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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 307 records · Page 17
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Advancements of On-Line Monitoring and Real-Time Characterization of Actual Low-Level Hanford Tank-Waste Samples

Waste and process stream characterization is essential to the safe, efficient, and cost-effective processing of Hanford Site materials. The demand for materials characterization including chemical, radionuclide, and physical attributes during waste management, transfer, and staging operations in the Hanford tank farms is expected to significantly increase as the U.S. Department of Energy River Protection Project progresses toward Hanford waste treatment and immobilization. Our past work has applied Raman on-line monitoring and chemometric modeling to the supernate of Hanford tank 241-AP-105 and has demonstrated the quantitative measurement of nine analytes within this waste. To demonstrate broader applicability, this method has now been expanded to waste from two additional Hanford tanks, AW-102 and AP-107, and the offgas condensate from lab-scale melter runs of actual-tank waste feeds. To enhance the performance of the Raman method, instruments with various excitation wavelengths were compared, since it is known that the Raman response is enhanced by shorter wavelength excitation. The laser excitations for the three systems tested were 404 nm, 532 nm, and 671 nm. In addition to laser wavelength selection, the laser power, measurement integration times, and signal averaging techniques were also investigated to determine their effect on detection limits for oxy-anion analytes within tank wastes. These advancements in Raman capability are compared with past standards and will be presented.

Bryan, Samuel A.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Direct analysis of cotton swipes for uranium and plutonium isotopic determination by microextraction-ICP-MS

The determination of uranium and plutonium isotopic abundance on environmental samples collected by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors is vital for the detection of undeclared nuclear activities and material under the international nuclear safeguards regime. Current analytical protocols require time-consuming sample preparation steps prior to subsequent measurement by inorganic mass spectrometry (MS). Recent efforts from this laboratory have focused on developing sample preparation methods for faster analysis, potentially allowing higher sample throughput[1]. Alternative methods including microextraction sampling in conjunction with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) have been recently explored. This methodology, microextraction-ICP-MS, was developed such that uranium and plutonium could be extracted from the swipe surface and directed into the ICP-MS for an in-situ measurement, eliminating the need for swipe ashing and digestion. A commercial off-the-shelf microextraction system was customized with an automated movable XY stage that can be programmed to save sampling locations, allowing for automated rapid sampling of swipe surfaces. Additional efforts have focused on the utilization of collision cell technology to the microextraction ICP-MS method. This would eliminate the need for lengthy column chemistry procedures to purify separated uranium and plutonium fractions before analysis. Here, the extracted U/Pu analyte is measured by reacting the uranium ions with CO2 in the collision cell of an ICP-MS, shifting the uranium to UO+, which will not interfere with the plutonium isotopic determination. The developed method utilizing collision cell – ICP-MS technology has demonstrated the ability to measure plutonium isotope ratios in the presence of high uranium concentration on the transient signal from the microextraction system utilizing certified reference materials from JRC-Geel and the New Brunswick Laboratory Program Office.

Bradley, Veronica↗
DOE OSTI2026

Data for Selected Ion Monitoring for Orbitrap-Based Metabolomics

Orbitrap mass spectrometry in full scan mode enables the simultaneous detection of hundreds of metabolites and their isotope-labeled forms. Yet, sensitivity remains limiting for many metabolites, including low-concentration species, poor ionizers, and low-fractional-abundance isotope-labeled forms in isotope-tracing studies. Here, we explore selected ion monitoring (SIM) as a means of sensitivity enhancement. The analytes of interest are enriched in the orbitrap analyzer by using the quadrupole as a mass filter to select particular ions. In tissue extracts, SIM significantly enhances the detection of ions of low intensity, as indicated by improved signal-to-noise (S/N) ratios and measurement precision. In addition, SIM improves the accuracy of isotope-ratio measurements. SIM, however, must be deployed with care, as excessive accumulation in the orbitrap of similar m/z ions can lead, via space-charge effects, to decreased performance (signal loss, mass shift, and ion coalescence). Ion accumulation can be controlled by adjusting settings including injection time and target ion quantity. Overall, we suggest using a full scan to ensure broad metabolic coverage, in tandem with SIM, for the accurate quantitation of targeted low-intensity ions, and provide methods deploying this approach to enhance metabolome coverage.f

