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At least 1,225 records · Page 68

Polarized fusion and potential in situ tests of fuel polarization survival in a tokamak plasma

Abstract The use of spin-polarized fusion fuels would provide a significant boost towards the ignition of a burning plasma. The cross section for D + T → α + n, would be increased by 1.5 if the fuels were injected with parallel polarization. Furthermore, our simulations demonstrate additional non-linear power gains in large-scale machines such as ITER, due to increased alpha heating. Such benefits require the survival of spin polarizations for periods comparable to the particle confinement time. During the 1980s, calculations predicted that polarizations could survive a plasma environment, although concerns persisted regarding the cumulative impacts of wall recycling. In that era, technical challenges prevented direct tests and left the large scale fueling of a power reactor beyond reach. Over the last decades, this situation has changed dramatically. Detailed simulations of ITER have predicted negligible wall recycling in a high-power reactor, and recent advances in laser-driven sources project the capability of producing large quantities of ∼100% polarized D and T. The remaining crucial step is an in-situ demonstration of polarization survival in a plasma. For this, we outline a measurement strategy using the isospin-mirror reaction, D + 3 He → α + p. Polarized 3 He avoids the complexities of handling tritium, while encompassing the same spin-physics. We evaluate two methods of delivering deuterium, using dynamically polarized Lithium-Deuteride (with vector polarization P V D of 70%) or frozen-spin Hydrogen-Deuteride (with P V D of 40%), together with a method of injecting optically-pumped 3 He (with 65% polarization). Pellets of these materials all have long polarization decay times (∼6 min for LiD at 2 K, ∼2 months for HD at 2 K, and ∼3 d for 3 He at 77 K), all far greater than a plasma shot in a research tokamak such as DIII-D (∼20 s). Both species can be propelled from a single cryogenic injection gun. We review plasma requirements and strategies for detecting polarization survival. Polarization alters both fusion yields and the angular distribution of fusion products, and each of these provides a potential signal. In this paper we simulate a selection of shots with similar characteristics in a future high-T ion H plasma, and find ratios of yields from shots with fuel spins parallel and antiparallel reaching 1.3 (HD + 3 He) to 1.6 (LiD + 3 He) over a wide range of poloidal angles. (A companion paper finds sensitivity to fusion product angular distributions as reflected in the pitch angles of protons and alphas reaching the plasma facing wall.)

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

A Dual-Plane PIV Study of Turbulent Heat Transfer Flows

Thin film cooling is a widely used technique in turbomachinery and rocket propulsion applications, where cool injection air protects a surface from hot combustion gases. The injected air typically has a different velocity and temperature from the free stream combustion flow, yielding a flow field with high turbulence and large temperature differences. These thin film cooling flows provide a good test case for evaluating computational model prediction capabilities. The goal of this work is to provide a database of flow field measurements for validating computational flow prediction models applied to turbulent heat transfer flows. In this work we describe the application of a Dual-Plane Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) technique in a thin film cooling wind tunnel facility where the injection air stream velocity and temperatures are varied in order to provide benchmark turbulent heat transfer flow field measurements. The Dual-Plane PIV data collected include all three components of velocity and all three components of vorticity, spanning the width of the tunnel at multiple axial measurement planes.

Turbulent heat transfer↗

Selective penetration behavior of microgels in superpermeable channels and reservoir matrices

