Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “lab test”

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 1,027 records · Page 57

Wearable Biosensor Monitor to Support Autonomous Crew Health and Readiness to Perform

For future human exploration missions, NASA needs a health monitoring system composed of hardware that is compact, fully interoperable with an integrated data management system, and requires minimal consumables. Such a system will be achieved through the integration of small, easy to use biomedical sensors that will have the ability to measure, store and transmit physiological parameters during operational and ambulatory activity. Since 2012, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) has been active in funding the development of wearable biomonitoring sensors. The Astroskin is the first prototype and consists of a shirt-based garment and headband with embedded sensors, and associated software and technology that measure vital signs, sleep quality and activity level of the wearer. NASA and CSA have been collaborating since 2014 to test and validate this system in a lab environment at Ames Research Center and more recently in the Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA) located at Johnson Spaceflight Center. Specific objectives of the HERA study were: 1) to assess the performance of the Astroskin biosensor system for long-term health monitoring (24-hours) capabilities and during exercise as a measure of crew fitness; 2) to obtain crew feedback on comfort and usability of the Astroskin system; 3) to demonstrate performance of Bluetooth communication during real-time transmission and for verification of data in this environment; and 4) to obtain baseline data for further development of algorithms and tools that facilitate decision support for diagnosing and monitoring of a sick or injured crewmember. HERA Campaign 3 included four missions (each 30-days in duration) with four crewmembers assigned to each mission. A total of 9 men and 7 women participated in the Astroskin evaluation that included continuous physiological monitoring (24-hours) on mission days MD-11, MD1 (high workload), MD15 (low workload), MD19, MD29, and MD+7. Mission days 19 and 29 also included 30 minutes of sub-maximal exercise on a cycle ergometer. Following each 24-hour monitoring session crew physiological data were downloaded to laptops and each crewmember completed a 28 question survey on their experiences with the Astroskin hardware and software. This presentation will focus on lessons learned from the HERA missions. Specifically it will address Astroskin system performance in terms of data loss and data quality (no comparison to lab standard devices), wireless communication with the onboard mobile device, crew usability and comfort, and future development of a next generation biomonitoring system.

crew fitness↗

Cyclotron Road at Berkeley Lab – U.S. Department of Energy

The Department of Energy is testing a new model for clean energy research and development (R&D) through a program called Cyclotron Road. The goal is to support scientific R&D that is still too risky for private‐sector investment, and too applied for academia. Participants receive the time, space and capital to pursue their research and the support to find viable pathways to the market.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Inventory Management Improvement Project

The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) conducts research and development for the National Nuclear Security Agency (NNSA) and its affiliates. The Polymer AM team at LLNL conducts research and development in 3D printing, specifically direct-ink-write, in accordance with LLNL and NNSA missions. The team is composed of machine operators, chemists, testing engineers, and project engineers across multiple lab spaces with one shared storage area at LLNL. The operations use a variety of different consumables and hardware to conduct research applications for LLNL and NNSA. These items are critical to performing operation tasks; if an item is out of stock, operations associated with the respective item could be suspended for weeks. As such, the Polymer AM team manages an inventory of spare consumables and hardware to ensure these items are always available. However, the current management system, an excel sheet managed by the project engineer group, is not intuitive in providing inventory information despite the high labor utilization needed to maintain the system. As such, the team is looking to improve their inventory management that can send notifications regarding inventory needs, accessible to other team members, provide all relevant information to a specific item, and store historical information for budget and operation planning. The proposed solution is a Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS): a web-based management software that stores inventory information and provides automated notifications. The system will store information on each item including quantity in stock, technical information, supplier information, costs, lead times, and expiration date. The system has a notifications function that can send notifications to the respective team member’s when an item needs to be counted, item inventory is low, or an item is approaching their expiration date. Information for each item can be tracked over time creating data to be used for budget planning and process improvement purposes. Due to its web-based source, the system can be accessed by the respective team member viewing technical information, quantity, and purchasing information.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Cavity Production and Testing of the First C75 Cryomodule for CEBAF

The CEBAF cryomodule rework program was updated over the last few years to increase the energy gain of refurbished cryomodules to 75 MeV. The concept recycles the waveguide end-groups from original CEBAF cavities fabricated in the 1990s and replaces the five elliptical cells in each with a new optimized cell shape fabricated from large-grain, ingot Nb material. Eight cavities were fabricated at Research Instruments, Germany, and two cavities were built at Jefferson Lab. Each cavity was processed by electropolishing and tested at 2.07 K. The best eight cavities were assembled into ’cavity pairs’ and re-tested at 2.07 K, before assembly into the cryomodule. All but one cavity in the cryomodule were within 10% of the target accelerating gradient of 19 MV/m with a quality factor of 8·10⁹. The performance limitations were field emission and multipacting.

