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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 487 records · Page 27
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2014

Development of a Water Recovery System Resource Tracking Model

A simulation model has been developed to track water resources in an exploration vehicle using regenerative life support (RLS) systems. The model integrates the functions of all the vehicle components that affect the processing and recovery of water during simulated missions. The approach used in developing the model results in the RTM being a part of of a complete vehicle simulation that can be used in real time mission studies. Performance data for the variety of components in the RTM is focused on water processing and has been defined based on the most recent information available for the technology of the component. This paper will describe the process of defining the RLS system to be modeled and then the way the modeling environment was selected and how the model has been implemented. Results showing how the variety of RLS components exchange water are provided in a set of test cases.

Chambliss, Joe↗
DOE OSTI2015

Technology Solutions Case Study: High-Performance Ducts in Hot-Dry Climates

Ducts in conditioned space (DCS) represent a high priority measure for moving the next generation of new homes to the Zero Net Energy performance level. Various strategies exist for incorporating ducts within the conditioned thermal envelope. To support this activity, in 2013 the Pacific Gas & Electric Company initiated a project with Davis Energy Group (lead for the Building America team, Alliance for Residential Building Innovation) to solicit builder involvement in California to participate in field demonstrations of various DCS strategies. Builders were given incentives and design support in exchange for providing site access for construction observation, diagnostic testing, and builder survey feedback. Information from the project was designed to feed into California's 2016 Title 24 process, but also to serve as an initial mechanism to engage builders in more high performance construction strategies. This Building America project complemented information collected in the California project with BEopt simulations of DCS performance in hot/dry climate regions.

ARBI↗
DOE OSTI2023

Analytical investigation of the dew point water recovery system with potential application for drinking water production

The article presents the analytical investigation of the Dew Point Water Recovery (DPWR) system with potential application for drinking water production. Four different configurations of the DPWR system were proposed, differing in the number and type of dew point cooling exchangers used, and their operation was described using a validated convective heat transfer coefficient mathematical model. It was found that the three stage configu-ration of the DPWR system with a regenerative exchanger has the best water recovery performance, while the three stage configuration with a counter-flow exchanger has the best ratio of energy supplied to the system in relation to the amount of water produced. It was also found that the DPWR system can operate in a wide range of operating conditions with a specific electric energy consumption reaching below 0.9 kWh/m 3 and GOR in the range of 0.36-2.16. What distinguishes the DPWR system from other methods of drinking water production is the ability to work without an additional source of thermal energy apart from the energy of the air supplied to the system. Thanks to this property, the system has the potential to fill the technological gap of a low-energy and easily accessible method of drinking water production.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2014

Data Preparation Process for the Buildings Performance Database

The Buildings Performance Database (BPD) includes empirically measured data from a variety of data sources with varying degrees of data quality and data availability. The purpose of the data preparation process is to maintain data quality within the database and to ensure that all database entries have sufficient data for meaningful analysis and for the database API. Data preparation is a systematic process of mapping data into the Building Energy Data Exchange Specification (BEDES), cleansing data using a set of criteria and rules of thumb, and deriving values such as energy totals and dominant asset types. The data preparation process takes the most amount of effort and time therefore most of the cleansing process has been automated. The process also needs to adapt as more data is contributed to the BPD and as building technologies over time. The data preparation process is an essential step between data contributed by providers and data published to the public in the BPD.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2024

Capabilities Development at the University of Texas at El Paso for Hydrogen Generation Research and Education

