Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Parallel connection”

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 235 records · Page 13

Wide Band-Gap Perovskites for Tandem Photovoltaics

This research was aimed at development of a mechanically-stacked, perovskite Multi-Junction Solar Cell in which (1) at least one Junction is made of metal-halide perovskite and (2) the Junctions are manufactured in parallel and then stacked to create the final module. This technology presented significant advanced manufacturing challenges and opportunities in getting to scale, including materials scale-up and the development of novel roll-to-roll processing and encapsulation methods. Research conducted was also applicable to a monolithically-integrated perovskite Multi-Junction Solar Cell, in which the two or more Junctions are integrated and electrically connected. The project explored the following technical opportunities in conjunction with the Cyclotron Road mentored entrepreneurial research experience: Fabrication of inorganic heterojunction layers on both sides of a perovskite semiconductor, and modification of interfaces; developed transparent electrode layers on both sides of a perovskite semiconductor; and developed a prototype and optimized perovskite Junction Solar Cell.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Structural and thermal properties of Na 2 Mn(SO 4 ) 2 ·4H 2 O and Na 2 Ni(SO 4 ) 2 ·10H 2 O

The title compounds were prepared via a wet chemistry route and their crystal structures were determined from single crystal X-ray diffraction data. Na 2 Mn(SO 4 ) 2 ·4H 2 O crystallizes with a monoclinic symmetry, space group P2 1 /c, with a = 5.5415(2), b = 8.3447(3), c = 11.2281(3) Å, β = 100.172(1)°, V = 511.05(3) Å 3 and Z = 2. Na 2 Ni(SO 4 ) 2 ·10H 2 O also crystallizes with a monoclinic symmetry, space group P2 1 /c, with a = 12.5050(8), b = 6.4812(4), c = 10.0210(6) Å, β = 106.138(2)°, V = 780.17(8) Å3 and Z = 2. Na 2 Mn(SO 4 ) 2 ·4H 2 O is a new member of the blödite family of compounds, whereas Na 2 Ni(SO 4 ) 2 ·10H 2 O is isostructural with Na 2 Mg(SO 4 ) 2 ·10H 2 O. The structure of Na 2 Mn(SO 4 ) 2 ·4H 2 O is built up of [Mn(SO 4 ) 2 (H 2 O) 4 ] 2– building blocks connected through moderate O–H…O hydrogen bonds with the sodium atoms occupying the large tunnels along the a axis and the manganese atom lying on an inversion center, whereas the structure of Na 2 Ni(SO 4 ) 2 ·10H 2 O is built up of [Ni(H 2 O) 6 ] 2+ and [Na 2 (SO 4 ) 2 (H 2 O) 4 ] 2– layers. These layers which are parallel to the (100) plane are interconnected through moderate O–H…O hydrogen bonds. Here, the thermal gravimetric- and the powder X-ray diffraction-analyzes showed that only the nickel phase was almost pure. At a temperature above 300 °C, all the water molecules evaporated and a structural phase transition from P2 1 /c-Na 2 Ni(SO 4 ) 2 ·10H 2 O to C2/c-Na 2 Ni(SO 4 ) 2 was observed. C2/c-Na 2 Ni(SO 4 ) 2 is thermally more stable than Na 2 Fe(SO 4 ) 2 and therefore it would be suitable as the positive electrode for sodium ion batteries if a stable electrolyte at high voltage is developed.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Modified Andronov-Hopf Oscillator-Based Grid-Forming Converter with Emulated Virtual Cable for Enhanced Power Sharing Performance

Nonlinear oscillator-based grid-forming converters offer superior dynamic and steady-state performance, making them an attractive solution for interconnecting renewable resources. This paper proposes a novel modified Andronov-Hopf oscillator to enhance the operating spectrum and facilitate the integration of renewable energy sources. An inner loop controller based on the Lyapunov energy function is implemented to achieve robust stability and performance, while a virtual cable emulation strategy enables seamless parallel operation. Comprehensive modeling and simulation studies validate the effectiveness of the proposed system, demonstrating its capabilities in addressing diverse operating scenarios, including grid faults, renewable energy fluctuations, and parallel operation. The proposed solution exhibits fast transient response, robust stability, and flexible operation, making it a valuable contribution to the field of renewable energy integration. The results of this study can be used to inform the design and implementation of next-generation grid-forming converters, enabling a more sustainable and reliable energy future. Additionally, the proposed system's ability to operate in both grid-connected and islanded modes makes it an ideal candidate for remote and off-grid renewable energy applications. The proposed solution's scalability and modularity also make it suitable for large-scale renewable energy integration. The proposed system is verified through MATLAB/Simulink and PLECS simulations, demonstrating its effectiveness in ensuring robust and efficient operation.

