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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

Nonlinear filters for efficient shock computation

A new type of methods for the numerical approximation of hyperbolic conservation laws with discontinuous solution is introduced. The methods are based on standard finite difference schemes. The difference solution is processed with a nonlinear conservation form filter at every time level to eliminate spurious oscillations near shocks. It is proved that the filter can control the total variation of the solution and also produce sharp discrete shocks. The method is simpler and faster than many other high resolution schemes for shock calculations. Numerical examples in one and two space dimensions are presented.

Engquist, Bjorn↗

EMPOWERED Distributed Energy Resources Permit Accelerator Pilot

This report summarizes the EMPOWERED Distributed Energy Resources (DER) Permit Accelerator Pilot project. Its primary objective was to streamline the design, installation, permitting, and inspections of targeted Distributed Energy Resource (DER) solutions. Streamlining these processes is critical to strengthening and accelerating the adoption of DER solutions nationwide. Moreover, streamlined processes help expedite the clean energy transition and expand energy resilience by improving understanding and capability among key stakeholders like property owners, code officials, and the general workforce. The project team accomplished this by developing and deploying a set of design and permitting guides for simple DER solutions, which they rolled out via a permitting pilot program. The project team developed nine permitting and inspection guides for simple DER solutions, as follows: 1. Single-Family and Duplex: Electric Vehicle Service Equipment (EVSE), and Storage, Solar + Storage (each in two code cycles) 2. Multi-family and Office: EVSE, Storage, Solar + Storage (each in two code cycles) 3. A permitting process guide to support the implementation of the permitting guides. The guides cover key code requirements via plan review and field inspection checklists for code officials and building owners to follow to streamline the permitting and inspections process for DER solutions. Following the development of the initial set of guides, the project team formed two cohorts, each made up of four jurisdictions, to participate in the Permit Accelerator Pilot. Each cohort received training and technical assistance to support them in incorporating the guides into use. The project successfully engaged jurisdictions in two disparate US regions: Chelsea, Somerville, Natick, and Norwood in metro Boston; and Pima County, Town of Gilbert, Flagstaff, and Sedona in Arizona. Feedback gathered from the project was valuable in refining the guides to better address jurisdictional needs. After the pilot period, the project team developed final versions of the guides based on extensive feedback from the cohorts and from external technical peer review. Feedback included needs and barriers related to implementation, as well as detailed technical improvements from external peer review. The final guides were presented in a series of webinars with a national reach, with 192 attendees from 35 states in the live session of the final webinar, and the final guides are posted online and available for use nationwide. Key findings: • The most receptive jurisdictions were those adjacent to other jurisdictions that had already adopted similar initiatives. The least receptive jurisdictions were those in the midst of adopting new code cycles. • The most common barrier to jurisdictional adoption of new guidelines were internal administrative and process delays, more so than technical barriers. • The main technical barrier to adoption proved to be the concern of fire hazard risks posed by energy storage systems. There is some apprehension in the code enforcement community about the safety of the batteries. Education coordinated with fire and safety services will help alleviate concerns and increase confidence in the acceptance of innovative technologies. • Opportunities to further leverage and advance the guides and related resources include outreach, education, and jurisdictional support; updates to the resources to align with code cycle changes and local requirements; and advancements supporting emerging technologies.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Improving FermiI Orbit Determination and Prediction in an Uncertain Atmospheric Drag Environment

Orbit determination and prediction of the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope trajectory is strongly impacted by the unpredictability and variability of atmospheric density and the spacecrafts ballistic coefficient. Operationally, Global Positioning System point solutions are processed with an extended Kalman filter for orbit determination, and predictions are generated for conjunction assessment with secondary objects. When these predictions are compared to Joint Space Operations Center radar-based solutions, the close approach distance between the two predictions can greatly differ ahead of the conjunction. This work explores strategies for improving prediction accuracy and helps to explain the prediction disparities. Namely, a tuning analysis is performed to determine atmospheric drag modeling and filter parameters that can improve orbit determination as well as prediction accuracy. A 45 improvement in three-day prediction accuracy is realized by tuning the ballistic coefficient and atmospheric density stochastic models, measurement frequency, and other modeling and filter parameters.

