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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 1,189 records · Page 66
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Preliminary Design Needs for High-Temperature Heat Pipe Imaging System

This report provides preliminary design needs for radiological imaging heat pipes to perform in operando assessment for high-temperature alkaline metal charged heat pipes (HPs). The measurement parameters of interest have been summarized for characterizing the operando HP behavior. Based on the current SPHERE experimental facility, the needs and modifications required for the experimental setup have also been identified to enable the X-ray-assisted visualizations for the single HP during its operating conditions.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2021

Reaction inhomogeneity coupling with metal rearrangement triggers electrochemical degradation in lithium-rich layered cathode

High-energy density lithium-rich layered oxides are among the most promising candidates for next-generation energy storage. Unfortunately, these materials suffer from severe electrochemical degradation that includes capacity loss and voltage decay during long-term cycling. Present research efforts are primarily focused on understanding voltage decay phenomena while origins for capacity degradation have been largely ignored. Here, we thoroughly investigate causes for electrochemical performance decline with an emphasis on capacity loss in the lithium-rich layered oxides, as well as reaction pathways and kinetics. Advanced synchrotron-based X-ray two-dimensional and three-dimensional imaging techniques are combined with spectroscopic and scattering techniques to spatially visualize the reactivity at multiple length-scales on lithium- and manganese-rich layered oxides. These methods provide direct evidence for inhomogeneous manganese reactivity and ionic nickel rearrangement. Coupling deactivated manganese with nickel migration provides sluggish reaction kinetics and induces serious structural instability in the material. Our findings provide new insights and further understanding of electrochemical degradation, which serve to facilitate cathode material design improvements.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2015

New insights on the propagation of pulsed atmospheric plasma streams: From single jet to multi jet arrays

Atmospheric pressure plasma propagation inside long dielectric tubes is analyzed for the first time through nonintrusive and nonperturbative time resolved bi-directional electric field (EF) measurements. This study unveils that plasma propagation occurs in a region where longitudinal EF exists ahead the ionization front position usually revealed from plasma emission with ICCD measurement. The ionization front propagation induces the sudden rise of a radial EF component. Both of these EF components have an amplitude of several kV/cm for helium or neon plasmas and are preserved almost constant along a few tens of cm inside a capillary. All these experimental measurements are in excellent agreement with previous model calculations. The key roles of the voltage pulse polarity and of the target nature on the helium flow patterns when plasma jet is emerging in ambient air are documented from Schlieren visualization. The second part of this work is then dedicated to the development of multi jet systems, using two different setups, based on a single plasma source. Plasma splitting in dielectric tubes drilled with sub millimetric orifices, but also plasma transfer across metallic tubes equipped with such orifices are reported and analyzed from ICCD imaging and time resolved EF measurements. This allows for the design and the feasibility validation of plasma jet arrays but also emphasizes the necessity to account for voltage pulse polarity, target potential status, consecutive helium flow modulation, and electrostatic influence between the produced secondary jets.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Inverse design of a pyrochlore lattice of DNA origami through model-driven experiments

Sophisticated statistical mechanics approaches and human intuition have demonstrated the possibility of self-assembling complex lattices or finite-size constructs. However, attempts so far have mostly only been successful in silico and often fail in experiment because of unpredicted traps associated with kinetic slowing down (gelation, glass transition) and competing ordered structures. Theoretical predictions also face the difficulty of encoding the desired interparticle interaction potential with the experimentally available nano- and micrometer-sized particles. To overcome these issues, we combine SAT assembly (a patchy-particle interaction design algorithm based on constrained optimization) with coarse-grained simulations of DNA nanotechnology to experimentally realize trap-free self-assembly pathways. In this paper, we use this approach to assemble a pyrochlore three-dimensional lattice, coveted for its promise in the construction of optical metamaterials, and characterize it with small-angle x-ray scattering and scanning electron microscopy visualization.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

