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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 1,783 records · Page 99
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2012

On the streamer propagation in methane plasma discharges

The initial stages of formation and propagation of a streamer in methane at atmospheric pressure were studied using a 2-dimensional axial symmetric hydrodynamic model. The model is based on the drift diffusion approximation and exploits electron transport parameters determined using an external Boltzmann equation solver. The resulting system of equations was solved using the finite element methods and integrated in time with an Euler backward algorithm. An approach useful to alleviate the numerical difficulties determined by the steep gradients that appear on the streamer front was developed. It is based on a proper choice of the adaptation algorithm of the integration time step. Three phases in the streamer development could be identified, in agreement with analytical and numerical models reported in the literature: ionization avalanche, streamer, and shielded plasma. The properties of the three phases have been characterized analyzing the evolution in time of the most important variables characterizing the system (ion and electron densities, potential, and electric field). Finally, the influence of some operative parameters, such as inter-electrodic gap, seed electron density, and applied potential, has been investigated in order to determine how it affects the evolution of the micro-discharge, and in particular, the transition from ionization avalanche to streamer.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2010

Anomalous scaling in helical turbulent environment

The influence of helicity on the anomalous scaling of the single-time structure functions of a passive scalar advected by a non-Gaussian velocity field driven by the stochastic Navier-Stokes equation is investigated by the field theoretic renormalization group and the operator-product expansion within the second order of the perturbation theory (two-loop approximation). The set of compositeoperators with the minimal critical dimensions is identified and their dependence on the helicity parameter is found. It is shown that the contribution to the critical dimensions of the structure functions of a passive scalar is given only by parts of the composite operators which are independent of the helicity parameter. Therefore, it is shown that the spatial parity violation has no impact on the anomalous scaling behavior of the passively advected scalar quantity in the turbulent environment.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2016

A path to stable low-torque plasma operation in ITER with test blanket modules

New experiments in the low-torque ITER Q = 10 scenario on DIII-D demonstrate that n = 1 magnetic fields from a single row of ex-vessel control coils enable operation at ITER performance metrics in the presence of applied non-axisymmetric magnetic fields from a test blanket module (TBM) mock-up coil. With n = 1 compensation, operation below the ITER-equivalent injected torque is successful at three times the ITER equivalent toroidal magnetic field ripple for a pair of TBMs in one equatorial port, whereas the uncompensated TBM field leads to rotation collapse, loss of H-mode and plasma current disruption. In companion experiments at high plasma beta, where the n = 1 plasma response is enhanced, uncorrected TBM fields degrade energy confinement and the plasma angular momentum while increasing fast ion losses; however, disruptions are not routinely encountered owing to increased levels of injected neutral beam torque. In this regime, n = 1 field compensation leads to recovery of a dominant fraction of the TBM-induced plasma pressure and rotation degradation, and an 80% reduction in the heat load to the first wall. These results show that the n = 1 plasma response plays a dominant role in determining plasma stability, and that n = 1 field compensation alone not only recovers most of the impact on plasma performance of the TBM, but also protects the first wall from potentially damaging heat flux. Despite these benefits, plasma rotation braking from the TBM fields cannot be fully recovered using standard error field control. Lastly, given the uncertainty in extrapolation of these results to the ITER configuration, it is prudent to design the TBMs with as low a ferromagnetic mass as possible without jeopardizing the TBM mission.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Operator learning for energy-efficient building ventilation control with computational fluid dynamics simulation of a real-world classroom

Energy-efficient ventilation control plays an important role in reducing building energy consumption while ensuring occupant health and comfort. While Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations provide detailed and physically accurate representations of indoor airflow, their high computational cost limits their use in real-time building control. In this work, we present a neural operator learning framework that combines the physical accuracy of CFD with the computational efficiency of machine learning to enable building ventilation control with the high-fidelity fluid dynamics models. Our method jointly optimizes the airflow supply rates and vent angles to reduce energy use and adhere to air quality constraints. We train an ensemble of neural operator transformer models to learn the mapping from building control actions to airflow fields using high-resolution CFD data. This learned neural operator is then embedded in an optimization-based control framework for building ventilation control. Experimental results show that our approach achieves significant energy savings compared to maximum airflow rate control, rule-based control, as well as data-driven control methods using spatially averaged CO 2 prediction and deep learning–based reduced-order models, while consistently maintaining safe indoor air quality. These results highlight the practicality and scalability of our method in maintaining energy efficiency and indoor air quality in real-world buildings.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2014

