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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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At least 235 records · Page 13
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Kernel Buffer Volume Fraction Margin of the AGR Designed Fuel Particle

Modeling results used to assess the fuel performance of the TRISO-coated fuel particles as a function of kernel/buffer volume fraction include SiC tangential stress, formation of the buffer/IPyC gap, particle temperature profile, internal particle pressure, fission gas released from the kernel, probability of fuel particle failure, and fission product diffusion. These results were evaluated at two burnup levels and irradiation temperatures to bound expected steady-state irradiation conditions. In general, increasing the kernel/buffer volume fraction increases the SiC stress and subsequently the failure probability of a fuel particle when compared to the AGR designed particle. There was little impact on the fission product diffusion through the particle as the kernel/buffer volume fraction increased.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2024

BioSiting Tool (BioSiting) v2

The BioSiting Tool provides a geospatial interface for analyzing bioeconomy resources and infrastructure across the continental U.S. The tool integrates empirical and modeled data from a broad range of sources. Bioeconomy resources mapped in the tool include agricultural residues, forest residues, municipal solid waste streams, food waste, manure, fats, oils and greases and potential yields of energy crops. Infrastructure mapped in the tool includes biorefineries, material recovery facilities, anaerobic digesters, wastewater treatment plants, combustion plants, district energy systems, crude oil pipelines, petroleum pipelines, natural gas pipelines, railways and freight terminals. Additional data layers include environmental justice indicators at the census tract level and carbon dioxide geologic storage potential. Users can select a location on the map, define a buffer radius in kilometers and generate an inventory of all bioecomony resources within the buffer zone. Data from the tool can be downloaded from individual buffer zones, or at the state or national level.

Huntington, Tyler↗
DOE OSTI2024

Archive of AGR-5/6/7 Particle Radiographs for Identification of Particles with Defective IPyC

As a part of fuel quality control characterization, 2D radiographs of large numbers of particles produced by the Advanced Gas Reactor Fuel Development and Qualification (AGR) Program’s AGR-5/6/7 irradiation were acquired. These radiographs were used for the identification of particles with excessive uranium dispersion from the kernel into the surrounding buffer layer caused by chlorine infiltration through a defective inner pyrolytic carbon (IPyC) layer during silicon carbide (SiC) deposition. Additional features of interest associated with fabrication anomalies were also catalogued. Raw radiography images, along with the noted defective IPyC defects found by analysis at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are reported herein.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Coupled THM modeling of bentonite heating and hydration in tank tests with a new temperature-dependent water retention model

This study presents a coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) model for simulating the heating and hydration behavior of bentonite, a buffer material in deep geological repositories (DGRs). The model incorporates a new temperature-dependent soil water retention curve which captures the thermal-induced shift in water retention behavior. It also distinguishes between liquid and gas permeability, modeling intrinsic gas permeability as a function of accessible porosity to improve vapor transport and desaturation predictions. The model was validated against two large-scale tank tests, demonstrating good agreement with measured temperature, relative humidity, and water inflow data. It revealed a complex porosity evolution driven by thermal expansion, vapor movement, vapor condensation, and hydration-induced swelling during heating and hydration processes. The simulation results also suggest that the permeability of the hydration layer plays a critical role in controlling water intake. Clogging of this layer can significantly reduce the volume of water inflow during the hydration phase. Furthermore, while the model effectively captures key THM behavior, further development of the mechanical constitutive law is required to account for possible thermo-elasto-plastic volume changes and microstructural effects. Overall, the model provides a robust tool for evaluating the evolution of bentonite-based barrier material in DGRs.

Guo, Guanlong [Lawrence Berkeley National Laborato↗
DOE OSTI2025

Post-irradiation 1600°C Heating Test of AGR-1 UCO Fuel Kernels

Five bare kernels were selected from the U.S. Advanced Gas Reactor (AGR) 1 irradiation experiment Compact 5-3-1 to perform post-irradiation safety tests. The safety test involved heating the kernels in the Fuel Accident Condition Simulator (FACS) furnace in the inert atmosphere to a peak temperature of 1600°C and isothermally holding at this temperature for about 47 hours while collecting fission products released. This test was to assess the retention of fission products in bare kernels without the effects of the other TRISO layers (buffer, IPyC, SiC, and OPyC) or the graphitic matrix material. The bare kernels released nearly 100% of cesium and antimony, while they were able to maintain about 30% of europium, 50% of strontium, and the majority of cerium and ruthenium. In addition, about 48% of the calculated inventory of Kr-85 released during the test, indicating that kernels were capable of retaining a considerable fraction of fission gas K-85 during irradiation.

