SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Contamination Control Engineering”

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.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

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

At least 271 records · Page 15

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRS2018

The "Very Cool" James Webb Space Telescope!

For over twenty years, scientists, engineers, technicians, and other personnel have been working on the next generation space telescope. As a partnership between NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), CSA (Canadian Space Agency), and ESA (European Space Angency), the James Webb Space Telescope will complement the previous research performed by the Hubble by utilizing a larger primary mirror, which will also be optimized for infrared wavelengths. This combination will allow JWST to collect data and take images of light having traveled over 13.7 billion light years. This presentation will focus on the mission, as well as the contamination control challenges during the integration and testing in the NASA Goddard Spacecraft Systems Development and Integration Facility (SSDIF), one of the largest cleanrooms in the world. Additional information will be presented regarding space simulation testing down to a cool 20 degrees Kelvin [-424 degrees Fahrenheit] that will occur at Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX, and more testing and integration to happen at Northrop Grumman Corp., in Redondo Beach, CA. Launch of the JWST is currently scheduled for the spring of 2019 at Ariane Spaceport in French Guiana, South America.

space sciences↗

DOE OSTI2020

The origin and formation of oxygen inclusions in austenitic stainless steels manufactured by laser powder bed fusion

The origins of nano-scale oxide inclusions in 316L austenitic stainless steel (SS) manufactured by laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) was investigated by quantifying the possible intrusion pathways of oxygen contained in the precursor powder, extraneous oxygen from the process environment during laser processing, and moisture contamination during powder handling and storage. When processing the fresh, as-received powder in a wellcontrolled environment, the oxide inclusions contained in the precursor powder were the primary contributors to the formation of nano-scale oxides in the final additive manufactured (AM) product. These oxide inclusions were found to be enriched with oxygen getter elements like Si and Mn. By controlling the extraneous oxygen level in the process environment, the oxygen level in AM produced parts was found to increase with the extraneous oxygen level. The intrusion pathway of this extra oxygen was found to be dominated by the incorporation of spatter particles into the build during processing. Moisture induced oxidation during powder storage was also found to result in a higher oxide density in the AM produced parts. SS 316L powder free of Si and Mn oxygen getters was processed in a well-controlled environment and resulted in a similar level of oxygen intrusion. Finally, microhardness testing indicated that the oxide volume fraction increase from extraneous oxygen did not influence hardness values. However, a marked decrease in hardness was found for the humidified and Si-Mn free AM processed parts.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2011

TANKS 18 AND 19-F STRUCTURAL FLOWABLE GROUT FILL MATERIAL EVALUATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Cementitious grout will be used to close Tanks 18-F and 19-F. The functions of the grout are to: (1) physically stabilize the final landfill by filling the empty volume in the tanks with a non compressible material; (2) provide a barrier for inadvertent intrusion into the tank; (3) reduce contaminant mobility by (a) limiting the hydraulic conductivity of the closed tank and (b) reducing contact between the residual waste and infiltrating water; and (4) providing an alkaline, chemically reducing environment in the closed tank to control speciation and solubility of selected radionuclides. The objective of this work was to identify a single (all-in-one) grout to stabilize and isolate the residual radionuclides in the tank, provide structural stability of the closed tank and serve as an inadvertent intruder barrier. This work was requested by V. A. Chander, High Level Waste (HLW) Tank Engineering, in HLW-TTR-2011-008. The complete task scope is provided in the Task Technical and QA Plan, SRNL-RP-2011-00587 Revision 0. The specific objectives of this task were to: (1) Identify new admixtures and dosages for formulating a zero bleed flowable tank fill material selected by HLW Tank Closure Project personnel based on earlier tank fill studies performed in 2007. The chemical admixtures used for adjusting the flow properties needed to be updated because the original admixture products are no longer available. Also, the sources of cement and fly ash have changed, and Portland cements currently available contain up to 5 wt. % limestone (calcium carbonate). (2) Prepare and evaluate the placement, compressive strength, and thermal properties of the selected formulation with new admixture dosages. (3) Identify opportunities for improving the mix selected by HLW Closure Project personnel and prepare and evaluate two potentially improved zero bleed flowable fill design concepts; one based on the reactor fill grout and the other based on a shrinkage compensating flowable fill mix design. (4) Prepare samples for hydraulic property measurements for comparison to the values in the F and H- Tank Farm Performance Assessments (PAs). (5) Identify a grout mix for the Tanks 18-F and 19-F Grout Procurement Specification [Forty, 2011 a, b, c]. Results for two flowable zero bleed structural fill concepts containing 3/8 inch gravel (70070 Series and LP-8 Series) and a sand only mix (SO Series) are provided in this report. Tank Farm Engineering and SRNL Project Management selected the 70070 mix as the base case for inclusion in Revision 0 of the Tanks 18-F and 19-F grout procurement specification [Forty 2011 a] and requested admixture recommendations and property confirmation for this formulation [Forty, 2011 b]. Lower cementitious paste mixes were formulated because the 70070 mix is over designed with respect to strength and generates more heat from hydration reactions than is desirable for mass pour application. Work was also initiated on a modification of the recommended mix which included shrinkage compensation to mitigate fast pathways caused by shrinkage cracking and poor physical bonding to the tank and ancillary equipment. Testing of this option was postponed to FY12.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2013

