from the fermented cereals, the wooden barrels, the specific distillery processes, aging, and environmental factors. In this study, using Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS) and liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), we analyzed 150 whisky samples from 49 different distilleries, 7 countries, and ranging from 1 day new make spirit to 43 years of maturation with different types of barrel. Chemometrics revealed the unexpected impact of the wood history on the distillate's composition during barrel aging, regardless of the whisky origin. Flavonols, oligolignols, and fatty acids are examples of important chemical signatures for Bourbon casks, whereas a high number of polyphenol glycosides, including for instance quercetin-glucuronide or myricetin-glucoside as potential candidates, and carbohydrates would discriminate Sherry casks. However, the comparison of barrel aged rums and whiskies revealed specific signatures, highlighting the importance of the initial composition of the distillate and the distillery processes. PMID:29520358

A methodology to quantify the release of spent nuclear fuel from dry casks during security-related scenarios

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Durbin, Samuel G.; Luna, Robert Earl

Assessing the risk to the public and the environment from a release of radioactive material produced by accidental or purposeful forces/environments is an important aspect of the regulatory process in many facets of the nuclear industry. In particular, the transport and storage of radioactive materials is of particular concern to the public, especially with regard to potential sabotage acts that might be undertaken by terror groups to cause injuries, panic, and/or economic consequences to a nation. For many such postulated attacks, no breach in the robust cask or storage module containment is expected to occur. However, there exists evidence thatmore » some hypothetical attack modes can penetrate and cause a release of radioactive material. This report is intended as an unclassified overview of the methodology for release estimation as well as a guide to useful resource data from unclassified sources and relevant analysis methods for the estimation process.« less

Usage of FT-ICR-MS Metabolomics for characterizing the chemical signatures of barrel-aged whisky

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roullier-Gall, Chloé; Signoret, Julie; Hemmler, Daniel; Witting, Michael A.; Kanawati, Basem; Schäfer, Bernhard; Gougeon, Régis D.; Schmitt-Kopplin, Philippe

2018-02-01

Whisky can be described as a complex matrix integrating the chemical history from the fermented cereals, the wooden barrels, the specific distillery processes, ageing and environmental factors. In this study, using Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS) and liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), we analysed 150 whisky samples from 49 different distilleries, 7 countries, and ranging from 1 day new make spirit to 43 years of maturation with different types of barrel. Chemometrics revealed the unexpected impact of the wood history on the distillatés composition during barrel ageing, regardless of the whisky origin. Flavonols, oligolignols and fatty acids are examples of important chemical signatures for Bourbon casks, whereas a high number of polyphenol glycosides, including for instance quercetin-glucuronide or myricetin-glucoside as potential candidates, and carbohydrates would discriminate Sherry casks. However, the comparison of barrel aged rums and whiskies revealed specific signatures, highlighting the importance of the initial composition of the distillate and the distillery processes.

Apollo 12 Mission image - Modular Equipment Stowage Assemble (MESA) and the Fuel Cask on the Lunar Module (LM)

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-11-19

AS12-48-7034 (19 Nov. 1969) --- A close-up view of a portion of quadrant II of the descent stage of the Apollo 12 Lunar Module (LM), photographed during the Apollo 12 extravehicular activity (EVA). At lower left is the LM's Y footpad. The empty Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG) fuel cask is at upper right. The fuel capsule has already been removed and placed in the RTG. The RTG furnishes power for the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP) which the Apollo 12 astronauts deployed on the moon. The LM's descent engine skirt is in the center background. The rod-like object protruding out from under the footpad is a lunar surface sensing probe. Astronaut Richard F. Gordon Jr., command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit while astronauts Charles Conrad Jr., commander; and Alan L. Bean, lunar module pilot, descended in the LM to explore the moon.

Ship and Installation Program: Optimal Stationing of Naval Ships

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-06-01

are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government. 12a. DISTRIBUTION...fi fi cf fi cff i c cf facreq STATION f i faccap MILCON VAP CONV CONV ∈ ′ ∀ ≤ + − + − ∑ ∑ ∑ and ’ , i i fu iu u UA u IS fi fi fi cf fi cf facreq...STATION AGREEN MILCON UPGRAD CONV f i ∈ ∉ ′ ≤ + + + ∀ ∑ ∑ 41 ( )’ ’ and , i u fi fi fi cff i cf fi fi uf i u u IS i i i CA AGREEN UPGRAD VAP

10 CFR 72.242 - Recordkeeping and reports.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Recordkeeping and reports. 72.242 Section 72.242 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE INDEPENDENT STORAGE OF SPENT... Spent Fuel Storage Casks § 72.242 Recordkeeping and reports. (a) Each certificate holder or applicant...

The Role of the Neurofibromin-Syndecan-CASK Complex in the Regulation of Synaptic Ras-MAPK Signaling and Dendritic Spine Plasticity

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-02-01

Morgan, K., Hasz, D. E., Mao, Z., and Largaespada, D. A. (2005). Nf1 gene inactivation in acute myeloid leukemia cells confers cytarabine resistance through MAPK and mTOR pathways. Leukemia. VII. Appendices: None

Research on systematization and advancement of shipbuilding production management for flexible and agile response for high value offshore platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Young-Joo; Woo, Jong-Hun; Shin, Jong-Gye

2011-09-01

Recently, the speed of change related with enterprise management is getting faster than ever owing to the competition among companies, technique diffusion, shortening of product lifecycle, excessive supply of market. For the example, the compliance condition (such as delivery date, product quality, etc.) from the ship owner is getting complicated and the needs for the new product such as FPSO, FSRU are coming to fore. This paradigm shift emphasize the rapid response rather than the competitive price, flexibility and agility rather than effective and optimal perspective for the domestic shipbuilding company. So, domestic shipbuilding companies have to secure agile and flexible ship production environment that could respond change of market and requirements of customers in order to continue a competitive edge in the world market. In this paper, I'm going to define a standard shipbuilding production management system by investigating the environment of domestic major shipbuilding companies. Also, I'm going to propose a unified ship production management and system for the operation of unified management through detail analysis of the activities and the data flow of ship production management. And, the system functions for the strategic approach of ship production management are investigated through the business administration tools such as performance pyramid, VDT and BSC. Lastly, the research of applying strategic KPI to the digital shipyard as virtual execution platform is conducted.

Recent work and results on sparrow project

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Harvey, Neal R

2010-12-23

This briefing describes recent work undertaken on the Sparrow Project and results of this work. It describes experiments comparing the use of Genie with 2 classes with 3 classes for the problem of ship delineation. It also describes some preliminary work in the area of the optimization of segmentation techniques.

27 CFR 25.35 - Tanks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Tanks. 25.35 Section 25.35... TREASURY LIQUORS BEER Construction and Equipment Equipment § 25.35 Tanks. Each stationary tank, vat, cask... contents of tanks or containers in lieu of providing each tank or container with a measuring device. (Sec...

27 CFR 25.35 - Tanks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Tanks. 25.35 Section 25.35... TREASURY ALCOHOL BEER Construction and Equipment Equipment § 25.35 Tanks. Each stationary tank, vat, cask... contents of tanks or containers in lieu of providing each tank or container with a measuring device. (Sec...

10 CFR 72.234 - Conditions of approval.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Conditions of approval. 72.234 Section 72.234 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE INDEPENDENT STORAGE OF SPENT... Spent Fuel Storage Casks § 72.234 Conditions of approval. (a) The certificate holder and applicant for a...

10 CFR 72.232 - Inspection and tests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Inspection and tests. 72.232 Section 72.232 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE INDEPENDENT STORAGE OF SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL... Storage Casks § 72.232 Inspection and tests. (a) The certificate holder and applicant for a CoC shall...

10 CFR 72.248 - Safety analysis report updating.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Safety analysis report updating. 72.248 Section 72.248 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE INDEPENDENT STORAGE OF... Approval of Spent Fuel Storage Casks § 72.248 Safety analysis report updating. (a) Each certificate holder...

75 FR 33736 - List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: MAGNASTOR System, Revision 1

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-15

... Management Programs, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, telephone (301) 415- 6219..., 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland. NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System... M. McCausland, Office of Federal and State Materials and Environmental Management Programs, U.S...

76 FR 9381 - Notice of Availability of Interim Staff Guidance Documents for Spent Fuel Storage Casks

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-17

.... FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Matthew Gordon, Structural Mechanics and Materials Branch, Division... a fee. Comments and questions on ISG-23 should be directed to Matthew Gordon, Structural Mechanics..., 2011. For the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Michele Sampson, Acting Chief, Structural Mechanics...

27 CFR 25.35 - Tanks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... TREASURY LIQUORS BEER Construction and Equipment Equipment § 25.35 Tanks. Each stationary tank, vat, cask or other container used, or intended for use, as a receptacle for wort, beer or concentrate produced from beer shall: (a) Be durably marked with a serial number and capacity; and (b) Be equipped with a...

27 CFR 25.35 - Tanks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... TREASURY ALCOHOL BEER Construction and Equipment Equipment § 25.35 Tanks. Each stationary tank, vat, cask or other container used, or intended for use, as a receptacle for wort, beer or concentrate produced from beer shall: (a) Be durably marked with a serial number and capacity; and (b) Be equipped with a...

75 FR 41404 - List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: NUHOMS®

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-16

.... The NRC is taking this action because the applicant identified that a certain Technical Specification (TS) for Boral characterization was not written precisely. Specifically, the requirements for meeting... changes to the technical specifications. The NRC also published a direct final rule on May 6, 2010 (75 FR...

75 FR 41369 - List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: NUHOMS® HD Revision 1; Withdrawal

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-16

...) Number 1030. The NRC is taking this action because the applicant identified that a certain Technical Specification (TS) for Boral characterization was not written precisely and in a manner that could be readily... cavity water removal operations, and making [[Page 41370

76 FR 2243 - List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: NUHOMS ® HD System Revision 1

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-13

... the requirements of reconstituted fuel assemblies; add requirements to qualify metal matrix composite... requirements to qualify metal matrix composite neutron absorbers with integral aluminum cladding; clarify the... requirements to qualify metal matrix composite neutron absorbers with integral aluminum cladding; clarify the...

78 FR 3853 - Retrievability, Cladding Integrity and Safe Handling of Spent Fuel at an Independent Spent Fuel...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-17

... requirement that loaded storage casks also meet transportation requirements. Integration of storage and... transported from the storage location. As part of its evaluation of integration and compatibility between... evaluating compatibility of storage and transportation regulations. As part of its evaluation of integration...

27 CFR 25.35 - Tanks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... TREASURY LIQUORS BEER Construction and Equipment Equipment § 25.35 Tanks. Each stationary tank, vat, cask or other container used, or intended for use, as a receptacle for wort, beer or concentrate produced from beer shall: (a) Be durably marked with a serial number and capacity; and (b) Be equipped with a...

OCRWM Bulletin: Westinghouse begins designing multi-purpose canister

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1995-09-01

This publication consists of two parts: OCRWM (Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management) Bulletin; and Of Mountains & Science which has articles on the Yucca Mountain project. The OCRWM provides information about OCRWM activities and in this issue has articles on multi-purpose canister design, and transportation cask trailer.

78 FR 79021 - Sunshine Act Meeting Notice

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-27

... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [NRC-2013-0001] Sunshine Act Meeting Notice DATES: Weeks of December... meetings scheduled for the week of December 30, 2013. Week of January 6, 2014--Tentative Monday, January 6... to Dry Casks (Public Meeting) (Contact: Kevin Witt, 301-415-2145). This meeting will be webcast live...

27 CFR 26.40 - Marking containers of distilled spirits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... spirits. The distiller, rectifier, or bottler shall serially number each case, barrel, cask, or similar... the container, the distiller, rectifier, or bottler shall plainly print, stamp, or stencil with..., rectifier, or bottler. (b) The brand name and kind of liquor; (c) The wine and proof gallon contents; or...

Cold Spraying of Cu-Al-Bronze for Cavitation Protection in Marine Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krebs, S.; Gärtner, F.; Klassen, T.

2015-01-01

Traveling at high speeds, ships have to face the problem of rudder cavitation-erosion. At present, the problem is countered by fluid dynamically optimized rudders, synthetic, and weld-cladded coatings on steel basis. Nevertheless, docking and repair is required after certain intervals. Bulk Cu-Al-bronzes are in use at ships propellers to withstand corrosion and cavitation. Deposited as coatings with bulk-like properties, such bronzes could also enhance rudder life times. The present study investigates the coating formation by cold spraying CuAl10Fe5Ni5 bronze powders. By calculations of the impact conditions, the range of optimum spray parameters was preselected in terms of the coating quality parameter η on steel substrates with different temperatures. As-atomized and annealed powders were compared to optimize cavitation resistance of the coatings. Results provide insights about the interplay between the mechanical properties of powder and substrate for coating formation. Single particle impact morphologies visualize the deformation behavior. Coating performance was assessed by analyzing microstructures, bond strength, and cavitation resistance. These first results demonstrate that cold-sprayed bronze coatings have a high potential for ensuring a good performances in rudder protection. With further optimization, such coatings could evolve towards a competitive alternative to existing anti-cavitation procedures.

