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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 289 records · Page 16
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

Metal additively manufactured wavy fin cold-plate architecture for improved thermal-hydraulic performance

Rapid growth in artificial intelligence and data center workloads demands high-performance liquid cooling to manage increasing chip power. This study presents two metal-additive-manufactured cold plates with sinusoidal fins, constant-amplitude wavy fins and linearly variable-amplitude wavy fins and compares them against metal-additive-manufactured straight fins using experiments conducted at 1 kW heat dissipation as well as high-fidelity 3D conjugate computational fluid dynamic simulations. The cold plates were printed in AlSi10Mg material and underwent design using a Python-automated workflow prior to manufacture and testing. The experiments show that wavy fins reduce the normalized thermal resistance by 35 to 45 % at water flow rates from 1 to 4 LPM. At a fixed 20 kPa pressure drop, the variable-waviness design lowered peak surface temperature by 9 °C and thermal resistance by 51 %, while edge-channel maldistribution in the constant wavy fin design limited gains. A thermal resistance breakdown revealed that 55–63 % of the total thermal resistance in wavy designs comes from base heat conduction, 27–33 % from fin heat conduction, and 9–13 % from fin heat convection, indicating the need to address conduction bottlenecks. Parametric sweeps identify a 3 mm fin pitch as optimal, and that horizontal inlet/outlet manifolds further reduce pressure drop by 30–60 % and thermal resistance by 9–16 % relative to vertical inlet-outlet manifolds. The results yield comprehensive guidelines for fin geometry, manifold alignment, material selection and additive-manufacturing constraints to realize high-performance liquid-cooled cold plates for power-dense electronics.

3d printing↗
DOE OSTI2021

Cric searchable image database as a public platform for conventional pap smear cytology data

Amidst the current health crisis and social distancing, telemedicine has become an important part of mainstream of healthcare, and building and deploying computational tools to support screening more efficiently is an increasing medical priority. The early identification of cervical cancer precursor lesions by Pap smear test can identify candidates for subsequent treatment. However, one of the main challenges is the accuracy of the conventional method, often subject to high rates of false negative. While machine learning has been highlighted to reduce the limitations of the test, the absence of high-quality curated datasets has prevented strategies development to improve cervical cancer screening. The Center for Recognition and Inspection of Cells (CRIC) platform enables the creation of CRIC Cervix collection, currently with 400 images (1,376 × 1,020 pixels) curated from conventional Pap smears, with manual classification of 11,534 cells. This collection has the potential to advance current efforts in training and testing machine learning algorithms for the automation of tasks as part of the cytopathological analysis in the routine work of laboratories.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2014

Poster — Thur Eve — 55: An automated XML technique for isocentre verification on the Varian TrueBeam

Isocentre verification tests, such as the Winston-Lutz (WL) test, have gained popularity in the recent years as techniques such as stereotactic radiosurgery/radiotherapy (SRS/SRT) treatments are more commonly performed on radiotherapy linacs. These highly conformal treatments require frequent monitoring of the geometrical accuracy of the isocentre to ensure proper radiation delivery. At our clinic, the WL test is performed by acquiring with the EPID a collection of 8 images of a WL phantom fixed on the couch for various couch/gantry angles. This set of images is later analyzed to determine the isocentre size. The current work addresses the acquisition process. A manual WL test acquisition performed by and experienced physicist takes in average 25 minutes and is prone to user manipulation errors. We have automated this acquisition on a Varian TrueBeam STx linac (Varian, Palo Alto, USA). The Varian developer mode allows the execution of custom-made XML script files to control all aspects of the linac operation. We have created an XML-WL script that cycles through each couch/gantry combinations taking an EPID image at each position. This automated acquisition is done in less than 4 minutes. The reproducibility of the method was verified by repeating the execution of the XML file 5 times. The analysis of the images showed variation of the isocenter size less than 0.1 mm along the X, Y and Z axes and compares favorably to a manual acquisition for which we typically observe variations up to 0.5 mm.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2017

