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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 217 records · Page 12
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI1969

Application of Nuclear Technology to Art Identification Problems: First Annual Report

Throughout the centuries, as man has become increasingly affluent, his interest in antiquities and objects of art, and the price he has been willing to pay for them, has increased. Inevitably, one result has been to attract the unscrupulous to the production and sale of counterfeit paintings, sculptures, and other works of art. The skill of forgers varies but often is highly sophisticated. However, dealers, museum curators, and other experts have also become more skillful in the detection of forgeries. Scientific tools of increasing sensitivity and sophistication have gradually been applied to the examination of the materials of art and archaeology. Such tools frequently support and render more reliable the judgment of the experts. The quality of forgeries may improve further as their makers become acquainted with the new methods of detection and in turn learn to circumvent or confound the methods. Therefore, the development of still more advanced methods of examination has great utility in the art world. This is particularly true if the ultimate effect is to make circumvention of the methods of examination so costly that the economic incentives for producing forgeries may be substantially reduced, if not eliminated.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Classification and Fusion of Two Disparate Data Streams and Nuclear Dissolutions Application

We consider two streams of data or measurements with disparate qualities and time resolutions that need to be classified. The first stream consists of higher quality data at a coarser time resolution, and the other consists of lower quality data at a finer time resolution. We present a fuser-switch method that fuses the set of classifiers of each stream separately and switches between them. We show that this method provides classification decisions at a finer time resolution with superior detection and false alarm probabilities compared to individual classifiers, under the statistical independence and time resolution ratio conditions. When classifiers are trained using machine learning methods, we show that this superior performance is guaranteed with a confidence probability specified by the classifiers' generalization equations. We use these results to provide analytical foundations for previous practical results that achieved significant performance improvements in classifying Pu/Np target dissolution events at a radiochemical processing facility.

Rao, Nageswara↗
NASA NTRS1968

Glassy materials investigated for nuclear reactor applications

Studies determine the feasibility of preparing fuel-bearing glasses and glasses bearing neutron-absorbing materials for use as crystalline fuel and control rods for reactors. Properties investigated were devitrification resistance, urania solubility, and density.

Lynch, E. D.↗
NASA NTRS1971

Applications of nuclear reactor power systems to electric propulsion missions.

The performance of nuclear electric propulsion systems (NEP) has been evaluated for a wide variety of missions in an attempt to establish the commonality of NEP system requirements. Emphasis was given to those requirements and system characteristics that serve as guidelines for current technology development programs. Various interactions and tradeoffs between NEP system and mission parameters are described. The results show that the most significant factors in selecting NEP system size are launch mode (direct or spiral escape) and, to a weaker extent, launch vehicle capability. Other factors such as mission, payload, and thrust time constraints, have little influence, thus allowing one NEP system to be used for many missions. The results indicated that a 100 kWe NEP would be suitable for most direct escape missions and a 250 kWe NEP system would be suitable for more demanding missions that use the spiral escape mode.

Schaupp, R. W.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Advanced mission applications of nuclear electric propulsion

Current analysis of advanced unmanned planetary missions in the 1980's and beyond indicate the need for propulsion systems with performance capabilities beyond those of current and near state-of-art. One propulsion system concept being considered to fill this need is nuclear electric low thrust propulsion (NEP). Two different NEP system power levels are considered for performance analysis: 100 kw and 250 kw. The 100 kw NEP system uses a Centaur(D-1T) chemical stage for injection to an interplanetary transfer and the 250 kw system uses a spiral escape maneuver. Performance comparison is in general made on the basis of net payload at the target as a function of flight time. NEP performance is shown for unconstrained and constrained (20,000 hours) thrusting time. Specific impulse is optimized and ranges from 4000 sec to 7000 sec.

Spadoni, D. J.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Lasing characteristics of gas mixtures involving UFG: Application to nuclear pumping of lasers

Intense blue-green fluorescence from a structured band centered at lambda approximately 484 nm was observed from Ar, CF3I and NF3 gas mixtures excited by an electron beam. This emission was tentatively assigned to the E yields A transition of the iodine monofluoride (IF) molecule. The fluorescence efficiency of the IF(E yields A) band and the IF (E) state radiative lifetime were estimated to be approximately 6% and 15 ns, respectively. The emission band structure, the short IF(E) radiative lifetime and the Franck-Condon shift between the E and A states suggest that IF is an attractive candidate for a blue-green laser.

Verdeyen, J. T.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Applications of nuclear propulsion to Mars missions

The basic features of a piloted mission to Mars is described, and it is shown how nuclear propulsion can improve upon the various performance measures of such a mission. An overview of the history and types of nuclear propulsion in the U.S. is presented. Current planning to develop nuclear propulsion technology for the Space Exploration Initiative is addressed.

Rosen, Robert↗
NASA NTRS1992

Application of Nuclear Well Logging Techniques to Lunar Resource Assessment

The use of neutron and gamma ray measurements for the analysis of material composition has become well established in the last 40 years. Schlumberger has pioneered the use of this technology for logging wells drilled to produce oil and gas, and for this purpose has developed neutron generators that allow measurements to be made in deep (5000 m) boreholes under adverse conditions. We also make ruggedized neutron and gamma ray detector packages that can be used to make reliable measurements on the drill collar of a rotating drill string while the well is being drilled, where the conditions are severe. Modern nuclear methods used in logging measure rock formation parameters like bulk density and porosity, fluid composition, and element abundances by weight including hydrogen concentration. The measurements are made with high precision and accuracy. These devices (well logging sondes) share many of the design criteria required for remote sensing in space; they must be small, light, rugged, and able to perform reliably under adverse conditions. We see a role for the adaptation of this technology to lunar or planetary resource assessment missions.

Albats, P.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Applications of Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Systems for Deep Space Science Missions

Nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) systems occupy a unique area in the space propulsion technology landscape, due to their ability to combine moderate-to-high thrust systems normally seen in chemical propulsion systems with specific impulses that are higher than those of more traditional chemical propulsion systems. Thus, NTP systems have the potential to greatly expand our access to deep space and can enable or enhance capabilities for a variety of missions that achieve science goals as outlined in NASA’s decadal surveys. This paper leverages previous work performed on applying NTP systems for multiple science missions. It also expands the mission portfolio to additional NTP-powered science mission profiles, evaluating the system performance benefits delivered by this propulsion option. This paper will also outline efforts to improve the fidelity of the existing NTP design concepts and vehicles that are utilized, leveraging previous work on nuclear propulsion systems for human-Mars missions to enhance the fidelity of results obtained from previous science mission concept studies – specifically Triton lander, solar polar orbiter, and the interstellar medium probe missions. The work outlined in this paper will also examine additional missions that have been highlighted in the recent decadal surveys, which may include robotic missions to the ice giant Uranus, robotic missions to Venus, and missions to various Kuiper belt objects (KBOs).

K A Polzin↗