Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Field Operators”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,279 records · Page 71
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Systematic Operating Temperature Differences Between Al-BSF, PERC, and PERT-With-Optimized-Rear-Reflector Solar Mini-Modules Due to Rear Reflectance

Reflecting sub-bandgap light from photovoltaic modules has the potential to improve lifetime energy generation of fielded systems by reducing operating temperature. In this article, the temperature of fielded aluminum back-surface field (Al-BSF) and passivated emitter and rear contact (PERC) mini-modules was monitored every 5 minutes for 75 days along with corresponding meteorological data. Additionally, passivated emitter rear totally diffused (PERT) mini-modules with high-performance sub-bandgap rear reflectors were tested and compared to the state-of-the-art industrial modules. These reflectors consisted of a >300-nm-thick silicon dioxide nanoparticle film with a low refractive index. The impact of reflectance on measured operating temperature was isolated with a previously developed thermal model and quantified as the reflectance-induced median temperature difference between each tested module at representative outdoor conditions (1000 W m -2 , 25 degrees C ambient temperature, and 1.43 m s -1 wind speed). We found that, because of their reflectance differences, PERC modules ran systematically cooler than Al-BSF modules by 1.0 degrees C, whereas the PERT-with-optimized-rear-reflector systematically operated 1.4 degrees C cooler than the Al-BSF module and 0.4 degrees C than the PERC module. We also found that the rear reflector provided the greatest temperature benefit during periods of highest irradiance.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

RF breakdown of 805 MHz cavities in strong magnetic fields

Ionization cooling of intense muon beams requires the operation of high-gradient, normal-conducting RF structures in the presence of strong magnetic fields. We have measured the breakdown rate in several RF cavities operating at several frequencies. Cavities operating within solenoidal magnetic fields B > 0.25 T show an increased RF breakdown rate at lower gradients compared with similar operation when B = 0 T. Ultimately, this breakdown behavior limits the maximum safe operating gradient of the cavity. Beyond ionization cooling, this issue affects the design of photoinjectors and klystrons, among other applications. We have built an 805 MHz pillbox-type RF cavity to serve as an experimental testbed for this phenomenon. This cavity is designed to study the problem of RF breakdown in strong magnetic fields using various cavity materials and surface treatments, and with precise control over sources of systematic error. We present results from tests in which the cavity was run with all copper surfaces in a variety of magnetic fields.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Investigation of electromigration in In{sub 2}Se{sub 3} nanowire for phase change memory devices

The decomposition of In{sub 2}Se{sub 3} nanowire phase change memory devices during current-driving operation was investigated. The devices were subjected to thermal/electrical stress with current density and electric field during the reset operation at 0.24–0.38 MA/cm{sup 2} and 5.3–6.4 kV/cm, respectively. After multiple operation cycles, a change in morphology and composition of the In{sub 2}Se{sub 3} nanowire was observed and led to the device failure. The transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive analysis indicate that electromigration causes the catastrophic failure by void formation where In atoms migrate toward the cathode and Se atoms migrate toward the anode depending on their electronegativities.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Annual Site Environmental Report, Department of Energy Operations at the Energy Technology Engineering Center – Area IV, Santa Susana Field Laboratory

This Annual Site Environmental Report (ASER) for 2014 describes the environmental conditions related to work performed for the DOE at Area IV of the Santa Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL). The ETEC, a government-owned, company-operated test facility, was located in Area IV. The operations in Area IV included development, fabrication, operation and disassembly of nuclear reactors, reactor fuel, and other radioactive materials. Other activities in the area involved the operation of large-scale liquid metal facilities that were used for testing non-nuclear liquid metal fast breeder reactor components. All nuclear work was terminated in 1988, and all subsequent radiological work has been directed toward environmental restoration and decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) of the former nuclear facilities and their associated sites. Liquid metal research and development ended in 2002. Since May 2007, the D&D operations in Area IV have been suspended by the DOE, but the environmental monitoring and characterization programs have continued. Results of the radiological monitoring program continue to indicate that there are no significant releases of radioactive material from Area IV of SSFL. All potential exposure pathways are sampled and/or monitored, including air, soil, surface water, groundwater, direct radiation, transfer of property (land, structures, waste), and recycling.

