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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 1,711 records · Page 95
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

CRADA Number NFE-17-06866 with Active Energy Systems, Inc. (CRADA Final Report)

Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) NFE-17-06866 between Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Active Energy Systems Inc. (AES) focused on studying and modeling a low cost, high efficiency energy storage technology. The successful development of low-cost, high-efficiency energy storage is a significant bottleneck in the implementation of intermittent renewable energy sources such as wind and solar. AES is a startup company developing a heat exchange technology to utilize a low-temperature phase change material (PCM). The work done under this CRADA explored this technology’s ability to augment a heat pump/heat engine device to convert electricity into thermal energy and vice versa, operating to complement the needs of the electric grid. Modeling, design and development of a prototype to prove the technology was successful, but current production economics and market demand make further exploration undesirable.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2022

LungMAP Portal Ecosystem: Systems-level Exploration of the Lung

An improved understanding of the human lung necessitates advanced systems models informed by an ever-increasing repertoire of molecular omics, cellular, imaging, and pathological datasets. To centralize and standardize information across broad lung research efforts we expanded the LungMAP.net website into a new gateway portal. This portal connects a broad spectrum of research networks, bulk and single-cell multi-omics data and a diverse collection of image data that span mammalian lung development, and disease. The data are standardized across species and technologies using harmonized data and metadata models that leverage recent advances including those from the Human Cell Atlas, diverse ontologies, and the LungMAP CellCards initiative. To cultivate future discoveries, we have aggregated a diverse collection of single-cell atlases for multiple species (human, rhesus, mouse), to enable consistent queries across technologies, cohorts, age, disease, and drug treatment. These atlases are provided as independent and integrated queryable datasets, with an emphasis on dynamic visualization, figure generation, re-analysis, cell-type curation, and automated reference-based classification of user-provided single-cell genomics datasets (Azimuth). Finally, as this resource grows, we intend to increase the breadth of available interactive interfaces, supported data types, data portals and datasets from LungMAP and external research efforts.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2017

150 kW Class Solar Electric Propulsion Spacecraft Power Architecture Model

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Solar Electric Propulsion Technology Demonstration Mission in conjunction with PC Krause and Associates has created a Simulink-based power architecture model for a 50 kilo-Watt (kW) solar electric propulsion system. NASA has extended this model to investigate 150 kW solar electric propulsion systems. Increasing the power system capability from 50 kW to 150 kW better aligns with the anticipated power requirements for Mars and other deep space explorations. The high-power solar electric propulsion capability has been identified as a critical part of NASAs future beyond-low-Earth-orbit for human-crewed exploration missions. This paper presents multiple 150 kW architectures, simulation results, and a discussion of their merits.

Power Control↗
NASA NTRS2003

Effective Team Support: From Modeling to Software Agents

The purpose of this research contract was to perform multidisciplinary research between CMU psychologists, computer scientists and engineers and NASA researchers to design a next generation collaborative system to support a team of human experts and intelligent agents. To achieve robust performance enhancement of such a system, we had proposed to perform task and cognitive modeling to thoroughly understand the impact technology makes on the organization and on key individual personnel. Guided by cognitively-inspired requirements, we would then develop software agents that support the human team in decision making, information filtering, information distribution and integration to enhance team situational awareness. During the period covered by this final report, we made substantial progress in modeling infrastructure and task infrastructure. Work is continuing under a different contract to complete empirical data collection, cognitive modeling, and the building of software agents to support the teams task.

