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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 343 records · Page 19
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

A Cost-Effective Upgrade Path for the Fermilab Accelerator Complex

The Fermilab Proton Improvement Plan II, or PIP-II, would enable the world's most intense high-energy neutrino beam and would help scientists search for rare particle physics processes. The PIP-II goal is to deliver 1.2 MW of proton beam power from the Fermilab Main Injector, over the energy range 60 - 120 GeV, at the start of operation of the LBNF/DUNE program. PIP-II provides a variety of upgrade paths to higher beam power from the Main Injector, as demanded by the neutrino science program and as recommended by the 2014 P5 report. Delivering more than 2 MW to the LBNF target in the future will require a replacement of the existing Booster. This report outlines a cost-effective Booster replacement option and an upgrade path for the Fermilab Accelerator Complex to attain 2.4-MW beam power on the LBNF target, as well as to retain the capability to provide 8-GeV proton beams to the existing Fermilab Muon Campus via the existing Recycler ring. Its cost-effectiveness is achieved by: (1) using a small-diameter metallic vacuum chamber in the Booster replacement and (2) reusing the existing Recycler ring. Reusing the Recycler ring may be of particular advantage since it is presently employed to deliver 8-GeV beams to the Muon Campus experiments. The present concept also retains such a capability.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Assessment of Crustal Leg Uncertainties for RSTT Path-dependent Uncertainty

The Regional Seismic Travel Time (RSTT) model and software were recently updated to allow for path-dependent uncertainty (PDU) estimates for travel-time (Begnaud et al. 2021; Begnaud et al. 2020). Begnaud et al. (2021) describes the process of improving the current distance-dependent uncertainty parameterization for RSTT using a random effects model (REM) to estimate slowness (inverse velocity) uncertainty as a mean squared error for each model parameter. The REM separates the error between observed slowness and model predicted slowness into bias and random components. The PDU is calculated by integrating these mean squared errors along a seismic-phase ray path.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

An Upgrade Path for the Fermilab Accelerator Complex

The completion of the PIP-II project and its superconducting linear accelerator will provide up to 1.2 MW of beam power to the LBNF/DUNE facility for neutrino physics. It will also be able to produce high-power beams directly from the linac that can be used for lower-energy particle physics experiments as well, such as directing beam toward the Muon Campus at Fermilab for example. Any further significant upgrade of the beam power to DUNE, however, will be impeded by the limitations of the present Booster synchrotron at the facility. To increase the power to DUNE by a factor of two would require a new accelerator arrangement to feed the Main Injector that does not include the Booster. In what follows, a path toward upgrading the Fermilab accelerator complex to bring the beam power for DUNE to 2.4 MW is presented, using a new rapid-cycling synchrotron plus an energy upgrade to the PIP-II linac. The path includes the ability to instigate a new lower-energy, very high-power beam delivery system for experiments that can address much of the science program presented by the Booster Replacement Science Working Group. It also allows for the future possibility to go beyond 2.4 MW up to roughly 4 MW from the Main Injector.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Reaction Evolution Flow Chart - The Critical Path to DDT [Slides]

Purpose (and limitations): The following flow-chart identifies and organizes a generalized, and simplified, sequence of necessary conditions for accidental ignition and reaction growth in a consolidated, polymer-bonded explosive (PBX) charge that has been insulted. A ‘yes’ answer to each question will lead down the critical path and produce violent, explosive reactions, up to and possibly including transition to detonation. Alternatively, any ‘no’ answer will serve as an off-ramp from the path resulting in less violent responses. It is important to note that this flow-chart is a high-level tool to flag potential operational vulnerabilities, but lacks the details needed to stand alone as a sole-source for risk determination. Each question represents a significant area of study and, therefore, the flow chart is intended to be supplemented by subject matter expert elicitations.

