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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
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Fast myosin binding protein C knockout in skeletal muscle alters length-dependent activation and myofilament structure

In striated muscle, the sarcomeric protein myosin-binding protein-C (MyBP-C) is bound to the myosin thick filament and is predicted to stabilize myosin heads in a docked position against the thick filament, which limits crossbridge formation. Here, we use the homozygous Mybpc2 knockout (C2 -/- ) mouse line to remove the fast-isoform MyBP-C from fast skeletal muscle and then conduct mechanical functional studies in parallel with small-angle X-ray diffraction to evaluate the myofilament structure. We report that C2 -/- fibers present deficits in force production and calcium sensitivity. Structurally, passive C2 -/- fibers present altered sarcomere length-independent and -dependent regulation of myosin head conformations, with a shift of myosin heads towards actin. At shorter sarcomere lengths, the thin filament is axially extended in C2 -/- , which we hypothesize is due to increased numbers of low-level crossbridges. These findings provide testable mechanisms to explain the etiology of debilitating diseases associated with MyBP-C.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2014

Performance analysis of boron nitride embedded armchair graphene nanoribbon metal–oxide–semiconductor field effect transistor with Stone Wales defects

We study the performance of a hybrid Graphene-Boron Nitride armchair nanoribbon (a-GNR-BN) n-MOSFET at its ballistic transport limit. We consider three geometric configurations 3p, 3p + 1, and 3p + 2 of a-GNR-BN with BN atoms embedded on either side (2, 4, and 6 BN) on the GNR. Material properties like band gap, effective mass, and density of states of these H-passivated structures are evaluated using the Density Functional Theory. Using these material parameters, self-consistent Poisson-Schrodinger simulations are carried out under the Non Equilibrium Green's Function formalism to calculate the ballistic n-MOSFET device characteristics. For a hybrid nanoribbon of width ∼5 nm, the simulated ON current is found to be in the range of 265 μA–280 μA with an ON/OFF ratio 7.1 × 10{sup 6}–7.4 × 10{sup 6} for a V{sub DD} = 0.68 V corresponding to 10 nm technology node. We further study the impact of randomly distributed Stone Wales (SW) defects in these hybrid structures and only 2.5% degradation of ON current is observed for SW defect density of 3.18%.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2024

Validation of prediction capability of operating space for plasma initiation in MAST-U

DYON is a plasma initiation modelling code that solves the differential equation system of the full circuit equations (plasma current, active coil currents and eddy currents in full passive structures) and 0D global energy and particle balance equations (Kim 2022 Nucl. Fusion 62 126012). In order to test the capability of the full electromagnetic plasma initiation model to predict individual discharges in experiments and thus the operating space in the device, a dedicated experimental database was built in MAST-U by scanning the prefilled gas pressure p 0 and the induced loop voltage V loop . In the experimental operating space of p 0 and V loop the lower and the upper limits of p 0 are determined by the plasma breakdown failure and the plasma burn-through failure, respectively. The lower limit of V loop is determined by the plasma burn-through failure. By directly reading the control room data used in each discharge (i.e. currents in the solenoid, poloidal field coils, and toroidal field coils, p 0 , and gas puffing rate), the full electromagnetic DYON consistently predicted the failed breakdown, failed burn-through, and successful plasma initiation discharges in the experimental database, demonstrating its capability to predict the operating space for inductive plasma initiation. The Paschen curve calculated with the effective connection length in MAST-U indicates a much higher p 0 required for plasma breakdown than the experimental data, indicating that individual field line evaluation is necessary to calculate the quantitative requirements for Townsend breakdown. The demonstration in this paper shows that the full electromagnetic DYON could be a useful simulation tool to assess the feasibility of inductive plasma initiation and to optimise operating scenarios in future devices.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Systematic analysis of magnetic equilibrium reconstruction with eddy currents on LTX- β

