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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 OSTI2017

Lithium Battery Health and Capacity Estimation Techniques Using Embedded Electronics

This report details work at Sandia National Laboratories in development of a lithium-ion battery management system (BMS) designed to detect the state of charge (SOC) and state of health (SOH) of a battery. The goal was to create a BMS that provides advanced SOH information without adding complexity to the hardware already required for monitoring battery safety. The hardware is designed to have low processor requirements and relatively low cost components, while offering several high end battery management options like communication, automatic SOC detection, capacity tracking, and multiple SOH characteristics. The methods for detecting capacity include coulomb counting and resistance-compensated voltage calculations. Several methods for assessing the SOH were also considered, including deviations in capacity using coulomb counting, DC resistance analysis, and time domain resistance analysis.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Multi-Fidelity Gaussian Process for Distribution System Voltage Probabilistic Estimation with PVs

The increasing penetration of behind-the-meter PVs causes challenges to maintain voltage security due to the lack of distribution system visibility. This paper proposes a nonlinear autoregressive Gaussian process (NARGP) approach to fuse limited number of SCADA/AMI data together with historical pseudo measurements for distribution node voltage probabilistic estimation. The high-fidelity SCADA data are fused with the low-fidelity AMI and pseudo measurements by the autoregressive algorithm embedded in the Gaussian process. This allows us to use multi-fidelity data to achieve entire distribution system voltage visibility. Numerical results carried out on the IEEE 123node system demonstrate that the NARGP method is able to obtain high accuracy in estimating bus voltage and quantifying estimation uncertainties as compared to other approaches.

distribution system estimation↗
DOE OSTI2019

Development of a deep machine learning interatomic potential for metalloid-containing Pd-Si compounds

Interatomic potentials based on neural-network machine learning (ML) approach to address the long-standing challenge of accuracy versus efficiency in molecular-dynamics simulations have recently attracted a great deal of interest. In this work, utilizing Pd-Si system as a prototype, we extend the development of neural-network ML potentials to compounds exhibiting various types of bonding characteristics. The ML potential is trained by fitting to the energies and forces of both liquid and crystal structures first-principles calculations based on density-functional theory (DFT). We show that the generated ML potential captures the structural features and motifs in Pd 82 Si 18 and Pd 75 Si 25 liquids more accurately than the existing interatomic potential based on embedded-atom method (EAM). The ML potential also describes the solid-liquid interface of these systems very well. Moreover, while the existing EAM potential fails to describe the relative energies of various crystalline structures and predict wrong ground-state structures at Pd 3 Si and Pd 9 Si 2 composition, the developed ML potential predicts correctly the ground-state structures from genetic algorithm search. The efficient ML potential with DFT accuracy from our study will provide a promising scheme for accurate atomistic simulations of structures and dynamics of complex Pd-Si system.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2022

Learning Distributed Geometric Koopman Operator for Sparse Networked Dynamical Systems

Koopman operator theory provides an alternative to study nonlinear networked dynamical systems by mapping the state space to an abstract higher dimensional space where the system evolution is linear. Recent works show the application of graph neural networks (GNNs) to learn state to object-centric embeddings and achieve centralized block-wise computation of Koopman operator (KO) under additional assumptions on the underlying agents properties and constraints on the KO structure. However, the computational complexity of learning the Koopman increases exponentially for networked systems where the number of possible system states grows in a combinatorial fashion with the number of nodes. The learning challenge is further amplified for sparse networks by two factors: 1) sample sparsity for learning the Koopman operator in the non-linear space, and 2) the divergence in the dynamics of individual nodes or from one subgraph to another. Our work aims to address these challenge by formulating the representation learning of networked dynamical systems into a multi-agent paradigm and learning the Koopman operator in a distributive manner. The computational as well as performance advantages of distributed Koopman is predominant for sparse networks whereas for fully connected networks, it is shown to coincide with the centralized one. The empirical study on rope system, network of oscillators and a synthetic power system show comparable and superior performance along with computational benefits with the state-of-the-art methods.

