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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 NTRS2002

Power-Efficient, High-Current-Density, Long-Life Thermionic Cathode Developed for Microwave Amplifier Applications

A power-efficient, miniature, easily manufactured, reservoir-type barium-dispenser thermionic cathode has been developed that offers the significant advantages of simultaneous high electron-emission current density (>2 A/sq cm) and very long life (>100,000 hr of continuous operation) when compared with the commonly used impregnated-type barium-dispenser cathodes. Important applications of this cathode are a wide variety of microwave and millimeter-wave vacuum electronic devices, where high output power and reliability (long life) are essential. We also expect it to enable the practical development of higher purveyance electron guns for lower voltage and more reliable device operation. The low cathode heater power and reduced size and mass are expected to be particularly beneficial in traveling-wave-tube amplifiers (TWTA's) for space communications, where future NASA mission requirements include smaller onboard spacecraft systems, higher data transmission rates (high frequency and output power) and greater electrical efficiency.

Wintucky, Edwin G.↗
NASA NTRS2014

LTCS (Laser Thermal Control System) Test Supporting the Improvement of DeCoM (Deepak Condenser Model)

Thermal and Fluids Analysis Workshop, Cleveland OH. NCTS 19701-14. On Dec 2013 a Loop Heat Pipe (LHP) test was performed as part of the integral Laser Thermal Control System (LTCS). During the balance portion of this testing it was noticed that the LHP was not going to be able to maintain temperature on the operational thermal mass. The test was stopped. After multiple meetings with the LTCS designers, LHP experts (in house and external) it was concluded that gravity was preventing the control heaters to maintain control on the reservoir. A heater was installed onto the liquid return line as part of the fix. After implementing the fix on the liquid return line, the test on May 2014 proved that the system works in vertical orientation using the liquid line heater. Through this testing, the correlation of the Deepak Condenser Model (DeCoM) was possible. This paper describes how well DeCoM predicts the condenser behavior in comparison to the test results of LTCS test.

0000↗
DOE OSTI2021

Geology and Hydrothermal Alteration of the Raft River Geothermal System, Idaho

The Raft River geothermal system is located in southern Idaho, near the Utah-Idaho state boarder in the Raft River Valley. The field, which is owned and operated by U.S. Geothermal, has been selected as an EGS demonstration site by the U. S. Department of Energy. This paper summarizes ongoing geologic and petrologic investigations being conducted in support of this project. The reservoir is developed in fractured Proterozoic schist and quartzite, and Archean quartz monzonite cut by younger diabase intrusions. The basement complex was deformed during the mid Tertiary and covered by approximately 5000 ft of late Tertiary sedimentary and volcanic deposits. Listric normal faults of Cenozoic age disrupt the Tertiary deposits but do not offset the basement rocks. RRG-9, the target well, was drilled southwest of the main well field to a measured depth (MD) of 6089 ft. The well is deviated to the west and cased to a depth of 2316 ft MD. It penetrated the Proterozoic reservoir rocks at a depth of 5286 ft MD and encountered a maximum temperature of 139 degrees C. Bottomhole temperatures in other deep wells range from 133 to 149 degrees C. X-ray diffraction and thin section analyses are being conducted on samples from 5 deep wells, RRG- 1, 2, 3, 7 and 9, to determine the characteristics of the rock types and hydrothermal alteration within the geothermal system. Thin section analyses of samples from RRG-9 document the presence of strong alteration and brecciation at the contact between the Tertiary and basement complex. The Tertiary rocks consist of ash-flow tuffs, lava flows, tuffaceous siltstone, greywacke, and sandstone. No core is available from RRG-9 but core was obtained from RRG-3C. The sample is a brecciated and altered siltstone from the base of the Tertiary sequence and is similar to rocks at the base of the Tertiary deposits in RRG-9. Here, the results of thermal and quasi-static mechanical property measurements that were conducted on the core sample are presented.

Jones, Clay↗
DOE OSTI2022

Fibro: a fiber optic data processing software for unconventional reservoirs

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to systems and methods for data collection using fiber-optic cable in a well, and analysis of the data to determine instantaneous frequency, instantaneous phase, instantaneous amplitude, and/or dominant frequency. These measures can be used to determine parameters associated with the operation of the well. The parameters can be used to control the operation of the well and/or the fracturing process.

