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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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197 records · Page 11
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Multimodal nonlinear optical imaging via evanescent wave excitation

A system for multimodal nonlinear optical imaging is provided. Each mode uses a high NA objective to cause total internal reflection excitation at a sample-substrate interface. The system has a femtosecond oscillator to generate pulses used for two beams. The objective receives at least one beam, redirects the received at least one beam through a dielectric substrate to cause the TIR and produces corresponding evanescent waves in a portion of the sample adjacent to the sample-substrate interface, and collects a backward-propagating beam of pulses of responsive light. The portion of the sample illuminated by the evanescent waves emits responsive light. Different modes or combinations of the distinct modalities may be selected to access complementary chemical and structural information for various chemical species near the sample-substrate interface. Each mode may have mode-specific control such as selective beam blocking, power ratios and filtering.

Doughty, Benjamin L.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Two-phase separator device for removing condensate or particulate from a gas stream

This disclosure provides a two-phase separator device for separating condensate or particulate from a gas stream. In some implementations, the separator device removes water from air and may operate under micro-gravity conditions. The gas stream flows through the two-phase separator device and passes through a rotatable vane assembly along a flow path without being redirected in another flow path. Condensate or particulate in the gas stream is impacted by a plurality of vanes of the rotatable vane assembly, and the condensate is captured by features formed within the plurality of vanes. The captured condensate is accelerated radially outwardly along the each of the plurality of vanes towards a sloped inner wall, and further moved along the sloped inner wall in a direction against the flow path of the gas stream during rotation.

Cognata, Thomas↗
DOE OSTI2023

Hydraulically opened cone vertical tube diffuser with slanted anti-siphon hole

A diffuser for a water heater fill tubes having a tube wall with an outside diameter. The diffuser includes an elongated flexible diffuser body for positioning at the outlet end of the fill tube. The diffuser body has a sealing end for sealing with an outside surface of the fill tube wall closest to the inlet end of the fill tube, and an open end for positioning at an end closest to the outlet end of the fill tube. The open end has a diameter larger than an outside diameter of the tube wall, thereby creating an diffuser water outlet opening between the diffuser body and the tube wall for redirecting radial water flow emanating from the fill tube water outlet opening(s) toward the diffuser outlet opening. A fill tube assembly for a water heater, a water heater, and a method for heating water are also disclosed.

Rendall, Joseph D.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Overview on Analyses of Dose Rates During RID Parts Removal/Exchange

One of the most irradiated Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) accelerator components is ring injection dump (RID), which is located downstream of the accumulator ring injection section. The unstripped and only partially stripped H- beam is discarded in the injection into the accumulator ring and is redirected to the RID, which is about 5% of the full beam current. According to the accelerator operation plan, the beam stop and the window assemblies of the existing RID will be removed and replaced, when they have reached their end-of-life. This procedure, which includes multiple steps, is scheduled to take place during facility maintenance period in January 2023.In order to support job planning and meet ALARA requirements during removal and exchange of the components, dose rates for each stage of exchange operation are calculated.

Popova, Irina I.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Numerical Analysis of Novel Plate Type Heat Exchanger with Oval-Twisted Channels

The novel heat exchanger (HX) designs implementing geometrical and surface modification combinations are expected to perform better than traditional HX technologies. Applied enhancement techniques seek to achieve (1) higher overall heat transfer performance, (2) increased compactness, and (3) simplified or comparable manufacturability. One innovative enhancement technique is to generate swirling flow vortices induced by channel or tube twisting. The turbulence generated by the twisted cross-section greatly enhances the heat transfer rate with minimal increases in pressure drop. Plate-type HXs and Printed Circuit Heat Exchangers (PCHXs) are compact designs that achieve high heat transfer rates per unit volume by utilizing several small channels, which maximizes the heat transfer surface area between the hot and cold fluids. Currently, advanced manufacturing technologies enable the design and fabrication of compact-type units with complicated channel geometries to achieve the highest performance and meet the compactness criteria of innovative HX technology. The proposed HX design concept combines the compactness of plate-type HXs and twisted channels, which provide additional turbulence and flow swirl enhancement. The plate-type oval-twisted HX (PTOTHX) is a crossflow configuration, with 16 short channels on one side (for hot fluid) and 8 long channels on the perpendicular side (for cold fluid). The inlet plenums have flow guide vanes to redirect flow and produce uniformity across the various flow paths. The compact size and purportedly improved heat transfer performance of the PTOTHX investigated herein prove its viability in various applications. Some notable potential nuclear applications of the PTOTHX include reactor core, spent fuel cooling, and residual heat dissipation. To establish a reference case, circular channels (PTCHX) are also considered in the present study for comparison with (PTOTHX). This paper aims to outline the numerical analysis procedures for determining the viability of the PTOTHX by comparing its heat transfer performance with the PTCHX units. The computational study used STAR-CCM+, a commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code. Sensitivity analysis and model selection studies are conducted to determine the appropriate mesh density and turbulence model to provide the reported results. Numerical analyses comparing the Nusselt number (Nu) of the PTOTHX design with a comparable HX unit, including a circular cross-section and no twisting (PTCHX), show an overall heat transfer performance increase of 29-55% for balanced flow and 29-59% for imbalanced flow. Oval-cross-sectional twisted channels induce swirling flow vortices, enhancing the working fluid's convective heat transfer capabilities.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Revolutionizing Waste Management: AI-Powered Real-Time Characterization for Efficient Handling of Non-Recyclable Municipal Solid Waste