Mukherjee, Sayak↗
DOE OSTI2022

Cell Dancoff-based embedded self-shielding capability for doubly heterogeneous particulate fuels in SCALE/Polaris

Polaris is a two-dimensional (2D) transport lattice physics capability in the SCALE code system for light-water reactor (LWR) analysis. SCALE/Polaris is being extended to treat doubly heterogeneous particulate fuels in LWRs with accident-tolerant fuels and prismatic high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) fuel. Recently, a Dancoff-based Wigner-Seitz approximation capability based on the embedded self-shielding method (DWA-ESSM) was implemented into Polaris for efficient computation. A new double heterogeneity treatment capability based on DWA-ESSM in conjunction with the Hebert's collision probability method for double heterogeneity was developed and implemented for Polaris. The new capability was verified by performing benchmark calculations for the prismatic HTGR fuel compact problems with various design parameters through a code-to-code comparison between the Polaris and continuous-energy Monte Carlo results. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2024

AOI [1] Advanced Manufacturing of Ceramic Anchors with Embedded Sensors for Process and Health Monitoring of Coal Boilers

Researchers at West Virginia University (WVU) developed methods to fabricate and test ceramic anchors with an embedded sensor technology for monitoring the health and processing conditions within pulverized coal (PC) and fluidized-bed combustion (FBC) boiler systems. The technology included the development of advanced manufacturing processes for 2D/3D printing electroceramic (conductive ceramic) sensor designs within the ceramic anchor microstructure during the manufacturing process. This advanced manufacturing process would allow for the precise control of local microstructure and composition in order to engineer layer-by-layer any protective and electrically active materials within the refractory anchor. This 3D printing technology would permit the rapid and controlled design of the refractory microstructure and embedded sensor design throughout the volume of the ceramic anchor. The work also included a method to interconnect the sensors to boiler shell through the anchor clamp, where the sensor signals will be processed by low-power electronics and transmitted wirelessly to a central processing hub. The end-goal of the program was to produce a ceramic anchor sensor system which would be ready for implementation within a coal boiler, and/or other similar refractory liner systems (such as that in the glass and metal manufacturing areas). The project objectives were to: 1) Define the chemical and microstructural stability, in addition to the electrical properties, of oxide and non-oxide ceramic composites to be embedded within the ceramic anchor compositions that may operate up to 1400ºC; 2) Develop and implement the 2D/3D printing technology to pattern and control the microstructure of the ceramic anchor and embedded sensor circuits; 3) Develop an interconnect technology which will permit easy installation of the ceramic anchors and signal collection at the boiler shell; 4) Develop low power analog electronics and wireless communication hardware to efficiently collect the sensor signal at each processing unit and transmit data to a central hub for data analysis; 5) Demonstrate the smart ceramic anchor system for temperature and liner fracture within a high-temperature processing unit, such as a boiler furnace or glass melting furnace floor/wall liner.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Surface damage of dental implant systems and ions release after exposure to fluoride and hydrogen peroxide

Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate surface changes on dental implant systems and ions release after immersion in fluoride and hydrogen peroxide. Methods Ten implant‐abutment assemblies were embedded in acrylic resin and cross‐sectioned along the implant vertical axis. Samples were wet ground and polished. Delimited areas of groups of samples were immersed in 1.23% sodium fluoride gel (F) or in 35% hydrogen peroxide (HP) for 16 min. Gels (n = 3) were collected from the implant surfaces and analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS), to detect the concentration of metallic ions released from the implant systems. Selected areas of the abutment and implant (n = 15) were analyzed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results SEM images revealed surface topographic changes on implant‐abutment joints after immersion in fluoride. Implants showed excessive oxidation within loss of material, while abutment surfaces revealed intergranular corrosion after immersion in fluoride. ICP‐MS results revealed a high concentration of Ti, Al, V ions in fluoride after contact with the implant systems. Localized corrosion of implant systems could not be detected by SEM after immersion in hydrogen peroxide although the profilometry showed increase in roughness. ICP‐MS showed the release of metallic ions in hydrogen peroxide medium after contact with dental implants. Conclusion Therapeutical substances such as fluorides and hydrogen peroxide can promote the degradation of titanium‐based dental implant and abutments leading to the release of toxic ions.

