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At least 1,297 records · Page 72

Advanced technology for future space propulsion systems

The NASA Project Pathfinder contains programs to provide technologies for future transfer vehicles including those powered by both advanced chemical and electric propulsion rockets. This paper discusses the Chemical Transfer Propulsion and Cargo Vehicle Propulsion elements of Pathfinder. The program requirements and goals for both elements are discussed, and technical activities which are planned or underway are summarized. Recent progress in programs which support or proceed the Pathfinder activities is detailed. In particular, the NASA Program for Advanced Orbital Transfer Vehicle Propulsion, which acted as the precursor for the Chemical Transfer Propulsion element of Pathfinder is summarized.

Diehl, Larry A.↗

The Systems Engineering Process for Human Support Technology Development

Systems engineering is designing and optimizing systems. This paper reviews the systems engineering process and indicates how it can be applied in the development of advanced human support systems. Systems engineering develops the performance requirements, subsystem specifications, and detailed designs needed to construct a desired system. Systems design is difficult, requiring both art and science and balancing human and technical considerations. The essential systems engineering activity is trading off and compromising between competing objectives such as performance and cost, schedule and risk. Systems engineering is not a complete independent process. It usually supports a system development project. This review emphasizes the NASA project management process as described in NASA Procedural Requirement (NPR) 7120.5B. The process is a top down phased approach that includes the most fundamental activities of systems engineering - requirements definition, systems analysis, and design. NPR 7120.5B also requires projects to perform the engineering analyses needed to ensure that the system will operate correctly with regard to reliability, safety, risk, cost, and human factors. We review the system development project process, the standard systems engineering design methodology, and some of the specialized systems analysis techniques. We will discuss how they could apply to advanced human support systems development. The purpose of advanced systems development is not directly to supply human space flight hardware, but rather to provide superior candidate systems that will be selected for implementation by future missions. The most direct application of systems engineering is in guiding the development of prototype and flight experiment hardware. However, anticipatory systems engineering of possible future flight systems would be useful in identifying the most promising development projects.

Jones, Harry↗

Realizing "2001: A Space Odyssey": Piloted Spherical Torus Nuclear Fusion Propulsion

A conceptual vehicle design enabling fast, piloted outer solar system travel was created predicated on a small aspect ratio spherical torus nuclear fusion reactor. The initial requirements were satisfied by the vehicle concept, which could deliver a 172 mt crew payload from Earth to Jupiter rendezvous in 118 days, with an initial mass in low Earth orbit of 1,690 mt. Engineering conceptual design, analysis, and assessment was performed on all major systems including artificial gravity payload, central truss, nuclear fusion reactor, power conversion, magnetic nozzle, fast wave plasma heating, tankage, fuel pellet injector, startup/re-start fission reactor and battery bank, refrigeration, reaction control, communications, mission design, and space operations. Detailed fusion reactor design included analysis of plasma characteristics, power balance/utilization, first wall, toroidal field coils, heat transfer, and neutron/x-ray radiation. Technical comparisons are made between the vehicle concept and the interplanetary spacecraft depicted in the motion picture 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Williams, Craig H.↗

The Experimental Probe of Inflationary Cosmology: A Mission Concept Study for NASA's Einstein Inflation Probe

When we began our study we sought to answer five fundamental implementation questions: 1) can foregrounds be measured and subtracted to a sufficiently low level?; 2) can systematic errors be controlled?; 3) can we develop optics with sufficiently large throughput, low polarization, and frequency coverage from 30 to 300 GHz?; 4) is there a technical path to realizing the sensitivity and systematic error requirements?; and 5) what are the specific mission architecture parameters, including cost? Detailed answers to these questions are contained in this report.

Experimental Probe of Inflationary Cosmology (EPIC↗

Wireless Mesh Networks for Small Satellites Subsystems

Wireless mesh networks are a network topology where all the nodes of a system are able to communicate with every other node in the network. This enables an adaptable network that is scalable and has the capability to self-repair and self-configure. The Modular Rapidly Manufactured Small Sat (MRMSS) Project is a small satellite project where we are developing a modular CubeSat architecture. One of the goals of the project is to develop a system that is quick and simple to integrate with a minimal amount of wiring involved. Wireless mesh networks are well suited for this configuration because of the self- configuring and self-repairing aspects of the network. This enables a satellite developer to add subsystem nodes to the network without the need for much hardware re-design. This paper will detail the background of wireless mesh networks, the advantages and limitations of using wireless mesh networks for space applications, and the technical progress of the wireless mesh network development of the MRMSS project.

