Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “FIBERS”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 451 records · Page 25

Elucidating the impact of fiber source on polypropylene/hemp composite performance for the automotive industry

Given their high strength-to-weight ratio, there is an ever-increasing volume of plastics being used in the automotive industry as plastics aid in the charge to lightweight vehicles for improved fuel efficiency. However, these plastics are often landfilled at their end-of-life, which has given rise to the demand for sustainable materials and waste management alternatives compared to purely synthetic systems. Natural fiber composites have been explored as a viable material option to reduce the environmental impact of plastic use in automobiles while simultaneously ensuring the part performance is not sacrificed. Herein, we explored the use of hemp/polypropylene (PP) composites in which US-sourced hemp is compared to internationally sourced and industrially available hemp. There appears to be a minimal impact on the composite properties regardless of fiber sourcing, and the addition of a natural filler to the PP matrix results in up to a 367% increase in Young's modulus, 126% increase in heat deflection temperature, and comparable water uptake performance. It should be noted that the natural filler addition does increase density by up to 13% due to the higher density of natural fibers compared to the low-density PP matrix. A modified rule of mixtures calculation revealed that the composite materials produced in this study demonstrated good agreement with analytical modeling. Finally, a screening analysis was performed exploring the transportation of hemp fibers, and the results build a strong case for regionalized manufacturing of automotive parts.

Hubbard, Amber M. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (↗

Modification of Wool Fibers via Base/Cationic Detergent Pretreatment and Transglutaminase-mediated Reaction of Keratin

The surface modification of wool fibers is an important part of the textile industry to add functionality and stability to wool products. In this study, we developed a process utilizing a base/cationic surfactant solution pretreatment followed by an enzyme-mediated keratin crosslinking reaction to modify the wool fibers. Changes in water contact angle demonstrated the successful transformation of the hydrophobic wool surface to a more hydrophilic one after soaking in sodium carbonate solution containing hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). The treated fabrics were further characterized by colorimetry and fluorescent spectrometry. Results showed that the pretreatment increased the yellowness of fabrics and caused some structural changes among certain amino acids, such as tryptophan and cystine. Keratin extracted from coarse wool fibers was further applied on pretreated fabrics through a microbial transglutaminase (mTGase) mediated reaction under mild conditions. Morphological characterization via SEM demonstrated the effective coverage of keratin on the scales of wool. The current method may provide an alternative processing protocol to modify wool fibers and improve the quality and performance of wool products.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Distributed fiber-optic sensing in a subscale high-temperature superconducting dipole magnet

High-temperature superconductors, such as REBa2Cu3O7−x (REBCO, RE = rare earth), are becoming pivotal for high-field magnet technology for future circular colliders and compact fusion reactors. The U.S. Magnet Development Program, in collaboration with industry, is developing REBCO magnet technology using round conductors consisting of multiple REBCO tapes. For these multi-tape cables, traditional instrumentation, such as voltage taps and resistive strain gauges, become insufficient to help measure and understand the performance-limiting factors in these model magnets. Distributed fiber-optic sensing (DFOS) is a potential solution to address this challenge. Although DFOS is well established for various applications, measuring temperature and strain in high-temperature superconducting magnets is in its infancy. Here we report the detailed implementation and test results of DFOS based on Rayleigh scattering in a subscale canted cosθ (CCT) dipole magnet using high-temperature superconducting CORC® wires. We co-wound optical fibers in each layer of the CCT magnet and compared different types of commercial fibers and mold-release agents to reduce the power attenuation in the fibers. The DFOS allowed us to measure mechanical deformation and temperature along the conductor during tests at 77 and 4.2 K. The measured strain agreed quantitively with a finite-element mechanical model of the subscale magnet. Our results indicate that DFOS can effectively identify locations of strain and temperature changes, offering unique insight into magnet performance that can advance our understanding and development of the REBCO magnet technology for high-energy physics and fusion applications.

