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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 91 records · Page 5

Methods and systems for electromagnetic near-field coherent sensing

The present disclosure may be embodied as methods and/or systems for non-contact measuring of an on-body and/or inside-body motion of an individual. A sensing signal is provided within a near-field coupling range of a motion to be measured. In this way, a measurement signal may be generated as the sensing signal modulated by the motion. The sensing signal may be an ID-modulated signal. In some embodiments, the sensing signal is a backscattered RFID link provided a wireless tag. A downlink signal may be provided to power the wireless tag. The sensing signal may be a harmonic of the downlink signal. The measurement signal is detected. The motion is measured based on the measurement signal. The measurement signal may be detected as far-field radiation after transmission through a source of the motion. The measurement signal may be detected as reflected from a source of the motion as antenna reflection.

Hui, Xiaonan↗

Ultrasonic sensors and methods of using the ultrasonic sensors

An ultrasonic sensor comprises a transducer in operable communication with a power source, a waveguide comprising a metal and at least one of a fissile material or a fertile material in operable communication with the transducer and configured to propagate and reflect acoustic waves generated by the transducer, the transducer configured to convert reflected acoustic waves to an electric signal, a thermally insulative material proximate the waveguide, and a control system in operable communication with the transducer, the control system configured to determine at least a temperature of the waveguide based on the reflected acoustic waves. Related methods are also disclosed.

Woolstenhulme, Nicolas E.↗

DETAIL Component Scaling and Methodology Comparison

The purpose of this study was to develop a process to convert input signals from one facility into another by reflecting geometric and environmental settings. The Dynamic Energy Transport and Integration Laboratory (DETAIL) is a research facility in development. Its aim is to emulate the daily interactions among power production industry systems and receive real-time data from those systems as inputs. To convert signals and ensure that the temporal sequences and magnitudes reflect laboratory settings, the ability to scale and project data is essential. To demonstrate this ability, Dynamical System Scaling (DSS) and Hierarchical Two-Tiered Scaling (H2TS) (methodologies that enable systems to scale and project or extrapolate data sets to desired environments while conserving the observed behavior based on first principles) were applied to DETAIL’s thermocline thermal storage system in the Thermal Energy Distribution System (TEDS) facility and solid-oxide electrolysis cell in the High Temperature Hydrogen Electrolysis (HTHE) facility. Both thermocline and electrolysis cell systems were successfully scaled, and test cases were conducted to generate a doubly accelerated energy charge and discharge in reference to past experimental data from the facilities. The research results represented a case for the thermocline system that required signals to be accelerated without altering the stored energy. To enhance the quality of the accelerated data, error propagation analyses were conducted on DSS post-processing terms to determine the consequences of raw-data-associated errors.

08 HYDROGEN↗

Dynamical System Scaling of a Thermocline Thermal Storage System in the Thermal Energy Distribution System (TEDS) Facility

The purpose of this study was to develop a process to convert input signals from one facility into another by reflecting geometric and environmental settings. The Dynamic Energy Transport and Integration Laboratory (DETAIL) is one facility in development that aims to emulate the daily interactions among power production industry systems and be capable of receiving real-time data from those systems as inputs. To convert signals and ensure that the temporal sequences and magnitudes reflect the laboratory settings, the ability to scale and project data is essential. To demonstrate this ability, Dynamical System Scaling (a methodology that enables systems to scale and project or extrapolate datasets to desired environments while conserving the observed transient behavior based on first principles) was applied to DETAIL’s thermocline thermal storage system in the Thermal Energy Distribution System. The thermocline system was successfully scaled and a test case was conducted to generate a doubly accelerated energy charge and discharge in reference to past experimental data from the facility. The accelerated data were determined as able to conserve the amount of energy stored and the associated test boundary conditions were charge line maximum temperature, charge line velocity, and thermocline maximum temperature at 354 °C, 0.458 m/s, and 418 °C, respectively. The research results represented a case that required signals to be accelerated without altering the stored energy.

Yoshiura, Ramon (ORCID:0000000319781313)↗

Circuit-level design principles for transmission-mode microwave impedance microscopy

A recently developed technique of transmission-mode microwave impedance microscopy (T-MIM) has greatly extended the capabilities of standard reflection-mode MIM to novel applications, such as the in operando study of nanoscale electro-acoustic devices. As is common for new techniques, systematic design principles for boosting sensitivity and balancing bandwidth are lacking. Here, we show numerically and analytically that the T-MIM signal is proportional to the reflection-mode voltage enhancement factor η of the circuit, as long as the output impedance of the local voltage source is properly treated. We show that this proportionality holds in the currently achievable “weak sampling” regime and beyond, for which we demonstrate a realistic path with commercially available superconducting components and critically coupled impedance matching networks. Furthermore, we demonstrate that for these next-generation designs, the sensitivity is generally maximized at a slightly different frequency from the unloaded S 11 resonance, which can be explained by the maximum power transfer theorem.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Universal signal scaling in microwave impedance microscopy

