Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “LABORATORY”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 73 records · Page 4
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2015

Experimental study of subcritical laboratory magnetized collisionless shocks using a laser-driven magnetic piston

Recent experiments at the University of California, Los Angeles have successfully generated subcritical magnetized collisionless shocks, allowing new laboratory studies of shock formation relevant to space shocks. The characteristics of these shocks are compared with new data in which no shock or a pre-shock formed. The results are consistent with theory and 2D hybrid simulations and indicate that the observed shock or shock-like structures can be organized into distinct regimes by coupling strength. With additional experiments on the early time parameters of the laser plasma utilizing Thomson scattering, spectroscopy, and fast-gate filtered imaging, these regimes are found to be in good agreement with theoretical shock formation criteria.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Laboratory investigation of hydraulic fracturing in granitic rocks using active and passive seismic monitoring

SUMMARY Knowledge of the fracturing processes can be important for the optimization of pressurized fluid injection operations in the deep underground rock mass. Active and passive seismic monitoring techniques have been used in the field for tracking or mapping the propagating hydraulic fracture. Although both these monitoring techniques provide valuable information about the generated fracture network, it is difficult for either technique to comprehensibly identify the different processes associated with hydraulic fracturing. The combined active and passive monitoring has the potential for better characterization of the complex hydraulic fracturing phenomena. In this study, laboratory hydraulic fracturing experiments with combined active and passive seismic monitoring were conducted on true triaxially loaded Barre granite cubes with different fluid injection rates. The seismic inelastic fracturing was detected by 16 passive acoustic emission sensors, where 3678 and 2370 seismic source events were detected for the high and low injection rate experiments, respectively. For active monitoring, strong variations in the attributes of signals were observed which were transmitted through four source–receiver pairs, placed both perpendicular and parallel to the generated hydraulic fracture. Positive velocity changes were observed for active sensor pairs with ray paths passing through the generated hydraulic fracture indicating fluid permeation, whereas isolated dry deformation was characterized by a slight but permanent velocity decrease. Compared to velocity, the energy of the active signals was 1–2 orders of magnitude more sensitive to different hydraulic fracturing processes. However, the sensitivity and signatures of the active signal attributes were found to be dependent on the frequency range and direction of ray path with respect to the location of the generated fracture network. Using the coupled evaluation of the active and passive signals we were able to systematically identify various hydraulic fracturing processes including: (1) aseismic deformation, (2) fracture initiation and fluid permeation, (3) pressure build-up, (4) fracture propagation and (5) pressure release and leak-off. The results of this study showed that combining the respective advantages of active and passive seismic techniques and using both of them to monitor the failure processes can facilitate a more comprehensive understanding and better control of the hydraulic stimulations in subsurface operations.

Geochemistry & Geophysics↗
DOE OSTI2023

Picosecond Synchronization System for the Distribution of Photon Pairs Through a Fiber Link Between Fermilab and Argonne National Laboratories

Here we demonstrate a three-node quantum network for C-band photon pairs using 2 pairs of 59 km of deployed fiber between Fermi and Argonne National Laboratories. The C-band pairs are directed to nodes using a standard telecommunication switch and the detection system is synchronized to picosecond scale timing resolution using a coexisting O-or L-band optical clock distribution system. We measure a reduction of coincidence to-accidental ratio (CAR) of the C-band pairs from 51 ± 2 to 5.3 ± 0.4 due to Raman scattering of the O-band clock pulses. Despite this reduction, the CAR is nevertheless suitable for quantum networks.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2023

Infrastructure Perception and Control Laboratory [ITS Research Lab]

U.S. Department of Energy national laboratories host world-class advanced computing and modeling capabilities. The National Renewable Energy Labowratory (NREL) inaugurated the Infrastructure Perception and Control Laboratory (IPC Lab) to advance mobility reach into real-world applications.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2024

History of Pu-238 Production Restart Efforts at Idaho National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory

In the early 2010s, efforts to restart production in the U.S. of plutonium-238 heat source (HSPu) material for NASA deep space missions were initiated. Processes, procedures, hardware, and chemical separations were developed and implemented to enable the production of heat source material at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Idaho National Laboratory (INL). Here, this review provides an overview of the timeline and efforts associated with the restart of production, as well as upcoming efforts to increase production.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

High-throughput sequencing of the chloroplast and mitochondrion of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii to generate improved de novo assemblies, analyze expression patterns and transcript speciation, and evaluate diversity among laboratory strains and wild isolates

Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is a unicellular chlorophyte alga that is widely studied as a reference organism for understanding photosynthesis, sensory and motile cilia, and for development of an algal-based platform for producing biofuels and bio-products. Its highly repetitive, ~205-kbp circular chloroplast genome and ~15.8-kbp linear mitochondrial genome were sequenced prior to the advent of high-throughput sequencing technologies. Here, high coverage shotgun sequencing was used to assemble both organellar genomes de novo. These new genomes correct dozens of errors in the prior genome sequences and annotations. Gen-ome sequencing coverage indicates that each cell contains on average 83 copies of the chloroplast genome and 130 copies of the mitochondrial genome. Using protocols and analyses optimized for organellar tran-scripts, RNA-Seq was used to quantify their relative abundances across 12 different growth conditions. Forty-six percent of total cellular mRNA is attributable to high expression from a few dozen chloroplast genes. RNA-Seq data were used to guide gene annotation, to demonstrate polycistronic gene expression, and to quantify splicing of psaA and psbA introns. In contrast to a conclusion from a recent study, we found that chloroplast transcripts are not edited. Unexpectedly, cytosine-rich polynucleotide tails were observed at the 3’-end of all mitochondrial transcripts. A comparative genomics analysis of eight laboratory strains and 11 wild isolates of C. reinhardtii identified 2658 variants in the organellargenomes, which is 1/10th as much genetic diversity as is found in the nucleus.

ftsH↗
DOE OSTI2013

SPIN effects, QCD, and Jefferson Laboratory with 12 GeV electrons

QCD and Spin physics are playing important role in our understanding of hadron structure. I will give a short overview of origin of hadron structure in QCD and highlight modern understanding of the subject. Jefferson Laboratory is undergoing an upgrade that will increase the energy of electron beam up to 12 GeV. JLab is one of the leading facilities in nuclear physics studies and once operational in 2015 JLab 12 will be crucial for future of nuclear physics. I will briefly discuss future studies in four experimental halls of Jefferson Lab.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Evaluation of a laboratory-developed multiplex real-time PCR assay for diagnosis of syphilis, herpes and chancroid genital ulcers in four public health laboratories in the USA

Objective To evaluate the field performance of a multiplex PCR (M-PCR) assay for detection of herpes simplex virus (HSV)-1 and HSV-2, Treponema pallidum ( T. pallidum ) and Haemophilus ducreyi ( H. ducreyi ) in genital ulcer disease (GUD) specimens. Methods GUD M-PCR was performed on 186 remnant specimens, previously collected for HSV testing, by four public health laboratories (PHLs) and the Laboratory Reference and Research Branch (LRRB) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The results from the PHLs were compared with those of LRRB, which served as the reference testing method, and percentage agreement was calculated. Results HSV was detected in 31 of 52 (59.6%), 20 of 40 (50%), 43 of 44 (97.7%) and 19 of 50 (38.0%) specimens from PHL1, PHL2, PHL3 and PHL4, respectively. There were seven discrepant results for HSV, and the overall percent agreement between the PHLs and the LRRB was 94%–100%, with a kappa value of 0.922, which demonstrates high agreement. T. pallidum was identified in 7 of 51 (13.7%) specimens from PHL1 with 94.1% agreement and in 2 of 40 (5.0%) specimens from PHL2 with 100% agreement. The LRRB identified three additional T. pallidum -positive specimens from PHL1. The kappa value (0.849) for T. pallidum testing suggests good agreement. Consistent with the LRRB results, no T. pallidum was detected in specimens from PHL3 and PHL4, and H. ducreyi was not detected at any of the study sites. Conclusions The GUD M-PCR assay performed well in four independent PHLs and 12 suspected syphilis cases were identified in this study. The M-PCR assay could provide improved diagnostic options for GUD infections in state and local PHLs.

