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At least 1,567 records · Page 87
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

A product data network to enable faster, easier, and better planning of building envelopes

The building envelopes contributes significantly to the energy-efficiency of the building. Building performance simulation has made it possible to compare façade technologies regarding energy demand, daylighting, thermal and visual comfort in detail. Planners, such as architects and engineers, need experience to find product data with the right quality and level of detail, and to process the data to fit the calculation and the application. In the available time, planners can compare only a limited number of products, which means that better solutions could go unnoticed. This paper presents a new concept for making product data easily accessible for building façade planning. The concept consists of a network of databases for the efficient exchange and use of optical and calorimetric data of glazing units, shading devices, and combinations of both. The paper presents the research questions, an analysis of the current challenges, six design goals for the product data network and its implementation together with a discussion. Many product data sources can be connected to many planning software applications via the specified application programming interface. When planning software connects to the product data network, the planning of building envelopes can be much faster because planners do not need to spend so much time to search and process product data manually. The planning of building envelopes can also become much easier, especially for planners with limited experience. They do not need to understand all the details about which data fits which calculation if the software company implements this. The planning of building envelopes can become much more reliable when software companies validate their use of the product data network, because the current manual process is prone to errors. The planning of building envelopes can also improve because more products can be compared in the available time, allowing better solutions to be found.

Maurer, Christoph↗
NASA NTRS1993

Recent advances and plans in processing and geocoding of SAR data at the DFD

Because of the needs of future projects like ENVISAT and the experiences made with the current operational ERS-1 facilities, a radical change in the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) processing scenarios can be predicted for the next years. At the German PAF several new developments were initialized which are driven mainly either by user needs or by system and operational constraints ('lessons learned'). At the end there will be a major simplification and uniformation of all used computer systems. Especially the following changes are likely to be implemented at the German PAF: transcription before archiving, processing of all standard products with high throughput directly at the receiving stations, processing of special 'high-valued' products at the PAF, usage of a single type of processor hardware, implementation of a large and fast on-line data archive, and improved and unified fast data network between the processing and archiving facilities. A short description of the current operational SAR facilities as well as the future implementations are given.

Noack, W.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Selective hydrodeoxygenation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF) over carbon supported copper catalysts using isopropyl alcohol as a hydrogen donor

Selective hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural to 2,5-dimethylfuran is of great importance. Here, we reveal a simple pathway for green and efficient HDO using readily available copper with in-situ hydrogen generation. A highly dispersed Cu/PBSAC catalyst consisting of small metallic Cu 0 nanoparticles carries out isopropyl alcohol (IPA) dehydrogenation and subsequent HDO of HMF. Density functional theory calculations reveal that the dehydrogenation of IPA is more favorable on Cu(211) with a lower energy barrier of ~0.6 eV. This facet exists in a higher ratio on nanosized catalysts. Batch reactions using Cu/PBSAC at 190 °C exhibited 91.9% HMF conversion and 71.7% DMF selectivity in 6 hr, and > 96% DMF yield in 10 hr. The mechanical strength of the carbon support is ideal for continuous processing for increased productivity; we demonstrate a > 90% DMF yield at 1/WHSV of 2.4 hr. The process demonstrated here can be integrated with upstream HMF separation utilizing carbon adsorbents.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Molecular structure models of amorphous bismuth and cerium carboxylate catalyst precursors

As our societal need for materials and energy has grown, so has our need for catalyst processes in hydrogen production. A major function in these applications, for both homogenous and heterogeneous catalysis processes, is the synthesis of an active metal catalyst. It must first be soluble to control the physical properties of the metal being used. Recent work in metal precursors has begun to turn toward these metal carboxylate types of material. Here, structural models are proposed for bismuth 2-ethylhexanoate and 2,2-dimethyloctanoate and cerium 2-ethylhexanoate. The bismuth compounds have been characterized at different ratios of bismuth to carboxylate as solutions of the free acids. Their structures are most consistent with a Bi 4 (RCO 2 ) 12 motif where the Bi ions are arranged in a flattened tetrahedron with Bi – Bi distances of about 4.3 Å. There is evidence for Bi – O – Bi linkages at low free acid concentrations. The cerium compound is most consistent with a linear tetracerium molecule where the Ce – Ce distances repeat at about 4.3 Å out to 16.4 Å. The models were generated by analogy with known crystal structures and compared to high-energy x-ray scattering data. To further evaluate the models, DFT calculations were made, and the equilibrium geometries were compared. The vibrational spectra calculated from those geometries are presented and compared to the experimental results. Magnetization vs. temperature data was collected on the cerium compound, and its behavior was consistent with the proposed model. A geometrical approach to determining the dimensionality and relative positions of the metal ions in these structures is presented.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Hydrogen Life-Cycle Analysis in Support of Clean Hydrogen Production

