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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 1,621 records · Page 90
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Cosimulating Integrated Energy Systems With Heterogeneous Digital Twins: Matching a Connected World

Energy system integration promises in-creased resiliency and the unlocking of synergies, while also contributing to our goal of decarbonization. It is enabled by both old and new technologies, glued together with data and digital services. Hydrolyzers, heat pumps, distributed renewable generation, smart buildings, and the digital grid edge are all currently the subject of integration with the power system and the energy sector at large. To plan and operate such a multidisciplinary and multisectoral system properly, insight, tools, and expertise are all needed. Further, this is exactly where the state of the art fails to deliver: tools for integrated energy systems (IESs) are still in their infancy, and many times, even academia treats these sectors separately, producing experts in each of them but not across.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
NASA NTRS1977

Investigation of a stall deterrent system utilizing an acoustic stall sensor

A simple rugged acoustic stall sensor which has an output proportional to angle of attack near wing stall has been evaluated on a Cessna 319 aircraft. A sensor position has been found on the wing where the sensor output is only slightly affected by engine power level, yaw angle, flap position and wing roughness. The NASA LRC General Aviation Simulator has been used to evaluate the acoustic sensor output as a control signal for active stall deterrent systems. It has been found that a simple control algorithm is sufficient for stall deterrence.

Bennett, A. G.↗
NASA NTRS2018

On-orbit Validation of the Geolocation Accuracy of the GOES-16 Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) Flashes Using Ground-based Laser Beacons

As part of the geolocation accuracy assessment of lightning flashes detected by the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) on the GOES-16 and GOES-17 satellites (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite), two satellite laser ranging stations employed laser beacon systems to generate transient light pulses that simulate natural lightning around 777.4 nm to validate the pre-launch spec of 5 km. The pulse width, repetition rate, wavelength, and power of the laser-pulses were configured to produce sufficient instrument response to be detected as synthetic lightning events by the GLM instrument. During the testing period from April 2017 to January 2018, the laser systems illuminated the GOES-16 satellite to observe diurnal variation of the GLM system response, with particular emphasis on geolocation accuracy. The final GOES-16 laser beacon tests, which used the latest updates of the geolocation algorithms implemented by the GOES-R Ground Segment, showed the offsets between the GLM geolocated location and the known laser locations were within 5 km.

Lightning↗
DOE OSTI2022

Quantitative Power System Resilience Metrics and Evaluation Approach: Preprint

Power system resilience is an emerging topic and plays an essential role in helping power industry understand and respond to the increasing threats of extreme weather events. The first step of power system resilience analysis is to introduce metrics to quantify the resilience reasonably. Existing resilience metrics are typically restrained by the limited data for extreme event modeling and fall short in terms of physical interpretation and comparability. This paper develops novel quantitative metrics to evaluate power system resilience in pre- and post-event contexts. The developed metrics illustrate clear physical meanings and can be effectively used to compare resilience across different systems under different extreme events. Moreover, the developed metrics can be applied to both transmission and distribution systems. Simulation on a distribution system is employed to validate the effectiveness of the proposed resilience metrics and resilience evaluation approach.

power system resilience↗
DOE OSTI2024

Method for Coupled Electromagnetic and Circuit Simulations to Evaluate Surge Arrester Performance in Protecting Equipment Against E1 HEMP

Surge arrester behavioral modeling for realistic systems embedded in an E1 high-altitude electromagnetic pulse environment inherently encompasses three interconnected complications: (1) the need to account for signal propagation across two domains, electromagnetics and electrical; (2) the need to include both linear and nonlinear circuit components in the analysis; and (3) the need to understand that the over-current and over-voltage mitigation performance is dependent not only on the properties of the surge arrester and protected load but also on the topology of the overall electrical network. This study presents a framework to address these challenges in a systematic manner to consider the effectiveness of protective measures for a common class of equipment in power generation facilities. Full-wave simulations were carried out to derive circuit-domain (i.e., lumped element–based) equivalent models for the excitation waveform and the physical components of the system. Then, these equivalent models were imported to a circuit solver and combined with a high-frequency surge arrester model to evaluate mitigation performance. The methodology outlined is general enough such that it can be applied for other electromagnetic interference problems that involve E2/E3 HEMP or microwave emissions.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS1987

