Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “characterization techniques”

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 1,783 records · Page 99
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2019

Characterization and Measurement of Spacecraft Airborne Particulate Matter

The International Space Station (ISS) gives a 6-member astronaut crew the ability to live and work in low Earth orbit. It is a unique indoor environment, which has served as both home and workplace to over 230 people since the year 2000. In this low gravity environment, smoke does not rise and cookie crumbs do not settle the way they do on Earth, causing airborne particulate matter, or aerosols, to behave differently and pose unique hazards for crew members. In its existence, virtually the same volume of ISS air has been continuously conditioned and ‘revitalized,’ including the removal of particles by filtration. While gaseous constituents of ISS air are monitored meticulously, sparse data exists on the indoor aerosols. The quantity and types of ISS airborne debris have been investigated in NASA’s Aerosol Sampling Experiment. Both active and passive samplers successfully collected airborne particulate matter in U.S. segments of the ISS, which were returned to Earth for characterization by microscopy and other techniques. The resulting data has informed the design of candidate particle instruments for spacecraft. In 2020, a reference-quality aerosol instrument will be flown to ISS, and will provide real-time data of particle concentrations in various modules. Smaller, more compact instruments will be necessary in future space missions, for example, in smaller vehicles, in habitats on lunar and planetary surfaces with ubiquitous dust, and also for use as wearable technology throughout missions. Miniaturized aerosol sensors, though lower fidelity than reference-quality instruments, can monitor the environment well when calibrated appropriately. Indoor air quality in spacecraft is fundamentally important to human health and comfort, and several particulate monitoring technologies will be at sufficient technology readiness levels for operational use within the next two years. Results of the Aerosol Sampling Experiment will be presented, along with the status of NASA’s aerosol instrument technology demonstrations on ISS.

Meyer, Marit E.↗
DOE OSTI2023

From Count Rates to Quantifying Isotopic Activities – Field Analysis of Radiation Monitoring Data

The Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) provides a comprehensive bicoastal radiological and nuclear emergency response to United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. A major part of the support is to provide systematic radiological search for lost or stolen sources, Radiological search is a core competency of the NNSS with its origin dating back to nuclear weapons test era. Search operations from multiple platforms is the common thread among the various NNSS assets, which include Aerial Measuring System (AMS), Maritime Support Team (MST), National Capitol Response (NCR), National Search Team (NST) and Radiological Assistance Program (RAP). Information collected and analyzed during search operations add to the actionable intelligence for the law enforcement agencies and provide valuable guidance for the tactical resolution of a nuclear or radiological crisis. Search is an intelligence and situational awareness driven operation and most often called upon during a radiological emergency, however it can be brought into play to thwart a potential threat by providing monitoring and surveillance support. The Office of Nuclear Incident Response (NA-84) serves as the technical leader in responding to and resolving nuclear and radiological threats worldwide and integrates its efforts with other NNSA stakeholders (e.g., NNSA office of Defense Nuclear Non-proliferation NA-22). The response includes expertise in the areas of radiological search, render safe, and consequence management. This article will discuss the methodologies, tools, procedures, and techniques to extract maximum radiological characterization information (isotopic composition, activities for individual isotopes, threat assessment etc.) from field monitoring or Search operation data.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗
DOE OSTI2026

ELECTRON SHOWER RECONSTRUCTION IN THE ICARUS EXPERIMENT

This dissertation presents a study in the field of neutrino physics. Neutrinos are fundamental particles that are electrically neutral and have extremely small mass, allowing them to traverse matter with very little interaction. Because of this property, neutrinos are exceptionally difficult to detect. Nevertheless, understanding their behavior is essential for addressing fundamental questions about the origin of the Universe and the properties of matter. This work focuses on the reconstruction of electron showers produced by interactions of electron neutrinos (𝜈𝑒) in the ICARUS experiment, located at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in the United States. ICARUS employs a liquid argon time projection chamber detector, which is capable of recording with high precision the tracks left by particles produced in neutrino interactions. The main objective of this research is to improve the reconstruction algorithms and techniques used to identify and characterize these electron showers, enhancing metrics such as completeness, defined as the fraction of correctly reconstructed signals, and purity, which quantifies how much of the reconstructed signal truly belongs to the candidate event. These improvements are crucial for reducing false positives and increasing the accuracy of electron photon discrimination. Consequently, this work directly contributes to improved neutrino oscillation analyses and to a deeper understanding of neutrino properties.

