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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 37 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2012

Development of a pixelated GSO gamma camera system with tungsten parallel hole collimator for single photon imaging

Purpose: In small animal imaging using a single photon emitting radionuclide, a high resolution gamma camera is required. Recently, position sensitive photomultiplier tubes (PSPMTs) with high quantum efficiency have been developed. By combining these with nonhygroscopic scintillators with a relatively low light output, a high resolution gamma camera can become useful for low energy gamma photons. Therefore, the authors developed a gamma camera by combining a pixelated Ce-doped Gd{sub 2}SiO{sub 5} (GSO) block with a high quantum efficiency PSPMT. Methods: GSO was selected for the scintillator, because it is not hygroscopic and does not contain any natural radioactivity. An array of 1.9 mm x 1.9 mm x 7 mm individual GSO crystal elements was constructed. These GSOs were combined with a 0.1-mm thick reflector to form a 22 x 22 matrix and optically coupled to a high quantum efficiency PSPMT (H8500C-100 MOD8). The GSO gamma camera was encased in a tungsten gamma-ray shield with tungsten pixelated parallel hole collimator, and the basic performance was measured for Co-57 gamma photons (122 keV). Results: In a two-dimensional position histogram, all pixels were clearly resolved. The energy resolution was {approx}15% FWHM. With the 20-mm thick tungsten pixelated collimator, the spatial resolution was 4.4-mm FWHM 40 mm from the collimator surface, and the sensitivity was {approx}0.05%. Phantom and small animal images were successfully obtained with our developed gamma camera. Conclusions: These results confirmed that the developed pixelated GSO gamma camera has potential as an effective instrument for low energy gamma photon imaging.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2023

Developing a Novel Neutron Time-of-Flight Diagnostic Platform for Z: Ultrafast Pixel Array Camera System

This report describes a Late-Start LDRD project on a compact neutron time-of-flight (nTOF) diagnostic, based on the Ultra-Fast Pixel Array Camera (UPAC) platform. By leveraging advancements in microelectronics, the UPAC nTOF is designed to address existing challenges of current nTOFs at the Z-machine that rely on large scintillators and photomultiplier tubes using bulky, discrete digitizing units hindering scalability with signal routing presenting an additional challenge. The report describes the UPAC diagnostic platform, outlines the calibration of the diagnostic and the latest results of fielding the UPAC as a ride-a-long diagnostic on the Magnetized liner inertial fusion (MagLIF) campaigns at the Z-machine supported by the Late-Start LDRD, and finally discusses conclusions and proposed future work.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2013

A compact single-camera system for high-speed, simultaneous 3-D velocity and temperature measurements.

The University of Michigan and Sandia National Laboratories collaborated on the initial development of a compact single-camera approach for simultaneously measuring 3-D gasphase velocity and temperature fields at high frame rates. A compact diagnostic tool is desired to enable investigations of flows with limited optical access, such as near-wall flows in an internal combustion engine. These in-cylinder flows play a crucial role in improving engine performance. Thermographic phosphors were proposed as flow and temperature tracers to extend the capabilities of a novel, compact 3D velocimetry diagnostic to include high-speed thermometry. Ratiometric measurements were performed using two spectral bands of laser-induced phosphorescence emission from BaMg2Al10O17:Eu (BAM) phosphors in a heated air flow to determine the optimal optical configuration for accurate temperature measurements. The originally planned multi-year research project ended prematurely after the first year due to the Sandia-sponsored student leaving the research group at the University of Michigan.

Lu, Louise↗
DOE OSTI2016

SU-D-201-05: On the Automatic Recognition of Patient Safety Hazards in a Radiotherapy Setup Using a Novel 3D Camera System and a Deep Learning Framework

Purpose: Patient safety hazards such as a wrong patient/site getting treated can lead to catastrophic results. The purpose of this project is to automatically detect potential patient safety hazards during the radiotherapy setup and alert the therapist before the treatment is initiated. Methods: We employed a set of co-located and co-registered 3D cameras placed inside the treatment room. Each camera provided a point-cloud of fraxels (fragment pixels with 3D depth information). Each of the cameras were calibrated using a custom-built calibration target to provide 3D information with less than 2 mm error in the 500 mm neighborhood around the isocenter. To identify potential patient safety hazards, the treatment room components and the patient’s body needed to be identified and tracked in real-time. For feature recognition purposes, we used a graph-cut based feature recognition with principal component analysis (PCA) based feature-to-object correlation to segment the objects in real-time. Changes in the object’s position were tracked using the CamShift algorithm. The 3D object information was then stored for each classified object (e.g. gantry, couch). A deep learning framework was then used to analyze all the classified objects in both 2D and 3D and was then used to fine-tune a convolutional network for object recognition. The number of network layers were optimized to identify the tracked objects with >95% accuracy. Results: Our systematic analyses showed that, the system was effectively able to recognize wrong patient setups and wrong patient accessories. The combined usage of 2D camera information (color + depth) enabled a topology-preserving approach to verify patient safety hazards in an automatic manner and even in scenarios where the depth information is partially available. Conclusion: By utilizing the 3D cameras inside the treatment room and a deep learning based image classification, potential patient safety hazards can be effectively avoided.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Radiation Testing for High-Resolution Radiation-Hardened Camera System (Final CRADA Report)

