Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Comparative Study”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 847 records · Page 47
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2011

Superheater Tube Corrosion in Wood Gasifier Ash Deposits

The upper operating temperature of tubes in heat exchangers/steam generators is strongly influenced by the degradation that can occur because of the reaction of the exchanger/generator tubing with the deposits that accumulate on the surface of the tubes. In fact, severe corrosion has been observed in some biomass fired systems, particularly with elevated potassium and chlorine concentrations in the deposits. Wood gasifiers have recently been and are currently being constructed at several sites in North America. In these systems, the syngas is burned to produce steam and the performance of the heat exchanger tubes under ash deposits is of great concern. As temperatures of the heat exchangers are increased in an effort to increase their operating efficiency, the performance of the tubes is of greater interest. The corrosion behavior of alloy steel tubes as a function of temperature has been investigated by exposing samples of selected alloys to ash collected from the steam generator fired by syngas produced in wood gasifiers. This study compares corrosion rates from laboratory exposures of synthesis gas and ash at 500 C and 600 C. This study investigated the material performance of four ferritic steels and one austenitic steel exposed to conditions expected on the fireside of a wood gasifier. The purpose of this study was to identify an effective method for determining material performance for samples exposed to both the process gas and the fly ash that is typically observed within the steam generator for times up to 1000 hours. Mass changes were measured for all of the samples, but this information can be misleading concerning material performance due to the difficulty in sufficiently cleaning the samples after exposure in the ash. Therefore, small cross sections of the samples were collected and imaged using optical microscopy. Oxide thicknesses were measured along with metal losses. The metal loss information provides a clear indication of material performance. The metal loss rates for the ferritic steels at 500 C were almost half of those observed at 600 C and the rates decreased with increasing exposure time. It was also reported that the metal loss rates generally decrease with increasing chromium concentration.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2016

First-principles study of transition-metal nitrides as diffusion barriers against Al

Using density-functional theory based first-principles calculations we provided a comparative study of the diffusion barrier properties of TiN, ZrN, and HfN against Al for U-Mo dispersion fuel applications. We firstly examined the thermodynamic stability of these transition-metal nitrides with Al. The calculated heats of reaction show that both TiN and ZrN are thermodynamically unstable diffusion barrier materials, which might be decomposed by Al at relatively high temperatures. As a comparison, HfN is a stable diffusion barrier material for Al. To evaluate the kinetic stability of these nitride systems against Al diffusion, we investigated the diffusion mechanisms of Al in TiN, ZrN and HfN using atomic scale simulations. The effect of non-stoichiometry on the defect formation and Al migration was systematically studied. (C) 2015 ELSEVIER B.V. All rights reserved

Diffusion barrier↗
DOE OSTI2019

Strong One-Dimensional Characteristics of Hole-Carriers in ReS2 and ReSe2

Each plane of layered ReS 2 and ReSe 2 materials has 1D chain structure, from which intriguing properties such as 1D character of the exciton states and linearly polarized photoluminescence originate. However, systematic studies on the 1D character of charge carriers have not been done yet. Here, we report on systematic and comparative studies on the energy-momentum dispersion relationships of layered transition metal dichalcogenides ReS 2 and ReSe 2 by angle resolved photoemission. We found that the valence band maximum or the minimum energy for holes is located at the high symmetric Z-point for both materials. However, the out-of-plane (k z ) dispersion for ReSe 2 (20 meV) is found to be much smaller than that of ReS2 (150 meV). We observe that the effective mass of the hole carriers along the direction perpendicular to the chain is about 4 times larger than that along the chain direction for both ReS 2 and ReSe 2 . Remarkably, the experimentally measured hole effective mass is about twice heavier than that from first principles calculation for ReS 2 although the in-plane anisotropy values from the experiment and calculations are comparable. These observation indicate that bulk ReS 2 and ReSe 2 are unique semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides having strong one-dimensional characters.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Fracture toughness of plasma-sprayed thermal barrier ceramics: Influence of processing, microstructure, and thermal aging