Salmoria, Gabrieli [Parana Tech. Fed. U., Toledo]↗
DOE OSTI2024

Elucidating the corrosion mechanism of commercial Ni-based superalloys in UCl3 containing-chloride molten salt systems

Elucidating the role of UCl3 in the corrosion mechanism of Ni-based superalloys exposed to chloride molten salts Trishelle Copeland-Johnson1, Michael Woods1, Ruchi Gakhar1, Daniel J. Murray1, Guoping Cao1, Lingfeng He1 1Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID, United States The United States Department of Energy (DOE) aims to diversify the domestic energy portfolio towards more sustainable options, including implementation of molten salt reactor (MSR) technology. Chloride molten salts have been investigated as an appropriate MSR coolant and fuel because their relatively inexpensive, abundant, and exhibit favorable thermophysical properties. However, the corrosivity of chloride molten salts have not been extensively studied, especially with the inclusion of actinide products, such as UCl3. Accordingly, the development of nuclear structural materials with excellent corrosion performance is critical to the successful implementation of MSRs, particularly from a mechanistic perspective. In this investigation, we attempt to elucidate the interfacial corrosion mechanism between Ni-based structural materials, such as Inconel 617, and UCl3-containing salt systems through a multi-modal advanced characterization approach, including electron microscopy techniques. The findings from this investigation will expand the knowledgebase of chloride molten salt corrosion of MSR structural materials for strategic property-to-performance design.

36 - MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Alpha-Imaging Detector System Development for Large Area Monitoring

Effective management and disposal of legacy nuclear waste are essential for ensuring safe work environments and minimizing environmental impacts. Monitoring airborne actinide contamination is particularly critical due to the high internal dose potential of alpha-emitting radionuclides. Traditional continuous air monitoring systems (CAMs) used in the industry are limited in the volume of air they can sample, potentially leading to inaccurate radiation detection over large areas. For example, in 2018, elevated levels of airborne Plutonium-239 were detected beyond the controlled areas of the Hanford Plutonium Finishing Plant, highlighting the potential risks to both plant workers and nearby residents. To address these challenges, high-efficiency particulate absorbing (HEPA) air purifiers can enhance air flow by up to 1.5 orders of magnitude, thereby increasing monitoring efficiency and providing a cost-effective solution for large-area surveillance. To quantify the activities of alpha-emitting radionuclides on HEPA filters, the Savannah River National Laboratory is developing an advanced alpha-imaging detection system. This system includes scintillating materials combined with a digital scientific camera. A significant concern in operating such a large-area airborne monitoring system is the handling of HEPA filters, which may be contaminated with radioactive particles. To mitigate these hazards, it is crucial to ensure that any contamination is securely fixed onto the filters. Efforts have been made to optimize the sensitivity of scintillator-epoxy composites and apply them to HEPA filters. These materials were characterized using fluoroscence spectroscopy. These techniques confirmed the purity of the raw materials, the dispersion of scintillators in the epoxy matrix, and the stability of their optical and structural properties post-modification. The optimal scintillator-epoxy composite was selected for use on alpha-spiked HEPA filters to evaluate the efficiency of the sprayer. HEPA filters, embedded with alpha particles collected by an air purifier deployed in an airborne radiation area, have been tested to assess detection efficiency. Future work will focus on employing multiple imaging sensors simultaneously to enhance sensitivity across different regions of the HEPA filter.

Pham, Phuong [Savannah River National Laboratory (↗
NASA NTRS1986

Conceptual design of pointing control systems for space station gimballed payloads

A conceptual design of the control system for Payload Pointing Systems (PPS) is developed using classic Proportional-Integral-Derivatives (PID) techniques. The major source of system pointing error is due to the disturbance-rich environment of the space station in the form of gimbal baseplate motions. These baseplate vibrations are characterized using Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) techniques. Both time domain and frequency domain dynamic models are developed to assess control system performance. Three basic methods exist for the improvement of PPS pointing performance: increase control system bandwidth, add Image Motion Compensation, and/or reduce (or change) the baseplate disturbance environment.

Hughes, Robert O.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Concepts and techniques for ultrasonic evaluation of material mechanical properties

The ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation techniques discussed in the present paper indicate potentials for material characterization and property prediction. Stress wave interaction and material transfer function concepts are examined as a basis for explaining correlations between material mechanical behavior and ultrasonically measured quantities. It is observed that the effect and criticality of any discrete flaw, such as crack, inclusion, or any other stress raiser, is definable only in terms of its material microstructural environment. This underscores the importance of ultrasonic techniques capable of characterizing the stress wave energy transfer properties of a material.

