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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 1,099 records · Page 61
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1994

Reengineering the Project Design Process

In response to NASA's goal of working faster, better and cheaper, JPL has developed extensive plans to minimize cost, maximize customer and employee satisfaction, and implement small- and moderate-size missions. These plans include improved management structures and processes, enhanced technical design processes, the incorporation of new technology, and the development of more economical space- and ground-system designs. The Laboratory's new Flight Projects Implementation Office has been chartered to oversee these innovations and the reengineering of JPL's project design process, including establishment of the Project Design Center and the Flight System Testbed. Reengineering at JPL implies a cultural change whereby the character of its design process will change from sequential to concurrent and from hierarchical to parallel. The Project Design Center will support missions offering high science return, design to cost, demonstrations of new technology, and rapid development. Its computer-supported environment will foster high-fidelity project life-cycle development and cost estimating.

Jet Propulsion Laboratory JPL project design concu↗
NASA NTRS2014

Spot: A Programming Language for Verified Flight Software

The C programming language is widely used for programming space flight software and other safety-critical real time systems. C, however, is far from ideal for this purpose: as is well known, it is both low-level and unsafe. This paper describes Spot, a language derived from C for programming space flight systems. Spot aims to maintain compatibility with existing C code while improving the language and supporting verification with the SPIN model checker. The major features of Spot include actor-based concurrency, distributed state with message passing and transactional updates, and annotations for testing and verification. Spot also supports domain-specific annotations for managing spacecraft state, e.g., communicating telemetry information to the ground. We describe the motivation and design rationale for Spot, give an overview of the design, provide examples of Spot's capabilities, and discuss the current status of the implementation.

validation↗
DOE OSTI2015

China experiencing the recent warming hiatus: China experiences recent warming hiatus

Based on the homogenized data set, we analyze changes in mean temperature and some extreme temperature indices over China since 1961 and especially during the recent warming hiatus period (1998–2012) in a global average context. The result shows that the decrease of annual mean maximum has contributed most to the decreases in overall mean temperature and in diurnal temperature range (DTR) during the warming hiatus period. In most parts of China except the southwest, the summer mean maximum temperature (TxS) shows the largest increase, while the winter mean minimum temperature (TnW) indicates slight cooling trends. These changes have augmented the seasonal cycle and increased the likelihood of extreme warm and cold events. Further analyses reveal that the increases in TxS are significantly correlated with concurrent increases in solar radiation. In southwest China, the annual mean temperature, TxS, TnW, and DTR increased during 1998–2012, possibly related to increased dryness in this region during the hiatus period.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

Tremor–genic slow slip regions may be deeper and warmer and may slip slower than non–tremor–genic regions

The slow slip events (SSEs) are observed worldwide and often coincide with tectonic tremor. Notable examples of SSEs lacking observed tectonic tremor, however, occur beneath Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii, the Boso Peninsula, Japan, {near San Juan Bautista on the San Andreas Fault, California, and recently in Central Ecuador. These SSEs are similar to other worldwide SSEs in many ways (e.g., size or duration), but lack the concurrent tectonic tremor observed elsewhere; instead they trigger swarms of regular earthquakes. We investigate the physical conditions that may distinguish these non-tremor-genic SSEs from those associated with tectonic tremor including: slip velocity, pressure, temperature, fluids and fault asperities, although we cannot eliminate the possibility that tectonic tremor may be obscured in highly attenuating regions. Slip velocities of SSEs at Kilauea Volcano (~10⁻⁶ m/s) and Boso Peninsula (~10⁻⁷ m/s) are among the fastest SSEs worldwide. Kilauea Volcano, the Boso Peninsula and Central Ecuador are also among the shallowest SSEs worldwide, and thus have lower confining pressures and cooler temperatures in their respective slow slip zones. {Fluids also likely contribute to tremor generation, and no corresponding zone of high v p /v s has been noted at Kilauea or Boso. We suggest that the relatively faster slip velocities at Kilauea Volcano and the Boso Peninsula result from specific physical conditions that may also be responsible for triggering swarms of regular earthquakes adjacent to the slow slip, while different conditions produce slower SSE velocities elsewhere and trigger tectonic tremor.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

