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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 775 records · Page 43
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

A 3-Year Sample of Almost 1,600 Elves Recorded Above South America by the Pierre Auger Cosmic-Ray Observatory

Elves are a class of transient luminous events, with a radial extent typically greater than 250 km, that occur in the lower ionosphere above strong electrical storms. We report the observation of 1,598 elves, from 2014 to 2016, recorded with unprecedented time resolution (100 ns) using the fluorescence detector (FD) of the Pierre Auger Cosmic-Ray Observatory. The Auger Observatory is located in the Mendoza province of Argentina with a viewing footprint for elve observations of 3∙10sup>6 km ₂, reaching areas above the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, as well as the Córdoba region, which is known for severe convective thunderstorms. Primarily designed for ultrahigh energy cosmic-ray observations, the Auger FD turns out to be very sensitive to the ultraviolet emission in elves. The detector features modified Schmidt optics with large apertures resulting in a field of view that spans the horizon, and year-round operation on dark nights with low moonlight background, when the local weather is favorable. The measured light profiles of 18% of the elve events have more than one peak, compatible with intracloud activity. Within the 3-year sample, 72% of the elves correlate with the far-field radiation measurements of the World Wide Lightning Location Network. The Auger Observatory plans to continue operations until at least 2025, including elve observations and analysis. To the best of our knowledge, this observatory is the only facility on Earth that measures elves with year-round operation and full horizon coverage.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Humidity sensitivity of large area silicon sensors: Study and implications

The production of large area sensors is one of the main challenges that the ATLAS collaboration faces for the new Inner-Tracker full-silicon detector. During the prototype fabrication phase for the High Luminosity Large Hadron Collider upgrade, several ATLAS institutes observed indications of humidity sensitivity of large area sensors, even at relative humidities well below the dew point. Specifically, prototype Barrel and End-Cap silicon strip sensors fabricated in 6-inch wafers manifest a prompt decrease of the breakdown voltage when operating under high relative humidity, adversely affecting the performance of the sensors. In addition to the investigation of these prototype sensors, a specific fabrication batch with special passivation is also studied, allowing for a deeper understanding of the responsible mechanisms. Here we present an extensive study of this behaviour on large area sensors. The locations of the hotspots at the breakdown voltage at high humidity are revealed using different infrared thermography techniques. Several palliative treatments are attempted, proving the influence of sensor cleaning methods, as well as baking, on the device performance, but no improvement on the humidity sensitivity was achieved. Furthermore, a study of the incidence of the sensitivity in different batches is also presented, introducing a hypothesis of the origins of the humidity sensitivity associated to the sensor edge design, together with passivation thickness and conformity. Several actions to be taken during sensor production and assembly are extracted from this study, in order to minimize the impact of humidity sensitivity on the performance of large area silicon sensors for High Energy Physics experiments.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2021

BayoTech Risk and Modeling Support

This white paper describes the work performed by Sandia National Laboratories in the New Mexico Small Business Agreement with BayoTech. BayoTech is a hydrogen generation and distribution company that is located in Albuquerque, NM. Their goal is to distribute hydrogen via their hydrogen systems which utilize the core design that was developed by Sandia. However, because the hydrogen economy is in its nascency, the safety and operation of the generating systems require independent validation. Additionally, in their pursuit of permitting at various locations around the nation, they require fire protection engineering support in discussions with local fire marshals and neighboring industrial entities. Sandia National Laboratories has subject matter expertise in hydrogen risk modeling of consequence (overpressure and dispersion) as well as fire protection engineering. Throughout this project, Sandia has worked with BayoTech to provide our expertise in these subject areas to facilitate the market entry of their hydrogen generation project to address the dire need for decarbonization due to climate change. The general approach of the support by Sandia is outlined in the main body, while the location specific evaluation for the Port of Stockton is contained in Appendix A.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2020

Analysis of Electric Vehicle Charging Behavior Patterns with Function Principal Component Analysis Approach

