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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 865 records · Page 48
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2015

Circulating Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells in Aging Atomic Bomb Survivors

It is not yet known whether hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) are compromised in the aging population of atomic bomb (A-bomb) survivors after their exposure nearly 70 years ago. To address this, we evaluated age- and radiation-related changes in different subtypes of circulating HSPCs among the CD34-positive/lineage marker-negative (CD34+Lin - ) cell population in 231 Hiroshima A-bomb survivors. We enumerated functional HSPC subtypes, including: cobblestone area-forming cells; long-term culture-initiating cells; erythroid burst-forming units; granulocyte and macrophage colony-forming units; and T-cell and natural killer cell progenitors using cell culture. We obtained the count of each HSPC subtype per unit volume of blood and the proportion of each HSPC subtype in CD34+Lin - cells to represent the lineage commitment trend. Multivariate analyses, using sex, age and radiation dose as variables, showed significantly decreased counts with age in the total CD34+Lin - cell population and all HSPC subtypes. As for the proportion, only T-cell progenitors decreased significantly with age, suggesting that the commitment to the T-cell lineage in HSPCs continuously declines with age throughout the lifetime. However, neither the CD34+Lin - cell population, nor HSPC subtypes showed significant radiation-induced dose-dependent changes in counts or proportions. Moreover, the correlations of the proportions among HSPC subtypes in the survivors properly revealed the hierarchy of lineage commitments. In conclusion, taken together, our findings suggest that many years after exposure to radiation and with advancing age, the number and function of HSPCs in living survivors as a whole may have recovered to normal levels.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Ferrite-Free Circulator for Precise Measurements of SRF Cavities with High Q-Factor

In this work, we suggest and investigate new magnetless circulators based on three resonators connected in a loop and parametrically modulated in time with mutual phase lag. The first design consists of three Fano resonators with a spectrally asymmetric response, in contrast to schemes based on the Lorentz resonators explored thus far. The second design includes three Fano-Lorentz resonators, i.e., it also possesses spatial asymmetry. We demonstrate that the asymmetric approach provides strong and reversible isolation for the practically feasible modulation amplitude and rate. The results of our work are promising for precise measurements of superconducting radio frequency cavities with high Q-factor.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Circulating tumor cells: potential markers of minimal residual disease in ovarian cancer? a study of the OVCAD consortium

Purpose: In 75% of ovarian cancer patients the tumor mass is completely eradicated by established surgical and cytotoxic treatment; however, the majority of the tumors recur within 24 months. Here we investigated the role of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) indicating occult tumor load, which remains inaccessible by established diagnostics. Experimental design: Blood was taken at diagnosis (baseline samples, n = 102) and six months after completion of adjuvant first-line chemotherapy (follow-up samples; n = 78). CTCs were enriched by density gradient centrifugation. A multimarker immunostaining was established and further complemented by FISH on CTCs and tumor/metastasis tissues using probes for stem-cell like fusion genes MECOM and HHLA1. Results: CTCs were observed in 26.5% baseline and 7.7% follow-up blood samples at a mean number of 12.4 and 2.8 CTCs per ml blood, respectively. Baseline CTCs indicated a higher risk of death in R0 patients with complete gross resection (univariate: HR 2.158, 95% CI 1.111–4.191, p = 0.023; multivariate: HR 2.720, 95% CI 1.340–5.522, p = 0.006). At follow-up, the presence of CTCs was associated with response to primary treatment as assessed using RECIST criteria. Chromosomal gains at MECOM and HHLA1 loci suggest that the observed cells were cancer cells and reflect pathophysiological decisive chromosomal aberrations of the primary and metastatic tumors.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Assessment of Lost Circulation Material Particle-Size Distribution on Fracture Sealing: A Numerical Study

Summary Lost circulation materials (LCMs) are essential to combat fluid loss while drilling and may put the whole operation at risk if a proper LCM design is not used. The focus of this research is understanding the function of LCMs in sealing fractures to reduce fluid loss. One important consideration in the success of fracture sealing is the particle-size distribution (PSD) of LCMs. Various studies have suggested different guidelines for obtaining the best size distribution of LCMs for effective fracture sealing based on limited laboratory experiments or field observations. Hence, there is a need for sophisticated numerical methods to improve the LCM design by providing some predictive capabilities. In this study, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and discrete element methods (DEM) numerical simulations are coupled to investigate the influence of PSD of granular LCMs on fracture sealing. Dimensionless variables were introduced to compare cases with different PSDs. We validated the CFD-DEM model in reproducing specific laboratory observations of fracture-sealing experiments within the model boundary parameters. Our simulations suggested that a bimodally distributed blend would be the most effective design in comparison to other PSDs tested here.

