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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 703 records · Page 39
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Coupled Aerosol-Chemistry Simulations of the January 2022 Eruptions of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai in the NASA GEOS Earth System Model

The January 2022 eruptions of the underwater Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano injected more than 100 Tg of water vapor and approximately 0.5 Tg of sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere. Injected materials reached as high as ~55 km in altitude, while the main plume from the eruption travelled west over Australia and the Indian Ocean between about 20 – 30 km altitude. We investigate the transport and the impact of the erupted materials in coupled aerosol-chemistry simulations performed with the NASA Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) Earth system model. A sulfur mechanism introduced into the Global Modeling Initiative (GMI) stratospheric-tropospheric chemistry package allows for an interactive simulation of the water vapor-chemistry impacts, and the large water vapor perturbation results in rapid conversion of sulfur dioxide to sulfate aerosol in our aerosol mechanism. We report on the results of a multi-year ensemble of simulations performed with this system that include a control ensemble (no eruption), a water vapor-only injection ensemble, and a water vapor and sulfur dioxide injection ensemble. Simulations of the near-field aerosol and chemistry transport are compared to available measurements from OMPS-LP, OMPS-NM, CALIOP, MLS, and other sensors. The extended impact of the volcanic materials on the stratospheric composition and chemistry over the next several years is further investigated in forecast simulations.

Peter Colarco↗
DOE OSTI2025

Expediting field-effect transistor chemical sensor design with neuromorphic spiking graph neural networks

Improving the sensitive and selective detection of analytes in a variety of applications requires accelerating the rational design of field-effect transistor (FET) chemical sensors. Achieving high-performance detection relies on identifying optimal probe materials that can effectively interact with target analytes, a process traditionally driven by chemical intuition and time-consuming trial-and-error methods. To address the difficulties in probe screening for FET sensor development, this work presents a methodology that combines neuromorphic machine learning (ML) architectures, specifically a hybrid spiking graph neural network (SGNN), with an enriched dataset of physicochemical properties through semi-automated data extraction using large language models. Achieving a classification accuracy of 0.89 in predicting sensor sensitivity categories, the SGNN model outperformed traditional ML techniques by leveraging its ability to capture both global physicochemical properties and sparse topological features through a hybrid modeling framework. Next-generation sensor design was informed by the actionable insights into the connections between material properties and sensing performance offered by the SGNN framework. Through virtual screening for the detection of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as a use case, the effectiveness of the SGNN model was further validated. Density functional theory simulations confirmed graphene as a promising active material for PFAS detection as suggested by the SGNN framework. By bridging gaps in predictive modeling and data availability, this integrated approach provides a strong foundation for accelerating advancements in FET sensor design and innovation.

Ferreira, Rodrigo Pires [Univ. of Chicago, IL (Uni↗
DOE OSTI2020

MRDIS Case Study

The Mobile Radiation Detection and Identification System (MRDIS) is a large mobile scanner that inspects containers in transit from cargo ships for radiological materials. The MRDIS platform operates as a two-part system with one MRDIS using a plastic Polyvinyl Toleune (synthetic polymer) for primary detection and another MRDIS that uses spectroscopic detectors for secondary isotopic identification. MRDIS can operate either independently or as part of a team, depending on the needs of the port. MRDIS is controlled by a human operator, who searches the computer monitor for any traces of radiological materials when the containers pass through the center of the system. Each MRDIS can also feed data into a central system or collect data on its own for additional material analysis. The system integrates radiation detection, radioisotope identification, an optical character recognition system, occupancy/speed sensors, wireless communications, and data processing capabilities to discern what specific radiological materials are of particular interest. In addition, Sandia engineers created a detailed set of requirements for subsequent models, allowing for faster implementation of additional detection systems.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
NASA NTRS1987

Measuring Thicknesses of Wastewater Films

Sensor determines when thickness of film of electrically conductive wastewater on rotating evaporator drum exceeds preset value. Sensor simple electrical probe that makes contact with liquid surface. Made of materials resistant to chemicals in liquid. Mounted on shaft in rotating cylinder, liquid-thickness sensor extends toward cylinder wall so tip almost touches. Sensor body accommodates probe measuring temperature of evaporated water in cylinder.

