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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 271 records · Page 15
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Light-induced magnetization from magnonic rectification

Rectification describes the conversion of an oscillating field or current into a quasi-static one and the most basic example of a rectifier is an AC/DC converter in electronics. This principle can be translated to nonlinear light-matter interactions, where optical rectification converts the oscillating electric field component of light into a quasi-static polarization and phononic rectification converts a lattice vibration into a quasi-static structural distortion. Here, we present a rectification mechanism for magnetism that we call magnonic rectification, where a spin precession is converted into a quasi-static magnetization through the force exerted by a coupled chiral phonon mode. The transiently induced magnetic state resembles that of a canted antiferromagnet, opening an avenue toward creating dynamical spin configurations that are not accessible in equilibrium.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
NASA NTRS1995

Evaluation of Pd-Cr Wires for Strain Gage Application

A newly developed alloy, palladium-13 weight percent chromium (Pd13Cr), was identified by United Technologies Research Center under a NASA contract to be the best material for high temperature strain gage applications. An electrical resistance strain gage that can provide accurate static strain measurement to a temperature higher than that of a commercially available gage is urgently needed in aerospace and aeronautics research. A strain gage made of a 25.4 micron (1 mil) diameter Pd13Cr wire has been recently demonstrated to be usable for static strain measurements to 800 C. This compares to the 400 C temperature limit of the commercially available strain gages. The performance of the Pd-Cr gage, however, strongly depends on the quality of the Pd13Cr wire. Four batches of Pd-Cr wires purchased from three different manufacturers were therefore evaluated to determine the best source of the wire for strain gage applications. The three suppliers were Precious Metal Institute in China, Sigmund Cohn Co., and G & S Titanium, Inc. in the United States. Two batches of wires obtained from Previous Metal Institute in 1987 and 1992, respectively are referred to herein as China87 and China92 wires. The mechanical, chemical and electrical properties of these wires, both as-received and after high temperature exposures at 800 C for 50 hours were analyzed. The elastic modulus and the failure strength of the wires were evaluated using a tensile test machine equipped with a laser speckle strain measurement system. The chemical and microstructural properties of the wires were inspected using a plasma atomic emission spectrometer and a scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray spectroscope (EDS). The electrical stability and repeatability of the wires were determined by measuring the electrical resistance of the wires during three thermal cycles to 1000 C and a ten-hour soak at 1000 C. As a result of this study, the wire which has the highest strength, the least impurities content, the best oxidation resistance and the best electrical stability will be selected for upcoming strain gage applications.

Lei, Jih-Fen↗
DOE OSTI2024

Mechanically activated and deactivated ion transport across nanopores with heterogeneous surface charge distributions

To mimic the intricate and adaptive functionalities of biological ion channels, electrohydrodynamic ion transport has been studied extensively, albeit mostly, across uniformly charged nanochannels. Here, we analyze the ion transport under coupled electric field and pressure across heterogeneously charged nanopores with oppositely charged sections on their lateral surface. We only consider such pores with symmetric hourglass-like and cylindrical shapes to focus on the effects of the non-uniform surface charge distribution. Finite-element simulations of a continuum model demonstrate that a pressure applied in either direction of the pore-axis equally suppresses or amplifies the ionic conductance, depending on the electric field polarity, by distorting the quasi-static distribution of ions in the pore. The resulting anomalous mechanical deactivation and activation of ionic current under opposite voltage biases exhibit the functional modularity of our setup, while their intensities are highly tunable, substantially greater than those of analogous behaviors in other nanochannels, and fundamentally correlated to ionic current rectification (ICR) in our pores. A detailed study of ICR subsequently reveals its counterintuitive non-monotonous variations, in the pores, with the magnitude of applied voltage and the pore length, that can help optimize their diode-like behavior. We further illustrate that while the hourglass-shaped nanopores yield the more efficient mechanical suppressors of ion transport, their cylindrical analogs are the superior rectifiers and mechanical amplifiers of ion conduction. Therefore, this article provides a blueprint for the strategic design of nanofluidic circuits to attain a robust, modular, and tunable control of ion transport under external electrical and mechanical stimuli.

