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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 523 records · Page 29
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1997

Fuel Cell Power Plant Initiative: Solid Oxide Fuel Cell/Logistics Fuel Processor 27 kWe Power System Demonstration for ARPA - Volume 1

This report describes the successful testing of a 27 kWe Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) generator fueled by natural gas and/or a fuel gas produced by a brassboard logistics fuel preprocessor (LFP). The test period began on May 24, 1995 and ended on February 26, 1996 with the successful completion of all program requirements and objectives. During this time period, this power system produced 118.2 MWh of electric power. No degradation of the generator's performance was measured after 5582 accumulated hours of operation on these fuels: local natural gas - 3261 hours, jet fuel reformate gas - 766 hours, and diesel fuel reformate gas - 1555 hours. This SOFC generator was thermally cycled from full operating temperature to room temperature and back to operating temperature six times, because of failures of support system components and the occasional loss of test site power, without measurable cell degradation. Numerous outages of the LFP did not interrupt the generator's operation because the fuel control system quickly switched to local natural gas when an alarm indicated that the LFP reformate fuel supply had been interrupted. The report presents the measured electrical performance of the generator on all three fuel types and notes the small differences due to fuel type. Operational difficulties due to component failures are well documented even though they did not affect the overall excellent performance of this SOFC power generator. The final two appendices describe in detail the LFP design and the operating history of the tested brassboard LFP.

Veyo, S.E.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Approach for service life extension of explosive devices for aircraft escape systems

Service life extension of explosive devices used in aircraft escape systems can achieve considerable savings. An overall approach is needed to challenge the logic of explosive component service extension from design to removal from service for evaluation. The purpose of the effort described in this paper was to develop a service-extension approach on explosive devices used in aircraft systems, supported by actual testing of representative candidate devices, to evaluate quantitatively the effects of service, age, and degradation, and allow responsible, conservative service life determinations. Evaluated were five explosive components: rigid and flexible explosive transfer lines, one-way transfers, flexible linear shaped charges, and initiation handles. The service extension approach generated in this effort is summarized by eight recommendations.

Bement, L. J.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Propylamine Functionalized Porous Fiber Sorbents with High Oxidation Stability for Direct Air Capture

Amine-based sorbents are highly effective for direct air capture (DAC) due to their excellent CO2 capture efficiency under ultra-dilute conditions. However, these sorbents can suffer degradation when exposed to combinations of heat, oxygen, and other atmospheric components, indicating a need for improved sorbent stability. In this study, we developed amidoxime functionalized polymer of intrinsic microporosity (PIM-1-AO) fibers with tethered amines, specifically tris(2-aminoethyl)amine (TAEA) and tris(3-aminopropyl)amine (TAPA), denoted as PIM-1-AO-TAEA and PIM-1-AO-TAPA, respectively. In addition, large scale sorbent fiber spinning has been successfully performed by producing meters of fibers in the lab. We demonstrated that substituting TAEA with TAPA, which has propyl chains instead of ethyl chains, reduces oxidative degradation under regeneration conditions. The findings revealed that PIM-1-AO-TAPA not only significantly outperforms PIM-1-AO-TAEA after accelerated aging process, but also outperforms any other sorbent used in DAC aged under similar conditions. Moreover, PIM-1-AO-TAPA sorbent fibers showed one of the highest amine efficiencies (0.25) considering the low amine loading (21%) coupled with robust CO2 uptake performance (1.12 mmol/g) under DAC conditions.

amine-based sorbent↗
DOE OSTI2021

The core autophagy machinery is not required for chloroplast singlet oxygen-mediated cell death in the Arabidopsis thaliana plastid ferrochelatase two mutant

