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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 685 records · Page 38
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Activating Layered Metal Oxide Nanomaterials via Structural Engineering as Biodegradable Nanoagents for Photothermal Cancer Therapy

Layered metal oxides including MoO 3 and WO 3 have been widely explored for biological applications owing to their excellent biocompatibility, low toxicity, and easy preparation. However, they normally exhibit weak or negligible near-infrared (NIR) absorption and thus are inefficient for photo-induced biomedical applications. Herein, the structural engineering of layered MoO 3 and WO 3 nanostructures is first reported to activate their NIR-II absorption for efficient photothermal cancer therapy in the NIR-II window. White-colored micrometre-long MoO 3 nanobelts are transformed into blue-colored short, thin, defective, interlayer gap-expanded MoO 3–x nanobelts with a strong NIR-II absorption via the simple lithium treatment. The blue MoO 3–x nanobelts exhibit a large extinction coefficient of 18.2 L g –1 cm –1 and high photothermal conversion efficiency of 46.9% at 1064 nm. After surface modification, the MoO 3–x nanobelts can be used as a robust nanoagent for photoacoustic imaging-guided photothermal therapy to achieve efficient cancer cell ablation and tumor eradication under irradiation by a 1064 nm laser. Importantly, the biodegradable MoO 3–x nanobelts can be rapidly degraded and excreted from body. We report the study highlights that the structural engineering of layered metal oxides is a powerful strategy to tune their properties and thus boost their performances in given applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Construction of Lattice Strain in Bimetallic Nanostructures and Its Effectiveness in Electrochemical Applications

Bimetallic nanocrystals (NCs), associated with various surface functions such as ligand effect, ensemble effect, and strain effect, exhibit superior electrocatalytic properties. The stress-induced surface strain effect can alter binding strength between the surface active sites and reactants as well as their intermediates, and the electrochemical performance of bimetallic NCs can be significantly facilitated by the lattice-strain modification via their morphologies, sizes, shell-thickness, surface defectiveness as well as compositions. Here in this review, an overview of fundamental principles, characterization techniques, and quantitative determination of the surface lattice strain is provided. Various strategies and synthesis efforts on creating lattice-strain-engineered bimetallic NCs, including the de-alloying process, atomic layer-by-layer deposition, thermal treatment evolution, one-pot synthesis, and other efforts are also discussed. It is further outlined how the lattice strain effect promotes electrochemical catalysis through the selected case studies. The reactions on oxygen reduction reaction, small molecular oxidation, water splitting reaction, and electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reactions are focused. In particular, studies of lattice strain arisen from core–shell nanostructure and defectiveness are highlighted. Lastly, the potential challenges are summarized and the prospects of lattice-strain-based engineering on bimetallic nanocatalysts with suggestion and guidance of the future electrocatalyst design are envisioned.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

2D Nitrogen‐Doped Graphene Materials for Noble Gas Separation

Abstract Noble gases, notably xenon, play a pivotal role in diverse high‐tech applications. However, manufacturing xenon is an inherently challenging task, due to its unique properties and trace abundance in the Earth's atmosphere. Consequently, there is a pressing need for the development of efficient methods for the separation of noble gases. Using mild fluorographene chemistry, nitrogen‐doped graphene (GNs) materials are synthesized with abundant aromatic regions and extensive nitrogen doping within the vacancies and holes of the aromatic lattice. Due to the organized interlayer “nanochannels”, nitrogen functional groups, and defects within the two‐dimensional (2D) structures, GNs exhibits effective selectivity for Xe over Kr at low pressure. This enhanced selectivity is attributed to the stronger binding affinity of Xe to GN compared to Kr. The adsorption is governed by London dispersion forces, as revealed by theoretical calculations using symmetry‐adapted perturbation theory (SAPT). Investigation of other GNs differing in nitrogen content, surface area, and pore sizes underscores the significance of nitrogen functional groups, defects, and interlayer nanochannels over the surface area in achieving superior selectivity. This work offers a new perspective on the design and fabrication of functionalized graphene derivatives, exhibiting superior noble gas storage and separation activity exploitable in gas production technologies.

