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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
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Estimating Soil Thermal Inertia Profiles From the Passive Equilibration of a Temperature Probe

Knowledge of the distribution of soil thermal properties is important for understanding subsurface hydrological and biogeochemical processes. This study describes and evaluates quick thermal profiling (QTP), a new measurement technique aimed at providing rapid, depth-resolved measurements of soil thermal inertia at numerous locations across the landscape. A cylindrical probe with temperature sensors at multiple depths is quickly inserted into the ground, and soil thermal inertia is estimated from how quickly the probe temperature equilibrates with the soil. To this end, a finite volume heat transfer model is used to generate temperature equilibration time series across combinations of controlling factors, and a gridded search inversion approach is applied to infer soil thermal inertia. Field tests in the Arctic indicate that QTP measurements have a minimum uncertainty of 0.14 J m −2 K −1 s −1/2 and covary with dual-probe heat pulse thermal analyzer measurements (concordance correlation coefficient = 0.56) with a root-mean-square error of 0.40 J m −2 K −1 s −1/2 . Besides demonstrating the value of QTP for estimating thermal inertia, this study identifies various sources of measurement uncertainty, particularly probe-soil contact resistance and frictional heating. Further, analysis of soil samples indicates that thermal inertia can be used to estimate thermal conductivity and dry bulk density in the studied area, although such inferences are highly site-specific. Overall, the QTP method holds promise to generate thermal inertia data products and to complement other characterization approaches for advancing understanding of soil properties across far more locations than is currently possible.

Lamb, J. R. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory↗
DOE OSTI2021

Light Propagation Considerations For Internally Clad Sapphire Optical Fiber Using the 6Li(n,)3H Reaction

Optical frequency domain reflectometry measurements in internally clad single crystal sapphire fiber have received attention in recent years due to their high temperature distributed sensing potential. As work with these fibers has proceeded, there have been some inconsistencies in the results. Deeper investigation and testing has identified two critical considerations for the proper functioning of these fibers. First, users must address the propagation of multimode light along the outer surface of the fiber. Here, by observing the far-field image of an internally clad sapphire fiber when adding index matching fluid to the outer fiber surface, we demonstrate the effects of removing the higher order modes from these fibers. The addition of index matching fluid resulted in nearly single mode performance where multimode performance was previously observed. Second, users must address the effect that coupling the fiber to the interrogator via silica based fiber has on the internally clad sapphire fibers performance. Direct fusion splicing of silica to sapphire, as has been used in the recent work with these fibers, has a mode filtering effect which can be beneficial towards the modal behavior of the fibers. However, in this paper we demonstrate that the splicing can cause a sensing failure due to little or no low order mode light, that is useful for sensing, returning to the detector. The positive results from recent years have demonstrated that optical frequency domain reflectometry sensing performance will be successful in clad sapphire fiber; but only when the considerations described herein are addressed properly.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2021

Modeling Environmental Effects on Ventilated Spent Fuel Storage Systems

This report describes newly developed external environment wind effects models of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) dry storage systems. The primary purpose of these wind effects models is to better understand particle deposition on SNF canisters in the context of chloride-induced stress corrosion cracking. The goal of this effort is to further the understanding and improve the wind effects model of the Nuclear Horizontal Modular Storage (NUHOMS ® ) Advanced Horizontal Storage Module–High Seismic (AHSM-HS) storage system in support of the planned Canister Deposition Field Demonstration (CDFD) project (Durbin et al. 2021, Suffield et al. 2021). The steps in this wind effects investigation begin with a validation case of comparing experimental data with a STAR-CCM+ computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of the Belowground Vertical Dry Cask Simulator (BVDCS) with the external environment explicitly modeled. Next, a test case is performed with the AHSM-HS models comparing solar-loading strategies for a standalone and wind effects model in STAR-CCM+ and a standalone model in ANSYS Mechanical Parametric Design Language (APDL). The final portion of this study compares results of the validation exercise with applications of wind effects models for two horizontal storage systems, a site specific NUHOMS ® horizontal storage module and a NUHOMS ® AHSM-HS.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Novel Concepts for High Gradient Acceleration (Final Technical Report)

