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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 145 records · Page 8
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

An effective air–liquid contactor for CO 2 direct air capture using aqueous solvents

Here, the development of a cost-effective, corrosion resistant, high-flux direct air capture (HiDAC) contactor for a solvent-based direct air capture (DAC) process is reported. Literature technoeconomic analyses suggest that the air–liquid contactor can cost over 20 % of the overall DAC plant’s annualized capital costs. To bring down the overall cost of DAC, it is imperative that an effective contactor is developed. A hybrid contactor consisting of a commercial polyvinylchloride structured packing enhanced with stainless-steel 410 random packing has been developed to provide a high surface area for air–liquid contact. The contactor geometry, wettability, corrosion resistance, pressure drop, along with its CO 2 uptake efficiency, CO 2 uptake rates, and extended loading potential using potassium sarcosinate solutions are investigated. Results show that the HiDAC contactor has a relatively high specific surface area (885 m 2 /m 3 ), which allows for CO 2 uptake efficiencies of up to 75 % and capture rates of up to 550 g of CO 2 per day for a 0.3 × 0.25 × 0.3 m contactor. The contactor also exhibits high levels of wettability and corrosion resistance with amino acid-based DAC solvents. A CO 2 uptake model was developed, and modeling results are compared to experimental data to simulate and predict the performance of the contactor in a DAC process using potassium sarcosinate solvent. The system’s overall mass transfer coefficient and theoretical pressure drop were also calculated, and these results were compared to DAC data found in literature. The results presented indicate that the HiDAC contactor is well suited for DAC due to its high specific surface area, resistance to corrosion, and high degree of wettability.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS2021

Decentralized Control Synthesis for Air Traffic Management in Urban Air Mobility

Urban air mobility (UAM) refers to air transportation services within an urban area, often in an on-demand fashion. We study air traffic management (ATM) for vehicles in a UAM fleet, while guaranteeing system safety requirements such as traffic separation. Existing ATM methods for unmanned aerial systems, such as UAS traffic management, utilize alternative approaches which do not provide strict safety guarantees. No established infrastructure exists for providing ATM at scale for UAM. We provide a decentralized, hierarchical approach for UAM ATM that allows for scalability to high traffic densities as well as providing theoretical guarantees of correctness with respect to user-provided safety specifications. Our main contributions are two-fold. First, we propose a novel UAM ATM architecture that divides the control authority between vertihubs that are each in charge of all UAM vehicles in their local airspace. Each vertihub also contains a number of vertiports that are in charge of UAM vehicle takeoffs and landings. The resulting architecture is decentralized and hierarchical, which not only enables scalability, but also robustness in the event of any individual vertihub or vertiport no longer being operational. Second, we provide a contract-based correct-by-construction reactive synthesis approach that provably guarantees safety properties with respect to user-provided specifications in linear temporal logic. We demonstrate the approach on large-volume UAM air traffic data.

Urban Air Mobility↗
DOE OSTI2024

Direct air capture with amino acid solvent: Operational optimization using a crossflow air‐liquid contactor

Direct air capture (DAC) is a negative emission technology for removing CO2 from the atmosphere to maintain the CO 2 level within a reasonable range so as to address greenhouse effects. In this study, the operational optimization of lab-scale DAC has been investigated using a crossflow air-liquid contactor loaded with a three dimensionally printed Gyroid packing structure and a potassium sarcosinate solvent. The effects of various parameters, including feed air flow rate, liquid solvent flow rate, contactor geometry, and ambient temperature, are examined. The results demonstrate that the Gyroid packing design achieves comparable CO 2 capture performance to conventional packed beds but with a significantly lower pressure drop of up to 77.8%, suggesting its potential as an efficient and cost-effective solution for gas–liquid contactors in DAC. Additionally, the study explores the climate impact on CO 2 capture performance and finds that as the air temperature increases from 35 to 95°F at a fixed relative humidity of 80%, the CO 2 capture rate increased from 23.2% to 46.8% with better stability. The research highlights the importance of optimizing contactor design and operational conditions to improve the CO 2 capture rate and feasibility of DAC systems as a negative emission technology for addressing greenhouse effects.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

