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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 721 records · Page 40
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2015

Replacement of HCFC-225 Solvent for Cleaning NASA Propulsion Oxygen Systems

Since the 1990's, when the Class I Ozone Depleting Substance (ODS) chlorofluorocarbon‐113 (CFC‐113) was banned, NASA's rocket propulsion test facilities at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and Stennis Space Center (SSC) have relied upon hydrochlorofluorocarbon‐225 (HCFC‐225) to safely clean and verify the cleanliness of large scale propulsion oxygen systems. Effective January 1, 2015, the production, import, export, and new use of HCFC‐225, a Class II ODS, was prohibited by the Clean Air Act. In 2012 through 2014, leveraging resources from both the NASA Rocket Propulsion Test Program and the Defense Logistics Agency ‐ Aviation Hazardous Minimization and Green Products Branch, test labs at MSFC, SSC, and Johnson Space Center's White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) collaborated to seek out, test, and qualify a replacement for HCFC‐225 that is both an effective cleaner and safe for use with oxygen systems. Candidate solvents were selected and a test plan was developed following the guidelines of ASTM G127, Standard Guide for the Selection of Cleaning Agents for Oxygen Systems. Solvents were evaluated for materials compatibility, oxygen compatibility, cleaning effectiveness, and suitability for use in cleanliness verification and field cleaning operations. Two solvents were determined to be acceptable for cleaning oxygen systems and one was chosen for implementation at NASA's rocket propulsion test facilities. The test program and results are summarized. This project also demonstrated the benefits of cross‐agency collaboration in a time of limited resources.

Mitchell, Mark A.↗
NASA NTRS2018

Impact of Data Exchange Provided by ATD2 Tools at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport

Data Exchange and Integration is necessary for progress towards an Integrated Arrival, Departure, and Surface (IADS) traffic management capability. In collaboration with the FAA, NASA has introduced new data exchange elements to Charlotte-Douglas International Airport air traffic facilities, including the American Airlines ramp, as part of the Airspace Technology Demonstration 2 (ATD2). This paper describes the new tools that deliver these elements, and the human factors impact of the tools as measured by post-bank surveys. Workload was unaffected by ATD2 tool use, and situational awareness was improved in the Tower and with Ramp controllers in the second round of surveys. Respondents described their tools as more helpful if they included ATD2 tools 1) in the Tower for insuring compliance for aircraft under a Traffic Management Initiative, 2) in the TRACON when actively used for many TRACON tasks, and 3) in the Ramp in the second round of surveys.

and surface traffic management; human factors asse↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Formalized Reasoning of Operational Volumes for Wildland Fire Fighting

This work is focused on the formalized reasoning of operational volumes as it relates to the current and future technologies developed by NASA to aid in wildfire fighting operations. One such technology is the unmanned aircraft system pilot kit (UASP-kit) developed by the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations (STEReO) project at NASA, which is used to increase situation awareness for a ground operator in the field. The UASP-kit utilizes operational volumes which represent mission areas and alerting volumes, to alert when another aircraft is within one of these volumes from received ADS-B data. This work is focused on developing a rigorous foundation for the concept of operational volumes for modeling and prototyping operations in such a tool as the UASP-kit. This includes establishing a class of algorithms to detect when an object is in an operational volume, and when an operational volume is intersecting or contained within another. Additionally, this work is focused on providing rigorous proof in an interactive theorem prover that the algorithms work as intended. Scenarios are presented that model current UASP-kit operations and extend past the current capabilities of the technology to modeling more complex scenarios such as mission planning.