VERA-CS Verification & Validation Plan

This report summarizes the current status of VERA-CS Verification and Validation for PWR Core Follow operation and proposes a multi-phase plan for continuing VERA-CS V&V in FY17 and FY18. The proposed plan recognizes the hierarchical nature of a multi-physics code system such as VERA-CS and the importance of first achieving an acceptable level of V&V on each of the single physics codes before focusing on the V&V of the coupled physics solution. The report summarizes the V&V of each of the single physics codes systems currently used for core follow analysis (ie MPACT, CTF, Multigroup Cross Section Generation, and BISON / Fuel Temperature Tables) and proposes specific actions to achieve a uniformly acceptable level of V&V in FY17. The report also recognizes the ongoing development of other codes important for PWR Core Follow (e.g. TIAMAT, MAMBA3D) and proposes Phase II (FY18) VERA-CS V&V activities in which those codes will also reach an acceptable level of V&V. The report then summarizes the current status of VERA-CS multi-physics V&V for PWR Core Follow and the ongoing PWR Core Follow V&V activities for FY17. An automated procedure and output data format is proposed for standardizing the output for core follow calculations and automatically generating tables and figures for the VERA-CS Latex file. A set of acceptance metrics is also proposed for the evaluation and assessment of core follow results that would be used within the script to automatically flag any results which require further analysis or more detailed explanation prior to being added to the VERA-CS validation base. After the Automation Scripts have been completed and tested using BEAVRS, the VERA-CS plan proposes the Watts Bar cycle depletion cases should be performed with the new cross section library and be included in the first draft of the new VERA-CS manual for release at the end of PoR15. Also, within the constraints imposed by the proprietary nature of plant data, as many as possible of the FY17 AMA Plant Core Follow cases should also be included in the VERA-CS manual at the end of PoR15. After completion of the ongoing development of TIAMAT for fully coupled, full core calculations with VERA-CS / BISON 1.5D, and after the completion of the refactoring of MAMBA3D for CIPS analysis in FY17, selected cases from the VERA-CS validation based should be performed, beginning with the legacy cases of Watts Bar and BEAVRS in PoR16. Finally, as potential Phase III future work some additional considerations are identified for extending the VERA-CS V&V to other reactor types such as the BWR.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Phase II: Automated System for Aneuploidy Detection in Sperm Final Report CRADA No. TC-1554-98

This was a collaborative effort between the University of California, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and Cellomics, Inc. (formerly BioDx and Biological Detection, Inc.) to develop an automated system for detecting human sperm aneuploidy. Aneuploidy (an abnormal number of chromosomes) is one of the major categories of chromosomally abnormal sperm, which results in chromosomally defective pregnancies and babies. An automated system would be used for testing the effects of toxic agents and for other research and clinical applications. This collaborated effort was funded by a National Institutes of Environmental Health Services, Phase II, Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) grant to Cellornics (Contract No. N44-ES-82004).

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2019

Unitary Thermal Energy Management for Propulsion Range Augmentation (UTEMPRA)

Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) encounter weather-dependent driving range. A major drain on the vehicle battery is the HVAC system which, when typically using resistive heating only, can result in a reduction of up to 50% of the driving range in winter weather. In this project, a BEV thermal management system is designed and demonstrated on a Fiat 500e BEV. The system comprises a simple, compact, semi-hermetic refrigerant sub-system and an accompanying a coolant circulatory system which, through an innovative valve arrangement, is used to transfer heat between the several heat sources and sinks in the BEV. The system is capable of A/C and heat pump operation, thermal management of the traction battery and powertrain electronics and also recycles waste heat of the vehicle powertrain to heat the cabin to further converse energy. An automated control system is implemented and tested that selects the relevant mode of operation and optimizes energy usage while meeting vehicle thermal requirements. In wind tunnel tests, the vehicle and UTEMPRA system demonstrated 13% (the target of the project was set at 15%) range increase at -10°C driving at a steady 40 kph speed. The vehicle also demonstrated full capability to automatically control thermal conditions at a wide range of ambient temperatures thus demonstrating the viability of such a system in practice.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Commissioning of SRF Cavity Analyzer System