Infectious Diseases↗
DOE OSTI2023

Cross-Section Comparison for Pu-238 Production in the Advanced Test Reactor at Idaho National Laboratory

Qualification of Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) positions for Pu-238 production has been ongoing at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The ATR qualifications have stretched over multiple years during which new techniques have been developed and made available for ATR experiment neutronic analysis. As part of the transition to newer codes, new cross-section libraries have been evaluated for use in the Pu-238 production experiment analysis. A comparative study was done using the MCNP ORGIEN Activation Analysis (MOAA) tool between ENDF/B-VII.0 and ENDF/B-VIII.0 cross sections to capture the impact of the change in cross-sections on the analysis needed to qualify Pu-238 production targets. All comparisons were done assuming the ATR GEN-I targets were located in the south flux trap of the ATR. Finally, an overview of how this qualification and potential irradiation fits into Pu-238 is discussed.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

Use of the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory at Brookhaven National Laboratory to Conduct Charged Particle Radiobiology Studies Relevant to Ion Therapy

Although clinical studies with carbon ions have been conducted successfully in Japan and Europe, the limited radiobiological information about charged particles that are heavier than protons remains a significant impediment to exploiting the full potential of particle therapy. There is growing interest in the U.S. to build a cancer treatment facility that utilizes charged particles heavier than protons. Therefore, it is essential that additional radiobiological knowledge be obtained using state-of-the-art technologies and biological models and end points relevant to clinical outcome. Currently, most such ion radiotherapy-related research is being conducted outside the U.S. This article addresses the substantial contributions to that research that are possible at the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), which is the only facility in the U.S. at this time where heavy-ion radiobiology research with the ion species and energies of interest for therapy can be done. Here in this paper, we briefly discuss the relevant facilities at NSRL and how selected charged particle biology research gaps could be addressed using those facilities.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2013

Argonne National Laboratory Annual Report of Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program Activities FY 2012

Our plans to upgrade the Advanced Photon Source are proceeding on schedule, and we hope to receive CD-2 approval sometime in spring 2013. When complete, the APS Upgrade will equip this vital facility for continued scientific leadership in the 21st century, providing the 5,000-plus members of our user community with greatly increased time, energy and spatial resolution. We also have successfully installed “Mira,” the new IBM Blue Gene/Q system at the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility. The world’s fourth-fastest supercomputer, Mira is now providing leading-edge computational power across all scientific disciplines. I am also pleased to report that Argonne’s new Energy Sciences Building is proceeding on schedule; we expect it to be finished and ready for occupancy by June 30, 2013. When complete, the ESB will be one of the most modern and most flexible energy labs in the world, creating a new home for researchers focused on a wide range of energy science challenges. Research is under way at the new multidisciplinary Institute for Molecular Engineering (IME), a joint program of the University of Chicago and Argonne. Over the past year, four new faculty members, including IME’s director, – all pre-eminent researchers who hold joint appointments at Argonne – have joined the IME. We look forward to working in collaboration with the IME to find new ways to address the interfaces between molecular-level science and powerful new technologies. In FY 2012, we continued support for the final year of the “Beyond Lithium-Ion” Director’s Grand Challenge LDRD project. That project enabled significant work on the performance of lithium-based energy storage systems, pointing the way to new high-energy-density lithium-air batteries. I believe this Grand Challenge contributed significantly to our successful bid to win designation of the Argonne-based Joint Center for Energy Storage Research (JCESR) as the DOE’s new Batteries and Energy Storage Hub. JCESR, which brings together a world-class “dream team” of national laboratories, universities and private sector partners, strongly benefited from LDRD program investments, both in FY2012 and in previous years. As we move forward in FY2013, the Director’s Grand Challenge is now focused on new ways to address the challenges of “big data” – the acquisition, storage, transfer, and analysis of both experimental and simulated data at scales approaching the limits of our current computational capacities. In managing Argonne’s LDRD program, we have adhered to the requirements of DOE Order 413.2b and associated guidelines. Our program management continually strives for increased efficiency. In addition to meeting all reporting requirements during FY 2012, our LDRD Program Office continues to implement intranet-based process enhancements to better serve all LDRD stakeholders, including our DOE Site Office colleagues. As the following individual project reports demonstrate, Argonne’s researchers are pursuing projects at the leading edge of science and engineering, and making significant contributions to the advancement of our laboratory’s major strategic initiatives. Evidence of the continuing strength of this program is found in the follow-on sponsorship won by many of these research projects, as well as in the numbers of publications, invited presentations, inventions, and new staff hires that are direct results of LDRD. LDRD enables exploration of new scientific directions and makes it possible to adapt quickly to a changing landscape with unexpected opportunities, while enhancing the capabilities of our researchers and our scientific facilities. For these reasons, LDRD remains an invaluable resource to address the future science and technology needs of DOE, and of our nation.

