Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “DOCUMENT TYPES”

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 739 records · Page 41

An Extensible Schema-less Database Framework for Managing High-throughput Semi-Structured Documents

Object-Relational database management system is an integrated hybrid cooperative approach to combine the best practices of both the relational model utilizing SQL queries and the object oriented, semantic paradigm for supporting complex data creation. In this paper, a highly scalable, information on demand database framework, called NETMARK is introduced. NETMARK takes advantages of the Oracle 8i object-relational database using physical addresses data types for very efficient keyword searches of records for both context and content. NETMARK was originally developed in early 2000 as a research and development prototype to solve the vast amounts of unstructured and semi-structured documents existing within NASA enterprises. Today, NETMARK is a flexible, high throughput open database framework for managing, storing, and searching unstructured or semi structured arbitrary hierarchal models, XML and HTML.

Maluf, David A.↗

MPACT Testing and Benchmarking Results

This document provides detailed reactivity and fission rate distribution results for MPACT for the Core Physics Benchmark Progression Problems 1-5, including comparisons to initial startup data from Watts Bar Nuclear Unit 1. Also included are computer requirements and runtimes for each type of problem and feedback for issues encountered during the testing. Testing for the benchmark problems that do not require thermal-hydraulic feedback has been very successful. Testing for the coupled problems (6 and 7) is still ongoing and will be documented in a future revision or separate document. A few issues have been identified needing more research/investigation before all of these problems have ideal solutions. These items are included in the Section 8 near the end of this document. MPACT has successfully solved all of the zero power core physics progression problems. The computer resources required and runtimes were all acceptable, though faster cases would be preferable considering there was no thermal-hydraulic feedback. MPACT converged very reliably for all 3D problems, expect in a few isolated studies where very thin axial planes were purposely created to attempt to quantify the errors in the control rod tip homogenization model. Despite the issues listed in Section 8, the accuracy of MPACT compared to the reference solution is considered to be very good.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

An MBSE Framework to Identify Regulatory Gaps for Electrified Transport Aircraft

A typical aircraft certification process consists of obtaining a type, production, airworthiness, and continued airworthiness certificates. During this process, a type certification plan is created that includes the intended regulatory operating environment, the proposed certification basis, means of compliance, and a list of documentation to show compliance. Earlier work by the authors demonstrated a model-based framework for the management of these certification artifacts for normal category airplanes. Presently, it is expanded and adapted to consider certification for transport category airplanes regulated under 14 CFR Part 25, providing clear transparency and traceability between the text of the regulations and imposed requirements, contextual information, and specified test activities. In particular, a capability to identify potential gaps in the applicability of regulations for novel architectures such as electrified aircraft is proposed. This capability, based on mismatches between the functional intent and the corresponding prescribed physical implementation, is developed. A sample implementation of the proposed capability is presented for a notional electrified powertrain aircraft architecture.

electrified transport aircraft↗

Database Maintenance, Data Sharing Policy, Collaboration

Scientific questions of today are now more global than ever before. The answers to these questions are buried within multiple disciplines and across a diverse range of scientists and institutions. The expanse and complexity of data required by researchers often exceed the means of a single scientist. Data sharing in the form of its distributed collection and analysis is increasingly common. Collective research now takes place in what may be called 'collaboratories' or in 'centers without walls' (Clery 2006). Creating effective artifacts, which enable scientists to collaborate on data analyses, continues to be a significant challenge for today's science activities. It is rare that providing a file system abstraction on distributed data enables acceleration of scientific discoveries. By explicitly identifying and addressing the different requirements for data contributors, data curators, and data consumers, we can create a data management architecture which enables the creation of datasets that evolve over time with growing and changing data, data annotations, participants, and use rules. This involves also a crucial contribution by the teams and people collecting the data, that in addition to carefully acquire and process the measurements and to be ready to share their measurements within the scientific community, need to follow general rules that help to make their data well documented and safely stored and to maximize visibility to their works and sites. In this chapter, we provide examples of the types of functions and capabilities typically provided within the data management systems, focusing in particular on databases structures and characteristics, data practices, and data user services. Finally, the importance and advantages of collective efforts like data sharing for synthesis activities and the relative data policy options are discussed and analyzed.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

PERMITTING OF A PROJECT INVOLVING HYDROGEN: A CODE OFFICIAL’S PERSPECTIVE

Recent growth in the development of hydrogen infrastructure has led to more requests for code officials to approve hydrogen-related projects and facilities. To help expedite the review and approval process, significant efforts have been made to educate code officials on permitting hydrogen vehicle fueling stations and facilities using stationary fuel cells (e.g., backup power for telephone cell tower sites). Despite these efforts, project delays continue because of several factors, including the limited experience of code officials with these types of facilities, submittals that lack the required information (including failure to adequately address local requirements), and submission of poor quality documents. The purpose of this paper is to help project proponents overcome these potential roadblocks and obtain timely approval for a project. A case study of an actual stationary application permitting request is provided to illustrate the value of addressing these issues.