Performance optimization of marine propellers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Chang-Sup; Choi, Young-Dal; Ahn, Byoung-Kwon; Shin, Myoung-Sup; Jang, Hyun-Gil

2010-12-01

Recently a Wide Chord Tip (WCT) propeller has been developed and applied to a commercial ship by STX Offshore & Shipbuilding. It is reported that the WCT propeller significantly reduces pressure fluctuations and also ship's noise and vibration. On the sea trial, vibration magnitude in the accommodations at NCR was measured at 0.9mm/sec which is only 10% of international allowable magnitude of vibration (9mm/sec). In this paper, a design method for increasing performance of the marine propellers including the WCT propeller is suggested. It is described to maximize the performance of the propeller by adjusting expanded areas of the propeller blade. Results show that efficiency can be increased up to over 2% through the suggested design method.

Generalized ISAR--part I: an optimal method for imaging large naval vessels.

PubMed

Given, James A; Schmidt, William R

2005-11-01

We describe a generalized inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) process that performs well under a wide variety of conditions common to the naval ISAR tests of large vessels. In particular, the generalized ISAR process performs well in the presence of moderate intensity ship roll. The process maps localized scatterers onto peaks on the ISAR plot. However, in a generalized ISAR plot, each of the two coordinates of a peak is a fixed linear combination of the three ship coordinates of the scatterer causing the peak. Combining this process with interferometry will then provide high-accuracy three-dimensional location of the important scatterers on a ship. We show that ISAR can be performed in the presence of simultaneous roll and aspect change, provided the two Doppler rates are not too close in magnitude. We derive the equations needed for generalized ISAR, both roll driven and aspect driven, and test them against simulations performed in a variety of conditions, including large roll amplitudes.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Maheras, Steven J.; Best, Ralph E.; Ross, Steven B.

A preliminary evaluation of removing spent nuclear fuel (SNF) from 13 shutdown nuclear power reactor sites was conducted. At these shutdown sites the nuclear power reactors have been permanently shut down and the sites have been decommissioned or are undergoing decommissioning. The shutdown sites were Maine Yankee, Yankee Rowe, Connecticut Yankee, Humboldt Bay, Big Rock Point, Rancho Seco, Trojan, La Crosse, Zion, Crystal River, Kewaunee, San Onofre, and Vermont Yankee. The evaluation was divided into four components: (1) characterization of the SNF and greater-than-Class C low-level radioactive waste (GTCC waste) inventory, (2) a description of the on-site infrastructure and conditionsmore » relevant to transportation of SNF and GTCC waste, (3) an evaluation of the near-site transportation infrastructure and experience relevant to shipping transportation casks containing SNF and GTCC waste, including identification of gaps in information, and (4) an evaluation of the actions necessary to prepare for and remove SNF and GTCC waste. Every site was found to have at least one off-site transportation mode option for removing its SNF and GTCC waste; some have multiple options. Experience removing large components during reactor decommissioning provided an important source of information used to identify the transportation mode options for the sites. Especially important in conducting the evaluation were site visits, through which information was obtained that would not have been available otherwise. Extensive photographs taken during the site visits proved to be particularly useful in documenting the current conditions at or near the sites. It is expected that additional site visits will be conducted to add to the information presented in the evaluation.« less

Design Space Exploration and Optimization Using Modern Ship Design Tools

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-01

Model Editor will open again. Aviation Facilities Indicator should be set to MINOR AVN since we are required to have two helicopters in our design. The...other options are NONE and MAJOR AVN . The former should be selected if no aviation facilities are required and the latter should be chosen only for

Vibration control of a ship engine system using high-load magnetorheological mounts associated with a new indirect fuzzy sliding mode controller

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phu, Do Xuan; Choi, Seung-Bok

2015-02-01

In this work, a new high-load magnetorheological (MR) fluid mount system is devised and applied to control vibration in a ship engine. In the investigation of vibration-control performance, a new modified indirect fuzzy sliding mode controller is formulated and realized. The design of the proposed MR mount is based on the flow mode of MR fluid, and it includes two separated coils for generating a magnetic field. An optimization process is carried out to achieve maximal damping force under certain design constraints, such as the allowable height of the mount. As an actuating smart fluid, a new plate-like iron-particle-based MR fluid is used, instead of the conventional spherical iron-particle-based MR fluid. After evaluating the field-dependent yield stress of the MR fluid, the field-dependent damping force required to control unwanted vibration in the ship engine is determined. Subsequently, an appropriate-sized MR mount is manufactured and its damping characteristics are evaluated. After confirming the sufficient damping force level of the manufactured MR mount, a medium-sized ship engine mount system consisting of eight MR mounts is established, and its dynamic governing equations are derived. A new modified indirect fuzzy sliding mode controller is then formulated and applied to the engine mount system. The displacement and velocity responses show that the unwanted vibrations of the ship engine system can be effectively controlled in both the axial and radial directions by applying the proposed control methodology.

Design of a new engine mount for vertical and horizontal vibration control using magnetorheological fluid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phu, D. X.; Choi, S. B.; Lee, Y. S.; Han, M. S.

2014-10-01

This paper presents a new design of a magnetorheological fluid (MR) mount for vibration control considering both vertical forces and horizontal moments such as are met in various engine systems, including a medium high-speed engine of ship. The newly designed mount, called a MR brake mount, offers several salient benefits such as small size and relatively high load capacity compared with a conventional MR engine mount that can control vertical vibration only. The principal design parameters of the proposed mount are optimally determined to achieve maximum torque with geometric and spatial constraints. Subsequently, the proposed MR mount is designed and manufactured based on the optimized design parameters. It is shown from experimental testing that the proposed mount, which combines MR mount with MR brake, can produce the desired force and torque to reduce unwanted vibration of a medium high-speed engine system of ship subjected to both vertical and horizontal exciting motions. In addition, it is verified that there is no large difference between experiment results and simulation results that are obtained from an analytical model derived in this work.

Review of Hybrid (Deterministic/Monte Carlo) Radiation Transport Methods, Codes, and Applications at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wagner, John C; Peplow, Douglas E.; Mosher, Scott W

2011-01-01

This paper provides a review of the hybrid (Monte Carlo/deterministic) radiation transport methods and codes used at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and examples of their application for increasing the efficiency of real-world, fixed-source Monte Carlo analyses. The two principal hybrid methods are (1) Consistent Adjoint Driven Importance Sampling (CADIS) for optimization of a localized detector (tally) region (e.g., flux, dose, or reaction rate at a particular location) and (2) Forward Weighted CADIS (FW-CADIS) for optimizing distributions (e.g., mesh tallies over all or part of the problem space) or multiple localized detector regions (e.g., simultaneous optimization of two or moremore » localized tally regions). The two methods have been implemented and automated in both the MAVRIC sequence of SCALE 6 and ADVANTG, a code that works with the MCNP code. As implemented, the methods utilize the results of approximate, fast-running 3-D discrete ordinates transport calculations (with the Denovo code) to generate consistent space- and energy-dependent source and transport (weight windows) biasing parameters. These methods and codes have been applied to many relevant and challenging problems, including calculations of PWR ex-core thermal detector response, dose rates throughout an entire PWR facility, site boundary dose from arrays of commercial spent fuel storage casks, radiation fields for criticality accident alarm system placement, and detector response for special nuclear material detection scenarios and nuclear well-logging tools. Substantial computational speed-ups, generally O(102-4), have been realized for all applications to date. This paper provides a brief review of the methods, their implementation, results of their application, and current development activities, as well as a considerable list of references for readers seeking more information about the methods and/or their applications.« less

10 CFR 72.248 - Safety analysis report updating.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... appropriate, the last update to the FSAR under this section. The update shall include the effects 1 of: 1... for a spent fuel storage cask design shall update periodically, as provided in paragraph (b) of this... the issued Certificate of Compliance (CoC). (b) Each update shall contain all the changes necessary to...

10 CFR 72.248 - Safety analysis report updating.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... appropriate, the last update to the FSAR under this section. The update shall include the effects 1 of: 1... for a spent fuel storage cask design shall update periodically, as provided in paragraph (b) of this... the issued Certificate of Compliance (CoC). (b) Each update shall contain all the changes necessary to...

10 CFR 72.248 - Safety analysis report updating.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... appropriate, the last update to the FSAR under this section. The update shall include the effects 1 of: 1... for a spent fuel storage cask design shall update periodically, as provided in paragraph (b) of this... the issued Certificate of Compliance (CoC). (b) Each update shall contain all the changes necessary to...

10 CFR 72.248 - Safety analysis report updating.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... appropriate, the last update to the FSAR under this section. The update shall include the effects 1 of: 1... for a spent fuel storage cask design shall update periodically, as provided in paragraph (b) of this... the issued Certificate of Compliance (CoC). (b) Each update shall contain all the changes necessary to...

10 CFR 72.48 - Changes, tests, and experiments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... facility or spent fuel storage cask design, of changes in procedures, and of tests and experiments made... 10 Energy 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Changes, tests, and experiments. 72.48 Section 72.48... Issuance and Conditions of License § 72.48 Changes, tests, and experiments. (a) Definitions for the...

10 CFR 72.48 - Changes, tests, and experiments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... facility or spent fuel storage cask design, of changes in procedures, and of tests and experiments made... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Changes, tests, and experiments. 72.48 Section 72.48... Issuance and Conditions of License § 72.48 Changes, tests, and experiments. (a) Definitions for the...

76 FR 70374 - List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: MAGNASTOR® System, Revision 2

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-14

... Trussell, Office of Federal and State Materials and Environmental Management Programs, U.S. Nuclear... Management System (ADAMS): Publicly available documents created or received at the NRC are available online... protection of public health and safety continues to be ensured. The direct final rule will become effective...

27 CFR 26.207 - Destruction of marks and brands.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... brands. 26.207 Section 26.207 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE... Products Coming Into the United States From the Virgin Islands § 26.207 Destruction of marks and brands. The marks, brands, and serial numbers required by this part to be placed on barrels, casks, or similar...

27 CFR 26.41 - Destruction of marks and brands.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... brands. 26.41 Section 26.41 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE... Products Coming Into the United States From Puerto Rico § 26.41 Destruction of marks and brands. The marks, brands, and serial numbers required by this part to be placed on barrels, casks, or similar containers...

9. DETAIL VIEW OF BRIDGE CRANE ON WEST SIDE OF ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

9. DETAIL VIEW OF BRIDGE CRANE ON WEST SIDE OF BUILDING. CAMERA FACING NORTHEAST. CONTAMINATED AIR FILTERS LOADED IN TRANSPORT CASKS WERE TRANSFERRED TO VEHICLES AND SENT TO RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT COMPLEX FOR STORAGE. INEEL PROOF NUMBER HD-17-1. - Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Old Waste Calcining Facility, Scoville, Butte County, ID

78 FR 74188 - Sunshine Act Meetings Notice

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-10

... Casks (Public Meeting) (Contact: Kevin Witt, 301-415-2145) This meeting will be Web cast live at the Web... Weather Events (Public Meeting) (Contact: George Wilson, 301-415-1711) This meeting will be Web cast live... will be Web cast live at the Web address-- http://www.nrc.gov/ . Week of January 13, 2014--Tentative...

Between wilderness and the middle landscape: A rocky road

Treesearch

Lisi Krall

2007-01-01

Wilderness preservation, as one branch of conservation, demonstrates a decidedly different cultural ethos than the utilitarian branch. Thus, preservation and utilitarian conservation represent different habits of thought fermenting in the cask of l9th century economic evolution. More specifically, the utilitarian branch of conservation can easily be viewed as an...

10 CFR 72.103 - Geological and seismological characteristics for applications for dry cask modes of storage on or...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

..., and that are not in areas of known seismic activity, a standardized design earthquake ground motion... motion, tectonic surface deformation, nontectonic deformation, earthquake recurrence rates, fault... of the Design Earthquake Ground Motion (DE). The DE for the site is characterized by both horizontal...

10 CFR 72.103 - Geological and seismological characteristics for applications for dry cask modes of storage on or...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

..., and that are not in areas of known seismic activity, a standardized design earthquake ground motion... motion, tectonic surface deformation, nontectonic deformation, earthquake recurrence rates, fault... of the Design Earthquake Ground Motion (DE). The DE for the site is characterized by both horizontal...

