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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 505 records · Page 28
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Performance of black silicon photodiodes for VUV detection in noble liquids

Black silicon (b-Si) photodiodes are an emerging technology that employs silicon nanostructures to enhance the efficiency of photon detection. Recently, we demonstrated nearly 100% quantum efficiency at <200 nm vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) wavelengths at ambient and in noble liquids, making such devices particularly useful for direct detection of scintillation light in noble liquid detectors. This is important in nuclear science experiments like DarkSide, LUX, XENON, and nEXO, where detection of weak VUV scintillation photons in noble liquids are used to identify rare physics radiation events. Here, we measured the response of b-Si photodiode to the scintillation light generated by alpha particles, all immersed in a LAr and LXe test cell. We established a guideline for future development of b-Si photodetectors with internal gain to reach single-photon sensitivity.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2025

Replenishing liquid sheet targets to enable high-intensity high-repetition-rate laser–plasma interactions for ion-beam technology

We report on the development of a robust microfluidic nozzle capable of generating replenishing liquid sheet targets with sub-micron thickness at up to kHz repetition rates, a λ/20 surface flatness over areas of at least 100 μm 2 , and in-vacuum dimensions of 6 × 1.5 mm 2 . The platform was evaluated for stability under hundreds of 4.3 J laser shots at 0.5 Hz and 6 × 10 20 W/cm 2 peak intensity, delivered in burst mode, totaling 2.9 kJ on the target. The key metrics of the platform, including sheet characteristics, nozzle aperture morphology, and proton spectra, showed no measurable degradation in the performance of the liquid sheet platform following this experiment. Beyond its application to ion beam technology, we outline a pathway to further develop the capabilities of the platform into a high-repetition-rate plasma mirror.

depth profiling techniques↗
DOE OSTI2023

A Vacuum Drying Study of Simulated Failed Nuclear Fuel (FY23)

This report documents work performed under the Office of Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition’s (SFWD’s) Spent Fuel and Waste Science and Technology program for the US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy (NE). This work was performed to fulfill Level 4 milestone M4SF-23OR010203013. Over the 70 years of light-water reactor (LWR) operation, fuel rod failures have occurred during reactor operation. Based on the Unified Database that SFWD maintains, there are ~5,400 LWR fuel rods that developed leaks during reactor operation of the >19 million rods operated. The Unified Database indicates that ~4,200 of these rods remain in the spent fuel pool, and ~1,200 are in dry storage canisters. It is expected that all failed rods are “waterlogged” in the spent fuel pool, meaning the inside of the rods contain some volume of water. There are two related objectives of this work. The first is to develop a simple and inexpensive experiment to better understand removal of water from inside failed spent nuclear fuel (SNF) rods, and the second is to develop a model to predict drying of simulated failed fuel in the simple experiment. Once a model captures the phenomenon in the simple experiment, it can be extended to predict drying under more prototypical conditions.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Compact Multicell SRF Crab Cavity for ILC

International Linear Collider (ILC), a proposed linear electron-positron collider, plans to utilize crab cavities to enhance its luminosity. By introducing a transverse kick to the beams, the crab cavities (CC) rotate the beam bunches, allowing for increased overlap at the interaction points. High intensity of the beam current and limited transverse space along the beam pipe near the interaction point resulted in choosing superconducting technology for the ILC/CC. We present a scalable design of a superconducting Quasi-waveguide Multicell Resonator (QMiR) seamlessly connected with a beam vacuum chamber. The cavity is completely open at both ends, which avoids complex HOM couplers, and thus simplifies the mechanical design of the cavity.

Lunin, A.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Space station common module thermal management: Design and construction of a test bed

In this project, a thermal test bed was designed, simulated, and planned for construction. The thermal system features interior and exterior thermal loads and interfacing with the central-radiator thermal bus. Components of the test bed include body mounted radiator loop with interface heat exchangers (600 Btu/hr); an internal loop with cabin air-conditioning and cold plates (3400 Btu/hr); interface heat exchangers to the central bus (13,000 Btu/hr); and provisions for new technology including advanced radiators, thermal storage, and refrigeration. The apparatus will be mounted in a chamber, heated with lamps, and tested in a vacuum chamber with LN2-cooled walls. Simulation of the test bed was accomplished using a DEC PRO 350 computer and the software package TK! olver. Key input variables were absorbed solar radiation and cold plate loads. The results indicate temperatures on the two loops will be nominal when the radiation and cold plate loads are in the range of 25% to 75% of peak loads. If all loads fall to zero, except the cabin air system which was fixed, the radiator fluid will drop below -100 F and may cause excessive pressure drop. If all loads reach 100%, the cabin air temperature could rise to 96 F.

