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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 1,279 records · Page 71

Performance study of a novel dew point evaporative cooler in the climate of central Europe using building simulation tools

This paper presents the performance research of a hybrid air conditioning system (System II) equipped with novel dew point evaporative cooler (DPIEC) for a retail building located in temperate climatic conditions. The new cooler has a dedicated, adaptable structure that maximizes its performance in the climate conditions of central Europe. The unit can operate as a typical regenerative air cooler when outdoor air is drier than indoor air, it can operate as a counter-flow heat recovery unit when indoor conditions are more dry than outdoor and it can operate as a combination of both arrangements. The year-round, hourly-stepped building energy simulations were carried-out using a prognostic tool of energy consumption. The novel dew point evaporative cooler application potential was established using the black-box model based on regression equations was established based on experimental tests on a prototype of novel DPIEC. The hybrid system operation was compared to the typical air handling unit equipped with a standard energy wheel for heat recovery (System I). Presented research shows that DPIEC can cover about 95% of total cooling loads while the energy wheel covers only 9% of total cooling load. System II allows us to save 65% of seasonal electricity consumption comparing to System I. It comes from the fact that during most of the cooling season DPIEC is in operation and it covers most of the cooling loads without the need to switch the chilled water system.

Air conditioning↗

Solidification and Liquation Cracking Behavior of Dual-Phase Steel DP600

In this work, the solidification and liquation cracking behavior of a dual-phase steel DP600 was examined using longitudinal Varestraint testing and hot ductility testing. Varestraint tests showed only limited cracking even at 4 pct augmented strain. Hot ductility tests showed that the nil-strength temperature of the steel was 1459 °C, while the nil-ductility and the ductility-recovery temperatures were 1435 °C and 1420 °C, respectively. The brittleness temperature range was found to be 39 °C, and the DP600 steel was highly resistant to both weld metal solidification cracking and heat-affected zone liquation cracking. The reasons for the high hot cracking resistance of dual-phase steel DP600 are discussed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Software design for automated assembly of truss structures

Concern over the limited intravehicular activity time has increased the interest in performing in-space assembly and construction operations with automated robotic systems. A technique being considered at LaRC is a supervised-autonomy approach, which can be monitored by an Earth-based supervisor that intervenes only when the automated system encounters a problem. A test-bed to support evaluation of the hardware and software requirements for supervised-autonomy assembly methods was developed. This report describes the design of the software system necessary to support the assembly process. The software is hierarchical and supports both automated assembly operations and supervisor error-recovery procedures, including the capability to pause and reverse any operation. The software design serves as a model for the development of software for more sophisticated automated systems and as a test-bed for evaluation of new concepts and hardware components.

Herstrom, Catherine L.↗

A Large-Scale Hardware Experiment Demonstration of Operating High Inverter-Based Resource Power Systems With Grid-Forming Inverters

This paper presents experimental hardware results from a microgrid system as the penetration level of grid-forming (GFM) inverters increases. The experiment aims to showcase the advantages of GFM inverters in enhancing system stability and to investigate the operational challenges in systems relying entirely on inverter-based resources (IBRs). Five test scenarios are devised to progressively increase GFM inverter penetration levels: 0% (S1), 19% (S2), 37% (S3), 68% (S4), and 100% (S5). To ensure consistency, identical loading conditions and dynamic events are applied across all scenarios. The conducted tests include load step changes, output variation of grid-following (GFL) inverters during islanded mode, transition operations (such as synchronization to the grid and islanding), and rateof- change-of-frequency (ROCOF) and voltage jump tests during grid-connected mode. Key findings from the tests are summarized as follows: (1) Scenario S1 proved most challenging for load steps, and GFL variations because of insufficient GFM capacity, leaving the diesel generator unable to handle transient ridethrough; (2) Scenario S5 was the most difficult for transition operations, because the lack of a diesel generator to maintain stiff bus voltage resulted in unexpected reactive power flows during synchronization, causing the point of common coupling (PCC) breaker to trip; (3) Scenarios S4 and S5 were particularly challenging for ROCOF tests because of minimal system inertia, leading to large transients that triggered breaker trips; and (4) Scenario S4 exhibited the strongest voltage recovery capability because of the presence of the diesel generator and a higher number of GFM inverters, both of which possess the highest capacity for reactive power injection.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Design, Development, and Testing of a Water Vapor Exchanger for Spacecraft Life Support Systems

