Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Lab Analysis”

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 109 records · Page 6
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Behind the Meter Solar+Storage: Market data and trends [Slides]

As the distributed solar market evolves toward more dynamic forms of deployment, interest in paired solar-plus-storage applications continues to gain steam, but details on the current state of the market are relatively sparse. To fill that void, Berkeley Lab has released an in-depth analysis of this budding market segment. This report draws on the Lab’s Tracking the Sun dataset to characterize trends in deployment, system sizing and equipment selection, installer-market development, and system pricing. The report also provides indicative analyses of the financial and resilience value that host customers in several key markets presently receive by pairing storage with solar.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS2006

Projecting Future Scheduled Airline Demand, Schedules and NGATS Benefits Using TSAM

The Transportation Systems Analysis Model (TSAM) developed by Virginia Tech s Air Transportation Systems Lab and NASA Langley can provide detailed analysis of the effects on the demand for air travel of a full range of NASA and FAA aviation projects. TSAM has been used to project the passenger demand for very light jet (VLJ) air taxi service, scheduled airline demand growth and future schedules, Next Generation Air Transportation System (NGATS) benefits, and future passenger revenues for the Airport and Airway Trust Fund. TSAM can project the resulting demand when new vehicles and/or technology is inserted into the long distance (100 or more miles one-way) transportation system, as well as, changes in demand as a result of fare yield increases or decreases, airport transit times, scheduled flight times, ticket taxes, reductions or increases in flight delays, and so on. TSAM models all long distance travel in the contiguous U.S. and determines the mode choice of the traveler based on detailed trip costs, travel time, schedule frequency, purpose of the trip (business or non-business), and household income level of the traveler. Demand is modeled at the county level, with an airport choice module providing up to three airports as part of the mode choice. Future enplanements at airports can be projected for different scenarios. A Fratar algorithm and a schedule generator are applied to generate future flight schedules. This paper presents the application of TSAM to modeling future scheduled air passenger demand and resulting airline schedules, the impact of NGATS goals and objectives on passenger demand, along with projections for passenger fee receipts for several scenarios for the FAA Airport and Airway Trust Fund.

Dollyhigh, Samuel↗
DOE OSTI2023

Utility-Scale Solar, 2023 Edition: Analysis of Empirical Plant-level Data from U.S. Ground-mounted PV, PV+battery, and CSP Plants (exceeding 5 MWAC)

Berkeley Labs "Utility-Scale Solar", 2023 Edition presents analysis of empirical plant-level data from the U.S. fleet of ground-mounted photovoltaic (PV), PV+battery, and concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP) plants with capacities exceeding 5 MWAC. While focused on key developments in 2022, this report explores trends in deployment, technology, capital and operating costs, capacity factors, the levelized cost of solar energy (LCOE), power purchase agreement (PPA) prices, wholesale market value, and interconnection queue data.

analysis↗
DOE OSTI2022

Utility-Scale Solar, 2022 Edition: Analysis of Empirical Plant-level Data from U.S. Ground-mounted PV, PV+battery, and CSP Plants (exceeding 5 MWAC)

Berkeley Labs "Utility-Scale Solar", 2022 Edition presents analysis of empirical plant-level data from the U.S. fleet of ground-mounted photovoltaic (PV), PV+battery, and concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP) plants with capacities exceeding 5 MWAC. While focused on key developments in 2021, this report explores trends in deployment, technology, capital and operating costs, capacity factors, the levelized cost of solar energy (LCOE), power purchase agreement (PPA) prices, wholesale market value, and interconnection queue data.

