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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 235 records · Page 13
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1985

Extensional tectonics and collapse structures in the Suez Rift (Egypt)

The Suez Rift is a 300 km long and 50 to 80 km wide basin which cuts a granitic and metamorphic shield of Precambrian age, covered by sediments of Paleozoic to Paleogene age. The rift structure is dominated by tilted blocks bounded by NW-SE normal faults. The reconstruction of the paleostresses indicates a N 050 extension during the whole stage of rifting. Rifting began 24 My ago with dikes intrusions; main faulting and subsidence occurred during Early Miocene producing a 80 km wide basin (Clysmic Gulf). During Pliocene and Quaternary times, faulting is still active but subsidence is restricted to a narrower area (Present Gulf). On the Eastern margin of the gulf, two sets of fault trends are predominant: (1) N 140 to 150 E faults parallel to the gulf trend with pure dip-slip displacement; and (2) cross faults, oriented NOO to N 30 E that have a strike-slip component consistent with the N 050 E distensive stress regime. The mean dip cross fault is steeper (70 to 80 deg) than the dip of the faults parallel to the Gulf (30 to 70 deg). These two sets of fault define diamond shaped tilted block. The difference of mechanical behavior between the basement rocks and the overlying sedimentary cover caused structural disharmony and distinct fault geometries.

Chenet, P. Y.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Understanding Twinning and Deformation in High Entropy Alloys

A combination of high strength and high ductility has been observed in multi-principal element alloys due to twin formation attributed to low stacking fault energy (SFE). In the pursuit of low SFE alloys, a key bottleneck is the lack of understanding of the composition–SFE cor- relations that would guide tailoring SFE via alloy composition. Using density functional theory (DFT), we show that dopant radius, which have been postulated as a key descriptor for SFE in dilute alloys, does not fully explain SFE trends across different host metals. Instead, charge density is a much more central descriptor. It allows us to (1) explain contrasting SFE trends in Ni and Cu host metals due to various dopants in dilute concentrations, (2) explain the large SFE variations observed in the literature even within a given alloy composition due to the nearest neighbor environments in “model” concentrated alloys, and (3) develop a machine learning model that can be used to predict SFEs in multi-elemental alloys. This model opens a possibility to use charge density as a descriptor for predicting SFE in alloys. Furthermore, a descriptor-less machine learning (ML) model based only on charge density images extracted from density functional theory (DFT) is developed to predict stacking fault energies (SFE) in concentrated alloys. The model is based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs) as one of the promising ML techniques for dealing with complex images and data. Identification of correct descriptors is a key bottleneck to develop ML models for predicting materials properties. Often, in most ML models, textbook physical descriptors such as atomic radius, valence charge and electronegativity are used as descriptors which have limitations because these properties change in concentrated alloys when multiple elements are mixed to form a solid solution. We illustrate that, within the scope of DFT, the search for descriptors can be circumvented by electronic charge density, which is the backbone of the Kohn-Sham DFT and describes the system completely. The performance of our model is demonstrated by predicting SFE of concentrated alloys with an RMSE and R2 of 6.18 mJ/m2 and 0.87, respectively, validating the accuracy of the proposed approach.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Defect Kinetics and Control for Module Reliability

Potential induced degradation is currently one of the most important module degradation mechanisms. It has been suggested that stacking faults decorated with sodium from the module glass are responsible for this effect and authors have also shown the reversibility of this effect upon reverse biasing of the module. The importance of sodium in the failure mechanism is clear, however, little is known regarding the factors that control its diffusion into the wafer, making it nearly impossible to predict the performance of a given module and engineer it to be better. Sodium migration from module glass into silicon cells and the resulting module degradation is a clear example of how defect kinetics can determine overall module performance and long-term reliability. To the detriment of the industry and its bankability, no quantitative models yet exist to predict defect-assisted module degradation, limiting the progress in improving reliability. In particular, the understanding of defect behavior under high electric fields, under stresses imparted by encapsulation or temperature, and under real operating conditions over long periods of time is a crucial gap in the current state-of-the-art. In this work we developed a Defect-Device-Degradation model to predict defect behavior and its impact on device performance over the module operational lifetime using experimentally-determined defect parameterizations. The validated model will provide a platform for manufacturing process optimization across input materials and architectures to avoid deleterious defects upstream and enable enhanced module robustness.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Magnitude and Timing of the Tiltill Rockslide in Yosemite National Park, California

