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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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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1990

Fluid Phase Separation (FPS) experiment for flight on the shuttle in a Get Away Special (GAS) canister: Design and fabrication

The separation of fluid phases in microgravity environments is of importance to environmental control and life support systems (ECLSS) and materials processing in space. A successful fluid phase separation experiment will demonstrate a proof of concept for the separation technique and add to the knowledge base of material behavior. The phase separation experiment will contain a premixed fluid that will be exposed to a microgravity environment. After the phase separation of the compound has occurred, small samples of each of the species will be taken for analysis on Earth. By correlating the time of separation and the temperature history of the fluid, it will be possible to characterize the process. The phase separation experiment is totally self-contained, with three levels of containment on all fluids, and provides all necessary electrical power and control. The controller regulates the temperature of the fluid and controls data logging and sampling. An astronaut-activated switch will initiate the experiment and an unmaskable interrupt is provided for shutdown. The experiment has been integrated into space available on a manifested Get Away Special (GAS) experiment, CONCAP 2, part of the Consortium for Materials Complex Autonomous Payload (CAP) Program, scheduled for STS 42 in April 1991. Presented here are the design and the production of a fluid phase separation experiment for rapid implementation at low cost.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1990

A new, simple electrostatic-acoustic hybrid levitator

Battelle has developed a hybrid levitator by combining the known single-axis acoustic standing wave levitator with a coaxial DC electric field. The resulting Coulomb forces on the charged liquid or solid sample support its weight and, together with the acoustic force, center the sample. Liquid samples with volumes approximately less than 100 micro-liters are deployed from a syringe reservoir into the acoustic pressure node. The sample is charged using a miniature high voltage power supply (approximately less than 20 kV) connected to the syringe needle. As the electric field, generated by a second miniature power supply, is increased, the acoustic intensity is reduced. The combination of both fields allows stable levitation of samples larger than either single technique could position on the ground. Decreasing the acoustic intensity reduces acoustic convection and sample deformation. Neither the electrostatic nor the acoustic field requires sample position sensing or active control. The levitator, now used for static and dynamic fluid physics investigations on the ground, can be easily modified for space operations.

Lierke, E. G.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Iridium profile for 10 million years across the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary at Gubbio (Italy)

The iridium anomaly at the Cretaceous-Tertiary (KT) boundary was discovered in the pelagic limestone sequence at Gubbio on the basis of 12 samples analyzed by neutron activation analysis (NAA) and was interpreted as indicating impact of a large extraterrestrial object at exactly the time of the KT mass extinction. Continuing controversy over the shape of the Ir profile at the Gubbio KT boundary and its interpretation called for a more detailed follow-up study. Analysis of a 57-meter-thick, 10-million-year-old part of the Gubbio sequence using improved NAA techniques revealed that there is only one Ir anomaly at the KT boundary, but this anomaly shows an intricate fine structure, the origin of which cannot yet be entirely explained. The KT Ir anomaly peaks in a 1-centimeter-thick clay layer, where the average Ir concentration is 3000 parts per trillion (ppt); this peak is flanked by tails with Ir concentrations of 20 to 80 ppt that rise above a background of 12 to 13 ppt. The fine structure of the tails is probably due in part to lateral reworking, diffusion, burrowing, and perhaps Milankovitch cyclicity.

Alvarez, Walter↗
NASA NTRS1992

Search for a meteoritic component at the Beaverhead impact structure, Montana

The Beaverhead impact structure, in southwestern Montana, was identified recently by the presence of shatter cones and impactites in outcrops of Proterozoic sandstones of the Belt Supergroup. The cones occur over an area greater than 100 sq km. Because the geologic and tectonic history of this region is long and complex, the outline of the original impact crater is no longer identifiable. The extent of the area over which shatter cones occur suggests, however, that the feature may have been at least 60 km in diameter. The absence of shatter cones in younger sedimentary units suggests that the impact event occurred in late Precambrian or early Paleozoic time. We have collected samples of shocked sandstone from the so-called 'Main Site' of dark-matrix breccias, and of impact breccias and melts from the south end of Island Butte. The melts, occurring often as veins through brecciated sandstone, exhibit a distinctive fluidal texture, a greenish color, and a cryptocrystalline matrix, with small inclusions of deformed sandstone. Samples of the same type, along with country rock, were analyzed previously for major- and trace-element abundances. It was found that, although the major-element composition as relatively uniform, trace-element composition showed variations between the melt material and the adjacent sandstone. These variations were attributed to extensive weathering and hydrothermal alteration. In a more specific search for a possible meteoritic signature in the breccia and the melt material we have conducted a new series of trace-element analyses on powders of our own samples by thermal neutron activation analysis. Our results indicate that Ir abundances in the breccia, the melts, and the adjacent sandstone clasts are no greater than about 0.1 ppb, suggesting no Ir enrichment of the breccia or the melts relative to the country rock. However, both the breccia and the melt material exhibit notable enrichments in Cr (8- and 10-fold), in U (9- and 5-fold), and in the heavy REE's (1.5- and 3-fold), respectively.

