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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 667 records · Page 37
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2017

Radiation Induced Segregation at Low Angle Grain Boundaries in Steels: NSUF 2017 Milestone Report

This document outlines the user supported post-irradiation characterization by Oak Ridge National Laboratory under the Nuclear Scientific User Facility Consolidated Innovative Nuclear Research project, “Correlative Atom Probe and Electron Microscopy Study of Radiation Induced Segregation at Low and High Angle Grain Boundaries in Steels.” Fiscal Year 2017 was the first of a two-year project combining atom probe tomography and analytical electron microscopy. Electron Backscatter Diffraction was performed on the specimens to locate high and low angle grain boundaries for specimen prepared using focused ion beam. Focused ion beam prepared lift outs were used for analytical electron microscopy of the grain boundaries using the FEI F200X Talos. This report briefly summarizes the specimen preparation and analytical electron microscopy results obtained at Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Low Activation Materials Development and Analysis facility.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Soft Materials Solutions for Future Needs

Background: Rapid heating of polymer components can have catastrophic effects, such as contained vaporization, which are poorly understood. Hostile environment effects on stockpile-aged or new materials need study. Need: Elucidate chemical and physical changes using scientifically rigorous surrogate stimuli, and in situ techniques. Bulk and surface phenomena must be distinguished. Required diagnostics are impractical at large user facilities. Goal and Vision: Identify failure mechanisms and test materials of diverse pedigrees (stockpile, candidate replacement) using a local, adaptable, high throughput testing capability, integrated with modeling.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Eddy Correlation Flux Measurement System (ECOR) Instrument Handbook

The eddy correlation (ECOR) flux measurement system provides in situ, half-hour measurements of the surface turbulent fluxes of momentum, sensible heat, latent heat, and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) (and methane at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility’s North Slope of Alaska central facility [NSA Barrow], and at the ARM Mobile Facility (AMF) deployment at Oliktok Point). The fluxes are obtained with the eddy covariance technique, which involves correlation of the vertical wind component with the horizontal wind component, the air temperature, the water vapor density, and the CO 2 concentration. The instruments used are: a fast-response, three-dimensional (3D) wind sensor (sonic anemometer) to obtain the orthogonal wind components and the speed of sound (SOS) (used to derive the air temperature), an open-path infrared gas analyzer (IRGA) to obtain the water vapor density and the CO 2 concentration, and an open-path infrared gas analyzer (IRGA) to obtain methane density and methane flux at NSA Barrow and at the AMF deployment at Oliktok Point. The ECOR systems are deployed at the locations where other methods for surface flux measurements (e.g., energy balance Bowen ratio [EBBR] systems) are difficult to employ, primarily at the north edge of a field of crops. A surface energy balance system (SEBS) has been installed collocated with each deployed ECOR system in SGP, NSA, Tropical Western Pacific (TWP), and each of three ARM Mobile Facilities. The surface energy balance system consists of upwelling and downwelling solar and infrared radiometers within one net radiometer, a wetness sensor, and soil measurements. Finally, the SEBS measurements allow the comparison of ECOR sensible and latent heat fluxes with the energy balance determined from the SEBS and provide information on wetting of the sensors for data quality purposes.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2020