Luo, Linqing↗

Mitigation of DESI fiber assignment incompleteness effect on two-point clustering with small angular scale truncated estimators

We present a method to mitigate the effects of fiber assignment incompleteness in two-point power spectrum and correlation function measurements from galaxy spectroscopic surveys, by truncating small angular scales from estimators. We derive the corresponding modified correlation function and power spectrum windows to account for the small angular scale truncation in the theory prediction. We validate this approach on simulations reproducing the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) Data Release 1 (DR1) with and without fiber assignment. We show that we recover unbiased cosmological constraints using small angular scale truncated estimators from simulations with fiber assignment incompleteness, with respect to standard estimators from complete simulations. Additionally, we present an approach to remove the sensitivity of the fits to high k modes in the theoretical power spectrum, by applying a transformation to the data vector and window matrix. We find that our method efficiently mitigates the effect of fiber assignment incompleteness in two-point correlation function and power spectrum measurements, at low computational cost and with little statistical loss.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Characterization of DESI fiber assignment incompleteness effect on 2-point clustering and mitigation methods for DR1 analysis

We present an in-depth analysis of the fiber assignment incompleteness in the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) Data Release 1 (DR1). This incompleteness is caused by the restricted mobility of the robotic fiber positioner in the DESI focal plane, which limits the number of galaxies that can be observed at the same time, especially at small angular separations. As a result, the observed clustering amplitude is suppressed in a scale-dependent manner, which, if not addressed, can severely impact the inference of cosmological parameters. We discuss the methods adopted for simulating fiber assignment on mocks and data. In particular, we introduce the fast fiber assignment (FFA) emulator, which was employed to obtain the power spectrum covariance adopted for the DR1 full-shape analysis. We present the mitigation techniques, organised in two classes: measurement stage and model stage. We then use high fidelity mocks as a reference to quantify both the accuracy of the FFA emulator and the effectiveness of the different measurement-stage mitigation techniques. This complements the studies conducted in a parallel paper for the model-stage techniques, namely the θ-cut approach. We find that pairwise inverse probability (PIP) weights with angular upweighting recover the “true” clustering in all the cases considered, in both Fourier and configuration space. Notably, we present the first ever power spectrum measurement with PIP weights from real data.

cosmological simulations↗

Machine Straightness Error Measurement Based on Optical Fiber Fabry–Pérot Interferometer Monitoring Technique

Abstract In this research, we propose an Error Separation Technique (EST) based on optical fiber sensors for on-machine straightness error measurement. Two fiber optic Fabry–Pérot interferometers have been developed serving as two displacement sensors. The displacement distance is computed according to the reflected spectrum from interferometers, which can achieve a sub-micrometer resolution. The two-point method has been employed to separate the straightness error of the slides and the profile error of a fine-polished standard block. The spacing distance between two interferometers is determined by the diameter of optical fibers so that the EST's resolution has the potential to reach the sub-millimeter scale. In the experiment, the straightness error has been measured on a commercially available computer numerical control machine tool, and the measurement has been conducted on its x-axis. The spacing distance between two optical fiber sensors is 1.5 mm which equals the EST's resolution along the machine tool's x-axis. The separated profile error of the measured standard block is around 30 µm which has been verified by a high precision Coordinate Measurement Machine (CMM). The magnitude of the separated straightness error is around 40 µm. This technique is flexible and simple to be conducted, which can contribute to the micro-machine tool calibration and other straightness error applications.

Engineering↗

Methods for Continuously Resolving Spectral Shifts in Distributed Optical Fiber Sensors Irradiated to Extreme Neutron Fluence

Optical frequency domain reflectometry (OFDR) is a technique for interrogating distributed optical fiber sensors (DOFS) and involves correlating changes in the Rayleigh backscatter fingerprint for a fiber under test (FUT) with a reference measurement. Recently, under the WIRE-21 experiment sponsored by Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF) and performed at the High-Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), silica optical fibers were irradiated to a fast neutron fluence of 1x10^21 n/cm^2/s at temperatures from 200--400 C. As in the cases of high-temperature and high-strain conditions, such high levels of neutron bombardment result in a highly dynamic RBS that evades analysis with conventional methods. This work describes the further development and application of graphical signal processing techniques applied to OFDR-based distributed optical fiber sensors specifically deployed in in-pile applications. While the signal processing techniques developed in this work are applied to DOFS in nuclear environments, they provide a general framework for the analysis of OFDR measurements and a tangible method to yield higher quality data, without imposing additional hardware requirements.

