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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 325 records · Page 18
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2012

Wind Turbine Manufacturing Process Monitoring

To develop a practical inline inspection that could be used in combination with automated composite material placement equipment to economically manufacture high performance and reliable carbon composite wind turbine blade spar caps. The approach technical feasibility and cost benefit will be assessed to provide a solid basis for further development and implementation in the wind turbine industry. The program is focused on the following technology development: (1) Develop in-line monitoring methods, using optical metrology and ultrasound inspection, and perform a demonstration in the lab. This includes development of the approach and performing appropriate demonstration in the lab; (2) Develop methods to predict composite strength reduction due to defects; and (3) Develop process models to predict defects from leading indicators found in the uncured composites.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2011

Effects of Impurities on Fuel Cell Performance and Durability (Final Report)

This program is focused on the experimental determination of the effects of key hydrogen side impurities on the performance of PEM fuel cells. Experimental data has been leveraged to create mathematical models that predict the performance of PEM fuel cells that are exposed to specific impurity streams. These models are validated through laboratory experimentation and utilized to develop novel technologies for mitigating the effects of contamination on fuel cell performance. Results are publicly disseminated through papers, conference presentations, and other means.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2013

Sustainable Transportation Fuels from Coal, Natural Gas (≥ 90% C n H 2n+ 2 gases) and Biomass

This research program is focused primarily on the conversion of coal, natural gas (i.e., methane), and biomass to liquid fuels by Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS), with minimum production of carbon dioxide. A complementary topic also under investigation is the development of novel processes for the production of hydrogen with very low to zero production of CO 2 . This is in response to the nation’s urgent need for a secure and environmentally friendly domestic source of liquid fuels. The carbon neutrality of biomass is beneficial in meeting this goal. Several additional novel approaches to limiting carbon dioxide emissions are also being explored.

10 SYNTHETIC FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Clean Energy Program_SLC-SELF (Final Technical Report)

This is the Final Technical Report for DOE's Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant, Award No. DE-EE0003813, submitted by St. Lucie County, FL (prime recipient) and the Solar and Energy Loan Fund (SELF), the program's third-party administrator. SELF is a 501(c)(3) and a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). SELF is a community-based lending organization that operates the Clean Energy Loan Program, which focuses on improving the overall quality of life of underserved populations in Florida with an emphasis on home energy improvements and cost-effective renewable energy alternatives.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2011

Interim Consequence Management Guidance for a Wide-Area Biological Attack

The Interagency Biological Restoration Demonstration (IBRD) program is a collaborative, interagency effort co-chaired by the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Defense aimed at improving the nation‘s ability to respond to and recover from a large-scale, wide-area, domestic attack involving the release of an environmentally persistent biological warfare agent. The program is focused on understanding interactions between the civilian and military sectors, and in building mutual support to carry out such remediations. This Interim Consequence Management Guidance document provides guidance for decisionmakers in executing activities required to respond to and recover from a biological incident affecting a wide urban area insofar as information is currently available. The spore-forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis is discussed as the biological agent of primary concern because it is the most difficult of known bioterrorism agents to inactivate and is considered to be one of the key threat agents. Most other biological threat agents are much easier to remediate, and in many cases, inactivation would occur naturally within days as a result of environmental exposure; however, the framework and operational questions that need to be addressed are expected to remain the same. The guidance in this document is applicable to (1) enclosed facilities, such as commercial, residential, and continental U.S. military facilities; (2) semi-enclosed facilities, such as subways and public transit facilities; (3) outdoor areas (both localized and wide area), such as building exteriors, streets, parks, and other open spaces; (4) drinking water facilities; and (5) drinking water sources. This document follows an interagency framework [Planning Guidance for Recovery Following Biological Incidents (DHS and EPA 2009)]—which considered Raber et al. (2002) in its development—but takes the framework to a more operational level and provides guidance at key action and decision points.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2014