Engineering↗
DOE OSTI2025

Compaction and Morphology of Lost Circulation Materials

Lost circulation material (LCM) selection is critical to effectively and efficiently treating wellbore fluid losses in geothermal drilling where costs of treatment can be as much as 30% of the total drilling cost. We conducted several uniaxial compaction experiments on 10 different materials and several material mixtures to identify critical mechanical parameters of each. Materials degraded at 200°C were also investigated to understand how elevated temperatures in geothermal wells would degrade their compaction behavior. Granular materials tended to have lower compressibility and higher compression resistance, while more elongated and softer materials had less mechanical stiffness. Mixing materials tended to moderate the mechanical behaviors while heating universally increased the compaction of materials. Microscopy showed that particle strength tended to correlate positively with roundness and circularity and negatively with elongation of a material. Convexity of the degraded and undegraded materials showed heating may have increased the convexity or roughness of the individual particles. In conclusion, we concluded that granular materials are likely to provide the best seals in wells but that a mixture of size distribution, mechanical rigidity, and elongation is more likely to form a better seal for geothermal wells.

annular pressure drilling↗
DOE OSTI2024

Selection of representative general circulation models under climatic uncertainty for Western North America

Abstract Climate change research uses an ensemble of general circulation model runs (GCMs-runs) to predict future climate under uncertainties. To reduce computational costs, this study selects representative GCM-runs (RGCM-runs) for Western North America (WNA) based on their performance in replicating historical climate conditions from 1981 to 2005 and projecting future changes from 1981–2010 to 2071–2100. This evaluation is conducted under two representative concentration pathways (RCPs) scenarios, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 5. By using an envelope-based selection technique and a multi-objective distance-based approach, we identify four RGCM-runs per RCP representing diverse climatic conditions, including wet-warm, wet-cold, dry-warm, and dry-cold. Compared to the full-set, these selected runs show a decreased mean absolute error (MAE) between the reference and RGCM-runs concerning the monthly average mean air temperature (T̄) and precipitation (P̄). For RCP4.5, T̄ MAE is 0.45 (vs. 0.58 in the full-set) and P̄ MAE is 0.31 (vs. 0.42). For RCP8.5, T̄ MAE is 0.51 (vs. 0.75) and P̄ MAE is 0.25 (vs. 0.36). The lower MAE values in the RGCM-run set indicate closer alignment between predicted and reference values, making the RGCM-run suitable for climate impact assessments in the region.

Water Resources↗
DOE OSTI2014

Polarized 3He Gas Circulating Technologies for Neutron Analyzers

We describe the development of an integrated system for quasi-continuous operation of a large volume neutron analyzer. The system consists of a non-magnetic diaphragm compressor, a prototype large volume helium polarizer, a surrogate neutron analyzer, a non-depolarizing gas storage reservoir, a non-ferrous valve manifold for handling gas distribution, a custom rubidium-vapor gas return purifier, and wire-wound transfer lines, all of which are immersed in a two-meter external magnetic field. Over the Phase II period we focused on three major tasks required for the successful deployment of these types of systems: 1) design and implementation of gas handling hardware, 2) automation for long-term operation, and 3) improvements in polarizer performance, specifically fabrication of aluminosilicate optical pumping cells. In this report we describe the design, implementation, and testing of the gas handling hardware. We describe improved polarizer performance resulting from improved cell materials and fabrication methods. These improvements yielded valved 8.5 liter cells with relaxation times greater than 12 hours. Pumping this cell with 1500W laser power with 1.25nm linewidth yielded peak polarizations of 60%, measured both inside and outside the polarizer. Fully narrowing this laser to 0.25nm, demonstrated separately on one stack of the four, would have allowed 70% polarization with this cell. We demonstrated the removal of 5 liters of polarized helium from the polarizer with no measured loss of polarization. We circulated the gas through a titanium-clad compressor with polarization loss below 3% per pass. We also prepared for the next phase of development by refining the design of the polarizer so that it can be engineer-certified for pressurized operation. The performance of our system far exceeds comparable efforts elsewhere.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2015