High Performance Air Breathing Flexible Lithium–Air Battery

Lithium–oxygen (Li–O 2 ) batteries possess the highest theoretical energy density (3500 Wh kg –1 ), which makes them attractive candidates for modern electronics and transportation applications. In this work, an inexpensive, flexible, and wearable Li–O 2 battery based on the bifunctional redox mediator of InBr 3 , MoS 2 cathode catalyst, and Fomblin-based oxygen permeable membrane that enable long-cycle-life operation of the battery in pure oxygen, dry air, and ambient air is designed, fabricated, and tested. The battery operates in ambient air with an open system air-breathing architecture and exhibits excellent cycling up to 240 at the high current density of 1 A g –1 with a relative humidity of 75%. The electrochemical performance of the battery including deep-discharge capacity, and rate capability remains almost identical after 1000 cycle in a bending fatigue test. Furthermore, this finding opens a new direction for utilizing high performance Li–O 2 batteries for applications in the field of flexible and wearable electronics.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Demonstrating non-isothermal vacuum membrane air dehumidification for efficient next-generation air conditioning

Vacuum membrane air dehumidification has gained significant interest in recent years as a highly efficient means of air dehumidification. Prior theoretical modeling work by the authors introduced the Active Membrane Energy Exchanger (AMX) concept, which combines active heat exchange and vacuum membrane dehumidification into one non-isothermal system, and found that it could outperform other air conditioning technologies under many conditions. However, no experimental literature exists on combining active heat exchangers and vacuum membrane dehumidification. Here, the goal of the present study is to evaluate the dehumidification (mass transfer) performance of the AMX concept relative to isothermal membrane dehumidification through three main methodologies: (1) membrane material-level characterization, (2) experimental prototype development and testing, and (3) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. The dense membranes used in this work showed up to a 40% increase in water vapor permeance at cooler temperatures, and the prototype system showed up to a 6% increase in humidity removal when the air was simultaneously cooled. Furthermore, the membrane module-integrated heat exchange tubes provided additional mixing and turbulence, leading to a 4–8% increase in humidity removal. The upper limit coefficient of performance was equal to approximately 2.2, necessitating advanced system designs to improve efficiency. This study is the first to highlight that combining the cooling and vacuum dehumidification processes can improve dehumidification performance.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗
DOE OSTI2016

Air-coupled method to investigate the lowest-order antisymmetric Lamb mode in stubbed and air-drilled phononic plates

In this work, we applied a robust and fully air-coupled method to investigate the propagation of the lowest-order antisymmetric Lamb (A{sub 0}) mode in both a stubbed and an air-drilled phononic-crystal (PC) plate. By measuring simply the radiative acoustic waves of A{sub 0} mode close to the plate surface, we observed the band gaps for the stubbed PC plate caused by either the local resonance or the Bragg scattering, in frequency ranges in good agreement with theoretical predictions. We measured then the complete band gap of A{sub 0} mode for the air-drilled PC plate, in good agreement with the band structures. Finally, we compared the measurements made using the air-coupled method with those obtained by the laser ultrasonic technique.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2024

Air Carbon for Algae Production (AirCAP) – Expanding algae resource potential via direct (in-pond) air-CO2 capture.

