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At least 469 records · Page 26

Advances in supervisory control strategies for a heat pump centric HVAC system − a comprehensive review on applications

There is an increase in research investigating the development and deployment of supervisory controllers that enable high efficiency electrically driven vapor compression heat pumps operating within grid interactive efficient buildings to provide demand side management. This paper reviews over sixty relevant case studies within this domain that focus on commercial off-the-shelf heat pumps whose primary task is providing space conditioning. The concept of a heat pump-centric heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system is introduced, accompanied by a detailed overview of various kinds of electric heat pumps and building-level thermal energy storage configurations. Additionally, the different types of supervisory controller designs, including rule-based control and model predictive control, are discussed, along with the various methods for communication between a supervisory controller and a downstream heat pump’s local controller. A comparative analysis is conducted in order to categorize the reviewed case studies based on their system design, supervisory control algorithm, and validation methodology. This detailed analysis allows the review to establish current research trends, identify potential gaps, and suggest future directions for the development of this technology. Overall, the authors recommend that more future research be devoted to low-cost practical retrofits that allow for easy integration of active thermal energy storage within heat pump-centric heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system systems that utilize direct expansion heat pumps. We also suggest more research into the development and deployment of supervisory controllers that can properly communicate with commercial off-the-shelf heat pump local controller available control inputs, e.g., zone temperature setpoint. Lastly, more rigorous experimental demonstrations of advanced supervisory control within real and or closed-loop, transient/ quasi-steady state environments are necessary to reduce industry wide skepticism of this technology.

Demand side management↗

Integrating Experiments and Simulations to Reveal Anisotropic Growth Mechanisms and Interfaces of a One-Dimensional Zeolite

Zeolites are nanoporous crystalline materials critical for diverse industrial applications, yet their growth mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, this study presents a novel integrated framework combining experimental synthesis, high-resolution imaging, coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations, and computer vision to uncover the mechanisms of growth of SSZ-24, a 1D channel zeolite. We demonstrate how synthesis conditions, such as temperature and reactant concentration, govern crystal anisotropy and surface roughness with growth dynamics differing markedly by crystallographic orientation. Along the channels, growth involves minimal energy barriers and rapid nucleation, resulting in rough surfaces. In contrast, growth perpendicular to the channels requires cooperative molecular organization and is highly sensitive to thermodynamic and kinetic conditions, yielding smooth anisotropic surfaces under low driving forces. By simulating transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images, we bridge molecular-scale simulations with experimental observations, identifying distinct growth mechanisms along different crystal planes. This work offers molecular-level insights into zeolite crystallization, advancing the rational design of nanoporous materials. The integration of cross-disciplinary methodologies establishes a transformative framework for optimizing zeolite synthesis, with implications for broader classes of materials.

Bertolazzo, Andressa A. [Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake ↗

Life prediction technologies for aeronautical propulsion systems

Fatigue and fracture problems continue to occur in aeronautical gas turbine engines. Components whose useful life is limited by these failure modes include turbine hot-section blades, vanes, and disks. Safety considerations dictate that catastrophic failures be avoided, while economic considerations dictate that catastrophic failures be avoided, while economic considerations dictate that noncatastrophic failures occur as infrequently as possible. Therefore, the decision in design is making the tradeoff between engine performance and durability. LeRC has contributed to the aeropropulsion industry in the area of life prediction technology for over 30 years, developing creep and fatigue life prediction methodologies for hot-section materials. At the present time, emphasis is being placed on the development of methods capable of handling both thermal and mechanical fatigue under severe environments. Recent accomplishments include the development of more accurate creep-fatigue life prediction methods such as the total strain version of LeRC's strain-range partitioning (SRP) and the HOST-developed cyclic damage accumulation (CDA) model. Other examples include the development of a more accurate cumulative fatigue damage rule - the double damage curve approach (DDCA), which provides greatly improved accuracy in comparison with usual cumulative fatigue design rules. Other accomplishments in the area of high-temperature fatigue crack growth may also be mentioned. Finally, we are looking to the future and are beginning to do research on the advanced methods which will be required for development of advanced materials and propulsion systems over the next 10-20 years.

