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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
DOE OSTI2019

High-Frequency Plasma Waves and Pitch Angle Scattering Induced by Pulsed Electron Beams

Cherenkov radiation from a pulse of charge propagating along the magnetic field in a magnetized plasma is analyzed using theory and fluid–kinetic simulations. Besides radiation into whistler modes, the subject of many previous investigations in laboratory and space, radiation can occur through extraordinary (X) modes. Theory and simulations demonstrate that X mode radiation efficiencies can be orders of magnitude higher than those into whistler modes. Test particle simulations of the dynamics of energetic electrons in the beam–generated wavefield show that X modes can also induce pitch angle scattering much more efficiently than whistlers. While coherence effects associated with spreading of realistic beam pulses may limit the size of the X mode source region, a simple model of beam dynamics suggests that the size of this region could be substantial (hundreds of meters for ionospheric conditions). Furthermore, these results have potentially important implications for many problems, including understanding losses in the near–Earth environment and radiation belt remediation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2010

A spinning mirror for fast angular scans of EBW emission for magnetic pitch profile measurements

A tilted spinning mirror rapidly steers the line of sight of the electron Bernstein wave (EBW) emission radiometer at the Mega-Amp Spherical Tokamak (MAST). In order to resist high mechanical stresses at rotation speeds of up to 12 000 rpm and to avoid eddy current induced magnetic braking, the mirror consists of a glass-reinforced nylon substrate of a special self-balanced design, coated with a reflecting layer. By completing an angular scan every 2.5-10 ms, it allows one to characterize with good time resolution the Bernstein-extraordinary-ordinary mode-conversion efficiency as a function of the view angles. Angular maps of conversion efficiency are directly related to the magnetic pitch angle at the cutoff layer for the ordinary mode. Hence, measurements at various frequencies provide the safety factor profile at the plasma edge. Initial measurements and indications of the feasibility of the diagnostic are presented. Moreover, angular scans indicate the best launch conditions for EBW heating.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2024

TEAMER: Numerical Modeling and Optimization of the iProTech Pitching Inertial Pump (PIP) Wave Energy Converter (WEC)

This project focused on developing an automated workflow to evaluate and optimize the iProTech Pitching Inertial Pump (PIP) wave energy converter (WEC) using open-source Python packages and the MATLAB/Simulink tool, WEC-Sim. The process involved parameterizing key design variables, running time-domain simulations, and performing sensitivity analyses to determine their impact on power output. The workflow, designed for the PIP device, is generalized and can be extended to optimize other WECs that can be simulated in WEC-Sim. This work establishes a foundation for future time-domain-based WEC design optimizations. Included in this submission are all figures from the final report and the model inputs required to generate them. This includes Python scripts with inputs that produce the meshes, boundary element method (BEM) models, hydrodynamic coefficients, and the WEC-Sim models used for time-domain analyses. Although data for every single run is not included to save space, all of it can be reproduced using the provided models. Detailed instructions for setting up the environment and running the codes are also included.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2013

Critical Configuration and Physics Measurements for Assemblies of U(93.15)O 2 Fuel Rods (1.506-cm Pitch)

A series of critical experiments were completed from 1962–1965 at Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s (ORNL’s) Critical Experiments Facility (CEF) in support of the Medium-Power Reactor Experiments (MPRE) program. In the late 1950s, efforts were made to study “power plants for the production of electrical power in space vehicles.”(a) The MPRE program was a part of those efforts and studied the feasibility of a stainless-steel system, boiling potassium 1 MW(t), or about 140 kW(e), reactor. The program was carried out in [fiscal years] 1964, 1965, and 1966. A summary of the program’s effort was compiled in 1967.a The delayed critical experiments were a mockup of a small, potassium-cooled space power reactor for validation of reactor calculations and reactor physics methods. Initial experiments, performed in November and December of 1962, consisted of a core of unmoderated stainless-steel tubes, each containing 26 UO 2 fuel pellets, surrounded by a graphite reflector. Measurements were performed to determine critical reflector arrangements, relative fission-rate distributions, and cadmium ratio distributions. Subsequent experiments used beryllium reflectors and also measured the reactivity for various materials placed in the core. “The [assemblies were built] on [a] vertical assembly machine so that the movable part was the core and bottom reflector” (see Reference 1). The experiment studied in this evaluation was the second of the series and had the fuel rods in a 1.506-cm-triangular pitch. One critical configuration was found (see Reference 3). Once the critical configuration had been achieved, various measurements of reactivity, relative axial and radial activation rates of 235U,bc and cadmium ratios were performed. The cadmium ratio, reactivity, and activation rate measurements performed on the critical configuration are described in Sections 1.3, 1.4, and 1.7, respectively.

