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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
DOE OSTI2025

AL-CRADA-2025-01 Final Report: American-Made Wind Turbine Materials Recycling Prize Accelerate! Phase 2

This report summarizes the Phase 2 achievements of the Wind Turbine Materials Recycling Prize project led by Critical Materials Recycling (CMR) in partnership with Ames National Laboratory. The team demonstrated the technical feasibility and economic viability of recovering and reusing rare-earth Nd-Fe-B magnets from end-of-life (EOL) wind turbine generators. Through mechanical disassembly, demagnetization, and precision processing, magnets were harvested and characterized to assess structural, compositional, and magnetic properties. Results showed that recovered magnets performed on par with commercial-grade counterparts, enabling their integration into actuator and motor prototypes without redesign. System-level modeling and finite-element simulations validated operational performance, while Life Cycle Cost (LCC) analysis revealed up to 20% material cost savings and 2–3% reductions in overall motor system costs. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) further confirmed substantial environmental benefits, including a ~94% reduction in global warming potential relative to virgin magnet production. The project’s success was enabled by a tightly integrated partnership between industry and national lab experts, illustrating a viable path for domestic magnet-to-magnet recycling. These findings support a scalable, circular solution for rare-earth material recovery, reducing dependence on imported critical minerals and advancing sustainable clean energy technologies.

Lograsso, Thomas [Ames Laboratory (AMES), Ames, IA↗
NASA NTRS1985

Development and testing of tip devices for horizontal axis wind turbines

A theoretical and field experimental program has been carried out to investigate the use of tip devices on horizontal axis wind turbine rotors. The objective was to improve performance by the reduction of tip losses. While power output can always be increased by a simple radial tip extension, such a modification also results in an increased gale load both because of the extra projected area and longer moment arm. Tip devices have the potential to increase power output without such a structural penalty. A vortex lattice computer model was used to optimize three basic tip configuration types for a 25 kW stall limited commercial wind turbine. The types were a change in tip planform, and a single-element and double-element nonplanar tip extension (winglets). A complete data acquisition system was developed which recorded three wind speed components, ambient pressure, temperature, and turbine output. The system operated unattended and could perform real-time processing of the data, displaying the measured power curve as data accumulated in either a bin sort mode or polynomial curve fit. Approximately 270 hr of perormance data were collected over a three-month period. The sampling interval was 2.4 sec; thrus over 400,000 raw data points were logged. Results for each of the three new tip devices, compared with the original tip, showed a small decrease (of the order of 1 kW) in power output over the measured range of wind speeds from cut-in at about 4 m/s to over 20 m/s, well into the stall limiting region. Changes in orientation and angle-of-attack of the winglets were not made. For aircraft wing tip devices, favorable tip shapes have been reported and it is likely that the tip devices tested in this program did not improve rotor performance because they were not optimally adjusted.

Gyatt, G. W.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Development of a CFD code for casting simulation

Because of high rejection rates for large structural castings (e.g., the Space Shuttle Main Engine Alternate Turbopump Design Program), a reliable casting simulation computer code is very desirable. This code would reduce both the development time and life cycle costs by allowing accurate modeling of the entire casting process. While this code could be used for other types of castings, the most significant reductions of time and cost would probably be realized in complex investment castings, where any reduction in the number of development castings would be of significant benefit. The casting process is conveniently divided into three distinct phases: (1) mold filling, where the melt is poured or forced into the mold cavity; (2) solidification, where the melt undergoes a phase change to the solid state; and (3) cool down, where the solidified part continues to cool to ambient conditions. While these phases may appear to be separate and distinct, temporal overlaps do exist between phases (e.g., local solidification occurring during mold filling), and some phenomenological events are affected by others (e.g., residual stresses depend on solidification and cooling rates). Therefore, a reliable code must accurately model all three phases and the interactions between each. While many codes have been developed (to various stages of complexity) to model the solidification and cool down phases, only a few codes have been developed to model mold filling.

Murph, Jesse E.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Decentralized Control of Sound Radiation from an Aircraft-Style Panel Using Iterative Loop Recovery

A decentralized LQG-based control strategy is designed to reduce low-frequency sound transmission through periodically stiffened panels. While modern control strategies have been used to reduce sound radiation from relatively simple structural acoustic systems, significant implementation issues have to be addressed before these control strategies can be extended to large systems such as the fuselage of an aircraft. For instance, centralized approaches typically require a high level of connectivity and are computationally intensive, while decentralized strategies face stability problems caused by the unmodeled interaction between neighboring control units. Since accurate uncertainty bounds are not known a priori, it is difficult to ensure the decentralized control system will be robust without making the controller overly conservative. Therefore an iterative approach is suggested, which utilizes frequency-shaped loop recovery. The approach accounts for modeling error introduced by neighboring control loops, requires no communication between subsystems, and is relatively simple. The control strategy is validated using real-time control experiments performed on a built-up aluminum test structure representative of the fuselage of an aircraft. Experiments demonstrate that the iterative approach is capable of achieving 12 dB peak reductions and a 3.6 dB integrated reduction in radiated sound power from the stiffened panel.