Frazee, Brad↗
DOE OSTI2016

Extended scalar-tensor theories of gravity

We study new consistent scalar-tensor theories of gravity recently introduced by Langlois and Noui with potentially interesting cosmological applications. We derive the conditions for the existence of a primary constraint that prevents the propagation of an additional dangerous mode associated with higher order equations of motion. We then classify the most general, consistent scalar-tensor theories that are at most quadratic in the second derivatives of the scalar field. In addition, we investigate the possible connection between these theories and (beyond) Horndeski through conformal and disformal transformations. Finally, we point out that these theories can be associated with new operators in the effective field theory of dark energy, which might open up new possibilities to test dark energy models in future surveys.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2013

12 GeV detector technology at Jefferson Lab

The Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (JLab) is presently in the middle of an upgrade to increase the energy of its CW electron beam from 6 GeV to 12 GeV along with the addition of a fourth experimental hall. Driven both by necessity and availability, novel detectors and electronics modules have been used in the upgrade. One such sensor is the Silicon Photomultiplier (SiPM), specifically a Multi-Pixel Photon Counter (MPPC), which is an array of avalanche photodiode pixels operating in Geiger mode that are used to sense photons. The SiPMs replace conventional photomultiplier tubes and have several distinct advantages including the safe operation in a magnetic field and the lack of need for high voltage. Another key to 12 GeV success is advanced fast electronics. Jlab will use custom 250 MHz and 125 MHz 12-bit analog to digital converters (ADCs) and time to digital converters (TDCs) all of which take advantage of VME Switched Serial (VXS) bus with its GB/s high bandwidth readout capability. These new technologies will be used to readout drift chambers, calorimeters, spectrometers and other particle detectors at Jlab once the 12 GeV upgrade is complete. The largest experiment at Jlab utilizing these components is GlueX - an experiment in the newly constructed Hall D that will study the photoproduction of light mesons in the search for hybrid mesons. The performance of these components and their respective detectors will be presented.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Detection of THz radiation with devices made from wafers with HgTe and InSb quantum wells

In this study we present measurements of the Terahertz (THz) photoconductivity of 2D electron system realized at HgTe/HgCdTe and AlInSb/InSb/AlInSb quantum wells (QWs) in Corbino geometry (inner and outer radius: 500 {mu}m and 1500 {mu}m) with different mobilities and electron densities. To characterize the devices, the Shubnikov-de Haas (SdH) effect up to magnetic fields B of 7T and current-voltage (I-V) characteristics at various magnetic fields were measured. The THz radiation is provided by a p-Ge laser which operates with a magnetic field and a high voltage for the electrical pumping. The stimulated emission is caused by transitions between Landau levels of light holes [1]. The laser is tunable in the range between 1.7 to 2.5 THz (corresponding to wavelengths between 120 to 180 {mu}m or energies of 7 to 12 meV). The laser is pulsed with a pulse rate of 1 Hz and pulse lengths of about 1 {mu}s with low switching times (about 20 ns). The monochromatic THz radiation is transferred to our samples via a 0.32m long brass waveguide immersed in liquid Helium. The detection of a change in the conductivity of the sample due to absorption of THz-radiation (photoresponse) requires a low-noise circuit. For the Corbino-shaped samples the photoresponse (PR) is measured via a resistor R{sub V} of 1 k{Omega}. The signal is transferred via in a high-frequency cable and detected with a digital oscilloscope.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2017

Error field measurement, correction and heat flux balancing on Wendelstein 7-X

The measurement and correction of error fields in Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) is critical to long pulse high beta operation, as small error fields may cause overloading of divertor plates in some configurations. Accordingly, as part of a broad collaborative effort, the detection and correction of error fields on the W7-X experiment has been performed using the trim coil system in conjunction with the flux surface mapping diagnostic and high resolution infrared camera. In the early commissioning phase of the experiment, the trim coils were used to open an n/m = 1/2 island chain in a specially designed magnetic configuration. The flux surfacing mapping diagnostic was then able to directly image the magnetic topology of the experiment, allowing the inference of a small similar to 4 cm intrinsic island chain. The suspected main sources of the error field, slight misalignment and deformations of the superconducting coils, are then confirmed through experimental modeling using the detailed measurements of the coil positions. Observations of the limiters temperatures in module 5 shows a clear dependence of the limiter heat flux pattern as the perturbing fields are rotated. Plasma experiments without applied correcting fields show a significant asymmetry in neutral pressure (centered in module 4) and light emission (visible, H-alpha, CII, and CIII). Such pressure asymmetry is associated with plasma-wall (limiter) interaction asymmetries between the modules. Application of trim coil fields with n = 1 waveform correct the imbalance. Confirmation of the error fields allows the assessment of magnetic fields which resonate with the n/m = 5/5 island chain.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS1991

