Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Prototypes”

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 217 records · Page 12
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Framework for custom event sample augmentations for ATLAS analysis data

For HEP event processing, data is typically stored in column-wise synchronized containers, such as most prominently ROOT’s TTree, which have been used for several decades to store by now over 1 exabyte. These containers can combine row-wise association capabilities needed by most HEP event processing frameworks (e.g. Athena for ATLAS) with column-wise storage, which typically results in better compression and more efficient support for many analysis use-cases. One disadvantage is that these containers, TTree in the HEP use-case, require to contain the same attributes for each entry/row (representing events), which can make extending the list of attributes very costly in storage, even if those are only required for a small subsample of events. Since the initial design, the ATLAS software framework features powerful navigational infrastructure to allow storing custom data extensions for subsamples of events in separate, but synchronized containers. This allows adding event augmentations to ATLAS standard data products (such as DAOD-PHYS or PHYSLITE) avoiding duplication of those core data products, while limiting their size increase. For this functionality, the framework does not rely on any associations made by the I/O technology (i.e. ROOT), however it supports TTree friends and builds the associated index to allow for analysis outside of the ATLAS framework. A prototype based on the Long-Lived Particle search is implemented and preliminary results with this prototype will be presented. At this point, augmented data are stored within the same file as the core data. Storing them in separate files will be investigated in future, as this could provide more flexibility, e.g. certain sites may only want a subset of several augmentations or augmentations can be archived to tape once their analysis is complete.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Conceptual Design of the Moderator Test Station at the Spallation Neutron Source

We describe the Moderator Test Station (MTS), under construction at the Spallation Neutron Source. We will leverage the Beam Test Facility (BTF) at the Spallation Neutron Source to provide a moderator neutronics test stand with which we will verify the anticipated performance gains expected and required from the innovative moderator concepts central to the SNS Second Target Station (STS) and the future of the First Target Station (FTS). These concepts include large-volume para-hydrogen moderators and high-brightness tube moderators. The MTS will add to the existing BTF a proton beam chopper similar to that already used in the SNS at the RFQ exit (the so-called MEBT chopper), various proton beam transport components, a neutron-producing target, a cryogenic moderator test stand, a reflector-shielding assembly, and a performance assessment neutron beamline. The MTS will provide the ability to test a wide variety of moderators in a prototypic configuration, simultaneously measuring the neutronic performance of the moderator concept central to the anticipated STS gains and developing the instrumentation necessary to provide that performance in a production environment. The presentation will describe the MTS, its progress, and the way we optimize the prototypic nature of the moderators we will test.

Iverson, Erik B↗
DOE OSTI2025

Excellent Timing Cherenkov Light Detection for Dual-readout High-granularity Calorimetry

We are developing a Cherenkov detector aiming for applications in the next-generation calorimetry. It is a calorimetry that combines dual-readout and high-granularity with excellent timing capability. This work is to prove the concept of the Cherenkov detector utilizing a resistive plate chamber (RPC) with Diamond-Like Carbon as resistive electrode. The first prototype was tested with β-rays and cosmic-rays. This paper discusses the behavior of the charge spectrum and the time resolution of the first prototype.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2024

Toward digital design at the exascale: An overview of project ICECap

High performance computing has entered the Exascale Age. Capable of performing over 1018 floating point operations per second, exascale computers, such as El Capitan, the National Nuclear Security Administration's first, have the potential to revolutionize the detailed in-depth study of highly complex science and engineering systems. However, in addition to these kind of whole machine “hero” simulations, exascale systems could also enable new paradigms in digital design by making petascale hero runs routine. Currently, untenable problems in complex system design, optimization, model exploration, and scientific discovery could all become possible. Motivated by the challenge of uncovering the next generation of robust high-yield inertial confinement fusion (ICF) designs, project ICECap (Inertial Confinement on El Capitan) attempts to integrate multiple advances in machine learning (ML), scientific workflows, high performance computing, GPU-acceleration, and numerical optimization to prototype such a future. Built on a general framework, ICECap is exploring how these technologies could broadly accelerate scientific discovery on El Capitan. In addition to our requirements, system-level design, and challenges, we describe some of the key technologies in ICECap, including ML replacements for multiphysics packages, tools for human-machine teaming, and algorithms for multifidelity design optimization under uncertainty. As a test of our prototype pre-El Capitan system, we advance the state-of-the art for ICF hohlraum design by demonstrating the optimization of a 17-parameter National Ignition Facility experiment and show that our ML-assisted workflow makes design choices that are consistent with physics intuition, but in an automated, efficient, and mathematically rigorous fashion.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Studying single-electron traps in newly fabricated Skipper-CCDs for the Oscura experiment using the pocket-pumping technique

