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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 109 records · Page 6

A Multi-Dimensional Benefit Assessment of Automated Mobility Platforms (AMP) for Large Facilities: Mobility, Energy, Equity, and Facility Management & Design

The goal of the automated mobility platforms (AMPs) initiative is to raise the bar of service regarding equity and sustainability for public mobility systems that are crucial to large facilities, and doing so using electrified, energy efficient technology. Using airports as an example, the rapid growth in air travel demand has led to facility expansions and congested terminals, which directly impacts equity (e.g., increased challenges for Passengers with Reduced Mobility [PRMs]) and sustainability - both of which are important metrics often overlooked during the engineering design process. Therefore, to evaluate systems and inform critical near- and long-term decisions more effectively, a holistic evaluation framework is proposed focused on four key areas: (1) mobility, with emphasis on travel time and accessibility within an airport, (2) environment, focused on energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with intra-airport mobility, (3) equity, specifically to the PRM community, but with an eye to the whole of society, and (4) built environment, or the fundamental changes in building design enabled by different mobility systems for larger and more flexible, functional, and energy-efficient structures. Below, AMPs are defined, and each metric is discussed further, all with a focus on airport mobility.

ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

The Linear Collider Facility (LCF) at CERN

In this paper we outline a proposal for a Linear Collider Facility as the next flagship project for CERN. It offers the opportunity for a timely, cost-effective and staged construction of a new collider that will be able to comprehensively map the Higgs boson's properties, including the Higgs field potential, thanks to a large span in centre-of-mass energies and polarised beams. A comprehensive programme to study the Higgs boson and its closest relatives with high precision requires data at centre-of-mass energies from the Z pole to at least 1 TeV. It should include measurements of the Higgs boson in both major production mechanisms, ee -> ZH and ee -> vvH, precision measurements of gauge boson interactions as well as of the W boson, Higgs boson and top-quark masses, measurement of the top-quark Yukawa coupling through ee ->ttH, measurement of the Higgs boson self-coupling through HH production, and precision measurements of the electroweak couplings of the top quark. In addition, ee collisions offer discovery potential for new particles complementary to HL-LHC.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Design of Modular Test Facility for Particle/sCO2 Heat Exchanger Evaluation

Heliogen has designed a 1.3 MW particle and supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) test loop to retire technical and manufacturing risks. The data from this facility will be used to validate near commercial-scale particle heat exchanger modules. The heat exchanger is scaled to capture all features of the full-scale modules. Testing will be conducted with CARBOBEAD HSP 16/30, a larger particle size than other recent testing. The system was designed to ASME codes with the constraint that sCO2 piping and other major components are stainless steels.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Hypersonic Research Facilities Study - Volume IV, Part 1: Phase III Final Studies Flight Research Facilities

The Phase III analyses of Flight Research Facilities performed as a portion of the Hypersonic Research Facilities (HYFAC) Study are presented herein. Two attractive flight research vehicle concepts, geared to the development needs of future (1980-2n00) operational hypersonic aircraft systems, are defined. The inherent research capability of each concept is further expanded by incorporating provisions within the basic vehicle design to accommodate the testing of several additional research options. The design feasibility of this approach to achieving increased research flexibility is examined. Near term propulsion systems are employed as the basic power plants to shorten acquisition time, reduce development costs, and provide high confidence in attaining the performance capability desired, Performance is determined for each basic vehicle and for the vehicles when incorporating several optional research packages. Total program cost estimates are developed for each vehicle and for the various research options. This study provides the necessary framework for the formulation of an attractive and needed flight research program which is a key element in the systematic development of an overall advanced research plan.