Sweeney, Dan↗

High-speed fiber-based spectrometer for plasma Thomson scattering

Here we present a novel concept for a Thomson scattering diagnostic, based on a high-speed fiber optic spectrometer. The high-speed fiber optic spectrometer presented here translates a spectral measurement from the frequency domain into the time domain, thus requiring the use of only a single photodetector for spectral acquisition. The high temporal precision offered by the instrument gives rise to a number of advantages over traditional spectrometers, such as nearly background-free measurements and multiple uses of the same injected beam. Multiple uses of the same beam would enable greatly increased measurement rates, in the range of 10–100 MHz. The spectral range and resolution of the fiber spectrometer can be easily tailored to be optimized for the light source and experimental conditions by selecting different lengths of fiber, thus allowing for the proposed technique to exhibit high dynamic range when measuring many points simultaneously. Finally, due to the temporal separation of the background from the signal, these improvements are possible without the need for increased average input laser power.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Multiplexable high-temperature stable and low-loss intrinsic Fabry-Perot in-fiber sensors through nanograting engineering

This paper presents a method of using femtosecond laser inscribed nanograting as low-loss– and high-temperature–stable in-fiber reflectors. By introducing a pair of nanograting inside the core of a single-mode optical fiber, an intrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometer can be created for high-temperature sensing applications. The morphology of the nanograting inscribed in fiber cores was engineered by tuning the fabrication conditions to achieve a high fringe visibility of 0.49 and low insertion loss of 0.002 dB per sensor. Using a white light interferometry demodulation algorithm, we demonstrate the temperature sensitivity, cross-talk, and spatial multiplexability of sensor arrays. Both the sensor performance and stability were studied from room temperature to 1000°C with cyclic heating and cooling. Our results demonstrate a femtosecond direct laser writing technique capable of producing highly multiplexable in-fiber intrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometer sensor devices with high fringe contrast, high sensitivity, and low-loss for application in harsh environmental conditions.

Wang, Mohan (ORCID:0000000166784993)↗

Broadband spectral combining of three pulse-shaped fiber amplifiers with 42fs compressed pulse duration

We demonstrate ultra-broadband spectral combining of ultrashort pulses from Yb-doped fiber amplifiers, with coherently spectrally synthesized pulse shaping, to achieve tens-of-fs pulses. This method can fully compensate for gain narrowing and high order dispersion over broad bandwidth. We produce 42fs pulses by spectrally synthesizing three chirped-pulse fiber amplifiers and two programmable pulse shapers across an 80nm overall bandwidth. To the best of our knowledge, this is the shortest pulse duration achieved from a spectrally combined fiber system at one-micron wavelength. This work provides a path toward high-energy, tens-of-fs fiber chirped-pulse amplification systems.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Fabrication of silicon-tipped fiber-optic temperature sensors using aerogel-assisted glass soldering with precise laser heating

We demonstrate the fabrication of fiber-optic Fabry–Perot interferometer (FPI) temperature sensors by bonding a small silicon diaphragm to the tip of an optical fiber using low melting point glass powders heated by a 980 nm laser on an aerogel substrate. The heating laser is delivered to the silicon FPI using an optical fiber, while the silicon temperature is being monitored using a 1550 nm white-light system, providing localized heating with precise temperature control. The use of an aerogel substrate greatly improves the heating efficiency by reducing the thermal loss of the bonding parts to the ambient environment. A desirable temperature for bonding can be achieved with relatively small heating laser power. The bonding process is carried out in an open space at room temperature for convenient optical alignment. The precise temperature control ensures minimum perturbation to the optical alignment and no induced thermal damage to the optical parts during the bonding process. For demonstration, we fabricated a low-finesse and high-finesse silicon FPI sensor and characterized their measurement resolution and temperature capability. The results show that the fabrication method has a good potential for high-precision fabrication of fiber-optic sensors.

