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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 1,027 records · Page 57

Application of finite-element-based solution technologies for viscoplastic structural analyses

Finite-element solution technology developed for use in conjunction with advanced viscoplastic models is described. The development of such solution technology is necessary for performing stress/life analyses of engineering structural problems where the complex geometries and loadings make the conventional analytical solutions difficult. The versatility of the solution technology is demonstrated by applying it to viscoplastic models possessing different mathematical structures and encompassing isotropic and anisotropic material. The computational results qualitatively replicate deformation behavior observed in experiments on prototypical structural components.

Arya, V. K.↗

Application of finite-element-based solution technologies for viscoplastic structural analyses

Finite-element solution technology developed for use in conjunction with advanced viscoplastic models is described. The development of such solution technology is necessary for performing stress/life analyses of engineering structural problems where the complex geometries and loadings make the conventional analytical solutions difficult. The versatility of the solution technology is demonstrated by applying it to viscoplastic models possessing different mathematical structures and encompassing isotropic and anisotropic materials. The computational results qualitatively replicate deformation behavior observed in experiments on prototypical structural components.

Arya, Vinod K.↗

Electrochromic Radiator Coupon Level Testing and Full Scale Thermal Math Modeling for Use on Altair Lunar Lander

In order to control system and component temperatures, many spacecraft thermal control systems use a radiator coupled with a pumped fluid loop to reject waste heat from the vehicle. Since heat loads and radiation environments can vary considerably according to mission phase, the thermal control system must be able to vary the heat rejection. The ability to "turn down" the heat rejected from the thermal control system is critically important when designing the system.. Electrochromic technology as a radiator coating is being investigated to vary the amount of heat being rejected by a radiator. Coupon level tests were performed to test the feasibility of the technology. Furthermore, thermal math models were developed to better understand the turndown ratios required by full scale radiator architectures to handle the various operation scenarios during a mission profile for Altair Lunar Lander. This paper summarizes results from coupon level tests as well as thermal math models developed to investigate how electrochromics can be used to provide the largest turn down ratio for a radiator. Data from the various design concepts of radiators and their architectures are outlined. Recommendations are made on which electrochromic radiator concept should be carried further for future thermal vacuum testing.

Sheth, Rubik↗

GridSTIX

SF-25-112 Grid-STIX is a comprehensive extension of the STIX (Structured Threat Information Expression) 2.1 ontology specifically designed for electrical grid cybersecurity applications. This ontology provides a standardized, machine-readable framework for modeling grid assets, operational technology devices, threats, vulnerabilities, supply chain risks, and security relationships in electrical power systems. ## Key Features - **Comprehensive Grid Coverage**: Physical assets, OT devices, grid components, sensors, and energy storage systems - **Zero Trust Architecture**: Policy decision points, enforcement points, trust brokers, and continuous monitoring - **AMI Infrastructure**: Advanced metering networks, head-end systems, mesh gateways, and MDM systems - **Advanced Security Modeling**: Attack patterns, vulnerabilities, mitigations, and supply chain risks - **Critical Grid Relationships**: Power flow, protection, control, and synchronization relationships - **Supply Chain Security**: Supplier modeling, country of origin tracking, and risk assessment - **Protocol Support**: DNP3, Modbus, IEC 61850, IEC 60870-5-104, OPC-UA, and IEEE standards - **Python Code Generation**: Automated STIX-compliant Python class generation from ontologies - **Interactive Visualization**: Enhanced HTML network graphs with grid-specific categorization - **STIX 2.1 Compliance**: Full compatibility with STIX threat intelligence ecosystem

Blakely, Benjamin [Argonne National Laboratory (AN↗

Technology transfer from NASA to targeted industries, volume 1

This report summarizes the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) technology transfer to three target industries with focus on the apparel manufacturing industry in Alabama. Also included in this report are an analysis of the 1992 problem statements submitted by Alabama firms, the results of the survey of 1987-88 NASA Tech Brief requests, the results of the followup to Alabama submitted problem statements, and the development of the model describing the MSFC technology transfer process.