Understanding and characterizing very low-energy (⁠ ∼eV) background sources is a must in rare-event searches. Oscura, an experiment aiming to probe electron recoils from sub-GeV dark matter using a 10 kg skipper-CCD detector, has recently fabricated its first two batches of sensors. In this work, we present the characterization of defects/contaminants identified in the buried-channel region of these newly fabricated skipper-CCDs. These defects/contaminants produce deferred charge from trap emission in the images next to particle tracks, which can be spatially resolved due to the sub-electron resolution achieved with these sensors. Using the trap-pumping technique, we measured the energy and cross section associated with these traps in three Oscura prototype sensors from different fabrication batches which underwent different gettering methods during fabrication. Results suggest that the type of defects/contaminants is more closely linked to the fabrication batch rather than to the gettering method used. The exposure-dependent single-electron rate (SER) of one of these sensors was measured ∼100 m underground, yielding (1.8±0.3)×10−3e−/pix/day at 131 K. The impact of the identified traps on the measured exposure-dependent SER is evaluated via a Monte Carlo simulation. Results suggest that the exposure-dependent SER of Oscura prototype sensors would be lower in lower background environments as expected.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2025

Microfluidic cells for the 1–10 2 MPa pressure range

Thin membrane-delimited fluid cells supporting up to 1 at (0.1 MPa) of pressure are well known and commercially available for use in vacuum chambers of electron, photon, or various particle beam microscopies or spectroscopies. Hereby, we report on the development of fluid cells capable of working at 1–10 MPa, extending the analysis domain for investigating chemical, biochemical, or physical processes at pressures of interest in chemical synthesis, underwater biochemistry studies or underground geology. We explored ways to optimize cell membranes to better resist pressure beyond simply increasing the thickness or decreasing the size of the membranes, using finite element analysis and experimental validation via membrane bulging experiments and failure statistics. Fluid cell prototypes were fabricated using ∼75 nm-thick SiN x membranes, engineered to withstand 4.7 MPa (average value), compared to regular (un-engineered) membranes withstanding only 3.4 MPa (average value). The fluid cell prototypes include eight microchannels for feeding/evacuating the fluids and applying pressure into micro-reaction chambers, two electrodes for electrochemical or conduction measurements in the sample, and a possible pressure or temperature sensor, customizable for specific experiments.

hi-pressure↗
DOE OSTI2025

Impact of window temperature variations on ITER toroidal interferometer and polarimeter (TIP) measurements

Abstract The toroidal interferometer and polarimeter (TIP) is one of the primary electron density diagnostics on ITER. To meet measurement requirements over several thousand seconds, environmental factors such as changes in the window temperature, air temperature, and humidity, which can cause uncompensated phase drifts, must be minimized. This paper reports measurements of the phase shift induced by ZnSe and BaF₂ windows as their temperature is varied utilizing the TIP prototype. To accomplish these measurements, test pieces of BaF₂ and ZnSe are placed in a small oven that is located in one leg of the 10.59/5.22 micron two-color interferometer TIP prototype. The oven temperature was varied from room temperature to ∼90 °C, which is slightly higher than the expected window temperatures on ITER. The vibration compensated phase shifts measured for these two materials are dϕᵥ꜀ /dT/L = 0.0121 and −0.275 deg. /°C/cm −1 for BaF₂ and ZnSe, respectively. From these measurements, it was concluded that temperature variations of the environmental/secondary confinement barrier window and primary vacuum window have to be suppressed within approximately 1°C and 2°C, respectively, in order to passively meet the electron density measurement requirements in ITER.

