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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 1,603 records · Page 89
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2013

A multichannel magnetic probe system for analysing magnetic fluctuations in helical axis plasmas

The need to understand the structure of magnetic fluctuations in H-1NF heliac [S. Hamberger et al., Fusion Technol. 17, 123 (1990)] plasmas has motivated the installation of a sixteen former, tri-axis helical magnetic probe Mirnov array (HMA). The new array complements two existing poloidal Mirnov arrays by providing polarisation information, higher frequency response, and improved toroidal resolution. The helical placement is ideal for helical axis plasmas because it positions the array as close as possible to the plasma in regions of varying degrees of favourable curvature in the magnetohydrodynamic sense, but almost constant magnetic angle. This makes phase variation with probe position near linear, greatly simplifying the analysis of the data. Several of the issues involved in the design, installation, data analysis, and calibration of this unique array are presented including probe coil design, frequency response measurements, mode number identification, orientation calculations, and mapping probe coil positions to magnetic coordinates. Details of specially designed digitally programmable pre-amplifiers, which allow gains and filters to be changed as part of the data acquisition initialisation sequence and stored with the probe signals, are also presented. The low shear heliac geometry [R. Jiménez-Gómez et al., Nucl. Fusion 51, 033001 (2011)], flexibility of the H-1NF heliac, and wealth of information provided by the HMA create a unique opportunity for detailed study of Alfvén eigenmodes, which could be a serious issue for future fusion reactors.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
NASA NTRS1989

Automatic control of cryogenic wind tunnels

Inadequate Reynolds number similarity in testing of scaled models affects the quality of aerodynamic data from wind tunnels. This is due to scale effects of boundary-layer shock wave interaction which is likely to be severe at transonic speeds. The idea of operation of wind tunnels using test gas cooled to cryogenic temperatures has yielded a quantrum jump in the ability to realize full scale Reynolds number flow similarity in small transonic tunnels. In such tunnels, the basic flow control problem consists of obtaining and maintaining the desired test section flow parameters. Mach number, Reynolds number, and dynamic pressure are the three flow parameters that are usually required to be kept constant during the period of model aerodynamic data acquisition. The series of activity involved in modeling, control law development, mechanization of the control laws on a microcomputer, and the performance of a globally stable automatic control system for the 0.3-m Transonic Cryogenic Tunnel (TCT) are discussed. A lumped multi-variable nonlinear dynamic model of the cryogenic tunnel, generation of a set of linear control laws for small perturbation, and nonlinear control strategy for large set point changes including tunnel trajectory control are described. The details of mechanization of the control laws on a 16 bit microcomputer system, the software features, operator interface, the display and safety are discussed. The controller is shown to provide globally stable and reliable temperature control to + or - 0.2 K, pressure to + or - 0.07 psi and Mach number to + or - 0.002 of the set point value. This performance is obtained both during large set point commands as for a tunnel cooldown, and during aerodynamic data acquisition with intrusive activity like geometrical changes in the test section such as angle of attack changes, drag rake movements, wall adaptation and sidewall boundary-layer removal. Feasibility of the use of an automatic Reynolds number control mode with fixed Mach number control is demonstrated.

Balakrishna, S.↗
DOE OSTI2026

SRF cavity instability detection with machine learning at CEBAF

During the operation of the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF), one or more unstable superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) cavities often cause beam loss trips while the unstable cavities themselves do not necessarily trip off. The present RF controls for the legacy cavities report at only 1 Hz, which is too slow to detectfast transient instabilities during these trip events. These challenges make the identification of an unstable cavity out of the hundreds installed at CEBAF a difficult and time-consuming task. To tackle these issues, a fast data acquisition system (DAQ) for the legacy SRF cavities has been developed, which records the sample at 5 kHz. An unsupervised learning framework has been developed to identify anomalous SRF cavity behavior. We will discuss the present status of the DAQ system and our framework, along with recent successes in detecting anomalous cavity behavior. Overall, our method offers a practical solution for identifying unstable SRF cavities, contributing to increased beam availability and machine reliability.

