ML24032A010
| ML24032A010 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 09/30/2023 |
| From: | NRC/EDO, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, NRC/SECY |
| To: | |
| References | |
| Download: ML24032A010 (24) | |
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FY2023 Research and Development Grant Executive Summaries
Institution Name Award Amount Title of Grant Award Advanced radiation-resistant and high-temperature-North Carolina State tolerant solid-state Ga2O3 hydrogen sensors for University $ 500,000.00 enhanced safety of nuclear facilities University of Wisconsin - New Methodology for Small Boiling Water Reactor Madison $ 500,000.00 Stability Analysis Rad-hard FPGAs to Improve Digital Resilience in Modernizing Digital Instrumentation and Controls The Ohio State University $ 500,000.00 Regulatory Infrastructure Toward a Regulatory Basis for PM-HIP: Role of Artifacts Purdue University $ 500,000.00 on Impact Toughness Model-agnostic Explainability Methods for Trustworthy AI University of Michigan $ 500,000.00 in Nuclear Reactor Applications Electrochemical and Biological Remediation of Louisiana State University $ 500,000.00 Radioactively Contaminated Water Evaluation of the technical gaps and uncertainties in Colorado State University $ 500,000.00 veterinary uses of byproduct materials Rensselaer Polytechnic Experimental and Modeling Study of Fuel Dispersal Institute $ 500,000.00 During the Loss-of-Coolant Accident Development and assessment of spectrally matched University of Puerto Rico records for linear and nonlinear analyses of structures, Mayaguez $ 499,963.00 systems, and components in nuclear facilities.
Safety assessment of in-core and ex-core fuel University of California - management for pebble bed reactors by combining Berkeley $ 500,000.00 hyper-fidelity depletion and machine learning A Combined High-Throughput Experiments and Simulations Approach for qualifying additively Texas A&M University - manufactured 316H stainless steel alloys for molten College Station $ 497,321.00 salts reactors.
Enhancement of Miniature In-Core Fission Chamber Kansas State University $ 499,906.00 Technology for Advanced Reactor Applications Development of a novel nuclear safety and security probabilistic risk assessm ent (PRA) model for advanced Purdue University $ 482,592.00 reactors Decontamination & Decommissioning Regulation University of Alabama - Optimization by Policy Surveillance: A First Step in Birmingham $ 493,560.00 Regulation Harmonization that Leads to Many Solutions Leveraging acoustic emissions for real-time monitoring of corrosion damage-to-crack transitions in molten salt University of Pittsburgh $ 500,000.00 reactors Use of Hybrid Tools to Model Risks of Advanced Nuclear University of Maryland $ 500,000.00 Power Reactor Technologies under a Changing Climate Manufacturing of Spent Fuel Storage Canisters with University of Nevada - Superior Stress Corrosion Cracking Resistance using Reno $ 500,000.00 Advanced Hybrid Laser-Arc Welding and High-Pressure Cold Spray Additive Post-Processing
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FY2023 Research and Development Grant Executive Summaries
Texas A&M University -
Kingsville $ 250,000.00 Optimization Method for SMR Core Design
Using Depletion Sensitivity Analysis to Better University of New Mexico $ 500,000.00 Characterize Reactor Fuel Cycles Confidence in Uncertainty: Research to Address Exiting and Emerging Technical Challenges in University of California - Los Characterization and Assessment of Uncertainty of Angeles $ 500,000.00 PRA Results for Risk-Informed Decision Making Context-Based Analysis of a Risk-informed, University of Illinois at Urbana Performance-based Regulatory Approach for
- Champaign $ 499,997.00 Advanced Nuclear Reactors Developments of Guidelines and Benchmarks for Regulatory Assessment of Autonomous Visual Data North Carolina State Collection and Monitoring of Operations and University $ 500,000.00 Maintenance
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FY2023 Research and Development Grant Executive Summaries
North Carolina State University
Advanced radiation-resistant and high-temperature-tolerant soli d-state Ga2O3 hydrogen sensors for enhanced safety of nuclear facilities
Executive Summary:
The objective of this project is to develop breakthrough solid-state hydrogen sensors based on Ga2O3, a revolutionary material that can resist high radiation and tempe rature levels in nuclear facilities. These sensors will offer unprecedented capabilities for real-time mon itoring of hydrogen concentration, avoiding potential dangers such as embrittlement, fire hazard and explos ion, and facilitating safe production and storage of deuterium and tritium. Our approach will integrate state-of-the-art techniques for advanced sensor material deposition and device fabrication, exploiting t he exceptional properties of Ga2O3 as an ultrawide bandgap semiconductor sensor material for harsh envir onments. The project aligns perfectly with several technical areas of interest in the NRCs FY2023 Researc h and Development Grant FOA, namely:
(1) Digital engineering/analytics, advanced sensors, and digita l instrumentation/controls at nuclear facilities; (2) Characterization of fire hazards in new reactor designs (e. g., sodium) and post-fire safe shutdown capability; and (3) Application of innovative and advanced tech nologies for decommissioning and remediation of radiologically contaminated sites. The successfu l outcome of this project will generate crucial insights and essential technical basis for the advancement and implementation of cutting-edge solid-state hydrogen sensors based on Ga2O3, thus boosting the technical ca pability of NRC and the nuclear community.
