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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 325 records · Page 18

Modeling and Experiments on a Dedicated Outdoor Air System Using Liquid Desiccant Heat and Mass Exchangers

Liquid desiccants can provide efficient dehumidification but have yet to see widespread adoption. Most systems studied previously use natural gas-combustion to heat and regenerate the desiccant, and a central chiller plant or cooling tower for removing the heat of absorption. Here we present modeling and experimental results on a novel packaged air conditioner integrating liquid-desiccant heat and mass exchangers with a vapor compression cycle. The packaged system does not need cold or hot water from a central plant or cooling tower and is suitable for rooftop unit air conditioners. The system uses the evaporator to cool the liquid desiccant that is absorbing moisture from the air, and the condenser to heat the liquid desiccant to regenerate it. Efficiency is improved by reducing the load on the evaporator for a given supply-air dewpoint. This paper presents the measured dehumidification efficiency for a 10- ton packaged air conditioner, focusing on dehumidifying ventilation air. The paper also presents a numerical model to predict the outlet conditions and dehumidification efficiency, which we compare with the measured data.

air conditioning↗

Effects of He Ion Irradiation in Simple Borosilicate Glasses for HLW Immobilisation - 20324

High-level radioactive waste (HLW) consists of fission products and minor actinides. Borosilicate glass is the host material of choice in most countries to safely immobilize HLW, followed by eventual geological disposal. HLW glasses will experience both self-heating and self-irradiation effects due to the decay of fission products and minor actinides present therein. During the first 500 years of geological disposal, beta-gamma decay will be the main source of radiation due to short half-lives of fission products, as compared to very long-lived actinides which will be responsible for irradiation over much longer timescales. High-energy alpha particles and alpha recoil nuclei can potentially have significant impact (stored energy, volume change, accumulated dose, chemical durability) on the performance of the wasteform over longer timescales. Thus, to ensure safe and economic disposal over geological periods (10{sup 4} - 10{sup 6} years), the assessment of performance and properties in terms of radiation effects becomes indispensable. This work aims to simulate the effects of alpha decay in radioactive waste glasses. Two international glasses, namely UK 'MW' lithium-sodium borosilicate and Indian sodium-barium borosilicate, which are being used as HLW immobilization matrices by the UK and India respectively, were prepared by a melt-quench method and annealed below their glass transition temperatures. Both glasses were irradiated with 650 KeV He{sup 2+} ions with doses ranging from 10{sup 15} to 10{sup 17} ions/cm{sup 2}. Structural analysis was carried out using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and Raman spectroscopies. First derivative continuous wave EPR spectra were recorded for all pristine and irradiated glass monoliths at room temperature using an X-band (frequency 9.6 GHz) EPR Bruker spectrometer. Results from EPR analyses showed the formation of irradiation induced paramagnetic centers at g ∼ 2.00 in all irradiated glasses. Raman spectra of pristine and irradiated samples were acquired, and showed notable changes in glass structure post-irradiation, with the emergence of a broad Raman band at 1560 cm{sup -1} upon irradiation with high fluences. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

