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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 OSTI2026

Transformative Impacts of Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy on Environmental and Biological Research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

This manuscript will present an advancement of transformative research that has been conducted at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) over a 25-year period (2000–2025) on a variety of environmental and biological matrices. These investigations derived a fundamental understanding of how elemental detection and analysis of these matrices led to the knowledge and discovery of natural processes in plants and the environment. Each project led to the initiation of a new research area which unearthed awesome and novel breakthroughs. Highlights are listed below: 1. The preliminary research at ORNL centered on the detection of aerosols utilizing Laser-induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) technology. The Clean Air Act Amendment (CAAA) of 1990 highlighted the importance of identifying hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) due to their impact on environmental and human health, thereby underscoring the need to detect various toxic elements. Research in aerosol chemistry aimed to identify these harmful elements released by factories during periods of increased emissions in their manufacturing processes. LIBS emerged as the most effective method for real-time, in situ measurements of metal species in both gaseous and aerosol phases. 2. An understanding of the presence of total carbon in soils gives perspective on how to develop carbon sequestration strategies. The recognition that carbon sinks can evolve back to carbon sources to emit back to the atmosphere was an important consideration. Also, the concentration of carbon in soil indicates the health of land areas for growing crops successfully. 3. The direct detection of most of the elements in a wood sample in a single emission spectrum, without sample preparation, encouraged the research to use the LIBS technique for preservative treated wood coupled with use of multivariate statistical methodology. Additionally, it encouraged the researchers to try to differentiate natural woods from different parts of the country, and it was successfully demonstrated that LIBS coupled with MVA analysis could differentiate wood of different species from each other and of similar species grown in different environments based on their elemental spectra. This was a breakthrough since it revealed a systematic approach to connect elemental scarcity and abundance to either drought or typical rainfall conditions for the hardwood trees grown in specific areas. 4. Furthermore, the research progressed to reveal physiological and developmental processes contributing to biomass production such that the variation in leaf elemental composition increases our understanding of terrestrial nutrient cycles, as well as tracking the transfer of toxic elements from soils to living organisms. 5. Recently another breakthrough viz., ionomics initiated the correlation of elements to specific genes, uncovering the function that the element performed in the plant. More recently, this has been extended from plants to fungi as well as fungi growing in symbiotic relations with plants.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Approach to using 3D laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) data to explore the interaction of FLiNaK and FLiBe molten salts with nuclear-grade graphite

Nuclear graphite has historically been a key component of many nuclear reactor designs and has emerged as key to numerous advanced nuclear reactor design concepts. Molten salt reactors (MSRs) are one broad group of advanced reactor designs currently being pursued by industry for commercialization. Several MSR designs under consideration use graphitic materials that directly interface with a molten salt, whether it is a fuel salt, coolant salt, or both. Therefore, the interaction of graphite materials with molten salts must be understood. To gain this required understanding, a range of data is needed including porosity, strength, and composition as a function of different salt exposure parameters. In this study, a laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) measurement and data analysis methodology was developed to obtain spatially resolved elemental composition information for graphite samples exposed to a molten fluoride salt. Traditional univariate emission line analysis of atomic, ionic, and molecular optical emission signals was coupled via correlation analysis with spectral decomposition of the data using principal component analysis. Elemental depth profiling and elemental mapping were also performed to visualize salt–graphite interactions. LIBS was demonstrated to be useful for measuring key analytes such as fluorine and hydrogen, which are troublesome for other analysis techniques. Evidence for complex behavior was found, thereby demonstrating the usefulness of the developed approach for future systematic studies.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2022

High-resolution laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy of 28 Si 16 O + and 29 Si 16 O + in a cryogenic buffer-gas cell

Here, the electronic, laser-induced fluorescence spectrum of the B 2 Σ + ← X 2 Σ + transition in 28 Si 16 O + and 29 Si 16 O + has been recorded in a cryogenic buffer gas cell at K. Molecular constants are extracted for both 28 Si 16 O + and 29 Si 16 O + , including the Fermi contact hyperfine constant for both the B and X states of 29 Si 16 O + , and used in a discussion of the suitability of SiO in future quantum information experiments.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2021

Analysis of liquid petroleum using a laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy instrument

Here, a prototype analyzer for the direct LIBS analysis of nebulized liquid samples was developed and tested, particularly for the analysis of petroleum, organic solvents and aqueous solutions. The LIBS analyzer requires about 750 µl of liquid sample, 1 liter of N 2 gas, and 10 s of the analysis time to record 100 spectra. The limits of detection in oil and solvent are as low as 0.01–0.04 ppm for Li, Mg, and Cu. They increase for the difficult elements, such as Pb and Hg (7-10 ppm), Cl (250 ppm), and S (~0.7%). The relative standard deviation of measuring 100 ppm vanadium in oil and solvent was 1.5%. The LIBS detection limits and repeatability are better than required by the standard method ASTM D5185 for the analysis of lubricating oils in ICP-OES. Several petroleum samples were analyzed by LIBS and the quantitative results for V, Ni, and Fe compared to the ICP-OES data. Light crude oils can be nebulized and analyzed directly. Medium crude oils require minimal dilution at least 1:1, otherwise errors of determination become large. Presumably, utilization of the internal standard and chemometrics can be useful to correct for the matrix effects. In addition to the trace element analysis, the LIBS prototype demonstrated ability to measure the hydrogen-to-carbon ratio in organic liquid samples. Several unidentified features were observed in the carbon spectrum. Their possible origin is discussed.