The ARM Data-oriented Metrics and Diagnostics Package for Climate Models - A New Tool for Evaluating Climate Models with Field Data

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program User Facility produces ground-based long-term continuous unique measurements for atmospheric state, precipitation, turbulent fluxes, radiation, aerosol, cloud and the land surface, which are collected at multiple sites. These comprehensive datasets have been widely used to calibrate climate models and are proven to be invaluable for climate model development and improvement. This article introduces an evaluation package to facilitate the use of ground-based ARM measurements in climate model evaluation. The ARM data-oriented metrics and diagnostics package (ARM-DIAGS) includes both ARM observational datasets and a Python-based analysis toolkit for computation and visualization. The observational datasets are compiled from multiple ARM data products and specifically tailored for use in climate model evaluation. In addition, ARM-DIAGS also includes simulation data from models participating the Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project (CMIP), which will allow climate-modeling groups to compare a new, candidate version of their model to existing CMIP models. The analysis toolkit is designed to make the metrics and diagnostics quickly available to the model developers.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Reliability Assessment of Remote Visual Examination

Remote visual testing (RVT) is a commonly used nondestructive examination method for inservice inspection (ISI) of reactor internals to detect cracking and gross component failures. Despite widespread use, the detection reliability of RVT and the factors that impact overall RVT performance have been unresolved issues. This report describes the results from an assessment sponsored by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and conducted by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, in cooperation with the Electric Power Research Institute, for evaluating the reliability of RVT methods currently being used for [reactor] in-vessel visual inspection. The goal was to assess the performance of commercially applied RVT examination procedures implemented by qualified personnel, as well as to identify and qualitatively assess enhancements to examination procedures for detecting flaws in test specimens. The assessment was performed over three phases of research, with the results of the first phase used to identify key controllable parameters impacting RVT performance and to design the next two phases (round-robin testing). Participants in the round-robin tests included teams of inspectors from commercial nuclear power ISI vendors. Participants were asked to determine if a specimen contained a crack and its approximate location, orientation, and length. The detection and location information were used to compute estimates of the probability of detection and false call probability for various scenarios such as the placement and orientation of the flaw on the specimen, team-to-team variations in detection performance, and effects of secondary review on RVT detection. Results showed that crack opening displacement (COD) is the dominant factor in the reliability of crack detection using commercially applied RVT procedures, with crack length being weakly correlated with detection probability. The implication is that RVT detection is likely heavily dependent on the contrast produced by the crack opening, with crack detection becoming less reliable as the COD decreases. Further, the results indicated RVT will be challenged when cracks are located in the vicinity of surface features such as scratches or weld ripples, or close to the edge of welds where shadowing and/or the presence of weld undercuts may complicate the ability to detect the crack. The assessment also reinforced earlier findings on the importance of lighting in flaw detection and appeared to align with other studies that find improved reliability when using multiple inspectors or analysts. Finally, the results pointed to the importance of practice with specimens that mimic conditions likely to be found in the field. Based on the findings and limitations of the assessment, a number of recommendations are made regarding best practices for improving the reliability of RVT in a field setting and for addressing remaining informational gaps. This report describes the design and noted limitations of the three phases of research, the analysis methodology for each phase, and the results of the research. The results of this assessment provide a benchmark set of data on the reliability of RVT for detecting cracking, assuming the implementation of field-like inspection procedures. The likely impact of several uncontrolled factors on RVT detection performance are discussed, and recommendations regarding the use of these results to assess field performance are provided. Finally, recent advances in RVT technology are briefly discussed and point to the potential need for continued research to evaluate the capability and effectiveness of the technique as improvements are implemented.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2022

