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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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DOE OSTI2022

Autonomous Eco-Driving with Traffic Light and Lead Vehicle Constraints: An Application of Best Constrained Interpolation

Eco-Driving is a critical technology for improving automotive transportation efficiency. It is achieved by modifying the driving trajectory over a particular route to minimize required propulsion energy. Eco-Driving can be approached as an optimal control problem subject to driving constraints such as traffic lights and positions of other vehicles. Best interpolation in a strip is a problem in approximation theory and optimal control. The solution to this problem is a cubic spline. In this research, we demonstrate the connection between Eco-Driving and best interpolation in the strip. By exploiting this connection, we are able to generate optimal Eco-Driving trajectories that could be driven with an autonomous system. Using the simulation tool FASTSim, we can evaluate the trajectories using conventional, hybrid electric, and fully electric vehicle models. Our results quantify the energy efficiency improvements that can be achieved with the proposed approach.

Mahmoud, Yara Hazem↗

DOE OSTI2022

Autonomous Eco-Driving with Traffic Light and Lead Vehicle Constraints: An Application of Best Constrained Interpolation

Mahmoud, Yara Hazem↗

DOE OSTI2020

Six-junction III–V solar cells with 47.1% conversion efficiency under 143 Suns concentration

Single-junction flat-plate terrestrial solar cells are fundamentally limited to about 30% solar-to-electricity conversion efficiency, but multiple junctions and concentrated light make much higher efficiencies practically achievable. Until now, four-junction III–V concentrator solar cells have demonstrated the highest solar conversion efficiencies. Here, we demonstrate 47.1% solar conversion efficiency using a monolithic, series-connected, six-junction inverted metamorphic structure operated under the direct spectrum at 143 Suns concentration. Furthermore, when tuned to the global spectrum, a variation of this structure achieves a 1-Sun global efficiency of 39.2%. Nearly optimal bandgaps for six junctions were fabricated using alloys of III–V semiconductors. To develop these junctions, it was necessary to minimize threading dislocations in lattice-mismatched III–V alloys, prevent phase segregation in metastable quaternary III–V alloys and understand dopant diffusion in complex structures. Further reduction of the series resistance within this structure could realistically enable efficiencies over 50%.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

NASA NTRS1981

Image readout device with electronically variable spatial resolution

An invention relating to the use of a standing acoustic wave charge storage device as an image readout device is described. A frequency f sub 1 was applied to the storage transfer device to create a traveling electric field in the device in one direction along a straight line. A second frequency f sub 2 was applied to the charge transfer device to create a traveling electric field opposite to the first traveling electric field. A standing wave was created. When an image was focused on the charge transfer device, light was stored in the wells of the standing wave. When the frequency f sub 2 is removed from the device, the standing wave tends to break up and the charges stored move to an electrode connected to an output terminal and to a utilization device where the received charges represent the image on the surface of the charge transfer device along a projection of said straight line.

Benz, H. A.↗

NASA NTRS1980

Prospects for very deep space optical communication using photon-counting links

An investigation is conducted regarding the feasibility to use an optical communication system in connection with space missions involving a study of stars and, possibly, planetary systems in the vicinity of the solar system. A possible candidate for the considered kind of mission would be Barnard's Star, at six light years distance. Pierce et al. (1981), have shown that the capacity of a photon-counting link in the presence of thermal noise at low temperature is essentially the same as for microwave. The conducted investigation assumes the employment of a pulse position modulation scheme limited by technology to approximately 1,000,000 positions. The use of an optical communication system similar to the considered type is found to be very likely for the contemplated kind of space mission.

Posner, E. C.↗

NASA NTRS1996

Modification of reproductive development in Arabidopsis thaliana under spaceflight conditions

Reproductive development in Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. cv. Columbia plants was investigated under spaceflight conditions on shuttle mission STS-51. Plants launched just prior to initiation of the reproductive phase developed flowers and siliques during the 10-d flight. Approximately 500 flowers were produced in total by the 12 plants in both the ground control and spaceflight material, and there was no significant difference in the number of flowers in each size class. The flower buds and siliques of the spaceflight plants were not morphologically different from the ground controls. Pollen viability tests immediately post-flight using fluorescein diacetate indicated that about 35% of the pollen was viable in the spaceflight material. Light-microscopy observations on this material showed that the female gametophytes also had developed normally to maturity. However, siliques from the spaceflight plants contained empty, shrunken ovules, and no evidence of pollen transfer to stigmatic papillae was found by light microscopy immediately post-flight or by scanning electron microscopy on fixed material. Short stamen length and indehiscent anthers were observed in the spaceflight material, and a film-like substance inside the anther that connected to the tapetum appeared to restrict the release of pollen from the anthers. These observations indicate that given appropriate growing conditions, early reproductive development in A. thaliana can occur normally under spaceflight conditions. On STS-51, reproductive development aborted due to obstacles in pollination or fertilization.

