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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 NTRS1998

System and method for controlling the phase of an antenna array

A system and method for controlling power transferred to an aircraft. The system includes a master antenna and a plurality of slave antennas on the ground. Each slave antenna transmits an uplink signal of a unique phase modulated frequency. The master antenna transmits a master uplink signal. The aircraft receives all the uplink signals and modulates a composite of those signals to produce a downlink beacon that has multiple phase components, each of which corresponds to one of the slave antennas and has a unique frequency. Each of the slave antennas receives the downlink beacon and uses the corresponding phase component to adjust the phase of the slave uplink signal relative to the master uplink signal.

Conroy, Bruce↗
NASA NTRS2011

NASA Tech Briefs, June 2011

Topics covered include: Wind and Temperature Spectrometry of the Upper Atmosphere in Low-Earth Orbit; Health Monitor for Multitasking, Safety-Critical, Real-Time Software; Stereo Imaging Miniature Endoscope; Early Oscillation Detection Technique for Hybrid DC/DC Converters; Parallel Wavefront Analysis for a 4D Interferometer; Schottky Heterodyne Receivers With Full Waveguide Bandwidth; Carbon Nanofiber-Based, High-Frequency, High-Q, Miniaturized Mechanical Resonators; Ultracapacitor-Based Uninterrupted Power Supply System; Coaxial Cables for Martian Extreme Temperature Environments; Using Spare Logic Resources To Create Dynamic Test Points; Autonomous Coordination of Science Observations Using Multiple Spacecraft; Autonomous Phase Retrieval Calibration; EOS MLS Level 1B Data Processing Software, Version 3; Cassini Tour Atlas Automated Generation; Software Development Standard Processes (SDSP); Graphite Composite Panel Polishing Fixture; Material Gradients in Oxygen System Components Improve Safety; Ridge Waveguide Structures in Magnesium-Doped Lithium Niobate; Modifying Matrix Materials to Increase Wetting and Adhesion; Lightweight Magnetic Cooler With a Reversible Circulator; The Invasive Species Forecasting System; Method for Cleanly and Precisely Breaking Off a Rock Core Using a Radial Compressive Force; Praying Mantis Bending Core Breakoff and Retention Mechanism; Scoring Dawg Core Breakoff and Retention Mechanism; Rolling-Tooth Core Breakoff and Retention Mechanism; Vibration Isolation and Stabilization System for Spacecraft Exercise Treadmill Devices; Microgravity-Enhanced Stem Cell Selection; Diagnosis and Treatment of Neurological Disorders by Millimeter-Wave Stimulation; Passive Vaporizing Heat Sink; Remote Sensing and Quantization of Analog Sensors; Phase Retrieval for Radio Telescope and Antenna Control; Helium-Cooled Black Shroud for Subscale Cryogenic Testing; Receive Mode Analysis and Design of Microstrip Reflectarrays; and Chance-Constrained Guidance With Non-Convex Constraints.

Source record↗
DOE OSTI2025

Moltensaltpropnet

MoltenSaltPropnet is a physics-informed machine learning framework that aims to predict the thermophysical properties of molten fluoride and chloride salt mixtures, which are crucial for the design and safety of Generation IV molten salt reactors. The code processes data from the Molten-Salt Thermal Properties Database (MSTDB-TP) and the Janz compendium, converting critically evaluated correlations into fast, differentiable surrogate models for density, viscosity, thermal conductivity, and heat capacity across 448 distinct salt systems. The implementation consists of several key components: 1. Data Curation: The code parses and cleans the raw data, normalizing elemental mole fractions and extracting relevant regression coefficients for various thermophysical properties. 2. Feature Engineering: It generates fixed-length numerical descriptors that encapsulate the composition and temperature, incorporating polynomial interaction terms and dimensionality-reduction techniques to optimize model performance. 3. Coefficient Learning: Four different machine learning architectures are employed: a deep residual network (ResNet), a Kolmogorov–Arnold network (KAN), a sparsity-inducing neural network (SNN), and classical regression models. Each model learns to predict coefficients that define the temperature-dependent correlations for the thermophysical properties. 4. Property Reconstruction: The predicted coefficients are used to compute temperature-dependent property values, ensuring positivity and monotonic trends through a composite loss function that enforces physical constraints. 5. User Interface: An open-source web application enables users to filter the database, train task-specific models, and visualize the results, allowing for rapid exploration of candidate salt mixtures. MoltenSaltPropnet bridges the gap between limited experimental data and high-fidelity reactor simulations, providing a powerful tool for researchers in the field of molten salt reactors and advanced nuclear energy systems.

