SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “environmental testing”

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.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 55 records · Page 3

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

DOE OSTI2024

The hygrothermal performance of continuous and cavity wood fiber insulation

Wood fiber insulation is an emerging material known for its effective thermal performance and moisture management properties, making it a compelling alternative to conventional insulation. Its vapor permeability and ability to regulate indoor humidity contribute to improved building durability and comfort, particularly in varying climate conditions. The goal of this project is to characterize the hygrothermal performance of a new wood fiber insulation product line in U.S. climate zones and to facilitate the design and construction of the product in residential and light commercial building envelopes. This study investigates the thermal and hygrothermal performance of wood fiber insulation, both as continuous and cavity insulation. The research employs an exhaustive simulation task and an environmental chamber test of a wood fiber insulation. Over 400 simulations were conducted to study the hygrothermal characteristics of bio-based wood fiber insulation in various building envelope configurations across four climate zones. Environmental chamber tests were conducted under controlled winter conditions representative of Climate Zone 5A (Chicago, IL) to complement the simulation results. The chamber tests focused on the hygrothermal performance of the wood fiber insulation and the sheathing board to assess the insulation's ability to manage moisture in a cold climate. Simulation and environmental chamber test results were analyzed to evaluate the insulation's consistency and efficacy across diverse climatic zones. Results show that with a proper moisture control strategy, both cavity and continuous wood fiber insulation can work properly in both new and retrofit constructions.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

DOE OSTI2024

The Hygrothermal Performance of Continuous and Cavity Wood Fiber Insulation

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

DOE OSTI2021

SIR Glass Test Vehicle Designed to Characterize Process Materials

The exposure to harsh environments can result in reliability issues on highly dense electronic packages and circuit assemblies. One area of concern is electrochemical failure mechanisms caused by electrolytic corrosion, electrochemical migration (dendrites), and leakage currents under humid conditions. These no-fault and no-trouble found failure points are challenging to detect and to perform process control during the assembly process. The focus of this research centers on metallizing glass surface insulation resistance test vehicles to characterize materials on electronic packages and components that exhibit the highest risk of failure due to material interactions and process residues. Glass test vehicles provide a visual representation of materials when they are exposed to moisture content in the air. Harsh environments can cause material interactions resulting in morphology changes, opening, and release of active components. A transparent test vehicle is highly functional for environmental stress testing under temperature, humidity, and bias. The designed experiment will evaluate the effects of material and process residues that can undergo changes in behavior during application, which leads to local failures.

Capen, Bill↗

DOE OSTI2020

Sandia National Laboratories Annual Site Environmental Report, 2019: Tonopah Test Range, Nevada and Kaua'i Test Facility, Hawai'i

Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the United States Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration. The National Nuclear Security Administration’s Sandia Field Office administers the contract and oversees contractor operations at Sandia National Laboratories, Tonopah Test Range (SNL/TTR) in Nevada and Sandia National Laboratories, Kaua‘i Test Facility (SNL/KTF) in Hawai‘i. Activities at SNL/TTR are conducted in support of DOE weapons programs and have operated at the site since 1957. SNL/KTF has operated as a rocket preparation launching and tracking facility since 1962. DOE and its management and operating contractor are committed to safeguarding the environment, assessing sustainability practices, and ensuring the validity and accuracy of the monitoring data presented in this Annual Site Environmental Report. This report summarizes the environmental protection, restoration, and monitoring programs in place at SNL/TTR and SNL/KTF during calendar year 2019. Environmental topics include air quality, ecology, environmental restoration, oil storage, site sustainability, terrestrial surveillance, waste management, water quality, and implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act. This report is prepared in accordance with and as required by DOE O 231.1B, Admin Change 1, Environment, Safety, and Health Reporting, and has been approved for public distribution.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2023

An open-source environmental chamber for materials-stability testing using an optical proxy

Designs for an open source environmental chamber for stability testing of metal halide perovskites and other materials using optical degradation fingerprints. The design suite can accommodate bulk samples, thin films or full photovoltaic devices.

