Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Image processing”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,747 records · Page 97

Experimentally validated high-fidelity simulations of a liquid jet in supersonic crossflow

Here, utilizing recent advancements in computational schemes for compressible, multiphase flows, this work features a parametric study of a pure liquid jet in supersonic crossflow that involves simulating the atomization process for four values of momentum-flux ratio. These simulations are validated against experimental results measured with high-speed X-ray imaging, which confirm the accuracy of the numerical approach. Also, the effect of numerical resolution on some flow behavior is investigated, revealing convergence of the jet shape and surface instability wavelength. Analysis of the resulting sprays includes statistical descriptions of the liquid distribution, liquid structures created through breakup, interfacial instabilities, and dominant flow features. As the flowrate increases, the spray penetrates further, it becomes more disperse, and less liquid impacts the wall, but the droplet size distribution changes little. The wavelength of instabilities on the windward side of the jet diverges from measured trends in subsonic crossflows. In a visualization of the time-averaged flow, counter-rotating vortices are observed along the jet core and in the wake, affecting the process of primary atomization and early droplet trajectories.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Adaptive optical third-harmonic generation microscopy for in vivo imaging of tissues

Third-harmonic generation microscopy is a powerful label-free nonlinear imaging technique, providing essential information about structural characteristics of cells and tissues without requiring external labelling agents. In this work, we integrated a recently developed compact adaptive optics module into a third-harmonic generation microscope, to measure and correct for optical aberrations in complex tissues. Taking advantage of the high sensitivity of the third-harmonic generation process to material interfaces and thin membranes, along with the 1,300-nm excitation wavelength used here, our adaptive optical third-harmonic generation microscope enabled high-resolution in vivo imaging within highly scattering biological model systems. Examples include imaging of myelinated axons and vascular structures within the mouse spinal cord and deep cortical layers of the mouse brain, along with imaging of key anatomical features in the roots of the model plant Brachypodium distachyon. In all instances, aberration correction led to enhancements in image quality.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Serial crystallography with multi-stage merging of thousands of images

KAMO and BLEND provide particularly effective tools to automatically manage the merging of large numbers of data sets from serial crystallography. The requirement for manual intervention in the process can be reduced by extending BLEND to support additional clustering options such as the use of more accurate cell distance metrics and the use of reflection-intensity correlation coefficients to infer `distances' among sets of reflections. This increases the sensitivity to differences in unit-cell parameters and allows clustering to assemble nearly complete data sets on the basis of intensity or amplitude differences. If the data sets are already sufficiently complete to permit it, one applies KAMO once and clusters the data using intensities only. When starting from incomplete data sets, one applies KAMO twice, first using unit-cell parameters. In this step, either the simple cell vector distance of the original BLEND or the more sensitive NCDist is used. This step tends to find clusters of sufficient size such that, when merged, each cluster is sufficiently complete to allow reflection intensities or amplitudes to be compared. One then uses KAMO again using the correlation between reflections with a common hkl to merge clusters in a way that is sensitive to structural differences that may not have perturbed the unit-cell parameters sufficiently to make meaningful clusters. Many groups have developed effective clustering algorithms that use a measurable physical parameter from each diffraction still or wedge to cluster the data into categories which then can be merged, one hopes, to yield the electron density from a single protein form. Since these physical parameters are often largely independent of one another, it should be possible to greatly improve the efficacy of data-clustering software by using a multi-stage partitioning strategy. Here, one possible approach to multi-stage data clustering is demonstrated. The strategy is to use unit-cell clustering until the merged data are sufficiently complete and then to use intensity-based clustering. Using this strategy, it is demonstrated that it is possible to accurately cluster data sets from crystals that have subtle differences.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Explainable artificial intelligence relates perovskite luminescence images to current-voltage metrics

