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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 1,153 records · Page 64
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Calibration and uncertainty quantification for Davis Equation of State models for the High Explosive PBX 9501 products

Abstract This paper investigates the uncertainty in the parameters used in the calibration of an Davis Equation Of State (EOS) for the detonation products of the High Explosive PBX 9501. The procedure sought to make use of all available information about this HE to inform the best set of calibration parameters as well as the uncertainty in these parameters. The procedure made use of historical experimental data, the results from thermo‐chemical modeling as well as data on the best isentrope function fit to cylinder test experimental data. Combining all these heterogeneous data sources together in a Bayesian calibration, yielded a posterior mean and covariance. Sampling from the posterior distribution and evaluating an important Quantity Of Interest (QOI) in the EOS model, the detonation speed of a one‐inch rate stick, produced a distribution which showed variations which were in agreement with experiments. The uncertainty in the EOS was reported as eleven sets of model calibrations which spanned the range of this QOI.

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEF↗
DOE OSTI2021

Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS) peak intensity normalization for complex mixture analyses

Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS) is a preferred technique for analyzing complex organic mixtures. Currently, there is no consensus normalization approach, nor an objective method for selecting one, for quantitative analyses of FT-ICR-MS data. We investigate a method to evaluate and score the amount of bias various normalization approaches introduce into the data. We evaluate the ability of the Statistical Procedure for the Analysis of Normalization Strategies (SPANS) to guide selection of appropriate normalization approaches for two different FT-ICR-MS datasets. Further, we test the robustness of SPANS results to changes in SPANS parameter values and assess the impact of using various normalization approaches on downstream statistical analyses. The normalization approach identified by SPANS differed for the two datasets. Normalization methods impacted the statistical significance of peaks differently, underscoring the importance of carefully evaluating potential methods. More consistent SPANS scores resulted when at least 120 significant peaks are used, where larger sets of peaks were obtained by increasing the p-value threshold. Interestingly, we show that Total Sum Scaling and highest peak normalization, used in previous studies, underperformed relative to SPANS-recommended normalization approaches. While there is no single, best normalization method for all datasets, SPANS provides a mechanism to identify an appropriate normalization method for analyzing FT-ICR-MS data quantitatively. As a result, the number of peaks used in the background distributions of SPANS contributes more significantly to the reproducibility of results than the p-value thresholds used to obtain those peaks.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2016

Environmental feasibility of soil amendment with flue gas desulfurization gypsum (FGDG) for terrestrial carbon sequestration

Technologies for increasing carbon storage in soils are gathering attention as a means for mitigating atmospheric CO 2 emissions. Carbon sequestration can be achieved by controlling the organic carbon stock in soil and by accelerating mineral carbonation. In this study, carbon sequestration capacity was measured in soil columns treated with flue gas desulfurization gypsum (FGDG), a by-product of electric power generation. The feasibility of using FGDG as an environmentally benign alternative to gypsum or anhydrite was examined using a toxicity characteristic leaching procedure and Microtox bioassay. While no toxic leachate was generated from the FGDG treatment, some toxic elements in the soil were removed through absorption reactions. Test results for carbon sequestration based on unsaturated soil column experiments suggest that the application of FGDG for soil treatment holds promise of less microbial CO 2 emission from soil. The net benefits of carbon sequestration from the FGDG treatment were calculated as 87 and 621 g C/m 2 /m of infiltrated water, for the 1 % calcite-added column and 3 % calcite-added columns, respectively. The presented test results show that the FGDG treatment for soil carbon sequestration holds a promise when it is applied to slightly alkaline soils.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

A compact design for an electric driven hydraulic gear machine capable of multiple quadrant operation

This paper presents an innovative design of an integrated electro-hydraulic (EH) flow generation unit able to operate in multiple quadrants. The proposed unit is composed of a hydraulic machine which can operate in either pumping or motoring mode, and an electric machine, which can operate as electric motor or generator. The adopted morphological integration of the two unit fulfills the goals of maximizing compactness, power to weight ratio, energy efficiency and quietness. Furthermore, the design results from a numerical optimization procedure that includes detailed simulation of both the electric machine and the hydraulic machine, using simulation tools previously developed by the authors, but combined for the first time in this work. After describing the optimization procedure, the paper focuses on the design integration aspects of the novel unit. A 9 kW prototype of the integrated unit was also fabricated and tested to verify its performance. Tests results show a measured overall energy efficiency up to 69%, demonstrating the potentials of the proposed concept, despite some limitations present in the first prototypes which could be addressed in future design refinements.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2016

