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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
DOE OSTI2023

Two-Step Chemical Looping Cycle for Renewable NH 3 Production Based on Non-Catalytic Co 3 Mo 3 N/Co 6 Mo 6 N Reactions

A two-step solar thermochemical looping cycle based on Co 3 Mo 3 N/Co 6 Mo 6 N reduction/nitridation reactions offers a pathway for green NH 3 production that utilizes concentrated solar irradiation, H 2 O, and air as feedstocks. The NH 3 production cycle steps both derive process heat from concentrated solar irradiation and encompass 1) the reduction of Co 3 Mo 3 N in H 2 to Co 6 Mo 6 N and NH 3 ; and 2) nitridation of Co 6 Mo 6 N to Co 3 Mo 3 N with N 2 . Co 3 Mo 3 N reduction/nitridation reactions are examined at different H 2 and/or N 2 partial pressures and temperatures. NH 3 production is quantified in situ using liquid conductivity measurements coupled with mass spectrometry (MS). Solid-state characterization is performed to identify a surface oxygen layer that necessitates the addition of H 2 during cycling to prevent surface oxidation by trace amounts of O 2 . H 2 concentrations of > 5% H 2 /Ar and temperatures >500 °C are required to reduce Co 3 Mo 3 N to Co 6 Mo 6 N and form NH 3 at 1 bar. Complete regeneration of Co 3 Mo 3 N from Co 6 Mo 6 N is achieved at conditions of 700 °C under 25–75% H 2 /N 2 . H 2 pressure-swings are observed to increase NH 3 production during Co 3 Mo 3 N reduction. In conclusion, the results represent the first comprehensive characterization of and definitive non-catalytic production of NH 3 via chemical looping with metal nitrides and provide insights for technology development.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2023

Development and performance evaluation of a novel γ-γ coincidence analysis software

Processing of large amounts of data from a γ-γ coincidence system is a practical challenge in trace-level radionuclide measurements. Given the benefits and growing number of multidimensional gamma spectrometers worldwide, this is a major restriction in wide-spread applicability of coincidence techniques. This study demonstrates a novel γ-γ coincidence analysis software developed at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, USA. The software utilizes advanced search techniques and Python libraries to readily identify coincidence signatures in the large data. Further, using both synthetic and experimental data, the study uncovers various strategies/libraries employed during software’s development. This work aims to provide a reference document in handling large data routinely encountered in trace-level measurements.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2024

Monte–Carlo ray-tracing studies of multiplexed prismatic graphite analyzers for the cold-neutron triple-axis spectrometer at the High Flux Isotope Reactor

A modern cold triple-axis spectrometer to study quantum condensed matter systems is planned for the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Here, we describe the conceptual principles and design of a secondary spectrometer using a multiplexed, prismatic analyzer system relying on graphite crystals and inspired by the successful implementation of the Continuous Angle Multiple Energy Analysis (CAMEA) spectrometers at the Paul Scherrer Institute. This project is currently known as MANTA for Multi-Analyzer Neutron Triple-Axis. Here, we report Monte-Carlo ray-tracing simulations on a simple but realistic sample scattering kernel to further illustrate the prismatic analyzer concept’s workings, calibration, and performance. Then, we introduce a new statistical analysis approach based on the prismatic analyzer concept to improve the number of final energies measured on the spectrometer. We also study possible evolutions in the CAMEA design relevant for MANTA.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2020

Temperature distributions and gradients in laser-heated plasmas relevant to magnetized liner inertial fusion

We present two-dimensional temperature measurements of magnetized and unmagnetized plasma experiments performed at Z relevant to the preheat stage in magnetized liner inertial fusion. The deuterium gas fill was doped with a trace amount of argon for spectroscopy purposes, and time-integrated spatially resolved spectra and narrow-band images were collected in both experiments. The spectrum and image data were included in two separate multiobjective analysis methods to extract the electron temperature spatial distribution T e ( r , z ) . The results indicate that the magnetic field increases T e , the axial extent of the laser heating, and the magnitude of the radial temperature gradients. Comparisons with simulations reveal that the simulations overpredict the extent of the laser heating and underpredict the temperature. Temperature gradient scale lengths extracted from the measurements also permit an assessment of the importance of nonlocal heat transport.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Optimizing Simulation Parameters for Weak Lensing Analyses Involving Non-Gaussian Observables

