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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 937 records · Page 52
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2019

Complete the Design of Benchtop Fiber-Optic Based Photo-Thermal Radiometry System

Thermal transport properties of nuclear fuels, i.e., thermal conductivity and diffusivity, are critical parameters in the thermal design of a nuclear reactor. It is well known that thermal transport properties change temporally and spatially due to dynamic microstructural evolution as a result of neutron irradiation. A real-time instrument to monitor the local thermal property change, which can survive the harsh in-pile environment, will give researchers unprecedented access to fuel behavior during irradiation. Laser-based photothermal techniques are an ideal candidate to accomplish this specific task, because of the remote, non-contact, and non-destructive features. In this report, we present the progress in the development of a bench-top photothermal radiometry (PTR) system to measure the thermal diffusivity of solid samples, and the preliminary design of a fiber-based PTR instrument to measure the real-time, in-pile thermal diffusivity of nuclear fuels. The PTR technique measures the local temperature response from a modulated heat source by detecting the sample radiation heat flux. Initially a well-developed thermal wave analytical model was fit to the data to obtain the thermal diffusivity. However, systematic errors from the diffraction effect and non-linearity issues resulted in thermal diffusivity measurements higher than literature values. These effects have been studied and an improved analytical model has been developed, and the physics behind the phenomena are still under investigation. A procedure for optimizing measurements from the bench-top system has been provided. The experiences from the bench top measurement were then used to guide the fiber-based system.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Standing Shock Regulates Sparks in Explosive Flows

Electric sparks and explosive flows have long been associated with each other. Flowing dust particles originate charge through contact electrification and separate based on inertia, resulting in strong electric fields supporting sparks. These sparks can cause explosions in dusty environments, especially those rich in carbon, such as coal mines and grain elevators. Recent observations of explosive events in nature and decompression experiments indicate that supersonic flows of explosions may alter the electrical discharge process. Shocks may suppress parts of the hierarchy of the discharge phenomena, such as leaders. In our decompression experiments, a shock tube ejects a flow of gas and particles into an expansion chamber. We imaged an illuminated plume from the decompression of a mixture of argon and < 100 mg of diamond particles. We also performed hydrodynamics simulations of the decompression event that provide insight into the conditions supporting the observed behavior. The sparks occur below the sharp boundary of a condensation cloud. These results agree closely with the Mach disk shock shape and height in the simulation. This represents direct evidence that the sparks are sculpted by the outflow. The spatial and temporal scale of the sparks transmit an impression of the shock tube flow, a connection that could enable novel instrumentation to diagnose currently inaccessible supersonic granular phenomena.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Transient convective delayed neutron precursor of {sup 235}U for the molten salt reactor experiment

This work investigates the delayed neutron precursors from the fission of {sup 235}U in molten salt reactors. The six delayed neutron groups predict the spatial distribution of the advective transport for radioactive mass transfer in the molten-salt reactor experiment (MSRE). The Mole code, using the framework of the Multiphysics Object-Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE), was used to compute the delayed neutron concentration of the whole system. This approach can be used for analysis of reactivity in circulating conditions. The effect of delayed neutron concentrations on the static or dynamic behavior of the system in MSRE was analyzed. Using this approach, the pattern and validation of delayed neutron for a range of parameters of interest are reported and discussed herein. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Reciprocity relations in a biologically inspired nanomagnonic system with dipolar coupling

In this study, magnetosome chains in magnetotactic bacteria present ideal nanomagnonic model systems for studying collective resonance modes of dipolar-coupled single domain particles in relation to their spatial arrangement. Using microresonator-based ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) spectroscopy, electron microscopy, and micromagnetic modeling, we here provide insights into the complex magnonic activity within a single magnetosome chain. While the angular dependence of its FMR spectrum is dominated by twofold symmetry features due to the uniaxial anisotropy of linear chain segments, we also observed an unexpected behavior such as interrupted lines and flat bands due to the intricate geometrical details of this particular chain, such as a cross-like structural anomaly where a pair of particles is oriented perpendicular to the main axis of the chain and thus breaks the prevailing axial dipolar coupling symmetry. Such a cross junction formed by four particles exhibits interesting magnonic network properties. Notably, we observe reciprocity in the sense that the spectral response of one particle to an excitation of another one is identical to the response of the latter given an excitation of the former. Furthermore, we have identified that magnonic coupling between A and B can be facilitated via a dark state, as in magnonic stimulated Raman adiabatic passage, and that this dark-state coupling can be made non-reciprocal between A and B by breaking the symmetry of the spatial arrangement of the four particles.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2020