As the demand for low-cost, high-efficiency solar energy technologies grows, metal halide perovskite (MHP) solar cells have emerged as a promising candidate for next-generation photovoltaics due to their high power conversion efficiencies. However, their poor durability and issues with manufacturing consistency remain significant barriers to commercialization. In this work, we develop deep learning models to support materials characterization and provide insight into features and processes influencing performance. The models are trained using transfer learning of a pretrained model to predict relevant current-voltage (IV) metrics based on different combinations of input electroluminescence (EL) and photoluminescence (PL) images of MHP devices. We examine which image types are most informative in accurately predicting different IV metrics. Additionally, we use explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) techniques to provide insights into specific spatial features in the devices that drive differences in performance. We find that stabilized luminescence images (e.g. those collected after biasing the devices for at least 1 min) are better for predicting metrics of open-circuit voltage (by PL) and short-circuit current (by PL with EL), but that predicting fill factor and overall power output may use the time-evolution of EL images. Based on attribution masks generated by integrated gradients for each device performance metric, we further suggest different loss mechanisms associated with categories of large and small spatial defects. Overall, this case study highlights the potential applicability of XAI methodology for streamlining MHP device analysis and accelerating detailed understanding of the relationships between spatial defects and impacts on performance.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Illumination of Damage in Intact Rocks by Ultrasonic Transmission-Reflection and Digital Image Correlation

aboratory-scale experiments on intact rocks are critical to the development of physics-based fundamental understanding of various geophysical phenomena. In this work, the capability of ultrasonic wave transmission (T-mode) and reflection (R-mode) to monitor damage progression in uniaxially loaded prismatic intact rock specimens has been analyzed, as it is imperative to study the observations and document the capabilities of these techniques in a controlled environment. This study is novel in the sense that the R-mode linear ultrasonic testing (LUT) has been rarely employed in studying intact rock damage processes in a laboratory setting, with most of the studies utilizing a direct transmission (T-mode) approach or focusing on macroscopically fractured material. The two-dimensional digital image correlation (2-D DIC) full-field strain measurement approach was also used in-sync with the LUT monitoring to explicitly correlate the stress-induced damage in the specimens with the changes observed in the ultrasonic (T-mode and R-mode) signals. The results show that both the T-mode and R-mode LUT approaches are sensitive to detect the evolution of tensile and shear damage in the specimens, with the R-mode ultrasonic signals showing higher degree of sensitivity to the damage in the rocks, immediately following the initiation of damage in the rock volume.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

High-Resolution Momentum Imaging—From Stern’s Molecular Beam Method to the COLTRIMS Reaction Microscope [Book Chapter]

Multi-particle momentum imaging experiments are now capable of providing detailed information on the properties and the dynamics of quantum systems in Atomic, Molecular and Photon (AMO) physics. Historically, Otto Stern can be considered the pioneer of high-resolution momentum measurements of particles moving in a vacuum and he was the first to obtain sub-atomic unit (a.u.) momentum resolution (Schmidt-Böcking et al. in The precision limits in a single-event quantum measurement of electron momentum and position, these proceedings). A major contribution to modern experimental atomic and molecular physics was his so-called molecular beam method, which Stern developed and employed in his experiments. With this method he discovered several fundamental properties of atoms, molecules and nuclei. As corresponding particle detection techniques were lacking during his time, he was only able to observe the averaged footprints of large particle ensembles. Today it is routinely possible to measure the momenta of single particles, because of the tremendous progress in single particle detection and data acquisition electronics. A “state-of-the-art” COLTRIMS reaction microscope can measure, for example, the momenta of several particles ejected in the same quantum process in coincidence with sub-a.u. momentum resolution. Such setups can be used to visualize the dynamics of quantum reactions and image the entangled motion of electrons inside atoms and molecules. This review will briefly summarize Stern’s work and then present in longer detail the historic steps of the development of the COLTRIMS reaction microscope. Furthermore, some benchmark results are shown which initially paved the way for a broad acceptance of the COLTRIMS approach. Finally, a small selection of milestone work is presented which has been performed during the last two decades.

Jahnke, T.↗

Fundamental physics opportunities with future ground-based mm/sub-mm VLBI arrays

The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) Collaboration recently published the first images of the supermassive black holes in the cores of the Messier 87 and Milky Way galaxies. These observations have provided a new means to study supermassive black holes and probe physical processes occurring in the strong-field regime. We review the prospects of future observations and theoretical studies of supermassive black hole systems. Current ground-based very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) arrays like the EHT and proposed future extensions like the next-generation Event Horizon Telescope will greatly enhance the capabilities of black-hole imaging interferometry. These enhancements will open up several previously inaccessible avenues of investigation, thereby providing important new insights into the properties of supermassive black holes and their environments. This review describes the current state of knowledge for five key science cases, summarising the unique challenges and opportunities for fundamental physics investigations that future mm/sub-mm VLBI developments will enable.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Near-field infrared microscopy: A novel analytic mapping technique to nanocharacterize calcium silicate-based cement materials

