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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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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Artemis III and IV Crew Health and Performance System Model Development

To maintain Crew Health and Performance (CHP) during an Artemis mission, the NASA Human Research Program (HRP) and Exploration Medical Capabilities (ExMC) element recognize the challenge that many different vehicles, habitats, and operational groups must come together to develop and implement cross program capabilities. To address this challenge, the ExMC team created the prototype 2023 Artemis CHP System Model to analyze how human system requirements are implemented throughout an Artemis mission and help understand the effects of changing an individual vehicle or habitat requirement on a full mission. Since presenting this work at the 2024 HRP Investigators’ Workshop, ExMC has continued this effort, now called the Artemis III and IV CHP System Model, to better support its operational end users within the NASA Human Health and Performance Directorate (HHPD) workforce. In this presentation, we will recapitulate how visualizing requirements and their relationships using a Model-Based Systems Engineering approach (MBSE) serves to improve understanding of an Artemis mission’s CHP capabilities along with discussion on updates made to the model to increase accessibility for users within HHPD so that it may be used in the development of cross program CHP capabilities at NASA.

Crew Health and Performance↗
NASA NTRS2026

Raising TRL of Your Lunar Payload

Preparing payloads for the lunar surface requires rigorous testing that accurately captures the extreme environmental and operational conditions. This presentation provides an overview of the lunar relevant test capabilities at NASA JSC’s Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) laboratories as well as the Energy System Test Area (ESTA) Lunar Development and Test Facility. These facilities allow teams to assess hardware performance in dusty vacuum environments, characterize interactions with high fidelity lunar regolith simulants, evaluate mechanical and thermal durability, and understand the effects of micrometeoroid and orbital debris impacts—critical factors for certifying payloads that will operate on the lunar surface or in orbit. While Lunar power challenges such as variable illumination, extreme temperatures, and dust driven degradation will be briefly summarized, the focus of this talk is on how JSC’s test infrastructure enables developers to validate designs, reduce mission risk, and ensure compatibility with CLPS and Artemis objectives. NASA JSC’s expertise and experience help industry, academic, and government teams prepare robust hardware ready for successful delivery and operation on the surface of the Moon.

Lunar Regolith Simulant↗
NASA NTRS2026

Raising TRL of Your Lunar Payload

Preparing payloads for the lunar surface requires rigorous testing that accurately captures the extreme environmental and operational conditions. This presentation provides an overview of the lunar relevant test capabilities at NASA JSC’s Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) laboratories as well as the Energy System Test Area (ESTA) Lunar Development and Test Facility. These facilities allow teams to assess hardware performance in dusty vacuum environments, characterize interactions with high fidelity lunar regolith simulants, evaluate mechanical and thermal durability, and understand the effects of micrometeoroid and orbital debris impacts—critical factors for certifying payloads that will operate on the lunar surface or in orbit. While Lunar power challenges such as variable illumination, extreme temperatures, and dust driven degradation will be briefly summarized, the focus of this talk is on how JSC’s test infrastructure enables developers to validate designs, reduce mission risk, and ensure compatibility with CLPS and Artemis objectives. NASA JSC’s expertise and experience help industry, academic, and government teams prepare robust hardware ready for successful delivery and operation on the surface of the Moon.

Laboratories↗
DOE OSTI2020

DOE-ART HT(G)R R&D Overview

The US Government currently has no plans to finance or build advanced nuclear reactors. Instead, the DOE performs research and development to raise the technological readiness of new concepts, fuels and component materials so that private industrial partners are more likely to design and build plants. Develop technologies that can enable new concepts and designs to achieve greater levels of safety and resilience, flexibility of use, sustainability and construction or operational affordability. Collaborate with industry to identify and conduct essential research to reduce technical risk associated with advanced reactor technologies. Sustain essential technical expertise and capabilities within national laboratories, universities, and industry to perform needed research. Collaborate with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Standards Developing Organizations (ASME, ANS, ANSI, etc.) to address gaps in codes and standards to support advanced reactor designs

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Nuclear Science User Facilities: Instrument Scientist Program