Thermal and environmental control systems for future exploration spacecraft must meet challenging requirements for efficient operation and conservation of resources. Maximizing the use of regenerative systems and conserving water are critical considerations. This paper describes the design, development, and testing of an innovative water vapor exchanger (WVX) that can minimize the amount of water absorbed in, and vented from, regenerative CO2 removal systems. Key design requirements for the WVX are high air flow capacity (suitable for a crew of six), very high water recovery, and very low pressure losses. We developed fabrication and assembly methods that enable high-efficiency mass transfer in a uniform and stable array of Nafion tubes. We also developed analysis and design methods to compute mass transfer and pressure losses. We built and tested subscale units sized for flow rates of 2 and 5 cu ft/min (3.4–8.5 cu m/hr). Durability testing demonstrated that a stable core geometry was sustained over many humid/dry cycles. Pressure losses were very low (less than 0.5 in. H2O (125 Pa) total) and met requirements at prototypical flow rates. We measured water recovery efficiency across a range of flow rates and humidity levels that simulate the range of possible cabin conditions. We measured water recovery efficiencies in the range of 80 to 90%, with the best efficiency at lower flow rates and higher cabin humidity levels. We compared performance of the WVX with similar units built using an unstructured Nafion tube bundle. The WVX achieves higher water recovery efficiency with nearly an order of magnitude lower pressure drop than unstructured tube bundles. These results show that the WVX provides uniform flow through flow channels for both the humid and dry streams and can meet requirements for service on future exploration spacecraft. The WVX technology will be best suited for long-duration exploration vehicles that require regenerative CO2 removal systems while needing to conserve water.

Izenson, Michael G.↗

Treatment and Reuse of Wastewaters Discharged by Petroleum Industries (HMD/Algeria)

Industrial wastewaters discharged by petroleum industries contains: oil, heavy metals and chemicals used in the process of oil separation and treatment. These waters are a source of soil, water and air pollution, and lead a mortal danger to the ecosystem. Our aim in this work has an aspect that can contribute to the collective effort to address the enormous amount of water purges storage bins and reuse them to avoid any environmental damage. This was achieved by chemical treating of these wastewaters discharged from three different locations of Hassi Messaoud (HMD) petroleum field by flocculation with (C-5563) followed by coagulation with (C-2061) using two different acids as sequestering namely: Ascorbic and Citric acid. After experiments, the results showed that the wastewater can be treated without sequestering by adding 40 ppm of activated silicates. The best result was obtained by addition of 160 ppm of Ascorbic acid as sequestering agent and 20 ppm of activated silicates; resulting in removal of 92.81 % of suspended matter and 95.53 % of turbidity. Finally we concluded that this wastewater was satisfactorily treated and we recommend either inject it for enhanced oil recovery in industrial closest field (North field) to maintain the reservoir pressure and the improved rate recovery of oil reserves or reuse it in garden irrigation. In order to see the impact of the treated water on plants, irrigation tests have conducted on two types of plants (date palm and shaft apocalyptic) for one year. The tests showed that the thick layer of 5 cm and 0.08mm of particles diameter of dune sand removes most of remaining oil. The sand layer that fills the basin surrounding the shaft is removed and replaced every 06 months. So, Dune sand plays the role of natural filter. The garden plants appear and grow normally.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Beam Signal Recovery Using Wiener Deconvolution

This project explores the use of Wiener deconvolution to recover an original signal that has been distorted by a known transfer function and by noise. A simulated Gaussian pulse was used as the test signal, and a transfer function was applied in the frequency domain to model system distortion. Controlled noise was then introduced to approximate real-world signal degradation. A Wiener filter was implemented to reverse the effects of the transfer function while minimizing the influence of noise. The recovered signal was compared to the original pulse to evaluate the effectiveness of the filter. Results demonstrate that Wiener deconvolution offers a stable and effective approach to signal recovery, balancing complete transfer function inversion and noise suppression.