Schubert, F. H.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Non-volatile magnetic random access memory

Improvements are made in a non-volatile magnetic random access memory. Such a memory is comprised of an array of unit cells, each having a Hall-effect sensor and a thin-film magnetic element made of material having an in-plane, uniaxial anisotropy and in-plane, bipolar remanent magnetization states. The Hall-effect sensor is made more sensitive by using a 1 m thick molecular beam epitaxy grown InAs layer on a silicon substrate by employing a GaAs/AlGaAs/InAlAs superlattice buffering layer. One improvement avoids current shunting problems of matrix architecture. Another improvement reduces the required magnetizing current for the micromagnets. Another improvement relates to the use of GaAs technology wherein high electron-mobility GaAs MESFETs provide faster switching times. Still another improvement relates to a method for configuring the invention as a three-dimensional random access memory.

Katti, Romney R.↗
DOE OSTI2023

IMS Rapid Response 2023-2 (RR 2023-RND-2): Magnetic order in layered bismuthide RhMnBi 3 (Final Report)

Microelectronics are technologies (mostly theoretical at this point) to create electronic circuits with components of atomic length scale. One of the key materials innovations enabling this technology is exfoliatable two-dimensional materials. These materials allow thin sheets of only a few atoms thick to be easily created in the laboratory. More and more of these materials are reported every year, but few have been characterized in detail. Thus a major goal in materials research in pursuit of microelectronic devices is characterizing newly discovered materials to evaluate their properties. The goal of this project was the measure and understand the magnetic order in a newly discovered van der Waals magnet RhMnBi 3 . Bulk property experiments indicated very complicated magnetic behavior, with multiple phase transitions between 2K and 300K (room temperature). This potentially indicated highly sensitive and tunable magnetism appropriate for single-layer magnetic switches and sensors.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS2014

Color Changing Material for Hydrogen Leak Detection

Kennedy Space Center scientists developed a hydrogen leak sensor utilizing a combination of chemochromic pigment and polymer that can be molded or fiber spun into rigid or flexible shapes such as tape. The sensor turns a dark color when exposed to hydrogen gas. This sensor has proven to be very effective for pinpointing the exact location of leaks in hydrogen gas lines and fittings at launch pads. Kennedy Space Center exclusively licensed this technology to the University of Central Florida (UCF), who also holds patents that are complimentary to KSC's. UCF has bundled the patents and exclusively licensed the portfolio to HySense Technology LLC, a startup company founded by a UCF professor who supports the UCF Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC). HySense has fully developed its product (known as Intellipigment"TM"), and currently has five commercial customers. The company recently won the $100,000 first-place award at the CAT5 innovation competition at the Innovation Concourse of the Southeast: Safety & Manufacturing event in Orlando, FL. Commercial production and sales of this technology by HySense Technology will make this leak sensor widely available for use by NASA, DoD, and industries that utilize hydrogen gas.

Material for Hyrogen↗
DOE OSTI2021

Tardigrade (NA-22 Quarterly Report)

Tardigrade is an effort to create tunable thermal expansion materials for use in a ruggedized lens housing. This requires new computational algorithms to model and predict thermal performance of meta-materials composed of multiple structured base materials and void-space, along with matching and developing 3D print technology to demonstrate the housing. The project is 24 months into the 36-month plan. We are continuing effort on 3 main technical thrusts: material design algorithm development (transitioning into full 3D design), multi-material additive manufacturing process exploration, and sensor/optics design and engineering. In the last quarter, we have focused on developing the code for 3D Topology Optimization, building data sets for 2D autoencoder training, and finishing lens housing engineering for the microbolometer based test sensor. We are exploring 2 potential multi-material AM technologies, a polymer-based technique in development at LLNL and a metal SLS system produced by Aconity, called the AeroSint deposition head.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Tardigrade (Quarterly Report Q1 FY2022)

Tardigrade is an effort to create tunable thermal expansion materials for use in a ruggedized lens housing. This requires new computational algorithms to model and predict thermal performance of meta-materials composed of multiple structured base materials and void-space, along with matching and developing 3D print technology to demonstrate the housing. The project is 27 months into the 36-month plan. We are continuing effort on 3 main technical thrusts: material design algorithm development (transitioning into full 3D design), multi-material additive manufacturing process exploration, and sensor/optics design and engineering. In the last quarter, we have focused on developing the code for 3D Topology Optimization, building data sets for 2D autoencoder training, and finishing lens housing engineering for the microbolometer based test sensor. We are exploring 2 potential multi-material AM technologies, a polymer-based technique in development at LLNL and a metal SLS system produced by Aconity, called the AeroSint deposition head.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Gas sensor and method of optimizing an array of gas sensors

A gas sensor (100,200) includes at least one sensor device including a surface acoustic wave (SAW) device (110) or a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) device (210), and a layer of metal organic framework (MOF) material (120,220) disposed on each of the at least one sensor device. The at least one sensor device is structured to sense a change in mass of the MOF material.

