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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 613 records · Page 34
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

Time-stepping DPG formulations for the heat equation

For a wide range of PDEs, the discontinuous Petrov–Galerkin (DPG) methodology of Demkowicz and Gopalakrishnan provides discrete stability starting from a coarse mesh and minimization of the residual in a user-controlled norm, among other appealing features. Research on DPG for transient problems has mainly focused on spacetime discretizations, which has theoretical advantages, but practical costs for computations and software implementations. The sole examination of time-stepping DPG formulations was performed by Führer, Heuer, and Gupta, who applied Rothe’s method to an ultraweak formulation of the heat equation to develop an implicit time-stepping scheme; their work emphasized theoretical results, including error estimates in time and space. Here, we follow Führer, Heuer, and Gupta in examining the heat equation; our focus is on numerical experiments, examining the stability and accuracy of several formulations, including primal as well as ultraweak, and explicit as well as implicit and Crank–Nicolson time-stepping schemes. We are additionally interested in communication-avoiding algorithms, and we therefore include a highly experimental formulation that places all the trace terms on the right-hand side of the equation.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2026

Meta-analysis of North American Arctic and boreal aboveground biomass datasets: assessing accuracy, dynamics, and similarities

The North American arctic and boreal regions (ABRs) are rapidly warming and experiencing intensifying disturbances. Accurately quantifying aboveground biomass (AGB) is critical for understanding the impacts of these changes on the carbon cycle and for designing climate change mitigation strategies. Several AGB maps have been developed for the North American ABRs, including recent contributions from National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Arctic-Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE) campaign. However, these maps differ widely in training data, methodology, and resulting AGB density estimates. Presently, a comprehensive comparative evaluation is lacking, making it difficult for users to select datasets suited to their research or management needs. Here, in this study, we conducted a comparative analysis of nine AGB density datasets across North American ABRs, specifically for Alaska and Canada. We (1) summarized AGB by ecoregion and Canadian provinces, (2) evaluated their accuracy against field-based measurements, (3) analyzed spatial and temporal similarities among datasets, and (4) assessed their ability to capture disturbance (fire and harvest) impacts on AGB. We found substantial variation in regional and local AGB estimates across datasets, with overall accuracy ranging from R 2 = 0.25–0.62 and Bias% from −47.8% to 69.9% when validated against field plots. Despite these differences, most datasets have comparatively consistent spatial patterns in AGB (r > 0.8 for most cases). In contrast, agreement on the temporal patterns of AGB change is generally low. We found datasets with spatial resolutions ⩽300 m are capable of capturing disturbance impacts on AGB dynamics, though sensitivity varies across products. Our findings and dataset summary provide guidance for selecting appropriate AGB datasets for different applications within our study area. Our analysis also highlights the need to decrease map bias and increase capability to detect temporal change to decrease uncertainty of AGB datasets potentially by using training data which is representative of major plant functional types within the mapped area.

ABoVE↗
DOE OSTI2024

MLClouds [SWR-24-24]

The National Solar Radiation Database (NSRDB) is NREL’s flagship solar data resource. With over 20 years of high-resolution surface irradiance data covering most of the western hemisphere, the NSRDB is a crucial public data asset. A fundamental input to accurate surface irradiance in the NSRDB is high quality cloud property data. Cloud properties are used in radiative transfer calculations and are sourced from satellite imagery. Improving the accuracy of cloud property inputs is a tractable method for improving the accuracy of the irradiance data in the NSRDB. For example, in July of 2018, an average location in the Continental United States is missing cloud property data for nearly one quarter of all daylight cloudy timesteps. This project aims to improve the cloud data inputs to the NSRDB by using machine learning techniques to exploit the NSRDB’s massive data resources. More accurate cloud property input data will yield more accurate surface irradiance data in the NSRDB, providing direct benefit to researchers at NREL and to public data users everywhere.