Retamales, Mauricio Eduardo Tano [Idaho National L↗
DOE OSTI2024

Guided combinatorial synthesis and automated characterization expedites the discovery of hard, electrically conductive Pt x Au 1-x films

Sputter-deposited Pt-Au thin films have been reported to develop a hard, stable, nanocrystalline structure, yet little is known about how these characteristics vary with Pt x Au 1-x composition and process conditions. Toward this end, this document describes an extensive, combinatorial Pt-Au thin film library including characterized film compositions, structure, and properties. Complemented by kinematic Monte Carlo simulations of codeposition, a broad range of Pt x Au 1-x compositions (from x ~ 0.02 to 0.93) was first established by sputtering with varied magnetron powers and gun tilt angles. Further, the produced films were subsequently interrogated using automated nanoindentation, x-ray reflectivity, x-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, surface profilometry, four-point probe sheet resistance techniques, and wavelength dispersive spectroscopy in order to determine how hardness, modulus, density, surface roughness, structure, and resistivity vary with film stoichiometry and process parameters. Combinatorial films displayed an assortment of properties with the hardness of some films exceeding values reported previously for this material system. High hardness, high modulus, and low resistivity were generally attained when using increased deposition energy and reduced angle-of-incidence processes. Overall, the research identified promising, new Pt x Au 1-x compositions for future study and pinpointed strategies for improved deposition.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Applications of analytical electron microscopy to guide the design of boron carbide

Compositional analysis of boron carbide on nanometer length scales to examine or interpret atomic mechanisms, for example, solid-state amorphization or grain-boundary segregation, is challenging. This work reviews advancements in high-resolution microanalysis to characterize multiple generations of boron carbide. First, ζ-factor microanalysis will be introduced as a powerful (scanning) transmission electron microscopy ((S)TEM) analytical framework to accurately characterize boron carbide. Three case studies involving the application of ζ-factor microanalysis will then be presented: (1) accurate stoichiometry determination of B-doped boron carbide using ζ-factor microanalysis and electron energy loss spectroscopy, (2) normalized quantification of silicon grain-boundary segregation in Si-doped boron carbide, and (3) calibration of a scanning electron microscope X-ray energy-dispersive spectroscopy (XEDS) system to measure compositional homogeneity differences of B/Si-doped arc-melted boron carbides in the as-melted and annealed conditions. Overall, the improvement and application of advanced analytical tools have helped better understand processing–microstructure–property relationships and successfully manufacture high-performance ceramics.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Effects of cluster expansion on the locations of phase transition boundary as a first step to quantify uncertainty in first principles statistical mechanics framework