Barile, R. G.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Effects of Different Braze Materials and Composite Substrates on Composite/Ti Joints

An ever increasing number of applications require robust joining technologies of dissimilar materials. In this study, three types of ceramic composites (C-C, C-SiC, and SiC-SiC) were vacuum brazed to commercially pure Ti using the Cusil-ABA (63 Ag - 35.5 Cu - 1.75 Ti) active metal braze alloy. The study also compared composite specimens as-fabricated and after surface grinding/polishing. A butt-strap tensile shear strength test was used to evaluate the joined structures at room temperature, 270 and 500 C. The elevated temperatures represent possible use temperatures for some heat rejection type applications. Joint strength will be discussed in light of braze wetting and spreading properties, composite properties, and test temperature.

Morscher, Gregory N.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Electrodynamic Dust Shield for Space Applications

The International Space Exploration Coordination Group (ISECG) has chosen dust mitigation technology as a Global Exploration Roadmap (GER) critical technology need in order to reduce life cycle cost and risk, and increase the probability of mission success. NASA has also included Particulate Contamination Prevention and Mitigation as a cross-cutting technology to be developed for contamination prevention, cleaning and protection. This technology has been highlighted due to the detrimental effect of dust on both human and robotic missions. During manned Apollo missions, dust caused issues with both equipment and crew. Contamination of equipment caused many issues including incorrect instrument readings and increased temperatures due to masking of thermal radiators. The astronauts were directly affected by dust that covered space suits, obscured face shields and later propagated to the cabin and into the crew's eyes and lungs. Robotic missions on Mars were affected when solar panels were obscured by dust thereby reducing the effectiveness of the solar panels. The Electrostatics and Surface Physics Lab in Swamp Works at the Kennedy Space Center has been developing an Electrodynamic Dust Shield (EDS) to remove dust from multiple surfaces, including glass shields and thermal radiators. This technology has been tested in lab environments and has evolved over several years. Tests of the technology include reduced gravity flights (one-sixth g) in which Apollo Lunar dust samples were successfully removed from glass shields while under vacuum (10(exp -6) kPa).

ISECG↗
NASA NTRS2010

Status of Solar Sail Technology Within NASA

In the early 2000s, NASA made substantial progress in the development of solar sail propulsion systems for use in robotic science and exploration of the solar system. Two different 20-m solar sail systems were produced and they successfully completed functional vacuum testing in NASA Glenn Research Center's (GRC's) Space Power Facility at Plum Brook Station, Ohio. The sails were designed and developed by ATK Space Systems and L Garde, respectively. The sail systems consist of a central structure with four deployable booms that support the sails. These sail designs are robust enough for deployment in a one-atmosphere, one-gravity environment and were scalable to much larger solar sails perhaps as large as 150 m on a side. Computation modeling and analytical simulations were also performed to assess the scalability of the technology to the large sizes required to implement the first generation of missions using solar sails. Life and space environmental effects testing of sail and component materials were also conducted. NASA terminated funding for solar sails and other advanced space propulsion technologies shortly after these ground demonstrations were completed. In order to capitalize on the $30M investment made in solar sail technology to that point, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) funded the NanoSail-D, a subscale solar sail system designed for possible small spacecraft applications. The NanoSail-D mission flew on board the ill-fated Falcon-1 Rocket launched August 2, 2008, and due to the failure of that rocket, never achieved orbit. The NanoSail-D flight spare will be flown in the Fall of 2010. This paper will summarize NASA's investment in solar sail technology to-date and discuss future opportunities

Johnson, Les↗
NASA NTRS1971

Shuttle cryogenic supply system optimization study

Technical information on different cryogenic supply systems is presented for selecting representative designs. Parametric data and sensitivity studies, and an evaluation of related technology status are included. An integrated mathematical model for hardware program support was developed. The life support system, power generation, and propellant supply are considered. The major study conclusions are the following: Optimum integrated systems tend towards maximizing liquid storage. Vacuum jacketing of tanks is a major effect on integrated systems. Subcritical storage advantages over supercritical storage decrease as the quantity of propellant or reactant decreases. Shuttle duty cycles are not severe. The operational mode has a significant effect on reliability. Components are available for most subsystem applications. Subsystems and components require a minimum amount of technology development.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1983

