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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

Development of a Multi-Sensor Data Science System Used for Signature Development on Solvent Extraction Processes in support of safeguards- an overview

A new nuclear fuel cycle test bed is being built at Idaho National Laboratory to support the purification of special nuclear material recovered from used fuel. The test bed provides an opportunity to research process flow and the application of computational tools in solvent extraction processes. A deeper understanding of process and equipment behavior coupled with real time data collection can indicate whether a process failure is accidental or purposeful. The goal of this project is to develop a system that utilizes non-traditional measurement sources such as vibration, acoustics, current, light, flow, and temperature in conjunction with data-based, machine learning techniques that will allow for signal discovery. This multi-sensor data can support the development of safeguards by design and security by design measures for such a facility. Additionally, it can aid in early detection and identification of removed materials indicating diversion, which is essential for initiating material recovery and actor identification. This overview encompasses the current research and testing of sensors to develop a spectrum of process signatures. To be followed by planned experiments aimed to characterize said signatures and study potential feature extraction techniques to identify a fault in the system (i.e. flow diversion).

98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL P↗

NESC Peer Review of Exploration Systems Development (ESD) Integrated Vehicle Modal Test, Model Correlation, Development Flight Instrumentation (DFI) and Flight Loads Readiness; Uncertainty Propagation for Model Validation Sub-task

This report details a sub-task (regarding Uncertainty Propagation for Model Validation) from a NASA Engineering and Safety Center assessment that is a multi-year activity spanning the complete development of the Space Launch System integrated vehicle structural dynamic models, and the development of the certification of flight readiness for the Artemis 1 and Artemis 2 vehicles and their variants.

Exploration Systems Development; Development Fligh↗

Scaling Real Estate Development Innovation With Emerging Local Area Developers

These case studies provide tangible examples within the development field that show how true innovation in real estate and property development hinges on shaping and optimizing diverse connections and relationships to create widely available, market-viable, and high-performance buildings.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

FAST.Farm Development and Validation of Structural Load Prediction Against Large Eddy Simulations

FAST.Farm is a mid-fidelity engineering tool developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory targeted at accurately and efficiently predicting wind turbine power production and structural loading in wind farm settings, including wake interactions between turbines. FAST.Farm is based on several principles of the dynamic wake meandering (DWM) model, but also addresses limitations of previous DWM implementations. Previous FAST.Farm studies have shown the similarities and differences between FAST.Farm and large eddy simulations for rigid turbine cases. The objective of this work is to quantify the ability of FAST.Farm to accurately predict turbine structural response in a small wind farm. This is done by comparing FAST.Farm structural response to SOWFA-OpenFAST results for three laterally-aligned turbines. The purpose of this study is to characterize the similarities and differences between FAST.Farm and a higher fidelity model for predicting turbine structural response in a wind farm for differing atmospheric inflows. Strong statistical agreement was found between FAST.Farm and SOWFA-OpenFAST structural response for the non-waked upstream turbine, and good agreement was found for the downstream turbines for most structural quantities. Higher differences were seen for downstream turbines with low ambient turbulence intensity or yawed turbines, suggesting areas for FAST.Farm wake dynamics modeling improvements. For all cases and turbines, small statistical differences were seen between blade deflections and bending moments, with larger differences for tower-top and tower-base bending moments. Overall, the results establish confidence for applying FAST.Farm to wind farm power and loads analyses and identify areas where further model validations and model improvements should be targeted.

49 EE - Wind and Water Power Program - Wind (EE-4W↗

Molecular Tagging Velocimetry in Superfluid Helium-4: Progress, Issues, and Future Development

Helium-4 in the superfluid phase (He II) is a two-fluid system that exhibits fascinating quantum hydrodynamics with important scientific and engineering applications. However, the lack of high-precision flow measurement tools in He II has impeded the progress in understanding and utilizing its hydrodynamics. In recent years, there have been extensive efforts in developing quantitative flow visualization techniques applicable to He II. In particular, a powerful molecular tagging velocimetry (MTV) technique, based on tracking thin lines of He 2 * excimer molecules created via femtosecond laser-field ionization in helium, has been developed in our laboratory. This technique allows unambiguous measurement of the normal fluid velocity field in the two-fluid system. Nevertheless, there are two limitations to this technique: (1) only the velocity component perpendicular to the tracer line can be measured; and (2) there is an inherent error in determining the perpendicular velocity. In this paper, we discuss how these issues can be resolved by advancing the MTV technique. We also discuss two novel schemes for tagging and producing He 2 * tracers. Here, the first method allows the creation of a tagged He 2 * tracer line without the use of an expensive femtosecond laser. The second method enables full-space velocity field measurement through tracking small clouds of He 2 * molecules created via neutron- 3 He absorption reactions in He II.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Insights into the physical and chemical properties of a cement-polymer composite developed for geothermal wellbore applications

