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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 1,495 records · Page 83
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2018

Additive Manufacturing – A New Challenge for Automation and Robotics

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a rapidly growing technology descended from the first stereolithography systems. AM describes a variety of material deposition technologies for forming objects in a digital manner layer-by-layer under computer control. Now commonly known as 3D printing, AM quickly branched out into several key directions – material extrusion, sheet lamination, direct energy deposition, vat polymerization, powder bed fusion, binder jetting, and material jetting. The common factor in all AM branches is a foundation in robotics and automation. While most of the mechanical 3D printing structures are based on simple gantry systems, there are Gough-Stewart platforms and, more recently, six or more DoF manipulator-based systems that have been developed. Currently available commercial systems are based on open-loop control with minimum sensing capabilities; the latest systems in development are starting to take advantage of complex feedback loops and layers of advanced sensing and data logging. The Manufacturing Demonstration Facility of Oak Ridge National Laboratory is leading the efforts in applying advanced robotics in the creation of large-scale 3D printers. The recent demonstration of an additively manufactured excavator at the CONEXPO 2017 exhibition in Las Vegas showed that the use of cutting edge robotics and automation is essential for the next generation of additive systems. The future of AM will heavily rely on advanced robotics, machine learning, and the internet of things. This paper summarizes progress in AM; presents the practical aspects, challenges, and lessons learned in developing robotic-based AM systems; and outlines the needs and future directions of robotics for AM.

Nycz, Andrzej↗
DOE OSTI2024

Progress on the Autonomous Event Detection System For the Laser Particulate Counter

Field emission is one of the most important issues that limits the performance of the superconducting radio frequency (SRF) systems and leads to SRF cavity trips at the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility at Jefferson Lab. Studies have confirmed that particulates are the dominant source of field emitters and the particulates can be transported into a cavity from other parts of the accelerator. To monitor the transportation of the particulates, a prototype of a novel, non-invasive laser particulate counter (LPC) has been developed and tested. Experiments have been done to validate the capability of the LPC. We are developing autonomous event detection system to continuously monitor the readout from the LPC and to recognize real events generated by particulates from noises using machine learning model. In this report, we will present how the data are prepared and how the model is trained. We will also discuss the performance of the model.

Zhang, H.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Unraveling the Dynamics of Nucleosome Arrays

The organization of genomic DNA into chromatin is a fundamental determinant of genome stability, regulation, and cellular function. Nucleosomes, the basic repeating units of chromatin, assemble into higher-order structures whose organization and heterogeneity remain difficult to characterize using conventional ensemble-averaged techniques. A key need in the field is the development of experimental approaches capable of directly visualizing nucleosome assemblies and their structural variability at the single-molecule level. This LDRD Lab-Wide project focused on establishing and evaluating atomic force microscopy (AFM)–based approaches for the characterization of nucleosome assemblies. The work emphasized experimental workflows for preparing, imaging, and assessing multi-nucleosome systems, rather than isolated single nucleosomes. Through method development and exploratory measurements, the project demonstrated the feasibility of applying scanning probe microscopy to investigate chromatin-relevant assemblies and provided preliminary insight into the strengths and limitations of this approach for future quantitative studies. Results and lessons learned from this effort were disseminated to the broader scientific community through multiple national conference presentations, helping to position LLNL for continued work in chromatin and genome organization research.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Exact Calculation of Nonideal Fields Demonstrates Their Dominance of Injection in Relativistic Reconnection

Magnetic reconnection is an important source of energetic particles in systems ranging from astrophysics to the laboratory. The large separation of spatiotemporal scales involved makes it critical to determine the minimum physical model containing the necessary physics for modeling particle acceleration. Here, by resolving the energy gain from ideal and nonideal magnetohydrodynamic electric fields self-consistently in kinetic particle-in-cell simulations of reconnection, we conclusively show the dominant role of the nonideal field for the early stage of energization known as injection. The importance of the nonideal field increases with magnetization, guide field, and in three dimensions, indicating its general importance for reconnection in natural astrophysical systems. We obtain the statistical properties of the injection process from the simulations, paving the way for the development of extended MHD models capable of accurately modeling particle acceleration in large-scale systems. The novel analysis method developed in this study can be applied broadly to give new insight into a wide range of processes in plasma physics.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Post-Fukushima Safety Enhancement Activities in Canada

