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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 505 records · Page 28
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1998

Measurements of proton-induced production cross sections for Cl-36 from Ca and K

Production cross sections for Cl-36 (half-life= 3.01 x 10(exp 5) y) have been measured for the nat.K(p,x), 39 K(p,x), nat.Ca(p,x) and Ca-40(p,x) reactions up to 40 MeV. The results of nat.Ca(p,x) reaction are generally consistent with measurements performed at somewhat higher energies. With the completion of these measurements it is now possible to proceed with model calculations of the solar cosmic ray (SCR) flux over the last 400 ky based on measurements of lunar surface materials.

Imamura, M.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Visualizing Mars Using Virtual Reality: A State of the Art Mapping Technique Used on Mars Pathfinder

We describe an interactive terrain visualization system which rapidly generates and interactively displays photorealistic three-dimensional (3-D) models produced from stereo images. This product, first demonstrated in Mars Pathfinder, is interactive, 3-D, and can be viewed in an immersive display which qualifies it for the name Virtual Reality (VR). The use of this technology on Mars Pathfinder was the first use of VR for geologic analysis. A primary benefit of using VR to display geologic information is that it provides an improved perception of depth and spatial layout of the remote site. The VR aspect of the display allows an operator to move freely in the environment, unconstrained by the physical limitations of the perspective from which the data were acquired. Virtual Reality offers a way to archive and retrieve information in a way that is intuitively obvious. Combining VR models with stereo display systems can give the user a sense of presence at the remote location. The capability, to interactively perform measurements from within the VR model offers unprecedented ease in performing operations that are normally time consuming and difficult using other techniques. Thus, Virtual Reality can be a powerful a cartographic tool. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Stoker, C.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Contact Analog/Compressed Symbology Heading Tape Assessment

A simulation assessed the performance, handling qualities and workload associated with a contact-analog, world-referenced heading tape as implemented on the Comanche Helmet Integrated Display Sight System (HIDSS) when compared with a screen-fixed, compressed heading tape. Six pilots, four active duty Army Aviators and two civilians flew three ADS-33 maneuvers and a traffic pattern in the Ames Vertical Motion Simulation facility. Small, but statistically significant advantages were found for the compressed symbology for handling qualities, workload, and some of the performance measures. It should be noted however that the level of performance and handling qualities for both symbology sets fell within the acceptable tolerance levels. Both symbology sets yield satisfactory handling qualities and performance in velocity stabilization mode and adequate handling qualities in the automatic flight control mode. Pilot comments about the contact analog symbology highlighted the lack of useful rate of change information in the heading tape and "blurring" due to the rapid movement of the heading tape. These issues warrant further study. Care must be taken in interpreting the operational significance of these results. The symbology sets yielded categorically similar data, i.e., acceptable handling qualities and adequate performance, so while the results point to the need for further study, their operational significance has yet to be determined.

Shively, R. Jay↗
NASA NTRS2009

A Fiber-Optic Sensor for Leak Detection in a Space Environment

A miniature fiber-optic, laser-based, interferometric leak detector is presented for application as a means to detect on-orbit gas leaks. The sensor employs a fiber-coupled modified Michelson interferometer to detect gas leaks by measuring an increase in gas density in the sensing region. Monitoring changes in the fringe pattern output by the interferometer allows for direct measurement of the gas density in the sensing region and, under the assumption of an equation of state, this can be used to obtain a pressure measurement. Measurements obtained over a pressure range from 20 mtorr to 760 torr using a prototypical interferometer on working gases of air, nitrogen, argon, and helium generally exhibit agreement with a theoretical prediction of the pressure increase required before an interference fringe completely moves over the detector. Additional measurements performed on various gases demonstrate the range of detectable species, measuring sub-torr pressure changes in the process. A high-fidelity measurement places the ultimate pressure resolution for this particular sensor configuration in the 10 mtorr range. Time-resolved data prove the capability of this sensor to detect fast gas flow phenomena associated with transients and pressure waves.

