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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 631 records · Page 35
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1992

Use of injectable promethazine to decrease symptom scores of Space Motion Sickness

Space motion sickness (SMS) has been a problem affecting approximately 74 percent of first time shuttle flyers. Promethazine injections have been used for 29 cases of SMS to decrease the severity of their illness. Although reported to be effective in reducing symptoms in 27 of the 29 cases, there has been no proof of its efficacy. Methods: Retrospective analysis of medical debriefs examining the symptom scores for nausea, vomiting, decreased appetite, and stomach awareness were performed. Each symptom is rated on a mild = 1, moderate = 2, severe = 3 system for each flight day. Crewmember scores for the first three flight days on an initial flight in which injectable promethazine had not been used were compared to scores in a later flight in which the promethazine was utilized. Scores were also compared in a similar group of crewmembers who did not use promethazine. Results: There was a decrease in median scores for all symptoms except nausea, however, it was significant (p = 0.14) only for the vomiting scores. This significant decrease was not seen in the control group. Conclusions: Injectable promethazine has been associated with a significant decrease in vomiting compared to earlier flights in which injectable promethazine was not used.

Beck, B. G.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Recent Efforts to Improve the Near Real Time Forest Disturbance Monitoring Capabilities of the ForWarn System

This presentation discusses the development of anew method for computing NDVI temporal composites from near real time eMODIS data This research is being conducted to improve forest change products used in the ForWarn system for monitoring regional forest disturbances in the United States. ForWarn provides nation-wide NDVI-based forest disturbance detection products that are refreshed every 8 days. Current eMODIS and historical MOD13 24 day NDVI data are used to compute the disturbance detection products. The eMODIS 24 day NDVI data re-aggregated from 7 day NDVI products. The 24 day eMODIS NDVIs are generally cloud free, but do not necessarily use the freshest quality data. To shorten the disturbance detection time, a method has been developed that performs adaptive length/maximum value compositing of eMODIS NDVI, along with cloud and shadow "noise" mitigation. Tests indicate that this method can reduce detection rates by 8-16 days for known recent disturbance events, depending on the cloud frequencies and disturbance type. The noise mitigation in these tests, though imperfect, helped to improve quality of the resulting NDVI and forest change products.

Spruce, Joseph↗
DOE OSTI2015

Patterns of Recurrence After Low-Dose-Rate Prostate Brachytherapy: A Population-Based Study of 2223 Consecutive Low- and Intermediate-Risk Patients

Objectives: This study examined patterns of recurrence after low–dose-rate prostate brachytherapy (LDR-PB), estimated local recurrence rate and compared that rate to the estimated local recurrence rate after radical prostatectomy (RP). Methods and Materials: A prospective database was maintained with clinical, dosimetric, and outcome data for all LDR-PB implantation procedures performed at our institution. From 1998 to 2008, 2223 patients with prostate cancer received LDR-PB without supplemental external beam radiation therapy. Patients who developed Phoenix-defined biochemical failure were reviewed for sites of relapse and investigations completed. Results: At a median follow-up of 5 years, 108 of 2223 patients (4.8%) developed biochemical relapse. In 1 additional patient, local relapse was found on transurethral prostate resection, but his prostate-specific antigen concentration was well short of triggering Phoenix-defined failure. Of the 109 patients with disease relapse, 18 of 2223 (0.8%) had a proven local recurrence, and 30 of 2223 (1.3%) had a proven distant recurrence. The remaining 61 of 2223 patients (2.7%) had unidentified sites of recurrence; of these, 57 patients (93%) had digital rectal examinations (DREs), 18 (30%) had post-treatment biopsies, 45 (74%) had bone scans, and 34 (56%) had computed tomography imaging of the abdomen and pelvis. If every biochemical failure were local, the local recurrence rate would be as high as 4.9%; however, by excluding those with proven distant failure and those with both a negative DRE and biopsy, we estimate that the local recurrence rate is 2.7% or less. Conclusions: In the context of limitations of the study design, our population-based analysis indicates that the local recurrence rate after LDR-PB is as low or lower than that after RP in our jurisdiction.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
NASA NTRS2024