Andronov-Hopf Oscillator (AHO)↗

Crystal structure of perfluorononanoic acid, C 9 HF 17 O 2

The crystal structure of perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) was solved via parallel tempering using synchrotron powder diffraction data obtained from the Brockhouse X-ray Diffraction and Scattering (BXDS) Wiggler Lower Energy (WLE) beamline at the Canadian Light Source. PFNA crystallizes in monoclinic space group P2 1 /c (#14) with lattice parameters a = 26.172(1) Å, b = 5.6345(2) Å, c = 10.9501(4) Å, and β = 98.752(2)°. The crystal structure is composed of dimers, with pairs of PFNA molecules connected by hydrogen bonds via the carboxylic acid functional groups. The Rietveld-refined structure was compared to a density functional theory-optimized structure, and the root-mean-square Cartesian difference was larger than normally observed for correct powder structures. The powder data likely exhibited evidence of disorder which was not successfully modeled.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗

Boards having solderless interconnects

This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus related to printed circuit boards. In one aspect, a device includes a first board and a second board. The first board includes at least two pins defined at an end of the first board. The first pin and the second pin are positioned along a first line and parallel to the first line. The second board includes at least two slots defined at an end of the second board. The first slot and the second slot are positioned along a second line and are angled from the second line by about ±10° to 15°. Each of the pins in the first board is engaged with each of the slots in the second board and forms an electrical connection between the first pin and the first slot and the second pin and the second slot.

Wielandt, Stijn↗

Supercharging simulation-based inference for Bayesian optimal experimental design

Abstract Bayesian optimal experimental design (BOED) seeks to maximize the expected information gain (EIG) of experiments. This requires a likelihood estimate, which in many settings is intractable. Simulation-based inference (SBI) provides powerful tools for this regime. However, existing work explicitly connecting SBI and BOED is restricted to a single contrastive EIG bound. We show that the EIG admits multiple formulations which can directly leverage modern SBI density estimators, encompassing neural posterior, likelihood, and ratio estimation. Building on this perspective, we define a novel EIG estimator using neural likelihood estimation. Further, we identify optimization as a key bottleneck of gradient based EIG maximization and show that a simple multi-start parallel gradient ascent procedure can substantially improve reliability and performance. With these innovations, our SBI-based BOED methods are able to match or outperform by up to 22% existing state-of-the-art approaches across standard BOED benchmarks.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Branching heat exchangers

A heat exchanger includes an external casing and a core. The external casing includes a first inlet, a first outlet, a second inlet, and a second outlet. The core includes an array of branched channels connecting the first inlet and first outlet, an inlet header, and an outlet header. The inlet header is integrally formed with and fluidly connected to the first inlet. The outlet header is integrally formed with and fluidly connected to the first outlet. The branched channels and the external casing define a fluidic passage. The array of branched channels includes a first split, a first juncture, a secondary split, a secondary juncture, and a subset of splits and junctures. The first split and first juncture are common to an entirety of the array of branched channels. The subset of splits and junctures route fluid through interconnections between fluidly parallel branched channels.

Ranjan, Ram↗

Giant virus diversity and host interactions through global metagenomics

Our current knowledge about nucleocytoplasmic large DNA viruses (NCLDVs) is largely derived from viral isolates that are co-cultivated with protists and algae. Here we reconstructed 2,074 NCLDV genomes from sampling sites across the globe by building on the rapidly increasing amount of publicly available metagenome data. This led to an 11-fold increase in phylogenetic diversity and a parallel 10-fold expansion in functional diversity. Analysis of 58,023 major capsid proteins from large and giant viruses using metagenomic data revealed the global distribution patterns and cosmopolitan nature of these viruses. The discovered viral genomes encoded a wide range of proteins with putative roles in photosynthesis and diverse substrate transport processes, indicating that host reprogramming is probably a common strategy in the NCLDVs. Furthermore, inferences of horizontal gene transfer connected viral lineages to diverse eukaryotic hosts. We anticipate that the global diversity of NCLDVs that we describe here will establish giant viruses-which are associated with most major eukaryotic lineages-as important players in ecosystems across Earth's biomes.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Galaxy bispectrum in the spherical Fourier-Bessel basis

