Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “storage consistency”

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

Tropospheric- Stratospheric Measurement Studies Summary

The two high altitude aircraft, ER-2 NASA #706 and 709 and the DC-8 NASA #717 are in active use in several programs of upper atmospheric research to study polar ozone changes, stratospheric-tropospheric exchange processes and atmospheric effects of aviation aircraft. The ER-2 has participated in seven major missions which mainly concentrated on vortex dynamics and the large losses of Ozone in the Polar regions (Ozone hole) observed in the spring. One mission verified the complex dynamical chemical and physical processes that occur during sunrise and sunset. Stratospheric Tracers of Atmospheric Transport (STRAT) obtained background measurements using the full ER-2 suite of instruments. Photochemistry of Ozone Loss in the Arctic Region in Summer (POLARIS) in 1997 assisted in understanding the mid-latitude and Arctic Ozone losses during the Northern Summer. The DC-8 with the Meteorological Measurement System (MMS) has participated in the Subsonic Aircraft: Cloud and Contrail Effects Special Study (SUCCESS), in 1996 and the Subsonic assessment Ozone and Nitrogen oxide experiment (SONEX) in 1997 missions. The MMS with its sophisticated software accurately measures ground speed and attitude, in-situ static and dynamic pressure total temperature, which are used to calculate the three dimensional wind fields, static pressure, temperature and turbulence values to meteorological accuracy. The meteorological data is not only of interest for its own sake in atmospheric dynamical processes such as mountain waves and flux measurements; but is also required by other ER-2 experiments that simultaneously measure water vapor, O3, aerosols, NO, HCl, CH4, N2O, ClO, BrO, CO2, NOy, HOx and temperature gradients. MMS products are extensively used to assist in the interpretation of their results in understanding the importance of convective effects relative to in-situ chemical changes, as may be noted by examining the list of references attached. The MMS consists of three subsystems: (a) aircraft instrumentation, inertial navigation system (INS), static and dynamic pressure taps, (b) additional dedicated instrumentation measuring angle of attack, yaw, total temperature, and a GPS which on the DC-8 measures position, velocity and attitude (c) an on board data, storage and computing acquisition system. This instrumentation and the associated software requires both an on-going laboratory ground calibration procedure for the total air temperature, static and total pressure inputs, verification of the INS dynamic response and also extensive air measurements and intercomparisons which ultimately verify and calibrate the complete system and its software. More than the usual accuracy is required because of the near cancellation occurring in the difference between the ground speed and true airspeed vectors used to give the wind vector. In the past year we have redesigned, recalibrated and used the MMS system on the NASA DC-8 that was previously used in the SUCCESS mission for the SONEX mission. Two papers were co-authored based on SUCCESS flights. Several reports and handouts were written for SONEX. Calibrations of the DC-8 pressure transducer temperature measuring thermistors was completed and an extensive analysis spanning several years of data files of the DC-8 Rosemount pressure transducer calibrations was done.

Browen, Stuart W.↗

Deposition of Nanostructured Thin Film from Size-Classified Nanoparticles

Materials comprising nanometer-sized grains (approximately 1_50 nm) exhibit properties dramatically different from those of their homogeneous and uniform counterparts. These properties vary with size, shape, and composition of nanoscale grains. Thus, nanoparticles may be used as building blocks to engineer tailor-made artificial materials with desired properties, such as non-linear optical absorption, tunable light emission, charge-storage behavior, selective catalytic activity, and countless other characteristics. This bottom-up engineering approach requires exquisite control over nanoparticle size, shape, and composition. We describe the design and characterization of an aerosol system conceived for the deposition of size classified nanoparticles whose performance is consistent with these strict demands. A nanoparticle aerosol is generated by laser ablation and sorted according to size using a differential mobility analyzer. Nanoparticles within a chosen window of sizes (e.g., (8.0 plus or minus 0.6) nm) are deposited electrostatically on a surface forming a film of the desired material. The system allows the assembly and engineering of thin films using size-classified nanoparticles as building blocks.