Buster, Grant↗
DOE OSTI2021

RPI LINAC refurbishment and upgrade project

The Electron Linear Accelerator at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) was constructed in the late 1950s and started operation in 1961 [1]. The facility was designed and used primarily for measurements of Nuclear Data (ND) with emphasis on the resonance energy region. As such it was designed to produce short pulses of neutrons (5-5000 ns) and equipped with detection stations at different neutron flight path distances from the source (15 m-250 m). When the LINAC started operation it was one of the most powerful accelerators in the world for high energy-resolution measurements in the resonance region. The original LINAC with some upgrades is still in operation but no longer provides world class capabilities for measurements with short pulses. In 2011 discussions between the RPI ND group, Naval Reactors, and the Nuclear Criticality Safety Program about the future of the LINAC concluded that maintaining the capability to perform world-class nuclear data measurements at RPI was desirable. To that end, it was decided to refurbish the facility and upgrade the accelerator capabilities to enable high accuracy measurement in the resonance region with narrow neutron pulse and high electron beam power. Located at a major US technical university, this project provides a needed US nuclear data capability for both research and education, and also includes external users and industrial applications.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Experiments to validate Thermodynamics and Transport models of Strongly Coupled Dusty Plasma Matter (Final Technical Report for DE-SC0023416)

The goal of this two-year grant is to provide access to the PI to dusty plasma experimental facilities at the DOE-funded Collaborative Research Facility Magnetized Plasma Research Laboratory, Auburn University to become a user of that facility, to obtain experimental data to support another ongoing grant DE-SC0021146 (an Early Career Award to the PI that is focused on modeling of dusty plasma thermodynamics and transport processes), to generate experimental data for funding proposals, and to provide exposure to University of Memphis students to advanced experimental techniques. The following technical accomplishments were made: 1. Development of a novel Bidirectional Electrode Control Arms Assembly (BECAA) for producing perfect 2D grain layers for complex plasma experimentation. BECAA uses movable electrode arms to tilt or move the electrode in a RF discharge from outside the chamber, allowing for the manipulation of grain clouds without needing to change the plasma parameters or gas pressure. This work addresses a longstanding gap in the literature for a method to produce clusters of selectable number of grains and that are perfectly two dimensional as opposed to being only quasi-2D. 2. Experimental investigation of the structural properties of finite-N clusters with N=2 to 50. Individual particle behavior in clusters could vary from grain to grain and this study measured systematically produced clusters for two different grain sizes. Analysis (funded by another grant DE-SC0021146) is currently underway to quantify the differences between grains that are found on the surface vs. the interior of clusters, the shell structure, and the decay of correlations in position, velocity, and kinetic energy. 3. An experimental method to measure the structural entropy of clusters was developed by observing the self-induced structural transitions between various possible arrangements. In a series of heating and cooling cycles, the number of times each possible arrangement was attained was experimentally observed and used to compute the probability of existence of that arrangement, and subsequently the configurational entropy of the cluster. Analysis (funded by another grant DE-SC0021146) is currently underway to produce the entropy of clusters as a function of the number of grains and use the same to compute thermodynamic state variables for 2D complex plasma/grain clusters. 4. A preliminary experimental study of multibody collisions between N grains (N=2 – 10) was conducted. The clusters were produced using the BECAA technique and velocities were imparted to the grains using manipulation laser pulses. Analysis (funded by another grant DE-SC0021146) is currently underway to develop a theoretical framework to describe multibody collisions analogous to classical two-body interactions.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

