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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 433 records · Page 24
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1989

Smart structures research program at Virginia Tech

A review of the smart structures and avionics research and teaching program that started in 1979 at Virginia Tech is described. Current smart structures research include major efforts in the development of embedded and attached optical fiber and acoustic fiber sensors for cure monitoring, in-service lifetime structural testing, nondestructive evaluation, and impact and damage detection and analysis; of gradual material degradation; sensor signal multiplexing, processing and data handling to achieve near real-time distributed structural analysis; and the integration of embedded sensors, actuators and control electronics to achieve controlled structural response. Special campus facilities used for this work include an optical fiber fabrication facility, an autoclave for composite structure fabrication and curing, and laboratories for optical fiber sensor development, materials response and nondestructive evaluation, structural control testing and computer engineering.

Claus, R. O.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Electron-cyclotron maser radiation from a relativistic loss-cone distribution

A relativistic analysis of the electron-cyclotron maser instability in a loss-cone distribution is presented, extending the treatment of Lau and Chu (1983) to include the effects of finite k-perpendicular (as encountered in laboratory tandem-mirror devices with mean energies in excess of 50 keV). The results are presented in graphs, and it is found that the k-perpendicular effects are significant, so that emission perpendicular to the magnetic field is associated with most rapid growth of the instability. The persistence of the instability when the ratio of the plasma frequency to the electron-cyclotron frequency is less than 0.1 is demonstrated, and the factors which need to be accounted for in applying the results to actual mirror devices are indicated.

Pritchett, P. L.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Temporal Variation of Aerosol Properties at a Rural Continental Site and Study of Aerosol Evolution through Growth Law Analysis

Aerosol size distributions were measured by a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) onboard the CIRPAS Twin Otter aircraft during 16 flights at the Southern Great Plains (SGP) site in northern central Oklahoma as part of the Aerosol Intensive Operation period in May, 2003. During the same period a second SMPS was deployed at a surface station and provided continuous measurements. Combined with trace gas measurements at the SGP site and back-trajectory analysis, the aerosol size distributions provided insights into the sources of aerosols observed at the SGP site. High particle concentrations, observed mostly during daytime, were well correlated with the sulfur dioxide (SO2) mixing ratios, suggesting nucleation involving sulfuric acid is likely the main source of newly formed particles at the SGP. Aerosols within plumes originating from wildfires in Central America were measured at the surface site. Vertically compact aerosol layers, which can be traced back to forest fires in East Asia, were intercepted at altitudes over 3000 meters. Analyses of size dependent particle growth rates for four periods during which high cloud coverage was observed indicate growth dominated by volume controlled reactions. Sulfate accounts for 50% to 72% of the increase in aerosol volume concentration; the rest of the volume concentration increase was likely due to secondary organic species. The growth law analyses and meteorological conditions indicate that the sulfate was produced mainly through aqueous oxidation of SO2 in clouds droplets and hydrated aerosol particles.

Wang, Jian↗
DOE OSTI2024

3D Lead-Organoselenide-Halide Perovskites and their Mixed-Chalcogenide and Mixed-Halide Alloys

Here, we incorporate Se into the 3D halide perovskite framework using the zwitterionic ligand: SeCYS ( + NH 3 (CH 2 ) 2 Se - ), which occupies both the X - and A + sites in the prototypical ABX 3 perovskite. The new organoselenide-halide perovskites: (SeCYS)PbX 2 (X=Cl, Br) expand upon the recently discovered organosulfide-halide perovskites. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction and pair distribution function analysis reveal the average structures of the organoselenide-halide perovskites, whereas the local lead coordination environments and their distributions were probed through solid-state 77 Se and 207 Pb NMR, complemented by theoretical simulations. Density functional theory calculations illustrate that the band structures of (SeCYS)PbX 2 largely resemble those of their S analogs, with similar band dispersion patterns, yet with a considerable band gap decrease. Optical absorbance measurements indeed show band gaps of 2.07 and 1.86 eV for (SeCYS)PbX 2 with X=Cl and Br, respectively. We further demonstrate routes to alloying the halides (Cl, Br) and chalcogenides (S, Se) continuously tuning the band gap from 1.86 to 2.31 eV–straddling the ideal range for tandem solar cells or visible-light photocatalysis. The comprehensive description of the average and local structures, and how they can fine-tune the band gap and potential trap states, respectively, establishes the foundation for understanding this new perovskite family, which combines solid-state and organo-main-group chemistry.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS2008

