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At least 235 records · Page 13

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NASA NTRS1978

A Roof for the Lion's House

Fans of the National Football League's Detroit Lions don't worry about gameday weather. Their magnificent new Pontiac Stadium has a domed, air-supported, fabric roof that admits light but protects the playing field and patrons from the elements. The 80,000-seat "Silverdome" is the world's largest fabric-covered structure-and aerospace technology played an important part in its construction. The key to economical construction of the Silverdome-and many other types of buildings-is a spinoff of fiber glass Beta yarn coated with Teflon TFE fluorocarbon resin. The big advance it offers is permanency. Fabric structures-tents, for example have been around since the earliest years of human civilization. But their coverings-hides, canvas and more recently plastics-were considered temporary; though tough, these fabrics were subject to weather deterioration. Teflon TFE-coated Beta Fiberglas is virtually impervious to the effects of weather and sunlight and it won't stretch, shrink, mildew or rot, thus has exceptional longevity; it is also very strong, lightweight, flame resistant and requires no periodic cleaning, because dirt will not stick to the surface of Teflon TFE. And to top all that, it costs only 30 to 40 percent as much as conventional roofing.

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DOE OSTI2022

Improved Cost Estimates to Boost Pumped Storage Hydropower Construction

Pumped storage hydropower is often overlooked in future grid planning efforts, in part because the cost to build a new facility is not always clear. That's why the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), along with the U.S. Department of Energy's Water Power Technologies Office, is developing improved cost estimates and cost models to reduce that uncertainty and give developers the data they need to decide where and when to construct new PSH facilities to support the country's evolving energy grid.

ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY,HYDRO ENERGY↗

NASA NTRS2005

Advanced Joining Technology: Simple, Strong, and Secure

The space-age materials that NASA employs in its spacecraft and satellites have different attributes than the building materials that can work for Earthly uses. These materials do not behave like the typical construction materials, and therefore, require new methods for construction. Work done at NASA s Langley Research Center in the realm of active solder joining has led to a new, self-bonding solder that enables high conductivity, as well as the metallic joining of carbon and ceramic materials to a wide range of metals. The original work involved evaluating high- and low-temperature joining technologies for joining carbon composite structures for use in thermal management and reusable launch vehicles. The initial plan for this innovation was to lower the weight of battery packs in satellites. It was a success. NASA scientists found use for this technology in fabricating a thermal management package for battery compartments in the Earth Observing System (EOS) satellites, but it is also being used by the Agency for space radiator panels. Because it is light, simple to use, and economical, NASA will likely find other uses for this solder, just as outside of the Space Agency, this unique bond is finding many practical applications.

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DOE OSTI2025

Multigene engineering in plants: Technologies, applications, and future prospects

The emerging bioeconomy presents a promising solution to both economic and environmental challenges. Within the bioeconomy, plants serve as a renewable, sustainable, and cost-effective source of foods, fuels, chemicals, and materials. However, traditional breeding and single-gene engineering approaches fall short in addressing complex traits (e.g., drought tolerance, disease resistance, yield, nutrient use efficiency) which are controlled by multiple genes. The complexity of plant biology often necessitates the use of multigene engineering (MGE), which involves simultaneous ectopic expression, up/down-regulation, or editing of multiple genes, to enhance plant traits relevant to the bioeconomy. These genes may be associated with distinct traits or function as components of specific metabolic and regulatory pathways. This review summarizes current technologies for MGE within the synthetic biology-driven Design-Build-Test-Learn (DBTL) framework, detailing its four key stages: Design – gene construct development; Build – DNA assembly and plant transformation; Test – the molecular, biochemical, and physiological characterization of engineered plants; and Learn – computational modeling to refine, multiplex and iterate the process. Despite good progress in the applications of MGE in biofortification, metabolic engineering, and stress resilience, challenges remain in construct stability, coordinated gene expression, and regulatory predictability. We identified optimization paths and future directions to accelerate MGE deployment in sustainable agriculture, with possible societal benefits including reduced production costs, increased yield, and improved food and nutritional security.