Šedajová, Veronika↗
DOE OSTI2024

Improved charge extraction in inverted perovskite solar cells with dual-site-binding ligands

Inverted (pin) perovskite solar cells (PSCs) afford improved operating stability in comparison to their nip counterparts but have lagged in power conversion efficiency (PCE). The energetic losses responsible for this PCE deficit in pin PSCs occur primarily at the interfaces between the perovskite and the charge-transport layers. Additive and surface treatments that use passivating ligands usually bind to a single active binding site: This dense packing of electrically resistive passivants perpendicular to the surface may limit the fill factor in pin PSCs. We identified ligands that bind two neighboring lead(II) ion (Pb 2+ ) defect sites in a planar ligand orientation on the perovskite. We fabricated pin PSCs and report a certified quasi–steady state PCE of 26.15 and 24.74% for 0.05– and 1.04–square centimeter illuminated areas, respectively. The devices retain 95% of their initial PCE after 1200 hours of continuous 1 sun maximum power point operation at 65°C.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗
NASA NTRS2002

Loss of signal transduction and inhibition of lymphocyte locomotion in a ground-based model of microgravity

Inflammatory adherence to, and locomotion through the interstitium is an important component of the immune response. Conditions such as microgravity and modeled microgravity (MMG) severely inhibit lymphocyte locomotion in vitro through gelled type I collagen. We used the NASA rotating wall vessel bioreactor or slow-turning lateral vessel as a prototype for MMG in ground-based experiments. Previous experiments from our laboratory revealed that when lymphocytes (human peripheral blood mononuclear cells [PBMCs]) were first activated with phytohemaglutinin followed by exposure to MMG, locomotory capacity was not affected. In the present study, MMG inhibits lymphocyte locomotion in a manner similar to that observed in microgravity. Phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) treatment of PBMCs restored lost locomotory capacity by a maximum of 87%. Augmentation of cellular calcium flux with ionomycin had no restorative effect. Treatment of lymphocytes with mitomycin C prior to exposure to MMG, followed by PMA, restored locomotion to the same extent as when nonmitomycin C-treated lymphocytes were exposed to MMG (80-87%), suggesting that deoxyribonucleic acid replication is not essential for the restoration of locomotion. Thus, direct activation of protein kinase C (PKC) with PMA was effective in restoring locomotion in MMG comparable to the normal levels seen in Ig cultures. Therefore, in MMG, lymphocyte calcium signaling pathways were functional, with defects occurring at either the level of PKC or upstream of PKC.

NASA Discipline Cell Biology↗
NASA NTRS2013

NASA Tech Briefs, April 2013

Topics covered include: Fully Integrated, Miniature, High-Frequency Flow Probe Utilizing MEMS Leadless SOI Technology; Nanoscale Surface Plasmonics Sensor With Nanofluidic Control; Advanced Dispersed Fringe Sensing Algorithm for Coarse Phasing Segmented Mirror Telescopes; Neural Network Back-Propagation Algorithm for Sensing Hypergols; Bulk Moisture and Salinity Sensor; Change-Based Satellite Monitoring Using Broad Coverage and Targetable Sensing; Circularly Polarized Microwave Antenna Element with Very Low Off-Axis Cross-Polarization; Ultra-Low Heat-Leak, High-Temperature Superconducting Current Leads for Space Applications; Flash Cracking Reactor for Waste Plastic Processing; An Automated Safe-to-Mate (ASTM) Tester; Wireless Chalcogenide Nanoionic-Based Radio-Frequency Switch; Compute Element and Interface Box for the Hazard Detection System; DOT Transmit Module; Composite Aerogel Multifoil Protective Shielding; Li-Ion Electrolytes with Improved Safety and Tolerance to High-Voltage Systems; Polymer-Reinforced, Non-Brittle, Lightweight Cryogenic Insulation; Controlled, Site-Specific Functionalization of Carbon Nanotubes with Diazonium Salts; Regenerable Sorbent for CO2 Removal; Sprayable Aerogel Bead Compositions With High Shear Flow Resistance and High Thermal Insulation Value; Lexan Linear Shaped Charge Holder with Magnets and Backing Plate; Robotic Ankle for Omnidirectional Rock Anchors; Wind, Wave, and Tidal Energy Without Power Conditioning; An Active Heater Control Concept to Meet IXO Type Mirror Module Thermal-Structural Distortion Requirement; Waterless Clothes-Cleaning Machine; Integrated Electrical Wire Insulation Repair System; LVGEMS Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry on Satellites; Surface Inspection Tool for Optical Detection of Surface Defects; Per-Pixel, Dual-Counter Scheme for Optical Communications; Certification-Based Process Analysis; Surface Navigation Using Optimized Waypoints and Particle Swarm Optimization; Smart-Divert Powered Descent Guidance to Avoid the Backshell Landing Dispersion Ellipse; Estimating Foreign-Object-Debris Density from Photogrammetry Data; Adaptive Sampling of Spatiotemporal Phenomena with Optimization Criteria; Building a 2.5D Digital Elevation Model From 2D Imagery; Eyes on the Earth 3D; Target Trailing With Safe Navigation for Maritime Autonomous Surface Vehicles; Adams-Based Rover Terramechanics and Mobility Simulator - ARTEMIS; ISTP CDF Skeleton Editor; Uplink Summary Generator (ULSGEN) Version 1.0; Robotics On-Board Trainer (ROBoT); Software Engineering Tools for Scientific Models; Automatic Data Filter Customization Using a Genetic Algorithm; Tracker Toolkit; Towards Efficient Scientific Data Management Using Cloud Storage; On a Formal Tool for Reasoning About Flight Software Cost Analysis; A Nanostructured Composites Thermal Switch Controls Internal and External Short Circuit in Lithium Ion Batteries; Spacecraft Crew Cabin Condensation Control; and Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Signals Measure Neuronal Activity in the Cortex.

