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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 1,459 records · Page 81
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2015

An Introduction to LANL Mixed Potential Sensors

These are slides for a webinar given on the topics of an introduction to LANL mixed potential sensors. Topics include the history of LANL electrochemical sensor work, an introduction to mixed potential sensors, LANL uniqueness, and an application of LANL mixed potential sensors. The summary is as follows: Improved understanding of the mixed-potential sensor mechanism (factors controlling the sensor response identified), sensor design optimized to maximize sensor sensitivity and durability (porous electrolyte/dense electrodes), electrodes selected for various specific applications (CO, HC, H 2 ), sensor operating parameters optimized for improved gas selectivity (NO x , NH 3 ).

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2014

Investigation of Electrochemical Recovery of Zirconium from Spent Nuclear Fuels

This project uses both modeling and experimental studies to design optimal electrochemical technology methods for recovery of zirconium from used nuclear fuel rods for more effective waste management. The objectives are to provide a means of efficiently separating zirconium into metallic high-level waste forms and to support development of a process for decontamination of zircaloy hulls to enable their disposal as low- and intermediate-level waste. Modeling work includes extension of a 3D model previously developed by Seoul National University for uranium electrorefining by adding the ability to predict zirconium behavior. Experimental validation activities include tests for recovery of zirconium from molten salt solutions and aqueous tests using surrogate materials. *This is a summary of the FY 2013 progress for I-NERI project # 2010-001-K provided to the I-NERI office.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Neutrino Oscillation Parameter Sensitivity in Future Long-Baseline Experiments

The study of neutrino interactions and propagation has produced evidence for physics beyond the standard model and promises to continue to shed light on rare phenomena. Since the discovery of neutrino oscillations in the late 1990s there have been rapid advances in establishing the three flavor paradigm of neutrino oscillations. The 2012 discovery of a large value for the last unmeasured missing angle has opened the way for future experiments to search for charge-parity symmetry violation in the lepton sector. This thesis presents an analysis of the future sensitivity to neutrino oscillations in the three flavor paradigm for the T2K, NO A, LBNE, and T2HK experiments. The theory of the three flavor paradigm is explained and the methods to use these theoretical predictions to design long baseline neutrino experiments are described. The sensitivity to the oscillation parameters for each experiment is presented with a particular focus on the search for CP violation and the measurement of the neutrino mass hierarchy. The variations of these sensitivities with statistical considerations and experimental design optimizations taken into account are explored. The effects of systematic uncertainties in the neutrino flux, interaction, and detection predictions are also considered by incorporating more advanced simulations inputs from the LBNE experiment.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Advanced Imaging Optics Utilizing Wavefront Coding

Image processing offers a potential to simplify an optical system by shifting some of the imaging burden from lenses to the more cost effective electronics. Wavefront coding using a cubic phase plate combined with image processing can extend the system's depth of focus, reducing many of the focus-related aberrations as well as material related chromatic aberrations. However, the optimal design process and physical limitations of wavefront coding systems with respect to first-order optical parameters and noise are not well documented. We examined image quality of simulated and experimental wavefront coded images before and after reconstruction in the presence of noise. Challenges in the implementation of cubic phase in an optical system are discussed. In particular, we found that limitations must be placed on system noise, aperture, field of view and bandwidth to develop a robust wavefront coded system.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2015

Energy Efficiency Under Alternative Carbon Policies. Incentives, Measurement, and Interregional Effects

In this report, we examine and compare how tradable mass-based polices and tradable rate-based policies create different incentives for energy efficiency investments. Through a generalized demonstration and set of examples, we show that as a result of the output subsidy they create, traditional rate-based policies, those that do not credit energy savings from efficiency measures, reduce the incentive for investment in energy efficiency measures relative to an optimally designed mass-based policy or equivalent carbon tax. We then show that this reduced incentive can be partially addressed by modifying the rate-based policy such that electricity savings from energy efficiency measures are treated as a source of zero-carbon generation within the framework of the standard, or equivalently, by assigning avoided emissions credit to the electricity savings at the rate of the intensity target. These approaches result in an extension of the output subsidy to efficiency measures and eliminate the distortion between supply-side and demand-side options for GHG emissions reduction. However, these approaches do not address electricity price distortions resulting from the output subsidy that also impact the value of efficiency measures. Next, we assess alternative approaches for crediting energy efficiency savings within the framework of a rate-based policy. Finally, we identify a number of challenges that arise in implementing a rate-based policy with efficiency crediting, including the requirement to develop robust estimates of electricity savings in order to assess compliance, and the requirement to track the regionality of the generation impacts of efficiency measures to account for their interstate effects.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Taking the Challenge at Singer Village. A Cold Climate Zero Energy Ready Home