Schiller, Noah H.↗
NASA NTRS2015

ExMC Work Prioritization Process

Last year, NASA's Human Research Program (HRP) introduced the concept of a "Path to Risk Reduction" (PRR), which will provide a roadmap that shows how the work being done within each HRP element can be mapped to reducing or closing exploration risks. Efforts are currently underway within the Exploration Medical Capability (ExMC) Element to develop a structured, repeatable process for prioritizing work utilizing decision analysis techniques and risk estimation tools. The goal of this effort is to ensure that the work done within the element maximizes risk reduction for future exploration missions in a quantifiable way and better aligns with the intent and content of the Path to Risk Reduction. The Integrated Medical Model (IMM) will be used to identify those conditions that are major contributors of medical risk for a given design reference mission. For each of these conditions, potential prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment methods will be identified. ExMC will then aim to prioritize its potential investments in these mitigation methods based upon their potential for risk reduction and other factors such as vehicle performance impacts, near term schedule needs, duplication with external efforts, and cost. This presentation will describe the process developed to perform this prioritization and inform investment discussions in future element planning efforts. It will also provide an overview of the required input information, types of process participants, figures of merit, and the expected outputs of the process.

Simon, Matthew↗
DOE OSTI2019

Effects of Lanthanum on Structural and Magnetic Properties of Sr{sub 1−x}La{sub (2/3)x}Fe{sub 12}O{sub 19} Compounds: Theoretical and Experimental Results

Pre-reacted powders of M-type strontium hexaferrites with chemical composition Sr{sub 1−x}La{sub (2/3)x}Fe{sub 12}O{sub 19} (x = 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 0.5, 0.6) were obtained from the conventional solid state reaction method. The final consolidation of these powders were performed by using the spark plasma sintering (SPS) technique. The influence of the La{sup 3+} content on the crystal structure and the magnetic properties of the samples were investigated firstly under the framework of a phenomenological model that predicted the cation substitution/distribution in the Sr and/or Fe sites. The theoretical results indicated that La{sup 3+} ion mostly occupies the Sr{sup 2+} site. It was also found that as La content increased, a certain amount of Fe{sup 2+} ions appear as a consequence of the Fe{sup 3+} to Fe{sup 2+} reduction. However, the Fe{sup 2+} occupied preferably the 12k and 4f1 iron sites. The magnetic properties of the obtained samples were assessed by measurements performed in a vibrating sample magnetometer. Also, X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements were presented as a complementary characterization. We have found that the magnetic properties of the samples degraded as the La{sup 3+} content increased and the increase of the Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} impurity phase.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2016

Band structure of germanium carbides for direct bandgap silicon photonics

Compact optical interconnects require efficient lasers and modulators compatible with silicon. Ab initio modeling of Ge{sub 1−x}C{sub x} (x = 0.78%) using density functional theory with HSE06 hybrid functionals predicts a splitting of the conduction band at Γ and a strongly direct bandgap, consistent with band anticrossing. Photoreflectance of Ge{sub 0.998}C{sub 0.002} shows a bandgap reduction supporting these results. Growth of Ge{sub 0.998}C{sub 0.002} using tetrakis(germyl)methane as the C source shows no signs of C-C bonds, C clusters, or extended defects, suggesting highly substitutional incorporation of C. Optical gain and modulation are predicted to rival III–V materials due to a larger electron population in the direct valley, reduced intervalley scattering, suppressed Auger recombination, and increased overlap integral for a stronger fundamental optical transition.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2018

