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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
DOE OSTI2024

Contactless Production Testing of Silicon Solar Cells

Critical cost reductions in silicon solar cells are made by minimizing silver usage in their metal contacts. The reason why is both clear and unavoidable—silver is not only expensive, but also a potential limiting resource for scale-up (the PV industry alone used 10.3 % of the global silver supply in 2020 [1]). The result is solar cells with vanishing electrical contact area that are extremely difficult to test prior to module manufacture, when they must be sorted for quality to maximize power output and reliability of the subsequent modules. This project developed a new measurement instrument that enables the transition to solar cells with very low silver content, including cell designs with both minimal busbars and no busbars at all to electrically contact. The resulting instrument at project completion demonstrated the ability to sort cells with comparable—or better—results than existing technology. Compared to existing cell-test instruments, the new tool has minimal contacting requirements, which lowers the maintenance costs and use of consumable parts. We demonstrated innovative, yet pragmatic, solutions for reporting a comprehensive set of measurement results useful for both cell sorting (going forward in the line for module manufacture) and process control (looking backward in the line to identify cell manufacturing issues from wafer to cell-test). In addition to the traditional current-voltage characterization at cell test—short circuit current, open-circuit voltage, power, efficiency and fill factor—the new tool maintains all the advanced parameter characterization of our existing product line such as a substrate doping measurement, carrier recombination (lifetime) analysis, and surface recombination analysis.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

PARTITIONING TUNGSTEN BETWEEN MATRIX PRECURSORS AND CHONDRULE PRECURSORS THROUGH RELATIVE SETTLING

Recent studies of chondrites have found a tungsten isotopic anomaly between chondrules and matrix. Given the refractory nature of tungsten, this implies that W was carried into the solar nebula by at least two distinct families of pre-solar grains. The observed chondrule/matrix split requires that the distinct families were kept separate during the dust coagulation process, and that the two families of grain interacted with the chondrule formation mechanism differently. We take the co-existence of different families of solids in the same general orbital region at the chondrule-precursor size as given, and explore the requirements for them to have interacted with the chondrule formation process at significantly different rates. We show that this sorting of families of solids into chondrule- and matrix-destined dust had to have been at least as powerful a sorting mechanism as the relative settling of aerodynamically distinct grains at least two scale heights above the midplane. The requirement that the chondrule formation mechanism was correlated in some fashion with a dust-grain sorting mechanism argues strongly for spatially localized chondrule formation mechanisms such as turbulent dissipation in non-thermally ionized disk surface layers, and argues against volume-filling mechanisms such as planetesimal bow shocks.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Image Composition Engine for Tiles

The Image Composition Engine for Tiles (lceT) is a high-performance sort-last parallel rendering library. It is designed to be used in parallel applications requiring rendering. The primary purpose of IceT is to be integrated into parallel visualization applications such as ParaView to provide parallel rendering capabilities. The Image Composition Engine for Tiles (lceT) is a high-performance sort-last parallel rendering library. IceT uses a "sort-Iasf' approach to rendering. Each process in a parallel application independently renders a local piece of geometry. The resulting images are given to IceT, and IceT combines the images together to form a single cohesive image. Ice T is also capable of driving tiled displays, largeformat displays comprising an array of smaller displays. To this end IceT can collect the smaller tile images and organize them such that the entire tiled display can be driven. Ice T takes advantage of spatial coherence in geometry by identifying empty regions of the display and reducing the overall required work.

Moreland, Kenneth↗
DOE OSTI2019

Parallel storage system with burst buffer appliance for storage of partitioned key-value store across a plurality of storage tiers

Parallel storage systems are provided with a burst buffer appliance for storage of a partitioned key-value store across a plurality of storage tiers. The burst buffer appliance is configured to store key-value data on first and second storage tiers comprising respective disjoint subsets of storage. One or more servers in the partitioned key-value store provide (i) an interface between one or more local key-value stores and one or more additional storage architectures, and/or (ii) a key value interface that provides access to at least one hardware key-value store. The local key-values are optionally sorted both locally by the local store and globally by the overall MDHIM framework. The local and global sorting can be leveraged to provide batch input/output (IO) operations that aggregate multiple requests into batch operations on one or more sorted ranges.

Bent, John M.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Metal sorter

A material sorting system sorts materials utilizing a vision system that implements a machine learning system in order to identify or classify each of the materials, which are then sorted into separate groups based on such an identification or classification determining that the materials are composed of either wrought aluminum, extruded aluminum, or cast aluminum.