10 CFR 72.103 - Geological and seismological characteristics for applications for dry cask modes of storage on or...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

..., and that are not in areas of known seismic activity, a standardized design earthquake ground motion... motion, tectonic surface deformation, nontectonic deformation, earthquake recurrence rates, fault... of the Design Earthquake Ground Motion (DE). The DE for the site is characterized by both horizontal...

10 CFR 72.103 - Geological and seismological characteristics for applications for dry cask modes of storage on or...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

..., and that are not in areas of known seismic activity, a standardized design earthquake ground motion... motion, tectonic surface deformation, nontectonic deformation, earthquake recurrence rates, fault... of the Design Earthquake Ground Motion (DE). The DE for the site is characterized by both horizontal...

10 CFR 72.103 - Geological and seismological characteristics for applications for dry cask modes of storage on or...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

..., and that are not in areas of known seismic activity, a standardized design earthquake ground motion... motion, tectonic surface deformation, nontectonic deformation, earthquake recurrence rates, fault... of the Design Earthquake Ground Motion (DE). The DE for the site is characterized by both horizontal...

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Finch, Robert J.; Smartt, Heidi A.; Haddal, Risa

Once a geological repository has begun operations, the encapsulation and disposal of spent fuel will be performed as a continuous, industrial-scale series of processes, during which time safeguards seals will be applied to transportation casks before shipment from an encapsulation plant, and then verified and removed following receipt at the repository. These operations will occur approximately daily during several decades of Sweden's repository operation; however, requiring safeguards inspectors to perform the application, verification, and removal of every seal would be an onerous burden on International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA's) resources. Current IAEA practice includes allowing operators to either apply sealsmore » or remove them, but not both, so the daily task of either applying or verifying and removing would still require continuous presence of IAEA inspectors at one site at least. Of special importance is the inability to re-verify cask or canisters from which seals have been removed and the canisters emplaced underground. Successfully designing seals that can be applied, verified and removed by an operator with IAEA approval could impact more than repository shipments, but other applications as well, potentially reducing inspector burdens for a wide range of such duties.« less

Baseline Design Compliance Matrix for the Rotary Mode Core Sampling System

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

LECHELT, J.A.

2000-10-17

The purpose of the design compliance matrix (DCM) is to provide a single-source document of all design requirements associated with the fifteen subsystems that make up the rotary mode core sampling (RMCS) system. It is intended to be the baseline requirement document for the RMCS system and to be used in governing all future design and design verification activities associated with it. This document is the DCM for the RMCS system used on Hanford single-shell radioactive waste storage tanks. This includes the Exhauster System, Rotary Mode Core Sample Trucks, Universal Sampling System, Diesel Generator System, Distribution Trailer, X-Ray Cart System,more » Breathing Air Compressor, Nitrogen Supply Trailer, Casks and Cask Truck, Service Trailer, Core Sampling Riser Equipment, Core Sampling Support Trucks, Foot Clamp, Ramps and Platforms and Purged Camera System. Excluded items are tools such as light plants and light stands. Other items such as the breather inlet filter are covered by a different design baseline. In this case, the inlet breather filter is covered by the Tank Farms Design Compliance Matrix.« less

Adaptive Path Control of Surface Ships in Restricted Waters.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-08-01

and Fn=0.116-- Random Walk Disturbance Model 31 6. Optimal Gains for Tokyo Mazu at H/T=- and Fn=0.116-- Random Walk Disturbance Model 39 7. RMS Cost J...yaw mass moment of inertia [kgm 2 V =21 /pL nondimensional yaw mass moment of inertia zz zz J optimal control or Weighted Least-Squares cost function...J RMS cost , eq. (70) J 5yaw added mass moment of inertia [kgm 2 iz=2Jz/pL nondimensional yaw added mass moment of inertia zz zz K Kalman-Bucy state

Costs and benefits of low-sulphur fuel standard for Baltic Sea shipping.

PubMed

Antturi, Jim; Hänninen, Otto; Jalkanen, Jukka-Pekka; Johansson, Lasse; Prank, Marje; Sofiev, Mikhail; Ollikainen, Markku

2016-12-15

The maximum allowable fuel sulphur content for shipping in the Baltic Sea dropped from 1%S to 0.1%S in 1 January 2015. We provide a cost-benefit analysis of the sulphur reduction policy in the Baltic Sea Sulphur Emission Control Area (SECA). We calculated the abatement costs based on shipowners' optimal decision-making in choosing between low-sulphur fuel and a sulphur scrubber, and the benefits were modelled through a high-resolution impact pathway analysis, which took into account the formation and dispersion of the emissions, and considered the positive health impacts resulting from lowered ambient PM 2.5 concentrations. Our basic result indicates that for the Baltic Sea only, the latest sulphur regulation is not cost-effective. The expected annual cost is roughly €465 M and benefit 2200 saved Disability Adjusted Life-Years (DALYs) or monetized €105 M. Based on our sensitivity analysis, the benefits yet have a potential to exceed the costs. The analysis neither takes into account the acidifying impact of sulphur nor the impact North Sea shipping has on the cost-benefit ratio. Lastly, a similar approach is found highly recommendable to study the implications of the upcoming Tier III NO x standard for shipping. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of optimal configuration of hybrid Life Support System for Space.

PubMed

Bartsev, S I; Mezhevikin, V V; Okhonin, V A

2000-01-01

Any comprehensive evaluation of Life Support Systems (LSS) for space applications has to be conducted taking into account not only mass of LSS components but also all relevant equipment and storage: spare parts, additional mass of space ship walls, power supply and heat rejection systems. In this paper different combinations of hybrid LSS (HLSS) components were evaluated. Three variants of power supply were under consideration--solar arrays, direct solar light transmission to plants, and nuclear power. The software based on simplex approach was used for optimizing LSS configuration with respect to its mass. It was shown that there are several LSS configuration, which are optimal for different time intervals. Optimal configurations of physical-chemical (P/C), biological and hybrid LSS for three types of power supply are presented.

Advancing the Fork detector for quantitative spent nuclear fuel verification

DOE PAGES

Vaccaro, S.; Gauld, I. C.; Hu, J.; ...

2018-01-31

The Fork detector is widely used by the safeguards inspectorate of the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to verify spent nuclear fuel. Fork measurements are routinely performed for safeguards prior to dry storage cask loading. Additionally, spent fuel verification will be required at the facilities where encapsulation is performed for acceptance in the final repositories planned in Sweden and Finland. The use of the Fork detector as a quantitative instrument has not been prevalent due to the complexity of correlating the measured neutron and gamma ray signals with fuel inventories and operator declarations.more » A spent fuel data analysis module based on the ORIGEN burnup code was recently implemented to provide automated real-time analysis of Fork detector data. This module allows quantitative predictions of expected neutron count rates and gamma units as measured by the Fork detectors using safeguards declarations and available reactor operating data. This study describes field testing of the Fork data analysis module using data acquired from 339 assemblies measured during routine dry cask loading inspection campaigns in Europe. Assemblies include both uranium oxide and mixed-oxide fuel assemblies. More recent measurements of 50 spent fuel assemblies at the Swedish Central Interim Storage Facility for Spent Nuclear Fuel are also analyzed. An evaluation of uncertainties in the Fork measurement data is performed to quantify the ability of the data analysis module to verify operator declarations and to develop quantitative go/no-go criteria for safeguards verification measurements during cask loading or encapsulation operations. The goal of this approach is to provide safeguards inspectors with reliable real-time data analysis tools to rapidly identify discrepancies in operator declarations and to detect potential partial defects in spent fuel assemblies with improved reliability and minimal false positive alarms. Finally, the results are summarized, and sources and magnitudes of uncertainties are identified, and the impact of analysis uncertainties on the ability to confirm operator declarations is quantified.« less

Advancing the Fork detector for quantitative spent nuclear fuel verification

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vaccaro, S.; Gauld, I. C.; Hu, J.

The Fork detector is widely used by the safeguards inspectorate of the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to verify spent nuclear fuel. Fork measurements are routinely performed for safeguards prior to dry storage cask loading. Additionally, spent fuel verification will be required at the facilities where encapsulation is performed for acceptance in the final repositories planned in Sweden and Finland. The use of the Fork detector as a quantitative instrument has not been prevalent due to the complexity of correlating the measured neutron and gamma ray signals with fuel inventories and operator declarations.more » A spent fuel data analysis module based on the ORIGEN burnup code was recently implemented to provide automated real-time analysis of Fork detector data. This module allows quantitative predictions of expected neutron count rates and gamma units as measured by the Fork detectors using safeguards declarations and available reactor operating data. This study describes field testing of the Fork data analysis module using data acquired from 339 assemblies measured during routine dry cask loading inspection campaigns in Europe. Assemblies include both uranium oxide and mixed-oxide fuel assemblies. More recent measurements of 50 spent fuel assemblies at the Swedish Central Interim Storage Facility for Spent Nuclear Fuel are also analyzed. An evaluation of uncertainties in the Fork measurement data is performed to quantify the ability of the data analysis module to verify operator declarations and to develop quantitative go/no-go criteria for safeguards verification measurements during cask loading or encapsulation operations. The goal of this approach is to provide safeguards inspectors with reliable real-time data analysis tools to rapidly identify discrepancies in operator declarations and to detect potential partial defects in spent fuel assemblies with improved reliability and minimal false positive alarms. Finally, the results are summarized, and sources and magnitudes of uncertainties are identified, and the impact of analysis uncertainties on the ability to confirm operator declarations is quantified.« less

Plasma Membrane Ca2+-ATPase 4 in Murine Epididymis: Secretion of Splice Variants in the Luminal Fluid and a Role in Sperm Maturation1

PubMed Central

Patel, Ramkrishna; Al-Dossary, Amal A.; Stabley, Deborah L.; Barone, Carol; Galileo, Deni S.; Strehler, Emanuel E.; Martin-DeLeon, Patricia A.

2013-01-01

ABSTRACT Plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPase isoform 4 (PMCA4) is the primary Ca2+ efflux pump in murine sperm, where it regulates motility. In Pmca4 null sperm, motility loss results in infertility. We have shown that murine sperm PMCA4b interacts with Ca2+/CaM-dependent serine kinase (CASK) in regulating Ca2+ homeostasis and motility. However, recent work indicated that the bovine PMCA4a splice variant (missing in testis) is epididymally expressed, along with 4b, and may be transferred to sperm. Here we show, via conventional and in situ RT-PCR, that both the splice variants of Pmca4 mRNA are expressed in murine testis and throughout the epididymis. Immunofluorescence localized PMCA4a to the apical membrane of the epididymal epithelium, and Western analysis not only confirmed its presence but showed for the first time that PMCA4a and PMCA4b are secreted in the epididymal luminal fluid (ELF), from which epididymosomes containing PMCA4a were isolated. Flow cytometry indicated the presence of PMCA4a on mature caudal sperm where it was increased ∼5-fold compared to caput sperm (detected by Western blotting) and ∼2-fold after incubation in ELF, revealing in vitro uptake and implicating PMCA4a in epididymal sperm maturation. Coimmunoprecipitation using pan-PMCA4 antibodies, revealed that both variants associate with CASK, suggesting their presence in a complex. Because they have different kinetic properties for Ca2+ transport and different abilities to bind to CASK, our study suggests a mechanism for combining the functional attributes of both PMCA4 variants, leading to heightened efficiency of the pump in the maintenance of Ca2+ homeostasis, which is crucial for normal motility and male fertility. PMID:23699388

Evaluation of Aluminum-Boron Carbide Neutron Absorbing Materials for Interim Storage of Used Nuclear Fuel

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Lumin; Wierschke, Jonathan Brett

2015-04-08

The objective of this work was to understand the corrosion behavior of Boral® and Bortec® neutron absorbers over long-term deployment in a used nuclear fuel dry cask storage environment. Corrosion effects were accelerated by flowing humidified argon through an autoclave at temperatures up to 570°C. Test results show little corrosion of the aluminum matrix but that boron is leaching out of the samples. Initial tests performed at 400 and 570°C were hampered by reduced flow caused by the rapid build-up of solid deposits in the outlet lines. Analysis of the deposits by XRD shows that the deposits are comprised ofmore » boron trioxide and sassolite (H 3BO 3). The collection of boron- containing compounds in the outlet lines indicated that boron was being released from the samples. Observation of the exposed samples using SEM and optical microscopy show the growth of new phases in the samples. These phases were most prominent in Bortec® samples exposed at 570°C. Samples of Boral® exposed at 570°C showed minimal new phase formation but showed nearly the complete loss of boron carbide particles. Boron carbide loss was also significant in Boral samples at 400°C. However, at 400°C phases similar to those found in Bortec® were observed. The rapid loss of the boron carbide particles in the Boral® is suspected to inhibit the formation of the new secondary phases. However, Material samples in an actual dry cask environment would be exposed to temperatures closer to 300°C and less water than the lowest test. The results from this study conclude that at the temperature and humidity levels present in a dry cask environment, corrosion and boron leaching will have no effect on the performance of Boral® and Bortec® to maintain criticality control.« less

Depleted uranium hexafluoride: The source material for advanced shielding systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Quapp, W.J.; Lessing, P.A.; Cooley, C.R.

