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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 163 records · Page 9
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

The Pan-Arctic Vegetation Cover (PAVC) database v1.1

The Pan-Arctic Vegetation Cover (PAVC) database contains synthesized field-data observations of vegetation cover from 978 Arctic Alaska plots with observations from 2010 to 2021. The cover datasets contain plot data at both the plant functional type (PFT) and species-level resolution, with standardized PFT definitions and species names. We synthesized publicly available point-intercept and visual estimate plots from the Arctic Vegetation Archive of Alaska, the Alaska Vegetation Plots Database, the North Slope Science Catalog, and the National Ecological Observatory Network; as well as previously unpublished data from the Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiments: Arctic (NGEE Arctic).Users will find four synthesized datasets, 4 associated data descriptor (dd) files, and 1 metadata file in the PAVC database:synthesized_species_fcover.csv contains fractional cover (fcover) for unique accepted species names, where names include vegetation identified at the family, genus, species, subspecies, and variety levels, as well as general functional types across all 5 data sources. The synthesized_species_fcover_dd.csv accompanies this dataset with header information.synthesized_pft_fcover.csv contains fcover for the following PFTs: non-vascular plants with lichen and bryophyte subcategories, trees with deciduous and evergreen subcategories, shrubs with deciduous and evergreen subcategories, graminoids (grasses), and forbs (herbaceous flowering plants) measured as total cover. Litter and “other” cover are also included as total cover. Additional “types” include water and bare ground, which were measured as top cover. The synthesized_pft_fcover_dd.csv accompanies this dataset with header information.species_pft_checklist.csv is a lookup table containing the translation from a dataset species name to an accepted species name and to a PFT. This table can be used to clarify our species to PFT adjudications, and to aid users in assigning their own PFTs. Any issues found in this checklist should be reported in the Issues tab of our github.survey_unit_information.csv contains auxiliary information about the plots synthesized in this database. It contains useful information for filtering plots of interest based on temporal, geospatial, and contextual information about the plot surveys.flmd.csv contains metadata information about each file in the database.This research was performed as a part of the NGEE Arctic project. The NGEE Arctic project was a research effort to reduce uncertainty in Earth System Models by developing a predictive understanding of carbon-rich Arctic ecosystems and feedbacks to climate. NGEE Arctic was supported by the Department of Energy's Office of Biological and Environmental Research.The NGEE Arctic project had two field research sites: 1) located within the Arctic polygonal tundra coastal region on the Barrow Environmental Observatory (BEO) and the North Slope near Utqiagvik (Barrow), Alaska and 2) multiple areas on the discontinuous permafrost region of the Seward Peninsula north of Nome, Alaska.Through observations, experiments, and synthesis with existing datasets, NGEE Arctic provided an enhanced knowledge base for multi-scale modeling and contributed to improved process representation at global pan-Arctic scales within the Department of Energy's Earth system Model (the Energy Exascale Earth System Model, or E3SM), and specifically within the E3SM Land Model component (ELM).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1998

NASA/NREN: Next Generation Internet (NGI) Activities

Various issues associated with next generation internet (NGI) and the NREN (NASA Research and Education Network) activities are presented in viewgraph form. Specific topics include: 1) NREN architecture; 2) NREN applications; and 3) NREN applied research.

desJardins, Richard↗
NASA NTRS2005

Large-Scale NASA Science Applications on the Columbia Supercluster

Columbia, NASA's newest 61 teraflops supercomputer that became operational late last year, is a highly integrated Altix cluster of 10,240 processors, and was named to honor the crew of the Space Shuttle lost in early 2003. Constructed in just four months, Columbia increased NASA's computing capability ten-fold, and revitalized the Agency's high-end computing efforts. Significant cutting-edge science and engineering simulations in the areas of space and Earth sciences, as well as aeronautics and space operations, are already occurring on this largest operational Linux supercomputer, demonstrating its capacity and capability to accelerate NASA's space exploration vision. The presentation will describe how an integrated environment consisting not only of next-generation systems, but also modeling and simulation, high-speed networking, parallel performance optimization, and advanced data analysis and visualization, is being used to reduce design cycle time, accelerate scientific discovery, conduct parametric analysis of multiple scenarios, and enhance safety during the life cycle of NASA missions. The talk will conclude by discussing how NAS partnered with various NASA centers, other government agencies, computer industry, and academia, to create a national resource in large-scale modeling and simulation.

