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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

Self-Lubricating Bushing Testing for John Day Dam Ka plan Turbine Replacement

The goal of this testing program is to find suitable self-lubricated alternatives to replace the in use oil lubricated grooved-bronze bushing in Kaplan runner hubs that are currently being utilized at John Day Dam operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Scaled bushing testing utilizing a Pacific Northwest National Laboratory designed, fabricated, and operated Bushing Test Stand under the direction and funding from USACE determined that self-lubricated bushings tested appear capable of outperforming the current oil-lubricated bronze bushings. Performance tests are focused on durability which includes cyclic load bearing properties and articulations under various loading scenarios. This testing was performed at nominally 1/5 th scale. A scaling sensitivity analysis determined that scaled testing results apply to prototypic size. This report shows the direct comparison between the current baseline bronze bushing to self-lubricated bushings from various manufacturers. Bushing data like coefficient of friction and bushing material loss (associated with bushing wear) was determined. Self-lubricated bushings tested include products manufactured specifically for hydropower applications by the following companies: Trelleborg, Kamatics, Anonymous, and Tenneco/Deva.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Microgravity Research on the NASA Lewis Learjet Test Facility

Results from preliminary performance tests conducted in an aircraft low-G testbed for nonfree-floating experimental packages have identified several operational variables that directly influence the duration and quality of each trajectory. Flight test measurements were made to identify and quantify the presence of higher-frequency airborne and structureborne noise that may affect the correlation of research data with acceleration levels recorded on trajectory traces.

Boyer, E. O.↗

Report on FY19 Testing in Support of Integrated EPP-SMT Design Methods Development

Experiments in support of the development of the integrated Elastic–Perfectly Plastic (EPP) analysis and Simplified Model Test (SMT) design methodology continued in FY 2019. Major progress was made in the verification of the newly developed two-bar SMT and single-bar SMT (SBSMT) methods by performing tests on Alloy 617 and SS 316H at high temperatures. Comparable results were achieved when the materials were tested under same conditions using both techniques. Because of its simple test configuration, SBSMT was the preferred testing technique used to evaluate elastic follow-up effect and generate data in support of SMT-based design curves. Evaluation of elastic follow-up was started with testing SS 316H at 815°C using SBSMT in this reporting period. As a result of this effort, the basic procedure and test protocol to provide data in support of the development of SMT-based design curves were established. This report also summarizes recent test results for the pressurization SMT using test articles with key features on Alloy 617 at intermediate strain ranges and at a low temperature of 850°C. Although more test results are needed in order to fully understand the effect of primary load on SMT creep-fatigue (CF) life, the limited test data indicate that the primary load reduced the SMT life at intermediate strain ranges and high temperatures. Recognizing the advantages of the newly developed SBSMT method, a new test geometry was designed to allow the elevation of the primary load effect on SMT CF life with the SBSMT technique. Additionally, selected tests were performed on SS 316H (heat 101076) to provide basic information about the heat of material. The tests performed included high-temperature tensile, fatigue, creep fatigue, and thermomechanical experiments. The results will be used to support the verification of the material constitutive model developed at Argonne National Laboratory.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Cold crucible induction melter studies for making glass ceramic waste forms: A feasibility assessment

Glass ceramics are being developed to immobilize fission products, separated from used nuclear fuel by aqueous reprocessing, into a stable waste form suitable for disposal in a geological repository. This work documents the glass ceramic formulation at bench scale and for a scaled melter test performed in a pilot-scale (approximately 1/4 scale) cold crucible induction melter (CCIM). Melt viscosity, electrical conductivity, and crystallization behavior upon cooling were measured on a small set of compositions to select a formulation for melter testing. Property measurements also identified a temperature range for melter operation and cooling profiles necessary to crystallize the targeted phases in the waste form. Bench scale and melter run results successfully demonstrate the processability of the glass ceramic using the CCIM melter technology.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Performance and Health Test Procedure for Grid Energy Storage Systems

