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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 145 records · Page 8
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Final Report in Response to ARPA-E Contract Award Number DE-AR0001157

Autonomous operations and maintenance (O&M) by robots has been identified as a key technology to facilitate both the safe operation, and reduced operational costs associated with future nuclear reactors. Radiation and thermal environments, particularly associated with molten salt reactor designs, excludes the use of human proximity and so there is a need to train robots for tasks that have not yet been fully identified, or for accidents that may occur in the future. This program sought to develop a generic methodology that could be applied to train ‘any’ robot, to perform ‘any’ task, through the use of machine learning (ML) training performed in a virtual reality (VR) environment that simulates the physically perceived task(s). The VR environment allows us to construct ‘any’ future task and the ML approach, which included reinforcement learning (RL), allowed us to generate extensive data sets that can be used to establish control algorithms to thereby control the physical robot in the physical environment.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Shapeable magnetoelectronics

Inorganic nanomembranes are shapeable (flexible, printable, and even stretchable) and transferrable to virtually any substrate. These properties build the core concept for new technologies, which transform otherwise rigid high-speed devices into their shapeable counterparts. This research is motivated by the eagerness of consumer electronics towards being thin, lightweight, flexible, and even wearable. The realization of this concept requires all building blocks as we know them from rigid electronics (e.g., active elements, optoelectronics, magnetoelectronics, and energy storage) to be replicated in the form of (multi)functional nanomembranes, which can be reshaped on demand after fabrication. There are already a variety of shapeable devices commercially available, i.e., electronic displays, energy storage elements, and integrated circuitry, to name a few. From the beginning, the main focus was on the fabrication of shapeable high-speed electronics and optoelectronics. Only very recently, a new member featuring magnetic functionalities was added to the family of shapeable electronics. With their unique mechanical properties, the shapeable magnetic field sensor elements readily conform to ubiquitous objects of arbitrary shapes including the human skin. This feature leads electronic skin systems beyond imitating the characteristics of its natural archetype and extends their cognition to static and dynamic magnetic fields that by no means can be perceived by human beings naturally. Various application fields of shapeable magnetoelectronics are proposed. The developed sensor platform can equip soft electronic systems with navigation, orientation, motion tracking, and touchless control capabilities. A variety of novel technologies, such as smart textiles, soft robotics and actuators, active medical implants, and soft consumer electronics, will benefit from these new magnetic functionalities. This review reflects the establishment of shapeable magnetic sensorics, describing the entire development from the first attempts to verify the functional concept to the realization of ready-to-use highly compliant and strain invariant sensor devices with remarkable robustness.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Big Data Framework with Machine Learning for D and D Applications - 19108

The nuclear industry is experiencing a steady increase in maintenance costs even though plants are maintained under high levels of safety, capability and reliability. Nuclear power plants are expected to run every unit at maximum capacity at all times, efficiently utilizing assets with minimal downtime. Surveillance and maintenance of nuclear decommissioning infrastructure provides lot challenges with respect to maintenance or decommissioning of the buildings. There is a need for a framework to analyze the huge amount of data generated by the sensors on the nuclear reactor components as well as structures, to monitor the conditions of these building over a period of time. Emerging technologies such as big data analytics have become a requirement in the nuclear industry to improve structural health monitoring and diagnostics. FIU will make use of existing mature technologies in the areas of imaging, robotics, big data, and machine learning/deep learning to assess the structural integrity of aging facilities at DOE sites. As these facilities await decommissioning, there is a need to understand the structural health of these structures. Many of these facilities were built over 50 years ago and in some cases these facilities have gone beyond the operational life expectancy. In other cases, the facilities have been placed in a state of 'cold and dark' and they are sitting unused, awaiting decommissioning. Finally, some older facilities are one-of-a-kind operational/production facilities supporting critical DOE missions and cannot be shut down. In any of these scenarios, the structural integrity of these facilities may be compromised, so it is imperative that adequate inspections and data collection/analysis be performed on a continuous and ongoing basis. The primary goals of the research include collecting various formats of data such as structured, unstructured and streaming data from the various sensors deployed in buildings, collect videos/pictures from various imaging sources, ingest them using a Hadoop distributed file system and process the data using Spark to perform batch processing and real time analytics. Research and development on various machine learning/deep learning algorithms will also be performed to analyze the heterogeneous data collected from nuclear decommission infrastructure. FIU will design the big data framework to ingest, store and process huge amounts of heterogeneous data collected from many sources and optimize the algorithms to provide insights into the data and predict anomalies observed when compared against baseline conditions. Various modules of this framework will include heterogeneous data sources, message broker, Hadoop distributed file system, Spark for stream and batch processing, machine learning/ deep learning, Cassandra - persistent data store and visualization. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2026