The bispectrum, the three-point correlation in Fourier space, is a crucial statistic for studying many effects targeted by the next-generation galaxy surveys, such as primordial non-Gaussianity (PNG) and general relativistic (GR) effects on large scales. In this work we develop a formalism for the bispectrum in the spherical Fourier-Bessel (SFB) basis—a natural basis for computing correlation functions on the curved sky, as it diagonalizes the Laplacian operator in spherical coordinates. Working in the SFB basis allows for line-of-sight effects such as redshift space distortions and GR to be accounted for exactly, i.e., without having to resort to perturbative expansions to go beyond the plane-parallel approximation. Only analytic results for the SFB bispectrum exist in the literature given the intensive computations needed. We numerically calculate the SFB bispectrum for the first time, enabled by a few techniques: We implement a template decomposition of the redshift-space kernel Z 2 into Legendre polynomials, and separately treat the PNG and velocity-divergence terms. We derive an identity to integrate a product of three spherical harmonics connected by a Dirac delta function as a simple sum and use it to investigate the limit of a homogeneous and isotropic Universe. Furthermore, we present a formalism for convolving the signal with separable window functions and use a toy spherically symmetric window to demonstrate the computation and give insights into the properties of the observed bispectrum signal. While our implementation remains computationally challenging, it is a step toward a feasible full extraction of information on large scales via a SFB bispectrum analysis.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

X-composer: enabling cross-environments in-situ workflows between HPC and cloud

As large-scale scientific simulations and big data analyses become more popular, it is increasingly more expensive to store huge amounts of raw simulation results to perform post-analysis. To minimize the expensive data I/O, "in-situ" analysis is a promising approach, where data analysis applications analyze the simulation generated data on the fly without storing it first. However, it is challenging to organize, transform, and transport data at scales between two semantically different ecosystems due to the distinct software and hardware difference. To tackle these challenges, we design and implement the X-Composer framework. X-Composer connects cross-ecosystem applications to form an "in-situ" scientific workflow, and provides a unified approach and recipe for supporting such hybrid in-situ workflows on distributed heterogeneous resources. X-Composer reorganizes simulation data as continuous data streams and feeds them seamlessly into the Cloud-based stream processing services to minimize I/O overheads. For evaluation, we use X-Composer to set up and execute a cross-ecosystem workflow, which consists of a parallel Computational Fluid Dynamics simulation running on HPC, and a distributed Dynamic Mode Decomposition analysis application running on Cloud. Our experimental results show that X-Composer can seamlessly couple HPC and Big Data jobs in their own native environments, achieve good scalability, and provide high-fidelity analytics for ongoing simulations in real-time.

Wang, Dali↗

Measuring magnetic fields in laser-driven coils with dual-axis proton deflectometry

Abstract By driving hot electrons between two metal plates connected by a wire loop, high power lasers can generate multi-tesla, quasi-static magnetic fields in miniature coil targets. Many experiments involving laser-coil targets rely on proton deflectometry directed perpendicular to the coil axis to extract a measurement of the magnetic field. In this paper, we show that quantitative measurements using perpendicular probing are complicated by the presence of GV m −1 electric fields in the target that develop on sub-ns timescales. Probing parallel to the coil axis with fiducial grids is shown to reliably separate the electric and magnetic field measurements, giving current estimates of I ≈ 5 kA in 1 mm- and 2 mm-diameter wire loops. An analytic model of proton deflection in electric and magnetic fields is used to benchmark results from the particle-in-cell code and help deconvolve the magnetic and electric field deflections. Results are used to motivate a new experimental scheme that combines a single-plate target with axial proton probing and direct current measurements. This scheme has several important advantages over the traditional target and diagnostic set-up, enabling the robust measurement of coil magnetic fields and plasma properties, as well as making it easier to validate different theoretical models at a range of laser intensities.

