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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 1,225 records · Page 68
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Portable Waveguide-Based Optical Biosensor

Rapid, on-site diagnostics allow for timely intervention and response for warfighter support, environmental monitoring, and global health needs. Portable optical biosensors are being widely pursued as a means of achieving fieldable biosensing due to the potential speed and accuracy of optical detection. We recently developed the portable engineered analytic sensor with automated sampling (PEGASUS) with the goal of developing a fieldable, generalizable biosensing platform. Here, we detail the development of PEGASUS’s sensing hardware and use a test-bed system of identical sensing hardware and software to demonstrate detection of a fluorescent conjugate at 1 nM through biotin-streptavidin chemistry.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2026

Voltage Service Limits Smart Contract Using Distributed Ledger Technology for Electrical Utility Grid with Customer-Owned Generator

Modern electrical grids face growing stability risks from customer-owned generators, especially at points of common couplings (PCCs). Disruptive behavior from power-electronic sources can cause protective relays to isolate problematic generators, making measurement integrity critical. This article presents a distributed ledger technology (DLT) approach that uses smart contracts to evaluate PCC voltage measurements and trigger backup breaker operations. The approach is framed as a verifiable, multi-organization attestation and audit layer, not as a real-time control security mechanism. In the proposed architecture, voltage measurements from a hardware protective relay are anchored on a DLT through the Cyber Grid Guard (CGG) system for attestation by both the grid utility and customer-owned generator. A Voltage Service Limits (VSLs) smart contract evaluates the on-chain measurements against allowable phase-voltage limits derived from the ANSI C84.1 standard. The framework is validated in a hardware-relay-in-the-loop test bed under sustained-undervoltage, sustained-overvoltage, and transient line-to-line fault scenarios. The results show that the VSL smart contract can process these measurements and issue backup breaker actions consistent with the defined service-limit criteria, demonstrating the DLT potential as a verifiable audit layer at the PCC that complements primary protection.

cyber security↗
DOE OSTI2021

β Cephei Pulsations in the High-mass Eclipsing System CW Cephei

CW Cep is an early B-type eclipsing binary with mass measurement precisions better than 1%. We report the discovery of pulsation signatures in the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite time-series data of the system observed during Sectors 17 and 18. Our binary modeling indicates that the target star is a partially eclipsing detached system with masses of 12.95 M {sub ⊙} and 11.88 M {sub ⊙} and radii of 5.52 R {sub ⊙} and 5.09 R {sub ⊙} in an eccentric orbit of e = 0.0305. The distance to the eclipsing system, 928 ± 36 pc, is much more precise than the Gaia distance of 962 ± 453 pc. Applying multifrequency analyses to the residual light curve in the outside-eclipse part, we detected 13 significant signals in two frequency regions. Six frequencies below 1 day{sup −1} appeared to be mostly orbital harmonic and combination terms, or sidelobes due to insufficient removal of the binary effects. In contrast, seven frequencies clustered around 2.73 day{sup −1} and 5.34 day{sup −1} could be considered β Cep–type pulsations. Our results represent the second discovery of β Cep pulsations present in double-lined eclipsing binaries with precise masses and, hence, CW Cep serves as an important test bed for the asteroseismic modeling of high-mass stars.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2022

Hard X-Ray Emission from the Eastern Jet of SS 433 Powering the W50 “Manatee” Nebula: Evidence for Particle Reacceleration

We present a broadband X-ray study of W50 (the “Manatee” nebula), the complex region powered by the microquasar SS 433, that provides a test bed for several important astrophysical processes. The W50 nebula, a Galactic PeVatron candidate, is classified as a supernova remnant but has an unusual double-lobed morphology likely associated with the jets from SS 433. Using NuSTAR, XMM-Newton, and Chandra observations of the inner eastern lobe of W50, we have detected hard nonthermal X-ray emission up to ~30 keV, originating from a few-arcminute-sized knotty region (“Head”) located ≲18' (29 pc for a distance of 5.5 kpc) east of SS 433, and constrained its photon index to 1.58 ± 0.05 (0.5–30 keV band). The index gradually steepens eastward out to the radio “ear” where thermal soft X-ray emission with a temperature kT ~ 0.2 keV dominates. The hard X-ray knots mark the location of acceleration sites within the jet and require an equipartition magnetic field of the order of ≳12 μG. The unusually hard spectral index from the “Head” region challenges classical particle acceleration processes and points to particle injection and reacceleration in the subrelativistic SS 433 jet, as seen in blazars and pulsar wind nebulae.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