Developing a GUI for the Robotic Test Stand

The introduction of this poster explains the technology behind DUNE’s far and near detectors and how passing neutrinos generate electrons that drift into a wire grid. I then explain how 3 ASICs manage signals received from electron interception. Next, the poster states how COLDATA chips are undergoing quality control by a Robotic Test Stand using a state machine. I further explained how earlier tests were done via a command line script and the necessity to implement a user-friendly Graphical User Interface with new features a command line can’t implement. For the implementation section, tools and methods for implementation are listed such as Python, tkinter, and GitHub as well as how multithreading and queue implementation was necessary for GUI functionality. Then, I elaborated on the GUIs new features. Finally, I explain how the GUI will be distributed across multiple institutions and future changes planned for the GUI. Photos of the RTS, far detector cave, diagram of anode assembly plane, COLDATA chips, set up tab, result tab, and legacy command line interface are shown.

Gutierrez Villanueva, Jaziel [DuPage Coll.]↗
DOE OSTI2021

Argonaut - A Robotic System for Cryogenic Environments

Fermilab and the HEP community invest significant resources into liquid argon detectors. The largest and most expensive of these detectors will be located in the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE). However, recent experiences have shown that there are limited avenues of monitoring, intervention, and interaction in the internal liquid environment. This proposal shows a technological path that could provide a valuable tool to ensure or at least improve the management of these HEP detectors. The development of a robotic system named Argonaut will demonstrate several technologies including 1) demonstration of suitable mobility of a small robotic device at liquid argon temperatures, 2) demonstration of wireless communication, 3) demonstration of improved diagnostics capabilities - such as tunable optics with motion control, 4) demonstration of interconnectivity of a robotic system with hardware residing within the detector. This initial research will be a seed for extended development in cold robotics and associated technologies. This work will allow FNAL to contribute a significant technology capability to recent efforts to cryogenic detector operations.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2015

In service inspection and repair of sodium cooled ASTRID prototype

In the frame of the large R and D work which is performed for the future ASTRID sodium cooled prototype, In Service Inspection and Repair (ISI and R) has been identified as a major issue to be taken into account in order to enlarge the plant safety, to consolidate its availability and to protect the associated investment. After the first part of pre-conceptual design phase (2008-2012), the running second part of pre-conceptual phase (2013-2015) allows to increase the ISI and R tool ability for immersed sodium structures of ASTRID, at about 200 deg. C, on the basis of consolidated specifications and thanks to their qualification through more and more realistic laboratory tests and simulation with CIVA code. ISI and R items are being developed and qualified during a pluri-annual program which mainly deals with the reactor block structures, the primary components and circuit, and the Power Conversion System. It ensures a strong connection between the reactor designers and inspection specialists, as the optimization of inspectability and repairability is looked at: this already induced specific rules for design, in order to shorten and ease the ISI and R operations, which have been merged into RCC-MRx rules. In the frame of increasing technology readiness level with corresponding performance demonstration, this paper presents R and D dealing with the ISI and R items: it highlights the sensor development (both ultrasonic and electromagnetic concepts, compatible with sodium at 200 deg. C), then their applications for ASTRID structure control (under sodium telemetry, imaging and NDE). Activity for repair is also presented (a single laser tool for sodium sweeping, machining and welding), and finally the effort for associated robotic (generic program for ASTRID applications, specific technological tools for sodium medium, tight immersed bell). The main results of testing and simulation are given for telemetry, vision, NDE applications, laser process repair and under sodium sealing. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2018

A review on snake robot testbeds in granular and restricted maneuverability spaces

Here this article reviews the state of the art in evaluating snake robots for small spaces such as a collapsed building where the snake is either locomoting in restricted maneuverability spaces, such as narrow pipes or tunnels, or pushing through granular regions, such as dirt and rubble. It makes recommendations on designing a testbed that can enable a comprehensive evaluation of a snake robot’s overall capability and an objective comparison of different snakes. A survey of 31 papers reveals that 20 testbeds were used to test snake robots in restricted maneuverability environments. All of those were built specifically to test a particular snake robot rather than for comparison with other snake robots, but each offers insights into designing comprehensive, comparative testbeds. The article analyzed these 20 testbeds in terms of how well they addressed the previously established disaster robotics metrics of scale (a dimensionless number) and four traversability elements, i.e. verticality, tortuosity, accessibility elements, and surface properties. This review suggests that two kinds of general testbeds are in need for the snake robot community: (1) a testbed with high physical fidelity for measuring suitability for a target application, and (2) a testbed which provides a dimensionless comparison of different snake robots. The review is expected to benefit the community in several ways. It can help form a consensus on a suite of metrics and test methods to incorporate into a testbed for evaluating and comparing different types of snake robots and capturing the performance of snake robots in more realistic work envelopes. The metrics and test methods can also pro-actively inform snake robot design as they offer more formally quantified work envelopes, thus accelerating technology transfer. The use of scale and traversability is expected to be applicable to robots in general.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2014