Yosemite National Park, California, is one of the best-documented sites of historical rockfalls and other rock slope failures; however, past work shows that this record does not capture the infrequent largest occurrences, prehistoric events orders of magnitude larger than the largest historic ones. These large prehistoric events are evident as voluminous bouldery landslide deposits, permitting volume and age quantification to better understand local volume–frequency relationships, potential triggering mechanisms, and the hazard such events might pose. The Tiltill rockslide in northern Yosemite is one such example, consisting of 2.1 × 10 6 m 3 ± 1.6 × 10 6 m 3 of talus (1.5 × 10 6 m 3 original volume of rock mass) that slid across the floor of Tiltill Valley, partially damming Tiltill Creek to create a seasonal pond that drains through and around the rockslide mass. This volume and the rockslide's effective coefficient of friction, 0.47, place it near the boundary between long-runout landslides and ordinary Coulomb failure. Although the rockslide superficially appears to consist of two separate lobes, statistically indistinguishable 10 Be exposure dates from eight samples indicate a single event that occurred at 13.0 ± 0.8 ka. The age of the Tiltill rockslide and its relatively low elevation compared to equilibrium line altitudes at this place and time make glacial debutressing a highly unlikely triggering mechanism. Additionally, seismic shaking associated with fault rupture along the eastern Sierra Nevada is shown to be a plausible but unverified trigger.

10Be cosmogenic nuclide exposure dating↗
DOE OSTI2022

Converter-Interfaced CHP Plant for Improved Grid-Integration, Flexibility and Resiliency

GE Research and its partner GE Renewables have proposed the use of an interface converter solution to increase the penetration of small to medium-sized CHP (1MWe to 20MWe) into distribution grids and improve their flexibility and grid support capability. Indeed, the proposed interface converter solution thanks to presence of the grid-ready inverter, allows to streamline the compliance to grid codes requirements, reduce the interconnection delays and costs and ultimately one of the main barriers for CHP adoption by commercial and industrial facilities. An additional benefit provided by the interface converter is the use of the grid-ready inverter for reactive power which eliminates the need of sizing the generator for that capability. These two benefits highly favor the economic feasibility of converter-interfaced CHP. Five user cases, each in one of the leading U.S states for CHP potential reported by the DOE in its estimation of the U.S Technical Potential of CHP, were selected to compare the economic performances of converter-interfaced CHP as compared with directly-coupled. They include a college campus in California, a hospital in New York, a water reclamation plant in Texas, a hotel in Minnesota, and a large office building in Pennsylvania. Results showed that, the presence of the interface converter allows to increase the return on investment (ROI) by 0.5 to 2 percentage points in most of the cases (4 of 5). Indeed, the interface converter by shortening the interconnection process allows to accelerate revenues while reducing interconnection costs. Added to the reduced cost of the required generator these savings trade favorably the capital cost of the converter. The analysis also showed that the profitability of the converter-interfaced CHP is highly sensitive to the energy price, interconnection delay, and converter cost. However, it appears that if the interface converter can shorten the interconnection process by at least 6 months, adopting this solution will be more economically viable than directly-coupled configuration in almost all the +23,000 sites of the U.S Technical Potential CHP. The evaluation of the benefits of a converter-interfaced CHP also showed that it enables higher ROI when coupled with other distributed energy resources (DER) such as battery energy systems (BESS) or solar photovoltaic (PV). Indeed, in those scenario, the grid-ready inverter included in the interface converter eliminates the need of separate inverters if DC-coupling is used. On the technical performance, it has been verified that the presence of the interface converter allows to reduce by 70% to 80% the CHP short-circuit contribution to grid faults. This not only reduces the mechanical and thermal stresses exposed to the CHP electrical components but also increases the grid hosting capacity which ultimately enables higher penetrations CHP. Another key benefit of the interface converter validated with hardware-in-the-loop simulations and testing is its superior capability for reactive power support. Indeed, using a power hardware testbed with two +700kW inverters configured in back-to-back, a microgrid controller and actual facilities loads it was demonstrated that the presence of the interface converter can help maintain a power factor near ~1 or regulate the voltage to ~1.0pu at the point of common coupling. This benefit can be highly valuable if in the future, due to higher penetration of renewable distributed energy resources (DER), utilities start billing demand charge based on kVA instead of kW as currently. It was also validated that converter-interfaced CHP can dispatch heat and power commands and seamlessly switch between the two modes while consistently controlling the power factor or voltage at PCC. Indeed, the power hardware testing showed that grid-connected converter-interfaced CHP can follow either the power or heat demand while maintaining a unity power factor at converter output. This research proved that the adoption of an interface converter as the solution for interconnection of CHP system into the distribution grid can greatly improve the economic feasibility of small to medium-sized CHP as well as the plant power quality, flexibility and resiliency. Additionally, it allows increased penetrations of CHP into the distribution grid, extends their grid support capability, and facilitates the integration of BESS and PV DER by streamlining their collocation within the same facilities. This ultimately provides an opportunity for commercial and small industrial facilities in the U.S to accelerate their energy transition thanks to the high energy efficiency of CHP systems and its reliable, flexible, and resilient microgrid operation when interconnected with an interface converter.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2024

