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At least 1,441 records · Page 80
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Atmospheric Drivers of Wind Turbine Blade Leading Edge Erosion: Review and Recommendations for Future Research

Leading edge erosion (LEE) of wind turbine blades causes decreased aerodynamic performance leading to lower power production and revenue and increased operations and maintenance costs. LEE is caused primarily by materials stresses when hydrometeors (rain and hail) impact on rotating blades. The kinetic energy transferred by these impacts is a function of the precipitation intensity, droplet size distributions (DSD), hydrometeor phase and the wind turbine rotational speed which in turn depends on the wind speed at hub-height. Hence, there is a need to better understand the hydrometeor properties and the joint probability distributions of precipitation and wind speeds at prospective and operating wind farms in order to quantify the potential for LEE and the financial efficacy of LEE mitigation measures. However, there are relatively few observational datasets of hydrometeor DSD available for such locations. Here, we analyze six observational datasets from spatially dispersed locations and compare them with existing literature and assumed DSD used in laboratory experiments of material fatigue. We show that the so-called Best DSD being recommended for use in whirling arm experiments does not represent the observational data. Neither does the Marshall Palmer approximation. We also use these data to derive and compare joint probability distributions of drivers of LEE; precipitation intensity (and phase) and wind speed. We further review and summarize observational metrologies for hydrometeor DSD, provide information regarding measurement uncertainty in the parameters of critical importance to kinetic energy transfer and closure of data sets from different instruments. A series of recommendations are made about research needed to evolve towards the required fidelity for a priori estimates of LEE potential.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

A transferable classical force field to describe glyme based lithium solvate ionic liquids

A non-polarizable force field for lithium (Li + ) and bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (TFSI – ) ions solvated in diglyme at around 0.2 mol fraction salt concentration was developed based on ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations and a modified polymer consistent force field model. A force–torque matching based scheme, in conjunction with a genetic algorithm, was used to determine the Lennard-Jones (LJ) parameters of the ion–ion and ion–solvent interactions. This force field includes a partial charge scaling factor and a scaling factor for the 1–4 interactions. The resulting force field successfully reproduces the radial distribution function of the AIMD simulations and shows better agreement compared to the unmodified force field. The new force field was then used to simulate salt solutions with glymes of increasing chain lengths and different salt concentrations. The comparison of the MD simulations, using the new force field, with experimental data at different salt concentrations and AIMD simulations on equimolar concentrations of the triglyme system demonstrates the transferability of the force field parameters to longer glymes and higher salt concentrations. Furthermore, the force field appears to reproduce the features of the experimental x-ray structure factors, suggesting accuracy beyond the first solvation shell, for equimolar salt solutions using both triglyme and tetraglyme as the solvent. Altogether, the new force field was found to accurately reproduce the molecular descriptions of LiTFSI-glyme systems not only at various salt concentrations but also with glymes of different chain lengths. Thus, the new force field provides a useful and accurate tool to perform in silico studies of this family of systems at the atomistic level.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Reducing Grid Costs while Abating Emissions: Opportunities for Flexible Building Loads

This study evaluates the value of technology-agnostic, shiftable flexible building loads in modeled 2030 and 2040 U.S. grids for four types of customers under three potential aggregated distributed energy resources programs. The value examined includes monetary value from providing grid services (e.g., energy, capacity, flexibility reserve, regulation reserve, contingency reserve) and from reducing greenhouse gas emissions. By comparing more than 845,164,800 simulated shifting opportunities, the study finds that the timing of consumption is critical for profit-driven customers. A program that is activated for 30 critical hours of system operation can result in to $73 per year in revenue for 1 kWh of shiftable load. Emission reduction, on the other hand, is best accumulated through a year-round program: 1 kWh of shiftable load can lead to up to 487.9 kg CO2e carbon reduction per year. The report also provides detailed insights on the trade-off between revenue and emissions, regional variation, short- versus medium- term value, and impacts from various building flexibility parameters, such as shifting window and dissipation.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2020

