Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Yield function”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 937 records · Page 52
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1999

Sonic Boom Prediction and Minimization of the Douglas Reference OPT5 Configuration

Conventional CFD methods and grids do not yield adequate resolution of the complex shock flow pattern generated by a real aircraft geometry. As a result, a unique grid topology and supersonic flow solver was developed at Northrop Grumman based on the characteristic behavior of supersonic wave patterns emanating from the aircraft. Using this approach, it was possible to compute flow fields with adequate resolution several body lengths below the aircraft. In this region, three-dimensional effects are diminished and conventional two-dimensional modified linear theory (MLT) can be applied to estimate ground pressure signatures or sonic booms. To accommodate real aircraft geometries and alleviate the burdensome grid generation task, an implicit marching multi-block, multi-grid finite-volume Euler code was developed as the basis for the sonic boom prediction methodology. The Thomas two-dimensional extrapolation method is built into the Euler code so that ground signatures can be obtained quickly and efficiently with minimum computational effort suitable to the aircraft design environment. The loudness levels of these signatures can then be determined using a NASA generated noise code. Since the Euler code is a three-dimensional flow field solver, the complete circumferential region below the aircraft is computed. The extrapolation of all this field data from a cylinder of constant radius leads to the definition of the entire boom corridor occurring directly below and off to the side of the aircraft's flight path yielding an estimate for the entire noise "annoyance" corridor in miles as well as its magnitude. An automated multidisciplinary sonic boom design optimization software system was developed during the latter part of HSR Phase 1. Using this system, it was found that sonic boom signatures could be reduced through optimization of a variety of geometric aircraft parameters. This system uses a gradient based nonlinear optimizer as the driver in conjunction with a computationally efficient Euler CFD solver (NIIM3DSB) for computing the three-dimensional near-field characteristics of the aircraft. The intent of the design system is to identify and optimize geometric design variables that have a beneficial impact on the ground sonic boom. The system uses a simple wave drag data format to specify the aircraft geometry. The geometry is internally enhanced and analytic methods are used to generate marching grids suitable for the multi-block Euler solver. The Thomas extrapolation method is integrated into this system, and hence, the aircraft's centerline ground sonic boom signature is also automatically computed for a specified cruise altitude and yields the parameters necessary to evaluate the design function. The entire design system has been automated since the gradient based optimization software requires many flow analyses in order to obtain the required sensitivity derivatives for each design variable in order to converge on an optimal solution. Hence, once the problem is defined which includes defining the objective function and geometric and aerodynamic constraints, the system will automatically regenerate the perturbed geometry, the necessary grids, the Euler solution, and finally the ground sonic boom signature at the request of the optimizer.

Siclari, Michael J.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Mechanical Properties of LaRC(tm) SI Polymer for a Range of Molecular Weights

Mechanical testing of an advanced polyimide resin (LaRC(tm)-SI) with known variations in molecular weight was performed over a range of temperatures below the glass transition temperature. Elastic and inelastic properties were characterized as a function of molecular weight and test temperature. It was shown that notched tensile strength is a strong function of both temperature and molecular weight, whereas stiffness is only a strong function of temperature. The combined analysis of calculated yield stress and notched tensile strength indicated that low molecular weight materials tended to fail in a brittle manner, whereas high molecular weight materials exhibited ductile failure. The microphotographs of the failure surfaces also supported these findings.

Whitley, Karen S.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Spatial distribution and yield of DNA double-strand breaks induced by 3-7 MeV helium ions in human fibroblasts

Accelerated helium ions with mean energies at the target location of 3-7 MeV were used to simulate alpha-particle radiation from radon daughters. The experimental setup and calibration procedure allowed determination of the helium-ion energy distribution and dose in the nuclei of irradiated cells. Using this system, the induction of DNA double-strand breaks and their spatial distributions along DNA were studied in irradiated human fibroblasts. It was found that the apparent number of double-strand breaks as measured by a standard pulsed-field gel assay (FAR assay) decreased with increasing LET in the range 67-120 keV/microm (corresponding to the energy of 7-3 MeV). On the other hand, the generation of small and intermediate-size DNA fragments (0.1-100 kbp) increased with LET, indicating an increased intratrack long-range clustering of breaks. The fragment size distribution was measured in several size classes down to the smallest class of 0.1-2 kbp. When the clustering was taken into account, the actual number of DNA double-strand breaks (separated by at least 0.1 kbp) could be calculated and was found to be in the range 0.010-0.012 breaks/Mbp Gy(-1). This is two- to threefold higher than the apparent yield obtained by the FAR assay. The measured yield of double-strand breaks as a function of LET is compared with theoretical Monte Carlo calculations that simulate the track structure of energy depositions from helium ions as they interact with the 30-nm chromatin fiber. When the calculation is performed to include fragments larger than 0.1 kbp (to correspond to the experimental measurements), there is good agreement between experiment and theory.

