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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 127 records · Page 7
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

First Annual Report on Development of Microwave Resonant Cavity Transducer for Fluid Flow Sensing: Development of Sensor Performance Model of Microwave Cavity Flow Meter for Advanced Reactor High Temperature Fluids

We are investigating a microwave cavity-based transducer for in-core high-temperature fluid flow sensing in molten salt cooled reactors (MSCR) and sodium fast reactors (SFR). This sensor is a hollow metallic cylindrical cavity, which can be fabricated from stainless steel, and as such is expected to be resilient to radiation, high temperature and corrosive environment of MSCR and SFR. The principle of sensing consists of making one wall of the cylindrical cavity flexible enough so that dynamic pressure, which is proportional to fluid velocity, will cause membrane deflection. Membrane deflection causes cavity volume change, which leads to a shift in the resonant frequency. Feasibility of the sensor was initially investigated with analytical derivations and with COMSOL RF Module computer simulations of resonant frequency spectral shift due to uniform load. We also investigated the mechanical integrity of the flowmeter’s membrane through analytical modelling and COMSOL Structural Mechanics Module computer simulations. Both the analytic model and COMSOL model showed that maximum stresses on the plate, which are at the radial boundary of the plate, are three orders of magnitude smaller than the material’s yield strength and ultimate tensile strength. This indicates that the sensor is at a low risk of mechanical failure. Using results from models, we have developed an initial design for a microwave K-band sensor. A cylindrical resonator prototype was fabricated from brass for the initial tests. The external dimensions of the cavity are matched to the flange of a standard WR-42 waveguide. Microwave field is coupled into the resonant cavity through a subwavelength-size aperture. A test article was developed consisting of a piping Tee with a bulkhead WR-42 microwave waveguide installed in a leak-proof assembly. A microwave waveguide circulator was installed in the setup to suppress the effect of reflections at the cavity entrance by increasing the isolation between the input and the output port. Preliminary spectral characterization of cavity spectral response was performed with a portable PXIe chassis microwave VNA with a custom GUI. Preliminary dry tests of the transducer response were conducted with a set of calibrated weights. Transducer frequency shift was shown to be monotonically increasing with increasing pressure. The next steps will involve investigation of the transducer performance for water flow sensing.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2022

Demonstration of Microwave Resonant Cavity Transducer Performance in Fluid Flow Sensing: Development of Sensor Performance Model of Microwave Cavity Flow Meter for Advanced Reactor High Temperature Fluids

We are investigating a microwave cavity-based transducer for in-core high-temperature fluid flow sensing in molten salt cooled reactors (MSCR) and sodium fast reactors (SFR). This sensor is a hollow metallic cylindrical cavity. The principle of sensing consists of making one wall of the cylindrical cavity flexible enough so that dynamic pressure, which is proportional to fluid velocity, will cause membrane deflection. Membrane deflection causes cavity volume change, which leads to a shift in the resonant frequency. To validate sensor physics, we have performed proof-of-principle test of flow sensing in water. For this test, we have developed a cylindrical resonator for K-band, which was machined from brass. The cavity was excited through WR-42 waveguide through a subwavelength hole on the side of the wall of the cylinder. To increase the spectral signal visibility, we developed a signal processing method for baseline subtraction. A flow loop for proof-of-principle test of transducer performance in water was assembled. A commercial flow meter was installed in the loop for reference measurements. Cylindrical cavity was excited in the TEM 011 mode with resonant frequency f ≈ 17.8GHz. Frequency shift of cavity spectral response was obtained by gradually increasing water flow rate from 0 to 60gpm. Corresponding monotonic increase of resonant frequency shift by several MHz was observed.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗
DOE OSTI2023

Demonstration of Microwave Cavity Transducer Performance in High Temperature Fluid Flow Sensing: Development of Microwave Cavity Flow Meter for Advanced Reactor High Temperature Fluids