Self‐Assembled NiO Nanocrystal Arrays as Memristive Elements

Abstract Memristive switching, a nonlinear current–voltage ( I – V ) characteristic, has seen a tremendous surge in interest as an approach to achieve implementation of synaptic functions. The memristive switching behavior of self‐assembled NiO nanocrystals is investigated via scanning probe microscopy, based on first‐order reversal curve current–voltage spectroscopy. Synaptic switching is clearly observed as a direct consequence of filament growth (i.e., gradually increased conductance) in the nanocrystals. A spatial dependency of the conduction in the nanocrystals suggests that there is a localization of the switching filament. The current understanding of this localization ignores features related to local lateral variation current, which can generate an excessive local heat and temperature such as electrical dissipation. The observation of low electrical dissipation at the edge of the nanocrystals shows that less energy is wasted as heat such that the bias applied can be utilized more efficiently to assist the nucleation of the filament and thus reduces the power consumption. Electrical power dissipation is also found to scale with nanocrystal height and has spatial dependence within the nanocrystals. The combination of synaptic switching and high density of the nanocrystals demonstrate that it is feasible to exploit them to create a basic architecture for neuromorphic memory devices.

Kurnia, Fran↗
DOE OSTI2026

Emerging hierarchical dislocation structures: Insights from scanning electron microscopy-electron backscatter diffraction in situ tensile testing and multifractal analysis

Understanding the evolution of dislocation structures during plastic deformation is critical for predicting the mechanical performance of metallic materials. In this work, we applied in situ scanning electron microscopy/electron backscatter diffraction tensile testing combined with multifractal (MF) analysis to assess deformation-induced dislocation structure evolution in solution-annealed 304 L stainless steel, both in its as-received and neutron-irradiated states (5.4 displacements per atom). The analysis of kernel average misorientation patterns revealed the formation of hierarchical dislocation arrangements that exhibit clear MF scaling behavior. Despite pronounced visual differences between nonirradiated and irradiated specimens—most notably, the appearance of dislocation channels after irradiation—the singularity spectra suggest that both conditions give rise to similar underlying hierarchical structures. MF analysis provides a quantitative measure of the spatial complexity and self-organization of dislocation patterns, highlighting the accelerated emergence and evolution of the dislocation structures in irradiated polycrystalline materials, as well as the limitation of their spatial extent. The findings indicate that irradiation not only modifies microstructure but also alters correlation-driven dislocation organization. More generally, they demonstrate that MF analysis is a powerful tool for probing mesoscale deformation mechanisms.

Dislocation structures↗
DOE OSTI2022

Simulation of dilatancy-controlled gas migration processes in saturated bentonite using a coupled multiphase flow and elastoplastic H 2 M model

Dilatancy-controlled gas flow in preferential pathways plays a key role in the safety analysis of radioactive waste repositories. This is particularly the case for bentonite, an often-preferred barrier material. Gas flow in preferential pathways is characterized by localization and spontaneous behavior, which is challenging to simulate in numerical models due to strong hydro-mechanical coupling. To analyze a laboratory experiment in the framework of the DECOVALEX-2023 project, this study introduced a new approach of combining continuous modelling methods with spatial material properties derived from material heterogeneities and experimental observations. The proposed model utilized hydro-mechanical spatial distributions, namely Young's modulus and gas entry pressure, and elastoplasticity combined with a linear swelling model. A conceptual strain-dependent permeability approach simulated dilatancy-controlled gas flow based on hydro-mechanical coupling. To test the effectiveness of the presented approach, a gas injection test in a compacted, saturated bentonite sample was simulated using the open-source code OpenGeoSys 5.8 and compared with experimental observations. The presented methodology is capable of simulating localized gas flow in preferential pathways. The spatial distributions of Young's modulus and gas entry pressure affect the swelling pressure, relative permeability and, in combination with the strain-dependent permeability model, also the intrinsic permeability.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2022

Lithium metal stripping mechanisms revealed through electrochemical liquid cell electron microscopy