Infrared imaging via scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscopy (s-SNOM) allows chemical mapping of organic and inorganic materials with nanoscale spatial resolution. However, its potential adaptation to the complex multiphase structure of Portland cement is yet to be explored. Here we demonstrate the successful implementation of s-SNOM to spatially resolve coexisting chemical phases in tricalcium silicate, Portland cement's main compound, with 20-nm resolution. We found that s-SNOM is sensitive to different anhydrous polymorphic phases, revealing nanoscale domains that are ‘invisible’ to other microscopic techniques. Furthermore, s-SNOM's ability to distinguish the unhydrated and hydrated phases signifies its great promise as an analytical tool to study the complex hydration process of cement. The key to s-SNOM's application was nano-modifying the surface roughness of the cement samples, allowing nanoscale infrared imaging without topographical artifacts. Our study opens a window for infrared spectral microscopy in cement and other porous inorganic materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Tightly-coupled camera/LiDAR integration for point cloud generation from GNSS/INS-assisted UAV mapping systems

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) equipped with integrated global navigation satellite systems/inertial navigation systems (GNSS/INS) together with cameras and/or LiDAR sensors are being widely used for topographic mapping in a variety of applications such as precision agriculture, coastal monitoring, and archaeological documentation. Integration of image-based and LiDAR point clouds can provide a comprehensive 3D model of the area of interest. For such integration, ensuring a good alignment between data from the different sources is critical. Although many works have been conducted on this topic, there is still a need for a rigorous integration approach that minimizes the discrepancy between camera and LiDAR data caused by inaccurate system calibration parameters and/or trajectory artifacts. This study proposes an automated tightly-coupled camera/LiDAR integration workflow for GNSS/INS-assisted UAV systems. The proposed strategy is conducted in three main steps. First, an image-based point cloud is generated using a LiDAR/GNSS/INS-assisted structure from motion (SfM) strategy. Then, feature correspondences between image-based and LiDAR point clouds are automatically identified. Finally, an integrated-bundle adjustment procedure including image points, LiDAR raw measurements, and GNSS/INS information is conducted to minimize the discrepancy between point clouds from different sensors while estimating system calibration parameters and refining the trajectory information. The proposed SfM strategy and integration framework are evaluated using five datasets. The SfM results show that using LiDAR data can facilitate feature matching and further increase the number of reconstructed 3D points. The experimental results also illustrate that the developed automated camera/LiDAR integration strategy is capable of accurately estimating system calibration parameters to achieve good alignment among camera/LiDAR data from single/multiple systems. Finally, an absolute accuracy in the range of 3–5 cm is achieved for the image/LiDAR point clouds after the integration process.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Operando synchrotron X-ray analysis of melt pool dynamics in an Al-Sn immiscible alloy

The melt flow in an Al-50vol.% Sn immiscible alloy, produced by single-track laser melting of Al and Sn elemental powders, was studied in real time. High-speed synchrotron X-ray imaging was used to track Al and Sn liquids’ movements, and also to examine elemental distributions in the laser tracks, complimented by electron microscopy after solidification. Key aspects, including melt pool geometry, keyhole instability, and flow dynamics (flow pattern and velocity), were examined using digital image analysis. Relatively deeper melt pools formed at 400 W and 300 mm/s exhibited greater stability, with smooth surfaces, consistent outward flow, and minor vortices near the keyhole. In contrast, shallower pools produced at higher scanning speeds (>500 mm/s) demonstrated greater instability with increased surface waviness, and stronger velocity fluctuations, leading to numerous micro-vortices and increased Al-Sn heterogeneity. Velocity scale estimations, supported by experimental observations, examined the roles of vapour pressure, Marangoni effect, buoyancy, inertial, and surface tension forces in the flow. The results revealed that vapour pressure and mechanical waves dominated at high scanning speeds (shallow pools), while Marangoni forces were equally significant in deep pools at lower speeds (300 mm/s). Buoyancy was found to have minimal impact in both cases. Furthermore, the interaction between inertial and surface tension forces played a critical role in determining the degree of waviness of the pools’ surfaces. These findings offer valuable insights into melt pool dynamics during laser processing of immiscible alloys and other metallic systems using elemental powders, and provide guidance for developing high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics models.

