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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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Catalyst design and reactor engineering for electrochemical CO2 reduction to formate and formic acid
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Design Principles in Engineering of Multigrain Nanocatalysts via Multiscale Electronic Structure Characterization
Engineering grain boundary (GB) strain provides a promising pathway to tune the catalytic properties of nanocrystals. However, structural heterogeneity from random grain orientation and geometry has limited clear structure–property correlations. Here, we utilize a multigrain Co3O4/Mn3O4 core/shell nanocrystal platform as a model system to systematically investigate how geometric misfit strain at GBs serves as catalytically active sites for the oxygen reduction reaction. Through precise subnanometer-level control over grain morphology and by integrating multiscale electronic structure characterization, we identify the electronic structural signature of GB defects and establish a direct correlation between localized strain fields and modified electronic states. Strain modulation at GBs alters the eg orbital energy levels, with elongation along the z-axis combined with shear strain stabilizing the eg states, in contrast to the destabilization observed under pure shear strain. This stabilization mechanism enhances the electrocatalytic activity and selectivity of strained GBs compared with strain-relaxed grain surfaces. Furthermore, we reveal that GBs exhibit a radial strain gradient, producing a spatial energy shift that further modulates local electronic structures, as resolved through the classification of electron energy loss spectroscopy data. Together, these findings demonstrate that geometric misfit strain enables precise tuning of grain geometry and the resulting electronic structures, offering a robust strategy for engineering next-generation nanocatalysts.
Accelerated Thermal Battery Design Through Digital Engineering Tools.
Abstract not provided.
Improved biomass feedstock materials handling and feeding engineering data sets, design methods, and modeling/simulation tools
Forest Concepts led a project to develop a set of tools which enable feedstock handing equipment designers to better understand and model the flowability of bulk particulate biomass materials. The work products included improved flowability mathematical models, data sets used to populate the models, and two new laboratory devices – a biomass-scale true cubical triaxial tester and a biomass-scale gas pycnometer. This work was funded in part by the US Department of Energy under contact DE-EE0008254.
Process Intensification through Improved Dryer Engineering Data and Design
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Systems Engineering and the Design of Arms Control Monitoring Regimes.
Abstract not provided.
Systems Engineering and the Design of Arms Control Monitoring Regimes.
Abstract not provided.
Salt Repository Engineered Barrier System Design and Testing.
Abstract not provided.
Engineering analysis and design of CO2 geothermal power system to provide dispatchable geothermal electricity generation and grid-scale energy storage.
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DOME Front End Engineering Experiment and Design
Steps for Initiating FEEED Explore the FEEED Process Key Activities Key Deliverables Provide an update on FEEED Progress with FEEED Developers Radiant USNC Westinghouse
An Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) Approach to Design Nonlinear Transition Zones Between Dissimilar Metals
Current approaches to designing graded transition joints (GTJs) between dissimilar metals often rely on linear changes in both composition profiles and thickness of each sublayer. This increases fabrication cost and may not be optimal with respect to residual stress or the formation of undesirable phases. Here, in this study, GTJs between P91 ferritic/martensitic steel and 347H austenitic stainless steel were designed using Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) principles with nonlinear composition and length profiles. Guided by inputs from classical mechanics and CALPHAD predictions of carbon chemical potential, a novel transition zone consisting of five discrete compositions was proposed, with the thickness of each sublayer varying according to a brachistochrone-inspired distribution. In addition to carbon potential gradients, CALPHAD was used to predict coefficients of thermal expansion, which were incorporated into finite element models to evaluate stress evolution. The proposed nonlinear design resulted in a smoother carbon potential gradient, lower carbon depletion at the P91 interface, and a comparable residual stress under long-term thermal exposure, compared to a conventional linear design using ten sublayers with equal thickness. This work introduces a brachistochrone-inspired distribution for GTJ design, offering a general framework for optimizing graded interfaces between dissimilar metals.
The Digital Engineering Vision for DOME: Facilitating Design, Deployment, and Operations [Poster]
DOME is a planned microreactor test facility at INL’s Materials and Fuels Complex. It is a complex system with several interdependent sub-systems such as the reactor (up to 20 MWth), radioactive confinement, temperature and pressure regulation system, ventilation system, etc. The engineering design process for such a system traditionally involves several documents from various sources and the system information is scattered across these documents. Digital engineering represents a paradigm shift through which systems are designed using digital models and integrated data. The digital engineering vision for DOME utilizes a model-based systems engineering (MBSE) approach. The system architecture, physical components, control logic, and verification experiments are all designed using MathWorks MATLAB and Simulink. This hierarchical model can combine data from multiple sources at various levels of abstraction. It can be used to simulate the facility’s operations and to test the system using different sets of parameters. Its capabilities can be expanded by interfacing it with high-fidelity multi-physics models, risk analysis tools, etc. The same model can evolve into a digital twin that can monitor operations and conduct predictive analysis using real-time sensor data from the facility. The eventual goal of this effort is to transform the end-to-end engineering of nuclear facilities in every phase of their lifecycle, including design, deployment, and operations.