manned↗

DOE OSTI2021

Electron Paramagentic Resonance Investigation of Mechanism of Light- and Elevated-Temperature-Induced Degradation in Ga-doped Cz Si

We report on the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra recorded at 6 K for Ga-doped Czochralski (Cz) Si in the initial stages of light- and elevated-temperature-induced degradation (LeTID). We show that the narrow-range EPR spectrum depends on the duration of simultaneous heat and light exposure. After prolonged LeTID, the EPR intensity increases at ~334 mT. The EPR signature at ~334 mT is characteristic of Si dangling bonds, and the increase in the dangling bond density can be attributed to the bulk and not the surface. Additionally, we show that the inverse of the minority carrier lifetime in Ga-doped Cz Si samples, measured by quasi-steady-state photoconductance (QSSPC) decay, correlates with the increase in the intensity of the Si dangling bond signal measured by EPR. Based on these observations, we put forth a hypothesis connecting H to LeTID and the corresponding defect structure.

Cz Si↗

DOE OSTI2023

Throughput Measurements and Capacity Estimates for Quantum Connections

The throughput of conventional and quantum network connections is an important performance metric, which is typically specified by bits per second (bps) and entangled quntum bits per second (ebps), respectively. It is measured over practical quantum network connections using specialized methods, and estimated using analytical bounds for which extensive theory has been developed. For practical connections, however, these two quantities have often been hard to correlate due to the lack of measurements and estimates derived under well-characterized common conditions. They both differ significantly from the conventional network throughput of TCP which employs buffers and loss recovery mechanisms. We describe a conventional-quantum testbed that enables the comparison of these two quantities both qualitatively and quantitatively. The bps and ebps throughput is measured over fiber connections of lengths over 75 kilometers, which show that the former decreases significantly slower with distance than the latter and in a qualitatively different way. The analytic capacity estimates of ebps are derived using approximations based on light intensity measurements, and they decrease more rapidly with distance than the measured ebps throughput. These results provide qualitative insights into the conventional transport mechanisms based on buffers, and the conditions used in deriving the analytical ebps capacity estimates.

Rao, Nageswara↗

NASA NTRS1984

Generating soft shadows with a depth buffer algorithm

Computer-synthesized shadows used to appear with a sharp edge when cast onto a surface. At present the production of more realistic, soft shadows is considered. However, significant costs arise in connection with such a representation. The current investigation is concerned with a pragmatic approach, which combines an existing shadowing method with a popular visible surface rendering technique, called a 'depth buffer', to generate soft shadows resulting from light sources of finite extent. The considered method represents an extension of Crow's (1977) shadow volume algorithm.

Brotman, L. S.↗

NASA NTRS1996

Multijunction InGaAs thermophotovoltaic power converter

The experimental performance of a multijunction monolithic lattice-matched 0.74 eV InGaAs thermophotovoltaic (TPV) power converter under 980 C blackbody irradiation is reported. Eight InGaAs PN junctions grown epitaxially on a semi-insulating wafer were monolithically integrated in series to boost the approximately 0.4 V photovoltage per typical InGaAs junction to over 3 volts for the 1 cm(exp 2) chip. This chip was originally designed and characterized for free-space 1.3 micron laser power beaming. The power efficiency of this TPV device is 16% for that part of the blackbody spectrum above the material bandgap. The device is shown to deliver about 1 watt of output power when driven with enough light. This is the first report of such a multijunction TPV device. This is not a traditional tandem cell in which the junctions are stacked vertically. Eight 1 mm long by 1 cm wide junctions are laterally connected across the device area. This multijunction design has the potential for lower I(exp 2)R power loss since the smaller PN junction area limits the current to one eighth that of the equivalent surface area. In essence, the current is traded for voltage to avoid the I(exp 2)R loss, analogous to the way power utilities avoid I(exp 2)R loss in high-tension power lines, by transforming the high current, low voltage generated at a power plant into a high voltage at a low current before transmitting the power over great distances.