GDSA Framework Development and Process Model Integration FY2022

The Spent Fuel and Waste Science and Technology (SFWST) Campaign of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy (NE), Office of Spent Fuel & Waste Disposition (SFWD) is conducting research and development (R&D) on geologic disposal of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high-level nuclear waste (HLW). A high priority for SFWST disposal R&D is disposal system modeling (Sassani et al. 2021). The SFWST Geologic Disposal Safety Assessment (GDSA) work package is charged with developing a disposal system modeling and analysis capability for evaluating generic disposal system performance for nuclear waste in geologic media. This report describes fiscal year (FY) 2022 advances of the Geologic Disposal Safety Assessment (GDSA) performance assessment (PA) development groups of the SFWST Campaign. The common mission of these groups is to develop a geologic disposal system modeling capability for nuclear waste that can be used to assess probabilistically the performance of generic disposal options and generic sites. The modeling capability under development is called GDSA Framework (pa.sandia.gov). GDSA Framework is a coordinated set of codes and databases designed for probabilistically simulating the release and transport of disposed radionuclides from a repository to the biosphere for post-closure performance assessment. Primary components of GDSA Framework include PFLOTRAN to simulate the major features, events, and processes (FEPs) over time, Dakota to propagate uncertainty and analyze sensitivities, meshing codes to define the domain, and various other software for rendering properties, processing data, and visualizing results.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2025

ILLICIT TRANSIT INTERDICTION GLOBAL ANALYSIS

This study aims to enhance the security of radioactive materials during transport by analyzing commonalities in cargo thefts conducted by non-state groups such as thieves and terrorists. This research focuses on identifying patterns and trends in the methods used to steal high-value cargo, with the goal of applying these insights to improve transport security of radioactive materials. Key questions addressed include the frequency of specific tools, techniques, and insider involvement in thefts, as well as the use of weapons, electronic jamming equipment, and specialized tools. Findings will inform security design improvements and industry practices to mitigate vulnerabilities. The study involves a comprehensive review of literature and case studies, utilizing data sources from 2018 to 2023. Articles will be selected based on their relevance to thefts of valuable cargo in transit, with a focus on incidents involving non-state actors. The methodology will include statistical and inferential analysis to identify trends, with results visualized through pie charts, frequency analyses, and terrain maps. The discussion will highlight the implications of findings and provide actionable recommendations for strengthening security measures. Limitations such as data availability and reporting inconsistencies will be acknowledged. Suggestions for future improvements will be constructed using existing case studies and expert feedback. The study’s outcomes aim to raise awareness within the industry, inform policy decisions, and enhance security protocols for radioactive material transport. Metrics for impact include the potential publication of findings, presentations at conferences to raise awareness, and the subsequent actions taken by stakeholders based on the research. By identifying trends and vulnerabilities and suggesting improvements, this research contributes to preventing the illicit use of nuclear and radiological materials.

Zineddin, Dr. Z. [ORNL] (ORCID:0009000848740725)↗
DOE OSTI2024

Heuristic algorithms for design of integrated monitoring of geologic carbon storage sites

Designs for Risk Evaluation and Management (DREAM) is a tool developed under the National Risk Assessment Partnership (NRAP) to enhance geologic carbon storage safety and efficiency. Using potential leakage scenarios generated externally by the users preferred history-matching approach, DREAM constructs ideal combinations of sensor locations in the right place at the right time to detect as many leaks as possible, detect them as early as possible, and minimize cost. This user-friendly tool, developed in Java, features a window-based GUI for input and a 3D visualization tool for viewing the domain space and optimized monitoring plans. DREAM's latest version accommodates real-world usage by allowing for joint optimization of wellbore point sensor placements and surface geophysics survey geometries, and by using more efficient multi-objective optimization algorithms. We show an example where, these two improvements combined allow us to support containment assurance and go from detecting 80–90 % of the potential CO 2 leakage to +99.7 %, a step-change improvement that can make the deciding difference in whether a site is suitable for geologic carbon storage. Though developed for geologic carbon storage, this tool would be equally applicable in many surface or offshore environmental monitoring projects.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

NDE Technology Development Program for Hanford DST Non-Visual Volumetric Inspection Technology – Phase II; Technical Letter Report on Air-slot NDE Sensor Maturation Testing