Keesey, Rodolfo↗

DOE OSTI2024

Beneficial Use of Harvested Ponded Fly Ash and Landfilled FGD Materials for High-Volume Surface Mine Reclamation

The overall motivation of this project was to demonstrate at laboratory, bench-scale, and full-scale demonstration levels that (a) coal ash surface impoundments can go through closure by removal as per USEPA and state regulations so that the material can be used as is (other than draining free water using CCRs piles) in high-volume beneficial applications, (b) FGD material from closed out FGD facilities can be excavated and recompacted for coal mine reclamation, and (c) harvested CCRs can be beneficially utilized (providing a net environmental gain) in large-volumes for reclamation at abandoned coal mine sites across the US, especially in the Eastern and Midwest coal mining regions. The objectives of this project were to: 1) promote the safe and cost-effective closure by removal of coal ash impoundments, 2) harvest landfilled FGD, and 3) promote the high-volume beneficial use of these harvested CCRs in the reclamation of abandoned surface coal mine sites across the eastern and midwestern coal mining regions of the United States. The major tasks carried out for this project are summarized below: 1) Conesville Full-Scale Demonstration Project: About 2 million tons of harvested CCR materials from the closure by removal of an inactive fly ash pond and an adjacent old FGD landfill were used for the full-scale demonstration project to fully reclaim a nearby partially completed abandoned surface coal mine. Site monitoring for the project duration was carried out and results are discussed. 2) Laboratory Testing: Geotechnical and environmental testing of harvested ponded fly ash and landfilled FGD material at the former Conesville power plant were carried out. Completing the laboratory testing allowed for QA/QC for the full-scale site construction and informed the formulation of the risk analysis. 3) Risk Analysis: We developed a reliable computational model for fate and transport. We used these models and the rich set of monitored data for the Conesville site to analyze risks to human health and ecological risks associated with high-volume surface mine reclamation using harvested CCRs. 4) GIS Siting Study: A Geographic Information System (GIS) study was carried out for three states in the Eastern coal mining region and two states in the Midwest coal region. This effort provided site specific GIS information for five states and allowed us to establish protocols that other states can follow in implementing their own state specific GIS study.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗

DOE OSTI2024

Development and performance evaluation of active insulation systems using solid-state thermal switches

Traditional building envelopes have passive insulation systems that cannot respond to dynamic changes in the environment. An Active Insulation System (AIS) consists of Active Insulation Materials (AIMs) that dynamically vary the thermal conductivity of the insulation system. Several researchers have evaluated the impact of AIS on building thermal and energy performance by using simulation tools. Up to 70% savings in annual heating and cooling energy and significant reductions in peak demand have been predicted for some climates with wall systems employing AIS. However, materials and assembly development still need a cost-effective product that achieves the required performance. Here, in this study, we present the process of developing an AIS that we will install in a test hut for its performance evaluation. Minimum performance criteria of the AIS system are developed based on R-low/R-high ratio, required time and efficiency to switch states, and cost estimates. The following steps during this study are creating the concept to meet the requirements, predicting the performance via simulations, developing the experimental setup for bench-scale testing, and finally, constructing a full-scale wall assembly and monitoring the performance when exposed to environmental chamber tests. The selected approach uses off-the-shelf products to create an AIS that can switch R-value between 0.98 ft 2 ·°F·h/BTU (0.173 m 2 ·K/W) and 5.81 ft 2 ·°F·h/BTU (1.02 m 2 ·K/W) and have a switching time of less than one minute between R-high and R-low.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

DOE OSTI2026

Power performance and loads characterization of laboratory-scale cross-flow rotors fabricated using additive manufacturing

Tidal energy conversion is a relatively new application for additive manufacturing (AM), where the focus has been on fabricating axial-flow turbine blades. AM techniques add material precisely where it is needed, creating more complex shapes with less waste. Cross-flow rotor geometry presents an opportunity for AM to improve rotor performance by fabricating features that cannot be created economically via conventional manufacturing. The challenges associated with using AM in cross-flow design include water resistance and degradation over time while retaining a level of quality equivalent to conventionally machined parts. In this work, AM materials were tested by environmentally conditioning samples in a seawater tank for 5 months, followed by performance and phase-resolved load testing of laboratory-scale rotors in a hydraulic flume. We found that while metals like titanium and Inconel have excellent performance in marine environments, achieving the desired geometry and performance is difficult. Thermoplastics degraded in seawater but were easier to form into desired geometries and could exceed the performance of an aluminum control rotor. Warping and surface finish were significant detractors from AM rotor performance. These results suggest that the primary benefits of using AM for cross-flow rotors is to quickly fabricate and test unconventional rotor geometries.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗

DOE OSTI2020

Development of an optical sensor for measuring opacity changes in polyvinyl toluene scintillators