Campbell, Savanna [El Camino Coll.]↗

Development of Data-Driven Models for Performance Prediction and Chemical Dosing of a Full-Scale Controlled Phosphorus Precipitation Reactor

This study evaluated the use of data-driven models to improve control of a struvite precipitation reactor that removes phosphorus from wastewater while producing a fertilizer product. The researchers developed predictive models for influent orthophosphate concentration, effluent orthophosphate concentration, and phosphorus removal using operational data from a full-scale MagPrex™ reactor at a water resource recovery facility in Denver, Colorado. Model predictions were used to recommend magnesium chloride dosing adjustments needed to achieve a target effluent phosphorus concentration. Several machine learning approaches were tested, with ridge regression providing the best predictions for influent orthophosphate concentration and phosphorus removal, and XGBoost providing the best predictions for effluent orthophosphate concentration. Simulation results indicated that the decision-support approach could correctly identify dosing adjustments in most cases and reduce chemical use. Full-scale implementation achieved lower accuracy due to changing operating conditions and limited historical data in some operating ranges. Here, the results demonstrate the potential of data-driven tools to support phosphorus recovery process control while also identifying practical limitations that affect deployment in full-scale systems.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Extreme background rejection techniques for the ELROI satellite license plate

The extremely low-resource optical identifier (ELROI) is a concept for an autonomous, low-power optical “license plate” that can be attached to anything that goes into space. ELROI uses short, omnidirectional flashes of laser light to encode a unique ID number that can be read by a small ground telescope using a photon-counting sensor and innovative extreme background-rejection techniques. ELROI is smaller and lighter than a typical radio beacon, low-power enough to run on its own small solar cell, and can safely operate for the entire orbital lifetime of a satellite or debris object. The concept has been validated in ground tests, and orbital prototypes are scheduled for launch in 2018 and beyond. In this paper, we focus on the details of the encoding scheme and data analysis that allow a milliwatt optical signal to be read from orbit. We describe the techniques of extreme background-rejection needed to achieve this, including spectral filtering and temporal filtering using a period- and phase-recovery algorithm, and discuss the requirements for an error-correcting code to encode the ID number. Worked examples with both simulated and experimental (long-range ground test) data illustrate the methods used. Finally, we present these techniques to describe a new optical communication concept, and to encourage others to consider observing and analyzing our upcoming test flights.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Recovery Temperature, Transition, and Heat Transfer Measurements at Mach 5

Schlieren, recovery temperature, and heat-transfer measurements were made on a hollow cylinder and a cone with axes alined parallel to the stream. Both the cone and cylinder were equipped with various bluntnesses, and the tests covered a Reynolds number range up to 20 x 10(exp 6) at a free-stream Mach number of 4.95 and wall to free-stream temperature ratios from 1.8 to 5.2 (adiabatic). A substantial transition delay due to bluntness was found for both the cylinder and the cone. For the present tests (Mach 4.95), transition was delayed by a factor of 3 on the cylinder and about 2 on the cone, these delays being somewhat larger than those observed in earlier tests at Mach 3.1. Heat-transfer tests on the cylinder showed only slight effects of wall temperature level on transition location; this is to be contrasted to the large transition delays observed on conical-type bodies at low surface temperatures at Mach 3.1. The schlieren and the peak-recovery-temperature methods of detecting transition were compared with the heat-transfer results. The comparison showed that the first two methods identified a transition point which occurred just beyond the end of the laminar run as seen in the heat-transfer data.