Peñarrieta‐Juanito, Gabriella↗
DOE OSTI2016

Development of a mobile toolmark characterization/comparison system [Development of a mobile, automated toolmark characterization/comparison system]

Since the development of the striagraph, various attempts have been made to enhance forensic investigation through the use of measuring and imaging equipment. This study describes the development of a prototype system employing an easy-to-use software interface designed to provide forensic examiners with the ability to measure topography of a toolmarked surface and then conduct various comparisons using a statistical algorithm. Acquisition of the data is carried out using a portable 3D optical profilometer, and comparison of the resulting data files is made using software named “MANTIS” (Mark and Tool Inspection Suite). The system has been tested on laboratory-produced markings that include fully striated marks (e.g., screwdriver markings), quasistriated markings produced by shear-cut pliers, impression marks left by chisels, rifling marks on bullets, and cut marks produced by knives. Using the system, an examiner has the potential to (i) visually compare two toolmarked surfaces in a manner similar to a comparison microscope and (ii) use the quantitative information embedded within the acquired data to obtain an objective statistical comparison of the data files. Finally, this study shows that, based on the results from laboratory samples, the system has great potential for aiding examiners in conducting comparisons of toolmarks.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2023

Graph-EAM: An Interpretable and Efficient Graph Neural Network Potential Framework

The development of deep learning interatomic potentials has enabled efficient and accurate computations in quantum chemistry and materials science, circumventing computationally expensive ab initio calculations. However, the huge number of learnable parameters in deep learning models and their complex architectures hinder physical interpretability and affect the robustness of the derived potential. In this work, we propose graph-EAM, a lightweight graph neural network (GNN) inspired by the empirical embedded atom method to model the interatomic potential of single-element structures. Four material systems: platinum, niobium, silicon, and amorphous-carbon, for which quantum simulation data sets are publicly available, are examined to demonstrate that graph-EAM can achieve high energy and force prediction accuracy-comparable or better than existing state-of-the-art machine learning models-with much fewer parameters. It is also shown that the explicit inclusion of the angular information via three-body atomic density increases the prediction accuracy. In conclusion, the accuracy and efficiency of potentials obtained from graph-EAM can help accelerate the molecular dynamics simulation.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2022

Tunable White Light for Elders (TWLITE): A Protocol Demonstrating Feasibility and Acceptability for Deployment, Remote Data Collection, and Analysis of a Home-Based Lighting Intervention in Older Adults

Sleep disturbances are common in older adults and may contribute to disease progression in certain populations (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease). Light therapy is a simple and cost-effective intervention to improve sleep. Primary barriers to light therapy are: (1) poor acceptability of the use of devices, and (2) inflexibility of current devices to deliver beyond a fixed light spectrum and throughout the entirety of the day. However, dynamic, tunable lighting integrated into the native home lighting system can potentially overcome these limitations. Herein, we describe our protocol to implement a whole-home tunable lighting system installed throughout the homes of healthy older adults already enrolled in an existing study with embedded home assessment platforms (Oregon Center for Aging & Technology—ORCATECH). Within ORCATECH, continuous data on room location, activity, sleep, and general health parameters are collected at a minute-to-minute resolution over years of participation. This single-arm longitudinal protocol collected participants’ light usage in addition to ORCATECH outcome measures over a several month period before and after light installation. The protocol was implemented with four subjects living in three ORCATECH homes. Technical/usability challenges and feasibility/acceptability outcomes were explored. The successful implementation of our protocol supports the feasibility of implementing and integrating tunable whole-home lighting systems into an automated home-based assessment platform for continuous data collection of outcome variables, including long-term sleep measures. Challenges and iterative approaches are discussed. This protocol will inform the implementation of future clinical intervention trials using light therapy in patients at risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease and related conditions.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2013

System of laser pump and synchrotron radiation probe microdiffraction to investigate optical recording process

We have developed a system of laser-pump and synchrotron radiation probe microdiffraction to investigate the phase-change process on a nanosecond time scale of Ge{sub 2}Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 5} film embedded in multi-layer structures, which corresponds to real optical recording media. The measurements were achieved by combining (i) the pump-laser system with a pulse width of 300 ps, (ii) a highly brilliant focused microbeam with wide peak-energy width ({Delta}E/E {approx} 2%) made by focusing helical undulator radiation without monochromatization, and (iii) a precise sample rotation stage to make repetitive measurements. We successfully detected a very weak time-resolved diffraction signal by using this system from 100-nm-thick Ge{sub 2}Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 5} phase-change layers. This enabled us to find the dependence of the crystal-amorphous phase change process of the Ge{sub 2}Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 5} layers on laser power.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

The ultrafast pixel array camera system and its applications in high energy density physics

