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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 307 records · Page 17
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Damage to living trees contributes to almost half of the biomass losses in tropical forests

Abstract Accurate estimates of forest biomass stocks and fluxes are needed to quantify global carbon budgets and assess the response of forests to climate change. However, most forest inventories consider tree mortality as the only aboveground biomass (AGB) loss without accounting for losses via damage to living trees: branchfall, trunk breakage, and wood decay. Here, we use ~151,000 annual records of tree survival and structural completeness to compare AGB loss via damage to living trees to total AGB loss (mortality + damage) in seven tropical forests widely distributed across environmental conditions. We find that 42% (3.62 Mg ha −1 year −1 ; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.36–5.25) of total AGB loss (8.72 Mg ha −1 year −1 ; CI 5.57–12.86) is due to damage to living trees. Total AGB loss was highly variable among forests, but these differences were mainly caused by site variability in damage‐related AGB losses rather than by mortality‐related AGB losses. We show that conventional forest inventories overestimate stand‐level AGB stocks by 4% (1%–17% range across forests) because assume structurally complete trees, underestimate total AGB loss by 29% (6%–57% range across forests) due to overlooked damage‐related AGB losses, and overestimate AGB loss via mortality by 22% (7%–80% range across forests) because of the assumption that trees are undamaged before dying. Our results indicate that forest carbon fluxes are higher than previously thought. Damage on living trees is an underappreciated component of the forest carbon cycle that is likely to become even more important as the frequency and severity of forest disturbances increase.

Zuleta, Daniel↗
DOE OSTI2022

DistGANS- Distributed Generative Adversarial Neural Networks

DistGANs is a Python package to perform distributed training of conditional generative adversarial neural networks for multi-class labeled image data. DistGANs partitionins the training data according to data labels, and enhances scalability by performing a parallel training where multiple generators are concurrently trained, each one of them focusing on a single data label.

Lupo Pasini, Massimiliano [Oak Ridge National Lab.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Design of an Out-Of-Pile Experimental Facility to Demonstrate the Feasibility of In Situ Thermal Conductivity Measurements of Nuclear Fuels Under Irradiation

There is substantial merit in quantifying nuclear fuel performance under irradiation. At Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), the MiniFuel irradiation platform has become the primary test vehicle for conducting separate-effects fuel performance irradiation experiments. The MiniFuel experiment is a passively controlled capsule design deployed in the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) through which fuel performance data is collected post-irradiation. Separate effects fuels irradiation capabilities are being expanded at ORNL by developing instrumented capsule designs that aim to capture fuel performance phenomena in-situ. One such capsule will specifically target fuel specimen thermal conductivity changes as a function of fuel burnup. Due to the complexity of making this measurement on nuclear fuel in-pile, this paper describes the necessary out-of-pile testing conducted on the thermal conductivity capsule (TCC) design. The measurement is ascertained via a thermopile system with heat transferred unidirectionally through a surrogate fuel specimen sandwiched between two conductive materials. The capsules investigated in this study are representative of the in-pile design, with the primary departure from irradiation conditions being the distribution of heat generation within the capsule. In the out-of-pile experiment, an external heater was used to drive heat through the conductive slug materials and into the specimen. This paper expounds the design of the out-of-pile experimental system and the thermal conductivity measurement technique. Predictive models used to determine the sensitivity of the measurement to variables governing thermal contact conductance between the specimen and slug materials and to predict experimental results are also described. Data from the out-of-pile experiment will be used to validate the readiness of the design for insertion into HFIR for irradiation.

Parker, Trevor [ORNL]↗
DOE OSTI2020

Characterization of Radiation Induced Defects Across Scales

The Whole Powder Pattern Modelling (WPPM) approach of diffraction line profile analysis (LPA) was applied for the first time on PuO 2 in order to understand the evolution of the microstructural properties as a function of process conditions. Crystallite size distributions and defect concentrations were determined by WPPM on three different PuO 2 samples - including one with a bimodal distribution and compared to the result of more common LPA analyses used in PuO 2 literature studies (e.g. Scherrer equation, double Voigt method). The conclusion was that a lognormal distribution of spherical crystallites with dislocations most closely represent the microstructure of PuO 2 produced by heating Pu 2 (C 2 O 4 ) 3 (H 2 O) 6 •3H 2 O between 650°C and 850°C. The volume-weighted mean column length (Lvol) parameter obtained from the double Voigt method for the monomodal samples were the same as the Lvol obtained from the WPPM within uncertainty. The two LPA methods did not agree on the Lvol parameters of the bimodal distribution sample with only the WPPM getting values that were consistent with the individual components. The WPPM can potentially provide more insight into future studies of the influences on the microstructure properties of PuO 2 .