Assessing the relative influence of surface soil moisture and ENSO SST on precipitation predictability over the contiguous United States

This study assesses the relative influence of soil moisture memory and tropical sea surface temperature (SST) in seasonal rainfall over the contiguous United States. Using observed precipitation, the NINO3.4 index and soil moisture and evapotranspiration simulated by a land surface model for 61 years, analysis was performed using partial correlations to evaluate to what extent land surface and SST anomaly of El Niño and Southern Oscillation (ENSO) can affect seasonal precipitation over different regions and seasons. Results show that antecedent soil moisture is as important as concurrent ENSO condition in controlling rainfall anomalies over the U.S., but they generally dominate in different seasons with SST providing more predictability during winter while soil moisture, through its linkages to evapotranspiration and snow water, has larger influence in spring and early summer. The proposed methodology is applicable to climate model outputs to evaluate the intensity of land-atmosphere coupling and its relative importance.

Yoon, Jin-Ho↗
DOE OSTI2015

Relativistic electron response to the combined magnetospheric impact of a coronal mass ejection overlapping with a high-speed stream: Van Allen Probes observations

During early November 2013, the magnetosphere experienced concurrent driving by a coronal mass ejection (CME) during an ongoing high-speed stream (HSS) event. The relativistic electron response to these two kinds of drivers, i.e., HSS and CME, is typically different, with the former often leading to a slower buildup of electrons at larger radial distances, while the latter energizing electrons rapidly with flux enhancements occurring closer to the Earth. In this paper, we present a detailed analysis of the relativistic electron response including radial profiles of phase space density as observed by both Magnetic Electron and Ion Sensor (MagEIS) and Relativistic Electron Proton Telescope instruments on the Van Allen Probes mission. Data from the MagEIS instrument establish the behavior of lower energy (<1 MeV) electrons which span both intermediary and seed populations during electron energization. Measurements characterizing the plasma waves and magnetospheric electric and magnetic fields during this period are obtained by the Electric and Magnetic Field Instrument Suite and Integrated Science instrument on board Van Allen Probes, Search Coil Magnetometer and Flux Gate Magnetometer instruments on board Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms, and the low-altitude Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellites. These observations suggest that during this time period, both radial transport and local in situ processes are involved in the energization of electrons. Finally, the energization attributable to radial diffusion is most clearly evident for the lower energy (<1 MeV) electrons, while the effects of in situ energization by interaction of chorus waves are prominent in the higher-energy electrons.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Effect of pore pressure buildup on slowness of rupture propagation

Pore fluid pressure is known to play an important role in brittle fracture initiation and propagation, yet the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We conducted triaxial experiments on saturated porous sandstones to investigate effects of pore pressure buildup on the slowness of shear rupture propagation at different confining pressures. At low to intermediate confinements, rocks fail by brittle faulting, and pore pressure buildup causes a reduction in rock’s shear strength but does not induce measurable differences in slip behavior. When the confinement is high enough to prohibit dynamic faulting, rocks fail in the brittle-ductile transitional regime. In the transitional regime, pore pressure buildup promotes slip instability on an otherwise stably sliding fracture. Compared to those observed in the brittle regime, the slip rate, stress drop, and energy dissipated during rupture propagation with concurrent pore pressure buildup in the transitional regime are distinctively different. When decreasing confining pressure instead, the slip behavior resembles the ones of the brittle regime, emphasizing h ow the observed slowness is related to excess pore pressure beyond the effective pressure phenomenon. Analysis of the mechanical data using existing theoretical models confirms these observations. Quantitative microstructural analyses reveal that increasing pore pressure lessens the dilatancy hardening during failure, thus enhances slip along the localized zone in the transitional regime. Lastly, our experimental results suggest that pore pressure buildup induces slow slip in the transitional regime, and slip rates along a shear fracture may vary considerably depending on effective stress states.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