Mitigating Photon Jitter in Optical PPM Communication

A theoretical analysis of photon-arrival jitter in an optical pulse-position-modulation (PPM) communication channel has been performed, and now constitutes the basis of a methodology for designing receivers to compensate so that errors attributable to photon-arrival jitter would be minimized or nearly minimized. Photon-arrival jitter is an uncertainty in the estimated time of arrival of a photon relative to the boundaries of a PPM time slot. Photon-arrival jitter is attributable to two main causes: (1) receiver synchronization error [error in the receiver operation of partitioning time into PPM slots] and (2) random delay between the time of arrival of a photon at a detector and the generation, by the detector circuitry, of a pulse in response to the photon. For channels with sufficiently long time slots, photon-arrival jitter is negligible. However, as durations of PPM time slots are reduced in efforts to increase throughputs of optical PPM communication channels, photon-arrival jitter becomes a significant source of error, leading to significant degradation of performance if not taken into account in design. For the purpose of the analysis, a receiver was assumed to operate in a photon- starved regime, in which photon counts follow a Poisson distribution. The analysis included derivation of exact equations for symbol likelihoods in the presence of photon-arrival jitter. These equations describe what is well known in the art as a matched filter for a channel containing Gaussian noise. These equations would yield an optimum receiver if they could be implemented in practice. Because the exact equations may be too complex to implement in practice, approximations that would yield suboptimal receivers were also derived.

Moision, Bruce↗
DOE OSTI2022

Statistical analysis of S—N type environmental fatigue data of Ni-base alloy welds using weibull distribution

In this study, the probabilistic fatigue life model for Ni-base alloys was developed based on the Weibull distribution using statistical analysis of fatigue data reported in NUREG/CR-6909 and the new fatigue data of Alloy 52M/152 and 82/182. The developed Weibull model can consider right-censored data (i.e., non-failed data) and quantify the improved safety (or reliability) based on the level of failure probability. The overall margin in the current fatigue design limit model (ASME design curve + NUREG/CR-6909 F en model) is similar to that of the Weibull model with a cumulative failure probability of approximately 2.5%. The margin in the current fatigue design limit model demonstrated inconsistencies for the Ni-base alloy weld data, whereas the Weibull model showed a consistent margin. Therefore, the Weibull model can systematically mitigate the excessive safety margin.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1994

Computational strategies for three-dimensional flow simulations on distributed computer systems

An increasing amount of research activity in computational fluid dynamics has been devoted to the development of efficient algorithms for parallel computing systems. The increasing performance to price ratio of engineering workstations has led to research to development procedures for implementing a parallel computing system composed of distributed workstations. This thesis proposal outlines an ongoing research program to develop efficient strategies for performing three-dimensional flow analysis on distributed computing systems. The PVM parallel programming interface was used to modify an existing three-dimensional flow solver, the TEAM code developed by Lockheed for the Air Force, to function as a parallel flow solver on clusters of workstations. Steady flow solutions were generated for three different wing and body geometries to validate the code and evaluate code performance. The proposed research will extend the parallel code development to determine the most efficient strategies for unsteady flow simulations.

Weed, Richard Allen↗
NASA NTRS1988

Frequency distribution histograms for the rapid analysis of data

The mean and standard error are good representations for the response of a population to an experimental parameter and are frequently used for this purpose. Frequency distribution histograms show, in addition, responses of individuals in the population. Both the statistics and a visual display of the distribution of the responses can be obtained easily using a microcomputer and available programs. The type of distribution shown by the histogram may suggest different mechanisms to be tested.