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEF↗
DOE OSTI2025

Measuring the Mean Free Path of H i Ionizing Photons at 3.2 ≤ z ≤ 4.6 with DESI Y1 Quasars

The mean free path of ionizing photons in the intergalactic medium (IGM; λ $^{912}_{mpf}$ ) is a crucial quantity in modeling the ionization state of the IGM and the extragalactic ultraviolet background, and it is widely used in hydrodynamical simulations of galaxies and reionization. We construct the largest quasar spectrum data set to date—12,595 signal-to-noise ratio > 3 spectra—using the Y1 observations of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument, to make the most precise model-independent measurement of the mean free path at 3.2 ≤ z ≤ 4.6. By stacking the spectra in 17 redshift bins and modeling the Lyman-continuum profile, we get a redshift evolution λ $^{912}_{mpf}$ ∝ ( 1 + z ) − 4.27 at 2 ≤ z ≤ 5, which is much shallower than the previous estimate, λ $^{912}_{mpf}$ ∝ ( 1 + z ) − 5.4 . We then explore the sources of systematic bias, including the choice of the intrinsic quasar continuum, the consideration of Lyman-series opacity and Lyman-limit opacity evolution, and the definition of λ $^{912}_{mpf}$ . Combining our results with estimates of λ $^{912}_{mpf}$ at higher redshifts, we conclude at high confidence that the evolution in λ $^{912}_{mpf}$ steepens at z ≈ 5. We interpret this inflection as the transition from the end of H i reionization to a fully ionized plasma that characterizes the IGM of the past ∼10 billion yr.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1966

Copper foil provides uniform heat sink path

Thermal path prevents voids and discontinuities which make heat sinks in electronic equipment inefficient. The thermal path combines the high thermal conductivity of copper with the resiliency of silicone rubber.

Phillips, I. E., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Path-length distributions of photons diffusely reflected from a semi-infinite atmosphere.

Knowledge of the probability distribution of photon path lengths for diffuse reflection in the continuum from a planetary atmosphere greatly simplifies computation of the shape and strength of absorption lines formed under conditions of multiple scattering. Graphs of this probability distribution are presented for diffuse reflection from a semiinfinite conservative atmosphere for both isotropic and forward-directed scattering, and for several angles of incidence and reflection. Graphs showing distributions for the case of absorption in the continuum are also discussed. The distributions are obtained from an analytic expression for the path-length distribution for nth-order scattering and a tabulation of nth-order intensities. It is found that te shape of the probability distribution depends markedly on the degree of forward scattering due to the phase function. The results are compared with those obtained by a Monte Carlo computation of the sort which might be used if tabulated nth-order intensities were not available.

Appleby, J. F.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Interplanetary gas. XVIII - Models and the mean free path of protons at 1 astronomical unit.

Velocity distribution functions of solar-wind protons obtained by the Vela 3 satellites have been analyzed to obtain a microscopic determination of the momentum flux along magnetic field lines with respect to a reference frame moving at the bulk speed. The determination from macroscopic parameters allows the calculation of an effective mean free path for protons at 1 AU which averages 0.06 AU and is relatively independent of solar-wind velocity w. For quiet times when w is from 300 to 400 km/sec, the experimental mean free path is 2 to 3 times smaller than the value from plasma theory. For w greater than 400 km/sec, the experimental value is 10 to 100 times smaller than the theoretical value.

Brandt, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Path selection system development and evaluation for a Martian roving vehicle

A path selection system evaluation test procedure has been developed to enhance the analysis capability of an existing digital computer simulation package. The procedure investigates the obstacle avoidance ability of a path selection system on a sequence of test terrains with and without random effects. Using the standard test procedure a proposed mid-range sensor system has been evaluated and recommendations directed at improving the performance of the system have been made. In addition, the initial development and evaluation of a short range sensor system has been undertaken.

Campbell, R. S.↗
NASA NTRS1973

The scattering mean free path in the Uranian atmosphere

New measurements of the equivalent widths of the 4.0 S(0) and S(1) H2 quadrupole lines in the Uranian spectrum have been obtained using high dispersion (4.12 A/mm) image-tube spectrography. The measured equivalent widths are 62 plus or minus 19 mA and 58 plus or minus 13 mA for the S(0) and S(1) lines, respectively. Curve-of-growth analysis in terms of a reflecting layer model yields an H2 column density of 780 (+940 or -330) km amagat and a temperature of 78 (+80 or -24) K. Interpretation using a semiinfinite, homogeneous, isotropically scattering model for line formation yields a scattering mean free path at 6400 A of 550 plus or minus 250 km amagat. Quoted errors for both the H2 column density and the scattering mean free path include the effect of uncertainty in the choice of atmospheric temperature. The results are discussed in terms of current models for the Uranian atmosphere.