Radiofrequency hydrogen ion source with permanent magnets providing axial magnetic field

Uniform axial magnetic field of about 70 G is applied to a radiofrequency (rf) hydrogen ion source by arrays of permanent magnets. The plasma density and electron temperature downstream of the source and near the magnetic filter are compared with those in the previously described ion source, where the axial field has been applied by two solenoids. The source is operated at ∼350 kHz and above 10 kW rf power with a field-effect-transistor-based invertor power supply in 1.5 Pa hydrogen. The results show that the plasma density of ∼10{sup 19} m{sup −3} near the source exit and ∼10{sup 18} m{sup −3} near the magnetic filter can be obtained, which are higher than those with the solenoids.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2011

Global asymmetry of many-qubit correlations: A lattice-gauge-theory approach

We introduce a bridge between the familiar gauge field theory approaches used in many areas of modern physics such as quantum field theory and the stochastic local operations and classical communication protocols familiar in quantum information. Although the mathematical methods are the same, the meaning of the gauge group is different. The measure we introduce, ''twist,'' is constructed as a Wilson loop from a correlation-induced holonomy. The measure can be understood as the global asymmetry of the bipartite correlations in a loop of three or more qubits; if the holonomy is trivial (the identity matrix), the bipartite correlations can be globally untwisted using general local qubit operations, the gauge group of our theory, which turns out to be the group of Lorentz transformations familiar from special relativity. If it is not possible to globally untwist the bipartite correlations in a state using local operations, the twistedness is given by a nontrivial element of the Lorentz group, the correlation-induced holonomy. We provide several analytical examples of twisted and untwisted states for three qubits, the most elementary nontrivial loop one can imagine.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2011

Theory, modeling and simulation of superconducting qubits

We analyze the dynamics of a qubit-resonator system coupled with a thermal bath and external electromagnetic fields. Using the evolution equations for the set of Heisenberg operators that describe the whole system, we derive an expression for the resonator field, that includes the resonator-drive, the resonator-bath, and resonator-qubit interactions. The renormalization of the resonator frequency, caused by the qubit-resonator interaction, is accounted for. Using the solutions for the resonator field, we derive the equation that describes the qubit dynamics. The dependence of the qubit evolution during the measurement time on the fidelity of a single-shot measurement is studied. The relation between the fidelity and measurement time is shown explicitly. We proposed a novel adiabatic method for the phase qubit measurement. The method utilizes a low-frequency, quasi-classical resonator inductively coupled to the qubit. The resonator modulates the qubit energy, and the back reaction of the qubit causes a shift in the phase of the resonator. The resonator phase shift can be used to determine the qubit state. We have simulated this measurement taking into the account the energy levels outside the phase qubit manifold. We have shown that, for qubit frequencies in the range of 8-12GHZ, a resonator frequency of 500 MHz and a measurement time of 100 ns, the phase difference between the two qubit states is greater than 0.2 rad. This phase difference exceeds the measurement uncertainty, and can be detected using a classical phase-meter. A fidelity of 0.9999 can be achieved for a relaxation time of 0.5 ms. We also model and simulate a microstrip-SQUID amplifier of frequency about 500 MHz, which could be used to amplify the resonator oscillations in the phase qubit adiabatic measurement. The voltage gain and the amplifier noise temperature are calculated. We simulate the preparation of a generalized Bell state and compute the relaxation times required for achieving high fidelities. We consider two capacitively coupled phase qubits similar to that used in the experimental work of R. Bialczak et al. (Nature Physics, 6, 409, 2010). The Bell state was created using a NOT gate and a universal entangling gate. We solved the equation of motion for the density matrix with the Bloch relaxation times, T{sub 1} and T{sub 2}. For every qubit we took into consideration all the states in the shallow well including the states outside the qubit manifold. Also we took into consideration unwanted interaction between the qubits during the application of the NOT gate. The NOT gate was implemented using a Gaussian pulse assuming the frequency difference between the two qubits is 200 MHz. An entangling gate was implemented reducing this frequency difference to zero. We have found the optimal parameters for the Gaussian pulse and the optimal duration for the entangling gate. We have shown that the maximum fidelity of 0.99 can be achieved for the minimum relaxation time, T{sub 1} = 1.2 {micro}s, if T{sub 2} = 2T{sub 1}. By slightly increasing the required value of T{sub 1}, one can sharply reduce the required value for T{sub 2}.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2021