Polyvinyl toluene (PVT) based detectors are used in radiation portal monitors (RPMs) worldwide to detect the trafficking of illicit nuclear material. PVT scintillators, which are normally optically clear, have been observed to suffer internal fogging throughout their volume due to prolonged exposure to varying environmental conditions. These changes could lead to reduced performance for RPMs that utilize plastic scintillators. In this research, a proof of concept system, consisting of different color light emitting diodes (LEDs) and a single optical sensor (OS), were used to examine the change in light transmission through a PVT scintillator. This Optical Monitoring System (OMS), coupled with an environmentally exposed PVT detector, was tested in an environmental chamber where it was subjected to changes in temperature and humidity ranging from 55 °C at 100% relative humidity to –20 °C at 40% relative humidity. At temperatures below 10 °C, light transmission was reduced by 81% ± 8% for blue LEDs, 84% ± 5% for yellow LEDs, and 49% ± 4% for green LEDs. Similar reductions in detected light were not recorded when the OMS was tested with only air between the LEDs and OS. Therefore, the significant reductions in transmitted light were attributed to changes occurring within the PVT scintillator. These results indicate that a significant reduction in PVT opacity occurs due to wide environmental changes. A device such as the OMS could be used to track these changes and provide users an early indication that a portal monitor is suffering from reduced performance.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

DOE OSTI2020

Specifying Calibration of Environmental Sensors

The emergence of the Internet of Things is resulting in an increased ability of devices and systems to share data and is generating increasing interest in integrating sensors into a variety of devices deployed in the built environment. The value of such data is a function of how the data can be used. Data-producing devices and systems that enable valuable use-cases in turn can be seen as more valuable. Lighting systems are particularly interesting platforms for integrated sensors. Both indoor and outdoor lighting devices are becoming more connected, and their location is often ideally suited for hosting environmental sensors that can characterize the properties of indoor or outdoor spaces in ways that support a wide variety of use cases, from improving air quality to supporting fault diagnostics and prediction. The value of environmental-sensor-driven use-cases and the lighting systems that house them is dependent to some degree on sensor accuracy. Environmental sensors utilize a wide variety of sensing techniques or technologies and have varying accuracy. More-accurate, laboratory-grade products or reference standards are often used to characterize, refine, calibrate, adjust, and monitor devices that are deployed, or are intended to be deployed, in physical spaces of interest. Sensors or reference standards need to be calibrated periodically to ensure that their use yields accurate measurements. Calibration needs, however, vary in sophistication, based on user and use-case requirements. This paper provides guidance for evaluating the performance of environmental sensors so as to ensure that they meet user or use-case needs. It describes best practices that have been developed for a) calibrating sensors to ensure some known level of accuracy, and b) determining whether calibration-laboratory accreditation meets user or use-case needs. Excerpts from laboratory scopes of accreditation are shared to reveal the diversity of terminology and format among them. In an effort to aid those who currently have sensors calibrated or who have new or changing needs for sensor calibration, rationale is provided for why a specification might be used to request calibration services that meet specific needs. Commercially available calibration-service providers that are accredited for environmental-sensor calibration are compared and contrasted, and a specification template that might be used for requesting this calibration is presented. The specification template should be tailored to meet each user’s needs. To illustrate, an example set of environmental-sensor test conditions (reflecting the planned usage of the device to be calibrated) is used to develop a customized calibration specification, and commercially available service providers are assessed in terms of their qualifications for calibration to that particular implementation of the specification template.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2025

Quantum chemically calculated Abraham parameters for quantifying and predicting polymer hydrophobicity

The leakage and accumulation of plastic in the environment is a significant and growing problem with numerous detrimental impacts and has led to a push toward the design and development of more environmentally benign materials. To this end, we have developed a quantum chemistry-based model for predicting the mobility of polymer materials from molecular structure. Hydrophobicity is used as a surrogate for mobility given that hydrophobic interactions drive much of the partitioning of contaminants in and out of various environmentally relevant compartments. To model polymer hydrophobicity, we adjusted a previously developed Quantum Chemically Calculated Abraham Parameter model to calculate Abraham parameters of small molecules from molecular structure information. The resulting model predicted the octanol-water partition coefficient (K OW ) of polymer repeating units with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.48 (log scale). Additionally, the hydrophobicity of high molecular weight polymer materials was captured through solubility parameters and Nile red staining experiments from the literature and predicted with RMSEs of 1.21 (J/cc) 0.5 and 3.42 nm, respectively. Finally, to test the environmental applicability of the model, the relative adsorption capacity of three polymers was predicted and used to unify sorption isotherms across multiple sorbates and polymer sorbents.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2025

Exploring the environmental drivers of human blastomycosis cases in the Midwestern United States