Sheng, Qiwen↗

Boosting SNR of cascaded FBGs in a sapphire fiber through a rapid heat treatment

This Letter reports the performance of femtosecond (fs) laser-written distributed fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) under high-temperature conditions up to 1600°C and explores the impact of rapid heat treatment on signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) enhancement. FBGs are essential for reliable optical sensing in extreme temperature environments. Comprehensive tests demonstrate the remarkable performance and resilience of FBGs at temperatures up to 1600°C, confirming their suitability for deployment in such conditions. Here, the study also reveals significant fringe visibility improvements of up to ∼10 dB on a 1-m-long sapphire optical fiber through rapid heat treatment, representing a first-time achievement to the best of our knowledge. These enhancements are vital for improving the SNR and overall performance of optical fiber systems in extreme temperatures. Furthermore, the research attains long-term stability for the cascaded FBGs over a 24-hr period at 1600°C. This research expands our understanding of the FBG behavior in high-temperature environments and opens avenues for developing robust optical fiber systems for energy, aerospace, oil and gas, and high-temperature distributed sensing applications.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Compact fiber-coupled narrowband two-mode squeezed light source

Quantum correlated states of light, such as squeezed states, are a fundamental resource for the development of quantum technologies, as they are needed for applications in quantum metrology, quantum computation, and quantum communications. It is thus critical to develop compact, efficient, and robust sources to generate such states. Here, we report on a compact, narrowband, fiber-coupled source of two-mode squeezed states of light at 795 nm based on four-wave mixing (FWM) in an 85 Rb atomic vapor. The source is designed in a small modular form factor, with two input fiber-coupled beams, the seed and pump beams required for the FWM, and two output fibers, one for each of the modes of the squeezed state. The system is optimized for low pump power (135 mW) to achieve a maximum intensity-difference squeezing of 4.4 dB after the output of fibers at an analysis frequency of 1 MHz. Furthermore, the narrowband nature of the source makes it ideal for atomic-based quantum sensing and quantum networking configurations that rely on atomic quantum memories. Such a source paves the way for a versatile and portable platform for applications in quantum information science.

Jain, Umang [University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK (U↗

Next Generation Fiber-Encapsulated Nanoscale Hybrid Materials for Direct Air Capture with Selective Water Rejection

Recently, NOHMs sorbents have been demonstrated to be highly stable and tunable for CO2 capture and have negligible vapor pressure, but their main drawbacks are high viscosity and high gas transfer limitation in their neat bulk phase. This project explored gas-assisted electrospinning processing coupled with promising encapsulation matrices such as Polymers with Intrinsic Microporosity (PIM-1) and polyacrylonitrile (PAN)/organopolysilizane (OPSZ) polymer/ceramic hybrid materials, which were demonstrated to be effective novel carriers for the active NOHMs sorbents. These encapsulation materials were evaluated by their thermal stability, hydrophobicity, permeability, and CO2 selectivity. The manufacturing parameters such as component composition and processing solvent were linked to bulk sorbent properties, e.g., surface area, pore volume, fiber thickness, capture capacity, capture kinetics, etc. These investigations resulted in fundamental knowledge and technical know-how that will be useful for scaling up the nanofiber mat contactor design. The encapsulation materials and design has been shown to not only increase the thermal oxidative stability of the NOHMs, but also yield significantly reduced pressure drop and increased performance of large modular air filters. 70 PAN: 30 OPSZ/NIPEI fibers exhibited the highest capture performance with 1.5 mmol CO2/g∙h kinetics the first hour under 100% CO2 condition, followed by 80 PAN: 20 OPSZ/NIPEI and 90 PAN: 10 OPSZ/NIPEI, while 90 PAN: 10 OPSZ/NIPEI fibers performed the best with 0.25 mmol CO2/g∙h of the initial kinetics under 400 ppm CO2 concentration. All the fabricated fibers demonstrated stable capture performances up to 15 cycles of adsorption and desorption. Using encapsulated NOHMs, the study found that the microwave could help regenerate the capture materials within 20 minutes without chemically degrading the materials. A high-level TEA/LCA study was performed to evaluate the feasibility of this technology at scale. These estimates show that the sorbent cost and environmental impact levels are comparable to other existing technologies. Overall, these findings increase the technological feasibility of using liquid-like, low vapor pressure NOHMs as a next generation sorbent for the direct air capture of CO2.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Development of a Pre-Combustion CO 2 Capture Process Using High-Temperature PBI Hollow-Fiber Membranes

