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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 1,171 records · Page 65
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

SAM Two-Phase Flow Model Development and Applications for Operational Transients in Advanced Reactors

As advanced nuclear technologies continue to develop, the need for the flexible operation and generation of these advanced reactors becomes necessary to maximize economic potential. As large-scale experiments are not always feasible, modeling and simulations of advanced reactors play a crucial role in design optimization and analysis. The SAM (System Analysis Module) code developed at Argonne National Laboratory is a state-of-the-art system-level thermal-hydraulic code aimed at simulating advanced reactor systems. Recent code developments have implemented two-phase flow modeling using the homogeneous equilibrium model, and a new steam generator component has been developed to utilize the two-phase flow implementation. In addition to verification tests, a load-following simulation was performed to model a realistic load-following transient in a proposed integrated system consisting of a conceptual advanced reactor known as the Advanced Burner Test Reactor (ABTR) and thermal energy storage (TES) tanks. The integrated system model uses two large TES tanks designed for sodium and a model helical coil steam generator to simulate the operational load-following transient. The flow rates of the feedwater and secondary loops are regulated to meet a prescribed steam generator load consistent with the electricity demand over a 24-h period. In conclusion, the results found the ABTR system was able to maintain stable reactor conditions and primary- and secondary-side characteristics over the course of the load-following transient.

Advanced Burner Test Reactor (ABTR)↗
DOE OSTI2022

Outdoor Test Bed Performance of a Power Line Sensor Using a Real-Time Event Simulator

This report summarizes the design and application of an outdoor power line sensor testbed (OPLST) with a real-time simulator and power meter to compare a potential transformer (PT) and current transformer (CT) versus an advanced line-post sensor. The OPLST was created to validate advanced medium-voltage (20/34.5 kV) outdoor power line sensors used in electrical distribution systems. Electrical utilities have installed metering and relay-protection transformers like PTs and CTs for several decades. The PTs/CTs are iron core measurement transformers based on the electromagnetic induction principle and provide reliable data in normal grid operation. However, new outdoor power line sensors (OPLS) using other technologies like voltage divider, Rogowski coil and optical principles have become available and may have favorable performance and costs compared to PTs/CTs. Therefore, the importance of testing these technologies with the PT/CT, to compare the measured phase voltage/current at different power grid scenarios is crucial to understand the performance of these new OPLS. For this study a G&W Electric Model CVS-36-O power line sensor was chosen as the OPLS to test with voltage/current signals. An OPAL-RT Technologies Model OP4510 real-time simulator and Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories Model SEL-735 power meter were installed with the 20/34.5 kV OPLST to compare the measured transient events collected from an advanced OPLS and the PT/CT. This system is installed at the Distributed Energy Communications and Control (DECC) lab, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The simulator generated different power grid scenarios (electrical faults, capacitor bank operation, service restoration, etc.), and its analog-output signals were connected to the voltage/current amplifiers that feed the 20/34.5 kV aerial cable loop through the PT/CT devices. Additional PT/CT devices were also wired with the medium voltage aerial cable loop to measure the phase current/voltage signals and server as references. After each test, common format for transient data exchange (COMTRADE) files were collected from the SEL-735 power meter and used to compare the performance of the OPLS with the PT/CT. The behavior of analog signals, harmonic components, total harmonic distortion and crest factors were assessed and found favorable for the G&W sensor as compared to the reference PT/CT.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
NASA NTRS2015

