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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 847 records · Page 47
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2015

DISRUPTED GLOBULAR CLUSTERS CAN EXPLAIN THE GALACTIC CENTER GAMMA-RAY EXCESS

The Fermi satellite has recently detected gamma-ray emission from the central regions of our Galaxy. This may be evidence for dark matter particles, a major component of the standard cosmological model, annihilating to produce high-energy photons. We show that the observed signal may instead be generated by millisecond pulsars that formed in dense star clusters in the Galactic halo. Most of these clusters were ultimately disrupted by evaporation and gravitational tides, contributing to a spherical bulge of stars and stellar remnants. The gamma-ray amplitude, angular distribution, and spectral signatures of this source may be predicted without free parameters, and are in remarkable agreement with the observations. These gamma-rays are from fossil remains of dispersed clusters, telling the history of the Galactic bulge.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2018

User-Oriented Modeling Tools for Advanced Hybrid and Climate-Appropriate Rooftop Air Conditioners

Hybrid unitary air conditioning systems offer a pathway to substantially reduce energy use and peak electrical demand for cooling, heating, and ventilation in commercial buildings. Hybrid air conditioners incorporate multiple subsystems that are carefully orchestrated to provide climate- and application-specific efficiency advantages. There are a multitude of hybrid system architectures, but common subsystems include: heat recovery ventilation, indirect evaporative cooling, desiccant dehumidification, variable speed fans, modulating dampers, and multi-stage or variable-speed vapor compression cooling. Categorically, hybrid systems can operate in numerous discrete modes. For example: indirect evaporative cooling may operate for periods when the subsystem provides adequate sensible cooling, then vapor compression cooling will be included when more cooling or dehumidification is necessary. Laboratory assessments, field studies, and simulations have demonstrated that hybrid unitary air conditioners could reduce energy use for cooling and ventilation by 30-90% depending on climate and application. Heretofore, it has been challenging - if not impossible - for practitioners to model hybrid air conditioners as part of building energy simulations; and the limitation has severely obstructed broader adoption of technologies in this class. In this project, we developed a new feature for EnergyPlus that enables modeling hybrid unitary air conditioning equipment for building energy simulations. This is a significant advancement for both theory and practice, and confers public benefit by enabling practitioners to evaluate this compelling efficiency technology as a part of building energy simulations. The feature is a black-box model that requires extensive performance data for each hybrid unitary product. In parallel, we also developed new features for the Technology Performance Exchange to enable manufacturers to submit performance data in a standard format that can be used with the hybrid unitary model in EnergyPlus. Additionally, through this project we expanded university educational resources, and university- manufacturing industry collaborations in the field of energy efficiency technology. Over two years, we involved 20 undergraduate students in ambitious research projects focused on modeling complex multi-mode mechanical systems, supported three mechanical engineering bachelor theses, established undergraduate apprenticeships with multiple industry partners, and involved those partners in the process of design, validation, and debugging for the new EnergyPlus feature. The EnergyPlus feature is described and discussed in an academic article, as well as in an engineering reference, and input/output reference documentation for EnergyPlus. The Technology Performance Exchange features are live and publicly accessible, our manufacturer partners are primed to submit initial product information and performance data to the exchange, and the EnergyPlus feature is scheduled for public release in Spring 2018 as a part of EnergyPlus v8.9.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2011

Measurement of the refractive index dispersion of As{sub 2}Se{sub 3} bulk glass and thin films prior to and after laser irradiation and annealing using prism coupling in the near- and mid-infrared spectral range

The prism coupling technique has been utilized to measure the refractive index in the near- and mid-IR spectral region of chalcogenide glasses in bulk and thin film form. A commercial system (Metricon model 2010) has been modified with additional laser sources, detectors, and a new GaP prism to allow the measurement of refractive index dispersion over the 1.5-10.6 {mu}m range. The instrumental error was found to be {+-}0.001 refractive index units across the entire wavelength region examined. Measurements on thermally evaporated AMTIR2 thin films confirmed that (i) the film deposition process provides thin films with reduced index compared to that of the bulk glass used as a target, (ii) annealing of the films increases the refractive index of the film to the level of the bulk glass used as a target to create it, and (iii) it is possible to locally increase the refractive index of the chalcogenide glass using laser exposure at 632.8 nm.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

TEMPORAL EVOLUTION OF CHROMOSPHERIC EVAPORATION: CASE STUDIES OF THE M1.1 FLARE ON 2014 SEPTEMBER 6 AND X1.6 FLARE ON 2014 SEPTEMBER 10