Predicting phase diagrams from first principle calculations eliminates the need of tedious experimental trials and errors. Fully automating first principle phase diagram calculations without any sort of human intervention has been a long daunting task and troubling scientific communities for decades. This grand problem remains not fully resolved, largely due to the vastly high-dimensional parameter space associated with density functional theory, cluster expansion, lattice Monte Carlo, and the substantial uncertainty propagating through a set of complex simulations. As a first step to tackle this grand problem, we reported a first demonstration of how sensitive phase boundary locations can be to various cluster expansion fittings and input DFT training data. To the best knowledge of the authors, this study reported the first ever attempt to quantify uncertainty in first principles statistical mechanics framework. In addition, a semi-automated phase transition detection algorithm has been devised in this paper to deal with the associated statistical errors and uncertainties from Monte Carlo method and its predecessor DFT calculations and cluster expansions. This algorithm has been applied in a classical cluster expansion Mg-Cd binary alloy system to detect phase transitions at various locations of phase diagram using different cluster expansions to demonstrate its predictive power and quantify uncertainties. The results suggested that using Chebyshev basis function shifted the transition locations toward the dilute solid solution phase and expanded the phase stability of concentrated ordered phases to wider composition range. The addition of perturbed defect configurations into training data set lowered the order-disorder transition temperature to be away from true transition temperature, suggesting the transition nature is indeed configurational disorder dominated rather than defect assisted. Finally, we found that the weighting has negligible effect on the transition locations, except for the case of using Chebyshev basis function to fit all non-weighted configurations that can be susceptible to Monte Carlo sampling hysteresis.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Using Community Science to Reveal the Global Chemogeography of River Metabolomes

River corridor metabolomes reflect organic matter (OM) processing that drives aquatic biogeochemical cycles. Recent work highlights the power of ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry for understanding metabolome composition and river corridor metabolism. However, there have been no studies on the global chemogeography of surface water and sediment metabolomes using ultrahigh-resolution techniques. Here, we describe a community science effort from the Worldwide Hydrobiogeochemistry Observation Network for Dynamic River Systems (WHONDRS) consortium to characterize global metabolomes in surface water and sediment that span multiple stream orders and biomes. We describe the distribution of key aspects of metabolomes including elemental groups, chemical classes, indices, and inferred biochemical transformations. We show that metabolomes significantly differ across surface water and sediment and that surface water metabolomes are more rich and variable. We also use inferred biochemical transformations to identify core metabolic processes shared among surface water and sediment. Finally, we observe significant spatial variation in sediment metabolites between rivers in the eastern and western portions of the contiguous United States. Our work not only provides a basis for understanding global patterns in river corridor biogeochemical cycles but also demonstrates that community science endeavors can enable global research projects that are unfeasible with traditional research models.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1974

Land use mapping and modelling for the Phoenix Quadrangle

The author has identified the following significant results. Changes in the land use in the Phoenix (1:250,000 scale) Quadrangle in Arizona have been mapped using only the images from ERTS-1, tending to verify the utility of a land use classification system proposed for use with ERTS images. Seasonal changes were studied on successive ERTS-1 images, particularly large scale color composite transparencies for August, October, February, and May, and this seasonal variation aided delineation of land use boundaries. Types of equipment used to aid interpretation included color additive viewer, a twenty-power magnifier, a density slicer, and a diazo copy machine. A Zoom Transfer Scope was used for scale and photogrammetric adjustments. Types of changes detected have been: (1) cropland or rangeland developed as new residential areas; (2) rangeland converted to new cropland or to new reservoirs; and (3) possibly new activity by the mining industries. A map of land use previously compiled from air photos was updated in this manner. ERTS-1 images complemented air photos: the photos gave detail on a one-shot basis; the ERTS-1 images provided currency and revealed seasonal variation in vegetation which aided interpretation of land use.

Place, J. L.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Investigating the Effects of Gamma Radiation on Selected Chemicals for Use in Biosignature Detection Instruments on the Surface of Jupiter's Moon Europa