Ghahfarokhi, Payam Kavousi↗
DOE OSTI2021

Utah FORGE: Well 16A(78)-32 Drilling Data

This dataset includes survey data, drilling data, daily reports, summaries of daily operations, and rig photos from the drilling of Utah FORGE well 16A(78)-32, which is a highly deviated deep well. It was completed 60 days ahead of schedule. Rig move in began 10/22/2020 and drilling commenced on 10/30/2020, and total depth was reached on 12/18/2020. Drilling was followed by a diagnostic fracture injection test (DFIT), logging, and circulating casing. The rig was released on 1/12/2021. The upper part of the well was drilled vertically through approximately 4,700 feet of sediments before penetrating into high strength, crystalline granite. The well was deviated at a 65 degree angle from vertical after reaching a depth of 6,000 ft. This angle was maintained for the remainder of the well's trajectory. The well ultimately reached a true vertical depth of 8,559 feet, and a total measured depth of 10,987 feet. Preliminary measurements indicate temperatures at the "toe" of the well will exceed 442 degrees F (228 degrees C). Approximately 74 ft of core of the granitic and metamorphic rocks that will form the FORGE reservoir was also recovered.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Modeling-Based Assessment of Deep Seismic Potential Induced by Geologic Carbon Storage

Induced seismicity is an inherent risk associated with geologic carbon storage (GCS) in deep rock formations that could contain undetected faults prone to failure. Modeling-based risk assessment has been implemented to quantify the potential of injection-induced seismicity, but typically simplified multiscale geologic features or neglected multiphysics coupled mechanisms because of the uncertainty in field data and computational cost of field-scale simulations, which may limit the reliable prediction of seismic hazard caused by industrial-scale CO 2 storage. The degree of lateral continuity of the stratigraphic interbedding below the reservoir and depth-dependent fault permeability can enhance or inhibit pore-pressure diffusion and corresponding poroelastic stressing along a basement fault. In conclusion, this study presents a rigorous modeling scheme with optimal geological and operational parameters needed to be considered in seismic monitoring and mitigation strategies for safe GCS.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1998

Pump, and earth-testable spacecraft capillary heat transport loop using augmentation pump and check valves

A spacecraft includes heat-generating payload equipment, and a heat transport system with a cold plate thermally coupled to the equipment and a capillary-wick evaporator, for evaporating coolant liquid to cool the equipment. The coolant vapor is coupled to a condenser and in a loop back to the evaporator. A heated coolant reservoir is coupled to the loop for pressure control. If the wick is not wetted, heat transfer will not begin or continue. A pair of check valves are coupled in the loop, and the heater is cycled for augmentation pumping of coolant to and from the reservoir. This augmentation pumping, in conjunction with the check valves, wets the wick. The wick liquid storage capacity allows the augmentation pump to provide continuous pulsed liquid flow to assure continuous vapor transport and a continuously operating heat transport system. The check valves are of the ball type to assure maximum reliability. However, any type of check valve can be used, including designs which are preloaded in the closed position. The check valve may use any ball or poppet material which resists corrosion. For optimum performance during testing on Earth, the ball or poppet would have neutral buoyancy or be configured in a closed position when the heat transport system is not operating. The ball may be porous to allow passage of coolant vapor.

Baker, David↗
DOE OSTI2021

Maximizing oil production from water alternating gas (CO 2 ) injection into residual oil zones: The impact of oil saturation and heterogeneity

Residual oil zones (ROZs) are widespread reservoirs, characterized by oil at residual saturation, either underlying oil fields (brownfield) or lateral (greenfield) to such fields. These reservoirs have the potential to produce volumes of oil sufficiently significant to make appreciable impacts on the US’s oil reserves and associated incidental CO 2 sequestration. The objective of this study is to improve our understanding the impact of heterogeneous and low oil saturations, in brownfield ROZs, on the effectiveness of water alternating gas (WAG) injection strategies. ROZs occur in the Permian Basin and elsewhere, and operators are using CO 2 injection for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) in these zones. The consensus model for the formation of ROZs is that they were formed by the effect of faster regional aquifer flow, acting over millions of years. Both the magnitude of oil saturation and the spatial distribution of oil differ from water-flooded main pay zones (MPZs). To explore the most effective injection strategies, we conducted simulations of CO 2 injection into synthetic geologic reservoirs. These simulations focused on injection into reservoirs subject to either man-made waterflooding or long-term natural waterflooding. By exploring the impact of varying: oil saturation; well patterns; reservoir heterogeneity; and permeability anisotropy, we attempt to quantify the factors that most influence the effectiveness of WAG injection. WAG ratios (the ratio of injected water and CO 2 , in reservoir volumes) of interest are those that either minimize the net CO 2 utilization ratios or maximize oil production rates. In general, the most effective WAG ratios for ROZs, are consistently less than those observed undergoing CO 2 injection in the same geologic reservoir models after traditional (man-made) waterflooding. This work demonstrates that most favorable WAG ratios for oil production in ROZs are different from those in traditional MPZs because of oil saturation differences. Therefore, CO 2 injection into both zones or directly copying WAG injection designs from MPZs to ROZs might not maximize oil production.

