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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 73 records · Page 4
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2001

Impact of Energy Gain and Subsystem Characteristics on Fusion Propulsion Performance

Rapid transport of large payloads and human crews throughout the solar system requires propulsion systems having very high specific impulse (I(sub sp) > 10(exp 4) to 10(exp 5) s). It also calls for systems with extremely low mass-power ratios (alpha < 10(exp -1) kg/kW). Such low alpha are beyond the reach of conventional power-limited propulsion, but may be attainable with fusion and other nuclear concepts that produce energy within the propellant. The magnitude of energy gain must be large enough to sustain the nuclear process while still providing a high jet power relative to the massive energy-intensive subsystems associated with these concepts. This paper evaluates the impact of energy gain and subsystem characteristics on alpha. Central to the analysis are general parameters that embody the essential features of any 'gain-limited' propulsion power balance. Results show that the gains required to achieve alpha = 10(exp -1) kg/kW with foreseeable technology range from approximately 100 to over 2000, which is three to five orders of magnitude greater than current fusion state of the arL Sensitivity analyses point to the parameters exerting the most influence for either: (1) lowering a and improving mission performance or (2) relaxing gain requirements and reducing demands on the fusion process. The greatest impact comes from reducing mass and increasing efficiency of the thruster and subsystems downstream of the fusion process. High relative gain, through enhanced fusion processes or more efficient drivers and processors, is also desirable. There is a benefit in improving driver and subsystem characteristics upstream of the fusion process, but it diminishes at relative gains > 100.

Chakrabarti, S.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Gain Scheduling for the Orion Launch Abort Vehicle Controller

One of NASAs challenges for the Orion vehicle is the control system design for the Launch Abort Vehicle (LAV), which is required to abort safely at any time during the atmospheric ascent portion of ight. The focus of this paper is the gain design and scheduling process for a controller that covers the wide range of vehicle configurations and flight conditions experienced during the full envelope of potential abort trajectories from the pad to exo-atmospheric flight. Several factors are taken into account in the automation process for tuning the gains including the abort effectors, the environmental changes and the autopilot modes. Gain scheduling is accomplished using a linear quadratic regulator (LQR) approach for the decoupled, simplified linear model throughout the operational envelope in time, altitude and Mach number. The derived gains are then implemented into the full linear model for controller requirement validation. Finally, the gains are tested and evaluated in a non-linear simulation using the vehicles ight software to ensure performance requirements are met. An overview of the LAV controller design and a description of the linear plant models are presented. Examples of the most significant challenges with the automation of the gain tuning process are then discussed. In conclusion, the paper will consider the lessons learned through out the process, especially in regards to automation, and examine the usefulness of the gain scheduling tool and process developed as applicable to non-Orion vehicles.

McNamara, Sara J.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Characterization of NPP Visible/Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Reflective Solar Bands Dual Gain Anomaly

The Visible/Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) contains six dual gain bands in the reflective solar spectrum. The dual gain bands are designed to switch gain mode at pre-defined thresholds to achieve high resolution at low radiances while maintaining the required dynamic range for science. During pre-launch testing, an anomaly in the electronic response before transitioning from high to low gain was discovered and characterized. On-orbit, the anomaly was confirmed using MODIS data collected during Simultaneous Nadir Overpasses (SNOs). The analysis of the Earth scene data shows that dual gain anomaly can be determined at the orbital basis. To characterize the dual gain anomaly, the anomaly region and electronic offsets were tracked per week during the first 8 month of VIIRS operation. The temporal analysis shows the anomaly region can drift ~20 DN and is impacted by detectors DC Restore. The estimated anomaly flagging regions cover ~2.5 % of the high gain dynamic range and are consistent with prelaunch and on-orbit LUT. The prelaunch results had a smaller anomaly range (30-50 DN) and are likely the results of more stable electronics from the shorter data collection time. Finally, this study suggests future calibration efforts to focus on the anomaly's impact on science products and possible correction method to reduce uncertainties.