Lee, Pascal↗
NASA NTRS1992

Long Duration Space Materials Exposure (LDSE)

The Center on Materials for Space Structures (CMSS) at Case Western Reserve University is one of seventeen Commercial Centers for the Development of Space. It was founded to: (1) produce and evaluate materials for space structures; (2) develop passive and active facilities for materials exposure and analysis in space; and (3) develop improved material systems for space structures. A major active facility for materials exposure is proposed to be mounted on the exterior truss of the Space Station Freedom (SSF). This Long Duration Space Materials Exposure (LDSE) experiment will be an approximately 6 1/2 ft. x 4 ft. panel facing into the velocity vector (RAM) to provide long term exposure (up to 30 years) to atomic oxygen, UV, micro meteorites, and other low earth orbit effects. It can expose large or small active (instrumented) or passive samples. These samples may be mounted in a removable Materials Flight Experiment (MFLEX) carrier which may be periodically brought into the SSF for examination by CMSS's other SSF facility, the Space Materials Evaluation Facility (SMEF), which will contain a Scanning Electron Microscope, a Variable Angle & Scanning Ellipsometer, a Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer, and other analysis equipment. These facilities will allow commercial firms to test their materials in space and promptly obtain information on their materials survivability in the LEO environment.

Allen, David↗
NASA NTRS1991

High-Moisture Diet for Laboratory Rats: Complete Blood Counts, Serum Biochemical Values, and Intestinal Enzyme Activity

Rats were fed an irradiated high-moisture diet (KSC-25) with or without access to a water bottle. Physiologic values were compared between these two groups and a group of rats fed a purified diet. Hematologic and serum biochemical values, urine specific gravity, and intestinal enzyme activities were determined from samples collected from the three groups of rats. Sprague Dawley rats (n=32) fed the irradiated high-moisture diet with or without a water bottle were the test animals. Rats (n=16) fed an irradiated purified diet and water provided via a water bottle were the control group. The purified diet formulation, modified AIN-76A, is a commonly used purified diet for laboratory rodents. All rats remained alert and healthy throughout the study. A comparison of the physiologic values of rats in this study with reported normal values indicated that all of the rats in the study were in good health. Significant differences (P less than 0.05) of the physiologic values from each rat group are reported.

Battles, August H.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Assessment of Cognitive Processing by Multiple Sclerosis Patients Using Electroencephalographic Energy Density Analysis

Recent neuropsychological studies demonstrate that cognitive dysfunction is a common symptom in patients with multiple sclerosis. In many cases the presence of cognitive impairment affects the patient's daily activities to a greater extent than would be found due to their physical disability alone. Cognitive dysfunction can have a significant impact on the quality of life of both the patient and that of their primary caregiver. Two cognitively impaired male MS patients were given a visual discrimination task before and after a one hour cooling period. The subjects were presented a series of either red or blue circles or triangles. One of these combinations, or one fourth of the stimuli, was designated as the "target" presentation. EEG was recorded from 20 scalp electrodes using a Tracor Northern 7500 EEG/ERP system. Oral and ear temperatures were obtained and recorded manually every five minutes during the one hour cooling period. The EEG ERP signatures from each series of stimuli were analyzed in the energy density domain to determine the locus of neural activity at each EEG sampling time. The first subject's ear temperature did not decrease during the cooling period. It was actually elevated approximately 0.05C by the end of the cooling period compared to his mean of control period value. In turn, Subject One's discrimination performance and cortical energy remained essentially the same after body cooling. In contrast, Subject Two's ear temperature decreased approx. 0.8C during his cooling period. Subject Two's ERROR score decreased from 12 during the precooling control period to 2 after cooling. His ENERGY value increased approximately 300%, from a precooling value of approximately 200 to a postcooling value of nearly 600.