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

On the Feasibility of Deep Geothermal Wells Using Numerical Reservoir Simulation

This study examines the geothermal energy extraction potential from the basement rock within the Denver–Julesburg Basin, focusing on the flow performance and heat extraction efficiency of different geothermal well configurations. It specifically compares U-shaped, V-shaped, inclined V-shaped, and pipe-in-pipe configurations against enhanced geothermal system setups. Through numerical modeling, we evaluated the thermal behavior of these systems under various operational scenarios and fracture conditions. The results suggest that while closed-loop systems offer moderate temperature increases, Enhanced geothermal system configurations show substantial potential for high-temperature extraction. This underscores the importance of evaluating well configurations in complex geological settings. The insights from this study aid in strategic geothermal energy planning and development, marking significant advancements in geothermal technology and setting a foundation for future explorations and optimizations.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

ALD-Derived WO 3– x Leads to Nearly Wake-Up-Free Ferroelectric Hf 0.5 Zr 0.5 O 2 at Elevated Temperatures

Breaking the memory wall in advanced computing architectures will require complex 3D integration of emerging memory materials such as ferroelectrics─either within the back-end-of-line (BEOL) of CMOS front-end processes or through advanced 3D packaging technologies. Achieving this integration demands that memory materials exhibit high thermal resilience, with the capability to operate reliably at elevated temperatures, such as 125°C, due to the substantial heat generated by front-end transistors. However, silicon-compatible HfO 2 -based ferroelectrics tend to exhibit antiferroelectric-like behavior in this temperature range, accompanied by a more pronounced wake-up effect, posing significant challenges to their thermal reliability. Here, we report that by introducing a thin tungsten oxide (WO 3–x ) layer─known as an oxygen reservoir─and carefully tuning its oxygen content, ultrathin Hf 0.5 Zr 0.5 O 2 (5 nm) films can be made robust against the ferroelectric-to-antiferroelectric transition at elevated temperatures. This approach not only minimizes polarization loss in the pristine state but also effectively suppresses the wake-up effect, reducing the required wake-up cycles from 10 5 to only 10 at 125°C, a qualifying temperature for back-end memory integrated with front-end logic, as defined by the JEDEC standard. First-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that WO 3 enhances the stability of the ferroelectric orthorhombic phase (o-phase) at elevated temperatures by increasing the tetragonal-to-orthorhombic phase energy gap and promoting favorable phonon mode evolution, thereby supporting o-phase formation under both thermodynamic and kinetic constraints.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Technical Report on Subsurface Monitoring of the Brady Hot Spring Geothermal Site, Nevada, based upon Full Waveform Inversion

Abilities to accurately characterize the subsurface in a geothermal setting is key to assess and support production. An important element of geothermal reservoir monitoring is also the ability to investigate fluid transport within fracture network. This report focuses on improving subsurface imaging and monitoring in geothermal settings using full waveform inversion based on the adjoint method and time-lapse imaging. To assess our method, we rely on a dense seismic dataset collected in 2016 at the Brady Hot Springs geothermal site in Nevada for the DOE-funded project Poroelastic Tomography by Adjoint Inverse Modeling of Data from Seismology, Geodesy, and Hydrology. This dataset captures subsurface changes across four stages of geothermal power plant operations, which involve varying rates of fluid injection and extraction. Two velocity models were previously derived from this dataset using different methods: one based on travel times and another on sweep interferometry. Our first step is to refine these models using adjoint tomography, which has been applied successfully at global and regional-scales but is less common at the reservoir-scale. Two approaches are then explored for time-lapse analysis: directly comparing refined tomographic models from different stages or backpropagating waveform differences relative to a baseline tomographic model. The main take away is that both approaches highlight similar reservoir behaviors, but the latter approach is more computationally effective in capturing small-scale changes in subsurface properties. For this work, we leverage the use of Salvus (www.mondaic.com), an end-to-end seismic imaging solution, relying on the spectral element method to compute forward and adjoint simulations, and developed by Mondaic Ltd. It includes integrated workflow management that handles waveform and metadata, launches simulations, computes waveform misfits and adjoint sources, and iterates for model updates by nonlinear optimization.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Porous Colloidal Nanoparticles as Injectable Multimodal Contrast Agents for Enhanced Geophysical Sensing

