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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 OSTI2015

Deep Cryogenic Low Power 24 Bits Analog to Digital Converter with Active Reverse Cryostat

LBNL is developing an innovative data acquisition module for superconductive magnets where the front-end electronics and digitizer resides inside the cryostat. This electronic package allows conventional electronic technologies such as enhanced metal–oxide–semiconductor to work inside cryostats at temperatures as low as 4.2 K. This is achieved by careful management of heat inside the module that keeps the electronic envelop at approximately 85 K. This approach avoids all the difficulties that arise from changes in carrier mobility that occur in semiconductors at deep cryogenic temperatures. There are several advantages in utilizing this system. A significant reduction in electrical noise from signals captured inside the cryostat occurs due to the low temperature that the electronics is immersed in, reducing the thermal noise. The shorter distance that signals are transmitted before digitalization reduces pickup and cross-talk between channels. This improved performance in signal-to-noise rate by itself is a significant advantage. Another important advantage is the simplification of the feedthrough interface on the cryostat head. Data coming out of the cryostat is digital and serial, dramatically reducing the number of lines going through the cryostat feedthrough interface. It is important to notice that all lines coming out of the cryostat are digital and low voltage, reducing the possibility of electric breakdown inside the cryostat. This paper will explain in details the architecture and inner workings of this data acquisition system. It will also provide the performance of the analog to digital converter when the system is immersed in liquid helium, and in liquid nitrogen. Parameters such as power dissipation, integral non-linearity, effective number of bits, signal-to-noise and distortion, will be presented for both temperatures.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2025

Advances in Modeling Capabilities for Critical Mineral Separation Technologies: A PrOMMiS Overview

This is an oral presentation at the TechConnect conference on the work developed by PrOMMiS. PrOMMiS builds on and extends capabilities developed within the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Institute for the Design of Advanced Energy Systems (IDAES), Integrated Platform, and Water Treatment Technoeconomic Assessment Platform (WaterTAP), which have been successfully leveraged by other Department of Energy research areas. The open-source toolkit facilitates validation, reproducibility, and accountability, allowing for easy extension of the framework to other systems. This talk presents an overview of the PrOMMiS capabilities, including unit model library, advances in thermophysical properties models, and capital cost libraries for simulation and optimization of mineral processing technologies. The PrOMMiS applications include (1) conceptual design and superstructure optimization for screening different process configurations and identifying promising technologies; (2) dynamic modeling and optimization to enable the creation of digital twins; (3) surrogate modeling tools to leverage data when predictive thermodynamic models are not currently available; (4) technical risk reduction via uncertainty quantification and robust optimization to identify process designs that are robust to process variability and uncertainties; and (5) deployment of uncertainty quantification tools to maximize knowledge gained from experimental campaigns, while reducing the number of experiments required

critical minerals and materials↗
DOE OSTI2025

Collimated phase measuring deflectometry II: Re-design of the optical layout for high-curvature surfaces

Collimated phase measuring deflectometry (CPMD) is an optical metrology technique developed to improve upon traditional phase measuring deflectometry (PMD). CPMD utilizes telecentric imaging and collimated structured light illumination to eliminate the height-slope ambiguity present in traditional PMD measurements. After the publication of the first CPMD paper, efforts began to optimize the optical layout of the CPMD system. The first proposed change, and the one detailed in this work, was to move the Fourier transform (FT) lens closer to the surface under test (SUT). Moving the FT lens closer to the SUT meant that for a given FT lens diameter, a larger range of surface slopes on the SUT could be measured. This change to the optical layout was not trivial and introduced at least two concerns that had to be addressed: telecentricity in the imaging path and possible ghost reflections from the re-located FT lens. Here, in this work, we examine how these concerns were addressed and present results showing that the revised optical layout is capable of measurement results at least as good as the original CPMD optical layout. We also demonstrate the increased slope measuring range of the revised optical layout.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2015

Clamping characteristics study on different types of clamping unit

Plastic products are becoming more and more widely used in aerospace, IT, digital electronics and many other fields. With the development of technology, the requirement of product precision is getting higher and higher. However, type and working performance of clamping unit play a decisive role in product precision. Clamping characteristics of different types of clamping unit are discussed in this article, which use finite element numerical analysis method through the software ABAQUS to study the clamping uniformity, and detect the clamping force repeatability precision. The result shows that compared with toggled three-platen clamping unit, clamping characteristics of internal circulation two-platen clamping unit are better, for instance, its mold cavity deformation and force that bars and mold parting surface suffered are more uniform, and its clamping uniformity and repeatability precision is also better.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Artificial Neural Network as the FPGA Trigger in the Cyclone V based Front-End for a Detection of Neutrino-Origin Showers