Operational Volumes↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Formalized Reasoning of Operational Volumes for Wildland Fire Fighting

This work is focused on the formalized reasoning of operational volumes as it relates to the current and future technologies developed by NASA to aid in wildland firefighting operations. One such technology is the Unmanned Aircraft System Pilot Kit (UASP-kit) developed by the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations (STEReO) project at NASA, which is used to increase situational awareness for a ground operator in the field. The UASP-kit utilizes operational volumes to represent mission areas and alerting volumes; these volumes, in combinations with ADS-B data, can then be used to alert the ground operator when another aircraft has entered one of these areas. This work presents a rigorous foundation for the concept of operational volumes for modeling and prototyping operations in such a tool as the UASP-kit. This includes establishing a class of algorithms to detect when an object is in an operational volume, and when one operational volume intersects or is contained in another. Additionally, this work provides rigorous proof that the algorithms work as intended. Scenarios are presented that model current UASP-kit operations and extend past the current capabilities of the technology to modeling more complex scenarios such as mission planning.

Operational Volumes↗
DOE OSTI2015

An Innovative Carbonate Fuel Cell Matrix, Abstract #188

The electrolyte matrix in direct carbonate fuel cell (DFC) is a microporous ceramic structure sandwiched between the electrodes to isolate the fuel from the oxidant, store electrolyte and facilitate ionic transport. FCE has advanced DFC electrolyte matrix over the years and demonstrated that the matrix meets the requirements for greater than 5 year life based on accelerated tests and field stack operations. However, development of advanced designs and materials that can further increase the performance and extend cell life will enable accelerated MCFC deployment. This paper will report the progress on the development of an unique and innovative matrix design that offers numerous benefits to the carbonate fuel cell performance and durability. In addition, this paper will also review parameters that affect matrix material stability and approaches to extend cell life.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2015

Transportation Deployment; NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory)

Automakers, commercial fleet operators, component manufacturers, and government agencies all turn to the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to help put more green vehicles on the road. The lab’s independent analysis and evaluation pinpoint fuel-efficient and low-emission strategies to support economic and operational goals, while breaking down barriers to widespread adoption. Customized assessment of existing equipment and practices, energy-saving alternatives, operational considerations, and marketplace realities factor in the multitude of variables needed to ensure meaningful performance, financial, and environmental benefits. NREL provides integrated, unbiased, 360-degree sustainable transportation deployment expertise encompassing alternative fuels, advanced vehicles, and related infrastructure. Hands-on support comes from technical experts experienced in advanced vehicle technologies, fleet operations, and field data collection coupled with extensive modeling and analysis capabilities. The lab’s research team works closely with automakers and vehicle equipment manufacturers to test, analyze, develop, and evaluate high-performance fuel-efficient technologies that meet marketplace needs.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Low Cost Concentrated Solar Power Collector

Hyperlight’s low cost collector technology consists of a linear Fresnel reflector (LFR) configuration made predominantly of water and plastic materials. These materials and their associated field installation/deployment operations are derived from agribusiness materials and practices that have successfully withstood the test of time over decades in similar harsh environments

Mungas, Greg↗
DOE OSTI2022

Life Cycle Assessment for Closed-Loop Pumped Hydropower Energy Storage in the United States

The federal government has initiated an aggressive set of policies to achieve a net-zero carbon emission goal for the electricity sector by 2050. As a result, rapid growth in deployment of renewable energy technologies is expected. Most commercially mature technologies are temporally variable and do not provide grid inertia, while renewable technologies with high projected deployment have intermittent generation methods. Energy storage technologies are needed to both dispatch power on-demand and help provide the needed grid inertia. Pumped storage hydro (PSH) is a well-established technology that has gained renewed interest in recent years offering energy-balancing, grid stability, control of electrical network frequency, and large-scale storage capacity. For widespread adoption of PSH, more information is needed regarding its current life cycle environmental impacts. The objective of this study is to perform a full life cycle assessment (LCA) of new closed-loop PSH in the U.S. The functional unit for this study is 1 kWh of electrical power delivered to the grid and the base case project lifetime is 80 years. The life cycle inventory for this project accounts for all material and energy flows associated with the green-field construction, operation, maintenance, and decommissioning of a closed-loop PSH plant in the U.S. Collected data represents a range of potential PSH specifications and geographic locations coming from all prospective closed-loop PSH installations in the U.S. with data available. In addition, existing PSH installations are used to provide assumptions for inventory inputs. Results presented will include the global warming potential (GWP IPCC 100a) and Energy Return on Investment (EROI) from our base case (average PSH installation) as well as from scenario analyses and model sensitivity. These results will be compared to the impacts from existing PSH sites and alternate storage technologies. Methods align with the assumptions and guidelines put in place by previous PSH LCAs to ensure an accurate comparison with the results from this report.

ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY,HYDRO ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Characteristics of S12045(X) photon sensors for GlueX

The barrel calorimeter of the GlueX detector in Hall D at Jefferson Lab will be instrumented with 4000 large-area (1.2×1.2 cm2) silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) [1]. These photon sensors have properties similar to vacuum photomultipliers, but are unaffected by high magnetic fields. In our experiment, they will operate in magnetic fields exceeding 1\,T. After extensive tests with a variety of sensors, we chose the S12045(X) custom SiPM arrays manufactured by Hamamatsu Corporation, also known as multi-pixel photon counters (MPPCs) [2]. All production units have been delivered and we have measured the photon detection efficiency (PDE), gain, dark rate, cross talk and after pulsing at three different temperatures (5, 7 and {20?C}). We will present a summary of these measurements and the plan for use of these sensors in the GlueX experiment.\\[4pt] [1] F. Barbosa {\em et al.,} NIM A695 (2012) 100.\\[0pt] [2] Y. Qiang {\em et al.,} NIM A698 (2013) 234.

Smith, E.S.↗
DOE OSTI2017

Modulation of Tetravalent Actinide Oxalate Morphology through Organic Compounds

Spent nuclear fuel of pressurized water reactors mainly consists of uranium, plutonium, minor actinides and fission products. The long term radiotoxicity of wastes is mainly due to plutonium and minor actinides such as neptunium, americium and curium. So, in order both to reduce the radiotoxicity of the ultimate wastes and to save uranium resources, researches for current and new generations of nuclear plants focus on the recycling of plutonium and minor actinides, to fabricate new mixed oxides nuclear fuel pellets (MOX) or transmutation targets. In this aim, production of actinide oxides is necessary. Currently, according to the Purex process, the spent fuel is dissolved in nitric acid and then valuable actinides (uranium and plutonium) are separated and purified from fission products and minor actinides in the Areva plant 'La Hague'. The resulting plutonium nitric solution is converted into a solid phase by oxalic conversion: the oxalic precipitation is followed by the calcination of the obtained oxalate into plutonium oxide. Considering either the MOX fuel or the transmutation targets fabrication from actinide oxides, the control of the particle structure and microstructure is a key factor related to the ability of oxide powder to sinter and shape as pellets. In the oxalic conversion process, the morphology of the precipitated oxalate is strongly influenced by the precipitation conditions and is kept during the calcination from oxalate into oxide. In this context, the aim of this work is to control the morphology of the final actinide oxide by changing the oxalic precipitation conditions. A lot of possibilities can be considered to modulate the morphology of actinide oxalates. Numerous parameters such as temperature, pressure, the presence of a magnetic field, the operating process (seeding, emulsions)... can modify the precipitated particles shape. Additives are also able to play a major role at the precipitation stage by means of different mechanisms involving either complexation, surface covering or structure insertion. This study focuses on this way to modify the morphology of actinides oxalates.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
NASA NTRS2003

Qualifying the Sunpower M87N Cryocooler for Operation in the AMS-02 Magnetic Field

