Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “laboratory”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 217 records · Page 12
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Creation of Laboratory-scale Testbed for Autonomous Monitoring and Control of Subsurface Systems

This report describes the results of an LDRD project aiming to develop a laboratory-scale testbed for autonomous subsurface monitoring and control systems. Modifications were made to an existing polyaxial loading frame to incorporate electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and acoustic emission (AE) monitoring systems. This allows engineered subsurface processes to be studied under realistic temperatures and stresses in a scaled-down laboratory environment with similar monitoring systems as are deployed in field-scale systems. The paper outlines some challenges that were faced in implementing the ERT system at the laboratory scale and the solutions that were devised. Results are shown from two demonstration tests—one focusing on the ERT system, and one focusing on the AE system.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2023

Refining Principal Stress Measurements in Reservoir Underburden in Regions of Induced Seismicity through Seismological Tools, Laboratory Experiments - Final Technical Report

This project developed methodologies to measure the in-situ principal stress in the deep subsurface through use of multiple independent, but complementary, seismic methods, laboratory verification, and development of theoretical frameworks. By leveraging existing regional and local datasets we developed, tested, and refined a set of diagnostic tools for determining the in-situ stress state with reduced uncertainty at and below reservoir depths (1.5-6 km). A set of novel tools was produced that are scale independent, such that their utility is equivalent on regional, field scale, and near borehole monitoring of principal stresses in reservoir underburden for carbon storage projects. During a 4-year Department of Energy (DOE) and Southern Company funded project, carried out by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), the University of Oklahoma (OU), and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the project team developed methodologies to measure the far-field in-situ principal stress in the deep subsurface, leveraging induced seismicity data from waste-water disposal projects. These methodologies consisted in the use of well-established and technically advanced seismic processing methods, such as virtual seismometer method-moment tensor (VSM-MT) and shear wave splitting (SWS), that are adept at recovering the stress orientation and certain components of the stress tensor. These methods were applied to robust seismicity catalogs created with matched filter techniques near sites of active fluid disposal—a proxy for carbon storage sites where such datasets are more limited. Estimates of the stress orientation made with seismic processing tools were considered along with laboratory acoustic emission experiments conducted on rock samples from the region of interest. Stress orientations in the studied region do not vary significantly across distances of ~100 km, nor are they found to rotate through time as a consequence of local wastewater disposal, as previously speculated. Finally, the project team investigated the trade-offs among the different seismic methods and evaluated the range of uncertainty that is generated with these methodologies, which led to a practical use and refinement of the VSM-MT technique when it is applied to field datasets. Understanding the trade-offs between these different methods highlighted the potential benefits of improved quantification of uncertainties on stress field estimations.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

LLNL ES&H Analytical Services and Instrumentation Analytical Laboratory (ALAB) (CY2022 Management Review Report)

"An annual review shall be conducted of the analytical activities to ensure continuing suitability, adequacy, and effectiveness." (ALAB-01 Rev 6 ALQAP section 6.11.2) "The laboratory management shall review its management system at planned intervals, in order to ensure its continuing suitability, adequacy and effectiveness..."(ISO/IEC 17025:2017 Section 8.9.1) "In accordance with a predetermined schedule and procedure, the laboratory's top management shall periodically conduct a review of the laboratory's management system and testing and/or calibration activities to ensure their continuing suitability and effectiveness, and to introduce necessary changes or improvements. "(TNI Standard EL-V1M2-2016-Rev2.1:Quality Systems General Requirements)

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2023

FY23 Status Report of the Activated Materials Laboratory at the Advanced Photon Source

The Activated Materials Laboratory (AML) is a new radiological facility located at the Advanced Photon Source (APS) in Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), adjacent to the high-energy x-ray microscopy (HEXM) beamline in the long beamline building (LBB) constructed under the APS-upgrade (APS-U) project. The AML is a centralized facility to facilitate the safe conduct of experiments on activated materials at the APS. This report provides an overview of the status of the AML as a Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF) partner user facility in preparation for the general user access in 2024 upon the commissioning of the APS-U beamlines. Specifically, details are provided regarding the laboratory's scope, functionality, components, operational blueprint, and data management approach. The plans on augmenting the instrumentation, refining operational procedures and developing a robust data management strategy for FY24 and beyond are also discussed.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2023

