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At least 253 records · Page 14

Magnetic-Nozzle Studies for Fusion Propulsion Applications: Gigawatt Plasma Source Operation and Magnetic Nozzle Analysis

This project has been a multiyear effort to assess the feasibility of a key process inherent to virtually all fusion propulsion concepts: the expansion of a fusion-grade plasma through a diverging magnetic field. Current fusion energy research touches on this process only indirectly through studies of plasma divertors designed to remove the fusion products from a reactor. This project was aimed at directly addressing propulsion system issues, without the expense of constructing a fusion reactor. Instead, the program designed, constructed, and operated a facility suitable for simulating fusion reactor grade edge plasmas, and to examine their expansion in an expanding magnetic nozzle. The approach was to create and accelerate a dense (up to l0(exp 20)/m) plasma, stagnate it in a converging magnetic field to convert kinetic energy to thermal energy, and examine the subsequent expansion of the hot (100's eV) plasma in a subsequent magnetic nozzle. Throughout the project, there has been a parallel effort between theoretical and numerical design and modelling of the experiment and the experiment itself. In particular, the MACH2 code was used to design and predict the performance of the magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD) plasma accelerator, and to design and predict the design and expected behavior for the magnetic field coils that could be added later. Progress to date includes the theoretical accelerator design and construction, development of the power and vacuum systems to accommodate the powers and mass flow rates of interest to out research, operation of the accelerator and comparison to theoretical predictions, and computational analysis of future magnetic field coils and the expected performance of an integrated source-nozzle experiment.

Gilland, James H.↗

NASA Tech Briefs, September 2013

Topics include: ISS Ammonia Leak Detection Through X-Ray Fluorescence; A System for Measuring the Sway of the Vehicle Assembly Building; Fast, High-Precision Readout Circuit for Detector Arrays; Victim Simulator for Victim Detection Radar; Hydrometeor Size Distribution Measurements by Imaging the Attenuation of a Laser Spot; Quasi-Linear Circuit; High-Speed, High-Resolution Time-to-Digital Conversion; Li-Ion Battery and Supercapacitor Hybrid Design for Long Extravehicular Activities; Ultrasonic Low-Friction Containment Plate for Thermal and Ultrasonic Stir Weld Processes; High-Powered, Ultrasonically Assisted Thermal Stir Welding; Next-Generation MKIII Lightweight HUT/Hatch Assembly; Centrifugal Sieve for Gravity-Level-Independent Size; Segregation of Granular Materials; Ion Exchange Technology Development in Support of the Urine Processor Assembly; Nickel-Graphite Composite Compliant Interface and/or Hot Shoe Material; UltraSail CubeSat Solar Sail Flight Experiment; Mechanism for Deploying a Long, Thin-Film Antenna From a Rover; Counterflow Regolith Heat Exchanger; Acquisition and Retaining Granular Samples via a Rotating Coring Bit; Very-Low-Cost, Rugged Vacuum System; Medicine Delivery Device With Integrated Sterilization and Detection; FRET-Aptamer Assays for Bone Marker Assessment, C-Telopeptide, Creatinine, and Vitamin D; Multimode Directional Coupler for Utilization of Harmonic Frequencies from TWTAs; Dual-Polarization, Multi-Frequency Antenna Array for use with Hurricane Imaging Radiometer; Complementary Barrier Infrared Detector (CBIRD) Contact Methods; Autonomous Control of Space Nuclear Reactors; High-Power, High-Speed Electro-Optic Pockels Cell Modulator; Covariance Analysis Tool (G-CAT) for Computing Ascent, Descent, and Landing Errors; Enigma Version 12; Micrometeoroid and Orbital Debris (MMOD) Shield Ballistic Limit Analysis Program; Spitzer Telemetry Processing System; Planetary Protection Bioburden Analysis Program; Wing Leading Edge RCC Rapid Response Damage Prediction Tool (IMPACT2); ISSM: Ice Sheet System Model; Automated Loads Analysis System (ATLAS); Integrated Main Propulsion System Performance Reconstruction Process/Models. Phoenix Telemetry Processor; Contact Graph Routing Enhancements Developed in ION for DTN; GFEChutes Lo-Fi; Advanced Strategic and Tactical Relay Request Management for the Mars Relay Operations Service; Software for Generating Troposphere Corrections for InSAR Using GPS and Weather Model Data; Ionospheric Specifications for SAR Interferometry (ISSI); Implementation of a Wavefront-Sensing Algorithm; Sally Ride EarthKAM - Automated Image Geo-Referencing Using Google Earth Web Plug-In; Trade Space Specification Tool (TSST) for Rapid Mission Architecture (Version 1.2); Acoustic Emission Analysis Applet (AEAA) Software; Memory-Efficient Onboard Rock Segmentation; Advanced Multimission Operations System (ATMO); Robot Sequencing and Visualization Program (RSVP); Automating Hyperspectral Data for Rapid Response in Volcanic Emergencies; Raster-Based Approach to Solar Pressure Modeling; Space Images for NASA JPL Android Version; Kinect Engineering with Learning (KEWL); Spacecraft 3D Augmented Reality Mobile App; MPST Software: grl_pef_check; Real-Time Multimission Event Notification System for Mars Relay; SIM_EXPLORE: Software for Directed Exploration of Complex Systems; Mobile Timekeeping Application Built on Reverse-Engineered JPL Infrastructure; Advanced Query and Data Mining Capabilities for MaROS; Jettison Engineering Trajectory Tool; MPST Software: grl_suppdoc; PredGuid+A: Orion Entry Guidance Modified for Aerocapture; Planning Coverage Campaigns for Mission Design and Analysis: CLASP for DESDynl; and Space Place Prime.

