Current Results From Acceptance Testing of LCLS-II Cryomodules at Jefferson Lab
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- AFRC’s Overview Statement - AFRC is NASA's primary center for high-risk, atmospheric flight research and ground testing on modified or unique research vehicles and test articles - AFRC’s L&D Facility - Flight Loads Lab (FLL): High-bay test area with flight line access for large-scale structural & thermal testing of aerospace structures for component and airframe qualification/airworthiness & research - AFRC’s L&D Expertise - Mainly supports projects in the Aeronautics Research Mission - Aeroelasticity, Model Tuning, FEM & Flutter Analysis Airworthiness Clearance support - Modal Testing, Mass Property Testing & Flight Testing
As a result of the accident at Fukushima, the United States has made a concerted effort to develop fuel with enhanced accident tolerance for the current fleet of reactors. In 2012 Congress laid out a schedule for the development of accident tolerant fuel (ATF), the goal of which is to test in a commercial reactor by 2022. Idaho National Lab's (INL) Transient Reactor Test Facility (TREAT) is one of the locations that will be performing ATF testing and is scheduled for restart in 2018. TREAT was built to subject fuel to conditions ranging from mild transients to severe reactor accidents. However, typically a number of pre-test calibrations are required before evaluation of fuel can begin, which is costly and time consuming. Advanced modeling techniques and current computational capacity make full core TREAT simulations possible, with the goal of such simulations to understand the pre-test core and minimize the number of required calibrations. But, in order to simulate TREAT with a high degree of precision the reactor materials and geometry must also be modeled with a high degree of precision. This paper examines how uncertainty in the reported values of boron and graphite have an effect on simulations of TREAT.
The objective of this DOE-funded project by the Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. (EPRI), Hamilton Maurer International (HMI) and Sotacarbo S.p.A. (Sotacarbo), is to qualify coal, biomass, and plastic waste blends based on performance testing of selected pellet recipes in a pilot-scale updraft moving-bed gasifier. The testing will provide relevant data to advance the commercial-scale design of the moving-bed gasifier to be able to successfully use these feedstocks to produce hydrogen. In particular, the effects of the waste plastics on feedstock development (i.e., blending and pelletizing) and the resulting products (i.e., syngas compositions, organic condensate production, and ash characteristics) are a focus. The gasifier is Hamilton Mauer International, Inc. (HMI)’s moving-bed gasifier, which has been proven capable of gasifying nearly all coal ranks. It has also shown the ability in prior testing work to gasify wood chips. However, mixtures of these fuels with plastic wastes have not been prepared and gasified together. The feedstocks will be prepared by California Pellet Mill (CPM) under contract to HMI. The technical tasks and current status for this two-year research project are: Feed Procurement and Preparation: Nine different feedstocks were prepared from varying compositions of PRB coal, corn stover biomass, and car fluff waste plastics. Fuel pellets were produced by California Pellet Mill and shipped to Sotacarbo’s test facility in Italy. Test Plan Development: A test plan was created to define the test runs to be performed. The test plan detailed the different tests that were run, instrumentation used, extractive samples taken, and relevant figures of merit. Gasifier Testing: Tests are currently being performed in the pilot-scale gasifier at Sotacarbo using nine different fuel feedstocks generated from varying mixtures of coal, biomass, and plastic wastes. The testing will provide information on gasification reaction efficiency/performance, yielding relevant data for models used to scale up the gasifier design. This task will also include work to reassemble the gasifier at Sotacarbo and perform a baseline 100% coal run. Data Analysis and Reporting: Review of the data, determination of figures of merit, and interpretation of the results to be reported. The results will be used to specify the range of feedstock blends that can be successfully gasified as well as quantify gasifier outputs based on specific blends. This paper will be summarize the pelletizing procedure that insures the viability of the tri-fuel pellets for the gasification runs that are being performed at Sotacarbo’s 30mm up draft moving bed gasifier. Initial gasification tests have been conducted, and all the lab scale tri-fuel pellet gasification runs will be completed by the fall of 2022. Performance data will enable modeling of a full-scale HMI industrial scale gasifier supporting both CHP and Hydrogen production.
A dual-purpose underground thermal battery (DPUTB) was proposed for Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings. It integrates underground thermal energy storage with a shallow-buried ground heat exchanger (less than 6 m deep). The charging and discharging performance of a lab-scale DPUTB were experimentally investigated. The test results show that the lab-scale (1:125 in volume) DPUTB can provide 34 W cooling continuously for 3.7 h with a supply water temperature below 14°C. The water temperature rise of the inner tank was slowed down during the discharging process due to the phase change of the phase change material (PCM). Thermal storage capacity was increased by 156% using the PCM that only occupied 19% volume of the inner tank. The heat lost from the inner tank was recovered in the outer tank and led to the efficiency improvement of a ground source heat pump.
