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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 OSTI2018

Prediction of Stable and Active (Oxy-Hydro) Oxide Nanoislands on Noble-Metal Supports for Electrochemical Oxygen Reduction Reaction

Developing cost-effective oxygen electrocatalysts with high activity and stability is key to their commercialization. However, economical earth-abundant catalysts based on first-row transition-metal oxides suffer from low electrochemical stability, which is difficult to improve without compromising their activity. In this paper, using density functional theory calculations, we demonstrate that noble-metal supports lead to bifunctional enhancement of both the stability and the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity of metal (oxy-hydro) oxide nanoislands. We observe a significant stabilization of supported nanoislands beyond the intrinsic stability limits of bulk phases, which originates from a favorable lattice mismatch and reductive charge transfer from oxophilic supports. Additionally, we discover that interfacial active sites (located between the nanoisland and the support) reinforce the binding strength of reaction intermediates, hence boosting ORR activity. Considering that both stability and activity lead to discovery of CoOOH|Pt, NiOOH|Ag, and FeO 2 |Ag as viable systems for alkaline ORR, we then use a multivariant linear regression method to identify elementary descriptors for efficient screening of promising cost-effective nanoisland|support catalysts.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2024

Development of an Attenuated Total Reflectance–Ultraviolet–Visible Probe for the Online Monitoring of Dark Solutions

Optical spectroscopy is a valuable tool for on-line monitoring of a variety of processes. Ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy in particular, can monitor the concentration of analytes as well as identify speciation and oxidation state. However, it can be difficult to impossible to employ UV-vis based sensors on chemical systems that are very dark (i.e., high optical density) as exceedingly short pathlengths are required (for transmission approaches) or effective means of backscattering are needed (for reflectance approaches). Examples of processes that would benefit significantly from the use of optical sensors and encounter these challenges include used nuclear fuel recycling and molten salts with high concentrations of dissolved uranium. Utilizing an attenuated total reflectance (ATR) UV-vis approach can overcome these challenges and allow for the measurement of solutions orders of magnitude more concentrated than transmission UV-vis. However, determining ideal sensor specifications for varied processes can be time consuming and expensive. Here, in this study, we evaluate the ability for a novel ATR-UV-vis probe to measure very concentrated solutions of Co(II) and Ni(II) nitrate as well as organic dyes (methylene blue, acid red 1, and crystal violet). This sensor design provides a modular method for exploring possible “pathlengths” by altering the exposed ATR fiber length. Also studied were approaches to loading and measuring the sensor cell. These results are compared to a traditional 1 cm cuvette measured by transmission UV-vis. It was found that the ATR-UV-vis probe was capable of measuring solutions 600 times more concentrated than the 1 cm cuvette. Advanced data analysis in the form of multivariate curve resolution (MCR) was used to analyze the speciation of methylene blue over a large concentration range. The application of this novel ATR-UV-vis probe to the interrogation of dark solutions is a promising avenue for use in on-line monitoring of nuclear processes.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2019

Detecting Signals of Large–Scale Climate Phenomena in Discharge and Nutrient Loads in the Mississippi–Atchafalaya River Basin

Agricultural runoff from the Mississippi–Atchafalaya River Basin delivers nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) to the Gulf of Mexico, causing hypoxia, and climate drives interannual variation in nutrient loads. Climate phenomena such as El Niño–Southern Oscillation may influence nutrient export through effects on river flow, nutrient uptake, or biogeochemical transformation, but landscape variation at smaller spatial scales can mask climate signals in load or discharge time series within large river networks. Here, we used multivariate autoregressive state–space modeling to investigate climate signals in the long–term record (1979–2014) of discharge, N, P, and SiO 2 loads at three nested spatial scales within the Mississippi–Atchafalaya River Basin. We detected significant signals of El Niño–Southern Oscillation and land–surface temperature anomalies in N loads but not discharge, SiO 2 , or P, suggesting that large–scale climate phenomena contribute to interannual variation in nutrient loads through biogeochemical mechanisms beyond simple discharge–load relationships.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2019

