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At least 307 records · Page 17

Influence of the complete basis set approximation, tight weighted-core, and diffuse functions on the DLPNO-CCSD(T1) atomization energies of neutral H,C,O-compounds

The impact of complete basis set extrapolation schemes (CBS), diffuse functions, and tight weighted core functions on enthalpies of formation predicted via the DLPNO-CCSD(T1) reduced Feller Peterson-Dixon approach has been examined for neutral H,C,O-compounds. All tested three-point (TZ/QZ/5Z) extrapolation schemes result in mean unsigned deviation (MUD) below 2 kJ mol -1 relative to the experiment. Here, the two-point QZ/5Z and TZ/QZ CBS 1/$l^3_{max}$ extrapolation schemes are inferior to their inverse power counterpart (1/($l_{max}$ + 1/2) 4 ) by 1.3 and 4.3 kJ mol -1 . The CBS extrapolated frozen core atomization energies are insensitive (within 1 kJ mol -1 ) to augmentation of the basis set with tight weighted core functions. The core-valence correlation effects converge already at triple-ζ, although double- ζ/triple- ζ CBS extrapolation performs better and is recommended. The effect of diffuse function augmentation converges slowly, and cannot be reproduced with double- ζ or triple- ζ calculations as these are plagued with basis set superposition and incompleteness errors.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Morphology-controlled transformation of Cu@Au core-shell nanowires into thermally stable Cu 3 Au intermetallic nanowires

Multimetallic nanowires with long-range atomic ordering hold the promise of unique physicochemical properties in many applications. Here we demonstrate the synthesis and study the stability of Cu 3 Au intermetallic nanowires. The synthesis is achieved by using Cu@Au core-shell nanowires as precursors. With appropriate Cu/Au stoichiometry, the Cu@Au core-shell nanowires are transformed into fully ordered Cu 3 Au nanowires under thermal annealing. Thermally-driven atom diffusion accounts for this transformation as revealed by X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy studies. The twin boundaries abundant in the Cu@Au core-shell nanowires facilitate the ordering process. The resulting Cu 3 Au intermetallic nanowires have uniform and accurate atomic positioning in the crystal lattice, which enhances the nobility of Cu. No obvious copper oxides are observed in fully ordered Cu 3 Au nanowires after annealing in air at 200 °C, a temperature that is much higher than those observed in Cu@Au core-shell and pure Cu nanowires. This work opens up an opportunity for further research into the development and applications of intermetallic nanowires.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

A hybrid porous model for full reactor core scale CFD investigation of a prismatic HTGR

Three-dimensional (3-D) Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis of a whole nuclear reactor core is a tremendous challenge due to the large geometric volume and complex structures. Here, this research presents a hybrid porous (HP) model to simplify a prismatic High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor (HTGR) core, so 3-D CFD investigation can be performed on a full reactor core scale. In the HP model, the prototypic small coolant channels in the nuclear fuel blocks are lumped together to form multiple equivalent large coolant channels, and then the porous medium flow model is applied to each of them. Therefore, heat transfer in fuel blocks is computed by a hybrid combination of solid energy and porous flow energy equations. The similarity between the HP model and prototypic model is achieved by deriving the porous flow permeability, inertial resistance factor, and artificial thermophysical properties. Compared with the widely used whole porous (WP) flow model, the HP model preserves more realistic geometric structures, and therefore more accurate physical processes. The General Atomics' Modular High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor (MHTGR) design was chosen as a prototype to demonstrate the methodology. Simulations were performed using the prototypic CFD model and HP model at steady-state forced circulation, steady-state natural circulation, and transient conditions that correspond to normal operation, extended period of pressurized cool down, and short-term transients after reactor shutdown, respectively. The comparison shows good agreement between the HP model and prototypic model in the maximum fuel temperature, average solid temperature, and helium flow rate, which demonstrates the potential applicability of the HP model for a full reactor core scale simulation in the future. As a benefit, the HP model reduces the mesh quantity by a factor of 50 from a prototypic model. Correspondingly, the computation time was reduced by a factor of at least 30.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Conceptual core design of the molten metal fueled microreactor with self-regulating capability