Accelerator Physics↗
DOE OSTI2015

Deep Cryogenic Low Power 24 Bits Analog to Digital Converter with Active Reverse Cryostat

LBNL is developing an innovative data acquisition module for superconductive magnets where the front-end electronics and digitizer resides inside the cryostat. This electronic package allows conventional electronic technologies such as enhanced metal–oxide–semiconductor to work inside cryostats at temperatures as low as 4.2 K. This is achieved by careful management of heat inside the module that keeps the electronic envelop at approximately 85 K. This approach avoids all the difficulties that arise from changes in carrier mobility that occur in semiconductors at deep cryogenic temperatures. There are several advantages in utilizing this system. A significant reduction in electrical noise from signals captured inside the cryostat occurs due to the low temperature that the electronics is immersed in, reducing the thermal noise. The shorter distance that signals are transmitted before digitalization reduces pickup and cross-talk between channels. This improved performance in signal-to-noise rate by itself is a significant advantage. Another important advantage is the simplification of the feedthrough interface on the cryostat head. Data coming out of the cryostat is digital and serial, dramatically reducing the number of lines going through the cryostat feedthrough interface. It is important to notice that all lines coming out of the cryostat are digital and low voltage, reducing the possibility of electric breakdown inside the cryostat. This paper will explain in details the architecture and inner workings of this data acquisition system. It will also provide the performance of the analog to digital converter when the system is immersed in liquid helium, and in liquid nitrogen. Parameters such as power dissipation, integral non-linearity, effective number of bits, signal-to-noise and distortion, will be presented for both temperatures.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Detection of Petawatt Laser-Induced Muon Source for Rapid High-Z Material Detection

A proof-of-concept investigation of a rapid detection system for shielded high-Z material using a petawatt laser-based muon source is presented. Unlike cosmic-ray muons, a laser-induced muon beam has unique characteristics that can be exploited for use in a rapid detection system. These characteristics include: (1) a near-point source of muons, (2) well-characterized muon energies, and (3) directionality of the beam. A detector system is being developed that combines multiple muon detection technologies to characterize an active muon source. This detection system and the associated data acquisition and analysis techniques are designed to search for deflections of the muon beam as it passes through high-Z materials. Additionally, the ability of the system to differentiate muons from the expected secondary particles, such as high-energy gammas and electrons, is being explored. The detector system’s ability to differentiate muons from other particles, show muon angular distribution, and measured muon flux will be discussed.

scintillation detector, petawatt laser-based muon ↗
DOE OSTI2024

Advanced Sensor Deployment for Distribution System State Estimation and Fault Identification

Distribution systems are currently facing steep operational challenges as a result of the rapidly increasing integration of renewables and other distributed energy resources (DERs) at both the primary and secondary circuit levels. Distribution utilities and system operators have traditionally had some visibility of their primary circuits using low-frequency supervisory control and data acquisition systems, and they have had very poor if not zero visibility of the secondary circuits where the presence of DERs is constantly increasing. Therefore, this paper presents simulation studies to demonstrate the benefits of an advanced, high-fidelity sensor technology, called as the Meta-Alert System (MAS), developed by Electrical Grid Monitoring, Ltd. (EGM), on the distribution grid. First, a reliable model of the EGM sensors is developed, and then two use cases, distribution system state estimation (DSSE) and fault identification are simulated to evaluate the performance of the MAS technology. Simulation results on the Electric Power Research Institute J1 feeder demonstrate that the MAS can effectively participate in system-level DSSE programs and can detect and locate faults faster than traditional distribution protection schemes.