Montgomery, Leslie D.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Comparison of Satellite Observations of Nitrogen Dioxide to Surface Monitor Nitrogen Dioxide Concentration

Nitrogen dioxide is one of the U. S. EPA s criteria pollutants, and one of the main ingredients needed for the production of ground-level ozone. Both ozone and nitrogen dioxide cause severe public health problems. Existing satellites have begun to produce observational data sets for nitrogen dioxide. Under NASAs Earth Science Applications Program, we examined the relationship between satellite observations and surface monitor observations of this air pollutant to examine if the satellite data can be used to facilitate a more capable and integrated observing network. This report provides a comparison of satellite tropospheric column nitrogen dioxide to surface monitor nitrogen dioxide concentration for the period from September 1996 through August 1997 at more than 300 individual locations in the continental US. We found that the spatial resolution and observation time of the satellite did not capture the variability of this pollutant as measured at ground level. The tools and processes developed to conduct this study will be applied to the analysis of advanced satellite observations. One advanced instrument has significantly better spatial resolution than the measurements studied here and operates with an afternoon overpass time, providing a more representative distribution for once-per-day sampling of this photochemically active atmospheric constituent.

Kleb, Mary M.↗
NASA NTRS2009

Pulmonary Toxicity Studies of Lunar Dusts in Rodents

NASA will build an outpost on the lunar surface for long-duration human habitation and research. The surface of the Moon is covered by a layer of fine, reactive dust, and the living quarters in the lunar outpost are expected to be contaminated by lunar dust. Because the toxicity of lunar dust is not known, NASA has tasked its toxicology laboratory to evaluate the risk of exposure to the dust and to establish safe exposure limits for astronauts working in the lunar habitat. Studies of the pulmonary toxicity of a dust are generally done first in rodents by intratracheal/intrapharyngeal instillation. This toxicity screening test is then followed by an inhalation study, which requires much more of the test dust and is labor intensive. Preliminary results obtained by examining lung lavage fluid from dust-treated mice show that lunar dust was somewhat toxic (more toxic than TiO2, but less than quartz dust). More extensive studies are in progress to further examine lung lavage fluid for biomarkers of toxicity and lung tissues for histopathological lesions in rodents exposed to aged and activated (ground) lunar dust samples. In these studies, reference dusts (TiO2 and quartz) of known toxicities and have industrial exposure limits will be studied in parallel so the relative toxicity of lunar dust can be determined. The results from the instillation studies will be useful for choosing exposure concentrations for the animal inhalation study. The animal inhalation exposure will be conducted with lunar dust simulant prior to the study with the lunar dust. The experiment with the simulate will ensure that the study techniques used with actual lunar dust will be successful. The results of instillation and inhalation studies will reveal the toxicological risk of exposures and are essential for setting exposure limits on lunar dust for astronauts living in the lunar habitat.

Lam, Chiu-wing↗
NASA NTRS2012

Climate Models

Climate models is a very broad topic, so a single volume can only offer a small sampling of relevant research activities. This volume of 14 chapters includes descriptions of a variety of modeling studies for a variety of geographic regions by an international roster of authors. The climate research community generally uses the rubric climate models to refer to organized sets of computer instructions that produce simulations of climate evolution. The code is based on physical relationships that describe the shared variability of meteorological parameters such as temperature, humidity, precipitation rate, circulation, radiation fluxes, etc. Three-dimensional climate models are integrated over time in order to compute the temporal and spatial variations of these parameters. Model domains can be global or regional and the horizontal and vertical resolutions of the computational grid vary from model to model. Considering the entire climate system requires accounting for interactions between solar insolation, atmospheric, oceanic and continental processes, the latter including land hydrology and vegetation. Model simulations may concentrate on one or more of these components, but the most sophisticated models will estimate the mutual interactions of all of these environments. Advances in computer technology have prompted investments in more complex model configurations that consider more phenomena interactions than were possible with yesterday s computers. However, not every attempt to add to the computational layers is rewarded by better model performance. Extensive research is required to test and document any advantages gained by greater sophistication in model formulation. One purpose for publishing climate model research results is to present purported advances for evaluation by the scientific community.