The microreactor concept has received significant attention in the United States for its lower capital investment, siting flexibility and high mobility. A microreactor aims to provide reliable electricity in remote communities, mining areas, or isolated islands, which will save the high fuel transportation cost. Thus, minimizing the staff level for operating and maintaining a microreactor is desirable. The objective of the study is to design a self-regulated Molten Metal fueled microReactor core (MMR) and to demonstrate the self-regulating capability of the MMR core. The control of the reactor is solely relying on reactivity feedbacks from fuel temperature perturbation. Molten UMn (liquid form at the temperature over 720°C) was utilized as the fuel material in MMR due to the larger thermal expansion coefficient compared to the conventional solid fuel. The MMR core has a fast neutron spectrum, which corresponds to a small burnup reactivity swing. The core design parameters were selected based on DAKOTA, REBUS, and ANLHTP calculations. The MMR is designed to run for 10 years at a power level of 15 MWth. Furthermore, no refueling is needed during the reactor lifetime. The system dynamic analyses were performed, and it was found that the reactor can be self-regulating within a temperature range of 800 ± 80°C for a loss of heat sink transient.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

Improved sampling technique to collect natural gas from hydrate-bearing pressure cores

High quality gas compositional data are an important factor in interpreting the genetic source of natural gas hosted in hydrate-bearing sediments and other subsurface systems. In order to accurately characterize the composition of gas samples degassed from hydrate-bearing pressure cores, one must use a reproducible sampling technique that minimizes artifacts of the sampling process. Herein, we review sediment core degassing techniques and compare data obtained from a commonly used degassing approach, which we term the standard quantitative degassing (SQD) technique, to our newly developed modified quantitative degassing (MQD) method designed to minimize atmospheric contamination and gas-water interactions. The SQD method allows sample gas to interact with water in a bubbling chamber, which we hypothesize could alter the gas composition following mixing with water or dissolved gases in the bubbling chamber. Whereas, the MQD method allows for the collection of sample gas prior to the bubbling chamber. To compare the SQD and MQD methods, we performed a side-by-side comparison of noble (He, Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe), major (H 2 , N 2 , O 2 , and CO 2 ), and hydrocarbon (CH 4 , C 2 H 6 , C 3 H 8 , i-C 4 H 10 , C 4 H 10 , i-C 5 H 12 , C 5 H 12 ) gas concentrations and select isotopic compositions obtained using both sample collection techniques. Gas samples were collected from hydrate-bearing pressure cores recovered and maintained under hydrate stable conditions from the northern Gulf of Mexico during the UT-GOM 2 -1 Expedition. The MQD method displayed significantly lower concentrations of atmospheric gases, higher proportions of hydrocarbon gases, lower ratios of C 1 /C 2 + , and heavier stable carbon and hydrogen isotopes of methane than the SQD method. These results demonstrate that the MQD method reduced air contamination and minimized alteration of the hydrocarbon gases. Finally, we conclude this method may be important for future work that seeks to determine the composition of natural gas from pressure cores using quantitative degassing experiments, especially those seeking to measure major (e.g., N 2 ) and noble gases.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Comparison of continuum and cross-core theories of dynamic strain aging

Dynamic strain aging (DSA) is the process of solute atoms segregating around dislocations on the timescale of loading. Continuum theories of DSA derived from elasticity theory have been shown to severely overpredict both the timescale and strengthening of DSA. Recently, cross-core theory was developed to reconcile this gap, invoking a special single-atomic-hop diffusion mechanism across the core of an extended dislocation. In this work, we show that the classical continuum theory expression for the rate of solute segregation is in error. After correcting this error, we show that continuum theory predictions match cross-core theory when the elevated diffusivity near the dislocation core is accounted for. Finally, our findings indicate that continuum theory is still a useful tool for studying dislocation-solute interactions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Unlocking enhanced gas capture via core scrambling of porous-organic cages