Incorporating root hydraulic redistribution in CLM4.5: Effects on predicted site and global evapotranspiration, soil moisture, and water storage

We implemented the Amenu-Kumar model in the Community Land Model (CLM4.5) to simulate plant Root Hydraulic Redistribution (RHR) and analyzed its influence on CLM hydrology from site to global scales. We evaluated two numerical implementations: the first solved the coupled equations of root and soil water transport concurrently, while the second solved the two equations sequentially. Through sensitivity analysis, we demonstrate that the sequentially coupled implementation (SCI) is numerically incorrect, whereas the tightly coupled implementation (TCI) is numerically robust with numerical time steps varying from 1 to 30 min. At the site-level, we found the SCI approach resulted in better agreement with measured evapotranspiration (ET) at the AmeriFlux Blodgett Forest site, California, whereas the two approaches resulted in equally poor agreement between predicted and measured ET at the LBA Tapajos KM67 Mature Forest site in Amazon, Brazil. Globally, the SCI approach overestimated annual land ET by as much as 3.5 mm d -1 in some grid cells when compared to the TCI estimates. These comparisons demonstrate that TCI is a more robust numerical implementation of RHR. However, we found, even with TCI, that incorporating RHR resulted in worse agreement with measured soil moisture at both the Blodgett Forest and Tapajos sites and degraded the agreement between simulated terrestrial water storage anomaly and Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) observations. We find including RHR in CLM4.5 improved ET predictions compared with the FLUXNET-MTE estimates north of 20° N but led to poorer predictions in the tropics. The biases in ET were robust and significant regardless of the four different pedotransfer functions or of the two meteorological forcing data sets we applied. We also found that the simulated water table was unrealistically sensitive to RHR. Therefore, we contend that further structural and data improvements are warranted to improve the hydrological dynamics in CLM4.5.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2017

Frictional stability-permeability relationships for fractures in shales

There is wide concern that fluid injection in the subsurface, such as for the stimulation of shale reservoirs or for geological CO 2 sequestration (GCS), has the potential to induce seismicity that may change reservoir permeability due to fault slip. However, the impact of induced seismicity on fracture permeability evolution remains unclear due to the spectrum of modes of fault reactivation (e.g., stable versus unstable). As seismicity is controlled by the frictional response of fractures, we explore friction-stability-permeability relationships through the concurrent measurement of frictional and hydraulic properties of artificial fractures in Green River shale (GRS) and Opalinus shale (OPS). We observe that carbonate-rich GRS shows higher frictional strength but weak neutral frictional stability. The GRS fracture permeability declines during shearing while an increased sliding velocity reduces the rate of permeability decline. By comparison, the phyllosilicate-rich OPS has lower friction and strong stability while the fracture permeability is reduced due to the swelling behavior that dominates over the shearing induced permeability reduction. Furthermore, we conclude that the friction-stability-permeability relationship of a fracture is largely controlled by mineral composition and that shale mineral compositions with strong frictional stability may be particularly subject to permanent permeability reduction during fluid infiltration.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Climate Impacts From a Removal of Anthropogenic Aerosol Emissions: Climate Impacts From a Removal of Anthropogenic Aerosol Emissions

Limiting global warming to 1.5 or 2.0°C requires strong mitigation of anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Concurrently, emissions of anthropogenic aerosols will decline, due to coemission with GHG, and measures to improve air quality. However, the combined climate effect of GHG and aerosol emissions over the industrial era is poorly constrained. Here we show the climate impacts from removing present-day anthropogenic aerosol emissions and compare them to the impacts from moderate GHG-dominated global warming. Removing aerosols induces a global mean surface heating of 0.5–1.1°C, and precipitation increase of 2.0–4.6%. Extreme weather indices also increase. We find a higher sensitivity of extreme events to aerosol reductions, per degree of surface warming, in particular over the major aerosol emission regions. Under near-term warming, we find that regional climate change will depend strongly on the balance between aerosol and GHG forcing.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2017

