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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.

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228 records · Page 13
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

A Pilot Study of Whole-Blood Transcriptomic Analysis to Identify Genes Associated with Repetitive Low-Level Blast Exposure in Career Breachers

Repetitive low-level blast exposure is one of the major occupational health concerns among US military service members and law enforcement. This study seeks to identify gene expression using microRNA and RNA sequencing in whole-blood samples from experienced breachers and unexposed controls. We performed experimental RNA sequencing using Illumina’s HiSeq 2500 Sequencing System, and microRNA analysis using NanoString Technology nCounter miRNA expression panel in whole-blood total RNA samples from 15 experienced breachers and 14 age-, sex-, and race-matched unexposed controls. We identified 10 significantly dysregulated genes between experienced breachers and unexposed controls, with FDR corrected <0.05: One upregulated gene, LINC00996 (long intergenic non-protein coding RNA 996); and nine downregulated genes, IGLV3-16 (immunoglobulin lambda variable 3-16), CD200 (CD200 molecule), LILRB5 (leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptor B5), ZNF667-AS1 (ZNF667 antisense RNA 1), LMOD1 (leiomodin 1), CNTNAP2 (contactin-associated protein 2), EVPL (envoplakin), DPF3 (double PHD fingers 3), and IGHV4-34 (immunoglobulin heavy variable 4-34). The dysregulated gene expressions reported here have been associated with chronic inflammation and immune response, suggesting that these pathways may relate to the risk of lasting neurological symptoms following high exposures to blast over a career.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2026

Cooperative Education

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is a multidisciplinary national laboratory that conducts research and development in national security, engineering, materials science, computational modeling, and advanced manufacturing. The laboratory develops innovative technologies to address complex scientific and engineering challenges. This project focuses on the development and evaluation of high-performance absorbing structures through computational design, simulation, and engineering analysis. Absorbing structures are used in applications where damage mitigation, structural protection, and material efficiency are critical performance requirements. The increasing demand for lightweight, high-strength, and highly efficient structural systems has created a need for improved design methodologies capable of maximizing absorption while minimizing weight and material usage. The project utilizes advanced engineering software, including 3D CAD software and FEA, to generate and optimize structural concepts. Computational simulations are performed to evaluate structural behavior under loading conditions, while mathematical analyses are conducted using Python-based tools as well as established analytical equations from material and structural mechanics. The project benefits LANL by supporting the development of advanced design methodologies and improving the understanding of material and structural performance. During the internship term, a significant portion of the design development, simulation, and data analysis activities will be completed. Success of the project depends on collaboration among engineering mentors and technical staff members. Work will be conducted at Los Alamos National Laboratory using laboratory computing resources and engineering software.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2020

Assessment of Cold Spraying Mild-Steel Powder onto Mild-Steel Substrate for Development of Waste Tank Repair System - 20515

Infrastructure for nuclear waste storage and processing (e.g., waste tanks, transfer pipelines, evaporators) at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hanford Site has been in service well beyond its original design life. Past corrosion control methods at Hanford for waste tanks have not been fully successful, as evidenced by leaks forming in tank AY-102, the first double-shell tank (DST) constructed, and significant degradation detected in the primary tanks of AP-102 and AY-101. Failure of infrastructure components can pose a significant risk to the environment, worker safety, and project schedules. Therefore, remotely deployable methods for repairing and extending the service life of the existing tank waste infrastructure are needed. Cold spray has been identified as a potential technique for performing in situ repairs and material buildup for life extension of waste storage and processing infrastructure. Cold-spray repair methods and technology are well-established and are used extensively by industry and the military for making repairs using dissimilar materials. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is evaluating the process of making repairs using mild-steel powder applied to a mild-steel substrate to minimize the galvanic corrosion potential. This paper presents the initial results for a feasibility ('go/no-go') assessment as to whether low-density deposits with sound metallurgic bonds, to build-back steel plate material, can be achieved using existing commercial cold-spray equipment. An assessment of steel-on-steel deposit is necessary to determine if cold spray is a viable candidate for DST carbon steel plate restoration/repair and thus DST service life extension. Powder properties and preparation requirements have been investigated and operating conditions and parameters for depositing a cold-spray buildup of mild steel on a mild-steel substrate have been determined. Soundness of metallurgic bonding as a function of the operating parameters exercised and results from applying cold spray to lay a deposit over simulated small-diameter flaws in 1/2-inch mild-steel plate are presented. Application of in situ cold-spray repair to the DOE complex has the potential to reduce cost and schedule impacts associated with component failures and the need to procure and construct replacement infrastructure. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2020

