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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 OSTI2023

Improving Experimental Design through Uncertainty Analysis

In this paper, the development of a fission-gas collecting and physical-analysis-enabling instrument was proposed for small-volume determination. Analysis specifications require a design capable of accurately and repeatably determining volumes in the range of 0.07–2.5 mL. This system relies on a series of gas expansions originating from a cylinder with known internal volume. The combined gas law is used to derive the unknown volumes from these expansions. Initial system designs included one of two known volumes, 11.85 ± 0.34 mL and 5.807 ± 0.078 mL, with a manifold volume of 32 mL. Results obtained from modeling this system’s operation showed that 0.07 mL can be determined with a relative expanded uncertainty greater than 300% (k = 2) for a single replicate, which was unacceptable for the proposed experimental design. Initial modeling showed that the volume connecting the known volume and rodlet, i.e., the manifold volume, and the sensitivity of the pressure sensor were key contributors to the expanded uncertainty of the measured rodlet volume. The system’s design limited the available options for pressure sensors, so emphasis was placed on the design of the manifold volume. The final system design reduced the manifold volume to 17 mL. These changes in design, combined with replicate analysis, were able to reduce the relative expanded uncertainty by ±12% (k = 2) for the 0.07 mL volume.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2015

A versatile, pulsed anion source utilizing plasma-entrainment: Characterization and applications

A novel pulsed anion source has been developed, using plasma entrainment into a supersonic expansion. A pulsed discharge source perpendicular to the main gas expansion greatly reduces unwanted “heating” of the main expansion, a major setback in many pulsed anion sources in use today. The design principles and construction information are described and several examples demonstrate the range of applicability of this anion source. Large OH{sup −}(Ar){sub n} clusters can be generated, with over 40 Ar solvating OH{sup −}. The solvation energy of OH{sup −}(Ar){sub n}, where n = 1-3, 7, 12, and 18, is derived from photoelectron spectroscopy and shows that by n = 12-18, each Ar is bound by about 10 meV. In addition, cis– and trans– HOCO{sup −} are generated through rational anion synthesis (OH{sup −} + CO + M → HOCO{sup −} + M) and the photoelectron spectra compared with previous results. These results, along with several further proof-of-principle experiments on solvation and transient anion synthesis, demonstrate the ability of this source to efficiently produce cold anions. With modifications to two standard General Valve assemblies and very little maintenance, this anion source provides a versatile and straightforward addition to a wide array of experiments.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS1974

The Coanda effect in gas-dynamic noise control

The principle types of silencers are discussed for gas dynamic noise of free steam and gas expansions, as well as the results of research in gas dynamics of jets and applied acoustics. Gas dynamic noise attenuation by means of the Coanda effect is due to fluid decompression in a Coanda ejector of the external type, where a structural change takes place in the acoustic frequency spectrum and in its direction, as well as a substantial decrease in the fluid's velocity, temperature and concentration. This process is continued in the second phase with absorption of the acoustic waves by means of an active structure.

Vasilescu, G.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Characterization of shale using Helium and Argon at high pressures

In order to estimate the shale gas in place and the eventual recovery during shale gas operations, one of the key requirements is to accurately characterize the shale’s petrophysical and transport properties such as porosity, permeability, diffusivity, and storage capacity. Despite the many efforts reported in the technical literature aiming to provide an improved understanding of the complex pore structures and the associated fluid flow in gas shales, complete characterization of organic-rich shale samples still poses a big challenge. Here, we have characterized mass transfer and sorption in shale at different length scales using Helium (He) and Argon (Ar) as probe gases. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) with a shale cube of ~1 cm 3 in size and gas expansion experiments with a full-diameter core (3.5” in diameter) were used to measure sorption kinetics/isotherms and mass transfer, respectively. Both samples are from the same depth/location in the Marcellus shale formation. The TGA steady-state technique was initially used to generate excess sorption isotherms for Ar, while dynamic TGA experiments were used to study its sorption kinetics. The TGA experiments demonstrate that Ar, which has a similar sorption potential as Methane, but is generally assumed to be inert, adsorbs onto the surfaces of the mesoporous and microporous regions of the shale samples according to a Langmuir-type behavior. Helium expansion experiments, on the full-diameter core, were used to measure the overall porosity, on the basis that He is a non-sorbing and inert gas as compared to Ar. The He expansion experiments, furthermore, allow us to delineate the mass transfer of gas across the inherent hierarchy of pore sizes, including macropores (macro- and microcracks), mesopores and micropores. Similar expansion experiments were also performed with Ar to study the combined impact of mass transfer and sorption. A triple-porosity model (TPM) was utilized to interpret the He expansion experiments with the shale core and to extract (estimate) relevant transport parameters. We report and compare here the diffusivities and permeabilities of the whole core for both He and Ar, as calculated from the modeling and fitting of the experimental data. On the premise that the shale cube is representative of the matrix region of the core, the Ar sorption kinetics from the cube experiments were subsequently combined with the transport parameters extracted from the He experiments to predict the behavior of the Ar expansion test with the full-diameter core. An excellent agreement is observed between the model predictions and the experimental data. The experimental observations and their interpretation indicate that one must be cautious when using Ar to estimate the true porosity and permeability of shales. In addition, we demonstrate that He and Ar probe gases, when used in tandem, can be employed effectively as a tool to characterize shales in terms of mass transfer and sorption dynamics across scales.

