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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 829 records · Page 46
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Pragmatic Uncertainty Quantification and Propagation in Inverse Estimation of Structural Dynamics Parameters given Material Property Uncertainties and Limited Sensor Data

In this report we demonstrate some relatively simple and inexpensive methods to effectively account for various sources of epistemic lack-of-knowledge type uncertainty in inverse problems. The demonstration problem involves inverse estimation of six parameters of a bolted joint that attaches a kettlebell shaped object to a thick plate. The parameters are efficiently inverted in a modal-based model calibration using gradient-based optimization. Two material properties of the kettlebell are treated as uncertain to within given epistemic uncertainty bounds. We apply and test interval and sparse-sample probabilistic approaches to account for uncertainty in the estimated parameters (and various scalar functionals of the parameters as generic quantities of interest, QOIs) due to uncertainties in the material properties. We also investigate the error effects of limited numbers of vibration sensors (accelerometers) on the kettlebell and plate, and therefore abbreviated excitation/response information in the parameter inversions. We propose and demonstrate a Leave-K-Sensors-Out “cross-prediction” UQ approach to estimate related uncertainties on the parameters and QOI functionals. We indicate how uncertainties from material properties and limited sensors are treated in a combined manner. The economical combined UQ approach involves just three to five samples (i.e. three to five inverse simulations), with no added complication or error/uncertainty from use of surrogate models for affordability. Finally, we describe a related economical UQ approach for handling potential parameter solution non-uniqueness and numerical optimization related precision uncertainties in the estimated parameter values. Indicated further research is identified.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Review of In Situ Sensing for Directed Energy Deposition for Industrial Part Quality Assessment

As the use additive manufacturing (AM) processes continues to grow in critical industries, improved quality assurance methods are becoming increasingly sought after for qualification and certification of AM components. Traditional nondestructive evaluation of printed components is often unable to supply the required confidence in print quality to justify qualification and certification, but the layer-by-layer nature of AM provides unprecedented opportunities for in situ quality inspection. This document summarizes recent developments in process monitoring research specifically related to Directed Energy Deposition (DED). Particular attention is given to three aspects of the highlighted manuscripts: (1) the type of sensors used, (2) features extracted from each sensor modality, and (3) analysis of extracted features for AM quality assessment. Based on the review of the state-of-the-art, several observations have been made. First, none of the reviewed works have applied their trained models to real part geometries, with many of the works relying on single track experiments, thin-walled structures, and cubes. Similarly, there have not been any works demonstrating model generalizability, i.e., a model trained on data from one build allows for fruitful analysis of data from another build. Many works used machine learning techniques to distinguish different process regimes (i.e., normal, keyholing, lack-of-fusion), but very few papers have investigated stochastic variation in an already “optimized” process. Sensor fusion approaches are also limited in the DED sensing literature, but the few works that have employed such techniques have demonstrated the benefits. Finally, registration of in situ data to the build coordinate system is of paramount importance to producing industrially relevant in situ monitoring systems. Data registration allows direct correlations between process anomalies detected in the process monitoring data to localized departures in part quality, but such techniques are generally lacking in the current literature.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Advancing Development of Emissions Detection (Final Report)

