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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 1,099 records · Page 61

Regulations, Codes, and Standards (RCS) for Large-Scale Hydrogen Systems

Hydrogen has potential applications that require larger-scale storage, use, and handling systems than currently are employed in emerging-market fuel cell applications. These potential applications include hydrogen generation and storage systems that would support electrical grid systems. There has been extensive work evaluating regulations, codes, and standards (RCS) for the emerging fuel cell market, such as the infrastructure required to support fuel cell electric vehicles. However, there has not been a similar RCS evaluation and development process for these larger systems. This paper presents an evaluation of the existing RCS in the United States for large-scale systems and identifies potential RCS gaps. This analysis considers large-scale hydrogen technologies that are currently being employed in limited use but may be more widely used as large-scale applications expand. The paper also identifies areas of potential safety research that would need to be conducted to fill the RCS gaps. U.S. codes define bulk hydrogen storage systems but do not define large-scale systems. This paper evaluates potential applications to define a large-scale hydrogen system relative to the systems employed in emerging technologies such as hydrogen fuelling stations. These large-scale systems would likely be of similar size to or larger than industrial hydrogen systems.

08 HYDROGEN↗

Sampling device

The present invention relates to a device for sampling internal substance(s) in the gastrointestinal tract of an animal composed of at least one wall which is partially expandable. The invention also relates to a method of orally administering the device to an animal and recovering the device from the stool to carry out analysis on the collected sample for diagnosing the health of the gastrointestinal tract and determining nutrient absorption and digestibility.

Wrigglesworth, David↗

SAM Finite Volume Method Development Status Update: GCR Application, Restart, and MultiApp

The System Analysis Module (SAM) is being developed as a modern system analysis code for advanced non-light-water-reactor safety analysis under the U.S. DOE NEAMS program. Previous feasibility studies have demonstrated that a staggered-grid finite volume method (SG-FVM), implemented under the MOOSE framework, can deliver more than an order of magnitude speedup over the existing continuous Galerkin finite element method (CG-FEM) solver for liquid-cooled, incompressible but thermally expandable flow systems. This work extends the previous effort to compressible, gas-cooled reactor applications, where pressure couples directly into the mass equation adding additional nonlinearity into the equation system. New code capabilities are implemented for pebble bed high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (PB-HTGR) analysis, including a pebble bed CoreChannel component, built-in pebble bed effective thermal conductivity model and channel-to-channel crossflow model. The capabilities are tested, benchmarked, and demonstrated for problems with increased level of model and physical complexities, including the HTTU effective thermal conductivity test, the SANA passive cooling test, and a demonstration case using the GPBR200 reactor design covering steady-state operation, DLOFC and PLOFC transients. Across all cases, the SG-FVM solver demonstrated strong robustness and efficiency, and the solutions agree well with reference results and data. The finding of this work proves that SG-FVM is a viable and efficient solver pathway for compressible, gas-cooled reactor system analysis in SAM. In addition, work has been done to successfully support SAM-FVM recover/restart code feature that is essential to reactor safety analysis applications, and MultiApp code feature that is essential to multi-scale and multi-physics simulations. In summary, this work continued from previous feasibility studies, and further demonstrated that the SG-FVM will serve as a strong foundation for SAM’s advanced solver algorithm for future deployment.

Zou, Ling↗

Analysis of a Shock-Associated Noise Prediction Model Using Measured Jet Far-Field Noise Data

A code for predicting supersonic jet broadband shock-associated noise was assessed using a database containing noise measurements of a jet issuing from a convergent nozzle. The jet was operated at 24 conditions covering six fully expanded Mach numbers with four total temperature ratios. To enable comparisons of the predicted shock-associated noise component spectra with data, the measured total jet noise spectra were separated into mixing noise and shock-associated noise component spectra. Comparisons between predicted and measured shock-associated noise component spectra were used to identify deficiencies in the prediction model. Proposed revisions to the model, based on a study of the overall sound pressure levels for the shock-associated noise component of the measured data, a sensitivity analysis of the model parameters with emphasis on the definition of the convection velocity parameter, and a least-squares fit of the predicted to the measured shock-associated noise component spectra, resulted in a new definition for the source strength spectrum in the model. An error analysis showed that the average error in the predicted spectra was reduced by as much as 3.5 dB for the revised model relative to the average error for the original model.

