Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Engineering - Particle accelerators”

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 721 records · Page 40
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

DeepMC: a deep learning method for efficient Monte Carlo beamlet dose calculation by predictive denoising in magnetic resonance-guided radiotherapy

Abstract Emerging magnetic resonance (MR) guided radiotherapy affords significantly improved anatomy visualization and, subsequently, more effective personalized treatment. The new therapy paradigm imposes significant demands on radiation dose calculation quality and speed, creating an unmet need for the acceleration of Monte Carlo (MC) dose calculation. Existing deep learning approaches to denoise the final plan MC dose fail to achieve the accuracy and speed requirements of large-scale beamlet dose calculation in the presence of a strong magnetic field for online adaptive radiotherapy planning. Our deep learning dose calculation method, DeepMC, addresses these needs by predicting low-noise dose from extremely noisy (but fast) MC-simulated dose and anatomical inputs, thus enabling significant acceleration. DeepMC simultaneously reduces MC sampling noise and predicts corrupted dose buildup at tissue-air material interfaces resulting from MR-field induced electron return effects. Here we demonstrate our model’s ability to accelerate dose calculation for daily treatment planning by a factor of 38 over traditional low-noise MC simulation with clinically meaningful accuracy in deliverable dose and treatment delivery parameters. As a post-processing approach, DeepMC provides compounded acceleration of large-scale dose calculation when used alongside established MC acceleration techniques in variance reduction and graphics processing unit-based MC simulation.

Engineering↗
DOE OSTI2019

Federal Emergency Management Agency Mobile Housing Unit Running Gear Testing (Final Report)

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) stages manufactured housing units (MHUs) at key locations to be used during disasters when other housing accommodations cannot be arranged for individuals or families. Due to the unpredictability of natural disasters and the limitations of the manufactured housing industry to produce large numbers of MHUs in very short periods of time, it is necessary for FEMA to store a large number of units for many months or years. With these long storage periods come degradation issues with frames, tires, bearing, and braking systems. These types of issues are also of interest to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) because regulated carriers normally transport these units and 49 CFR 393.75 Tires specifies tire loading restrictions for manufactured homes. To compare the running gear (tires, brakes, drums, bearings, axles, springs, and spring mounting hardware) currently specified in the 2014 Rugged Based Performance Requirements (RBPR) and the newly recommended running gear specified in the upcoming revision to the RBPR, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) outlined a Longevity Test Plan, which focused on the assessment of component longevity (failure rates by component type). The Test Plan also studied the forces imparted to the MHU from the running gear from interaction with the roadway for both the running gear in the 2014 RBPR and the running gear specified in the upcoming RBPR revision. Since the assessment of component longevity and failures are also issues of concern for FMCSA, both agencies collaborated to support the research presented in this report. The tests and data collection were conducted at the Navistar Proving Grounds (NPG) in New Carlisle (near South Bend), Indiana, during the May-November 2018 period. Four alternatives for the suspension system of a typical three-bedroom MHU were considered in this test. Alternative 0 was the MHU that was selected from the FEMA staging area in Selma, Alabama. Empirical data had shown that, on average, this alternative experiences one tire failure every 150 miles (or 0.0067 tire failures per mile traveled). Before testing, Alternative 0 was equipped with similar running gear hardware, although in new condition and installed following the manufacturer’s specifications. This became the Baseline Unit, or Alternative 1. Another unit, also selected from the FEMA staging area in Selma, Alabama, was equipped with better axles (i.e., axles that were rated for 7,000lbs as opposed to 6,000lbs for the Baseline Unit) and better tires. This became the Upgrade Unit, or Alternative 2. At the end of the Longevity Test, the Upgrade Unit was mounted with radial tires. This became Alternative 3.Alternative 1 (Baseline Unit) had, on average, one tire failure every 251 miles (or 0.0040 tire failures per mile traveled). So, by simply following the correct manufacturer’s specifications for the assembly of the transportation system, a reduction of 41% in the per mile tire failure was achieved. In the same test, Alternative 2 (Upgrade Unit) showed, on average, one tire failure every 728 miles traveled (or 0.0014 tire failure s per mile traveled). When the Upgrade Unit was mounted with radial tires in the last part of the test, no tire failures were observed for the 2,400 miles tested. That is, in the case of the radial tires (Alternative 3) the tire failure was less than one per 2,400 miles traveled (or less than 0.0004 tire failures per mile traveled). The data collected for the Longevity Test showed that the maximum accelerations were registered in all cases at the center of the MHU in the vertical direction. The overall maximum was registered by the Baseline Unit, Alternative 1. If that value is normalized to 100%, then the Upgrade Unit (Alternative 2) showed, on average, 81% at the same location, and Alternative 3 (radial-tire test) 59%. That is, the upgraded transportation system showed a reduction of 19% and 41% in the vertical accelerations transmitted to MHU at its center when regular and radial tires, respectively, were used. As part of the Test Protocol, NPG conducted a visual inspection of the MHUs and transportation system at the end of each test day. ORNL reviewed all the inspection reports in an attempt to determine if there was any difference in the damage that the Baseline and Upgrade MHUs showed during the test. The Upgrade Unit always showed lower accelerations transmitted to the MHU than the Baseline Unit. In most cases, these differences were statistically significant. The FEMA inspection report, conducted by a FEMA certified inspector at the end of the tests, included a shorter list of damaged items for the Baseline Unit than for the Upgrade Unit, although similar type of damages was described for both units. This may be an indication that, although lower than those of the Baseline Unit, the accelerations transmitted by the Upgrade Unit were above the threshold at which MHU elements start to fail.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