The LSST DESC DC2 Simulated Sky Survey

Here, we describe the simulated sky survey underlying the second data challenge (DC2) carried out in preparation for analysis of the Vera C. Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) by the LSST Dark Energy Science Collaboration (LSST DESC). Significant connections across multiple science domains will be a hallmark of LSST; the DC2 program represents a unique modeling effort that stresses this interconnectivity in a way that has not been attempted before. This effort encompasses a full end-to-end approach: starting from a large N-body simulation, through setting up LSST-like observations including realistic cadences, through image simulations, and finally processing with Rubin's LSST Science Pipelines. This last step ensures that we generate data products resembling those to be delivered by the Rubin Observatory as closely as is currently possible. The simulated DC2 sky survey covers six optical bands in a wide-fast-deep area of approximately 300 deg 2 , as well as a deep drilling field of approximately 1 deg 2 . We simulate 5 yr of the planned 10 yr survey. The DC2 sky survey has multiple purposes. First, the LSST DESC working groups can use the data set to develop a range of DESC analysis pipelines to prepare for the advent of actual data. Second, it serves as a realistic test bed for the image processing software under development for LSST by the Rubin Observatory. In particular, simulated data provide a controlled way to investigate certain image-level systematic effects. Finally, the DC2 sky survey enables the exploration of new scientific ideas in both static and time domain cosmology.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Lightcurves, Rotation Periods, and Colors for Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s First Asteroid Discoveries

We present lightcurves, rotation periods, and colors for the first asteroid discoveries made with the NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory. These are the first science results derived from the 2103 asteroid discoveries released as part of the Rubin First Look (RFL) media event on 2025 June 23, in which the first LSST Camera commissioning images were released. The ∼340,000 observations in which the discoveries were made span nine nights between 2025 April 21 and May 5. With a limiting single-epoch 5σ depth of ∼23–25 mag and dense temporal sampling under an irregular, commissioning-driven cadence, the RFL observations provide an ideal test bed for determination of rotation periods, including sensitivity to rapid rotation. We model lightcurves and derive rotation periods and colors for the ∼2000 objects. We find 75 main-belt asteroids (MBAs) and one near-Earth object (NEO) with reliable rotation periods spanning 0.031–21.3 hr and a photometric precision in the range of 0.05–0.15 mag. We find 19 superfast rotators with periods shorter than the 2.2 hr spin barrier. Rubin-discovered MBA 2025 MN 45 is the fastest-rotating d > 0.5 km known asteroid with a rotation period of 1.9 minutes; along with NEO 2025 MJ 71 (1.9 minutes) and Rubin-discovered MBAs 2025 MK 41 (3.8 minutes), 2025 MV 71 (13 minutes), and 2025 MG 56 (16 minutes), these five super- to ultrafast rotators join a couple of NEOs as the fastest-spinning subkilometer asteroids known. As this study demonstrates, even in early commissioning, Rubin is successfully probing a previously sparsely sampled region of the subkilometer size−spin rate regime for MBAs.

Greenstreet, Sarah [NSF National Optical-Infrared ↗
DOE OSTI2023

Pool-Based Tow System for Testing Tethered Hydrokinetic Devices Being Developed to Harvest Energy From Ocean Currents

Abstract The immense potential for ocean current energy harvesting is being actively explored as the push for renewable energy becomes more urgent. This paper demonstrates a tow testing platform built to examine and validate mathematical models related to the performance of tethered, underwater, hydrokinetic devices in development to harvest energy from ocean currents, and presents experimental results illustrating how such a system can be used. The platform has been modularly designed to allow for the testing of various tethered, underwater energy-generation systems, including kite-based systems, coaxial turbines, and duct sails. Previous research on tethered energy-generating systems has primarily been focused on airborne systems. Additionally, the limited experimental research on tethered, underwater energy-generation systems has relied on a rigid rod for mechanical and electrical connections between the test articles and instrumentation. The tow testing platform presented in this paper accomplishes the mechanical and electrical connection through a dual-function tether, featuring internal conductors and an external sheath to support towing loads. The goal of this platform was to enable the emulation of ocean currents, which are largely unidirectional, and to retrofit a regular pool into a cost-effective, adaptable, small-scale tow tank test bed. The capabilities of the system include two-way communication with tethered devices, multiple towing profiles in order to emulate different flow regimes, real-time control, and differential velocities via dual winch operation.

