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At least 703 records · Page 39

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NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Simultaneous Orthogonal Imaging for Cold Flow Characterization of Additively Manufactured Injector Elements

Additively manufactured (AM) injectors have the potential to improve characteristic velocity (C*) performance beyond the 90-97% of theoretical C* performance seen by traditionally manufactured (TM) combustion device injectors. Maximized C* performance yields high overall combustion efficiency in all types of combustion devices, particularly liquid rocket engines (LREs) and rotating detonation rocket engines (RDREs). A high degree of propellant atomization and mixedness is required to achieve maximum C* performance and therefore high overall combustion efficiency. This study focused on measuring and comparing the performance of different novel AM injector elements over a broad range of operating conditions under high pressure, cold flow. As part of this work, a high pressure, cold flow experimental spray facility was designed to measure each element’s injector spray patterns under pressures ranging from 50 to 1000 psig and stiffness ratios from 0.5 to 2.0. Preliminary results are presented from orthogonal, simultaneous imaging comparing atomization and spray geometry between quad, trio, pentad, slotted, and triplet impingers in gas-liquid flow.

Ari D Goldman↗

DOE OSTI2018

Thick Co-Extruded Cathode Electrodes for High Energy Lithium-Ion Batteries

Co-Extrusion (CoEx) is a high speed, scalable deposition process for creating finely patterned, interdigitated thick films. Our CoEx printhead is designed to be a drop-in replacement for slot-die heads on web coaters, enabling novel geometric structuring of electrodes with minor changes to existing battery electrode processing lines. Here, we present the use of CoEx to prepare thick (~ 120 µm) NMC cathode electrodes consisting of alternating regions of high lithium-ion transport and high lithium-ion storage capacity. By structuring the cathode electrode, we enable full lithium utilization at C/2, despite near doubling of the electrode thickness compared to conventional baseline electrodes. CoEx cathode electrodes are paired with thick, graded graphite anode electrodes and assembled into 1 Ah pouch cells for electrochemical testing. CoEx pouch cells demonstrate 10 – 20% improved energy density with respect to conventional electrodes and > 30% improved power density with respect to thick conventional (unstructured) electrodes at high discharge rates,

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

NASA NTRS1975

Separation of man-made and natural patterns in high-altitude imagery of agricultural areas

A nonstationary linear digital filter is designed and implemented which extracts the natural features from high-altitude imagery of agricultural areas. Essentially, from an original image a new image is created which displays information related to soil properties, drainage patterns, crop disease, and other natural phenomena, and contains no information about crop type or row spacing. A model is developed to express the recorded brightness in a narrow-band image in terms of man-made and natural contributions and which describes statistically the spatial properties of each. The form of the minimum mean-square error linear filter for estimation of the natural component of the scene is derived and a suboptimal filter is implemented. Nonstationarity of the two-dimensional random processes contained in the model requires a unique technique for deriving the optimum filter. Finally, the filter depends on knowledge of field boundaries. An algorithm for boundary location is proposed, discussed, and implemented.

Samulon, A. S.↗

DOE OSTI2024

Phase Identification in Synchrotron X-ray Diffraction Patterns of Ti–6Al–4V Using Computer Vision and Deep Learning

X-ray diffraction patterns contain information about the atomistic structure and microstructure (defect population) of materials, extracting detailed information from diffraction patterns is complex, demanding and relies on prior knowledge. Here, we hypothesize that deep-learning techniques can help to perform an effective and accurate analysis with high throughput rates. To demonstrate this concept, we applied a novel deep learning framework to determine the evolution of the β-phase volume fraction in a Ti–6Al–4V alloy during heat-treatment from video sequences of 2D diffraction patterns recorded in transmission and with highly monochromatic radiation in a synchrotron beamline. In particular, we studied the impact of network design on prediction reliability and computational performance. Networks of different architectures were trained using 3008 experimental 2D patterns. A well-tuned model was found to reproduce the phase fractions of another experimental data set, consisting of 1100 diffraction patterns, with a mean-square error as small as 2.6 x 10 -4 . The average prediction error of β-phase volume fraction was within 1.6 x 10 -2 (in each diffraction pattern) of the values obtained by conventional methods. Our work demonstrates that convolutional neural networks can evaluate high energy X-ray diffraction patterns with a remarkable level of reliability. Furthermore, it demonstrates the significance of network design on the reliability of predictions and computational performance. The most complex models do not necessarily result in highest accuracy and may even fail to learn from the data.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2021

