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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 739 records · Page 41

An electronic circuit for sensing malfunctions in test instrumentation

Monitoring device differentiates between malfunctions occurring in the system undergoing test and malfunctions within the test instrumentation itself. Electronic circuits in the monitor use transistors to commutate silicon controlled rectifiers by removing the drive voltage, display circuits are then used to monitor multiple discrete lines.

Miller, W. M., Jr.↗

Portable device for use in starting air-start-units for aircraft and having cable lead testing capability

A portable device for starting aircraft engines and the like is disclosed. The device includes a lead testing and motor starting circuit characterized by: (1) a direct current voltage source, (2) a pair of terminal plugs connected with the circuit (each being characterized by a first, second, and third terminal) (3) a pair of manually operable switches for connecting the first terminal of each plug of the pair to the positive side of the voltage source, (4) a circuit lead connecting to the second terminal of each plug the negative side of said source, (5) a pair of electrical cables adapted to connect said first and second terminals of each plug to an air-start unit, and means for connecting each cable of the pair of cables between the first terminal of one plug and the third terminal of the other plug of the pair, and (6) a second pair of manually operable switches for selectivity connecting the third terminal of each plug of the pair to the negative side of the voltage source.

Rosier, W. R.↗

Molecular coupling competing with defects within insulator of the magnetic tunnel junction-based molecular spintronics devices

Nearly 70 years old dream of incorporating molecule as the device element is still challenged by competing defects in almost every experimentally tested molecular device approach. This paper focuses on the magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) based molecular spintronics device (MTJMSD) method. An MTJMSD utilizes a tunnel barrier to ensure a robust and mass-producible physical gap between two ferromagnetic electrodes. MTJMSD approach may benefit from MTJ's industrial practices; however, the MTJMSD approach still needs to overcome additional challenges arising from the inclusion of magnetic molecules in conjunction with competing defects. Molecular device channels are covalently bonded between two ferromagnets across the insulating barrier. An insulating barrier may possess a variety of potential defects arising during the fabrication or operational phase. This paper describes an experimental and theoretical study of molecular coupling between ferromagnets in the presence of the competing coupling via an insulating tunnel barrier. We discuss the experimental observations of hillocks and pinhole-type defects producing inter-layer coupling that compete with molecular device elements. We performed theoretical simulations to encompass a wide range of competition between molecules and defects. Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) was used for investigating the defect-induced inter-layer coupling on MTJMSD. Our research may help understand and design molecular spintronics devices utilizing various insulating spacers such as aluminum oxide (AlOx) and magnesium oxide (MgO) on a wide range of metal electrodes. This paper intends to provide practical insights for researchers intending to investigate the molecular device properties via the MTJMSD approach and do not have a background in magnetic tunnel junction fabrication.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Lycoris - A large-area, high resolution beam telescope

We note that a high-resolution beam telescope is one of the most important and demanding infrastructure components at any test beam facility. Its main purpose is to provide reference particle tracks from the incoming test beam particles to the test beam users, which allows measurement of the performance of the device-under-test (DUT). LYCORIS, a six-plane compact beam telescope with an active area of ~ 10 x 10 cm 2 (extensible to 10 x 20 cm 2 ) was installed at the DESY II Test Beam Facility in 2019, to provide a precise momentum measurement in a 1 T solenoid magnet or to provide tracking over a large area. The overall design of Lycoris will be described as well as the performance of the chosen silicon sensor. The 25 μm pitch micro-strip sensor used for Lycoris was originally designed for the SiD detector concept for the International Linear Collider. It adopts a second metallization layer to route signals from strips to the bump-bonded KPiX ASIC and uses a wire-bonded flex cable for the connection to the DAQ and the power supply system. This arrangement eliminates the need for a dedicated hybrid PCB. Its performance was tested for the first time in this project. The system has been evaluated at the DESY II Test Beam Facility in several test-beam campaigns and has demonstrated an average single-point resolution of 7.07 μm.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Characterization of Amplification Properties of the Superconducting-Ferromagnetic Transistor