Principal Investigator:
Ge Yang, gyang9@ncsu.edu
Co-Principal Investigators:
Mohamed Bourham, bourham@ncsu.edu Zhiping Luo, zluo@uncfsu.edu
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FY2023 Research and Development Grant Executive Summaries
University of Wisconsin - Madison
New Methodology for Small Boiling Water Reactor Stability Analy sis
Executive Summary:
This proposal aims to address the existing challenges associate d with density wave oscillations (DWOs) in small modular boiling water reactors (SBWRs) operated under nat ural circulation for core cooling. DWOs driven by the kinetic wave propagation of vapor in boiling chan nels, can lead to instabilities and potential damage to the reactor fuel. The research team will leverage th eir expertise in BWR analysis and utilize TRACE/PARCS codes to simulate a BWRX-300-type reactor and defin e more precise instability boundaries that account for neutronic feedback mechanisms. The proposed w ork aims to enhance and innovate the criteria for defining safety stability regions in SBWRs and imp rove the understanding of DWOs (particularly during startup procedure), their underlying mechanisms, and pot ential mitigation strategies. The project's specific objectives include analyzing the impact of DWOs on SBW R stability and reactor performance, developing a predictive model for identifying critical paramete rs that initiate and sustain DWOs, and providing recommendations for design verification and operation al guidelines to enhance stability and safety. The proposed research will contribute to the knowledge base, inform licensing and design of future SBWRs, and facilitate the development of advanced control strat egies and guidelines for addressing DWO-related challenges. The project team consists of experienced a nd diverse principal investigators.
Principal Investigator:
Juliana Pacheco Duarte, pachecoduarte@wisc.edu
Co-Principal Investigators:
Ben Lindley, lindley2@wisc.edu Michael Corradini, corradini@engr.wisc.edu Aaron Adams, aaron.adams@aamu.edu
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FY2023 Research and Development Grant Executive Summaries
The Ohio State University
Rad-hard FPGAs to Improve Digital Resilience in Modernizing Dig ital Instrumentation and Controls Regulatory Infrastructure
Executive Summary:
The overall objective of this proposal is to develop a baseline understanding towards the device level performance of Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) devices ope rated in a nuclear power plant (NPP) radiation environment. The specific objectives are to evaluate the rate of soft errors introduced by Single Event Effects (SEEs) in FPGAs and quantify their radiation upse t sensitivity, and to evaluate the sensitivity of FPGA devices to total ionizing dose effects and the resultin g degradation in device performance. The proposal also seeks to evaluate the efficacy of radiation upset mitigation techniques implemented in FPGAs in the context of their operation in NPP radiation environment.
A comprehensive understanding of the radiation upset sensitivit y in FPGA devices due both to transient and cumulative doses is essential to predict their performance in a n NPP environment and assess the efficacy of existing radiation hardening and upset mitigation techniques. A successful outcome of the proposed research will contribute to the development of suitable radiati on hardening measures, and thereby, the enhancement of fault tolerance and digital resilience of FPGA-b ased I&C systems deployed in NPPs.
Principal Investigator:
Lei Raymond Cao, cao.152@osu.edu
Co-Principal Investigators:
Praneeth Kandlakunta, kandlakunta.1@osu.edu Mohammadreza Hadizadeh, mhadizadeh@centralstate.edu
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FY2023 Research and Development Grant Executive Summaries
Purdue University
Toward a Regulatory Basis for PM-HIP: Role of Artifacts on Impa ct Toughness
Executive Summary:
The objective of this project is to lay the foundation of the r egulatory basis for powder metallurgy with hot isostatic pressing (PM-HIP) manufacturing by understanding how degassing artifacts affect impact toughness and acceptability of PM-HIP nuclear reactor component s. PM-HIP is an advanced manufacturing technology that offers notable advantages over conventional all oy casting or forging, including greater structural uniformity and chemical homogeneity, superior mechan ical properties, and near-net shape production. However, PM-HIP materials can contain porosity and oxide precipitates as residual artifacts from degassing the metal powders before HIP. These artifacts do not readily form in high-alloy steels and have minimal influence on low strain rate tensile properties, e nabling PM-HIP 316L stainless steel to recently gain qualification for nuclear applications. However, there is a need to code-qualify additional PM-HIP alloys, especially low-alloy SA508 reactor pressure vessel (RPV) steel, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) needs to in turn establish the regulatory base s for PM-HIP SA508. However, low-alloy steels are particularly susceptible to degassing artifacts and their impact toughness is highly sensitive to these artifacts due to the high strain rate and localized plast icity. Furthermore, variations in pore morphologies and oxide crystallinity arising from cooling rate differences across large components (e.g.,
RPVs), may generate spatial variations in impact toughness. To responsibly establish regulatory guidelines for PM-HIP SA508, there is a critical need established by the N RC to understand the interrelationship of degassing artifacts, witness specimens, and impact toughness. The scientific outcome is a fundamental, mechanistic understanding of how residual degassing artifacts a nd strain rate affect the impact toughness of PM-HIP SA508 RPV steel. The engineering outcome is a map to guide acceptable impact toughness values based on artifact morphologies, providing a regulatory b asis for risk assessment of PM-HIP SA508.
Pore and oxide morphologies will be correlated to fracture mech anisms and impact toughness; systematic artifact (i.e., pore, oxide) variations will be obtained from s everal locations on a PM-HIP SA508 vessel head witness specimen. Advanced and conventional characterization te chniques, as well as advanced data processing and computer vision techniques, will enable the dete rmination of ductile-to-brittle transition temperature curves, impact toughness, fracture mechanisms, and strain rate effects. We are uniquely positioned to conduct this work due to our exclusive access to high-value archival and neutron irradiated witness specimens through our ongoing Department of Energy (DOE )- supported neutron irradiation campaign of PM-HIP nuclear structural alloys. We will also leve rage these one-of-a-kind results of neutron irradiation effects on pores and oxides, to herein extrapolate impact toughness evolution under irradiation.
This project builds upon a longstanding collaboration on micros tructural and mechanical characterization of PM-HIP alloys between Purdue and Pasadena City College, a two-y ear institution designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution and an Asian American and Native American P acific Islander Serving Institution. Hence, this collaboration uniquely enables this project to train multi ple students at the technician through scientist levels, addressing NRCs goals to train a multi-faceted nuclear workforce.
