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NASA NTRS2025

Evaluating the Viability of Compact and Portable X-Ray Systems for an Exploration Medical System in a Ground Demonstration

MOTIVATION FOR INCLUDING X-RAY CAPABILITIES For upcoming exploration missions, the need for enhanced medical care becomes critical due to extended mission durations, significant communication delays, and minimal evacuation opportunities. Previous evidence by our team has revealed that among the 119 medical conditions targeted for management during spaceflight within NASA Exploration Medical Capability’s IMPACT Condition List, at least 36 could benefit from radiography (XR). Utilizing XR for diagnosis and management is hypothesized to significantly improve management of crew health by enabling the immediate evaluation and confirmation of potential injuries or illnesses. Beyond clinical applications, XR also holds potential for non-destructive testing (NDT). This includes applications such as assessing the structural integrity of the spacecraft, analyzing surface and meteorite samples, and inspecting onboard electronics. THREE CANDIDATE X-RAY SYSTEMS CHOSEN FOR GROUND DEMONSTRATION The Exploration Medical Capability Element (ExMC) and the Exploration Medical Integrated Product Team (XMIPT) of the Mars Campaign Office initiated early background work for ground demonstrations. In FY21, ExMC published a Concept of Operations to guide requirements development. By FY23, XMIPT and yet2, a technology scouting and open innovation consulting firm, had completed a market survey and trade study to identify potential miniature XR systems. Selection criteria included commercial-off-the-shelf availability, low mass and volume, and regulatory compliance. The top three candidate devices—Remedi REMEX-KA6, MinXray Impact, and FujiFilm Xair—were acquired to characterize the requirements and capabilities of each device. To facilitate testing, phantoms, and radiographic personal protective equipment (PPE) were purchased, and a dedicated space was designated for XRS usage at Glenn Research Center. During this presentation, the mass, volume, and power requirements for each of the three piloted devices are revealed, as well as information regarding the detector, mA, and kV of the devices. GOAL AND OBJECTIVES OF A MINI XRS GROUND DEMONSTRATION The primary goal of ExMC/XMIPT technology demonstrations is to bridge the gap in available, flight-ready medical device technology by flight-testing diagnostic and treatment technologies essential for managing medical conditions during exploration missions. These technologies must adhere to vehicle constraints such as mass, volume, power, and data requirements, integrate seamlessly with medical decision-support tools, and support increasingly Earth-independent operations. There are three main objectives for the future ground demonstration of these three devices. First, we aim to determine the full capabilities of these three miniature XR systems within the context of the spaceflight environment. While medical applications are the primary focus for the miniature XR, a comprehensive exploration of non-medical uses has been initiated by an XMIPT-sponsored NASA SPARK campaign to identify collaborators. Second, we plan to establish criteria and to use insights gained from evaluating each miniature XR against those criteria to select the most suitable system among the three candidates. Third, we intend to evaluate their suitability for flight certification, which includes assessing its durability for launch, reentry, and exposure to high background radiation, as well as its compatibility with existing data architecture systems. Numerous subject matter experts from NASA and partner institutions will support these objectives.

C A Haddix↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Aerosol Wind Profiler (AWP) Doppler Wind Lidar Airborne Observations During the NOAA Joint Venture 3-D Wind Measurement Demonstration and NASA Active-Passive Profiling Experiment (APEX)

The NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) has recently completed development of the Aerosol Wind Profiler (AWP) airborne Doppler wind lidar (DWL) instrument. AWP was supported by the NASA Earth Science Technology Office and the Earth Science Division, a project that adapted the Wind-Space Pathfinder (Wind-SP) DWL transceiver onto a structure for flight aboard a variety of NASA research aircraft. AWP demonstrates many technologies required for a space DWL mission, including a coherent-detection, optical heterodyne laser transmitter with high pulse energy (up to ~55 mJ) and repetition rate (200 Hz), electronic control of the beam path allowing for multiple viewing angles (allowing vector wind measurements) with no moving parts, compact highly-stable and tunable reference lasers allowing for high-precision measurement of velocity at long ranges while mitigating the impact of satellite platform velocity, and many others. AWP represents NASA’s only currently operational airborne 3-D wind profiling sensor. NASA LaRC was selected by the NOAA Joint Venture (JV) program to conduct a suborbital 3-D Wind measurement campaign demonstrate how data from a coherent-detection DWL like AWP could serve NOAA’s weather analysis and forecasting needs. The NOAA JV program is designed to work with the private sector, academia and other federal agencies to explore the feasibility and capability of emerging technologies spacecraft and other mission-specific tools to meet NOAA’s mission requirements. AWP was initially demonstrated on the NASA DC-8 within this JV program in October 2023, piggybacking on the NASA EcoDemonstrator mission focused on in-situ sampling of jet aircraft emissions and contrail formation from Everett, Washington. The in-situ sampling resulted in very frequent and rapid aircraft attitude changes which unfortunately degraded AWP data quality. But, during times with level flight and AVAPS dropsonde operations, AWP demonstrated excellent precision (< 2 m/s RMS) with high vertical (< 100 meter) resolution and 2 km spacing between profiles. AWP will be flown again on the NASA LaRC Gulfstream-3 from mid-September to mid-October 2024 out of Hampton, VA to complete the NOAA JV 3-D wind demonstration. Additional AWP flights will occur in early November from southern California during the NASA Active-Passive Profiling Experiment (APEX), focused on underflights of the NASA ER-2 equipped with many atmospheric profiling sensors. This presentation will summarize AWP measurements collected during these two fall 2024 flight campaigns, and how the AWP data compares with AVAPS dropsonde, NOAA weather prediction model, and GOES atmospheric motion vector data.