CubeSats↗

PyHC Integration Strategy Workshop Report

We present a report on the 2021 PyHC (Python in Heliophysics Community) virtual workshop held August 30-31st, 2021. This workshop pulled together leading developers in PyHC to discuss how the community could improve integration between PyHC projects by uncovering high-value shared (or "key") challenges and suggested possible solutions to these challenges. The results of the workshop show that there are many potential concrete actions which could be taken to improve PyHC software and their associated projects. Key challenges may be grouped into items which involve sustaining/improving/expanding the community, improving information dissemination and undertaking technical goals to better integrate and coalesce projects. Suggested solutions to challenges ranged from smaller and/or straight forward efforts to more detailed, long-term solutions.

Heliophysics↗

The Standardization of In-space and Surface Docking Systems

The International Docking System Standard (IDSS) was developed and establish to aid on-orbit crew rescue and joint operations between different spacecraft. For the International Space Station (ISS), the IDSS has successfully enabled Global interoperability for Commercial Crew and it is now being extended to the Artemis campaign. Similarly, as more companies, agencies, and nations announce their intentions to explore and occupy Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Cis-Lunar space, including the Lunar surface, it is a natural supposition that new, vehicle interface standards will be required to support the build-up of infrastructure for campaign-based exploration or permanent occupation by national and multi-national Agencies, Industries, and Companies. A surface version of the IDSS, a.k.a. IDSS-Surface (IDSS-S), is under consideration at the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) by the docking discipline leads responsible for the leadership of technical development and negotiation of the original IDSS over a decade ago. The IDSS-S, like its predecessor, will ultimately detail the physical geometric mating interface and design load requirements to ensure physical interoperability and to support a broad set of design reference missions which, if accommodated, increases the probability of successful Lunar surface docking between different modules enabling the accessibility and inclusivity required for multi-national, sustainable Lunar exploration.

Docking↗

Microreactor Optimization Using Simulation And Economics (mouse)

Microreactor Optimization Using Simulation and Economics (MOUSE) is a tool that integrates both nuclear microreactor design and reactor economics to provide comprehensive evaluations and optimizations. This tool enables stakeholders to explore the interplay between technical and economic variables, guiding them towards effective and competitive microreactor solutions. For the reactor core simulations, MOUSE leverages the OpenMC Monte Carlo Particle Transport Code to perform detailed core simulations for various microreactor designs. The included OpenMC models are 2D core designs of a Liquid Metal Thermal Microreactor (LMTR), a Gas-Cooled TRISO-Fueled Microreactor (GCMR), and a Heat Pipe Microreactor. Beyond core design, MOUSE includes simplified calculations for: - Calculating the masses of heat exchangers within the system. - Mechanical power of pumps. - Estimating the area occupied by various buildings within the nuclear plant. For the economic analysis, MOUSE provides detailed bottom-up cost estimates, encompassing a wide range of costs including preconstruction costs, direct costs, indirect costs, training costs, financial costs, operation & maintenance (O&M) costs, and fuel costs. These cost estimations are developed using data from the MARVEL project and additional literature sources, enabling the calculation of total capital costs and levelized cost of energy for both first-of-a-kind and nth-of-a-kind microreactors. MOUSE also enables analysis of the cost drivers and competitiveness in the electricity market. MOUSE allows users to modify a wide array of technical and economic parameters to evaluate different scenarios and their impacts. Examples of these parameters include: Fuels, coolants, or reflector materials Enrichment levels Control drum materials and geometry Fuel pin geometry and materials Moderator pin geometry and materials Reactor core and reflector dimensions Packing factor for the TRISO particles Nuclear reactor power and reactor burnup Number of sensors Shielding thickness Reactor vessel and guard vessel dimensions Operational staff requirements Number of emergency shutdowns Levelization period Interest rate Construction duration Since MOUSE is powered by the WATTS toolkit, it supports optimization studies, parametric analyses, and uncertainty calculations/propagation. The optimization techniques enable users to identify optimal design and economic configurations. The parametric analysis tools allow users to explore the sensitivity of various parameters, while uncertainty propagation helps quantify the impact of uncertainties on overall performance and cost. User Interface and Workflow: Currently, MOUSE is a command-line-based tool. Users can input various reactor design or economic parameters, modify the designs, run simulations, and visualize results through comprehensive data visualization and reporting capabilities. The typical workflow involves setting up the reactor model, defining economic parameters, running simulations, and analyzing the results to make informed decisions. By combining advanced design calculations with detailed economic modeling, MOUSE provides a robust framework for optimizing nuclear microreactor technologies, enhancing their competitiveness, and guiding stakeholders towards innovative and cost-effective solutions.