2022↗
DOE OSTI2024

Utility-Scale Solar, 2024 Edition: Analysis of Empirical Plant-level Data from U.S. Ground-mounted PV, PV+battery, and CSP Plants (exceeding 5 MWAC)

Berkeley Labs "Utility-Scale Solar", 2024 Edition presents analysis of empirical plant-level data from the U.S. fleet of ground-mounted photovoltaic (PV), PV+battery, and concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP) plants with capacities exceeding 5 MWAC. While focused on key developments in 2023, this report explores trends in deployment, technology, capital and operating costs, capacity factors, the levelized cost of solar energy (LCOE), power purchase agreement (PPA) prices, wholesale market value, net value, and interconnection queue data.

analysis↗
NASA NTRS2013

Automated, Ultra-Sterile Solid Sample Handling and Analysis on a Chip

There are no existing ultra-sterile lab-on-a-chip systems that can accept solid samples and perform complete chemical analyses without human intervention. The proposed solution is to demonstrate completely automated lab-on-a-chip manipulation of powdered solid samples, followed by on-chip liquid extraction and chemical analysis. This technology utilizes a newly invented glass micro-device for solid manipulation, which mates with existing lab-on-a-chip instrumentation. Devices are fabricated in a Class 10 cleanroom at the JPL MicroDevices Lab, and are plasma-cleaned before and after assembly. Solid samples enter the device through a drilled hole in the top. Existing micro-pumping technology is used to transfer milligrams of powdered sample into an extraction chamber where it is mixed with liquids to extract organic material. Subsequent chemical analysis is performed using portable microchip capillary electrophoresis systems (CE). These instruments have been used for ultra-highly sensitive (parts-per-trillion, pptr) analysis of organic compounds including amines, amino acids, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, and thiols. Fully autonomous amino acid analyses in liquids were demonstrated; however, to date there have been no reports of completely automated analysis of solid samples on chip. This approach utilizes an existing portable instrument that houses optics, high-voltage power supplies, and solenoids for fully autonomous microfluidic sample processing and CE analysis with laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection. Furthermore, the entire system can be sterilized and placed in a cleanroom environment for analyzing samples returned from extraterrestrial targets, if desired. This is an entirely new capability never demonstrated before. The ability to manipulate solid samples, coupled with lab-on-a-chip analysis technology, will enable ultraclean and ultrasensitive end-to-end analysis of samples that is orders of magnitude more sensitive than the ppb goal given in the Science Instruments.

Mora, Maria F.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Taking three-dimensional x-ray diffraction (3DXRD) from the synchrotron to the laboratory scale

Three-dimensional x-ray diffraction (3DXRD), a rotating x-ray diffraction technique, is a powerful tool for studying the micromechanical behavior of polycrystalline materials, capable of measuring the volume, position, orientation, and strain of thousands of grains simultaneously. However, its application has been historically limited to synchrotron facilities. Here, we present the first demonstration of laboratory-scale 3DXRD (Lab-3DXRD) using a liquid-metal-jet source. Lab-3DXRD achieves accuracy comparable to synchrotron-based 3DXRD, as validated against laboratory diffraction contrast tomography (LabDCT) and synchrotron-3DXRD. Over 96% of the grains detected with Lab-3DXRD are cross-validated, particularly for coarse grains (> ~60 μm), while the results suggest that finer grains should be accessible by taking advantage of high-efficiency detectors. We further demonstrate that its sensitivity to finer grains is enhanced by incorporating pre-characterization into the analysis. This study establishes Lab-3DXRD as a practical alternative to synchrotron techniques, making 3DXRD accessible to a wider range of academic and industrial researchers.

