Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Phase 1 Testing”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 649 records · Page 36

Surface smoothing for laser powder-bed Ti-6Al-4V by a transient liquid phase

Surface roughness is the primary driver of fatigue for additively manufactured metals. To address surface roughness, this work introduces a new method to smooth features beyond line-of-sight without material removal. The method applies a coating that triggers local surface remelting by activating a eutectic reaction during heat treatment. The associated liquid phase then wets and isothermally solidifies into a smoother surface. For Ti-6Al-4V fabricated with laser powder bed fusion, samples with and without TLP smoothing (using a Cu coating) were characterized with a suite of techniques, including mechanical testing, electron backscatter diffraction, synchrotron X-ray tomography, and fractography. TLP smoothing reduced surface roughness by 80% and amplified compressive residual stress at the surface by about 50%. With statistically equivalent virtual microstructures, crystal plasticity scrutinized the roles of phases, porosity, and surface roughness. Although the tensile strain-to-failure was reduced to 1% strain, the TLP smoothing process increased high-cycle fatigue strength by about 20% compared to control samples, pointing to future opportunities to optimize the new process through various coating compositions and heat treatment schedules. Overall, this work establishes a new paradigm for treating surfaces of materials for smoothness and compressive residual stress.

Additive manufacturing↗

Anion and cation co-doping of Na 4 SnS 4 as sodium superionic conductors

Na based all-solid-state batteries are one of the most promising candidates for large-scale electrochemical energy storage owing to their low cost and outstanding safety properties. The key enabler of this technology is solid electrolyte with sufficiently high ionic conductivity at room temperature. In this work, the design, synthesis, characterization and testing of a series of novel fast Na-ion conductors, Na 4-x-y Sn 1-x A x S 4-y X y with aliovalent cation (P 5+ /Sb 5+ ) and anion substitutions (Cl - /Br - ) of the parent compound Na 4 SnS 4 are reported. The doped samples crystalize in a new phase with space group I4 1 /acd and show ionic conductivities that are one to four orders of magnitude higher than that of undoped Na 4 SnS 4 . R. t. conductivity of 0.64 mS cm -1 is achieved in Na 3.7 Sn 0.8 Sb 0.2 S 3.9 Cl 0.1 with a low activation energy of 0.26 eV. Furthermore, Rietveld refinement against high resolution synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data reveals that the distribution of the doping ions and the resulted Na vacancies are underlying cause of the enhanced conductivity.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Influence of ordered L1 2 precipitation on strain-rate dependent mechanical behavior in a eutectic high entropy alloy

Recent studies indicate that eutectic high-entropy alloys can simultaneously possess high strength and high ductility, which have potential industrial applications. The present study focuses on Al 0.7 CoCrFeNi, a lamellar dual-phase ( fcc + B2) precipitation-strengthenable eutectic high entropy alloy. This alloy exhibits an fcc + B2 (B2 with bcc nano-precipitates) microstructure resulting in a combination of the soft and ductile fcc phase together with hard B2 phase. Low temperature annealing leads to the precipitation of ordered L1 2 intermetallic precipitates within the fcc resulting in enhanced strength. The strengthening contribution due to fine scale L1 2 is modeled using Orowan dislocation bowing and by-pass mechanism. The alloy was tested under quasi-static (strain-rate = 10 –3 s –1 ) tensile loading and dynamic (strain-rate = 10 3 s –1 ) compressive loading. Due to the fine lamellar microstructure with a large number of fcc - bcc interfaces, the alloy show relatively high flow-stresses, ~1400 MPa under quasi-static loading and in excess of 1800 MPa under dynamic loading. Interestingly, the coherent nano-scale L1 2 precipitate caused a significant rise in the yield strength, without affecting the strain rate sensitivity (SRS) significantly. These lamellar structures had higher work hardening due to their capability for easily storing higher dislocation densities. The back-stresses from the coherent L1 2 precipitate were insufficient to cause improvement in twin nucleation, owing to elevated twinning stress under quasi-static testing. However, under dynamic testing high density of twins were observed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Detection of variable VHE γ -ray emission from the extra-galactic γ -ray binary LMC P3