Description of the LASSO Data Bundles Product

The U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility began a pilot project in May 2015 to design a routine, high-resolution modeling capability to complement ARM’s extensive suite of measurements. This modeling capability has evolved into the Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) ARM Symbiotic Simulation and Observation (LASSO) datastream. The datastream, broadly termed data bundles, contains high-resolution model output, input files, observations for evaluation, and skill scores for the simulations. The initial focus of LASSO is on shallow convection at the ARM Southern Great Plains (SGP) atmospheric observatory. The availability of LES simulations with concurrent observations serves many purposes. LES helps bridge the scale gap between DOE ARM observations and models, and the use of routine LES adds value to observations. It provides a self-consistent representation of the atmosphere and a dynamical context for the observations. Further, it elucidates unobservable processes and properties. LASSO generates a simulation library for researchers that enables statistical approaches beyond a single-case mentality. It also provides tools necessary for modelers to reproduce the LES and conduct their own sensitivity experiments. The LASSO library of data bundles is designed to facilitate a wide range of research. For an observationalist, LASSO can help inform instrument remote-sensing retrievals, conduct observation system simulation experiments (OSSEs), and test implications of radar scan strategies or flight paths. For a theoretician, LASSO can help calculate estimates of fluxes and co-variability of values, and test relationships without having to run the model personally. For a modeler, LASSO can help one know ahead of time which days have good forcing, have co-registered observations at high-resolution scales, and have simulation inputs and corresponding outputs to test parameterizations. Further details on the overall LASSO project are available at https://www.arm.gov/capabilities/modeling/lasso.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2017

Grand Challenges for Biological and Environmental Research: Progress and Future Vision. A Report from the Biological and Environmental Research Advisory Committee

The Biological and Environmental Research (BER) program within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science supports research focusing on the interconnections between energy production and the living environment. This fundamental research, conducted at universities, DOE national laboratories, and research institutions across the country, explores organisms and ecosystems that can influence the U.S. energy system and advances understanding of the relationships between energy and environment from local to global scales. Research within BER can be categorized into biological systems and Earth and environmental systems. Biological systems research seeks to characterize and predictively understand microbial and plant systems using genomic science, computational analyses, and experimental approaches. Foundational knowledge of the structure and function of these systems underpins the ability to leverage natural processes for energy production, including the sustainable development of biofuels and other bioproducts. Earth and environmental systems research seeks to characterize and predictively understand feedbacks between Earth and energy systems and includes studies on atmospheric physics and chemistry, ecosystem ecology and biogeochemistry, and development and validation of Earth system models extending from regional to global scales. To promote world-class research in these areas, BER supports user facilities that enable observation and measurement of atmospheric, biological, and biogeochemical processes using the latest technologies.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Raman Lidar Water Vapor Mixing Ratio and Temperature Value-Added Products

This report describes the methods used to estimate profiles of water vapor mixing ratio (WVMR) and temperature from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility Raman lidars (RL). This includes a description of the equations and the calibration methods that are used, as well as the output datastreams and variable names. We begin with an overview of the ARM RL systems, with a focus on the detection channels used for the WVMR and temperature measurements.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2019

Preservation of Alcator C-Mod Data and Support of ITER Research Through ITPA Participation (Final Technical Report)

This grant supported two primary activities at the MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center. First, personnel support, hardware upgrades, and software development were used to maintain the C-Mod data archive set. This highly valuable repository contains all of the data generated from operation of the Alcator C-Mod FES User Facility, covering first operation in 1992 through completion of the final experimental campaign on Sept 30, 2016. The archive, stored using the MDSplus architecture, also includes all of the data analysis, which is ongoing, and most of the results of computer modeling of the data. Second, this grant supported activities related to participation of the C-Mod team in the International Tokamak Physics Activites (ITPA), which includes analysis of C-Mod data, in conjunction with data from tokamaks operated around the world, with intense coordination of joint experiments.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2019

GeoSoilEnviroCARS: A National Resource for Earth, Planetary, Soil and Environmental Science Research at the Advanced Photon Source

This project partially supported GeoSoilEnviroCARS (GSECARS), a national user facility for frontier research in the earth sciences using synchrotron radiation at the Advanced Photon Source (APS), Argonne National Laboratory, and the foremost synchrotron-based facility dedicated to serving the needs of the geoscience community. The DOE-supported research advanced our knowledge of the composition, structure and properties of earth materials. Frontier experiments were conducted in research areas including mineral-water interface reactions, biogeochemical cycling, flow dynamics of fluids and solids, and projects relevant to applied programs. Examples of these experimental topics include oxygen diffusion in energy-relevant materials, interface structural studies of materials undergoing electrochemical reactions, biogeochemical reactions in aquifers and deep storage reservoirs, reactions in zero-valent iron reactive barriers, and uranium.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Radiation Induced Segregation at Grain Boundaries in Steels: NSUF 2018 Milestone Report