The demand for low-cost, low-energy, and highly selective gas capture and separations is an ongoing driver of porous material development. Porous liquids have been identified as a promising gas separation material by creating permanent porosity in inorganic solvents through inclusion of nanoporous materials that sterically exclude solvent from their internal porosity. Among the nanoporous materials that can be used to form porous liquids, porous-organic cages (POCs) have been one of the most popular due to the inherent tunability of POCs. “Scrambled” POCs with varying functionalities on the POC vertices have been developed and incorporated into porous liquid compositions, increasing their gas adsorption capacity. An unexplored avenue to tailor the properties of porous liquids is through scrambling the functionality of the core of the POC. Here, therefore, we have synthesized a new POC, a CC3-OH derivative with scrambled hydroxides on the core and evaluated the impact on the CO 2 uptake capacity in silicon oil-based porous liquids. Core scrambling of the POC resulted in a twofold increase CO 2 adsorption capacity in the porous liquid, an emergent property that is a dramatic increase beyond a linear combination of the gas adsorption capacity of the neat solvent and the POC. Density functional theory modeling of the CC3 POC and its hydroxide-based derivatives identified that free rotation of the linker hydroxide allowed for forced interaction between the CO 2 molecule and the hydroxide in the pore window. Solvation of the POC may release scrambled core hydroxides from intramolecular bonding with a neighboring imine, allowing for increased gas uptake in the porous liquid over the neat POC. These results identify a key structural relationship of POCs that enables emergent properties in porous liquids and can guide future development of liquid phase gas capture and separation materials for environmental and industrial applications.

Gas capture↗

Uncertainty quantification and sensitivity analysis for SPERT III E-core reactivity measurement benchmarking

The Special Power Excursion Reactor Test (SPERT) III E-core experiment is important because it provides critical data on reactor behavior under significant reactivity insertions, which is essential for validating computer simulations and ensuring the safety of modern light water reactors. Its design similarities to contemporary reactors make it a valuable resource for understanding and mitigating extreme hazards in nuclear operations. The current study details the application of formal parametric uncertainty quantification and sensitivity analysis to a model of the SPERT-III E-core model for zero power reactivity benchmarking. Additionally, the reactivity impact from various modeling assumptions is quantified. Overall, an conservative estimate for an uncertainty in k$_{\text{eff}}$ of $\pm$1257 was observed. A less conservative, more realistic, uncertainty estimate of $\pm$1096 pcm can be justified by the potential for various parametric uncertainties to become negligible when sampled independently across the ~1400 pins in the core. The experimental results fall within both of these uncertainty bounds. Standardized regression coefficient as well as Sobol indices are used to identify the guide tube thicknesses as the primary contributors to the uncertainty in k$_{\text{eff}}$. Overall, this study provides information on how the uncertainties in input parameters and modeling methods impact simulated k$_{\text{eff}}$ values and can be used to aid model building efforts for future code validation with the SPERT-III E-core experiment.

22 - GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Transformational challenge reactor analysis to inform preconceptual core design decisions: Sensitivity study of transient analysis in a hydride-moderated microreactor