Kumar, Nalin↗
DOE OSTI2012

Processing Plan for Potentially Reactive/Ignitable Remote Handled Transuranic Waste at the Idaho Cleanup Project - 12090

Remote Handle Transuranic (RH-TRU) Waste generated at Argonne National Laboratory - East, from the examination of irradiated and un-irradiated fuel pins and other reactor materials requires a detailed processing plan to ensure reactive/ignitable material is absent to meet WIPP Waste Acceptance Criteria prior to shipping and disposal. The Idaho Cleanup Project (ICP) approach to repackaging Lot 2 waste and how we ensure prohibited materials are not present in waste intended for disposal at Waste Isolation Pilot Plant 'WIPP' uses an Argon Repackaging Station (ARS), which provides an inert gas blanket. Opening of the Lot 2 containers under an argon gas blanket is proposed to be completed in the ARS. The ARS is an interim transition repackaging station that provides a mitigation technique to reduce the chances of a reoccurrence of a thermal event prior to rendering the waste 'Safe'. The consequences, should another thermal event be encountered, (which is likely) is to package the waste, apply the reactive and or ignitable codes to the container, and store until the future treatment permit and process are available. This is the same disposition that the two earlier containers in the 'Thermal Events' were assigned. By performing the initial handling under an inert gas blanket, the waste can sorted and segregate the fines and add the Met-L-X to minimize risk before it is exposed to air. The 1-gal cans that are inside the ANL-E canister will be removed and each can is moved to the ARS for repackaging. In the ARS, the 1-gal can is opened in the inerted environment. The contained waste is sorted, weighed, and visually examined for non compliant items such as unvented aerosol cans and liquids. The contents of the paint cans are transferred into a sieve and manipulated to allow the fines, if any, to be separated into the tray below. The fines are weighed and then blended with a minimum 5:1 mix of Met-L-X. Other debris materials found are segregated from the cans into containers for later packaging. Recoverable fissile waste material (Fuel and fuel-like pieces) suspected of containing sodium bonded pieces) are segregated and will remain in the sieve or transferred to a similar immersion basket in the ARS. The fuel like pieces will be placed into a container with sufficient water to cover the recoverable fissile waste. If a 'reactive characteristic' is present the operator will be able to observe the formation of 'violent' hydrogen gas bubbles. When sodium bonded fuel-like pieces are placed in water the expected reaction is a non-violent reaction that does not meet the definition of reactivity. It is expected that there will be a visible small stream of bubbles present if there is any sodium-bonded fuel-like piece placed in the water. The test will be completed when there is no reaction or the expected reaction is observed..At that point, the fuel like pieces complete the processing cycle in preparation for characterization and shipment to WIPP. If a violent reaction occurs, the fuel-like pieces will be removed from the water, split into the required fissile material content, placed into a screened basket in a 1 gallon drum and drummed out of the hot cell with appropriate RCRA codes applied and placed into storage until sodium treatment is available. These 'violent' reactions will be evidenced by gas bubbles being evolved at the specimen surface where sodium metal is present. The operators will be trained to determine if the reaction is 'violent' or 'mild'. If a 'violent' reaction occurs, the sieve will be immediately removed from the water, placed in a 1 gallon paint can, canned in the argon cover gas and removed from the hot cell to await a future treatment. If the reaction is 'mild', the sieve will then be removed from the water; the material weighed for final packaging and allowed to dry by air exposure. Lot 2 waste cans can be opened, sorted, processed, and weighed while mitigating the potential of thermal events that could occur prior to exposing to air. Exposure to air is a WIPP compliance step demonstrating the absence of reactive or ignitable characteristics. (authors)

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

The application of flow cytometry for kelp meiospore isolation

The goal of this study was to evaluate flow-cytometric techniques for isolating individual kelp meiospores into 96-welled plates. Previously reported low success rates for sorting tens of thousands of meiospores at a time have been improved by technological developments, specifically, the low nozzle pressure of the commercially available, JSAN (Bay Bioscience Co. Ltd) instrument. We monitored growth and gametophyte development post-sorting for 10 months. Our data demonstrate that successful kelp meiospore isolations of up to 76% viability can be achieved with flow-cytometry. This method can save time as compared to traditional, manual isolations using pipettes and improves confidence that self-fertilized individuals will not contaminate specific crosses of resulting gametophytes. Our results highlight a new application for the flow cytometer to produce clonal kelp gametophytes with direct applications for germplasm and culture collection development.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2012

