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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 OSTI2017

Inventory and Waste Characterization Status Report

This report provides an update to Sassani et al. (2016) and includes: (1) an updated set of inputs (Sections 2.3) on various additional waste forms (WF) covering both DOE-managed spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and DOE-managed (as) high-level waste (HLW) for use in the inventory represented in the geologic disposal safety analyses (GDSA); (2) summaries of evaluations initiated to refine specific characteristics of particular WF for future use (Section 2.4); (3) updated development status of the Online Waste Library (OWL) database (Section 3.1.2) and an updated user guide to OWL (Section 3.1.3); and (4) status updates (Section 3.2) for the OWL inventory content, data entry checking process, and external OWL BETA testing initiated in fiscal year 2017.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
NASA NTRS1982

Magnetically suspended Stirling cryogenic space refrigerator Status report

At the 1979 Cryogenic Engineering Conference, attention was given to conceptual designs of spaceborne cryogenic refrigeration systems which can provide long-term, unattended operation. Since that time, efforts have continued to translate one of those concepts into an engineering model. The present investigation is concerned with a refrigerator which was designed to generate 5 W of cooling power at a temperature of 65 K. The compression heat of the refrigerator is dissipated at a temperature of 300 K, and the output of the system is to be maintained reliably for a period of five years or longer. The refrigerator design is based on the Stirling cycle, which has an ideal efficiency equal to that of the Carnot cycle. Attention is given to some background information concerning a cryogenic refrigerator, the design of the refrigerator components, and the development status. The magnetic bearings and the linear motors have been tested at the component level.

Daniels, A.↗
NASA NTRS2011

International Space Station Acoustics - A Status Report

It is important to control acoustic noise aboard the International Space Station (ISS) to provide a satisfactory environment for voice communications, crew productivity, and restful sleep, and to minimize the risk for temporary and permanent hearing loss. Acoustic monitoring is an important part of the noise control process on ISS, providing critical data for trend analysis, noise exposure analysis, validation of acoustic analysis and predictions, and to provide strong evidence for ensuring crew health and safety, thus allowing Flight Certification. To this purpose, sound level meter (SLM) measurements and acoustic noise dosimetry are routinely performed. And since the primary noise sources on ISS include the environmental control and life support system (fans and airflow) and active thermal control system (pumps and water flow), acoustic monitoring will indicate changes in hardware noise emissions that may indicate system degradation or performance issues. This paper provides the current acoustic levels in the ISS modules and sleep stations, and is an update to the status presented in 20031. Many new modules, and sleep stations have been added to the ISS since that time. In addition, noise mitigation efforts have reduced noise levels in some areas. As a result, the acoustic levels on the ISS have improved.

Allen, Christopher S.↗
DOE OSTI2019

FY 18 Status Report on the Computing Systems for the Yucca Mountain Project TSPA-LA Models and Inventory of Software used for Process Models

Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) continued evaluation of total system performance assessment (TSPA) computing systems for the previously considered Yucca Mountain Project (YMP). This was done to maintain the operational readiness of the computing infrastructure (computer hardware and software) and knowledge capability for total system performance assessment (TSPA) type analysis, as directed by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), DOE 2010. This work is a continuation of the ongoing readiness evaluation reported in Lee and Hadgu (2014), Hadgu et al. (2015) and Hadgu and Appel (2016), and Hadgu et al. (2017). The TSPA computing hardware (2014 server cluster -CL2014) and storage system described in Hadgu et al. (2015) were used for the current analysis. One floating license of Gold Sim with Versions 9.60.300, 10.5, 11.1 and 12.0 was installed on the cluster head node, and its distributed processing capability was mapped on the cluster processors. Other supporting software were tested and installed to support the TSPA-type analysis on the server cluster. The FY18 task included developing an inventory of software used for the Yucca Mountain Project process models and preliminary assessment of status of the software; enhancing security of the cluster and setting a backup system. The 2014 server cluster and supporting software systems are fully operational to support TSPA-LA type analysis.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
NASA NTRS1999