Source record↗

An inventory of aeronautical ground research facilities. Volume 2: Air breathing engine test facilities

The inventory covers free jet and direct connect altitude cells, sea level static thrust stands, sea level test cells with ram air, and propulsion wind tunnels. Free jet altitude cells and propulsion wind tunnels are used for evaluation of complete inlet-engine-exhaust nozzle propulsion systems under simulated flight conditions. These facilities are similar in principal of operation and differ primarily in test section concept. The propulsion wind tunnel provides a closed test section and restrains the flow around the test specimen while the free jet is allowed to expand freely. A chamber of large diameter about the free jet is provided in which desired operating pressure levels may be maintained. Sea level test cells with ram air provide controlled, conditioned air directly to the engine face for performance evaluation at low altitude flight conditions. Direct connect altitude cells provide a means of performance evaluation at simulated conditions of Mach number and altitude with air supplied to the flight altitude conditions. Sea level static thrust stands simply provide an instrumented engine mounting for measuring thrust at zero airspeed. While all of these facilities are used for integrated engine testing, a few provide engine component test capability.

Pirrello, C. J.↗

Noise measurements in a free-jet, flight simulation facility - Shear layer refraction and facility-to-flight corrections

The conversion of free-jet facility into equivalent flyover results is discussed. The essential problem is to 'calibrate out' the acoustic influence of the outer free-jet shear layer on the measurement, since this is absent in the flight case. Results are presented which illustrate the differences between current simplified models (vortex-sheet and geometric acoustics), and a more complete model based on the Lilley equation. Finally, the use of geometric acoustics for facility-to-flight data conversion is discussed.

Morfey, C. L.↗

A high-Reynolds-number seal test facility: Facility description and preliminary test data

A facility has been developed for testing the leakage and rotordynamic characteristics of interstage-seal configurations for the HPFTP (High Pressure Fuel Turbopump) of the SSME (Space Shuttle Main Engine). Axial Reynolds numbers on the order of 400,000 are realized in the test facility by using a Dupont freon fluid called Halon (CBrF3). The kinematic viscosity of Halon is of the same order as the liquid hydrogen used in the HPFTP. Initial testing has focused on the current flight configurations (a three-segment, stepped unit) and a convergent-taper candidate.

Childs, D. W.↗

Advanced Distributed Measurements and Data Processing at the Vibro-Acoustic Test Facility, GRC Space Power Facility, Sandusky, Ohio - an Architecture and an Example

A large-scale, distributed, high-speed data acquisition system (HSDAS) is currently being installed at the Space Power Facility (SPF) at NASA Glenn Research Center s Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, OH. This installation is being done as part of a facility construction project to add Vibro-acoustic Test Capabilities (VTC) to the current thermal-vacuum testing capability of SPF in support of the Orion Project s requirement for Space Environments Testing (SET). The HSDAS architecture is a modular design, which utilizes fully-remotely managed components, enables the system to support multiple test locations with a wide-range of measurement types and a very large system channel count. The architecture of the system is presented along with details on system scalability and measurement verification. In addition, the ability of the system to automate many of its processes such as measurement verification and measurement system analysis is also discussed.

Hill, Gerald M.↗

Space Propulsion Research Facility (B-2): An Innovative, Multi-Purpose Test Facility

The Space Propulsion Research Facility, commonly referred to as B-2, is designed to hot fire rocket engines or upper stage launch vehicles with up to 890,000 N force (200,000 lb force), after environmental conditioning of the test article in simulated thermal vacuum space environment. As NASA s third largest thermal vacuum facility, and the largest designed to store and transfer large quantities of propellant, it is uniquely suited to support developmental testing associated with large lightweight structures and Cryogenic Fluid Management (CFM) systems, as well as non-traditional propulsion test programs such as Electric and In-Space propulsion. B-2 has undergone refurbishment of key subsystems to support the NASA s future test needs, including data acquisition and controls, vacuum, and propellant systems. This paper details the modernization efforts at B-2 to support the Nation s thermal vacuum/propellant test capabilities, the unique design considerations implemented for efficient operations and maintenance, and ultimately to reduce test costs.

