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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

Jemima Plate Characterization

The HEU Jemima plates have been utilized in numerous International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Project (ICSBEP) evaluations. ICSBEP evaluations are a vital com ponent of nuclear data validation for applications across the nuclear community. In the past, different combinations of mass, caliper measurements, and drawing dimensions have been used to define the HEU Jemima plates in ICSBEP evaluations. Some of these combinations result in large density ranges (17 g/cm 3 to 19 g/cm 3 ) or unrealistic densities (greater than 19 g/cm 3 ). Additionally, oxidation of the plates has led to questioning the flatness of each plate, which can add additional gaps in experiment configurations. This work proposes a standardized method of defining the commonly used HEU Jemima plates across different experiments.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
NASA NTRS1995

High Energy Antimatter Telescope (HEAT) Balloon Experiment

This grant supported our work on the High Energy Antimatter Telescope(HEAT) balloon experiment. The HEAT payload is designed to perform a series of experiments focusing on the cosmic ray positron, electron, and antiprotons. Thus far two flights of the HEAT -e+/- configuration have taken place. During the period of this grant major accomplishments included the following: (1) Publication of the first results of the 1994 HEAT-e+/- flight in Physical Review Letters; (2) Successful reflight of the HEAT-e+/- payload from Lynn Lake in August 1995; (3) Repair and refurbishment of the elements of the HEAT payload damaged during the landing following the 1995 flight; and (4) Upgrade of the ground support equipment for future flights of the HEAT payload.

Beatty, J. J.↗
DOE OSTI2025

MOSCATO Development and Integration in Fiscal Year 2025: Implementation of Multiphase, Multiphysics Modeling Capabilities for Molten Salt Systems

MOSCATO (Molten Salt Chemistry and Transport) is a multiphysics code that provides high-fidelity, coupled simulations of fluid flow, heat transfer, mass transfer, chemistry, electrochemical phenomena, and alloy corrosion for molten salt systems. In FY25, significant developments were made to the code package, enhancing its capabilities for modeling all relevant phenomena within operating moltens salt reactors (MSRs). The developments and activities in FY25 included: 1. Implementation of Level-Set methods to enable modeling of single-bubble behavior in molten salts. In FY25, the Level-Set two-phase flow modeling implementation was improved to simulate single bubble behavior with molten salt media. The large density and viscosity ratios between typical gases and molten salt liquids present challenges for these types of numerical solvers. With enhancements to the pressure projection method, MOSCATO’s Level-Set solver was able to be successfully validated to experiments related to helium bubble rise in stagnant molten salt. The simulated bubble rising velocity showed reasonable good agreement with experimental measurements. The bubble shape and dynamics were also visually compared with experimental snapshots, demonstrating a good qualitative match. 2. Generation of mass transfer correlations for multiphase flow systems. To enable calculations of the tritium transport across the interface between gas bubbles and salt, we modeled high- Schmidt-number mass transfer around a sphere across a broad range of Reynolds numbers. The mesh near the sphere surface was highly refined to resolve steep concentration gradients caused by the low diffusion coefficient. Literature-based mass transfer correlations were compared with the numerical results, and modifications were proposed to improve agreement, particularly at higher Schmidt numbers. These mass transfer correlations were subsequently provided to other national laboratories to help enable high quality mass transfer simulations using lower-order solvers under development within the NEAMS program. 3. Preliminary implementation of a bubbly flow solver. To model bubbly flow in molten salt, we implemented a bubbly flow solver for void fractions less than 5%. To do so, an algebraic relative velocity model that assumes small bubbles with rapid momentum equilibration was added to MOSCATO to compute bubble velocities. Preliminary comparisons with experimental data showed reasonable agreement, and further improvements are underway. 4. Generation of mass transfer correlations for MSRE subchannel The Molten-Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE) was a landmark historical project that demonstrated the feasibility of molten-salt reactor technology. The MSRE campaign also generated a significant body of experimental data and reports that continue to support molten-salt–related research. In this report, the MSRE core subchannel was used as the reference geometry for a mass transfer study performed with MOSCATO. The geometry and computational mesh were adapted from a previous study, providing adequate resolution for the relatively low Reynolds number in this case. Additional mesh refinement was applied to reach higher Schmidt numbers, enabling the derivation of a reliable mass-transfer correlation for the present scenario. 5. Simulations of oxygen ingressions into molten salt. In the previous fiscal year, we initiated a study to simulate oxygen ingression in stagnant salt. As oxygen enters the salt through its surface, it reacts with Ce 3+ to form solid CeO 2 and other reaction products. To more fully capture the complex diffusion-convection-reaction mechanisms, capabilities for modeling natural convection in the salt vessel were added. These were needed as the flow of the ingressed gas induced flow in the salt caused by surface shear and non-isothermal effects. With these updated physics in place, we were able to successfully reproduce the experimental results for the rate of change of CeCl 3 concentrations versus time. 6. Flow corrosion model validation. In FY24, MOSCATO’s corrosion model was validated against static corrosion experiments. In FY25, this work was extended to a flow corrosion experiment, where FLiNaK salt was driven by natural convection, with initial salt impurities to initiate corrosion. Despite uncertainties in parameters such as elemental diffusion coefficients in the alloy and unknown H + concentrations, the simulations achieved good agreement with experimental results, especially in predicting sample mass losses.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
NASA NTRS1988

