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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 91 records · Page 5

Poster: Hardware-Based Demonstration of Temperature Control Functions for Reactor Systems

Autonomous thermal regulation in nuclear reactors remains crucial for maintaining stable operation and ensuring the integrity of fuel. To alleviate public skepticism of the safety of nuclear reactors, demonstrating control over this key factor is pivotal. Utilizing electric heat pads to simulate the heat released in a reactor core, thermocouples for temperature monitoring, and an Arduino micro programmable logic controller (PLC) with an embedded proportional-integral-derivative (PID) algorithm for control, a hardware-based demonstration of a reactor heating system will validate the efficacy of reactor control over this key parameter.

21 - SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLAN↗

Internship Presentation: Reactor System Facility Modification to Detect Compromised Human Machine Interfaces

This study presents a multi-layered Industrial Control System (ICS)/Operational Technology (OT) security architecture aimed at detecting and mitigating compromised Human Machine Interface (HMI) and Instrumentation & Control (I&C) systems within the Flowing Autoclave System (FAS) at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The approach combines network security solutions, hash-based algorithms, and blockchain technologies to verify system integrity and provide an immutable record of network activity. This integrated three-pronged strategy enhances the detection of system compromises, enabling preemptive action before significant damage occurs.

21 - SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLAN↗

133Xe Noble Gas Mass Spectrometry Measurement for High Purity Germanium Detector Performance Verification

Idaho National Laboratory produces quality control standards for laboratories that operate xenon radionuclide monitoring systems. Activities reported with each quality control standard are quantified using high purity germanium detectors. A collection of measurement capabilities are being set up at Idaho National Laboratory to establish an in-house high purity germanium detector performance verification system, with noble gas mass spectrometry being one of these measurement capabilities. The first noble gas mass spectrometry and high purity germanium measurement comparison is presented here. A Xe-133 gas sample was prepared and the activity was quantified with high purity germanium detectors. The Xe-133 sample was diluted with a known quantity of isotopically enriched Xe-126 gas; the resulting Xe-133 : Xe-126 atom ratio was calculated to be 1.15x10-4 +/- 2% at reference time t. An aliquot of this gas sample containing approximately 10 million Xe-133 atoms was introduced into a ThermoFisher Scientific Helix MC Plus noble gas mass spectrometer for analysis. The measured Xe-133 : Xe-126 atom ratio was determined to be 1.10x10-4 +/- 2% (1-sigma uncertainty) at reference time t, about 4.3% lower than the atom ratio determined with the measured high purity germanium activity.

46 - INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AN↗

Shielded and Low-Damping SPM Probes for Quantitative Electrical and Electrochemical Characterization (Phase IIA)

The purpose of this DOE SBIR award was to develop new scanning probe microscopy tools for the elucidation of electrical and electrochemical properties at the nanoscale. High performance probes are important for energy materials research. In both solar cells and batteries, the essential physics and chemistry occur at the nanoscale and nanoscale characterization tools are required for their elucidation. Two products were developed: an electrically shielded probe and an electrically conductive probe with low leakage currents. Our processes were based on post processing of existing probes and fabrication methods were tested, leading to a laser micromachining based approach that led to the first minimal viable product. We invented a method to make a reliable electrical contact that attaches a flexible printed circuit board to the chip. enable leak-free operation crucial when used in conductive liquids and electrolytes. This proprietary solution improves chip handling, reduces contamination, and maintains effective electrical contact. The probes fabricated in this Phase IIa are a minimal viable product which attracted attention from various tip manufacturers and instrument manufacturers alike.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Gel Permeation Chromatography Methods for Stockpile Relevant PBXs

In order to accurately characterize chemical changes to the binder in plastic-bonded explosives (PBXs) it is important to develop new gel permeation chromatography (GPC) methodologies as well as update previous methods. Herein we present new and updated GPC methodology for Viton A, Kraton G, and Oxy 461. The methods developed were specifically designed for Malvern OMNISEC with a Mixed C column, but minor modifications could be made to these methods to make applicable to other instrumentation.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Considerations in upconversion: A practical guide to sum-frequency generation spectrometer design and implementation