The traditional single institution User Facility model prevalent in the DOE complex funds Instrument Scientists (IS) full-time to collaborate with and guide users, disseminate results through publication, build a broad and competent user base, continuously improve instrumentation, enhance data collection methods, and improve data analysis methods. This model focuses the Instrument Scientist on ensuring that visiting researchers obtain the best and most comprehensive data. Instrument Scientists are also expected to establish personal research programs based on the use of the instrument(s) under their charge, which allows for further advances in instrumentation and science. This model ensures that the User Facility offers unique, world-leading instruments and data analysis to the user community, creates high demand among top researchers for the use of these capabilities, and as a result, positively impacts science and technology in the United States.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Enhanced Integer Permutation based Genetic Algorithm for Optimization of Tube-Fin Heat Exchanger Circuitry with Splits and Merges

Tube-fin heat exchangers (HXs) are widely used in air-conditioning and heat pump applications. The performance of these heat exchangers is strongly influenced by the refrigerant circuitry. Studies have proved that by optimizing the refrigerant circuitry, the performance of HXs can be significantly improved. In our previous research, an Integer Permutation based Genetic Algorithm (IPGA) was developed to obtain the optimal circuitry designs. Our previous research showed that IPGA demonstrates superior capability to obtain better refrigerant circuitries with lower computational cost than the other methods in literature. And the optimal circuitry designs obtained from IPGA are manufacturable with the available tooling. However, the IPGA developed previously cannot generate designs with splitting and merging of circuits. To remedy this limitation, a new chromosome which can represent circuitry with splitting and merging of circuits is developed. In addition to the six genetic operators implemented previously, two new genetic operators are developed to generate splits and merges. As a result, the enhanced IPGA can explore the solution space more thoroughly than the previous IPGA. A case study using an evaporator from an A-type indoor unit shows that, given the similar capacity improvements obtained from the enhanced IPGA compared with the previous IPGA, the refrigerant pressure drop reduction obtained from the enhanced IPGA is 26.5% compared against 1.0% pressure drop reduction from the previous IPGA. The benchmark of the enhanced IPGA with other methods in literature demonstrates that the enhanced IPGA can generate circuitry designs with performance superior to those obtained from other methods.

LI, Zhenning↗
DOE OSTI2024

Conceptual Design of Neutron Sensor Qualification Device

The Advanced Sensors and Instrumentation Program at Idaho National Laboratory has been formulating strategies to qualify sensors for use in nuclear environments, particularly in irradiation experiments and advanced reactors. When qualifying neutron sensors for use in high-temperature environments, the wide range of neutron flux levels and representative energy spectra presents significant challenges. This paper discusses the development of the Neutron Sensor Qualification Device (NQD), which is designed to test neutron sensors in high temperature controlled environments with known neutron spectra, addressing the spatial and spectral complexities of neutron fluxes in reactor cores. The proposed NQD will be situated in the exposure room at the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, thus affording a unique capability to expose sensors to high neutron and gamma fluxes. To achieve thermal control, the device will utilize a radiation-hardened tube furnace, accommodating multiple sensors and neutron activation dosimetry wires. Titanium, iron, and cobalt dosimeter wires are chosen from the American Society for Testing and Materials and International Reactor Dosimetry and Fusion File libraries as references for providing energy-dependent fluence measurements. The design ensures precise sensor positioning to minimize mutual shielding and flux perturbation, which are evaluated via Monte Carlo N particle Transport Code (MCNP) simulations. These simulations have informed the development of guidelines on sensor placement within the NQD. The NQD is essential to the qualification of neutron sensors for advanced reactor technologies. It enables controlled testing of a statistically significant number of sensors, thereby supporting assessments of sensor performance across various neutron flux levels and temperatures. This paper highlights the detailed planning for the NQD prototype, along with its inaugural irradiation (scheduled for fiscal year [FY] 2025). The results from this initial testing will be fundamental in evaluating the device’s performance and establishing measurement uncertainty for in-pile neutron sensor measurements.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2025

Nature-GL: A Revolutionary Learning Paradigm Unleashing Nature’s Power in Real-World Spatial-Temporal Graph Learning

Spatial-Temporal Graph Learning (ST-GL) is a prominent research area due to its unique capability to effectively learn real-world graphs. Applications of ST-GL pose stringent and various demands on not only real-time inference with low energy cost and high ac- curacy but also fast training. Unfortunately, as Moore’s Law approaches its limits and ST-GL model complexity drastically grows, the gap between digital hardware’s computational power and ST- GL application demands is widening. In response, this paper introduces Nature-GL, a nature-powered graph learning paradigm that exploits the principle of entropy increase to advance graph learning. In particular, Nature-GL transforms both the training and inference of real-valued ST-GL into electron-speed natural anneal- ing processes of a parameterized dynamical system that represents the target graphs. Experimental results across four real-world ap- plications with six datasets demonstrate that Nature-GL achieves orders-of-magnitude speedups in both training and inference, delivering higher accuracy compared to Graph Neural Networks.

