Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Study center”

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 883 records · Page 49
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Intelligent Manufacturing for Extreme Environments Conference Proceedings

The Intelligent Manufacturing for Extreme Environments (IMEE) workshop was held at the Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAES) in Idaho Falls, Idaho, May 2–3, 2023, in support of the United States (U.S.) National Science Foundation (NSF) Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research: Workshop Opportunities (EPSCoR-WO) program. This workshop featured keynote speakers, panels, and breakout sessions with 58 participants. Nuclear reactors need to operate under extreme service conditions, such as high temperatures, corrosive environments, and high-radiation doses. Hence, reactor components must be able to withstand those conditions. The participants envision a future where on demand manufacture of components for small modular reactors (SMRs), microreactors, and other advanced reactor designs are possible. In this future, regulatory bodies accept validated manufacturing processes and standardized feedstocks, thus eliminating the need for individual component testing. However, the necessary technologies and regulatory policies needed for this future do not exist today. Successful innovation would revolutionize the nuclear power sector, enable fast commercial development, create economic opportunities in the U.S., reduce the carbon footprint and associated risks, and promote a skilled and highly competitive workforce. The objective of the workshop was to convene world-class experts, researchers, educators, and students to identify gaps and envision solutions for five interrelated challenges for intelligent manufacturing in extreme environments. The key outcomes of the conference were: (1) to take the opportunity for researchers and educators to network and form collaborations; and (2) to produce a full report to inform policy-makers, industry, and the academic community of various challenges and opportunities in the nuclear energy sector.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Findings on subtask 1.6 – basin electric carbon storage research project: novel monitoring techniques

The Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) led a study to validate novel and emerging technologies as commercial monitoring techniques for application in carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) injection operations. This applied research was conducted at Basin Electric Power Cooperative’s (Basin Electric’s) active CO 2 -injection operations in Beulah, North Dakota, in two phases. The EERC previously completed a set of baseline (preinjection) activities in Phase 1, which included 1) design of an automated, integrated, modular (AIM) monitoring station; 2) time-lapse electromagnetic (EM) field surveys; 3) drone-based surveillance studies; 4) time-lapse monitoring with seismic methods; and 5) advanced wellbore-monitoring methods.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Design, Build, and Initial Testing of a Portable Methane Measurement Platform

The quantification of methane concentrations in air is essential for the quantification of methane emissions, which in turn is necessary to determine absolute emissions and the efficacy of emission mitigation strategies. These are essential if countries are to meet climate goals. Large-scale deployment of methane analyzers across millions of emission sites is prohibitively expensive, and lower-cost instrumentation has been recently developed as an alternative. Currently, it is unclear how cheaper instrumentation will affect measurement resolution or accuracy. To test this, the Wireless Autonomous Transportable Methane Emission Reporting System (WATCH 4 ERS) has been developed, comprising four commercially available sensing technologies: metal oxide (MOx,), Non-dispersion Infrared (NDIR), integrated infrared (INIR), and tunable diode laser absorption spectrometer (TDLAS). WATCHERS is the accumulated knowledge of several long-term methane measurement projects at Colorado State University’s Methane Emission Technology Evaluation Center (METEC), and this study describes the integration of these sensors into a single unit and reports initial instrument response to calibration procedures and controlled release experiments. Specifically, this paper aims to describe the development of the WATCH 4 ERS unit, report initial sensor responses, and describe future research goals. Meanwhile, future work will use data gathered by multiple WATCH 4 ERS units to 1. better understand the cost–benefit balance of methane sensors, and 2. identify how decreasing instrumentation costs could increase deployment coverage and therefore inform large-scale methane monitoring strategies. Both calibration and response experiments indicate the INIR has little practical use for measuring methane concentrations less than 500 ppm. The MOx sensor is shown to have a logarithmic response to methane concentration change between background and 600 ppm but it is strongly suggested that passively sampling MOx sensors cannot respond fast enough to report concentrations that change in a sub-minute time frame. The NDIR sensor reported a linear change to methane concentration between background and 600 ppm, although there was a noticeable lag in reporting changing concentration, especially at higher values, and individual peaks could be observed throughout the experiment even when the plumes were released 5 s apart. The TDLAS sensor reported all changes in concentration but remains prohibitively expensive. Our findings suggest that each sensor technology could be optimized by either operational design or deployment location to quantify methane emissions. The WATCH4ERS units will be deployed in real-world environments to investigate the utility of each in the future.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2024

