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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 OSTI2018

Potential Research and Development Opportunities for Light Water Reactor Spent Nuclear Fuel at INL

This report documents the commercial spent nuclear fuel currently in storage at Idaho National Laboratory with a specific focus on the potential research and development (R&D) opportunities for this material. Commercial spent nuclear fuel is stored in dry casks on the INL site at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC, formerly the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant or ICPP). This spent fuel was part of the DOE-industry cooperative dry cask demonstration project that began in 1983 and from historical fuel testing and treatment activities that had been performed at the Test Area North (TAN)-607 facility. Most of the fuel is “low burnup,” but given that it was removed from the respective reactors between 1970 and 1985, it was representative for its time. The majority of the fuel is of the 15×15 Westinghouse PWR variety, though additional fuel types (e.g., TN-BRP) and configurations are also stored. Potential R&D opportunities identified are (1) the REA-2023 cask, (2) the TN-BRP cask, and (3) the Castor V/21 cask. Fuel from the TN-24P may be an alternative to the intact assemblies in the Castor V/21. Specifically, the REA-2023 cask contains 9 rods that have been exposed to air since 2005. These rods have a detailed pre-loading characterization and thus any changes in corrosion or geometry can most likely be attributed to the storage environment. In addition, similar rods to the nine in REA-2023 reside in the Castor V/21 cask whose environment has been maintained with inert nitrogen. The Castor V/21 cask also contains intact PWR assemblies that could be used to perform limited confirmation of the pyroprocessing approach. An alternative to the use of the Castor assemblies for pyroprocessing is the consolidated fuel that is stored in the TN-24P, which would not require removal from the assembly grid since it has already been packaged in accessible two-piece shell strongback containers. The TN-BRP cask contains a number of Gd-doped, low burnup assemblies that could be of use to validate code packages used to justify burnup-up credit for boiling water reactors (BWRs). The INL dry casks are stored on the CPP-2707 pad at INTEC, adjacent to the CPP-603 Irradiated Fuel Storage Facility, which incorporates a dry hot cell that has the potential to receive a full scale commercial cask of the types identified. Several evaluations have been made regarding this task, including full scale mockup testing of the physical clearances required to remove and handle fuel assemblies and components. A proposed schedule of 14 months and cost of $5.3 million was the outcome of analysis performed by Fluor Idaho and is included as Appendix A & B. In addition to the spent fuel at INL, there is also a full-scale mockup assembly that was fabricated for the Protypical Consolidation Demonstration Project to validate fuel rod consolidation approaches. The assembly was fabricated by Westinghouse as a 15 x 15 PWR, using Zircaloy-4 tubing and steel end fittings in accordance with product specifications. The only departure from specification is the use of copper metal in lieu of uranium oxide pellets to achieve a weight that is within 10% of the standard.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
NASA NTRS1990

TEXSYS

The Systems Autonomy Demonstration Project has recently completed a major test and evaluation of TEXSYS, a knowledge-based system (KBS) which demonstrates real-time control and FDIR for the Space Station Freedom thermal control system test-bed. TEXSYS is the largest KBS ever developed by NASA and offers a unique opportunity for the study of technical issues associated with the use of advanced KBS concepts including: model-based reasoning and diagnosis, quantitative and qualitative reasoning, integrated use of model-based and rule-based representations, temporal reasoning, and scale-up performance issues. TEXSYS represents a major achievement in advanced automation that has the potential to significantly influence Space Station Freedom's design for the thermal control system. An overview of the Systems Autonomy Demonstration Project, the thermal control system test-bed, the TEXSYS architecture, preliminary test results, and thermal domain expert feedback are presented.