Vary, A.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Quantitative chemical assay of nanogram-level particulate matter using aerosol mass spectrometry: characterization of particles collected from uncrewed atmospheric measurement platforms

Abstract. Aerosol generation techniques have expanded the utility of aerosol mass spectrometry (AMS) for offline chemical analysis of airborne particles and droplets. However, standard aerosolization techniques require relatively large liquid volumes (e.g., several milliliters) and high sample masses that limit their utility. Here we report the development and characterization of a micronebulization AMS (MN-AMS) technique that requires as low as 10 µL of sample and can provide the quantification of the nanogram level of organic and inorganic substances via the usage of an isotopically labeled internal standard (34SO42-). Using standard solutions, the detection limits for this technique were determined at 0.19, 0.75, and 2.2 ng for sulfate, nitrate, and organics, respectively. The analytical recoveries for these species are 104 %, 87 %, and 94 %, respectively. This MN-AMS technique was applied successfully to analyze filter and impactor samples collected using miniature particulate matter (PM) samplers deployable on uncrewed atmospheric measurement platforms, such as uncrewed aerial systems (UASs) and tethered balloon systems (TBSs). Chemical composition of PM samples collected from a UAS field campaign conducted at the Department of Energy's (DOE) Southern Great Plains (SGP) observatory was characterized. The offline MN-AMS data compared well with the in situ PM composition measured by a co-located aerosol chemical speciation monitor (ACSM). In addition, the MN-AMS and ion chromatography (IC) agreed well for measurements of sulfate and nitrate concentrations in the PM extracts. This study demonstrates the utility of combining MN-AMS with uncrewed measurement platforms to provide quantitative measurements of ambient PM composition.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

The complex structural and chemical nature of monolithic U-10Mo fuel and Zr barrier layer

Nanoscale microstructural characterization by advanced transmission electron microscopy techniques on a U-10Mo/Zr barrier layer monolithic fuel plate was performed to evaluate the microstructural evaluation after high burn-up. Gas bubble superlattice evolution, grain restructuring, and evolution of the Zr interaction layer is investigated through detailed electron microscopy characterization. The use of automated crystallographic orientation mapping to irradiated U-10Mo fuel highlights that the restructured ultra-fine grains are separated by high angle grain boundaries at a burn up of 4.42 × 10 21 fissions/cm 3 . Additionally, advanced chemical analysis and multi-variable statistical analysis shows spatial clustering of solid fission product precipitates. Finally, characterization of a newly observed porous nanocrystalline Zr region in the barrier layer is studied. Finally, this work provides insights into the grain subdivision and restructuring process while using advanced microscopy techniques to analyze fission products in neutron-irradiated U-10Mo fuel.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

A practical guide for crystal growth of van der Waals layered materials

This Tutorial provides an overview of the techniques that are most commonly utilized to grow bulk van der Waals crystals. The materials discussed were selected to highlight various challenges that are often encountered during crystal growth. Additionally, in relatively equal parts, the text covers melt-based techniques, vapor transport growths, and the characterization of crystal quality with an emphasis on structural and chemical homogeneities. Furthermore, pertinent details are given regarding the growth and characterization of many specific compounds, with examples mostly drawn from our own research, and an effort is made to highlight cases where the growths offer a particular lesson or the conditions have a significant impact on the crystal’s physical properties. A primary goal is to motivate more researchers to grow crystals by providing general descriptions and considerations for different growth techniques and equipment while sharing some of our own lessons learned and best practices for the growth and characterization of layered van der Waals crystals. The Tutorial is not written solely for aspiring crystal growers, however, because any researcher who collaborates with a crystal grower can benefit from having a greater understanding and appreciation of the processes of crystal growth and materials development.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS2002

Tip-Clearance Vortex Characterized With Three-Dimensional Digital Particle Image Velocimetry