Engineering↗
DOE OSTI2023

Optimizing cloud motion estimation on the edge with phase correlation and optical flow

Abstract. Phase correlation (PC) is a well-known method for estimating cloud motion vectors (CMVs) from infrared and visible spectrum images. Commonly, phase shift is computed in the small blocks of the images using the fast Fourier transform. In this study, we investigate the performance and the stability of the blockwise PC method by changing the block size, the frame interval, and combinations of red, green, and blue (RGB) channels from the total sky imager (TSI) at the United States Atmospheric Radiation Measurement user facility's Southern Great Plains site. We find that shorter frame intervals, followed by larger block sizes, are responsible for stable estimates of the CMV, as suggested by the higher autocorrelations. The choice of RGB channels has a limited effect on the quality of CMVs, and the red and the grayscale images are marginally more reliable than the other combinations during rapidly evolving low-level clouds. The stability of CMVs was tested at different image resolutions with an implementation of the optimized algorithm on the Sage cyberinfrastructure test bed. We find that doubling the frame rate outperforms quadrupling the image resolution in achieving CMV stability. The correlations of CMVs with the wind data are significant in the range of 0.38–0.59 with a 95 % confidence interval, despite the uncertainties and limitations of both datasets. A comparison of the PC method with constructed data and the optical flow method suggests that the post-processing of the vector field has a significant effect on the quality of the CMV. The raindrop-contaminated images can be identified by the rotation of the TSI mirror in the motion field. The results of this study are critical to optimizing algorithms for edge-computing sensor systems.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Sensitivity of meteorological-forcing resolution on hydrologic variables

Projecting the spatiotemporal changes in water resources under a no-analog future climate requires physically based integrated hydrologic models which simulate the transfer of water and energy across the earth's surface. These models show promise in the context of unprecedented climate extremes given their reliance on the underlying physics of the system as opposed to empirical relationships. However, these techniques are plagued by several sources of uncertainty, including the inaccuracy of input datasets such as meteorological forcing. These datasets, usually derived from climate models or satellite-based products, are typically only resolved on the order of tens to hundreds of kilometers, while hydrologic variables of interest (e.g., discharge and groundwater levels) require a resolution at much smaller scales. In this work, a high-resolution hydrologic model is forced with various resolutions of meteorological forcing (0.5 to 40.5 km) generated by a dynamical downscaling analysis from the regional climate model Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF). The Cosumnes watershed, which spans the Sierra Nevada and Central Valley interface of California (USA), exhibits semi-natural flow conditions due to its rare undammed river basin and is used here as a test bed to illustrate potential impacts of various resolutions of meteorological forcing on snow accumulation and snowmelt, surface runoff, infiltration, evapotranspiration, and groundwater levels. Results show that the errors in spatial distribution patterns impact land surface processes and can be delayed in time. Localized biases in groundwater levels can be as large as 5–10 m and 3 m in surface water. Most hydrologic variables reveal that biases are seasonally and spatially dependent, which can have serious implications for model calibration and ultimately water management decisions.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

EGS Stimulation Design with Uncertainty Quantification at the EGS Collab Site

Engineering a robust hydraulic connection between wells is one of the most difficult aspects of enhanced geothermal systems (EGS). Designing and constructing such hydraulic connections requires and understanding of the in situ state of stress and the heterogeneities and discontinuities that naturally exist and may control the stimulation. Even with comprehensive stress and formation characterization programs substantial uncertainty remains in these key parameters. This is especially the case in high-temperature EGS environments where drilling conditions are often difficult and a far fewer logging and testing options are available. This paper presents a new approach for explicitly quantifying the uncertainties in the state of stress using a Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo method. This approach produces a probability distribution for the stress tensor, including a general 3D orientation, that reflects the uncertainties in all the observations or indicators used to constrain the stress state. This method is demonstrated on the characterization data for the EGS Collab Experiment 2 site. The output of the analysis is used to guide the design of the planned stimulations. In the case of research projects like EGS Collab, explicitly quantifying the uncertainties in the stress state allow for more rigorous hypothesis testing by allowing conclusions drawn from the experiments to be interpreted in the context of the uncertain knowledge about conditions in the test bed.

