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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

Space Transportation System design for operations in the 2000+ era

Highlights of design studies for the Personnel Launch System (PLS) and the Advanced Manned Launch System (AMLS) are reviewed, and the benefits achieved by the involvement of product development teams (PDTs) in the advanced design environment are considered. The definition of system concept for the PLS and the AMLS and the development philosophy of the systems are addressed, including the adoption of major features of aircraft design, development, and operation, including performance trending, the use of certified airframe and powerplant personnel, lifetime certification, and the operational environment. Design features of the systems are examined.

Ehrlich, C. F., Jr.↗

Galileo Atmospheric Entry Probe System - Design, development, and test

The overall development of the Galileo Atmospheric Entry Probe System is described. The Probe will be carried to Jupiter by the Galileo Orbiter and released on an entry trajectory 150 days before entry. A complement of seven science instruments will measure the near-Jupiter radiation field and the characteristics of the Jovian atmosphere from a distance of about 5 Jupiter radii above the 1-bar level down to levels in the 10-20-bar range. Probe data are to be transmitted to earth via the Orbiter. System requirements are discussed. Probe design features and those features of the development test program peculiar to entry probes are described.

Givens, J. J.↗

Heuristic algorithms for design of integrated monitoring of geologic carbon storage sites

Designs for Risk Evaluation and Management (DREAM) is a tool developed under the National Risk Assessment Partnership (NRAP) to enhance geologic carbon storage safety and efficiency. Using potential leakage scenarios generated externally by the users preferred history-matching approach, DREAM constructs ideal combinations of sensor locations in the right place at the right time to detect as many leaks as possible, detect them as early as possible, and minimize cost. This user-friendly tool, developed in Java, features a window-based GUI for input and a 3D visualization tool for viewing the domain space and optimized monitoring plans. DREAM's latest version accommodates real-world usage by allowing for joint optimization of wellbore point sensor placements and surface geophysics survey geometries, and by using more efficient multi-objective optimization algorithms. We show an example where, these two improvements combined allow us to support containment assurance and go from detecting 80–90 % of the potential CO 2 leakage to +99.7 %, a step-change improvement that can make the deciding difference in whether a site is suitable for geologic carbon storage. Though developed for geologic carbon storage, this tool would be equally applicable in many surface or offshore environmental monitoring projects.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Fastener Capture Plate Technology to Contain On-Orbit Debris

The Fastener Capture Plate technology was developed to solve the problem of capturing loose hardware and small fasteners, items that were not originally intended to be disengaged in microgravity, thus preventing them from becoming space debris. This technology was incorporated into astronaut tools designed and successfully used on NASA s Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Mission #4. The technology s ultimate benefit is that it allows a very time-efficient method for disengaging fasteners and removing hardware while minimizing the chances of losing parts or generating debris. The technology aims to simplify the manual labor required of the operator. It does so by optimizing visibility and access to the work site and minimizing the operator's need to be concerned with debris while performing the operations. It has a range of unique features that were developed to minimize task time, as well as maximize the ease and confidence of the astronaut operator. This paper describes the technology and the astronaut tools developed specifically for a complicated on-orbit repair, and it includes photographs of the hardware being used in outer space.

