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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 253 records · Page 14
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1999

High Speed Research (HSR) Multi-Year Summary Report for Calendar Years 1995-1999

The Aeroelasticity Task is intended to provide demonstrated technology readiness to predict and improve flutter characteristics of an HSCT configuration. This requires aerodynamic codes that are applicable to the wide range of flight regimes in which the HSCT will operate, and are suitable to provide the higher fidelity required for evaluation of aeroservoelastic coupling effects. Prediction of these characteristics will result in reduced airplane weight and risk associated with a highly flexible, low-aspect ratio supersonic airplane with narrow fuselage, relatively thin wings, and heavy engines. This Task is subdivided into three subtasks. The first subtask includes the design, fabrication, and testing of wind-tunnel models suitable to provide an experimental database relevant to HSCT configurations. The second subtask includes validation of candidate unsteady aerodynamic codes, applicable in the Mach and frequency ranges of interest for the HSCT, through analysis test correlation with the test data. The third subtask includes efforts to develop and enhance these codes for application to HSCT configurations. The wind tunnel models designed and constructed during this program furnished data which were useful for the analysis test correlation work but there were shortcomings. There was initial uncertainty in the proper tunnel configuration for testing, there was a need for higher quality measured model geometry, and there was a need for better measured model displacements in the test data. One of the models exhibited changes in its dynamic characteristics during testing. Model design efforts were hampered by a need for more and earlier analysis support and better knowledge of material properties. Success of the analysis test correlation work was somewhat muted by the uncertainties in the wind tunnel model data. The planned extent of the test data was not achieved, partly due to the delays in the model design and fabrication which could not be extended due to termination of the HSR program.

Baker, Myles↗
DOE OSTI2025

Benchmark Exercise Report for Experimental Study of Bubble Scrubbing in Water Coolant Pool

Mechanistic assessments of radionuclide release during postulated accidents are expected to be included in advanced reactor license applications. The mechanistic source term (MST) provides an opportunity for vendors to realistically evaluate the radiological consequences of an incident, and may aid in justifying reduced emergency planning zones and plant sites. However, the development of MSTs for advanced nuclear reactors is challenging because there are numerous phenomena that can affect the transport and retention of radionuclides. As part of a trial MST assessment for a metal-fueled, pool-type sodium cooled fast reactor (SFR), led by Argonne National Laboratory, a simplified radionuclide transport code (SRT code) was developed, which includes models to estimate the quantity of fission product aerosols scrubbed in the sodium pool during postulated accident scenarios. In a pool-type SFR, when fission products are released into the coolant pool due to failure of fuel pins, most of the radionuclides are scrubbed by the coolant pool, but some have the potential to migrate to the cover gas region through entrainment within gas bubbles. The SRT code contains a model that evaluates this scrubbing behavior and calculates the fraction of fission product aerosols that reach the cover gas. Due to a lack of available validation data for sodium pool scrubbing, the U.S. Department of Energy funded an experiment at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to measure aerosol scrubbing by injecting air bubbles containing aerosol into a coolant pool. Prior to performing an experiment with liquid sodium, a water loop experiment was performed. Their experiment evaluated the effect of changing the aerosol size, aerosol density, aerosol concentration, bubble size, and pool depth on the aerosol scrubbing efficiency of the pool. In this benchmark experiment, the base tests were conducted by repeated tests of isolated bubbles. Afterwards, more prototypic tests with bubble swarms were performed to evaluate the interactions between the bubbles. The bubble swarm test was able to confirm that a larger amount of aerosol scrubbing occurred than the single bubble test. It was also confirmed that as the bubble size, aerosol density, and pool height increase, the extent of pool scrubbing also increases and does not change with the aerosol concentration. In addition, since the degree of scrubbing is the lowest at aerosol sizes between 0.01 and 1 μm, that is, the largest amount of aerosol is emitted, it was confirmed that the analysis of this size in MST is the most important. This benchmark experiment informs the direction of future sodium experiments.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Expanded Validation of Uranium Systems with the KENO Monte Carlo Codes and SCALE 6.2.4