The Gaussian CL s method for searches of new physics

Here we describe a method based on the CL s approach to present results in searches of new physics, under the condition that the relevant parameter space is continuous. Our method relies on a class of test statistics developed for non-nested hypotheses testing problems, denoted by ΔT, which has a Gaussian approximation to its parent distribution when the sample size is large. This leads to a simple procedure of forming exclusion sets for the parameters of interest, which we call the Gaussian CL s method. Our work provides a self-contained mathematical proof for the Gaussian CL s method, that explicitly outlines the required conditions. These conditions are milder than that required by the Wilks' theorem to set confidence intervals (CIs). We illustrate the Gaussian CL s method in an example of searching for a sterile neutrino, where the CL s approach was rarely used before. We also compare data analysis results produced by the Gaussian CL s method and various CI methods to showcase their differences.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Open-to-Air RAFT Polymerization in Complex Solvents: From Whisky to Fermentation Broth.

We investigate the use of in situ enzyme degassing to facilitate the open-to-air reversible addition- fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization of hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA) in a wide range of complex aqueous solvents, including, beer, wine, liquor, and fermentation broth. This enzyme-assisted polymerization procedure is impressively robust, and poly(HEA) was attained with good control over molecular weight and a narrow dispersity in nearly all of the solvents tested. Kinetics experiments on HEA polymerization in whisky and spectroscopic analysis of the purified polymers suggest high end-group fidelity, as does the successful chain extension of a poly(HEA) macro chain transfer agent with narrow dispersity. These results suggest enzyme-assisted RAFT may be a powerful and underutilized tool for high-throughput screening and materials discovery and may simplify the synthesis of well-defined polymers in complex conditions.

Schneiderman, Deborah K.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Power System Recovery Coordinated with (Non-)Black-Start Generators

Power restoration is an urgent task after a black-out, and recovery efficiency is critical when quantifying system resilience. Multiple elements should be considered to restore the power system quickly and safely. This paper proposes a recovery model to solve a direct-current optimal power flow (DCOPF) based on mixed-integer linear programming (MILP). Since most of the generators cannot start independently, the interaction between black-start (BS) and non-black-start (NBS) generators must be modeled appropriately. The energization status of the NBS is coordinated with the recovery status of transmission lines, and both of them are modeled as binary variables. Also, only after an NBS unit receives the cranking power through connected transmission lines, will it be allowed to participate in the following system dispatch. The amount of cranking power is estimated as a fixed proportion to the maximum generation capacity. The proposed model is validated on several test systems, as well as a 1393-bus representation system of the Puerto Rican electric power grid. Test results demonstrate how the recovery of NBS units and damaged transmission lines can be optimized, resulting in an efficient and well-coordinated recovery procedure.

Zhao, Meng↗
DOE OSTI2016

MO-DE-207B-05: Predicting Gene Mutations in Renal Cell Carcinoma Based On CT Imaging Features: Validation Using TCGA-TCIA Datasets

Purpose: The goal of this work is to investigate the use of contrast enhanced computed tomographic (CT) features for the prediction of mutations of BAP1, PBRM1, and VHL genes in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Methods: For this study, we used two patient databases with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The first one consisted of 33 patients from our institution (UT Southwestern Medical Center, UTSW). The second one consisted of 24 patients from the Cancer Imaging Archive (TCIA), where each patient is connected by a unique identi?er to the tissue samples from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). From the contrast enhanced CT image of each patient, tumor contour was first delineated by a physician. Geometry, intensity, and texture features were extracted from the delineated tumor. Based on UTSW dataset, we completed feature selection and trained a support vector machine (SVM) classifier to predict mutations of BAP1, PBRM1 and VHL genes. We then used TCIA-TCGA dataset to validate the predictive model build upon UTSW dataset. Results: The prediction accuracy of gene expression of TCIA-TCGA patients was 0.83 (20 of 24), 0.83 (20 of 24), and 0.75 (18 of 24) for BAP1, PBRM1, and VHL respectively. For BAP1 gene, texture feature was the most prominent feature type. For PBRM1 gene, intensity feature was the most prominent. For VHL gene, geometry, intensity, and texture features were all important. Conclusion: Using our feature selection strategy and models, we achieved predictive accuracy over 0.75 for all three genes under the condition of using patient data from one institution for training and data from other institutions for testing. These results suggest that radiogenomics can be used to aid in prognosis and used as convenient surrogates for expensive and time consuming gene assay procedures.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