We are investigating a microwave resonant cavity transducer for flow sensing in the vessel of a high temperature fluid advanced reactor (AR), such as a molten salt cooled reactor (MSCR) or a sodium fast reactor (SFR). This transducer is a hollow metallic cylindrical cavity, with one of the flat walls of the cylinder flexible enough to undergo microscopic deflection due to dynamic fluid pressure. Membrane deflection leads to a shift in the microwave resonant frequency, which can be detected with a spectrum analyzer. We have performed a preliminary proof-of-principle test of flow sensing in high temperature liquid sodium in environment, which is similar to that of an advanced reactor. The liquid sodium setup consists of a cylindrical vessel with a center feed line, where a transducer inserted through the top cap of the vessel measures velocity of the impinging liquid jet. For this test, we have developed a cylindrical resonator, which was machined from stainless steel 316 and electroplated with silver on the interior surfaces. Outer diameter of the cylindrical cavity is approximately 3cm, and the thin wall is approximately 200µm thick. We have also developed and insertion probe consisting of a 50cm WR-42 brass waveguide enclosed in a protective SS316 tube. The cavity was excited through a WR-42 waveguide through a subwavelength hole on the side of the wall of the cylinder in the TE 011 mode with resonant frequency f ≈ 17.8GHz. As a calibration experiment, we have assembled a water vessel with a center feed, and with dimensions similar to those of the liquid sodium setup. Frequency shift of the cavity spectral response was obtained at room temperature and ambient pressure by gradually increasing water flow rate from 0 to 25GPM (gallons per minute). Corresponding monotonic increase of resonant frequency by several hundred KHz was observed. Next, a sodium flow rate sensing study was performed in a liquid sodium vessel at 340° C temperature and ambient pressure. The flow rate was changed by varying sodium pump power, and a frequency shift of several hundred KHz was observed.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Final Report on Development of Microwave Resonant Cavity Transducer for Fluid Flow Sensing: Development of Microwave Cavity Flow Meter for Advanced Reactor High Temperature Fluids

We are investigating a microwave resonant cavity transducer for flow sensing in the vessel of a high temperature fluid advanced reactor (AR), such as a molten salt cooled reactor (MSCR) or a sodium fast reactor (SFR). This transducer is a hollow metallic cylindrical cavity, with one of the flat walls of the cylinder flexible enough to undergo microscopic deflection due to dynamic fluid pressure. Membrane deflection leads to a shift in the microwave resonant frequency, which can be detected with a spectrum analyzer. We have developed a continuum electromechanics model of the microwave resonant cavity transducer performance. The deflection of the membrane is calculated using equations from the theory of plates and shells for deflection of radially constrained thin circular disk under uniform load. The microwave frequency shift is calculated using the equations from the microwave cavity perturbation theory. The transducer model was validated with proof-of-concept experimental data of water flow sensing with a Brass 360 right circular cylinder with 22.2mm diameter and 203µm thick wall. The cavity was excited through a subwavelength hole in TE 011 mode with resonant frequency f ≈ 17.8GHz. Subsequently, we have performed a preliminary proof-of-principle test of flow sensing in high temperature liquid sodium in environment. For this test, we have developed a cylindrical resonator with the same dimensions as for the Brass 360 cavity. The resonator for high temperature liquid sodium test was machined from stainless steel 316 and electroplated with silver on the interior surfaces. We have also developed and insertion probe consisting of a 50cm WR-42 brass waveguide enclosed in a protective SS316 tube. The cavity was excited through a subwavelength hole on the side of the wall of the cylinder in the TE 011 mode with resonant frequency f ≈ 17.8GHz. The liquid sodium setup consists of a cylindrical vessel with a center feed line, where a transducer inserted through the top cap of the vessel measures velocity of the impinging liquid jet. The sodium flow sensing study was performed in a liquid sodium vessel at 340°C temperature and ambient pressure. The flow rate was changed by varying sodium pump power, and a frequency shift of several hundred kHz was observed. The transducer was removed after 70 days of testing. No visual damage was observed, and the electromagnetic response remained the same. As a calibration experiment, we have assembled a water vessel with a center feed, and with dimensions similar to those of the liquid sodium setup. Water flow sensing was performed before and after liquid sodium test. The responses in both cases are similar and agree with COMSOL computer simulations. Because long-term (multi-year) experimental tests of transducer resilience to harsh environment are not practical, we have developed a probabilistic model of creep to estimate transducer resilience to the harsh environment. The probabilistic model considers diffusion creep under the condition of high temperature and low stress, where the stress and temperature are allowed to be random variables with Gaussian distributions. Using the probabilistic model, we estimate inelastic membrane deflections due to creep for several temperature ranges. We conclude that for temperatures less than 650°C, creep has negligible long-term effect on the transducer performance.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Structural cooling fluid tube for supporting a turbine component and supplying cooling fluid