Principal Investigators:
Janelle P. Wharry, jwharry@purdue.edu
Co-Principal Investigators:
Maria A. Okuniewski, mokuniew@purdue.edu Jared Ashcroft, jmashcroft@pasadena.edu
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FY2023 Research and Development Grant Executive Summaries
University of Michigan
Model-agnostic Explainability Methods for Trustworthy AI in Nuc lear Reactor Applications
Executive Summary:
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) applicat ions in the nuclear industry are continuously growing in the areas of component monitoring, predictive mainte nance, digital twins, surrogate model development, cybersecurity, and more. While neural networks ca n offer high accuracy in complex applications and are considered among the most powerful AI/ML m odels, they lack interpretability, which is crucial in the nuclear industry. To address this issue, explai nable AI (XAI) methods are proposed, that allow end-users to understand the reasons behind a model's prediction s by answering four primary questions:
Why does the model make certain predictions? Should I trust th is model? Is the model or data biased?
When is this model going to be unreliable? The proposed framew ork aims to be model-agnostic, application-agnostic, and user-friendly for traditional nuclear engineers without a strong background in AI/ML. The proposed research builds on state-of-the-art XAI me thods and will demonstrate them on nuclear reactor applications in diverse scenarios of steady-sta te and transient cases, with experimental and simulation data, single-physics and multiphysics phenomena, and light water and advanced reactor applications. This proposal will take notional concepts of exp lainability/interpretability/trustworthiness and codify, in a scientifically rigorous way, the assessment proced ures for AI/ML based methods or results that support licensing activities. This ensures that the regulator i s aware of the explainability algorithms and their software implementation to aid in the development of an industr y-level AI/ML regulatory framework.
Principal Investigator:
Majdi I. Radaideh, radaideh@umich.edu
Co-Principal Investigator:
Brendan Kochunas, bkochuna@umich.edu
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FY2023 Research and Development Grant Executive Summaries
Louisiana State University
Electrochemical and Biological Remediation of Radioactively Con taminated Water
Executive Summary:
Advanced ion separation can play a vital role in the cleanup an d treatment of radioactive water, as well as the remediation of radioactive soil and concrete by washing. T his project is aimed at applying and combining capacitive deionization (CDI) and microalgae cultivat ion (MC) to treat radioactive water. CDI is a novel electrosorption process that can capture numerous radioac tive ions with porous carbon electrodes while MC is a promising bioremediation technology using microal gae that can take up cesium and strontium ions for growth. Experimental and modeling investigations will be carried out to evaluate the potential of CDI, MC, and CDI-MC systems for the treatment of radioactive so lutions. Attempts will be made to decompose tritiated water using carbon oxidation and subsequent ly to capture tritium ions using electrosorption. Technoeconomic analysis will be performed to a ssess technical and economic feasibility of CDI and MC as alternatives for the treatment of radioactive wat er.
This proposed work will offer novel radionuclide separation sys tems that can operate with minimal environmental impacts and will pr ovide a scientific and systema tic modeling approach to simulate electrosorption of radioactive ions by porous carbon material. The developed systems can be used during decommission of nuclear facilities, as well as for remediation of radioactively contaminated water. The work will also advance the current understanding of inverse kinetic isotope effects on electrochemical reactions taking place on carbon surfaces, which can be a foundation to c ouple carbon chemistry and radiochemistry for the development of advanced radionuclide separation process es (e.g., tritiated water treatment processes).
The proposed work will contribute to the development of diverse nuclear workforce. Highly qualified students matriculated in nuclear and nuclear-related fields of Louisiana State University and Southern University and A&M College at Baton Rouge (SUBR) will be recrui ted for the proposed work. SUBR is a minority-serving institution with an ethnically diverse student pool.
Principal Investigator:
Yong-Ha Kim, yonghakim1@lsu.edu
Co-Principal Investigators:
Edward Laws, edlaws@lsu.edu Wei-Hsung Wang, weihsung@lsu.edu
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FY2023 Research and Development Grant Executive Summaries
Colorado State University
Evaluation of the technical gaps and uncertainties in veterinar y uses of byproduct materials
Executive Summary:
The objective of this project is to determine gaps in knowledge and uncertainties associated with using unsealed sources of radioactivity in veterinary treatments. Mu ltiple new isotopes have been developed for diagnosis and treatment of animals, resulting in increased risk of occupational and public radiation dose to humans. Our objective is to determine radiation doses to veter inarians, veterinary technicians, pet owners, and the public from existing and new veterinary uses of radioph armaceuticals.
Principal Investigator:
Del Leary, dleary@colostate.edu
Subaward Principal Investigator:
G. Scott Braley, scott.braley@nnmc.edu
Co-Investigators:
Thomas E. Johnson, tj@colostate.edu Elissa Randall, elissa.randall@colostate.edu
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FY2023 Research and Development Grant Executive Summaries
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Experimental and Modeling Study of Fuel Dispersal During the Lo ss-of-Coolant Accident
Executive Summary:
To investigate the implications of higher burnup fuels on licen sing amendment, it is crucial to extend existing modeling and predictive capabilities of multiphase flow for the safety analysis of commercial Light Water Reactors (LWRs) under design-basis loss-of-coolant accident con ditions. The primary objective of the proposed research is to advance the current understanding and m odeling capabilities of three-phase solid-liquid-gas flows to benefit the nuclear industry and NRC in rea ctor design, licensing, and regulatory applications. In this project, a new test facility will be cons tructed to study fuel dispersal behavior and develop a comprehensive three-phase flow experimental database, featuring particle characterization, particle phase kinetics and dynamics, and interfacial momentum and energy transfer between phases. The high-quality data obtained from this project will be used to de velop the advanced three-fluid model and validate the closure models for fuel dispersal analysis during a design basis accident. The new model is expected to greatly improve the prediction accuracy of three-ph ase flows, that could be integrated with system thermal-hydraulic and fuel performance codes, such as TR ACE and FAST, for a more comprehensive safety analysis regarding fuel burnup extension.