This document outlines the user supported post-irradiation characterization by Oak Ridge National Laboratory under the Nuclear Scientific User Facility Consolidated Innovative Nuclear Research project, “Correlative Atom Probe and Electron Microscopy Study of Radiation Induced Segregation at Low and High Angle Grain Boundaries in Steels.” Fiscal Year 2018 was the second of a two-year project aimed at using analytical electron microscopy combined with atom probe tomography (APT) to probe the nanometer length scale segregations in austenitic stainless steels after neutron irradiation. Particularly, analytical electron microscopy using the FEI F200X Talos was successfully completed in the first year, and the second year was focused on APT study. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with an electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) detector was performed on selected specimens to locate high and low angle grain boundaries for targeted specimen preparation using focused ion beam (FIB). FIB prepared lift outs were used for APT examination of the grain boundaries using a Cameca Instruments LEAP 4000X HR instrument. This report briefly summarizes the specimen preparation and APT results obtained at the Center for Advanced Energy Studies.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Mesoscale Connections Spring 2019

Mesoscale Connections is published by the Los Alamos National Laboratory's Physical Sciences Directorate. Its goal is to promote awareness of mesoscale materials research relevant to the NNSA, advances in mesoscale science capabilities at user facilities, and modeling challenges and needs for big data sets in service of materials co-design.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Early Career: In-situ Monitoring of Dynamic Phenomena during Solidification

Solidification is critical to processes like casting and additive manufacturing and the manufacture of metallic alloy components we use in our everyday lives. State-of-the-art characterization techniques, now available at U.S. DOE User Facilities and in the laboratory, are not only enabling fundamental studies of metallic alloy solidification dynamics, but also in-operando, in-situ deformation, and manufacturing studies. Here we use x-ray, proton, and electron imaging to study solidification dynamics from the micro-scale to the macro-scale, at times ranging from microseconds to minutes. Our experimental results are used to inform, develop, and validate computational models at the same length and time-scales. Integrating in-situ characterization and modeling will yield the prediction and control of metallic alloy solidification dynamics and the creation of microstructures and properties by design with advanced manufacturing. Major research accomplishments during this period include: 1. Exploring dynamical microstructure selection by means of real-time synchrotron x-ray imaging of controlled directional solidification of aluminum alloys and quantitative phase field modeling. 2. In-situ and ex-situ electron microscopy of rapid solidification after laser melting of metallic alloys. 3. Exploring the impact of microstructural heterogeneities that develop during solidification on solid-state phase transitions, with an emphasis on phase growth, (meta)stability, and transition pathways in aluminum alloys. 4. Demonstrations of four-dimensional (three-dimensions plus time) x-ray microscopy during controlled directional solidification and the first quasi-static/dynamic transmission high energy electron microscopy of metallic alloy solidification dynamics. 5. Experiments and modeling of solidification structure evolution and forward modeling and testing of micromechanical behavior.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Tracking Aerosol Convective Interactions Experiment (TRACER) Science Plan