In the immediate aftermath of the common-cause seismic and tsunami events that triggered the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident on March 11, 2011, the nuclear regulator, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), requested that all Cass I nuclear facilities re-examine the safety cases for their nuclear facilities. Lessons-learned task forces were established by the CNSC, and the nuclear utilities, Ontario Power Generation (OPG), Bruce Power (BP), and New Brunswick Power (NBP). The purposes of these independent task forces was to develop relevant lessons learned issues for the Candu nuclear power plants operating in Canada and to identify actions that could enhance safety. Subsequently, a CNSC Integrated Action Plan was developed to address the recommendations arising from the CNSC Task Force Report, and the licensees aligned their actions with this plan. The actions were grouped into four categories, as follows. 1. Strengthening defence in depth; Actions included re-assessment of a site-specific external hazards using PSA; physical plant changes to add further cooling water make-up capability to heat sinks; development of new Canadian standards and updated regulatory documents that address requirements for Beyond Design Basis Accidents (BDBA), Probabilistic Safety Assessment (PSA) and Period Safety Review (PSR); development of a new and novel methodology for assessing multi-unit risk that is consistent with the IAEA construct of defence-in-depth (including a safety goal hierarchy and complementary risk analysis methods that address 'Black Swan' events); enhanced management of hydrogen combustion challenges; and enhanced Severe Accident Management Guidelines (SAMG). 2. Enhancing emergency response; Actions included provision of Emergency Mitigation Equipment (EME) such as transportable diesel-driven pumps or fire engines, transportable diesel generators for AC and instrument power; pre-installed connections to in-plant equipment via easily accessible and protected quick-connect points for water and electrical power; upgraded emergency response centres; enhanced communication systems and protocols; and enhanced emergency response programs, training and exercises. 3. Improving the regulatory framework and processes; 4. Enhancing international collaboration. Actions assigned under categories 3 and 4 were placed upon the regulator. This presentation will focus on the assigned actions in categories 1 and 2. The underlying motivation, objectives, and safety benefits associated with the actions will be described within the context of broader aspects of severe accident mitigation in water-cooled reactors. (author)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2020

An electric-circuit model on the inter-tape contact resistance and current sharing for REBCO cable and magnet applications

REBCO coated conductor has demonstrated high current capacity that can enable high-field magnets for high energy physics and fusion applications. However, quench protection is still one of the main challenges to be addressed for these applications. In addition, Ic and n value variations along the length of REBCO tapes exist in commercial production. The inter-tape contact resistance plays a key role to develop the self protection capability in cables and magnets by enabling current sharing and suppressing excessive eddy currents. Here we propose an electric-circuit model to describe the inter-tape contact resistance and its impact on the current sharing between REBCO tapes. We report the experiments on a 2-stacked tape REBCO cable with local Ic drop to validate the model. With the developed model, we study the upper limit of the contact resistance which allows current sharing between tapes. We also study the impact of variation in Ic and n values in tapes on the cable performance. Finally, our model is expected to provide useful insight into the current sharing and target values for inter-tape contact resistance in REBCO cables and magnets for various applications.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2017

Development of in-situ high-voltage and high-temperature stressing capability on atomic force microscopy platform