distribution system↗
DOE OSTI2012

NMIS with Imaging and Gamma Ray Spectrometry for Pu, HEU, HE and Other Materials

The Nuclear Material Identification System (NMIS) has been under development at ORNL and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Y-12 National Security Complex since 1984. In the mid-1990s, what is now the US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Nuclear Verification (ONV) realized that it was a useful technology for future arms control treaty applications and supported further development of the system. In 2004, fast-neutron imaging was incorporated into the system. In 2007, the ONV decided to develop a fieldable version of the system, designated as FNMIS, for potential use in future treaties. The FNMIS is being developed to be compatible with the eventual incorporation of gamma-ray spectrometry and an information barrier. This report addresses how and what attributes could be determined by the FNMIS system with gamma-ray spectrometry. The NMIS is a time-dependent coincidence system that incorporates tomographic imaging (including mapping of the fission sites) and gamma-ray spectrometry. It utilizes a small, lightweight (30 lb), portable deuterium-tritium (DT) neutron (14.1 MeV) generator (4 x 10 7 neutrons/second) for active interrogation and can also perform passive interrogation. A high-purity germanium (HPGe) gamma-ray detector with multichannel analysis can be utilized in conjunction with the source for active interrogation or passively. The system uses proton recoil scintillators: 32 small 2.5 x 2.5 x 10.2-cm-thick plastic scintillators for imaging and at least two 2 x 2 arrays of 27 x 27 x 10-cm-thick plastic scintillators that detect induced fission radiation. The DT generator contains an alpha detector that time and directionally tags a fan beam of some of the neutrons emitted and subdivides it into pixels. A fast (1 GHz) time correlation processor measures the time-dependent coincidence among all detectors in the system. A computer-controlled scanner moves the small detectors and the source appropriately for scanning a target object for imaging. The system is based on detection of transmitted 14.1 MeV neutrons, fission neutrons, and gamma rays from spontaneous, inherent source fission of the target, fission neutrons and gamma rays induced by the external DT source, gamma rays from natural emissions of uranium and plutonium, and induced gamma-ray emission by the interaction of the 14.1 MeV neutrons from the DT source. The NMIS can and has been used with a time-tagged californium spontaneous fission source. It has also been used with pulsed interrogation sources such as LINACs, DT, and deuterium-deuterium (DD) sources. This system is uniquely suited for detection of shielded highly enriched uranium (HEU), plutonium, and other special nuclear materials and detection of high explosives (HE) and chemical agents. The NMIS will be adapted to utilize a trusted processor that incorporates information barrier and authentication techniques using open software and then be useful in some international applications for materials whose characteristics may be classified. The proposed information barrier version of the NMIS system would consist of detectors and cables, the red (classified side) computer system, which processes the data, and the black (unclassified side) computer, which handles the computer interface. The system could use the 'IB wrapper' concept proposed by Los Alamos National Laboratory and the software integrity (digital signatures) system proposed by Sandia. Since it is based entirely on commercially available components, the entire system, including NMIS data acquisition boards, can be built with commercial off-the-shelf components. This system is being developed into a fieldable system (FNMIS) for potential arms control treaties by the ONV. The system will be modularly constructed with the RF shielded modules connected to the processor by appropriate control and signal cable in metal conduit. The FNMIS is presently being designed for eventual incorporation of gamma-ray spectrometry and an information barrier to protect classified information. The system hardware and software can be configured to obtain the following: plutonium presence, plutonium mass, Pu-240/239 ratio, plutonium geometry, plutonium metal vs non-metallic (absence of metal), time (age) since processing for plutonium (or last purification), uranium presence, uranium mass, uranium enrichment, uranium geometry, uranium metal vs non-metallic compound (absence of metal), beryllium presence and mass, tritium and deuterium gas bottle presence, HE, and chemical weapons. A matrix of the quantities determined, the method of determination, whether active (external neutron source) or passive, and the measurement equipment involved is given in the Tables 1-4. Some of these attributes can be obtained by multiple data analysis methods. The gamma-ray spectrometry methods for HEU, plutonium, and HE have been developed by other laboratories, are well known, and will be incorporated.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
NASA NTRS2003