Mcgaw, Michael A.↗

Testing of Liquid Metal Components for Nuclear Surface Power Systems

The capability to perform testing at both the module/component level and in near prototypic reactor configurations using a non-nuclear test methodology allowed for evaluation of two components critical to the development of a potential nuclear fission power system for the lunar surface. A pair of 1 kW Stirling power convertors, similar to the type that would be used in a reactor system to convert heat to electricity, were integrated into a reactor simulator system to determine their performance using pumped NaK as the hot side working fluid. The performance in the pumped-NaK system met or exceed the baseline performance measurements where the converters were electrically heated. At the maximum hot-side temperature of 550 C the maximum output power was 2375 watts. A specially-designed test apparatus was fabricated and used to quantify the performance of an annular linear induction pump that is similar to the type that could be used to circulate liquid metal through the core of a space reactor system. The errors on the measurements were generally much smaller than the magnitude of the measurements, permitting accurate performance evaluation over a wide range of operating conditions. The pump produced flow rates spanning roughly 0.16 to 5.7 l/s (2.5 to 90 GPM), and delta p levels from less than 1 kPa to 90 kPa (greater than 0.145 psi to roughly 13 psi). At the nominal FSP system operating temperature of 525 C the maximum efficiency was just over 4%.

Polzin, K. A.↗

Initial development of a high temperature life prediction method directly accounting for variability in material properties

This report presents the initial development of a life prediction method that accounts for the variability of the material properties in Grade 91 steel. We account for material variability by both fitting a variable 3-parameter Weibull distribution to the rupture data of the material and by quantifying the effect that the creep deformation properties have on stresses via a Monte Carlo approach. To ensure a reasonable time frame when applying Monte Carlo to the creep stress, we propose a methodology that models the material as an extremely viscous Stokes flow with a non-Newtonian viscosity, therefore solving the problem in a single step. We use the final probabilistic model for structural failure developed in this document to evaluate a Flat Head Vessel designed with the Section III, Division 5 ASME Boiler Pressure and Vessel Code rules with a 100,000h design life and assess its probability of premature failure.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Development of a BlueCRAB/MELCOR Framework for Supporting Realistic Mechanistic Source Term Calculations in Microreactors

Efforts are currently underway to deploy microreactor modeling and simulation tools to better support vendors and regulatory authorities in submitting and reviewing licensing applications. In particular, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is expected to rely on the Comprehensive Reactor Analysis Bundle (BlueCRAB) multiphysics toolset in performing design- and beyond-design-basis accident analyses. In addition, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has been using the MELCOR code to estimate mechanistic source terms during accidents. As MELCOR relies on isotopic inventory and reactor temperature/power evolution profiles during accident conditions—all of which can theoretically be obtained from BlueCRAB—the ultimate goal of this activity is to establish a common BlueCRAB-MELCOR framework. However, prior to the present research, BlueCRAB had never been used to calculate such quantities of interest at the full-core level. While there are many Monte Carlo (MC) codes capable of computing such quantities of interest, they are unable to readily account for multiphysics feedback. BlueCRAB allows for the coupling of different physics codes together to perform multiphysics-informed calculations. Therefore, the purpose of this fiscal year 2023 work is to investigate the feasibility and challenges of performing such calculations within BlueCRAB so as to generate the data that MELCOR relies on. To demonstrate the methodology, the proposed workflow was applied to a prototypical heat pipe-cooled microreactor model. To predict isotopic concentrations (taking into account the ac- cumulation of fission products during operation), the necessary microscopic cross sections were generated via OpenMC and tabulated with respect to temperature and burnup. Next, a recently developed capability in Griffin (the reactor physics application in BlueCRAB) was used to convert the OpenMC output format into the ISOXML format used by Griffin. A multiphysics microscopic depletion calculation that involved performing a coupled full-core, heterogeneous neutron trans- port and thermal calculation at each depletion step was conducted to deplete the core to end of life (EOL) conditions so as to provide both isotopics and the initial condition for the transient calculation. Following a brief null-transient to verify that the initial condition had been properly restarted and was indeed in thermal equilibrium, a heat pipe failure transient was simulated. Thus, the entire workflow of using BlueCRAB to generate MELCOR inputs, from cross-section generation to producing isotopic inventory and power/temperature evolution profiles during transients, is demonstrated. This report also details the identified gaps in the workflow and how they were (for the most part) addressed. Future work should focus on directly including MEL- COR into the workflow by performing a MELCOR calculation using the BlueCRAB-generated input data. In addition, the heat pipe reactor design should be improved so as to reflect more prototypical burnup characteristics at EOL.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