orbit prediction↗

Improving Fermi Orbit Determination and Prediction in an Uncertain Atmospheric Drag Environment

Orbit determination and prediction of the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope trajectory is strongly impacted by the unpredictability and variability of atmospheric density and the spacecraft's ballistic coefficient. Operationally, Global Positioning System point solutions are processed with an extended Kalman filter for orbit determination, and predictions are generated for conjunction assessment with secondary objects. When these predictions are compared to Joint Space Operations Center radar-based solutions, the close approach distance between the two predictions can greatly differ ahead of the conjunction. This work explores strategies for improving prediction accuracy and helps to explain the prediction disparities. Namely, a tuning analysis is performed to determine atmospheric drag modeling and filter parameters that can improve orbit determination as well as prediction accuracy. A 45% improvement in three-day prediction accuracy is realized by tuning the ballistic coefficient and atmospheric density stochastic models, measurement frequency, and other modeling and filter parameters.

orbit prediction↗

Polymer Layer-Accelerated CO 2 Absorption in Aqueous Amino Acid Solutions

Direct air capture (DAC) of CO 2 via solvent-based absorption is considered a promising negative-emission technology. However, the low concentration of CO 2 in the air and slow transport into the solvent make DAC notoriously challenging to implement without costly investments. In this study, we explore the fundamental role that the bulk and surface properties of CO 2 -permeable polymer membranes play in enhancing the efficiency of the solution sorption process in passive DAC of CO 2 . This work leverages various spectroscopic and computational studies to demonstrate that a hybrid system, comprising a reusable CO 2 -permeable polymer layer placed atop an aqueous amino acid (AA) solution, can outperform a pure aqueous AA system by 2-fold. Here we show how the enhanced solubility of CO 2 in the polymer layer can improve the transport of CO 2 into the aqueous phase, while the chemistry of the polymer can control the interfacial barrier for CO 2 permeation and the interfacial concentration of reactive AAs. The derived knowledge of the material properties achieved here can aid in the design of DAC systems with improved performance.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Critical Care Dialysis System

Organon Teknika Corporation's REDY 2000 dialysis machine employs technology originally developed under NASA contract by Marquardt Corporation. The chemical process developed during the project could be applied to removing toxic waste from used dialysis fluid. This discovery led to the development of a kidney dialysis machine using "sorbent" dialysis, a method of removing urea from human blood by treating a dialysate solution. The process saves electricity and, because the need for a continuous water supply is eliminated, the patient has greater freedom.

Source record↗

A numerical method for the solution of three dimensional, incompressible, viscous flows over slender bodies

A marching iterative method for the solution of the three dimensional, incompressibhle, steady and parabolized Navier-Stokes equations is described. The equations are written in primitive variables and discretized in general axisymmetric orthogonal coordinate systems. The coupled set of finite-difference equations are solved without any splitting or factorization errors. Moreover, the continuity equation and the two crossflow momentum equations are exactly satisfied at every step of the iterative process. The solution scheme is equivalent to the solution of one Poisson equation by the Successive Plane Over Relaxation method and has good convergence properties. Other existing solution methods resemble a Jacobi-type iterative scheme and therefore are less efficient. Numerical experiments include the laminar, incompressible flow over prolate spheroids at incidence.