HSR Propulsion System Studies: A Status Report on the Down-Select Process

When the HSR program began there was widespread belief that a simple and familiar turbojet-like engine coupled to an advanced technology mixer-ejector nozzle was the propulsion system of choice for achieving FAR 36-Stage 3 noise requirements. Our ability to quickly demonstrate a practical 20(+) dB suppression nozzle was confidently presumed by many. Our rate of progress towards that objective, however, has been somewhat humbling. At the moment we are reasonably confident of achieving about 15 dB suppression with a mixer-ejector nozzle designed for a high specific thrust turbojet-like cycle. Therefore, if we make no further suppression progress and conservatively assume no new operational procedures such as programmed lapse rate (PLR), then meeting the Stage 3 goal requires a large amount of engine and/or wing oversizing which is economically prohibitive. The scenario is further aggravated by the possibility of eventually needing to comply with even more stringent regulations (Stage 4). While this status may be somewhat disappointing to some, it must be remembered that the HSR program plan involves two generations of mixer-ejector nozzles beyond the current generation I nozzle designs. It is premature to conclude that we cannot design a practical 20(+) dB mixer-ejector nozzle. On the other hand, it is prudent to consider alternative solutions to the noise problem. Thus, we are investigating four other propulsion system concepts.

Strack, W. C.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Status report on emerging photovoltaics

This report provides a snapshot of emerging photovoltaic (PV) technologies. It consists of concise contributions from experts in a wide range of fields including silicon, thin film, III-V, perovskite, organic, and dye-sensitized PVs. Strategies for exceeding the detailed balance limit and for light managing are presented, followed by a section detailing key applications and commercialization pathways. A section on sustainability then discusses the need for minimization of the environmental footprint in PV manufacturing and recycling. The report concludes with a perspective based on broad survey questions presented to the contributing authors regarding the needs and future evolution of PV.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Cryogenic Carbon Capture™ (CCC) Status Report

The Cryogenic Carbon Capture™ (CCC) process separates CO2 from light gases in essentially any continuous process. CCC cools the gases to the frost or desublimation point of CO2 (-100 to -135 °C), separates and pressurizes the solids, and warms all streams to produce a CO2-depleted stream at ambient pressure and a pure (99+%) pressurized liquid CO2 stream typically to about 150 bar, both at ambient temperature. The process also recovers all gas moisture and most gas impurities less volatile than CO2 (NOx, SOx, Hg, PM, UHC, CCC, etc.) in separable streams. CCC nearly eliminates refrigeration energy for sensible temperature changes through heat integration. CCC does require energy to change the CO2 phase from a mixed vapor to a pressurized fluid, which represents the minimum energy required of any process for this separation. CCC uses additional energy for turbomachinery inefficiencies, heat losses, moisture removal and overall process pressure drop. Aside from these real-world energy demands, CCC operates near the minimum energy required to perform this gas separation by minimizing stream recycling. CCC compresses CO2 as a liquid, which is one of several reasons it costs about about half as much and consumes about half as much energy as an amine process when using flue gases with about 15% CO2. The process also has several major additional advantages, including (a) it is a bolt-on retrofit technology that does not need steam or any modification of existing equipment, (b) it recovers water and nearly all pollutants in addition to CO2 from the flue gas, (c) it enables highly efficient and cost effective energy storage at grid scale and on time scales of minutes, (d) it enables NG storage if the energy storage option is used, and (d) it has a small footprint and is minimally disruptive to existing plants, requiring only electrical power and a gas source to operate. Sustainable Energy Solutions (SES) has scaled this technology through several levels, the largest of which captures nominally 1 tonne of CO2/day and is called the skid system. Skid system field tests include utility-scale power plants, cement plants, heating plants, and other utility or industrial sites that burn natural gas, biomass, coal, shredded tires, municipal waste, and combinations of these fuels. These field tests produced 95-99% CO2 capture with CO2 purities of 99+% and initial CO2 contents that range from 4 to 28%. SES currently seeks to scale the system to merchant scale (10-80 tonnes of CO2 per day). In the process of doing so, SES has demonstrated the potential for CCC to contribute to energy storage and direct air capture in innovative and cost-effective ways. This presentation discusses the overall process and highlights results from field and in-house tests. These include (a) measured CO2 capture rates and operating conditions from in-house and field tests, and (b) predicted utility-scale costs and energy demands. This discussion also includes the application of the CCC technology to energy storage and direct air capture.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2017