Abrupt Climate Change and the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation: sensitivity and non-linear response to Arctic/sub-Arctic freshwater pulses. Collaborative research. Final report

This project investigated possible mechanisms by which melt-water pulses can induce abrupt change in the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) magnitude. AMOC magnitude is an important ingredient in present day climate. Previous studies have hypothesized abrupt reduction in AMOC magnitude in response to influxes of glacial melt water into the North Atlantic. Notable fresh-water influxes are associated with the terminus of the last ice age. During this period large volumes of melt water accumulated behind retreating ice sheets and subsequently drained rapidly when the ice weakened sufficiently. Rapid draining of glacial lakes into the North Atlantic is a possible origin of a number of paleo-record abrupt climate shifts. These include the Younger-Dryas cooling event and the 8,200 year cooling event. The studies undertaken focused on whether the mechanistic sequence by which glacial melt-water impacts AMOC, which then impacts Northern Hemisphere global mean surface temperature, is dynamically plausible. The work has implications for better understanding past climate stability. The work also has relevance for today’s environment, in which high-latitude ice melting in Greenland appears to be driving fresh water outflows at an accelerating pace.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

High Resolution Model Development to Quantify the Impact of Icebergs on the Stability of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation

In the present-day North Atlantic Ocean, relatively warm and salty water moves northwards from the tropics to the high latitudes, sinks, and returns southward towards the equator as North Atlantic Deep Water, forming the so called Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). It has been found that the stability of the AMOC is non-linearly related to the freshwater budget of the North Atlantic. In this way, additional fresh water can be added to the ocean with little impact, until a tipping point is reached that causes the AMOC to suddenly weaken and the Northern Hemisphere to abruptly cool. A great deal of uncertainty still remains over the sensitivity of the AMOC to changes in freshwater discharge as a result of the unrealistic manner in which freshwater has historically been added to climate models. Frequently, freshwater is discharged in ocean models entirely as liquid water, but in reality a large fraction of freshwater entering the ocean is ice calving from marine glaciers (half for Antarctica and two-thirds for Greenland). To more accurately quantify AMOC sensitivity to past and future changes in freshwater input, this project developed a comprehensive iceberg model to more realistically simulate the interaction between the cryosphere and the oceans at high-latitudes. The iceberg model created is written in Fortran90 and designed to scale efficiently on High Performance Computing (HPC) clusters so that tens-of-thousands of icebergs can be simulated at any time. Experiments performed with our model showed that in the Pleistocene there would have been enormous floods of freshwater released into the North Atlantic that would have transported icebergs and meltwater along the entire east coast of the United States, as far south as Florida Keys. In addition, high-resolution, modern-day, model simulations showed that if the Greenland Ice Sheet continues to melt at its current rate then there will be a 6-fold increase in the number of icebergs drifting in the North Atlantic in the next 30 years, and that the strength of the AMOC could weaken by 3.5%.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2019

NEK5000 Assessment Milestone Report: Single-Phase Natural Circulation using Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) & Large Eddy Simulation (LES) Methods

