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At least 883 records · Page 49
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Hierarchical Fractional Advection-Dispersion Equation (FADE) to Quantify Anomalous Transport in River Corridor over a Broad Spectrum of Scales: Theory and Applications

Fractional calculus-based differential equations were found by previous studies to be promising tools in simulating local-scale anomalous diffusion for pollutants transport in natural geological media (geomedia), but efficient models are still needed for simulating anomalous transport over a broad spectrum of scales. This study proposed a hierarchical framework of fractional advection-dispersion equations (FADEs) for modeling pollutants moving in the river corridor at a full spectrum of scales. Applications showed that the fixed-index FADE could model bed sediment and manganese transport in streams at the geomorphologic unit scale, whereas the variable-index FADE well fitted bedload snapshots at the reach scale with spatially varying indices. Further analyses revealed that the selection of the FADEs depended on the scale, type of the geomedium (i.e., riverbed, aquifer, or soil), and the type of available observation dataset (i.e., the tracer snapshot or breakthrough curve (BTC)). When the pollutant BTC was used, a single-index FADE with scale-dependent parameters could fit the data by upscaling anomalous transport without mapping the sub-grid, intermediate multi-index anomalous diffusion. Pollutant transport in geomedia, therefore, may exhibit complex anomalous scaling in space (and/or time), and the identification of the FADE’s index for the reach-scale anomalous transport, which links the geomorphologic unit and watershed scales, is the core for reliable applications of fractional calculus in hydrology.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
NASA NTRS1972

The Philosophy which underlies the structural tests of a supersonic transport aircraft with particular attention to the thermal cycle

The information presented is based on data obtained from the Concorde. Much of this data also applies to other supersonic transport aircraft. The design and development of the Concorde is a joint effort of the British and French, and the structural test program is shared, as are all the other activities. Vast numbers of small specimens have been tested to determine the behavior of the materials used in the aircraft. Major components of the aircraft structure, totalling almost a complete aircraft, have been made and are being tested to help the constructors in each country in the design and development of the structure. Tests on two complete airframes will give information for the certification of the aircraft. A static test was conducted in France and a fatigue test in the United Kingdom. Fail-safe tests are being made to demonstrate the crack-propagation characteristics of the structure and its residual strength. Aspects of the structural test program are described in some detail, dealing particularly with the problems associated with the thermal cycle. The biggest of these problems is the setting up of the fatigue test on the complete airframe; therefore, this is covered more extensively with a discussion about how the test time can be shortened and with a description of the practical aspects of the test.

Ripley, E. L.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Cryogenic On-Orbit Liquid Depot Storage, Acquisition, and Transfer Satellite (COLD-SAT)

The Cryogenic On-Orbit Liquid Depot Storage, Acquisition, and Transfer Satellite (COLD-SAT) will perform subcritical liquid hydrogen handling experiments under low gravity conditions to provide engineering data for future space transportation missions. Comprising the four Class 1 enabling experiments are tank press control, tank chilldown, tank no-vent fill, and liquid acquisition device fill/refill. The nine Class 2 enhancing experiments are tanker thermal performance, pressurization, low-gravity setting and outflow, liquid acquisition device performance, transfer line chilldown, outflow subcooling, low-gravity vented fill, fluid dumping, and advanced instrumentation. Consisting of an experiment module mated to a spacecraft bus, COLD-SAT will be placed in an initial 1300 km circular orbit by an Atlas commercial launch vehicle, and will perform experiments in a semi-autonomous mode for a period of up to six months. The three-axis controlled spacecraft bus provides electric power, control and data management, communications, and attitude control along with propulsive acceleration levels ranging from 10(exp -6) to 10(exp -4) g. It is desired to understand the effects that low acceleration levels might have on the heat and mass transfer processes involved in some of the experiments. The experiment module contains the three liquid hydrogen tanks, valves, pressurization and pumping equipment, and instrumentation. Within the highly insulated tanks are specialized fluid management equipment that might be used in future space transportation systems. At launch all the liquid hydrogen for the experiments is contained in the largest tank, which has helium-purged insulation to prevent cryo-pumping of air on the launch pad. The tank is loaded by the hydrogen tanking system used for the Centaur upper stage of the Atlas. After reaching orbit the two smaller tanks become receivers for fluid transfers, and when tanked, become the vessels for performing many of the experiments.

