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At least 757 records · Page 42

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

DOE OSTI2017

Determination of the True Lateral Grain Size in Organic–Inorganic Halide Perovskite Thin Films

Here, methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI 3 ) thin films were examined via piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) and nanoindentation (NI) to determine if long-range atomic order existed across the full width and depth of the apparent grains. And from the PFM, the piezoelectric response of the films was strongly correlated with low-index planes of the crystal structure and ferroelastic domains in macroscale solution-grown MAPbI 3 crystals, which implied long-range order near the top surface. From the NI, it was found that the induced cracks were straight and extended across the full width of the apparent grains, which indicated that the long-range order was not limited to the near-surface region, but extended through the film thickness. Interestingly, the two MAPbI 3 processes examined resulted in subtle differences in the extracted electro-mechanical and fracture properties, but exhibited similar power conversion efficiencies of >17% in completed devices.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2018

Effect of Particle Size and Specific Surface Area on the Determination of the Density of Nanocrystalline Silver Sulfide Ag{sub 2}S Powders

The effect of the particle size and specific surface area of silver sulfide powders on their density measured by the helium pycnometry method has been studied. Powders with different average particle sizes have been synthesized by hydrochemical deposition. The particle size of the silver sulfide powders has been determined by the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller method according to molecular nitrogen adsorption isotherms and, in the case of fine powders, by X-ray diffraction analysis according to diffraction reflection broadening. It has been shown that the density of the fine powders measured by helium pycnometry is underestimated compared with the true density, owing to the adsorption of helium by the highly developed surface of these powders.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2014

Application of small-angle neutron scattering to the study of forces between magnetically chained monodisperse ferrofluid emulsion droplets

The optical magnetic chaining technique (MCT) developed by Leal-Calderon, Bibette and co-workers in the 1990 s allows precise measurements of force profiles between droplets in monodisperse ferrofluid emulsions. However, the method lacks an in-situ determination of droplet size and therefore requires the combination of separately acquired measurements of droplet chain periodicity versus an applied magnetic field from optical Bragg scattering and droplet diameter inferred from dynamic light scattering (DLS) to recover surface force-distance profiles between the colloidal particles. Compound refractive lens (CRL) focussed small-angle scattering (SANS) MCT should result in more consistent measurements of droplet size (form factor measurements in the absence of field) and droplet chaining period (from structure factor peaks when the magnetic field is applied); and, with access to shorter length scales, extend force measurements to closer approaches than possible by optical measurements. We report on CRL-SANS measurements of monodisperse ferrofluid emulsion droplets aligned in straight chains by an applied field perpendicular to the incident beam direction. Analysis of the scattering from the closely spaced droplets required algorithms that carefully treated resolution and its effect on mean scattering vector magnitudes in order to determine droplet size and chain periods to sufficient accuracy. At lower applied fields scattering patterns indicate structural correlations transverse to the magnetic field direction due to the formation of intermediate structures in early chain growth.

Colloid↗

NASA NTRS2016

Feasibility of Varying Geo-Fence Around an Unmanned Aircraft Operation Based on Vehicle Performance and Wind

Managing trajectory separation is critical to ensuring accessibility, efficiency, and safety in the unmanned airspace. The notion of geo-fences is an emerging concept, where distance buffers enclose individual trajectories and areas of operation in order to manage the airspace. Currently, the Air Traffic Management system for commercial travel defines static distance buffers around the aircraft; however, commercial UASs are envisioned to operate in significantly closer proximity to other UAS requiring a geo-fence for spacing operations. The geo-fence size can be determined based on vehicle performance characteristics, state of the airspace, weather, and other unforeseen events such as emergency or disaster response. Calculation of the geo-fence size could be determined as part of pre-flight planning and during real-time operations. A largely non-homogeneous fleet of UASs will be operating in low altitude and will likely be commercially developed. Due to intellectual property concerns, the operators may not provide detailed specifications of the control system to UTM. In addition, the huge variety of UAS makes modeling each control system prohibitive and flight data for these vehicles may not exist. Therefore, a generalized, simple geo-fence sizing algorithm must be developed such that it does not rely on detailed knowledge of the vehicle control system, accounts for the presence of urban winds, and is sufficiently accurate. In this work, two simple models are investigated to determine its feasibility as an adequate means for calculating the geo-fence size. The vehicle data used in this work are provided by UAS manufactures who have partnered with NASA's UTM project and some publicly available websites. The first model utilizes wind data processed from the NOAA HRRR (Hourly Rapid Refresh) product and Sonar Annemometer data provided by San Jose State. The second model utilizes OpenFOAM which is a CFD code used to generate a wind field for flow around a single building. The key vehicle performance parameters can include UAS response time to disturbances, command to actuation latency, control system rate limits, time to recovery to desired path, and aerodynamics. It was found that the first model provides an initial understanding of geo-fence sizing, but does not provide enough accuracy to provide UTM with an efficient means of scheduling vehicles. The results of the second model reveal that modeling UAS controls systems with a linearized plant and gain scheduled PID controller does not allow capture the UAS flight dynamics within a significant envelope of the wind disturbances.