A framework for measuring weak-lensing magnification using the Fundamental Plane

ABSTRACT Galaxy–galaxy lensing is an essential tool for probing dark matter haloes and constraining cosmological parameters. While galaxy–galaxy lensing measurements usually rely on shear, weak-lensing magnification contains additional constraining information. Using the Fundamental Plane (FP) of elliptical galaxies to anchor the size distribution of a background population is one method that has been proposed for performing a magnification measurement. We present a formalism for using the FP residuals of elliptical galaxies to jointly estimate the foreground mass and background redshift errors for a stacked lens scenario. The FP residuals include information about weak-lensing magnification κ, and therefore foreground mass, since to first order, non-zero κ affects galaxy size but not other FP properties. We also present a modular, extensible code that implements the formalism using emulated galaxy catalogues of a photometric galaxy survey. We find that combining FP information with observed number counts of the source galaxies constrains mass and photo-z error parameters significantly better than an estimator that includes number counts only. In particular, the constraint on the mass is 17.0 per cent if FP residuals are included, as opposed to 27.7 per cent when only number counts are included. The effective size noise for a foreground lens of mass $M_\mathrm{ H}=10^{14}\, \mathrm{M}_\odot$, with a conservative selection function in size and surface brightness applied to the source population, is σκ, eff = 0.250. We discuss the improvements to our FP model necessary to make this formalism a practical companion to shear analyses in weak-lensing surveys.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Optimizing Hydride Stability in U-ZrH x Nuclear Fuel: The “Goldilocks Radius”

Nuclear-powered microreactors show great promise for opening new nuclear energy markets due to the flexibility offered by their rapid/streamlined in-factory fabrication, transportability, and self-regulating nature. The economic benefits of any commercialized nuclear reactor, however, rely on the system’s ability to produce large amounts of heat and efficiently convert that heat into electrical power reliably for long periods of time. Uranium-zirconium hydride (U-ZrH x ) is currently being considered for compact reactor designs because it is a well-known nuclear fuel system that is self-moderating, but this fuel, which has historically been used for research reactors, has not been optimized for commercial power production. Here, this paper analyzes the hydride stability of standard 304 stainless steel–clad U-ZrH x fuel under commercially relevant conditions. Fuel element design parameters, including physical dimensions, as-fabricated hydrogen content, burnup, peak fuel temperature, temperature gradient, operational fuel cycle duration, and volumetric heat generation rate, are discussed with a focus on hydrogen distribution and phase stability within the fuel element. Hydride stability declines more rapidly as the coolant temperature, burnup, and fuel cycle duration increase. Using a fuel-cladding gap material with heat transfer properties superior to air, such as helium or sodium, is essential to prolonging fuel hydride stability. The fuel’s physical dimensions are also important. At very small fuel diameters, the H/Zr ratio in the fuel meat decreases too rapidly due to the hydrogen content’s dependence on fuel meat volume. Conversely, the fuel meat temperature and temperature gradient exacerbate hydrogen loss at very large fuel diameters. We find that the most important parameter to consider when optimizing the hydride stability of U-ZrH x fuel is the relationship between the fuel meat radius and the power density in the fuel. A simple equation is empirically determined that relates the “Goldilocks radius,” that is, the fuel radius for which the H/Zr ratio is most stable, to the power density in the fuel.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2025

An airfoil-based synthetic actuator disk model for wind turbine aerodynamic and structural analysis

Here, this study introduces an airfoil-based refinement technique to enhance the Actuator Disk Model (ADM) for improved wind turbine aerodynamic load prediction and structural simulation in conjunction with Large Eddy Simulations of the wind flow. While ADM offers higher computational efficiency than the more detailed but resource-intensive Actuator Line Model (ALM), it traditionally lacks the resolution needed to capture the localized blade forces accurately. To address this limitation, we introduce a refinement technique that uses airfoil-specific data and employs interpolation-based grid point refinement, achieving ALM-comparable accuracy while preserving ADM's efficiency. Unlike conventional ADM that provides only rotor-disk averaged forces, our synthetic method tracks transient aerodynamic load variations over multiple blade revolutions, allowing us to calculate the distributions of maximum and minimum loads during typical cycles. Applied to the NREL 5 MW reference turbine, our enhanced ADM accurately predicts key aerodynamic parameters (angle of attack, axial velocity, lift, drag, axial and tangential forces along the blades) as well as structural responses (blade tip deflection, maximum stress, and stress concentration). Our results show that the tip deflection ranges from 2.33m (3.69 % of blade length) to 4.28m (6.79 %), with maximum stress concentration occurring near the blade root. This research demonstrates that a refined synthetic ADM approach can serve as a computationally efficient alternative for both aerodynamic analysis and structural simulation of wind turbine blades subjected to realistic wind fields.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Revealing the Crystalline Architecture of Semicrystalline Ion Exchange Membranes for the Design of Conductive and Durable Alkaline Anion Exchange Membranes