Tanks 18 And 19-F Structural Flowable Grout Fill Material Evaluation And Recommendations

Cementitious grout will be used to close Tanks 18-F and 19-F. The functions of the grout are to: 1) physically stabilize the final landfill by filling the empty volume in the tanks with a non-compressible material; 2) provide a barrier for inadvertent intrusion into the tank; 3) reduce contaminant mobility by a) limiting the hydraulic conductivity of the closed tank and b) reducing contact between the residual waste and infiltrating water; and 4) providing an alkaline, chemically reducing environment in the closed tank to control speciation and solubility of selected radionuclides. The objective of this work was to identify a single (all-in-one) grout to stabilize and isolate the residual radionuclides in the tank, provide structural stability of the closed tank and serve as an inadvertent intruder barrier. This work was requested by V. A. Chander, High Level Waste (HLW) Tank Engineering, in HLW-TTR-2011-008. The complete task scope is provided in the Task Technical and QA Plan, SRNL-RP-2011-00587 Revision 0. The specific objectives of this task were to: 1) Identify new admixtures and dosages for formulating a zero bleed flowable tank fill material selected by HLW Tank Closure Project personnel based on earlier tank fill studies performed in 2007. The chemical admixtures used for adjusting the flow properties needed to be updated because the original admixture products are no longer available. Also, the sources of cement and fly ash have changed, and Portland cements currently available contain up to 5 wt. % limestone (calcium carbonate). 2) Prepare and evaluate the placement, compressive strength, and thermal properties of the selected formulation with new admixture dosages. 3) Identify opportunities for improving the mix selected by HLW Closure Project personnel and prepare and evaluate two potentially improved zero bleed flowable fill design concepts; one based on the reactor fill grout and the other based on a shrinkage compensating flowable fill mix design. 4) Prepare samples for hydraulic property measurements for comparison to the values in the F- and H- Tank Farm Performance Assessments (PAs). 5) Identify a grout mix for the Tanks 18-F and 19-F Grout Procurement Specification. Results for two flowable zero bleed structural fill concepts containing 3/8 inch gravel (70070 Series and LP#8 Series) and a sand only mix (SO Series) are provided in this report. Tank Farm Engineering and SRNL Project Management selected the 70070 mix as the base case for inclusion in Revision 0 of the Tanks 18-F and 19-F grout procurement specification and requested admixture recommendations and property confirmation for this formulation. Lower cementitious paste mixes were formulated because the 70070 mix is over designed with respect to strength and generates more heat from hydration reactions than is desirable for mass pour application. Work was also initiated on a modification of the recommended mix which included shrinkage compensation to mitigate fast pathways caused by shrinkage cracking and poor physical bonding to the tank and ancillary equipment. Testing of this option was postponed to FY12. Mix, LP#8-16 is recommended for inclusion in the specification for furnishing and delivering tank closure grout for Tanks 18-F and 19-F. A shrinkage compensating variation of this mix, LP#16C, has not been fully developed and characterized at this time.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2026

