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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 1,243 records · Page 69

Converting a C-130 Hercules into a Compound Helicopter: A Conceptual Design Study

This study presents the performance and weight changes for a Compound C-130 as compared to the Baseline C-130H Hercules, using NDARC as the primary analysis tool. First, the C-130H was modeled within NDARC, from which performance at various conditions and a parametric weight statement were generated. Then, the C-130H NDARC file was modified to represent the Compound C-130, which was then put through the same performance analysis as the C-130H. A parametric weight statement was also calculated for the Compound C-130, which allowed for comparison to the C-130H. As part of the modeling of the Compound C-130, a Rotor Design Spreadsheet was created that would allow the direct calculation of the weight of the main rotors being added. Using composite materials led to considerable weight savings for both the rotor system and the hub weights. These weight savings are reflected in the NDARC Technology Factors which were determined to be 0.71 and 0.5 for the rotor blades and the hub/hinge system, respectively. Such Technology Factors suggest that using composites for other components could drastically lighten the Operating Empty Weight of the aircraft. The weight statements show the weights for each of the components on each aircraft. It is quite evident that the Compound C-130 has a higher Operating Empty Weight due to the addition of the two main rotors and a drive system to connect each engine group on the wing tips. Upon further analysis, the main weight driver is the drive system. While the main rotor/hub/hinge weight increase is to be expected, the weight increase due to the transmission drive and gear boxes are cause for concern. Unless a method can be found of reducing the weight of the drive system, the weight penalty makes the Compound a C-130 an inefficient aircraft in terms of payload/fuel capacity. Possible solutions are either off-loading some of the power requirements through the drive system or using composite materials in the construction of the drive system. The performance of the Compound C-130 versus the C-130H shows a clear need for more powerful engines than are currently present on the C-130H. This would also adversely affect the Operating Empty Weight since a larger power plant requires more weight. However, one advantage that the Compound C-130 presents is the ability to hover and operate at low speeds in Helicopter Mode. While the C-130H is unable to travel at speeds lower than its stall speed, the Compound C-130 is able to hover using the main rotors. Thus, the Compound C-130 is able to operate independent of runways, let alone the condition of the nearest runway. Ultimately, the Compound C-130 is an effective aircraft in theaters requiring VTOL aircraft due to geographical considerations in terms or performance. Unfortunately, the weight penalty associated with converting the C-130H to a Compound C-130 suggests that further work in the area of the drive systems is required.

Kottapalli, Anjaney P.↗

Progressive Failure Analysis Correlation with Notched Composite Laminate Test Data

Testing of small and intermediate laminate panels with notches was performed and Progressive Failure Analyses (PFA) models were developed for aid in test planning and for correlation with the test data. Two progressive damage failure models were included in the study: the commercially available Abaqus built-in damage model and COmplete STress Reduction (COSTR) damage model developed at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC). The finite elements models used for the analysis were developed using shell elements. The pre-test PFA results obtained from the two damage models were compared to test data. Then a post-test PFA with updated material properties based on additional available material property data was executed with the COSTR damage model and compared to the test data. The panels tested in compression all exhibited less scatter in the failure load with self-similar failure behavior. The panels tested in tension exhibited more scatter in the failure load with a failure mode that included delamination of plies. However, a self-similar crack path was also observed as the overall failure mode for all panels tested. When comparing test data to the pre-test analysis results, both damage models with shell element models were considered adequate for predicting the behavior and failure load of both the small and intermediate panels when tested in compression. However, for the tension load cases, larger differences were observed between the test and analysis results. When comparing test data to the post-test analysis performed using the COSTR damage model, better correlation was observed. However, large discrepancies were still observed for the tension load cases. Consequently, a higher fidelity finite element model including solid elements for sub-laminates and the modeling of cohesive layers between sub-laminate layers is recommended for tension loading of notched composite laminates.

