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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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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1994

Space Station Module Power Management and Distribution System (SSM/PMAD)

This report provides an overview of the Space Station Module Power Management and Distribution (SSM/PMAD) testbed system and describes recent enhancements to that system. Four tasks made up the original contract: (1) common module power management and distribution system automation plan definition; (2) definition of hardware and software elements of automation; (3) design, implementation and delivery of the hardware and software making up the SSM/PMAD system; and (4) definition and development of the host breadboard computer environment. Additions and/or enhancements to the SSM/PMAD test bed that have occurred since July 1990 are reported. These include: (1) rehosting the MAESTRO scheduler; (2) reorganization of the automation software internals; (3) a more robust communications package; (4) the activity editor to the MAESTRO scheduler; (5) rehosting the LPLMS to execute under KNOMAD; implementation of intermediate levels of autonomy; (6) completion of the KNOMAD knowledge management facility; (7) significant improvement of the user interface; (8) soft and incipient fault handling design; (9) intermediate levels of autonomy, and (10) switch maintenance.

Miller, William↗
DOE OSTI2025

Computer-Based Procedures Among Older Adults: Findings from the Rancor Microworld Simulator

As with many industries worldwide, nuclear energy is experiencing an aging workforce; older than other energy sources and the national average. For example, while almost one in three nuclear industry professionals are 55+ years, for oil and gas that number is one in five. The challenges brought about by an aging workforce are one of the industry’s top concerns. However, the industry lacks for empirical research that examines the effects of developmental aging in older workers, as well as the interactions between aging and new digital technologies. We present the results of an experiment that tested three different computer-based procedures in a sample of 30 older adults (55+ years). While the industry has traditionally relied on paper-based procedures, these are being modernized by digital technology. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three procedure-types that varied by the level of digitalization, based on the IEEE Standard-1786. Type 1 essentially represents a digital representation of a paper-based procedure, Type 2 adds embedded indicators, and Type 3 adds soft controls. Participants performed two different operational scenarios (startup and loss of feedwater) on a simplified nuclear power plant simulator. Results revealed a weak signal that Type 2 may produce lower workload and lower completion times in some instances. However, there were no significant effects of procedure-type across any other outcomes, including simulator log data, situation awareness, and preference ratings. We discuss our findings in terms of optimal levels of digitalization/automation for an aging nuclear workforce and suggest pathways for future directions.

46 - INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AN↗
DOE OSTI2015

An “Off-the-Shelf” System for Intraprocedural Electrical Current Evaluation and Monitoring of Irreversible Electroporation Therapy

IntroductionIrreversible electroporation (IRE) ablation uses a series of brief electric pulses to create nanoscale defects in cell membranes, killing the cells. It has shown promise in numerous soft-tissue tumor applications. Larger voltages between electrodes will increase ablation volume, but exceeding electrical limits may risk damage to the patient, cause ineffective therapy delivery, or require generator restart. Monitoring electrical current for these conditions in real-time enables managing these risks. This capacity is not presently available in clinical IRE generators.MethodsWe describe a system using a Tektronix TCP305 AC/DC Current Probe connected to a TCPA300 AC/DC Current Probe Amplifier, which is read on a computer using a Protek DSO-2090 USB computer-interfacing oscilloscope. Accuracy of the system was tested with a resistor circuit and by comparing measured currents with final outputs from the NanoKnife clinical electroporation pulse generator.ResultsAccuracy of measured currents was 1.64 ± 2.4 % relative to calculations for the resistor circuit and averaged 0.371 ± 0.977 % deviation from the NanoKnife. During clinical pulse delivery, the system offers real-time evaluation of IRE procedure progress and enables a number of methods for identifying approaching issues from electrical behavior of therapy delivery, facilitating protocol changes before encountering therapy delivery issues.ConclusionsThis system can monitor electrical currents in real-time without altering the electric pulses or modifying the pulse generator. This facilitates delivering electric pulse protocols that remain within the optimal range of electrical currents—sufficient strength for clinically relevant ablation volumes, without the risk of exceeding safe electric currents or causing inadequate ablation.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Water–Hydrocarbon Interactions in Anionic Pyrene Monohydrate