This document is the final report to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE for contract DE-FE0031873) awarded to Colorado State University (CSU). CSU and partners at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, University of Texas Arlington, and University of Texas at Austin organized several testing rounds to provide knowledge focused on advancing the detection capabilities of emissions monitoring devices. With this funding opportunity the research group began by establishing the Advancing the Development of Emission Detection (ADED) program, with the goal focused on enhancing the accuracy, reliability, and field applicability of methane detection technologies. This effort aimed to address the critical challenges of identifying and quantifying methane emissions while enabling industry stakeholders to meet regulatory compliance and environmental sustainability goals. The program engaged with industry, government, and technology stakeholders to promote adoption and consensus on testing techniques for methane detection solutions. Methane, a potent greenhouse gas, contributes significantly to global warming, and the oil and natural gas (O&G) sector is a primary source of methane emissions. Regulatory measures such as leak detection and repair (LDAR) programs have been implemented to address emissions. However, traditional LDAR approaches, reliant on handheld and component-level measurements, are resource-intensive. To address these limitations and move with evolving regulations, advanced methane technologies are emerging. These solutions include ground-based sensors, mobile systems (e.g., drones, vehicles, and aircraft), and satellite-based platforms. They offer innovative capabilities for autonomous monitoring, larger spatial coverage, and emission quantification using methods such as tracer gas techniques and inverse modeling with Gaussian plume analysis. The ADED program began with creating protocols for methane controlled release (CR) testing these continuous monitoring (CM) and survey technologies that detect and monitor methane emissions at O&G facilities. The protocols were then implemented throughout testing of CM and survey devices at CSU’s Methane Emissions Technology Evaluation Center (METEC) facility from 2021 through 2024. As apart of the protocol, solutions that tested under the ADED program installed their solutions at METEC, documented their system under test, and provided detection reports to the METEC team for analysis. The METEC team would provide the solutions with analyzed reports of their emissions and ground truth data of the releases conducted during their testing session. Under the ADED program, CMs were also tested at O&G facilities for a six week test run of challenge release (ChR) releases. The findings from the ADED program underscore the critical role of collaborative research and innovation in tackling methane emissions, offering a pathway for the oil and gas sector to achieve significant environmental and economic benefits. Results from METEC testing saw improvement of performance and accuracy across all solutions over the extent of the ADED experiments. The results also showed a variance in CM solution performance between CRs and ChRs. That variance pushed the team to further analyze the differences between CR testing environments and field conditions. With the drive from regulations and that variance in field conditions, the ADED team began designing a new CR testing protocol and additions to the METEC testing facility. The METEC team is furthering the progress made through the ADED program with awarded funding from DE-FE0032276. This funding pushes the development of METEC’s addition with new equipment, allowing for an updated facility layout. METEC still facilitates for traditional facilities, with a legacy pad, while expanding an new design based on how O&G infrastructure has Final Report - Contract Number: DE-FE0031873 been changed over the last decade. Throughout the ADED program the team has also been working with international partners to ensure staying in the trend globally. International partners have been essential in moving the new protocol forward to implement into CR testing at the METEC facility in Spring 2025.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2025

FuSED Users Manual, 5.24

The Fusion of Simulation, Experiment, and Data (FuSED) team provides a set of tools for solving inverse problems in structural dynamics and thermal physics, and also sensor placement optimization via Optimal Experimental Design (OED). These methods are used for designing experiments, model calibration, and verification/validation analysis of systems. This document provides a user’s guide to the input for the three apps that are supported for these methods. Details of input specifications, output options, and optimization parameters are included.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2025

Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing of Lightweight High Pressure Die Casting Tooling

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Mercury Marine partnered to develop and test methods for additively manufactured tooling for aluminum die casting applications under CRADA agreement NFE-20-08193. Tooling is the largest capital expense for high production casting projects. The lead time for tooling is often measured in months with a typical project taking 9-12 months to realize Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) ready die cast samples. This project demonstrated the technical viability of rapidly produced steel components for high pressure die casting tooling via Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM). A 410 stainless steel tool was redesigned and optimized with conformal cooling channels and additively manufactured. The finished tool was tested and used to produce over 4000 parts, which well surpassed expectations. A secondary objective was to evaluate the durability of multi-material additively manufactured (AM) components with conformal cooling. A large multi-material tool (H13 and 410SSNiMo) was manufactured using the same methods showing potential reductions in used material and cost. However, the H13 section sustained material cracking. Further analysis showed that the potential cause was the CTE mismatch of the two materials at higher temperatures. It is also suggested that the material mix can be used if the steel processing temperature does not exceed 600 ̊C.This project has shown high potential for using the WAAM technology for creating AM parts for aluminum dies casting. However, the multi-material approach requires extended study and tests.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing of Lightweight High Pressure Die Casting Tooling