MAGNETICALLY SUSPENDED CANNED ROTOR PUMPS FOR THE INTEGRAL MOLTEN SALT REACTOR

This project developed a molten salt pump design for small modular reactors, concentrated solar, and Gen IV nuclear reactors with a magnetically levitated rotor that can operate at temperatures of up to 700 °C. This eliminates the need for rotating seals and roller element bearings which require maintenance and are prone to failure. The pump design is also more compact than existing molten salt pump designs which require long shafts to thermally isolate the electric motor. The aims of the project are to: 1) design and test the molten salt pump, 2) develop and test a high temperature position sensor needed for magnetic bearing control, and 3) develop and test high temperature coil fabrication methods for electric motor and magnetic bearing fabrication. To develop the high temperature coils, conductor materials were analyzed for oxidation, diffusion, cladding, and resistivity. Of the candidate conductor materials that met the requirements, silver was chosen. The long-term impact of radiation on silver resistivity was analyzed by developing a model of a generic molten salt fast reactor to model the conductor irradiation in worst case scenarios. The analysis showed that increased resistivity due to transmutation of silver decreases exponentially with the reactor reflector thickness. Different electrical insulation materials were tested and the final high temperature coils developed were able to withstand conductor to ground voltages up to 1800 V before insulation breakdown. Magnetic bearings require high-precision high-speed measurements of the rotor position to operate. Current commercial position sensors can only operate up to 550 °C so a novel position sensor was developed that can operate up to 800 °C. These sensors were also designed to measure the position of the metallic rotor through a thin metallic corrosion barrier that protects that coils, insulation, and magnetic cores so that the salt containment barrier does not have any penetrations. The high-temperature sensor was tested and had comparable performance to commercially available inductive position sensors. The sensor design and signal processing has led to several invention disclosures. The magnetically levitated molten salt pump design was completed and analyzed. The chloride salt test loop at Oak Ridge National Laboratory was chosen to test the pump and the pump hydraulics and power were designed for the test loop flow and pressure requirements. Classes of motor designs that do not utilize permanent magnetic were considered for the high-temperature motor. After extensive analysis of their performance, a synchronous reluctance motor was chosen for the pump. The design was refined and analyzed to optimize performance. The magnetic bearings were designed to meet the force and frequency requirements necessary to levitate the rotor and reject disturbances from rotor imbalance, motor forces, and hydraulic forces. Compliant mounts for the position sensors were designed that would not damage the ceramic sensor components and maintain sensor alignment over a wide temperature range. A thermal hydraulic analysis of the molten salt coolant flow used to cool the rotor and stator was performed to ensure that the maximum temperature in the rotor and stator will not exceed 725 °C. The corrosion barrier and casing were designed to maintain the salt fluid boundary by using compliant features to absorb large expansion mismatches due to different coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE). Finally, the salt drain and fill systems were designed along with the pump support structure, integration with the test loop, and thermal insulation and heating. Corrosion barrier fabrication experiments were performed to assess using laser cladding to apply a sub-millimeter corrosion barrier to the surface of a Fe-Co-V magnetic core material. The cladding method showed minimal mixing between materials at their interface and withstood temperature cycling without damage to the cladding. The technology commercialization is focused on the high-temperature position sensors and there has been significant interest from the nuclear industry in utilizing these sensors along with some interest from the aerospace industry. The project also led to a research collaboration with a fusion energy industrial partner to study barriers to scaling the pump design from the kW size to the MW size. This research collaboration will also study methods to create high-temperature coils that have conductor to ground breakdown voltages above 5 kV. The successful development of high-temperature electromagnetic coils and high-temperature position sensors greatly increases the temperature limits for electromagnetic devices that don’t rely on permanent magnets. This includes electric motors, magnetic bearings, linear actuators, rotary position and velocity sensing, actuated valves, and generators to name a few. This will fill a current need in molten salt reactors, concentrated solar, and fusion energy for these critical peripheral devices needed for practical reactor designs that do not currently have commercial solutions.

Hines, J Wesley↗

Mechanism of chlorine-induced stress corrosion cracking of two 304 SS heats in simulated marine environment through in situ X-ray tomography and diffraction: Role of deformation induced martensite and crack branching

In this work, In-situ synchrotron x-ray tomography and diffraction experiments were conducted on two heats of 304SS undergoing chlorine-induced stress-corrosion-cracking (CISCC) in a simulated marine environment. The role of deformation induced martensite on CISCC was investigated through diffraction analysis where no significant amount of martensite was found to form during CISCC, indicating that it may not play a significant role in affecting the process. Tomography combined with stress-intensity analysis revealed the influence of stress-intensity on branching types with single crack growth, micro-branching, and macro-branching. Post experimental electron microscopy characterization revealed the presence of FeCl 2 , CrCl 2 , and NiCl 2 ·6H 2 O compounds at the crack, which infers a dissolution mechanism during the experiment. A dissolution mechanism highlighting the synergy between stress and corrosion was proposed to explain chlorine-induced stress-corrosion-cracking and crack branching.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Autoignition and preliminary heat release of gasoline surrogates and their blends with ethanol at engine-relevant conditions: Experiments and comprehensive kinetic modeling

This work utilizes a rapid compression machine (RCM) to experimentally quantify autoignition and preliminary heat release characteristics for blends of 0 to 30% ethanol by volume into two surrogates (FGF-LLNL and FGF-KAUST) that represent a full boiling range gasoline (FACE-F). Experimental conditions cover pressures from 15 to 100 bar, temperatures from 700 to 1000 K, and diluted/stoichiometric and undiluted/lean fuel loading conditions representative of boosted spark-ignition and advanced compression ignition engines, respectively. Direct comparison is made with previously reported results for FACE-F/E0–E30 blends. Here, a detailed gasoline surrogate chemistry model is also proposed, and chemical kinetic modeling is undertaken using the proposed model to generate chemical insights into the compositional effects and ethanol blending effects.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Heat Exchanger Design Optimization for Mitigation of Diesel Engine Exhaust Fouling