The behavior of part-through flaws with regard to failure under monotonic loading and their growth under fatigue loading was studied experimentally and analytically. Comparisons are made of experimental values of toughness obtained using surface and corner cracked specimens with those obtained using standard test specimens, and also experimental growth cycles were compared with numerical predictions using the NASA/FLAGRO computer program. Tests were conducted on various types of surface and corner cracks under tensile and bending loads. Room temperature lab air provided the test environment. The material used in this study was the Ti-6Al-4V alloy in the solution treated and aged (STA) and stress relieved condition. Detailed tabulation of the fracture toughness data and results of life prediction using the NASA/FLAGRO program are presented. Fatigue crack growth rates for the part-through cracked specimens are compared with a base curve fitted from the data obtained using standard specimens. The fatigue loading used in the crack growth testing was constant-amplitude sinusoidal type.
The Terrestrial Planet Finder, Planet Detection Test-bed is a lab based simulation of the optics and control systems for the Terrestrial Planet Finder Interferometer mission. The test-bed supports starlight nulling at 10um infrared wavelengths, with fringe tracking at 2um wavelengths and angle and shear tracking at visible wavelengths. It further allows injection of simulated planet light in the presence of the nulled star light, to allow testing of planet detection methods. We will describe the detailed construction and operation of the test-bed from an optical and control system perspective. We will also report the latest results for narrow band nulls, and the detection of broad band planet light in the presence of nulled starlight.
Increasing operating temperatures of solar receivers is paramount to the efficiency of concentrated solar thermal (CST) and solar power (CSP) systems. Successful development of CST systems to generate heat for industrial applications requires significant increase in temperature capability and techno-economically viability of the receiver systems. Supported by an award from the Solar Technology Office (SETO), US Department of Energy (DOE), GE Aerospace Research in collaboration with Heliogen Holdings Inc and Sandia National Lab, is engaged in the development of ultra-High Operating Temperature SiC-matrix Solar Thermal Air Receiver (HOTSSTAR) enabled by additive manufacturing. The program objective is to demonstrate SiC receiver with air exit temperatures up to 1100 oC and high thermal efficiencies. We report design, fabrication and on-sun test results of SiC components of a prototype 50kW (thermal) HOTSSTAR module. The receiver module architecture is based on a radial airflow design and consists of a series of radial SiC receiver sectors organized around a SiC center absorber. The SiC components are fabricated using binder-jet printed SiC followed by melt-infiltration reaction bonding process. To enhance the reliability and to minimize the risk of cracking damage of SiC test articles in thermal gradient and thermal shock environment of the application, the components were laminated with GE’s MI SiC-SiC CMC. Following extensive design and lab test analyses, selected SiC component designs are tested at Heliogen Lancaster Solar field under highly concentrated solar fluxes around 2000 suns to assess the thermal performance characteristics under realistic field conditions. We report on the test results and compare the thermal performances of different HOTSSTAR SiC absorbers. Finally, we discuss fabrication and initial assembly of a 50kW prototype test module in preparation of on-sun field tests to assess the performance of our final design.
Brief History of NTP: Project Rover Began in 1950s by Los Alamos Scientific Labs (now Los Alamos National Labs) and ran until 1970s Tested a series of nuclear reactor engines of varying size at Nevada Test Site (now Nevada National Security Site) Ranged in scale from 111 kN (25 klbf) to 1.1 MN (250 klbf) Included Nuclear Furnace-1 tests Demonstrated the viability and capability of a nuclear rocket engine test program One of Kennedys 4 goals during famous moon speech to Congress Nuclear Engines for Rocket Vehicle Applications (NERVA) Atomic Energy Commission and NASA joint venture started in 1964 Parallel effort to Project Rover was focused on technology demonstration Tested XE engine, a 245-kN (55-klbf) engine to demonstrate startup shutdown sequencing. Hot-hydrogen stream is passed directly through fuel elements potential for radioactive material to be eroded into gaseous fuel flow as identified in previous programs NERVA and Project Rover (1950s-70s) were able to test in open atmosphere similar to conventional rocket engine test stands today Nuclear Furance-1 tests employed a full scrubber system Increased government and environmental regulations prohibit the modern testing in open atmosphere. Since the 1960s, there has been an increasing cessation on open air testing of nuclear material Political and national security concerns further compound the regulatory environment
It has been about six years since any cryogenic seal tests were run at NASA GRC (Glenn Research Center). The Cryogenic Components Lab, where the cryogenic seal test rigs are located, has been shutdown due to the impending expansion of the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. The current plan is to move the Cryogenic Components Lab (CCL), Cells I and 2 to NASA Plumbrook in Sandusky, Ohio. The purpose of this presentation is to inform the seal community of the cryogenic seal test rig capabilities available at NASA GRC for planning of future programs.
The SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory is building LCLS-II, a new 4 GeV CW superconducting (SCRF) Linac as a major upgrade of the existing LCLS. The LCLS-II Low-Level Radio Frequency (LLRF) collaboration is a multi-lab effort within the Department of Energy (DOE) accelerator complex. The necessity of high longitudinal beam stability of LCLS-II imposes tight amplitude and phase stability requirements on the LLRF system (up to 0.01% in amplitude and 0.01° in phase RMS). This is the first time such requirements are expected of superconducting cavities operating in continuous-wave (CW) mode. Initial measurements on the Cryomodule test stands at partner labs have shown that the early production units are able to meet the extrapolated hardware requirements to achieve such levels of performance. A large effort is currently underway for system integration, Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System (EPICS) controls, transfer of knowledge from the partner labs to SLAC and the production and testing of 76 racks of LLRF equipment.
Jefferson National Lab plans an upgrade project to reach 22 GeV high polarization electron beam by using Fixed Field Alternating-gradient (FFA) magnets. The utilization of the FFA magnets for 10-22 GeV beam energy range is unexampled, therefore those magnets need an experimental validation before their full installation to form an arc in the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF). For this reason, JLAB is also considering the design of an FFA magnet test bench, i.e. a half or full FFA cell, that would be deployed in the current CEBAF in order to serve as the highest energy demonstration for the FFA field uniformity, permanent magnet resiliency with the beam as well as enabling beam optics measurements with the 5-11 GeV range highly polarized beams which closely resembles the full energy range of the 22 GeV upgrade. In this report, we present the status of the planned beamline for the FFA beam transport test at CEBAF.
The US High Performance Research Reactor Project has begun a new phase of fuel testing and post irradiation examination (PIE) of plate-type low-enriched uranium (LEU) U-10Mo Monolithic fuel. The testing campaigns are intended to first confirm that the fuel performance behavior of commercially produced fuel matches that of the lab-scale fabricated fuel tested during development, followed by qualification of the U-10Mo monolithic fuel system through the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Planned tests include miniature-plate, full-size plate, and fuel element irradiations, during which fuel test specimens fabricated with qualified processes will be irradiated under conditions that bound the NRC-regulated reactors in order to demonstrate that the fuel meets the overarching fuel performance requirements of 1) maintaining mechanical integrity 2) maintaining geometric stability and 3) exhibiting stable and predictable behavior. The MP-1 test, with the objective of confirming fuel performance behavior, is currently undergoing irradiation in the Advanced Test Reactor and PIE in INL hot cells. Status of upcoming qualification and licensing test design activities and highlights of initial as-fabricated characterization and testing results from the MP-1 test will be provided.
Two flash lidars, integrated from a number of cutting-edge components from industry and NASA, are lab characterized and flight tested for determination of maximum operational range under the Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology (ALHAT) project (in its fourth development and field test cycle) which is seeking to develop a guidance, navigation, and control (GN&C) and sensing system based on lidar technology capable of enabling safe, precise crewed or robotic landings in challenging terrain on planetary bodies under any ambient lighting conditions. The flash lidars incorporate pioneering 3-D imaging cameras based on Indium-Gallium-Arsenide Avalanche Photo Diode (InGaAs APD) and novel micro-electronic technology for a 128 x 128 pixel array operating at 30 Hz, high pulse-energy 1.06 micrometer Nd:YAG lasers, and high performance transmitter and receiver fixed and zoom optics. The two flash lidars are characterized on the NASA-Langley Research Center (LaRC) Sensor Test Range, integrated with other portions of the ALHAT GN&C system from partner organizations into an instrument pod at NASA-JPL, integrated onto an Erickson Aircrane Helicopter at NASA-Dryden, and flight tested at the Edwards AFB Rogers dry lakebed over a field of human-made geometric hazards during the summer of 2010. Results show that the maximum operational range goal of 1 km is met and exceeded up to a value of 1.2 km. In addition, calibrated 3-D images of several hazards are acquired in real-time for later reconstruction into Digital Elevation Maps (DEM's).