TEM Characterization of Neutron Irradiated HfAl3-Al Composite Specimens

Particles comprised of a thermal neutron absorbing material (HfAl3) are dispersed in a metal matrix material with high thermal conductivity (aluminum) to conduct the heat generated by neutron capture away from the fuel and materials. This metal matrix composite is very promising for use as a conduction-cooled neutron absorber and has the potential to be useful as a shroud or heat sink for testing advanced fast reactor fuels and materials in an existing thermal reactor. To design and optimize the absorber block system for advanced reactor designs, fundamental understanding of the irradiation effect on material properties is necessary. This dataset contains TEM characterization results of neutron irradiated HfAl3-Al composite specimens. It is focused on the irradiation induced defects (dislocation lines and loops) characterization using the on-zone axis bright field STEM technique. This data was collected using a FEI Tecnai G2 F30 S/TEM at the Microscopy and Characterization Suite (MaCS), Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAES).

Guillen, Donna↗
DOE OSTI2024

2024 NSUF User Development Workshop on Irradiation Testing

Monday, May 20 – Thursday, May 23, 2024 at Center for Advanced Energy Studies at Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, Idaho. This pilot workshop was hosted to expand the NSUF user community and introduce irradiation testing of nuclear fuel and materials to new researchers, and to build long-term relationships between the NSUF program office, NSUF partner facilities, and NSUF university-affiliated users to provide better utilization of NSUF resources in addressing United States energy challenges.

Starks, Alexis↗
DOE OSTI2024

TEM Characterization of Neutron Irradiated HfAl3-Al Composite Specimens

Particles comprised of a thermal neutron absorbing material (HfAl3) are dispersed in a metal matrix material with high thermal conductivity (aluminum) to conduct the heat generated by neutron capture away from the fuel and materials. This metal matrix composite is very promising for use as a conduction-cooled neutron absorber and has the potential to be useful as a shroud or heat sink for testing advanced fast reactor fuels and materials in an existing thermal reactor. To design and optimize the absorber block system for advanced reactor designs, fundamental understanding of the irradiation effect on material properties is necessary. This dataset contains TEM characterization results of neutron irradiated HfAl3-Al composite specimens. It is focused on the irradiation induced defects (dislocation lines and loops) characterization using the on-zone axis bright field STEM technique. This data was collected using a FEI Tecnai G2 F30 S/TEM at the Microscopy and Characterization Suite (MaCS), Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAES).

Guillen, Donna↗
NASA NTRS1973

Fracture trends identified by ERTS-1 imagery in Utah and Nevada

The author has identified the following significant results. Structures clearly traceable through bed rock are considered most reliable. Continuity, however, is frequently traceable through ranges and across adjoining sedimentary basins where changes in drainage, erosion pattern, soil color, or vegetation suggest that the basin sediments are extremely sensitive to underlying structures. Many large and continuous trends, too smeared by erosion to be visible on the ground or from aircraft photos, become quite evident at the scale of the ERTS-1 images. The study was made with little regard for surface geology. The trends have been retraced to separate and unidirectional sets. These are now being related to surface geology, geophysical studies, volcanic and intrusive centers, and areas of mineralization.

Jensen, M. L.↗
NASA NTRS1974

On climatic changes related to the 22-year solar cycle

The 22-year or double sunspot cycle as a cause for longitudinal displacements of atmospheric semi-permanent centers of action is studied. A difference in frequency of occurence of Icelandic lows between the two halves of the double sunspot cycle during winter seasons is found.

Schuurmans, C. J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1975

X-ray bursts from solar flares behind the limb

X-ray bursts are identified from the UCSD OSO-7 X-ray experiment data. X-ray spectroheliograms of OSO-5, H alpha activity at the limb, and the emergence and disappearance of sunspot groups at the limb were studied and 17 active centers were found as likely seats of the X-ray bursts beyond the limb. The analysis of 37 X-ray bursts and their physical parameters is presented. Results show that (1) the distributions of maximum temperature, maximum emission measure, and characteristic cooling time of the over-the-limb events do not significantly differ from those of disk events; (2) that radiation is the dominant cooling mechanism for the hot flare plasma; and (3) that the scale height for X-ray emission in the 5-10 keV range is large. Observations show that the fraction of soft X-ray bursts which have a nonthermal component is the same on and off of the disk. Hard X-ray emission over extended regions is indicated.