Abstract The design optimization of a diesel exhaust-coupled heat and mass exchanger that drives a 2.71 kW cooling capacity absorption heat pump is presented in this study. Fouling layer thermal resistance and pressure drops from single-tube experiments are used to develop a thermodynamic, heat transfer, and pressure drop model for the exhaust-coupled desorber. A parametric study is performed to select a desorber design that meets system performance while minimizing footprint. Experimental heat duties and pressure drops are within 10% and 3%, respectively, of the model predictions. Thus, large data sets from single-tube experiments with representative geometries are successful in accounting for fouling effects at the component level. Desorber design optimization based on this approach ensures continued heat pump performance after fouling. This study, along with the single-tube experiments, presents a systematic approach to design exhaust-coupled heat exchangers while considering the effects of fouling. These results are applicable for a wide range of waste-heat recovery applications, and this method can be extended to different geometries and operating conditions.

Energy & Fuels↗

Model of ramp compression of diamond from ab initio simulations

Ramp compression experiments characterize high-pressure states of matter at temperatures well below those present in shock compression. However, because temperature is typically not directly measured during ramp compression, it is uncertain how much heating occurs under these shock-free conditions. Here, we performed a series of ab initio simulations on carbon in order to match the density-stress measurements of Smith et al. [Smith et al., Nature (London) 511, 330 (2014)]. We considered isotropically as well as uniaxially compressed solid carbon in the diamond and BC8 phases, with and without defects, as well as liquid carbon. Our idealized model ascribes heating during ramp compression to an initially uniaxially compressed cell transforming isochorically into an isotropically (hydrostatic equivalent) compressed state having lower internal energy, hence higher temperature so as to conserve energy. Multiple such heating events can occur during a single ramp experiment, leading to higher temperatures than with isentropic compression. Comparison with experiments shows that heating alone does not explain the equation of state measurements on diamond, instead implying that a significant uniaxial stress component remains present at high compression. The temperature predictions of our ramp compression model remain to be verified with future laboratory measurements.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Evaporation of Water Nanodroplets on Heated Surfaces: Does Nano Matter?

While experiments and continuum models have provided a relatively good understanding of the evaporation of macroscopic water droplets, elucidating how sessile nanodroplets evaporate is an open question critical for advancing nanotechnological applications where nanodroplets can play an essential role. In this study, using molecular dynamics simulations, we find that evaporating nanodroplets, in contrast to their macroscopic counterparts, are not always in thermal equilibrium with the substrate and that the vapor concentration on the nanodroplet surface does not reach a steady state. As a result, the evaporative behavior of nanodroplets is significantly different. Regardless of hydrophobicity, nanodroplets do not follow conventional evaporation modes but instead exhibit dynamic wetting behavior characterized by huge, non-equilibrium, isovolumetric fluctuations in the contact angle and contact radius. For hydrophilic nanodroplets, the evaporation rate, controlled by the vapor concentration, decays exponentially over time. Hydrophobic nanodroplets follow stretched exponential kinetics arising from the slower thermalization with the substrate. The evaporative half-lifetime of the nanodroplets is directly related to the thermalization time scale and therefore increases monotonically with the hydrophobicity of the substrate. Finally, the evaporative flux profile along the nanodroplet surface is highly nonuniform but does not diverge at the contact line as the macroscopic continuum models predict.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Thermal-hydraulic Performance of Emerging Low GWP Refrigerant Mixture under Flow Boiling in Brazed Plate Heat Exchangers

The hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants used in the current refrigeration systems are facing a phase-down due to their higher greenhouse effect resulting in global warming, and thus HVAC&R industry has undergone a transition to low Global Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerants. Refrigerant mixtures are attractive alternatives since their composition can be tailored to comply with environmental regulations while preserving favorable thermophysical properties. However, the new low-GWP zeotropic mixture refrigerants have two or more components with different saturation temperatures at the same pressure level, known as temperature glide, which can cause the degradation of the overall heat transfer performance. The brazed plate heat exchangers (BPHX) provide excellent heat transfer performance due to a compact design and are used in several air-conditioning and refrigeration applications. In this study, flow boiling heat transfer and the associated pressure drop of the refrigerant mixture in a vertical BPHX were experimentally investigated. The single-phase water-to-water experiments were conducted in the tested heat exchanger with a counter-flow configuration. The flow boiling experiments charged with R-134a and R-454C were then performed in a pumped refrigerant loop to evaluate its thermal-hydraulic performance. Furthermore, parametric studies of various heat fluxes, mass fluxes, vapor qualities, and saturation temperatures were also conducted.

