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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 1,315 records · Page 73
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1996

Age Life Evaluation of Space Shuttle Crew Escape System Pyrotechnic Components Loaded with Hexanitrostilbene (HNS)

Determining deterioration characteristics of the Space Shuttle crew escape system pyrotechnic components loaded with hexanitrostilbene would enable us to establish a hardware life-limit for these items, so we could better plan our equipment use and, possibly, extend the useful life of the hardware. We subjected components to accelerated-age environments to determine degradation characteristics and established a hardware life-limit based upon observed and calculated trends. We extracted samples using manufacturing lots currently installed in the Space Shuttle crew escape system and from other NASA programs. Hardware included in the study consisted of various forms and ages of mild detonating fuse, linear shaped charge, and flexible confined detonating cord. The hardware types were segregated into 5 groups. One was subjected to detonation velocity testing for a baseline. Two were first subjected to prolonged 155 F heat exposure, and the other two were first subjected to 255 F, before undergoing detonation velocity testing and/or chromatography analysis. Test results showed no measurable changes in performance to allow a prediction of an end of life given the storage and elevated temperature environments the hardware experiences. Given the lack of a definitive performance trend, coupled with previous tests on post-flight Space Shuttle hardware showing no significant changes in chemical purity or detonation velocity, we recommend a safe increase in the useful life of the hardware to 20 years, from the current maximum limits of 10 and 15 years, depending on the hardware.

Hoffman, William C., III↗
NASA NTRS1994

Chemical and Thermal Analysis

Thermal decomposition activation energies have been determined using two methods of Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), with good correlation being obtained between the two techniques. Initial heating curves indicated a two-component system for Coflon (i.e. polymer plus placticizer) but a single component system for Tefzel. Two widely differing activation energies were for Coflon supported this view, 15 kcl/mol being associated with plasticizer, and 40 kcal/mol with polymer degradation. With Tefzel, values were 40-45 kcal/mol, the former perhaps being associated with a low molecular weight fraction. Appropriate acceleration factors have been determined. Thermomechanical Analysis (TMA) has shown considerable dimensional change during temperature cycles. For unaged pipe sections heating to 100 C and then holding the temperature resulted in a stable thickness increase of 2%, whereas the Coflon thickness decreased continuously, reaching -4% in 2.7 weeks. Previously strained tensile bars of Tefzel expanded on cooling during TMA. SEM performed on H2S-aged Coflon samples showed significant changes in both physical and chemical nature. The first may have resulted from explosive decompression after part of the aging process. Chemically extensive dehydrofluorination was indicated, and sulfur was present as a result of the aging. These observations indicate that chemical attack of PVDF can occur in some circumstances.

Bulluck, J. W.↗
NASA NTRS2012

In-Situ Geochronology as a Mission-Enabling Technology

Although there are excellent estimates of ages of terrains on Mars from crater counting, even a few absolute ages would serve to validate the calibration. Results with uncertainties, although much larger than those that could be achieved in labs on Earth, would be extremely valuable. While there are other possibilities for in-situ geochronology instruments, we describe here to alternative technologies, being developed in JPL. There are two common features of both. The first is analysis by means of miniature mass spectrometer. The second is use of laser sampling to reduce or avoid sample handling, preparation and pre-treatment and equally importantly, to allow analysis of individual, textually resolved minerals in coarse-grained rocks. This textural resolved minerals in coarse-grained rocks. This textural resolution will aid in selection of grains more or less enriched in the relevant elements and allow construction of isochrons for more precise dating. Either of these instruments could enable missions to Mars and other planetary bodies.

geochronology↗
NASA NTRS2023

The Life and Death of A Subglacial Lake in West Antarctica

Over the past 50 years, the discovery and initial investigation of subglacial lakes in Antarctica have highlighted the paleoglaciological information that may be recorded in sediments at their beds. In December 2018, we accessed Mercer Subglacial Lake, West Antarctica, and recovered the first in situ subglacial lake-sediment record—120 mm of finely laminated mud. We combined geophysical observations, image analysis, and quantitative stratigraphy techniques to estimate long-term mean lake sedimentation rates (SRs) between 0.49 ± 0.12 mm a –1 and 2.3 ± 0.2 mm a –1 , with a most likely SR of 0.68 ± 0.08 mm a –1 . These estimates suggest that this lake formed between 53 and 260 a before core recovery (BCR), with a most likely age of 180 ± 20 a BCR—coincident with the stagnation of the nearby Kamb Ice Stream. Our work demonstrates that interconnected subglacial lake systems are fundamentally linked to larger-scale ice dynamics and highlights that subglacial sediment archives contain powerful, century-scale records of ice history and provide a modern process-based analogue for interpreting paleo–subglacial lake facies.