Mass Spectrometry↗
DOE OSTI2024

A Semi-Analytical Approach for State-Space Electromagnetic Transient Simulation

Here, this paper proposes a semi-analytical approach for efficient and accurate electromagnetic transient (EMT) simulation of a power grid. The approach first derives a high-order semi-analytical solution (SAS) of the grid’s state-space EMT model using the differential transformation (DT), and then evaluates the solution over enlarged, variable time steps to significantly accelerate the simulations while maintaining its high accuracy on detailed fast EMT dynamics. The approach also addresses switches during large time steps by using a limit violation detection algorithm with a binary search-enhanced quadratic interpolation. Case studies are conducted on EMT models of the IEEE 39-bus system and large-scale systems to demonstrate the merits of the new simulation approach against traditional numerical methods.

electromagnetic transient↗
DOE OSTI2023

Review of multi-faceted morphologic signatures of actinide process materials for nuclear forensic science

Particle morphology is an emerging signature that has the potential to identify the processing history of unknown nuclear materials. Using readily available scanning electron microscopes (SEM), the morphology of nearly any solid material can be measured within hours. Coupled with robust image analysis and classification methods, the morphological features can be quantified and support identification of the processing history of unknown nuclear materials. The viability of this signature depends on developing databases of morphological features, coupled with a rapid data analysis and accurate classification process. With developed reference methods, datasets, and throughputs, morphological analysis can be applied within days to (i) interdicted bulk nuclear materials (gram to kilogram quantities), and (ii) trace amounts of nuclear materials detected on swipes or environmental samples. In conclusion, this review aims to develop validated and verified analytical strategies for morphological analysis relevant to nuclear forensics.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Accelerating Random Forest Classification on GPU and FPGA

Random Forests (RFs) are a commonly used machine learning method for classification and regression tasks spanning a variety of application domains, including bioinformatics, business analytics, and software optimization. While prior work has focused primarily on improving performance of the training of RFs, many applications, such as malware identification, cancer prediction, and banking fraud detection, require fast RF classification. In this work, we accelerate RF classification on GPU and FPGA. In order to provide efficient support for large datasets, we propose a hierarchical memory layout suitable to the GPU/FPGA memory hierarchy. We design three RF classification code variants based on that layout, and we investigate GPU- and FPGA-specific considerations for these kernels. Our experimental evaluation, performed on an Nvidia Xp GPU and on a Xilinx Alveo U250 FPGA accelerator card using publicly available datasets on the scale of millions of samples and tens of features, covers various aspects. First, we evaluate the performance benefits of our hierarchical data structure over the standard compressed sparse row (CSR) format. Second, we compare our GPU implementation with cuML, a machine learning library targeting Nvidia GPUs. Third, we explore the performance/accuracy tradeoff resulting from the use of different tree depths in the RF. Finally, we perform a comparative performance analysis of our GPU and FPGA implementations. Our evaluation shows that for high accuracy targets, our GPU implementation yields 5-9x speedup over CSR, and up to a 2x speedup over cuML.

FPGA, Xilinx FPGA, GPU, Random Forest classificati↗
NASA NTRS1997

Gas Chromatographic Detectors for Exobiology Flight Experiments

Exobiology flight experiments require highly sensitive instrumentation for in situ chemical analysis of the volatile chemical species that occur in the atmospheres and surfaces of various bodies within the solar system. The complex mixtures encountered place a heavy burden on the analytical instrumentation to detect and identify all species present. Future missions to Mars', comets, or planetary moons such as Europa, will perform experiments with complex analyses. In addition, instrumentation for such missions must perform under severely restricted conditions with limited resources. To meet these analytical requirements, improved methods and highly sensitive yet smaller instruments must continually be developed with increasingly greater capabilities. We describe here efforts to achieve this objective, for past and future missions, through the development of new or the improvement of existing sensitive, miniaturized gas chromatographic detectors.

