SEARCH · Search NASA
Results for “Technology transfer”
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.
Transport coefficient sensitivities in a semi-analytic model for magnetized liner inertial fusion
Performance of magnetized liner inertial fusion (MagLIF) experiments is highly dependent on transport processes including magnetized heat flows and magnetic flux losses. Magnetohydrodynamic simulations used to model these experiments require a choice of model for the transport coefficients, which are the constants of proportionality relating driving terms, such as temperature gradients and currents, to the associated heat and magnetic field transport. The coefficients have been the subject of repeated recalculation using various methods throughout the years. Using a semi-analytic MagLIF model, we compare models for the transport coefficients. The choice of model modifies magnetic-flux losses caused by the Nernst thermoelectric effect and thermal conduction losses. We present simulated results from parameter scans conducted in order to compare the effects of the different models on parameters of interest in MagLIF. In some regions of parameter space, discrepancies of up to 38% are found in integrated quantities like the fusion yield. These results may serve as a guide for experimental validation of the various models, particularly as laser preheat energies and initial axial field strengths are increased on MagLIF experiments.
Shape optimization and fluid control of near isothermal compressor for transcritical carbon dioxide cycle
The compressor holds great promise for enhanced energy efficiency over a wide range of vapor compression systems (VCS). However, the majority of them focused on liquid refrigerant injection or inter-stage cooling technologies to improve heat transfer. Increasing the heat transfer area provides another perspective to promote heat dissipation, which commonly involves shape optimization whilst bringing some limitations, mainly from the manufacturing side. To fill the research gap, this paper compares the performance of isothermal compressors under different compression chamber shapes and chamber connection configurations. Additionally, the fluid control of the liquid piston was combined with shape optimization to explore the potential for further heat transfer enhancement. The simulation results have demonstrated that the COP improvements can reach up to 9% compared with the baseline case by optimizing the chamber shape and properly controlling the liquid piston speed, which provides a guideline for designing and customizing the isothermal compression chamber.
Final Technical Report
The capture of CO2 and its simultaneously conversion to useful chemical fuels driven by solar energy represents one of the best solutions to resolve our growing energy and environmental concerns. The most critical challenge to this endeavor is the rational design of a photocatalytic architecture that can effectively couple a given photosensitizer (PS) with an appropriate catalyst, thereby enabling efficient photosensitization of a multi-electron reduction catalysis. This research program aims to address this challenge using an interdisciplinary approach that combines innovative material design and synthesis, fundamental mechanistic studies, and photocatalytic performance evaluation. The strategies include 1) constructing and investigating a novel class of 2D COF hybrid photocatalysts with an effective photoactive organic building block as PS and a precisely incorporated CO2 reduction molecular catalyst (MC); and 2) mechanistic origins of CO2 photoreduction using a set of complementary time-resolved and in situ spectroscopic techniques. The novelty of the proposed hybrid system lies in the unprecedented combination of the unique advantage of porous crystalline COF PS with the precise catalytic function of MC for photocatalytic CO2 reduction. In the periods of the support (09/01/2019-12/31/2022), we have made research progress in four projects: 1) Exploring 2D COFs with incorporated Mn complex for light driven CO2 reduction; 2) The dependence of excited state and charge transfer dynamics on monomer structure of 2D COFs; and 3) Control over Charge Separation by Imine Structural Isomerization in Covalent Organic Frameworks with Implications on CO2 Photoreduction; and 4) The impact of monomer structure on the photoluminescence properties of COFs. We found that both monomer structure and linker chemistry can effectively impact the excited state dynamics, charge transfer properties, and photoluminescence quantum yields, the important properties that dictate their applications in photocatalysis. In addition, we found that the direction of imine linker determines charge transfer direction and thus controls the types of catalytic reactions (e.g. water oxidation or CO2 reduction reactions). The result from these fundamental studies provides important information for correlating the structure of the COF photocatalysts with their photophysical properties and catalytic functions, paving the way for their novel application in photocatalysis. We expect that our findings will contribute to addressing current shortcomings of semiconductor- and molecular-based photocatalytic systems that suffer from inefficient light harvesting and charge separation and poor adsorption and activation of reactants. In turn, this research will contribute towards the development of novel photocatalytic systems for CO2 reduction to generate renewable chemical fuels and simultaneously address the problem of mitigating climate change due to CO2 accumulation. In addition, the experimental approaches employed in this research can be easily transferred to other energy technologies and are expected to broadly impact fields involving photocatalysis, optoelectronic devices, and solar energy conversion. The proposed research has also been integrated with educational activities and serve as a basis to raise awareness around the critical issues of global energy production and consumption, and to develop the next generation of solar energy scientists.