Brooks, Walter↗
NASA NTRS2013

Global Mobile Satellite Service Interference Analysis for the AeroMACS

The AeroMACS (Aeronautical Mobile Airport Communications System), which is based on the IEEE 802.16-2009 mobile wireless standard, is envisioned as the wireless network which will cover all areas of airport surfaces for next generation air transportation. It is expected to be implemented in the 5091-5150 MHz frequency band which is also occupied by mobile satellite service uplinks. Thus the AeroMACS must be designed to avoid interference with this incumbent service. Simulations using Visualyse software were performed utilizing a global database of 6207 airports. Variations in base station and subscriber antenna distribution and gain pattern were examined. Based on these simulations, recommendations for global airport base station and subscriber antenna power transmission limitations are provided.

Wilson, Jeffrey D.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Global Mobile Satellite Service Interference Analysis for the AeroMACS

The AeroMACS (Aeronautical Mobile Airport Communications System), which is based on the IEEE 802.16-2009 mobile wireless standard, is envisioned as the wireless network which will cover all areas of airport surfaces for next generation air transportation. It is expected to be implemented in the 5091-5150 MHz frequency band which is also occupied by mobile satellite service uplinks. Thus the AeroMACS must be designed to avoid interference with this incumbent service. Simulations using Visualyse software were performed utilizing a global database of 6207 airports. Variations in base station and subscriber antenna distribution and gain pattern were examined. Based on these simulations, recommendations for global airport base station and subscriber antenna power transmission limitations are provided.

Wilson, Jeffrey D.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Co-existence of Heterogeneous Wireless Networks in 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Spectrum

To achieve automation across different applications, next-generation nuclear power plants are beginning to leverage advanced wireless technologies. The deployment of these wireless technologies is a salient need for modernizing the existing nuclear plants. A “one-size-fits-all” solution cannot be adopted since wireless technologies are selected according to specific application needs, quality of service, and economic restrictions. To balance the trade-off between technical and economic requirements, a multi-band heterogeneous wireless network architecture is needed. However, the co-existence of these multi-band wireless technologies poses numerous challenges. Due to factors including dissimilarity in channel access mechanisms, transmit power levels, distance between nodes, and interference among co-existing solutions, performance can be seriously degraded, leading to very low signal-to-noise ratio. This report builds on our previous study, "Experimental Evaluation of Interference in 2.4 GHz Wireless Network," which analyzed the performance of wireless communication technologies such as Wi-Fi, Zigbee, and Bluetooth co-existing within the 2.4 GHz band. We now extend this study by developing a new upper-layer approach that uses rate control to create temporary opportunities for signal transmission while using the shared band. Unlike existing work in the literature, our approach does not require modifications at the link or physical layers of the network. Further, we extend our work to explore the co-existence of Wi-Fi and fifth-generation (5G) in the 5 GHz unlicensed spectrum, using both experiments and simulations. This report provides a technical foundation for understanding the operational designs of Wi-Fi and 5G in the unlicensed band and evaluates their performance when these networks co-exist. Our findings show that the performance of 5G can be improved by controlling the Wi-Fi’s packet rate at the upper layer.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS2014

A Geosynchronous Orbit Optical Communications Relay Architecture

NASA is planning to fly a Next Generation Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) next decade. While the requirements and architecture for that satellite are unknown at this time, NASA is investing in communications technologies that could be deployed on the satellite to provide new communications services. One of those new technologies is optical communications. The Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) project, scheduled for launch in December 2017 as a hosted payload on a commercial communications satellite, is a critical pathfinder towards NASA providing optical communications services on the Next Generation TDRS. While it is obvious that a small to medium sized optical communications terminal could be flown on a GEO satellite to provide support to Near Earth missions, it is also possible to deploy a large terminal on the satellite to support Deep Space missions. Onboard data processing and Delay Tolerant Networking (DTN) are two additional technologies that could be used to optimize optical communications link services and enable additional mission and network operations. This paper provides a possible architecture for the optical communications augmentation of a Next Generation TDRS and touches on the critical technology work currently being done at NASA. It will also describe the impact of clouds on such an architecture and possible mitigation techniques.

