Test Facility Research Articles

The applications of soil bin test facilities to terramechanics: a review

The applications of soil bin test facilities to terramechanics: a review

Validation of a three-dimensional two-phase code, CUPID, using a rod-bundle boiling test facility, SIRIUS-3D

In nuclear power plants, the occurrence of a three-dimensional mixing phenomenon in two-phase flow can help mitigate the peak cladding temperature of fuels in a core. Simulating this phenomenon necessitates subchannel-scale analysis. CUPID is a three-dimensional thermal hydraulic analysis code developed by KAERI. This paper presents the validation results of the code against rod bundle tests conducted using SIRIUS-3D, a 5 × 5 rod bundle test facility. One test utilized subchannel void sensors, while the other employed X-ray CT. To validate the SIRIUS-3D test data, subchannel-scale nodes were constructed for CUPID calculation. For improved convergence, the implicit friction calculation was conducted with a small CFL ratio. The drag coefficient interfacial friction model without the EVVD model yielded the best prediction. The void fraction was over-predicted at a low velocity of 0.1 m/s, which could be improved by reducing the interfacial friction.

RPV top and bottom break SBLOCA with passive emergency core cooling system using ATLAS test facility

A SBLOCA test, named as C2.1 in the frame of the OECD/NEA ATLAS3 project, using a passive emergency core cooling system (PECCS) was performed by Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI). In the test, two simultaneous 2-inch equivalent breaks occurred at top and bottom nozzles of the reactor pressure vessel of ATLAS test facility. The main purpose of the test is to investigate thermal hydraulic transient behavior in a reactor coolant system (RCS) during a SBLOCA scenario and to evaluate the effectiveness of PECCS. From the observation on thermal hydraulic phenomena during the test, the test period was divided into three characteristic phases such as pressure plateau, safety injection, and clad temperature re-increase phases. Continuous inventory loss of the primary loop through two break nozzles led to a primary system pressure decrease and a clad temperature increase. Even though high-pressure safety injection tanks (HPSITs) were actuated in an early stage of the pressure plateau phase, safety injection from HPSITs, however, were not actually injected. Safety injection flows from the HPSITs and SITs were practically injected to the downcomer only after the opening of automatic depressurization valves (ADVs). With a continuous decrease of a primary system pressure, low-pressure (LP) injection was started. However, LP injection could not change the increasing trend of the clad temperatures. Post-test calculations were performed using MARS-KS 1.4, and calculation results were compared with those of the test.

Lead Fast Reactor Thermal-Hydraulic Testing Facilities in Support of the UK Advanced Modular Reactor Program

The Westinghouse lead-cooled fast reactor (LFR) is a next-generation nuclear power plant whose primary mission is to reduce front-end capital costs and generate flexible and cost-competitive electricity for global markets, while offering mission versatility and satisfying the highest safety and sustainability standards. The LFR is an economical choice for carbon-free power generation to meet the ambitious goals of reducing carbon emissions. The plant utilizes passive safety systems for high reliability and public safety. The LFR testing program aims to fill the technology gaps in the key materials, components, and systems of the LFR plant. It provides demonstrations of LFR engineering that reduce the uncertainty of the LFR design and experimental data for the verification and validation of the modeling and simulation computer codes. With the support of the LFR phenomena identification and ranking table, the phenomena important to plant safety with insufficient states of knowledge have been identified and a Westinghouse testing plan developed to address them. The United Kingdom Advanced Modular Reactor Program Phase 2 was purposed to advance the level of design maturity toward eventual regulatory approval and deployment. Westinghouse and its partners have developed eight state-of-the-art test facilities within the program. Among them, the Passive Heat Removal Facility, Versatile Lead Facility, Lead Water Interaction Facility, and the Lead Freezing Facility are thermal-hydraulic testing facilities, with the other four facilities dedicated to testing lead corrosion and material mechanical behavior in lead. The design, development, and testing of the four thermal-hydraulic facilities are presented in this paper. A variety of computer codes ranging from system-level analysis, component-level analysis, and high-resolution computational fluid dynamics analysis, are utilized to support the development of the facilities. The analyses provide operational and accidental conditions in the LFR to identify major testing conditions and inform the facility design and testing matrix. With a significant amount of experimental data being generated with these highly instrumented test facilities, the computer codes and models will be benchmarked against the experimental results to improve their validation and verification status.