Effect of Glacial/Interglacial Recharge Conditions on Flow of Meteoric Water Through Deep Orogenic Faults: Insights Into the Geothermal System at Grimsel Pass, Switzerland

Many meteoric-recharged, fault-hosted geothermal systems in amagmatic orogenic belts have been active through the Pleistocene glacial/interglacial climate fluctuations. The effects of such climate-induced recharge variations on fluid flow patterns and residence times of the thermal waters are complex and may influence how the geothermal and mineralization potential of the systems are evaluated. We report systematic thermal–hydraulic simulations designed to reveal the effects of recharge variations, using a model patterned on the orogenic geothermal system at Grimsel Pass in the Swiss Alps. Fault-bound circulation of meteoric water through the Grimsel fault is driven to depths of ~10 km by the high alpine topography. Simulations suggest that the current single pass flow is typical of interglacial periods, during which 1) meteoric recharge into the fault is high (above tens of centimeters per year), 2) conditions are at or somewhat below the critical Rayleigh number, and 3) the hydraulic connectivity along the fault plane is extensive (an extent of at least 10 km into increasingly higher terrain is required to explain the 10 km penetration depth). The subcritical condition constrains the bulk fault permeability to < 1e-14 m2. In contrast, the limited recharge during the numerous Pleistocene glaciation events likely induced a layered flow system with single pass flow confined to shallow depths while non-Rayleigh convection occurred in the deep fault. The same layering can be observed at low aspect ratios (length/depth) of the fault plane, when the available recharge area limits the flux through the fault.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

NASA NTRS1978

Analysis and design of optically pumped far infrared oscillators and amplifiers

A waveguide laser oscillator was designed and experimental measurements made of relationships among output power, pressure, pump power, pump frequency, cavity tuning, output beam pattern, and cavity mirror properties for various active gases. A waveguide regenerative amplifier was designed and gain measurements were made for various active gases. An external Fabry-Perot interferometer was fabricated and used for accurate wavelength determination and for measurements of the refractive indices of solids transparent in the far infrared. An electronic system was designed and constructed to provide an appropriate error signal for use in feedback control of pump frequency. Pump feedback from the FIR laser was decoupled using a vibrating mirror to phase modulate the pump signal.

Galantowicz, T. A.↗

NASA NTRS2017

Investigation of Vapor Cooling Enhancements for Applications on Large Cryogenic Systems

The need to demonstrate and evaluate the effectiveness of heat interception methods for use on a relevant cryogenic propulsion stage at a system level has been identified. Evolvable Cryogenics (eCryo) Structural Heat Intercept, Insulation and Vibration Evaluation Rig (SHIIVER) will be designed with vehicle specific geometries (SLS Exploration Upper Stage (EUS) as guidance) and will be subjected to simulated space environments. One method of reducing structure-born heat leak being investigated utilizes vapor-based heat interception. Vapor-based heat interception could potentially reduce heat leak into liquid hydrogen propulsion tanks, increasing potential mission length or payload capability. Due to the high number of unknowns associated with the heat transfer mechanism and integration of vapor-based heat interception on a realistic large-scale skirt design, a sub-scale investigation was developed. The sub-project effort is known as the Small-scale Laboratory Investigation of Cooling Enhancements (SLICE). The SLICE aims to study, design, and test sub-scale multiple attachments and flow configuration concepts for vapor-based heat interception of structural skirts. SLICE will focus on understanding the efficiency of the heat transfer mechanism to the boil-off hydrogen vapor by varying the fluid network designs and configurations. Various analyses were completed in MATLAB, Excel VBA, and COMSOL Multiphysics to understand the optimum flow pattern for heat transfer and fluid dynamics. Results from these analyses were used to design and fabricate test article subsections of a large forward skirt with vapor cooling applied. The SLICE testing is currently being performed to collect thermal mechanical performance data on multiple skirt heat removal designs while varying inlet vapor conditions necessary to intercept a specified amount of heat for a given system. Initial results suggest that applying vapor-cooling provides a 50 heat reduction in conductive heat transmission along the skirt to the tank. The information obtained by SLICE will be used by the SHIIVER engineering team to design and implement vapor-based heat removal technology into the SHIIVER forward skirt hardware design.

