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MACCS User Guide (V.4.2)

Clayton, Daniel J.

MACCS is used by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and various national and international organizations for probabilistic consequence analysis of nuclear power accidents. This User Guide is intended to assist analysts in understanding the MACCS/WinMACCS model and to provide information regarding the code. This user guide version describes MACCS Version 4.2. This User Guide provides a brief description of the model history, explains how to set up and execute a problem, and informs the user of the definition of various input parameters and any constraints placed on those parameters. This report is part of a series of reports documenting MACCS. Other reports include the MACCS Theory Manual, MACCS Verification Report, Technical Bases for Consequence Analyses Using MACCS, as well as documentation for preprocessor codes including SecPop, MelMACCS, and COMIDA2.

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Laser Welded Burst Disk Weld Tooling

Roberts, Matthew M.

A production run of 5550 hermetically sealed cylinder assemblies with precision pressure relief burst discs will be assembled and laser welded at a manufacturing lab at Sandia National Labs. Production of these cylinder assemblies requires many steps, including piece part machining, geometric inspection, cleaning, subassembly, complete assembly via laser welding, and finally leak checking. While this production run is large enough to invest in process optimization and specialized tooling, it is not quite large enough to dedicate new lab space and specify equipment specifically for this job. This study will investigate process parameters and their effects on quality and process flow time, as well as a fixturing design study with the goal of reducing process time while maintaining quality requirements.

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PUF Entropy

Cordwell, William R.; Torgerson, Mark D.

This note discusses aspects of fuzzy extraction: in particular, how the interplay between PUF entropy and the revelation of helper data affects the entropy of the underlying secret. We examine the theory behind a scheme by Dodis et alii to develop exact formulas for the entropy of the given seed, given that an adversary knows the helper data. We also give a simple lower bound on the security of the Dodis scheme that is achieved exactly in many instances. By way of several examples, we quantify the amount of entropy that can be lost due to interactions between imperfect PUF implementations and given error correction methods. We repeatedly show that understanding the details of the error correction scheme and the interaction with the PUF response is crucial to being able to estimate the entropy of the system.

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Electropotential Verification for Nuclear Safeguards

Hamel, Michael C.; Baldez, Phoenix; Downs, Christine; Weiss, Chester J.; Helguero, Rachel R.; Bland, Jesse J.

The international safeguards regime desires methods to efficiently verify that facilities are only performing declared activities. Electropotential verification (EPV) is a newly proposed technique that was tested for its feasibility to perform facility design information verification (DIV) and verification of spent nuclear fuel while in a cooling pool. EPV works by passing a constant, low voltage current through a conductive system (facility infrastructure of nuclear fuel assembly) and measuring the resulting voltage at various places throughout the infrastructure in order to establish a baseline. Changes made to the system affect these voltage readings, which will deviate from the baseline and indicate that a change to the system was made. For facility DIV, it appears feasible that changes in configuration of the system’s grounding can be detected in real-time, and the location of the change can be inferred from the measured intensity of the change in voltage. Determination of whether or not spent fuel was present in a fuel rod, as well as the presence/absence of a fuel rod from an assembly using EPV, proved unsuccessful with the sensitivity of instrumentation used in this study.

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An asymptotic approach for the statistical thermodynamics of certain model systems

Buche, Michael R.; Grutzik, S.J.; Silberstein, Meredith N.

In classical statistical thermodynamics, calculating the configuration integral is both vital and elusive. Analytic relations for configuration integrals are desirable for modeling purposes, but it is typically impossible to obtain them. Certain systems become analytically tractable after replacing steep potential energies with harmonic potentials or athermal rigid constraints, but these approximations are often inadequate, especially when modeling the stretching of molecules. It is therefore necessary to develop a systematic approach to improve upon the approximations provided by these reference systems. Here, a general asymptotic approach is introduced, where the configuration integral for the full system is obtained in terms of that of the reference system and several corrections. This asymptotic approach is first demonstrated using the simple example of a classical three-dimensional oscillator. Next, the approach is applied to modeling the stretching of single polymer chains and to modeling thermally assisted crack growth, where results are verified with respect to numerical calculations. Overall, this asymptotic approach is a valid and effective tool for statistical thermodynamics in general.