NASA Program Biomedical Research and Countermeasur↗
NASA NTRS2009

Advances in Land Data Assimilation at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Research in land surface data assimilation has grown rapidly over the last decade. In this presentation we provide a brief overview of key research contributions by the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). The GSFC contributions to land assimilation primarily include the continued development and application of the Land Information System (US) and the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF). In particular, we have developed a method to generate perturbation fields that are correlated in space, time, and across variables and that permit the flexible modeling of errors in land surface models and observations, along with an adaptive filtering approach that estimates observation and model error input parameters. A percentile-based scaling method that addresses soil moisture biases in model and observational estimates opened the path to the successful application of land data assimilation to satellite retrievals of surface soil moisture. Assimilation of AMSR-E surface soil moisture retrievals into the NASA Catchment model provided superior surface and root zone assimilation products (when validated against in situ measurements and compared to the model estimates or satellite observations alone). The multi-model capabilities of US were used to investigate the role of subsurface physics in the assimilation of surface soil moisture observations. Results indicate that the potential of surface soil moisture assimilation to improve root zone information is higher when the surface to root zone coupling is stronger. Building on this experience, GSFC leads the development of the Level 4 Surface and Root-Zone Soil Moisture (L4_SM) product for the planned NASA Soil-Moisture-Active-Passive (SMAP) mission. A key milestone was the design and execution of an Observing System Simulation Experiment that quantified the contribution of soil moisture retrievals to land data assimilation products as a function of retrieval and land model skill and yielded an estimate of the error budget for the SMAP L4_SM product. Terrestrial water storage observations from GRACE satellite system were also successfully assimilated into the NASA Catchment model and provided improved estimates of groundwater variability when compared to the model estimates alone. Moreover, satellite-based land surface temperature (LST) observations from the ISCCP archive were assimilated using a bias estimation module that was specifically designed for LST assimilation. As with soil moisture, LST assimilation provides modest yet statistically significant improvements when compared to the model or satellite observations alone. To achieve the improvement, however, the LST assimilation algorithm must be adapted to the specific formulation of LST in the land model. An improved method for the assimilation of snow cover observations was also developed. Finally, the coupling of LIS to the mesoscale Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model enabled investigations into how the sensitivity of land-atmosphere interactions to the specific choice of planetary boundary layer scheme and land surface model varies across surface moisture regimes, and how it can be quantified and evaluated against observations. The on-going development and integration of land assimilation modules into the Land Information System will enable the use of GSFC software with a variety of land models and make it accessible to the research community.