Thermal Analysis of a 100 kW Polyphase Wireless Power Transfer System
Charging Electric Vehicles (EVs) fast and safely has a crucial role in the future of the EV technology. High-power Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) helps to significantly decrease the charging time. However, when the power transfer levels increase, thermal management becomes a significant challenge. The thermal design of the WPT systems needs more consideration in the design and implementation steps. This paper presents a thermal analysis of a 100 kW high-power WPT system. The thermal performance of the proposed design was evaluated at different power levels by considering the magnetic design and loss analysis. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) of the proposed design was performed and the thermal images of the implemented system were taken to prove the simulation results. The results show that, a liquid cooling design is needed for a high-power WPT systems for the long-time continuous operations of the charging pads.
A roadmap to understanding and anticipating microbial gene transfer in soil communities
Engineered microbes are being programmed using synthetic DNA for applications in soil to overcome global challenges related to climate change, energy, food security, and pollution. However, we cannot yet predict gene transfer processes in soil to assess the frequency of unintentional transfer of engineered DNA to environmental microbes when applying synthetic biology technologies at scale. This challenge exists because of the complex and heterogeneous characteristics of soils, which contribute to the fitness and transport of cells and the exchange of genetic material within communities. Here, we describe knowledge gaps about gene transfer across soil microbiomes. Here, we propose strategies to improve our understanding of gene transfer across soil communities, highlight the need to benchmark the performance of biocontainment measures in situ, and discuss responsibly engaging community stakeholders. We highlight opportunities to address knowledge gaps, such as creating a set of soil standards for studying gene transfer across diverse soil types and measuring gene transfer host range across microbiomes using emerging technologies. By comparing gene transfer rates, host range, and persistence of engineered microbes across different soils, we posit that community-scale, environment-specific models can be built that anticipate biotechnology risks. Such studies will enable the design of safer biotechnologies that allow us to realize the benefits of synthetic biology and mitigate risks associated with the release of such technologies.
Characterization of Additively Manufactured Tungsten Heavy Alloy Material (CRADA Final Report)
LLNL and Aerojet Rocketdyne, Inc. (AR), using earlier collaborative work in powder bed printing of other materials, have been collaboratively pursuing the additive manufacture of tungsten heavy alloy (WHA) material since 2014. The goal of the project was to establish the ability to produce the LLNL developed material at the AR production facility. When accomplished, AR would produce an agreed array of test samples to technically characterize the material properties via testing. AR would conduct a portion of that testing and provide those results to LLNL. The goal of this work was to perform a trial transfer of LLNL’s WHA technology to AR
Geographic, sectoral, and constituent characteristics of US off‐site manufacturing wastewater disposal
This study employs recent US Environmental Protection Agency off-site manufacturing wastewater disposal data and a socioenvironmental assessment tool for the United States to understand the characteristics of such disposal in terms of geography, major contributing sectors and pollutants, and environmental impacts. Environmental impact analyses of manufacturing are insufficient without encompassing the extended physical boundary of waste management. Our analysis reveals that off-site manufacturing wastewater disposal occurs disproportionately in populations residing in census tracts already negatively impacted by environmental hazards (impacted populations, or IPs) with 44% of transfers and 55% of Risk Screening Environmental Indicators (RSEI) Hazard going to these areas, compared to their national share of 37%. Disposal hazard is concentrated in a small number of populations, with a Gini coefficient of 0.99 for RSEI Hazard. Four manufacturing sub-sectors are significant generators: Chemicals, Fabricated Metals, Primary Metals, and Transportation Equipment, with Chemicals off-site wastewater disposal largely occurring in IPs. For individual contaminants, chromium compounds and chromium represent more than 85% of the hazard but less than 10% of transfers. We explore transfer distances and waste generation and disposal hotspots, finding that the Midwest hosts a disproportionate share of off-site wastewater disposal. Further, RSEI Hazard steeply rises at shorter distances and plateaus over distances >500 miles, revealing opportunities to reduce hazard by reducing 20–500-mile transfers. Our findings strongly support targeted mitigation strategies like process substitutions, control technologies, on-site recycling and treatment, and minimizing transfer distances. This article met the requirements for a gold-gold JIE data openness badge described at http://jie.click/badges.
