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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 OSTI2025

Pressure Gain, Stability, and Operability of Methane/Syngas Based RDEs Under Steady and Transient Conditions (Final Project Report)

The scope of this work addresses key issues associated with losses associated with the detonation wave and other processes internal to the RDE operation, as well as it develops modeling tools for the evaluation of these losses and exhaust emissions in RDEs. The main challenge in studying RDEs is that RDE performance is highly reliant on the specifics of the design so much so that simple/canonical systems alone cannot provide useful engineering information, but practical RDE designs are sufficiently complex and involve extreme operational environments that detailed access either experimentally (laser diagnostics, for instance) or computationally (direct numerical simulations) are as yet to become practical. To overcome this challenge, we have conducted a combined experimental/simulation/analytical study investigating key phenomena that control the characteristics of operation of RDEs. As a result, the study has developed tools and methods that can be used to evaluate performance and design approaches using reduced-physics models, with the assumptions validated using detailed simulations, and the model prediction tested using experimental observations. The specific objectives of the research were: (1) Develop and demonstrate a low-loss fully axial injection concept, taking advantage of stratification effects to alter the detonation structure and position the wave favorably within the combustor; (2) Obtain stability and operability characteristics of an RDE across operating conditions to aid in the development of operability and performance rules for the operations of other systems; and (3) Develop quantitative metrics for performance gain as well as quantitative description of the loss mechanisms through a combination of diagnostics development, reduced-order modeling, and detailed simulations. The work conducted here has made contribution on design of low-loss inlets that has broad application within the power generation industry for use with pressure gain combustion. The operability and stability of different designs, while focusing on axial air inlet designs, has been analyzed. The effect of nozzle and injection conditions was studied. Models and simulations of exhaust emissions, focusing on NOx emission has been developed and used to investigate how operation of the RDE affect NOx production using Lagrangian analysis of RDE simulations. This work has built on previous programs, with the goal of further understanding operation of RDEs and elevate the readiness of design consideration. In addition, a suite of diagnostic and modeling tools have been developed to obtain quantitative metrics on performance based on measurements, which can be readily transferred to other experimental configurations.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2024

Symbolic diagnostics to interpret and analyze neural network models

Embedded machine-learned models (EMLMs) have the promise to improve the predictive accuracy of engineering simulators in environments of national interest. EMLMs often comprise complex input-output maps (e.g., neural networks), which make them unamenable to rigorous analysis and generally difficult to interpret. In the face of decades of theory, this lack of interpretability is a significant barrier to building confidence in these models. This work outlines an approach to interpret EMLMs using sparse polynomial regression for comparison with theoretical understanding. To do so, we build on the concept of Locally Interpretable Model-agnostic Explanations (LIME) using physics-informed clustering, prototype selection, and library construction. While general, we demonstrate our method on tensor-basis neural networks used in Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes simulations of hypersonic fluid flows. Results are presented for a simulated toy model and for direct numerical simulations (DNS) of turbulent flows over a flat plate.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2020

Diagnostic methods for a high efficiency exhaust aftertreatment system

A method includes interpreting NOx data indicative of an amount of NOx exiting an engine and an amount of NOx exiting an exhaust aftertreatment system coupled to the engine, determining a NOx conversion efficiency fault is present based on the amount of NOx exiting the engine and the amount of NOx exiting the exhaust aftertreatment system, and determining at least one of a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst of the exhaust aftertreatment system and a diesel particulate filter having a coating of a SCR reaction catalyst (DPF-SCR) of the exhaust aftertreatment system are responsible for the NOx conversion efficiency fault based on at least one of a reductant slip amount and a NOx conversion value across at least one of the SCR catalyst and the DPF-SCR.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2022

On the Feasibility of Geophysical Methods for CO 2 Monitoring in the North Dakota CarbonSAFE Project