An understanding of lithium stripping is as important as that of lithium plating to achieve significant advances in using lithium metal anodes for high-energy rechargeable batteries. However, there have been limited studies on lithium stripping compared to lithium plating. Here we report the lithium stripping mechanisms revealed through in-situ electrochemical liquid cell transmission electron microscopy (TEM). We directly observe and compare the stripping behavior of the in-situ grown lithium dendrites and lithium nanograins covered by a lithium fluoride-rich solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI). Furthermore, we find the sporadic lithium stripping behavior and three important modes that can describe the stripping of individual lithium deposits, regardless of their morphology: (i) symmetric stripping, (ii) surface-preferred asymmetric stripping, and (iii) interface-preferred asymmetric stripping. In addition, SEI chemical mapping with high spatial resolution shows a remarkable SEI loss at the end of the lithium metal stripping, which illustrates the importance of SEI protection in the subsequent cycles.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Deterministic Localization of Strain-Induced Single-Photon Emitters in Multilayer GaSe

The nanoscale strain has emerged as a powerful tool for controlling single-photon emitters (SPEs) in atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs). However, quantum emitters in monolayer TMDCs are typically unstable in ambient conditions. Multilayer TMDCs could be a solution, but they suffer from low quantum efficiency, resulting in low brightness of the SPEs. Here, we report the deterministic spatial localization of strain-induced SPEs in multilayer GaSe by nanopillar arrays. The strain-controlled quantum confinement effect introduces well-isolated sub-bandgap photoluminescence and corresponding suppression of the broad band edge photoluminescence. Clear photon-antibunching behavior is observed from the quantum dot-like GaSe sub-bandgap exciton emission at 3.5 K. The strain-dependent confinement potential and the brightness are found to be strongly correlated, suggesting a promising route for tuning and controlling SPEs. The comprehensive investigations of strain-engineered GaSe SPEs provide a solid foundation for the development of 2D devices for quantum photonic technologies.

2D materials↗
DOE OSTI2021

Near-constant retreat rate of a terrestrial margin of the Laurentide Ice Sheet during the last deglaciation

The Laurentide Ice Sheet (LIS) was the largest ice sheet during the last glacial period. An accurate representation of its behavior during the last deglaciation is critical to understanding its influence on and response to a changing climate. Here we use 10 Be dating and Bayesian modeling to track the recession of the southwest sector of the Labrador Dome of the LIS along an ~500-km-long transect west of Lake Superior during the last deglaciation. This transect reflects terrestrial ice-margin retreat and crosses multiple moraine sets, with the southwestern part of the transect deglaciated by ca. 19 ka and the northeastern part deglaciated by ca. 10 ka. The predominant behavior of the ice margin during this interval is near-constant retreat with retreat rates varying between ~59 m/a and 38 m/a. The moraine sets mark standstills and/or readvances that in total constitute only ~17% of the retreat interval. The spatial and temporal pattern of ice-margin retreat tracked here differs from existing reconstructions that are based on using isochrons to define ice-margin positions. Acknowledging the uncertainties associated with the modeled ages of ice-margin retreat, we suggest that the overall retreat pattern is consistent with forcing by a gradual increase in Northern Hemisphere, high-latitude summer insolation. The pattern of ice-margin retreat is inconsistent with Greenland ice-core temperature records, and thus these records may not be suitable to drive models of the LIS.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

H 2 O absorption spectroscopy via focused laser differential interferometry

A modification of focused laser differential interferometry (FLDI) is demonstrated with an infrared tunable diode laser (TDL) to achieve simultaneous absorption spectroscopy (AS) measurements. Measurements from this absorbing-FLDI (A-FLDI) are shown for a Hencken burner plume. Initial comparison measurements are recorded using TDLAS and an electrical hygrometer. Raw voltage and estimated absorbance measurements illustrate that the technique detects five distinct absorbance peaks of the methane–air flame while retaining the expected behavior of typical FLDI. This modification furthers efforts to enable FLDI to conduct analysis of the pressures, temperatures, and molecular densities of flows. It also explores the potential for reducing path-integration (PI) effects in absorption spectroscopy and potentially enabling spatially and temporally resolved local flow measurements. Reductions in PI length as high as 82%–84% are observed.