Chapter 6: Wind Turbine Control Design

In this chapter, the author introduced wind turbine control, discussing sensors and actuators, operating regions, and the operational controller loops. The author then described the different levels of models needed in the controller development process, emphasizing that the models needed for control design are a simplification of the detailed models used in control simulation testing. Scripts used in conjunction with MATLAB are used to synthesize the controller, and detailed models are used for controller simulations. We described the design of the basic operational controller based on simplified models, including the generator torque controller for optimizing energy capture, and the blade pitch controller for regulating turbine speed (or power). The author described how to account for the effects of turbine nonlinearities and actuator dynamics and saturation. We then gave an overview of modern state-space control design methods, which are useful when designing a controller to meet multiple control objectives. The author also described a variety of advanced multivariable control methods. The author gave an overview of the use of advanced sensors (such as lidar sensors for upwind wind-speed measurements) and actuators (outboard blade aerodynamic devices used in 'smart' blade technology). The use of individual blade pitch, although not considered an advanced actuator, was also described. The author concluded with some special control issues for offshore floating systems.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Effect of microwave radiation on Jayadhar cotton fibers: WAXS studies

Thermal effect in the form of micro wave energy on Jayadhar cotton fiber has been investigated. Microstructural parameters have been estimated using wide angle x-ray scattering (WAXS) data and line profile analysis program developed by us. Physical properties like tensile strength are correlated with X-ray results. We observe that the microwave radiation do affect significantly many parameters and we have suggested a multivariate analysis of these parameters to arrive at a significant result.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Geometry optimization for micro-pressure sensor considering dynamic interference

Presented is the geometry optimization for piezoresistive absolute micro-pressure sensor. A figure of merit called the performance factor (PF) is defined as a quantitative index to describe the comprehensive performances of a sensor including sensitivity, resonant frequency, and acceleration interference. Three geometries are proposed through introducing islands and sensitive beams into typical flat diaphragm. The stress distributions of sensitive elements are analyzed by finite element method. Multivariate fittings based on ANSYS simulation results are performed to establish the equations about surface stress, deflection, and resonant frequency. Optimization by MATLAB is carried out to determine the dimensions of the geometries. Convex corner undercutting is evaluated. Each PF of the three geometries with the determined dimensions is calculated and compared. Silicon bulk micromachining is utilized to fabricate the prototypes of the sensors. The outputs of the sensors under both static and dynamic conditions are tested. Experimental results demonstrate the rationality of the defined performance factor and reveal that the geometry with quad islands presents the highest PF of 210.947 Hz{sup 1/4}. The favorable overall performances enable the sensor more suitable for altimetry.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2014

Communication: Newton homotopies for sampling stationary points of potential energy landscapes

One of the most challenging and frequently arising problems in many areas of science is to find solutions of a system of multivariate nonlinear equations. There are several numerical methods that can find many (or all if the system is small enough) solutions but they all exhibit characteristic problems. Moreover, traditional methods can break down if the system contains singular solutions. Here, we propose an efficient implementation of Newton homotopies, which can sample a large number of the stationary points of complicated many-body potentials. We demonstrate how the procedure works by applying it to the nearest-neighbor ϕ{sup 4} model and atomic clusters.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2015

The use of experimental design to find the operating maximum power point of PEM fuel cells

Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) Fuel Cells are difficult to model due to their complex nonlinear nature. In this paper, the development of a PEM Fuel Cells mathematical model based on the Design of Experiment methodology is described. The Design of Experiment provides a very efficient methodology to obtain a mathematical model for the studied multivariable system with only a few experiments. The obtained results can be used for optimization and control of the PEM Fuel Cells systems.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Symmetric polynomials in information theory: Entropy and subentropy

Entropy and other fundamental quantities of information theory are customarily expressed and manipulated as functions of probabilities. Here we study the entropy H and subentropy Q as functions of the elementary symmetric polynomials in the probabilities and reveal a series of remarkable properties. Derivatives of all orders are shown to satisfy a complete monotonicity property. H and Q themselves become multivariate Bernstein functions and we derive the density functions of their Levy-Khintchine representations. We also show that H and Q are Pick functions in each symmetric polynomial variable separately. Furthermore, we see that H and the intrinsically quantum informational quantity Q become surprisingly closely related in functional form, suggesting a special significance for the symmetric polynomials in quantum information theory. Using the symmetric polynomials, we also derive a series of further properties of H and Q.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Detecting the relationship between economic growth, CO{sub 2} and energy consumption by using panel data approach

Many scholars have shown their interest into the relationship between energy consumption (EC), gross domestic product (GDP) and emissions. The main objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between GDP, EC and CO{sub 2} within multivariate model by using panel data method in Asian countries; Korea, Malaysia, Japan and China for annually data during the period 1960 to 2010. The main finding shows that CO{sub 2} can be explained more than 86% & 78% by EC and GDP in each of cross section model and period model respectively. As a result of that, CO{sub 2} emissions should be considered as an important factor in energy consumption and gross domestic product by policy maker.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Interdependence in active mobility adoption: Joint modeling and motivational spillover in walking, cycling and bike-sharing