In-reach and out-reach programs

Information is given in viewgraph form on in-reach and out-reach programs in in-space technology experiments. Information is given on thermal energy storage materials technology, industry/university in-space technology experiments, heat pipe performance, working fluid behavior, a tank pressure control experiment, spacecraft glow, the Mid-Deck Zero-Gravity Dynamics Experiment, and emulsion chamber technology.

Pyle, Jon S.↗
NASA NTRS2021

Sulfur Molecules in Space by X-rays: A Computational Study

X-ray astronomy lacks high resolution spectra of interstellar dust analogues and molecules, severely hampering interstellar medium studies based on upcoming X-ray missions. Various theoretical approaches may be used to address this problem, but they must first be shown to reproduce reliable spectra compared to the experiment. In this work, we calculate the sulfur Kedge X-ray absorption spectra of H2S, SO2, and OCS, whose spectra are already known from X-ray experiments and predict the X-ray spectrum of CS, which as far as we are aware has not been measured, thereby hampering its detection by X-ray telescopes. We chose these four molecules as the astrochemistry of sulfur is an unsolved problem and as the four molecules are already known to exist in space. We consider three types of methods for modeling the X-ray spectra: more accurate calculations with the algebraic-diagrammatic construction (ADC) and the CC2, CCSD, and CC3coupled cluster (CC) approaches as well as more affordable ones with transition potential density functional theory (TP-DFT). A comparison of our computational results to previously reported experimental spectra shows that the core−valence separation (CVS)approaches CVS-ADC(2)-x and CVS-CC3 generally yield a good qualitative level of agreement with the experiment, suggesting that they can be used for interpreting measured spectra, while the TP-DFT method is not reliable for these molecules. However, quantitative agreement with the experiment is still outside the reach of the computational methods studied in this work.

Goranka Bilalbegovic↗
DOE OSTI2025

Machine Learning-Driven Solvent Screening for Biobased 2,3-Butanediol Extraction

Biobased 2,3-butanediol (2,3-BDO) is a valuable biomass-derived chemical due to its versatility in being transformed into a wide variety of products. However, the separation and purification of 2,3-BDO from fermentation broth remain a significant challenge owing to its high boiling point and hydrophilic nature. Herein, we developed a machine learning (ML)-based screening workflow that uses molecular calculations as training data and requires only a small number of experimental measurements for validation to identify alternative solvent candidates for the liquid–liquid extraction (LLE) of 2,3-BDO from aqueous solution. In particular, 130 density functional theory (DFT) calculations with the implicit solvation method not only built a correlation between the computational partition coefficient and the experimental distribution coefficient of 2,3-BDO but also parameterized an Extra-Trees ML model to screen the distribution coefficient for a wider range of 6717 organic solvents. The experimental measurements of only 24 solvents were needed to validate the computational results. A list of 50 prioritized solvents was proposed for 2,3-BDO LLE, and seven additional experimental measurements were conducted to further verify our selected solvents. The impact of the extraction temperature and solvent-to-feed ratio was also investigated for selected solvents in experiments. Furthermore, this work suggested alternative solvents for 2,3-BDO LLE and proposed a versatile workflow that requires fewer experiments and can be applied to a broader range of LLE studies.

Extraction↗
DOE OSTI2025

Track Reconstruction using Graph Neural Networks in the EMPHATIC Experiment

Track reconstruction is essential for extracting physics observables from detector data in high-energy and nuclear physics experiments. In this work, we investigate the use of graph neural networks (GNNs) to reconstruct particle momentum in the EMPHATIC experiment using simulated data. The model takes raw hit information from the silicon strip detectors (SSDs) as input and is trained to predict momentum components and the scattering angle of the particle. We describe the GNN architecture, training procedure, and performance metrics, and present results showing improved resolution in momentum reconstruction. These results demonstrate the potential of GNN-based approaches in track reconstruction tasks within complex detector environments like EMPHATIC.