CoURAGE KAZR b1 Processing: Corrections, Calibrations, and Processing Report

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) User Facility supports atmospheric and earth system research through a comprehensive network of fixed and mobile observatories. These facilities provide long-term and intensive campaign-based observations of clouds, aerosols, precipitation, radiation, and meteorological state variables. ARM observations are designed to improve the physical understanding and numerical representation of atmospheric processes in earth system models, with particular emphasis on cloud-radiation interactions and precipitation processes. The Coast-Urban-Rural Atmospheric Gradient Experiment (CoURAGE) deploys one of the ARM Mobile Facilities (AMF) to the Mid-Atlantic region surrounding Baltimore, Maryland, for the period 1 December 2024 through 30 November 2025. This deployment focuses on characterizing atmospheric structure, cloud properties, and precipitation processes across strong land-use and surface heterogeneity gradients associated with urban, rural, and coastal (Chesapeake Bay) environments. The CoURAGE deployment complements the Baltimore Social-Environmental Collaborative (BSEC), a DOE Urban Integrated Field Laboratory (UIFL), by providing high-quality atmospheric observations needed to connect urban surface processes, emissions, and meteorology to cloud and precipitation responses. In addition to the central urban site, ancillary observing sites were deployed to rural Maryland northwest of Baltimore and to an island site in Chesapeake Bay. These measurements further complement a long-term atmospheric observatory operated in Beltsville, Maryland, by Howard University in collaboration with the Maryland Department of the Environment. Together, these assets form a four-node regional atmospheric observatory network representing Baltimore and its three primary surrounding environments—urban, rural, and coastal/bay. This coordinated observational strategy enables investigation of spatial gradients in boundary-layer structure, cloud occurrence, precipitation evolution, and aerosol-cloud interactions across complex surface regimes. Within this network, vertically pointing cloud radars play a critical role by providing continuous, high-resolution measurements of cloud and precipitation vertical structure.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Robust High-Throughput Phenotyping with Deep Segmentation Enabled by a Web-Based Annotator

The abilities of plant biologists and breeders to characterize the genetic basis of physiological traits are limited by their abilities to obtain quantitative data representing precise details of trait variation, and particularly to collect this data at a high-throughput scale with low cost. Although deep learning methods have demonstrated unprecedented potential to automate plant phenotyping, these methods commonly rely on large training sets that can be time-consuming to generate. Intelligent algorithms have therefore been proposed to enhance the productivity of these annotations and reduce human efforts. We propose a high-throughput phenotyping system which features a Graphical User Interface (GUI) and a novel interactive segmentation algorithm: Semantic-Guided Interactive Object Segmentation (SGIOS). By providing a user-friendly interface and intelligent assistance with annotation, this system offers potential to streamline and accelerate the generation of training sets, reducing the effort required by the user. Our evaluation shows that our proposed SGIOS model requires fewer user inputs compared to the state-of-art models for interactive segmentation. As a case study of the use of the GUI applied for genetic discovery in plants, we present an example of results from a preliminary genome-wide association study (GWAS) of in planta regeneration in Populus trichocarpa (poplar). We further demonstrate that the inclusion of a semantic prior map with SGIOS can accelerate the training process for future GWAS, using a sample of a dataset extracted from a poplar GWAS of in vitro regeneration. The capabilities of our phenotyping system surpass those of unassisted humans to rapidly and precisely phenotype our traits of interest. The scalability of this system enables large-scale phenomic screens that would otherwise be time-prohibitive, thereby providing increased power for GWAS, mutant screens, and other studies relying on large sample sizes to characterize the genetic basis of trait variation. Our user-friendly system can be used by researchers lacking a computational background, thus helping to democratize the use of deep segmentation as a tool for plant phenotyping.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2026

PVDeg: Enhancing Usability and AI-Driven Multi-Mechanism Degradation Modeling

PVDeg version 0.7.0, released in December 2025, introduced major enhancements to improve usability and performance. This update reorganized tutorials and tool notebooks to create a more intuitive experience, enabling users to easily follow and adapt workflows for their specific analyses. In addition to structural improvements, both the notebooks and core logic underwent significant optimization for efficiency, robustness, and style. These refinements were supported by new testing frameworks built on nbval and pytest, adherence to PEP8 standards, and extensive code refactoring, which collectively simplify onboarding for new developers. Looking ahead, version 0.8.0 will deliver advanced AI-driven capabilities. The primary focus is to further develop and automate the degradation workflow, designed to analyze PV module degradation across diverse locations and system configurations. By integrating large language models (LLMs) to scan literature and compile a comprehensive database of materials and degradation rates, this feature will enable modeling of multiple materials and mechanisms within a single, streamlined workflow. Users will be able to evaluate degradation impacts on different system architectures under varying environmental conditions, facilitating informed decisions on bill-of-materials optimization for specific deployment scenarios. These advancements position PVDeg as a powerful, user-friendly tool for accelerating PV reliability research and system design.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