Bradford, P. (ORCID:0000000296186342)↗

Crossing Versus Locking: Bit Threads and Continuum Multiflows

Bit threads are curves in holographic spacetimes that manifest boundary entanglement, and are represented mathematically by continuum analogues of network flows or multiflows. Subject to a density bound, the maximum number of threads connecting a boundary region to its complement computes the Ryu–Takayanagi entropy. When considering several regions at the same time, for example in proving entropy inequalities, there are various inequivalent density bounds that can be imposed. Here, we investigate for which choices of bound a given set of boundary regions can be “locked”, in other words can have their entropies computed by a single thread configuration. We show that under the most stringent bound, which requires the threads to be locally parallel, non-crossing regions can in general be locked, but crossing regions cannot, where two regions are said to cross if they partially overlap and do not cover the entire boundary. We also show that, under a certain less stringent density bound, a crossing pair can be locked, and conjecture that any set of regions not containing a pairwise crossing triple can be locked, analogously to the situation for networks.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Randomized Cholesky Preconditioning for Graph Partitioning Applications

A graph is a mathematical representation of a network; we say it consists of a set of vertices, which are connected by edges. Graphs have numerous applications in various fields, as they can model all sorts of connections, processes, or relations. For example, graphs can model intricate transit systems or the human nervous system. However, graphs that are large or complicated become difficult to analyze. This is why there is an increased interest in the area of graph partitioning, reducing the size of the graph into multiple partitions. For example, partitions of a graph representing a social network might help identify clusters of friends or colleagues. Graph partitioning is also a widely used approach to load balancing in parallel computing. The partitioning of a graph is extremely useful to decompose the graph into smaller parts and allow for easier analysis. There are different ways to solve graph partitioning problems. For this work, we focus on a spectral partitioning method which forms a partition based upon the eigenvectors of the graph Laplacian (details presented in Acer, et. al.). This method uses the LOBPCG algorithm to compute these eigenvectors. LOBPCG can be accelerated by an operator called a preconditioner. For this internship, we evaluate a randomized Cholesky (rchol) preconditioner for its effectiveness on graph partitioning problems with LOBPCG. We compare it with two standard preconditioners: Jacobi and Incomplete Cholesky (ichol). This research was conducted from August to December 2021 in conjunction with Sandia National Laboratories.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Effects of Intrusive Confining Units on Groundwater Flow at Pahute Mesa, Nevada National Security Site

Geological, geophysical, hydrogeological, and hydrological evidence indicates that feeder dikes to lava flows play a role as confining units in the groundwater flow system underlying the Pahute Mesa area of underground nuclear testing at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS). Of geological significance, the Pahute Mesa testing area is largely situated within the Silent Canyon caldera, which includes both tuffs and lavas that were fed by (and are connected to) intrusive rock units such as feeder dikes prior to and during volcanic eruptions (Orkild et al., 1968; Byers et al., 1976). Groundwater modeling results presented in this report support extension of “pool-dam” and “breach scenario” concepts presented in Jackson and Fenelon (2018) and Jackson et al. (2021) to low-permeability intrusive confining units (ICUs) such as feeder dikes that are expected to dissect and ring the caldera. As laterally extensive, steeply-dipping, and sub-parallel planar structures, ICUs can be expected to further compartmentalize groundwater flow in the volcanic aquifers systems at Pahute Mesa beyond the stratigraphically-defined tuff confining units (TCUs). ICUs provide an explanation for changes in water levels before and after the Cheshire test, detonated 2/14/76 (USDOE, 2015), and the unusually high horizontal gradient southwest of Cheshire. These ICU concepts are supported by groundwater modeling results presented in this report. The evidence and groundwater modeling results indicate that the downgradient extent of radionuclide contamination in some areas of Pahute Mesa could be overestimated by ignoring the confining effects of ICUs. On the other hand, contaminant extent could be underestimated by not considering transient flow effects and/or the re-equilibrated flow field caused by breaching of an ICU by an underground nuclear test.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Effects of Intrusive Confining Units on Groundwater Flow at Pahute Mesa, Nevada National Security Site

