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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 523 records · Page 29

Calculational Model of the Radiation Calibration Lab (RCL) and the Neutron Measurements performed at the Facility, with a 252 Cf Source

Calibration of detectors measuring gamma, neutron, alpha and beta radiation, and of personal dosimeters used at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), is performed at the Radiation Calibration Lab (RCL). The calibrations done with a standard calibrated 252 Cf source are a function of the energy spectra, fluence and dose of the source. A detailed calculational model of the RCL has been carried out with the MCNP6 code. The calculations have also reproduced quite well the measurements of the fluence and dose rates for the bare and moderated 252 Cf source carried out by R. Radev using the Rospec Spectrometer and by Clark and Wilson using a Passive Neutron Spectrometer. The importance of having the calculational model of the RCL facility is to calculate the dose rates expected for a given planned measurement, optimizing the choice of detectors, design and shielding materials before the actual measurement are carried out, resulting in a more efficient and time saving measurement. Furthermore, an accurate model of the facility allows to detect possible problems with the measurement.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

ERNIE performance with TSA portals Initial Results

This project extends the “Enhanced Radiological Nuclear Inspection and Evaluation” (ERNIE) system developed with CBP and DNDO to improve performance of PVT-based Radiation Portal Monitors (RPMs). ERNIE was designed to be used with any RPM system. The first implementation was with the SAIC (Leidos) RPM-8 systems. In this project, we are demonstrating how effective the ERNIE approach can be when applied to the VM250 TSA portals used in NSDD programs. Part of the challenge in adapting ERNIE to handle VM250 portals is the lack of gamma spectral information. We report here on the first results showing how the ERNIE analysis can improve analysis of measurements with the VM250 RPMs.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Shortwave Radiometer Calibration Methods Comparison and Resulting Solar Irradiance Measurement Differences: A User Perspective

Banks financing solar energy projects require assurance that these systems will produce the energy predicted. Furthermore, utility planners and grid system operators need to understand the impact of the variable solar resource on solar energy conversion system performance. Accurate solar radiation data sets reduce the expense associated with mitigating performance risk and assist in understanding the impacts of solar resource variability. The accuracy of solar radiation measured by radiometers depends on the instrument performance specification, installation method, calibration procedure, measurement conditions, maintenance practices, location, and environmental conditions. This study addresses the effect of different calibration methods provided by radiometric calibration service providers, such as NREL and manufacturers of radiometers, on the resulting calibration responsivity. Some of these radiometers are calibrated indoors and some outdoors. To establish or understand the differences in calibration methodology, we processed and analyzed field-measured data from these radiometers. This study investigates calibration responsivities provided by NREL's broadband outdoor radiometer calibration (BORCAL) and a few prominent manufacturers. The BORCAL method provides the outdoor calibration responsivity of pyranometers and pyrheliometers at 45 degree solar zenith angle, and as a function of solar zenith angle determined by clear-sky comparisons with reference irradiance. The BORCAL method also employs a thermal offset correction to the calibration responsivity of single-black thermopile detectors used in pyranometers. Indoor calibrations of radiometers by their manufacturers are performed using a stable artificial light source in a side-by-side comparison between the test radiometer under calibration and a reference radiometer of the same type. In both methods, the reference radiometer calibrations are traceable to the World Radiometric Reference (WRR). These different methods of calibration demonstrated +1% to +2% differences in solar irradiance measurement. Analyzing these differences will ultimately help determine the uncertainty of the field radiometer data and guide the development of a consensus standard for calibration. Further advancing procedures for precisely calibrating radiometers to world reference standards that reduce measurement uncertainty will allow more accurate prediction of solar output and improve the bankability of solar projects.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Experiments with a built-in or fuselage radiator

The experiments discussed here were performed to determine whether radiators having similar cooling properties offer less resistance when incorporated into the fuselage, than when the hitherto customary arrangement is employed, with the radiator in the free air current more or less independent of the fuselage. The experiments indicated that the quantity of air flowing through the radiator is greatest when the fuselage and the radiator are separate. However, separate radiators cause more air resistance. When the radiator is incorporated into the fuselage, it is only possible to obtain a quantity equal to that which flows through the radiator in the free air current if the lateral outlet vents are widened or the quantity of air in increased by some special means, such as fans. Whether it is possible, in practice, to obtain the necessary cooling effect in this way, together with reduced resistance of the fuselage, is not decided here, since it is a question of construction.

