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At least 217 records · Page 12

NASA Technologies that Benefit Society

Applications developed on Earth of technology needed for space flight have produced thousands of spinoffs that contribute to improving national security, the economy, productivity and lifestyle. Over the course of it s history, NASA has nurtured partnerships with the private sector to facilitate the transfer of NASA-developed technology. For every dollar spent on research and development in the space program, it receives back $7 back in the form of corporate and personal income taxes from increased jobs and economic growth. A new technology, known as Liquid-metal alloy, is the result of a project funded by NASA s Jet Propulsion Lab. The unique technology is a blend of titanium, zirconium, nickel, copper and beryllium that achieves a strength greater than titanium. NASA plans to use this metal in the construction of a drill that will help for the search of water beneath the surface of Mars. Many other applications include opportunities in aerospace, defense, military, automotive, medical instrumentation and sporting goods.Developed in the 1980 s, the original Sun Tigers Inc sunlight-filtering lens has withstood the test of time. This technology was first reported in 1987 by NASA s JPL. Two scientists from JPL were later tasked with studying the harmful effects of radiation produced during laser and welding work. They came up with a transparent welding curtain that absorbs, filters and scatters light to maximize protection of human eyes. The two scientists then began doing business as Eagle Eye Optics. Each pair of sunglasses comes complete with ultraviolet protection, dual layer scratch resistant coating, polarized filters for maximum protection against glare and high visual clarity. Sufficient evidence shows that damage to the eye, especially to the retina, starts much earlier than most people realize. Sun filtering sunglasses are important. Winglets seen at the tips of airplane wings are among aviations most visible fuel-saving, performance enhancing technology. Aerodynamics centers on two majors forces-lift and drag. Lift enables the plane to fly and drag is the resistance encountered while moving through the air. The air coming off the end of a standard wing, in a vortex, causes significant drag and turbulence, forcing the spacing between takeoffs. A Langley engineer for NASA published finding in 1976 and verified by test in 1977 that winglets produce a 7 percent increase in lift-drag ratio with a 20 percent decrease in drag. This configuration reduces emissions, allows for greater range and carry more payload and the planes fly more quietly. Winglet technology has saved 2 billion gallons of jet fuel worldwide in 2010. Aerogel represents what technology experts believe to be the best insulation material ever invented. It is very light, flexible and can withstand temperatures of minus 3000 deg F. Aerogel products will be found in everything from clothing, to building insulation to space vehicles. Corpo Nove incorporated the Spaceloft version of the NASA-developed aerogel material into this jacket which was test during an Antarctic expedition.

Griffin, Amanda↗

The application of LQR synthesis techniques to the turboshaft engine control problem

A power turbine governor was designed for a recent-technology turboshaft engine coupled to a modern, articulated rotor system using Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) and Kalman Filter (KF) techniques. A linear, state-space model of the engine and rotor system was derived for six engine power settings from flight idle to maximum continuous. An integrator was appended to the fuel flow input to reduce the steady-state governor error to zero. Feedback gains were calculated for the system states at each power setting using the LQR technique. The main rotor tip speed state is not measurable, so a Kalman Filter of the rotor was used to estimate this state. The crossover of the system was increased to 10 rad/s compared to 2 rad/sec for a current governor. Initial computer simulations with a nonlinear engine model indicate a significant decrease in power turbine speed variation with the LQR governor compared to a conventional governor.

Pfeil, W. H.↗

The application of LQR synthesis techniques to the turboshaft engine control problem

A power turbine governor was designed for a recent-technology turboshaft engine coupled to a modern, articulated rotor system using Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) and Kalman Filter (KF) techniques. A linear, state-space model of the engine and rotor system was derived for six engine power settings from flight idle to maximum continuous. An integrator was appended to the fuel flow input to reduce the steady-state governor error to zero. Feedback gains were calculated for the system states at each power setting using the LQR technique. The main rotor tip speed state is not measurable, so a Kalman Filter of the rotor was used to estimate this state. The crossover of the system was increased to 10 rad/s compared to 2 rad/sec for a current governor. Initial computer simulations with a nonlinear engine model indicate a significant decrease in power turbine speed variation with the LQR governor compared to a conventional governor.