SIREN: Scaling Ion-Traps by REquiring iNnovative Heterogenous Integration

The SIREN (Scaling Ion Traps by Requiring iNnovative heterogenous integration) project explores the feasibility of heterogeneous integration (HI) as a transformative approach to scaling ion traps, a critical technology for advancing quantum computers and atomic clocks. Traditional ion trap architectures face significant challenges in scalability due to limitations in optical access, fabrication techniques, and material constraints. SIREN addresses these challenges by leveraging HI, which combines different materials and fabrication processes to create more complex and efficient ion trap structures. HI integrated structures can be manufactured without compromising the process to maintain compatibility to ion traps. This project focuses on integrating a separately fabricated waveguide with a fully functional ion trap. The respective alignment between the pieces needs to be accurate to less than 2 µm to ensure that the light from the waveguide can overlap with the trapping region. The fine alignment must also be maintained through an ultra-high vacuum bake, a critical step in preparing an ion trap experiment. The project's outcomes suggest that heterogeneous integration is a promising pathway for overcoming current scalability barriers, paving the way for the next generation of quantum technologies. SIREN's findings contribute significantly to the field, offering a scalable solution that could accelerate the development of practical quantum computers and highly accurate atomic clocks.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2018

Synchrotron-Based Micro-CT Investigation of Oxic Corrosion of Copper-Coated Carbon Steel for Potential Use in a Deep Geological Repository for Used Nuclear Fuel

Within the multi-barrier system proposed for the permanent disposal of used nuclear fuel, the primary engineered barrier is the sealed metallic container. The present Canadian container design utilizes a carbon steel vessel coated with Cu for corrosion protection. In the event of a defect in the Cu coating that exposes the steel substrate, galvanically accelerated corrosion of steel is, in principle, possible. In this work, the progression of corrosion at a simulated through-coating defect in 3.0 mol/L NaCl solution containing dissolved O2 was monitored using electrochemical measurements and imaged non-destructively using synchrotron X-ray micro computed tomography (micro-CT). The damage volume at the base of the simulated defect was measured from the 3D micro-CT data and used to calculate the amount of O2 used to drive steel corrosion. The results demonstrate that the availability of O2 determines the rate and overall extent of corrosion, while the coatings produced using different deposition and treatment methods (cold spray deposition, heat-treated cold spray deposition, electrodeposition) lead to different corrosion propagation geometries, with the distribution of damage depending on the quality of the Cu/steel interface.

Standish, Thalia↗
DOE OSTI2021

Force Reconstruction Using the Inverse of the Mode-Shape Matrix [Book Chapter]

A new technique for force reconstruction is developed. To estimate the externally applied force, this technique sums the weight-scaled acceleration signals, and is referred to as the Sum of Weighted Accelerations Technique (SWAT). To obtain the scalar weights the inverse of the mode shape matrix is used. Application of this technique is illustrated with both numerical calculations using a mass-spring model and experimental data from a structure impacting a rigid barrier.