Advancing the science of explosive fragmentation and afterburn fireballs though experiments and simulations at the benchtop scale

Detonation of explosive devices produces extremely hazardous fragments and hot, luminous fireballs. Prior experimental investigations of these post-detonation environments have primarily considered devices containing hundreds of grams of explosives. While relevant to many applications, such large- scale testing also significantly restricts experimental diagnostics and provides limited data for model validation. As an alternative, the current work proposes experiments and simulations of the fragmentation and fireballs from commercial detonators with less than a gram of high explosive. As demonstrated here, reduced experimental hazards and increased optical access significantly expand the viability of advanced imaging and laser diagnostics. Notable developments include the first known validation of MHz-rate optical fragment tracking and the first ever Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering (CARS) measures of post-detonation fireball temperatures. While certainly not replacing the need for full-scale verification testing, this work demonstrates new opportunities to accelerate developments of diagnostics and predictive models of post-detonation environments.

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEF↗
DOE OSTI2022

High-Speed Diagnostic and Simulation Capabilities for Reacting Hypersonic Reentry Flows (LDRD Final Report)

High-enthalpy hypersonic flight represents an application space of significant concern within the current national-security landscape. The hypersonic environment is characterized by high-speed compressible fluid mechanics and complex reacting flow physics, which may present both thermal and chemical nonequilibrium effects. We report on the results of a three-year LDRD effort, funded by the Engineering Sciences Research Foundation (ESRF) investment area, which has been focused on the development and deployment of new high-speed thermochemical diagnostics capabilities for measurements in the high-enthalpy hypersonic environment posed by Sandia's free-piston shock tunnel. The project has additionally sponsored model development efforts, which have added thermal nonequilibrium modeling capabilities to Sandia codes for subsequent design of many of our shock-tunnel experiments. We have cultivated high-speed, chemically specific, laser-diagnostic approaches that are uniquely co-located with Sandia's high-enthalpy hypersonic test facilities. These tools include picosecond and nanosecond coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering at 100-kHz rates for time-resolved thermometry, including thermal nonequilibrium conditions, and 100-kHz planar laser-induced fluorescence of nitric oxide for chemically specific imaging and velocimetry. Key results from this LDRD project have been documented in a number of journal submissions and conference proceedings, which are cited here. The body of this report is, therefore, concise and summarizes the key results of the project. The reader is directed toward these reference materials and appendices for more detailed discussions of the project results and findings.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS2004