Structures of the intermediates of Kok’s photosynthetic water oxidation clock

Inspired by the period-four oscillation in flash-induced oxygen evolution of photosystem II discovered by Joliot in 1969, Kok performed additional experiments and proposed a five-state kinetic model for photosynthetic oxygen evolution, known as Kok’s S-state clock or cycle. The model comprises four (meta)stable intermediates (S 0 , S 1 , S 2 and S 3 ) and one transient S 4 state, which precedes dioxygen formation occurring in a concerted reaction from two water-derived oxygens bound at an oxo-bridged tetra manganese calcium (Mn 4 CaO 5 ) cluster in the oxygen-evolving complex. This reaction is coupled to the two-step reduction and protonation of the mobile plastoquinone QB at the acceptor side of PSII. Here in this paper, using serial femtosecond X-ray crystallography and simultaneous X-ray emission spectroscopy with multi-flash visible laser excitation at room temperature, we visualize all (meta)stable states of Kok’s cycle as high-resolution structures (2.04–2.08 Å). In addition, we report structures of two transient states at 150 and 400 µs, revealing notable structural changes including the binding of one additional ‘water’, Ox, during the S 2 →S 3 state transition. Our results suggest that one water ligand to calcium (W3) is directly involved in substrate delivery. The binding of the additional oxygen Ox in the S 3 state between Ca and Mn1 supports O–O bond formation mechanisms involving O5 as one substrate, where Ox is either the other substrate oxygen or is perfectly positioned to refill the O5 position during O 2 release. Thus, our results exclude peroxo-bond formation in the S 3 state, and the nucleophilic attack of W3 onto W2 is unlikely.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS1984

Experimental investigation of shock-cell noise reduction for dual-stream nozzles in simulated flight

Six scale-model nozzles were tested in an anechoic facility to evauate the effectiveness of convergent-divergent (C-D) terminations in reducing shock-cell noise of unsuppressed and mechanically suppressed coannular plug nozzles. One hundred fifty-three acoustic test points with inverted velocity profiles were conducted under static and simulated flight conditions. Diagnostic flow visualization with a shadowgraph and velocity measurements with a laser velocimeter were performed on selected plumes. Shock-cells were identified on the plug and downstream of the plug of the unsuppressed convergent coannular nozzle with truncated plug. Broadband peak frequencies predicted with the two shock-cell structures were correlated with the observed spectra using the measured shock-cell spacings. Relative to a convergent circular nozzle, the perceived noise level (PNL) data at an observer angle of 60 deg relative to inlet, indicated a reduction of (1) 6.5 dB and 9.2 dB with unsuppressed C-D coannular nozzle with truncated plug and (2) 7.7 dB and 8.3 dB with suppressed C-D coannular nozzle under static and simulated flight conditions, espectively. The unsuppressed C-D coannular nozzle with truncated plug, operating at the C-D design condition, had shock-cells downstream of the plug with no shock-cells on the plug. The downstream shock-cells were eliminated by replacing the truncated plug with a smooth extension to obtain an additional 2.4 dB and 3 dB front quadrant PNL reduction, under static and simulated flight conditions, respectively. Other results are discussed.

Janardan, B. A.↗
DOE OSTI2015

Research and Development of Multiphysics Models in Support of the Conversion of the High Flux Isotope Reactor to Low Enriched Uranium Fuel

The findings presented in this report are results of a five year effort led by the RRD Division of the ORNL, which is focused on research and development toward the conversion of the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) fuel from high-enriched uranium (HEU) to low-enriched uranium (LEU). This report focuses on the tasks accomplished by the University of Tennessee Knoxville (UTK) team from the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering (MABE) that provided expert support in multiphysics modeling of complex problems associated with the LEU conversion of the HFIR reactor. The COMSOL software was used as the main computational modeling tool, whereas Solidworks was also used in support of computer-aided-design (CAD) modeling of the proposed LEU fuel design. The UTK research has been governed by a statement of work (SOW), which was updated annually to clearly define the specific tasks reported herein. Ph.D. student Isaac T. Bodey has focused on heat transfer and fluid flow modeling issues and has been aided by his major professor Dr. Rao V. Arimilli. Ph.D. student Franklin G. Curtis has been focusing on modeling the fluid-structure interaction (FSI) phenomena caused by the mechanical forces acting on the fuel plates, which in turn affect the fluid flow in between the fuel plates, and ultimately the heat transfer, is also affected by the FSI changes. Franklin Curtis has been aided by his major professor Dr. Kivanc Ekici. M.Sc. student Adam R. Travis has focused two major areas of research: (1) on accurate CAD modeling of the proposed LEU plate design, and (2) reduction of the model complexity and dimensionality through interdimensional coupling of the fluid flow and heat transfer for the HFIR plate geometry. Adam Travis is also aided by his major professor, Dr. Kivanc Ekici. We must note that the UTK team, and particularly the graduate students, have been in very close collaboration with Dr. James D. Freels (ORNL technical monitor and mentor) and have benefited greatly from his leadership and expertise in COMSOL modeling of complex physical phenomena. Both UTK and ORNL teams have used COMSOL releases 3.4 through 5.0 inclusive (with particular emphasis on 3.5a, 4.3a, 4.3b, and 4.4) for most of the work described in this report, except where stated otherwise. Just as in the performance of the research, each of the respective sections has been originally authored by respective authors. Therefore, the reader will observe a contrast in writing style throughout this document.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2016

