SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Rapid Process Design”

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.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,567 records · Page 87

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRS2024

Applications of Remote Sensing for Land Use Planning Scenarios with Suitability Analysis

In regions undergoing rapid urbanization, such as West Africa, land use planning (LUP) is vital to accommodate growing population and manage natural resources. Suitability analysis modeling is a widely used tool in LUP to determine the extent to which a land area is suitable for a designated purpose, but there is a gap in the integration of remote sensing time series data into land use decisions. The goal of this study was to incorporate remote sensing time series information with suitability analyses to inform LUP decisions in urban areas. In the study area of Kumasi, Ghana, land cover trends and land surface temperature (LST) from 2000 to 2019 were used to understand climate change trends. Suitability analyses determined the fitness of land areas for predetermined uses. These background processes informed a genetic algorithm to project plausible futures for three land use scenarios. One scenario represented current land use planning practices for addressing population growth, another scenario prioritized minimizing climate change impacts while also accommodating population growth, and the final scenario focused on both of these climate and population goals in addition to high density urban development. Each of these scenarios was successful in achieving population accommodation and respective climate change mitigation goals. The results for these scenarios provide insight into plausible land use distributions in 2050 based on different planning approaches. The genetic algorithm was able to effectively develop results for each scenario through the integration of remotely sensed trends and suitability models, providing a novel approach to land use decision-making.

remote sensing time series↗

DOE OSTI2022

Low-Cost Preform and Molding Processes

The entry cost for prototyping a composite component for manufacture using automated, high rate processes is prohibitively expensive in many cases, especially for small business, where tooling costs may be several $100k. Discussions with industry also indicate that many small companies, tier 1 and 2 suppliers, have an interest to mold composite parts but do not want to deal with the capital cost, material handling issues, and labor associated with dry fiber preforming operations. While the molders may locate near the end user for logistics reasons, it may be more cost effective for the performer to remain regional and invest in capital equipment to support preform automation, thus keeping costs to a minimum. This project was designed to explore and demonstrate several options to meet these industry needs. Dry fiber preforming approaches were evaluated which allow for low pressure resin infusion, single sided tooling options such a vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) or low pressure resin transfer molding (RTM-light). Unlike sheet molding compound, SMC compression molding where typical molding pressures of 1000 psi are required to push material into the desired location; positioning of a dry fiber preform into the desired location on the tool allows for low molding pressures of 10-50 psi. Lower molding pressures allow for use of low cost, additive fabrication of polymeric tooling. Polymeric tooling is suitable for rapid part prototyping and limited production. Dry fiber preforming approaches evaluated included use of commercial chopped strand mat, robotic chopper gun deposition, and continuous fiber preform augmentation using tailored fiber placement (TFP). Use of chopped strand mat does not require a robotic deposition method, however a cutting table is generally required and there is typically 20-30% scrap generation. While various fiber areal weights are available, the preform is not readily optimized for minimal fiber use or weight savings. In contrast, a robotic chopper gun approach allows for localized deposition where fiber is required to meet structural requirements. The robotic method is highly automated and minimizes fiber scrap, however the capital cost of the equipment and engineering labor for programming can result in higher preform cost compared to chopped strand mat in certain cases depending on preform complexity. Dry fiber preforming using the robotic chopper gun method allows for creation of three dimensional forms. This approach may be ideal for molding in-house, or if the preforms stack together densely to allow for efficient shipping. Applications evaluated for this program considered trade-off between fabrication of a fully 3D preform versus production of a flat preform which is designed to readily drape into the final desired shape. Such a preform design greatly simplifies robotic programming and requires no specialized tooling. The flat preforms are easily stacked and shipped to the final molding location. Flat preforms are much easier to augment with TFP continuous fiber to provide local reinforcement. The demonstration and evaluation of these preforming and tooling methods were completed on three component applications. The first application was a battery box cover for an electric vehicle which was highly three dimensional. The second demonstrator article was comprised of complex contours and was used to demonstrate the use of TFP and RTM-light molding process. The third demonstration article was the roof of an operator’s cab for large construction equipment. The roof is relatively flat however it is comprised of complex changes in thickness which clearly demonstrate the advantage of robotic chopper gun approach as compared to using numerous preform layers of chopped strand mat. The cost trades for the various preforming methods are summarized to help guide the reader as to preforming method considerations. Finally, these demonstrations all used glass fiber roving. A fourth, exploratory task was added to evaluate the ability to make preforms using Zoltek’s carbon fiber split tow roving. We were able to adapt the chopper gun to make flat preforms for laminate testing, but further development effort would be required to make suitable preforms.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