Crystal structure of inactive form of Rab3B

Rab proteins are the largest family of ras-related GTPases in eukaryotic cells. They act as directional molecular switches at membrane trafficking, including vesicle budding, cargo sorting, transport, tethering, and fusion. Here, we generated and crystallized the Rab3B:GDP complex. The structure of the complex was solved to 1.9 {angstrom} resolution and the structural base comparison with other Rab3 members provides a structural basis for the GDP/GTP switch in controlling the activity of small GTPase. The comparison of charge distribution among the members of Rab3 also indicates their different roles in vesicular trafficking.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2026

A systematic analytical framework for multi-source municipal solid waste characterization for energy recovery

Advancing municipal solid waste (MSW) management from disposal-oriented practices toward circular, value-driven systems requires standardized methodologies capable of identifying material composition and resource recoverable potential at the point of generation. Despite extensive research, MSW characterization remains fragmented due to inconsistences in sampling methodologies, waste sorting categories, and temporal coverage across previous studies which limit cross-site comparability, reproducibility, and constrain the reliable evaluation of potential resource recovery pathways. This lack of consistency has hindered the development of a unified framework for MSW characterization and resource assessment. This study introduces a standardized, field-validated protocol for MSW sampling and composition analysis that ensures consistent, traceable data across diverse waste sources. The protocol integrates randomized spatial sampling, systematic material sorting, and controlled subsampling for multi-site and multi-season field campaigns. Validation included MSW collection from residential, grocery, restaurant, and school MSW streams across five U.S. states, including Maryland, Idaho, Virginia, Ohio, and Mississippi, to demonstrate the protocol’s ability to identify source-based composition patterns relevant to resource recovery applications. Grocery and restaurant streams were dominated by food waste and high-moisture organics, while school waste contained higher paper content and residential waste showed greater heterogeneity. Aggregation into energy-relevant fractions highlighted practical recovery pathways via anaerobic digestion or gasification, supporting data-driven planning, policy, and circular economy strategies for sustainable waste management across waste sources.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Urban Mining: Quality and quantity of recyclable and recoverable material mechanically and physically extractable from residual waste

Highlights: • Material recycling and recovery from residual waste by physical and mechanical process has been investigated. • About 6% of recyclable can be extracted by NIR and 2-3Dimension selector. • Another 2% of construction materials can be extracted by adopting modified soil washing process. • Extracted material quality is quite high even some residual heavy metal have been detected by leaching test. - Abstract: The mechanically sorted dry fraction (MSDF) and Fines (<20 mm) arising from the mechanical biological treatment of residual municipal solid waste (RMSW) contains respectively about 11% w/w each of recyclable and recoverable materials. Processing a large sample of MSDF in an existing full-scale mechanical sorting facility equipped with near infrared and 2-3 dimensional selectors led to the extraction of about 6% w/w of recyclables with respect to the RMSW weight. Maximum selection efficiency was achieved for metals, about 98% w/w, whereas it was lower for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), about 2% w/w. After a simulated lab scale soil washing treatment it was possible to extract about 2% w/w of inert exploitable substances recoverable as construction materials, with respect to the amount of RMSW. The passing curve showed that inert materials were mainly sand with a particle size ranging from 0.063 to 2 mm. Leaching tests showed quite low heavy metal concentrations with the exception of the particles retained by the 0.5 mm sieve. A minimum pollutant concentration was in the leachate from the 10 and 20 mm particle size fractions.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2010

Neutrophil elastase and proteinase 3 trafficking routes in myelomonocytic cells

Neutrophil elastase (NE) and proteinase 3 (PR3) differ in intracellular localization, which may reflect different trafficking mechanisms of the precursor forms when synthesized at immature stages of neutrophils. To shed further light on these mechanisms, we compared the trafficking of precursor NE (proNE) and precursor PR3 (proPR3). Like proNE [1], proPR3 interacted with CD63 upon heterologous co-expression in COS cells but endogenous interaction was not detected although cell surface proNE/proPR3/CD63 were co-endocytosed in myelomonocytic cells. Cell surface proNE/proPR3 turned over more rapidly than cell surface CD63 consistent with processing/degradation of the pro-proteases but recycling of CD63. Colocalization of proNE/proPR3/CD63 with clathrin and Rab 7 suggested trafficking through coated vesicles and late endosomes. Partial caveolar trafficking of proNE/CD63 but not proPR3 was suggested by colocalization with caveolin-1. Blocking the C-terminus of proNE/proPR3 by creating a fusion with FK506 binding protein inhibited endosomal re-uptake of proNE but not proPR3 indicating 'pro{sub C}'-peptide-dependent structural/conformational requirements for proNE but not for proPR3 endocytosis. The NE aminoacid residue Y199 of a proposed NE sorting motif that interacts with AP-3 [2] was not required for proNE processing, sorting or endocytosis in rat basophilic leukemia (RBL) cells expressing heterologous Y199-deleted proNE; this suggests operation of another AP-3-link for proNE targeting. Our results show intracellular multi-step trafficking to be different between proNE and proPR3 consistent with their differential subcellular NE/PR3 localization in neutrophils.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