Schuster, John R.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Dirtier Air from a Weaker Monsoon

The level of air pollution in China has much increased in the past decades, causing serious health problems. Among the main pollutants are aerosols, also known as particulate matter: tiny, invisible particles that are suspended in the air. These particles contribute substantially to premature mortality associated with cardiopulmonary diseases and lung cancer1. The increase of the aerosol level in China has been commonly attributed to the fast rise in pollutant emissions from the rapid economic development in the region. However, writing in Geophysical Research Letters, Jianlei Zhu and colleagues2 tell a different side of the story: using a chemical transport model and observation data, they show that the decadal scale weakening of the East Asian summer monsoon has also contributed to the increase of aerosol concentrations in China. The life cycle of atmospheric aerosols starts with its emission or formation in the atmosphere. Some aerosol components such as dust, soot and sea salt are emitted directly as particles to the atmosphere, but others are formed there by way of photochemical reactions. For example, sulphate and nitrate aerosols are produced from their respective precursor gases, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. Aerosol particles can be transported away from their source locations by winds or vertical motion of the air. Eventually, they are removed from the atmosphere by means of dry deposition and wet scavenging by precipitation. Measurements generally show that aerosol concentrations over Asia are lowest during the summer monsoon season3, because intense rainfall efficiently removes them from the air. The East Asian summer monsoon extends over subtropics and mid-latitudes. Its rainfall tends to concentrate in rain belts that stretch out for many thousands of kilometres and affect China, Korea, Japan and the surrounding area. Observations suggest that the East Asian summer monsoon circulation and precipitation have been in decline since the 1970s4. In particular, a weaker East Asian summer monsoon is characterized by weaker southerly or southwesterly winds, a deficit in rainfall over northern China and larger rainfalls in southern China. By contrast, when the East Asian summer monsoon is strong, the southerly winds and strong rainfalls extend to northern China. The decadal scale decline in the strength of the East Asian summer monsoon since the 1970s would imply an increase in aerosol concentrations in northern China, north of 28deg N, and a decrease in southern China if emissions were kept the same. One obvious reason for this direction of aerosol change is that the reduction of monsoon rainfall in northern China would cause less wet scavenging of aerosols by precipitation. Zhu et al.2 investigated this relationship between aerosol concentrations and the strength of the East Asian summer monsoon and showed that the two parameters have strong negative correlations: the summer aerosol concentrations near the surface over eastern China.

Chin, Mian↗
DOE OSTI2020

Machine learning for international freight transportation management: A comprehensive review

Machine learning (ML) offers a promising avenue for international freight transportation management (IFTM) given its capability to harness the power of data that have become increasingly available to freight transportation researchers and practitioners. This paper conducts a comprehensive investigation of the state-of-the-art in developing ML models for applications to different aspects of IFTM. We start by giving an overview of various fundamental ML methods. Then, how different ML methods have been employed, adapted, and applied to a multitude of subject areas in IFTM are discussed, including demand forecast, operation and asset maintenance, and vehicle trajectory and on-time performance prediction. The potential data sources that may be used to develop ML models are further examined. Subsequently, a synthesis of the exiting work is performed to identify the specific topics addressed in the existing research, ML methods used, the trends of research, and opportunities for further explorations. Four directions for future research are proposed in the end.