Bull, John↗
DOE OSTI2010

Detroit Commuter Hydrogen Project

This project was undertaken to demonstrate the viability of using hydrogen as a fuel in an internal combustion engine vehicle for use as a part of a mass transit system. The advantages of hydrogen as a fuel include renew-ability, minimal environmental impact on air quality and the environment, and potential to reduce dependence on foreign energy sources for the transportation sector. Recognizing the potential for the hydrogen fuel concept, the Southeast Michigan Congress of Governments (SEMCOG) determined to consider it in the study of a proposed regional mass transit rail system for southeast Michigan. SEMCOG wanted to evaluate the feasibility of using hydrogen fueled internal combustion engine (H2ICE) vehicles in shuttle buses to connect the Detroit Metro Airport to a proposed, nearby rail station. Shuttle buses are in current use on the airport for passenger parking and inter-terminal transport. This duty cycle is well suited to the application of hydrogen fuel at this time because of the ability to re-fuel vehicles at a single nearby facility, overcoming the challenge of restricted fuel availability in the undeveloped hydrogen fuel infrastructure. A cooperative agreement between SEMCOG and the DOE was initiated and two H2ICE buses were placed in regular passenger service on March 29, 2009 and operated for six months in regular passenger service. The buses were developed and built by the Ford Motor Company. Wayne County Airport Authority provided the location for the demonstration with the airport transportation contractor, Metro Cars Inc. operating the buses. The buses were built on Ford E450 chassis and incorporated a modified a 6.8L V-10 engine with specially designed supercharger, fuel rails and injectors among other sophisticated control systems. Up to 30 kg of on-board gaseous hydrogen were stored in a modular six tank, 350 bar (5000 psi) system to provide a 150 mile driving range. The bus chassis and body were configured to carry nine passengers with luggage. By collecting fuel use data for the two H2ICE buses, with both written driver logs and onboard telemetry devices, and for two conventional propane-gasoline powered buses in the same service, comparisons of operating efficiency and maintenance requirements were completed. Public opinion about the concept of hydrogen fuel was sampled with a rider survey throughout the demonstration. The demonstration was very effective in adding to the understanding of the application of hydrogen as a transportation fuel. The two 9 passenger H2ICE buses accumulated nearly 50,000 miles and carried 14,285 passengers. Data indicated the H2ICE bus fuel economy to be 9.4 miles/ gallon of gasoline equivalent (m/GGE) compared to the 10 passenger propane-gasoline bus average of 9.8 m/GGE over 32,400 miles. The 23- passenger bus averaged 7.4 m/GGE over 40,700 miles. Rider feedback from 1050 on-board survey cards was overwhelmingly positive with 99.6% indicating they would ride again on a hydrogen powered vehicle. Minimal maintenance was required for theses buses during the demonstration project, but a longer duration demonstration would be required to more adequately assess this aspect of the concept.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2018

3D Integration of Sensors and Electronics

A three dimensional integrated circuit is composed of multiple tiers of integrated electronics and sensors integrated vertically by wafer bonding, thinning and insertion of through-silicon-vias. The technologies associated with three dimensional integrated circuits can provide new capabilities for high energy physics and x-ray imaging experiments. These include finer pixel pitch, lower interconnect capacitance, the ability to separate analog and digital functions, and better power distribution and connectivity. In this paper we review the status of 3DIC demonstration projects at Fermilab, discuss several possible applications, and summarize the current availability of commercial processes. Results of a three-tier demonstration project that includes designs for x-ray imaging, CMS track triggering, and ILC vertex are described. We discuss the status of several ongoing 3D projects and prospects for future evolution of the technology.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2012

Newporter Apartments: Deep Energy Retrofit Short-Term Results

This project demonstrates a path to meet the goal of the Building America program to reduce home energy use by 30% in multi-family buildings. The project demonstrates cost effective energy savings targets as well as improved comfort and indoor environmental quality (IEQ) associated with deep energy retrofits by a large public housing authority as part of a larger rehabilitation effort. The project focuses on a typical 1960's vintage low-rise multi-family apartment community (120 units in three buildings).

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2012

Newporter Apartments: Deep Energy Retrofit Short Term Results

This project demonstrates a path to meet the goal of the Building America program to reduce home energy use by 30% in multi-family buildings. The project demonstrates cost-effective energy savings targets as well as improved comfort and indoor environmental quality (IEQ) associated with deep energy retrofits by a large public housing authority as part of a larger rehabilitation effort. The project focuses on a typical 1960’s vintage low-rise multi-family apartment community (120 units in three buildings).