Sinko, John E.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Matrix Multiply Performance of GPUs on Exascale-class HPE/Cray Systems

The computation of dense matrix-matrix products (GEMMs) is central to many modeling and simulation workloads as well as AI/ML deep learning campaigns. In fact, millions of dollars are spent annually on computing GEMMs, and large model training demands are increasing exponentially. Specialized processors such as GPUs are designed to perform well for these operations. However, the performance of GEMMs on GPUs can exhibit complex behaviors depending on many factors, making it challenging to optimize the performance of GEMMs on these processors. In this study we undertake an examination of GEMM performance on several leading GPU models taken from product lines of GPUs to be deployed in forthcoming exascale computing systems. We show results to illustrate the many factors that can affect performance of GEMMs on GPUs. We then present data collected from a large number of test runs for an example GEMM operation to show the dependence behaviors of GEMM rate on matrix dimensions. Finally, we show results from machine learning-based performance models using novel feature engineering methods to fit the measured performance, providing a potential basis for GEMM performance tuning and autotuning methods for GPUs. Recommendations are also given for how to achieve high GEMM performance on modern GPUs.

Melesse Vergara, Veronica↗
DOE OSTI2022

Pronghorn Porous Media Model Validation with Pressure Drop Measurements

The verification and validation (V&V) of Pronghorn is imperative to assert its accuracy when predicting the fluid velocity, temperature, and pressure in high temperature gas-cooled reactors. Pronghorn is a coarse-mesh, intermediate-fidelity, and multidimensional thermal-hydraulics (TH) code developed by the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). New pebble bed experiments are used to observe the details of the fluid motion and pressure drop in the porous bed under the reactor normal operation. This paper focuses on the validation of the Pronghorn compressible and incompressible Navier-Stokes equations using the pressure drop measurements performed at the engineering-scale pebble bed facility at the Texas A&M university (TAMU). Various pressure drop correlations and porosity functions are implemented in both Pronghorn and STAR-CCM+ to compare the pressure drop due to the combined viscous and inertial resistances in the porous bed. The correlations accounting for the near-wall effect are also utilized to observe if the pressure drop estimates can be improved. Pronghorn porous media models predict the pressure drop well relative to the STAR-CCM+ simulation results and 1D correlations, and both the finite element method (FEM) and finite volume method (FVM) perform accurately. Pronghorn models are also validated with the experimental measurements given the different Reynolds number ranges and specific aspect ratios. The likelihood of the statistical significance between the pressure drop measurements and specific correlations or simulations is low provided that the overlap of their confidence intervals is more than the half of a single arm. Several validation metrics are reasonable in regard to the similar studies from other literature. The precise average pebble bed porosity estimation has much impact on the pressure drop, and the Foumeny and Montillet (dense packing) models carry out the accurate pressure drop prediction by considering the near-wall effect.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
NASA NTRS2006

Evaluating the Performance of the NASA LaRC CMF Motion Base Safety Devices

This paper describes the initial measured performance results of the previously documented NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) Cockpit Motion Facility (CMF) motion base hardware safety devices. These safety systems are required to prevent excessive accelerations that could injure personnel and damage simulator cockpits or the motion base structure. Excessive accelerations may be caused by erroneous commands or hardware failures driving an actuator to the end of its travel at high velocity, stepping a servo valve, or instantly reversing servo direction. Such commands may result from single order failures of electrical or hydraulic components within the control system itself, or from aggressive or improper cueing commands from the host simulation computer. The safety systems must mitigate these high acceleration events while minimizing the negative performance impacts. The system accomplishes this by controlling the rate of change of valve signals to limit excessive commanded accelerations. It also aids hydraulic cushion performance by limiting valve command authority as the actuator approaches its end of travel. The design takes advantage of inherent motion base hydraulic characteristics to implement all safety features using hardware only solutions.