Druyan, Leonard M.↗
NASA NTRS2011

From Paper to Production to Test: An Update on NASA's J-2X Engine for Exploration

The NASA/industry team responsible for developing the J-2X upper stage engine for the Space Launch System (SLS) Program has made significant progress toward moving beyond the design phase and into production, assembly, and test of development hardware. The J-2X engine exemplifies the SLS Program goal of using proven technology and experience from more than 50 years of United States spaceflight experience combined with modern manufacturing processes and approaches. It will power the second stage of the fully evolved SLS Program launch vehicle that will enable a return to human exploration of space beyond low earth orbit. Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne (PWR) is under contract to develop and produce the engine, leveraging its flight-proven LH2/LOX, gas generator cycle J-2 and RS-68 engine capabilities, recent experience with the X-33 aerospike XRS-2200 engine, and development knowledge of the J-2S tap-off cycle engine. The J- 2X employs a gas generator operating cycle designed to produce 294,000 pounds of vacuum thrust in primary operating mode with its full nozzle extension. With a truncated nozzle extension suitable to support engine clustering on the stage, the nominal vacuum thrust level in primary mode is 285,000 pounds. It also has a secondary mode, during which it operates at 80 percent thrust by altering its mixture ratio. The J-2X development philosophy is based on proven hardware, an aggressive development schedule, and early risk reduction. NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and PWR began development of the J-2X in June 2006. The government/industry team of more than 600 people within NASA and PWR successfully completed the Critical Design Review (CDR) in November 2008, following extensive risk mitigation testing. Assembly of the first development engine was completed in May 2011 and the first engine test was conducted at the NASA Stennis Space Center (SSC), test stand A2, on 14 July 2011. Testing of the first development engine will continue through the autumn of 2011, be paused for test stand modifications to the passive diffuser, and then restart in the spring of 2012. This testing will be followed by specialized powerpack testing intended to examine the design and operating margins of the engine turbomachinery. The development plan beyond this point leads through more system-level, engine testing of several samples, analytical model validation activities, functional and performance verification, and then ultimate certification to support human spaceflight. This paper will discuss the J-2X development background, provide top-level information on design and development planning, and will explore some of the development challenges and mitigation activities pursued to date.

Kynard, Michael↗
NASA NTRS2016

Evolution of the Lunar Receiving Laboratory to the Astromaterial Sample Curation Facility: Technical Tensions Between Containment and Cleanliness, Between Particulate and Organic Cleanliness

The Lunar Receiving Laboratory (LRL) was planned and constructed in the 1960s to support the Apollo program in the context of landing on the Moon and safely returning humans. The enduring science return from that effort is a result of careful curation of planetary materials. Technical decisions for the first facility included sample handling environment (vacuum vs inert gas), and instruments for making basic sample assessment, but the most difficult decision, and most visible, was stringent biosafety vs ultra-clean sample handling. Biosafety required handling of samples in negative pressure gloveboxes and rooms for containment and use of sterilizing protocols and animal/plant models for hazard assessment. Ultra-clean sample handling worked best in positive pressure nitrogen environment gloveboxes in positive pressure rooms, using cleanable tools of tightly controlled composition. The requirements for these two objectives were so different, that the solution was to design and build a new facility for specific purpose of preserving the scientific integrity of the samples. The resulting Lunar Curatorial Facility was designed and constructed, from 1972-1979, with advice and oversight by a very active committee comprised of lunar sample scientists. The high precision analyses required for planetary science are enabled by stringent contamination control of trace elements in the materials and protocols of construction (e.g., trace element screening for paint and flooring materials) and the equipment used in sample handling and storage. As other astromaterials, especially small particles and atoms, were added to the collections curated, the technical tension between particulate cleanliness and organic cleanliness was addressed in more detail. Techniques for minimizing particulate contamination in sample handling environments use high efficiency air filtering techniques typically requiring organic sealants which offgas. Protocols for reducing adventitious carbon on sample handling surfaces often generate particles. Further work is needed to achieve both minimal particulate and adventitious carbon contamination. This paper will discuss these facility topics and others in the historical context of nearly 50 years' curation experience for lunar rocks and regolith, meteorites, cosmic dust, comet particles, solar wind atoms, and asteroid particles at Johnson Space Center.