NASA NTRS2015

Python-Based Scientific Analysis and Visualization of Precipitation Systems at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center

At NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), Python is used several different ways to analyze and visualize precipitating weather systems. A number of different Python‐based software packages have been developed, which are available to the larger scientific community. The approach in all these packages is to utilize pre‐existing Python modules as well as to be object‐oriented and scalable. The first package that will be described and demonstrated is the Python Advanced Microwave Precipitation Radiometer (AMPR) Data Toolkit, or PyAMPR for short. PyAMPR reads geolocated brightness temperature data from any flight of the AMPR airborne instrument over its 25‐year history into a common data structure suitable for user‐defined analyses. It features rapid, simplified (i.e., one line of code) production of quick‐look imagery, including Google Earth overlays, swath plots of individual channels, and strip charts showing multiple channels at once. These plotting routines are also capable of significant customization for detailed, publication‐ready figures. Deconvolution of the polarization‐varying channels to static horizontally and vertically polarized scenes is also available. Examples will be given of PyAMPR's contribution toward real‐time AMPR data display during the Integrated Precipitation and Hydrology Experiment (IPHEx), which took place in the Carolinas during May‐June 2014. The second software package is the Marshall Multi‐Radar/Multi‐Sensor (MRMS) Mosaic Python Toolkit, or MMM‐Py for short. MMM‐Py was designed to read, analyze, and display three‐dimensional national mosaicked reflectivity data produced by the NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL). MMM‐Py can read MRMS mosaics from either their unique binary format or their converted NetCDF format. It can also read and properly interpret the current mosaic design (4 regional tiles) as well as mosaics produced prior to late July 2013 (8 tiles). MMM‐Py can easily stitch multiple tiles together to provide a larger regional or national picture of precipitating weather systems. Composites, horizontal and vertical crosssections, and combinations thereof are easily displayed using as little as one line of code. MMM‐Py can also write to the native MRMS binary format, and sub‐sectioning of tiles (or multiple stitched tiles) is anticipated to be in place by the time of this meeting. Thus, MMM‐Py also can be used to power the creation of custom mosaics for targeted regional studies. Overlays of other data (e.g., lightning observations) are easily accomplished. Demonstrations of MMM‐Py, including the creation of animations, will be shown. Finally, Marshall has done significant work to interface Python‐based analysis routines with the U.S. Department of Energy's Py‐ART software package for radar data ingest, processing, and analysis. One example of this is the Python Turbulence Detection Algorithm (PyTDA), an MSFC‐based implementation of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Turbulence Detection Algorithm (NTDA) for the purposes of convective‐scale analysis, situational awareness, and forensic meteorology. PyTDA exploits Py‐ART's radar data ingest routines and data model to rapidly produce aviation‐relevant turbulence estimates from Doppler radar data. Work toward processing speed optimization and better integration within the Py‐ART framework will be highlighted. Python‐based analysis within the Py‐ART framework is also being done for new research related to intercomparison of ground‐based radar data with satellite estimates of ocean winds, as well as research on the electrification of pyrocumulus clouds.