Gasification-based systems have recently received much attention due to their capability of converting wastes into useful fuels. The gasification of biomass, municipal solid waste (MSW), plastics, and other sustainable resources has shown promise in hydrogen production. When coupled to a CCU or CCS unit, these systems have the potential to achieve carbon neutrality or carbon-negative emissions. In addition, these systems have an edge over conventional incineration or landfill systems by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and recovering useful energy. However, the gasification of MSW and other wastes is still in its early stages. In particular, co-gasification of wastes with biomass has significant unknowns in optimizing the reaction kinetics, operability, design and performance improvements. Currently, Supercritical Water Gasifiers (SCWG) and Plasma Gasifiers are the major systems that are capable of producing high hydrogen amounts from Biomass and MSW, respectively. However, both systems have high capital and operating costs, adversely affecting efficiency and the hydrogen production cost. Additionally, due to lower temperatures, SCWGs are prone to tar formation and fouling in the heat exchangers. Hence, there is a need to look for alternative solutions for MSW and biomass gasifications, particularly in co-gasification. The current effort aims to develop a strategic plan to establish a sustainable gasification facility for hydrogen research at the University of Texas at El (UTEP). A major part of this effort involves an extensive literature survey to identify technological gaps and potential areas of interest. Several concepts were developed in accordance with the current demands from the literature survey. Based on the concepts, a center-wide capability assessment was conducted to measure the current capacity and feasibility of establishing hydrogen research. Afterward, a strategic research plan was developed, and a list of required resources was made for the expansion of hydrogen research at UTEP. In addition, successful partnerships with the local county and the city were developed to pursue hydrogen research. The strategic goal setting and planning of UTEP Aerospace Center resulted in securing $2.5 million in external support to expand the hydrogen research during the project performance period. In addition, during the project period, a course in Hydrogen Energy Systems was developed to expand the energy curriculum at the UTEP Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Department. The course focused on hydrogen production, storage, supply and delivery and application. The cross-listed course was offered at both undergraduate and graduate levels during the Spring 2024 semester and had 27 enrolled students. Moreover, the students supported under this award were trained in gasification process modeling, CAD, CFD and FEA during the project period. The training enabled the students to move into new projects to support gasification design, integrated gasification combined cycle process plant analysis, gasifier structural and operational analysis, and digitally threading the systems.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2017

Portable nitrous oxide sensor for understanding agricultural and soil emissions

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is the third most important greenhouse gas (GHG,) with an atmospheric lifetime of ~114 years and a global warming impact ~300 times greater than that of carbon dioxide. The main cause of nitrous oxide’s atmospheric increase is anthropogenic emissions, and over 80% of the current global anthropogenic flux is related to agriculture, including associated land-use change. An accurate assessment of N2O emissions from agriculture is vital not only for understanding the global N2O balance and its impact on climate but also for designing crop systems with lower GHG emissions. Such assessments are currently hampered by the lack of instrumentation and methodologies to measure ecosystem-level fluxes at appropriate spatial and temporal scales. Southwest Sciences and Princeton University are developing and testing new open-path eddy covariance instrumentation for continuous and fast (10 Hz) measurement of nitrous oxide emissions. An important advance, now being implemented, is the use of new mid-infrared laser sources that enable the development of exceptionally low power (<10 W) compact instrumentation that can be used even in remote sites lacking in power. The instrumentation will transform the ability to measure and understand ecosystem-level nitrous oxide fluxes. The Phase II results included successful extended field testing of prototype flux instruments, based on quantum cascade lasers, in collaboration with Michigan State University. Results of these tests demonstrated a flux detection limit of 5 µg m-2 s-1 and showed excellent agreement and correlation with measurements using chamber techniques. Initial tests of an instrument using an interband cascade laser (ICL) were performed, verifying that an order of magnitude reduction in instrument power requirements can be realized. These results point toward future improvements and testing leading to introduction of a commercial open path instrument for N2O flux measurements that is truly portable and cost-effective. The technology developed on this project is especially groundbreaking as it could be widely applied across FLUXNET and AmeriFlux sites (>1200 worldwide) for direct measurements of N2O exchange. The technology can be more broadly applied to gas monitoring requirements in industry, environmental monitoring, health and safety, etc.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2017

Case Study for the ARRA-funded GSHP Demonstration at Furman University

With funding provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, 26 ground source heat pump (GSHP) projects were competitively selected in 2009 to demonstrate the benefits of GSHP systems and innovative technologies for cost reduction and/or performance improvement. One of the selected demonstration projects was proposed by Furman University for ten student housing buildings—the North Village located on the campus in Greeneville, South Carolina. All ten buildings are identical in floor plan and construction. Each building is conditioned by an identical GSHP system consisting of 25 water-to-air heat pump (WAHP) units, a closed-loop vertical ground heat exchanger (GHX) installed under an adjacent parking lot, and two redundant 7.5 hp variable-speed pumps to circulate water through the GHX and the WAHPs. The actual performance of the GSHP systems is analyzed with available measured data for 2014. The annual energy performance is compared with a baseline scenario in which the building is conditioned by air-source heat pumps (ASHPs) with the minimum allowed efficiencies specified in ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2013 (SEER 13 for cooling and 7.8 HSPF for heating) and supplemental electric heaters. The comparison is made in terms of energy savings, operating cost savings, cost-effectiveness, and environmental benefits. Finally, limitations in conducting this analysis are identified and recommendations for further improving the operational efficiency of the GSHP systems are made.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
NASA NTRS1986