2022 Annual Site Environment Report, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory

This report provides the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the public with information on the level of radioactive and non-radioactive pollutants (if any) that are added to the environment as a result of Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory’s (PPPL) operations. This report fulfills the annual public reporting requirements of DOE Order 231.1B. The results of PPPL’s 2022 environmental surveillance and monitoring program are presented and discussed. The report also summarizes environmental initiatives, assessments, and community involvement programs that were undertaken in 2022. PPPL’s on-site operations started to be restored in 2022, following curtailments in 2020 and 2021 for the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. PPPL has engaged in fusion energy research since 1951 and at its current locations since 1958. The Laboratory’s mission is to develop the scientific knowledge and advanced engineering to enable fusion to power the U.S. and the world, and to develop the understanding of plasmas from the nano- to the astrophysical scale. PPPL’s primary experiment, the National Spherical Torus Experiment-Upgrade (NSTX-U) is a collaboration among national laboratories, universities, and national and international research institutions and is a major element in the US Fusion Energy Sciences Program. Its design tests the physics principles of spherical torus (ST) plasmas, playing an important role in the development of smaller, more economical fusion reactors. Due to previous operational issues, NSTX-U did not operate in 2022. PPPL is engaged in a project to replace key NSTX-U components and systems to enable the operation of this international magnetic fusion user facility. In 2022, PPPL’s radiological environmental monitoring program measured tritium in the air at onsite sampling stations. Using highly sensitive air monitors, PPPL is capable of detecting small changes in the ambient levels of tritium. The operation of monitors located on D-site is used to demonstrate compliance with the National Emission Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPs) regulations. Also included in PPPL’s radiological environmental monitoring program, are water monitoring – ground, surface, and waste waters. PPPL’s radiological monitoring program characterized the background levels of tritium in the environment and those data are presented in this report. Ground water monitoring continued under New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s (NJDEP) Site Remediation Program regulations. PPPL monitored for non-radiological contaminants, mainly volatile organic compounds (components of common degreasing solvents). In 2022, PPPL complied with permit limits for surface water and sanitary wastewater discharges. PPPL was honored with an award for EPEAT-certified electronics purchasing from the Global Electronics Council.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

The Austin Chalk/Eagle Ford Field Laboratory (ACEFFL)

This project, led by Texas A&M University, developed a science-based field laboratory in the Austin Chalk/Eagle Ford Shale Formation to determine the stimulated reservoir volume created by the fracturing of multiple wells. Utilizing newly developed monitoring solutions, the team delivered comprehensive high-quality field data on the extent and morphologies of productive fractures created from these wells. Advanced field monitoring was complemented by laboratory testing on cores and drill cuttings, and coupled modeling for design, prediction, calibration, and code validation. The Austin Chalk/Eagle Ford Field Laboratory (ACEFFL) was hosted by SM Energy, which provided access to the wells of opportunity.

02 PETROLEUM↗
DOE OSTI2023

Consequence Management Cobalt Magnet 2022 Laboratory Analysis: After Action Report