Processing of extraterrestrial materials by high temperature vacuum vaporization

It is noted that problems associated with the extraction and concentration of elements and commpounds important for the construction and operation of space habitats have received little attention. High temperature vacuum vaporization is considered a promising approach; this is a technique for which the space environment offers advantages in the form of low ambient pressures and temperatures and the possibility of sustained high temperatures via solar thermal energy. To establish and refine this new technology, experimental determinations must be made of the material release profiles as a function of temperature, of the release kinetics and chemical forms of material being transported, and of the various means of altering release kinetics. Trace element data determined by neutron activation analysis of meteorites heated to 1400 C in vacuum is summarized. The principal tool, high temperature spectrometry, is used to examine the vaporization thermodynamics and kinetics of major and minor elements from complex multicomponent extraterrestrial materials.

Grimley, R. T.↗
DOE OSTI2025

LCA-TEA of Sorbent-Based Direct Air Capture with Temperature-Vacuum Swing Adsorption Model

This poster presentation discusses different aspects of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Techno Economic Analysis (TEA) of sorbent-based case study updates and methodologies utilized for carbon dioxide removal technologies. The combined TEA and LCA approach adopted herein provides insight into trade-offs between environmental performance and cost efficiency under various energy supply scenarios.

carbon dioxide removal↗
NASA NTRS2016

Design and Development Comparison of Rapid Cycle Amine 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0

The development of the Rapid Cycle Amine (RCA) swing-bed technology for carbon dioxide (CO2) removal has been in progress since favorable results were published in 1996. Shortly thereafter, a prototype was designed, developed, and tested successfully and delivered to Johnson Space Center in 1999. An improved prototype was delivered to NASA in 2006 and was notated as RCA 1.0 and sized for the extravehicular activity (EVA). The new RCA swing-bed technology is a regenerative system which employs two alternating solid-amine sorbent beds to remove CO2 and water. The two- bed design employs a chemisorption process whereby the beds alternate between adsorbtion and desorbsion. This process provides for an efficient operation of the RCA so that while one bed is in adsorb (uptake) mode, the other is in the desorb (regeneration) mode. The RCA has now progressed through several iterations of technology readiness levels. Test articles have now been designed, developed, and tested for the advanced space suit portable life support system (PLSS) including RCA 1.0, RCA 2.0, and RCA 3.0. The RCA 3.0 was the most recent RCA fabrication and was delivered to NASA-JSC in June 2015. The RCA 1.0 test article was designed with a pneumatically actuated linear motion spool valve. The RCA 2.0 and 3.0 test articles were designed with a valve assembly which allows for switching between uptake and regeneration modes while minimizing gas volume losses to the vacuum source. RCA 2.0 and 3.0 also include an embedded controller design to control RCA operation and provide the capability of interfacing with various sensors and other ventilation loop components. The RCA technology is low power, small, and has fulfilled all test requirements levied upon the technology during development testing thus far. This paper will provide an overreview of the design and development of RCA 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 including detail differences between the design specifications of each.

Chullen, Cinda↗
NASA NTRS2016

Design and Development Comparison of Rapid Cycle Amine 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0

The development of the Rapid Cycle Amine (RCA) swing-bed technology for carbon dioxide (CO2) removal has been in progress since favorable results were published in 1996. Shortly thereafter, a prototype was designed, developed, and tested successfully and delivered to Johnson Space Center in 1999. An improved prototype (RCA 1.0) was delivered to NASA in 2006 and sized for the extravehicular activity (EVA). The RCA swing-bed technology is a regenerative system which employs two alternating solid-amine sorbent beds to remove CO2 and water. The two-bed design employs a chemisorption process whereby the beds alternate between adsorption and desorption. This process provides for an efficient RCA operation that enables one bed to be in adsorb (uptake) mode, while the other is in the desorb (regeneration) mode. The RCA has progressed through several iterations of technology readiness levels. Test articles have now been designed, developed, and tested for the advanced space suit portable life support system (PLSS) including RCA 1.0, RCA 2.0, and RCA 3.0. The RCA 3.0 was the most recent RCA fabrication and was delivered to NASA-JSC in June 2015. The RCA 1.0 test article was designed with a pneumatically actuated linear motion spool valve. The RCA 2.0 and 3.0 test articles were designed with a valve assembly which allows for switching between uptake and regeneration modes while minimizing gas volume losses to the vacuum source. RCA 2.0 and 3.0 also include an embedded controller design to control RCA operation and provide the capability of interfacing with various sensors and other ventilation loop components. The RCA technology is low power, small, and has fulfilled all test requirements levied upon the technology during development testing thus far. This paper will provide an overview of the design and development of RCA 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 including detail differences between the design specifications of each. Nomenclature.

