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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 721 records · Page 40
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Effect of particle size and moisture on flow performance of loblolly pine anatomical fractions: Experimental findings and model predictions

The rising energy demand has highlighted biomass as a promising next-generation energy source. However, commercializing biomass-derived energy faces challenges, particularly in handling biomass feedstock. Factors like particle size, shape, moisture content, and surface roughness significantly impact biomass flowability. This study addresses a crucial knowledge gap by examining the effects of particle size and moisture content on the flow behavior and shear properties of different anatomical fractions of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda). The bulk shear behavior was examined using a Schulze ring shear tester, while flow performance was tested through gravity-driven flow experiments in a variable wedge-shape hopper. Results were incorporated into empirical and machine learning-based flow prediction models to evaluate their accuracy and limitations. The study found that samples with higher moisture content show higher unconfined yield strength. The critical arching distance increased with particle size, e.g., from approximately 13 and 33 mm for 2- and 6-mm whole chips, respectively at a 32-degree inclination angle. Conversely, the flow rate decreased for a given hopper opening as particle size increased. For instance, at a 60-mm hopper opening and a 32-degree inclination angle, the mass flow rates for 2- and 6-mm whole chips were 7.83 and 6.42 tonne/h, respectively. The empirical model consistently overpredicted the mass flow rate for all anatomical fractions, while the machine learning model more accurately predicted the central tendency of flow rate but was insensitive to varying tissue proportions. These novel findings provide comprehensive characterization of anatomical fractions, reveal significant combined effects of particle size and moisture content on biomass flow behavior, and demonstrate a better predictive accuracy of a machine learning model, all of which are useful for optimizing material handling strategies and biomass utilization technologies in the industry.

09 - BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Formation of lenticulae on Europa by saucer-shaped sills

Europa's surface contains numerous quasi-elliptical features called pits, domes, spots and small chaos. We propose that these features, collectively referred to as lenticulae, are the surface expression of saucer-shaped sills of liquid water in Europa's ice shell. In particular, the inclined sheets of water that surround a horizontal inner sill limit the lateral extent of intrusion, setting the lateral dimension of lenticulae. Furthermore, the inclined sheets disrupt the ice above the intrusion allowing the inner sill to thicken to produce the observed relief of lenticulae and to fracture the crust to form small chaos. Scaling relationships between sill depth and lateral extent imply that the hypothesized intrusions are, or were, 1–5 km below the surface. Lastly, liquid water is predicted to exist presently under pits and for a finite time under chaos and domes.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2019

Evidence for color dichotomy in the primordial Neptunian Trojan population

In the current model of early Solar System evolution, the stable members of the Jovian and Neptunian Trojan populations were captured into resonance from the leftover reservoir of planetesimals during the outward migration of the giant planets. As a result, both Jovian and Neptunian Trojans share a common origin with the primordial disk population, whose other surviving members constitute today's trans-Neptunian object (TNO) populations. The cold classical TNOs are ultra-red, while the dynamically excited "hot" population of TNOs contains a mixture of ultra-red and blue objects. In contrast, Jovian and Neptunian Trojans are observed to be blue. While the absence of ultra-red Jovian Trojans can be readily explained by the sublimation of volatile material from their surfaces due to the high flux of solar radiation at 5AU, the lack of ultra-red Neptunian Trojans presents both a puzzle and a challenge to formation models. In this work we report the discovery by the Dark Energy Survey (DES) of two new dynamically stable L4 Neptunian Trojans,2013 VX30 and 2014 UU240, both with inclinations i >30 degrees, making them the highest-inclination known stable Neptunian Trojans. We have measured the colors of these and three other dynamically stable Neptunian Trojans previously observed by DES, and find that 2013 VX30 is ultra-red, the first such Neptunian Trojan in its class. As such, 2013 VX30 may be a "missing link" between the Trojan and TNO populations. Using a simulation of the DES TNO detection efficiency, we find that there are 162 +/- 73 Trojans with Hr < 10 at the L4 Lagrange point of Neptune. Moreover, the blue-to-red Neptunian Trojan population ratio should be higher than 17:1. Based on this result, we discuss the possible origin of the ultra-red Neptunian Trojan population and its implications for the formation history of Neptunian Trojans.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2026

In situ quantification of fracture slip induced by hydraulic injections in a deep borehole: A comparison of two different borehole techniques