Source record↗
DOE OSTI2022

A protease-mediated switch regulates the growth of magnetosome organelles in Magnetospirillum magneticum

Magnetosomes are lipid-bound organelles that direct the biomineralization of magnetic nanoparticles in magnetotactic bacteria. Magnetosome membranes are not uniform in size and can grow in a biomineralization-dependent manner. However, the underlying mechanisms of magnetosome membrane growth regulation remain unclear. Using cryoelectron tomography, we systematically examined mutants with defects at various stages of magnetosome formation to identify factors involved in controlling membrane growth. We found that a conserved serine protease, MamE, plays a key role in magnetosome membrane growth regulation. When the protease activity of MamE is disrupted, magnetosome membrane growth is restricted, which, in turn, limits the size of the magnetite particles. Consistent with this finding, the upstream regulators of MamE protease activity, MamO and MamM, are also required for magnetosome membrane growth. We then used a combination of candidate and comparative proteomics approaches to identify Mms6 and MamD as two MamE substrates. Mms6 does not appear to participate in magnetosome membrane growth. However, in the absence of MamD, magnetosome membranes grow to a larger size than the wild type. Furthermore, when the cleavage of MamD by MamE protease is blocked, magnetosome membrane growth and biomineralization are severely inhibited, phenocopying the MamE protease-inactive mutant. We therefore propose that the growth of magnetosome membranes is controlled by a protease-mediated switch through processing of MamD. Overall, our work shows that, like many eukaryotic systems, bacteria control the growth and size of biominerals by manipulating the physical properties of intracellular organelles.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

CryoTARPOS Vibration Mitigation System for Layered Experiments

The goal of this project is to implement a system that can eliminate or mitigate vibration so that clear images can be taken without bypassing the cryocooler. By allowing for layer characterization and cryocooler operation at the same time, cooling capacity and thermal stability of the target would be improved, and more layer characterization data could be taken. Increased cooling capacity and thermal stability could allow for layering during occasional off normal conditions that would typically result in a loss of temperature control and NIF operational delays ranging from several hours to several days per month. The increased cooling capacity and thermal stability could also allow for layering of new target platforms that have less cooling margin. Additional layer images could be used for better characterization of defects and non-uniformities in the layer and would reduce the likelihood of layer seed loss, which typically adds ~12 hours per week in layering time. Motion blur from vibration due to off normal activity in the NIF Target Bay could also be mitigated that would usually result in NIF operational delays of several hours every month.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2026

4D-STEM Coupled with Unsupervised Machine Learning to Reveal at Large-Scale the Microstructural Evolution in Li- and Mn-Rich Cathodes