NASA Discipline Plant Biology↗
NASA NTRS1992

Effects of habitat map generalization in biodiversity assessment

Species richness is being mapped as part of an inventory of biological diversity in California (i.e., gap analysis). Species distributions are modeled with a GIS on the basis of maps of each species' preferred habitats. Species richness is then tallied in equal-area sampling units. A GIS sensitivity analysis examined the effects of the level of generalization of the habitat map on the predicted distribution of species richness in the southern Sierra Nevada. As the habitat map was generalized, the number of habitat types mapped within grid cells tended to decrease with a corresponding decline in numbers of species predicted. Further, the ranking of grid cells in order of predicted numbers of species changed dramatically between levels of generalization. Areas predicted to be of greatest conservation value on the basis of species richness may therefore be sensitive to GIS data resolution.

Stoms, David M.↗
NASA NTRS1987

A cyclotron-maser instability associated with a nongyrotropic distribution

A stability analysis for the cyclotron-maser instability in the presence of a nongyrotropic electron distribution is presented. The model configuration describes a uniformly magnetized cold ambient plasma that contains a relatively diffuse suprathermal electron component coherently bunched in gyrophase. The stability of perturbations propagating parallel to the ambient magnetic field is considered, and substantial growth rates are found to occur. The results are contrasted with those found for a comparable gyrotropic loss-cone distribution, and it is found that the nongyrotropic instability is characterized by substantially higher growth rates.

Freund, H. P.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Distribution automation and control support; Analysis and interpretation of DAC working group results for use in project planning

The Executive Summary and Proceedings of the Working Group Meeting was analyzed to identify specific projects appropriate for Distribution Automation and Control DAC RD&D. Specific projects that should be undertaken in the DAC RD&D program were recommended. The projects are presented under broad categories of work selected based on ESC's interpretation of the results of the Working Group Meeting. Some of the projects are noted as utility industry projects. The ESC recommendations regarding program management are presented. Utility versus Government management responsibilities are noted.

Klock, P.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Understanding electronic peculiarities in tetragonal FeSe as local structural symmetry breaking

Traditional band theory of perfect crystalline solids often uses as input the structure deduced from diffraction experiments; when modeled by the minimal unit cell this often produces a spatially averaged model. The present study illustrates that this is not always a safe practice unless one examines if the intrinsic bonding mechanism is capable of benefiting from the formation of a distribution of lower symmetry local environments that differ from the macroscopically averaged structure. This can happen either due to positional or to magnetic symmetry breaking. By removing the constraint of a small crystallographic cell, the energy minimization in the density functional theory finds atomic and spin symmetry breaking, not evident in conventional diffraction experiments but being found by local probes such as atomic pair distribution function analysis. Here in this paper we report that large atomic and electronic anomalies in bulk tetragonal FeSe emerge from the existence of distributions of local positional and magnetic moment motifs. The found symmetry-broken motifs obtained by minimization of the internal energy represent what chemical bonding in the tetragonal phase prefers as intrinsic energy lowering (stabilizing) static distortions. This explains observations of band renormalization, predicts orbital order and enhanced nematicity, and provides unprecedented close agreement with spectral function measured by photoemission and local atomic environment revealed by the pair distribution function. While the symmetry-restricted strong correlation approach has been argued previously to be the exclusive theory needed for describing the main peculiarities of FeSe, we show here that the symmetry-broken mean-field approach addresses numerous aspects of the problem, provides intuitive insight into the electronic structure, and opens the door for large-scale mean-field calculations for similar d -electron quantum materials.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2026

Strategies for Flood Resilience and Grid Investment Among Iowa's Electric Distribution Utilities

Flooding poses a growing threat to Iowa's electric distribution system, yet utilities face significant data and modeling challenges in planning effective resilience investments. This report provides a foundational assessment of how distribution utilities in Iowa, investor-owned, municipal, and cooperative, approach resilience planning, with a focus on flood risk. It combines hazard characterization, review of state and utility practices, and application of NLR's Energy Resilience Analysis for Distribution Systems (ERAD) and Capacity Expansion Decision Support for Distribution Networks (CADET) tools. Using FEMA floodplains, Iowa Flood Center depth grids, and utility infrastructure data, the analysis quantifies asset exposure, simulates outage risks, and evaluates resilience strategies such as pole hardening, undergrounding, and substation protection. Results indicate that while feeder-level upgrades provide incremental benefits, the most significant reductions in outage risk are achieved through targeted substation interventions. The report highlights key data gaps, such as limited elevation data and fragility functions, and underscores the need for probability-weighted investment frameworks to address both frequent and catastrophic flood events. These insights aim to support utilities, state agencies, and federal partners in prioritizing resilience investments that safeguard Iowa's electric grid against future flooding.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2020