AI-aided plant engineering↗

DOE OSTI2024

Assessment of Fluoropolymer Production and Use With Analysis of Alternative Replacement Materials

This report focuses on fluoropolymers, which are a subgroup of the much larger class of fluorinated chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Clearly distinguishing fluoropolymers is important to understanding their distinctive chemical properties, associated risks and benefits, and roles in commerce. In this report, the factors that are considered in a lifecycle assessment (LCA) of fluoropolymers will be discussed. These include the manufacturing of fluoropolymers, their use in industry, and available replacement technologies. Emphasis is placed on fluoropolymer plastics because of their extensive use in the commerce sectors considered here, specifically aerospace, automotive, battery, building construction, chemical processing, electronics, infrastructure, semiconductor, solar panel, and wind energy industries.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2020

Urban Traveler - Changes and Impacts: Mobility Energy Productivity (MEP) Metric

For nearly a century, the automobile has been the primary mode of personal transportation in American life. This remains true today as millions of people rely heavily on cars to connect suburbs with cities or to travel long distances—often out of routine or convenience. However, advances in technology are fueling an era of transportation transformation, with the potential to transform a system that has remained virtually unchanged for decades. Aspiring smart cities are wrestling with questions such as: How does mobility impact a person’s quality of life? Would people make different travel choices if they were presented with better information about their mobility options? The ability to quantify the mobility potential of a given location is the first step toward answering these questions. In response, an interdisciplinary team at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has developed the Mobility-Energy Productivity (MEP) metric. The MEP metric provides an avenue to not only measure the mobility potential at a specific location in its current configuration, but also to test how various technological advances (e.g., connected and automated vehicles, plug-in electric vehicles, shared mobility) and infrastructure investments (e.g., building an additional highway lane, constructing a new shopping mall, implementing a transit-oriented development) impact the mobility of that location over time. This presentation details the FY19 progress on the MEP metric project funded through DOE VTO's SMART Mobility Consortium.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Off Earth Landing and Launch Pad Construction – A Critical Technology for Establishing a Long-Term Presence on Extraterrestrial Surfaces

Space Policy Directive 1 has refocused the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to lead the return of humans to the Moon for long-term exploration and utilization. A long-term presence on the moon will require numerous lunar landings and launches to build up surface assets, rotate crew, and deliver resources to/from the moon. Interactions between landing/launch plumes and the unprepared surface cause regolith to be eroded and ejected at high velocities from beneath the vehicle. The associated ejecta elevates mission risks by obscuring sensors and human vision during landing; cratering/modifying the surface that the vehicle will land upon; and subjecting the vehicle, surrounding assets, and potentially orbital assets to impacts from high velocity dust particles. A method to mitigate risks stemming from landing/launch plume ejecta is to construct reusable landing/launch pads. A landing/launch pad can provide a known landing/launch surface, minimize ejecta, protect assets from liberated particles, and provide protection in case of a landing/launch anomaly. This presentation will summarize previous work towards construction of off-Earth landing/launch pads and identify key technology gaps. Additionally, this presentation establishes metrics for comparison of pad construction technologies and trades current approaches. The overall objective of this paper is to baseline the state of the art of off-Earth landing/launch pad construction technologies and serve as the starting point for further technical development.

Landing & Launch Pad↗

DOE OSTI2024

An engineering prototype of a late stage ionization cooling cell for a muon collider

Achieving the low emittances necessary for a muon collider requires ionization cooling. Much of that cooling occurs in compact cooling cells where superconducting coils and conventional RF cavities are closely interleaved [1]. The real challenges for these cooling cells reside in their engineering challenges: high field solenoids, RF cavities, and absorbers, often designed near technological limits, placed in close proximity to each other. We thus propose to build a prototype ionization cooling cell to demonstrate the capability of constructing an ionization cooling channel reaching the lowest emittances and to provide engineering input for the design of such beamlines. The magnets and cavities will be powered at their design values, and an absorber will be included along with a mechanism for heating the absorber similarly to how a beam would.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

DOE OSTI2024

An Engineering Prototype of a Late Stage Ionization Cooling Cell for a Muon Collider