Mccain, Wayne↗

Concept Lens: Visual Comparison and Evaluation of Generative Model Manipulations

Generative models are becoming a transformative technology for the creation and editing of images. However, it remains challenging to harness these models for precise image manipulation. These challenges often manifest as inconsistency in the editing process, where both the type and amount of semantic change, depend on the image being manipulated. Moreover, there exist many methods for computing image manipulations, whose development is hindered by the matter of inconsistency. This paper aims to address these challenges by improving how we evaluate, compare, and explore the space of manipulations offered by a generative model. We present Concept Lens, a visual interface that is designed to aid users in understanding semantic concepts carried in image manipulations, and how these manipulations vary over generated images. Given the large space of possible images produced by a generative model, Concept Lens is designed to support the exploration of both generated images, and their manipulations, at multiple levels of detail. To this end, the layout of Concept Lens is informed by two hierarchies: a hierarchical organization of (1) original images, grouped by their similarities, and (2) image manipulations, where manipulations that induce similar changes are grouped together. This layout allows one to discover the types of images that consistently respond to a group of manipulations, and vice versa, manipulations that consistently respond to a group of codes. We show the benefits of this design across multiple use cases, specifically, studying the quality of manipulations for a single method, and offering a means of comparing different methods.

clustering↗

Simulating Marine Stratocumulus Clouds using Lagrangian Superdroplet Method in ERF

This study investigates the simulation of marine stratocumulus (stratoCu) clouds – common in many offshore and coastal wind energy regions - using Lagrangian Superdroplet Method (SDM) implemented in Energy Research and Forecasting (ERF) model. Developed by the Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO), ERF is a high-resolution atmospheric modeling tool that relies on traditional bulk microphysics schemes. Under an LLNL-led Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project, SDM was integrated into ERF to improve cloud process fidelity by explicitly tracking individual “superdroplets”. This enables a realistic representation of the droplet size spectrum, cloud-atmosphere interactions, and potential feedbacks from wind plants on atmospheric flow and cloud structure.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Manned space station environmental control and life support system computer-aided technology assessment program

A computer program for assessing manned space station environmental control and life support systems technology is described. The methodology, mission model parameters, evaluation criteria, and data base for 17 candidate technologies for providing metabolic oxygen and water to the crew are discussed. Examples are presented which demonstrate the capability of the program to evaluate candidate technology options for evolving space station requirements.

Hall, J. B., Jr.↗

Resource utilization during software development

This paper discusses resource utilization over the life cycle of software development and discusses the role that the current 'waterfall' model plays in the actual software life cycle. Software production in the NASA environment was analyzed to measure these differences. The data from 13 different projects were collected by the Software Engineering Laboratory at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and analyzed for similarities and differences. The results indicate that the waterfall model is not very realistic in practice, and that as technology introduces further perturbations to this model with concepts like executable specifications, rapid prototyping, and wide-spectrum languages, we need to modify our model of this process.

Zelkowitz, Marvin V.↗

Modeling of Spacecraft Advanced Chemical Propulsion Systems

This paper outlines the development of the Advanced Chemical Propulsion System (ACPS) model for Earth and Space Storable propellants. This model was developed by the System Technology Operation of SAIC-Huntsville for the NASA MSFC In-Space Propulsion Project Office. Each subsystem of the model is described. Selected model results will also be shown to demonstrate the model's ability to evaluate technology changes in chemical propulsion systems.

Benfield, Michael P. J.↗

Modeling of Spacecraft Advanced Chemical Propulsion Systems

This paper outlines the development of the Advanced Chemical Propulsion System (ACPS) model for Earth and Space Storable propellants. This model was developed by the System Technology Operation of SAIC-Huntsville for the NASA MSFC In-Space Propulsion Project Office. Each subsystem of the model is described. Selected model results will also be shown to demonstrate the model's ability to evaluate technology changes in chemical propulsion systems.