Context. Recently, the high-energy (HE, 0.1–100 GeV) γ-ray emission from the object LMC P3 in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) has been discovered to be modulated with a 10.3-day period, making it the first extra-galactic γ-ray binary. Aim. This work aims at the detection of very-high-energy (VHE, >100 GeV) γ-ray emission and the search for modulation of the VHE signal with the orbital period of the binary system. Methods. LMC P3 has been observed with the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.); the acceptance-corrected exposure time is 100 h. The data set has been folded with the known orbital period of the system in order to test for variability of the emission. Results. VHE γ-ray emission is detected with a statistical significance of 6.4 σ. The data clearly show variability which is phase-locked to the orbital period of the system. Periodicity cannot be deduced from the H.E.S.S. data set alone. The orbit-averaged luminosity in the 1–10 TeV energy range is (1.4 ± 0.2) × 1035 erg s -1 . A luminosity of (5 ± 1) × 1035 erg s -1 is reached during 20% of the orbit. HE and VHE γ-ray emissions are anti-correlated. In conclucion, LMC P3 is the most luminous γ-ray binary known so far.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Performance of a Biomass Boiler in a Load Profile Test

In this report, results are presented of the performance evaluation of a modern residential cordwood-fired hydronic heater. This unit was tested under a specific load and operating profile that includes cold start, four load levels, reload, and cycling in response to an emulated thermostat. The protocol can be completed in a single day, which allows for replicate runs in about a week of testing. This can characterize variability with greater confidence than current methods used in certification testing, reduces time to conduct certification tests, and moves toward greater representative operations as the test includes start-up and requires boilers to respond to a variety of heat loads in a manner that better reflects day-to-day operations. Detailed in the report are the results of triplicate testing of one U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-certified cordwood-fired outdoor wood boiler. Cold start emissions were the greatest among all testing periods. In triplicate testing, emission output values for the cold start tests were 9.52, 4.74, and 6.63 lb/MMBtu of output for Test 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The overall emission output values for Test 1, 2, and 3 were 0.44, 0.34, and 0.19 lb/MMBtu of output, respectively. Additionally, the work in this project found significant differences in filter sampling methods with different integrated time periods. The use of real-time particulate matter emission measurement devices was explored. Specifically, sampling with one filter over a long test with various phases (cold starts, reloads, high and low burns) yielded lower particulate mass than sampling phase by phase (one filter for high burns, one filter for low burns, etc.). Perhaps the use of a real-time particulate matter emission measurement device can be used to distinguish different burn phases without having to change filters multiple times throughout a varied load test method

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) for Carbon Fiber and Glass Fiber Epoxy Composites and their Constituents

In this work, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was performed on samples of a carbon fiber epoxy composite, a glass fiber epoxy composite, and a mixed carbon fiber/glass fiber epoxy composite, as well on each constituent material (polymer epoxy, carbon fibers and glass fibers). TGA was conducted for heating rates from 1-20 C/min with purified purge gases of nitrogen and dry air. For the fiberglass composite, we find that ~70% of the material remains after heating in air to 1200 C. For the carbon fiber epoxy composite, we observe greater mass loss as the carbon fibers can oxidize, leaving little material by the end of the test. The mixed composite, which has a 2:1 ratio of glass fibers to carbon fibers, experienced a total mass loss between the two other composites. By determining the relationship between the thermal decomposition of a composite material and its constituent materials, we can predict the fire behavior of novel composites during the material design phase.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Investigation of the Effect of Atmospheric Plasma Treatment in Nanofiber and Nanocomposite Membranes for Piezoelectric Applications