subglacial lakes↗
DOE OSTI2020

Comprehensive characterization of N- and O- glycosylation of SARS-CoV-2 human receptor angiotensin converting enzyme 2

The emergence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has created the need for development of new therapeutic strategies. Understanding the mode of viral attachment, entry and replication has become a key aspect of such interventions. The coronavirus surface features a trimeric spike (S) protein that is essential for viral attachment, entry and membrane fusion. The S protein of SARS-CoV-2 binds to human angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) for entry. Herein, we describe glycomic and glycoproteomic analysis of hACE2 expressed in HEK293 cells. We observed high glycan occupancy (73.2 to 100%) at all seven possible N-glycosylation sites and surprisingly detected one novel O-glycosylation site. To deduce the detailed structure of glycan epitopes on hACE2 that may be involved in viral binding, we have characterized the terminal sialic acid linkages, the presence of bisecting GlcNAc and the pattern of N-glycan fucosylation. We have conducted extensive manual interpretation of each glycopeptide and glycan spectrum, in addition to using bioinformatics tools to validate the hACE2 glycosylation. Our elucidation of the site-specific glycosylation and its terminal orientations on the hACE2 receptor, along with the modeling of hACE2 glycosylation sites can aid in understanding the intriguing virus-receptor interactions and assist in the development of novel therapeutics to prevent viral entry. Here, the relevance of studying the role of ACE2 is further increased due to some recent reports about the varying ACE2 dependent complications with regard to age, sex, race and pre-existing conditions of COVID-19 patients.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1999

Microorganisms from Permafrost Viable and Detectable by 16SRNA Analysis: A Model for Mars

Preliminary studies of Arctic and Antarctic permafrost have shown that this environment harbors microorganisms which can be isolated in pure culture, and that these organisms can survive for a long period of time (up to 20 Ma) in permafrost. It is believed that the permanent subzero temperatures in permafrost and ice environments are the main parameters ensuring the longevity of microbes. In this project we studied permafrost cores from different areas of the Siberian Arctic and Antarctic, with ages from several thousand years up to several millions years (Ma). In general, Antarctic permafrost has a higher sand content, while Siberian permafrost has a texture more characteristic of clay or normal soil. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Tsapin, A. I.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Simplified computational methods for elastic and elastic-plastic fracture problems

This paper presents an overview of some of the recent (1984-1991) developments in computational/analytical methods in the mechanics of fracture: (i) analytical solutions for elliptical or circular cracks embedded in isotropic or transversely isotropic solids (the crack-plane being at an arbitrary angle to the axis of transverse isotropy), with crack-faces being subjected to arbitrary tractions; (ii) finite-element or boundary-element alternating methods for two- and three-dimensional crack problems; (iii) a "direct-stiffness" method for stiffened panels with flexible fasteners and with multiple cracks, using the alternating method; (iv) multiplesite-damage near a row of fastener holes; (v) analysis of cracks with bonded repair patches; (vi) methods for generation of weight-functions for 2- and 3-D crack problems, and (vii) domain-integral methods for elastic-plastic or inelastic crack mechanics.

Aging Aircraft↗
DOE OSTI2020

Stakeholder Engagement Review Meeting Summary Report

Sustainability in the context of the Light Water Reactor Sustainability (LWRS) Program is the ability to maintain the safe and economic operation of the existing fleet of nuclear power plants now and in the future. It has two objectives with respect to long-term operations: (1) to provide science and technology-based solutions to industry to safely enhance the economical operation of power reactors; and (2) to manage the aging of systems, structures, and components (SSCs) so that nuclear power plants can continue to operate safely and cost-effectively.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Association of post-COVID phenotypic manifestations with new-onset psychiatric disease