With observations from the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, we track the complete evolution of ∼11 MK evaporation flows in an M1.1 flare on 2014 September 6 and an X1.6 flare on 2014 September 10. These hot flows, as indicated by the blueshifted Fe xxi 1354.08 Å line, evolve smoothly with a velocity decreasing exponentially from ∼200 km s{sup −1} to almost stationary within a few minutes. We find a good correlation between the flow velocity and energy deposition rate as represented by the hard X-ray flux observed with the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager, or time derivative of the soft X-ray flux observed with the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites and the HINODE X-ray Telescope, which is in general agreement with models of nonthermal electron heating. The maximum blueshift of Fe xxi appears approximately at the same time as or slightly after the impulsive enhancement of the ultraviolet continuum and the Mg ii 2798.8 Å line emission, demonstrating that the evaporation flow is closely related to heating of the lower chromosphere. Finally, while the hot Fe xxi 1354.08 Å line is entirely blueshifted with no obvious rest component, cool chromospheric and transition region lines like Si iv 1402.77 Å are often not entirely redshifted but just reveal an obvious red wing enhancement at the ribbons, suggesting that the speed of chromospheric condensation might be larger than previously thought.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Random Magnetic Anisotropy Studies in SmCo{sub 5} Thin Films

SmCo{sub 5} thin films with different thicknesses were prepared by electron beam evaporation on Kapton substrates. The out-of-plane hysteresis loops for different thicknesses reveal a maximum coercive field when the thickness is 15 nm. Using random magnetic anisotropy model, the thickness dependence of magnetic properties was studied in SmCo{sub 5} nanocrystalline films and several fundamental magnetic parameters were extracted. We have determined the local magnetic anisotropy constant K{sub 1} which is found to increase with increasing film thickness except for t = 7 nm which is thought to arise from the structural imperfection of the SmCo{sub 5} films.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2023

An attached microalgae platform for recycling phosphorus through biologically mediated fertilizer formation and biomass cultivation

Nutrient management is a global challenge for protecting water bodies from eutrophication and for retaining and sustainably recycling phosphorus within the biosphere. This challenge is especially important for water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) in jurisdictions that limit nutrient loads in plant effluent. A microalgae-based biofilm platform has been designed, constructed, and tested to remove phosphorus and nitrogen from anaerobic digester (AD) effluent filtrate through cultivating biomass and inducing the precipitation of a mineral called struvite (NH₄MgPO₄ · 6H₂O) using a rotating algae biofilm reactor (RABR). RABRs function by rotating a growth substratum through nutrient rich water and then into the atmosphere, immersing microalgae in both sunlight and water. Photosynthesis is utilized in RABR operation to enhance struvite formation by increasing the pH value within the biofilm through the uptake of carbon dioxide from solution. Measurements of pH trended higher with depth through the biofilm when exposed to light confirming the function of photosynthesis in increasing pH and, as a consequence, struvite formation. In addition, reducing RPM allows more time for water to evaporate through exposure of the biofilm to the atmosphere and provides a management option to exceed struvite solubility product. Struvite precipitation was predicted based on chemical analysis and MINTEQ modeling of ADE, was confirmed using Scanning Electron Microscopy and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy, and quantified by determining ash content. Increase in pH within the biofilm was confirmed as photosynthetic photon flux density increased. While struvite precipitation and removal from wastewater is conventionally accomplished through physicochemical methods, this research is the first report of struvite enhanced formation through algae biofilm-based photosynthesis processes.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2025

From capture to collapse: Revisiting black hole formation by fermionic asymmetric dark matter in neutron stars

Fermionic asymmetric dark matter (ADM) can be captured in neutron stars (NSs) via scatterings with the star constituents. The absence of dark matter annihilation due to its asymmetric nature leads to ADM accumulation in the NS core, potentially reaching densities sufficient to exceed the Chandrasekhar limit and trigger its gravitational collapse into a black hole (BH), eventually consuming the NS from within. Therefore, the existence and observation of old neutron stars provide a means to constrain the properties of ADM. We revisit previous constraints on the mass and scattering cross section off neutrons of fermionic ADM across a class of models. We critically examine common simplifying approximations used in the literature to derive these limits. Our analysis includes improved treatments of dark matter capture, thermalization, BH formation, accretion, and evaporation. We find that previous results can be relaxed by a few orders of magnitude once these effects are properly accounted for.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Level Densities of 74,76 Ge from compound nuclear reactions