In this work, we report the effect of steady-state atmospheric plasma (Corona discharge) in nanofibers and nanocomposite membranes for piezoelectric applications. The investigation was performed in PVDF (Poly vinylidene fluoride) nanofibers, CNT (Carbon Nanotubes)-reinforced PVDF nanocomposites, and PAN (Poly acrylonitrile) nanofiber membranes. Steady-state plasma was generated with a high voltage power source with 1 mA discharge current output and 6 kV discharge voltage, and the gap between tip and the material was maintained to be 1 cm. For the fabrication of nanofibers and nanocomposite membranes, an electrospinning method was used. The electrospinning parameters, such as flow rate and voltage, were optimally tuned for obtaining uniform nanofibers and nanomembranes. Along with the plasma treatment, heat treatment above the glass transition temperature was also conducted on the nanofiber membranes. Using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), the morphology of the nanofibers was observed. X-ray Diffraction (XRD) demonstrated the polycrystallinity of the nanofibers. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis of the PVDF nanofibers shows a peak at 796 cm−1 representing α-phase (C-H rocking) in the control sample which is absent in the treated samples. Raman spectroscopy of PVDF nanofibers identifies a Raman shift from 873 cm−1 to 877 cm−1 (denoting β-phase) for plasma-treated samples only. Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) concludes that the intensity of the free radicals increases from 1.37 to 1.46 (a.u.) after plasma treatment. Then, sensors were fabricated from the PVDF nanofibers, MWCNT-reinforced PVDF nanofibers, and PAN nanofibers to characterize their piezoelectric properties. The impact test results showed that the atmospheric plasma and heat-treated samples had 86%, 277%, and 92% increases of the d33 value (piezoelectric coefficient) in the case of PVDF nanofibers, MWCNT-reinforced nanofibers, and PAN nanofibers, respectively. It was also observed that the capacitance of the nanofiber membranes has increased due to the plasma treatment.

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology↗

Phase Transformation Driven by Oxygen Vacancy Redistribution as the Mechanism of Ferroelectric Hf 0.5 Zr 0.5 O 2 Fatigue

As a promising candidate for nonvolatile memory devices, the hafnia-based ferroelectric system has recently been a hot research topic. Although significant progress has been made over the past decade, the endurance problem is still an obstacle to its final application. In perovskite-based ferroelectrics, such as the well-studied Pb[Zr x Ti 1-x ]O 3 (PZT) family, polarization fatigue has been discussed within the framework of the interaction of charged defects (such as oxygen vacancies) with the moving domains during the switching process, particularly at the electrode-ferroelectric interface. Armed with this background, a hypothesis is set out to test that a similar mechanism can be in play with the hafnia-based ferroelectrics. The conducting perovskite La-Sr-Mn-O is used as the contact electrode to create La 0.67 Sr 0.33 MnO 3 / Hf 0.5 Zr 0.5 O 2 (HZO)/ La 0.67 Sr 0.33 MnO 3 capacitor structures deposited on SrTiO 3 -Si substrates. Nanoscale X-ray diffraction is performed on single capacitors, and a structural phase transition from polar o-phase toward non-polar m-phase is demonstrated during the bipolar switching process. The energy landscape of multiphase HZO has been calculated at varying oxygen vacancy concentrations. Based on both theoretical and experimental results, it is found that a polar to non-polar phase transformation caused by oxygen vacancy redistribution during electric cycling is a likely explanation for fatigue in HZO.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

LANL Phase 3 Test Plan For Container Loading to Support the Fire-Induced Pressure Response and Failure Characterization of PCV/SCV/3013 Containers

Fire testing of 3013 containers loaded with surrogate materials and water will be conducted to determine the response of 3013 containers stored in K-Area Complex (KAC) to a facility fire. Based on the proposal for the test configuration and loading, the objectives of the fire test are as follows: 1. “To increase understanding about the pressure and temperature conditions at which failure occurs; 2. To determine the allowable moisture for which failure will not occur under specified fire conditions, and 3. To increase understanding regarding the effects of salts on the pressurization, corrosion, and potential failure of the container.” Surrogate materials will be prepared at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and loaded in the 3013 containers. The containers will then be welded at LANL and shipped to Savannah River Site (SRS) for the installation of fittings and leak testing.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Promoting the cleavage of C-O bonds at the interface between a metal oxide cluster and a Co(0001) support

As a first step toward the rational design of Co-based catalysts with a higher activity and selectivity, we determine how one can activate a C-O bond at the interface between a metal oxide cluster and a Co(0001) support. The hypothesis here is that the metal ions in metal oxide clusters on a Co(0001) support enhance the adsorption of CO and weaken the C-O bond strength, which can then facilitate the dissociation of the CO reactant. To test this hypothesis, we developed three computational models of Ti4O8/Co(0001), Zr4O8/Co(0001), and Mn8O8/Co(0001). We quantify the CO adsorption behavior at the interface sites between an oxide cluster and the Co(0001) support as well as the corresponding IR spectra. We correlate the computed CO stretch frequencies with their CO adsorption energies, as well as the CO stretch frequency with the C-O bond length, and related these findings to the changes in the chemical bonding in the bound CO. The interface is the most favorable site for CO adsorption. Adsorption results in an increase of the C-O bond length and a decrease in its vibrational frequency. From a chemical bonding analysis, the bond order in CO at this site drops from 3 (in the gas phase) to 1. This decrease in bond order is a necessary precursor stage for CO dissociation. The experimental measurements of the corresponding FTIR spectra support this point. The favorability of CO adsorption at the interface sites is due to an electron transfer from the metal ion in the metal oxide cluster to the O atom in CO. We establish a linear relationship between C-O bond length and CO frequency and this relationship is found to be independent of the support, type of metal oxide cluster, or the adsorption site.

Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis, Heterogeneous Catalysis↗

A $C^1$-Conforming Arbitrary-Order Two-Dimensional Virtual Element Method for the Fourth-Order Phase-Field Equation

We present a two-dimensional conforming virtual element method for the fourth-order phase-field equation. Our proposed numerical approach to the solution of this high-order phase-field (HOPF) equation relies on the design of an arbitrary-order accurate, virtual element space with $C^1$ global regularity. Such regularity is guaranteed by taking the values of the virtual element functions and their full gradient at the mesh vertices as degrees of freedom. Attaining high-order accuracy requires also edge polynomial moments of the trace of the virtual element functions and their normal derivatives. In this work, we detail the scheme construction, and prove its convergence by deriving error estimates in different norms. A set of representative test cases allows us to assess the behavior of the method.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Geochemical Modeling of ILAW Lysimeter Water Extracts

Geochemical modeling results of water extracts from simulated immobilized low-activity waste (ILAW) glasses, placed in lysimeters for eight years suggest that the secondary phase reaction network developed using product consistency test (PCT) results at 90°C may need to be modified for field conditions. For sediment samples that had been collected from near the glass samples, the impact of glass corrosion could be readily observed based upon the pH of their water extracts. For unimpacted sediments the pH ranged from 7.88 to 8.11 with an average of 8.04. Sediments that had observable impacts from glass corrosion exhibited elevated pH values (as high as 9.97). For lysimeter sediment samples that appear to have been impacted by glass corrosion to the greatest extent, saturation indices determined for analcime, calcite, and chalcedony in the 1:1 water extracts were near equilibrium and were consistent with the secondary phase reaction network developed using PCT results at 90°C. Fe(OH) 3 (s) also appears to be essentially at equilibrium in extracts impacted by glass corrosion, but with a solubility product (log K sp ) that is approximately 2.13 units lower than that used in the secondary phase reaction network developed using PCT results at 90°C. The solubilities of TiO 2 (am) and ZrO 2 (am) also appear to be much lower than that assumed in the secondary phase reaction network developed using PCT results at 90°C. The extent that the solubility of TiO 2 (am) and ZrO 2 (am) were reduced relative to that assumed in the secondary phase reaction network developed using PCT results at 90°C could not be quantified because the concentrations of Ti and Zr in the extracts were below the estimated quantification limit. Gibbsite was consistently highly oversaturated in the extract while dawsonite was at or near equilibrium. This suggests that dawsonite might be a more suitable phase for the secondary phase reaction network than gibbsite under field conditions. This may be due to the availability of carbonate that exists in the Hanford sediments as calcite. A significant source of carbonate was not available in the PCTs and this may account for why this phase did not appear in the PCTs. Sepiolite was consistently highly undersaturated, suggesting that another phase controls the solubility of magnesium. For samples that were most impacted by the effects of glass corrosion, magnesite appears to control glass corrosion. For samples that show less impacts from glass corrosion, clinochlore-7A or saponite-Mg appears to control the magnesium concentrations. For zinc, it appears that zincite is a better candidate than Zn(OH) 2 -γ for controlling zinc concentrations in the extracts; however, in some samples all zinc phases considered were highly oversaturated. As a result the phase that controls zinc concentrations in the lysimeter extracts remains uncertain.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Study of Material Compatibility for a Thermal Energy Storage System with Phase Change Material