Hill, Gerald M.↗

Combustion chemistry of ethanol: Ignition and speciation studies in a rapid compression facility [On the combustion chemistry of ethanol: Ignition and speciation studies in a rapid compression facility]

Here, ethanol remains the most important alternative fuel for the transportation sector. This work presents new experimental data on ethanol ignition, including stable species measurements, obtained with the University of Michigan rapid compression facility. Ignition delay times were determined from pressure histories of ignition experiments with stoichiometric ethanol–air mixtures at pressures of ~3–10 atm. Temperatures (880–1150 K) were controlled by varying buffer gas composition (Ar, N 2 , CO 2 ). High-speed imaging was used to record chemiluminescence during the experiments, which showed homogeneous ignition events. The results for ignition delay time agreed well with trends on the basis of previous experimental measurements. Speciation experiments were performed using fast gas sampling and gas chromatography to identify and quantify ethanol and 11 stable intermediate species formed during the ignition delay period. Simulations were carried out using a chemical kinetic mechanism available in the literature, and the agreement with the experimental results for ignition delay time and the intermediate species measured was excellent for the majority of the conditions studied. From the simulation results, ethanol + HO 2 was identified as an important reaction at the experimental conditions for both the ignition delay time and intermediate species measurements. Further studies to improve the accuracy of the rate coefficient for ethanol + HO 2 would improve the predictive understanding of intermediate and low-temperature ethanol combustion.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Capsule implosions for continuum x-ray backlighting of opacity samples at the National Ignition Facility

Direct drive implosions of plastic capsules have been performed at the National Ignition Facility to provide a broad-spectrum (500–2000 eV) X-ray continuum source for X-ray transmission spectroscopy. The source was developed for the high-temperature plasma opacity experimental platform. Initial experiments using 2.0 mm diameter polyalpha-methyl styrene capsules with ~20 μm thickness have been performed. X-ray yields of up to ~1 kJ/sr have been measured using the Dante multichannel diode array. The backlighter source size was measured to be ~100 μm FWHM, with ~350 ps pulse duration during the peak emission stage. Lastly, these results are used to simulate transmission spectra for a hypothetical iron opacity sample at 150 eV, enabling the derivation of photometrics requirements for future opacity experiments.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Time-resolved PIV measurements in a low-aspect ratio facility of randomly packed spheres and flow analysis using modal decomposition

This work experimentally investigated the flow characteristics in a facility with randomly packed spheres at a low-aspect ratio of 4.4. Velocity fields in the near-wall region and in the pores between spheres were obtained by employing the matched-index-of-refraction (MIR) and time-resolved particle image velocimetry (TR-PIV) techniques for Reynolds numbers of 340, 520, and 720. From the obtained TR-PIV velocity vector fields, flow characteristics including first- and second-order statistics, such as mean velocity, root-mean-square fluctuating velocity, and Reynolds stress profiles, were computed. The effects of the wall enclosure and Reynolds numbers on the flow patterns were investigated by comparing the computed flow statistics and evaluating two-point cross correlations of the velocities measured adjacent to and far from the wall. Comparisons of the mean velocities, root-mean-square fluctuating velocities, and Reynolds stress component showed an increase in flow mixing and turbulent intensity in the gaps between spheres in the packed bed. The re-circulation-region sizes, however, were found to be independent from an increase in Reynolds numbers. Finally, flow modal decompositions, such as the proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) and dynamic mode decomposition (DMD), were applied to the vorticity fields extracted from sub-regions located near and far from the wall to reveal the most dominant POD and DMD flow structures.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Conceptual magnet design study for fusion nuclear science facility [Magnet design study for fusion nuclear science facility]