Rosenfeld, Moshe↗

CFD Extraction Tool for TecPlot From DPLR Solutions

This invention is a TecPlot macro of a computer program in the TecPlot programming language that processes data from DPLR solutions in TecPlot format. DPLR (Data-Parallel Line Relaxation) is a NASA computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code, and TecPlot is a commercial CFD post-processing tool. The Tec- Plot data is in SI units (same as DPLR output). The invention converts the SI units into British units. The macro modifies the TecPlot data with unit conversions, and adds some extra calculations. After unit conversions, the macro cuts a slice, and adds vectors on the current plot for output format. The macro can also process surface solutions. Existing solutions use manual conversion and superposition. The conversion is complicated because it must be applied to a range of inter-related scalars and vectors to describe a 2D or 3D flow field. It processes the CFD solution to create superposition/comparison of scalars and vectors. The existing manual solution is cumbersome, open to errors, slow, and cannot be inserted into an automated process. This invention is quick and easy to use, and can be inserted into an automated data-processing algorithm.

Norman, David↗

Transfer Functions Via Laplace- And Fourier-Borel Transforms

Approach to solution of nonlinear ordinary differential equations involves transfer functions based on recently-introduced Laplace-Borel and Fourier-Borel transforms. Main theorem gives transform of response of nonlinear system as Cauchy product of transfer function and transform of input function of system, together with memory effects. Used to determine responses of electrical circuits containing variable inductances or resistances. Also possibility of doing all noncommutative algebra on computers in such symbolic programming languages as Macsyma, Reduce, PL1, or Lisp. Process of solution organized and possibly simplified by algebraic manipulations reducing integrals in solutions to known or tabulated forms.

Can, Sumer↗

Trisodium Phosphate Phases and Solubility in Alkaline Solutions Relevant to Radioactive Waste Processing

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Hanford Site faces significant challenges in managing millions of gallons of legacy radioactive waste, where phosphate precipitation can obstruct pipelines during retrieval and processing. To resolve long-standing inconsistencies in reported solubility and clarify factors governing trisodium phosphate hydrates, we examined the Na3PO4:NaOH:H2O system. Powder and single-crystal X-ray diffraction revealed that commercial precursors undergo transformations that produce multiple hydrates, including three previously unreported phases comprising an ordered polymorph of Na3(PO4)·12H2O·1/6NaOH, Na3PO4·5H2O, and Na3PO4·9H2O. Computational modeling indicated that the ordered dodecahydrate is more stable than its disordered counterpart, suggesting kinetic persistence of structural disorder. Solubility measurements were conducted with solutions prepared either from anhydrous Na3PO4 or from Na3(PO4)·12H2O·1/6NaOH and revealed that release of interstitial NaOH from the hydrate precursor elevated solution alkalinity, thereby significantly reducing phosphate solubility relative to solutions prepared with anhydrous Na3PO4 across 20–44 °C. These results begin to reconcile inconsistencies in prior solubility data and clarify how phase composition dictates phosphate precipitation under alkaline conditions.

Graham, Trenton R. (ORCID:0000000189078004)↗

Progressive Hedging Decomposition for Solutions of Large-Scale Process Family Design Problems

Rapid, wide-scale deployment of green process systems, such as carbon capture or water desalination systems, is essential for combatting climate change. Methods relying on traditional design or modularity fail to capture the benefits of both economies of numbers and economies of scale. We have proposed process family design, which designs a family of processes simultaneously exploiting opportunities for common elements. In previous work, we explored different optimization formulations to solve this problem. In this work, we develop a decomposition approach to tackle larger problems efficiently. We solve a water desalination case study, which is too large to solve within a reasonable timeframe with the discretization formulation. We exploit the block angular structure of the discretization problem to decompose and solve using Progressive Hedging (PH). We use the open-source Python package mpi-sppy to execute PH which allows us to leverage parallelization and a HPC cluster to further improve solution time.