Jupiter's moon Europa is a prime target for the search for potential signs of life in the solar system. The Europa Lander Science Definition Team Report outlined investigations and measurement requirements on a future Europa Lander and has led us to consider application of powerful techniques such as pyrolysis and derivatization gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and laser desorption mass spectrometry (LD-MS) to elucidate the organic composition of near-surface ice and minerals. Definitive identification of chemical biosignatures using such techniques is strongly enabled by the use of various chemicals, such as perfluorotributylamine (PFTBA) for the MS calibration, α-cyano-hydroxycinnamic acid (CHCA) for matrix-assisted laser desorption and ionization (MALDI) and N,N-dimethylformamide dimethyl acetal (DMF-DMA), N-tert-butyldimethylsilyl-N-methyltrifluoroacetamide (MTBSTFA) and tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) for wet chemistry GC-MS protocols. The jovian radiation environment is known to represent a uniquely challenging risk to mission performance and lifetime, principally due to high radiation levels. To assess the potential ionizing radiation damage to these important chemicals, we tested their effectiveness following gamma radiation exposure doses up to the anticipated Europa Lander rating requirement of 300 krad(Si). The chemicals were sealed in glass ampules under vacuum (<10 mTorr), to reduce trapped oxygen gas, as the oxidation by O2 may be enhanced in the presence of radiation. We report that all five chemicals exposed to total ionizing doses of 0, 150 and 300 krad(Si) maintained their full effectiveness, and no significant degradation was observed.

Radiation↗
DOE OSTI2022

Interdiffusion and Formation of Intermetallic Compounds in High-Temperature Power Electronics Substrate Joints Fabricated by Transient Liquid Phase Bonding

Power electronics packages typically comprise a dielectric substrate bonded to a metal layer and attached to heat sinks using a low-thermal-conductivity solder. These multiple layers increase the effective thermal resistance of the package and are responsible for package failures under cyclic thermal loads. Bonding the aluminum nitride dielectric layer (AlN) directly to a low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) aluminum silicon carbide (AlSiC) cold plate using copper-aluminum (Cu-Al) transient liquid phase (TLP) bonding has been shown to improve the mechanical reliability of the power electronic packages while making the package more compact by bringing the cooling solutions closer to the devices. This study aims to characterize the Cu-Al bonds formed during the TLP bonding of AlSiC with three different power electronics substrates: pure aluminum nitride (AlN), aluminum (DBA), and copper (DBC). The material compositions and microstructures of the bonds were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray spectroscopy (EDS), confocal scanning acoustic microscopy (C-SAM), and x-ray diffraction (XRD). ..alpha..-Al solid compound was identified as the dominant phase in AlN-AlSiC and Al-AlSiC, with a notable presence of SiC particles. In contrast, three intermetallic phases - ..theta..-CuAl2, ..eta..-CuAl, and ..gamma..'- Cu9Al4 - were observed in the Cu-AlSiC bond. A computational solid-state diffusion model was developed to predict the intermetallic compounds (IMCs) formed during Cu-Al TLP bonding in each system, which supported the observation that an initial Cu volume fraction of 20 % in the material layers produced a final bond composition of >95 % Al with minimal IMC growth. However, increased Cu concentrations produced higher concentration gradients, leading to increased growth of IMCs, Kirkendall voids, and interstitial cracks.

DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗
DOE OSTI2023

Stability study of aqueous foams under high-temperature and high-pressure conditions relevant to Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS)

In Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) hydraulic fracturing is carried out by injecting cold water into deep Hot Dry Rocks (HDR) under carefully controlled conditions to create new or reopen existing fractures. Water-based fracturing fluids demonstrate some challenges including immense quantity of water usage, water sensitivity of the formations, water blocking, and lack of proppant carrying capacity and transportation. Thus, an alternative is to use foam-based fracturing fluid which offers potential advantage over conventional water-based fracturing fluid such as minimum water usage, reduced wellbore damage, high proppant carrying capacity, and less environmental damage. However, foams are complex mixture of gaseous phase and liquid phase which are thermodynamically unstable at downhole conditions, and their stability can decrease over time due to liquid drainage, bubble coarsening, and coalescence. This paper shows laboratory experiments executed to study foam stability at high temperature (200°C) and high pressure (6.9MPa) conditions which simulates the geothermal environment. Foam stability was characterized by half-life of foam, which is defined as the time taken by the foam to decreases by 50% of its original height due to drainage. In this paper, two types of gaseous phases, nitrogen (N 2 ) and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) were investigated. Also, based on successful practice of foam-based fracturing fluid in oil and gas industries, four surfactants, including Alpha olefin sulfonate (AOS), Sodium dodecyl sulfonate (SDS), Tergitol™ (NP – 40), and Cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC) at optimum concentration of 1wt.% were tested for best stability performance. In addition, different stabilizing agents including guar gum, bentonite clay, crosslinker, silicon dioxide nanoparticles (SiO 2 ), graphene oxide (GO) were also studied. Experimental results showed that N 2 foams were more stable than CO 2 foams. It was observed that foam half-life decreased with the increase in temperature. Among all the surfactants, AOS foams showed the most promising thermal stability at high temperatures. Moreover, with the addition of stabilizing agents, foam's half-life was enhanced. Stabilizing agents such as crosslinker and GO dispersion showed the most stable foams with half-life recorded at 20min and 17min, respectively, at 200°C and 6.9MPa. Finally, pressure also showed a positive effect on foam stability; with increased pressure, foam half-life was increased. Based on the experimental data, analytical models for the effect of temperature and pressure were developed, considering foam degradation is a first-order kinetic reaction that linearly depends on the foam drainage mechanism. The effect of temperature on foam half-life was studied as an exponential decay model. In this model, foam half-life is a function of drainage rate constant (D A ) and activation energy (E a ) of the foam system. The effect of pressure on foam half-life was found to obey a power-law model where an increase in pressure showed an increase in foam half-life. Furthermore, a linear relation was studied for the effect of pressure on foam activation energy and drainage rate. Then the combined effects of temperature and pressure were studied, which yielded an analytical model to predict the foam stabilities in terms of half-life for different foam compositions. In conclusion, this research indicates that with an appropriate selection of surfactants and stabilizing agents, it is possible to obtain stable foams, which could replace conventional water fracturing fluid under EGS conditions.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Post-Deployment Characterization of Glass Fiber-Reinforced Thermoset and Thermoplastic Composite Tidal Turbine Blades: Preprint

In 2021, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) supported Verdant Power with the most successful tidal energy deployment in U.S. history. Three of their tidal turbines were deployed as part of the Roosevelt Island Tidal Energy project. Initially, the three rotors were manufactured from glass fiber-reinforced epoxy composites. Midway through the deployment, one rotor was replaced with one manufactured at NREL. Instead, it was infused with a novel, infusible thermoplastic resin system. Since the deployment, one epoxy rotor and one thermoplastic rotor were returned to NREL for continued materials and manufacturing research. The two rotors underwent full-scale structural testing before being sectioned and cut into specimens for a variety of manufacturing quality tests, thermos-mechanical characterization, and evaluation of material performance in marine environments, to understand the key differences between the fiberglass reinforced epoxy and Elium composites used for the respective rotors. Matrix burnoff tests showed that the Elium blades had a considerably higher fiber volume fraction compared to the epoxy blades (61% vs. 49%). Environmental aging of the specimens showed that the epoxy laminates absorbed more water over the conditioning period, however, it was determined that the Elium laminates had higher diffusion coefficients, so initially absorbed water faster. Finally, one full epoxy blade and one full Elium blade were conditioned at ambient temperatures for up to 11 months, while taking periodic mass measurements. The datasets were extrapolated out to assume a full 20 year operational life span and it was determined that the blades would not reach full saturation during that time span.

composite manufacturing↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NASA-GRC High Voltage Materials Development and Test Capabilities Portfolio

This presentation provides the background information on NASA-GRC high voltage (HV) materials team research efforts towards electrified propulsion systems since 2016 . Additionally, it covers polymer and ceramic filler materials development for HV electrical insulation composites, copper/ carbon nanotube hybrid conductors, modeling efforts, HV test capabilities, and future material processing capabilities.