The Transformational Challenge Reactor (TCR) program aims to demonstrate a revolutionary design approach enabled by advanced manufacturing and data analytics in the design of nuclear reactors. This article discusses scoping analyses of preconceptual designs to inform TCR design decisions and the evaluation of sensitivities and uncertainties on postulated transient scenarios. The applicability of the systems codes TRACE and RELAP5-3D to TCR transient analysis are examined, and RELAP5-3D models are used to examine the transient response of two candidate core designs at multiple power levels. Then, the uncertainty quantification code RAVEN is used to quantify the effect of several design parameters on reactivity-initiated accident (RIA) progression at hot zero power (HZP) and hot full power (HFP) as well as to assess the impact of uncertainties in transient parameters for the pressurized loss of forced cooling (PLOFC).When results were compared, TRACE and RELAP5-3D showed good agreement in their ability to predict system behavior, but RELAP5-3D calculations were closer to analytical predictions for the RIA. Furthermore, models for a PLOFC accident in two designs (a UO2 and TRISO core) at multiple power levels showed greater temperature margins for the TRISO core at all power levels. Using this information, along with other scoping analyses and constraints, the TCR design team selected a power level of 3 MWth and a TRISO-based core design. For this design RAVEN was applied to vary RIA parameters in RELAP5-3D models at HZP and HFP to understand the effect on figures of merit such as peak power, fuel and coolant temperature, and energy deposition. This sensitivity study found that the inserted reactivity worth was the most important parameter controlling all figures of merit, but for insertion up to 1.5$ no failure of TCR fuel is anticipated. For constant reactivity insertions, the magnitude of the fuel temperature coefficient was found to have the greatest effect on all figures of merit under most circumstances. These results not only demonstrate the anticipated robust safety of the proposed TCR fuel form but also provide a reference for future metal-hydride moderated systems to understand RIA behavior. In the PLOFC, the impact of heat transfer enhancement due to wavy flow channel effects dominated the variance in peak temperatures, and variations in heat exchanger elevation provided the greatest control on natural circulation flow rate. Additionally, no fuel particle failure is anticipated in the PLOFC.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

3D printed transparent ceramic YAG laser rods: Matching the core-clad refractive index

Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (YAG) solid state laser gain media rods with an active Neodymium-doped core and an optically-clear cladding region were additively manufactured via direct-ink-writing (DIW), followed by sintering and hot isostatic pressing to form fully dense optical ceramics. Lutetium and Gadolinium were chosen as optically-inert co-doping ions in the clad to match the increase in refractive index caused by the Neodymium in the core. Additionally, either 11.6% Lutetium or 3.8% Gadolinium can be used to match the index change from 2% neodymium; however, differences in diffusion distances across the core-clad interface lead to large fluctuations in index in that region. These index fluctuations can be minimized either by matching dopants with similar diffusion distances, or by implementing a gradual gradient in the doping profile, possible through DIW, rather than a sharp compositional interface attainable via more standard fabrication methods. This improvement in index homogeneity resulted in a 40% improvement in lasing performance compared with that of a core-clad rod fabricated with a sharp interface between the doped and undoped regions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Stress-sensitivity of fracture conductivity of Tuscaloosa Marine Shale cores

Production decline from wells producing from shale rocks is typically quite rapid. One possible factor responsible for such decline is loss in fracture conductivity. This is true in the case of the Tuscaloosa Marine shale reservoir. In this work, the stress-dependent fracture conductivity of TMS core samples is investigated using five propped cores under varying stress conditions. In addition, the effects of static rock mechanical properties and rock mineralogy on conductivity decline are investigated. The mineralogy of each core sample was determined by X-ray Diffraction analysis. Fracture conductivity was measured using a Hassler-type pressure core holder with a pressure rating of 15,000 psi (103.42 MPa). Estimated rock mechanical properties showed that shale anisotropy could affect fracture conductivity. The time decline in conductivity revealed two possible decline trends, a) decline from the reduction in induced fracture width, and b) decline from the healing of developed micro-cracks. An exponential decline in fracture conductivity with increasing confinement pressure was observed with an average decline rate constant of 3.15 x 10 -10 mPa -1 . While rock mineralogy did not have any clear relationship with conductivity decline, the effects of rock mechanical properties were only important at 10.34 MPa confinement pressure and above. The observation showed that a high Young's modulus correlate to high conductivity, whereas a high Poisson's ratio correlate to low conductivity. This study provides useful observations for optimizing fracture design to enhance well productivity in the TMS.