Dahl, Milo D.↗

Multi-year analysis of physical interactions between solar PV arrays and underlying soil-plant complex in vegetated utility-scale systems

Concerns over the land use changes impacts of solar photovoltaic (PV) development are increasing as PV energy development expands. Co-locating utility-scale solar energy with vegetation may maintain or rehabilitate the land's ability to provide ecosystem services. Previous studies have shown that vegetation under and around the panels may improve the performance of the co-located PV and that PV may create a favorable environment for the growth of vegetation. While there have been some pilot-scale experiments, the existence and magnitude of these benefits of vegetation has not been confirmed in a utility-scale PV facility over multiple years. In this study we use power output data coupled with microclimatic measurements in temperate climates to assess these potential benefits. Here this study combines multi-year microclimatic measurements to analyze the physical interactions between PV arrays and the underlying soil-vegetation system in three utility-scale PV facilities in Minnesota, USA. No significant cooling of PV panels or increased power production was observed in PV arrays with underlying vegetation. Fine soil particle fraction was the highest in soils within PV arrays with the vegetation which was attributable to the lowest wind speeds from the compounding suppression of wind by vegetation and PV arrays. Soil moisture and soil nutrient response to re-vegetation varied between PV facilities, which could be attributed to differing soil texture. No statistically significant vegetation-driven panel cooling was observed in this climate. This finding prompts a need for site-specific studies to identify contributing factors for environmental co-benefits in co-located systems.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

A pilot's subjective analysis of a Cockpit Display of Traffic Information (CDTI)

Both the advent of electronic displays for cockpit applications and the availability of high-capacity data transmission systems, linking aicraft with ATC ground computers, offer the opportunity of expanding the pilots' role in the distributive management process. A critical element in this process is believed to be the presentation to the pilot of his traffic situation. A representative cockpit display of traffic information (CDTI) system is presented as viewed from the pilot in the cockpit, and the research results from flight tests presented. The use of advanced controls and displays allows for presentation to the pilot, large quantities of information that he has not had before. The real challenge in the design of an operational CDTI system will be the satisfaction of needs for information and the presentation of all necessary information, only in a useable format in order to avoid clutter. Even though a reasonably large display was utilized in these tests, display clutter was the primary problem from the standpoint of information assimilation.

Keyser, G. L., Jr.↗

An Analysis of Closure Mechanisms in the Plasma Wake of the TSS-1R Satellite

Collisionless Plasma Expansion (CPE), also known as "plasma expansion into a vacuum," in its most fundamental form, is the process by which a plasma expands into a void, or region highly depleted of particles. In CPE, the expansion is driven by the highly mobile electron constituent of the plasma as it moves across the density gradient and into the void region. A bi-polar electric field is set up between this rapidly expanding electron front and the massive ions, which have a low thermal speed and lag behind in the region of the plasma-void interface. These ions are quickly accelerated by the expansion electric field and can, theoretically, approach the thermal speed of the electrons. CPE is a fundamental and a very robust process in that it only requires that a sharp density gradient exist in a plasma. It has already been observed to exist in various plasmas ranging over five orders of magnitude in density. The range of phenomena in which CPE has been observed includes the closure of plasma wakes created in simulated space plasmas in the laboratory; it was found to be the process controlling the refilling of the wake created by the Space Shuttle in the ionospheric plasma; and recent in situ data, obtained by the WIND spacecraft as it passed through the wake of the earth's moon last year, have shown CPE to be involved in the closure of the Lunar wake. CPE is also expected to influence the morphology and physics of the solar wind interactions with Mercury and Mars, and has been suggested as a potential factor in such wide ranging phenomena as the acceleration of plasma away from the coma of comets and the energization of ions that underlies the upward expansion of the polar wind into the earth's magnetosphere. The Tethered Satellite System (TSS)-1R data provides an opportunity to test this process in situ under semi-controlled conditions. The available data shows the intensity, drift energy and angle of inclination to the wake of the converging ion streams at a down stream distance of one satellite radius (80 CM).