Boron Nitride↗
DOE OSTI2023

Delocalization and Universality of the Fractional Quantum Hall Plateau-to-Plateau Transitions

Disorder and electron-electron interaction play essential roles in the physics of electron systems in condensed matter. In two-dimensional, quantum Hall systems, extensive studies of disorder-induced localization have led to the emergence of a scaling picture with a single extended state, characterized by a power-law divergence of the localization length in the zero-temperature limit. Experimentally, scaling has been investigated via measuring the temperature dependence of plateau-to-plateau transitions between the integer quantum Hall states (IQHSs), yielding a critical exponent κ ≃ 0.42. Here, in this study, we report scaling measurements in the fractional quantum Hall state (FQHS) regime where interaction plays a dominant role. Our Letter is partly motivated by recent calculations, based on the composite fermion theory, that suggest identical critical exponents in both IQHS and FQHS cases to the extent that the interaction between composite fermions is negligible. The samples used in our experiments are two-dimensional electron systems confined to GaAs quantum wells of exceptionally high quality. We find that κ varies for transitions between different FQHSs observed on the flanks of Landau level filling factor v = 1/2 and has a value close to that reported for the IQHS transitions only for a limited number of transitions between high-order FQHSs with intermediate strength. We discuss possible origins of the nonuniversal κ observed in our experiments.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
NASA NTRS2005

Mass Spectrometry for Planetary Probes: Past, Present and Future

Atmospheric entry probes present a unique opportunity for performing quantitative analysis of extra-terrestrial atmospheres in cases where remote sensing alone may not be sufficient and measurements with balloons or aircraft is not practical. An entry probe can provide a complete vertical profile of atmospheric parameters including chemical composition, which cannot be obtained with most other techniques. There are, however, unique challenges associated with building instruments for an entry probe, as compared to orbiters, landers, or rovers. Conditions during atmospheric entry are extreme, there are inherent time constraints due to the short duration of the experiment, and the instrument experiences rapid environmental changes in temperature and pressure as it descends. In addition, there are resource limitations, i.e. mass, power, size and bandwidth. Finally, the demands on the instrument design are determined in large part by conditions (pressure, temperature, composition) unique to the particular body under study, and as a result there is no one-size-fits-all instrument for an atmospheric probe. Many of these requirements can be more easily met by miniaturizing the probe instrument. Our experience building mass spectrometers for atmospheric entry probes leads us to believe that the time is right for a fundamental change in the way spaceflight mass spectrometers are built. The emergence over the past twenty years of Micro-electro- mechanical Systems (MEMS), utilizing lithographic semiconductor fabrication techniques to produce instrument systems in miniature, holds great promise for application to spaceflight mass spectrometry. A highly miniaturized, high performance and low-power mass spectrometer would be an enormous benefit to future entry probe missions, allowing, for example, parallel measurements (e.g., multiple simultaneous gas chromatographic analyses and direct atmospheric leaks.) Such an instrument would also enable mass spectrometry on board small multiple entry probes. In the development of a MEMS Mass Spectrometer, the challenge facing us is to move beyond the proof-of-concept, where research dollars tend to focus, and carry out the detailed work of developing a high performance mass spectrometer system on a chip which meets the unique technical requirements for an atmospheric entry probe described above.

Niemann, Hasso B.↗
NASA NTRS2020

Experimental Setup and Parameters for Testing Uncoated and EBC-Coated CMCs under Thermal Gradients Induced by Laser Heating and Backside Air Cooling

An experimental setup to induce through thickness thermal gradients in ceramic matrix composite (CMC) specimens without and with an applied environmental barrier coating (EBC) is described in detail. Components of the experimental set up include a laser for the heat source on the front of the specimen, a cooling air nozzle on the back of the specimen with pyrometers to measure temperatures on both sides, and a full-field thermal image camera to ensure uniformity of the temperature distribution in the gage section of the specimen. Test specimen is loaded in a servohydraulic system, which can superimpose either static or dynamic loads on the specimen to investigate creep and fatigue behaviors of CMCs under through thickness thermal gradient conditions. Mechanical strains on the front and backsides of the test specimen were measured during the thermal gradient tests with superimposed mechanical loading using two contact extensometers. Selected through thickness thermal gradient test results generated with the experimental setup under different nominal front side temperatures and multiple constant laser power levels on uncoated and EBC coated CMCs and procedures used to generate those results are described in this report. Two examples of tests conducted using the test system on uncoated CMCs under creep and sustained-peak, low-cycle fatigue with through thickness thermal gradient conditions are provided.

