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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

140° Line of Sight (LOS) Mounting Fixture Prototype for ZNeutron Time of Flight (Z-NToF)

The 140° Line of Sight (LOS) Mounting Fixture Prototype for the Z-Neutron Time of Flight diagnostic (Z-NToF) is a prototype support structure for the NToF Jac Black that will be fielded at Sandia’s Z-Machine. The Mounting Fixture will allow the detector to be properly positioned and aligned horizontally from the load, with manual horizontal and vertical translation capabilities, and a limited manual rotation capability. It attaches overhead I-beams at Sandia’s Z machine 140° location approximately 18m from the average source location. The assembly (1011219955) is shown in Figure 1 below. It is capable of rotating ±20° about the vertical axis of the Jac Black detector and translating ±37.5mm horizontally along the Mounting Plate. Vertical adjustments of ±76.2mm can be made using the Lead Screw. Coarser adjustments are possible by changing the number of plates between the I-Beam Hanger Assemblies and the 5in and changing the position of the clamps on the I-beams at Z.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Cauer Prototype for Butterworth Filters: Lowpass, Highpass, Bandpass, and Bandstop Transformations

I had a need to develop a real, physical, analog filter with real RLC components. Having spent a career in theory, I had only ever designed filters for signal processing. I needed only the a and b coefficients. But converting a and b coefficients into RLC values was beyond me. Web searches returned nothing useful until I found Dr. Aaron Danner’s Designing Passive Butterworth Filters (10 - Passive Filters), part of an excellent YouTube series which introduced me to the Cauer prototype for Butterworth filters and Cauer topologies. Failing to find documentation on Cauer filter prototypes, I asked Anthropic’s Claude AI for assistance. Claude returned a few errors which I corrected. This is a comprehensive report on what I learned.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Tests of LBNF Beam Monitor Prototypes for the DUNE Experiment

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) is a long-baseline on-axis neutrino oscillation experiment that will use a beam from the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) to constrain the mixing angle $$\theta_{23}$, the neutrino mass hierarchy, and the CP violating phase $\delta_{CP}$. To ensure the beam remains on-axis, the LBNF beamline will employ two ionization chamber systems: the Hadron Alignment Detection System (HADeS) for primary beam alignment and the Muon Monitoring System (MuMS) for continuous beam monitoring and neutrino flux estimation. We have constructed prototypes for these systems at the University of Texas at Austin based on a design currently used in the NuMI hadron monitor. These prototypes were tested with a radioactive source and in beam tests at Fermilab's Irradiation Test Area. We present the results of these studies and discuss ongoing efforts to optimize the HADeS and MuMS designs.

Murthy, Chinmay↗

A digital twin solution for floating offshore wind turbines validated using a full-scale prototype

Abstract. In this work, we implement, verify, and validate a physics-based digital twin solution applied to a floating offshore wind turbine. The digital twin is validated using measurement data from the full-scale TetraSpar prototype. We focus on the estimation of the aerodynamic loads, wind speed, and section loads along the tower, with the aim of estimating the fatigue lifetime of the tower. Our digital twin solution integrates (1) a Kalman filter to estimate the structural states based on a linear model of the structure and measurements from the turbine, (2) an aerodynamic estimator, and (3) a physics-based virtual sensing procedure to obtain the loads along the tower. The digital twin relies on a set of measurements that are expected to be available on any existing wind turbine (power, pitch, rotor speed, and tower acceleration) and motion sensors that are likely to be standard measurements for a floating platform (inclinometers and GPS sensors). We explore two different pathways to obtain physics-based models: a suite of dedicated Python tools implemented as part of this work and the OpenFAST linearization feature. In our final version of the digital twin, we use components from both approaches. We perform different numerical experiments to verify the individual models of the digital twin. In this simulation realm, we obtain estimated damage equivalent loads of the tower fore–aft bending moment with an accuracy of approximately 5 % to 10 %. When comparing the digital twin estimations with the measurements from the TetraSpar prototype, the errors increased to 10 %–15 % on average. Overall, the accuracy of the results is promising and demonstrates the possibility of using digital twin solutions to estimate fatigue loads on floating offshore wind turbines. A natural continuation of this work would be to implement the monitoring and diagnostics aspect of the digital twin to inform operation and maintenance decisions. The digital twin solution is provided with examples as part of an open-source repository.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