Here we report on the measurement results of the superconducting-ferromagnetic transistors (SFTs). The devices were made at Northwestern University and Hypres (SeeQC), Inc. (Nevirkovets et al., 2014; 2015). SFT is a multiterminal device with the SIS'FIFS (or SFIFS'IS) structure (where S, I, and F denote a superconductor, an insulator, and a ferromagnetic material, respectively) exploiting intense quasiparticle injection in order to modify the nonlinear I-V curve of a superconducting tunnel junction. SFT is capable of providing voltage, current, and power amplification while having good input/output isolation. We characterized the devices using different measurement techniques. We measured S parameters of the single- and double-acceptor devices at frequencies up to 5 MHz. Importantly, we confirmed that the isolation between the input and output of the device is quite good. However, the techniques typically employed to characterize semiconductor devices do not allow for revealing the full potential of our low-resistive SFT devices, especially those having two acceptors. In the latter case, we also tested the devices using the battery-powered current sources with floating grounds. Analyzing double-acceptor I-V curves recorded at different levels of injection currents, for an optimal load, we deduced a small-signal voltage gain of 33 and a power gain of 2.4. We suggest that further improvement of the SFT device parameters is possible in optimized devices, so that the device potentially may serve as a preamplifier for readout of output signals of cryogenic detectors and be useful as an element of other superconductor-based circuits. In addition, we used scanning transmission electron microscopy to identify some problems in the fabrication of the devices without any planarization.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Leveraging Existing Assets for Long Duration Energy Storage

Increased renewables penetration to electrical grid is necessary to reduce overall emissions from the electrical power generation sector. Nonetheless, its integration creates challenges to grid operators who must match the power being generated by intermittent renewables and other traditional energy sources with the demand from consumers, while ensuring the reliability and power quality for the entire system. Energy storage has been proposed as an alternative to natural gas peaking plants and a form to deliver excess renewable energy generation at times of peak demand. For energy storage to provide benefits to end customers (energy consumers), it must be reliable, efficient, and cost effective. The Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC), one of the surveys that integrate the Prairie Research Institute (PRI), aims to develop a Center for Energy Storage at Existing Assets (CESEA) at UIUC with the participation of Waste Pressure Corp and Ecotek Engineering USA LLC. CESEA will focus on LDES systems that can integrate to existing infrastructure in a manner that reduces the initial capital expenditure and demonstrates the ability to repurpose fossil assets that would otherwise become stranded, to serve the energy transition. CESEA aims to leverage UIUC’s unique facilities to validate LDES systems performance at a relevant operating environment. UIUC’s facilities include a 85-MW combined heat and power (CHP) power plant, two (2) solar PV plants totaling over 18 MWdc of installed capacity, an electrical grid along with a substation at transmission and distribution voltages, a 22-mile gas pipeline network operating at two pressure levels, along with steam and chilled water distribution networks. The new LDES systems will connect to the existing UIUC grid through a new test electrical station, which will have the capacity to accommodate additional connections to test new devices and technologies as part of future CESEA R&D activities. The test electrical station will contain meters, instrumentation, and controls to accurately capture data and allow optimization of control algorithms. CESEA will initially focus on technologies that: i) utilize existing equipment or facilities to perform at least one of the process steps in LDES (charging, storage, or discharging), ii) leverage mature or commercially available components or controls, iii) show potential for cost-leadership in 10+ hour storage at a commercial scale. Initial technologies that were identified to meet these criteria include Compressed Gas Energy Storage (CGES), and TES. CGES stores electricity by raising the pressure of a compressible gas inside a control volume and converting the stored energy to electricity via expansion-generation. CGES is a generalization of CAES that covers any working gas (not just air). A successful CGES demo will help to circumvent many challenges faced by CAES (long development times due to site prospecting, high cost of compression and storage, heat recovery management, etc.) by: 1) utilizing existing infrastructure (compressors, pipelines, underground storage or pressure vessels) used in the transportation and storage of industrial gases for LDES charging and storage; 2) deploying over sites already-developed for industrial applications with minor additional work; 3) leveraging the price structure of commercial industrial gas to cover the costs of electricity used during charging. A previous DOE-sponsored conceptual study (DE-FE-0032018) estimated the levelized cost of energy of a 1.1 MW / 17 MWh CGES system at $0.08/kWh, with a commercial 10x scale system cost estimated at <$0.04/kWh (Giardinella, 2022). The pilot-sized system was estimated to avoid up to 2693 tons of CO2/year.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Radiation design criteria handbook

Radiation design criteria for electronic parts applications in space environments are provided. The data were compiled from the Mariner/Jupiter Saturn 1977 electronic parts radiation test program. Radiation sensitive device types were exposed to radiation environments compatible with the MJS'77 requirements under suitable bias conditions. A total of 189 integrated circuits, transistors, and other semiconductor device types were tested.