In situ measurements of fracture deformation during fluid injection are rare, yet essential for understanding the mechanical response of fractured rock. In this study, we evaluate the reliability of two methods by comparing their slip vector estimates: high-resolution borehole acoustic televiewer images captured before and after injection tests, and displacement data from a three-component borehole deformation probe recorded during the injections. Acoustic televiewer images capture only final in-plane displacement, whereas three-component borehole deformation measurements provide full 3D, transient fracture movement. Four injection tests in a fractured granitic rock mass along an inclined borehole at the Bedretto Underground Laboratory (Switzerland), beneath more than 1100 m of overburden, were analyzed. The two methods yielded consistent kinematics and comparable slip magnitudes, typically in the range of 0.2 – 0.6 mm. Angular differences between estimated slip directions ranged from 0.2° to 28°. For two test intervals with pre-existing fractures optimally oriented for slip, the measured slip vectors agreed with forward-modeled slip vectors based on the regional in situ stress field, supporting the Wallace–Bott hypothesis. Measurable shear displacement was identified in two test intervals containing fractures oriented nearly perpendicular to the least principal stress, including a newly formed hydraulic fracture. This demonstrates that even fractures unfavorably oriented for slip can undergo shear due to local stress perturbations around an inclined borehole.

Acoustic televiewer↗
DOE OSTI2018

Nitroaromatic-detecting zinc and cadmium coordination polymers with methyl-substituted aliphatic dicarboxylate and 4,4′-dipyridylamine ligands and diverse topologies

Highlights: • Zinc and cadmium aliphatic coordination polymers with 4,4′-dipyridylamine. • Mutual inclined, 4-fold dia, and 2-fold pcu interpenetrated topologies. • “turn-off” luminescence detection of nitroaromatics in ethanol suspension. - Abstract: Hydrothermal reaction of a metal nitrate, a methyl-substituted aliphatic dicarboxylic acid, and the hydrogen-bonding capable 4,4′-dipyridylamine (dpa) ligand afforded four crystalline coordination polymers whose dimensionality, topology, and interpenetration scheme depends on the aliphatic tether length, methyl group position, and coordination geometry at the metal. The four new phases were structurally characterized via single-crystal X-ray diffraction. [Zn(22dmg)(dpa)]{sub n} (1, 22dmg = 2,2-dimethylglutarate) displays a system of mutually inclined interpenetrated (4,4) grid coordination polymer layers. [Zn(33dmg)(dpa)]{sub n} (2, 33dmg = 3,3-dimethylglutarate), in contrast to 1, displays a stacked arrangement of pairs of (4,4) grid coordination polymer layers, without any interpenetration. [Zn(3mad)(dpa)]{sub n} (3, 3mad = 3-methyladipate) possesses a system of four-fold interpenetrated 6{sup 6} dia topology coordination polymer networks. [Cd(33dmg)(dpa)]{sub n} (4) displays a 2-fold interpenetrated 4{sup 12}6{sup 3} pcu 3D topology, based on pillaring of dimer-based [Cd{sub 2}(33dmg){sub 2}]{sub n} layers by pairs of dpa ligands. Luminescent behavior in 1–4 is attributed to intra-ligand molecular orbital transitions within the dpa aromatic pyridyl rings. The new phases were also surveyed for the ability to detect nitroaromatics in ethanol suspension, with 4 providing optimum response for nitrobenzene detection. Thermal decomposition behavior is also discussed herein.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2023

Factors influencing mode choice of adults with travel-limiting disability

Introduction: Despite the plethora of research devoted to analyzing the impact of disability on travel behavior, not enough studies have investigated the varying impact of social and environmental factors on the mode choice of people with disabilities that restrict their ability to use transportation modes efficiently. This research gap can be addressed by investigating the factors influencing the mode choice behavior of people with travel-limiting disabilities, which can inform the development of accessible and sustainable transportation systems. Additionally, such studies can provide insights into the social and economic barriers faced by this population group, which can help policymakers to promote social inclusion and equity. Method: This study utilized a Random Parameters Logit model to identify the individual, trip, and environmental factors that influence mode selection among people with travel-limiting disabilities. Here, using the 2017 National Household Travel Survey data for New York State, which included information on respondents with travel-limiting disabilities, the analysis focused on a sample of 8,016 people. In addition, climate data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration were integrated as additional explanatory variables in the modeling process. Results: The results revealed that people with disabilities may be inclined to travel longer distances walking in the absence of suitable accommodation facilities for other transportation modes. Furthermore, people were less inclined to walk during summer and winter, indicating a need to consider weather conditions as a significant determinant of mode choice. Moreover, low-income people with disabilities were more likely to rely on public transport or walking. Conclusion: Based on this study’s findings, transportation agencies could design infrastructure and plan for future expansions that is more inclusive and accessible, thus catering to the mobility needs of people with travel-limiting disabilities.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Creep property and microstructure evolution of a nickel-base single crystal superalloy in [011] orientation