Kojiro, Daniel R.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Beyond Contrast Transfer: Spectral SNR as a Finite-Dose Metric for STEM Phase Retrieval

The contrast transfer function (CTF) is widely used to evaluate phase retrieval methods in scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), including center-of-mass imaging, parallax imaging, direct ptychography, and iterative ptychography. However, the CTF reflects only the maximum usable signal, neglecting the effects of finite electron fluence and the Poisson-limited nature of detection. As a result, it can significantly overestimate practical performance, especially in low-dose regimes. Here, we employ the spectral signal-to-noise ratio (SSNR), as a finite-dose statistical framework to evaluate the recoverable signal as a function of spatial frequency. Using numerical reconstructions of white-noise objects, we show that center-of-mass, parallax, and direct ptychography exhibit dose-independent SSNRs, with close-form analytic expressions. In contrast, iterative ptychography exhibits a surprising dose dependence: at low fluence, its SSNR converges to that of direct ptychography; at high fluence, it saturates at a value consistent with the maximum detective quantum efficiency predicted by recent quantum Fisher information bounds. The results highlight the limitations of CTF-based evaluation and motivate SSNR as a more accurate, finite-dose metric for assessing STEM phase retrieval methods.

STEM phase retrieval↗
DOE OSTI2021

Determination of impurities in cubic boron nitride (cBN) by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS)

The phase stability of cBN is critically dependent on the content and amount of impurities present. While studies have shown qualitatively that the addition of certain impurities can either increase or decrease the cBN-hBN phase transition temperature, studies have yet to show this effect quantitatively. This is because analytical methods to characterize minor and trace impurities in cBN are currently lacking. To this end, we present flux fusion methods capable of fully digesting cBN samples for ICPMS analyses. The materials used in this study are commercially available cBN powders in three different sizes. Two types of fluxes (LiOH and NaOH·H 2 O) are utilized so that both Li and Na impurities can be determined. To ensure the accuracy of Si measurements, a column chromatography method has been developed to purify Si from flux materials in order to increase the amount of dissolved sample sent to the ICP. Detection limits have been determined using procedural blanks and are found to be below 20 μg/g for all 58 elements analyzed except for Si, for which the detection limit is 312 μg/g. Nonetheless, all cBN powders studied are found to have high Si impurity levels that are above detection limit. This study provides a much-needed analytical protocol to enable comprehensive screening of impurities in cBN.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1999

