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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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897 records · Page 50

Formation of functionally graded steel by laser powder bed fusion via in-situ carbon doping

Additive Manufacturing (AM) enables functional integration by combining multiple components into a single part to shorten assembly time, reduce weight, and improve performance. Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) is an important AM method due to excellent spatial resolution, surface finish, and material properties without the need for extensive post-processing. Functional integration could be enhanced by spatial tuning of properties, but LPBF cannot readily vary material composition. Here, this paper addresses a method to add spatial composition control by printing small quantities of dopants via liquid carrier prior to laser fusion. The impact of carbon black suspension added to select regions of a Stainless Steel 316 L powder bed on melt pool dimension, hardness, and porosity is reported. The distribution of the carbon between the doped and plain layers and the resulting spatial variation in hardness is measured. Optical microscopy and composition analysis show that the carbon dispersed uniformly within the layer of deposition and diffused as little as 50 μm in the build direction. Keyhole conditions dramatically increase the inter-layer transport of the dopant. The added carbon increased hardness by >50 %. Porosity increased in doped regions but remained below 1.5 % for the best processing parameters. These results demonstrate that the composition of LPBF parts could be controlled in 3-dimensions using a dopant that is soluble in the melt pool. Additional work will be required to evaluate different dopant materials and optimize processing conditions for full density, but microalloying with soluble dopants appears to be a plausible solution to enhance functional integration with LPBF.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Heavy ion irradiation response of an additively manufactured 316LN stainless steel

Additive manufacturing has become an appealing technique to fabricate three-dimensional metallic materials and components for nuclear reactors. However, response of additively manufactured alloys to high-dose heavy ion irradiations at elevated temperatures is still not well understood. Here, an additively manufactured 316LN austenitic stainless steel with high-density solidification cells was irradiated using 3.5 MeV Fe ion to a peak dose of 220 dpa at 450 °C. Microscopy studies show a lower Frank loop density and smaller size in the additively manufactured sample compared with its cold worked counterpart, and the cellular structures may largely suppress the formation of perfect loops and dislocation networks and reduce the magnitude of solute segregations comparing with high angle grain boundaries. In conclusion, the present work advances the understanding on the high-temperature irradiation response of additively manufactured steels for nuclear reactor applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Reduced methane emissions in transgenic rice genotypes are associated with altered rhizosphere microbial hydrogen cycling

Rice paddies significantly contribute to atmospheric methane (CH 4 ). Here, we show that two independent rice genotypes overexpressing genes for PLANT PEPTIDES CONTAINING SULFATED TYROSINE (PSY) reduce cumulative CH 4 emissions by 38% (PSY1) and 58% (PSY2) over 70 days of growth compared with controls. Genome-resolved metatranscriptomic data from PSY rhizosphere soils reveal lower ratios of gene activities for (mostly hydrogenotrophic) CH 4 production versus consumption, decreased activity of H 2 -producing genes, and increased activity of bacterial H 2 oxidation pathways. Metabolic modeling using metagenomic and metabolomic data predicts elevated H 2 oxidation and suppressed H 2 production in the PSY rhizosphere. Assembled genomes of rhizosphere H 2 -oxidizing bacteria are enriched in genes utilizing gluconeogenic acids compared with H 2 -producing counterparts, and their activities are likely stimulated by elevated levels of gluconeogenic acids, primarily amino acids, in PSY root exudates. Overall, our study indicates that decreased CH 4 emissions are due to a lower amount of H 2 available for hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis and provides a powerful strategy to mitigate CH 4 emissions from increasingly widespread rice cultivation.

Biological and medical sciences↗

Multicarrier Spread Spectrum Communications With Noncontiguous Subcarrier Bands for HF Skywave Links

Existing high-frequency (HF) radio platforms offer robust performance against the volatile HF propagation channel. However, the growing traffic across the band contests the reliability of these systems. While techniques to mitigate the effects of narrowband interference have been thoroughly explored, they are insufficient against wideband interference or when the transmission band is occupied by numerous scattered users. To improve reliability in these congested channel conditions, we propose a filter-bank based multicarrier spread-spectrum waveform with noncontiguous subcarrier bands. Using noncontiguous subcarrier bands enables the system to at once leverage the robustness of a wideband system while retaining the frequency agility of a narrowband system. In this study, we modify a filter-bank transmitter structure to accommodate noncontiguous subcarrier bands and consider several immediate impacts of this change, such as elevated peak-to-average-power ratios (PAPRs). A receiver architecture to process the noncontiguous spread-spectrum signal is also introduced, along with details regarding wideband channel estimation. Finally, we develop efficient transmitter and receiver structures to support practical system implementations. We conclude by comparing the performance of contiguous and noncontiguous systems through both simulation and over-the-air testing. The results show that the noncontiguous system remains robust in typical HF channels while significantly outperforming the contiguous system in congested spectral conditions.