Data sources↗
DOE OSTI2025

Adaptive continuity-preserving simplification of street networks

Street network data is widely used to study human-based activities and urban structure. Often, these data are geared towards transportation applications, which require highly granular, directed graphs that capture the complex relationships of potential traffic patterns. While this level of network detail is critical for certain fine-grained mobility models, it represents a hindrance for studies concerned with the morphology of the street network. For the latter case, street network simplification — the process of converting a highly granular input network into its most simple morphological form — is a necessary, but highly tedious preprocessing step, especially when conducted manually. In this manuscript, we develop and present a novel adaptive algorithm for simplifying street networks that is both fully automated and able to mimic results obtained through a manual simplification routine. The algorithm — available in the neatnet Python package — outperforms current state-of-the-art procedures when comparing those methods to manually, human-simplified data, while preserving network continuity.

Python↗
NASA NTRS2013

Systems Analysis of NASA Aviation Safety Program: Final Report

A three-month study (February to April 2010) of the NASA Aviation Safety (AvSafe) program was conducted. This study comprised three components: (1) a statistical analysis of currently available civilian subsonic aircraft data from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing (ASIAS) system to identify any significant or overlooked aviation safety issues; (2) a high-level qualitative identification of future safety risks, with an assessment of the potential impact of the NASA AvSafe research on the National Airspace System (NAS) based on these risks; and (3) a detailed, top-down analysis of the NASA AvSafe program using an established and peer-reviewed systems analysis methodology. The statistical analysis identified the top aviation "tall poles" based on NTSB accident and FAA incident data from 1997 to 2006. A separate examination of medical helicopter accidents in the United States was also conducted. Multiple external sources were used to develop a compilation of ten "tall poles" in future safety issues/risks. The top-down analysis of the AvSafe was conducted by using a modification of the Gibson methodology. Of the 17 challenging safety issues that were identified, 11 were directly addressed by the AvSafe program research portfolio.

Jones, Sharon M.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Derivation of at-birth neutron energy distribution of americium-beryllium source based on ISO8529 spectral data

In many practical applications, the accuracy of neutron transport calculations depends on an estimate of the energy distribution provided in the source definition. While the energy distribution of neutrons emitted by spontaneous fission sources is well-defined, the spectra of neutrons produced in (α,n) reactions in compound mixtures, such as americium-beryllium (AmBe), depend on the microstructural properties of the source material, which may vary. Although the energy of neutrons produced in nuclear reactions can be calculated from first principles, such computations require detailed knowledge of the key characteristics of the source material, which are often unknown. Here, this study focuses on deriving the at-birth neutron energy distribution for an AmBe source by applying reverse transport calculations to the externally measured high-precision spectrum recommended in the latest revision of the international standard. The derived at-birth spectrum was validated through indirect energy-sensitive neutron emission rate measurements of AmBe sources calibrated at national primary metrology institutions. The resulting at-birth neutron energy distribution serves as essential input data for radiation transport modeling, providing a validated spectrum for broader experimental and computational applications.

AmBe↗
DOE OSTI2022

Predicting transport of intra-articularly injected growth factor fusion proteins into human knee joint cartilage

There are no drugs or treatment methods known to prevent the development of post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA), a type of osteoarthritis (OA) that is triggered by traumatic joint injuries and accounts for ~12% of the nearly 600 million OA cases worldwide. Lack of effective drug delivery techniques remains a major challenge in developing clinically effective treatments, but cationic delivery carriers can help overcome this challenge. Scaling up treatments that are effective in in vitro models to achieve success in preclinical in vivo models and clinical trials is also a challenging problem in the field. Here we use a cationic green fluorescent protein (GFP) as a carrier to deliver Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1), a drug considered as a potential therapeutic for PTOA. GFP-IGF-1 conjugates were first synthesized as fusion proteins with different polypeptide linkers, and their transport properties were characterized in human cartilage explants. In vitro experimental data were used to develop a predictive mathematical transport model that was validated using an independent in vitro experimental data set. In this study, the model was used to predict the transport of these fusion proteins upon intra-articular injection into human knee joints. The predictions included results for the rate and extent of fusion protein penetration into cartilage, and the maximum levels of fusion proteins that would escape into systemic circulation through the joint capsule. Together, our transport measurements and model set the stage for translation of such explant culture studies to in vivo preclinical studies and potentially clinical application.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Pulsed Sphere Time of Flight Neutron Spectrum Measurements: Blank Run and 1.8 Mean-Free-Path thick Polyethylene Moderating Sphere