Reichle, Rolf↗
NASA NTRS2011

Atomic Oxygen Fluence Monitor

This innovation enables a means for actively measuring atomic oxygen fluence (accumulated atoms of atomic oxygen per area) that has impinged upon spacecraft surfaces. Telemetered data from the device provides spacecraft designers, researchers, and mission managers with real-time measurement of atomic oxygen fluence, which is useful for prediction of the durability of spacecraft materials and components. The innovation is a compact fluence measuring device that allows in-space measurement and transmittance of measured atomic oxygen fluence as a function of time based on atomic oxygen erosion yields (the erosion yield of a material is the volume of material that is oxidized per incident oxygen atom) of materials that have been measured in low Earth orbit. It has a linear electrical response to atomic oxygen fluence, and is capable of measuring high atomic oxygen fluences (up to >10(exp 22) atoms/sq cm), which are representative of multi-year low-Earth orbital missions (such as the International Space Station). The durability or remaining structural lifetime of solar arrays that consist of polymer blankets on which the solar cells are attached can be predicted if one knows the atomic oxygen fluence that the solar array blanket has been exposed to. In addition, numerous organizations that launch space experiments into low-Earth orbit want to know the accumulated atomic oxygen fluence that their materials or components have been exposed to. The device is based on the erosion yield of pyrolytic graphite. It uses two 12deg inclined wedges of graphite that are over a grit-blasted fused silica window covering a photodiode. As the wedges erode, a greater area of solar illumination reaches the photodiode. A reference photodiode is also used that receives unobstructed solar illumination and is oriented in the same direction as the pyrolytic graphite covered photodiode. The short-circuit current from the photodiodes is measured and either sent to an onboard data logger, or transmitted to a receiving station on Earth. By comparison of the short-circuit currents from the fluence-measuring photodiode and the reference photodiode, one can compute the accumulated atomic oxygen fluence arriving in the direction that the fluence monitor is pointing. The device produces a signal that is linear with atomic oxygen fluence using a material whose atomic oxygen erosion yield has been measured over a period of several years in low-Earth orbit.

Banks, Bruce A.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Hybrid-PIC Modeling of the Transport of Atomic Boron in a Hall Thruster

Computational analysis of the transport of boron eroded from the walls of a Hall thruster is performed by implementing sputter yields of hexagonal boron nitride and velocity distribution functions of boron within the hybrid-PIC model HPHall. The model is applied to simulate NASA's HiVHAc Hall thruster at a discharge voltage of 500V and discharge powers of 1-3 kW. The number densities of ground- and 4P-state boron are computed. The density of ground-state boron is shown to be a factor of about 30 less than the plasma density. The density of the excited state is shown to be about three orders of magnitude less than that of the ground state, indicating that electron impact excitation does not significantly affect the density of ground-state boron in the discharge channel or near-field plume of a Hall thruster. Comparing the rates of excitation and ionization suggests that ionization has a greater influence on the density of ground-state boron, but is still negligible. The ground-state boron density is then integrated and compared to cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) measurements for each operating point. The simulation results show good agreement with the measurements for all operating points and provide evidence in support of CRDS as a tool for measuring Hall thruster erosion in situ.

Materials Engineering↗
NASA NTRS2021

Application of Radon Transform to Multi-Angle Measurements Made by the Research Scanning Polarimeter: A New Approach to Cloud Tomography. Part I: Theory and Tests on Simulated Data.

The Research Scanning Polarimeter (RSP) is an airborne along-track scanner measuring the polarized and total reflectances in 9 spectral channels. The RSP was a prototype for the Aerosol Polarimetry Sensor (APS) launched on-board the NASA Glory satellite. Currently the retrieval algorithms developed for the RSP are being adopted for the measurements of the space-borne polarimeters on the upcoming NASA’s Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud Ocean Ecosystem (PACE)satellite mission. The RSP’s uniquely high angular resolution coupled with the high frequency of measurements allows for characterization of liquid water cloud droplet sizes using the polarized rainbow structure. It also provides geometric constraints on the cumulus cloud’s 2D cross section yielding the cloud’s geometric shape estimates. In this study we further build on the latter technique to develop a new tomographic approach to retrieval of cloud internal structure from remote sensing measurements. While tomography in the strict definition is a technique based on active measurements yielding a tomogram (directional optical thickness as a function of angle and offset of the view ray), we developed a “semi-tomographic” approach in which tomogram of the cloud is estimated from passive observations instead of being measured directly. This tomogram is then converted into 2D spatial distribution of the extinction coefficient using inverse Radon transform (filtered back projection) which is the standard tomographic procedure used e.g., in medical CT scans. This algorithm is computationally inexpensive compared to techniques relying on highly-multi-dimensional least-square fitting; it does not require iterative 3D RT simulations. The resulting extinction distribution is defined up to an unknown constant factor, so we discuss the ways to calibrate it using additional independent measurements. In the next step we use the profile of the droplet size distribution parameters from the cloud’s side (derived by fitting the polarized rainbows) to convert the 2D extinction distribution into that of the droplet number concentration. We illustrate and validate the proposed technique using 3D-RT-simulatedRSP observations of a LES-generated Cu cloud. Quantitative comparisons between the retrieved and the original optical and microphysical parameters are presented.

