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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 127 records · Page 7

Simulation of period doubling of recurrent solar wind structures

Based on satellite observations of a recurrent solar wind structure conducted in 1974, an MHD simulation model, and input functions generated from plasma and magnetic field data, the continuing evolution of the solar wind structure outside 5 AU is studied. The model uses the Rankine-Hugoniot relations to describe the jumps in flow properties across the shocks, and it treats shocks as surfaces of discontinuity with zero thickness. Two interaction processes (the collision and the merging of shocks) play important roles in restructuring the solar wind in the outer heliosphere. The simulation result shows that period doubling occurs between 5 and 10 AU. The recurrent solar wind appears to be a persistent new structure between 10 and 20 AU, and it consists of one merged interaction region per solar rotation.

Whang, Y. C.↗

Cyber100 Compass: Quantification of Cybersecurity Risks for Systems Transitioning to High Levels of Renewables (Final Report)

The shift to high levels of renewable deployment will entail a significant re-engineering of the grid. As investors, utilities, customers, and others prepare for clean energy transitions, there is need to understand how restructuring the grid to accommodate renewables will change the attack surface of the grid and accompanying cyber risk. However, today the cyber-physical risks associated with electric grids incorporating high levels of renewable deployment remain largely unknown. The Cyber100 Compass proof-of-concept application attempts to quantify future cyber-physical security risks by combining risk data gathered from subject matter experts (SMEs) with input from system planners about conditions they expect to be true about their electric systems in the future. Users provide data about their organization’s tolerance for risk; the value they place on avoiding the consequences of different cyber events; and conditions that they expect to be true on their systems at some point in the future. The SMEs provide baseline probabilities for different cyber events; the probability that an event will be low-, moderate-, or high-impact; and the amount by which user-identified conditions on their systems will change the likelihood of the cyber events. The application takes both the user and SME input and performs a series of Monte Carlo simulations to arrive at a quantification of risk.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Municipal Adaptation to Changing Curbside Demands: Findings from Semi-Structured Interviews with Ten U.S. Cities

Emerging mobility services (e.g. ride-hailing, e-commerce, micro-mobility, etc.), are generating novel and rapidly growing demands to use curbside space, with potentially large impacts on mobility, energy consumption, and related outcomes. This presents both opportunities and challenges to municipal agencies responsible for managing this interface between the road network and adjacent land uses, as legacy practices require updating. In this study, we employ a semi-structured interviewing approach to establish how municipalities are adapting to these new pressures on their curbside. We interviewed senior staff responsible for curbside policy of ten large U.S. municipalities, with populations ranging from ~250,000 to ~5,000,000 (and the majority of which are the central city of their metropolitan region). We document a trend of organizational restructuring to more formally include curbside management teams, with the majority of interviewees also reporting increased staffing. Respondents reported that operational failures at their curbside (e.g. demand in excess of capacity) have impacts on safety, capacity, and emergency vehicle mobility, with impacts highly concentrated spatially and temporally (e.g. late evenings in nightlife districts). We document a diversity of data flows between ride-hailing operators (e.g. Uber, Lyft) and municipalities, with some cities reporting obtaining types of data that other cities report not receiving, despite requesting such data. Finally, respondents consistently expressed a desire for new data streams and methodologies to help manage the curbside of the future. It is hoped that establishing the state of practice in this rapidly changing context will be of use to practitioners facing similar pressures as those of our interviewees.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

NASA supporting studies for microgravity research on eye movements

The purpose of the work on this project was to provide support for ground-based studies on the effects of gravity on eye movements. The effects of microgravity on the optokinetic eye movements of humans are investigated. OKN was induced by having subjects watch 3.3 deg stripes moving at 35 deg/s for 45 s in a binocular, head-fixed apparatus. The field (hor., 88 deg; vert., 72 deg), was rotated about axes that were upright or tilted 45 deg or 90 deg. The head was upright or tilted 45 deg on the body. Head-horizontal (yaw axis) and head-vertical (pitch axis) components of OKN were recorded with electro-oculography (EOG). Slow phase velocity vectors were determined relative to gravity. With the head upright, the axis of eye rotation during yaw axis OKN was coincident with the stimulus axis and the spatial vertical. With the head tilted 45 deg on the body, a persistent vertical component of eye velocity developed during yaw axis stimulation, and there was an average shift of the axis of eye rotation toward the spatial vertical of approximately 18 deg in six subjects. During oblique optokinetic stimulation with the head upright, the axis of eye rotation shifted 12 deg toward the spatial vertical. When the head was tilted, the axis of eye rotation rotated to the other side of the spatial vertical by 5.4 deg during the same oblique stimulation. This counter-rotation of the axis of eye rotation is similar to the 'Muller (E) effect', in which the perception of the upright counter-rotates to the opposite side of the spatial vertical when subjects are tilted in darkness. The data were simulated by a model of OKN. Despite the short OKAN time constants, strong horizontal to vertical cross-coupling was produced if the horizontal and vertical time constants were in proper ratio, and there was no suppression of nystagmus orthogonal to the stimulus direction. This shows that the spatial orientation of OKN can be due to a restructuring of the system matrix of velocity storage as a function of gravity. It is concluded that although human OKAN is weak, velocity storage orients the slow phase velocity of OKN towards the spatial vertical.