The suitability of stainless steel 316L and Inconel 625 for use in a latent heat thermal energy storage (TES) system was investigated. A NaCl–NaF eutectic mixture with a melting temperature of 680 °C was used as the phase change material (PCM). Containers were filled with the PCM prior to heating to 750 °C, then examined after 100 and 2500 h of high-temperature exposure by analyzing the material surface and cross-section areas. A small amount of corrosion was present in both samples after 100 h. Neither sample suffered significant damage after 2500 h. The undesirable inter-granular grain boundary attack found in SS316L samples was in the order of 1–2 µm in depth. On Inconel 625 sample surface, an oxide complex formed, resisting material dissolution into the PCM. The surface morphology of tested samples remained largely unchanged after 2500 h, but the corrosion pattern changed from an initially localized corrosion penetration to a more uniform type. After 2500 h, the corrosion depth of Inconel 625 remained at roughly 1–2 µm, indicating that the corrosion rate decelerated. Both materials demonstrated good compatibility with the chosen NaF–NaCl eutectic salt, but the low corrosion activity in Inconel 625 samples shows a performance advantage for long term operation.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Understanding EBC Lifetimes and Performance for Industrial Gas Turbines

Hydrogen or hydrogen blend fuels are expected to replace natural gas in land-based industrial gas turbines (IGTs) to support a greener power economy. Silicon carbide (SiC) base ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) are considered for replacement of Ni-based superalloys to facilitate future efficiency improvements. SiC CMCs require environmental barrier coatings (EBCs) to mitigate volatilization from high-temperature steam, thus making the EBC lifetime critical information for identifying CMC component lifetimes. The goal of this project is to determine the maximum bond coating temperature underneath the EBC for achieving an IGT component lifetime goal of 25,000 h, which is far greater than current CMC component lifetime requirements for aero-turbine applications. To provide data for the lifetime model, laboratory testing used plasma-sprayed rare-earth silicate EBCs on monolithic SiC substrates with an intermediate Si bond coating. Specimens exposed to 1-h thermal cycles in flowing air-steam environments and reaction kinetics were assessed from 700°-1350°C by measuring the thickness of the thermally grown silica scales. The silica growth and phase transformation appear critical in predicting EBC lifetime and several strategies have been explored to reduce the oxide growth rate and improve EBC durability at elevated temperatures. Advanced characterization using Raman spectroscopy has helped clarify this system.

Ridley, Mackenzie↗

Aculeaxanthones A–E, new xanthones from the marine-derived fungus Aspergillus aculeatinus WHUF0198

Introduction Dimeric natural products are widespread in plants and microorganisms, which usually have complex structures and exhibit greater bioactivities than their corresponding monomers. In this study, we report five new dimeric tetrahydroxanthones, aculeaxanthones A−E ( 4−8 ), along with the homodimeric tetrahydroxanthone secalonic acid D ( 1 ), chrysoxanthones B and C ( 2 and 3 ), and 4−4’-secalonic acid D ( 9 ), from different fermentation batches of the title fungus. Methods A part of the culture was added to a total of 60 flasks containing 300 ml each of number II fungus liquid medium and culture 4 weeks in a static state at 28˚C. The liquid phase (18 L) and mycelia was separated from the fungal culture by filtering. A crude extract was obtained from the mycelia by ultrasound using acetone. To obtain a dry extract (18 g), the liquid phase combined with the crude extract were further extracted by EtOAc and concentrated in vacuo. The MIC of anaerobic bacteria was examined by a broth microdilution assay. To obtain MICs for aerobic bacteria, the agar dilution streak method recommended in Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute document (CLSI) M07-A10 was used. Compounds 1−9 was tested against the Bel-7402, A-549 and HCT-116 cell lines according to MTT assay. Results and Discussion The structures of these compounds were elucidated on the base of 1D and 2D NMR and HR-ESIMS data, and the absolute configurations of the new xanthones 4−8 were determined by conformational analysis and time-dependent density functional theory-electronic circular dichroism (TDDFT-ECD) calculations. Compounds 1–9 were tested for cytotoxicity against the Bel-7402, A549, and HCT-116 cancer cell lines. Of the dimeric tetrahydroxanthone derivatives, only compound 6 provided cytotoxicity effect against Bel-7402 cell line (IC50, 1.96 µM). Additionally, antimicrobial activity was evaluated for all dimeric tetrahydroxanthones, including four Gram-positive bacteria including Enterococcus faecium ATCC 19434, Bacillus subtilis 168, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 and MRSA USA300; four Gram-negative bacteria, including Helicobacter pylori 129, G27, as well as 26,695, and multi drug-resistant strain H. pylori 159, and one Mycobacterium M. smegmatis ATCC 607. However, only compound 1 performed activities against H. pylori G27, H. pylori 26695, H. pylori 129, H. pylori 159, S. aureus USA300, and B. subtilis 168 with MIC values of 4.0, 4.0, 2.0, 2.0, 2.0 and 1.0 μg/mL, respectively.