MPAS-Ocean NESAP Status Report

NESAP performance improvements on MPAS-Ocean have resulted in a 5% to 7% speed-up on each of the examined systems including Cori-KNL, Cori-Haswell, and Edison. These tests were configured to emulate a production workload by using 128 nodes and a high-resolution ocean domain. Overall, the gap between standard and many-core architecture performance has been narrowed, but Cori-KNL remains considerably under-performing relative to Edison. NESAP code alterations affected 600 lines of code, and most of these improvements will benefit other MPAS codes (sea ice, land ice) that are also components within ACME. Modifications are fully tested within MPAS. Testing in ACME across many platforms is underway, and must be completed before the code is merged. In addition, a ten-year production ACME global simulation was conducted on Cori-KNL in late 2016 with the pre-NESAP code in order to test readiness and configurations for scientific studies. Next steps include assessing performance across a range of nodes, threads per node, and ocean resolutions on Cori-KNL.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2017

FY17 Status Report on the Initial Development of a Constitutive Model for Grade 91 Steel

Grade 91 is a candidate structural material for high temperature advanced reactor applications. Existing ASME Section III, Subsection HB, Subpart B simplified design rules based on elastic analysis are setup as conservative screening tools with the intent to supplement these screening rules with full inelastic analysis when required. The Code provides general guidelines for suitable inelastic models but does not provide constitutive model implementations. This report describes the development of an inelastic constitutive model for Gr. 91 steel aimed at fulfilling the ASME Code requirements and being included into a new Section III Code appendix, HBB-Z. A large database of over 300 experiments on Gr. 91 was collected and converted to a standard XML form. Five families of Gr. 91 material models were identified in the literature. Of these five, two are potentially suitable for use in the ASME code. These two models were implemented and evaluated against the experimental database. Both models have deficiencies so the report develops a framework for developing and calibrating an improved model. This required creating a new modeling method for representing changes in material rate sensitivity across the full ASME allowable temperature range for Gr. 91 structural components: room temperature to 650° C. On top of this framework for rate sensitivity the report describes calibrating a model for work hardening and softening in the material using genetic algorithm optimization. Future work will focus on improving this trial model by including tension/compression asymmetry observed in experiments and necessary to capture material ratcheting under zero mean stress and by improving the optimization and analysis framework.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2017