Testing of Two-Speed Transmission Configurations for Use in Rotorcraft

Large civil tiltrotors have been identified to replace regional airliners over medium ranges to alleviate next-generation air traffic. Variable rotor speed for these vehicles is required for efficient high-speed operation. Two-speed drive system research has been performed to support these advanced rotorcraft applications. Experimental tests were performed on two promising two-speed transmission configurations. The offset compound gear (OCG) transmission and the dual star/idler (DSI) planetary transmission were tested in the NASA Glenn Research Center variable-speed transmission test facility. Both configurations were inline devices with concentric input and output shafts and designed to provide 1:1 and 2:1 output speed reduction ratios. Both were designed for 200 hp and 15,000 rpm input speed and had a dry shift clutch configuration. Shift tests were performed on the transmissions at input speeds of 5,000, 8,000, 10,000, 12,500, and 15,000 rpm. Both the OCG and DSI configurations successfully perform speed shifts at full rated 15,000 rpm input speed. The transient shifting behavior of the OCG and DSI configurations were very similar. The shift clutch had more of an effect on shifting dynamics than the reduction gearing configuration itself since the same shift clutch was used in both configurations. For both OCG and DSI configurations, low-to-high speed shifts were limited in applied torque levels in order to prevent overloads on the transmission due to transient torque spikes. It is believed that the relative lack of appreciable slippage of the dry shifting clutch at operating conditions and pressure profiles tested was a major cause of the transient torque spikes. For the low-to-high speed shifts, the output speed ramp-up time slightly decreased and the peak out torque slightly increased as the clutch pressure ramp-down rate increased. This was caused by slightly less clutch slippage as the clutch pressure ramp-down rate increased.

Lewicki, David G.↗
DOE OSTI2019

Benchmark Evaluation of TREAT Reactor M2 and M3 Transient Experiments

The objective of this project is to evaluate and produce TREAT reactor benchmarks under steady state and transient conditions. The benchmarks support the TREAT restart effort and are to be contributed to the International Reactor Physics Experiment Evaluation Project (IRPhEP) for inclusion in the International Handbook of Evaluated Reactor Physics Benchmark Experiments. The benchmark evaluation is performed using data generated during the “Power Calibration Experiment for test M2” and “IFR Safety Tests M2 and M3”. The evaluations are conducted using the high fidelity Serpent-OpenFOAM code system. Both the steady state and transient conditions of the M2 and M3 tests were investigated. Furthermore, TREAT has a graphitic core. Historical work has shown that the predictions of the outcomes of TREAT tests are highly sensitive to the graphite thermal neutron scattering cross sections. Therefore, in this project, thermal neutron scattering (i.e., S(α,β)) libraries of graphite, tailored to the specifics of the TREAT core, were generated and utilized in the evaluation

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
NASA NTRS1973

Capabilities of electrodynamic shakers when used for mechanical shock testing

The results of a research task to investigate the capabilities of electrodynamic vibrators (shakers) to perform mechanical shock tests are presented. The simulation method employed was that of developing a transient whose shock response spectrum matched the desired shock response spectrum. Areas investigated included the maximum amplitude capabilities of the shaker systems, the ability to control the shape of the resultant shock response spectrum, the response levels induced at frequencies outside the controlled bandwidth, and the nonlinearities in structural response induced by a change in test level.

Keegan, W. B.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Net radiation in the atmosphere of Venus - Measurements and interpretation

Aerodynamic testing of the Pioneer Venus small probe net flux radiometer (SNFR) has led to a better understanding of transient errors in the net flux measurements immediately following deployment. Corrections to the net flux profiles in this region produce profiles that are reasonably consistent with constraints imposed by ground-based and orbiter results for fluxes above the atmosphere. The tests raised questions about possible steady state errors associated with the changing atmospheric temperature encountered as the probes descended. However, the lack of sensor-to-sensor variability of the transient error (caused by a newly discovered flow-through mechanism) suggests that any related errors discovered by future testing will be correctable and will not alter the conclusions that net fluxes in the lower atmosphere vary considerably with location and are relatively large at the north and night probe sites.

Suomi, V. E.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Design, fabrication, and test of a full-scale graphite/epoxy metering truss for the space telescope

This paper presents the work performed in a program sponsored by MSFC-NASA in which a full-scale graphite/epoxy metering truss was designed, fabricated and tested. The primary requirement was to provide a structure that was dimensionally stable in a transient temperature environment. Structural element characterization requiring measurements in the microstrain region are described along with resulting strength, stiffness and coefficient of thermal expansion data. The full-scale tests included static, dynamic and thermal-vacuum dimensional stability evaluations.