Principal Investigator:
Shanbin Shi, shis3@rpi.edu
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FY2023 Research and Development Grant Executive Summaries
University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez
Development and assessment of spectrally matched records for li near and nonlinear analyses of structures, systems, and components in nuclear facilities.
Executive Summary:
This research proposal aims to address critical gaps in current regulatory guidelines related to the development and evaluation of ground motion sets used as input for the dynamic time-history analyses performed during the seismic design and assessment of nuclear f acilities. The use of a suitable set of input motions is essential when performing time history analyses to e nsure the site's seismic hazard is appropriately represented and thus avoid underestimating seismi c demands, which could lead to inadequate and potentially unsafe designs of safety-related str uctures, systems, and components.
The proposed research is of utmost significance for sustaining the capability for seismic event analysis that support safe operation of existing reactors and new reactor lic ensing applications. Specifically, the proposed work builds on the technical issues and research recommendation s identified on a recent NRC Research Information Letter (RIL 2019-01), while also accounting for add itional challenges that would arise in the future as nonlinear analyses become more prevalent in the nucle ar industry. The research plan encompasses advanced signal processing/modeling technics and re alistic nonlinear modeling of soils, structures, and soil-structure systems. The objective is two-f old: (1) to develop clear, efficient, and robust criteria for the evaluation of input motions that would lead to unbiased estimation of the structural response and (2) to formulate a spectral-matching methodology capable of simultaneously matching a design response spectrum and a target power spectral density function, while preserving the key features of the seed records in the time domain. The developed criteria and sp ectral matching methodology would be implemented into a computer code with the functionalities to se lect appropriate seed records, generate spectrally matched records, and thoroughly assess the adequacy of the generated records. This would provide NRC staff with a robust tool for performing confirmator y analyses with optimal efficiency and effectiveness.
Although the research plan is specifically targeted at filling a crucial technical gap in anticipation of NRC regulatory needs, it is also expected to advance fundamental un derstanding and generate further developments in the core mathematical treatment of multi-compon ents nonlinear nonstationary signals.
These fundamental new insights can find widespread use in other applied signal processing areas of great interest to the NRC, such as non-invasive dynamic response-base d structural health monitoring of containment and other safety-related structures.
Principal Investigators:
Luis A. Montejo, luis.montejo@upr.edu Aidcer L. Vidot-Vega, aidcer.vidot@upr.edu
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FY2023 Research and Development Grant Executive Summaries
University of California - Berkeley
Safety assessment of in-core and ex-core fuel management for pe bble bed reactors by combining hyper-fidelity depletion and machine learning
Executive Summary:
The objective of this project is to define a safe operational e nvelop for managing pebble fuel both in-core and ex-core. Two demonstration pebble bed reactors (PBRs) are expected to achieve criticality within this decade: X-Energy gas-cooled PBR and Kairos Power fluoride-salt-cooled PBR. If the reactor design of pebble bed systems has been widely addressed, many aspects rema in to be explored related to fuel management in-core, but also before and after fuel is used in t he reactor. Pebbles present many characteristics that are quite different from traditional pin-t ype fuel and require to redefine the way fresh and used fuel is handled. (1) Pebbles are smaller than fuel pins, a re not connected in an assembly.
Furthermore, pebbles can potentially move (roll) and collect in a location if dispersed with risk of criticality.
For contest a PWR core contains ~200 assemblies, a PBR ~500,000 pebbles. (2) Pebbles use 10% to 20%
enriched fuel and can achieve burnup of roughly 10% to 20% FIMA, two to four times that of LWR fuel.
These features have impact both on the front end when fresh fue l is stored and transported, and on the back end. (3) Noticeably different from pins, pebbles embed bot h the fuel and the moderator, meaning that criticality does not require additional materials, and poison c annot be integrated like in an assembly. We propose to leverage recent advancements in pebble bed reactor d epletion and the large and detailed amount of data these new methodologies can generate to ensure f uel pebbles are managed within the expected safety envelope. In addition, we will perform a compr ehensive assessment of fuel pebbles storage and transportation for both fresh and used fuel in orde r to determine guidelines and best practices for safe pebble handling.
Principal Investigator:
Massimiliano Fratoni, maxfratoni@berkeley.edu
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FY2023 Research and Development Grant Executive Summaries
Texas A&M University - College Station
A Combined High-Throughput Experiments and Simulations Approach for qualifying additively manufactured 316H stainless steel alloys for molten salts react ors.
Executive Summary:
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has recently endorsed (Regulatory Guide 1.87 Revision 2, Jan 2023) ASME Section III, Division 5, which governs the construct ion of structural components for use in high temperature reactor systems [1]. 316 stainless steel (SS) is o ne of only six alloys approved for nuclear use
[1, 2]. 316H alloy is particularly of interest for molten salt s reactors (MSR) and currently under investigation by Kairos Power (and others) as part of regulatory reviews of t he KP-FHR design (and other MSR designs).