02 PETROLEUM↗
DOE OSTI2024

Leveraging Calibration Transfer Techniques for Remote Monitoring of Samarium and Europium in LiCl Using Laser-Induced Florescence Spectroscopy for Radioisotope Production Applications

Radioisotope production relies on complex chemical processes that must be performed in radiological hot cells or glove boxes because of the radioactive and otherwise hazardous materials being used. In these situations, optical sensors can provide real-time monitoring to users, which is unobtainable by more traditional methods. This study explores the use of calibration transfer methods to train a model on one instrument and date and then transfer it to another instrument of the same or different configuration on a different date. By performing laser-induced fluorescence measurements of Eu(III) and Sm(III) in 10 M LiCl over the course of 6 months using two disparate spectrometers and two different training sets, a strategy for calibrating and deploying models for online monitoring was established. Three transfer techniques were compared: direct standardization (DS), piecewise direct standardization (PDS), and external parameter orthogonalization (EPO). DS and PDS outperformed EPO for day-to-day transfers, and EPO was not effective for instrument-to-instrument transfers. Transferring the initial date’s full factorial model provided better prediction performance compared with retraining models the day of measurements using a D-optimal designed calibration set. For both day-to-day and instrument-to-instrument transfers, five Kennard–Stone selected samples were sufficient. Based on this choice, the initial-date, high-resolution spectrometer model was transferred to a lower-resolution, compact spectrometer 6 months later to monitor a simulated, real-time demonstration. Here, the combined predictions of the DS and PDS transferred models were able to accurately track the anticipated concentration profiles, maintaining root-mean-square error of prediction values below 10 ppm.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2020

TORONE: Total Characterisation by Remote Observation of Nuclear Environments - 20591

This paper describes the autonomous robotic systems developed in the TORONE project (Total Characterisation by Remote Observation of Nuclear Environments) for combined characterisation by remote techniques in nuclear environments. There are four main components to the system. Firstly, robot operation which uses a Robot Operating System (ROS) allowing ease of communication between hardware and software alongside robot vision systems such as Lidar and/or photogrammetry. Secondly, radiation detection instrumentation for gamma and neutron sources which is also collimated for spatial resolution. Thirdly, photonic characterisation instrumentation for remote material identification by means of Raman spectroscopy and Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). Finally, a data management system is described which contains the TORONE characterisation data with the ability to overlay material characterisation information onto 3D maps of the nuclear environment. Preliminary results are described alongside discussion of some of the synergies of the combined approach. There are many applications of such an autonomous system in nuclear decommissioning, waste management and asset management. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2020

An Overview of the Hybrid Illinois Device for Research and Applications Material Analysis Test-stand (HIDRA-MAT)

The Hybrid Illinois Device for Research and Applications (HIDRA) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a toroidal plasma device that enables fusion plasma-material interaction testing with both stellarator and tokamak plasmas. HIDRA’s long-pulse steady state stellarator plasmas provide a testbed for plasma facing component (PFC) plasma exposures. The HIDRA Material Analysis Test-stand (HIDRA-MAT) is a material characterization module attached to HIDRA that is being designed and fabricated to include thermal desorption spectroscopy and laser induced breakdown spectroscopy systems for in-vacuo PFC characterization. A specialized rotatable sample holder positions the sample for liquid metal droplet application from a liquid metal droplet injector on HIDRA-MAT. Early experiments look to investigate the effect liquid lithium has on porous tungsten samples’ retention of H, D, and He after plasma exposure. Preliminary results from a dual residual gas analyzer system show the ability to differentiate D2 and He in HIDRA-MAT. Finally, this work aims to advance the understanding of liquid metal PFCs and further the design and development of new fusion PFCs and technologies.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Development of Spectroscopic Tools for Nuclear Forensics Signatures Development

Diversion of nuclear materialsfrom legitimate commercial processes for use by nefarious actors is a frightening and surreptitious problem. Smuggled nuclear material can be used to manufacture a simple radiological dispersion device (RDD) and potentially incorporated into the development of a nuclear weapon. With some frequency, smuggled nuclear material is interdicted in foreign countries as actors cross border checkpoints. Nuclear material interdicted in this way can be analyzed using a variety of tools. Plutonium-239 is commonly used as the fissile material in nuclear weapon production as an alternative to uranium-235. Plutonium in a production, refining, or finishing facility will exist in many forms including oxide precursors (PuF4, PuF3, Pu oxalate, etc.), oxide, and metal. The ability to identify plutonium in each of these forms and determine properties, characteristics, or history of these materials is crucial for determining if the processes occurring in a nuclear facility are legitimate or not. This presentation will focus on the development and application ofspectroscopic tools developed at SRNL using doubled-walled cells (DWC) to characterize Pu-bearing compounds. Advances in the use of vibrational spectroscopy techniques (Raman and IR), UV-VIS-SWIR diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, gamma emission spectroscopy, luminescence spectroscopy, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy in conjunction with XRD and SEM in the characterization of Pu-bearing compounds will be presented with emphasis in material processing history.

Villa-Aleman, Eliel↗