Source record↗

The Development of a CO2 Test Capability in the NASA JSC ARCJet for Mars Reentry Simulation

The Atmospheric Reentry Materials and Structures Evaluation Facility (ARMSEF) located at NASA Johnson Space Center is used for simulating the extreme environment experienced upon reentry for the development and certification of thermal protection systems (TPS). The facility supports a large variety of programs and was heavily leveraged for the certification and operational support of the TPS for the Orbiter and, more recently, the development of the heat shield for CEV. This paper will provide more detail into the heritage of the facility. Unique attributes of the facility include a modular aerodynamically stabilized arc heater and independently controlled O2 and N2 for the test gases. When combining the O2 and N2 in a 23:77 mass ratio respectively the Earth s atmosphere is accurately simulated and via modification of this ratio the investigation of the effects of atomic oxygen on a material s response is possible. In the summer of 2010 a development effort was started to add CO2 as a third independently controlled test gas such that, when combined with N2, opens up the possibility of accurately simulating a Martian reentry environment. This paper will discuss the test facility, especially the arc heater, in more detail. Initial testing involved relatively low concentrations of CO2 combined with N2 for the primary purpose of gathering data to answer two pressing safety concerns. The first being the rate of production of carbon monoxide (CO) within the ejector vacuum system. The main concern was that CO can be flammable and possibly explosive at high enough concentrations and pressures. The hazard control during the development phase involved the use of injecting N2 inside the test chamber diffuser to dilute and reduce the concentration of any and all CO present. A residual gas analyzer (RGA) was used to determine the relative amount of CO in the exhaust gas and provide a conversion rate of CO2 to CO. This paper will discuss in more detail the results of the RGA data and the calculated conversion rate. The second safety concern addressed is the possible formation of hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and cyanide (CN). HCN would primarily be present in the cooling water while the CN would most probably condense onto the interior surfaces of the test chamber. Water samples and wipes of the test chamber surfaces were analyzed by an industrial hygienist for the presence of HCN and CN. His paper will discuss these results in more detail. Throughout this development effort measurements of the CO2:N2 flowfield were made with heat flux and pressure probes and with laser induced fluorescence (LIF) of the atomic oxygen. This paper will discuss these results