Microwave impedance microscopy (MIM) is an emerging scanning probe technique that measures the local complex dielectric function using near-field microwave. Although it has made significant impacts in diverse fields, a systematic, quantitative understanding of the signal's dependence on various important design parameters is lacking. Here, we show that for a wide range of MIM implementations, given a complex tip-sample admittance change ΔΥ, the MIM signal—the amplified change in the reflected microwave amplitude—is –G · ΔΥ/2Υ 0 · η 2 · V in , where η is the ratio of the microwave voltage at the probe to the incident microwave amplitude, Y o is the system admittance, and G is the total voltage gain. For linear circuits, η is determined by the circuit design and does not depend on V in . We show that the maximum achievable signal for different designs scales with η 2 or η when limited by input power or sample perturbation, respectively. Furthermore, this universal scaling provides guidance on diverse design goals, including maximizing narrow-band signal for imaging and balancing bandwidth and signal strength for spectroscopy.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Development of a narrow stopband filter for spectroscopic fast ion deuterium-alpha measurements

A new technique to attenuate the unshifted deuterium Balmer-alpha (D-alpha) emission is developed and tested for the fast ion D-alpha (FIDA) diagnostic. The unshifted D-alpha emission, at λ = 656.1 nm, is around three orders of magnitude higher than the desired FIDA emission. Blocking the strong emission feature is essential to prevent blooming and light smearing on the CCD chip and scattered light contamination. The new method is a notch filter approach that utilizes the reflection from ultra-narrow bandpass filters to block the saturating signal before it enters the spectrometer. Collimated light from the fibers is reflected off the filter at a 15° angle of incidence. Measurements show that a center wavelength transmission of 0.006 and a blocking full width at half maximum of ~ 1 nm are achieved by using a 200 μm fiber and a 20 mm focal length collimator with two filters.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Analytical estimation of the signal to noise ratio efficiency in axion dark matter searches using a Savitzky-Golay filter

The signal to noise ratio efficiency ϵ SNR in axion dark matter searches has been estimated using large-statistic simulation data reflecting the background information and the expected axion signal power obtained from a real experiment. This usually requires a lot of computing time even with the assistance of powerful computing resources. Employing a Savitzky-Golay filter for background subtraction, in this work, we estimated a fully analytical ϵ SNR without relying on large-statistic simulation data, but only with an arbitrary axion mass and the relevant signal shape information. Hence, our work can provide ϵ SNR using minimal computing time and resources prior to the acquisition of experimental data, without the detailed information that has to be obtained from real experiments. Axion haloscope searches have been observing the coincidence that the frequency independent scale factor ξ is approximately consistent with the ϵ SNR . This was confirmed analytically in this work, when the window length of the Savitzky-Golay filter is reasonably wide enough, i.e., at least 5 times the signal window.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

System and method for temporal dispersion compensator

The present disclosure relates to a system for modifying temporal dispersion in an optical signal. The system makes use of a segmented array including a plurality of independently controllable, reflective optical elements. The optical elements are configured to segment a received input optical signal into a plurality of beamlets, and to reflect and steer selected ones of the plurality of beamlets in predetermined angular orientations therefrom. A variable optical dispersion subsystem is used which has a plurality of optical components configured to receive and impart different predetermined time delays to different ones of the received beamlets, and to output the plurality of beamlets therefrom.

Panas, Robert Matthew↗

Demonstration of an x-ray Raman spectroscopy setup to study warm dense carbon at the high energy density instrument of European XFEL

We present a proof-of-principle study demonstrating x-ray Raman Spectroscopy (XRS) from carbon samples at ambient conditions in conjunction with other common diagnostics to study warm dense matter, performed at the high energy density scientific instrument of the European x-ray Free Electron Laser (European XFEL). We obtain sufficient spectral resolution to identify the local structure and chemical bonding of diamond and graphite samples, using highly annealed pyrolytic graphite spectrometers. Due to the high crystal reflectivity and XFEL brightness, we obtain signal strengths that will enable accurate XRS measurements in upcoming pump–probe experiments with a high repetition-rate, where the samples will be pumped with high-power lasers. Molecular dynamics simulations based on density functional theory together with XRS simulations demonstrate the potential of this technique and show predictions for high-energy-density conditions. Our setup allows simultaneous implementation of several different diagnostic methods to reduce ambiguities in the analysis of the experimental results, which, for warm dense matter, often relies on simplifying model assumptions. The promising capabilities demonstrated here provide unprecedented insights into chemical and structural dynamics in warm dense matter states of light elements, including conditions similar to the interiors of planets, low-mass stars, and other celestial bodies.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Interpreting strain tensor data to characterize and monitor reservoirs for CO2 storage and other applications

