Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Immersive Technology”

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 OSTI2025

Optimization of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for liquid sodium analysis

Next-generation nuclear power reactors based on liquid sodium coolant are in development to improve efficiency and safety. Fast breeder reactors could potentially achieve considerably higher fuel burn-up while producing less nuclear waste compared with current commercial technology. Monitoring of impurities in these types of reactors is important in order to prevent blockage of the cooling system or hazardous reactions due to the high reactivity of sodium with water. In this work, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy is performed on a liquid sodium sample using a custom-built immersion probe system. The probe provides direct line of sight to the sample vessel in argon atmosphere for laser delivery and signal collection. Signatures of sodium, and impurities such as potassium and oxygen have been obtained. The probe height and immersion have a strong influence on the signal level and stability. Argon flow rates of 2 to 5 liters per minute produce no substantial change in signal, suggesting a steady laminar flowing regime. A high signal-to-noise ratio for impurity elements confirms the suitability of this technique for reliable impurity detection and monitoring in the reactor environment.

Gardette, V. [University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, M↗
DOE OSTI2021

Reflectivity of VUV-sensitive silicon photomultipliers in liquid Xenon

Silicon photomultipliers are regarded as a very promising technology for next-generation, cutting-edge detectors for low-background experiments in particle physics. This work presents systematic reflectivity studies of Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPM) and other samples in liquid xenon at vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) wavelengths. A dedicated setup at the University of Münster has been used that allows to acquire angle-resolved reflection measurements of various samples immersed in liquid xenon with 0.45° angular resolution. Four samples are investigated in this work: one Hamamatsu VUV4 SiPM, one FBK VUV-HD SiPM, one FBK wafer sample and one Large-Area Avalanche Photodiode (LA-APD) from EXO-200. Here, the reflectivity is determined to be 25–36 % at an angle of incidence of 20° for the four samples and increases to up to 65 % at 70° for the LA-APD and the FBK samples. The Hamamatsu VUV4 SiPM shows a decline with increasing angle of incidence. The reflectivity results will be incorporated in upcoming light response simulations of the nEXO detector.

(pin diodes, APDs, SiPMs, G-APDs, CCDs, EBCCDs, EM↗
DOE OSTI2025

Review on Preprocessing Strategies, Deactivation, Thermal Safety, and Future Perspectives in Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling

The rapid growth in the use of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) in electric vehicles, consumer electronics, and renewable energy storage has made effective end-of-life management essential. Recycling LIBs is critical not only for resource recovery and environmental protection but also for ensuring safety and economic viability. This review focuses on the preprocessing technologies that precede typical recovery processes, including disassembly, sorting, discharging, electrolyte removal, dismantling, thermal treatment, separation, and flotation. These steps play a foundational role in determining the efficiency, safety, and environmental impact of LIB recycling. LIBs pose substantial fire and explosion risks due to residual charge, flammable electrolytes, and reactive materials. The conditions and successive progression of the exothermic reactions which lead to thermal runaway has been discussed. It also explores secure deactivation techniques such as external circuit discharge, saline immersion, and thermomechanical methods, alongside fire prevention strategies including the use of flame retardants, elimination of oxidants, and reduction of heat generation and accumulation. Challenges and future directions are outlined, highlighting the need for standardized designs, automation, and safer, more sustainable recycling infrastructure. Furthermore, this review is distinguished by its focused analysis of preprocessing and deactivation steps, with particular attention to the thermal safety engineering aspects of LIB recycling.

Battery deactivation↗
DOE OSTI2024

Enhancing NDE Reliability for Grade 91 Steel Welds: Ultrasonic Imaging and Microstructural Correlations

Ensuring the integrity of Grade 91 (9Cr-1Mo-V) steel welds is vital for the safe and reliable operation of fossil fuel–fired and nuclear power plants. Here, this study applies an imaging technique for the ultrasonic characterization of two Grade 91 steel welds created with cold metal transfer and flux-cored arc welding processes. Ultrasonic immersion testing in the through-transmission configuration was employed to generate shear waves, which helped identify the weld metal, heat-affected zone, and base metal regions. These weld microstructures were also correlated to their ultrasonic images using metallography, ultrasonic amplitude, hardness measurements, and grain size. The findings from this study can assist practitioners in developing new nondestructive evaluation technologies, improving the inspection reliability of creep strength–enhanced ferritic steel welds by potentially identifying weld microstructure regions susceptible to creep-type failures.