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Joint Electricity and Natural Gas Transmission Planning with Endogenous Market Feedbacks

Recent trends in gas-fired power plant installation has increased the connections between the electric power and natural gas industries. Despite these dependencies, both industries must meet commercial, political, operational and technical requirements that often force the industries to plan and operate in isolation. As a result, undesired situations may arise, such as those experienced by both systems during the winter of 2013/2014 in the northeastern United States. In this work, we consider the technical challenges and present a Combined Electricity and Gas Expansion (CEGE) planning model. The CEGE model minimizes the cost of meeting gas and electricity demand during high stress conditions and introduces an elasticity model for analysis of gas-price volatility caused by congestion. The underlying mathematical formulation considers recent advances in convex approximations to make the problem computationally tractable when applied to large-scale CEGE instances. We conduct an indepth analysis on integrated test systems that include the New England area.

03 NATURAL GAS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Numerical Modeling of CO 2 and Brine Leakage through Open Fracture in a Fault Zone: Open Channel Flow or Darcy Flow

Understanding fluids migration and leakage risk along the fault zone is necessary to guarantee the safety of CO 2 geological storage. The validity of Darcy’s law gets challenged in dealing with the flow in open fractures since the occurring of turbulence flow. In this study, we develop a 2D model with usage of T2Well, an integrated wellbore-reservoir simulator, to investigate the leakage problem along open fractures which are embedded in a fault zone from the deep injection reservoir to shallow aquifers. The results record a positive feedback of gas expansion and pressure response in fracture, which causes a quick downward propagation of highly gas saturated zone from the top of fracture and an easy gas breakthrough in the shallower aquifers. The decreasing of aperture size of fracture significantly enhances the leakage rates in fracture, but with less influences as aperture increases. In comparison, the Equivalent Porous Media models show a good approximation with the momentum model of large apertures but poor for the small one. Nevertheless, the differences are small in terms of final CO 2 distribution among various aquifers, suggesting that Darcy’s law may be still “effective” in solving flow problem along fractures in a constant injection system at a large time scale.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

Thermal enhancement cartridge heater modified tritium hydride bed development, Part 2 - Experimental validation of key conceptual design features

The Thermal Enhancement Cartridge Heater Modified (TECH Mod) tritium hydride bed is an interim replacement for the first generation (Gen1) process hydride beds currently in service in the Savannah River Site (SRS) Tritium Facilities. 3 new features are implemented in the TECH Mod hydride bed prototype: internal electric cartridge heaters, porous divider plates, and copper foam discs. These modifications will enhance bed performance and reduce costs by improving bed activation and installation processes, in-bed accountability measurements, end-of-life bed removal, and He-3 recovery. A full-scale hydride bed test station was constructed at the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) in order to evaluate the performance of the prototype TECH Mod hydride bed. Controlled hydrogen (H{sub 2}) absorption/ desorption experiments were conducted to validate that the conceptual design changes have no adverse effects on the gas transfer kinetics or H{sub 2} storage/release properties compared to those of the Gen1 bed. Inert gas expansions before, during, and after H{sub 2} flow tests were used to monitor changes in gas transfer rates with repeated hydriding/de-hydriding of the hydride material. The gas flow rates significantly decreased after initial hydriding of the material; however, minimal changes were observed after repeated cycling. The data presented herein confirm that the TECH Mod hydride bed would be a suitable replacement for the Gen1 bed with the added enhancements expected from the advanced design features. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
NASA NTRS1982