A test procedure to evaluate the performance and health of field installations of grid-connected battery energy storage systems (BESS) is described. Performance and health metrics captured in the procedures are: round-trip efficiency, standby losses, response time/accuracy, and useable energy/state of charge at different discharge/charge rates over the system's lifetime. The procedures are divided into reference performance tests, which require the system to be put in a test mode and are to be conducted in intervals, and real-time monitoring tests, which collect data during normal operation without interruption. The procedures can be applied on a wide array of BESS with little modification and can thus support BESS operators in the management of BESS field installations with minimal interruption and expenditure. Simulated results based on a detailed system simulation of a prototype system are provided as guideline.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Laboratory Testing and Performance Verification of the CHARIS Integral Field Spectrograph

The Coronagraphic High Angular Resolution Imaging Spectrograph (CHARIS) is an integral field spectrograph (IFS) that has been built for the Subaru telescope. CHARIS has two imaging modes; the high-resolution mode is R82, R69, and R82 in J, H, and K bands respectively while the low-resolution discovery mode uses a second low-resolution prism with R19 spanning 1.15-2.37 microns (J+H+K bands). The discovery mode is meant to augment the low inner working angle of the Subaru Coronagraphic Extreme Adaptive Optics (SCExAO) adaptive optics system, which feeds CHARIS a coronagraphic image. The goal is to detect and characterize brown dwarfs and hot Jovian planets down to contrasts five orders of magnitude dimmer than their parent star at an inner working angle as low as 80 milliarcseconds. CHARIS constrains spectral crosstalk through several key aspects of the optical design. Additionally, the repeatability of alignment of certain optical components is critical to the calibrations required for the data pipeline. Specifically the relative alignment of the lens let array, prism, and detector must be highly stable and repeatable between imaging modes. We report on the measured repeatability and stability of these mechanisms, measurements of spectral crosstalk in the instrument, and the propagation of these errors through the data pipeline. Another key design feature of CHARIS is the prism, which pairs Barium Fluoride with Ohara L-BBH2 high index glass. The dispersion of the prism is significantly more uniform than other glass choices, and the CHARIS prisms represent the first NIR astronomical instrument that uses L-BBH2as the high index material. This material choice was key to the utility of the discovery mode, so significant efforts were put into cryogenic characterization of the material. The final performance of the prism assemblies in their operating environment is described in detail. The spectrograph is going through final alignment, cryogenic cycling, and is being delivered to the Subaru telescope in April 2016. This paper is a report on the laboratory performance of the spectrograph, and its current status in the commissioning process so that observers will better understand the instrument capabilities. We will also discuss the lessons learned during the testing process and their impact on future high-contrast imaging spectrographs for wavefront control.

Coronagraphic High Angular Resolution Imaging Spec↗

Performance and Health Test Procedure for Grid Energy Storage Systems: Preprint

A test procedure to evaluate the performance and health of field installations of grid-connected battery energy storage systems (BESS) is described. Performance and health metrics captured in the procedures are: Round-trip efficiency, Standby losses, Response time/accuracy, and Useable Energy/ State of Charge at different discharge/charge rates over the system's lifetime. The procedures are divided into Reference Performance Tests, which require the system to be put in a test mode and are to be conducted in intervals, and Real-time Monitoring tests, which collect data during normal operation without interruption. The procedures can be applied on a wide array of BESS with little modifications and can thus support BESS operators in the management of BESS field installations with minimal interruption and expenditures.can be applied on a wide array of BESS with little modifications and can thus support BESS operators in the management of BESS field installations with minimal interruption and expenditures.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Single-Event Gate Rupture and Single-Event Burnout Test Results Performed on Hi-Rel Fuji Power MOSFETs: 2SK4217, 2SK4152, 2SK4155, and 2SK4158

Several newly available Hi-Rel total dose hardened power MOSFETs manufactured by Fuji Electric Device Technology Co. Ltd (FDT) in conjunction with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) were tested for single-event gate rupture (SEGR) and single-event burnout (SEB). The safe-operating area (SOA) of the 2SK4217 (a 100 V rated device), 2SK4152 (130 V), 2SK4155 (200 V), and the 2SK4158 (250 V) were tested with silver (Ag) and xenon (Xe) ions having incident LETs of 42.2 and 53.1 MeV cm2/mg, respectively. Test results show these devices are comparable to currently available total dose hardened technology.