SUPIN: A Tool for the Aerodynamic Design and Analysis of Supersonic Inlets

The Supersonic Inlet Design and Analysis Tool (SUPIN) is a computational program that performs geometric modeling and aerodynamic design and analysis of a set of supersonic inlets whose types include the axisymmetric pitot, three-dimensional pitot, axisymmetric, two-dimensional, two-dimensional bifurcated-duct, and streamline-traced inlets. The inlets are modeled by dividing the inlet flowpath into components that start at the freestream and ends at the engine face. The primary components of the inlet include the external supersonic diffuser, throat section, and subsonic diffuser. Each component is characterized by a set of inputs that include geometric and aerodynamic factors. Examples of the geometric factors are angles, lengths, area ratios, and coordinates that describe the geometry of the components. Examples of the aerodynamic factors are Mach numbers, flow ratios, and pressure ratios that set constraints or desired aerodynamic properties of the component. These input factors are specified within a text-based input data file that is read into SUPIN. SUPIN is a Fortran 95 program that performs the inlet design and analysis as a batch or non-interactive process. SUPIN writes output data files describing the inlet geometry and aerodynamic performance. SUPIN uses analytic, empirical, and numerical methods to perform the inlet design and analysis. The inlet geometry is constructed using planar and three-dimensional geometry constructs and is represented by coordinates, angles, areas, profiles, and surfaces. Surfaces are output in the form of a Plot3D surface grid file. SUPIN does have some capability to automatically generate planar and three-dimensional, multi-block, structured grids for computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis. The aerodynamic analysis performed by SUPIN computes quasi-one-dimensional properties, such as Mach numbers, pressures, and temperatures, through the inlet flowpath. Planar aerodynamic properties, such as those for shock and Mach waves, are computed for the supersonic compression of the external supersonic diffuser and throat section. The inlet performance is characterized by the inlet flow rates, total pressure recovery, and inlet drag. The primary intent of this document is to describe the usage of SUPIN. The methods used within SUPIN are documented and may serve as a useful reference for understanding the aerodynamic design and analysis of supersonic inlets.

supersonic inlets↗
DOE OSTI2018

High-Temperature Electrochemical Performance of FeF{sub 3}/C Nanocomposite as a Cathode Material for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Iron trifluoride has been studied as a cathode material due to its cost-effectiveness, low toxicity, and high theoretical capacities of 712 mA h g{sup −1}. However, FeF{sub 3} has serious shortcomings of poor electronic conductivity and a slow diffusion rate of lithium ions, leading to a lower reversible specific capacity. In this work, FeF{sub 3}/C nanocomposite has been synthesized successfully via a high-energy ball-milling method, and acetylene black is used as the conductive agent to improve the conductivity of FeF{sub 3}. The FeF{sub 3}/C nanocomposite shows a high initial discharge capacity of 346.25 and 161.58 mA h g{sup −1} after 40th cycle at 50 mA g{sup −1}. It exhibits good cycle performance and rate performance. The high-temperature discharge capacities decreased with increase in the temperature. The initial high-temperature discharge capacities are found to be 254.17, 300.01, 281.25 and 125.16, and 216.875, 156, 141.67, 150, and 64.98 mA h g{sup −1} at 20th cycles at the 40, 50, 60, and 70 °C, respectively.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS1976

A method for generating numerical pilot opinion ratings using the optimal pilot model

A method for generating numerical pilot opinion ratings using the optimal pilot model is introduced. The method is contained in a rating hypothesis which states that the numerical rating which a human pilot assigns to a specific vehicle and task can be directly related to the numerical value of the index of performance resulting from the optimal pilot modeling procedure as applied to that vehicle and task. The hypothesis is tested using the data from four piloted simulations. The results indicate that the hypothesis is reasonable, but that the predictive capability of the method is a strong function of the accuracy of the pilot model itself. This accuracy is, in turn, dependent upon the parameters which define the optimal modeling problem. A procedure for specifying the parameters for the optimal pilot model in the absence of experimental data is suggested.