Gupton, Lawrence E.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Identification of tau leptons using a convolutional neural network with domain adaptation

A tau lepton identification algorithm,DeepTau, based on convolutional neural network techniques, has been developed in the CMS experiment to discriminate reconstructed hadronic decays of tau leptons (τ h ) from quark or gluon jets and electrons and muons that are misreconstructed as τ h candidates. The latest version of this algorithm, v2.5, includes domain adaptation by backpropagation, a technique that reduces discrepancies between collision data and simulation in the region with the highest purity of genuine τh candidates. Additionally, a refined training workflow improves classification performance with respect to the previous version of the algorithm, with a reduction of 30–50% in the probability for quark and gluon jets to be misidentified as τ h candidates for given reconstruction and identification efficiencies. This paper presents the novel improvements introduced in theDeepTau algorithm and evaluates its performance in LHC proton-proton collision data at √(s) = 13 and 13.6 TeV collected in 2018 and 2022 with integrated luminosities of 60 and 35 fb -1 , respectively. Techniques to calibrate the performance of the τ h identification algorithm in simulation with respect to its measured performance in real data are presented, together with a subset of results among those measured for use in CMS physics analyses.

Large detector-systems performance↗
NASA NTRS1989

Performance evaluation of a six-axis generalized force-reflecting teleoperator

Work in real-time distributed computation and control has culminated in a prototype force-reflecting telemanipulation system having a dissimilar master (cable-driven, force-reflecting hand controller) and a slave (PUMA 560 robot with custom controller), an extremely high sampling rate (1000 Hz), and a low loop computation delay (5 msec). In a series of experiments with this system and five trained test operators covering over 100 hours of teleoperation, performance was measured in a series of generic and application-driven tasks with and without force feedback, and with control shared between teleoperation and local sensor referenced control. Measurements defining task performance included 100-Hz recording of six-axis force/torque information from the slave manipulator wrist, task completion time, and visual observation of predefined task errors. The task consisted of high precision peg-in-hole insertion, electrical connectors, velcro attach-de-attach, and a twist-lock multi-pin connector. Each task was repeated three times under several operating conditions: normal bilateral telemanipulation, forward position control without force feedback, and shared control. In shared control, orientation was locally servo controlled to comply with applied torques, while translation was under operator control. All performance measures improved as capability was added along a spectrum of capabilities ranging from pure position control through force-reflecting teleoperation and shared control. Performance was optimal for the bare-handed operator.

Hannaford, B.↗
NASA NTRS2014

New and Better Near-Infrared Detectors for JWST Near Infrared Spectrograph

ESA and NASA recently selected two 5 m cutoff Teledyne H2RG sensor chip assemblies (SCA) for flight on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Near Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec). These HgCdTe SCAs incorporate Teledynes improved barrier layer design that eliminates the degradation that affected earlier JWST H2RGs(Rauscher et al. 2012a). The better indium barrier, together with other design changes, has improved the performance and reliability of JWSTs SCAs. In this article, we describe the measured performance characteristics that most directly affect scientific observations including read noise, total noise, dark current, quantum efficiency (QE), and image persistence. As part of measuring QE, we measured the quantum yield as a function of photon energy,, and found that it exceeds unity for photon energies E (2.65.2) Eg, where Eg is the HgCdTe bandgap energy. This corresponds to. 2 m for NIRSpecs 5 m cutoff HgCdTe. Our measurements agree well with a previous measurement by McCullough et al. (2008) for. 1.3. For 1.3, we find a slower increase in with photon energy than McCullough et al. did. However, and as McCullough et al. note, their two state model of the yield process is not valid for large 1.

New and Better↗
DOE OSTI2022

Transmission estimation at the quantum Cramér-Rao bound with macroscopic quantum light

The field of quantum metrology seeks to apply quantum techniques and/or resources to classical sensing approaches with the goal of enhancing the precision in the estimation of a parameter beyond what can be achieved with classical resources. Theoretically, the fundamental minimum uncertainty in the estimation of a parameter for a given probing state is bounded by the quantum Cramér-Rao bound. From a practical perspective, it is necessary to find physical measurements that can saturate this fundamental limit and to show experimentally that it is possible to perform measurements with the required precision to do so. Here we perform experiments that saturate the quantum Cramér-Rao bound for transmission estimation over a wide range of transmissions when probing the system under study with a continuous wave bright two-mode squeezed state. To properly take into account the imperfections in the generation of the quantum state, we extend our previous theoretical results to incorporate the measured properties of the generated quantum state. For our largest transmission level of 84%, we show a 62% reduction over the optimal classical protocol in the variance in transmission estimation when probing with a bright two-mode squeezed state with -8 dB of intensity-difference squeezing. Given that transmission estimation is an integral part of many sensing protocols, such as plasmonic sensing, spectroscopy, calibration of the quantum efficiency of detectors, etc., the results presented promise to have a significant impact on a number of applications in various fields of research.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
NASA NTRS2002