Fracture toughness has become one of the dominant design parameters that dictates the selection of materials and their microstructure to obtain durable thermal barrier coatings (TBCs). Much progress has been made in characterizing the fracture toughness of relevant TBC compositions in bulk form, and it has become apparent that this property is significantly affected by process-induced microstructural defects. In this investigation, a systematic study of the influence of coating microstructure on the fracture toughness of atmospheric plasma sprayed (APS) TBCs has been carried out. Yttria partially stabilized zirconia (YSZ) coatings were fabricated under different spray process conditions inducing different levels of porosity and interfacial defects. Fracture toughness was measured on free standing coatings in as-processed and thermally aged conditions using the double torsion technique. Results indicate significant variance in fracture toughness among coatings with different microstructures including changes induced by thermal aging. Comparative studies were also conducted on an alternative TBC composition, Gd 2 Zr 2 O 7 (GDZ), which as anticipated shows significantly lower fracture toughness compared to YSZ. Furthermore, the results from these studies not only point towards a need for process and microstructure optimization for enhanced TBC performance but also a framework for establishing performance metrics for promising new TBC compositions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Low Temperature Studies of Granularity and Upper Critical Field of Superconducting Nd{sub 1.85}Ce{sub 0.15}CuO{sub 4}+Ag Composite System

Electrical resistivity studies reveal large granular effects in the superconductivity behaviour of the electron-doped cuprate, Nd{sub 1.85}Ce{sub 0.15}CuO{sub 4}, in polycrystalline form, much larger than their hole-doped counterparts. With the aim of investigating inter-granular coupling, as well as its variation with magnetic field and addition of Ag, AC susceptibility and magneto-resistance (MR) studies have been carried out on Nd{sub 1.85}Ce{sub 0.15}CuO{sub 4} + Ag composite system. A comparative study of the superconducting properties of the Nd{sub 1.85}Ce{sub 0.15}CuO{sub 4} + Ag composite system for Ag = 0, 5 and 15 wt%, including upper critical field [ H{sub C2}(0)], has been carried out and is presented.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2012

High-Dose Conformal Radiotherapy Reduces Prostate Cancer-Specific Mortality: Results of a Meta-analysis

Purpose: To determine in a meta-analysis whether prostate cancer-specific mortality (PCSM), biochemical or clinical failure (BCF), and overall mortality (OM) in men with localized prostate cancer treated with conformal high-dose radiotherapy (HDRT) are better than those in men treated with conventional-dose radiotherapy (CDRT). Methods and Materials: The MEDLINE, Embase, CANCERLIT, and Cochrane Library databases, as well as the proceedings of annual meetings, were systematically searched to identify randomized, controlled studies comparing conformal HDRT with CDRT for localized prostate cancer. Results: Five randomized, controlled trials (2508 patients) that met the study criteria were identified. Pooled results from these randomized, controlled trials showed a significant reduction in the incidence of PCSM and BCF rates at 5 years in patients treated with HDRT (p = 0.04 and p < 0.0001, respectively), with an absolute risk reduction (ARR) of PCSM and BCF at 5 years of 1.7% and 12.6%, respectively. Two trials evaluated PCSM with 10 years of follow up. The pooled results from these trials showed a statistical benefit for HDRT in terms of PCSM (p = 0.03). In the subgroup analysis, trials that used androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) showed an ARR for BCF of 12.9% (number needed to treat = 7.7, p < 0.00001), whereas trials without ADT had an ARR of 13.6% (number needed to treat = 7, p < 0.00001). There was no difference in the OM rate at 5 and 10 years (p = 0.99 and p = 0.11, respectively) between the groups receiving HDRT and CDRT. Conclusions: This meta-analysis is the first study to show that HDRT is superior to CDRT in preventing disease progression and prostate cancer-specific death in trials that used conformational technique to increase the total dose. Despite the limitations of our study in evaluating the role of ADT and HDRT, our data show no benefit for HDRT arms in terms of BCF in trials with or without ADT.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Technical Note: MRI only prostate radiotherapy planning using the statistical decomposition algorithm

Purpose: In order to enable a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) only workflow in radiotherapy treatment planning, methods are required for generating Hounsfield unit (HU) maps (i.e., synthetic computed tomography, sCT) for dose calculations, directly from MRI. The Statistical Decomposition Algorithm (SDA) is a method for automatically generating sCT images from a single MR image volume, based on automatic tissue classification in combination with a model trained using a multimodal template material. This study compares dose calculations between sCT generated by the SDA and conventional CT in the male pelvic region. Methods: The study comprised ten prostate cancer patients, for whom a 3D T2 weighted MRI and a conventional planning CT were acquired. For each patient, sCT images were generated from the acquired MRI using the SDA. In order to decouple the effect of variations in patient geometry between imaging modalities from the effect of uncertainties in the SDA, the conventional CT was nonrigidly registered to the MRI to assure that their geometries were well aligned. For each patient, a volumetric modulated arc therapy plan was created for the registered CT (rCT) and recalculated for both the sCT and the conventional CT. The results were evaluated using several methods, including mean average error (MAE), a set of dose-volume histogram parameters, and a restrictive gamma criterion (2% local dose/1 mm). Results: The MAE within the body contour was 36.5 ± 4.1 (1 s.d.) HU between sCT and rCT. Average mean absorbed dose difference to target was 0.0% ± 0.2% (1 s.d.) between sCT and rCT, whereas it was −0.3% ± 0.3% (1 s.d.) between CT and rCT. The average gamma pass rate was 99.9% for sCT vs rCT, whereas it was 90.3% for CT vs rCT. Conclusions: The SDA enables a highly accurate MRI only workflow in prostate radiotherapy planning. The dosimetric uncertainties originating from the SDA appear negligible and are notably lower than the uncertainties introduced by variations in patient geometry between imaging sessions.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Application of Laser Induced Breakdown in Air in Conjunction with Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy for Detection of Trace Elements in Fennel Seeds