An innovative heterogeneous transfer learning framework to enhance the scalability of deep reinforcement learning controllers in buildings with integrated energy systems

Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL)-based control shows enhanced performance in the management of integrated energy systems when compared with Rule-Based Controllers (RBCs), but it still lacks scalability and generalisation due to the necessity of using tailored models for the training process. Transfer Learning (TL) is a potential solution to address this limitation. However, existing TL applications in building control have been mostly tested among buildings with similar features, not addressing the need to scale up advanced control in real-world scenarios with diverse energy systems. This paper assesses the performance of an online heterogeneous TL strategy, comparing it with RBC and offline and online DRL controllers in a simulation setup using EnergyPlus and Python. The study tests the transfer in both transductive and inductive settings of a DRL policy designed to manage a chiller coupled with a Thermal Energy Storage (TES). The control policy is pre-trained on a source building and transferred to various target buildings characterised by an integrated energy system including photovoltaic and battery energy storage systems, different building envelope features, occupancy schedule and boundary conditions (e.g., weather and price signal). The TL approach incorporates model slicing, imitation learning and fine-tuning to handle diverse state spaces and reward functions between source and target buildings. Results show that the proposed methodology leads to a reduction of 10% in electricity cost and between 10% and 40% in the mean value of the daily average temperature violation rate compared to RBC and online DRL controllers. Moreover, online TL maximises self-sufficiency and self-consumption by 9% and 11% with respect to RBC. Conversely, online TL achieves worse performance compared to offline DRL in either transductive or inductive settings. However, offline Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) agents should be trained at least for 15 episodes to reach the same level of performance as the online TL. Therefore, the proposed online TL methodology is effective, completely model-free and it can be directly implemented in real buildings with satisfying performance.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Aerothermoelastic analysis of a NASP demonstrator model

The proposed National AeroSpace Plane (NASP) is designed to travel at speeds up to Mach 25. Because aerodynamic heating during high-speed flight through the atmosphere could destiffen a structure, significant couplings between the elastic and rigid body modes could result in lower flutter speeds and more pronounced aeroelastic response characteristics. These speeds will also generate thermal loads on the structure. The purpose of this research is develop methodologies applicable to the NASP and to apply them to a representative model to determine its aerothermoelastic characteristics when subjected to these thermal loads. This paper describes an aerothermoelastic analysis of the generic hypersonic vehicle configuration. The steps involved in this analysis were: (1) generating vehicle surface temperatures at the appropriate flight conditions; (2) applying these temperatures to the vehicle's structure to predict changes in the stiffness resulting from material property degradation; (3) predicting the vibration characteristics of the heated structure at the various temperature conditions; (4) performing aerodynamic analyses; and (5) conducting flutter analysis of the heated vehicle. Results of these analyses and conclusions representative of a NASP vehicle are provided in this paper.

Heeg, Jennifer↗

Aerothermoelastic analysis of a NASP demonstrator model

The proposed National Aerospace Plane (NASP) is designed to travel at speeds up to Mach 25. Because aerodynamic heating during high-speed flight through the atmosphere could destiffen a structure, significant couplings between the elastic and rigid body modes could result in lower flutter speeds and more pronounced aeroelastic response characteristics. These speeds will also generate thermal loads on the structure. The purpose of this research is to develop methodologies applicable to the NASP and to apply them to a representative model to determine its aerothermoelastic characteristics when subjected to these thermal loads. This paper describes an aerothermoelastic analysis of the generic hypersonic vehicle configuration. The steps involved in this analysis were: generating vehicle surface temperatures at the appropriate flight conditions; applying these temperatures to the vehicle's structure to predict changes in the stiffness resulting from material property degradation; predicting the vibration characteristics of the heated structure at the various temperature conditions; performing aerodynamic analyses; and conducting flutter analysis of the heated vehicle. Results of these analyses and conclusions representative of a NASP vehicle are provided in this paper.