Remington, Roger W.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Constellation-X Observatory

Women in Science Conferences are designed to allow young women in grades 7 through 12 to learn first-hand about careers in science, mathematics, and technology from accomplished professional women. Results of an international science and mathematics study conducted in 2000 indicated that "children in the United States were among the leaders in the 4th grade assessment, but by high school graduation, they were almost last." Part of the problem is that many girls and young women in junior and senior high school lose interest in science and technological careers. The goal of the WIS-Conferences held at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, and at Central Wyoming College in Riverton, are to directly address this problem. The conferences will be a cooperative effort supported by local agencies, schools, and businesses, in addition to several state agencies. By presenting positive role models in the science, mathematics, and technological fields, we hope to encourage all students (especially young women and minorities) to pursue higher education and careers in mathematics and science. The workshop topics include: 1) Engineering; 2) Robotics; 3) Physics/Astronomy; 4) Geology; 5) Paleontology; 6) Remote Sensing (GPS/GIS); 7) Molecular Biology; 8) Veterinary Medicine; 9) Optometry; 10) Data Encryption; and 11) Wildlife Biology.

Source record↗
DOE OSTI2024

Building a Prospective LCA Framework to Analyze Emerging Technologies in a Dynamic System Context

NREL's Lifecycle Analysis Integration into Opensource Numerical models (LiAISON) framework computes temporally explicit life cycle impacts and resource uses for specific technologies (foreground) in a dynamic system context (background). LiAISON computes results for a series of environmental mid-points enabling an analysis of prospective tradeoffs of emerging technologies toward 2100. This prospective feature is of critical importance when analyzing present-day emerging technologies whose large-scale impacts during deployment phases will occur in different, future system contexts. LiAISON systematically accounts for dynamic system changes by applying an integrated background of the future energy-economy-land-climate system, generated by exogenous integrated assessment models (IAMs). Using IAM scenarios, LiAISON generates a time-series of life cycle inventory (LCI) databases, which are then used to calculate the impacts per functional unit per time step. This expands current practice of using static, future system assumptions, e.g., a specific grid-mix each year. Further, IAM scenarios are provided in a standardized format of shared-socioeconomic pathways (SSP) and representative concentration pathways (RCP) combinations. These are coherent, regularly, published, and peer-reviewed scenario combinations that establish a reproducible and standardized societal and climate mitigation futures context. They are comparable across IAMs and expand the system boundary of the traditional LCA by including dimensions such as societal and behavioral changes. We apply the framework to assess two emerging Power-to-Hydrogen processes, high temperature electrolysis using solid oxide fuel cell (HT-SOE) and polymer electrolyte membrane electrolysis (PEME). We compare the technologies to a baseline Hydrogen production process via steam methane reforming. Despite the decarbonized electricity systems' beneficial effects on the PtH2 processes' carbon intensities, we find environmental tradeoffs, which require technology improvements via learning-by-doing to be alleviated. Future work via ongoing collaborations will focus on linking the framework to other energy-economy-land-climate models and open-source life cycle inventory databases.

ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
NASA NTRS2004

The QuakeSim Project: Numerical Simulations for Active Tectonic Processes

In order to develop a solid earth science framework for understanding and studying of active tectonic and earthquake processes, this task develops simulation and analysis tools to study the physics of earthquakes using state-of-the art modeling, data manipulation, and pattern recognition technologies. We develop clearly defined accessible data formats and code protocols as inputs to the simulations. these are adapted to high-performance computers because the solid earth system is extremely complex and nonlinear resulting in computationally intensive problems with millions of unknowns. With these tools it will be possible to construct the more complex models and simulations necessary to develop hazard assessment systems critical for reducing future losses from major earthquakes.

tectonic processes↗
NASA NTRS1978

An economic model of the manufacturers' aircraft production and airline earnings potential, volume 3

A behavioral explanation of the process of technological change in the U. S. aircraft manufacturing and airline industries is presented. The model indicates the principal factors which influence the aircraft (airframe) manufacturers in researching, developing, constructing and promoting new aircraft technology; and the financial requirements which determine the delivery of new aircraft to the domestic trunk airlines. Following specification and calibration of the model, the types and numbers of new aircraft were estimated historically for each airline's fleet. Examples of possible applications of the model to forecasting an individual airline's future fleet also are provided. The functional form of the model is a composite which was derived from several preceding econometric models developed on the foundations of the economics of innovation, acquisition, and technological change and represents an important contribution to the improved understanding of the economic and financial requirements for aircraft selection and production. The model's primary application will be to forecast the future types and numbers of new aircraft required for each domestic airline's fleet.

