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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 1,081 records · Page 60
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Constraining the P 30 ( p , γ ) S 31 Reaction Rate in ONe Novae via the Weak, Low-Energy, β -Delayed Proton Decay of Cl 31

The 30 P(p,γ) 31 S reaction plays an important role in understanding the nucleosynthesis of A ≥ 30 nuclides in oxygen-neon novae. The Gaseous Detector with Germanium Tagging was used to measure 31 Cl β-delayed proton decay through the key J π = 3/2 + , 260-keV resonance. The intensity $I$$^{260}_{βp}$ = $8.3$$^{+1.2}_{–0.9}$ × 10 –6 represents the weakest β-delayed, charged-particle emission ever measured below 400 keV, resulting in a proton branching ratio of Γ p /Γ = $2.5$$^{+0.4}_{–0.3}$ × 10 –4 . Here, by combining this measurement with shell-model calculations for Γγ and past work on other resonances, the total 30 P(p,γ) 31 S rate has been determined with reduced uncertainty. The new rate has been used in hydrodynamic simulations to model the composition of nova ejecta, leading to a concrete prediction of 30 Si: 28 Si excesses in presolar nova grains and the calibration of nuclear thermometers.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Application of Linear Additive Conditions for Near-Infrared Diffuse Reflectance Absorption Spectroscopy

Determining the homogeneity of material mixing in real time during product processing is critical for quality control. According to the Kubelka–Munk (K-M) function of diffuse reflectance absorption spectrum, absorbance (A) is approximately linear with the content of the components when the sample scattering coefficient (S) is in a certain range. The S is determined by the particle size of powder samples. Therefore, this study determined particle size ranges that satisfy linear additivity in near-infrared diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (NIRDRS). Thus, the proposed NIRDRS analysis technique can be used to determine the homogeneity of material mixes or analyze the percentages of the components in the mixture. In this study, vitamin B3 and vitamin C were used for preparing mixed samples with varying percentages. The experimental results revealed that linear additivity is satisfied when the powder particle size is in the range of less than 280, 280–450, and 450–900 μm. When the confidence level is 0.01, the actual mixed spectra are not significantly different from the “simulated mixed spectra” constructed by linear addition, with their relative deviations less than 1.08%. The absolute errors of the actual and analytic percentages were within 2.98% for each component in the mixtures. The above conclusions also hold for sorghum, which has a complex material composition. Statistical models cannot analyze the percentages of components in the mixture. In contrast, linear addition and direct calibration approach avoids the use of a large number of samples for statistical modeling and analyze the percentages of mixed samples. Meanwhile, it can be used to discriminate and analyze the material mixing uniformity by building a mechanistic model.

Feng, Zhiyue↗
DOE OSTI2021

Materials Challenges and Opportunities for Energy Generation, Conversion, Delivery, and Storage (Applied Energy Tri-Laboratory Consortium Workshop Report)

