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At least 991 records · Page 55

High-Spin and Reactive Fe 13 Cluster with Exposed Metal Sites

We report atomically defined large metal clusters have applications in new reaction development and preparation of materials with tailored properties. Expanding the synthetic toolbox for reactive high nuclearity metal complexes, we report a new class of Fe clusters, Tp* 4 W 4 Fe 13 S 12 , displaying a Fe 13 core with M-M bonds that has precedent only in main group and late metal chemistry. M 13 clusters with closed shell electron configurations can show significant stability and have been classified as superatoms. In contrast, Tp* 4 W 4 Fe 13 S 12 displays a large spin ground state of S=13. This compound performs small molecule activations involving the transfer of up to 12 electrons resulting in significant cluster rearrangements.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Influence of the molecular weight and size distribution of PSS on mixed ionic-electronic transport in PEDOT:PSS

The commercially available polyelectrolyte complex poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) is ubiquitous in organic and hybrid electronics. As such, it has often been used as a benchmark material for fundamental studies and the development of new electronic devices. Yet, most studies on PEDOT:PSS have focused on its electronic conductivity in dry environments, with less consideration given to its ion transport, coupled ionic-electronic transport, and charge storage properties in aqueous environments. These properties are essential for applications in bioelectronics (sensors, actuators), charge storage devices, and electrochromic displays. Importantly, past studies on mixed ionic-electronic transport in PEDOT:PSS neglected to consider how the molecular structure of PSS affects mixed ionic-electronic transport. Herein, we therefore investigated the effect of the molecular weight and size distribution of PSS on the electronic properties and morphology of PEDOT:PSS both in dry and aqueous environments, and overall performance in organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs). Using reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization with two different chain transfer agents, six PSS samples with monomodal, narrow (D = 1.1) and broad (D = 1.7) size distributions and varying molecular weights were synthesized and used as matrices for PEDOT. We found that using higher molecular weight of PSS (Mn = 145 kg mol –1 ) and broad dispersity led to OECTs with the highest transconductance (up to 16 mS) and [μC*] values (~140 F cm –1 V –1 s –1 ) in PEDOT:PSS, despite having a lower volumetric capacitance (C* = 35 ± 4 F cm –3 ). The differences were best explained by studying the microstructure of the films by atomic force microscopy (AFM). We found that heterogeneities in the PEDOT:PSS films (interconnected and large PEDOT- and PSS-rich domains) obtained from high molecular weight and high dispersity PSS led to higher charge mobility (μOECT ~4 cm 2 V –1 s –1 ) and hence transconductance. Furthermore, these studies highlight the importance of considering molecular weight and size distribution in organic mixed ionic-electronic conductor, and could pave the way to designing high performance organic electronics for biological interfaces.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Controlled exposure of CuO thin films through corrosion-protecting, ALD-deposited TiO 2 overlayers

Ultra-thin film coatings are used to protect semiconductor photoelectrodes from the harsh chemical environments common to photoelectrochemical energy conversion. These layers add contact transfer resistance to the interface that can result in a reduction of photoelectrochemical energy conversion efficiency of the photoelectrode. Here, we describe the concept of a partial protection layer, which allows for direct chemical access to a small fraction of the semiconductor underlayer for further functionalization by an electrocatalyst. The rest of the interface remains protected by a stable, inert protection layer. CuO is used as a model system for this scheme. Atomic layer deposition (ALD)-prepared TiO 2 layers on CuO thin films prepared from electrodeposited Cu 2 O allow for the control of interfacial morphology to intentionally expose the CuO underlayer. The ALD-TiO 2 overlayer shrinks during crystallization, while Cu 2 O in the underlayer expands during oxidation. As a result, the TiO 2 protection layer cracks to expose the oxidized underlying CuO layer, which can be controlled by preceding thermal oxidation. Furthermore, this work demonstrates a potentially promising strategy for the parallel optimization of photoelectrochemical interfaces for chemical stability and high performance.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Advanced Energy Storage for Extreme Conditions (AESTEC) (Abbreviated Final Report)