Using Long-term Satellite Observations to Identify Sensitive Regimes and Active Regions of Aerosol Indirect Effects for Liquid Clouds over Global Oceans

Long-term (1981-2011) satellite climate data records (CDRs) of clouds and aerosols are used to investigate the aerosol-cloud interaction of marine water cloud from a climatology perspective. Our focus is on identifying the regimes and regions where the aerosol indirect effect (AIE) are evident in long-term averages over the global oceans through analyzing the correlation features between aerosol loading and the key cloud variables including cloud droplet effective radius (CDER), cloud optical depth (COD), cloud water path (CWP), cloud top height (CTH), and cloud top temperature (CTT). An aerosol optical thickness (AOT) range of 0.13 < AOT < 0.3 is identified as the sensitive regime of the conventional first AIE where CDER is more susceptible to AOT than the other cloud variables. The first AIE that manifests as the change of long-term averaged CDER appears only in limited oceanic regions. The signature of aerosol invigoration of water clouds as revealed by the increase of cloud cover fraction (CCF) and CTH with increasing AOT at the middle/high latitudes of both hemispheres is identified for a pristine atmosphere (AOT < 0.08). Aerosol invigoration signature is also revealed by the concurrent increase of CDER, COD, and CWP with increasing AOT for a polluted marine atmosphere (AOT > 0.3) in the tropical convergence zones. The regions where the second AIE is likely to manifest in the CCF change are limited to several oceanic areas with high CCF of the warm water clouds near the western coasts of continents. The second AIE signature as represented by the reduction of the precipitation efficiency with increasing AOT is more likely to be observed in the AOT regime of 0.08 < AOT < 0.4. The corresponding AIE active regions manifested themselves as the decline of the precipitation efficiency are mainly limited to the oceanic areas downwind of continental aerosols. Furthermore, the sensitive regime of the conventional AIE identified in this observational study is likely associated with the transitional regime from the aerosol-limited regime to the updraft-limited regime identified for aerosol-cloud interaction in cloud model simulations.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Temporal Coupling of Subsurface and Surface Soil CO 2 Fluxes: Insights From a Nonsteady State Model and Cross-Wavelet Coherence Analysis

Inferences about subsurface CO 2 fluxes often rely on surface soil respiration (R soil ) estimates because directly measuring subsurface microbial and root respiration (collectively, CO 2 production, S Total ), is difficult. To evaluate how well R soil serves as a proxy for S Total , we applied the nonsteady state DEconvolution of Temporally varying Ecosystem Carbon componenTs model (0.01-m vertical resolution), using 6-hourly data from a Wyoming grassland, in six simulations that cross three soil types (clay, sandy loam, and sandy) with two depth distributions of subsurface biota. We used cross-wavelet coherence analysis to examine temporal coherence (localized linear correlation) and offsets (lags) between S Total and R soil and fluxes and drivers (e.g., soil temperature and moisture). Cross-wavelet coherence revealed higher coherence between fluxes and drivers than linear regressions between concurrent variables. Soil texture and moisture exerted the strongest controls over coherence between CO 2 fluxes. Coherence between CO 2 fluxes in all soil types was strong at short (~1 day) and long periods (>8 days), but soil type controlled lags, and rainfall events decoupled the fluxes at periods of 1–8 days for several days in sandy soil, up to 1 week in sandy loam, and for a month or more in clay soil. Concentrating root and microbial biomass nearer the surface decreased lags in all soil types and increased coherence up to 10% in clay soil. The assumption of high temporal coherence between R soil and S Total is likely valid in dry, sandy soil, but may lead to underestimates of short-term STotal in semiarid grasslands with fine-grained and/or wet soil.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Unraveling the Main Chain and Side Chain Effects on Thin Film Morphology and Charge Transport in Quinoidal Conjugated Polymers