Research and development in Superconducting Radio Frequency (SRF) cavities manufacturing, surface treatment, preparation, and doping techniques for the improvement of cavities performance necessitate reliable cavities’ intrinsic quality factor measurement with accurate and repeatable results. Fermilab Vertical Test Stand facility (VTS) performs ~270 cavities tests per year, including R&D cavities as well as production cavities at each step of their preparation for the placement in accelerator’s cryomodules. Current Fermilab VTS testing system is based on the scalar approach of power measurement, which neglects potential error factors of the RF networks with distributed parameters, hence the assessed measurement errors of such a system might be slightly underestimated. Alternative approach, utilizing a vector measurement (amplitude and phase) of RF signals in the setup with a cavity as a device under test, promises an enhanced accuracy and results traceability. New cavity an alyser system based on this approach (Vector VTS) was developed by D. Frolov et al. and currently undergoes a commissioning process. Basic underlying principles of the system will be presented with the methods of quality factor extraction from S-parameters measurement of multiport cavities and brief error analysis will be discussed. The system architecture will be shown with main components parameters and ensuing testing capabilities. Multiple tests results will be discussed with a cross-check comparison of the results obtained with a conventional testing method. System advantages such as automated calibration process and additional features as a built- in microphonics measurement capability will be presented.

Netepenko, A.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Spatially Adaptive Tunable Lighting Control System with Expanded Wellness and Energy Saving Benefits

Lighting design is becoming increasingly complex, including active dimming for energy savings and spectral tuning for human wellbeing. Modern commercial lighting control systems are already difficult to use, and maintain, and even with so-called Smart Lighting, optimizing light settings is rapidly exceeding the capabilities of direct human control, limiting the adoption of lighting control systems. The growing importance of Occupancy Centric Controls (OCC) for advanced building management systems can be applied to the development of autonomous lighting system controls needed to drive the adoption of advanced lighting controls for improved adaptive “sculpted illumination” for both greater energy savings and broader human wellbeing perspectives. This project, led by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, entitled “Spatially adaptive tunable lighting control system with expanded wellness and energy saving benefits” will develop and test an entirely new platform for automated optimized lighting design and control that requires little or no human engagement, yet contours lighting profiles automatically to minimize lighting energy use. We call this approach to lighting control “dynamic light sculpting” since the right amount of illumination is automatically delivered to occupants in real time. Since the system uses new, privacy-preserving occupant position and pose detection technologies developed by Rensselaer for broad OCC building applications, the control system will analyze how to deliver the right amount of the right type of illumination only where and when it is needed based these OCC platforms. To create these powerful autonomous lighting control platforms, the project will integrate evolving augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) tools with sophisticated lighting and interior design toolkits to create interactive lighting design and control simulators. Using the quickly growing paradigm of digital twins, these tools will integrate light fixture properties, occupancy sensor data, interior design data, and lighting specifications to accurately visualize how various design concepts interact with simulated yet realistic human activities that occur in commercial office buildings of various types. These advanced digital twin design and simulation tools will be combined with a new class of digitally-programmable LED lighting fixtures that can dynamically change the spectral content and direction of light emission. When fully integrated, the new autonomous lighting control system will take all of the guesswork out of optimizing light quality while minimizing energy consumption. Digital twin tools will simplify the design, installation, commissioning, operation, and maintenance of future energy-efficient lighting systems. It should be possible to reduce lighting energy costs from 40% to 70% with OCC based dynamic light sculpting systems. The work will be led by the Center for Lighting Enabled Systems and Applications (LESA) and the Center for Architectural Science and Ecology (CASE), both at Renssealer Polytechnic Institute; Lumileds, a global leader in the development of advanced LED systems; and HKS, a leading global architecture design firm. This interdisciplinary project team’s experience includes all of the design simulation tools, VR/AR digital twin visualization technology, advanced occupancy sensing technology, and complex control system design capabilities that will revolutionize lighting design and control technology to autonomously deliver high-quality lighting that improves human health and wellbeing while simultaneously maximizing lighting energy savings.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2025