immiscible alloys↗

Real-time visualization of particle evolution during reactive flux-assisted processing of aluminum melts

Here, a multi-modal, multi-scale correlative tomography investigation of Al-TiC metal matrix composites processed via flux-assisted reaction synthesis is reported. Synchrotron X-ray microradiography is utilized to visualize the reaction and particle evolution in real-time. Changes in particle diameter and areal number density suggest that the process is nucleation- rather than growth-dominated. At 950 °C, the bulk of the reaction takes place in a relatively short time span of less than 600 s. The microstructure is imaged at higher resolution in 2D (scanning electron microscopy) and 3D (synchrotron X-ray nanotomography), revealing the formation of carbide particles with a hexagonal platelet morphology. We propose that the morphology arises due to the incorporation of Si impurities during the experiment. It is expected that the correlative tomography workflow and analysis may guide future metal matrix composite (MMC) processing strategies.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

High-Resolution Three-Dimensional Sculpting of Two-Dimensional Graphene Oxide by E-Beam Direct Write

On demand switchable additive/subtractive patterning of 2D nanomaterials is an essential capability for developing new concepts of functional nanomaterials and their device realizations. Traditionally, this is performed via a multi-step process using photoresist coating and patterning by conventional photo or electron beam lithography, which is followed by bulk dry/wet etch or deposition. This limits the range of functionalities and structural topologies that can be achieved, as well as increases the complexity, cost, and possibility of contamination which are significant barriers to device fabrication from highly sensitive 2D materials. Focused electron beam induced processing (FEBIP) enables a material chemistry/site-specific, high-resolution multi-mode atomic scale processing and provides unprecedented opportunities for direct-write, single-step surface patterning of 2D nanomaterials with an in-situ imaging capability. It allows for realizing a rapid multi-scale/multi-mode approach, ranging from an atomic scale manipulation (e.g., via targeted defect introduction as an active site) to a large-area surface modification on nano and micro scales, including patterned doping and material removal/deposition with 2D (in-plane)/3D (out-of-plane) control. In this work, we report on a new capability of FEBIP for nanoscale patterning of graphene oxide via removal of oxygenated carbon moieties with no use of reactive gas required for etching complemented by carbon atom deposition using focused electron beam. The mechanism of experimentally observed phenomena is explored using the density functional theory (DFT) calculations, revealing that interactions of e-beam liberated reactive oxygen radicals with carbon atoms on graphene basal plane lead to creation of atomic vacancies in the material. The reaction by-products are volatile carbon di-oxides, which are dissociated and volatilized from the graphene oxide surface functional groups by interactions with an energetic focused electron beam. Along with selective “subtractive” patterning of graphene oxide, the same electron beam with increased irradiation doses can deposit out-of-plane 3D carbon nanostructures on top of or around the 2D etched pattern, thus forming a hybrid 2D/3D nanocomposite with feature control down to a few nanometers. Furthermore, this in-operando dual nanofabrication capability of FEBIP is unmatched by any other nanopatterning techniques and opens a new design window for forming 2D/3D complex nanostructures and functional nanodevices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Multicolor multifocal 3D microscopy using in-situ optimization of a spatial light modulator

Abstract Multifocal microscopy enables high-speed three-dimensional (3D) volume imaging by using a multifocal grating in the emission path. This grating is typically designed to afford a uniform illumination of multifocal subimages for a single emission wavelength. Using the same grating for multicolor imaging results in non-uniform subimage intensities in emission wavelengths for which the grating is not designed. This has restricted multifocal microscopy applications for samples having multicolored fluorophores. In this paper, we present a multicolor multifocal microscope implementation which uses a Spatial Light Modulator (SLM) as a single multifocal grating to realize near-uniform multifocal subimage intensities across multiple wavelength emission bands. Using real-time control of an in-situ-optimized SLM implemented as a multifocal grating, we demonstrate multicolor multifocal 3D imaging over three emission bands by imaging multicolored particles as well as Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) interacting with human liver cancer cells, at $$\sim 2.5$$ ∼ 2.5 multicolor 3D volumes per second acquisition speed. Our multicolor multifocal method is adaptable across SLM hardware, emission wavelength band locations and number of emission bands, making it particularly suited for researchers investigating fast processes occurring across a volume where multiple species are involved.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Closed-loop control of meltpool temperature in directed energy deposition