Bhattarai, Aayush [Notre Dame U.]↗
NASA NTRS1994

Supersonic and hypersonic shock/boundary-layer interaction database

An assessment is given of existing shock wave/tubulent boundary-layer interaction experiments having sufficient quality to guide turbulence modeling and code validation efforts. Although the focus of this work is hypersonic, experiments at Mach numbers as low as 3 were considered. The principal means of identifying candidate studies was a computerized search of the AIAA Aerospace Database. Several hundred candidate studies were examined and over 100 of these were subjected to a rigorous set of acceptance criteria for inclusion in the data-base. Nineteen experiments were found to meet these criteria, of which only seven were in the hypersonic regime (M is greater than 5).

Settles, Gary S.↗
NASA NTRS2000

A Contaminant Ice Visualization Experiment in a Glass Pulse Tube

Results are presented from pulse tube experiments designed to investigate the effect of 400 parts per million water vapor contamination of the helium working gas. The experiments were conducted in a glass pulse tube to enable visualization of ice formation on internal surfaces. Photographs of this ice formation were taken along with simultaneous coldtip temperature and compressor power measurements. Four types of regenerator elements were tested in various combinations: 200- and 400-mesh stainless steel screens, 1.6 mm diameter glass beads, and 1.6 mm thick perforated plastic plates. Internal spacers were also used to provide clear fields of view into the regenerator stack. Substantial water-ice formation was observed at the cold end of the regenerator and on the inside wall of pulse tube; it appeared to be highly porous, like snow, and was seen to accumulate only in a very localized region at the coldest end, despite changing the cold tip temperature across a range of 150 to 235 K. Ice formation degraded pulse tube thermal performance only in cases where screen regenerators were used at the regenerator cold end. It was concluded that flow blockage was the mechanism by which contaminants affected performance; coarse regenerator elements were largely immune over the tested time scale of a few days. Substantially reduced ice formation and minimal performance loss were also observed in repeated tests where the contaminated gas was reused after warming up and melting of the accumulated internal ice. Significant adsorption of the liquid water onto the regenerator was inferred, a process that depleted the gas phase concentration of water.

Hall, J. L.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Low-gravity fluid physics: A program overview

An overview is presented of the microgravity fluid physics program at Lewis Research Center. One of the main reasons for conducting low gravity research in fluid physics is to study phenomena such as surface tension, interfacial contact angles, and diffusion independent of such gravitationally induced effects as buoyant convection. Fluid physics is at the heart of many space-based technologies including power systems, thermal control systems, and life support systems. Fundamental understanding of fluid physics is a key ingredient to successful space systems design. In addition to describing ground-based and space-based low-gravity facilities, selected experiments are presented which highlight Lewis work in fluid physics. These experiments can be categorized into five theme areas which summarize the work being conducted at Lewis for OSSA: (1) isothermal/iso-solutal capillary phenomena; (2) capillary phenomena with thermal/solutal gradients; (3) thermal-solutal convection; (4) first- and second-order phase transitions in a static fluid; and (5) multiphase flow.

Source record↗
DOE OSTI2025

Preparation for DM searches with high Q SRF cavities

This work focuses on the preparatory for two dark matter searches based on high Q SRF cavities. In the context of the SERAPH experiment I participated to experimental work of characterizing the cavity at mK temperature and subsequently analyzed the data collected. For the SHADE experiment, I worked on the preparation of the data analysis starting from the collection of simulated data and built a flexible framework to analyze them. The goal of this report is to present my contribution to these two experiments that are being investigated at Fermilab by the Physics Sensing group at SQMS.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2024

Design of a first-of-A-kind instrumented advanced test reactor irradiation Capsule experiment for In situ thermal conductivity measurements of metallic fuel

Metallic fuel undergoes dramatic microstructural changes early in life due to fission gas swelling until ~2–3 at% burnup which affects the conductivity of the material, however the evolution of metallic fuel thermal conductivity during this early phase burnup has never been successfully measured in situ. The Irradiated Material Properties Accelerated Characterization Test (IMPACT) experiment will be the first in a series of experiments to irradiate advanced nuclear metallic fuel specimens with novel embedded thermal conductivity probes in ATR. In the current work the IMPACT experiment final design and supporting analysis is reported in detail. Results are evaluated for various reactor operational conditions to meet the functional requirements of the experiment. Finally, the first iteration of this IMPACT experiment will provide data regarding thermal properties evolution in uranium-zirconium (U10Zr) fuel, but this experiment vehicle is envisioned for future advanced fuels and structural materials irradiations in ATR.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
NASA NTRS1982

Technical summary of accomplishments made in preparation for the USSR barley exploratory experiment

The highlights of the work accomplished under each subcomponent of the U.S.S.R. Barley Pilot Experiment, which is scheduled for completion in 1984, are summarized. A significant amount of developmental system implementation activity was in the final stages of preparation prior to the rescoping of project tasks. Unpublished materials which are significant to this exploratory experiment are incorporated into the appendixes.