The creep property and microstructure evolution of a single crystal superalloy with [011] orientation were investigated at the temperatures of 700 °C, 900 °C and 1040 °C. It is shown that there exist stages of primary, steady-state, and tertiary creep under the lower temperature 700 °C. As the temperature increases to high temperatures of 900 °C and 1040 °C, steady-state creep stage is reduced or disappears and the shape of creep curves is dominated by an extensive tertiary stage. The minimum creep strain rate exhibits power law dependence on the applied stress; the stress exponents at 700 °C, 900 °C and 1040 °C are 28, 13 and 6.5, respectively. Microstructure observation shows that the morphologies of γ′ phase almost keep original shape at the lower temperature 700 °C and high applied stress. With the increasing creep temperature, γ′ precipitates tend to link together and form lamellar structure at an angle of 45° inclined to the applied stress. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) investigations reveal that multiple < 110 > (111) slip systems gliding in the matrix channels and shearing γ′ precipitates by stacking faults or bending dislocation pairs are the main deformation mechanism at the lower temperature of 700 °C. At the high temperatures of 900 °C and 1040 °C, dislocation networks are formed at γ/γ′ interfaces and the γ′ rafts are sheared by dislocation pairs. - Highlights: • Creep properties of < 011 >-oriented single crystal superalloys were investigated. • γ′ phases become rafting at an angle of 45° inclined to the applied stress. • Creep deformation mechanisms depend on temperature and stress.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Effect of build geometry on the microstructural development of 316L parts produced by additive manufacturing

Highlights: • Stainless steel ribs were created via direct metal laser sintering to investigate microstructural effect of part design. • EBSD confirmed the presence of large elongated grains in the center of the part, with preferred orientation. • Small grains at the rib surface were found to grow towards the center of the rib with random orientation. • By changing rib thickness and build angle varying texture was observed in the final products. • Large intragranular misorientations were observed in all samples. - Abstract: Additive manufacturing (AM) technology has shown great potential in manufacturing complex products, such as lattice structures without extensive tooling. The focus of this study was to understand the effect of the part geometry on the resulting microstructure. Direct metal laser sintering was used for fabrication of ribs with thicknesses varying between 0.2 and 3.0 mm as well as inclined ribs the with build angles of 30° and 45°. The investigation showed that grains were growing in an epitaxial manner parallel to the building direction. The large elongated grains had a preferential orientation, resulting from the temperature gradient. Additionally, it was found that small grains had formed close to the part surface which were inclined towards the center of the rib. In contrast to the elongated grains, they had a random orientations. The results also indicated that at build angles below 45°, the formed microstructure consisted of the large grains elongated in the building direction. For the used process parameters, the critical part thickness to avoid large elongated grains was found to be about 0.4 mm. These findings allowed us to establish the basics for design rules when it comes to thin wall structures.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Orientation dependence of indentation behavior in Al–SiC nanolaminate composites

Al and SiC nanolaminate films were characterized in the perpendicular, inclined and parallel orientations using nanoindentation. The deformation was dominated by buckling of the layers when the layers were parallel to the indenter and by compression of the ductile Al layers when the layers were perpendicular to the indenter, while indentation in inclined orientations showed an intermediate behavior. Finite element modeling (FEM) of indentation deformation using wavy layers showed much more compliant behavior and prominent layer buckling than the idealized flat structure, highlighting the large effect these microstructural details can have on the deformation behavior.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Effect of processing parameters and build orientation on microstructure and performance of AISI stainless steel 304L made with selective laser melting under different strain rates

Selective laser melting (SLM) process brings diverse potentials on geometry flexibility; therefore, it is more and more widespread to be employed in fabrication metal alloys served for industries. Nonetheless, a material characterization study is desired to carry on for better understanding the correlation among process, structure, microstructure, and performance. In the current study, the SLM fabricated AISI stainless steel 304L was fabricated with different process parameters and built orientations (horizontal, inclined, and vertical. The tensile behavior was evaluated under different strain rates (0.0001 /s, 0.001 /s, 0.01 /s, and 0.1 /s) and compared to the commercial cold-rolled and annealed counterpart. Grain structures, tensile strength, elongation-to-failure, strain rate sensitivity, work hardening, and fractographic analysis were evaluated in terms of the effect of energy density, build orientation, and strain rate. The output indicates the tensile strength increases with increasing strain rates. On the contrary, the elongation-to-failure shows a decreasing trend with strain rates. Tensile properties of specimens built in the horizontal and inclined orientations are more sensitive to strain rates due to the smaller dimension of grain structures. Tensile anisotropy depends on the energy input, where a high energy density could yield a strong build orientation-dependent anisotropy. Hall-Petch relationship is validated to explain the mechanical anisotropy in different built orientations for SLM alloys. The strain hardening exponent and work hardening rate are demonstrated to be positively correlated, and they increase with smaller grain sizes. The fine dimple features indicate the ductile fracture mode regardless of strain rates. The size of the ductile dimples seems to depend on the strain rates and build orientations.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

