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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 451 records · Page 25
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1986

Use of digital Munsell color space to assist interretation of imaging spectrometer data: Geologic examples from the northern Grapevine Mountains, California and Nevada

Techniques using Munsell color transformations were developed for reducing 128 channels (or less) of Airborne Imaging Spectrometer (AIS) data to a single color-composite-image suitable for both visual interpretation and digital analysis. Using AIS data acquired in 1984 and 1985, limestone and dolomite roof pendants and sericite-illite and other clay minerals related to alteration were mapped in a quartz monzonite stock in the northern Grapevine Mountains of California and Nevada. Field studies and laboratory spectral measurements verify the mineralogical distributions mapped from the AIS data.

Kruse, F. A.↗
DOE OSTI2017

Basic Energy Sciences Roundtable: Opportunities for Quantum Computing in Chemical and Materials Sciences

Fundamental transformations in the basic logic of computing are few and far between. Since the invention of digital computers in the early 1940s, the logic underlying computation has remained the same, even as computing hardware evolved from vacuum tubes to silicon transistors. With the advent of quantum computation, a fundamental transformation is near. Quantum computation is based on a different type of logic: rather than being in one of the two states of a classical bit, a quantum bit or qubit can be in a superposition of two states simultaneously. Operations and measurements on these qubits obey the constraints of quantum mechanics. It is now understood that quantum computers have great power in principle to go beyond classical computers, but that not every application is well suited to implementation on quantum computers. For reasons explained in more detail in the Introduction, scientific problems in chemical and materials sciences are uniquely suited to take advantage of quantum computing in the relatively near future. Indeed, quantum computing offers the best hope to solve many of the most important and difficult problems in this field. For example, quantum materials, such as superconductors and complex magnetic materials, show novel kinds of ordered phases that are natural from the point of view of quantum mechanics but difficult to access via computation on classical computers. Quantum sensors based on solid materials are already widely used but could be greatly improved with insight from quantum computations, as could materials for information technologies. Quantum chemical dynamics is another example of a problem that is intrinsically well suited to studies on quantum computers. Applications of quantum chemical dynamics include catalysis, artificial photosynthesis, and other industrially important processes. Quantum computers exist in the laboratory and are beginning to exceed 50 qubits, which is roughly the size beyond which their behavior cannot be predicted or emulated on present-day classical supercomputers. While a quantum computer of 50 qubits is almost certainly not powerful enough to tackle the major scientific challenges in chemical and materials sciences, some of these major challenges start to become accessible with a few hundred qubits if error rates can be kept small. This roundtable was convened to ask how emerging quantum computers can be applied to major scientific problems in chemical and materials sciences, in light of Basic Energy Sciences’s leading role in these fields and the Department of Energy’s leading role in high-performance scientific computation more generally. The main outcome of the roundtable was a consensus that there are scientific problems of great importance on which emerging quantum computers have the potential for disruptive impact, and where comparable progress is unlikely to occur by other means.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1976

Hadamard transform imager and imaging spectrometer

An imager and a spectrometric imager, which achieve multiplexing by the use of binary optical encoding masks, have been built and tested. The masks are based on orthogonal, pseudorandom digital codes derived from Hadamard matrices. The spatial (and/or spectral) data are therefore obtained in the form of a Hadamard transform of the spatial (and/or spectral) scene. Computer algorithms are used to decode the data and reconstruct images of the original scene. The hardware, algorithms processing and display facility are described. A number of spatial and spatial/spectral images, obtained in the laboratory, are presented.

Swift, R. D.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Legacy surface change analyses of the 1993 Rock Valley earthquake sequence for direct comparison to planned NA-22 underground conventional high-explosive experiments (Source Physics Experiment 3 (SPE3) - RV/DC Task 1.3 FY22 Final Report)