WM26 Paper Multi-Robot Collaboration for Hazardous Environments

Hazardous nuclear and industrial facilities are rarely designed for robots. Work in these domains demand precise manipulation and robust mobility in cluttered, constrained spaces where off-the-shelf platforms struggle and “one-size-fits-all” machines become costly and complex. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is developing an autonomous, multi-robot inspection system that coordinates task-specific platforms rather than relying on a single omni-tool robot. An electric truck serves as a power and compute hub for a custom manipulator co-developed with Florida International University (FIU), a commercial mini crawler, a pan–tilt–zoom camera, and a Nexxis Argus LiDAR mapping system. Working in concert, these robots generate spatial, radiation, and temperature maps of the pit environments at the Hanford Waste Tank Farms. These systems will capture visual records and environmental telemetry to allow for analysis post inspection. The system architecture uses Robot Operating System 2 (ROS 2) for publish/subscribe integration, NVIDIA Isaac Sim and Unity for simulation and visualization, and algorithms such as NVBlox to fuse data into unified 3D overlays. This robot-agnostic approach reduces operator burden by enabling autonomy across heterogeneous platforms and lets each robot be used where it is strongest. Having autonomous functions means operators don’t have to fully control multiple different components. The ease of use could allow for more widespread adoption of advanced robotics at waste management sites that see continued use. By coordinating simpler, purpose-built mechanisms, the approach lowers design and manufacturing complexity, reduces capital risk in contaminated settings, and improves controllability for complex inspection and manipulation tasks. We present the architecture, early results, and lessons learned from building and deploying this coordinated multi-robot system, with the goal of accelerating safe, cost-effective adoption of advanced robotics at waste-management sites.

42 - ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2024

The Impact of Sorbent Amendments for Mercury Remediation on the Viability of Soil Microorganisms

Mercury (Hg) remediation across contaminated environments in the United States is an ongoing project. As part of the Hg cleanup strategy at East Fork Poplar Creek (EFPC), located in Oak Ridge, TN, the deployment of sorbents is considered. However, the impact of sorbents on soil microorganisms is poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the effect of sorbents on soil microorganism viability and biofilm formation to assess soil health during sorbent application for Hg remediation. We specifically investigated the effect of two engineered sorbents, Organoclay PM-199 and Organoclay MRM (which are manufactured from clay minerals formulated for various remediation applications), on two gram-negative organisms ( Serratia marcescens and Burkholderia thailandensis ) isolated from the Hg-contaminated EFPC bank soil. Pure cultures of S. marcescens or B. thailandensis were amended with 5% (w/v) and 25% (w/v) PM-199 and MRM, respectively, for 9 days. The samples were harvested, and bacterial cell viability was determined using a BacLight staining kit. Results showed that the growth of sorbent-amended S. marcescens was inhibited in contrast to that of unamended control. Furthermore, biochemical assays were used to analyze bacterial biofilm formation and integral biofilm components. Our results suggest that biofilm formation by sorbent-amended S. marcescens was negatively affected. In contrast, B. thailandensis amended with low concentrations of MRM showed enhanced growth and notable differences in biofilm morphology. These results suggest that the use of organoclay PM-199 and MRM at higher concentrations in field studies may hinder the growth of specific soil microorganisms.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

NASA NTRS1978

Computer modeling of dendritic web growth processes and characterization of the material

High area throughput rate will be required for the economical production of silicon dendritic web for solar cells. Web width depends largely on the temperature distribution on the melt surface while growth speed is controlled by the dissipation of the latent heat of fusion. Thermal models were developed to investigate each of these aspects, and were used to engineer the design of laboratory equipment capable of producing crystals over 4 cm wide; growth speeds up to 10 cm/min were achieved. The web crystals were characterized by resistivity, lifetime and etch pit density data as well as by detailed solar cell I-V data. Solar cells ranged in efficiency from about 10 to 14.5% (AM-1) depending on growth conditions. Cells with lower efficiency displayed lowered bulk lifetime believed to be due to surface contamination.