This manuscript focused on analyzing electric vehicles’ (EV) charging behavior patterns with a functional data analysis (FDA) approach, with the goal of providing theoretical support to the EV infrastructure planning and regulation, as well as the power grid load management. 5-year real-world charging log data from a total of 455 charging stations in Kansas City, Missouri, was used. The focuses were placed on analyzing the daily usage occupancy variability, daily energy consumption variability, and station-level usage variability. Compared with the traditional discrete-based analysis models, the proposed FDA modeling approach had unique advantages in preserving the smooth function behavior of the data, bringing more flexibility in the modeling process with little required assumptions or background knowledge on independent variables, as well as the capability of handling time series data with different lengths or sizes. In addition to the patterns revealed in the EV charging station’s occupancy and energy consumption, the differences between EV driver’s charging time and parking time were analyzed and called for the needs for parking regulation and enforcement. The different usage patterns observed at charging stations located on different land-use types were also analyzed.

Engineering↗
DOE OSTI2022

Utah FORGE: Updated Seismic Event Catalogue from the April, 2022 Stimulation of Well 16A(78)-32

These are revised catalogs, related to the April, 2022 well 16A(78)-32 stimulation (phases 1,2, & 3), provided by Geo Energie Suisse (GES) that include additional events at the start of Stage 1 and some tidying up of some locations. These catalogs also include events for additional events that were auto-located to provide a larger dataset for statistical analyses, like b-value calculations. The actual auto-locations have been removed to prevent spurious location plots being created. Times are recorded in UTC (Coordinate Universal Time), and the coordinate reference system is UTM Zone 12N, NAD83.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Stellar splashback: the edge of the intracluster light

We examine the outskirts of galaxy clusters in the C-EAGLE simulations to quantify the ‘edges’ of the stellar and dark matter distribution. The radius of the steepest slope in the dark matter, commonly used as a proxy for the splashback radius, is located at $\sim \, r_{200 \rm m}$; the strength and location of this feature depends on the recent mass accretion rate, in good agreement with previous work. Interestingly, the stellar distribution (or intracluster light, ICL) also has a well-defined edge, which is directly related to the splashback radius of the halo. Thus, detecting the edge of the ICL can provide an independent measure of the physical boundary of the halo, and the recent mass accretion rate. We show that these caustics can also be seen in the projected density profiles, but care must be taken to account for the influence of substructures and other non-diffuse material, which can bias and/or weaken the signal of the steepest slope. This is particularly important for the stellar material, which has a higher fraction bound in subhaloes than the dark matter. Finally, we show that the ‘stellar splashback’ feature is located beyond current observational constraints on the ICL, but these large projected distances (>> 1 Mpc) and low surface brightnesses (μ>>32 mag arcsec -2 ) can be reached with upcoming observational facilities such as the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, and Euclid.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Simulation of compound flooding in Japan using a nationwide model

For this study, a high-resolution, summit-to-sea unstructured-grid model was used to simulate two compound flooding events in different geomorphic settings in Japan: the July 2012 flood in Kumamoto city and July 2018 flood in Okayama City, both caused by a torrential rainfall during seasonal Meiyu front but otherwise exhibiting quite different compound flood characteristics. The model shows good performance in simulating flooding extent; e.g., the Hit Rate for the inundation event in 2018 exceeds 0.9. Sensitivity tests were conducted to determine the roles/significance of levee structures along major rivers in coastal regions. Our results indicate that riverine and oceanic factors as well as levees significantly contribute to the observed flooding extents, and we are able to quantify the contributions from each factor at different locations. The model has been implemented operationally as the first nationwide 3-day compound flooding forecast system for Japan.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Initial Conditions of Planet Formation: Time Constraints from Small Bodies and the Lifetime of Reservoirs in the Solar Protoplanetary Disk