Pfeil, W. H.↗

Determination of solid mass fraction in partially frozen hydrocarbon fuels

Filtration procedures alone are insufficient to determine the amounts of crystalline solid in a partially frozen hydrocarbon distillate fraction. This is due to the nature of the solidification process by which a large amount of liquid becomes entrapped within an interconnected crystalline structure. A technique has been developed to supplement filtration methods with an independent determination of the amount of liquid in the precipitate thereby revealing the actual value of mass percent crystalline solid, %S. A non-crystallizing dye is injected into the fuel and used as a tracer during the filtration. The relative concentrations of the dye in the filtrate and precipitate fractions is subsequently detected by a spectrophotometric comparison. The filtration apparatus was assembled so that the temperature of the sample is recorded immediately above the filter. Also, a second method of calculation has been established which allows significant reduction in test time while retaining acceptable accuracy of results. Data have been obtained for eight different kerosene range hydrocarbon fuels.

Cotterell, E. M.↗

Diesel-Range Fuel Property Effects on Medium-Duty Advanced Compression Ignition for Low-Load NO X Reduction

A diesel premixed-charge compression ignition (PCCI) technique was used at low loads at which exhaust temperature makes urea-selective catalytic reduction (SCR) use for nitrogen oxides (NOx) reduction challenging. A fuels matrix to examine the effects of increasing fuel volatility, bio-blendstocks, and cetane number on PCCI was formulated using a near-constant 15% aromatic content. The results showed that PCCI could provide greater than 67% NOx emissions reductions at 1,200 RPM, 3.1 bar indicated mean effective pressure (IMEP), and 2.0 bar IMEP. The filter smoke number (FSN) could also be reduced relative to a conventional diesel combustion (CDC) baseline. The reductions in FSN were more moderate in the order of 40-50%, depending upon the fuel used, IMEP, and combustion phasing (CA50) timing. Hydrocarbon (HC) emissions could be held to a marginally lower level than CDC emissions at some CA50 conditions by using higher-volatility and higher cetane number fuels and could potentially be traded for further NOx reductions. This outcome is important as it points to the possibility of achieving significant NOx reduction while doing no harm in terms of HC emissions. Carbon monoxide (CO) emissions increased in PCCI, but increasing the fuel volatility and cetane number could be helpful in keeping these emissions at a manageable level.

02 PETROLEUM↗

Biodiesel Impact on Engine Lubricant Dilution During Active Regeneration of Aftertreatment Systems