An optical measurement technique known as Three-Dimensional Digital Particle Image Velocimetry (3-D DPIV) was used to characterize the tip clearance flow in NASA Glenn Research Center's low-speed axial compressor. 3-D DPIV is a technique in which a stereoscopic imaging system consisting of two cross-correlation cameras is used to record particles entrained in a flow as a laser light sheet is pulsed at two instances in time. Although 3-D DPIV has been used elsewhere, this is the first time it has been used to measure compressor tip clearance flows. In-house modifications of the DPIV system include the use of effective seeding technology and a novel system to perform a priori calibrations at all five measurement planes, greatly reducing facility run time. Computational fluid dynamics predictions, which are used to guide design changes toward improving the efficiency and operating range of turbomachinery, can be verified and improved by comparison with 3-D DPIV measurements of the actual tip clearance flow. This measurement campaign dealt with the characterization of the tip clearance vortex in the first stage of a four-stage axial compressor. The tip clearance vortex is formed in compressors operating with a clearance gap between the moving rotor blade tips and the stationary casing when a leakage flow, forced from the pressure side of the blade over the blade tip, forms a vortical structure on the suction side of the blade. 3-D DPIV is ideally suited to measure the clearance vortex for two reasons: (1) this technique captures the entire blade passage flow at one instant in time, so that wandering of the vortex during the measurement does not smear out velocity gradients in the flow field, and (2) the spanwise component of velocity changes sign across the vortex core, providing a more accurate measurement of the vortex location than was available with previous two-dimensional measurement approaches. These two attributes of the data will enable computational fluid dynamics researchers to validate their predictions to a level of accuracy not previously attainable. In an effort to understand the effects of this flow phenomenon on the operation of the low speed axial compressor, data were acquired at two mass flow coefficients: 0.395 (design operating point) and 0.35 (operating point just above stall). In order to identify the spatial extent, location, and magnitude of the tip clearance vortex for each mass flow condition, data were acquired at five equally spaced spanwise locations, from 90- to 100-percent span. The data presented shows a cross section of the tip clearance vortex at 94-percent span and a mass flow coefficient of 0.395, where the color contours represent the radial velocity component. The blue (flow towards the hub) and red (flow towards the casing) regions illustrate the extent of the tip clearance vortex. The interface between the blue and red regions delineates the location of the vortex core.

John, W. Trevor↗
DOE OSTI2020

Remote Fiber Based Velocimeter For Interface Strength Measurements

The understanding of the performance of nuclear reactor plate fuels is essential when developing new fuel systems. The condition of pre and post irradiated plate fuels must be characterized effectively and efficiently prior to irradiation and then post irradiation within a high rad environment. The post characterization work must be performed remotely and in an environment hostile to instrumentation. Laser based characterization methods provide the capability to be remote and robust within a hot-cell environment. Laser based characterization can provide high spatial resolution appropriate for scanning and imaging large areas. The INL is currently developing a laser shock system for Post Irradiation Examination (PIE) station for use in the Hot Fuel Examination Facility (HFEF) at the INL. The laser shock system is designed to characterize fuel to cladding and cladding to cladding interface strength. The laser shock-technique induces large amplitude shock waves to mechanically characterize interfaces such as the fuel-clad interface. The shock wave propagates as a compressional wave through the fuel plate to the free (unconfined) backside surface and is reflected back through the test plate as a rarefaction (tensile) wave. This rarefaction wave is the physical mechanism that produces internal delamination failure. The focus or this paper is on the accurate measurement of surface velocity to quantify the amount of energy traveling through the interfaces to the back surface of the fuel plate. The original fiber based velocimeter design was biased by parasitic back reflections. This paper will discuss the discovery of the back-reflection issue and the design changes to resolve the issue. Supporting data will be presented.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
NASA NTRS1997

A Novel Microcharacterization Technique in the Measurement of Strain and Orientation Gradient in Advanced Materials

Representation of morphology and evolution of the microstructure during processing and their relation to properties requires proper experimental techniques. Residual strains, lattice distortion, and texture (micro-texture) at the interface and the matrix of a layered structure or a functionally gradient material and their variation are among parameters important in materials characterization but hard to measure with present experimental techniques. Current techniques available to measure changes in interred material parameters (residual stress, micro-texture, microplasticity) produce results which are either qualitative or unreliable. This problem becomes even more complicated in the case of a temperature variation. These parameters affect many of the mechanical properties of advanced materials including stress-strain relation, ductility, creep, and fatigue. A review of some novel experimental techniques using recent advances in electron microscopy is presented here to measure internal stress, (micro)texture, interracial strength and (sub)grain formation and realignment. Two of these techniques are combined in the chamber of an Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope to measure strain and orientation gradients in advanced materials. These techniques which include Backscattered Kikuchi Diffractometry (BKD) and Microscopic Strain Field Analysis are used to characterize metallic and intermetallic matrix composites and superplastic materials. These techniques are compared with the more conventional x-ray diffraction and indentation techniques.