Hanna, Botros [Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Id↗

Statistical Methods and Tools for Hanford Staged Feed Tank Sampling

This report summarizes work conducted by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to technically evaluate the current approach to staged feed sampling of high-level waste (HLW) sludge to meet waste acceptance criteria (WAC) for transfer from tank farms to the Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP). The current sampling and analysis approach is detailed in the document titled Initial Data Quality Objectives for WTP Feed Acceptance Criteria, 24590-WTP-RPT-MGT-11-014, Revision 0 (Arakali et al. 2011). The goal of this current work is to evaluate and provide recommendations to support a defensible, technical and statistical basis for the staged feed sampling approach that meets WAC data quality objectives (DQOs).

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Visualization of the High-Burnup Spent Fuel Rod Phase 1 Test Plan: Technical Memo - Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition (Technical Memo)

Twenty-five high-burnup fuel rods were extracted from seven different fuel assemblies used for power production at the North Anna nuclear power plant and shipped to Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in 2016 for detailed non-destructive examination (NDE) and destructive examination (DE). The spent fuel rods were from 17×17 lattices and consist of four cladding types—Zirlo ® , M5 ® , Zircaloy-4, and low tin Zircaloy-4 (Zirc-4). These spent fuel rods are being tested to provide: (a) baseline characterization and mechanical property data that can be used as a comparison to fuel that was loaded into a modified TN-32B cask in November 2017, as part of the high-burnup confirmatory data project and (b) data applicable to high-burnup fuel rods (>45 GWd/MTU) currently stored and to be stored in the dry-cask fleet. The TN-32B cask is referred to as the “Demo” cask and is currently expected to be transported to a separate location and the internal contents inspected in approximately ten years. ORNL has completed the NDE of the twenty-five fuel rods. The purpose of this technical memorandum is to present a simplified summary of the first phase of destructive examinations and test conditions that will be used for communicating with various stakeholders. The destructive examinations will leverage the expertise and capabilities from multiple national laboratories for performing independent measurements of relevant data. Close coordination is required to ensure that all examinations follow well documented procedures and are performed so that measured data and characteristics can be readily compared. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has published a detailed overview of the test program. ORNL and PNNL developed detailed draft test plans for testing to be performed at their facilities. ORNL and PNNL are in the process of refining these test plans to apply specifically to the testing described in this memorandum. Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) contributed to the ORNL test plan by describing tests to be conducted at ANL. Testing will be based on continuous learning. If a test produces results that are inconsistent with expectations or current trends, further testing will be paused until a path forward is established to understand the results and to identify follow-on testing.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Endovascular Management of the Arteria Profunda Femoralis: Long-Term Angiographic and Clinical Outcomes

Purpose: This study was designed to investigate the long-term angiographic and clinical outcomes of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) of the arteria profunda femoralis (PFA), in a series of patients suffering from critical limb ischemia (CLI) or severe intermittent claudication (IC). Methods: Our department's database was searched to identify patients who underwent PTA or bail-out stenting of the PFA. Among the study's inclusion criteria were Rutherford categories 3-6 and {>=}70% stenosis of the PFA. Only de novo stenotic lesions were assessed. Primary endpoints were technical success, angiographic lesion primary patency, angiographic binary in-lesion restenosis, and target lesion recanalization (TLR) rates. Secondary endpoints included patient survival, limb salvage, and complication rates. Patient's baseline demographics, lesion, and procedural details were analyzed. Results: Between 2001 and 2011, 20 consecutive patients (17 males) with a mean age of 73 {+-} 9 (range 53-87) years underwent PTA or bail-out stenting in 23 PFA lesions. Critical limb ischemia was the indication in eight of 20 patients (40%). The mean lesion length was 31 {+-} 9.5 mm. The procedural technical success was 100% (23/23), whereas mean time angiographic and clinical follow-up was 26.8 {+-} 24.6 months. According to the Kaplan-Meier analysis, primary patency and binary restenosis rate were 95 and 86.1% respectively up to 8 years follow-up. No TLR procedures were performed. The 8-year patient survival and limb salvage rates were 87.5 and 84.7% respectively. Conclusions: PTA or stenting of focal, stenotic, PFA lesions, in patients suffering from CLI or IC, exhibit high long-term primary patency rates, as well as low binary restenosis and TLR rates. Large, multicenter studies are required to validate these results.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