Magnetic equilibrium reconstruction in the Lithium Tokamak Experiment-Beta (LTX-β) is complicated by strong eddy currents and toroidal asymmetries arising from its segmented, close-fitting conducting shell. In the earlier experiment LTX, these three-dimensional (3D) conductor effects significantly distorted diagnostic signals and challenged conventional axisymmetric reconstruction methods. In this work, we demonstrate that accurate plasma equilibria can be recovered on LTX-β by incorporating a small number of dominant eddy current modes derived from realistic conductor models. Using the open-source $\tt{TokaMaker}$ Grad–Shafranov solver, we reconstruct equilibria across a systematically selected set of LTX-β discharges and validate them against the legacy $\tt{PSI-Tri}$ hybrid 2D-3D code. Our results show that fully 2D $\tt{TokaMaker}$ reconstructions achieve significantly improved agreement with flux loop and Mirnov probe measurements, reducing total chi-squared fitting errors, especially during startup. Finally, we develop new hybrid 2D-3D $\tt{TokaMaker}$ reconstructions by integrating the $\tt{ThinCurr}$ 3D eddy current model, which we optimize for significant further reduction of chi-squared in most scenarios. These findings underscore the importance of realistic wall-current modeling in short-pulse tokamaks, and establish a physics-based reconstruction framework that is extensible to devices with complex passive structures and 3D wall interactions.

Grad–Shafranov solver↗
DOE OSTI2015

Methodology Development for Passive Component Reliability Modeling in a Multi-Physics Simulation Environment

Reduction in safety margin can be expected as passive structures and components undergo degradation with time. Limitations in the traditional probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) methodology constrain its value as an effective tool to address the impact of aging effects on risk and for quantifying the impact of aging management strategies in maintaining safety margins. A methodology has been developed to address multiple aging mechanisms involving large numbers of components (with possibly statistically dependent failures) within the PRA framework in a computationally feasible manner when the sequencing of events is conditioned on the physical conditions predicted in a simulation environment, such as the New Generation System Code (NGSC) concept. Both epistemic and aleatory uncertainties can be accounted for within the same phenomenological framework and maintenance can be accounted for in a coherent fashion. The framework accommodates the prospective impacts of various intervention strategies such as testing, maintenance, and refurbishment. The methodology is illustrated with several examples.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2018

An Assessment of MELCOR 2.1: Containment Thermal-Hydraulic Tests in the Heissdampfreaktor (HDR) Facility

MELCOR is being developed at Sandia National Laboratories for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. MELCOR is a fully integrated code (encompassing the reactor coolant system and the containment building) that models the progression of postulated accidents in light water reactor power plants. It provides a capability for independently auditing analyses submitted by reactor manufacturers and utilities. In order to assess the adequacy of containment thermal - hydraulic modeling incorporated in the MELCOR code, a key containment test facility was analyzed. This report documents MELCOR code calculations for simulating steam - water blowdown tests performed in the Heissdampfreaktor ( HDR) de-commissioned containment facility located near Frankfurt , Germany . These tests are a series of blowdown experiments in a large scaled test facility ; including some tests with the addition of hydrogen release which are intended to simulate a variety of postulated break s inside large containment buildings. The key objectives of this MELCOR assessment are to study: (1) the expansion and transport of high energy steam - water releases, (2) heat and mass transfer to structural passive heat sinks, and (3) containment gas mixing and stratification. Moreover, MELCOR results are compared to the CONTAIN code for the same tests.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Neuromorphic Information Processing by Optical Media

Classification of features in a scene typically requires conversion of the incoming photonic field int the electronic domain. Recently, an alternative approach has emerged whereby passive structured materials can perform classification tasks by directly using free-space propagation and diffraction of light. In this manuscript, we present a theoretical and computational study of such systems and establish the basic features that govern their performance. We show that system architecture, material structure, and input light field are intertwined and need to be co-designed to maximize classification accuracy. Our simulations show that a single layer metasurface can achieve classification accuracy better than conventional linear classifiers, with an order of magnitude fewer diffractive features than previously reported. For a wavelength λ, single layer metasurfaces of size 100λ x 100λ with aperture density λ -2 achieve ~96% testing accuracy on the MNIST dataset, for an optimized distance ~100λ to the output plane. This is enabled by an intrinsic nonlinearity in photodetection, despite the use of linear optical metamaterials. Furthermore, we find that once the system is optimized, the number of diffractive features is the main determinant of classification performance. The slow asymptotic scaling with the number of apertures suggests a reason why such systems may benefit from multiple layer designs. Finally, we show a trade-off between the number of apertures and fabrication noise.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2022