055001 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Safeguards, Inspection, ↗
DOE OSTI2021

Engineering improved ethylene production: Leveraging systems biology and adaptive laboratory evolution

Ethylene is a small hydrocarbon gas widely used in the chemical industry. Annual worldwide production currently exceeds 150 million tons, producing considerable amounts of CO 2 contributing to climate change. The need for a sustainable alternative is therefore imperative. Ethylene is natively produced by several different microorganisms, including Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola via a process catalyzed by the ethylene forming enzyme (EFE), subsequent heterologous expression of EFE has led to ethylene production in non-native bacterial hosts including E. coli and cyanobacteria. However, solubility of EFE and substrate availability remain rate limiting steps in biological ethylene production. We employed a combination of genome scale metabolic modelling, continuous fermentation, and protein evolution to enable the accelerated development of a high efficiency ethylene producing E. coli strain, yielding a 49-fold increase in production, the most significant improvement reported to date. Furthermore, we have clearly demonstrated that this increased yield resulted from metabolic adaptations that were uniquely linked to the EFE enzyme (WT vs mutant). Our findings provide a novel solution to deregulate metabolic bottlenecks in key pathways, which can be readily applied to address other engineering challenges.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Characterization of precipitation in gradient Inconel 718 superalloy

Inconel 718 (IN718) superalloy is a well-established material for the application of aircraft engine and power generator due to its excellent performance at high temperatures. The outstanding mechanical properties of IN718 are largely determined by the precipitates. Here, we investigated the precipitation behaviors and the corresponding mechanical properties of the heat-treated gradient IN718 alloy. The microscopy studies reveal that high-density hexagonal η phase with chemistry of Ni 3 (Al,Ti,Nb) formed in the nanograined IN718 alloy after annealing at 700 °C. Additionally, the compressive stress introduced during severe plastic deformation may have prohibited the formation of γ” phase while accelerated the precipitation of γ’ phase, consequently favoring the precipitation of η phase. The corresponding evolution of mechanical behavior of gradient IN718 alloy is investigated.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

A study of adhesive bonding in metal–metal, metal–CFRP, and CFRP–CFRP material combinations under shear deformation: Fracture morphologies and damage mechanisms

Safe design of adhesive joining in multi-materials in engineered structures requires the accumulation of numerous experimental data on the failure behavior of various adhesively-bonded material combinations under different loading conditions. The deep understanding of mechanical performance, fracturing morphologies, and main damage mechanisms is also quintessential for accelerating the development of proper physics-based and multi-scale models for assisting the design. Towards this goal, this work presents a comprehensive characterization of the failure behavior of adhesively-bonded metal–metal, metal–CFRP, and CFRP–CFRP material combinations under global shear deformation via single lap shear testing. Thanks to a synergistic combination of measurement methods by using Digital Imaging Correlation (DIC) and 3D optical profilometry, adhesive features on the adherend after failure were quantified and the main progressive damage mechanisms were identified. The characterization performed in this work provides quantitative data that contributes to a better understanding of shear failure in adhesive bonding across different bi-material combinations. Finally, the obtained results have practical implications, including the potential to enhance adhesive bonding design, identify failure causes in adhesive joints, and develop or validate computational models capable of capturing the observed behavior in various adhesively-bonded materials under global shear deformation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Proton-regulated alcohol oxidation for high-capacity ketone-based flow battery anolyte

Redox flow batteries have a unique architecture that potentially enables cost-effective long-duration energy storage to address the intermittency introduced by increased renewable integration for the decarbonization of the electric power sector. Targeted molecular engineering has demonstrated electrochemical reversibility in natively redox-inactive ketone molecules in aqueous electrolytes. Yet, the kinetics of fluorenone-based flow batteries continue to be limited by slow alcohol oxidation. We show how strategically designed proton regulators can accelerate alcohol oxidation and thus enhance battery kinetics. Fluorenone-based flow batteries with the organic additive ß-cyclodextrin demonstrate enhanced rate capability, high capacity, and long cycling. This study opens a new avenue to improve the kinetics of aqueous organic flow batteries by modulating the reaction pathway with a homogeneous catalyst.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Prospect of Thermal Shock Induced Healing of Lithium Dendrite

Dendritic growth plagues the development of rechargeable lithium metal anodes. Recently, it has been reported that self-heating of the cell provides a mitigation strategy for suppressing dendrites. In order to study this phenomenon, we extend our recently developed nonlinear phase-field model to incorporate an energy balance equation allowing a full thermally coupled electrodeposition model using the open-source software package MOOSE. In this study, we consider the interplay between ionic transport and electrochemical reaction rate as a function of temperature and explore the possibility of using thermal shock induced dendrite suppression. We discover that, depending on the electrochemical reaction barrier and ionic diffusion barrier, self-heating could accelerate (larger reaction barrier) or decelerate (larger diffusion barrier) dendrite formation. Given that the electrolyte constituents can be used to tune both barriers, this study could provide an important avenue to exploit the self-heating effect favorably through electrolyte engineering.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Integrated Direct Air Capture and H₂-Free CO₂ Valorization