Multidisciplinary design optimization in Architecture, Engineering, and Construction: a detailed review and call for collaboration
The design of buildings has become a complex and multidisciplinary problem involving multiple conflicting objectives as architects and designers address competing technical, economic, environmental, and societal concerns. This has been driving research in Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) toward rigorous multidisciplinary decision-making frameworks that generate and evaluate numerous design alternatives using multi-objective optimization in concert with simulation and analysis models of varying fidelity and computational expense. While such frameworks are well known and widely employed in the aerospace and systems engineering domains, efforts by design professionals and researchers in the AEC field are scattered at best. In this paper, we provide a detailed review of recent developments in optimization frameworks in the AEC field and subsequently highlight how such developments are largely compartmentalized into separate domains such as structural, energy, daylighting, and other performance factors. Herein, we further discuss the technical challenges involved in concurrent coupled multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) in the AEC field such as interoperability issues between Building Information Modeling (BIM) environments, analysis/simulation tools, and optimization frameworks. We conclude by outlining research needed for more unified modeling and simulation-based optimization frameworks to aid in complex and multidisciplinary building design processes. We also highlight the need for the identification and development of multi-fidelity simulation tools for use across multiple design phases. As such, this paper contributes a novel roadmap to leverage aerospace and systems engineering research in MDO into the field of AEC, along with a call for researchers in the MDO community to seek collaborations in AEC field.
Design and development of a probe-based multiplexed multi-species absorption spectroscopy sensor for characterizing transient gas-parameter distributions in the intake systems of I.C. engines
We designed and developed a 4-probe multiplexed multi-species absorption spectroscopy sensor system for gas property measurements on the intake side of commercial multi-cylinder internal-combustion (I.C.) engines; the resulting cycle- and cylinder-resolved concentration, temperature and pressure measurements are applicable for assessing spatial and temporal variations in the recirculated exhaust gas (EGR) distribution at various locations along the intake gas path, which in turn is relevant to assessing cylinder charge uniformity, control strategies, and CFD models. Furthermore, the diagnostic is based on absorption spectroscopy and includes an H 2 O absorption system (utilizing a 1.39 m distributed feedback (DFB) diode laser) for measuring gas temperature, pressure, and H 2 O concentration, and a CO 2 absorption system (utilizing a 2.7 m DFB laser) for measuring CO 2 concentration. The various lasers, optical components and detectors were housed in an instrument box, and the 1.39- m and 2.7- m lasers were guided to and from the engine-mounted probes via optical fibers and hollow waveguides, respectively. The 5kHz measurement bandwidth allows for near-crank angle resolved measurements, with a resolution of 1.2 crank angle degrees at 1000 RPM. Our use of compact stainless steel measurement probes enables simultaneous multi-point measurements at various locations on the engine with minimal changes to the base engine hardware; in addition to resolving large-scale spatial variations via simultaneous multi-probe measurements, local spatial gradients can be resolved by translating individual probes. Along with details of various sensor design features and performance, we also demonstrate validation of the spectral parameters of the associated CO 2 absorption transitions using both a multi-pass heated cell and the sensor probes.
Wind Plant Modeling and Simulation: The Amazing Interrelationships of Physics and Engineering in Wind Plant Design
Presentation given at AIAA SciTech that highlights the interrelationships between physics and engineering and wind plant design, and covers: the technology deployment status, drivers of success, computational capabilities, upstream and downstream of the turbine, power plant control, and grid connection and integration.
Optimized self-designing key-value storage engine
Embodiments of the invention utilize an optimized key-value storage engine to strike the optimal balance between cloud-cost and performance and supports queries, including updates, lookups, range queries, inserts, and read-modify-writes. Cloud cost is manifested in purchasing both storage and processing resources. The improved approach has the ability to self-design and instantiate holistic configurations given a workload, a cloud budget, and optionally performance goals and a set of Service Level Agreement (SLA) specifications. A configuration reflects an optimized storage engine design in terms of, for example, the individual data structures design (in-memory and on-disk) in the engine as well as their algorithms and interactions, a cloud provider, and the exact virtual machines to be used.
Application of systems engineering techniques to component design - Capturing functionality and linking part 'critical to quality' features to requirements
A systems engineering approach - focusing upon functionality - has predominantly been applied in industry to the design of complex systems with many functional interactions, inputs and outputs, eg the design of a decay heat removal system. This paper presents how systems engineering techniques can be applied to component design, i.e. treating the component as a system in its own right, and using functionality as the 'bridge' between the customer requirements and accepted performance. A pressure relief valve is used as an example to present the techniques of: Functional Modelling to establish the functional requirements and Functional Failure Modes and Effects Analysis to establish any emergent functionality to reduce the risk of adverse behaviour. A key aspect of component design is capturing the design intent and establishing the 'Critical to Quality 'features that can critically affect quality and performance. This paper details 'Quality Function Deployment' being applied to a component to capture such features and to establish a clear link to the overarching performance requirements. This approach is particularly useful in ensuring continuity of design understanding throughout the component life cycle, assessing the effects of any proposed changes to the design and the effects of changes in system or customer requirements, or for using the design in a different application. (authors)