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Mercury Marine partnered to develop and test methods for additively manufactured tooling for aluminum die casting applications under CRADA agreement NFE- 20-08193. Tooling is the largest capital expense for high production casting projects. The lead time for tooling is often measured in months with a typical project taking 9-12 months to realize Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) ready die cast samples. This project demonstrated the technical viability of rapidly produced steel components for high pressure die casting tooling via Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM). A 410 stainless steel tool was redesigned and optimized with conformal cooling channels and additively manufactured. The finished tool was tested and used to produce over 4000 parts, which well surpassed expectations. A secondary objective was to evaluate the durability of multi-material additively manufactured (AM) components with conformal cooling. A large multi-material tool (H13 and 410SSNiMo) was manufactured using the same methods showing potential reductions in used material and cost. However, the H13 section sustained material cracking. Further analysis showed that the potential cause was the CTE mismatch of the two materials at higher temperatures. It is also suggested that the material mix can be used if the steel processing temperature does not exceed 600 ˚C. This project has shown high potential for using the WAAM technology for creating AM parts for aluminum dies casting. However, the multi-material approach requires extended study and tests.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

FuSED – Users Manual – (V.5.26)

The Fusion of Simulation, Experiment, and Data (FuSED) team provides a set of tools for solving inverse problems in structural dynamics (InverseSD) and thermal physics (InverseAria), a sensor placement optimization tool via Optimal Experimental Design (OED), and a decision boundary tool using SVMs (TRACE). These methods are used for designing experiments, model calibration, and verification/validation analysis of systems. This document provides a user’s guide.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Demonstrating Advanced Sensors for In-Situ Monitoring Towards Qualification of Nuclear Relevant Components

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies (AMMT) program is pursuing qualification of laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) components for nuclear applications. A major focus of this effort is the use of in situ process monitoring and machine learning–based tools to establish real-time quality assurance. The primary objective of this report is to identify and evaluate the most relevant in situ sensor systems for LPBF, and to document the deployment of these systems across platforms critical to the AMMT program. This work demonstrates how in situ monitoring can detect process anomalies, track geometry-dependent flaws, and identify limiting combinations of processing parameters—particularly those related to energy density and complex geometries (e.g., overhanging structures). To support this goal, a diverse suite of sensor modalities was evaluated across LPBF platforms, including visible and near-infrared (NIR) imaging, fringe projection profilometry, long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) thermography, and high-speed photodiode/pyrometry systems. These sensor streams were integrated with Peregrine, a machine-agnostic software platform that, among other capabilities, can generate real-time process anomaly classification. This report documents sensor deployments on multiple AMMT flagship platforms, including the Concept Laser M2 and Renishaw AM400/AM250 systems. Calibration builds with complex, flaw-prone geometries such as unsupported overhangs, stepped features, and thin walls, were used to evaluate how well Peregrine and its associated sensors could detect process anomalies and other instabilities under varied energy densities. It will be shown how Peregrine reliably identifies common process anomalies such as recoater streaking, superelevation, etc., and can be used in post-build analysis for anomaly spatial distributions throughout the build height to better understand the impact of geometry and processing parameter choice on the build. This work demonstrates measurable progress toward the vision that components can be born-qualified by establishing a real-time monitoring framework, identifying limiting process conditions, and laying the foundation for sensor fusion–enabled prediction pipelines that are scalable across platforms and applicable to nuclear-relevant components.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Impacts of Dual-Use Solar (Agrivoltaics) on Crop Productivity and the Agricultural Economy in Massachusetts and Beyond

This project contributes applied research to better understand the impacts of agrivoltaics on farm microclimates, crop productivity, and economics at the farm and sector level. The site trial research is divided into two sets of site trials integrated into commercial farm and agrivoltaic operations – one set on annual vegetable and hay crops and one on perennial cranberry bog operations. The economic research developed methods for recording and evaluating changes in farm operations and costs, and on the public perception of and willingness-to-accept agrivoltaics.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