Hess, R. A.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Investigation of Gas Turbine Internal Cooling Using Supercritical CO 2 —Effect of Surface Roughness and Channel Aspect Ratio

In this paper, an experimental and numerical investigation of internal cooling channels with rib turbulators is presented with sCO 2 as the working fluid at process conditions (pressure-20.7 MPa and temperature up to 150 °C). The effect of channel aspect ratio up to 2:1 on thermal-hydraulic performance is explored in additively manufactured rectangular channels and square channels, both with and without 60 deg ribs on the top and bottom sides. The Wilson-plot method is employed to experimentally measure channel-averaged Nusselt number over a Reynolds number range up to 370,000. The friction factor is calculated from pressure drop and mass flow rate and additionally, the overall thermal performance factor (TPF) is reported. A companion computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation is performed for the rib turbulated cooling configurations reported in the experiments using the Reynolds average Navier–Stokes-based turbulence model. The objective of the numerical study is to gain insight into the local heat transfer augmentation in the ribbed channels as a result of varying the aspect ratio, channel configuration (square versus rectangular), operating conditions (Reynolds number) and the surface roughness, an inherent outcome of the additive manufacturing process. Surface roughness is simulated using sand grain roughness height (K S ) calculated from the experimental data, and a comparison is presented with the corresponding channel configuration with varying surface roughness heights starting from smooth surfaces (K S = 0). Experimental results indicate that the heat transfer augmentation is negligible in the rectangular channels with ribs on the long side compared to the square channel. However, it is enhanced by 60% in comparison to placing ribs on the shorter side. The TPF remains constant at around 1 for the entire range of Reynolds numbers consistent with prior work at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL). Here, the simulation results highlight that increased surface roughness can have a favorable considerable influence on Nusselt number and overall thermal performance enhancement.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2019

Optimizing Long-term Monitoring of Radiation Air Dose Rates - 19169

Radiation air dose rates near the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) have been steadily decreasing over the past seven years since the accident in March 2011. After seven years, the radiation monitoring program is expected to transition from short-term emergency responses to long-term monitoring. The objectives of long-term monitoring are often different from early emergency responses, since extensive data accumulation has led to an understanding of contaminant distributions and mobility. The main long-term monitoring objectives are (1) to confirm system stability and the continuing reduction of contaminant and hazard levels, (2) to provide assurance for the public, (3) to accumulate the basic datasets for scientific knowledge and future preparation, and (4) to detect changes or anomalies in contaminant mobility (if they occur), or any unexpected processes or events. In this work, we have developed a methodology for optimizing the sampling locations of radiation air dose-rate monitoring. Three steps are taken in order to determine sampling locations in a systematic manner: (1) prioritizing the critical locations, such as schools or regulatory requirement locations, (2) diversifying locations across the key environmental controls that are known to influence contaminant mobility and distributions, and (3) capturing the heterogeneity of radiation air dose rates across the domain. In the second step, we use a Gaussian mixture model to identify the representative locations in multiple environmental variables, such as elevation and land-cover types. In the third step, we use a Gaussian process model to capture and estimate the heterogeneity of air dose rates across the domain. We use the integrated dose-rate map from the Bayesian geostatistical method as the reference map and distribute the sampling in such a way as to capture the heterogeneity of the reference map. Although we assume hypothetical sets of measurement locations to evaluate the performance of the methodology and algorithms, we have demonstrated this approach using real, spatially extensive datasets, including the integrated air-dose-rate map of 2016. Our results have shown that this approach allows us to add sampling locations in a systematic manner. Increasing the number of sampling locations can better capture the heterogeneity of dose rates, although the estimation error does not decrease further after a certain number of samples. We have also found that when there are restrictions such as pre-existing monitoring locations or the ones along roads, the spatial estimation becomes poor even with the same number of monitoring locations. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2015