11 - NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Carbonate Management to Enable Energy- and Carbon-Efficient CO 2 Electrolysis (Final Technical Report)

The rapid growth and plummeting cost of solar energy have spurred growing interest in using CO 2 electrolysis to produce chemicals and fuels as an alternative to conventional petrochemical processes. High-temperature (>800 °C) solid oxide electrolyzers that convert CO 2 into CO and O 2 have recently become commercially available. Low-temperature electrolysis cells offer the prospect of more convenient and flexible operation, which is critical for utilizing intermittent solar energy, and provide access to more valuable C 2+ products such as ethylene, ethanol, and propanol. Over the past 10 years, research in this area has yielded substantial progress in both fundamental understanding of the requisite electrocatalytic reactions and design of prototype devices. Leveraging insights from fuel cells and membrane water electrolyzers, researchers have developed electrolysis cells with gas diffusion electrodes (GDE) that have demonstrated high CO 2 electrolysis current densities (>100 mA cm –2 ) as well as promising selectivity and stability. Despite these advances, the energy efficiency (electrical energy-to-product) and carbon efficiency (CO 2 -to-product) of low-temperature CO 2 electrolysis remain far too low for large-scale deployment. A preponderance of evidence indicates that the principal source of efficiency losses is the rapid and thermodynamically favorable reaction of CO 2 with hydroxide (OH – ) to form carbonate (CO 3 2– ). Carbonate formation imposes steady-state electrolysis conditions that result in large voltage and CO 2 losses for all known (photo)electrochemical CO 2 cells. While much current research remains focused on CO 2 reduction catalyst design, this largely overlooked CO 3 2– problem presents a fundamental scientific barrier to creating a viable electrochemical option for converting solar energy into chemicals and fuels. The project pursues an integrated, multi-PI research effort that establishes a fundamental science of CO 3 2– management. PI Kanan and Co-PI Mani’s contribution to the project is to evaluate strategies to mitigate the CO 3 2– problem by changing the properties of the electrolyte and the environment in which CO 2 reduction catalysis takes place. Experimental studies showed that electrolytes composed of a high concentration of both CO 3 2– and HCO 3 – , which serve as moderately alkaline buffers, improved the cell voltage by compared to all-HCO 3 – electrolytes, but these buffered systems still show substantial CO 2 uptake that reduces pH over time. Computational studies developed a homogenized model of a CO 2 reduction catalyst layer that permits a low-cost exploration of the high-dimensional parameter space associated with catalyst layers on gas diffusion electrodes. The model was validated by accurately reproducing experimental data for the related but simpler reaction of CO reduction and then used to probe the effects of catalyst layer architecture on CO 2 reduction. Minimizing the size of catalyst and hydrophobic domains in the catalyst layer is predicted to mitigate CO 3 2– formation and thereby enable prolonged operation at elevated pH. In support of the CO 2 electrolysis studies, a new method for rapidly prototyping electrochemical cells was developed and validated. The method uses a combination of 3D printing and electroless plating to generate conductive cell components for evaluating new cell designs. The carbonate problem encompasses mass transport processes and acid-base reactions that are relevant to many other electrochemical systems. Investigation of strategies to address the carbonate problem led to an additional line of inquiry into the physicochemical phenomena that determine the efficiency of electrochemical acid-base production, which has numerous applications in the broader field of carbon management. New strategies for using the supporting electrolyte to inhibit H + /OH – recombination in electrochemical acid-base production were evaluated, leading to the development of a novel acid-base producing system that eliminates the need for ion exchange membranes and exhibits promising efficiency and current densities for scalable applications.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Ceramography and Thermal Modelling of Irradiated TRISO Particles using BISON

This study presents a comprehensive analysis of irradiated TRISO fuel particles from the Advanced Gas Reactor (AGR) Fuel Development and Qualification Program conducted at the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) as part of my internship. Failure Analysis using high-resolution microscopy was performed to characterize mechanisms in TRISO particle layers, including the kernel, buffer, inner pyrolytic carbon (IPyC), silicon carbide (SiC), and outer pyrolytic carbon (OPyC) coatings. Failure modes were systematically classified. Thermal conductivity properties of each TRISO layer were evaluated through experimental measurements and computational models for use in BISON finite element code. Experimental thermal conductivity values ranged from 0.5 W/m·K for the buffer layer to 168 W/m·K for SiC, while BISON simulations provided averaged values of 0.57 W/m·K (buffer), 4.0 W/m·K (PyC layers), and 15.95 W/m·K (SiC). Temperature-dependent correlations from PARFUME were implemented for kernel thermal properties.