Li- and Mn-rich (LMR) layered oxides are known to exhibit a thin surface reconstruction layer, which grows during electrochemical cycling in a manner that depends on exposed crystallographic facets, cycling conditions, and electrolyte chemistry. Direct characterization of this layer has traditionally relied on high-resolution electron microscopy, which is inherently limited to small fields of view. Here, we employ four-dimensional scanning transmission electron microscopy (4D-STEM) combined with unsupervised machine-learning clustering to quantitatively map phase distributions over large areas and track their evolution in LMR cathodes during electrochemical aging. Our results show that the surface reconstruction layer consists predominantly of a rocksalt phase, whose thickness varies across different facets following activation cycling and becomes substantially thicker and more uniform during calendar aging. In contrast, a spinel-like phase is observed within the particle bulk. Large-area phase mapping and correlative high-resolution imaging reveal that this spinel-like phase preferentially nucleates at bulk crystallographic defects, including boundaries between 60°-rotated layered domains and associated mixed-phase regions, rather than exclusively at the particle surface. Our findings establish a mechanistic distinction between surface-driven rocksalt formation and bulk-defect-mediated spinel nucleation while demonstrating the unique capability of 4D-STEM to provide statistically robust, mesoscale insight into complex phase-evolution processes in LMR cathodes.

4D-STEM↗
DOE OSTI2021

Near-surface modification of defective KTaO 3 by ionizing ion irradiation

The synergistic effect of nuclear (S n ) and electronic (S e ) energy loss observed in some ABO 3 perovskites has attracted considerable attention due to the real possibility to modify various near-surface properties, such as the electronic and optical properties, by patterning ion tracks in the defective near-surface regions. In this study, we show that low-energy ion-induced disordering in conjunction with ionizing ion irradiation (18 MeV Si, 21 MeV Ni and 91.6 MeV Xe) is a promising approach for tailoring ion tracks in the near-surface of defective KTaO 3 . Experimental characterization and computer simulations reveal that the size of these latent ion tracks increases with S e and level of pre-existing damage. These results further reveal that the threshold S e value (S e th ) for track creation increases with decreasing pre-damage level. The values of S e th increase from 5.02 keV nm -1 , for a pre-existing fractional disorder of 0.53 in KTaO 3 , to 10.81 keV nm -1 for pristine KTaO 3 . Above these thresholds, amorphous latent tracks are produced due local melting and rapid quenching. Below a disorder fraction of 0.08 and S e ≤ 6.68 keV nm -1 , the synergistic effect is not active, and damage accumulation is suppressed due to a competing ionization-induced damage annealing process. These results indicate that, depending on S e and the amount of pre-existing damage, highly ionizing ions can either enhance or suppress damage accumulation in KTaO 3 , thus providing a pathway to tailoring defects states. Comprehending the conflicting roles of highly ionizing ions in defective ABO 3 oxides is vital for understanding and predictive modeling of ion-solid interactions in complex oxides, as well as for achieving control over ion track size in the near-surface of defective KTaO 3 .

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

MoS 2 nanosheet integrated electrodes with engineered 1T-2H phases and defects for efficient hydrogen production in practical PEM electrolysis

Low electrical conductivity and poor accessibility of MoS 2 reaction sites raise great challenges in maximizing the triple-phase-boundary (TPB) sites of MoS 2 -based electrodes and minimizing ohmic losses for efficient hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in practical proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolysis. Herein, we report a scalable hydrothermal approach to fabricate ionomer-free integrated electrodes with engineered 1 T-2 H heterophase and defect-rich MoS 2 nanosheets (MoS 2 NSs) in-situ grown onto the carbon fiber paper (CFP). With an ultralow loading of 0.14 mg/cm 2 , a small voltage of 2.25 V was obtained at 2000 mA/cm 2 in a practical cell with Nafion115 membrane, which outperforms all previously reported high-loading non-precious catalyst-based electrodes. Impressively, it shows 44 times higher mass activity than a high-loading and ionomer-mixed MoS 2 assemblies electrode. Furthermore, this work builds a bridge from catalyst optimization to electrode fabrication and provides a promising direction for improving intrinsic catalytic activity, electrode conductivity and stability for practical PEM water electrolysis.

1T-2H heterophase↗
DOE OSTI2023

α-Quartz Phase Stabilization, Surface Texturing, and Tunable Optical Properties of Nanocrystalline GeO 2 Films Made by Pulsed-Laser Deposition: Implications for Optical and Optoelectronic Applications