Engineering the mechanical properties of ultrabarrier films grown by atomic layer deposition for the encapsulation of printed electronics

Direct deposition of barrier films by atomic layer deposition (ALD) onto printed electronics presents a promising method for packaging devices. Films made by ALD have been shown to possess desired ultrabarrier properties, but face challenges when directly grown onto surfaces with varying composition and topography. Challenges include differing nucleation and growth rates across the surface, stress concentrations from topography and coefficient of thermal expansion mismatch, elastic constant mismatch, and particle contamination that may impact the performance of the ALD barrier. In such cases, a polymer smoothing layer may be needed to coat the surface prior to ALD barrier film deposition. We present the impact of architecture on the performance of aluminum oxide (Al{sub 2}O{sub 3})/hafnium oxide (HfO{sub 2}) ALD nanolaminate barrier films deposited on fluorinated polymer layer using an optical calcium (Ca) test under damp heat. It is found that with increasing polymer thickness, the barrier films with residual tensile stress are prone to cracking resulting in rapid failure of the Ca sensor at 50 °C/85% relative humidity. Inserting a SiN{sub x} layer with residual compressive stress between the polymer and ALD layers is found to prevent cracking over a range of polymer thicknesses with more than 95% of the Ca sensor remaining after 500 h of testing. These results suggest that controlling mechanical properties and film architecture play an important role in the performance of direct deposited ALD barriers.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1974

A stiffness derivative finite element technique for determination of crack tip stress intensity factors

A finite element technique for determination of elastic crack tip stress intensity factors is presented. The method, based on the energy release rate, requires no special crack tip elements. Further, the solution for only a single crack length is required, and the crack is 'advanced' by moving nodal points rather than by removing nodal tractions at the crack tip and performing a second analysis. The promising straightforward extension of the method to general three-dimensional crack configurations is presented and contrasted with the practical impossibility of conventional energy methods.

Parks, D. M.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Evaluating Methods for Measuring Grid Frequency in Low-Inertia Power Systems: Preprint

Accurate measurement of grid frequency is a critical component of reliable grid control. Traditionally, methods such as phase locked loops (PLLs) and discrete Fourier transforms (DFTs) have been used in inverters and phasor measurement units (PMUs) to measure frequency. However, as the percentage of inverter-based resources (IBRs) such as solar and wind has increased, these conventional frequency measurement methods are proving unable to guarantee reliable control in some cases. One challenge is measuring frequency during transient events, where there is a disruption in the steady state sinusoidal voltage. During these events, the underlying frequency of the grid may barely change, but measurement methods report a large spike in frequency due to the disrupted waveform. New methods must balance between suppressing spikes in frequency during faults, and providing fast, accurate, measurements in all other grid operation conditions, especially during events with high rate-of-change-of frequency (ROCOF), which are more prevalent in high-IBR power systems. This paper first surveys frequency measurement methods that have been proposed to reduce measurement errors during transient events. Then, both conventional and more novel frequency measurement methods are tested against an IEEE standard and industry recommendations, and their performance is evaluated for events simulated in PSCAD. Results quantify the trade-offs in performance during different grid conditions and lead to suggestions for the most appropriate frequency and ROCOF measurement methods for low inertia grids.

frequency↗
DOE OSTI2021

A measured energy use, solar production, and building air leakage dataset for a zero energy commercial building

This paper provides an open dataset of measured energy use, solar energy production, and building air leakage data from a 328 m 2 (3,531 ft 2 ) all-electric, zero energy commercial building in Virginia, USA. Over two years of energy use data were collected at 1-hour intervals using circuit-level energy monitors. Over six years of solar energy production data were measured at 1-hour resolution by 56 microinverters (presented as daily and monthly data in this dataset). The building air leakage data was measured post-construction per ASTM-E779 Standard Test Method for Determining Air Leakage Rate by Fan Pressurization and the United States Army Corps (USACE) Building Enclosure Testing procedure; both pressurization and depressurization results are provided. The architectural and engineering (AE) documents are provided to aid researchers and practitioners in reliable modeling of building performance. The paper describes the data collection methods, cleaning, and convergence with weather data. This dataset can be employed to predict, benchmark, and calibrate operational outcomes in zero energy commercial buildings.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Modeling of Cavity Residence Time via Modeled Lagrangian Particle Tracking