Yang, Cheng-Min↗

Design of separate-effects In-Pile transient boiling experiments at the $\mathrm{TREAT}$ Facility

The cladding-to-coolant heat transfer during rapid power excursions, such as reactivity-initiated accidents, remains a crucial area of uncertainty in nuclear reactor safety. This uncertainty impacts the ability to accurately predict fuel performance behavior for these conditions. Improving our understanding of transient cladding-to-coolant heat transfer will enhance our ability to model design basis accidents and could increase design and improve safety margins for the current commercial fleet and advanced reactors. To address these issues, the Critical Heat Flux Static Environment Rodlet Transient Test Apparatus (CHF-SERTTA) experiment uses a novel approach with a borated stainless-steel heater rodlet that can replicate cladding temperatures experienced during a design-basis reactivity-initiated accident. The rodlet and experiment is instrumented to provide temperature and thermal-hydraulic conditions throughout the transient. The design of the rodlet allows for separate effect testing that eliminates complexities with a fuel and cladding specimen. We report the experiments have provided data that will be used to improve our understanding of boiling behavior, specifically critical heat flux, under transient conditions.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Microwave‐Assisted Synthesis of SrTiO 3 Nanocuboids without TiCl 4

Strontium titanate (STO) nanocuboids are a novel support for Pt nanoparticle catalysts (Pt/STO). The first of many steps in commercializing Pt/STO will be developing a scalable, environmentally sustainable, and cost‐effective STO nanocuboid synthesis. Herein, Sr–Ti–OH mixtures are synthesized from various Sr 2+ and Ti 4+ reagents and treated by convection‐ and microwave‐assisted heating to obtain STO nanoparticles. These experiments clarify how phase composition of the prehydrothermal Sr–Ti–OH mixture and choice of heating method affect final nanoparticle morphology. In Sr–Ti–OH mixtures synthesized with TiCl 4 , STO is the most stable phase and precipitates prior to heating, while titania sol–gels are the most stable phase when other Ti 4+ sources are used. STO nanocrystals always form when Sr–Ti–OH mixtures are treated by convection heating, though nanocuboids are only observed if STO precipitates from the Sr–Ti–OH mixture. Microwave‐assisted hydrothermal treatment more rapidly heats the precursor solution, and thus, STO nanocuboids can form from a variety of Sr–Ti–OH mixtures regardless of mixture composition. Two microwave syntheses of STO nanocuboids are reported: one which uses TiCl 4 as a Ti 4+ source, and another that uses titanium(IV) bis(ammonium lactato) dihydroxide ([NH 4 CH 3 CH(O)CO 2 ] 2 Ti(OH) 2 ), a water‐stable Ti 4+ complex.

Peczak, Ian L.↗

Leveraging MARVEL and SPHERE to Demonstrate NEAMS Thermal Hydraulics Codes

The Single Primary Heat Extraction and Removal Emulator (SPHERE) and Microreactor Applications Research Validation and Evaluation (MARVEL) were utilized to demonstrate thermal hydraulics codes of the Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) program. A recent long-duration test of a sodium heat pipe conducted at the SPHERE facility was utilized for the validation of the heat pipe code Sockeye. The first 10 hours of operation featured a startup of the heat pipe from room temperature; this portion was modeled with Sockeye and compared to the experimental data. Measurements included several thermocouple measurements across the length of the heat pipe surface. Two of Sockeye’s heat pipe models were applied to experiment, as well as several models of the cooling at the condenser end of the heat pipe. Sockeye results gave a decent match to the experimental data, with notable discrepancy in the condenser section, where experimental data indicated a significant inactive length of the heat pipe. The MARVEL microreactor was modeled through a coupled simulation of System Analysis Module (SAM) and SubChannel Module (SCM). This multiscale coupled simulation was performed as an exercise to demonstrate the compatibility and applicability of these codes for thermal-hydraulic analysis of microreactors. The coupling between the SCM and SAM codes for multiscale modeling of MARVEL, was achieved through a domain overlapping approach. In this example a transient SAM simulation provided boundary conditions to SCM, and SCM provided pressure drop to SAM.

