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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 667 records · Page 37
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2016

WE-H-207B-04: Strategies for Adaptive RT

In recent years, steady progress has been made towards the implementation of MRI in external beam radiation therapy for processes ranging from treatment simulation to in-room guidance. Novel procedures relying mostly on MR data are currently implemented in the clinic. This session will cover topics such as (a) commissioning and quality control of the MR in-room imagers and simulators specific to RT, (b) treatment planning requirements, constraints and challenges when dealing with various MR data, (c) quantification of organ motion with an emphasis on treatment delivery guidance, and (d) MR-driven strategies for adaptive RT workflows. The content of the session was chosen to address both educational and practical key aspects of MR guidance. Learning Objectives: Good understanding of MR testing recommended for in-room MR imaging as well as image data validation for RT chain (e.g. image transfer, filtering for consistency, spatial accuracy, manipulation for task specific); Familiarity with MR-based planning procedures: motivation, core workflow requirements, current status, challenges; Overview of the current methods for the quantification of organ motion; Discussion on approaches for adaptive treatment planning and delivery. T. Stanescu - License agreement with Modus Medical Devices to develop a phantom for the quantification of MR image system-related distortions.; T. Stanescu, N/A.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

WE-H-207B-01: Commissioning and QC

In recent years, steady progress has been made towards the implementation of MRI in external beam radiation therapy for processes ranging from treatment simulation to in-room guidance. Novel procedures relying mostly on MR data are currently implemented in the clinic. This session will cover topics such as (a) commissioning and quality control of the MR in-room imagers and simulators specific to RT, (b) treatment planning requirements, constraints and challenges when dealing with various MR data, (c) quantification of organ motion with an emphasis on treatment delivery guidance, and (d) MR-driven strategies for adaptive RT workflows. The content of the session was chosen to address both educational and practical key aspects of MR guidance. Learning Objectives: Good understanding of MR testing recommended for in-room MR imaging as well as image data validation for RT chain (e.g. image transfer, filtering for consistency, spatial accuracy, manipulation for task specific); Familiarity with MR-based planning procedures: motivation, core workflow requirements, current status, challenges; Overview of the current methods for the quantification of organ motion; Discussion on approaches for adaptive treatment planning and delivery. T. Stanescu - License agreement with Modus Medical Devices to develop a phantom for the quantification of MR image system-related distortions.; T. Stanescu, N/A.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

PINK1 protects against oxidative stress induced senescence of human nucleus pulposus cells via regulating mitophagy

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is closely related with aging, whereas mitochondrial dysfunction is a common feature of aging in which results cell senescence. Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN)-induced putative kinase protein 1 (PINK1) is a mitochondrial-targeted serine/threonine kinase, which plays a protective role against mitochondrial dysfunction with mitochondrial quality control by activating PINK1/Parkin mediated mitophagy. This study aimed to investigate the protective role of PINK1 against mitochondrial dysfunction and human nucleus pulposus cell (NPC) senescence. We found that mitochondrial dysfunction and NPC senescence could be induced under sublethal oxidative stress by 150 μM H{sub 2}O{sub 2}. Moreover, down-regulation of PINK1 tended to aggravate NPC senescence under oxidative stress. Therefore, mitophagy was evaluated in NPCs to further reveal the underlying mechanism. Results showed that sublethal oxidative stress induced mitochondria dysfunction and mitophagy in NPCs. Furthermore, depletion of PINK1 utilizing short hairpin RNA targeting PINK1 (PINK1-shRNA) impaired mitophagy, and exasperated NPC senescence under oxidative stress. In summary, these results suggested that PINK1 played as a protective role in clearance of damaged mitochondrial and alleviating cell senescence under oxidative stress, whose mechanism is associated with regulating mitophagy. These findings may provide a better understanding in pathomechanism of IDD and potential therapeutic approaches for IDD treatment.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