Grade 91 steel↗
DOE OSTI2025

Corrosion Behavior of Hydrophobic Coatings in Aqueous CO2 Environments

Internal corrosion is caused by gas impurities such as CO2, moisture, and H2S, leading to material degradation. To combat this, the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) developed a novel hydrophobic coating to reduce surface hydrophobicity and enhance the corrosion resistance of steel. NETL’s approach uses multi-layer hydrophobic coatings, a novel and promising coating that could potentially revolutionize the industry's approach to internal corrosion mitigation. This work aims to investigate the corrosion performance of the hydrophobic coating and determine the water uptake. Electrochemical corrosion experiments were carried out on bare X65 carbon steel without and with coating in 3.5 wt.% NaCl saturated with CO2 at 20 °C to follow the water uptake as a function of exposure time. Linear polarization resistance (LPR) was used to determine the corrosion rate for carbon steel immersed in a NaCl electrolyte saturated with CO2. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) of uncoated and coated bare carbon steel was investigated. The analyses of impedance models and water uptake behaviors of hydrophobic coatings were studied for 200 hours during the corrosion process. The water uptake was estimated using the Brasher and Kingsbury relation. The results showed that the superhydrophobic coating that was developed used innovative nano-based materials to act as protection layers on the surface of metallic parts against mechanical aggressors, corrosion, and fouling agents.

corrosion behavior↗
DOE OSTI2020

Fast and Accurate Core Analysis by the Full-Immersion Pressure-Pulse Decay: Part 2—Practice and Demonstration

Summary This study continues the work of presenting a novel approach for making petrophysical assessments of tight core samples. This method, the full-immersion pressure-pulse decay (Hannon 2019), involves applying a rapid increase in pressure in a chamber surrounding the entire outer surface area of a cylindrical sample, shutting the system in, and monitoring the pressure decay in the chamber as it reaches a new equilibrium. A precursor article covered the numerical simulator designed to model flow through the sample, demonstrating its performance and accuracy in addition to providing a first-order comparison between the speed and shape of the pressure-decay responses of the full-immersion method with those of other similar transient methods. This study covers the parameter-estimation procedure and experimental verification through a proof-of-concept laboratory investigation. The investigations provided here demonstrate that under appropriate, achievable experimental conditions, the pressure data can be analyzed in such a way that returns an estimate of the porosity and apparent permeabilities both parallel and perpendicular to bedding from a single test performed on a single cylindrical sample. After determining these experimental conditions (the uniqueness window), this report outlines a data-inversion strategy to estimate the petrophysical properties (porosity, horizontal permeability, and vertical permeability) from each test. This strategy is put to the test through comparisons with measurements performed by a commercial core laboratory. A common set of samples recovered from an outcrop of a tight-gas sandstone formation were investigated using the full-immersion method, and their results are compared with those from conventional steady-state measurement procedures performed by the commercial laboratory. Comparisons between petrophysical characterizations of these samples, which had permeabilities between 25 nd and 2.3 μd, demonstrated close agreement in most cases. However, whereas steady-state measurements performed at the professional laboratory required 4 to 5 hours of testing time per measurement of a single permeability, similar assessments using the full-immersion technique, requiring approximately 5 to 10 minutes to complete, returned estimates of the horizontal and vertical permeability simultaneously. Additional analyses are provided to determine principal reasons of discrepancies in instances where agreement was not as strong. Based on lessons learned from these experiences, the report closes with suggestions on areas of improvement in the experimental approach. Once complete, these developments should propel this technology to fill a critical need to determine petrophysical properties (porosity and permeability) of tight rocks in a time-efficient manner and in a way that does not compromise their accuracy.