Wiesselsberger, C↗

Nickel cadmium battery operations and performance

The Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS), Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO), Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS), and Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) spacecraft are operated from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in Greenbelt, Maryland. On-board power subsystems for each satellite employ NASA Standard 50 Ampere-hour (Ah) nickel-cadmium batteries in a parallel configuration. To date, these batteries have exhibited degradation over periods from several months (anomalous behavior, UARS and CGRO (MPS-1); to little if any, EUVE) to several years (old age, normal behavior, ERBS). Since the onset of degraded performance, each mission's Flight Operations Team (FOT), under the direction of their cognizant GSFC Project Personnel and Space Power Application Branch's Engineers has closely monitored the battery performance and implemented several charge control schemes in an effort to extend battery life. Various software and hardware solutions have been developed to minimize battery overcharge. Each of the four sections of this paper covers a brief overview of each mission's operational battery management and its associated spacecraft battery performance. Also included are new operational procedures developed on-orbit that may be of special interest to future mission definition and development.

Rao, Gopalakrishna↗

3D treatment planning on helical tomotherapy delivery system

The helical tomotherapy is a technologically advanced radiation dose delivery system designed to perform intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). It is mechanistically unique, based on a small 6-MV linear accelerator mounted on a ring gantry that rotates around the patient while the patient moves through a bore, ultimately yielding a helical path of radiation dose delivery. The helical pattern of dose delivery differentiated tomotherapy from other contemporary radiation therapy systems at the time of its inception. The accompanying 3-dimensional (3D) treatment planning system has been developed to solely support this specific type of dose delivery system. The treatment planning system has 2 modules identified as TomoHelical and TomoDirect to perform IMRT and conformal radiation therapy, respectively. The focus of this work within the scope of this special issue on 3D treatment planning systems is to assess the use of planning tools to generate treatment plans for helical tomotherapy. Clinical examples are used throughout to demonstrate the quality and differences of various clinical scenarios planned with tomotherapy.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

Correlation of electron and proton irradiation-induced damage in InP solar cells

When determining the best solar cell technology for a particular space flight mission, accurate prediction of solar cell performance in a space radiation environment is essential. The current methodology used to make such predictions requires extensive experimental data measured under both electron and proton irradiation. Due to the rising cost of accelerators and irradiation facilities, such extensive data sets are expensive to obtain. Moreover, with the rapid development of novel cell designs, the necessary data are often not available. Therefore, a method for predicting cell degradation based on limited data is needed. Such a method has been developed at the Naval Research Laboratory based on damage correlation using 'displacement damage dose' which is the product of the non-ionizing energy loss (NIEL) and the particle fluence. Displacement damage dose is a direct analog of the ionization dose used to correlate the effects of ionizing radiations. In this method, the performance of a solar cell in a complex radiation environment can be predicted from data on a single proton energy and two electron energies, or one proton energy, one electron energy, and Co(exp 60) gammas. This method has been used to accurately predict the extensive data set measured by Anspaugh on GaAs/Ge solar cells under a wide range of electron and proton energies. In this paper, the method is applied to InP solar cells using data measured under 1 MeV electron and 3 MeV proton irradiations, and the calculations are shown to agree well with the measured data. In addition to providing accurate damage predictions, this method also provides a basis for quantitative comparisons of the performance of different cell technologies. The performance of the present InP cells is compared to that published for GaAs/Ge cells. The results show InP to be inherently more resistant to displacement energy deposition than GaAs/Ge.