Lang, Timothy J.↗

DOE OSTI2021

Investigation of the background in coherent J/ψ production at the EIC

Understanding various fundamental properties of nucleons and nuclei is among the most important scientific goals at the upcoming Electron-Ion Collider (EIC). With the unprecedented opportunity provided by the next-generation machine, the EIC might provide definitive answers to many standing puzzles and open questions in modern nuclear physics. We investigate one of the golden measurements proposed at the EIC, which is to obtain the spatial gluon density distribution within a lead (Pb) nucleus. The proposed experimental process is the exclusive J/ψ vector-meson production off the Pb nucleus: e + Pb → e' + J/ψ + Pb'. The Fourier transformation of the momentum transfer |t| distribution of the coherent diffraction is the transverse gluon spatial distribution. In order to measure it, the experiment has to overcome an overwhelmingly large background arising from the incoherent diffractive production, where the nucleus Pb' mostly breaks up into fragments of particles in the far-forward direction close to the hadron-going beam rapidity. We systematically study the rejection of incoherent J/ψ production by vetoing products from these nuclear breakups—protons, neutrons, and photons—which is based on the BeAGLE event generator and the most up-to-date EIC Far-forward Interaction Region design. The achieved vetoing efficiency, the ratio between the numbers of vetoed events and total incoherent events, ranges from about 80% to 99% depending on |t|. Assuming a 5% smearing applied to the reconstructed |t| resolution in the Sar t re model, this vetoing efficiency can suppress the incoherent background to at least the first minimum of the coherent |t| distribution. Experimental and accelerator machine challenges as well as potential improvements are discussed herein.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2019

Proposed Methodology for Assessing Available Drawdowns for Each Oil Storage Cavern in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve

The Department of Energy maintains an up-to-date documentation of the number of available full drawdowns of each of the caverns owned by the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). This information is important for assessing the SPR's ability to deliver oil to domestic oil companies expeditiously if national or world events dictate a rapid sale and deployment of the oil reserves. What factors go into assessing available drawdowns? Determining the number of drawdowns requires the consideration of several factors regarding cavern and wellbore integrity and stability, including stress states caused by cavern geometry and operations, salt damage caused by dilatant and tensile stresses, the effect of enhanced creep on wellbore integrity, and the sympathetic stress effect of operations on neighboring caverns. A consensus has now been built regarding the assessment of drawdown capabilities and risks for the SPR caverns. The process involves an initial assessment of the pillar-to-diameter (P/D) ratio for each cavern with respect to neighboring caverns. Ideally, it is desired to keep this value greater than 1.0, which is in line with most industry design standards and should ensure cavern integrity and prevent loss of fluids to the surrounding rock mass. However, many of the SPR caverns currently have a P/D less than 1.0, or will likely have a low P/D after one or two full drawdowns. For these caverns, it is important to examine the structural integrity with more detail using geomechanical models. Finite-element geomechanical models have been used to determine the stress states in the pillars following successive drawdowns. By computing the tensile and dilatant stresses in the salt, areas of potential structural instability can be identified that may represent "red flags" for additional drawdowns. These analyses have found that many caverns will maintain structural integrity even when grown via drawdowns to dimensions resulting in a P/D of less than 1.0. The analyses have also confirmed that certain caverns should only be completely drawn down one time. As the SPR caverns are utilized and partial drawdowns are performed to remove oil from the caverns (e.g., for occasional oil sales authorized by the Congress or the President), the changes to the cavern volumes casused by these procedures must be tracked and accounted for so that an ongoing assessment of the cavern's drawdown capacity may be continued. A proposed methodology for assessing and tracking the available drawdowns for each cavern is presented in this report.

02 PETROLEUM↗

NASA NTRS1997

The Application of New Software Technology to the Architecture of the National Cycle Program