Recent advances in instrumentation have made it feasible to measure the transient strain tensor caused by small changes in fluid volume or pressure in the subsurface and this has opened the door to new opportunities for characterization and monitoring. We have deployed strainmeters and then conducted injection well tests in an underlying reservoir at 530m depth. The resulting data indicated that the horizontal strain at shallow strainmeters (30 to 40m depth) was tensile and the vertical strain was compressive. The radial strain was less than the horizontal strain, and the strain rates decreased from 100 nanostrain/day to roughly 10 n/d over a few days. The signal at two strainmeters at shallow depth were consistent, although the magnitude of the horizontal strains were different reflecting the different radial directions from the well. The signal at a deep strainmeter deployed at reservoir depth was much different, with tensile vertical strains and compressive horizontal strains. These data can be interpreted by inverting poroelastic forward models developed using numerical and analytical methods. The average horizontal strain in the caprock resembles the transient pressure in the underlying reservoir and classic type-curve methods from transient well testing can be used for preliminary interpretations of strain data. We have developed closed-form analytical solutions to a pressurized poroelastic inclusion and inhomogeneity in a half-space. This model is fast and can be inverted to estimate reservoir stiffness and geometry. Numerical models developed using finite element methods allow more details of the subsurface to be included in the inversion, but they require much longer run times and this makes inversion cumbersome using standard methods. We have developed an inversion approach that uses a proxy model created using machine learning to do most of the forward calculations. The proxy model is periodically updated and refined using the finite element model to ensure accuracy. This approach significantly reduces the computational requirements and makes it feasible to use Bayesian inversion with large numerical models. We have shown that the strain tensor in the caprock is sensitive to pressure in the reservoir, boundaries in the reservoir, and pressure in the caprock caused by leaks. These results indicate that coupling strain tensor data with inversion has the potential to help evaluate reservoirs during initial characterization, and to monitor them during the CO2 injection and storage process.

Murdoch, Larry↗

CSAPR2 cell-tracking data collected during TRACER

One of the challenges of analyzing convective cell properties is quick evolution of the individual convective cells. While the operational radar data provide great a data set to analyze the evolution of radar observables of convective precipitation clouds statistically, previous studies also suggested that, because of the quick evolution of cell life cycle, conventional radar volume scan strategies taking ~5-7 minutes might not capture the detailed evolution. The TRACER campaign deployed CSAPR2, which performed frequent update of RHI and sector PPI scans to track convective cells every < 2 minutes guided by a new cell-tracking framework, Multisensor Agile Adaptive Sampling (MAAS; Kollias et al. 2020). This allows for capturing fast-evolving radar observables. The submitted data files are CSAPR2 data in CfRadial format collected during the TRACER field campaign from June to September 2020. The data files include processed radar variables including: noise-masked reflectivity and differential reflectivity corrected for rain attenuation and systematic biases, noise-masked dealiased radial velocity, specific differential phase, locations of target cells (latitude, longitude, radar range), and radar-echo classification.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Method of evaluating pH using a metallic nanoparticle incorporated nanocomposite-based optical pH sensor

A method for evaluating the pH of an aqueous solution by utilizing the optical properties of a pH sensing material comprised of plurality of optically active nanoparticles dispersed in matrix material. The optically active nanoparticles have an electronic conductivity greater than about 10−1 S/cm and generally have an average nanoparticle diameter of less that about 500 nanometers, and the matrix material is a material which experiences a change in surface charge density over a pH range from 2.0 to 12.0 of at least 1%. The method comprises contacting the pH sensing material and the aqueous solution, illuminating the pH sensing material, and monitoring an optical signal generated through comparison of incident light and exiting light to determine the optical transmission, absorption, reflection, and/or scattering of the pH sensitive material. The optical signal of the pH sensitive material varies in response to the pH of the aqueous solution.