Three series of low-bandgap polymers based on a novel quinoidal para -azaquinodimethane ( p -AQM) unit are devised and synthesized, enabling an in-depth study of the impact of structural factors such as polymer main chain, branching point of the side chain, and the length of the branch chains on the thin film morphologies and charge transport properties. Morphological studies reveal that the polymers composed of larger repeating units exhibit a stronger tendency to form edge-on lamella. In contrast, altering the side chain structures of polymers with the same main chain configuration indicates that the branching point position has a more deterministic impact than the branch chain length on the interchain interactions and the crystallite orientation. These results demonstrate a compound odd-even effect of the branching point on the chain packing and morphology, which correlates well with the corresponding field effect transistor performances. The polymer with the branching point at the fourth carbon displays the highest charge carrier mobility over 1.0 cm 2 V-Three series of low-bandgap polymers based on a novel quinoidal para -azaquinodimethane ( p -AQM) unit are devised and synthesized, enabling an in-depth study of the impact of structural factors such as polymer main chain, branching point of the side chain, and the length of the branch chains on the thin film morphologies and charge transport properties. Morphological studies reveal that the polymers composed of larger repeating units exhibit a stronger tendency to form edge-on lamella. On the other hand, altering the side chain structures of polymers with the same main chain configuration indicates that the branching point position has a more deterministic impact than the branch chain length on the interchain interactions and the crystallite orientation. These results reflect a compound odd-even effect of the branching point on the chain packing and morphology, which correlates well with the corresponding field effect transistor performances. The polymer with the branching point at the fourth carbon displays the highest charge carrier mobility over 1.0 cm 2 V -1 s -1 , concurrent with a bimodal texture. This study provides a comprehensive description of the correlations between polymer structures, thin film morphology, and device performances, providing a clear path to desirable bimodal thin film texture for charge transport.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Low-Dimensional Contact Layers for Enhanced Perovskite Photodiodes

Controlling defects and energy-band alignments are of paramount importance to the development of high-performance perovskite-based photodiodes. Yet, concurrent improvements in interfacial contacts and defect reduction simply by tailoring bottom contacts have not been investigated. An effective strategy is reported that can simultaneously improve energy-band alignments and structural defects by introducing low-dimensional contact (LDC) layers at the bottom interface. It is found that LDC-based perovskites considerably suppress undesirable structural defects induced by microstrains, resulting in reduced nonradiative recombination centers and improved carrier lifetimes. Additionally, the resulting LDC-based interface structures help block minority carrier injection from the electrodes by forming built-in electric fields. As a consequence, LDC-based perovskite photodiodes showed improved light detection capabilities. Finally, the result opens an avenue to yield highly efficient photodiodes.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Metal–Ligand Based Mechanophores Enhance Both Mechanical Robustness and Electronic Performance of Polymer Semiconductors

The backbone of diketopyrrolopyrrole-thiophene-vinylene-thiophene-based polymer semiconductors (PSCs) is modified with pyridine (Py) or bipyridine ligands to complex Fe(II) metal centers, allowing the metal–ligand complexes to act as mechanophores and dynamically crosslink the polymer chains. Here, mono- and bi-dentate ligands are observed to exhibit different degrees of bond strengths, which subsequently affect the mechanical properties of these Wolf-type-II metallopolymers. The counter ion also plays a crucial role, as it is observed that Py-Fe mechanophores with non-coordinating BPh 4 – counter ions (Py-FeB) exhibit better thin film ductility with lower elastic modulus, as compared to the coordinating chloro ligands (Py-FeC). Interestingly, besides mechanical robustness, the electrical charge carrier mobility can also be enhanced concurrently when incorporating Py-FeB mechanophores in PSCs. This is a unique observation among stretchable PSCs, especially that most reports to date describe a decreased mobility when the stretchability is improved. Next, it is determined that improvements to both mobility and stretchability are correlated to the solid-state molecular ordering and dynamics of coordination bonds under strain, as elucidated via techniques of grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction and X-ray absorption spectroscopy techniques, respectively. This study provides a viable approach to enhance both the mechanical and the electronic performance of polymer-based soft devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Bandwidth Control and Symmetry Breaking in a Mott‐Hubbard Correlated Metal