STTR Phase I: Microfluidic Printing of High Performance Microgrids for High Efficiency, Flexible Organic Light Emitting Diodes Technical Report

Electroninks has been approached, and received strong interest from customers including chemical companies, device integrators, and final device producers. We have gained substantial customer traction in diverse markets as detailed in our Phase I report, and are currently sampling customers in the US, as well as Asia which is where the consumer/industry electronics supply chain is primarily positioned. The results reported here combined with our customer traction to date encourage us to apply for the Phase II stage of this work with the goal to advance the commercialization of our metal grids and particle free conductive inks.

LeMieux, PhD, Melbs↗

Full-scale testing, production and cost analysis data for the advanced composite stabilizer for Boeing 737 aircraft. Volume 1: Technical summary

The full scale ground test, ground vibration test, and flight tests conducted to demonstrate a composite structure stabilizer for the Boeing 737 aircraft and obtain FAA certification are described. Detail tools, assembly tools, and overall production are discussed. Cost analyses aspects covered include production costs, composite material usage factors, and cost comparisons.

Aniversario, R. B.↗

Problem of the slotted wing : a communication from the Aerodynamic Institute of the Aachen Technical High School

It is to be expected that the advantageous properties, hitherto discovered in many slotted wing sections, depend very largely on the contour of the slot and the structural details of the wing. It is therefore of interest, aside from measurements on wings of constant cross-section along the span, to measure also wing models in which the structural details have already been given practical consideration.

WINGS - EXPERIMENTS↗

Comprehensive Assessment of On-And Off-Board Vehicle-To-Grid Technology Performance and Impacts on Battery and the Grid

This project defined, developed, and tested the open standards-based requirements, engineering design and system integration of on and off-vehicle Vehicle-to-Grid technologies both on the grid and on the PEV, to assess their effectiveness in implementing the use cases that create value for the grid, which in turn, can be passed on to the ratepayers and the PEV owners. The project comprised of three key categories of work and four key sub-areas of work. The three key categories were: On-Vehicle V2G, Off-Vehicle V2G, and impact of V2G operation on the battery capacity degradation. The four key sub-areas of work under each of these categories were: defining requirements, implementing the technology, performing system integration testing, and estimating the value of each of the grid services under specific assumptions, on a per-vehicle and on an aggregated basis. The technical implementation demonstrated the validity of standards-based approach to grid integration that led to interoperability, in addition to assessing the operational details with grid constraints imposed at the transformer level. The technology implementation also identified the subtle gaps in the standards definition to close the feedback loop on the accuracy of the standards as written, which are being implemented as revisions to the appropriate protocols. The battery impacts assessment developed a test cycle that the batteries from a real PHEV were subjected to for both the mobility-only and mobility with V2G specific energy cycling. While the battery impact results show a clear incremental degradation in response to additional throughput for V2G application purposes, the amount of additional kWh that can be made available without exceeding the end-of-life capacity definition of the battery at its 10-year warranty period was found to be significant. Given that the PEV battery being exercised during testing was a PHEV battery (smaller energy capacity), and 44% of its usable energy (i.e., SOC) was utilized daily for V2G applications, the EVs with much larger batteries will fare much better, either in terms of extracting more value in terms of incremental kWh for V2G, or in terms of relative incremental degradation of the capacity through the battery lifespan. Further, this battery was the second-generation Lithium-Ion chemistry circa 2015, which is at least two generations ago. Continual improvements in electrochemistry and manufacturing techniques as well as on-board capacity will enable the future batteries to provide even more energy for non-mobility-related services. Finally, the valuation of V2G energy services at the premise, distribution, and the ISO/market level was carried out for both the on-vehicle and off-vehicle cases, to understand both the GHG mitigation and operational efficiency improvements in quantitative terms. The analysis indicates that between $\$400$ and $\$1400$ per year of total value to the grid can be realized. When netted of costs to implement V2G either on or off-vehicle, the net value is available to be shared between the ratepayers and the EV owners. Over the life of the EV, therefore, this value becomes significant and can easily provide both ratepayer and EV owner benefits more than the cost of the equipment, either on or off-board, in addition to providing GHG mitigation benefits both on the grid and on the mobility sides. For these benefits to accrue, the key learnings from both the on- and off-vehicle V2G parts of the project indicate the need for at-scale demonstrations through involvement of real EV owners to validate both the technical feasibility, interoperability, as well as real grid benefits by performing extensive data collection and analysis. This will help inform the grid planners, the program designs, and tariff designers, as well as automotive and equipment manufacturers how best to create their products to maximize grid, ratepayer, and EV owner value.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗

DHS National Technical Nuclear Forensics Program FY 10 Summary Report: Graduate Mentoring Assistance Program (GMAP)

This program provides practical training to DHS graduate fellows in the DOE laboratory complex. It involves coordinating students, their thesis advisors, and their laboratory project mentors in establishing a meaningful program of research which contributes to the graduate student's formation as a member of the nuclear forensics community. The summary report details the student/mentor experience and future plans after the first summer practicum.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗

Factorization at subleading power and endpoint-divergent convolutions in h → γγ decay

t is by now well known that, at subleading power in scale ratios, factorization theorems for high-energy cross sections and decay amplitudes contain endpoint-divergent convolution integrals. The presence of endpoint divergences hints at a violation of simple scale separation. At the technical level, they indicate an unexpected failure of dimensional regularization and the $\overline{MS}$ subtraction scheme. In this work, we start a detailed discussion of factorization at subleading power within the framework of soft-collinear effective theory. As a concrete example, we factorize the decay amplitude for the radiative Higgs-boson decay h → γγ mediated by a b-quark loop, for which endpoint-divergent convolution integrals require both dimensional and rapidity regulators. We derive a factorization theorem for the decay amplitude in terms of bare Wilson coefficients and operator matrix elements. We show that endpoint divergences caused by rapidity divergences cancel to all orders of perturbation theory, while endpoint divergences that are regularized dimensionally can be removed by rearranging the terms in the factorization theorem. We use our result to resum the leading double-logarithmic corrections of order $α^n_sln^{2n+2}(-M^2_h/m^2_b)$ to the decay amplitude to all orders of perturbation theory.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Transjugular Insertion of Bare-Metal Biliary Stent for the Treatment of Distal Malignant Obstructive Jaundice Complicated by Coagulopathy

This study was designed to investigate retrospectively the feasibility of transjugular insertion of biliary stent (TIBS) for the treatment of distal malignant obstructive jaundice complicated by coagulopathy. Between April 2005 and May 2010, six patients with distal malignant obstructive jaundice associated with coagulopathy that was unable to be corrected underwent TIBS at our institution for the palliation of jaundice. Patients' medical record and imaging results were reviewed to obtain information about demographics, procedure details, complications, and clinical outcomes. The intrahepatic biliary tract was successfully accessed in all six patients via transjugular approach. The procedure was technically successfully in five of six patients, with a bare-metal stent implanted after traversing the biliary strictures. One procedure failed, because the guidewire could not traverse the biliary occlusion. One week after TIBS, the mean serum bilirubin in the five successful cases had decreased from 313 {mu}mol/L (range 203.4-369.3) to 146.2 {mu}mol/L (range 95.8-223.3) and had further decreased to 103.6 {mu}mol/L (range 29.5-240.9) at 1 month after the procedure. No bleeding, sepsis, or other major complications were observed after the procedure. The mean survival of these five patients was 4.5 months (range 1.9-5.8). On imaging follow-up, there was no evidence of stent stenosis or migration, with 100 % primary patency. When the risks of hemorrhage from percutaneous transhepatic cholangiodrainage are high, TIBS may be an effective alternative for the treatment of distal malignant obstructive jaundice.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