1997-02-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has a management challenge and financial liability problem in the form of 50,000 cylinders containing 555,000 metric tons of depleted uranium hexafluoride (UF{sub 6}) that are stored at the gaseous diffusion plants. DOE is evaluating several options for the disposition of this UF{sub 6}, including continued storage, disposal, and recycle into a product. Based on studies conducted to date, the most feasible recycle option for the depleted uranium is shielding in low-level waste, spent nuclear fuel, or vitrified high-level waste containers. Estimates for the cost of disposal, using existing technologies, range between $3.8 andmore » $11.3 billion depending on factors such as the disposal site and the applicability of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Advanced technologies can reduce these costs, but UF{sub 6} disposal still represents large future costs. This paper describes an application for depleted uranium in which depleted uranium hexafluoride is converted into an oxide and then into a heavy aggregate. The heavy uranium aggregate is combined with conventional concrete materials to form an ultra high density concrete, DUCRETE, weighing more than 400 lb/ft{sup 3}. DUCRETE can be used as shielding in spent nuclear fuel/high-level waste casks at a cost comparable to the lower of the disposal cost estimates. Consequently, the case can be made that DUCRETE shielded casks are an alternative to disposal. In this case, a beneficial long term solution is attained for much less than the combined cost of independently providing shielded casks and disposing of the depleted uranium. Furthermore, if disposal is avoided, the political problems associated with selection of a disposal location are also avoided. Other studies have also shown cost benefits for low level waste shielded disposal containers.« less

Bias estimates used in lieu of validation of fission products and minor actinides in MCNP K eff calculations for PWR burnup credit casks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mueller, Don E.; Marshall, William J.; Wagner, John C.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Division of Spent Fuel Storage and Transportation recently issued Interim Staff Guidance (ISG) 8, Revision 3. This ISG provides guidance for burnup credit (BUC) analyses supporting transport and storage of PWR pressurized water reactor (PWR) fuel in casks. Revision 3 includes guidance for addressing validation of criticality (k eff) calculations crediting the presence of a limited set of fission products and minor actinides (FP&MA). Based on previous work documented in NUREG/CR-7109, recommendation 4 of ISG-8, Rev. 3, includes a recommendation to use 1.5 or 3% of the FP&MA worth to conservatively cover the biasmore » due to the specified FP&MAs. This bias is supplementary to the bias and bias uncertainty resulting from validation of k eff calculations for the major actinides in SNF and does not address extension to actinides and fission products beyond those identified herein. The work described in this report involves comparison of FP&MA worths calculated using SCALE and MCNP with ENDF/B-V, -VI, and -VII based nuclear data and supports use of the 1.5% FP&MA worth bias when either SCALE or MCNP codes are used for criticality calculations, provided the other conditions of the recommendation 4 are met. The method used in this report may also be applied to demonstrate the applicability of the 1.5% FP&MA worth bias to other codes using ENDF/B V, VI or VII based nuclear data. The method involves use of the applicant s computational method to generate FP&MA worths for a reference SNF cask model using specified spent fuel compositions. The applicant s FP&MA worths are then compared to reference values provided in this report. The applicants FP&MA worths should not exceed the reference results by more than 1.5% of the reference FP&MA worths.« less

Advancing the Fork detector for quantitative spent nuclear fuel verification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vaccaro, S.; Gauld, I. C.; Hu, J.; De Baere, P.; Peterson, J.; Schwalbach, P.; Smejkal, A.; Tomanin, A.; Sjöland, A.; Tobin, S.; Wiarda, D.

2018-04-01

The Fork detector is widely used by the safeguards inspectorate of the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to verify spent nuclear fuel. Fork measurements are routinely performed for safeguards prior to dry storage cask loading. Additionally, spent fuel verification will be required at the facilities where encapsulation is performed for acceptance in the final repositories planned in Sweden and Finland. The use of the Fork detector as a quantitative instrument has not been prevalent due to the complexity of correlating the measured neutron and gamma ray signals with fuel inventories and operator declarations. A spent fuel data analysis module based on the ORIGEN burnup code was recently implemented to provide automated real-time analysis of Fork detector data. This module allows quantitative predictions of expected neutron count rates and gamma units as measured by the Fork detectors using safeguards declarations and available reactor operating data. This paper describes field testing of the Fork data analysis module using data acquired from 339 assemblies measured during routine dry cask loading inspection campaigns in Europe. Assemblies include both uranium oxide and mixed-oxide fuel assemblies. More recent measurements of 50 spent fuel assemblies at the Swedish Central Interim Storage Facility for Spent Nuclear Fuel are also analyzed. An evaluation of uncertainties in the Fork measurement data is performed to quantify the ability of the data analysis module to verify operator declarations and to develop quantitative go/no-go criteria for safeguards verification measurements during cask loading or encapsulation operations. The goal of this approach is to provide safeguards inspectors with reliable real-time data analysis tools to rapidly identify discrepancies in operator declarations and to detect potential partial defects in spent fuel assemblies with improved reliability and minimal false positive alarms. The results are summarized, and sources and magnitudes of uncertainties are identified, and the impact of analysis uncertainties on the ability to confirm operator declarations is quantified.

Plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPase 4 in murine epididymis: secretion of splice variants in the luminal fluid and a role in sperm maturation.

PubMed

Patel, Ramkrishna; Al-Dossary, Amal A; Stabley, Deborah L; Barone, Carol; Galileo, Deni S; Strehler, Emanuel E; Martin-DeLeon, Patricia A

2013-07-01

Plasma membrane Ca(2+)-ATPase isoform 4 (PMCA4) is the primary Ca(2+) efflux pump in murine sperm, where it regulates motility. In Pmca4 null sperm, motility loss results in infertility. We have shown that murine sperm PMCA4b interacts with Ca(2+)/CaM-dependent serine kinase (CASK) in regulating Ca(2+) homeostasis and motility. However, recent work indicated that the bovine PMCA4a splice variant (missing in testis) is epididymally expressed, along with 4b, and may be transferred to sperm. Here we show, via conventional and in situ RT-PCR, that both the splice variants of Pmca4 mRNA are expressed in murine testis and throughout the epididymis. Immunofluorescence localized PMCA4a to the apical membrane of the epididymal epithelium, and Western analysis not only confirmed its presence but showed for the first time that PMCA4a and PMCA4b are secreted in the epididymal luminal fluid (ELF), from which epididymosomes containing PMCA4a were isolated. Flow cytometry indicated the presence of PMCA4a on mature caudal sperm where it was increased ~5-fold compared to caput sperm (detected by Western blotting) and ~2-fold after incubation in ELF, revealing in vitro uptake and implicating PMCA4a in epididymal sperm maturation. Coimmunoprecipitation using pan-PMCA4 antibodies, revealed that both variants associate with CASK, suggesting their presence in a complex. Because they have different kinetic properties for Ca(2+) transport and different abilities to bind to CASK, our study suggests a mechanism for combining the functional attributes of both PMCA4 variants, leading to heightened efficiency of the pump in the maintenance of Ca(2+) homeostasis, which is crucial for normal motility and male fertility.

Ship and satellite bio-optical research in the California Bight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, R. C.; Baker, K. S.

1982-01-01

Mesoscale biological patterns and processes in productive coastal waters were studied. The physical and biological processes leading to chlorophyll variability were investigated. The ecological and evolutionary significance of this variability, and its relation to the prediction of fish recruitment and marine mammal distributions was studied. Seasonal primary productivity (using chlorophyll as an indication of phytoplankton biomass) for the entire Southern California Bight region was assessed. Complementary and contemporaneous ship and satellite (Nimbus 7-CZCS) bio-optical data from the Southern California Bight and surrounding waters were obtained and analyzed. These data were also utilized for the development of multi-platform sampling strategies and the optimization of algorithms for the estimation of phytoplankton biomass and primary production from satellite imagery.

Optimization of a Simple Ship Structural Model Using MAESTRO

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-03-01

Substructures MAESTRO Model Modules . . . MAESTRO Model Girders . . . . MAESTRO Model Tranverse Frames 9 10 11 12 13 Structural and Non-Structural...Weight Distribution 14 Longitudinal Load Distribution on the Model . 15 Tranverse Load Distribution on the Model . . . 16 Hogging Displacement of...Compression, Flange PYCP Panel Yield - Compression, Plate PSPBT Panel Serviceability- Plate Bending Tranverse PSPBL Panel Serviceability - Plate

Optimized Breech Location in the Harry Diamond Laboratories 4-Inch Gas Gun

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-04-01

GAMA-iy*SQRrA BAR*(1-FRAC L~(GAMA-1))) IF INIT_G(BRL%)<=START TJ - THEN PRINT #BRL% USTNG FORM4$,INIT G(BRL%).VEL ELSE FLAG( BRU ) = 1 - 130 NEXT...CA 93041 COMMANDER DAVID W. TAYLOR NAVAL SHIP RESEARCH S DEVELOPMENT CENTER ATTN ELIZABETH DEMPSEY, CODE 534 ATTN PAUL GRANVILLE, CODE 581

27 CFR 31.231 - Destruction of marks and brands on wine containers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... brands on wine containers. 31.231 Section 31.231 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND... § 31.231 Destruction of marks and brands on wine containers. A dealer who empties any cask, barrel, keg, or other bulk container of wine must scrape or obliterate from the empty container all marks, brands...

PATRAM '80. Proceedings. Volume 2

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Huebner, H.W.

1980-01-01

Volume 2 contains papers from the following sessions: Safeguards-Related Problems; Neutronics and Criticality; Operations and Systems Experience II; Plutonium Systems; Intermediate Storage in Casks; Operations and Systems Planning; Institutional Issues; Structural and Thermal Evaluation I; Poster Session B; Extended Testing I; Structural and Thermal Evaluation II; Extended Testing II; and Emergency Preparedness and Response. Individual papers were processed. (LM)

ROUGHING IT. THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA. SHORT STORIES. POEMS. LITERATURE CURRICULUM III, TEACHER VERSION.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

KITZHABER, ALBERT R.

A TEACHER VERSION OF A LITERATURE CURRICULUM GUIDE WAS PROVIDED FOR TWAIN'S "ROUGHING IT," HEMINGWAY'S "THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA," FOUR SHORT STORIES, AND 20 LYRIC POEMS. THE SHORT STORIES INCLUDED WERE (1) "THE MONKEY'S PAW" BY W.W. JACOBS, (2) "PAUL'S CASE" BY WILLA CATHER, (3) "THE CASK OF…

75 FR 24786 - List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: NUHOMS® HD System Revision 1

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-06

... of establishing one or more technologies that the [Nuclear Regulatory] Commission may, by rule... technology approved by the Commission under Section 218(a) for use at the site of any civilian nuclear power... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 10 CFR Part 72 RIN 3150-AI75 [NRC-2009-0538] List of Approved Spent...

75 FR 33678 - List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: MAGNASTOR System, Revision 1

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-15

... of establishing one or more technologies that the [Nuclear Regulatory] Commission may, by rule... technology approved by the Commission under Section 218(a) for use at the site of any civilian nuclear power... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 10 CFR Part 72 [NRC-2010-0140] RIN 3150-AI86 List of Approved Spent...

77 FR 4203 - List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: MAGNASTOR® System, Revision 2

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-27

... #0; #0;Rules and Regulations #0; Federal Register #0; #0; #0;This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains regulatory documents #0;having general applicability and legal effect, most of which are keyed #0;to and codified in the Code of Federal Regulations, which is published #0;under 50 titles pursuant to...

78 FR 37927 - List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: MAGNASTOR® System

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-25

...;Prices of new books are listed in the first FEDERAL REGISTER issue of each #0;week. #0; #0; #0; #0;#0... ADAMS Search.'' For problems with ADAMS, please contact the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR) reference... not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. This final rule...

76 FR 70331 - List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: MAGNASTOR ® System, Revision 2

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-14

... various boron-10 areal densities for use with Pressurized Water Reactor and Boiling Water Reactor baskets... add various boron-10 areal densities for use with Pressurized Water Reactor and Boiling Water Reactor....1.1 to add various boron-10 areal densities for use with Pressurized Water Reactor and Boiling Water...