Kneafsey, J. T.↗
NASA NTRS1993

A new technology for manufacturing scheduling derived from space system operations

A new technology for producing finite capacity schedules has been developed in response to complex requirements for operating space systems such as the Space Shuttle, the Space Station, and the Deep Space Network for telecommunications. This technology has proven its effectiveness in manufacturing environments where popular scheduling techniques associated with Materials Resources Planning (MRPII) and with factory simulation are not adequate for shop-floor work planning and control. The technology has three components. The first is a set of data structures that accommodate an extremely general description of a factory's resources, its manufacturing activities, and the constraints imposed by the environment. The second component is a language and set of software utilities that enable a rapid synthesis of functional capabilities. The third component is an algorithmic architecture called the Five Ruleset Model which accommodates the unique needs of each factory. Using the new technology, systems can model activities that generate, consume, and/or obligate resources. This allows work-in-process (WIP) to be generated and used; it permits constraints to be imposed or intermediate as well as finished goods inventories. It is also possible to match as closely as possible both the current factory state and future conditions such as promise dates. Schedule revisions can be accommodated without impacting the entire production schedule. Applications have been successful in both discrete and process manufacturing environments. The availability of a high-quality finite capacity production planning capability enhances the data management capabilities of MRP II systems. These schedules can be integrated with shop-floor data collection systems and accounting systems. Using the new technology, semi-custom systems can be developed at costs that are comparable to products that do not have equivalent functional capabilities and/or extensibility.

Hornstein, R. S.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Radiation Effects Model for Ultra-Thin Silicon Solar Cells

This work is focused on investigation of radiation effects in Ultra-Thin Silicon solar cells with a particular emphasis on electron irradiation. The study is motivated by the application of these solar cells, developed by Solestial, Inc., for powering space missions, including those led by NASA, the Department Of Defence (DOD), and commercial satellite missions. Our research encompasses both experimental and theoretical approaches, addressing unique challenges posed by ultra-thin solar cell technology that deviates from the traditional models. From the experimental point of view, the test structures were irradiated with 1 MeV electrons up to the fluence of 1E+15 e/cm$^{2}$. Radiation effects due to accumulated electron dose were noticed as a drop in open-circuit voltage (Voc). An analytical expression for modeling the Voc characteristic of the UT-Si cell after exposure to electron irradiation was formulated and subsequently compared with experimental data. The theoretical foundation of the proposed approach builds upon the Non-Ionising Energy Loss (NIEL) concept, a fundamental parameter in addressing radiation damage modelling and survivability predictions.

Fedoseyev, Alex↗
NASA NTRS1995

Three two-week enhancement institutes: Design and implementation of the technology and telecomputing component

The Teacher Enhancement Institute (TEI), under the direction of the Center Education Programs Officer offered three two-week workshops to 58 elementary and middle school teachers in science, math, and technology using the Problem Based Learning Model. The 1995 program was designed with input from evaluations and recommendations from previous TEI participants and faculty. The TEI focused on Aviation and Aeronautics as the unifying theme. Four specific objectives were developed. After completing the requirements for the TEI, the participants should be able to: (1) Increase their content knowledge, particularly in aeronautics, science, math, and technology; (2) Design and implement lessons that use scientific inquiry through Problem Based Learning; (3) Demonstrate knowledge of instructional technologies, their uses, and applications to curricula; and (4) Disseminate to their school communities the information acquired through the TEI. Thirty percent of the program was devoted to the effective use of computer technology. SpaceLink, the NASA telecomputing service for educators, was the primary tool used in the technology component of the institute. The training focused on the use of SpaceLink and its many educational services, and Internet tools because of its universal, nongraphical link to any computer plafform the participant may use at his or her school or home. All participants were given Educator Accounts to facilitate the use of E-mail, and access to the Internet and the World Wide Web using their SpaceLink accounts. Classroom demonstrations used videotaped guides and handouts to support concepts presented followed by intensive hands-on activities. Each participant was assigned to an individual Power Mac networked workstation and introduced to the state of the art, graphical, Word Wide Web with the Netscape browser. The methodology proved very effective in reaching the program's goals for technology integration by having the participants learn to use the computer as a tool for communication and research rather than teaching the use of any particular software application alone. However, because of the skill level of the majority of the participants, more hands-on computer time is recommended for future Teacher Enhancement Institutes.