Kallman, Richard A.↗

National Ignition Facility (NIF) FY2015 Facility Use Plan

Major features of the FY2015 NIF Use Plan include: • Performing a record number of layered DT experiments with 28 planned compared with 15 in FY2014. Executing the first plutonium experiments on the NIF in support of the Science Campaigns. • Over 300 targets shots, a 57% increase compared to FY14. This is a stretch goal defined in the 120-Day Study document, and relies upon the success of many shot-rate improvement actions, as well as on the distribution of shot type selected by the users. While the Plan is consistent with this goal, the increased proportion of layered DT experiments described above reduces the margin against this goal. • Commissioning of initial ARC capability, which will support both SSP-HED and SSPICF programs. • Increase in days allocated to Discovery Science to a level that supports an ongoing program for academic use of NIF and an annual solicitation for new proposals. • Six Facility Maintenance and Reconfiguration (FM&R) periods totaling 30 days dedicated to major facility maintenance and modifications. • Utilization of the NIF Facility Advisory Schedule Committee (FASC) to provide stakeholder review and feedback on the NIF schedule. The Use Plan assumes a total FY2015 LLNL NIF Operations funding in MTE 10.7 of $229.465M and in MTE 10.3 of 47.0M. This Use Plan will be revised in the event of significant changes to the FY2015 funding or if NNSA provides FY2016 budget guidance significantly reduced compared to FY2015.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Shift Verification and Validation

This documentation outlines the verification and validation of Shift for the Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors (CASL). Five main types of problems were used for validation: small criticality benchmark problems; full-core reactor benchmarks for light water reactors; fixed-source coupled neutron-photon dosimetry benchmarks; depletion/burnup benchmarks; and full-core reactor performance benchmarks. We compared Shift results to measured data and other simulated Monte Carlo radiation transport code results, and found very good agreement in a variety of comparison measures. These include prediction of critical eigenvalue, radial and axial pin power distributions, rod worth, leakage spectra, and nuclide inventories over a burn cycle. Based on this validation of Shift, we are confident in Shift to provide reference results for CASL benchmarking.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

ISO 50001 for US Commercial Buildings - Current Status and Opportunities

''ISO 50001: 2011 Energy management systems – Requirements with guidance for use'' is a voluntary International Standard which provides organizations a proven framework to manage energy and continuously improve their energy performance. Implementing ISO 50001 in the commercial building sector has its unique opportunities and challenges in comparison with the industrial sector. The energy footprint of a portfolio of commercial buildings can be just as significant as a large industrial facility in comparison. There are many energy-saving opportunities in commercial buildings that can be addressed without capital investments, and the perceived risks for making energy improvements can be lower than in the industrial sector. In addition, the energy-consuming systems in commercial buildings are limited in types and have many similarities across buildings, which makes it much easier to standardize many ISO 50001 required processes, procedures and documents to simplify implementation. There are also some sector-unique challenges, such as less familiar with ISO systems and the certification process. Another challenge arises from the complexity in some buildings’ ownership, tenancy, and O&M responsibilities. This whitepaper discusses these opportunities and issues in detail. The paper also recommends the characteristics of organizations in the commercial building sector that can benefit the most from adopting the ISO 50001 standard – namely the “suitable market”. Eight segments (education, food sales, retail, inpatient health care, hospitality, office buildings, laboratories and data centers) within the commercial building sector are highlighted.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Sierra/SolidMechanics 5.6 User's Manual

