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At least 649 records · Page 36

Extended Operation of Stirling Convertors at NASA Glenn Research Center

Glenn Research Center (GRC) is supporting life and reliability database for free-piston Stirilng conversion via extended convertor operation Ongoing convertor operation: 18 convertors (4 TDCs from Infinia, 14 ASCs from Sunpower). 350,000 total convertor hours of operation. 218,000 on Infinia units and 132,000 on Sunpower units. Demonstrating steady convertor performance requires precise maintenance of operating conditions. Sources of disruption : Investigative tests: Varying operating frequency, hot-end temp, cold-end temp. Hot end control method: Constant heat input mode requires more user-adjustment than constant temperature mode. Long-term transients in hot end insulation were observed. Support facility: Open-bath circulator fluid concentration drifting. Nuisance shutdowns (instrumentation failure, EMI, power outages). Ambient temperature fluctuations due to room HVAC.

Oriti, Salvatore↗

Waveband Integrated Bioaerosol Sensor (WIBS4) for MARCUS Field Campaign Report

The Waveband Integrated Bioaerosol Sensor Mk. 4 (WIBS4) of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) was operated as part of the Measurements of Aerosols, Radiation, and Clouds over the Southern Ocean (MARCUS) field campaign from November 2017 to March 2018. WIBS4 was integrated in the U.S. Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility second ARM Mobile Facility (AMF2), which was installed on the RSV Aurora Australis Australian Antarctic supply vessel during MARCUS. The aim of this campaign was to characterize the Southern Ocean boundary layer coarse-mode aerosol in terms of the fraction of biological or biogenic compounds. This work was done in close collaboration with Greg McFarquhar from the University of Oklahoma, the principal investigator (PI) for MARCUS, as well as Paul DeMott from Colorado State University, who concurrently sampled particle filters for off-line analysis of the ice nucleating particle concentrations. During four voyages of the vessel between Hobart, Tasmania and the Australian Antarctic stations Davies, Casey, and Mawson, as well as Macquarie Island, fluorescent biological aerosol particles (FBAP) were monitored by the WIBS4 in the size range from 0.5 to 10 μm. A FBAP is defined by its fluorescent behavior that gives simultaneous signals in the F1 (λexcitation=280nm, λemission=310- 400nm) and F3 (λexcitation=370nm, λemission=420-650nm) channels of the WIBS4 (Toprak and Schnaiter, 2013).

MARCUS field campaign, aerosols, Southern Ocean, A↗

In Situ Experimental Capabilities and Results from the X-ray Powder Diffraction Beamline

The world-leading intensity and brightness of the NSLS-II at Brookhaven National Laboratory offers unique opportunities for studying materials for nuclear energy systems under prototypical operating conditions, i.e, in situ. Probing the microstructural evolution in situ is essential to understand both the fundamental material dynamics and to develop physically relent predictive material performance models for operation in the extreme environments of nuclear reactors. This presentation describes the unique opportunities for in situ experiments at the X-ray Powder Diffraction beamline (XPD) that are planned to be accessed through The Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF). Examples of recent in situ experiments at XPD are given for three different materials systems including; field assisted sintering of UO{sub 2}; phase evolution in high Ni-Cr alloys, and the corrosion of Zircaloy.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

A Survey of Flight Crew Experience with FANS-1 ATC Datalink

A survey was used to collect data from Boeing 747-400 pilots who fly with three international carriers about their operational experience using FANS-1 CPDLC (controller-pilot datalink communication) for oceanic communication with air traffic control (ATC). The survey provides data characterizing the operators' experiences performing all routine datalink communication tasks, with the goal of determining how well the FANS-1 CPDLC system supports task performance, the problems flight crews experience when using the system, and the possible operational consequences of those problems. Survey questions were developed from an analysis of activities performed by pilots when using FANS-1 CPDLC. Seven routine tasks were identified: (1) preflight initialization; (2) ATC facility logon; (3) monitoring ATC facility handoffs; (4) monitoring integrity of FANS- 1 CPDLC connection; (5) responding to ATC communications; (6) sending ATC requests; and (7) sending ATC position reports. A decomposition of each task described its information requirements, task timing requirements, user interface actions, company procedures and documentation, and the available cues and feedback provided by the interface. This analysis was used to determine where the system might provide poor support for task performance, and survey questions were developed to determine whether operator experience reflected problems in these areas.