Scenario based optimization of a container vessel with respect to its projected operating conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagner, Jonas; Binkowski, Eva; Bronsart, Robert

2014-06-01

In this paper the scenario based optimization of the bulbous bow of the KRISO Container Ship (KCS) is presented. The optimization of the parametrically modeled vessel is based on a statistically developed operational profile generated from noon-to-noon reports of a comparable 3600 TEU container vessel and specific development functions representing the growth of global economy during the vessels service time. In order to consider uncertainties, statistical fluctuations are added. An analysis of these data lead to a number of most probable upcoming operating conditions (OC) the vessel will stay in the future. According to their respective likeliness an objective function for the evaluation of the optimal design variant of the vessel is derived and implemented within the parametrical optimization workbench FRIENDSHIP Framework. In the following this evaluation is done with respect to vessel's calculated effective power based on the usage of potential flow code. The evaluation shows, that the usage of scenarios within the optimization process has a strong influence on the hull form.

Appraisal of Emissions from Ocean-going Vessels Coming to Kolkata Port, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mandal, Anindita; Biswas, Jhumoor; Roychowdhury, Soma; Farooqui, Zuber M.

2017-12-01

Rapid economic growth has escalated India's share in international trade. The pressure on these ports, which handle a substantial portion of the trade, has increased to perform with optimal efficiency, and decrease turnaround time so as to increase the number of ships visiting the port area. The caveat is that increased shipping activity is accompanied by enhanced emissions of harmful pollutants and green house gases. This study has revealed increased turnaround time for ships resulting in substantial emissions from auxiliary engines. There should be an optimum balance between operational control and environmental control of pollutants. Kolkata is a megacity with active riverine ports that can generate high levels of air quality emissions, especially NOx, SOx and particulate matter. An exhaustive annual emissions inventory based on ocean going vessels activity has been developed for 2013-2014 for Kolkata port, using recent EPA approved methodology. This includes greenhouse gas emissions from marine engines as well. The study indicates that amongst the different categories of ocean going ships, containers contribute the most (49%) of air and greenhouse gas emissions in 75th percentile class and above followed by general cargo (14%) and oil tankers (13%). The study depicts existing status of marine emissions in Kolkata port from ocean going vessels, which would serve in development of integrated air quality and climate change management plans and serve as a prototype for other major ports of India.

Application of asymmetric mapping and selective filtering (AM and SF) method to Cosmo/SkyMed images by implementation of a selective blocks approach for ship detection optimization in SEASAFE framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loreggia, D.; Tataranni, F.; Trivero, P.; Biamino, W.; Di Matteo, L.

2017-10-01

We present the implementation of a procedure to adapt an Asymmetric Wiener Filtering (AWF) methodology aimed to detect and discard ghost signal due to azimuth ambiguities in SAR images to the case for X-band Cosmo Sky Med (CSK) images in the framework of SEASAFE (Slick Emissions And Ship Automatic Features Extraction) project, developed at the Department of Science and Technology Innovation of the University of Piemonte Orientale, Alessandria, Italy. SAR is a useful tool to daily and nightly monitoring of the sea surface in all weather conditions. SEASAFE project is a software platform developed in IDL language able to process data in C- Land X-band SAR images with enhanced algorithm modules for land masking, sea pollution (oil spills) and ship detection; wind and wave evaluation are also available. In this contest, the need to individuate and discard false alarms is a critical requirement. The azimuth ambiguity is one of the main causes that generate false alarm in the ship detection procedure. Many methods to face with this problem were proposed and presented in recent literature. After a review of different approach to this problem, we describe the procedure to adapt the AWF approach presented in [1,2] to the case of X-band CSK images by implementing a selective blocks approach.

Branch-pipe-routing approach for ships using improved genetic algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sui, Haiteng; Niu, Wentie

2016-09-01

Branch-pipe routing plays fundamental and critical roles in ship-pipe design. The branch-pipe-routing problem is a complex combinatorial optimization problem and is thus difficult to solve when depending only on human experts. A modified genetic-algorithm-based approach is proposed in this paper to solve this problem. The simplified layout space is first divided into threedimensional (3D) grids to build its mathematical model. Branch pipes in layout space are regarded as a combination of several two-point pipes, and the pipe route between two connection points is generated using an improved maze algorithm. The coding of branch pipes is then defined, and the genetic operators are devised, especially the complete crossover strategy that greatly accelerates the convergence speed. Finally, simulation tests demonstrate the performance of proposed method.

The active muon shield in the SHiP experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akmete, A.; Alexandrov, A.; Anokhina, A.; Aoki, S.; Atkin, E.; Azorskiy, N.; Back, J. J.; Bagulya, A.; Baranov, A.; Barker, G. J.; Bay, A.; Bayliss, V.; Bencivenni, G.; Berdnikov, A. Y.; Berdnikov, Y. A.; Bertani, M.; Betancourt, C.; Bezshyiko, I.; Bezshyyko, O.; Bick, D.; Bieschke, S.; Blanco, A.; Boehm, J.; Bogomilov, M.; Bondarenko, K.; Bonivento, W. M.; Boyarsky, A.; Brenner, R.; Breton, D.; Brundler, R.; Bruschi, M.; Büscher, V.; Buonaura, A.; Buontempo, S.; Cadeddu, S.; Calcaterra, A.; Campanelli, M.; Chauveau, J.; Chepurnov, A.; Chernyavsky, M.; Choi, K.-Y.; Chumakov, A.; Ciambrone, P.; Dallavalle, G. M.; D'Ambrosio, N.; D'Appollonio, G.; De Lellis, G.; De Roeck, A.; De Serio, M.; Dedenko, L.; Di Crescenzo, A.; Di Marco, N.; Dib, C.; Dijkstra, H.; Dmitrenko, V.; Domenici, D.; Donskov, S.; Dubreuil, A.; Ebert, J.; Enik, T.; Etenko, A.; Fabbri, F.; Fabbri, L.; Fedin, O.; Fedorova, G.; Felici, G.; Ferro-Luzzi, M.; Fini, R. A.; Fonte, P.; Franco, C.; Fukuda, T.; Galati, G.; Gavrilov, G.; Gerlach, S.; Golinka-Bezshyyko, L.; Golubkov, D.; Golutvin, A.; Gorbunov, D.; Gorbunov, S.; Gorkavenko, V.; Gornushkin, Y.; Gorshenkov, M.; Grachev, V.; Graverini, E.; Grichine, V.; Guler, A. M.; Guz, Yu.; Hagner, C.; Hakobyan, H.; van Herwijnen, E.; Hollnagel, A.; Hosseini, B.; Hushchyn, M.; Iaselli, G.; Iuliano, A.; Jacobsson, R.; Jonker, M.; Kadenko, I.; Kamiscioglu, C.; Kamiscioglu, M.; Khabibullin, M.; Khaustov, G.; Khotyantsev, A.; Kim, S. H.; Kim, V.; Kim, Y. G.; Kitagawa, N.; Ko, J.-W.; Kodama, K.; Kolesnikov, A.; Kolev, D. I.; Kolosov, V.; Komatsu, M.; Konovalova, N.; Korkmaz, M. A.; Korol, I.; Korol'ko, I.; Korzenev, A.; Kovalenko, S.; Krasilnikova, I.; Krivova, K.; Kudenko, Y.; Kurochka, V.; Kuznetsova, E.; Lacker, H. M.; Lai, A.; Lanfranchi, G.; Lantwin, O.; Lauria, A.; Lebbolo, H.; Lee, K. Y.; Lévy, J.-M.; Lopes, L.; Lyubovitskij, V.; Maalmi, J.; Magnan, A.; Maleev, V.; Malinin, A.; Mefodev, A.; Mermod, P.; Mikado, S.; Mikhaylov, Yu.; Milstead, D. A.; Mineev, O.; Montanari, A.; Montesi, M. C.; Morishima, K.; Movchan, S.; Naganawa, N.; Nakamura, M.; Nakano, T.; Novikov, A.; Obinyakov, B.; Ogawa, S.; Okateva, N.; Owen, P. H.; Paoloni, A.; Park, B. D.; Paparella, L.; Pastore, A.; Patel, M.; Pereyma, D.; Petrenko, D.; Petridis, K.; Podgrudkov, D.; Poliakov, V.; Polukhina, N.; Prokudin, M.; Prota, A.; Rademakers, A.; Ratnikov, F.; Rawlings, T.; Razeti, M.; Redi, F.; Ricciardi, S.; Roganova, T.; Rogozhnikov, A.; Rokujo, H.; Rosa, G.; Rovelli, T.; Ruchayskiy, O.; Ruf, T.; Samoylenko, V.; Saputi, A.; Sato, O.; Savchenko, E. S.; Schmidt-Parzefall, W.; Serra, N.; Shakin, A.; Shaposhnikov, M.; Shatalov, P.; Shchedrina, T.; Shchutska, L.; Shevchenko, V.; Shibuya, H.; Shustov, A.; Silverstein, S. B.; Simone, S.; Skorokhvatov, M.; Smirnov, S.; Sohn, J. Y.; Sokolenko, A.; Starkov, N.; Storaci, B.; Strolin, P.; Takahashi, S.; Timiryasov, I.; Tioukov, V.; Tosi, N.; Treille, D.; Tsenov, R.; Ulin, S.; Ustyuzhanin, A.; Uteshev, Z.; Vankova-Kirilova, G.; Vannucci, F.; Venkova, P.; Vilchinski, S.; Villa, M.; Vlasik, K.; Volkov, A.; Voronkov, R.; Wanke, R.; Woo, J.-K.; Wurm, M.; Xella, S.; Yilmaz, D.; Yilmazer, A. U.; Yoon, C. S.; Zaytsev, Yu.

2017-05-01

The SHiP experiment is designed to search for very weakly interacting particles beyond the Standard Model which are produced in a 400 GeV/c proton beam dump at the CERN SPS. An essential task for the experiment is to keep the Standard Model background level to less than 0.1 event after 2× 1020 protons on target. In the beam dump, around 1011 muons will be produced per second. The muon rate in the spectrometer has to be reduced by at least four orders of magnitude to avoid muon-induced combinatorial background. A novel active muon shield is used to magnetically deflect the muons out of the acceptance of the spectrometer. This paper describes the basic principle of such a shield, its optimization and its performance.

Ultrasonic fingerprinting by phased array transducer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sednev, D.; Kataeva, O.; Abramets, V.; Pushenko, P.; Tverdokhlebova, T.

2016-06-01

Increasing quantity of spent nuclear fuel that must be under national and international control requires a novel approach to safeguard techniques and equipment. One of the proposed approaches is utilize intrinsic features of casks with spent fuel. In this article an application of a phased array ultrasonic method is considered. This study describes an experimental results on ultrasonic fingerprinting of austenitic steel seam weld.

Instrumentation: Nondestructive Examination for Verification of Canister and Cladding Integrity. FY2014 Status Update

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Meyer, Ryan M.; Suter, Jonathan D.; Jones, Anthony M.

2014-09-12

This report documents FY14 efforts for two instrumentation subtasks under storage and transportation. These instrumentation tasks relate to developing effective nondestructive evaluation (NDE) methods and techniques to (1) verify the integrity of metal canisters for the storage of used nuclear fuel (UNF) and to (2) verify the integrity of dry storage cask internals.

ROUGHING IT. THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA. SHORT STORIES. LYRIC POETRY. LITERATURE CURRICULUM III, STUDENT VERSION.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

KITZHABER, ALBERT R.

A STUDENT VERSION OF A LITERATURE CURRICULUM GUIDE WAS PROVIDED FOR TWAIN'S "ROUGHING IT," HEMINGWAY'S "THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA," FOUR SHORT STORIES, AND 20 LYRIC POEMS. THE SHORT STORIES INCLUDED WERE (1) "THE MONKEY'S PAW" BY W.W. JACOBS, (2) "PAUL'S CASE" BY WILLA CATHER, (3) "THE CASK OF…

75 FR 23820 - Notice of Docketing of Amendment Request for Materials License No. SNM-2506; Northern States...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-04

... INFORMATION CONTACT: Pamela Longmire, Ph.D., Project Manager, Licensing Branch, Division of Spent Fuel Storage... Generating Plant (PINGP), Unit Nos. 1 and 2, site in Goodhue County, Minnesota. The TN-40 cask is currently..., higher burnup spent fuel used in the PINGP reactor as well as associated changes to the ISFSI's technical...