Holladay, Seth (ORCID:0009000650875421)↗
DOE OSTI2020

Characterization of Self-Magnetic Pinch (SMP) Radiographic Diode Performance on RITS-6 at Sandia National Laboratories

The goals of an electron beam-driven radiographic source are the focusing of high current at high voltage to a minimal spot size with excellent shot-to-shot reproducibility. The Self-Magnetic Pinch (SMP) diode makes use of such an intense electron beam impinging on a high-atomic weight (tantalum) converter, a counter-streaming ion beam to help minimize the spot size, and operation in a magnetic field-free diode region which further encourages small spot size. Through a series of diode development experiments, output voltages up to 12.5 MV and output currents up to 225 kA have been characterized, with resulting spot sizes below ~ few mm. Scaling studies with parameter variation, such as diode aspect ratio and anode-cathode (A-K) gap variation, give systematic validation to what has heretofore been noted anecdotally by other research groups. While the lack of an imbedded magnetic field helps minimize the SMP spot size, a secondary result may be the generation of beam instabilities which can terminate the radiation pulse. There is anecdotal evidence that in-situ DC heating of the diode region can help stabilize the beam pinch. Clear experimental evidence exists that DC heating/RF cleaning results in better control over the counter-streaming ion population. Expanded use of spatial dose-rate detection is shown to yield new insights into electron beam dynamics in the SMP diode. An attendant study of the SMP diode as a load for an Inductive Voltage Adder (IVA) driver leads to insights into the behavior of the IVA-SMP diode configuration, viewed as a total system, and yields constraints on the overall impedance behavior of the SMP diode load.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS1993

Effects of spatial variability and scale on areal -average evapotranspiration

This paper explores the effect of spatial variability and scale on areally-averaged evapotranspiration. A spatially-distributed water and energy balance model is employed to determine the effect of explicit patterns of model parameters and atmospheric forcing on modeled areally-averaged evapotranspiration over a range of increasing spatial scales. The analysis is performed from the local scale to the catchment scale. The study area is King's Creek catchment, an 11.7 sq km watershed located on the native tallgrass prairie of Kansas. The dominant controls on the scaling behavior of catchment-average evapotranspiration are investigated by simulation, as is the existence of a threshold scale for evapotranspiration modeling, with implications for explicit versus statistical representation of important process controls. It appears that some of our findings are fairly general, and will therefore provide a framework for understanding the scaling behavior of areally-averaged evapotranspiration at the catchment and larger scales.

Famiglietti, J. S.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Venus magmatic and tectonic evolution

Two years beyond the initial mapping by the Magellan spacecraft, hypotheses for the magmatic and tectonic evolution of Venus have become refined and focused. We present our view of these processes, attempting to synthesize aspects of a model for the tectonic and magmatic behavior of the planet. The ideas presented should be taken collectively as an hypothesis subject to further testing. The quintessence of our model is that shear and buoyancy forces in the upper boundary layer of mantle convection give rise to a spatially and temporally complex pattern of strain in a one-plate Venusian lithosphere and modulate the timing and occurrence of magmatism on a global basis.

Phillips, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS2010

The ICESat-2 Laser Altimetry Mission

Satellite and aircraft observations have revealed that remarkable changes in the Earth s polar ice cover have occurred in the last decade. The impacts of these changes, which include dramatic ice loss from ice sheets and rapid declines in Arctic sea ice, could be quite large in terms of sea level rise and global climate. NASA's Ice, Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2), currently planned for launch in 2015, is specifically intended to quantify the amount of change in ice sheets and sea ice and provide key insights into their behavior. It will achieve these objectives through the use of precise laser measurements of surface elevation, building on the groundbreaking capabilities of its predecessor, the Ice Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite (ICESat). In particular, ICESat-2 will measure the temporal and spatial character of ice sheet elevation change to enable assessment of ice sheet mass balance and examination of the underlying mechanisms that control it. The precision of ICESat-2's elevation measurement will also allow for accurate measurements of sea ice freeboard height, from which sea ice thickness and its temporal changes can be estimated. ICESat-2 will provide important information on other components of the Earth System as well, most notably large-scale vegetation biomass estimates through the measurement of vegetation canopy height. When combined with the original ICESat observations, ICESat-2 will provide ice change measurements across more than a 15-year time span. Its significantly improved laser system will also provide observations with much greater spatial resolution, temporal resolution, and accuracy than has ever been possible before.