Conference presentation at American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Annual Meeting, Phoenix, AZ, November 13–18, 2022. An analysis of rock physics crossplots and diagnostic models suggests that the baseline seismic data may be sensitive to changes in lithology and porosity of the Broom Creek Formation and that these changes may be detectable by prestack seismic inversion.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Fuel properties effects on wall-wetting and fuel-in-lube dilution under stochastic pre ignition prone conditions

Fuel-engine interactions have been shown to influence stochastic pre-ignition (SPI), however there is uncertainty on the root causes, participially if effects are primarily physical or chemical in nature. To better delineate the physical and chemical dependencies of fuel properties on SPI, this work studies interactions between aromatics, distillation, and particle matter index on SPI with a laser induced fluorescence (LIF) diagnostic to observe wall wetting. Fuels with high aromatic components or higher distillation temperatures tend to increase SPI events, but it is not well understood if the increased fuel dilution or a chemical aspect of this process is the primary mechanism for SPI. By employing the novel LIF in this work we measure fuel dilution in real-time in a running single cylinder research engine operated at SPI conditions. Three fuels were used in the present work, with the LIF diagnostic. Each fuel was operated at two injection timings, generating fuel specific effects on wall wetting. The LIF measurements are coupled with engine combustion measurements and SPI event counts. Results enable a deconvolution of fuel physical and chemical properties on SPI propensity, providing unique and novel insights into the dominant fuel effects affecting SPI.

Splitter, Derek↗
DOE OSTI2020

Verification of diesel spray ignition phenomenon in dual-fuel diesel-piloted premixed natural gas engine

Dual-fuel (DF) engines, in which premixed natural gas and air in an open-type combustion chamber is ignited by diesel-fuel pilot sprays, have been more popular for marine use than pre-chamber spark ignition (PCSI) engines because of their superior durability. However, control of ignition and combustion in DF engines is more difficult than in PCSI engines. In this context, here we focus on the ignition stability of n-heptane pilot-fuel jets injected into a compressed premixed charge of natural gas and air at low-load conditions. To aid understanding of the experimental data, chemical-kinetics simulations were carried out in a simplified engine-environment that provided insight into the chemical effects of methane (CH4) on pilot-fuel ignition. The simulations reveal that CH4 has an effect on both stages of n-heptane autoignition: the small, first-stage, cool-flame-type, low-temperature ignition (LTI) and the larger, second-stage, high-temperature ignition (HTI). As the ratio of pilot-fuel to CH4 entrained into the spray decreases, the initial oxidization of CH4 consumes the OH radicals produced by pilot-fuel decomposition during LTI, thereby inhibiting its progression to HTI. Using imaging diagnostics, the spatial and temporal progression of LTI and HTI in DF combustion are measured in a heavy-duty optical engine, and the imaging data are analyzed to understand the cause of severe fluctuations in ignition timing and combustion completeness at low-load conditions. Images of cool-flame and hydroxyl radical (OH*) chemiluminescence serve as indicators of LTI and HTI, respectively. The cycle-to-cycle and spatial variation in ignition extracted from the imaging data are used as key metrics of comparison. The imaging data indicate that the local concentration of the pilot-fuel and the richness of the surrounding natural-gas air mixture are important for LTI and HTI, but in different ways. In particular, higher injection pressures and shorter injection durations increase the mixing rate, leading to lower concentrations of pilot-fuel more quickly, which can inhibit HTI even as LTI remains relatively robust. Decreasing the injection pressure from 80 MPa to 40 MPa and increasing the injection duration from 500 µs to 760 µs maintained constant pilot-fuel mass, while promoting robust transition from LTI to HTI by effectively slowing the mixing rate. This allows enough residence time for the OH radicals, produced by the two-stage ignition chemistry of the pilot-fuel, to accelerate the transition from LTI to HTI before being consumed by CH4 oxidation. Thus from a practical perspective, for a premixed natural gas fuel–air equivalence-ratio, it is possible to improve the “stability” of the combustion process by solely manipulating the pilot-fuel injection parameters while maintaining constant mass of injected pilot-fuel. This allows for tailoring mixing trajectories to offset changes in fuel ignition chemistry, so as to promote a robust transition from LTI to HTI by changing the balance between the local concentration of the pilot-fuel and richness of the premixed natural gas and air. This could prove to be a valuable tool for combustion design to improve fuel efficiency or reduce noise or perhaps even reduce heat-transfer losses by locating early combustion away from in-cylinder walls.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Understanding the interplay between pilot fuel mixing and auto-ignition chemistry in hydrogen-enriched environment