small scale testing↗

NASA NTRS1994

The 20 GHz circularly polarized, high temperature superconducting microstrip antenna array

The primary goal was to design and characterize a four-element, 20 GHz, circularly polarized microstrip patch antenna fabricated from YBa2Cu3O(x) superconductor. The purpose is to support a high temperature superconductivity flight communications experiment between the space shuttle orbiter and the ACTS satellite. This study is intended to provide information into the design, construction, and feasibility of a circularly polarized superconducting 20 GHz downlink or cross-link antenna. We have demonstrated that significant gain improvements can be realized by using superconducting materials for large corporate fed array antennas. In addition, we have shown that when constructed from superconducting materials, the efficiency, and therefore the gain, of microstrip patches increases if the substrate is not so thick that the dominant loss mechanism for the patch is radiation into the surface waves of the conductor-backed substrate. We have considered two design configurations for a superconducting 20 GHz four-element circularly polarized microstrip antenna array. The first is the Huang array that uses properly oriented and phased linearly polarized microstrip patch elements to realize a circularly polarized pattern. The second is a gap-coupled array of circularly polarized elements. In this study we determined that although the Huang array operates well on low dielectric constant substrates, its performance becomes extremely sensitive to mismatches, interelement coupling, and design imperfections for substrates with high dielectric constants. For the gap-coupled microstrip array, we were able to fabricate and test circularly polarized elements and four-element arrays on LaAlO3 using sputtered copper films. These antennas were found to perform well, with relatively good circular polarization. In addition, we realized a four-element YBa2Cu3O(x) array of the same design and measured its pattern and gain relative to a room temperature copper array. The patterns were essentially the same as that for the copper array. The measured gain of the YBCO antenna was greater than that for the room temperature copper design at temperatures below 82K, reaching a value of 3.4 dB at the lowest temperatures.

Morrow, Jarrett D.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Flight test of a displacement sidearm controller

A six-axis displacement-stick sidearm controller was developed to enable single-handed control of remote manipulator operations in space. With a working model available, piloted evaluation became possible in a fly-by-computer variable-stability research aircraft, originally a Bell 205 helicopter. The original mechanization was limited to three rotational axes and a linear one, analogous to the collective stick. A newly designed short stickgrip was mounted and the spring force pattern adjusted to suit the helicopter flight control environment. A standard set of test maneuvers was flown by four experimental pilots with conventional helicopter flight controls and with sidearm controllers equipped with two different handgrips. Existing data from flight tests with an isometric-stick controller were added to complete the comparison. The displacement controller consistently achieved a rating of 3.0 to 3.5 on the Cooper-Harper scale, on par with the conventional controls. The same basic controller design was tested in spacecraft and remote manipulator simulations with very promising results. In each application operator/system integration was rapid and positive. The results demonstrate feasibility and support the design philosphy of using deflection as well as force to generate proprioceptive feedback.

Lippay, A. L.↗

NASA NTRS1973

On the design of wave digital filters with low sensitivity properties.

The wave digital filter patterned after doubly terminated maximum available power (MAP) networks by means of the Richard's transformation has been shown to have low-coefficient-sensitivity properties. This paper examines the exact nature of the relationship between the wave-digital-filter structure and the MAP networks and how the sensitivity property arises, which permits implementation of the digital structure with a lower coefficient word length than that possible with the conventional structures. The proper design procedure is specified and the nature of the unique complementary outputs is discussed. Finally, an example is considered which illustrates the design, the conversion techniques, and the low sensitivity properties.

Renner, K.↗

DOE OSTI2022

Optimization of irradiation configuration using spherical t-designs for laser-direct-drive inertial confinement fusion

Abstract A new class of beam configurations is proposed for symmetric-direct-drive inertial confinement fusion laser systems. These configurations are based on spherical t -designs that are studied in spherical design theory in mathematics (Delsarte et al 1977 Geom. Dedicata 6 363). Employing t -design configurations offers elimination of spherical-harmonic intensity modulations for modes ℓ ⩽ t . Additionally, these configurations provide fast decay of intensity nonuniformities with increasing number of beams and symmetric intensity patterns on the surface of the target. Methods developed in spherical design theory offer a convenient, systematic way of obtaining beam configurations for an arbitrary number of beams.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