Experimental Investigation of an Efficient and Lightweight Designed Counter-Rotating Shrouded Fan Stage

The German Aerospace Center designed, aero-mechanically optimized and experimentally investigated its own counter-rotating shrouded fan stage in the frame of the project CRISPmulti. Their target and the motivation of this work was, on the one hand, the generation of a highly accurate experimental database for the validation of the modern numerical design and optimization processes, and on the other hand, the development of a new innovative technology for the manufacturing of 3D fan blades made of a lightweight CFRP material. The original CRISP-1m test rig designed by the MTU Aero Engines in the 1980s was reused with the new blading for experimental investigation in the Multistage Two-Shaft Compressor Test Facility (M2VP) of the DLR in Cologne. The evaluation of the steady measurement results and the validation of the numerical simulation based on the pressure and temperature measurement are presented in this paper.

Graphene Multiplexed Sensor for Point-of-Need Viral Wastewater-Based Epidemiology.

Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) can help mitigate the spread of respiratory infections through the early detection of viruses, pathogens, and other biomarkers in human waste. The need for sample collection, shipping, and testing facilities drives up the cost of WBE and hinders its use for rapid detection and isolation in environments with small populations and in low-resource settings. Given the ubiquitousness and regular outbreaks of respiratory syncytial virus, SARS-CoV-2, and various influenza strains, there is a rising need for a low-cost and easy-to-use biosensing platform to detect these viruses locally before outbreaks can occur and monitor their progression. To this end, we have developed an easy-to-use, cost-effective, multiplexed platform able to detect viral loads in wastewater with several orders of magnitude lower limit of detection than that of mass spectrometry. This is enabled by wafer-scale production and aptamers preattached with linker molecules, producing 44 chips at once. Each chip can simultaneously detect four target analytes using 20 transistors segregated into four sets of five for each analyte to allow for immediate statistical analysis. We show our platform's ability to rapidly detect three virus proteins (SARS-CoV-2, RSV, and Influenza A) and a population normalization molecule (caffeine) in wastewater. Going forward, turning these devices into hand-held systems would enable wastewater epidemiology in low-resource settings and be instrumental for rapid, local outbreak prevention.

Assessment of geographical accessibility to COVID-19 testing facilities in Nepal (2021)

Ensuring equitable physical access to SARS-CoV-2 testing has proven to be crucial for controlling the COVID-19 epidemic, especially in countries like Nepal with its challenging terrain. During the second wave of the pandemic in May 2021, there was immense pressure to expand the laboratory network in Nepal to ensure calibration of epidemic response. The expansion led to an increase in the number of testing facilities from 69 laboratories in May 2021 to 89 laboratories by November 2021. We assessed the equity of physical access to COVID-19 testing facilities in Nepal during 2021. Furthermore, we investigated the potential of mathematical optimisation in improving accessibility to COVID-19 testing facilities. Based on up-to-date publicly available data sets and on the COVID-19-related daily reports published by Nepal's Ministry of Health and Population from May 1 to November 15, 2021, we measured the disparities in geographical accessibility to COVID-19 testing across Nepal at a resolution of 1km2. In addition, we proposed an optimisation model to prescribe the best possible locations to set up testing laboratories maximizing access, and tested its potential impact in Nepal. The analysis identified vulnerable districts where, despite ramping up efforts, physical accessibility to testing facilities remains low under two modes of travel-walking and motorized driving. Both geographical accessibility and its equality were better under the motorised mode compared with the walking mode. If motorised transportation were available to everyone, the population coverage within 60min of any testing facility (public and private) would be close to threefold the coverage for pedestrians within the same hour: 61.4% motorised against 22.2% pedestrian access within the hour, considering the whole population of Nepal. Very low accessibility was found in most areas except those with private test centres concentrated in the capital city of Kathmandu. The hypothetical use of mathematical optimisation to select 20 laboratories to add to the original 69 could have improved access from the observed 61.4% offered by the laboratories operating in November to 71.4%, if those 20 could be chosen optimally from all existing healthcare facilities in Nepal. In mountainous terrain, accessibility is very low and could not be improved, even considering all existing healthcare facilities as potential testing locations. The findings related to geographical accessibility to COVID-19 testing facilities should provide valuable information for health-related planning in Nepal, especially in emergencies where data might be limited and decisions time-sensitive. The potential use of publicly available data and mathematical optimisation could be considered in the future. WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR).

