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At least 523 records · Page 29

Cooperative Collision Avoidance Technology Demonstration Data Analysis Report

This report details the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Access 5 Project Office Cooperative Collision Avoidance (CCA) Technology Demonstration for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) conducted from 21 to 28 September 2005. The test platform chosen for the demonstration was the Proteus Optionally Piloted Vehicle operated by Scaled Composites, LLC, flown out of the Mojave Airport, Mojave, CA. A single intruder aircraft, a NASA Gulf stream III, was used during the demonstration to execute a series of near-collision encounter scenarios. Both aircraft were equipped with Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System-II (TCAS-II) and Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) systems. The objective of this demonstration was to collect flight data to support validation efforts for the Access 5 CCA Work Package Performance Simulation and Systems Integration Laboratory (SIL). Correlation of the flight data with results obtained from the performance simulation serves as the basis for the simulation validation. A similar effort uses the flight data to validate the SIL architecture that contains the same sensor hardware that was used during the flight demonstration.

Source record↗

RH-TRU Waste Streams: HFDA Crucibles Create New Complex Waste Stream

This project focuses on the removal of the Hot Fuel Dissolution Apparatus (HFDA) crucibles from the Hot Fuel Examination Facility’s (HFEF) hot cells to create space for upcoming projects. The project team has created a crucible and pyro-salt non-debris waste stream that can be disposed of at Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). Chemical Compatibility Examinations (CCEs) must be performed on candidate waste by reviewing the types of chemicals used in the experiments, information found in INL Process Knowledge Summary Reports (PKSRs), and Environmental Protection Agency guides on chemical compatibility. The CCEs identify which chemicals can be safely combined to ensure adverse reactions do not occur in the waste packages. The CCEs are then used to update the PKSR, Basis of Knowledge, and Acceptable Knowledge documents and demonstrate compliance with the WIPP Waste Acceptance Criteria. Once documents are finalized, they are reviewed and approved by the WIPP Central Characterization Project (CCP) to ensure proper waste stream characterization. After the documents are approved, the crucibles can be packaged and shipped to the Idaho Nuclear Technical and Engineering Center for storage awaiting certification. CCP will certify the waste using the approved documents and a series of confirmatory testing before being shipped and disposed in WIPP’s deep geological repository. Currently, the CCE is in progress and the PKSRs are being updated.

Basis of Knowledge↗

Compact Microwave Mercury Ion Clock for Deep-Space Applications

We have recently completed a breadboard ion-dock physics package based on Kg ions shuttled between a quadrupole and a 16-pole rf trap. With this architecture we have demonstrated short-term stability -1-2xl0-13 at 1 second, averaging to 10-15 at 1 day. This development shows that 8- maser quality stabilities can be produced in a small clock package, comparable in size to an oItra-stable quartz oscillator required for holding 1-2xl0-13 at 1 second. This performance was obtained in a sealed vacuum configuration where only agetter pump was used to maintain vacuum. The vacuum tube containing the traps has now been onder sealed vacuum conditions for nearly two years with no measurable degradation of ion trapping lifetimes or clock short-term performance. We have fabricated the vacuum tube, ion trap and UV windows from materials that will allow a - 400 C tube bake-out to prepare for tube sealoff. This approach to the vacuum follows the methods used in mght vacuum tube electronics, such as flight TWTA's where tube operation lifetime and shelf life of up to 15 years is achieved. We use neon as a buffer gas with 2-3 times less pressure induced frequency pulling than helium and, being heavier, negligable diffusion losses will occur over the operation lifetime.

space clock↗

Compact Microwave Mercury Ion Clock for Space Applications

We review progress in developing a small Hg ion clock for space operation based on breadboard ion-clock physics package where Hg ions are shuttled between a quadrupole and a 16-pole rf trap. With this architecture we have demonstrated short-term stability approx.1-2x10(exp -13) at 1 second, averaging to 10-15 at 1 day. This development shows that H-maser quality stabilities can be produced in a small clock package, comparable in size to an ultra-stable quartz oscillator required or holding 1-2x10(exp -13) at 1 second. We have completed an ion clock physics package designed to withstand vibration of launch and are currently building a approx. 1 kg engineering model for test. We also discuss frequency steering software algorithms that simultaneously measure ion signal size and lamp light output, useful for long term operation and self-optimization of microwave power and return engineering data.