NASA NTRS1988

Experimental investigation of the performance of a supersonic compressor cascade

Results are presented from an experimental investigation of a linear, supersonic, compressor cascade tested in the supersonic cascade wind tunnel facility at the DFVLR in Cologne, Federal Republic of Germany. The cascade design was derived from the near-tip section of a high-through-flow axial flow compressor rotor with a design relative inlet Mach number of 1.61. Test data were obtained over a range of inlet Mach numbers from 1.23 to 1.71, and a range of static pressure ratios and axial-velocity-density ratios (AVDR) at the design inlet condition. Flow velocity measurements showing the wave pattern in the cascade entrance region were obtained using a laser transit anemometer. From these measurements, some unique-incidence conditions were determined, thus relating the supersonic inlet Mach number to the inlet flow direction. The influence of static pressure ratio and AVDR on the blade passage flow and the blade-element performance is described, and an empirical correlation is used to show the influence of these two (independent) parameters on the exit flow angle and total-pressure loss for the design inlet condition.

Tweedt, D. L.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Some aspects of robotics calibration, design and control

The main objective is to introduce techniques in the areas of testing and calibration, design, and control of robotic systems. A statistical technique is described that analyzes a robot's performance and provides quantitative three-dimensional evaluation of its repeatability, accuracy, and linearity. Based on this analysis, a corrective action should be taken to compensate for any existing errors and enhance the robot's overall accuracy and performance. A comparison between robotics simulation software packages that were commercially available (SILMA, IGRIP) and that of Kennedy Space Center (ROBSIM) is also included. These computer codes simulate the kinematics and dynamics patterns of various robot arm geometries to help the design engineer in sizing and building the robot manipulator and control system. A brief discussion on an adaptive control algorithm is provided.

Tawfik, Hazem↗

DOE OSTI2025

A Novel Manufacturing Process of Lightweight Automotive Seats: Integration of Additive Manufacturing and Reinforced Polymer Composite

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

DOE OSTI2025

A Novel Manufacturing Process of Lightweight Automotive Seats (Integration of Additive Manufacturing and Reinforced Polymer Composite)

Lightweight automotive seats offer multiple benefits to original equipment manufacturers in terms of cost savings from various aspects, including less material usage, more integrated processes, and compliance with Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards. Original equipment manufacturers have been focusing on innovative ways to produce light weight automotive seats. The commercially available automotive seats are currently made of multiple metal components combined through welding and fasteners. The use of additive manufacturing and composite structures is particularly useful for light weighting the automotive components. Additive manufacturing (AM) offers multiple advantages over traditional manufacturing processes such as freedom of design thereby enabling complex structural geometries, mass customization and waste minimization, and control over the fiber alignment through deposition in a predetermined pattern. Combining metal inserts with polymer composites through a novel manufacturing process allows design of lightweight and high-performance materials for automotive components. However, fabricating these metal polymer composite structures through traditional manufacturing processes limits their mechanical properties due to limited design freedom, lack of control over fiber orientation in composite parts, and poor interfacial bonding between the constituent materials. It is essential to develop a novel manufacturing process to enable high throughput production of lightweight automotive seats using metal and polymer composites. As such it is important to design the automotive seat suitable for manufacturing via this process and perform mechanical characterization on various subcomponents of the seat to ensure that the design and performance requirements provided by the auto manufacturer are met. The aim of this project is to develop a novel manufacturing technique to produce lightweight automotive seat by combining AM with conventional manufacturing processes. The car seat back panel will be designed via topology optimization and numerical simulations to minimize the overall weight while ensuring it meets all the performance requirements. The optimization of the seat back structure will be based on computational stress analysis to maximize the stiffness and minimize the weight. Materials currently used by Ford Motor Company will be adopted for a few subcomponents while the in-house composite materials will be used for the rest of the seat back. The composite and metallic materials will be tested to determine their mechanical properties as these are necessary for simulations. A novel manufacturing process will be developed to integrate AM metal inserts with discontinuous reinforced composite through large scale additive manufacturing and compression overmolding processes. The developed manufacturing technique will be used to fabricated various subcomponents suitable for the seat back design and mechanically tested to determine their properties. The manufacturing of the lightweight seat back design through this process involves integrated AM metal inserts with the composite structure for recliner connection. The manufacturing of the entire seat back which is lightweight through the novel manufacturing process will be discussed. The performance of the designed seat back will be investigated through numerical simulations and shown to meet all the requirements provided by the auto manufacturer. The final goal of developing a novel manufacturing process for lightweight automotive seats is met through design optimization of seat back, manufacturing of subcomponents, mechanical characterization, and validation through numerical simulations. The routes to achieve the final goal of the project and the depth in which they were investigated changed throughout the project due to personnel changes and the COVID-19 pandemic. The project resulted in the development of a novel manufacturing process to integrate metal inserts with tailored polymer composite preforms through overmolding. Leveraging this proven manufacturing process, a lightweight seat back was designed through topology optimization and numerical simulations. The designed seat back uses AM metal inserts and compression overmolding of tailored polymer composite preforms obtained via large scale additive manufacturing. The metal polymer composite structures fabricated through this process exhibited enhancement in stiffness and improved ductility upon testing. Overall, the project provided an alternative design and manufacturing technique for automotive seat back that enables weight saving while meeting the safety and performance requirements.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