clouds↗
DOE OSTI2019

Seismoacoustic Analysis of Chemical Explosions at the Nevada National Security Site

In recent years, two sets of chemical explosions have been conducted at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS): 6 explosions from Phase I of the Source Physics Experiment (SPE) and 4 explosions from the Forensics Surface Events (FSE). We have estimated the explosive yield and depth-of-burial/height-of-burst of both from the synthesis of seismic and low-frequency acoustic data. Analysis of the seismic signal is performed using a waveform envelope technique. Using seismic data only, however, there is a tradeoff between the yield and depth or height of the explosion, which becomes especially acute for near-surface events. This tradeoff between yield and depth/height can be broken by including complementary analysis of the acoustic signal using the acoustic waveform inversion method. The acoustic signal also has a strong tradeoff between a yield and depth/height, but the slope is opposite that of the seismic for near-surface events. We use a likelihood function to combine the seismic and acoustic analysis and improve our estimates of yield and depth/height for these sets of explosions. The results are generally consistent with the known parameters, but can be improved upon by higher-frequency seismic analysis and improved acoustic impulse scaling for large scaled depths-of-burial. These events serve as prime examples of data fusion from multiple data streams. The challenge will be to apply the method to events at longer regional distances where the seismic signals will include phases traveling in the upper mantle, and the acoustic signals will be recorded as infrasound signals, which are subject to atmospheric variability.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Dynamical edge modes and entanglement in Maxwell theory

Abstract Previous work on black hole partition functions and entanglement entropy suggests the existence of “edge” degrees of freedom living on the (stretched) horizon. We identify a local and “shrinkable” boundary condition on the stretched horizon that gives rise to such degrees of freedom. They can be interpreted as the Goldstone bosons of gauge transformations supported on the boundary, with the electric field component normal to the boundary as their symplectic conjugate. Applying the covariant phase space formalism for manifolds with boundary, we show that both the symplectic form and Hamiltonian exhibit a bulk-edge split. We then show that the thermal edge partition function is that of a codimension-two ghost compact scalar living on the horizon. In the context of a de Sitter static patch, this agrees with the edge partition functions found by Anninos et al. in arbitrary dimensions. It also yields a 4D entanglement entropy consistent with the conformal anomaly. Generalizing to Proca theory, we find that the prescription of Donnelly and Wall reproduces existing results for its edge partition function, while its classical phase space does not exhibit a bulk-edge split.

Physics↗
NASA NTRS1978

Ride quality flight testing

The ride quality experienced by passengers is a function of airframe rigid-body, elastic dynamic responses, autopilot, and stability augmentation system control inputs. A frequency response method has been developed to select sinusoidal elevator input time histories yielding vertical load factor distributions, within a given limit, as a function of fuselage station. The numerical technique is illustrated by applying two-degree-of-freedom short-period and first symmetric mode equations of motion to a B-1 aircraft at Mach 0.85 during sea level flight conditions.

Swaim, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Ares Launch Vehicle Transonic Buffet Testing and Analysis Techniques

It is necessary to define the launch vehicle buffet loads to ensure that structural components and vehicle subsystems possess adequate strength, stress, and fatigue margins when the vehicle structural dynamic response to buffet forcing functions are considered. In order to obtain these forcing functions, the accepted method is to perform wind-tunnel testing of a rigid model instrumented with hundreds of unsteady pressure transducers designed to measure the buffet environment across the desired frequency range. The buffet wind-tunnel test program for the Ares Crew Launch Vehicle employed 3.5 percent scale rigid models of the Ares I and Ares I-X launch vehicles instrumented with 256 unsteady pressure transducers each. These models were tested at transonic conditions at the Transonic Dynamics Tunnel at NASA Langley Research Center. The ultimate deliverable of the Ares buffet test program are buffet forcing functions (BFFs) derived from integrating the measured fluctuating pressures on the rigid wind-tunnel models. These BFFs are then used as input to a multi-mode structural analysis to determine the vehicle response to buffet and the resulting buffet loads and accelerations. This paper discusses the development of the Ares I and I-X rigid buffet model test programs from the standpoint of model design, instrumentation system design, test implementation, data analysis techniques to yield final products, and presents normalized sectional buffet forcing function root-mean-squared levels.