From the late 1960s to 1985, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) undertook a series of ‘pulsed sphere’ experiments for 32 materials involving 148 different experiments using 75 different spheres to measure the neutron leakage spectra for different materials from 14-MeV neutrons generated by 3 H(d, n) 4 He reactions induced by an incident D+ beam from the Insulated Core Transformer (ICT) accelerator at LLNL. This deuteron beam was focused to impinge on tritium loaded onto a titanium substrate within a low mass target assembly placed within the center of a spherical shell constructed from the material of interest. The neutron time of flight was measured at a detector outside a collimator. The program was intended to be comprehensive with numerous targets of various thicknesses spanning the periodic table from H to 239 Pu. Five different neutron detectors were utilized to avoid possible systematic errors due to differences in detector responses. Further, these measurements were designed with the aim that the simple geometry of the measurements could be easily simulated to validate Monte Carlo transport codes and nuclear data libraries. As a result, these benchmarks have been extensively used in the validation of ENDL, ENDF and other libraries. Two experiments selected as benchmark cases in this evaluation are: 1) target assembly without material sphere (blank run), and 2) target assembly with a hollow polyethylene sphere, 1.8 mean free path (mfp) or 16.56 cm thick.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Gas Permeation and Separation Characteristics of Microporous TpHz COF Membranes Synthesized by Substrate-Assisted Interfacial Polymerization

Microporous two-dimensional covalent organic framework (2D COF) membranes offer promise for gas separation applications, but their gas transport mechanism remains unclear. In this study, a TpHz 2D COF membrane supported on a macroporous nylon substrate is prepared by substrate-assisted interfacial polymerization under mild conditions. The formation of a continuous and dense thin (~300 nm thick) TpHz layer is confirmed by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Characterization by X-ray diffraction, grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering, and N 2 porosimetry qualitatively reveals the microstructures of the supported TpHz membranes, i.e., they comprise partially oriented 2D COF lamellar crystallites with moderate crystallinity in an eclipsed (AA) stacking geometry, centering the effective membrane pore size distribution at ~1.1 nm. Further, single gas permeation data show that the transport of common molecular gases, including H 2 , He, CH 4 , N 2 , and CO 2 , through the synthesized TpHz membranes follows the Knudsen transport mechanism, where single gas permeance decreases with an increasing molecular weight and permeation temperature. Binary gas separation results show that in the equimolar CO 2 /N 2 mixture, the presence of the CO 2 surface flow slightly hinders the N 2 flow at room temperature due to the reduced membrane channel size by the adsorbed CO 2 gas layer on TpHz’s pore wall. In contrast, permeation of the equimolar CH 4 /N 2 binary mixture does not exhibit a discernible surface flow of both gases due to their much lower gas uptake on TpHz, and their transport mechanism follows Knudsen-like behavior.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS2019

Estimating Total Open Heliospheric Magnetic Flux

Over the solar-activity cycle, there are extended periods where significant discrepancies occur between the spacecraft-observed total (unsigned) open magnetic flux and that determined from coronal models. In this article, the total open heliospheric magnetic flux is computed using two different methods and then compared with results obtained from insitu interplanetary magnetic-field observations. The first method uses two different types of photospheric magnetic-field maps as input to the Wang–Sheeley–Arge (WSA) model: i) traditional Carrington or diachronic maps, and ii) Air Force Data Assimilative Photospheric Flux Transport model synchronic maps. The second method uses observationally derived helium and extreme-ultraviolet coronal-hole maps overlaid on the same magnetic-field maps in order to compute total open magnetic flux. The diachronic and synchronic maps are both constructed using magnetograms from the same source, namely the National Solar Observatory Kitt Peak Vacuum Telescope and Vector Spectromagnetograph. The results of this work show that the total open flux obtained from observationally derived coronal holes agrees remarkably well with that derived from WSA, especially near solar minimum. This suggests that, on average, coronal models capture well the observed large-scale coronal-hole structure over most of the solar cycle. Both methods show considerable deviations from total open flux deduced from spacecraft data, especially near solar maximum, pointing to something other than poorly determined coronal-hole area specification as the source of these discrepancies.