Burghardt, Jeffrey A.↗
NASA NTRS1972

The influence of modifications of a fatigue loading history program on fatigue lifetime

Rectangular specimens of 7075 and 2014 aluminum alloys with two holes (stress concentration factor of 3.24) have been tested under axial fatigue loading on a six-rod test bed with modifications of the loading program, the surface particulars, and the frequency. The length of the precrack stage was investigated by use of a new crack detector. In most cases the two alloys behaved similarly, with similar life to crack start under the same loading. Some overloads lengthened the life. Truncation by omission of the lowest peak loads should be limited to about 20 percent of the ultimate load. Simplifying counting methods gave misleading results. Very thin surface layers of anodizing, protection by vinyl, dry nitrogen atmosphere, as well as stepwise reaming or grinding the surface of the holes, lengthened the life; thick anodized layers shortened the life. Compressing the hole surface by rolling had no influence. Frequencies at about 210 to 240 cpm produced shorter lives than those at 40 cpm. At 5.4 cpm the life was considerably longer. A model to better understand the precrack-stage fatigue mechanism is discussed.

Branger, J.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Study of Load Alleviation and Mode Suppression (LAMS) on the YF-12A airplane

The potentials and capability for implementing a LAMS (load alleviation and mode suppression) system on the YF-12A for the purpose of flight research were evaluated. The nature of the research is to minimize the design risk in application of LAMS to future aircraft. The results of the study show that the YF-12A would be a suitable test bed for continuing development of LAMS technology. This was demonstrated by defining five candidate LAMS systems and analytically evaluating them with regard to performance and mechanization. Each of the five systems used a different combination of force producers. A small canard vane or a mass-reaction device mounted near the cockpit was considered as a possible LAMS force producer, together with the existing inboard and outboard elevons. It was concluded that a combination of canard vane and outboard elevons would provide the most effective system for the YF-12A.

Edinger, L. D.↗
NASA NTRS1973

An insight into the features of the OAO-C thermal design.

The Orbiting Astronomical Observatory (OAO)-C was successfully launched into a 400-nautical mile circular orbit on Aug. 21, 1972. For this spacecraft, a unique sensitivity approach to the thermal design was developed which resulted in a predictable design - the merits of which should be considered for application on future spacecraft. The OAO-C is also serving as a test bed for the evaluation of thermal control hardware. To provide flight data for space program applications, experiments for a new coating and four different heat pipe designs are on this spacecraft. The data derived from OAO-C will be extremely valuable for such future programs as the Large Space Telescope (LST) and the Earth Observation Satellite (EOS).

Fine, H.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Solar energy to heat and cool a new NASA Langley office building

A solar heating and cooling system will be installed at a new NASA office building. The objective of this project is to establish a full-scale working test-bed facility to investigate solar energy for heating and cooling buildings. The energy collected will provide between 80 and 100 percent of the heating and cooling requirements during the cool months and between one-half and two-thirds of the cooling requirements in the summer. Thermal energy storage will be provided to bridge the gap between cloudy and clear days.

Maag, W. L.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Review of NASA supercritical airfoils

NASA supercritical airfoils are characterized by a substantially reduced curvature of the midcord region of the upper surface together with increased camber near the trailing edge. The basic aerodynamic phenomena associated with the airfoils and representative wind tunnel results are discussed. The results indicate that the drag rise Mach numbers for NASA supercritical airfoils are 0.1 higher than for comparable NACA 6-series airfoils. A recent analytic method for predicting the aerodynamic characteristics of supercritical airfoils is described. The flight demonstration programs of three applications of supercritical airfoils utilizing the F-8, T-2C and F-111 as test beds are summarized.

Whitcomb, R. T.↗