First season MWA EoR power spectrum results at redshift 7

The Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) has collected hundreds of hours of Epoch of Reionization (EoR) data and now faces the challenge of overcoming foreground and systematic contamination to reduce the data to a cosmological measurement. We introduce several novel analysis techniques, such as cable reflection calibration, hyper-resolution gridding kernels, diffuse foreground model subtraction, and quality control methods. Each change to the analysis pipeline is tested against a two-dimensional power spectrum figure of merit to demonstrate improvement. We incorporate the new techniques into a deep integration of 32 hours of MWA data. This data set is used to place a systematic-limited upper limit on the cosmological power spectrum of Δ{sup 2}⩽2.7×10{sup 4} mK{sup 2} at k = 0.27 h Mpc{sup −1} and z = 7.1, consistent with other published limits, and a modest improvement (factor of 1.4) over previous MWA results. From this deep analysis, we have identified a list of improvements to be made to our EoR data analysis strategies. These improvements will be implemented in the future and detailed in upcoming publications.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2026

High-Throughput Uniformity and Defect Monitoring in Low-Temperature Electrolysis Porous Transport Layers Using X-Ray Radiography

Effective quality control (QC) for manufacturing proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) components is critical to enabling widespread adoption of the technology for hydrogen generation. This study investigates X-ray radiography as a novel, high-throughput, potentially in-line QC technique for detecting defects and assessing material property distributions in titanium-based porous transport layers (PTLs) which constitute a crucial component of low temperature PEMWE stacks. We obtain radiographs of a set of fifteen PTLs and model their absorbance of the broadband radiation as a second-order polynomial to account for the non-monoenergetic radiation source used in this study. The resulting model serves as a basis for predicting the areal density and porosity distributions of the PTLs. We find radiography successful in detecting multiple instances of defects, including holes/depressions, cracks, and excess material on the surface or in the pores of the material, demonstrating its potential as a robust in-line QC tool for PTL manufacturing.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2024

Powdery mildew effectors AVR A1 and BEC1016 target the ER J‐domain protein Hv ERdj3B required for immunity in barley

Abstract The barley powdery mildew fungus, Blumeria hordei (Bh), secretes hundreds of candidate secreted effector proteins (CSEPs) to facilitate pathogen infection and colonization. One of these, CSEP0008, is directly recognized by the barley nucleotide‐binding leucine‐rich‐repeat (NLR) receptor MLA1 and therefore is designated AVR A1 . Here, we show that AVR A1 and the sequence‐unrelated Bh effector BEC1016 (CSEP0491) suppress immunity in barley. We used yeast two‐hybrid next‐generation interaction screens (Y2H‐NGIS), followed by binary Y2H and in planta protein–protein interactions studies, and identified a common barley target of AVR A1 and BEC1016, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)‐localized J‐domain protein Hv ERdj3B. Silencing of this ER quality control (ERQC) protein increased Bh penetration. Hv ERdj3B is ER luminal, and we showed using split GFP that AVR A1 and BEC1016 translocate into the ER signal peptide‐independently. Overexpression of the two effectors impeded trafficking of a vacuolar marker through the ER; silencing of Hv ERdj3B also exhibited this same cellular phenotype, coinciding with the effectors targeting this ERQC component. Together, these results suggest that the barley innate immunity, preventing Bh entry into epidermal cells, requires ERQC. Here, the J‐domain protein Hv ERdj3B appears to be essential and can be regulated by AVR A1 and BEC1016. Plant disease resistance often occurs upon direct or indirect recognition of pathogen effectors by host NLR receptors. Previous work has shown that AVR A1 is directly recognized in the cytosol by the immune receptor MLA1. We speculate that the AVR A1 J‐domain target being inside the ER, where it is inapproachable by NLRs, has forced the plant to evolve this challenging direct recognition.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

SU-F-I-61: Assessment and Characterization of the Built-in Internal Photometer of Primary Diagnostic Monitors

Purpose: The conformance of Primary Diagnostic Monitors (PDMs) to the DICOM GSDF is increasingly required by several state and city regulators. Our purpose was to quantitatively characterize the luminance performance of the internal, built in photometer of BARCO monitors against an externally calibrated luminance meter. Methods: Thirty one PDMs (BARCO) were included in our analysis. An externally calibrated photometer (RaySafe Solo Light) was used to measure the luminance and illuminance values. Measured monitors were located at various hospital sites, radiology physicians’ offices and radiology reading rooms. All measured PDMs were equipped with the manufacturer’s built-in photometers and connected to Barco MediCal QA web service for manual and automatic quality control measurements. PDM combinations included 1, 2 and 4 monitors depending on the location. TG-18 and SMPTE test patterns were used to evaluate monitor performance. Results: All the PDMs exceeded the luminance ratio of 250:1, as required by NYC PDM guidelines. One PDM failed the NYC requirement for the minimal luminance level of 350 cd/m2. As compared to the external photometer, the difference in measurement of the maximum luminance with the built-in photometer was found to exceed 5% on 6 of the PDM measured, with a maximum deviation of 10%. The age of the monitors that failed was on average 5 years. All monitors passed the luminance uniformity test, which was 30% from the center of the monitor to the 4 corner locations. Four PDMs failed the Gray Scale Display Function (GSDF) calibration. Conclusion: For the consistent display of medical images and continued conformance with the DICOM GSDF standard, it is essential to compare the performance of the built-in photometer with an externally calibrated photometer for monitors that are older than 5 years.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