We have conducted an intensive, pioneering program to demonstrate novel concepts for achieving high gradient acceleration at frequencies from the conventional microwave bands up to the millimeter wave /THz bands. High gradient accelerators hold the promise of smaller and less costly accelerators for applications ranging from the largest scale accelerators used for discovery science down to the smallest accelerators used for industrial, homeland security and medical applications. The research consisted of two major research thrusts: 1.) Structure-based wakefield accelerator (SWFA) research in collaboration with the Argonne Wakefield Accelerator research group and 2.) Millimeter Wave / THz high gradient acceleration in collaboration with SLAC. The specific goals of the research program were: Design novel metallic metamaterial structures that increase the beam-wave coupling for the accelerator mode and reduce the effect of high order modes; test novel metamaterial structures to achieve higher output power, > 1 GW at X-Band (11.7 GHz), in test at the Argonne Wakefield Accelerator (AWA); determine the experimental breakdown threshold for nanosecond-scale pulses at X-Band in testing at the AWA; test a 110 GHz accelerator structure with a field emission electron gun, built at SLAC, using pulses from a 1 MW, 110 GHz gyrotron; design, build and test a 110 GHz quasi-optical, resonant-ring pulse compressor to compress microsecond pulses from the 1 MW gyrotron into > 20 MW, 5 ns output pulses for accelerator structure testing. The proposed research program built on our successes in our research program including: Generation of 510 MW, 2.1 ns (FWHM) pulses at 11.7 GHz from a metallic metamaterial structure in test at the Argonne Wakefield Accelerator using a train of eight 65 MeV electron bunches spaced at 1.3 GHz with a total charge of 280 nC. The metamaterial structure consisted of 100 copper unit cells each consisting of a “wagon-wheel” plate and a spacer plate with a total structure length of 0.2 m. The 510 MW pulse generated an on-axis wakefield of 130 MV/m that could be used to accelerate a trailing witness bunch. Demonstration of coupling of an unprecedented rf power level of 575kW into a 110 GHz accelerator structure using a quasi-optical setup. The standing structure consisted of a central copper cavity located between two matching cavities fed by a TM01 mode. The 6 ns input pulses were sliced from 3 microsecond pulses from the gyrotron using a laser-driven silicon switch. We obtained an unprecedented high gradient up to 230MV/m corresponding to a peak surface electric field of more than 520 MV/m.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Optimization of the number and locations of the calibration stations needed to monitor soil moisture using distributed temperature sensing systems: A proof-of-concept study

The single-probe heat-pulse (SPHP) technique combined with the Fiber-optic Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) technology can offer novel high-resolution measurements of soil moisture (θ) over spatial scales ranging from several centimeters to several kilometers. However, the key limitation of this method is in obtaining the calibration relationship between θ and soil thermal conductivity (λ) across a specific field. In a previous study, a new methodology using a Gaussian processes model was presented to account for the spatial variability in the λ-θ relationship. The model aggregated θ measurements from soil moisture sensors scattered over the SPHP transect with the corresponding DTS λ measurements at their locations. In this study, a novel methodology is tested to optimize the number and locations of soil moisture sensors required to account for the spatial variability of the λ - θ relationship to achieve higher accuracy from the SPHP technique. The proposed methodology utilizes hierarchical clustering to analyze the information contained in the spatial structure of the SPHP measurements as the soil dries from a nearly-saturated condition. The proposed methodology was tested using data from a field in Oklahoma. Monte-Carlo simulation was performed to validate the performance of the proposed methodology. The predictions obtained from the proposed methodology resulted in θ measurements accuracy comparable to those obtained from the 10% best Monte-Carlo iterations of randomly assigned soil moisture locations. Further, this study demonstrates that the proposed methodology is more efficient than the traditional practice of randomly spreading calibration soil moisture sensors along the SPHP transect.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Determination of Arsenic Content in Water Using a Silver Coordination Polymer