characterization and analytical techniques↗
DOE OSTI2023

FY23 Update: Aerosol Sampling for the Canister Deposition Field Demonstration

This report describes the results of preliminary testing of aerosol monitoring equipment that will be used to continuously monitor the aerosol source term for the multi-year Canister Deposition Field Demonstration (CDFD). These data are required inputs for the development and validation of models for the deposition of dust and potentially corrosive salts on the surface of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) dry storage canisters. Surface salt loads correlate with the extent of corrosion damage on a metal surface, and potentially to the likelihood and timing of initiation of stress corrosion cracks. Aerosols will be monitored at the CDFD site using three instruments. A Dekati ® ELPI+ cascade impactor will be used for real-time monitoring of aerosol particle sizes. It will also collect dust in 14 size bins on impactor targets that can be chemically analyzed to determine the soluble salts present as a function of particle size. However, this instrument can only measure dried aerosols, with a diameter of <10 µm. The second instrument is a Topas laser particle size spectrometer, which provides real-time monitoring of aerosol particle sizes up to ~40 µm in size. It monitors both the ambient (potentially deliquesced) aerosol particle size distributions required for the dust deposition models and the distributions of the equivalent dried particles, allowing correlation with the Dekati ® data. However, it does not discriminate between inert dust particles and salt aerosols, and it does not retain samples of the different particle sizes for later analysis. The third instrument that will monitor aerosols at the CDFD site is a Clean Air Status and Trends Network (CASTNET) tower, which uses a multiple canister system to collect weekly samples for analysis to total suspended aerosol particle compositions and atmospheric gas concentrations. This status report describes work in FY23 to develop the capabilities for using these tools. In two training exercises, the cascade impactor and laser particle sizer were deployed in two different testing environments, one indoor and one outdoor. For the cascade impactor, the tests provided opportunities for the operators to familiarize themselves with impactor substrate preparation, and post-test sample removal and analysis. For the laser particle sizer, the tests were used to evaluate different instrument parameters, to determine the most appropriate settings for capturing transient events. Data and samples were collected for weeks to months for each test, and the results are presented here. In addition to the preliminary testing, contracts were developed with WSP Analytical Labs for sample preparation and analysis of the cascade impactor samples. The impactor tower from outdoor test was delivered to WSP and used to train the staff there in disassembly, sample extraction, sample analysis, and tower reassembly with new target substrates. These are tasks that WSP will be performing routinely for the CDFD project. The CASTNET system cannot be purchased or tested until an actual site has been selected for the CDFD test. Work for this FY has been restricted to preparation of contracts for purchasing the CASTNET tower, and for sample analysis, once the tower is in operation.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Keyhole-mode Microscopy Dataset for Laser Powder-bed Fusion Modeling

Laser powder-bed fusion (LPBF) is an additive manufacturing (AM) technology that uses high-power sintering lasers to precisely construct metal designs. Material is accumulated by selectively sintering regions of a metal powder layer to a growing structure underneath forming a 3D geometry. Certain conditions make fusion in this process to operate in "keyhole-mode," characterized by targeted materials evaporating as plasma. While keyhole-mode operations can produce deeper molten pools than that observed in "conduction-mode", this mode of operation is often undesirable, as its molten regions can collapse on themselves, encapsulating metal vapors and forming cavities. The formation of such cavities negatively affects strength and consistency of the fused materials. To identify and avoid these detrimental effects of keyhole-mode operation, considerable data collection and analysis regarding this mode of operation is needed. Therefore, under the support of the "Open Data Initiative," Lawrence Livermore National Lab is releasing a dataset for analysis of this keyhole effect, and the conditions which transition operation from conduction-mode to keyhole-mode melting. This dataset consists of 600+ micrographs from laser powder-bed single track runs, with differing cross-section angles and input parameters, operating under both normal and keyhole mode operations. This journal documents the collection, organization, and usage of this dataset.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1993

Minispacecraft for a multiple-asteroid rendezvous mission

The development of the Multiple Asteroid Rendezvous Tracker and Explorer spacecraft, which is designed for the analysis of the composition and the motion of several main-belt asteroids, is discussed. The mission includes a laboratory lander craft (the main lab) and several minispacecraft. The main lab will be equipped with a complete sample analysis laboratory and multiple external sensors. Each of the minispacecraft, which are much smaller than the main lab and contain only a few instruments, is targeted to rendezvous with an asteroid, on which it will land and perform a preliminary surface analysis. This will identify the most scientifically interesting asteroid. The main lab will then be sent to this asteroid for performing a detailed analysis including soil sampling.

