Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “BUILDING MATERIAL”

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 73 records · Page 4
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Inkjet-Based 3D Printing: From Quantum Dots to Steel Tools

Inkjet-based additive manufacturing (AM) technologies are highly versatile among manufacturing processes due to their ability to shape any material in powder or ink form. The two inkjet-based AM technologies are binder jetting and material jetting, and as each of their names suggest, the former uses inkjet to deposit binder into the actual build material and the latter uses inkjet to deposit the actual build material. With each of these technologies comes unique opportunities in the form of embedding functional components within the build, creating material gradients within parts by selectively layering feedstocks, shaping non-weldable materials, and creating low-cost tooling with conformal cooling channels. Dr. Amy Elliott at Oak Ridge National Laboratory has explored a variety of materials and approaches with inkjet-based manufacturing technologies, focusing on industry-relevant applications such as injection molding tooling and mining drills.

Elliott, Amy↗
DOE OSTI2025

Towards low-carbon low-energy concrete alternatives: Life cycle assessment of carbonated cementitious material-based precast panels

Cement is responsible for 22 % of all global CO 2 emissions from industrial processes. Technological innovation for developing and deploying of alternative materials will be required to decarbonize the cement industry. Carbonated cementitious materials (CCMs) are building materials that rely on carbon mineralization for their strength. A process-based cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted to evaluate the global warming potential (GWP), cumulative energy demand, and water consumption of a lab-scale CCM-based precast panel compared to a conventional precast concrete panel. Since the CCM process is currently a lab-scale early-stage process, the CCM panel showed higher environmental impacts compared to the conventional panel. However, scenario analyses include mature production process scenarios. In conclusion, a sensitivity analysis revealed that the GWP of CCM can be lowered to below that of the conventional panel using polymers, fillers, low-carbon electricity sources, and optimized carbonation parameters.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS2004

Using AVIRIS Data to Map and Characterize Subaerially and Subaqueously Erupted BasalticVolcanic Tephras: The Challenge of Mapping Low-Albedo Materials

Increases in the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in AVIRIS has enabled the mapping and characterization of low albedo materials. Low albedo materials of interest include certain soils, man-made materials (asphalt, certain building materials, tires, etc.), and basaltic lava flows and ashes. Early in its history, the response of the AVIRIS sensor was not sensitive enough so that these low albedo materials could be reliably mapped. However, as indicated by Green and Pavri (2002) the noise equivalent delta radiance (NEdL) of AVIRIS in the 2001 flight season was below 0.010 in all but the shortest wavelength channels. This is approximately a ten-fold improvement from the 1989 flight season when NEdL was closer to 0.1 (Green et al., 1990). In the current investigation, AVIRIS data from the 2002 flight season collected over the Pavant Butte tuff cone, Tabernacle Hill tuff ring, and an associated lava flow in the Black Rock Desert of west central Utah were examined to determine how well these generally low albedo volcanic lavas and tephras could be discriminated from background materials. The Pavant Butte tuff cone was examined by the author in an earlier study with a 1989 AVIRIS dataset (Farrand and Singer,

Farrand, William H.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Opportunities for Catalytic Reactions and Materials in Buildings

Residential and commercial buildings are responsible for over 30% of global final energy consumption and accounts for ~40% of annual direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions. Energy efficient and sustainable technologies are necessary to not only lower the energy footprint but also lower the environmental burden. Many proven and emerging technologies are being pursued to meet the ever-increasing energy demand. Catalytic science has a significant new role to play in helping address sustainable energy challenges, particularly in buildings, compared to transportation and industrial sectors. Thermally driven heat pumps, dehumidification, cogeneration, thermal energy storage, carbon capture and utilization, emissions suppression, waste-to-energy conversion, and corrosion prevention technologies can tap into the advantages of catalytic science in realizing the full potential of such approaches, quickly, efficiently, and reliably. Catalysts can help increase energy conversion efficiency in building related technologies but must utilize low cost, easily available and easy-to-manufacture materials for large scale deployment. This entry presents a comprehensive overview of the impact of each building technology area on energy demand and environmental burden, state-of-the-art of catalytic solutions, research, and development opportunities for catalysis in building technologies, while identifying requirements, opportunities, and challenges.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