AI and extreme scale computing to learn and infer the physics of higher order gravitational wave modes of quasi-circular, spinning, non-precessing black hole mergers

We use artificial intelligence (AI) to learn and infer the physics of higher order gravitational wave modes of quasi-circular, spinning, non precessing binary black hole mergers. We trained AI models using 14 million waveforms, produced with the surrogate model NRHybSur3dq8, that include modes up to $\ell$ ≤ 4 and (5,5), except for (4,0) and (4,1), that describe binaries with mass-ratios $\textit{q}$ ≤ 8, individual spins $s^z_{\{1,2\}} \in$[–0.8,0.8], and inclination angle $θ \in$ [0,π]. Our probabilistic AI surrogates can accurately constrain the mass-ratio, individual spins, effective spin, and inclination angle of numerical relativity waveforms that describe such signal manifold. We compared the predictions of our AI models with Gaussian process regression, random forest, k-nearest neighbors, and linear regression, and with traditional Bayesian inference methods through the PyCBC Inference toolkit, finding that AI outperforms all these approaches in terms of accuracy, and are between three to four orders of magnitude faster than traditional Bayesian inference methods. Our AI surrogates were trained within 3.4 hours using distributed training on 1,536 NVIDIA V100 GPUs in the Summit supercomputer.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Measurement of flow properties coupled to experimental and numerical analyses of dense, granular flows for solar thermal energy storage

Granular flows of sintered bauxite proppants were researched along an inclined plane for solar thermal energy storage applications. Granular flow properties needed to drive numeric granular models were measured for improved numerical model predictions for Carbobead CP 50/140, 40/100, and 30/60 particles. Particle shape and size distributions were determined by coupling optical microscopy to an in-house image processing algorithm. The impulse excitation technique was used to measure elastic and shear moduli, and compute Poisson’s ratio. The coefficient of static sliding friction was measured using the slip-stick method, and the static rolling friction was determined from measured shear on particles positioned between two hot-pressed plates. The coefficient of restitution was measured by dropping particles on a surface and determining the kinetic energy before and after impact with the surface using high resolution particle tracking velocimetry. Particle size did not significantly impact the coefficients of restitution and static rolling friction, however, particle shape distribution resulted in a large variation in measurements. An inclined flow experiment was performed to characterize granular flows of Carbobead CP 30/60 particles using particle image velocimetry. Numerical models of the experiment using discrete element method were generated with the measured mechanical properties as inputs for comparison with experimental results. A constant directional torque rolling friction model best predicted bulk granular flow behavior. Furthermore, good agreement between the model and experiment was achieved at ambient, steady state conditions, with average velocity differences <10%.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Wedge-Shaped Hopper Design for Milled Woody Biomass Flow

The bioenergy industry has been challenged by unstable flow and transport of milled biomass in material handling operations. Handling issues such as hopper clogging and auger jamming are attributed to knowledge gaps between existing handling units designed for bulk solids and their suitability for milled biomass with high compressibility. This work investigates various flow behaviors of granular woody biomass in wedge-shaped hoppers. Herein, hopper flow physical experiments and numerical simulations are conducted to study the influence of the critical material attributes and critical processing parameters on the flow pattern, arching, and throughput. The results show that (1) the preferred flow pattern, mass flow, can be achieved by controlling the material’s internal friction angle, hopper inclination, and hopper wall friction; (2) hopper arching, governed by the competing gravity-driven force against flow resistance from material internal friction and material–wall friction, can be controlled by the hopper wall friction angle and the inclination angle; and (3) flow throughput can be accurately estimated from our empirical equation with inputs of hopper outlet geometry and particle-scale to bulk-scale material attributes. This study elucidates woody biomass flow physics and provides guidance for industrial equipment design.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Experimental Studies of Anisotropy on Borehole Breakouts in Mancos Shale