Air Separation Using Hollow Fiber Membranes

The NASA Glenn Research Center in partnership with the Ohio Aerospace Institute provides internship programs for high school and college students in the areas of science, engineering, professional administrative, and other technical areas. During the summer of 2004, I worked with Dr. Clarence T. Chang at NASA Glenn Research Center s combustion branch on air separation using hollow fiber membrane technology. . In light of the accident of Trans World Airline s flight 800, FAA has mandated that a suitable solution be created to prevent the ignition of fuel tanks in aircrafts. In order for any type of fuel to ignite, three important things are needed: fuel vapor, oxygen, and an energy source. Two different ways to make fuel tanks less likely to ignite are reformulating the fuel to obtain a lower vapor pressure for the fuel and or using an On Board Inert Gas Generating System (OBIGGS) to inert the Central Wing Tank. goal is to accomplish the mission, which means that the Air Separation Module (ASM) tends to be bulky and heavy. The primary goal for commercial aviation companies is to transport as much as they can with the least amount of cost and fuel per person, therefore the ASM must be compact and light as possible. The plan is to take bleed air from the aircraft s engines to pass air through a filter first to remove particulates and then pass the air through the ASM containing hollow fiber membranes. In the lab, there will be a heating element provided to simulate the temperature of the bleed air that will be entering the ASM and analysis of the separated air will be analyzed by a Gas Chromatograph/Mass Spectrometer (GC/MS). The GUMS will separate the different compounds in the exit streams of the ASM and provide information on the performance of hollow fiber membranes. Hopefully I can develop ways to improve efficiency of the ASM. different types of jet fuel were analyzed and data was well represented on SAE Paper 982485. Data consisted of the concentrations of over 300 different hydrocarbons commonly found in JP- 8, Jet A, and JP-5 fuels. I researched the major hydrocarbons that has a concentration of greater than 50 parts per million and found the vapor pressure data coefficients for a specific temperature range. The coefficients were applied to Antoine s Equation and Riedel's Equation to calculate the vapor pressures for that specific hydrocarbon in the specific temperature range. With the vapor pressure data scientists can formulate a fuel composition that has a lower vapor pressure profile, therefore making jet fuels less flammable. work, learn how to operate and examine the data from Gas Chromatograph and Mass Spectrometer, and develop new ways in applying hollow fiber membrane technology to other areas of environmental engineering. The United States military currently uses air separation technology and their primary The other side of making air travel safer is to reformulate the fuel. Analyses of three My goal this summer is to learn about hollow fiber membrane technologies and how they

Huang, Stephen E.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Spatially-Resolved Characterization Techniques and Their Implications for Nuclear Debris Formation.

Debris from nuclear tests has a complex formation process and can inform multiple fields of study such as geology, atmospheric science, shock physics, and chemistry under extreme conditions. Macroscopic nuclear debris forms as the result of fireball interaction with surrounding materials (e.g., structural and environmental component), which rapidly undergo melting and vaporization followed by condensation, convective/diffusive mixing, and solidification over the course of seconds. In atmospheric events, some of this material may disperse over long distances, but much of the material is deposited close-in to ground zero, often in multicomponent, partially (or entirely) amorphous debris formations. During the U.S. nuclear testing program, this material was collected and analyzed, particularly for radionuclide composition. Fallout formation models were developed from nuclear test data based on such radionuclide compositional analyses. These models were not just used to understand fallout dispersion (i.e. the spread of radioactivity over geographical regions) but also guide radiochemical interpretations of historical nuclear tests.6 Developments in analytical techniques over the past several decades have made it possible to make new analyses on historical debris, some of which may be more than a half-century old. For example, inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) has been used to look at the trace elements in glassy fallout material from aboveground nuclear tests (including the Trinity test). Advanced analyses using X-ray absorption allowed for the measurement of oxidation state of fallout constituents, including actinides. The ability to measure trace actinides and their subsequent oxidation state is important to understanding how the surrounding environment may have influenced the resultant fallout composition and may have implications for why certain fractionation trends have been observed. Here we present data from historic nuclear test debris illustrating the power of spatially resolved methods to connect interaction of the near-field environment with the explosion and provide new insights into nuclear debris formation.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Bamboo Bio-composite Truck/Trailer Decking

Bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants in the world. Massively productive, bamboo will maintain that productivity with limited inputs and minimal management resulting in predictable volume and operating margins and with low overhead. The goal of this project was to develop a bamboo bio-composite trailer decking product that replaces apitong, is lighter weight, stronger and luminescent. The collaboration partners, Fontaine, Resource Fiber and IACMI, worked closely to develop the bamboo bio-composite decking to Fontaine Trailer’s (end-user) specifications. The various technological objectives were (a) To conduct a comprehensive Design of Experiments study for bamboo composites to understand the structure-property relationships for different resin composites and bamboo forms (strips, woven, bulk etc); (b) To establish the nail pull out characteristics of trailer deck geometry bamboo composite form. The nail pull out is a critical test in trailer decks; (c) To design, process and prototype select number of trailer decking planks for Fontaine evaluation; and (d) To conduct life cycle analysis to conduct energy calculations from the various conversion steps of the bamboo from crop to product. The project meets DOE/IACMI metrics of reduced embodied energy, lightweighting and lowering the cost of the end product. It also offers a green solution to a value-added application, i.e. trailer decking. The development goals and benefits of bamboo composite decking included: A. Decreased weight when compared to Apitong and Gen 1, thereby reducing operating costs and petroleum usage due to increased miles per gallon. B. Flexibility to allow camber design into trailers. C. Luminescence to increase safety during low light and dark conditions. D. Composite material to maximize use of bamboo bio-composites as substitute for petroleum-based composites. E. Embedded layer(s) of conditioned bamboo for added strength and stability. F. Improved safety over Apitong by temporary cargo indentation in planks for better stability. G. Cradle-to-cradle design so end-of-life becomes beginning-of-life for other products. Resource Fiber’s bamboo biocomposite trailer decking passed nail pullout tests as compared to apitong (incumbent), was lighter weight than apitong, and used less embodied energy particularly when bamboo is sourced domestically. The planks were optimized in the lab setting to the extent possible and successfully installed on the trailer at Fontaine for field testing. Despite the process not being fully optimized due to through-heat and tooling limitations within the budget constraints, the prototype decking withstood 400 cycles of reverse fatigue loading of a 107,000 lb Caterpillar 349F which was extreme conditions of field testing by Fontaine Trailer. Resource Fiber plans to outsource production of a next round of planks with a commercial pultrusion processor, then to do a re-test with Fontaine Trailers. Tooling specific to the part is required. Long-term commercial plans are to continue outsourcing production while supplying bamboo fiber and mats. Commercial markets include heavy haul trailers, military trailers, and decking for marine, industrial and residential use.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Multi-phenomenology Yield Characterization

This report serves as the first delivery of a four-year applied science effort to transform and advance the error bounds for the yield estimate of an explosion. Each year’s delivery will be in this form, culminating in the submission of this work for peer review to a scientific journal. Importantly, the yearly progress reports can then also be viewed as expanding drafts working towards a formal journal article submission. For the first tranche of funding, we collaborated with Air Force Technical Applications Center (AFTAC) scientists to identify unclassified real-world data that demonstrate and validate our advanced error propagation methods. Collaboration includes visits to AFTAC and telecons. For this development, we illustrate the fusion of seismic, acoustic, optical, and surface effect signatures from an explosion. The mathematics and code being adapted to this specific application (Williams et al., 2021) involves physics models of multiple sensor signatures. We have also identified related physics models and have integrated them into code. Current methods of underground explosion yield estimation for the Threshold Test Ban Treaty (TTBT) have served the US treaty monitoring mission well for decades. A research objective of the Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation Research and Development (DNN R&D) office of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has always been to provide new technical capabilities for monitoring lower thresholds. The general model and error propagation code to be developed in this project is based on significant advances in error modeling and propagation needed to analyze data at lower detection thresholds. The second tranche of funding for this project began on May 1, 2022, and planned work for the second tranche includes: i) completing the integration of physical model code into the general error model framework; this code accommodates a wide range of linear/nonlinear source models, fixed/ random effects, and frequentist/Bayesian analyses (the purpose of which is not to dictate to users how to analyze data, but instead to allow users the maximum flexibility in their work); ii) illustrative application of code to identified data, and; iii) initial planning with AFTAC researchers on delivery of code to the Common Development Environment at AFTAC, and continued writing of the planned final journal article submission (year two of this progress report), with particular emphasis on descriptions of data identified for this effort.