Electrochemical carbon dioxide concentrator subsystem development

The most promising concept for a regenerative CO2 removal system for long duration manned space flight is the Electrochemical CO2 Concentrator (EDC), which allows for the continuous, efficient removal of CO2 from the spacecraft cabin. This study addresses the advancement of the EDC system by generating subsystem and ancillary component reliability data through extensive endurance testing and developing related hardware components such as electrochemical module lightweight end plates, electrochemical module improved isolation valves, an improved air/liquid heat exchanger and a triple redundant relative humidity sensor. Efforts included fabrication and testing the EDC with a Sabatier CO2 Reduction Reactor and generation of data necessary for integration of the EDC into a space station air revitalization system. The results verified the high level of performance, reliability and durability of the EDC subsystem and ancillary hardware, verified the high efficiency of the Sabatier CO2 Reduction Reactor, and increased the overall EDC technology engineering data base. The study concluded that the EDC system is approaching the hardware maturity levels required for space station deployment.

Koszenski, E. P.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Preliminary design for a reverse Brayton cycle cryogenic cooler

A long life, single stage, reverse Brayton cycle cryogenic cooler is being developed for applications in space. The system is designed to provide 5 W of cooling at a temperature of 65 Kelvin with a total cycle input power of less than 200 watts. Key features of the approach include high speed, miniature turbomachines; an all metal, high performance, compact heat exchanger; and a simple, high frequency, three phase motor drive. In Phase 1, a preliminary design of the system was performed. Analyses and trade studies were used to establish the thermodynamic performance of the system and the performance specifications for individual components. Key mechanical features for components were defined and assembly layouts for the components and the system were prepared. Critical materials and processes were identified. Component and brassboard system level tests were conducted at cryogenic temperatures. The system met the cooling requirement of 5 W at 65 K. The system was also operated over a range of cooling loads from 0.5 W at 37 K to 10 W at 65 K. Input power to the system was higher than target values. The heat exchanger and inverter met or exceeded their respective performance targets. The compresssor/motor assembly was marginally below its performance target. The turboexpander met its aerodynamic efficiency target, but overall performance was below target because of excessive heat leak. The heat leak will be reduced to an acceptable value in the engineering model. The results of Phase 1 indicate that the 200 watt input power requirement can be met with state-of-the-art technology in a system which has very flexible integration requirements and negligible vibration levels.

Swift, Walter L.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Ultra-low field 13 C MRI of hyperpolarized pyruvate

Medicine is evolving beyond therapy largely predicated on anatomical information and towards incorporating patient-specific molecular biomarkers of disease for more accurate diagnosis and effective treatment. The complementary combination of hyperpolarization by spin-lock induced crossing signal amplification by reversible exchange (SLIC SABRE) and low field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can enable accessible metabolic imaging to advance personalized medicine. Hyperpolarized 13 C-enriched pyruvate has demonstrated promise for imaging metabolism in cancer, heart disease and neurodegenerative disorders; however, broader clinical adoption awaits validated clinical indications, and is further constrained by the cost and limited availability of current hyperpolarization technology. Parahydrogen-based polarization techniques, paired with low-cost high-performance MRI at millitesla fields, offer a means of broadening the reach of metabolic imaging. Here we show results demonstrating in situ hyperpolarization of pyruvate at 6.5 mT by SLIC SABRE, followed by immediate readout without field cycling or sample shuttling. We achieve 13 C signal enhancements several million times above thermal equilibrium at 6.5 mT, corresponding to polarization levels of approximately 3%. Leveraging this enhancement, we perform 13 C MRI and acquire NMR spectra with resolution sufficient to distinguish chemical shifts between pyruvate isotopomers. These results show a viable pathway towards accessible metabolic imaging with hyperpolarized 13 C MRI at ultra-low field.

Medical and clinical diagnostics↗
DOE OSTI2016

Characterization of SuperLig® 639 rhenium and technetium resin with batch contact and column tests

Two new (2013) lots of SuperLig® 639 ion exchange resin (IBC Advanced Technologies, American Forks, UT) were tested for the first time above typical sodium concentrations (7.8 M sodium, along with typical 5 M concentration) in highly alkaline solutions. Batch contact and ion exchange column tests characterized rhenium (perrhenate) adsorption as a surrogate for pertechnetate. The work supports technetium removal options for Supplemental Low Activity Waste processing at the Hanford River Protection Project Waste Treatment Plant (WTP). The current work found that the resin performs well in the 7.8 M sodium simulant despite complete floating of the beads. A notable difference in performance between the two new resin lots was found. As a result, resin loading overall versus temperature, potassium concentration, and rhenium/nitrate ratios is consistent with previous data and expectations despite the high sodium concentration and floating of the resin beads.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2021