P and S wave responses of bacterial biopolymer formation in unconsolidated porous media

This study investigated the P and S wave responses and permeability reduction during bacterial biopolymer formation in unconsolidated porous media. Column experiments with fine sands, where the model bacteria Leuconostoc mesenteroides were stimulated to produce insoluble biopolymer, were conducted while monitoring changes in permeability and P and S wave responses. The bacterial biopolymer reduced the permeability by more than 1 order of magnitude, occupying ~10% pore volume after 38 days of growth. This substantial reduction was attributed to the bacterial biopolymer with complex internal structures accumulated at pore throats. S wave velocity (V S ) increased by more than ~50% during biopolymer accumulation; this indicated that the bacterial biopolymer caused a certain level of stiffening effect on shear modulus of the unconsolidated sediment matrix at low confining stress conditions. Whereas replacing pore water by insoluble biopolymer was observed to cause minimal changes in P wave velocity (VP) due to the low elastic moduli of insoluble biopolymer. The spectral ratio analyses revealed that the biopolymer formation caused a ~50-80% increase in P wave attenuation (1/Q P ) at the both ultrasonic and subultrasonic frequency ranges, at hundreds of kHz and tens of kHz, respectively, and a ~50-60% increase in S wave attenuation (1/Q S ) in the frequency band of several kHz. Our results reveal that in situ biopolymer formation and the resulting permeability reduction can be effectively monitored by using P and S wave attenuation in the ultrasonic and subultrasonic frequency ranges. Finally, this suggests that field monitoring using seismic logging techniques, including time-lapse dipole sonic logging, may be possible.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

Hydrogen sensor based on Sm-doped SnO{sub 2} nanostructures

In this paper the effect of samarium doping on the structural and hydrogen gas sensing properties of SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles has been reported. X-ray Diffraction (XRD) results revealed tetragonal rutile structure of both undoped and Sm-doped SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles. It has been observed that doping with samarium led to reduction in crystallite size of SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles which was confirmed from XRD analysis. Shifting and broadening of Raman peaks in case of doped nanoparticles has been explained by well-known phonon confinement model. The optimum operable temperature of both the sensors was found to 400 °C and the sensor response towards hydrogen gas has been improved after doping with samarium which was attributed to increase in sensing sites for the gas adsorption.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Engineering diamond interfaces free of dark spins

Nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond are utilized extensively as quantum sensors for imaging fields at the nanoscale. The ultrahigh sensitivity of NV magnetometers has enabled the detection and spectroscopy of individual electron spins, with potentially far-reaching applications in condensed matter physics, spintronics, and molecular biology. However, the surfaces of these diamond sensors naturally contain electron spins, which create a background signal that can be hard to differentiate from the signal of the target spins. In this study, we develop a surface modification approach that eliminates the unwanted signal of these so-called dark electron spins. Our surface passivation technique, based on coating diamond surfaces with a thin titanium oxide (Ti⁢O 2 ) layer, reduces the dark spin density. The observed reduction in dark spin density aligns with our findings on the electronic structure of the diamond-Ti⁢O 2 interface. The reduction, from a typical value of 2000 μm −2 to a value below that set by the detection limit of our NV sensors (200 μm −2 ), results in a twofold increase in Hahn-echo coherence time of near surface NV centers. Furthermore, we derive a comprehensive spin model that connects dark spin relaxation with NV coherence, providing additional insights into the mechanisms behind the observed spin dynamics. Our findings are directly transferable to other quantum platforms, including nanoscale solid-state qubits and superconducting qubits.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Response of a Strongly Eddying Global Ocean to North Atlantic Freshwater Perturbations

The strongly eddying version of the Parallel Ocean Program (POP) is used in two 45-yr simulations to investigate the response of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) to strongly enhanced freshwater input due to Greenland melting, with an integrated flux of 0.5 Sverdrups (Sv; 1 Sv ≡ 10 6 m 3 s -1 ). For comparison, a similar set of experiments is performed using a noneddying version of POP. The aim is to identify the signature of the salt advection feedback in the two configurations. For this reason, surface salinity is not restored in these experiments. The freshwater input leads to a quantitatively comparable reduction of the overturning strength in the two models. To examine the importance of transient effects in the relation between AMOC strength and density distribution, the results of the eddy-resolving model are related to water mass transformation theory. The freshwater forcing leads to a reduction of the rate of light to dense water conversion in the North Atlantic, but there is no change in dense to light transformation elsewhere, implying that high density layers are continuously deflating. The main focus of the paper is on the effect of the AMOC reduction on the basinwide advection of freshwater. The low-resolution model results show a change of the net freshwater advection that is consistent with the salt advection feedback. However, for the eddy-resolving model, the net freshwater advection into the Atlantic basin appears to be unaffected, despite the significant change in the large-scale velocity structure.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2013