Cohen, Bernard↗

Status and Trends in the U.S. Voluntary Green Power Market (2016 Data)

The "voluntary" or "green power" market is that in which consumers and institutions voluntarily purchase renewable energy to match all or part of their electricity needs. Voluntary action provides a revenue stream for renewable energy projects and raises consumer awareness of the benefits of renewable energy. There are numerous ways consumers and institutions can purchase renewable energy. Historically, the voluntary market has consisted of three market sectors: (1) utility green pricing programs (in states with regulated electricity markets), (2) competitive suppliers (in states with restructured electricity markets), and (3) unbundled renewable electricity certificate (REC) markets, where RECs are purchased by consumers separately from electricity ("unbundled").

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Particle Physics Division Lifting Fixtures Database Restructure

In this project, a thorough investigation is conducted to determine the current placements of all lifting fixtures within the Particle Physics Division (PPD) buildings - as well as whether which ones are still operable. Briefly, the reasoning as to why these lifting fixtures must be found and the database must be updated is covered in the beginning sections of the report. Many tools and fixtures get moved around and forgotten about, and Fermilab’s systems have been updated more than a few times throughout the years, so data can get lost and forgotten about. Considering that many of these lifting fixtures have not been used in years or there is missing, impertinent information that is required by Fermilab’s modern standards and safety regulations. Lifting fixtures found at each site are measured, photographed, and logged; later analyzed to determine if they are under PPD’s purview or another department so that the respective authorities can be notified. Once maximum information is found for all the fixtures they are formatted to 2025 Fermilab standards in an easily accessible digital list for PPD employees.

Creedon, Carroll [Unlisted, US, IL]↗

The structural fate of lipid nanoparticles in the extracellular matrix

Drug-loaded liposomes are the most successful nanomedicine to date, with multiple FDA-approved systems for a myriad of diseases. While liposome circulation time in blood and retention in tissues have been studied in detail, the structural fate of liposomes—and nanoparticles in general—in the body has not been extensively investigated. In this work, we explore the interactions of liposomes with synthetic and natural hydrogel materials to understand how the natural extracellular matrix influences liposome structural characteristics. Small angle X-ray scattering, confocal microscopy, and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy data demonstrate that poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), gelatin, alginate, and Matrigel ® hydrogels cause 200 nm liposomes of 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC) to transform into micrometer-sized aggregates. These aggregates are composed of multilamellar vesicles around 100 nm in diameter with a mean interlamellar separation of 5.5 nm. Protecting the liposomes with a corona of PEG damps this restructuring effect, making the multilamellar vesicles less stable. We attribute this unilamellar to multilamellar transition to an osmotic driving force from the hydrogel environment. This lipid restructuring has broad ramifications in the design and use of nanomedicines, and in understanding the fate and function of natural lipid-based materials within the tissue microenvironment.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Multiscale Modeling of Radiation Damage in UO 2 under Accelerated Burnup Conditions

Accelerated fuel qualification (AFQ) is a methodology by which new nuclear fuels are developed in an accelerated time frame compared with historical fuel qualification approaches. AFQ generally relies on high-fidelity physics-based modeling and simulation tools to adequately describe fuel performance as well as on revolutionary methods to accelerate burnup accumulation and collect relevant data more quickly. This report summarizes the use of advanced fuel modeling and simulation tools to evaluate microstructures from commercially irradiated fuel and microstructures from proposed MiniFuel irradiations, in which burnup accumulation is accelerated while prototypic temperature conditions are maintained. In this milestone, we used the mesoscale fuel performance code MARMOT to model the evolution of irradiated UO 2 microstructures and their potential restructuring at high burnup. The simulation conditions were informed by BISON models of both commercially irradiated fuel and MiniFuel.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Captan+X Data Converter Integration

Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory's CAPTAN (Compact And Programmable daTa Acquisition Node) series provides a flexible hardware platform for data acquisition across a range of experiments and facilities. The latest iteration, CAPTAN+X, is built around a Kintex-7 FPGA supporting four FPGA Mezzanine Card (FMC) connections. As part of a broader laboratory effort to bring facility systems under a Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) framework, CAPTAN+X is one of several systems slated to be incorporated into this modeling environment in the near term. A necessary step toward that goal is incorporating the platform's core functionality, which centers on integration with the LXD31K4 FMC, a data converter module combining dual AD9652 analog-to-digital converters and dual AD9142A digital-to-analog converters. Achieving compatibility required resolving pin-mapping conflicts between the LXD31K4's High Pin Count connector and the CAPTAN+X's available pin types, adapting a Board Support Project originally written for an UltraScale-class evaluation board to the Kintex-7 architecture, replacing incompatible primitives, restructuring clock distribution, and manually configuring chip initialization in place of an unsupported soft-processor-based approach. Functional verification of the ADC and DAC channels, followed by closed-loop testing combining both converters with real-time filtering, confirmed correct operation of the integrated system. These results establish a working hardware and firmware baseline for the CAPTAN+X platform, positioning it for future inclusion in the laboratory's growing MBSE modeling effort.

Espinoza, David [Illinois U., Urbana (main)]↗

CAPTAN+X Data Converter Integration

Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory's CAPTAN (Compact And Programmable daTa Acquisition Node) series provides a flexible hardware platform for data acquisition across a range of experiments and facilities. The latest iteration, CAPTAN+X, is built around a Kintex-7 FPGA supporting four FPGA Mezzanine Card (FMC) connections. As part of a broader laboratory effort to bring facility systems under a Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) framework, CAPTAN+X is one of several systems slated to be incorporated into this modeling environment in the near term. A necessary step toward that goal is incorporating the platform's core functionality, which centers on integration with the LXD31K4 FMC, a data converter module combining dual AD9652 analog-to-digital converters and dual AD9142A digital-to-analog converters. Achieving compatibility required resolving pin-mapping conflicts between the LXD31K4's High Pin Count connector and the CAPTAN+X's available pin types, adapting a Board Support Project originally written for an UltraScale-class evaluation board to the Kintex-7 architecture, replacing incompatible primitives, restructuring clock distribution, and manually configuring chip initialization in place of an unsupported soft-processor-based approach. Functional verification of the ADC and DAC channels, followed by closed-loop testing combining both converters with real-time filtering, confirmed correct operation of the integrated system. These results establish a working hardware and firmware baseline for the CAPTAN+X platform, positioning it for future inclusion in the laboratory's growing MBSE modeling effort.

Espinoza, David [Illinois U., Urbana (main)]↗

The Earth Observing System

The restructuring of the NASA Earth Observing System (EOS), designed to provide comprehensive long term observations from space of changes occurring on the Earth from natural and human causes in order to have a sound scientific basis for policy decisions on protection of the future, is reported. In response to several factors, the original program approved in the fiscal year 1991 budget was restructured and somewhat reduced in scope. The resulting program uses three different sized launch vehicles to put six different spacecraft in orbit in the first phase, followed by two replacement launches for each of five of the six satellites to maintain a long term observing capability to meet the needs of global climate change research and other science objectives. The EOS system, including the space observatories, the data and information system, and the interdisciplinary global change research effort, are approved and proceeding. Elements of EOS are already in place, such as the research investigations and initial data system capabilities. The flights of precursor satellite and Shuttle missions, the ongoing data analysis, and the evolutionary enhancements to the integrated Earth science data management capabilities are all important building blocks to the full EOS program.

Shaffer, Lisa Robock↗

Space Station technology testbed: 2010 deep space transport

A space station in a crew-tended or permanently crewed configuration will provide major R&D opportunities for innovative, technology and materials development and advanced space systems testing. A space station should be designed with the basic infrastructure elements required to grow into a major systems technology testbed. This space-based technology testbed can and should be used to support the development of technologies required to expand our utilization of near-Earth space, the Moon and the Earth-to-Jupiter region of the Solar System. Space station support of advanced technology and materials development will result in new techniques for high priority scientific research and the knowledge and R&D base needed for the development of major, new commercial product thrusts. To illustrate the technology testbed potential of a space station and to point the way to a bold, innovative approach to advanced space systems' development, a hypothetical deep space transport development and test plan is described. Key deep space transport R&D activities are described would lead to the readiness certification of an advanced, reusable interplanetary transport capable of supporting eight crewmembers or more. With the support of a focused and highly motivated, multi-agency ground R&D program, a deep space transport of this type could be assembled and tested by 2010. Key R&D activities on a space station would include: (1) experimental research investigating the microgravity assisted, restructuring of micro-engineered, materials (to develop and verify the in-space and in-situ 'tuning' of materials for use in debris and radiation shielding and other protective systems), (2) exposure of microengineered materials to the space environment for passive and operational performance tests (to develop in-situ maintenance and repair techniques and to support the development, enhancement, and implementation of protective systems, data and bio-processing systems, and virtual reality and telepresence/kinetic processes), (3) subsystem tests of advanced nuclear power, nuclear propulsion and communication systems (using boom extensions, remote station-keeping platforms and mobile EVA crew and robots), and (4) logistics support (crew and equipment) and command and control of deep space transport assembly, maintenance, and refueling (using a station-keeping platform).