Oken, S.↗
DOE OSTI2019

Comparison of experimental and simulated critical heat flux tests with various cladding alloys: Sensitivity of iron-chromium-aluminum (FeCrAl) to heat transfer coefficients and material properties

In this paper we analyze the differences between previous transient critical heat flux (CHF) experiments using iron-chromium-aluminum (FeCrAl), Inconel 600, and stainless steel 316 (SS316) alloy test sections and best-estimate modeling results from widely-used nuclear engineering systems and subchannel analysis tools. FeCrAl is an Accident Tolerant Fuel (ATF) candidate cladding material. The thermal hydraulic performance and safety characteristics of FeCrAl are being evaluated to determine viability as a cladding material in Light Water Reactors (LWRs). In this study, the results of the CHF experiments conducted at atmospheric pressure and fixed inlet coolant temperature and mass flux are compared to models built in the fifth version of the Reactor Excursion and Leak Analysis Program (RELAP5-3D) and CTF, the modernized version of COBRA-TF developed by the Consortium for Advanced Simulation of LWRs (CASL). Results from RELAP5-3D and CTF showed differences from the experiments and from each other in predicting CHF. In the Inconel 600 case, both computational tools overpredicted CHF, which led to an underprediction in the tube outer surface temperature. In the SS316 and FeCrAl cases, CHF was underpredicted by the codes, leading to an overprediction of the tube outer surface temperature. To understand the discrepancies in CHF and post-CHF predictions, studies were performed using RELAP5-3D and RAVEN to determine the sensitivity of CHF and peak test section temperature, an analog to peak cladding temperature (PCT), to heat transfer coefficients, a CHF multiplier, and uncertainties in the thermal conductivity and volumetric heat capacity. We found that CHF depends most strongly on the CHF multiplier and thermophysical properties. A combination of these factors that produced the best match to the experiment based on CHF, PCT, and the total energy deposited into the tube was determined. The best match parameters were able to provide best-estimate predictions of the CHF and integral heat flux, but were still conservative when predicting the PCT. The best match set of parameters developed in this paper are intended only as a demonstration of an approach that could be applied in the future with a larger set of experiments to produce more accurate models of CHF and post-CHF behavior.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Intracore Natural Circulation Study in the High Temperature Test Facility

The development of the Modular High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor is a significant milestone in advanced nuclear reactor technology. One of the concerns for the reactor’s safe operation is the effects of a loss-of-flow accident (LOFA) where the coolant circulators are tripped, and forced coolant flow through the core is lost. Depending on the steam generator placement, loop or intracore natural circulation develops to help transfer heat from the core to the reactor cavity, cooling system. This paper investigates the fundamental physical phenomena associated with intracore coolant natural circulation flow in a one-sixth Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model of the Oregon State University High Temperature Test Facility (OSU HTTF) following a loss-of-flow accident transient. This study employs conjugate heat transfer and steady-state flow along with an SST k-ω turbulence model to characterize the phenomenon of core channel-to-channel natural convection. Previous studies have revealed the importance of complex flow distribution in the inlet and outlet plenums with the potential to generate hot coolant jets. For this reason, complete upper and lower plenum volumes are included in the analyzed computational domain. CFD results also include parametric studies performed for a mesh sensitivity analysis, generated using the STAR-CCM+ software. The resulting channel axial velocities and flow directions support the test facility scaling analysis and similarity group distortions calculation.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Survivability of Autonomous Microgrid during Overload Events