Determination of the charge radii of several light nuclei from precision, high-energy electron elastic scattering

Analysis of high-energy electron scattering has been used to determine the charge radii of nuclei for several decades. Recent analysis of the Lamb shift in muonic hydrogen found an r.m.s. radius significantly different than the electron scattering result. To understand this puzzle we have analyzed the "LEDEX" data for the (e, e'p) reaction. This experiment includes measurements on several light nuclei, hydrogen, deuterium, lithium, boron, and carbon. To test our ability to measure absolute cross sections, as well as our ability to extract the charge radius, we tested our technique against the extremely well-measured carbon case and found excellent agreement using the Fourier-Bessel parametrization. We then extended the procedure to boron and lithium, which show nice agreement with the latest theoretical calculations. For hydrogen, we see clearly the limits of this technique and therefore, the charge radius is determined from the traditional extrapolation to q 2 = 0. We will show that there is a model dependence in extracting the charge radius of hydrogen and its unambiguous determination is very difficult with available electron-scattering measurements.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Conservation of Helium while Maintaining High System Purity

Recent helium shortages and helium price increases have lead to an increased emphasis being placed on conserving helium. The need to conserve helium must be balanced with need to maintain the high levels of purity necessary to prevent operational problems caused by contamination. Helium losses and contamination control are especially important for test stands that have cryogenic distribution systems operating continuously with frequent changeover of cryogenic temperature components that are being tested. This paper describes a mathematical model to estimate the quantity of helium lost and the purity of the helium after the pump and backfill procedure is complete. The process to determine the optimal time during pump down to cut off pumping and start backfilling is described. There is a tradeoff between trying to achieve the lowest possible pressure during pumping and the quantity of air leaking into the volume while pumping is occurring. An additional benefit of careful sel ection of pump and backfill parameters in conjunction with real-time pressure monitoring can reduce the labor and time required to complete a successful pump and backfill procedure. This paper is intended to be a tool for engineers to review their pump and backfill procedures and measured data to optimize helium losses, system purity, and labor required.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Standard Analytical Methods for Pyrolysis Bio-Oils

There has been significant recent interest in the production of renewable fuels and chemicals from biomass and waste feedstocks. Pyrolysis pathways produce a liquid bio-oil product, which must be processed further, or upgraded, to yield fuel or chemical products. Bio-oils are very complex and often unstable samples, and research and development on upgrading processes needs reliable analytical information. In particular, chemical characterization techniques are needed to quantify both functional groups and individual compounds present in bio-oils. Reliable analytics are also needed to enable the bioenergy industry, as industrial facilities often have different analytical needs and capabilities than research facilities. In this presentation, we will discuss the development of a suite of standard analytical methods for pyrolysis bio-oils. Analytical methods to be discussed include: Determination of Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, and Oxygen in bio-oils; Accelerated Aging of Fast Pyrolysis Bio-oil using Carbonyl Titration; Determination of Water Content in Bio-oils by Volumetric Karl Fischer Titration; Determination of Carbon Functional Groups; Elemental Analysis of Bio-oils by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) - Na, K, Mg, Ca, S, P, and Fe; Determination of Phenolic Groups in Bio-oils using Revised Folin-Ciocalteu Methods: Single Cuvette and Plate Reader; Corrosivity of Bio-oils: Screening Test using Metal Leaching; Determination of Biogenic Content by 14C Measurement using Liquid Scintillation Counter. These new analytical methods are publicly available as Laboratory Analytical Procedures (https://www.nrel.gov/bioenergy/bio-oil-analysis.html), along with previously developed standard methods: GC-MS, Acid Titration, Carbonyl Titration, and 31P NMR. Additionally, the development of diffusion ordered NMR for characterization of bio-oil molecular weight will be discussed. Collectively, this suite of analytical methods represents the most comprehensive set of standard methods available for pyrolysis bio-oils. These standard methods are commonly used by the bioenergy community, and provide reliable information that enables research, scaleup, and industrial processing of biomass to produce renewable fuels and chemicals.

analytical↗
DOE OSTI2023

Conservation of Helium while Maintaining High System Purity

Recent helium shortages and helium price increases have lead to an increased emphasis being placed on conserving helium. The need to conserve helium must be balanced with need to maintain the high levels of purity necessary to prevent operational problems caused by contamination. Helium losses and contamination control are especially important for test stands that have cryogenic distribution systems operating continuously with frequent changeover of cryogenic temperature components that are being tested. This paper describes a mathematical model to estimate the quantity of helium lost and the purity of the helium after the pump and backfill procedure is complete. The process to determine the optimal time during pump down to cut off pumping and start backfilling is described. There is a tradeoff between trying to achieve the lowest possible pressure during pumping and the quantity of air leaking into the volume while pumping is occurring. An additional benefit of careful selection of pump and backfill parameters in conjunction with real-time pressure monitoring can reduce the labor and time required to complete a successful pump and backfill procedure. This paper is intended to be a tool for engineers to review their pump and backfill procedures and measured data to optimize helium losses, system purity, and labor required.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2019