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Model for the Softening Factor within Stages of Work Hardening

Jankowski, Alan F.

A formulation for a dimensionless coefficient cb is derived that represents a scale of microstructural softening for alloys which follow Kocks-Mecking (K-M) work hardening behavior. The variation of the true plastic strain εp between the proportional limit σy and the strength σu at the instability is determined using the Considère criterion. Parameterization of the model is limited to variables expressly measured within tensile experiments. Further development is now made for the softening factor cbi through the individual and sequential stages 3 and 4 of plastic deformation during K-M work hardening Q behavior. Application is shown for tensile test results of Ti-6Al-4V made by different additively manufactured (AM) processes. It is found that the variation in plastic strain as a function of cbi produces a continuous curve representative of the alloy system. The results of data analysis indicate that Θo3 and cb3 increase, while Θo4 and cb4 decrease, as the total plastic strain εp increases. Furthermore, formulations derived for K-M stages 3 and 4 enable the evaluation of other material parameters such as the activation volume ν* for the onset of plastic deformation. This activation volume is found to be near constant, at a ν*-value of 0.353±0.036 nm3 as computed using a strain-rate sensitivity of strength exponent m of 0.014, irrespective of the AM method used to produce the Ti-6Al-4V alloy.

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New Tables for Infrasound Event Catalogs with a Focus on Machine Learning

Albert, Sarah; Witsil, Alexander; Webster, Jeremy

Natural and anthropogenic sources such as volcanoes, earthquakes, auroral processes, chemical and nuclear explosions, rocket launches, and aircraft can generate infrasound, sound with frequencies less than 20 Hz. Both the availability of infrasound data and interest in machine learning (ML) applications have grown in recent years. Large, open-source datasets are essential to solving complex ML problems, but the field of infrasound is lacking in this arena. To increase the utility of ML for infrasound, here we present new tables for infrasound event catalogs. It is the aim that these tables be incorporated into both existing and future infrasound processing pipelines to generate large datasets ripe for use with ML/DL methods.

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Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) for Site Wide Landscaping Project

Manger, Trevor J.; Wright, Keir

Kier + Wright, as Qualified SWPPP Developer (QSD), puts forth this Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) for the SNL/CA Site Landscaping Project at Sandia National Laboratories/California (SNL/CA), 7011 East Avenue, Livermore, California (SNL/CA). The property is owned by the U.S. Department of Energy, and managed and operated by National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia (NTESS), LLC. The project proposes landscape improvements throughout SNL/CA. Per the California State Water Resources Control Board’s (California State Water Board) Construction General Permit (CGP), a SWPPP is required when 1 acre or more of land is disturbed. The project site area exceeds the minimum acreage threshold of 1 acre and therefore requires SWPPP implementation. QSD has determined the sediment risk for this project, based on soil type at the site and starting and ending dates of construction, to be low (Section 3.4.1 and Appendix B). Receiving water for this project is the Arroyo Seco. QSD has determined the Arroyo Seco to be a high-risk receiving water because it has the three beneficial uses of “spawn”, “cold”, and “migratory” (Sections 3.3 and 3.4.2 and Appendix B). QSD has determined the overall risk level for the site to be Risk Level 2, based on a combination of low sediment risk and high receiving water risk (Appendix B). As such, QSD has delineated a variety of Best Management Practices (BMPs) to be employed during project construction to reduce or eliminate pollutants in stormwater runoff or any other discharges from the Project site. In addition to site-specific BMPs, this SWPPP report provides instruction for on site monitoring. Electronic copies of required documentation such as inspection reports, REAPs, annual report documentation, etc. shall be submitted to NTESS Sandia Delegated Representative via Newforma.

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Laboratory Directed Research & Development: FY22 Annual Report

Hermina, Wahid L.; Hassan, Basil

Sandia is a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) focused on developing and applying advanced science and engineering capabilities to mitigate national security threats. This is accomplished through the exceptional staff leading research at the Labs and partnering with universities and companies. Sandia’s LDRD program aims to maintain the scientific and technical vitality of the Labs and to enhance the Labs’ ability to address future national security needs. The program funds foundational, leading-edge discretionary research projects that cultivate and utilize core science, technology, and engineering (ST&E) capabilities. Per Congressional intent (P.L. 101-510) and Department of Energy (DOE) guidance (DOE Order 413.2C, Chg 1), Sandia’s LDRD program is crucial to maintaining the nation’s scientific and technical vitality.