Wu, Jun↗

First beam tests of prototype silicon modules for the CMS High Granularity Endcap Calorimeter

The High Luminosity phase of the Large Hadron Collider will deliver 10 times more integrated luminosity than the existing collider, posing significant challenges for radiation tolerance and event pileup on detectors, especially for forward calorimetry. As part of its upgrade program, the Compact Muon Solenoid collaboration is designing a high-granularity calorimeter (HGCAL) to replace the existing endcap calorimeters. It will feature unprecedented transverse and longitudinal readout and triggering segmentation for both electromagnetic and hadronic sections. The electromagnetic section and a large fraction of the hadronic section will be based on hexagonal silicon sensors of 0.5–1 cm 2 cell size, with the remainder of the hadronic section being based on highly-segmented scintillators with silicon photomultiplier readout. The intrinsic high-precision timing capabilities of the silicon sensors will add an extra dimension to event reconstruction, especially in terms of pileup rejection. First hexagonal silicon modules, using the existing Skiroc2 front-end ASIC developed for CALICE, have been tested in beams at Fermilab and CERN in 2016. Here, we present results from these tests, in terms of system stability, calibration with minimum-ionizing particles and resolution (energy, position and timing) for electrons, and the comparisons of these quantities with GEANT4-based simulation.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

A bond-order potential for the Al–Cu–H ternary system

Al-Based Al–Cu alloys have a very high strength to density ratio, and are therefore important materials for transportation systems including vehicles and aircrafts. These alloys also appear to have a high resistance to hydrogen embrittlement, and as a result, are being explored for hydrogen related applications. To enable fundamental studies of mechanical behavior of Al–Cu alloys under hydrogen environments, we have developed an Al–Cu–H bond-order potential according to the formalism implemented in the molecular dynamics code LAMMPS. Our potential not only fits well to properties of a variety of elemental and compound configurations (with coordination varying from 1 to 12) including small clusters, bulk lattices, defects, and surfaces, but also passes stringent molecular dynamics simulation tests that sample chaotic configurations. Careful studies verified that this Al–Cu–H potential predicts structural property trends close to experimental results and quantum-mechanical calculations; in addition, it properly captures Al–Cu, Al–H, and Cu–H phase diagrams and enables simulations of H 2 dissociation, chemisorption, and absorption on Al–Cu surfaces.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

TH-CD-207A-05: Lung Surface Deformation Vector Fields Prediction by Monitoring Respiratory Surrogate Signals

Purpose: In this study, we developed and evaluated a method for predicting lung surface deformation vector fields (SDVFs) based on surrogate signals such as chest and abdomen motion at selected locations and spirometry measurements. Methods: A Patient-specific 3D triangular surface mesh of the lung region at end-expiration (EE) phase was obtained by threshold-based segmentation method. For each patient, a spirometer recorded the flow volume changes of the lungs; and 192 selected points at a regular spacing of 2cm X 2cm matrix points over a total area of 34cm X 24cm on the surface of chest and abdomen was used to detect chest wall motions. Preprocessing techniques such as QR factorization with column pivoting (QRCP) were employed to remove redundant observations of the chest and abdominal area. To create a statistical model between the lung surface and the corresponding surrogate signals, we developed a predictive model based on canonical ridge regression (CRR). Two unique weighting vectors were selected for each vertex on the surface of the lung, and they were optimized during the training process using the all other phases of 4D-CT except the end-inspiration (EI) phase. These parameters were employed to predict the vertices locations of a testing data set, which was the EI phase of 4D-CT. Results: For ten lung cancer patients, the deformation vector field of each vertex of lung surface mesh was estimated from the external motion at selected positions on the chest wall surface plus spirometry measurements. The average estimation of 98th percentile of error was less than 1 mm (AP= 0.85, RL= 0.61, and SI= 0.82). Conclusion: The developed predictive model provides a non-invasive approach to derive lung boundary condition. Together with personalized biomechanical respiration modelling, the proposed model can be used to derive the lung tumor motion during radiation therapy accurately from non-invasive measurements.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