Experiments were conducted with ultra low sulfur diesel (ULSD) and 20% biodiesel blends (B20) to compare lube oil dilution levels and lubricant properties for systems using late in-cylinder fuel injection for aftertreatment regeneration. Lube oil dilution was measured by gas chromatography (GC) following ASTM method D3524 to measure diesel content, by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry following a modified ASTM method D7371 to measure biodiesel content, and by a newly developed back-flush GC method that simultaneously measures both diesel and biodiesel. Heavy-duty (HD) engine testing was conducted on a 2008 6.7L Cummins ISB equipped with a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) and diesel particle filter (DPF). Stage one of engine testing consisted of 10 consecutive repeats of a forced DPF regeneration event. This continuous operation with late in-cylinder fuel injection served as a method to accelerate lube-oil dilution. Stage two consisted of 16 hours of normal engine operation over a transient test cycle, which created an opportunity for any accumulated fuel in the oil sump to evaporate. Light duty (LD) vehicle testing was conducted on a 2010 VW Jetta equipped with DOC, DPF and a NOx storage catalyst (NSC). Vehicle testing comprised approximately 4,000 miles of operation on a mileage-accumulation dynamometer (MAD) using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Highway Fuel Economy Cycle because of the relatively low engine oil and exhaust temperatures, and high DPF regeneration frequency of this cycle relative to other cycles examined. Comparison of the lube oil dilution analysis methods suggests that D3524 does not measure dilution by biodiesel. The new back-flush GC method provided analysis for both diesel and biodiesel, in a shorter time and with lower detection limit. Thus all lube oil dilution results in this paper are based on this method. Analysis of the HD lube-oil samples showed only 1.5% to 1.6% fuel dilution for both fuels during continuous operation under DPF regeneration events. During the second stage of HD testing, the ULSD lube-oil dilution levels fell from 1.5% to 0.8%, while for B20, lube-oil dilution levels fell from 1.6% to 1.0%, but the fuel in the oil was 36% biodiesel. For the LD vehicle tests, the frequency of DPF regeneration events was observed to be the same for both ULSD and B20. No significant difference between the two fuels' estimated soot loading was detected by the engine control unit (ECU), although a 23% slower rate of increase in differential pressure across DPF was observed with B20. It appears that the ECU estimated soot loading is based on the engine map, not taking advantage of the lower engine-out particulate matter from the use of biodiesel. After 4,000 miles of LD vehicle operation with ULSD, fuel dilution in the lube-oil samples showed total dilution levels of 4.1% diesel. After 4,000 miles of operation with B20, total fuel in oil dilution levels were 6.7% consisting of 3.6% diesel fuel and 3.1% biodiesel. Extrapolation to the 10,000-mile oil drain interval with B20 suggests that the total fuel content in the oil could reach 12%, compared to 5% for operation on ULSD. Analysis of the oil samples also included measurement of total acid number, total base number, viscosity, soot, metals and wear scar; however, little difference in these parameters was noted.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

Uncertainty quantification and reliability assessment for intermodal freight transportation

Intermodal freight optimization models support cost-effective, low-emission, and timely goods movement by coordinating trucks, rail, and barges. These models determine optimal flows, routing, and modal switches while respecting infrastructure and operational constraints. However, their real-world utility is often undermined by pervasive uncertainties-such as fluctuating transportation costs and emissions, variable terminal capacities, and uncertain freight demand-that distort key performance outcomes, including total system cost, carbon footprint, and transit time reliability. This study presents a structured framework for quantifying uncertainty in intermodal freight transportation (IFT) optimization. The framework evaluates how input uncertainty affects system performance and reliability, a critical need for ensuring that model-based decisions remain robust under real-world variability, especially amid volatile fuel prices, shifting demand, and growing disruptions. It integrates three complementary methods: (1) Sobol-based global sensitivity analysis to identify influential parameters affecting cost, emissions, and transit time, (2) Monte Carlo-based capacity perturbation analysis to assess robustness under probabilistic facility disruptions, and (3) Monte Carlo filtering with Bayesian inference to detect threshold-based performance vulnerabilities. The results highlight diesel truck unit cost as the dominant driver of variability. To improve system resilience, planners should prioritize uncertainty in fuel-related parameters when designing intermodal strategies.

Intermodal freight transportation↗

Identification of engine oil-derived ash nanoparticles and ash formation process for a gasoline direct-injection engine