FY2017 status report: Model 9975 O-ring fixture long-term leak performance

A series of experiments to monitor the aging performance of Viton® GLT and GLT-S O-rings used in the Model 9975 shipping package has been ongoing since 2004 at the Savannah River National Laboratory. One approach has been to periodically evaluate the leak performance of O-rings being aged in mock-up 9975 Primary Containment Vessels (PCVs) at elevated temperature. Other methods such as compression-stress relaxation (CSR) tests and field surveillance are also on-going to evaluate O-ring behavior. Seventy tests using PCV mock-ups with GLT O-rings were assembled and heated to temperatures ranging from 200 to 450 ºF. They were leak-tested initially and have been tested periodically to determine if they continue to meet the leak-tightness criterion defined in ANSI standard N14.5-97. Due to material substitution, a smaller test matrix with fourteen additional tests was initiated in 2008 with GLT-S O-rings heated to temperatures ranging from 200 to 400 ºF. Leak test failures have been experienced in all of the GLT O-ring fixtures aging at 350 ºF and higher temperatures, and in 8 fixtures aging at 300 ºF. The 300 °F GLT O-ring fixtures failed after 2.8 to 5.7 years at temperature. The remaining GLT O-ring fixtures aging at 300 ºF were retired from testing following more than 5 years at temperature without failure. No failures have yet been observed in GLT O-ring fixtures aging at 200 ºF for 9 to 10.5 years, or in GLT O-ring fixtures aging at 270 ºF for 5.7 years. These aging temperatures bound O-ring temperatures anticipated during normal storage in K-Area Complex (KAC). Leak test failures have been experienced in all of the GLT-S O-ring fixtures aging at 300 ºF and above. No failures have yet been observed in GLT-S O-ring fixtures aging at 200 and 250 ºF for 6.9 to 7.5 years. Data from the O-ring fixtures are generally consistent with results from compression stress relaxation testing, and provide confidence in the predictive models based on those results. However, uncertainty still exists in extrapolating these elevated temperature results to the lower temperatures of interest for normal storage in KAC. Measurement of compression set in O-rings removed from failed fixtures, compared to that from KAC surveillance O-rings, indicates margin remains for O-rings still in service. Aging and periodic leak testing will continue for the remaining PCV fixtures.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2017

FY17 Status Report on the Initial EPP Finite Element Analysis of Grade 91 Steel

This report describes a modification to the elastic-perfectly plastic (EPP) strain limits design method to account for cyclic softening in Gr. 91 steel. The report demonstrates that the unmodified EPP strain limits method described in current ASME code case is not conservative for materials with substantial cyclic softening behavior like Gr. 91 steel. However, the EPP strain limits method can be modified to be conservative for softening materials by using softened isochronous stress-strain curves in place of the standard curves developed from unsoftened creep experiments. The report provides softened curves derived from inelastic material simulations and factors describing the transformation of unsoftened curves to a softened state. Furthermore, the report outlines a method for deriving these factors directly from creep/fatigue tests. If the material softening saturates the proposed EPP strain limits method can be further simplified, providing a methodology based on temperature-dependent softening factors that could be implemented in an ASME code case allowing the use of the EPP strain limits method with Gr. 91. Finally, the report demonstrates the conservatism of the modified method when applied to inelastic simulation results and two bar experiments.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2017

FY17 Status Report on Testing Supporting the Inclusion of Grade 91 Steel as an Acceptable Material for Application of the EPP Methodology

This report summarizes the experiments performed in FY17 on Gr. 91 steels. The testing of Gr. 91 has technical significance because, currently, it is the only approved material for Class A construction that is strongly cyclic softening. Specific FY17 testing includes the following activities for Gr. 91 steel. First, two types of key feature testing have been initiated, including two-bar thermal ratcheting and Simplified Model Testing (SMT). The goal is to qualify the Elastic – Perfectly Plastic (EPP) design methodologies and to support incorporation of these rules for Gr. 91 into the ASME Division 5 Code. The preliminary SMT test results show that Gr. 91 is most damaging when tested with compression hold mode under the SMT creep fatigue testing condition. Two-bar thermal ratcheting test results at a temperature range between 350 to 650o C were compared with the EPP strain limits code case evaluation, and the results show that the EPP strain limits code case is conservative. The material information obtained from these key feature tests can also be used to verify its material model. Second, to provide experimental data in support of the viscoplastic material model development at Argonne National Laboratory, selective tests were performed to evaluate the effect of cyclic softening on strain rate sensitivity and creep rates. The results show the prior cyclic loading history decreases the strain rate sensitivity and increases creep rates. In addition, isothermal cyclic stress-strain curves were generated at six different temperatures, and a nonisothermal thermomechanical testing was also performed to provide data to calibrate the viscoplastic material model.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2017

FY17 Status Report: Research on Stress Corrosion Cracking of SNF Interim Storage Canisters.