Smith, Nancy↗

Operational improvements of long-term predicted ephemerides of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRSs)

Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) orbit determination and prediction are supported by the Flight Dynamics Facility (FDF) of the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Flight Dynamics Division (FDD). TDRS System (TDRSS)-user satellites require predicted TDRS ephemerides that are up to 10 weeks in length. Previously, long-term ephemerides generated by the FDF included predictions from the White Sands Complex (WSC), which plans and executes TDRS maneuvers. TDRSs typically have monthly stationkeeping maneuvers, and predicted postmaneuver state vectors are received from WSC up to a month in advance. This paper presents the results of an analysis performed in the FDF to investigate more accurate and economical long-term ephemerides for the TDRSs. As a result of this analysis, two new methods for generating long-term TDRS ephemeris predictions have been implemented by the FDF. The Center-of-Box (COB) method models a TDRS as fixed at the center of its stationkeeping box. Using this method, long-term ephemeris updates are made semiannually instead of weekly. The impulse method is used to model more maneuvers. The impulse method yields better short-term accuracy than the COB method, especially for larger stationkeeping boxes. The accuracy of the impulse method depends primarily on the accuracy of maneuver date forecasting.

Kostoff, J. L.↗

Comparing the Predicted Neutron Yields and Radioactivities of Two Accelerators in Taiwan: 235-MeV Proton Cyclotron and 3-GeV Electron Synchrotron - Paper 27

Two major accelerator facilities in Taiwan are about to open. The first proton treatment center equipped with a 235 MeV proton cyclotron and four gantry rooms in Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital is currently under beam commissioning and clinical trials are expected to start soon. In addition, the second light source facility, named Taiwan Photon Source (TPS), in National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center is now approaching its final assembly and will be ready for beam commissioning in this year. These two facilities mark significant milestones in accelerator development and application of Taiwan. Operation of these accelerators could potentially produce intense secondary neutrons and serious material activation. Both issues are crucial and must be carefully evaluated for the purpose of radiation safety, especially in a densely populated hospital or in a crowded user experimental floor. Monte Carlo simulations with evaluated cross sections or benchmarked nuclear models are considered as the most reliable method for accelerator shielding designs or related analyses. This study predicted and compared the magnitudes of potential neutron production and induced radioactivity due to the operation of these two accelerators. For conservative consideration, the primary particle energy and full beam output were assumed to hit a thick target for maximum radiation production. In order to ensure the quality of predictions, much effort has been devoted to associated benchmark calculations, targeting those bombardment experiments involving with the same particle types and similar beam energies and targets. (authors)

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

A Vision for Coupling Operation of US Fusion Facilities with HPC Systems and the Implications for Workflows and Data Management

The operation of large US Department of Energy (DOE) research facilities, like the DIII-D National Fusion Facility, results in the collection of complex multi-dimensional scientific datasets, both experimental and model-generated. In the future, it is envisioned that integrated data analysis coupled with large-scale high performance computing (HPC) simulations will be used to improve experimental planning and operation. Practically, massive data sets from these simulations provide the physics basis for generation of both reduced semi-analytic and machine-learning-based models. Storage of both HPC simulation datasets (generated from US DOE leadership computing facilities) and experimental datasets presents significant challenges. In this paper, we present a vision for a DOE-wide data management workflow that integrates US DOE fusion facilities with leadership computing facilities. Data persistence and long-term availability beyond the length of allocated projects is essential, particularly for verification and recalibration of artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) models. Because these data sets are often generated and shared among hundreds of users across multiple leadership computing facility centers, they would benefit from cross-platform accessibility, persistent identifiers (e.g. DOI, or digital object identifier), and provenance tracking. Here, the ability to handle different data access patterns suggests that a combination of low cost, high latency (e.g. for storing ML training sets) and high cost, low latency systems (e.g. for real-time, integrated machine control feedback) may be needed.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

A Global Survey of Deep Underground Facilities; Examples of Geotechnical and Engineering Capabilities, Achievements, Challenges (Mines, Shafts, Tunnels, Boreholes, Sites and Underground Facilities for Nuclear Waste and Physics R&D): A Guide to Interactive Global Map Layers, Table Database, References and Notes