Engine oil-derived ash particles emitted from internal combustion (IC) engines are unwanted by-products, after oil is involved in in-cylinder combustion process. Since they typically come out together with particulate emissions, no detail has been reported about their early-stage particles other than agglomerated particles loaded on aftertreatment catalysts and filters. To better understand ash formation process during the combustion process, here differently formulated engine oils were dosed into a fuel system of a gasoline direct injection (GDI) engine that produces low soot mass emissions at normal operating conditions to increase the chances to find stand-alone ash particles separated from soot aggregates in the sub-20-nm size range. In addition to them, ash/soot aggregates in the larger size range were examined using scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM)-X-ray electron dispersive spectroscopy (XEDS) to present elemental information at different sizes of particles from various oil formulations. The STEM-XEDS results showed that regardless of formulated oil type and particle size, Ca, P and C were always contained, while Zn was occasionally found on relatively large particles, suggesting that these elements get together from an early stage of particle formation. The S, Ca and P K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) analyses were performed for bulk soot containing raw ash. The linear combination approach & cross-checking among XANES results proposed that Ca 5 (OH)(PO 4 ) 2 , Ca 3 (PO 4 ) 2 and Zn 3 (PO 4 ) 2 are potentially major chemical compounds in raw ash particles, when combined with the STEM-XEDS results. Despite many reports that CaSO 4 is a major ash chemical when ash found in DPF/GFP systems was examined, it was observed to be rarely present in raw ashes using the S K-edge XANES analysis, suggesting ash transformation.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Fiber length and orientation prevent migration in fluid filters

Stainless steel fiber web filter resists fiber migration which causes contamination of filtered fluids. This filter is capable of holding five times more particulate matter before arbitrary cutoff pressure drop and shows excellent retention in fuel flow at high rates.

Reiman, P. A.↗

Summary of the effects of engine throttle response on airplane formation-flying qualities

A flight evaluation as conducted to determine the effect of engine throttle response characteristics on precision formation-flying qualities. A variable electronic throttle control system was developed and flight-tested on a TF-104G airplane with a J79-11B engine at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Facility. Ten research flights were flown to evaluate the effects of throttle gain, time delay, and fuel control rate limiting on engine handling qualities during a demanding precision wing formation task. Handling quality effects of lag filters and lead compensation time delays were also evaluated. Data from pilot ratings and comments indicate that throttle control system time delays and rate limits cause significant degradations in handling qualities. Threshold values for satisfactory (level 1) and adequate (level 2) handling qualities of these key variables are presented.

Walsh, Kevin R.↗

Summary of the effects of engine throttle response on airplane formation-flying qualities

A flight evaluation was conducted to determine the effect of engine throttle response characteristics on precision formation-flying qualities. A variable electronic throttle control system was developed and flight-tested on a TF-104G airplane with a J79-11B engine at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Facility. This airplane was chosen because of its known, very favorable thrust response characteristics. Ten research flights were flown to evaluate the effects of throttle gain, time delay, and fuel control rate limiting on engine handling qualities during a demanding precision wing formation task. Handling quality effects of lag filters and lead compensation time delays were also evaluated. The Cooper and Harper Pilot Rating Scale was used to assign levels of handling quality. Data from pilot ratings and comments indicate that throttle control system time delays and rate limits cause significant degradations in handling qualities. Threshold values for satisfactory (level 1) and adequate (level 2) handling qualities of these key variables are presented. These results may provide engine manufacturers with guidelines to assure satisfactory handling qualities in future engine designs.

Walsh, Kevin R.↗

Large Volume Airborne Contamination Monitoring To Support Nuclear Processes' Deactivation and Decommissioning