Energy & Fuels↗
DOE OSTI2020

The passivity of low-temperature carburized austenitic stainless steel AISI-316L in a simulated boiling-water-reactor environment

The passive film on low-temperature-carburized AISI-316L austenitic stainless steel was studied in an oxygenated, simulated boiling-water-reactor environment with normal water chemistry. The microstructure was studied using scanning electron microscopy, grazing-incidence X-ray diffractometry, Auger electron spectroscopy, X-ray energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. For non-surface engineered AISI-316L, three distinct layers were observed after exposure: an outer layer of larger nickel-oxide enriched particles with the spinel structure, an intermediate layer of small Cr-oxide-enriched hematite particles, and a compact inner layer of Cr-enriched oxide also having the spinel structure. Exposure of low-temperature-carburized AISI-316L, in contrast, resulted in only two distinct layers. These layers did not include a compact Cr-rich inner layer. Instead, the innermost layer consisted of an oxide with the spinel structure that was a mixture of Fe, Cr and Ni oxide. The outer layer on the low-temperature-carburized specimen consisted of large loosely stacked particles with the spinel structure of mixed composition. In addition to passive-film characterization, the corrosion rate was studied by monitoring mass loss. Finally, after 500 h of immersion, the mass changes measured were relatively low for all specimens indicating good adhesion and low oxidation rates.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Control of the optical properties of gum and dentin tissue of a human tooth at laser spectral lines in the range of 200 – 800 nm

A change in the optical properties of the tissue of the gums and dentin of a human tooth is experimentally investigated in vitro with the application of a 99.5 % glycerol solution. The kinetics of the total transmittance in the spectral range of 200 – 800 nm on characteristic laser lines is studied. It is shown that the effectiveness of optical clearing, expressed as a relative increase in the total transmittance, for gum tissue in the laser radiation range of 200 – 800 nm can vary significantly (by an order of magnitude). In this case, the absolute values of optical transmittance in the UV region are relatively small due to the strong absorption by the endogenous chromophores of the studied tissues, and in the visible and NIR regions, on the contrary, they are significant, which is due to the absence of strongly absorbing chromophores. The effectiveness of dentin clearing in the entire visible and NIR spectral regions is on average 25 % for 300 minutes of immersion of the sample in a 99.5 % glycerol solution. The presented results are necessary for increasing the efficiency of laser therapy and methods for optical monitoring of morphological changes in biological tissues for the purpose of early diagnosis of diseases. (paper)

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2023

Electron kinetics in a high- Z plasmoid

The problem of the electron dynamics on a closed magnetic field line passing through a high-Z plasmoid is considered. The electron kinetic equation is integrated over bounce motion and pitch angle, reducing the independent variables to a single adiabatic invariant plus time. Integration of the full Landau self-collision operator is carried out exactly, resulting in a nonlinear integro-differential operator in the new invariant. Conservation laws and the H theorem of the integrated self-collision operator are proven. Numerical solutions of the integrated kinetic equation are obtained with a self-consistent quasineutral electric potential, given the initial condition of a cold plasmoid immersed in a hot ambient plasma. The fact that cold electrons are deeply trapped in a potential with a parabolic peak leads to exactly 3/4 the usual rate of collisional heating by the ambient plasma, independent of any other parameters.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Bringing chemical structures to life with augmented reality, machine learning, and quantum chemistry

Visualizing 3D molecular structures is crucial to understanding and predicting their chemical behavior. However, static 2D hand-drawn skeletal structures remain the preferred method of chemical communication. Here, we combine cutting-edge technologies in augmented reality (AR), machine learning, and computational chemistry to develop MolAR, an open-source mobile application for visualizing molecules in AR directly from their hand-drawn chemical structures. Users can also visualize any molecule or protein directly from its name or protein data bank ID and compute chemical properties in real time via quantum chemistry cloud computing. MolAR provides an easily accessible platform for the scientific community to visualize and interact with 3D molecular structures in an immersive and engaging way.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2020

Complex plant-derived organic aerosol as ice-nucleating particles – more than the sums of their parts?