Blastomycosis is a fungal infection endemic to the eastern United States (US) and Canada caused by the inhalation of the fungi Blastomyces spp. Currently, the environmental drivers of disease dynamics are poorly understood. The goal of our work was to explore what environmental conditions are associated with the annual presence of blastomycosis cases, and therefore are potentially explanatory of the ecological niche of Blastomyces. We examined the relationships between reported cases of blastomycosis in three Midwestern US states (Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin) from 2007–2017 in relation to eleven hypothesized environmental conditions, including climate, stream and soil mineral content, and land cover variables. Then, we fit logistic regression models to explore the relationships between the environmental variables and yearly blastomycosis case occurrence. Mean soil moisture, stream sediment mercury content, percent of water within the county, and woody wetlands land cover were all positively associated with the presence of annual cases, with woody wetlands having the most consistent signal across the three states. We also found significant differences in the likelihood of case presence between US states that were not explained by the variables in our model, suggesting state-level differences in case reporting and disease awareness. Our results provide a perspective on potential biological hypotheses to further test regarding environmental controls on the life cycle and ecological niche of Blastomyces.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2022

Environmentally Assisted Cracking Research for Current and Advanced Nuclear Structural Materials

Understanding environmentally assisted cracking is an important aspect of nuclear materials research, as it provides information about failure mechanisms that lead to safety concerns or shutdowns. Idaho National Laboratory has ongoing research to understand how materials behave in the harsh nuclear environments for both the current fleet of light water reactors, as well as advanced reactors, where materials are exposed to more extreme environments. Corrosion and cracking of current materials, advanced materials, and materials formed through advanced manufacturing techniques are being examined, with particular interest in irradiation effects on corrosion and cracking, as well as the effects of environmental impurities. Testing, such as stress corrosion cracking, corrosion fatigue, and in-situ crack growth measurements, as well as a suite of characterization tools, including electron microscopy techniques and x-ray computed tomography, are being utilized to better understand the material response, limitations, and cracking mechanisms to ensure safe and reliable nuclear plants.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2022

Improving convergence of the Matrix Power Control Algorithm for random vibration testing

Herein, this paper describes modifications to the Matrix Power Control Algorithm (MPCA) to improve convergence for Random Vibration Control (RVC) testing. In particular, this paper presents Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) implementations of MPCA in simulation and experiment. An Euler–Bernoulli beam model was simulated with applied base excitations and the Box Assembly with Removable Component (BARC) was used in experiment to validate results. The Bayesian optimization package Dragonfly was used to optimize control parameters. Additionally, a moving-average was employed and optimized to improve the measured response feedback for MPCA, reduce the number of averages needed to be taken between control updates, and further improve convergence. The key results of this paper show that the performance of MPCA can be improved by tuning the control parameters and by applying an optimized moving-average. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that convergence can be achieved within 12 drive-frames, which greatly enhances vibration control capability.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2021

Invasion and rapid adaptation of guppies ( Poecilia reticulata ) across the Hawaiian Archipelago

How much does natural selection, as opposed to genetic drift, admixture, and gene flow, contribute to the evolution of invasive species following introduction to a new environment? Here we assess how evolution can shape biological invasions by examining population genomic variation in non-native guppies (Poecilia reticulata) introduced to the Hawaiian Islands approximately a century ago. By examining 18 invasive populations from four Hawaiian islands and four populations from the native range in northern South America, we reconstructed the history of introductions and evaluated population structure as well as the extent of ongoing gene flow across watersheds and among islands. Patterns of differentiation indicate that guppies have developed significant population structure, with little natural or human-mediated gene flow having occurred among populations following introduction. Demographic modeling and admixture graph analyses together suggest that guppies were initially introduced to O‘ahu and Maui and then translocated to Hawai‘i and Kaua‘i. We detected evidence for only one introduction event from the native range, implying that any adaptive evolution in introduced populations likely utilized the genetic variation present in the founding population. Environmental association tests accounting for population structure identified loci exhibiting signatures of adaptive variation related to predators and landscape characteristics but not nutrient regimes. When paired with high estimates of effective population sizes and detectable population structure, the presence of environment-associated loci supports the role of natural selection in shaping contemporary evolution of Hawaiian guppy populations. Our findings indicate that local adaptation may engender invasion success, particularly in species with life histories that facilitate rapid evolution. Finally, evidence of low gene flow between populations suggests that removal could be an effective approach to control invasive guppies across the Hawaiian archipelago.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2026