Mass spectrometry in the stratosphere

A gas expansion system incorporating a mass spectrometer that has been successfully flown in the stratosphere is described. Neutral gas particles are formed into a molecular beam that traverses the ion source of the mass spectrometer without wall interactions. It is noted that vertical profiles of such constituents as H2O, CO2, and O3 have been measured in the altitude range of 20 to 40 km during balloon descents. Isotopes of important gases (N2, O2, Ar) provided in-flight calibration standards. Before each flight the mass spectrometer system is calibrated in the laboratory for many gases of interest, including ozone. Mixing ratios of ozone established from recent flights have accuracies of better than 5 percent. The sensitivity of the system is sufficient to detect as well the heavy isotope of ozone at mass 50. A noticeable enhancement of heavy ozone in the upper stratosphere has been found. The mass spectrometer system is seen as providing a unique opportunity to perform in situ measurements in the stratosphere in combination with isotopic studies.

Mauersberger, K.↗
NASA NTRS1948

Effect of Turbine Axial Nozzle-Wheel Clearance on Performance of Mark 25 Torpedo Power Plant

Investigations were made of the turbine from a Mark 25 torpedo to determine the performance of the unit with three different turbine nozzles at various axial nozzle-wheel clearances. Turbine efficiency with a reamed nondivergent nozzle that uses the axial clearance space for gas expansion was little affected by increasing the axial running clearance from 0.030 to 0.150 inch. Turbine efficiency with cast nozzles that expanded the gas inside the nozzle passage was found to be sensitive to increased axial nozzle-wheel clearance. A cast nozzle giving a turbine brake efficiency of 0.525 at an axial running clearance of 0.035 inch gave a brake efficiency of 0.475 when the clearance was increased to 0.095 inch for the same inlet-gas conditions and blade-jet speed ratio. If the basis for computing the isentropic power available to the turbine is the temperature inside the nozzle rather then the temperature in the inlet-gas pipe, an increase in turbine efficiency of about 0.01 is indicated.

Hoyt, Jack W.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Further laboratory studies and stratospheric flight of a mass spectrometer beam system

A gas expansion system combined with a mass spectrometer has been tested and flown successfully in the stratosphere. Through a sequence of orifices and high speed pumping, gas particles were formed into a molecular beam and analyzed by a sensitive mass spectrometer. During two balloon flights, vertical profiles of all major atmospheric constituents as well as O3, CO2, H2O and others were obtained. Gases such as AR38 and O16;O17 provided in-flight calibration standards. The sensitivity of the system was such that gases with mixing ratios of 10 ppb at an ambient pressure of about 10 mbar were detectable.

Mauersberger, K.↗
DOE OSTI2019

Formulation of Multicomponent Lattice Gas Model Cluster Expansions Parameterized on Ab Initio Data: An Introduction to the Ab Initio Mean-Field Augmented Lattice Gas Modeling Code

A formalism is presented for the construction of multicomponent lattice gas models parameterized with ab initio (typically density functional theory) data. The leave-multiple-out and the leave-one-out cross validation score are showcased, and practical algorithms are developed and implemented in a new code called the Ab initio Mean-field Augmented Lattice Gas Modeling (AMALGM) code. Here, the functionality of these algorithms is demonstrated with a fully worked out example using the O/Fe(100) system. AMALGM and the formalism on which it is based are envisioned as a surface-oriented lattice gas alternative to other cluster expansion codes that are typically geared toward bulk systems whose lateral interactions between components are parameterized using an Ising model. While the formalism is created within the context of surfaces, it is equally applicable to bulk materials.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2024

UT-GOM2-2 Preliminary Report: Terrebonne Basin Northern Gulf of Mexico, 30 July-28 September 2023