Stone, N. H.↗

Life Cycle Analysis of Natural Gas Extraction and Power Generation

This analysis calculates the life cycle environmental burdens for natural gas systems. Two system boundaries are used: a cradle-to-gate boundary that allows analysis of the natural gas supply chain, and a cradle-to-grave boundary that allows analysis of electricity produced from natural gas. For the cradle-to-gate boundary, the functional unit (i.e., the delivered service) is 1 MJ of natural gas delivered by local distribution companies. When the boundaries are expanded to include power generation, the functional unit is the delivery of 1 megawatt-hour (MWh) of electricity to the consumer.

03 NATURAL GAS↗

Refined Analysis of CO2 Emissions in Urban Air Mobility Networks

In this study, we examine the environmental impact of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) operations as measured via carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by leveraging a computational model from previous studies that has been refined and expanded. Several scenarios are examined in which total transportation emissions for a representative day in a metro area are distributed differently among vehicle types and transportation modes. Specifically, we investigate the use of electric air vehicles in a UAM network; the increasing presence of electric ground vehicles for ground transportation; the impacts from implementing ridesharing in the UAM mode; and the effects of varying the electricity grid emissions. Results for a case study in the Chicago, IL metro area indicate that incorporating electric ground vehicles and UAM ridesharing can both lead to reduced CO2 emissions. These preliminary results indicate that carbon emissions from a UAM system leveraging ridesharing and all-electric aircraft may not be a practical operational limit on UAM, though further improvements to the modeling are warranted.

advanced air mobility↗

Refined Analysis of CO2 Emissions in Urban Air Mobility Networks

In this study, we examine the environmental impact of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) operations as measured via carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by leveraging a computational model from previous studies that has been refined and expanded. Several scenarios are examined in which total transportation emissions for a representative day in a metro area are distributed differently among vehicle types and transportation modes. Specifically, we investigate the use of electric air vehicles in a UAM network; the increasing presence of electric ground vehicles for ground transportation; the impacts from implementing ridesharing in the UAM mode; and the effects of varying the electricity grid emissions. Results for a case study in the Chicago, IL metro area indicate that incorporating electric ground vehicles and UAM ridesharing can both lead to reduced CO2 emissions. These preliminary results indicate that carbon emissions from a UAM system leveraging ridesharing and all-electric aircraft may not be a practical operational limit on UAM, though further improvements to the modeling are warranted.

advanced air mobility↗

Enhanced Microbial Detection Capabilities by a Rapid Portable Instrument

We present data describing a progression of continuing technology development - from expanding the detection capabilities of the current PTS unit to re-outfitting the instrument with a protein microarray increasing the number of detectable compounds. To illustrate the adaptability of the cartridge format, on-orbit operations data from the ISS demonstrate the detection of the fungal cell wall compound beta-glucan using applicable LOCAD-PTS cartridges. LOCAD-PTS is a handheld device consisting of a spectrophotometer, an onboard pumping mechanism, and data storage capabilities. A suite of interchangeable cartridges lined with four distinct capillaries allow a hydrated sample to mix with necessary reagents in the channels before being pumped to the optical well for spectrophotometric analysis. The reagents housed in one type of cartridge trigger a reaction based on the Limulus Amebocyte Lysate (LAL) assay, which results in the release of paranitroaniline dye. The dye is measured using a 395 nm filter. The LAL assay detects the Gram-negative bacterial cell wall molecule, endotoxin or lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The more dye released, the greater the concentration of endotoxin in the sample. Sampling, quantitative analysis, and data retrieval require less than 20 minutes. This is significantly faster than standard culture-based methods, which require at least a 24 hour incubation period.Using modified cartridges, we demonstrate the detection of Gram negative bacteria with protein microarray technology. Additionally, we provide data from multiple field tests where both standard and advanced PTS technologies were used. These tests investigate the transfer of target microbial molecules from one surface to another. Collectively, these data demonstrate that the new cartridges expand the number of compounds detected by LOCAD-PTS, while maintaining the rapid, in situ analysis characteristic of the instrument. The unit provides relevant data for verifying sterile sample collection protocols, which are critical for conducting accurate scientific experiments during future missions to the Moon and Mars.