The objective of this work is to mitigate flaw formation in powder and laser-based directed energy deposition (DED) additive manufacturing process through close-loop control of the meltpool temperature. In this work, the meltpool temperature was controlled by modulating the laser power based on feedback signals from a coaxial two-wavelength imaging pyrometer. The utility of closed-loop control in DED is demonstrated in the context of practically inspired trapezoid-shaped stainlesssteel parts (SS 316L). We demonstrate that parts built under closed-loop control have reduced variation in porosity and uniform microstructure compared to parts built under open-loop conditions. For example, post-process characterization showed that closed-loop processed parts had a volume percent porosity ranging from 0.036% to 0.043%. In comparison, open-loop processed parts had a larger variation in volume percent porosity ranging from 0.032% to 0.068%. Further, parts built with closed-loop processing depicted consistent dendritic microstructure. By contrast, parts built with open-loop processing showed microstructure heterogeneity with the presence of both dendritic and planar grains, which in turn translated to large variation in microhardness

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

LES and RANS Spray Combustion Analysis of OME 3-5 and n-Dodecane

Clean-burning oxygenated and synthetic fuels derived from renewable power, so-called e-fuels, are a promising pathway to decarbonize compression–ignition engines. Polyoxymethylene dimethyl ethers (PODEs or OMEs) are one candidate of such fuels with good prospects. Their lack of carbon-to-carbon bonds and high concentration of chemically bound oxygen effectively negate the emergence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and even their precursors like acetylene (C 2 H 2 ), enabling soot-free combustion without the soot-NO x trade-off common for diesel engines. The differences in the spray combustion process for OMEs and diesel-like reference fuels like n-dodecane and their potential implications on engine applications include discrepancies in the observed ignition delay, the stabilized flame lift-off location, and significant deviations in high-temperature flame morphology. For CFD simulations, the accurate modeling and prediction of these differences between OMEs and n-dodecane proved challenging. This study investigates the spray combustion process of an OME 3 − 5 mixture and n-dodecane with advanced optical diagnostics, Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS), and Large-Eddy Simulations (LESs) within a constant-volume vessel. Cool-flame and high-temperature combustion were measured simultaneously via high-speed (50 kHz) imaging with formaldehyde (CH 2 O) planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) representing the former and line-of-sight OH* chemiluminescence the latter. Both RANS and LES simulations accurately describe the cool-flame development process with the formation of CH 2 O. However, CH 2 O consumption and the onset of high-temperature reactions, signaled by the rise of OH* levels, show significant deviations between RANS, LES, and experiments as well as between n-dodecane and OME. A focus is set on the quality of the simulated results compared to the experimentally observed spatial distribution of OH*, especially in OME fuel-rich regions. The influence of the turbulence modeling is investigated for the two distinct ambient temperatures of 900 K and 1200 K within the Engine Combustion Network Spray A setup. The capabilities and limitations of the RANS simulations are demonstrated with the initial cool-flame propagation and periodic oscillations of CH 2 O formation/consumption during the quasi-steady combustion period captured by the LES.

CFD↗

Exploring the process-structure-property relationship of Aerosol Deposition to phosphor coatings for non-contact thermometry

Full-field, multi-measurand diagnostics provide rich validation data necessary to improve the product life cycle time of nuclear safety components. Thermophosphor digital image correlation (TP+DIC) is a method of simultaneously measuring strain and temperature fields using patterned phosphor coatings deposited with aerosol deposition (AD). While TP+DIC produces a functional diagnostic, the coating’s reproducibility and the effect of the patterned features on the inferred temperature remains uncharacterized. This NSR&D project provided the opportunity to study two areas: 1) the tunability and repeatability of aerosol deposition and 2) the robustness of aerosol deposition phosphor on deforming substrates. The first area explores the process-property relationship of parameters elucidating the significance of each on the coating. The second area explores the relationship between the features’ characteristics (namely thickness) and the phosphor emission and inferred temperature. Together, the results will lead to the improved accuracy and functionality of TP+DIC for qualification testing of nuclear safety components.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