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NSE workplace of the future: Enabling a LPS ready workforce

Keller, Elizabeth; Landis, Lynette; Baker, Brent; Bowen, Dan; Carlson, Nils; Crone, Brian; Danielson, Tom; Fliermans, Matthew; Gupta, Rajan; Howieson, Susannah; Kelly, Rand; Kennedy, Ryan; Knepper, Paula; Lanier, Andrekka (Aj); Lennon, Sarah; Mallin, Monte; Mohagheghi, Amir H.; Orr, Marilee; Reed, Danielle; Riley, David; Stevens, Noah; Templeton, Dennise; Williams, Brandon; Wolf, Ambrose

The future mission success of the Nuclear Security Enterprise (NSE) relies on our workforce and our workplace. The 2022 Nuclear Posture Review notes that “the health of the enterprise depends critically on recruiting and retaining a skilled and diverse workforce” and the 2022 National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Strategic Vision articulates a commitment to “recruit, invest in, and nourish a high-performing, diverse, and flexible workforce that can meet the unique policy, technical, and leadership needs of our mission today and well into the future.”

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Hydrogen and Deuterium Reactivity with Carbon Surface Impurities on the TPBAR Getter Ni Plate Studied in situ with Environmental XPS

El Gabaly, Farid

Tritium for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Tritium Readiness Program is produced in tritium-producing burnable absorber rods (TPBARs) inserted into light-water nuclear reactors. The rods are stainless-steel-clad tubes with a permeation barrier coating and internal components. The internal components have been designed and selected to produce and retain tritium. The TPBAR incorporates a Ni-plated Zircaloy-4 getter tube to capture tritium and prevent it from reaching the rod cladding and permeating into the environment. The role of the Ni coating is to protect the Zircaloy-4 getter from oxidation while allowing for maximum tritium permeability. Ubiquitous surface impurities on the Ni, such as carbon, could limit its protective functionality and permeability if they exist in relatively large concentrations. The reactivity of impurity carbon with permeating tritium can also result in tritiated hydrocarbon impurities on the gas phase. The goal of this work is to determine quantitatively the chemical state and reactivity of potential Ni coating impurities in actual TPBAR getter samples. Using Environmental X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (eXPS), a very sensitive gas/surface chemistry diagnostic, we reveal in situ the source and evolution of carbon on the Ni surface at different hydrogen and deuterium pressure conditions, and how carbon reactivity may result in hydrocarbon gas-evolution at application-relevant temperatures.

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Flammability and dispersion of tritium in confined release scenarios

Shurtz, Randy C.; Brown, Alexander L.; Takahashi, Lynelle K.

Ignition of a flammable tritium-air mixture is the most probable means to produce the water form (T2O or HTO), which is more easily absorbed by living tissue and is hence ~10,000 times more hazardous to human health when uptake occurs compared to the gaseous form (T2 or HT; per Mishima and Steele, 2002). Tritium-air mixtures with T2 concentrations below 4 mol% are considered sub-flammable and will not readily convert to the more hazardous water form. It is therefore desirable from a safety perspective to understand the dispersion behavior of tritium under different release conditions, especially since tritium is often stored in quantities and pressures much lower than is typical for normal hydrogen. The formation of a flammable layer at the ceiling is a scenario of particular concern because the rate of dispersion to nonflammable conditions is slowest in this configuration, which maximizes the time window over which the flammable tritium may encounter an ignition source. This report describes the processes of buoyant rise and dispersion of tritium. Accumulation of flammable concentrations of tritium next to the ceiling is a common safety concern for hydrogen, but this situation can only occur if dispersion rates are slow with respect to rates of release and rise. Theory and simulations demonstrate that buoyancy does not cause regions with flammable concentrations to form within buildings from sources that have previously been mixed to sub-flammable concentrations. A simulated series of tritium release events with their associated dispersion behavior are reported herein; these simulations apply computational fluid dynamics to rooms with three different ceiling heights and a variety of tritium release rates. Safety related quantities from these simulations are reported, including the mass and volume of tritium occurring in a flammable mixture, the presence or absence of a flammable layer at the ceiling, and the time required for dispersion to nonflammable conditions after the end of the tritium release event. These safety metrics are influenced by the magnitude and rate of the tritium release with respect to the air volume in the room and also the momentum of the plume or jet with respect to the ceiling height. Several screening criteria are recommended to assess whether a specific tritium release scenario is likely to form a flammable layer at the ceiling. The methods and results in this modeling study have applicability to explosion safety analysis for other buoyant flammable gases, including the lighter isotopes of hydrogen.