The Fusion Nuclear Science Facility (FNSF) is a nuclear confinement device to provide the integrated fusion environment with fusion reactor components. The FNSF is the stepping stone to bridge the technical gaps of burning plasma and nuclear science between the International Thermal Nuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), currently under construction in the south of France, and the demonstration power plant (DEMO). For the next-step fusion reactors, resistive copper magnet cannot be a sustainable solution due to large power consumption in coils of large size needed. Both Low temperature superconductor (LTS) and high temperature superconductor (HTS) are considered for the FNSF magnet design based on the state-of-the-art fusion superconducting magnet technology. Input parameters to FNSF magnet design include magnetic field of 7.5 T at plasma center with a major radius of 4.8 m and minor radius of 1.2 m, and a peak field of over 16 T on the TF coils. The high magnetic field can be achieved by using the high performance ternary Restack Rod Process (RRP) Nb3Sn strands for toroidal field (TF) magnets and a high aspect ratio rectangular cable-in-conduit conductor (CICC) design. The conductor design concept and TF coil winding pack composition and dimension are discussed based on the horizontal maintenance scheme. Neutron radiation limits for the LTS and HTS conductors and electrical insulation materials are reviewed based on the available materials previously tested. The material radiation limits for FNSF magnets are defined as part of the conceptual design studies. In conclusion, the global structural analysis of FNSF magnets based on the radial build was performed to validate feasibility for the plant layout toward horizontal maintenance and global structural integrity of its magnet system.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

A facile cathode design combining Ni-rich layered oxides with Li-rich layered oxides for lithium-ion batteries

A facile synthesis method was developed to prepare xLi 2 MnO 3 ·(1-x)LiNi 0.7 Co 0.15 Mn 0.15 O 2 (x = 0, 0.03, 0.07, 0.10, 0.20, and 0.30 as molar ratio) cathode materials, combining the advantages of high specific capacity from Ni-rich layered phase and surface chemical stability from Li-rich layered phase. X-ray diffraction (XRD), high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) and electrochemical charge/discharge performance confirm the formation of a Li-rich layered phase with C2/m symmetry. Most importantly, high-angle annular dark-field (HAADF) scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) reveals a spatial relationship that Li-rich nano-domain islands are integrated into a conventional Ni-rich layered matrix (R$\bar{3}$m). This is the first time that Li-rich phase has been directly observed inside a particle at the nano-scale, when the overall composition of layered compounds (Li 1+δ Ni x Mn y M 1-x-y-δ O 2 , M refers to transition metal elements) is Ni-rich (x > 0.5) rather than Mn-rich (y > 0.5). Remarkably, xLi 2 MnO 3 ·(1-x)LiNi 0.7 Co 0.15 Mn 0.15 O 2 cathode with optimized x value shows superior electrochemical performance at C/3, i.e., 170 mA h g -1 with 90.3 % of capacity retention after 400 cycles at 25 °C and 164 mA h g -1 with 81.3 % capacity retention after 200 cycles at 55 °C.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Four-harmonic buncher for radioactive and stable beams switching at the ATLAS facility [Four-harmonic buncher for radioactive and stable beams combination at the ATLAS facility]

Here, the Argonne Tandem Linac Accelerator System (ATLAS) is planning an upgrade to a multi-user facility to simultaneously accelerate both stable beams from an ECR ion source and radioactive beams from an Electron Beam Ion Source charge breeder. The ATLAS Multi-User Upgrade will need to provide high transmission of ion beams with a mass-to-charge ratio up to 7 as it enables more options to alternate radioactive and stable beams. Currently, the bunching is provided with a lumped circuit multi-harmonic buncher, which cannot effectively operate at the required amplitude of the saw-tooth voltage for ions with mass-to-charge ratio of 7 due to thermal issues. RadiaBeam Systems in collaboration with Argonne National Laboratory has designed a four-harmonic coaxial resonator buncher with the ATLAS fundamental frequency of 12.125 MHz, and a compact, less than 2-m-long, footprint, capable of providing the required voltage of 6.2 kV. This device allows fast and reliable pre-bunching of DC ion beams with the capability of fast switching of heavy-ion radioactive and stable beams for delivery to multiple users. In this paper, we will discuss the RF and engineering design considerations of this buncher.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