Brinich, Paul F.↗

Interinstitutional Study of the New EURO-GANEX Process Resistance by Gamma Irradiation Test Loops

As part of the homogeneous actinides recycling strategy, the EURO-GANEX process is one of the most promising options to achieve the goal of minor actinides recovery. However, EURO-GANEX also has various drawbacks that are being addressed. Improvements made to EURO-GANEX system have resulted in the emergence of the so-called New EURO-GANEX process, where the composition of the solvent has been modified by replacing TODGA and DMDOHEMA with cis-mTDDGA in the organic phase and SO3-Ph-BTP with PyTri-Diol in the aqueous phase in order to resolve important issues. The objective of this work is twofold: evaluate the gamma radiolysis resistance of the new EURO-GANEX process by dynamic irradiation conditions simulating the three main steps of the process and validate the design of CIEMAT Náyade, CEA Marcel and INL irradiation loop devices since each of them mimics different aspects of the real process. Náyade and the INL loops could irradiate together the organic and aqueous phases, whereas in the CEA loop, the irradiated solvent is recycled continuously inside a platform with several stages of mixer-settlers containing aqueous flows simulating the three main steps of the process. The extraction performances and changes in the composition of the solvent have been analysed during the irradiation experiment by different techniques: gamma spectrometry and ICP-MS/OES for cations or tracers extraction, and HPLC-MS to quantify the degradation and evaluate the degradation compounds. Additionally, in spite of some differences between the three-irradiation facilities, this inter-institutional study shows that they are three comparative tools, which provide results on the stability towards radiolysis of a liquid-liquid extraction system. Favourable extraction results for the different steps are obtained according to the static irradiation studies found in literature. However, the degradation of cis-mTDDGA is appreciable leading to degradation compounds, some of which form precipitates and produce important changes in viscosity, important aspects that must be addressed prior to the successful industrial application of the new EURO-GANEX process.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗

Evaluating and modeling the effects of surface sampling factors on the recovery of organic chemical attribution signatures using the accelerated diffusion sampler and solvent extraction

In this study, an experimental design matrix was created and executed in order to test the effects of various real-world factors on the ability of the (1) accelerated diffusion sampler with solid phase micro-extraction (ADS-SPME) and (2) solvent extraction to capture organic chemical attribution signatures (CAS) from dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP) spiked onto painted wall board (PWB) surfaces. The DMMP CAS organic impurities sampled by ADS-SPME and solvent extraction were analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The number of detected DMMP CAS impurities and their respective GC/MS peak areas were determined as a function of DMMP stock, DMMP spiked volume, exposure time, SPME sampling time, and ADS headspace pressure. Based on the statistical analysis of experimental results, several general conclusions are made: (1) ADS-SPME with vacuum (i.e., reduced pressure) increased the amount of detected CAS impurity, as measured by GC/MS peak area, by a factor of 1.7 to 1.9 for PWB under certain experimental conditions, (2) the amount of detected CAS impurity was most influenced by spiked volume, stock, and ADS headspace pressure, (3) the ADS had no measurable effect on the number of detected DMMP impurities, that is, the ADS (with and without reduced pressure) had no practical effect on the DMMP impurity profile collected from spiked PWB, and (4) solvent extraction out performed ADS-SPME in terms of consistently capturing all or most of the targeted DMMP impurities from spiked PWB.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Experiments regarding methylphosphonic acid in proficiency test Sample 445

Samples 445/07 and 444/07 (blank) were extracted, in triplicate, by three different extraction methods – column elution, gentle rocking, and agitation with a vortex mixer. The recoveries for MPA differed depending on the extraction method used. In Sample 445/07, MPA was measured at ~2 μg/g (~20% recovery) when extracted by column elution and at ~1 μg/g when gentle rocking or vortex mixing was used. In addition, the soil matrix was observed to cause some ionization suppression effects when LC/MS analysis was used. The results of our experiments support the findings of the Sample Preparation Laboratory and suggest that MPA should remain a scoring chemical for the 44th OPCW PT.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Helium recovery system at IB3A