Allton, J. H.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Elucidating Microbial Adaptation Dynamics via Autonomous Exposure and Sampling

The adaptation of micro-organisms to their environments is a complex process of interaction between the pressures of the environment and of competition. Reducing this multifactorial process to environmental exposure in the laboratory is a common tool for elucidating individual mechanisms of evolution, such as mutation rates. Although such studies inform fundamental questions about the way adaptation and even speciation occur, they are often limited by labor-intensive manual techniques. Current methods for controlled study of microbial adaptation limit the length of time, the depth of collected data, and the breadth of applied environmental conditions. Small idiosyncrasies in manual techniques can have large effects on outcomes; for example, there are significant variations in induced radiation resistances following similar repeated exposure protocols. We describe here a project under development to allow rapid cycling of multiple types of microbial environmental exposure. The system allows continuous autonomous monitoring and data collection of both single species and sampled communities, independently and concurrently providing multiple types of controlled environmental pressure (temperature, radiation, chemical presence or absence, and so on) to a microbial community in dynamic response to the ecosystem's current status. When combined with DNA sequencing and extraction, such a controlled environment can cast light on microbial functional development, population dynamics, inter- and intra-species competition, and microbe-environment interaction. The project's goal is to allow rapid, repeatable iteration of studies of both natural and artificial microbial adaptation. As an example, the same system can be used both to increase the pH of a wet soil aliquot over time while periodically sampling it for genetic activity analysis, or to repeatedly expose a culture of bacteria to the presence of a toxic metal, automatically adjusting the level of toxicity based on the number or growth rate of surviving cells. We are on our second prototype iteration, with demonstrated functions of microbial growth monitoring and dynamic exposure to UV-C radiation and temperature. We plan to add functionality for general chemical presence or absence by Nov. 2013. By making the project low-cost and open-source, we hope to encourage others to use it as a basis for future development of a common microbial environmental adaptation testbed.

Microbiology↗
NASA NTRS2018

A Prototype Tool for Assessing Forward Contamination from Space Suits

Crewed exploration missions dramatically increase the capability for large-scale sample collection and return activities, but they also increase the possibility and likelihood of forward contamination. Systematic research on forward contamination from uncrewed spacecraft has steadily progressed since the Viking missions, but parallel research on contamination from space suits has not. Current space suits have leakage rates as high as 100 cc gas/min., but it is unclear how many or what types of microbes are exiting the suits along with this gas. The Human Forward Contamination Assessment team at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) has developed a prototype swab tool that is capable of maintaining sterility during pressure changes associated with entering and exiting vacuum. The primary objective of recent Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Swab Kit testing is to characterize the type of microorganisms typically found on spacesuit external surfaces under suit differential pressure conditions. Most human-associated microorganisms can fit through a 0.5 to 1.0 μm gap. Understanding potential leak paths will inform future hardware design decisions. Knowing which types of microorganisms may leak from EVA suits provides a basis for subsequent studies to characterize the viability of those organisms under destination conditions, as well as how far they might spread through natural or human-influenced processes. The results of EVA suit molecular microbial community analyses will inform NASA exploration mission operations and hardware design, and help close Strategic Knowledge Gap B5, Forward Contamination to Mars.

Rucker, M.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Space-Based Solar Power: An Enabler for Expanded Lunar Surface Exploration and Mobility Operations

The achievement of industrial and scientific goals set by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Artemis missions within the Moon to Mars (M2M) architecture greatly relies on the breadth and efficacy of lunar surface exploration. The lunar surface environment presents various challenges and complexities to sustainable mission operations and activities. Power generation and distribution capabilities are vital for exploration on the lunar surface, which can enable activities such as subsurface sample collection, permanently shadowed region (PSR) prospecting, and lunar terrain mapping. Innovative power technologies that demonstrate flexibility, reliability, and high capacity are desirable to achieve sustainable operations and infrastructure on the lunar surface. Studies have proposed solar-powered spacecraft in cislunar orbit capable of beaming power to lunar surface assets as a solution to this problem. This study analyzes the benefit that space-based solar power (SBSP) assets could deliver to the M2M architecture by measuring its potential to augment lunar surface exploration opportunity. Qualitative measures of SBSP’s potential impact will include, but not be limited to, power available across surface elements, surface mobility range, and delivered landed mass. These measures are assessed for a notional surface architecture measured against its baseline configuration (no external power augmentation). Additionally, this presentation will provide an overview of the SBSP system design configuration trade space, subsystem parameter trade space, and results from preliminary spacecraft concept of operations (ConOps) and sizing.