Liu, Chuan [University of Rochester]↗
DOE OSTI2025

Advancing Water Power Technology With State-of-the-Art Facilities

At the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL's) water research facilities, our experts have access to a suite of capabilities needed to develop the next great water power innovation and optimize existing ones. The lab's facilities cover five phases of the validation life cycle to ensure marine energy technologies can survive harsh open-water environments. From prototype fabrication to grid integration at all scales, NREL offers end-to-end marine energy device design and validation capabilities.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2025

Enhancing Post-Irradiation Examination (PIE) Efficiency with High-Throughput Experiments

Nuclear materials testing is essential for understanding changes in reactor environments, but traditional methods are costly and time-consuming. High-Throughput Experimentation (HTE) enables rapid screening and optimization of material properties by significantly increasing the number of specimens in the experiment. In this work, HTE methods were employed to irradiate novel materials at the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at Idaho National Laboratory. A total of 367 sub-sized tensile specimens were irradiated using the standard capsule design. To facilitate HTE, automated systems such as the Automated Mechanical Testing System were implemented for mechanical testing within hot cell environments, thereby reducing the need for manual interaction with hot cell manipulators and significantly lowering both the cost and duration of experiments. Digital image correlation (DIC) was used to measure displacement during mechanical testing, providing precise, non-contact measurement capabilities. The methodologies developed in this research will support the advancement of HTE techniques for future nuclear materials testing experiments at ATR. This approach allows for more efficient and cost-effective evaluation of new materials, ultimately leading to improved reactor performance, enhanced safety, and extended longevity within the nuclear industry.

22 - GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Sandia Wind Energy Program: FY22 Accomplishments

This report summarizes Fiscal Year 2022 accomplishments from Sandia National Laboratories Wind Energy Program. The portfolio consists of funding provided by the DOE EERE Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO), Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO), and the Sandia Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program. These accomplishments were made possible through capabilities investments by WETO, internal Sandia investment, and partnerships between Sandia and other national laboratories, universities, and research institutions around the world. Sandia’s Wind Energy Program is primarily built around core capabilities as expressed in the strategic plan thrust areas, with 29 staff members in the Wind Energy Design and Experimentation department and the Wind Energy Computational Sciences department leading and supporting R&D at the time of this report. Staff from other departments at Sandia support the program by leveraging Sandia’s unique capabilities in other disciplines.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS2015

Multilateral Research Opportunities in Ground Analogs

The global economy forces many nations to consider their national investments and make difficult decisions regarding their investment in future exploration. International collaboration provides an opportunity to leverage other nations' investments to meet common goals. The Humans In Space Community shares a common goal to enable safe, reliable, and productive human space exploration within and beyond Low Earth Orbit. Meeting this goal requires efficient use of limited resources and International capabilities. The International Space Station (ISS) is our primary platform to conduct microgravity research targeted at reducing human health and performance risks for exploration missions. Access to ISS resources, however, is becoming more and more constrained and will only be available through 2020 or 2024. NASA's Human Research Program (HRP) is actively pursuing methods to effectively utilize the ISS and appropriate ground analogs to understand and mitigate human health and performance risks prior to embarking on human exploration of deep space destinations. HRP developed a plan to use ground analogs of increasing fidelity to address questions related to exploration missions and is inviting International participation in these planned campaigns. Using established working groups and multilateral panels, the HRP is working with multiple Space Agencies to invite International participation in a series of 30- day missions that HRP will conduct in the US owned and operated Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA) during 2016. In addition, the HRP is negotiating access to Antarctic stations (both US and non-US), the German :envihab and Russian NEK facilities. These facilities provide unique capabilities to address critical research questions requiring longer duration simulation or isolation. We are negotiating release of international research opportunities to ensure a multilateral approach to future analog research campaigns, hoping to begin multilateral campaigns in the latter facilities by 2017. Collaborative use of analog facilities and shared investment in the development of spaceflight countermeasures through multilateral campaigns or missions that leverage the global scientific community will focus high quality research and provide sufficient power to accelerate the development of countermeasures and drive sound recommendations for exploration missions. This panel will provide an overview of efforts to encourage and facilitate multilateral collaboration in analog missions or campaigns and describe the facilities currently under consideration to reach the common goal of enabling safe, reliable, and productive human space exploration.