DelPapa, Steven V.↗

Chemical Recycling of Polycaprolactones via Reactive Melt Processing

Chemical recycling is a promising technology for the deconstruction of waste plastics into monomers or other chemical intermediates, which can be converted into other value-added products or repolymerized into polymers. In this work, polycaprolactone and poly(4-propylcaprolactone) were chemically recycled by exploiting ring-closing depolymerization (RCD). To demonstrate the utility of this approach, reactive distillation experiments were initially conducted in a heated round-bottom flask with a distillation head to explore the effect of temperature and catalyst loading on RCD. Inspired by industrial devolatilization equipment, analogous experiments were conducted using a twin-screw melt compounder that was modified to simultaneously heat and mix polymer in the presence of a catalyst while continuously removing the evolved monomer vapors with a vacuum system and collecting them in a cold trap. Yield and selectivity of the recovered monomer were characterized by 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Importantly, the more scalable twin-screw melt compounder approach produced values of monomer selectivity (∼90%) and yield (∼80%) similar to those of the round-bottom flask experiments. The recovered monomers were also successfully repolymerized into the same neat polymer with comparable molar masses without purification steps or adding initiator. Here, the results of this study promote the use of reactive devolatilization extrusion as a scalable approach to polyester depolymerization.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Air-transfer production method for large-area picosecond photodetectors

We have designed and prototyped the process steps for the batch production of large-area micro-channel-plate photomultipliers (MCPPMT) using the “air-transfer” assembly process developed with single LAPPD TM modules. Results are presented addressing the challenges of designing a robust package that can transmit large numbers of electrical signals for pad or strip readout from inside the vacuum tube and of hermetically sealing the large-perimeter window–body interface. We have also synthesized a photocathode in a large-area low-aspect-ratio volume and have shown that the micro-channel plates recover their functionality after cathode synthesis. These steps inform a design for a multi-module batch facility employing dual nested low-vacuum and ultra-high-vacuum systems in a small-footprint. The facility design provides full access to multiple MCP-PMT modules prior to hermetic pinch-off for leak-checking and real-time photocathode optimization.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

The ion-gas-neutral interactions with surfaces-2 (IGNIS-2) facility for the study of plasma–material interactions

The Ion-Gas-Neutral Interactions with Surfaces-2 (IGNIS-2) surface science facility has been designed at the Pennsylvania State University with the specific purpose of enabling experiments to study plasma–material interactions. This in situ surface modification and characterization facility consists of multiple reconfigurable substations that are connected through a central transfer chamber. This fully connected vacuum system ensures that the physical and chemical properties of samples are not altered between surface modification and analysis. The modification techniques in IGNIS-2 include a low-energy (<300 eV), high-flux (up to 1016 cm−2 s−1) broad-beam ion source, a liquid metal dropper, a lithium injection system, an RF sputter source, and an evaporator. Its characterization techniques include charged particle-based techniques, such as low-energy ion scattering (enabled by two <5 keV ion sources) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and photon and light-based techniques, such as x-ray fluorescence, multi-beam optical stress sensors, and optical cameras. All of these techniques can be utilized up to mTorr pressures, allowing both in situ and in operando studies to be conducted. Results are presented on lithium wetting experiments of argon-irradiated tungsten-based composites, surface stress measurements of tungsten films during deuterium ion irradiation, and temperature-programmed desorption of deuterium-irradiated graphite to demonstrate the in situ capabilities of this new facility.

Instruments & Instrumentation↗

Ion concentration ratio measurements of ion beams generated by a commercial microwave electron cyclotron resonance plasma source

A commercially available electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma source (GenII Plasma Source, tectra GmbH) is widely used for surface processing. This plasma source is compatible with ultrahigh vacuum systems, and its working pressure is relatively low, around 10 –6 –10 –4 Torr even without differential pumping. Here, we report ion flux concentration ratios for each ion species in an ion beam from this source, as measured by a mass/energy analyzer that is a combination of a quadrupole mass spectrometer, an electrostatic energy analyzer, and focusing ion optics. In this study, the examined beams were those arising from plasmas produced from feed gases of H 2 , D 2 , N 2 , O 2 , Ar, and dry air over a range of input power and working pressures. H 2 (D 2 ) plasmas are widely used for nuclear fusion applications and, hence, the ion concentration ratios of H + , H 2 + , and H 3 + reported here will be useful information for research that applies this plasma source to well-controlled plasma-material interaction studies. Ion energy distributions, stability of operation, and impurity concentrations were also assessed for each of the plasma species investigated.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