Abdalati, Waleed↗
NASA NTRS2014

Wake Vortex Detection: Phased Microphone vs. Linear Infrasonic Array

Sensor technologies can make a significant impact on the detection of aircraft-generated vortices in an air space of interest, typically in the approach or departure corridor. Current state-of-the art sensor technologies do not provide three-dimensional measurements needed for an operational system or even for wake vortex modeling to advance the understanding of vortex behavior. Most wake vortex sensor systems used today have been developed only for research applications and lack the reliability needed for continuous operation. The main challenges for the development of an operational sensor system are reliability, all-weather operation, and spatial coverage. Such a sensor has been sought for a period of last forty years. Acoustic sensors were first proposed and tested by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) early in 1970s for tracking wake vortices but these acoustic sensors suffered from high levels of ambient noise. Over a period of the last fifteen years, there has been renewed interest in studying noise generated by aircraft wake vortices, both numerically and experimentally. The German Aerospace Center (DLR) was the first to propose the application of a phased microphone array for the investigation of the noise sources of wake vortices. The concept was first demonstrated at Berlins Airport Schoenefeld in 2000. A second test was conducted in Tarbes, France, in 2002, where phased microphone arrays were applied to study the wake vortex noise of an Airbus 340. Similarly, microphone phased arrays and other opto-acoustic microphones were evaluated in a field test at the Denver International Airport in 2003. For the Tarbes and Denver tests, the wake trajectories of phased microphone arrays and lidar were compared as these were installed side by side. Due to a built-in pressure equalization vent these microphones were not suitable for capturing acoustic noise below 20 Hz. Our group at NASA Langley Research Center developed and installed an infrasonic array at the Newport News-Williamsburg International Airport early in the year 2013. A pattern of pressure burst, high-coherence intervals, and diminishing-coherence intervals was observed for all takeoff and landing events without exception. The results of a phased microphone vs. linear infrasonic array comparison will be presented.

Shams, Qamar A.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Synthetically non-Hermitian nonlinear wave-like behavior in a topological mechanical metamaterial

Topological mechanical metamaterials have enabled new ways to control stress and deformation propagation. Exemplified by Maxwell lattices, they have been studied extensively using a linearized formalism. Herein, we study a two-dimensional topological Maxwell lattice by exploring its large deformation quasi-static response using geometric numerical simulations and experiments. We observe spatial nonlinear wave-like phenomena such as harmonic generation, localized domain switching, amplification-enhanced frequency conversion, and solitary waves. We further map our linearized, homogenized system to a non-Hermitian, nonreciprocal, one-dimensional wave equation, revealing an equivalence between the deformation fields of two-dimensional topological Maxwell lattices and nonlinear dynamical phenomena in one-dimensional active systems. Our study opens a regime for topological mechanical metamaterials and expands their application potential in areas including adaptive and smart materials and mechanical logic, wherein concepts from nonlinear dynamics may be used to create intricate, tailored spatial deformation and stress fields greatly transcending conventional elasticity.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

High-speed synchrotron X-ray phase-contrast imaging for evaluating microscale damage mechanisms and tracking cracking behaviors inside cross-ply GFRCs

In this study, we integrated the high-speed synchrotron X-ray phase-contrast imaging (PCI) with a modified Kolsky compression bar loading platform to visualize the dynamic failure processes of cross-ply glass fiber reinforced composites (GFRCs). Four S-2 glass/SC-15 composite specimens were prepared, having similar thicknesses but different stacking sequences, namely as [0 12 /90 12 ], [90 12 /0 12 ], [0 8 /90 8 /0 8 ], and [90 8 /0 8 /90 8 ]. Three-dimensional synchrotron X-ray computed tomography and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were employed to examine the microstructures and quantify the fiber volume fractions. Each specimen was notched and subjected to a dynamic three-point flexural loading. The onset of cracking close to the notch tip, crack propagation in 0° or 90° plies and their interface, crack opening, and ultimately failure of the specimen were captured by high-speed synchrotron X-ray PCI. Additional dynamic experiments were performed to determine the average time when the stress wave propagated through the specimen and correlate the X-ray images with the specimen&#x27;s force-deflection response. Finally, the surface morphology of each specimen after the dynamic loading was imaged by SEM. Comparison between real-time X-ray images and post-fracture SEM images demonstrated the capability of the X-ray method to record damage evolution inside composites. Furthermore, the high spatial and temporal resolutions of the X-ray setup and edge enhancement by PCI enabled the identification of microscale damage features within 1 μs. Two damaging processes were identified, crack growth was quantified, and fracture toughness of the composites was evaluated. The method is deemed useful to reveal microscale damage mechanisms and track cracking behaviors inside cross-ply GFRCs under dynamic loading in real time.

42 ENGINEERING↗