Reconstruction of 3D Concrete Microstructures Combining High-Resolution Characterization and Convolutional Neural Network for Image Segmentation

After water, concrete is the second most used material in the world. Concrete’s forming adaptability and low-cost constituents make it a predominant material used in the construction of civil infrastructures in nuclear power plants such as concrete biological shields, containment buildings, turbine buildings, fuel handling and storage buildings, underground piping for cooling, cooling towers, and so on. Depending on environmental and operating conditions, these passive structures are subject to time-dependent phenomena that can either enhance (e.g., continued hydration) or degrade concrete’s structural performance. Unlike components such as the reactor pressure vessel and the primary circuit, concrete composition varies regionally because it is manufactured using local aggregates and cement. Hence, concrete performance metrics over time cannot be derived confidently using empirical relations. Alternatively, the specific characteristics of the local concrete constituents and their assemblage in concrete must be considered.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

National Spherical Torus eXperiment - Upgrade NSTX-U: Structural Analysis of Passive Plates Support Brackets

The objective of this analysis is to estimate and assess the stresses in the passive plates caused by a limiting plasma disruption. The objective of this calculation is also to address observed damage to mounting hardware after completion of NSTX operation. These observations initiated diagnostic efforts during the Upgrade project to monitor the severity of the disruptions that were causing the damage, and planned instrumentation to trend the behavior of the mounting hardware. The Recovery Project mission for the passive plate hardware is to appropriately reinforce the passive plates with stainless steel ribs mounted on the back of the plate to reduce their flexure and stress and reinforcements of the “biscuit” components of the bracketry to transfer loads without damage to bolts, biscuits, and bracket plates and welds. Mid-plane disruptions and quenches were manageable with NSTX vintage hardware. The Vertical Displacement Event (VDE) disruptions position the plasma closer to the passive plates and are more severe than the centered plasma. Earlier work pointed to the P1-P5 VDE as limiting. This has been confirmed by A. Brooks work in support of the load generation effort in reference. During vertical displacement large counter currents are generated in the plate as the plasma approaches it. - as would be expected from passive plates. When the plasma disrupts the currents in the plates are reversed, which also reverses the loading on the plates. This report documents the methodology and results of transient structural analysis on the plasma, passive plates support brackets. The loads induced by eddy and halo currents have been considered, and were generated using a separate electromagnetic analysis (NSTXU_1_11_2_1_CALC_051). The structural model also incorporates the effects from preload. Calculation was performed with the assumption that existing biscuits are not participating in the load bearing except the biscuits connected to jumper bolts, which are fully engaged. Results show that with the planned reinforcements, Passive plates and mounting structures satisfy static and fatigue criteria in all areas except welds, where separate analysis was performed. Both symmetric and asymmetric (with locating block) designs were analyzed, and although stresses were higher without locating block they still satisfy NSTX design criteria.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2017

Low-Temperature Pd/Zeolite Passive NO x Adsorbers: Structure, Performance, and Adsorption Chemistry

Pd/zeolite passive NOx adsorber (PNA) materials were prepared with solution ion-exchange between NH4/zeolites (Beta, ZSM-5 and SSZ-13) and PdCl2 solutions. The nature of Pd (dispersion, distribution and oxidation states) in these materials was characterized with Na+ ion-exchange, TEM imaging, CO titration with FTIR and in situ XPS. The NOx trapping and release properties were tested using feeds with different compositions. It is concluded that multiple Pd species coexist in these materials: atomically dispersed Pd in the cationic sites of zeolites, and PdO2 and PdO particles on the external surfaces. While Pd is largely atomically dispersed in ZSM-5, the small pore opening for SSZ-13 inhibits Pd diffusion such that the majority of Pd stays as external surface PdO2 clusters. NOx trapping and release are not simple chemisorption and desorption events, but involve rather complex chemical reactions. In the absence of CO in the feed, cationic Pd(II) sites with oxygen ligands and PdO2 clusters are reduced by NO to Pd(I) and PdO clusters. These reduced sites are the primary NO adsorption sites. In the presence of H2O, the as-formed NO2 desorb immediately. In the presence of CO in the feed, metallic Pd, “naked” Pd2+, and Pd+ sites are responsible for NO adsorption. For Pd adsorption sites with the same oxidation states but in different zeolite frameworks, NO binding energies are not expected to vary greatly. However, NO release temperatures do vary substantially with different zeolite structures. This indicates that NO transport within these materials play an important role in determining release temperatures. Finally, some rational design principles on efficient PNA materials are suggested. The authors gratefully acknowledge the US Department of Energy (DOE), Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Vehicle Technologies Office for the support of this work. The research described in this paper was performed in the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL), a national scientific user facility sponsored by the DOE’s Office of Biological and Environmental Research and located at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). PNNL is operated for the US DOE by Battelle. Discussions with Drs. A. Yezerets, J.Y. Luo, K. Kamasamudram and N. Currier Cummins, Inc., and H.Y. Chen from Johnson-Matthey are greatly appreciated.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2024