Holt, Alan C.↗

Bacterial endophyte communities in Pinus flexilis are structured by host age, tissue type, and environmental factors

Background and aims: Forest tree microbiomes are vital to forest dynamics, diversity, and ecosystem processes. Mature limber pines ( Pinus flexilis ) host a core microbiome of acetic acid bacteria in their foliage, but the bacterial endophyte community structure, variation, and assembly across tree ontogeny is unknown. The aims of this research were to test if the core microbiome observed in adult P. flexilis is established at the seedling stage, if seedlings host different endophyte communities in root and shoot tissues, and how environmental factors structure seedling endophyte communities. Methods: The 16S rRNA gene was sequenced to characterize the bacterial endophyte communities in roots and shoots of P. flexilis seedlings grown in plots at three elevations at Niwot Ridge, Colorado, subjected to experimental treatments (watering and heating). The data was compared to previously sequenced endophyte communities from adult tree foliage sampled in the same year and location. Results: Seedling shoots hosted a different core microbiome than adult tree foliage and were dominated by a few OTUs in the family Oxalobacteraceae , identical or closely related to strains with antifungal activity. Shoot and root communities significantly differed from each other but shared major OTUs. Watering but not warming restructured the seedling endophyte communities. Conclusions: The results indicate differences in assembly and ecological function across conifer life stages. Seedlings may recruit endophytes to protect against fungi under increased soil moisture.

16S rRNA↗

A detailed phylogeny for the Methanomicrobiales

The small subunit rRNA sequence of twenty archaea, members of the Methanomicrobiales, permits a detailed phylogenetic tree to be inferred for the group. The tree confirms earlier studies, based on far fewer sequences, in showing the group to be divided into two major clusters, temporarily designated the "methanosarcina" group and the "methanogenium" group. The tree also defines phylogenetic relationships within these two groups, which in some cases do not agree with the phylogenetic relationships implied by current taxonomic names--a problem most acute for the genus Methanogenium and its relatives. The present phylogenetic characterization provides the basis for a consistent taxonomic restructuring of this major methanogenic taxon.

NASA Discipline Number 52-30↗

Optimized System for On-Route Fast Charging of Battery-Electric Shuttle Buses

Electrifying cars, buses, and trucks is an attractive means of reducing energy use and emissions because it involves more efficient drivetrain components and minimal restructuring of the transportation network. Transit buses, driving fixed routes, help minimize driver range anxiety by properly sizing energy storage systems. A major challenge to fully electrifying transit buses is providing the amount of energy they consume in a day of driving. To enable a full day of operation without charging, batteries need to be large, which could be expensive and heavy. This work utilizes real-world transit bus data used in a battery-electric drivetrain model to co-optimize charger locations, charger power levels, and vehicle battery sizes.

ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

The star system: A production engineering approach to STS

A fundamental change to the way Space Transportation System flight preparation is done is documented. It involves (1) systematic restructuring the Space Transportation System flight preparation task, to minimize its R&D content; (2) development of the Space Transportation Automated Reconfiguration (STAR) system to structure and support the remaining work flow. STAR is an integrated software system providing automation and quality control mechanisms necessary to create a production-like process. This approach was implemented using tools and methodology developed by IBM under NASA contract, to produce payload flight data requirements. It offers increased product quality, reduced cost per flight, and greater responsiveness to change.

Angier, R. C.↗

Evolution design requirements and design strategy

Space Station Freedom (SSF) has undergone numerous design changes during the rephasing and restructuring activities occurring in 1989 and 1990/91, respectively. One direct result of these changes is that the Station has become more complex and compact which requires that future modifications to the Station be carefully planned and analyzed in conjunction with the baseline design process. This will ensure that the configuration has adequate design features and flexibility to accommodate the future capability and element upgrades. Six critical growth requirements (electrical power, thermal control, pressurized volume, structures, EVA equipment, and data management) have been identified and baselined in the Level I Program Requirements Document (PRD) and the Level II Program Definition and Requirements Document (PDRD). The approach to meeting the growth requirements will be to minimize the impact on the baseline design in the areas of weight, power, and development cost. The specifics of these requirements, with regard to scarring and implementation during the Follow-On and Evolution phases of SSF, are detailed in this paper.

Monell, D. W.↗