Physics↗
NASA NTRS1975

Effects of plasma microfields on radiative transitions from atomic levels above the ionization threshold

The effects of plasma electric microfields on line-like optical features arising from atomic levels above the ionization threshold are investigated within the framework of the quasi-static and single-frequency dynamic-field theories of spectral-line broadening. The 2p(23)P to 1s2p(3)P and 2s2p(3)P to 1s2s(3)S transitions in helium and helium-like ions are treated as examples. The mixing of the doubly excited levels in the perturbing microfields produces Stark broadening of the emission lines and induces autoionization of the 2p(23)P level, which, unlike the 2s2p(3)P level, is metastable against autoionization in the field-free environment. Determination of the complete Stark-broadening profiles in thermal plasmas is complicated by the need to include the effects of both the (quasi-static) ion and the (dynamic) electron fields. Under nonequilibrium conditions, where electric fields from either electron or ion plasma waves can far exceed nearby particle fields, the calculation and interpretation of the line shapes may be simplified and could provide a diagnostic probe of the wave-field properties.

Davis, J.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Instrumentation for measuring aircraft noise and sonic boom

Improved instrumentation suitable for measuring aircraft noise and sonic booms is described. An electric current proportional to the sound pressure level at a condenser microphone is produced and transmitted over a cable and amplified by a zero drive amplifier. The converter consists of a local oscillator, a dual-gate field-effect transistor mixer, and a voltage regulator/impedance translator. The improvements include automatic tuning compensation against changes in static microphone capacitance and means for providing a remote electrical calibration capability.

Zuckerwar, A. J.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Aero-Propulsive Modeling for eVTOL Aircraft Using Wind Tunnel Testing with Multisine Inputs

A novel approach for modeling the aero-propulsive characteristics of an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft was developed and demonstrated in wind tunnel testing. The approach was applied to the NASA LA-8 tandem tilt-wing eVTOL aircraft, using an efficient, hybrid experiment design composed of a static I-optimal response surface design for slowly-varying test variables, and dynamic orthogonal phase-optimized multisine excitations for the control surfaces and electric propulsors. Both the static and dynamic experiment designs were executed simultaneously to collect informative data for model identification. Statistically-weighted multivariate orthogonal function modeling was used to combine local modeling results computed in the frequency domain using data collected with dynamic excitations operating on the control effectors to form an aggregate aero-propulsive model. The final identified model exhibited good predictive capability when compared to validation data acquired separately from the data used to develop the model. The required test time using these new techniques was reduced by at least a factor of five compared to previous static wind tunnel testing for the LA-8 aircraft, while providing more informative data, greater parameterization flexibility, and high-quality models.

system identification↗
NASA NTRS1985

Rationale for a GRAVSAT-MAGSAT mission: A perspective on the problem of external/internal transient field effects

The Earth's magnetic field at MAGSAT altitudes not only has contributions from the Earth's core and static magnetization in the lithosphere, but also from external electric current systems in the ionosphere and magnetosphere, along with induced electric currents flowing in the conducting earth. Hermance assessed these last two contributions; the external time-varying fields and their associated internal counter-parts which are electromagnetically induced. It is readily recognized that during periods of magnetic disturbance, external currents often contribute from 10's to 100's of nanoteslas (gammas) to observations of the Earth's field. Since static anomalies from lithospheric magnetization are of this same magnitude or less, these external source fields must be taken into account when attempting to delineate gross structural features in the crust.