Integration and Demonstration of Monitoring, Modeling, and Prediction of DV-1 Amendment Performance at the Bench Scale: DV-1 Amendment Demonstration

During fiscal years 2024 and 2025, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Hanford Field Office commissioned Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to conduct applied research aimed at reducing the cost, time, and uncertainty associated with in situ treatment of vadose zone contaminants at the Hanford Site. This report outlines the integration of three key research efforts into a meso-scale demonstration designed to advance field-scale solutions that aim to (1) optimize the delivery of chemical amendments to contaminated soils, (2) reduce uncertainty in amendment delivery performance assessment using advanced monitoring techniques, and (3) provide real-time insights into when and where amendment-induced precipitation reactions occur in the subsurface. To achieve these objectives, the tank-scale (~ 1 cubic meter) Geophysical Imaging of Flow and Transport (GIFT) system was developed. GIFT enables experimental testing of amendment delivery while incorporating automated multi-modal monitoring approaches, including pressure measurements, direct fluid sampling, and remote time-lapse geophysical imaging. The data generated from these monitoring techniques will serve as inputs for a generative artificial-intelligence-driven digital twin – a numerical simulation model designed to honor observed data while quantifying uncertainty in simulation accuracy. Using this simulator, researchers will refine an amendment injection strategy to maximize delivery efficiency within a low-permeability soil zone. Monitoring data will be interpreted through simulated outputs to enhance understanding of the injection process. The efficacy of this integrated approach will be evaluated through direct sampling at the conclusion of the experiment.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2023

Synthetic Promoter Screening Using Poplar Mesophyll Protoplast Transformation

Plant protoplasts are useful to study both transcriptional regulation and protein subcellular localization in rapid screens. Protoplast transformation can be used in automated platforms for design-build-test cycles of plant promoters, including synthetic promoters. A notable application of protoplasts comes from recent successes in dissecting synthetic promoter activity with poplar mesophyll protoplasts. For this purpose, we constructed plasmids with TurboGFP driven by a synthetic promoter together with TurboRFP constitutively controlled by a 35S promoter, to monitor transformation efficiency, allowing versatile screening of high numbers of cells by monitoring green fluorescent protein expression in transformed protoplasts. Herein, we introduce a protocol for poplar mesophyll protoplast isolation followed by protoplast transformation and image analysis for the selection of valuable synthetic promoters.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

Severe Accident Modeling for Cyber Scenarios

A generic severe accident model of a PWR is developed to support analyses of cyber-fault scenarios that may lead to extensive core damage. For this purpose, a MELCOR 2.1 model of a generic PWR is created that is capable of simulating primary and secondary thermal-hydraulics, core heatup and fuel degradation, RPV failure, containment response, and radionuclide release and transport to the environment. The size and detail of the severe accident model are intended to facilitate scoping analyses of various cyber-based scenarios in an automated, dynamic framework. A dynamic job scheduler such as ADAPT will be used to evaluate many accident scenarios in an automated fashion utilizing parallel computing. Individual test calculations are first conducted of a basic unmitigated scenario (i.e. no significant operator intervention) with a cyber-based accident initiator. This preliminary assessment is used to gauge modelling capabilities for further, expanded cyber accident scenarios in conjunction with ADAPT. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Assessing Customer Experience and Business Models around Price-to-Device Communication and Smart Control Pathways in CalFlexHub

