Engineering PapersSearch

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Energy transition”

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 19 records

Near-optimal energy transitions for energy-state trajectories of hypersonic aircraft

A problem of the instantaneous energy transition that occurs in energy-state approximation is considered. The transitions are modeled as a sequence of two load-factor bounded paths (either climb-dive or dive-climb). The boundary-layer equations associated with the energy-state dynamic model are analyzed to determine the precise location of the transition.

Ardema, M. D.

Toward the renewables - A natural gas/solar energy transition strategy

The inevitability of an energy transition from today's non-renewable fossil base toward a renewable energy base is considered from the viewpoint of the need for a national transition strategy. Then, one such strategy is offered. Its technological building blocks are described in terms of both energy use and energy supply. The strategy itself is then sketched at four points in its implementation; (1) initiation, (2) early transition, (3) late transition, and (4) completion. The transition is assumed to evolve from a heavily natural gas-dependent energy economy. It then proceeds through its transition toward a balanced, hybrid energy system consisting of both centralized and dispersed energy supply technologies supplying hydrogen and electricity from solar energy. Related institutional, environmental and economic factors are examined briefly.

Hanson, J. A.

Satellite Data Applications for Sustainable Energy Transitions

Transitioning to a sustainable energy system poses a massive challenge to communities, nations, and the global economy in the next decade and beyond. A growing portfolio of satellite data products is available to support this transition. Satellite data complement other information sources to provide a more complete picture of the global energy system, often with continuous spatial coverage over targeted areas or even the entire Earth. We find that satellite data are already being applied to a wide range of energy issues with varying information needs, from planning and operation of renewable energy projects, to tracking changing patterns in energy access and use, to monitoring environmental impacts and verifying the effectiveness of emissions reduction efforts. While satellite data could play a larger role throughout the policy and planning lifecycle, there are technical, social, and structural barriers to their increased use. We conclude with a discussion of opportunities for satellite data applications to energy and recommendations for research to maximize the value of satellite data for sustainable energy transitions.

energy

X-alpha calculation of transition energies in multiply ionized atoms

It is shown that the accuracy of calculations can be improved if appropriate (different) values of alpha are used for each configuration. Alternatively, the Slater Transition state can be used, wherein a total energy difference is related to a difference in single electron eigenvalues. By a series expansion, the value of alpha for an excited configuration can be related to its value for the ground state configuration. The terms Delta alpha (delta Epsilon/delta alpha) exhibit a similar dependence on atomic number as the ground state values of alpha. Results of sample calculations are reported and compared with experiment.

Ringers, D. A.

High-Precision Determination of Oxygen-Kalpha Transition Energy Excludes Incongruent Motion of Interstellar Oxygen

We demonstrate a widely applicable technique to absolutely calibrate the energy scale of x-ray spectra with experimentally well-known and accurately calculable transitions of highly charged ions, allowing us to measure the K-shell Rydberg spectrum of molecular O2 with 8 meV-uncertainty. We reveal a systematic ~450meV shift from previous literature values, and settle an extraordinary discrepancy between astrophysical and laboratory measurements of neutral atomic oxygen, the latter being calibrated against the aforementioned O2 literature values. Because of the widespread use of such, now deprecated, references, our method impacts on many branches of x-ray absorption spectroscopy. Moreover, it potentially reduces absolute uncertainties there to below the meV level.

M A Leutenegger

Laboratory Measurements of the K-Shell Transition Energies in L-Shell Ions of Si and S