Hydrogen is a basic molecule which is commonly used in the production of chemicals or as an energy carrier or a fuel. Its zero-carbon content means that it does not produce carbon dioxide upon its use. However, depending on the energy source and technology for hydrogen production and delivery, there can be greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the hydrogen for various end use applications. To provide the largest reduction in GHG emissions, hydrogen produced from clean energy sources should be used. As concerns regarding climate change grows, there is an increasing focus on economic production of clean hydrogen to displace less climate neutral sources of hydrogen. However, there are many different methods of hydrogen production with unique processes that result in different levels of life cycle GHG emissions of hydrogen production and its end use applications. Therefore, a comprehensive life cycle accounting methodology that takes all these factors into account is required. he GREET ® (Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Technologies) model was first developed in 1995 by Argonne National Laboratory with the support from the various offices of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). GREET provides in-depth Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) simulations for a variety of products and is available as an Excel spreadsheet (GREET Excel), or as an application (GREET .Net). Both versions are available for public download at no cost. This report accompanies GREET 2022 release to describe the major updates and expansions to the hydrogen technology pathways, and to provide data sources and sample carbon intensity results for each of the pathways.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2022

14 MeV Irradiation and Analysis of a 93% 239 Pu Target in Preparation for a F2019 FY22 Pu Campaign

In this work, we present the irradiation of a 93% 239 Pu with 14 MeV neutrons and subsequent analysis of the fission and activation products. The fully assembled target, a Pu metal bead encapsulated in Al, further encapsulated in welded stainless steel, was analyzed 22 times over more than 100 days using gamma emission analysis (GEA). Using the results from these analyses, R-values and fission yields for fission products were determined. To prepare for the FY22 Pu irradiation using the GODIVA critical assembly at NCERC, the irradiated Pu target was disassembled, dissolved, and separated using chemistry provided by LANL collaborators. This chemical separation was intended to remove the Pu from solution with little to no effect on the remaining elements. The chemistry was assessed to try to determine possible routes of fractionation of the sample and the fission products. The separation process used was successful for the bulk of the analyzed fission and activation products, as well as the added radiotracers. The final dissolved solution and separated fractions were analyzed by GEA looking at the remaining fission, activation and radiotracers and thermal ionization mass spectrometry analysis looking at the Pu isotopics.

14MeV↗
NASA NTRS1974

Vacuum UV photolysis of N2O

Emission from N2 B (3 Pi g) and O(1 S) produced during vacuum UV irradiation of N2O was studied as a function of the wavelength of the incident radiation. Two different processes were responsible for producing N2(B 3 Pi g) close to its production threshold. One process formed B 3 Pi g molecules directly and one indirectly via an unidentified precursor having a lifetime about 27 microsec. The quantum yield of O(1 S) atoms produced by photodissociation of N2O was determined as a function of incident photon energy. This yield is near 100% at 129 nm.

Mcewan, M. J.↗
NASA NTRS2009

Use of Raman Spectroscopy and Delta Volume Growth from Void Collapse to Assess Overwrap Stress Gradients Compromising the Reliability of Large Kevlar/Epoxy COPVs

Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels (COPVs) are frequently used for storing pressurized gases aboard spacecraft and aircraft when weight saving is desirable compared to all-metal versions. Failure mechanisms in fibrous COPVs and variability in lifetime can be very different from their metallic counterparts; in the former, catastrophic stress-rupture can occur with virtually no warning, whereas in latter, a leak before burst design philosophy can be implemented. Qualification and certification typically requires only one burst test on a production sample (possibly after several pressure cycles) and the vessel need only meet a design burst strength (the maximum operating pressure divided by a knockdown factor). Typically there is no requirement to assess variability in burst strength or lifetime, much less determine production and materials processing parameters important to control of such variability. Characterizing such variability and its source is crucial to models for calculating required reliability over a given lifetime (e.g. R = 0.9999 for 15 years). In this paper we present a case study of how lack of control of certain process parameters in COPV manufacturing can result in variations among vessels and between production runs that can greatly increase uncertainty and reduce reliability. The vessels considered are 40-inch ( NASA Glenn Research center, Cleveland, OH, 44135 29,500 in3 ) spherical COPVs with a 0.74 in. thick Kevlar49/epoxy overwrap and with a titanium liner of which 34 were originally produced. Two burst tests were eventually performed that unexpectedly differed by almost 5%, and were 10% lower than anticipated from burst tests on 26-inch sister vessels similar in every detail. A major observation from measurements made during proof testing (autofrettage) of the 40-inch vessels was that permanent volume growth from liner yielding varied by a factor of more than two (150 in3 to 360 in3 ), which suggests large differences in the residual stress gradient through their overwraps. This resulted in large uncertainty in true fiber stress ratio (fiber stress at operating pressure divided by fiber stress at burst) which governs lifetime. The vessels were originally designed with tight safety margins, so it became crucial to develop a non-destructive evaluation (NDE) technique to directly measure the overwrap residual stress state of each vessel, and to identify those vessels at highest risk of having poor reliability. This paper describes a Raman Spectroscopy technique for measuring certain patterns of fluctuation in fiber elastic strains over the outside vessel surface (where all but one wrap is exposed at certain locations) that are shown to directly correlate to increased fiber stress ratios and reduced reliability.