According to EPA, -300 MM tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) was available in the US as of 2018. Of that total material, nearly 50% was landfilled resulting in a significant loss for the potential to convert its energy value into cost effective and sustainable biofuels. Redirecting this material away from the landfill and into conversion ready feedstock for energy generation can directly address DOE's selling price < $2.50/GGE while securing the US national energy independence [1]. However, the paramount challenges in any rational fuel conversion strategy are understanding the chemical makeup, quality and associated calorific value of the MSW. Understanding these parameters is critical in achieving any acceptable fuel conversion and requires rapid characterization followed by accurate separation technologies. Therefore, we are proposing to address the rapid characterization by building a non-invasive, rapid, and highly accurate Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled spectrometric/optical approach augmented with multi-sensory information for advanced characterization of domestic heterogeneous MSW. North Carolina State University (NCSU) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), in partnership with strong support from the Town of Cary and IBM, Inc., will closely work together to implement this ground-breaking technology for the effective characterization of MSW for sustainable and affordable production of conversion-ready feedstocks, while solving the environment issue of planetary proportions.

artificial intelligence↗
DOE OSTI2024

Novel PCM-based fin and tube heat exchanger system for building heating and cooling applications

In the United States, the building sector accounts for 40% of all energy use, and buildings are responsible for more than two-thirds of electricity consumption. Buildings remain the major driver of energy-related carbon emissions, and such emissions are projected to increase in the years ahead because of urbanization and population growth. To accomplish the low carbon energy goal in the building sector, phase change material (PCM)–based thermal energy storage (TES) is increasingly being adopted because it offers several advantages, such as reducing building peak load and energy consumption, enabling large scale deployment of renewables, and improving grid stability. The integration of TES with thermally anisotropic building envelopes (TABEs) is a promising solution because, TABE can redirect natural thermal energy from a building using hydronic loops to TES, and the stored energy can be used later for heating and cooling applications. In this study, we experimentally investigate the thermal performance of a novel fin-tube heat exchanger TES system designed for potential integration with a TABE. An experimental rig for a 5-gal PCM fin-tube heat exchanger system with water as the heat transfer medium is described which records temperatures at the heated and cooled boundaries of the system. Experimental observations provide insight into the role a TES system can play in offsetting a building’s heating and cooling demand and also offer a means to characterize the performance of PCMs for building applications. The scale and study presented in this work will help in the design of future thermal storage systems optimized for storage capacity while also accounting for overall system costs for building applications.

Tamraparni, Achutha↗
DOE OSTI2024

Thermal Resilience of Residential Building with Thermally Anisotropic Building Envelope Connected to Geothermal Sources

Heat waves and cold snaps have become more frequent and more intense because of climate change. A heat wave and a cold snap are a period of excessively hot and cold weather, respectively, that poses severe risks to building occupants’ health, especially for vulnerable people. They increase electrical energy consumption and put high stress on the grid which leads to potential power outages. Therefore, it is critical to assess and actively improve the thermal resilience of buildings to cope with heat waves, cold snaps, and power outages. The thermally anisotropic building envelope (TABE) is a novel active building envelope that can save energy while maintaining thermal comfort in buildings by redirecting heat and coolness from building envelopes to hydronic loops. When connecting to a ground thermal loop (GL), TABE can utilize the relatively stable temperature of the ground to protect the indoor environment during heat waves and cold snaps. This study assesses the thermal resilience of residential buildings that installed TABE and used ground thermal energy to supply the hydronic loops, abbreviated as ground thermal loop or TABE+GL. The simulation and analysis are conducted for the US Department of Energy prototype single-family detached residential building in the hot climate of Miami, Florida and Tucson, Arizona, and the cold climate of Denver, Colorado, and Rochester, Minnesota. Heat waves and cold snaps were obtained from the historical weather data of 1998-2020 for the studied regions. Three thermal resilience metrics, including the standard effective temperature (SET) degree-hours, the Heat Index, and the Hours of Safety (HOS) were used to quantify the effect of TABE+GL. The results showed that buildings installed TABE+GL could significantly reduce the average SET degree-hours above 30°C, increase HOS, and greatly improve thermal resilience.