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2021

Closing the Loop on Automotive Carbon Fiber Prepreg Manufacturing Scrap

The project demonstrated how to “close the loop” on carbon fiber by integrating industrial carbon fiber scrap into new functional components in an automotive lightweighting application. The project serves as a validation of discontinuous recycled carbon fiber in a commercial context, while generating comprehensive material data throughout the production chain. To this end, the project exhibited increasing complexity as material evaluation progressed from benchtop to commercial scale through full-scale part production, with key material properties thoroughly characterized throughout the process. Of particular focus was the form of the fiber that was fed into compounding, as recycled fiber has historically been problematic to feed at commercial-scale. Carbon fiber is energy-intensive to manufacture, so reuse of existing fiber material can reduce costs and increase sustainability. Additionally, by integrating recovered short fiber into a thermoplastic, regrind processes can be used to provide feedstock for later generations of product. While regrind plastics are not “infinitely recyclable”, reusing the manufacturing scrap over several generations of products can greatly increase material sustainability and lower the fractional embodied energy of each successive product. As such, this project supports the IACMI technical goals of (1) 25% lower carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) cost, (2) 50% reduction in CFRP embodied energy, and (3) 80% composite recyclability into useful products. The initial stage of the project involved down selecting surface treatment (sizing) chemistries. Sizing evaluations were performed on Vartega’s chemically recycled intermediate modulus fiber along with standard modulus dry scrap which was oversized with sizing provided by Michelman. More dramatic improvements from sizing were found on the standard rather than the intermediate modulus fibers. The strength of the chemically recycled individual fibers were evaluated by Michelman and ORNL through single fiber testing and found to be comparable to similarly evaluated virgin fibers. UDRI’s mechanical testing on injection molded test specimens identified similar mechanical properties and fiber distribution relative to benchmark specimens. Additional surface chemistry tests and visualizations were performed by the Colorado School of Mines to confirm close conformance between the benchmark and recycled-fiber specimens. As the mechanical test results exceeded the 80% threshold established as the go/no-go(GNG), the project scale was increased to use commercial-scale equipment that would both better characterize the manufacturing utility of the target product format and allow qualitative assessment of a complex commercial part. An upscaled compounding evaluation was performed with a 27 mm twin-screw compounding extruding using oversized standard modulus fibers that were formatted to improve bulk solids transfer. The project team anticipated that milestone mechanical benchmarks could be achieved given the favorable performance of the sized standard modulus material identified in the initial micro-compounding trials. While the mechanical performance did meet the milestone target for that phase of the project, mechanical properties for this standard modulus-based compound were still less than those of the Ford specification. To compare the performance, the project team oversized intermediate modulus dry fibers and compounded them with the project resin at BASF using a 40 mm compounder. Test specimen mechanical performance exceeded the targets laid out in both the project milestone and the Ford specification. A series of prototype parts were successfully molded, albeit with instances of short shot components due to the high thermal conductivity of the carbon fiber compared to glass fiber for which the prototype tool was designed for. The project demonstrated that recycled carbon fiber is a viable option in fiber reinforced compound, providing greatly increased strength and modulus for applications that require them. The “agglomerated” format that facilitated effective bulk solids transfer of recovered fiber showed promise for industrial application.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Reclaimed Carbon Fiber Reinforced Automotive Part Using 3-DEP® Preforming Technology on Additive Manufacturing Tool Made with Reclaimed Carbon Fibers

The project focused on how well tools designed and built using reclaimed carbon fiber on the Big Area Additive Manufacturing (BAAM) can be used to manufacture preforms made with reclaimed carbon fibers. The project supported multiple Institute for Advanced Composite Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI) goals: • Enables the use of recycled carbon fibers in two areas: o Tooling material compounded with reclaimed carbon fiber. o Preforms made with recycled carbon fiber (rCF). • Lowers manufacturing costs by producing low cost 3-DEP® preform tooling. • Reduces manufacturing cycle time with quick additive manufacturing techniques. • Produces lightweight automotive components that will increase fuel economy which will in turn reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The project demonstrated a tool made from reclaimed carbon fibers, gathered technical data that will guide optimization of tooling materials, evaluated preforms made with the BAAM printed tool, and developed cost evaluations. This project has been a total success. First the project demonstrated that reclaimed carbon fiber can be compounded and successfully printed in the BAAM equipment. Second preforms were successfully made from reclaimed carbon fiber using a reclaimed fiber printed tool. Third the team successfully printed a molding tool out of reclaimed carbon fiber. Fourth the project went beyond the scope of this phase I project in 3 areas: (1)- Techmer PM compounded rCF in 2 resin systems instead of just one system (2)- Local Motors evaluated and collected data that will support their IACMI 3.6 project (Robert Bedsole, 2017) . (3)- University of Tennessee Knoxville (UTK) molded a part using the reclaimed preform on a molding tool made from printed reclaim fiber.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