The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) located in Richland, Washington, hosted and administered Phase II Flaw Detection Performance Tests in August 2018 that allowed the newly matured ultrasonic guided wave phased-array (GWPA) air-slot NDE sensor—“Hanford-Probe A”—developed by Guidedwave to be evaluated for its flaw detection capability and repeatability. A portion of the Phase II Flaw Detection Performance Tests was performed on a subset of test flaws on which the original GWPA sensor was evaluated during Phase I Sensor Effectiveness Testing (SET) to facilitate a comparison in flaw detection performance between Hanford-Probe A and the original GWPA sensor demonstrated in Phase I. The objective of the performance comparison was to determine the extent to which GWPA sensor design changes impacted the flaw detection performance upon which selection of the sensor technology was originally based for the purpose of determining whether the flaw detection performance of the newly matured Hanford-Probe A GWPA air-slot NDE sensor is at least equal to that of the original GWPA sensor evaluated under Phase I SET. This technical letter report presents the results produced by the new Hanford-Probe A on the Phase I test flaws and the results of the flaw detection performance comparison between Hanford-Probe A and the original GWPA sensor demonstrated in Phase I.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2019

Small Molecule Inhibitors of the BfrB–Bfd Interaction Decrease Pseudomonas aeruginosa Fitness and Potentiate Fluoroquinolone Activity

The iron storage protein bacterioferritin (BfrB) is central to bacterial iron homeostasis. The mobilization of iron from BfrB, which requires binding by a cognate ferredoxin (Bfd), is essential to the regulation of cytosolic iron levels in P. aeruginosa . This paper describes the structure-guided development of small molecule inhibitors of the BfrB–Bfd protein–protein interaction. The process was initiated by screening a fragment library and followed by obtaining the structure of a fragment hit bound to BfrB. The structural insights were used to develop a series of 4-(benzylamino)- and 4-((3-phenylpropyl)amino)-isoindoline-1,3-dione analogs that selectively bind BfrB at the Bfd binding site. Challenging P. aeruginosa cells with the 4-substituted isoindoline analogs revealed a dose-dependent growth phenotype. Further investigation determined that the analogs elicit a pyoverdin hyperproduction phenotype that is consistent with blockade of the BfrB–Bfd interaction and ensuing irreversible accumulation of iron in BfrB, with concomitant depletion of iron in the cytosol. The irreversible accumulation of iron in BfrB prompted by the 4-substituted isoindoline analogs was confirmed by visualization of BfrB-iron in P. aeruginosa cell lysates separated on native PAGE gels and stained for iron with Ferene S. Challenging P. aeruginosa cultures with a combination of commercial fluoroquinolone and our isoindoline analogs results in significantly lower cell survival relative to treatment with either antibiotic or analog alone. Collectively, these findings furnish proof of concept for the usefulness of small molecule probes designed to dysregulate bacterial iron homeostasis by targeting a protein–protein interaction pivotal for iron storage in the bacterial cell.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2019

Imaging material functionality through three-dimensional nanoscale tracking of energy flow

The ability of energy carriers to move between atoms and molecules underlies biochemical and material function. Understanding and controlling energy flow, however, requires observing it on ultrasmall and ultrafast spatio-temporal scales, where energetic and structural roadblocks dictate the fate of energy carriers. Here, we developed a non-invasive optical scheme that leverages non-resonant interferometric scattering to track tiny changes in material polarizability created by energy carriers. We thus map evolving energy carrier distributions in four dimensions of spacetime with few-nanometre lateral precision and directly correlate them with material morphology. We visualize exciton, charge and heat transport in polyacene, silicon and perovskite semiconductors and elucidate how disorder affects energy flow in three dimensions. For example, we show that morphological boundaries in polycrystalline metal halide perovskites possess lateral- and depth-dependent resistivities, blocking lateral transport for surface but not bulk carriers. We also reveal strategies for interpreting energy transport in disordered environments that will direct the design of defect-tolerant materials for the semiconductor industry of tomorrow.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