On May 16-20, 2022, federal mission partners (e.g., DOE Consequence Management, CDC, FDA, FBI, DHS) as well as integrated state, local, tribal, and territorial governments took part in Cobalt Magnet 22 (CM22), a large-scale, week-long radiological incident exercise in Austin, Texas, that linked several important national assets (National Search Program, Radiological Assistance Program, and Consequence Management [CM] personnel) into a single response effort. The exercise had nine (9) overarching Objectives and an additional 162 associated Critical Tasks for all the participating organizations. In total, 13 National Core Capabilities spanning 5 Mission Areas were represented in the final exercise. This exercise enabled a full range of capabilities to be fielded together and examine the operational connection between major assets, discover any resource shortages associated with conducting multiple mission areas simultaneously or in close succession, and identify any challenges related to leadership. This report summarizes nearly 100 successes and observations provided from players and controllers supporting the LA Division, Fly Away Laboratory (FAL) and Gamma Spectroscopist operations. The observations were categorized to align with the FRMAC programmatic functional areas to consider for future improvements: Logistics, CBRN Responder, Laboratory Analysis, Sampling and Monitoring, Health and Safety, Gamma Spectroscopist Operations, Fly Away Laboratory, and the FRMAC Interdivision Interoperability Group (FIIG).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Los Alamos National Laboratory 2023 Annual Site Environmental Report

Los Alamos National Laboratory (Laboratory) annual site environmental reports are prepared each year by the Laboratory’s environmental organizations as required by U.S. Department of Energy Order 231.1B, Administrative Change 1, Environment, Safety, and Health Reporting, and Order 458.1, Administrative Change 4, Radiation Protection of the Public and the Environment.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Shaping the Future of Self-Driving Autonomous Laboratories Workshop

The "Shaping the Future of Self-Driving Autonomous Laboratories" workshop, held in Denver on November 7-8, 2024, brought together leading experts from materials science and computing to address the growing need to revolutionize scientific research through AI-driven autonomous laboratories. The workshop identified critical challenges, including the integration of heterogeneous data, development of AI systems that understand fundamental physical principles, and comprehensive safety protocols. Key recommendations emerged around developing universal laboratory equipment interfaces, implementing automated metadata collection systems, and creating hybrid AI approaches that combine data-driven learning with scientific principles. The workshop emphasized maintaining human oversight while leveraging automation, transforming scientific education to prepare the next generation of researchers, and establishing a national consortium leveraging DOE facilities as anchors for broader collaboration with academia and industry. Participants stressed the urgency of addressing the growing disconnect between human decision-making timescales and modern instrumentation capabilities, highlighting the need for strategic automation while preserving essential human insight and oversight in the research process.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Addendum to Architectural Documentation and National Register of Historic Places Evaluations of Built-Environment Resources at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos County, New Mexico

The Los Alamos National Laboratory contracted Statistical Research, Inc. (SRI), to document and evaluate 110 facilities for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (National Register). This effort was conducted in compliance with Section 110 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended; the Code of Federal Regulations (36 CFR 800); the Programmatic Agreement among the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, Los Alamos Field Office, the New Mexico State Historic Preservation Office and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Concerning Management of the Historic Properties at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos New Mexico; and A Plan for the Management of the Cultural Heritage at Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico (LANL’s Cultural Resources Management Plan) (2017).

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Kinetic Simulations of Electron Pre-energization by Magnetized Collisionless Shocks in Expanding Laboratory Plasmas

Collisionless shocks are common features in space and astrophysical systems where supersonic plasma flows interact, such as in the solar wind, the heliopause, and supernova remnants. Recent experimental capabilities and diagnostics allow detailed laboratory investigations of high-Mach-number shocks, which therefore can become a valuable way to understand shock dynamics in various astrophysical environments. Using 2D particle-in-cell simulations with a Coulomb binary collision operator, we demonstrate the mechanism for generation of energetic electrons and experimental requirements for detecting this process in the laboratory high-Mach-number collisionless shocks. We show through a parameter study that electron acceleration by magnetized collisionless shocks is feasible in laboratory experiments with laser-driven expanding plasmas.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Glaciation of mixed-phase clouds: insights from bulk model and bin-microphysics large-eddy simulation informed by laboratory experiment