However, Division 5 cannot cover environmental effects (of cool ant and irradiation) on structural failure modes for all reactor types, and for all different design chara cteristics for the same reactor type [1, 2]. The recommended approach is for owner/operator to have the responsi bility to demonstrate to NRC that these effects on structural failure modes are accounted for in their specific reactor design. Moreover, INL, EPRI, and other industrial partners are utilizing advanced/additive m anufacturing (AM) to tailor the mechanical properties of these alloys. INL and EPRI (with industrial part ners) are currently working on establishing specific Code Cases for these AM 316 alloys. Furthermore, the newly established DOE-NE program of Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies (AMMT) has pu blished a roadmap for qualifying novel materials and AM processes [3]. This roadmap proposes the depl oyment of physics-based models, AI/ML algorithms, and ion irradiation for rapid qualifications of AM alloys. Objectives and Benefits: Here, we propose to employ high-fidelity multiphysics modeling, small-sc ale mechanical testing, proton irradiation, and high-throughput testing/characterization to accelerate the modeling and data development and understanding of (1) irradiation effects, (2) deformation behav ior, (3) corrosion and (4) the interplay between them on the degradation of irradiated AM 316H SS in molten salt s reactor environments. Those topics are critical to reactor risk management. However, with the limited information available in those areas, it is difficult for NRC to develop guidelines. The research contribu tes to NRCs regulatory activities through the following objectives. First, the project fulfills the data nee d to identify the safety concerns of AM for nuclear; Second; it will facilitate the development of guidelines that o perators can utilize to demonstrate the accounting for environmental effects on materials degradation i n MSR, which are out of scope of ASME Section III, Division 5; Third, it will provide a proof-of-conc ept for utilizing multiphysics models, ion-irradiation, and small-scale mechanical testing for rapid quali fication of novel materials and processes, as recommended by the Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technol ogies AMMT report [3]. This proposal is appropriate for the FOA because it directly responds to one of the interests listed there, e.g., Evaluation of technical gaps and major uncertainties in assessing risk for op erating new and advanced reactors (e.g.,
modeling of complex dependencies, advanced calculation techniqu es, etc.
[1] T. Sham, ASME Section III, Division 5, High Temperature Rea ctors, INL/CON-23-71326-Revision-0, 2023. Also, ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, 2017 Edition,Section III Division 1, and Section III Division 5.
[2] Metallic Materials Qualification for the Kairos Power Fluor ide Salt-Cooled High-Temperature Reactor, 2021.
[3] M. Li et. al., Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies (AMMT) 2022 Roadmap.
Principal Investigator: PI: Karim Ahmed, karim.ahmed@tamu.edu Co-Principal Investigator: Lin Shao, lshao@tamu.edu
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FY2023 Research and Development Grant Executive Summaries
Kansas State University
Enhancement of Miniature In-Core Fission Chamber Technology for Advanced Reactor Applications
Executive Summary:
The objective of this research effort is to advance operational performance of neutron flux sensor technology to fill gaps in up-coming advanced reactor applicati ons. This work addresses reported shortcomings including: 1. Online sensor recalibration methods supporting longer cycles of operation. 2.
Higher operational temperatures to support gas-cooled, Brayton cycle, molten-salt, and pebble bed reactors. 3. Improved accuracy and spatial resolution in distri buted neutron flux monitoring. 4. Prompt sensor time-response for integration into reactor protection sy stems including wide dynamic range to cover fuel-loading, start-up range monitoring as well as full-power o perations.
The benefits of this research are numerous, ranging from advanc ements in sensor response modeling and testing to workforce development and outreach to diverse youth. A new NIST-traceable source fabrication method will enable fission chamber signals from neutron irradia tion to be precisely replicated on the bench-top without the need for neutron irradiation and reactor facili ties. Modeling capability will be extended to include 3-dimensional time-dependen t device physics (charge car rier generation, diffusion, drift, bulk and interface trapping, recombination, avalanching) coupled with ra diation transport. This modeling will be benchmarked with more predictable signal conditions than ever b efore demonstrated in fission chamber sensors thanks to the novel radioactive source fabrication deve lopment. This will expand our scientific understanding of fission chamber sensors and will be applied to extending the sensor performance envelope, including higher temperature operation.
Workforce development and education will engage our diverse you th in partnership and recruiting with Fisk University and outreach to rural Kansas communities and regions exhibiting high Hispanic and Native American population and lacking a representative minority servi ng organization. The goal will be to maximize awareness and knowledge of nuclear related opportuniti es in education, training, and employment in smaller communities not able to maintain connect ions to institutions of higher education.
Principal Investigator:
Walter McNeil, wmcneil@ksu.edu
Co-Principal Investigator:
Douglas McGregor, mcgregor@ksu.edu
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FY2023 Research and Development Grant Executive Summaries
Purdue University
Development of a novel nuclear safety and security probabilisti c risk assessment (PRA) model for advanced reactors
Executive Summary:
Nuclear safety and security of nuclear reactors share a common objective which is to ensure the protection of the population and the environment from an undue radiologica l hazard. Historically, many analytical methods have been developed and implemented to support safety-based risk assessment and decision analysis. Adapting and extending risk assessment to physical an d cyber nuclear security applications has been limited because of the adaptive nature of adversaries and the lack of historical data of malicious attacks. Additionally, applying this to advanced nuclear reacto rs, small modular reactors, and microreactors have not been evaluated fully given the immaturity and novelty of these technologies, most of which have not been licensed. It is imperative to assess if these reactor s have the means to fully understand and evaluate their risk in a cost-effective manner. In addition, t hese reactors must meet the regulatory requirement set forth by the NRC. This proposed work has one m ain goal: Develop an integrated nuclear safety and security PRA model for advanced reactors. This goal has three objectives: Objective 1: Modify the current Potential Facility Risk Index (PFRI) for advanced r eactors: Objective 2: Extend the model capability to include safety analysis by incorporating PRA; and Objective 3: Test the combined model on an existing reactor. Hypothetical scenarios will be modeled and p erformed at the Purdue University Reactor (PUR-1) and then applied to an advanced reactor. The combinati on of these objectives will provide a new approach for integrating nuclear safety and security using PRA techniques accepted by the US NRC. The proposed project advances knowledge and understanding within th is area by creating a novel model that integrates nuclear safety and security risk. This model uses a ccepted PRA tools adapted for nuclear power plants that includes safety and security. The model incorporat es credible safety and security scenarios integrating PRA and pathway analysis. The results will provide total risk probabilities for accident and security scenarios and risk scores (1-10, with 1 being low ri sk and 10 being high risk). The results of the research will provide value in determining facility designs and the integration of safety and security.