As part of the Numerical Propulsion System Simulation (NPSS) effort of NASA Lewis in conjunction with the United States aeropropulsion industry, a new system simulation framework, the National Cycle Program (NCP), capable of combining existing empirical engine models with new detailed component-based computational models is being developed. The software architecture of the NCP program involves a generalized object- oriented framework and a base-set of engine component models along with supporting tool kits which will support engine simulation in a distributed environment. As the models are extended to contain two and three dimensions the computing load increases rapidly and it is intended that this load be distributed across multiple work stations executing concurrently in order to get acceptably fast results. The research carried out was directed toward performance analysis of the distributed object system. More specifically, the performance of the actor-based distributed object design I created earlier was desired. To this end, the research was directed toward the design and implementation of suitable performance-analysis techniques and software to demonstrate those techniques. There were three specific results which are reported in two separate reports submitted separately as NASA Technical Memoranda. The results are: (1) Design, implementation, and testing of a performance analysis program for a set of active objects (actor based objects) which allowed the individual actors to be assigned to arbitrary processes on an arbitrary set of machines. (2) The global-balance-equation approach has the fundamental limitation that the number of equations increases exponentially with the number of actors. Hence, unlike many approximate approaches to this problem, the nearest-neighbor approach allows checking of the solution and an estimate of the error. The technique was demonstrated in a prototype analysis program as part of this research. The results of the program were checked against the global-balance solution discussed above. Late during the grant, a much better approximation was developed and this is discussed in result below. As a consequence, a proposal was submitted to continue the research by developing the new approximation including development of a complete program from the prototype. (3) The source of approximation in the nearest-neighbor algorithm is the requirement for estimating some joint probabilities from some marginal distributions. A completely ad hoc estimate was used in the prototype.

Schoeffler, James D.↗

NASA NTRS2006

NASA Tech Briefs, September 2006

Topics covered include: Improving Thermomechanical Properties of SiC/SiC Composites; Aerogel/Particle Composites for Thermoelectric Devices; Patches for Repairing Ceramics and Ceramic- Matrix Composites; Lower-Conductivity Ceramic Materials for Thermal-Barrier Coatings; An Alternative for Emergency Preemption of Traffic Lights; Vehicle Transponder for Preemption of Traffic Lights; Automated Announcements of Approaching Emergency Vehicles; Intersection Monitor for Traffic-Light-Preemption System; Full-Duplex Digital Communication on a Single Laser Beam; Stabilizing Microwave Frequency of a Photonic Oscillator; Microwave Oscillators Based on Nonlinear WGM Resonators; Pointing Reference Scheme for Free-Space Optical Communications Systems; High-Level Performance Modeling of SAR Systems; Spectral Analysis Tool 6.2 for Windows; Multi-Platform Avionics Simulator; Silicon-Based Optical Modulator with Ferroelectric Layer; Multiplexing Transducers Based on Tunnel-Diode Oscillators; Scheduling with Automated Resolution of Conflicts; Symbolic Constraint Maintenance Grid; Discerning Trends in Performance Across Multiple Events; Magnetic Field Solver; Computing for Aiming a Spaceborne Bistatic- Radar Transmitter; 4-Vinyl-1,3-Dioxolane-2-One as an Additive for Li-Ion Cells; Probabilistic Prediction of Lifetimes of Ceramic Parts; STRANAL-PMC Version 2.0; Micromechanics and Piezo Enhancements of HyperSizer; Single-Phase Rare-Earth Oxide/Aluminum Oxide Glasses; Tilt/Tip/Piston Manipulator with Base-Mounted Actuators; Measurement of Model Noise in a Hard-Wall Wind Tunnel; Loci-STREAM Version 0.9; The Synergistic Engineering Environment; Reconfigurable Software for Controlling Formation Flying; More About the Tetrahedral Unstructured Software System; Computing Flows Using Chimera and Unstructured Grids; Avoiding Obstructions in Aiming a High-Gain Antenna; Analyzing Aeroelastic Stability of a Tilt-Rotor Aircraft; Tracking Positions and Attitudes of Mars Rovers; Stochastic Evolutionary Algorithms for Planning Robot Paths; Compressible Flow Toolbox; Rapid Aeroelastic Analysis of Blade Flutter in Turbomachines; General Flow-Solver Code for Turbomachinery Applications; Code for Multiblock CFD and Heat-Transfer Computations; Rotating-Pump Design Code; Covering a Crucible with Metal Containing Channels; Repairing Fractured Bones by Use of Bioabsorbable Composites; Kalman Filter for Calibrating a Telescope Focal Plane; Electronic Absolute Cartesian Autocollimator; Fiber-Optic Gratings for Lidar Measurements of Water Vapor; Simulating Responses of Gravitational-Wave Instrumentation; SOFTC: A Software Correlator for VLBI; Progress in Computational Simulation of Earthquakes; Database of Properties of Meteors; Computing Spacecraft Solar-Cell Damage by Charged Particles; Thermal Model of a Current-Carrying Wire in a Vacuum; Program for Analyzing Flows in a Complex Network; Program Predicts Performance of Optical Parametric Oscillators; Processing TES Level-1B Data; Automated Camera Calibration; Tracking the Martian CO2 Polar Ice Caps in Infrared Images; Processing TES Level-2 Data; SmaggIce Version 1.8; Solving the Swath Segment Selection Problem; The Spatial Standard Observer; Less-Complex Method of Classifying MPSK; Improvement in Recursive Hierarchical Segmentation of Data; Using Heaps in Recursive Hierarchical Segmentation of Data; Tool for Statistical Analysis and Display of Landing Sites; Automated Assignment of Proposals to Reviewers; Array-Pattern-Match Compiler for Opportunistic Data Analysis; Pre-Processor for Compression of Multispectral Image Data; Compressing Image Data While Limiting the Effects of Data Losses; Flight Operations Analysis Tool; Improvement in Visual Target Tracking for a Mobile Robot; Software for Simulating Air Traffic; Automated Vectorization of Decision-Based Algorithms; Grayscale Optical Correlator Workbench; "One-Stop Shopping" for Ocean Remote-Sensing and Model Data; State Analysis Database Tool; Generating CAHV and CAHVOmages with Shadows in ROAMS; Improving UDP/IP Transmission Without Increasing Congestion; FORTRAN Versions of Reformulated HFGMC Codes; Program for Editing Spacecraft Command Sequences; Flight-Tested Prototype of BEAM Software; Mission Scenario Development Workbench; Marsviewer; Tool for Analysis and Reduction of Scientific Data; ASPEN Version 3.0; Secure Display of Space-Exploration Images; Digital Front End for Wide-Band VLBI Science Receiver; Multifunctional Tanks for Spacecraft; Lightweight, Segmented, Mostly Silicon Telescope Mirror; Assistant for Analyzing Tropical-Rain-Mapping Radar Data; and Anion-Intercalating Cathodes for High-Energy- Density Cells.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS2015