This report documents the outcomes of the Tri-Laboratory Materials Workshop that was held July 31 and August 1, 2019 to begin addressing the needs, opportunities, and challenges associated with the development, fabrication, and testing of the needed materials and components for integrated hybrid energy systems (i.e., incorporating nuclear, fossil, and renewables for electric and thermal applications). This was accomplished by assembling the research program leads and principal investigators at Idaho National Laboratory (INL), National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), and National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), who support the research and development of new technology and system integration. The team then identified and prioritized key materials development needs. This effort was intended to enhance communications and synergy among the Tri-Lab partners. Advanced functional and structural materials are central to transformative energy technologies for energy generation, conversion, delivery, and storage. With that in mind, the workshop focused on identifying and assessing the foundational materials research needs at both the basic and applied levels. Materials challenges include the ability to withstand harsh environments, such as high temperatures and pressures, corrosion, oxidation, or irradiation while maintaining flexible mission profiles and long service lifespans. Advanced energy system material challenges and needs range from materials for the capture, upgrading/concentration, storage, and delivery of low-grade heat to materials for high temperature environments that involve liquid metals, molten salt, and very high temperature gas heat delivery and storage systems. Material improvements are needed for hybrid energy systems due to accelerated corrosion and stress-fatigue failure of materials and equipment, which results from increased frequency and amplitude of thermal, mechanical, and electrical cycling of systems components. Multifunctional materials are needed for high temperature solid-oxide fuel cells, advanced electrochemical reactors, and in-process separation. Relative to materials manufacturing, application of advanced additive and subtractive methods need to be understood to develop both thin-layer homogenous materials and materials of graded composition. Materials modeling and machine learning will be critical to accelerate the design and production of power electronics, and nuclear reactor materials and fuel, as well as to gain an understanding of beneficial materials phenomena or deleterious microstructure evolution. There is also a need for standardized models, computational structures, data reporting protocols and modeling tools across the three laboratories. This would allow consistent results, analysis, and data sharing. Combining computational capabilities between the three laboratories (e.g., hardware, software) would greatly increase computational capabilities and throughput. The workshop identified the need for laboratories to anticipate and address problems that will occur during scale-up. Laboratory work must connect with industry to ensure that research focuses on processes that are scalable and marketable. Industry input and perspective are essential to guide laboratory research to meet these requirements and deploy new technology in industrial demonstrations. Another aspect of scale-up is the integration of multiple systems since new challenges often arise at the subsystem interfaces. Establishing a scale-up manufacturing demonstration/pilot plant, potentially as an industrial user facility, would be beneficial to the laboratories and industry. That modular scale-up manufacturing demonstration/pilot plant would allow researchers to find and resolve interface problems that cannot be identified by focusing only on individual parts. Communication exchanges among the organizers, attendees, and workshop survey responses indicate that the workshop was successful in achieving its goal to identify key technology gaps and research needs. Strong positive feedback was received on the sharing of ideas, capabilities, talent, and passion to move forward on the materials-related action items.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Cybersecurity Workforce Training for SMR Integration into Distribution Grids: A Competency Framework and Containerized Hands-On Lab for the SMR/DER/Microgrid Boundary

Small modular reactors (SMRs) and microreactors are entering the U.S. distribution grid as synchronous generation on feeders designed for loads and inverter-based distributed energy resources (DERs). No existing cybersecurity training program addresses this intersection of nuclear operations, DER management, and operational technology security. As subcontractor to Iowa State University on the CyDERMS Center, Argonne analyzed the relevant standards and training landscape, translated the resulting gaps into a twelve-objective competency framework across distribution-operator and graduate-analyst role tracks, and built a containerized training lab using a ∼400-bus composite grid model behind a realistically simulated Modbus TCP SCADA stack. The analysis isolates the balance-of-plant / energy-management-system (BOP/EMS) boundary as the critical jurisdictional seam where, as of March 2026, neither NRC nor NERC CIP cleanly claims cybersecurity responsibility for distribution-connected SMRs. The framework maps each objective across NIST CSF 2.0, ISA/IEC 62443, NIST NICE Task–Knowledge–Skill statements, and NRC RG 5.71 awareness-and-training controls. The training lab implements operator-recognition assessment scenarios spanning grid-side disturbances and telemetry-layer anomalies.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2023

A Theoretical Study of NH 2 Radical Reactions with Propane and Its Kinetic Implications in NH 3 -Propane Blends’ Oxidation

The reaction of NH 2 radicals with C 3 H 8 is crucial for understanding the combustion behavior of NH 3 /C 3 H 8 blends. In this study, we investigated the temperature dependence of the rate coefficients for the hydrogen abstraction reactions of C 3 H 8 by NH 2 radicals using high-level theoretical approaches. The potential energy surface was constructed at the CCSD(T)/cc-pV(T, Q)//M06-2X/aug-cc-pVTZ level of theory, and the rate coefficients were computed using conventional transition state theory, incorporating the corrections for quantum tunneling and hindered internal rotors (HIR). The computed rate coefficients showed a strong curvature in the Arrhenius behavior, capturing the experimental literature data well at low temperatures. However, at T > 1500 K, the theory severely overpredicted the experimental data. The available theoretical studies did not align with the experiment at high temperatures, and the possible reasons for this discrepancy are discussed. At 300 K, the reaction of NH 2 with C 3 H 8 predominantly occurs at the secondary C-H site, which accounts for approximately 95% of the total reaction flux. However, the hydrogen abstraction reaction at the primary C-H site becomes the dominant reaction above 1700 K. A composite kinetic model was built, which incorporated the computed rate coefficients for NH 2 + C 3 H 8 reactions. The importance of NH 2 + C 3 H 8 reactions in predicting the combustion behavior of NH 3 /C 3 H 8 blends was demonstrated by kinetic modeling.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Structure and Interdigitation of Chain-Asymmetric Phosphatidylcholines and Milk Sphingomyelin in the Fluid Phase

