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NASA Remote Sensing Data in Earth Sciences: Processing, Archiving, Distribution, Applications at the GES DISC

The NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC) is one of the major Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs) archiving and distributing remote sensing data from the NASA's Earth Observing System. In addition to providing just data, the GES DISC/DAAC has developed various value-adding processing services. A particularly useful service is data processing a t the DISC (i.e., close to the input data) with the users' algorithms. This can take a number of different forms: as a configuration-managed algorithm within the main processing stream; as a stand-alone program next to the on-line data storage; as build-it-yourself code within the Near-Archive Data Mining (NADM) system; or as an on-the-fly analysis with simple algorithms embedded into the web-based tools (to avoid downloading unnecessary all the data). The existing data management infrastructure at the GES DISC supports a wide spectrum of options: from data subsetting data spatially and/or by parameter to sophisticated on-line analysis tools, producing economies of scale and rapid time-to-deploy. Shifting processing and data management burden from users to the GES DISC, allows scientists to concentrate on science, while the GES DISC handles the data management and data processing at a lower cost. Several examples of successful partnerships with scientists in the area of data processing and mining are presented.

Leptoukh, Gregory G.

Secure Display of Space-Exploration Images

Java EDR Display Interface (JEDI) is software for either local display or secure Internet distribution, to authorized clients, of image data acquired from cameras aboard spacecraft engaged in exploration of remote planets. ( EDR signifies experimental data record, which, in effect, signifies image data.) Processed at NASA s Multimission Image Processing Laboratory (MIPL), the data can be from either near-realtime processing streams or stored files. JEDI uses the Java Advanced Imaging application program interface, plus input/output packages that are parts of the Video Image Communication and Retrieval software of the MIPL, to display images. JEDI can be run as either a standalone application program or within a Web browser as a servlet with an applet front end. In either operating mode, JEDI communicates using the HTTP(s) protocol(s). In the Web-browser case, the user must provide a password to gain access. For each user and/or image data type, there is a configuration file, called a "personality file," containing parameters that control the layout of the displays and the information to be included in them. Once JEDI has accepted the user s password, it processes the requested EDR (provided that user is authorized to receive the specific EDR) to create a display according to the user s personality file.

Cheng, Cecilia

Dewatering of contaminated river sediments

Dewatering of slurries has been successfully accomplished by the proper use of polymers in flocculating the fine particulate matter suspended in mineral processing streams. The U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM) entered into a cooperative research effort with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) for the purpose of testing and demonstrating the applicability of mining flocculation technology to dredging activities associated with the removal of sediments from navigable waterways. The Corps has the responsibility for maintaining the navigable waterways in the United States. Current technology relies primarily on dredging operations which excavate the material from the bottom of waterways. The Corps is testing new dredging technology which may reduce resuspension of sediments by the dredging operation. Pilot plant dredging equipment was tested by the Corps which generated larger quantities of water when compared to conventional equipment, such as the clam shell. The transportation of this 'excess' water adds to the cost of sediment removal. The process developed by the USBM consists of feed material from the barge being pumped through a 4-in line by a centrifugal pump and exiting through a 4-in PVC delivery system. A 1,000-gal fiberglass tank was used to mix the polymer concentrate. The polymer was pumped through a 1-in line using a variable speed progressive cavity pump and introduced to the 4-in feed line prior to passing through a 6-in by 2-ft static mixer. The polymer/feed slurry travels to the clarifying tank where the flocculated material settled to the bottom and allowed 'clean' water to exit the overflow. A pilot scale flocculation unit was operated on-site at the Corps' 'Confined Disposal Facility' in Buffalo, NY.

Church, Ronald H.