On-Orbit Quantitative Real-Time Gene Expression Analysis Using the Wetlab-2 System

NASA Ames Research Center's WetLab-2 Project enables on-orbit quantitative Reverse Transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis without the need for sample return. The WetLab-2 system is capable of processing sample types ranging from microbial cultures to animal tissues dissected on-orbit. The project developed a RNA preparation module that can lyse cells and extract RNA of sufficient quality and quantity for use as templates in qRT-PCR reactions. Our protocol has the advantage of using non-toxic chemicals and does not require alcohols or other organics. The resulting RNA is dispensed into reaction tubes that contain all lyophilized reagents needed to perform qRT-PCR reactions. System operations require simple and limited crew actions including syringe pushes, valve turns and pipette dispenses. The project selected the Cepheid SmartCycler (TradeMark), a Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) qRT-PCR unit, because of its advantages including rugged modular design, low power consumption, rapid thermal ramp times and four-color multiplex detection. Single tube multiplex assays can be used to normalize for RNA concentration and integrity, and to study multiple genes of interest in each module. The WetLab-2 system can downlink data from the ISS to the ground after a completed run and uplink new thermal cycling programs. The ability to conduct qRT-PCR and generate results on-orbit is an important step towards utilizing the ISS as a National Laboratory facility. Specifically, the ability to get on-orbit data will provide investigators with the opportunity to adjust experimental parameters in real time without the need for sample return and re-flight. On orbit gene expression analysis can also eliminate the confounding effects on gene expression of reentry stresses and shock acting on live cells and organisms or the concern of RNA degradation of fixed samples and provide on-orbit gene expression benchmarking prior to sample return. Finally, the system can also be used for analysis of air, surface, water, and clinical samples to monitor environmental pathogens and crew health. The validation flight of the WetLab-2 system using E. coli bacteria and mouse liver launched on SpaceX-7 in June 2015 and will remain on the ISS National Laboratory.

