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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 55 records · Page 3
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2018

Testing Results from the Low Activity Waste Pretreatment System (LAWPS) Full-Scale Ion Exchange Column Test and Engineering Scale Integrated System Test - 18634

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of River Protection's (ORP) primary mission is to retrieve and treat Hanford's tank waste and close the Tank Farms to protect the Columbia River. Mixed radioactive waste is stored in 177 underground tanks at the Hanford Site as reported in DOE/ORP 2003- 02, Environmental Impact Statement for Retrieval, Treatment, and Disposal of Tank Waste and Closure of the Single Shell Tanks at the Hanford Site, Richland WA, Inventory and Source Term Data Package. The 177 underground tanks are estimated to contain about 56 million gallons of waste. The Low Activity Waste Pretreatment System (LAWPS) Project provides for the early production of immobilized low activity waste (ILAW) by feeding LAW directly from Tank Farms to the Hanford Waste Treatment Plant's (WTP's) LAW Facility, bypassing the Pretreatment Facility. Prior to the transfer of feed to the WTP LAW Vitrification Facility, tank supernatant waste will be pretreated in the LAWPS to meet the WTP LAW waste acceptance criteria. The LAWPS will also facilitate the return of secondary liquid wastes from the WTP LAW Vitrification Facility to the Tank Farms. In November of 2015 DOE's Tank Operations Contractor, Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS), awarded a contract to the AECOM team to design, fabricate and operate two test platforms to generate performance data at two different scales and demonstrate technology maturation. The first platform models the ion exchange (IX) columns at full scale, and the second platform models the integrated flowsheet (cross flow filter (CFF) and IX) at 1/9. scale. Overarching technical objectives of performing the full-scale ion exchange test and the engineering-scale integrated test are to: 1. Test interactions between unit process operations; 2. Test removal of non-radioactive cesium from process stream; 3. Test removal of undissolved solids from process stream; 4. Confirm operational flow rate range and stability; 5. Confirm volumetric throughput of waste stream over flow operating range; 6. Confirm range of process temperatures over planned operating range; 7. Establish system hydraulics and process criteria; 8. Coordinate key control and monitoring components; 9. Establish treated product chemistry meets requirements (cesium, solids, and pH); and 10. Test the hazard control strategy for a no flow condition through the IX column. Data collected during testing will be used by WRPS to validate the preliminary design, inform the final design of the permanent plant equipment, and demonstrate that the critical technology elements have advanced to a technology readiness level of 6 (prototypical system validation in a relevant environment). Testing on both platforms started in fall of 2016 generating NQA-1 data. This paper covers test results from the first five phases of testing on the 1/9. scale integrated test platform. A further three phases of testing are currently being executed, these including a 5.6 M sodium simulant containing foulant, a high viscosity simulant and finally a run performed with a lower Cs concentration (all earlier tests were spiked to 4 x Cs to reduce volume and cost). Results from these tests were not available at the time of writing available. Results are also presented from the full scale IX testing. Eight test were performed covering column loading, elution and regeneration; column loading, elution and regeneration with upflow displacement; IX column loading and gas migration; resin removal; solids accumulation; and IX column emergency recirculation and vent. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2016

Performance tests of helium circulator under abnormal cooling conditions - 18523

Helium circulator is one of the key equipment of High-temperature Gas-cooled Reactor Pebble-bed Module (HTR-PM) and the unique rotating equipment of primary loop. It transports heat generated by fission reactions from reactor core to steam generator by forcing helium circulating in primary loop. As the study on the characteristics of helium circulator in HTGR was limited and the advanced designs integrated with many new technologies, a prototype of helium circulator was manufactured. It was supported by Active Magnetic Bearings (AMBs), and was assembled in a pressure vessel. The prototype was tested in Engineering Test Facility - Helium Circulator (ETF-HC), which is a full scale, rated flow rate and power, engineering test loop. Although performance tests under normal operation condition were successfully fulfilled, the complete features and performance still need further verification, especially for abnormal cooling conditions. Thus performance tests under abnormal cooling operation conditions were carried out. Tests such as temporary coolant loss of motor and AMBs cooler and abnormal high-temperature cooling water condition were fulfilled. All performance tests results showed that helium circulator met the entire requirement of HTR-PM plant under abnormal cooling conditions and validated its safety and reliability. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Tribological bench and engine dynamometer tests of a low viscosity SAE 0W-16 engine oil using a combination of ionic liquid and ZDDP as anti-wear additives