Stinchfield, Georgia↗

Organic crystal growth experiment facility (13-IML-1)

The interesting nature of metal-like organic compounds composed of charge transfer complexes has been recently realized. Crystals of these complexes can usually be grown by the solution crystallization method. It is difficult to grow such organic crystals on Earth, especially from the chemical reactions through diffusion controlled process in the solutions, because of gravitational disturbances, or sedimentation. The International Microgravity Lab. (IML-1) Organic Crystal Growth with G-Gitter Preventive Measure (OCGP) experiment is expected to grow a single crystal large enough to allow its intrinsic physical properties to be measured and its detailed crystal structure to be determined. This experiment also attempts to assess the experimental conditions including the microgravity environment for further study of the fundamental process of solution crystallization, nucleation, and growth from supersaturated phases including chemical reactions. Microgravity disturbances, G-jitter, may be an important environmental factor in the experimental method to assess. The vibration damping effects on organic crystal growth can be carefully studied.

Kanbayashi, Akio↗

Analytical estimates of radial segregation in Bridgman growth from low-level steady and periodic accelerations

Approximate analytical solutions are developed that are mathematically tractable but provide the elements of CFD models for estimating convective flows subjected to low-level accelerations. The estimates are applicable to dilute systems that have horizontal temperature gradients in the vertical Bridgman configuration. The Navier-Stokes momentum equation is solved in 1D and subsequently in 2D by the first-order perturbation method. The analysis used is the case of plane-front solidification of a dilute system in the vertical thermally stable configuration. The model is found to predict the degree of radial segregation within a factor of two for a range of material and processing parameters. The method provides detailed information on the effects of processing on solute distribution in the grown crystal which are of interest in the orbital experiments emphasizing the control of radial segregation.

Naumann, Robert J.↗

Onboard shuttle on-line software requirements system: Prototype

The prototype discussed here was developed as proof of a concept for a system which could support high volumes of requirements documents with integrated text and graphics; the solution proposed here could be extended to other projects whose goal is to place paper documents in an electronic system for viewing and printing purposes. The technical problems (such as conversion of documentation between word processors, management of a variety of graphics file formats, and difficulties involved in scanning integrated text and graphics) would be very similar for other systems of this type. Indeed, technological advances in areas such as scanning hardware and software and display terminals insure that some of the problems encountered here will be solved in the near-term (less than five years). Examples of these solvable problems include automated input of integrated text and graphics, errors in the recognition process, and the loss of image information which results from the digitization process. The solution developed for the Online Software Requirements System is modular and allows hardware and software components to be upgraded or replaced as industry solutions mature. The extensive commercial software content allows the NASA customer to apply resources to solving the problem and maintaining documents.

Kolkhorst, Barbara↗

Microphase Separation of Randomly Linked Branched Polystyrene/Polylactic Acid for Formation of Cocontinuous Nanostructures

Cocontinuous polymeric nanomaterials have gained attention for their ability to preserve distinct properties of constituent microphases within a single material. Randomly linked copolymer networks have shown very wide stability windows for disordered cocontinuous phases (extending over ≈ 30 wt % in composition), but the reliance on a network architecture prevents subsequent solution- or melt-processing. Furthermore, the key factors contributing to cocontinuity have remained unclear. We recently found that randomly linked star copolymers (RSCs) can exhibit a cocontinuous window as wide as 25 wt % in the case of 4-arm stars, suggesting that while a network architecture is not essential for the formation of disordered cocontinuous phases, the presence of random elastic forces in such architectures may indeed facilitate their formation. In addition, the behavior was found to be highly sensitive to arm number, with 6-arm RSCs exhibiting almost no cocontinuous phase. These results raised a key mechanistic question regarding the contribution of random elastic forces, originating from strands that bridge between junctions, in stabilizing disordered cocontinuous phases. In the current study, we synthesized randomly linked branched copolymers (RBCs) of polystyrene (PS) and poly(D,L-lactic acid) (PLA), which represent an intermediate architecture between networks and stars. This approach allows for the introduction of elastic contributions from strands bridging between different junctions, while still maintaining the processability advantages of a non-network architecture. The cocontinuous regions of the PS/PLA RBCs, with varying polymer and linker functionalities (f p and f l , respectively), were characterized by small-angle X-ray scattering, gravimetry, and scanning electron microscopy. We found that the cocontinuous windows of RBCs typically expanded with increasing elastic contributions and exhibited reduced sensitivity to junction-functionality compared to RSCs. Notably, RBCs with f p = 1.50 and f l = 3, which had large molecular weights due to proximity to the gel point, achieved a cocontinuous window of ≈ 34 wt %, which is almost twice as wide as analogous 3-arm RSCs and comparable to randomly linked networks. Leveraging this robust cocontinuity and solution-processability, we fabricated a film of interconnected nanoporous PS.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Application of the FUN3D Unstructured-Grid Navier-Stokes Solver to the 4th AIAA Drag Prediction Workshop Cases