We performed a series of numerical experiments to quantify the sensitivity of the predictions for weak lensing statistics obtained in ray-tracing dark matter (DM)-only simulations, to two hyper-parameters that influence the accuracy as well as the computational cost of the predictions: the thickness of the lens planes used to build past light cones and the mass resolution of the underlying DM simulation. The statistics considered are the power spectrum (PS) and a series of non-Gaussian observables, including the one-point probability density function, lensing peaks, and Minkowski functionals. Counterintuitively, we find that using thin lens planes (< 60 h {sup −1} Mpc on a 240 h {sup −1} Mpc simulation box) suppresses the PS over a broad range of scales beyond what would be acceptable for a survey comparable to the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST). A mass resolution of 7.2 × 10{sup 11} h {sup −1} M {sub ⊙} per DM particle (or 256{sup 3} particles in a (240 h {sup −1} Mpc){sup 3} box) is sufficient to extract information using the PS and non-Gaussian statistics from weak lensing data at angular scales down to 1′ with LSST-like levels of shape noise.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1981

Have we overlooked the pilot's role in an automated flight deck

Having adopted a philosophy of presenting situation information rather than command type as evidenced in flight directors and of keeping the pilot in a decision-making role, a series of simulation and flight experiments has occurred over a number of years as part of the Langley Terminal Configured Vehicle program. This paper traces the development, refinement, and integration of electronic pictorial displays, and a computer augmented velocity vector control mode. Some benefits and performances derived within the basic philosophy and information usage are brought forth in the discussion as results from the various simulator and flight evaluations are presented.

Steinmetz, G. G.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Infrared observations of circumstellar molecules

A current listing of IR observations of circumstellar molecules is presented. These observations were performed using Fabry-Perot, Fourier transform, and laser heterodyne spectroscopy. The most abundant species were CO, SiO, and HCN, while trace species included NH3, CH4, SiH4, and CS. Among the undetected species were H2, HCl, and CH2.

Betz, Albert↗
NASA NTRS1990

Effects of off-axis radiation on reflective concentrating systems for space power

Off-axis incident radiation, resulting from misalignment of a concentrator relative to incident solar flux, can potentially result in high flux concentrations at positions other than the design focal point. It is suggested that the impact of these concentrations should be considered when choosing materials and thermal control strategies for structures adjacent to the concentrator. A numerical (ray tracing) analysis of the effects of off-axis radiation on the proposed solar concentrator for the Space Station Freedom is performed. The magnitude and position of the reflected flux peaks are identified for a matrix of off-axis angles and target distances. The principles of geometric optics are presented to illustrate that the results of the numerical study are justified, and these results are explained in terms of these basic optical principles. A method that allows prediction of the reflected flux field for a generalized parabolic reflective concentrating system is presented.

Campbell, J. S.↗
NASA NTRS1993

The Halogen Occultation Experiment

The Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE) uses solar occultation to measure vertical profiles of O3, HCl, HF, CH4, H2O, NO, NO2, aerosol extinction, and temperature versus pressure with an instantaneous vertical field of view of 1.6 km at the earth limb. Latitudinal coverage is from 80 deg S to 80 deg N over the course of 1 year and includes extensive observations of the Antarctic region during spring. The altitude range of the measurements extends from about 15 km to about 60-130 km, depending on channel. Experiment operations have been essentially flawless, and all performance criteria either meet or exceed specifications. Internal data consistency checks, comparisons with correlative measurements, and qualitative comparisons with 1985 atmospheric trace molecule spectroscopy (ATMOS) results are in good agreement. Examples of pressure versus latitude cross sections and a global orthographic projection for the September 21 to October 15, 1992, period show the utility of CH4, HF, and H2O as tracers, the occurrence of dehydration in the Antarctic lower stratosphere, the presence of the water vapor hygropause in the tropics, evidence of Antarctic air in the tropics, the influence of Hadley tropical upwelling, and the first global distribution of HCl, HF, and NO throughout the stratosphere. Nitric oxide measurements extend through the lower thermosphere.

Russell, James M., III↗
NASA NTRS1992

Cryogenic limb array etalon spectrometer (CLAES) - Experiment description and initial results

The primary objective of the CLAES experiment is to measure the altitude profiles of temperature and of a series of minor and trace species important to stratospheric ozone layer photochemistry and radiative structure. Ways in which the species to be measured by CLAES are distributed among the broad categories of source, radical, and reservoir species involved in ozone production and loss are illustrated. CLAES requires high spectral resolution and high radiometric sensitivity to isolate and accurately measure weak emissions from trace species such as HCl and NO against intense backgrounds from abundant emitters such as CO2, H2O, and O3. Spectroscopy is performed by tilt scanning one of the four solid etalons between 0 and 23 deg in conjunction with one or more of the nine selectable discrete interference filters.