Piatak, David J.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Rapid Bayesian High Entropy Alloy Designs Fabricated via Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing

Purpose: This project seeks to demonstrate a new high-throughput (rapid) alloy design technique applied to creating new high entropy alloys (HEAs) for extreme environments. High entropy alloys shift the design paradigm from being focused on a single principal element (e.g. nickel-based alloys) to target alloys that include high atomic fractions (X >10%) of multiple elements. These HEA materials can exhibit sluggish diffusion and enhanced corrosion resistance, ideal for potential applications in advanced ultra supercritical (A-USC) steam cycles for power generation. Scope: The addition of multiple elements in high atomic fractions creates an enormous design space that cannot easily be investigated by traditional material design strategies such as designed of experiments (DOE). This project utilizes a Bayesian machine learning algorithm that has been modified to work with calculation of phase diagrams (CALPHAD) software. This Bayesian algorithm reduces manual inputs and increase the likelihood of achieving an optimal solution. Compositional inputs to this algorithm will be assessed using existing material property models for high temperature strength and corrosion resistance. The target for alloy performance will be a 15% (~100 ⁰C) increase in allowable service temperature beyond heat-resistant stainless steels while maintaining or improving alloy cost and corrosion resistance. Haynes 230 was selected as a baseline, which is 57 wt% Ni with 22 wt% Cr 14 wt% W, and 2 wt% Mo as solid solution strengtheners. In addition to rapid design via Bayesian machine learning, the alloys were rapidly fabricated using a multi-wire arc additive manufacturing (mWAAM) technique which allows for precise control of alloy composition and assessing of alloy design “windows” to study composition effects. Build speeds for wire-arc additive processes are among the highest for additive technologies enabling rapid and reliable sample fabrication when compared to conventional methods such as arc button melting. The mWAAM samples will be rapidly characterized via instrumented indentation for room temperature modulus and strength and for elevated temperature strength via hot hardness tests. After being screened with hardness testing, potential alloys will be further evaluated with conventional microscopy techniques including scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to assess agreement with modeling results. The most promising compositions will also be evaluated by printing full sized tensile specimens for mechanical behavior tests at elevated temperatures. Results: Bayesian machine learning of a single performance function was initially used to optimize five performance metrics: 1) single phase stability, 2) yield strength, 3) creep resistance (low diffusion coefficient), 4) freezing range (weldability), and 5) material cost. The single performance function was suboptimal as assumptions had to be made about the results while formulating the optimization. A goal-oriented Bayesian optimization strategy (Hanaoka, 2021) was implemented with CALPHAD for use with the five metrics above. This multi-objective Bayesian optimization (MOBO) enabled the design of NiCrCoFe alloys with V and W additions. A base composition of NiCoCr was selected as Ni provides a stable FCC matrix, Cr aids corrosion/oxidation resistance, and Co is a solid-solutions strengthener that also improves creep by increasing the activation energy. Fe helps reduce diffusion coefficients and cost. Finally, V and W were selected for their reasonable solubility and high atomic misfit to aid in solid solution strengthening. Cracking of the mWAAM specimens was an early issue, and the Easton solidification cracking model (Easton et al., 2014a) was selected for addition to the MOBO function. High performing alloys fabricated by mWAAM included Ni 28 Cr 25 Co 26 Fe 15 V 8 and Ni 62 Cr 18 Co 1 Fe 3 W 15 . It was observed that even after adapting the mWAAM process for W, the W did not fully dissolve. To fully evaluate the Ni 62 Cr 18 Co 1 Fe 3 W 15 composition, a cored wire (80-20 NiCr sheath/powder core) was manufactured and printed via WAAM, and HIP’ing was utilized to homogenize and densify the printed alloy. The V and W alloys produced met metrics 1 (solid solution), 4 (solidification cracking), and 5 (cost). However, an unmodeled mechanism of thermal stress cracking was identified in the WAAM produced materials, perhaps exacerbated by the lack of grain boundary strengthening elements (B, C). Conclusions & Recommendations: A high-throughput (rapid) alloy design technique was applied to designing and manufacturing new high entropy alloys (HEAs) for extreme environments utilizing MOBO and mWAAM. The developed process was rapid and effective in addressing the mechanisms included in the model. The lack of grain boundary strengthening element additions (e.g., B, C) was a simplification that likely produced thermal stress cracking that turned into a large part of the investigation. Additions on the order of 0.005 wt% B and 0.05 wt% C likely would have minimized thermal stress grain boundary cracking. Overall, the high throughput design strategy is promising for rapid design of metrics-driven alloys for advanced ultra supercritical (A-USC) steam cycles for power generation. The MOBO and mWAAM process could be commercialized to accelerate metrics-driven alloy design. In addition, the cored-wire process utilized for scale-up is a promising high-volume process for WAAM alloy development and scale-up.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