Morris, Heather↗

Analysis of a Shock-Associated Noise Prediction Model Using Measured Jet Far-Field Noise Data

A code for predicting supersonic jet broadband shock-associated noise was assessed us- ing a database containing noise measurements of a jet issuing from a convergent nozzle. The jet was operated at 24 conditions covering six fully expanded Mach numbers with four total temperature ratios. To enable comparisons of the predicted shock-associated noise component spectra with data, the measured total jet noise spectra were separated into mixing noise and shock-associated noise component spectra. Comparisons between predicted and measured shock-associated noise component spectra were used to identify de ciencies in the prediction model. Proposed revisions to the model, based on a study of the overall sound pressure levels for the shock-associated noise component of the mea- sured data, a sensitivity analysis of the model parameters with emphasis on the de nition of the convection velocity parameter, and a least-squares t of the predicted to the mea- sured shock-associated noise component spectra, resulted in a new de nition for the source strength spectrum in the model. An error analysis showed that the average error in the predicted spectra was reduced by as much as 3.5 dB for the revised model relative to the average error for the original model.

Dahl, Milo D.↗

A Hybrid Plasma Treatment of H13 Tool Steel by Combining Plasma Nitriding and Post-Oxidation

Pulsed plasma nitriding and post-oxidizing process have been applied to hot work H13 tool steel to enhance the tribological properties (friction coefficient and wear rate). Nitriding was accomplished under specific conditions to generate a free white layer surface in order to avoid an abrasive wear mechanism. Post-oxidizing treatment was carried out in the same reactor after finishing the nitriding treatment; processing time was varied for 30 and 60 min. The morphology, phase’s composition and wear performance of duplex-treated samples were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction analysis and pin-on-ball wear technique. The results show that the duplex treatment produces a bilayer arrangement constituted by an 80 μm diffusion zone with expanded martensite as the main phase underneath a 2–4 μm hematite–magnetite-oxidized layer. The duplex treatment modified the main wear mechanism of the nitrided sample from abrasive to plastic yielding. The changes in wear mechanisms resulted in a noticeable decrease, about 40%, in friction coefficient for oxidized samples in comparison with the nitrided-only sample. It was also established that the lowest friction coefficient values can be obtained when hematite is the main phase in the oxidized layer.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Materials for learning use of GSAS-II

The General Structure Analysis System (GSAS-II) package provides materials and crystallographic analysis for all types of diffraction data. It was initially made available with very limited capabilities, but over much of the last decade the features have been expanded, so that GSAS-II is now a comprehensive tool for nearly all types of structural and materials characterization studies. The need to provide materials to teach use of GSAS-II, while the software has been undergoing constant revision and expansion, has required new approaches for documentation. This has included providing tutorials, as each major new capability has been added, and context-sensitive help for each section of the program. Comments in the code are also expanded into a software reference guide. Finally, most recently, video versions of more than half of the tutorials were created and others were provided with animated graphics. All GSAS-II documentation is web-based.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

pmartR 2.0 : A Quality Control, Visualization, and Statistics Pipeline for Multiple Omics Datatypes

The pmartR (https://github.com/pmartR/pmartR) package was designed for the quality control (QC) and analysis of mass spectrometry (MS) data, tailored to specific characteristics of proteomic (isobaric or labelled), metabolomic, and lipidomic datasets. Since its initial release, the tool has been expanded to address the needs of its growing userbase and now includes QC and statistics for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) metabolomic data, and leverages the DESeq2, edgeR, and limma-voom R packages for some transcriptomic data analyses. These improvements have made progress towards a unified omics processing pipeline for ease of reporting and streamlined statistical purposes. The package’s statistics and visualization capabilities have also been expanded by adding support for paired data and by integrating pmartR with the trelliscopejs R package for the quick creation of trellis displays (https://github.com/hafen/trelliscopejs). Here, we present relevant examples of each of these enhancements to pmartR and highlight how each new feature benefits the omics community.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Physiological and ecological implications of an iron- or hydrogen-oxidizing member of the Zetaproteobacteria, Ghiorsea bivora, gen. nov., sp. nov.