Roche, Aidan E.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Performance Analysis of Multilevel Parallel Applications on Shared Memory Architectures

In this paper we describe how to apply powerful performance analysis techniques to understand the behavior of multilevel parallel applications. We use the Paraver/OMPItrace performance analysis system for our study. This system consists of two major components: The OMPItrace dynamic instrumentation mechanism, which allows the tracing of processes and threads and the Paraver graphical user interface for inspection and analyses of the generated traces. We describe how to use the system to conduct a detailed comparative study of a benchmark code implemented in five different programming paradigms applicable for shared memory

Jost, Gabriele↗
NASA NTRS2003

Tropospheric Chemistry Studies using Observations from GOME and TOMS

Studies to quantitatively determine trace gas and aerosol amounts from the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME) and the Total Ozone Monitoring Experiment (TOMS) and to perform chemical modeling studies which utilize these results are given. This includes: 1. Analysis of measurements from the GOME and TOMS instruments for troposphere distributions of O3 and HCHO; troposphere enhancements of SO2, NO2 and aerosols associated with major sources; and springtime events of elevated BrO in the lower Arctic troposphere. 2. Application of a global 3-dimensional model of troposphere chemistry to interpret the GOME observations in terms of the factors controlling the abundances of troposphere ozone and OH.

Chance, Kelly↗
NASA NTRS1998

A search for endogenous amino acids in martian meteorite ALH84001

Trace amounts of glycine, serine, and alanine were detected in the carbonate component of the martian meteorite ALH84001 by high-performance liquid chromatography. The detected amino acids were not uniformly distributed in the carbonate component and ranged in concentration from 0.1 to 7 parts per million. Although the detected alanine consists primarily of the L enantiomer, low concentrations (<0.1 parts per million) of endogenous D-alanine may be present in the ALH84001 carbonates. The amino acids present in this sample of ALH84001 appear to be terrestrial in origin and similar to those in Allan Hills ice, although the possibility cannot be ruled out that minute amounts of some amino acids such as D-alanine are preserved in the meteorite.

NASA Discipline Exobiology↗
NASA NTRS2018

Applicability of Neural Networks to Etalon Fringe Filtering in Laser Spectrometers

We present a neural network algorithm for spectroscopic retrievals of concentrations of trace gases. Using synthetic data we demonstrate that a neural network is well suited for filtering etalon fringes and provides superior performance to conventional least squares minimization techniques. This novel method can improve the accuracy of atmospheric retrievals and minimize biases.

diode laser spectroscopy↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The Spacecraft Mass Balance as a Diagnostic Tool for Cabin Air Quality

The spacecraft-level mass balance is a powerful tool for diagnosing and decoupling factors influencing cabin air quality, especially with respect to trace contaminant propagation. Successful implementation of this approach relies upon accurate and temporally relevant air quality measurements, which are often challenging to attain for emerging trace contaminants. In addition to the proper interpretation of air quality data trends, a thorough understanding of subsystem-level mass transfer is required to characterize process performance. For many Environmental Control and Life Support System processes, subsystem mass transfer may be predicted based on physicochemical properties and classic unit operation design approaches. Gaps in understanding of process performance should be supplemented with thorough ground testing. A high confidence in the fidelity of one of these two aspects, air quality data or process performance, may help offset uncertainties in the other. At minimum, thresholding assumptions and numerical methods can be imposed to constrain unknown parameters within the physical envelope of the situation at hand. Finally, the complexity of cabin-wide integrated mass balances may be reduced by implementing a phenomenological approach towards subsystem discretization.