Kristopher Bedka↗

NASA NTRS2026

Reliability Models and Demonstration of a Fault-Tolerant Motor Concept for Vertical Takeoff and Landing Vehicles

This report documents the completion of the Revolutionary Vertical Lift Technology Project Annual Performance Indicator 24-3.2.4.1: “Apply and document reliability prediction for high reliability motor concept.” Two modeling tools were completed for calculation of reliability of fault-tolerant (FT) motors, and key FT operations of a modular FT motor were demonstrated experimentally. The two models are complementary tools for the stakeholder and user community. Both models employ Markov chain theory. The first model is a time-homogeneous Markov chain model, and the second is a time-inhomogeneous Markov-Weibull model. This report’s main sections are as follows: 1.0 Introduction, 2.0 Theory, 3.0 Motor Reliability Models, 4.0 Validation of FT Operation by Hardware Demonstration, and 5.0 Concluding Remarks. Novel contributions to the field include development of a modular FT motor concept for electrified vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) application, solution methods to solve the reliability calculations, development of figures of merit, and the introduction of “linked chains” to formulate a building-block approach for time-inhomogeneous Markov-Weibull modeling of motor reliability. Example case studies have been completed, and results are provided and discussed herein. A four-module FT motor concept was developed to a preliminary-design level of detail. This eVTOL FT motor concept was designed for galvanic, magnetic, and thermal isolation of stator winding faults. The reliability of the concept motor was calculated using a time-inhomogeneous Markov chain model. Employing average failure rate as a metric, 570 times greater reliability was achieved as compared to a baseline motor without fault tolerance. A demonstrator motor was built and tested. The testing demonstrated the key features of FT operation and validated the essential premises of the FT motor concepts presented herein. The experiments included successful demonstration of the feasibility of the following four key FT features: (1) terminal open-circuit operation, (2) thermal isolation after fault, (3) terminal short-circuit operation, and (4) internal short-circuit operation. These works indicate that FT modular motor drives offer promise for addressing the daunting reliability gap that electric aircraft propulsor drives are facing relative to the best conventional motor drive technology that is available today.

Electric Motor↗

DOE OSTI2023

In Cell Thermal Creep Frames for Demonstration Project Preparations

The thrust of advanced nuclear reactor demonstrations demands the accelerated qualification of in-core materials to enable licensing processes and developing the performance data. Due to the high-operating temperatures of such reactors, long-term mechanical behavior under constant load is essential to determine the geometrical and mechanical integrity of in-core components during operation and off-normal conditions. Therefore, the thermal creep behavior of neutron-irradiated advanced reactor materials must be determined. The feasibility of using subsize specimens for the irradiation campaigns and the limited available infrastructure challenge the assessment of thermal creep behavior of advanced reactor materials. Therefore, the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) National Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC) prioritizes the development of a thermal creep testing infrastructure for multiple subsize specimens to accelerate the demonstration and deployment of advanced reactor concepts. This report describes the activities for the construction of a thermal creep testing capability at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The overall project consists of conceptual design, out-of-cell demonstration, and in-cell demonstration phases. During fiscal year (FY)-2021, the team finished the conceptual design of a thermal creep test facility that can test multiple subsize specimens. This conceptual design consisted of the determination of technical and functional requirements, the determination of the design space, and the preparation of the technical drawings. Technical and functional requirements were categorized as required and desired capabilities and the conceptual design was performed to meet all the required capabilities with the flexibility to achieve the desired capabilities. The design space identified the operational capacity of the creep frame for different advanced reactor relevant materials with the consideration of the feasible operation in the hotcell at the Fuels and Applied Science Building (FASB) at INL. Based on the requirements and design space, the multiple specimen creep frame was designed. The official INL engineering drawing process was started and the procurement of materials for construction was initiated. For FY-2022, the out-of-cell demonstration and final installation of the multiple creep frame is planned.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2023