Gel treatment is an effective way to attack excessive water production in many mature oilfields around the world. Selective penetration is desired for successful gel treatments. That is, gel materials should easily penetrate the target zones (i.e., channeling features such as superpermeable channels) without entering/damaging the nontarget zones (i.e., reservoir matrices or oil zones). This study revealed that presence of threshold penetration pressure (ΔP th ) was responsible for selective penetration behavior of tested microgels. The concept of ΔP th was utilized to figure out favorable working conditions for effective gel treatments. Microgel dispersions were injected into superpermeable (super-k) sandpacks (mimicking super-k channels in reservoirs, 60–221 darcies), heterogeneous models with super-k channels (79–230 darcies), and sandstone cores (mimicking reservoir matrices, 50–5000 md). The results demonstrated that a minimum differential driving pressure (i.e., threshold penetration pressure, ΔP th ) was required to push microgel particles to penetrate channels or matrices. The critical penetration behavior was closely related to the particle/pore size ratio. Low ΔP th at smaller particle/pore ratios was beneficial to allow easy penetration of gel materials into the channeling zones. On the contrary, high ΔPth at larger particle/pore ratios was desirable to prevent gel materials from massively invading and damaging the matrices. Instead, the gel particles accumulated at the inlet surface, and a gel cake was gradually formed. The cake further prevented the invasion of the gels. The cake could be removed by chemical breakers to resume the injectivity/productivity of the matrices. Correlations were developed to describe the relationship between ΔP th and particle/pore ratio. A distinct transition was identified at the particle/pore ratio of about 3. This research could help identify the favorable conditions to achieve successful gel treatments. In an effective conformance treatment, the particle/pore ratio in the channel should be sufficiently low to allow easy penetration of gel materials into the channel (e.g., particle/pore ratio<2 in this study). Meanwhile, the particle/pore ratio in the matrix should be large enough to support a high ΔP th and thus prevent massive gel invasion into the matrix. This study advances the current pore scale studies (a single particle passing through a single channel) to Darcy-scale characterization.

02 PETROLEUM↗

K-RET: knowledgeable biomedical relation extraction system

Abstract Motivation Relation extraction (RE) is a crucial process to deal with the amount of text published daily, e.g. to find missing associations in a database. RE is a text mining task for which the state-of-the-art approaches use bidirectional encoders, namely, BERT. However, state-of-the-art performance may be limited by the lack of efficient external knowledge injection approaches, with a larger impact in the biomedical area given the widespread usage and high quality of biomedical ontologies. This knowledge can propel these systems forward by aiding them in predicting more explainable biomedical associations. With this in mind, we developed K-RET, a novel, knowledgeable biomedical RE system that, for the first time, injects knowledge by handling different types of associations, multiple sources and where to apply it, and multi-token entities. Results We tested K-RET on three independent and open-access corpora (DDI, BC5CDR, and PGR) using four biomedical ontologies handling different entities. K-RET improved state-of-the-art results by 2.68% on average, with the DDI Corpus yielding the most significant boost in performance, from 79.30% to 87.19% in F-measure, representing a P-value of 2.91×10−12. Availability and implementation https://github.com/lasigeBioTM/K-RET.

Sousa, Diana F. (ORCID:0000000305979273)↗

SCATHA SSPM charging response: NASCAP predictions compared with data

Models for the satellite surface potential monitor (SSPM) units constructed in the NASCAP code and the results of comparing predictions to surface voltage and baseplate current data are reported. Several peculiarities in the test data are noted. Preliminary results from space simulations of a SCATHA model with environments representative of the day 87, 1979, eclipse injection event are presented, and their implications for predicting space response are discussed.

Purvis, C. K.↗

Low NOx heavy fuel combustor concept program addendum: Low/mid heating value gaseous fuel evaluation

The combustion performance of a rich/quench/lean (RQL) combustor was evaluated when operated on low and mid heating value gaseous fuels. Two synthesized fuels were prepared having lower heating values of 10.2 MJ/cu m. (274 Btu/scf) and 6.6 MJ/cu m (176 Btu/scf). These fuels were configured to be representative of actual fuels, being composed primarily of nitrogen, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide. A liquid fuel air assist fuel nozzle was modified to inject both of the gaseous fuels. The RQL combustor liner was not changed from the configuration used when the liquid fuels were tested. Both gaseous fuels were tested over a range of power levels from 50 percent load to maximum rated power of the DDN Model 570-K industrial gas turbine engine. Exhaust emissions were recorded for four power level at several rich zone equivalence ratios to determine NOx sensitivity to the rich zone operating point. For the mid Btu heating value gas, ammonia was added to the fuel to simulate a fuel bound nitrogen type gaseous fuel. Results at the testing showed that for the low heating value fuel NOx emissions were all below 20 ppmc and smoke was below a 10 smoke number. For the mid heating value fuel, NOx emissions were in the 50 to 70 ppmc range with the smoke below a 10 smoke number.