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEF↗
DOE OSTI2020

Carbon Fiber Prepreg Recycling- Automated Perform Manufacturing Equipment (Final Technical Report)

Discontinuous fiber composites have a compelling business case as related to light metals such as aluminum and magnesium machined or die cast components. DFC’s have been in commercial production using carbon fiber/epoxy prepreg for both commercial aircraft and for military applications for a number of years and their usage is expanding into automotive and consumer goods components. Reasons for this include significantly lower cost as compared to continuous fiber composites easier design and understanding of the material by metal traditionalists, higher degree of part complexity with relatively simple and low cost molds when compared to high-pressure die casting, and potential for near zero waste. IACMI’s 10-year goals of reduction in carbon fiber reinforced plastics manufacturing cost by 25%, reduction in their embodied energy by 50%, and recyclability of 95% can all be advanced through robust recycling. With recycling We have shown that a 15% contribution in manufacturing cost reduction is feasible, that a significant reduction in embodied energy (over 90% for the recycled fraction) is achievable, and that when combined with primary pyrolysis recycling, the 95% target can be met. Large-scale application of advanced composites began with the aerospace industry, and CRTC’s location in Washington State provided access to a waste stream of nearly 900 tonnes/year that was going to landfill. As the aerospace industry has automated parts production, their material forms have become significantly easier to recycle, and some evidence of this exists for the future automotive and wind turbine components as well. CRTC decided to focus on re-purposing the carbon fiber/epoxy aerospace scrap streams through materials reformatting and reuse, and not on primary recycling (pyrolysis mainly) as this technology is commercially available. The main reasons for this were that it offers a route to effective use of the most widely available and consistent feedstock called edge-trim, as well as allows creation of complex and low-cost parts using rapid and cost-effective compression molding technologies. The reasons also include leading the way for potential automotive pre-preg recycling as the combination of roughly 85% virgin pre-preg and 15% recycled pre-preg directly supports IACMI’s goals and enables significant part cost reduction and a path to zero-waste composite manufacturing at the OEMs or Tier 1’s. The purpose of the project was to develop equipment and technology to transform continuous fiber pre-preg in roll forms into smaller chip-format DFC feedstock, and to determine impacts on moldability and performance based on lessons learned along the path. The availability of scrap from pre-preg manufacturers was a significant value to the program even though the aerospace pre-preg is designed to be autoclave molded thus has handling, tackiness, and processing factors that are not ideal for DFCs. The scope of the project was to develop a Phase 1 system that could identify and resolve some of the major hurdles, determine where to focus effort on building a commercial-scale Phase 2 system, and develop technology for handling a wide variety of incoming scrap materials to produce the most usable product. A chopping system was developed and reduced to practice via an experimental approach that enabled all forms of scrap coming from the pre-preg manufacturers and some forms of the scrap coming from OEM production lines to be very effectively re-purposed. The systems that were developed were not considered to be production robust but rather identified and resolved some of the major technical hurdles, and demonstrated the path towards effective full-scale commercialization.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Retrospective on Recent DOE-Funded Studies Concerning the Extraction of Rare Earth Elements & Lithium from Geothermal Brines (Final Report)