optics↗
NASA NTRS2015

Commercialization and Standardization Progress Towards an Optical Communications Earth Relay

NASA is planning to launch the next generation of a space based Earth relay in 2025 to join the current Space Network, consisting of Tracking and Data Relay Satellites in space and the corresponding infrastructure on Earth. While the requirements and architecture for that relay satellite are unknown at this time, NASA is investing in communications technologies that could be deployed to provide new communications services. One of those new technologies is optical communications. The Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) project, scheduled for launch in 2018 as a hosted payload on a commercial communications satellite, is a critical pathfinder towards NASA providing optical communications services on the next generation space based relay. This paper will describe NASA efforts in the on-going commercialization of optical communications and the development of inter-operability standards. Both are seen as critical to making optical communications a reality on future NASA science and exploration missions. Commercialization is important because NASA would like to eventually be able to simply purchase an entire optical communications terminal from a commercial provider. Inter-operability standards are needed to ensure that optical communications terminals developed by one vendor are compatible with the terminals of another. International standards in optical communications would also allow the space missions of one nation to use the infrastructure of another.

lasers↗
DOE OSTI2020

MADE3D™ (Manufacturing and Additive Design of Electric Machines Enabled by Three-Dimensional Printing) [SWR-20-70]

The MADE3D™ software uses advanced neural networks for realizing novel high torque density electric machine designs with desired functional specifications not limited to but including torque, magnetic loading, and mass. This software allows for a reduction in cost of design by using next-generation computational resources including the cloud while still maintaining high accuracy. The design of the neural networks allows for exploration of large design space and possibilities to find more optimal designs and accommodate new manufacturing technologies like 3D printing.

Sethuraman, Latha↗
DOE OSTI2025

Modernizing the Nuclear Industry and New Ways of Working

Nuclear energy is recognized as the most feasible energy source towards achieving nation-wide net-zero goals (COP 208, MIT). Additionally, the demand for reliable, consistent energy supply is soaring with the construction of energy hungry data centers and AI tools. This means the construction of new nuclear and the continuation of current nuclear are a high national priority. However, this leaves the nuclear industry with a workforce challenge. The rising demand for nuclear power is threatened by an underpopulated workforce. There exist a few contributors to the decreased workforce such as skewed workforce demographics resulting in large-scale workforce retirement. Also, some plants have observed difficulty hiring and retaining skill sets that typically comprise the nuclear power workforce – specifically skilled craftsman. Those who are graduating with desirable skills are seeking employment in sectors that are more modern and culturally more aligned with younger generational values. Lastly, within the nuclear sector, skilled employees will be a competitive commodity as advanced plants come online offering work environments that incorporate modern technologies, skill sets, and opportunities for career advancement. These factors emphasize the need for legacy plants to modernize with a focus on the workplace environment and culture that meets younger generations’ skills, cultural expectations, and desire for advancement opportunities. Nuclear plants are actively engaged in deploying advancements that improve the management of systems, structures, and components as well as process improvements and technologies that can reduce the costs of operation and maintenance. However, the advancements must also be analyzed, reviewed and deployed in a manner that considers the impact on how people within the organization collaborate, communicate, make decisions, and solve problems. Neglecting to consider the cultural impact of modernization risks poor adoption, unrealized opportunities, or insignificant change toward helping attract new employees. The traditional way of working is not necessarily the way new generations want to engage with their employer. For instance, in a survey performed by North American Young Generation in Nuclear the top three reasons for younger nuclear employees to seek other job opportunities was seeking better work-life balance, a lack of advancement opportunities, and work culture and leadership style differences (Smyth et al. 2022). Integrated Operations for Nuclear (ION) is an approach for the nuclear industry to create long-term strategic modernization plans and analyze each advancement for the impact on people and processes and measure how those impacts flow up to support high-level, long-term plant goals and requirements. One principle of ION is to replace the current labor-centric operation style in legacy nuclear plants with data-centric collaborative operation styles. This paper will explain how transitioning operations to leverage centralized skills and responsibility, multi-skilled teams, and collaborative decision making can flatten the hierarchical structure in plants, enable greater individual efficacy while also offering more experiences and advancement opportunities to staff. Adopting the ION way of working shifts the industry mind-set towards more networked, collaborative, and modern way of working that will attract skilled, next-generation workers to operate the legacy nuclear fleet.