Alkaline anion exchange membrane (AAEM) fuel cells offer a cost-effective alternative to proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells by eliminating the need for expensive precious metal catalysts. In both PEMs and AAEMs, semicrystalline polymers are a common choice, as the crystalline domains can act as mechanical reinforcements that limit swelling and promote mechanical durability in the material. However, spatially resolved characterization of crystalline organization in ion exchange membranes beyond ensemble-averaged X-ray scattering is underrepresented, likely in part due to ionization damage limitations in soft materials. Here, in this study, we resolve the nanometer-size crystallites in semicrystalline ion exchange membranes by applying cryogenic four-dimensional scanning transmission electron microscopy (cryo-4D-STEM) along with data-processing algorithms designed to optimize signals at a low dose to minimize radiation damage. We investigate the effects of synthesis components, including molecular weight and thermal treatment, on a model system of AAEMs in comparison to Nafion, the most commonly used and commercially successful PEM today. We find that excess water uptake in polymer membranes, a property directly associated with weak mechanical durability and with possible negative impacts on ion conductivity, can be reduced by over 30% by varying the polymer's crystalline morphology through changes in synthesis parameters such as molecular weight and thermal history. Our results indicate that this improvement is correlated with smaller crystalline domains with a more homogeneous distribution. More broadly, these results demonstrate how the crystalline architecture of polymer membranes can be tuned through their chemistry and thermal treatment in order to improve their conductivity and durability for commercial fuel cell performance.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2023

Source Characterization of the Declared North Korean Nuclear Tests From Regional Distance Coda Wave Spectral Ratios

Abstract Seismic observations of underground nuclear explosions provide crucial data on source yield and depth that cannot easily be estimated from other geophysical methods. However, it is difficult to obtain reliable yield estimates for test sites for which we do not have direct seismic calibration experiments. To obtain source information from uncalibrated sites and paths, local and regional seismic records of six, proximal, declared underground nuclear explosions in North Korea are used to compute spectral ratios of narrow‐band waveform envelopes of body‐wave coda that remove path and site effects to reveal precise, relative source moment. The yields of these explosions are obtained from the observed source ratios by simultaneously fitting the classical source model of Mueller and Murphy (1971), https://doi.org/10.1785/bssa0610061675 to all event pairs. The source model provides an impressive fit to the observations considering that the P phase coda derived source spectral ratios did not require a prior knowledge of the source or regionally calibrated corrections to be applied to the data. However, the observed corner frequencies from S wave coda spectral ratios are lower than the source model predictions, but are well fit by models calculated using the corner frequency consistent with the Fisk conjecture. The results presented here provide novel constraints on the spectral distributions of the energy radiated by the sources of the DPRK test series, and allows for an independent evaluation of existing estimated source model parameters.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

The ellipticity parameterization for an NFW profile: An overlooked angular structure in strong lens modeling

Galaxy-scale gravitational lenses are often modeled with two-component mass profiles where one component represents the stellar mass and the second is a Navarro Frenk White (NFW) profile representing the dark matter. Outside of the spherical case, the NFW profile is costly to implement, and so it is approximated via two different methods; ellipticity can be introduced via the lensing potential (NFWp) or via the mass by approximating the NFW profile as a sum of analytical profiles (NFWm). While the NFWp method has been the default for lensing applications, it gives a different prescription of the azimuthal structure, which we show introduces ubiquitous gradients in ellipticity and boxiness in the mass distribution rather than having a constant elliptical shape. Because an unmodeled azimuthal structure has been shown to be able to bias lens model results, we explored the degree to which this azimuthal structure that was introduced can affect the model accuracy. We constructed input profiles using composite models using both the NFWp and NFWm methods and fit these mocks with a power-law elliptical mass distribution (PEMD) model with external shear. As a measure of the accuracy of the recovered lensing potential, we calculated the value of the Hubble parameter H 0 one would determine from the lensing fit. We found that the fits to the NFWp input return H 0 values that are systematically biased by about 3% lower than the NFWm counterparts. We explored whether such an effect is attributable to the mass sheet transformation (MST) by using an MST-independent quantity, ξ 2 . We show that, as expected, the NFWm mocks are degenerate with PEMD through an MST. For the NFWp, an additional bias was found beyond the MST due to the azimuthal structure exterior to the Einstein radius. We recommend modelers use an NFWm prescription in the future, such that the azimuthal structure can be introduced explicitly rather than implicitly.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Factorized QED and QCD contribution to deeply inelastic scattering