After progressively incorporating ENERGY STAR® for Homes Versions 1, 2, and 3 into its standard practices over the years, this builder, Brookside Development, was seeking to build an even more sustainable product that would further increase energy efficiency, while also addressing indoor air quality, water conservation, renewable-ready, and resiliency. These objectives align with the framework of the DOE Challenge Home program, which "builds upon the comprehensive building science requirements of ENERGY STAR for Homes Version 3, along with proven Building America innovations and best practices. Other special attribute programs are incorporated to help builders reach unparalleled levels of performance with homes designed to last hundreds of years." Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings (CARB) partnered with Brookside Development on the design optimization and construction of the first home in a small development of seven planned new homes being built on the old Singer Estate in Derby, CT.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2015

A Compact, Broad-Band Hyperspectral SpectroRadiometer (Final Report)

The Phase I effort has laid the foundation for developing a complete, high-performance hyperspectral imaging system based on a patented approach. Detailed optical modeling has been performed to identify an optimal design that promises excellent imaging, low stray-light, and large signal-to-noise ratios across the full spectral range of 350-2500 nm. Vibration analysis indicates the instrument’s primary optics will be stable when deployed in high-vibration environments such as onboard a UAV, and a mechanical design has been developed. A two-step development plan has been formulated to minimize risk. In the first step, a deployable prototype instrument will be built that provides full performance but will utilize a somewhat heavy, but proven, data acquisition system. This will leave sufficient time and resources to address problems that may arise and incorporate a more advanced data acquisition system during the second step, plus leave time and resources to make other improvements identified during testing done during the first step. In summary, the effort will lead to an advanced instrument for vegetation monitoring, which may find applications in agriculture, pipeline monitoring, and it will find applications for a broad range of research including work devoted to understanding of the carbon cycle.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

Conceptual Design for CLIC Gun Pulser

The Compact Linear Collider (CLIC) is a proposed future electron-positron collider, designed to perform collisions at energies from 0.5 to 5 TeV, with a nominal design optimized for 3 TeV (Dannheim, 2012). The Drive Beam Accelerator consists of a thermionic DC gun, bunching section and an accelerating section. The thermionic gun needs deliver a long (~143us) pulse of current into the buncher. A pulser is needed to drive grid of the gun to generate a stable current output. This report explores the requirements of the gun pulser and potential solutions to regulate grid current.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Renewable Firming EnergyFarm Final Report