Recent Experience with the CMS Data Management System
The CMS[1] experiment manages a large-scale data infrastructure, currently handling over 200 PB of disk and 500 PB of tape storage and transferring more than 1 PB of data per day on average between various WLCG[2] sites. Utilizing Rucio[3] for high-level data management, FTS[4] for data transfers, and a variety of storage and network technologies at the sites, CMS confronts inevitable challenges due to the system’s growing scale and evolving nature. Key challenges include managing transfer and storage failures, optimizing data distribution across different storages based on production and analysis needs, implementing necessary technology upgrades and migrations, and efficiently handling user requests. The data management team has established comprehensive monitoring to supervise this system and has successfully addressed many of these challenges. The team’s efforts aim to ensure data availability and protection, minimize failures and manual interventions, maximize transfer throughput and resource utilization, and provide reliable user support. This paper details the operational experience of CMS with its data management system in recent years, focusing on the encountered challenges, the effective strategies employed to overcome them and the ongoing challenges as we prepare for future demands.
Machine learning-accelerated path integral molecular dynamics simulations of reactive organic electrolytes
Hydrogen bonded electrolytes that exhibit accelerated proton transport via sequential reactive hops have drawn interest for their promise in clean energy applications. Molecular dynamics simulations of these electrolytes offer the opportunity to uncover microscopic mechanistic details that could be used to design and tune the properties of candidate electrolyte technologies. However, accurately modeling the proton transfer reactions and transport properties that give rise to high charge conductivites in these electrolytes proves computationally challenging because of the need to perform lengthy condensed phase simulations, treating both the electronic and nuclear degrees of freedom quantum mechanically. In this paper, we demonstrate that such a modeling task can be efficiently achieved with the use of density functional theory (DFT)-trained machine learning potentials (MLP) to accelerate path integral molecular dynamics (PIMD) simulations. We highlight the practical utility of this approach by using it to benchmark how closely PIMD simulations employing different DFT exchange–correlation functionals reproduce the composition-dependent densities, diffusion coefficients, and electrical conductivities of mixtures consisting of imidazole and levulinic acid. Even with the speedup afforded by our MLPs, PIMD simulations remain quite expensive. Furthermore, in order to render PIMD more computationally tractable, we introduce and benchmark the accuracy of a ring polymer contraction approach that leverages a computationally efficient short-range MLP to accelerate our PIMD simulations by an additional factor of four.
Industrial Electrification Technologies Booklet
Electrification refers to transitioning from fuel-powered systems to electrically-powered alternatives. In an industrial context, this primarily refers to the electrification of process heat, but there are also widespread opportunities to electrify space heating and cooling as well as onsite transportation (e.g., forklifts). Electrification does not refer to one particular technology, but a wide range of technologies that use different methods to transfer electrical energy into a usable form – usually heat.