Walters, Robert J.↗

Properties of Neutrino-driven Ejecta from the Remnant of a Binary Neutron Star Merger: Pure Radiation Hydrodynamics Case

We performed general relativistic, long-term, axisymmetric neutrino radiation hydrodynamics simulations for the remnant formed after a binary neutron star merger, which consists of a massive neutron star and a torus surrounding it. As an initial condition, we employ the result derived in a three-dimensional, numerical relativity simulation for the binary neutron star merger. We investigate the properties of neutrino-driven ejecta. Due to the pair-annihilation heating, the dynamics of the neutrino-driven ejecta are significantly modified. The kinetic energy of the ejecta is about two times larger than that in the absence of pair-annihilation heating. This suggests that the pair-annihilation heating plays an important role in the evolution of merger remnants. The relativistic outflow, which is required for driving gamma-ray bursts, is not observed because the specific heating rate around the rotational axis is not sufficiently high, due to the baryon loading caused by the neutrino-driven ejecta from the massive neutron star. We discuss the condition for launching the relativistic outflow and the nucleosynthesis in the ejecta.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Scalar and tensor resonances in $J/\psi $ radiative decays

We perform a systematic analysis of the J/ψ → γπ 0 π 0 and → γ$K$$^{0}_{S}$$K$$^{0}_{S}$ partial waves measured by BESIII. We use a large set of amplitude parametrizations to reduce the model bias. We determine the physical properties of seven scalar and tensor resonances in the 1–2.5GeV mass range. These include the well known f 0 (1500) and f 0 (1710), that are considered to be the primary glueball candidates. The hierarchy of resonance couplings determined from this analysis favors the latter as the one with the largest glueball component.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Transitional flow in thin tubes for space station freedom radiator

A two dimensional finite volume method is used to predict the film coefficients in the transitional flow region (laminar or turbulent) for the radiator panel tubes. The code used to perform this analysis is CAST (Computer Aided Simulation of Turbulent Flows). The information gathered from this code is then used to augment a Sinda85 model that predicts overall performance of the radiator. A final comparison is drawn between the results generated with a Sinda85 model using the Sinda85 provided transition region heat transfer correlations and the Sinda85 model using the CAST generated data.

Loney, Patrick↗

Performance Analysis of Transposition Models Simulating Solar Radiation on Inclined Surfaces

Transposition models have been widely used in the solar energy industry to simulate solar radiation on inclined photovoltaic panels. Following numerous studies comparing the performance of transposition models, this work aims to understand the quantitative uncertainty in state-of-the-art transposition models and the sources leading to the uncertainty. Our results show significant differences between two highly used isotropic transposition models, with one substantially underestimating the diffuse plane-of-array irradiances when diffuse radiation is perfectly isotropic. In the empirical transposition models, the selection of the empirical coefficients and land surface albedo can both result in uncertainty in the output. This study can be used as a guide for the future development of physics-based transposition models and evaluations of system performance.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Heat-rejection design for large concentrating solar arrays

This paper considers the effect of heat rejection devices (radiators) on the performance and cost of large concentrating solar arrays for space application. Overall array characteristics are derived from the weight, cost, and performance of four major components; namely primary structure, optics/secondary structure, radiator, and solar panel. An ideal concentrator analysis is used to establish general cost and performance trends independent of specific array design. Both passive and heat-pipe radiation are evaluated, with an incremental cost-of-power approach used in the evaluation. Passive radiators are found to be more cost effective with silicon than with gallium arsenide (GaAs) arrays. Representative concentrating arrays have been evaluated for both near-term and advanced solar cell technology. Minimum cost of power is achieved at geometric concentration ratios in the range 2 to 6.

French, E. P.↗

Synchrotron Radiation Beam Diagnostics at IOTA - Commissioning Performance and Upgrade Efforts

The Integrable Optics Test Accelerator is a research electron and proton storage ring recently commissioned at the Fermilab Accelerator Science and Technology facility. A key part of its beam diagnostics suite are synchrotron radiation monitors, used for measuring transverse beam profile, position, and intensity. In this paper, we report on the performance and uses of this system during the year 1 run. We demonstrate sub-100nm statistical beam position uncertainty and high dynamic range from 10⁹ electrons down to a single electron. Commissioning challenges and operational issues are discussed. We conclude by outlining current upgrade efforts, including improved modularity, small emittance measurements, and a multi-anode photomultiplier system for turn-by-turn acquisition.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

The design and performance of a multi-stream droplet generator for the liquid droplet radiator

Results are presented for the performance capabilities of a multistream droplet generator suitable for use in a spacecraft liquid droplet radiator heat-rejection system. The nozzle-motion mode of stream perturbation initiation was tested with a single droplet stream and found to produce data similar to those generated with the resonant cavity mode of perturbation. Tests then proceeded to a 26-orifice array; the streams of the array responded to the perturbation satisfactorily, forming uniformly separated drops.