Electron Energy Regression in High-Granularity Calorimeter Prototype

The dataset consists of simulations of calibrated reconstructed hits produced by a positron passing through the HGCAL test beam prototype. For the simulations, Monte Carlo method is used to produce the positrons with energy ranging from 10 to 350 GeV. The dataset contains the coordinates of the calibrated reconstructed hits in the prototype along with the calibrated energy in units of MIP. The HDF5 files can be extracted from the gzip files.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Pion Energy Regression in High-Granularity Calorimeter Prototype

The dataset consists of simulations of calibrated reconstructed hits produced by a pion passing through the HGCAL test beam prototype. For the simulations, Monte Carlo method is used to produce the pions with energy ranging from 10 to as high as 500 GeV. The dataset contains the coordinates of the calibrated reconstructed hits in the prototype along with the calibrated energy in units of MIP. The HDF5 files can be extracted from the gzip files.

FAIR4HEP↗

Design and development of a prototype wet oxidation system for the reclamation of water and the disposition of waste residues onboard space vehicles

Laboratory investigations to define optimum process conditions for oxidation of fecal/urine slurries were conducted in a one-liter batch reactor. The results of these tests formed the basis for the design, fabrication, and testing of an initial prototype system, including a 100-hour design verification test. Areas of further development were identified during this test. Development of a high pressure slurry pump, materials corrosion studies, oxygen supply trade studies, comparison of salt removal water recovery devices, ammonia removal investigation, development of a solids grinder, reactor design studies and bearing life tests, and development of shutoff valves and a back pressure regulator were undertaken. The development work has progressed to the point where a prototype system suitable for manned chamber testing can be fabricated and tested with a high degree of confidence of success.

Jagow, R. B.↗

The Space Station Prototype Program - The development of a regenerative life support system for extended-duration missions.

Design concepts and test philosophies which may contribute to the development of a low-cost maintainable environmental control/life support system are examined. It is shown that the concept of producing flight prototype equipment during a developmental program can reduce the eventual cost of a flight system by incorporating realistic flight-type design requirements without imposing exacting design features and stringent controls. A flight prototype design is one that can be converted readily into an actual flight design without any conceptual change. Modularity of subsystems provides the system and the program a degree of flexibility relative to the eventual vehicle configuration and technological improvements.

Willis, N. C., Jr.↗

Laboratory prototype flash evaporator

A laboratory prototype flash evaporator that is being developed as a candidate for the space shuttle environmental control system expendable heat sink is described. The single evaporator configuration uses water as an evaporant to accommodate reentry and on-orbit peak heat loads, and Freon 22 for terrestrial flight phases below 120,000 feet altitude. The design features, fabrication techniques used for the prototype unit, redundancy considerations, and the fluid temperature control arrangement are reported in detail. The results of an extensive test program to determine the evaporator operational characteristics under a wide variety of conditions are presented.

Gaddis, J. L.↗

Optical memory development. Volume 1: prototype memory system

The design, development, and implementation of a prototype, partially populated, million bit read-write holographic memory system using state-of-the-art components are described. The system employs an argon ion laser, acoustooptic beam deflectors, a holographic beam splitter (hololens), a nematic liquid crystal page composer, a photoconductor-thermoplastic erasable storage medium, a silicon P-I-N photodiode array, with lenses and electronics of both conventional and custom design. Operation of the prototype memory system was successfully demonstrated. Careful attention is given to the analysis from which the design criteria were developed. Specifications for the major components are listed, along with the details of their construction and performance. The primary conclusion resulting from this program is that the basic principles of read-write holographic memory system are well understood and are reducible to practice.

Cosentino, L. S.↗

Space station prototype Sabatier reactor design verification testing

A six-man, flight prototype carbon dioxide reduction subsystem for the SSP ETC/LSS (Space Station Prototype Environmental/Thermal Control and Life Support System) was developed and fabricated for the NASA-Johnson Space Center between February 1971 and October 1973. Component design verification testing was conducted on the Sabatier reactor covering design and off-design conditions as part of this development program. The reactor was designed to convert a minimum of 98 per cent hydrogen to water and methane for both six-man and two-man reactant flow conditions. Important design features of the reactor and test conditions are described. Reactor test results are presented that show design goals were achieved and off-design performance was stable.