The development of accident-tolerant fuel and advanced reactors fueled with high-assay low-enriched uranium has created an increased focus on systems with uranium enrichments between 5 and 20 wt % 235 U. SCALE criticality safety validation reports generated at Oak Ridge National Laboratory contain very few benchmark experiments in this range. The work presented herein is an initial investigation of expanded validation of the entire range of enrichments for uranium-fueled systems, including consideration of over 300 newly developed KENO models. The vast majority of the new models are between 4.4 wt % and 37.5 wt % enrichment and include a variety of thermal, intermediate, and mixed neutron spectra. This work finds no strong evidence of an enrichment-dependent bias, but there are indications of a spectrum-dependent bias. There are, however, only a limited number of independent experiments included at this time to distinguish intermediate enrichment effects from intermediate spectrum effects. Further work in this area is ongoing for intermediate enrichment systems. In the long run, the addition of these models to the Verified, Archived Library and Inputs and Data is planned, as funding and staff availability allow.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Beam Dynamics of the Muon $g\textrm{-}2$ Experiment

The Muon $g\textrm{-}2$ Experiment (E989) at Fermilab aims to measure the muon anomalous magnetic moment $a_{\mu}$ with unprecedented precision, potentially uncovering physics beyond the Standard Model of particle physics. The result based on Runs 1-3, released in 2023, achieved a precision of 0.20 ppm. The experiment circulates muons in a storage ring, measuring $a_{\mu}$ from decay positron time and energy measurements collected with calorimeters. To achieve the required accuracy, it is crucial to measure and control the magnetic field in the ring with high precision. Beam dynamics corrections are necessary for muons not orbiting exactly in the midplane, for their oscillations, and for electric field effects. Highly accurate beam dynamics simulations are instrumental for quantifying and validating the beam dynamics corrections, ultimately improving the precision of the $a_{\mu}$ measurement and facilitating the achievement of the ambitious $70\:\mathrm{ppb}$ systematic uncertainty goal. The measured field data was incorporated into models for simulations using three codes: \texttt{gm2ringsim} (an internal Geant4-based code), \textit{COSY INFINITY}, and \textit{BMAD}. The advantages of \texttt{gm2ringsim} include using CAD-based geometry and modelling the detector effects. \textit{COSY INFINITY} is a highly accurate and efficient code that uses high-order differential-algebraic transfer maps, precise fringe field calculations, and advanced symplectification methods. Symplectification is important for maintaining the physical correctness of the muon beam behaviour with high precision over the storage time, ensuring conservation of phase space volume and preventing artificial damping or excitation of particle motion. The experiment completed its final Run 6 in July 2023, collecting 21 times more data than the previous BNL experiment. Analyses of data from Runs 4-6 are ongoing, with results planned for release in 2025, potentially resolving the current tension between experiment and theory.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
NASA NTRS2008

Benchmarking Gas Path Diagnostic Methods: A Public Approach

Recent technology reviews have identified the need for objective assessments of engine health management (EHM) technology. The need is two-fold: technology developers require relevant data and problems to design and validate new algorithms and techniques while engine system integrators and operators need practical tools to direct development and then evaluate the effectiveness of proposed solutions. This paper presents a publicly available gas path diagnostic benchmark problem that has been developed by the Propulsion and Power Systems Panel of The Technical Cooperation Program (TTCP) to help address these needs. The problem is coded in MATLAB (The MathWorks, Inc.) and coupled with a non-linear turbofan engine simulation to produce "snap-shot" measurements, with relevant noise levels, as if collected from a fleet of engines over their lifetime of use. Each engine within the fleet will experience unique operating and deterioration profiles, and may encounter randomly occurring relevant gas path faults including sensor, actuator and component faults. The challenge to the EHM community is to develop gas path diagnostic algorithms to reliably perform fault detection and isolation. An example solution to the benchmark problem is provided along with associated evaluation metrics. A plan is presented to disseminate this benchmark problem to the engine health management technical community and invite technology solutions.