This project developed a new capability for designing and fabricating energy storage devices that function in extreme conditions detrimental to conventional devices (e.g. temperature, mechanical stress, etc.). This new toolset tackled critical phenomenological challenges which led to materials and designs that enable high performance energy storage in conditions relevant to national security missions and the broader energy storage community.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Real-Time Health Monitoring for Gas Turbine Components Using Online Learning and High-Dimensional Data (Final Report)

Capital-intensive turbomachinery, such as gas turbines and combined cycle plants, are constantly being monitored for performance anomalies, faults, and physical degradation. Although these power-generating assets are equipped with hundreds of sensors, existing monitoring tools can only handle moderate-sized data. As a result, only a handful of aggregate metrics are used to monitor machine health. At the same time, developing advanced tools suitable for large datasets have been restricted by the lack of appropriate data. The objective of this proposal was to demonstrate a Big Data analytics framework for fault detection and diagnosis in gas turbine applications. We develop a predictive analytics framework methodology guided by these experimental data, industrial data from our collaborators, and physics-based models with engineering domain knowledge. Our analytics framework consists of four key components: (1) a data curation process that addresses data storage, data quality assessments, and integrity checks, (2) a feature engineering component that utilizes statistical methods and transformation algorithms guided by physics-based models to extract high-fidelity fault features that can be leveraged for fault detection and classifying fault severities, (3) a Machine Learning-based fault detection and diagnostics algorithms for detecting operational and hardware faults in the combustion and the turbines section. We utilize two industry-class gas turbine component test rigs to generate first of its kind data for critical gas turbine faults with varying severity levels. Advanced gas turbine test facilities will be interrogated using state-of-the-art instrumentation techniques to build fault signatures and data trends for key combustor and turbine faults. Data generated from a combustor test rig (Georgia Tech) and a turbine test rig (Penn State) during both normal operation and with seeded faults serve as the basis for the Big Data sets. The test conditions in the two test facilities include common, critical events that occur in the operation. Utilizing the combustor test rig, we examine two common combustor faults: lean blowout and centerbody degradation. For the turbine section we develop analytic models for monitoring cooling faults in the gas turbine.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗

Importance of suberin biopolymer in plant function, contributions to soil organic carbon and in the production of bio-derived energy and materials

Abstract Suberin is a hydrophobic biopolymer of significance in the production of biomass-derived materials and in biogeochemical cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. Here, we describe suberin structure and biosynthesis, and its importance in biological (i.e., plant bark and roots), ecological (soil organic carbon) and economic (biomass conversion to bioproducts) contexts. Furthermore, we highlight the genomics and analytical approaches currently available and explore opportunities for future technologies to study suberin in quantitative and/or high-throughput platforms in bioenergy crops. A greater understanding of suberin structure and production in lignocellulosic biomass can be leveraged to improve representation in life cycle analysis and techno-economic analysis models and enable performance improvements in plant biosystems as well as informed crop system management to achieve economic and environmental co-benefits.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

LDRD23-0184: Resilience and Hazard Risk Assessment to Prioritize Security Operations for Decisions and Impacts (RHAPSODI)

Recent examples provide a significant concern for the resilience of the U.S. electric grid and represent a need for enhanced decision-making to address an increasingly wide range of complex system interactions and potential consequences. In response, this LDRD project produced a proof-of-concept evaluation called the Resilience and Hazard Assessment to Prioritize Security Operations for Decisions and Impacts (RHAPSODI) methodology as an agile and flexible analytic framework capable of addressing multiple, diverse threats to desired electric grid performance. After empirically grounding needs for the future of U.S. electric grid resilience, this project employed the systems-theoretic process analysis (STPA) to develop a systems engineering risk model. The results of a completed feasibility study of a notional high voltage transmission system demonstrate an improved ability to incorporate both spatial (e.g., geographically distributed) and temporal (e.g., dynamic and time-dependent) elements of security risk to the gird. The success of this LDRD project provides the foundation for further evolution of the systems engineering risk model for the grid; derivation of quantitative approaches to evaluate risk and resilience performance; facilitation of agile experimenting and grid sensitivity to a range of vulnerabilities; and development of tools to assist decision-makers in enhancing U.S. electrical grid resilience.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Helicopter mathematical models and control law development for handling qualities research