Novick, A. S.↗

Global electric field determination in the Earth's outer magnetosphere using charged particles

Although many properties of the Earth's magnetosphere have been measured and quantified in the past 30 years since it was discovered, one fundamental (for a zeroeth order magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equilibrium) measurement was made infrequently and with poor spatial coverage: the global electric field. This oversight is in part due to the difficulty of measuring a plasma electric field, and in part due to the difficulty of measuring a plasma electric field, and in part due to the neglect of theorists. However, there is renewed interest in the convection electric field, since it has been realized that it is vital for understanding many aspects of the magnetosphere: the global MHD equilibrium, reconnection rates, Region 2 Birkeland currents, magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling, ring current and radiation belt transport, substorm injections, acceleration mechanisms, etc. Unfortunately the standard experimental methods have not been able to synthesize a global field (excepting the pioneering work of McIlwain's geostationary models), and we are left with an overly simplistic theoretical field, the Volland-Stern electric field mode. Again, single point measurements of the plasma pause were used to infer the appropriate amplitudes of the model, parameterized by Kp (Maynard & Chen, JGR 1975). Although this result was never intended to be the definitive electric field model, it has gone nearly unchanged for 15 years. However, the data sets being taken today require a great deal more accuracy than can be provided by the Volland-Stern model. Nor has the variability of the electric field shielding been properly addressed, although effects of penetrating magnetospheric electric fields has been seen in mid- and low-latitude ionospheric data sets. The growing interests in substorm dynamics also requires a much better assessment of the electric fields responsible for particle injections. Thus, we proposed and developed algorithms for extracting electric fields from particle data taken in the earth's magnetosphere. As a test of the effectiveness of these techniques, we analyzed data taken by the AMPTE/CCE spacecraft in equatorial orbit between 1984-1988. Some analytic tools had to be developed before construction of computer algorithms, and they are discussed.

Eastman, T.↗

Dynamic cell culture system (7-IML-1)

This experiment is one of the Biorack experiments being flown on the International Microgravity Laboratory 1 (MIL-1) mission as part of an investigation studying cell proliferation and performance in space. One of the objectives of this investigation is to assess the potential benefits of bioprocessing in space with the ultimate goal of developing a bioreactor for continuous cell cultures in space. This experiment will test the operation of an automated culture chamber that was designed for use in a Bioreactor in space. The device to be tested is called the Dynamic Cell Culture System (DCCS). It is a simple device in which media are renewed or chemicals are injected automatically, by means of osmotic pumps. This experiment uses four Type I/O experiment containers. One DCCS unit, which contains a culture chamber with renewal of medium and a second chamber without a medium supply fits in each container. Two DCCS units are maintained under zero gravity conditions during the on-orbit period. The other two units are maintained under 1 gh conditions in a 1 g centrifuge. The schedule for incubator transfer is given.

Cogoli, Augusto↗

Unstructured multigrid through agglomeration

In this work the compressible Euler equations are solved using finite volume techniques on unstructured grids. The spatial discretization employs a central difference approximation augmented by dissipative terms. Temporal discretization is done using a multistage Runge-Kutta scheme. A multigrid technique is used to accelerate convergence to steady state. The coarse grids are derived directly from the given fine grid through agglomeration of the control volumes. This agglomeration is accomplished by using a greedy-type algorithm and is done in such a way that the load, which is proportional to the number of edges, goes down by nearly a factor of 4 when moving from a fine to a coarse grid. The agglomeration algorithm has been implemented and the grids have been tested in a multigrid code. An area-weighted restriction is applied when moving from fine to coarse grids while a trivial injection is used for prolongation. Across a range of geometries and flows, it is shown that the agglomeration multigrid scheme compares very favorably with an unstructured multigrid algorithm that makes use of independent coarse meshes, both in terms of convergence and elapsed times.