uncertainty↗

DOE OSTI2021

Data compression system using base values and methods thereof

In some embodiments, a memory controller in a processor includes a base value cache, a compressor, and a metadata cache. The compressor is coupled to the base value cache and the metadata cache. The compressor compresses a data block using at least a base value and delta values. The compressor determines whether the size of the data block exceeds a data block threshold value. Based on the determination of whether the size of the compressed data block generated by the compressor exceeds the data block threshold value, the memory controller transfers only a set of the compressed delta values to memory for storage. A decompressor located in the lower level cache of the processor decompresses the compressed data block using the base value stored in the base value cache, metadata stored in the metadata cache and the delta values stored in memory.

Seyedzadehdelcheh, SeyedMohammad↗

DOE OSTI2023

Data compression system using base values and methods thereof

Seyedzadehdelcheh, Seyed Mohammad↗

DOE OSTI2019

Influence of Viscosity on Dynamic Magnetization of Thermally Blocked Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Characterized by a Sensitive AC Magnetometer

In this work, we show that the viscosity of carrier liquid affects the dynamic magnetization of thermally blocked multi-core iron oxide nanoparticles. The core size of the nanoparticles was determined from the magnetization curve measured by a specially developed high-T{sub c} SQUID magnetometer and calculated to be 11.7 nm. Using an AC magnetometer developed based on induction coils, the dynamic magnetization of the multi-core iron oxide nanoparticle solution was measured from 3 Hz to 10.48 kHz. Later, we reconstructed of the hydrodynamic size distribution of the particles by assuming a log-normal distribution of particle size in an AC susceptibility model by Shliomis and Stepanov, which accounts for anisotropic directions of the easy axes of magnetic nanoparticles with respect to the excitation field direction. The reconstructed hydrodynamic sizes showed an average diameter of 130 nm and agreed with the size determined by dynamic light scattering method. In the case of increasing viscosity of the carrier liquids from 0.89 to 8.11 mPa s, the dynamic magnetization peaks of the imaginary component have shifted to a lower frequency region. We showed that the harmonics ratio and phase delay upon the magnetic field excitation at 30 Hz could also be used to determine the viscosity of carrier liquid independently.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2015

WE-G-204-03: Photon-Counting Hexagonal Pixel Array CdTe Detector: Optimal Resampling to Square Pixels

Purpose: Detectors with hexagonal pixels require resampling to square pixels for distortion-free display of acquired images. In this work, the presampling modulation transfer function (MTF) of a hexagonal pixel array photon-counting CdTe detector for region-of-interest fluoroscopy was measured and the optimal square pixel size for resampling was determined. Methods: A 0.65mm thick CdTe Schottky sensor capable of concurrently acquiring up to 3 energy-windowed images was operated in a single energy-window mode to include ≥10 KeV photons. The detector had hexagonal pixels with apothem of 30 microns resulting in pixel spacing of 60 and 51.96 microns along the two orthogonal directions. Images of a tungsten edge test device acquired under IEC RQA5 conditions were double Hough transformed to identify the edge and numerically differentiated. The presampling MTF was determined from the finely sampled line spread function that accounted for the hexagonal sampling. The optimal square pixel size was determined in two ways; the square pixel size for which the aperture function evaluated at the Nyquist frequencies along the two orthogonal directions matched that from the hexagonal pixel aperture functions, and the square pixel size for which the mean absolute difference between the square and hexagonal aperture functions was minimized over all frequencies up to the Nyquist limit. Results: Evaluation of the aperture functions over the entire frequency range resulted in square pixel size of 53 microns with less than 2% difference from the hexagonal pixel. Evaluation of the aperture functions at Nyquist frequencies alone resulted in 54 microns square pixels. For the photon-counting CdTe detector and after resampling to 53 microns square pixels using quadratic interpolation, the presampling MTF at Nyquist frequency of 9.434 cycles/mm along the two directions were 0.501 and 0.507. Conclusion: Hexagonal pixel array photon-counting CdTe detector after resampling to square pixels provides high-resolution imaging suitable for fluoroscopy.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