Shen, Zhenglai↗
DOE OSTI2024

Thermally Anisotropic Building Envelope Integration into Panelized Metal Construction: Laboratory Evaluation in Guarded Hot Box

The Thermally Anisotropic Building Envelope (TABE) is an active building envelope system that can exchange thermal energy with a storage medium to reduce the building’s energy demand. TABE redirects thermal energy along thin conductive layers in the building envelope to hydronic loops that are connected to thermal energy storage (TES), where it will be available to offset future energy demand when the conditions are favorable. TABEs can also be connected with a geothermal loop to reduce the building’s heating and cooling loads. Due to the importance of thermally conductive metal layers to TABE function, this technology has potential for easy adoption into panelized metal construction. In this study, we illustrate the construction process of prototype metal panels containing TABE and the laboratory evaluation in Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s rotatable guarded hot box. The thermal performance of the prototype panel was assessed for both baseline and operational cases and the total heat flow extracted from the panel by TABE was quantified.

Howard, Daniel↗
DOE OSTI2024

Guided cold atom inertial sensors with membrane integrated photonics on atom trap integrated platforms

A guided cold-atom inertial sensor system comprises an atom trap integrated platform, a laser system, a magnetic field system, a control system, and a computing system. The laser system and magnetic field system are adapted to form a magneto-optical trap (MOT) about a suspended waveguide of the atom trap integrated platform made of membrane integrated photonics. After loading cold atoms from a MOT, the photonic atom trap integrated platform generates one-dimensional guided atoms with an evanescent field optical dipole trap (EF-ODT) along the optical waveguide to create guided atomic accelerometers/gyroscopes. Motion of atomic wavepackets in a superposition state is created along the guided atom geometry by way of state-dependent momentum kicks. The light-pulse sequence of guided atom interferometry splits, redirects, and recombines atomic wavepackets, which allows measurement of atom interference fringes sensitive to inertial forces via a probe laser.

Lee, Jongmin↗
DOE OSTI2024

System and method for transparent augmented reality

A system and method for displaying augmented reality information for a real object. A transparent display displays the information for the real object within a field of view, such that the information and the real object are simultaneously viewable by a user. Data-gathering peripheral devices gather data of the field of view, including a camera gathering visual data for tracking the real object. An articulating arm moveably supports and facilitates repositioning the display and redirecting the data-gathering peripheral devices in a particular direction. A security interlock disables the data-gathering peripherals when the articulating arm is moved beyond a pre-established threshold, thereby preventing the data-gathering peripherals from gathering data of a real environment outside of a limit of the field of view as determined by the pre-established threshold. The security interlock may include an adjustable contact switch which adjustably defines the pre-established threshold in at least one direction.

Runyan, Paul Ryan↗
DOE OSTI2024

Products and methods for organ protection with noble nanoparticles

Products and methods for redirecting the pathological biochemical process of accumulation of reduced pyridine nucleotides under deleterious hypoxia conditions toward the reduction of the precursor salt and the biosynthesis of biologically compatible, antioxidant noble metal nanoparticles and the simultaneous restoring of the tissue redox state are provided. The products and methods have application in the treatment of hypoxia and hypoxia-related diseases and disorders. Such products and methods are also useful in organ transplantation and recovery, in screening of anti-hypoxia agents, and in detecting elevated levels of the reducing equivalents of the redox state, for example, NADH, NADPH, GSH, and TrxSH 2 , in cells, tissues, or organs.

Rozhkova, Elena A.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Enhancing New Physics Searches with a Future Beam Dump Configuration at SBND

Accelerator-based neutrino experiments, especially those with high-intensity beams and highly capable detectors, offer a powerful and complementary method for probing new physics scenarios. The MiniBooNE experiment at Fermilab pioneered a special Booster Neutrino Beam (BNB) beam dump run and set new limits on sub-GeV dark matter. This white paper explores the physics opportunities enabled by operating the Short-Baseline Near Detector (SBND) at Fermilab in a future BNB beam dump configuration. Redirecting the proton beam away from the default target suppresses neutrino backgrounds, enabling SBND to significantly enhance sensitivity to many new physics scenarios. We evaluate two operational scenarios – off-target mode and a new dedicated beam dump mode – and demonstrate that both approaches can open new avenues in the search for physics beyond the Standard Model. We present two example cases, scalar dark matter and heavy neutral leptons via axion-like particle.