Performance characteristics of the deep space 1 flight spare ion thruster long duration test, the first 21,300 hours of operation

A long duration test of the DSl flight spare ion thruster (FT2) is presently being conducted at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. To, date the thruster has accumulated over 23,500 hours of operation, and 190 kg of Xenon propellant, over 230% of the initial design life. The primary objectives of the test include the processing of 200 kg of Xenon propellant, the identification of unknown failure modes, the characterization and drivers of these failure modes, and to measure performance degradation as the thruster wears. The test is fitted with an extensive array of diagnostics to measure engine wear and performance degradation. To date the most notable erosion processes include severe discharge cathode keeper erosion, accelerator grid erosion, reduction in electrical isolation of the neutralizer assembly, and deposit formation within the neutralizer orifice, reducing margin from plume mode. Over the past 23,500 hours of operation, performance degradation has been minimal, and it is anticipated that the above erosion processes will not preclude the thruster from processing over 200 kg of Xenon.

ion thrusters deep space one↗
DOE OSTI2021

Spectral Effects in Albedo and Rearside Irradiance Measurement for Bifacial Performance Estimation

We investigate the impact of spectral dependence of ground surface reflectivity on albedo and rearside irradiance measurements necessary for bifacial photovoltaic (PV) module performance estimation and monitoring. Because PV modules are spectrally selective, albedo and irradiance measurements performed with common irradiance sensors may require spectral mismatch corrections when used for performance prediction. We investigate via simulation the differences in spectrally responsive albedo measured with thermopile pyranometers and crystalline silicon PV reference cells in comparison to a typical crystalline-silicon bifacial PV module. Simulations are performed for nine different representative ground surface materials using simulated solar spectra together with spectral reflectivity data distributed with the SMARTS simulation software. For the materials considered, the results show that albedo spectral mismatch relative to the bifacial module is distributed over a range of ±9.2% for thermopile pyranometers versus only ±3.7% for a typical PV reference cell. We consider the impact of this spectrally-responsive albedo mismatch on bifacial PV module rearside irradiance measurements. Using synthesized rearside spectral irradiance distributions, we find that for the nine different ground surface materials the predicted rearside irradiance measurement deviates from the effective irradiance observed by the PV module by on the order of 16.5 W/m 2 for the pyranometer and 3.6 W/m 2 for the PV reference cell. We discuss the implications for bifacial albedo and irradiance measurement.

