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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 37 records · Page 2

Improvements to the Faraday cup fast ion loss detector and magnetohydrodynamic induced fast ion loss measurements in Joint European Torus plasmas

Upgrades to electronic hardware and detector design have been made to the JET thin-foil Faraday cup fast ion loss detector in anticipation of the upcoming deuterium–tritium (DT) campaign. An improved foil stack design has been implemented, which greatly reduces the number of foil-to-foil shorts, and triaxial cabling has mitigated ambient noise pickup. Initial tests of 200 kHz digitizers, as opposed to the original 5 kHz digitizers, have provided enhanced analysis techniques and direct coherence measurements of fast ion losses with magnetohydrodynamic activity. Here, we present recent loss measurements in JET deuterium plasmas correlated with kink modes, fishbone modes, edge-localized modes, and sawteeth. Sources of systematic noise are discussed with emphasis on capacitive plasma pickup. Overall, the system upgrades have established a diagnostic capable of recording alpha particle losses due to a wide variety of resonant fast ion transport mechanisms to be used in future DT-experiments and modeling efforts.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Wind plant wake losses: Disconnect between turbine actuation and control of plant wakes with engineering wake models

Wake losses from neighboring plants may become a major factor in wind plant design and control as additional plants are constructed in areas with high wind resource availability. Because plant wakes span a large range of physical scales, from turbine rotor diameter to tens of kilometers, it is unclear whether conventional wake models or turbine control strategies are effective at the plant scale. Wake steering and axial induction control are evaluated in the current work as means of reducing the impact of neighboring wind plants on power and levelized cost of electricity. FLOw Redirection and Induction in Steady State (FLORIS) simulations were performed with the Gauss–Curl Hybrid and TurbOPark wake models as well as two operation and maintenance models to investigate control setpoint sensitivity to wake representation and economic factors. Both wake models estimate losses across a range of atmospheric conditions, although the wake loss magnitude is dependent on the wake model. Annual energy production and levelized cost of electricity are driven by wind direction frequency, with frequently aligned plants experiencing the greatest losses. However, both wake steering and axial induction are unable to mitigate the impact of upstream plants. Wake steering is constrained by plant geometry, since wake displacement is much less than the plant wake width, while axial induction requires curtailing the majority of turbines in upstream plants. Individual turbine strategies are limited by their effective scale and model representation. New wake models that include plant-scale physics are needed to facilitate the design of effective plant wake control strategies.

Scott, Ryan (ORCID:0000000328107574)↗

Differential Measurements of Jet Substructure and Partonic Energy Loss in Au+Au Collisions at √ sNN = 200 GeV

The STAR collaboration presents jet substructure measurements related to both the momentum fraction and the opening angle within jets in p+p and Au+Au collisions at √sNN =200GeV. The substructure observables include SoftDrop groomed momentum fraction (zg), groomed jet radius (Rg), and subjet momentum fraction (zSJ) and opening angle (θSJ). The latter observable is introduced for the first time. Fully corrected subjet measurements are presented for p+p collisions and are compared to leading-order Monte Carlo models. The subjet θSJ distributions reflect the jets leading opening angle and are utilized as a proxy for the resolution scale of the medium in Au+Au collisions. We compare data from Au+Au collisions to those from p+p which are embedded in minimum-bias Au+Au events in order to include the effects of detector smearing and the heavy-ion collision underlying event. The subjet observables are shown to be more robust to the background than zg and Rg. We observe no significant modifications of the subjet observables within the two highest-energy, back-to-back jets, resulting in a distribution of opening angles and the splittings that are vacuumlike. We also report measurements of the differential dijet momentum imbalance (AJ) for jets of varying θSJ. We find no qualitative differences in energy loss signatures for varying angular scales in the range 0.1< θSJ<0.3, leading to the possible interpretation that energy loss in this population of high-momentum dijet pairs, is due to soft medium-induced gluon radiation from a single color charge as it traverses the medium.

Abdallah, M. S.↗

An Analysis of the Impact of Particle Growth on Transport Losses in Polymer-Electrolyte Fuel Cells

Voltage cycling causes catalyst nanoparticles in polymer-electrolyte fuel cells to grow. The concomitant loss of interfacial area results in larger kinetic, transport, and possibly ohmic overpotentials. This paper uses recently published experimental data and mathematical models to investigate the evolutions of transport and ohmic resistances to platinum nanoparticles located on the surface and inside the micropores of carbon black supports. Resistance to oxygen transport rises as surface area declines primarily because the flux to each remaining larger platinum particle increases. The path lengths governing oxygen diffusion to surface and buried platinum sites also increase as nanoparticles grow. Platinum nanoparticles on the surface become relatively less favorable as voltage cycling proceeds because they grow faster than platinum in micropores. Because voltage cycling causes total interfacial area to decline, and the fraction located inside micropores to increase, nanoscale ohmic losses increase as a catalyst layer decays. The practical importance of this effect is difficult to discern because proton conductivity in carbon micropores is not well characterized.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗

Diamond /111/ studied by electron energy loss spectroscopy in the characteristic loss region

Unoccupied surface states on diamond (111) annealed at greater than 900 C are studied by electron energy loss spectroscopy with valence band excitation. A feature found at 2.1 eV loss energy is attributed to an excitation from occupied surface states into unoccupied surface states of energy within the bulk band gap. A surface band gap of approximately 1 eV is estimated. This result supports a previous suggestion for unoccupied band gap states based on core level energy loss spectroscopy. Using the valence band excitation energy loss spectrosocpy, it is also suggested that hydrogen is removed from the as-polished diamond surface by a Menzel-Gomer-Redhead mechanism.