99 - GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Covalent adaptable networks for electrolyte–binder integration in recyclable lithium metal batteries

Lithium-metal batteries (LMBs) are considered a promising next-generation energy storage technology due to their exceptionally high energy density. However, the development of solid polymer electrolytes and cathode binders for LMBs faces critical challenges, including interfacial instability, poor recyclability, and growing environmental concerns. In particular, current systems often rely on non-recyclable components featuring permanently crosslinked networks and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), such as poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF), which cause battery waste and environmental harm. Herein, we introduce a multifunctional covalent adaptable network (CAN) platform based on thermally reversible Diels–Alder (DA) chemistry, designed for dual functionality as a CAN-based electrolyte (CAE) and a CAN-based cathode binder. The CAE achieves high ionic conductivity and strong storage modulus (1.4 mS cm −1 and ∼ 10 5 Pa at room temperature, respectively) and enables stable long-term cycling in symmetric Li||Li cells for over 2000 h with low overpotential. When it is applied as a cathode binder in LiFePO 4 (LFP) composite electrodes (C-LFP), the CAN matrix significantly reduces interfacial resistance and enhances discharge capacity compared to conventional PVDF-based systems. Thermal treatment induces self-healing at the cathode–electrolyte interface, further improving contact and yielding a discharge capacity of 150 mAh g −1 at 0.5 C. Moreover, the dynamic CAN architecture allows efficient recovery and reuse of lithium salts from spent electrolytes through retro-DA reactions under mild conditions (∼80 °C), establishing a low-energy, cost-effective recycling pathway. In conclusion, this work presents a scalable and sustainable strategy for high-performance LMBs by integrating recyclability, interfacial healing, and PFAS-free design, offering a holistic solution aligned with circular economy principles and next-generation battery demands.

Diels–Alder↗
DOE OSTI2020

Bidirectional titration of yeast gene expression using a pooled CRISPR guide RNA approach

Most classic genetic approaches utilize binary modifications that preclude the identification of key knockdowns for essential genes or other targets that only require moderate modulation. As a complementary approach to these classic genetic methods, we describe a plasmid-based library methodology that affords bidirectional, graded modulation of gene expression enabled by tiling the promoter regions of all 969 genes that comprise the ito977 model of Saccharomyces cerevisiae’s metabolic network. When coupled with a CRISPR-dCas9–based modulation and next-generation sequencing, this method affords a library-based, bidirection titration of gene expression across all major metabolic genes. We utilized this approach in two case studies: growth enrichment on alternative sugars, glycerol and galactose, and chemical overproduction of betaxanthins, leading to the identification of unique gene targets. In particular, we identify essential genes and other targets that were missed by classic genetic approaches.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1995

DREAMS and IMAGE: A Model and Computer Implementation for Concurrent, Life-Cycle Design of Complex Systems

Computing architectures are being assembled that extend concurrent engineering practices by providing more efficient execution and collaboration on distributed, heterogeneous computing networks. Built on the successes of initial architectures, requirements for a next-generation design computing infrastructure can be developed. These requirements concentrate on those needed by a designer in decision-making processes from product conception to recycling and can be categorized in two areas: design process and design information management. A designer both designs and executes design processes throughout design time to achieve better product and process capabilities while expanding fewer resources. In order to accomplish this, information, or more appropriately design knowledge, needs to be adequately managed during product and process decomposition as well as recomposition. A foundation has been laid that captures these requirements in a design architecture called DREAMS (Developing Robust Engineering Analysis Models and Specifications). In addition, a computing infrastructure, called IMAGE (Intelligent Multidisciplinary Aircraft Generation Environment), is being developed that satisfies design requirements defined in DREAMS and incorporates enabling computational technologies.