Wilmer, Christopher E.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Cement sensors with acoustic bandgaps using carbon nanotubes

Cement is widely used in wellbores to stabilize the steel casing used in wellbore operations for oil and gas production, enhanced geothermal systems and carbon sequestration, and to limit fluid movement between sub-surface strata. Flaws such as microcracks in wellbore cement can lead to leakage along the wellbore compromising wellbore integrity. There is an increasing need for methods to monitor cement crack propagation in wellbore environments. In this study, we develop and report the first cementitious sensors capable of exhibiting high frequency acoustic bandgaps (ABGs) using carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Computational simulations of a sensor unit cell are used to design cement-multi walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) sensors that show a wide bandgap. When the cement-MWCNTs sensors is embedded in cement specimens, bandgaps were measured experimentally under 300 kHz and under 600 kHz, consistent with the computationally predicted bandgaps in the range of 290–360 kHz, 410–460 kHz and 515–585 kHz. These bandgap features were absent in homogeneous cement specimens. X-ray tomographic reconstructions showed microscopic debonding at cement-MWCNTs sensor interface. Frequency response analysis of a three-dimensional computational model indicated a shift of frequency of minimum transmission due to the interface debonding, but no perturbation of bandgap response was observed. Here, the cement-MWCNTs sensors developed in this study show the potential of a packed CNT inclusion material in cementitious matrix to create ABGs in a cement matrix.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1985

Munsell color analysis of Landsat color-ratio-composite images of limonitic areas in southwest New Mexico

The causes of color variations in the green areas on Landsat 4/5-4/6-6/7 (red-blue-green) color-ratio-composite (CRC) images, defined as limonitic areas, were investigated by analyzing the CRC images of the Lordsburg, New Mexico area. The red-blue-green additive color system was mathematically transformed into the cylindrical Munsell color coordinates (hue, saturation, and value), and selected areas were digitally analyzed for color variation. The obtained precise color characteristics were then correlated with properties of surface material. The amount of limonite (L) visible to the sensor was found to be the primary cause of the observed color differences. The visible L is, is turn, affected by the amount of L on the material's surface and by within-pixel mixing of limonitic and nonlimonitic materials. The secondary cause of variation was vegetation density, which shifted CRC hues towards yellow-green, decreased saturation, and increased value.

Kruse, F. A.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Hydrogen sensing in different hydrogen-carrying gases using composites of PdSnO 2 and halloysite nanotubes

Here, in this work, we developed composites of palladium-decorated tin dioxide (PdSnO 2 ) and halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) by adding different amounts of HNTs as additives into PdSnO 2 , and investigated how the different amounts of HNTs in the composites and the different hydrogen (H 2 ) carrying gases (air and helium (He)) could affect the H 2 sensing performance of such composites (PdSnO 2 -HNT). Through the sensing-performance characterization using H 2 carried by air, it was found that PdSnO 2 with an appropriate small amount of HNTs (i.e., 2 % of PdSnO 2 mass) can improve the sensing performance with respect to limit of detection (LOD) and response/recovery time. Further, the optimal PdSnO2-HNT composite as a sensor was tested to detect H 2 in He. The testing results indicated that the composite can detect H 2 in He, but its performance parameters (i.e., the profile of calibration curve, LOD, and response time) are different from those of such a sensor in detecting H 2 in air. Moreover, the composite still presented better sensing performance than PdSnO 2 without HNTs in detecting H 2 in He. Possible reasons for the effects of HNT and H 2 -carrying gas on the sensing performance of PdSnO 2 -HNT-based sensors were discussed. We believe that this study provides valuable insights into the functionality and the adaptability of PdSnO 2 -HNT-based H 2 sensors in diverse operational conditions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS2002

Heat Flux Sensor Testing

This viewgraph presentation provides information on the following objectives: Developing secondary calibration capabilities for MSFC's (Marshall Space Flight Center) Hot Gas Facility (HGF), a Mach 4 Aerothermal Wind Tunnel; Evaluating ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) slug/ thinskin calorimeters against current HGF heat flux sensors; Providing verification of baselined AEDC (Arnold Engineering Development Center) / Medtherm gage calibrations; Addressing future calibration issues involving NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) certified radiant gages.