These associated tables, references, notes, and report present a synthesis of some notable geotechnical and engineering information used to create four interactive layer maps for selected: 1) deep mines and shafts; 2) existing, considered or planned radioactive waste management deep underground studies or disposal facilities 3) deep large diameter boreholes, and 4) physics underground laboratories and facilities from around the world. These data are intended to facilitate user access to basic information and references regarding “deep underground” facilities, history, activities, and plans. In general, the interactive maps and database provide each facility’s approximate site location, geology, and engineered features (e.g.: access, geometry, depth, diameter, year of operations, groundwater, lithology, host unit name and age, basin; operator, management organization, geographic data, nearby cultural features, other). Although the survey is not comprehensive, it is representative of many of the significant existing and historical underground facilities discussed in the literature addressing radioactive waste management and deep mined geologic disposal safety systems. The global survey is intended to support and to inform: 1) interested parties and decision makers; 2) radioactive waste disposal and siting option evaluations, and 3) safety case development applicable to any mined geologic disposal facility as a demonstration of historical and current engineering and geotechnical capabilities available for use in deep underground facility siting, planning, construction, operations and monitoring.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Global Survey of Selected Deep Underground Facilities; Examples of Geotechnical and Engineering Capabilities, Achievements, Challenges(Mines, Shafts, Tunnels, Boreholes, Sites and Underground Facilities for Nuclear Waste and Physics R&D):A Guide

This report presents tables, references, notes, and a synthesis of some notable geotechnical and engineering information that were applied in the creation of five interactive layer maps [http://gis.inl.gov/globalsites/ will redirect to 2018 update, http://gis.inl.gov/GlobalSurvey/] for selected: 1) deep mines and shafts; 2) existing, considered or planned radioactive waste management deep underground studies or disposal facilities 3) deep large diameter boreholes, 4) physics underground laboratories and facilities, and 5) deep open pit mines from around the world. These data are intended to facilitate user access to basic information and references regarding “deep underground” facilities, history, activities, and plans. In general, the interactive maps and database provide each facility’s approximate site location, geology, and engineered features (e.g.: access, geometry, depth, diameter, year of operations, groundwater, lithology, host unit name and age, basin; operator, management organization, geographic data, nearby cultural features, other). Although the survey is not all encompassing, it is a comprehensive review of many of the significant existing and historical underground facilities discussed in the literature addressing radioactive waste management and deep mined geologic disposal safety systems. The interactive map suite allows for a better appreciation of site area geographic and cultural settings. The global survey is intended to be used as a communication tool to support and inform: 1) interested parties and decision makers; 2) radioactive waste disposal and siting option evaluations, and 3) safety case development applicable to any mined geologic disposal facility as a demonstration (examples) of historical and current engineering and geotechnical capabilities available for use in deep underground facility siting, planning, construction, operations and monitoring.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Workstations take over conceptual design

Workstations provide sufficient computing memory and speed for early evaluations of aircraft design alternatives to identify those worthy of further study. It is recommended that the programming of such machines permit integrated calculations of the configuration and performance analysis of new concepts, along with the capability of changing up to 100 variables at a time and swiftly viewing the results. Computations can be augmented through links to mainframes and supercomputers. Programming, particularly debugging operations, are enhanced by the capability of working with one program line at a time and having available on-screen error indices. Workstation networks permit on-line communication among users and with persons and computers outside the facility. Application of the capabilities is illustrated through a description of NASA-Ames design efforts for an oblique wing for a jet performed on a MicroVAX network.

Kidwell, George H.↗

Upgrades to Electronic Speckle Interferometer (ESPI) Operation and Data Analysis at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

The authors report operational upgrades and streamlined data analysis of a commissioned electronic speckle interferometer (ESPI) in a permanent in-house facility at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Our ESPI was commercially purchased for use by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) development team. We have quantified and reduced systematic error sources, improved the software operability with a user-friendly graphic interface, developed an instrument simulator, streamlined data analysis for long-duration testing, and implemented a turn-key approach to speckle interferometry. We also summarize results from a test of the JWST support structure (previously published), and present new results from several pieces of test hardware at various environmental conditions.