Sierra/SolidMechanics (Sierra/SM) is a three-dimensional solid mechanics code with a versatile element library, nonlinear material models, large deformation capabilities, and contact. It is built on the SIERRA Framework. SIERRA provides a data management framework in a parallel computing environment that allows the addition of capabilities in a modular fashion. Contact capabilities are parallel and scalable. This document provides information about the functionality in Sierra/SM and the command structure required to access this functionality in a user input file. This document is divided into chapters based primarily on functionality. For example, the command structure related to the use of various element types is grouped in one chapter; descriptions of material models are grouped in another chapter. Sierra/SM provides both explicit transient dynamics and implicit quasistatics and dynamics capabilities. Both the explicit and implicit modules are highly scalable in a parallel computing environment. In the past, the explicit and implicit capabilities were provided by two separate codes, known as Presto and Adagio, respectively. These capabilities have been consolidated into a single code. The executable is named Adagio, but it provides the full suite of solid mechanics capabilities, for both implicit and explicit. The Presto executable has been disabled as a consequence of this consolidation.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Thermal Infrared Geologic Remote Sensing Research at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Remotely sensed thermal infrared spectral data have great potential to improve rock type discrimination if the factors that control thermal infrared spectral reflection and emission can be better understood. Improved rock type discrimination in turn leads to better and more efficient geologic mapping which is carried out in the exploration, assessment and documentation of mineral resources and geologic hazards. Geologic maps also contribute significantly to the understanding of the natural history of the Earth and neighboring planetary bodies.

Bartholomew, M. J.↗

Cosmic-ray exposure history of ordinary chondrites

The exposure age histograms for H-, L-, and LL-chondrites are discussed. None of these histograms is consistent with a continuous delivery of asteroidal material to the earth, as the observed T(e) histograms clearly disagree with expected exponential distributions for a variety of orbital lifetimes. It is concluded that T(e) histograms are dominated by stochastic events and that the continuous supply of asteroidal material can account only for a minor background of the T(e) histograms. An attempt is made to identify major collisional levels among the major classes of ordinary chondrites in order to estimate the frequency of stochastic events. Orbital maturity in the inner solar system is documented by the p.m./total fall ratio among observed meteorite falls. All chondrite classes exhibit a uniform ratio of 2/3 except type H5 chondrites, which reveal a 0.5 or lower p.m./total fall ratio. This shift in the time of fall statistics suggests a strongly evolved orbit for the H5 parent at the time of collision about 7 Ma ago.

Marti, K.↗

Optimal design of a composite structure

This paper presents a design methodology for a laminated composite stiffened panel, subjected to multiple in-plane loads and bending moments. Design variables include the skin and stiffener ply orientation angles and stiffener geometry variables. Optimum designs are sought which minimize structural weight and satisfy mechanical performance requirements. Two types of mechanical performance requirements are placed on the panel, maximum strain and minimum strength. Minimum weight designs are presented which document that the choice of mechanical performance requirements cause changes in the optimum design. The effects of lay-up constraints which limit the ply angles to user specified values, such as symmetric or quasi-isotropic laminates, are also investigated.

Graesser, D. L.↗

Emergency Operation Center

The Emergency Operation Center (EOC) is a site from which NASA LaRC Emergency Preparedness Officials exercise control and direction in an emergency. Research was conducted in order to determine what makes an effective EOC. Specifically information concerning the various types of equipment and communication capability that an efficient EOC should contain (i.e., computers, software, telephone systems, radio systems, etc.) was documented. With this information a requirements document was written stating a brief description of the equipment and required quantity to be used in an EOC and then compared to current capabilities at the NASA Langley Research Center.

Chinea, Anoushka Z.↗

Hall Effect Thruster Interactions Data from the Russian Express-A2 and Express-A3 Satellites: Acquire TM-Data for Type A and Type B Sensors for "Express A" Number 3 Satellite for the Period of January 1, 2001 to and Including March 31, 2001, Task 27C - Part 8

This 12-part report documents the data obtained from various sensor measurements taken aboard the Russian Express-A2 and Express-A3 spacecraft in Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO). These GEO communications satellites, which were designed and built by NPO Prikladnoy Mekhaniki (NPO PM) of Zheleznogorsk, Russia, utilize Hall thruster propulsion systems for north-south and east-west stationkeeping and as of June 2002, were still operating at 80deg E. and 11deg W., respectively. Express-A2 was launched on March 12, 2000, while Express-A3 was launched on June 24, 2000. The diagnostic equipment from which these data were taken includes electric field strength sensors, ion current and energy sensors, and pressure sensors. The diagnostics and the Hall thruster propulsion systems are described in detail along with lists of tabular data from those diagnostics and propulsion system and other satellite systems. Space Power, Inc., now part of Pratt & Whitney's Chemical Systems Division, under contract NAS3 99151 to the NASA Glenn Research Center, obtained these data over several periods from March 12, 2000, through September 30, 2001. Each of the 12 individual reports describe, in detail, the propulsion systems as well as the diagnostic sensors utilized. Finally, parts 11 and 12 include the requirements to which NPO PM prepared and delivered these data.