Pepper, S. V.↗

Estimating the Loss of Crew and Loss of Mission for Crew Spacecraft

Once the US Space Shuttle retires in 2011, the Russian Soyuz Launcher and Soyuz Spacecraft will comprise the only means for crew transportation to and from the International Space Station (ISS). The U.S. Government and NASA have contracted for crew transportation services to the ISS with Russia. The resulting implications for the US space program including issues such as astronaut safety must be carefully considered. Are the astronauts and cosmonauts safer on the Soyuz than the Space Shuttle system? Is the Soyuz launch system more robust than the Space Shuttle? The Soyuz launcher has been in operation for over 40 years. There have been only two loss of life incidents and two loss of mission incidents. Given that the most recent incident took place in 1983, how do we determine current reliability of the system? Do failures of unmanned Soyuz rockets impact the reliability of the currently operational man-rated launcher? Does the Soyuz exhibit characteristics that demonstrate reliability growth and how would that be reflected in future estimates of success? NASA s next manned rocket and spacecraft development project will have to meet the Agency Threshold requirements set forth by NASA. The reliability targets are currently several times higher than the Shuttle and possibly even the Soyuz. Can these targets be compared to the reliability of the Soyuz to determine whether they are realistic and achievable? To help answer these questions this paper will explore how to estimate the reliability of the Soyuz Launcher/Spacecraft system, compare it to the Space Shuttle, and its potential impacts for the future of manned spaceflight. Specifically it will look at estimating the Loss of Crew (LOC) and Loss of Mission (LOM) probability using historical data, reliability growth, and Probabilistic Risk Assessment techniques used to generate these numbers.

Lutomski, Michael G.↗

Identification of Serine-Containing Microcystins by UHPLC-MS/MS Using Thiol and Sulfoxide Derivatizations and Detection of Novel Neutral Losses

Microcystins (MCs) are hepatotoxic cyclic heptapeptides produced by cyanobacteria, and their structural diversity has led to the discovery of more than 300 congeners to date. However, with known amino acid combinations, many more MC congeners are theoretically possible, suggesting many remain unidentified. Herein, two novel serine (Ser)-containing MCs were putatively identified in a Lake Erie cyanobacterial harmful algal bloom (cyanoHAB), using high-resolution UHPLC-MS as well as thiol and sulfoxide derivatization procedures. These MCs contain an α,β-unsaturated carbonyl on methyl dehydroalanine (Mdha) residue that undergoes Michael addition to produce a thiol-derivatized MC. Derivatization reactions using various thiolation reagents were followed by MS/MS, and two Python codes were used for data analysis and structural elucidation of MCs. Two novel MCs containing Ser at position 1 (i.e., next to Mdha) were putatively identified as [Ser 1 ]MC-RR and [Ser 1 ]MC-YR. Using thiol- and sulfoxide-modified [Ser 1 ]MCs, identifications were confirmed by the observation of specific neutral losses of the oxidized thiols or sulfoxides in CID-MS/MS spectra in both positive and negative electrospray ionization (ESI) modes. These novel neutral losses are unique for MCs with Mdha and an adjacent Ser residue. In conclusion, data suggest that a gas-phase reaction occurs between oxygen from adjacent Ser residue and sulfur of the Mdha-bonded thiol or sulfoxide, which leads to the formation and detection of stable cyclic MC ions in MS/MS spectra at m/z values corresponding to the loss of oxidized thiols or oxidized sulfoxides from Ser 1 -containing MCs.

Premathilaka, Sanduni H.↗

Minimizing Current and Voltage Losses to Reach 25% Efficient Monolithic Two-Terminal Perovskite–Silicon Tandem Solar Cells

The rapid rise in efficiency and tunable bandgap of metal-halide perovskites makes them highly attractive for use in tandems on silicon. Recently we demonstrated a perovskite–silicon monolithic two-terminal tandem with 23.6% power conversion efficiency. Here, we present work on optical optimization to improve light harvesting that includes thinning out the top transparent electrode to reduce front-surface reflection and parasitic absorption; introducing metal fingers to minimize series resistance losses; and further minimizing reflection loss with a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) stamp with random, pyramidal texture. Additionally, to reduce voltage loss while achieving current matching, we employ poly[bis(4-phenyl)(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)amine] (PTAA) as a hole transport material instead of NiO x and a wider 1.68 eV bandgap perovskite composition. Furthermore, these optimizations boost the open-circuit voltage to 1.77 V and the short-circuit current density to 18.4 mA/cm 2 , culminating in a 25% efficient perovskite–silicon tandem with a 1 cm 2 active area.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Pressure loss modulus correlation for Delta p across uniformly distributed-loss devices