A robust approach of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) in ambient air has been employed to investigate concentration of the trace elements in fennel seeds (saunf) via generation of plasma through the second harmonic of solid state Nd: YAG pulsed laser 532 nm. Spectral emissions of saunf plasma were acquired with resolution of 0.06 nm in spectral range of 200–720 nm. The experimental determination showed the existence of elements namely, Ca, Al, K, Fe, S, P, Mg, Mn, Sr, Na, and Zn in the sample. However, no toxic elements such as Pb, Cr etc. were perceived. The relative concentrations of detected elements were measured through the intensity of the strongest peak, intensities of every emission from every specie, and calibration free (CF)-LIBS. To indorse the experimental determinations of LIBS, a comparative study was carried out with the outcomes of atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). The results of LIBS and AAS were compared by the statistical treatment.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Outcomes of Locoregional Tumor Therapy for Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunts

PurposeLocoregional therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) can be challenging in patients with a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS). This study compares safety and imaging response of ablation, chemoembolization, radioembolization, and supportive care in patients with both TIPS and HCC.MethodsThis retrospective study included 48 patients who had both a TIPS and a diagnosis of HCC. Twenty-nine of 48 (60 %) underwent treatment for HCC, and 19/48 (40 %) received best supportive care (i.e., symptomatic management only). While etiology of cirrhosis and indication for TIPS were similar between the two groups, treated patients had better baseline liver function (34 vs. 67 % Child-Pugh class C). Tumor characteristics were similar between the two groups. A total of 39 ablations, 17 chemoembolizations, and 10 yttrium-90 radioembolizations were performed on 29 patients.ResultsAblation procedures resulted in low rates of hepatotoxicity and clinical toxicity. Post-embolization/ablation syndrome occurred more frequently in patients undergoing chemoembolization than ablation (47 vs. 15 %). Significant hepatic dysfunction occurred more frequently in the chemoembolization group than the ablation group. Follow-up imaging response showed objective response in 100 % of ablation procedures, 67 % of radioembolization procedures, and 50 % of chemoembolization procedures (p = 0.001). When censored for OLT, patients undergoing treatment survived longer than patients receiving supportive care (2273 v. 439 days, p = 0.001).ConclusionsAblation appears to be safe and efficacious for HCC in patients with TIPS. Catheter-based approaches are associated with potential increased toxicity in this patient population. Chemoembolization appears to be associated with increased toxicity compared to radioembolization.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2012

Study of surface fluorination of photocatalytic TiO{sub 2} by thermal shock method

Surface fluorinated TiO{sub 2} powders were prepared by thermal shock method and an overall comparative study was achieved on the basis of XRD, SEM, UV-vis and XPS analyses. The main objective was to elucidate the influences of surface fluorination on the crystallite structures, morphologies, optical properties and surface chemistry with the temperature. According to the results, the surface fluorination under thermal shock method below 600 Degree-Sign C did not change the crystallite structure and the particles size, but successfully created chemisorbed fluoride ions, oxygen vacancies and increased the hydroxyl groups on the surface of TiO{sub 2}. The presence of oxygen vacancies was assigned to the red shift of TiO{sub 2} optical absorption edge, which was the origin of visible-light-induced photocatalytic activity of these samples. For the thermal shock temperatures over 600 Degree-Sign C, the K{sub 2}Ti{sub 6}O{sub 13}-like phase was formed, resulting from the decrease of surface hydroxyl groups and the blue shift in absorption edge which reduced the photocatalytic activity. - Graphical abstract: The influence of fluorination on the surface of TiO{sub 2} by thermal shock method at several temperatures has been investigated by following the evolution of the F1s spectra obtained by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The blank peaks are assigned to the chemisorbed fluoride ions on the samples surface and the filled peaks to fluorine atoms in oxygenated environment of solid solution TiO{sub 2-x}F{sub x}, which is originated from the substitution of F ions for O ions in the TiO{sub 2} lattice. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Surface fluorination of TiO{sub 2} P25 by thermal shock method. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Structure, morphology, surface and photocatalytic properties of fluorinated TiO{sub 2}. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Low thermal shock temperatures increase the photocatalytic activity. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Fluoride ions chemisorbed on the surface without structure and morphology change. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Formation of K{sub 2}Ti{sub 6}O{sub 13} phase at high thermal shock temperatures.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2015