Seidensticker, R. G.↗

DOE OSTI2012

Investigation of the Effects of Biodiesel-based Na on Emissions Control Components

A single-cylinder diesel engine was used to investigate the impact of biodiesel-based Na on emissions control components using specially blended 20% biodiesel fuel (B20). The emissions control components investigated were a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC), a Cu-zeolite-based NH{sub 3}-SCR (selective catalytic reduction) catalyst, and a diesel particulate filter (DPF). Both light-duty vehicle, DOC-SCR-DPF, and heavy-duty vehicle, DOC-DPF-SCR, emissions control configurations were employed. The accelerated Na aging is achieved by introducing elevated Na levels in the fuel, to represent full useful life exposure, and periodically increasing the exhaust temperature to replicate DPF regeneration. To assess the validity of the implemented accelerated Na aging protocol, engine-aged lean NO{sub x} traps (LNTs), DOCs and DPFs are also evaluated. To fully characterize the impact on the catalytic activity the LNT, DOC and SCR catalysts were evaluated using a bench flow reactor. The evaluation of the aged DOC samples and LNT show little to no deactivation as a result of Na contamination. However, the SCR in the light-duty configuration (DOC-SCR-DPF) was severely affected by Na contamination, especially when NO was the only fed NO{sub x} source. In the heavy-duty configuration (DOC-DPF-SCR), no impact is observed in the SCR NO{sub x} reduction activity. Electron probe micro-analysis (EPMA) reveals that Na contamination on the LNT, DOC, and SCR samples is present throughout the length of the catalysts with a higher concentration on the washcoat surface. In both the long-term engine-aged DPF and the accelerated Na-aged DPFs, there is significant Na ash present in the upstream channels; however, in the engine-aged sample lube oil-based ash is the predominant constituent.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

DOE OSTI2015

Production and Transformation of Mixed-Valent Nanoparticles Generated by Fe(0) Electrocoagulation

Mixed-valent iron nanoparticles (NP) generated electrochemically by Fe(0) electrocoagulation (EC) show promise for on-demand industrial and drinking water treatment in engineered systems. This work applies multiple characterization techniques (in situ Raman spectroscopy, XRD, SEM, and cryo-TEM) to investigate the formation and persistence of magnetite and green rust (GR) NP phases produced via the Fe(0) EC process. Current density and background electrolyte composition were examined in a controlled anaerobic system to determine the initial Fe phases generated as well as transformation products with aging. Fe phases were characterized in an aerobic EC system with both simple model electrolytes and real groundwater to investigate the formation and aging of Fe phases produced in a system representing treatment of arsenic-contaminated ground waters in South Asia. Two central pathways for magnetite production via Fe(0) EC were identified: (i) as a primary product (formation within seconds when DO absent, no intermediates detected) and (ii) as a transformation product of GR (from minutes to days depending on pH, electrolyte composition, and aging conditions). Furthermore, this study provides a better understanding of the formation conditions of magnetite, GR, and ferric (oxyhydr)oxides in Fe EC, which is essential for process optimization for varying source waters.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

NASA NTRS2007

Analysis of Thermal Control Coatings on MISSE for Aerospace Applications

Many different passive thermal control materials were flown as part of the Materials on International Space Station Experiment. Engineers and scientists at the Marshall Space Flight Center have analyzed a number of these materials, including: Zinc oxide/potassium silicate coating, Zinc oxide/potassium silicate/silicone coating, Zinc orthotitanate/potassium silicate coating, Electrically conductive thermal control coatings and Various coatings for part marking, automated rendezvous and capture, and astronaut visual aids These and other material samples were exposed to the low Earth orbital environment of atormc oxygen, ultraviolet radiation, thermal cycling, and hard vacuum, though atomic oxygen exposure was very limited for some samples. Solar absorptance, infrared emittance, and mass measurements indicate the durability of these materials to withstand the space environment. The effect of contamination from an active space station on the performance of white thermal control coatings is discussed.