Clark, D. W.↗
NASA NTRS1988

In situ composite cure monitoring using infrared transmitting optical fibers

The development of infrared-transmitting optical fibers as sensors for monitoring the cure of advanced composite materials is reported. Fourier transform infrared spectra are presented which were remotely sensed during the cure of a high performance polyimide resin and a graphite/polyimide matrix prepreg using an 0.1 mm O.D. x 3 m chalcogenide optical fiber. A discussion of the fiber and sensor element, absorption mechanism and potential applications is presented.

Young, Philip R.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Developing a Facile Technology for Converting Domestic US Coal into High-Value Graphene

Universal Matter Ltd. was formed in July 2019 to scale-up and commercialize a breakthrough process, Flash Joule Heating (FJH), to transform different coal grades, into high-quality graphene. This graphene is made using a high-voltage electric discharge that brings the carbon source to temperatures higher than 3,000 K in less than 10 milliseconds. The short burst of electricity breaks all chemical bonds in the feedstock and reorders the carbon atoms into exceptionally thin layers of a special type of graphene, at an estimated $100 per ton in electricity cost. This process is capable of producing 1-5 layer-thick high-quality graphene (with defects of <0.05% and purity of >99%) in a green, practical, and cost-effective process. The graphene produced in the FJH process is a very special kind of graphene called “turbostratic graphene” (TG). TG offers superior physical properties compared to other graphene structures on a similar weight basis. Unlike graphene made from graphite using traditional techniques, the graphene layers in TG stack in an irregular pattern that allows the graphene powder to be exfoliated more easily and blend more evenly within other materials. The TG produced using our FJH technology is the most economical graphene product that opens up significant large volume markets for end-use applications; it would allow the use of TG made from coal for commercial applications in several market segments including energy storage, sensors, hyper-lubricants, reinforced plastics, and building materials such as concrete.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
DOE OSTI2020

Design of functional composite and all-inorganic nanostructured materials via infiltration of polymer templates with inorganic precursors

Robust and efficient approaches for the synthesis of materials with structure, porosity, and composition controlled at the nanoscale are highly important for a wide range of applications. Polymer templates are promising platforms to achieve such control. The self-assembly process of polymers provides access to diverse structures that can serve as templates for the deposition of inorganic materials. By infiltrating metal precursors from gas or liquid phases, using sequential infiltration synthesis (SIS) or swelling-based infiltration (SBI), respectively, into the polymer templates, one can create finely-tuned texturing of the surface films and bulk materials. In this review, we outline the specifics and dynamics of the polymer infiltration process and characterize the structure and properties of the synthesized materials. Finally, we highlight recent progress in implementing polymer infiltration-based nanoporous ceramics for many applications, including sensors, antireflective coatings, oil-absorbing foams, nanolithographic patterns, and catalytic materials.

Berman, Diana↗
NASA NTRS2007

Overview of NASA Langley's Piezoelectric Ceramic Packaging Technology and Applications

Over the past decade, NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) has developed several actuator packaging concepts designed to enhance the performance of commercial electroactive ceramics. NASA LaRC focused on properly designed actuator and sensor packaging for the following reasons, increased durability, protect the working material from the environment, allow for proper mechanical and electrical contact, afford "ready to use" mechanisms that are scalable, and develop fabrication methodology applicable to any active material of the same physical class. It is more cost effective to enhance or tailor the performance of existing systems, through innovative packaging, than to develop, test and manufacture new materials. This approach led to the development of several solid state actuators that include THUNDER, the Macrofiber Composite or (MFC) and the Radial Field Diaphragm or (RFD). All these actuators are fabricated using standard materials and processes derived from earlier concepts. NASA s fabrication and packaging technology as yielded, piezoelectric actuators and sensors that are easy to implement, reliable, consistent in properties, and of lower cost to manufacture in quantity, than their predecessors (as evidenced by their continued commercial availability.) These piezoelectric actuators have helped foster new research and development in areas involving computational modeling, actuator specific refinements, and engineering system redesign which led to new applications for piezo-based devices that replace traditional systems currently in use.

Bryant, Robert G.↗