This review explores the timescales of the initial phase of planet formation, from nebular dust (CAIs and chondrules) to planetesimal accretion and differentiation, using evidence from meteorite research. Aluminium-Mg systematics of CAIs indicate either an extended period of CAI formation (∼0.3 Ma) or an initial 26 Al heterogeneity, with evidence supporting a homogeneous 26 Al abundance in the protoplanetary disk. Thermal and aqueous alteration on the parent body can disturb the U-Pb and Al-Mg chronometers in chondrules. Focusing on relatively robust isochron data from plagioclase of pristine (types ≤3.05) chondrites indicates a shift in chondrule formation locations, moving from the inner to the outer disk over time. Ages of basaltic achondrites show that silicate differentiation on small bodies was well underway within the first few million years (Ma) of our solar system. Their age record, however, reveals inconsistencies between different chronometers, partly caused by (i) secondary disturbances due to thermal metamorphism, aqueous alteration, or impacts, (ii) the presence of xenolithic minerals, and (iii) potentially variable initial 26 Al abundances due to disturbances at the mineral scale. Nucleosynthetic isotope data indicate that parent bodies of iron and stony meteorites formed in two distinct regions within the protoplanetary disk: the inner, non-carbonaceous (NC) and the outer, carbonaceous (CC) region. Based on Hf-W chronometry it has been demonstrated that NC and CC parent bodies of magmatic iron meteorites segregated their cores within ∼1–3 Ma after CAI formation, implying that parent body accretion occurred within <1 Ma in both reservoirs. Combining accretion ages with nucleosynthetic data further reveals that, at first order, NC and CC reservoirs in the solar protoplanetary disk were established within 1 Ma and existed over several Ma with limited exchange between them. In the CR chondrite accretion region of the disk, planetary bodies formed over at least 3 Ma, while in most other regions, formation spanned at least 1 Ma, with minimal changes in nucleosynthetic isotope compositions. Aerodynamical size sorting of dust likely introduced or amplified some of these variations.

26Al distribution↗
DOE OSTI2022

A comparison of building system parameters between affordable and market-rate housing in New York City

Low-income households in the United States experience higher than average energy burdens (defined as the proportion of household income spent on energy utilities), and many of these households struggle to simultaneously pay for rent, energy, and basic household necessities. The analysis presented here in this study examines whether the underlying characteristics of buildings and their energy systems could contribute to this disparity for affordable housing residents in New York City. It combines an energy audit dataset of 7,328 multifamily buildings with a database of properties receiving local, state, or federal housing subsidies. The results of this analysis indicate that the building-level installed equipment in large (greater than 50,000 square feet) affordable housing buildings in New York City is more efficient than that in market-rate buildings, but this trend largely disappears when considering overall building characteristics, such as location, size, or age. Significant differences in the types of systems installed in affordable and market-rate housing are also observed, as well as the types of energy efficiency recommendations made by energy auditors. However, these latter data were not normalized by building system characteristics, as that analysis is much more difficult to interpret for categorical data such as heating system type. These findings indicate that retrofit policies and building performance standards focused on affordable housing will likely need to account for underlying differences in building characteristics between affordable and market-rate housing to achieve intended impacts.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Environmental Contributions to Proton Sharing in Protein Low-Barrier Hydrogen Bonds

Hydrogen bonds (H-bonds) are central to biomolecular structure and dynamics. Although H-bonds are typically characterized by well-defined proton positions, proton delocalization has been proposed to play a role in facilitating enzyme catalysis and allostery in some systems. Experimentally locating protons is difficult, hampering the study of proton mobility in H-bonds. We used neutron crystallography, atomic resolution X-ray bond length analysis, and large quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics-Born–Oppenheimer molecular dynamics (QM/MM-BOMD) simulations to comprehensively characterize the shared proton/deuteron in a Glu–Asp low-barrier hydrogen bond (LBHB) in the bacterial protein YajL that is a conventional H-bond in the homologous disease-associated human protein DJ-1. X-ray bond length analysis of protiated and perdeuterated DJ-1 and YajL shows no significant effect of deuteron substitution on these carboxylic acid-carboxylate H-bonds but does reveal an effect at the active site glutamic acid near a cysteine thiolate. Residues in an H-bonded network that might favor LBHB formation in YajL were interrogated by the mutation of homologous residues in DJ-1. A distal DJ-1 substitution increases proton delocalization in the Glu–Asp H-bond, demonstrating that mutations within extended H-bond networks can modulate proton transfer barriers in carboxylic acid-carboxylate H-bonds. In addition, proton mobility in the H-bond is correlated with dimer-spanning motions in the QM/MM-BOMD simulations of YajL and DJ-1. Our results show that proton delocalization can be tuned using combined bioinformatic, structural, and computational information, opening the possibility of using engineered proton delocalization as a probe of H-bonding environments and as a tool to test hypotheses about LBHB function.