Orme, Melissa↗

Effects of proton-induced radiation damage on CLYC and CLLBC performance

Cerium-doped Cs 2 LiYCl 6 (CLYC) and Cs 2 LiLaBr x Cl 6-x (CLLBC) are scintillators in the elpasolite family that are attractive options for resource-constrained applications due to their ability to detect both gamma rays and neutrons within a single volume. Space-based detectors are one such application, however, the radiation environment in space can over time damage the crystal structure of the elpasolites, leading to degraded performance. We have exposed 4 samples each of CLYC and CLLBC to 800 MeV protons at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center. The samples were irradiated with a total number of protons of 1.3 x 10 9 , 1.3 x 10 10 , 5.2 x 10 10 , and 1.3 x 10 11 , corresponding to estimated doses of 0.14, 1.46, 5.82, and 14.6 kRad, respectively on the CLYC samples and 0.14, 1.38, 5.52, and 13.8 kRad, respectively on the CLLBC samples. Here, we report the impact these radiation doses have on the light output, activation, gamma-ray energy resolution, pulse shapes, and pulse-shape discrimination figure of merit for CLYC and CLLBC.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

On the development of the power sources for the Ulysses and Galileo missions

The technically challenging European Space Agency Ulysses mission to explore the polar regions of the Sun and the NASA Galileo mission to explore Jupiter have prompted the development of the most powerful radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) yet built for space use. This RTG, which was designed to provide a minimum of 285 We at beginning of mission builds upon the successful thermoelectric technology developed for the RTGs now in operation on the Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft. A total of four flight RTGs, one ground qualification RTG, and one Engineering Unit have been built and tested for the Galileo and Ulysses missions. The tests have included measurements of functional performance, vibration response, magnetic signature, mass properties, nuclear radiation, and vacuum performance. The RTGs are fully flight qualified for both missions and are ready for launch.

Gary L. Bennett↗

Calculation of Activated Water Radiation Maps in ITER

ITER is a nuclear machine designed for 500 MW DT fusion power emitting an immense power in the form of 14 MeV neutrons (∼400 MW). These high energy neutrons activate the water used to cool the first wall, blanket modules, vacuum vessel etc. The principal isotopes generated in water coolant are {sup 16}N and {sup 17}'N from oxygen isotopes. Both these radioisotopes are generated by neutrons having energy more than 10 MeV. Even though these isotopes are short-lived (T{sub 1/2} {sup 16}N: 7.13 s and T{sub 1/2} {sup 17}N: 4.17 s) they generate significant radiation fields outside the bio-shield due to high neutron fluence at irradiation end, large volume of the coolant, high speed of the coolant, emission of high energy nuclear radiations from {sup 16}N (gammas) and {sup 17}N (neutrons). Therefore, radiation fields generated by the activated water need to be calculated in order to design the plant systems to withstand radiation dosage and for the safety of the workers as per regulatory limits. This paper presents the calculation methodology of the {sup 16}N and {sup 17}N sources in the coolant lines, manifolds, heat exchangers etc., which are distributed over the wide area outside the bio-shield. The calculated source is modelled in the MCNP building model which is approximately 120 m x 80 m x 50 m. The building model has significant amount of shielding walls (∼3 m thickness). This presents a challenge to get the sufficient statistics everywhere in the global model. The radiation transport is performed with the code MCNP to calculate the radiation fields (biological dose rate, absorbed dose in silicon, 1 MeV silicon equivalent fluence, neutron flux) throughout the tokamak complex.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