Cusick, R. J.↗

Development of a superconductor magnetic suspension and balance prototype facility for studying the feasibility of applying this technique to large scale aerodynamic testing

The basic research and development work towards proving the feasibility of operating an all-superconductor magnetic suspension and balance device for aerodynamic testing is presented. The feasibility of applying a quasi-six-degree-of freedom free support technique to dynamic stability research was studied along with the design concepts and parameters for applying magnetic suspension techniques to large-scale aerodynamic facilities. A prototype aerodynamic test facility was implemented. Relevant aspects of the development of the prototype facility are described in three sections: (1) design characteristics; (2) operational characteristics; and (3) scaling to larger facilities.

Zapata, R. N.↗

Development of superconductor magnetic suspension and balance prototype facility for studying the feasibility of applying this technique to large scale aerodynamic testing

The unique design and operational characteristics of a prototype magnetic suspension and balance facility which utilizes superconductor technology are described and discussed from the point of view of scalability to large sizes. The successful experimental demonstration of the feasibility of this new magnetic suspension concept of the University of Virginia, together with the success of the cryogenic wind-tunnel concept developed at Langley Research Center, appear to have finally opened the way to clean-tunnel, high-Re aerodynamic testing. Results of calculations corresponding to a two-step design extrapolation from the observed performance of the prototype magnetic suspension system to a system compatible with the projected cryogenic transonic research tunnel are presented to give an order-of-magnitude estimate of expected performance characteristics. Research areas where progress should lead to improved design and performance of large facilities are discussed.

Zapata, R. N.↗

Prototype 10-meter radio telescope antenna and mount design

A prototype radio antenna of 10.4 meters diameter and 0.41 meter focal length, intended for use at the shortest radio wavelengths transmitted by the atmosphere, was successfully completed. The surface accuracy is at least four times better than that of any existing antenna in this size class: 50 micrometer rms. A prototype mount is being constructed and will be ready by early 1976. The development of an improved antenna of identical size, but heavier weight has been continued.

Leighton, R. B.↗

Design and prototype fabrication of a 30 tesla cryogenic magnet

A liquid neon cooled magnet was designed to produce 30 teslas in steady operation. To ensure the correctness of the heat transfer relationships used, supercritical neon heat transfer tests were made. Other tests made before the final design included tests on the effect of the magnetic field on pump motors, tensile shear tests on the cryogenic adhesives, and simulated flow studies for the coolant. The magnet will consist of two pairs of coils, cooled by forced convection of supercritical neon. Heat from the supercritical neon will be rejected through heat exchangers which are made of roll bonded copper panels and are submerged in a pool of saturated liquid neon. A partial mock up coil was wound to identify the tooling required to wind the magnet. This was followed by winding a prototype pair of coils. The prototype winding established procedures for fabricating the final magnet and revealed slight changes needed in the final design.

Prok, G. M.↗

Prototype solar-heating system-engineering analysis

Space and domestic-water solar-heating prototype was tested in three phases: simulated energy function, winter normal operation, summer normal operation. Prototype was judged suitable for field installation.

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Prototype active scanner for nighttime oil spill mapping and classification

A prototype, active, aerial scanner system was constructed for nighttime water pollution detection and nighttime multispectral imaging of the ground. An arc lamp was used to produce the transmitted light and four detector channels provided a multispectral measurement capability. The feasibility of the design concept was demonstrated by laboratory and flight tests of the prototype system.

Sandness, G. A.↗

SIMS prototype system 1 test results: Engineering analysis

The space and domestic water solar heating system designated SIMS Prototype Systems 1 was evaluated. The test system used 720 ft (gross) of Solar Energy Products Air Collectors, a Solar Control Corporation SAM 20 Air Handler with Model 75-175 control unit, a Jackson Solar Storage tank with Rho Sigma Mod 106 controller, and 20 tons of rack storage. The test data analysis performed evaluates the system performance and documents the suitability of SIMS Prototype System 1 hardware for field installation.

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