Intelligent, grid-friendly, modular extreme fast charging system with solid-state DC protection

The development of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure is crucial for the widespread adoption of electric transportation. However, implementing such infrastructure is a complex task that requires consideration of factors such as space limitations, adherence to industry standards, grid capacity, and other technical and policy issues. This project seeks to create a framework for the efficient design of compact medium voltage (MV) extreme fast charging (XFC) stations for EVs. The station design involves the use of a solid-state transformer (SST) that connects to the MV distribution network, delivering power to a shared DC bus. This innovative approach eliminates the need for a step-down transformer to provide low-voltage service by connecting directly to the MV distribution network. Eliminating the low-frequency transformer not only reduces the system footprint and losses but also eliminates inrush currents during grid black-start. Additionally, placing power electronics directly on the distribution system allows for high-bandwidth filtering and power factor correction. The inclusion of a shared DC bus enables multiple charging dispensers and DC storage/generation units to connect, forming a DC microgrid. This setup facilitates power sharing with minimal conversion stages. The project showcases a DC distribution network protected by intelligent solid-state (SS) DC circuit breakers (DCCB) capable of isolating the smallest section of the faulted circuit much faster than existing mechanical solutions.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
NASA NTRS1973

SIRU development. Volume 1: System development

A complete description of the development and initial evaluation of the Strapdown Inertial Reference Unit (SIRU) system is reported. System development documents the system mechanization with the analytic formulation for fault detection and isolation processing structure; the hardware redundancy design and the individual modularity features; the computational structure and facilities; and the initial subsystem evaluation results.

Gilmore, J. P.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Structures and Dynamics Division research and technology plans, FY 1982

Computational devices to improve efficiency for structural calculations are assessed. The potential of large arrays of microprocessors operating in parallel for finite element analysis is defined, and the impact of specialized computer hardware on static, dynamic, thermal analysis in the optimization of structural analysis and design calculations is determined. General aviation aircraft crashworthiness and occupant survivability is also considered. Mechanics technology required for design coefficient, fault tolerant advanced composite aircraft components subject to combined loads, impact, postbuckling effects and local discontinuities are developed.