Chloroplasts respond to stress and changes in the environment by producing reactive oxygen species (ROS) that have specific signaling abilities. The ROS singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ) is unique in that it can signal to initiate cellular degradation including the selective degradation of damaged chloroplasts. This chloroplast quality control pathway can be monitored in the Arabidopsis thaliana mutant plastid ferrochelatase two ( fc2 ) that conditionally accumulates chloroplast 1 O 2 under diurnal light cycling conditions leading to rapid chloroplast degradation and eventual cell death. The cellular machinery involved in such degradation, however, remains unknown. Recently, it was demonstrated that whole damaged chloroplasts can be transported to the central vacuole via a process requiring autophagosomes and core components of the autophagy machinery. The relationship between this process, referred to as chlorophagy, and the degradation of 1 O 2 -stressed chloroplasts and cells has remained unexplored. Results To further understand 1 O 2 -induced cellular degradation and determine what role autophagy may play, the expression of autophagy-related genes was monitored in 1 O 2 -stressed fc2 seedlings and found to be induced. Although autophagosomes were present in fc2 cells, they did not associate with chloroplasts during 1 O 2 stress. Mutations affecting the core autophagy machinery ( atg5 , atg7 , and atg10 ) were unable to suppress 1 O 2 -induced cell death or chloroplast protrusion into the central vacuole, suggesting autophagosome formation is dispensable for such 1 O 2 –mediated cellular degradation. However, both atg5 and atg7 led to specific defects in chloroplast ultrastructure and photosynthetic efficiencies, suggesting core autophagy machinery is involved in protecting chloroplasts from photo-oxidative damage. Finally, genes predicted to be involved in microautophagy were shown to be induced in stressed fc2 seedlings, indicating a possible role for an alternate form of autophagy in the dismantling of 1 O 2 -damaged chloroplasts. Conclusions Our results support the hypothesis that 1 O 2 -dependent cell death is independent from autophagosome formation, canonical autophagy, and chlorophagy. Furthermore, autophagosome-independent microautophagy may be involved in degrading 1 O 2 -damaged chloroplasts. At the same time, canonical autophagy may still play a role in protecting chloroplasts from 1 O 2 -induced photo-oxidative stress. Together, this suggests chloroplast function and degradation is a complex process utilizing multiple autophagy and degradation machineries, possibly depending on the type of stress or damage incurred.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Towards a heat- and mass-balanced kinetic model of TATB decomposition

We report TATB (1,3,5-triamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene) was thermally degraded by two small-scale analytical methods – simultaneous differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis (SDT) and a hot-stage microscope with Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analysis capabilities. SDT used ramped heating, isothermal soaking, and thermal pretreatment at various conditions. The heat flow and mass loss were monitored during various treatment conditions to derive chemical decomposition kinetics and Arrhenius parameters. FTIR experiments used isothermal heating, and changes were monitored spectroscopically. Solid samples generated at specific conditions were collected from both methods and were analyzed by DMSO extraction followed by chemical speciation by optical and mass spectrometric methods. Characterization provided the following reaction insights: TATB decreases in a sigmoidal pattern in isothermally heated samples. Other soluble products gradually increase in concentration and then abruptly decline in concentration during the second exotherm, such as diamino-dinitro-benzofurazan and amino-nitro-benzodifurazan. FTIR showed gradual changes in the amino and nitro functionality, shifting positions and decreasing intensity for the first 40 min. Then the solid gradually appeared more like an amorphous C with N incorporated, similar to previous studies on thermally degraded TATB-type materials. Extracted residues (DMSO-soluble components removed) examined by FTIR showed an abrupt change in chemical composition between 40- and 45-min isothermal treatment, indicating early forming solids are different than later forming residues. A reliable mass- and energy-balanced global reaction network must include at least two autocatalytic reactions, either in parallel or series, and at least one must have an explicit initiation reaction having a low activation energy.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Using discrete Bayesian networks for diagnosing and isolating cross-level faults in HVAC systems