Computationally Guided and Experimentally Validated Design of Custom Chelators for Critical Mineral Recovery

Selective, high throughput separation of target critical metals from complex environments such as fly ash leachates and mining process streams presents a significant challenge for economical production. Custom chelators and sorbents are an attractive technology for selective metal extraction, however it can be difficult to predict their performance, and significant experimental efforts are often required to develop chelating technologies. Here, we present a computational strategy focused on modelling chelator-metal binding interactions and benchmark these results versus experimental data. A computational pipeline combining forcefield, semiempirical, and meta-GGA methods with a thermodynamic framework optimized for error cancellation has been developed to predict binding energies of chelator complexes towards critical mineral recovery applications. This approach, originally validated on [2.2.2] cryptates binding mono- and divalent cations, demonstrated robust predictive capabilities with an R2 of 0.850 against experimental aqueous binding energies. The workflow includes metadynamics for exploring high-dimensional potential energy surfaces and a cluster-continuum model for accurate yet computationally efficient solvation modeling. Error cancellation between solvation energies of free and chelator-coordinated ions enables faster convergence, even with finite cluster sizes. Initial studies on the cryptates revealed consistent metal-ligand coordination patterns, with systematic variations influenced by ion size and charge, highlighting key structural features linked to binding selectivity. Further studies of a proprietary chelator have resulted in identification of previously unreported selectivity towards economically significant metals, which in-house experiments have confirmed, demonstrating the feasibility of this approach. By applying this methodology to new chelators targeting critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel and other strategic metals, we aim to accelerate the discovery of next-generation chelators for efficient recovery, recycling, and separation processes. This computational framework serves as the backbone of a high-throughput design pipeline tailored for sustainable resource utilization and may be applied to a wide range of systems to meet experimental needs.

computational materials

Effects of Recovery Conditions and Aggregation Mechanisms on the Chemical and Physical Properties of Hybrid Poplar and Corn Stover Lignins

Heterogeneity in the physical properties and processing behavior of lignins recovered from biorefining process streams can hinder their effective utilization and industrial valorization. This work investigates lignin recovery by acidification from alkaline pretreatment liquors of varying sources (corn stover and hybrid poplar), compositions, solid contents, and incubation temperatures prior to filtration. Recovered lignins were characterized for filtration performance, mass yield, chemical composition, particle size and morphology, and color. A transition temperature was identified corresponding to marked shifts in lignin physical properties and was a function of the solid content and liquor source. Filtration below this temperature yielded slow-filtering, dark, brittle lignins with smoother particle surfaces, whereas precipitation above this threshold yielded fast-filtering, lighter, powdery lignins with rougher particle surfaces. The impact of temperature and concentration on universal cluster aggregation mechanisms was proposed to explain the differences between lignin particle properties and filtration behavior.

Aggregation

Portable fiber optic sensor for rare earth elements and other critical metals using photoluminescence methods

Rare earth elements and other metals are vital to a range of technologies that are used in the energy and defense sectors. However, monopolistic market conditions have caused significant concern over the stability of the critical metal supply chain, and this has spurred extensive efforts in many nations to produce these metals domestically, both from conventional sources such as mining and well as from unconventional sources such as coal and its utilization byproducts. Slow and expensive characterization methods pose a significant barrier for both metals prospecting and process monitoring. A promising solution to this challenge is the development of highly sensitive luminescent sensors for metals, which can offer low costs, portability, and sensitivity. Anionic zinc adeninate metal-organic frameworks (BioMOFs) are known to distinguishing and detect part-per-billion levels of terbium, europium, samarium, and dysprosium in water by sensitizing the narrow, element-specific emission bands from these lanthanides. Here, a BioMOF material is immobilized onto a large diameter, solarization-resistant fiber optic tip integrated with a portable, low-cost spectrometer for rare earth element sensing. Immobilizing the sensing material on fiber instead of dispersing the sensing material in solution offers several advantages: it facilitates solvent removal, which enhances luminescent signal from the sensitized lanthanides, and it also allows the BioMOF to be recycled for multiple uses. The sensing system was deployed on a simulated process stream and exhibited qualitative agreement with inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry for terbium and europium detection, highlighting the potential for the sensing system to be deployed for real-world applications. By using different sensing materials, the same portable sensor may be deployed to detect other energy relevant metals such as cobalt, providing a cost-effective and sensitive platform for critical metal characterization.