Multiplexing Technology for Acoustic Emission Monitoring of Aerospace Vehicles

The initiation and propagation of damage mechanisms such as cracks and delaminations generate acoustic waves, which propagate through a structure. These waves can be detected and analyzed to provide the location and severity of damage as part of a structural health monitoring (SHM) system. This methodology of damage detection is commonly known as acoustic emission (AE) monitoring, and is widely used on a variety of applications on civil structures. AE has been widely considered for SHM of aerospace vehicles. Numerous successful ground and flight test demonstrations have been performed, which show the viability of the technology for damage monitoring in aerospace structures. However, one significant current limitation for application of AE techniques on aerospace vehicles is the large size, mass, and power requirements for the necessary monitoring instrumentation. To address this issue, a prototype multiplexing approach has been developed and demonstrated in this study, which reduces the amount of AE monitoring instrumentation required. Typical time division multiplexing techniques that are commonly used to monitor strain, pressure and temperature sensors are not applicable to AE monitoring because of the asynchronous and widely varying rates of AE signal occurrence. Thus, an event based multiplexing technique was developed. In the initial prototype circuit, inputs from eight sensors in a linear array were multiplexed into two data acquisition channels. The multiplexer rapidly switches, in less than one microsecond, allowing the signals from two sensors to be acquired by a digitizer. The two acquired signals are from the sensors on either side of the trigger sensor. This enables the capture of the first arrival of the waves, which cannot be accomplished with the signal from the trigger sensor. The propagation delay to the slightly more distant neighboring sensors makes this possible. The arrival time from this first arrival provides a more accurate source location determination. The multiplexer also identifies which channels are acquired by encoding TTL logic pulses onto the latter portion of the signals. This prototype system was demonstrated using pencil lead break (Hsu-Neilsen) sources on an aluminum plate. It performed as designed providing rapid low noise trigger based switching with encoded channel identification. this multiplexing approach is not limited to linear arrays, but can be easily extended to monitor sensors in planar ot three dimensional arrays. A 32 channel multiplexing system is under development that will allow arbitrary sensor placement. Another benefit of this multiplexing system is the reduction in the expense of data acquisition hardware. In addition, the reduced weight and power requirements are of extreme importance for proposed AE systems on aerospace vehicles.

Prosser, William↗
NASA NTRS1997

PSP Testing at NASA Ames Research Center

Pressure sensitive paints (PSPs) are now used routinely for measuring surface pressures on wind tunnel models at transonic and supersonic Mach numbers. The method utilizes a surface coating containing fluorescent or phosphorescent materials, the brightness of which varies with the local air pressure on the surface. The present paper will summarize PSP activities (in progress and planned) at the NASA Ames Research Center. One of the main accomplishments at NASA Ames has been the development of a PSP measurement system that is production testing capable. This system has been integrated successfully into the large-scale wind tunnel facilities at Ames. There are several problems related to PSP testing which are unique to large-scale wind tunnel testing. The hardware is often difficult to set-up and must operate under harsh conditions (e.g. high pressures and low temperatures). The data acquisition and reduction times need to be kept to a minimum so that the overall wind tunnel productivity is not compromised. The pressure sensitive paints needs to be very robust; the paints must readily adhere to different surfaces with varying geometries and remain functional for long running times. The paint must have well understood, and preferably minimal, temperature sensitivity since fine control of the tunnel temperature is not easily achievable in the larger wind tunnels. In an effort to improve the overall accuracy of the PSP technique, we are currently evaluating some referenced pressure sensitive paints which contain a pressure- independent luminophor in addition to the one which is affected by the surface pressure. The two luminophors are chosen so that their emission wavelengths are somewhat different. Then by taking two 'wind-on' images with either two cameras (with different filters) or one camera with a rotating filter system, the need for 'wind-off' images can be eliminated. The ratio of the two wind-on images accounts for nonuniform lighting and model motion problems (physical movement of the model under aerodynamic loading) are not a concern any more. The paints and data acquisition and reduction software for this type of a PSI system are currently under development and evaluation. Additional information is contained within the original extended abstract.

Bell, J. H.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Challenges and strategies for probing the composite interface of PEM electrolyzers and fuel cells using operando AP-XPS

Left: cross-section schematic of a membrane electrode assembly, the working electrode changing state with applied potential. Center: the operando cell design that enables snapshot data acquisition during trajectory movement. Right: resulting spectra. Understanding the surface chemistry of electrocatalyst systems under operando conditions is central to revealing the electrocatalytic cell's working mechanisms. Determination of these catalytic processes on a molecular scale and the involved components is fundamental to streamlining material design for energy conversion and storage applications. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is an established technique used to study the chemical and electronic states of materials. While the surface sensitivity of XPS is typically high, use of tender X-ray energies and technical advancements have allowed for the direct probing of solid–vapor and solid–liquid interfaces. However, protocols and documentation of experimental considerations for operando XPS probing of working electrolyzers and fuel cells remain scarce. Herein, we report an approach for the study of working polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolysis cells using ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (AP-XPS). This approach directly probes the composite electrode surface on the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) in 100% relative humidity to establish a meaningful liquid layer for electrocatalysis. We carry out a systematic investigation from the cell constituent components to a fully assembled working operando electrolytic system and establish a method for AP-XPS study of the complex composite MEA, providing recommendations for data acquisition and component analysis.