Public Health Applications of Patient Transfer Networks—Colorado, 2022–2023

Background: During 2021–2023, an increase in Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase producing Enterobacterales species (KPC-CRE) cases occurred among patients admitted to several overlapping healthcare facilities, prompting an investigation by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). We applied social network analysis (SNA) to identify KPC-CRE networks and other multidrug-resistant organism (MDRO) transmission, created a tool for public health prevention planning and for facilities to examine their own patient transfer connectivity, and explored additional public health and emergency preparedness applications. Methods: A statewide patient transfer network was created using 2021–2022 Medicare beneficiary data. Sub-networks were isolated from the larger network to examine a cluster of facilities involved in a KPC-CRE outbreak, defined as ≥2 KPC-CRE cases related by whole genome sequencing (WGS). WGS was conducted at the CDPHE State Lab. Highly connected facilities were determined by patient transfers between at least two KPC-CRE testing facilities. Individual patient journeys were constructed using admissions and culture date. SNA was conducted in RStudio; visualizations, network metric calculations, and clustering analysis were conducted using Gephi and ArcGIS software. Results: SNA yielded 4,864 direct patient transfers between 326 healthcare facilities (220 skilled nursing facilities, 50 acute care hospitals, 32 critical access hospitals, six long term acute care hospitals, and 18 facilities not previously classified; Figure 1). WGS identified five separate KPC-CRE outbreaks among 14 patients during February 2022–January 2023; 14 patient specimens were collected at four testing facilities. We identified five highly connected facilities in addition to the four testing facilities. Patient journeys allowed us to identify possible locations of KPC-CRE transmission in four of the five outbreaks (Figure 2). CDPHE provided guidance to all involved facilities on admission screening, routine point prevalence surveys, and interfacility communication as part of an MDRO prevention plan. CDPHE then developed the transfer network into an interactive ArcGIS dashboard enabling facilities to examine their own patient transfer patterns. Conclusions: SNA enabled CDPHE to identify at-risk facilities for KPC-CRE transmission and create an interactive tool for facility and public health use. Future applications of patient transfer networks can include geographical grouping of facilities based on transfers to zone healthcare coalitions and conduct preparedness activities, and creating medical operations preparedness plans for emergencies or disasters.

Enhancing equipment qualification testing facility for nuclear power plants: Achieving rapid temperature and pressure increase during design basis events

The present study focuses on the development of an equipment qualification (EQ) testing facility for Class 1E equipment in nuclear power plants (NPPs), emphasizing the need to ensure safety functions under design basis events (DBEs). The Republic of Korea (ROK) has implemented international safety standards to support large NPP projects, necessitating the development of domestic EQ testing facilities to reduce the dependence on foreign facilities. To address this need, herein, a specialized facility capable of simulating harsh DBE conditions that may occur in NPPs in ROK was constructed. Through exhaustive research, target temperature and pressure profiles were developed for pressurized water reactors, and a superheated steam injection technique was devised for rapid temperature and pressure changes. The present study contributes to the advancement of domestic EQ testing capabilities, achieving up to 230 °C and 700 kPa within 30 s.

Acceptance Tests of more than 10 000 Photomultiplier Tubes for the multi-PMT Digital Optical Modules of the IceCube Upgrade

More than 10000 photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) with a diameter of 80 mm will be installed in multi-PMT Digital Optical Modules (mDOMs) of the IceCube Upgrade. These have been tested and pre-calibrated at two sites. A throughput of more than 1000 PMTs per week with both sites was achieved with a modular design of the testing facilities and highly automated testing procedures. The testing facilities can easily be adapted to other PMTs, such that they can, e.g., be re-used for testing the PMTs for IceCube-Gen2. Single photoelectron response, high voltage dependence, time resolution, prepulse, late pulse, afterpulse probabilities, and dark rates were measured for each PMT. We describe the design of the testing facilities, the testing procedures, and the results of the acceptance tests.