Ciovati, G.↗

Cavity Production and Testing of the First C75 Cryomodule for CEBAF

The CEBAF cryomodule rework program was updated over the last few years to increase the energy gain of refurbished cryomodules to 75 MeV. The concept recycles the waveguide end-groups from original CEBAF cavities fabricated in the 1990s and replaces the five elliptical cells in each with a new optimized cell shape fabricated from large-grain, ingot Nb material. Eight cavities were fabricated at Research Instruments, Germany, and two cavities were built at Jefferson Lab. Each cavity was processed by electropolishing and tested at 2.07 K. The best eight cavities were assembled into ’cavity pairs’ and re-tested at 2.07 K, before assembly into the cryomodule. All but one cavity in the cryomodule were within 10% of the target accelerating gradient of 19 MV/m with a quality factor of 8·10⁹. The performance limitations were field emission and multipacting.

Ciovati, G.↗

Femtosecond timing distribution and control for next generation accelerators and light sources

Femtosecond Timing Distribution At LCLS Free-electron-lasers (FEL) have the capability of producing high photon flux from the IR to the hard x-ray wavelength range and to emit femtosecond and eventually even attosecond pulses. This makes them an ideal tool for fundamental as well as applied re-search. Timing precision at the Stanford Linear Coherent Light Source (LCLS) between the x-ray FEL (XFEL) and ultrafast optical lasers is currently no better than 100 fs RMS. Ideally this precision should be much better and could be limited only by the x-ray pulse duration, which can be as short as a few femtoseconds. An increasing variety of science problems involving electron and nuclear dynamics in chemical and material systems will become accessible as the timing improves to a few femtoseconds. Advanced methods of electron beam conditioning or pulse injection could allow the FEL to achieve pulse durations less than one femtosecond. The objective of the work described in this proposal is to set up an optical timing distribution system based on mode locked Erbium doped fiber lasers at LCLS facility to improve the timing precision in the facility and allow time stamping with a 10 fs precision. The primary commercial applications for optical timing distributions systems are seen in the worldwide accelerator facilities and next generation light sources community. It is reasonable to expect that at least three major XFELs will be built in the next decade. In addition there will be up to 10 smaller machines, such as FERMI in Italy and Maxlab in Sweden, plus the market for upgrading already existing facilities like Jefferson Lab. The total market is estimated to be on the order of a 100 Million US Dollars. The company owns the exclusive rights to the IP covering the technology enabling sub-10 fs synchronization systems. Testing this technology, which has set records in a lab environment, at LCLS, hence in a real world scenario, is an important corner stone of bringing the technology to market.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Cascade Distiller System Performance Testing Interim Results

The Cascade Distillation System (CDS) is a rotary distillation system with potential for greater reliability and lower energy costs than existing distillation systems. Based upon the results of the 2009 distillation comparison test (DCT) and recommendations of the expert panel, the Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) Water Recovery Project (WRP) project advanced the technology by increasing reliability of the system through redesign of bearing assemblies and improved rotor dynamics. In addition, the project improved the CDS power efficiency by optimizing the thermoelectric heat pump (TeHP) and heat exchanger design. Testing at the NASA-JSC Advanced Exploration System Water Laboratory (AES Water Lab) using a prototype Cascade Distillation Subsystem (CDS) wastewater processor (Honeywell d International, Torrance, Calif.) with test support equipment and control system developed by Johnson Space Center was performed to evaluate performance of the system with the upgrades as compared to previous system performance. The system was challenged with Solution 1 from the NASA Exploration Life Support (ELS) distillation comparison testing performed in 2009. Solution 1 consisted of a mixed stream containing human-generated urine and humidity condensate. A secondary objective of this testing is to evaluate the performance of the CDS as compared to the state of the art Distillation Assembly (DA) used in the ISS Urine Processor Assembly (UPA). This was done by challenging the system with ISS analog waste streams. This paper details the results of the AES WRP CDS performance testing.