Strategies and Technologies for In Situ Mineralogical Investigations on Mars

Surface landers on Mars (Viking and Pathfinder) have not revealed satisfying answers to the mineralogy and lithology of the planet's surface. In part, this results from their prime directives: Viking focused on exobiology, Pathfinder focused on technology demonstration. The analytical instruments on board the landers made admirable attempts to extract the mineralogy and geology of Mars, as did countless modeling efforts after the missions. Here we suggest a framework for elucidating martian, or any other planetary geology, through an approach that defines (a) type of information required, (b) explorational strategy harmonious with acquisition of these data, (c) interpretation approach to the data, (d) compatible mission architecture, (e) instrumentation for interrogating rocks and soil. (a) Data required: The composition of a planet is ordered at scales ranging from molecules to minerals to rocks, and from geological units to provinces to planetary-scale systems. The largest ordering that in situ compositional instruments can attempt to interrogate is rock type "aggregate" information. This is what the geologist attempts to identify first. From this, mineralogy can be either directly seen or inferred. From mineralogy can be determined elemental abundances and perhaps the state of the compounds as being crystalline or amorphous. Knowledge of rock type and mineralogy is critical for elucidating geologic process. Mars landers acquired extremely valuable elemental data, but attempted to move from elements to aggregates, but this can only be done by making many assumptions and sometimes giant leaps of faith. Data we believe essential are elements, minerals, degree of ordering of compounds, and the aggregate or rock type that these materials compose. (b) Explorational strategy: A lander should function as a surrogate geologist. Of the total landscape, a geologist sees much, but gives detailed attention to an infinitesimally small amount of what is seen. To acquire samples worth detailed scrutiny, as many samples as possible need examining at a cursory or reconnaissance level. A representative, statistically-meaningful sample number cannot be overemphasized. This maxim still applies to geological exploration of our own planet of which we have abundant knowledge. Analysis of many samples mandates low-power consumption per sample. (c) Data interpretation: No single instrument can analyze the full spectrum of the x-axis. An instrument is optimized for detecting certain material characteristics and must therefore affix itself to some point on the x-axis. Any conclusions drawn about data to the left or right of the instrument's position on this axis must necessarily be derived by inference. Hence, it seems logical to include on a mission, instruments that are not closely spaced in their x-axis-position, and if only two analytical methods are used, as shown, they should start at opposite ends of the axis and work towards the center. As examples, we depict a high-resolution camera to evaluate rock type ("aggregate" state) and mineralogy, and an x-ray diffractometer-fluorescence spectrometer (XRD-XRF) to determine elements, minerals, and the degree of order of materials. (d) Mission architecture: No instrument or suite of instruments can be relied upon to always give truly unequivocal analyses. The suite of instruments should therefore permit conclusions of one instrument to be checked against those of another through closed analytical loops. These "loops" can be structured by a combination of orbital imagery, descent imagery, broad-band site viewing/analysis, and data that cover both x and y axes. For example, the detection of a basaltic-looking rock with a microscope should be checked against the elements detected, the appearance of the rock as a lava flow from descent imagery, and so forth. (e) Instrumentation: To satisfy the above criteria, it is necessary to: (i) See the rock or soil with high resolution + magnification, (ii) Examine many samples, (iii) Consume little power per analysis, (iv) Determine elemental species, (v) Determine mineralogy directly (not inferentially) and the degree of ordering of compounds, (vi) Start analyzing from both ends of the x-axis. Every geologist wants to see the hand sample first, and apply a hand lens to its surface. This has not been the starting point for missions to Mars. Thus, our technology satisfies all these criteria . This XRD-XRF-Optical instrument currently being developed, analyses rock or soil surfaces without the need for sample acquisition or preparation; this satisfies the power criterion, and enables many analyses. The device acquires direct mineralogy and determines elemental species. The embedded endoscopic camera satisfies the critical criterion of close inspection of samples; the fiber optic cable can also be used for IR, LTV, or laser sample analysis. Additional information is contained in the original (Figures).

Marshall, J. R.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Evaluation of phenolic antioxidant capacity in beverages based on laccase immobilized on screen-printed carbon electrode modified with graphene nanoplatelets and gold nanoparticles

A simple and highly sensitive electrochemical biosensor based on laccase immobilized onto a gold nanoparticles/graphene nanoplatelets-modified screen-printed carbon electrode (LACC/AuNP/GNPl/SPCE) was developed for the determination of hydroquinone (HQ) and other phenolic compounds. The biosensor shows excellent electro-catalytic activity towards oxidation of hydroquinone at a potential of -0.05 V (vs Ag/AgCl, 3 M KCl) in phosphate buffer as supporting electrolyte (0.1 M, pH 7.0) using hydrodynamic amperometry. Analytical characteristics uncover that the LACC/AuNP/GNPl/SPCE comprises a wide linear range for the dependence of the signal on HQ concentrations from 4 to 130 µM with a detection limit (3σ) of 1.5 µM. The repeatability (5 measurements, 100 µM hydroquinone) is ±2% and the reproducibility (5 biosensors, 100 µM hydroquinone) is ±3%. Interference studies of most common compounds with the determination of hydroquinone demonstrated negligible effects. Finally, the biosensor and the analytical method were applied to the determination of phenolic antioxidant capacity (AOC) in wine and blueberry syrup based on Trolox (6‑hydroxy‑2,5,7,8-tetramethylchromane-2-carboxylic acid) and hydroquinone equivalents. The results were evaluated by using their calibration curves which were satisfactory and agreed well with the results obtained by the reference method Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity assay (TEAC-Assay).