Crawford, Scott

Net-Zero Lime Kiln and Carbon Removal Facility

The final scientific/technical report for DE-FE0032248. The Project Objective for DE-FE0032248, Net-Zero Lime Kiln and Carbon Removal Facility, was to execute and complete the initial design of a commercial-scale, advanced carbon capture system that separates CO2 with at least 95% capture efficiency from process streams at the Carmeuse Kentucky (KY) lime plant that will be retrofitted to utilize sustainably sourced biomass (SSB) alone or in combination with natural gas, and/or coal, with at least a 20-year available feedstock supply and remaining asset life.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY

An In Situ Feed Monitoring System for Molten Salt Reactors with Fast Neutron Energy Spectrum Molten Salt Reactor Applications

Molten salt reactors (MSRs) are one of the six promising advanced reactor technologies selected for further research and development by the Generation IV International Forum. More than twenty MSR designs are actively being developed around the world. Several of these designs are liquid-fueled and intended for operation within the fast neutron energy spectrum.1 National regulations will require liquid-fueled MSRs to control and account for nuclear material within licensed facilities. Additionally, states with comprehensive safeguards agreements with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are obligated to declare nuclear material quantities within facilities. In return, the IAEA Department of Safeguards independently verifies these quantities and provides assurance that the nuclear material and facility are being used only for peaceful purposes. One key distinction of liquid-fueled MSRs compared with other types of reactors is that in portions of the facility, the nuclear material is in bulk form rather than discrete items. Traditional nuclear material accounting techniques such as physical item counting and verification of serial numbers on fresh fuel assemblies do not translate directly to all process streams within liquid-fueled reactors. Liquid-fueled MSRs are typically designed with low excess reactivity. This feature provides safety benefits but also means that most MSRs require the addition of makeup fuel salt while a reactor is operational. The nuclear material in the initial fuel salt and in any makeup fuel salt must be quantified. Additionally, distinct nuclear material diversion and reactor misuse scenarios form the basis of the detection methods and monitoring systems developed for liquid-fueled MSRs. For example, the IAEA provides assurance that fuel salt containing nuclear material is not being diverted from the system, that the feed salt matches the reported actinide concentrations and uranium enrichment, and that no additional fertile material is being introduced into the system. Measurement systems currently used for nuclear material control and accounting are not directly applicable to achieving MSR safeguards goals. This paper concerns a system being designed to account for the nuclear material added to liquid-fueled MSRs and monitor for diversion and misuse scenarios related to MSR feed systems.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS

Water system virus detection

A monitoring system developed to test the capability of a water recovery system to reject the passage of viruses into the recovered water is described. A nonpathogenic marker virus, bacteriophage F2, is fed into the process stream before the recovery unit and the reclaimed water is assayed for its presence. Detection of the marker virus consists of two major components, concentration and isolation of the marker virus, and detection of the marker virus. The concentration system involves adsorption of virus to cellulose acetate filters in the presence of trivalent cations and low pH with subsequent desorption of the virus using volumes of high pH buffer. The detection of the virus is performed by a passive immune agglutination test utilizing specially prepared polystyrene particles. An engineering preliminary design was performed as a parallel effort to the laboratory development of the marker virus test system. Engineering schematics and drawings of a fully functional laboratory prototype capable of zero-G operation are presented. The instrument consists of reagent pump/metering system, reagent storage containers, a filter concentrator, an incubation/detector system, and an electronic readout and control system.

Fraser, A. S.

A note on the cosmogony of the asteroidal belt

Several arguments based on the orbital dynamics of the asteroids are used to support the idea that the original solar nebula might not necessarily be the Laplacian type of thin disk-like structure. The orbital distribution of the large asteroids is suggested to be a direct result of their accretions of condensed grains in eccentric orbits via the jet stream process.

Ip, W.-H.