Abstract In Mott materials strong electron correlation yields a spectrum of complex electronic structures. Recent synthesis advancements open realistic opportunities for harnessing Mott physics to design transformative devices. However, a major bottleneck in realizing such devices remains the lack of control over the electron correlation strength. This stems from the complexity of the electronic structure, which often veils the basic mechanisms underlying the correlation strength. This study presents control of the correlation strength by tuning the degree of orbital overlap using picometer‐scale lattice engineering. This study illustrates how bandwidth control and concurrent symmetry breaking can govern the electronic structure of a correlated SrVO 3 model system. This study shows how tensile and compressive biaxial strain oppositely affect the SrVO 3 in‐plane and out‐of‐plane orbital occupancy, resulting in the partial alleviation of the orbital degeneracy. The spectral weight redistribution under strain is derived and explained, which illustrates how high tensile strain drives the system toward a Mott insulating state. Implementation of such concepts can push correlated electron phenomena closer toward new solid‐state devices and circuits. These findings therefore pave the way for understanding and controlling electron correlation in a broad range of functional materials, driving this powerful resource for novel electronics closer toward practical realization.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2023

Nondestructively Visualizing and Understanding the Mechano-Electro-chemical Origins of “Soft Short” and “Creeping” in All-Solid-State Batteries

All-solid-state Li-metal batteries (ASLMBs) represent a significant breakthrough in the quest to overcome limitations associated with traditional Li-ion batteries, particularly in energy density and safety aspects. However, widespread implementation is stymied due to a lack of profound understanding of the complex mechano-electro-chemical behavior of Li metal in the ASLMBs. Herein, operando neutron imaging and X-ray computed tomography (XCT) are leveraged to nondestructively visualize Li behaviors within ASLMBs. This approach offers real-time observations of Li evolutions, both pre- and post- occurrence of a “soft short”. The coordination of 2D neutron radiography and 3D neutron tomography enables charting of the terrain of Li metal deformation operando. Concurrently, XCT offers a 3D insight into the internal structure of the battery following a “soft short”. Despite the manifestation of a “soft short”, the persistence of Faradaic processes is observed. To study the elusive “soft short”, phase field modeling is coupled with electrochemistry and solid mechanics theory. The research unravels how external pressure curbs dendrite growth, potentially leading to dendrite fractures and thus uncovering the origins of both “soft” and “hard” shorts in ASLMBs. Furthermore, by harnessing finite element modeling, it dive deeper into the mechanical deformation and the fluidity of Li metal.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Interfacial Engineering Using Covalent Organic Frameworks in Polymer Composites for High‐Temperature Electrostatic Energy Storage

Abstract The use of inorganic nanofillers has been an effective method to improve high‐temperature capacitive performance of dielectric polymers, though there are unmet challenges such as undesirable organic–inorganic compatibility, and low efficiencies and energy densities. Herein, a surface functionalization strategy using covalent organic frameworks (COFs) is employed to address such challenges in realizing high‐performing polymer composites. Specifically, core–shell structured nanoparticles, where ZrO 2 nanoparticles act as the core and a COF material forms the shell, are constructed and composited with the polyetherimide (PEI) matrix. The design leverages the high electron affinity ( E A ) of the outer COF shell to create energy traps, thereby capturing free charges and limiting electrical conduction. Concurrently, the low E A and wide bandgap of the ZrO 2 core introduce energy barriers to impede charge injection and migration. This orchestrated “energy level cascade” results in a marked reduction of leakage current and energy loss. The resulting polymer composite showcases an impressive discharged energy density of 6.21 J cm −3 at an efficiency above 90%, with a maximum discharged energy density reaching 7.43 J cm −3 at 150 °C. These performance metrics position the PEI/ZrO 2 @COF polymer composite to surpass or be on par with state‐of‐the‐art high‐temperature PEI composites and other advanced polymer dielectrics.

Xie, Zongliang↗