Principal Investigator:
Jason T. Harris, jtharris@purdue.edu
Co-Principal Investigators:
Hany Abdel-Khalik, abdelkhalik@purdue.edu Craig Marianno, marianno@tamu.edu
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FY2023 Research and Development Grant Executive Summaries
University of Alabama - Birmingham
Decontamination & Decommissioning Regulation Optimization by Po licy Surveillance: A First Step in Regulation Harmonization that Leads to Many Solutions
Executive Summary:
There are subtle but significant differences in regulations and recommendations between federal agencies, state agencies, and non-government al organizations that limit s ystemic safety standardization. This research aims to apply policy surveillance methods to all relev ant decontamination and decommissioning regulations and recommendations with the intent to ease jurisdi ctional discrepancies and facilitate improved analysis of regulatory effectiveness. Policy surveillance metho ds have been applied to public health initiatives and can be adapted to the needs of the radiation pr otection community (ERG 2022, Leclair 2017).
The primary deliverable of this research is a web-based databas e that can be used by regulators, licensees, and policymakers to compare relevant regulations and recommenda tions quickly and accurately. This database will help resolve conflicting jurisdictional oversight for agencies and provide guidance for the synthesis of appropriate action plans. Most importantly, this database will also facilitate analysis of the effectiveness of regulations in meeting environmental and publi c health goals. Traditional analysis is a time-intensive process and is at risk of producing results that are quickly rendered obsolete due to changes in law and regulations. Once built, a policy surveillance databas e, in contrast, can be updated with less effort and time as changes occur, thus providing a resource that is a better representation of the regulatory system. The application of policy surveillance methods to deco mmissioning and decontamination will also provide a framework for expanding the project to cover other ar eas of radiation-related regulation. This research will provide a resource that can be used to harmonize regulations between different jurisdictions, increase the proficiency of regulators and policymakers, and op timize regulations to balance the risks and rewards of radiological technologies and lead toward the implem entation of semi-automated policy surveillance for use in health physics.
Principal Investigator:
Emily Caffrey, emilycaf@uab.edu
Co-Principal Investigator:
Charles Wilson, cawilso2@uab.edu
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FY2023 Research and Development Grant Executive Summaries
University of Pittsburgh
Leveraging acoustic emissions for real-time monitoring of corro sion damage-to-crack transitions in molten salt reactors
Executive Summary:
Molten salt reactors (MSRs) are an advanced nuclear reactor des ign of interest due to their improved efficiency, increased safety, and reduced fuel interaction requ irements relative to legacy light water reactors. Because of the high levels of radiation expected in M SRs post-start up, remote operations and maintenance approaches are required, particularly for structura l health monitoring given the highly corrosive nature of the molten salt mixtures under consideration for MSRs. However, while the need for remote structural monitoring is clear, the elevated temperatures, high dose rates, and highly corrosive operating environment (if sensors are salt wetted) are a significant chal lenge for sensor development. A relevant technology that has shown promise for meeting these challenges is acoustic emission sensing via fiber optics, but studies are needed to confirm (1) the molten salt c ompatibility of such sensors and (2) the efficiency of this approach for detecting corrosion-to-crack tr ansitions in MSR environments. The overarching objective of the proposed effort is to address this engineering need through the development, implementation, and validation of real-time, acoustic sensing t echnology for structural health monitoring in molten salt reactor components.
To accomplish this objective, a collaborative research program is proposed that will (1) identify an optical fiber acoustic emission sensing configuration that is compatibl e with MSR environments and (2) demonstrate the efficacy of acous tic emissions-based monitoring to detect the onset of stress corrosion cracking propagation in a molten salt environment. The proposed program will provide clear engineering benefits via the development of an effective, scalable, and rem ote structural health monitoring approach for MSR applications, while also disseminating appreciable stress c orrosion cracking susceptibility data for MSR environments into the open literature. Additionally, the de velopment and validation of high temperature-capable, radiation-tolerant sensing technology for structural health monitoring will positively impact other nuclear applications. For example, products and kn owledge gained from the proposed effort could be leveraged in other advanced reactor designs, such as l iquid Pb-based systems, where high temperatures also challenge existing sensor technologies. Lastl y, this proposal will sponsor more than six summer undergraduate research project for students from backgro unds that are traditionally underrepresented in STEM to work on cutting-edge research on nu clear-relevant topics through a dedicated partnership with West Virginia State University (a minority ser ving institution).
Principal Investigator:
Paul Ohodnicki Jr., pro8@pitt.edu
Co-Principal Investigator:
Zachary Harris, zdh13@pitt.edu
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FY2023 Research and Development Grant Executive Summaries
University of Maryland
Use of Hybrid Tools to Model Risks of Advanced Nuclear Power Re actor Technologies under a Changing Climate
Executive Summary:
Context: Advanced nuclear technologies represent a key resource for mit igating the effects of a changing climate. Advanced reactor technologies are expected to reduce c onstruction timelines, increase efficiencies, reduce operating costs, and employ multiple safety-enhancing te chnologies. These facilities are also exposed to meteorological/hydrological hazards that may increas e in frequency and severity due to a changing climate. Realizing the benefits of nuclear power whil e ensuring public health and safety requires robust probabilistic risk assessments (PRAs). However, foundat ional PRA software and tools are associated with limitations that have led to assumptions and w orkarounds that reduce model transparency and limit the degree to which complexities can be captured. Th ese limitations can be particularly acute when seeking to model spatially/te mporally dynamic hazard events under complex dependencies and in light of new technologies with limited data. There is a need f or research to identify, assess, and develop strategies/tools that can address the unique suite of PRA chall enges encountered when modeling risks posed to and by advanced nuclear power reactor technologies und er a changing climate.