To isolate injection and production zones from overlying formations and aquifers during geothermal operations, cement is placed in the annulus between well casing and formations. Wellbore cement can fracture due to chemical and physical stress. A polymer-cement (composite) with self-healing properties, stable at high temperatures, was recently developed by our group. Here we present data on the elemental distribution, mineral composition, internal microstructure, and tensile elasticity of this composite and how it compares to cement without polymer (control cement). Entrapped air porosity was similar between control cement (0.44% by volume) and composite (0.22% by volume). Total voids increased with polymer content in the cement (10% and 25% composite), and polymer was found to fill most of these voids. Polymer appears to act as a (cement hydration) retarder increasing the amount of unhydrated silicate minerals in the matrix. Tensile elasticity was improved for composites as compared to control cement, suggesting that the composite materials perform better under mechanical stress. Density-functional calculations reproduce the drop in Young’s modulus by about 60% observed experimentally when polymer is added to the cement. In addition, calculations indicate that the bonding interactions between the cement and polymer remain stable over the range of strain studied.

Rod, Kenton A. (ORCID:0000000318189094)↗

Linkages between Policy and Business Innovation in the Development of China’s Energy Performance Contracting Market

China has a large and growing energy performance contracting (EPC) market, which has played a significant role in driving energy efficiency retrofits and improvements This paper evaluates how policies and business innovations have worked synergistically to expand China’s EPC market. We analyze the interconnected roles of four key factors: incentive policies, China’s Five-Year Plans, and business innovations in diversifying contract models and strengthening measurement and verification. We use multiple data sources for the analysis, including detailed information on business choices in 21 pilot projects, industry-wide surveys, and policy information. Our study indicates that supportive policies were important for the initial market development. As the market was established and continued to grow, the private sector started to take initiatives to address the issues that are left out of the policies, which helped overcome certain market barriers and enabled the sustainable growth of the market. Future policies could incorporate the successful innovations from the businesses to ensure long-term development of China’s EPC market. Understanding these policy and business drivers in a holistic way is critical to understanding how China was able to leverage its relatively small policy investments into much larger transformation of its existing buildings and industrial facilities through energy efficiency retrofits. This in turn can be informative for other countries seeking to achieve large-scale energy efficiency improvements.

Zhou, Yuanrong↗

Structures of Vanadium-Containing Silicate and Borosilicate Glasses: Vanadium Potential Development and MD Simulations

Vanadium-containing multi-component glasses have been found with widely interests in various applications. However, the complex compositions, thus structures, lead to the challenges in experiments to understand the structural origin of the property change of these glasses. In this work, we developed compatible vanadium-related parameters for a widely used pair wise potential set to enable the simulations of the vanadium-containing multi-component glasses. Various crystal structures and glass compositions (with vanadium in different oxidation states) have been tested using the newly developed parameters, and structural information of cell parameters, pair distribution function, estimated bond distance, and coordination number have been obtained. The results are in good agreement with available experimental data, which indicates the new vanadium parameters can be used to simulate the vanadium-containing multi-component glasses and thus help study those applications with wide interests.

Deng, Lu↗

A General Strategy for Batch Development of High-Performance and Cost-Effective Sodium Layered Cathodes

High-performance and low-cost transition metal (TM) layered oxides using earth abundant elements are promising cathodes for Na-ion batteries. However, it is challenging to obtain desired materials because the large Na size, different Na occupations and various layer stacking sequences multiply the complication in determining the structure of a given composition and exacerbate uncertainty to the structure-property correlation. In this work, we use the attainment of desired NaxMnyNiZTM1-y-zO2-based cathode materials as an example to demonstrate a general roadmap for batch development of sodium layered cathodes towards practical applications. A synthesis phase diagram of NaxMnyNi1-yO2 was created for pre-screening and rational selection of the platform material of P2/O3-structured Na0.85Mn0.6Ni0.4O2. Cationic potential was leveraged in elemental substitution to further promote the material structural stability and electrochemical performance. Several cost-effective O3 and P2/O3 hybrid cathode materials have been obtained, all of which demonstrate excellent performance. In particular, the Na0.85Mn0.5Ni0.4Ti0.1O2 delivers a high specific capacity of ~130 mAh/g between 2-4 V and 91% retention after 500 cycles. The work discovers multiple materials as high-performance and cost-effective Na-ion battery cathodes and offers critical guidance to the rational design of future layered cathode materials.