Progress made in joint NASA/Army research concerning rotorcraft flight-dynamics modeling, design methodologies for rotorcraft flight-control laws, and rotorcraft parameter identification is reviewed. Research into these interactive disciplines is needed to develop the analytical tools necessary to conduct flying qualities investigations using both the ground-based and in-flight simulators, and to permit an efficient means of performing flight test evaluation of rotorcraft flying qualities for specification compliance. The need for the research is particularly acute for rotorcraft because of their mathematical complexity, high order dynamic characteristics, and demanding mission requirements. The research in rotorcraft flight-dynamics modeling is pursued along two general directions: generic nonlinear models and nonlinear models for specific rotorcraft. In addition, linear models are generated that extend their utilization from 1-g flight to high-g maneuvers and expand their frequency range of validity for the design analysis of high-gain flight control systems. A variety of methods ranging from classical frequency-domain approaches to modern time-domain control methodology that are used in the design of rotorcraft flight control laws is reviewed. Also reviewed is a study conducted to investigate the design details associated with high-gain, digital flight control systems for combat rotorcraft. Parameter identification techniques developed for rotorcraft applications are reviewed.

Chen, Robert T. N.↗

Analysis of turbine stator adjustment required for compressor design-point operation in high Mach number supersonic turbojet engines

For turbojet engines designed for flight Mach numbers of 2.5 and 3.0, use of turbine stator adjustment to maintain compressor design-point operation was evaluated analytically to determine the effect on the aerodynamics of the turbine. Since the effect of turbine stator adjustment is to make the turbine design sensitive to the particular engine design conditions selected, in some cases the turbine must be conservatively designed for the high-speed flight condition to assure satisfactory turbine performance at take-off. A new concept, the break-even point, is introduced to provide quick evaluation of the proximity of turbines to the blade-loading limit at any off-design operation.

ENGINES, CONTROL - TURBOJET↗

Gravity waves in Titan's atmosphere

Scintillations (high frequency variations) observed in the radio signal during the occultation of Voyager 1 by Titan (Hinson and Tyler, 1983) provide information concerning neutral atmospheric density fluctuations on scales on hundreds of meters to a few kilometers. Those seen at altitudes higher than 25 km above the surface were interpreted by Hinson and Tyler as being caused by linear, freely propagating (energy-conserving) gravity waves, but this interpretation was found to be inconsistent with the scintillation data below the 25-km altitude level. Here an attempt is made to interpret the entire scintillation profile between the surface and the 90-km altitude level in terms of gravity waves generated at the surface. Numerical calculations of the density fluctuations caused by two-dimensional, nonhydrostatic, finite-amplitude gravity waves propagating vertically through Titan's atmosphere are performed to produce synthetic scintillation profiles for comparison with the observations. The numerical model accurately treats the effects of wave transience, nonlinearity, and breakdown due to convective instability in the overturned part of the wave. The high-altitude scintillation data were accurately recovered with a freely propagating wave solution, confirming the analytic model of Hinson and Tyler. It is found that the low-altitude scintillation data can be fit by a model where a component of the gravity waves becomes convectively unstable and breaks near the 15 km level. The large-scale structure of the observed scintillation profile in the entire altitude range between 5 and 85 km can be simulated by a model where the freely propagating and breaking waves are forced at the surface simultaneously. Further analysis of the Voyager 1 Titan low-altitude scintillation data, using inversion theory appropriate for strong scattering, could potentially remove some of the ambiguities remaining in this analysis and allow a better determination of the strength and source of the waves.