We present the first calculation of next-to-leading order (NLO) factorized QED and QCD contributions to the short-distance hard coefficients of inclusive lepton-hadron deep inelastic scattering (DIS) in a joint QED and QCD factorization approach. Unlike the traditional radiative correction approach to handle the collision-induced QED contributions to DIS, QED radiation from all charged leptons and quarks are treated equally, and their collinear sensitivities are systematically factorized into corresponding universal lepton and parton distribution functions. We demonstrate that the NLO factorized short-distance QED contribution is completely infrared safe and calculable without the need of any parameters other than the standard factorization scale in the same way as the factorized short-distance QCD contribution. We discuss the potential impact of this joint factorization approach on the extraction of partonic information from lepton-hadron DIS.

Deep inelastic scattering↗
DOE OSTI2021

Evaluating the effects of structural disorder on the magnetic properties of Nd 2 Zr 2 O 7

Motivated by the variation in reported lattice parameters of floating-zone-grown Nd 2 Zr 2 O 7 crystals, we have performed a detailed study of the relationship between synthesis environment, structural disorder, and magnetic properties. Using a combination of polycrystalline standards, electron-probe microanalysis, and scattering techniques, we show that crystals grown under atmospheric conditions have a reduced lattice parameter relative to pristine polycrystalline powders due to occupation of the Nd site by excess Zr (i.e., negative stuffing). In contrast, crystals grown under high-pressure Ar are nearly stoichiometric with an average lattice parameter approaching the polycrystalline value. While minimal disorder of the oxygen sublattices is observed on the scale of the average structure, neutron pair-distribution function analysis indicates a highly local disorder of the oxygen coordination, which is only weakly dependent on growth environment. Most importantly, our magnetization, heat capacity, and single-crystal neutron scattering data show that the magnetic properties of crystals grown under high-pressure Ar match closely with those of stoichiometric powders. Neutron scattering measurements reveal that the signature of magnetic moment fragmentation—the coexistence of all-in-all-out (AIAO) magnetic Bragg peaks and diffuse pinch-point scattering due to spin-ice correlations–persists in these nearly stoichiometric crystals. However, in addition to an increased AIAO transition temperature, the diffuse signal is seemingly stabilized and remains nearly unchanged upon warming to 800 mK. This behavior indicates that both the AIAO magnetic order and spin-ice correlations are sensitive to deviations of the Nd stoichiometry.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Frequency Shaping Control for Weakly-Coupled Grid-Forming IBRs

Here, we consider the problem of controlling the frequency of low-inertia power systems via inverter-based resources (IBRs) that are weakly connected to the grid. We propose a novel grid-forming control strategy, the so-called frequency shaping control, that aims to shape the frequency response of synchronous generators (SGs) to load perturbations so as to efficiently arrest sudden frequency drops. Our solution relaxes several existing assumptions in the literature and is able to navigate trade-offs between peak power requirements and maximum frequency deviations. Finally, we analyze the robustness to imperfect knowledge of network parameters, while particularly highlighting the importance of accurate estimation of these parameters.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2020

Measurements of angle-resolved reflectivity of PTFE in liquid xenon with IBEX

Abstract Liquid xenon particle detectors rely on excellent light collection efficiency for their performance. This depends on the high reflectivity of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) at the xenon scintillation wavelength of 178 nm, but the angular dependence of this reflectivity is not well-understood. IBEX is designed to directly measure the angular distribution of xenon scintillation light reflected off PTFE in liquid xenon. These measurements are fully described by a microphysical reflectivity model with few free parameters. Dependence on PTFE type, surface finish, xenon pressure, and wavelength of incident light is explored. Total internal reflection is observed, which results in the dominance of specular over diffuse reflection and a reflectivity near 100% for high angles of incidence.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Bulk Motions in the Black Hole Jet Sheath as a Candidate for the Comptonizing Corona