Finckenor, Miria↗

DOE OSTI2014

WE-D-9A-02: Automated Landmark-Guided CT to Cone-Beam CT Deformable Image Registration

Purpose: The anatomical changes that occur between the simulation CT and daily cone-beam CT (CBCT) are investigated using an automated landmark-guided deformable image registration (LDIR) algorithm with simultaneous intensity correction. LDIR was designed to be accurate in the presence of tissue intensity mismatch and heavy noise contamination. Method: An auto-landmark generation algorithm was used in conjunction with a local small volume (LSV) gradient matching search engine to map corresponding landmarks between the CBCT and planning CT. The LSVs offsets were used to perform an initial deformation, generate landmarks, and correct local intensity mismatch. The landmarks act as stabilizing controlpoints in the Demons objective function. The accuracy of the LDIR algorithm was evaluated on one synthetic case with ground truth and data of ten head and neck cancer patients. The deformation vector field (DVF) accuracy was accessed using a synthetic case. The Root mean square error of the 3D canny edge (RMSECE), mutual information (MI), and feature similarity index metric (FSIM) were used to access the accuracy of LDIR on the patient data. The quality of the corresponding deformed contours was verified by an attending physician. Results: The resulting 90 percentile DVF error for the synthetic case was within 5.63mm for the original demons algorithm, 2.84mm for intensity correction alone, 2.45mm using controlpoints without intensity correction, and 1.48 mm for the LDIR algorithm. For the five patients the mean RMSECE of the original CT, Demons deformed CT, intensity corrected Demons CT, control-point stabilized deformed CT, and LDIR CT was 0.24, 0.26, 0.20, 0.20, and 0.16 respectively. Conclusion: LDIR is accurate in the presence of multimodal intensity mismatch and CBCT noise contamination. Since LDIR is GPU based it can be implemented with minimal additional strain on clinical resources. This project has been supported by a CPRIT individual investigator award RP11032.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2012

Radioactive Water Treatment at a United States Environmental Protection Agency Superfund Site - 12322

A water treatment system at a United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Superfund site impacted by radiological contaminants is used to treat water entering the site. The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is actively managing the remedial action for the USEPA using contracts to support the multiple activities on site. The site is where former gas mantle production facilities operated around the turn of the century. The manufacturing facilities used thorium ores to develop the mantles and disposed of off-specification mantles and ore residuals in the surrounding areas. During Site remedial actions, both groundwater and surface water comes into contact with contaminated soils and must be collected and treated at an on-site treatment facility. The radionuclides thorium and radium with associated progeny are the main concern for treatment. Suspended solids, volatile organic compounds, and select metals are also monitored during water treatment. The water treatment process begins were water is pumped to a collection tank where debris and grit settle out. Stored water is pumped to a coagulant tank containing poly-aluminum chloride to collect dissolved solids. The water passes into a reaction tube where aspirated air is added or reagent added to remove Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC'S) by mass transfer and convert dissolved iron to a solid. The water enters the flocculent polymer tank to drop solids out. The flocculated water overflows to a fluidized bed contact chamber to increase precipitation. Flocculation is where colloids of material drop out of suspension and settle. The settled solids are periodically removed and disposed of as radioactive waste. The water is passed through filters and an ion exchange process to extract the radionuclides. Several million liters of water are processed each year from two water treatment plants servicing different areas of the remediation site. Ion exchange resin and filter material are periodically replaced and disposed of as radioactive waste. A total of 0.85 m{sup 3} of waste sludge per year requires disposal on average, in addition to another 6.6 m{sup 3} of waste cartridge filters. All water discharges are regulated by a state of New Jersey Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit implemented by the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (Clean Water Act). Laboratory analyses are required to satisfy requirements of the state NPDES permit. Specific monitoring parameters and discharge rates will be provided. Use of the water treatment systems drastically reduces the amount of contaminated water requiring solidification and water disposal to near zero. Millions of liters of potentially contaminated water from excavation activities is treated and released within permit limits. A small volume of solid radioactive waste (21 cubic meters) is generated annually from water treatment process operations. Management of ground and surface water is effectively controlled in remediation areas by the use of sumps, erosion control measures and pumping of water to storage vessels. Continued excavations can be made as water impacting the site is effectively controlled. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2019