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Neutrino Beam Monitoring

Accelerator facilities produce neutrino beams from meson decays in a decay volume. Experiments measure event rates that depend on flux, cross sections, and detector response, so the flux is predicted using hadron production and beamline modeling and constrained by beam instrumentation, since near detectors alone cannot separate flux from cross section. Proton, hadron, and muon monitors can track the parent particle distributions and beam conditions, providing the inputs needed for flux predictions in long-baseline experiments such as NOvA, T2K, and DUNE. This talk reviews how beam monitors are used in practice to understand neutrino flux. Proton beam monitors tell where the beam hits the target and how stable it is. Farther downstream, hadron and muon monitors sample particles produced in meson decays. Because those muons come from the same parents as the neutrinos, their profiles reveal focusing, alignment shifts, and other changes in the beam, and they are routinely used to detect problems and guide flux predictions. The muon information can be used more quantitatively; for example, to infer the parent meson phase space, and fast radiation-hard timing detectors can add sensitivity to the momentum dependence of the focusing. These developments show both how tightly beam measurements can constrain the flux and where the current limits still lie. These approaches complement monitored-beam concepts, in which the decay region is instrumented to detect charged leptons from meson decays and to measure the neutrino flux directly.

Ganguly, Sudeshna [Fermilab] (ORCID:00000003163482↗
DOE OSTI2026

Neutrino Beam Monitoring

Accelerator facilities produce neutrino beams from meson decays in a decay volume. Experiments measure event rates that depend on flux, cross sections, and detector response, so the flux is predicted using hadron production and beamline modeling and constrained by beam instrumentation, since near detectors alone cannot separate flux from cross section. Proton, hadron, and muon monitors can track the parent particle distributions and beam conditions, providing the inputs needed for flux predictions in long-baseline experiments such as NOvA, T2K, and DUNE. This talk reviews how beam monitors are used in practice to understand neutrino flux. Proton beam monitors tell where the beam hits the target and how stable it is. Farther downstream, hadron and muon monitors sample particles produced in meson decays. Because those muons come from the same parents as the neutrinos, their profiles reveal focusing, alignment shifts, and other changes in the beam, and they are routinely used to detect problems and guide flux predictions. The muon information can be used more quantitatively; for example, to infer the parent meson phase space, and fast radiation-hard timing detectors can add sensitivity to the momentum dependence of the focusing. These developments show both how tightly beam measurements can constrain the flux and where the current limits still lie. These approaches complement monitored-beam concepts, in which the decay region is instrumented to detect charged leptons from meson decays and to measure the neutrino flux directly.

Ganguly, Sudeshna [Fermilab] (ORCID:00000003163482↗
DOE OSTI2026

Understanding the causes of satellite–model discrepancies in aerosol–cloud interactions using near-LES simulations of marine boundary layer clouds

Aerosol–cloud interactions (ACI) remain the largest source of uncertainty in model estimates of anthropogenic radiative forcing, primarily because of deficiencies in representing aerosol–cloud microphysical processes that lead to inconsistent cloud liquid water path (LWP) responses to aerosol perturbations between observations and models. To investigate this discrepancy, we conducted a series of large-eddy-scale simulations driven by realistic meteorology over the eastern North Atlantic, and evaluated LWP susceptibility, precipitation processes, and boundary layer thermodynamics using satellite and ground-based observations. Simulated LWP responses show a strong dependence on cloud state. Non-precipitating thin clouds exhibit a modest LWP decrease with increasing cloud droplet number concentration (N d ), consistent in sign but weaker in magnitude than satellite estimates, reflecting enhanced turbulent mixing and evaporation. The largest model-observation discrepancy occurs in non-precipitating thick clouds, where simulated LWP susceptibilities are strongly positive (+0.32) while observations indicate large negative values (−0.69). This discrepancy stems from excessive precipitation driven by underestimated entrainment, overly active accretion, and overly broad drop-size distributions in polluted conditions. While our high-resolution setup mitigates the excessive drizzling common in coarser models and captures key regime transitions, these biases persist – highlighting that improved parameterizations of cloud-top processes, precipitation, and aerosol effects are needed beyond simply increasing model resolution. Additionally, misrepresented moisture inversions in reanalysis introduce a moist bias in cloud-top relative humidity, further amplifying positive LWP susceptibility. Our results also suggest that large negative N d –LWP relationships in observations may reflect internal cloud processes rather than true ACI effects.