Quantifying the impact of complex organic particles on the formation of ice crystals in clouds remains challenging, mostly due to the vast number of different sources ranging from sea spray to agricultural areas. In particular, there are many open questions regarding the ice nucleation properties of organic particles released from terrestrial sources such as decaying plant material. In this work, we present results from laboratory studies investigating the immersion freezing properties of individual organic compounds commonly found in plant tissue and complex organic aerosol particles from vegetated environments, without specifically investigating the contribution from biological particles, which may contribute to the overall ice nucleation efficiency observed at high temperatures. To characterize the ice nucleation properties of plant-related aerosol samples for temperatures between 242 and 267 K, we used the Aerosol Interaction and Dynamics in the Atmosphere (AIDA) cloud chamber and the Ice Nucleation SpEctrometer of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (INSEKT), which is a droplet freezing assay. Individual plant components (polysaccharides, lignin, soy and rice protein) were mostly less ice active, or similarly ice active, compared to microcrystalline cellulose, which has been suggested by recent studies to be a proxy for quantifying the primary cloud ice formation caused by particles originating from vegetation. In contrast, samples from ambient sources with a complex organic matter composition (agricultural soils and leaf litter) were either similarly ice active or up to 2 orders of magnitude more ice active than cellulose. Of all individual organic plant components, only carnauba wax (i.e., lipids) showed a similarly high ice nucleation activity as that of the samples from vegetated environments over a temperature range between 245 and 252 K. Hence, based on our experimental results, we suggest considering cellulose as being representative for the average ice nucleation activity of plant-derived particles, whereas lignin and plant proteins tend to provide a lower limit. In contrast, complex biogenic particles may exhibit ice nucleation activities which are up to 2 orders of magnitude higher than observed for cellulose, making ambient plant-derived particles a potentially important contributor to the population of ice-nucleating particles in the troposphere, even though major uncertainties regarding their transport to cloud altitude remain.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2024

Exploring the Intersection of AI and Visualization in the Nuclear Industry

This presentation explores the impact of AI and visualization in advancing the nuclear industry by improving safety, operational efficiency, and decision-making processes. It highlights key applications such as real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and immersive training, while addressing challenges like data quality, regulatory hurdles, and the need for explainable AI. Additionally, the presentation outlines future directions, emphasizing the potential of AI-driven reactor design, advanced simulation tools, and ethical considerations to drive innovation and sustainability in nuclear operations.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Near‐Field Characterization of Higher‐Order Topological Photonic States at Optical Frequencies

Abstract Higher‐order topological insulators (HOTIs) represent a new type of topological system, supporting boundary states localized over boundaries, two or more dimensions lower than the dimensionality of the system itself. Interestingly, photonic HOTIs can possess a richer physics than their original condensed matter counterpart, supporting conventional HOTI states based on tight‐binding coupling, and a new type of topological HOTI states enabled by long‐range interactions. Here, a new mechanism to establish all‐dielectric infrared HOTI metasurfaces exhibiting both types of HOTI states is proposed, supported by a topological transition accompanied by the emergence of topological Wannier‐type polarization. Two kinds of near‐field experimental studies are performed: i) the solid immersion spectroscopy and ii) near‐field imaging using scattering scanning near‐field optical microscopy to directly observe the topological transition and the emergence of HOTI states of two types. It is shown that the near‐field profiles indicate the displacement of the Wannier center across the topological transition leading to the topological dipole polarization and emergence of the topological boundary states. The proposed all‐dielectric HOTI metasurface offers a new approach to confine the optical field in micro‐ and nano‐scale topological cavities and thus paves the way to achieve a novel nanophotonic technology.

Vakulenko, Anton↗
DOE OSTI2020

A novel approach for critical heat flux enhancement during severe accident mitigation with removal of radioactive materials from the coolant

In this paper, a new system, which consists of mature and proven technologies, is suggested for simultaneous objectives in nuclear power plants: CHF enhancement and effective decontamination. It consists of multifunctional magnetic nanoparticles and a collector part. CHF enhancement for severe accident mitigation strategies like IVR-ERVC and core catcher is expected along with an efficient decontamination process of target radioactive nuclides, and through the collector part, where external magnetic fields are applied, working fluid can be effectively purified. The multifunctional magnetic nanoparticle possesses potentials to severe accident scenarios based on its distinct characteristics. Also, a nanofluid system is strongly affected by environments and state of the immersed particles; the CHF enhancement can be stably achieved in real applications with proper consideration and optimization.