Selva, Luis E.↗

Orbiter S-band direct link system verification test report

Space-to-ground S-band communications system compatibility and performance tests were performed for the various radio frequency links. These tests consisted of the various uplink and downlink signal combinations (data rates) for the phase modulation system and both realtime and playback data rates for the frequency modulated downlink systems. In addition, tests involving encryption/decryption, Doppler, and acquisition were performed. Results show that the S-band transponder for the space shuttle orbiter is compatible with the S-band equipment of the AFSCF/RTS (Air Force Satellite Control Facility/Remote Tracking Station). It is also concluded that the performance of the orbiter-AFSCF/RTS direct link exceeds the required performance and that this communications link will meet the system requirements of the Space Transportation System.

Vermillion, B. K.↗

Test beam performance measurements for the Phase I upgrade of the CMS pixel detector

A new pixel detector for the CMS experiment was built in order to cope with the instantaneous luminosities anticipated for the Phase~I Upgrade of the LHC. The new CMS pixel detector provides four-hit tracking with a reduced material budget as well as new cooling and powering schemes. A new front-end readout chip mitigates buffering and bandwidth limitations, and allows operation at low comparator thresholds. Here in this paper, comprehensive test beam studies are presented, which have been conducted to verify the design and to quantify the performance of the new detector assemblies in terms of tracking efficiency and spatial resolution. Under optimal conditions, the tracking efficiency is $99.95\pm0.05\,\%$, while the intrinsic spatial resolutions are $4.80\pm0.25\,\mu \mathrm{m}$ and $7.99\pm0.21\,\mu \mathrm{m}$ along the $100\,\mu \mathrm{m}$ and $150\,\mu \mathrm{m}$ pixel pitch, respectively. The findings are compared to a detailed Monte Carlo simulation of the pixel detector and good agreement is found.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Evaluation of the IMP-16 microprocessor orbit determination system filter

The results of the numerical tests performed in evaluating the interplanetary monitoring platform-16 orbit determination system are presented. The system is capable of performing orbit determination from satellite to satellite tracking data in applications technology satellite range and range rate format. The estimation scheme used is a Kalman filter, sequential (recursive) estimator. Descriptions of the tests performed and tabulations of the numerical results are included.

Shenitz, C. M.↗

A laser-sheet flow visualization technique for the large wind tunnels of the National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex

A flow visualization technique for the large wind tunnels of the National Full Scale Aerodynamics Complex (NFAC) is described. The technique uses a laser sheet generated by the NFAC Long Range Laser Velocimeter (LRLV) to illuminate a smoke-like tracer in the flow. The LRLV optical system is modified slightly, and a scanned mirror is added to generate the sheet. These modifications are described, in addition to the results of an initial performance test conducted in the 80- by 120-Foot Wind Tunnel. During this test, flow visualization was performed in the wake region behind a truck as part of a vehicle drag reduction study. The problems encountered during the test are discussed, in addition to the recommended improvements needed to enhance the performance of the technique for future applications.

Reinath, M. S.↗

Ultra-High Operation Temperature SiC-matrix Solar Thermal Air Receiver (HOTSSTAR) enabled by additive manufacturing: Test Facility & Performance Evaluations