Fault detection and diagnosis (FDD) technologies are critical to ensure satisfactory building performance, such as reducing energy wastes and negative impacts on occupant comfort and productivity. Existing FDD technologies mainly focus on component-level FDD solutions, which could lead to mis-diagnosis of cross-level faults in heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems. Cross-level faults are those faults that occur in one component or subsystem, but cause operational abnormalities in other components or subsystems, and result in a building level performance degradation. How to effectively diagnose the root cause of a cross-level fault is the focus of this study. Here, this paper presents a novel discrete Bayesian Network (DisBN)-based method for diagnosing cross-level faults in an HVAC system commonly used in commercial buildings. A two-level DisBN structure model is developed in this study. The parameters used in the DisBN model are obtained either from expert knowledge or through machine-learning strategies from normal system operation data. Meanwhile, the probability parameters are discretized to incorporate the uncertainties associated with typical expert knowledge. Thus, the developed DisBN method addresses the challenges many other BN based FDD methods face, i.e., the lack of fault data for BN parameter training. The developed DisBN represents causal relationships between a fault and its cross-level system impacts (i.e., fault symptoms or fault indicators) by considering how fault impacts propagate across different levels in an HVAC system. A weather and schedule information-based Pattern Matching (WPM) method is employed to automatically create WPM baseline data sets for each incoming real time snapshot data from the building systems. Consequently, BN inference and real-time diagnostics are achieved by comparing incoming snapshot data and the WPM baseline data set. The proposed method is evaluated using experimental fault data collected in a campus building. Fault diagnosis results demonstrate that the WPM-DisBN method is effective at locating the root causes of cross-level faults in an HVAC system.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2024

Inferring building height from footprint morphology data

As cities continue to grow globally, characterizing the built environment is essential to understanding human populations, projecting energy usage, monitoring urban heat island impacts, preventing environmental degradation, and planning for urban development. Buildings are a key component of the built environment and there is currently a lack of data on building height at the global level. Current methodologies for developing building height models that utilize remote sensing are limited in scale due to the high cost of data acquisition. Other approaches that leverage 2D features are restricted based on the volume of ancillary data necessary to infer height. Here, we find, through a series of experiments covering 74.55 million buildings from the United States, France, and Germany, it is possible, with 95% accuracy, to infer building height within 3 m of the true height using footprint morphology data. Our results show that leveraging individual building footprints can lead to accurate building height predictions while not requiring ancillary data, thus making this method applicable wherever building footprints are available. The finding that it is possible to infer building height from footprint data alone provides researchers a new method to leverage in relation to various applications.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2022

HOMP (Hybrid Operation and Maintenance Platform) [SWR-22-81]

The HOMP software module is contained within NREL's Hybrid Optimization and Performance Platform (HOPP) at this URL: https://github.com/NREL/HOPP/tree/feature/HOMP. HOMP is a python-based software module which can be used concurrently with the Hybrid Optimization and Performance Platform (HOPP) to model, simulate, and optimize degradation, reliability, and operations and maintenance of hybrid power plant components. The program currently models lithium ion battery, PEM electrolyzer, wind turbine, and solar PV array components, which enables users to understand the design and operation tradeoffs of hybrid power plants. For instance, HOMP enables users to answer questions like: how large does a battery bank need to be to achieve optimal charge/discharge rates for performance and reliability? How does plant design change for different objectives (e.g., profit versus resilience)? Under what conditions is it better to produce electricity versus hydrogen? How do we optimally control hybrid power plants to reduce downtime and increase performance?

Clark, Caitlyn↗
DOE OSTI2023

DOE-VFP; Surface Engineered Multifunctional Zeolite Composite for Photodegradation of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Aqueous Medium

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are widely used compounds proven to bioaccumulate and result in detrimental health effects. On October 18, 2021 the United States Environmental Pollution Agency (EPA) released a strategic roadmap to address PFAS that includes the investment in effective research that accelerates cleanup. Existing water treatment technologies for PFAS removal are based on adsorptive removal, are commonly single-use and result in pollutant-laden waste, leading to costly disposal processes. Here we proposed the development of a zeolite-TiO 2 composite for removal and degradation of PFAS. The composite is advantageous as it can be easily integrated into water treatment facilities, is multifunctional, and minimizes waste through regeneration. We studied the adsorptive capacity of zeolites 13X, 3A, 4A and 5A for an anionic PFAS surrogate, methyl orange (MO). Zeolite 3A showed the highest adsorptive capacity, followed by 4A, 5A, and 13X when incubated with 15 ppm MO for 3 hours. Depositing Au-nanospheres on the zeolites surface reduced MO adsorption for all zeolites. We also investigated the photodegradation capacity of TiO 2 , Fe 2 O 3 , Au-TiO 2 , and Au-Fe 2 O 3 , ranking their performance as TiO2 > Fe2O3 > Au-TiO 2 > Au-Fe 2 O 3 under 254 nm light in a 10 ppm MO solution. Our results highlight the favorable adsorption of small pore size zeolites for PFAS surrogates and the potential of TiO2 as a photocatalyst for PFAS degradation. We can further study and integrate the composite's components at our home institution. Other notable achievements of our VFP team includes the submission of two funding proposals, two poster presentations and one invited talk thus showcasing our progress.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
NASA NTRS1967