Calculating the size and orientation of borehole breakouts is one of the key methods for determining the orientation and magnitudes of the in situ stresses in the subsurface. To better understand the effects of anisotropy on borehole breakouts, experiments were conducted on Mancos Shale, a finely laminated mudrock. A novel testing configuration was developed to conduct borehole breakout experiments in a standard triaxial vessel and load frame. Samples were prepared at three different orientations and deformed under 6.9 to 20.7 MPa confining pressure. The results show a variation of peak strength and breakout geometry depending on the lamination orientation. Samples deformed parallel to laminations failed at a higher maximum compressive stress than samples deformed perpendicular to laminations, which were stronger than inclined samples. These relationships are quantified by a cosine-based failure envelope. Observed breakout shapes in perpendicular samples are V-shaped and symmetric around the borehole, which advance as a series of fractures of increasing size into the sidewalls. In inclined samples, fractures form along weaker laminations planes and grow in an en echelon pattern towards the axial stress direction. In parallel samples, long fractures grow from the wellbore towards the axial stress direction. The observed geometries point to potential sources of error in calculating in situ stresses from borehole breakouts.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

The Role of Stratigraphy and Loading History in Generating Complex Compaction Bands in Idealized Field-Scale Settings

The Buckskin Gulch locality in Utah is a landmark example of compaction localization. The outcrop of this locality involves distinct stratigraphic heterogeneity and was exposed to complex loading history. It features multiple sets of deformation bands with different kinematics and orientation. Similar formations were seen in the Valley of Fire, Nevada, and the Orange quarry, France, among other localities. The formation of such complex structures, their propagation mechanisms, and frequency is affected by numerous local and ambient factors whose impacts are not yet fully understood. The simulation of the above-mentioned localities is not feasible because of the limited amount of available information. This work, instead, investigates from a geomechanics standpoint how the interplay among material nonlinearity, outcrop stratigraphy, and loading history interconnects with specific spatiotemporal patterns of compaction band propagation. Our study shows that the system stratigraphy can be responsible for the emergence of coexisting compaction bands with different inclination and kinematics. Specifically, we show that stiffness contrasts induce nonlocal stress changes which may favor the initiation of secondary structures with different compaction localization characteristics. Furthermore, systems of inclined compaction bands induced by burial increase display secondary, noncontemporaneous sets of vertical compaction bands under the effects of postburial shortening. Our results indicate that stages of intermediate burial decrease prior to tectonic shortening can promote the formation of such complex systems. Despite the simplifications involved in our analyses, these findings show how geomechanics computations complement field observations and could provide a mechanics-based validation of site-specific reconstruction hypothesis.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Unstable twin in body-centered cubic tungsten nanocrystals

Twinning is commonly activated in plastic deformation of low stacking fault face-centered cubic (Fcc) metals but rarely found in body-centered cubic (Bcc) metals under room temperature and slow strain rates. Here, by conducting in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) at atomic scale, we discovered that, in stark contrast to those in most Fcc metals, a majority of deformation twins in Bcc metals are unstable and undergo spontaneously detwinning upon unloading. Such unexpected instability of Bcc twins was found to be closely related to the prevalence of the inclined twin boundaries—a peculiar structure where twin boundaries are not parallel to the twinning plane, and the degree of instability is in direct proportion to the fraction of the inclined twin boundary. This work provides significant insights into the structure and stability of deformation twins in Bcc metals.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Gravity-driven controls on fluid and carbonate precipitation distributions in fractures

Abstract Many challenges related to carbon-dioxide ( $$\hbox {CO}_2$$ CO 2 ) sequestration in subsurface rock are linked to the injection of fluids through induced or existing fracture networks and how these fluids are altered through geochemical interactions. Here, we demonstrate that fluid mixing and carbonate mineral distributions in fractures are controlled by gravity-driven chemical dynamics. Using optical imaging and numerical simulations, we show that a density contrast between two miscible fluids causes the formation of a low-density fluid runlet that increases in areal extent as the fracture inclination decreases from 90 $$^\circ$$ ∘ (vertical fracture plane) to 30 $$^\circ$$ ∘ . The runlet is sustained over time and the stability of the runlet is controlled by the gravity-driven formation of 3D vortices that arise in a laminar flow regime. When homogeneous precipitation was induced, calcium carbonate covered the entire surface for horizontal fractures (0 $$^\circ$$ ∘ ). However, for fracture inclinations greater than 10 $$^\circ$$ ∘ , the runlet formation limited the areal extent of the precipitation to less than 15% of the fracture surface. These insights suggest that the ability to sequester $$\hbox {CO}_2$$ CO 2 through mineralization along fractures will depend on the fracture orientation relative to gravity, with horizontal fractures more likely to seal uniformly.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