Microalgae biofuel production potential in the United States is constrained by a lack of suitable cultivation locations within a close proximity to CO2 point-sources. Initial estimates suggest that removing the requirement of a concentrated CO2 source expands resource potential ten-fold, allowing the projection of production levels that approach levels of current U.S. diesel consumption. Decoupling cultivation locations from concentrated CO2 point-sources requires direct capture of air-CO2 into the pond bulk at a rate sufficient to meet maximum expected carbon assimilation rates (10 g C/m2-day and higher). Enhancement of the ingassing rate via chemical reaction, the direct reaction of dissolved CO2 with hydroxide ions, has been proposed as a mechanism to increase the ingassing rate of air-CO2. The central objectives of this project are to validate whether chemically enhanced air-CO2 ingassing rates in large raceway ponds can meet or exceed the level required to support high levels of algae productivity, then subsequently identify alkaliphilic strains able to withstand such conditions while maintaining a biomass productivity that enables process economics. Full scale ponds (~1 acre, unlined) will be used to validate ingassing rates as a function of pH expected at scale in a series of abiotic experiments. To date, mass-transfer dynamics have been characterized in ponds ranging from 1 to 1,000 m2. Initial results will be presented describing the mass transfer coefficient in 1-acre (~4,000 m2), unlined ponds. The maximum expected carbon ingassing rate will be measured during ingassing trials, in which pond pH is displaced from equilibrium via the addition of a strong base, with the subsequent decrease in pH (and increase in dissolved inorganic carbon) corresponding to the air-CO2 absorption rate. A mass-transfer model, validated with experimental results, will be used to project ingassing rates expected at pond scales (10 acres) required for production of commodity chemicals.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Potential Cooling Energy Savings of Economizer Control and Artificial-Neural-Network-Based Air-Handling Unit Discharge Air Temperature Control for Commercial Building

Heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems play a significant role in building energy consumption, accounting for around 50% of total energy usage. As a result, it is essential to explore ways to conserve energy and improve HVAC system efficiency. One such solution is the use of economizer controls, which can reduce cooling energy consumption by using the free-cooling effect. However, there are various types of economizer controls available, and their effectiveness may vary depending on the specific climate conditions. To investigate the cooling energy-saving potential of economizer controls, this study employs a dry-bulb temperature-based economizer control approach. The dry-bulb temperature-based control strategy uses the outdoor air temperature as an indicator of whether free cooling can be used instead of mechanical cooling. This study also introduces an artificial neural network (ANN) prediction model to optimize the control of the HVAC system, which can lead to additional cooling energy savings. To develop the ANN prediction model, the EnergyPlus program is used for simulation modeling, and the Python programming language is employed for model development. The results show that implementing a temperature-based economizer control strategy can lead to a reduction of 7.6% in annual cooling energy consumption. Moreover, by employing an ANN-based optimal control of discharge air temperature in air-handling units, an additional 22.1% of cooling energy savings can be achieved. In conclusion, the findings of this study demonstrate that the implementation of economizer controls, especially the dry-bulb temperature-based approach, can be an effective strategy for reducing cooling energy consumption in HVAC systems. Additionally, using ANN prediction models to optimize HVAC system controls can further increase energy savings, resulting in improved energy efficiency and reduced operating costs.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
NASA NTRS1976

An exploratory study to determine the integrated technological air transportation system ground requirements of liquid-hydrogen-fueled subsonic, long-haul civil air transports

An exploratory study was conducted to evaluate the feasibility and cost impact of implementing a liquid-hydrogen-fueled (LHz), air transport support system at Chicago-O’Hare International Airport. The study assumed an available supply of hydrogen to the airport boundary. It also assumed that the present widebody fleet at O’Hare was replaced by 400 passenger, LH2-fueled aircraft operating on the current frequency schedule and route network. The LH2 aircraft configurations used in this study were developed during a previous NASA-sponsored study. A baseline air terminal concept was developed which permitted airlines and the airport to operate JP- or LH2-fueled aircraft at common terminal gates. The concept included installation of a hydrogen liquefaction and storage facility on airport property, as well as the fuel distribution system. The capital investment and hydrogen-related operating costs to the airlines were estimated. The study concluded that the system would be technically and operationally feasible at O’Hare, and that economics would be a prime factor in future decisions regarding the use of LH2 as an air transport fuel. Research and technology recommendations were made to improve component efficiency/reliability. The study also concluded that additional investigation should be conducted on the implementation of a nationwide or worldwide LH2 air transportation system, to understand fully the operational and economic implications of the total system, before decisions could be made relative to committing to this option.