This project advances fundamental understanding of a novel integrated direct air capture (DAC) and CO₂ conversion process that valorizes atmospheric CO₂ without external H₂. The research encompasses four critical components: (1) design of task-specific ionic liquids for efficient CO₂ capture under ambient conditions, (2) development of H₂-free tandem catalytic systems using ethane as a reductant, (3) advanced operando characterization to elucidate capture and conversion mechanisms, and (4) data science-driven predictive computation to accelerate material discovery. Over the project period, we developed five high-performance DAC sorbent systems—including CaO/superbase ionic liquid composites, Ni-MOF/Ionic Liquid (IL) hybrids, fluorinated covalent organic frameworks with ion-pair functional groups, defect-engineered UiO-66, and a validated kinetic model for humid-condition operation, achieving CO₂ capacities up to 1.86 mmol/g at 400 ppm with excellent cycling stability. For H₂-free conversion, we constructed atomically synergistic Zn–O–Cr binuclear catalytic sites that achieve 100% ethylene selectivity, ~9.6% ethane conversion, and 99% CO₂ utilization in equimolar co-conversion of ethane and CO₂. We further demonstrated downstream valorization pathways converting CO and C₂H₄ into polyketones and C₃ chemicals. These advances strengthen the scientific foundation for producing value-added materials from ambient CO₂.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2026

Relating Oxidative Protein Damage to Antioxidant Status in Health and Disease (Full Technical Report for 24-LW-026)

This two-year project evaluated how dietary antioxidants influence oxidative damage in cancer using complementary analytical and in-vivo approaches. We initially developed a protein oxidation labeling workflow and a parallel accelerator and molecular mass spectrometry (PAMMS) quantification method, but ultimately discontinued the labeling strategy due to unresolved separation challenges; PAMMS was instead leveraged to quantify radiolabeled catechol in rat plasma as a methodological benchmark. The biological study used a genetically engineered murine model (GEMM) for breast cancer (n = 40; four groups of 10: cancer/high antioxidant diet, cancer/normal diet, healthy/high-antioxidant diet, healthy/normal diet). In lieu of the abandoned labeling assay, untargeted metabolomics profiled plasma across groups, revealing widespread treatment-dependent changes in metabolites.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

High-Luminance LED Platform for Improved Efficacy in Directional Applications (Final Technical Report)

In this project, Lumileds developed a platform of high-luminance LEDs and LED light engines to increase efficacy and reduce energy consumption of directional lighting applications. The platform was developed through innovations in three key areas: (1) epi and device architectures optimized for high drive current density, breaking through the tradeoff in efficacy (lm/W) vs. emittance (lm/mm 2 ) exhibited by state-of-the-art products; (2) a compact chip-scale package allowing high packing density and thus high overall luminance in multi-emitter arrays; and (3) phosphor technology to enable correlated color temperature (CCT) tuning in multi-emitter arrays with optimized LED utilization, efficacy, color uniformity and color quality. Directional indoor and outdoor lighting applications make up a major portion of the total lighting energy consumption in the U.S, accounting for >40% of the energy savings potential of solid-state lighting. Success of this project helps accelerate the realization of these energy savings both through higher system efficacy and adoption due to new functionality, and thus contributes significantly to realizing the DOE Lighting program goals.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2025

A Printed Microscopic Universal Gradient Interface for Super Stretchable Strain‐Insensitive Bioelectronics

Abstract Stretchable electronics capable of conforming to nonplanar and dynamic human body surfaces are central for creating implantable and on‐skin devices for high‐fidelity monitoring of diverse physiological signals. While various strategies have been developed to produce stretchable devices, the signals collected from such devices are often highly sensitive to local strain, resulting in inevitable convolution with surface strain‐induced motion artifacts that are difficult to distinguish from intrinsic physiological signals. Here all‐printed super stretchable strain‐insensitive bioelectronics using a unique universal gradient interface (UGI) are reported to bridge the gap between soft biomaterials and stiff electronic materials. Leveraging a versatile aerosol‐based multi‐materials printing technique that allows precise spatial control over the local stiffnesses with submicron resolution, the UGI enables strain‐insensitive electronic devices with negligible resistivity changes under a 180% uniaxial stretch ratio. Various stretchable devices are directly printed on the UGI for on‐skin health monitoring with high signal quality and near‐perfect immunity to motion artifacts, including semiconductor‐based photodetectors for sensing blood oxygen saturation levels and metal‐based temperature sensors. The concept in this work will significantly simplify the fabrication and accelerate the development of a broad range of wearable and implantable bioelectronics for real‐time health monitoring and personalized therapeutics.