A dimensionless group, called a pressure loss modulus (N(sub PL)), is introduced that, in conjunction with an appropriately defined Reynolds number, is of considerable engineering utility in correlating steady-state Delta p vs flow calibration data and subsequently as a predictor, using the same or a different fluid, in uniformly distributed pressure loss devices. It is particularly useful under operation in the transition regime. Applications of this simple bivariate correlation to three diverse devices of particular interest for small liquid rocket engine fluid systems are discussed: large L/D capillary tube restrictors, packed granular catalyst beds, and stacked vortex-loss disk restrictors.

Nunz, Gregory J.↗

Overall Performance Losses and Activated Mechanisms in Double Glass and Glass-backsheet Photovoltaic Modules with Monofacial and Bifacial PERC Cells, under Accelerated Exposures

Commercial PV modules have various packaging choices nowadays, which influence their long-term reliability. This study compared the degradation behaviors of sixteen module variants from two brands with varying encapsulant materials (EVA or POE), encapsulant types, module architectures (GB or DG), and cell types (monofacial or bifacial) using null hypothesis testing to determine statistical significant findings. The modules were exposed for 2,520 hours under two accelerated exposures: modified damp heat (mDH) and modified damp heat with full-spectrum light (mDH+FSL). For both brands, two DG module variants with UV-Cutoff rear encapsulant are found to have significantly lower average power loss than the module variants of EVA+GB with opaque rear encapsulant after each accelerated exposure. Metallization interconnect corrosion is identified as the primary degradation mechanism. Furthermore, unsupervised hierarchical clustering finds that the degradation behaviors of modules from one brand with a more strict manufacturing quality control depends on module architectures only.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Differentiating the bonding states in calcium carbonate polymorphs by low-loss electron-energy-loss spectroscopy

Calcium carbonate is one of the important building components in organisms, especially the two most common polymorphs, calcite and aragonite. Here, to understand the difference in bonding state, the two polymorphs are characterized by valence (low-loss) electron energy loss spectroscopy. It is found that the difference in Ca M 23 edge originating from 3p to 3d states is consistent with the change of Ca-O bonds in the two studied polymorphs. Surprisingly, the measured Ca M 23 edge is in qualitative agreement with the calculated partial density of states (PDOS) of Ca-d states in contrast to their L edges (from 2p to 3d states) which are strongly influenced by atomic multiplet effect (spin-orbit coupling). This is because the atomic multiplet effect is much reduced for the Ca 3p orbital, which permits the corresponding Ca M 23 edge to be compared with the PDOS results. Our findings show insights that PDOS can potentially be used to interpret the M 23 edge of lighter 3d transition metals such as scandium, titanium, vanadium and chromium when such interpretation may not be achieved for their L edges.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Impacts of coastal reclamation on wetlands: Loss, resilience, and sustainable management

Coastal wetlands are some of the most valuable ecosystems on Earth because they provide many ecological services for coastal security. However, these wetlands are seriously threatened by accelerated climate change and intensive anthropogenic activities. To understand the impacts of land reclamation on landscape change of coastal wetlands and the long-term effects of disturbances of coastal wetlands on their sustainable management, we used time-series Landsat imagery with an object-oriented classification and Digital Shoreline Analysis System to map wetland changes within a reclaimed area in the Pudong District (PD), in Shanghai, China. Our analysis indicated that from 1989 to 2013, 19,793.4 ha of coastal wetlands have been changed to inland wetlands enclosed by a seawall and dike since 1989, thereby cutting off the exchange of sediment and water flux between the wetlands and the coastal ocean. Subsequently, under the increasing threats of anthropogenic activities, the wetland ecosystem collapsed sharply, in a transformation chain of inland wetland (fresh swamp), artificial wetland (agriculture and aquaculture wetland), and non-wetland (urban land). Under this explosive utilization following coastal reclamation, only 8.9% of natural wetlands remain in the reclaimed area, which has experienced an average annual wetland loss rate of 3.8% over the past 24 years. More than 80% of the wetlands have been developed for agricultural, industrial, and urban land uses, leading to an enormous loss of associated ecological services—benefits arising from the ecological functions provided by wetland ecosystems, thereby undermining the coastal protection these wetlands provided. Nevertheless, considerable regeneration of wetlands occurred because of their inherent resilience. This paper addresses the importance of maintaining a balance between economic growth and coastal ecological protection for sustainable management. It proposes a strategy for how ecosystem-based land planning and ecological engineering should be applied to ensure the effective and sustainable management of living shorelines so that the benefits of healthy ecological functions accrue to coastal ecosystems.

Reclamation, Remote sensing, landscape change, coa↗