Acute COVID-19 infection can be followed by diverse clinical manifestations referred to as Post Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV2 Infection (PASC). Studies have shown an increased risk of being diagnosed with new-onset psychiatric disease following a diagnosis of acute COVID-19. However, it was unclear whether non-psychiatric PASC-associated manifestations (PASC-AMs) are associated with an increased risk of new-onset psychiatric disease following COVID-19. A retrospective electronic health record (EHR) cohort study of 2,391,006 individuals with acute COVID-19 was performed to evaluate whether non-psychiatric PASC-AMs are associated with new-onset psychiatric disease. Data were obtained from the National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C), which has EHR data from 76 clinical organizations. EHR codes were mapped to 151 non-psychiatric PASC-AMs recorded 28–120 days following SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis and before diagnosis of new-onset psychiatric disease. Association of newly diagnosed psychiatric disease with age, sex, race, pre-existing comorbidities, and PASC-AMs in seven categories was assessed by logistic regression. There were significant associations between a diagnosis of any psychiatric disease and five categories of PASC-AMs with odds ratios highest for neurological, cardiovascular, and constitutional PASC-AMs with odds ratios of 1.31, 1.29, and 1.23 respectively. Secondary analysis revealed that the proportions of 50 individual clinical features significantly differed between patients diagnosed with different psychiatric diseases. Our study provides evidence for association between non-psychiatric PASC-AMs and the incidence of newly diagnosed psychiatric disease. Significant associations were found for features related to multiple organ systems. This information could prove useful in understanding risk stratification for new-onset psychiatric disease following COVID-19. Prospective studies are needed to corroborate these findings.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Wind and Solar Hybrid Power Plants for Energy Resilience

Wind-solar-storage hybrid power plants represent a significant and growing share of new proposed projects in the United States (U.S.). Their uptake is supported by increasing renewable energy market share, technical abilities for dispatch and control, and decreasing wind, solar, and battery storage costs. Simultaneously, generation and storage resources are increasingly used in distributed power systems. While concerns around the reliability of the aging, transforming U.S. electric grid are growing, diversifying energy resources through hybridization or spatial distribution provides an opportunity to enhance power system resilience compared to single-source generation. Understanding where to build hybrids for resilience value, rather than bulk power supply, has not been fully explored in previous studies. Therefore, in this study, we complete a national complementarity analysis to identify areas in the U.S. that are particularly suited for wind-solar hybrid power plant development. We show the importance of seasonal and diurnal patterns in assessing complementarity, and identify that regions in the Great Plains, Midwest, and Southeast are particularly suited for hybrid power plants. We demonstrate the resilience value of hybridization for a reference system based near Memphis, Tennessee, and show optimal sizing of wind, solar, and storage assets given 1.0 and 0.9 critical load factors. Results indicate that pairing wind and solar assets better meet constant load demand and reduce storage requirements compared to solar alone. These results enable future work integrating complementarity metrics in resilience frameworks and indicate a need for more finer resolution of local resource, demand, and hazard data.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS1981

Cell module and fuel conditioner development

The test results of and post test analysis of Stack 559 are reported. The design features and construction status of Stacks 560, 561, 562 and 563 are described. The measurements of cell materials compressibility are rationalized and summarized and an explanation of their uses is given. Preliminary results of a manifold material/coating survey are given. The results of shift converter catalyst performance tests and reforming catalyst aging tests are reported. State points for full load and part load operation of the fuel conditioning subsystem tabulated. Work on the data base for the fuel conditioner ancillary subsystems is summarized.

Hoover, D. Q., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Risk of decompression sickness in the presence of circulating microbubbles