Wallace, S.↗
NASA NTRS1986

CID-720 aircraft high-environment flight instrumentation system

The high-environment flight instrumentation system was designed to acquire Langley's structural response data during the full scale transport-controlled impact demonstration test. There was only one opportunity for data acquisition. Thus, a high reliability and crashworthy design approach was implemented. The approach featured multi-level redundancy and a vigorous quality assurance testing program. Complying with an accelerated schedule, the instrumentation system was developed, tested and shipped within 18 months to Dryden Flight Research Facility. The flight instrumentation system consists of two autonomous data systems, DAS #1 and #2, and an excellent checkout subsystem. Each data system is partitioned into four pallets. The system was designed to operate on manned and unmanned flights. There are 176 data channels per data system. These channels are sequentially sampled and encoded into 1 megabit/sec pulse code modulation (PCM) data signal. To increase the probability of success, a special PCM distribution subsystem was developed. This subsystem distributes the PCM signal to two transmitters, one delay memory, and eight recorder tracks. The data on four of these trackes was digitally delayed approximately 300 msec to maximize data acquisition during impact. Therefore each data system's data is redundantly recorded onboard and on the ground. There are two time code generators. Parallel time from each is encoded into both data systems. Serial time from each is redundantly recorded on both onboard recorders. Instrumentation power is independent of aircraft power and self-contained.

Calloway, R. S.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Inferring and evaluating satellite-based constraints on NO x emissions estimates in air quality simulations

Satellite observations of tropospheric NO 2 columns can provide top-down observational constraints on emissions estimates of nitrogen oxides (NO x ). Mass-balance-based methods are often applied for this purpose but do not isolate near-surface emissions from those aloft, such as lightning emissions. Here, we introduce an inverse modeling framework that couples satellite chemical data assimilation to a chemical transport model. In the framework, satellite-constrained emissions totals are inferred using model simulations with and without data assimilation in the iterative finite-difference mass-balance method. The approach improves the finite-difference mass-balance inversion by isolating the near-surface emissions increment. We apply the framework to separately estimate lightning and anthropogenic NO x emissions over the Northern Hemisphere for 2019. Using overlapping observations from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) and the Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI), we compare separate NO x emissions inferences from these satellite instruments, as well as the impacts of emissions changes on modeled NO 2 and O 3 . OMI inferences of anthropogenic emissions consistently lead to larger emissions than TROPOMI inferences, attributed to a low bias in TROPOMI NO 2 retrievals. Updated lightning NO x emissions from either satellite improve the chemical transport model's low tropospheric O 3 bias. The combined lighting and anthropogenic emissions updates improve the model's ability to reproduce measured ozone by adjusting natural, long-range, and local pollution contributions. Thus, the framework informs and supports the design of domestic and international control strategies.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1991

Status of the FAA flight loads monitoring program

In support of the Federal Aviation Administration Aging Aircraft Research Program, the Agency has established a Flight Loads Data Collection Program for Commercial Aircraft. The objectives of this Program are to: - Review existing data collected by other sources including but not limited to U.S., Foreign, Military, etc. - Collect current operational usage data from both large and small transport aircraft - Develop criteria for future generations of transports. This paper presents the status of the various programs which are completed, underway or planned. The FAA will be collecting, storing, and analyzing the data which characterize typical commercial transport operations. The airframe manufacturers will handle the task of calculating the loads and stresses.