Akiyama, T (ORCID:0000000198469795)↗
DOE OSTI2024

Development of a low-pressure Multi-Mesh THGEM detector for fission experiments at FRIB

Abstract A small-area imaging detector prototype for position measurement of fission fragments produced in low energy heavy-ion reactions is presented in this study. The detector readout is equipped with a 2-dimensional, position-sensitive gaseous avalanche readout based on the novel Multi-Mesh Thick-GEM (MM-THGEM), and is coupled to a delay-line board for particle localization. The prototype has an effective area of 10 × 10 cm 2 and is operated in isobutane at low pressure (7–10 Torr). We present and discuss a series of systematic evaluation tests performed by irradiating the detector with α-particles and fission fragments emitted by small-rate sources ( 241 Am, 249 Cf and 252 Cf). Position and time resolutions of about 0.42 mm and 1 ns were achieved, respectively. This work serves as a benchmark for the development of a large-scale array of detectors for experiments with fission and fission-like reaction products at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB).

Instruments & Instrumentation↗
DOE OSTI2024

A novel diamond-like carbon based photocathode for PICOSEC Micromegas detectors

The PICOSEC Micromegas (MM) detector is a precise timinggaseous detector based on a MM detector operating in a two-stageamplification mode and a Cherenkov radiator. Prototypes equippedwith cesium iodide (CsI) photocathodes have shown promising timeresolutions as precise as 24 picoseconds (ps) for Minimum IonizingParticles. However, due to the high hygroscopicity andsusceptibility to ion bombardment of the CsI photocathodes,alternative photocathode materials are needed to improve therobustness of PICOSEC MM. Diamond-like Carbon (DLC) film have beenintroduced as a novel robust photocathode material, which have shownpromising results. A batch of DLC photocathodes with differentthicknesses were produced and evaluated using ultraviolet light. Thequantum efficiency measurements indicate that the optimizedthickness of the DLC photocathode is approximately3 nm. Furthermore, DLC photocathodes show good resistance to ionbombardment in aging test compared to the CsI photocathode. Finally,a PICOSEC MM prototype equipped with DLC photocathodes was tested inmuon beams. A time resolution of around 42 ps with a detectionefficiency of 97% for 150 GeV/c muons were obtained. These resultsindicate the great potential of DLC as a photocathode for thePICOSEC MM detector.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2024

Measurement of the fractional radiation length of a pixel module for the CMS Phase-2 upgrade via the multiple scattering of positrons

High-luminosity particle collider experiments such as theones planned at the High-Luminosity Large Hadron Collider requireever-greater vertexing precision of the tracking detectors,necessitating reductions in the material budget of the detectors.Traditionally, the fractional radiation length (x/X$_{0}$) ofdetectors is either estimated using known properties of theconstituent materials, or measured in dedicated runs of the finaldetector. In this paper, we present a method of direct measurementof the material budget of a CMS prototype module designed for thePhase-2 upgrade of the CMS detector using a 40–65 MeV positronbeam. A total of 630 million events were collected at the PaulScherrer Institut PiE1 experimental area using a three-planetelescope consisting of the prototype module as the central plane,surrounded by two MALTA monolithic pixel detectors. Fractionalradiation lengths were extracted from scattering angle distributionsusing the Highland approximation for multiple scattering. Astatistical technique recovered runs suffering from triggerdesynchronisation, and several corrections were introduced tocompensate for local inefficiencies related to geometric and beamshape constraints. Two regions of the module were surveyed andyielded average x/X$_{0}$ values of (0.72 ± 0.05)% and(0.95 ± 0.09)%, which are compatible with empirical estimatesfor these regions computed from known material properties of 0.753%and 0.892%, respectively. Two types of higher-granularity maps ofthe fractional radiation length were produced, subdivided eitherinto rectangular regions of uniform size, or polygonal-shapedregions of uniform material composition. The results bode well forthe CMS Phase-2 upgrade modules, which will play a key role in theminimisation of the material of the upgraded detector.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2024

Using graph neural networks to reconstruct charged pion showers in the CMS High Granularity Calorimeter

A novel method to reconstruct the energy of hadronic showersin the CMS High Granularity Calorimeter (HGCAL) is presented. TheHGCAL is a sampling calorimeter with very fine transverse andlongitudinal granularity. The active media are silicon sensors andscintillator tiles readout by SiPMs and the absorbers are acombination of lead and Cu/CuW in the electromagnetic section, andsteel in the hadronic section. The shower reconstruction method isbased on graph neural networks and it makes use of a dynamicreduction network architecture. It is shown that the algorithm isable to capture and mitigate the main effects that normally hinderthe reconstruction of hadronic showers using classicalreconstruction methods, by compensating for fluctuations in themultiplicity, energy, and spatial distributions of the shower'sconstituents. The performance of the algorithm is evaluated usingtest beam data collected in 2018 prototype of the CMS HGCALaccompanied by a section of the CALICE AHCAL prototype. Thecapability of the method to mitigate the impact of energy leakagefrom the calorimeter is also demonstrated.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2026