Dutta, Bhaskar [TAMU, College Station]↗
DOE OSTI2026

Prying Open the Dark Sector Window with SBND Off-Target Mode

Accelerator-based neutrino experiments with high-intensity proton beams and advanced detector technologies provide a powerful and complementary approach to probing physics beyond the Standard Model. The MiniBooNE experiment at Fermilab pioneered a dedicated Booster Neutrino Beam (BNB) off-target (beam-dump) run, setting leading constraints on sub-GeV dark matter. In this work, we explore the physics opportunities enabled by operating the Short-Baseline Near Detector (SBND) at Fermilab in a future BNB off-target configuration, as well as in a dedicated beam-dump configuration. By redirecting the proton beam away from the nominal beryllium target, or by employing a dedicated beam-dump, neutrino-induced backgrounds are substantially suppressed, thereby enhancing SBND's sensitivity to many new physics scenarios. We demonstrate that such running modes significantly extend the reach for new physics. As representative examples, we present projected sensitivities to light dark matter, axion-like particles, heavy neutral leptons, and meson-portal scenarios.

Dutta, Bhaskar [TAMU, College Station] (ORCID:0000↗
DOE OSTI2022

Engineering a universal and efficient platform for terpenoid synthesis in yeast

Engineering microbes for the production of valuable natural products is often hindered by the regulation of native competing metabolic networks in host. This is particularly evident in the case of terpenoid synthesis in yeast, where the canonical terpenoid precursors are tightly coupled to the biosynthesis of sterols essential for yeast viability. One way to circumvent this limitation is by engineering product pathways less connected to the host native metabolism. Here, we introduce a two-step isopentenol utilization pathway (IUP) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae to augment the native mevalonate pathway by providing a shortcut to the synthesis of the common terpenoid precursors, isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP). As such, the IUP was capable of elevating the IPP/DMAPP pool by 147-fold compared with the native pathway. We further demonstrate that cofeeding isoprenol and prenol enhances geranyl diphosphate (GPP) content for monoterpene biosynthesis. More importantly, we established a synthetic three-step route for efficient synthesis of di-and tetraterpene precursor geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGPP), circumventing the competition with farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) for sterol biosynthesis and elevating the GGPP level by 374-fold. We combine these IUP-supported precursor-forming platforms with downstream terpene synthases to harness their potential and improve the production of industrially relevant terpenoids by several fold. In conclusion, our exploration provides a universal and effective platform for supporting terpenoid synthesis in yeast.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Pathway to Zero Energy Windows: Advancing Technologies and Market Adoption

As of 2021, buildings account for 39.1% of total U.S. primary energy use and 75% of total U.S. electricity use. Much of this energy is used to maintain a comfortable indoor environment. The building envelope consists of transparent and opaque elements that serve as a controllable barrier to help maintain the indoor environment regardless of external conditions. The envelope also allows the exchange of light and air, as well as other transfers with the external environment when it is beneficial for the building occupants. By leveraging desirable external environmental conditions (e.g., fresh air and natural light) and mitigating the influence of undesirable conditions (e.g., moisture, hot or cold temperatures, wind), the building envelope can reduce the need for space conditioning and electric light, and thus reduce energy use associated with lighting and heating, cooling, and ventilation equipment. In turn, high-performance building envelopes can reduce the substantial CO 2 emissions associated with energy use to satisfy heating, cooling, and lighting needs in buildings. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Building Technologies Office's (BTO's) Emerging Technologies program supports R&D for technologies, systems, and software tools that can contribute to reductions in building energy use. Emerging Technologies funding is distributed competitively through solicitations (e.g., Funding Opportunity Announcements and National Lab Calls, which in general are open to applications from industry, academia, national laboratories, and other entities) and other mechanisms. This document focuses on R&D for windows and window system technologies and will provide guidance for BTO's investments in developing the next generation of high-performance, affordable, cost competitive windows, as well as integrated daylighting and shading technologies in partnership with industry and researchers. This document also addresses areas where DOE invests in software and design tools that translate sophisticated and complex physics into easy-to-use energy performance and optimization methods used by industry and other stakeholders for implementation.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2022

Pathway to Zero Energy Windows: Advancing Technologies and Market Adoption

Improving the performance of windows has the potential to reduce U.S. annual energy use by 1.7% and CO2 emissions by 1.9% in 2050. Beyond static windows, dynamic technologies could reduce U.S. annual energy use by 1.6 quads and CO2 emissions by 68 million metric tons. In addition, the widespread adoption of static and dynamic technologies would substantially reduce peak electricity demand from buildings. Beyond energy use and CO2 emissions reductions, improving window performance will increase occupant comfort and well-being. In a new report, Pathway to Zero Energy Windows: Advancing Technologies and Market Adoption, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) outlines multiple avenues for technology development, deployment, and adoption to increase the impact that windows can have on decarbonizing America's buildings.

building energy efficiency↗