Hale, L. Vincent↗
NASA NTRS2009

Determination of Chemical Kinetic Rate Constants of a Model for Carbothermal Processing of Lunar Regolith Simulant Using Methane

We have previously developed a chemical conversion model of the carbothermal processing of lunar regolith using methane to predict the rate of production of carbon monoxide. In this carbothermal process, gaseous methane is pyrolyzed as it flows over the hot surface of a molten zone of lunar regolith and is converted to carbon and hydrogen. Hydrogen is carried away by the exiting stream of gases and carbon is deposited on the melt surface. The deposited carbon mixes with the melt and reacts with the metal oxides in it to produce carbon monoxide that bubbles out of the melt. In our model, we assume that the flux of carbon deposited is equal to the product of the surface reaction rate constant gamma and the concentration of methane adjacent to the melt surface. Similarly, the rate of consumption of carbon per unit volume in the melt is equal to the product of the melt reaction rate constant k and the concentrations of carbon and metal oxide in the melt. In this paper, we describe our effort to determine gamma and k by comparison of the predictions from our model with test data obtained by ORBITEC (Orbital Technologies Corporation). The concentration of methane adjacent to the melt surface is a necessary input to the model. It is inferred from the test data by a mass balance of methane, adopting the usual assumptions of the continuously-stirred-tank-reactor model, whereby the average concentration of a given gaseous species equals its exit concentration. The reaction rates gamma and k have been determined by a non-linear least-squares fit to the test data for the production of carbon monoxide and the fraction of the incoming methane that is converted. The comparison of test data with our model predictions using the determined chemical kinetic rate constants provides a consistent interpretation of the process over the full range of temperatures, pressures, and methane flow rates used in the tests, thereby increasing our confidence to use the model for scale-up purposes.

Balasubramaniam, R↗
DOE OSTI2022

Identifying Opportunities and Recommendations for the Integration of Advanced Reactors for Industrial Heat and Electricity Users

Nuclear power in the United States has been used traditionally to provide baseload electric power to the grid. Advancements in nuclear power to create smaller and safer reactors have renewed interest in nuclear as a source of both heat and electricity for a variety of applications. There is great interest in coupling nuclear reactors with industrial applications because nuclear power is a low carbon energy source that can be utilized for process heating, hydrogen generation, on-site electricity demand, and more. Idaho National Laboratory is developing guidelines to identify and assist industrial heat and electricity decarbonization by integrating with nuclear power plants (NPPs) to provide clean, abundant, and dispatchable energy. Considerations include specific industrial hazards which impact NPP siting, heat transport requirements and associated technologies, and implementation feasibility based on site-specific demand profiles. To assess integration feasibility, facility process models are developed based on real data obtained from a survey of baseline requirements and process information from industrial facilities in the United States. An assessment of safety and siting requirements is also performed to determine how nuclear industrial pairings could meet licensing requirements for NPPs. In addition, site characterization of an industrial plant is essential to determining the feasibility and suitable integration methods for each industry. Characterization includes facility distance from the nearest population center, site size, rail or water transport availability, and proximity to undeveloped land. These characteristics are important to determine reactor- or industry-side design requirements for safe, efficient operation. The siting and technical data assessment will reveal opportunities for single-use nuclear integration and co-location opportunities for industries to share benefits from a single reactor. In addition to existing facilities, this “energy-park” style cooperation could include new construction like data centers which can cost-share energy investments or provide a stable demand-and-revenue stream to the investor. Deliverables will contain a library of documents and models to guide various industries toward understanding nuclear technologies based on their users’ needs. This paper is a summary of the current project status, and provides insights on suitable pairings for specific industries and reactor technologies