Aerosol-cloud interaction↗
NASA NTRS1966

Thermodynamic Equilibrium in the Origin of Organic Matter

Theoretical and experimental support is presented for the hypothesis that organic compounds occurring in carbonaceous chondrites may have formed under equilibrium or near equilibrium conditions. The equilibrium distributions of organic compounds at temperature between 300 and 1000 K and pressures of 10(exp 16) to 50 atmospheres for the C-H-O system have been computed. At high temperatures and low pressures aromatic compounds may form even in the presence of excess hydrogen. Equilibrium concentrations of numerous compounds possible at 1000 K when N, S, and C1 are added to the system have also been determined. A limited equilibrium method is employed in which those few compounds which form with most difficulty are excluded from the computations. This approach is shown to be useful in the interpretation of certain experimental data. In preliminary experiments it has been found that gases, converted to the plasma state by high energy radio frequency discharge, yield product mixtures which are in qualitative agreement with those predicted.

CHEMICAL EQUILIBRIUM↗
NASA NTRS1971

Magnetospheric-field distortions observed by OGO 3 and 5.

The rubidium vapor magnetometer data of the scalar magnetic-field intensity obtained by the OGO 3 and 5 satellites are analyzed to study the magnetospheric-field distortions in terms of the observed field magnitude under quiet and slightly disturbed conditions minus the magnitude of the reference geomagnetic field (delta B). Average contours of equal delta Bs are shown in the geomagnetic noon-midnight and dawn-dusk meridian planes for magnetically quiet and slightly disturbed conditions. The equatorial distribution of observed delta Bs as a function of geocentric distance differs substantially from that expected from the well-known models of the quiet-time ring current. Other findings suggest that there must be a population of low-energy particles with substantial total energy near the equator at distances of 2 to 5 earth radii that has not been recognized as having sufficient energy to inflate the magnetic field.

Sugiura, M.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Free in-plane vibration of circular arches.

Numerical data are presented for the natural frequencies and modes of vibration of hinged and fixed, uniform, circular arches vibrating in their own plane, and the effects of the various parameters affecting the response are analyzed. It is shown that the vibrational modes may be almost purely flexural, or almost purely extensional, or the extensional and flexural actions may be strongly coupled. The conditions of occurrence of each type of behavior are defined, and simple approximate formulas are derived; using these formulas, the free vibrational characteristics of arches may be estimated to a satisfactory degree of accuracy for most practical applications. The approach used to derive the approximate formulas may also be applied to arches having other boundary conditions, shapes, or distributions of stiffness and mass.

Veletsos, A. S.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Cost optimization of spacecraft test levels

Common to all nondestructive type testing of hardware that provides the necessary confidence in the design is the question regarding the proper magnitude of the test level. The objective of this investigation was to study the possibility of establishing cost optimized test levels of a rather general nature. This investigation was based on studying the influence of test level on a cost of error cost model that reflects the adverse effects of 'undertesting' and 'overtesting'. For the assumed conditions of normal distribution for the random variables and a protoflight spacecraft case, the results indicated that the limits for an optimum test factor can range between slightly less than 1.0 to slightly more than 1.5.

Young, J. P.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Thermostructural testing of instrumented ATJ-S graphite nosetip models in the AFFDL 50 MW rent facility

Instrumented ATJ-S graphite shell nosetip models were tested in the AFFDL 50 MW RENT Facility. The inside surface of the models were instrumented with seven thermocouples and three clip-on extensometers. One thermocouple was located at the inside stagnation point and three thermocouples were located at 120 degree intervals on the aft portion of the skirt of the model. In addition, three thermocouples at 120 degree intervals plus three clip-on extensometers at 120 degree intervals offset 60 degrees from the thermocouples were located in the critical region. The outside surface temperature of the models was monitored in two locations by optical pyrometers. Finally, the tests were recorded by three high speed motion picture cameras. Pressure models and calorimeters were also tested in order to help define the flow field condition and heating distribution around the models.