NREL's HydroGEN Photoreactor Platform Design and Characterization

This technical report details the design, fabrication, and construction of a flow-through photoreactor developed at The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The photoreactor is designed to facilitate indoor or outdoor testing on photoelectrochemical or integrated solar water splitting devices. The photoreactor design described here is based on a previous demonstration. The photoreactor version described herein contains several advanced design features that include: 1) Chassis-chuck two-part design, 2) Separable counter electrode compartments (here, the counter electrodes are anodes), 3) Reduced electrode separation to reduce electrolyte resistance, 4) Improved flow pattern for bubble removal, 5) Mounting for spectroradiometer receptor, 6) Fresnel lens and collimating tube attachments. The photoreactor presented here was designed primarily to accommodate photocathode materials in an illuminated compartment and a dark anode as the oxygen evolution catalyst. The build materials were thus chosen to for acid electrolyte compatibility. Other embodiments could accommodate a photoanode with dark hydrogen evolution catalyst and other build materials for alkaline compatibility.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS1999

Effect of High Temperature on the Tensile Behavior of CFRP and Cementitious Composites

Concrete and other composite manufacturing processes are continuing to evolve and become more and more suited for use in non-Earth settings such as the Moon and Mars. The fact that structures built in lunar environments would experience a range of effects from temperature extremes to bombardment by micrometeorites and that all the materials for concrete production exist on the Moon means that concrete appears to be the most feasible building material. it can provide adequate shelter from the harshness of the lunar environment and at the same time be a cost effective building material. With a return to the Moon planned by NASA to occur after the turn of the century, it will be necessary to include concrete manufacturing as one of the experiments to be conducted in one of the coming missions. Concrete's many possible uses and possibilities for manufacturing make it ideal for lunar construction. The objectives of this research are summarized as follows: i) study the possibility of concrete production on the Moon or other planets, ii) study the effect of high temperature on the tensile behavior of concrete, and iii) study the effect of high temperature on the tensile behavior of carbon fiber reinforced with inorganic polymer composites. Literature review indicates that production of concrete on the Moon or other planets is feasible using the indigenous materials. Results of this study has shown that both the tensile strength and static elastic modulus of concrete decreased with a rise in temperature from 200 to 500 C. The addition of silica fume to concrete showed higher resistance to high temperatures. Carbon fiber reinforced inorganic polymer (CFRIP) composites seemed to perform well up to 300 C. However, a significant reduction in strength was observed of about 40% at 400 C and up to 80% when the specimens were exposed to 700 C.

Toutanji, Houssam A.↗
DOE OSTI2022

The Environmental Impact of Deep Energy Retrofits in Residential Construction

Almost two thirds of the residential homes in the U.S. were constructed before the Department of Energy implemented energy conservation measures that were later formalized in the building codes. To reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions from the built environment, improvement to the existing housing stock is a prerequisite. However, improvements that lower energy consumption address carbon emissions related to heating, cooling and plug loads but not the embodied carbon of the building materials that also contribute to global carbon emissions. As the enclosure is made more efficient a larger portion of total carbon emissions is embodied carbon from the building materials. To mitigate carbon emissions, a holistic approach is required so that any improvement to the home results in a net reduction in carbon emissions. To understand the overall environmental impact of building enclosure improvements, the embodied and operational carbon emissions are calculated in this investigation and compared to the overall energy savings associated with enclosure improvements. The energy savings together with a reduction in operational carbon emissions are calculated using a novel building envelope metric. The net carbon emissions are then determined before and after the energy improvement measures. This approach allows or enables architects and builders to select designs that result in maximizing the overall reduction in energy and carbon emissions.

Aldykiewicz Jr, Antonio↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

From Regolith to Living Off the Land: Formulating a Data Model to Catalog Lunar Construction Materials

Artemis Program objectives for sustainable, long-term presence on the Moon and more distant planetary surfaces will require learning to “Live off the Land”, relying on in-situ resource utilization to produce infrastructure and building materials from lunar regolith, icy subsurface deposits, and residual waste materials. Meeting demand for consumables while scaling development with resources found within the landing zone will require detailed data on the geology and environment of the lunar surface. Lunar infrastructure development will generate vast amounts of new engineering data regarding availability of processed feedstocks and their performance in building materials. Lunar engineering data accessible to program partners, research institutions and industry may help situate processes and specifications within the in-situ GIS context. Lunar missions to date have generated geological and ice favorability maps of the lunar surface, and recent technology studies have tested automated construction systems and novel material formulations using regolith simulants and binders. Current discussions focus on identifying key feedstocks, quantities required for nominal mission scenarios and infrastructure plans, and mapping the value chain from regolith to feedstock to consumables and construction materials.