Finite element computation of compressible flows with the SUPG formulation

Finite element computation of compressible Euler equations is presented in the context of the streamline-upwind/Petrov-Galerkin (SUPG) formulation. The SUPG formulation, which is based on adding stabilizing terms to the Galerkin formulation, is further supplemented with a shock capturing operator which addresses the difficulty in maintaining a satisfactory solution near discontinuities in the solution field. The shock capturing operator, which has been derived from work done in entropy variables for a similar operator, is shown to lead to an appropriate level of additional stabilization near shocks, without resulting in excessive numerical diffusion. An implicit treatment of the impermeable wall boundary condition is also presented. This treatment of the no-penetration condition offers increased stability for large Courant numbers, and accelerated convergence of the computations for both implicit and explicit applications. Several examples are presented to demonstrate the ability of this method to solve the equations governing compressible fluid flow.

Le Beau, G. J.↗
DOE OSTI2019

Deployment of magnetometers to monitor stray magnetic fields near the PROSPECT detector

PROSPECT is a reactor antineutrino experiment located in the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. PROSPECT’s primary goals are to probe short-baseline oscillations and perform a precise measurement of the U-235 reactor antineutrino spectrum. The detector consists of 154 segmented cells filled with 6Li-doped liquid scintillator. Each segment holds two PMTs, one on each end of the cell. The PMTs can be exposed to stray magnetic fields from superconducting magnets operating on the experiment hall one floor below the detector. The monitoring of the magnetic fields is an important part of our background characterization as the magnetic fields can directly influence the energy measurement. This study presents the characterization and monitoring of stray magnetic fields using triple axis magnetometers near the detector.

Gilbert, Corey E.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Linearised Fokker–Planck collision model for gyrokinetic simulations

We introduce a gyrokinetic, linearised Fokker–Planck collision model that satisfies conservation laws and is accurate at arbitrary collisionalities. The differential test-particle component of the operator is exact; the integral field-particle component is approximated using a spherical harmonic and a modified Laguerre polynomial expansion developed by Hirshman and Sigmar (1976 Phys. Fluids 19 1532). The numerical methods of the implementation in the δf-gyrokinetic code stella (Barnes et al 2019 J. Comput. Phys. 391 365–80) are discussed, and conservation properties of the operator are demonstrated. The collision model is then benchmarked against the collision model of the gyrokinetic solver GS2 in the limiting cases of a reduced test-particle collision operator and energy- and momentum-conserving operator. The accuracy of the full collision model is investigated by solving the parallel Spitzer-Härm problem for the transport coefficients. It is shown that retaining collisional energy flux and higher-order terms in the field-particle operator reduces errors in the transport coefficients from 10%–25% for a simple momentum- and energy-conserving model to under 1%.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS1993

Telepresence in the human exploration of Mars: Field studies in analog environments

This paper describes the role of telepresence in performing exploration of Mars. As part of an effort to develop telepresence to support Mars exploration, NASA is developing telepresence technology and using it to perform exploration in space analog environments. This paper describes experiments to demonstrate telepresence control of an underwater remotely operated vehicle (TROV) to perform scientific field work in isolated and hostile environments. Toward this end, we have developed a telepresence control system and interfaced it to an underwater remotely operated vehicle. This vehicle was used during 1992 to study aquatic ecosystems in Antarctica including a study of the physical and biological environment of permanently ice-covered lake. We also performed a preliminary analysis of the potential for using the TROV to study the benthic ecology under the sea ice in McMurdo sound. These expeditions are opening up new areas of research by using telepresence control of remote vehicles to explore isolated and extreme environments on Earth while also providing an impetus to develop technology which will play a major role in the human exploration of Mars. Antarctic field operations, in particular, provide an excellent analog experience for telepresence operation in space.

Stoker, Carol R.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Computational Aerodynamic Simulations of an 840 ft/sec Tip Speed Advanced Ducted Propulsor Fan System Model for Acoustic Methods Assessment and Development