Injecting fluids into underground geologic structures is crucial for the development of long-term strategies for managing captured carbon and facilitating sustainable energy extraction operations. Here, we have previously reported that the injection of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) into the subsurface can enhance seismic monitoring tools to track fluids and map complex structures, reduce risk, and verify containment in carbon storage reservoirs because of their absorption capacity of low-frequency seismic waves. Here, we demonstrate that water-based Cr/Zn/Zr MOF colloidal suspensions (nanofluids) are multimodal geophysical contrast agents that enhance near-wellbore logging tools. Based on experimental fluid-only measurements, MIL-101(Cr), ZIF-8, and UiO-66 nanofluids have distinct complex conductivity and/or low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signatures that are relevant to field-deployed technologies, implying the potential to enhance near-wellbore monitoring of CO 2 injection and associated processes with downhole logging tools. Small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering characterization of ~0.5 wt % MIL-101(Cr) suspensions confirmed phase stability and provided insight into the fractal nature of colloidal nanoparticles. Finally, low-field (2 MHz) NMR measurements of MIL-101(Cr) nanofluid injection into a prototypical Berea sandstone demonstrate how paramagnetic high-surface area MOFs may dominate the relaxation times of hydrogen-bearing fluids in porous geologic matrices, enhancing the mapping of near-surface and near-wellbore transport pathways and advancing sustainable subsurface energy technologies.

NMR↗
NASA NTRS1978

Engineering Model 8-cm Thruster System

Development of an Engineering Model 8-cm Mercury Ion Thruster System for Satellite Control has been successfully completed. This system operates at a specific impulse in excess of 2600 sec, produces a thrust of 5 mN with a total input power of 165 W; it has a dry mass of 16.6 kg and a mercury-propellant-reservoir capacity of 8.75 kg. This paper summarizes the development work, the system characteristics and performance, and the testing undertaken to verify the design.

Herron, B. G.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Hydropower operation in future power grid with various renewable power integration

Hydropower generation may play an increasingly important role in the power grid under increasing contribution of variable renewable sources such as wind and solar. An improved understanding of the changes to hydropower dispatch under future higher VRE grid conditions reveals research gap that should be informed power grid planning and reservoir water releases policies considering multiple other water uses and varying hydrologic condition. Here this study aims to understand the role of hydropower in a changing power grid by employing a production cost model, PLEXOS, across future power system scenarios, planning horizons, and regions. We explore optimized hydropower dispatch to understand its potential role in minimizing the system cost and renewable curtailment. We also examine the sensitivity of hydropower revenue under various grid scenarios of the Eastern U.S. and hydrology conditions. Results indicate hydropower generation follows net load and compensates for the variability of solar and wind generation. Although energy prices are lower during some periods in the future grid scenarios, there is a potential for higher revenue for hydropower by providing both energy and ancillary services during times of stress. Additionally, hydropower revenue is sensitive to hydrology in the SERC region, which we considered as an example. The feasibility of hydropower dispatching with higher ramps between low and high hourly-capacity factors, as indicated in the optimization model, requires further study to consider other water use and ecology constraints.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Reactive transport modeling of the Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) system at Stockton University, New Jersey during seasonal operations