navigation↗

Demonstrating solarpilot ’s Python Application Programmable Interface Through Heliostat Optimal Aimpoint Strategy Use Case

solarpilot is a software package that generates solar field layouts and characterizes the optical performance of concentrating solar power (CSP) tower systems. solarpilot was developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) as a stand-alone desktop application but has also been incorporated into NREL’s System Advisor Model (SAM) in a simplified format. Prior means for user interaction with solarpilot have included the application’s graphical interface, the SAM routines with limited configurability, and through a built-in scripting language called “LK.” This article presents a new, full-featured, python-based application programmable interface (API) for solarpilot, which we hereafter refer to as CoPylot. CoPylot enables python users to perform detailed CSP tower analysis utilizing either the Hermite expansion technique (analytical) or the SolTrace ray-tracing engine. CoPylot’s enables CSP researchers to perform analysis that was previously not possible through solarpilot’s existing interfaces. This article discusses the capabilities of CoPylot and presents a use case wherein we populate a model that obtains optimal solar field aiming strategies.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

NASA Technology Utilization House technical support package Summary of results and house description

The Technology Utilization House (Tech House) was designed and constructed to demonstrate to the building industry and the public the benefits of aerospace technology and other new technology that are presently available or will be in very near future. Use of solar energy, conservation of energy and of water, safety, and security were incorporated in the design of the house. The terms to be incorporated into the house and to assist in the design of the house were evaluated. An architectural engineering team was employed to investigate energy conservation ideas, determine cost effectiveness of new materials and systems, and prepare specifications and drawings for the house. The Tech House was constructed during the spring of 1976. All the systems were monitored to insure proper operation, and data were collected during a one year occupancy. Results obtained during the family live-in period, comments on the acceptance of the various energy-saving systems by the family, and suggestions for improvement of the systems are presented.

Source record↗

Aerodynamic Measurement Technology

Ohio State University developed a new spectrally filtered light-scattering apparatus based on a diode laser injected-locked titanium: sapphire laser and rubidium vapor filter at 780.2 nm. When the device was combined with a stimulated Brillouin scattering phase conjugate mirror, the realizable peak attenuation of elastic scattering interferences exceeded 105. The potential of the system was demonstrated by performing Thomson scattering measurements. Under USAF-NASA funding, West Virginia University developed a Doppler global velocimetry system using inexpensive 8-bit charged coupled device cameras and digitizers and a CW argon ion laser. It has demonstrated a precision of +/- 2.5 m/sec in a swirling jet flow. Low-noise silicon-micromachined microphones developed and incorporated in a novel two-tier, hybrid packaging scheme at the University of Florida used printed circuit board technology to realize a MEMS-based directional acoustic array. The array demonstrated excellent performance relative to conventional sensor technologies and provides scaling technologies that can reduce cost and increase speed and mobility.

Burner, Alpheus W.↗

Disposing of waste package with respect to physico-chemical characteristics - 15041