Damage Model,Progressive Failure Analysis,Open Hol↗

Trade-Off Analysis Report

NASAs Glenn Research Center (GRC) defines and develops advanced technology for high priority national needs in communications technologies for application to aeronautics and space. GRC tasked Computer Networks and Software Inc. (CNS) to examine protocols and architectures for an In-Space Internet Node. CNS has developed a methodology for network reference models to support NASAs four mission areas: Earth Science, Space Science, Human Exploration and Development of Space (REDS), Aerospace Technology. CNS previously developed a report which applied the methodology, to three space Internet-based communications scenarios for future missions. CNS conceptualized, designed, and developed space Internet-based communications protocols and architectures for each of the independent scenarios. GRC selected for further analysis the scenario that involved unicast communications between a Low-Earth-Orbit (LEO) International Space Station (ISS) and a ground terminal Internet node via a Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) transfer. This report contains a tradeoff analysis on the selected scenario. The analysis examines the performance characteristics of the various protocols and architectures. The tradeoff analysis incorporates the results of a CNS developed analytical model that examined performance parameters.

Dhas, Chris↗

Modeling the Rapid Boil-Off of a Cryogenic Liquid When Injected into a Low Pressure Cavity

Many launch vehicle cryogenic applications require the modeling of injecting a cryogenic liquid into a low pressure cavity. The difficulty of such analyses lies in accurately predicting the heat transfer coefficient between the cold liquid and a warm wall in a low pressure environment. The heat transfer coefficient and the behavior of the liquid is highly dependent on the mass flow rate into the cavity, the cavity wall temperature and the cavity volume. Testing was performed to correlate the modeling performed using Thermal Desktop and Sinda Fluint Thermal and Fluids Analysis Software. This presentation shall describe a methodology to model the cryogenic process using Sinda Fluint, a description of the cryogenic test set up, a description of the test procedure and how the model was correlated to match the test results.

Fluid Mechanics↗

Reinterpreting π-stacking

The nature of π–π interactions has long been debated. The term “π-stacking” is considered by some to be a misnomer, in part because overlapping π-electron densities are thought to incur steric repulsion, and the physical origins of the widely-encountered “slip-stacked” motif have variously been attributed to either sterics or electrostatics, in competition with dispersion. Here, we use quantum-mechanical energy decomposition analysis to investigate π–π interactions in supramolecular complexes of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, ranging in size up to realistic models of graphene, and for comparison we perform the same analysis on stacked complexes of polycyclic saturated hydrocarbons, which are cyclohexane-based analogues of graphane. Our results help to explain the short-range structure of liquid hydrocarbons that is inferred from neutron scattering, trends in melting-point data, the interlayer separation of graphene sheets, and finally band gaps and observation of molecular plasmons in graphene nanoribbons. Analysis of intermolecular forces demonstrates that aromatic π–π interactions constitute a unique and fundamentally quantum-mechanical form of non-bonded interaction. Not only do stacked π–π architectures enhance dispersion, but quadrupolar electrostatic interactions that may be repulsive at long range are rendered attractive at the intermolecular distances that characterize π-stacking, as a result of charge penetration effects. The planar geometries of aromatic sp 2 carbon networks lead to attractive interactions that are “served up on a molecular pizza peel”, and adoption of slip-stacked geometries minimizes steric (rather than electrostatic) repulsion. The slip-stacked motif therefore emerges not as a defect induced by electrostatic repulsion but rather as a natural outcome of a conformational landscape that is dominated by van der Waals interactions (dispersion plus Pauli repulsion), and is therefore fundamentally quantum-mechanical in its origins. This reinterpretation of the forces responsible for π-stacking has important implications for the manner in which non-bonded interactions are modeled using classical force fields, and for rationalizing the prevalence of the slip-stacked π–π motif in protein crystal structures.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Feasibility Assessment of Long-Term Electrical Resistivity Monitoring of a Nitrate Plume

Long-term monitoring solutions at contaminated sites are necessary to track plume migration and evaluate the performance of remediation efforts. Electrical resistivity imaging (ERI) can potentially provide information about plume dynamics; however, the feasibility and likelihood of success is seldom evaluated before conducting a field study. Coupling flow and transport models with geoelectrical models provides a powerful way to assess the potential effectiveness of an actual ERI field campaign. in this paper, we present a coupled approach for evaluating the feasibility of monitoring nitrate migration and remediation using 4D time-lapse ERI at a legacy nuclear waste facility. This kilometer-scale study focuses on depths below the water table (~70 m). A flow and transport model is developed to perform simulations of nitrate migration and removal via a hypothetical pump-and-treat system. A tracer injection is also simulated at the leading edge of the nitrate plume to enhance the conductivity contrast between the native subsurface and the groundwater fluids. Images of bulk conductivity provide limited information concerning plume migration while time-lapse difference images, which remove the static effects of geology, provide more useful information concerning plume dynamics over time. A spatial moment analysis performed on flow and transport and ERI models matches well during the tracer injection; however, inversion regularization smoothing otherwise limits the value in terms of locating the center of mass. We find that the addition of a tracer enables ERI to characterize plume dynamics during pump-and-treat operations, and late-time ERI monitoring provides a conservative estimate of nitrate plume boundaries in this synthetic study.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