Diagnostics in high energy density physics, shock physics, and related fields are primarily driven by a need to record rapidly time-evolving signals in single-shot events. These measurements are often limited by channel count and signal degradation issues on cable links between the detector and digitizer. Here we present the Ultrafast Pixel Array Camera (UPAC), a compact and flexible detector readout system with 32 waveform-recording channels at up to 10 Gsample/s and 1.8 GHz analog bandwidth. The compact footprint allows the UPAC to be directly embedded in the detector environment. A key enabling technology is the PSEC4A chip, an eight-channel switch-capacitor array sampling device with up to 1056 samples/channel. The UPAC system includes a high-density input connector that can plug directly into an application-specific detector board, programmable control, and serial readout, with less than 5 W of power consumption in full operation. We present the UPAC design and characterization, including a measured timing resolution of ~20 ps or better on acquisitions of sub-nanosecond pulses with minimal system calibrations. Example applications of the UPAC are also shown to demonstrate operation of a solid-state streak camera, an ultrafast imaging array, and a neutron time-of-flight spectrometer.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2026

Force-triggered, Bio-based, Sealants for Prefabricated Building Components: Towards Improved Efficiency, Performance and Sustainability

The prefabricated building construction industry has made extensive progress in expediting the manufacture of prefabricated components at offsite plants. However, this progress has not translated to the assembly of the prefabricated components at the construction site. Case in point, sealing the joints between components to prevent air leaks requires the manual application of tape, caulk, or spray foam at the jobsite, and performance is highly dependent on the skills of the installer. To reduce assembly time and improve assembly quality of prefabricated components, we developed a sealant that can be installed at the plant and triggered at the jobsite. Additionally, we used this opportunity to lower the use of fossil fuel derived feedstocks and introduced bio-based alternatives to decrease the embodied carbon of the new sealant. We evaluated a series of force-triggered, bio-based, high strength, and fast curing sealants, consisting of a one-part heterogeneous system. These sealants are derived from formulations with ≥80% of biogenic carbon, consisting of a cardanol derived diepoxy that is microencapsulated in a polymer shell and embedded in a cardanol derived amine curing agent. The microcapsule shell allows separation of the reactive species in the one part sealant allowing shelf stability to an otherwise fast curing system. When the microcapsules are broken and activated by force, the highly reactive species mix and cure, exhibiting peel strengths up to 143 ppi. The shelf stability of these sealants and the on-demand triggering of the curing reactions enable installation on prefabricated components and storage prior to delivery and assembly at a jobsite, which could result in consistent sealant application with lower installation time than tapes and caulks at the construction site.

Cortes Guzman, Karen [ORNL] (ORCID:000000028793468↗
DOE OSTI2019

Design of an experimental facility with a unit cell test section for studies of the lower plenum in prismatic high temperature gas reactors

A proposed design for a Generation IV reactor is the very-high temperature reactor (VHTR), which employs helium as the primary coolant. Although many advantages exist with this design, a number of challenges remain. One such area of concern is the turbulent mixing of non-isothermal flows in the lower plenum, where an array of coolant jets collectively mix and traverse around a series of structural support posts before exiting the core. Neighboring jets in the lower plenum could experience temperature differences as high as 300–400 K, causing potential hot streaking in the support posts. Additional problems could occur further downstream if the level of non-uniformity in the temperatures is too high (e.g, inducing thermal stresses on gas turbine blades). Therefore, it is important that adequate tools exist to predict the turbulent mixing within the VHTR lower plenum. This task remains difficult to achieve due to the complex geometry and flow physics that dictate the mixing. Various modeling approaches can only be assessed using data acquired from a carefully designed experimental facility. This paper presents details of such a facility, where high-fidelity measurements can be acquired for a scaled portion of the lower plenum defined herein as a ‘‘unit cell”, which consists of a hexagonal array of jets whose flow is directed into a test section with support posts positioned between neighboring jets, and subjected to a crossflow. Through adjusting velocity and temperature conditions at the jet inlets, different locations within the lower plenum can be experimentally simulated. System response quantities (SRQs) include both temperature and velocity measurements, captured via multiple thermocouples embedded in each post, and particle image velocimetry (PIV), respectively. These SRQs provide assessment metrics for both the momentum and energy models present in current computational solvers, and therefore the experimental facility is a valuable source for validation data. Another benefit is a more comprehensive understanding of the thermal-hydraulic loading conditions and flow physics present in the VHTR lower plenum.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Amplified charge and discharge rates in phase change materials for energy storage using spatially-enhanced thermal conductivity