Hydrogen↗
NASA NTRS2024

Distributed Sensor Fusion of Ground and Air Nodes Using Vision and Radar Modalities for Tracking Multirotor Small Uncrewed Air Systems and Birds

High-density airspace operations with multiple aircraft type and potentially noncooperative aircraft require distributed sensor detection and tracking systems to monitor airspace for safe, autonomous flight operations for advanced air mobility, urban air mobility, and high density small uncrewed air systems (SUAS) flight concepts. This work collected data using a distributed radar and camera sensor framework during the NASA Advanced Air Mobility High Density Vertiplex project SUAS flight operation. Node locations include on an onboard SUAS, affixed to the Landing and Impact Research Facility with approximate 200ft elevation, on a tripod on first-floor roof with an approximate elevation of 20 ft, and on a tripod on a concrete pad that is approximately 4 ft above sea level. Each node includes camera, radar, and GPS.

Beyond Visual Line of Sight↗
DOE OSTI2013

Seminar 14 - Desiccant Enhanced Air Conditioning: Desiccant Enhanced Evaporative Air Conditioning (Presentation)

This presentation explains how liquid desiccant based coupled with an indirect evaporative cooler can efficiently produce cool, dry air, and how a liquid desiccant membrane air conditioner can efficiently provide cooling and dehumidification without the carryover problems of previous generations of liquid desiccant systems. It provides an overview to a liquid desiccant DX air conditioner that can efficiently provide cooling and dehumidification to high latent loads without the need for reheat, explains how liquid desiccant cooling and dehumidification systems can outperform vapor compression based air conditioning systems in hot and humid climates, explains how liquid desiccant cooling and dehumidification systems work, and describes a refrigerant free liquid desiccant based cooling system.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2017

Monte Carlo calculation of large and small-angle electron scattering in air

A Monte Carlo method for angle scattering of electrons in air that accommodates the small-angle multiple scattering and larger-angle single scattering limits is introduced. The algorithm is designed for use in a particle-in-cell simulation of electron transport and electromagnetic wave effects in air. The method is illustrated in example calculations.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2021

Trace explosive residue detection of HMX and RDX in post-detonation dust from an open-air environment

Explosives are often used in industry, geology, mining, and other applications, but it is not always clear what remains after a detonation or the fate and transport of any residual material. The goal of this study was to determine to what extent intact molecules of high explosive (HE) compounds are detectable and quantifiable from post-detonation dust and particulates in a field experiment with varied topography. We focused on HMX (1,3,5,7-Tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocane), which is less studied in field detonation literature, as the primary explosive material and RDX (1,3,5-Trinitroperhydro-1,3,5-triazine) as the secondary material. The experiment was conducted at Site 300, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s Experimental Test Site, in California, USA. Two 20.4 kg and one 40.8 kg above ground explosions (primarily comprised of LX-14, an HMX-based polymer-bonded high explosive) were detonated on an open-air firing area on separate days. The complex terrain of the firing area (e.g., buildings, berm, low-height obstacles) was advantageous to study HE deposition in relation to plume dynamics. Three types of samples were collected up to 100 m away from each shot: surface swipes of aluminum plates, surface swipes of fixed objects, and filters from air samples. We used atmospheric flow tube-mass spectrometry (AFT-MS) to quantify picogram levels of molecular residue of HE material in the post-detonation dust. An aliquot of sample extract in methanol (e.g., 1 µL of 0.5 mL) was placed onto a resistive material and then thermally desorbed into the AFT-MS. We successfully detected and quantified both HMX and RDX in many of the samples. Based on mass (pg) detected and solution dilution, we back-calculated the mass collected on the swipe or filter (ng per sample). The aerial distribution of molecular residue was consistent with the path of the plume, which was strongly determined by wind speed and direction at the time of each shot. The quantity of material detected appeared to correlate more with distance from the shot and the wind conditions than with shot size. This study demonstrates that the picogram detection levels of AFT-MS are well-suited for quantification of analytes (e.g., HMX and RDX) in environmental samples.