BISON↗
NASA NTRS2016

Noble Metal Arsenides and Gold Inclusions in Northwest Africa 8186

CK carbonaceous chondrites are a highly thermally altered group of carbonaceous chondrites, experiencing temperatures ranging between approx.576-867 C. Additionally, the mineralogy of the CK chondrites record the highest overall oxygen fugacity of all chondrites, above the fayalite-magnetite-quartz (FMQ) buffer. Metallic Fe-Ni is extremely rare in CK chondrites, but magnetite and Fe,Ni sulfides are commonly observed. Noble metal-rich inclusions have previously been found in some magnetite and sulfide grains. These arsenides, tellurides, and sulfides, which contain varying amounts of Pt, Ru, Os, Te, As, Ir, and S, are thought to form either by condensation from a solar gas, or by exsolution during metamorphism on the chondritic parent body. Northwest Africa (NWA) 8186 is a highly metamorphosed CK chondrite. This meteorite is predominately composed of NiO-rich forsteritic olivine (Fo65), with lesser amounts of plagioclase (An52), augite (Fs11Wo49), magnetite (with exsolved titanomagnetite, hercynite, and titanohematite), monosulfide solid solution (with exsolved pentlandite), and the phosphate minerals Cl-apatite and merrillite. This meteorite contains coarse-grained, homogeneous silicates, and has 120deg triple junctions between mineral phases, which indicates a high degree of thermal metamorphism. The presence of NiO-rich olivine, oxides phases all bearing Fe3+, and the absence of metal, are consistent with an oxygen fugacity above the FMQ buffer. We also observed noble metal-rich phases within sulfide grains in NWA 8186, which are the primary focus of the present study.

Srinivasan, P.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Self-, N2, O2, H2, Ar, and He broadening in the nu3 band Q branch of CH4

Self-, N2-, O2-, H2-, Ar-, and He-broadening coefficients, pressure shifts, and integrated intensities have been measured for most transitions in the Q branch of the nu3 fundamental band of methane using a difference-frequency laser spectrometer. A systematic dependence of the broadening coefficients on the tetrahedral symmetry species and order index is observed with striking similarities for N2, O2, and Ar and for H2 and He buffer gases. Comparison with earlier measurements on other bands and branches of methane indicates very little vibrational, branch, or carbon isotope dependence. Dicke narrowing is evident at intermediate pressures, yielding an average narrowing coefficient and an optical diffusion constant for each gas mixture.

Pine, A. S.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Noble Metal Arsenides and Gold Inclusions in Northwest Africa 8186

CK carbonaceous chondrites are a highly thermally altered group of carbonaceous chondrites, experiencing temperatures ranging between approximately 576-867 degrees Centigrade. Additionally, the mineralogy of the CK chondrites record the highest overall oxygen fugacity of all chondrites, above the fayalite-magnetite-quartz (FMQ) buffer. Me-tallic Fe-Ni is extremely rare in CK chondrites, but magnetite and Fe,Ni sulfides are commonly observed. Noble metal-rich inclusions have previously been found in some magnetite and sulfide grains. These arsenides, tellurides, and sulfides, which contain varying amounts of Pt, Ru, Os, Te, As, Ir, and S, are thought to form either by condensation from a solar gas, or by exsolution during metamorphism on the chondritic parent body. Northwest Africa (NWA) 8186 is a highly metamorphosed CK chondrite. This meteorite is predominately composed of NiO-rich forsteritic olivine (Fo65), with lesser amounts of plagioclase (An52), augite (Fs11Wo49), magnetite (with exsolved titanomagnetite, hercynite, and titanohematite), monosulfide solid solution (with exsolved pentlandite), and the phosphate minerals Cl-apatite and merrillite. This meteorite contains coarse-grained, homogeneous silicates, and has 120-degree triple junctions between mineral phases, which indicates a high degree of thermal metamorphism. The presence of NiO-rich olivine, oxides phases all bearing Fe3 plus, and the absence of metal, are consistent with an oxygen fugacity above the FMQ buffer. We also observed noble metal-rich phases within sulfide grains in NWA 8186, which are the primary focus of the present study.