In this report, we describe a practical method for the colorimetric determination of dissolved inorganic arsenic content in water samples, using a silver coordination polymer as the sensing material. We demonstrate that a crystalline polymer framework can be used to stabilize silver(I) ions, greatly reducing both photosensitivity and water solubility, while still affording sufficient reactivity to detect arsenic in water samples at low parts-per-billion (ppb) levels. Test strips fabricated with the silver-based polymer are shown to be effective for field tests of groundwater under real-world operating conditions and display performance that is competitive with commercially available mercury-based test strips. Spectroscopic methods are also used to probe the reaction products formed, in order to better understand the sensing mechanism. Thus, our work provides the foundation for an improved field test that could be deployed to help manage groundwater usage in regions where arsenic contamination is problematic but sophisticated lab testing is not readily available.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

REFRACTORY COMPACT HEAT EXCHANGERS WITH EMBEDDED SENSORS ENABLED BY HYBRID ADVANCED SINTERING AND ADDITIVE APPROACH

Structural health monitoring (SHM) of compact heat exchangers (CHXs) operating in extreme environments is essential for ensuring system reliability, safety, and longevity. This study presents the development of high-temperature sensors fabricated via aerosol jet printing (AJP) using platinum ink, selected for its exceptional thermal stability, oxidation resistance, and electrical conductivity. AJP enables precise deposition of fine-feature sensor patterns onto complex geometries, making it well-suited for integration within CHX architectures. To enhance sensor durability, an alumina-based ceramic protective layer was printed over the platinum sensing elements. The sensors demonstrated stable, repeatable performance up to 900?°C during extended thermal cycling. A custom test setup was developed to evaluate sensor accuracy and robustness under steady-state and transient conditions. Substrate screening identified HG-1 ceramic-coated stainless steel as the most effective platform, offering strong adhesion and low resistance. Furthermore, electric field-assisted sintering (EFAS) was employed to embed the sensors into stainless steel 316L matrices without degrading their functionality. Post-embedding electrical tests confirmed sensor integrity, and initial characterization suggests strong potential for in-situ monitoring. This work provides a scalable strategy for integrating high-performance temperature sensors directly into refractory components, advancing embedded SHM technologies for harsh operating environments.

36 - MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Geomechanical and Hydrogeological Evaluation of a Shallow Hydraulic Fracture at the Devine Fracture Pilot Site, Medina County, Texas

UT-Austin’s Devine Fracture Pilot Site, 50 miles southwest of San Antonio, Texas, has been targeted for a comprehensive, multidisciplinary development of fracture diagnostic techniques that are cross-validated by ground-truth data acquisition near a recently created, 175-ft-deep, horizontal hydraulic fracture (Ahmadian et al. 2018 Demonstration of proof of concept of electromagnetic geophysical methods for high resolution illumination of induced fracture networks. In Proceedings of the SPE Hydraulic Fracturing Technology Conference and Exhibition, The Woodlands, Texas, USA, 23–25 January 2018. SPE-189858-MS.). To evaluate the fracture diagnostic methods at this site, we conducted injection tests with a predefined volumetric flow-rate profile, resembling a diagnostic fracture injection test on September 2020. Subsequently, we developed hydrogeological and geomechanical models based on flow-rate and bottomhole-pressure measurements. History-matching efforts using a simplified layer-cake hydrogeological model resulted in the field-scale formation permeability of 9.87 × 10 –15 m 2 (10 mD) and Darcy-scale fracture permeability. The analysis of the bottomhole pressure and injection-rate history showed that (1) the newly created horizontal fracture was closed adjacent to the injection well pre-injection and (2) the initial pump-pressure increase at a nominal volumetric injection rate led to near-well fracture reopening, fluid conductivity increase, and abrupt injection-rate increase. To overcome hydrogeological-model limitations of predicting fracture reopening throughout injection, we extended the modeling to a finite-element, poroelastic analysis of horizontal-fracture growth using a cohesive-zone model. Using this fracture-reopening model, we improved the history match of the transient-pressure response during the experiment by adjusting the hydromechanical properties. Furthermore, post-injection pressure transient analyses helped reduce uncertainty in the overburden-stress gradient, and the initial hydraulic-fracturing simulation verified the plausibility of achieving the surveyed propped fracture area.