Hale, Mark A.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Deep Space Telecommunications

The increasing load on NASA's deep Space Network, the new capabilities for deep space missions inherent in a next-generation radio telescope, and the potential of new telescope technology for reducing construction and operation costs suggest a natural marriage between radio astronomy and deep space telecommunications in developing advanced radio telescope concepts.

Kuiper, T. B. H.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Deep Space Telecommunications

The increasing load on NASA's deep Space Network, the new capabilities for deep space missions inherent in a next-generation radio telescope, and the potential of new telescope technology for reducing construction and operation costs suggest a natural marriage between radio astronomy and deep space telecommunications in developing advanced radio telescope concepts.

Deep↗
DOE OSTI2025

Leveraging dendritic complexity for neuromorphic computing

Abstract Beyond-von Neumann computing approaches are necessary to sustain the growth of microelectronics and the increasing appetite for artificial intelligence/machine learning algorithms. Neuromorphic computing is an emerging paradigm that takes inspiration from the brain to provide a path forward to improve the computational efficiency and computational density of next-generation computing architectures. In nature, we observe brains performing complex computations with a much smaller energy footprint than conventional computing approaches. Current neuromorphic systems are focused primarily on scalability, namely, increasing the number of computational units (neurons) and connections between units (synapses). However, for brain-like cognition and efficiency in next-generation computing hardware, we need increased complexity in function, as well as improved connection density for scalability. Here, we present our work that aims to incorporate dendrites for ‘compute-on-wire’ in neuromorphic architectures to increase the computational complexity (e.g. number of programmable parameters, nonlinear dynamics) as well as computational efficiency (energy/compute) of artificial neural networks (ANNs). We do this by showcasing neuromorphic dendrite elements that can be leveraged for various applications. We will present examples of neuroscience-inspired direction-selective circuits and an ANN with active dendrites leveraging shunting inhibition. We also demonstrate the benefits of using dendrites in deep neural networks. To conclude, we discuss how we can utilize emerging hardware devices in these systems and design next-generation neuromorphic architectures with dendrites.

Cardwell, Suma G. (ORCID:0000000226575545)↗
DOE OSTI2024

Complex Structure of Molten FLiBe (2 Li F – Be F 2 ) Examined by Experimental Neutron Scattering, X-Ray Scattering, and Deep-Neural-Network Based Molecular Dynamics

The use of molten salts as coolants, fuels, and tritium breeding blankets in the next generation of fission and fusion nuclear reactors benefits from furthering the characterization of the molecular structure of molten halide salts, paving the way to predictive capability of the chemical and thermophysical properties of molten salts. Due to its neutronic, chemical, and thermochemical properties, 2 Li F - Be F 2 is a candidate molten salt for several fusion- and fission-reactor designs. We performed neutron and x-ray total-scattering measurements to determine the atomic structure of liquid 2 Li F - Be F 2 . We also performed and neural-network molecular-dynamics simulations to predict the structure obtained by neutron- and x-ray-diffraction experiments. The use of machine learning provides improvements to the efficiency in predicting the structure at a longer length scales than is achievable with simulations at significantly lower computational expense while retaining near accuracy. We found that the NNMD simulations accurately predicted the Be F 4 2 − oligomer formations seen in the experimental first-structure-factor peak. Our combination of high-resolution measurements with large-scale molecular dynamics provided an avenue to explore and experimentally verify the intermediate-range ordering beyond the first-nearest neighbor that has posed too many experimental and computational challenges in previous works. With a deeper understanding of the salt structure and ion ordering, the evolution of salt chemistry over the lifetime of a reactor can be better predicted, which is crucial to the licensing and operation of advanced fission and fusion reactors that employ molten salts. To this end, this work will serve as a reference for future studies of salt structure and macroscopic properties with and without the addition of solutes. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