NASA NTRS2012

Satellite Material Type and Phase Function Determination in Support of Orbital Debris Size Estimation

In performing debris surveys of deep-space orbital regions, the considerable volume of the area to be surveyed and the increased orbital altitude suggest optical telescopes as the most efficient survey instruments; but to proceed this way, methodologies for debris object size estimation using only optical tracking and photometric information are needed. Basic photometry theory indicates that size estimation should be possible if satellite albedo and shape are known. One method for estimating albedo is to try to determine the object's material type photometrically, as one can determine the albedos of common satellite materials in the laboratory. Examination of laboratory filter photometry (using Johnson BVRI filters) on a set of satellite material samples indicates that most material types can be separated at the 1-sigma level via B-R versus R-I color differences with a relatively small amount of required resampling, and objects that remain ambiguous can be resolved by B-R versus B-V color differences and solar radiation pressure differences. To estimate shape, a technique advanced by Hall et al. [1], based on phase-brightness density curves and not requiring any a priori knowledge of attitude, has been modified slightly to try to make it more resistant to the specular characteristics of different materials and to reduce the number of samples necessary to make robust shape determinations. Working from a gallery of idealized debris shapes, the modified technique identifies most shapes within this gallery correctly, also with a relatively small amount of resampling. These results are, of course, based on relatively small laboratory investigations and simulated data, and expanded laboratory experimentation and further investigation with in situ survey measurements will be required in order to assess their actual efficacy under survey conditions; but these techniques show sufficient promise to justify this next level of analysis.

Hejduk, M. D.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Optical Measurement of Particle Size and Velocity

Dual-beam laser-Doppler anemometers simultaneously determine velocity and size distribution of particles in flowing fluid.

Smith, J. L.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

AM Powder Flowability Capabilities at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)

Additive Manufacturing (AM) powder flowability is critical to metal 3D printing, because the more fluid the powder is, the better powder spreads. The NASA MSFC’s Contamination Control Team (CCT) studies density, flow, particle size distribution, and morphology for programs such as Moon-to-Mars Planetary Autonomous Construction Technology (MMPACT), ASTM Proficiency Testing for AM and Powder Metallurgy, and MSFC’s AM team. Examining and measuring powder characteristics is essential for improving flowability of AM powder and ensuring lot-to-lot consistency, which will help to prevent defects in manufactured parts. The CCT uses several methods to characterize AM powder. Optical particle size distribution and morphology analyses determine particle parameters including size, circularity, convexity, and dimensions. The Carney and Hall Flowmeter Funnel measures time it takes powder to flow through a funnel to compare relative flowability (free-flowing and non-free-flowing). In addition to this, the device utilizes a density cup which determines apparent density. Lastly, the Revolution Powder Analyzer measures dynamic powder flowability and behavior over time via digital imaging. Using the CCT’s lab, the team has produced ASTM Powder Proficiency Testing results with flow rates, apparent density, particle size distribution, and tap density on titanium-based and nickel-based powder and compared data with other companies/labs. Morphology data was also collected for various regolith simulant powder for the MMPACT program. Lastly, the CCT used morphology data to examine the flowability of Inconel 718 powder for Selective Laser Melting (SLM) and Directed Energy Deposition (DED) printers at MSFC. The CCT’s essential work in studying and enabling AM powder characterization has helped and will continue to help study new and refined powders in the AM industry.

Additive Manufacturing↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

AM Powder Flowability Capabilities at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)