AkzoNobel opens world-first testing facility for wind turbine blades

AkzoNobel opens world-first testing facility for wind turbine blades

Accelerator beam phase space tomography using machine learning to account for variations in beamline components

We describe a technique for reconstruction of the four-dimensional transverse phase space of a beam in an accelerator beamline, taking into account the presence of unknown errors on the strengths of magnets used in the data collection. Use of machine learning allows rapid reconstruction of the phase-space distribution while at the same time providing estimates of the magnet errors. The technique is demonstrated using experimental data from CLARA, an accelerator test facility at Daresbury Laboratory.

Effects of unbalanced fertilizer use on system productivity and profitability under rice‐based cropping systems: Evidence from Eastern Gangetic Plain

AbstractUnbalanced nutrient supply is one of the key causes of yield gaps and low farming profitability which impact food insecurity globally. However, the effects of an unbalanced nutrient supply on rice yields and farming profitability have not been quantified for diverse rice‐based cropping systems. To explore the effects, 412 respondents (mostly smallholder farmers) were surveyed in 2019 for the rice crops in three fully rice‐based cropping systems in four agro‐ecological zones of Bangladesh. Two robust estimation approaches namely propensity score matching and endogenous switching regression approaches were used to quantify the effects of unbalanced fertilizer use. The results show that about 68% of farmers in the study areas used unbalanced (over‐doses or under‐doses) nutrient rates relative to government‐endorsed recommendations. Adoption of recommended fertilizer rates was influenced by education, amount of organic manure used, off‐farm income, crop farming‐related training, organizational membership and lack of soil testing tendency. The findings also indicate that adopters of recommended nutrient rates received almost 16% and 46% higher system rice yield and system net return, respectively, relative to non‐adopters. However, based on our research findings, formulation and implementation of effective agricultural policies like effective extension services, strengthening soil testing facilities, increasing organizational membership and targeted awareness programmes could motivate smallholder rice farmers towards adoption of recommended nutrient rates. Adoption of recommended fertilizer rates can significantly enhance crop yields and farming profitability which can boost food security and rural livelihoods in the Eastern Gangetic Plain.

Calculation of toroidal Alfvén eigenmode mode structure in general axisymmetric toroidal geometry

A workflow is developed based on the ideal MHD model to investigate the linear physics of various Alfvén eigenmodes in general axisymmetric toroidal geometry by solving the coupled shear Alfvén wave (SAW) and ion sound wave (ISW) equations in ballooning space. The model equations are solved by the FALCON code in the singular layer, and the corresponding solutions are then taken as the boundary conditions for calculating parallel mode structures in the whole ballooning space. As an application of the code, the frequencies and mode structures of toroidal Alfvén eigenmode (TAE) are calculated in the reference equilibria of the Divertor Tokamak Test facility with positive and negative triangularities, respectively. As typical result for reactor relevant plasma conditions, which are strongly triangular in the outer core region where magnetic shear is of order unity, we show that the triangularity effect on TAE is generally small. Furthermore, by properly handling the boundary conditions, we demonstrate finite TAE damping due to coupling with the local acoustic continuum and find that the damping rate is small for typical plasma parameters.

Effects of neutral gas pressure on calibration parameters of resistive bolometer sensors in fusion devices.

Ambient pressure may influence the thermal path between the absorber and heat sink of resistive bolometers and thus impact the calibration parameters. This effect is investigated for metal resistive bolometer sensors as used in bolometer diagnostics on fusion experiments. Measurements in the test facility IBOVAC indicate that pressure has no effect up to 10-3 mbar. However, a significant change in the cooling time constant is observed for pressures above 10-2 mbar, a reduction up to a factor of three at 1mbar. The measurements performed in N2 and He atmospheres and simulations in H2 indicate no difference between the results from different gas species up to 10-3 mbar and less than 10 % up to 0.1mbar. A model based on the thermal conductivity of the surrounding gas combined with the geometry of the sensor holder successfully demonstrates that the additional cooling path through the gas, which may vary between the measurement and reference absorbers, can explain the measurement results. Applying the model to the geometry of a sensor holder designed for port-mounted bolometer cameras in ITER led to design modifications that should help reduce the impact of high environmental pressures on the bolometer measurements. Similarly, it can be assumed that applying the model to the geometries and sensors of operating bolometer diagnostics can help correct the measurements and improve the understanding of plasma radiation in the case of high pressures at the location of bolometer sensors.