A remarkable case of basis set dependence: the false convergence patterns of the methyl anion

Here, the gas phase methyl anion, CH 3 ¯, has been difficult to study experimentally, and the extreme basis set dependence of its molecular properties has presented a comparable challenge to theoreticians. Reliable predictions for the electronic structure of CH 3 ¯ require the use of basis sets capable of describing both the diffuse and valence characteristics of the system. The present study examines the basis set dependence of the equilibrium geometry and harmonic vibrational frequencies of CH 3 ¯. Both Hartree–Fock and CCSD(T) levels of theories are used with cc-pVXZ (, T, Q, 5, 6) basis sets with up to triple augmentation to describe the diffuse nature of the electron distribution. We find that non-augmented basis sets systematically yield vibrational frequencies that are too high for the umbrella mode and too low for the C–H symmetric and antisymmetric stretch even when extrapolated to the complete basis set limit, displaying false convergence patterns. The inclusion of one set of augmented functions significantly improves the convergence of these properties, but again yields false convergence patterns. Only with the doubly augmented basis set do we approach the basis set limit for the CH 3 ¯ vibrational frequencies.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2017

Near-threshold J/ψ-meson photoproduction on nuclei

On the basis of the first-collision model that relies on the nuclear spectral function and which includes incoherent processes involving charmonium production in proton–nucleon collisions, the photoproduction of J/ψ mesons on nuclei is considered at energies close to the threshold for their production on a nucleon. The absorption of final J/ψ mesons, their formation length, and the binding and Fermi motion of target nucleons are taken into account in this model along with the effect of the nuclear potential on these processes. The A dependences of the absolute and relative charmonium yields are calculated together with absolute and relative excitation functions under various assumptions on the magnitude of the cross section for J/ψN absorption, the J/ψ-meson formation length, and their inmedium modification. It is shown that, at energies above the threshold, these features are virtually independent of the formation length and the change in the J/ψ-meson mass in nuclear matter but are rather highly sensitive to the cross section for J/ψN interaction. The calculations performed in the present study can be used to determine the unknown cross section for J/ψ-meson absorption in nuclei from a comparison of their results with data expected from experiments in the Hall C of the CEBAF (USA) facility upgraded to the energy of 12 GeV. It is also shown that the absolute and relative excitation functions for J/ψ mesons in photon–nucleus reactions at subthreshold energies are sensitive to the change in the meson mass and, hence, carry information about the properties of charmonium in nuclear matter.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Amine Functionalized Electrospun Cellulose Nanofibers for Fluoride Adsorption from Drinking Water

In this study, we synthesized amine functionalized cellulose nanofiber based adsorbent for effective removal of dissolved fluoride ions from groundwater samples. Cellulose acetate was electrospun into nanofibers followed by deacetylation to yield cellulose nanofibers which were then treated with ethylenediamine to prepare amine functionalized cellulose fabric to be used as an adsorbent. As- synthesized adsorbent was first characterized by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy for physiochemical characteristics. Fluoride adsorption studies were then carried out under batch mode to study the influence of various parameters on adsorption process. Amine functionalized cellulose nanofibrous mat was found to be effective with high adsorption efficiency for removal of fluoride ions from aqueous solution, even at low fluoride concentrations (< 5 mg L{sup −1}). Adsorption mechanism of fluoride onto prepared cellulose nanofibers based adsorbent was explained from the studies of isotherms, kinetic and thermodynamic parameters. Field studies conducted using this amine functionalized cellulose nanofibrous mat revealed the suitability and effectiveness of adsorbent for fluoride removal from contaminated groundwater.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Effects of Recovery Conditions and Aggregation Mechanisms on the Chemical and Physical Properties of Hybrid Poplar and Corn Stover Lignins