An atomic beam of titanium for ultracold atom experiments

Here we generate an atomic beam of titanium (Ti) using a “Ti-ball” Ti-sublimation pump, which is a common getter pump used in ultrahigh vacuum systems. We show that the sublimated atomic beam can be optically pumped into the metastable 3d 3 ( 4 F)4s a 5 F 5 state, which is the lower energy level in a cycling optical transition that can be used for laser cooling. We measure the atomic density and transverse and longitudinal velocity distributions of the beam through laser fluorescence spectroscopy. We find a metastable atomic flux density of 4.3(2) × 10 9 s -1 cm -2 with a mean forward velocity of 773(8) m/s at 2.55 cm directly downstream of the center of the Ti-ball. Owing to the details of optical pumping, the beam is highly collimated along the transverse axis parallel to the optical pumping beam and the flux density falls off as 1/r. We discuss how this source can be used to load atoms into a magneto-optical trap.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Selected advances in the accelerator design of the Future Circular Electron-Positron Collider (FCC-ee)

In autumn 2023, the FCC Feasibility Study underwent a crucial “mid-term review”. We describe some accelerator performance risks for the proposed future circular electron-positron collider, FCC-ee, identified for, and during, the mid-term review. For the collider rings, these are the collective effects when running on the Z resonance – especially resistive wall, beam-beam, and electron cloud –, the beam lifetime, dynamic aperture, alignment tolerances, and beam-based alignment. For the booster, the primary concern is the vacuum system, with regard to impedance and effects of the residual gas. For the injector, the layout and the linac repetition rate are primary considerations. We discuss the various issues and report the planned mitigations.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Laser Transport Vacuum Simulations and LED Atom Tracker

MAGIS-100 uses atom interferometry to measure the distance between the Sr atoms traversing the shaft. The laser must travel through vacuum to measure accurately. Project ensures the vacuum system has low enough pressure to meet experimental requirements.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Effects of nitrogen on tungsten surfaces investigated with low energy ion scattering

The effect of nitrogen on the surfaces of polycrystalline ITER-grade tungsten and a tungsten single crystal were studied with low energy ion scattering (LEIS) and direct recoil spectroscopy (DRS). LEIS and DRS measurements on both tungsten surfaces were performed in an ultra-high vacuum system as various quantities of N 2 were introduced into the chamber through a variable leak valve. The obtained ion energy spectra reveal that nitrogen was readily adsorbed onto the surface, in turn limiting the amount of hydrogen that could be adsorbed onto the surface. These results not only provide insight into how the presence of nitrogen on tungsten surfaces may play a role in hydrogen adsorption and retention, but also serve to benchmark models being developed to describe the H-N-W system.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Alternative All-Metal Scroll Pump Design

In tritium process systems, vacuum pumps are typically used to evacuate volumes and piping, as well as transfer gas to other parts of the process. This was done using the combination of an all-metal scroll pump with a metal bellows backing pump. The all-metal scroll pump, manufactured by Normetex, has been unavailable since 2012, and efforts continue to find a suitable replacement. The main obstacle is finding a pump that has no oils or polymer components, which degrade when exposed to tritium and introduce corrosive and/or hazardous impurities into the process. There have been development efforts to design an all-metal scroll pump design alternative to the Normetex style. The first generation was fabricated out of machined stainless steel, but the thermal management and increased weight were not ideal. To mitigate the weight, an aluminum version was designed. The tritium holdup on untreated aluminum surfaces can be greater than stainless steel, so the wetted aluminum surfaces were electroless plated in nickel and then electroplated in gold. The development effort outlined in this report details the design of an improved version of the stainless steel version.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