Reference Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams for Heat Transport Systems for Methanol Plants
This report aims to bridge the gap between advanced nuclear reactor vendors and methanol producers seeking decarbonization. It equips both parties with tools and preliminary information for integrating clean heat from advanced reactors into novel methanol production processes. The proposed investigation in this report involves a three-step approach: 1. Design of Current and Decarbonized Process Models for Methanol Production. This report initiates process modeling of two novel methanol production pathways, with their overall energy requirements comparative to classical methanol production (see Figure ES1). The two process models provide the foundation for analyzing integration of hermos-electric generation from advanced nuclear reactors. 2. Identification of Coupling Points to Integrate Advanced Reactors. This report investigates the integration with two advanced reactor technologies: light-water reactors (LWRs) and high-temperature gas reactors (HTGRs). The key coupling points between advanced nuclear reactors and the production facilities associated with the two decarbonized methanol process pathways are identified. 3. Preliminary Heat and Electricity Transfer Design from Reactors to Methanol Production Sites. The preliminary designs for piping and instrumentation to transfer heat from the boundary of advanced reactor technology location to the boundary of methanol production site are evaluated within the context of decarbonized pathways. The pipe analysis for heat transfer adheres to relevant codes and specifications from American Society of Mechanical Engineering. A simplified design for transmission of electricity to the industrial site has been provided.
Integrated Methane Monitoring Platform Extension, Volume I: Final Technical Report
The IMMPE project, DE-FE0032284, was to enhance methane monitoring technologies and their applications across various natural gas asset classes. The scope included deploying advanced methane detection and monitoring technologies to identify and mitigate fugitive methane emissions, measuring emission rates, and assessing impacts. The findings included the successful mitigation of identified emissions and quantification of emission rates. A key outcome was the development of a comprehensive template and summary of recommendations for methane emissions monitoring, which is replicable for both upstream and downstream applications. Furthermore, the project emphasized the importance of education by providing training opportunities for technicians and regulators, thereby fostering awareness and promoting the adoption of cost-effective methane emissions monitoring and management techniques.
A One-dimensional Heat Transfer Model for a Cooled Airfoil in a Direct-fired Supercritical CO 2 Turbine
A one-dimensional (1-D) heat transfer model was developed to predict the performance of a cooled airfoil for a supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO 2 ) turbine. The model included the effects of film cooling effectiveness, thermal barrier coating thickness, and internal Nusselt number augmentation. Trends for overall cooling effectiveness versus heat load parameter were obtained for over twelve unique thermal management schemes. The study found that adding a thermal barrier coating was the most effective scheme for increasing the airfoil overall cooling effectiveness. Internal cooling technologies have diminishing returns as the heat transfer coefficient augmentation increases past a factor of five, however the sensitivity of overall cooling effectiveness to heat transfer augmentation scales by a factor of 1.3 when a thermal barrier coating is introduced. Film cooling is seen as a long-term research area which will be inevitably explored as direct sCO 2 systems develop a market presence. However, the model indicates that realizable film cooling effectiveness levels yield a smaller improvement in overall cooling effectiveness than a thermal barrier coating.
Simplified Model and Approach to Transform Infrared Surface Temperature to Film Effectiveness in a Conjugate Heat Transfer Experiment
In the pursuit of more efficient gas turbines, film cooling is a critical technology. This article describes a simplified engineering model based on a one-dimensional thermal resistance network. The model is used to relate film-cooling effectiveness and heat transfer augmentation to local overall cooling effectiveness in a conjugate flat plate experiment. Here, this article presents experimental proof-of-concept data to demonstrate the potential for this model. In contrast to previous approaches, neither the wall heat flux nor the adiabatic wall temperature is required to estimate the local film-cooling performance parameters. The model predicts surface temperatures that are within the experimental uncertainties over the range for which the model is trained and to within five percent when the model is extrapolated to higher coolant channel Reynolds numbers. This article is relevant to conjugate test rigs that can measure the hot-surface temperature distribution with and without film cooling. This information may also be relevant to designers as a method to approximate surface temperatures or used as an approximate heat transfer model for optimization studies.