Black start demonstrations of small hydropower plants with energy storage

The U.S. has at least 500 municipal, electric co-operative, and publicly owned utilities with hydropower plants. These are mostly grid-connected to support the national grid. However, due to small size (at most 10 MW) and low ramping capacity, many of these hydropower plants lack the capability to form local grids to provide backup power to critical loads (during grid outage) and rural areas. Energy storage, such as Li-Ion batteries or ultracapacitors, can be used to enable these capabilities. Because this technology is relatively new, proof-of-concept demonstrations are needed to de-risk the approach before it can be deployed at scale. Two field demonstrations have been performed to validate this approach, namely, a 375 kVA / 1.24 kWh ultracapacitor with Idaho Falls Power’s 3.6 MW Old Lower (OL), 8.9 MW Lower Bulb (LB), and 8.9 MW City Bulb (CB) hydropower plants; and a 250 kVA / 320 kWh Li-Ion battery with Fall River Electric Cooperative’s 5.5 MW Felt hydropower plant. The Idaho Falls Power demonstration showed the resilience benefits of hybridization, and the Fall River Electric demonstration showed what the minimal requirements are to retrofit a hydropower plant for black start. These demonstrations are funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Water Power Technologies Office HydroWIRES Initiative.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2024

DEVELOPMENT AND DEMONSTRATION TESTBED FOR THE REMOTE OPERATIONS AND MONITORING OF MICROREACTORS

The nuclear industry is rapidly developing many advanced-reactor concepts for near-term deployment in both traditional and non-traditional nuclear-powered applications. One such category of advanced reactor is the microreactor, a class of reactor with less than 20MWth power output, intended for applications where the economics or logistics of traditional power sources are difficult. This includes applications such as remote communities, mining sites, defense installations, or humanitarian and disaster-relief missions. One key enabling feature for the successful deployment of microreactors is a remote operations capability. Remote operations provide monitoring and control capabilities which can significantly reduce staffing costs by eliminating the need for licensed operators at each reactor facility and improve the economic viability for microreactor deployment. A remote concept of operations is not currently an established capability in the nuclear industry. In addition, no demonstration microreactor is expected to complete construction or go critical until at least 2026. This leaves two major capability gaps: the successful demonstration of a remote concept of operations for microreactors and a test bed suitable for said demonstration. Both gaps must be addressed in order to advance the remote concepts of nuclear operation and, more broadly, microreactors themselves from paper to reality. This paper aims to fill these gaps and describes a test bed that would support development and deployment of a remote concept of nuclear operations, initial experimental results from that test bed, and the application of the test bed and experimental results for a digital-twin-based remote concept of operations underdevelopment at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The platform chosen as a remote concept of nuclear operations test bed is the Single Primary Heat Extraction and Removal Emulator, known as SPHERE, located at INL. SPHERE is a small-scale non-nuclear test bed that emulates thermal behavior of a microreactor. The small-scale and non-nuclear nature of SHPERE limit safety concerns associated with remote operations while still providing the physical response representative of a microreactor. A network connection was added to SPHERE that enables remote-monitoring capability. This allows for real-time data streaming to networked workstations, data historians, and human-machine interfaces (HMIs). These are all critical components in a remote concept of operations, thus providing a robust development and demonstration platform. An initial experiment was performed using the SPHERE remote operations testbed. This included running a comprehensively instrumented SPHERE through a series of steady-state and transient operating scenarios in both normal and abnormal operating conditions, all while streaming live test data to a remote HMI and data warehouse. This initial experiment served three purposes: (1) characterizing the response of SPHERE, (2) demonstrating the remote connection to SPHERE, and (3) providing a baseline data set for development of a digital-twin-based remote concept of operations that is under development at INL.