Colonie, New York, FUSRAP Site: Pathway from Remediation to Redevelopment - 19465

The Colonie, New York, Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP) Site consists of a 4.5-hectare (11.2-acre) US Department of Energy (DOE)-owned vacant property (Main Site) and 56 commercial and residential vicinity properties (VPs). The site was owned and operated by National Lead Industries (NL) from 1937 to 1984. The Main Site was used for manufacturing fuel and weapons components using uranium and thorium. Depleted uranium dust was emitted from exhaust stacks that contaminated the site and the VPs. NL also filled in portions of the site with industrial waste and released contaminants to groundwater. The state court shut the plant down in 1984. The site was acquired by DOE in 1985, which remediated the VPs and began to remediate the Main Site up to 1997. The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) undertook remedial actions beginning in 1997. The site has three Operable Units (Main Site, Groundwater, and VPs). The Main Site soil was remediated to residential standards except for three small easement areas. The soils in the easement areas are safe for exposure to workers. There is a groundwater plume beneath the site that will require the use of monitoring and temporary land use controls until cleanup standards are met. The VPs require no further action. A 2-year transition period from USACE to the DOE Office of Legacy Management (LM) began on June 18, 2018, with the receipt of the Site Closeout Report from USACE. LM has determined that the 4.5-hectare site is excess to its mission needs and intends to pursue sale of the property for redevelopment. There are several processes required before the disposal can occur. Organizations with similar sites that are federally owned and ready for private redevelopment may benefit from reviewing the Colonie site disposition processes. This paper will discuss (1) Determining disposal alternatives for the Colonie, New York, site. (2) Describing the federal requirements for the disposal of excess real property. (3) Communicating to stakeholders that the site is ready for disposal. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2015

Ionic Strength-Controlled Mn (Hydr)oxide Nanoparticle Nucleation on Quartz: Effect of Aqueous Mn(OH) 2

The early formation of manganese (hydr)oxide nanoparticles at mineral–water interfaces is crucial in understanding how Mn oxides control the fate and transport of heavy metals and the cycling of nutrients. Using atomic force microscopy, we investigated the heterogeneous nucleation and growth of Mn (hydr)oxide under varied ionic strengths (IS; 1–100 mM NaNO 3 ). Experimental conditions (i.e., 0.1 mM Mn 2+ (aq) concentration and pH 10.1) were chosen to be relevant to Mn remediation sites. We found that IS controls Mn(OH) 2 (aq) formation, and that the controlled Mn(OH) 2 (aq) formation can affect the system’s saturation and subsequent Mn(OH) 2 (s) and further Mn 3 O 4 (s) nanoparticle formation. In 100 mM IS system, nucleated Mn (hydr)oxide particles had more coverage on the quartz substrate than those in 1 mM and 10 mM IS systems. This high IS also resulted in low supersaturation ratio and thus favor heterogeneous nucleation, having better structural matching between nucleating Mn (hydr)oxides and quartz. Here, the unique information obtained in this work improves our understanding of Mn (hydr)oxide formation in natural as well as engineered aqueous environments, such as groundwater contaminated by natural leachate and acid mine drainage remediation.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