Eisenhower, Kevin↗

Model for Simulating a Spiral Software-Development Process

A discrete-event simulation model, and a computer program that implements the model, have been developed as means of analyzing a spiral software-development process. This model can be tailored to specific development environments for use by software project managers in making quantitative cases for deciding among different software-development processes, courses of action, and cost estimates. A spiral process can be contrasted with a waterfall process, which is a traditional process that consists of a sequence of activities that include analysis of requirements, design, coding, testing, and support. A spiral process is an iterative process that can be regarded as a repeating modified waterfall process. Each iteration includes assessment of risk, analysis of requirements, design, coding, testing, delivery, and evaluation. A key difference between a spiral and a waterfall process is that a spiral process can accommodate changes in requirements at each iteration, whereas in a waterfall process, requirements are considered to be fixed from the beginning and, therefore, a waterfall process is not flexible enough for some projects, especially those in which requirements are not known at the beginning or may change during development. For a given project, a spiral process may cost more and take more time than does a waterfall process, but may better satisfy a customer's expectations and needs. Models for simulating various waterfall processes have been developed previously, but until now, there have been no models for simulating spiral processes. The present spiral-process-simulating model and the software that implements it were developed by extending a discrete-event simulation process model of the IEEE 12207 Software Development Process, which was built using commercially available software known as the Process Analysis Tradeoff Tool (PATT). Typical inputs to PATT models include industry-average values of product size (expressed as number of lines of code), productivity (number of lines of code per hour), and number of defects per source line of code. The user provides the number of resources, the overall percent of effort that should be allocated to each process step, and the number of desired staff members for each step. The output of PATT includes the size of the product, a measure of effort, a measure of rework effort, the duration of the entire process, and the numbers of injected, detected, and corrected defects as well as a number of other interesting features. In the development of the present model, steps were added to the IEEE 12207 waterfall process, and this model and its implementing software were made to run repeatedly through the sequence of steps, each repetition representing an iteration in a spiral process. Because the IEEE 12207 model is founded on a waterfall paradigm, it enables direct comparison of spiral and waterfall processes. The model can be used throughout a software-development project to analyze the project as more information becomes available. For instance, data from early iterations can be used as inputs to the model, and the model can be used to estimate the time and cost of carrying the project to completion.

Mizell, Carolyn↗

Morphological mapping of Martian outflow channels

Geomorphic mapping of selected portions of Martian outflow channels was performed in order to facilitate comparisons to terrestrial landforms. We interpret the maps to illustrate a correspondence between Martian channel features and terrestrial landforms developed by catastrophic flood erosion in the Channeled Scabland. The following features all occur in remarkably similar arrangements on the flood-channel floors of both planets: streamlined uplands, longitudinal grooves, scour marks, inner channel cataracts, etched zones, and possible pendant bars.

Baker, V. R.↗

Characterization of CO2 Binding on Alkaline Metal Oxide Sorbents and DFMs for Combined Capture and Conversion

As the world endures environmental crises associated with climate change and the rise of atmospheric CO2 concentrations from anthropogenic CO2 emission, carbon capture and utilization (CCU) technologies are increasingly necessary. Reactive carbon capture (RCC) technologies, in which capture and conversion of CO2 occur in a single reactor, are more energetically and economically attractive by avoiding the need to purify, compress, and transport the captured CO2. To this end, the development of dual function materials (DFM) that enable CO2 capture and conversion to useful C1 products, namely (1) methane, (2) CO, and (3) methanol, are attractive near-term targets for commercial CCU processes for renewable fuels and chemicals. DFM are composed of sorbents and catalysts co-dispersed on the same high surface area carrier. The sorbent component allows for selective capture of CO2 from a gas stream and the catalyst component subsequently performs the in-situ conversion of the adsorbed CO2 upon introduction of a reactive gas (typically H2). The survey of DFM formulations reveals a variety of sorbent+catalyst combinations of interest. There is, however, a lack of depth in fundamental understanding of how the CO2 binds to these materials and how the subsequent reaction mechanisms are affected, which are critical features for the development of next-generation materials with improved performance. To this end, we will describe in this work the CO2 binding characteristics of established and/or new DFM and their sorbent-only counterparts. The surface CO2 binding mechanism and capture capacity will be probed using techniques such as in-situ DRIFTS, operando TGA, and CO2 chemisorption.

alkaline oxides↗

Long-Range Biometric Identification in Real World Scenarios: A Comprehensive Evaluation Framework Based on Missions