Hermance, J. F.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Guest Editorial: Advanced Data-Analytics for Power System Operation, Control, and Enhanced Situational Awareness

Along with the smart grid development, modern power systems are entering a ‘data-intensive’ era. A vast volume of data from power grids is being collected through advanced sensing and communication technologies, such as smart metering data, phasor measurement data, as well as meteorological data (e.g., wind speed and solar irradiance) related to renewable power generation. Such data contains comprehensive information about the power system covering equipment's health status, power grid's static and dynamic characteristics, renewable power generation, customers’ electricity usage pattern, etc. Therefore, advanced data-analytics techniques are needed to convert such data to knowledge for practical applications. In line with the trend of widespread data-driven applications in power systems, this Special Issue aims to present state-of-the-art research works on advanced data-analytics for power system's operation, control, and situational awareness. There are in total twenty-six papers accepted for publication in this Special Issue through careful peer reviews and revisions. Under the overarching theme of data-driven applications in power systems, the selected papers are broadly categorised into five topics. The summary of every topic is given below. You are, however, strongly encouraged to read the full paper if interested.

Xu, Yan↗
DOE OSTI2026

H2gen.jl

SAND2026-22943O H2Gen.jl is a Julia software package for hydrogen conversion modeling. It provides lightweight static and dynamic calculations for electrolyzer operation from electricity to hydrogen and fuel-cell operation from hydrogen to electricity. Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-NA0003525.

Michelen Strofer, Carlos [Sandia National Lab. (SN↗
NASA NTRS1979

On the charge polarization of cosmic systems

The positive electric charge density associated with the internal electric fields of self-gravitating systems in hydrostatic equilibrium can be canceled by nearby external flowing plasmas, such as winds. For example, it can be shown that the positive electric charge of a star is likely to be completely screened by its stellar wind. Because winds and other nonstatic phenomena are widespread, the electrical polarization due to the positive charge on static systems such as stars should occur on relatively local scales, in contrast to the universal scale recently suggested by Bally and Harrison. The latter viewpoint would be correct only if the entire universe were in strict hydrostatic equilibrium.

Barnes, A.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Transient Heat Transfer in Zero Gravity Environment

The objective is to provide computer codes and/or correlations for application in the design of transient heat transfer systems. The mathematical models in the computer codes are being tested by experimental data obtained in the laboratory using optical techniques. The elimination of natural convection (buoyancy) in the experimental data obtained in zero-g (KC-135) facilitates the study of thermal expansion effects which is of interest in the development and testing of the mathematical models of the transient heat transfer. Initial flight in the KC 135 (June 1983) suggested some modifications to the experimental apparatus and the data acquisition technique (high speed video will replace high speed movies for recording optical records generated during the experiments). A series of KC-135 flights with this experiment on board are scheduled for summer/fall 1984. The acquisition of the aforementioned data using interferometry and beam deflection optical techniques is anticipated. The measurements provide time dependent temperature fields above a horizontal heater surface submerged in a static fluid (Freon 13). The heater surface is electrically heated for a time interval approximately 0.100 sec. during which the data are optically recorded.

Giarratano, P. G.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Experimental verification of distributed piezoelectric actuators for use in precision space structures

An analytic model for structures with distributed piezoelectric actuators is experimentally verified for the cases of both surface-bonded and embedded actuators. A technique for the selection of such piezoelectric actuators' location has been developed, and is noted to indicate that segmented actuators are always more effective than continuous ones, since the output of each can be individually controlled. Manufacturing techniques for the bonding or embedding of segmented piezoelectric actuators are also developed which allow independent electrical contact to be made with each actuator. Static tests have been conducted to determine how the elastic properties of the composite are affected by the presence of an embedded actuator, for the case of glass/epoxy laminates.

Crawley, E. F.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Electron time dispersion

Observations of electrons during a sounding rocket flight from Sondrestromfjord, Greenland, in 1985 showed numerous instances of electron time-of-flight dispersion, that is, a coherent structure in which fast electrons arrived before slow electrons. The instrumentation measured many pitch angles simultaneously with high time resolution, providing a detailed view of the temporal evolution of the electron signature at rocket altitudes which was indicative of an impulsive injection of electrons over a range of energies. A model utilizing an extended, quasi-static (static on a timescale of 1 s), parallel electric field was developed to investigate a possible mechanism for the injection of these electrons. The model is found to fit the data well only when a background is added which cannot be self-consistently generated by the model, although other parameters used in the model are in general agreement with previous reports. This leads to the conclusion that electron dispersion is more probably generated by a wave acceleration mechanism.

