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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 55 records · Page 3
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2020

Hot Rocks! Near-Infrared Reflectances (and Emissivities) or Rocks at Venus Surface Temperatures

Venus’ surface can be viewed in emission through a few near-infrared (NIR) spectral ‘windows’ (1 µm) in its relatively opaque atmosphere [1]. Venus’ surface shows NIR emissivities that correlate with surface geology [2-4], and these emissivity variations are interpreted as differences in surface rock type (mafic vs. silicic) and/or extent of weathering (Fe2+ silicates vs. Fe3+-oxide-coated). To understand and quantify the observed variations in NIR emissivity, high-temperature (T) emissivity can be measured directly [5,6]. For example, emissivities of basalts in the wavelength range 0.85 – 1.2 µm are ~0.95 [5-8]. This can be tested by measureing reflectance, because Kirchoff’s Law holds that emissivity (e) = 1 – reflectance (r). The r of basalt in the NIR is ~0.05 [o] consistent with a NIR e of ~0.95 [5-8]. High-T NIR e’s of silicic igneous rocks (granitic, rhyolite) have been reported to be 0.8-0.9 [5,6], which is inconsistent with r values of 0.3-0.8 of such rocks at 25°C [9,10]. However, these measurements have been updated [7,8] and are consistent with the results here (see below and Fig. 3).

Treiman, A. H.↗
DOE OSTI2016

Energy Efficiency, Water Efficiency, and Renewable Energy Site Assessment: Seneca Rocks Discovery Center, Seneca Rocks, West Virginia

As part of ongoing efforts by the U.S. Forest Service to reduce energy use and incorporate renewable energy technologies into its facilities, the Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory performed an energy efficiency and renewable energy site assessment of the Seneca Rocks Discovery Center in Seneca Rocks, West Virginia. This report documents the findings of this assessment, and provides site-specific information for the implementation of energy and water conservation measures, and renewable energy measures.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Salt Rock - the 60-Year-Old Prodigy Host Rock for Consent-Based Disposal of Long-Lived Radioactive Waste - 16010

The USA's HLW-disposal program has been on hold since 2010 pending enabling legislation for its only candidate HLW-repository since 1987 at the Yucca Mountain site in Nevada and/or other, 'consent-based', HLW-disposition solutions. Related projections in 2008 and 2012 suggested they might open 9-12 years and 35 years after being adequately enabled, respectively. In 2014, domestic HLW arisings exceeded the capacity of the candidate repository by >4,000 metric tons (MT) and they were projected to grow by 2,000-2,300 MT/year. One or more new HLW repositories are thus highly-likely in the future. In the meantime, the DOE should make every effort to promptly take title to civilian-generated HLW by other means. Historical evidence in the USA and abroad during the past 30+ years shows that all HLW-repository siting and development schedules and costs are governed by the inherent, intricate, relationships and related domino effects of the: 1. Maturity/robustness of the disposal concept; 2. Related levels of relevant domestic repository-sciences/engineering expertise, data, institutional knowledge, and applicable regulations; 3. Abundance and 'ease' of physical access to potentially-suitable host-rock sites; 4. 'Trust' in the implementing and regulating organizations; 5. Timely resolution of inevitable contentions and lawsuits; 6. Facility-host-acceptance level; 7. Timely and adequate enabling legislation, and therefore, ultimately, by 8. Prevailing Political Will. Based upon their respective status at the end of 2015, salt rock still offers the most, but not the only, promising path forward for new, mined, HLW repositories in the USA, and ∼5-km-deep boreholes offer the most-promising disposal-solution for small HLW containers/packages/pellets. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2017

Experimental evidence for chemo-mechanical coupling during carbon mineralization in ultramafic rocks