FUN3D Navier-Stokes solutions were computed for the 4th AIAA Drag Prediction Workshop grid convergence study, downwash study, and Reynolds number study on a set of node-based mixed-element grids. All of the baseline tetrahedral grids were generated with the VGRID (developmental) advancing-layer and advancing-front grid generation software package following the gridding guidelines developed for the workshop. With maximum grid sizes exceeding 100 million nodes, the grid convergence study was particularly challenging for the node-based unstructured grid generators and flow solvers. At the time of the workshop, the super-fine grid with 105 million nodes and 600 million elements was the largest grid known to have been generated using VGRID. FUN3D Version 11.0 has a completely new pre- and post-processing paradigm that has been incorporated directly into the solver and functions entirely in a parallel, distributed memory environment. This feature allowed for practical pre-processing and solution times on the largest unstructured-grid size requested for the workshop. For the constant-lift grid convergence case, the convergence of total drag is approximately second-order on the finest three grids. The variation in total drag between the finest two grids is only 2 counts. At the finest grid levels, only small variations in wing and tail pressure distributions are seen with grid refinement. Similarly, a small wing side-of-body separation also shows little variation at the finest grid levels. Overall, the FUN3D results compare well with the structured-grid code CFL3D. The FUN3D downwash study and Reynolds number study results compare well with the range of results shown in the workshop presentations.

Lee-Rausch, Elizabeth M.↗

Multi-grid domain decomposition approach for solution of Navier-Stokes equations in primitive variable form

The new multigrid (or adaptive) pseudospectral element method was carried out for the solution of incompressible flow in terms of primitive variable formulation. The desired features of the proposed method include the following: (1) the ability to treat complex geometry; (2) high resolution adapted in the interesting areas; (3) requires minimal working space; and (4) effective in a multiprocessing environment. The approach for flow problems, complex geometry or not, is to first divide the computational domain into a number of fine-grid and coarse-grid subdomains with the inter-overlapping area. Next, it is necessary to implement the Schwarz alternating procedure (SAP) to exchange the data among subdomains, where the coarse-grid correction is used to remove the high frequency error that occurs when the data interpolation from the fine-grid subdomain to the coarse-grid subdomain is conducted. The strategy behind the coarse-grid correction is to adopt the operator of the divergence of the velocity field, which intrinsically links the pressure equation, into this process. The solution of each subdomain can be efficiently solved by the direct (or iterative) eigenfunction expansion technique with the least storage requirement, i.e. O(N(exp 3)) in 3-D and O(N(exp 2)) in 2-D. Numerical results of both driven cavity and jet flow will be presented in the paper to account for the versatility of the proposed method.

Ku, Hwar-Ching↗

Traveling Molten Zone Refining Process Development for Innovative Fuel Cycle Solutions

This ARPA-E ONWARDS project successfully developed and demonstrated an innovative immiscibility zone refining process for separating actinides from active fission products in metallic nuclear fuel applications. The technology addresses a critical challenge in advanced nuclear fuel cycles by providing a high-throughput, low-waste alternative to conventional electrorefining.

11 - NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