NIOWAVE Oxygen Control Status Report, July 2022

The following is a summary of the status report: Oxygen concentration in liquid metal measurement; Literature search on oxygen control in liquid metal coolant in nuclear installation; Possible oxygen control in vacuum system are getter materials and cold trap; and, Initial ideas on implementation of these two methods

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

In-Situ Laser-Induced-Desorption-Spectroscopy Diagnostic Deployment on the Linear Plasma Device CSDX

A calibrated laser induced desorption diagnostic (LIDS) concept is developed under this award for application to fusion relevant plasma materials interactions studies. Small areal amounts of hydrogenic release from a deuterium filled PMI target are measured and quantified when irradiated by a LID flash heat event on the target surface. Good success was demonstrated by this project with the PISCES-E rf plasma device at UCSD by fully quantified measurement and removal of D from W-D co-deposit layers in experiments. However, adapting the LIDS technique to D plasma exposed W targets in the linear plasma CSDX device, now labelled PISCES-Rf, was prone to several technical challenges ranging from target line of sight access, laser focusing, and loss of optical spectroscopic signal strength in the larger PISCES-Rf vacuum system. The results are summarized in this report.

08 HYDROGEN↗

Recent Beam Stability Analysis for the EIC

This document summarizes work done in WBS 6.02.02 during FY23. Additional details can be found in the EIC overview paper presented at IPAC’23 [1], and the references therein. Progress has been made in the ESR and HSR lattice design, dynamic aperture optimization, and the RCS lattice design. The impedance and Collective effects are progressing and include the impedance optimization process of the vacuum systems for RCS, HSR, and ESR; collective effects studies; collective effects and beam-beam interaction; coupled bunch instabilities and the crab cavities; low-level RF feedback system design and beam-ion instability. The reversed phasing RF system has been numerically studied for the ESR to mitigate Robinson instability and demonstrate reliable stable beam operation. Various codes, including C++, SPACE [2], ELEGANT [3], and Mbtrack2 [4] have been employed to benchmark the results. The simulation of HSR bunch splitting with beam loading has been performed at 275 GeV energy. The evaluation of Beam Position Monitors aimed to validate their expected performance, with the primary objective being to verify their accuracy. Calculations of Electron Polarization in the ESR, RCS, and HSR are showing good progress. In the RCS, preliminary studies indicate excellent polarization transmission over intrinsic spin resonances, achieving over 90% transmission with improved performance compared to the previous lattice. Preliminary simulations in the ESR indicate encouraging results in minimizing depolarization and improving equilibrium polarization.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Management of the Three Mile Island, Unit 2, Accident Corium and Severely Damaged Fuel Debris

The Three Mile Island, Unit Two (TMI-2) pressurized water reactor core melted down in 1979 due to an untimely combination of maintenance problems that led to a loss of feedwater, followed by a series of operational misunderstandings and errors. The melted core recovery process required development of a wide array of tools. After approximately three years of water management and other cleanup actions, the first views of the core revealed a much higher degree of damage than previously expected. Approximately 62 metric tons of the core had melted, leaving only 42 of the 177 fuel assemblies standing with a majority of rods intact. The core to be recovered was composed of loose debris and a solidified mass of formerly molten fuel. Robotic tools that had been designed for the task were of limited effectiveness due to the range of material types and phases. Over a period of several years, the central melt was broken up, primarily by use of a core-boring drill originally designed to acquire samples through the depth of the debris field. The broken pieces were loaded into specially designed debris canisters by use of long-handled pick-and-place tools and suctioned into baffled knockout canisters using an airlift vacuum system. A remotely operable underwater plasma arc torch was developed for removal of the lower core support structure to be able to retrieve the fuel pieces and secondary melt that had accumulated on the bottom reactor vessel head. Canister design played a central role in defining the initial retrieval process and later affected transportation, interim wet and its current interim dry storage. Due to concerns about the potential for radiolysis of residual water in the debris and other canister material, the canisters were fitted with hydrogen recombiner catalyst units to prevent a buildup of flammable gas and potential pressurization. To confirm the effectiveness of the recombiners during shipping, eight dewatered canisters were kept sealed for up to 205 days with periodic sampling of the headspace gas. The highest hydrogen value (9 vol%) was observed in a canister held for 147 days while the longest stored canister resulted in a 5% hydrogen concentration. The oxygen concentration never exceeded 0.5 %, and the primary backfill was >80% argon, meaning there was no flammability risk. Radiolytic hydrogen was also observed in wet pool storage, where the vented canisters discharged a portion of the water backfill as a result of gas production. The 344 canisters (268 fuel debris, 62 filter, and 12 knockout type) were dewatered, loaded in groups of seven into a double barrier shipping cask, and transported to the U.S. Department of Energy site in Idaho for 10 years of pool storage.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Close-Space Sublimation-Deposited Ultra-Thin CdSeTe/CdTe Solar Cells for Enhanced Short-Circuit Current Density and Photoluminescence