Achieving the low emittances required for a muon collider requires ionization cooling. Much of that cooling occurs in compact cooling cells where superconducting coils and conventional RF cavities are closely interleaved. The real challenges for these cooling cells reside in their engineering challenges: high field solenoids, RF cavities, and absorbers, often designed near technological limits, placed in close proximity to each other. We thus propose to build a prototype ionization cooling cell to demonstrate the capability of constructing an ionization cooling channel reaching the lowest emittances and to provide engineering input for the design of such beamlines.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

NASA NTRS1991

Engineering monitoring expert system's developer

This research project is designed to apply artificial intelligence technology including expert systems, dynamic interface of neural networks, and hypertext to construct an expert system developer. The developer environment is specifically suited to building expert systems which monitor the performance of ground support equipment for propulsion systems and testing facilities. The expert system developer, through the use of a graphics interface and a rule network, will be transparent to the user during rule constructing and data scanning of the knowledge base. The project will result in a software system that allows its user to build specific monitoring type expert systems which monitor various equipments used for propulsion systems or ground testing facilities and accrues system performance information in a dynamic knowledge base.

Lo, Ching F.↗

NASA NTRS2010

Jake Garn Mission Simulator and Training Facility, Building 5, Historical Documentation

In response to President George W. Bush's announcement in January 2004 that the Space Shuttle Program (SSP) would end in 2010, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) completed a nation-wide historical survey and evaluation of NASA-owned facilities and properties (real property assets) at all its Centers and component facilities. The buildings and structures which supported the SSP were inventoried and assessed as per the criteria of eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in the context of this program. This study was performed in compliance with Section 110 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966 (Public Law 89-665), as amended; the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 (Public Law 91-190); Executive Order (EO) 11593: Protection and Enhancement of the Cultural Environment; EO 13287, Preserve America, and other relevant legislation. As part of this nation-wide study, in September 2006, historical survey and evaluation of NASA-owned and managed facilities at was conducted by NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas. The results of this study are presented in a report entitled, "Survey and Evaluation of NASA-owned Historic Facilities and Properties in the Context of the U.S. Space Shuttle Program, Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas," prepared in November 2007 by NASA JSC's contractor, Archaeological Consultants, Inc. As a result of this survey, the Jake Gam Mission Simulator and Training Facility (Building 5) was determined eligible for listing in the NRHP, with concurrence by the Texas State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO). The survey concluded that Building 5 is eligible for the NRHP under Criteria A and C in the context of the U.S. Space Shuttle program (1969-2010). Because it has achieved significance within the past 50 years, Criteria Consideration G applies. At the time of this documentation, Building 5 was still used to support the SSP as an astronaut training facility. This documentation package precedes any undertaking as defined by Section 106 of the NHPA, as amended, and implemented in 36 CFR Part 800, as NASA JSC has decided to proactively pursue efforts to mitigate the potential adverse affects of any future modifications to the facility. It includes a historical summary of the Space Shuttle program; the history of JSC in relation to the SSP; a narrative of the history of Building 5 and how it supported the SSP; and a physical description of the structure. In addition, photographs documenting the construction and historical use of Building 5 in support of the SSP, as well as photographs of the facility documenting the existing conditions, special technological features, and engineering details, are included. A contact sheet printed on archival paper, and an electronic copy of the work product on CD, are also provided.