This progress report describes work done in FY17 at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) to assess the localized corrosion performance of container/cask materials used in the interim storage of spent nuclear fuel (SNF). Of particular concern is stress corrosion cracking (SCC), by which a through-wall crack could potentially form in a canister outer wall over time intervals that are shorter than possible dry storage times. Work in FY17 refined our understanding of the chemical and physical environment on canister surfaces, and evaluated the relationship between chemical and physical environment and the form and extent of corrosion that occurs. The SNL corrosion work focused predominantly on pitting corrosion, a necessary precursor for SCC, and process of pit-to-crack transition; it has been carried out in collaboration with university partners. SNL is collaborating with several university partners to investigate SCC crack growth experimentally, providing guidance for design and interpretation of experiments.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2017

Status Report on Laboratory Testing and International Collaborations in Salt.

This report is a summary of the international collaboration and laboratory work funded by the US Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy Spent Fuel and Waste Science & Technology (SFWST) as part of the Sandia National Laboratories Salt R&D work package. This report satisfies milestone levelfour milestone M4SF-17SN010303014. Several stand-alone sections make up this summary report, each completed by the participants. The first two sections discuss international collaborations on geomechanical benchmarking exercises (WEIMOS) and bedded salt investigations (KOSINA), while the last three sections discuss laboratory work conducted on brucite solubility in brine, dissolution of borosilicate glass into brine, and partitioning of fission products into salt phases.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2017

NMSBA Leveraged Project Interim Status Report

We have investigated the quality of copper particles available on the market today and determined their complete unsuitability to be used for copper inks, since all of them were significantly oxidized: there was only 50% of metallic copper in each batch and the rest was Cu 2 O and CuO. To date, we have fully identified the challenges and developed the synthesis for large amounts of the copper ink precursor, namely, copper(I) mesityl. Currently, the amounts of tens of grams of the precursor have been obtained. From this precursor, four small batches of copper nanoparticles (50 mg each) have been synthesized to investigate the possibility of decreasing particle sensitivity to oxygen. These particles have been treated with different surface-stabilizing agents (namely, octylamine, oleylamine, pyridine, benzotriazole, and dodecanethiol) in order to investigate their influence on particle oxygen sensitivity. A batch of copper nanoparticles in the amount of 2 grams has also been synthesized in order to start preparation of test ink batches with different solvents, surfactants, and stabilizers.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2017

FY17 Status Report on the Computing Systems for the Yucca Mountain Project TSPA-LA Models.

Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) continued evaluation of total system performance assessment (TSPA) computing systems for the previously considered Yucca Mountain Project (YMP). This was done to maintain the operational readiness of the computing infrastructure (computer hardware and software) and knowledge capability for total system performance assessment (TSPA) type analysis, as directed by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), DOE 2010. This work is a continuation of the ongoing readiness evaluation reported in Lee and Hadgu (2014), Hadgu et al. (2015) and Hadgu and Appel (2016). The TSPA computing hardware (CL2014) and storage system described in Hadgu et al. (2015) were used for the current analysis. One floating license of GoldSim with Versions 9.60.300, 10.5, 11.1 and 12.0 was installed on the cluster head node, and its distributed processing capability was mapped on the cluster processors. Other supporting software were tested and installed to support the TSPA- type analysis on the server cluster. The current tasks included preliminary upgrade of the TSPA-LA from Version 9.60.300 to the latest version 12.0 and address DLL-related issues observed in the FY16 work. The model upgrade task successfully converted the Nominal Modeling case to GoldSim Versions 11.1/12. Conversions of the rest of the TSPA models were also attempted but program and operational difficulties precluded this. Upgrade of the remaining of the modeling cases and distributed processing tasks is expected to continue. The 2014 server cluster and supporting software systems are fully operational to support TSPA-LA type analysis.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