Simon, Donald L.↗
DOE OSTI2017

Overview of the JET results in support to ITER

Here, the 2014–2016 JET results are reviewed in the light of their significance for optimising the ITER research plan for the active and non-active operation. More than 60 h of plasma operation with ITER first wall materials successfully took place since its installation in 2011. New multi-machine scaling of the type I-ELM divertor energy flux density to ITER is supported by first principle modelling. ITER relevant disruption experiments and first principle modelling are reported with a set of three disruption mitigation valves mimicking the ITER setup. Insights of the L–H power threshold in Deuterium and Hydrogen are given, stressing the importance of the magnetic configurations and the recent measurements of fine-scale structures in the edge radial electric. Dimensionless scans of the core and pedestal confinement provide new information to elucidate the importance of the first wall material on the fusion performance. H-mode plasmas at ITER triangularity (H = 1 at β N ~ 1.8 and n/n GW ~ 0.6) have been sustained at 2 MA during 5 s. The ITER neutronics codes have been validated on high performance experiments. Prospects for the coming D–T campaign and 14 MeV neutron calibration strategy are reviewed.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Inter-Disciplinary Collaboration in Support of the Post-Standby TREAT Mission

Although analysis methods have advanced significantly in the last two decades, high fidelity multi- physics methods for reactors systems have been under development for only a few years and are not presently mature nor deployed. Furthermore, very few methods provide the ability to simulate rapid transients in three dimensions. Data for validation of advanced time-dependent multi- physics is sparse; at TREAT, historical data were not collected for the purpose of validating three-dimensional methods, let alone multi-physics simulations. Existing data continues to be collected to attempt to simulate the behavior of experiments and calibration transients, but it will be insufficient for the complete validation of analysis methods used for TREAT transient simulations. Hence, a 2018 restart will most likely occur without the direct application of advanced modeling and simulation methods. At present, the current INL modeling and simulation team plans to work with TREAT operations staff in performing reactor simulations with MAMMOTH, in parallel with the software packages currently being used in preparation for core restart (e.g., MCNP5, RELAP5, ABAQUS). The TREAT team has also requested specific measurements to be performed during startup testing, currently scheduled to run from February to August of 2018. These startup measurements will be crucial in validating the new analysis methods in preparation for ultimate application for TREAT operations and experiment design. This document describes the collaboration between modeling and simulation staff and restart, operations, instrumentation and experiment development teams to be able to effectively interact and achieve successful validation work during restart testing.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Multi-phenomenology Yield Characterization

This report serves as the first delivery of a four-year applied science effort to transform and advance the error bounds for the yield estimate of an explosion. Each year’s delivery will be in this form, culminating in the submission of this work for peer review to a scientific journal. Importantly, the yearly progress reports can then also be viewed as expanding drafts working towards a formal journal article submission. For the first tranche of funding, we collaborated with Air Force Technical Applications Center (AFTAC) scientists to identify unclassified real-world data that demonstrate and validate our advanced error propagation methods. Collaboration includes visits to AFTAC and telecons. For this development, we illustrate the fusion of seismic, acoustic, optical, and surface effect signatures from an explosion. The mathematics and code being adapted to this specific application (Williams et al., 2021) involves physics models of multiple sensor signatures. We have also identified related physics models and have integrated them into code. Current methods of underground explosion yield estimation for the Threshold Test Ban Treaty (TTBT) have served the US treaty monitoring mission well for decades. A research objective of the Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation Research and Development (DNN R&D) office of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has always been to provide new technical capabilities for monitoring lower thresholds. The general model and error propagation code to be developed in this project is based on significant advances in error modeling and propagation needed to analyze data at lower detection thresholds. The second tranche of funding for this project began on May 1, 2022, and planned work for the second tranche includes: i) completing the integration of physical model code into the general error model framework; this code accommodates a wide range of linear/nonlinear source models, fixed/ random effects, and frequentist/Bayesian analyses (the purpose of which is not to dictate to users how to analyze data, but instead to allow users the maximum flexibility in their work); ii) illustrative application of code to identified data, and; iii) initial planning with AFTAC researchers on delivery of code to the Common Development Environment at AFTAC, and continued writing of the planned final journal article submission (year two of this progress report), with particular emphasis on descriptions of data identified for this effort.