California is facing three major challenges in electrical grid operation: renewable overgeneration, steep evening ramping, and growing peak demand. The state has identified dynamic retail price response as a key strategy evidenced by CPUC’s Dynamic Rates proceeding and CEC’s Load Management Standards. Furthermore, the CEC launched a $16M “California Load Flexibility Research and Deployment Hub (CalFlexHub)” administered by Berkeley Lab to accelerate price-response flexible load technologies in buildings and EV charging. There are more than 16 laboratory and field demonstration projects in CalFlexHub, each demonstrating innovative automated price-response technologies. CalFlexHub tests various pathways through which hourly price signals and triggered control commands are communicated to load-flexible devices such as smart thermostats, heat pumps, water heaters, and EVs. We identified seven unique communication and control pathways, which involve combinations of third-party cloud, device OEM’s cloud, building central gateway, and local controller in between the price server and the load-flexible devices. It is important for utilities and policy makers to understand the long-term implications of each pathway in designing future programs and creating related policies and mandates for market transformation. We propose an evaluation framework including the following aspects: ● Functionality: connectivity and uptime, resilience, and optimization; ● Customer experience: simplicity in setup, troubleshooting support, continuity, customer choice, first cost, and ongoing cost; ● Business model and scalability: advance interoperability, holistic solution, bridge unique gap, customer base, and value streams and pricing structures. In this paper, we identify emerging business models associated with each communication pathway and discuss their positive features and challenges from the above aspects.

Liu, Jingjing↗
DOE OSTI2018

BESTEST-GSR (Building Energy Simulation Test - Generation Simulation and Reporting) [SWR 18-23]

Building Energy Simulation Test (BESTEST) is an NREL-developed method to validate the qualitative performance of different whole building simulations engines relative to each other. https://www.nrel.gov/docs/legosti/old/6231.pdf For EnergyPlus® and OpenStudio®, generation of test cases, simulation, and reporting has been a manual or partially automated process that typically took a number of months after a new version of EnergyPlus came out. Building Energy Simulation Test - Generation Simulation and Reporting (BESTEST-GSR) was developed to fully automate this process so it is less error-prone, less time-consuming, and can be quickly run on request for any development branch of EnergyPlus and OpenStudio. The initial use case is to directly support OpenStudio and EnergyPlus development, but the software is configured to support use by external software developers that build tools on top of EnergyPlus and/or OpenStudio. Tools built on top of OpenStudio can leverage the test generation, simulation, and reporting, while tools built on EnergyPlus can leverage the test simulation and reporting. The model generation is accomplished by running OpenStudio measures for envelope, heating, or cooling test cases. At this stage the specified weather file required for a specific test case is assigned to the model. Simulation is enabled using the OpenStudio Command Line Interface (CLI) to run a series of OpenStudio and Reporting measures to a specified seed model. The specified workflow is defined with an OpenStudio OSW file. The first measure generates the test case model, while the second measure is a reporting measure that runs after the simulation to collect necessary simulation results from the EnergyPlus SQL file. The Reporting stage gathers data from individual OpenStudio OSW files and populates a series of BESTEST Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. BESTEST-GSR also gathers zip files from individual simulations for diagnostic purposes.

Goldwasser, David↗
DOE OSTI2013

Recent Results of the Investigation of a Microfluidic Sampling Chip and Sampling System for Hot Cell Aqueous Processing Streams

A Fuel Cycle Research and Development project has investigated an innovative sampling method that could evolve into the next generation sampling and analysis system for metallic elements present in aqueous processing streams. Initially sampling technologies were evaluated and microfluidics sampling chip technology was selected and tested. A conceptual design for a fully automated microcapillary-based system was completed and a robotic automated sampling system was fabricated. The mechanical and sampling operation of the completed sampling system was investigated. In addition, the production of a less expensive, mass produced sampling chip was investigated to avoid chip reuse thus increasing sampling reproducibility/accuracy. The microfluidic-based robotic sampling system’s mechanical elements were tested to ensure analytical reproducibility and the optimum robotic handling of microfluidic sampling chips.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Particle Mass Flow Control for High-Temperature Concentrating Solar Receivers