The diesel-piloted dual-fuel compression ignition combustion strategy is well-suited to accelerate the decarbonization of transportation by adopting hydrogen as a renewable energy carrier into the existing internal combustion engine with minimal engine modifications. Despite the simplicity of engine modification, many questions remain unanswered regarding the optimal pilot injection strategy for reliable ignition with minimum pilot fuel consumption. The present study uses a single-cylinder heavy-duty optical engine to explore the phenomenology and underlying mechanisms governing the pilot fuel ignition and the subsequent combustion of a premixed hydrogen-air charge. The engine is operated in a dual-fuel mode with hydrogen premixed into the engine intake charge with a direct pilot injection of n-heptane as a diesel pilot fuel surrogate. Optical diagnostics used to visualize in-cylinder combustion phenomena include high-speed IR imaging of the pilot fuel spray evolution as well as high-speed HCHO* and OH* chemiluminescence as indicators of low-temperature and high-temperature heat release, respectively. Three pilot injection strategies are compared to explore the effects of pilot fuel mass, injection pressure, and injection duration on the probability and repeatability of successful ignition. The thermodynamic and imaging data analysis supported by zero-dimensional chemical kinetics simulations revealed a complex interplay between the physical and chemical processes governing the pilot fuel ignition process in a hydrogen containing charge. Hydrogen strongly inhibits the ignition of pilot fuel mixtures and therefore requires longer injection duration to create zones with sufficiently high pilot fuel concentration for successful ignition. Results show that ignition typically tends to rely on stochastic pockets with high pilot fuel concentration, which results in poor repeatability of combustion and frequent misfiring. In conclusion, this work has improved the understanding on how the unique chemical properties of hydrogen pose a challenge for maximization of hydrogen’s energy share in hydrogen dual-fuel engines and highlights a potential mitigation pathway.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Predictive Modeling of Local Film-Cooling Flow on a Turbine Rotor Blade

Abstract In the turbine section of a modern gas turbine engine, components exposed to the main gas path flow rely on cooling air to maintain hardware durability targets. Therefore, monitoring turbine cooling flow is essential to the diagnostic and prognostic efficacy of a condition-based operation and maintenance (CBOM) approach. This study supports CBOM goals by leveraging supervised machine learning to estimate relative changes to local film-cooling flowrate using surface temperature measured on the pressure side of a rotating turbine blade operating at engine-relevant aerothermal conditions. Throughout the lifetime of a film-cooled turbine component, characteristics of the film-cooling flow—such as film trajectory and cooling effectiveness—vary as degradation-driven geometry distortions occur, which ultimately affects the relationship between the model input and the model output—film-cooling flowrate predictions. The present study addresses this complication by testing a data-driven model on multiple turbine blades of the same nominal design, but with each blade exhibiting different localized film-cooling flow characteristics. By testing the model in this manner, strategies for mitigating the detrimental effects of film-cooling flow characteristic variations on model performance were investigated, and the corresponding flowrate prediction accuracy was quantified.