Demonstration of Electrochemically-Driven CO 2 Separation Using Hydroxide Exchange Membranes

Hydroxide exchange membrane fuel cells (HEMFCs) are a potentially lower-cost hydrogen fuel cell technology; however, ambient levels of CO 2 in air significantly reduce HEMFCs’ performance. In this work, we demonstrate an electrochemically-driven CO 2 separator (EDCS) which can be used to remove ambient levels of CO 2 from air upstream of the HEMFC stack in fuel cell vehicles, protecting it from CO 2 -related performance losses. The EDCS operating window was explored for current density, anode flow, and cathode flow with respect to its impact on CO 2 separation performance. Additionally, gas-phase mass transport was improved by selecting flow fields and gas diffusion layers conducive to the EDCS operating regime. The use of a carbon-ionomer interlayer at the cathode was explored and improved CO 2 removal performance from 77.7% to 98.2% at 20 mA cm −2 . An analytical, 1-D model is used to explain the experimental observations and design improvements. A single-cell, 25 cm 2 EDCS using the aforementioned improved design demonstrated greater than 98% CO 2 removal at a cathode flow rate of 1300 sccm for 100 h with 2.7% hydrogen stack consumption.

Matz, Stephanie↗
DOE OSTI2025

Field-dependent carrier transport in implanted isolation region of GaN lateral power devices

Among GaN lateral power devices, with proper E-field management, the breakdown occurs in the device isolation region rather than the active region. In this paper, we investigate field-dependent carrier transport in the isolation structures. Isolation test structures with variations in buffer doping, un-intentionally doped (UID) GaN thickness, and implantation conditions were fabricated. Electrical characterization was performed over a wide range of voltage and temperature. With varying UID GaN thickness and buffer doping, the leakage current and breakdown characteristics remain the same for a specific implantation condition, indicating that the leakage conduction and breakdown are governed by the implanted GaN region. Analysis of the temperature-dependent I–V reveals that carrier transport in the implanted GaN can be well explained by hopping conduction, involving three distinctive regions of operation depending on the E-field. At low E-field, carrier transport is ohmic, consistent with variable range hopping, driven by thermal activation. At medium E-field, a field enhanced thermally activated hopping is observed, following σ ∼ σ(T)exp(E). At high E-field, activation-less hopping is visible, following σ ∼ exp(−1/E), which occurs above a critical E-field limited by localization length.

Sadek, Mansura (ORCID:0000000322588338)↗
DOE OSTI2014

Measurement of the internal stress and electric field in a resonating piezoelectric transformer for high-voltage applications using the electro-optic and photoelastic effects

The high output voltages from piezoelectric transformers are currently being used to accelerate charged particle beams for x-ray and neutron production. Traditional methods of characterizing piezoelectric transformers (PTs) using electrical probes can decrease the voltage transformation ratio of the device due to the introduction of load impedances on the order of hundreds of kiloohms to hundreds of megaohms. Consequently, an optical diagnostic was developed that used the photoelastic and electro-optic effects present in piezoelectric materials that are transparent to a given optical wavelength to determine the internal stress and electric field. The combined effects of the piezoelectric, photoelastic, and electro-optic effects result in a time-dependent change the refractive indices of the material and produce an artificially induced, time-dependent birefringence in the piezoelectric material. This induced time-dependent birefringence results in a change in the relative phase difference between the ordinary and extraordinary wave components of a helium-neon laser beam. The change in phase difference between the wave components was measured using a set of linear polarizers. The measured change in phase difference was used to calculate the stress and electric field based on the nonlinear optical properties, the piezoelectric constitutive equations, and the boundary conditions of the PT. Maximum stresses of approximately 10 MPa and electric fields of as high as 6 kV/cm were measured with the optical diagnostic. Measured results were compared to results from both a simple one-dimensional (1D) model of the piezoelectric transformer and a three-dimensional (3D) finite element model. Measured stresses and electric fields along the length of an operating length-extensional PT for two different electrical loads were within at least 50 % of 3D finite element simulated results. Additionally, the 3D finite element results were more accurate than the results from the 1D model for a wider range of electrical load impedances under test.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2019

Real-Time Monitoring of Selenium Species in Power Plant Wastewaters via Optical Spectroscopy