02 PETROLEUM↗

Methodology for inferring reactor core power distribution from an optical fiber based gamma thermometer array

Here, a 4-step data analytic methodology has been devised for the purpose of inferring the distribution of power in a reactor core, based on the response of an array of optical fiber based gamma thermometers (OFBGTs). This data analytic methodology is crucial for the development of a system of OFBGTs for the purpose of calibrating local power range monitors in boiling water reactors. Such a system would be an improvement to the present calibration system in boiling water reactors, in terms of safety, efficiency, and permanence. The first step of this methodology is to establish an energy balance method. In this method, one uses MCNP to determine response functions, which allow one to convert from gamma thermometer response to power. The gamma thermometers and the reactor core are segmented, such that each gamma thermometer segment provides an estimate of power for each reactor core segment. The estimates of power for the reactor core segments (hereafter referred to as fuel assembly segments) are calculated based on the measured response of the gamma thermometers. The second step of the methodology is to employ a weighting scheme to combine the estimates of the power of the various fuel assembly segments, based on the response of the various OFGBT segments and the incremental dose rates of the various fuel assembly segments to the OFBGT segments. The third step is to iteratively calculate the estimates of the power of the fuel assembly segments, until a convergence criterion is met, which indicates that the calculation has converged. The fourth and final step of the methodology is to estimate the uncertainty of the power for each fuel assembly segment. The mathematical basis for this step is not the focus of this paper. We have used a 3-D homogeneous reactor model to demonstrate the data analytic methodology; and have found that the data analytic methodology operates as intended.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Insights into the Structure of Ultrasmall Fluorescent Core–Shell Silica Nanoparticles

Ultrasmall fluorescent core–shell nanoparticles (NPs) with a silica core and poly(ethylene glycol) ligand shell are the earliest example of hybrid NPs that have received U.S. investigational new drug FDA approval. They are among only a few inorganic NPs translated to safety, diagnostic, and therapeutic human clinical trials. Despite these achievements, little is known about the exact structure of their 3–4 nm sized silica cores. We report the surprising discovery of a well-defined pentagonal bipyramidal core structure preferentially formed in the aqueous synthesis built from seven primary silica NPs. A combination of reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, cryogenic transmission electron microscopy, and coarse-grained simulations provides fundamental insights into this magic-size cluster formation and its unusual stability. Here, results rationalize the successful NP synthesis scale-up from 1 mL to 50 L, provide clues to the recent discovery of their self-therapeutic properties in oncology via ferroptosis, an iron-dependent cell death mechanism, and promise improved control of particle size distribution via chromatographic separations.

cluster chemistry↗

Melting Curve and Phase Relations of Fe-Ni Alloys: Implications for the Earth's Core Composition

We discuss that nickel is the second most abundant element in the Earth's core. However, the properties of Fe-Ni alloys are still poorly constrained under planetary cores conditions, in particular concerning the effect of Ni on the melting curve of Fe. Here we show that Ni alloying up to 36 wt% does not affect the melting curve of Fe up to 100 GPa. However, Ni strongly modifies the hexagonal-closed-packed/face-centered-cubic (hcp/fcc) phase boundary, pushing the hcp/fcc/liquid triple point of Fe-20wt%Ni to higher pressures and temperatures. Our results allow constraining the triple point for Fe-10wt%Ni, a composition relevant for the Earth interior, and point out a decrease of the melting temperature at core-mantle boundary by 400 K with respect to pure Fe. A lower amount of light elements than previously predicted is thus required to reduce the crystallization temperature of core materials below that of a peridotitic lower mantle, in better agreement with geochemical observations.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Equation of State Measurements on Iron Near the Melting Curve at Planetary Core Conditions by Shock and Ramp Compressions

The outer core of the Earth is composed primarily of liquid iron, and the inner core boundary is governed by the intersection of the melt line and the geotherm. While there are many studies on the thermodynamic equation of state for solid iron, the equation of state of liquid iron is relatively unexplored. In this work, we use dynamic compression to diagnose the high-pressure liquid equation of state of iron by utilizing the shock-ramp capability at Sandia National Laboratories’ Z-Machine. This technique enables measurements of material states off the Hugoniot by initially shocking samples and subsequently driving a further, shockless compression. Planetary studies benefit greatly from isentropic, off-Hugoniot experiments since they can cover pressure-temperature (P-T) conditions that are close to adiabatic profiles found in planetary interiors. We used this method to drive iron to P-T conditions similar to those of the Earth’s outer-inner core boundary, along an elevated-temperature isentrope in the liquid from 275 GPa to 400 GPa. We derive the equation of state using a hybrid backward integration – forward Lagrangian technique on particle velocity traces to determine the pressure-density history of the sample. Our results are in excellent agreement with SESAME 92141, a previously published equation of state table. With our data and previous experimental data on liquid iron we provide new information on the iron melting line and derive new parameters for a Vinet-based equation of state. The table and our parameterized equation of state are applied to provide an updated means of modeling the pressure, mass, and density of liquid iron cores in exoplanetary interiors.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Thermoelastic Anomaly of Iron Carbonitride Across the Spin Transition and Implications for Planetary Cores