Engineering↗
DOE OSTI2025

Sample glue layer investigation and mitigation for laser induced prompt impulse experiments

Understanding longer timescale material reactions under dynamic stress loading is critical for applications in materials engineering, shock physics, and planetary science. Prompt impulse experiments generate lower pressures since the ablator—the material first removed by the laser—is thicker and farther from the diagnostic plane, capturing aggregate material responses from the initial shock wave, rarefaction waves, and later time effects. This complexity demands thorough material characterization and simulation support. Since traditional sample construction is specific to supported shock experiments, designing prompt impulse experiments requires reconsideration around target design and sample engineering. Here, we present sample preparation techniques, experimental investigations, and theoretical simulations to investigate glue layer impacts, aiming to standardize samples for consistent data at lower laser fluences. We find that glue layers <30 μm have a minimal impact on peak velocity and pulse shape. The peak velocity scales linearly with glue layer thickness until a glue layer of 75 μm. For glue layers >75 μm, the peak velocity no longer scales with thickness; however, the pulse shape continues to degrade as described by simulations.

Lasers↗
DOE OSTI2022

Overview of JET results for optimising ITER operation

The JET 2019–2020 scientific and technological programme exploited the results of years of concerted scientific and engineering work, including the ITER-like wall (ILW: Be wall and W divertor) installed in 2010, improved diagnostic capabilities now fully available, a major neutral beam injection upgrade providing record power in 2019–2020, and tested the technical and procedural preparation for safe operation with tritium. Research along three complementary axes yielded a wealth of new results. Firstly, the JET plasma programme delivered scenarios suitable for high fusion power and alpha particle (α) physics in the coming D–T campaign (DTE2), with record sustained neutron rates, as well as plasmas for clarifying the impact of isotope mass on plasma core, edge and plasma-wall interactions, and for ITER pre-fusion power operation. The efficacy of the newly installed shattered pellet injector for mitigating disruption forces and runaway electrons was demonstrated. Secondly, research on the consequences of long-term exposure to JET-ILW plasma was completed, with emphasis on wall damage and fuel retention, and with analyses of wall materials and dust particles that will help validate assumptions and codes for design and operation of ITER and DEMO. Thirdly, the nuclear technology programme aiming to deliver maximum technological return from operations in D, T and D–T benefited from the highest D–D neutron yield in years, securing results for validating radiation transport and activation codes, and nuclear data for ITER.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

In-Situ Calibrated Digital Process Twin Models for Resource Efficient Manufacturing

The chief objective of manufacturing process improvement efforts is to significantly minimize process resources such as time, cost, waste, and consumed energy while improving product quality and process productivity. This paper presents a novel physics-informed optimization approach based on artificial intelligence (AI) to generate digital process twins (DPTs). The utility of the DPT approach is demonstrated in the case of finish machining of aerospace components made from gamma titanium aluminide alloy (γ-TiAl). This particular component has been plagued with persistent quality defects, including surface and sub-surface cracks, which adversely affect resource efficiency. Previous process improvement efforts have been restricted to anecdotal post-mortem investigation and empirical modeling, which fail to address the fundamental issue of how and when cracks occur during cutting. In this work, the integration of in-situ process characterization with modular physics-based models is presented, and machine learning algorithms are used to create a DPT capable of reducing environmental and energy impacts while significantly increasing yield and profitability. Based on the preliminary results presented here, we report an improvement in the overall embodied energy efficiency of over 84%, 93% in process queuing time, 2% in scrap cost, and 93% in queuing cost has been realized for γ-TiAl machining using our novel approach.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Ultrafast Surface Phosphor Thermometry for Pulsed-power and Hostile Environments