Hamlyn, Rebecca↗
NASA NTRS2016

Green Propellant Test Capabilities of the Altitude Combustion Stand at the NASA Glenn Research Center

The NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) is committed to providing simulated altitude rocket test capabilities to NASA programs, other government agencies, private industry partners, and academic partners. A primary facility to support those needs is the Altitude Combustion Stand (ACS). ACS provides the capability to test combustion components at a simulated altitude up to 100,000 ft. (approx.0.2 psia/10 Torr) through a nitrogen-driven ejector system. The facility is equipped with an axial thrust stand, gaseous and cryogenic liquid propellant feed systems, data acquisition system with up to 1000 Hz recording, and automated facility control system. Propellant capabilities include gaseous and liquid hydrogen, gaseous and liquid oxygen, and liquid methane. A water-cooled diffuser, exhaust spray cooling chamber, and multi-stage ejector systems can enable run times up to 180 seconds to 16 minutes. The system can accommodate engines up to 2000-lbf thrust, liquid propellant supply pressures up to 1800 psia, and test at the component level. Engines can also be fired at sea level if needed. The NASA GRC is in the process of modifying ACS capabilities to enable the testing of green propellant (GP) thrusters and components. Green propellants are actively being explored throughout government and industry as a non-toxic replacement to hydrazine monopropellants for applications such as reaction control systems or small spacecraft main propulsion systems. These propellants offer increased performance and cost savings over hydrazine. The modification of ACS is intended to enable testing of a wide range of green propellant engines for research and qualification-like testing applications. Once complete, ACS will have the capability to test green propellant engines up to 880 N in thrust, thermally condition the green propellants, provide test durations up to 60 minutes depending on thrust class, provide high speed control and data acquisition, as well as provide advanced imaging and diagnostics such as infrared (IR) imaging.

Testing↗
DOE OSTI2022

Conceptual design of the modular detector and readout system for the CMB-S4 survey experiment

We present the conceptual design of the modular detector and readout system for the Cosmic Microwave Background – Stage four (CMB-S4) ground-based survey experiment. CMB-S4 will map the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and the millimeter-wave sky to unprecedented sensitivity, using 500,000 superconducting detectors observing from Chile and Antarctica to map over 60% of the sky. The fundamental building block of the detector and readout system is a detector module package operated at 100 mK, which is connected to a readout and amplification chain that carries signals out to room temperature. It uses arrays of feedhorn-coupled orthomode transducers (OMT) that collect optical power from the sky onto dc-voltage-biased transition-edge sensor (TES) bolometers. The resulting current signal in the TESs is then amplified by a two-stage cryogenic Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) system with a time-division multiplexer to reduce wire count, and matching room-temperature electronics to condition and transmit signals to the data acquisition system. Sensitivity and systematics requirements are being developed for the detector and readout system over wide range of observing bands (20 to 300 GHz) and optical powers to accomplish CMB-S4’s science goals. While the design incorporates the successes of previous generations of CMB instruments, CMB-S4 requires an order of magnitude more detectors than any prior experiment. This requires fabrication of complex superconducting circuits on over 10 m2 of silicon, as well as significant amounts of precision wiring, assembly and cryogenic testing

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2022

Geomechanical and Hydrogeological Evaluation of a Shallow Hydraulic Fracture at the Devine Fracture Pilot Site, Medina County, Texas