Friedson, A. James↗

Process-Hardened, Multi-Analyte Sensor for Characterizing Rocket Plume Constituents

A multi-analyte sensor was developed that enables simultaneous detection of rocket engine combustion-product molecules in a launch-vehicle ground test stand. The sensor was developed using a pin-printing method by incorporating multiple sensor elements on a single chip. It demonstrated accurate and sensitive detection of analytes such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, kerosene, isopropanol, and ethylene from a single measurement. The use of pin-printing technology enables high-volume fabrication of the sensor chip, which will ultimately eliminate the need for individual sensor calibration since many identical sensors are made in one batch. Tests were performed using a single-sensor chip attached to a fiber-optic bundle. The use of a fiber bundle allows placement of the opto-electronic readout device at a place remote from the test stand. The sensors are rugged for operation in harsh environments.

Goswami, Kisholoy↗

Rapid Chemometric Filtering of Spectral Data

A method of rapid, programmable filtering of spectral transmittance, reflectance, or fluorescence data to measure the concentrations of chemical species has been proposed. By programmable is meant that a variety of spectral analyses can readily be performed and modified in software, firmware, and/or electronic hardware, without need to change optical filters or other optical hardware of the associated spectrometers. The method is intended to enable real-time identification of single or multiple target chemical species in applications that involve high-throughput screening of multiple samples. Examples of such applications include (but are not limited to) combinatorial chemistry, flow cytometry, bead assays, testing drugs, remote sensing, and identification of targets. The basic concept of the proposed method is to perform real-time crosscorrelations of a measured spectrum with one or more analytical function(s) of wavelength that could be, for example, the known spectra of target species. Assuming that measured spectral intensities are proportional to concentrations of target species plus background spectral intensities, then after subtraction of background levels, it should be possible to determine target species concentrations from cross-correlation values. Of course, the problem of determining the concentrations is more complex when spectra of different species overlap, but the problem can be solved by use of multiple analytical functions in combination with computational techniques that have been developed previously for analyses of this type. The method is applicable to the design and operation of a spectrometer in which spectrally dispersed light is measured by means of an active-pixel sensor (APS) array. The row or column dimension of such an array is generally chosen to be aligned along the spectral-dispersion dimension, so that each pixel intercepts light in a narrow spectral band centered on a wavelength that is a known function of the pixel position. The proposed method admits of two hardware implementations for computing cross-correlations in real time.

Beaman, Gregory↗

Design and Test Plans for a Non-Nuclear Fission Power System Technology Demonstration Unit

A joint National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Department of Energy (DOE) team is developing concepts and technologies for affordable nuclear Fission Power Systems (FPSs) to support future exploration missions. A key deliverable is the Technology Demonstration Unit (TDU). The TDU will assemble the major elements of a notional FPS with a non-nuclear reactor simulator (Rx Sim) and demonstrate system-level performance in thermal vacuum. The Rx Sim includes an electrical resistance heat source and a liquid metal heat transport loop that simulates the reactor thermal interface and expected dynamic response. A power conversion unit (PCU) generates electric power utilizing the liquid metal heat source and rejects waste heat to a heat rejection system (HRS). The HRS includes a pumped water heat removal loop coupled to radiator panels suspended in the thermal-vacuum facility. The basic test plan is to subject the system to realistic operating conditions and gather data to evaluate performance sensitivity, control stability, and response characteristics. Upon completion of the testing, the technology is expected to satisfy the requirements for Technology Readiness Level 6 (System Demonstration in an Operational and Relevant Environment) based on the use of high-fidelity hardware and prototypic software tested under realistic conditions and correlated with analytical predictions.

Mason, Lee↗

Signal and Power Integrity Design Methodology for High-Performance Flight Computing Systems