Garmestai, H.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Recent Advances in Nuclear Forensic Chemistry

Nuclear forensics is a rapidly growing field with a widespread impact on global nonproliferation. From the beginning, nuclear forensic capabilities have been inextricably bound to existing limitations within chemistry and materials science. As nuclear forensics has continued to develop as a unique field of research, new advances in chemistry have revolutionized our ability to rapidly and quantitatively analyze radioactive materials for attribution. In particular, microanalytical techniques originally developed for nanoscience, such as micro-XRF, SIMS, and SEM-EDX, have enabled spatially resolved chemical analyses to be performed with only nanograms of material. Such techniques have redefined the paradigm for pre- and postdetonation nuclear forensics, as large quantities of material are no longer necessary for full characterization and attribution. This Review explains how modern nuclear forensic techniques have developed from their origins in chemistry and provides real-world examples of how these techniques have been used to characterize radioactive materials, including fallout from nuclear detonations such as the 1945 Trinity test.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗
NASA NTRS2000

Obstacle Detection Algorithms for Aircraft Navigation: Performance Characterization of Obstacle Detection Algorithms for Aircraft Navigation

The research reported here is a part of NASA's Synthetic Vision System (SVS) project for the development of a High Speed Civil Transport Aircraft (HSCT). One of the components of the SVS is a module for detection of potential obstacles in the aircraft's flight path by analyzing the images captured by an on-board camera in real-time. Design of such a module includes the selection and characterization of robust, reliable, and fast techniques and their implementation for execution in real-time. This report describes the results of our research in realizing such a design. It is organized into three parts. Part I. Data modeling and camera characterization; Part II. Algorithms for detecting airborne obstacles; and Part III. Real time implementation of obstacle detection algorithms on the Datacube MaxPCI architecture. A list of publications resulting from this grant as well as a list of relevant publications resulting from prior NASA grants on this topic are presented.

Kasturi, Rangachar↗
NASA NTRS2018

Current and Future Needs and Research for Composite Materials NDE

The use of composite materials continues to increase in the aerospace community due to the potential benefits of reduced weight, increased strength, and manufacturability. The ability to characterize damage in carbon fiber reinforced polymer composite components is required to facilitate damage progression models capable of yielding accurate remaining life predictions. As these composite structures become larger and more complex, nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques capable of quantifying and fully characterizing the material state are needed to enable damage progression models capable of yielding accurate remaining life predictions. This paper will present an overview of current NDE research activities for quantitative characterization of aerospace composites as well as a discussion of future directions in NDE research.

Cramer, K. Elliott↗
NASA NTRS2003

HRTEM and EFTEM Observations of Matrix in the Oxidized CV3 Chondrite ALH 84028: Implications for the Origins of Matrix Olivines

The determination of the nature, distribution, and origin of organic material in carbonaceous chondrites is fundamental to understanding early solar nebular conditions and the origin of life. Using a variety of extraction techniques, followed by detailed chemical analysis, an extensive suite of organic compounds has been identified in carbonaceous chondrites. These data have provided key information on the diversity and isotopic composition of the organic component in chondrites. However, one disadvantage of extraction techniques is that all information regarding the spatial distribution of the organics on a fine scale is lost. This is especially important for the insoluble macromolecular carbon, which constitutes approximately 70% of the carbon in carbonaceous chondrites such as Murchison. The distribution and mineralogical associations may provide important constraints on the possible origins of the carbonaceous material. Our previous studies of the CV3 chondrites Allende and Vigarano have demonstrated that energy filtered transmission electron microscopy (EFTEM), combined with high resolution TEM (HRTEM) are powerful tools for the in situ characterization of insoluble organic matter in carbonaceous chondrites. In this study, we have used SEM and TEM techniques to characterize the matrix mineralogy of the CV3 chondrite ALH 84028 and examine the distribution and mineralogical associations of carbon. We are especially interested in establishing whether the occurrence of poorly graphitized carbon (PGC), observed in Allende matrix olivines, is common to all oxidized CV3 chondrites or is a unique feature of Allende.

Abreu, Neyda M.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Self-selecting vapor growth of transition-metal-halide single crystals

Transition-metal halides can host a large variety of novel phenomena, such as magnetism in the monolayer limit, quantum spin liquid and spiral spin liquid states, topological magnons, and chiral phonons. Sizable high-quality single crystals are necessary for investigations of magnetic and lattice excitations by, for example, inelastic neutron scattering. In this paper, we review a less well-known vapor transport technique, self-selecting vapor growth, and report our growths of transition-metal halides using this technique. We report the growth and characterizations of sizable single crystals of α–RuCl 3 , CrCl 3 , Ru 1–x Cr x Cl 3 , and CrBr 3 . In order to expedite the conversion of starting powder to single crystals, we modified the technique by cooling the growth ampoule through an appropriate temperature range. Our work shows that the self-selecting vapor transport technique can provide large single crystals of transition-metal halides, demonstrating its potential for providing high-quality single crystals of quantum materials.

2-dimensional systems↗