UT-Austin’s Devine Fracture Pilot Site, 50 miles southwest of San Antonio, Texas, has been targeted for a comprehensive, multidisciplinary development of fracture diagnostic techniques that are cross-validated by ground-truth data acquisition near a recently created, 175-ft-deep, horizontal hydraulic fracture (Ahmadian et al. 2018 Demonstration of proof of concept of electromagnetic geophysical methods for high resolution illumination of induced fracture networks. In Proceedings of the SPE Hydraulic Fracturing Technology Conference and Exhibition, The Woodlands, Texas, USA, 23–25 January 2018. SPE-189858-MS.). To evaluate the fracture diagnostic methods at this site, we conducted injection tests with a predefined volumetric flow-rate profile, resembling a diagnostic fracture injection test on September 2020. Subsequently, we developed hydrogeological and geomechanical models based on flow-rate and bottomhole-pressure measurements. History-matching efforts using a simplified layer-cake hydrogeological model resulted in the field-scale formation permeability of 9.87 × 10 –15 m 2 (10 mD) and Darcy-scale fracture permeability. The analysis of the bottomhole pressure and injection-rate history showed that (1) the newly created horizontal fracture was closed adjacent to the injection well pre-injection and (2) the initial pump-pressure increase at a nominal volumetric injection rate led to near-well fracture reopening, fluid conductivity increase, and abrupt injection-rate increase. To overcome hydrogeological-model limitations of predicting fracture reopening throughout injection, we extended the modeling to a finite-element, poroelastic analysis of horizontal-fracture growth using a cohesive-zone model. Using this fracture-reopening model, we improved the history match of the transient-pressure response during the experiment by adjusting the hydromechanical properties. Furthermore, post-injection pressure transient analyses helped reduce uncertainty in the overburden-stress gradient, and the initial hydraulic-fracturing simulation verified the plausibility of achieving the surveyed propped fracture area.

02 PETROLEUM↗
DOE OSTI2015

Structural properties of Y 2 O 3 –Al 2 O 3 liquids and glasses: An overview

Liquids in the system Y 2 O 3 –Al 2 O 3 have been the subject of considerable study because of the reported occurrence of a first-order density and entropy-driven liquid-liquid phase transition (LLPT) in the supercooled liquid state. The observations have become controversial because of the presence of crystalline material that can be formed simultaneously and that can mask the nucleation and growth of the lower density liquid. The previous work is summarized here along with arguments for and against the different viewpoints. Also two studies have been undertaken to investigate the LLPT in this refractory system with emphasis on determining the structure of unequivocally amorphous materials. These include the in situ high energy X-ray diffraction (HEXRD) of supercooled Y 2 O 3 –Al 2 O 3 liquids and the low frequency vibrational dynamics of recovered glasses. Manybody molecular dynamics simulations are also used to interpret the results of both studies. The HEXRD measurements, combined with aerodynamic levitation and rapid data acquisition techniques, show that for the 20 mol% Y 2 O 3 (i.e. AlY20) liquid there is a shift in the position of the first peak in the diffraction pattern over a narrow temperature range (2100-1800 K) prior to crystallization. Microbeam Raman spectroscopy measurements made on AlY20 glasses clearly show contrasting spectra in the low frequency part of the spectrum for low(LDA) and high-density (HDA) glassy regions. The molecular dynamics simulations identify contrasting coordination environments around oxygen anions for the high- (HDL) and low-density (LDL) liquids. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1988

Plans for the development of EOS SAR systems using the Alaska SAR facility

The Alaska SAR Facility (ASF) program for the acquisition and processing of data from the ESA ERS-1, the NASDA ERS-1, and Radarsat and to carry out a program of science investigations using the data is introduced. Agreements for data acquisition and analysis are in place except for the agreement between NASA and Radarsat which is in negotiation. The ASF baseline system, consisting of the Receiving Ground System, the SAR Processor System and the Archive and Operations System, passed critical design review and is fully in implementation phase. Augments to the baseline system for systems to perform geophysical processing and for processing of J-ERS-1 optical data are in the design and implementation phase. The ASF provides a very effective vehicle with which to prepare for the Earth Observing System (EOS) in that it will aid the development of systems and technologies for handling the data volumes produced by the systems of the next decades, and it will also supply some of the data types that will be produced by EOS.

Carsey, F. D.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Design and simulation of a muon detector to characterize geological overburden

This study presents the design, construction, and simulation of a mobile muon detector tailored for geological overburden characterization. The detector employs plastic scintillator paddles with silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) and a QuarkNet data acquisition system, offering a portable solution suitable for remote field deployment. The simulator’s modular aluminum frame allows for adjustable geometry and directional sensitivity, while its battery system supports over a week of autonomous operation. Preliminary experimental tests confirmed that its muon flux measurements were consistent with theoretical expectations. A comprehensive simulation framework using Geant4 and CORSIKA was developed to model detector response and overburden effects. Analytical and Monte Carlo methods were used to assess quadrant resolution and infer muon directionality. This work lays the foundation for future overburden mapping and supports the development of reconstruction algorithms for geological applications.

