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Groundwater data pave the way for Environmental Management Disposal Facility at Oak Ridge
Results of a two-year study of groundwater levels at the site of the planned Environmental Management Disposal Facility (EMDF) in Oak Ridge, Tenn., have been released, revealing that the levels fell at a slower-than-expected rate. The collection of data on groundwater levels during two wet seasons, conducted by the Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management and the contractor United Cleanup Oak Ridge, formed the core of a groundwater field demonstration study which will help inform the final design of the EMDF landfill.
Junsoo Yoo, Su-Jong Yoon, Thomas E. O’Brien, Konor L. Frick, James E. O’Brien, Piyush Sabharwall, Carl M. Stoots (INL)
Proceedings | Advances in Thermal Hydraulics 2018 | Orlando, FL, November 11-15, 2018 | Pages 860-870
Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is establishing the Dynamic Energy Transport and Integration Lab (DETAIL) as part of its commitment to research on nuclear-renewable hybrid energy systems and associated advanced reactor technologies. DETAIL is designed to allow several different energy systems to work in unison. Current plans include a PWR simulator, high-temperature steam electrolysis (HSTE) unit, and a renewable energy system (e.g., photovoltaics). DETAIL will provide the real world basis for studies on the systems integration and system configurations to be completed. Encompassed in the DETAIL program is the Thermal Energy Storage (TES) system. The TES system is one of the key components in DETAIL because it allows for the delayed release of energy and can be used to simulate storage capabilities currently being considered by utility providers. Of the various TES concepts, this paper deals with the single-tank packed bed TES system. Particular attention is given to the transient thermal behavior of fluid and solid particles within the packed bed thermocline tank and heat storage efficiency influenced by various design parameters. The effects of tank geometry (height-to-diameter ratio), filler size, filler packing ratio and operating temperature differentials are investigated. Based on the parametric study and cost analysis, the optimal TES tank design for DETAIL is discussed.