We have previously reported an oil-miscible phosphonium-organophosphate ionic liquid (IL) with an effective anti-wear (AW) functionality when added to a base oil by itself or combined with a conventional zinc dialkyldithiophosphate (ZDDP) for a synergistic effect. In this research, we investigated whether this synergy manifests in formulated engine oils. An experimental SAE 0W-16 engine oil was generated containing a combination of IL and ZDDP with equal phosphorus contribution. The prototype engine oil was first evaluated using tribological bench tests: AW performance in boundary lubrication (BL) and friction behavior (Stribeck curves) in elastohydrodynamic, mixed, and BL. In addition, the forthcoming standard Sequence VIE engine dynamometer test was then conducted to demonstrate improved fuel economy. Results were benchmarked against those of another experimental engine oil with almost the same formulation except using ZDDP only without the IL (similar total phosphorus content). The IL-ZDDP formulation consistently outperforms the ZDDP-only formulation in friction reduction and wear protection, and results from the bench and engine tests are well correlated.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2013

Novel biofuel formulations for enhanced vehicle performance

This interdisciplinary research program at Michigan State University, in collaboration with Ford Motor Company, has explored the application of tailored or designed biofuels for enhanced vehicle performance and reduced emissions. The project has included a broad range of experimental research, from chemical and biological formation of advanced biofuel components to multicylinder engine testing of blended biofuels to determine engine performance parameters. In addition, the project included computation modeling of biofuel physical and combustion properties, and simulation of advanced combustion modes in model engines and in single cylinder engines. Formation of advanced biofuel components included the fermentation of five-carbon and six-carbon sugars to n-butanol and to butyric acid, two four-carbon building blocks. Chemical transformations include the esterification of the butyric acid produced to make butyrate esters, and the esterification of succinic acid with n-butanol to make dibutyl succinate (DBS) as attractive biofuel components. The conversion of standard biodiesel, made from canola or soy oil, from the methyl ester to the butyl ester (which has better fuel properties), and the ozonolysis of biodiesel and the raw oil to produce nonanoate fuel components were also examined in detail. Physical and combustion properties of these advanced biofuel components were determined during the project. Physical properties such as vapor pressure, heat of evaporation, density, and surface tension, and low temperature properties of cloud point and cold filter plugging point were examined for pure components and for blends of components with biodiesel and standard petroleum diesel. Combustion properties, particularly emission delay that is the key parameter in compression ignition engines, was measured in the MSU Rapid Compression Machine (RCM), an apparatus that was designed and constructed during the project simulating the compression stroke of an internal combustion engine under highly instrumented conditions. Simulation of and experimentation on combustion in single and multicylinder engines was carried out in detail throughout the project. The combustion behavior of biofuel blends neat and in petroleum were characterized in the MSU optical engine, in part to validate results obtained in the RCM and to provide data for comparison with simulations. Simulation of in- cylinder, low-temperature combustion included development of an extensive fuel injection model that included fuel spray breakup, evaporation, and ignition, along with prediction of cylinder temperature, pressure, and work produced. Single cylinder and multicylinder engine tests under advanced low-temperature combustion conditions conducted at Ford Motor Company validated experimental and simulation results obtained in the MSU engine and in MSU simulations. Single cylinder engine tests of an advanced biofuel containing biodiesel and dibutyl succinate, carried out under low-temperature combustion conditions, showed similar power generation and gas-phase emissions (CO, HC, NOx), but a reduction in particulates of as much as 60% relative to neat biodiesel and 95% relative to petroleum diesel at the same operating conditions. This remarkable finding suggests that biofuels may be able to play a role in eliminating the need for particulate removal systems in diesel vehicles. The multicylinder engine tests at Ford, carried out using butyl nonanoate as an advanced biofuel, also gave promising results, showing a strong decline in particulate emissions and simultaneously a modest decrease in NOx emissions relative to standard petroleum diesel at the same conditions. In summary, this project has shown that advanced biofuels and their blends are capable of maintaining performance while reducing emissions, particularly particulates (soot), in 3 compression ignition engines. The interdisciplinary nature of biofuel production and testing has identified fuel properties that are capable of producing such performance, thus providing direction for the implementation of renewable fuels for U.S. transportation. The testing and simulation studies have deepened our understanding of combustion 1) by advancing the rigor with which simulations can be carried out and 2) by illustrating that differences in biofuel and petroleum fuel properties can be used to predict differences in combustion behavior in engines. The future viability of biofuels for compression ignition (diesel) engines is now subject to economic (cost) uncertainty more so than to technical barriers, as the advanced biofuel blends developed here can improve cold-weather fuel properties, provide similar engine performance, and reduce emissions.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Study of the Effects of Various Injection Geometries on the Operation of a Rotating Detonation Engine