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEF↗
NASA NTRS2001

Full-Span Tiltrotor Aeroacoustic Model (TRAM) Overview and 40- by 80-Foot Wind Tunnel Test

Most helicopter data trends cannot be extrapolated to tiltrotors because blade geometry and aerodynamic behavior, as well as rotor and fuselage interactions, are significantly different for tiltrotors. A tiltrotor model has been developed to investigate the aeromechanics of tiltrotors, to develop a comprehensive database for validating tiltrotor analyses, and to provide a research platform for supporting future tiltrotor designs. The Full-Span Tiltrotor Aeroacoustic Model (FS TRAM) is a dual-rotor, powered aircraft model with extensive instrumentation for measurement of structural and aerodynamic loads. This paper will present the Full-Span TRAM test capabilities and the first set of data obtained during a 40- by 80-Foot Wind Tunnel test conducted in late 2000 at NASA Ames Research Center. The Full-Span TRAM is a quarter-scale representation of the V-22 Osprey aircraft, and a heavily instrumented NASA and U.S. Army wind tunnel test stand. Rotor structural loads are monitored and recorded for safety-of-flight and for information on blade loads and dynamics. Left and right rotor balance and fuselage balance loads are monitored for safety-of-flight and for measurement of vehicle and rotor aerodynamic performance. Static pressure taps on the left wing are used to determine rotor/wing interactional effects and rotor blade dynamic pressures measure blade airloads. All of these measurement capabilities make the FS TRAM test stand a unique and valuable asset for validation of computational codes and to aid in future tiltrotor designs. The Full-Span TRAM was tested in the NASA Ames Research Center 40- by 80-Foot Wind Tunnel from October through December 2000. Rotor and vehicle performance measurements were acquired in addition to wing pressures, rotor acoustics, and Laser Light Sheet (LLS) flow visualization data. Hover, forward flight, and airframe (rotors off) aerodynamic runs were performed. Helicopter-mode data were acquired during angle of attack and thrust sweeps for a variety of tunnel speeds. Wake geometry images were acquired using LLS photographs and suggest dual tip vortex formation at low thrust conditions. The full paper will include comparisons to isolated-rotor TRAM data acquired at the Duits-Nederlandse Windtunnel (DNW) in 1998. The FS TRAM has been established as a valuable national asset for tiltrotor research. Data reduction and analysis of the 40- by 80-Foot Wind Tunnel test results are underway. Follow-on testing of the FS TRAM is currently being planned for the NASA Ames 80- by 120-Foot Wind Tunnel in late 2001.

McCluer, Megan S.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Highlights from a Mach 4 Experimental Demonstration of Inlet Mode Transition for Turbine-Based Combined Cycle Hypersonic Propulsion

NASA is focused on technologies for combined cycle, air-breathing propulsion systems to enable reusable launch systems for access to space. Turbine Based Combined Cycle (TBCC) propulsion systems offer specific impulse (Isp) improvements over rocket-based propulsion systems in the subsonic takeoff and return mission segments along with improved safety. Among the most critical TBCC enabling technologies are: 1) mode transition from the low speed propulsion system to the high speed propulsion system, 2) high Mach turbine engine development and 3) innovative turbine based combined cycle integration. To address these challenges, NASA initiated an experimental mode transition task including analytical methods to assess the state-of-the-art of propulsion system performance and design codes. One effort has been the Combined-Cycle Engine Large Scale Inlet Mode Transition Experiment (CCE-LIMX) which is a fully integrated TBCC propulsion system with flowpath sizing consistent with previous NASA and DoD proposed Hypersonic experimental flight test plans. This experiment was tested in the NASA GRC 10 by 10-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel (SWT) Facility. The goal of this activity is to address key hypersonic combined-cycle engine issues including: (1) dual integrated inlet operability and performance issues-unstart constraints, distortion constraints, bleed requirements, and controls, (2) mode-transition sequence elements caused by switching between the turbine and the ramjet/scramjet flowpaths (imposed variable geometry requirements), and (3) turbine engine transients (and associated time scales) during transition. Testing of the initial inlet and dynamic characterization phases were completed and smooth mode transition was demonstrated. A database focused on a Mach 4 transition speed with limited off-design elements was developed and will serve to guide future TBCC system studies and to validate higher level analyses.