Venkatakrishnan, V.↗

Global electric field determination in the Earth's outer magnetosphere using energetic charged particles

Although many properties of the Earth's magnetosphere have been measured and quantified in the past 30 years since it was discovered, one fundamental measurement (for zeroth order MHD equilibrium) has been made infrequently and with poor spatial coverage - the global electric field. This oversight is due in part to the neglect of theorists. However, there is renewed interest in the convection electric field because it is now realized to be central to many magnetospheric processes, including the global MHD equilibrium, reconnection rates, Region 2 Birkeland currents, magnetosphere ionosphere coupling, ring current and radiation belt transport, substorm injections, and several acceleration mechanisms. Unfortunately the standard experimental methods have not been able to synthesize a global field (excepting the pioneering work of McIlwain's geostationary models) and we are left with an overly simplistic theoretical field, the Volland-Stern electric field model. Single point measurements of the plasmapause were used to infer the appropriate amplitudes of this model, parameterized by K(sub p). Although this result was never intended to be the definitive electric field model, it has gone nearly unchanged for 20 years. The analysis of current data sets requires a great deal more accuracy than can be provided by the Volland-Stern model. The variability of electric field shielding has not been properly addressed although effects of penetrating magnetospheric electric fields has been seen in mid-and low-latitude ionospheric data sets. The growing interest in substorm dynamics also requires a much better assessment of the electric fields responsible for particle injections. Thus we proposed and developed algorithms for extracting electric fields from particle data taken in the Earth's magnetosphere. As a test of the effectiveness of these new techniques, we analyzed data taken by the AMPTE/CCE spacecraft in equatorial orbit from 1984 to 1989.

Eastman, Timothy E.↗

Experimental Evaluation of a Subscale Gaseous Hydrogen/gaseous Oxygen Coaxial Rocket Injector

The next generation reusable launch vehicle may utilize a Full-Flow Stage Combustion (FFSC) rocket engine cycle. One of the key technologies required is the development of an injector that uses gaseous oxygen and gaseous hydrogen as propellants. Gas-gas propellant injection provides an engine with increased stability margin over a range of throttle set points. This paper summarizes an injector design and testing effort that evaluated a coaxial rocket injector for use with gaseous oxygen and gaseous hydrogen propellants. A total of 19 hot-fire tests were conducted up to a chamber pressure of 1030 psia, over a range of 3.3 to 6.7 for injector element mixture ratio. Post-test condition of the hardware was also used to assess injector face cooling. Results show that high combustion performance levels could be achieved with gas-gas propellants and there were no problems with excessive face heating for the conditions tested.

Smith, Timothy D.↗

Nucleation of Crystals From Solution in Microgravity (USML-1 Glovebox (GBX) Investigation)

A new method for initiating nucleation from solutions in microgravity which avoids nucleation on container walls and other surfaces is described. This method consists of injecting a small quantity of highly concentrated, heated solution into the interior of a lightly supersaturated, cooler host gowth solution. It was tested successfully on USML-I, producing a large number of LAP crystals whose longest dimension averaged 1 mm.

Kroes, Roger L.↗

Combustion Stability Characteristics of the Project Morpheus Liquid Oxygen / Liquid Methane Main Engine

The project Morpheus liquid oxygen (LOX) / liquid methane (LCH4) main engine is a Johnson Space Center (JSC) designed ~5,000 lbf-thrust, 4:1 throttling, pressure-fed cryogenic engine using an impinging element injector design. The engine met or exceeded all performance requirements without experiencing any in- ight failures, but the engine exhibited acoustic-coupled combustion instabilities during sea-level ground-based testing. First tangential (1T), rst radial (1R), 1T1R, and higher order modes were triggered by conditions during the Morpheus vehicle derived low chamber pressure startup sequence. The instability was never observed to initiate during mainstage, even at low power levels. Ground-interaction acoustics aggravated the instability in vehicle tests. Analysis of more than 200 hot re tests on the Morpheus vehicle and Stennis Space Center (SSC) test stand showed a relationship between ignition stability and injector/chamber pressure. The instability had the distinct characteristic of initiating at high relative injection pressure drop at low chamber pressure during the start sequence. Data analysis suggests that the two-phase density during engine start results in a high injection velocity, possibly triggering the instabilities predicted by the Hewitt stability curves. Engine ignition instability was successfully mitigated via a higher-chamber pressure start sequence (e.g., ~50% power level vs ~30%) and operational propellant start temperature limits that maintained \cold LOX" and \warm methane" at the engine inlet. The main engine successfully demonstrated 4:1 throttling without chugging during mainstage, but chug instabilities were observed during some engine shutdown sequences at low injector pressure drop, especially during vehicle landing.