EXCHANGE Campaign Degradation (ECD): Understanding Decomposition Dynamics Across Mid-Atlantic and Great Lakes Coastal Ecosystems

The EXploration of Coastal Hydrobiogeochemistry Across a Network of Gradients and Experiments (EXCHANGE) Degradation Experiment (EXCHANGE-D) is an in situ experiment designed to assess organic matter decomposition rates across coastal terrestrial-aquatic interfaces (TAIs), from coastal uplands through transition zones to wetlands. Through a network of partner scientists and coastal sites, we are testing how environmental gradients shape decomposition and carbon dynamics across terrestrial-aquatic interfaces. Using standardized tea bag substrates deployed across a network of diverse coastal sites, we compare decomposition rates at different fresh- and salt-water TAIs to develop transferable knowledge that improves the representation of organic matter degradation in coastal ecosystem models. For more information, please see https://compass.pnnl.gov/FME/EXCHANGE. This is Version 1 of the data package, which includes: ecd_README.pdf flmd.csv dd.csv ecd_soil_weom_L2.csv ecd_soil_ph_conductivity_L2.csv ecd_soil_gwc_L2.csv ecd_soil_teabag_degradation_L2.csv ecd_readme.pdf

coastal soils↗

DOE OSTI2021

Advanced Multi-Tube Mixer Combustion for 65% Efficiency (Final Report)

This project targeted advanced low NOx combustion for advanced gas turbines capable of 65%, or greater, efficiency in combined cycle application. This technology advancement has further potential to benefit gas turbines used in coal based IGCC applications with pre-combustion carbon capture and hydrogen as the resulting fuel. The program developed and synthesized the most advanced combustion system capable of achieving low NOX emissions up to turbine inlet temperatures of 3100F while also supporting the load-following needs of a modern grid. The combustion system contributes to the overall gas turbine efficiency goal by setting the maximum cycle temperature achievable for a given NOX level and by minimizing the through-combustor air flow pressure drop. Focus areas for this project targeted maximizing the turbine inlet temperature entitlement, as constrained by emissions considerations. The design also minimized parasitic air flow pressure drop by using advanced cooling techniques and performance materials selections and by minimizing hot surface area. These two technology objectives (maximum, emissions-compliant cycle temperature and minimum air flow pressure drop) were integrated into a prototype design. The primarily analytical project sought to identify the most promising technologies to meet these objectives. Additional critical “jugular” data were obtained from multi-tube mixer tests to realize the potential of leveraging “micro flames” for minimizing overall hot surface area. This data was used, in conjunction with an understanding of advanced material and cooling design technologies, to analytically develop multiple design concepts. Phase I focused on in-depth engineering analysis and design, with minimal supporting laboratory testing to enable a selection of the top three combustion architectures for achieving these overall objectives. Phase II of the program developed the selected design through a combination of sub-scale testing and analytical efforts. Early tests included a cold-flow cascade to establish aerodynamic performance characteristics and a sub-scale fired test at GE Global Research in Niskayuna, NY, to establish cooling and heat transfer characteristics in conjunction with combustion performance. The data from these tests validated the analytical models to ultimately design a full-scale, test article to evaluate at prototypical pressure and temperature conditions at GE Gas Power’s Gas Turbine Technology Laboratory in Greenville, SC. GE Gas Power also developed, tested, and recommended a suitable seal design to be applied to the unique features of the combustor. To assess the technology challenges from prospective future production of the combustor from a ceramic matrix composite material, screening tests of Environmental Barrier Coatings were completed.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗

DOE OSTI2022

Two bright, optically clear, intrinsic fast-neutron and charged-particle detector materials for neutron imaging and other applications

Two optically clear, bright, scintillating ZnS materials have been identified that, like previous opaque ZnS scintillators, are excellent charged particle detectors. We show that ZnS is a good fast-neutron-to charged-particle converter making optically clear ZnS an intrinsic fast-neutron detector that does not require layering or mixing of converter materials and scintillator materials, and removes the limitations imposed by opaque ZnS scintillator materials used for more than a century. Thermal neutron detection using optically clear 6 LiF or 10 BN and clear ZnS may benefit from improved spatial resolution and light transmission. Properties and tests of clear scintillating ZnS are described. Fast-neutron imaging applications benefit from increased efficiency of these scintillators, minimal scattering in the scintillator, and increased useful detector volume. Charged particle and fast-neutron detectors have numerous applications in nuclear non-proliferation and security, nuclear and particle physics, and non-destructive testing and environmental measurements.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