Camata, Renato P.↗

Subscale Hardware-In-The-Loop Results for Hybrid Electric Turbofan Controls Use Cases

NASA is investigating hybrid electric turbine engine systems for commercial transport aircraft due to the potentially significant improvements hybrid electric technology offers in performance, fuel consumption, and operational and design flexibility. Recently, the technology has been tested at full scale in partnership with industry and advanced to Technology Readiness Level 4. This presentation will focus on a recent subscale hardware-in-the-loop test of an open source turbofan engine model developed by NASA. The Advanced Geared Turbofan 30,000 lbf – electrified (AGTF30-e) engine is used as a reference model to demonstrate control system design and use cases for an example mild hybrid electric system with no large-scale energy storage. This model is run in real-time in NASA’s Hybrid Propulsion Emulation Rig (HyPER) and is used to drive an emulation of the turbomachinery system using subscale electric machines. This dynamic scaled shaft emulation interacts with a subscale (<100 kW) hybrid system consisting of electric machines, motor controllers, and a programmable electronic load. Specific use cases demonstrated include the use of Turbine Electrified Energy Management to improve operation during transients, megawatt-scale power extraction from the AGTF30-e, and power transfer between engine spools. Results related to the effectiveness of hybrid systems are qualitatively compared to results from industry testing.

Hybrid↗

Theoretical and Experimental Study of Current from Non-Disintegrable Suspended Particles at a Rotating Disk Electrode

Understanding the current response at an electrode from suspended solid particles in an electrolyte is crucial for developing materials to be used in semi-solid electrodes for energy storage applications. Here, an analytical model is proposed to predict and understand the current response from non-disintegrable solid particles at a rotating disk electrode. The current is shown to be limited by a combination of ion diffusion within the solid particle and the mean residence time of the particle at the rotating disk electrode. This results in a relationship between current and angular frequency of I ∝ ω 3 / 4 , instead of the classical I ∝ ω 1 / 2 predicted by Levich theory. Specifically, the current response of Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 (LTO) microparticles suspended in a non-aqueous electrolyte of lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF 6 ) in ethylene carbonate: diethyl carbonate (EC:DEC) was determined experimentally and compared favorably with predictions from the proposed analytical model using fitting parameters consistent with the experimental conditions.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Understanding Electrochemical Reaction Mechanisms of Sulfur in All‐Solid‐State Batteries through Operando and Theoretical Studies **

Abstract Due to its outstanding safety and high energy density, all‐solid‐state lithium‐sulfur batteries (ASLSBs) are considered as a potential future energy storage technology. The electrochemical reaction pathway in ASLSBs with inorganic solid‐state electrolytes is different from Li‐S batteries with liquid electrolytes, but the mechanism remains unclear. By combining operando Raman spectroscopy and ex situ X‐ray absorption spectroscopy, we investigated the reaction mechanism of sulfur (S 8 ) in ASLSBs. Our results revealed that no Li 2 S 8, Li 2 S 6, and Li 2 S 4 were formed, yet Li 2 S 2 was detected. Furthermore, first‐principles structural calculations were employed to disclose the formation energy of solid state Li 2 S n (1≤ n ≤8), in which Li 2 S 2 was a metastable phase, consistent with experimental observations. Meanwhile, partial S 8 and Li 2 S 2 remained at the full lithiation stage, suggesting incomplete reaction due to sluggish reaction kinetics in ASLSBs.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Optical pulse-induced ultrafast antiferrodistortive transition in SrTiO 3

The ultrafast dynamics of the antiferrodistortive phase transition in perovskite SrTiO 3 is monitored via time-domain Brillouin scattering. Using femtosecond optical pulses, we initiate a thermally driven tetragonal-to-cubic structural transformation and detect the crystal phase through changes in the frequency of Brillouin oscillations (BO) induced by propagating acoustic phonons. Coupling the measured BO frequency with a spatiotemporal heat diffusion model, we demonstrate that, for a sample kept in the tetragonal phase, deposition of sufficient thermal energy induces a rapid transformation of the heat-affected region to the cubic phase. The initial phase change is followed by a slower reverse cubic-to-tetragonal phase transformation occurring on a timescale of hundreds of picoseconds. Here, we attribute this ultrafast phase transformation in the perovskite to a structural resemblance between atomic displacements of the R-point soft optic mode of the cubic phase and the tetragonal phase, both characterized by anti-phase rotation of oxygen octahedra. The structural relaxation time exhibits a strong temperature dependence consistent with the prediction of the equation of motion describing collective oxygen octahedra rotation based on the energy landscape of the phenomenological Landau theory of phase transitions. Evidence of such a fast structural transition in perovskites can open up new avenues in information processing and energy storage sectors.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Incorporating Operational Uncertainties into the Dispatch of an Integrated Solar and Storage System

The economic assessment of hybrid energy systems (HES) pairing battery energy storage systems (BESSs) and photovoltaics (PV) is highly important for advancing their deployment in power systems. This paper presents an innovative assessment framework, including an optimal control policy for dispatch under uncertainty and procedures for exploring control parameters that maximize economic benefits. The proposed dispatch policy consists of two steps using system forecast information. The first step is to determine whether a BESS will be used within an operational scheduling time frame based on the probability of events and their thresholds. Once the dispatch of BESS is triggered, a model predictive control (MPC) is carried out in the second step for scheduling using the expected value of system information. By exercising this policy with different thresholds, one can explore the trade-offs between short-term benefits and battery lifetime, and identify an optimal threshold that maximizes the total economic benefits within the battery lifetime. An evaluation study in a real-world HES project is presented to illustrate the proposed framework. Compared with traditional optimal dispatch algorithms, the proposed method can significantly improve the economic benefits of an HES scheduled under forecast uncertainties.