Design of a 1 MWth Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Primary Heat Exchanger Test System

A new generation of Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) technologies is under development to provide dispatchable renewable power generation and reduce the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) to 6 cents/kWh by leveraging heat transfer fluids (HTF) capable of operation at higher temperatures and coupling with higher efficiency power conversion cycles. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has funded three pathways for Generation 3 CSP (Gen3CSP) technology development to leverage solid, liquid, and gaseous HTFs to transfer heat to a supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO 2 ) Brayton cycle. Here we present the design and off-design capabilities of a 1 MWth sCO 2 test system that can provide sCO 2 coolant to the primary heat exchangers (PHX) coupling the high-temperature HTFs to the sCO 2 working fluid of the power cycle. This system will demonstrate design, performance, lifetime, and operability at a scale relevant to commercial CSP. A dense-phase high pressure canned motor pump is used to supply up to 5.3 kg/s of sCO 2 flow to the primary heat exchanger at pressures up to 250 bar and temperatures up to 715 °C with ambient air as the ultimate heat sink. Key component requirements for this system are presented in this paper.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS1988

Utility of Emulation and Simulation Computer Modeling of Space Station Environmental Control and Life Support Systems

Over the years, computer modeling has been used extensively in many disciplines to solve engineering problems. A set of computer program tools is proposed to assist the engineer in the various phases of the Space Station program from technology selection through flight operations. The development and application of emulation and simulation transient performance modeling tools for life support systems are examined. The results of the development and the demonstration of the utility of three computer models are presented. The first model is a detailed computer model (emulation) of a solid amine water desorbed (SAWD) CO2 removal subsystem combined with much less detailed models (simulations) of a cabin, crew, and heat exchangers. This model was used in parallel with the hardware design and test of this CO2 removal subsystem. The second model is a simulation of an air revitalization system combined with a wastewater processing system to demonstrate the capabilities to study subsystem integration. The third model is that of a Space Station total air revitalization system. The station configuration consists of a habitat module, a lab module, two crews, and four connecting nodes.

Yanosy, James L.↗
DOE OSTI2016

The interaction of reactants, intermediates and products with Cu ions in Cu-SSZ-13 NH3 SCR catalysts: An energetic and ab initio X-ray absorption modeling study

Copper-exchanged SSZ-13 (Cu-SSZ-13) provides excellent catalytic activity and hydrothermal stability in the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx by using NH3 as a reductant. In this contribution, we compare the most likely positions for Cu with a single charge compensating Al atom (ZCu), including the effect of the adsorption of reactants, intermediates and products of a NH3 SCR reaction by using first-principles calculations based on density functional theory. We find that the 6-membered ring (6MR) site is the most energetically favorable while the 8-membered ring (8MR) sites are less favorable with energy differences about 0.5 eV with respect to the 6MR site. Upon molecular adsorption, the energy differences between Cu in the 8MR and 6MR sites decreases and almost disappears, which means that the thermodynamic stability of ZCu with molecularly adsorbed species is nearly identical for Cu in different sites. Considering more complicated scenarios of NO (or CO) adsorption, we find that the co-adsorption of 2 NO (or 2 CO) molecules weakens their interaction with Cu, as well as their co-adsorption with OH and H2O. The X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) of Cu in Cu-SSZ-13 under different conditions was also modeled from first principles. We find that the pre-edge feature in the K-edge XANES of Cu in clean Cu-SSZ-13 with Cu in a 8MR site is induced by a 1s to 4s transition while there is no pre-edge peak when Cu is in a 6MR site. Molecular adsorption onto Cu in a 6MR or a 8MR site results in the same K-edge XANES. When NO is adsorbed onto Cu in SSZ-13, we find that the origin of the small pre-edge peak in the K-edge XANES lies in a 1s to 3d electron transition. On the other hand, when CO or N2 is adsorbed onto an isolated Cu atom in SSZ-13, a transition from the 1s state to the hybridized state of 3d and 4p results in a pre-edge peak in the K-edge of the XANES spectrum. It is also found that the edge position and intensity of the maximum peak of Cu K-edge XANES depend on the Cu locations and the adsorbed molecules. By studying the Cu K-edge XANES of ZCu with adsorption of species of different oxidizing power, we conclude that a higher oxidation state of Cu will result in a higher energy edge position in the Cu K-edge XANES. These results are expected to greatly aid our understanding of Cu-SSZ-13 SCR catalysts. This work was supported by institutional funds provided to JSM from the Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering. Financial support was also provided by the National Science Foundation GOALI program under contract Nos. CBET-1258717, CBET-1258715 and CBET-1258690. We thank Prof. Fabio Ribeiro, Mr. Atish Parekh, Prof. W. F. Schneider, Mr. Christopher Paolucci, Mr. Trunjoyo Anggara and Prof. Jeff Miller for stimulating discussions on the modeling of the XANES spectrum and Ms. Alyssa Hensley for her comments on the manuscript. J.Sz. acknowledges the financial support of this work by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Vehicle Technologies Program. A portion of the computer time for the computational work was performed using EMSL, a national scientific user facility sponsored by the Department of Energy’s Office of Biological and Environmental Research and located at PNNL. PNNL is a multi-program national laboratory operated for the US DOE by Battelle.