Aging Aircraft↗
DOE OSTI2023

A Surface Radiation Balance Dataset from Siple Dome in West Antarctica for Atmospheric and Climate Model Evaluation

Abstract A field campaign at Siple Dome in West Antarctica during the austral summer 2019/20 offers an opportunity to evaluate climate model performance, particularly cloud microphysical simulation. Over Antarctic ice sheets and ice shelves, clouds are a major regulator of the surface energy balance, and in the warm season their presence occasionally induces surface melt that can gradually weaken an ice shelf structure. This dataset from Siple Dome, obtained using transportable and solar-powered equipment, includes surface energy balance measurements, meteorology, and cloud remote sensing. To demonstrate how these data can be used to evaluate model performance, comparisons are made with meteorological reanalysis known to give generally good performance over Antarctica (ERA5). Surface albedo measurements show expected variability with observed cloud amount, and can be used to evaluate a model’s snowpack parameterization. One case study discussed involves a squall with northerly winds, during which ERA5 fails to produce cloud cover throughout one of the days. A second case study illustrates how shortwave spectroradiometer measurements that encompass the 1.6- μ m atmospheric window reveal cloud phase transitions associated with cloud life cycle. Here, continuously precipitating mixed-phase clouds become mainly liquid water clouds from local morning through the afternoon, not reproduced by ERA5. We challenge researchers to run their various regional or global models in a manner that has the large-scale meteorology follow the conditions of this field campaign, compare cloud and radiation simulations with this Siple Dome dataset, and potentially investigate why cloud microphysical simulations or other model components might produce discrepancies with these observations. significance statement Antarctica is a critical region for understanding climate change and sea level rise, as the great ice sheets and the ice shelves are subject to increasing risk as global climate warms. Climate models have difficulties over Antarctica, particularly with simulation of cloud properties that regulate snow surface melting or refreezing. Atmospheric and climate-related field work has significant challenges in the Antarctic, due to the small number of research stations that can support state-of-the-art equipment. Here we present new data from a suite of transportable and solar-powered instruments that can be deployed to remote Antarctic sites, including regions where ice shelves are most at risk, and we demonstrate how key components of climate model simulations can be evaluated against these data.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1983

Statistical characteristics of velocity, concentration, mass transport, and momentum transport for coaxial jet mixing in a confined duct

An experimental study of mixing downstream of coaxial jets discharging into an expanded circular duct was conducted to obtain data for the evaluation and improvement of turbulent transport models currently used for combustor flow modeling. A combination of turbulent momentum transport rate and two velocity component data was obtained from simultaneous measurements with a two-color LV system. A combination of turbulent mass transport rate, concentration and velocity data was obtained from simultaneous measurements with laser velocimeter (LV) and laser induced fluorescence (LIF) systems. These measurements were used to obtain mean, second central moment, skewness and kurtosis values for three velocity components and the concentration. These measurements showed the existence of countergradient turbulent axial mass transport where the annular jet fluid was accelerating the inner jet fluid. Results from the study are related to the assumptions employed in the current mass and momentum turbulent transport models.

Johnson, B. V.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Thermomagnetic properties of Bi 2 Te 3 single crystal in the temperature range from 55 K to 380 K

Magnetothermoelectric transport provides an understanding of coupled electron-hole-phonon current in topological materials and has applications in energy conversion and cooling. In this paper, we study the Nernst coefficient, the magneto-Seebeck coefficient, and the magnetoresistance of single-crystalline Bi 2 Te 3 under external magnetic field in the range of –3T to 3T and in the temperature range of 55 K to 380 K. Moreau's relation is employed to justify both the overall trend of the Nernst coefficient and the temperature at which this coefficient changes sign. We observe a nonlinear relationship between the Nernst coefficient and the applied magnetic field in the temperature range of 55 K to 255 K. An increase in both the Nernst coefficient and the magneto-Seebeck coefficient is observed as the temperature is reduced which can be attributed to the increased mobility of the carriers at lower temperatures. First-principles density functional theory calculations were carried out to physically model the experimental data including electronic and transport properties. Simulation findings agreed with the experiments and provide a theoretical insight to justify the measurements.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