We have measured the energies of the strongest 1s-2 ℓ (azimuthal quantum number) (ℓ = s, p (s, p are angular momentum states)) transitions in He- through Ne-like silicon and sulfur ions to an accuracy of less than 1 electronvolt using the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's electron beam ion traps, EBIT-I and SuperEBIT, and the NASA/GSFC EBIT Calorimeter Spectrometer (ECS). We identify and measure the energies of 18 and 21 X-ray features from silicon and sulfur, respectively. The results are compared to new Flexible Atomic Code calculations and to semi-relativistic Hartree-Fock calculations by Palmeri et al. (2008). These results will be especially useful for wind diagnostics in high-mass X-ray binaries, such as Vela X-1 and Cygnus X-1, where high-resolution spectral measurements using Chandraʼs high-energy transmission grating has made it possible to measure Doppler shifts of 100 kilometers per second. The accuracy of our measurements is consistent with that needed to analyze Chandra observations, exceeding Chandraʼs 100 kilometers per second limit. Hence, the results presented here not only provide benchmarks for theory, but also accurate rest energies that can be used to determine the bulk motion of material in astrophysical sources. We show the usefulness of our results by applying them to redetermine Doppler shifts from Chandra observations of Vela X-1.

atomic data

Computing Highly Accurate Spectroscopic Line Lists for Characterization of Planetary Atmospheres: CO2 and SO2 Line Lists Needed for Modeling Venus

Over the last decade, it has become apparent that the most effective approach for determining highly accurate rotational and rovibrational line lists for molecules of interest in planetary atmospheres and other astrophysical environments is through a combination of highresolution laboratory experiments coupled with state-of-the art ab initio quantum chemistry methods. The approach involves computing the most accurate potential energy surface (PES) possible using state-of-the art electronic structure methods, followed by computing rotational and rovibrational energy levels using an exact variational method to solve the nuclear Schrödinger equation. Then, reliable experimental data from high-resolution experiments is used to refine the ab initio PES in order to improve the accuracy of the computed energy levels and transition energies. From the refinement step, we have been able to achieve an accuracy of approximately 0.015 cm-1 for rovibrational transition energies, and even better for purely rotational transitions. This combined "experiment / theory" approach allows for determination of essentially a complete line list, with hundreds of millions of transitions, and having the transition energies and intensities be highly accurate. Our group has successfully applied this approach to determine highly accurate line lists for NH3, CO2 and isotopologues, and SO2 and isotopologues. Here I will report our latest results for CO2 and SO2 including all isotopologues. Comparisons to the available data in HITRAN2012 and other available databases will be shown, though we note that our line lists for SO2 are significantly more complete than any other databases. Since it is important to span a large temperature range in order to model the spectral signature of Venus as well as exoplanets, we will demonstrate how the spectra change on going from low temperatures (100 K) to higher temperatures (500 K to 1500 K).

potential energy surface (PES)5405 PLANETARY SCIEN

Treatment of Electronic Energy Level Transition and Ionization Following the Particle-Based Chemistry Model

A new method of treating electronic energy level transitions as well as linking ionization to electronic energy levels is proposed following the particle-based chemistry model of Bird. Although the use of electronic energy levels and ionization reactions in DSMC are not new ideas, the current method of selecting what level to transition to, how to reproduce transition rates, and the linking of the electronic energy levels to ionization are, to the author s knowledge, novel concepts. The resulting equilibrium temperatures are shown to remain constant, and the electronic energy level distributions are shown to reproduce the Boltzmann distribution. The electronic energy level transition rates and ionization rates due to electron impacts are shown to reproduce theoretical and measured rates. The rates due to heavy particle impacts, while not as favorable as the electron impact rates, compare favorably to values from the literature. Thus, these new extensions to the particle-based chemistry model of Bird provide an accurate method for predicting electronic energy level transition and ionization rates in gases.

Liechty, Derek S.

Exchange and relaxation effects in low-energy radiationless transitions

The effect on low-energy atomic inner-shell Coster-Kronig and super Coster-Kronig transitions that is produced by relaxation and by exchange between the continuum electron and bound electrons was examined and illustrated by specific calculations for transitions that deexcite the 3p vacancy state of Zn. Taking exchange and relaxation into account is found to reduce, but not to eliminate, the discrepancies between theoretical rates and measurements.

Chen, M. H.