In this study, we examined the association between microbubbles formed in the circulation from a free gas phase and symptoms of altitude decompression sickness (DCS). In a subgroup of 59 males of mean (S.D) age 31.2 (5.8) years who developed microbubbles during exposure to 26.59 kPa (4.3 psi) under simulated extravehicular activities (EVA), symptoms of DCS occurred in 24 (41 percent) individuals. Spencer grade 1 microbubbles occurred in 4 (7 percent), grade 2 in 9 (15 percent), grade 3 in 15 (25 percent), and grade 4 in 31 (53 percent) of subjects. Survival analysis using Cox proportional hazards regression showed that individuals with less than grade 3 CMB showed 2.46 times (95 percent confidence interval = 1.26 to 5.34) higher risk of symptoms. This information is crucial for defining the risk of DCS for inflight Doppler monitoring under space EVA. Altitude decompression sickness (DCS) occurs when there is acute reduction in ambient pressure. The symptoms of DCS are due to the formation of a free gas phase (in the form of gas microbubbles) in tissues during decompression. Musculo-skeletal pain of bends is the commonest form of DCS in altitude exposures. In the space flight environment, there is a risk of DCS when astronauts decompress from the normobaric shuttle pressure into the hypobaric space suit pressure (currently about 29.65 kPa (4.3 psi) for extra-vehicular activities (EVA). This risk is counterbalanced by a judicious combination of prior denitrogenation and staged decompression. Studies of DCS are limited by the duration of the test at reduced pressure. Since only a proportion of subjects tested develop symptoms, the information on DCS is generally incomplete or 'censored'. Many studies employ Doppler ultrasound monitoring of the precordial area for detecting circulating microbubbles (CMB). Although the association between CMB and bends pain is not causal, CMB are frequently monitored during decompression. In this paper, we examine the association between CMB and symptoms of DCS under simulated EVA profiles.

Kumar, K. Vasantha↗
DOE OSTI2023

Simulating Catalysis with Realistic Pellet Geometries Using Mesoflow: A Case Study of Catalytic Propane Dehydrogenation

We present a case study of catalytic propane dehydrogenation with our open-source multiphysics solver, Mesoflow. The solver was developed to simulate reactive flow coupled to heterogeneous catalytic reactions and deactivation in the context of complex, mesoscale geometry. The method leverages cartesian block-structured adaptive mesh refinement to capture realistic catalyst microstructural features acquired directly from X-ray computed tomography data. A kinetic model for propane dehydrogenation and catalyst deactivation was developed based on temporal analysis of products (TAP) reactor experiments. The TAP reactor experiments allow for precise characterization of intrinsic kinetic reaction steps which are implemented into Mesoflow simulations to model the spatial and temporal evolution of reactants, products, and catalyst active sites. The short-term and long-term deactivation behavior is studied by using XCT data collected from fresh and aged catalyst pellets, which exhibit different microstructural features. This study employs time-splitting algorithms to connect disparate reaction and flow timescales, enabling the simulations to achieve realistic deactivation timescales on the order of minutes while the flow time-scales for small particles (100 microns) are several milliseconds. We also introduce a flexible automated python script that writes the necessary files to construct a Mesoflow simulation from user-created chemical mechanisms. We will also introduce a few new features that are added to Mesoflow such as higher order schemes, implicit chemistry integrators and the ability to run on AMD and NVIDIA graphics-processing-units.

AMReX↗
NASA NTRS1987

Quantitative analysis of PMR-15 polyimide resin by HPLC

The concentration of individual components and of total solids of 50 wt pct PMR-15 resin solutions was determined using reverse-phase HPLC to within + or - 8 percent accuracy. Acid impurities, the major source of impurities in 3,3', 4,4'-benzophenonetetracarboxylic acid (BTDE), were eliminated by recrystallizing the BTDE prior to esterification. Triester formation was not a problem because of the high rate of esterification of the anhydride relative to that of the carboxylic acid. Aging of PMR-15 resin solutions resulted in gradual formation of the mononadimide and bisnadimide of 4,4'-methylenedianiline, with the BTDE concentration remaining constant. Similar chemical reactions occurred at a reduced rate in dried films of PMR-15 resin.

Roberts, Gary D.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Cancer survival in the United States 2007–2016: Results from the National Program of Cancer Registries

Background Cancer survival has improved for the most common cancers. However, less improvement and lower survival has been observed in some groups perhaps due to differential access to cancer care including prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment. Methods To further understand contemporary relative cancer survival (one- and five- year), we used survival data from CDC’s National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) for cancers diagnosed during 2007–2016. We examined overall relative cancer survival by sex, race and ethnicity, age, and county-level metropolitan and non-metropolitan status. Relative cancer survival by metropolitan and non-metropolitan status was further examined by sex, race and ethnicity, age, and cancer type. Results Among persons with cancer diagnosed during 2007–2016 the overall one-year and five-year relative survival was 80.6% and 67.4%, respectively. One-year relative survival for persons living in metropolitan counties was 81.1% and 77.8% among persons living in non-metropolitan counties. We found that persons who lived in non-metropolitan counties had lower survival than those who lived in metropolitan counties, and this difference persisted across sex, race and ethnicity, age, and most cancer types. Conclusion Further examination of the differences in cancer survival by cancer type or other characteristics might be helpful for identifying potential interventions, such as programs that target screening and early detection or strategies to improve access to high quality cancer treatment and follow-up care, that could improve long-term outcomes. Impact This analysis provided a high-level overview of contemporary cancer survival in the United States.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Rotational Velocities of Am and Non-chemical-peculiar Stars Based on Kepler and LAMOST DR5