Slovinac, Trish↗

NASA NTRS2011

Avionics Systems Laboratory/Building 16. Historical Documentation

As part of this nation-wide study, in September 2006, historical survey and evaluation of NASA-owned and managed facilities that was conducted by NASA s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas. The results of this study are presented in a report entitled, "Survey and Evaluation of NASA-owned Historic Facilities and Properties in the Context of the U.S. Space Shuttle Program, Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas," prepared in November 2007 by NASA JSC s contractor, Archaeological Consultants, Inc. As a result of this survey, the Avionics Systems Laboratory (Building 16) was determined eligible for listing in the NRHP, with concurrence by the Texas State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO). The survey concluded that Building 5 is eligible for the NRHP under Criteria A and C in the context of the U.S. Space Shuttle program (1969-2010). Because it has achieved significance within the past 50 years, Criteria Consideration G applies. At the time of this documentation, Building 16 was still used to support the SSP as an engineering research facility, which is also sometimes used for astronaut training. This documentation package precedes any undertaking as defined by Section 106 of the NHPA, as amended, and implemented in 36 CFR Part 800, as NASA JSC has decided to proactively pursue efforts to mitigate the potential adverse affects of any future modifications to the facility. It includes a historical summary of the Space Shuttle program; the history of JSC in relation to the SSP; a narrative of the history of Building 16 and how it supported the SSP; and a physical description of the structure. In addition, photographs documenting the construction and historical use of Building 16 in support of the SSP, as well as photographs of the facility documenting the existing conditions, special technological features, and engineering details, are included. A contact sheet printed on archival paper, and an electronic copy of the work product on CD, are also provided

Slovinac, Patricia↗

NASA NTRS2011

Communications and Tracking Development Laboratory/Building 44. Historical Documentation

As part of this nation-wide study, in September 2006, historical survey and evaluation of NASA-owned and managed facilities was conducted by NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas. The results of this study are presented in a report entitled, Survey and Evaluation of NASA-owned Historic Facilities and Properties in the Context of the U.S. Space Shuttle Program, Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, prepared in November 2007 by NASA JSC s contractor, Archaeological Consultants, Inc. As a result of this survey, the Communications and Tracking Development Laboratory (Building 44) was determined eligible for listing in the NRHP, with concurrence by the Texas State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO). The survey concluded that Building 44 is eligible for the NRHP under Criteria A and C in the context of the U.S. Space Shuttle Program (1969-2010). Because it has achieved significance within the past 50 years, Criteria Consideration G applies. At the time of this documentation, Building 44 was still used to support the SSP as an engineering research facility, which is also sometimes used for astronaut training. This documentation package precedes any undertaking as defined by Section 106 of the NHPA, as amended, and implemented by 36 CFR Part 800, as NASA JSC has decided to proactively pursue efforts to mitigate the potential adverse affects of any future modifications to the facility. It includes a historical summary of the Space Shuttle Program; the history of JSC in relation to the SSP; a narrative of the history of Building 44 and how it supported the SSP; and a physical description of the building. In addition, photographs documenting the construction and historical use of Building 44 in support of the SSP, as well as photographs of the facility documenting the existing conditions, special technological features, and engineering details, are included. A contact sheet printed on archival paper, and an electronic copy of the work product on CD, are also provided.

Slovinac, Patricia↗

NASA NTRS2010

Mission Control Center/Building 30. Historical Documentation

As part of this nation-wide study, in September 2006, historical survey and evaluation of NASA-owned and managed facilities was conducted by NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas. The results of this study are presented in a report entitled, Survey and Evaluation of NASA-owned Historic Facilities and Properties in the Context of the U.S. Space Shuttle Program, Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, prepared in November 2007 by NASA JSC s contractor, Archaeological Consultants, Inc. As a result of this survey, the Mission Control Center (Building 30) was determined eligible for listing in the NRHP, with concurrence by the Texas State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO). The survey concluded that Building 30 is eligible for the NRHP under Criteria A and C in the context of the U.S. Space Shuttle Program (1969-2010). Because it has achieved significance within the past 50 years, Criteria Consideration G applies. It should be noted that the Mission Control Center was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1985 for its role in the Apollo 11 Lunar Landing. At the time of this documentation, Building 30 was still used to support the SSP as an engineering research facility, which is also sometimes used for astronaut training. This documentation package precedes any undertaking as defined by Section 106 of the NHPA, as amended, and implemented in 36 CFR Part 800, as NASA JSC has decided to proactively pursue efforts to mitigate the potential adverse affects of any future modifications to the facility. It includes a historical summary of the Space Shuttle program; the history of JSC in relation to the SSP; a narrative of the history of Building 30 and how it supported the SSP; and a physical description of the structure. In addition, photographs documenting the construction and historical use of Building 30 in support of the SSP, as well as photographs of the facility documenting the existing conditions, special technological features, and engineering details, are included. A contact sheet printed on archival paper, and an electronic copy of the work product on CD, are also provided.