Current D and D operations at Hanford have demonstrated a flaw in the current state of the art capability of defining airborne contamination boundaries - Airborne particulate emissions of Pu-239 from CM2H operations on the Hanford Pu Finishing Plant were detected well beyond areas controlled for airborne Pu, putting numerous workers at risk for radiological assimilations - Current air samplers and CAM systems were surveying insufficient volumes of air to accurately predict where respiratory protection was required - Hanford is located in a high radon environment, making air monitoring for alpha emitting actinides challenging in high alpha radon induced backgrounds. - Inexpensive HEPA based home and industrial air purifiers filter significantly higher volumes of air than commercially available continuous-air monitoring (CAM) systems. - Inexpensive models capable of filtered air volumes exceeding 1000 times that of a CAM. - Detector system can be built to detect x-rays generated from actinide decay. - Branching ratios of x-rays are 4 orders of magnitude more intense from Plutonium decay than its gamma emissions. - Detector system can be a low resolution systems, as x-ray region of interest is not terribly congested. - Detection systems evaluated will be designed based on slabs of NaI or pixelated NaI or CsI panels. - Simple graphical user interface software will be developed to operate the detection system. - Concept is to deploy some of these air-purifying systems in nonradiological areas around SRNL to confirm radon can be rejected with confidence. - Generate some filters contaminated with plutonium via electroplated Pu or lab generated simulated particles. - then deploy units in known airborne radiological environments to establish systems ability to accurately measure actinide based hot particles Lab analyses will follow up the system analyses to ensure hot particles were correctly identified. Analysis by Scintillation: - Application of scintillation media to the surface of the filters is being explored. - Evaluating slabs of ZnS(Ag), application of powdered ZnS(Cu) and spray on Perkin Elmer Enhance. - Scintillation events would then be digitized with a digital camera and quantified. - Comparing against sensitivity of a PMT or SiPD readout. - Currently evaluating a Thorlabs 8 Megapixel Monochrome Scientific CCD Camera, hermetically sealed cooled package with a wide angle lens. - Wide angle lens allows complete view of HEPA filter from 7 inches away. - Images taken of glow in the dark paint, as well as plutonium-induced fluorescence. - Plutonium was flamed mounted on a 1 inch diameter stainless steel planchet, covered with a layer of mylar and a section of scintillating ZnS obtained from Eljon. - Currently working on reducing signal-to-noise levels to boost sensitivity. - Dark box to hold contaminated or electroplated source covered filters under fabrication. Analysis by x-ray Spectroscopy: - Branching ratios for x-ray emissions from Plutonium isotopes are orders of magnitude more intense than gamma-ray emissions. - The nuclear databases are incomplete on the branching ratios of some of the isotopes. - Evaluating some custom built SrI2 x-ray spectrometers vs a conventional windowed NaI detector. - SrI2 detectors are carbon-composite-windowed 51 mm x 51 mm. - MCNP calculations to establish self absorbance of filter media on 17 keV x-ray. Radon Rejection: - Activated charcoal pre-filter acts as a Radon trap. - Adding a time lapse feature to camera to aid in radon rejection. SRS Plutonium Fuel Form D and D Operations: Currently deploying air sampler to D and D operation of Pu-238 facility at SRS to generate some field samples to analyze.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Total Integrated Dose to Spent Fuel Pool Level Instrument Probes and Refueling Floor Personnel Dose Rates Meeting NRC Order EA-12-051 for a Typical Boiling Water Reactor - Paper 22