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 (Recovery Act) provided the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) with funds to modernize the electric power grid. One program under this initiative is the Smart Grid Demonstration program (SGDP). The SGDP mandate is to demonstrate how a suite of existing and emerging smart grid technologies can be innovatively applied and integrated to prove technical, operational, and business-model feasibility. Primus Power is a provider of low cost, long life and long duration energy storage systems. The Company’s flow batteries are shipping to US and international microgrid, utility, military, commercial and industrial customers. Primus Power’s EnergyPod® is a modular battery system for grid scale applications available in configurations ranging from 25 kW to more than 25 MW. The EnergyPod provides nameplate power for 5 hours. This long duration unlocks economic benefits on both sides of the electric meter. It allows commercial and industrial customers to shift low cost electricity purchased at night to offset afternoon electrical peaks to reduce utility demand charges. It also allows utilities to economically reduce power peaks and defer costly upgrades to distribution infrastructure. An EnergyPod contains one or more EnergyCells-a highly engineered flow battery core made from low cost, readily available materials. An EnergyCell includes a membrane-free stack of titanium electrodes located above a novel liquid electrolyte management system. This patented design enables reliable, low maintenance operation for decades. It is safe and robust, featuring non-flammable aqueous electrolyte, sophisticated fault detection and built-in secondary containment. Unlike Li Ion batteries, the EnergyCell is not susceptible to thermal runaway. This cooperative agreement project was started in Feb 2010. The objectives of the project are: 1. Trigger rapid adoption of grid storage systems in the US by demonstrating a low cost, robust and flexible EnergyFarm®. 2. Accelerate adoption of renewable energy and enhance grid stability by firming the output of wind & solar farms. 3. Demonstrate improved grid asset utilization by storing energy during off-peak periods for dispatch during local load peaks. 4. Establish an advanced battery manufacturing industry in the U.S. 5. Reduce CO2 emissions from utilities. This report summarizes the key milestones, data, results and lessons learned from the project. The desired goals and benefits of the cooperative agreement with the DOE have all been achieved. The project has contributed to reducing power costs, accelerating adoption of renewable energy resources, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and establishing advanced battery manufacturing in the U.S. The Recovery Act funds provided thru the DOE have been leveraged multiple times by additional private equity investment. Primus Power continues to ship low cost, long life and long duration EnergyPod® flow battery systems to utilities, commercial/industrial, microgrid and data center customers. After the conclusion of this project, Primus Power has modified the EnergyPod® design to optimize around energy performance. Primus Power has moved to a prefabricated enclosure instead of multiple EnergyCells in a container. This lowers capital and maintenance costs and can optimize site design. Utilities are starting to adopt energy storage for a variety of functions. The market will grow as the technology is proven and profitable applications expand.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2017

Advanced Testing Method for Ground Thermal Conductivity

A new method is developed that can quickly and more accurately determine the effective ground thermal conductivity (GTC) based on thermal response test (TRT) results. Ground thermal conductivity is an important parameter for sizing ground heat exchangers (GHEXs) used by geothermal heat pump systems. The conventional GTC test method usually requires a TRT for 48 hours with a very stable electric power supply throughout the entire test. In contrast, the new method reduces the required test time by 40%–60% or more, and it can determine GTC even with an unstable or intermittent power supply. Consequently, it can significantly reduce the cost of GTC testing and increase its use, which will enable optimal design of geothermal heat pump systems. Further, this new method provides more information about the thermal properties of the GHEX and the ground than previous techniques. It can verify the installation quality of GHEXs and has the potential, if developed, to characterize the heterogeneous thermal properties of the ground formation surrounding the GHEXs.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2017

Low Global Warming Potential Refrigerants for Commercial Refrigeration Systems

Supermarket refrigeration systems account for approximately 50% of supermarket energy use, placing this class of equipment among the highest energy consumers in the commercial building domain. In addition, the commonly used refrigeration system in supermarket applications is the multiplex direct expansion (DX) system, which is prone to refrigerant leaks due to its long lengths of refrigerant piping. This leakage reduces the efficiency of the system and increases the impact of the system on the environment. The high Global Warming Potential (GWP) of the hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants commonly used in these systems, coupled with the large refrigerant charge and the high refrigerant leakage rates leads to significant direct emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Environmental concerns are driving regulations for the heating, ventilating, air-conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) industry towards lower GWP alternatives to HFC refrigerants. Existing lower GWP refrigerant alternatives include hydrocarbons, such as propane (R-290) and isobutane (R-600a), as well as carbon dioxide (R-744), ammonia (R-717), and R-32. In addition, new lower GWP refrigerant alternatives are currently being developed by refrigerant manufacturers, including hydrofluoro-olefin (HFO) and unsaturated hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFO) refrigerants. The selection of an appropriate refrigerant for a given refrigeration application should be based on several factors, including the GWP of the refrigerant, the energy consumption of the refrigeration system over its operating lifetime, and leakage of refrigerant over the system lifetime. For example, focusing on energy efficiency alone may overlook the significant environmental impact of refrigerant leakage; while focusing on GWP alone might result in lower efficiency systems that result in higher indirect impact over the equipment lifetime. Thus, the objective of this Collaborative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) between Honeywell and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is to develop a Life Cycle Climate Performance (LCCP) modeling tool for optimally designing HVAC&R equipment with lower life cycle greenhouse gas emissions, and the selection of alternative working fluids that reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of HVAC&R equipment. In addition, an experimental evaluation program is used to measure the coefficient of performance (COP) and refrigerating capacity of various refrigerant candidates, which have differing GWP values, in commercial refrigeration equipment. Through a cooperative effort between industry and government, alternative working fluids will be chosen based on maximum reduction in greenhouse gases at minimal cost impact to the consumer. This project will ultimately result in advancing the goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions through the use of low GWP working fluids and technologies for HVAC&R and appliance equipment, resulting in cost-competitive products and systems.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2017