Ma, Xu↗

Magmatic water content controls the pre-eruptive depth of arc magmas

We report that vanguard efforts in forecasting volcanic eruptions are turning to physics-based models, which require quantitative estimates of magma conditions during pre-eruptive storage. Below active arc volcanoes, observed magma storage depths vary widely (~0 to 20 kilometers) and are commonly assumed to represent levels of neutral buoyancy. Here we show that geophysically observed magma depths (6 ± 3 kilometers) are greater than depths of neutral buoyancy, ruling out this commonly assumed control. Observed depths are instead consistent with predicted depths of water degassing. Intrinsically wetter magmas degas water and crystallize deeper than dry magmas, resulting in viscosity increases that lead to deeper stalling of ascending magma. The water–depth relationship provides a critical constraint for forecasting models by connecting depth of eruption initiation to its volatile fuel.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Data-Driven Smoothers for Extreme-Scale Computing

Patch-based relaxation refers to a family of methods for solving linear systems which partitions the matrix into smaller pieces often corresponding to groups of adjacent degrees of freedom residing within patches of the computational domain. The two most common families of patch-based methods are block-Jacobi and Schwarz methods, where the former typically corresponds to non-overlapping domains and the later implies some overlap. We focus on cases where each patch consists of the degrees of freedom on a finite element method mesh cell. Patch methods often capture complex local physics much more effectively than simpler point-smoothers such as Jacobi; however, forming, inverting, and applying each patch can be prohibitively expensive in terms of both storage and computation time. To this end, we propose several approaches for performing analysis on these patches and constructing a reduced representation. The compression techniques rely on either matrix norm comparisons or unsupervised learning via a clustering approach. We illustrate how it is frequently possible to retain/factor less than 5% of all patches and still develop a method that converges only a little slower than when all patches are stored/factored.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Improvements in solid state radiographic converter screens.

Description of two different kinds of solid-state radiographic converter screens which have been developed. After briefly reviewing the working principles of the solid-state image converter - a sandwich type structure consisting of a photoconductive layer and an electroluminescent layer with a semiconductive layer and a black layer between them, two different kinds of radiographic converter screens are described - a radiographic amplifier screen that can be used as a substitute for the fluoroscopic screen, and a radiographic storage screen that can be used instead of radiographic films. The construction of both kinds of converters is fundamentally the same, the only difference being in the sensing photoconductive material. The radiographic amplifier screen has a moderately fast response, while the radiographic storage screen displays the image long after the irradiation is stopped.

Szepesi, Z.↗

Program THEK energy production units of average power and using thermal conversion of solar radiation

General studies undertaken by the C.N.R.S. in the field of solar power plants have generated the problem of building energy production units in the medium range of electrical power, in the order of 100 kW. Among the possible solutions, the principle of the use of distributed heliothermal converters has been selected as being, with the current status of things, the most advantageous solution. This principle consists of obtaining the conversion of concentrated radiation into heat by using a series of heliothermal conversion modules scattered over the ground; the produced heat is collected by a heat-carrying fluid circulating inside a thermal loop leading to a device for both regulation and storage.

Source record↗

A computerized aircraft battery servicing facility

The latest upgrade to the Aerospace Energy Systems Laboratory (AESL) is described. The AESL is a distributed digital system consisting of a central system and battery servicing stations connected by a high-speed serial data bus. The entire system is located in two adjoining rooms; the bus length is approximately 100 ft. Each battery station contains a digital processor, data acquisition, floppy diskette data storage, and operator interfaces. The operator initiates a servicing task and thereafter the battery station monitors the progress of the task and terminates it at the appropriate time. The central system provides data archives, manages the data bus, and provides a timeshare interface for multiple users. The system also hosts software production tools for the battery stations and the central system.