Hydrogeochemical processes associated with Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) operations can often impact the system performance owing to mineral precipitation either at the wellbore or in the aquifer owing to changes in temperature and fluid disequilibria. Although failure of ATES systems due to mineral precipitation ("fouling") is common, predictive reactive-transport models have rarely been applied to plan their design and operation. Here, the objective of this study is to develop a reactive-transport model by coupling thermal, hydrological, and chemical (THC) processes to evaluate effects of introduced atmospheric oxygen on water chemistry, mineral precipitation/dissolution, porosity, and permeability changes associated with an ATES system at Stockton University (New Jersey, USA). The THC model builds on a Thermal-Hydrological-Mechanical (THM) model of the site that evaluated system failure owing to possible fracturing in the caprock or around the wellbore. The causes of the system failure are not known – potential causes include hydraulic fracturing owing to elevated pump pressures that took place, a flow pathway created by one of the boreholes, or a pre-existing natural hydrologic connection between the upper unconfined aquifer and the ATES aquifer, any of which could have led to oxygenated water entering the reservoir and causing the observed Fe-oxide fouling on well screens. The THC model is used to evaluate some of the hypotheses and observations regarding system failure owing to geochemical processes. The reactive-transport code TOUGHREACT V4 was used to model the THC processes during seasonal heating and cooling operations at the Stockton ATES site over 6 years of operation. In the THC simulations, the primary effects on geochemistry were observed when the injection water is saturated with atmospheric oxygen. Simulations show greater precipitation of goethite near the cold wells as compared to the warm wells. Although volume fractions of Fe-hydroxides were relatively small, the model was aimed at processes in the aquifer at the scale of meters and larger rather than at the scale of mm or cm (i.e., a well screen). Kaolinite is the dominant precipitating phase, also around the cold wells. Illite dissolves near the cold wells and precipitates near the warm wells. There is a net decrease in the porosity near the cold wells and increase near the warm wells, although a slight amount of thermal contraction near the cold wells and expansion near the warm wells is responsible for a significant proportion of the porosity change. Owing to the coarse discretization of the numerical grid near the wells (compared to the screen thickness) the magnitude of permeability changes at the wellbore are likely underestimated. The reactive transport model in this study can be used for characterization of aquifers, optimizing the operational parameters (temperature, pressure, pH etc.), and planning of mitigation strategies for ATES systems.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The Global Water Monitor: Lake, Wetland, and River Reach Monitoring for Resource Management and Hazard Observation

The Global Water Monitor is a monitoring program offering surface water-related products for lakes, reservoirs, river reaches, and wetlands, https://blueice.gsfc.nasa.gov/gwm. These products are derived from multiple satellite-based altimetry and multispectral imaging platforms. The primary measurements are water level, slope, and extent, derived from a series of NASA and other agency instruments (Sentinel-3,-6, ICESat-2, SWOT, MODIS). The system serves stakeholders, the US Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service and the US Geological Survey, as well as various international, national, state, and intelligence agencies, engineers, ecologists, and hydrological researchers. Considering the sensitivity of ground-based data and the remote accessibility of many basins, the satellites offer global coverage, accuracy, and continuity of measurements. Observation of storage fluctuations in lakes and reservoirs provides users with knowledge of short and long-term drought conditions that can affect both water and energy resources. Emphasis is on changing climatic conditions, water sharing between nations, and regional stability. Measurements across a wetland complex can assist with efforts to assess hydrological dynamics with a focus on conservation efforts that aid both natural ecology and the sharing of precious water resources – the latter potentially being required in a basin across the municipal, crop irrigation, aquaculture, livestock, and power station spectrum. Observations of river reaches assists in the collection of basic hydraulic information, particularly in gauge-poor regions, for modelling efforts and the estimation of discharge, and at high-latitudes satellite-based river observations serve projects that warn of spring melts and flood hazards. We look at how recent improvements in instrument technology and mission operations are assisting with acquiring true global coverage and cross-validation efforts, and how stakeholders interact with the project in terms of setting requirements, product format, and accessibility methods. Examples show the application of the products across a range of programs, and in addition to meeting operational requirements, how the multi-decadal surface water levels are creating a high-quality timeline of Earth Data Records.

Lakes↗
NASA NTRS1988

A high power spacecraft thermal management system

This paper describes the design and test results of an ammonia hybrid capillary pumped loop thermal control system. As a hytbrid, the system can operate as either a passive, capillary pumped loop, or, as a mechanically pumped system. The system is comprised of an evaporator section, a condenser section, 10 meters of liquid and vapor transport lines, a mechanical pump, and a reservoir. In the evaporator section, four capillary pumps are each integrated into three cold plates. The mechanical pump is installed in the liquid line and is in series with the capillary pumps. Testing has demonstrated that in the capillary pumped mode, the HPSTM can acquire and transport a total heat load of between 120 W and 24 kW, with a maximum heat flux density of 4.3 W/sq cm in the evaporator section. In the mechanically pumped configuration, a heat acquisition potential of 50 kW (9 W/sq cm heat flux density) has been demonstrated. The hybrid system still retains the proven capillary capabilities of temperature control, heat load sharing and fluid flow control between evaporator plates, rapid power cycling, and pressure priming recovery of deprimed evaporators.

Ku, J.↗