Benfield, Michael P. J.↗

Near-Body Mesh Adaption for Transitional Flows Using OVERFLOW

Accurate modeling of boundary-layer transition is an important aspect of developing greener air transport technologies. In that regard, transition models based on auxiliary transport equations offer a robust approach that is easily integrated into the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) solvers. Recent workshops under NATO and AIAA have identified the verification of transport-equations-based transition modeling as a critical aspect of reducing the scatter between the predictions of different CFD codes. Follow-on work has highlighted the need for highly dense grids to achieve an asymptotic convergence of transition related flow metrics. The present work examines the role of automatic near-body mesh adaptation capability in the NASA OVERFLOW CFD solver to enable verification studies in an efficient manner, and for establishing best practices for designing grids for the RANS-based transition models. A sensor function relevant to the Langtry-Menter \gamma-Re_{\theta t}\ transition model has been identified and used for error-based mesh adaptation for canonical configurations comprising a flat plate, and the S809 and NLR-7301 airfoils. The efficacy of the mesh adaptation approach is assessed for flow conditions involving multiple transition scenarios such as natural transition, separation-induced transition, and shock-induced transition. The results from this exploratory study indicate that the meshes adapted using the proposed sensor provide solutions that approach the references solutions obtained with uniformly refined hand-crafted meshes, in terms of the chosen metrics, and yield modest yet significant savings in grid count. We also highlight areas for improvement in the grid adaptation methodology within OVERFLOW.

CFD↗

Near-Body Mesh Adaption for Transitional Flows Using OVERFLOW

Accurate modeling of boundary-layer transition is an important aspect of developing greener air transport technologies. In that regard, transition models based on auxiliary transport equations offer a robust approach that is easily integrated into the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) solvers. Recent workshops under NATO and AIAA have identified the verification of transport-equations-based transition modeling as a critical aspect of reducing the scatter between the predictions of different CFD codes. Follow-on work has highlighted the need for highly dense grids to achieve an asymptotic convergence of transition related flow metrics. The present work examines the role of automatic near-body mesh adaptation capability in the NASA OVERFLOW CFD solver to enable verification studies in an efficient manner, and for establishing best practices for designing grids for the RANS-based transition models. A sensor function relevant to the Langtry-Menter \gamma-Re_{\theta t}\ transition model has been identified and used for error-based mesh adaptation for canonical configurations comprising a flat plate, and the S809 and NLR-7301 airfoils. The efficacy of the mesh adaptation approach is assessed for flow conditions involving multiple transition scenarios such as natural transition, separation-induced transition, and shock-induced transition. The results from this exploratory study indicate that the meshes adapted using the proposed sensor provide solutions that approach the references solutions obtained with uniformly refined hand-crafted meshes, in terms of the chosen metrics, and yield modest yet significant savings in grid count. We also highlight areas for improvement in the grid adaptation methodology within OVERFLOW.

CFD↗

Energy Storage in Long-Term System Models: A Review of Considerations, Best Practices, and Research Needs

Technological change and policy support have heightened expectations for the role of energy storage in power systems, creating a need to enhance representations of energy storage in long-term models to inform decision-making. Energy storage technologies have complex and diverse cost, value, and performance characteristics that make them challenging to model, but there is limited guidance about best practices and research gaps for energy storage analysis. This paper reviews the literature and draws upon our collective experience to provide recommendations to analysts on approaches for representing energy storage in long-term electric sector models, navigating tradeoffs in model development, and identifying research gaps for existing tools and data. The review focuses on national-scale models with technological, temporal, and regional detail given their prevalence in planning and policy, though many insights are transferable to other modeling contexts. It also offers guidance to consumers of model outputs on proper use and interpretation based on model strengths and limitations. In particular, this review demonstrates the importance of capturing how the values of energy storage and other resources change as the system composition changes (e.g. with different levels of storage, renewables deployment, and emissions outcomes). These considerations require model detail like high spatiotemporal resolutions and endogenous investments that global integrated assessment models and price-taker frameworks do not typically resolve. Research gaps include linking tools of different resolutions, developing reduced-form representations of value streams, incorporating hybrid energy storage and renewable systems, and representing longer-duration energy storage technologies.

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEF↗

Wind Turbine Maintenance Costs: Assessing the Potential of Gear Oil Improvements

Wind turbine operations & maintenance (O&M) costs constitute a sizable portion of total energy cost for wind power. There are many components in a utility-scale wind turbine that need to be lubricated with either oil or grease. This study uses gearbox oil as an example and assesses how lubricant technology improvements may impact wind turbine power production and levelized cost of energy. Using the modeling tools (i.e., WOMBAT, reV, and SAM) developed at National Renewable Energy Laboratory and lubrication oil technology scenarios defined based on inputs provided by ExxonMobil and industry stakeholders, we quantify the potential for increasing energy production and reducing maintenance costs across the current and future U.S. fleet of wind turbines as a result of improvements in lubrication technologies. The modeled improvements reduce the median levelized cost of energy by 1-2% across the U.S. fleet. Cumulative saving from gear oil technology improvements in 2050 for U.S. fleet is estimated to be approximately $6 billion. Extending the lubricant replacement interval has a larger impact on total cost and energy production than reducing lubricant cost.