A small number of point mutations confer formate tolerance in Shewanella oneidensis
ABSTRACT Microbial electrosynthesis (MES) is a sustainable approach to chemical production from CO 2 and clean electricity. However, limitations in electron transfer efficiency and gaps in understanding of electron transfer pathways in MES systems prevent full realization of this technology. Shewanella oneidensis could serve as an MES biocatalyst because it has a well-studied, efficient transmembrane electron transfer pathway. A key first step in MES in this organism could be CO 2 reduction to formate. However, we report that wild-type S. oneidensis does not tolerate high levels of formate. In this work, we created and characterized formate-tolerant strains of S. oneidensis for further engineering and future use in MES systems through adaptive laboratory evolution. Two different point mutations in a gene encoding a predicted sodium-dependent bicarbonate transporter and a DUF2721-containing protein separately confer formate tolerance to S. oneidensis . The mutations were further evaluated to understand their role in improving formate tolerance. We also show that the wild-type and mutant versions of the putative sodium-dependent bicarbonate transporter improve formate tolerance of Zymomonas mobilis , indicating the potential of transferring this formate tolerance phenotype to other organisms. IMPORTANCE Shewanella oneidensis is a bacterium with a well-studied, efficient extracellular electron transfer pathway. This capability could make this organism a suitable host for microbial electrosynthesis using CO 2 or formate as feedstocks. However, we report here that formate is toxic to S. oneidensis , limiting the potential for its use in these systems. In this work, we evolve several strains of S. oneidensis that have improved formate tolerance, and we investigate some mutations that confer this phenotype. The phenotype is confirmed to be attributed to several single point mutations by transferring the wild-type and mutant versions of each gene to the wild-type strain. Finally, the formate tolerance mechanism of one variant is studied using structural modeling and expression in another host. This study, therefore, presents a simple method for conferring formate tolerance to bacterial hosts.
High-heat transfer lithium-ion batteries: A new era in battery thermal management
Despite advances in lithium-ion battery technology, critical challenges remain that must be addressed to accelerate electric vehicle (EV) adoption and global energy transformation. Significantly improved battery thermal management (BTM) is key to overcoming these challenges. BTM approaches focus on increasing heat transfer coefficients via air, liquid, or refrigerant cooling, but less attention is given to reducing the battery's thermal resistance, a major bottleneck for heat transfer. This work introduces a novel approach to reduce battery thermal resistance by integrating in-plane heat transfer with optimized cell geometry, minimized thermal resistances, and reduced interfacial resistances, representing a departure from previous methods. The standard prismatic can cell incorporating this technology is referred to as the high heat transfer (HHT) battery. An equivalent resistance battery thermal model is developed for speed and accuracy, validated against experimental data in the literature, demonstrating strong correlation and ensuring reliable predictions for real-world performance. Thermal performance metrics of the conventional and HHT batteries are compared using a parametric study with air, liquid, and refrigerant boundary conditions across a range of aspect ratios. The HHT battery shows a heat removal rate up to 20 times higher than a conventional battery. These findings suggest that HHT technology could be transformative for EV battery performance, enabling fast charging, mitigating thermal runaway, extending battery life, reducing cold-weather power loss, increasing reliability, lowering costs, and enabling higher energy density, all critical for EV adoption and energy transformation. Future work will focus on prototyping and real-world testing to refine these findings for commercial-scale applications.
Flow and Heat Transfer Experimental Study for 3D-Printed Solar Receiving Tubes With Helical Fins at Internal Surface
3D-printing technology was applied to fabricate novel solar thermal collection tubes that have internal heat transfer enhancement fins and external surfaces with high solar absorptivity and low emissivity due to the ability to use different materials in one tube. Helical fins were selected to introduce circumferential flow and thus minimize the circumferential temperature difference of the tube that receives sunlight on one side. The structures of the helical fins were previously optimized from computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis with the objective of low entropy production rate by looking for high heat transfer coefficient and relatively lower pressure loss. High-temperature alloy, Inconel-718, was used to 3D print the tubes, which can resist corrosion for the potential application of molten chloride salts as heat transfer fluid. Experimental tests were carried out using water as the heat transfer fluid with the high heat flux provided by a tubular furnace heater. The tested Reynolds number ranges from 3.9 × 10 3 to 6.1 × 10 4 . Heat transfer coefficients of up to 2.8 times that of the smooth tube could be obtained with the expense of increased pressure loss compared to that of the smooth tube. The total system entropy generation can be significantly reduced due to the benefit of heat transfer enhancement that is greater than the expenses of the increased pressure loss. The experimental results of the 3D-printed heat transfer tubes confirmed the CFD-based results of fin optimization. Furthermore, the novel heat transfer tube is recommended for application in concentrating solar power systems.