Development of a Technical Standard for Radiological Characterization of DAW - 19552

Since the Manhattan Project, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and its predecessor agencies have performed a wide mission involving nuclear materials and weapons development, production, testing, and modernization. While the initial mission components relied heavily upon reactor physics and chemistry, the environmental programs have increasingly relied upon development of more accurate and effective measurement methodologies to determine the radiological and chemical properties of the unique waste streams that were generated during the weapons production and testing mission. During the ongoing site cleanup program, the DOE laboratories and former production sites have developed a wide range of site-specific processes and procedures for conducting radiological characterization of dry active waste (DAW) that is managed as low-level radioactive waste. This has resulted in a Complex-wide variability among sites with respect to the methodologies and instrumentation used to characterize individual waste streams. The DAW-type waste was selected for development of a characterization standard since it is a simple, voluminous, and repetitive waste stream with a substantial knowledge base, established experience history at multiple site locations, and the potential for realization of programmatic benefits though standardization. Implementation of a consistent, standardized approach to DAW characterization will take advantage of multiple applications for a technology that is both mature and stable. The DAW characterization process is repetitive and lends itself to implementation at a wide range of operating locations - resulting in economies of scale, compliance with regulatory requirements, and consistent implementation of procedures which support design, operations, maintenance, and management of facilities, activities and environmental restoration programs. In response to a request from DOE, the Energy Facility Contractors Group (EFCOG) Waste Management Working Group (WMWG) is supporting the development of a new DOE Technical Standard for Radiological Characterization of DAW. The purpose of the proposed new standard is to provide a technical resource that integrates and enhances the utilization of current site-specific methodologies and processes. An EFCOG/WMWG technical team has prepared a Technical Basis Document (TBD) to support the development and utilization of the new standard. The TBD provides detailed reference information for use by site personnel when implementing the guidance to be provided in the standard. It also provides the rationale for and details concerning the recommended technical approaches for radiological characterization of representative DAW-type waste streams. The TBD is an essential resource and will be included as an appendix to the proposed standard. Formulation of the new standard will draw upon the information contained in the TBD in order to integrate and improve the utilization of current site-specific methodologies and processes. It will also include a comparison of current radiological characterization methodologies to determine which ones are most reliable and effective in producing relevant and valid data. In view of the long history and participation by several agencies in the regulation of nuclear programs, existing Voluntary Consensus Standards have also been identified in the TBD and will be referenced for relevancy and applicability to the new proposed standard. A Project Justification Statement (PJS) was also developed by the EFCOG/WMWG Team. Following internal Team review and approval by EFCOG, the draft PJS was submitted through Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) and the DOE Argonne Site Office Technical Standards Managers for review and approval by the DOE Argonne Site Office Manager. After resolution of comments and approval by the Manager, the PJS will be submitted to the DOE/HQ Technical Standards Program Manager (TSPM) for formal coordination. Following resolution of technical comments received during the PJS coordination process and receipt of a technical standards project number assigned by the TSPM, the Team will confirm the overall preparation schedule and develop an Internal Draft Technical Standard for coordination with the DOE Argonne Site Office. Following comment resolution, the Team will then prepare a Coordination Draft for submittal to the DOE Technical Standards RevCom review process and will respond to comments generated during this Complex-wide review. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2022

An autonomous robot for shell and tube heat exchanger inspection

Shell and tube heat exchangers (STHEs) are critical to energy conversion efficiency of power plants. Eddy current examination is a way to evaluate working conditions of these tubes. However, the current testing apparatus requires human to manually insert an eddy current testing (ECT) probe into and extract it out of individual tubes, and meanwhile monitor measurement results for diagnosis. It is a time-consuming and labor-intensive procedure even for an experienced technician. To tackle this challenge, in this study, we developed a robot enabled ECT system for autonomous inspection of STHEs. The robotic platform employs Mecanum wheeled chassis for high mobility, machine vision to locate tube bundle and tube inlets, a rotational Cartesian mechanism to operate at planes with all possible inclinations, and a task-specific mechanism for ECT probe delivery. Machine vision locates tube bundle and tube inlets by an April tag detection algorithm and a Circle Hough Transform algorithm, respectively. Assisted by a guiding cone, the ECT probe is continuously fed into the tubes with a fill factor of 0.819. In conclusion, during this process, the eddy current data are automatically collected and real-time analyzed by convolutional neural networks, showing accuracy of nearly 100% for identifying defective and nondefective tubes and 85% for four types of defective tubes and nondefective tubes.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2022