The TORC1 signaling pathway regulates respiration-induced mitophagy in yeast

Mitophagy is an evolutionarily conserved autophagy process that selectively degrades mitochondria. This catabolic event is considered to be a mitochondrial quality control system crucial for cell homeostasis, however, mechanisms regulating mitophagy remain largely unknown. Here we show that the TORC1 (target of rapamycin complex 1) signaling pathway regulates mitophagy in budding yeast via SEACIT (Seh1-associated complex inhibiting TORC1) consisting of Iml1, Npr2, and Npr3. Cells lacking SEACIT displayed significant reductions in mitophagy during prolonged respiratory growth, while the other selective autophagy processes are less affected. Under the same conditions, mitophagy defects were strikingly rescued in the SEACIT mutants (1) treated with rapamycin, a specific TOR kinase inhibitor, (2) lacking Gtr1, a TORC1-stimulating Rag family GTPase downstream of SEACIT, and (3) devoid of Pib2, a phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate-binding TORC1 activator. Notably, loss of Npr2 exacerbated mitophagy defects in cells lacking Atg13, a TORC1 effector crucial for activation of autophagy-related processes, suggesting additional mitophagy-specific regulator(s) downstream of TORC1. Finally, we found that npr2-null cells failed to stabilize the interaction of Atg32 with Atg11, a scaffold protein essential for mitophagy. Collectively, our data implicate SEACIT-mediated inactivation of TORC1 signaling as a critical step to promote respiration-induced mitophagy.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2017

Theorising EIA effectiveness: A contribution based on the Danish system

Considerable attention has been given to the effectiveness of environmental impact assessment (EIA) since the 1970s. Relatively few research studies, however, have approached EIA as an instrument of environmental governance, and have explored the mechanisms through which EIA influences the behaviour of actors involved in planning processes. Consequently, theory in this area is underspecified. In this paper we contribute to theory-building by analysing the effectiveness of a unique EIA system: the Danish system. In this system the competent authority, instead of the project proponent, undertakes EIA reporting. Additionally, the public, rather than experts, play a central role in quality control and the Danish EIA community is relatively small which influences community dynamics in particular ways. A nation-wide survey and expert interviews were undertaken in order to examine the views of actors involved in EIA on the effectiveness of this anomalous system. The empirical data are compared with similar studies on governance mechanisms in other countries, especially the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, as well as with earlier evaluations of EIA effectiveness in Denmark. The results indicate that the more extensive role attributed to the competent authority may lead to higher EIA effectiveness when this aligns with their interests; the influence of the public is amplified by a powerful complaints system; and, the size of the EIA community appears to have no substantial influence on EIA effectiveness. We discuss how the research findings might enhance our theoretical understanding of the operation and effectiveness of governance mechanisms in EIA. - Highlights: • The effectiveness of the unique Danish EIA system is explored. • Results are compared with similar studies in the Netherlands and the UK. • Findings lead to hypotheses that contribute to theorising EIA effectiveness.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Reactive impinging-flow technique for polymer-electrolyte-fuel-cell electrode-defect detection