A shaft cover support for a gas turbine engine is disclosed. The shaft cover support not only provides enhanced support to a shaft cover of the gas turbine engine, but also includes a cooling fluid chamber for passing fluids from a rotor air cooling supply conduit to an inner ring cooling manifold. As such, the shaft cover support accomplishes in a single component what was only partially accomplished in two components in conventional configurations. The shaft cover support may also provide additional stiffness and reduce interference of the flow from the compressor. In addition, the shaft cover support accommodates a transition section extending between compressor and turbine sections of the engine. The shaft cover support has a radially extending region that is offset from the inlet and outlet that enables the shaft cover support to surround the transition, thereby reducing the overall length of this section of the engine.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2017

Field demonstration of an active reservoir pressure management through fluid injection and displaced fluid extractions at the Rock Springs Uplift, a priority geologic CO 2 storage site for Wyoming

This report provides the results from the project entitled Field Demonstration of Reservoir Pressure Management through Fluid Injection and Displaced Fluid Extraction at the Rock Springs Uplift, a Priority Geologic CO2 Storage Site for Wyoming (DE-FE0026159 for both original performance period (September 1, 2015 to August 31, 2016) and no-cost extension (September 1, 2016 to January 6, 2017)).

CO2↗
DOE OSTI2018

Western USA Assessment of High Value Materials in Geothermal Fluids and Produced Fluids

This submission includes the following: - Field Characteristics: Describes the geological and production field characteristics of sampling sites - Geochemistry of Produced Fluids Idaho-Nevada-New Mexico-Oregon-Utah: Summarizes the all the analytical results for aqueous samples collected from geothermal production wells, hydrocarbon production wells, and hot springs. - Geochemistry of Reservoir Rocks & Calcite Scales Nevada-Utah: Analytical results of trace element analyses of reservoir drill cuttings from Beowawe, Dixie Valley, Roosevelt Hot Springs, Uinta Basin, and Paradox Basin (Aneth field); also includes analyses of Dixie Valley calcite scales and rocks in the Sevier Thermal Belt, Utah. - Lithology and mineralogy of drill cuttings from Beowawe, Dixie Valley and Roosevelt Hot Springs: Lithological and mineralogical characterization of drill cuttings from Beowawe, Dixie Valley and Roosevelt Hot Springs - Geological Settings of Critical Element Mineral Deposits: Brief summary and references regarding the geological settings of critical element mineral deposits

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2018

Chapman–Enskog Analyses on the Gray Lattice Boltzmann Equation Method for Fluid Flow in Porous Media

The gray lattice Boltzmann equation (GLBE) method has recently been used to simulate fluid flow in porous media. It employs a partial bounce-back of populations (through a fractional coefficient θ, which represents the fraction of populations being reflected by the solid phase) in the evolution equation to account for the linear drag of the medium. Several particular GLBE schemes have been proposed in the literature and these schemes are very easy to implement; but there exists uncertainty about the need for redefining the macroscopic velocity as there has been no systematic analysis to recover the Brinkman equation from the various GLBE schemes. Rigorous Chapman–Enskog analyses are carried out to show that the momentum equation recovered from these schemes can satisfy Brinkman equation to second order in ϵ only if θ=O(ϵ) in which ϵ is the ratio of the lattice spacing to the characteristic length of physical dimension. The need for redefining macroscopic velocity is shown to be scheme-dependent. When a body force is encountered such as the gravitational force or that caused by a pressure gradient, different forms of forcing redefinitions are required for each GLBE scheme.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2016