An Autonomous Robot for Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger Inspection

Shell and tube heat exchangers (STHEs) are critical to energy conversion efficiency of power plants. Eddy current examination is a way to evaluate working conditions of these tubes. However, the current testing apparatus requires human to manually insert an eddy current testing (ECT) probe into and extract it out of individual tubes, and meanwhile monitor measurement results for diagnosis. It is a time-consuming and labor-intensive procedure even for an experienced technician. To tackle this challenge, in this work, we developed a robot enabled ECT system for autonomous inspection of STHEs. The robotic platform employs Mecanum wheeled chassis for high mobility, machine vision to locate tube bundle and tube inlets, a rotational Cartesian mechanism to operate at planes with all possible inclinations, and a task-specific mechanism for ECT probe delivery. Machine vision locates tube bundle and tube inlets by an April tag detection algorithm and a Circle Hough Transform (CHT) algorithm, respectively. Assisted by a guidance cone, the ECT probe is continuously fed into the tubes with a fill factor of 0.819. During this process, the eddy current data are automatically collected and real-time analyzed by convolutional neural networks (CNN), showing accuracy of nearly 100% for identifying defective and non-defective tubes and 85% for four types of defective tubes and non-defective tubes.

autonomy, deep learning, eddy current testing, hea↗
DOE OSTI2016

TREAT Transient Test Reactor Restart Status

Transient testing involves placing nuclear fuel or material into the core of a nuclear reactor designed to operate at high power for a short time, and subjecting the nuclear fuel or material to short bursts of intense, high power radiation. After the experiment is completed, the fuel or material is analyzed to determine the effects of the radiation. The results are then used in fuel or material design and/or qualification. Transient testing is required for essentially all nuclear fuel design and qualification efforts to learn how nuclear fuel will respond during accidents involving transient overpower and/or under cooling events. For example, nuclear fuel may fragment when exposed to higher than normal power. This fragmentation can cause unacceptable performance. Transient testing is also needed to validate performance models for nuclear fuel and materials. These models, when validated, will dramatically shorten the development and qualification life cycle for nuclear fuels, supporting rapid development of low emissions, reliable power generation. In the past, transient testing was primarily done in facilities that no longer exist. The U.S. Department of Energy evaluated how to provide the required transient testing capability and, following completion of the National Environmental Policy Act process, they selected the Transient Reactor Test (TREAT) facility to resume transient testing. TREAT is located at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The TREAT reactor was used from 1959 to 1994 to conduct more than 2,500 nuclear fuel transient tests, and was placed in standby in 1994. TREAT is capable of transients in excess of 19 GW. The paper describes the progress towards restart. The restart efforts have revealed that the plant fuel and equipment is acceptable for future operations. The safety basis development, procedures, and training are well under way. Experiment capability preparations are in progress. Reactor startup is anticipated no later than 2018. (author)

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2016

WE-H-207B-00: MRgRT

In recent years, steady progress has been made towards the implementation of MRI in external beam radiation therapy for processes ranging from treatment simulation to in-room guidance. Novel procedures relying mostly on MR data are currently implemented in the clinic. This session will cover topics such as (a) commissioning and quality control of the MR in-room imagers and simulators specific to RT, (b) treatment planning requirements, constraints and challenges when dealing with various MR data, (c) quantification of organ motion with an emphasis on treatment delivery guidance, and (d) MR-driven strategies for adaptive RT workflows. The content of the session was chosen to address both educational and practical key aspects of MR guidance. Learning Objectives: Good understanding of MR testing recommended for in-room MR imaging as well as image data validation for RT chain (e.g. image transfer, filtering for consistency, spatial accuracy, manipulation for task specific); Familiarity with MR-based planning procedures: motivation, core workflow requirements, current status, challenges; Overview of the current methods for the quantification of organ motion; Discussion on approaches for adaptive treatment planning and delivery. T. Stanescu - License agreement with Modus Medical Devices to develop a phantom for the quantification of MR image system-related distortions.; T. Stanescu, N/A.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