Reactive impinging flow (RIF) is a novel quality-control method for defect detection (i.e., reduction in Pt catalyst loading) in gas-diffusion electrodes (GDEs) on weblines. The technique uses infrared thermography to detect temperature of a nonflammable (<4% H 2 ) reactive mixture of H 2 /O 2 in N 2 impinging and reacting on a Pt catalytic surface. In this article, different GDE size defects (with catalyst-loading reductions of 25, 50, and 100%) are detected at various webline speeds (3.048 and 9.144 m min -1 ) and gas flowrates (32.5 or 50 standard L min -1 ). Furthermore, a model is developed and validated for the technique, and it is subsequently used to optimize operating conditions and explore the applicability of the technique to a range of defects. The model suggests that increased detection can be achieved by recting more of the impinging H 2 , which can be accomplished by placing blocking substrates on the top, bottom, or both of the GDE; placing a substrate on both results in a factor of four increase in the temperature differential, which is needed for smaller defect detection. Lastly, overall, the RIF technique is shown to be a promising route for in-line, high-speed, large-area detection of GDE defects on moving weblines.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗
DOE OSTI2022

The Worldwide C3S CORDEX Grand Ensemble: A Major Contribution to Assess Regional Climate Change in the IPCC AR6 Atlas

The collaboration between the Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment (CORDEX) and the Earth System Grid Federation (ESGF) provides open access to an unprecedented ensemble of regional climate model (RCM) simulations, across the 14 CORDEX continental-scale domains, with global coverage. These simulations have been used as a new line of evidence to assess regional climate projections in the latest contribution of the Working Group I (WGI) to the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), particularly in the regional chapters and the Atlas. Here, we present the work done in the framework of the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) to assemble a consistent worldwide CORDEX grand ensemble, aligned with the deadlines and activities of IPCC AR6. This work addressed the uneven and heterogeneous availability of CORDEX ESGF data by supporting publication in CORDEX domains with few archived simulations and performing quality control. It also addressed the lack of comprehensive documentation by compiling information from all contributing regional models, allowing for an informed use of data. In addition to presenting the worldwide CORDEX dataset, we assess here its consistency for precipitation and temperature by comparing climate change signals in regions with overlapping CORDEX domains, obtaining overall coincident regional climate change signals. The C3S CORDEX dataset has been used for the assessment of regional climate change in the IPCC AR6 (and for the interactive Atlas) and is available through the Copernicus Climate Data Store (CDS).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2019

Plasma-Based Ambient Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry for the Analysis of Liquid Crystals Employed in Display Devices

Liquid-crystal displays (LCDs) are the most frequently used display technology worldwide these days. Due to the rather complex manufacturing process and purity requirements for the chemicals used, quality control and display failure analysis are important analytical tasks. Currently, the state-of-the-art techniques (e.g., high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography (GC) coupled to mass spectrometry (MS), time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS), or high-resolution microscopy) are costly and time-consuming. Hence, a new pathway to precisely analyze liquid-crystalline materials and LCDs in their native state is reported. A new approach for direct analysis via plasma-based ambient desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (ADI-MS) offers an inexpensive and faster alternative. In this study, direct analysis in real time (DART), the low-temperature plasma (LTP) probe, and flowing atmospheric-pressure afterglow (FAPA) ADI sources coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (HR-MS) are compared based on their capabilities and performance for liquid-crystal analysis. These sources enable direct analyte desorption from a sample surface at ambient conditions and ionize the vaporized analyte molecules in a subsequent step. Primarily, the ionization capabilities of the three ADI sources are compared for individual liquid-crystal standards, mixtures of liquid crystals (LCs), and complex liquid crystal/additive mixtures applied in commercially available LCDs. Furthermore, direct surface analysis from a glass substrate is also performed with ADI-MS to compare their applicability to this type of sample matrix. .

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

SU-E-I-41: Non-Cartesian MR Image Reconstruction with Integrated Gradient Non-Linearity Correction