Energy Research Company (ERCo) and Lehigh University are developing a new rapid sensor for measuring trace amounts of selenium in coal-fired power plant wastewater streams down to the single parts-per-billion (ppb) level. With EPA regulations pending on releases of selenium in wastewaters from power plants, plant operators are finding that commercially available technology is not suitable for ensuring compliance with the new regulations. These regulations require monitoring selenium at the single ppb level. There are several important advantages of our instrument as compared to other potential methods such as ICP-MS or ICP-OES. First, the method is rapid, allowing for analyses within minutes. Second, the method is amenable to automation, so dedicated lab personnel are not required. Third, the apparatus is compact and comprised of off-the-shelf components that are inexpensive compared to other laboratory instruments. Fourth, our instrument is designed to be used in the field and will collect data from any water source in near real time. Fifth, maintenance is minimal and finally, the cost is quite low. Furthermore, selective concentration of different ionization states of selenium was also demonstrated. Selenium is present in wastewaters in two main ionization states, +4 and +6. The fraction of each ionization state is important to know because it affects selenium treatment technologies. We were able to measure each one with a single instrument. The Phase II work plan will automate our instrument and expand the measurements to other heavy metals such as mercury and arsenic, the two other heavy metals covered in the new EPA regulations. We will also field test the instrument at an operating coal fired power plant.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Higher derivatives and power spectrum in effective single field inflation

We study next-to-leading corrections to the effective action of the curvature perturbation obtained by integrating out the coupled heavy isocurvature perturbation. These corrections result from including higher order derivative operators, weighted by the mass scale of the heavy physics, in the effective theory expansion. We find that the correction terms are suppressed by the ratio of the Hubble parameter to the heavy mass scale. The corresponding corrections to the power spectrum of the curvature perturbation are presented for a simple illustrative example.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Improving the radiation hardness of graphene field effect transistors

Ionizing radiation poses a significant challenge to the operation and reliability of conventional silicon-based devices. In this paper, we report the effects of gamma radiation on graphene field-effect transistors (GFETs), along with a method to mitigate those effects by developing a radiation-hardened version of our back-gated GFETs. We demonstrate that activated atmospheric oxygen from the gamma ray interaction with air damages the semiconductor device, and damage to the substrate contributes additional threshold voltage instability. Our radiation-hardened devices, which have protection against these two effects, exhibit minimal performance degradation, improved stability, and significantly reduced hysteresis after prolonged gamma radiation exposure. Finally, we believe this work provides an insight into graphene's interactions with ionizing radiation that could enable future graphene-based electronic devices to be used for space, military, and other radiation-sensitive applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Chasing Fast Dynamos in the Plasma Lab

Self-generating magnetic field research is performed through the operation of the newly built Madison Plasma Dynamo Experiment (MPDX). MPDX is designed to explore a hitherto unexplored part of parameter space where dynamos operate in nature. Dynamos are systems which continuously transform kinetic energy from plasma flow into magnetic energy. Before this project, MPDX had demonstrated the ability to create steady-state, unmagnetized high conductivity, low viscosity plasmas in the lab and shown that sheared flows can be driven from the plasma boundary using an electrostatic stirring technique; the resulting Reynolds numbers and Alfvén Mach numbers easily match those required for our dynamo scenarios. The research activities included: (1) systematic undertaking of a set of plasma hydrodynamics experiments, exploring several different flow geometries, measuring plasma viscosity, how toroidal and poloidal flows self-consistently interact, observing the transition to turbulence and experimentally understanding the boundary conditions (on flow and magnetic field) that make this system unique, (2) searching for slow, laminar dynamos, and (3) searching for fast, turbulent dynamos. Discovering the conditions under which dynamos self-generate magnetic fields and then understanding how this field changes plasma dynamics is one of the most compelling questions in all of plasma astrophysics.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Development of Improved Caprock Integrity and Risk Assessment Techniques. Final report for period Oct. 1, 2012 - Sept. 30, 2014