Objectives: This research project leverages a graded approach to develop h ybrid modeling approaches that address obstacles that nuclear PRA analysts face when usin g present-day PRA tools to model risks posed to and by advanced nuclear power plants exposed to prolon ged hydrological and meteorological hazards posed by a changing climate. Specifically, the objecti ve of this project is to use hybrid modeling approaches to address a range of practical and technical obstac les faced by PRA analysts, including (1) modeling broad classes of complex dependencies, (2) characteriz ing PRA inputs in data-sparse environments, (3) modeling latent conditions (e.g., due to the potential for unknown system states and interactions), (4) modeling of passive and semi-passive systems, and (5) capturing non-stationary processes due to climate change.
Benefits: This project addresses multiple NRC-defined research areas of interest, including:
(1) technical gaps and major uncertainties in assessing risk f or new and advanced reactors;
(2) characterization of hazards related to flooding, high wind s, and climate change; (3) data visualization; and (4) analytical approaches for PRA modeling, reliability, an d resilience assessments. In addition to solving emergent technical challenges, the proposed research pr oject will expose student researchers to advanced technologies, PRA challenges, and existing/new PRA met hods and software tools. It will also allow students to engage with the nuclear PRA community.
Principal Investigator:
Michelle (Shelby) Bensi, mbensi@umd.edu
Co-Principal Investigators:
Mohammad Modarres, modarres@umd.edu Jennifer Irish, jirish@vt.edu
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FY2023 Research and Development Grant Executive Summaries
University of Nevada - Reno
Manufacturing of Spent Fuel Storage Canisters with Superior Str ess Corrosion Cracking Resistance using Advanced Hybrid Laser-Arc Welding and High-Pressure Cold Spray Additive Post-Processing
Executive Summary:
The goal of the proposed research is to develop and demonstrate an innovative process to manufacture dry storage canisters (DSCs) for spen t nuclear fuels (SNFs) with superior resistance to chloride-induced stress corrosion cracking (CISCC) using a novel concept of advanced hy brid laser-arc welding (HLAW) followed by high-pressure cold spray (HPCS) post-processing. The project a ddresses the NRC programmatic mission objectives for evaluating technical gaps and major uncertaintie s in assessing risk for decommissioning and waste management. The primary expected outcome of this research is increased safety and security against CISCC in DSCs for SNF storage applications. This work involves graduate students from University of Nevada Reno and the Ohio State University and pro viding opportunities to undergraduate students from minority serving institution, fostering the devel opment of the next generation workforce in nuclear science and engineering.
The objectives for this project are to use HLAW to join ASS pla tes; subject the welded joint to HPCS; test the welded joint; and apply modelling to DSC welds to demonstra te efficacy against CISCC. This proposed approach will provide a powerful tool to improve the CISCC resi stance in DSCs and save millions of dollars in repair and rework costs. Also, it will eliminate potential exposure of radiation from DSCs, thus benefiting society.
Principal Investigator:
Pradeep Menezes, pmenezes@unr.edu
Co-Principal Investigators:
Manoranjan Misra, misra@unr.edu Boyd Panton, panton.7@osu.edu Boian Alexandrov, alexandrov.1@osu.edu
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FY2023 Research and Development Grant Executive Summaries
Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Optimization Method for SMR Core Design
Executive Summary:
This project aims to develop a methodology to automate the opti mal burnable poison pattern search for small modular reactor (SMR) core design by developing a methodo logy that couples MATLAB optimization and parallel computing toolboxes with the SCALE6 code package, a light-water reactor design and licensing software suite. The objectives of the optimization algorithm w ill include minimizing the deviation of the multiplication factor and minimizing the fuel pin peaking facto r throughout the fuel cycle to meet the various design requirements arising from innovative pressure water reac tor derived SMR development. Texas A&M University-Kingsville, as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, provi des the research infrastructure and academic environment. By conducting the proposed research on SMR develo pment, TAMUK contributes to expanding the presence of underrepresented groups in nuclear sc ience. Such endeavors not only broaden perspectives but also foster innovation, ultimately cultivating a more inclusive scientific community.
Principal Investigator:
Dr. Xue Yang, xue.yang@tamuk.edu
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FY2023 Research and Development Grant Executive Summaries
University of New Mexico
Using Depletion Sensitivity Analysis to Better Characterize Rea ctor Fuel Cycles
Executive Summary:
The goal of this work is to improve our ability to characterize the time-dependent evolution of fuel and reactor physics properties in operating and advanced reactors. This goal will be accomplished by improving our understanding of sources of uncertainty that limit our abil ity to model nuclear fuel cycles. Specific aims of this work include:
- 1. Understanding how stochastic noise limits our ability to acc urately predict the isotopic inventory of spent fuel.
- 2. Understanding how uncertainty in nuclide fission yields and cross section data affects our ability to predict the isotopic inventory of spent fuel.
- 3. Understanding how uncertainty in nuclear data and fuel isoto pic inventories introduces uncertainty in key reactor physics properties, including the en d-of-cycle (EOC) reactor design eigenvalue and local and global delayed neutron fraction ( ) estimates.
If successful, this work will impr ove our ability to predict the composition of spent fuel, to predict heat generation in spent fuel, to control advanced reactors, and to accurately model and optimize advanced reactor fuel cycles.