Loss of the Arabidopsis thaliana P 4 -ATPase ALA3 Reduces Adaptability to Temperature Stresses and Impairs Vegetative, Pollen, and Ovule Development

Members of the P 4 subfamily of P-type ATPases are thought to help create asymmetry in lipid bilayers by flipping specific lipids between the leaflets of a membrane. This asymmetry is believed to be central to the formation of vesicles in the secretory and endocytic pathways. In Arabidopsis thaliana, a P 4 -ATPase associated with the trans-Golgi network (ALA3) was previously reported to be important for vegetative growth and reproductive success. Here we show that multiple phenotypes for ala3 knockouts are sensitive to growth conditions. For example, ala3 rosette size was observed to be dependent upon both temperature and soil, and varied between 40% and 80% that of wild-type under different conditions. We also demonstrate that ala3 mutants have reduced fecundity resulting from a combination of decreased ovule production and pollen tube growth defects. In-vitro pollen tube growth assays showed that ala3 pollen germinated ~2 h slower than wild-type and had approximately 2-fold reductions in both maximal growth rate and overall length. In genetic crosses under conditions of hot days and cold nights, pollen fitness was reduced by at least 90-fold; from ~18% transmission efficiency (unstressed) to less than 0.2% (stressed). Together, these results support a model in which ALA3 functions to modify endomembranes in multiple cell types, enabling structural changes, or signaling functions that are critical in plants for normal development and adaptation to varied growth environments.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Nonlinear Characterization of a Joint Exhibiting a Reduction in Damping at High Energy

Even with the advent of additive manufacturing, the vast majority of complex structures are comprised of individual components held together with bolted joints. However, bolted joints present a challenge for mechanical design as they are a source of nonlinearity and increase the uncertainty in the overall behavior of the system in a dynamic environment. While many advances have been made in the ability to accurately model and test bolted joints, it is still an open area of research. Modes of vibration that exercise bolted joints typically exhibit nonlinear behavior where, with increased excitation level, the natural frequency decreases (i.e. softens) and the damping increases. However, the system under study for this work has an axial mode which does not follow this trend; it does soften as expected, but, after an initial increase, the apparent damping decreases with excitation amplitude. At the highest excitation level, the frequency of the mode decreases to that of a nearby bending mode and the response is amplified nearly 500% above that at lower levels. It is unclear whether the decrease in damping is due to the coupling of the two modes or if it is a characteristic of the axial mode. Therefore, the objective of this project is to investigate the coupling between the axial and bending modes and the dynamics leading to the decrease in damping.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS1974

The surface geometry of inherited joint and fracture trace patterns resulting from active and passive deformation

Hypothetical models are considered for detecting subsurface structure from the fracture or joint pattern, which may be influenced by the structure and propagated to the surface. Various patterns of an initially orthogonal fracture grid are modeled according to active and passive deformation mechanisms. In the active periclinal structure with a vertical axis, fracture frequency increased both over the dome and basin, and remained constant with decreasing depth to the structure. For passive periclinal features such as a reef or sand body, fracture frequency is determined by the arc of curvature and showed a reduction over the reefmound and increased over the basin.

Podwysocki, M. H.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Dynamic modeling and adaptive control for space stations

Of all large space structural systems, space stations present a unique challenge and requirement to advanced control technology. Their operations require control system stability over an extremely broad range of parameter changes and high level of disturbances. During shuttle docking the system mass may suddenly increase by more than 100% and during station assembly the mass may vary even more drastically. These coupled with the inherent dynamic model uncertainties associated with large space structural systems require highly sophisticated control systems that can grow as the stations evolve and cope with the uncertainties and time-varying elements to maintain the stability and pointing of the space stations. The aspects of space station operational properties are first examined, including configurations, dynamic models, shuttle docking contact dynamics, solar panel interaction, and load reduction to yield a set of system models and conditions. A model reference adaptive control algorithm along with the inner-loop plant augmentation design for controlling the space stations under severe operational conditions of shuttle docking, excessive model parameter errors, and model truncation are then investigated. The instability problem caused by the zero-frequency rigid body modes and a proposed solution using plant augmentation are addressed. Two sets of sufficient conditions which guarantee the globablly asymptotic stability for the space station systems are obtained.

Ih, C. H. C.↗