An optimized method for mouse liver sinusoidal endothelial cell isolation

The objective of the present study was to develop an accurate and reproducible method for liver sinusoidal endothelial cell (LSEC) isolation in mice. Non-parenchymal cells were isolated using a modified two-step collagenase digestion combined with Optiprep density gradient centrifugation. LSEC were further purified using two prevalent methods, short-term selective adherence and CD146+ magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS), and compared in terms of cell yield, viability and purity to our purification technique using CD11b cell depletion combined with long-term selective adherence. LSEC purification using our technique allowed to obtain 7.07±3.80 million LSEC per liver, while CD146+ MACS and short-term selective adherence yielded 2.94±1.28 and 0.99±0.66 million LSEC, respectively. Purity of the final cell preparation reached 95.10±2.58% when using our method. In contrast, CD146+ MACS and short-term selective adherence gave purities of 86.75±3.26% and 47.95±9.82%, respectively. Similarly, contamination by non-LSEC was the lowest when purification was performed using our technique, with a proportion of contaminating macrophages of only 1.87±0.77%. Further, isolated cells analysed by scanning electron microscopy presented typical LSEC fenestrations organized in sieve plates, demonstrating that the technique allowed to isolate bona fide LSEC. In conclusion, we described a reliable and reproducible technique for the isolation of high yields of pure LSEC in mice. This protocol provides an efficient method to prepare LSEC for studying their biological functions. - Highlights: • This protocol provides an efficient method to prepare primary mouse LSEC for studying their biological functions. • The liver cell dispersion step was improved by performing a retrograde cannulation of the liver. • The cell yield and the purity obtained were higher than comparative techniques in mice. • Contaminating macrophages were removed by introducing a CD11b- magnetic –activated cell sorting step.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2011

Structural basis for endosomal recruitment of ESCRT-I by ESCRT-0 in yeast

The ESCRT-0 and ESCRT-I complexes coordinate the clustering of ubiquitinated cargo with intralumenal budding of the endosomal membrane, two essential steps in vacuolar/lysosomal protein sorting from yeast to humans. The 1.85-{angstrom} crystal structure of interacting regions of the yeast ESCRT-0 and ESCRT-I complexes reveals that PSDP motifs of the Vps27 ESCRT-0 subunit bind to a novel electropositive N-terminal site on the UEV domain of the ESCRT-I subunit Vps23 centred on Trp16. This novel site is completely different from the C-terminal part of the human UEV domain that binds to P(S/T)AP motifs of human ESCRT-0 and HIV-1 Gag. Disruption of the novel PSDP-binding site eliminates the interaction in vitro and blocks enrichment of Vps23 in endosome-related class E compartments in yeast cells. However, this site is non-essential for sorting of the ESCRT cargo Cps1. Taken together, these results show how a conserved motif/domain pair can evolve to use strikingly different binding modes in different organisms.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2011

Genome-wide protein localization prediction strategies for gram negative bacteria

Genome-wide prediction of protein subcellular localization is an important type of evidence used for inferring protein function. While a variety of computational tools have been developed for this purpose, errors in the gene models and use of protein sorting signals that are not recognized by the more commonly accepted tools can diminish the accuracy of their output. As part of an effort to manually curate the annotations of 19 strains of Shewanella, numerous insights were gained regarding the use of computational tools and proteomics data to predict protein localization. Identification of the suite of secretion systems present in each strain at the start of the process made it possible to tailor-fit the subsequent localization prediction strategies to each strain for improved accuracy. Comparisons of the computational predictions among orthologous proteins revealed inconsistencies in the computational outputs, which could often be resolved by adjusting the gene models or ortholog group memberships. While proteomic data was useful for verifying start site predictions and post-translational proteolytic cleavage, care was needed to distinguish cellular versus sample processing-mediated cleavage events. Searches for lipoprotein signal peptides revealed that neither TatP nor LipoP are designed for identification of lipoprotein substrates of the twin arginine translocation system and that the +2 rule for lipoprotein sorting does not apply to this Genus. Analysis of the relationships between domain occurrence and protein localization prediction enabled identification of numerous location-informative domains which could then be used to refine or increase confidence in location predictions. This collective knowledge was used to develop a general strategy for predicting protein localization that could be adapted to other organisms.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2010