WHONDRS-GUI: a web application for global survey of surface water metabolites

Background The Worldwide Hydrobiogeochemistry Observation Network for Dynamic River Systems (WHONDRS) is a consortium that aims to understand complex hydrologic, biogeochemical, and microbial connections within river corridors experiencing perturbations such as dam operations, floods, and droughts. For one ongoing WHONDRS sampling campaign, surface water metabolite and microbiome samples are collected through a global survey to generate knowledge across diverse river corridors. Metabolomics analysis and a suite of geochemical analyses have been performed for collected samples through the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL). The obtained knowledge and data package inform mechanistic and data-driven models to enhance predictions of outcomes of hydrologic perturbations and watershed function, one of the most critical components in model-data integration. To support efforts of the multi-domain integration and make the ever-growing data package more accessible for researchers across the world, a Shiny/R Graphical User Interface (GUI) called WHONDRS-GUI was created. Results The web application can be run on any modern web browser without any programming or operational system requirements, thus providing an open, well-structured, discoverable dataset for WHONDRS. Together with a context-aware dynamic user interface, the WHONDRS-GUI has functionality for searching, compiling, integrating, visualizing and exporting different data types that can easily be used by the community. The web application and data package are available at https://data.ess-dive.lbl.gov/view/doi:10.15485/1484811 , which enables users to simultaneously obtain access to the data and code and to subsequently run the web app locally. The WHONDRS-GUI is also available for online use at Shiny Server ( https://xmlin.shinyapps.io/whondrs/ ).

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1970

Automatic cartography techniques for earth resources research

Progress in developing instrumentation and software for the EROS user facilities is reported. Significant progress has been made in developing the USGS binary-mode scanning digitizer which is described in detail. Other instrumentation and processes discussed include profile-generating techniques, a manual digitizer, image correlation systems, and some new photomechanical data processing techniques.

Edson, D. T.↗
NASA NTRS1980

The role of World Data Centers and the Lunar and Planetary Institute in the international exchange of lunar and planetary data

The success of many lunar and planetary investigations has resulted in the accumulation of a mass of data in a myriad of formats and medias. The application of these data to comparative planetology, origin of the solar system, and potential industrial applications of space has made it necessary for scientists from many disciplines to have access to the data. The collections of these data are so diverse that it is often difficult to select what is needed based on catalog information alone. The Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) proposes to bring the user and the data together. As a research support organization operated by the Universities Space Research Association, the LPI through its active Visiting Scientist Program, a balanced program of study workshops and topical conferences, and organized and supervised data collections has assisted scientists, educators, and students to review, study, and obtain the data necessary to the pursuit of their research.

Waranius, F. B.↗
NASA NTRS1981

A case history of technology transfer

A sequence of events, occurring over the last 25 years, are described that chronicle the evolution of ion-bombardment electric propulsion technology. Emphasis is placed on the latter phases of this evolution, where special efforts were made to pave the way toward the use of this technology in operational space flight systems. These efforts consisted of a planned program to focus the technology toward its end applications and an organized process that was followed to transfer the technology from the research-technology NASA Center to the user-development NASA Center and its industry team. Major milestones in this evolution, which are described, include the development of thruster technology across a large size range, the successful completion of two space electric rocket tests, SERT I and SERT II, development of power-processing technology for electric propulsion, completion of a program to make the technology ready for flight system development, and finally the technology transfer events.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1984

NASA Pilot Land Data System

Project development and planning for a Pilot Land Data System (PLDS) are discussed. The PLDS supplies basic information, data management, and data processing capabilities to the land research community. Topics on design and implementation, user requirements, and project management are examined. The scenarios developed thusfar are also included.