Foster, Lancert E.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Applying Constrained Bayesian Optimization to the Design of Critical Experiments

Often when planning a criticality experiment, many design configurations are iteratively investigated with a Monte Carlo transport code. The goal is that the experiment will be optimal with respect to some variable, like the fraction of fissions occurring at a certain energy range, while simultaneously being critical. Unfortunately, the Monte Carlo transport simulations are expensive, which can ultimately limit the number of configurations that can be explored. In this work, we present how Gaussian processes (GPs) can be used as a reduced-order model in a constrained Bayesian optimization (CBO) algorithm to design a criticality experiment. The GPs replace the Monte Carlo transport simulations that explore the design space. The CBO algorithm efficiently identifies new points in the design space to run the Monte Carlo transport code while respecting the criticality constraint. It does so in a manner that both improves the accuracy of the GP and finds the approximate global optimum. We demonstrate the performance of CBO with the design of a Thermal Epithermal eXperiment (TEX) for the criticality safety validation of nuclear waste models of the Hanford Tank Farm.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2009

Overview of the Turbine Based Combined Cycle Discipline

The NASA Fundamental Aeronautics Hypersonics project is focused on technologies for combined cycle, airbreathing propulsions systems to enable reusable launch systems for access to space. Turbine Based Combined Cycle (TBCC) propulsion systems offer specific impulse (Isp) improvements over rocket-based propulsion systems in the subsonic takeoff and return mission segments and offer improved safety. The potential to realize more aircraft-like operations with expanded launch site capability and reduced system maintenance are additional benefits. The most critical TBCC enabling technologies as identified in the National Aeronautics Institute (NAI) study were: 1) mode transition from the low speed propulsion system to the high speed propulsion system, 2) high Mach turbine engine development, 3) transonic aero-propulsion performance, 4) low-Mach-number dual-mode scramjet operation, 5) innovative 3-D flowpath concepts and 6) innovative turbine based combined cycle integration. To address several of these key TBCC challenges, NASA s Hypersonics project (TBCC Discipline) initiated an experimental mode transition task that includes an analytic research endeavor to assess the state-of-the-art of propulsion system performance and design codes. This initiative includes inlet fluid and turbine performance codes and engineering-level algorithms. This effort has been focused on the Combined Cycle Engine Large-Scale Inlet Mode Transition Experiment (CCE LIMX) which is a fully integrated TBCC propulsion system with flow path sizing consistent with previous NASA and DoD proposed Hypersonic experimental flight test plans. This experiment is being tested in the NASA-GRC 10 x 10 Supersonic Wind Tunnel (SWT) Facility. The goal of this activity is to address key hypersonic combined-cycle-engine issues: (1) dual integrated inlet operability and performance issues unstart constraints, distortion constraints, bleed requirements, controls, and operability margins, (2) mode-transition constraints imposed by the turbine and the ramjet/scramjet flow paths (imposed variable geometry requirements), (3) turbine engine transients (and associated time scales) during transition, (4) high-altitude turbine engine re-light, and (5) the operating constraints of a Mach 3-7 combustor (specific to the TBCC). The model will be tested in several test phases to develop a unique TBCC database to assess and validate design and analysis tools and address operability, integration, and interaction issues for this class of advanced propulsion systems. The test article and all support equipment is complete and available at the facility. The test article installation and facility build-up in preparation for the inlet performance and operability characterization is near completion and testing is planned to commence in FY11.

Thomas, Scott R.↗
DOE OSTI2017

The WTP Immobilized LAW Formulation Algorithm: Recent Efforts Toward Software Development - 17342

The immobilized low-activity waste (ILAW) product from WTP must meet certain requirements and processing constraints. The strategy for controlling ILAW product composition uses the ILAW formulation algorithm. This algorithm is approved by the DOE Office of River Protection (ORP) for use in calculating melter feed recipes that will produce acceptable ILAW product during Low-Activity Waste (LAW) Facility commissioning. The calculations performed by the algorithm have been demonstrated using a sophisticated spreadsheet, but this spreadsheet is not expected to support continuous operation. Efforts are underway to develop software that will support glass formulation during operation. Recent work toward software development includes an examination of assumptions made in the algorithm about expected LAW Facility operation, and spreadsheet calculations to formulate glass for potential LAW compositions under the direct feed LAW (DFLAW) strategy that ORP has adopted. The documentation of the ILAW algorithm is the planned basis for software development. However, some assumptions made in the current algorithm's mass balance logic do not match the matured design and expected operation of the LAW Facility. A self-assessment effort evaluated the validity of these assumptions by reviewing design documents, in order to identify opportunities to align the algorithm's mass balance logic with the matured design and ensure that the developed software supports continuous LAW Facility operation. Several improvement opportunities were identified and are discussed. The results of ILAW algorithm calculations to formulate glass for eighteen challenging LAW compositions indicate that the current WTP baseline LAW glass models are sufficiently robust to accommodate DFLAW. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Comparison of Inlet Broadband Acoustic Liner Predictions to Quiet Technology Demonstrator 3 Flight Data