Clamp provides efficient connection for high-density currents

Electrical connector clamp /bus bar/ gives high contact-surface efficiency for providing a high current to thin wall stainless steel tubing containing hydrogen gas. It uses lead solder film to provide the electrical equivalent of a fusion bond without degrading the grain structure, permitting disassembly and reuse of the components.

Mc Carthy, J. R.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Probabilistic constitutive relationships for cyclic material strength models

A methodology is developed that provides a probabilistic treatment for the lifetime of structural components of aerospace propulsion systems subjected to fatigue. Material strength degradation models, based on primitive variables, include both a fatigue strength reduction model and a fatigue crack growth model. Probabilistic analysis is based on simulation, and both maximum entropy and maximum penalized likelihood methods are used for the generation of probability density functions. The resulting constitutive relationships are included in several computer programs.

Boyce, L.↗
NASA NTRS1993

NDE of titanium alloy MMC rings for gas turbine engines

Progress in the processing and fabrication of metal matrix composites (MMC's) requires appropriate mechanical and nondestructive testing methods. These methods are needed to characterize properties, assess integrity, and predict the life of engine components such as compressor rotors, blades, and vanes. Capabilities and limitations of several state-of-the-art nondestructive evaluation (NDE) technologies are investigated for characterizing titanium MMC rings for gas turbine engines. The use of NDE technologies such as x-ray computed tomography, radiography, and ultrasonics in identifying fabrication-related problems that caused defects in components is examined. Acousto-ultrasonics was explored to assess degradation of material mechanical properties by using stress wave factor and ultrasonic velocity measurements before and after the burst testing of the rings.

Baaklini, George Y.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Geochemical characteristics of organic compounds in a permafrost sediment core sample from northeast Siberia, Russia

We studied total organic carbon (TOC), hydrocarbons and fatty acids in a permafrost sediment core sample (well 6-90, length 32.0 m, 1.5-2.5 Ma BP) from northeast Siberia (approximately 70 degrees N, 158 degrees E), Russia, to elucidate their geochemical features in relation to source organisms and paleoenvironmental conditions. Long-chain n-alkanes and n-alkanoic acids (>C19) were most predominant hydrocarbons and fatty acids, respectively, so organic matter in the sediment core was derived mainly from vascular plants and, to a much smaller extent, from bacteria. Low concentrations of unsaturated fatty acids revealed that organic matter in the sediment core was considerably degraded during and/or after sedimentation. The predominance of vascular plant components, the major ionic components of nonmarine sources, and geological data strongly implied that the sediment layers were formed in shallow lacustrine environments, such as swamp with large influences of tundra or forest-tundra vegetation. Also, no drastic changes in paleoenvironmental conditions for biological activity or geological events, such as sea transgressions or ice-sheet influences, occurred at the sampling site approximately 100 km from the coast of the East Siberian Sea during the late Pliocene an early Pleistocene periods.