Glover, Richard D.↗

Effects of Environmental Exposure on Barium Oxide Cathode Operation

Hollow cathode assemblies (HCA) are typically designed around a cylindrical emitter for the electron source. Barium oxide (BaO) emitters are one type of emitter commonly used, which consists of a porous tungsten matrix impregnated with a mixture of barium oxide, calcium oxide, and alumina. Barium oxide emitters are susceptible to poisoning by a variety of substances, including oxygen, water vapor, carbon dioxide, and air. Poisoning can occur both during operation and exposure during storage. Water vapor is the primary contaminant of concern with ground exposure, and has been historically controlled by appropriate storage and handling procedures. Over the past several years, NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC)has been testing BaO cathodes to observe the effects on cathode operation after extended environmental exposures

electric propulsion↗

Automatic Calibration of a Geomechanical Model from Sparse Data for Estimating Stress in Deep Geological Formations

Summary In this study, we demonstrate geomechanical modeling with fully automatic parameter calibration to estimate the full geomechanical stress fields of a prospective US carbon dioxide (CO2) storage site, based on sparse measurement data. The goal is to compute full stress tensor field estimates (principal stresses and orientations) that are maximally compatible with observations within the constraints of the model assumptions, thereby extending pointwise, incomplete partial stress measurement to a simulated full formation stress field, as well as a rough assessment of the associated error. We use the Perch site, located in Otsego County, Michigan, USA, as our case study. The input data consist of partial stress tensor information inferred from in-situ borehole tests, geophysical well logs, and processing of seismic data. A static earth model (SEM) of the site was developed, and geomechanical simulation functionality of the open-source MATLAB Reservoir Simulation Toolbox (MRST) was used to model the stress field. Adjoint-based nonlinear optimization was used to adjust boundary conditions and material properties to calibrate simulated results of observations. Results were interpreted through a Bayesian framework. The focus of this paper is to demonstrate how the fully automatic calibration procedure works and discuss the results obtained; it does not attempt a detailed analysis of the stress field in the context of the proposed CO2 storage initiatives. Our work is part of a larger effort to noninvasively determine in-situ stresses in deep formations considered for CO2 storage. Guided by previously published research on geomechanical model calibration, our work presents a novel calibration approach supporting a potentially large number of linear or nonlinear calibration parameters to produce results optimally agreeing with available measurements and thus extend partial pointwise estimates to full tensor fields compatible with the physics of the site.

Engineering↗

Demand Response in Residential Energy Code: Technical Brief

As buildings account for over 75% of U.S. electricity use, effectively managing their loads can greatly facilitate the transition towards a clean, reliable grid. Grid-interactive efficient buildings (GEBs) combine efficiency and demand flexibility with smart technologies and communication to provide occupant comfort and productivity while serving the grid as a distributed energy resource (DER). In turn, GEBs can play a key role in ensuring access to an affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern U.S. electric power system. Their national adoption could provide $\$$100-200 billion in U.S. electric power system cost savings over the next two decades. The associated reduction in CO 2 emissions is estimated at 6% per year by 2030 (DOE 2021). Building codes represent standard design practice in the construction industry and continually evolve to include advanced technologies and innovative practices. Historically, national model energy codes establish minimum efficiency requirements for new construction (ICC 2020). Expanding codes to support GEB capabilities is a pivotal step towards realizing demand flexibility in support of a clean grid by addressing capabilities to improve interoperability between smart building systems, the grid, and renewable energy resources. Realizing GEBs requires buildings with automated demand response (DR) capabilities that enable standardized communication with or control of, subject to explicit consumer consent, energy smart appliances or home energy management systems. This is achieved through direct or indirect (i.e., via an aggregator) communication between appliances and the electric grid. Energy codes can also support DR communication standardization and advance the deployment of building-integrated DERs such as energy storage, generation, and electric vehicles (EVs). Incorporating automated DR capabilities in energy codes provides many benefits to the consumers. Specifically, it aligns building electric load demand with intermittent renewable energy source availability, decreases peak load on the electric grid, allows buildings to respond to utility price signals, supports electrical network reliability and market growth of products and processes aligned with clean economic growth. The incorporation of DR into the model residential energy codes was considered for both the 2021 and 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) code development cycles. The approved DR measures in the 2021 cycle were removed in response to appeals (ICC 2020). Updated language was presented for consideration again for the 2024 IECC, where it was negotiated and again approved, and again removed in response to appeals (ICC 2024). This resulted in many sections, including sections on demand responsive controls, being moved to the credits options or an appendix as a voluntary application. This technical brief updates the proposed DR components such that they can be considered by states and local governments for direct incorporation into their codes, as well as for future IECC energy code development. The proposal refinements are intended to support consistency in approach and provide a degree of certainty for building owners, designers, contractors, manufacturers, and building and fire safety professionals. The scope of this technical brief includes three strategies for DR in residential buildings: 1) smart thermostats with demand-responsive control, 2) electric water heating incorporating demand-responsive controls and communication and 3) grid Integrated solar and energy storage systems.