Estes, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1985

RATFOR user's guide version 2.0

This document is a user's guide for RATFOR at Ames Research Center. The main part of the document is a general description of RATFOR, and the appendix is devoted to a machine specific implementation for the Cray X-MP. The general stylistic features of RATFOR are discussed, including the block structure, keywords, source code, format, and the notion of tokens. There is a section on the basic control structures (IF-ELSE, ELSE IF, WHILE, FOR, DO, REPEAT-UNTIL, BREAK, NEXT), and there is a section on the statements that extend FORTRAN's capabilities (DEFINE, MACRO, INCLUDE, STRING). THE appendix discusses everything needed to compile and run a basic job, the preprocessor options, the supported character sets, the generated listings, fatal errors, and program limitations and the differences from standard FORTRAN.

Helmle, L. C.↗
NASA NTRS1986

The TIMS investigator's guide

The Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner (TIMS) is a NASA aircraft scanner providing six-channel spectral capability in the thermal infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Operating in the thermal infrared atmospheric window region (8 to 12 microns) with a sensitivity of approximately 0.1 C, TIMS may be used whenever an accurate measurement of spectral radiance or brightness temperature is needed. The purpose of the TIMS Investigator's Guide is to provide in one location, enough information about TIMS that potential investigators can decide whether or not it would provide measurements useful in their research program and to provide a new user of TIMS data sufficient information to begin analysis.

Palluconi, Frank D.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Transonic CFD applications at Boeing

The use of computational methods for three dimensional transonic flow design and analysis at the Boeing Company is presented. A range of computational tools consisting of production tools for every day use by project engineers, expert user tools for special applications by computational researchers, and an emerging tool which may see considerable use in the near future are described. These methods include full potential and Euler solvers, some coupled to three dimensional boundary layer analysis methods, for transonic flow analysis about nacelle, wing-body, wing-body-strut-nacelle, and complete aircraft configurations. As the examples presented show, such a toolbox of codes is necessary for the variety of applications typical of an industrial environment. Such a toolbox of codes makes possible aerodynamic advances not previously achievable in a timely manner, if at all.

Tinoco, E. N.↗
NASA NTRS1989

A center for commercial development of space: Real-time satellite mapping. Remote sensing-based agricultural information expert system

The research project results in a powerful yet user friendly CROPCAST expert system for use by a client to determine the crop yield production of a certain crop field. The study is based on the facts that heuristic assessment and decision making in agriculture are significant and dominate much of agribusiness. Transfer of the expert knowledge concerning remote sensing based crop yield production into a specific expert system is the key program in this study. A knowledge base consisting of a root frame, CROP-YIELD-FORECAST, and four subframes, namely, SATELLITE, PLANT-PHYSIOLOGY, GROUND, and MODEL were developed to accommodate the production rules obtained from the domain expert. The expert system shell Personal Consultant Plus version 4.0. was used for this purpose. An external geographic program was integrated to the system. This project is the first part of a completely built expert system. The study reveals that much effort was given to the development of the rules. Such effort is inevitable if workable, efficient, and accurate rules are desired. Furthermore, abundant help statements and graphics were included. Internal and external display routines add to the visual capability of the system. The work results in a useful tool for the client for making decisions on crop yield production.

Hadipriono, Fabian C.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Future experimental needs to support applied aerodynamics - A transonic perspective

Advancements in facilities, test techniques, and instrumentation are needed to provide data required for the development of advanced aircraft and to verify computational methods. An industry survey of major users of wind tunnel facilities at Langley Research Center (LaRC) was recently carried out to determine future facility requirements, test techniques, and instrumentation requirements; results from this survey are reflected in this paper. In addition, areas related to transonic testing at LaRC which are either currently being developed or are recognized as needing improvements are discussed.

Gloss, Blair B.↗