District Energy Corporation SW 40th Street Thermal Energy Plant

The overall deliverable from the project is the design, construction and commissioning of a detention facility heating and cooling system that minimizes ownership costs and maximizes efficiency (and therefore minimizes environmental impact). The primary deliverables were the proof of concept for the application of geothermal systems for an institutional facility and the ongoing, quarterly system operating data downloads to the Department of Energy . The primary advantage of geothermal based heat pump systems is the higher efficiency of the system compared to a conventional chiller, boiler, cooling tower based system. The higher efficiency results in a smaller environmental foot print and lower energy costs for the detention facility owner, Lancaster County. The higher efficiency for building cooling is primarily due to a more constant compressor condensing temperature with the geothermal well field acting as a thermal “sink” (in place of the conventional system’s cooling tower). In the heating mode, Ground Couple Heat Pump (GCHP) systems benefits from the advantage of a heat pump Coefficient of Performance (COP) of approximately 3.6, significantly better than a conventional gas boiler. The geothermal well field acting as a thermal “source” allows the heat pumps to operate efficiently in the heating mode regardless of ambient temperatures. The well field is partially located in a wetland with a high water table so, over time, the project will be able to identify the thermal loading characteristics of a well field located in a high water table location. The project demonstrated how a large geothermal well field can be installed in a wetland area in an economical and environmentally sound manner. Finally, the SW 40th Street Thermal Energy Plant project demonstrates the benefits of providing domestic hot water energy, as well as space heating, to help balance well filed thermal loading in a cooling dominated application. During the period of August 2012 thru March 2014, with the detention facility occupied for the final seven months, the well field supply water temperatures to the heat pumps dropped to a minimum of 39°F and reached a maximum temperature of 68 °F while providing 15,819 MMBtu of cooling energy and 27,467 MMBtu of heating energy. During this period the peak recorded system cooling load was 610 tons and the peak heating load was 8.4 MMBtu. The DEC is currently evaluating the most beneficial electric rate for plant operations. Total project cost of $16.9 million was approximately $3.2 million less than the estimate provided in the grant application. The reduction in project costs were primarily due to favorable construction material prices as well as strong competition in the local construction contractor market. The DEC plant reached the substantial completion milestone in December 2011 and began providing thermal service to the detention facility in January 2012 when the building’s HVAC system was ready to accept heating service. The plant reached commercial operating status on August 1, 2012. However, due to construction delays, the detention facility was not occupied until September of 2013. The detention facility construction delays also impacted the installation and commissioning of the project’s dedicated domestic hot water heat pump. Final coordination with the detention facility’s building management system vendor to establish network links for the exchange of date is currently being completed. This will allow the development of control sequences for the optimal operation of the domestic hot water system.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Firmware development for the ATLAS TileCal sROD

TileCal is the central hadronic calorimeter of the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. A main upgrade of the LHC (also called Phase-II) is planned in order to increase the instantaneous luminosity in 2022. At the TileCal level, the upgrade involves the redesign of the complete read-out architecture, affecting both the front-end and the back-end electronics. In the new read-out architecture, the front-end electronics will transmit digitized information of the full detector to the back-end system every single bunch crossing. Thus, the back-end system must provide digital calibrated information to the first level of trigger. Having all detector data per bunch crossing in the back-end will increase the precision and granularity of the trigger information, improving this way the trigger efficiencies. A reduced part of the detector, 1/256 of the total, will be equipped with the new electronics during 2014 to evaluate the proposed architecture in real conditions in the so-called 'demonstrator project'. The upgraded version of the Read-Out Driver (sROD) will be the core element of the back-end electronics in Phase-II. The sROD demonstrator is a prototype that is being developed to validate in the demonstrator project the future sROD for Phase-II. This module includes two Xilinx Series 7 Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) for data receiving and processing and will be installed and working in an ATCA framework. A complete description of the sROD functionality in terms of firmware will be introduced. In addition, the status of the firmware development and a summary of the main milestones achieved and the future plans will be presented. (authors)

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Medium Duty ARRA Data Reporting and Analysis (Presentation)

This project compiles medium-duty (MD) aggregated deployment data and provides the compiled detailed analyses to industry. The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) deployment and demonstration projects are helping to commercialize technologies for all-electric vehicles, electrified accessories, and electric charging infrastructure. Over 3.2 million miles of in-service all-electric MD truck data from 560 different vehicles have been collected since 2011, and usage data from over 1,000 truck electrification sites have been collected since 2013. Through the DOE's Vehicle Technologies Office, NREL is working to analyze real-time data from these deployment and demonstration projects to quantify the benefits: results and summary statistics are made available through the NREL website as quarterly and annual reports; 23 aggregated reports have been published on the performance and operation of these vehicles; and detailed data are being extracted to help further understand battery use and performance.