Reliability has become an increasingly important issue as photovoltaic technologies mature. However, researching reliability at the nanometer scale is in its infancy; in particular, in-situ studies have not been reported to date. Here, to investigate potential-induced degradation (PID) of solar cell modules, we have developed an in-situ stressing capability with applied high voltage (HV) and high temperature (HT) on an atomic force microscopy (AFM) platform. We designed a sample holder to simultaneously accommodate 1000-V HV and 200 degrees C HT stressing. Three technical challenges have been overcome along with the development: thermal drift at HT, HV interference with measurement, and arc discharge caused by HV. We demonstrated no observable measurement artifact under the stress conditions. Based on our in-situ stressing AFM, Kelvin probe force microscopy potential imaging revealed the evolution of electrical potential across the junction along with the PID stressing time, which provides vital information to further study the PID mechanism.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

An Intercomparison of Large‐Eddy Simulations of a Convection Cloud Chamber Using Haze‐Capable Bin and Lagrangian Cloud Microphysics Schemes

Abstract Recent in situ observations show that haze particles exist in a convection cloud chamber. The microphysics schemes previously used for large‐eddy simulations of the cloud chamber could not fully resolve haze particles and the associated processes, including their activation and deactivation. Specifically, cloud droplet activation was modeled based on Twomey‐type parameterizations, wherein cloud droplets were formed when a critical supersaturation for the available cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) was exceeded and haze particles were not explicitly resolved. Here, we develop and adapt haze‐capable bin and Lagrangian microphysics schemes to properly resolve the activation and deactivation processes. Results are compared with the Twomey‐type CCN‐based bin microphysics scheme in which haze particles are not fully resolved. We find that results from the haze‐capable bin microphysics scheme agree well with those from the Lagrangian microphysics scheme. However, both schemes significantly differ from those from a CCN‐based bin microphysics scheme unless CCN recycling is considered. Haze particles from the recycling of deactivated cloud droplets can strongly enhance cloud droplet number concentration due to a positive feedback in haze‐cloud interactions in the cloud chamber. Haze particle size distributions are more realistic when considering solute and curvature effects that enable representing the complete physics of the activation process. Our study suggests that haze particles and their interactions with cloud droplets may have a strong impact on cloud properties when supersaturation fluctuations are comparable to mean supersaturation, as is the case in the cloud chamber and likely is the case in the atmosphere, especially in polluted conditions.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2013

OSPREY Model

The absence of industrial scale nuclear fuel reprocessing in the U.S. has precluded the necessary driver for developing the advanced simulation capability now prevalent in so many other countries. Thus, it is essential to model complex series of unit operations to simulate, understand, and predict inherent transient behavior and feedback loops. A capability of accurately simulating the dynamic behavior of advanced fuel cycle separation processes will provide substantial cost savings and many technical benefits. The specific fuel cycle separation process discussed in this report is the off-gas treatment system. The off-gas separation consists of a series of scrubbers and adsorption beds to capture constituents of interest. Dynamic models are being developed to simulate each unit operation involved so each unit operation can be used as a stand-alone model and in series with multiple others. Currently, an adsorption model has been developed within Multi-physics Object Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE) developed at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). Off-gas Separation and REcoverY (OSPREY) models the adsorption of off-gas constituents for dispersed plug flow in a packed bed under non-isothermal and non-isobaric conditions. Inputs to the model include gas, sorbent, and column properties, equilibrium and kinetic data, and inlet conditions. The simulation outputs component concentrations along the column length as a function of time from which breakthrough data is obtained. The breakthrough data can be used to determine bed capacity, which in turn can be used to size columns. It also outputs temperature along the column length as a function of time and pressure drop along the column length. Experimental data and parameters were input into the adsorption model to develop models specific for krypton adsorption. The same can be done for iodine, xenon, and tritium. The model will be validated with experimental breakthrough curves. Customers will be given access to OSPREY to used and evaluate the model.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Tempus Project (Final Report)