Chemosynthetic Fe-oxidizing communities are common at diffuse-flow hydrothermal vents throughout the world’s oceans. The foundational members of these communities are the Zetaproteobacteria, a class of Proteobacteria that is primarily associated with ecosystems fueled by ferrous iron, Fe(II). We report here the discovery of two new isolates of Zetaproteobacteria isolated from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (TAG-1), and the Mariana back-arc (SV-108), that are unique in that they can utilize either Fe(II) or molecular hydrogen (H 2 ) as sole electron donor and oxygen as terminal electron acceptor for growth. Both strains precipitated Fe-oxyhydroxides as amorphous particulates. The cell doubling time on H 2 vs Fe(II) for TAG-1 was 14.1 vs 21.8 h, and for SV-108 it was 16.3 vs 20 h, and it appeared both strains could use either H 2 or Fe(II) simultaneously. The strains were close relatives, based on genomic analysis, and both possessed genes for the uptake NiFe-hydrogenase required for growth on H 2 . These two strains belong to Zetaproteobacteria operational taxonomic unit 9 (ZetaOTU9). A meta-analysis of public databases found ZetaOTU9 was only associated with Fe(II)-rich habitats, and not in other environments where known H 2 -oxidizers exist. These results expand the metabolic repertoire of the Zetaproteobacteria, yet confirm that Fe(II) metabolism is the primary driver of their physiology and ecology.

Environmental Sciences & Ecology↗

A global soil plasmidome resource unveils functional and ecological roles of plasmids in soil microbiomes

Plasmids play significant roles in microbial adaptation to ecosystems, yet their dynamics remain poorly understood due to identification challenges. We present the Global Soil Plasmidome Resource (GSPR), a comprehensive dataset of 98,728 plasmid sequences amassed from 6860 terrestrial microbial communities and isolates. We explore this resource through various computational approaches, including phylogenetic diversity analysis, host prediction, and extensive functional annotation, to understand the contribution of plasmids to the genetic and functional diversity in soil, correlating these findings with sample type, as well as the soil habitat they were retrieved from. Our analysis reveals insights into plasmid-encoded functions such as effector modules, quorum sensing, and stress resistance, which may contribute to their persistence and microbial adaptation in soil. Furthermore, CRISPR analysis suggests a prevalent role of these elements related to intra-plasmid competition. By contrasting plasmids from cultivated and uncultivated organisms, we identify important functions that expand existing knowledge of plasmid roles in these habitats. This study represents a notable step forward in elucidating plasmid diversity and function within soil microbiomes and establishes a foundational framework for exploring their roles in natural environments.

Fiamenghi, Mateus B↗

Transport coefficient approach for characterizing nonequilibrium dynamics in soft matter

Nonequilibrium states in soft condensed matter require a systematic approach to characterize and model materials, enhancing predictability and applications. Among the tools, X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS) provides exceptional temporal and spatial resolution to extract dynamic insight into the properties of the material. However, existing models might overlook intricate details. We introduce an approach for extracting the transport coefficient, denoted as $J(t)$, from the XPCS studies. This coefficient is a fundamental parameter in nonequilibrium statistical mechanics and is crucial for characterizing transport processes within a system. Our method unifies the Green–Kubo formulas associated with various transport coefficients, including gradient flows, particle–particle interactions, friction matrices, and continuous noise. We achieve this by integrating the collective influence of random and systematic forces acting on the particles within the framework of a Markov chain. We initially validated this method using molecular dynamics simulations of a system subjected to changes in temperatures over time. Subsequently, we conducted further verification using experimental systems reported in the literature and known for their complex nonequilibrium characteristics. The results, including the derived $J(t)$ and other relevant physical parameters, align with the previous observations and reveal detailed dynamical information in nonequilibrium states. This approach represents an advancement in XPCS analysis, addressing the growing demand to extract intricate nonequilibrium dynamics. Further, the methods presented are agnostic to the nature of the material system and can be potentially expanded to hard condensed matter systems.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