Abstract Using two-dimensional general relativistic resistive magnetohydrodynamic simulations, we investigate the properties of the sheath separating the black hole jet from the surrounding medium. We find that the electromagnetic power flowing through the jet sheath is comparable to the overall accretion power of the black hole. The sheath is an important site of energy dissipation as revealed by the copious appearance of reconnection layers and plasmoid chains. About 20% of the sheath power is dissipated between 2 and 10 gravitational radii. The plasma in the dissipative sheath moves along a nearly paraboloidal surface with transrelativistic bulk motions dominated by the radial component, whose dimensionless 4-velocity is ∼1.2 ± 0.5. In the frame moving with the mean (radially dependent) velocity, the distribution of stochastic bulk motions resembles a Maxwellian with an “effective bulk temperature” of ∼100 keV. Scaling the global simulation to Cygnus X-1 parameters gives a rough estimate of the Thomson optical depth across the jet sheath, ∼0.01–0.1, and it may increase in future magnetohydrodynamic simulations with self-consistent radiative losses. These properties suggest that the dissipative jet sheath may be a viable “coronal” region, capable of upscattering seed soft photons into a hard, nonthermal tail, as seen during the hard states of X-ray binaries and active galactic nuclei.

Sridhar, Navin (ORCID:0000000255199550)↗
DOE OSTI2024

Comparative analysis of cosmological simulations via angular power spectra

Cosmology is the study of the universe's origin, large-scale structure, and dynamics. One such area of study is understanding dark energy and dark matter. Dark matter has not been observed to interact with luminous matter other than through gravitational attractions, forming large scale structures observed throughout the universe. In this area, the primary model is the Lambda Cold Dark Matter (ΛCDM) model. This standard model consists of cosmological dark energy (Λ), cold dark matter (CDM), and normal luminous matter. We use Angular Power Spectra (APS) to compare simulated ΛCDM models with observed large-scale galaxy distributions from the DECam Local Volume Exploration Survey (DELVE). After ensuring that the simulations can produce APS which match observational results, we vary cosmological parameters to constrain the allowed ranges of parameter values that are consistent with the observed data.

Feithen, William↗
DOE OSTI2024

Emittance Measurements with Wire Scanners in the Fermilab Side-coupled Linac

The Fermilab Side-Coupled Linac accelerates H-beam from 116 MeV to 400 MeV through seven 805 MHz modules. Twelve wire scanners are present in the Side Coupled Linac and four are present in the transfer line between the Linac and the Booster synchrotron ring. These wire scanners act as important diagnostic instruments to directly collect information on the beam's transverse distribution. The manipulation of the conditions of wire scanner data collection enables further characterization of the beamline, such as calculating emittance and the Twiss parameters of the beam at select regions, which we present here.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Effect of solvothermal synthesis parameters on the crystallite size and atomic structure of cobalt iron oxide nanoparticles

We here investigate how the synthesis method affects the crystallite size and atomic structure of cobalt iron oxide nanoparticles. By using a simple solvothermal method, we first synthesized cobalt ferrite nanoparticles of ca. 2 and 7 nm, characterized by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Small Angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), X-ray and neutron total scattering. The smallest particle size corresponds to only a few spinel unit cells. Nevertheless, Pair Distribution Function (PDF) analysis of X-ray and neutron total scattering data shows that the atomic structure, even in the smallest nanoparticles, is well described by the spinel structure, although with significant disorder and a contraction of the unit cell parameter. These effects can be explained by the surface oxidation of the small nanoparticles, which is confirmed by X-ray near edge absorption spectroscopy (XANES). Neutron total scattering data and PDF analysis reveal a higher degree of inversion in the spinel structure of the smallest nanoparticles. Neutron total scattering data also allow magnetic PDF (mPDF) analysis, which shows that the ferrimagnetic domains correspond to ca. 80% of the crystallite size in the larger particles. A similar but less well-defined magnetic ordering was observed for the smallest nanoparticles. Finally, we used a co-precipitation synthesis method at room temperature to synthesize ferrite nanoparticles similar in size to the smallest crystallites synthesized by the solvothermal method. Structural analysis with PDF demonstrates that the ferrite nanoparticles synthesized via this method exhibit a significantly more defective structure compared to those synthesized via a solvothermal method.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