Guided Wave Behavior in Type IV Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels Under Fatigue Loading

Innovative Ultrasonic Guided Wave Approach for Structural Health Monitoring of Type IV Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels Seyedreza Hashemi, Jan Heimann, Amir Charmi, Eric Duffner, Jens Prager Abstract: The digitalization of quality control processes and the use of digital data infrastructures is a novel idea that can be applied for ensuring the operational safety and reliability of pressure vessels, particularly in the context of hydrogen storage at high pressure. Despite the critical role these pressure vessels play, current safety regulations lack an established concept for Structural Health Monitoring (SHM). This research addresses this gap by presenting a study on the application of ultrasonic guided waves (GWs) for SHM of Type IV Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels (COPVs). The study focuses on the development of a reliable measurement system to transition from conventional periodic inspections to SHM and predictive maintenance, prolonging the remaining lifetime of the vessels. A sensor network is employed, consisting of fifteen piezoelectric wafers arranged in three rings, which are mounted on the outer surface of the COPV. Deploying GWs, known for their long-distance propagation and ability to cover complex structures, the study explores GW behavior under different environmental and operational conditions, including periodic pressure fluctuations and temperature loadings. Meticulous analysis of GW signals by utilizing various features and damage indices, underscores their suitability for an effective SHM under realistic working conditions. The project aims to localize defects by considering temperature, and internal pressure. Mimicking the continuous monitoring of Type IV COPVs in H2 refueling gas stations under authentic operational conditions, the COPV underwent thousands of pressure load cycles in our special test facility . The implemented methodology facilitates early damage detection, showcasing the efficacy of the designed method in effective safety assurance.

A Novel Reversed Phase HPLC Assay Method for Simultaneous Estimation of Glucose, Sodium Citrate and Chlorides in Pharmaceutical Formulations and Drug Solution for Oral Rehydration

A rapid, straightforward, sensitive, efficient, and cost-effective reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method was employed to simultaneously determine Glucose, Sodium Citrate, and chloride in a drug solution for oral solution. Glucose, Sodium Citrate, and Chlorides are all listed in the USP monograph. While various assay methods are available, titrimetric methods are ineffective for trace-level quantification. Although IC, AAS, and ICP-MS offer high accuracy, they are expensive and often inaccessible to many testing facilities. When selecting methods, it’s crucial to consider quality control requirements and user-friendly techniques. A simple proprietary HPLC method has been developed to simultaneously quantify Chlorides, Glucose, and Sodium Citrate, with a shorter run time. The separation was carried out using a Shim-pack SCR-102(H) ion exclusion analytical column (7.9 mm x 300 mm, 7 µm) with a flow rate of 0.6 mL/min. The column compartment was kept at 40°C, and the injection volume was 10 µL, with detection at 200 nm. All measurements were performed in a 0.1% phosphoric acid solution. The analytical curves showed excellent linearity (r > 0.9999) within the concentration ranges of 0.74 to 1.74 mg/mL for Sodium Citrate (SC), 1.0 to 2.5 mg/mL for Sodium Chloride (SC), and 3.0 to 7.3 mg/mL for Glucose. The method was validated according to the guidelines of the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH Q2B) and USP<1225>. The method demonstrated precision, robustness, accuracy, and selectivity. During accelerated stability testing over six months, no significant variations were observed in organoleptic analysis and pH. Consequently, the developed method is considered suitable for routine quality control analyses, enabling the simultaneous determination of Sodium Citrate, Chloride, and Glucose in pharmaceutical formulations and solutions for oral rehydration.