ISS tools↗

NASA NTRS2017

Software Defined Radios - Architectures, Systems and Functions

Software Defined Radio is an industry term describing a method of utilizing a minimum amount of Radio Frequency (RF)/analog electronics before digitization takes place. Upon digitization all other functions are performed in software/firmware. There are as many different types of SDRs as there are data systems. Software Defined Radio (SDR) technology has been proven in the commercial sector since the early 90's. Today's rapid advancement in mobile telephone reliability and power management capabilities exemplifies the effectiveness of the SDR technology for the modern communications market. In contrast the foundations of transponder technology presently qualified for satellite applications were developed during the early space program of the 1960's. SDR technology offers potential to revolutionize satellite transponder technology by increasing science data through-put capability by at least an order of magnitude. While the SDR is adaptive in nature and is "One-size-fits-all" by design, conventional transponders are built to a specific platform and must be redesigned for every new bus. The SDR uses a minimum amount of analog/Radio Frequency components to up/down-convert the RF signal to/from a digital format. Once analog data is digitized, all processing is performed using hardware logic. Typical SDR processes include; filtering, modulation, up/down converting and demodulation. This presentation will show how the emerging SDR market has leveraged the existing commercial sector to provide a path to a radiation tolerant SDR transponder. These innovations will reduce the cost of transceivers, a decrease in power requirements and a commensurate reduction in volume. A second pay-off is the increased flexibility of the SDR by allowing the same hardware to implement multiple transponder types by altering hardware logic - no change of analog hardware is required - all of which can be ultimately accomplished in orbit. This in turn would provide high capability and low cost transponder to programs of all sizes.

Sims, William H.↗

NASA NTRS2017

Software Defined Radios - Architectures, Systems and Functions

Sims, Herb↗

DOE OSTI2019

Rapid, large-volume, thermally controlled 3D printing using a mobile liquid interface

In this paper, we report a stereolithographic three-dimensional printing approach for polymeric components that uses a mobile liquid interface (a fluorinated oil) to reduce the adhesive forces between the interface and the printed object, thereby allowing for a continuous and rapid print process, regardless of polymeric precursor. The bed area is not size-restricted by thermal limitations because the flowing oil enables direct cooling across the entire print area. Continuous vertical print rates exceeding 430 millimeters per hour with a volumetric throughput of 100 liters per hour have been demonstrated, and proof-of-concept structures made from hard plastics, ceramic precursors, and elastomers have been printed.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2018

Computing environments for reproducibility: Capturing the “Whole Tale”

The act of sharing scientific knowledge is rapidly evolving away from traditional articles and presentations to the delivery of executable objects that integrate the data and computational details (e.g., scripts and workflows) upon which the findings rely. This envisioned coupling of data and process is essential to advancing science but faces technical and institutional barriers. The Whole Tale project aims to address these barriers by connecting computational, data-intensive research efforts with the larger research process transforming the knowledge discovery and dissemination process into one where data products are united with research articles to create "living publications" or tales. The Whole Tale focuses on the full spectrum of science, empowering users in the long tail of science, and power users with demands for access to big data and compute resources. We report here on the design, architecture, and implementation of the Whole Tale environment.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

DOE OSTI2018

Additive Manufacturing: The Rise of a Technology and the Need for Quality Control and Inspection Techniques

Additive manufacturing (AM) technology, also known as three-dimensional (3D) printing, rapid prototyping (RP), or solid free forms (SFF), was developed back in the early 1980s. The technology was quickly commercialized in the late 1980s, and since then, the technology has been widely used in different applications at several industrial sectors. AM offers distinct advantages from traditional, subtractive manufacturing techniques. Traditional subtractive manufacturing techniques, including milling, drilling, and turning, are techniques that start with a large block of stock material, which is then subtracted from until the final desired product is reached, leaving much of the initial block as wasted scrap. In the AM process, the part is constructed by depositing material layer by layer in the Z-direction until the final product is produced, leaving little to no waste. The process starts with a computer-aided design (CAD) model that gets sliced into individual layers using software that generates instructions, known as G-code, which are sent to the AM machine. Here, this process allows complex geometry construction that traditional methods would have diffi-culty accomplishing or fail completely. In some cases, a secondary finishing process is needed such as polishing, sintering, curing, sanding, powder removal, or painting.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2017