Computing capabilities of space systems have in-creased onboard performance by orders of magnitude with the use of radiation-tolerant field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA)and processors. The incorporation of signal and power integrity analysis with printed circuit board (PCB) design in reliable computing architectures for space systems has become critical to enable future mission capabilities. Developers launch high-performance processors into a breadth of orbits and missions, running varying applications that create challenges for designing reliable computing hardware. Specifically, for these designs, academic and industry research has focused on component radiation performance, fault mitigation, and reliable architectures. How-ever, other design parameters including electromagnetic interference (EMI), PCB stackup, signal integrity (SI), voltage regulator module (VRM) design, and power distribution network (PDN)are often deprioritized or disregarded as the design matures. Since these characteristics are becoming more significant in high-performance processor designs, this research presents a hardware design and analysis methodology for high-performance, space-computing systems that focuses on a holistic design approach and PDN reliability. While these challenges exist across all space hardware, the reduced PCB dimensions imposed by SmallSats and CubeSats introduce additional hurdles, specifically to VRM and decoupling design. By examining the relationship between the PDN and radiation performance, an analytical relationship is developed that incorporates Total Ionizing Dose and Single-Event Transients to ensure reliability throughout the mission duration. The presented design methodology is applied to the SpaceCube v3.0 Mini, an FPGA-based on-board science data processing system developed at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

Advanced avionics↗

Concept of Operations for an In-time Aviation Safety Management System (IASMS) for Upper E Airspace

The National Airspace System undergoes continuous change including in the Upper Class E airspace involving increasingly complex operations and a widening diversity of vehicles. To secure a safe future system, the National Academies recommended an In-time Aviation Safety Management System (IASMS) that is extensible to Upper E. Current Air Traffic Management is not cost-effective to scale for future Upper E operations and diversity of vehicles so the Federal Aviation Administration developed an Upper E Traffic Management ConOps to safely integrate the diverse operations and vehicles having different performance characteristics and flight missions without disrupting current operations including space launch and reentry, suborbital flights, supersonic and hypersonic flights, slow moving or stationary unmanned balloons, and long endurance fixed wing vehicles that are slow, stationary, or high speed. IASMS integrates state-of-the-art predictive modeling with reactive and proactive analytics to detect hazards and mitigate risk precursors for Upper E operators. IASMS identifies emergent safety risks exposed by transformation of the NAS with new and increasingly complex operations. Safety intelligence will also expand the data available and offer insight to new approaches for implementing safety improvements to mitigate risk with more seamless “in-time” integration across the policy, risk management, safety assurance, and promotion pillars of SMS.

K Ellis↗

Celestial Mapping System

Celestial Mapping System (CMS) is a software platform developed by Dr. Agrawal’s team to generate virtual 3D globes for celestial bodies. Various layers are built on top of the virtual globe to provide visualization for high-resolution imagery, enable precise measurements, build analytical capabilities and broad range of functionalities to assist planetary scientists and mission planners. In her June 14th presentation, Dr. Agrawal will showcase the user interactive software platform to virtually travel the lunar terrain, place rovers and instruments on the surface of the moon and perform measurements of various geological features including permanently shadowed regions. Her team’s future goals include building interactive 3D globes for other planetary bodies such as Venus, Mars, and Titan in the solar system.

GIS system↗

Experimental and Numerical Characterization of High Heat Fluxes During Transient Blackbody Calibrations

High heat fluxes are encountered in numerous applications, such as hypersonic vehicles in flight, fires, and engines, Calibration of heat flux gages may be performed in a dual cavity cylindrical blackbody resulting in a transient calibration environment. To characterize the transient heat fluxes. experiments were performed on a dual cavity cylindrical blackbody at nominal temperatures varying from 800 C to 1900 C in increments of 100 C. Based on experiments, the optimum heat flux sensor insertion location as measured from the center partition was determined. The pre-insertion steady state axial temperature profile is compared experimentally, numerically, and analytically. The effect of convection in the blackbody cavity during the insertion is calculated and found to be less than 2 per cent. Also, an empirical correlation for predicting the emissivity of the blackbody is included. Detailed transient thermal models have been developed to simulate the heat flux calibration process at two extreme fluxes. The high (1MW/sq m) and relatively low (70 kw/sq m) fluxes are reported in this article. The transient models show the effect of inserting a heat flux gage at room temperature on the thermal equilibrium of the blackbody at 1800 C and 800 C nominal temperatures, respectively. Also, heat flux sensor outputs are derived from computed sensor temperature distributions and compared to experimental results.

Abdelmessih, Amanie N.↗