Composites made with high thermal conductivity meshes embedded in phase change materials (PCMs) increase charge/discharge rates of latent heat energy storage systems. Here we study the benefits of spatially-dependent enhancements to thermal conductivity on the charge/discharge rates of PCMs in both one-dimensional Cartesian and one-dimensional cylindrical coordinates. Our nondimensionalized quasi-steady (Stefan number ≲ 0.1) solution indicates that the average charge (discharge) rate in a spatially-enhanced PCM outperforms the uniformly-enhanced case by maximizing the enhancement near the heat source and therein reducing the time averaged thermal resistance to melting (solidifying). Relative to a uniformly-enhanced thermal conductivity, the optimal charge/discharge rate enhancement is a modest 12% in one-dimensional Cartesian coordinates but as high as 140% in one-dimensional cylindrical coordinates. Our analytical solutions are a design guide for graded mesh structures that can be realized by advanced fabrication techniques such as additive manufacturing and applied in applications ranging from telecommunications to buildings, where PCMs are employed to harness rapidly varying energy sources.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Factors controlling injection-induced rupture of intersecting faults during geological sequestration of CO 2

This study addresses coupled multiphase fluid flow and geomechanics effects on potential fault activation associated with subsurface CO 2 injection around intersecting faults. An enhanced fault-representation model is used to capture geomechanical responses of two intersecting faults with finite length during CO 2 injection. The faults are embedded in a strike-slip stress regime of a caprock-reservoir-basement system with the faults represented by zero-thickness interfaces with adjacent finite-thickness damage zones. A sensitivity analysis is conducted to study the effect of fault permeability, slip-weakening behavior, well location relative to the orientation of faults, and well placement (the number and location of injection wells). Five metrics (pressure, CO 2 plume, shear state on the fault, as well as shear displacement and stress path at selected fault monitoring points) are selected to assess CO 2 migration and reactivation of intersecting faults. The results show that induced ruptures are favored by low permeability faults due to high pressure buildup and by slip-weakening behavior resulting from fault strength reduction. The location of one injection well relative to fault orientation determines the magnitude of changes in effective normal stress and shear stress, affecting the location of induced ruptures. Well placement (two injection wells used in the paper) dominates pressure diffusion around the intersection and tips of faults. This redistributes changes in effective normal stress caused by each injection well, influencing the spatial distribution of ruptures along faults. A larger injection volume induces far-field ruptures that are controlled by stress transfer within the injection layer. The findings presented here can provide valuable insights into engineering operations for a long-term, safe, and reliable geologic CO 2 storage.

Fault permeability↗
DOE OSTI2014

Delineating the magnetic field line escape pattern and stickiness in a poloidally diverted tokamak

We analyze a Hamiltonian model with five wire loops that delineates magnetic surfaces of tokamaks with poloidal divertor. Non-axisymmetric magnetic perturbations are added by external coils, similar to the correction coils that have been installed or designed in present tokamaks. To show the influence of magnetic perturbations on the field line escape, we integrate numerically the field line differential equations and obtain the footprints and deposition patterns on the divertor plate. Moreover, we show that the homoclinic tangle describes the deposition patterns in the divertor plate, agreeing with results observed in sophisticated simulation codes. Additionally, we show that while chaotic lines escape to the divertor plates, some of them are trapped, for many toroidal turns, in complex structures around magnetic islands, embedded in the chaotic region, giving rise to stickiness evidences characteristic of chaotic Hamiltonian systems. Finally, we introduce a random collisional term to the field line mapping to investigate stickiness alterations due to particle collisions. Within this model, we conclude that, even reduced by collisions, the observed trapping still influences the field line transport. The results obtained for our numerical estimations indicate that the reported trapping may affect the transport in present tokamaks.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Communication: X-ray coherent diffractive imaging by immersion in nanodroplets

Lensless x-ray microscopy requires the recovery of the phase of the radiation scattered from a specimen. Here, we demonstrate a de novo phase retrieval technique by encapsulating an object in a superfluid helium nanodroplet, which provides both a physical support and an approximate scattering phase for the iterative image reconstruction. The technique is robust, fast-converging, and yields the complex density of the immersed object. As a result, images of xenon clusters embedded in superfluid helium droplets reveal transient configurations of quantum vortices in this fragile system.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