The level densities of 74,76 Ge nuclei are studied with 68,70 Zn( 7 Li , Xp ) reactions. Proton evaporation spectra are measured at backward angles in a wide energy region, from about 2 to 25 MeV. The analysis of spectra allows for the testing of level density models used in modern reaction codes for practical cross-section calculations. Our results show that at excitation energies above the discrete level region, all level density models tested in this work overestimate the level densities that are needed to reproduce proton spectra from these reactions. The Gilbert and Cameron model, which includes the constant-temperature energy dependence of the level density, shows the best agreement with experiment, however, its parameters need to be adjusted to reflect the observed reduction of the level density at higher excitation energies.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Diffusive confinement of free radical intermediates in the OH radical oxidation of semisolid aerosols

Multiphase chemical reactions (gas + solid/liquid) involve a complex interplay between bulk and interface chemistry, diffusion, evaporation, and condensation. Reactions of atmospheric aerosols are an important example of this type of chemistry: the rich array of particle phase states and multiphase transformation pathways produce diverse but poorly understood interactions between chemistry and transport. Their chemistry is of intrinsic interest because of their role in controlling climate. Their characteristics also make them useful models for the study of principles of reactivity of condensed materials under confined conditions. Previously, we have reported a computational study of the oxidation chemistry of a liquid aliphatic aerosol. In this study, we extend the calculations to investigate nearly the same reactions at a semisolid gas-aerosol interface. A reaction-diffusion model for heterogeneous oxidation of triacontane by hydroxyl radicals (OH) is described, and its predictions are compared to measurements of aerosol size and composition, which evolve continuously during oxidation. Our results are also explicitly compared to those obtained for the corresponding liquid system, squalane, to pinpoint salient elements controlling reactivity. The diffusive confinement of the free radical intermediates at the interface results in enhanced importance of a few specific chemical processes such as the involvement of aldehydes in fragmentation and evaporation, and a significant role of radical-radical reactions in product formation. The simulations show that under typical laboratory conditions semisolid aerosols have highly oxidized nanometer-scale interfaces that encapsulate an unreacted core and may confer distinct optical properties and enhanced hygroscopicity. This highly oxidized layer dynamically evolves with reaction, which we propose to result in plasticization. The validated model is used to predict chemistry under atmospheric conditions, where the OH radical concentration is much lower. The oxidation reactions are more strongly influenced by diffusion in the particle, resulting in a more liquid-like character.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2019

Application and Evaluation of the China Meteorological Assimilation Driving Datasets for the SWAT Model (CMADS) in Poorly Gauged Regions in Western China

The temporal and spatial differentiation of the underlying surface in East Asia is complex. Due to a lack of meteorological observation data, human cognition and understanding of the surface processes (runoff, snowmelt, soil moisture, water production, etc.) in the area have been greatly limited. With the Heihe River Basin, a poorly gauged region in the cold region of Western China, selected as the study area, three meteorological datasets are evaluated for their suitability to drive the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT): China Meteorological Assimilation Driving Datasets for the SWAT model (CMADS), Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR), and Traditional Weather Station (TWS). Resultingly, (1) the runoff output of CMADS + SWAT mode is generally better than that of the other two modes (CFSR + SWAT and TWS + SWAT) and the monthly and daily Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency ranges of the CMADS + SWAT mode are 0.75–0.95 and 0.58–0.77, respectively; (2) the CMADS + SWAT and TWS + SWAT results were fairly similar to the actual data (especially for precipitation and evaporation), with the results produced by CMADS + SWAT lower than those produced by TWS + SWAT; (3) the CMADS + SWAT mode has a greater ability to reproduce water balance than the other two modes. Overestimation of CFSR precipitation results in greater error impact on the uncertainty output of the model, whereas the performances of CMADS and TWS are more similar. This study addresses the gap in the study of surface processes by CMADS users in Western China and provides an important scientific basis for analyzing poorly gauged regions in East Asia.

CMADS, SWAT, poorly gauged regions↗
DOE OSTI2020

Parameterizations of Entrainment-Mixing Mechanisms and their Effects on Cloud Droplet Spectral Width Based on Numerical Simulations

Entrainment-mixing mechanisms significantly affect cloud droplet number concentration, radius, and spectral shape. Quantitative examination of entrainment-mixing effects on cloud droplet spectral width is lacking. Here, we examine the effects of entrainment-mixing processes on cloud microphysics by 12,218 different setups, each simulated 10 times using the Explicit Mixing Parcel Model (EMPM) driven by the observational data from the Third Tibetan Plateau Atmospheric Scientific Experiment (TIPEX-III) campaign. Parameterizations of entrainment-mixing mechanisms are developed by relating homogeneous mixing degree to transition scale number that depends on the dissipation rate and droplet evaporation time scale. The correlation between relative dispersion of cloud droplet size distribution and homogeneous mixing degree changes from negative to positive with the decreasing homogeneous mixing degree. The different relationships are closely related to the competition between complete and partial droplet evaporation and the number concentration of small droplets, which are quantitatively described by two newly introduced dimensionless numbers. The competition is significantly affected by relative humidity and mixing fraction of entrained air as well as turbulence dissipation rate, but not much by cloud droplet number concentration. Especially, when relative humidity and dissipation rate are high, there is only a negative correlation. This study sheds new light on generalizing the homogeneous/inhomogeneous concept by considering relative dispersion, and also provides parameterizations of entrainment-mixing processes and relative dispersion for atmospheric models.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