One of the critical components in a scramjet is the cavity flame holder. In evaluating the sizing of this component, the residence time of the fuel in the cavity is a common parameter used. However, to obtain the residence time via CFD is an expensive undertaking. One method is to perform an LES simulation of the cavity and use Lagrangian particle tracking to obtain both the mean and probability density function of the time that the particles remain in the cavity. While this method affords a significant amount of information, it is very costly in CPU run time. A simpler method involves performing a time accurate RANS simulation of the cavity, and when converged, overlay a traceable scalar in the cavity region, and then record the decay of this scalar’s flux at a downstream location. The time scale of the decay rate can then be estimated and a residence time inferred. This method is less computationally expensive than the LES approach, but still requires a time-accurate solution while only providing a mean cavity residence time evaluation. In this paper a method of determining the mean cavity residence time as well as the Probability Density Function (PDF) of the residence time is proposed and demonstrated. This method is based on Lagrangian particle tracking modeled by the Generalized Langevin Equation and is implemented as a post-processing step for a steady RANS solution. Computational cost is on the order of minutes and the results are in agreement with values obtained by the LES and scalar decay methods.

Langevin↗
DOE OSTI2018

Energy levels, lifetimes and radiative rates for transitions in the bromine isoelectronic sequence La XXIII-Dy XXXII, W XL

Using the multiconfiguration Dirac–Fock method, calculations for the lowest 62 levels of the ([Ar] 3d{sup 10})4s{sup 2}4p{sup 5}, ([Ar] 3d{sup 10})4s{sup 2}4p{sup 3}4d{sup 2}, ([Ar] 3d{sup 10})4s{sup 2}4p{sup 4}4d, ([Ar] 3d{sup 10})4s4p{sup 6}, and ([Ar] 3d{sup 10})4s4p{sup 5}4d configurations are performed for the bromine isoelectronic sequence La XXIII-Dy XXXII, W XL. Results of energy levels, lifetimes, wavelengths, and electric dipole, magnetic dipole, electric quadrupole, and magnetic quadrupole radiative rates are presented. In order to assess the accuracy of results, independent calculations for W XL have been carried out using the many-body perturbation theory (MBPT) method. Comparisons are made with available theoretical results from other calculations and the observed values of the Atomic Spectra Database of the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Energy levels are estimated to be accurate to better than 1%, and radiative rates (and lifetimes) are accurate to better than 20% for a majority of strong transitions. These results should be useful in many applications of lanthanide ions related to broad area of research such as applied physics, laser physics and fusion science.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Prediction of liver remnant regeneration after living donor liver transplantation using preoperative CT texture analysis

Purpose: To predict the rate of liver regeneration after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) using pre-operative computed tomography (CT) texture analysis. Materials and methods: 112 living donors who performed right hepatectomy for LDLT were included retrospectively. We measured the volume of future remnant liver (FLR) on pre-operative CT and the volume of remnant liver (LR) on follow-up CT, taken at a median of 123 days after transplantation. The regeneration index (RI) was calculated using the following equation: [(V{sub LR}−V{sub FLR})/V{sub FLR}] × 100. Computerized texture analysis of the semi-automatically segmented FLR was performed. We used a stepwise, multivariable linear regression to assess associations of clinical features and texture parameters in relation to RI and to make the best-fit predictive model. Results: The mean RI was 110.7 ± 37.8%, highly variable ranging from 22.4% to 247.0%. Among texture parameters, volume of FLR, standard deviation, variance, and gray level co-occurrence matrices (GLCM) contrast were found to have significant correlations between RI. In multivariable analysis, smaller volume of FLR (ß − 0.17, 95% CI − 0.22 to − 0.13) and lower GLCM contrast (ß − 1.87, 95% CI − 3.64 to − 0.10) were associated with higher RI. The regression equation predicting RI was following: RI = 203.82 + 10.42 × pre-operative serum total bilirubin (mg/dL) − 0.17 × V{sub FLR} (cm{sup 3}) − 1.87 × GLCM contrast (× 100). Conclusion: Volume of FLR and GLCM contrast were independent predictors of RI, showing significant negative correlations. Pre-operative CT with texture analysis can be useful for predicting the rate of liver regeneration in living donor of liver transplantation.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Simulations and Experimental Verifications of an Algorithm for Radiation Source Mapping and Navigational Path Generation