By improving confidence in our ability to control reactors by i dentifying sources of uncertainty in EOC reactor eigenvalue estimates, estimates, and boiling water reactor (BWR) flow control maps, this work will aid in the evaluation of technical gaps and major un certainties in assessing risk for operating, new and advanced reactors. Furthermore, identifying sources of unc ertainty in the composition of spent fuel will aid in the evaluation of technical gaps and major uncertaintie s in assessing risk for decommissioning and waste management. By developing t hese sensitivity analysis methods in high-fidelity, reactor-agnostic, continuous-energy Monte Carlo codes, these methods will be acce ssible to both operating Light Water Reactors (LWRs) and novel advanced reactor designs.
Principal Investigator:
Christopher Perfetti, cperfetti@unm.edu
Co-Principal Investigator:
Forrest Brown, fbrown@unm.edu
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FY2023 Research and Development Grant Executive Summaries
University of California - Los Angeles
Confidence in Uncertainty: Research to Address Exiting and Emer ging Technical Challenges in Characterization and Assessment of Uncertainty of PRA Results f or Risk-Informed Decision Making
Executive Summary:
The proposed research aims to examine important technical gaps in PRA uncertainty analysis domain and provide technical foundations for resolution. The different typ es of uncertainty considered are completeness, parameter, and model uncertainty. Among the topics to study is the assessment of uncertainty and trustworthiness of Machine Learning (ML) methods that are of ra pidly rising interest and field applications for model building and probabilistic assessment of risk and saf ety, particularly for advanced reactor concepts, including small modular reactors. ML techniques alre ady play a prominent role in designing and developing means for reliability and integrity monitoring of systems with passive safety features, and new capabilities of digital control rooms. Machine Learning methods are also being explored to replace some of the more conventional data analytics methods used in PRAs in su ch areas as Human Reliability Analysis, Common Cause Failure Analysis, and External Events Hazard Analy sis. The methods and procedures resulting from the research will be formulated at a practical l evel, and with objective of enhancing the quality and credibility of PRA uncertainty analysis and results. The em phasis will be on improving the realism of the quantified uncertainty distributions, complementing NUREG-1855, guidance with emphasis on techniques for quantification of uncertainties.
Principal Investigator:
Ali Mosleh, mosleh@ucla.edu
Co-Principal Investigator:
Enrique L. Droguett, eald@g.ucla.edu
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FY2023 Research and Development Grant Executive Summaries
University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign
Context-Based Analysis of a Risk-informed, Performance-based Re gulatory Approach for Advanced Nuclear Reactors
Executive Summary:
The objective of this project is to evaluate the role of techno logy-inclusive, risk-informed, and performance-based (RIPB) safety regulation for advanced nuclear reactors, f ocusing on the engineering-informed legal and regulatory context in which such regulation occurs. In doi ng so, the project will address the NRCs noted interests in research on performance-based technology-inc lusive safety assurance, evaluating technical gaps and major uncertainties in assessing risk for ad vanced reactors, and continuing to refine techniques in probabilistic risk assessment (PRA). This projec t will be executed in three tasks: (I) Conduct a context analysis to develop a thorough understanding of the legal and institutional contexts of regulating advanced nuclear reactors; (II) Conduct a comparative analysis of existing regulatory constructs through a comprehensive review of engineering, legal, and policy literatu re regarding the existing approaches to regulate technological system risks to identify the potential s cholarly gaps in support of designing the RIPB approach to regulating advanced nuclear reactors; and (III) Con duct a case study to demonstrate an application of the regulatory context and design recommendation s. A strength of this proposal is that the team includes experts from law and policy as well as nuclear en gineering.
Principal Investigator:
Zahra Mohaghegh, zahra13@illinois.edu
Co-Principal Investigators:
Arden Rowell, karowell@illinois.edu Pegah Farshadmanesh, pegah2@illinois.edu Amir Afzali, afzalia57@gmail.com
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FY2023 Research and Development Grant Executive Summaries
North Carolina State University
Developments of Guidelines and Benchmarks for Regulatory Assess ment of Autonomous Visual Data Collection and Monitoring of Operations and Maintenance
Executive Summary:
Reality capture technologies, such as visual sensing and laser scanning using drones and robotic devices, have been gaining increasing attention during operations and ma intenance (O&M) of industrial facilities.
These technologies are being pursued by the existing fleet of n uclear plants to increase efficiency, reduce staffing needs, and improve the quality of monitoring the facil ities and various systems. Advanced reactor vendors are pursuing these technologies for developing digital twins to manage not only O&M but also construction of new reactors. More specifically, video cameras and laser scanners are being used to develop 3D models of components and systems. The 3D images are then used for a variety of purposes such as virtual inspections by comparison with 3D design models, visualization, monitoring, schedule management, etc. Overall, as-built digital twins developed us ing these technologies are a key step in the development of autonomous monitori ng and control systems for nu clear plants. The expectation is that the autonomous systems will be highly efficient and accurate in the ir capabilities for diagnosis, prognosis, and strategy assessment in managing the entire lifecycle of a nucle ar plant.
This proposal aims to help the regulators, inspectors, and plan t operators be prepared for the next generation of reality capture and robotics technologies for vir tual inspection and monitoring and integrating them into the current practices.
Specifically, this project proposes to (i) characterize technic al specifications and the associated parameters that govern the accuracy of virtual inspections and monitoring, including parameters related to autonomous navigation of robots used for visual data collection; (ii) cond uct laboratory studies to quantify uncertainties in parameters that govern the accuracy of visual sensing based mea surements and autonomous navigation; (iii) characterize uncertainties and recommend possible solutio ns to reduce uncertainties wherever applicable; (iv) identify items that are conducive to virtual i nspection and monitoring and the items that are not; (v) develop benchmark problems that can be used to test an d assess the quality of a virtual reality (VR)-based monitoring platform, and (v) develop recommendations for periodic calibration of virtual inspection and monitoring
Principal Investigator:
Abhinav Gupta, agupta1@ncsu.edu
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