02 PETROLEUM↗
DOE OSTI2021

Calibration and field deployment of low-cost sensor network to monitor underground pipeline leakage

Recent technological advances in methane detection have improved leak detection and repair. However, current methods to reliably measure methane concentrations rely on expensive instruments or demand significant labor input. There is interest in using affordable methane sensors that are responsive to ppmv level changes in methane concentrations in both urban and rural environments for monitoring underground natural gas pipeline leaks. This is especially relevant for situations where potentially significant leaks cannot be repaired immediately or smaller leaks that require long-term monitoring and further evaluation. In this work, a low-cost sensor unit, equipped with a metal oxide sensor, was designed, built, and calibrated over a wide range of methane concentrations and environmental conditions in preparation for field application. A network of these sensors was then installed at the test site and used to measure methane concentrations at ground level above known sub-surface natural gas emissions which emulated underground gas pipeline leaks. This low-cost sensor network measured over 4 days total for the two different known leakage rates. Results demonstrate that the sensors can continuously measure relative methane variability for extended periods but require calibration for a wide range of temperature and humidity conditions to properly determine absolute gas (i.e., methane) concentrations. Furthermore, when a regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the effects of meteorological parameters on methane concentration, air temperature and wind speed have strong impacts on the concentration. Overall, the network approach allows improved identification of leak location and monitoring of underground natural gas leaks.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

Dynamic in-context learning with conversational models for data extraction and materials property prediction

The advent of natural language processing and large language models (LLMs) has revolutionized the extraction of data from unstructured scholarly papers. However, ensuring data trustworthiness remains a significant challenge. In this paper, we introduce PropertyExtractor, an open-source tool that leverages advanced conversational LLMs such as Google gemini-pro and OpenAI gpt-4, blends zero-shot with few-shot in-context learning, and employs engineered prompts for the dynamic refinement of structured information hierarchies—enabling autonomous, efficient, scalable, and accurate identification, extraction, and verification of material property data. Our tests on material data demonstrate precision and recall that exceed 95% with an error rate of ∼9%, highlighting the effectiveness and versatility of the toolkit. Finally, databases for 2D material thicknesses, a critical parameter for device integration, and energy bandgap values are developed using PropertyExtractor. In particular, for the thickness database, the rapid evolution of the field has outpaced both experimental measurements and computational methods, creating a significant data gap. Our work addresses this gap and showcases the potential of PropertyExtractor as a reliable and efficient tool for the autonomous generation of various material property databases, advancing the field.

Ekuma, Chinedu E. (ORCID:0000000258527556)↗
DOE OSTI2025

Non-intrusive measurement of magnetic field strengths in a low-pressure argon plasma using quantum beat spectroscopy

Abstract Accurate measurement of magnetic field strengths is critical in many plasma environments, ranging from astrophysical systems to fusion energy research. In this work, a non-perturbative laser-based optical diagnostic known as quantum beat spectroscopy is demonstrated to be good alternative for measuring the magnetic field strength in low-pressure laboratory plasmas. The technique is investigated using both ns and fs pulsed lasers in an argon plasma. Preliminary results for a helium plasma are also given. Zeeman-split J = 1 electron states with transitions from metastable states were identified and tested for neutral argon ( 2 P 1 / 2 o ) 4 p 2 [ 1 / 2 ] and neutral helium 1 s 3 p 1 P 1 o . Magnetic fields are measured with sub-Gauss precision at near single laser pulse acquisition rates.