Lee, Shihyan↗
NASA NTRS2016

Temporal Gain Correction for X-Ray Calorimeter Spectrometers

Calorimetric X-ray detectors are very sensitive to their environment. The boundary conditions can have a profound effect on the gain including heat sink temperature, the local radiation temperature, bias, and the temperature of the readout electronics. Any variation in the boundary conditions can cause temporal variations in the gain of the detector and compromise both the energy scale and the resolving power of the spectrometer. Most production X-ray calorimeter spectrometers, both on the ground and in space, have some means of tracking the gain as a function of time, often using a calibration spectral line. For small gain changes, a linear stretch correction is often sufficient. However, the detectors are intrinsically non-linear and often the event analysis, i.e., shaping, optimal filters etc., add additional non-linearity. Thus for large gain variations or when the best possible precision is required, a linear stretch correction is not sufficient. Here, we discuss a new correction technique based on non-linear interpolation of the energy-scale functions. Using Astro-HSXS calibration data, we demonstrate that the correction can recover the X-ray energy to better than 1 part in 104 over the entire spectral band to above 12 keV even for large-scale gain variations. This method will be used to correct any temporal drift of the on-orbit per-pixel gain using on-board calibration sources for the SXS instrument on the Astro-H observatory.

X-ray detector X-ray spectrometer X-ray calorimete↗
DOE OSTI2018

Giant Modal Gain Coefficients in Colloidal II–VI Nanoplatelets

Modal gain coefficient is a key figure of merit for a laser material. Previously, net modal gain coefficients larger than a few thousand cm –1 were achieved in II–VI and III–V semiconductor gain media, but this required operation at cryogenic temperatures. In this work, using pump-fluence-dependent variable-stripe-length measurements, we show that colloidal CdSe nanoplatelets enable giant modal gain coefficients at room temperature up to 6600 cm –1 under pulsed optical excitation. Furthermore, we show that exceptional gain performance is common to the family of CdSe nanoplatelets, as shown by examining samples having different vertical thicknesses and lateral areas. Altogether, colloidal II–VI nanoplatelets with superior optical gain properties are promising for a broad range of applications, including high-speed light amplification and loss compensation in plasmonic photonic circuits.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Near-Infrared Optical Gain of Colloidal Quantum Wells via Intraband Transitions

Tunable, unipolar, near-infrared intraband optical gain is demonstrated in semiconductor colloidal quantum wells, expanding the form and optical range for potential infrared applications. Atomically flat colloidal quantum wells of cadmium selenide display photoinduced absorption features in the near-infrared assigned to intraband (alternatively intersubband) transitions from the first to second electron subbands of the quantum wells. Under ultraviolet optical excitation, these same transitions from the first to second electron subbands are shown to exhibit stimulated emission, resulting in optical gain covering the near-infrared spectral region. The modal gain, bandwidth, and lifetime of this intraband gain are manipulated by using excitation energy, fluence, temperature, and surface chemistry. Unlike previous demonstrations of intraband optical gain in epitaxial quantum wells (e.g., quantum cascade lasers), the colloidal quantum wells are undoped. As a result, nearly thresholdless gain is in principle possible and limited in practice by the measurement of small optical losses of the samples in the near-infrared. Furthermore, the observations may be understood as a modified "quantum fountain" employing the valence band, a strategy that may be applied to many other materials.

Optical gain↗
DOE OSTI2014

Many-body effects on optical gain in GaAsPN/GaPN quantum well lasers for silicon integration

Many-body effects on the optical gain in GaAsPN/GaP QW structures were investigated by using the multiband effective-mass theory and the non-Markovian gain model with many-body effects. The free-carrier model shows that the optical gain peak slightly increases with increasing N composition. In addition, the QW structure with a larger As composition shows a larger optical gain than that with a smaller As composition. On the other hand, in the case of the many-body model, the optical gain peak decreases with increasing N composition. Also, the QW structure with a smaller As composition is observed to have a larger optical gain than that with a larger As composition. This can be explained by the fact that the QW structure with a smaller As or N composition shows a larger Coulomb enhancement effect than that with a larger As or N composition. This means that it is important to consider the many-body effect in obtaining guidelines for device design issues.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2024

Electron energy gain due to a laser frequency modulation experienced by electron during betatron motion