Interactions between water and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are essential in many aspects of chemistry, from interstellar and atmospheric processes to interfacial hydrophobicity and wetting phenomena. Despite their growing importance, the intermolecular potentials of the water-hydrocarbon interactions are underdeveloped compared to water-water potentials, and there are similarly few experimental probes that are sensitive to the details of the water-hydrocarbon potential. We present a combined experimental and computational study of anionic pyrene monohydrate, one of the simplest water/hydrocarbon clusters. The action spectrum in the OH region of the mass-selected cluster ion provides a rigorous benchmark for intermolecular potentials and computational methodologies. We identify missing intermolecular interactions and shortcomings in conventional dynamics calculations by comparing experimental data to density functional theory and classical molecular dynamics calculations. Kinetic trapping is prevalent, even for one water molecule and one pyrene molecule, leading to slow equilibration in conventional molecular dynamics calculations, even on nanosecond timescales and at low temperatures (50 K). At constant energy, temperature fluctuations for the pair of molecules are substantial. Immersing the system in a bath of soft spheres and employing parallel tempering alleviates kinetic trapping and dampens temperature fluctuations, bringing the system closer to the thermodynamic limit. With such augmented sampling, a simple, flexible water model reproduces the linewidth and the asymmetric broadening of the symmetric OH stretching mode, which we assign to spectral diffusion. In the OH stretching region, dynamics calculations predict a more intense antisymmetric peak than experiments observe but do not predict the bimodal split symmetric peak that the experiments show. Furthermore, our work suggests that electronic polarization, missing in the empirical force field, is responsible for the first discrepancy and that quantum nuclear effects, captured neither in density functional theory nor in classical dynamics, may be responsible for the second.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2011

Optimization of a coherent soft x-ray beamline for coherent scattering experiments at NSLS-II

The coherent soft x-ray and full polarization control (CSX) beamline at the National Synchrotron Light Source - II (NSLS-II) will deliver 1013 coherent photons per second in the energy range of 0.2-2 keV with a resolving power of 2000. The source, a dual elliptically polarizing undulator (EPU), and beamline optics should be optimized to deliver the highest possible coherent flux in a 10-30 {micro}m spot for use in coherent scattering experiments. Using the computer code Synchrotron Radiation Workshop (SRW), we simulate the photon source and focusing optics in order to investigate the conditions which provide the highest usable coherent intensity on the sample. In particular, we find that an intermediate phasing magnet is needed to correct for the relative phase between the two EPUs and that the optimum phase setting produces a spectrum in which the desired wavelength is slightly red-shifted thus requiring a larger aperture than originally anticipated. This setting is distinct from that which produces an on-axis spectrum similar to a single long undulator. Furthermore, partial coherence calculations, utilizing a multiple electron approach, indicate that a high degree of spatial coherence is still obtained at the sample location when such an aperture is used. The aperture size which maximizes the signal-to-noise ratio of a double-slit experiment is explored. This combination of high coherence and intensity is ideally suited for x-ray ptychography experiments which reconstruct the scattering density from micro-diffraction patterns. This technique is briefly reviewed and the effects on the image quality of proximity to the beamline focus are explored.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2012

Surface and superficial dose dosimetric verification for postmastectomy radiotherapy

In patients given postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT), the chest wall is a very thin layer of soft tissue with a low-density lung tissue behind. Chest wall treated in this situation with a high-energy photon beam presents a high dosimetric uncertainty region for both calculation and measurement. The purpose of this study was to measure and to evaluate the surface and superficial doses for patients requiring PMRT with different treatment techniques. An elliptic cylinder cork and superflab boluses were used to simulate the lung and the chest wall, respectively. Sets of computed tomography (CT) images with different chest wall thicknesses were acquired for the study phantom. Hypothetical clinical target volumes (CTVs) were outlined and modified to fit a margin of 1-3 mm, depending on the chest wall thickness, away from the surface for the sets of CT images. The planning target volume (PTV) was initially created by expanding an isotropic 3-mm margin from the CTV, and then a margin of 3 mm was shrunk from the phantom surface to avoid artifact-driven results in the beam-let intensity. Treatment techniques using a pair of tangential wedged fields (TWFs) and 4-field intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) were designed with a prescribed fraction dose (D{sub p}) of 180 cGy. Superficial dose profiles around the phantom circumference at depths of 0, 1, 2, 3, and 5 mm were obtained for each treatment technique using radiochromic external beam therapy (EBT) films. EBT film exhibits good characteristics for dose measurements in the buildup region. Underdoses at the median and lateral regions of the TWF plans were shown. The dose profiles at shallow depths for the TWF plans show a dose buildup about 3 mm at the median and lateral tangential incident regions with a surface dose of about 52% of D{sub p}. The dose was gradually increased toward the most obliquely tangential angle with a maximum dose of about 118% of D{sub p.} Dose profiles were more uniform in the PTV region for the 4-F IMRT plans. Most of the PTV region had doses >94% of D{sub p} at depths >1 mm. The mean surface dose was about 65% of D{sub p} for the 4-F IMRT plans. The maximum dose for the 4-F IMRT plans was <118.4% of D{sub p}. The application of added bolus has to consider the treatment technique, tumor coverage, and possible skin reactions. For PMRT, if the chest surface and wall are treated adequately, at least 3 mm bolus should be added to the chest wall when tangential beams and 6-MV photon energy are arranged. However, when the surface and superficial regions are not high-risk areas, an IMRT plan with tangential beams and 6-MV photon energy can provide uniform dose distributions within the PTV, spare the skin reaction, and deliver sufficient doses to the chest wall at depths >1 mm.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗
DOE OSTI2019