Lin, Jiusheng [University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Greenhouse Gas Accounting Procedures in Low Carbon Fuel Policies Overlook the Spatial Variability of Miscanthus-Derived Sustainable Aviation Fuel

Low carbon fuel policies such as the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), Canada Clean Fuel Regulations (CFR), and California Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) as well as the 45Z tax credit are intended to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transportation. Cellulosic feedstocks, optimized biorefineries, and favorable farming locations can significantly reduce biofuel carbon intensity (CI). Despite advances in field-to-fuel GHG monitoring and flexibility in resource allocation within biorefineries (e.g., governing net electricity production), rigid CI accounting procedures in current policies may limit CI responsiveness across candidate sites and processing facilities. Here, this work examines a hypothetical biomass-to-sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) pathway using miscanthus and alcohol-to-jet (i) to demonstrate how GHG accounting requirements drive estimates of biofuel CIs and (ii) to explore potential CI and financial implications of scenario-specific life cycle assessment (LCA). Results demonstrate that GHG accounting using the CFR/LCFS can reasonably account for distinct levels of net electricity production by a biorefinery, but only the CFR yields similar CI sensitivity to spatially explicit factors (feedstock CI, grid electricity CI) as scenario-specific LCA: most GHG accounting frameworks do not capture CI variation across candidate sites in the United States. Ultimately, this work demonstrates the importance of LCA methodological specifications in low carbon fuel policies and tax credits.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Advances in Autoradiography Systems for Nuclear Forensic Analysis

Nuclear forensic analysis techniques work to determine the contents of radiological samples with nondestructive and destructive analysis methods. Autoradiography is a nondestructive analysis method that creates an image of the distribution of radioactivity within the sample. These images allow the location of the radiological content within a sample to be ascertained, which can be used for further analysis. Autoradiography has been used since the discovery of radiation and has been continuously developed to better suit the needs of the medical, nuclear security, nuclear safeguards, and nuclear forensic communities. Recent developments in autoradiography have led to a higher spatial resolution down to a level of tens of microns, real-time capabilities that minimize the risk of overexposure, and the ability to discriminate particles. All of these developments in autoradiography would assist the nuclear forensics community in understanding the placement of radiological content within a sample and in understanding the locations of beta-particle interactions versus those for alpha-particle interactions. This article aims to discuss the history of autoradiography as well as multiple different autoradiographic technologies while focusing on imaging plates, the BeaQuant system, and the ionizing-radiation Quantum Imaging Detector system. This article reviews three autoradiographic techniques and detectors, discusses how they relate to nuclear forensics, and addresses the drawbacks and benefits of each detector.

Autoradiography↗
DOE OSTI2021

Interorbital nematicity and the origin of a single electron Fermi pocket in FeSe

The electronic structure of the enigmatic iron-based superconductor FeSe has puzzled researchers since spectroscopic probes failed to observe the expected electron pocket at the Y point in the 1-Fe Brillouin zone. It has been speculated that this pocket, essential for an understanding of the superconducting state, is either absent or incoherent. In this study, we perform a theoretical study of the preferred nematic order originating from nearest-neighbor Coulomb interactions in an electronic model relevant for FeSe. We find that at low temperatures the dominating nematic components are of interorbital d x z – d x y and d y z – d x y character, with spontaneously broken amplitudes for these two components. This interorbital nematic order naturally leads to distinct hybridization gaps at the X and Y points of the 1-Fe Brillouin zone, and may thereby produce highly anisotropic Fermi surfaces with only a single electron pocket at one of these momentum-space locations. The associated superconducting gap structure obtained with the generated low-energy electronic band structure from spin-fluctuation mediated pairing agrees well with that measured experimentally. Finally, from a comparison of the computed spin susceptibility to available neutron scattering data, we discuss the necessity of additional self-energy effects, and explore the role of orbital-dependent quasiparticle weights as a minimal means to include them.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2023

Seismoacoustic Analysis of the Large Surface Explosion Coupling Experiment Using a Large- N Seismic Array