(PAPR↗

FutureGen VSP

Processed SEGY files from the FutureGen2 project. Data includes 5 categories of OVSP data with 15 lines in each category (all in TWT). VSP data was processed from Sterling Seismic.

FutureGen2↗

Multiple Deep Jovian Atmospheric Entry Probes: Building on the Galileo Probe

Following on the very successful Galileo Entry Probe mission, studies underway at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) address the feasibility and cost of the Jupiter Deep Multi-probes (JDMP) mission to deliver and support multiple deep (100 bar level or deeper) atmospheric entry probes to Jupiter.

JPL Galileo Entry Probe Mission Jupiter Deep Multi↗

Venus Surface Sample Return

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

SSES Aerospace Conference chemical analysis atmosp↗

Microbial Life in Space

Outer space is a harsh environment harbouring multiple forms of stress like cosmic radiation, space vacuum, extreme temperature and pressure, UV radiations, and altered gravity. Earth’s atmosphere has several layers that expose microbial and terrestrial life to harsh external environments. In order to study the limits of survival of microbial life in extremes, it is imperative to study the response of micro-organisms to space-related stress. The present chapter summarizes the various balloon and flight experiments performed to investigate the presence and response of microbial life in space. Studying the microbiome in the ISS is important as pathogenic bacteria can present a major risk to astronaut health in a closed environment. Hence, studying occurrence, ecology, diversity, response, and adaptations of microbial life in space is crucial to understanding the limits of organismic survival in inhospitable conditions. Studying microbial life in space also helps predict the plausible survival and endurance of microbial travel between planets, crucial to lithopanspermia theories and planetary protection.

space↗

Spaceflight Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome (SANS): Clinical Update

Spaceflight Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome (SANS) is a condition unique to long-duration spaceflight, with an unclear pathogenesis and pathophysiology, and no perfect terrestrial analog. Approximately 69% of long duration astronauts present with the earliest indications of SANS, which is defined as development of one or more of the following new signs in at least one eye during or immediately after spaceflight: 1) optic disc edema (ODE; represented by an increase of ≥ 20 microns in peripapillary total retinal thickness [ΔTRT]); 2) chorioretinal folds; 3) globe flattening; and 4) excessive shift in refractive error (≥ +0.75D). Each of these signs presents potential risk to a crewmember’s vision and mission effectiveness, with ODE posing the highest risk overall. It is not yet known what severity and/or duration of signs represents the “pathological” threshold of SANS, or how this threshold will eventually influence the SANS case definition. Brain anatomical changes also occur during long-duration spaceflight and are being monitored in the astronaut population; however, these changes have not yet been associated with functional decrements or with SANS. An update will be provided on the latest SANS clinical analyses, diagnostic technologies, and program initiatives.

TJ Brunstetter↗

Sub-sized specimen testing and its relationship with Gen IV Materials Qualification

Renewed interest in advanced reactor technologies which can produce inherently safe, reliable, low carbon, low cost energy requires the development of new materials which can operate in the extreme environments proposed by Gen IV reactor designs. The primary focus of the Nuclear Materials Discovery and Qualification Initiative (NMDQi) is to accelerate the process by which new materials can make their way into commercial use, enabling new technologies and innovations within the nuclear sector. Due to limitations in the production of neutron irradiated material for testing and qualification, the use of specimens far smaller than those traditionally called for in regulatory codes becomes a necessity. While the use of these sub-sized specimens is necessary to achieve materials qualification on a realistic timeline and budget, literature showing the efficacy of these samples as an appropriate surrogate for ASME/ASTM defined samples is limited. This poster will detail historical efforts to compare the mechanical behavior of small geometry samples with bulk material behavior and the potential of sub-sized specimen testing at INL for future materials qualification efforts.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