The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-02 (AMs-02) experiment uses a superfluid helium dewar to cool a large superconducting magnet. The outer vapor-cooled shields of the dewar are to be held at 80 K by four Sunpower M87N cryocoolers. These cryocoolers have magnetic components that might interact with the external applied field generated by the superconducting magnet, thereby degrading the cryocoolers' performance. Engineering models of the Sunpower M87 have been qualified for operation in a magnetic environment similar to the AMs-02 magnetic environment. Although there was no noticeable performance degradation at field levels that were comparable to AMs-02 field levels, there appears to be a small performance degradation at higher field levels. It was theorized that there were three possible issues related to these performance losses at high magnetic fields: i) induced piston rubbing on the cylinder wall due to forces and torques on the linear motor due to the applied magnetic fields; ii) Magnetic hysteretic and/or eddy current damping of the balancer due to its motion in the applied magnetic fields; iii) Inductance losses in motor due to the applied magnetic field. The experiments conducted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) cyclotron facility in June 2002 were designed to test these. Tests were performed over a range of field levels that were lower, comparable, and higher than the field levels that the cryocoolers will experience in the AMs-02 operating environment. This paper describes the experiments and the inferences derived from them.

Mustafi, Shuvo↗
DOE OSTI2013

MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC SIMULATION-DRIVEN KINEMATIC MEAN FIELD MODEL OF THE SOLAR CYCLE

We construct a series of kinematic axisymmetric mean-field dynamo models operating in the {alpha}{Omega}, {alpha}{sup 2}{Omega} and {alpha}{sup 2} regimes, all using the full {alpha}-tensor extracted from a global magnetohydrodynamical simulation of solar convection producing large-scale magnetic fields undergoing solar-like cyclic polarity reversals. We also include an internal differential rotation profile produced in a purely hydrodynamical parent simulation of solar convection, and a simple meridional flow profile described by a single cell per meridional quadrant. An {alpha}{sup 2}{Omega} mean-field model, presumably closest to the mode of dynamo action characterizing the MHD simulation, produces a spatiotemporal evolution of magnetic fields that share some striking similarities with the zonally-averaged toroidal component extracted from the simulation. Comparison with {alpha}{sup 2} and {alpha}{Omega} mean-field models operating in the same parameter regimes indicates that much of the complexity observed in the spatiotemporal evolution of the large-scale magnetic field in the simulation can be traced to the turbulent electromotive force. Oscillating {alpha}{sup 2} solutions are readily produced, and show some similarities with the observed solar cycle, including a deep-seated toroidal component concentrated at low latitudes and migrating equatorward in the course of the solar cycle. Various numerical experiments performed using the mean-field models reveal that turbulent pumping plays an important role in setting the global characteristics of the magnetic cycles.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Model-based interface design for smart field-device integration

Operational complexity is ever-increasing for electric utilities that face challenges including integration of DERs, customer expectation of energy choices, the proliferation of non-utility-owned resources, new business models with energy service providers, and new technology with IT/OT convergence. To maintain and improve the quality of operations, planning, and decision-making in general, utilities need to manage and navigate the complexity. Managing complexity requires a modular, scalable, and flexible solution. Connecting large amounts of DERs and introducing new services requires increased grid control and evolving applications. In this paper, we show an approach utilizing model-based standardized interfaces that simplifies integration and deployment of new algorithms and smart field devices for interoperability across legacy or new systems. A modular design is presented for a reference implementation of widely used DNP3 and IEEE 2030.5 interfaces within an open-source, standards-based data integration platform for integration of smart field devices with independently developed, best-of-breed applications.

Model-driven development, system integration, smar↗
DOE OSTI2015

Nature and implication of found actual particulates on the inner surface of cavities in a full-scale cryomodule previously operated with beam

Field emission in an SRF cavity is often the result of small foreign particulates lodging on the cavity inner surface. To avoid these particulate field emitters, careful cleaning and handling of individual cavities and clean room assembly of cavity strings are common practice. Despite these elaborate processes, some particulates persist to stay on the final surface of a beam-ready cavity. Moreover, as will be shown in this contribution, new particulates accumulate after a cryomodule is placed in the accelerator tunnel. The nature of these accumulated particulates on the inner surface of a beam-accelerating cavity is largely unknown for two reasons: (1) lack of access to such surfaces; (2) lack of a workable procedure for investigation without destroying the cavity. In this contribution, we report the first study on found actual particulates on the inner surface of 5-cell CEBAF cavities in a full-scale cryomodule previously operated with beam. The nature of the studied particulates is presented. The implication of the findings will be discussed in view of reliable and efficient operation of CEBAF and future large-scale SRF accelerators.