Purpose: Nonlinearities in the spatial encoding gradients of MRI systems cause geometric distortion in images. Typically, this is retrospectively corrected via image-domain interpolation (a.k.a., “gradwarp”) albeit with a loss of spatial resolution. For non-Cartesian MRI, the latter problem is exaggerated by noise and undersampling artifact. In this study, we describe a novel correction strategy that accounts for gradient nonlinearities during — rather than after — non-Cartesian MRI reconstruction, and demonstrate that this approach mitigates the resolution loss that can occur with standard methods. Methods: To test the proposed method, the American College of Radiology (ACR) quality control phantom was scanned on at 1.5 T (General Electric, v16.0, “zoom” gradient) using a 1.6x undersampled 3D non- Cartesian Shells trajectory (GRE, FOV=24 cm3, 120 shells, 16552 shots, 512 readout, matrix=2403). Image reconstruction was first performed via standard k-space density-compensated gridding and retrospectively corrected via cubic spline interpolation. Image reconstruction was then separately performed using a k-space and image-domain densitycompensated type-3 non-uniform fast Fourier transform (NUFFT), which provides a direct mapping between non-Cartesian k-space samples and warped image space voxel locations. Thus, no separate distortion correction procedure is needed for the proposed approach. The gradient distortion field was determined using vendor provided calibration data. Results: Phantom scan results show that both processing approaches successfully correct geometric distortion. However, visual inspection of the ACR phantom spatial resolution inserts shows that the proposed strategy preserves the resolution of the nominal (uncorrected) reconstruction while “gradwarp” imparts marked spatial blurring (especially for the 1.0 and 1.1 mm inserts) and thus resolution loss. Conclusion: We've presented a novel reconstruction strategy for non-Cartesian MRI that corrects for gradient nonlinearities during — rather than after — reconstruction, and thus better preserves image resolution than traditional interpolation-based methods. This approach is expected to be especially advantageous when imaging with non-standard magnet geometries. NIH RR018898; NIH EB10065.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2014

Fluorescence imaging of viscous materials in the ultraviolet-visible wavelength range

This paper presents an approach of an innovative measurement principle for the quality control of viscous materials during a manufacturing process based on fluorescence imaging. The main contribution to the state of the art provided by this measurement system is that three equal fluorescence images of a static or moving viscous object are available in different optical paths. The independent images are obtained by two beam splitters which are connected in series. Based on these images, it is possible to evaluate each image separately. In our case, three optical bandpass filters with different center wavelengths of 405 nm, 420 nm, and 440 nm were used to filter the separate fluorescence images. The developed system is useable for the detection of impurities in the micrometer range. Further, incorrect mixing ratios of particular components and wrong single components in the viscous materials can be detected with the setup. Moreover, it is possible to realize static and dynamic measurements. In this case the maximum speed of the objects was 0.2 m/s for the dynamic measurements. Advantages of this measurement setup are the universality due to the use of optical standard components, the small dimension and the opportunity to integrate it easily into ongoing processes. In addition, the measurement system works on a non-contact basis. Thus, the expense for maintenance is at a very low level compared to currently available measurement setups for the investigated application. Furthermore, the setup provides for the first time a simultaneous analysis of more than one component and the detection of impurities concerning their nature and size in a manufacturing process.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

WE-FG-207B-10: Dual-Energy CT Monochromatic Image Consistency Across Vendors and Platforms

Purpose: Although dual-energy CT provides improved sensitivity of HU for certain tissue types at lower simulated energy levels, if these values vary by scanner type they may impact clinical patient management decisions. Each manufacturer has selected a specific dual-energy CT approach (or in one case, three different approaches); understanding HU variability among low monochromatic images may be required when more than one dual-energy CT scanner type is available for use. Methods: A large elliptical dualenergy quality control phantom (Gammex Inc.; Middleton, WI) containing several standard tissue type materials was scanned at least three times on each of the following systems: GE HD750, prototype GE Revolution CT with GSI, Siemens Flash, Siemens Edge, Siemens AS 128, and Philips IQon. Images were generated at 50, 70, and 140 keV. Soft tissue and Iodine HU were measured on a single central 5mm-thick image; NIST constants were used to calculate the ideal HU for each material. Scan acquisitions were approximately dose-matched (∼25mGy CTDIvol) and image parameters were held as consistent as possible (thickness, kernel, no noise reduction). Results: Measured soft tissue (29 HU at 120 kVp) varied from 28 HU to 44 HU at 50 keV (excluding one outlier), from 21 HU to 31 HU at 70 keV, and from 19 HU to 32 HU at 140 keV. Measured iodine (5mg/ml, 106 HU at 120 kVp) varied from 246 HU to 280 HU at 50 keV, from 123 HU to 129 HU at 70 keV, and from 22 HU to 32 HU at 140 keV. Conclusion: Measured HU in standard rods across 3 dual-energy CT manufacturers and 6 scanner models varied directly with monochromatic level, with the most variability was observed at 50 keV and least variability at 70keV. Future work will include additional scanner platforms and how measurement variability impacts radiologists. This research has been supported by funds from Dr. William Murphy, Jr., the John S. Dunn, Sr. Distinguished Chair in Diagnostic Imaging at MD Anderson Cancer Center.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