This final technical report tracks the accomplishments of the Tempus Project to the statement of project objectives and resulting deliverables. The objective of the Tempus project was to develop and demonstrate the capabilities of a secure, modular, and customizable time synchronization platform that provides layers of protection from GPS spoofing attacks and other vulnerabilities. These vulnerabilities present a challenge to power system operators utilizing GPS-based time synchronization, as time synchronization increasingly plays a critical role in the efficient and reliable operation of power systems. The Tempus project addressed these concerns through the development of a secure, customizable time synchronization platform. The Tempus platform applies a layered approach to time security that protects from manipulation of timing systems used by power utilities. The Tempus platform consists of a component framework utilizing modularized time sources and customizable manipulation detection algorithms. With multiple time sources, and comparisons between sources and tracking sudden or subtle changes to the timing phase and time information, the Tempus system can detect and mitigate compromised timing sources.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2016

NREL and DONG Energy Collaboration for Grid Simulator Controls and Testing: Cooperative Research and Development Final Report, CRADA Number CRD-13-527

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and DONG Energy are interested in collaborating for the development of control algorithms, modeling, and grid simulator testing of wind turbine generator systems involving NWTC's advanced Controllable Grid Interface (CGI). NREL and DONG Energy will work together to develop control algorithms, models, test methods, and protocols involving NREL's CGI, as well as appropriate data acquisition systems for grid simulation testing. The CRADA also includes work on joint publication of results achieved from modeling and testing efforts. Further, DONG Energy will send staff to NREL on a long-term basis for collaborative work including modeling and testing. NREL will send staff to DONG Energy on a short-term basis to visit wind power sites and participate in meetings relevant to this collaborative effort. DOE has provided NREL with over 10 years of support in developing custom facilities and capabilities to enable testing of full-scale integrated wind turbine drivetrain systems in accordance with the needs of the US wind industry. NREL currently operates a 2.5MW dynamometer and is in the processes of commissioning a 5MW dynamometer and a grid simulator (referred to as a 'Controllable Grid Interface' or CGI). DONG Energy is the market leader in offshore wind power development, with currently over 1 GW of on- and offshore wind power in operation, and 1.3 GW under construction. DONG Energy has on-going R&D projects involving high voltage DC (HVDC) transmission.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2018

New High-Resolution Electron Scattering Capability

This project explored a new capability for studying collisions of electrons and molecules with unprecedented accuracy by combining high electron-energy resolution with velocity mapped imaging of electrons. Low-energy electrons were produced within a supersonic beam by photoionization of metastable krypton using a dye laser to generate electrons with tunable kinetic energy and a narrow energy spread. A new configuration for electron imaging optics was developed to enable scattering of electrons in a zero-field environment with subsequent rapidly pulsed velocity mapped imaging of the electrons. Development of this new capability will significantly enhance DOE/NNSA's ability to perform basic research on processes relevant to plasmas in atmospheric re-entry and neutron generation for weapons systems and provide fundamental understanding of electron-driven chemistry important to solar energy conversion.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Comparison of Fission Product Release Predictions using PARFUME and BISON with Results from the AGR-3/4 Irradiation Experiment

The PARFUME (PARticle Fuel ModEl) fuel performance modeling code and the BISON nuclear fuel performance application built on the Multiphysics Object-Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE) finite element library were used to predict the fission product release from tristructural isotropic (TRISO) coated fuel particles and compacts during the third and fourth irradiation experiment of the Advanced Gas Reactor (AGR-3/4) Fuel Development and Qualification Program. The fuel performance modeling codes PARFUME and BISON modeled the AGR-3/4 irradiation experiment using the fuel compact time-averaged volume averaged (TAVA) daily temperatures for a total irradiation duration of 369.1 effective full power days (EFPD) to predict the release fraction of the fission product silver (Ag-110m) from a representative TRISO-coated fuel particle from AGR-3/4 compacts. Post-irradiation examination (PIE) measurements provided data on the release of these fission products in the compacts outside of the silicon carbide (SIC) layer. The PARFUME and BISON results were then compared to the silver release measured from compact gamma scanning. The results showed good agreement between PARFUME and BISON but both codes under-predicted the silver release fraction for all the compacts. In addition, BISON was used to model and predict the fission product concentration radial profile outside of the compacts in capsules’ inner and outer rings. These rings were either comprised of matrix and/or structural graphite. To obtain the concentration profiles of silver, cesium, and strontium, a sorption isotherm model was developed in BISON to capture the effects of fission product transport across the gaps between the concentric rings. The general shape of the concentration radial profiles as calculated by BISON were similar in the inner ring (IR) but varied in the outer ring (OR) depending on the fission product of interest or capsule temperature. Using this methodology and model, BISON now has the capability to aid in developing new fission product diffusion coefficients for matrix or structural graphite materials.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Mesh infrastructure for coupled multiprocess geophysical simulations