DOE OSTI2022

Strain‐Driven Mixed‐Phase Domain Architectures and Topological Transitions in Pb 1− x Sr x TiO 3 Thin Films

Abstract The potential for creating hierarchical domain structures, or mixtures of energetically degenerate phases with distinct patterns that can be modified continually, in ferroelectric thin films offers a pathway to control their mesoscale structure beyond lattice‐mismatch strain with a substrate. Here, it is demonstrated that varying the strontium content provides deterministic strain‐driven control of hierarchical domain structures in Pb 1− x Sr x TiO 3 solid‐solution thin films wherein two types, c / a and a 1 / a 2 , of nanodomains can coexist. Combining phase‐field simulations, epitaxial thin‐film growth, detailed structural, domain, and physical‐property characterization, it is observed that the system undergoes a gradual transformation (with increasing strontium content) from droplet‐like a 1 / a 2 domains in a c / a domain matrix, to a connected‐labyrinth geometry of c / a domains, to a disconnected labyrinth structure of the same, and, finally, to droplet‐like c / a domains in an a 1 / a 2 domain matrix. A relationship between the different mixed‐phase modulation patterns and its topological nature is established. Annealing the connected‐labyrinth structure leads to domain coarsening forming distinctive regions of parallel c / a and a 1 / a 2 domain stripes, offering additional design flexibility. Finally, it is found that the connected‐labyrinth domain patterns exhibit the highest dielectric permittivity.

Kavle, Pravin↗

DOE OSTI2022

Understanding and Leveraging the I/O Patterns of Emerging Machine Learning Analytics

The scientific community is currently experiencing unprecedented amounts of data generated by cutting-edge science facilities. Soon facilities will be producing up to 1 PB/s which will force scientist to use more autonomous techniques to learn from the data. The adoption of machine learning methods, like deep learning techniques, in large-scale workflows comes with a shift in the workflow’s computational and I/O patterns. These changes often include iterative processes and model architecture searches, in which datasets are analyzed multiple times in different formats with different model configurations in order to find accurate, reliable and efficient learning models. This shift in behavior brings changes in I/O patterns at the application level as well at the system level. These changes also bring new challenges for the HPC I/O teams, since these patterns contain more complex I/O workloads. In this paper we discuss the I/O patterns experienced by emerging analytical codes that rely on machine learning algorithms and highlight the challenges in designing efficient I/O transfers for such workflows. We comment on how to leverage the data access patterns in order to fetch in a more efficient way the required input data in the format and order given by the needs of the application and how to optimize the data path between collaborative processes. We will motivate our work and show performance gains with a study case of medical applications.

Gainaru, Ana↗

DOE OSTI2023

Vis-SAGA: Visual Analytics for Situational Awareness of Grid Anomalies: Preprint

We describe supporting near real-time situational awareness of the electric distribution system by visualizing novel data from voltage sensors deployed on existing broadband cable television network equipment. Our scalable web-based visual analytics platform supports interactive geospatial exploration, time-series analysis, and summarization of grid behavior during potentially anomalous events. The broadband cable television sensor network provides observability of the electrical distribution system at a higher local spatial resolution than is typically available to most utilities, revealing the operational state of the network and aiding in the detection of abnormal behaviors or deviations from expected patterns, particularly across electric utility service areas. We outline the design and development of interactive geospatial and time-series visualization components and the scalable data services that supply metadata, historical, and real-time streams of sensor data across the network. We evaluate our platform during periods of extreme weather, demonstrating its ability to assist in detecting patterns of operation that affect power availability, quality, resiliency, and service restoration.

cable television↗