Callahan, Michael R.↗

Reinforced Carbon-Carbon Subcomponent Flat Plate Impact Testing for Space Shuttle Orbiter Return to Flight

Following the tragedy of the Space Shuttle Columbia on February 1, 2003, a major effort commenced to develop a better understanding of debris impacts and their effect on the Space Shuttle subsystems. An initiative to develop and validate physics-based computer models to predict damage from such impacts was a fundamental component of this effort. To develop the models it was necessary to physically characterize Reinforced Carbon-Carbon (RCC) and various debris materials which could potentially shed on ascent and impact the Orbiter RCC leading edges. The validated models enabled the launch system community to use the impact analysis software LS DYNA to predict damage by potential and actual impact events on the Orbiter leading edge and nose cap thermal protection systems. Validation of the material models was done through a three-level approach: fundamental tests to obtain independent static and dynamic material model properties of materials of interest, sub-component impact tests to provide highly controlled impact test data for the correlation and validation of the models, and full-scale impact tests to establish the final level of confidence for the analysis methodology. This paper discusses the second level subcomponent test program in detail and its application to the LS DYNA model validation process. The level two testing consisted of over one hundred impact tests in the NASA Glenn Research Center Ballistic Impact Lab on 6 by 6 in. and 6 by 12 in. flat plates of RCC and evaluated three types of debris projectiles: BX 265 External Tank foam, ice, and PDL 1034 External Tank foam. These impact tests helped determine the level of damage generated in the RCC flat plates by each projectile. The information obtained from this testing validated the LS DYNA damage prediction models and provided a certain level of confidence to begin performing analysis for full-size RCC test articles for returning NASA to flight with STS 114 and beyond.

Melis, Matthew E.↗

Solar-Driven Supercritical CO2 Brayton Cycle Testing (ANC)

Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) collaborated to conduct an investigation of the dynamic performance of a solar-driven supercritical CO2 (SCO2) Brayton cycle. This was performed on the SNL recompression closed Brayton cycle (RCBC) at the Nuclear Energy Systems Laboratory / Brayton Lab. Historical data were provided to CSIRO since the test assembly remained inoperable throughout the project. Also, multidimensional trade studies were generated using the SNL Recompression closed Brayton cycle Engineering and Trade Studies (RETS©) tool.

42 ENGINEERING↗

US Team Member Participation in the Ozone Monitoring Experiment on EOS CHEM

Progress on OMI operational algorithms for BrO, OClO, and HCHO includes: A parameterization scheme for OMI instrument function lab measurements was developed for both UV and Visible instrument channels. The scheme was implemented for all three PGEs and extensively tested. PGEs now have the option of either using the parameterized lab measurements or fitting a symmetric or asymmetric Gaussian function on-line.

Chance, Kelly↗

Characterization of Proxy Application Performance on Advanced Architectures. UMT2013, MCB, AMG2013

Three codes were tested at LLNL as part of a Tri-Lab effort to make detailed assessments of several proxy applications on various advanced architectures, with the eventual goal of extending these assessments to codes of programmatic interest running more realistic simulations. Teams from Sandia and Los Alamos tested proxy apps of their own. The focus in this report is on the LLNL codes UMT2013, MCB, and AMG2013. We present weak and strong MPI scaling results and studies of OpenMP efficiency on a large BG/Q system at LLNL, with comparison against similar tests on an Intel Sandy Bridge TLCC2 system. The hardware counters on BG/Q provide detailed information on many aspects of on-node performance, while information from the mpiP tool gives insight into the reasons for the differing scaling behavior on these two different architectures. Results from three more speculative tests are also included: one that exploits NVRAM as extended memory, one that studies performance under a power bound, and one that illustrates the effects of changing the torus network mapping on BG/Q.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Multi-lab study on the pure-gas permeation of commercial polysulfone (PSf) membranes: Measurement standards and best practices