The considerable body of data available for evaluating biometric recognition systems in Research and Development (R&D) environments has contributed to the increasingly common problem of target performance mismatch. Biometric algorithms are frequently tested against data that may not reflect the real world applications they target. From a Testing and Evaluation (T&E) standpoint, this domain mismatch causes difficulty assessing when improvements in State-of-the-Art (SOTA) research actually translate to improved applied outcomes. This problem can be addressed with thoughtful preparation of data and experimental methods to reflect specific use-cases and scenarios.To that end, this paper evaluates research solutions for identifying individuals at ranges and altitudes, which could support various application areas such as counterterrorism, protection of critical infrastructure facilities, military force protection, and border security. We address challenges including image quality issues and reliance on face recognition as the sole biometric modality. By fusing face and body features, we propose developing robust biometric systems for effective long-range identification from both the ground and steep pitch angles. Preliminary results show promising progress in whole-body recognition. This paper presents these early findings and discusses potential future directions for advancing long-range biometric identification systems based on mission-driven metrics.

Aykac, Deniz↗

NASTRAN forced vibration analysis of rotating cyclic structures

Theoretical aspects of a new capability, developed and added to the general purpose finite element program NASTRAN Level 17.7, to conduct forced vibration analysis of turned cyclic structures rotating about their axis of symmetry, are presented. The effects of Coriolis and centripetal accelerations as well as those due to the translational acceleration of the axis of rotation, are included. The equations of motion are first derived for an arbitrary grid point of the cyclic sector finite element model and then extended for the complete model. The equations are solved by four principal steps: (1) transformation of applied loads at frequency-dependent circumferential harmonic components; (2) application of circumferential harmonic-dependent intersegment compatibility constraints; (3) solution of frequency-dependent circumferential harmonic components of displacements; and (4) recovery of frequency-dependent response in various segments of the total structure. Five interrelated examples are presented to illustrate the various features of the development.

Elchuri, V.↗

Tropical Pacific moisture variability

The objectives are to describe synoptic scale variability of moisture over the tropical Pacific Ocean and the systems leading to this variability; implement satellite analysis procedures in support of this effort, and to incorporate additional satellite information into operational analysis forecast systems at the National Meteorological Center (NMC). Composite satellite radiance patterns describe features detectable well before the development of synoptic scale tropical plumes. These typical features were extracted from historical files of Tiros Operational Vertical Sounder (TOVS) radiance observations for a pair of tropical plumes which developed during January 1989. Signals were inserted into the NMC operational medium range forecast model and a suite of model integrations were conducted. Many of the 48 h model errors of the historical forecasts were eliminated by the inclusion of more complete satellite observations. Three studies in satellite radiance analysis progressed. An analysis which blended TOVS moisture channels, OLR observations and European Center for Medium Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) model analysis to generate fields of total precipitable water comparable to those estimated from Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR) mu-wave observations. This study demonstrated that a 10 y climatology of precipitable water over the oceans is feasible, using available infrared observations (OLR and TOVS) and model analysis (ECMWF, NMC or similar quality). The estimates are sensitive to model quality and the estimating model must be updated with operational model changes. Coe developed a set of tropical plume and ITCZ composites from TOVS observations, and from NMC and ECMWF analyses which had been passed through a radiative transfer model to simulate TOVS radiances. The composites have been completed as well as many statistical diagnostics of individual TOVS channels. Analysis of the computations is commencing. Chung has initiated a study of the differences between TOVS observed vapor structure during El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) (1983) and non-ENSO (1984) years. Preliminary diagnosis demonstrates gross moisture changes between warm and cold sea surface temperature episodes.

Mcguirk, James P.↗

Los Alamos National Laboratory LiDAR Processing and Hydro-Enforcement Report

This report describes a project conducted by Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and 3AE Green to process and hydro-enforce LiDAR data over approximately 170 square miles. A variety of Government Furnished Information (GFI) including LiDAR (2021), 3-inch pixel resolution natural-color imagery (2018), stormwater infrastructure, culvert, bridge, and building features were analyzed to develop a hydro-enforced digital elevation model (DEM). Where overland flow was obstructed by elevation surface feature, representational cutline features were placed and integrated into the LiDAR-based elevation surface to allow for more appropriate flow across roadbeds and other impediments to natural flow. This hydro-enforced DEM was utilized to model and develop more than 6.5 million three-dimensional (3D) vector flow line features (prior to line joining / merging) representing the derived digital drainage network deliverable.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Physics-constrained Gaussian process model for prediction of hydrodynamic interactions between wave energy converters in an array