Design and implementation of wearable devices in machine tools monitoring system - 279

The world's fourth industrial revolution has finally opened after the term Industry 4.0 was proposed by Germany at the Hannover Industrial Fair in 2011, which combined industrial production with an unmanned plant to perform automated production. With the rise of Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, and wearing computerized devices has brought more convenience to mankind with the immediate accessibility of the Internet and technology. For example, the development of mobile devices and network technology has inspired the rapid development of wearable devices on mobile devices. Thus, to enhance the current prospects of Taiwan's unmanned machinery factory's monitoring and maintenance capabilities, this paper studies the use of Google glass Machine Tools Monitoring system, GMTM system, to be implemented in Taiwan's machinery factories. GMTM system, via the Internet, monitors sensor tools to collect tool work data to be transferred to cloud computing for analysis, processing and show the actual working conditions of each machine tool. Furthermore, the proposed system uses the monitoring data in the database to inform the factory supervisors the working status of each machine to determine whether there is a need for machine tool maintenance. This system combines real-time monitoring of material with the presentation of Google Glass wearable devices and iBeacon interior space positioning technology. GMTM system can improve the quality of machine tool production and productivity as well as enhance Taiwan's industrial competitiveness. (authors)

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

DOE OSTI2021

Incentivizing Adoption of Software Quality Practices

Although many software teams across the laboratories comply with yearly software quality engineering (SQE) assessments, the practice of introducing quality into each phase of the software lifecycle, or the team processes, may vary substantially. Even with the support of a quality engineer, many teams struggle to adapt and right-size software engineering best practices in quality to fit their context, and these activities aren’t framed in a way that motivates teams to take action. In short, software quality is often a “check the box for compliance” activity instead of a cultural practice that both values software quality and knows how to achieve it. In this report, we present the results of our 6600 VISTA Innovation Tournament project, "Incentivizing and Motivating High Confidence and Research Software Teams to Adopt the Practice of Quality." We present our findings and roadmap for future work based on 1) a rapid review of relevant literature, 2) lessons learned from an internal design thinking workshop, and 3) an external Collegeville 2021 workshop. These activities provided an opportunity for team ideation and community engagement/feedback. Based on our findings, we believe a coordinated effort (e.g. strategic communication campaign) aimed at diffusing the innovation of the practice of quality across Sandia National Laboratories could over time effect meaningful organizational change. As such, our roadmap addresses strategies for motivating and incentivizing individuals ranging from early career to seasoned software developers/scientists.

96 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION↗

DOE OSTI2023

Accelerating Manufacturing of Powder-Processed Strong, Lightweight and Thermally Stable Bulk Nanocrystalline Al Alloys via Engineered Interface States