The nuclear energy industry needs higher-image quality and higher rad-hard vision systems for refueling and inspection operations that are required every 12-18 months for all operating commercial reactors. During refueling operations, the serial numbers of fuel assemblies need to be visually verified in a challenging high radiation environment with dose rates on the order of 1kGy/hr. at the top of the core (approximately 10 days after shutdown). Vega Wave Systems has developed and built a radiation hard vision system that: 1. has high radiation hardness, 2. demonstrated best in the industry image quality, 3. has small size and weight, and 4. does not suffer from radiation-induced noise. ANL-1060 (02/13/2023) The proprietary Enduray vision system from Vega Wave Systems, Inc. is designed to withstand more than 400x the radiation level of the Vidicon-based systems, currently the highest radiation tolerant system in use today. The Van De Graaff (VDG) electron accelerator at Argonne National Laboratory is ideally suited for testing of Enduray vision system. VDG provides a broad band (up to 3 MeV) x-ray source that reasonably approximates the energy and spectrum of the gamma radiation expected at the top of a nuclear core 10 days after shutdown (~1kGy/hr.), is easily controlled for variable tests, and will not activate the parts under radiation for ease of timely and close inspection and characterization of the system in case of operational issues.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Assessing the Impact of Mirror Technology on Driver Perception and Safety: Traditional vs. Camera-Based Systems

Camera-based mirror systems (CBMS) are being adopted by commercial fleets based on the potential improvements to operational efficiency through improved aerodynamics, resulting in better fuel economy, improved maneuverability, and the potential improvement for overall safety. Until CBMS are widely adopted it will be expected that drivers will be required to adapt to both conventional glass mirrors and CBMS which could have potential impact on the safety and performance of the driver when moving between vehicles with and without CBMS. To understand the potential impact to driver perception and safety, along with other human factors related to CBMS, laboratory testing was performed to understand the impact of CBMS and conventional glass mirrors. Drivers were subjected to various, nominal driving scenarios using a truck equipped with conventional glass mirrors, CBMS, and both glass mirrors and CBMS, to observe the differences in metrics such as head and eye movement, reaction time, and perception of distance. The finds from this study will serve as the baseline measurements for future research regarding off-nominal driving scenarios and hardware failures of CBMS, as well as inform potential future policy regarding CBMS for the use in commercial vehicles in lieu of conventional glass mirrors.

Siekmann, Adam [ORNL] (ORCID:0000000284653935)↗
DOE OSTI2023

Key Considerations in Assessing the Safety and Performance of Camera-Based Mirror Systems

Camera-based mirror systems (CBMSs) are a relatively new technology in the automotive industry, and much of the United States’ medium- and heavy-duty commercial fleet has been reluctant to convert from standard glass, or “west coast”, mirrors to CBMSs. CBMSs have the potential to reduce the number of truck and passenger vehicle incidents, improving overall fleet safety. CBMSs also have the potential to improve operational efficiency by improving aerodynamics and reducing drag, resulting in better fuel economy, and improving maneuverability. Improvements in overall safety are also possible; the field of view for the driver is potentially 360° with the addition of trailer cameras, allowing for visibility of the rear of the trailer and the front of the truck. These potential improvements seem promising, but the literature on driver surveys clearly shows that there is reluctance to adopt this technology for many reasons. Additionally, more robust testing in the laboratory and in the field is necessary to determine whether CBMSs are adequate to replace standard mirrors on trucks. This analysis provides an overview of key research questions for CBMS testing based on the current literature on the topic (surveys, standards, and previous testing). The purpose of this analysis is to serve as guidance in developing further testing of CBMSs, especially testing involving human subjects.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Three-Dimensional Tracking of High-Speed Tumbling Projectiles Using Stroboscopic Imaging

Creating images of high-speed projectiles has been a topic of interest for almost a century. Historically, ballistics ranges have used air-gap flash photography or high-speed video cameras to capture this type of data. Air-gap flash photography provides a single image at each camera station. Using modern high-speed imagers provides accurate data but is cost prohibitive for a long-distance range. This paper presents a camera system capable of capturing the three-dimensional data of high speed projectiles over a long distance. The system uses relatively low-cost cameras which are set up in a stereo vision configuration and uses high-speed strobe lights to create multi exposure images. Each pulse of light captures the position of the projectile as it passes the camera. For each position captured in the image, the three-dimensional position of the projectile is found using triangulation geometry. The linear velocity of the projectile is calculated by combining the position of the projectile with timing data. Two test series were conducted. The first test series compares different cameras and backdrops for the camera system. The second test series captured position data for two different shapes of high-speed tumbling projectiles.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2012

Scaling of Microcavity Plasmas Toward 1 µm. Science and Engineering of Spatially-Confined, Low Temperature Plasmas