Ohodnicki, Jr., Paul R.↗

Differential transcriptomic alterations in nasal versus lung tissue of acrolein-exposed rats

Introduction: Acrolein is a significant component of anthropogenic and wildfire emissions, as well as cigarette smoke. Although acrolein primarily deposits in the upper respiratory tract upon inhalation, patterns of site-specific injury in nasal versus pulmonary tissues are not well characterized. This assessment is critical in the design of in vitro and in vivo studies performed for assessing health risk of irritant air pollutants. Methods: In this study, male and female Wistar-Kyoto rats were exposed nose-only to air or acrolein. Rats in the acrolein exposure group were exposed to incremental concentrations of acrolein (0, 0.1, 0.316, 1 ppm) for the first 30 min, followed by a 3.5 h exposure at 3.16 ppm. In the first cohort of male and female rats, nasal and bronchoalveolar lavage fluids were analyzed for markers of inflammation, and in a second cohort of males, nasal airway and left lung tissues were used for mRNA sequencing. Results: Protein leakage in nasal airways of acrolein-exposed rats was similar in both sexes; however, inflammatory cells and cytokine increases were more pronounced in males when compared to females. No consistent changes were noted in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of males or females except for increases in total cells and IL-6. Acrolein-exposed male rats had 452 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in nasal tissue versus only 95 in the lung. Pathway analysis of DEGs in the nose indicated acute phase response signaling, Nrf2-mediated oxidative stress, unfolded protein response, and other inflammatory pathways, whereas in the lung, xenobiotic metabolism pathways were changed. Genes associated with glucocorticoid and GPCR signaling were also changed in the nose but not in the lung. Discussion: These data provide insights into inhaled acrolein-mediated sex-specific injury/inflammation in the nasal and pulmonary airways. The transcriptional response in the nose reflects acrolein-induced acute oxidative and cytokine signaling changes, which might have implications for upper airway inflammatory disease susceptibility.

Alewel, Devin I.↗

Water reflection analysis of encapsulated photovoltaic modules

A method for moisture testing of a fully assembled photovoltaic (PV) module. An assembled PV module is probed with short wave IR probe energy in the range of 1700-2000 nm. Energy reflected from the assembled PV module is collected and directed to a sensor. Noise is removed from a signal of the sensor with reference to the probe energy. Absorption is of the probe energy is determined. The absorption is correlated to moisture in the PV module. A preferred system that carries out the method provides a signal-to-noise ratio (as defined by standard deviation/mean of measured reflectance) of at least 3800.

Fenning, David↗

Modeling the Transmission of Optical Lightning Signals Through Complex 3‐D Cloud Scenes

Abstract Space‐based lightning imagers have shown that complex cloud scenes consisting of multiple tall convective features, anvil clouds, and warm boundary cloud layers are illuminated by lightning in many different ways depending on where the lightning occurs and how energetic it is. Modifications to the optical lightning signals from radiative transfer in the cloud medium can lead to reductions in detection efficiency and location accuracy for these instruments and can also cause some of the optical signals that are detected to have unexpected spatial energy distributions. In this study, we perform Monte Carlo radiative transfer simulations of optical lightning emissions in clouds with complex 3‐D geometries to shed some light on the origins of certain irregular radiance patterns that have been recorded from orbit. We show that diffuse reflections off nearby cloud faces can explain lightning signals in nonelectrified clouds, tall clouds can result in poor optical transmission and suppressed radiances that could lead to missed events and that particularly favorable viewing conditions can cause otherwise normal lightning to produce a superbolt that is orders of magnitude brighter than the same flash seen from a different angle.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Self‐Standing Chiral Covalent Organic Framework Thin Films with Full‐Color Tunable Guest‐Induced Circularly Polarized Luminescence

Abstract Exploring self‐standing chiral covalent organic framework (COF) thin films with controllable circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) is of paramount significance but remains a challenging task. Herein, we demonstrate the first example of self‐standing chiral COF films employing a polymerization‐dispersion‐filtration strategy. Pristine, low‐quality chiral COF films were produced by interfacial polymerization and then re‐dispersed into COF colloidal solutions. Via vacuum assisted assembly, these COF colloids were densely stacked and assembled into self‐standing, pure chiral COF films ( L‐ / D‐ CCOF‐F) that were transparent, smooth, crack‐free and highly crystalline. These films were tunable in thicknesses, areas, and roughness, along with strong diffuse reflectance circular dichroism (DRCD) and cyan CPL signals, showing an intrinsic luminescence asymmetric factor ( g lum ) of ~4.3×10 −3 . Furthermore, these COF films served as host adsorbents to load various achiral organic dye guests through adsorption. The effective chiral transfer and energy transfer between CCOF‐F and achiral fluorescent dyes endowed the dyes with strong chirality and tunable DRCD, resulting in intense, full‐color‐tunable solid‐state CPL. Notably, the ordered arrangement of dye guest molecules within the preferentially oriented chiral pores of CCOF‐F contributed to an amplified | g lum | factor of up to 7.2×10 −2 , which is state‐of‐the‐art for COF‐based CPL materials. This work provides new insights into the design and fabrication of self‐standing chiral COF films, demonstrating their great potential for chiroptical applications.

Tang, Xihao↗