For this assignment, a newer technique of fracture mechanics using a phase field approach, will be examined and compared with experimental data for a bend test and a tension test. The software being used is Sierra Solid Mechanics, an implicit/explicit finite element code developed at Sandia National Labs in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The bend test experimental data was also obtained at Sandia Labs while the tension test data was found in a report online from Purdue University.
Discussion of key electrostatic issues that have arisen during the past few years at KSC that the Electrostatics Laboratory has studied. The lab has studied in depth the Space Shuttle's Thermal Control System Blankets, the International Space Station Thermal Blanket, the Pan/Tilt Camera Blankets, the Kapton Purge Barrier Curtain, the Aclar Purge Barrier Curtain, the Thrust Vector Controller Blankets, the Tyvek Reaction Control System covers, the AID-PAK and FLU-9 pyro inflatable devices, the Velostat Solid Rocket Booster mats, and the SCAPE suits. In many cases these materials are insulating meaning that they might be a source of unsafe levels of electrostatic discharge (ESD). For each, the lab provided in-depth testing of each material within its current configuration to ensure that it does not cause an ESD concern that may violate the safety of the astronauts, the workers and equipment for NASA. For example the lab provides unique solutions and testing such as Spark Incendivity Testing that checks whether a material is capable of generating a spark strong enough to ignite a flammable gas. The lab makes recommendations to changes in specifications, procedures, and material if necessary. The lab also consults with a variety of non-safety related ESD issues for the agency.
NASA spacecraft design requirements for occupant protection are a combination of the Brinkley Dynamic Response Criteria and injury assessment reference values (IARV) extracted from anthropomorphic test devices (ATD). For the ATD IARVs, the requirements specify the use of the 5th percentile female Hybrid III and the 95th percentile male Hybrid III. Each of these ATDs is required to be fitted with an articulating pelvis (also known as the aerospace pelvis) and a straight spine. The articulating pelvis is necessary for the ATD to fit into spacecraft seats, while the straight spine is required as injury metrics for vertical accelerations are better defined for this configuration. Sled testing of the Hybrid III 5th Percentile Female Anthropomorphic Test Device (ATD) was performed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WAPFB). Two 5th Percentile ATDs were tested, the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) and NASA owned Hybrid III ATDs with aerospace pelvises. Testing was also conducted with a NASA-owned 95th Percentile Male Hybrid III with aerospace pelvis at WPAFB. Testing was performed using an Orion seat prototype provided by Johnson Space Center (JSC). A 5-point harness comprised of 2 inch webbing was also provided by JSC. For suited runs, a small and extra-large Advanced Crew Escape System (ACES) suit and helmet were also provided by JSC. Impact vectors were combined frontal/spinal and rear/lateral. Some pure spinal and rear axis testing was also performed for model validation. Peak accelerations ranged between 15 and 20-g. This range was targeted because the ATD responses fell close to the IARV defined in the Human-Systems Integration Requirements (HSIR) document. Rise times varied between 70 and 110 ms to assess differences in ATD responses and model correlation for different impact energies. The purpose of the test series was to evaluate the Hybrid III ATD models in Orion-specific landing orientations both with and without a spacesuit. The results of these tests were used by the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) to validate the finite element model (FEM) of the Hybrid III 5th Percentile Female ATD. Physical test data was compared to analytical predictions from simulations, and modelling uncertainty factors have been determined for each injury metric. Additionally, the test data has been used to further improve the FEM, particularly in the areas of the ATD preload, harness, and suit and helmet effects.
The Goddard Space Flight Center's new thermal vacuum data acquisition system is a networked client-sever application that enables lab operations crews to monitor all tests from a central location. The GSFC thermal vacuum lab consists of eleven chambers in Building 7 and one chamber in Building 10. The new data system was implemented for several reasons. These included the need for centralized data collection, more flexible and easier to use operator interface, greater data accessibility, a reduction in testing time and cost, and increased payload and personnel safety. Additionally, a new data system was needed for year-2000 compliance. This paper discusses the incorporation of the Thermal Vacuum Data System (TVDS) within the thermal vacuum lab at GSFC, its features and capabilities and lessons learned in its implementation. Additional topics include off-center (Internet) capability for remote monitoring and the role of TVDS in the efforts to automate thermal vacuum chamber operations.