Melcher, John C.↗

Development of a high stability microstrip-based L-band radiometer for ocean salinity measurements.

The development of a microstrip-based L-band Dicke radiometer with the long-term stability required for future ocean salinity measurements to an accuracy of 0.1 psu is presented. This will require the L-band radiometer requirements and configuration to achieve this objective. System configuration and component performance have been evaluated with radiometer test beds at both JPL and GSFC. The GSFC testbed uses a cryogenic chamber that al-lows long-term characterization at radiometric temperatures in the range of 70 - 120 K. The research has addressed several areas including component characterization as a function of temperature and bias, system linearity, optimum noise diode injection calibration and precision temperature control of components. A breadboard radiometer, utilizing microstrip-based technologies, has been built to demonstrate this long-term stability. This system is partially polarimetric providing V, H, -45 and +45 signals. Test results are compared to current and future ocean salinity radiometer requirements to show that the desire performance is possible.

Tanner, Alan B.↗

Optimization of a Lethal, Combat-Relevant Model of Sterile Inflammation in Mice for Drug Candidate Screening

ABSTRACT Introduction Extensive trauma, commonly seen in wounded military Service Members, often leads to a severe sterile inflammation termed systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), which can progress to multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) and death. MODS is a serious threat to wounded Service Members, historically causing 10% of all deaths in trauma admissions at a forward deployed combat hospital. The importance of this problem will be exacerbated in large-scale combat operations, in which evacuation will be delayed and care of complex injuries at lower echelons of care may be prolonged. The main goal of this study was to optimize an existing mouse model of lethal SIRS/MODS as a therapeutic screening platform for the evaluation of immunomodulatory drugs. Materials and Methods Male C57BL/6 mice were euthanized, and the bones and muscles were collected and blended into a paste termed tissue–bone matrix (TBX). The TBX at 12.5%–20% relative to body weight of each recipient mouse was implanted into subcutaneous pouches created on the dorsum of anesthetized animals. Mice were observed for clinical scores for up to 48 hours postimplantation and euthanized at the preset point of moribundity. To test effects of anesthetics on TBX-induced mortality, animals received isoflurane or ketamine/xylazine (K/X). In a separate set of studies, mice received TBX followed by intraperitoneal injection with 20 mg/kg or 40 mg/kg Eritoran or a placebo carrier. All Eritoran studies were performed in a blinded fashion. Results We observed that K/X anesthesia significantly increased the lethality of the implanted TBX in comparison to inhaled anesthetics. Although all the mice anesthetized with isoflurane and implanted with 12.5% TBX survived for 24 hours, 60% of mice anesthetized with K/X were moribund by 24 hours postimplantation. To mimic more closely the timing of lethal SIRS/MODS following polytrauma in human patients, we extended observation to 48 hours. We performed TBX dose–response studies and found that as low as 15%, 17.5%, and 20% TBX caused moribundity/mortality in 50%, 80%, and 100% mice, respectively, over a 48-hour time period. With 17.5% TBX, we tested if moribundity/mortality could be rescued by anti-inflammatory drug Eritoran, a toll-like receptor 4 antagonist. Neither 20 mg/kg nor 40 mg/kg doses of Eritoran were found to be effective in this model. Conclusions We optimized a TBX mouse model of SIRS/MODS for the purpose of evaluating novel therapeutic interventions to prevent trauma-related pathophysiologies in wounded Service Members. Negative effects of K/X on lethality of TBX should be further evaluated, particularly in the light of widespread use of ketamine in treatment of pain. By mimicking muscle crush, bone fracture, and necrosis, the TBX model has pleiotropic effects on physiology and immunology that make it uniquely valuable as a screening tool for the evaluation of novel therapeutics against trauma-induced SIRS/MODS.