The growing demand for sustainable cryogenic operations at Fermilab has underscored the need to improve helium management, particularly at the Industrial Building 3A (IB3A) test facility. IB3A characterizes and tests superconductors, cables, and coils for projects such as the HL-LHC AUP and Mu2e, yet currently relies on 500 L Dewars whose boil-off is vented to atmosphere, wasting a critical, non-renewable resource and increasing the cost of testing. A project is therefore under way to link IB3A to an existing purification and liquefaction station in a neighboring building through a dedicated pipeline. Captured helium will be transferred, purified, reliquefied, and returned for reuse, cutting losses and operating costs. This paper details the first two project phases: "Design and Engineering" and "Procurement and Installation." The design phase finalizes pipeline specifications, establishes flow-control requirements, and resolves integration challenges with existing cryogenic infrastructure. The procurement and installation phase covers material sourcing, pipeline construction, and deployment of control and monitoring systems to assure reliable, efficient operation. Key technical hurdles-route optimization, pressure drop mitigation, and interface compatibility-are discussed alongside implemented solutions. Implementing the pipeline and upgrading IB3A will dramatically reduce helium consumption and therefore testing cost, strengthening Fermilab's capacity to support frontier science far into the future.

Porwisiak, D. [Fermilab; Wroclaw Tech. U.]↗

Chemically Enabled CO 2 -Enhanced Oil Recovery in Multi-Porosity, Hydrothermally Altered Carbonates in the Southern Michigan Basin (Final Technical Report)

This is the Final Technical Report for the project "Chemically Enabled CO 2 -Enhanced Oil Recovery in Multi-Porosity, Hydrothermally Altered Carbonates in the Southern Michigan Basin." Over the course of six years of collaboration between Battelle and project partners, all stated objectives of the program have been completed, including full geological characterization of the TBR trend (See companion report for Task2), laboratory and modeling experiments to determine the optimum composition and design of CO 2 -EOR operations in the TBR trend, execution of a field test of chemically-enhanced CO 2 in a TBR well, and integration of the data and learnings gathered during these efforts into a full-trend development plan. Detailed reporting on these activities, their outcomes, and implications for trend-wide development is provided in the report. This report and encompassed data will provide TBR field operators with detailed information on what worked, what did not work, and how to proceed with production optimization of their TBR assets using chemically-enhanced CO 2 -EOR. CO 2 -EOR is a relatively well understood and broadly implemented strategy for increasing incremental production across the oil and gas industry, but its application has been primarily focused on reservoirs with limited heterogeneity. The intention of this project was show first that the same physical mechanisms that improve recovery factors in homogeneous reservoirs (namely wettability alteration, viscosity alteration, oil swelling, and mobility control) are at play in heterogeneous reservoirs. This was proven by the project’s laboratory studies and dynamic simulations, with the potential exception of mobility control, which needs further study. The second intention was to demonstrate via direct field testing that CO 2 -EOR can work in a strongly heterogeneous reservoir. While the field test strategy implemented during this project did not succeed in producing oil, data gathered during the test sheds light on what may work for field operators who try chemically-enhanced CO 2 -EOR within their own reservoirs, significantly reducing the level of uncertainty carried by first-of-a-kind commercial efforts that could (and should) follow this test. Simultaneously, the project has identified several large-volume ethanol plants and other sources of CO 2 emissions in the region and provided a handrail that CO 2 emitters and field operators can leverage to capture, transport, and inject that CO 2 into their fields. This project has also shown that, in many cases, the economics of CO 2 -EOR in the TBR are attractive. And finally, by completing a project of this scope in the southern Michigan Basin, the project has contributed to the knowledge base and operational experience of field operators, state regulatory agencies, local service companies, and state universities, with CO 2 -EOR projects which should allow follow-on projects to proceed safely and efficiently.