RE-1000 free-piston Stirling engine hydraulic output system description

The NASA Lewis Research Center was involved in free-piston Stirling engine research since 1976. Most of the work performed in-house was related to characterization of the RE-1000 engine. The data collected from the RE-1000 tests were intended to provide a data base for the validation of Stirling cycle simulations. The RE-1000 was originally build with a dashpot load system which did not convert the output of the engine into useful power, but was merely used as a load for the engine to work against during testing. As part of the interagency program between NASA Lewis and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, (ORNL), the RE-1000 was converted into a configuration that produces useable hydraulic power. A goal of the hydraulic output conversion effort was to retain the same thermodynamic cycle that existed with the dashpot loaded engine. It was required that the design must provide a hermetic seal between the hydraulic fluid and the working gas of the engine. The design was completed and the hardware was fabricated. The RE-1000 was modified in 1985 to the hydraulic output configuration. The early part of the RE-1000 hydraulic output program consisted of modifying hardware and software to allow the engine to run at steady-state conditions. A complete description of the engine is presented in sufficient detail so that the device can be simulated on a computer. Tables are presented showing the masses of the oscillating components and key dimensions needed for modeling purposes. Graphs are used to indicate the spring rate of the diaphragms used to separate the helium of the working and bounce space from the hydraulic fluid.

Schreiber, Jeffrey G.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Human life support during interplanetary travel and domicile. II - Generic Modular Flow Schematic modeling

This paper describes the Generic Modular Flow Schematic (GMFS) architecture capable of encompassing all functional elements of a physical/chemical life support system (LSS). The GMFS can be implemented to synthesize, model, analyze, and quantitatively compare many configurations of LSSs, from a simple, completely open-loop to a very complex closed-loop. The GMFS model is coded in ASPEN, a state-of-the-art chemical process simulation program, to accurately compute the material, heat, and power flow quantities for every stream in each of the subsystem functional elements (SFEs) in the chosen configuration of a life support system. The GMFS approach integrates the various SFEs and subsystems in a hierarchical and modular fashion facilitating rapid substitutions and reconfiguration of a life support system. The comprehensive ASPEN material and energy balance output is transferred to a systems and technology assessment spreadsheet for rigorous system analysis and trade studies.

Farral, Joseph F.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Measurements of Density and Sound Speed in Mixtures Relevant to Supercritical CO2 Cycles

Abstract The objective of this research is to validate properties of mixtures relevant to supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) power cycles. Direct-fired sCO2 cycles are a promising technology for the future power generation systems. The working fluid of sCO2 cycles will be near and above critical point of CO2. One of the challenges is that the simulation of mixtures should consider real gas behavior. Expected operating conditions of Allam cycles reach up to 300 bar and 1000 °C. Characterizing the mixtures at the extreme conditions is an important issue in current researches and industrial applications. Thermophysical properties of mixtures may be beyond the valid range of the widely used database such as NIST REFPROP. Experimental data of mixture properties in the literature are limited which is necessary to develop high-fidelity design tools for sCO2 power cycles. We measured the density and sound speed of several multi-component mixtures. A temperature-controlled high-pressure test cell was used for the density measurements. Sound speed was measured by resonant frequency detection using an external speaker and a piezoelectric pressure sensor. Mixtures studied in this work include carbon dioxide, methane, oxygen, and water vapor. Properties of pure CO2 were measured to show the validity of our technique. Compositions were selected to be close to frozen mixtures at the inlet, mid-progress, and exhaust conditions of a model sCO2 combustor in the previous numerical simulation work. Corresponding reaction progress variables (RPV) were RPV = 0, 0.5, and 1. Temperature and pressure conditions of experiments are 310–450 K and 0–150 bar. In our study, density and sound speed from the NIST REFPROP database agree with experimental measurements within the range of our measurement uncertainties.