Specification Section 01065S ES&H for Service Contracts

Section Includes: Requirements and guidelines in performance of work concerning protection of environment and property, and the safety and health of Contractors, Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) and Department of Energy (DOE) employees, visitors to SNL, and members of the public. This Section is applicable only to Service Contracts that do not involve construction or construction-like activities. Construction and construction-like activities are covered by Section 01065, Environment, Safety and Health (ES&H) for Construction Contracts. The entire ES&H program shall focus on safe-by-design intent, understanding the technical basis for the work, identifying and controlling energy sources, unacceptable consequences, risk assessments, and positive verification.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2015

Developing a Natural Gas-Powered Bus Rapid Transit Service. A Case Study

The Roaring Fork Transit Authority (RFTA) and its VelociRFTA Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) program are unique in many ways. For example, VelociRFTA was the first rural BRT system in the United States and the operational environment of the VelociRFTA BRT is one of the most severe in the country, with extreme winter temperatures and altitudes close to 8,000 feet. RFTA viewed high altitude operation as the most challenging characteristic when it began considering the use of natural gas. RFTA is the second-largest public transit system in Colorado behind Denver's Regional Transportation District (RTD), and it is one of the largest rural public transit systems in the country. In 2013, RFTA accepted delivery of 22 new compressed natural gas (CNG) buses that went into service after completion of maintenance and refueling facilities earlier that year. This paper examines the lessons learned from RFTA's experience of investigating--and ultimately choosing--CNG for their new BRT program and focuses on the unique environment of RFTA's BRT application; the decision process to include CNG fueling in the project; unforeseen difficulties encountered in the operation of CNG buses; public perception; cost comparison to competing fuels; and considerations for indoor fueling facilities and project funding.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Intro - High Performance Computing for 2015 HPC Annual Report

The recent Executive Order creating the National Strategic Computing Initiative (NSCI) recognizes the value of high performance computing for economic competitiveness and scientific discovery and commits to accelerate delivery of exascale computing. The HPC programs at Sandia –the NNSA ASC program and Sandia’s Institutional HPC Program– are focused on ensuring that Sandia has the resources necessary to deliver computation in the national interest.

Klitsner, Tom↗
DOE OSTI2016

Analysis of the TREAT LEU Conceptual Design

Analyses were performed to evaluate the performance of the low enriched uranium (LEU) conceptual design fuel for the conversion of the Transient Reactor Test Facility (TREAT) from its current highly enriched uranium (HEU) fuel. TREAT is an experimental nuclear reactor designed to produce high neutron flux transients for the testing of reactor fuels and other materials. TREAT is currently in non-operational standby, but is being restarted under the U.S. Department of Energy’s Resumption of Transient Testing Program. The conversion of TREAT is being pursued in keeping with the mission of the Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration’s Material Management and Minimization (M3) Reactor Conversion Program. The focus of this study was to demonstrate that the converted LEU core is capable of maintaining the performance of the existing HEU core, while continuing to operate safely. Neutronic and thermal hydraulic simulations have been performed to evaluate the performance of the LEU conceptual-design core under both steady-state and transient conditions, for both normal operation and reactivity insertion accident scenarios. In addition, ancillary safety analyses which were performed for previous LEU design concepts have been reviewed and updated as-needed, in order to evaluate if the converted LEU core will function safely with all existing facility systems. Simulations were also performed to evaluate the detailed behavior of the UO 2 -graphite fuel, to support future fuel manufacturing decisions regarding particle size specifications. The results of these analyses will be used in conjunction with work being performed at Idaho National Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory, in order to develop the Conceptual Design Report project deliverable.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Large Eddy Simulation Modeling of Flashback and Flame Stabilization in Hydrogen-Rich Gas Turbines Using a Hierarchical Validation Approach