Quantify Resonance Inspection with Finite Element-Based Modal Analyses

Resonance inspection uses the natural acoustic resonances of a part to identify anomalous parts. Modern instrumentation can measure the many resonant frequencies rapidly and accurately. Sophisticated sorting algorithms trained on sets of good and anomalous parts can rapidly and reliably inspect and sort parts. This paper aims at using finite-element-based modal analysis to put resonance inspection on a more quantitative basis. A production-level automotive steering knuckle is used as the example part for our study. First, the resonance frequency spectra for the knuckle are measured with two different experimental techniques. Next, scanning laser vibrometry is used to determine the mode shape corresponding to each resonance. The material properties including anisotropy are next measured to high accuracy using resonance spectroscopy on cuboids cut from the part. Then, finite element model (FEM) of the knuckle is generated by meshing the actual part geometry obtained with computed tomography (CT). The resonance frequencies and mode shapes are next predicted with a natural frequency extraction analysis after extensive mesh size sensitivity study. The good comparison between the predicted and the experimentally measured resonance spectra indicate that finite-element-based modal analyses have the potential to be a powerful tool in shortening the training process and improving the accuracy of the resonance inspection process for a complex, production level part. The finite element based analysis can also provide a means to computationally test the sensitivity of the frequencies to various possible defects such as porosity or oxide inclusions especially in the high stress regions that the part will experience in service.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Toward Parallel Document Clustering

A key challenge to automated clustering of documents in large text corpora is the high cost of comparing documents in a multimillion dimensional document space. The Anchors Hierarchy is a fast data structure and algorithm for localizing data based on a triangle inequality obeying distance metric, the algorithm strives to minimize the number of distance calculations needed to cluster the documents into “anchors” around reference documents called “pivots”. We extend the original algorithm to increase the amount of available parallelism and consider two implementations: a complex data structure which affords efficient searching, and a simple data structure which requires repeated sorting. The sorting implementation is integrated with a text corpora “Bag of Words” program and initial performance results of end-to-end a document processing workflow are reported.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2010

FISH 'N' Chips : a single cell genomic analyzer for the human microbiome.

Uncultivable microorganisms likely play significant roles in the ecology within the human body, with subtle but important implications for human health. Focusing on the oral microbiome, we are developing a processor for targeted isolation of individual microbial cells, facilitating whole-genome analysis without the need for isolation of pure cultures. The processor consists of three microfluidic modules: identification based on 16S rRNA fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), fluorescence-based sorting, and encapsulation of individual selected cells into small droplets for whole genome amplification. We present here a technique for performing microscale FISH and flow cytometry, as a prelude to single cell sorting.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2017

Visible/near-infrared spectral diversity from in situ observations of the Bagnold Dune Field sands in Gale Crater, Mars

As part of the Bagnold Dune campaign conducted by Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity, visible/near–infrared reflectance spectra of dune sands were acquired using Mast Camera (Mastcam) multispectral imaging (445–1013 nm) and Chemistry and Camera (ChemCam) passive point spectroscopy (400–840 nm). By comparing spectra from pristine and rover–disturbed ripple crests and troughs within the dune field, and through analysis of sieved grain size fractions, constraints on mineral segregation from grain sorting could be determined. In general, the dune areas exhibited low relative reflectance, a weak ~530 nm absorption band, an absorption band near 620 nm, and a spectral downturn after ~685 nm consistent with olivine–bearing sands. The finest grain size fractions occurred within ripple troughs and in the subsurface and typically exhibited the strongest ~530 nm bands, highest relative reflectances, and weakest red/near–infrared ratios, consistent with a combination of crystalline and amorphous ferric materials. Coarser–grained samples were the darkest and bluest and exhibited weaker ~530 nm bands, lower relative reflectances, and stronger downturns in the near–infrared, consistent with greater proportions of mafic minerals such as olivine and pyroxene. These grains were typically segregated along ripple crests and among the upper surfaces of grain flows in disturbed sands. Sieved dune sands exhibited progressive decreases in reflectance with increasing grain size, as observed in laboratory spectra of olivine size separates. In conclusion, the continuum of spectral features observed between the coarse– and fine–grained dune sands suggests that mafic grains, ferric materials, and air fall dust mix in variable proportions depending on aeolian activity and grain sorting.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