Computational Aerodynamic simulations of an 840 ft/sec tip speed, Advanced Ducted Propulsor fan system were performed at five different operating points on the fan operating line, in order to provide detailed internal flow field information for use with fan acoustic prediction methods presently being developed, assessed and validated. The fan system is a sub-scale, lownoise research fan/nacelle model that has undergone extensive experimental testing in the 9- by 15- foot Low Speed Wind Tunnel at the NASA Glenn Research Center, resulting in quality, detailed aerodynamic and acoustic measurement data. Details of the fan geometry, the computational fluid dynamics methods, the computational grids, and various computational parameters relevant to the numerical simulations are discussed. Flow field results for three of the five operating conditions simulated are presented in order to provide a representative look at the computed solutions. Each of the five fan aerodynamic simulations involved the entire fan system, excluding a long core duct section downstream of the core inlet guide vane. As a result, only fan rotational speed and system bypass ratio, set by specifying static pressure downstream of the core inlet guide vane row, were adjusted in order to set the fan operating point, leading to operating points that lie on a fan operating line and making mass flow rate a fully dependent parameter. The resulting mass flow rates are in good agreement with measurement values. The computed blade row flow fields for all five fan operating points are, in general, aerodynamically healthy. Rotor blade and fan exit guide vane flow characteristics are good, including incidence and deviation angles, chordwise static pressure distributions, blade surface boundary layers, secondary flow structures, and blade wakes. Examination of the computed flow fields reveals no excessive boundary layer separations or related secondary-flow problems. A few spanwise comparisons between computational and measurement data in the bypass duct show that they are in good agreement, thus providing a partial validation of the computational results.

Tweedt, Daniel L.↗
DOE OSTI2025

CalTestBed - Delphire - Testing and Evaluation of Delphire Sentinel System (CRADA Final Report)

The Delphire Sentinel is a modular fire detection and communications system operating as a mobile field unit, with low voltage DC power supplied by onboard photovoltaics (PV) and batteries. The Sentinel addresses several aspects of fire detection, communications and data analysis. The Sentinel's mobility enables it to be rapidly deployed and operate independently of existing power and communications networks. The duration of independent operation depends critically on the energy consumption of the systems and performance of the onboard PV and battery. The purpose of this testing is to ascertain the power draw and energy consumption of the Delphire Sentinel prototype system under several operational states, including various data transfer packet sizes, transmission time and frequencies, and communication pathways (Wi-Fi, cellular, satellite) expected to be encountered in field deployments. It will also include procedures to test the ability of the Sentinel to operate for extended periods without loss of functionality. Based on results from energy and power measurements, and anticipated duty cycles in field deployments, we will model annual system autonomy (e.g. loss of load probability) for off-grid operation in representative locations.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2025

Spinor representations for fields with any spin: Lorentz tensor basis for operators and covariant multipole decomposition

This paper discusses a framework to parametrize and decompose operator matrix elements for particles with higher spin (j > 1/2) using chiral representations of the Lorentz group, i.e. the (j, 0) and (0, j) representations and their parity-invariant direct sum. Unlike traditional approaches that require imposing constraints to eliminate spurious degrees of freedom, these chiral representations contain exactly the 2j + 1 components needed to describe a spin-j particle. The central objects in the construction are the t-tensors, which are generalizations of the Pauli four-vector σ μ for higher spin. For the generalized spinors of these representations, we demonstrate how the algebra of the t-tensors allows to formulate a generalization of the Dirac matrix basis for any spin. For on-shell bilinears, we show that a set consisting exclusively of covariant multipoles of order 0 ≤ m ≤ 2j forms a complete basis. We provide explicit expressions for all bilinears of the generalized Dirac matrix basis, which are valid for any spin value. As a byproduct of our derivations we present an efficient algorithm to compute the t-tensor matrix elements. The formalism presented here paves the way to use a more unified approach to analyze the non-perturbative QCD structure of hadrons and nuclei across different spin values, with clear physical interpretation of the resulting distributions as covariant multipoles.

Angular momentum of light↗
NASA NTRS1984

Test bed ion engine development

A test bed ion (TBI) engine was developed to serve as a tool in exploring the limits of electrostatic ion thruster performance. A description of three key ion engine components, the decoupled extraction and amplified current (DE-AC) accelerator system, field enhanced refractory metal (FERM) hollow cathode and divergent line cusp (DLC) discharge chamber, whose designs and operating philosophies differ markedly from conventional thruster technology is given. Significant program achievements were: (1) high current density DE-AC accelerator system operation at low electric field stress with indicated feasibility of a 60 mA/sq cm argon ion beam; (2) reliable FERM cathode start up times of 1 to 2 secs. and demonstrated 35 ampere emission levels; (3) DLC discharge chamber plasma potentials negative of anode potential; and (4) identification of an efficient high plasma density engine operating mode. Using the performance projections of this program and reasonable estimates of other parameter values, a 1.0 Newton thrust ion engine is identified as a realizable technology goal. Calculations show that such an engine, comparable in beam area to a J series 30 cm thruster, could, operating on Xe or Hg, have thruster efficiencies as high as 0.76 and 0.78 respectively, with a 100 eV/ion discharge loss.

Aston, G.↗