Gas-separation membranes are a critical industrial component for a low-carbon and energy-efficient future. As a result, many researchers have been testing membrane materials over the past several decades. Unfortunately, almost all membrane-based testing systems are home-built, and there are no widely accepted material standards or testing protocols in the literature, making it challenging to accurately compare experimental results. Further, in this multi-lab study, ten independent laboratories collected high-pressure pure-gas permeation data for H 2 , O 2 , CH 4 , and N 2 in commercial polysulfone (PSf) films. Equipment information, testing procedures, and permeation data from all labs were collected to provide (1) accepted H 2 , O 2 , CH 4 , and N 2 permeability values at 35°C in PSf as a reference standard, (2) statistical analysis of lab-to-lab uncertainties in evaluating permeability, and (3) a list of best practices for sample preparation, equipment set-up, and permeation testing using constant-volume variable-pressure apparatuses. Results summarized in this work provide a reference standard and recommended testing protocols for pure-gas testing of membrane materials.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Fundamental Power Coupler Technical Development - Final CRADA Report

The SLAC ‘Linac Coherent Light Source -II’ project (LCLS II) is a hard X-ray Free Electron Laser now under construction in support of photon-based material science. LCLS II uses a superconducting linac design based on the twenty year-long TESLA- Technology development effort. The TESLA proposal, the European XFEL (EU-XFEL) project, and the ILC design employ a pulsed superconducting linac with roughly 0.5% duty factor. This aspect was changed for LCLS II so that the FEL could be operated continuous-wave (CW) namely with a 100% duty factor. Several critical changes to the linac design were required including RF power distribution, cryogenic heat-load management and cavity preparation. This note lists the changes required to the fundamental power coupler (FPC). All of these changes were made by the SLAC physics and engineering teams and reviewed by the cryomodule design lead (Fermilab) and international partners. Testing was done by the LCLS II cryomodule teams (Jefferson Lab and Fermilab). The SLAC LCLS II project team managed the design and procurement process. The LCLS II fundamental power coupler design is based upon the DESY TESLA Test Facility (TTF-3) design. DESY shared their drawings with LCLS II and SLAC copied and modified them to meet the LCLS II CW operation power and heat-load requirements. LCLS II had an external reviewer evaluate and compare SLAC drawings to EU-XFEL drawings. SLAC used the same industrial partners that EU-XFEL used.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

3013 Inner Can Lid Leak Test System Development

Contained in this report is a description of the 3013 inner container lid leak detection system, a listing of the data collected to validate the system and a statistical analysis of collected data. The 3013 Container Surveillance Program provides assessment criteria and evaluates 3013 containers selected from the storage inventory for potential degradation mechanisms. The 3013 outer container is the boundary credited to prevent release of material to the environment. The integrity of the outer container is only at risk if the inner container loses its seal and allows corrosive gases to diffuse into the outer container. To date, the determination of potential outer container exposure to corrosive gases has been through comparison of the gas analysis of the annular space and the inner container. If the two volumes have the same gas composition and pressure, then the inner container may have leaked. The leak detection system described in this report will provide a direct measurement of the integrity of the inner container, and if approved, will provide for the elimination of gas analysis. The inner container lid leak testing system consists of two basic parts: the Agilent leak testing instrument and the leak test fixture. The test fixture base provides the connection between the leak test instrument and the test sample. This connection allows helium to flow into the leak detector when a leak path exists in the test sample allowing leak measurement to be performed. The tests reported here were conducted in a cold lab using a configuration very similar, but not identical to, the configuration anticipated when installed in a glove box. A total of sixty-five leak rate measurements were made on 10 containers and the data is included in the report. The data analysis shows that the leak detection system can identify leaks in the lid, including the weld and heat affected zone of 3013 inner containers, during destructive examination. The measurements taken support that a 3013 IC lid with a leak rate value greater than 2.0 x 10 -7 atm cc/sec will be identified using the leak test system prior to introduction into a glove box. These results from the baseline for future tests of the leak test system after it is installed in the glove box for use as part of surveillance DE.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Field Evaluation of Advances in Energy-Efficiency Practices for Manufactured Homes