This project was a combined computational and experimental effort to improve predictive capability for boundary layer flashback of premixed swirl flames relevant to gas-turbine power plants operating with high-hydrogen-content fuels. During the course of this project, significant progress in modeling was made on four major fronts: 1) use of direct numerical simulation of turbulent flames to understand the coupling between the flame and the turbulent boundary layer; 2) improved modeling capability for flame propagation in stratified pre-mixtures; 3) improved portability of computer codes using the OpenFOAM platform to facilitate transfer to industry and other researchers; and 4) application of LES to flashback in swirl combustors, and a detailed assessment of its capabilities and limitations for predictive purposes. A major component of the project was an experimental program that focused on developing a rich experimental database of boundary layer flashback in swirl flames. Both methane and high-hydrogen fuels, including effects of elevated pressure (1 to 5 atm), were explored. For this project, a new model swirl combustor was developed. Kilohertz-rate stereoscopic PIV and chemiluminescence imaging were used to investigate the flame propagation dynamics. In addition to the planar measurements, a technique capable of detecting the instantaneous, time-resolved 3D flame front topography was developed and applied successfully to investigate the flow-flame interaction. The UT measurements and legacy data were used in a hierarchical validation approach where flows with increasingly complex physics were used for validation. First component models were validated with DNS and literature data in simplified configurations, and this was followed by validation with the UT 1-atm flashback cases, and then the UT high-pressure flashback cases. The new models and portable code represent a major improvement over what was available before this project was initiated.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2016

Oxide Interfaces: emergent structure and dynamics

This Final Report describes the scientific accomplishments that have been achieved with support from grant DE-FG02-06ER46273 during the period 6/1/2012– 5/31/2016. The overall goals of this program were focused on the behavior of epitaxial oxide heterostructures at atomic length scales (Ångstroms), and correspondingly short time-scales (fs -ns). The results contributed fundamentally to one of the currently most active frontiers in condensed matter physics research, namely to better understand the intricate relationship between charge, lattice, orbital and spin degrees of freedom that are exhibited by complex oxide heterostructures. The findings also contributed towards an important technological goal which was to achieve a better basic understanding of structural and electronic correlations so that the unusual properties of complex oxides can be exploited for energy-critical applications. Specific research directions included: probing the microscopic behavior of epitaxial interfaces and buried layers; novel materials structures that emerge from ionic and electronic reconfiguration at epitaxial interfaces; ultrahigh-resolution mapping of the atomic structure of heterointerfaces using synchrotron-based x-ray surface scattering, including direct methods of phase retrieval; using ultrafast lasers to study the effects of transient strain on coherent manipulation of multi-ferroic order parameters; and investigating structural ordering and relaxation processes in real-time.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Measurement of Laser Weld Temperatures for 3D Model Input

Laser welding is a key joining process used extensively in the manufacture and assembly of critical components for several weapons systems. Sandia National Laboratories advances the understanding of the laser welding process through coupled experimentation and modeling. This report summarizes the experimental portion of the research program, which focused on measuring temperatures and thermal history of laser welds on steel plates. To increase confidence in measurement accuracy, researchers utilized multiple complementary techniques to acquire temperatures during laser welding. This data serves as input to and validation of 3D laser welding models aimed at predicting microstructure and the formation of defects and their impact on weld-joint reliability, a crucial step in rapid prototyping of weapons components.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2015

Module Embedded Micro-inverter Smart Grid Ready Residential Solar Electric System

The “Module Embedded Micro-inverter Smart Grid Ready Residential Solar Electric System” program is focused on developing innovative concepts for residential photovoltaic (PV) systems with the following objectives: to create an Innovative micro-inverter topology that reduces the cost from the best in class micro-inverter and provides high efficiency (>96% CEC - California Energy Commission), and 25+ year warranty, as well as reactive power support; integrate micro-inverter and PV module to reduce system price by at least $0.25/W through a) accentuating dual use of the module metal frame as a large area heat spreader reducing operating temperature, and b) eliminating redundant wiring and connectors; and create micro-inverter controller handles smart grid and safety functions to simplify implementation and reduce cost.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2018

It Takes a Village: Documenting the Contributions of Non-Scientific Staff to Scientific Research [Slides]