Accurate and efficient mapping and localization of both ionizing and non-ionizing radiation sources are important across many different fields. As such, a versatile mapping and navigational path generation algorithm, which can be applied to any point source measurements that follow an inverse-square characteristic, was developed using non-linear least squares methods. Forty thousand simulations were performed on the algorithm, which located sources successfully in a 10 m × 10 m × 10 m three-dimensional space with a success rate of over 80% across different noise functions, given a proportional constant of 10 to 1,000. The algorithm was also verified experimentally with small-scale radioactive decontamination of a 70 cm × 70 cm surface and localization of a lost Wi-Fi router in a 70 m × 70 m open field. One hundred twenty-one measurements were taken from each experiment, which were then fed into the algorithm for navigation. For the radioactive 137Cs source, the estimated locations were within 7 cm × 7 cm of the answer in 79.3% of the scenarios, while the Wi-Fi router was located to within 7 m × 7 m in 57.9% of the tests. In general, the method requires much less information and data than a geographically comprehensive survey and thus shows a lot of potential for practical applications, such as lost source retrieval with unmanned aerial vehicles, small-scale decontamination, mapping undocumented Wi-Fi routers or radio towers, and radiation simulation with radio signals. Here, the different failure modes, desirable features, and potential improvements were also identified but remain as future work.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2018

Comparison of One- and Two-Variable Linear Regression Models and Classic Energy Intensity for Energy Performance Tracking of Two Manufacturing Sectors

We report manufacturing facilities consumed about 32% of total domestic energy in the United States in 2016. To evaluate the energy savings achieved through the implementation of energy conservation projects and to establish powerful arguments for future projects, accurate energy performance tracking methods are necessary. The classic energy intensity method (i.e., the ratio of annual total energy over annual total production) is the means most widely used to measure savings because it can be understood and calculated easily. This method considers the variation in production rates to some extent; however, it fundamentally assumes facilities' base energy consumption (energy consumption at zero production) to be zero, which rarely holds true. Furthermore, this method does not consider variations in other relevant parameters, such as weather conditions. Therefore, the regression models approach is commonly recommended to track energy performance improvements. However, because it requires more data and statistical expertise, the regression models approach has been adopted by only a few facilities, and many others suspect it is not worth the effort for their specific cases. For this reason, the improved accuracy this approach offers needs to be demonstrated. By analyzing 477 monthly energy (electricity and natural gas) data sets, this study quantitatively compared the accuracy of classic energy intensity, one-variable (production only) linear regression models, and two-variable (i.e., production and weather) linear regression models for two manufacturing sectors (primary metal and transportation equipment manufacturing). Results showed that significant improvements in accuracy were achieved with one-variable regression models when compared with the classic energy intensity method and with two-variable regression models when compared with one-variable regression models. These improvements were demonstrated using the p values of intercept, cooling degree days, and heating degree days. Based on these results, to achieve a good balance between accuracy improvements and resources requirements, one-variable (production only) linear regression models for electricity consumption and two-variable (production and heating degree days) linear regression models for natural gas consumption are recommended for both sectors in the case of limited resources. Lastly, facilities can also use the results to decide which approaches fit better in their cases.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