Fowler, Wallace T.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Proton Spin Structure from Simultaneous Monte Carlo Global QCD Analysis

Despite the great effort and achievements made towards understanding proton spin structure in the past few decades, a complete picture is still elusive. Parton distribution functions (PDFs), which in quantum chromodynamics (QCD) encode the momentum and helicity distributions of quarks and gluons inside a proton, provide the means by which to quantify the proton structure information. Being inherently nonperturbative, PDFs have to be extracted from unpolarized and polarized lepton-hadron and hadron-hadron scattering data. In particular, experiments that measure unpolarized and polarized jet observables can provide insight into the momentum and helicity distributions of gluons, which have generally been more difficult to determine reliably than those of quarks. In the past, extraction of the spin-averaged and spin-dependent (or helicity) PDFs has been performed in separate analyses. In this thesis, we perform the first simultaneous extraction of both types of quantities from deep-inelastic scattering (DIS), Drell-Yan and single jet observables, within the Monte Carlo global QCD analysis framework developed by the Jefferson Lab Angular Momentum (JAM) Collaboration. The results from this work indicate that the gluon helicity distributions depend rather strongly on the theory assumptions on which the global analysis is based, which calls for the need of measurements with higher precision. As an application of the new simultaneous JAM analysis, we perform an impact study for future Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) data with parity-conserving and parity-violating polarization asymmetries on quark and gluon helicity distributions in the proton. The extrapolation of structure functions from the current data is studied for the first time in the context of the impact study. Theory assumptions, such as SU(2) and SU(3) flavor symmetries, are also studied to give a more thorough understanding of the impact of EIC pseudodata on proton spin structure.

Zhou, Yiyu↗
NASA NTRS2017

Human Factors Virtual Analysis Techniques for NASA's Space Launch System Ground Support using MSFC's Virtual Environments Lab (VEL)

Using virtual environments to assess complex large scale human tasks provides timely and cost effective results to evaluate designs and to reduce operational risks during assembly and integration of the Space Launch System (SLS). NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) uses a suite of tools to conduct integrated virtual analysis during the design phase of the SLS Program. Siemens Jack is a simulation tool that allows engineers to analyze human interaction with CAD designs by placing a digital human model into the environment to test different scenarios and assess the design's compliance to human factors requirements. Engineers at MSFC are using Jack in conjunction with motion capture and virtual reality systems in MSFC's Virtual Environments Lab (VEL). The VEL provides additional capability beyond standalone Jack to record and analyze a person performing a planned task to assemble the SLS at Kennedy Space Center (KSC). The VEL integrates Vicon Blade motion capture system, Siemens Jack, Oculus Rift, and other virtual tools to perform human factors assessments. By using motion capture and virtual reality, a more accurate breakdown and understanding of how an operator will perform a task can be gained. By virtual analysis, engineers are able to determine if a specific task is capable of being safely performed by both a 5% (approx. 5ft) female and a 95% (approx. 6'1) male. In addition, the analysis will help identify any tools or other accommodations that may to help complete the task. These assessments are critical for the safety of ground support engineers and keeping launch operations on schedule. Motion capture allows engineers to save and examine human movements on a frame by frame basis, while virtual reality gives the actor (person performing a task in the VEL) an immersive view of the task environment. This presentation will discuss the need of human factors for SLS and the benefits of analyzing tasks in NASA MSFC's VEL.

Searcy, Brittani↗
DOE OSTI2021

Life Cycle Assessment and Techno-Economic Assessment of Lithium Recovery from Geothermal Brine