Recent work under two previous phases of the NNSA NA-22 Source Physics Experiment (SPE) have shown that underground chemical high-explosive experiments can produce detectable surface changes that differ in spatial extent and vertical magnitude depending on the geologic media at the site (Schultz-Fellenz et al., 2018; 2020; Crawford et al., 2021). Neither of these two prior phases of SPE identified natural earthquake-related surface effects in the same region that occurred at a similar depth as the explosive experiments for direct comparison. While earthquakes can also produce surface changes that are detectable using remote sensing data analyses, it is expected that the pattern and spatial extent of surface changes would vary between earthquakes and explosions. However, no direct-observed surface-change signature comparison between earthquakes and explosions has ever been performed. The SPE Phase 3 Rock Valley/Direct Comparison (RV/DC) program presents a unique opportunity to investigate and characterize co-occurrence of both earthquakes and explosions. In this project, we worked to address five tasks in a workflow, as follows: 1. Identify and obtain existing high-resolution legacy satellite and aerial imagery as close in time before and after the 1993 Rock Valley earthquake sequence to temporally constrain the analyses. 2. Transform these pre-earthquake and post-earthquake datasets into digital elevation models (DEMs) using geospatial analysis software packages (e.g., ArcGIS, Agisoft Metashape, and Google Earth Engine). 3. Perform DEM differencing analyses to assess and quantify earthquake-related changes from the 1993 sequence, and develop map products that visualize these analyses. 4. Use the analyses from (3) to: (a) assess spatial distribution and magnitude of surface changes due to the 1993 Rock Valley earthquake sequence, and (b) determine parameters of forthcoming, planned explosion-related surface change data collection from sensors mounted on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) (e.g., spatial extent of collection, design and density of survey control, sensors to deploy, forward speed and line spacing of UAV flight lines, flight altitude). 5. Develop a summary report on the analyses, including how the analyses define parameters and identify focus areas for any future surface change analytical field campaigns related to the explosive experiment. Analyzing these legacy data and identifying whether they can detect any surface changes related to the earthquake sequence facilitates opportunities for direct signature comparison of surface change from explosions at one location, which has never previously been performed. Comparing the surface change signatures from a co-located and depth-equivalent earthquake and an explosion could help to advance remote sensing event discrimination techniques. This report summarizes the work completed toward this ambitious goal.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Optimizing Residential HVAC Systems: Evaluating How the Usage of Smart Diagnostic Tools for Quality Installation and Commissioning Impacts System Performance and HVAC Contractor Businesses

The adoption of digital quality installation and fault detection tools has the potential to transform the $14 billon residential heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) service and installation industry. Increased market penetration can be accelerated by providing an increased understanding of the energy and economic value proposition of the usage of these tools. In tandem with energy and HVAC system performance impact research and analysis, the Southface Team investigated the economic business implications for HVAC service and installation contractors adopting the use of measureQuick (mQ), a smart diagnostic app that aids in quality installation and fault detection and works agnostically with Bluetooth-enabled HVAC technician tools.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
NASA NTRS1977

Computer control of a far infrared interferometer

A simple interface has been designed for the automatic control and data collection from a Grubb Parsons Mark III cube interferometer. A computer is used to automatically step the movable mirror on the interferometer. Data may be directly input into the computer for immediate transformation or stored for later analysis via a fast Fourier transformation. The interface is based on a commercial analog-to-digital converter having a parallel-to-serial data converter. The device can also display ASCII characters sent from the computer in parallel binary code. The system is applicable to recording interferograms having long time durations and to measuring multiple interferograms for statistical averaging.

Breecher, J.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Coherent summation of spatially distorted Doppler lidar signals using a two-dimensional heterodyne detector array

We have investigated the improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio for a coherent Doppler lidar through the use of a multi-element heterodyne detector array. Such an array enables the spatial summation of atmospheric refractive turbulence induced speckles, and time varying target speckles. Our recent experiments have shown that the non-coherent summation of the lidar signals from a heterodyne detector array can enhance the heterodyne mixing efficiency and thus the signal-to-noise ratio. In this paper, we expand this work to include the coherent summation of array signals. The digitized heterodyne signals were stored in a personal computer. Fast Fourier transforms were performed on both the non-coherent and coherent summations of the detector array signals. It was found that the coherent summation greatly enhanced the accuracy in the Doppler frequency estimate. A theoretical analysis was performed and indicated good agreement with experimental results. We have also applied these results to the more general lidar applications including atmospheric wind sensing, and have found that in most lidar applications the Doppler frequency estimate is increased through the use of the heterodyne detector array.

Chan, Kin Pui↗
NASA NTRS2008

A Synthetic Quadrature Phase Detector/Demodulator for Fourier Transform Transform Spectrometers

A method is developed to demodulate (velocity correct) Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) data that is taken with an analog to digital converter that digitizes equally spaced in time. This method makes it possible to use simple low cost, high resolution audio digitizers to record high quality data without the need for an event timer or quadrature laser hardware, and makes it possible to use a metrology laser of any wavelength. The reduced parts count and simplicity implementation makes it an attractive alternative in space based applications when compared to previous methods such as the Brault algorithm.