The overall objective of this project was to evaluate the advantages of transformational polybenzimidazole (PBI) polymer hollow-fiber membrane (HFM)-based, carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) capture and purification technology at bench-scale using an actual coal-derived syngas stream from a coal gasification facility. The project was carried out over two budget periods. The technical objectives in Budget Period 1 (BP1) included preparing HFs and modules and upgrading the available skid for field testing. The technical objectives for BP2 were to field-test the skid unit with actual coal-derived syngas from an oxygen-blown gasifier to obtain performance data, update the Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) that would assist with future process scale-up, and provide information on the design of a small pilot-scale test unit. The goal was to advance the PBI-HFM CO 2 capture and gas separation system for pre-combustion applications beyond second-generation economic performance predictions and make progress toward meeting overall fossil energy performance goals of CO 2 capture with 95% CO 2 purity at a cost of electricity (COE) 30% less than baseline capture approaches. The research program was designed with progressive technical tasks leading to both dynamic and steady-state testing of the PBI-HFM skid with actual coal-derived syngas. The work plan was to: (1) fabricate sufficient Generation-2 (GEN-2) fibers for module fabrication; (2) upgrade the fiber skid to accommodate large fiber modules for bench-scale field testing; (3) conduct dynamic and steady-state testing with coal-derived syngas from an oxygen-blown gasifier and obtain system performance data; (4) perform a TEA and environmental, health, and safety (EH&S) assessment; (5) update the State-Point Data Table, Technology Gap Analysis (TGA), and Technology Maturation Plan (TMP); (6) uninstall and return the test skid to the Recipient’s facilities; and (7) submit a Final Report that describes the results and analysis of the project research effort.

03 NATURAL GAS↗

Development of Optical Fiber-Based Sensors for Nuclear Microreactor Structural Health Monitoring

This report provides an experimental assessment of two different optical fiber–based acoustic sensors that are being investigated for application in nuclear microreactors to enhance structural health monitoring capabilities. Optical fibers are resilient in high-temperature and high-radiation environments, have a small sensor footprint, are immune to electromagnetic interference, and are capable of spatially distributed sensing. The two sensors investigated here are (1) Fabry–Pérot Cavities (FPCs) between two copper-coated fibers, embedded in nickel capillary tubes and (2) type-I fiber Bragg grating (FBG) arrays contained within metal capillary tubes. These sensors can be interrogated using low-coherence interferometry or swept wavelength interferometry, respectively, to measure the resonant frequencies of the components or systems to which these sensors are bonded. The FPC developed herein has been subjected to temperatures up to nearly 800°C while tack-welded to a tubular test specimen. Even at the highest temperatures, the measured resonant frequencies compared well with those obtained using an accelerometer that was bonded to an unheated portion of the specimen. The FBG array was tested in multiple bonding configurations to a tubular test specimen, all at room temperature, with the understanding that high temperature (i.e., type II) FBGs could be used to obtain similar data at high temperatures; the FBG array data were validated with noncontact laser vibrometry, which is being used at Los Alamos National Laboratory to relate acoustic signatures to component stresses and/or structural defects. The goal of this work is to identify the most promising techniques that are also compatible with operation in a microreactor environment.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Testing of an Optical Fiber--Based Gamma Thermometer in the High Flux Isotope Reactor Gamma Irradiation Facility