Comment on “Superconductivity at low density near a ferroelectric quantum critical point: Doped SrTiO 3 ”

Wölfle and Balatsky have proposed a microscopic pairing mechanism for doped SrTiO 3 (STO) based on the gradient coupling of electronic density to the soft transverse optical (TO) phonon mode. Since this coupling to TO phonons is usually weak, this conclusion is surprising, especially for a low-density superconductor such as STO, where the density of states is small. A crucial step in the argument made by Wölfle and Balatsky is that the displacement vector of the TO mode is not strictly perpendicular to the momentum vector, making a deformation coupling possible. We show that they have made a mistake in computing the eigenvector and have grossly overestimated this lack of orthogonality. When corrected, the coupling is negligible. We also use transport data to put upper bounds on the coupling constant which are much smaller than the estimate by Wölfle and Balatsky. Lastly, we also object to their use of the Eliashberg equation when the phonon frequency is larger than the Fermi energy.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2021

Robust Predictive Control for Modular Solid-State Transformer With Reduced DC Link and Parameter Mismatch

This paper presents the analysis and implementation of a predictive control method for dc-link regulation and voltage balance in a cascaded modular reduced dc-link solid-state transformer (SST). Passive components like bulky dc links limit the power density of power converters, especially medium-voltage (MV) SST. Reduced dc-link or low-inertia converters can dramatically reduce the size, cost, and weight by tolerating larger dc-link ripples and improve the reliability with electrolytic capacitor-less dc link. However, a small dc link leads to tight coupling between the input and the output stages, which is a challenge for control design. In stacked low-inertia converters (SLIC), the low-inertia converter modules are stacked for MV applications, resulting in coupling between the modules and making the control more challenging. A new model predictive control method which can achieve deadbeat regulation on the dc link without weighting factors has been proposed to address this novel problem. This paper focuses on analyzing the condition of the low-inertia dc link up to 80% ripple, the robustness of the control under parameter mismatches, high-order terms, and important implementation issues such as model-based sampling and computation delay compensation. Significantly, the high-order terms are introduced because of the large dc-link ripple. These high-order terms are unique to the SLIC and negligible in conventional high-inertia converters. A discrete-time large-signal model is built to capture the dc-link’s nonlinear dynamics, and the eigenvalues of a small-signal Jacobian matrix are analyzed with Floquet theory to evaluate stability, using the modular soft-switching solid-state transformer (M-S4T) as an example of the SLIC. Simulation and experimental results of an MVDC M-S4T verify the analysis and the predictive control method. Finally, the general application of the predictive control to low-inertia converters is compared against a conventional PI controller using a reduced dc-link active-front-end (AFE) rectifier as an example.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2010

QCD corrections to the Drell-Yan process for the Large Hadron Collider (LHC): Vertex functions and gluon bremsstrahlung

With an eye to future experiments at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), O(aa{sub s}) QCD corrections to the Drell-Yan process are calculated for vertex functions and gluon bremsstrahlung. Use is made of fully differential cross sections, so that the result obtained in the present study can readily be applied in analyzing experimental data (in correcting data from future experiments at LHC). It is shown both analytically and numerically that the results are independent of unphysical parameters, including the parameter separating the regions of soft and hard gluons and the quark mass. A numerical analysis of radiative effects was performed by means of the FORTRAN code READY with allowance for the experimental cuts used at the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) detector

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Subcontract B635525 (Final Report)

During my visits to LLNL July 8–12 and July 22–26, 2019, I worked on linear system solvers. The two level hierarchical solver that initiated our study was developed to solve linear systems arising from $\textit{hp}$ adaptive finite element calculations, and is implemented in the $\textit{PLTMG}$ software package, version 13. This preconditioner typically requires 3–20% of the space used by the stiffness matrix for higher order elements. It has multigrid like convergence rates for a wide variety of PDEs (self-adjoint positive definite elliptic equations, convection dominated convection-diffusion equations, and highly indefinite Helmholtz equations, among others). The convergence rate is not independent of the polynomial degree $\textit{p}$ as $\textit{p} → ∞$, but remains strong for $\textit{p}$ ≤ 9, which is the highest polynomial degree allowed in $\textit{PLTMG}$, due to limitations of the numerical quadrature rules implemented in the soft- ware package. A more complete description of the method and some numerical experiments illustrating its effectiveness appear in. Like traditional geometric multilevel methods, this scheme relies on knowledge of the underlying finite element space in order to construct the smoother and the coarse grid correction.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
NASA NTRS1985