Science, especially large-scale basic research, is a collaborative endeavor, often drawing on the skills of people from a wide variety of disciplines. These people include not just scientists, but also administrators, engineers, and many others. Fermilab, a Department of Energy National Laboratory and the United States’ premier particle physics laboratory, exemplifies this kind of research; many of its high-energy physics experiments involve hundreds of collaborators from all over the world. The Fermilab Archives seeks to document the history of the lab and the unique scientific research its staff and visitors perform. Adequately documenting the lab’s work often requires us to go far beyond things like the writings and correspondence of scientists to also capture the administrative and social histories of the experiments and the context in which they were performed. At Fermilab, we have sought to capture these elements of the lab’s activities through an oral history program that focuses on support staff as well as physicists and collection development choices that recognize the importance of records documenting the cultural life of the lab. These materials are not merely supplementary, but rather essential documentation of the many types of labor that go into the planning and execution of an experiment or the construction of an accelerator and the context in which this work is performed. Any picture of these experiments and accelerators that did not include this type of information would be incomplete. While the importance and richness of this material is especially pronounced at Fermilab due to the massive size of its experiments and accelerator facilities and its vibrant cultural life, the fruitfulness of these collecting efforts at Fermilab suggests that other archives documenting modern STEM research should also make sure the contributions of non-technical and non-scientific staff are preserved and that researchers interested in this subject should not neglect such sources.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Status Report for NEET In-Pile Sensor Irradiation Capabilities at TREAT

The recently-established in-pile sensor development project under the Nuclear Energy Enabling Technology (NEET) program is focused on the development of measurement technologies to enable acquisition of data focused on the performance, properties, and boundary conditions of nuclear fuels/materials under irradiation in nuclear reactors. These sensors can be used in steady state irradiation tests to measure parameters of interest under conditions representing normal nuclear plant operation, or in transient irradiation tests to determine specimen performance under postulated unplanned conditions. In either case, development of suitable sensor technologies must include instrument irradiations to help guide sensor material/design selection, verify instrument performance, and demonstrate deployment viability. The Transient Reactor Test facility (TREAT) while just a part of the overall capabilities portfolio needed to enable this sensor development mission, has unique capabilities and characteristics that make it well poised for a number of instrument irradiation data objectives including sensor survivability screening, response characterization, qualification tests, and in-situ properties measurements. TREAT’s brilliantly-basic design, when married with appropriate irradiation hardware and analytic capabilities, fills a crucial capability gap between out-of-pile testing and irradiation in steady state high power research reactors. Leveraging a recently developed approach to irradiation testing in TREAT, the present work demonstrates that cost-effective and scientifically-impactful instrument irradiation capabilities for TREAT are a well-placed capability in the NEET in-pile sensor development project.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Precision Measurement of Electron Antineutrino Disappearance in the Daya Bay Experiment

The Daya Bay reactor neutrino experiment studies the disappearance of electron antineutrinos from reactor cores at the Daya Bay Power Plant located in China. Daya Bay has made a precision measurement of one of the parameters describing the quantum mechanical mixing between neutrino flavor states and mass states, the mixing angle $\theta_{13}$. One source of systematic uncertainty in the measurement is due to background induced by cosmic ray muons. The detectors are located underground to minimize the cosmic flux, but the residual backgrounds must be measured. This program will focus on the study and measurement of the cosmic muon-induced backgrounds at Daya Bay with a goal of achieving the lowest possible level of background-related systematics on the disappearance measurement. In addition to providing crucial input to the Daya Bay disappearance analysis, measurements of the muon flux and the production of neutrons and radioactive nuclei by cosmic muons will be of general interest to other underground experiments such as double beta decay and dark matter searches.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2018