241-AY-102 Leak Detection Pit Drain Line Inspection Report

This document provides a description of the design components, operational approach, and results from the Tank AY-102 leak detection pit drain piping visual inspection. To perform this inspection a custom robotic crawler with a deployment device was designed, built, and operated by IHI Southwest Technologies, Inc. for WRPS to inspect the 6-inch leak detection pit drain line.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2022

ROS-Ethereum: A Convenient Tool to Bridge ROS and Blockchain (Ethereum)

Robot Operating System (ROS) has received widespread utilization with the development of robotics, self-driving, etc., recently. Meanwhile, the other technology blockchain is frequently applied to various fields with its trustworthy characteristics and immutability in data storage. However, ROS has no ability to interact with the blockchain, which hinders research in related fields. Therefore, we wonder if we can develop a convenient tool to bridge ROS and blockchain. Inspired by this, we propose ROS-Ethereum. It bridges ROS and Ethereum, a widely used blockchain platform. ROS-Ethereum is based on the User Datagram Protocol (UDP) communication mechanism and the SM algorithm family along with Ethereum technology. Simply put, ROS-Ethereum allows users to invoke the contract when interacting with the blockchain, which makes this process easier and safer. We conduct experiments in real robots to verify the effectiveness of ROS-Ethereum and evaluate it from the following metrics: (1) the encryption efficiency and stability of the algorithm and (2) ROS-Ethereum transaction response time and packet loss rate.

Zhang, Shenhui↗
DOE OSTI2014

40 years of progress in NDT - History as a guide to the future

The paper is focussed on the progress which has been made over 40 years in the science, technology and application of NDT/NDE both during manufacture and in-service, from the perspective of the author and his background in the energy industries in the UK. New techniques not dreamt of 40 years ago and new technology such as personal computers, lasers and robotics which are now common-place in everyday life have transformed some aspects of NDT. But other aspects have remained unchanged, including the continued use of the more basic NDT methods and the challenges of recruitment, training, certification and motivation of personnel. There have been major changes in the world scene over 40 years including the globalization of trade, the emergence of new countries as industrial powers, and the ageing of safety critical infrastructure. These have impacted on NDT business and on the activities of the international NDT community (including ICNDT, the International Committee for NDT). The paper concludes by introducing the activities championed by ICNDT to promote the understanding of the importance of NDT, to support the development of NDT Societies around the world, to educate users on the correct use of personnel certification and to pursue the objective of global harmonisation and recognition of third party certification.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Modeling of the metal–insulator transition temperature in alio-valently doped VO 2 through symbolic regression

The correlated semiconductor vanadium dioxide (VO 2 ) exhibits an insulator–metal transition (IMT) near room temperature, which is of interest in various device applications. Precise IMT temperature control is crucial to determine the use cases across technologies such as thermochromic windows, actuators for robots or neuronal oscillators. Doping the cation or anion sites can modulate the IMT by several tens of degrees and control hysteresis. However, modeling the effects of control parameters (e.g., doping concentration, type of dopants) is challenging due to complex experimental procedures and limited data, hindering the use of traditional data-driven machine learning approaches. Symbolic regression (SR) can bridge this gap by identifying nonlinear expressions connecting key input parameters to target properties, even with small data sets. In this work, we develop SR models to capture the IMT trends in VO 2 influenced by different dopant parameters. Using experimental data from the literature, our study reveals a dual nature of the IMT temperature with varying tungsten (W) doping concentrations. The symbolic model captures data trends and accounts for experimental variability, providing a complementary approach to first-principles calculations. Our feature-driven analysis across a broader class of dopants informs selectivity and provides qualitative insights into tuning phase transition properties valuable for neuromorphic computing and thermochromic windows.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Flexible Siting Criteria and Staff Minimization for Micro-Reactors