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2023 Annual Report of Available Drawdowns for Each Oil Storage Cavern in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve

Hart, David

DOE maintains an up-to-date documentation of the number of available full drawdowns of each of the caverns at the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). This information is important for assessing the SPR’s ability to deliver oil to domestic oil companies expeditiously if national or world events dictate a rapid sale and deployment of the oil reserves. Sandia was directed to develop and implement a process to continuously assess and report the evolution of drawdown capacity, the subject of this report. This report covers impacts on drawdown availability due to SPR operations during Calendar Year 2022. A cavern has an available drawdown if, after that drawdown, the long-term stability of the cavern, the cavern field, or the oil quality are not compromised. Thus, determining the number of available drawdowns requires the consideration of several factors regarding cavern and wellbore integrity and stability, including stress states caused by cavern geometry and operations, salt damage caused by dilatant and tensile stresses, the effect of enhanced creep on wellbore integrity, and the sympathetic stress effect of operations on neighboring caverns. Finite-element geomechanical models have been used to determine the stress states in the pillars following successive drawdowns. By computing the tensile and dilatant stresses in the salt, areas of potential structural instability can be identified that may represent red flags for additional drawdowns. These analyses have found that many caverns will maintain structural integrity even when grown via drawdowns to dimensions resulting in a pillar-to-diameter ratio of less than 1.0. The analyses have also confirmed that certain caverns should only be completely drawn down one time. As the SPR caverns are utilized and partial drawdowns are performed to remove oil from the caverns (e.g., for oil sales, purchases, or exchanges authorized by the Congress or the President), the changes to the cavern caused by these procedures must be tracked and accounted for so that an ongoing assessment of the cavern’s drawdown capacity may be continued. A methodology for assessing and tracking the available drawdowns for each cavern is reiterated. This report is the latest in a series of annual reports, and it includes the baseline available drawdowns for each cavern, and the most recent assessment of the evolution of drawdown expenditures. A total of 222 million barrels of oil were released in calendar-year 2022. A nearly-equal amount of raw water was injected, resulting in an estimated 34 million barrels of cavern leaching. Twenty caverns have now expended a full drawdown. Cavern BC 18 has expended all its baseline available drawdowns, and has no drawdowns remaining. Cavern BM 103 has expended one of its two baseline drawdowns, and is now a single-drawdown cavern. All other caverns with an expenditure went from at-least-5 to at-least-4 remaining drawdowns.

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Sandia Wind Energy Program: FY22 Accomplishments

Klise, Geoffrey T.

This report summarizes Fiscal Year 2022 accomplishments from Sandia National Laboratories Wind Energy Program. The portfolio consists of funding provided by the DOE EERE Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO), Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO), and the Sandia Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program. These accomplishments were made possible through capabilities investments by WETO, internal Sandia investment, and partnerships between Sandia and other national laboratories, universities, and research institutions around the world. Sandia’s Wind Energy Program is primarily built around core capabilities as expressed in the strategic plan thrust areas, with 29 staff members in the Wind Energy Design and Experimentation department and the Wind Energy Computational Sciences department leading and supporting R&D at the time of this report. Staff from other departments at Sandia support the program by leveraging Sandia’s unique capabilities in other disciplines.

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On the constitutive stress-strain relationships and evaluation of the softening coefficient in work hardening mechanisms

Jankowski, Alan F.

The constitutive stress-strain relationships for structural alloys, such as additively manufactured Ti- 6Al-4V, are reconstructed by assessing the form and mechanism of work hardening relationships. The stress-strain relationships are best fit using both the Hollomon and Voce expressions wherein the Voce expression well-reproduces the later stage(s) of work hardening whereas the Hollomon relationship provides a better fit just beyond the proportional limit.

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Results 3401–3600 of 99,299
Results 3401–3600 of 99,299