This work describes the complete fabrication process of thin-absorber cadmium selenium telluride/cadmium telluride photovoltaic devices for enhanced efficiency. Here, the process utilizes an automated in-line vacuum system for close-space sublimation deposition which is scalable from fabrication of small area research devices to large-scale modules.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Overview of the fusion nuclear science facility, a credible break-in step on the path to fusion energy

The Fusion Nuclear Science Facility (FNSF) is examined here as part of a two step program from ITER to commercial power plants. This first step is considered mandatory to establish the materials and component database in the real fusion in-service environment before proceeding to larger electricity producing facilities. The FNSF can be shown to make tremendous advances beyond ITER, toward a power plant, particularly in plasma duration and fusion nuclear environment. A moderate FNSF is studied in detail, which does not generate net electricity, but does reach the power plant blanket operating temperatures. The full poloidal Dual Coolant Lead Lithium (DCLL) blanket is chosen, with alternates being the Helium Cooled Lead Lithium (HCLL) and Helium Cooled Ceramic Breeder/Pebble Bed (HCCB/PB). Several power plant relevant choices are made in order to follow the philosophy of targeted technologies. Any fusion core component must be qualified by fusion relevant neutron testing and highly integrated non-nuclear testing before it can be installed on the FNSF in order to avoid the high probability of constant failures in a plasma-vacuum system. A range of missions for the FNSF, or any fusion nuclear facility on the path toward fusion power plants, are established and characterized by several metrics. A conservative physics strategy is pursued to accommodate the transition to ultra-long plasma pulses, and parameters are chosen to represent the power plant regime to the extent possible. An operating space is identified, and from this, one point is chosen for further detailed analysis, with R = 4.8 m, a = 1.2 m, IP = 7.9 MA, BT = 7.5 T, βN Gr = 0.9, fBS = 0.52, q95 = 6.0, H98 ∼1.0, and Q = 4.0. The operating space is shown to be robust to parameter variations. A program is established for the FNSF to show how the missions for the facility are met, with a He/H, a DD and 5 DT phases. The facility requires ∼25 years to complete its DT operation, including 7.8 years of neutron production, and the remaining spent on inspections and maintenance. The DD phase is critical to establish the ultra-long plasma pulse lengths. The blanket testing strategy is examined, and shows that many sectors have penetrations for heating and current drive (H/CD), diagnostics, or Test Blanket Modules (TBMs). The hot cell is a critical facility element in order for the FNSF to perform its function of developing the in-service material and component database. The pre-FNSF R&D is laid out in terms of priority topics, with the FNSF phases driving the time-lines for R&D completion. A series of detailed technical assessments of the FNSF operating point are reported in this issue, showing the credibility of such a step, and more detailed emphasis on R&D items to pursue. These include nuclear analysis, thermo-mechanics and thermal-hydraulics, liquid metal thermal hydraulics, transient thermo-mechanics, tritium analysis, maintenance assessment, magnet specification and analysis, materials assessments, core and scrape-off layer (SOL)/divertor plasma examinations.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