The energetics of hydrogen atom recombination - Analysis, experiments, and modeling

A theoretical investigation of the effect of the microscopic energetics of the recombination reaction on the performance of a microwave-plasma electrothermal propulsion system is described, and the results of the analysis are presented. A series of experiments to test the concept is described and analyzed by comparison with a computer model of the recombination reaction. It is concluded that internal energy considerations are not likely to significantly affect the design of a microwave-plasma electrothermal rocket. The experimental results indicate that the microwave power is far higher than the capacity of the gas to absorb it; the cooling needed to control the energy dominates the experimental results.

Filpus, J. W.↗

Dynamic Discharge Arc Driver

A computer program using nonlinear RLC circuit analysis was developed to accurately model the electrical discharge performance of the Ames 1-MJ energy storage and arc-driver system. Solutions of circuit parameters are compared with experimental circuit data and related to shock speed measurements. Computer analysis led to the concept of a Dynamic Discharge Arc Driver (DDAD) capable of increasing the range of operation of shock-driven facilities. Utilization of mass addition of the driver gas offers a unique means of improving driver performance. Mass addition acts to increase the arc resistance, which results in better electrical circuit damping with more efficient Joule heating, producing stronger shock waves. Preliminary tests resulted in an increase in shock Mach number from 34 to 39 in air at an initial pressure of 2.5 torr.

Dannenberg, R. E.↗

Dynamic modeling of brushless dc motor-power conditioner unit for electromechanical actuator application

A comprehensive digital model for the analysis of the dynamic-instantaneous performance of a power conditioner fed samarium-cobalt permanent magnet brushless DC motor is presented. The particular power conditioner-machine system at hand, for which this model was developed, is a component of an actual prototype electromechanical actuator built for NASA-JSC as a possible alternative to hydraulic actuators as part of feasibility studies for the shuttle orbiter applications. Excellent correlation between digital simulated and experimentally obtained performance data was achieved for this specific prototype. This is reported on in this paper. Details of one component of the model, its applications and the corresponding results are given in this paper.

Demerdash, N. A.↗

The Need for a System Science Approach to Global Magnetospheric Models

This perspective advocates for the need of a combined system science approach to global magnetospheric models and to spacecraft magnetospheric data to answer the question “Do simulations behave in the same manner as the magnetosphere does?” (instead of the standard validation question “How well do simulations reproduce spacecraft data?”). This approach will 1) validate global magnetospheric models statistically, without the need for a direct comparison against spacecraft data, 2) expose the deficiencies of the models, and 3) provide physics support to the system analysis performed on the magnetospheric system.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Pumped-Storage Hydropower using Abandoned Underground Mines (PSH-AUM) as an Innovative Energy Storage Technology for Fossil-Integrated Systems

Pumped-storage hydropower (PSH) provides around 95% of all utility-scale energy storage in the U.S. and globally. Additional deployment of PSH is hampered by excessively long permitting and commissioning requirements and is constrained to locations for which natural topography provides suitable elevation relief between the upper and lower reservoirs (the ΔH challenge). The purpose of this research was to evaluate Pumped-Storage Hydropower using Abandoned Underground Mines (PSH-AUM) as a means to solve the ΔH challenge and initiate the commercialization pathway for a promising new energy storage technology. Four primary tasks were conducted: Screening and ranking of candidate sites for project development; multiphase reservoir modeling to evaluate mine performance; techno-economic analysis and preliminary designs for PSH-AUM systems integrated with fossil-fuel power units; and stakeholder engagement to identify pathways to commercialization of this new technology. Key results were achieved in each of the four primary tasks. Candidate site screening determined that nearly 10,000 underground mines were spatially locatable, of which more than 100 sites appear suitable for integration with existing fossil power plants that are expected to remain in longer-term operation. Mine reservoir models were developed using PNNL’s STOMP simulator and parameterized using candidate site data to evaluate interactions with the surrounding groundwater system and confirm the potential for some mines to accommodate inflows and outflows on the order of 100 m3/s over 8-hour durations (1.6 GWh system) without excessive aqueous pressures. Techno-economic analysis resulted in a project cost optimization scheme to identify key sensitivities and the development of preliminary designs that can minimize overall costs of deployment. Finally, stakeholder engagement with industry, state government, and local economic development leaders confirmed the viability of PSH-AUM as a promising new technology. Our Phase I project results suggest that PSH-AUM technology has a domestic market potential on the order of $100+ Billion with ample space for technology development to commercialization within the next decade.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗

Verification of Reduced Order Modeling Based Uncertainty/Sensitivity Estimator (ROMUSE)

This article presents a number of verification case studies for a recently developed sensitivity/uncertainty code package. The code package, ROMUSE (Reduced Order Modeling based Uncertainty/Sensitivity Estimator) is an effort to provide an analysis tool to be used in conjunction with reactor core simulators, in particular the Virtual Environment for Reactor Applications (VERA) core simulator. ROMUSE has been written in C++ and is currently capable of performing various types of parameter perturbations and associated sensitivity analysis, uncertainty quantification, surrogate model construction and subspace analysis. The current version 2.0 has the capability to interface with the Design Analysis Kit for Optimization and Terascale Applications (DAKOTA) code, which gives ROMUSE access to the various algorithms implemented within DAKOTA, most importantly model calibration. The verification study is performed via two basic problems and two reactor physics models. The first problem is used to verify the ROMUSE single physics gradient-based range finding algorithm capability using an abstract quadratic model. The second problem is the Brusselator problem, which is a coupled problem representative of multi-physics problems. This problem is used to test the capability of constructing surrogates via ROMUSE-DAKOTA. Finally, light water reactor pin cell and sodium-cooled fast reactor fuel assembly problems are simulated via SCALE 6.1 to test ROMUSE capability for uncertainty quantification and sensitivity analysis purposes.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

SU-C-204-01: A Dosimetric Investigation Into the Effects of Yttrium-90 Radioembolization On the GI Tract: In-Vivo and Histological Analysis in An Animal Model

Purpose: In Yttrium-90 (90Y) radioembolization, non-target embolization (NTE) to the stomach or small bowel can result in ulceration, a rare but difficult to manage clinical complication. However, dosimetric thresholds for toxicity to these tissues from radioembolization have never been evaluated in a controlled setting. We performed an analysis of the effect of 90Y radioembolization in a porcine model at different absorbed-dose endpoints. Methods: Under approval of the University of Tennessee IACUC, 6 female pigs were included in this study. Animals underwent transfemoral angiography and infusion of calibrated dosages of 90Y resin microspheres into arteries supplying part of the gastric wall. A 99mTc-MAA simulation study was performed first to determine perfused tissue volume for treatment planning along with contrast-enhanced CT. The pigs were monitored for side effects for 9 weeks, after which time they were euthanized and their upper gastrointestinal tracts were harvested for analysis. Results: 90Y radioembolization was infused resulting in average absorbed doses of between 35.5 and 91.9 Gy to the gastric wall. No animal exhibited any signs of pain or gastrointestinal distress through the duration of the study. Excised tissue showed 1–2 small (<3.0 cm2) healed or healing superficial gastric lesions in 5 out of 6 animals. Histologic analysis demonstrated that lesion location was superficial to areas of abnormally high microsphere deposition. An analysis of microsphere deposition patterns within the gastric wall indicated a high preference for submucosal deposition. Dosimetric evaluation at the luminal mucosa performed based on microsphere deposition patterns confirmed that 90Y dosimetry techniques conventionally used in hepatic dosimetry provide a reasonable estimate of absorbed dose. Conclusion: The upper gastrointestinal tract may be less sensitive to 90Y radioembolization than previously thought. Lack of charged-particle equilibrium at the luminal mucosa may contribute to decreased toxicity of 90Y radioembolization compared to external-beam radiation therapy in gastrointestinal tissue. This project was supported by SIRTex Medical Ltd.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Performance Evaluation of Intravehicular Activity Spacesuit Without the Use of a Liquid Cooling Garment