The overarching goal of this program is to develop an integrated materials by design framework enabling a simple, scalable, and efficient manufacturing route for thermally stable nanocrystalline Al-based alloys with high specific strength over a range of service temperatures. The central scientific principle underpinning this program is the elucidation, and ultimately implementation in novel alloy design, of unique interfacial structures and chemistries driven by segregation in multi-component systems that give rise to unprecedented processability and properties. This program targeted nanocrystalline Al-based ternary alloys produced by mechanical alloying of powders followed by compaction and sintering with hot pressing, which are inherently scalable and inexpensive manufacturing routes, but when applied to nanocrystalline alloys are usually plagued by low density and/or poor retention of the intended nanostructures during processing. This program successfully demonstrated manufacturing of a bulk (>1 cm 3 ) nanocrystalline Al-based alloy with a combination of thermal stability, high temperature strength retention, and specific strength that exceeds the current-state-of-the-art of Al alloys. It is anticipated that the greatest technological impact will occur by demonstration of rapid and scalable manufacturing of bulk nanocrystalline Al alloys with exceptional thermal stability and mechanical performance, thus enabling increased energy efficiency in high performance power generation systems via: (i) replacement of existing components with lightweight Al-based alloys and (ii) increasing operating temperatures with property retention. The program focused on the development of a simple and efficient manufacturing route for thermally stable nanocrystalline Al-based alloys with high specific strength over a range of service temperatures. The program is expected to have direct impact on scalable and economic manufacturing of bulk nanocrystalline alloys. This program profited from the recent discovery by the project team of segregation-driven amorphous intergranular films in nanocrystalline metallic alloys that can be kinetically frozen-in at sub-solidus temperatures. These interfacial states (also known as amorphous complexions) comprise a large fraction of the total material in nanocrystalline alloys and are responsible for two beneficial characteristics that anchor the proposed work: (1) activated sintering leading to high density and (2) retained nanostructures leading to high strengths that approach a substantial fraction of the theoretical limit. More specifically, these engineered interfaces led to a three-fold benefit: (i) high-throughput materials processing with low energy budget and cost, (ii) exceptional thermal stability, and (iii) high specific strength at both room temperature and intermediate temperatures experienced during service.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

DOE OSTI2025

Measuring 3D Profilometry of SAVY-4000 Nuclear Material Storage Containers: Novacam TubeInspect Capabilities Report

The SAVY-4000 container series is a general-purpose interim storage container for nuclear materials, developed and maintained by Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). It is the first vented, general-use nuclear material container to be demonstrated as meeting the requirements outlined in DOE M 441.1-1, the Nuclear Material Packaging Manual. Due to the challenging radiation, thermal, and corrosive storage conditions that the SAVY containers must endure, continuous surveillance techniques are employed to ensure the containers meet all safety standards and specifications. These inspections are typically performed by human operators, who check for issues such as corrosion, O-ring deterioration, corrosion, filter integrity, and potential manufacturing defects. However, human inspections alone are not sufficient, and automated inspection technologies, such as the ATIS system, as well as other automated systems are also utilized. The MicroCam TubeInspect, developed by Novacam Technologies Inc., is designed to address the challenges of understanding how manufacturing variations in the SAVY-4000 container series may affect performance. It is a 3D profilometry measurement system that enables detailed analysis of surface features, including defects, surface roughness, and manufacturing variations. This advanced tool significantly enhances rapid surveillance techniques for both pristine and used containers. In this study, container properties such as surface roughness, thickness, and geometric attributes like circularity are measured for SAVY-4000 containers. Artificially corroded or dented containers are examined to demonstrate the MicroCam's ability to quantify defects. A sensitivity analysis is also conducted, comparing the MicroCam results to those obtained using more precise instruments such as confocal microscopy. This comparison aims to provide valuable insights into container quality, durability, and potential improvements in manufacturing processes.

42 ENGINEERING↗

NASA NTRS2015

Small Habitat Commonality Reduces Cost for Human Mars Missions

Most view the Apollo Program as expensive. It was. But, a human mission to Mars will be orders of magnitude more difficult and costly. Recently, NASA's Evolvable Mars Campaign (EMC) mapped out a step-wise approach for exploring Mars and the Mars-moon system. It is early in the planning process but because approximately 80% of the total life cycle cost is committed during preliminary design, there is an effort to emphasize cost reduction methods up front. Amongst the options, commonality across small habitat elements shows promise for consolidating the high bow-wave costs of Design, Development, Test and Evaluation (DDT&E) while still accommodating each end-item's functionality. In addition to DDT&E, there are other cost and operations benefits to commonality such as reduced logistics, simplified infrastructure integration and with inter-operability, improved safety and simplified training. These benefits are not without a cost. Some habitats are sub-optimized giving up unique attributes for the benefit of the overall architecture and because the first item sets the course for those to follow, rapidly developing technology may be excluded. The small habitats within the EMC include the pressurized crew cabins for the ascent vehicle,

Griffin, Brand N.↗