Convective clouds play an important role in the Earth’s climate system as a driver of large-scale circulations and a primary mechanism for the transport of heat, moisture, aerosols, and momentum throughout the troposphere. Despite their climatic importance, multi-scale models continue to have persistent biases produced by insufficient representation of convective clouds. This is the result of an incomplete understanding of key processes such as convective initiation, updraft and downdraft dynamics, cloud and precipitation microphysics, and aerosol-convection interactions. The Aerosol-Cloud-Precipitation-Climate Initiative, an international research group dedicated to advancing understanding of aerosol impacts on clouds relevant to climate, has identified the Houston, Texas region as an optimal location for targeted studies of aerosol-convection interactions within frequently developing isolated deep convection. Houston lies within a humid subtropical climate regime, where onshore flow and sea-breeze convection interact with a range of aerosol conditions associated with Houston’s urban and industrial emissions. Pilot studies have suggested that convective clouds in this region are potentially significantly impacted by the varying aerosol conditions. To increase our understanding of convective cloud life cycles and aerosol-convection interactions, the Tracking Aerosol Convection Interactions Experiment (TRACER) aims to collect a comprehensive data set focused on the evolution of convective clouds and the environment (including aerosol, cloud, thermodynamics, and lightning) in which the clouds initiate, grow, and decay. A unique component of TRACER is that a large number of individual, isolated convective cells will be tracked and measured in high spatial and temporal resolution for the purposes of: (i) Characterizing and linking convective cloud kinematic and microphysical life cycles, (ii) Quantifying environmental thermodynamic and kinematic controls on convective life cycle properties, (iii) Isolating and quantifying the impacts of aerosol properties on convective cloud kinematic and microphysical evolution. TRACER includes a one-year deployment of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility’s first ARM Mobile Facility (AMF1) and second-generation C-Band Scanning ARM Precipitation Radar (CSAPR2) aimed at collecting statistical data sets of cloud, precipitation, atmospheric state, and aerosol under varying aerosol loading and local circulation (sea breeze and urban heat island) conditions. A four-month intensive operational period (IOP) from June through September will include deployment of an ancillary site with aerosol, atmospheric state, and precipitation measurements at a location rarely impacted by Houston’s anthropogenic emissions, which will be commonplace near the AMF1 site. Convective cell tracking by the CSAPR2 will provide high-resolution polarimetric and velocity observations under a range of environmental (including aerosol loading) conditions. High-frequency radiosonde launches will capture quickly evolving thermodynamic and kinematic conditions near convective cells, a requirement for isolating aerosol effects on clouds. TRACER will additionally leverage a lightning mapping array, surface meteorological networks, and air pollution networks, and proposals will be entered to deploy additional mobile radar and radiosonde assets during the IOP. This unique combination of cloud, precipitation, lightning, aerosol, and atmospheric state measurements associated with tracked convective cells will ultimately improve our understanding of the convective cloud life cycle and its interaction with individual environmental factors such that improved, next-generation cumulus, microphysics, turbulence, and aerosol parameterizations can be designed.

Convective clouds, aerosols, cloud life cycle, atm↗
DOE OSTI2019

Infrastructure Investments in LAMDA: SEM Mill and Vault (NSUF 2019 Milestone Report)

This document summarizes the procurement, installation, and commissioning of a scanning electron microscope (SEM) mill produced by Fischione Instruments and a lead-shielded vault for specimen storage in support of Nuclear Science User Facility (NSUF) awards for use in Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s (ORNL) Low Activation Materials Development and Analysis (LAMDA) laboratory. The Model 1061 SEM mill is a tabletop ion milling system for advanced sample preparation of high-quality SEM samples. This device was chosen for its broad range of ion energies allowing for both rapid milling and final polishing of the sample surface. The purchase order with Fischione Instruments was released and awarded by ORNL procurement on September 11, 2018. The instrument was shipped in December of 2018 and was installed in the LAMDA laboratory in March of 2019. During the commissioning of this equipment, electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) was performed on specimens before and after milling to show the enhanced surface quality. With the purchase of a lead vault dedicated to NSUF library materials co-located in the LAMDA laboratory, the NSUF program will be able to maintain a significant sample library in LAMDA. These specimens will be easily accessible for rapid turnaround experiment (RTE) awards and will reduce the overall cost of year-over-year storage and shipments to and from ORNL hot cell facilities. The contract to fabricate a fourth lead vault dedicated to NSUF specimen storage was awarded by ORNL procurement on August 10, 2018. Installation of the new vault was completed in January of 2019.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2019

Description of the ARM Large-Scale Forcing Data from the Constrained Variational Analysis (VARANAL) Version 2