We have developed a sophisticated mesh infrastructure capability to support large scale multiphysics simulations such as subsurface flow and reactive contaminant transport at storage sites as well as the analysis of the effects of a warming climate on the terrestrial arctic. These simulations involve a wide range of coupled processes including overland flow, subsurface flow, freezing and thawing of ice rich soil, accumulation, redistribution and melting of snow, biogeochemical processes involving plant matter and finally, microtopography evolution due to melting and degradation of ice wedges below the surface. In addition to supporting the usual topological and geometric queries about the mesh, the mesh infrastructure adds capabilities such as identifying columnar structures in the mesh, enabling deforming of the mesh subject to constraints and enabling the simultaneous use of meshes of different dimensionality for subsurface and surface processes. The generic mesh interface is capable of using three different open source mesh frameworks (MSTK, MOAB and STKmesh) under the hood allowing the developers to directly compare them and choose one that is best suited for the application's needs. We demonstrate the results of some simulations using these capabilities as well as present a comparison of the performance of the different mesh frameworks.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Thermomechanical Modeling of Hydride Materials for Tritium Storage Beds (FY18 Report)

Thermomechanical Modeling of Hydride Materials for Tritium Storage Beds This project aims to develop a fundamental modeling capability suitable for the simulation and assessment of various hydride materials and their associated storage vessels and deuterium/tritium delivery methods. If successful, this work will: • Enhance a core competency of SRNL by adding a unique capability to the tritium processing R&D efforts currently performed for NNSA Defense Programs • Optimize the design and operation of future hydrogen storage technologies in anticipation of increased demands and the call for a robust, reliable, resilient, and responsive stockpile • Establish SRNL as a valuable analytic resource for DOE and DoD decision makers and the foreign technology assessment community, which has already shown significant interest in developing such models to assess the likelihood and feasibility of alternative foreign gas (deuterium/tritium) storage and delivery systems that might provide new technical pathways for the U.S. and to determine the performance of alternative foreign systems.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Demonstration of NEAMS Multiphysics Tools for Fast Reactor Applications