Statistical analysis of astronomical data containing upper bounds - General methods and examples drawn from X-ray astronomy

Statistical procedures taken from the field of survival analysis have been adapted to astronomical usage and have been applied to a sample of stars in the B-V color range between 0.1 and 0.5 with measured soft X-ray luminosities and projected equatorial velocities. The two-sample problem and linear regression problem with arbitrarily censored data were studied. A new method for determining the linear regression between two random variables in the presence of arbitrary censoring has been developed which can also be used for a likelihood-ratio test for the independence of two random variables and for principal-component analysis in the presence of arbitrary censoring. The required numerical computations can be carried out straightforwardly and rapidly.

Schmitt, J. H. M. M.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Constraints on quasar accretion disks from the optical/ultraviolet/soft X-ray big bump

The simplest accretion-disk models have difficulties explaining the optical/UV/soft-X-ray 'big bump' in quasars. Here more realistic models are investigated, incorporating opacity and inclination effects while retaining an analytic form for ease of computation. It is found that opacity effects can explain the uniform 20,000-30,000 K 'maximum disk temperature' derived by previous workers. The observed spectral turndown would be the result of the onset of electron scattering and should not be identified with the hottest part of the disk. The frequency at which this spectral turndown occurs is only weakly dependent on the accretion-disk parameters. These opacity effects also allow high-frequency EUV and soft-X-ray extensions of the big bump without exceeding the Eddington limit strongly. For a wide range of disk parameters, the EUV spectra of quasar disks should have spectral slopes near -1.

Czerny, Bozena↗
NASA NTRS2009

Effects of Tantalum on the Temporal Evolution of a Model Ni-Al-Cr Superalloy During Phase Decomposition

The effects of a 2.0 at.% addition of Ta to a model Ni-10.0Al-8.5Cr (at.%) superalloy aged at 1073 K are assessed using scanning electron microscopy and atom-probe tomography. The gamma'(Ll2)-precipitate morphology that develops as a result of gamma-(fcc)matrix phase decomposition is found to evolve from a bimodal distribution of spheroidal precipitates, to {001}-faceted cuboids and parallelepipeds aligned along the elastically soft {001}-type directions. The phase compositions and the widths of the gamma'-precipitate/gamma-matrix heterophase interfaces evolve temporally as the Ni-Al-Cr-Ta alloy undergoes quasi-stationary state coarsening after 1 h of aging. Tantalum is observed to partition preferentially to the gamma'-precipitate phase, and suppresses the mobility of Ni in the gamma-matrix sufficiently to cause an accumulation of Ni on the gamma-matrix side of the gamma'/gamma interface. Additionally, computational modeling, employing Thermo-Calc, Dictra and PrecipiCalc, is employed to elucidate the kinetic pathways that lead to phase decomposition in this concentrated Ni-Al-Cr-Ta alloy.

Booth, Morrison, Christopher↗
DOE OSTI2012

Comparison of IGRT Registration Strategies for Optimal Coverage of Primary Lung Tumors and Involved Nodes Based on Multiple Four-Dimensional CT Scans Obtained Throughout the Radiotherapy Course

Purpose: To investigate the impact of primary tumor and involved lymph node (LN) geometry (centroid, shape, volume) on internal target volume (ITV) throughout treatment for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer using weekly four-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT). Methods and Materials: Eleven patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer were treated using image-guided radiotherapy with acquisition of weekly 10-Phase 4DCTs (n = 51). Initial ITV was based on planning 4DCT. Master-ITV incorporated target geometry across the entire treatment (all 4DCTs). Geographic miss was defined as the % Master-ITV positioned outside of the initial planning ITV after registration is complete. Registration strategies considered were bony (B), primary tumor soft tissue alone (T), and registration based on primary tumor and involved LNs (T{sub L}N). Results: The % geographic miss for the primary tumor, mediastinal, and hilar lymph nodes based on each registration strategy were (1) B: 30%, 30%, 30%; (2) T: 21%, 40%, 36%; and (3) T{sub L}N: 26%, 26%, 27%. Mean geographic expansions to encompass 100% of the primary tumor and involved LNs were 1.2 {+-} 0.7 cm and 0.8 {+-} 0.3 cm, respectively, for B and T{sub L}N. Primary and involved LN expansions were 0.7 {+-} 0.5 cm and 1.1 {+-} 0.5 cm for T. Conclusion: T is best for solitary targets. When treatments include primary tumor and LNs, B and T{sub L}N provide more comprehensive geographic coverage. We have identified high % geographic miss when considering multiple registration strategies. The dosimetric implications are the subject of future study.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Distinguishing electronic contributions of surface and sub-surface transition metal atoms in Ti-based MXenes