General & Internal Medicine↗

A Hybrid Mars Ascent Vehicle Design and FY 2016 Technology Development

Hybrid propulsion is currently favored for a Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV) concept from a thermal performance and Gross Lift Off Mass standpoint. However, it is at a relatively low level of maturity compared to conventional propulsion options. Technology development efforts are currently underway to bring hybrid propulsion to a technology readiness level that would enable its infusion into potential Mars Sample Return. A new propellant combination is being considered for this design that has excellent low temperature behavior. Preliminary results of two ground test campaigns are currently underway to characterize this propellant combination. Hotfire testing is being carried out in parallel at Parabilis Space Technologies and Space Propulsion Group. In addition to the new propellant combination, several other technologies are being pursued for a potential hybrid MAV: hypergolic ignition and Liquid Injection Thrust Vector Control. Both of these technologies have been applied in other rocket applications, e.g. liquid propulsion commonly uses hypergolic propellants and missiles, such as the Minuteman II, have used LITVC in the past. Hypergolic ignition, when oxidizer and fuel combust upon contact, is highly desirable for multiple starts required by the MAV concept. Therefore, testing at Penn State and Purdue is being completed in this area. An updated hybrid propulsion system design for a Mars Ascent Vehicle concept based on JPL’s current understanding of potential Mars Sample Return requirements will be presented, leveraging the advances in technology development as well as updated understanding of how requirements may evolve.

Karp, Ashley C.↗

Comparing Cetane Number Measurement Methods

Cetane number is one of the most important fuel performance metrics for mixing controlled compression-ignition “diesel” engines, quantifying a fuel’s propensity for autoignition when injected into end-of-compression-type temperature and pressure conditions. The historical default and referee method on a Cooperative Fuel Research (CFR) engine configured with indirect fuel injection and variable compression ratio is cetane number (CN) rating. A subject fuel is evaluated against primary reference fuel blends, with heptamethylnonane defining a low-reactivity endpoint of CN = 15 and hexadecane defining a high-reactivity endpoint of CN = 100. While the CN scale covers the range from zero (0) to 100, typical testing is in the range of 30 to 65 CN. Alternatively, several constant-volume combustion chamber (CVCC)-based cetane rating devices have been developed to rate fuels with an equivalent derived cetane number (DCN) or indicated cetane number (ICN). These devices measure ignition delay for fuel injected into a fixed volume of high-temperature and high-pressure air to simulate end-of-compression-type conditions. In this study, a range of novel fuel compounds are evaluated across three CVCC methods: the Ignition Quality Tester (IQT), Fuel Ignition Tester (FIT), and Advanced Fuel Ignition Delay Analyzer (AFIDA). Resulting DCNs and ICNs are compared for fuels within the normal diesel fuel range of reactivity, as well as very high (~100) and very low DCNs/ICNs (~5). Distinct differences between results from various devices are discussed. This is important to consider because some new, high-efficiency advanced compression-ignition (CI) engine combustion strategies operate with more kinetically controlled distributed combustion as opposed to mixing controlled diffusion flames. These advanced combustion strategies may benefit from new fuel chemistries, but current rating methods of CN, DCN, and ICN may not fully describe their performance. In addition, recent evidence suggests ignition delay in modern on-road diesel engines with high-pressure common rail fuel injection systems may no longer directly correlate to traditional CN fuel ratings. Simulated end-of-compression conditions are compared for CN, DCN, and ICN and discussed in the context of modern diesel engines to provide additional insight. Results highlight the potential need for revised and/or multiple fuel test conditions to measure fuel performance for advanced CI strategies.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Autoignition of hydrogen injected transverse to a supersonic airstream

A parametric study of autoignition characteristics of transverse fuel injector patterns for a hydrogen-fueled, supersonic-combustion ramjet was conducted in direct-connect tests over a range of simulated hypersonic flight conditions. Autoignition limits, defined directly by visual observations and indirectly by measured wall pressure and temperature, are compared with a semi-empirical ignition limit model which accounts for first order effects on autoignition. It is shown that to initiate combustion in the immediate region of the fuel injector, ignition must occur in the separation region ahead of the fuel jet. Autoignition within this separation zone exhibits strong dependence on flow pressure and temperature, injector diameter, local boundary layer energy thickness, wall temperature, and on fluid dynamic interactions with adjacent downstream facing steps (such as inlet isolation steps). Secondary effects are also discussed. The empirical model is used to define limits of test temperature, pressure, and scale required for autoignition in a current subscale engine test program.

Mcclinton, C. R.↗