In the summer and fall of 2023, the Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Hydrate Coring Expedition (UT-GOM2-2) drilled, cored, made downhole measurements, and analyzed samples from the seafloor to the base of the gas hydrate stability zone in one location (Site H, WR313) in the Terrebonne basin, deepwater Gulf of Mexico. Analyses of data and samples from the expedition will inform biological, geochemical, and geomechanical models to constrain the role of gas hydrates in the carbon cycle and the potential for gas hydrates as an energy resource. Pressure and conventional cores were collected continuously to a depth of 155.1 meters below the seafloor (mbsf). At deeper depths, cores were taken periodically from hydrate-bearing sands and their bounding muds to a total depth of 861.3 mbsf. 162.6 m of conventional core and 54.8 m of pressure core were obtained. Twelve temperature measurements were made between 27.1 and 144.5 mbsf to determine the geothermal gradient. At the seafloor, more than 4 m of sandy silt of unknown origin was encountered. Beneath this sand, to a depth of ~200 mbsf, the section was composed of interbedded mud and biogenic carbonate ooze. The biogenic ooze correlated to low density and high porosity intervals observed in the previously acquired logging while drilling (LWD) data and as measured. Calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy constrains the entire record to the Pleistocene (< 0.91 million years) with a pronounced increase in sedimentation rate with depth. Beneath 200 mbsf, the section was predominantly composed of mud with two thicker, hydrate-bearing coarse-grained intervals, which are commonly known as the Blue and Orange sands. The dissolved gas concentration was quantified from pressure cores. In the shallow section, dissolved methane concentration increased below the sulfate-methane transition zone (SMTZ) and reaches saturation (the limit of solubility for methane) at 147 mbsf. Gas expansion was very common in conventional and depressurized pressure (conventionalized) cores below the SMTZ. At deeper depths, the methane concentration within muds bounding the Blue and Orange reservoirs was generally found to be less than saturation. The dissolved and hydrate gas composition is consistent with a microbial source, containing greater than 99.99% methane and only trace concentrations of ethane, propane, and butane. The methane to ethane ratio (C 1 /C 2 ) and the methane to ethane plus propane (C 1 /(C 2 +C 3 )) decrease with depth down to at least 678 mbsf, mainly driven by the increase in ethane with depth. It is unclear if this trend continues through the Orange sand interval. The δ 13 C isotopic signature of methane ranges between -69.9 and -78.5 ‰ Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite (VPDB). Pressure core recovery of all sandy intervals was poor. However, pressure core logs of the Orange sand show intervals of low density and high velocity, which are indicative of high hydrate saturation. One core from within the Orange sand was composed of interbedded graded sandy silt and mud. The sandy silts from this core are composed of mainly quartz and feldspar with some lithics. Most of the recovered pressure core samples are maintained at near in-situ pressure and temperature (within the hydrate stability field) at the University of Texas Pressure Core Center awaiting analysis. In the shallow section, samples will be used to determine the flux of organic carbon through the basin system, find the rate at which that carbon was consumed, and understand the microbial population responsible for these processes. In the deeper section, samples from in and around the hydrate reservoirs will be used to determine the petrophysical properties of the reservoir and bounding seals in these systems.

03 NATURAL GAS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Expedition UT-GOM2-2 Site H

Pressure and conventional cores were collected at Site H of the Walker Ridge Protracted Area Block 313 in the Terrebonne Basin, deepwater Gulf of America (Gulf of Mexico) during the University of Texas (UT) Deepwater Hydrate Coring Expedition (UT-GOM2-2). Pressure and conventional cores were collected continuously to a depth of 155.1 meters below the seafloor (mbsf). At deeper depths, cores were taken periodically from hydrate-bearing sands and their bounding muds to a total depth of 861.3 mbsf. 162.6 m of conventional core and 54.8 m of pressure core were recovered. Twelve temperature measurements were made between 27.1 and 144.5 mbsf to determine the geothermal gradient. At the seafloor, more than 4 m of sandy silt of unknown origin was encountered. Beneath this sand, to a depth of about 200 mbsf, the section was composed of interbedded mud and biogenic carbonate ooze. The ooze correlated to low density and high porosity intervals observed in the previously acquired logging while drilling (LWD) data and as measured. These ooze intervals also correspond to lighter sediment color, increased Ca content based on X-ray florescence (XRF) core scanning, and increased calcareous nannofossil abundance. Calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy constrains the entire record to the Pleistocene (< 0.91 million years), with a pronounced increase in sedimentation rate with depth. Below 200 mbsf, the section was predominantly composed of mud with two thicker, hydrate-bearing coarse-grained intervals, which are commonly known as the Blue and Orange sands. The dissolved gas concentration was quantified from pressure cores. In the shallow section, dissolved methane concentration increased below the sulfate-methane transition zone (SMTZ) and reaches saturation (the limit of solubility for methane) at 147 mbsf. Gas expansion was very common in conventional and depressurized pressure (conventionalized) cores below the SMTZ. At deeper depths, the methane concentration within muds bounding the Blue and Orange reservoirs was generally found to be less than saturation. The dissolved and hydrate gas composition is consistent with a microbial source, containing greater than 99.99% methane and only trace concentrations of ethane, propane, and butane. The methane to ethane ratio (C1 /C2 ) and the methane to ethane plus propane (C1 /(C2 +C3 )) decrease with depth down to at least 678 mbsf, mainly driven by the increase in ethane with depth. It is unclear if this trend continues through the Orange sand interval. The δ13C isotopic signature of methane ranges between -69.9 and -78.5 ‰ relative to the Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite (VPDB) standard. Pressure core recovery in sandy intervals was poor. However, pressure core logs of the Orange sand show intervals of low density and high velocity, which are indicative of high hydrate saturation. One pressure core was degassed and the average hydrate saturation in the core was determined to be 24%. One core from within the Orange sand was composed of interbedded graded sandy silt and mud. The sandy silts from this core are composed of mainly quartz and feldspar with some lithics. Most of the recovered pressure core samples are maintained at near in-situ pressure and temperature (within the hydrate stability field) at the University of Texas Pressure Core Center awaiting analysis. In the shallow section, samples will be used to determine the flux of organic carbon through the basin system, find the rate at which that carbon was consumed, and understand the microbial population responsible for these processes. In the deeper section, samples from in and around the hydrate reservoirs will be used to determine the petrophysical properties of the reservoir and bounding seals in these systems.