Kam, Dong Hoon↗
DOE OSTI2021

Performance of black silicon photodiodes for VUV detection in noble liquids

Black silicon (b-Si) photodiodes are an emerging technology that employs silicon nanostructures to enhance the efficiency of photon detection. Recently, we demonstrated nearly 100% quantum efficiency at <200 nm vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) wavelengths at ambient and in noble liquids, making such devices particularly useful for direct detection of scintillation light in noble liquid detectors. This is important in nuclear science experiments like DarkSide, LUX, XENON, and nEXO, where detection of weak VUV scintillation photons in noble liquids are used to identify rare physics radiation events. Here, we measured the response of b-Si photodiode to the scintillation light generated by alpha particles, all immersed in a LAr and LXe test cell. We established a guideline for future development of b-Si photodetectors with internal gain to reach single-photon sensitivity.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2024

Beyond the Surface: Non-Invasive Low-Field NMR Analysis of Microbially-Induced Calcium Carbonate Precipitation in Shale Fractures

Microbially-induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) is a biological process in which microbially-produced urease enzymes convert urea and calcium into solid calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ) deposits. MICP has been demonstrated to reduce permeability in shale fractures under elevated pressures, raising the possibility of applying this technology to enhance shale reservoir storage safety. For this and other applications to become a reality, non-invasive tools are needed to determine how effectively MICP seals shale fractures at subsurface temperatures. In this study, two different MICP strategies were tested on 2.54 cm diameter and 5.08 cm long shale cores with a single fracture at 60 °C. Flow-through, pulsed-flow MICP-treatment was repeatedly applied to Marcellus shale fractures with and without sand (“proppant”) until reaching approximately four orders of magnitude reduction in apparent permeability, while a single application of polymer-based “immersion” MICP-treatment was applied to an Eagle Ford shale fracture with proppant. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) and X-Ray computed microtomography (micro-CT) techniques were used to assess the degree of biomineralization. With the flow-through approach, these tools revealed that while CaCO 3 precipitation occurred throughout the fracture, there was preferential precipitation around proppant. Without proppant, the same approach led to premature sealing at the inlet side of the core. In contrast, immersion MICP-treatment sealed off the fracture edges and showed less mineral precipitation overall. This study highlights the use of LF-NMR relaxometry in characterizing fracture sealing and can help guide NMR logging tools in subsurface remediation efforts.

MICP↗
DOE OSTI2024

Alpha-Quartz Plastic Strength Investigation Via Diffraction Experiments on Novaculite Using A D-Dia and Elastic Plastic Self- Consistent Interpretation [Thesis}

X-Ray Tomography. Porosity is commonly measured using mercury injection (MI) or water immersion porosimeter (WIP). Both MI and WIP utilize pressure to fill open voids with mercury or water respectively. A measure of the volume change of the sample is then used to estimate the percentage of open voids. However, for the purpose of rheological study it is important to get an accurate measure of open and closed voids. X-ray tomography has been selected as it offers a three-dimensional view into the sample that can quantify all pores limited only by the voxel size which is in the micron range for this study. Radiographs for tomography were collected at the Material Science and Technology Division at Los Alamos National Lab using the Carl Zeiss Xradio 520 instrument and Scout-and-Scan version 16.1 operating software. Two samples were imaged, the starting material and the deformed sample SiO2_65. 3001 radiographs were taken of the starting material with a 6 second exposure time using a 4x objective lens. The x-ray beam was set to 60 kilovoltage peak (kVp) and 5 watts. 1901 radiographs were taken of SiO2_65 with a 25 second exposure time using a 10x objective lens. The x-ray beam was set to 80 kVp and 7 watts. Radiograph files were analyzed by Brian Patterson using Avizo. Void and inclusion volumes were output by voxel sized (1.03 μm) slices, used to calculate a total percentage volume for the starting material.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Editorial: Particle interaction with afterglow plasma and non-quasi-neutral plasma

When immersed in a plasma environment, small nano-to micrometer sized solid particles undergo electrical charging by collecting charged species from the plasma. Once charged, these particles interact in peculiar ways with the surrounding plasma, triggering a widespread of interesting physical phenomena. Such systems, also known as complex or dusty plasmas, have been investigated for a few decades already.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