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Application of molecular convergent close-coupling cross sections in a collisional radiative model for the triplet system of molecular hydrogen

Collisional radiative (CR) models for molecular hydrogen are of high relevance for performing qualitative and quantitative analysis of excited-state population densities measured in plasmas or predicting the dependence of plasma emission on parameter variations. Although the development of such models for H 2 started decades ago, major uncertainties still exist regarding the most important set of input parameters, namely the cross sections for electron-impact excitation. The deviations between cross sections from different datasets are particularly pronounced in the energy region close to the threshold energy, strongly increasing the uncertainty of CR models applied to low-temperature plasmas. This paper presents experimental validation of a set of newly calculated non ro-vibrationally resolved electron-impact cross sections calculated for the triplet system of H 2 using the molecular convergent close-coupling method in the adiabatic-nuclei formulation. These cross sections are implemented into a CR model based on the flexible solver Yacora. A first comparison of CR calculations with the different datasets to experimentally-determined population densities is performed at a planar ICP discharge for varying pressure (between 1 and 10 Pa) and RF power (between 700 and 1100 W). For the experimentally-accessible electron temperature and density range (2.5–10 eV and 1.8–3.3 × 10 16 m –3 , respectively), very good agreement between the model and experiment is obtained using the new data set, in contrast to previously used cross sections.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Evaluating Material Circular Efficacy of Waste-Management Scenarios Using PV ICE (PV in the Circular Economy) Tool

To meet the nation’s clean energy needs, it is projected that at least 1 TW of solar photovoltaics (PV) will be installed by 2050. To make this transition to solar energy sustainable, planning for a circular economy that maximizes reuse, repair, and recycle is crucial. The objective of this poster is to evaluate the circular efficacy of waste-management interventions, while considering social factors, using PV ICE, a modeling tool that quantifies future mass flows of PV based on dynamic, real-world data.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Development of A Multi-Spectral Pyrometry Sensor for High-Speed Transient Surface-Temperature Measurements in Combustion-Relevant Harsh Environments

Accurate and high-speed transient surface-temperature measurements of combustion devices including internal combustion (IC) engines, gas turbines, etc., provide validation targets and boundary conditions for computational fluid dynamics models, and are broadly relevant to technology advancements such as performance improvement and emissions reduction. Development and demonstration of a multi-infrared-channel pyrometry-based optical instrument for high-speed surface-temperature measurement is described. The measurement principle is based on multi-spectral radiation thermometry (MRT) and uses surface thermal radiation at four discrete spectral regions and a corresponding emissivity model to obtain surface temperature via non-linear least squares (NLLS) optimization. Rules of thumb for specifying the spectral regions and considerations to avoid interference with common combustion products are developed; the impact of these along with linear and non-linear MRT analysis are assessed as a function of temperature and signal-to-noise ratio. A multi-start method to determine the MRT-solution global optimum is described and demonstrated. The resulting multi-channel transient pyrometry instrument is described along with practical considerations including optical-alignment drift, matching intra-channel transient response, and solution-confidence indicators. The instrument demonstrated excellent >97% accuracy and >99% 2-sigma precision over the 400–800 °C range, with ~20 µs (50 kHz, equivalent to 0.2 cad at 2000 RPM IC-engine operation) transient response in the bench validation.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
NASA NTRS1990

EVA/manned systems

Viewgraphs on extravehicular activity/manned systems are presented. Objectives of crewstation design include (1) development of human-computer interface technology and graphical presentations, including multi-dimensional visual and aural displays; (2) provide a technology base for autonomous vision and other perceptual systems, virtual workstation technology, and computational vision systems; and (3) develop databases and models of human strength, motion, and body positions in microgravity environments. Extravehicular technology is addressed.

Jenkins, James P.↗