A cryogenic muon tagging system based on kinetic inductance detectors for superconducting quantum processors

Ionizing radiation has emerged as a potential limiting factor for superconducting quantum processors, inducing quasiparticle bursts and correlated errors that challenge fault-tolerant operation. Atmospheric muons are particularly problematic due to their high energy and penetration power, making passive shielding ineffective. Therefore, monitoring the real-time muon flux is crucial to guide the development of alternative error-correction or mitigation strategies. We present the design, simulation, and first operation of a cryogenic muon-tagging system based on kinetic inductance detectors (KIDs), developed as a stand-alone cryogenic particle-tagging module for superconducting quantum processors. The system consists of two KIDs arranged in a vertical stack and operated at ∼20 mK. Monte Carlo simulations based on Geant4 guided the prototype design and provided reference expectations for muon-tagging efficiency and accidental coincidences due to ambient γ-rays. We observed a muon-induced coincidence rate among the top and bottom detectors of (192 ± 9) $\times\,10^{-3}$ events s$^{−1}$, in excellent agreement with the Monte Carlo prediction. The prototype achieves a muon-tagging efficiency of about 90% with negligible dead time. These results demonstrate the feasibility of operating a muon-tagging system at millikelvin temperatures and represent a key step toward the integration of cryogenic veto systems with multi-qubit chips to mitigate muon-induced errors.

Mariani, Ambra [INFN, Rome] (ORCID:000000028184857↗
DOE OSTI2025

High-performance permanent-magnet materials based on CeFe 12

We perform first-principles calculations on the Mo/Zr-alloyed ThMn 12 -structure prototype CeFe 12 to explore its electronic and magnetic properties and potential for permanent magnet applications. A recent experiment has shown that the Mo/Zr-alloyed CeFe 12 phase with the symmetry 𝐼⁢4/𝑚⁢𝑚⁢𝑚 can be stabilized in bulk. It encourages an investigation into the intrinsic magnetic characteristics of the base structure CeFe 12 and the effect of transition metal alloying in it. Our calculations reveal that the base structure prototype CeFe 12 in its tetragonal phase exhibits uniaxial magnetic anisotropy with a magnetic anisotropy energy (𝐾 1 ) ∼ 1 MJ/m −3 and a substantial magnetic moment of ∼ 1.8T, showing its promise as a permanent magnet. The introduction of the stabilizing transition metals Zr, Mo, and W reduces these values but still keeps the materials very promising. Notably, when 50% of Ce is substituted by Sm in Mo-alloyed CeFe 12 , the 𝐾 1 is significantly enhanced, accompanied by a fairly decent magnetic moment of ∼ 1.2T. These findings establish this alloy as a strong candidate for high-performance permanent magnet applications. In conclusion, this study emphasizes the importance of strategic element substitution and site selection in transition metal-alloyed CeFe 12 to achieve both structural stability and remarkable magnetic properties.

Density of states↗
DOE OSTI2026

Evaluation of an event-driven 3FI ASIC for spectroscopic X-ray detection with synchrotron radiation

The novel design and evaluation on the NSLS-II beamline of the 3FI application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) bump-bonded to a simple, planar, 2D segmented silicon sensor are presented. The ASIC was developed for full-field fluorescence spectral X-ray imaging (3FI). It is a small-scale prototype that features a square array of 32 × 32 pixels, and the size of the pixels is 100 µm × 100 µm. The ASIC was implemented in a 65 nm CMOS integrated circuit fabrication process. Each pixel incorporates a charge-sensitive amplifier, a shaping filter, a discriminator, a peak detector and a sample-and-hold circuit, allowing detection of events and storage of signal amplitudes. The system operates in a frameless event-driven readout mode, outputting analog values for threshold-triggered events, allowing high-speed multi-element X-ray fluorescence data acquisition. The 3FI ASIC achieves per-channel spectrometric performance at a power consumption of only 200 µW per pixel, with nearly all dissipation confined to the analog front-end. An energy resolution is measured at the level of 308 eV full width at half-maximum (FWHM) at 8.04 keV (Cu Kα), and 138 eV FWHM at 3.69 keV (Ca Kα). This per-pixel capability makes the prototype suitable for in situ trace element microanalysis in biological and environmental studies. Moreover, the frameless architecture of the detector is designed to address limitations of conventional X-ray fluorescence microscopy, which typically requires mechanical scanning, by enabling continuous high-throughput data acquisition in future full-field implementations.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2024