22 - GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

NASA NTRS2006

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Ka-band (32 GHz) Demonstration: Cruise Phase Operations

The X-band (8.41 GHz) frequency currently used for deep space telecommunications is too narrow (50 MHz) to support future high rate missions. Because of this NASA has decided to transition to Ka-band (32 GHz) frequencies. As weather effects cause much larger fluctuations on Ka-band than on X-band, the traditional method of using a few dBs of margin to cover these fluctuations is wasteful of power for Ka-band; therefore, a different operations concept is needed for Ka-band links. As part of the development of the operations concept for Ka-band, NASA has implemented a fully functioning Ka-band communications suite on its Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). This suite will be used during the primary science phase to develop and refine the Ka-band operations concept for deep space missions. In order to test the functional readiness of the spacecraft and the Deep Space Network's (DSN) readiness to support the demonstration activities a series of passes over DSN 34-m Beam Waveguide (BWG) antennas were scheduled during the cruise phase of the mission. MRO was launched on August 12, 2005 from Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA and went into Mars Orbit on March 10, 2006. A total of ten telemetry demonstration and one high gain antenna (HGA) calibration passes were allocated to the Ka-band demonstration. Furthermore, a number of "shadow" passes were also scheduled where, during a regular MRO track over a Ka-band capable antenna, Ka-band was identically configured as the X-band and tracked by the station. In addition, nine Ka-band delta differential one way ranging ((delta)DOR) passes were scheduled. During these passes, the spacecraft and the ground system were put through their respective paces. Among the highlights of these was setting a single day record for data return from a deep space spacecraft (133 Gbits) achieved during one 10-hour pass; achieving the highest data rate ever from a planetary mission (6 Mbps) and successfully demonstrating Ka-band DDOR. In addition, DSN performed well. However, there are concerns with the active pointing of the Ka-band antennas as well as delivery of the monitor data from the stations. The spacecraft also presented challenges not normally associated with planetary missions mostly because of its very high equivalent isotropic radiated power (EIRP). This caused problems in accurately evaluating the in-flight EIRP of the spacecraft which led to difficulties evaluating the quality of the HGA calibration data. These led to the development of additional measurement techniques that could be used for future high-power deep space missions.

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO)↗

NASA NTRS2018

Flight Demonstration of Novel Atmospheric Satellite Concept

The major focus of the Phase II effort described herein is to develop and demonstrate an aircraft capable of autonomously sailing (i.e., to cruise without propulsion or external assistance), and thereby prove that the dual-aircraft platform (DAP) atmospheric satellite concept is potentially viable. This sailing mode of flight was identified as the number-1 enabling technology required for the stratospheric DAP concept (also known as Stratosat) in the NIAC (NASA Innovative Advanced Concept) Phase I effort. No scientific demonstration of this technology has ever been done or documented to our knowledge. This report describes efforts to take a major step towards the sailing mode of flight capability using a single aircraft connected by cable to a moving ground vehicle which uses sufficient crosswind to cruise without propulsion while "pulling" the ground vehicle forward (i.e., without external assistance). The development of a prototype aircraft is described in terms of novel and key hardware and software elements. A specialized prototype aircraft is described, including a novel cable release mechanism, novel "lateron" control surfaces, and a highly-accurate onboard wind measurement system. Additionally, a novel means to safely connect the aircraft to the moving ground vehicle is described involving a fishing rod/reel and integrated load cell. All of these devices were designed and developed in-house and validated in flight testing. Software is developed to provide look-up tables that give the flight condition targets (i.e., 3-D position relative to ground vehicle, forward speed, aircraft orientation, etc.), based on current wind speed and direction. These tables are successfully validated in flight simulation and used onboard the aircraft. High fidelity analysis of the aircraft aerodynamics are described - required to produce accurate target sailing flight conditions. A novel wind tunnel measurement technique is developed to accurately assess the aerodynamics of the ultra-thin cable. A new specialized flight simulator is described which is utilized to develop and verify the flight software required onboard the aircraft, and to support training of pilots for flying the aircraft while tethered to a ground vehicle. The DAP flight simulator was developed within the Matlab-Simulink framework and included detailed treatment of aircraft/cable aerodynamics, cable dynamics, experimentally-derived propeller-motor thrust curves, actuator responsiveness, and realistic air turbulence. The specialized formation flight controller algorithm, developed using this flight simulator, and onboard the aircraft is described. Finally, a novel auto-tuning software is described and verified within the flight simulator that is shown to refine the sailing flight condition targets during flight using an optimization technique involving doublet maneuvers. Virtual flights using the auto-tuning software indicate that the prototype aircraft should be able to reach and hold sailing conditions despite moderate levels of turbulence provided there is sufficient mean wind available. An overview of the flight testing program is provided. Hundreds of short flights were conducted, primarily using a “dead” short runway at Deland Municipal Airport which permitted use of a moving ground vehicle. Additional flight tests at Space Florida’s Shuttle Landing Facility are also described. First year results from these tests in which the aircraft is controlled manually, demonstrated that excessive flight testing would be required for a pilot to learn to sail with visual cues. However, second year results from autonomous flight these tests included successful demonstration of the closed-loop autonomous formation flight capability (i.e., autonomously determine, reach, and hold the required 3-D location relative to the ground vehicle required for sailing). The next step of using the auto-tune software to autonomously refine the aircraft orientation targets to finally achieve sailing remains the primary goal of future work.