Xiao, Biwei↗

Development and Scale-up of Continuous Electrocatalytic Hydrogenation of Functionalized Nitro arenes, Nitriles and Unsaturated Aldehydes

Electrolysis reactors based on the filter-press architecture of redox flow batteries have proven to be effective and scalable towards the production of commercially relevant, pharmaceutical quantities of anilines (>500 kg/year) from halogen-, hydroxyl-, and carbonyl-substituted nitroarenes. Turbulent flow through the carbon felts on which the catalysts were supported facilitated scaling towards production levels because it conferred on the reactors scale-independent, plug flow-like residence time distributions and high mass transfer coefficients. Equipping the cells with micro-reference electrodes made it possible to transfer reaction conditions first developed in batch systems to the continuous flow reactors. The catalysts prepared by incipient wetness impregnation of metal salts into lightly oxidized carbon felt supports were readily generalizable.

Egbert, Jonathan D.↗

U.S. Manufacturing Water Use Data and Estimates: Current State, Limitations, and Future Needs for Supporting Manufacturing Research and Development

Water is essential to manufacturing operations; without it, many facilities could not operate or meet production demands. Physical, reputational, and regulatory risks to water supplies compounded by climate change-induced impacts on hydrological conditions threaten the adequacy of water supplies for manufacturing. Manufacturing water use has not been a major focus of either water or manufacturing-related research. Research and development (R&D) aimed at helping manufacturers use water more sustainably and adapt to changing water conditions is needed to ensure a thriving sector and economy. However, the ability to identify R&D needs is severely limited due to a lack of current, statistically representative data on manufacturing water use and its environmental implications. In this Perspective, we outline four key questions to inform R&D on manufacturing use and highlight how the current state of water data in the United States does not support the adequate investigation of these questions. We make recommendations for the water data characteristics needed to explore the research questions and knowledgeably inform R&D on manufacturing water use.

McCall, James↗

Perspectives on the Development of Oxide-Based Photocathodes for Solar Fuel Production

Photoelectrochemical cells (PECs), which use semiconductor electrodes (photoelectrodes) to absorb solar energy and perform chemical reactions, constitute one of the most attractive strategies to produce chemical fuels using renewable energy sources. Oxide-based photoelectrodes specifically have been intensively investigated for the construction of PECs due to their relatively inexpensive processing costs and better stability in aqueous media compared with other types of photoelectrodes. Although there have been many advancements in the development of oxide-based photoanodes, our understanding of oxide-based photocathodes remains limited. The goal of this Perspective is to examine the recent progress made in the field of oxide-based photocathodes and discuss future research directions. The photocathode systems considered here include binary and ternary Cu-based photocathodes and ternary Fe-based photocathodes. Here, we assessed the characteristics and major advantages and drawbacks of each system and identified the most critical research gaps. The insights and discussions provided in this Perspective will serve as useful resources for the design of future studies, leading to the development of more efficient and practical PECs.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Development of the materials analysis and particle probe for Proto-MPEX

The Prototype Material Plasma Exposure eXperiment (Proto-MPEX) is a linear plasma device being used in plasma source research and development (R&D) for the proposed MPEX. Once the R&D is completed, this device can also be used to perform plasma–material interaction studies. To perform these studies, a new materials analysis and particle probe (MAPP) has been constructed. The MAPP’s components are a sample holder and manipulator and a custom vacuum chamber with ports to facilitate surface chemistry diagnostics. The MAPP’s overall design enables rapid sample turnaround and in vacuo surface characterization. The surface analysis vacuum chamber has ports for x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, thermal desorption spectroscopy, back-scatter ion scattering spectroscopy, forward-scatter ion scattering spectroscopy, and direct recoil spectroscopy. The sample manipulator and holder is a Lesker/UHV Multi-Centre Analytical Stage, which is used to place the samples in the exposure region of the Proto-MPEX or the analysis position in the MAPP vacuum chamber. The sample holder has a heating capability of up to 1200 °C for heated exposure and for desorption studies. In this work, we present the MAPP’s design and the first tungsten sample exposure with ex situ analysis that shows a surface deposition layer on the exposed target, highlighting the need for additional in situ measurements on the Proto-MPEX.

Beers, C. J. (ORCID:0000000150985459)↗