This report describes the design, thermal modeling, and gamma irradiation testing of an optical fiber–based gamma thermometer (OFBGT), which was irradiated in the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) Gamma Irradiation Facility (GIF). OFBGTs are a promising technology for application in nuclear reactors because they can provide a distributed measurement of gamma ray heating rate, unlike thermocouple-based gamma thermometers, which are fixed in-core sensors that can be used in boiling water reactors to calibrate local power range monitors. OFBGTs measure gamma ray heating rate by measuring the temperature difference between a pair of optical fibers; one fiber is in thermal contact with a heat sink (usually the reactor coolant), and the other is in thermal contact with a thermally isolated mass. The device can be calibrated with a heating wire within the thermal mass. The OFBGT that was designed and fabricated at Oak Ridge National Laboratory can measure distributed gamma ray heating rate over an effective measurement length of 61 cm, and the outer diameter of the sensor is 12.7 mm, giving the prototypical sensor design a relatively small footprint. The sensor housing is backfilled with Ar to ensure a well-predicted thermal response that is not affected by humidity or chemical interactions during operation. For calibration, the sensor design uses a Ni–Cr wire, which can be supplied with currents from 0 to 1 A to capture the wide range of potential gamma ray heating rates expected in HFIR’s spent fuel elements. The OFBGT was thermally modeled analytically and numerically; both models account for temperature-dependent thermal conductivities of the materials and show good agreement. The thermal response of the sensor inside spent HFIR fuel elements was simulated for times up to 1 year after discharge of the fuel element. Out-of-pile open-air tests indicated that the steady-state response of the sensor matches modeled results within experimental uncertainty. Calibration tests were performed using electrical heating in the HFIR spent fuel pool, above the fuel elements, to establish a relationship between the difference in spectral shift measured by optical fibers located inside and outside the OFBGT and the applied electrical heating. Subsequently, the OFBGT was placed within the the spent fuel element from HFIR cycle 501 to measure the spatial profile of the gamma heating rates. Results showed good agreement between the theoretical and measured gamma dose rate profiles, with maximum deviations of ~10% or less.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Digital Grid Twin–Direct Communication Scheme Test Bed for Assessing Relay-to-Relay Radio Antenna and Optical Fiber Performance and Misoperations

This study introduces a novel “Digital Grid Twin–Direct Communication Scheme” test bed. This advanced platform evaluates point-to-point communication between transmitter and receiver relays with optical fiber and radio omnidirectional antenna systems, implemented at the Advanced Protection lab in the Grid Research Innovation and Development Center at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The increased diversity of energy sources has led to more protective relay misoperations. In North America, microgrid protection schemes now use point-to-point communication along distribution lines between relays to implement advanced logic in nonradial grids that include both high- and low-inertia generators. This trend challenges utilities to minimize misoperations while ensuring rapid fault clearance and accurate selectivity coordination between primary and backup relays. This study assesses relay-to-relay communication schemes by introducing an advanced testing platform based on a digital grid twin protection test bed using a synchronized time source system. The platform evaluates the communication system using radio antennas or optical fiber links by integrating protective relays that operate breakers within the digital twin and record relay events and communication signals. In the experiments, transmitter and receiver relays were configured with inverse time overcurrent and breaker trip detection logic to assess the total time of the communication protection schemes based on the sum of the relay protection element operating time, radio latency, propagation delay, baud rate delay, and relay processing time. These delays were derived from recorded relay events and communication signals from the interface of a real-time simulator set as a digital grid twin. The test bed successfully simulated various electrical faults along a distribution line while ensuring effective and reliable point-to-point communication between transmitter and receiver relays. The radio antenna communication system exhibited latency because of the radio. This latency depends on the baud rate setting and type of radio application; in general, the higher the baud rate, the lower the radio latency. The measured radio latency (for Mirrored Bits with an encryption card at 9,600 bps) was about 9–10 ms. Additionally, calculated propagation delay per mile for radio antennas and optical fiber was 5.36 µs/mi and 8.04 µs/mi, respectively. Optical fiber communication did not demonstrate radio latency. Instead, the protection element operating time depends mainly on the protection logic function set in the relay, and the relay processing time depends on the processing rate of the relay in samples per power system cycle.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