The waste inventory to be taken into account for the design of the Cigeo project is defined in the industrial program for waste management established in cooperation between nuclear operators (EDF, AREVA, CEA) and Andra. This waste inventory has been constituted with a list of different families of radioactive waste packages from High Level Waste (HLW) to Intermediate Level Long-lived Waste (IL-LLW). IL-LLW include a large variety of items such as structural elements from fuel assemblies (cladding from the fuel rods called 'hulls', end pieces called 'end caps' and assembly spacer grids, etc.), sludge from effluent treatment or miscellaneous equipment (filters, pumps, etc.). Most ILLW (except solidified sludges) are basically metallic but organic and inorganic components such as plastics (cellulose, PVC...) and salts may also be included. The rules used for designing Cigeo are based on the separation of waste having different physico-chemical characteristics in different cells. However it could be possible to dispose of waste packages with different physico-chemical characteristics in the same cell if we can demonstrate that a type of waste does not generate significant physico-chemical perturbations on other co-stored families. The first step of our analysis has been the identification of categories of materials present in waste likely to interact with each other. The second step consisted in analysing qualitatively the physico-chemical interactions between these materials. In the third step, we defined criteria allowing evaluation of the consequences of these interactions on (i) gas production (mainly H{sub 2}), (ii) radionuclide release and transfer and (iii) degradation of concrete components of the disposal cell. We built then a table allowing qualitative comparison of the consequences of the interactions between the materials types defined in the first step. The conclusion of this study shows that it is necessary to pay a very careful attention before disposing of waste packages containing organic components nearby waste packages containing actinides radionuclides. The geochemical phenomena coupling must also be quantitatively evaluated so as to analyse possible interaction processes between the released organic compounds and the cementitious components of the cells, the near-field clay-stone and the radionuclides migration. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Miniaturized Mercury Ion Clock for Ultrastable Deep Space Applications

We have recently completed a prototype ion-clock physics package based on Hg ions shuttled between a quadrupole and a 16-pole rf trap. With this architecture we have demonstrated short-term stability ~2-3x10-13 at 1 second, averaging to 10-15 at 1 day. This development shows that H-maser quality stabilities can be produced in a small clock package, comparable in size to an ultra-stable quartz oscillator required for holding 1-2x10-13 at 1 second. This performance was obtained in a sealed vacuum configuration where only a getter pump was used to maintain vacuum. The vacuum tube containing the traps has now been under sealed vacuum conditions for nearly 1.5 years with no measurable degradation of ion trapping lifetimes or clock short-term performance. Because the tube is sealed, the Hg source and Neon buffer gas are held indefinitely, for the life of the tube. There is no consumption of Hg in this system unlike in a Cs beam tube where lifetime is often limited by Cs depletion.

mercury ion clocks↗

Deployment of FlexCHP System

The Gas Technology Institute (GTI), along with its partner Integrated CHP Systems Corporation, has developed and demonstrated an Ultra-Low-Nitrogen Oxide (ULN) Flexible Combined Heat and Power (FlexCHP) system that packages a state-of-the-art Capstone C65 gas microturbine and Johnston PFXX100 boiler with an innovative natural gas-fired supplemental burner. Supplemental burners add heat as needed in response to facility demand, which increases energy efficiency, but typically raises exhaust NOx levels, degrading local air quality unless a costly and complicated catalytic treatment system is added. The FlexCHP system increases energy efficiency and achieves the 2007 California Air Resource Board (CARB) distributed generation emissions standards for Nitrogen oxides (NOx), Carbon Monoxide (CO), and Total Hydrocarbons (THC) without catalytic exhaust gas treatment. The key to this breakthrough performance is a simple and reliable burner design which utilizes staged combustion with engineered internal recirculation. This ULN burner system successfully uses turbine exhaust as an oxidizer, while achieving high efficiencies and low emissions. In tests at its laboratory facilities in Des Plaines, Illinois, GTI validated the ability of the system to achieve emissions of NOx, CO, and THC below the CARB criteria of 0.07, 0.10, and 0.02 lb/MW-h respectively. The FlexCHP system was installed at the field demonstration site, Inland Empire Foods, in Riverside, California to verify performance of the technology in an applied environment. The resulting Combined Heat and Power (CHP) package promises to make CHP implementation more attractive, mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, and improve the reliability of electricity supply.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗

Hydrogenolysis of Poly(Ethylene–co–Vinyl Alcohol) and Related Polymer Blends over Ruthenium Heterogeneous Catalysts