Campbell, Joel↗
DOE OSTI2022

DC-Link Current Minimization Control for Current Source Converter-Based Solid-State Transformer

This article proposes a fast predictive control method and a small DC-link inductor to minimize the DC-link current in current-source converter (CSC)-based solid-state transformer. The DC-link current minimization can significantly reduce power loss and improve efficiency. The challenge of this problem is on improving both steady-state and dynamic performance. PI control methods and large DC-link inductors are conventionally used in the CSC but have limited dynamic performance. A model predictive control (MPC) method is proposed to achieve switching-cycle-level settling time, and the DC-link inductor is sized for 40% ripple to enable fast current change. Importantly, this article also proposes to minimize the DC-link current by varying the current even within a line cycle under single-phase load to improve the steady-state performance, in contrast with the reduction to a constant value in the literature. The proposed MPC features a constant switching frequency without weighting factors. The MPC does not have a high computational burden and is implemented in a regular digital controller for a prototype of soft-switching solid-state transformer (S4T) with reduced conduction loss. The effectiveness of the proposed method has been experimentally verified on the SiC S4T prototype during steady-state and dynamics under different multiport power flow conditions up to 2 kV peak. Here, the DC-link current in the experiments is close to the minimum current with a short zero-vector duration, which further verifies the performance of the proposed method.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS1964

Analytical Solutions for Non-Linear Differential Equations with the Help of a Digital Computer

A technique was developed with the help of a digital computer for analytic (algebraic) solutions of autonomous and nonautonomous equations. Two operational transform techniques have been programmed for the solution of these equations. Only relatively simple nonlinear differential equations have been considered. In the cases considered it has been possible to assimilate the secular terms into the solutions. For cases where f(t) is not a bounded function, a direct series solution is developed which can be shown to be an analytic function. All solutions have been checked against results obtained by numerical integration for given initial conditions and constants. It is evident that certain nonlinear differential equations can be solved with the help of a digital computer.

Cromwell, P. C.↗
DOE OSTI2026

MARVEL Reactor Digital Engineering Developments

The MARVEL reactor project has served to introduce a new generation of engineers to the processes required to transform a reactor design from simply an idea on paper into what will be an approved, constructed, and operational nuclear power system. Much as there have been advances in materials, analysis, and evaluation methodologies over the 50 years since the last reactor was built at INL, so too has the technology for managing the engineering process itself advanced. Digital Engineering tools and methods provide improved coordination between previously siloed engineering disciplines, reduced burdens of non-value-added data transcription processes and bring forward insights and improvements that might otherwise fall later in the design stage, where changes are much more costly. While the tools and techniques to support the full digital engineering vision are not yet complete, the MARVEL design processes provide valuable demonstrations and validations of key aspects and illuminate further areas for implementation by subsequent projects.

21 - SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLAN↗
DOE OSTI2025

Digital Twin Applications in the Water Sector: A Review

As cities develop and resource demands rise, the water sector faces crucial challenges to deliver reliable, sustainable, and efficient services. Digital Twins (DTs), virtual replicas of physical systems, offer a promising tool to transform how we manage water infrastructure. Originally developed in the aerospace industry, DTs are now gaining traction in the water sector, enabling real-time monitoring, simulation, and predictive control of water and wastewater treatment, collection and distribution networks, and water reclamation and reuse systems. While still emerging in the water sector, DTs have shown potential to enhance operational efficiency, reduce environmental impacts, and support smarter, more resilient water management. This review study provides a comprehensive overview of current DT applications in the water sector, highlighting successful case studies, technical challenges, and knowledge gaps. It also explores how DTs can help bridge the water–energy nexus by optimizing resources utilized across interconnected systems. By synthesizing recent advances and identifying future research directions, this paper illustrates how DTs can play a central role in building sustainable, adaptive, and digitally-enabled water infrastructure.

digital twin↗
DOE OSTI2013

GAS REGULATION OF GALAXIES: THE EVOLUTION OF THE COSMIC SPECIFIC STAR FORMATION RATE, THE METALLICITY-MASS-STAR-FORMATION RATE RELATION, AND THE STELLAR CONTENT OF HALOS