Neutrinos play a fundamental role in the understanding of the origin of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays. They interact through charged and neutral currents in the atmosphere generating extensive air showers. However, their a very low rate of events potentially generated by neutrinos is a significant challenge for a detection technique and requires both sophisticated algorithms and high-resolution hardware. A trigger based on a artificial neural network was implemented into the Cyclone{sup R} V E FPGA 5CEFA9F31I7 - the heart of the prototype Front-End boards developed for tests of new algorithms in the Pierre Auger surface detectors. Showers for muon and tau neutrino initiating particles on various altitudes, angles and energies were simulated in CORSICA and Offline platforms giving pattern of ADC traces in Auger water Cherenkov detectors. The 3-layer 12-8-1 neural network was taught in MATLAB by simulated ADC traces according the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm. Results show that a probability of a ADC traces generation is very low due to a small neutrino cross-section. Nevertheless, ADC traces, if occur, for 1-10 EeV showers are relatively short and can be analyzed by 16-point input algorithm. We optimized the coefficients from MATLAB to get a maximal range of potentially registered events and for fixed-point FPGA processing to minimize calculation errors. New sophisticated triggers implemented in Cyclone{sup R} V E FPGAs with large amount of DSP blocks, embedded memory running with 120 - 160 MHz sampling may support a discovery of neutrino events in the Pierre Auger Observatory. (authors)

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2022

Historic Submarine Landslides in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

This dataset provides a set of polygons representing the zone of depletion for historic submarine landslides (also referred to as mass transport deposits) within four regions of the US Exclusive Economic Zone in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Landslides were digitized by geologists and spatial scientists at the National Energy Technology Laboratory by visually interpreting landslide boundaries from a seismic-derived, high resolution bathymetric hillshade provided by the Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management (BOEM, 2017). A portion of the landslide features are derived from other spatial sources including the Seismic Water Anomalies dataset by BOEM (2016) as well as from McAdoo et al., 2000 and Twichell et al, 2005. The scale that landslides depletion areas can be interpreted at is limited by the spatial resolution of the gridded bathymetry, which is 12.192 meters (BOEM, 2017). For each landslide feature in the dataset, geometry metrics were calculated including geodesic area (km2) and geodesic perimeter (km) using the North America Albers Equal Area Conic projected coordinate system. The same geometry metrics were calculated for the four inventory regions.

DOE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program Plant Modernization Technical Program Plan for FY 2019

This report presents the Technical Program Plan for FY 2019 for the Department of Energy Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program – Plant Modernization research pathway. A summary of the vision and strategy is provided to explain how this program addresses key issues and barriers for modernizing instrumentation and control technologies and infrastructure in domestic nuclear power plants. The report describes the pilot projects that have been formulated to develop and validate enabling technologies over the next several years that will result in digital alternatives to the legacy analog II&C systems in place today. This will allow much needed modernization of these systems to address reliability and obsolescence problems, as well as serve as a platform for substantial operational improvement. The report further describes key project resources and cooperative relationships, including the Electric Power Research Institute, the Nuclear Energy Institute )NEI), the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO), the IFE Halden Reactor Project, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and industry suppliers, that are instrumental to the success of the program. The report also lists the schedule for all program products, including the titles and report numbers for all published reports under this program.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Dynamic Modeling of a Kaplan Hydroturbine Using Optimal Parametric Tuning and Real Plant Operational Data

To address grid variability caused by renewable energy integration and to maintain grid reliability and resilience, hydropower must quickly adjust its power generation over short time periods. This changing energy generation landscape requires advance technology integration and adaptive parameter optimization for hydropower systems via digital twin effort. However, this is difficult owing to the lack of characterization and modeling for the nonlinear nature of hydroturbines. To solve this issue, this paper first formulates a six-coefficient Kaplan hydroturbine model and then proposes a parametric optimization tuning framework based on the Nelder–Mead algorithm for adaptive dynamic learning of the six-coefficients so as to build models that describe the turbine. To assess the performance of the proposed optimal parametric tuning technique, operational data from a real-world Kaplan hydroturbine unit are collected and used to model the relationship between the gate opening and the generated power production. The findings show that the proposed technique can effectively and adaptively learn the unknown dynamics of the Kaplan hydroturbine while optimally tune the unknown coefficients to match the generated power output from the real hydroturbine unit with an inaccuracy of less than 5%. The method can be used to provides optimal tuning of parameters critical for controller design, operational optimization and daily maintenance for hydroturbines in general.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS1973

Development and flight test of a digital fly-by-wire F8.

The objective of the F-8 digital fly-by-wire program is to establish a technology base for the implementation of advanced flight control systems. The central element is the Apollo Lunar Guidance Computer (LGC). This versatile computer ran over 2000 hours in support of fly-by-wire without a failure. Difficulties encountered in the first flights were corrected rapidly and simply by changes in the erasable software memory. Control-configured vehicles offer significant weight-saving possibilities.

Peterson, B. A.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Aircrew displays and avionics for application in a future national airspace system

A concept for increased pilot involvement in a future National Airspace System was evolved during the FAA New Initiatives in Engineering and Development Users responsibilities and ways in which they might interact. The technical feasibility of the system is indicated by the sophisticated level of presently manufactured digital computers and display avionics, and the application of that technology under design by the major airframe manufacturers. Data collected during simulations and flights with the Terminal Configured Vehicle Program B-737 airplane are shown to have direct application to the new system concept. The adoption of the operational changes envisioned, offers some potentially significant advantages to the user.