FTP 100: An Ultra-High Speed Data Transfer Service Over Next Generation 100 Gigabit Per Second Network

Data-intensive applications, including high energy and nuclear physics, astrophysics, climate modeling, nano-scale materials science, genomics, and financing, are expected to generate exabytes of data over the coming years, which must be transferred, visualized, and analyzed by geographically distributed teams of users. High-performance network capabilities must be available to these users at the application level in a transparent, virtualized manner. Moreover, the application users must have the capability to move large datasets from local and remote locations across network environments to their home institutions. To solve these challenges, the main goal of our project is to design and evaluate high-performance data transfer software to support various data-intensive applications. First, we have designed a middleware software that provides access to Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA) functionalities. This middleware integrates network access, memory management and multitasking in its core design. We address a number of issues related to its efficient implementation, for instance, explicit buffer management and memory registration, and parallelization of RDMA operations, which are vital to delivering the benefit of RDMA to the applications. Built on top of this middleware, an implementation and experimental evaluation of the RDMA-based FTP software, RFTP, is described and evaluated. This application has been implemented by our team to exploit the full capabilities of advanced RDMA mechanisms for ultra-high speed bulk data transfer applications on Energy Sciences Network (ESnet). Second, we designed our data transfer software to optimize TCP/IP based data transfer performance such that RFTP can be fully compatible with today’s Internet. Our kernel optimization techniques with Linux system calls sendfile and splice, can reduce data copy cost. In this report, we summarize the technical challenges of our project, the primary software design methods, the major project milestones achieved, as well as the testbed evaluation work and demonstrations during our project life time.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Rapid characterization and failure analysis of 6276 rooftop-harvested photovoltaic connectors

Photovoltaic (PV) connectors, which link modules in series and connect PV strings in parallel, have increasingly been recognized as a primary contributor to PV system failures and a source of numerous fire incidents. However, publicly available data on the rates and types of connector failures are scarce, primarily due to the proprietary nature of the information and the need for comprehensive analysis. This study represents the first large-scale investigation of harvested PV connectors, drawing from a dataset of 6276 connectors from residential rooftop solar systems across the United States. The outcome of this work is twofold: 1) we have established a rapid characterization method for large populations of harvested connectors, incorporating visual inspection, resistance measurements, and X-ray imaging; and 2) the analysis made possible by our rapid-processing method has revealed, for a population of connector models provided by a single rooftop installer, failure statistics and insights for various connector makes and models, installation practices, operating currents, and internal component displacements. This research identifies common failure modes that could be considered in future connector designs standards, and operations and maintenance practices, to ultimately improve the reliability of this vital component of PV infrastructure.

MC4↗
DOE OSTI2021

High-temperature high-pressure microfluidic system for rapid screening of supercritical CO 2 foaming agents

CO 2 foam helps to increase the viscosity of CO 2 flood fluid and thus improve the process efficiency of the anthropogenic greenhouse gas’s subsurface utilization and sequestration. Successful CO 2 foam formation mandates the development of high-performance chemicals at close to reservoir conditions, which in turn requires extensive laboratory tests and evaluations. This work demonstrates the utilization of a microfluidic reservoir analogue for rapid evaluation and screening of commercial surfactants (i.e., Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Lauramidopropyl Betaine, Tallow Amine Ethoxylate, N,N,N' Trimethyl-N'-Tallow-1,3-diaminopropane, and Sodium Alpha Olefin Sulfonate) based on their performance to produce supercritical CO 2 foam at high salinity, temperature, and pressure conditions. The microfluidic analogue was designed to represent the pore sizes of the geologic reservoir rock and to operate at 100 °C and 13.8 MPa. Values of the pressure drop across the microfluidic analogue during flow of the CO 2 foam through its pore network was used to evaluate the strength of the generated foam and utilized only milliliters of liquid. The transparent microfluidic pore network allows in-situ quantitative visualization of CO 2 foam to calculate its half-life under static conditions while observing if there is any damage to the pore network due to precipitation and blockage. The microfluidic mobility reduction results agree with those of foam loop rheometer measurements, however, the microfluidic approach provided more accurate foam stability data to differentiate the foaming agent as compared with conventional balk testing. The results obtained here supports the utility of microfluidic systems for rapid screening of chemicals for carbon sequestration or enhanced oil recovery operations.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2020