Kezirian, Michael T.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Level 1 Processing of MODIS Direct Broadcast Data From Terra

In February 2000, an effort was begun to adapt the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Level 1 production software to process direct broadcast data. Three Level 1 algorithms have been adapted and packaged for release: Level 1A converts raw (level 0) data into Hierarchical Data Format (HDF), unpacking packets into scans; Geolocation computes geographic information for the data points in the Level 1A; and the Level 1B computes geolocated, calibrated radiances from the Level 1A and Geolocation products. One useful aspect of adapting the production software is the ability to incorporate enhancements contributed by the MODIS Science Team. We have therefore tried to limit changes to the software. However, in order to process the data immediately on receipt, we have taken advantage of a branch in the geolocation software that reads orbit and altitude information from the packets themselves, rather than external ancillary files used in standard production. We have also verified that the algorithms can be run with smaller time increments (2.5 minutes) than the five-minute increments used in production. To make the code easier to build and run, we have simplified directories and build scripts. Also, dependencies on a commercial numerics library have been replaced by public domain software. A version of the adapted code has been released for Silicon Graphics machines running lrix. Perhaps owing to its origin in production, the software is rather CPU-intensive. Consequently, a port to Linux is underway, followed by a version to run on PC clusters, with an eventual goal of running in near-real-time (i.e., process a ten-minute pass in ten minutes).

Lynnes, Christopher↗
DOE OSTI2024

Carbon Capture from ArcelorMittal Hot Briquetted Iron Plant Using Air Liquide Cryocap™ FG Technology – FEED Study

The process of steel production is energy and carbon intensive with global average energy consumption of 5.5 MWh/tonne of steel and CO2 emission intensity of 1.83 tonne CO2/tonne of steel. The steel making process has inherent CO2 emissions from mineral conversion and is considered major contributors to the global carbon emissions. The steel industry is responsible for 8% of global carbon emissions. The main objective of this research project is to execute and complete a front-end engineering and design (FEED) study for a commercial-scale, carbon capture project that separates 95% of the total CO2 emissions at the ArcelorMittal’s Hot Briquetted Iron (HBI) plant in Portland, TX (Figure 1). The HBI is an ore-based metallic that is used as high-grade feedstock for high-quality steel via an Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) route. The HBI plant produces 2.0 million metric tonnes of high-quality HBI and emits approximately 1 million tonnes CO2/yr. The capture system is a Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) system assisted Cryocap™ FG technology (Figure 2). The captured CO2 will be pipeline grade and will be geologically stored in a facility within 10 miles of the CO2 source. The Host Site location in Corpus Christi, TX, is near hydrocarbon processing facilities and near Environmental Justice (EJ) and Qualified Opportunity Zone (QOZ) communities. Due to the location of the Host Site, the retrofit project offers the ability to demonstrate how a workforce focused on the fossil energy sector can be redirected to the clean- energy sector. The Air Liquide Cryocap™ capture technology is a proven technology and has been extensively examined for large industrial applications. It has been shown to be applicable to a variety of industrial applications including the steel industry. Cryocap™ FG (specific setup for Flue Gas application) consists of a Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) unit coupled with a Cryogenic System. The PSA pre-concentrates the CO2 from the flue gas, while the cryogenic unit enables the CO2 purity to be increased to the desired level. The scope of this study incorporates completing FEED study of the CO2 capture system which includes point-source CO2 capture and balance-of-plant; Business Case Analysis (BCA) outlining the current and projected volumes of the steel plant’s point sources of CO2 and the potential utilization of tax credits, including its projected revenue and duration; Life Cycle Analysis (LCA); Environmental Justice Analysis; Economic Revitalization and Job Creation Outcomes Analysis; and Workforce Readiness Plan. The plant design work was divided into two components: Inside Battery Limits (ISBL) and Outside Battery Limits (OSBL). The ISBL focuses on the capture system, while the OSBL focuses on the utility feeds and ducting from the plant to the capture system. Various design and engineering deliverables will be developed to define commodity quantities, equipment specifications, and labour effort required to execute the project. These FEED study deliverables will be prepared with the intent to develop an overall project capital cost estimate consistent with an AACE Class 3 estimate. The modular approach for the Cryocap™ FG that is being designed for this study integrates compression, PSA, and cryogenic “bricks” to achieve the desired CO2 capture rates. This carbon capture system integrates easily with the existing plant, thus reducing project costs and risks. It is also capable of managing impurities such as nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides (SOx), mercury, hydrocarbons, and particulate matter. The capture system has a smaller footprint than amine-based systems. The two-step process uses PSA to preconcentrate the CO2 in the feedstream and then uses the cryogenic portion to purify and compress the resulting high purity CO2 product. This combination of purification and compression (i.e., process intensification) significantly reduces the CAPEX associated with use of a separate compressor commonly utilized for amine solvent-based systems. Successful completion of the FEED study will provide DOE with a detailed understanding of the costs for scaling up this proven capture technology for commercial applications at industrial facilities.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS2001