Direct laser acceleration of electrons is an important energy deposition mechanism for laser-irradiated plasmas that is particularly effective at relativistic laser intensities in the presence of quasi-static laser-driven plasma electric and magnetic fields. These radial electric and azimuthal magnetic fields provide transverse electron confinement by inducing betatron oscillations of forward-moving electrons undergoing laser acceleration. Electrons are said to experience a betatron resonance when the frequency of betatron oscillations matches the average frequency of the laser field oscillations at the electron position. In this paper, we show that the modulation of the laser frequency as seen by an electron performing betatron oscillations can be another important mechanism for net energy gain that is qualitatively different from the betatron resonance. Specifically, we show that the frequency modulation experienced by the electron can lead to net energy gain in the regime where the laser field performs three oscillations per betatron oscillation. There is no net energy gain in this regime without the modulation because the energy gain is fully compensated by the energy loss. The modulation slows down the laser oscillation near transverse stopping points, increasing the time interval during which the electron gains energy and making it possible to achieve net energy gain.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2017

Spatial distribution of internal heat gains: A probabilistic representation and evaluation of its influence on cooling equipment sizing in large office buildings

Internal heat gains from occupants, lighting, and plug loads are significant components of the space cooling load in an office building. Internal heat gains vary with time and space. The spatial diversity is significant, even for spaces with the same function in the same building. The stochastic nature of internal heat gains makes determining the peak cooling load to size air-conditioning systems a challenge. The traditional conservative practice of considering the largest internal heat gain among spaces and applying safety factors overestimates the space cooling load, which leads to oversized air-conditioning equipment and chiller plants. In this study, a field investigation of several large office buildings in China led to the development of a new probabilistic approach that represents the spatial diversity of the design internal heat gain of each tenant as a probability distribution function. In a large office building, a central chiller plant serves all air handling units (AHUs), with each AHU serving one or more floors of the building. Therefore, the spatial diversity should be considered differently when the peak cooling loads to size the AHUs and chillers are calculated. Finally, the proposed approach considers two different levels of internal heat gains to calculate the peak cooling loads and size the AHUs and chillers in order to avoid oversizing, improve the overall operating efficiency, and thus reduce energy use.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Non-reciprocal acoustoelectric microwave amplifiers with net gain and low noise in continuous operation

Abstract Piezoelectric acoustic devices that are integrated with semiconductors can leverage the acoustoelectric effect, allowing functionalities such as gain and isolation to be achieved in the acoustic domain. This could lead to performance improvements and miniaturization of radio-frequency electronic systems. However, acoustoelectric amplifiers that offer a large acoustic gain with low power consumption and noise figure at microwave frequencies in continuous operation have not yet been developed. Here we report non-reciprocal acoustoelectric amplifiers that are based on a three-layer heterostructure consisting of an indium gallium arsenide (In 0.53 Ga 0.47 As) semiconducting film, a lithium niobate (LiNbO 3 ) piezoelectric film, and a silicon substrate. The heterostructure can continuously generate 28.0 dB of acoustic gain (4.0 dB net radio-frequency gain) for 1 GHz phonons with an acoustic noise figure of 2.8 dB, while dissipating 40.5 mW of d.c. power. We also create a device with an acoustic gain of 37.0 dB (11.3 dB net gain) at 1 GHz with 19.6 mW of d.c. power dissipation and a non-reciprocal transmission of over 55 dB.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2015

8-band and 14-band kp modeling of electronic band structure and material gain in Ga(In)AsBi quantum wells grown on GaAs and InP substrates

The electronic band structure and material gain have been calculated for GaAsBi/GaAs quantum wells (QWs) with various bismuth concentrations (Bi ≤ 15%) within the 8-band and 14-band kp models. The 14-band kp model was obtained by extending the standard 8-band kp Hamiltonian by the valence band anticrossing (VBAC) Hamiltonian, which is widely used to describe Bi-related changes in the electronic band structure of dilute bismides. It has been shown that in the range of low carrier concentrations n < 5 × 10{sup 18 }cm{sup −3}, material gain spectra calculated within 8- and 14-band kp Hamiltonians are similar. It means that the 8-band kp model can be used to calculate material gain in dilute bismides QWs. Therefore, it can be applied to analyze QWs containing new dilute bismides for which the VBAC parameters are unknown. Thus, the energy gap and electron effective mass for Bi-containing materials are used instead of VBAC parameters. The electronic band structure and material gain have been calculated for 8 nm wide GaInAsBi QWs on GaAs and InP substrates with various compositions. In these QWs, Bi concentration was varied from 0% to 5% and indium concentration was tuned in order to keep the same compressive strain (ε = 2%) in QW region. For GaInAsBi/GaAs QW with 5% Bi, gain peak was determined to be at about 1.5 μm. It means that it can be possible to achieve emission at telecommunication windows (i.e., 1.3 μm and 1.55 μm) for GaAs-based lasers containing GaInAsBi/GaAs QWs. For GaInAsBi/Ga{sub 0.47}In{sub 0.53}As/InP QWs with 5% Bi, gain peak is predicted to be at about 4.0 μm, i.e., at the wavelengths that are not available in current InP-based lasers.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Role of self-trapped holes in the photoconductive gain of β-gallium oxide Schottky diodes