Cabin Air-quality↗
DOE OSTI2025

Quasi-optical beam tracing module development for millimeter-wave high-wavenumber collective scattering on the NSTX-U and EAST tokamaks

A Python3-based beam tracing code utilizing Quasi-Optics has been developed to track both incident and receiving beams in high-k collective millimeter wave scattering systems within magnetic fusion plasmas. In contrast to existing ray tracing codes that solely consider refraction, this beam tracing code incorporates diffraction phenomena, providing a more comprehensive calculation. Here, this enhanced capability allows for a more accurate calculation of the scattering volume and spatial resolution in high-k collective scattering systems, crucial for evaluating system performance and facilitating data analysis. Unlike Geometrical Optics, Quasi-Optics employs the complex eikonal method, representing a Gaussian beam as a collection of coupled rays to accurately preserve diffraction characteristics. The developed code is intended for application in NSTX-Upgrade and EAST high-k beam tracing analyses, targeting frequencies of 693 GHz and 270 GHz, respectively. The high-k system's primary objective is the observation of electron-scale instabilities. Employing a symplectic integrator, the code ensures numerical accuracy, assessed through the conservation of the Hamiltonian. With its precision and efficiency, the code facilitates rapid inter-shot analyses.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Stellar s-process neutron capture cross sections on 78,80,84,86 Kr determined via activation, atom trap trace analysis and decay counting

We present a detailed account of neutron capture experiments of astrophysical relevance on 78,80,84,86 Kr (n, γ) reactions at the border between weak and main s process. The experiments were performed with quasi-Maxwellian neutrons from the Liquid-Lithium Target (LiLiT) and the mA-proton beam at 1.93 MeV (2-3 kW) of the Soreq Applied Research Accelerator Facility (SARAF). The setup yields high-intensity approximate to 40 keV quasi-Maxwellian neutrons (3-5 x10 10 n/s) closely reproducing the conditions of s-process stellar nucleosynthesis. A sample of 100 mg of atmospheric, pre-nuclear-age Kr gas contained in a Ti spherical shell was activated in the LiLiT neutron field. The abundances of long-lived Kr isotopes ( 81,85g Kr) were measured by atom counting via atom trap trace analysis (ATTA) at Argonne National Laboratory and low-level counting (LLC) at University of Bern. This work is the first measurement of a nuclear cross section using atom counting via ATTA. The activities of short-lived Kr isotopes ( 79,85m,87 Kr) were measured by gamma-decay counting with a high-purity germanium detector. Maxwellian-averaged cross sections for s-process thermal energies are extracted. By comparison to reference values, our nucleosynthesis network calculations show that the experimental cross sections have a strong impact on calculated abundances of krypton and neighboring nuclides, in some cases improving agreement between theory and observations.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2020

Characterization of How CO2 Level May Impact Crew Performance Related to the HSIA Risk

Safety and mission critical anomalies are inevitable on NASA exploration missions. Delays and interruptions in communication with Earth-experts drives the requirement that crew resolve these anomalies on their own. The Human Factors and Behavioral Performance (HFBP) element of the NASA Human Research Program (HRP) recently stood-up the Human-System Integration Architecture (HSIA) risk. The specific risk statement is: “Given decreasing real-time ground support for execution of complex operations during future exploration missions, there is a possibility of adverse performance outcomes including that crew are unable to adequately respond to unanticipated critical malfunctions or detect safety critical procedural errors.” Reliable, on-board capabilities will need to support the crew - not only to resolve anomalies, but also to promote situation awareness (SA) and to reduce workload. Unfortunately, the present level of technological advancement limits the range of achievable intelligent support (Wu & Vera, 2019). The Human Capabilities Assessment for Autonomous Missions (HCAAM) projects were devised to identify how technology may benefit crew situation awareness and enhance crew trust in the intelligent systems. A suite of time-critical and complex exploration tasks have been identified (Holden et al., 2019) that may advance human-integration Concept of Operations (ConOps) development. This ConOps (a future HFBP directed task) along with standards and guidelines (Holden et al., 2019) may be used as the foundation for human-system requirements for a self-reliant crew. Spaceflight CO2 levels are elevated relative to terrestrial levels. Above 2.5 mmHg there is an increase in the incidence of crew headaches (Law et al., 2014) and Mission Control reports of mood and performance changes in the crew. The concern is that elevated CO2 effects may exacerbate the HSIA risk. Unfortunately, effects of higher concentrations of CO2 on performance decrements are not well established. The main goal of the current report is to identify how elevated CO2 impacts the HSIA risk. The approach taken is to trace the relationship between cognitive and motor abilities required for anomaly response with critical mission tasks and the level of technological advancement to support anomaly resolution to identify how elevated CO2 may impact the HSIA risk. The conclusion is that elevated CO2 could exacerbate the HSIA risk. Several research gaps are identified.

cognition↗