Carbon and nitrogen are considered as candidate light elements present in planetary cores. However, there is limited understanding regarding the structure and physical properties of Fe-C-N alloys under extreme conditions. Here diamond anvil cell experiments were conducted, revealing the stability of hexagonal-structured Fe 7 (N 0.75 C 0.25 ) 3 up to 120 GPa and 2100 K, without undergoing any structural transformation or dissociation. Notably, the thermal expansion coefficient and Grüneisen parameter of the alloy exhibit a collapse at 55–70 GPa. First-principles calculations suggest that such anomaly is associated with the spin transition of iron within Fe 7 (N 0.75 C 0.25 ) 3 . Our modeling indicates that the presence of ∼1.0 wt% carbon and nitrogen in liquid iron contributes to 9–12% of the density deficit of the Earth's outer core. The thermoelastic anomaly of the Fe-C-N alloy across the spin transition is likely to affect the density and seismic velocity profiles of (C,N)-rich planetary cores, thereby influencing the dynamics of such cores.

Geology↗

High Pressure Melting Curve of Fe‐Si: Implication for the Thermal Properties in Mercury's Core

The motion of liquid iron (Fe) alloy materials in the outer core drives the dynamo, which generates Mercury's magnetic field. The assessment of core models requires laboratory measurements of the melting temperature of Fe alloys at high pressure. Here, we experimentally determined the melting curve of Fe9wt%Si and Fe17wt%Si up to 17 GPa using in situ and ex situ measurements of intermetallic fast diffusion that serves as the melting criterion in a large-volume press. Our determined melting slopes are comparable with previous studies up to about 17 GPa. However, when extrapolated, our melting slopes significantly deviate from previous studies at higher pressures. For Mercury's core with a model composition of Fe9wt%Si, the melting temperature-depth profile determined in our study is lower by ∼150–250 K when compared with theoretical calculations. Using the new melting curve of Fe9wt%Si and the electrical resistivity values from a previous study of Fe8.5wt%Si, we estimate that the electronic thermal conductivity of liquid Fe9wt%Si is 30 Wm −1 K −1 at the Mercury's CMB pressure of 5 GPa and 37 Wm −1 K −1 at an assumed ICB of 21 GPa, corresponding to heat flux values of 23 mWm −2 and 32 mWm −2 , respectively. These values provide new constraints on the core models.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Observation of molecular resonant double-core excitation driven by intense X-ray pulses

The ultrashort and intense pulses of X-rays produced at X-ray free electron lasers (XFELs) have enabled unique experiments on the atomic level structure and dynamics of matter, with time-resolved studies permitted in the femto- and attosecond regimes. To fully exploit them, it is paramount to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the complex nonlinear interactions that can occur at such extreme X-ray intensities. Herein, we report on the experimental observation of a resonant double-core excitation scheme in N 2 , where two 1σ core-level electrons are resonantly promoted to unoccupied 1π$^*_g$ molecular orbitals by a single few-femtosecond broad-bandwidth XFEL pulse. The production of these neutral two-site double core hole states is evidenced through their characteristic decay channels, which are observed in good agreement with high-level theoretical calculations. Such multi-core excitation schemes, benefiting from the high interaction cross sections and state- and site-selective nature of resonant X-ray interactions, should be generally accessible in XFEL irradiated molecules, and provide interesting opportunities for chemical analysis and for monitoring ultrafast dynamic processes.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