Grid-forming sources are voltage sources that draw necessary currents to meet any load changes. A load step can cause part or all of these sources to become overloaded in a microgrid. This paper presents an overload mitigation controller that addresses the two overload issues in a microgrid by actively controlling the sources’ frequency. When part of the sources in a microgrid is overloaded, the controller autonomously transfers the extra load to other sources by rapidly reducing its frequency. The frequency difference between sources during transient results in a change of phase angle, which redistributes the power flow. When all sources in a microgrid are overloaded, each source keeps dropping the frequency. Therefore, under frequency load shedding can be used to trip the non-critical loads resulting in the survival of microgrid. The advantages of these concepts are that communications between sources are not needed during transient, and the robust voltage control is maintained. Lastly, simulation and field tests from CERTS/AEP microgrid test site verify that the control strategy is effective in both purely inverter-based microgrids and inverter & generator mixed microgrids.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2022

Developing a PSCAD Model of the Reduced 240-Bus WECC Test System: Preprint

Fast-acting controls of inverter-based resources (IBR) introduce unprecedented dynamics to bulk power systems and island power grids, especially the high-frequency dynamics ranging from $>5$ Hz to hundreds of Hz. These oscillatory stability problems cannot be captured by the phasor domain simulations, e.g., in PSS/E, Powerworld and TSAT, due to insufficient modeling. Instead, they should be studied by electromagnetic transient (EMT) simulations by using proper EMT dynamic models. This paper develops and validates the PSCAD model of the reduced 240-bus Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) test system. The PSCAD model will be released to the public, which can be used by both academia and power industry practitioners for studying the fast dynamic problems without any Critical Energy/Electric Infrastructure Information (CEII).

240-bus WECC test system↗
DOE OSTI2018

Direct measurement of building transient and residual drift using an optical sensor system

Interstory drift (ID) is a key response parameter for buildings subjected to lateral loads and is used to define performance-based limit states, allowable deformations and damage states in a number of seismic design codes and standards. Here, an ability to rapidly and accurately measure both transient and residual ID during an earthquake would provide important observables for understanding the seismic demands and post-earthquake condition of a building. Accurate retrieval of ID from accelerometer-based instrumentation systems can be very challenging, if not impossible, as a result of instrumentation limitations and the post-processing associated with strong motion accelerometer data. This is particularly true for the case in which residual drifts occur during inelastic building response. In the study presented herein, a newly developed optical sensor system, designed specifically for directly measuring both transient and residual ID, was experimentally evaluated through shake table testing and computational simulations. The ability of the sensor to accurately measure ID is demonstrated and key operational considerations for sensor system deployment are examined through a model-based investigation.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2023

BISON analysis of FeCrAl and Zircaloy cladding deformation during simulated BWR cyclic dryout conditions

The BISON fuel performance analysis code has been used to study FeCrAl and Zircaloy cladding performance to better understand cladding deformation behavior in boiling water reactors during conditions caused by anticipated operational occurrences (AOOs) or by anticipated transients without scram (ATWS). BISON models of novel separate effects tests simulating ATWS events predicted mechanical responses to thermal cycling boundary conditions. Here, we assessed FeCrAl and Zircaloy deformation and burst models to determine those best suited for cyclic dryout event analysis. In addition, we compared diametral strain profiles of the post-experiment claddings to simulation results. The capability of the BISON code for modeling BWR AOO or ATWS events is promising.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Mass of a weakly measured photon

Bohmian mechanics has garnered significant attention as an interpretation of quantum theory since the paradigmatic experiments which inferred the average trajectories of photons in the nonrelativistic regime. These experiments were largely motivated by Wiseman's formulation of Bohmian mechanics, which grounded these trajectories in weak measurements. Recently, Wiseman's framework was extended to the relativistic regime by expressing the velocity field of single photons in terms of weak values of the photon energy and momentum. Here, we propose an operational, weak value-based definition for the Bohmian “local mass” of relativistic single particles. For relativistic wave functions satisfying the scalar Klein-Gordon equation, this mass coincides with the effective mass defined by de Broglie in his relativistic pilot-wave theory, a quantity closely connected with the quantum potential that is responsible for Bohmian trajectory self-bending and the anomalous photoelectric effect. Here, we demonstrate the relationship between the photon trajectories and the mass in an interferometric setup.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2024