Bales, K. S.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Scaling differences between large interplate and intraplate earthquakes

A study of large intraplate earthquakes with well determined source parameters shows that these earthquakes obey a scaling law similar to large interplate earthquakes, in which M sub o varies as L sup 2 or u = alpha L where L is rupture length and u is slip. In contrast to interplate earthquakes, for which alpha approximately equals 1 x .00001, for the intraplate events alpha approximately equals 6 x .0001, which implies that these earthquakes have stress-drops about 6 times higher than interplate events. This result is independent of focal mechanism type. This implies that intraplate faults have a higher frictional strength than plate boundaries, and hence, that faults are velocity or slip weakening in their behavior. This factor may be important in producing the concentrated deformation that creates and maintains plate boundaries.

Scholz, C. H.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Verification of the FtCayuga fault-tolerant microprocessor system. Volume 2: Formal specification and correctness theorems

Presented here is a formal specification and verification of a property of a quadruplicately redundant fault tolerant microprocessor system design. A complete listing of the formal specification of the system and the correctness theorems that are proved are given. The system performs the task of obtaining interactive consistency among the processors using a special instruction on the processors. The design is based on an algorithm proposed by Pease, Shostak, and Lamport. The property verified insures that an execution of the special instruction by the processors correctly accomplishes interactive consistency, providing certain preconditions hold, using a computer aided design verification tool, Spectool, and the theorem prover, Clio. A major contribution of the work is the demonstration of a significant fault tolerant hardware design that is mechanically verified by a theorem prover.

Bickford, Mark↗
NASA NTRS1991

Verification of the FtCayuga fault-tolerant microprocessor system. Volume 1: A case study in theorem prover-based verification

The design and formal verification of a hardware system for a task that is an important component of a fault tolerant computer architecture for flight control systems is presented. The hardware system implements an algorithm for obtaining interactive consistancy (byzantine agreement) among four microprocessors as a special instruction on the processors. The property verified insures that an execution of the special instruction by the processors correctly accomplishes interactive consistency, provided certain preconditions hold. An assumption is made that the processors execute synchronously. For verification, the authors used a computer aided design hardware design verification tool, Spectool, and the theorem prover, Clio. A major contribution of the work is the demonstration of a significant fault tolerant hardware design that is mechanically verified by a theorem prover.

Srivas, Mandayam↗
NASA NTRS1994

Dexterous end effector flight demonstration

The Dexterous End Effector Flight Experiment is a flight demonstration of newly developed equipment and methods which make for more dexterous manipulation of robotic arms. The following concepts are to be demonstrated: The Force Torque Sensor is a six axis load cell located at the end of the RMS which displays load data to the operator on the orbiter CCTV monitor. TRAC is a target system which provides six axis positional information to the operator. It has the characteristic of having high sensitivity to attitude misalignment while being flat. AUTO-TRAC is a variation of TRAC in which a computer analyzes a target, displays translational and attitude misalignment information, and provides cues to the operator for corrective inputs. The Magnetic End Effector is a fault tolerant end effector which grapples payloads using magnetic attraction. The Carrier Latch Assembly is a fault tolerant payload carrier, which uses mechanical latches and/or magnetic attraction to hold small payloads during launch/landing and to release payloads as desired. The flight experiment goals and objectives are explained. The experiment equipment is described, and the tasks to be performed during the demonstration are discussed.

Carter, Edward L.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Detecting Structural Failures Via Acoustic Impulse Responses

Advanced method of acoustic pulse reflectivity testing developed for use in determining sizes and locations of failures within structures. Used to detect breaks in electrical transmission lines, detect faults in optical fibers, and determine mechanical properties of materials. In method, structure vibrationally excited with acoustic pulse (a "ping") at one location and acoustic response measured at same or different location. Measured acoustic response digitized, then processed by finite-impulse-response (FIR) filtering algorithm unique to method and based on acoustic-wave-propagation and -reflection properties of structure. Offers several advantages: does not require training, does not require prior knowledge of mathematical model of acoustic response of structure, enables detection and localization of multiple failures, and yields data on extent of damage at each location.