Flight↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Ground Test Technology Demonstration for Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Engines

Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) engines have been deemed a key technology to enable human missions to Mars due to their high efficiency, also known as specific impulse (Isp). Ground testing the NTP engine is critical in maturing the technology and increasing the design’s Technology Readiness Level (TRL), thus mitigating risk from NTP engine performance/operations. NTP engine development began with open-air ground testing through the Rover/NERVA program back in the 1960s when regulatory requirements were not as stringent as they are today. Due to the formation of regulatory bodies, increase in oversight and environmental requirements, the exhaust gas released from NTP engines must be captured or processed to gain approval in the case that the exhaust gas contains fission products from the nuclear fuel elements within the reactor. Ground test campaigns following Rover/NERVA focused on the certification of a full scale NTP engine, which led to exhaust processing systems such as the Rocket Exhaust Capture System (RECS) and Real Time (RT) exhaust processing. These systems were deemed favorable for regulatory compliance but have a high initial investment cost. Reassurance on the feasibility of ground testing and the NTP engine technology likely need to be achieved before NASA invests in these systems. Recently the objectives for NTP engine ground testing have shifted from certification testing of a full scale engine to demonstration testing of a subscale engine. The shift to demonstration testing allows for a shorter testing duration and a lower operational thrust (for demo testing purposes only) to demonstrate the NTP engine (5k-12.5k lbf). Due to these factors, the infrastructure, consumables, total footprint, and exhaust system complexity are able to be drastically reduced, thus reducing cost significantly. The High-pressure Exhaust Capture System (HECS) concept was designed for a NTP engine ground test demonstration. The HECS concept greatly reduces cost compared to previous concepts and suggests favorable regulatory acceptance due to its ability to capture all of the exhaust gas from the NTP engine.

Nuclear Thermal Propulsion↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Engine Technology Demonstration Testing