Heterogeneity in the physical properties and processing behavior of lignins recovered from biorefining process streams can hinder their effective utilization and industrial valorization. This work investigates lignin recovery by acidification from alkaline pretreatment liquors of varying sources (corn stover and hybrid poplar), compositions, solid contents, and incubation temperatures prior to filtration. Recovered lignins were characterized for filtration performance, mass yield, chemical composition, particle size and morphology, and color. A transition temperature was identified corresponding to marked shifts in lignin physical properties and was a function of the solid content and liquor source. Filtration below this temperature yielded slow-filtering, dark, brittle lignins with smoother particle surfaces, whereas precipitation above this threshold yielded fast-filtering, lighter, powdery lignins with rougher particle surfaces. The impact of temperature and concentration on universal cluster aggregation mechanisms was proposed to explain the differences between lignin particle properties and filtration behavior.

Aggregation↗
DOE OSTI2023

Predicting Biomass Yields of Advanced Switchgrass Cultivars for Bioenergy and Ecosystem Services Using Machine Learning

The production of advanced perennial bioenergy crops within marginal areas of the agricultural landscape is gaining interest due to its potential to sustainably produce feedstocks for biofuels and bioproducts while also improving the sustainability and resilience of commodity crop production. However, predicting the biomass yields of this production system is challenging because marginal areas are often relatively small and spread around agricultural fields and are typically associated with various abiotic conditions that limit crop production. Machine learning (ML) offers a viable solution as a biomass yield prediction tool because it is suited to predicting relationships with complex functional associations. The objectives of this study were to (1) evaluate the accuracy of commonly applied ML algorithms in agricultural applications for predicting the biomass yields of advanced switchgrass cultivars for bioenergy and ecosystem services and (2) determine the most important biomass yield predictors. Datasets on biomass yield, weather, land marginality, soil properties, and agronomic management were generated from three field study sites in two U.S. Midwest states (Illinois and Iowa) over three growing seasons. The ML algorithms evaluated in the study included random forests (RFs), gradient boosting machines (GBMs), artificial neural networks (ANNs), K-neighbors regressor (KNR), AdaBoost regressor (ABR), and partial least squares regression (PLSR). Coefficient of determination (R 2 ) and mean absolute error (MAE) were used to evaluate the predictive accuracy of the tested algorithms. Results showed that the ensemble methods, RF (R 2 = 0.86, MAE = 0.62 Mg/ha), GBM (R 2 = 0.88, MAE = 0.57 Mg/ha), and GBM (R 2 = 0.78, MAE = 0.66 Mg/ha), were the most accurate in predicting biomass yields of the Independence, Liberty, and Shawnee switchgrass cultivars, respectively. This is in agreement with similar studies that apply ML to multi-feature problems where traditional statistical methods are less applicable and datasets used were considered to be relatively small for ANNs. Consistent with previous studies on switchgrass, the most important predictors of biomass yield included average annual temperature, average growing season temperature, sum of the growing season precipitation, field slope, and elevation. This study helps pave the way for applying ML as a management tool for alternative bioenergy landscapes where understanding agronomic and environmental performance of a multifunctional cropping system seasonally and interannually at the sub-field scale is critical.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
NASA NTRS2004

Reduced Order Methods for Prediction of Thermal-Acoustic Fatigue

The goal of this investigation is to assess the quality of high-cycle-fatigue life estimation via a reduced order method, for structures undergoing random nonlinear vibrations in a presence of thermal loading. Modal reduction is performed with several different suites of basis functions. After numerically solving the reduced order system equations of motion, the physical displacement time history is obtained by an inverse transformation and stresses are recovered. Stress ranges obtained through the rainflow counting procedure are used in a linear damage accumulation method to yield fatigue estimates. Fatigue life estimates obtained using various basis functions in the reduced order method are compared with those obtained from numerical simulation in physical degrees-of-freedom.

Przekop, A.↗