lunar construction↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

From Regolith to Living Off the Land: Formulating a Data Model to Catalog Lunar Construction Materials

Artemis Program objectives for sustainable, long-term presence on the Moon and more distant planetary surfaces will require learning to “Live off the Land”, relying on in-situ resource utilization to produce infrastructure and building materials from lunar regolith, icy subsurface deposits, and residual waste materials. Meeting demand for consumables while scaling development with resources found within the landing zone will require detailed data on the geology and environment of the lunar surface. Lunar infrastructure development will generate vast amounts of new engineering data regarding availability of processed feedstocks and their performance in building materials. Lunar engineering data accessible to program partners, research institutions and industry may help situate processes and specifications within the in-situ GIS context. Lunar missions to date have generated geological and ice favorability maps of the lunar surface, and recent technology studies have tested automated construction systems and novel material formulations using regolith simulants and binders. Current discussions focus on identifying key feedstocks, quantities required for nominal mission scenarios and infrastructure plans, and mapping the value chain from regolith to feedstock to consumables and construction materials.

lunar construction↗
DOE OSTI2020

Decontamination of urban surfaces contaminated with radioactive materials and consequent onsite recycling of the waste water

Enhancing rapid remediation strategies is paramount for recovery after a large-scale nuclear contamination event in an urban environment. Some current strategies recommend use of readily available equipment, materials, and facilities to expedite recovery. For example, applying pressurized water to contaminated surfaces may effectively remove radioactive contamination. In this study, a commercial power washer removes soluble forms of 152 Eu 3 + , 85 Sr 2 + , and 137 Cs + contamination from common porous building materials, and computer simulations characterize the recycling of the resultant contaminated wash water. Pressure washing the porous building materials under spray conditions typical with do-it-yourself units improved decontamination factors (DFs) for 152 Eu compared to low-pressure application of tap water (majority of two-tailed t-test p-values < 0.1), but pressure did not improve DFs for 137 Cs or 85 Sr. For both pressurized and low-pressure applications, adding potassium ions (K + ) to promote ion exchange reactions produced significantly higher DFs for tested radionuclides on asphalt, brick, and concrete. The resultant contaminated wash water can be processed through self-prepared chemical filtration beds of clay and sand. Modeled in a prior study, the beds yielded linear trends (R 2 > 0.98) in sensitivity analyses between most bed configuration variables and bed performance variables, permitting flexible ad-hoc bed design. The experimental and simulation results led to estimates of the remediation rate and waste generated after cleaning 250 m 2 of cesium-contaminated concrete from the combined deployment of a power washer and two different mobile treatment beds. Furthermore, the first treatment bed was designed to reduce treatment time and processed 1900 L of wash solution in 70 min using 880 kg of clay/sand infill material. Designed to reduce the solid waste generated, the second bed processed the same solution volume in 1040 min (17 h) using 170 kg of clay/sand infill material. The results of this analysis warrant further investigation of power washing with recycled salt solution as an effective rapid decontamination method with manageable waste.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2023

Thermal Conductivity of a Novel Salt-Hydrogel Complex as a Phase Change Material for Building Thermal Management