Nuclear Thermal Propulsion↗

NASA NTRS2024

ISS Technology Demonstrations for Future Spaceflight Medical Systems

Throughout the history of human spaceflight, crewmembers have experienced various in-flight medical conditions including illness and injury. Planned missions to the Moon and Mars will require capabilities to maintain the health of future space travelers. Mass, power, and volume available in the vehicles and habitats for these missions will be severely constrained; resupply of resources will be limited or non-existent, as will opportunities for evacuation to Earth. Furthermore, ground-based support will be hampered by communication latencies and blackouts. These vehicle and mission constraints will necessitate a medical system that has been efficiently planned, providing on-board procedural guidance in addition to a variety of medical devices and consumable resources. Medical capabilities required for the diagnosis and treatment of potential medical conditions during future spaceflight missions may include real-time health monitoring, medical imaging, and biomarker analyses ( e.g., blood or urine). Terrestrial medicine shares these needs, thus many of these medical capabilities could likely be satisfied by Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) devices and methodologies; however, in some cases the unique space environment and increased mission duration will drive the need to modify technologies and the way care is provided. NASA’s Human Research Program (HRP) Exploration Medical Capability (ExMC) Element and Mars Campaign Office’s Exploration Medical Integrated Product Team (XMIPT) are working together to decrease medical risk during exploration missions. Flight-tested medical diagnostic and treatment technologies are necessary to effectively manage medical conditions relevant to exploration missions while meeting vehicle constraints, integrating with medical decision-support tools, and enabling increasingly Earth-independent operations. Several projects have leveraged the ISS as a testbed for exploration, including 1) i n- situ blood analysis, 2) medical inventory, 3) intravenous fluid generation, and 4) autonomous medical procedure guidance. Management of several in-flight medical conditions, such as bacterial and viral infections and acute radiation syndrome, is dramatically improved with ability to assess blood cell populations, electrolytes, and metabolites. I n December 2020 and January 2021 ExMC performed an ISS technology demonstration (Tech Demo) of the HemoCue® WBC DIFF analyzer (HemoCue, Brea, CA), a COTS device that was modified to enable functionality in a spaceflight environment. This Tech Demo marked the first time that hematology measurements were successfully performed real-time in microgravity. Also modified and demonstrated was the reusable Handheld Electrolytes and Lab Technology for Humans (rHEALTH) ONE analyzer (rHEALTH, Bedford, MA), which uses flow cytometry and sheath-based hydrodynamic focusing methodologies. The rHEALTH ONE ISS Tech Demo in May 2022 demonstrated test results obtained in-flight matched those on the ground. NASA currently relies on crew self-reporting to manage and maintain medical inventory on ISS.The ability to maintain an accurate inventory becomes more critical during long duration missions since the crew will need to be increasingly autonomous in finding and utilizing medical items, including those scenarios when alternative treatments need to be considered due to limited or no resupply. HRP’s Medical Consumables Tracking (MCT) project was developed by ZIN Technologies, Inc. (Cleveland, OH), and demonstrated real-time tracking of medical supplies aboard the ISS between December 2016 and July 2018. The MCT system design utilized Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID) technology to perform automated inventory and was installed in the Crew Health Care System (CHeCS) Resupply Stowage Rack (RSR). The challenge of limited shelf life, exacerbated by the lack of resupply opportunities, affects a plethora of medical system components including consumables, pharmaceuticals, and intravenous (IV) fluid. In 2010, ExMC funded ZIN Technologies, Inc. (Cleveland, OH), to develop the Intravenous Fluid Generation (IVGEN) system. IV fluids were successfully generated with IVGEN using the potable water supply on ISS during ISS Expedition 23. The XMIPT is in the process of developing a miniaturized version of the original IVGEN hardware for a future Tech Demo aboard the ISS. Current ISS medical operations rely heavily on preflight training and real-time remote guidance, both of which become impractical or impossible for exploration missions. The primary goal of the Autonomous Medical Officer Support (AMOS) Software Tech Demos on ISS was to confirm telemedical proof-of-concept for autonomous medical imaging in an operational setting. This novel software tool shifts emphasis from preflight training and real-time remote guidance to in-flight just-in-time instruction, a new and necessary paradigm for crew medical autonomy. AMOS introduces a novel, streamlined skill management concept for exploration missions featuring comprehensive training and guidance modules for ultrasound examinations using the ISS Ultrasound 2 (a modified GE Vivid-q™; General Electric HealthCare, Chicago, IL). With no prior crew training or remote guidance, two Tech Demos on the ISS (April 2020 and June 2022) resulted in high quality, clinically useful image sets. We will provide a review of historical, current, and planned medical devices and technologies considered for inclusion within future spaceflight medical systems and summarize hardware development activities and medical device tech demos conducted on the ISS.

Astronaut health and performance↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Terrestrial Demonstration of Orbital Mapping and Validation Capabilities Over a Lunar Surface Analog

The Lunar Navigation Maps (LuNaMaps) project has improved existing tools and processes and developed new tools and processes to support the generation and validation of navigation maps of the lunar surface from orbital imagery. To demonstrate the advancements made through the LuNaMaps project, we conducted a terrestrial demonstration obtaining “orbital” imagery of the Lunar Surface Proving Ground (LSPG) at Astrobotic’s test facility in Mojave California. The LSPG is a 100 m by 100 m pad built to mimic the features and appearance of the lunar surface. In this paper we describe the planning and results of the test, including the capture of imagery for building the maps, the map building processes, building of a “truth map” using traditional surveying tools, and the map validation processes. We demonstrate how the built map compares to the “truth map” and how the validation processes provided insight to this comparison. Additionally, we describe an upcoming partner test in which the navigation maps will be used in a terrain relative navigation (TRN) technology demonstration over the same LSPG surface.

mapping↗

DOE OSTI2025

Demonstration of active neutron interrogation of special nuclear materials using a high-intensity short-pulse-laser-driven neutron source

Detecting shielded special nuclear material, such as nuclear explosives, is a difficult challenge pursued by non-proliferation, anti-terrorism, and nuclear security programs worldwide. Interrogation with intense fast-neutron pulses is a promising method to characterize concealed nuclear material rapidly but is limited by suitable source availability and proven instrumentation. In this study we have pioneered a demonstration of such an interrogation method using a high-intensity, short-pulse, laser-driven neutron source that offers potential benefits compared to conventional neutron sources. The measurement results reported here represent the first experimental demonstration of this interrogation approach on enriched uranium items and demonstrate the feasibility of a precise measurement using realistic nuclear materials, representative of field scenarios, even with just a single laser-driven neutron pulse. Bright pulsed sources can overcome the nuisance background of items with strong internal neutron sources, improving analytical power, while single-shot assay is attractive in high-throughput situations where time is at a premium. The science and technology of this type of neutron production is developing rapidly, and we anticipate that practical mobile interrogation systems will become available based on the detection concepts demonstrated here to meet the growing measurement needs.