NASA NTRS2026

Hydrofluoroether (HFE) Cleaning Fluid Replacement and Qualification

This NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) Technical Assessment Report addresses the urgent need to identify, test, and qualify replacement cleaning solvents and technologies following 3M’s decision to discontinue production of hydrofluoroether (HFE) products, including Novec HFE-7100, by the end of 2025. HFE-7100 is widely used across NASA for precision cleaning of ground and flight hardware, especially in oxygen system components, and as a heat transfer fluid in high-power-density thermal control systems. The assessment evaluates commercially available replacement solvents, alternative cleaning technologies, and their compatibility with NASA’s operational requirements. Key findings include the identification of viable solvent replacements, their performance in contaminant removal, materials compatibility, and oxygen system safety. The report also explores novel cleaning approaches, including aqueous, supercritical CO₂, cryogenic aerosol, plasma, UV-ozone, magnetically optimized fluids, and induced charge active filtration, highlighting their merits, limitations, and readiness for NASA adoption. The NESC provides recommendations for solvent selection, facility adaptation, and continued technology maturation to ensure mission continuity and regulatory compliance.

Alternative Cleaning Technologies↗

DOE OSTI2015

Cryogenic target system for hydrogen layering

Here, a cryogenic target positioning system was designed and installed on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) target chamber. This instrument incorporates the ability to fill, form, and characterize the NIF targets with hydrogen isotopes needed for ignition experiments inside the NIF target bay then transport and position them in the target chamber. This effort brought to fruition years of research in growing and metrologizing high-quality hydrogen fuel layers and landed it in an especially demanding operations environment in the NIF facility. D-T (deuterium-tritium) layers for NIF ignition experiments have extremely tight specifications and must be grown in a very highly constrained environment: a NIF ignition target inside a cryogenic target positioner inside the NIF target bay. Exquisite control of temperature, pressure, contaminant level, and thermal uniformity are necessary throughout seed formation and layer growth to create an essentially-groove-free single crystal layer.

42 ENGINEERING↗

NASA NTRS1983

Mass spectrometer

The quadrupole Mass Spectrometer of the Induced Environment Contamination Monitor (IECM) operates in the range from 2 to 150 amu. It is pointed out that the Mass Spectrometer on STS-2 performed very well. It was found that the column density of H2O effluent from the Shuttle reached a maximum of 1 x 10 to the 13th per sq cm at 7 hr, 30 min and decreased by a factor of 7.5 during the subsequent 40 hrs. The count rate response of H2O could be correlated with mission-related events, taking into account the dumping of supply water, the operation of the Flash Evaporator System, and the firing of a primary reaction control system engine.

Miller, E. R.↗

NASA NTRS2015

Three-Dimensional Vibration Isolator for Suppressing High-Frequency Responses for Sage III Contamination Monitoring Package (CMP)

The Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) III - International Space Station (ISS) instrument will be used to study ozone, providing global, long-term measurements of key components of the Earth's atmosphere for the continued health of Earth and its inhabitants. SAGE III is launched into orbit in an inverted configuration on SpaceX;s Falcon 9 launch vehicle. As one of its four supporting elements, a Contamination Monitoring Package (CMP) mounted to the top panel of the Interface Adapter Module (IAM) box experiences high-frequency response due to structural coupling between the two structures during the SpaceX launch. These vibrations, which were initially observed in the IAM Engineering Development Unit (EDU) test and later verified through finite element analysis (FEA) for the SpaceX launch loads, may damage the internal electronic cards and the Thermoelectric Quartz Crystal Microbalance (TQCM) sensors mounted on the CMP. Three-dimensional (3D) vibration isolators were required to be inserted between the CMP and IAM interface in order to attenuate the high frequency vibrations without resulting in any major changes to the existing system. Wire rope isolators were proposed as the isolation system between the CMP and IAM due to the low impact to design. Most 3D isolation systems are designed for compression and roll, therefore little dynamic data was available for using wire rope isolators in an inverted or tension configuration. From the isolator FEA and test results, it is shown that by using the 3D wire rope isolators, the CMP high-frequency responses have been suppressed by several orders of magnitude over a wide excitation frequency range. Consequently, the TQCM sensor responses are well below their qualification environments. It is indicated that these high-frequency responses due to the typical instrument structural coupling can be significantly suppressed by a vibration passive control using the 3D vibration isolator. Thermal and contamination issues were also examined during the isolator selection period for meeting the SAGE III-ISS instrument requirements.

Li, Y.↗