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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 1,405 records · Page 78

Overview of the Findings of the Extreme Environment Power Systems Standards Evaluation and Gap Analysis

This lightning talk gives an overview of the findings of the NASA funded Extreme Environment Power Systems Standards Evaluation and Gap Analysis. This document highlighted the gaps between terrestrial distribution system component standards and future lunar distribution system component standards. This shows that existing standards cannot be applied with small modifications for the lunar environment.

electrical power↗

Economic Impact Assessments (EIA) of application of GEOGLOWS in Ecuador: Data Gaps, Limitations and Recommendations

In 2022, the United Nations launched the Early Warnings for All (EW4ALL) Program to establish global early warning systems by 2027. To assess the impact of the substantial $3.1 billion annual investment over five years, EW4ALL will consider factors that will require national coordination for the data needed for these assessments. In 2023, Ecuador was identified as one of the world's most climate-vulnerable countries, emphasizing the need to enhance its early warning systems. In 2020, the SERVIR Amazonia hub implemented the GEOGLOWS streamflow forecast service in collaboration with Ecuador's national meteorological agency (INAMHI). GEOGloWS provides 15-day ensemble forecasts and 80 years of historical streamflow data for every river worldwide through a free web service. The World Meteorological Organization has recognized this initiative as essential in contributing to the UN's call to ensure an 'Early Warning for All' by 2027. In 2023, as part of NASA's continuous efforts to fund research for Policy-Relevant Implementations, an economic impact assessment (EIA) was performed to understand the potential socioeconomic benefits of Early streamflow predictions in Ecuador using the GEOGLOWS service. Preliminary findings highlighted that gaps remain in effectively integrating socioeconomic and Earth observation (EO) data to capture the total value of these predictions. Implementing GEOGLOWS has led to valuable hydrological forecasts; however, the total economic benefits have yet to be documented. This study addresses the gaps and makes recommendations for future work that should focus on capturing the socio-economic benefits and costs associated with these forecasts, including their impact on decision-making at national and local levels. Despite the daily use of GEOGLOWS by key figures, including the President of Ecuador, the need for comprehensive recommendations and assessments is urgent.

Reetwika Basu↗

Space Crop Production Gaps and Challenges

As astronauts venture farther from Earth, and stay for longer periods, the space food system will increase in importance. Crop production can supplement a pre-packaged space diet to provide nutrition and dietary variety for space crews. In future missions, bioregenerative approaches may be used to generate a larger percentage of the diet, as well as help to reduce life support system burdens and resupply from Earth. Plants may also provide behavioral health benefits to crew members living in the isolated, confined environment of a space habitat. A number of unique challenges exist for growth of plants in microgravity and on other reduced gravity surfaces like the moon and Mars. Testing with the Veggie and Advanced Plant Habitat (APH) chambers on the International Space Station is allowing us to understand the impacts of gravity and spaceflight on crop growth, nutritional content, acceptability, and the importance of plants to astronauts living and working away from Earth. We are also gaining a better understanding of food safety concerns and the behavior of space plant microbiomes and plant pathogens, but major gaps in knowledge remain. As we move from research towards operational space crop production to enable exploration, there are numerous gaps in technology, knowledge, and practice related to space crop growth that must be addressed.

Gioia Massa↗

Gap Voltage Feed Forward Board for PEP II Low Level RF System

This paper describes the Gap Voltage Feed-Forward VXI module used in the PEP-II Low Level RF System. This module produces adaptively generated inphase (I) and quadrature (Q) reference signals for a single RF station based on measurements of periodic (1-turn) beam induced cavity transients caused by the presence of an ion clearing gap. In addition the module receives a fiber optically transmitted, bandlimited 'kic' signal from the longitudinal feedback system which is used to phase modulate the RF drive. This allows the RF system to act as a 'subwoofer' for the longitudinal feedback system for low order coupled-bunch instabilities driven by the fundamental mode of the accelerating cavities. The module includes hardware for remote measurement and adjustment of the 'kick' transfer function.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

First Operation of the Abort Gap Monitor for LHC

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) beam-dump system relies on extraction kickers that need 3 microseconds to rise to their nominal field. Since particles transiting the kickers during the rise will not be dumped properly, the proton population in this interval must always remain below quench and damage limits. A specific monitor to measure the particle population of this gap has been designed based on the detection of synchrotron radiation using a gated photomultiplier. Since the quench and damage limits change with the beam energy, the acceptable population in the abort gap and the settings of the monitor must adapt accordingly. This paper presents the design of the monitor, the calibration procedure and the detector performance with beam.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Substitutional Mechanism of Ni into the Wide-Band-Gap Semiconductor InTaO4 and its Implications for Water Splitting Activity in the Wolframite Structure Type