A Multi-Metrics In Situ Aging Detector for SiC Power MOSFET Modules with Full Driver-Integration Capability

In this paper, the concept and prototype of an aging detector for silicon carbide (SiC) power metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) are proposed and described. It leverages the resonant peak values of gate-source voltage at different instants during the switching transients to decode the change of multiple aging indicators, such as the increases of on-state resistance and threshold voltage. Modeling-based analysis is conducted to support the idea. The detector can be fully integrated into gate drivers without any additional connection to the power stage and is functional during normal power stage operation. A prototype unit was built, and preliminary tests were conducted to validate the idea and the practicality of the detector.

aging↗
DOE OSTI2026

Experimental Results for an Inverter Integrated with A High-Speed Surface Permanent Magnet External Rotor Motor

This work presents the prototyping and testing of a high-speed outer rotor surface permanent magnet motor. The motor employs non-heavy rare-earth permanent magnets and operates at a rated speed of 6,666 rpm. In-slot ceramic heat exchangers are used to cool the windings. The external rotor configuration provides substantial space within the stator bore, which is used for power electronics integration. This integration introduces several design and thermal management challenges that are discussed in the paper. The machine has been prototyped and tested under various operating conditions, and both simulation and experimental results are presented.

Rallabandi, Vandana [ORNL] (ORCID:0000000236241901↗
DOE OSTI2026

Quantum Computing for AI-based Design and Optimization of Electric Motors

Knowledge-based artificial intelligence and hierarchical fuzzy logic offer an interpretable framework for electricvehicle motor preliminary design, but their computational burden grows with linguistic granularity and coupled design-space size. This paper presents a reduced quantum reformulation of the hierarchical fuzzy inference of air-gap flux density, a representative level-one motor-design parameter. Starting from the published electric-vehicle motor-design framework, a three-term fuzzy prototype is constructed from the original inference structure. The reduced model is then reformulated as a modular quantum register-oracle system, in which each hierarchical subrelation is encoded as a block oracle and evaluated through superpositionbased candidate-label testing. The proposed modular quantum formulation reproduces the reduced classical prototype after block fusion. A resource analysis shows that the reduced modular system requires seven qubits per block and twenty-two qubits in a straightforward four-block implementation. Finally, a crossovercomplexity model is derived to identify the regime in which quantum candidate search may become favorable relative to hierarchical fuzzy inference. The results show that no quantum advantage should be claimed for the present one-output reduced benchmark, but that a plausible crossover emerges for larger joint candidate spaces and higher linguistic granularity. The work therefore establishes a technically consistent starting point for future quantum-assisted electric-vehicle motor-design optimization.

Kumar, Praveen [ORNL] (ORCID:0000000291877857)↗
DOE OSTI2024

Data-Driven Digital Twin for Reliability Assessment of DC/DC Buck Converter

In commercial applications, the operation of DC/DC converters significantly impacts overall system performance and long-term reliability. This study introduces a data-driven digital twin (DT) approach for estimating critical degradation parameters of DC/DC BUCK converter under steady-state condition. Initially, a circuit-level MATLAB/Simulink digital model (DM C ) is refined against a hardware prototype’s switching model dataset using offline particle swarm optimization. The optimized digital model’s steady-state response is then verified with its average model response while varying the duty and load. Subsequently, degradation profiles are imposed on the inductor, capacitor, MOSFET in the DMC. A large dataset is generated from this model, allowing training, validation, and testing of machine learning (ML) models for component health regression tasks. The proposed method employs random forest ML models, achieving impressive regression results with a squared R value as high as 0.99978 and a root mean square error of 4.2× 10 –6 . The method is further validated on a medium power level DC/DC BUCK prototype with varying load conditions, and includes the analysis of MOSFET’s on-resistance under degradation conditions. This data-driven DT method shows promise for identifying parasitic degradation and ohmic loss parameters, enhancing converter reliability assessments in a non-invasive, generalized, and computationally efficient manner.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