Comparison of measured and computed radial trajectories of plasma focus devices UMDPF1 and UMDPF0

In published literature, there has been scant data on radial trajectory of the plasma focus and no comparison of computed with measured radial trajectory. This paper provides the first such comparative study. We compute the trajectories of the inward-moving radial shock and magnetic piston of UMDPF1 plasma focus and compare these with measured data taken from a streak photograph. The comparison shows agreement with the measured radial trajectory in terms of average speeds and general shape of trajectory. This paper also presents the measured trajectory of the radially compressing piston in another machine, the UMDPF0 plasma focus, confirming that the computed radial trajectory also shows similar general agreement. Features of divergence between the computed and measured trajectories, towards the end of the radial compression, are discussed. From the measured radial trajectories, an inference is made that the neutron yield mechanism could not be thermonuclear. A second inference is made regarding the speeds of axial post-pinch shocks, which are recently considered as a useful tool for damage testing of fusion-related wall materials.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2012

Effect of high pressure homogenization on aqueous phase solvent extraction of lipids from Nannochloris Oculata microalgae

The ability to extract lipids from high-moisture Nannochloris Oculata algal biomass disrupted with high pressure homogenization was investigated. During the first phase, the effect of high pressure homogenization (system pressure and number of passes) on disrupting aqueous algae (of different concentrations and degree of stress) was investigated. Secondly, the effect of degree of cell wall disruption on the amount of lipids extracted with three solvents, namely: hexane, dichloromethane and chloroform, were compared. Studies reveled that high pressure homogenization is effective on cell disruption while the amount of system pressure being the most significant factor affecting the degree of cell breakage. Although the number of passes had some impact, the level of disruption seemed to level-off after a certain number of passes. The study revealed that slightly polar solvents (such as chloroform and dichloromethane) performed better in aqueous-phase lipid extractions as compared to hexane. Also, it was revealed that it was not necessary to disrupt the algal cells completely to achieve appreciable levels of lipid yields. In fact, conditions that exerted only 20% of the cells to completely disrupt, allowed sufficient damage to liberate most of the lipids contained in the remainder of the cells.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Development of Dynamic Ellipsometry for Measurements or Iron Conductivity at Earth's Core Conditions.

The CHEDS researchers are engaged in a collaborative research project to study the properties of iron and iron alloys under Earth’s core conditions. The Earth’s core, inner and outer, is composed primarily of iron, thus studying iron and iron alloys at high pressure and temperature conditions will give the best estimate of its properties. Also, comparing studies of iron alloys with known properties of the core can constrain the potential light element compositions found within the core, such as fitting sound speeds and densities of iron alloys to established inner- Earth models. One of the lesser established properties of the core is the thermal conductivity, where current estimates vary by a factor of three. Therefore, one of the primary goals of this collaboration is to make relevant measurements to elucidate this conductivity.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Comparison of Greenhouse Gas Emission Assessments of Solar and Energy Efficiency Improvements at Small Water Resource Recovery Facilities

Small water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) account for the majority of centralized systems in the world and have higher energy intensities than large facilities. This study compares potential greenhouse gas emission reductions based on on-site solar energy and energy efficiency (E2) improvements made at small WRRFs. Case study data from 31 existing small WRRFs in Nebraska were collected and included 35 site-specific energy efficiency (E2) recommendations and on-site solar renewable energy systems integrated at three facilities, and the data were used to compare the benefits of on-site solar energy and E2 improvements made at small WRRFs. Improvements in E2 (e.g., improved aeration control) presented the largest reduction in emissions per dollar invested. They often exhibited shorter paybacks, with operational changes in aeration strategies showing the highest impact (up to 0.2 kg CO2eq/m3 treated water). On-site solar systems showed the largest net potential for reducing environmental footprint (0.35 kg CO2eq/m3) but often showed the smallest emissions reduction per cost. While the use of both E2 improvements and the integration of on-site solar renewable energy can significantly improve the sustainability of small WRRFs, on-site solar has advantages for small facilities in that it often requires less operational involvement, allows for greater facility resiliency, and presents less uncertainty in terms of environmental benefit.