Additive Manufacturing (AM) powder flowability is critical to metal 3D printing, because the more fluid the powder is, the better powder spreads. AM Powder Flowability Capabilities at NASA MSFC studies density, flow, particle size distribution, and morphology for programs such as Moon-to-Mars Planetary Autonomous Construction Technology (MMPACT), ASTM Proficiency Testing for AM and Powder Metallurgy, and MSFC’s AM team. Examining and measuring powder characteristics is essential for improving flowability of AM powder and ensuring lot-to-lot consistency, which will help to prevent defects in manufactured parts. The Contamination Control Team (CCT) uses several methods to characterize AM powder. Optical particle size distribution and morphology analyses determine particle parameters including size, circularity, convexity, and dimensions. The Carney and Hall Flowmeter Funnel measures time it takes powder to flow through a funnel to compare relative flowability (free-flowing and non-free-flowing). In addition to this, the device utilizes a density cup which determines apparent density. Lastly, the Revolution Powder Analyzer measures dynamic powder flowability and behavior over time via digital imaging. Using the CCT’s lab, the team has produced ASTM Powder Proficiency Testing results with flow rates, apparent density, particle size distribution, and tap density on titanium-based and nickel-based powder and compared data with other companies/labs. Morphology data was also collected for various regolith simulant powder for the MMPACT program. Lastly, the CCT used morphology data to examine the flowability of Inconel 718 powder for Selective Laser Melting (SLM) and Directed Energy Deposition (DED) printers at MSFC. The CCT’s essential work in studying and enabling AM powder characterization has helped and will continue to help study new and refined powders in the AM industry.

Additive Manufacturing↗

NASA NTRS2017

Blockage Testing in the NASA Glenn 225 Square Centimeter Supersonic Wind Tunnel

A feasibility study is in progress at NASA Glenn Research Center to implement a magnetic suspension and balance system in the 225 sq cm Supersonic Wind Tunnel for the purpose of testing the dynamic stability of blunt bodies. An important area of investigation in this study was determining the optimum size of the model and the iron spherical core inside of it. In order to minimize the required magnetic field and thus the size of the magnetic suspension system, it was determined that the test model should be as large as possible. Blockage tests were conducted to determine the largest possible model that would allow for tunnel start at Mach 2, 2.5, and 3. Three different forebody model geometries were tested at different Mach numbers, axial locations in the tunnel, and in both a square and axisymmetric test section. Experimental results showed that different model geometries produced more varied results at higher Mach Numbers. It was also shown that testing closer to the nozzle allowed larger models to start compared with testing near the end of the test section. Finally, allowable model blockage was larger in the axisymmetric test section compared with the square test section at the same Mach number. This testing answered key questions posed by the feasibility study and will be used in the future to dictate model size and performance required from the magnetic suspension system.

entry vehicles↗

DOE OSTI2015

Accurate determination of electronic transport properties of silicon wafers by nonlinear photocarrier radiometry with multiple pump beam sizes

In this paper, photocarrier radiometry (PCR) technique with multiple pump beam sizes is employed to determine simultaneously the electronic transport parameters (the carrier lifetime, the carrier diffusion coefficient, and the front surface recombination velocity) of silicon wafers. By employing the multiple pump beam sizes, the influence of instrumental frequency response on the multi-parameter estimation is totally eliminated. A nonlinear PCR model is developed to interpret the PCR signal. Theoretical simulations are performed to investigate the uncertainties of the estimated parameter values by investigating the dependence of a mean square variance on the corresponding transport parameters and compared to that obtained by the conventional frequency-scan method, in which only the frequency dependences of the PCR amplitude and phase are recorded at single pump beam size. Simulation results show that the proposed multiple-pump-beam-size method can improve significantly the accuracy of the determination of the electronic transport parameters. Comparative experiments with a p-type silicon wafer with resistivity 0.1–0.2 Ω·cm are performed, and the electronic transport properties are determined simultaneously. The estimated uncertainties of the carrier lifetime, diffusion coefficient, and front surface recombination velocity are approximately ±10.7%, ±8.6%, and ±35.4% by the proposed multiple-pump-beam-size method, which is much improved than ±15.9%, ±29.1%, and >±50% by the conventional frequency-scan method. The transport parameters determined by the proposed multiple-pump-beam-size PCR method are in good agreement with that obtained by a steady-state PCR imaging technique.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

DOE OSTI2024

Wildland–urban interface wildfire increases metal contributions to stormwater runoff in Paradise, California