Abstract. Mixed-phase clouds affect precipitation and radiation differently from liquid and ice clouds, posing greater challenges to their representation in numerical simulations. Recent laboratory experiments using the Pi Cloud Chamber explored cloud glaciation conditions based on increased injection of ice-nucleating particles. In this study, we use two approaches to reproduce the results of the laboratory experiments: a bulk scalar mixing model and large-eddy simulation (LES) with bin microphysics. The first approach assumes a well-mixed domain to provide an efficient assessment of the mean cloud properties for a wide range of conditions. The second approach resolves the energy-carrying turbulence, the particle size distribution, and their spatial distribution to provide more details. These modeling approaches enable a separate and detailed examination of liquid and ice properties, which is challenging in the laboratory. Both approaches demonstrate that, with an increased ice number concentration, the flow and microphysical properties exhibit the same changes in trends. Additionally, both approaches show that the ice integral radius reaches the theoretical glaciation threshold when the cloud is subsaturated with respect to liquid water. The main difference between the results of the two approaches is that the bulk model allows for the complete glaciation of the cloud. However, LES reveals that, in a dynamic system, the cloud is not completely glaciated as liquid water droplets are continuously produced near the warm lower boundary and subsequently mixed into the chamber interior. These results highlight the importance of the ice mass fraction in distinguishing the mixed-phase clouds and ice clouds.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Cosmogenic 10 Be in pyroxene: laboratory progress, production rate systematics, and application of the 10 Be– 3 He nuclide pair in the Antarctic Dry Valleys

Here, we present cosmogenic- 10 Be and cosmogenic- 3 He data from Ferrar dolerite pyroxenes in surficial rock samples and a bedrock core from the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, with the goal of refining the laboratory methods for extracting beryllium from pyroxene, further estimating the 10 Be production rate in pyroxene and demonstrating the applicability of 10 Be– 3 He in mafic rock. The ability to routinely measure cosmogenic 10 Be in pyroxene will open new opportunities for quantifying exposure durations and Earth surface processes in mafic rocks. We describe scalable laboratory methods for isolating beryllium from pyroxene, which include a simple hydrofluoric acid leaching procedure for removing meteoric 10 Be and the addition of a pH 8 precipitation step to reduce the cation load prior to ion exchange chromatography. 10 Be measurements in pyroxene from the surface samples have apparent 3 He exposure ages of 1–6 Myr. We estimate a spallation production rate for 10 Be in pyroxene, referenced to 3 He, of 3.6 ± 0.2 atoms g –1 yr –1 . 10 Be and 3 He measurements in the bedrock core yield initial estimates for parameters associated with 10 Be and 3 He production by negative-muon capture ($f_{10}^{*}$ = 0.00183 and $f_{3}^{*}f_{C}f_{D}$ = 0.00337). Next, we demonstrate that the 10 Be– 3 He pair in pyroxene can be used to simultaneously resolve erosion rates and exposure ages, finding that the measured cosmogenic-nuclide concentrations in our surface samples are best explained by 2–8 Myr of exposure at erosion rates of 0–35 cm Myr –1 . Finally, given the low 10 Be in our laboratory blanks (average of 5.7 × 10 3 atoms), the reported measurement precision, and our estimated production rate, it should be possible to measure 2 g samples with 10 Be concentrations of 6 × 10 4 and 1.5 × 10 4 atoms g –1 with 5 % and 15 % uncertainty, respectively. With this level of precision, Last Glacial Maximum to Late Holocene surfaces can now be dated with 10 Be in pyroxene. Application of 10 Be in pyroxene, alone or in combination with 3 He, will expand possibilities for investigating glacial histories and landscape change in mafic rock.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

FY 2021 Idaho National Laboratory Site Sustainability Plan

The mission of the Department of Energy (DOE) is to ensure America’s security and prosperity by addressing its energy, environmental, and nuclear challenges through transformative science and technology solutions. This FY 2021 Idaho National Laboratory Site Sustainability Plan (SSP) was developed to enable and sustain Idaho National Laboratory’s (INL’s) mission to discover, demonstrate, and secure innovative nuclear solutions, clean energy options, and critical infrastructure. The SSP was developed according to the narrative requirements from the “FY 2021 DOE Site Sustainability Plan Guidance” document issued in August 2020. The SSP contains strategies and activities that will lead to continual energy, water, and waste reductions that move INL toward meeting DOE sustainability goals and requirements. The SSP summarizes energy and available fuel use reporting requirements and references criteria for instituting sustainable design. SSP requirements are integrated into each INL contractor’s Integrated Safety Management System and Environmental Management System (EMS). Finally, the Sustainability Program directives, based on this SSP, are integrated into the INL Annual Laboratory Plan Fiscal Year 2020 (INL/LTD-20-59747), and operations and acquisition systems.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2021