Experimental Setup and Learning-Based AI Model for Developing Accurate PV Inverter Models

The integration of power electronics-based interfaces presents challenges due to the absence of detailed models and the high computational complexity. Generic models used in system studies lack accuracy in capturing converter dynamics. This paper proposes a data-driven approach developed from experimental setup data. This approach enhances accuracy in photovoltaic inverter modeling. We used two types of PV inverters in the experiment. The recorded experimental data undergo processing through a machine learning model. Results from the model trained through machine learning is also presented.

artificial intelligence↗
DOE OSTI2026

Voltage Service Limits Smart Contract Using Distributed Ledger Technology for Electrical Utility Grid with Customer-Owned Generator

Modern electrical grids face growing stability risks from customer-owned generators, especially at points of common couplings (PCCs). Disruptive behavior from power-electronic sources can cause protective relays to isolate problematic generators, making measurement integrity critical. This article presents a distributed ledger technology (DLT) approach that uses smart contracts to evaluate PCC voltage measurements and trigger backup breaker operations. The approach is framed as a verifiable, multi-organization attestation and audit layer, not as a real-time control security mechanism. In the proposed architecture, voltage measurements from a hardware protective relay are anchored on a DLT through the Cyber Grid Guard (CGG) system for attestation by both the grid utility and customer-owned generator. A Voltage Service Limits (VSLs) smart contract evaluates the on-chain measurements against allowable phase-voltage limits derived from the ANSI C84.1 standard. The framework is validated in a hardware-relay-in-the-loop test bed under sustained-undervoltage, sustained-overvoltage, and transient line-to-line fault scenarios. The results show that the VSL smart contract can process these measurements and issue backup breaker actions consistent with the defined service-limit criteria, demonstrating the DLT potential as a verifiable audit layer at the PCC that complements primary protection.

cyber security↗
DOE OSTI2022

Considerations for Optimizing the Photometric Classification of Supernovae from the Rubin Observatory

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory will increase the number of observed supernovae (SNe) by an order of magnitude; however, it is impossible to spectroscopically confirm the class for all SNe discovered. Thus, photometric classification is crucial, but its accuracy depends on the not-yet-finalized observing strategy of Rubin Observatory's Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). We quantitatively analyze the impact of the LSST observing strategy on SNe classification using simulated multiband light curves from the Photometric LSST Astronomical Time-Series Classification Challenge (PLAsTiCC). First, we augment the simulated training set to be representative of the photometric redshift distribution per SNe class, the cadence of observations, and the flux uncertainty distribution of the test set. Then we build a classifier using the photometric transient classification library snmachine, based on wavelet features obtained from Gaussian process fits, yielding a similar performance to the winning PLAsTiCC entry. We study the classification performance for SNe with different properties within a single simulated observing strategy. We find that season length is important, with light curves of 150 days yielding the highest performance. Cadence also has an important impact on SNe classification; events with median inter-night gap <3.5 days yield higher classification performance. Interestingly, we find that large gaps (>10 days) in light-curve observations do not impact performance if sufficient observations are available on either side, due to the effectiveness of the Gaussian process interpolation. This analysis is the first exploration of the impact of observing strategy on photometric SN classification with LSST.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1972

Design and evaluation of an electrohydraulic servoactuator using active standby redundancy

The application is described of active standby redundancy techniques to a large electrohydraulic servoactuator. The advantages and limitations of active standby redundancy are identified. Special areas of investigation during the development test phase of the program were the evaluation of output transients as a function of channel switching and the nuisance switching characteristics of the system. The feasibility of constructing large electrohydraulic servoactuators using active standby redundancy was successfully demonstrated. In particular the stability and predictability of a properly designed hydromechanical failure detector was demonstrated.

Anderson, R. L.↗