The DOE has provided, by means of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), $146,400 in funding for the purchase of scientific equipment. Specifically, these funds have enabled the purchase of two scientific cameras that have already been applied to the research in microcavity plasmas at the University of Illinois (Urbana). The first camera system that was purchased with these funds is a gated ICCD system that allows events as short as 5 ns in time to be captured. It is difficult to express the impact that this equipment has already had on our research. Despite having arrived just 6 - 7 months ago, this camera system has already been used by five graduate students and several undergraduates to capture phenomena that we simply could not see in the past. As an example, the low temperature plasma confined to a spiral structure we fabricate in the Al/Al₂O₃ materials system appears, on long time scales such as those we see with our eyes, to be spatially uniform. However, when captured with the new camera system, the plasma actually is formed initially at the center of the spiral and then moves radially (literally, "jumping" over channels as it goes) at a velocity of a few km/sec. This is an exciting result and I should add that the camera shows that plasma standing waves are produced in some of the structures as well. We do not currently understand all of the phenomena we are witnessing but it is obvious that this new system has quite literally opened new areas of plasma research and application. The second system purchased under this ARRA grant is an infrared system that is far more sensitive than anything our laboratory (or the University of Illinois, for that matter) has had previously. Although fewer experiments have been completed to date with this second camera, it is already clear that it is, indeed, extremely sensitive and it is slated for several experiments in the near future in which we will be measuring the infrared spectra of several arrays of microcavity plasmas. In summary, let me express my thanks to the DOE for granting these funds. We are most grateful for the extraordinary scientific capability that thee funds provide our students. We expect that the scientific data already acquired by this equipment will result in several publications in the next 2 - 3 months (two are being written now). Furthermore, the ability we now have to watch plasmas evolve on the nanosecond time scale has given us several ideas that are likely to result in patent applications. On behalf of our students and myself, I thank the DOE for this exceptional equipment.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2017

Stereo-Optic High Definition Imaging: A New Technology to Understand Bird and Bat Avoidance of Wind Turbines

There is a critical need to develop monitoring tools to track aerofauna (birds and bats) in three dimensions around wind turbines. New monitoring systems will reduce permitting uncertainty by increasing the understanding of how birds and bats are interacting with wind turbines, which will improve the accuracy of impact predictions. Biodiversity Research Institute (BRI), The University of Maine Orono School of Computing and Information Science (UMaine SCIS), HiDef Aerial Surveying Limited (HiDef), and SunEdison, Inc. (formerly First Wind) responded to this need by using stereo-optic cameras with near-infrared (nIR) technology to investigate new methods for documenting aerofauna behavior around wind turbines. The stereo-optic camera system used two synchronized high-definition video cameras with fisheye lenses and processing software that detected moving objects, which could be identified in post-processing. The stereo- optic imaging system offered the ability to extract 3-D position information from pairs of images captured from different viewpoints. Fisheye lenses allowed for a greater field of view, but required more complex image rectification to contend with fisheye distortion. The ability to obtain 3-D positions provided crucial data on the trajectory (speed and direction) of a target, which, when the technology is fully developed, will provide data on how animals are responding to and interacting with wind turbines. This project was focused on testing the performance of the camera system, improving video review processing time, advancing the 3-D tracking technology, and moving the system from Technology Readiness Level 4 to 5. To achieve these objectives, we determined the size and distance at which aerofauna (particularly eagles) could be detected and identified, created efficient data management systems, improved the video post-processing viewer, and attempted refinement of 3-D modeling with respect to fisheye lenses. The 29-megapixel camera system successfully captured 16,173 five-minute video segments in the field. During nighttime field trials using nIR, we found that bat-sized objects could not be detected more than 60 m from the camera system. This led to a decision to focus research efforts exclusively on daytime monitoring and to redirect resources towards improving the video post- processing viewer. We redesigned the bird event post-processing viewer, which substantially decreased the review time necessary to detect and identify flying objects. During daytime field trials, we determine that eagles could be detected up to 500 m away using the fisheye wide-angle lenses, and eagle-sized targets could be identified to species within 350 m of the camera system. We used distance sampling survey methods to describe the probability of detecting and identifying eagles and other aerofauna as a function of distance from the system. The previously developed 3-D algorithm for object isolation and tracking was tested, but the image rectification (flattening) required to obtain accurate distance measurements with fish-eye lenses was determined to be insufficient for distant eagles. We used MATLAB and OpenCV to improve fisheye lens rectification towards the center of the image, but accurate measurements towards the image corners could not be achieved. We believe that changing the fisheye lens to rectilinear lens would greatly improve position estimation, but doing so would result in a decrease in viewing angle and depth of field. Finally, we generated simplified shape profiles of birds to look for similarities between unknown animals and known species. With further development, this method could provide a mechanism for filtering large numbers of shapes to reduce data storage and processing. These advancements further refined the camera system and brought this new technology closer to market. Once commercialized, the stereo-optic camera system technology could be used to: a) research how different species interact with wind turbines in order to refine collision risk models and inform mitigation solutions; and b) monitor aerofauna interactions with terrestrial and offshore wind farms replacing costly human observers and allowing for long-term monitoring in the offshore environment. The camera system will provide developers and regulators with data on the risk that wind turbines present to aerofauna, which will reduce uncertainty in the environmental permitting process.

Adams, Evan↗