Budde, C. L.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Validation of scramjet exhaust simulation technique

Scramjet/airframe integration design philosophy for hypersonic aircraft results in configurations having lower aft surfaces that serve as exhaust nozzles. There is a strong coupling between the exhaust plume and the aerodynamics of the vehicle, making accurate simulation of the engine exhaust mandatory. The experimental verification of the simulation procedure is described. The detonation tube simulator was used to produce an exact simulation of the scramjet exhaust for a Mach 8 flight condition. The pressure distributions produced by the exact exhaust flow were then duplicated by a cool mixture Argon and Freon 13B1. Such a substitute gas mixture validated by the detonation tube technique could be used in conventional wind tunnel tests. The results presented show the substitute gas simulation technique to be valid for shockless expansions.

Hopkins, H. B.↗
NASA NTRS1975

On the control, stability, and waiting time in a slotted ALOHA random-access system

This paper explores some of the boundaries in performance of slotted ALOHA systems by analyzing a simple and almost optimal centrally supervised control. The control results in a very simple Markov chain model and allows an examination of stability, conditional waiting time distribution of transmitting terminals, and many other system measures. The key to the simplicity is to have a probability of successful packet transmission that is independent of the number of transmitting terminals. In considering waiting time, we calculate the mean and other moments of the waiting time of a terminal when it enters the system to find (n - 1) other terminals already there competing for the channel. Under this control, the average time is proportional to n. The control requires exact knowledge of the number of terminals contending for the channel, and hence is not implementable, except as an approximation.

Ferguson, M. J.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Influence of fuel temperature on supersonic mixing and combustion of hydrogen

Results are presented from an experimental investigation of the influence of fuel stagnation temperature on the mixing and reaction of hydrogen injected transverse to a supersonic flow in a duct. The hydrogen fuel was injected stoichiometrically at stagnation temperatures of 300 K and 800 K from a row of five circular orifices in the duct wall. Detailed measurements in the flow at the duct exit are used to determine the overall amount of mixing accomplished at each of three test conditions. Static pressure distributions are used with duct wall temperatures and heat flux in a one-dimensional analysis to deduce the fraction of fuel reacted along the duct. Results from the one-dimensional analyses of the tests with hot fuel indicated slightly more fuel reacted at the exit; however, differences in the accomplished mixing obtained from integrations of exit surveys were small.

Rogers, R. C.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Low speed airfoil design and analysis

A low speed airfoil design and analysis program was developed which contains several unique features. In the design mode, the velocity distribution is not specified for one but many different angles of attack. Several iteration options are included which allow the trailing edge angle to be specified while other parameters are iterated. For airfoil analysis, a panel method is available which uses third-order panels having parabolic vorticity distributions. The flow condition is satisfied at the end points of the panels. Both sharp and blunt trailing edges can be analyzed. The integral boundary layer method with its laminar separation bubble analog, empirical transition criterion, and precise turbulent boundary layer equations compares very favorably with other methods, both integral and finite difference. Comparisons with experiment for several airfoils over a very wide Reynolds number range are discussed. Applications to high lift airfoil design are also demonstrated.

Eppler, R.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Detecting transition in agricultural systems

Remote sensing of agricultural phenomena has been largely concentrated on analysis of agriculture at the field level. Concern has been to identify crop status, crop condition, and crop distribution, all of which are spatially analyzed on a field-by-field basis. A more general level of abstraction is the agricultural system, or the complex of crops and other land cover that differentiate various agricultural economies. The paper reports on a methodology to assist in the analysis of the landscape elements of agricultural systems with Landsat digital data. The methodology involves tracing periods of photosynthetic activity for a fixed area. Change from one agricultural system to another is detected through shifts in the intensity and periodicity of photosynthetic activity as recorded in the radiometric return to Landsat. The Landsat-derived radiometric indicator of photosynthetic activity appears to provide the ability to differentiate agricultural systems from each other as well as from conterminous natural vegetation.

Neary, P. J.↗