Srinivasan, P.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Oxidation state of the atmosphere and crust of Venus from Pioneer Venus results

Recent spacecraft observations of Venus permit a detailed model of sulfur chemistry in the atmosphere-lithosphere system. Pioneer Venus experiments confirm that, as predicted, COS and H2S are dominant over SO2 in the lower atmosphere, and that the equilibrium concentrations of S2 and S3 are significant. Many criteria serve to bracket the oxidation state of the crust: it is nearly certain that the S2(2-)/SO4(2-) buffer regulates the oxygen fugacity, and that FeO is at least as abundant as F2O3 in crustal silicates. A highly oxidized crust (as, for example, would result from O2 absorption complementary to escape of vast amounts of H2) is incompatible with the gas-phase sulfur chemistry. If the Pioneer Venus mass spectrometer estimates of the abundance of sulfur gases are correct, earth-like models for the bulk composition of Venus are seriously in error, and a far lower FeO content is required for Venus.

Lewis, J. S.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Volatile solubities in magmas - Transport of volatiles from mantles to planet surfaces

The solubility of CO2, CO, CH4, H2, and H2O in melts of NaAlSi3O8 composition was measured at the mantle conditions of pressure (10-20 Kb) and temperature (1200 C). The melt volatiles were found to have dramatically lower H2/H2O and higher CO/CO2 ratios than the fluid, due to large variations in relative solubilities of volatile species in the melt. Partial melting of source regions of either high or low oxygen fugacity (fO2) will result in magmas with intermediate fO2. This means that volcanic gases can be either more, or less reducing than their source regions and that a volcanic gas composition cannot be used to directly estimate either the fO2 or the volatile composition of the source region. The results suggest that volcanic gases will usually lie in the 'neutral' range, with the fO2 values near those of the quartz-fayalite-magnetite buffer. These gases are predominately H2O with minor CO2, CO, CH4, and H2. These conclusions should apply to earth, Mars, and Venus mantles, in which the magmas produced by partial melting have moderate silica contents, but will probably not apply to very low silica magmas, such as kimberlites, because of the very high solubility of CO2 in those magmas.

Holloway, J. R.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Magnetic bearings for a high-performance optical disk buffer

An optical disk buffer concept can provide gigabit-per-second data rates and terabit capacity through the use of arrays of solid state lasers applied to a stack of erasable/reusable optical disks. The RCA optical disk buffer has evoked interest by NASA for space applications. The porous graphite air bearings in the rotary spindle as well as those used in the linear translation of the read/write head would be replaced by magnetic bearings or mechanical (ball or roller) bearings. Based upon past experience, roller or ball bearings for the translation stages are not feasible. Unsatisfactory, although limited experience exists with ball bearing spindles also. Magnetic bearings, however, appear ideally suited for both applications. The use of magnetic bearings is advantageous in the optical disk buffer because of the absence of physical contact between the rotating and stationary members. This frictionless operation leads to extended life and reduced drag. The manufacturing tolerances that are required to fabricate magnetic bearings would also be relaxed from those required for precision ball and gas bearings. Since magnetic bearings require no lubricant, they are inherently compatible with a space (vacuum) environment. Magnetic bearings also allow the dynamics of the rotor/bearing system to be altered through the use of active control. This provides the potential for reduced vibration, extended regions of stable operation, and more precise control of position.

Hockney, Richard↗
DOE OSTI2023

Facile hermetic TEM grid preparation for molecular imaging of hydrated biological samples at room temperature

Abstract Although structures of vitrified supramolecular complexes have been determined at near-atomic resolution, elucidating in situ molecular structure in living cells remains a challenge. Here, we report a straightforward liquid cell technique, originally developed for real-time visualization of dynamics at a liquid-gas interface using transmission electron microscopy, to image wet biological samples. Due to the scattering effects from the liquid phase, the micrographs display an amplitude contrast comparable to that observed in negatively stained samples. We succeed in resolving subunits within the protein complex GroEL imaged in a buffer solution at room temperature. Additionally, we capture various stages of virus cell entry, a process for which only sparse structural data exists due to their transient nature. To scrutinize the morphological details further, we used individual particle electron tomography for 3D reconstruction of each virus. These findings showcase this approach potential as an efficient, cost-effective complement to other microscopy technique in addressing biological questions at the molecular level.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1995

Effect of the nonlinearity of the carbonate system on partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the oceans

Partial pressure of CO2 is a nonlinear function of several seawater properties. Due to the nonlinearity in this relationship, the partial pressure of a uniform ocean would be different from that of a nonuniform ocean with the same bulk seawater properties. Assuming uniformity of seawater properties at some temporal and spatial scales in carbon models leads to systematic errors in partial pressure of CO2. In this paper we evaluate the magnitude of these errors. We partition the Geochemical Ocean Sections Study and Transient Tracers in the Oceans data according to the horizontal structure of several box models from the literature. Our results suggest that assumption of uniformity at large scales leads to understanding of underestimation of global surface ocean partial pressure of CO2 by at least 3 - 12 microatm. Nonlinear effects also introduce systematic errors in the buffer factor estimated from bulk seawater properties. We find the standard deviation of partial pressure of CO2 to be an indicator of the magnitude of the nonlinear effects. We discuss the implications of these errors for some conclusions drawn from carbon models. Biogeochemical processes, such as mixing, gas exchange, or biological activity, influence the distribution of the seawater properties. A shift in spatial or temporal patterns of these processes can modify the nonuniformity of the seawater properties and thus alter the partial pressure of the surface waters, even if the mean intensities of the processes remain constant.