Dunning, John↗

Input Range Testing for the General Mission Analysis Tool (GMAT)

This document contains a test plan for testing input values to the General Mission Analysis Tool (GMAT). The plan includes four primary types of information, which rigorously define all tests that should be performed to validate that GMAT will accept allowable inputs and deny disallowed inputs. The first is a complete list of all allowed object fields in GMAT. The second type of information, is test input to be attempted for each field. The third type of information is allowable input values for all objects fields in GMAT. The final piece of information is how GMAT should respond to both valid and invalid information. It is VERY important to note that the tests below must be performed for both the Graphical User Interface and the script!! The examples are illustrated using a scripting perspective, because it is simpler to write up. However, the test must be performed for both interfaces to GMAT.

Hughes, Steven P.↗

50% Advanced Energy Design Guides: Preprint

This paper presents the process, methodology, and assumptions for the development of the 50% Energy Savings Advanced Energy Design Guides (AEDGs), a design guidance document that provides specific recommendations for achieving 50% energy savings above the requirements of ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-2004 in four building types: 1. Small to medium office buildings, 2. K-12 school buildings, 3.Medium to big box retail buildings, 4. Large hospital buildings.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Municipal Adaptation to Changing Curbside Demands: Findings from Semi-Structured Interviews with Ten U.S. Cities

Emerging mobility services (e.g. ride-hailing, e-commerce, micro-mobility, etc.), are generating novel and rapidly growing demands to use curbside space, with potentially large impacts on mobility, energy consumption, and related outcomes. This presents both opportunities and challenges to municipal agencies responsible for managing this interface between the road network and adjacent land uses, as legacy practices require updating. In this study, we employ a semi-structured interviewing approach to establish how municipalities are adapting to these new pressures on their curbside. We interviewed senior staff responsible for curbside policy of ten large U.S. municipalities, with populations ranging from ~250,000 to ~5,000,000 (and the majority of which are the central city of their metropolitan region). We document a trend of organizational restructuring to more formally include curbside management teams, with the majority of interviewees also reporting increased staffing. Respondents reported that operational failures at their curbside (e.g. demand in excess of capacity) have impacts on safety, capacity, and emergency vehicle mobility, with impacts highly concentrated spatially and temporally (e.g. late evenings in nightlife districts). We document a diversity of data flows between ride-hailing operators (e.g. Uber, Lyft) and municipalities, with some cities reporting obtaining types of data that other cities report not receiving, despite requesting such data. Finally, respondents consistently expressed a desire for new data streams and methodologies to help manage the curbside of the future. It is hoped that establishing the state of practice in this rapidly changing context will be of use to practitioners facing similar pressures as those of our interviewees.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Evaluation and Parameter Analysis of Burn up Calculations for the Assessment of Radioactive Waste - 13187

Burn up calculations facilitate a determination of the composition and nuclear inventory of spent nuclear fuel, if operational history is known. In case this information is not available, the total nuclear inventory can be determined by means of destructive or, even on industrial scale, nondestructive measurement methods. For non-destructive measurements however only a few easy-to-measure, so-called key nuclides, are determined due to their characteristic gamma lines or neutron emission. From these measured activities the fuel burn up and cooling time are derived to facilitate the numerical inventory determination of spent fuel elements. Most regulatory bodies require an independent assessment of nuclear waste properties and their documentation. Prominent part of this assessment is a consistency check of inventory declaration. The waste packages often contain wastes from different types of spent fuels of different history and information about the secondary reactor parameters may not be available. In this case the so-called characteristic fuel burn up and cooling time are determined. These values are obtained from a correlations involving key-nuclides with a certain bandwidth, thus with upper and lower limits. The bandwidth is strongly dependent on secondary reactor parameter such as initial enrichment, temperature and density of the fuel and moderator, hence the reactor type, fuel element geometry and plant operation history. The purpose of our investigation is to look into the scaling and correlation limitations, to define and verify the range of validity and to scrutinize the dependencies and propagation of uncertainties that affect the waste inventory declarations and their independent verification. This is accomplished by numerical assessment and simulation of waste production using well accepted codes SCALE 6.0 and 6.1 to simulate the cooling time and burn up of a spent fuel element. The simulations are benchmarked against spent fuel from the real reactor Obrigheim in Germany for which sufficiently precise experimental reference data are available. (authors)

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