Salmirs, S.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Guidance and control/ACEE

Active controls improve airplane performance by stabilizing its flight, reducing departures from stable flight, and alleviating loads imposed by external forces such as gusts, turbulence, or maneuvers. Some uses for active control systems, the design of redundant and reliable stability augmentation systems, digital fly-by-wire, and NASA assessments of the technology of sensors and actuators are discussed. A series of trade-off studies to better define optimum flight control systems, and research by drone and full-scale models are described.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1983

AFTI/F-16 flight test results and lessons

The advanced fighter technology integration (AFTI) F-16 aircraft is a highly complex digital flight control system integrated with advanced avionics and cockpit. The use of dissimilar backup modes if the primary system fails requires the designer to trade off system simplicity and capability. The tradeoff is evident in the AFTI/F-16 aircraft with its limited stability and fly by wire digital flight control systems when a generic software failure occurs the backup or normal mode must provide equivalent envelop protection during the transition to degraded flight control. The complexity of systems like the AFTI/F-16 system defines a second design issue, which is divided into two segments: (1) the effect on testing, (2) and the pilot's ability to act correctly in the limited time available for cockpit decisions. The large matrix of states possible with the AFTI/F-16 flight control system illustrates the difficulty of both testing the system and choosing real time pilot actions. The third generic issue is the possible reductions in the user's reliability expectations where false single channel information can be displayed at the pilot vehicle interface while the redundant set remains functional.

Ishmael, S. D.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Processor architecture for airborne SAR systems

Digital processors for spaceborne imaging radars and application of the technology developed for airborne SAR systems are considered. Transferring algorithms and implementation techniques from airborne to spaceborne SAR processors offers obvious advantages. The following topics are discussed: (1) a quantification of the differences in processing algorithms for airborne and spaceborne SARs; and (2) an overview of three processors for airborne SAR systems.

Glass, C. M.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Automatic systems and the low-level wind hazard

Automatic flight control systems provide means for significantly enhancing survivability in severe wind hazards. The technology required to produce the necessary control algorithms is available and has been made technically feasible by the advent of digital flight control systems and accurate, low-noise sensors, especially strap-down inertial sensors. The application of this technology and these means has not generally been enabled except for automatic landing systems, and even then the potential has not been fully exploited. To fully exploit the potential of automatic systems for enhancing safety in wind hazards requires providing incentives, creating demand, inspiring competition, education, and eliminating prejudicial disincentitives to overcome the economic penalties associated with the extensive and riskly development and certification of these systems. If these changes will come about at all, it will likely be through changes in the regulations provided by the certifying agencies.

Schaeffer, Dwight R.↗
NASA NTRS1987

An optical processor for object recognition and tracking

The design and development of a miniaturized optical processor that performs real time image correlation are described. The optical correlator utilizes the Vander Lugt matched spatial filter technique. The correlation output, a focused beam of light, is imaged onto a CMOS photodetector array. In addition to performing target recognition, the device also tracks the target. The hardware, composed of optical and electro-optical components, occupies only 590 cu cm of volume. A complete correlator system would also include an input imaging lens. This optical processing system is compact, rugged, requires only 3.5 watts of operating power, and weighs less than 3 kg. It represents a major achievement in miniaturizing optical processors. When considered as a special-purpose processing unit, it is an attractive alternative to conventional digital image recognition processing. It is conceivable that the combined technology of both optical and ditital processing could result in a very advanced robot vision system.

Sloan, J.↗
NASA NTRS1992

A Full Field, 3-D Velocimeter for NASA's Microgravity Science Program

One of NASA's new Advanced Technology Development projects is stereo imaging velocimetry. Using multiple CCD cameras, the velocimeter will digitize and store images of microscopic seed particles suspended in flowing transparent fluid systems. The data will be processed to obtain full-field, three-dimensional, quantitative velocity data. With successful evolution of the technology, the velocimeter will become part of NASA's flight hardware arsenal, available to both established experiments and new proposals.

Meyer, Maryjo B.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Optimization of knowledge-based systems and expert system building tools

The objectives of the NASA-AMES Cooperative Agreement were to investigate, develop, and evaluate, via test cases, the system parameters and processing algorithms that constrain the overall performance of the Information Sciences Division's Artificial Intelligence Research Facility. Written reports covering various aspects of the grant were submitted to the co-investigators for the grant. Research studies concentrated on the field of artificial intelligence knowledge-based systems technology. Activities included the following areas: (1) AI training classes; (2) merging optical and digital processing; (3) science experiment remote coaching; (4) SSF data management system tests; (5) computer integrated documentation project; (6) conservation of design knowledge project; (7) project management calendar and reporting system; (8) automation and robotics technology assessment; (9) advanced computer architectures and operating systems; and (10) honors program.

Yasuda, Phyllis↗