Source record↗

DOE OSTI2020

DOE-ART HT(G)R R&D Overview

The US Government currently has no plans to finance or build advanced nuclear reactors. Instead, the DOE performs research and development to raise the technological readiness of new concepts, fuels and component materials so that private industrial partners are more likely to design and build plants. Develop technologies that can enable new concepts and designs to achieve greater levels of safety and resilience, flexibility of use, sustainability and construction or operational affordability. Collaborate with industry to identify and conduct essential research to reduce technical risk associated with advanced reactor technologies. Sustain essential technical expertise and capabilities within national laboratories, universities, and industry to perform needed research. Collaborate with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Standards Developing Organizations (ASME, ANS, ANSI, etc.) to address gaps in codes and standards to support advanced reactor designs

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

DOE OSTI2026

From Bricks to Clicks: Mapping the White Space in Building Innovation

It is a critical national imperative to transform the buildings sector, yet innovation is impeded by deployment failures that leave promising technologies stranded. Conventional market reports and techno-economic analysis provide an insufficient understanding of markets and resource allocation for emerging building technologies. They omit crucial commercialization factors such as ecosystem maturity and adoption friction, where the coordinated participation of a network of suppliers, contractors, financiers, regulators, and integrators is required to scale solutions. This study addresses these gaps by introducing an evaluation framework grounded in front-line data from six years of the DOE's IMPEL incubator, comprising experience from 300 building-sector innovators and the adjacent, complex ecosystem. Our methodology synthesizes top-down market analysis with bottom-up, practitioner-level data across five megatrends: (M1) Affordable materials and industrialized construction; (M2) Healthy and efficient mechanical systems; (M3) Intelligent building operations; (M4) Buildings as grid assets; and (M5) High-density power and cooling for data centers and therein identify twelve "white space" technology opportunities. Next, we develop a multi-criteria scoring rubric to rank these opportunities based on parameters, i.e., Affordability, Quality of Life, Reliability, and Security, yielding composite ‘Demand’ and ‘Maturity’ indices. Our results indicate that the most significant white spaces may not be incremental products but a new class of ‘Ecosystem Enablers’, such as logistics platforms, orchestration layers, and automated compliance software that solve structural deployment gaps. This paper summarizes this transparent, evidence-based, practitioner-informed evaluation framework for policymakers and investors to re-evaluate policy and resource allocation and unlock scalable market transformation.

Singh, Reshma↗

NASA NTRS1990

Technology needs of the Exploration Initiative

An overview of the U.S. Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) is presented. The two primary objectives of the initiative are a return to the moon to create a permanent lunar base and a human mission to Mars. Even though mission architectural concepts are not yet defined, previous studies indicate that the SEI will require developments in numerous areas, including advanced engines for space transportation, in-space assembly and construction to support permanent basing of exploration systems in space, and advanced surface operations capabilities including satisfactory levels of power and surface roving vehicles, and technologies to safely support human space operations of long duration. The process of mission definition has begun and it is shown that it is possible to identify a family of fundamental functional building blocks from which all SEI mission architectures will be constructed.

Aldrich, Arnold↗

DOE OSTI2024

Support of the Massachusetts — NREL Wind Technology Testing Center (Cooperative Research and Development Final Report)

Under the shared-resources CRADA agreement, NREL will collaborate with the Massachusetts Technology Park Corporation, d/b/a Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC), in its efforts to design, construct, and operate the Massachusetts-NREL Wind Technology Testing Center (WTTC), which is an advanced blade testing facility capable of testing blades up to at least 70 meters in length. The WTTC building will be owned and the facility operated by the MTC. In the CRADA, NREL agrees to provide certain capital equipment and certain NREL employees at the WTTC facility for training, commissioning, and continued technical assistance. In addition, NREL will provide one or more Laboratory staff to serve on any WTTC advisory committee, a no-cost license of the NREL blade-resonance fatigue testing technology (NREL Testing IP) and training to MA staff at the NREL blade test facilities in Colorado. MTC will provide all other resources necessary to design, construct, and operate the WTTC.

17 WIND ENERGY↗