Stanley, A. G.↗

An integrated optical preprocessor for multichannel analog data

As a precursor to the construction of a 16-channel device, a 3-channel integrated optical data preprocessor has been fabricated and tested. The device, which is fabricated in an outdiffused LiNbO3 waveguide, provides a signal related to the channel-by-channel difference between a prerecorded reference set and an incoming data set which is presented in the form of parallel analog voltages. The data are impressed upon the guided wave as a set of electrooptically induced phase shifts, and the comparison to the reference set is performed by holographic subtraction. The reference set can either be introduced as a separate operation or it can be 'learned' by the preprocessor during operation.

Verber, C. M.↗

Simulation of cosmic-ray induced soft errors and latchup in integrated-circuit computer memories

Soft errors have been induced in solid-state static RAM's by iron nuclei from the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL) Bevalac, in experiments designed to prove the ability of iron-group cosmic rays to generate such errors. Subsequently, various delidded device types were tested in beams of argon and krypton ions from the LBL 88-inch Cyclotron, at energies near 2 MeV/nucleon. The latter tests showed that some devices are essentially immune to bit error while others are quite susceptible. Good agreement was obtained with model predictions in cases where the latter exist. Latchup, whose cause is attributed to individual heavy ions, was also observed in some device types.

Kolasinski, W. A.↗

US Navy Wave Energy Test Site

navy's Wave Energy Test Site (WETS) at Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH), environmental data collection efforts underway, and planned. Lunch seminar.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗

Characterization of U.S. Wave Energy Converter (WEC) Test Sites: A Catalogue of Met-Ocean Data.

This report presents met - ocean data and wave energy characteristics at three U.S. wave energy converter (WEC) test and potential deployment sites . Its purpose is to enable the compari son of wave resource characteristics among sites as well as the select io n of test sites that are most suitable for a developer's device and that best meet their testing needs and objectives . It also provides essential inputs for the design of WEC test devices and planning WEC tests, including the planning of deployment and op eration s and maintenance. For each site, this report catalogues wave statistics recommended in the (draft) International Electrotechnical Commission Technical Specification (IEC 62600 - 101 TS) on Wave Energy Characterization, as well as the frequency of oc currence of weather windows and extreme sea states, and statistics on wind and ocean currents. It also provides useful information on test site infrastructure and services .

Dallman, Ann Renee↗

Characterization of U.S. Wave Energy Converter (WEC) Test Sites: A Catalogue of Met-Ocean Data, 2nd Edition

This report presents met-ocean data and wave energy characteristics at eight U.S. wave energy converter (WEC) test and potential deployment sites. Its purpose is to enable the comparison of wave resource characteristics among sites as well as the selection of test sites that are most suitable for a developer's device and that best meet their testing needs and objectives. It also provides essential inputs for the design of WEC test devices and planning WEC tests, including the planning of deployment, and operations and maintenance. For each site, this report catalogues wave statistics recommended in the International Electrotechnical Commission Technical Speci cation (IEC 62600-101 TS) on Wave Energy Characterization, as well as the frequency of occurrence of weather windows and extreme sea states, and statistics on wind and ocean currents. It also provides useful information on test site infrastructure and services.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗

Characterization of U.S. Wave Energy Converter (WEC) test sites: a catalogue of met-ocean data (Second edition)