costs↗

Applications of GIS and remote sensing in public participation and stakeholder engagement for watershed management

The use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing technologies for the development of water quality management programs and for post-implementation assessments has increased dramatically in the past decade. This increase in adoption has been made more accessible through the interfaces of many popular software tools used in the regulation and assessment of water quality. Customized applications of these tools will increase, as ease of access and affordability of directly monitored and remotely sensed datasets improve over time. Concurrently, there is a need for inclusive participatory engagement with stakeholders to achieve solutions to current watershed management challenges. This paper explores the potential of these GIS and remote sensing datasets, tools, models, and immersive engagement technologies from other domains, for improving public participation and stakeholder engagement throughout the watershed planning process. To do so, an initial review is presented about the use of GIS and remote sensing in watershed management and its role in impairment identification, model development, and planning and implementation. Then, ways in which GIS and remote sensing can be integrated with stakeholder engagement through (1) leveraging GIS and remote sensing datasets, and (2) stakeholder engagement approaches including outreach and education, modeler-led development, and stakeholder-led involvement and feedback, are discussed. Finally, future perspectives on the potential for transforming public participation and stakeholder engagement in the watershed management process through applications of GIS and remote sensing are presented.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Technical, Economic, Energetic, and Environmental Evaluation of Pretreatment Strategies for Scaling Control in Brackish Water Desalination Brine Treatment

Effective pretreatment is essential for achieving long-term stable operation and high water recovery during the desalination of alternative waters. This study developed a process modeling approach for technical, economic, energetic, and environmental assessments of pretreatment technologies to identify the impacts of each technology treating brackish water desalination brine with high scaling propensity. The model simulations evaluated individual pretreatment technologies, including chemical softening (CS), chemical coagulation (CC), electrocoagulation (EC), and ion exchange (IX). In addition, combinations of these pretreatment technologies aiming at the effective reduction of key scaling constituents such as hardness and silica were investigated. The three evaluation parameters in this assessment consist of levelized cost of water (LCOW, $/m 3 ), specific energy consumption and cumulative energy demand (SEC|CED, kWh/m 3 ), and carbon dioxide emissions (CO 2 , kg CO 2-eq /m 3 ). The case study evaluated in this work was the desalination brine from the Kay Bailey Hutchison Desalination Plant (KBHDP) with a total dissolved solids (TDS) concentration of 11,000 mg/L and rich in hardness and silica. The evaluation of individual pretreatment units from the highest to lowest LCOW, SEC|CED, and CO 2 emissions in the KBHDP brine was IX > CS > EC > CC, CS > IX > EC > CC, and CC > CS > EC > IX, respectively. In the case of pretreatment combinations for the KBHDP, the EC + IX treatment combination was shown to be the best in terms of the LCOW and CO 2 emissions. The modeling and evaluation of these pretreatment units provide valuable guidance on the selection of cost-effective, energy-efficient, and environmentally sustainable pretreatment technologies tailored to desalination brine applications for minimal- or zero-liquid discharge.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

An improved CAMRAD model for aeroelastic stability analysis of the XV-15 with advanced technology blades

In pursuit of higher performance, the XV-15 Tiltrotor Research Aircraft was modified by the installation of new composite rotor blades. Initial flights with the Advanced Technology Blades (ATB's) revealed excessive rotor control loads that were traced to a dynamic mismatch between the blades and the aircraft control system. The analytical models of both the blades and the mechanical controls were extensively revised for use by the CAMRAD computer program to better predict aeroelastic stability and loads. This report documents the most important revisions and discusses their effects on aeroelastic stability predictions for airplane-mode flight. The ATB's may be flown in several different configurations for research, including changes in blade sweep and tip twist. The effects on stability of 1 deg and 0 deg sweep are illustrated, as are those of twisted and zero-twist tips. This report also discusses the effects of stiffening the rotor control system, which was done by locking out lateral cyclic swashplate motion with shims.

Acree, C. W., Jr.↗