97 - MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Heat Flux Analysis From IR Imaging on Proto-MPEX

The Prototype Material Plasma Exposure eXperiment (Proto-MPEX) is a linear device used to develop the source and heating concept for MPEX, an experiment to study plasma–material interactions for future fusion reactors. This paper highlights recent analysis and results on Proto-MPEX using an infrared (IR) camera, a key tool for imaging heat fluxes measured at the material target. The target heat fluxes are crucial to understanding the source and heating concepts. The recent analysis includes the application of homography and 3-D finite-element methods to provide between-shot measurements of the 2-D target heat flux profile. The IR camera inferred heat flux is shown to correlate with Langmuir probe inferred heat fluxes for a range of parameters in helicon only and helicon + electron cyclotron heated discharges. Results show both desirable central and undesirable edge heat flux for helicon source and electron heating on the target. These heat flux measurements are shown to be important for better understanding of the source and heating physics.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Simulation of the PBX 9501 Self-Ignited Heavily Confined Cookoff Test

The PBX 9501 self-ignited thermally damaged explosive (SITX) test was carried out by Holmes et al. A 6-inch diameter sphere made of the PBX 9501 was heated inside a steel confinement vessel until it underwent a thermal explosion. This test provided measured temperature data that was used to define a boundary condition to carry out post-experiment finite element (FE) thermal simulations and comparisons of the FE thermal response with the experimental time to thermal ignition and internal temperature measurements at the center of the PBX 9501 sphere. Finite element models of this experiment were constructed using the heat transfer code Aria. A cookoff model for PBX 9501 was used to simulate the thermal decomposition of PBX 9501 and to predict the time to thermal ignition. An inverse heat conduction scheme was designed and applied to estimate a 1D temperature boundary condition.

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEF↗

Aging heat treatment design for Haynes 282 made by wire-feed additive manufacturing using high-throughput experiments and interpretable machine learning

Wire-feed additive manufacturing (WFAM) produces superalloys with complex thermal cycles and unique microstructures, often requiring optimized heat treatments. To address this challenge, we present a hybrid approach that combines high-throughput experiments, precipitation simulation, and machine learning to design effective aging conditions for the WFAM Haynes 282 superalloy. Our results demonstrate that the γ’ radius is the critical microstructural feature for strengthening Haynes 282 during post-heat treatment compared with the matrix composition and γ’ volume fraction. New aging conditions at 770°C for 50 hours and 730°C for 200 hours were discovered based on the machine learning model and were applied to enhance yield strength, bringing it on par with the wrought counterpart. This approach has significant implications for future AM alloy production, enabling more efficient and effective heat treatment design to achieve desired properties.

CALPHAD↗

An Experimental Kinetics Study of Isopropanol Pyrolysis and Oxidation behind Reflected Shock Waves

Isopropanol has potential as a future bio-derived fuel and is a promising substitute for ethanol in gasoline blends. Even so, little has been done in terms of high-temperature chemical kinetic speciation studies of this molecule. To this end, experiments were conducted in a shock tube using simultaneous CO and H2O laser absorption measurements. Water and CO formation during isopropanol pyrolysis was also examined at temperatures between 1127 and 2162 K at an average pressure of 1.42 atm. Species profiles were collected at temperatures between 1332 and 1728 K and at an average pressure of 1.26 atm for equivalence ratios of 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 in highly diluted mixtures of 20% helium and 79.5% argon. Species profiles were also compared to four modern C3 alcohol mechanisms, including the impact of recent rate constant measurements. The Li et al. (2019) and Saggese et al. (2021) models both best predict CO and water production under pyrolysis conditions, while the AramcoMech 3.0 and Capriolo and Konnov models better predict the oxidation experimental profiles. Additionally, previous studies have collected ignition delay time (τign) data for isopropanol but are limited to low pressures in highly dilute mixtures. Therefore, real fuel–air experiments were conducted in a heated shock tube with isopropanol for stoichiometric and lean conditions at 10 and 25 atm between 942 and 1428 K. Comparisons to previous experimental results highlight the need for real fuel–air experiments and proper interpretation of shock-tube data. The AramcoMech 3.0 model over predicts τign values, while the Li et al. model severely under predicts τign. The models by Capriolo and Konnov and Saggese et al. show good agreement with experimental τign values. A sensitivity analysis using these two models highlights the underlying chemistry for isopropanol combustion at 25 atm. Additionally, modifying the Li et al. model with a recently measured reaction rate shows improvement in the model’s ability to predict CO and water profiles during dilute oxidation. Finally, a regression analysis was performed to quantify τign results from this study.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