Test data for operation of a rotating detonation engine using Hydrogen-air mixtures at air mass fluxes of 40-115 kg/m2s and a range of global equivalence ratios using three different injection schemes are presented and discussed. Stable rotation of at least one detonation wave traveling at speeds of 1380-1650 m/s is achieved for each injector under certain conditions. A variety of stable, unstable, and transitory combustion processes are seen, and data collected from high-speed pressure transducers is used to characterize this behavior. Further insight into what drives the operating mode for each injector is provided with the aid of static pressure measurements and a simple model to estimate injector jet Mach numbers and momentum fluxes. Comparisons are made between the injectors using average pressure measurements taken along the detonation channel. When these data are normalized by the feed system stagnation pressure self similar profiles are seen and clear trends in pressure losses among the injectors emerge.

Duvall, James↗
DOE OSTI2015

Advanced Gasoline Turbocharged Direction Injection (GTDI) Engine Development

This program was undertaken in response to US Department of Energy Solicitation DE-FOA-0000079, resulting in a cooperative agreement with Ford and MTU to demonstrate improvement of fuel efficiency in a vehicle equipped with an advanced GTDI engine. Ford Motor Company has invested significantly in GTDI engine technology as a cost effective, high volume, fuel economy solution, marketed globally as EcoBoost technology. Ford envisions additional fuel economy improvement in the medium and long term by further advancing EcoBoost technology. The approach for the project was to engineer a comprehensive suite of gasoline engine systems technologies to achieve the project objectives, and to progressively demonstrate the objectives via concept analysis / computer modeling, single-cylinder and multi-cylinder engine testing on engine dynamometer, and vehicle level testing on chassis rolls.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Emissions From Various Biodiesel Sources Compared to a Range of Diesel Fuels in DPF Equipped Diesel Engines

The purpose of this study was to measure the impact of various sources of petroleum-based and bio-based diesel fuels on regulated emissions and fuel economy in diesel particulate filter (DPF) equipped diesel engines. Two model year 2008 diesel engines were tested with nine fuels including a certification ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD), local ULSD, high aromatic ULSD, low aromatic ULSD, and twenty percent blends of biodiesel derived from algae, camelina, soy, tallow, and yellow grease. Regulated emissions were measured over the heavy duty diesel transient test cycle. Measurements were also made of DPF-out particle size distribution and total particle count from a 13-mode steady state test using a fast mobility particle sizer. Test engines were a 2008 Cummins ISB and a 2008 International Maxx Force 10, both equipped with actively regenerated DPFs. Fuel consumption was roughly 2% greater over the transient test cycle for the B20 blends versus certification ULSD in both engines, consistent with the slightly lower energy content of biodiesel. Unlike studies conducted on older model engines, these engines equipped with diesel oxidation catalysts and DPFs showed small or no measurable fuel effect on the tailpipe emissions of total hydrocarbons (THC), carbon monoxide (CO) and particulate matter (PM). No differences in particle size distribution or total particle count were seen in a comparison of certification ULSD and B20 soy, with the exception of engine idling conditions where B20 produced a small reduction in the number of nucleation mode particles. In the Cummins engine, B20 prepared from algae, camelina, soy, and tallow resulted in an approximately 2.5% increase in nitrogen oxides (NO{sub x}) compared to the base fuel. The International engine demonstrated a higher degree of variability for NO{sub x} emissions, and fuel effects could not be resolved (p > 0.05). The group of petroleum diesel test fuels produced a range of NO{sub x} emissions very similar to that caused by blending of biodiesel. Test cycles where an active regeneration of the DPF occurred resulted in a nearly threefold increase in NO{sub x} emissions and a 15% increase in fuel consumption. The full quantification of DPF regeneration events further complicates the accurate calculation of fuel impacts on emissions and fuel consumption.