Urban Energy Systems: Research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

In the coming decades, our planet will witness unprecedented urban population growth in both established and emerging communities. The development and maintenance of urban infrastructures are highly energy-intensive. Urban areas are dictated by complex intersections among physical, engineered, and human dimensions that have significant implications for traffic congestion, emissions, and energy usage. In this chapter, we highlight recent research and development efforts at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), the largest multipurpose science laboratory within the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) national laboratory system, that characterizes the interactions between the human dynamics and critical infrastructures in conjunction with the integration of four distinct components: data, critical infrastructure models, and scalable computation and visualization, all within the context of physical and social systems. Discussions focus on four key topical themes: population and land use, sustainable mobility, the energy-water nexus, and urban resiliency, that are mutually aligned with DOE’s mission and ORNL’s signature science and technology capabilities. Using scalable computing, data visualization, and unique datasets from a variety of sources, the institute fosters innovative interdisciplinary research that integrates ORNL expertise in critical infrastructures including energy, water, transportation, and cyber, and their interactions with the human population.

Bhaduri, Budhu↗
DOE OSTI2021

INL ART AGR-5/6/7 PIE at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Advanced Reactor Technologies (ART) is currently supporting a tristructural isotropic (TRISO) fuel development and qualification program, which includes fuel fabrication, test irradiations, and post-irradiation examination (PIE) and safety testing to assess fuel performance during normal irradiation and under accident conditions. PIE work on fuel from the last in the series of test irradiations, Advanced Gas Reactor (AGR)-5/6/7, will begin at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) in approximately September 2020, but because of the complexity of the experiment preparations for the PIE are going to begin in FY2016. The work scope in this memorandum purchase order (MPO) includes Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) providing project management and technical support to PIE-related activities, providing technical input to the moisture furnace design, providing technical support for development of equipment and techniques for planned PIE evolutions, and contributing general expertise to this effort.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2021

FY 2022 Idaho National Laboratory Site Sustainability Plan

The mission of the Department of Energy (DOE) is to ensure America’s security and prosperity by addressing its energy, environmental and nuclear challenges through transformative science and technology solutions. This FY 2022 Idaho National Laboratory Site Sustainability Plan (SSP) was developed to enable and sustain Idaho National Laboratory’s (INL’s) mission to discover, demonstrate, and secure innovative nuclear solutions, clean energy options, and critical infrastructure. DOE Order 436.1, “Departmental Sustainability,” provides requirements and assigns responsibilities for managing sustainability within DOE to ensure that DOE missions are carried out in a sustainable manner, to institute wholesale cultural change to factor sustainability into all DOE decisions, and to ensure DOE achieves sustainability goals. DOE Order 436.1 also requires DOE sites to commit appropriate personnel resources, establish a financing plan that prioritizes the use of life-cycle cost effective private-sector financing, optimize the application of appropriations and budgeted funds, and establish specific performance measures and deliverables designed to achieve the listed requirements. The SSP was developed according to the narrative requirements from the “FY 2022 DOE Site Sustainability Plan Guidance” document issued in September 2021. The SSP contains strategies and activities that will lead to continual energy, water, and waste reductions that move the INL site toward meeting DOE sustainability goals and requirements. The SSP summarizes energy and available fuel use reporting requirements and references criteria for instituting sustainable design. SSP requirements are integrated into each INL site contractor’s Integrated Safety Management System and Environmental Management System (EMS). Finally, the Sustainability Program directives, based on this SSP, are integrated into INL/LTD-21-62463, Annual Laboratory Plan 2021, and operations and acquisition systems.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