Macroscopic impacts of cloud and precipitation processes on maritime shallow convection as simulated by a large eddy simulation model with bin microphysics

This paper discusses impacts of cloud and precipitation processes on macrophysical properties of shallow convective clouds as simulated by a large eddy model applying warm-rain bin microphysics. Simulations with and without collision–coalescence are considered with cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentrations of 30, 60, 120, and 240 mg -1 . Simulations with collision–coalescence include either the standard gravitational collision kernel or a novel kernel that includes enhancements due to the small-scale cloud turbulence. Simulations with droplet collisions were discussed in Wyszogrodzki et al. (2013) focusing on the impact of the turbulent collision kernel. The current paper expands that analysis and puts model results in the context of previous studies. Despite a significant increase of the drizzle/rain with the decrease of CCN concentration, enhanced by the effects of the small-scale turbulence, impacts on the macroscopic cloud field characteristics are relatively minor. Model results show a systematic shift in the cloud-top height distributions, with an increasing contribution of deeper clouds for stronger precipitating cases. We show that this is consistent with the explanation suggested in Wyszogrodzki et al. (2013); namely, the increase of drizzle/rain leads to a more efficient condensate offloading in the upper parts of the cloud field. A second effect involves suppression of the cloud droplet evaporation near cloud edges in low-CCN simulations, as documented in previous studies (e.g., Xue and Feingold, 2006). We pose the question whether the effects of cloud turbulence on drizzle/rain formation in shallow cumuli can be corroborated by remote sensing observations, for instance, from space. Although a clear signal is extracted from model results, we argue that the answer is negative due to uncertainties caused by the temporal variability of the shallow convective cloud field, sampling and spatial resolution of the satellite data, and overall accuracy of remote sensing retrievals.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

SLIPPING MAGNETIC RECONNECTION, CHROMOSPHERIC EVAPORATION, IMPLOSION, AND PRECURSORS IN THE 2014 SEPTEMBER 10 X1.6-CLASS SOLAR FLARE

We investigate the occurrence of slipping magnetic reconnection, chromospheric evaporation, and coronal loop dynamics in the 2014 September 10 X-class flare. Slipping reconnection is found to be present throughout the flare from its early phase. Flare loops are seen to slip in opposite directions toward both ends of the ribbons. Velocities of 20–40 km s{sup −1} are found within time windows where the slipping is well resolved. The warm coronal loops exhibit expanding and contracting motions that are interpreted as displacements due to the growing flux rope that subsequently erupts. This flux rope existed and erupted before the onset of apparent coronal implosion. This indicates that the energy release proceeds by slipping reconnection and not via coronal implosion. The slipping reconnection leads to changes in the geometry of the observed structures at the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph slit position, from flare loop top to the footpoints in the ribbons. This results in variations of the observed velocities of chromospheric evaporation in the early flare phase. Finally, it is found that the precursor signatures, including localized EUV brightenings as well as nonthermal X-ray emission, are signatures of the flare itself, progressing from the early phase toward the impulsive phase, with the tether-cutting being provided by the slipping reconnection. The dynamics of both the flare and outlying coronal loops is found to be consistent with the predictions of the standard solar flare model in three dimensions.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Thermodynamic analysis of a two-stage binary-fluid ejector heat pump water heater

Ejector heat pump water heaters (EHPWHs) could significantly increase the thermal efficiency of domestic water heating and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This study addresses two major technical barriers to using EHPWHs in domestic water heating—low heating cycle coefficient of performance (COP) and low condensation temperatures—using binary fluid pairs as a working fluid in a two-stage ejector system. A comprehensive, geometry-free model of binary-fluid ejectors was built and validated to predict the entrainment ratios of binary-fluid ejectors. A thermodynamic model of a two-stage binary-fluid ejector EHPWH was built to predict the heating cycle COP of EHPWHs. The performance of the EHPWH was theoretically evaluated using HFE7000 and Novec649 as primary fluids and R600 and R1234ze(Z) as secondary fluids. HFE7000/R600 gave the highest heating cycle COP (i.e., 1.356) in producing domestic hot water at 60.0 °C. An optimum evaporation temperature of the primary fluid was identified for the maximum effective entrainment ratio and effective pressure lift ratio of two-stage ejectors. Here, the effective entrainment ratio of the two-stage ejector dominated the heating cycle COP of the EHPWH. Primary fluids with lower latent heats of evaporation and/or secondary fluids with higher latent heats of evaporation yielded higher heating cycle COPs of EHPWHs.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2019