Energy & Fuels↗
DOE OSTI2020

Assessment of wind power scenario creation methods for stochastic power systems operations

Probabilistic scenarios of renewable energy production, such as wind, have been gaining popularity for use in stochastic variants of power systems operations scheduling problems, allowing for optimal decision-making under uncertainty. The quality of the scenarios has a direct impact on the value of the resulting decisions, but until now, methods for creating scenarios have not been compared under realistic operational conditions. Here, we compare the quality of scenario sets created using three different methods, based on a simulated re-enactment of stochastic day-ahead unit commitment and subsequent dispatch for a realistic test system. We create scenarios using a dataset of forecasted and actual wind power values, scaled to evaluate the effects of increasing wind penetration levels. We show that the choice of scenario set can significantly impact system operating cost, renewable energy use, and the ability of the system to meet demand. This result has implications for the ability of system operators to efficiently integrate renewable production into their day-ahead planning, highlighting the need for the use of performance-based assessments for scenario evaluation.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Decentralized Distribution System Restoration with Grid-Forming/Following Inverter-Based Resources

The high penetration of distributed energy resources (DERs) in active distribution systems has posed challenges to the centralized distribution system restoration (DSR) strategies in current practice. On the other hand, the advancement in smart inverter technologies enables the bottom-up restoration capability. This paper is motivated to develop a 3-layered hierarchical framework for decentralized DSR, based on the grid-forming (GFM) and grid-following (GFL) grid-edge inverters. The first layer presents the tertiary control, which determines the load pickup schedule and generation dispatch of DERs, using the alternating direction method of the multipliers algorithm. The second layer consists of two control functions: GFM control, which regulates voltage and frequency, establishing a stable grid for GFL inverters to follow; and GFL control, which regulates the real and reactive power. In the third layer, the primary control is proposed to regulate the inverter voltage and current, which is developed based on the virtual oscillator control (VOC). Furthermore, the developed framework is tested in the modified IEEE 13-node test feeder. Two scenarios of grid-connected and islanded operating modes are designed, and simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of decentralized DSR strategies for controlling grid-edge inverters to enhance the distribution system resilience.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2025

Numerical simulation of compressible fluid-dynamics in the chamber of inertial fusion energy systems

Here, this paper aims to establish new and innovative modeling capabilities for analyzing chambers in Inertial Fusion Energy (IFE) systems. IFE is emerging as a promising method to achieve fusion power production, but several challenges must be overcome to develop an IFE pilot plant or deploy commercial IFE systems. These challenges are both theoretical and technical, encompassing a deeper understanding of the underlying physical phenomena and the development of new technologies and materials. One of the needs is to develop mathematical models to describe IFE systems and numerical tools to simulate them. This paper contributes to this endeavor by presenting a new OpenFOAM solver for IFE systems, focusing on gas dynamics in their chambers. The analysis and development of chamber designs will play a significant role in the transition from single-shot experiments to high-repetition rates, as there is a need to protect the chamber walls from the intense radiation fields produced by fusion reactions. A promising design option, normally referred to as thick wall chamber design, consists in using lithium or molten salt jet arrays within the chamber. A critical phenomenon is the venting of high-pressure gases from the center to the external part of the chamber, passing through the blanket array. This process involves the propagation and attenuation of strong pressure waves, requiring suitable modeling approaches for compressible fluid-dynamics. The solver proposed in this work implements a multi-material hydrodynamics model tailored to accurately describe the non-linear propagation of pressure waves while avoiding numerical oscillation issues typical of high-velocity compressible simulation. This solver is verified against numerical test cases, validated against experimental data, and applied to the analysis of the High-Yield Lithium-Injection Fusion-Energy (HYLIFE-I) concept. The relevance of this paper is threefold. Firstly, it contributes to developing and testing modeling approaches for compressible fluid-dynamics phenomena, with specific focus on the new and unexplored topic of IFE thick-liquid-wall blanket modeling. Secondly, it marks one of the first applications of the OpenFOAM library in the research field of IFE systems. Finally, the investigated problem is of practical interest for IFE developers, as it provides useful indications about relevant phenomena in pressure wave propagation in the chamber of these systems.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