98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL P↗

DOE OSTI2020

Design improvements to cables and connectors in the Majorana Demonstrator

The Majorana Demonstrator is an experiment constructed to search for neutrinoless double-beta decays in germanium-76 and to demonstrate the feasibility to deploy a ton-scale experiment in a phased and modular fashion. It consists of two modular arrays of natural and 76 Ge-enriched germanium p-type point contact detectors totaling 44.1 kg, located at the 4850 level of the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, South Dakota, USA. The Demonstrator uses custom high voltage cables to bias the detectors, as well as custom signal cables and connectors to read out the charge deposited at the point contact of each detector. These low-mass cables and connectors must meet stringent radio purity requirements while being subjected to thermal and mechanical stress. A number of issues have been identified with the currently installed cables and connectors. An improved set of cables and connectors for the Majorana Demonstrator are being developed with the aim of increasing their overall reliability and connectivity. In conclusion, we will discuss some of the issues encountered with the current cables and connectors as well as our improved designs and their initial performance.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2025

HP-FLEX: Field demonstration of the semantics-driven configuration of a Model Predictive Control system to make heat pumps flexible

Model Predictive Control (MPC) has demonstrated significant potential for optimizing building operations and enabling demand flexibility. However, the widespread adoption of MPC is hindered by complex manual configuration and commissioning processes that must be conducted by control experts working alongside building operators. These challenges drive up costs and reduce scalability, particularly when technical human resources and building automation systems are limited, such as in small and medium commercial buildings (SMCBs). This paper demonstrates how semantic standards, specifically ASHRAE 223P, can accelerate the adoption of MPC applications for load flexibility in SMCBs. The authors present a replicable control framework, titled “HP-FLEX” that leverages a building’s semantic model to bootstrap the required data configuration for an MPC controller developed for optimizing heat pump systems as flexible grid resources. The semantic model helps streamline the deployment workflow, particularly for site setup, data/control commissioning, and model setup. This integration enhances portability, transferability, and scalability of the HP-FLEX MPC, which has been developed to support MPC-based supervisory HVAC controllers in SMCBs. Additionally, the paper details the required building and thermostat metadata information to enable the HP-FLEX MPC based on field demonstrations. The new workflow was tested in a small commercial building located in California, U.S., and demonstrated a load shifting performance of 9% based on a dynamic pricing signal that varies by the hour. This work provides a practical pathway for transitioning sophisticated building applications from custom to standardized semantic representations, supporting the broader adoption of advanced control strategies like MPC. The framework also establishes a foundation for evolving metadata requirements as applications mature while maintaining compatibility with industry standards.

Paul, Lazlo↗

DOE OSTI2020

W.A. Parish Post-Combustion CO 2 Capture and Sequestration Demonstration Project (Final Technical Report)

The Petra Nova Project (Project) is a commercial scale post-combustion carbon capture project developed by a joint venture between NRG Energy, Inc. (NRG) and JX Nippon Oil Exploration (EOR) Limited (JX). The Project is designed to separate and capture carbon dioxide (CO2) from an existing coal-fired unit’s flue gas slipstream at NRG’s W.A. Parish Electric Generating Station (WAP) located southwest of Houston, Texas. The captured CO2 is dried, compressed, and transported via an 81-mile pipeline to the West Ranch oilfield (West Ranch) in Jackson County, Texas, where it is injected to boost oil production. The Project, which is partially funded by a grant (Grant) from the United States (U.S.) Department of Energy (DOE) under the Clean Coal Power Initiative (CCPI) Round 3, uses the Kansai Mitsubishi Carbon Dioxide Recovery advanced amine-based CO 2 absorption technology (KM-CDR Process®), which was jointly developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) and the Kansai Electric Power Co. Inc., to treat and capture at least ninety percent (90%) of the CO 2 from a 240-megawatt equivalent (MWe) flue gas slipstream off of Unit 8 at WAP. When operating at full capacity, the Project captures approximately 5,200 short tons of CO 2 per day, which would otherwise be emitted into the atmosphere, representing the largest commercial scale deployment of post-combustion CO2 capture technology at a coal power plant to date. Under the Grant, the Project was managed in 3 phases: (1) Phase 1: Project Definition / Front End Engineering Design (FEED) (2) Phase 2: Detailed Engineering, Procurement & Construction (3) Phase 3: Demonstration and Monitoring. On December 29, 2016, commercial operation of the Project was achieved, ending Phase 2 and starting Phase 3, a 3-year demonstration period running from January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2019. The key objectives of Phase 3 were to (a) demonstrate the specific advanced technologies constructed during Phase 2 and (b) monitor the injected CO 2 at West Ranch to demonstrate technologies and protocols for monitoring, verification, and accounting (MVA). As of the end of Phase 3, Petra Nova captured 3,904,978 short tons of CO 2 (3,542,537 metric tons) that was transported to West Ranch. To support the DOE obligation to monitor, verify, and account for the sequestered CO 2 at West Ranch, Petra Nova contracted with the Bureau of Economic Geology (in the Jackson School of Geosciences at The University of Texas at Austin) to (a) design a monitoring program, (b) draft an MVA Plan for DOE review and approval, and (c) working with Petra Nova and the operator of West Ranch to manage and report on the MVA activity. This report discussed the technical aspects of the project during each of the 3 phases of the project as identified above.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗

DOE OSTI2020

Demonstration of NEAMS Multiphysics Tools for Fast Reactor Applications

The SHARP toolkit is a high-fidelity reactor simulation tool developed under the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) Campaign. SHARP toolkit is comprised of the neutronics module PROTEUS thermal hydraulics module Nek5000, and structural mechanics module Diablo. During FY17 and FY18, the PROTEUS and Nek5000 components of SHARP were applied to solve challenging sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) problems. In particular, selected hot channel factors (HCF) for a prototype metal-fueled SFR design (the AFR-100) were analyzed in high fidelity, and the “SHARP zooming capability” for SFRs was developed and demonstrated to reduce computational expense for full core problems in cases where detailed data is needed in selected fuel assemblies. After the previous success applying SHARP to challenging SFR problems, the focus in FY19 and FY20 expanded to additional fast reactor applications including lead cooled fast reactors (LFR) and sodium cooled fast reactors (SFR). The specific technical tasks were (1) assessment of hot channel factors for LFR, for which no data currently exists, and (2) demonstration of zooming capability in assemblies of the Versatile Test Reactor (VTR). First-of-a-kind hot channel factor (HCF) estimation for LFR with high fidelity codes (PROTEUS/Nek5000) was successfully demonstrated in this study which began in FY19 and continued in FY20. Selected HCF were computed and compared with SFR data (AFR-100, EBR-II). The findings confirm that different reactor types, design parameters and uncertainties lead to different HCFs. Careful estimation of HCF for a specific design is necessary to obtain appropriate HCFs. In addition to improvement in HCF accuracy, high fidelity tools generate data to help the designer better understand the mechanism of the impact from these uncertainties. For example, the impact of cladding thickness manufacturing tolerance resulted in non-intuitive effects in the corner pins of the LFR assembly. This procedure of computing HCF using high fidelity models shows promise and flexibility for being repeated for any arbitrary reactor of choice. Along with the application on SFR and LFR, the capability of the tools has also been matured to deal with different reactor types and designs. Progress was made towards extending the previously demonstrated SHARP zooming capability to non-fueled SFR assemblies. In particular, in FY19 a gamma transport capability was implemented in both high fidelity PROTEUS solvers in order to accurately account for heat deposition caused by gamma particles, which accounts for ~10% of total core power. Neutronics verification cases were carried out for a candidate Versatile Test Reactor (VTR) design using the new gamma transport capability in PROTEUS. Comparisons were made with continuous energy MCNP calculations and shown to agree well. The models for the full core design with heterogeneous control and fuel assemblies is in progress for PROTEUS-SN and completed with MCNP. The MCNP power distributions were transferred to Nek5000 to perform thermal hydraulic calculations of the control and fuel assembly.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

DOE OSTI2020

Demonstration of Integrated PostIrradiation Process Steps forMultikilogram Amounts of Low- and High-Burnup Used Nuclear Fuels

sponsored research and development (R&D) on the advanced, closed nuclear fuel cycle, including post-irradiation processing of used fuels, recovery of separated components, and preparation of recycle nuclear fuels. During the period 2007–2010, kilogram-scale demonstrations of the integrated processing steps were performed for actual light water reactor (LWR) used nuclear fuels (UNF). These integrated processing demonstrations were called “the Coupled-End-to-End” (CETE) campaigns and were associated with the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership program, which ran concurrently. The demonstrations were carried out in the shielded hot cells and associated gloveboxes located in the Irradiated Fuels Examination Laboratory (IFEL) and the Radiochemical Engineering Development Center (REDC) at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Limited circulation program reports and a few technical papers were issued. The subject document provides a comprehensive summary of results, technical comparisons, and conclusions obtained from the demonstration campaigns and subsequent associated R&D.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