Wojtczuk, Steven↗

NASA NTRS2006

Boom Rendezvous Alternative Docking Approach

Space rendezvous and docking has always been attempted with primarily one philosophic methodology. The slow matching of one vehicle's orbit by a second vehicle and then a final closing sequence that ends in matching the orbits with perfect precision and with near zero relative velocities. The task is time consuming, propellant intensive, risk inherent (plume impingement, collisions, fuel depletion, etc.) and requires substantial hardware mass. The historical background and rationale as to why this approach is used is discussed in terms of the path-not-taken and in light of an alternate methodology. Rendezvous and docking by boom extension is suggested to have inherent advantages that today s technology can readily exploit. Extension from the primary spacecraft, beyond its inherent large inertia, allows low inertia connections to be made rapidly and safely. Plume contamination issues are eliminated as well as the extra propellant mass and risk required for the final thruster (docking) operations. Space vehicle connection hardware can be significantly lightened. Also, docking sensors and controls require less fidelity; allowing them to be more robust and less sensitive. It is the potential safety advantage and mission risk reduction that makes this approach attractive, besides the prospect of nominal time and mass savings.

Bonometti, Joseph A.↗

NASA NTRS2004

Rapid Switching and Modulation by use of Coupled VCSELs

Devices incorporating coupled vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) have been proposed as means to effect unprecedentedly rapid modulation and/or switching of light beams in advanced optical communication and information-processing systems. A basic device according to the proposal would comprise two or more VCSELs (1) positioned so close to each other that they are coupled and (2) connected to a current source that biases them at a steady current above the threshold current for lasing. The operation of VCSELs under the conditions stated above has been simulated computationally with an algorithm that solves an approximation of the Maxwell-Bloch equations. (These are nonlinear coupled partial differential equations that model the relevant aspects of the physics of semiconductor lasers.) The results of the simulations show that the intensities of the beams oscillate, out of phase relative to each other, at a frequency that is typically of the order of tens of gigahertz. In particular, one simulation was performed for two coupled VCSELs, each having a circular aperture 5.6 microns in diameter, operating at a wavelength of 980 nm. The results of the simulation showed that the intensities of the two beams oscillated in opposite phase (see Figure 1) at a frequency of 42 GHz. In the far field, the beams were found to be separated by an angle of approx.=8deg. The intensities of the beams were also found to oscillate in the near field, 90deg out of phase with the oscillation in the far field. Figure 2 depicts a simple near-field switching device in which an assembly of microlenses would couple the two oscillating beams to two receivers.

Goorjian, Peter M.↗

DOE OSTI2025

Giant Undulations Driven by Pitch‐Angle Scattering of Time Domain Structures Modulated by Plasmapause Surface Wave

Abstract Plasmapause surface waves (PSWs) near the plasmapause boundary are regarded to be the magnetospheric source of ionospheric auroral giant undulations (GUs) located at the equatorward boundary of diffuse aurora. However, the observational evidence of wave‐particle interaction connecting PSWs and GUs is absent. In this letter, we demonstrate GUs are driven by pitch‐angle scattering of time domain structures modulated by the PSWs, based on the conjugated ionospheric and magnetospheric observations. Specifically, ionospheric GUs are lighted by the pitch‐angle scattering of <1 keV thermal electron and ions and energetic ions with energy up to dozens of keV near the plasmapause. Further, the total fluxes during one PSW period and energy of scattered electron and ions determine the size and luminosity of GUs. Our research provides observational evidence that PSWs cause periodic electron precipitation via modulating the time domain structures rather than the previously predicted chorus or electron cyclotron harmonic waves.