Corbin, Barbara J.↗
NASA NTRS2018

UTM RTT CWG Concept & Use Cases Package #2

The Concept & Use Cases Package #2: Technical Capability Level 3 document represents the collaborative research efforts between the FAA and NASA as joint members of the Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM) Research Transition Team (RTT). Contained in this document are the 1) Terms and Definitions, 2) Foundational Principles, 3) Concept Narratives, 4) Use Cases, 5) Operational Views, and 6) Roles and Responsibilities of actors interacting within what is considered to be encompassed by Technical Capability Level 3 UTM operating environments. The contents of Package #2 should NOT be considered established policy or construed as regulatory in nature. What is presented is meant to communicate the current, agreed upon understanding between the FAA and NASA on particular features of UTM as exemplified through use cases and concept narratives for the purposes of supporting joint NASA/Industry Demonstrations and the UTM Pilot Program. It is also meant to foster discussion and refinement of the concepts and approaches being pursued by the other RTT working groups.

RTT↗
DOE OSTI2021

Monitoring and Enhancing Plant Productivity

Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory are developing extensive capabilities to improve plant drought tolerance; water and nutrient use efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture and natural systems. By monitoring plant function, stress responses, water and nutrient use, greenhouse gas emissions, and analyzing rhizosphere and plant microbiomes, results have shown improved plant performance and stress tolerance, production of plant pro- and prebiotics, and ability to control greenhouse gas emissions from indoor and outdoor agricultural systems. We seek a commercialization partner to fund precision agriculture specific research & development (R&D) through a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA). Our goal is to further research and develop our laboratory scale capabilities with a collaborative partner to achieve two goals: 1) reduce the use of water and fertilization in agricultural systems; and 2) create carbon neutral food and energy technologies to support precision agriculture at commercial scale.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1989

Views on the impact of HOST

The Hot Section Technology (HOST) Project, which was initiated by NASA Lewis Research Center in 1980 and concluded in 1987, was aimed at improving advanced aircraft engine hot section durability through better technical understanding and more accurate design analysis capability. The project was a multidisciplinary, multiorganizational, focused research effort that involved 21 organizations and 70 research and technology activities and generated approximately 250 research reports. No major hardware was developed. To evaluate whether HOST had a significant impact on the overall aircraft engine industry in the development of new engines, interviews were conducted with 41 participants in the project to obtain their views. The summarized results of these interviews are presented. Emphasis is placed on results relative to three-dimensional inelastic structural analysis, thermomechanical fatigue testing, constitutive modeling, combustor aerothermal modeling, turbine heat transfer, protective coatings, computer codes, improved engine design capability, reduced engine development costs, and the impacts on technology transfer and the industry-government partnership.

J B Esgar↗
NASA NTRS1988

Modifications to the NASA Ames Space Station Proximity Operations (PROX OPS) Simulator

As the United States is approaching an operational space station era, flight simulators are required to investigate human design and performance aspects associated with orbital operations. Among these are proximity operations (PROX OPS), those activities occurring within a 1-km sphere of Space Station including rendezvous, docking, rescue, and repair. The Space Station Proximity Operations Simulator at NASA Ames Research Center was modified to provide the capability for investigations into human performance aspects of proximity operations. Accurate flight equations of motion were installed to provide the appropriate visual scene to test subjects performing simulated missions. Also, the flight control system was enhanced by enabling pilot control over thruster acceleration values. Currently, research is under way to examine human performance in a variety of mission scenarios.

Brody, Adam↗
NASA NTRS1986

Research and technology, 1986

The mission of the NASA Langley Research Center is to increase the knowledge and capability of the United States in a full range of aeronautics disciplines and in selected space disciplines. This mission will be accomplished by: performing innovative research relevant to national needs and Agency goals; transferring technology to users in a timely manner; and providing development support to other United States Government agencies, industry, and the NASA centers. This report contains highlights of the major accomplishments and applications made during the past year. The highlights illustrate both the broad range of the research and technology activities at the NASA Langley Research Center and the contributions of this work toward maintaining United States leadership in aeronautics and space research.

Source record↗