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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 1,423 records · Page 79
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

Primary Heat Transport System Design Considerations for Xcimer Energy’s Athena Fusion Pilot Plant

Fusion energy promises a reliable, carbon-free source of power; however, significant challenges remain before it can be deployed as an economical energy source. In addition to achieving fusion conditions, power plants must operate under extreme temperatures, radiation, and mechanical loads while maintaining high efficiency and availability. These requirements place strong demands on engineering design and plant operation. This work focuses on the engineering challenges associated with balance of plant analysis for inertial fusion energy systems. In particular, this paper examines the design considerations for primary heat transfer systems in fusion pilot plants employing molten fluoride salt coolants, with particular emphasis on system layout optimization and the balance between competing design objectives using the Xcimer Energy Athena inertial pilot plant design as a case study. Through systematic analysis of candidate system configurations and parametric sensitivity studies, we identify key engineering trade-offs governing salt inventory, pumping power requirements, and operational flexibility. The analysis employs system-level modeling tools to explore the design space and establish relationships between geometric parameters and system performance metrics.

Greenwood, Scott [ORNL] (ORCID:0000000333480736)↗
DOE OSTI2021

Initial TCV operation with a baffled divertor

The Tokamak à Configuration Variable (TCV) tokamak is in the midst of an upgrade to further its capability to investigate conventional and alternative divertor configurations. To that end, modular and removable gas baffles have been installed to decrease the coupling between the divertor and the plasma core. The baffles primarily seek to suppress the transit of recycling neutrals to closed flux surfaces. A first experimental campaign with the gas baffles has shown that the baffled divertor remains compatible with a wide range of configurations including snowflake and super-X divertors. Plasma density ramp experiments reveal an increase of the neutral pressure in the divertor by up to a factor ×5 compared to the unbaffled divertor and thereby qualitatively confirm simulations with the SOLPS-ITER code that were used to guide the baffle design. Finally, together with a range of new and upgraded divertor diagnostics, the baffled TCV divertor is now used to validate divertor models for ITER and next step devices with particular emphasis on geometric variations.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Quantum phase transitions in a model Hamiltonian exhibiting entangled simultaneous fermion-pair and exciton condensations

Quantum states of a novel Bose-Einstein condensate, in which both fermion-pair and exciton condensations are simultaneously present, have recently been realized theoretically in a model Hamiltonian system. Here, in this study, we identify quantum phase transitions in that model between fermion-pair and exciton condensations based on a geometric analysis of the convex set of ground-state two-particle reduced density matrices (2-RDMs). The 2-RDM set provides a finite representation of the infinite parameter space of Hamiltonians that readily reveals a fermion-pair condensate phase and two distinct exciton condensate phases, as well as the emergence of first- and second-order phase transitions as the particle number of the system is increased. The set, furthermore, shows that the fermion-exciton condensate (FEC) lies along the second-order phase transition between the exciton and fermion-pair condensate phases. The detailed information about the exciton and fermion-pair phases, the forces behind these phases, as well as their associated transitions provides additional insight into the formation of the FEC condensate, which we anticipate will prove useful in its experimental realization.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2020

Many-Body Resonance in a Correlated Topological Kagome Antiferromagnet

We use scanning tunneling microscopy to elucidate the atomically resolved electronic structure in the strongly correlated kagome Weyl antiferromagnet Mn 3 Sn. In stark contrast to its broad single-particle electronic structure, we observe a pronounced resonance with a Fano line shape at the Fermi level resembling the many-body Kondo resonance. We find that this resonance does not arise from the step edges or atomic impurities but the intrinsic kagome lattice. Moreover, the resonance is robust against the perturbation of a vector magnetic field, but broadens substantially with increasing temperature, signaling strongly interacting physics. We show that this resonance can be understood as the result of geometrical frustration and strong correlation based on the kagome lattice Hubbard model. Our results point to the emergent many-body resonance behavior in a topological kagome magnet.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2026

Cooperative Charge Ordering Signature of Trimer Molecules in Infinite-Layer CaCoO 2

The infinite-layer compound CaCoO 2 provides a compelling platform to explore how local orbital distortions evolve into collective electronic order. Using resonant soft x-ray scattering (RSXS) and its time-resolved counterpart (tr-RSXS), we reveal a cooperative coupling between two intertwined orders at the same in-plane wave vector, 𝑞 ≈ (1/4, 1/4, 0), comprising a quasi-two-dimensional orbital order associated with the distorted Co (1) sites and a quasi-three-dimensional trimerlike charge order stabilized through Co-O-Ca hybridization. The charge-sensitive component exhibits a uniform relaxation time of ∼400 fs (391 ± 5 fs) across multiple Co resonances, evidencing a collective charge response. A comparable timescale observed in the orbital order associated with the highly distorted Co (1) sites indicates that this collective behavior naturally originates from the same orbital framework that mediates both charge and orbital degrees of freedom. Together, these findings establish CaCoO 2 as a model system in which Jahn-Teller distortions, orbital hybridization, and geometric frustration cooperate to form molecular trimer units that dictate the macroscopic electronic behavior.