Seismoacoustic signals at local distance (<~10 km) are widely used as important constraints on source parameters for near-surface events, yet the seismoacoustic wave generation and energy partitioning are not fully understood. Spatially dense sensors could provide observations in high resolution to capture the full wavefield for better understanding wave propagation and improving source estimation. Recently, spatially dense observations of the local seismoacoustic wavefield produced by a pair of 1-ton surface explosions have been recorded using a large-N seismic array. This large-N array consists of 446 geophones and covers an area of approximately 2×2.5 km 2 . The two surface explosions occur at the same location but at different times with different atmospheric conditions. Both seismic and air–ground coupled acoustic waves from the two surface explosions are well observed. Analyses of signals recorded by the large-N seismic array show different acoustic wave speed and amplitude for the two explosions. A strong spatial variability in acoustic wave speed and amplitude for each explosion is also observed. Finally, the observations suggest the important role of local atmosphere state on wave propagation and source estimation and demonstrate how the use of a large-N capability can improve characterization of the propagation medium and source.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

TRACER Lightning Mapping Array Field Campaign Report

Our observational contribution to the U.S. Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility’s Tracking Aerosol Convection Interactions Experiment (TRACER) was the deployment of additional Lightning Mapping Array sensors to provide enhanced capability to the Houston Lightning Mapping Array (HLMA) during the TRACER intensive operational period. To that end, the Texas Tech University personnel (Professor Bruning and Dr. Brunner, and graduate students Jessica Souza, David Singewald, Stephanie Weiss, and Matthew Miller) deployed two portable LMA antennae at locations G and B shown in the map below. The map also shows the predicted lightning flash detection efficiency in black contours, as well as color-shaded very-high-frequency (VHF) source detection efficiency, which roughly corresponds to the sensitivity to lightning channel detail. Feeds from these sensors were integrated in the HLMA processing in real-time and in post-processing, partially leveraging National Science Foundation support through the TRACER campaign that supported the core HLMA, operated by Timothy Logan.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

USA Structures Phase 2 Technical Report

Spatially accurate data of critical infrastructures are essential to effective disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. Precise location and building outlines provide the most accurate data for characterizing impacts of hazards and effectively serve response, recovery, and mitigation efforts, as well as the people affected by the disaster. Since 2017, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has partnered with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to establish a comprehensive and open source national database of building footprints called USA Structures. Several key attributions have been added to the dataset to support rapid disaster response. In the most recent update to the dataset, ORNL developed two additional attributions to the structures, leveraging several authoritative data sources.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2022

Unveiling the Occupational Exposure to Microbial Contamination in Conservation–Restoration Settings

Assuring a proper environment for the fulfillment of professional activities is one of the Sustainable Development Goals and is contemplated in the One Health approach assumed by the World Health Organization. This particular study is applied to an often neglected sector of our society—the conservators/restorers—despite the many health issues reported by these professionals. Three different specialties (textiles, paintings and wood sculpture) and locations were selected for evaluation by placement of electrostatic dust cloths. After treatment of the samples, bacterial and fungal contamination were assessed, as well as mycotoxin determination, the presence of azole-resistant strains and cytotoxicity of the microorganisms encountered. Bacteria were only present in one of medias used and showed relatively low numbers. The highest level of contamination by fungi was identified in one of the textiles settings. The textile area also showed the highest variability for fungi. Aspergillus sp. are one indicator of possible environmental issues, and A. sections Fumigati and Circumdati were particularly relevant in two of the settings and identified in all of them. No mycotoxins were detected and the large majority of the fungi identified were non-cytotoxic. Overall, these can be considered low-contaminated environments but attention should be given to the Aspergillus sp. contamination. Additional studies are needed not only to make these results more robust, but also to test if the environmental sampling alone is the best approach in a setting where there is very little movement and dust displacement and where professionals are in very close proximity to the artefacts being treated, which may suggest the existence of a micro-atmosphere worth evaluating and comparing to the obtained results.

Viegas, Carla (ORCID:0000000215456479)↗
DOE OSTI2023

Urban Combined Heat and Power with Integrated Renewables and Energy Storage

District energy systems efficiently provide thermal energy to multiple buildings and facilities through a network of shared infrastructure. Frequently, district energy systems are centered around combined heat and power (CHP) plants that generate electricity as well as heating and cooling to the local buildings. By providing both electricity and thermal energy from a single fuel source and central location, these systems use less fuel, decrease energy and operational costs, and reduce the need for heating and cooling equipment in individual buildings.

EMS, CHP, GWU↗