Zhou, Yi‐Jia [Weihai Institute for Interdisciplina↗

DOE OSTI2025

Computational Power of Random Quantum Circuits in Arbitrary Geometries

Empirical evidence for a gap between the computational powers of classical and quantum computers has been provided by experiments that sample the output distributions of two-dimensional quantum circuits. Many attempts to close this gap have utilized classical simulations based on tensor network techniques, and their limitations shed light on the improvements to quantum hardware required to frustrate classical simulability. In particular, quantum computers having in excess of approximately 50 qubits are primarily vulnerable to classical simulation due to restrictions on their gate fidelity and their connectivity, the latter determining how many gates are required (and, therefore, how much infidelity is suffered) in generating highly entangled states. Here, we describe recent hardware upgrades to Quantinuum’s H2 quantum computer, enabling it to operate on up to 56 qubits with arbitrary connectivity and 99.843(5)% two-qubit gate fidelity. We define a class of circuits with random geometries that become hard to classically simulate in very low depth and implement them utilizing the flexible connectivity of H2. A careful analysis demonstrating the fast saturation of classical simulation complexity with depth indicates that H2 can yield data well beyond the reach of state-of-the art classical simulation methods at unprecedented fidelities. We find that the considerable difficulty of classically simulating H2 is likely limited only by qubit number, demonstrating the promise and scalability of the quantum charge-coupled device architecture as continued progress is made toward building larger machines. Published by the American Physical Society 2025

DeCross, M.↗

DOE OSTI2026

Downloadable Dynamometer Database (D3): Public Test Data on Advanced-Technology Vehicles

Access to high-quality, independent vehicle test data is critical to advancing energy-efficient transportation research. The Downloadable Dynamometer Database (D3) is a public repository of dynamometer test data on advanced-technology vehicles, generated at the Advanced Mobility Technology Laboratory (AMTL) at Argonne National Laboratory and hosted by the Transportation and Power Systems Division. The database has been made available to support researchers, students, and professionals engaged in energy-efficient vehicle research, development, and education. A wide range of vehicle categories has been tested (i.e., alternative fuel vehicles, conventional gasoline and diesel vehicles, all-electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles), as well as various drive cycles and test conditions documented in the accompanying D3 user presentation. Stakeholders can select a vehicle type, identify a vehicle of interest, and download the associated test data for use in their own analyses. Data downloaded from D3 must be accompanied by the required attribution: "This data is from the Downloadable Dynamometer Database and was generated at the Advanced Mobility Technology Laboratory (AMTL) at Argonne National Laboratory." These data are critical to vehicle modeling, validation, technology assessment, and educational use.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

NASA NTRS1982

Prolonged triboluminescence in clays and other minerals

Samples of various clays and minerals were ground or fractured and monitored with a liquid scintillation spectrometer in order to obtain triboluminescent decay curves. Kaolinite samples displayed several million counts/min after grinding, with a surface area emission estimated at tens of billions of photons/sq cm of surface. The photon production rates varied with the origin of the sample, and kaolinite continually yielded higher production rates than bentonite. The addition of water to the samples slightly increased the count rate of emitted light, while the addition of the fluorescent molecule substance tryptofan significantly enhanced the count rate. Freezing smears of kaolinite and montmorillonite in liquid nitrogen and in a salt ice mixture also induced triboluminescence in the montmorillonite. A possible connection between powdery triboluminescent materials formed in mining industries and respiratory disorders among miners is suggested.

Lahav, N.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Evolution and dynamics of shear-layer structures in near-wall turbulence

Near-wall flow structures in turbulent shear flows are analyzed, with particular emphasis on the study of their space-time evolution and connection to turbulence production. The results are obtained from investigation of a database generated from direct numerical simulation of turbulent channel flow at a Reynolds number of 180 based on half-channel width and friction velocity. New light is shed on problems associated with conditional sampling techniques, together with methods to improve these techniques, for use both in physical and numerical experiments. The results clearly indicate that earlier conceptual models of the processes associated with near-wall turbulence production, based on flow visualization and probe measurements need to be modified. For instance, the development of asymmetry in the spanwise direction seems to be an important element in the evolution of near-wall structures in general, and for shear layers in particular. The inhibition of spanwise motion of the near-wall streaky pattern may be the primary reason for the ability of small longitudinal riblets to reduce turbulent skin friction below the value for a flat surface.

Johansson, Arne V.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Monolithic mm-wave phase shifter using optically activated superconducting switches

A phase shifter is disclosed having a reference path and a delay path, light sources, and superconductive switches. Each of the superconductive switches is terminated in a virtual short circuit, which may be a radial stub. Switching between the reference path and delayed path is accomplished by illuminating the superconductive switches connected to the desired path, while not illuminating the superconductive switches connected to the other path.

Romanofsky, Robert R.↗