The hydrogenolysis of polymers is emerging as a promising approach to deconstruct plastic waste into valuable chemicals. Yet, the complexity of plastic waste, including multilayer packaging, is a significant barrier to handling realistic waste streams. Herein, we reveal fundamental insights into a new chemical route for transforming a previously unaddressed fraction of plastic waste – poly(ethylene–co­­–vinyl alcohol) (EVOH) and related polymer blends – into alkane products. Additionally, we report that Ru/ZrO2 is active for the concurrent hydrogenolysis, hydrogenation, and hydrodeoxygenation of EVOH and its thermal degradation products into alkanes (C1–C35) and water. Detailed reaction data, product analysis, and catalyst characterization reveal that the in–situ thermal degradation of EVOH forms aromatic intermediates that are detrimental to catalytic activity. Increased hydrogen pressure promotes hydrogenation of these aromatics, preventing catalyst deactivation and improving alkane product yields. Calculated apparent rates of C–C scission reveal that the hydrogenolysis of EVOH is slower than low–density polyethylene. We apply these findings to achieve hydrogenolysis of EVOH/polyethylene blends and elucidate the sensitivity of hydrogenolysis catalysts to such blends. Overall, we demonstrate progress towards efficient catalytic processes for the hydroconversion of waste multilayer film plastic packaging into valuable products.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Apollo experience report: A use of network simulation techniques in the design of the Apollo lunar surface experiments package support system

A case study of data-communications network modeling and simulation is presented. The applicability of simulation techniques in early system design phases is demonstrated, and the ease with which model parameters can be changed and comprehensive statistics gathered is shown. The discussion of the model design and application also yields an insight into the design and implementation of the Apollo lunar surface experiments package ground-support system.

Gustafson, R. A.↗

All-electron APW+ lo calculation of magnetic molecules with the SIRIUS domain-specific package

We report APW+lo (augmented plane wave plus local orbital) density functional theory (DFT) calculations of large molecular systems using the domain specific SIRIUS multi-functional DFT package. The APW and FLAPW (full potential linearized APW) task and data parallelism options and the advanced eigen-system solver provided by SIRIUS can be exploited for performance gains in ground state Kohn–Sham calculations on large systems. This approach is distinct from our prior use of SIRIUS as a library backend to another APW+lo or FLAPW code. We benchmark the code and demonstrate performance on several magnetic molecule and metal organic framework systems. We show that the SIRIUS package in itself is capable of handling systems as large as a several hundred atoms in the unit cell without having to make technical choices that result in the loss of accuracy with respect to that needed for the study of magnetic systems.

Chemistry↗

NASA Hitchhiker Program Customer Payload Requirements (CPR)

The mission objective is to demonstrate each of the three types of technology intended for future small-satellite communications system design. Each experiment in the overall package is designed to exercise a different technology objective that may be found in the overall satellite communications and telemetry system design. The data communications through TORSS portion is designed to demonstrate that low-power communications systems with non-gimbaled antenna systems can transport significant quantities of data through TDRSS to the ground based on only transmitting through a TDRS when the experiment is near the TDRS subsatellite point. The remaining time. the payload communications system is not active. The demand access experiment is to demonstrate that the request for a demand access service can be transmitted through TDRS and received and decoded at the ground station. In this mode, the TDRS does not track the experiment but signal processing components at the White Sands Complex are used to detect and track the transmitted request. The laser communications experiment is designed to demonstrate passive transmission of telemetry data from the experiment. This mode uses a ground-based laser source to illuminate the experiment and modulate the beam with the data. Ground-based reception recovers the data from the reflected beam back to the ground station.

Horan, Stephen↗

Measuring 3D Profilometry of SAVY-4000 Nuclear Material Storage Containers: Novacam TubeInspect Capabilities Report

The SAVY-4000 container series is a general-purpose interim storage container for nuclear materials, developed and maintained by Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). It is the first vented, general-use nuclear material container to be demonstrated as meeting the requirements outlined in DOE M 441.1-1, the Nuclear Material Packaging Manual. Due to the challenging radiation, thermal, and corrosive storage conditions that the SAVY containers must endure, continuous surveillance techniques are employed to ensure the containers meet all safety standards and specifications. These inspections are typically performed by human operators, who check for issues such as corrosion, O-ring deterioration, corrosion, filter integrity, and potential manufacturing defects. However, human inspections alone are not sufficient, and automated inspection technologies, such as the ATIS system, as well as other automated systems are also utilized. The MicroCam TubeInspect, developed by Novacam Technologies Inc., is designed to address the challenges of understanding how manufacturing variations in the SAVY-4000 container series may affect performance. It is a 3D profilometry measurement system that enables detailed analysis of surface features, including defects, surface roughness, and manufacturing variations. This advanced tool significantly enhances rapid surveillance techniques for both pristine and used containers. In this study, container properties such as surface roughness, thickness, and geometric attributes like circularity are measured for SAVY-4000 containers. Artificially corroded or dented containers are examined to demonstrate the MicroCam's ability to quantify defects. A sensitivity analysis is also conducted, comparing the MicroCam results to those obtained using more precise instruments such as confocal microscopy. This comparison aims to provide valuable insights into container quality, durability, and potential improvements in manufacturing processes.