A Practical Comparison of Data-Driven Prognostics Methods for Energy Systems

This study explores data-driven prognostics for nuclear power plant (NPP) condensers, focusing on tube fouling. We utilized the Asherah nuclear power plant simulator (ANS) to compare four methods: Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Regressor (SVR), Fully Connected Neural Network (FCNN), and Long Short-Term Memory Neural Network (LSTM). By simulating various fouling scenarios in the ANS, we generated data with different degradation rates under transient operations. The models were trained and tested on these data, with performance evaluated visually and numerically including uncertainty assessment. The LSTM model excelled, exhibiting minimal prediction noise and the most accurate remaining useful life estimates across all degradation levels. Its ability to capture long-term dependencies and produce cleaner outputs makes it a strong candidate, although accurate training data across the entire component lifespan are crucial. The RF model emerged as a robust alternative, providing reliable predictions with high confidence. The FCNN and SVR models, while less effective overall, showed potential under specific conditions. FCNN offers a less complex alternative to LSTM and might benefit from larger datasets. SVR excels in precision when the quality of the training data is high. Furthermore, this study highlights the operational benefits of advanced prognostics in the energy sector and emphasizes the need for further research in NPP condenser health management through real-life experiments.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Real-Time Sea State Estimation for Wave Energy Converter Control via Machine Learning

Wave energy converters (WECs) harness the untapped power of ocean waves to generate renewable energy, offering a promising solution to sustainable energy. An optimal WEC control strategy is essential to maximize power capture that dynamically adjusts system parameters in response to rapidly changing sea states. This study presents a novel control approach that leverages neural networks to estimate sea states from onboard WEC measurements such as position, velocity, and force. Using a point absorber WEC device as a test platform, our proposed approach estimates sea states in real-time and subsequently adjusts PID controller gains to maximize energy extraction. Simulation results across diverse sea conditions demonstrate that our strategy eliminates the need for external wave monitoring equipment while maintaining power capture efficiency. The results show that our neural network-based control technique can improve power capture by 25.6% while significantly reducing system complexity. This approach offers a practical alternative for WEC deployments where direct wave measurements are either infeasible or cost prohibitive.

PIDcontrol↗
DOE OSTI2023

Controller Hardware-in-the-Loop Modeling and Operation of a High-Power DC Charging Hub

High-power charging (HPC) concept will be a critical enabler for the wide-scale adoption and integration of electric vehicles (EVs). HPC hubs will have a significant impact on achieving this goal, particularly when considering the charging requirements of next-generation medium and heavy-duty vehicles (MD/HD) used in various vocational scenarios. This emphasizes the significance of evaluating and confirming the technical planning and multi-level operation of HPC hubs through modeling, protocol implementation, and simulation before hardware demonstration. The focus of this study is to develop the architecture, modeling, communication, and real-time controller hardware-in-the-loop (C-HIL) simulation of HPC hubs using the DC distribution system approach. Specifically, this work demonstrates the practical implementation of a custom Smart Energy Management System (SEMS) for a real-time C-HIL HPC hub simulation using the Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) for communication. OCPP is implemented on the Node-Red framework and the custom controller is executed in Python. We developed a rule-based controller to demonstrate the proposed approach.

ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2020

System code evaluation of near-term accident tolerant claddings during pressurized water reactor station blackout accidents

Following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident in 2011, researches on Accident-tolerant fuels (ATFs) are currently of high interest in not only the nuclear industry but also governmental and international organizations. In this work, a quantitative evaluation of the performance of monolithic FeCrAl cladding and Cr-coated Zircaloy cladding has been performed for Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) Station Blackout (SBO) accidents. A generic PWR model has been built in system thermal-hydraulics code TRACE based on the Surry Nuclear Power Station with counter-current natural circulation modelling capability for hotleg and steam generator U-tube components during the accidents. The base model results are then compared to MELCOR and RELAP simulations to verify the system component implementation in TRACE. Two PWR SBO scenarios were investigated, including: short-term SBO and long-term SBO with early reactor coolant pump (RCP) seal failure. These scenarios are defined to be very similar to the accidents studied in the State-of-the-Art Reactor Consequence Analysis (SOARCA) project. TRACE code is modified to reflect the oxidation kinetics of FeCrAl and Cr-coating. Larson-Miller creep rupture model is also implemented in TARCE using its built-in control systems to simulate the creep rupture of hotlegs. Additionally, the comparison between the TRACE models with and without the counter-current flow modeling resulted in significant difference when comparing ATF cladding to Zircaloy for short term SBO, while it marginal impacted the performance during long term SBO with RCP seal failure. For short term SBO, both ATF cladding underwent hot leg creep rupture ~20 min after Zircaloy cladding. While Zircaloy and Cr-coated cladding had generated significant amount of hydrogen gas (>10 kg) before the creep rupture event, FeCrAl cladding had only generated <0.5 kg of hydrogen gas. For long term SBO with RCP seal failure, significant hydrogen generation and fuel melting was predicted before hot leg creep rupture for the ATF cladding while providing only 10–20 min additional coping time compared to Zircaloy.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1988

Field oriented control of an induction machine in a high frequency link power system

A field-oriented controlled induction machine drive operating with a high-frequency single-phase sinusoidal voltage link is presented. System performance is investigated by computer simulation and is verified by a test on a prototype system. A novel control loop to minimize the link voltage fluctuation is proposed. The capability of rapid demagnetization of the induction machine by current regulation is investigated. A current-modulation technique termed mode control is proposed, and its performance is compared with that of the conventional delta-modulation technique.

Sul, Seung K.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Tracking Radioactive Isotopes in HVAC and Application for Hot Cell Analyses - 20155

