Package Containers Research Articles

Unifying package managers, workflow engines, and containers: Computational reproducibility with BioNix.

MotivationA challenge for computational biologists is to make our analyses reproducible—i.e. to rerun, combine, and share, with the assurance that equivalent runs will generate identical results. Current best practice aims at this using a combination of package managers, workflow engines, and containers.ResultsWe present BioNix, a lightweight library built on the Nix deployment system. BioNix manages software dependencies, computational environments, and workflow stages together using a single abstraction: pure functions. This lets users specify workflows in a clean, uniform way, with strong reproducibility guarantees.Availability and ImplementationBioNix is implemented in the Nix expression language and is released on GitHub under the 3-clause BSD license: https://github.com/PapenfussLab/bionix (biotools:BioNix) (BioNix, RRID:SCR_017662).

Efficient and accurate simulation of the packaging forming process

To allow for large‐scale forming applications, such as converting paperboard into package containers, efficient and reliable numerical tools are needed. In finite element simulations of thin structures, elements including structural features are required to reduce the computational cost. Solid‐shell elements based on reduced integration with hourglass stabilization is an attractive choice. One advantage of this choice is the natural inclusion of the thickness, not present in standard degenerated shells, which is especially important for many problems involving contact. Furthermore, no restrictions are imposed on the constitutive models since the solid‐shell element does not require the plane stress condition to be enforced. In this work, a recently proposed efficient solid‐shell element is implemented together with a state‐of‐the‐art continuum model for paperboard. This approach is validated by comparing the obtained numerical results with experimental results for paperboard as well as with those found by using 3D continuum elements. To show the potential of this approach, a large‐scale forming simulation of paperboard is used as a proof of concept.

Electrochemical methods to detect susceptibility of Ni-Cr-Mo-W alloy 22 to intergranular corrosion

Alloy 22 (UNS N06022), a Ni-Cr-Mo-W based alloy, is a candidate material for the outer wall of nuclear waste package (NWP) containers. Even though the alloy is highly stable at low temperatures, it could undergo microstructural changes during processing such as welding and stress relieving. Formation of topologically close-packed (TCP) phases such as μ, P, σ, etc. and Cr-rich carbides could make the material susceptible to localized corrosion. Hence, it is important to correlate the microstructural changes with the corrosion resistance of the alloy by nondestructive and rapid electrochemical tests. In this investigation, different electrochemical test solutions were used to quantify the microstructural changes associated with aging and welding of the wrought alloy 22. The results of double-loop (DL) electrochemical potentiodynamic reactivation (EPR) tests in 1 M H2SO4+0.5 M NaCl+0.01 M KSCN solution indicated Cr depletion during initial stages of aging of wrought alloy 22. Results of EPR tests in 2 M HCl+0.01 M KSCN solution at 60 °C correlated well with the Mo depletion that occurred near TCP phases formed during aging of both weld and wrought alloy 22 materials. The EPR test results were compared with standard chemical weight loss measurements specified by ASTM standard G-28 methods A and B.

Corrosion Model Validation in High Level Nuclear Waste Package Research

ABSTRACTThe strategies for waste package (WP) performance validation will be based on site specific geologic and hydrogeochemical information plus models which can be used to predict potential WP lifetimes. The development and application of such models will include the evaluation of natural analogues (NA). These analogues are needed to resolve issues related to the validation of models. Natural analogues have not had extensive use or widespread acceptance in the area of waste package failure prediction. This lack of acceptance is due to the anticipated choice of alloys for waste package containers. Few of these alloys are similar to naturally occurring metals, and the proposed HLW repositories are in general in geologic settings not very similar to those in which naturally occurring metals are generally found.Natural and archaeological analogues can be used, however, in analysis of possible waste package failures as a means of testing proposed models for failure. In fact, the analogues are the only available mechanisms for testing models of long-term waste package behavior. A strategy is outlined for incorporating natural and archaeological analogue studies into waste package research, and examples are discussed. The natural/archaeological analogues approach which appears most promising is to use archaeological and mineral samples to develop an understanding of the identities and rates of the mineral alteration reactions at or near the surface of the package, improving present capability for estmating the lifetimes of metallic waste package containers.

Buckling Design Criteria for Waste Disposal Containers

This report documents analytical and experimental results from a survey of the technical literature on buckling of thick-walled cylinders under external pressure. Based upon these results, a load factor is suggested for the design of waste package containers for disposal of high level radioactive waste in repositories mined in salt formations. The load factor is defined as a ratio of buckling pressure to allowable pressure. Specifically, a load factor which ranges from 1.5 for plastic buckling to 3.0 for elastic buckling is included in a set of proposed buckling design criteria for waste disposal containers.

Corrosion Studies of A216 Grade WCA Steel in Hydrothermal Magnesium-Containing Brines

AbstractThe U.S. Department of Energy's Salt Repository Project (SRP) is investigating the general corrosion resistance of cast mild steel as a candidate material for waste package containers. Evaluation of this material is being performed at the Pacific Northwest Laboratory in environments simulating expected repository conditions.General corrosion studies of mild steel (ASTM A216 grade WCA) in the as-cast and normalized conditions were conducted in hydrothermal halitesaturated (saturated at ambient temperature) brine environments simulating a “dissolution” and an “inclusion” brine. Corrosion tests were also performed in brines similar to the inclusion brine but containing magnesium concentrations ranging from 1000 to 30,000 ppm to investigate the effect of magnesium on the corrosion behavior.Corrosion rates of the cast mild steel were found to increase with increasing temperature and with increasing magnesium concentration. Some possible mechanisms that explain the observed behavior are presented.

Lowbush Blueberry Notes

Abstract Maine Industry Now I.Q.F.: Maine’s lowbush blueberry industry now freezes 70% of its total crop, which averages 25 to 26 million pounds per year. Most of this fruit is frozen in ultramodern I.Q.F. (Individually Quick Frozen) freezers. Tunnel(belt)-type and flo-freeze type I.Q.F. units are now in operation supplying the baking industry with cleaner and more uniform fruit. I.Q.F. blueberries are loose when packaged and easily incorporated into the baked product. Standard package containers include the 20 pound tin, 30 pound poly-lined paper box and 60 nound poly-lined multi-walled paper bag. Presently there are three tunneltype and two flo-freeze type I.Q.F. units in operation solely for lowbush blueberries in Maine.