It is known that storing carbon dioxide in the subsurface as carbonate minerals has the benefit of long-term stability and immobility. Ultramafic rock formations have been suggested as a potential reservoir for this type of storage due to the availability of cations to react with dissolved carbon dioxide and the fast reaction rates associated with minerals common in ultramafic formations; however, the rapid reactions have the potential to couple with the mechanical and hydraulic behavior of the rocks and little is known about the extent and mechanisms of this coupling. In this study, we argue that the dissolution of primary minerals and the precipitation of secondary minerals along pre-existing fractures in samples lead to reductions in both the apparent Young's modulus and shear strength of aggregates, accompanied by reduction in permeability. Hydrostatic and triaxial deformation experiments were run on dunite samples saturated with de-ionized water and carbon dioxide-rich solutions while stress, strain, permeability and pore fluid chemistry were monitored. Sample microstructures were examined after reaction and deformation using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results show that channelized dissolution and carbonate mineral precipitation in the samples saturated with carbon dioxide-rich solutions modify the structure of grain boundaries, leading to the observed reductions in stiffness, strength and permeability. A geochemical model was run to help interpret fluid chemical data, and we find that the apparent reaction rates in our experiments are faster than rates calculated from powder reactors, suggesting mechanically enhanced reaction rates. In conclusion, we find that chemo-mechanical coupling during carbon mineralization in dunites leads to substantial modification of mechanical and hydraulic behavior that needs to be accounted for in future modeling efforts of in situ carbon mineralization projects.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Iodine effective diffusion coefficients through volcanic rock: Influence of iodine speciation and rock geochemistry

Accurate prediction of the subsurface transport of iodine species is important for the assessment of long-term nuclear waste repository performance, as well as monitoring compliance with the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, given that radioiodine decays into radioxenon. However, the transport of iodine through intact geologic media is not well understood, compromising our ability to assess risk associated with radioiodine migration. The current study's goal is to quantify the matrix diffusion of iodine species through saturated volcanic rock, with particular attention paid to the redox environment and potential speciation changes. Here, diffusion experiments were run for iodide through lithophysae-rich lava, lithophysae-poor lava, and welded tuff, whereas iodate diffusion was studied through welded tuff. Iodine transport was compared with a conservative tracer, HDO, and effective diffusion coefficients were calculated. Likely due to a combination of size and anion exclusion effects, iodine species diffused more slowly than the conservative tracer through all rock types tested. Furthermore, oxidation of iodide to iodate was observed in the lithophysae-poor lava, affecting transport. Results provide much needed data for subsurface transport models that predict radioiodine migration from underground sources, and indicate the pressing need for geochemical and redox interactions to be incorporated into these models.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Laboratory investigation of hydraulic fracturing in granitic rocks using active and passive seismic monitoring

SUMMARY Knowledge of the fracturing processes can be important for the optimization of pressurized fluid injection operations in the deep underground rock mass. Active and passive seismic monitoring techniques have been used in the field for tracking or mapping the propagating hydraulic fracture. Although both these monitoring techniques provide valuable information about the generated fracture network, it is difficult for either technique to comprehensibly identify the different processes associated with hydraulic fracturing. The combined active and passive monitoring has the potential for better characterization of the complex hydraulic fracturing phenomena. In this study, laboratory hydraulic fracturing experiments with combined active and passive seismic monitoring were conducted on true triaxially loaded Barre granite cubes with different fluid injection rates. The seismic inelastic fracturing was detected by 16 passive acoustic emission sensors, where 3678 and 2370 seismic source events were detected for the high and low injection rate experiments, respectively. For active monitoring, strong variations in the attributes of signals were observed which were transmitted through four source–receiver pairs, placed both perpendicular and parallel to the generated hydraulic fracture. Positive velocity changes were observed for active sensor pairs with ray paths passing through the generated hydraulic fracture indicating fluid permeation, whereas isolated dry deformation was characterized by a slight but permanent velocity decrease. Compared to velocity, the energy of the active signals was 1–2 orders of magnitude more sensitive to different hydraulic fracturing processes. However, the sensitivity and signatures of the active signal attributes were found to be dependent on the frequency range and direction of ray path with respect to the location of the generated fracture network. Using the coupled evaluation of the active and passive signals we were able to systematically identify various hydraulic fracturing processes including: (1) aseismic deformation, (2) fracture initiation and fluid permeation, (3) pressure build-up, (4) fracture propagation and (5) pressure release and leak-off. The results of this study showed that combining the respective advantages of active and passive seismic techniques and using both of them to monitor the failure processes can facilitate a more comprehensive understanding and better control of the hydraulic stimulations in subsurface operations.