Zhang, Renqin↗
NASA NTRS1994

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells for space and electric vehicle applications: From basic research to technology development

The proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is one of the most promising electrochemical power sources for space and electric vehicle applications. The wide spectrum of R&D activities on PEMFC's, carried out in our Center from 1988 to date, is as follows (1) Electrode Kinetic and Electrocatalysis of Oxygen Reduction; (2) Optimization of Structures of Electrodes and of Membrane and Electrode Assemblies; (3) Selection and Evaluation of Advanced Proton Conducting Membranes and of Operating Conditions to Attain High Energy Efficiency; (4) Modeling Analysis of Fuel Cell Performance and of Thermal and Water Management; and (5) Engineering Design and Development of Multicell Stacks. The accomplishments on these tasks may be summarized as follows: (1) A microelectrode technique was developed to determine the electrode kinetic parameters for the fuel cell reactions and mass transport parameters for the H2 and O2 reactants in the proton conducting membrane. (2) High energy efficiencies and high power densities were demonstrated in PEMFCs with low platinum loading electrodes (0.4 mg/cm(exp 2) or less), advanced membranes and optimized structures of membrane and electrode assemblies, as well as operating conditions. (3) The modeling analyses revealed methods to minimize mass transport limitations, particularly with air as the cathodic reactant; and for efficient thermal and water management. (4) Work is in progress to develop multi-kilowatt stacks with the electrodes containing low platinum loadings.

Srinivasan, Supramaniam↗
DOE OSTI2025

Computational screening of fly ash zeolite sorbents for boric acid removal

In the United States, many impoundments at coal-fired power plants contain elevated contaminants like arsenic, boron, barium, and selenium. Zeolites synthesized from fly ash show promise as sorbents for these contaminants. However, optimizing sorption capacity is challenging due to numerous possible topologies, silicon to aluminum (Si/Al) ratios, and cation types. In this study, molecular simulations are used to design cationic zeolites for boric acid adsorption. Force field models based on quantum mechanical calculations (PBE + D2) for Na-, Ca-, Mn-, and Fe-exchanged chabazite and LTA are presented. The new D2FF force fields reproduce DFT energies with about half the error of UFF. Zeolite performance depends on Si/Al ratio and cation type, with low Si/Al ratio chabazite (CHA) and phillipsite (PHI) zeolite frameworks exchanged with Ca 2+ or Na + /Ca 2+ mixtures showing the highest adsorption. In conclusion, these findings suggest tailored fly ash-derived zeolites could provide effective boron removal from leachate ponds.

CCR impoundment↗
NASA NTRS2005

The Fuel Cell Powered Club Car Carryall

The NASA Glenn Research Center initiated development of the Fuel Cell Powered Club Car Carryall as a way to reduce pollution in industrial settings, reduce fossil fuel consumption and reduce operating costs for transportation systems. The Club Car Carryall provides an inexpensive approach to advance the state of the art in electric vehicle technology in a practical application. The project transfers space technology to terrestrial use via non-traditional partners, and provides power system data valuable for future aeronautics and space applications. The work was done under the Hybrid Power Management (HPM) Program. The Carryall is a state of the art, dedicated, electric utility vehicle. Hydrogen powered proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells are the primary power source. Ultracapacitors were used for energy storage as long life, maintenance free operation, and excellent low temperature performance is essential. Metal hydride hydrogen storage was used to store hydrogen in a safe and efficient low-pressure solid form. The report concludes that the Fuel Cell Powered Club Car Carryall can provide excellent performance, and that the implementation of fuel cells in conjunction with ultracapacitors in the power system can provide significant reliability and performance improvements.

Eichenberg, Dennis J.↗