Two-photon or higher-order absorbing optical materials and methods of use

Compositions capable of simultaneous two-photon absorption and higher order absorptivities are disclosed. Many of these compositions are compounds satisfying the formulae D-.PI.-D, A-.PI.-A, D-A-D and A-D-A, wherein D is an electron donor group, A is an electron acceptor group and .PI. comprises a bridge of .pi.-conjugated bonds connecting the electron donor groups and electron acceptor groups. In A-D-A and D-A-D compounds, the .pi. bridge is substituted with electron donor groups and electron acceptor groups, respectively. Also disclosed are methods that generate an electronically excited state of a compound, including those satisfying one of these formulae. The electronically excited state is achieved in a method that includes irradiating the compound with light. Then, the compound is converted to a multi-photon electronically excited state upon simultaneous absorption of at least two photons of light. The sum of the energies of all of the absorbed photons is greater than or equal to the transition energy from a ground state of the compound to the multi-photon excited state. The energy of each absorbed photon is less than the transition energy between the ground state and the lowest single-photon excited state of the compound is less than the transition energy between the multi-photon excited state and the ground state.

Marder, Seth

Theoretical L-shell Coster-Kronig energies 11 or equal to z or equal to 103

Relativistic relaxed-orbital calculations of L-shell Coster-Kronig transition energies have been performed for all possible transitions in atoms with atomic numbers. Hartree-Fock-Slater wave functions served as zeroth-order eigenfunctions to compute the expectation of the total Hamiltonian. A first-order approximation to the local approximation was thus included. Quantum-electrodynamic corrections were made. Each transition energy was computed as the difference between results of separate self-consistent-field calculations for the initial, singly ionized state and the final two-hole state. The following quantities are listed: total transition energy, 'electric' (Dirac-Hartree-Fock-Slater) contribution, magnetic and retardation contributions, and contributions due to vacuum polarization and self energy.

Chen, M. H.

Nonequilibrium radiative heating of a Jovian entry body

The influence of nonlocal thermodynamic equilibrium (NLTE) radiative transfer on radiative and convective heating of a Jovian entry body is investigated. The flow in the shock layer is assumed to be axisymmetric, viscous, and in chemical equilibrium. The chemical species considered for the collisional deactivation processes are H2, H, H+. The NLTE radiative transfer equations are derived for multilevel energy transitions. The rotational and vibrational energy modes are assumed to be in local thermodynamic equilibrium. The results indicate that higher-level energy transitions have little influence on the overall NLTE results. The NLTE results, however, are found to be greatly influenced by the temperature distributions in the shock layer. The convective and radiative heating to the entry body are reduced significantly because of the NLTE conditions; the reduction in convective heating, however, is relatively small. The influence of NLTE is found to be greater at higher entry altitudes.

Tiwari, S. N.

Collisional excitation of molecules in dense interstellar clouds

State transitions which permit the identification of the molecular species in dense interstellar clouds are reviewed, along with the techniques used to calculate the transition energies, the database on known molecular transitions and the accuracy of the values. The transition energies cannot be measured directly and therefore must be modeled analytically. Scattering theory is used to determine the intermolecular forces on the basis of quantum mechanics. The nuclear motions can also be modeled with classical mechanics. Sample rate constants are provided for molecular systems known to inhabit dense interstellar clouds. The values serve as a database for interpreting microwave and RF astrophysical data on the transitions undergone by interstellar molecules.

Green, S.

N(+)-N and O(+)-O interaction energies, dipole transition moments, and transport cross sections

Complete sets of ion-atom interaction energies have been computed for nitrogen and oxygen with accurate large scale structure calculations. The computed energies agree well with the accurate potential curves available from spectroscopic measurement. The state functions from the nitrogen calculations have been applied to determine the transition moment for all allowed dipole transitions. These results can be combined to compute a detailed radiation spectrum such as that required to define the highly nonequilibrium environment of aeroassisted orbital transfer vehicle (AOTV). The long-range interaction energies have been used to determine the ion-atom resonance charge exchange cross sections that are important for transport processes such as diffusion. A calculation to determine reliable transport properties for energies that include the AOTV temperature range from these computed properties is described.

Partridge, H.