Lee, J.-S. [SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (↗
DOE OSTI2022

ASK: Adversarial Soft k-Nearest Neighbor Attack and Defense

K-Nearest Neighbor (kNN)-based deep learning methods have been applied to many applications due to their simplicity and geometric interpretability. However, the robustness of kNN-based deep classification models has not been thoroughly explored and kNN attack strategies are underdeveloped. In this paper, we first propose an Adversarial Soft kNN (ASK) loss for developing more effective kNN-based deep neural network attack strategies and designing better defense methods against them. Our ASK loss provides a differentiable surrogate of the expected kNN classification error. It is also interpretable as it preserves the mutual information between the perturbed input and the in-class-reference data. We use the ASK loss to design a novel attack method called the ASK-Attack (ASK-Atk), which shows superior attack efficiency and accuracy degradation relative to previous kNN attacks on hidden layers. We then derive an ASK-Defense (ASK-Def) method that optimizes the worst-case ASK training loss. Experiments on CIFAR-10 (ImageNet) show that (i) ASK-Atk achieves ≥13% (≥ 13% ) improvement in attack success rate over previous kNN attacks, and (ii) ASK-Def outperforms the conventional adversarial training method by ≥ 6.9% (≥ 3.5% ) in terms of robustness improvement. Relevant codes are available at https://github.com/wangren09/ASK .

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Study of CORC Conductors With Respect to Individual Tape Properties

CEA has been studying the advantages of a conductor based on an assembly of CORC cables in the high field zone of a hybrid Central Solenoid (CS) magnet for EU-DEMO. To this end, the detailed study of geometrical and electrical parameters of a CORC structure are studied in order to evaluate the cable’s electrical performance as well as to determine a number of important parameters (crossing points, contact surface etc…) as function of the cable structure. The paper first presents these geometrical and performance analyses. It will then try to introduce smeared models in order to reduce the cable’s performance to 1D tape scaling law using effective parameters. That reduction is of importance for use in thermohydraulic models. Finally, the paper will present the case study of a particular CORC conductor that is being procured and is foreseen to be tested in SULTAN in 2025. The paper also will try to give some predictive estimate of the cable performance and identify some of the unknowns related to current redistribution and joint resistance.

CORC↗
DOE OSTI2021

Aerial 3D Building Reconstruction from Drone Imagery (A3DBR) v1

This toolkit is composed of several modules for extracting buildings geometrical and thermal characteristics from RGB and thermal imagery captured using a drone. - Building 3D reconstruction module: leverage a photogrammetry software to construct a 3D point cloud from RGB drone imagery, which is then used in conjunction with image processing and geometric methods to extract building footprint and building height (i.e., 3D model of the building). - Windows to wall ratio estimation module: leverage deep learning semantic segmentation modeling to detect windows on 2D drone RGB images. The detected windows are then projected onto the extracted building 3D model (using building 3D reconstruction module) and their area is computed to obtain window to wall ratio estimation. - Thermal anomalies detection module: leverage image processing and machine learning algorithm to detect on 2D drone thermal images potential thermal anomalies within building's facades and roofs.

Granderson, Jessica↗
DOE OSTI2025

New Methods for Predicting Non-Born-Oppenheimer Chemistry

Current methods for modeling non-adiabatic molecular dynamics face fundamental limitations when treating geometric phase effects: quantum mechanical phenomena where nuclear wavepackets acquire phase shifts when encircling conical intersections. Existing approaches either neglect these effects entirely or rely on potential energy surfaces arising from the Born-Oppenheimer approximation, which introduce artificial singularities and can overestimate geometric phase contributions. This project developed a new theoretical framework based on exact factorization (XF) methods to overcome these limitations. We derived mathematical formulations for hybrid quantum-classical XF dynamics that selectively treat critical nuclear degrees of freedom quantum mechanically while propagating others classically. This approach addresses the computational intractability that has previously limited exact methods to toy systems. Key innovations include a new approach to systematically identifying nuclear coordinates requiring quantum treatment, as well as novel implementation strategies that interface with existing quantum chemistry codes. The project also developed a proof-of-concept code for treating Jahn-Teller systems and creation of educational materials on non-adiabatic dynamics geared at the graduate level. The theoretical framework developed will enable future systematically improvable calculations of nuclear quantum effects in realistic molecular systems, filling a critical gap in non-adiabatic dynamics methods. This foundation supports future development of predictive tools for designing energy-relevant photochemical processes where quantum coherence effects may be exploited to control reaction outcomes.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗
NASA NTRS1973

Uranus atmosphere - Structure and composition.