Geological, geophysical, hydrogeological, and hydrological evidence indicates that feeder dikes to rhyolitic lava flows may play a role as confining units in the groundwater flow system underlying the Pahute Mesa (PM) area of underground nuclear testing at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) (Figure 1). Of geological significance, the PM testing area is largely situated within the Silent Canyon caldera complex (SCCC), which includes both tuffs and lavas that were fed by (and are connected to) intrusive rock units such as feeder dikes prior to and during volcanic eruptions (Orkild et al., 1968; Byers et al., 1976a). Groundwater modeling results presented in this report support extension of “pool-dam” and “breach scenario” concepts presented in Jackson and Fenelon (2018) and Jackson et al. (2021) to low-permeability intrusive confining units (ICUs) such as feeder dikes that are expected to dissect and ring silicic calderas. As laterally extensive, steeply-dipping, and sub-parallel planar structures, ICUs may further compartmentalize groundwater flow in some areas of the volcanic aquifer system at PM. ICUs may explain unusually high horizontal hydraulic gradient southwest of Cheshire. Breaching of an ICU within which the Cheshire test was emplaced may explain changes in water levels before and after the Cheshire test was detonated in the U-20n emplacement hole on 2/14/76 (USDOE, 2015b). This analysis of the effects of ICUs on groundwater flow at PM addresses a need to evaluate uncertainty in the conceptual model or structural aspects of hydrologic source term (HST) or corrective action unit (CAU) models for groundwater flow and contaminant transport (FFACO, 1996, as amended). At Cheshire and possibly other test locations at PM, downgradient extent of radionuclide contamination may be overpredicted by not including the confining effects of ICUs. On the other hand, contaminant extent may be underpredicted by not considering transient flow effects and/or the re-equilibrated flow field caused by breaching of an ICU by an underground nuclear test. Near Cheshire, the effects of ICUs may be most apparent and impactful to the groundwater flow system at PM because of an unusual combination of thickness, extent, and frequency of dikes transecting the saturated CHLFA4 aquifer and feeding into the overlying unsaturated rhyolite lava of Windy Wash. Chapters 2, 3, and 4 present geological, geophysical, hydrogeological, and hydrological evidence for ICUs at PM. Chapters 5 and 6 examine effects of ICUs on groundwater flow including analysis by groundwater modeling.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

How to form a wormhole

Abstract We provide a simple but very useful description of the process of wormhole formation. We place two massive objects in two parallel universes (modeled by two branes). Gravitational attraction between the objects competes with the resistance coming from the brane tension. For sufficiently strong attraction, the branes are deformed, objects touch and a wormhole is formed. Our calculations show that more massive and compact objects are more likely to fulfill the conditions for wormhole formation. This implies that we should be looking for wormholes either in the background of black holes and compact stars, or massive microscopic relics. Our formation mechanism applies equally well for a wormhole connecting two objects in the same universe.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Measurement-Based Quantum Thermal Machines with Feedback Control

We investigated coupled-qubit-based thermal machines powered by quantum measurements and feedback. We considered two different versions of the machine: (1) a quantum Maxwell’s demon, where the coupled-qubit system is connected to a detachable single shared bath, and (2) a measurement-assisted refrigerator, where the coupled-qubit system is in contact with a hot and cold bath. In the quantum Maxwell’s demon case, we discuss both discrete and continuous measurements. We found that the power output from a single qubit-based device can be improved by coupling it to the second qubit. We further found that the simultaneous measurement of both qubits can produce higher net heat extraction compared to two setups operated in parallel where only single-qubit measurements are performed. In the refrigerator case, we used continuous measurement and unitary operations to power the coupled-qubit-based refrigerator. We found that the cooling power of a refrigerator operated with swap operations can be enhanced by performing suitable measurements.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Correlating Crystallographic Orientation and Ferroic Properties of Twin Domains in Metal Halide Perovskites

Metal halide perovskite (MHP) solar cells have attracted worldwide research interest. Although it has been well established that grain, grain boundary, and grain facet affect MHPs optoelectronic properties, less is known about subgrain structures. Recently, MHP twin stripes, a subgrain feature, have stimulated extensive discussion due to the potential for both beneficial and detrimental effects of ferroelectricity on optoelectronic properties. Furthermore, connecting the ferroic behavior of twin stripes in MHPs with crystal orientation will be a vital step to understand the ferroic nature and the effects of twin stripes. In this work, we studied the crystallographic orientation and ferroic properties of CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 twin stripes, using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and advanced piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM), respectively. Using EBSD, we discovered that the orientation relationship across the twin walls in CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 is a 90° rotation about ($\bar{11}0$), with the (030) and (111) directions parallel to the direction normal to the surface. By careful inspection of CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 PFM results including in-plane and out-of-plane PFM measurements, we demonstrate some nonferroelectric contributions to the PFM responses of this CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 sample, suggesting that the PFM signal in this CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 sample is affected by nonferroelectric and nonpiezoelectric forces. If there is piezoelectric response, it is below the detection sensitivity of our interferometric displacement sensor PFM (<0.615 pm/V). Overall, this work offers an integrated picture describing the crystallographic orientations and the origin of PFM signal of MHPs twin stripes, which is critical to understanding the ferroicity in MHPs.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