Active mobility offers an array of physical, emotional, and social well-being benefits. However, with the proliferation of the sharing economy, new nonmotorized means of transport are entering the fold, complementing some existing mobility options while competing with others. The purpose of this research study is to investigate the adoption of three active travel modes—namely walking, cycling, and bikesharing—in a joint modeling framework. Here, the analysis is based on an adaptation of the stages of change framework, which originates from the health behavior sciences. Multivariate ordered probit modeling drawing on U.S. survey data provides well-needed insights into individuals’ preparedness to adopt multiple active modes as a function of personal, neighborhood, and psychosocial factors. The research suggests three important findings. (1) The joint model structure confirms interdependence among different active mobility choices. The strongest complementarity is found for walking and cycling adoption. (2) Each mode has a distinctive adoption path with either three or four separate stages. We discuss the implications of derived stage-thresholds and plot adoption contours for selected scenarios. (3) Psychological and neighborhood variables generate more coupling among active modes than individual and household factors. Specifically, identifying strongly with active mobility aspirations, experiences with multimodal travel, possessing better navigational skills, along with supportive local community norms are the factors that appear to drive the joint adoption decisions. This study contributes to the understanding of how decisions within the same functional domain are related and help to design policies that promote active mobility by identifying positive spillovers and joint determinants.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2013

STUDIES IN ASTRONOMICAL TIME SERIES ANALYSIS. VI. BAYESIAN BLOCK REPRESENTATIONS

This paper addresses the problem of detecting and characterizing local variability in time series and other forms of sequential data. The goal is to identify and characterize statistically significant variations, at the same time suppressing the inevitable corrupting observational errors. We present a simple nonparametric modeling technique and an algorithm implementing it-an improved and generalized version of Bayesian Blocks-that finds the optimal segmentation of the data in the observation interval. The structure of the algorithm allows it to be used in either a real-time trigger mode, or a retrospective mode. Maximum likelihood or marginal posterior functions to measure model fitness are presented for events, binned counts, and measurements at arbitrary times with known error distributions. Problems addressed include those connected with data gaps, variable exposure, extension to piecewise linear and piecewise exponential representations, multivariate time series data, analysis of variance, data on the circle, other data modes, and dispersed data. Simulations provide evidence that the detection efficiency for weak signals is close to a theoretical asymptotic limit derived by Arias-Castro et al. In the spirit of Reproducible Research all of the code and data necessary to reproduce all of the figures in this paper are included as supplementary material.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Quasar cartography: From black hole to broad-line region scales

A generalized approach to reverberation mapping (RM) is presented, which is applicable to broad- and narrowband photometric data, as well as to spectroscopic observations. It is based on multivariate correlation analysis techniques and, in its present implementation, is able to identify reverberating signals across the accretion disk and the broad-line region (BLR) of active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Statistical tests are defined to assess the significance of time-delay measurements using this approach, and the limitations of the adopted formalism are discussed. It is shown how additional constraints on some of the parameters of the problem may be incorporated into the analysis thereby leading to improved results. When applied to a sample of 14 Seyfert 1 galaxies having good-quality high-cadence photometric data, accretion disk scales and BLR sizes are simultaneously determined, on a case-by-case basis, in most objects. The BLR scales deduced here are in good agreement with the findings of independent spectroscopic RM campaigns. Implications for the photometric RM of AGN interiors in the era of large surveys are discussed.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

RECONSTRUCTING THE INITIAL DENSITY FIELD OF THE LOCAL UNIVERSE: METHODS AND TESTS WITH MOCK CATALOGS

Our research objective in this paper is to reconstruct an initial linear density field, which follows the multivariate Gaussian distribution with variances given by the linear power spectrum of the current cold dark matter model and evolves through gravitational instabilities to the present-day density field in the local universe. For this purpose, we develop a Hamiltonian Markov Chain Monte Carlo method to obtain the linear density field from a posterior probability function that consists of two components: a prior of a Gaussian density field with a given linear spectrum and a likelihood term that is given by the current density field. The present-day density field can be reconstructed from galaxy groups using the method developed in Wang et al. Using a realistic mock Sloan Digital Sky Survey DR7, obtained by populating dark matter halos in the Millennium simulation (MS) with galaxies, we show that our method can effectively and accurately recover both the amplitudes and phases of the initial, linear density field. To examine the accuracy of our method, we use N-body simulations to evolve these reconstructed initial conditions to the present day. The resimulated density field thus obtained accurately matches the original density field of the MS in the density range 0.3{approx}<{rho}/ {rho}-bar {approx}<20 without any significant bias. In particular, the Fourier phases of the resimulated density fields are tightly correlated with those of the original simulation down to a scale corresponding to a wavenumber of {approx}1 h Mpc{sup -1}, much smaller than the translinear scale, which corresponds to a wavenumber of {approx}0.15 h Mpc{sup -1}.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