Companion acoustic liner attenuation predictions and flight data representative of certification conditions are analyzed to determine the validation quality and gain an understanding of current prediction shortcomings. These comparisons are limited to the inlet broadband component of fan noise. Two prediction methods are assessed: a traditional, semiempirical model, and a computational approach with a parabolic duct propagation code coupled with a Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings solver for free-field propagation. The semiempirical method is widely used for aircraft system noise predictions, but does not explicitly account for several physical parameters important for sound attenuation. The computational approach includes these effects, but requires a significant increase in cycle time. For the three-degree-of-freedom (3DOF) liner tested, both methods have a bias error less than 0.5 dB for cutback and takeoff power settings, and a much larger 3–4 dB bias for approach power setting. The standard deviation of each method varies between 1–2 dB for different conditions. The similar performance of both approaches illustrates that, in this instance, the additional complexity of the computational approach does not provide a clear improvement over the semiempirical method. Planned improvements to the numerical grid and source assumptions may result in reevaluation of this conclusion in later work.

aircraft system noise↗
NASA NTRS2014

A Numerical Testbed for Remote Sensing of Aerosols, and its Demonstration for Evaluating Retrieval Synergy from a Geostationary Satellite Constellation of GEO-CAPE and GOES-R

We present a numerical testbed for remote sensing of aerosols, together with a demonstration for evaluating retrieval synergy from a geostationary satellite constellation. The testbed combines inverse (optimal-estimation) software with a forward model containing linearized code for computing particle scattering (for both spherical and non-spherical particles), a kernel-based (land and ocean) surface bi-directional reflectance facility, and a linearized radiative transfer model for polarized radiance. Calculation of gas absorption spectra uses the HITRAN (HIgh-resolution TRANsmission molecular absorption) database of spectroscopic line parameters and other trace species cross-sections. The outputs of the testbed include not only the Stokes 4-vector elements and their sensitivities (Jacobians) with respect to the aerosol single scattering and physical parameters (such as size and shape parameters, refractive index, and plume height), but also DFS (Degree of Freedom for Signal) values for retrieval of these parameters. This testbed can be used as a tool to provide an objective assessment of aerosol information content that can be retrieved for any constellation of (planned or real) satellite sensors and for any combination of algorithm design factors (in terms of wavelengths, viewing angles, radiance and/or polarization to be measured or used). We summarize the components of the testbed, including the derivation and validation of analytical formulae for Jacobian calculations. Benchmark calculations from the forward model are documented. In the context of NASA's Decadal Survey Mission GEOCAPE (GEOstationary Coastal and Air Pollution Events), we demonstrate the use of the testbed to conduct a feasibility study of using polarization measurements in and around the O2 A band for the retrieval of aerosol height information from space, as well as an to assess potential improvement in the retrieval of aerosol fine and coarse mode aerosol optical depth (AOD) through the synergic use of two future geostationary satellites, GOES-R (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite R-series) and TEMPO (Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution). Strong synergy between GEOS-R and TEMPO are found especially in their characterization of surface bi-directional reflectance, and thereby, can potentially improve the AOD retrieval to the accuracy required by GEO-CAPE.