Constructing Complexity: Using Reading Levels to Differentiate Reading Comprehension Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

FitzPatrick, Declan

2008-01-01

The author remembers a class when he asked his students to discuss in small groups how Edgar Allan Poe suggests a judgment of the main character in "The Cask of Amontillado". During their discussion it became clear to the author that the students couldn't come to consensus because they had no grasp of the narrator's explanations of his motivations…

75 FR 33853 - Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company; Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation; Issuance of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-15

...) Surveillance Requirement 3.1.6.1 to verify the operability of the concrete cask heat removal system to maintain... Amendment No. 5 for one storage canister at the MY ISFSI. The affected storage canister had a heat load of 9..., and the LCO 3.1.4 time limit for a canister [[Page 33855

Recent developments - US spent fuel disposition

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

One of a US utility's major risk factors in continuing to operate a nuclear plant is managing discharged spent fuel. The US Department of Energy (DOE) signed contracts with utilities guaranteeing government acceptance of spent fuel by 1988. However, on December 17, 1992, DOE Secretary Watkins wrote to Sen. J. Bennett Johnston (D-LA), Chairman of the Senate Energy Committee, indicating a reassessment of DOE's programs, the results of which will be presented to Congress in January 1993. He indicated the Department may not be able to meet the 1988 date, because of difficulty in finding a site for the Monitoredmore » Retrievable Storage facility. Watkins indicated that DOE has investigated an interim solution and decided to expedite a program to certify a multi-purpose standardized cask system for spent fuel receipt, storage, transport, and disposal. To meet the expectations of US utilities, DOE is considering a plan to use federal sites for interim storage of the casks. Secretary Watkins recommended the waste program be taken off-budget and put in a revolving fund established to ensure that money already collected from utilities will be available to meet the schedule for completion of the repository.« less

Development of a novel ultrasonic temperature probe for long-term monitoring of dry cask storage systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bakhtiari, S.; Wang, K.; Elmer, T. W.; Koehl, E.; Raptis, A. C.

2013-01-01

With the recent cancellation of the Yucca Mountain repository and the limited availability of wet storage utilities for spent nuclear fuel (SNF), more attention has been directed toward dry cask storage systems (DCSSs) for long-term storage of SNF. Consequently, more stringent guidelines have been issued for the aging management of dry storage facilities that necessitate monitoring of the conditions of DCSSs. Continuous health monitoring of DCSSs based on temperature variations is one viable method for assessing the integrity of the system. In the present work, a novel ultrasonic temperature probe (UTP) is being tested for long-term online temperature monitoring of DCSSs. Its performance was evaluated and compared with type N thermocouple (NTC) and resistance temperature detector (RTD) using a small-scale dry storage canister mockup. Our preliminary results demonstrate that the UTP system developed at Argonne is able to achieve better than 0.8 °C accuracy, tested at temperatures of up to 400 °C. The temperature resolution is limited only by the sampling rate of the current system. The flexibility of the probe allows conforming to complex geometries thus making the sensor particularly suited to measurement scenarios where access is limited.

Electromagnetic Acoustic Transducers for Robotic Nondestructive Inspection in Harsh Environments.

PubMed

Choi, Sungho; Cho, Hwanjeong; Lindsey, Matthew S; Lissenden, Cliff J

2018-01-11

Elevated temperature, gamma radiation, and geometric constraints inside dry storage casks for spent nuclear fuel represent a harsh environment for nondestructive inspection of the cask and require that the inspection be conducted with a robotic system. Electromagnetic acoustic transducers (EMATs) using non-contact ultrasonic transduction based on the Lorentz force to excite/receive ultrasonic waves are suited for use in the robotic inspection. Periodic permanent magnet EMATs that actuate/receive shear horizontal guided waves are developed for application to robotic nondestructive inspection of stress corrosion cracks in the heat affected zone of welds in stainless steel dry storage canisters. The EMAT's components are carefully selected in consideration of the inspection environment, and tested under elevated temperature and gamma radiation doses up to 177 °C and 5920 krad, respectively, to evaluate the performance of the EMATs under realistic environmental conditions. The effect of gamma radiation is minimal, but the EMAT's performance is affected by temperatures above 121 °C due to the low Curie temperature of the magnets. Different magnets are needed to operate at 177 °C. The EMAT's capability to detect notches is also evaluated from B-scan measurements on 304 stainless steel welded plate containing surface-breaking notches.

Managing the financial risk of low water levels in Great Lakes with index-based contracts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meyer, E.; Characklis, G. W.; Brown, C. M.; Moody, P.

2014-12-01

Low water levels in the Great Lakes have recently had significant financial impacts on the region's commercial shipping, responsible for transporting millions of dollars' worth of bulk goods each year. Low lake levels can significantly affect shipping firms, as cargo capacity is a function of draft, or the distance between water level and the ship's bottom. Draft increases with weight, and lower lake levels force ships to reduce cargo to prevent running aground in shallow harbors, directly impacting the finances of shipping companies. Risk transfer instruments may provide adaptable, yet unexplored, alternatives for managing these financial risks, at significantly less expense than more traditional solutions (e.g., dredging). Index-based financial instruments can be particularly attractive as contract payouts are directly linked to well-defined transparent metrics (e.g., lake levels), eliminating the need for subjective adjustors, as well as concerns over moral hazard. In developing such instruments, a major challenge is identifying an index that is well correlated with financial losses, and thus a contract that reliably pays out when losses are experienced (low basis risk). In this work, a relationship between lake levels and shipping revenues is developed, and actuarial analyses of the frequency and magnitude of revenue losses is completed using this relationship and synthetic water level data. This analysis is used to develop several types of index-based contracts. A standardized suite of binary contracts is developed, with each indexed to lake levels and priced according to predefined thresholds. These are combined to form portfolios with different objectives (e.g. options, collars), with optimal portfolio structure and length of coverage determined by limiting basis risk and contract cost, using simulations over the historic dataset. Results suggest that portfolios of these binary contracts can substantially reduce the risk of financial losses during periods of low lake level at a cost of only 1-3% of total revenues.

SHIPS: Spectral Hierarchical Clustering for the Inference of Population Structure in Genetic Studies

PubMed Central

Bouaziz, Matthieu; Paccard, Caroline; Guedj, Mickael; Ambroise, Christophe

2012-01-01

Inferring the structure of populations has many applications for genetic research. In addition to providing information for evolutionary studies, it can be used to account for the bias induced by population stratification in association studies. To this end, many algorithms have been proposed to cluster individuals into genetically homogeneous sub-populations. The parametric algorithms, such as Structure, are very popular but their underlying complexity and their high computational cost led to the development of faster parametric alternatives such as Admixture. Alternatives to these methods are the non-parametric approaches. Among this category, AWclust has proven efficient but fails to properly identify population structure for complex datasets. We present in this article a new clustering algorithm called Spectral Hierarchical clustering for the Inference of Population Structure (SHIPS), based on a divisive hierarchical clustering strategy, allowing a progressive investigation of population structure. This method takes genetic data as input to cluster individuals into homogeneous sub-populations and with the use of the gap statistic estimates the optimal number of such sub-populations. SHIPS was applied to a set of simulated discrete and admixed datasets and to real SNP datasets, that are data from the HapMap and Pan-Asian SNP consortium. The programs Structure, Admixture, AWclust and PCAclust were also investigated in a comparison study. SHIPS and the parametric approach Structure were the most accurate when applied to simulated datasets both in terms of individual assignments and estimation of the correct number of clusters. The analysis of the results on the real datasets highlighted that the clusterings of SHIPS were the more consistent with the population labels or those produced by the Admixture program. The performances of SHIPS when applied to SNP data, along with its relatively low computational cost and its ease of use make this method a promising solution to infer fine-scale genetic patterns. PMID:23077494

Advanced Ship Detection For Spaceborne Based Maritime Awareness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radius, Andrea; Ferreira, Joao; Carmo, Paulo; Marques, Paulo

2013-12-01

In the last years the increase in marine traffic generated the necessity of global monitoring for marine environment management in terms of safety, security and fisheries. The increasing number of new satellite-based Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) systems, and the intrinsic capability of the transmitted electromagnetic pulses to interact with the ships and to retrieve its cinematic characteristics, made this instrument particularly fit to improve global maritime awareness through the fusion with cooperative data (AIS, VMS, LRIT). The growing need of global maritime awareness gave a push to the realization of different projects in the European context, each one focused on a different particular objective. Particularly useful is the synergy between the operational and research aspects, being the goal of the last to improve the state of the art in the field of ship detection. Two European projects are the key to strive this synergy: the project MARitime Security Service (MARISS), which implements the operational capability, and the R&D Dolphin projects, which is focused on the deep exploitation of remote sensing data and on the technological development of advanced techniques for ship detection and classification purposes, and Seabilla project, which is also dedicated to improve the current ship detection capability and to fuse all the available information from different data sources for border surveillance optimization. This paper introduces the multipurpose Edisoft Vessel Detection software (EdiVDC) implemented by the EDISOFT company, which comes from the necessity to respect increasingly stringent requirements in terms of ship detection. The EdiVDC software is being operationally used in the framework of the MARISS project and it integrates advanced processing algorithms, developed in the scope of the Dolphin project with the cooperation of ISEL-IT (Instituto de Telecomunicações), and data simulators, developed in the context of the Seabilla project, improving the software capability and introducing new functionalities. In this work we present the functionalities of the software and the main results achieved with different types of SAR data.

Field test of available methods to measure remotely SO2 and NOx emissions from ships

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balzani Lööv, J. M.; Alfoldy, B.; Beecken, J.; Berg, N.; Berkhout, A. J. C.; Duyzer, J.; Gast, L. F. L.; Hjorth, J.; Jalkanen, J.-P.; Lagler, F.; Mellqvist, J.; Prata, F.; van der Hoff, G. R.; Westrate, H.; Swart, D. P. J.; Borowiak, A.

2013-11-01

Methods for the determination of ship fuel sulphur content and NOx emission factors from remote measurements have been compared in the harbour of Rotterdam and compared to direct stack emission measurements on the ferry Stena Hollandica. The methods were selected based on a review of the available literature on ship emission measurements. They were either optical (LIDAR, DOAS, UV camera), combined with model based estimates of fuel consumption, or based on the so called "sniffer" principle, where SO2 or NOx emission factors are determined from simultaneous measurement of the increase of CO2 and SO2 or NOx concentrations in the plume of the ship compared to the background. The measurements were performed from stations at land, from a boat, and from a helicopter. Mobile measurement platforms were found to have important advantages compared to the landbased ones because they allow to optimize the sampling conditions and to sample from ships on the open sea. Although optical methods can provide reliable results, it was found that at the state of the art, the "sniffer" approach is the most convenient technique for determining both SO2 and NOx emission factors remotely. The average random error on the determination of SO2 emission factors comparing two identical instrumental set-ups was 6%. However, it was found that apparently minor differences in the instrumental characteristics, such as response time, could cause significant differences between the emission factors determined. Direct stack measurements showed that about 14% of the fuel sulphur content was not emitted as SO2. This was supported by the remote measurements and is in agreement with the results of other field studies.

Field test of available methods to measure remotely SOx and NOx emissions from ships

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balzani Lööv, J. M.; Alfoldy, B.; Gast, L. F. L.; Hjorth, J.; Lagler, F.; Mellqvist, J.; Beecken, J.; Berg, N.; Duyzer, J.; Westrate, H.; Swart, D. P. J.; Berkhout, A. J. C.; Jalkanen, J.-P.; Prata, A. J.; van der Hoff, G. R.; Borowiak, A.

2014-08-01

Methods for the determination of ship fuel sulphur content and NOx emission factors based on remote measurements have been compared in the harbour of Rotterdam and compared to direct stack emission measurements on the ferry Stena Hollandica. The methods were selected based on a review of the available literature on ship emission measurements. They were either optical (LIDAR, Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (DOAS), UV camera), combined with model-based estimates of fuel consumption, or based on the so called "sniffer" principle, where SO2 or NOx emission factors are determined from simultaneous measurement of the increase of CO2 and SO2 or NOx concentrations in the plume of the ship compared to the background. The measurements were performed from stations at land, from a boat and from a helicopter. Mobile measurement platforms were found to have important advantages compared to the land-based ones because they allow optimizing the sampling conditions and sampling from ships on the open sea. Although optical methods can provide reliable results it was found that at the state of the art level, the "sniffer" approach is the most convenient technique for determining both SO2 and NOx emission factors remotely. The average random error on the determination of SO2 emission factors comparing two identical instrumental set-ups was 6%. However, it was found that apparently minor differences in the instrumental characteristics, such as response time, could cause significant differences between the emission factors determined. Direct stack measurements showed that about 14% of the fuel sulphur content was not emitted as SO2. This was supported by the remote measurements and is in agreement with the results of other field studies.