ceramic matrix composite, environmental barrier co↗
DOE OSTI2023

Energy Optimization of Light and Heavy-Duty Vehicle Cohorts of Mixed Connectivity, Automation and Propulsion System Capabilities via Meshed V2V-V2I and Expanded Data Sharing (Final Scientific and Technical Report)

Vehicle connectivity and automated driving technologies individually have the potential to decrease energy consumption and/or increase safety on light, medium or heavy duty vehicles to varying degrees depending on the traffic infrastructure and specific driving scenarios. Due to advances in sensing, perception and computing power, research and development emphasis in the mobility sector has shifted away from connectivity. Prior research has shown that driving automation with the absence of connectivity can in certain circumstances increase energy consumption. The effectiveness of synergizing connectivity and driving automation technologies is the focus of this work, specifically applied to vehicle cohorts of mixed composition, light and heavy duty, and powertrains ranging from all electric to conventional internal combustion engine. The project team is led by Michigan Technological University (MTU) and partnered with AVL Mobility Technologies Inc. (AVL), Borg Warner (BW), Traffic Technology Services (TTS), American Center for Mobility (ACM) and Navistar (NAV). The main thrusts for the team are to develop a micro-traffic simulation environment with specific VD&PT system attributes and CAV capabilities, 2) field a vehicle test fleet of mixed classification, propulsion and CAV capacity, 3) develop artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) based multi-agent optimization methods for various traffic infrastructures, 4) integrate the virtual environment and the optimization methods then deploy the system as a CAV hardware in the loop (HiL) for the vehicle test fleet and 5) conduct closed track and public road testing to validate simulation and demonstrated energy and mobility improvements at multiple scales. For a cohort of mixed vehicles, the team will demonstrate a reduction of energy consumption of 10-50% at intersection, arterial roadway and limited access highway scenarios through connectivity and automation in simulation and at a closed test track. The energy reduction objectives of the project are summarized in Table 1, indicating the infrastructure and over what distances are relevant considered. Single scenario energy reductions are not relevant and thus, the research team took the approach to vary parameters associated with the infrastructure, vehicle cohort composition and dynamic behavior to generate energy consumption distributions for both unconnected and connected scenarios.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
NASA NTRS1990

Fiber-coupled high resolution infrared array spectrometer for the Kuiper Airborne Observatory

A novel cryogenic grating spectrometer (FCAS) is being designed for observations of volatiles in cometary and planetary atmospheres, and in newly forming planetary systems. The instrument features two-dimensional detector arrays coupled to a high-dispersion echelle by infrared fibers, and will achieve a spectral resolving power of about 40,000. The primary observational platform for this instrument will be the Kuiper Airborne Observatory, but it will also be configured for use at ground-based observatories. Initially, the spectrometer will use a 58 x 62, 1- to 5-micron InSb array. Larger-format IR arrays and arrays of different composition, will later be incorporated as they become available. The instrument will be used in two modes. The first uses a large format IR array in the spectral image plane for the customary one-dimensional spectral-one-dimensional spatial coverage. In the second mode, a massive, coherent bundle of infrared transmitting ZrF4 fibers will be installed after the dispersive element, to reformat the two-dimensional array into an elongated one-dimensional array for wide spectral coverage, allowing multiple lines to be measured in a single integration with high sensitivity. The overall instrument design is discussed, and the system sensitivity is estimated.

Glenar, D. A.↗