Modern concepts for next generation pulsed power (NGPP) are slated to deliver up to ten times the energy of Z today. An increase of this magnitude is concerning insofar that Z currently exhibits sizable amounts of inner magnetically insulated transmission line (MITL) loss current on the order of 5-10%. Loss phenomenon in these systems are complex and electrode heating and subsequent thermal desorption are a leading cause. Rapid heat-driven thermal desorption of contaminants scales as the square of the current. Therefore, even a modest doubling of drive current would yield an ~ 4X in non-linear surface electrode heating, quickening thermal desorption-based current loss. Exacerbating these physics is a current inability to measure ultra fast heating rates (>20°C/ns), which are paramount to benchmarking and code validation critical to NGPP design – as an empirical approach is not viable. Therefore, Ultrafast Photoluminescent Surface Heating Optical Thermometry (UP-SHOT) was developed as a new diagnostic for measurement of GHz-scale electrode heating. The discovery of UP-SHOT leveraged expertise in Engineering Science, Material Science, Pulsed-Power, and the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies. This report includes information on: 1) The preparation of zinc oxide (ZnO) films, characterization, post-deposition treatments 2) Time-resolved photoluminescence at elevated temperatures and thermographic sensitivity

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Abstract for CRADA between National Energy Technology Laboratory and TOPTICA Photonics, Inc.

The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) and Toptica Photonics (Participant) will collaborate to demonstrate the application of a frequency-comb laser (dual-comb spectroscopy) in an optically accessible rotating detonation engine (RDE). RDEs are a next-generation energy conversion technology which are well-suited to hydrogen usage and have the potential to significantly increase the efficiency of gas turbine engine power cycles. However, critical information is needed about the high temperature and pressure detonation wave, which represents an extremely challenging diagnostic environment. Dual-comb spectroscopy can be used to characterize the pressure-broadened IR absorption features at MHz rates, providing information not possible with conventional tunable diode laser (TDL) technologies. This collaboration will, for the first time, demonstrate application of dual-comb spectroscopy within the combustion annulus of a hydrogen-air RDE. If successful, the data generated will help to accelerate commercialization of RDE technologies in support of decarbonizing our nation’s energy sector.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2024

NSTXU Diagnostic Disruption Dynamic Loading Represented by Response Spectra

This article presents the results of transient dynamic simulations of loads due to disruption eddy currents on the NSTXU vacuum vessel. Dynamic loading at diagnostic mounting locations is expressed as response spectra derived from the time history results of the dynamic structural simulations of a variety of disruption scenarios. The disruption simulations draw on a history of the project assessments of worst case disruptions for specific components. Major efforts to assess disruption loading have included the vacuum vessel which is the major structural support for the machine, as well as the passive plates (PPs), high harmonic fast wave (HHFW) antenna, and centerstack casing. Each one of these efforts included transient electromagnetic simulations producing time-dependent eddy current Lorentz loads (and in some cases halo loads) which then were applied to time-dependent structural dynamic analyses intended to obtain the proper dynamic amplification factors. In some instances, the EM model and structural model were identical allowing direct transfer of EM forces to the structural model. In other cases, the EM and structural model were not identical and the vector potential (VP) transfer method was used. The results files from these analyses were available (or re-run) to post process in ANSYS Classic time history postprocessor. In conclusion, the ANSYS command is used to create response spectra from time history data at desired points on the vessel.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Individual Electro-Hydraulic Drives for Off-Road Vehicles (Final Report)

This document constitutes the final report of the project titled “Individual Electro-Hydraulic Drives for Off-Road Vehicles” (DOE award # DE-EE0008334). The project started May 1st 2018 and ended May 31st 2022. There were three budget periods (BPs) that, considering no-cost extension made throughout the project, had following periods: BP1 – Preliminary design: 05/01/2018 – 07/31/2019; BP2 – Initial implementation: 08/01/2019 – 01/31/2021; BP3 – Technology demonstration: 02/01/2021 – 05/31/2022. The main objective of the project was to develop and demonstrate an electro-hydraulic technology that, with respect to current state of the art solutions for off-road vehicles, can: 1. Lower power consumption of the fluid power system up to 70%; 2. Reduce noise emissions and vibration; 3. Allow for zero emission operation of the vehicle (engine off operation); 4. Enable “smart actuators” operating as modern “plug & play” elements with integrated control and self-diagnostic functions.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