The Orion Crew Survival Systems (OCSS) suit is equipped with safety technology that protects the crew during launch and re-entry and Intravehicular Activities (IVA). It was designed to be used with a Liquid Cooling Garment (LCG), an undergarment with tubes that circulate water to remove excess heat from a crew member. The objective of this study is to determine if the Modified Advanced Crew Escape Suit (MACES), which has very similar material, assembly, and pressure characteristics as the OCSS suit, can be used without the LCG to maintain the crew within their heat storage requirements where exceedances can lead to cognitive and physiological impairment. Testing was completed for both hot and cold environments where test subjects wore varying configurations of the MACES suit ensemble without the LCG. The tests were conducted in a temperature and humidity-controlled chamber with four test subjects ranging from extra small to large. Target metabolic rates were reached using an arm ergometer. To represent the different suit configurations seen in the concept of operations, the suit was tested with visor-down, visor-up, and without helmet and gloves. The test data was analyzed to determine how the environment, test subject size, metabolic rate, and suit configuration affected heat storage. Furthermore, the test data was used to correlate the METMAN model, a transient metabolic man program that simulates the heat transfer within a crew member’s body and from a crew member to the surrounding environment. The METMAN correlation showed good agreement between predicted heat storage and test data at the end of the test duration, with a coefficient of determination (R 2 ) value of 0.8999 for visor-down cases and R 2 of 0.8902 for visor-up and helmet off cases. A correlated METMAN model allows for the analysis and prediction of IVA suit performance without an LCG in additional scenarios.

Human Thermal Modeling↗

Enabling Dynamic Probabilistic Risk Assessment of Physical Security Using EMRALD and MAAP (Presentation)

The optimization of physical security in nuclear power plants requires sophisticated methodologies that integrate operator actions and plant behavior through advanced simulation tools. Idaho National Laboratory has developed the Modeling and Analysis for Safety and Security using the Dynamic EMRALD Framework (MASS-DEF) methodology, an approach that integrates force-on-force simulations, dynamic probabilistic risk assessment, and thermal hydraulics modeling to enhance security planning while reducing costs. A reduced order model for thermal hydraulic simulations performed by the Modular Accident Analysis Program (MAAP) was developed to evaluate reactor core behavior during attack scenarios. MAAP simulations are computationally intensive and must be run in a secure environment, complicating analysis and validation. By pre-computed scenario outcomes for a small number of modified parameters, the reduced order model significantly decreases the computational cost and enables offsite review of the results.

22 - GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

The Development of Vocational Vehicle Drive Cycles and Segmentation

Under a collaborative interagency agreement between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S Department of Energy (DOE), the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) performed a series of in-depth analyses to characterize the on-road driving behavior including distributions of vehicle speed, idle time, accelerations and decelerations, and other driving metrics of medium- and heavy-duty vocational vehicles operating within the United States. As part of this effort, NREL researchers segmented U.S. medium- and heavy-duty vocational vehicle driving characteristics into three distinct operating groups or clusters using real world drive cycle data collected at 1 Hz and stored in NREL's Fleet DNA database. The Fleet DNA database contains millions of miles of historical real-world drive cycle data captured from medium- and heavy vehicles operating across the United States. The data encompass data from existing DOE activities as well as contributions from valued industry stakeholder participants. For this project, data captured from 913 unique vehicles comprising 16,250 days of operation were drawn from the Fleet DNA database and examined. The Fleet DNA data used as a source for this analysis has been collected from a total of 30 unique fleets/data providers operating across 22 unique geographic locations spread across the United States. This includes locations with topology ranging from the foothills of Denver, Colorado, to the flats of Miami, Florida. The range of fleets, geographic locations, and total number of vehicles analyzed ensures results that include the influence of these factors. While no analysis will be perfect without unlimited resources and data, it is the researchers understanding that the Fleet DNA database is the largest and most thorough publicly accessible vocational vehicle usage database currently in operation. This report includes an introduction to the Fleet DNA database and the data contained within, a presentation of the results of the statistical analysis performed by NREL, review of the logistic model developed to predict cluster membership, and a discussion and detailed summary of the development of the vocational drive cycle weights and representative transient drive cycles for testing and simulation. Additional discussion of known limitations and potential future work are also included in the report content.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