To improve the efficiency of wave farms and achieve maximum power generation, the layout of wave energy converters (WECs) in an array needs to be carefully designed so that the hydrodynamic interactions can be positively exploited. For this, the hydrodynamic characteristics of the WEC array in different layouts need to be calculated. However, such calculations using numerical models usually entail significant computational cost, especially for large arrays of WECs. To address the computational challenge, a physics-constrained Gaussian process (GP) model is proposed to replace the original expensive numerical model and predict the hydrodynamic characteristics of the WECs for any array layout. By exploring the relationship between the WEC array (i.e., the input) and different hydrodynamic characteristics (i.e., the output), here we summarize a set of physical constraints/features, including invariance, symmetry, and additivity. This prior knowledge about the input-output relationship is then directly embedded in the constructed GP model through the design of physics-constrained kernels. In particular, a double-sum invariant kernel is first developed to incorporate the invariance and symmetry features, and then an additive kernel is developed to incorporate the additive feature of the problem. The invariant kernel and the additive kernel are then integrated to construct the physics-constrained GP model. Compared to the standard GP model, the proposed physics-constrained GP models require less training data to achieve the desired accuracy in predicting the hydrodynamic characteristics and are also less vulnerable to the curse of dimensionality (i.e., good scalability for large arrays) due to the use of an additive kernel. The efficiency, accuracy, and scalability of the proposed approach are demonstrated through an application to predict the hydrodynamic characteristics for WEC arrays of different sizes and layouts.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗

Quantification of Native Lignin Structural Features with Gel–Phase 2D–HSQC 0 Reveals Lignin Structural Changes During Extraction

Our ability to study and valorize the lignin fraction of biomass is hampered by the fundamental and still unmet challenge of precisely quantifying native lignin's structural features. Here, we developed a rapid elevated-temperature 1 H– 13 C Heteronuclear Single-Quantum Coherence Zero (HSQC 0 ) NMR method that enables this precise quantification of native lignin structural characteristics even with whole plant cell wall (WPCW) NMR spectroscopy, overcoming fast spin relaxation in the gel phase. We also formulated a Gaussian fitting algorithm to perform automatic and reliable spectral integration. By combining HSQC 0 measurements with yield measurements following depolymerisation, we can confirm the combinatorial nature of radical coupling reactions during biosynthesis leading to a random sequential organization of linkages within a largely linear lignin chain. Such analyses illustrate how this analytical method can greatly facilitate the study of native lignin structure, which can then be used for fundamental studies or to understand lignin depolymerization methods like reductive catalytic fractionation or aldehyde-assisted fractionation.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Quantification of Native Lignin Structural Features with Gel–Phase 2D–HSQC 0 Reveals Lignin Structural Changes During Extraction

Our ability to study and valorize the lignin fraction of biomass is hampered by the fundamental and still unmet challenge of precisely quantifying native lignin's structural features. Here, we developed a rapid elevated-temperature 1 H– 13 C Heteronuclear Single-Quantum Coherence Zero (HSQC 0 ) NMR method that enables this precise quantification of native lignin structural characteristics even with whole plant cell wall (WPCW) NMR spectroscopy, overcoming fast spin relaxation in the gel phase. We also formulated a Gaussian fitting algorithm to perform automatic and reliable spectral integration. By combining HSQC 0 measurements with yield measurements following depolymerisation, we can confirm the combinatorial nature of radical coupling reactions during biosynthesis leading to a random sequential organization of linkages within a largely linear lignin chain. Such analyses illustrate how this analytical method can greatly facilitate the study of native lignin structure, which can then be used for fundamental studies or to understand lignin depolymerization methods like reductive catalytic fractionation or aldehyde-assisted fractionation.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