A very simple physical model of galaxies is one in which the formation of stars is instantaneously regulated by the mass of gas in a reservoir with mass loss scaling with the star-formation rate (SFR). This model links together three different aspects of the evolving galaxy population: (1) the cosmic time evolution of the specific star-formation rate (sSFR) relative to the growth of halos, (2) the gas-phase metallicities across the galaxy population and over cosmic time, and (3) the ratio of the stellar to dark matter mass of halos. The gas regulator is defined by the gas consumption timescale ({epsilon}{sup -1}) and the mass loading {lambda} of the wind outflow {lambda}{center_dot}SFR. The simplest regulator, in which {epsilon} and {lambda} are constant, sets the sSFR equal to exactly the specific accretion rate of the galaxy; more realistic situations lead to an sSFR that is perturbed from this precise relation. Because the gas consumption timescale is shorter than the timescale on which the system evolves, the metallicity Z is set primarily by the instantaneous operation of the regulator system rather than by the past history of the system. The metallicity of the gas reservoir depends on {epsilon}, {lambda}, and sSFR, and the regulator system therefore naturally produces a Z(m{sub star}, SFR) relation if {epsilon} and {lambda} depend on the stellar mass m{sub star}. Furthermore, this relation will be the same at all epochs unless the parameters {epsilon} and {lambda} themselves change with time. A so-called fundamental metallicity relation is naturally produced by these conditions. The overall mass-metallicity relation Z(m{sub star}) directly provides the fraction f{sub star}(m{sub star}) of incoming baryons that are being transformed into stars. The observed Z(m{sub star}) relation of Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) galaxies implies a strong dependence of stellar mass on halo mass that reconciles the different faint-end slopes of the stellar and halo mass functions in standard {Lambda}CDM models. The observed relation also boosts the sSFR relative to the specific accretion rate and produces a different dependence on mass, both of which are observed. The derived Z(m{sub star}, SFR) relation for the regulator system is fit to published Z(m{sub star}, SFR) data for the SDSS galaxy population, yielding {epsilon} and {lambda} as functions of m{sub star}. The fitted {epsilon} is consistent with observed molecular gas-depletion timescales in galaxies (allowing for the extra atomic gas), while the fitted {lambda} is also reasonable. The gas-regulator model also successfully reproduces the Z(m{sub star}) metallicities of star-forming galaxies at z {approx} 2. One consequence of this analysis is that it suggests that the m{sub star}-m{sub halo} relation is established by baryonic processes operating within galaxies, and that a significant fraction (40%) of baryons coming into the halos are being processed through the galaxies. This fraction may be more or less constant. The success of the gas-regulator model in simultaneously explaining many diverse observed relations over the 0 < z < 2 interval suggests that the evolution of galaxies is governed by simple physics that form the basis for this model.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1972

Vibrations of circular elastic plates due to sonic boom.

The problem of transient axisymmetric vibrations of thin circular elastic plates due to sonic boom excitation is investigated. The equation of motion for a solid circular plate is solved by applying the modified finite Hankel transform and the Laplace transform, and the numerical results are obtained with the help of the digital computer. From the analysis of the data, obtained for the dynamic deflections of the plates for the boom duration, it is concluded that for a normal flight the boom duration has a significant effect on the vibrations of plates as compared to the overpressure of the boom.

Pavagadhi, L. J.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Spectral analysis program. Volume 1: User's guide

The spectral analysis program (SAP) was developed to provide the Manned Spacecraft Center with the capability of computing the power spectrum of a phase or frequency modulated high frequency carrier wave. Previous power spectrum computational techniques were restricted to relatively simple modulating signals because of excessive computational time, even on a high speed digital computer. The present technique uses the recently developed extended fast Fourier transform and represents a generalized approach for simple and complex modulating signals. The present technique is especially convenient for implementation of a variety of low-pass filters for the modulating signal and bandpass filters for the modulated signal.

Hayden, W. L.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Program for the analysis of time series

A digital computer program for the Fourier analysis of discrete time data is described. The program was designed to handle multiple channels of digitized data on general purpose computer systems. It is written, primarily, in a version of FORTRAN 2 currently in use on CDC 6000 series computers. Some small portions are written in CDC COMPASS, an assembler level code. However, functional descriptions of these portions are provided so that the program may be adapted for use on any facility possessing a FORTRAN compiler and random-access capability. Properly formatted digital data are windowed and analyzed by means of a fast Fourier transform algorithm to generate the following functions: (1) auto and/or cross power spectra, (2) autocorrelations and/or cross correlations, (3) Fourier coefficients, (4) coherence functions, (5) transfer functions, and (6) histograms.

Brown, T. J.↗
NASA NTRS1974

On-the-shaft data systems for rotating engine components

Two rotating data systems for engine component testing, which demonstrate the techniques of on-the-shaft microelectronic signal conditioning and rotary transformer power- and data-transfer, are described. These systems are a digital data system which provides 69 channels of 1100 C maximum thermocouple data with less than 0.5% error from a turbine test rig rotating at speeds up to 9000 rpm and an analog data system which amplifies and transfers 72 channels of dynamic strain data with less than 5% error from a compressor rig at speeds above 14,000 rpm.

Lesco, D. J.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Processing electrophysiological signals for the monitoring of alertness

Mathematical techniques are described for processing EEG signals associated with varying states of alertness. Fast algorithms for implementing real-time computations of alertness estimates were developed. A realization of the phase-distortionless digital filter is presented which approaches real-time filtering and a transform for EEG signals. This transform provides information for the alertness estimates and can be performed in real time. A statistical test for stationarity in EEG signals is being developed that will provide a method for determining the duration of the EEG signals necessary for estimating the short-time power or energy spectra for nonstationary analysis of EEG signals.

Lai, D. C.↗