Gilbert, Tyler J. (ORCID:0000000160400119)↗
DOE OSTI2021

A New Design of a Dressed Balloon Cavity with Superior Mechanical Properties

Superconducting spoke cavities are prone to multipactor - resonant raise of a number of electrons due to secondary emission. Recently proposed and tested by TRIUMF balloon-type spoke cavity showed an outstanding multipactor (MP) suppression property but unfortunately serious Q degradation at high fields. A new fully developed design of a dressed balloon cavity which can be used for any proton linac SSR2 section is developed. The design incorporates additional EP ports for high Q-factor demonstration. Superior properties are demonstrated, such as effective multipactor suppression, 40% lower Lorentz force coefficient, zero sensitivity to external pressure. This paper presents the results of coupled structural Multiphysics analysis, and engineering design of the dressed balloon cavity with EP ports.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Integrating Light Curve and Atmospheric Modeling of Transiting Exoplanets

Spectral retrieval techniques are currently our best tool to interpret the observed exoplanet atmospheric data. Said techniques retrieve the optimal atmospheric components and parameters by identifying the best fit to an observed transmission/emission spectrum. Over the past decade, our understanding of remote worlds in our galaxy has flourished thanks to the use of increasingly sophisticated spectral retrieval techniques and the collective effort of the community working on exoplanet atmospheric models. A new generation of instruments in space and from the ground is expected to deliver higher quality data in the next decade; it is therefore paramount to upgrade current models and improve their reliability, their completeness, and the numerical speed with which they can be run. In this paper, we address the issue of reliability of the results provided by retrieval models in the presence of systematics of unknown origin. More specifically, we demonstrate that if we fit directly individual light curves at different wavelengths (L-retrieval), instead of fitting transit or eclipse depths, as it is currently done (S-retrieval), the said methodology is more sensitive against astrophysical and instrumental noise. This new approach is tested, in particular, when discrepant simulated observations from Hubble Space Telescope/Wide Field Camera 3 and Spitzer/IRAC are combined. We find that while S-retrievals converge to an incorrect solution without any warning, L-retrievals are able to flag potential discrepancies between the data sets.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Hardware-in-the-Loop Evaluation for Potential High Limit Estimation-Based PV Plant Active Control: Preprint

This paper validates the effectiveness of an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven PV plant control and optimization approach, namely, the Automated Learner for Intermittency Control by Extrapolation (ALICE), in empowering PV plant as a dependable grid reliability service provider. The validation is performed in a realistic laboratory controller-hardware-in-the-loop (CHIL) environment, leveraging accurate PV plant modeling and standard industrial communication protocol. Simulation results, considering both varying weather conditions and active control scenarios, demonstrate the superior performance of ALICE in improving the grid service delivery precision and reducing the over-curtailment compared to a state-of-the-art approach, i.e., reference-control grouping based approach. Such a work could help mitigate risks and provide practical guidance during the field deployment of ALICE, while establishing a standardized testing framework for evaluating various PV active control strategies.

hardware-in-the-loop↗
DOE OSTI2021

Local-Field Effects in Linear Response Properties within a Polarizable Frozen Density Embedding Method

In this work, we present a polarizable frozen density embedding (FDE) method for calculating polarizabilities of coupled subsystems. The method (FDE-pol) combines a FDE method with an explicit polarization model such that the expensive freeze/thaw cycles can be bypassed, and approximate nonadditive kinetic potentials are avoided by enforcing external orthogonality between the subsystems. To describe the polarization of the frozen environment, we introduce a Hirshfeld partition-based density-dependent method for calculating the atomic polarizabilities of atoms in molecules, which alleviates the need to fit the atomic parameters to a specific system of interest or to a larger general set of molecules. Further, we show that the Hirshfeld partition-based method predicts molecular polarizabilities close to the basis set limit, and thus, a single basis set-dependent scaling parameter can be introduced to improve the agreement against the reference polarizability data. To test the model, we characterized the uncoupled and coupled response of small interacting molecular complexes. Here, the coupled response properties include the perturbation of the frozen system due to the external perturbation which is ignored in the uncoupled response. We show that FDE-pol can accurately reproduce both the exact uncoupled polarizability and the coupled polarizabilities of the supermolecular systems. Using damped response theory, we also demonstrate that the coupled frequency-dependent polarizability can be described by including local field effects. The results emphasize the necessity of including local-field effects for describing the response properties of coupled subsystems, as well as the importance of accurate atomic polarizability models.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2023