Here, in this tutorial review, we discuss how the choice of upconversion pulse shape in broadband vibrational sum-frequency generation (SFG) spectrometer design impacts the chemical or physical insights one can obtain from a set of measurements. A time-domain picture of a vibrational coherence being mapped by a second optical field is described and the implications of how this mapping, or upconversion process, takes place are given in the context of several popular and emerging approaches found in the literature. Emphasis is placed on broadband frequency-domain measurements, where the choice of upconversion pulse enhances or limits the information contained in the SFG spectrum. We conclude with an outline for a flexible approach to SFG upconversion using pulse-shaping methods and a simple guide to design and optimize the associated instrumentation.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Next-Generation Video Ice Particle Sampler Field Campaign Report

The next-generation video ice particle sampler (ngVIPS) was operated on the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility’s tethered balloon system (TBS) during the IFFExO (Ice Fog Field Experiment at Oliktok Point) project in November, 2020. The purpose of the project was to study ice fog microphysics and the environmental conditions during ice fog to enable better predictions during low-visibility conditions. This project was conducted at the site of the third ARM Mobile Facility (AMF3) at Oliktok Point, Alaska. Among a suite of other instruments, the ngVIPS was operated to observe atmospheric ice particles.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

On display: Replica instruments used to discover electrons, neutrons and more

Believe it or not, the electron was discovered in 1897 using only a hand-blown glass tube, a vacuum pump and some electrodes. Historical instrument replicas now on display in the lobby of the J.R. Oppenheimer Center give visitors a chance to remember the elegance — and relative simplicity — of the instruments scientists built and used to make pivotal discoveries.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

A large field-of-view high-resolution hard x-ray microscope using polymer optics

Here, we present an effective approach using a matched pair of polymer-based condenser-objective lenses to build a compact full-field X-ray microscope with a high spatial resolution. A unique condenser comprising arrays of high-aspect-ratio prisms with equilateral cross-section is used for uniformly illuminating samples over a large field of view (FoV) from all angles, which match the acceptance of an objective made of interdigitated orthogonal rows of one-dimensional lenses. State-of-the-art Talbot grating interferometry used to characterize these lenses for the first time revealed excellent focusing properties and minimal wave-front distortions. Using a specific lens-pair designed for 20 keV X-rays, short-exposure times, and image registration with a cross-correlation technique, we circumvent vibrational instabilities to obtain distortion-free images with a uniform resolution of 240 nm (smallest resolvable line pair) over a large FoV, 80 × 80 µm 2 in extent. The results were contrasted with those collected under illumination using commercial two-dimensional parabolic lenses with a smaller FoV. This approach implemented on a diffractometer would enable diffraction-contrast or dark-field microscopy for fast observations of ‘mesoscopic’ phenomena in real space complementing reciprocal-space studies using diffraction on the same instrument.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Electronic Scanning Strategies in Adaptive Electrical Capacitance Volume Tomography: Tradeoffs and Prospects

Electrical Capacitance Volume Tomography (ECVT) has been applied for imaging of multiphase flows found in industrial applications. The ill-posed nature of the image reconstruction problem in ECVT and the consequent low resolution can be alleviated by employing electronic scanning enabled by electrode segmentation and reconfiguration during data acquisition. Here we study electronic scanning strategies that mimic physical rotation and shifting of the sensor along its symmetry axis. First, we study the feasibility of electronic scanning by analyzing the capacitance transducer circuit in SPICE. Then, we simulate electronic scanning using the finite element method for different electrode shapes, for which we compare the image reconstruction results and acquisition time. We find a noticeable improvement in image resolution for the scanning cases over conventional ECVT. Lastly, among the scanning cases, we emphasize a particular electrode shape that provides the best image resolution along with the minimal amount of acquisition time.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

LANL MPCL Measurement System Analysis: AMPTEC 630ES Igniter Tester / Ohmmeter

This comprehensive analysis aimed to evaluate the measurement capability of the AMPTEC 630ES Explosive Safety Igniter Tester, a critical tool for organizations engaged in the measurement of High Explosive components and related Electro-Explosive devices. With a history of notable calibration issues involving specific model numbers, the Metrology Program and Calibration Laboratory (MPCL) initiated an extensive Measurement System Analysis. The analysis's primary focus was to thoroughly quantify the various sources of measurement variability intrinsic to the calibration process. It centered on two pivotal aspects: repeatability (the variation observed when the same operator uses the same instrument) and reproducibility (the variation seen when different operators perform measurements). A secondary objective was to determine whether equipment usage and age had any impact on the instrument's performance.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