Weakly nonlinear dynamics in noncanonical Hamiltonian systems with applications to fluids and plasmas

A method, called beatification, is presented for rapidly extracting weakly nonlinear Hamiltonian systems that describe the dynamics near equilibria of systems possessing Hamiltonian form in terms of noncanonical Poisson brackets. The procedure applies to systems like fluids and plasmas in terms of Eulerian variables that have such noncanonical Poisson brackets, i.e., brackets with nonstandard and possibly degenerate form. A collection of examples of both finite and infinite dimensions is presented.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2020

Reactive Transport Modeling of Shale–Fluid Interactions after Imbibition of Fracturing Fluids

Injection of hydraulic fracturing fluid (HFF) into shale formations for unconventional oil/gas production results in chemical reactions in the shale matrix. Our recent experimental study determined the depths to which different types of reactions between the shale matrix and the HFF extended. In the present study, we built continuum-scale reactive transport models to understand the coupling of chemical reactions and the transport of aqueous species in these shale–HFF systems. Calibration of the model with our previous experimental results reveals that it takes hours to months for the shale matrix to completely neutralize the imbibed acids, depending primarily upon the carbonate content of the shale. Both the HFF pH and pore pH affect the location of barite precipitation, resulting in unique barite precipitation profiles extending millimeters into calcite-rich Eagle Ford shale but only tens of micrometers into low-carbonate Marcellus shale. In addition, dissolved oxygen and extracted bitumen are key to reproducing the experimental observation of Fe(III) (oxyhydr)oxide formation in the shale matrix as a result of pyrite dissolution in the shales. A comparison between the modeling results of porosity in the present study to experimentally measured permeabilities in our previous study suggests that chemical reactions occurring at a greater depth than the observable reaction zone might have impacted permeability. Our model serves as a benchmark for efficiently modeling water–rock interactions in similar systems where bulk rock samples react with a solution in batch reactors. Important reactive transport processes were ascertained via modeling, which allows for quantitative prediction of shale–HFF interactions in shale matrices given the shale and HFF compositions.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2014

Superfluid {sup 3}He, a two-fluid system, with the normal-fluid dynamics dominated by Andreev reflection

As a specific offering towards his festschrift, we present a review the various properties of the excitation gas in superfluid {sup 3}He, which depend on Andreev reflection. This phenomenon dominates many of the properties of the normal fluid, especially at the lowest temperatures. We outline the ideas behind this dominance and describe a sample of the many experiments in this system which the operation of Andreev reflection has made possible, from temperature measurement, particle detection, vortex imaging to cosmological analogues.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2019

A Consistent Spatially Adaptive Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics Method for fluid-structure interactions

A new consistent, spatially adaptive, smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method for Fluid-Structure Interactions (FSI) is presented. The method combines several attributes that have not been simultaneously satisfied by other SPH methods. Specifically, it is second-order convergent; it allows for resolutions spatially adapted with moving (translating and rotating) boundaries of arbitrary geometries; and, it accelerates the FSI solution as the adaptive approach leads to fewer degrees of freedom without sacrificing accuracy. The key ingredients in the method are a consistent discretization of differential operators, a posteriori error estimator/distance-based criterion of adaptivity, and a particle-shifting technique. The method is applied in simulating six different flows or FSI problems. The new method's convergence, accuracy, and efficiency attributes are assessed by comparing the results it produces with analytical, finite element, and consistent SPH uniform high-resolution solutions as well as experimental data.

Hu, Wei↗