ROBIN (RuciO/BIgData Express/SENSE) A Next-Generation High-Performance Data Service Platform

Increasingly, scientific research discoverydepends on the analysis of extremely large amounts of data. Thisdata is gathered through very large scientific instruments, verylarge numbers of small devices, and mid-scale instruments.These devices generate exponentially increasing volumes of data.Such data is often obtained, analyzed, stored, visualized, andtransferred at and among sites world-wide by largecollaborations of science communities. Managing and movingextremely large volumes of data across today’s networks is aspecial multidimensional challenge. Also, existing datamanagement and movement services and tools often areinadequate to address all specific requirements. This paperdescribes the various components of this challenge and howthose issues can be addressed by ROBIN, a uniquecomprehensive set of integrated services designed specificallyfor managing and moving extremely large amounts of data overlong distances, e.g., thousands of miles around the globe. Thispaper also describes the results of initial experiments using thatset of integrated services.

Wu, Wenji↗
DOE OSTI2015

Automating linear accelerator quality assurance

Purpose: The purpose of this study was 2-fold. One purpose was to develop an automated, streamlined quality assurance (QA) program for use by multiple centers. The second purpose was to evaluate machine performance over time for multiple centers using linear accelerator (Linac) log files and electronic portal images. The authors sought to evaluate variations in Linac performance to establish as a reference for other centers. Methods: The authors developed analytical software tools for a QA program using both log files and electronic portal imaging device (EPID) measurements. The first tool is a general analysis tool which can read and visually represent data in the log file. This tool, which can be used to automatically analyze patient treatment or QA log files, examines the files for Linac deviations which exceed thresholds. The second set of tools consists of a test suite of QA fields, a standard phantom, and software to collect information from the log files on deviations from the expected values. The test suite was designed to focus on the mechanical tests of the Linac to include jaw, MLC, and collimator positions during static, IMRT, and volumetric modulated arc therapy delivery. A consortium of eight institutions delivered the test suite at monthly or weekly intervals on each Linac using a standard phantom. The behavior of various components was analyzed for eight TrueBeam Linacs. Results: For the EPID and trajectory log file analysis, all observed deviations which exceeded established thresholds for Linac behavior resulted in a beam hold off. In the absence of an interlock-triggering event, the maximum observed log file deviations between the expected and actual component positions (such as MLC leaves) varied from less than 1% to 26% of published tolerance thresholds. The maximum and standard deviations of the variations due to gantry sag, collimator angle, jaw position, and MLC positions are presented. Gantry sag among Linacs was 0.336 ± 0.072 mm. The standard deviation in MLC position, as determined by EPID measurements, across the consortium was 0.33 mm for IMRT fields. With respect to the log files, the deviations between expected and actual positions for parameters were small (<0.12 mm) for all Linacs. Considering both log files and EPID measurements, all parameters were well within published tolerance values. Variations in collimator angle, MLC position, and gantry sag were also evaluated for all Linacs. Conclusions: The performance of the TrueBeam Linac model was shown to be consistent based on automated analysis of trajectory log files and EPID images acquired during delivery of a standardized test suite. The results can be compared directly to tolerance thresholds. In addition, sharing of results from standard tests across institutions can facilitate the identification of QA process and Linac changes. These reference values are presented along with the standard deviation for common tests so that the test suite can be used by other centers to evaluate their Linac performance against those in this consortium.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