The SHARP toolkit is a high-fidelity reactor simulation tool developed under the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) Campaign. SHARP toolkit is comprised of the neutronics module PROTEUS thermal hydraulics module Nek5000, and structural mechanics module Diablo. During FY17 and FY18, the PROTEUS and Nek5000 components of SHARP were applied to solve challenging sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) problems. In particular, selected hot channel factors (HCF) for a prototype metal-fueled SFR design (the AFR-100) were analyzed in high fidelity, and the “SHARP zooming capability” for SFRs was developed and demonstrated to reduce computational expense for full core problems in cases where detailed data is needed in selected fuel assemblies. After the previous success applying SHARP to challenging SFR problems, the focus in FY19 and FY20 expanded to additional fast reactor applications including lead cooled fast reactors (LFR) and sodium cooled fast reactors (SFR). The specific technical tasks were (1) assessment of hot channel factors for LFR, for which no data currently exists, and (2) demonstration of zooming capability in assemblies of the Versatile Test Reactor (VTR). First-of-a-kind hot channel factor (HCF) estimation for LFR with high fidelity codes (PROTEUS/Nek5000) was successfully demonstrated in this study which began in FY19 and continued in FY20. Selected HCF were computed and compared with SFR data (AFR-100, EBR-II). The findings confirm that different reactor types, design parameters and uncertainties lead to different HCFs. Careful estimation of HCF for a specific design is necessary to obtain appropriate HCFs. In addition to improvement in HCF accuracy, high fidelity tools generate data to help the designer better understand the mechanism of the impact from these uncertainties. For example, the impact of cladding thickness manufacturing tolerance resulted in non-intuitive effects in the corner pins of the LFR assembly. This procedure of computing HCF using high fidelity models shows promise and flexibility for being repeated for any arbitrary reactor of choice. Along with the application on SFR and LFR, the capability of the tools has also been matured to deal with different reactor types and designs. Progress was made towards extending the previously demonstrated SHARP zooming capability to non-fueled SFR assemblies. In particular, in FY19 a gamma transport capability was implemented in both high fidelity PROTEUS solvers in order to accurately account for heat deposition caused by gamma particles, which accounts for ~10% of total core power. Neutronics verification cases were carried out for a candidate Versatile Test Reactor (VTR) design using the new gamma transport capability in PROTEUS. Comparisons were made with continuous energy MCNP calculations and shown to agree well. The models for the full core design with heterogeneous control and fuel assemblies is in progress for PROTEUS-SN and completed with MCNP. The MCNP power distributions were transferred to Nek5000 to perform thermal hydraulic calculations of the control and fuel assembly.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2021

MEX3A promotes development and progression of breast cancer through regulation of PIK3CA

Breast cancer has been identified as the most common malignant tumors among women and the morbidity of breast cancer is still increasing rapidly. MEX3A possesses important functions in the regulation of mRNAs and may be involved in a variety of human diseases including cancer, whose relationship with breast cancer is still not clear. In this study, MEX3A was identified as a potential promotor in breast cancer, whose expression was strongly higher in breast cancer tissues than normal tissues. The in vitro experiments showed that MEX3A is capable of promoting the development of breast cancer through stimulating cell proliferation, inhibiting cell apoptosis, arresting cell cycle and promoting cell migration. The functions of MEX3A were also verified in vivo. Furthermore, a combination of genechip analysis and Ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) identified PIK3CA as a potential downstream target of MEX3A, knockdown of which executes similar inhibitory effects on breast cancer and could alleviate MEX3A-induced progression of breast cancer. In conclusion, our study unveiled, as the first time, MEX3A as a tumor promotor for breast cancer, whose function was carried out probably through the regulation of PIK3CA.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Advancing 3D surface imaging: single-axis structured light illumination plenoptic camera with machine learning integration

Structured light illumination (SLI) is a configurable 3D surface imaging modality that can function largely independently of surface texture. At the same time, machine learning (ML) approaches are providing new ways to capture relevant information from SLI patterns, avoiding the need to develop advanced computer vision algorithms. By projecting an optical pattern onto a surface and measuring the apparent distortion of that pattern, one can determine surface topography from a single image. Common realizations of SLI 3D imaging use off-axis SLI to allow for parallax-based determination of depth; however, in constrained geometries, the ability to make single-axis measurements can be of major benefit. While plenoptic imaging (PI) cameras have long been developed for the purpose of single-axis 3D imaging, they are generally reliant on the surface texture of the measured object, thus making them unreliable in certain experimental conditions. Therefore, we present a single-axis 3D SLI plenoptic camera, which combines the single-axis benefits of PI technology while using coaxial SLI to maintain indifference to surface conditions. We also present a study of the camera capabilities paired with the development of several algorithms, including traditional feature tracking methods as well as ML methods, which are found to enhance resolution and range. We report depth sensitivity down to 0.2% $\frac{dz}{z_0}$. The single-axis SLI 3D plenoptic camera demonstrates potential applicability for in-situ topographical measurements under a wide range of conditions including, but not limited to, objects without trackable surface texture, high temperatures, and constrained geometry environments.

Imaging systems↗