1.506-cm pitch↗
DOE OSTI2015

Partially-reflected water-moderated square-piteched U(6.90)O 2 fuel rod lattices with 0.67 fuel to water volume ratio (0.800 CM Pitch)

The US Department of Energy (DOE) Nuclear Energy Research Initiative funded the design and construction of the Seven Percent Critical Experiment (7uPCX) at Sandia National Laboratories. The start-up of the experiment facility and the execution of the experiments described here were funded by the DOE Nuclear Criticality Safety Program. The 7uPCX is designed to investigate critical systems with fuel for light water reactors in the enrichment range above 5% 235 U. The 7uPCX assembly is a water-moderated and -reflected array of aluminum-clad square-pitched U(6.90%)O 2 fuel rods.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Titanium and/or Aluminum Sleeve Experiments in Fully-Reflected Water-Moderated U(4.31)O 2 Fuel Rod Lattices with 2.8 cm Pitch.

The US Department of Energy Nuclear Energy Research Initiative (NERI) funded the Bumup Credit Critical Experiment (BUCCX) at Sandia National Laboratories. The BUCCX was designed to investigate the effect of fission product materials on critical systems. The BUCCX assembly is a water-moderated and -reflected array of Zircaloy-clad triangular-pitched U(4.31)02 fuel elements. The original BUCCX experiments with rhodium are evaluated in LEU-COMP-THERM-079. In the experiments here, sets of up to 60 experiment titanium and aluminum sleeves with nominal outside diameter of 1 in (2.54 cm), wall thickness of 0.035 in (0.0889 cm), and length of 19.60 (49.784 cm) were fabricated. The sleeves are approximately the same length as the fueled section of the fuel elements and have an inner diameter that is 0.421 in (1.0693 cm) larger than the fuel elements. This allows for each sleeve to be centered around a fuel element between the grid plates within the array. Configurations differ by the number and location of sleeves. The seventeen BUCCX critical experiments reported here compare the effects of the titanium and aluminum sleeves on nearly critical fuel assembly arrays.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Numerical Modeling and Optimization of the iProTech Pitching Inertial Pump (PIP) Wave Energy Converter (WEC) (Cooperative Research and Development Final Report, CRADA Number: CRD-22-22968)

This work generated a first-of-its-kind automated workflow to couple time-domain simulations of wave energy converters written in one software language with a set of design generation and evaluation scripts written in another software language. This automated workflow used an existing optimization package to analyze the sensitivity of different design parameters on the power output of a specific WEC, iProTech’s Pitching Inertial Pump (PIP). Geometric, inertial, and power take-off variables were all varied and optimized to find values that produced the highest amount of power generated over varying wave conditions. The findings on these parameter sensitivity studies are used to inform future design iterations of the PIP WEC. Including more design variables in the optimizations will only increase computational run time and further software development is needed to analyze a larger optimization.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2026

Numerical Modeling & Optimization of the iProTech Pitching Inertial Pump (PIP) Wave Energy Converter (WEC) (CRADA Final Report)

This project represents a continuation of the collaboration between iProTech and NLR to simulate, optimize and design the iProTech Pitching Inertial Pump (PIP) device. The objectives of this TEAMER project are twofold: 1. Refining the physical characteristics of the existing iProTech PIP WEC-Sim model to enhance the model’s fidelity and include controllable components. Key model enhancements target the inclusion of Coulomb friction, the introduction of a controllable bypass valve, and the replacement of traditional check valves with advanced motorized ones. 2. Exploring traditional and advanced control algorithms. From traditional methods like latching control to cutting-edge reinforcement learning (RL) algorithms, the goal is to ensure the PIP device's adaptability and optimal performance across a range of ocean conditions. NLR is tasked with augmenting the WEC-Sim model and implementing the control algorithms, culminating in performance comparison analyses. iProTech will update their existing 3D models, advise on model improvements, and determine crucial system metrics. WEC-Sim, developed in MATLAB/SIMULINK with Simscape Multibody, is the main piece of software that will be used in this project. Coupled with the MATLAB RL Toolbox, it offers a robust platform for in-depth simulation and optimization of the iProTech PIP device. Building on previous work to explore the PIP design space and optimize its geometry, mass distribution, center of gravity and other key parameters, this project aims to refine iProTech’s existing numerical models and develop effective control algorithms that can seamlessly integrate into their future hardware testing campaigns.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2022

Pitch-Angle Diffusion in the Earth’s Magnetosphere Organized by the Mozer-Transformed Coordinate System

In the Earth’s dipole magnetosphere finite-gyroradius effects produce a shift of the atmospheric loss cone away from the direction of the magnetic field. This loss-cone shift is theoretically described by the “Mozer transform”, which is based upon the curvature drift of particles crossing the equatorial plane. For positive ions the northern and southern loss cones both shift westward and for electrons the northern and southern loss cones both shift eastward. This loss-cone shift is part of a coordinate-system transform, with the transformed coordinates better organizing the behavior of particle orbits in the dipole magnetic field (e.g. first adiabatic invariants, mirror heights, and bounce times). In this report it is demonstrated that the transformed coordinate system also properly organizes pitch-angle diffusion. This improved organization of the diffusion is true whether the angular scattering is produced by plasma-wave scattering or by field-line-curvature (FLC) scattering. It is shown that FLC scattering and the loss cone shift are linked, so that if FLC scattering is occurring, there is a loss cone shifted away from the magnetic-field direction and the Mozer-transformed coordinates are needed.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