Aerosols↗
DOE OSTI2018

An Overview of the EGS Collab Project: Field Validation of Coupled Process Modeling of Fracturing and Fluid Flow at the Sanford Underground Research Facility, Lead, SD

Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) development will require an ability to accurately predict the flow rates and temperatures of the production wells. While simple in concept, complex heterogeneous fracture pathways can lead to channeling, short-circuiting, and premature thermal breakthrough complicating EGS. The EGS Collab project will establish a suite of intermediate-scale (~10-20 m) field test beds coupled with stimulation and interwell flow tests to provide a basis to better understand the fracture geometries and processes that control heat transfer between rock and stimulated fractures. These experiments will provide a means of testing tools, codes, and concepts that could later be employed under geothermal reservoir conditions at FORGE and in EGS. We will perform well-controlled, in situ experiments focused on rock fracture behavior and permeability enhancement. Pre- and post-test modeling of each test will allow for model prediction and validation. Comprehensive instrumentation will be used to collect high-quality, high-resolution geophysical and fracture characterization and fluid flow data. ,These data will be analyzed and compared with models and field observations to further elucidate the basic relationships between stress, induced seismicity, and permeability enhancement. To the maximum extent achievable, we will observe and quantify other key governing parameters that impact permeability, and attempt to understand how these parameters might change throughout the development and operation of an EGS project with the goal of enabling commercial viability of EGS. The Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in South Dakota was selected as the EGS Collab project experimental site based on the evaluation of information from several sites. Our team has designed and constructed the first field experiment planned for this project, which is supported by the US Department of Energy’s Geothermal Technologies Office.

EGS, FORGE, field fracture stimulation and flow ex↗
DOE OSTI2020

High-Performance Windows -- More than just a Pretty Hole in the Wall

As more stringent building energy codes and better insulation products combine to yield better performing walls, window efficiency is coming into sharper focus. The U.S. Department of Energy has supported several projects through its national laboratories to improve the thermal performance of windows. At Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in Richland, Washington, the PNNL Lab Homes, two fully monitored identical side-by-side manufactured homes, have been used to test the performance of several window improvements including triple-pane windows, storm windows with low-emissivity (low-e) coatings, smart automated interior insulated shades, and exterior shading products. Findings will be presented on these studies, along with impacts. For example, PNNL’s Lab Home research on low-e storm windows has helped to support a new ENERGY STAR certification, industry standards, and utility incentives. Preliminary findings will also be presented on current Lab Homes experiments focusing on exterior shades. The session will also present findings from related field studies and a market assessment of emerging high-efficiency windows technologies and discuss some of PNNL’s planned field studies that will focus on validating the benefits and costs of the emerging thin triple-pane high-R window.

windows, high-r windows, insulating windows, windo↗
DOE OSTI2021

TRANSIENT THERMAL MODELING OF THE HIGH BURNUP DEMONSTRATION RESEARCH PROJECT CASK USING STAR-CCM+ AND COBRA-SFS

The Department of Energy in collaboration with the Electric Power Research Institute is in the process of conducting the High Burnup Demonstration Project. Where the objective is to characterize the performance of high-burnup fuel in long term storage. As part of this demonstration, a TN-32B dry storage cask was instrumented and loaded with spent nuclear fuel at North Anna Nuclear Generating Station in November 2017. The project cask provides a unique opportunity to gain information on spent fuel and cask performance from an in-service operational system. The cask was instrumented with thermocouples inside of the fuel assemblies, then loaded and dried using normal procedures. After the drying process a thermal soak period where the cask was left indoors was used to obtain steady temperatures for model comparison along with surface temperatures. This paper details thermal modeling validation work that was done to model both the steady state and transient cases. Two modeling tools were used to predict temperatures in the cask. The general purpose CFD and heat transfer code STAR-CCM+ was used with both a detailed pin-by-pin model was used along with a more efficient k-effective simplification. The other code is COBRA-SFS, a purpose-built detailed thermal modeling tool developed and maintained at PNNL. Results from all the modeling tools were compared blind to the test data. Each model utilized general design information and compared reasonably well to the blind steady state data using convection and surface temperature boundary conditions. Post-test adjustments were later made to better reflect the “as built” conditions of the cask. Based on lessons learned from the steady state analysis the vacuum drying process was modeled in both codes. Utilizing the measured loading conditions the transient models were able to compare very well with the measured data. Overall the project showed an ability to model spent fuel storage conditions very well and future work is planned to generalize the methodology used for vacuum drying.

Thermal Analysis, Spent Fuel, Dry Storage↗