Space-based solar power↗
DOE OSTI2012

Thermal Removal Of Tritium From Concrete And Soil To Reduce Groundwater Impacts

Legacy heavy-water moderator operations at the Savannah River Site (SRS) have resulted in the contamination of equipment pads, building slabs, and surrounding soil with tritium. At the time of discovery the tritium had impacted the shallow (< 3-m) groundwater at the facility. While tritium was present in the groundwater, characterization efforts determined that a significant source remained in a concrete slab at the surface and within the associated vadose zone soils. To prevent continued long-term impacts to the shallow groundwater a CERCLA non-time critical removal action for these source materials was conducted to reduce the leaching of tritium from the vadose zone soils and concrete slabs. In order to minimize transportation and disposal costs, an on-site thermal treatment process was designed, tested, and implemented. The on-site treatment consisted of thermal detritiation of the concrete rubble and soil. During this process concrete rubble was heated to a temperature of 815 deg C (1,500 deg F) resulting in the dehydration and removal of water bound tritium. During heating, tritium contaminated soil was used to provide thermal insulation during which it&#x27;s temperature exceeded 100 deg C (212 deg F), causing drying and removal of tritium. The thermal treatment process volatiles the water bound tritium and releases it to the atmosphere. The released tritium was considered insignificant based upon Clean Air Act Compliance Package (CAP88) analysis and did not exceed exposure thresholds. A treatability study evaluated the effectiveness of this thermal configuration and viability as a decontamination method for tritium in concrete and soil materials. Post treatment sampling confirmed the effectiveness at reducing tritium to acceptable waste site specific levels. With American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding three additional treatment cells were assembled utilizing commercial heating equipment and common construction materials. This provided a total of four units to batch treat concrete rubble and soil. Post treatment sampling verified that the activity in the treated soil and concrete met the treatment standards for each medium which allowed the treated concrete rubble and soil to be disposed of on site as backfill. During testing and operations a total of 1,261-m{sup 3} (1,650-yd{sup 3}) of contaminated concrete and soils were treated with an actual incurred cost of $3,980,000. This represents a unit treatment cost of $3,156/m{sup 3} ($2,412/yd{sup 3}). In 2011 the project was recognized with an e-Star Sustainability Award by DOE&#x27;s Office of Environmental Management.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2011

Motion Tracking Of A Handheld Scanner With An Infrared Vision System

Handheld scanners are used in a large number of applications to inspect walls, floors, tanks, and other large structures. Measurements are made to characterize physical properties, uncover defects, detect evidence of tampering, quantify surface contamination, and so forth. Handheld scanning suffers from a number of drawbacks. The relationship between the data collected and scanned location is difficult or impossible to track. Humans using handheld scanners can unintentionally scan the same area multiple times or entirely overlook an area of interest. An automated scanner tracking system could improve upon current inspection practices with a handheld scanner in terms of efficiency, accuracy, and quality. The authors have developed a handheld scanner tracking system that will allow users to visualize previously scanned areas, highlight areas where important or unusual data are acquired, and store scanning location with acquired data. The scanned regions are saved in real time and projected back on the scanned area using a projector. The system currently utilizes the Smoothboard software, which has already been designed to interpret the location of a captured infrared source from a Wii Remote controller to create an interactive whiteboard. This software takes advantage of the Wii Remote’s ability to track the location of an infrared source, and when proper calibration of the Wii Remote orientation is complete, any surface can become a virtual whiteboard. In addition to recording and projecting scan pathways, the system developed by the authors can be used to make notes on the scanning process and project acquired data on top of the scanned area. This latter capability can be used to guide sample acquisition or demolition activities. This paper discusses development of the system and potential benefits to wall scanning with handheld scanners.

Wii Remote, Wall scanner, IR tracking, Motion Trac↗
DOE OSTI2011

Comparison of attenuation coefficients for VVER-440 and VVER-1000 pressure vessels

The paper summarizes the attenuation coefficient of the neutron fluence with E > 0.5 MeV through a reactor pressure vessel for vodo-vodyanoi energetichesky reactor (VVER) reactor types measured and/or calculated for mock-up experiments, as well as for operated nuclear power plant (NPP) units. The attenuation coefficient is possible to evaluate directly only by using the retro-dosimetry, based on a combination of the measured activities from the weld sample and concurrent ex-vessel measurement. The available neutron fluence attenuation coefficients (E > 0.5 MeV), calculated and measured at a mock-up experiment simulating the VVER-440-unit conditions, vary from 3.5 to 6.15. A similar situation is used for the calculations and mock-up experiment measurements for the VVER-1000 RPV, where the attenuation coefficient of the neutron fluence varies from 5.99 to 8.85. Because of the difference in calculations for the real units and the mock-up experiments, the necessity to design and perform calculation benchmarks both for VVER-440 and VVER-1000 would be meaningful if the calculation model is designed adequately to a given unit. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