Lithium-ion batteries (LIB) play an essential role in the electrification of the transportation sector, and battery demand for lithium compounds will see a significant increase in the coming decades. This has raised concerns on the supply of lithium, and as a result, technologies are being developed to process unconventional lithium sources. One promising technology is to extract lithium from geothermal brine using lithium-aluminum-layered double hydroxide chloride (LDH) sorbent and forward osmosis. A combined life cycle assessment (LCA) and techno-economic assessment (TEA) is conducted to evaluate the environmental and economic performance of this technology. It is assumed that the lithium extraction unit is an add-on to a 50 MW geothermal power plant located in California. The analysis is based on lab-scale experimental data and stoichiometry while considering the economy of scale for an industrial system. LCA results suggest that, compared with conventional LiOH and Li 2 CO 3 production pathways, the new technology achieves 1–95% reduction in environmental impacts. Even higher reduction can be achieved for LiOH produced via electrolysis. This add-on unit for lithium extraction could achieve a payback period of less than 1 year and reach net present values of $454M and $315M and internal rates of return of 792 and 1130% for LiOH and Li 2 CO 3 production pathways, respectively. The favorable environmental and economic performance suggests that LDH sorption coupled with forward osmosis has great potential to enable the domestic production of battery lithium compounds and that further development should be carried out.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Measuring Neutron Polarisation in Deuteron Photo-disintegration with the CLAS Start Counter [Thesis]

Deuteron photo-disintegration (γd → γp) is a reaction that represents the simplest case in which nuclear and hadron physics models can be tested. Despite this, associated polarization analyses are limited in terms of angular coverage and energy ranges, especially in observables related to the recoil neutron. This is largely due to a lack in dedicated polarimetry equipment, and represents a roadblock in global progress to understand high-energy phenomena such as hexaquarks, and quark-gluon degrees of freedom. To address this problem, this PhD thesis pioneers a new methodology for the parasitic measurement of nucleon polarization using kinematic reconstruction of (spin-dependent) nucleon-nucleus scattering of reaction products, prior to their detection in large acceptance particle detector apparatus. Following this novel approach, which requires no dedicated polarimeter, a determination of the double polarization observable, $C^n_{x'}$, from deuteron photo-disintegration is presented, using Jefferson Lab’s CLAS detector. The analysis utilizes the (n,p) charge exchange reaction in CLAS’s "start counter" (plastic scintillator) to determine the final state neutron polarizations. The results present the first ever data for this observable above 0.7 GeV (photon beam energy) and significantly extend the angular range of the world data set. This new data is largely statistically consistent with the previous measurement of $C^n_{x'}$ by Bashkanov et al . in the overlapping energy range of 0.4-0.7 GeV. It is planned for the statistical accuracy of the presented result to be increased by the inclusion of additional data. The analysis herein serves as a key proof of concept for future applications, including a recommended similar analysis to be implemented with data from the more modern CLAS12 detector. This paves the way for a plethora of additional analyses using existing data sets that would provide crucial new constraints for hadron and nuclear physics.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2021

FRET-based dynamic structural biology: Challenges, perspectives and an appeal for open-science practices

Single-molecule FRET (smFRET) has become a mainstream technique for studying biomolecular structural dynamics. The rapid and wide adoption of smFRET experiments by an ever-increasing number of groups has generated significant progress in sample preparation, measurement procedures, data analysis, algorithms and documentation. Several labs that employ smFRET approaches have joined forces to inform the smFRET community about streamlining how to perform experiments and analyze results for obtaining quantitative information on biomolecular structure and dynamics. The recent efforts include blind tests to assess the accuracy and the precision of smFRET experiments among different labs using various procedures. These multi-lab studies have led to the development of smFRET procedures and documentation, which are important when submitting entries into the archiving system for integrative structure models, PDB-Dev. This position paper describes the current ‘state of the art’ from different perspectives, points to unresolved methodological issues for quantitative structural studies, provides a set of ‘soft recommendations’ about which an emerging consensus exists, and lists openly available resources for newcomers and seasoned practitioners. To make further progress, we strongly encourage ‘open science’ practices.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2008

NASA Dryden Flight Loads Laboratory

This viewgraph presentation reviews the work of the Dryden Flight Loads Laboratory. The capabilities and research interests of the lab are: Structural, thermal, & dynamic analysis; Structural, thermal, & dynamic ground-test techniques; Advanced structural instrumentation; and Flight test support.