atmospheric flow tube-mass spectrometry (AFT-MS), ↗
DOE OSTI2023

Vertical Structure of Clouds and Precipitation During Arctic Cold–Air Outbreaks and Warm–Air Intrusions: Observations From COMBLE

The Arctic is marked by deep intrusions of warm, moist air, alternating with outbreaks of cold air down to lower latitudes. The typical vertical structure of clouds and precipitation during these two synoptic weather extremes is examined at a coastal site at 69°N in Norway. The Norwegian Sea is a corridor for warm-air intrusions (WAIs) and frequently witnesses cold-air outbreaks (CAOs). This study uses data from profiling radar, lidar, and microwave radiometer, radiosondes and other probes that were collected during the CAOs in the Marine Boundary Layer Experiment (COMBLE) between 1 December 2019 and 31 May 2020. Marine CAOs are defined in terms of thermal instability relative to the sea surface temperature, and WAIs in terms of equivalent potential temperature stratification between the surface and 850 hPa. Cloud structures in CAOs are convective, driven by strong surface heat fluxes over a long fetch of open water, with cloud tops rarely exceeding 6 km above sea level. The mostly open-cellular convection produces intermittent moderately-heavy precipitation at the observational site, notwithstanding the low precipitable water vapor (PWV). In contrast, WAIs are marked by high values of PWV and integrated vapor transport. Here, WAI clouds are synoptically driven, stratiform, with cloud tops often exceeding 5 km, sometimes layered, and generally producing persistent precipitation that can be heavier than in CAOs.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

Air-stable solution-processed n-channel organic thin film transistors with polymer-enhanced morphology

N,N′-1H,1H-perfluorobutyl dicyanoperylenecarboxydiimide (PDIF-CN{sub 2}) is an n-type semiconductor exhibiting high electron mobility and excellent air stability. However, the reported electron mobility based on spin-coated PDIF-CN{sub 2} film is much lower than the value of PDIF-CN{sub 2} single crystals made from vapor phase deposition, indicating significant room for mobility enhancement. In this study, various insulating polymers, including poly(vinyl alcohol), poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), and poly(alpha-methylstyrene) (PαMS), are pre-coated on silicon substrate aiming to enhance the morphology of the PDIF-CN{sub 2} thin film, thereby improving the charge transport and air stability. Atomic force microscopy images reveal that with the pre-deposition of PαMS or PMMA polymers, the morphology of the PDIF-CN{sub 2} polycrystalline films is optimized in semiconducting crystal connectivity, domain size, and surface roughness, which leads to significant improvement of organic thin-film transistor (OTFT) performance. Particularly, an electron mobility of up to 0.55 cm{sup 2}/V s has been achieved from OTFTs based on the PDIF-CN{sub 2} film with the pre-deposition of PαMS polymer.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2019

Investigating instabilities in a Rotating Detonation Combustor Operating with Natural Gas-Hydrogen Fuel Blend – Effect of Air Preheat and Annulus Width