Face Recognition Oak Ridge (FaRO): A Framework for Distributed and Scalable Biometrics Applications

The facial biometrics community has seen a recent abundance of high-accuracy facial analytic models become freely available. Although these models' capabilities in facial detection, landmark detection, attribute analysis, and recognition are ever-increasing, they aren't always straightforward to deploy in a real-world environment. In reality, the use of the field's ever growing collection of models is becoming exceedingly difficult as library dependencies update and deprecate. Researchers often encounter headaches when attempting to utilize multiple models requiring different or conflicting software packages. Face Recognition Oak Ridge (FaRO) is an open-source project designed to provide a highly modular, flexible framework for unifying facial analytic models through a compartmentalized plug-and-play paradigm built on top of the gRPC (Google Remote Procedure Call) protocol. FaRO's server-client architecture and flexible portability allows easy construction of modularized and heterogeneous face analysis pipelines, distributed over many machines with differing hardware and software resources. This paper outlines FaRO's architecture and current capabilities, along with some experiments in model testing and distributed scaling through FaRO.

Bolme, David↗
DOE OSTI2023

Gap Analysis of Supply Chain Cybersecurity for Distributed Energy Resources

A supply chain is the combination of the ecosystem of resources needed to design, manufacture, and distribute a product. In the context of supply chain cybersecurity, the resources that directly influence this ecosystem include software, data, and/or other digital components. Compromised equipment or software in the supply chain may lead to attacks such as financial loss; denial of service; a breach of confidential or proprietary information from a company, its customers, or its suppliers; ransomware that denies operation of automated equipment for payment; and malicious control actions that could damage equipment and endanger personnel. Currently 60.8% of US energy comes from fossil fuels, 18.9% comes from nuclear energy, and the last 20.1% comes from renewable sources. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission order FERC 2222 and Executive Order 14017 on America's Supply Chains are important milestones for safely expanding generation from renewable energy and achieving the goal of a decarbonized U.S. energy sector by 2035. This report analyzes gaps and opportunities in the supply chain currently available to the renewable energy sector, to help stakeholders formulate a coordinated response.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
NASA NTRS1989

The proximity of hotspots to convergent and divergent plate boundaries

An analysis of four different hotspot distributions, ranging from Morgan's (1972) original list of 19 to Vogt's (1981) list of 117 reveals that the hotspots are preferentially located near divergent plate boundaries. The probability of this proximity occurring by chance alone is quite remote, less than 0.01 for all four hotspot distributions. The same analysis also reveals that the hotspots are preferentially excluded from regions near convergent plate boundaries. The probability of this exclusion occurring by chance alone is 0.1 or less for three out of the four distributions examined. We interpret this behavior as being a consequence of the effects of large scale convective circulation on ascending mantle plumes. Mantle thermal plumes, the most probable source of hotspots, arise from instabilities in a basal thermal boundary layer. Plumes are suppressed from regions beneath convergent boundaries by descending flow and are entrained into the upwelling flow beneath spreading centers. Plate-scale convective circulation driven by subduction may also advect mantle thermal plumes toward spreading centers.

Weinstein, Stuart A.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Evaluating opportunity for distributed wind energy in rural and agricultural areas

Wind energy is among the most mature renewable energy technologies, accounting for 11% of the current US electricity generation in 2024, with the lowest average levelized cost. While it is known that substantial opportunity exists for further development, a key question has been where wind energy is best suited compared to other technologies. This study leverages an immense dataset of parcel-resolved technoeconomic potential for the contiguous United States, focusing on distributed wind (DW) energy—a configuration where one or more turbines, typically 30–60 m in height are used to satisfy nearby energy needs. The analysis is conducted at multiple spatial scales and considers land use, crop land, census, and incentive program data to determine the most opportune areas for market development. The results show that rural, agricultural and residential areas are most suited to DW. Connection type (in front of, or behind the meter) and regulations determine the best application, while siting constraints, economics, demand and the wind resource determines the optimal size of turbine.

17 WIND ENERGY↗