Solar Heat for Industrial Processes (SHIP) cavity receivers are capable of generating electricity or industrial process heat by absorbing thermal energy from solar radiation, focused on a small area. The concentration of solar radiation on the small area of the receiver enables the achievement of high temperatures (ranging from 400°C to 1,100°C) of a working fluid, thus making the SHIP technology thermodynamically comparable with conventional power plants. A volumetric receiver consists of a porous structure-generally made of silicon carbide or metal, which absorbs solar radiation and converts it into heat energy. Heat energy from the porous materials is then transferred to the fluid following through them. A volumetric receiver acts as a convective heat exchanger, transferring heat to the fluid through convection. Open-loop volumetric receivers work with air at atmospheric pressure and are suitable for single-cycle or multi-cycle energy plants. A Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) approach was used to develop a test bed at Sandia national Laboratories (SNL) capable of demonstrating an open-loop volumetric air receiver developed by General Electric Aerospace (GE Aerospace). This paper presents the development of the various MBSE methods, test bed, and testing operations for the GE air receiver, which was experimentally demonstrated to achieve 1,350°C for over 3 hours of operation and an approximate 70% receiver efficiency. By being able to achieve such high temperatures >1,000°C, this work provides the potential to support many SHIP industrial use cases.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Quantitative Evaluation of 3 DBMS: ORACLE, SEED AND INGRES

Characteristics required for NASA scientific data base management application are listed as well as performance testing objectives. Results obtained for the ORACLE, SEED, and INGRES packages are presented in charts. It is concluded that vendor packages can manage 130 megabytes of data at acceptable load and query rates. Performance tests varying data base designs and various data base management system parameters are valuable to applications for choosing packages and critical to designing effective data bases. An applications productivity increases with the use of data base management system because of enhanced capabilities such as a screen formatter, a reporter writer, and a data dictionary.

Sylto, R.↗

Passive Noise Analysis for Advanced Tamper Indication. End of Year Report 2015

Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is part of a multi-lab project assessing front-end electronics for unattended measurement (FEUM) being developed for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) unattended systems. The FEUM development activity provides an opportunity to address tampering detection between FEUM and the detector, signal integrity from FEUM to the data acquisition systems, and data validity – long-standing challenges for the IAEA. This report summarizes the INL activities in Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 to characterize and test passive noise analysis as a potential tamper-indicating approach for implementation into FEUM or as a stand-alone method. The project’s primary objectives in FY-15 were to (1) determine detectable tamper scenarios using four pre-amplifier/detector systems, (2) perform tests of tampering scenarios with three common cable types used by the IAEA, (3) separate radio-frequency-induced events from inherent effect by means of an anechoic chamber, and (4) perform tests at an industrial facility. General conclusions were reached in several areas.

98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL P↗

Dynamic Response of X-37 Hot Structure Control Surfaces Exposed to Controlled Reverberant Acoustic Excitation

This document represents a compilation of three informal reports from reverberant acoustic tests performed on X-37 hot structure control surfaces in the NASA Langley Research Center Structural Acoustics Loads and Transmission (SALT) facility. The first test was performed on a carbon-silicone carbide flaperon subcomponent on February 24, 2004. The second test was performed on a carbon-carbon ruddervator subcomponent on May 27, 2004. The third test was performed on a carbon-carbon flaperon subcomponent on June 30, 2004.

Grosveld, Ferdinand W.↗

Purging of a tank-mounted multilayer insulation system by gas diffusion

The investigation was conducted on a multilayer insulation (MLI) system mounted on a spherical liquid hydrogen propellant tank. The MLI consisted of two blankets of insulation each containing 15 double-aluminized Mylar radiation shields separated by double silk net spacers. The gaseous nitrogen initially contained within the MLI system and vacuum chamber was purged with gaseous helium introduced both underneath the MLI and into the vacuum chamber. The MLI panels were assumed to be purged primarily by means of gas diffusion. Overall, test results indicated that nitrogen concentrations well below 1 percent could be achieved everywhere within the MLI system. Typical times to achieve 1 percent nitrogen concentration within the MLI panels ranged from 69 minutes at the top of the tank to 158 minutes at the bottom of the tank. Four space-hold thermal performance tests indicated no significant thermal degradation of the MLI system had occurred due to the purge tests conducted. The final measured heat input attributed to the MLI was 7.23 watts as compared to 7.18 watts for the initial baseline thermal performance test.

Sumner, I. E.↗