Lagrangian Approach to Jet Mixing and Optimization of the Reactor for Production of Carbon Nanotubes

This study was motivated by an attempt to optimize the High Pressure carbon oxide (HiPco) process for the production of carbon nanotubes from gaseous carbon oxide, The goal is to achieve rapid and uniform heating of catalyst particles by an optimal arrangement of jets. A mixed Eulerian and Lagrangian approach is implemented to track the temperature of catalyst particles along their trajectories as a function of time. The FLUENT CFD software with second-order upwind approximation of convective terms and an algebraic multigrid-based solver is used. The poor performance of the original reactor configuration is explained in terms of features of particle trajectories. The trajectories most exposed to the hot jets appear to be the most problematic for heating because they either bend towards the cold jet interior or rotate upwind of the mixing zone. To reduce undesirable slow and/or oscillatory heating of catalyst particles, a reactor configuration with three central jets is proposed and the optimal location of the central and peripheral nozzles is determined.

Povitsky, Alex↗
NASA NTRS1995

Coupled Aerodynamic-Thermal-Structural (CATS) Analysis

Coupled Aerodynamic-Thermal-Structural (CATS) Analysis is a focused effort within the Numerical Propulsion System Simulation (NPSS) program to streamline multidisciplinary analysis of aeropropulsion components and assemblies. Multidisciplinary analysis of axial-flow compressor performance has been selected for the initial focus of this project. CATS will permit more accurate compressor system analysis by enabling users to include thermal and mechanical effects as an integral part of the aerodynamic analysis of the compressor primary flowpath. Thus, critical details, such as the variation of blade tip clearances and the deformation of the flowpath geometry, can be more accurately modeled and included in the aerodynamic analyses. The benefits of this coupled analysis capability are (1) performance and stall line predictions are improved by the inclusion of tip clearances and hot geometries, (2) design alternatives can be readily analyzed, and (3) higher fidelity analysis by researchers in various disciplines is possible. The goals for this project are a 10-percent improvement in stall margin predictions and a 2:1 speed-up in multidisciplinary analysis times. Working cooperatively with Pratt & Whitney, the Lewis CATS team defined the engineering processes and identified the software products necessary for streamlining these processes. The basic approach is to integrate the aerodynamic, thermal, and structural computational analyses by using data management and Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines (NURBS) based data mapping. Five software products have been defined for this task: (1) a primary flowpath data mapper, (2) a two-dimensional data mapper, (3) a database interface, (4) a blade structural pre- and post-processor, and (5) a computational fluid dynamics code for aerothermal analysis of the drum rotor. Thus far (1) a cooperative agreement has been established with Pratt & Whitney, (2) a Primary Flowpath Data Mapper has been prototyped and delivered to General Electric Aircraft Engines and Pratt & Whitney for evaluation, (3) a collaborative effort has been initiated with the National Institute of Standards and Testing to develop a Standard Data Access Interface, and (4) a blade tip clearance capability has been implemented into the Structural Airfoil Blade Engineering Routine (SABER) program. We plan to continue to develop the data mappers and data management tools. As progress is made, additional efforts will be made to apply these tools to propulsion system applications.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2003