Connelly, Joseph↗

Virtual Energetic Particle Observatory (VEPO)

The Virtual Energetic Particle Observatory (VEPO) focuses on improved discovery, access, and usability of heliospheric energetic particle and ancillary data products from selected spacecraft and sub-orbital instruments of the heliophysics data environment. The energy range of interest extends over the full range of particle acceleration from keV energies of suprathermal seed particles to GeV energies of galactic cosmic ray particles. Present spatial coverage is for operational and legacy spacecraft operating from the inner to the outer heliosphere, e.g. from measurements by the two Helios spacecraft to 0.3 AU to the inner heliosheath region now being traversed by the two Voyager spacecraft. This coverage will eventually be extended inward to ten solar radii by the planned NASA solar probe mission and at the same time beyond the heliopause into the outer heliosheath by continued Voyager operations. The geospace fleet of spacecraft providing near-Earth interplanetary measurements, selected magnetospheric spacecraft providing direct measurements of penetrating interplanetary energetic particles, and interplanetary cruise measurements from planetary spacecraft missions further extend VEPO resources to the domain of geospace and planetary interactions. Ground-based (e.g., neutron monitor) and high-altitude suborbital measurements can expand coverage to the highest energies of galactic cosmic rays affected by heliospheric interaction and of solar energetic particles. Science applications include investigation of solar flare and coronal mass ejection events. acceleration and transport of interplanetary particles within the inner heliosphere, cosmic ray interactions with planetary surfaces and atmospheres, sources of suprathermal and anomalous cosmic ray ions in the outer heliosphere, and solar cycle modulation of galactic cosmic rays. Robotic and human exploration, and eventual habitation, of planetary and space environments beyond the Earth require knowledge of radiation hazards informed by VEPO data resources. The VEPO project has completed the first year of work to define science requirements, to document and register selected data products in SPASE format while evolving SPASE for increased applicability to VEPO data, and to support enhanced discovery and access for these products through the evolving data query and middleware system of the Virtual Heliospheric Observatory (VHO). The VEPO team operates as a heliophysics focus group for energetic particle data resources in partnership with VHO and also leverages existing data services of NASA's Space Physics Data Facility. We invite comments from the U.S. and international data provider and user communities on review of the current VEPO/VHO user interface, on directions for future evolution of VEPO and supporting data systems including VHO and SPDF, and on relations to other elements of the heliophysics virtual observatory environment.

Cooper, John F.↗

Bio-Inspired Molecular Catalysts for Hydrogen Oxidation and Hydrogen Production

Recent advances in Ni-based bio-inspired catalysts obtained in the Center for Molecular Electrocatalysis, an Energy Frontier Research Center (EFRC) at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, demonstrated the possibility of cleaving H2 or generating H2 heterolytically with turnover frequencies comparable or superior to those of hydrogenase enzymes. In these catalysts the transformation between H2 and protons proceeds via an interplay between proton, hydride and electron transfer steps and involves the interaction of a dihydrogen molecule with both a Ni(II) center and with pendant amine bases incorporated in a six-membered ring, which act as proton relays. These catalytic platforms are well designed in that when protons are correctly positioned (endo) toward the Raugei-ACS-Books.docxPrinted 12/18/12 2 metal center, catalysis proceeds at very high rates. We will show that the proton removal (for H2 oxidation) and proton delivery (for H2 production) are often the rate determining steps. Furthermore, the presence of multiple protonation sites gives rise to reaction intermediates with protons not correctly positioned (exo relative to the metal center). These isomers are easily accessible kinetically and are detrimental to catalysis because of the slow isomerization processes necessary to convert them to the catalytically competent endo isomers. In this chapter we will review the major findings of our computational investigation on the role of proton relays for H2 chemistry and provide guidelines for the design of new catalysts. This research was carried out in the Center for Molecular Electrocatalysis, an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is operated for the U.S. Department of Energy by Battelle. Computational resources were provided at W. R. Wiley Environmental Molecular Science Laboratory (EMSL), a Raugei-Bio-Inspired Molecular-Catalysts-for-Hydrogen- Oxidation-and-Hydrogen-Production.doc Printed 12/18/2012 23 national scientific user facility sponsored by the Department of Energy’s Office of Biological and Environmental Research located at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC) at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and the Jaguar supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (INCITE 2008-2011 award supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. DOE under Contract No. DE-AC0500OR22725).

Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory↗

The Machine Protection System for the Fermilab Accelerator Science and Technology Facility

The Machine Protection System (MPS) for the Fermilab Accelerator Science and Technology Facility (FAST) has been implemented and tested. The system receives signals from several subsystems and devices which conveys the relevant status needed to the safely operate the accelerator. Logic decisions are made based on these inputs and some predefined user settings which in turn controls the gate signal to the laser of the photo injector. The inputs of the system have a wide variety of signal types, encoding methods and urgencies for which the system is designed to accommodate. The MPS receives fast shutdown (FSD) signals generated by the beam loss system and inhibits the beam or reduces the beam intensity within a macropulse when the beam losses at several places along the accelerator beam line are higher than acceptable values. TTL or relay contact signals from the vacuum system, toroids, magnet systems etc., are chosen with polarities that ensure safe operation of the accelerator from unintended events such as cable disconnection in the harsh industrial environment of the experimental hall. A RS422 serial communication scheme is used to interface the operation permit generator module and a large number of movable devices each reporting multi-bit status. The system also supports operations at user defined lower beam levels for system conunissioning. The machine protection system is implemented with two commercially available off-the-shelf VMEbus based modules with on board FPGA devices. The system is monitored and controlled via the VMEbus by a single board CPU

Wu, Jinyuan↗

Preparing for Harvesting Radioisotopes from FRIB

The Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) is the next generation accelerator facility under construction at Michigan State University. FRIB will produce a wide variety of rare isotopes by a process called projectile fragmentation for a broad range of new experiments when it comes online in 2020. The accelerated rare isotope beams produced in this facility will be more intense than any current facility in the world - in many cases by more than 1000-fold. These beams will be available to the primary users of FRIB in order to do exciting new fundamental research with accelerated heavy ions. In the standard mode of operation, this will mean one radioisotope will be selected at a time for the user. However, the projectile fragmentation process also yields hundreds of other radioisotopes at these bombarding energies, and many of these rare isotopes are long-lived and could have practical applications in medicine, national security or the environment. This project developed new methods to collect these long-lived rare isotopes that are by-products of the standard FRIB operation. These isotopes are important to many areas of research, thus this project will have a broad impact in several scientific areas including medicine, environment and homeland security.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Aerosol Inlets for a Mid-Sized Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS)

The purpose of this technical report is to document the efforts to design and test two inlet systems for aerosol sampling suitable for deployment on a medium-sized fixed-wing Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS). This work, which was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility, was conducted at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) for the ARM Aircraft Facility (AAF) starting in November 2017. The current work is a part of AAF efforts to instrument the ArcticShark (a mid-sized UAS owned and operated by the AAF) for atmospheric research and develop a scientific payload for deployment on a similar-sized UAS with minimal adaptation and integration. An aerosol inlet system is necessary to sample and transport ambient air sample to the scientific instrumentation with minimal distortions to the aerosols. Two isokinetic aerosol inlets were designed: the first is a simple passive system for a single instrument suitable to be installed in a wing pylon; the second is a system with active control designed to sample and distribute air among several heterogeneous instruments and to provide basic humidity control of the air sample so that the measured aerosol parameters should correspond to “dry” conditions (a common requirement). Both systems could be easily adapted for deployment on another platform and/or with a different set of instrumentation. Several conducted flight tests showed that the inlets’ performance met our design goals.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Aerosol Inlets for a Mid-Sized Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS)

The purpose of this technical report is to document the efforts to design and test two inlet systems for aerosol sampling suitable for deployment on a medium-sized fixed-wing Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS). This work, which was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility, was conducted at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) for the ARM Aircraft Facility (AAF) starting in November 2017. The current work is a part of AAF efforts to instrument the ArcticShark (a mid-sized UAS owned and operated by the AAF) for atmospheric research and develop a scientific payload for deployment on a similar-sized UAS with minimal adaptation and integration. An aerosol inlet system is necessary to sample and transport ambient air sample to the scientific instrumentation with minimal distortions to the aerosols. Two isokinetic aerosol inlets were designed: the first is a simple passive system for a single instrument suitable to be installed in a wing pylon; the second is a system with active control designed to sample and distribute air among several heterogeneous instruments and to provide basic humidity control of the air sample so that the measured aerosol parameters should correspond to “dry” conditions (a common requirement). Both systems could be easily adapted for deployment on another platform and/or with a different set of instrumentation. Several conducted flight tests showed that the inlets’ performance met our design goals.

42 ENGINEERING↗