Bayard, David S.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Achieving Agreement in Three Rounds With Bounded-Byzantine Faults

A three-round algorithm is presented that guarantees agreement in a system of K (nodes) greater than or equal to 3F (faults) +1 nodes provided each faulty node induces no more than F faults and each good node experiences no more than F faults, where, F is the maximum number of simultaneous faults in the network. The algorithm is based on the Oral Message algorithm of Lamport et al. and is scalable with respect to the number of nodes in the system and applies equally to the traditional node-fault model as well as the link-fault model. We also present a mechanical verification of the algorithm focusing on verifying the correctness of a bounded model of the algorithm as well as confirming claims of determinism.

Malekpour, Mahyar R.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Achieving Agreement in Three Rounds with Bounded-Byzantine Faults

A three-round algorithm is presented that guarantees agreement in a system of K greater than or equal to 3F+1 nodes provided each faulty node induces no more than F faults and each good node experiences no more than F faults, where, F is the maximum number of simultaneous faults in the network. The algorithm is based on the Oral Message algorithm of Lamport, Shostak, and Pease and is scalable with respect to the number of nodes in the system and applies equally to traditional node-fault model as well as the link-fault model. We also present a mechanical verification of the algorithm focusing on verifying the correctness of a bounded model of the algorithm as well as confirming claims of determinism.

Malekpour, Mahyar, R.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Origins of the change in mechanical strength of silicon/gold nanocomposites during irradiation

Abstract Silicon-based layered nanocomposites, comprised of covalent-metal interfaces, have demonstrated elevated resistance to radiation. The amorphization of the crystalline silicon sublayer during irradiation and/or heating can provide an additional mechanism for accommodating irradiation-induced defects. In this study, we investigated the mechanical strength of irradiated Si-based nanocomposites using atomistic modeling. We first examined dose effects on the defect evolution mechanisms near silicon-gold crystalline and amorphous interfaces. Our simulations reveal the growth of an emergent amorphous interfacial layer with increasing dose, a dominant factor mitigating radiation damage. We then examined the effect of radiation on the mechanical strength of silicon-gold multilayers by constructing yield surfaces. These results demonstrate a rapid onset strength loss with dose. Nearly identical behavior is observed in bulk gold, a phenomenon that can be rooted to the formation of radiation-induced stacking fault tetrahedra which dominate the dislocation emission mechanism during mechanical loading. Taken together, these results advance our understanding of the interaction between radiation-induced point defects and metal-covalent interfaces.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1982

Design and evaluation of a fault-tolerant multiprocessor using hardware recovery blocks

A fault-tolerant multiprocessor with a rollback recovery mechanism is discussed. The rollback mechanism is based on the hardware recovery block which is a hardware equivalent to the software recovery block. The hardware recovery block is constructed by consecutive state-save operations and several state-save units in every processor and memory module. When a fault is detected, the multiprocessor reconfigures itself to replace the faulty component and then the process originally assigned to the faulty component retreats to one of the previously saved states in order to resume fault-free execution. A mathematical model is proposed to calculate both the coverage of multi-step rollback recovery and the risk of restart. A performance evaluation in terms of task execution time is also presented.

Lee, Y. H.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Geodetic measurement of deformation in the central Mojave Desert, California

Data from triangulation and trilateration surveys made during 1934-1982 are used to calculate shear strain rates in the central Mojave Desert of California. For the region between the Helendale and Camp Rock faults the shear strain rate was determined to be 0.16 + or - 0.03 microstrain/yr, with maximum right-lateral shear strain occurring on a plane oriented N41 deg W + or - 5 deg. If this deformation is due to right-lateral motion across the northwest trending local faults, the average shear straining corresponds to a relative displacement of 6.7 + or - 1.3 mm/yr across this portion of the network, accounting for about 12 percent of the predicted 56 mm/yr of relative motion between the North Atlantic and Pacific plates. From the Camp Rock fault eastward across the network there is a transition from significant to very low strain rates. Examination of nine focal mechanisms and their relation to the local geology and the strain data suggests that most of the long-term displacement occurs on the major northwest trending faults oriented nearly along the direction of relative motion between the North American and Pacific plates. Secondary faulting, controlled by a Coulomb-Anderson failure mechanism or by slip on preexisting faults can account for the occurrence of earthquakes on faults of other orientations.

Sauber, Jeanne↗