Rare earth elements (REE) and lithium are non-toxic metals that are considered critical materials due to their use in electronics, magnets, batteries, and a wide variety of industrial processes important for the economy and military preparedness. Demand for REE and lithium is increasing and these critical materials are imported, so identifying and exploiting domestic sources of REE and lithium is a national priority. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO) has been in the forefront of sponsoring research investigating the potential recovery of REE, lithium, and other critical minerals from geothermal brines. It has been proposed that the future of geothermal energy should include “hybrid systems” that combine electricity generation with other revenue-generating activities, such as recovery of valuable and critical minerals, including REE and lithium. Two recent GTO funding opportunities have focused on the recovery of REE and other valuable minerals from geothermal brines. The research supported by the GTO’s mineral recovery program is focused on three areas: resource characterization, technology for the extraction of REE, and technology for the extraction of lithium (Tables 1 and 2). This report is a retrospective study examining the outcome of GTO’s two recent mineral recovery programs (DE-FOA-0001016 in FY 2014 and DE-FOA-0001376 in FY 2016). In this report, the knowledge, technology, and techniques that were developed by researchers funded by GTO are summarized and discussed. Four projects were funded to assess the concentrations and amounts of REE found in geothermal brines and oil field produced waters. The GTO-funded studies compiled publically available data on REE concentrations from brines and produced water from all over the USA. In addition, new samples were collected and characterized from major geothermal and hydrocarbon basins in the Western USA. The studies examined the relationship between lithology and REE concentrations and developed models examining the influence of geology on REE concentrations in produced brines. It was determined that REE are frequently found at higher concentrations in oil field produced water than geothermal brines, but that some geothermal areas had significant REE resources. Significant reservoirs of REE were identified in the Western USA. In some cases, concentrations of REE were more than 1000 times the concentrations found in seawater. Collectively, these studies represent a comprehensive picture of REE resources associated with geothermal and hydrocarbon systems in the USA. The studies did not examine lithium resources, but in some cases, lithium concentration data was collected. Data from these studies are housed in the Geothermal Data Repository (GDR) and represent a significant information resource and it is recommended that these data be further analyzed in a future study. Eight projects were funded to develop new technology for REE extraction from geothermal fluids. These projects investigated sorption as an approach for removal and recovery of REE from geothermal brines. The projects investigated cutting-edge technology for selective sorption of ions from complex solutions, including the application of metal-organic frameworks and biosorbent proteins. The REE sorption studies tested different combinations of metal-binding ligands and solid supports. The most promising metal-binding ligands for REE included phosphonic acid, thiol, and carboxylic acid functional groups. Ligands were attached or incorporated into a wide variety of solid supports. In most cases, attachment was via covalent bonding to organic resins, polymers, or silica-based supports. Most of the REE projects were conducted at a low technology readiness level (TRL) and showed promise, but direct comparison between technologies was not possible based on the available information. It is recommended that testing and reporting be standardized to the extent possible to facilitate comparisons between technologies. Two projects were directed at novel lithium extraction technology. Both projects investigated the use of inorganic sorbents, including manganese oxides. One study also examined the use of metal- ion imprinted polymers as selective ion-exchange resins for the separation of lithium and manganese from brines. Both approaches showed promise for the selective extraction of lithium from brines, including potentially geothermal brines. Results from these GTO studies indicated that selective REE and lithium extraction is possible, but interference from co-occurring solutes, such as calcium, magnesium, or heavy metals, will interfere with process efficiency and negatively impact process economics. Techno-economic analysis conducted as part of the resource and technology studies suggest extraction of REE from geothermal brines is unlikely to be economically viable, especially since non-geothermal produced waters frequently have higher REE concentrations. It is recommended that benchmarks for techno-economic analysis be established to the extent possible for future studies, to facilitate direct comparison of various technologies. Based on the collective results of this program, it appears that hybrid geothermal power would benefit more from recovery of lithium and other metals, rather than REE. It is recommended that future studies be conducted at a higher- TRL and that sorbents be tested against actual geothermal fluid samples. Prior higher-TRL efforts to extract metals from geothermal brines should be further evaluated for lessons learned.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Reproducibility, Replicability, and Research Quality in Homogeneous Catalysis

Researchers from all sectors of homogeneous catalysis convened in response to concerns regarding reproducibility in science to analyze the issue and provide recommendations. In addition to an in- person workshop, the group engaged the broader homogeneous catalysis community through a webinar series and virtually during the workshop. Results of the project affirm that homogeneous catalysis is not in a reproducibility crisis, as evidenced by the field’s current and past contributions to society that have led to economic growth and advances in a range of industries from agriculture to consumer goods to human health. However, it is not uncommon for researchers to encounter obstacles related to reproducibility. Ensuring reproducibility remains the responsibility of the community, both in current work and in training future researchers. This report is intended to engage key stakeholders, including disciplinary societies, publishers, employers, research leaders, and researchers, in practices that maximize reproducible homogeneous catalysis and ensure continued innovation and translatable discoveries. Recommendations made herein are also framed to be applicable beyond homogeneous catalysis, empowering the broader chemical if not scientific community.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