Horn, Tom↗
NASA NTRS2017

Contamination Knowledge Strategy for the Mars 2020 Sample-Collecting Rover

The Mars 2020 rover will collect carefully selected samples of rock and regolith as it explores a potentially habitable ancient environment on Mars. Using the drill, rock cores and regolith will be collected directly into ultraclean sample tubes that are hermetically sealed and, later, deposited on the surface of Mars for potential return to Earth by a subsequent mission. Thorough characterization of any contamination of the samples at the time of their analysis will be essential for achieving the objectives of Mars returned sample science (RSS). We refer to this characterization as contamination knowledge (CK), which is distinct from contamination control (CC). CC is the set of activities that limits the input of contaminating species into a sample, and is specified by requirement thresholds. CK consists of identifying and characterizing both potential and realized contamination to better inform scientific investigations of the returned samples. Based on lessons learned by other sample return missions with contamination-sensitive scientific objectives, CC needs to be "owned" by engineering, but CK needs to be "owned" by science. Contamination present at the time of sample analysis will reflect the sum of contributions from all contamination vectors up to that point in time. For this reason, understanding the integrated history of contamination may be crucial for deciphering potentially confusing contaminant-sensitive observations. Thus, CK collected during the Mars sample return (MSR) campaign must cover the time period from the initiation of hardware construction through analysis of returned samples in labs on Earth. Because of the disciplinary breadth of the scientific objectives of MSR, CK must include a broad spectrum of contaminants covering inorganic (i.e., major, minor, and trace elements), organic, and biological molecules and materials.

Farley, K. A.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Shallow Geothermal Resources for Cooling Applications at the University of Hawai‘i

Scientists at Berkeley Lab have teamed up with The University of Hawai‘i at Manoa (UH Manoa) through the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project (ETIPP) to evaluate the technological and market feasibility of shallow geothermal heat exchanger (GHE) technology for building cooling, energy efficiency, and emissions reduction applications in Hawai’i. The team is assessing the data necessary to model the feasibility of deploying this technology, the actual models that will be used, and what hurdles need to be overcome to install a demonstration case. UH has an abundance of geologic and geothermal data and is looking to the national labs’ expertise to execute this analysis. UH is also interested in investigating policy, regulatory, and business conditions advantageous for implementation of a pilot project, and more broad deployment of this technology in Hawai‘i. In many locations around the world, the demands for heating and cooling are roughly balanced over the course of the year, so GHEs do not cause significant long-term changes in subsurface temperature. This is not the case in Hawai’i, where the demand for heating is very small, meaning that over time, GHEs will add heat to the subsurface. If temperatures increase significantly, GHE systems will not work as designed. Regional groundwater flow has the potential to sweep heated water away from boreholes, thereby maintaining the functionality of the GHE system. Significant regional groundwater flow requires two things: a sufficiently large driving hydraulic head gradient (usually closely related to surface topography), and sufficient porosity and permeability to enable groundwater to flow in large enough quantities to enable near-borehole temperatures to be maintained at ambient values. Hawai‘i’s volcanic terrain offers ample surface topographic variation. The lava itself shows an extremely large range of porosity and permeability, making it crucial to select sites with large enough values of these properties. Numerical modeling of coupled groundwater and heat flow can be used to determine how large is large enough. Both closed-loop and open-loop systems are being investigated. Another option being considered is using cool seawater as the source of chill. Currently work is progressing on two fronts. A hydrogeologic model for a closed-loop system is being developed for the Stan Sheriff Center at the UH Manoa campus, where a subsurface karst system immediately downgradient of the borefield may provide efficient removal of heated groundwater. The team will also develop a technoeconomic model for this site to compare the cost of cooling using a GHE system with the costs of operating the current air conditioning system. At the state scale, geographic information system (GIS) layers of various attributes relevant for GHE are being combined to develop an overall favorability map for employing GHE in Hawai‘i.

Doughty, C↗