Geng, Rongli↗
NASA NTRS2011

Study of Near-Stall Flow Behavior in a Modern Transonic Fan with Composite Sweep

Detailed flow behavior in a modern transonic fan with a composite sweep is investigated in this paper. Both unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (URANS) and Large Eddy Simulation (LES) methods are applied to investigate the flow field over a wide operating range. The calculated flow fields are compared with the data from an array of high-frequency response pressure transducers embedded in the fan casing. The current study shows that a relatively fine computational grid is required to resolve the flow field adequately and to calculate the pressure rise across the fan correctly. The calculated flow field shows detailed flow structure near the fan rotor tip region. Due to the introduction of composite sweep toward the rotor tip, the flow structure at the rotor tip is much more stable compared to that of the conventional blade design. The passage shock stays very close to the leading edge at the rotor tip even at the throttle limit. On the other hand, the passage shock becomes stronger and detaches earlier from the blade passage at the radius where the blade sweep is in the opposite direction. The interaction between the tip clearance vortex and the passage shock becomes intense as the fan operates toward the stall limit, and tip clearance vortex breakdown occurs at near-stall operation. URANS calculates the time-averaged flow field fairly well. Details of measured RMS static pressure are not calculated with sufficient accuracy with URANS. On the other hand, LES calculates details of the measured unsteady flow features in the current transonic fan with composite sweep fairly well and reveals the flow mechanism behind the measured unsteady flow field.

Hah, Chunill↗
DOE OSTI2025

Grid Resiliency with a 100% Renewable Microgrid

San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E) installed America’s first and largest utility-scale microgrid in Borrego Springs in 2013. The first generation Borrego Springs Microgrid utilized diesel generators to form and stabilize the microgrid island, with support from grid-scale batteries and local solar photovoltaic (PV) generation. In this project, SDG&E in partnership with National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) demonstrated through modeling, simulation and utility field testing that blackstart and islanding of the microgrid can be led with 100% renewable, inverter based resources (IBRs), to help reduce community reliance on conventional generation resources. Through equipment upgrades, grid-forming island leader capability was transitioned to a battery IBR instead of the Borrego Springs Microgrid diesel generators. A new microgrid controller was integrated to the microgrid and programmed to control and manage multiple energy storage systems. Synchrophasor and other power quality data verified autonomous, high-speed response of the IBRs through blackstart, islanding, and load step testing. Results of project field evaluations provide distribution systems operators (DSO) with increased confidence that renewable, IBR can replace traditional generators to blackstart and island microgrids and rapidly establish stable island frequency with rapid changes in peak power demand. Importantly, the project validated the integration feasibility of a distributed energy resource management system (DERMS) controller that manages multiple grid-forming and grid-following IBRs, establishing a standard design interface to reduce the complexity of integrating new DERs in the future and supporting replication by the industry. As a result of learnings in this project, SDG&E has implemented the microgrid controller strategy at multiple other microgrid sites, thereby validating the replicability of the solution. Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulations including power and controller HIL hardware — along with electromagnetic transient (EMT) simulations of Borrego Springs Microgrid —informed adjustments to inverter parameters and were important to characterize the performance of the IBRs in relevant operating conditions before deployment. The EMT and HIL simulations of islanding the entire community are important contributions in providing confidence in IBR performance prior to future islanding of the community in the field. High-fidelity EMT and/or HIL simulation of IBRs can de-risk field operations, and its relevance and importance as a tool is increasing as distribution grids and microgrids become more complex and dynamic with an increasing proportion of renewable generation, distributed energy storage, and two-way power and energy flows.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