Solar-blind photodetection and photoconductive gain > 50 corresponding to a responsivity > 8 A/W was observed for β-Ga 2 O 3 Schottky photodiodes. We investigated the origin of photoconductive gain. Current-voltage characteristics of the diodes did not indicate avalanche breakdown, which excludes carrier multiplication by impact ionization as the source for gain. However, photocapacitance measurements indicated a mechanism for hole localization for above-band gap illumination, suggesting self-trapped hole formation. Comparison of photoconductivity and photocapacitance spectra indicated that self-trapped hole formation coincides with the strong photoconductive gain. We conclude that self-trapped hole formation near the Schottky diode lowers the effective Schottky barrier in reverse bias, producing photoconductive gain. Ascribing photoconductive gain to an inherent property like self-trapping of holes can explain the operation of a variety of β-Ga 2 O 3 photodetectors.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Impact of proton irradiation on 4H-SiC Low Gain Avalanche Detectors (LGADs)

Silicon carbide (SiC) particle detectors have the potential to provide time resolutions and robust performance in extreme environments which exceed that of silicon detectors. In this work 4H-SiC low gain avalanche detectors (LGADs) and complementary PiN diodes were irradiated with 2.5 GeV protons at fluences up to 3.33 × 10 14 p/cm 2 . The electrostatic performance of both irradiated and non-irradiated devices was evaluated using I-V and C-V measurements. Moreover, charge collection measurements using α particles were also conducted. SiC LGADs displayed a loss in rectification, high ON-state resistances >10 10 Ω-cm 2 , and the complete removal of gain when exposed to the highest proton fluence. Additionally, the reductions in capacitance and OFF-state current pointed to compensation of the gain layer as a gain reducing mechanism. The introduction of radiation-induced defects also hinders carrier acceleration, which reduces impact ionization and further gain reduction. LGADs exposed to a fluence of 1 × 10 14 p/cm 2 experienced a partial recovery in gain (originally having a value of ∼ 2) with a value of ∼ 1.65 when applying a bias of 500 V. Charge trapping was also seen in the reduction of charge collection efficiency (CCE) to ∼ 65% for the PiN diode. However, despite the reduction in device performance, the demonstration of a measurable signal after irradiation points to the potential of SiC LGAD detectors for future high energy physics applications.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Adaptive PID Gain Scheduling Control for Hydropower Turbine Using Neural CDE and Stochastic Distribution Shaping

This paper introduces a gain-scheduling PID controller design strategy for hydroturbine frequency control mode. This scheme first uses real data to learn the nonlinear dynamics of the hydroturbine using neural controlled differential equations and then perturbs the obtained nonlinear system at different equilibrium points, based on which a static output feedback adaptive dynamic programming algorithm is then used to optimize the PID gains for each equilibrium point. Moreover, a continuous-time version of stochastic distribution control is proposed to further fine-tune the optimized PID gains. Finally, the controller is obtained by implementing linear interpolation between the optimized PID control gains. The simulation results show that the proposed gain-scheduling PID controller can control a larger range of operation points compared with the given fixed PID controller and the baseline method. Compared with the given fixed PID controller, the proposed gain-scheduling PID controller can regulate hydroturbine frequency against disturbances induced by power-load variation with over 50% less overshoot for some operation points.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Maximizing Strength: The Stimuli and Mediators of Strength Gains and Their Application to Training and Rehabilitation