The mechanism of Ni substitution into the oxide semiconductor InTaO{sub 4} has been studied through a combination of structural and spectroscopic techniques, providing insights into its previously reported photoactivity. Magnetic susceptibility and X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (XANES) measurements demonstrate that nickel is divalent within the host lattice. The combined refinement of synchrotron X-ray and neutron powder diffraction data indicates that the product of Ni doping has the stoichiometry of (In{sub 1-x}Ni{sub 2x/3}Ta{sub x/3})TaO{sub 4} with a solubility limit of x {approx} 0.18, corresponding to 12% Ni on the In site. Single-phase samples were only obtained at synthesis temperatures of 1150 C or higher due to the sluggish reaction mechanism that is hypothesized to result from small free energy differences between (In{sub 1-x}Ni{sub 2x/3}Ta{sub x/3})TaO{sub 4} compounds with different x values. Undoped InTaO{sub 4} is shown to have an indirect band gap of 3.96 eV, with direct optical transitions becoming allowed at photon energies in excess of 5.1 eV. Very small band-gap reductions (less than 0.2 eV) result from Ni doping, and the origin of the yellow color of (In{sub 1-x}Ni{sub 2x/3}Ta{sub x/3})TaO{sub 4} compounds instead results from a weak {sup 3}A{sub 2g} {yields} {sup 3}T{sub 1g} internal d {yields} d transition not associated with the conduction or valence band that is common to oxide compounds with Ni{sup 2+} in an octahedral environment.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Special purpose modes in photonic band gap fibers

Photonic band gap fibers are described having one or more defects suitable for the acceleration of electrons or other charged particles. Methods and devices are described for exciting special purpose modes in the defects including laser coupling schemes as well as various fiber designs and components for facilitating excitation of desired modes. Results are also presented showing effects on modes due to modes in other defects within the fiber and due to the proximity of defects to the fiber edge. Techniques and devices are described for controlling electrons within the defect(s). Various applications for electrons or other energetic charged particles produced by such photonic band gap fibers are also described.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Hanford Waste Physical and Rheological Properties: Data and Gaps

The retrieval, transport, treatment and disposal operations associated with Hanford Tank Wastes involve the handling of a wide range of slurries. Knowledge of the physical and rheological properties of the waste is a key component to the success of the design and implementation of the waste processing facilities. Previous efforts to compile and analyze the physical and rheological properties were updated with new results including information on solids composition and density, particle size distributions, slurry rheology, and particle settling behavior. The primary source of additional data is from a recent series of tests sponsored by the Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant. These tests involved an extensive suite of characterization and bench-scale process testing of 8 waste groups representing approximately 75% of the high-level waste mass expected to be processed through the WTP. Additional information on the morphology of the waste solids was also included. Based on the updated results, a gap analysis to identify gaps in characterization data, analytical methods and data interpretation was completed.

Hanford Site↗

Band gap tuning in transition metal oxides by site-specific substitution

A transition metal oxide insulator composition having a tuned band gap includes a transition metal oxide having a perovskite or a perovskite-like crystalline structure. The transition metal oxide includes at least one first element selected form the group of Bi, Ca, Ba, Sr, Li, Na, Mg, K, Pb, and Pr; and at least one second element selected from the group of Ti, Al, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ru, Rh, Hf, Ta, W, Re, Os, Ir, and Pt. At least one correlated insulator is integrated into the crystalline structure, including REMO.sub.3, wherein RE is at least one Rare Earth element, and wherein M is at least one element selected from the group of Co, V, Cr, Ni, Mn, and Fe. The composition is characterized by a band gap of less of 4.5 eV.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Natural Gas Engine Development Gaps (Presentation)

A review of current natural gas vehicle offerings is presented for both light-duty and medium- and heavy-duty applications. Recent gaps in the marketplace are discussed, along with how they have been or may be addressed. The stakeholder input process for guiding research and development needs via the Natural Gas Vehicle Technology Forum (NGVTF) to the U.S. Department of Energy and the California Energy Commission is reviewed. Current high-level natural gas engine development gap areas are highlighted, including efficiency, emissions, and the certification process.

03 NATURAL GAS↗

Gap Analysis to Support Modeling the Long-Term Degradation of Used Nuclear Fuel Canisters

Welded stainless steel canisters are being used worldwide for dry storage of used nuclear fuel (UNF) assemblies, and the number of canisters in use is steadily increasing. In support of work currently being pursued at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to understand the atmospheric corrosion behavior of spent fuel dry storage systems, a gap analysis is underway to assess the state of knowledge for modeling of the long-term degradation of a UNF canister. The fundamental aim of this work is to inform research and development (R&D) efforts to establish a sound technical basis to support the extended dry storage of UNF for 100+ years. The analysis is considering all major components of the atmosphere corrosion degradation processes, ranging from contaminant sources and climatic interactions to regional conditions of particle transport and deposition, to microscale effects leading to stress corrosion cracking. The results of this gap analysis will be used to define the R&D pathway to develop an integrated multi-scale atmospheric corrosion modeling capability for UNF in dry storage canisters that can support the safe and reliable performance of these structures for more than 100 years.