Three side-by-side lab houses were built, instrumented and monitored in an effort to determine through field testing and analysis the relative contributions of select technologies toward reducing energy use in new manufactured homes. The lab houses in Russellville, Alabama compared the performance of three homes built to varying levels of thermal integrity and HVAC equipment: a baseline HUD-code home equipped with an electric furnace and a split system air conditioner; an ENERGY STAR manufactured home with an enhanced thermal envelope and traditional split system heat pump; and a house designed to qualify for Zero Energy Ready Home designation with a ductless mini-split heat pump with transfer fan distribution system in place of the traditional duct system for distribution. Experiments were conducted in the lab houses to evaluate impact on energy and comfort of interior door position, window blind position and transfer fan operation. The report describes results of tracer gas and co-heating tests and presents calculation of the heat pump coefficient of performance for both the traditional heat pump and the ductless mini-split. A series of calibrated energy models was developed based on measured data and run in three locations in the Southeast to compare annual energy usage of the three homes.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Materials Science Research Rack-1 Fire Suppressant Distribution Test Report

Fire suppressant distribution testing was performed on the Materials Science Research Rack-1 (MSRR-1), a furnace facility payload that will be installed in the U.S. Lab module of the International Space Station. Unlike racks that were tested previously, the MSRR-1 uses the Active Rack Isolation System (ARIS) to reduce vibration on experiments, so the effects of ARIS on fire suppressant distribution were unknown. Two tests were performed to map the distribution of CO2 fire suppressant throughout a mockup of the MSRR-1 designed to have the same component volumes and flowpath restrictions as the flight rack. For the first test, the average maximum CO2 concentration for the rack was 60 percent, achieved within 45 s of discharge initiation, meeting the requirement to reach 50 percent throughout the rack within 1 min. For the second test, one of the experiment mockups was removed to provide a worst-case configuration, and the average maximum CO2 concentration for the rack was 58 percent. Comparing the results of this testing with results from previous testing leads to several general conclusions that can be used to evaluate future racks. The MSRR-1 will meet the requirements for fire suppressant distribution. Primary factors that affect the ability to meet the CO2 distribution requirements are the free air volume in the rack and the total area and distribution of openings in the rack shell. The length of the suppressant flowpath and degree of tortuousness has little correlation with CO2 concentration. The total area of holes in the rack shell could be significantly increased. The free air volume could be significantly increased. To ensure the highest maximum CO2 concentration, the PFE nozzle should be inserted to the stop on the nozzle.

Wieland, P. O.↗

The Development of MSFC Usability Lab

This conference poster reviews the development of the usability lab at Marshall Space Flight Center. The purpose of the lab was to integrate a fully functioning usability laboratory to provide a resource for future human factor assessments. and to implement preliminary usability testing on a MSFC website to validate the functionality of the lab.

Cheng, Yiwei↗

A fiber-coupled dispersion interferometer for density measurements of pulsed power transmission line electron sheaths on Sandia’s Z machine

A fiber-coupled Dispersion Interferometer (DI) is being developed to measure the electron density of plasmas formed in power flow regions, such as magnetically insulated transmission lines, on Sandia National Laboratories (SNL’s) Z machine [D. B. Sinars et al., Phys. Plasmas 27, 070501 (2020)]. The diagnostic operates using a fiber-coupled 1550 nm CW laser with frequency-doubling to 775 nm. The DI is expected to be capable of line-average density measurements between ∼1013 and 1019 cm−2. Initial testing has been performed on a well-characterized RF lab plasma [A. G. Lynn et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 80, 103501 (2009)] at the University of New Mexico to quantify the density resolution lower limits of the DI. Initial testing of the DI has demonstrated line-average electron density measurements within 9% of results acquired via a 94 GHz mm wave interferometer for line densities of ∼1 × 1014 cm−2, despite significant differences in probe beam geometries. The instrument will next be utilized for measurements on a ∼1 MA-scale pulsed power driver {MYKONOS [N. Bennett et al., Phys. Rev. Accel. Beams 22, 120401 (2019)] at SNL} before finally being deployed on SNL’s Z machine. The close electrode spacing (mm scale) on Z requires probe beam sizes of ∼1 mm, which can only be obtained with visible or near infrared optical systems, as opposed to longer wavelength mm wave systems that would normally be chosen for this range of density.

Hines, N. R. (ORCID:0000000315316465)↗