Propagation characteristics of a detonation wave in an air-breathing Rotating Detonation Combustor (RDC) using natural gas-hydrogen fuel blends is presented in this paper. Short duration (~up to 6s) experiments were performed on a 152.4mm OD uncooled RDC with two different annulus gap widths (5.08mm and 7.62mm) over a range of equivalence ratios (0.6–1.0) at varying inlet air temperatures (~65°C-204°C) and natural gas content (up to 15%) with pre-combustion operating pressure slightly above ambient.It was observed that the RDC, with an annulus gap width of 5.08mm, was inherently unstable when natural gas (NG) was added to the hydrogen fuel while operating at pre-combustion pressures near ambient and at an inlet air temperature of 65°C. Increasing the annulus gap width to 7.62mm improved the stability of the detonation wave at similar temperatures and pressure permitting operation with as much as 5% NG by volume. While observed speeds of the detonation waves were still below theoretical values, an increase in inlet air temperature reduced the variability in wave speed. The frequency analysis thus explored in this study is an effort to quantify detonation instability in an RDC under varying operational envelope. The data presented is relevant towards developing strategies to sustain a stable detonation wave in an RDC using natural gas for land based power generation.

Roy, Arnab↗
DOE OSTI2014

Small field in-air output factors: The role of miniphantom design and dosimeter type

Purpose: The commissioning of treatment planning systems and beam modeling requires measured input parameters. The measurement of relative output in-air, S{sub c} is particularly difficult for small fields. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of miniphantom design and detector selection on measured S{sub c} values for small fields and to validate the measurements against Monte Carlo simulations. Methods: Measurements were performed using brass caps (with sidewalls) or tops (no sidewalls) of varying heights and widths. The performance of two unshielded diodes (60012 and SFD), EBT2 radiochromic film, and a fiber optic dosimeter (FOD) were compared for fields defined by MLCs (5–100 mm) and SRS cones (4–30 mm) on a Varian Novalis linear accelerator. Monte Carlo simulations were performed to theoretically predict S{sub c} as measured by the FOD. Results: For all detectors, S{sub c} agreed to within 1% for fields larger than 10 mm and to within 2.3% for smaller fields. Monte Carlo simulation matched the FOD measurements for all size of cone defined fields to within 0.5%. Conclusions: Miniphantom design is the most important variable for reproducible and accurate measurements of the in-air output ratio, S{sub c}, in small photon fields (less than 30 mm). Sidewalls are not required for fields ≤ 30 mm and tops are therefore preferred over the larger caps. Unlike output measurements in water, S{sub cp,} the selection of detector type for S{sub c} is not critical, provided the active dosimeter volume is small relative to the field size.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Poster — Thur Eve — 24: Commissioning and preliminary measurements using an Attix-style free air ionization chamber for air kerma measurements on the BioMedical Imaging and Therapy beamlines at the Canadian Light Source

Synchrotron facilities, including the Canadian Light Source (CLS), provide opportunities for the development of novel imaging and therapy applications. A vital step progressing these applications toward clinical trials is the availability of accurate dosimetry. In this study, a refurbished Attix-style (cylindrical) free air chamber (FAC) is tested and used for preliminary air kerma measurements on the two BioMedical Imaging and Therapy (BMIT) beamlines at the CLS. The FAC consists of a telescoping chamber that relies on a difference measurement of collected charge in expanded and collapsed configurations. At the National Research Council's X-ray facility, a Victoreen Model 480 FAC was benchmarked against two primary standard FACs. The results indicated an absolute accuracy at the 0.5% level for energies between 60 and 150 kVp. A series of measurements were conducted on the small, non-uniform X-ray beams of the 05B1-1 (∼8 – 100 keV) and 05ID-2 (∼20 – 200 keV) beamlines for a variety of energies, filtrations and beam sizes. For the 05B1-1 beam with 1.1 mm of Cu filtration, recombination corrections of less than 5 % could only be achieved for field sizes no greater than 0.5 mm × 0.6 mm (corresponding to an air kerma rate of ∼ 57 Gy/min). Ionic recombination thus presents a significant challenge to obtaining accurate air kerma rate measurements using this FAC in these high intensity beams. Future work includes measurements using a smaller aperture to sample a smaller and thus more uniform beam area, as well as experimental and Monte Carlo-based investigation of correction factors.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