Use of electricity for space heating, ventilation and air conditioning in buildings may be better managed through temporary energy storage. Compared with electrochemical storage, the levelized cost of thermal energy storage systems can be lower depending on geographical location and thermophysical properties [1]. In any phase change material (PCM), the rate of absorption and release of thermal energy increases with higher thermal conductivity [2]. However, leading PCMs like paraffin waxes have thermal conductivities on the order of 0.1 W/mK. Glauber’s salt, a salt hydrate, possesses a relatively high thermal conductivity but suffers from supercooling and phase segregation. Research has shown that polymer-based composites with salt hydrates can prevent phase segregation and limit supercooling over hundreds of cycles [3] though the thermal conductivity of the composite may be reduced leading to low energy storage rates. Here, we report thermal conductivity measurements on polymer hydrogels which are stable in solutions of Glauber’s salt. To measure thermal conductivity of soft gels, we use a 3-omega method [4] where heat flows bidirectionally through a substrate below and through a gel placed on top. This suits measurements of both gels and liquids unlike transient plane heat source or transient hot wire methods. We report measurements of thermal conductivity of salt-hydrogel complexes as a function of temperature, cross-linking and salt concentration. In addition, we present modeling of thermal conductivity of sodium sulfate solutions with available theories. We finally employ polarized optical microscopy to observe inside the transparent hydrogel networks, showing that precipitating crystals may influence thermal conductivity measurements for high salt concentrations. Our thermal conductivity results combined with enthalpy of phase change, mass density and specific heat are essential to accurately design thermal storage systems for energy-efficient buildings.

composite, thermal conductivity↗
DOE OSTI2025

Life-cycle carbon footprint and total production potential of cross-laminated timber from California’s wildland-urban interface

The frequency, scale, and severity of wildfires are steadily increasing in the Western United States. Sustainable forest management practices through forest thinning could reduce the impact of wildfires and provide lumber for wood-based, long-lived, and low-carbon building materials. This study explores the potential for harvesting biomass in California (CA) to mitigate wildfire risk and provide multi-decade carbon storage in the form of cross-laminated timber (CLT) for use in buildings. First, we assessed biomass resource availability, finding that the total live hardwood and live softwood available in the wildland-urban interfaces (WUIs) across CA sums to 14.1 million metric tons (MMT) and 34.9 MMT, respectively, which contains the equivalent of 90 MMT of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Then, we conducted a life cycle assessment of CLT considering softwood and hardwood sources to provide insights into emissions and energy demand associated with utilization of the wood removed for wildfire risk management. We found that the net life cycle carbon footprint of live hardwood and softwood when including biogenic carbon storage/emissions is 414 and 317 kg CO2e/m3 CLT, respectively. To incorporate the timing of these emissions and uptake, we have also conducted a cradle-to-grave time-dependent global warming potential (GWP) analysis. The time-adjusted GWP for live hardwood and live softwood is −227 and −104 kg CO2e/m3 CLT, respectively. In terms of total CLT production potential, 0.03 and 0.005 million m3 CLT can be sourced from live softwood and hardwood, respectively, in WUI on gentle slopes in CA. The resulting insights and approaches from this study are broadly applicable to other forested regions and WUIs across the US and the world, and provide a holistic approach to use forest thinning as a wildfire mitigation strategy in combination with a novel approach for life cycle assessment of building materials with a limited dataset.

Bose, Baishakhi↗
NASA NTRS2005

Vision and "Hand-Eye" Coordination for the Fujitsu HOAP-2 Humanoid Robot

Software was developed for a Fujitsu HOAP-2 humanoid robot to demonstrate that such "human form" robots can be used to perform useful tasks in an unknown environment; specifically, that they can operate with or in the place of humans to carry out construction operations necessary for space exploration, such as building or maintaining planetary surface habitats for humans. This paper describes the autonomous vision and hand-eye coordination software that enables the HOAP-2 to locate and manipulate objects. Simple vision and pattern detection algorithms including color filtering, noise filtering, image segmentation, orientation filters, and a feedback controlled tracking system enable the robot to locate marked building materials in the workspace. Experimentally determined spatial mappings associate locations in the visual field with the arm joint angles and trajectories necessary to reach these locations, allowing the robot to reach for and manipulate the building materials. These capabilities, when combined with locomotion capabilities, enable the robot to operate autonomously in an unknown workspace.