The best available data on the geometric albedo of Uranus are shown to be compatible with a model in which particulate matter is present in the atmosphere. Cloud structures compatible with simple models for the accretion of Uranus and with thermal-balance studies of its atmosphere are discussed. A methane haze layer is suggested by the observations, and a deep, dense ammonia cloud layer far below the methane clouds is considered likely.

Prinn, R. G.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Computer aided flexible envelope designs

Computer aided design methods are presented for the design and construction of strong, lightweight structures which require complex and precise geometric definition. The first, flexible structures, is a unique system of modeling folded plate structures and space frames. It is possible to continuously vary the geometry of a space frame to produce large, clear spans with curvature. The second method deals with developable surfaces, where both folding and bending are explored with the observed constraint of available building materials, and what minimal distortion result in maximum design capability. Alternative inexpensive fabrication techniques are being developed to achieve computer defined enclosures which are extremely lightweight and mathematically highly precise.

Resch, R. D.↗
NASA NTRS1977

A natural way to do spatial linear geometry in MACSYMA

A set of routines appropriate for use as an interactive aid in 3-dimensional calculations with planes, lines and points is presented. The mathematical language used is vector calculus. The simplicity with which these routines can be written in MACSYMA is demonstrated. Because of the natural way in which geometric intuition is mapped into them, they can serve as a model for an interactive computational aid for architects.

Bulnes, J.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Interior noise analysis and control for light aircraft

This paper describes experimental and analytical studies of the interior noise of twin-engine, propeller-driven, light aircraft. Experimental results indicate that interior noise levels due to propeller noise can be reduced by reduction of engine rpm at constant airspeed (about 3 dB), by synchronization of the twin engines/propellers (up to 12 dB), and by increasing the distances from propeller tip to fuselage. The analytical model described uses modal methods and incorporates the flat-sided geometrical and skin-stringer structural features of light aircraft. Initial results show good agreement with measured noise transmitted into a rectangular box through a flat panel.

Mixson, J. S.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Investigation of interior noise in a twin-engine light aircraft

This paper describes experimental studies of interior noise in a twin-engine, propeller-driven, light aircraft. An analytical model for this type of aircraft is also discussed. Results indicate that interior noise levels in this aircraft due to propeller noise can be reduced by reducing engine rpm at constant airspeed (about 3 dB), and by synchrophasing the twin engines/propellers (perhaps up to 12 dB). Ground tests show that the exterior noise pressure imposed on the fuselage consists of a complex combination of narrow-band harmonics due to propeller and engine exhaust sources. This noise is reduced by about 20-40 dB (depending on the frequency) by transmission through the sidewall to the cabin interior. The analytical model described uses modal methods and incorporates the flat-side geometrical and skin-stringer structural features of this light aircraft.

Mixson, J. S.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Aerodynamics of a turbojet-boosted launch vehicle concept

Results from analytical and experimental studies of the aerodynamic characteristics of a turbojet-boosted launch vehicle are presented. The success of this launch vehicle concept depends upon several novel applications of aerodynamic technology, particularly in the area of takeoff lift and minimum transonic drag requirements. The take-off mode stresses leading edge vortex lift generated in parallel by a complex arrangement of low aspect ratio booster and orbiter wings. Wind-tunnel tests on a representative model showed that this low-speed lift is sensitive to geometric arrangements of the booster-orbiter combination and is not predictable by standard analytic techniques. Transonic drag was also experimentally observed to be very sensitive to booster location; however, these drag levels were accurately predicted by standard farfield wave drag theory.

Small, W. J.↗
NASA NTRS1981

The diameter and albedo of 1943 Anteros

The results of broadband visual and infrared photometry of the Apollo-Amor asteroid 1943 Anteros during its 1980 apparition are reported. By means of a radiometric model, a diameter of 2.3 + or - 0.2 km and a visual geometric albedo of 0.13 + or - 0.03 is calculated. The albedo and reflectance spectrum of Anteros imply that it is a type S asteroid. Thus, Anteros may have a silicate surface similar to other Apollo-Amor asteroids as well as some stony-iron meteorites.

Veeder, G. J.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Earth applications orbit analysis for a shuttle-mounted Multispectral Mapper

The earth remote sensing problem of orbit design to acquire images with inherent geometric and geodetic accuracy is addressed. The basis for precise orbit modeling is discussed. Various orbit propagation tools are compared. Orbit characteristics for a nominal case at shuttle altitude are displayed. Modeling Parameter sensitivities are evaluated to determine limits on orbit propagation accuracy versus time. It is found that attainable propagation accuracies are sufficient for image quality assessment over the short term at the 15m pixel size desired for a Multispectral Mapper.

Driver, J. M.↗