Nuclear Fuel Canisters↗

Two phase gap cooling of an electrical machine

An electro-dynamic machine has a rotor and stator with a gap therebetween. The machine has a frame defining a hollow interior with end cavities on axially opposite ends of the frame. A gas circulating system has an inlet that supplies high pressure gas to the frame interior and an outlet to collect gas passing therethrough. A liquid coolant circulating system has an inlet that supplies coolant to the frame interior and an outlet that collects coolant passing therethrough. The coolant inlet and gas inlet are generally located on the frame in a manner to allow coolant from the coolant inlet to flow with gas from the gas inlet to the gap. The coolant outlet and gas outlet are generally located on the frame in a manner to allow the coolant to be separated from the gas with the separated coolant and gas collected for circulation through their respective circulating systems.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Understanding the I/O Performance Gap Between Cori KNL and Haswell

The Cori system at NERSC has two compute partitions with different CPU architectures: a 2,004 node Haswell partition and a 9,688 node KNL partition, which ranked as the 5th most powerful and fastest supercomputer on the November 2016 Top 500 list. The compute partitions share a common storage configuration, and understanding the IO performance gap between them is important, impacting not only to NERSC/LBNL users and other national labs, but also to the relevant hardware vendors and software developers. In this paper, we have analyzed performance of single core and single node IO comprehensively on the Haswell and KNL partitions, and have discovered the major bottlenecks, which include CPU frequencies and memory copy performance. We have also extended our performance tests to multi-node IO and revealed the IO cost difference caused by network latency, buffer size, and communication cost. Overall, we have developed a strong understanding of the IO gap between Haswell and KNL nodes and the lessons learned from this exploration will guide us in designing optimal IO solutions in many-core era.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

The Wind Energy Workforce Gap in the United States

There are more than 100,000 jobs in the U.S. wind industry today, and the second-fastest growing job in the United States in 2017 was wind technician. A vibrant wind industry needs workers, and students who graduate from wind energy education and training programs need jobs. The goal of this research is to better understand the needs of wind-related businesses, education and training requirements, and the make-up of current and future domestic workforces. Educators are developing and training future workers. Educational institutions need to know which courses to provide to connect students with potential employers and to justify their wind energy programs by being able to place graduates into well-paying jobs. In interviews with 250 wind energy firms and 50 educational institutions, many respondents reported difficulty hiring qualified candidates, while many educational institutions reported graduates not finding jobs in the wind industry. We refer to this mismatch as the 'workforce gap.' This conference poster explores this gap.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

Direct band gap group IV semiconductors and methods of preparing the same

A semiconductor film includes a two-dimensional (2D) material layer having a hexagonal in-plane lattice structure, and a substantially planar Group IV semiconductor layer having a direct band gap on the 2D material layer. A method of fabricating a semiconductor material includes growing a Group IV semiconductor material on a two-dimensional material having a hexagonal in-plane lattice structure. This growth process results in the Group IV semiconductor material having a direct band gap. The semiconductor films may be used in any optoelectronic device, including flexible devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Bulk direct gap MoS2 by plasma induced layer decoupling

Bulk direct transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) may have an increased interlayer separation of at least 0.5, 1, or 3 angstroms more than its bulk value. The TMDC may be a bulk direct band gap molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) or a bulk direct band gap tungsten diselenide (WSe2). Oxygen may be between the interlayers. A device may include the TMDC, such as an optoelectronic device, such as an LED, solid state laser, a photodetector, a solar cell, a FET, a thermoelectric generator, or a thermoelectric cooler. A method of making bulk direct transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) with increased interlayer separation may include exposing bulk direct TMDC to a remote (aka downstream) oxygen plasma. The plasma exposure may cause an increase in the photoluminescence efficiency of the TMDC, more charge neutral doping, or longer photo-excited carrier lifetimes, as compared to the TMDC without the plasma exposure.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Evaluation of Graph Analytics Frameworks Using the GAP Benchmark Suite

The analysis of connected data is an increasingly important application in high-performance computing. Such analyses can reveal fraudulent patterns in financial transactions, optimize telecommunications networks, predict information flow in social networks, etc. However, the landscape of graph analytics is highly diverse. Graph algorithms stress processor architectures differently, and no one graph can represent all topologies. Consequently, no single approach or framework is expected to be optimal for all graph analytics problems. To help make sense of this diverse landscape, we evaluated four approaches to graph analytics: GraphBLAS, Galois, BGL17, GraphIt; and compare them against hand-tuned implementations that take advantage of hardware features on our test platform. Graph- BLAS formulates graph analytics as sparse linear algebra. Galois provides syntactic constructs for data parallelism over irregular data structures. BGL17 is a generic C++ template library for implementing graph algorithms. GraphIt provides a domain- specific language to describe and optimize graph algorithms. We use the GAP Benchmark Suite to establish baseline performance and guide the side-by-side evaluation of each framework. GAP consists of 30 tests: six graph analytics algorithms (breadth- first search, single-source shortest path, PageRank, betweenness centrality, connected components, and triangle counting) run on five graphs, each with different topological characteristics (e.g., high diameter, skewed degree distribution, high average degree). High-performance reference implementations are included for each benchmark algorithm. Because a graph can be loaded into memory a number of ways (e.g., flat file on disk, compressed sparse format, data frames, retrieved from SQL or NoSQL databases), our evaluation focused on computational performance rather than I/O. Our results show the relative strengths of each framework.

Graph algorithms, Benchmarking, shared-memory prog↗