Development of a preliminary design of a method to measure the effectiveness of virus exclusion during water process reclamation at zero-G

Organon Diagnostics has developed, under NASA sponsorship, a monitoring system to test the capability of a water recovery system to reject the passage of viruses into the recovered water. In this system, a non-pathogenic marker virus, bacteriophage F2, is fed into the process stream before the recovery unit and the reclaimed water is assayed for its presence. An engineering preliminary design has been performed as a parallel effort to the laboratory development of the marker virus test system. Engineering schematics and drawings present a preliminary instrument design of a fully functional laboratory prototype capable of zero-G operation.

Fraser, A. S.

Quasi-Porous Plug With Vortex Chamber

Pressure-letdown valve combines quasi-porous-plug and vortex-chamber in one controllable unit. Valve useful in fossil-energy plants for reducing pressures in such erosive two-phase process streams as steam/water, coal slurries, or combustion gases with entrained particles. Quasi-Porous Plug consists of plenums separated by perforated plates. Number or size of perforations increases with each succeeding stage to compensate for expansion. In Vortex Chamber, control flow varies to control swirl and therefore difference between inlet and outlet pressures.

Walsh, J. V.

Pressurized-Flat-Interface Heat Exchanger

High thermal conductance obtained without leakage between loops. Heat-exchanger interface enables efficient transfer of heat between two working fluids without allowing fluids to intermingle. Interface thin, flat, and easy to integrate into thermal system. Possible application in chemical or pharmaceutical manufacturing when even trace contamination of process stream with water or other coolant ruins product. Reduces costs when highly corrosive fluids must be cooled or heated.

Voss, F. E.

Manufacturing Ethyl Acetate From Fermentation Ethanol

Conceptual process uses dilute product of fermentation instead of concentrated ethanol. Low-concentration ethanol, extracted by vacuum from fermentation tank, and acetic acid constitutes feedstock for catalytic reaction. Product of reaction goes through steps that increases ethyl acetate content to 93 percent by weight. To conserve energy, heat exchangers recycle waste heat to preheat process streams at various points.

Rohatgi, Naresh K.

Liquid-Arc/Spark-Excitation Atomic-Emission Spectroscopy

Constituents of solutions identified in situ. Liquid-arc/spark-excitation atomic-emission spectroscopy (LAES) is experimental variant of atomic-emission spectroscopy in which electric arc or spark established in liquid and spectrum of light from arc or spark analyzed to identify chemical elements in liquid. Observations encourage development of LAES equipment for online monitoring of process streams in such industries as metal plating, electronics, and steel, and for online monitoring of streams affecting environment.

Schlagen, Kenneth J.

Robot Would Reconfigure Modular Equipment

Special-purpose sets of equipment, packaged in identical modules with identical interconnecting mechanisms, attached to or detached from each other by specially designed robot, according to proposal. Two-arm walking robot connects and disconnects modules, operating either autonomously or under remote supervision. Robot walks along row of connected modules by grasping successive attachment subassemblies in hand-over-hand motion. Intended application for facility or station in outer space; robot reconfiguration scheme makes it unnecessary for astronauts to venture outside spacecraft or space station. Concept proves useful on Earth in assembly, disassembly, or reconfiguration of equipment in such hostile environments as underwater, near active volcanoes, or in industrial process streams.

Purves, Lloyd R.

Compact, Automated, Frequency-Agile Microspectrofluorimeter

Compact, reliable, rugged, automated cell-culture and frequency-agile microspectrofluorimetric apparatus developed to perform experiments involving photometric imaging observations of single live cells. In original application, apparatus operates mostly unattended aboard spacecraft; potential terrestrial applications include automated or semiautomated diagnosis of pathological tissues in clinical laboratories, biomedical instrumentation, monitoring of biological process streams, and portable instrumentation for testing biological conditions in various environments. Offers obvious advantages over present laboratory instrumentation.

Fernandez, Salvador M.

Laser-Beam-Absorption Chemical-Species Monitor

Apparatus measures concentration of chemical species in fluid medium (e.g., gaseous industrial process stream). Directs laser beam through medium, and measures intensity of beam after passage through medium. Relative amount of beam power absorbed in medium indicative of concentration of chemical species; laser wavelength chosen to be one at which species of interest absorbs.

Gersh, Michael