L-PBF High-Throughput Data Pipeline Approach for Multi-modal Integration

Abstract Metal-based additive manufacturing requires active monitoring solutions for assessing part quality. Multiple sensors and data streams, however, generate large heterogeneous data sets that are impractical for manual assessment and characterization. In this work, an automated pipeline is developed that enables feature extraction from high-speed camera video and multi-modal data analysis. The framework removes the need for manual assessment through the utilization of deep learning techniques and training models in a weakly supervised paradigm. We demonstrate this pipeline’s capability over 700,000 high-speed camera frames. The pipeline successfully extracts melt pool and spatter geometries and links them to corresponding pyrometry, radiography, and processparameter information. 715 individual prints are examined to reveal melt pool areas that exceeds 0.07 mm 2 and pyrometry signal over a threshold (375 pyrometry units) were more likely to have defects. These automated processes enable massive throughput of characterization techniques.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Extreme-scale workflows: A perspective from the JLESC international community

The Joint Laboratory for Extreme-Scale Computing (JLESC) focuses on software challenges in high-performance computing systems to meet the needs of today’s science campaigns, which often require large resources, consist of multiple tasks, and generate vast amounts of data. In this context, extreme-scale workflows have been the key factor in enabling scientific discoveries by helping scientists automate the dependencies and data exchanges between workflow tasks, instead of managing those manually. Here, in this paper, we present representative extreme-scale workflows and feature workflow systems developed by JLESC participating institutions. We present lessons learned while developing these tools, alongside with the open challenges and future research directions in the field of extreme-scale workflows.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Investigating the impact of preparation routes on the properties of copper-decorated silicon particles as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries

In recent years, the calendar life of Si has been recognized as a significant issue that must be addressed prior to technology deployment: The carbon conductive additive is a potential source of parasitic side reactions. However, carbon remains essential due to the low electronic conductivity of Si. In this study, we investigate the use of Cu as a conductive additive and potential alternative to carbon. Some Cu-decorated silicon particles (Si Cu ) were prepared using physical vapor deposition (PVD) via sputtering and high-energy milling. Other Si Cu particles were prepared by using a solution method and examined briefly. The milling method caused Cu to appear as island-like features on the Si surface, whereas the PVD method initially produced similar island-like features that gradually developed into a continuous coating around the Si as sputtering time increased. Electrodes fabricated from Si Cu exhibited lower overall resistivity, demonstrating the beneficial effect of Cu in improving electronic percolation through the electrode. Electrochemical tests showed that the milled SiCu exhibited higher capacity retention, improved rate capability, and lower overpotential. Furthermore, Si Cu coupled with an NMC811 cathode exhibited lower leakage currents compared with the baseline silicon, indicating that incorporating Cu provided an additional advantage of minimizing parasitic currents in the cells.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

High-Throughput Screening and Accurate Prediction of Ionic Liquid Viscosities Using Interpretable Machine Learning

Ionic liquids (ILs) are a novel group of green solvents with great promise for various industrial applications, including carbon capture and lignocellulosic biomass deconstruction. However, the use of ILs at the industrial scale remains challenging due to their high viscosities at ambient temperatures. To develop ILs with lower viscosities, a systematic study of their quantitative structure–property relationship (QSPR) is desirable. Here, we developed four machine learning (ML) models to predict viscosity at various temperature and pressure ranges, trained over a wide range of ILs consisting of various cationic and anionic families. ML methods including two-factor polynomial regression (two-factor PR), support vector regression (SVR), feed-forward neural networks (FFNN), and categorical boosting (CATBoost) were developed based on features that have proven useful in previous ML studies: COSMO-RS (conductor-like screening model for real solvents)-derived surface screening charge densities (sigma profiles). FFNN and CATBoost were the most accurate in predicting IL viscosities with lower average absolute relative deviation and higher R2 values on the test set. Tanimoto similarity scores were calculated to characterize the chemical space and structural similarity of the investigated ions. Furthermore, SHapley Additive exPlanation (SHAP) analysis was employed to interpret the ML results. Temperature, the polar area of ILs, and the nonpolar regions of ions are key features that influence the viscosity predictions. Importantly, the IL viscosity prediction here is the most accurate reported to date.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