Field study of dried blood spot specimens for HIV-1 drug resistance genotyping.

PubMed

Parry, C M; Parkin, N; Diallo, K; Mwebaza, S; Batamwita, R; DeVos, J; Bbosa, N; Lyagoba, F; Magambo, B; Jordan, M R; Downing, R; Zhang, G; Kaleebu, P; Yang, C; Bertagnolio, S

2014-08-01

Dried blood spots (DBS) are an alternative specimen type for HIV drug resistance genotyping in resource-limited settings. Data relating to the impact of DBS storage and shipment conditions on genotyping efficiency under field conditions are limited. We compared the genotyping efficiencies and resistance profiles of DBS stored and shipped at different temperatures to those of plasma specimens collected in parallel from patients receiving antiretroviral therapy in Uganda. Plasma and four DBS cards from anti-coagulated venous blood and a fifth card from finger-prick blood were prepared from 103 HIV patients with a median viral load (VL) of 57,062 copies/ml (range, 1,081 to 2,964,191). DBS were stored at ambient temperature for 2 or 4 weeks or frozen at -80 °C and shipped from Uganda to the United States at ambient temperature or frozen on dry ice for genotyping using a broadly sensitive in-house method. Plasma (97.1%) and DBS (98.1%) stored and shipped frozen had similar genotyping efficiencies. DBS stored frozen (97.1%) or at ambient temperature for 2 weeks (93.2%) and shipped at ambient temperature also had similar genotyping efficiencies. Genotyping efficiency was reduced for DBS stored at ambient temperature for 4 weeks (89.3%, P = 0.03) or prepared from finger-prick blood and stored at ambient temperature for 2 weeks (77.7%, P < 0.001) compared to DBS prepared from venous blood and handled similarly. Resistance profiles were similar between plasma and DBS specimens. This report delineates the optimal DBS collection, storage, and shipping conditions and opens a new avenue for cost-saving ambient-temperature DBS specimen shipments for HIV drug resistance (HIVDR) surveillances in resource-limited settings. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Assessment of Personality as a Requirement for Next Generation Ship Optimal Manning

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-09-01

Department of Test and Evaluation FFG Frigate Guided Missile FFM Five Factor Model FY HRO Fiscal Year High Reliability Organization HSI Human... FFM ) to classify personality and their associated scales provided a renewed foundation for personality trait research (Digman, 1990). Costa and...McCrae’s (1992) FFM of personality traits (openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and emotional stability) has developed into the

CFD Analysis of a Penta-hulled, Air-Entrapment, High-Speed Planning Vessel

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-03-01

INTRODUCTION A. BACKGROUND The 2007 Total Ship Systems Engineering (TSSE) class was tasked with designing a new riverine craft or specialized...the concept of operations, for our defined system architecture (combined Specialized Command and Control Craft / Mobile Operating Base). This also...of an integration process that requires both systems and equipment optimization while meeting predetermined requirements set for by the Concept of

Fiscal Year 2012 Operational Energy Budget Certification Report

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

High temperature  superconducting  degaussing systems  • Advanced material, energy efficient propellers and waterjets  • Ship drag reduction and...solutions  resulting in significant savings include: optimizing aircraft centers of  gravity , diplomatic cleared  routing, European routing, aircraft

Update Direct-Strike Lightning Environment for Stockpile-to-Target Sequence: Supplement LLNL Subcontract #B568621 Lightning Protection at the Yucca Mountain Waste Storage Facility

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Uman, M A

2008-10-09

The University of Florida has surveyed all relevant publications reporting lightning damage to metals, metals which could be used as components of storage containers for nuclear waste materials. We show that even the most severe lightning could not penetrate the stainless steel thicknesses proposed for nuclear waste storage casks.

Physics Flash August 2016

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kippen, Karen Elizabeth

Physics Flash is the newsletter for the Physics Division at Los Alamos National Laboratory. This newsletter is for August 2016. The following topics are covered: "Accomplishments in the Trident Laser Facility", "David Meyerhofer elected as chair-elect APS Nominating Committee", "HAWC searches for gamma rays from dark matter", "Proton Radiography Facility commissions electromagnetic magnifier", and "Cosmic ray muon computed tomography of spent nuclear fuel in dry storage casks."

19 CFR 4.7 - Inward foreign manifest; production on demand; contents and form; advance filing of cargo...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... enclosed in any container such as a box, bale, bag, cask, or the like. Such cargo is also described as bulk...; contents and form; advance filing of cargo declaration. 4.7 Section 4.7 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND... and form; advance filing of cargo declaration. (a) The master of every vessel arriving in the United...

Pakistan’s Nuclear Weapons: Proliferation and Security Issues

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-06-26

145 Abdul Mannan, “Preventing Nuclear Terrorism in Pakistan: Sabotage of a Spent Fuel Cask or a Commercial ...Pakistan’s Civil Nuclear Program.” Some analysts argue that spent nuclear fuel is more vulnerable when being transported . 146 Martellini, 2008. 147...produced fissile material for its nuclear weapons using gas-centrifuge-based uranium enrichment technology, which it mastered by the mid-1980s

Nuclear Energy Policy

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-01-28

2007. Requires commercial nuclear power plants to transfer spent fuel from pools to dry storage casks and then convey title to the Secretary of Energy...far more economical options for reducing fossil fuel use .15 (For more on federal incentives and the economics of nuclear power, see CRS Report RL33442...uranium enrichment, spent fuel recycling (also called reprocessing), and other fuel cycle facilities that could be used to produce nuclear weapons

Addressing Fission Product Validation in MCNP Burnup Credit Criticality Calculations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mueller, Don; Bowen, Douglas G; Marshall, William BJ J

2015-01-01

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Division of Spent Fuel Storage and Transportation issued Interim Staff Guidance (ISG) 8, Revision 3 in September 2012. This ISG provides guidance for NRC staff members’ review of burnup credit (BUC) analyses supporting transport and dry storage of pressurized water reactor spent nuclear fuel (SNF) in casks. The ISG includes guidance for addressing validation of criticality (k eff) calculations crediting the presence of a limited set of fission products and minor actinides (FP&MAs). Based on previous work documented in NRC Regulatory Guide (NUREG) Contractor Report (CR)-7109, the ISG recommends that NRC staff members acceptmore » the use of either 1.5 or 3% of the FP&MA worth—in addition to bias and bias uncertainty resulting from validation of k eff calculations for the major actinides in SNF—to conservatively account for the bias and bias uncertainty associated with the specified unvalidated FP&MAs. The ISG recommends (1) use of 1.5% of the FP&MA worth if a modern version of SCALE and its nuclear data are used and (2) 3% of the FP&MA worth for well qualified, industry standard code systems other than SCALE with the Evaluated Nuclear Data Files, Part B (ENDF/B),-V, ENDF/B-VI, or ENDF/B-VII cross sections libraries. The work presented in this paper provides a basis for extending the use of the 1.5% of the FP&MA worth bias to BUC criticality calculations performed using the Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) code. The extended use of the 1.5% FP&MA worth bias is shown to be acceptable by comparison of FP&MA worths calculated using SCALE and MCNP with ENDF/B-V, -VI, and -VII–based nuclear data. The comparison supports use of the 1.5% FP&MA worth bias when the MCNP code is used for criticality calculations, provided that the cask design is similar to the hypothetical generic BUC-32 cask model and that the credited FP&MA worth is no more than 0.1 Δk eff (ISG-8, Rev. 3, Recommendation 4).« less

Research on a simulation-based ship production support system for middle-sized shipbuilding companies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Young Joo; Woo, Jong Hun; Shin, Jong Gye

2009-12-01

Today, many middle-sized shipbuilding companies in Korea are experiencing strong competition from shipbuilding companies in other nations. This competition is particularly affecting small- and middle-sized shipyards, rather than the major shipyards that have their own support systems and development capabilities. The acquisition of techniques that would enable maximization of production efficiency and minimization of the gap between planning and execution would increase the competitiveness of small- and middle-sized Korean shipyards. In this paper, research on a simulation-based support system for ship production management, which can be applied to the shipbuilding processes of middle-sized shipbuilding companies, is presented. The simulation research includes layout optimization, load balancing, work stage operation planning, block logistics, and integrated material management. Each item is integrated into a network system with a value chain that includes all shipbuilding processes.

High Data Rate Quantum Cryptography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwiat, Paul; Christensen, Bradley; McCusker, Kevin; Kumor, Daniel; Gauthier, Daniel

2015-05-01

While quantum key distribution (QKD) systems are now commercially available, the data rate is a limiting factor for some desired applications (e.g., secure video transmission). Most QKD systems receive at most a single random bit per detection event, causing the data rate to be limited by the saturation of the single-photon detectors. Recent experiments have begun to explore using larger degree of freedoms, i.e., temporal or spatial qubits, to optimize the data rate. Here, we continue this exploration using entanglement in multiple degrees of freedom. That is, we use simultaneous temporal and polarization entanglement to reach up to 8.3 bits of randomness per coincident detection. Due to current technology, we are unable to fully secure the temporal degree of freedom against all possible future attacks; however, by assuming a technologically-limited eavesdropper, we are able to obtain 23.4 MB/s secure key rate across an optical table, after error reconciliation and privacy amplification. In this talk, we will describe our high-rate QKD experiment, with a short discussion on our work towards extending this system to ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore communication, aiming to secure the temporal degree of freedom and to implement a 30-km free-space link over a marine environment.

Supply chain management and economic valuation of real options in the natural gas and liquefied natural gas industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Mulan Xiaofeng

My dissertation concentrates on several aspects of supply chain management and economic valuation of real options in the natural gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry, including gas pipeline transportations, ocean LNG shipping logistics, and downstream storage. Chapter 1 briefly introduces the natural gas and LNG industries, and the topics studied in this thesis. Chapter 2 studies how to value U.S. natural gas pipeline network transport contracts as real options. It is common for natural gas shippers to value and manage contracts by simple adaptations of financial spread option formulas that do not fully account for the implications of the capacity limits and the network structure that distinguish these contracts. In contrast, we show that these operational features can be fully captured and integrated with financial considerations in a fairly easy and managerially significant manner by a model that combines linear programming and simulation. We derive pathwise estimators for the so called deltas and structurally characterize them. We interpret them in a novel fashion as discounted expectations, under a specific weighing distribution, of the amounts of natural gas to be procured/marketed when optimally using pipeline capacity. Based on the actual prices of traded natural gas futures and basis swaps, we show that an enhanced version of the common approach employed in practice can significantly underestimate the true value of natural gas pipeline network capacity. Our model also exhibits promising financial (delta) hedging performance. Thus, this model emerges as an easy to use and useful tool that natural gas shippers can employ to support their valuation and delta hedging decisions concerning natural gas pipeline network transport capacity contracts. Moreover, the insights that follow from our data analysis have broader significance and implications in terms of the management of real options beyond our specific application. Motivated by current developments in the LNG industry, Chapter 3 studies the operations of LNG supply chains facing both supply and price risk. To model the supply uncertainty, we employ a closed-queuing-network (CQN) model to represent upstream LNG production and shipping, via special oceans-going tankers, to a downstream re-gasification facility in the U.S, which sells natural gas into the wholesale spot market. The CQN shipping model analytically generates the unloaded amount probability distribution. Price uncertainty is captured by the spot price, which experiences both volatility and significant seasonality, i.e., higher prices in winter. We use a trinomial lattice to model the price uncertainty, and calibrate to the extended forward curves. Taking the outputs from the CQN model and the spot price model as stochastic inputs, we formulate a real option inventory-release model to study the benefit of optimally managing a downstream LNG storage facility. This allows characterization of the structure of the optimal inventory management policy. An interesting finding is that when it is optimal to sell, it is not necessarily optimal to sell the entire available inventory. The model can be used by LNG players to value and manage the real option to store LNG at a re-gasification facility, and is easy to be implemented. For example, this model is particularly useful to value leasing contracts for portions of the facility capacity. Real data is used to assess the value of the real option to store LNG at the downstream re-gasification facility, and, contrary to what has been claimed by some practitioners, we find that it has significant value (several million dollars). Chapter 4 studies the importance of modeling the shipping variability when valuing and managing a downstream LNG storage facility. The shipping model presented in Chapter 3 uses a "rolling forward" method to generate the independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) unloaded amount in each decision period. We study the merit of the i.i.d. assumption by using simulation and developing an upper bound. We show that the model, which uses the i.i.d. unloaded amount, provides a good estimation of the storage value, and yields a near optimal inventory control policy. We also test the performance of a model that uses constant throughput to determine the inventory release policy. This model performs worse than the model of Chapter 3 for storage valuation purposes, but can be used to suggest the optimal inventory control policy, especially when the ratio of flow rate to storage size is high, i.e., storage is scarce. Chapter 5 summarizes the contributions of this thesis.