This study evaluates the capabilities of the NEK5000 open-source code as an alternative to the commercially available software that is currently heavily relied upon. The first three case studies initiated the author with (1) the syntax and flow of the program, (2) varying initial and boundary conditions and (3) geometries of greater complexity & dimension. Case 1 studies transient conjugate heat transfer in the entry region of a pipe. Cases 2 & 3 simulate the natural convection flow in an enclosed differentially heated cavity (DHC) of two and three dimensions, respectively. The final case study, Case 4, produces three-dimensional single-phase natural convective flow using the Boussinesq approximation within a simplified representation of an aqueous homogeneous reactor system. The Boussinesq flow in Case 4 clearly depicts both Rayleigh-Taylor and Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities qualitatively during post-processing analysis. Further analysis of Case 4, up to the point of a quasi-steady state (i.e. thermal-equilibrium condition), is done using the LES solver method in NEK5000. The volume-averaged solution temperatures, when compared between solvers, showed no significant difference. Due to its minimal compromise in fidelity of solution resolution and inexpensive computing cost, compared to the DNS solver, the LES solver is recommended for the current application. Methodology development for the four case studies are reported and a preliminary optimization study with different polynomial resolutions for Case 4 is addressed as a resource when performing future simulations using NEK5000. Hence, this report can be used as a reference starting point to the end user of NEK5000 for natural circulation phenomena in nuclear reactor safety applications.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2019

An eddy-permitting ocean-sea ice general circulation model (E3SMv0-HiLAT03): Description and evaluation

We document modeling setups and present results for simulated ocean and sea ice climate from a recently developed, intermediate-resolution global ocean-sea ice model [Energy Exascale Earth System Model version 0 configured for High-Latitude Application and Testing at 0.3° resolution (E3SMv0-HiLAT03)]. The horizontal resolution of HiLAT03 ranges from 33 km in the tropics to 8.5 km at high latitudes, with 100 vertical levels. This resolution allows the explicit representation of some mesoscale eddies, particularly at lower latitudes, therefore being named as an “eddy-permitting model”. Analyses are presented based on the output of two 186-yr control simulations forced by modern atmospheric conditions of climatological and inter-annually varying data sets, respectively. Results are compared to available observational data sets and the 1° NCAR model, which has somewhat similar ocean physics but a coarser resolution and an earlier version of the sea ice component. Analyses focus on ocean temperature and salinity fields, ocean dynamics and circulations, sea ice concentrations and thicknesses. The HiLAT03 model does reasonably well in most oceanic aspects evaluated here, especially in ocean meridional heat transport, despite the fact that no explicit eddy parameterization is applied. Many Arctic sea ice features are much improved compared with the 1° NCAR model, but the Antarctic summer sea ice is still generally low in concentrations and thicknesses. In addition, we discuss the prolonged deep convection (“Antarctic prolonged polynya”) over the Southern Ocean in the inter-annually forced case.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Sensitivity Analysis of Particle-In-Cell Modeling Parameters in Settling Bed, Bubbling Fluidized Bed and Circulating Fluidized Bed

The objective of the work presented is to perform a preliminary sensitivity analysis of particle-in-cell (PIC) model parameters when applied to settling bed, bubbling fluidized bed, and circulating fluidized bed simulations. These examples correspond to widely different flow conditions commonly seen in chemical engineering applications. Simulations were performed using the PIC method in the open-source software Multiphase Flow with Interphase eXchanges (MFiX) developed by the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL). As part of the non-intrusive uncertainty quantification (UQ) analysis, simulation campaigns were generated using Nodeworks. Sampling locations or settings for PIC model parameters were determined using the Latin Hypercube method. Response surfaces were created using radial basis functions (RBF), and Sobol’ indices were estimated to quantify the influence of model parameters on the quantities of interest (QoI). This study marks a first step towards systematically determining optimal ranges for model parameters used in MFiX-PIC. Based on limited experience, it is expected that these values would depend strongly on flow conditions. Given the complexity of the multiphase flow systems under analysis, a non-intrusive UQ based approach is used to identify the most influential parameters in each case. This prior knowledge will help in proposing an effective design of experiments (DoE) and determine optimal parameters through techniques such as deterministic or Bayesian calibration, which will be pursued in the future.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2021

Full-Loop Simulation of the Combustion of Biomass in a Circulating Fluidized Bed Combustor