This report presents met-ocean data and wave energy characteristics at eight U.S. wave energy converter (WEC) test and potential deployment sites. Its purpose is to enable the comparison of wave resource characteristics among sites as well as the selection of test sites that are most suitable for a developer’s device and that best meet their testing needs and objectives. It also provides essential inputs for the design of WEC test devices and planning WEC tests, including the planning of deployment, and operations and maintenance. For each site, this report catalogues wave statistics recommended in the International Electrotechnical Commission Technical Specification (IEC 62600-101 TS) on Wave Energy Characterization, as well as the frequency of occurrence of weather windows and extreme sea states, and statistics on wind and ocean currents. It also provides useful information on test site infrastructure and services.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗

Flexible and High Performance Supercapacitors Based on NiCo2O4for Wide Temperature Range Applications

Binder free nanostructured NiCo 2 O 4 were grown using a facile hydrothermal technique. X-ray diffraction patterns confirmed the phase purity of NiCo 2 O 4 . The surface morphology and microstructure of the NiCo 2 O 4 analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed flower-like morphology composed of needle-like structures. The potential application of binder free NiCo 2 O 4 as an electrode for supercapacitor devices was investigated using electrochemical methods. The cyclic voltammograms of NiCo2O4 electrode using alkaline aqueous electrolytes showed the presence of redox peaks suggesting pseudocapacitance behavior. Quasi-solid state supercapacitor device fabricated by sandwiching two NiCo 2 O 4 electrodes and separating them by ion transporting layer. The performance of the device was tested using cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge-discharge and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The device showed excellent flexibility and cyclic stability. The temperature dependent charge storage capacity was measured for their variable temperature applications. Specific capacitance of the device was enhanced by ~150% on raising the temperature from 20 to 60°C. Hence, the results suggest that NiCo 2 O 4 grown under these conditions could be a suitable material for high performance supercapacitor devices that can be operated at variable temperatures.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Penetration of multiple thin films in micrometeorite capture cells

As part of a continuing effort to develop cosmic dust detectors/collectors for use in space, we performed a series of hypervelocity impact experiments on combined sensor/capture-cell assemblies using 10-200-micron-diameter glass projectiles and olivine crystals at velocities of 0.9-14.4 km/s. The design objective of the space-flight instrument is to measure the trajectories of individual particles with sufficient accuracy to permit identification of their parent bodies and to capture enough impactor material to allow chemical and isotopic analyses of samples returned to Earth. Three different multiple-film small-particle capture cell designs (0.1-100-micron-thick Al foils with approx. 10, 100, and 1800 micron spacing) were evaluated for their ability to capture impactor fragments and residue. Their performances were compared to two other types of capture cells, foil covered Ge crystals, and 0.50 and 0.120 g/cu cm aerogels. All capture cells were tested behind multifilm (1.4-6.0-micron-thick) polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) velocity/trajectory sensor devices. Several tests were also done without the PVDF sensors for comparison. The results of this study were reported by Simon in a comprehensive report in which the morphology of impacts and impactor residues in various types of capture cells after passage through two PVDF sensor films is discussed. Impactor fragments in selected capture cells from impacts at velocities up to 6.4 km/s were identified using scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS).

Simon, Charles G.↗

Proton Testing of nVidia GTX 1050 GPU, Part 2

Single-Event Effects (SEE) testing was conducted on the nVidia GTX 1050 Graphics Processor Unit (GPU); herein referred to as device under test (DUT). Testing was conducted at Massachusetts General Hospital's (MGH) Francis H. Burr Proton Therapy Center on April 28th, 2018 using 200-MeV protons. This testing trip was purposed to provide additional radiation susceptibility data from payloads compiled in Q3FY18. While not all radiation-induced errors are critical, the effects on the application need to be considered. More so, failure of the device and an inability to reset itself should be considered detrimental to the application. Radiation effects on electronic components are a significant reliability issue for systems intended for space.

Single-Event Effects (SEE)↗

TID Effects of High-Z Material Spot Shields on FPGA Using MPTB Data

An experiment on the Microelectronics and Photonics Test Bed (MPTB) was testing lield programmable gate arrays using spot shields to extend the life of some of the devices being tested. It was expected that the unshielded parts would fail from a total ionizing dose (TID) and yet the opposite occurred. The data show that the devices failing from the TID effects are those with the spot shields attached. This effort is to determine the mechanism by which the environment is interacting with the high-Z material to enhance the TID in these field programmable gate arrays.

Hardage, Donna↗