MP1 Intermediate Characterization Report Summary

Great effort worldwide has been invested in replacing high enriched uranium (HEU) fuel with low enriched uranium (LEU) fuel in nuclear plants. This effort aims in safeguarding nuclear material and promoting the proliferation resistance of current reactors. The United States Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) Materials Management and Minimization Reactor Conversion program is actively working to convert civilian research and test reactors from the use of HEU to LEU fuel. To date, DOE NNSA has converted or verified the shutdown of various domestic reactors and also reactors worldwide. The task to develop and test a new LEU fuel while maintaining current performances has been assigned to the High-Performance Research Reactor (USHPRR) program. U alloyed with Mo achieves the goal of high uranium density necessary for the conversion of the high performance research reactors, and has also demonstrated good performance in pile [1]. The alloying process of U with Mo stabilizes the body-centered cubic (bcc) gamma phase (?-U) at room temperature. Without this alloying property enhancement, this phase is only stable at temperatures only above 770 °C. Retaining this isotropic gamma phase within the U-Mo alloy provides swelling and oxidation resistance and desired mechanical properties [2]. Generally 10% w. has been considered sufficient to achieve stabilization. However, local phenomena within the alloy can affect the local Mo content and lead to gamma phase decomposition. Because of this, it has been suggested that controlling gamma phase decomposition is most critical during processing [2-3]. The work detailed in this document is part of the HPPR program and focuses on the characterization of fresh fuel (a.k.a. as fabricated, before reactor testing) in collaboration with other laboratories including PNNL (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory), LANL (Los Alamos National Laboratory) and BWXT (Babcock and Wilcox Technologies). This testing is part of a 4 way validation for which similar samples from master plates were taken and distributed to each laboratory to independently analyze utilizing a standardized set of measurement and analysis procedures. When complete this work will supply a “toolbox” of information for alloying and fabrication parameters with its direct effects on microstructure quantified. Various parameters have been analyzed in this characterization effort (including grain size, quality of the coating layer, composition of the samples, carbide content etc.), based on the direction of the working group in ref.[4]. The final aim of this work is to increase the understanding of the impact of processing conditions on the final fuel microstructure, using fabrication processes that meet “commercial viability” requirements [4]. The strength of this campaign rests on the extent of the samples studied and the variation of the manufacture parameters which will permit to achieve the required understanding. Thus permitting to use these experiments to down-select test samples used to evaluate irradiation performance [4] to be tested in various locations of the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Advanced Test Reactor (ATR).

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Wind Energy Instrumentation Atlas

The US Department of Energy (DOE) A2e program is focused on developing the next generation of predictive tools to better understand wind plant performance and help industry lower the overall cost of energy. A formal verification and validation process is required to demonstrate improved accuracy of these new models beyond those currently employed. And a critical part of model validation is utilization of a diverse set of accurate observations of atmospheric forcing and wind plant response. A number of existing data sets that will be used for this purpose, as highlighted by Schreck and Maniaci (2017) but A2e researchers also realize that new datasets will be required to meet validation objectives. As such, plans for new experiments based on model validation priorities (NALU validation plan, 2017) are currently being developed. This document is intended to serve as a reference to experimental study planners that describes the capability, accuracy and resolution of existing and developing measurement technologies to observe quantities of interest for wind plant model validation. Such systems can be broken into two major categories: those that measure the flow field and surrounding atmosphere around and within a wind plant and those that measure the turbine response within the wind plant. The A2e validation team will use this catalogue of instrument capability in conjunction with the validation plan, to choose the optimal set of instruments to be deployed, inform instrument placement and operation and estimate the types of validation that may be gathered through new field campaigns. Where existing instrumentation is deficient, the document will also help guide DOE towards potential areas where instrumentation development is required to meet validation objectives and A2e technology development funding may be required. The domain of interest is the wind plant microscale, within and surrounding a single wind plant, typically, tens of kilometers on a side in horizontal directions and to the top of the atmospheric boundary layer (about 1km) in the vertical. Some observations of dominant mesoscale forcing phenomena are required, with the highest resolution measurements occurring in the wind turbine wakes and on the turbines themselves. The simulation tools to be validated are mesoscale driven large-eddy simulations of the atmosphere with full aeroelastic response of individual turbines within the plant. Use cases vary slightly among tool users, but should focus on the primary end customers of the simulations and research insights, which would be turbine manufacturers, wind plant developers and owners. Broadly speaking their interests are maximizing energy output, while maintaining turbine reliability and lifetime.

17 WIND ENERGY↗