The economic potential of micro-reactors is vast and underestimated. Commonly-emphasized applications include niche markets such as remote communities, mines and military bases. However, micro-reactors could be used as flexible energy generators also for larger markets, such as mobile and containerized agriculture and manufacturing facilities, district heating, micro-grids for data centers, sea ports, airports and hospitals. The implication is that micro-reactors may have to be deployed also in non-remote locations. Successful implementation of micro-reactors needs a navigable and predictable licensing process, technology-appropriate siting restrictions, risk-informed emergency and safety requirements, and practical operating and maintenance requirements. The primary goal of this project was to develop siting criteria that are tailored to micro-reactors deployable in densely-populated areas, e.g., urban environments. To achieve that goal, we compared the characteristics of the MIT research reactor (MITR) with those of leading micro-reactor concepts (e.g., eVinci, USNC, Aurora), and evaluated whether and how the MITR design basis (e.g., inherent safety features, engineered safety systems, source term, emergency planning and emergency operating procedures) and associated regulations may be applicable to these new micro-reactors as well. What makes MITR a unique analogue in this context is its small power rating (6 MWt) and physical size, mode of operations (24/7 with a somewhat more commercial flavor than typical university reactors), and especially its urban location. Of course significant differences exist, such as mission (power production vs. research) and the reactor design itself. Leveraging the MITR experience, this project was able to generate criteria that will allow micro-reactors to realize their full economic potential as flexible heat and electricity generators for a diverse portfolio of applications in non-remote locations. As such, the outcome of this project might encourage investment in and use of micro-reactors. A second goal of the project was to conceptualize a model of operations for micro-reactors that would minimize the staffing requirements, and thus reduce the cost of electricity and heat generated by these systems. Here too our approach was to systematically review the MITR experience and requirements, as well as survey the innovations in autonomous control technologies and monitoring (e.g., advanced sensors, drones, robotics, AI) that would permit a dramatic reduction in staffing at future micro-reactor installations. The scope of work was expanded after the start date to include also an evaluation of micro-reactor security, using the so-called consequence-based analysis, and the development of a methodology to perform dynamic risk assessment for micro-reactors, using system theory and modeling and simulation.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Sensing Technology Survey for Obstacle Detection in Vegetation

This study reviews obstacle detection technologies in vegetation for autonomous vehicles or robots. Autonomous vehicles used in agriculture and as lawn mowers face many environmental obstacles that are difficult to recognize for the vehicle sensor. This review provides information on choosing appropriate sensors to detect obstacles through vegetation, based on experiments carried out in different agricultural fields. The experimental setup from the literature consists of sensors placed in front of obstacles, including a thermal camera; red, green, blue (RGB) camera; 360° camera; light detection and ranging (LiDAR); and radar. These sensors were used either in combination or single-handedly on agricultural vehicles to detect objects hidden inside the agricultural field. The thermal camera successfully detected hidden objects, such as barrels, human mannequins, and humans, as did LiDAR in one experiment. The RGB camera and stereo camera were less efficient at detecting hidden objects compared with protruding objects. Radar detects hidden objects easily but lacks resolution. Hyperspectral sensing systems can identify and classify objects, but they consume a lot of storage. To obtain clearer and more robust data of hidden objects in vegetation and extreme weather conditions, further experiments should be performed for various climatic conditions combining active and passive sensors.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Enhanced Techniques for Concrete Decontamination During Decommissioning - 19005

As the primary material of construction for nuclear power plant structures, concrete naturally represents the largest fraction of contaminated material by surface area. As such, decontamination of concrete is a major activity during decommissioning projects. As reported in EPRI 3002005412, Characterization and Remediation of Contaminated Concrete, currently used techniques for decontamination of contaminated concrete are generally slow and labor-intensive to apply. This report notes that little change to the techniques used for concrete decontamination have been made during the past 20 years. There is a clear need for improvement to the techniques available for decontamination of concrete. Needed enhancements include substantial improvements in efficiency, waste management, industrial safety, and worker radiation exposure. Potential areas for development include increased automation of existing techniques, improvement in delivery systems for decontamination equipment, and further development of alternative techniques such as microwave and laser scabbling, and nitrogen blasting. To address this need, EPRI is conducting a project to develop enhanced techniques for concrete decontamination. The project focuses on two primary areas: 1. Adaption of existing techniques to improve efficiency through automation and/or altering the delivery systems for the decontamination equipment (for example, through use of exiting robotic systems); and 2. Field demonstration of technologies currently in the engineering development stage, such as nitrogen blasting and laser scabbling. This paper will report the initial results of this EPRI project, which includes identification of promising candidate technologies that will be demonstrated during the next project phase. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