This report summarizes the results of a two-year project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Energy Technologies Office (SuNLaMP 1506) to evaluate the performance of high-temperature (>700 °C) particle receivers for concentrating solar power (see Appendix A for project information). In the first year, novel particle release patterns were designed and tested to increase the effective solar absorptance of the particle curtain. Modeling results showed that increasing the magnitude and frequency of different wave-like patterns increased the effective absorptance and thermal efficiency by several percentage points, depending on the mass flow rate. Tests showed that triangular-wave, square-wave, and parallel-curtain particle release patterns could be implemented and maintained at flow rates of ~10 kg/s/m. The second year of the project focused on the development and testing of particle mass-flow control and measurement methods. An automated slide gate controlled by the outlet temperature of the particles was designed and tested. Testing demonstrated that the resolution accuracy of the slide-gate positioning was less than ~1 mm, and the speed of the slide gate enabled rapid adjustments to accommodate changes in the irradiance to maintain a desired outlet temperature range. Different in-situ particle mass-flow measurement techniques were investigated, and two were tested. The in-situ microwave sensor was found to be unreliable and sensitive to variations in particle flow patterns. However, the in-situ weigh hopper using load cells was found to provide reliable and repeatable measurements of real-time in-situ particle mass flow. On-sun tests were performed to determine the thermal efficiency of the receiver as a function of mass flow rate, particle temperature, and irradiance. Models of the tests were also developed and compared to the tests.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Real-time Canister Welding Health Monitoring and Prediction System for Spent Fuel Dry Storage

In this report, the salt mist corrosion testing at controlled temperature was carried out successfully on 304L SS submerged arc welded coupons by Unifog Dispersion Tower at ORNL. Corrosion in-situ monitoring system from Intelligent Automation, Inc. (IAI) was setup in the corrosion test and running smoothly to record signals during the corrosion test. Parts and device selection, sensors attachment, and experimental procedures are discussed. There wasn’t any visible corrosion or crack propagation on the weld coupon after about a month of corrosion testing.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Automated planning of breast radiotherapy using cone beam CT imaging

Purpose: Develop and clinically validate a methodology for using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging in an automated treatment planning framework for breast IMRT. Methods: A technique for intensity correction of CBCT images was developed and evaluated. The technique is based on histogram matching of CBCT image sets, using information from “similar” planning CT image sets from a database of paired CBCT and CT image sets (n = 38). Automated treatment plans were generated for a testing subset (n = 15) on the planning CT and the corrected CBCT. The plans generated on the corrected CBCT were compared to the CT-based plans in terms of beam parameters, dosimetric indices, and dose distributions. Results: The corrected CBCT images showed considerable similarity to their corresponding planning CTs (average mutual information 1.0±0.1, average sum of absolute differences 185 ± 38). The automated CBCT-based plans were clinically acceptable, as well as equivalent to the CT-based plans with average gantry angle difference of 0.99°±1.1°, target volume overlap index (Dice) of 0.89±0.04 although with slightly higher maximum target doses (4482±90 vs 4560±84, P < 0.05). Gamma index analysis (3%, 3 mm) showed that the CBCT-based plans had the same dose distribution as plans calculated with the same beams on the registered planning CTs (average gamma index 0.12±0.04, gamma <1 in 99.4%±0.3%). Conclusions: The proposed method demonstrates the potential for a clinically feasible and efficient online adaptive breast IMRT planning method based on CBCT imaging, integrating automation.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Equipment Testing Environment (ETE) Process Specification

This document is intended to be utilized with the Equipment Test Environment being developed to provide a standard process by which the ETE can be validated. The ETE is developed with the intent of establishing cyber intrusion, data collection and through automation provide objective goals that provide repeatability. This testing process is being developed to interface with the Technical Area V physical protection system. The document will overview the testing structure, interfaces, device and network logging and data capture. Additionally, it will cover the testing procedure, criteria and constraints necessary to properly capture data and logs and record them for experimental data capture and analysis.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