In recent years, the surge in the number of isotope production facilities under design has increased the need to analyze isotope migration in facility Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) during normal operations and accident scenarios. These facilities are used to produce isotopes for medical, security, and industrial applications and as such are subject to license and regulatory requirements 10CFR20, 10CFR30, 10CFR50, and 10CFR70. GOTHIC, a general-purpose thermal-hydraulics software package, includes the ability to model isotopic tracers, radioactive decay and isotope migration as well as HEPA and charcoal filters for isotope retention. A GOTHIC model was developed by Zachry Nuclear Engineering (ZNE) to examine the effect of negative room pressure, HEPA filtration, and HVAC fluctuations on radiation areas, hot cells and gloveboxes. Radioactive tracers were used to simulate the concentration of spills within contaminated areas, track the migration of isotopes of interest, and determine the isotopic retention and buildup on facility HEPA filters. A variety of isotopes with concern to dose (e.g., Kr-85, Sr-90, I-131, etc.), including their decay and progeny, are included in the analysis. Negative pressures are maintained in the regions of interest by a representative central HVAC system equipped with a volumetric fan that exhausts to the environment after a series of isolation valves and HEPA filters. GOTHIC is an industry trusted tool for providing engineering solutions for a variety of applications, including fission product tracking, aerosol and particulate transport and ventilation assessments. The software provides an integrated analysis environment that includes a graphical user interface (GUI) for constructing analysis models, a numerical solver that includes parallel processing capabilities and a post-processor for evaluating simulation results. It solves the conservation equations for mass, momentum and energy for multicomponent, multi-phase flow in lumped parameter and multi-dimensional geometries (1, 2, or full 3D), including the effects of turbulence, diffusion and buoyancy. It has been developed and maintained under a Quality Assurance program in compliance with the requirements of 10CFR50 Appendix B and applicable portions of ASME NQA-1 since 1995. GOTHIC has been used for assessing both forced and natural convection conditions for a wide range of applications, including: - Tracking concentration of hazardous gases and chemicals for habitability and safety assessments - Determining ventilation and filtration requirements and optimizing location and arrangement of these systems - Room heat-up, including diverse and Flexible coping strategies for Extended Loss of AC Power (FLEX/ELAP) - Equipment Qualification (EQ) A distinctive feature of GOTHIC is the ability to track many different fields/substances in a simulation, including user defined tracer elements, in the liquid, vapor and droplet fields as well as surfaces and filters. This capability allows GOTHIC to model fission product transport and release or the removal of particulates or harmful toxins from exhaust gases using a spray scrubber or other types of filtration systems. GOTHIC also includes models for engineered equipment, such as fans, filters, charcoal filters, dryers/demisters, dampers, etc. The aerosols and other filtered material are removed or accumulated in these components. The range of aerosol and radiological applications that GOTHIC has been used for includes: - Source Term: Primary Coolant (Equilibrium) Activity; Non-Water Coolant Source/Leakage. - Conditions for Iodine Re-evolution: Sump/Suppression Pool Conditions and pH; - RWST Conditions and pH. - Isotope Removal Mechanisms: Containment Sprayed and Unsprayed Region Mixing; Charcoal Filter Heating due to Iodine decay. - Radionuclide Transport and Decay: Post-LOCA Release in containment; Transport between connected Compartments and vent systems; Groundwater transport of radionuclides. - Non-Newtonian Fluid modeling for sludge, waste tanks, etc. ADAMS ML071581053 (titled 'Best Practice Guidelines for the use of CFD in Nuclear Reactor Safety Applications') poses guidelines for applying single phase CFD codes in nuclear reactor safety problems and GOTHIC is listed as a 'tool for 3D flows' and 'dispersal and deposition of radionuclides.' The Nuclear Quality Assurance (NQA) pedigree of GOTHIC is an important aspect for applications in the nuclear industry. The fundamental tracer models (convective transport, molecular and turbulent diffusion, removal mechanisms, etc.) have been verified using analytical solutions and validated against applicable separate effects tests. Also, GOTHIC has been benchmarked to many integrated effects tests, including Phebus FP (Fission Product). GOTHIC gives good agreement for the buildup and decay of fission products in Phebus Test 3. The model developed by ZNE demonstrates GOTHIC's applicability and acceptability for use in analyzing the migration and retention of radioactive isotopes and their progeny in normal operation and accident scenario analyses for isotope production facilities, hot cells, and gloveboxes. The tracer activities calculated by GOTHIC can then be used in downstream radiation transport and shielding codes like RADTRAD-NAI{sup C}, MCNP{sup R}, and MicroShield{sup R} to determine on-site and of-site doses. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2021

Dynamical System Scaling Application to Zircaloy Cladding Thermal Response During Reactivity-Initiated Accident Experiment

New fuel design and development currently requires 20 to 25 years to be qualified for use by the nuclear power industry. The thermal-hydraulics community has taken advantage of scaling theory to design reduced scale experiments that correctly preserve dominant key phenomena while quantifying distorted phenomena. These techniques can be leveraged in the design and analysis of fuel performance experiments to help reduce the timeline associated with fuel design and development. This study uses the Dynamical System Scaling (DSS) method to analyze cladding temperature data from the recent SETH-C experiment in the TREAT facility and accompanying BISON simulations to assess dynamic distortions occurring throughout the fast power excursion transient. The DSS analysis revealed that on the cool down from peak cladding temperature that the fuel radial power profile is the most sensitive modeling parameter with a heterogenous radial peaking factor corresponding to the lowest distortion compared to a uniform energy deposition. For the heat up to peak cladding temperature the heterogeneous radial power profile corresponded to the shortest process action. Finally, for the heat up to peak cladding temperature, the gap conductance model sensitivity was quantified using process action and shows that the default Light Water Reactor gap conductance model corresponded to the longest process action.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