GeoMechanics Technologies has completed a geomechanical caprock integrity analysis and risk assessment study funded through the US Department of Energy. The project included: a detailed review of historical caprock integrity problems experienced in the natural gas storage industry; a theoretical description and documentation of caprock integrity issues; advanced coupled transport flow modelling and geomechanical simulation of three large-scale potential geologic sequestration sites to estimate geomechanical effects from CO₂ injection; development of a quantitative risk and decision analysis tool to assess caprock integrity risks; and, ultimately the development of recommendations and guidelines for caprock characterization and CO₂ injection operating practices. Historical data from gas storage operations and CO₂ sequestration projects suggest that leakage and containment incident risks are on the order of 10 -1 to 10 -2 , which is higher risk than some previous studies have suggested for CO₂. Geomechanical analysis, as described herein, can be applied to quantify risks and to provide operating guidelines to reduce risks. The risk assessment tool developed for this project has been applied to five areas: The Wilmington Graben offshore Southern California, Kevin Dome in Montana, the Louden Field in Illinois, the Sleipner CO₂ sequestration operation in the North Sea, and the In Salah CO₂ sequestration operation in North Africa. Of these five, the Wilmington Graben area represents the highest relative risk while the Kevin Dome area represents the lowest relative risk.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2012

[Interview]: Alexandre Shvartsburg, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA

Q1. What are your main research activities in ion mobility mass spectrometry (past or present)? My early efforts focused on the structural characterization of atomic (carbon and semiconductor) clusters. After the production of bulk fullerenes, many hoped that other nanoclusters discovered in the gas phase could also coalesce into new materials. As these studies required accurate and robust mobility calculations for any ion geometry, I strived to build the needed theory and implement it in the Mobcal software widely employed today. Since 2004, I have been developing methods and novel applications of differential IMS (FAIMS) at PNNL. The principal achievement has been raising the resolving power by over tenfold (up to ~400 for multiply-charged peptides) using elevated fields, helium and hydrogen-rich buffers, and extended filtering times. This performance broadly allows previously unthinkable separations of very similar species, for example sequence inversions and post-translational modification localization isomers of peptides (including “middle-down” peptides such as histone tails), lipid regioisomers, and even isotopomers. Another major direction is investigating the dipole alignment of larger proteins, which creates an exceptionally strong FAIMS effect that is a potential tool for structural biology. Q2: What have been the most significant instrumentation or applications developments in the history of ion mobility - mass spectrometry? In 1995 when I started graduate research at Northwestern, only two groups worldwide worked with IMS/MS and “the literature” meant papers by Bowers (UCSB). Well-wishers counseled me to “learn something useful like HPLC, as IMS would never have real utility”. This booklet showcases the scale of change since. First, the practical IMS/ToF platforms for complex biological analyses demonstrated by Clemmer have turned IMS/MS from an esoteric physical chemistry technique into a powerful analytical tool. By commercializing the IMS/ToF technology in Synapt instruments, Waters has greatly increased its impact via expanded number and diversity of applications. Concurrently, Guevremont at Canadian NRC has perfected FAIMS coupled to MS, deployed it for real-world bio and environmental analyses, and widely distributed it in the Ionalytics Selectra system (subsequently installed on Thermo MS platforms). The latest breakthrough is ultra-FAIMS by Owlstone, where extreme fields allow numerous qualitatively new separations and operational modes that we just begin to explore. Q3: Where do you see ion mobility - mass spectrometry making the most impact in the next 5 years? Any predictions for where the field will go? Sciences dealing with perturbations in media (such as optics or acoustics) at some point shift from the linear to nonlinear paradigm, where propagation depends on the magnitude of perturbation or its driving force. While the linear part remains industrially important (e.g., eyewear and architectural glass for optics), frontline research moves to nonlinear phenomena. IMS is undergoing that transition now with the rise of FAIMS, which should continue as the fundamental understanding improves, new modalities and applications emerge, and more instrumentation is introduced by vendors. Modifying and augmenting FAIMS separations through vapor dopants that render ion mobilities less linear is becoming routine. I expect this area to advance, extending to more specific interactions and to complexation with solution additives. Another route to higher separation power is integrating FAIMS with conventional IMS; proliferation of both technologies would make such 2-D platforms common. Along with mass spectrometry and conventional IMS, FAIMS will address increasingly large macromolecules, including proteins and their complexes.

Shvartsburg, Alexandre A.↗
DOE OSTI2011

Analysis of the LQCD results on the lowest-lying baryon masses in chiral perturbation theory

We review recent progress in the understanding of low-energy baryon structure by means of chiral perturbation theory. In particular, we discuss the application of this formalism to the description of the quark mass dependence of recent Lattice QCD results on the masses. We present the chiral extrapolation of those of the PACS-CS and LHP collaborations and we predictthe baryonic sigma-terms.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