02 PETROLEUM↗
DOE OSTI2011

Impact of Biodiesel Impurities on the Performance and Durability of DOC, DPF and SCR Technologies

It is estimated that operating continuously on a B20 fuel containing the current allowable ASTM specification limits for metal impurities in biodiesel could result in a doubling of ash exposure relative to lube-oil derived ash. The purpose of this study was to determine if a fuel containing metals at the ASTM limits could cause adverse impacts on the performance and durability of diesel emission control systems. An accelerated durability test method was developed to determine the potential impact of these biodiesel impurities. The test program included engine testing with multiple DPF substrate types as well as DOC and SCR catalysts. The results showed no significant degradation in the thermo-mechanical properties of cordierite, aluminum titanate, or silicon carbide DPFs after exposure to 150,000 mile equivalent biodiesel ash and thermal aging. However, exposure of a cordierite DPF to 435,000 mile equivalent aging resulted in a 69% decrease in the thermal shock resistance parameter. It is estimated that the additional ash from 150,000 miles of biodiesel use would also result in a moderate increases in exhaust backpressure for a DPF. A decrease in DOC activity was seen after exposure to 150,000 mile equivalent aging, resulting in higher HC slip and a reduction in NO{sub 2} formation. The metal-zeolite SCR catalyst experienced a slight loss in activity after exposure to 435,000 mile equivalent aging. This catalyst, placed downstream of the DPF, showed a 5% reduction in overall NOx conversion activity over the HDDT test cycle.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Bayes Inference Engine (BIE) Test Plan: TiltConeBeamComboDMLinear

The Bayes Inference Engine (BIE) is a general software tool intended to be used primarily in the analysis of radiographic data for density. An analysis is set up in the BIE by representing the problem as a collection of modules called glyphs. All glyphs to be used in creating the forward model of the experiment will be tested separately for a range of inputs.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2020

Bayes Inference Engine (BIE) Test Plan: TiltConeBeamComboDMGeometric

The Bayes Inference Engine (BIE) is a general software tool intended to be used primarily in the analysis of radiographic data for density. An analysis is set up in the BIE by representing the problem as a collection of modules called glyphs. All glyphs to be used in creating the forward model of the experiment will be tested separately for a range of inputs.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2012

Particulate Matter Sampling and Volatile Organic Compound Removal for Characterization of Spark Ignited Direct Injection Engine Emissions

More stringent emissions regulations are continually being proposed to mitigate adverse human health and environmental impacts of internal combustion. With that in mind, it has been proposed that vehicular particulate matter (PM) emissions should be regulated based on particle number in addition to particle mass. One aspect of this project is to study different sample handling methods for number based aerosol measurements, specifically, two different methods for removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from an aerosol sample. One method is a Dekati Thermodenuder (TD) and the other is an evaporative chamber/diluter (EvCh). These sample handling methods have been implemented for this project in an engine test cell built around a direct injection spark ignited (DISI) engine. The engine was designed for stoichiometric, homogeneous combustion. Direct injection is of particular interest for improved fuel efficiency but this comes with the production of a significant amount of (PM) and may therefore be subject to the proposed number based regulation. Another aspect of this project is to characterize PM from this engine in terms of particle number and composition. The first interesting observation is that PM number distributions, acquired using a TSI SMPS, have a large accumulation mode (30-294 nm) but a very small nuclei mode (8-30 nm). This is understood to represent a lack of condensation particles meaning that neither the exhaust conditions nor the sample handling conditions are conducive to condensation. This lack of nuclei mode does not, however, represent a lack of VOCs in the sample. It has been observed, using mass spectral analysis (limited to PM>50 nm), that PM from the DISI engine has approximately 40% organic content through varying operating conditions. This begs the question of how effective different sample handling methods are at removing these VOCs. For one specific operating condition, called Cold Start, the un-treated PM was 40% organic. The TD reduced this by 7% while the EvCh reduced it by 13%. For other operating conditions, PM treated for volatile removal actually exhibited an increase in organic fraction on the order of 5%. This addition appears to be sensitive to the gaseous hydrocarbon concentrations in the exhaust although a precise correlation has not yet been derived. It has been concluded that VOCs are tightly bound to the PM carbon core and thus are not effectively removed by either treatment method.

Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory↗
DOE OSTI2020

Bayes Inference Engine (BIE) Test Plan: TiltConeBeamFVT

The Bayes Inference Engine (BIE) is a general software tool intended to be used primarily in the analysis of radiographic data for density. An analysis is set up in the BIE by representing the problem as a collection of modules called glyphs. All glyphs to be used in creating the forward model of the experiment will be tested separately for a range of inputs. The testing of the adjoint code is performed in a separate document.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