NASA Discipline Exobiology↗
NASA NTRS2004

Recent New Ideas and Directions for Space-Based Nulling Interferometry

This document is composed of two viewgraph presentations. The first is entitled "Recent New Ideas and Directions for Space-Based Nulling Interferometry." It reviews our understanding of interferometry compared to a year or so ago: (1) Simpler options identified, (2) A degree of flexibility is possible, allowing switching (or degradation) between some options, (3) Not necessary to define every component to the exclusion of all other possibilities and (4) MIR fibers are becoming a reality. The second, entitled "The Fiber Nuller," reviews the idea of Combining beams in a fiber instead of at a beamsplitter.

interferometry↗
NASA NTRS2012

Adhesion in a Vacuum Environment and its Implications for Dust Mitigation Techniques on Airless Bodies

During the Apollo missions, the adhesion of dust to critical spacecraft systems was a greater problem than anticipated and resulted in functional degradation of thermal control surfaces, spacesuit seals, and other spacecraft components. Notably, Earth-based simulation efforts did not predict the magnitude and effects of dust adhesion in the lunar environment. Forty years later, we understand that the ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) environment, coupled with micrometeorite impacts and constant ion and photon bombardment from the sun result in atomically clean and high surface energy dust particles and spacecraft surfaces. However, both the dominant mechanism of adhesion in airless environments and the conditions for high fidelity simulation tests have still to be determined. The experiments presented in here aim to aid in the development of dust mitigation techniques for airless bodies (e.g., lunar surface, asteroids, moons of outer planets). The approach taken consists of (a) quantifying the adhesion between common polymer and metallic spacecraft materials and a synthetic noritic volcanic glass, as a function of surface cleanliness and of triboelectric charge transfer in a UHV environment, and (b) determining parameters for high fidelity tests through investigation of adhesion dependence on vacuum environment and sample treatment. Adhesion force has been measured between pins of spacecraft materials and a plate of synthetic volcanic glass by determining the pull-off force with a torsion balance. Although no significant adhesion is generally observed directly as a result of high surface energies, the adhesion due to induced electrostatic charge is observed to increase with spacecraft material cleanliness, in some cases by over a factor of 10. Furthermore, electrostatically-induced adhesion is found to decrease rapidly above pressures of 10-6 torr. It is concluded that high-fidelity tests should be conducted in high to ultrahigh vacuum and include an ionized surface cleaning process.

Berkebile, Stephen↗
NASA NTRS2013

Lifetime Estimation of a Time Projection Chamber X-ray Polarimeter

The Gravity and Extreme Magnetism Small Explorer (GEMS) X-ray polarimeter Instrument (XPI) was designed to measure the polarization of 23 sources over the course of its 9 month mission. The XPI design consists of two telescopes each with a polarimeter assembly at the focus of a grazing incidence mirror. To make sensitive polarization measurements the GEMS Polarimeter Assembly (PA) employed a gas detection system based on a Time Projection Chamber (TPC) technique. Gas detectors are inherently at risk of degraded performance arising from contamination from outgassing of internal detector components or due to loss of gas. This paper describes the design and the materials used to build a prototype of the flight polarimeter with the required GEMS lifetime. We report the results from outgassing measurements of the polarimeter subassemblies and assemblies, enclosure seal tests, life tests, and performance tests that demonstrate that the GEMS lifetime is achievable. Finally we report performance measurements and the lifetime enhancement from the use of a getter.

Dimethyl ether↗
NASA NTRS2017

High Temperature Degradation of Advanced Thermal and Environmental Barrier Coatings (TEBCs) by CaO-MgO-Al2O3-SiO2 (CMAS)

There is increasing interest in the degradation studies of thermal and environmental barrier coatings (TEBCs) of gas turbines by molten CaO-MgO-Al2O3-SiO2 (CMAS). CMAS minerals are usually referred as silica-containing sand dust and volcano ash materials that are carried by the intake air into gas turbines, e.g. aircraft engines. The low-melting deposits react at high temperatures (1000C) with the coating materials. This causes degradation and accelerated coating failure of the static and rotating components of the turbine engines. We discuss some preliminary results of the reactions between CMAS and Rare-Earth (RE Y, Yb, Dy, Gd, Nd and Sm) oxide stabilized ZrO2 or HfO2 systems, and the stability of the resulting oxides and silicates. Plasma sprayed hollow tube samples (outer diameter 4.7 mm, wall thickness 0.76 mm and 26 mm height) were half filled with CMAS powder, wrapped and sealed with platinum foil, and heat- treated at 1310 C for 5h. Samples were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction and cross section electron microscopy analysis.

Thermal and environmental barrier coatings↗