Beam Test Results of the RADiCAL—A Radiation Hard Innovative EM Calorimeter

High-performance calorimetry conducted at future hadron colliders, such as the FCC-hh, poses a significant challenge for applying current detector technologies due to unprecedented beam luminosities and radiation fields. Solutions include developing scintillators that are capable of separating events at the sub-fifty picosecond level while also maintaining performance after extreme and constant neutron and ionizing radiation exposure. The radiation-hard innovative calorimeter (RADiCAL) is an approach that incorporates radiation tolerant materials in a sampling “shashlik”-style calorimeter configuration, using quartz capillaries filled with organic liquid or polymer-based wavelength shifters embedded in layers of tungsten plates and lutetium-yttrium oxyorthosilicate (LYSO) crystals. Here, this novel design intends to address the priority research directions (PRD) for calorimetry listed in the DOE basic research needs (BRN) workshop for high energy physics (HEP) instrumentation. Here we report preliminary results from an experimental run at the Fermilab Test Beam Facility (FTBF) in June 2022. These tests demonstrate that the RADiCAL concept is capable of ¡50 ps timing resolution.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

3x3 array module of 8×8×32 mm 3 position-sensitive virtual frisch-grid CdZnTe detectors for imaging and spectroscopy of cosmic gamma-rays

Here, we evaluated the performance of the 3x3 array of 32-mm long position-sensitive virtual Frisch-grid (VFG) CdZnTe (CZT) detectors read out by the IDEAS GDS-100 data acquisition system. The array is a mechanically solid module designed for integration into a large effective area gamma-ray telescope proposed for imaging and spectroscopy of cosmic gamma-rays. The array employs the bar-shaped 8x8x32 mm 3 CZT crystals which recently became available from Redlen Technologies, Inc. and Kromek-eV Group PLC at affordable costs. The waveform sampling IDE3421 application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), developed by the University of Michigan and IDEAS for CZT pixel detectors, was adapted to capture the signals from the array's VFG detectors. We showed good spectral performance of the Redlen detectors with an energy resolution of <1% FWHM at 662 keV and slightly poorer performance of the Kromek-eV detectors with a resolution of <2% measured at a reduced temperature of 13 °C. By testing the same detectors as single devices using hybrid charge-sensitive preamplifiers, we demonstrated improved energy resolutions at a normal temperature of ~25°C: <1% and 1.3-1.7%, respectively. However, the Kromek-eV detectors did not perform as well as the Redlen ones. We explained this by the space charge formation (polarization) decreasing the electric field and the electron drift times. The polarization was likely caused by the high injections of holes from the anode contacts. The absence of polarization in Redlen detectors suggested that the quality of the contacts might have played a role in this case.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2020

Achieving 280 Gbar hot spot pressure in DT-layered CH capsule implosions at the National Ignition Facility

We are reporting on a series of indirect-drive 0.9-scale CH capsule implosions (inner radius = 840 μm) fielded in low gas-fill (0.6 mg/cm 3 ) hohlraums of 6.72 mm diameter at the National Ignition Facility. Thanks to the 11%-reduction of the capsule size at a given hohlraum diameter compared to previously tested full-scale capsules, we achieved good hot spot symmetry control near 33% cone-fraction and without the need to invoke cross beam energy transfer. As a result, we achieved a hot spot pressure of 280 ± 40 Gbar, which is the highest pressure demonstrated in layered DT implosions with CH capsules to date. Pushing this design to higher velocity resulted in a reduction of neutron yield. Highly resolved capsule simulations suggest that higher Au M-shell preheat resulted in an increase in Atwood number at the ablator–ice interface, which leads to increased fuel-ablator instability and mixing. The results reported here provide important scaling information for next-generation CH designs.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