Scalable method of fabricating structured polymers for passive daytime radiative cooling and other applications

A switchable light transmission module is disclosed that includes a substrate having a first surface defining at least part of an enclosed volume, a porous layer disposed on the first surface and in fluid communication with the enclosed volume, and a reservoir in fluid communication with the enclosed volume. The reservoir is configured to supply a fluid to the sealed volume such that the fluid contacts the porous layer. The fluid has a refractive index that is close to the refractive index of the porous layer, has a high wettability for the porous layer, and does not dissolve the porous layer. When in a dry state, voids in the porous layer are filled with air which has a much different refractive index than the porous layer itself, resulting in a surface that is reflective and not very transmissive. During wetting of the porous layer by the fluid, however, those voids are filled with the fluid, reducing the difference in refractive index across the polymer-fluid interfaces such that light scattering is negligible and the surface becomes light permeable.

Mandal, Jyotirmoy↗
DOE OSTI2019

Acoustic modal analysis of unique fused-silica fibers for passive non-destructive structural monitoring

The goal of non-destructive acoustic sensing is to passively monitor innate structural parameters such as temperature, strain, and pressure. Intended for use in harsh structural environments, a distributed acoustic sensing system has been created using a single mode, radiation hardened, fused-silica core rod and a high-resolution acoustic sensor. This study aims to enhance the capabilities of the acoustic sensor by manipulating the fused-silica core rod, geometrically, to induce and control additional acoustic reflections. Here, two geometries are demonstrated to markedly improve upon previous fiber designs and result in a consistent acoustic profile.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Structure and chemistry of passivated SiC/SiO{sub 2} interfaces

Here, we report on the chemistry and structure of 4H-SiC/SiO{sub 2} interfaces passivated either by nitric oxide annealing or Ba deposition. Using aberration corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy and spectroscopy, we find that Ba and N remain localized at SiC/SiO{sub 2} interface after processing. Further, we find that the passivating species can introduce significant changes to the near-interface atomic structure of SiC. Specifically, we quantify significant strain for nitric oxide annealed sample where Si dangling bonds are capped by N. In contrast, strain is not observed at the interface of the Ba treated samples. Finally, we place these results in the context of field effect mobility.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} layers for the in-situ passivation of GaN-based HEMT structures

A method for the in situ passivation of GaN-based structures with silicon nitride in the growth chamber of a metal organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) reactor is described. The structural and electrical properties of the obtained layers are investigated. The in situ and ex situ passivation of transistor structures with silicon nitride in an electron-beam-evaporation device are compared. It is shown that ex situ passivation changes neither the initial carrier concentration nor the mobility. In situ passivation makes it possible to protect the structure surface against uncontrollable degradation upon the finishing of growth and extraction to atmosphere. In the in situ passivated structure, the carrier concentration increases and the mobility decreases. This effect should be taken into account when manufacturing passivated GaN-based transistor structures.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2012

Disruption Analysis and Response Implicattions of Passive Plates for the NSTX Upgrade

The NSTX upgrade project requires analysis qualifications of existing vacuum vessel and passive stabilizing plates for increased plasma performance. Vertical stability is critically dependent on the passive conducting structure that surrounds the plasma. In this paper, the passive conducting structure is analyzed for the upgrade condition during plasma disruption to ensure the level of stress in the stabilizing plates and the fastener is within its design limits. The counter-bore of the passive plates for bolting is evaluated in details and counter-bore bushing is redesigned to prevent shear failure during disruptions as a result of high pulling and pushing forces, particularly for support at the corner bolts

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