03 NATURAL GAS↗
NASA NTRS1986

Tropospheric HO2 determination by FAGE

The detection efficiency is greatest at low pressures, where the subsequent removal of the HO product by the NO reagent (via HO + NO + M yields HONO + M) is relatively slow. Moreover, nozzle expansion of the air from ambient to low pressures produces a turbulent zone that assists in mixing the reagent with the sample. If the HO product is observed by laser-excited fluorescence, then the other advantages of low-pressure detection by FAGE (Fluorescence Assay with Gas Expansion) also apply. The FAGE instrumental response was calibrated to external HO2 by observing NO decay in the photolysis of HO-CH2O mixtures and by choosing conditions in which HO2 + NO is the only significant NO destruction path. HO2 was determined in urban air.

Obrien, R. J.↗
DOE OSTI2016

REACTIVITY OF OH AND CH{sub 3}OH BETWEEN 22 AND 64 K: MODELING THE GAS PHASE PRODUCTION OF CH{sub 3}O IN BARNARD 1b

In recent years, ultra-low temperature chemical kinetic experiments have demonstrated that some gas-phase reactions are much faster than was previously thought. One example is the reaction between OH and CH{sub 3}OH, which has recently been found to be accelerated at low temperatures yielding CH{sub 3}O as its main product. This finding raised the question of whether or not the CH{sub 3}O observed in the dense core Barnard 1b could be formed by the gas-phase reaction of CH{sub 3}OH and OH. Several chemical models including this reaction and grain-surface processes have been developed to explain the observed abundance of CH{sub 3}O, but they have met with little success. Here, we report for the first time the rate coefficients for the gas-phase reaction of OH and CH{sub 3}OH down to a temperature of 22 K, which is very close to the temperature in cold interstellar clouds. Two independent experimental set-ups based on the supersonic gas expansion technique coupled to the pulsed laser photolysis laser-induced fluorescence technique were used to determine the rate coefficients in the temperature range 22–64 K. The temperature dependence obtained in this work can be expressed as k(22–64 K) = (3.6±0.1)×10{sup −12}(T/300K){sup −(1.0±0.2)} cm{sup 3} molecule{sup −1} s{sup −1}. Implementing this expression in a chemical model of a cold, dense cloud results in CH{sub 3}O/CH{sub 3}OH abundance ratios similar to or slightly lower than the value of ∼3 × 10{sup −3} observed in Barnard 1b. This finding confirms that the gas-phase reaction between OH and CH{sub 3}OH is an important contributor to the formation of interstellar CH{sub 3}O. The role of grain-surface processes in the formation of CH{sub 3}O, although it cannot be fully neglected, remains controversial.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Cylinder expansion test and gas gun experiment comparison

This is a summer internship presentation by the Hydro Working Group at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and goes into detail about their cylinder expansion test and gas gun experiment comparison. Specifically, the gas gun experiment is detailed along with applications, the cylinder expansion test is detailed along with applications, there is a comparison of the methods with pros and cons and limitations listed, the summer project is detailed, and future work is talked about.

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEF↗