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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 OSTI2022

Direct uranium enrichment assay in gaseous uranium hexafluoride with laser induced breakdown spectroscopy

A set of eleven U atomic emission lines, between 421.099 and 421.460 nm, were characterized for direct enrichment assay of gaseous UF 6 samples with laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). Several iterative, multivariate nonlinear spectral-fitting algorithms were evaluated for their efficacies to extract the enrichment information from the measured LIBS spectra. Furthermore, wavelength-dependent weight factors, which take into consideration of the spectral-line position in the fitting model, the determined isotopic ratio, and the isotopic shift of the emission line, are essential for the spectral-fitting model to function adequately. The analytical accuracies and precision were typically within 0.5% in absolute [ 235 U/( 235 U + 238 U)] ratios.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗
DOE OSTI2021

Formation of Aerosol Nanoparticles by Gas-Phase Hydrolysis Reaction of Uranium Hexafluoride

The aerosol physics of uranyl particle formation has been addressed in this research using advanced aerosol instrumentation and an aerosol dynamics model. Based on the research works, we conclude that the formation and growth of aerosol particles by gas-phase UF6 hydrolysis strongly depends on the availability of water molecules in our reactor conditions. The total number concentration of the UO 2 F 2 particulate material that could be produced in the hydrolysis reaction is also regulated primarily by the availability of water molecule concentration. The higher the water molecule concentration, the higher the number and the larger the size of UO 2 F 2 aerosol particles that could be produced in a reactor custom-built at ORNL. Although the aerosol reactor was enabling the study of particle formation kinetics, the instrumentation was still insufficient in characterizing the chemical composition of the produced particles as well as the time-dependent evolution of the particulate species. The temporal evolution could impact the eventual fate of the particles upon release to the environment (i.e., the physio-chemical transformation, transport, and removal). On uranyl particle formation kinetics, we found that the growth rates of aerosol particles appeared to approach a single number in the range of 0.05 ± 0.03 - 0.08 ± 0.04 nm/s, statistically, as the ω value becomes smaller than 1. The size of primary particles from the UF6 hydrolysis at water-deprived condition was estimated to be 3.6 ± 0.4 nm; the higher the availability of water molecules, the larger the primary particles. The ability to precisely control the availability of water molecules in the reaction could lead to the production of nearly monodispersed aerosol particles. In other words, the result suggests that one can precisely manipulate the size of UO 2 F 2 aerosol particles by controlling the water vapor availability and interaction of water molecules with U F6 in the reaction. This finding has significant implications in the engineering manufacturing of fuel powder materials and possibly to future development and deployment of an environmental sampling apparatus.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Controlled Reaction Dynamics of Binary Hexafluorides to Explore New Chemical Signatures

Conclusions • Successfully halted the UF6 hydrolysis reaction and trapped intermediate complexes • Simple alcohol instead of water leads to shifting of bands in UF6 likely from change in matrix effects • MoF6 reaction shows some potential for methyl group being present in structure of intermediates • Future work with bulkier R-groups will hopefully reveal further information as to the reaction pathway and intermediate structure via kinetics and peak shifting

Dorris, Austin L. [Savannah River National Laborat↗
NASA NTRS1976

The spectral properties of uranium hexafluoride and its thermal decomposition products

This investigation was initiated to provide basic spectral data for gases of interest to the plasma core reactor concept. The attenuation of vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) radiation by helium at pressures up to 20 atm over path lengths of about 61 cm and in the approximate wavelength range between 80 and 300 nm was studied. Measurements were also conducted to provide basic VUV data with respect to UF6 and UF6/argon mixtures in the wavelength range between 80 and 120 nm. Finally, an investigation was initiated to provide basic spectral emission and absorption data for UF6 and possible thermal decomposition products of UF6 at elevated temperatures.

Krascella, N. L.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Recent measurements concerning uranium hexafluoride-electron collision processes

Scattering of electrons by UF6 molecules was studied at impact energies ranging from 5 to 100 eV and momentum transfer, elastic and inelastic scattering cross sections were determined. The measurements also yielded spectroscopic information which made possible to extend the optical absorption cross sections from 2000 angstroms to 435 angstroms. It was found that UF6 is a very strong absorber in the vacuum UV region. No transitions were found to lie below the onset of the optically detected 3.0 eV feature.

Trajmar, S.↗
NASA NTRS1976

The emission characteristics of uranium hexafluoride at high temperatures

Relative emission measurements were made for UF6/Argon mixtures heated in a plasma torch over a range of temperatures from 800 to about 3600 K over a wavelength range from 80 to 600 nm. Total pressures were varied from 1 to approximately 1.7 atm. Similarly absorption measurements were carried out in the visible region from 420 to 580 nm over a temperature range from about 1000 to 1800 K. Total pressure for these measurements was 1.0 atm. The emission results exhibited relatively no emission at wavelengths below 250 nm over the range of temperatures investigated. At temperatures in excess of 1800 K an additional emission band centered at 310 nm appears and becomes more well defined at higher temperatures. Essentially no pressure effect was observed with respect to emission at pressures up to 1.7 atm.