Ubiquitination of specific mitochondrial matrix proteins

Several protein quality control systems in bacteria and/or mitochondrial matrix from lower eukaryotes are absent in higher eukaryotes. These are transfer-messenger RNA (tmRNA), The N-end rule ATP-dependent protease ClpAP, and two more ATP-dependent proteases, HslUV and ClpXP (in yeast). The lost proteases resemble the 26S proteasome and the role of tmRNA and the N-end rule in eukaryotic cytosol is performed by the ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS). Therefore, we hypothesized that the UPS might have substituted these systems – at least partially – in the mitochondrial matrix of higher eukaryotes. Using three independent experimental approaches, we demonstrated the presence of ubiquitinated proteins in the matrix of isolated yeast mitochondria. First, we show that isolated mitochondria contain ubiquitin (Ub) conjugates, which remained intact after trypsin digestion. Second, we demonstrate that the mitochondrial soluble fraction contains Ub-conjugates, several of which were identified by mass spectrometry and are localized to the matrix. Third, using immunoaffinity enrichment by specific antibodies recognizing digested ubiquitinated peptides, we identified a group of Ub-modified matrix proteins. The modification was further substantiated by separation on SDS-PAGE and immunoblots. Last, we attempted to identify the ubiquitin ligase(s) involved, and identified Dma1p as a trypsin-resistant protein in our mitochondrial preparations. Taken together, these data suggest a yet undefined role for the UPS in regulation of the mitochondrial matrix proteins. -- Highlights: •Mitochondrial matrix contains ubiquitinated proteins. •Ubiquitination occurs most probably in the matrix. •Dma1p is a ubiquitin ligase present in mitochondrial preparations.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Test and extraction methods for the QC parameters of silicon strip sensors for ATLAS upgrade tracker

The Quality Control (QC) of pre-production strip sensors for the Inner Tracker (ITk) of the ATLAS Inner Detector upgrade has finished, and the collaboration has embarked on the QC test programme for production sensors. This programme will last more than 3 years and comprises the evaluation of approximately 22000 sensors. 8 Types of sensors, 2 barrel and 6 endcap, will be measured at many different collaborating institutes. The sustained throughput requirement of the combined QC processes is around 500 sensors per month in total. Measurement protocols have been established and acceptance criteria have been defined in accordance with the terms agreed with the supplier. For effective monitoring of test results, common data file formats have been agreed upon across the collaboration. To enable evaluation of test results produced by many different test setups at the various collaboration institutes, common algorithms have been developed to collate, evaluate, plot and upload measurement data. This allows for objective application of pass/fail criteria and compilation of corresponding yield data. These scripts have been used to process the data of more than 3000 sensors so far, and have been instrumental for identification of faulty sensors and monitoring of QC testing progress.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2026

Establishing an acoustic-property relationship in laser powder bed fusion with machine learning

Quality control of Laser Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) additively manufactured parts is an important hurdle inhibiting the technology’s use structural applications. Acoustic monitoring of the laser powder bed fusion process can detect defects in-situ that are known to degrade mechanical properties. However, processing-structure-property (PSP) relationships are required to extrapolate from detected defects to part performance. Here, this study explores how acoustics may be a suitable signature linking processing conditions to properties, thus effectively substituting for structure in the PSP relationship. Establishing such a relationship would enable a part’s mechanical performance to be directly predicted from its acoustic signature, reducing the need for destructive testing or microstructural analysis to ensure a part will meet performance requirements. One hundred CoCrFeMnNi high entropy alloy tensile bars were printed across 13 process conditions in a series of 6 prints. The acoustic signatures of these tensile bars were used to train machine learning models to predict each part’s mechanical properties. By using both process information and acoustic information to predict mechanical properties, yield strength was predicted 18% more accurately and ductility to failure was predicted 10% more accurately than is achieved when using duplicate parts to predict part performance. Finally, individual acoustic frequencies were investigated to determine why acoustic signatures improve mechanical property predictions and the potential physical origins of these signatures. This work demonstrates how blending acoustics, process information, and machine learning can provide in-situ diagnostics of mechanical properties and improve the reliability of the PBF-LB process.

Acoustic emission↗