Abstract Spiering, BA, Clark, BC, Schoenfeld, BJ, Foulis, SA, and Pasiakos, SM. Maximizing strength: the stimuli and mediators of strength gains and their application to training and rehabilitation. J Strength Cond Res 37(4): 919–929, 2023—Traditional heavy resistance exercise (RE) training increases maximal strength, a valuable adaptation in many situations. That stated, some populations seek new opportunities for pushing the upper limits of strength gains (e.g., athletes and military personnel). Alternatively, other populations strive to increase or maintain strength but cannot perform heavy RE (e.g., during at-home exercise, during deployment, or after injury or illness). Therefore, the purpose of this narrative review is to (a) identify the known stimuli that trigger gains in strength; (b) identify the known factors that mediate the long-term effectiveness of these stimuli; (c) discuss (and in some cases, speculate on) potential opportunities for maximizing strength gains beyond current limits; and (d) discuss practical applications for increasing or maintaining strength when traditional heavy RE cannot be performed. First, by conceptually deconstructing traditional heavy RE, we identify that strength gains are stimulated through a sequence of events, namely: giving maximal mental effort, leading to maximal neural activation of muscle to produce forceful contractions, involving lifting and lowering movements, training through a full range of motion, and (potentially) inducing muscular metabolic stress. Second, we identify factors that mediate the long-term effectiveness of these RE stimuli, namely: optimizing the dose of RE within a session, beginning each set of RE in a minimally fatigued state, optimizing recovery between training sessions, and (potentially) periodizing the training stimulus over time. Equipped with these insights, we identify potential opportunities for further maximizing strength gains. Finally, we identify opportunities for increasing or maintaining strength when traditional heavy RE cannot be performed.

Sport Sciences↗
NASA NTRS1971

Gain and power of CO2 gasdynamic lasers.

This paper presents experimental and theoretical studies of the small signal gain and the radiant power for one configuration of CO2 gasdynamic lasers to define the optimum-gas temperature, pressure and gas compositions for the gain and the laser power. The laser was operated with two gas mixtures (CO2-N2-He and CO2-N2-H2O) at temperatures of 800-2200 deg K, pressures of 2-16 atm, and a wide range of gas compositions. For this laser optimum gas temperatures were roughly 1500-1600 deg K for gain and more than 2200 deg K for power. It was found that the gasdynamic laser would not oscillate for He or H2O concentrations of less than 10% and 1%, respectively. The various kinetic processes for establishing gain and the various laser cavity parameters that determine laser power were examined. The theories were assessed for their ability to predict gain and power. In most cases, the gain theory gave excellent quantitative results whereas the power theory gave only qualitative results. Laser power of nearly 2 kw was obtained.

Lee, G.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Transmitter and receiver antenna gain analysis for laser radar and communication systems

A comprehensive and fairly self-contained study of centrally obscured optical transmitting and receiving antennas is presented and is intended for use by the laser radar and communication systems designer. The material is presented in a format which allows the rapid and accurate evaluation of antenna gain. The Fresnel approximation to scalar wave theory is reviewed and the antenna analysis proceeds in terms of the power gain. Conventional range equations may then be used to calculate the power budget. The transmitter calculations, resulting in near and far field antenna gain patterns, assumes the antenna is illuminated by a laser operating in the fundamental cavity mode. A simple equation is derived for matching the incident source distribution to a general antenna configuration for maximum on-axis gain. An interpretation of the resultant gain curves allows a number of auxiliary design curves to be drawn which display the losses in antenna gain due to pointing errors and the cone angle of the outgoing beam as a function of antenna size and central obscuration. The use of telescope defocusing as an approach to spreading the beam for target acquisition is compared to some alternate methods.

Klein, B. J.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Optical antenna gain. I - Transmitting antennas

The gain of centrally obscured optical transmitting antennas is analyzed in detail. The calculations, resulting in near- and far-field antenna gain patterns, assume a circular antenna illuminated by a laser operating in the TEM-00 mode. A simple polynomial equation is derived for matching the incident source distribution to a general antenna configuration for maximum on-axis gain. An interpretation of the resultant gain curves allows a number of auxiliary design curves to be drawn that display the losses in antenna gain due to pointing errors and the cone angle of the beam in the far field as a function of antenna aperture size and its central obscuration. The results are presented in a series of graphs that allow the rapid and accurate evaluation of the antenna gain which may then be substituted into the conventional range equation.

Klein, B. J.↗