Timing and duration of hydrological transitions in Arctic polygonal ground from stable isotopes

Land surface models and Earth system models that include Arctic landscapes must capture the abrupt hydrological transitions that occur during the annual thaw and deepening of the active layer. In this work, stable water isotopes (δ 2 H and δ 18 O) are used to appraise hydrologically significant transitions during annual landscape thaw at the Barrow Environmental Observatory (Utqia&#289vik, Alaska). These hydrologically significant periods are then linked to annual shifts in the landscape energy balance, deduced from meteorological data and described by the microclimatic periods: Winter, Pre-Melt, Melt, Post-Melt, Summer, and Freeze-Up. The tight coupling of the microclimatic periods with the hydrological transitions supports the use of microclimatic periods as a means of linking polygonal surface water hydrology to meteorological datasets, which provides a mechanism for improving the representation of polygonal surface water hydrology in process-based models. Rayleigh process reconstruction of the isotopic changes revealed that 19% of winter precipitation was lost to sublimation prior to melting and that 23% of surface water was lost to evaporation during the first 10 days post-melt. This agrees with evaporation rates reported in a separate study using an eddy covariance flux tower located nearby. An additional 17% was lost to evaporation during the next 33 days. Stable water isotopes are also used to identify the dominant sources of surface water to various hydrogeomorphological features prevalent in polygonal terrain (a lake, a low centre polygon centre, troughs within the rims of low centre polygons, flat centre polygon troughs, a high centre polygon trough, and drainages). Hydrogeomorphologies that retained significant old water or acted as snow drifts are isotopically distinct during the Melt Period and therefore are easily distinguished. Finally, biogeochemical changes related to the annual thaw are also reported and coupled to the hydrological transitions, which provides insight into the sources and sinks of these ions to and from the landscape.

stable water isotopes↗
DOE OSTI2017

R1234yf and R1234ze(E) as low-GWP refrigerants for residential heat pump water heaters; Le R1234yf et le R1234ze(E) comme frigorigènes à faible GWP pour des chauffe-eau domestiques à pompe à chaleur

Owing to the growing concerns about the relatively high global warming potential (GWP) of current refrigerants, a serious effort is currently in progress to find lower-GWP substitutes. The hydrofluoroolefin (HFO)-based refrigerants R1234yf and R1234ze(E) are being considered for use in multiple heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration applications because of their very low GWP. A study was conducted to model a residential heat pump water heater using these HFOs. A system model was calibrated using experimental data and the calibrated model was used to evaluate the potential of HFOs to replace R134a. A series of parametric analyses were used to investigate the impacts of condenser wrap pattern, condenser tube size, evaporator size, and heat loss factor from the storage tank. It has been shown that both R1234yf and R1234ze(E) can be substituted for R134a with comparable performance and no substantial modifications to the original system. Finally, this study presents a detailed feasibility analysis for successful replacement of high-GWP refrigerants with low-GWP refrigerants with acceptable performance.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2014

Optimizing detection of RDX vapors using designed experiments for remote sensing

Abstract: This paper presents results of experiments performed to study the effect of four factors on the detection of RDX vapors from desorption into an atmospheric flow tube mass spectrometer (AFT-MS). The experiments initially included four independent factors: gas flow rate, desorption current, solvent evaporation time and RDX mass. The values of three detection responses, peak height, peak width, and peak area were recorded but only the peak height response was analyzed. Results from the first block of experiments indicated that solvent evaporation time was not statistically significant. A second round of experiments was performed using flow rate, current, and RDX mass as factors and the results were used to create a model to predict conditions resulting in maximum peak height. Those conditions were confirmed experimentally and used to obtain data for a calibration model. The calibration model represented RDX amounts ranging from 1 to 25 pg desorbed into an air flow of 7 L/min. Air samples from a shipping container that held 2 closed explosive storage magazines were collected on metal filaments for varying amounts for time ranging from 5 to 90 minutes. RDX was detected from all of the filaments sampled by desorption into the AFT-MS. From the calibration model, RDX vapor concentrations within the shipping container were calculated to be in the range of 1 to 50 parts-per-quadrillion from data collected on 2 separate days.

Experimental Design↗