MXenes are a rapidly-expanding family of 2D transition metal carbides and nitrides that have attracted attention due to their excellent performance in applications ranging from energy storage to electromagnetic interference shielding. Numerous other electronic and magnetic properties have been computationally predicted, but not yet realized due to the experimental difficulty in obtaining uniform surface terminations (T x ), necessitating new design approaches for MXenes that are independent of surface groups. In this study, we distinguished the contributions of surface and sub-surface Ti atoms to the electronic structure of four Ti-based MXenes (Ti 2 CT x , Ti 3 C 2 T x , Cr 2 TiC 2 T x , and Mo 2 TiC 2 T x ) using soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy, revealing minimal changes in the spectral features between the parent MAX phase and its MXene when no surface Ti atoms are present in the MXene, such as Mo 2 TiC 2 T x and Cr 2 TiC 2 T x . In contrast, for MXenes with surface Ti atoms, here Ti 3 C 2 T x and Ti 2 CT x , the Ti L-edge spectra are significantly modified compared to their parent MAX phase compounds. First principles calculations provide similar trends in the partial density of states derived from surface and interior Ti atoms, corroborating the spectroscopic measurements. Furthermore, these results reveal that electronic states derived from sub-surface M-site layers are largely unperturbed by the surface groups, indicating a relatively short length scale over which the T x groups alter the nominal electron count associated with Ti atoms and suggesting that desired band features should be hosted by sub-surface M-sites that are electronically more robust than their surface M-site counterparts.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Comparison of SUSY spectra generators for natural SUSY and string landscape predictions

Models of natural supersymmetry give rise to a weak scale m weak ~ m W,Z,h ~ 100 GeV without any (implausible) finetuning of independent contributions to the weak scale. These models, which exhibit radiatively driven naturalness (RNS), are expected to arise from statistical analysis of the string landscape wherein large soft terms are favored, but subject to a not-too-large value of the derived weak scale in each pocket universe of the greater multiverse. The string landscape picture then predicts, using the Isajet SUSY spectra generator Isasugra, a statistical peak at m h ~ 125 GeV with sparticles generally beyond current LHC search limits. In this paper, we investigate how well these conclusions hold up using other popular spectra generators: SOFTSUSY, SPHENO and SUSPECT (SSS). We built a computer code DEW4SLHA which operates on SUSY Les Houches Accord files to calculate the associated electroweak naturalness measure Δ EW . The SSS generators tend to yield a Higgs mass peak ~125–127 GeV with a superparticle mass spectra rather similar to that generated by Isasugra. In an Appendix, we include loop corrections to Δ EW in a more standard notation.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2018

ALS/Milo: BL402 RSXD data analysis

Suite of tools designed to simply data collection, extraction, reduction, and plotting for resonant soft x-ray scattering experiments performed at ALS beamline 4.0.2; speeds up the process of converting data into meaningful information for users to publish experimental results. * Python software routines for processing CCD images, including reciprocal space maps, diffraction peak alignment, resonant spectral profiles, line-cut comparisons, coordinate transforms, etc. * Scan file generator, optimized for typical uses cases, reduces burden on users by handling complex operations behind the scenes of a simplified user interface * Deployed at beamline endstation computers; packaged and deployable as standardized PyPI package * Under version control (git) and hosted on LBL-sponsored repository (bitbucket)

Shafer, Padraic↗
NASA NTRS1987

User engineering: A new look at system engineering

User Engineering is a new System Engineering perspective responsible for defining and maintaining the user view of the system. Its elements are a process to guide the project and customer, a multidisciplinary team including hard and soft sciences, rapid prototyping tools to build user interfaces quickly and modify them frequently at low cost, and a prototyping center for involving users and designers in an iterative way. The main consideration is reducing the risk that the end user will not or cannot effectively use the system. The process begins with user analysis to produce cognitive and work style models, and task analysis to produce user work functions and scenarios. These become major drivers of the human computer interface design which is presented and reviewed as an interactive prototype by users. Feedback is rapid and productive, and user effectiveness can be measured and observed before the system is built and fielded. Requirements are derived via the prototype and baselined early to serve as an input to the architecture and software design.

Mclaughlin, Larry L.↗