Analysis of External Trip Attraction for Proving Ground at ITS

The development of research in the automotive field is characterized by an increasing number of automotive competitions involving college students. The results of this research have been tested around the campus environment without specialized testing facilities such as a Proving Ground, thus prompting ITS to initiated to build a Proving Ground. The construction of a Proving Ground at ITS will also be utilized as a go-kart activity. The purpose of this research is to develop a trip attraction model and to determine the factors that influence trip atrraction decisions to the Proving Ground to be built at ITS. The method used is Multiple Linier Regression Analysis. The independent variables used in this research are Circuit Length (X1), Travel Distance (X2), Travel Time (X3) and Cost (X4). And the independent variables used to determine the gokart sport are Travel Distance (X1), Travel Time (X2) and Cost (X3). Meanwhile, the dependent variable is the trip attraction to visit the ITS Proving ground, which can be used as an exercise for automotive researchers or visitor to gokart sports. The results of the regression equation model of trip attraction to the Proving Ground are Y = 36,589 + 6,412 X1 - 0,584 X3. In this study, the most influential variables are Circuit Length and Travel Time with R² value in the calculation obtained at 0,297. Furthermore, the results of the regression equation model of trip attraction for gokart sport visitors are Y = 20,569 – 0,08X1 – 0,011X2 – 0,00009X3. In this study, the most influential variables are Travel Distance and Travel Time with the R² value in the calculation obtained at 0,161.

Experimental Study on the Effect of Varying Operating Conditions on Performance of Compressive Cooling System

Air conditioning and cooling systems could be negatively influenced by the external conditions, and it is quite possible that this harmful effect reduces the performance of these systems. This is because these unites requiring the outside temperatures to be lower than the heat being released from them. Unfortunately, this would not work in a favor of saving energy. To avoid low efficiency and to maintain high performance of the cooling system, those devices should be carefully selected based on experimental studies undergoing different local conditions.This humble article aims to experimentally investigate the effect of changing the external operating conditions on the performance of a compressive cooling system. The test facility was designed and arranged to simulate the external operating conditions. The outside conditions surrounding the condenser (such as speed of air movement, external air temperature) were varied, and accordingly the pressures and temperatures of specific points in the system were measured.This study has found that the speed of air movement and high temperature of air ambient negatively influenced the performance of the cooling system. The optimum value of the performance of the compressive cooling system obtained at the external air temperature range of (18 → 28 C°). Additionally, the research suggested that the relative humidity of the atmosphere should exceed 50% for this case of study. Therefore, selecting a suitable place for the compressive cooling system is crucial to attain a better performance with less consumption of electricity.

Photon and neutron dose evaluation at the Beam Test Facility of the INFN - National Laboratory of Frascati

Dose evaluation and direct measurements are fundamental for radiation protection in non-conventional accelerator facilities, both before and after the primary and secondary shielding. In this paper, we will report about the experimental setup, data acquisition and analysis, together with FLUKA modeling, of the dose measurements test carried out in the Beam Test Facility (BTF) of the INFN - Frascati’s National Laboratories (LNF), where an intense mixed field is produced and measured with thermoluminescent dosimeters. BTF is an extraction and transport line of DAΦNE LINAC (Buonomo et al. 2021; Mazzitelli et al. 2003). It is optimized for electrons and positrons production in a wide range of intensity, energy (30 MeV–800 MeV), beam spot dimensions and divergence, using both primary and secondary beam of the DAΦNE LINAC. Through the years, the BTF has gained an important role in particle detectors test and development with electron/positron beam. A small fraction of the BTF’s shifts have been dedicated to radiation damage test using LINAC electron primary beam up to 5×1010 e-/s. As radiation protection group of the LNF, we evaluated the dose when electrons impinging on a Pb target from: (i) photon Bremsstrahlung production; (ii) photoneutron production. Three dedicated tests with 503 MeV electrons impinging on a ∼16 cm thick Pb target have been carried out in February, June 2022 and in January 2023, using TLD700 and TLD600, measuring doses at several charge intervals. The aim of this study focuses on evaluating dosimetric quantities produced by the mixed field, air kerma for the photon component, and ambient dose equivalent for the neutron one, using thermoluminescence dosimeters calibrated with low-energy standards: Cs-137 and Am-Be. The approach adopted involves the use of Monte Carlo simulations of the experiment, both to benchmark against experimental measurements and to validate the results obtained for energies higher than those of calibration. The results of this comparison show excellent agreement between measured and simulated quantities in the forward direction, allowing us to conclude and confirm the validity of the calibrations themselves.