Germanium oxide (GeO 2 ) has great potential in multifunctional devices and next-generation power electronics due to its high thermal conductivity and ambipolar doping capability. However, the complexity of synthesizing the desirable polymorph with a controlled phase, surface/interface quality, microstructure, and functional properties is the main barrier to GeO 2 utilization in advanced applications. Here, in this regard, we present a method to realize the hexagonal (h) or a-quartz type GeO 2 with nano-textured surface morphology on sapphire substrates using a hybrid synthesis strategy that comprises pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and post-deposition thermal annealing. We performed a comprehensive study to investigate the effect of annealing temperature, which was varied in a wide range (600-1100 °C), on the crystal structure, phase, surface morphology, chemical stoichiometry, defect states, and optical properties of PLD-grown GeO 2 films. As-deposited GeO 2 films at 500 °C were amorphous. Upon annealing, the GeO 2 films induced an amorphous-to-crystalline phase transformation; GeO 2 films annealed at higher annealing temperatures (≥900 °C) stabilized in the hexagonal phase and demonstrated excellent crystal quality and chemical stability. Thermally activated growth process showed increased average crystallite size, which was varied in the range of 20-130 (±2) nm, while the surface roughness followed a similar trend. The spectral transmittance and band gap also increased with increasing annealing temperature. The resulting h-GeO 2 films, particularly those obtained at annealing temperatures in the 900-1100 °C range, had a higher band gap of 6.2-6.3 eV and displayed excellent optical transmittance in the visible region. Moreover, the absence of extended valence band maxima and reduced optical defect density support the quality improvement upon annealing. When considering phase-pure bulk and nanostructured GeO 2 as a possible candidate for ultra wide band gap semiconductors in cutting-edge technological applications, the results of the current work can be beneficial to realize high structural and optical quality a-quartz structured GeO 2 films.

GeO2↗
DOE OSTI2023

Charge Carrier Transport in Iron Pyrite Thin Films: Disorder-Induced Variable-Range Hopping

Here, the origin of p-type conductivity and the mechanism responsible for low carrier mobility were investigated in pyrite (FeS 2 ) thin films. Temperature-dependent resistivity measurements (10-400 K) were performed on polycrystalline and nanostructured thin films prepared by three different methods: (1) spray pyrolysis, (2) hot-injection synthesized and spin-coated nanocubes, and (3) pulsed laser deposition. The films have a high hole density (10 18 -10 19 ) cm -3 and low mobility (0.1-4 cm 2 V -1 s -1 ) regardless of the method used for their preparation. The charge transport mechanism is determined to be thermally activated conduction (TAC) at near room temperature, with Mott-type variable-range hopping (VRH) of holes via localized states occurring at lower temperatures. The density functional theory (DFT) predicts that sulfur vacancy induces localized defect states within the band gap and the charge remains localized around the defect. The data indicates that the electronic properties including hopping transport in pyrite thin films can be correlated to sulfur vacancy-related defects. The results provide insights into the electronic properties of pyrite thin films and their implications for charge transport.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Mechanism of tethered agonist-mediated signaling by polycystin-1

Mutations of polycystin-1 (PC1) are the major cause (85% of cases) of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), which is the fourth leading cause of kidney failure. PC1 is thought to function as an atypical G protein-coupled receptor, yet the mechanism by which PC1 regulates G-protein signaling remains poorly understood. A significant portion of ADPKD mutations of PC1 encode a protein with defects in maturation or reduced function that may be amenable to functional rescue. In this work, we have combined complementary biochemical and cellular assay experiments and accelerated molecular simulations, which revealed an allosteric transduction pathway in activation of the PC1 C-terminal fragment. Our findings will facilitate future rational drug design efforts targeting the PC1 signaling function. Polycystin-1 (PC1) is an important unusual G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) with 11 transmembrane domains, and its mutations account for 85% of cases of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). PC1 shares multiple characteristics with Adhesion GPCRs. These include a GPCR proteolysis site that autocatalytically divides these proteins into extracellular, N-terminal, and membrane-embedded, C-terminal fragments (CTF), and a tethered agonist (TA) within the N-terminal stalk of the CTF that is suggested to activate signaling. However, the mechanism by which a TA can activate PC1 is not known. Here, we have combined functional cellular signaling experiments of PC1 CTF expression constructs encoding wild type, stalkless, and three different ADPKD stalk variants with all-atom Gaussian accelerated molecular dynamics (GaMD) simulations to investigate TA-mediated signaling activation. Correlations of residue motions and free-energy profiles calculated from the GaMD simulations correlated with the differential signaling abilities of wild type and stalk variants of PC1 CTF. They suggested an allosteric mechanism involving residue interactions connecting the stalk, Tetragonal Opening for Polycystins (TOP) domain, and putative pore loop in TA-mediated activation of PC1 CTF. Key interacting residues such as N3074–S3585 and R3848–E4078 predicted from the GaMD simulations were validated by mutagenesis experiments. Together, these complementary analyses have provided insights into a TA-mediated activation mechanism of PC1 CTF signaling, which will be important for future rational drug design targeting PC1.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2026