Kletzing, C. A.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Polymer-Single Wall Carbon Nanotube Composites for Potential Spacecraft Applications

Polymer-single wall carbon nanotube (SWNT) composite films were prepared and characterized as part of an effort to develop polymeric materials with improved combinations of properties for potential use on future spacecraft. Next generation spacecraft will require ultra-lightweight materials that possess specific and unique combinations of properties such as radiation and atomic oxygen resistance, low solar absorptivity, high thermal emissitivity, electrical conductivity, tear resistance, ability to be folded and seamed, and good mechanical properties. The objective of this work is to incorporate sufficient electrical conductivity into space durable polyimides to mitigate static charge build-up. The challenge is to obtain this level of conductivity (10(exp -8) S/cm) without degrading other properties of importance, particularly optical transparency. Several different approaches were attempted to fully disperse the SWNTs into the polymer matrix. These included high shear mixing, sonication, and synthesizing the polymers in the presence of pre-dispersed SWNTs. Acceptable levels of conductivity were obtained at loading levels less than one tenth weight percent SWNT without significantly sacrificing optical properties. Characterization of the nanocomposite films and the effect of SWNT concentration and dispersion on the conductivity, solar absorptivity, thermal emissivity, mechanical and thermal properties were discussed. Fibers and non-woven porous mats of SWNT reinforced polymer nanocomposite were produced using electrospinning.

Park, C.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Pathway to Zero Energy Windows: Advancing Technologies and Market Adoption

Improving the performance of windows has the potential to reduce U.S. annual energy use by 1.7% and CO2 emissions by 1.9% in 2050. Beyond static windows, dynamic technologies could reduce U.S. annual energy use by 1.6 quads and CO2 emissions by 68 million metric tons. In addition, the widespread adoption of static and dynamic technologies would substantially reduce peak electricity demand from buildings. Beyond energy use and CO2 emissions reductions, improving window performance will increase occupant comfort and well-being. In a new report, Pathway to Zero Energy Windows: Advancing Technologies and Market Adoption, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) outlines multiple avenues for technology development, deployment, and adoption to increase the impact that windows can have on decarbonizing America's buildings.

building energy efficiency↗
DOE OSTI2026

A Physics-Informed Reinforcement Learning Framework for Economic-Thermal Co-Optimization of Crypto Mining Data Centers: Preprint

The rapid expansion of cryptocurrency mining has created a new class of high-density data centers characterized by extreme thermal flux and high sensitivity to volatile economic markets. Traditional thermal management strategies, typically reliant on rule-based control, maintain static setpoints that fail to account for fluctuating electricity prices and cryptocurrency values - factors critical to mining profitability. To address this, we present a physics-informed reinforcement learning (PIRL) framework for economic-thermal co-optimization in crypto mining data centers. This framework consists of a proximal policy optimization (PPO) agent, a virtual testbed powered by high-fidelity physics-based models, and an interactive frontend dashboard. The PPO agent is trained using the virtual testbed and strict hardware safety limits. This physics-informed approach allows the agent to learn a stochastic policy that dynamically balances mining revenue against operational costs by co-optimizing HVAC cooling setpoints and IT computational hashrate. The simulation results demonstrate that the integrated framework achieved an 8.62% increase in net operational profit compared to traditional baseline strategies while strictly adhering to safety-critical temperature constraints (coolant supply temperature < 32 degrees C). This work provides a scalable template for the deployment of reinforcement learning in mission critical facilities where economic volatility and physical safety must be managed simultaneously.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