In reviewing the events after the March 11, 2011 Fukushima accident, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued Order EA-12-051, Reference 1, requiring new reliable spent fuel pool (SFP) instrumentation for pool level determination under beyond design basis event conditions. In 2013, URS prepared a calculation for a typical Boiling Water Reactor to determine the Total Integrated Dose (TID) potentially to be imparted to radiation sensitive underwater probes (one primary and one backup) planned for meeting this Order. Additionally, URS calculated the radiological dose rates to an individual standing on the refueling floor for various SFP fill levels. NEI 12-02, Reference 2, defines the levels at which SFP condition identification is necessary as the following: Level 1 - level that is adequate to support operation of the normal fuel pool cooling system. Level 1 represents the higher of the following two points: - The level at which reliable suction loss occurs due to uncovering of the coolant inlet pipe, weir or vacuum breaker (depending on the design), or - The level at which the water height, assuming saturated conditions, above the centerline of the cooling pump suction provides the required net positive suction head specified by the pump manufacturer or engineering analysis. Level 2 - level that is adequate to provide substantial radiation shielding for a person standing on the spent fuel pool operating deck. Level 2 is based on either of the following: - 10 feet (+/- 1 foot) above the highest point of any fuel rack seated in the spent fuel pools, or - A designated level that provides adequate radiation shielding to maintain personnel radiological dose levels within acceptable limits while performing local operations in the vicinity of the pool. This level shall be based on either plant-specific or appropriate generic shielding calculations, considering the emergency conditions that may apply at the time and the scope of necessary local operations, including installation of portable SFP instrument channel components. Level 3 - level where fuel remains covered and actions to implement make-up water addition should no longer be deferred. Level 3 corresponds nominally (i.e. +/- 1 foot) to the highest point of any fuel rack seated in the spent fuel pool. The URS calculation did not define these levels or determine instrumentation setpoints. However, it determined refueling floor dose rates that could be used as a tool to determine the appropriate water depths for these levels. In determining the TID for the SFP probes and the radiological dose rates to the individual, the following radioactive sources were considered: 1. Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) stored in the spent fuel storage racks, 2. Local Power Range Monitors (LPRMs) stored above the top of the racks on hangers on the SFP walls 3. Radioactive material laden filters stored on platforms on top of the racks, and 4. Control Rod Blades (CRBs) stored above the top of the racks on hangers on the SFP walls. The TID for the SFP probes includes both the dose from normal operation (pool full of water) for the remaining plant life (an assumed 40 years, conservatively including an allowance for lifetime extension SFP loading) and, consistent with the NEI 12-02 guidelines, Reference 2, the assumed drop in elevation of the pool water level to the top of the spent fuel racks for a 6 hour period. The acceptable TID for the radiation-sensitive probe as defined by the manufacturer was 2x10{sup 9} rad. The individual on the pool deck was assumed to be standing on the edge of the pool with an unobstructed view of its contents, as a worst case scenario. Dose rates to this individual determined from direct shine from the same 4 sources were determined for SFP water levels varying from 1 ft above the SNF racks to 21 ft above the racks in one foot increments. (authors)

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Active Suppression of Instabilities in Engine Combustors

A method of feedback control has been proposed as a means of suppressing thermo-acoustic instabilities in a liquid- fueled combustor of a type used in an aircraft engine. The basic principle of the method is one of (1) sensing combustor pressure oscillations associated with instabilities and (2) modulating the rate of flow of fuel to the combustor with a control phase that is chosen adaptively so that the pressure oscillations caused by the modulation oppose the sensed pressure oscillations. The need for this method arises because of the planned introduction of advanced, lean-burning aircraft gas turbine engines, which promise to operate with higher efficiencies and to emit smaller quantities of nitrogen oxides, relative to those of present aircraft engines. Unfortunately, the advanced engines are more susceptible to thermoacoustic instabilities. These instabilities are hard to control because they include large dead-time phase shifts, wide-band noise characterized by amplitudes that are large relative to those of the instabilities, exponential growth of the instabilities, random net phase walks, and amplitude fluctuations. In this method (see figure), the output of a combustion-pressure sensor would be wide-band-pass filtered and then further processed to generate a control signal that would be applied to a fast-actuation valve to modulate the flow of fuel. Initially, the controller would rapidly take large phase steps in order to home in, within a fraction of a second, to a favorable phase region within which the instability would be reduced. Then the controller would restrict itself to operate within this phase region and would further restrict itself to operate within a region of stability, as long as the power in the instability signal was decreasing. In the phase-shifting scheme of this method, the phase of the control vector would be made to continuously bounce back and forth from one boundary of an effective stability region to the other. Computationally, this scheme would be implemented by the adaptive sliding phaser averaged control (ASPAC) algorithm, which requires very little detailed knowledge of the combustor dynamics. In the ASPAC algorithm, the power of the instability signal would be calculated from the wide-bandpass- filtered combustion-pressure signal and averaged over a period of time (typically of the order of a few hundredths of a second) corresponding to the controller updating cycle [not to be confused with the controller sampling cycle, which would be much shorter (typically of the order of 10(exp -4) second)].