Moore, Jeffrey D.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Autonomous In-Situ Resources Prospector

This presentation will describe the concept of an autonomous, intelligent, rover-based rapid surveying system to identify and map several key lunar resources to optimize their ISRU (In Situ Resource Utilization) extraction potential. Prior to an extraction phase for any target resource, ground-based surveys are needed to provide confirmation of remote observation, to quantify and map their 3-D distribution, and to locate optimal extraction sites (e.g. ore bodies) with precision to maximize their economic benefit. The system will search for and quantify optimal minerals for oxygen production feedstock, water ice, and high glass-content regolith that can be used for building materials. These are targeted because of their utility and because they are, or are likely to be, variable in quantity over spatial scales accessible to a rover (i.e., few km). Oxygen has benefits for life support systems and as an oxidizer for propellants. Water is a key resource for sustainable exploration, with utility for life support, propellants, and other industrial processes. High glass-content regolith has utility as a feedstock for building materials as it readily sinters upon heating into a cohesive matrix more readily than other regolith materials or crystalline basalts. Lunar glasses are also a potential feedstock for oxygen production, as many are rich in iron and titanium oxides that are optimal for oxygen extraction. To accomplish this task, a system of sensors and decision-making algorithms for an autonomous prospecting rover is described. One set of sensors will be located in the wheel tread of the robotic search vehicle providing contact sensor data on regolith composition. Another set of instruments will be housed on the platform of the rover, including VIS-NIR imagers and spectrometers, both for far-field context and near-field characterization of the regolith in the immediate vicinity of the rover. Also included in the sensor suite are a neutron spectrometer, ground-penetrating radar, and an instrumented cone penetrometer for subsurface assessment. Output from these sensors will be evaluated autonomously in real-time by decision-making software to evaluate if any of the targeted resources has been detected, and if so, to quantify their abundance. Algorithms for optimizing the mapping strategy based on target resource abundance and distribution are also included in the autonomous software. This approach emphasizes on-the-fly survey measurements to enable efficient and rapid prospecting of large areas, which will improve the economics of ISRU system approaches. The mature technology will enable autonomous rovers to create in-situ resource maps of lunar or other planetary surfaces, which will facilitate human and robotic exploration.

Dissly, R. W.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Neural MUSE Analysis

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) created data as part of the MUSE (Multi-Agency Urban Search Experiment Detector and Algorithm Test Bed) project simulating illicit nuclear materials located in various buildings along a road. In the simulation, a truck containing a radiation detector drives down the road gathering listmode data (counting the and energy of incident gamma radiation). Building materials, source shielding, driving speed, truck direction, truck location on the road, source type, and source placement are all varied between runs of the data set. This data was created using deterministic neutron transport and Monte Carlo methods through a combination of SCALE, MAVRIC, MCNP, and GADRAS. As part of a follow-on NA-22 project, two Kaggle competitions were created to determine the best algorithms for finding and identifying gamma sources in this simulated urban environment. The winning algorithm was neural network-based and had a test accuracy of 76.4% accuracy for source identification. This work seeks to build upon this work and improve the results through the application of novel machine learning techniques. As a first step, the data was classified by a simple Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) To accomplish this, the data was first preprocessed into “waterfall plots.” These plots are composed of energy vs count plots that are stacked vertically to show progression in time. The horizontal axis indicating the particle energy incorporated user defined bin spacing with options for in linear-, logarithmic-, square root-, and user-spaced bins. The z or color dimension showed the number of counts corresponding the energy-time combination. This data was then used to generate more data, by generating a local estimate of the mean of the distribution for a bin and then randomly re-sampling that bin from a Poisson distribution. Once all of this data was generated, it was fed into a well-known CNN architecture, ResNet50. The output layer of this model was removed and replaced with layers corresponding to the shape desired isotope outputs. The provided training data was used to train the classifier and the remaining testing data was used to evaluate the model. Results are soon to be forthcoming.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Experimental apparatus and methodology to test and quantify thermal performance of micro and macro-encapsulated phase change materials in building envelope applications

Thermal energy storage (TES) is used as a viable technology to shift peak electricity demand caused by the space cooling requirements in buildings. Passive TES is implemented in building envelope via micro and macroencapsulation methods. This study describes the use of a state-of-the-art laboratory to test different PCM inclusions in simplified building walls. A microencapsulated PCM and two macroencapsulated PCMs are tested in a controlled environment to gather data for validation purposes of PCM modelling algorithms in building energy modelling programs. Data indicates that the chamber environment and the heating and cooling system can conduct full-cycle tests of wall panels with PCM inclusions. This study also generates data from parallel tests on 4 wall panels which can be used in building energy modelling programs to validate the PCM modelling algorithms. The cyclic tests also capture the thermal effects of PCMs and complex PCM behaviors like sub-cooling in PCM hydrate-salts.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