This technical report represents an update of the previous technical report written by Zhang et al., which described the U.S. Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility constrained variational analysis (VARANAL) that is used to develop the large-scale forcing data for driving single-column models (SCMs), cloud-resolving models (CRMs), and large-eddy simulation models (LES). The VARANAL algorithm was originally developed by Zhang and Lin and Zhang et al. at Stony Brook University and was migrated to the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) as the ARM operational objective analysis system in May 1999. Since then, the algorithm has been evolved with time along with the availability of new observations and techniques to meet various modeling needs. Major updates include: 1. The method used to develop multi-year continuous forcing data, 2. The incorporation of eddy correlation flux measurement system (ECOR) turbulent fluxes into the analysis, and 3. Improvements to the workflow (e.g., implementing part of the code into the ARM Data Integrator [ADI]) to increase efficiency. The ARM large-scale forcing data have been widely used for SCM/CRM/LES to understand and improve physical processes in models. Zhang et al. has provided a comprehensive review of the SCM concept, early efforts to derive forcing data for SCM studies, efforts of the ARM constrained variational analysis, and previous SCM studies using ARM cases. This technical report focuses on the constrained variational analysis algorithm and the introduction of the ARM VARANAL products. We also extended the VARANAL algorithm into a three-dimensional constrained variational analysis (3DCVA) and designed an ensemble framework to address the forcing uncertainty. The 3D large-scale forcing data are released as another datastream named “varanal3d”. Please refer to the ARM varanal3d technical report for more information.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Aerosol and Cloud Optical Properties from the ARM Raman Lidars: The Feature Detection and Extinction (RLPROF-FEX) Value-Added Product

Aerosols and their interactions and influence on clouds are among the main sources of uncertainties in radiative direct and indirect forcing (IPCC 2013). Continuous height-resolved measurements of cloud and aerosol optical properties are needed to reduce these uncertainties. Here we describe the Raman Lidar Profiles – Feature detection and Extinction (RLPROF-FEX) Value-Added Product (VAP) derived using Raman lidar data at multiple U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility sites. RLPROF-FEX provides estimates of extinction, backscatter, and depolarization using the algorithm described by Thorsen et al. 2015 and Thorsen and Fu 2015. This document provides a description of the FEX algorithm, its input and output data, and related details about the Raman lidar (RL) system.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2019

Condensation Particle Counter (CPC) Instrument Handbook - Airborne Version

The U.S. Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility’s Model 3772 condensation particle counter (CPC) is a compact, rugged, and full-featured instrument that detects airborne particles down to 10 nm in diameter, at an aerosol flow rate of 1.0 lpm, over a concentration range from 0 to 1x104 #/cc. This CPC is ideally suited for applications without high-concentration measurements, such as basic aerosol research, filter and air cleaner testing, particle counter calibrations, environmental monitoring, mobile aerosol studies, particle shedding and component testing, and atmospheric and climate studies.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2019

Cloud Condensation Nuclei Particle Counter Instrument Handbook - Airborne Version

The cloud condensation nuclei counter (CCN) is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility instrument for measuring the concentration of aerosol particles that can act as cloud condensation nuclei. Note: ARM deploys both ground and airborne versions of this instrument. This handbook covers only the airborne instrument; the ground version is covered by DOE/SC-ARM-TR-168. The main differences between the two are that the airborne CCN operates at fixed supersaturation and adapts thermal efficiency calculation in the data process. The CCN draws sample aerosol through a column with thermodynamically unstable supersaturated water vapor that can condense onto aerosol particles. Particles that are activated, i.e., grown larger in this process, are counted (and sized) by an optical particle counter (OPC). Thus, activated ambient aerosol particle number concentration as a function of supersaturation is measured. Models CCN-100 and CCN- 200 differ only in the number of humidifier columns and related subsystems: CCN-100 has one column and CCN-200 has two columns along with dual flow systems and electronics.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