42 ENGINEERING↗

The NASA Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3) Flight Demonstration: A Technology Pathfinder for Practical Smallsat Solar Sailing

NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) is developing a new generation of compactly packageable composite booms designed specifically for small spacecraft applications where volumes for deployable structures are limited. NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3) will be the first spaceflight application of this boom technology. ACS3 will also be NASA’s first practical solar sail. Objectives of the ACS3 project are to deploy an 80 m2composite boom solar sail in low Earth orbit, and as an extended goal, demonstrate controlled solar sailing flight, including orbit raising and lowering. An overview of the ACS3 project and objectives, including descriptions of ACS3’s solar sail structures and materials technology, 12U CubeSat spacecraft systems, and flight concept of operations, is provided here. Scalability of the ACS3 solar sail to future, near-term smallsat solar sailing mission requirements will also be discussed. Launch of ACS3 is currently anticipated for mid to late 2022.

Keats Wilkie↗

Progress on Small Mercury Ion Clock for Space Applications

We have recently completed a breadboard ion-clock physics package based on Hg ions shuttled between a quadrupole and a 16-pole rf trap. With this architecture we have demonstrated short-term stability approx.1-2x10-(sup 1)(sup 3) at 1 second, averaging to 10-(sup 1)? at 1 day. This development shows that H-maser quality stabilities can be produced in a small clock package, comparable in size to an ultra-stable quartz oscillator required for holding 1-2x10-(sup 1)(sup 3) at 1 second. This performance was obtained in a sealed vacuum configuration where only a getter pump was used to maintain vacuum. The vacuum tube containing the traps has now been under sealed vacuum conditions for over three years with no measurable degradation of ion trapping lifetimes or clock short-term performance. We have fabricated the vacuum tube, ion trap and UV windows from materials that will allow approx. 400 deg C bake-out to prepare for tube seal-off. This approach to the vacuum follows the methods used in flight vacuum tube electronics, such as flight TWTA's where tube operation lifetime and shelf life of up to 15 years is achieved.

positioning↗

Sparse Matrix-Based HPC Tomography

Tomographic imaging has benefited from advances in X-ray sources, detectors and optics to enable novel observations in science, engineering and medicine. These advances have come with a dramatic increase of input data in the form of faster frame rates, larger fields of view or higher resolution, so high performance solutions are currently widely used for analysis. Tomographic instruments can vary significantly from one to another, including the hardware employed for reconstruction: from single CPU workstations to large scale hybrid CPU/GPU supercomputers. Furthermore, flexibility on the software interfaces and reconstruction engines are also highly valued to allow for easy development and prototyping. This paper presents a novel software framework for tomographic analysis that tackles all aforementioned requirements. The proposed solution capitalizes on the increased performance of sparse matrix-vector multiplication and exploits multi-CPU and GPU reconstruction over MPI. Furthermore, the solution is implemented in Python and relies on CuPy for fast GPU operators and CUDA kernel integration, and on SciPy for CPU sparse matrix computation. As opposed to previous tomography solutions that are tailor-made for specific use cases or hardware, the proposed software is designed to provide flexible, portable and high-performance operators that can be used for continuous integration at different production environments, but also for prototyping new experimental settings or for algorithmic development. The experimental results demonstrate how our implementation can even outperform state-of-the-art software packages used at advanced X-ray sources worldwide.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