Interest in circulating fluidized bed (CFB) boilers as a power generation technology has skyrocketed in recent years because of several advantages this technology offers over conventional boilers, such as increased gas-solid mixing, which results in higher combustion efficiency, and the ability to use lower rank fuels. CFB combustors are operated at lower temperatures than conventional thermal power generation combustors, thus reducing NO x emissions, while SO 2 emissions can be conveniently controlled through the addition of Ca-based sulfur sorbents within the combustor. This report summarizes the development of a comprehensive computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model for biomass combustion in a 50 kW th CFB combustor employing the multiphase particle-in-cell (PIC) approach in the open-source Multiphase Flow with Interphase eXchanges (MFiX) Software Suite at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL). The experimental combustor was designed, built, and operated at CanmetENERGY, Natural Resources Canada in Ottawa, Canada. This work is the culmination of a multi-year collaboration between NETL and CanmetENERGY. The hydrodynamics in the full loop are validated against cold-flow experiments conducted at CanmetENERGY. To mimic the dense packing in the standpipe in the absence of a collisional model in the MFiX-PIC approach, the ram valve in the return leg is partially closed to obstruct the flow. A combustion reaction scheme was developed that considers the volatiles released by the fuel as a lumped species that fully converts to CO 2 and H 2 O. The so-called enhanced simplified combustion scheme produces an excellent match with experimental data in terms of the species concentrations of CO 2 and O 2 at the outlet and the freeboard, demonstrating the utility of the comprehensive model for a range of flow conditions and operating temperatures. Furthermore, the model can be readily adapted to simulate combustion of a variety of biomass fuels as well as co-fired systems under air and oxy-fuel conditions.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Coupled Neutronic and Thermal Hydraulic Analysis of a Natural Circulation Based Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Using VERA-CS

As part of the work supported by a US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear FY 2020 Voucher, Holtec International subsidiary SMR LLC (hereinafter referred to as Holtec) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory entered into a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) to develop coupled multiphysics core models of the Holtec developed small modular reactor (SMR), SMR-160. The scope of the 1 year project was to use the DOE–developed tool set, VERA, to analyze several aspects of a representative SMR-160 core design. The goals of the project were to perform the code-to-code benchmarking and to provide Holtec with a confirmatory calculations to compare against the results with the codes used in the SMR-160 design, identify and resolve areas of discrepancy between the two models to give Holtec a basis for selecting certain tool and model options, and develop a workflow so that the VERA model could be adapted easily to any future changes in the design of the SMR-160 core. The work proceeded in four phases: 1. Developing the initial VERA model based on Holtec-provided core design information; 2. Comparing VERA results with Holtec-provided calculations for the first five cycles; 3. Developing a VERA transient model based on the prior model; and 4. Training Holtec personnel on VERA and hand-off the developed models. This report summarizes at a high level the completed tasks. Details of the tasks and results are reserved for the full report, which will not be publicly released for 5 years per the terms of the CRADA. The report is titled “Coupled Neutronic and Thermal Hydraulic Analysis of a Natural Circulation Based Small Modular Reactor (SMR) using VERA-CS” and has the ORNL technical report number ORNL/TM 2021/2303 (NFE-20-08305)

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Oil‐Free, High-Temperature Heat Transfer Fluid Circulator

A high temperature Heat Transfer Fluid circulator compressor with wide turn down ratio aerodynamic performance was designed, fabricated and tested for application with high pressure super Critical CO2 fluid capable of temperatures and pressures to >750°C and 25 MPa respectively. The modular system decoupled the drive motor system from an independent compressor shaft to provide thermal isolation between the high temperature compressor shaft and the lower temperature capable motor elements. While the thermal management approach appears to be viable there are potential losses in the secondary cooling flows that need to be taken into account and fine-tuned during operation in order to achieve desired overall system efficiencies. The system was also shown to be viable and dynamically stable throughout the entire operating speed range, thereby validating the overall system configuration and structural design approach used. Finally, while it was not possible to achieve specific PTC-10 test points, the compressor performance tests provide sufficient data to indicate that the compressor has the ability to achieve the required performance in practice. The two key factors affecting compressor design and cost are the maximum expected temperature and pressure. The maximum allowable temperatures for current state-of-the-art (SOA) motor driven compressor technology is limited to of approximately 150-200°C, but inlet temperatures >750 °C may be encountered. While the optimal efficiency of compression is in the transcritical region, some concepts require inlet pressures to 225 bar.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