Kopasakis, George↗

Americium/Lanthanide Separations in Alkaline Solutions for Advanced Nuclear Fuel Cycles

Project goals: Can used nuclear fuel be partitioned by dissolution in alkaline aqueous solution to give a solution of uranium, neptunium, plutonium, americium and curium and a filterable solid containing nearly all of the lanthanide fission products and certain other fission products? What is the chemistry of Am/Cm/Ln in oxidative carbonate solutions? Can higher oxidation states of Am be stabilized and exploited? Conclusions: Am(VI) is kinetically stable in 0.5-2.0 M carbonate solutions for hours. Aliquat 336 in toluene has been successfully shown to extract U(VI) and Pu(VI) from carbonate solutions. (Stepanov et al 2011). Higher carbonate concentration gives lower D, SF{sub U/Eu} for = 4 in 1 M K{sub 2}CO{sub 3}. Experiments with Am(VI) were unsuccessful due to reduction by the organics. Multiple sources of reducing organics...more optimization. Reduction experiments of Am(VI) in dodecane/octanol/Aliquat 336 show that after 5 minutes of contact, only 30-40% of the Am(VI) has been reduced. Long enough to perform an extraction. Shorter contact times, lower T, and lower Aliquat 336 concentration still did not result in any significant extraction of Am. Anion exchange experiments using a strong base anion exchanger show uptake of U(VI) with minimal uptake of Nd(III). Experiments with Am(VI) indicate Am sorption with a Kd of 9 (10 minute contact) but sorption mechanism is not yet understood. SF{sub U/Nd} for = 7 and SF{sub U/Eu} for = 19 after 24 hours in 1 M K{sub 2}CO{sub 3}.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Microbial Surveillance of Potable Water Sources of the International Space Station

To mitigate risk to the crew, the microbial surveillance of the quality of potable water sources of the International Space Station (ISS) has been ongoing since before the arrival of the first permanent crew. These water sources have included stored ground-supplied water, water produced by the shuttle fuel cells during flight, and ISS humidity condensate that is reclaimed and processed. Monitoring was accomplished using a self-contained filter designed to allow bacterial growth and enumeration during flight. Upon return to earth, microbial isolates were identified using 16S ribosomal gene sequencing. While the predominant isolates were common Gramnegative bacteria including Ralstonia eutropha, Methylobacterium fujisawaense, and Spingomonas paucimobilis, opportunistic pathogens such as Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were also isolated. Results of in-flight enumeration have indicated a fluctuation of bacterial counts above system design specifications. Additional in-flight monitoring capability for the specific detection of coliforms was added in 2004; no coliforms have been detected from any potable water source. Neither the bacterial concentrations nor the identification of the isolates recovered from these samples has suggested a threat to crew health.

Bruce, Rebekah J.↗

The Transportation Leapfrog: Using Smart Phones to Collect Driving Data and Model Fuel Economy in India

Car ownership in India is expected to skyrocket in the coming decades, strongly driven by rising incomes. This phenomenon provides unprecedented opportunities for automakers and equally unprecedented social and environmental challenges. Policymakers, urban planners and civil society see this car boom leading to an explosion in problems related to congestion, infrastructure, air pollution, safety, higher oil imports and climate change. For all these stakeholders to take effective action, good data on how people use their cars, their demand for mobility and their behavior in mobility is essential. Unfortunately, there is very little data on the Indian transport sector as a whole and virtually none on real-world vehicle performance and use. The rapid development of high quality mobile telecommunications infrastructure provides India with the opportunity to leapfrog the West in cheaply collecting vast amounts of useful data from transportation. In this paper, we describe a pilot project in which we use commercial smart phone apps to collect per second car driving data from the city of Pune, instantly upload it through 3G and prepare it for analysis using advanced noise filtering algorithms for less than $1 per day per car. We then use our data in an Autonomie simulation to show that India’s currently planned fuel economy test procedures will result in over-estimates of fuel economy of approximately 35% for a typical Indian car when it is operated in real world conditions. Supporting better driving cycle development is just one of many applications for smart phone derived data in Indian transportation.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