Chapman, G. M.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Spacecraft Dynamics as Related to Laboratory Experiments in Space

Proceedings are presented of a conference sponsored by the Physics and Chemistry Experiments in Space Working Group to discuss the scientific and engineering aspects involved in the design and performance of reduced to zero gravity experiments affected by spacecraft environments and dynamics. The dynamics of drops, geophysical fluids, and superfluid helium are considered as well as two phase flow, combustion, and heat transfer. Interactions between spacecraft motions and the atmospheric cloud physics laboratory experiments are also examined.

G. H. Fichtl↗
DOE OSTI2025

Research in Neutrino Physics (Final Technical Report)

The goal of the experimental neutrino efforts at Louisiana State University is to measure the properties of neutrinos and to improve our understanding of neutrino interactions. In pursuit of this goal, the group will continue its Intensity Frontier work on the DUNE experiment at Fermilab and the T2K experiment at J-PARC, Japan. The current work is focused on understanding how neutrinos change flavor and on the possibility for asymmetry between neutrinos and anti-neutrinos. The effort on T2K includes physics measurements using the collected T2K data and preparation for the second phase T2K-II data with an increased beam power and the newly upgraded ND280 detector, featuring a novel 3D fine grained scintillation tracker with 4π acceptance and 3D readout. T2K is in a position to improve our understanding of neutrino nucleus interactions which continue to be one of the largest systematic uncertainties for neutrino oscillation measurements. On DUNE, the effort is on analyzing the data collected by the ProtoDUNE-SP prototype at CERN and on the design, installation, and commissioning of ProtoDUNE-II and later the DUNE Far Detector cold electronics. The final DUNE Module-1 components will be fully characterized by ProtoDUNE-II and the collected data will be used to improve and tune simulation and reconstruction algorithms, and to measure hadron scattering cross section, used to improve the modeling of neutrino final state interactions.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
NASA NTRS1995

STS-94 Day 06 Highlights

On this sixth day of the STS-94 mission, the flight crew, Cmdr. James D. Halsell, Jr., Pilot Susan L. Still, Payload Cmdr. Janice E. Voss, Mission Specialists Michael L. Gernhardt and Donald A. Thomas, and Payload Specialist Gregory T. Linteris and Roger K. Crouch continue their around-the-clock work with the Microgravity Science Laboratory experiments. During the morning period, Thomas works with the Large Isothermal Furnace experiment and the Glovebox unit. Columbia's systems continue to operate properly, providing a stable platform for microgravity science operations.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1998

Computational Analysis of Shock Layer Emission Measurements in an Arc-Jet Facility

This paper reports computational analysis of radiation emission experiments in a high enthalpy arc-jet wind tunnel at NASA Ames Research Center. Recently, as part of ongoing arc-jet characterization work, spectroscopic radiation emission experiments have been conducted at the 20 MW NASA Ames arc-jet facility. The emission measurements were obtained from the arc-jet freestream and from a shock layer formed in front of flatfaced models. Analysis of these data is expected to provide valuable information about the thermodynamic state of the gas in the arc-jet freestream and in the shock layer as well as thermochemical equilibration processes behind the shock in arc-jet flows. Knowledge of the thermodynamic state of the gas in arc-jet test flows and especially within the shock layer is essential to interpret the heat transfer measurements such as in surface catalysis experiments. The present work is a continuation of previous work and focuses on analysis of the emission data obtained at relatively low-pressure conditions for which the arc-jet shock layer is expected to be in thermal and chemical nonequilibrium. Building blocks of the present computational analysis are: (1) simulation of nonequilibrium expanding flow in the converging-diverging conical nozzle and supersonic jet; (2) simulation of nonequilibrium shock layer formed in front of the flat-faced cylinder model; and (3) prediction of line-of-sight radiation from the computed flowfield. For computations of the nonequilibrium flow in the conical nozzle and shock layer, multi-temperature nonequilibrium codes with the axisymmetric formulation are used. For computations of line-of-sight radiation. a nonequilibrium radiation code (NEQAIR) is used to predict emission spectra from the computed flowfield. Computed line-of-sight averaged flow properties such as vibrational and rotational temperatures, species number densities within the shock layer will be compared with those deduced from the experimental spectra. Detailed comparisons of computational and experimental spectra will also be presented.

Gokcen, Tahir↗