Heeg, Jennifer↗

xEMU Spacesuit Boot Lunar South Pole Thermal Vacuum Testing

The Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU) spacesuit lunar boot was evaluated in the Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) CITADEL thermal vacuum chamber at lunar South Pole conditions. The JPL CITADEL chamber provides a radiation environment and contact plate temperature of 48K, simulating the temperature of a lunar Permanently Shadowed Region (PSR) at the South Pole of the Moon. The main objectives of the test series are: to evaluate the risk lunar PSRs pose to advanced spacesuit boots, validate the xEMU lunar boot thermal model, and to develop a test methodology to evaluate lunar spacesuit boots. To simulate the thermal effects of a crewmember’s foot inside the boot, a thermal manikin foot was developed to inject heat into the spacesuit boot. Thermal data was collected through a variety of sensors including thermocouples, thermistors, heat flux sensors, and infrared cameras. A test matrix was developed to investigate the variables of foot contact force, simulated skin temperature, external contact plate temperature, and ventilation flowrate. The JPL CITADEL chamber includes a loadlock (airlock) that afforded the ability to simulate the transition of the boot from a thermally neutral IVA condition to a cold EVA condition within seconds. This paper will document the test design, test objectives, success criteria, test support equipment, spacesuit boot to chamber interfaces, and configuration of the test article. Additionally, this paper will document the high-level results of the testing. More detailed test results will be presented in a different paper.

Ben Swartout↗

xEMU Spacesuit Boot Lunar South Pole Thermal Vacuum Testing

The Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU) spacesuit lunar boot was evaluated in the Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) CITADEL thermal vacuum chamber at lunar South Pole conditions. The JPL CITADEL chamber provides a radiation environment and contact plate temperature of 48K, simulating the temperature of a lunar Permanently Shadowed Region (PSR) at the South Pole of the Moon. The main objectives of the test series were: to evaluate the risk lunar PSRs pose to advanced spacesuit boots, validate the xEMU lunar boot thermal model, and develop a test methodology to evaluate lunar spacesuit boots. To simulate the thermal effects of a crewmember’s foot inside the boot, a thermal manikin foot was developed to inject heat into the spacesuit boot. Thermal data was collected through a variety of sensors including thermocouples, thermistors, heat flux sensors, and infrared cameras. A test matrix was developed to investigate the variables of foot contact force, simulated skin temperature, external contact plate temperature, and ventilation flowrate. The JPL CITADEL chamber includes a loadlock (airlock) that afforded the ability to simulate the transition of the boot from a thermally neutral IVA condition to a cold EVA condition within seconds. This paper will document the test design, test objectives, success criteria, test support equipment, spacesuit boot to chamber interfaces, and configuration of the test article. Additionally, this paper will document the high-level results of the testing. More detailed test results will be presented in a different paper.

TVAC↗

Screening and qualification methodology for SiC end plug processing methods

Deployment of SiC-ceramic-based fuel cladding for light water reactors requires a hermetic end plug–to–cladding joint that can withstand neutron irradiation during normal operation and maintain integrity during design-basis accidents. Reactor experiments have shown that some SiC composite tubes with SiC end plugs can retain hermeticity after irradiation. However, achieving consistent joint performance under irradiation remains a key challenge. Resolving this issue is essential to enable integral irradiation testing and to demonstrate fuel integrity under commercial-reactor irradiation conditions. This report aims to: (1) provide guidance for designing radiation-tolerant end plug joints for SiC cladding; (2) demonstrate experimental methods to detect processing defects that are unstable under neutron irradiation at light-water-reactor-relevant temperatures and doses; and (3) outline a step-by-step approach for designing and conducting reactor experiments to screen joining methods. The resulting data will be used to improve joint processing and to define critical defect types and sizes that must be detected and eliminated through non-destructive evaluation for quality assurance. Based on prior irradiation experiments at the High Flux Isotope Reactor, differential swelling among the cladding, bonding layer, and end plug was identified as an underlying mechanism for irradiation-induced joint degradation. Accordingly, this effect must be considered in the design of radiation-tolerant joining techniques. In this work, miniature SiC end plug joint specimens irradiated during the previous project were analyzed using X-ray computed tomography to characterize the joint microstructure. Digital volume correlation of the tomography data quantified radiation-induced microstructural changes and enabled evaluation of defect-related risks. Finally, ongoing neutron irradiation efforts using larger specimen volumes are presented. These efforts aim to statistically assess joint performance and to build a microstructure–performance (e.g., leak-tightness) dataset to inform processing improvements and quality control.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