72 - PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Neutron multiplicity ,easurements With 3 He alternative: Straw neutron detectors

Counting neutrons emitted by special nuclear material (SNM) and differentiating them from the background neutrons of various origins is the most effective passive means of detecting SNM. Unfortunately, neutron detection, counting, and partitioning in a maritime environment are complex due to the presence of high-multiplicity spallation neutrons (commonly known as “ship effect”) and to the complicated nature of the neutron scattering in that environment. In this study, a prototype neutron detector was built using 10 B as the converter in a special form factor called “straws” that would address the above problems by looking into the details of multiplicity distributions of neutrons originating from a fissioning source. This paper describes the straw neutron multiplicity counter (NMC) and assesses the performance with those of a commercially available fission meter. The prototype straw neutron detector provides a large-area, efficient, lightweight, more granular (than fission meter) neutron-responsive detection surface (to facilitate imaging) to enhance the ease of application of fission meters. Presented here are the results of preliminary investigations, modeling, and engineering considerations leading to the construction of this prototype. This design is capable of multiplicity and Feynman variance measurements. This prototype may lead to a near-term solution to the crisis that has arisen from the global scarcity of 3 He by offering a viable alternative to fission meters. This paper describes the work performed during a 2-year site-directed research and development (SDRD) project that incorporated straw detectors for neutron multiplicity counting. The NMC is a two-panel detector system. We used 10 B (in the form of enriched boron carbide: 10 B 4 C) for neutron detection instead of 3 He. In the first year, the project worked with a panel of straw neutron detectors, investigated its characteristics, and developed a data acquisition (DAQ) system to collect neutron multiplicity information from spontaneous fission sources using a single panel consisting of 60 straws equally distributed over three rows in high-density polyethylene moderator. In the following year, we developed the field-programmable gate array and associated DAQ software. Finally, this SDRD effort successfully produced a prototype NMC with ~33% detection efficiency compared to a commercial fission meter.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2019

Development of the Ultimate One-Dimensional Time to Explosion (UODTX) Apparatus

With recent advancements in experimental capabilities and worldwide improvement of digital data acquisition and control, there is sufficient justification to develop a new version of the One Dimensional Time to eXplosion (ODTX) system to allow for additional diagnostics and improved control to increase sample throughput and increase the adaptability of future experiments. The legacy ODTX system was designed to measure time to explosion (TTX) for a given temperature, which it does well, but it was not equipped to handle the recent experimental advances of Pressure-ODTX (PODTX) and Composition-ODTX (CODTX). PODTX involves fielding a pressure transducer as an additional diagnostic and applying arbitrary heating-profiles to the system anvils. CODTX furthers this concept by including in-situ gas-composition analysis via infrared (IR) absorption techniques with plans to extend CODTX to solid composition detection and in-situ mass spectrometry (MS). The legacy ODTX system was not built with these experiments in mind and performing them involves substantial modifications and downtime to the existing machine. Developing a standalone system that can perform all C/P/ODTX experiments and is adaptable to unconceived experiments would allow for the continued use of ODTX as a work-horse for Small Scale Safety Testing (SSST), but also provide a testbed for new explosive safety research. This system would ultimately be housed in the neighboring ODTX cell and would live at the High Explosive Application Facility (HEAF) until the end of its service life. HEAF, Chemistry, and Engineering would be the primary stakeholders for the system’s design as they all have experiments that they want to perform. Engineering would be responsible for the system development and would work closely with HEAF to ensure that the system is built with high explosive (HE) safety in mind. By the end of development and after product realization, HEAF/Chemistry would be the system owner, operator, and primary user. The proposed system design is highly influenced by the existing ODTX design. The system will have load frame to support the experiment, anvils to confine the explosive, and some means of applying confining pressure. The samples will be able to be heated and cooled through the confining the anvils. The biggest change from the legacy design is the ability to add diagnostics to the experiment as needed: thermocouples (TCs), resistance temperature detectors (RTDs), pressure transducers (PTs), infrared transmittance/absorbance (IR), mass spectrometry (MS), strain gages (SGs), photonic doppler velocimeter (PDV), as well as arbitrary 4-20 mV signals and +/- 10 VDC signals. The current design does not allow for flexibility in that respect and is hardwired with a few diagnostic channels. The onus will fall on designing a load frame that can support system modifications as well as a data acquisition system that can handle the multitude of signal types.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