Uniaxial tensile mechanical properties from a scratch on ultra-fine grained tungsten

We demonstrate that surface-based mechanical testing can be used to quantify a wide range of mechanical properties determined using traditional uniaxial tension experiments. These include mapping of dynamic stress–strain behaviour, which can be used as a screening tool for uniaxial tensile ductility (uniform elongation), fracture toughness (K C ), which is shown to be in good agreement with reported plane-strain K IC , as well work-hardening exponents (n), activation volumes (V) energies (Q) and strain-rate sensitivity (m) exponents as a function of temperature. Advantages of the surface-based approach are the ability to work with significantly smaller volumes and accommodate processing defects like pores, voids and cracks. These methods are applied to ultra-fine grained tungsten (average grain size of 650 nm), as it is an ideal candidate for alloy development efforts in advanced energy systems. Tungsten is a useful baseline as it exhibits a near-ambient temperature (approx. 200°C) ductile-to-brittle transition temperature (DBTT), enabling validation efforts for the proposed methods, and extraordinary material properties, including the highest melting temperature of any metal and complex temperature and strain-rate dependencies linked to transitions in dislocation mechanisms.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1986

Effects of excitation intensity on the photocurrent response of thin film silicon solar modules

Photocurrent responses of amorphous thin film silicon solar modules at room temperature were studied at different excitation intensities using various monochromatic light sources. Photocurrent imaging techniques have been effectively used to locate rapidly, and non-destructively, failure and defect sites in the multilayer thin film device. Differences observed in the photocurrent response characteristics for two different cells in the same amorphous thin film silicon solar module suggest the possibility of the formation of dissimilarly active devices, even though the module is processed in the same fabrication process. Possible mechanisms are discussed.

Kim, Q.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Multipurpose Pressure Vessel Scanner and Photon Doppler Velocimetry

Critical flight hardware typically undergoes a series of nondestructive evaluation methods to screen for defects before it is integrated into the flight system. Conventionally, pressure vessels have been inspected for flaws using a technique known as fluorescent dye penetrant, which is biased to inspector interpretation. An alternate method known as eddy current is automated and can detect small cracks better than dye penetrant. A new multipurpose pressure vessel scanner has been developed to perform internal and external eddy current scanning, laser profilometry, and thickness mapping on pressure vessels. Before this system can be implemented throughout industry, a probability of detection (POD) study needs to be performed to validate the system's eddy current crack/flaw capabilities. The POD sample set will consist of 6 flight-like metal pressure vessel liners with defects of known size. Preparation for the POD includes sample set fabrication, system operation, procedure development, and eddy current settings optimization. For this, collaborating with subject matter experts was required. This technical paper details the preparation activities leading up to the POD study currently scheduled for winter 2015/2016. Once validated, this system will be a proven innovation for increasing the safety and reliability of necessary flight hardware. Additionally, testing of frangible joint requires Photon Doppler Velocimetry (PDV) and Digital Image Correlation instrumentation. There is often noise associated with PDV data, which necessitates a frequency modulation (FM) signal-to-noise pre-test. Generally, FM radio works by varying the carrier frequency and mixing it with a fixed frequency source, creating a beat frequency which is represented by audio frequency that can be heard between about 20 to 20,000 Hz. Similarly, PDV reflects a shifted frequency (a phenomenon known as the Doppler Effect) from a moving source and mixes it with a fixed source frequency, which results in a beat frequency. However, for PDV, discerning the signal from the noise is difficult without a moving source to induce the modulation. A rotating wheel is currently being used as the moving source but its configuration is impractical and has cumbersome placement inside the current frangible joint test cell. As a way to combat this problem and verify a satisfactory signal-to-noise ratio, a reflective moving crystal piezo will be used to modulate a beat frequency, and an absorptive target will be used to block the signal in order to determine any back reflection coming from the probe and discern the true signal-to-noise ratio. The piezo will be mounted and inserted onto the test table on an extendable telescopic antenna grounded by a magnetic base in the test zone. This piezo configuration will be more compatible within the test zone and allow for easy removal of the disk following acceptable signal verification and prior to frangible joint tests.

Ellis, Tayera↗