96 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION↗
DOE OSTI2014

Energy and Water Conservation Assessment of the Radiochemical Processing Laboratory (RPL) at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

This report summarizes the results of an energy and water conservation assessment of the Radiochemical Processing Laboratory (RPL) at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). The assessment was performed in October 2013 by engineers from the PNNL Building Performance Team with the support of the dedicated RPL staff and several Facilities and Operations (F&O) department engineers. The assessment was completed for the Facilities and Operations (F&O) department at PNNL in support of the requirements within Section 432 of the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007.

Johnson, Stephanie R.↗
DOE OSTI2014

Argonne National Laboratory Annual Report of Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program Activities FY 2014

Every day, scientists and engineers at Argonne National Laboratory make impor-tant discoveries that translate into a real difference in the world, working towards the Lab’s mission to develop energy solutions, preserve the environment, pro-tect the nation, and help the economy thrive.Argonne’s Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program is key to advancing our leadership in science and technology and enables us to explore new ideas, build new capabilities, and address emerging research opportunities.LDRD is an invaluable resource for contributing to the future science and tech-nology needs of DOE and the nation. It helps us investigate new directions for Department programs while being able to adapt to new opportunities in a changing environment. Equally crucially, it serves to maintain and enhance the capabilities of both our staff and our R&D facilities.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2017

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory FY 2016 Laboratory Directed Research and Development Annual Report

The LDRD annual report for FY2016 consists of two parts: The Overview. This section contains a broad description of the LDRD Program, highlights of recent accomplishments and awards, Program statistics, and the LDRD portfolio-management processes. Project Reports. Project reports are submitted by all principal investigators at the end of the fiscal year. The length and depth of the report depends on the project’s lifecycle. For projects that will be continuing the following year, the principal investigator submits a continuing project report, which is a brief update containing descriptions of the goals, scope, motivation, relevance (to DOE/NNSA and Livermore mission areas), and technical progress achieved in FY16, as well as a list of selected publications and presentations that resulted from the research. For projects that concluded in FY16, a more detailed final report is provided that is technical in nature and includes the background, objectives, scientific approach, accomplishments, and impacts on the Laboratory missions, as well as a list of publications and presentations that resulted from the research. Project reports are listed under their research topics and organized by year and type, such as exploratory research (ER), feasibility study (FS), laboratory-wide competition (LW), and strategic initiative (SI). Each project is assigned a unique tracking code, an identifier that consists of three elements. The first is the fiscal year in which the project began, the second represents the project type, and the third identifies the serial number of the project for that fiscal year. For example, 16-ERD-100 means the project is an exploratory research project that began in FY16. The three-digit number (100) represents the serial number for the project.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