Roy, J. R.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Study of data entry requirements at Marshall Space Flight Computation Center

An economic and systems analysis of a data center was conducted. Current facilities for data storage of documentation are shown to be inadequate and outmoded for efficient data handling. Redesign of documents, condensation of the keypunching operation, upgrading of hardware, and retraining of personnel are the solutions proposed to improve the present data system.

Sherman, G. R.↗
NASA NTRS1978

A comparison of three classical analytical theories for the motion of artificial satellites

Motivated by the heavy reliance upon the analytic orbit theory in orbit determination operations at the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), a comparison study is performed for three classical analytical theories of artificial satellite motion about an oblate earth. The three analytical theories are: (1) Brouwer, (2) a modified Brouwer, i.e., Brouwer-Lyddane and Cohen, and (3) Vinti. Comparison results for each theory are produced for a number of representative satellites of current or past interest which proved amenable to analytic theory application. The uniformity of these results has significant implications for current and future mission operations and planning activities. Subsidiary topics arising from the results of this study which relate to the optimum usage of the individual theories are also discussed

Gordon, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Characteristics of first order shock induced magnetic transitions in iron and discrimination from TRM

Reflected light microscopy provides information on first-order shock transitions in iron and iron-nickel and permits discrimination of microstructures due to shock transitions from those imparted by thermal transitions. In addition, thin-foil electron microscopy is used to characterize magnetic transitions in fine-particle iron. First-order magnetic phase changes, such as that from the antiferromagnetic face centered cubic state to the ferromagnetic body centered cubic state, are studied with the aim of calibrating the shock and thermal mechanisms of magnetization in iron with a particle size range between 250 and 1200 A. The efficiency of remanence due to shock transition is also estimated.

Wasilewski, P.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Digital image centering. II

Digital image centering algorithms were compared in a test involving microdensitometer raster scans of a refractor parallax series consisting of 22 stars on 26 plates. The highest accuracy in determining stellar image positions was provided by an algorithm which involved fitting of a symmetric Gaussian curve and a flat background to the image marginal density distributions. Algorithms involving transmission marginals instead of density marginals were found to be less accurate. The repeatability and computational efficiency of the digital image centering technique were also studied.

Auer, L. H.↗
NASA NTRS1979

The kW power module evolution study: Executive summary

Using the Marshall Space Flight Center 25 kW Power Module (PM) reference design as a point of departure, the study defined evolutionary growth paths to 100 kW and above. A recommended development approach and initial configurations were described. Specific hardware changes from the reference design are recommended for the initial PM configuration to ensure evolutionary growth, improved replicability, and reduced cost. Certain functional changes are also recommended to enhance system capabilities.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1982

Containerless processing of Nb-Ge alloys in a long drop tube

The thirty-two meter drop tube at the Marshall Space Flight Center was used to study the effect of zero gravity containerless processing on the structure and properties of materials. The concept involves the suppression of heterogeneous nucleation of solid in liquid and, therefore, solidification accompanied by large degrees of undercooling. Under these conditions metastable phases can be formed or, at the very least, unique nonequilibrium microstructures (containing equilibrium phases) with unique properties can be produced. The drop tube solidification was applied to niobium base alloys with emphasis on the Nb-Ge binary system in an effort to produce metastable phases with high superconducting transition temperatures in bulk specimens. In the past, only lower Ge alloys (Nb-13 a/o, Nb-18 a/o, and Nb-22 a/o) could be undercooled. Higher Ge alloys (e.g., Nb-25 a/o Ge and Nb-27 a/o Ge) can now be undercooled on a routine basis.

Bayuzick, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Multispectral Linear Array (MLA) science and technology program

A Goddard Space Flight Center program of science studies and technology development to provide the basis for future earth observation sensors employing multispectral linear array (MLA) technology is described. Establishment of MLA performance parameters and performance modeling make up the primary science activities. Critical technologies being developed include: short-wave infrared (SWIR) detector arrays, visible/and near infrared detector arrays, and passive cryogenic coolers. Supporting activities include: test and field instrument development, focal plane research and assessment laboratory, system simulation laboratory, calibration sources and techniques, optics, and thermal infrared arrays.

Barnes, W. L.↗