Geochemistry & Geophysics↗
NASA NTRS1972

Apollo 15 rake sample microbreccias and non-mare rocks: Bulk rock, mineral and glass electron microprobe analyses

Quantitative electron microprobe data of Apollo 15 nonmare rake samples are presented. Bulk analyses of lithic fragments in the nomare rocks (expressed in oxide weight-percent) and the corresponding CIPW molecular norms are given. The mineralogy of the rocks and lithic fragments are also given; structural formulae for complete analyses and molecular end-members for all mineral analyses are included. The mineral analyses include pyroxene, olivine, plagioclase, barian K-feldspar, spinel and ilmenite, cobaltian metallic nickel-iron as well as SiO2-K2O-rich residual glass. Electron micropobe analyses (oxide weight percent) of glasses in loose fines and microbreccia samples and their CIPW molecular norms are presented along with electron microprobe data on bulk, mineral, and matrix glass from chondrules.

Hlava, P. F.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Lunar rock types - The role of plagioclase in non-mare and highland rock types

Some nonmare and highland rock types (14310 type KREEP and very high Al2O3 basalts) have the internal chemical variations expected for a plagioclase-liquid system. The observed Eu variations in these rock types suggest a D(Eu) 1/p of 0.6 to 0.7. The Sr variations suggest a D(Sr) 1/p of about 0.6, with values as low as 0.35 suggested for some materials from sample 14063. Common Apollo 14 KREEP and Apollo 15 KREEP do not show internal Sr, Eu, Al2O3 variations consistent with the D(Eu, Sr) 1/p values derived for 14310 type KREEP. Major element and experimental data indicate that olivine or pyroxene is a large, perhaps dominant, controller of chemical variations within common Apollo 14 KREEP. The application of these distribution coefficients to pure anorthosites like 15415 yields the model dependent conclusion that the silicate liquids with which such anorthosites may have been chemically equilibrated have not yet been analyzed and perhaps not directly sampled.

Hubbard, N. J.↗
NASA NTRS2018

In Situ Dating Experiments of Igneous Rocks Using the KArLE Instrument: A Case Study for Approximately 380 Ma Basaltic Rocks

We report new K-Ar isochron data for two approximately 380 Ma basaltic rocks, using an updated version of the Potassium-Argon Laser Experiment (KArLE). These basalts have K contents comparable to lunar KREEP basalts or igneous lithologies found by Mars rovers, whereas previous proof-of-concept studies focused primarily on more K-rich rocks. We continue to measure these analogue samples to show the advancing capability of in situ K-Ar geochronology. KArLE is applicable to other bodies including the Moon or asteroids.

Cho, Yuichiro↗
NASA NTRS2018

Dating Igneous Rocks Using the Potassium-Argon Laser Experiment (KArLE) Instrument: A Case Study for ~380 Ma Basaltic Rocks

We report new K-Ar isochron data for two approximately 380 million-years-old basaltic rocks, using an updated version of the Potassium-Argon Laser Experiment (KArLE), which is being developed for future in situ dating of planetary materials. These basalts have K contents comparable with those of lunar KREEP basalts or igneous lithologies found by Mars rovers, whereas previous proof-of-concept studies focused primarily on more K-rich rocks. We aim to measure these analogous samples to show the advancing capability of in situ K-Ar geochronology.

Cho, Yuichiro↗
DOE OSTI2017

The impacts of effective stress and CO 2 sorption on the matrix permeability of shale reservoir rocks [The impacts of CO 2 sorption and effective stress on the matrix permeability of shale reservoir rocks]

We assess the impacts of effective stress and CO 2 sorption on the bedding-parallel matrix permeability of the Utica shale through pressure pulse-decay experiments. We first measure permeability using argon at relatively high (14.6 MPa) and low (2.8 MPa) effective stresses to assess both pressure dependence and recoverability. We subsequently measure permeability using supercritical CO 2 and again using argon to assess changes due to CO 2 sorption. We find that injection of both argon and supercritical CO 2 reduces matrix permeability in distinct fashion. Samples with permeability higher than 10 –20 m 2 experience a large permeability reduction after treatment with argon, but a minor change after treatment with supercritical CO 2 . However, samples with permeability lower than this threshold undergo a slight change after treatment with argon, but a dramatic reduction after treatment with supercritical CO 2 . These results indicate that effective stress plays an important role in the evolution of relatively permeable facies, while CO 2 sorption dominates the change of ultra-low permeability facies. The permeability reduction due to CO 2 sorption varies inversely with initial permeability, which suggests that increased surface area from hydraulic stimulation with CO 2 may be counteracted by sorption effects in ultra-low permeability facies. As a result, we develop a conceptual model to explain how CO 2 sorption induces porosity reduction and volumetric expansion to constrict fluid flow pathways in shale reservoir rocks.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