The 2018 Camp Fire was a large late-year (November) wildfire that produced an urban firestorm in the Town of Paradise, California, USA, and destroyed more than 18 000 structures. Runoff from burned wildland areas is known to contain ash, which can transport contaminants including metals into nearby watersheds. However, due to historically infrequent occurrences, the effect of wildland-urban interface (WUI) fires, such as the Camp Fire, on surface water quality has not been well-characterized. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of widespread urban burning on surface water quality in major watersheds of the Camp Fire area. Between November 2018 and May 2019, 140 surface water samples were collected, including baseflow and stormflow, from burned and unburned watersheds with varying extent of urban development. Samples were analyzed for total and filter-passing metals, dissolved organic carbon, major anions, and total suspended solids. Ash and debris from the Camp Fire contributed metals to downstream watersheds via runoff throughout the storm season. Increases in concentration up to 200-fold were found for metals Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn in burned watersheds compared to pre-fire values. Total concentrations of Al, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn exceeded EPA aquatic habitat acute criteria by up to 16-fold for up to five months after the fire. To assess possible transport mechanisms and bioavailability, a subset of 18 samples was analyzed using four filters with nominal pore sizes ranging from 0.22 to 1.2 μm to determine the particulate size distribution of metals. Trace and major metals (Al, Ba, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) were found mostly associated with larger grain sizes (>0.45 μm), and some metals (Al, Cr, Fe, and Pb) also included a substantial colloidal phase (0.22 to 0.45 μm). This study suggests that fires in the wildland–urban interface increase metal concentrations, mainly through particulate driven transport. The metals with the largest increases are likely from anthropogenic disaster materials, though biomass ash also is a major contributor to water quality. In conclusion, the increase in metals following WUI burning may have adverse ecological impacts.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2014

Particle size effects in particle-particle triboelectric charging studied with an integrated fluidized bed and electrostatic separator system

Fundamental studies of triboelectric charging of granular materials via particle-particle contact are challenging to control and interpret because of foreign material surfaces that are difficult to avoid during contacting and measurement. The measurement of particle charge itself can also induce charging, altering results. Here, we introduce a completely integrated fluidized bed and electrostatic separator system that charges particles solely by interparticle interactions and characterizes their charge on line. Particles are contacted in a free-surface fluidized bed (no reactor walls) with a well-controlled fountain-like flow to regulate particle-particle contact. The charged particles in the fountain are transferred by a pulsed jet of air to the top of a vertically-oriented electrostatic separator consisting of two electrodes at oppositely biased high voltage. The free-falling particles migrate towards the electrodes of opposite charge and are collected by an array of cups where their charge and size can be determined. We carried out experiments on a bidisperse size mixture of soda lime glass particles with systematically varying ratios of concentration. Results show that larger particles fall close to the negative electrode and smaller particles fall close to the positive electrode, consistent with theory and prior experiments that larger particles charge positively and smaller particles charge negatively. The segregation of particles by charge for one of the size components is strongest when its collisions are mostly with particles of the other size component; thus, small particles segregate most strongly to the negative sample when their concentration in the mixture is small (and analogous results occur for the large particles). Furthermore, we find additional size segregation due to granular flow, whereby the fountain becomes enriched in larger particles as the smaller particles are preferentially expelled from the fountain.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

DOE OSTI2018

The Effect of Temperature on the Particle Sizes and the Recrystallization of Silver Sulfide Nanopowders

The recrystallization of silver sulfide Ag{sub 2}S nanoparticles has been studied and the range of the thermal stability of the nanoparticle sizes has been determined. Nanopowders Ag{sub 2}S with particle sizes of 45–50 nm were obtained by chemical deposition from aqueous solutions. To study the thermal stability of the Ag{sub 2}S nanoparticle sizes, the nanocrystalline powders have been annealed in a vacuum of 0.01 Pa on heating from room temperature to 493 K and in argon at 623 K. Annealing up to a temperature of 453 K leads to insignificant nanoparticle growth and annealing of microstrains, which allows one to consider this temperature range as the region of thermal stability of the silver sulfide nanostate. The temperature range from 450 to 900 K, in which the particle size increases by a factor of 3–6, corresponds to the temperature of collective recrystallization of the silver sulfide nanopowder.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

NASA NTRS1978

Recovery and radiation corrections and time constants of several sizes of shielded and unshielded thermocouple probes for measuring gas temperature

Performance characteristics were experimentally determined for several sizes of a shielded and unshielded thermocouple probe design. The probes are of swaged construction and were made of type K wire with a stainless steel sheath and shield and MgO insulation. The wire sizes ranged from 0.03- to 1.02-mm diameter for the unshielded design and from 0.16- to 0.81-mm diameter for the shielded design. The probes were tested through a Mach number range of 0.2 to 0.9, through a temperature range of room ambient to 1420 K, and through a total-pressure range of 0.03 to 0.2.2 MPa (0.3 to 22 atm). Tables and graphs are presented to aid in selecting a particular type and size. Recovery corrections, radiation corrections, and time constants were determined.

Glawe, G. E.↗