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Functionalized Polymer Thin Films for Plutonium Capture and Isotopic Screening from Aqueous Sources

The rapid screening of plutonium from aqueous sources remains a critical challenge for nuclear nonproliferation efforts. The determination of trace-level Pu isotopes in water requires offsite sample preparation and analysis; therefore, new methods that combine plutonium purification, concentration, and isotopic screening in a fieldable detection system will provide an invaluable tool for nuclear safeguards. This contribution describes the development and characterization of thin polymer-ligand films for the isolation and concentration of waterborne Pu for direct spectroscopic analyses. Submicron thin films were prepared through spin coating onto Si wafers and consisted of combinations of polystyrene (PS) with dibenzoylmethane, thenoyltrifluoroacetone, and di(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (HDEHP). Pu uptake studies from solutions at pH from 2.3 to 6.3 indicated that only films containing HDEHP exhibited significant recovery of Pu. High alpha spectroscopy peak energy resolutions were achieved for PS-HDEHP films over a range of film thicknesses from 30 to 250 nm. Furthermore, a separate study was performed to evaluate uptake from a primarily Pu(V) solution where it was observed that doubling the HDEHP loading in the film increased uptake of Pu by an order of magnitude. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis revealed that HDEHP was highly concentrated within the first few nanometers of the film at the higher loading. XPS analysis also revealed that, in the presence of water, HDEHP was stripped from the surface layer of the film at circumneutral pH. While significant losses of ligand were seen in all samples, higher loadings of HDEHP resulted in measurable amounts of ligand retained after a 12-h soak in water. Findings of this study are being used to guide the development of thin-film composite membrane-based detection methods for the rapid, fieldable analysis of Pu in water.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Real-Time Fault Location Using the Retardation Method

A new method for short-circuit fault location is proposed. The method is based on instantaneous signal measurement and its first and second derivatives, which are the novel elements of the current approach. The derivatives allow associating a precise time stamp to the occurrence of the fault. Due to retardation phenomena, the difference between the times in which a signal is registered in two detectors can be used to locate the fault. We offer several mathematical models to describe the fault. Although a description of faults in terms of a lumped circuit is useful for elucidating the methods for detecting the fault, this description will not suffice to describe the fault signal propagation; hence, a distributed models is needed, which is given in terms of the telegraph equations. Those equations were used to derive a transmission line transfer function, and an exact analytical description of the fault signal propagating in the transmission line was obtained. The analytical solution was verified both by numerical simulations and experimentally.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2023

Spatially quasi-periodic bifurcations from periodic traveling water waves and a method for detecting bifurcations using signed singular values

We present a method of detecting bifurcations by locating zeros of a signed version of the smallest singular value of the Jacobian. This enables the use of quadratically convergent root-bracketing techniques or Chebyshev interpolation to locate bifurcation points. Only positive singular values have to be computed, though the method relies on the existence of an analytic or smooth singular value decomposition (SVD). The sign of the determinant of the Jacobian, computed as part of the bidiagonal reduction in the SVD algorithm, eliminates slope discontinuities at the zeros of the smallest singular value. We use the method to search for spatially quasi-periodic traveling water waves that bifurcate from large-amplitude periodic waves. The water wave equations are formulated in a conformal mapping framework to facilitate the computation of the quasi-periodic Dirichlet-Neumann operator. We find examples of pure gravity waves with zero surface tension and overhanging gravity-capillary waves. In both cases, the waves have two spatial quasi-periods whose ratio is irrational. We follow the secondary branches via numerical continuation beyond the realm of linearization about solutions on the primary branch to obtain traveling water waves that extend over the real line with no two crests or troughs of exactly the same shape. The pure gravity wave problem is of relevance to ocean waves, where capillary effects can be neglected. Such waves can only exist through secondary bifurcation as they do not persist to zero amplitude. The gravity-capillary wave problem demonstrates the effectiveness of using the signed smallest singular value as a test function for multi-parameter bifurcation problems. This test function becomes mesh independent once the mesh is fine enough.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
NASA NTRS1978