Chullen, Cinda↗
DOE OSTI2022

Pulsed-Power Innovations for Next-Generation, High-Current Drivers

There are proposals to build larger high-current drivers to be used for high-energy-density physics (HEDP), inertial confinement fusion (ICF), radiation effects testing, and basic science. Drivers significantly larger than the Z Machine at Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, USA, encounter increasing difficulties in water power flow, insulator performance, and vacuum power flow. The physics requirements of imploding loads limit a designer’s flexibility in choosing machine parameters, such as current rise time, driving impedance, and total inductance. This article enumerates these physics constraints and shows how they impact driver design. Here, we conclude that advances in pulsed-power capabilities are needed to control risk and to build a cost-effective driver at peak currents of ~60 MA.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Pervaporative Dehydration of 2,3-Butanediol by Dense Poly(vinylidene fluoride) Hollow Fiber Membranes: Parameter Estimation, Process Design, and Technoeconomic Evaluation under Uncertainty

Pervaporation, combined with other separation processes, can effectively remove water from fermentation product streams, making it highly suitable for purifying alcohols like 2,3-butanediol (BDO). In this study, a dense poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) hollow fiber membrane module prototype was fabricated for BDO dehydration, achieving >0.2 LMH total flux and >95% BDO rejection. With a Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) approach, Bayesian inference was used to quantify the uncertainty of the permeance parameters. A membrane cascade model was developed to scale up a process that purifies a preconcentrated BDO feed (70 wt %) to high purity (90 wt %). Through propagation of the uncertainty of the parameters and sensitivity analyses of the process variables, a cascade design was recommended. Despite data and model limitations, the framework enabled a reliable system analysis and economic evaluation, validated through tight confidence intervals in key process metrics, establishing the foundation for future applications of Bayesian methods in membrane-based processes.

Animal feed↗
DOE OSTI2020

Extended magnetohydrodynamics simulations of thin-foil Z-pinch implosions with comparison to experiments

Cylindrical foil liners, with foil thicknesses on the order of 400 nm, are often used in university-scale Z-pinch experiments (~1 MA in 100 ns) to study physics relevant to inertial confinement fusion efforts on larger-scale facilities (e.g., the MagLIF effort on the 25-MA Z facility at Sandia National Laboratories). The use of ultrathin foil liners typically requires a central support rod to maintain the structural integrity of the liner target assembly prior to implosion. The radius of this support rod sets a limit on the maximum convergence ratio achievable for the implosion. In recent experiments with a support rod and a preimposed axial magnetic field, helical instability structures in the imploding foil plasma were found to persist as the foil plasma stagnated on the rod and subsequently expanded away from the rod. We have now used the 3D extended magnetohydrodynamics simulation code PERSEUS (which includes Hall physics) to study these experiments. The results suggest that it is the support rod which is responsible for the helical structures persisting beyond stagnation. Furthermore, we find that as the radius of the support rod decreases (i.e., as the convergence ratio increases), the integrity and persistence of the helical modes diminish. In the limit with no support rod, we find that the structure of the final stagnation column is governed by the structure of the central precursor plasma column. Furthermore, these simulation results and their comparisons to experiment are presented.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Realistic model of entanglement-enhanced sensing in optical fibers

Experimental limitations such as optical loss and noise have prevented entanglement-enhanced measurements from demonstrating a significant quantum advantage in sensitivity. Holland-Burnett entangled states can mitigate these limitations and still present a quantum advantage in sensitivity. Here we model a fiber-based Mach-Zehnder interferometer with internal loss, detector efficiency, and external phase noise and without pure entanglement. This model features a practical fiber source that transforms the two-mode squeezed vacuum (TMSV) into Holland-Burnett entangled states. We predict that a phase sensitivity 28% beyond the shot noise limit is feasible with current technology. Simultaneously, a TMSV source can provide about 25 times more photon flux than other entangled sources. This system will make fiber-based quantum-enhanced sensing accessible and practical for remote sensing and probing photosensitive materials.

Krueper, Gregory↗