End-Use Savings Shapes Measure Documentation: Dispatch Schedule Generation for Demand Flexibility Measures

This supplemental document describes the methodology used for determining the dispatch timing of various EUSS demand flexibility measures. Demand flexibility measures are designed to reduce/dispatch electricity demand in buildings during especially beneficial/critical times. The method used in this work utilizes predictions of building loads to generate a schedule that reflects the periods when the building's daily peak load occurs to support decision making in demand flexibility measures. The dispatch schedule generation method described in this document creates an hourly schedule that includes a load dispatch (peak) window for each day for a whole year based on load prediction, with options using different prediction methods: perfect prediction, bin-sampling method, fixed schedule, and outdoor air temperature (OAT)-based prediction method. The perfect prediction method performs a simulation to obtain the annual load profile as predicted load, representing the scenario of perfect load prediction. The bin-sampling method (1) categorizes days into representative bins by temperature characteristics, (2) performs simulations on sample days from each of those bins to create representative (or predicted) load, and (3) assigns representative loads for all days in a year based on the bin categorization. The fixed schedule method defines uniform start and end time of peak window with assumed fixed daily peak time, for all days in a season or a year. The OAT-based prediction method uses the statistics of OAT (minimum and maximum) as the indicators of peak load, with specified delay response time from building loads to temperature. Given the load prediction, daily peak periods are determined as a time window with specified length in each day that include the predicted daily peak load and with a secondary rule such as maximizing energy saving potential. The dispatch schedule generation method is not a standalone measure and is intended to be combined with other demand flexibility measures that could leverage the peak schedule and apply demand controls on specific systems or devices for demand response, such as measures described in "Measure Documentation - Thermostat Control for Load Shedding" and "Measure Documentation - Thermostat Control for Load Shifting".

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

HPC-Enabled Optimization of High Temperature Heat Exchangers (CRADA Final Report)

This project was a collaborative effort between Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC (LLNS) as manager and operator of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and Materials Sciences, LLC, to develop a technology for design and optimization of heat exchangers using powerful desktop and laptop computers. The project was originally designated as a 12-month project, and consisted of 3# major tasks and the following 8# major deliverables: 1) CFD models of 3D heat exchangers based on existing and new geometry. 2) Validation against experimental data provided by MSC and published in the literature. 3) CFD models of 3D unit cells based on TPMS. 4) Surrogate models capable of delivering the gradients of the homogenized properties with respect to the parametrization. 5) 3D design methodology using TO algorithms. 6) Conventional reference and topology optimized designs. 7) 3D optimized designs stored in a 3D printer build format. 8) Verification of the improved performance. All of the deliverables for this project were successfully completed with two no-cost time extensions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

HPC-Enabled Optimization of High Temperature Heat Exchangers (CRADA Final Report)

This project was a collaborative effort between Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC (LLNS) as manager and operator of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and Materials Sciences, LLC, to develop a technology for design and optimization of heat exchangers using powerful desktop and laptop computers. The project was originally designated as a 12-month project, and consisted of 3# major tasks and the following 8# major deliverables: 1) CFD models of 3D heat exchangers based on existing and new geometry. 2) Validation against experimental data provided by MSC and published in the literature. 3) CFD models of 3D unit cells based on TPMS. 4) Surrogate models capable of delivering the gradients of the homogenized properties with respect to the parametrization. 5) 3D design methodology using TO algorithms. 6) Conventional reference and topology optimized designs. 7) 3D optimized designs stored in a 3D printer build format. 8) Verification of the improved performance. All of the deliverables for this project were successfully completed with two no-cost time extensions.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗

Probabilistic Simulation for Combined Cycle Fatigue in Composites

A methodology to compute probabilistic fatigue life of polymer matrix laminated composites has been developed and demonstrated. Matrix degradation effects caused by long term environmental exposure and mechanical/thermal cyclic loads are accounted for in the simulation process. A unified time-temperature-stress dependent multifactor interaction relationship developed at NASA Glenn Research Center has been used to model the degradation/aging of material properties due to cyclic loads. The fast probability integration method is used to compute probabilistic distribution of response. Sensitivities of fatigue life reliability to uncertainties in the primitive random variables (e.g., constituent properties, fiber volume ratio, void volume ratio, ply thickness, etc.) computed and their significance in the reliability-based design for maximum life is discussed. The effect of variation in the thermal cyclic loads on the fatigue reliability for a (0/+/- 45/90)s graphite/epoxy laminate with a ply thickness of 0.127 mm, with respect to impending failure modes has been studied. The results show that, at low mechanical cyclic loads and low thermal cyclic amplitudes, fatigue life for 0.999 reliability is most sensitive to matrix compressive strength, matrix modulus, thermal expansion coefficient, and ply thickness. Whereas at high mechanical cyclic loads and high thermal cyclic amplitudes, fatigue life at 0.999 reliability is more sensitive to the shear strength of matrix, longitudinal fiber modulus, matrix modulus, and ply thickness.

Chamis, Christos C.↗

Design of Test Support Hardware for Advanced Space Suits

As a member of the Space Suit Assembly Development Engineering Team, I designed and built test equipment systems to support the development of the next generation of advanced space suits. During space suit testing it is critical to supply the subject with two functions: (1) cooling to remove metabolic heat, and (2) breathing air to pressurize the space suit. The objective of my first project was to design, build, and certify an improved Space Suit Cooling System for manned testing in a 1‐G environment. This design had to be portable and supply a minimum cooling rate of 2500 BTU/hr. The Space Suit Cooling System is a robust, portable system that supports very high metabolic rates. It has a highly adjustable cool rate and is equipped with digital instrumentation to monitor the flowrate and critical temperatures. It can supply a variable water temperature down to 34 deg., and it can generate a maximum water flowrate of 2.5 LPM. My next project was to design and build a Breathing Air System that was capable of supply facility air to subjects wearing the Z‐2 space suit. The system intakes 150 PSIG breathing air and regulates it to two operating pressures: 4.3 and 8.3 PSIG. It can also provide structural capabilities at 1.5x operating pressure: 6.6 and 13.2 PSIG, respectively. It has instrumentation to monitor flowrate, as well as inlet and outlet pressures. The system has a series of relief valves to fully protect itself in case of regulator failure. Both projects followed a similar design methodology. The first task was to perform research on existing concepts to develop a sufficient background knowledge. Then mathematical models were developed to size components and simulate system performance. Next, mechanical and electrical schematics were generated and presented at Design Reviews. After the systems were approved by the suit team, all the hardware components were specified and procured. The systems were then packaged, fabricated, and thoroughly tested. The next step was to certify the equipment for manned used, which included generating a Hazard Analysis and giving a presentation to the Test Readiness Review Board. Both of these test support systems will perform critical roles in the development of next‐generation space suits. They will used on a regular basis to test the NASA's new Z‐2 Space Suit. The Space Suit Cooling System is now the primary cooling system for all advanced suit tests.

Watters, Jeffrey A.↗

Towards a Radar/Radiometer Mode on the Dual-Frequency, Dual-Polarized, Doppler Radar (D3R) System

The dual-­frequency, dual-­polarized, Doppler radar (D3R) system was developed in support of the ground validation segment of the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission. Although its main purpose is to provide active, Ku/Ka­‐band, dual­‐polarized measurements of precipitation, the design presents an opportunity to study its operation in an active/passive mode. The opportunity arises from use of solid-­state transmitters employing a multi­‐frequency waveform and receiving system. Typically, a sequence of three pulses separated in frequency is transmitted to achieve its radar sensitivity and minimum range. However, one of the three pulses can be disabled with a tolerable decrease in sensitivity and its receive channel can be repurposed to support passive measurements. This work focuses on progress in the characterization of the Ku-­band H polarized passive channel operating simultaneously with two active as a step towards the provision of brightness temperatures along with the other radar derived products. The methodology developed will be applied to the V polarized channel and Ka­‐band subsystem in the near future. The study consists on the analysis of the antenna performance, receiver architecture, transfer function and achievable number of independent samples, calibration method and preliminary observation analysis. All within the context of the instrument's current configuration and possible future improvements.

radar↗