1L Mark-IV Target Design Review

This presentation includes General Design Considerations; Current (Mark-III) Lower Tier; Mark-III Upper Tier; Performance Metrics; General Improvements for Material Science; General Improvements for Nuclear Science; Improving FOM for Nuclear Science; General Design Considerations Summary; Design Optimization Studies; Expected Mark-IV Performance: Material Science; Expected Mark-IV Performance: Nuclear Science (Disk); Mark IV Enables Much Wider Range of Nuclear-Science FOM Gains than Mark III; Mark-IV Performance Summary; Rod or Disk? Center or Real FOV?; and Project Cost and Schedule.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2018

A parameterized ray-tracing model for evaluation of hemispherical lensing of a uniform, telecentric object aperture -- performance improvement estimates for segmented scintillators with miniature lens arrays

A parametric model describing the collimation of radiation from a uniform circular aperture by a hemispherical lens of the same radius has been developed for rapid estimation of the potential benefit of miniature dielectric lens arrays in lens-coupled gamma ray cameras (GRCs) with segmented scintillators. A simplified ray-tracing approach is adopted that makes use of small angle approximations relevant to GRCs used in nuclear science at Los Alamos National Laboratory and elsewhere. Application of this analysis technique in a first-pass design optimization process results in the optimistic estimate that miniature lenses fabricated from typical optical quality glass might boost optical coupling by as much as a factor of 4 (6 dB gain). However, this is not likely to be economically attractive compared to other techniques, such as reduction of the GRC lens f-number.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2018

Light- and Medium-Duty Diesel Combustion (Sandia)

Diesel engines remain a cost-effective, efficient, powerful propulsion source for many light- and medium-duty vehicle applications. Modest efficiency improvements in these engines can eliminate millions of tons of CO 2 emissions per year, but these improvements will require improved understanding of how diesel combustion chamber geometry influences mixture preparation, combustion, and pollutant formation processes. The research focus for this performance period is to provide insight into spray-wall interactions in stepped-lip combustion chambers. These interactions are believed to promote the formation of recirculating flow structures that improve thermal efficiency and reduce soot emissions, but these benefits are only fully realized for late main injection timings. A detailed mechanistic understanding of these processes can lead to cleaner, more efficient combustion chamber designs. This project will provide scientific understanding needed to design, optimize, and calibrate the next generations of light- and medium-duty diesel engines that comply with increasingly stringent pollutant emission regulations while achieving thermal efficiencies approaching 50%.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2018

From Nucleons to Nuclei: Enabling Discovery for Neutrinos, Dark Matter and More

Neutrino interaction uncertainties are a limiting factor in current and next generation experiments probing the fundamental physics of neutrinos, a unique window on physics beyond the Standard Model. Our understanding of the elementary neutrino-nucleon amplitudes at the heart of the neutrino interaction program relies on experiments from an earlier age whose statistical and systematic precision are insufficient for current needs. The workshop brings together physicists with a diverse range of expertise to discuss the status of neutrino-nucleus scattering and to explore (i) the quantitative impact of better constraints on the elementary amplitudes; (ii) the scientific impact of a new hydrogen or deuterium target experiment; (iii) the optimal design and technical feasibility of a new hydrogen or deuterium target experiment; and (iv) complementary constraints on the elementary amplitudes from other methods. The tools and techniques required for understanding neutrino-nucleus interactions are common to many problems at the interface of particle and nuclear physics. The workshop will discuss new developments and prospects for related topics and new physics searches, including dark matter interactions with the Standard Model and neutrinoless double beta decay.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Device-scale CFD study for mass transfer coefficient and effective mass transfer area in packed column

Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) is a significant contributor of greenhouse gases emissions responsible for global warming. The fossil-fueled power plant is one of the major sources of CO 2 emission worldwide and needs to be mitigated. Post-combustion carbon capture by chemical absorption can be a promising technology to reduce CO 2 emission from power plants. The absorption is carried out via countercurrent flow in the packed columns. Although monoethanolamine (MEA) is a popular solvent, it has also limitations such as high volatility of solvent, corrosivity that leads to product degradation and damage to apparatuses, low CO 2 loading capacity, etc. Therefore, alternate solvents are being explored as prospective materials for carbon capture. A water-lean solvent, CO 2 binding organic liquids (CO2BOL), is currently being developed as a prospective material in carbon capture at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Since the development of the material is at the primitive stage, it needs extensive investigation before industrial deployments. Hydrodynamics and mass transfer phenomena in the packed column using CO 2 BOL is unknown. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) can be a useful tool to understand these phenomena in the packed column. Before employing the extensive CFD investigations, one needs to carefully validate CFD predictions for accurate flow predictions. This report demonstrates the validation of multiphase flow simulations against the experimental results for both structured and random packed columns. The reactive multiphase flow simulations using volume of fluid method were conducted at a wide range of liquid loads and contacts angles. The effective area is one of the critical factors dictating interphase mass transfer due to chemical reactions. Accordingly, CFD-predicted effective areas were compared with the experimental results of Tsai et al. [1] for Mellapak 250.Y structured packing. Both results matched well at different liquid loads in the presence of fast chemical kinetics using caustic solvents. Further, reactive multiphase flow simulations were also conducted in pall ring random packing to compute effective areas in the presence of fast chemical reactions. The CFD-predicted effective area compared well with correlation developed by Song et al. [2]. With successful validations, the current simulation framework can be further used for prediction of hydrodynamics and mass transfer phenomena using CO 2 BOL solvents in the packed column. Subsequently, it would be helpful in design optimization of a packed column. In addition to validation of the CFD model, this report also explains the mechanism for enhanced liquid side mass transfer for a structured packed column as compared to the wetted wall column.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2019

LANL Accelerator Activities for C-band

LANL has a range of accelerator activities that would benefit from improvements in RF resonator performance. XFEL (presently using a SRF baseline similar to LCLS-II) would benefit from much higher gradient and long-pulse operation of copper structures. Higher gradient RF structures for lower energy accelerators (~100 MeV) would also provide a path to transportable systems, such as ICS sources. Lastly, the utilization of dielectrics could be exploited for increased efficiency and compactness, e.g. for accelerator in space efforts. A LANL R&D effort aims at systematic improvement of copper structures employing material science simulations to explain and improve breakdown effects, combined with highly optimized designs, integration of cryo-cooling and the use of dielectric insertions. The work is integrated into a High-Gradient collaboration between SLAC, UCLA and LANL.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Measuring the Precession Frequency in the E989 Muon g – 2 Experiment

The E989 Muon $g-2$ Experiment aims to measure the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon, $a_\mu$, to an unprecedented precision of 140 parts per billion (ppb). There currently stands a greater than 3$\sigma$ discrepancy between the best measurement of $a_\mu$ and its theoretical value predicted using the Standard Model. The E989 experiment seeks to either resolve or confirm this discrepancy, which is suggestive of new physics interactions within reach of many contemporary experiments. To achieve the E989 target precision, the anomalous precession frequency, $\omega_a$, of muons in a magnetic storage ring must be determined with a systematic uncertainty below 70\,ppb. This frequency is imprinted on the time-dependent energy distribution of decay positrons observed by 24 electromagnetic calorimeters. These calorimeters feature a novel design optimized expressly for the stringent demands of the $\omega_a$ measurement. This dissertation outlines the motivation for and measuremen t principles behind E989, discusses the requirements, prototyping, testing, commissioning, and operations of the electromagnetic calorimeters, and presents a preliminary, blinded analysis of data collected in the spring of 2018.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