02 PETROLEUM↗

Model calibration and optimization of a post-combustion CO 2 WAG pilot in a mature oil field

A carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) water-alternating-gas (WAG) pilot was conducted to gain insights into tertiary oil recovery potential via CO 2 flood in the West Ranch Field as part of the Petra Nova project, the world's largest postcombustion CO 2 capture and utilization initiative. With a fluvial formation geology, this is a challenging and novel application of CO 2 enhanced oil recovery. The aim of this study is two-fold. First, to build a predictive dynamic model that incorporates the data acquired during the pilot operation. Second, to utilize this model to provide guidance for optimal design for a field-wide CO 2 EOR operation. Our study began with an initialization of the pilot sector model extracted from a calibrated full-field model. The pilot model calibration follows a two-step hierarchical workflow. First, we performed a large-scale update of the permeability distribution by integrating available bottomhole pressure and multiphase production data. Next, local permeability field is fine-tuned using a streamline-based method to match CO 2 breakthrough times at the producers. The predictive capability of the calibrated model was verified through two blind validation tests: (1) the model showed good agreement with saturation logs acquired at two observation wells; and (2) the model reproduced the CO 2 recovery as a fraction of the injected CO 2 . Sensitivity studies were conducted using the calibrated pilot model to evaluate the effects of various operational parameters. Finally, we performed a Design of Experiment based multi-objective optimization of the CO 2 WAG processes using the influential operational parameters identified from the sensitivity analysis.

02 PETROLEUM↗

Performance testing of lidar receivers

In addition to the considerations about the different types of noise sources, dynamic range, and linearity of a lidar receiver, one requires information about the pulse shape retaining capabilities of the receiver. For this purpose, relatively precise information about the height resolution as well as the recovery time of the receiver, due both to large transients and to fast changes in the received signal, is required. As more and more analog receivers using fast analog to digital converters and transient recorders will be used in the future lidar systems, methods to test these devices are essential. The method proposed for this purpose is shown. Tests were carried out using LCW-10, LT-20, and FTVR-2 as optical parts of the optical pulse generator circuits. A commercial optical receiver, LNOR, and a transient recorder, VK 220-4, were parts of the receiver system.

Shams, M. Y.↗

The Use of Acoustic Cavitation to Recovery High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) form TRISO Fuel Particles

Recent interest in advanced nuclear reactor concepts such as small modular reactor (SMR), micro reactor or versatile test reactor (VTR) has increased the demand for high-assay, low-enriched uranium (HALEU). The sustainable management of this resource is integral to successful resurgence of nuclear energy in the United States. The High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (HTGR) concept is a prime candidate for deployment of the new fleet of SMRs, and it will become very important to have a simple and cost-effective technology to recover HALEU from short-burned, defective, or off-specification TRISO fuel particles. We have attempted to harness the high energetics of sonochemistry to penetrate the TRISO fuel particles and recover HALEU via acidic leaching. While the TRISO fuel particle design is inherently “bulletproof,” (due to the silicon carbide (SiC) layer), ultrasonic irradiation may hold the key to convenient access to its valuable contents. Sonochemistry is a field of chemistry based on acoustic cavitation, which is the formation, growth, and collapse of bubbles in liquid media.1,2 The oscillating bubble formation is produced by irradiation of a liquid media with sound waves. Literature reports indicate that collapsing bubbles induced by cavitation produces intense local heating, high pressures, and short lifetimes.1 These localized hot spots reach temperatures of ˜5000 K, pressures approaching 500 atm, and heating and cooling rates exceeding 100 K/s.1 The large temperature and pressure differentials deliver high-energy heating and microscopic explosive shock waves to a liquid media or liquid/solid interface. Cavitation at the surface of a solid in solution induces a deformation in the bubble cavity upon collapse. This deformation reinforces the bubble structure and sends a fast-moving stream of liquid through the cavity at the surface with velocities greater than 100 m/s.3 These energetic impacts have demonstrated an ability to penetrate or simply destroy the SiC shell surrounding the uranium fuel kernel during prolonged exposures to the high-power acoustic waves. Some preliminary results demonstrating HALEU recovery using sonochemistry techniques will be reported.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