2021 IECC↗

Characterization of Regolith Volatile Transport and Storage Properties by The MECA MSP 2001 Lander Payload

The diffusive and adsorptive properties of the Martian regolith influence the exchange of volatiles between the atmosphere and subsurface. Our quantitative knowledge of these properties is extremely poor -introducing substantial uncertainties in efforts to model long-term evolution of ground ice and diurnal, seasonal, and climatic cycles of CO2 and H20. This situation should significantly improve upon arrival of the 2001 Mars Surveyor Lander in 2002. In support of the Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS) enterprise, the 2001 mission will include a suite of instruments to characterize the nature of the Martian environment and assess whether it contains hazards that may threaten future human exploration. A major element of this effort is the Mars Environmental Compatibility Assessment (MECA) payload, which consists an optical microscopy system incorporating electrostatic, magnetic, and scratch-hardness materials testing palets, an atomic force microscope with imaging capabilities comparable to an SEM, a wet chemistry laboratory with four independent test cells, an electrometer on the robotic arm, material test patches, a camera also mounted on the arm, and a soil scoop for excavating down to about 50 cm into the soil. Although conceived to address the needs of HEDS, MECA payload is a sophisticated soil science laboratory that should provide a wealth of new data relevant to the volatile transport and storage properties of the regolith. Additional information os contained in the original.

Clifford, S. M.↗

A Simplified Numerical Approach to Characterize the Thermal Response of a Moving Bed Solar Reactor

Abstract Concentrated solar thermochemical storage in the form of a zero-emission fuel is a promising option to produce long-duration energy storage. Solar fuel is produced using a cavity reactor that captures concentrated solar radiation from a solar field of heliostats. In this paper, heat transfer model of a tubular plug-flow reactor designed and manufactured for a solar fuel production is presented. Experimental data collected from a fixed bed tubular reactor testing are used for model comparison. The system consists of an externally heated tube with counter-current flowing gas and moving solid particles as the heated media. The proposed model simulates the dynamic behavior of temperature profiles of the tube wall, gas, and particles under various gas flowrates and residence times. The heat transfer between gas–wall, solid particle–wall, and gas–solid particle is numerically studied. The model results are compared with the results of experiments done using a 4 kW furnace with a 150 mm heating zone surrounding a horizontal alumina tube (reactor) with 50.8 mm outer diameter and thickness of 3.175 mm. Solid fixed particles of magnesium manganese oxide (MgMn2O4) with the size of 1 mm are packed within the length of 250 mm at the center of the tube length. Simulation results are assessed with respect to fixed bed experimental data for four different gas flowrates, namely, 5, 10, 15, and 20 standard liters per minute of air, and furnace temperatures in the range of 200–1200 °C. The simulation results showed good agreement with maximum steady state error that is less than 6% of those obtained from the experiments for all runs. The proposed model can be implemented as a low-order physical model for the control of temperature inside plug-flow reactors for thermochemical energy storage applications.

Engineering↗

Stronger fertilization effects on aboveground versus belowground plant properties across nine U.S. grasslands

Abstract Increased nutrient inputs due to anthropogenic activity are expected to increase primary productivity across terrestrial ecosystems, but changes in allocation aboveground versus belowground with nutrient addition have different implications for soil carbon (C) storage. Thus, given that roots are major contributors to soil C storage, understanding belowground net primary productivity (BNPP) and biomass responses to changes in nutrient availability is essential to predicting carbon–climate feedbacks in the context of interacting global environmental changes. To address this knowledge gap, we tested whether a decade of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilization consistently influenced aboveground and belowground biomass and productivity at nine grassland sites spanning a wide range of climatic and edaphic conditions in the continental United States. Fertilization effects were strong aboveground, with both N and P addition stimulating aboveground biomass at nearly all sites (by 30% and 36%, respectively, on average). P addition consistently increased root production (by 15% on average), whereas other belowground responses to fertilization were more variable, ranging from positive to negative across sites. Site‐specific responses to P were not predicted by the measured covariates. Atmospheric N deposition mediated the effect of N fertilization on root biomass and turnover. Specifically, atmospheric N deposition was positively correlated with root turnover rates, and this relationship was amplified with N addition. Nitrogen addition increased root biomass at sites with low N deposition but decreased it at sites with high N deposition. Overall, these results suggest that the effects of nutrient supply on belowground plant properties are context dependent, particularly with regard to background N supply rates, demonstrating that site conditions must be considered when predicting how grassland ecosystems will respond to increased nutrient loading from anthropogenic activity.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