Thompson, Matthew↗
DOE OSTI2021

In-situ effect in cross-ply laminates under various loading conditions analyzed with hybrid macro/micro-scale computational models

In this article, multi-scale finite element analyses based on three-dimensional (3D) hybrid macro/micro-scale computational models subjected to various loading conditions are carried out to examine the in-situ effect imposed by the neighboring plies on the failure initiation and propagation of cross-ply laminates. A detailed comparative study on crack suppression mechanisms due to the effect of embedded laminar thickness and adjacent ply orientation is presented. Furthermore, we compare the results of in-situ transverse failure strain and strength between the computational models and analytical predictions. Good agreements are generally observed, indicating the constructed computational models are highly accurate to quantify the in-situ effect. Subsequently, empirical formulas for calculating the in-situ strengths as a function of embedded ply thickness and different ply angle between embedded and adjacent plies are developed, during which several material parameters are obtained using a reverse fitting method. Finally, a new set of failure criteria for σ 22 -τ 12 , σ 22 -τ 23 , and σ 11 -τ 12 accounting for the in-situ strengths are proposed to predict laminated composites failure under multi-axial stress states. This study demonstrates an effective and efficient computational technique towards the accurate prediction of the failure behaviors and strengths of cross-ply laminates by including the in-situ effects.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Evaluation of volume change in rectum and bladder during application of image-guided radiotherapy for prostate carcinoma

All prostate cancer patients from Centro Médico Radioterapia Siglo XXI receive Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT). This therapy uses image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) with the Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT). This study compares the planned dose in the reference CT image against the delivered dose recalculate in the CBCT image. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the anatomic changes and related dosimetric effect based on weekly CBCT directly for patients with prostate cancer undergoing volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) treatment. The collected data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2021

IoT Intrusion Detection Taxonomy, Reference Architecture, and Analyses

This paper surveys the deep learning (DL) approaches for intrusion-detection systems (IDSs) in Internet of Things (IoT) and the associated datasets toward identifying gaps, weaknesses, and a neutral reference architecture. A comparative study of IDSs is provided, with a review of anomaly-based IDSs on DL approaches, which include supervised, unsupervised, and hybrid methods. All techniques in these three categories have essentially been used in IoT environments. To date, only a few have been used in the anomaly-based IDS for IoT. For each of these anomaly-based IDSs, the implementation of the four categories of feature(s) extraction, classification, prediction, and regression were evaluated. We studied important performance metrics and benchmark detection rates, including the requisite efficiency of the various methods. Four machine learning algorithms were evaluated for classification purposes: Logistic Regression (LR), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Decision Tree (DT), and an Artificial Neural Network (ANN). Therefore, we compared each via the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve. The study model exhibits promising outcomes for all classes of attacks. The scope of our analysis examines attacks targeting the IoT ecosystem using empirically based, simulation-generated datasets (namely the Bot-IoT and the IoTID20 datasets).

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2019

Technical and Imaging Outcomes from the UK Registry of Prostate Artery Embolization (UK-ROPE) Study: Focusing on Predictors of Clinical Success

Introduction: The UK Registry of Prostate Artery Embolization (UK-ROPE) was a prospective, multicentre study comparing PAE against surgical therapies for symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). A wealth of data was collected supplementary to the main study outcomes which provide a snapshot of UK PAE practice. We aimed to interpret these data in the hope of providing insight into factors which affect clinical outcome and radiation dose. Methods: 216 patients (mean age 66, mean IPSS 21.3) undergoing PAE at 20 British centres from July 2014 to January 2016 were prospectively followed up to 12 months with retrospective analysis of the data. Technical outcome was evaluated based on procedural and fluoroscopy times, skin dose and dose area product (DAP). Clinical outcome was evaluated through collection of Qmax, IPSS reduction and prostate volume reduction. Multiple analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used to assess the significance of various patients and procedural factors on clinical outcome and patient dose. Results: Significant predictors of technical outcome which affected patient skin dose included severity of CTA-detected atheroma (p < 0.001), the practitioner (p < 0.001) and use of protective coil embolization (p = 0.019). Predictors of clinical outcome included initial prostate size (dichotomized into groups > 80 ml and = <80 ml, d = 1, p = 0.0138), embolic agent (spherical particles < 300 nm performed best, p = 0.01) and number of arteries embolized (IPSS reduction of 32.9% in unilateral PAE versus 54.4% for bilateral PAE, p = 0.026). Conclusion: We have identified several important factors which are associated with improved clinical outcome and increased patient dose which we hope will facilitate optimal patient selection and encourage improved embolization technique.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