Price, M. J.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Evaluation of spoilers for light aircraft flight path control

A fixed-base flight simulator was used to evaluate wing spoilers for longitudinal flight path control on a modified Cessna 177B aircraft. More than 100 simulated ILS approaches were flown by evaluation pilots using both conventional methods and spoiler controls. Three different spoiler control methods were evaluated. Spoilers provided precise glide path control with constant airspeed and attitude. Control is most effective when the steady-state trimmed aircraft lift coefficient remains independent of spoiler position.

Kohlman, D. L.↗
NASA NTRS1974

On the passage of radiation through inhomogeneous, moving media. VIII - Ray paths and fluxes in a plane differentially sheared medium

We give a detailed discussion of the group-velocity ray paths in a plane differentially sheared medium with constant index of refraction as measured by a local inertial observer. For a given velocity profile the numerical ray paths are presented graphically for several representative cases. Assuming that the medium has a volume emissivity and that a given flux of radiation is incident at the base of the medium, the flux of radiation leaving the slab as a function of exit angle is calculated and presented in the same representative cases. Peaks and discontinuities in the flux generally appear at given exit angles, but their locations and the half-widths of the peaks depend sensitively on the index of refraction.

Lee, M. A.↗
NASA NTRS1976

An empirical relationship for path diversity gain

Existing 15.3 and 16 GHz path diversity gain data for earth-space propagation paths are used to generate an empirical relationship for diversity gain as a function of terminal separation distance and single terminal fade depth. The agreement between the resulting closed form expression and the data is within 0.75 dB in all cases.

Hodge, D. B.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Cesium oscillator strengths measured with a multiple-path-length absorption cell

Absorption-oscillator-strength measurements for the principal series in cesium were measured using a multiple-path-length cell. The optical arrangement included a movable transverse path for checking the uniformity of the alkali density along the length of the cell and which also allowed strength measurements to be made simultaneously on both strong and weak lines. The strengths measured on the first 10 doublets indicate an increasing trend in the doublet ratio. The individual line strengths are in close agreement with the high resolution measurements of Pichler (1974) and with the calculations of Norcross (1973).

Exton, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Attenuation of propagation through rain for an earth-satellite path correlated with predicted values using radar

During the summer of 1974 and spring of 1975, measurements of attenuation of propagation through rain were made at Wallops Island, VA, using 13 and 18 GHz transmitters operating in the uplink mode toward the ATS-6 satellite. Simultaneously, rain reflectivity levels were measured along the earth-satellite path using a high resolution (0.4 deg beamwidth) S-band radar having a scanning antenna. Four rain-gages and two disdrometers were also located in the vicinity of the transmitters. The radar and disdrometer data were used in a modelling program to predict attenuation levels which were subsequently compared to the directly measured fades over nearly simultaneous time intervals. Predicted attenuation levels were obtained for three drop size distributions. Comparisons between predicted and measured attenuation levels showed the APL dropsize distribution gave the smallest rms difference of 1.3 dB at 13 and 18 GHz although the rms difference corresponding to Marshall-Palmer was close to this value. The good agreement suggests the validity of using radar to model path attenuation to obtain attenuation statistics.

Goldhirsh, J.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Description of path-in-the-sky contact analog piloting display

A contact analog display called Path-In-The-Sky (PITS) integrates information on airplane attitude, airplane kinematic performance, navigation situation, and path prediction into one instrument. The pictorial format utilized in the PITS display concept was designed to reduce the required instrument scan and to simplify interpretation of informtion with the objective of reducing pilot work load. Described are the symbology of the PITS display, the coordinate systems used to generate the display, and the magnitudes of pertinent geometric characteristics selected during the display development. Also included are examples of the PITS display generated on a stand-alone graphics computer.

Knox, C. E.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Gas Path Sealing in Turbine Engines

A survey of gas path seals is presented with particular attention given to sealing clearance effects on engine component efficiency. The effects on compressor pressure ratio and stall margin are pointed out. Various case-rotor relative displacements, which affect gas path seal clearances, are identified. Forces produced by nonuniform sealing clearances and their effect on rotor stability are discussed qualitatively, and recent work on turbine-blade-tip sealing for high temperature is described. The need for active clearance control and for engine structural analysis is discussed. The functions of the internal-flow system and its seals are reviewed.

Ludwig, L. P.↗