Effect of Processing Parameters on Reliability of VARTM/SCRIMP Composite Panels - Phase 1

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-07-01

used in this program (Hess and Beach, 2000). The structural risks associated with new FRP composite ship structures can be mitigated by...reliability calibration of new designs. This program focuses on addressing the first and second tasks outlined above. 1.2. Phase I - Objectives The...Accomplishments: Tension Testing An optimized geometry for tension coupon testing was developed for marine grade composites. The new geometry reduces

Survey of Maritime Experiences in Reduced Workload and Staffing

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-07-01

flexibility. National Technical University of Athens. ATOMOS (Advanced Technology to optimize manpower onboard ships) Project Rationale. (1996) http...applied R&D in this area, sponsored project ATOMOS , within its EURET transport R&D programme. ATOMOS consists of a consortium of 9 partners from 4 EU...period December 1994- December 1995) The THAMES Consortium consisted of the partners of two EURET consortia: ATOMOS and MASIS. Collectively, 21 partners

Treatment of Simulated Shipboard Gray Water in a Lab-Scale Membrane Bioreactor

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-12-01

bioreactors ( MBRs ). MBRs with submerged membrane modules are considered a promising wastewater technology for use aboard ships since significant treatment...system, which consisted of an equalization tank, an MBR with submerged hollow fiber membranes, and a UV disinfection system. The reactor was...1999) optimized removal of TN in an intermittently aerated MBR with submerged hollow fiber membranes. They achieved an average TN removal of 83

Fiscal Year 2012 Operational Energy Budget Certification Report

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

superconducting  degaussing systems  • Advanced material, energy efficient propellers and waterjets  • Ship drag reduction and corrosion resistant surface...significant savings include: optimizing aircraft centers of  gravity , diplomatic cleared  routing, European routing, aircraft crew ratios, and departure

Pressure Mapping and Efficiency Analysis of an EPPLER 857 Hydrokinetic Turbine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, Tristan

A conceptual energy ship is presented to provide renewable energy. The ship, driven by the wind, drags a hydrokinetic turbine through the water. The power generated is used to run electrolysis on board, taking the resultant hydrogen back to shore to be used as an energy source. The basin efficiency (Power/thrust*velocity) of the Hydrokinetic Turbine (HTK) plays a vital role in this process. In order to extract the maximum allowable power from the flow, the blades need to be optimized. The structural analysis of the blade is important, as the blade will undergo high pressure loads from the water. A procedure for analysis of a preliminary Hydrokinetic Turbine blade design is developed. The blade was designed by a non-optimized Blade Element Momentum Theory (BEMT) code. Six simulations were run, with varying mesh resolution, turbulence models, and flow region size. The procedure was developed that provides detailed explanation for the entire process, from geometry and mesh generation to post-processing analysis tools. The efficiency results from the simulations are used to study the mesh resolution, flow region size, and turbulence models. The results are compared to the BEMT model design targets. Static pressure maps are created that can be used for structural analysis of the blades.

Review of Hybrid (Deterministic/Monte Carlo) Radiation Transport Methods, Codes, and Applications at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wagner, John C; Peplow, Douglas E.; Mosher, Scott W

2010-01-01

This paper provides a review of the hybrid (Monte Carlo/deterministic) radiation transport methods and codes used at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and examples of their application for increasing the efficiency of real-world, fixed-source Monte Carlo analyses. The two principal hybrid methods are (1) Consistent Adjoint Driven Importance Sampling (CADIS) for optimization of a localized detector (tally) region (e.g., flux, dose, or reaction rate at a particular location) and (2) Forward Weighted CADIS (FW-CADIS) for optimizing distributions (e.g., mesh tallies over all or part of the problem space) or multiple localized detector regions (e.g., simultaneous optimization of two or moremore » localized tally regions). The two methods have been implemented and automated in both the MAVRIC sequence of SCALE 6 and ADVANTG, a code that works with the MCNP code. As implemented, the methods utilize the results of approximate, fast-running 3-D discrete ordinates transport calculations (with the Denovo code) to generate consistent space- and energy-dependent source and transport (weight windows) biasing parameters. These methods and codes have been applied to many relevant and challenging problems, including calculations of PWR ex-core thermal detector response, dose rates throughout an entire PWR facility, site boundary dose from arrays of commercial spent fuel storage casks, radiation fields for criticality accident alarm system placement, and detector response for special nuclear material detection scenarios and nuclear well-logging tools. Substantial computational speed-ups, generally O(10{sup 2-4}), have been realized for all applications to date. This paper provides a brief review of the methods, their implementation, results of their application, and current development activities, as well as a considerable list of references for readers seeking more information about the methods and/or their applications.« less

A&M. TAN633. Sections show view of hot cell caskentry doors, ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

A&M. TAN-633. Sections show view of hot cell cask-entry doors, manipulators in each cell, drainage trenches, door and room details. Ralph M. Parsons 1229-13-ANP/GE-3-633-A-2. Date: December 1956. Approved by INEEL Classification Office for public release. INNEL index code no. 034-0633-00-693-107316 - Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Test Area North, Scoville, Butte County, ID

Pakistan’s Nuclear Weapons: Proliferation and Security Issues

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-07-30

Pakistan: Sabotage of a Spent Fuel Cask or a Commercial Irradiation Source in Transport ,” in Pakistan’s Nuclear Future, 2008; Martellini, 2008. 79...that Pakistan’s strategic nuclear assets could be obtained by terrorists, or used by elements in the Pakistani government. Chair of the Joint Chiefs...that gave additional urgency to the program. Pakistan produced fissile material for its nuclear weapons using gas-centrifuge-based uranium

Pakistan’s Nuclear Weapons: Proliferation and Security Issues

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-10-07

Pakistan: Sabotage of a Spent Fuel Cask or a Commercial Irradiation Source in Transport ,” in Pakistan’s Nuclear Future, 2008; Martellini, 2008. 99...prevent unauthorized or accidental use of nuclear weapons, as well as contribute to physical security of storage facilities and personnel reliability... nuclear assets could be obtained by terrorists, or used by elements in the Pakistani government. Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael

Review and Implementation of Technology for Solid Radioactive Waste Volume Reduction

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-10-15

were shifted to Project 1.1 for spent nuclear fuel cask development to accelerate that project. Those funds should be repaid to Project 1.3 in the... transported between the shipyards such as Nerpa, and other intermediate storage sites such as Gremikha and Andreeva Bay. At these sites the largest...waste source and allow pretreatment unit operations using commercially available technologies of contaminant assaying, cutting/shearing, sorting

Pakistan’s Nuclear Weapons: Proliferation and Security Issues

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-10-15

and technical measures to prevent unauthorized or accidental use of nuclear weapons, as well as contribute to physical security of storage ...Talks On Nuclear Security,” The Boston Globe, May 5, 2009. 79 Abdul Mannan, “Preventing Nuclear Terrorism in Pakistan: Sabotage of a Spent Fuel Cask or...a Commercial Irradiation Source in Transport ,” in Pakistan’s Nuclear Future, 2008; Martellini, 2008. 80 Martellini, 2008. 81 For more information

Pakistan’s Nuclear Weapons: Proliferation and Security Issues

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-05-10

2009. 143 Abdul Mannan, “Preventing Nuclear Terrorism in Pakistan: Sabotage of a Spent Fuel Cask or a Commercial Irradiation Source in Transport ,” in...Program.” Some analysts argue that spent nuclear fuel is more vulnerable when being transported . 144 Martellini, 2008. Pakistan’s Nuclear Weapons...urgency to the program. Pakistan produced fissile material for its nuclear weapons using gas-centrifuge-based uranium enrichment technology, which it

Electromagnetic Acoustic Transducers for Robotic Nondestructive Inspection in Harsh Environments

PubMed Central

Choi, Sungho; Cho, Hwanjeong; Lindsey, Matthew S.; Lissenden, Cliff J.

2018-01-01

Elevated temperature, gamma radiation, and geometric constraints inside dry storage casks for spent nuclear fuel represent a harsh environment for nondestructive inspection of the cask and require that the inspection be conducted with a robotic system. Electromagnetic acoustic transducers (EMATs) using non-contact ultrasonic transduction based on the Lorentz force to excite/receive ultrasonic waves are suited for use in the robotic inspection. Periodic permanent magnet EMATs that actuate/receive shear horizontal guided waves are developed for application to robotic nondestructive inspection of stress corrosion cracks in the heat affected zone of welds in stainless steel dry storage canisters. The EMAT’s components are carefully selected in consideration of the inspection environment, and tested under elevated temperature and gamma radiation doses up to 177 °C and 5920 krad, respectively, to evaluate the performance of the EMATs under realistic environmental conditions. The effect of gamma radiation is minimal, but the EMAT’s performance is affected by temperatures above 121 °C due to the low Curie temperature of the magnets. Different magnets are needed to operate at 177 °C. The EMAT’s capability to detect notches is also evaluated from B-scan measurements on 304 stainless steel welded plate containing surface-breaking notches. PMID:29324721

Dynamic Impact Analyses and Tests of Concrete Overpacks - 13638

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, Sanghoon; Cho, Sang-Soon; Kim, Ki-Young

Concrete cask is an option for spent nuclear fuel interim storage which is prevailingly used in US. A concrete cask usually consists of metallic canister which confines the spent nuclear fuel and concrete overpack. When the overpack undergoes a severe missile impact which might be caused by a tornado or an aircraft crash, it should sustain acceptable level of structural integrity so that its radiation shielding capability and the retrievability of canister are maintained. Missile impact against a concrete overpack involves two damage modes, local damage and global damage. Local damage of concrete is usually evaluated by empirical formulas whilemore » the global damage is evaluated by finite element analysis. In many cases, those two damage modes are evaluated separately. In this research, a series of numerical simulations are performed using finite element analysis to evaluate the global damage of concrete overpack as well as its local damage under high speed missile impact. We consider two types of concrete overpack, one with steel in-cased concrete without reinforcement and the other with partially-confined reinforced concrete. The numerical simulation results are compared with test results and it is shown that appropriate modeling of material failure is crucial in this analysis and the results are highly dependent on the choice of failure parameters. (authors)« less

Technological and microbiological aspects of traditional balsamic vinegar and their influence on quality and sensorial properties.

PubMed

Giudici, Paolo; Gullo, Maria; Solieri, Lisa; Falcone, Pasquale Massimiliano

2009-01-01

The term "balsamic" is widespread and popular all over the world of vinegar and fancy foods; it is used generally to refer to vinegars and sauces with a sweet and sour taste. However, the original is the European Protected Denomination, registered as "Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale of Modena, or of Reggio Emilia" that should not be confused with the "Aceto Balsamico di Modena" very similar in the name, but completely different for technology, raw material, quality, and sensorial properties. Traditional balsamic vinegar is made by a peculiar procedure, that starts with a thermal concentration of freshly squeezed grape juice, followed by alcoholic and acetic fermentations and, finally, long aging in a wooden barrel set, by a procedure which requires a partial transfer of vinegar from cask to cask with the consequential blending of vinegars of different ages. In addition, water transfer occurs across the wood of the barrels, the result being an increase of solute concentration of the vinegar. The chemical and physical transformations of the vinegar are mainly directed by the low water activity of the vinegar. High-molecular polymeric compounds are the main and characteristic constituents of original and old traditional balsamic vinegar, and the major cause of its rheological and sensorial properties.

Initiation of depleted uranium oxide and spent fuel testing for the spent fuel sabotage aerosol ratio program.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gregson, Michael Warren; Mo, Tin; Sorenson, Ken Bryce

The authors provide a detailed overview of an on-going, multinational test program that is developing aerosol data for some spent fuel sabotage scenarios on spent fuel transport and storage casks. Experiments are being performed to quantify the aerosolized materials plus volatilized fission products generated from actual spent fuel and surrogate material test rods, due to impact by a high-energy-density device. The program participants in the United States plus Germany, France and the United Kingdom, part of the international Working Group for Sabotage Concerns of Transport and Storage Casks (WGSTSC) have strongly supported and coordinated this research program. Sandia National Laboratoriesmore » has the lead role for conducting this research program; test program support is provided by both the US Department of Energy and the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The authors provide a summary of the overall, multiphase test design and a description of all explosive containment and aerosol collection test components used. They focus on the recently initiated tests on 'surrogate' spent fuel, unirradiated depleted uranium oxide and forthcoming actual spent fuel tests, and briefly summarize similar results from completed surrogate tests that used non-radioactive, sintered cerium oxide ceramic pellets in test rods.« less