41 EE - Solar Energy Technologies Office (EE-4S)↗
DOE OSTI2020

Experimental Study of the Fundamental Properties of Warm Dense Mixtures

The aim of the proposed research was to provide a multi-scale study of the properties of warm dense hydrocarbons, by studying the thermodynamic properties through the equation of state and the microscopic properties by x-ray scattering. Understanding the fundamental properties of warm dense mixtures is an intellectual challenge due to the complexity of the system. Unlike liquids or gases, where constituent particle interactions occur through collisions or bonding between valence electrons, in these strongly coupled systems the atoms will be partially ionized and compressed so tightly together that interactions between the inner core electrons can play a role in the systems chemistry. Advances in computational capabilities and development of new theoretical models have been used to predict the properties of mixtures but there is currently no experimental data of the fundamental interaction between the particles in mixtures to test these predictions against. The proposed research was to experimentally investigate the interaction of the different species in hydrocarbons by measuring the compressibility of substances with different carbon and hydrogen ratios and the complexity of the microscopic interactions through elastic and inelastic x-ray scattering. To study the bulk properties of warm dense hydrocarbons we established the Warm Dense Matter Research Laboratory (WDMRL) in the Institute for Shock Physics at Washington State University. The goal was for experiments in the WDMRL to determine shock loading conditions of interest in the hydrocarbon mixtures. We planned on using Hugoniot EOS measurements and a range of carbon and hydrogen concentrations to determine conditions when the EOS of the mixture varied significantly from that of the classical mixing model. Even though shock transit measurements through aluminum foils suggested pressures upto 400GPa, the experiments in the WDMRL were unsuccessful in getting usable shockwave compression data above 100GPa in polystyrene which was below the pressure of interest for hydrocarbon mixtures (>200GPa). To complete the project, we tested a technique using x-ray phase contrast imaging to map the location of tracer layers in a test sample of polycarbonate to record the material motion in dynamically compressed samples. A technique that will be useful for future warm dense matter experiments. These experiments used <200nm gold layers in polycarbonate samples to measure the material velocity and shock speed using x-ray phase contrast imaging. These results were compared to continuum surface measurements performed at ISP and show that the tracer layer technique can measure hydrodynamic properties accurately in dynamically compressed materials.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

An Analysis of the Spatial Variations in the Relationship Between Built Environment and Severe Crashes

Traffic crashes significantly contribute to global fatalities, particularly in urban areas, highlighting the need to evaluate the relationship between urban environments and traffic safety. This study extends former spatial modeling frameworks by drawing paths between global models, including spatial lag (SLM), and spatial error (SEM), and local models, including geographically weighted regression (GWR), multi-scale geographically weighted regression (MGWR), and multi-scale geographically weighted regression with spatially lagged dependent variable (MGWRL). Utilizing the proposed framework, this study analyzes severe traffic crashes in relation to urban built environments using various spatial regression models within Leon County, Florida. According to the results, SLM outperforms OLS, SEM, and GWR models. Local models with lagged dependent variables outperform both the global and generic versions of the local models in all performance measures, whereas MGWR and MGWRL outperform GWR and GWRL. Local models performed better than global models, showing spatial non-stationarity; so, the relationship between the dependent and independent variables varies over space. The better performance of models with lagged dependent variables signifies that the spatial distribution of severe crashes is correlated. Finally, the better performance of multi-scale local models than classical local models indicates varying influences of independent variables with different bandwidths. According to the MGWRL model, census block groups close to the urban area with higher population, higher education level, and lower car ownership rates have lower crash rates. On the contrary, motor vehicle percentage for commuting is found to have a negative association with severe crash rate, which suggests the locality of the mentioned associations.

Alisan, Onur (ORCID:0000000193113984)↗
NASA NTRS1976

Thematic mapper critical elements breadboard program

A 40.6 cm bidirectional scan mirror assembly, a scan line corrector and a silicon photodiode array with integral preamplifier input stages were designed, fabricated, and tested to demonstrate performance consistent with requirements of the Hughes thematic mapper system. The measured performance met or exceeded the original design goals in all cases with the qualification that well defined and well understood deficiencies in the design of the photodiode array package will require the prescribed corrections before flight use.

Dale, C. H., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Large-scale Advanced Prop-fan (LAP) static rotor test report

Discussed is Static Rotor Testing of the SR-7L Large Scale Advanced Prop-Fan (LAP). The LAP is an advanced 9 foot diameter, 8 bladed propeller designed and built by Hamilton Standard under contract to the NASA Lewis Research Center. The Prop-Fan employs thin swept blades to provide efficient propulsion at flight speeds up to Mach .85. Static Testing was conducted on a 10,000 HP whirl rig at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. The test objectives were to investigate the Prop-Fan static aerodynamic and structural dynamic performance, determine the blade steady state stressers and deflections and to measure steady and unsteady pressures on the SR-7L blade surface. The measured performance of the LAP correlated well with analytical predictions at blade pitch angles below 30 deg. A stall buffet phenomenon was observed at blade pitch angles above 30 deg. This phenomenon manifested itself by elevated blade vibratory stress levels and lower than expected thrust produced and power absorbed by the Prop-Fan for a given speed and blade angle.

Degeorge, Charles L.↗