Problems and advances in monitoring horizontal strain

The modern instrumentation is described for use in geodesy for the detection of the deformations of the crust of the earth. Problems are listed. Needs are discussed for the survey of the physical quantities of interest in geodesy, geology, geophysics, and engineering such as the strain invariants, the optimal network of baselines and the accuracy. An analytic method is also given for the computation of the effect of a source of dilatation in a spherical earth.

Caputo, M.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Microbiological concerns and methodological approaches related to bacterial water quality in spaceflight

A number of microbiological issues are of critical importance to crew health and system performance in spacecraft water systems. This presentation reviews an army of these concerns which include factors that influence water treatment and disinfection in spaceflight such as biofilm formation and the physiological responses of bacteria in clean water systems. Factors associated with spaceflight like aerosol formation under conditions of microgravity are also discussed within the context of airborne infections such as Legionellosis. Finally, a spectrum of analytical approaches is reviewed to provide an evaluation of methodological alternatives that have been suggested or used to detect microorganisms of interest in water systems. These range from classical approaches employing colony formation on specific microbiological growth media to direct (i.e. microscopic) and indirect (e.g. electrochemical) methods as well as the use of molecular approaches and gene probes. These techniques are critically evaluated for their potential utility in determining microbiological water quality through the detection of microorganisms under the influence of ambient environmental stress inherent in spaceflight water systems.

Pyle, Barry H.↗
NASA NTRS1993

RSRM nozzle actuator bracket/lug fracture mechanics qualification test

This is the final report for the actuator bracket/lug fracture mechanics qualification test. The test plan (CTP-0071) outlined a two-phase test program designed to answer questions about the fracture criticality of the redesigned solid rocket motor (RSRM) nozzle actuator bracket. An analysis conducted using the NASA/FLAGRO fracture mechanics computer program indicated that the actuator bracket might be a fracture critical component. In the NASA/FLAGRO analysis, a simple lug model was used to represent the actuator bracket. It was calculated that the bracket would fracture if subjected to an actuator stall load in the presence of a 0.10 in. corner crack at the actuator attachment hole. The 0.10 in. crack size corresponds to the nondestructive inspection detectability limit for the actuator bracket. The inspection method used is the dye penetrant method. The actuator stall load (103,424 lb) is the maximum load which the actuator bracket is required to withstand during motor operation. This testing was designed to establish the accuracy of the analytical model and to directly determine whether the actuator bracket is capable of meeting fracture mechanics safe-life requirements.

Kelley, Peggy↗
DOE OSTI2024

Streaming Analytics for Anomaly Detection in Large-Scale Data

Anomalous behavior poses serious risks to assured performance and reliability of complex, high-consequence systems. For spaceborne assets and their state-of-health (SOH) telemetry, the challenges of high-dimensional data of varying data types are compounded by computational limitations from size, weight, and power (SWaP) constraints as well as data availability. Automated anomaly detection methods tend to perform poorly under these constraints, while current operational approaches can introduce delays in response time due to the manual, retrospective processes for understanding system failures. As a result, presently deployed space systems, and those deployed in the near future, face situations where mission operations might be delayed or only be able to operate under degraded capabilities. Here, we examine a near-term lightweight solution that provides real-time detection capabilities for rare events and assess state-of-the-art anomaly detection techniques against real SOH telemetry from space platforms. This report describes our methodology and research, which could support more automated capabilities for comprehensive space operations as well as for other resource-constrained edge applications.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