Rotation is a critical physical process operating in the formation of Am stars. There is a strong correlation between low-velocity rotation and chemical peculiarity. However, the existence of many non-chemical-peculiar slow rotators challenges the understanding of Am stars. The purpose of our work is to search for low-velocity rotating non-chemical-peculiar A-type stars and Am stars and to make a comparative analysis. In this paper, we pick out a sample from the LAMOST–Kepler project, including 21 Am stars, 125 non-chemical-peculiar slow rotators, and 53 non-chemical-peculiar fast rotators. We calculate the rotational frequencies through a periodic change of light curves caused by inhomogeneous stellar surfaces and then obtain the rotational velocities. For slow rotators, the age of Am stars is statistically younger than that of non-chemical-peculiar stars in the same temperature bin. In the comparison of the period, the average amplitude, and stellar mass of Am and non-chemical-peculiar stars, we discover that there is no difference in the photometric variability between Am and non-chemical-peculiar stars, which implies similar inhomogeneities on the surfaces. The average amplitude of non-chemical-peculiar stars has a downward trend with the increase of effective temperature and stellar mass, which is consistent with the theoretical prediction caused by weak dynamo-generated magnetic fields in A-type stars. In addition, we confirm four non-chemical-peculiar stars that have flares by checking field-of-view images, pixel images, and pixel-level light curves.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
NASA NTRS1976

Fault tectonics and earthquake hazards in parts of southern California

The author has identified the following significant results. Four previously unknown faults were discovered in basement terrane of the Peninsular Ranges. These have been named the San Ysidro Creek fault, Thing Valley fault, Canyon City fault, and Warren Canyon fault. In addition fault gouge and breccia were recognized along the San Diego River fault. Study of features on Skylab imagery and review of geologic and seismic data suggest that the risk of a damaging earthquake is greater along the northwestern portion of the Elsinore fault than along the southeastern portion. Physiographic indicators of active faulting along the Garlock fault identifiable in Skylab imagery include scarps, linear ridges, shutter ridges, faceted ridges, linear valleys, undrained depressions and offset drainage. The following previously unrecognized fault segments are postulated for the Salton Trough Area: (1) An extension of a previously known fault in the San Andreas fault set located southeast of the Salton Sea; (2) An extension of the active San Jacinto fault zone along a tonal change in cultivated fields across Mexicali Valley ( the tonal change may represent different soil conditions along opposite sides of a fault). For the Skylab and LANDSAT images studied, pseudocolor transformations offer no advantages over the original images in the recognition of faults in Skylab and LANDSAT images. Alluvial deposits of different ages, a marble unit and iron oxide gossans of the Mojave Mining District are more readily differentiated on images prepared from ratios of individual bands of the S-192 multispectral scanner data. The San Andreas fault was also made more distinct in the 8/2 and 9/2 band ratios by enhancement of vegetation differences on opposite sides of the fault. Preliminary analysis indicates a significant earth resources potential for the discrimination of soil and rock types, including mineral alteration zones. This application should be actively pursued.

Merifield, P. M.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Bright spot analysis of ocean-dump plumes using Landsat MSS

Identifying ocean-dumped materials by analysing the upwelled solar energy from the plume is complicated by the dispersion of the plume and the spectral absorption of the water. It is shown that the spectral analysis of ocean-dump plumes, using Landsat multispectral scanner (MSS) data, should be confined to the brightest area within the plume, the region where the waste material is least dispersed and nearest the surface. The decay of the upwelled radiance with time of the brightest pixel within the plume, at least for iron acid waste, is predictable. An accurate age determination of an acid plume is limited by striping within the MSS data.

Bowker, D. E.↗