Krascella, N. L.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Circulation system for flowing uranium hexafluoride cavity reactor experiments

Research related to determining the feasibility of producing continuous power from fissile fuel in the gaseous state is presented. The development of three laboratory-scale flow systems for handling gaseous UF6 at temperatures up to 500 K, pressure up to approximately 40 atm, and continuous flow rates up to approximately 50g/s is presented. A UF6 handling system fabricated for static critical tests currently being conducted is described. The system was designed to supply UF6 to a double-walled aluminum core canister assembly at temperatures between 300 K and 400 K and pressure up to 4 atm. A second UF6 handling system designed to provide a circulating flow of up to 50g/s of gaseous UF6 in a closed-loop through a double-walled aluminum core canister with controlled temperature and pressure is described. Data from flow tests using UF6 and UF6/He mixtures with this system at flow rates up to approximately 12g/s and pressure up to 4 atm are presented. A third UF6 handling system fabricated to provide a continuous flow of UF6 at flow rates up to 5g/s and at pressures up to 40 atm for use in rf-heated, uranium plasma confinement experiments is described.

Jaminet, J. F.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Infrared spectroscopic detection of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) in the lower stratosphere and upper troposphere

This paper reports the detection and identification of the unresolved SF6 nu-3 band Q branch at 947.9/cm in high-resolution solar occultation spectra of the lower stratosphere and upper troposphere, which was made from the analysis of data recorded on April 30 to May 1, 1985 by the spaceborne Atmospheric Trace Molecule Spectroscopy Fourier transform spectrometer as part of the Spacelab 3 mission. On the basis of SF6 line-by-line parameters obtained from the laboratory studies of Bobin et al. (1987) and Schatz and Hornig (1953), the measured absorption was analyzed to deduce SF6 volume mixing ratios in the altitude range 12-22 km. It was found that, in this altitude range, the SF6 volume mixing ratio is independent of altitude, with an average measured value of 1.42 parts per trillion by volume (pptv) at 31 deg N latitude.

Rinsland, C. P.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Infrared spectroscopic measurements of the vertical column abundance of sulfur hexafluoride, SF6, from the ground

The solar observations involved in the present monitoring evaluation were made at two facilities, using Fourier-transform spectrometers achieving spectral resolutions of 0.005/cm and signal-to-rms noise ratios for individual scans from near 500 to near 1000. The monthly mean total vertical-column abundances of SF6 above both facilities are reported for time intervals from June 1986 to June 1990 and from March 1981 to June 1990. It is found that the vertical-column abundances increased at mean rates of 6.9 +/- 2.8 pct above one station and 6.6 +/- 7.2 pct above the other. Since all the results were retrieved using the same spectroscopic parameters and similar nonlinear least-squares curve-fitting algorithms validated through intercomparison exercises, the large error reported for the second station is attributed to a larger measurement uncertainty due to stronger H2O and C2O interferences, and a greater variability during each month.

Zander, R.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Atmospheric sulfur hexafluoride - Sources, sinks and greenhouse warming

An estimate is obtained of worldwide production of SF6, from which a global emission rate is derived and extrapolated for the next 20 years. The atmospheric lifetime of SF6 is then estimated based on a known mechanism (e.g., photolysis and atmospheric oxidation) and/or on the mass balance method. Finally, the radiative forcing of SF6 is calculated based on recent laboratory IR absorption data, and the expected warming over the time period 1950-2010 is computed for several emission scenarios. Calculations showed that SF6 is 3 times more effective as a greenhouse gas compared to CFC 11 on a per-molecule basis. However, based on projected emission scenarios, the expected warming from SF6 through 2010 is small (0.004 C), compared to the warming from CO2 and other trace gases (0.8 C).

Ko, Malcolm K. W.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Multiple-breath washin of helium and sulfur hexafluoride in sustained microgravity

We performed multiple-breath washouts of N2 and simultaneous washins of He and SF6 with fixed tidal volume (approximately 1,250 ml) and preinspiratory lung volume (approximately the subject's functional residual capacity in the standing position) in four normal subjects (mean age 40 yr) standing and supine in normal gravity (1 G) and during exposure to sustained microgravity (microG). The primary objective was to examine the influence of diffusive processes on the residual, nongravitational ventilatory inhomogeneity in the lung in microG. We calculated several indexes of convective ventilatory inhomogeneity from each gas species. A normal degree of ventilatory inhomogeneity was seen in the standing position at 1 G that was largely unaltered in the supine position. When we compared the standing position in 1 G with microG, there were reductions in phase III slope in all gases, consistent with a reduction in convection-dependent inhomogeneity in the lung in microG, although considerable convective inhomogeneity persisted in microG. The reductions in the indexes of convection-dependent inhomogeneity were greater for He than for SF6, suggesting that the distances between remaining nonuniformly ventilated compartments in microG were short enough for diffusion of He to be an effective mechanism to reduce gas concentration differences between them.

NASA Discipline Cardiopulmonary↗