2014 AMR↗
NASA NTRS2003

NASA Earth Science Research and Applications Using UAVs

The NASA Earth Science Enterprise sponsored the UAV Science Demonstration Project, which funded two projects: the Altus Cumulus Electrification Study (ACES) and the UAV Coffee Harvest Optimization experiment. These projects were intended to begin a process of integrating UAVs into the mainstream of NASA s airborne Earth Science Research and Applications programs. The Earth Science Enterprise is moving forward given the positive science results of these demonstration projects to incorporate more platforms with additional scientific utility into the program and to look toward a horizon where the current piloted aircraft may not be able to carry out the science objectives of a mission. Longer duration, extended range, slower aircraft speed, etc. all have scientific advantages in many of the disciplines within Earth Science. The challenge we now face are identifying those capabilities that exist and exploiting them while identifying the gaps. This challenge has two facets: the engineering aspects of redesigning or modifying sensors and a paradigm shift by the scientists.

Guillory, Anthony R.↗
NASA NTRS1981

The University of Kansas Applied Sensing Program: An operational perspective

The Kansas applied remote sensing (KARS) program conducts demonstration projects and applied research on remote sensing techniques which enable local, regional, state and federal agency personnel to better utilize available satellite and airborne remote sensing systems. As liason with Kansas agencies for the Earth Resources Laboratory (ERL), Kansas demonstration project, KARS coordinated interagency communication, field data collection, hands-on training, and follow-on technical assistance and worked with Kansas agency personnel in evaluating land cover maps provided by ERL. Short courses are being conducted to provide training in state-of-the-art remote sensing technology for university faculty, state personnel, and persons from private industry and federal government. Topics are listed which were considered in intensive five-day courses covering the acquisition, interpretation, and application of information derived through remote sensing with specific training and hands-on experience in image interpretation and the analysis of LANDSAT data are listed.

Martinko, E. A.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Automated Reconfigurable Mission Adaptive Digital Assembly Systems (ARMADAS)

To meet the needs of future deep space exploration, NASA is interested in large-scale hardware systems in the agency’s thrust areas of solar power, communications, habitats and science interests. Scalable in-space assembly of physical systems is critical to massless exploration and in-space reliance goals. The ARMADAS project demonstrates the autonomous assembly of digital materials and structures. This provides automation technologies with potential for meeting long duration and deep space infrastructure needs, such as construction and maintenance of long duration spaceport, surface infrastructure, and habitat scale systems. Project demonstrations to date include a system that can fit into a small satellite-sized payload, which automatically assembles into primary structures, such as a small habitat module or array/antenna, using onboard robotic assemblers.

In Space Assembly↗
DOE OSTI2017

Fishermen's Energy Atlantic City Wind Farm

Fishermen's Energy Atlantic City Wind Farm final report under US DOE Advanced Technology Demonstration project documents achievements developing a demonstration scale offshore wind project off the coast of New Jersey.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Kimberlina - Regional Static 3D Geologic Model of the Southern San Joaquin Basin

Regional static 3D geologic model of the southern San Joaquin Basin for the Westcarb Kimberlina demonstration project created in Earthvision (DGI, Inc.). Also contains a smaller-scale model from the larger basin domain for the geometry used in Birkholzer et al. (2011). Data sets derived from: Wagoner, J., 2009, 3D geologic modeling of the Southern San Joaquin Basin for the Westcarb Kimberlina demonstration project—A status report: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory LLNL-TR-410813, 27 p. Birkholzer, J.T., Zhou, Q., Cortis, A. and Finsterle, S., 2011, A sensitivity study on regional pressure buildup from large-scale CO2 storage projects. Energy Procedia, 4, pp.4371-4378. LLNL contact and file inventory creator: Kayyum Mansoor (mansoor1@llnl.gov)

3D Geological Model↗
NASA NTRS1995

Initial results from the Solar Dynamic (SD) Ground Test Demonstration (GTD) project at NASA Lewis

A government/industry team designed, built, and tested a 2 kWe solar dynamic space power system in a large thermal/vacuum facility with a simulated sun at the NASA Lewis Research Center. The Lewis facility provides an accurate simulation of temperatures, high vacuum, and solar flux as encountered in low earth orbit. This paper reviews the goals and status of the Solar Dynamic (SD) Ground Test Demonstration (GTD) program and describes the initial testing, including both operational and performance data. This SD technology has the potential as a future power source for the International Space Station Alpha.

Shaltens, Richard K.↗