We addressed the frequent occurrence of mixed-chain lipids in biological membranes and their impact on membrane structure by studying several chain-asymmetric phosphatidylcholines and the highly asymmetric milk sphingomyelin. Specifically, we report trans-membrane structures of the corresponding fluid lamellar phases using small-angle X-ray and neutron scattering, which were jointly analyzed in terms of a membrane composition-specific model, including a headgroup hydration shell. Focusing on terminal methyl groups at the bilayer center, we found a linear relation between hydrocarbon chain length mismatch and the methyl-overlap for phosphatidylcholines, and a non-negligible impact of the glycerol backbone-tilting, letting the sn1-chain penetrate deeper into the opposing leaflet by half a CH 2 group. That is, penetration-depth differences due to the ester-linked hydrocarbons at the glycerol backbone, previously reported for gel phase structures, also extend to the more relevant physiological fluid phase, but are significantly reduced. Moreover, milk sphingomyelin was found to follow the same linear relationship suggesting a similar tilt of the sphingosine backbone. Complementarily performed molecular dynamics simulations revealed that there is always a part of the lipid tails bending back, even if there is a high interdigitation with the opposing chains. The extent of this back-bending was similar to that in chain symmetric bilayers. For both cases of adaptation to chain length mismatch, chain-asymmetry has a large impact on hydrocarbon chain ordering, inducing disorder in the longer of the two hydrocarbons.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1970

The variation of radar cross section with wind

X-band (8910 megahertz) and C-band (4455 megahertz) measurements indicate that two domains exist in the variation of radar cross section with wind at incident angles far from the normal. The first domain for flow windspeeds is characterized by a rapid variation of radar cross section with wind and the second domain at higher windspeeds by an asymptotic approach to an upper limit (saturation). The transaction between the two domains occurs at a windspeed of approximately 10 knots. Recent Joint Ocean Surface Study I observations tend to confirm this observation and offer additional proof of the validity of a composite surface model which relates the radar cross section of the sea to the wave-height spectrum. This confirmation was obtained by comparing the radar cross section measured by the four-frequency radar system with the radar cross section calculated from the ocean wave-height spectrum that had been determined by the optical analysis of photographs taken at the same time. A possible explanation for the wind variation of the radar cross section of the open ocean also was evolved, based on radar measurements in a wave tank under various wind conditions and subsequent comparison with optically determined spectra.

Guinard, N. W.↗
NASA NTRS1972

On the stability and pointing of an attached double-gimbal experiment package

The pointing capability of a double gimbal experiment isolation and control system of the Apollo telescope mount (ATM) type was investigated. Three composite structural models of an experiment package connected through frictionless gimbals to a carrier vehicle (including a rigid package-rigid carrier model, a rigid package-flexible carrier model, and a flexible package-flexible carrier model) were used, and a linear model of the nominal ATM gimbal control system is considered. A linear stability analysis was performed to verify stability of the control system with nominal gains. Transform techniques were used to compute pointing errors onboard the experiment package due to random crew motions input into the carrier vehicle. Results of the investigation indicate that there is no stability problem due to flexible coupling of the experiment package and the carrier, and that the ATM-type system is capable of pointing accuracies better than 0.1 arc second.

Groom, N. J.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Isothermal elastohydrodynamic theory for the full range of pressure-viscosity coefficient.

The isothermal, elastohydrodynamic (EHD) solutions in the inlet region of line contacts are extended to cover the full range of pressure-viscosity parameter, G, and the region of extremely heavy loads. The effect of a composite exponential model for the pressure-viscosity dependence on the film thickness is also studied. Results of the film thickness are compared with those based on work by Grubin, Dowson-Higginson, Bell and Kannel, and Herrebrugh. Comparison is also made between the theoretical results with the recently obtained X-ray film thickness measurements.