REVERBERATION MAPPING OF A LOW-MASS BLACK HOLE IN A NARROW-LINE SEYFERT 1 GALAXY

We present results of a reverberation mapping (RM) campaign on the low black hole mass narrow-line Seyfert 1 (NLS1) galaxy SDSS J113913.91+335551.1 (hereafter SL01). Using the H{beta} measurements, we find a time lag {tau}= 12.5{sup +0.5}{sub -11} days and a broad-line velocity width of 1450 km s{sup -1} which implies a black hole mass of 3.8{sup +0.6}{sub -2.8} Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 6} M{sub Sun }. To further bolster our time lag results, we employ a secondary method based on the multivariate correlation function as described in Chelouche and Zucker, in which case we obtain consistent lags for the Balmer lines, yet without the need to spectrally deconvolve line from continuum emission processes. Given SL01's luminosity (L{sub bol} Almost-Equal-To 7 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 43} erg s{sup -1}), we estimate an Eddington ratio (L{sub bol}/L{sub Edd}) of {approx}0.18. This fairly low-mass determination and rather high L{sub bol}/L{sub Edd} is consistent with the current paradigm that the nuclei of NLS1 galaxies host small black holes (as low as 10{sup 6} M{sub Sun }) with high accretion rates. SL01 is one of only a few NLS1s to date with robust RM results.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

MAGIICAT III. Interpreting self-similarity of the circumgalactic medium with virial mass using Mg II absorption

In Churchill et al., we used halo abundance matching applied to 182 galaxies in the Mg II Absorber-Galaxy Catalog (MAGIICAT) and showed that the mean Mg II λ2796 equivalent width follows a tight inverse-square power law, W{sub r} (2796)∝(D/R {sub vir}){sup –2}, with projected location relative to the galaxy virial radius and that the Mg II absorption covering fraction is effectively invariant with galaxy virial mass, M {sub h}, over the range 10.7 ≤ log M {sub h}/M {sub ☉} ≤ 13.9. In this work, we explore multivariate relationships between W{sub r} (2796), virial mass, impact parameter, virial radius, and the theoretical cooling radius that further elucidate self-similarity in the cool/warm (T = 10{sup 4}-10{sup 4.5} K) circumgalactic medium (CGM) with virial mass. We show that virial mass determines the extent and strength of the Mg II absorbing gas such that the mean W{sub r} (2796) increases with virial mass at fixed distance while decreasing with galactocentric distance for fixed virial mass. The majority of the absorbing gas resides within D ≅ 0.3 R {sub vir}, independent of both virial mass and minimum absorption threshold; inside this region, and perhaps also in the region 0.3 < D/R {sub vir} ≤ 1, the mean W{sub r} (2796) is independent of virial mass. Contrary to absorber-galaxy cross-correlation studies, we show there is no anti-correlation between W{sub r} (2796) and virial mass. We discuss how simulations and theory constrained by observations support self-similarity of the cool/warm CGM via the physics governing star formation, gas-phase metal enrichment, recycling efficiency of galactic scale winds, filament and merger accretion, and overdensity of local environment as a function of virial mass.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

A search for point sources of EeV photons

Measurements of air showers made using the hybrid technique developed with the fluorescence and surface detectors of the Pierre Auger Observatory allow a sensitive search for point sources of EeV photons anywhere in the exposed sky. A multivariate analysis reduces the background of hadronic cosmic rays. The search is sensitive to a declination band from –85° to +20°, in an energy range from 10{sup 17.3} eV to 10{sup 18.5} eV. No photon point source has been detected. An upper limit on the photon flux has been derived for every direction. The mean value of the energy flux limit that results from this, assuming a photon spectral index of –2, is 0.06 eV cm{sup –2} s{sup –1}, and no celestial direction exceeds 0.25 eV cm{sup –2} s{sup –1}. These upper limits constrain scenarios in which EeV cosmic ray protons are emitted by non-transient sources in the Galaxy.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