Carbon Nanotubes for Human Space Flight

Single-wall carbon nanotubes offer the promise of a new class of revolutionary materials for space applications. The Carbon Nanotube Project at NASA Johnson Space Center has been actively researching this new technology by investigating nanotube production methods (arc, laser, and HiPCO) and gaining a comprehensive understanding of raw and purified material using a wide range of characterization techniques. After production and purification, single wall carbon nanotubes are processed into composites for the enhancement of mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties. This "cradle-to-grave" approach to nanotube composites has given our team unique insights into the impact of post-production processing and dispersion on the resulting material properties. We are applying our experience and lessons-learned to developing new approaches toward nanotube material characterization, structural composite fabrication, and are also making advances in developing thermal management materials and electrically conductive materials in various polymer-nanotube systems. Some initial work has also been conducted with the goal of using carbon nanotubes in the creation of new ceramic materials for high temperature applications in thermal protection systems. Human space flight applications such as advanced life support and fuel cell technologies are also being investigated. This discussion will focus on the variety of applications under investigation.

Scott, Carl D.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Deconvoluting sources of variability in aerosol jet printing using light scattering measurements

Aerosol jet printing (AJP) is a digital additive manufacturing technique for hybrid and conformal electronics, where its contactless deposition readily enables patterning over 3D surface topography. However, the complexity of aerosol transport physics makes deposition rate sensitive to process variability, hindering widespread industry adoption. Light scattering measurements have recently been demonstrated as a capable tool for measuring deposition rate in real time, enabling closed-loop control and in-situ qualification frameworks. These inline optical measurements present further opportunity as a diagnostic tool to understand the effects of secondary process parameters affecting vapor–liquid equilibrium and heat and mass transport during deposition. Downstream of the optical measurement cell, changing the sheath gas flow rate, increasing temperature via an inline heater, and adding solvent vapor via a sheath gas bubbler were observed to alter drying physics during sheath-collimation, and thereby impaction efficiency. Further upstream, the introduction of solvent vapor via a carrier gas bubbler and liquid build-up in the printhead were seen to affect the quantitative relationship between the light scattering data and the true deposition rate. Using this information, tightened controls of meaningful secondary parameters were implemented to improve the batch-to-batch consistency for printing a dielectric ink. In addition to advancing AJP process reliability for production, this work demonstrates the capability of inline optical measurements to provide insight into process physics and deconvolute competing mechanisms that underly variability.

additive manufacturing↗
DOE OSTI2020

Modernization of Technical Requirements for Licensing of Advanced Non-Light Water Reactors: LMP Lessons Learned, Best Practices, and Frequently Asked Questions

This report captures lessons learned, best practices, and frequently asked questions with responses gleaned from the experiences of early adopters of the LMP RIPB process. Interviews were conducted in late 2019 with five non-LWR design organizations to gather their feedback on the application of the LMP RIPB process under real production conditions. The overall feedback from the reactor developers is that the LMP RIPB process can be successfully implemented with material benefits to the designer. As with any new processes, numerous challenges and questions were relayed by the designers. These challenges have been translated into lessons learned and best practices. Those two sections address both technical and organizational aspects of implementing the LMP RIPB process. Questions that were asked by multiple designers were turned into “frequently asked questions” and responses were provided by the LMP team.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS1981

Basic investigation into the production of oxygen in a solid electrolyte process

Mission analyses indicated that by extracting oxygen from the Martian atmosphere, which consists primarily of carbon dioxide, the launch mass of a spacecraft can be reduced by such an amount that samples from the planet can be returned to earth. The solid electrolyte process for producing O2 from CO2 was investigated. A model of the thermodynamic and electrochemical processes in the electrolyte cell was postulated, thereby establishing the parameters influencing the effectiveness and efficiency of an in situ O2 production system. The major operating parameters were investigated over a wide range of temperature and pressure. Operating limits imposed by the solid electrolyte material, 8% yttria stabilized zirconia, were determined as a function of the operating temperature.

Richter, R.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Hydrogen production from coal

The gasification reactions necessary for the production of hydrogen from montana subbituminous coal are presented. The coal composition is given. The gasifier types mentioned include: suspension (entrained) combustion; fluidized bed; and moving bed. Each gasification process is described. The steam-iron process, raw and product gas compositions, gasifier feed quantities, and process efficiency evaluations are also included.

Source record↗