Cheng, H. S.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Ortho- and clinopyroxene compositions in ordinary chondrites and related blander model calculation procedures

Chemical analyses of the orthopyroxene and clinopyroxene compositions in chondrites are reported. Standard microprobe techniques to 15 kilovolts, 0.03 microamperes, and 40 second counting time were employed. Duplicate analyses were conducted on three grains of each opx and cpx together with two different raw data correction methods as checks on analytical precision and correction procedures. Only those analytical summations of between 99.20 and 100.80 weight percent, and cation summations between 3.980 and 4.020 (based on 6 oxygens) were used.

Bunch, T. E.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Effects of certain control-system nonlinearities on stability and pointing of an attached double-gimbal experiment package in presence of random crew-motion disturbances

The effects of two types of control-system nonlinearities, sensor deadband and actuator breakout torque, on the pointing capability of a Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM) double-gimbal experiment isolation and control system are investigated. A composite structural model of a flexible experiment package connected through frictionless double gimbals to a flexible carrier vehicle is used for this investigation. Contributions of the primary carrier control system to experiment pointing are neglected. Pointing errors onboard the experiment package due to random crew-motion input into the carrier vehicle are computed. A stability investigation is performed to verify control-system stability with nominal nonlinearities and gains. Indications are that there is no stability problem due to the nonlinearities. A nonlinearity sensitivity study is carried out to determine the effects on pointing accuracy. Its results indicate that nominal ATM control system nonlinearities limit the pointing accuracy to approximately 0.4 arc second in the presence of crew motion. Methods of reducing the error to less than 0.1 arc second are discussed.

Shaughnessy, J. D.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Thermoelastic constitutive equations for chemically hardening materials

Thermoelastic constitutive equations are derived for a material undergoing solidification or hardening as the result of a chemical reaction. The derivation is based upon a two component model whose composition is determined by the degree of hardening, and makes use of strain-energy considerations. Constitutive equations take the form of stress rate-strain rate relations, in which the coefficients are time-dependent functions of the composition. Specific results are developed for the case of a material of constant bulk modulus which undergoes a transition from an initial liquidlike state into an isotropic elastic solid. Potential applications are discussed.

Shaffer, B. W.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Microwave remote sensing of ice and snow

A composite theoretical model is proposed to account for effects on emissivity caused by layering, absorption, anisotropy, surface roughness, inhomogeneities and subsurface scattering. The emissivity as a function of frequency is calculated for a two layer model simulating ice or snow covered water or land. The theoretical results are compared with experimental data.

Kong, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Evaluation and expansion of an analytical model for fatigue of notched composite laminates

The analytical and experimental study performed to expand the existing static and fatigue failure analysis is described. The analytical effort extended the analysis to include interlaminar effects, while the experimental effort developed methods to obtain basic experimental data required as input to the analysis. The static failure analysis for notched laminates was modified to include interlaminar effects near the notch. Three dimensional elastic and two dimensional elasticplastic finite element analysis were performed for some notched laminates.

Ramkumar, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Estimation of payload loads using rigid body interface accelerations

In the design/analysis process of a payload structural system, the accelerations at the payload/launch vehicle interface obtained from a system analysis using a rigid payload are often used as the input forcing function to the elastic payload to obtain structural design loads. Such an analysis is at best an approximation since the elastic coupling effects are neglected. This paper develops a method wherein the launch vehicle/rigid payload interface accelerations are modified to account for the payload elasticity. The advantage of the proposed method, which is exact to the extent that the physical system can be described by a truncated set of generalized coordinates, is that the complete design/analysis process can be performed within the organization responsible for the payload design. The method requires the updating of the system normal modes to account for payload changes, but does not require a complete transient solution using the composite system model. An application to a real complex structure, the Viking Spacecraft System, is given.

Chen, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Navier-Stokes solutions for nonaxisymmetric nozzle flows

The compressible Navier-Stokes equations for two-dimensional and three-dimensional flow are solved for nonaxisymmetric nozzle configurations. Both internal flow alone and combined internal and external flow cases are considered. An implicit approximate factorization algorithm is employed to solve the governing equations which are cast in terms of a body-fitted coordinate system. Turbulence closure is accomplished with a composite algebraic model. Two-dimensional results for a wedge plug nozzle flow in the form of surface pressures compare favorably with experimental data. Three-dimensional calculations for two nonaxisymmetric nozzles are also presented and compared with data.

Swanson, R. C.↗