Trela, Piotr↗
NASA NTRS2006

Seals/Secondary Fluid Flows Workshop 1997; Volume I

The 1997 Conference provided discussions and data on (a) program overviews, (b) developments in seals and secondary air management systems, (c) interactive seals flows with secondary air or fluid flows and powerstream flows, (d) views of engine externals and limitations, (e) high speed engine research sealing needs and demands, and (f) a short course on engine design development margins. Sealing concepts discussed include, mechanical rim and cavity seals, leaf, finger, air/oil, rope, floating-brush, floating-T-buffer, and brush seals. Engine externals include all components of engine fluid systems, sensors and their support structures that lie within or project through the nacelle. The clean features of the nacelle belie the minefield of challenges and opportunities that lie within. Seals; Secondary air flows; Rotordynamics; Gas turbine; Aircraft; CFD; Testing; Turbomachinery

Hendricks, Robert C.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Optimizing Facility Configurations and Operating Conditions for Improved Performance in the NASA Ames 24 Inch Shock Tube

The Ames Electric Arc Shock Tube (EAST) is a shock tube wherein the driver gas can be heated by an electric arc discharge. The electrical energy is stored in a 1.2 MJ capacitor bank. Four inch and 24 inch diameter driven tubes are available. The facility is described and the need for testing in the 24 inch tube to better simulate low density NASA mission profiles is discussed. Three test entries, 53, 53B and 59, are discussed. Tests are done with air or Mars gas (95.7% CO2/2.7% N2/1.6% Ar) at pressures of 0.01 to 0.14 Torr. Velocities spanned 6.3-9.2 km/s, with a nominal center of 7 km/s. Many facility configurations are studied in an effort to improve data quality. Various driver and driven tube configurations and the use of a buffer section between the driver and the driven tube are studied. Diagnostics include test times, time histories of the shock light pulses and tilts of the shock wave off the plane normal to the tube axis. The report will detail the results of the various trials, give the best configuration/operating conditions found to date and provide recommendations for further improvements. Finally, diaphragm performance is discussed.

Shock Tube↗
DOE OSTI2025

Evolution of silicate coordination in architected amorphous and crystalline magnesium silicates during carbon mineralization

Advancing durable solutions for carbon storage and removal at the gigaton scale to produce solid carbonates via carbon mineralization requires harnessing earth abundant magnesium silicate resources. Calibrated insights linking the structural and morphological features of earth abundant amorphous and crystalline magnesium silicate phases to their reactivity are essential for scalable deployment but remain underdeveloped. To resolve the influence of silica coordination and mass transfer on carbon mineralization behavior, magnesium silicates bearing amorphous and crystalline phases (AC Mg-silicate) are synthesized. The structural and morphological transitions starting from colloidal precursors to their final synthesized form on heating are delineated using operando ultra small/small/wide angle X-ray scattering (USAXS/SAXS/WAXS) measurements. The evolution of the silicate phases on carbon mineralization of AC Mg-silicate is contrasted with that of highly crystalline Mg-silicate (HC Mg-silicate) when reacted at 200 °C and a CO 2 partial pressure of 20 atm in water and 1 M NaHCO 3 solution in stirred and unstirred environments. These experimental conditions are analogous to those of the water–gas-shift reaction for sustainable recovery of H 2 with inherent carbon mineralization. Enhancement in the extent of carbon mineralization by 13.3–19.5% noted in the presence of NaHCO 3 compared to water in AC and HC Mg-silicate with and without stirring, is attributed to the buffering effect which aids simultaneous silicate dissolution and carbon mineralization. Enhanced extents of carbon mineralization in the presence of NaHCO 3 correspond to the formation of MgSiO 3 and SiO 2 phases from the starting Mg 2 SiO 4 precursors in AC and HC Mg-silicate. Unlocking these silicate transformations during carbon mineralization by harnessing architected Mg-silicate precursors reveals the feasibility of integrating these chemical pathways with sustainable H 2 conversion pathways with inherent carbon mineralization.

Gao, Xun [Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States↗