Song, Kaidong [Department of Aerospace and Mechani↗
DOE OSTI2020

Elucidating the effect of preheating temperature on melt pool morphology variation in Inconel 718 laser powder bed fusion via simulation and experiment

In laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) additive manufacturing, the mechanical performance, microstructure and defects of fabricated parts are closely associated with the melt pool morphology, e.g., its dimension and shape through the building process. Past studies have largely focused on how the process parameters such as laser power and scan speed affect melt pool characteristics. In this study, the melt pool morphology variation as a function of preheating temperature in the conduction, transition, and keyhole regimes and the underlying mechanisms in each regime are investigated through ex-situ sample characterization and computation thermal fluid dynamics (CtFD) simulation. Single tracks with different combinations of laser power and scan speed are deposited on an Inconel 718 bare plate preheated to a temperature range of 100–500 °C in the experiment. Significant changes are observed in melt pool morphology as a function of preheating temperature from optical measurements of melt track cross sections. The depth of melt pool in the three regimes increases monotonically with preheating temperature, e.g., at 500 °C, the experimental melt pool depth is increased by 49% in conduction regime, 34% in transition regime and 33% in keyhole regime, respectively, while the variation of melt pool width in each regime does not all follow an increasing trend but depends on the melt pool regimes. Melt pool width variation in the conduction and transition regimes is found to depend on the enhanced heat conduction directly related to temperature dependent thermal properties. Through validated CtFD simulations, it is found that in the keyhole regime the evaporation mass, recoil pressure, and laser drilling effect is enhanced with higher preheating temperature, which gives rise to a deeper melt pool. The simulations also reveal that preheating temperature significantly elongates the melt track length due to the increased flow rate and strong recoil pressure that accelerates the backward flow.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

A novel transient infrared imaging method for non-intrusive, low-cost, fast, and accurate air leakage detection in building envelopes

Air leakage through the building envelope in the U.S. accounts for about four quads of energy annually, costing approximately $40 billion per year. However, a high-fidelity and non-intrusive method to detect air leakage has not been demonstrated to date. Here, in this paper, we propose a novel non-intrusive and low-cost method called Transient Infrared (IR) Imaging (TIRI) that can rapidly and accurately identify air leakage locations and relative rates on building envelopes. When the interior and exterior temperatures are different, and a small internal pressure pulse is created by HVAC, the temperature at locations with air leakages will change rapidly, while the areas without a leakage do not change. Based on a heat transfer model, we have derived the temperature change as a function of time after the HVAC is turned on. By tracking the temperature change, which depends on leakage rate and size, we have obtained the air leakage map in the case studies. Using an exterior door as an example, we took transient IR images in different seasons and different times of the day, and successfully obtained the leakage map in all the scenarios. Successfully obtained the air leakage map even when the indoor-outdoor air temperature difference is as small as 2 °C. We have also realized a detection speed of 10s and demonstrated that this method also worked for windows, which have mirror-like IR reflections. Our TIRI method will accelerate the improvement of airtightness in buildings, save building energy, and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2021

Fast switching magnet for heavy ion beam separation

This paper presents the design for a switching magnet capable of deflecting 6.5 MeV/u heavy-ion beams with mass-to-charge ratio of 7 by 10 degrees. This magnet can produce variable flat-top pulses from 1 to 30 ms with rise and fall times of less than 0.5 ms at a variable duty cycle of 3–91% into a heavily inductive load. The magnet has a laminated, iron dominated, H-shaped core. Directly-cooled copper pancake coils energize the magnet. We present the magnet design considerations, including the results of extensive computer modeling. Finally, we also present the conceptual engineering design and the studies of magnet yoke fabrication.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2022

Construction of Cryogen-Free 4.3T Superconducting Wiggler for NSLS-II Ring

With the 3 GeV electron beam energy for the National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II) ring, only superconducting wigglers (SCW) producing greater than 4T peak field can cover the photon energy range of 20 keV and 200 keV with sufficient number of photons. The High energy Engineering X-ray (HEX) Diffraction beamline, which is primarily funded by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and NSLS-II, will be equipped with a 1.2m-long SCW with 70 mm period length and 4.3 T on-axis field. This SCW is free from the use of liquid Helium and is cooled only with cryo-coolers. The Electron Beam Chamber (EBC) with vertical aperture of 8 mm is made from 316LN stainless steel and copper plating is applied both surface and +-12.5mm wide from the center in the inner surface. The expected heat load from the electron beam of the NSLS-II ring is estimated to be 10 W/m. Here, we describe the design principles and engineering challenges for the device.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