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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 1,729 records · Page 96
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Leveraging Structures in Fault Diagnosis for Lithium-Ion Battery Packs

Lithium-ion battery systems consist of a varying number of single cells, designed to meet specific application requirements for output voltage and capacity. Effective fault diagnosis in these battery systems is an essential prerequisite for ensuring their safe and reliable operation. To address this need, we introduce a novel model-based fault diagnosis approach that distinguishes itself by leveraging informative structures inherent in battery systems such as architecture, uniformity among the constituent cells, and sparsity of fault occurrences to enhance its fault diagnosis capabilities. The proposed approach formulates a moving horizon estimation (MHE) problem, incorporating such structural information to estimate different fault signals—specifically, internal short circuits, external short circuits, and voltage and current sensors faults. We conduct various simulations to evaluate the performance of the proposed approach under different fault types and magnitudes. The obtained results validate the proposed approach and promise effective fault diagnosis for battery systems.

Farakhor, Amir↗
NASA NTRS2001

Structural Damage Detection Using Virtual Passive Controllers

This paper presents novel approaches for structural damage detection which uses the virtual passive controllers attached to structures, where passive controllers are energy dissipative devices and thus guarantee the closed-loop stability. The use of the identified parameters of various closed-loop systems can solve the problem that reliable identified parameters, such as natural frequencies of the open-loop system may not provide enough information for damage detection. Only a small number of sensors are required for the proposed approaches. The identified natural frequencies, which are generally much less sensitive to noise and more reliable than the identified natural frequencies, are used for damage detection. Two damage detection techniques are presented. One technique is based on the structures with direct output feedback controllers while the other technique uses the second-order dynamic feedback controllers. A least-squares technique, which is based on the sensitivity of natural frequencies to damage variables, is used for accurately identifying the damage variables.

Lew, Jiann-Shiun↗
DOE OSTI2017

High-Performance First-Principles Molecular Dynamics for Predictive Theory and Modeling

This project focused on developing high-performance software tools for First-Principles Molecular Dynamics (FPMD) simulations, and applying them in investigations of materials relevant to energy conversion processes. FPMD is an atomistic simulation method that combines a quantum-mechanical description of electronic structure with the statistical description provided by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. This reliance on fundamental principles allows FPMD simulations to provide a consistent description of structural, dynamical and electronic properties of a material. This is particularly useful in systems for which reliable empirical models are lacking. FPMD simulations are increasingly used as a predictive tool for applications such as batteries, solar energy conversion, light-emitting devices, electro-chemical energy conversion devices and other materials. During the course of the project, several new features were developed and added to the open-source Qbox FPMD code. The code was further optimized for scalable operation of large-scale, Leadership-Class DOE computers. When combined with Many-Body Perturbation Theory (MBPT) calculations, this infrastructure was used to investigate structural and electronic properties of liquid water, ice, aqueous solutions, nanoparticles and solid-liquid interfaces. Computing both ionic trajectories and electronic structure in a consistent manner enabled the simulation of several spectroscopic properties, such as Raman spectra, infrared spectra, and sum-frequency generation spectra. The accuracy of the approximations used allowed for direct comparisons of results with experimental data such as optical spectra, X-ray and neutron diffraction spectra. The software infrastructure developed in this project, as applied to various investigations of solids, liquids and interfaces, demonstrates that FPMD simulations can provide a detailed, atomic-scale picture of structural, vibrational and electronic properties of complex systems relevant to energy conversion devices.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
NASA NTRS1986

Towards automatic Markov reliability modeling of computer architectures

The analysis and evaluation of reliability measures using time-varying Markov models is required for Processor-Memory-Switch (PMS) structures that have competing processes such as standby redundancy and repair, or renewal processes such as transient or intermittent faults. The task of generating these models is tedious and prone to human error due to the large number of states and transitions involved in any reasonable system. Therefore model formulation is a major analysis bottleneck, and model verification is a major validation problem. The general unfamiliarity of computer architects with Markov modeling techniques further increases the necessity of automating the model formulation. This paper presents an overview of the Automated Reliability Modeling (ARM) program, under development at NASA Langley Research Center. ARM will accept as input a description of the PMS interconnection graph, the behavior of the PMS components, the fault-tolerant strategies, and the operational requirements. The output of ARM will be the reliability of availability Markov model formulated for direct use by evaluation programs. The advantages of such an approach are (a) utility to a large class of users, not necessarily expert in reliability analysis, and (b) a lower probability of human error in the computation.

Liceaga, C. A.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Design and development of ceramic components

The development of the AGT 100 turbine components in structural ceramic materials is described. Development is defined as the complete and iterative cycle from design, analysis, test, and design refinement culminating in successful demonstration of the design requirements. The components are analyzed by a linear elastic probabilistic approach, which involves finite element (three- and/or two-dimensional) simulation of the component combined with a Weibull characterization of the brittle ceramic material strength distribution to calculate a probability of survival for the component in the operating environment. Component test failure investigation has resulted in design modifications, and an improvement in component reliability has been demonstrated. Engine testing (over 570 h to date) continues to assess design/development of structural ceramic components.

Holtman, R. L.↗
DOE OSTI2014

Extending DFT-based genetic algorithms by atom-to-place re-assignment via perturbation theory: A systematic and unbiased approach to structures of mixed-metallic clusters

Energy surfaces of metal clusters usually show a large variety of local minima. For homo-metallic species the energetically lowest can be found reliably with genetic algorithms, in combination with density functional theory without system-specific parameters. For mixed-metallic clusters this is much more difficult, as for a given arrangement of nuclei one has to find additionally the best of many possibilities of assigning different metal types to the individual positions. In the framework of electronic structure methods this second issue is treatable at comparably low cost at least for elements with similar atomic number by means of first-order perturbation theory, as shown previously [F. Weigend, C. Schrodt, and R. Ahlrichs, J. Chem. Phys. 121, 10380 (2004)]. In the present contribution the extension of a genetic algorithm with the re-assignment of atom types to atom sites is proposed and tested for the search of the global minima of PtHf{sub 12} and [LaPb{sub 7}Bi{sub 7}]{sup 4−}. For both cases the (putative) global minimum is reliably found with the extended technique, which is not the case for the “pure” genetic algorithm.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2015

Initial implementation of the conversion from the energy-subtracted CT number to electron density in tissue inhomogeneity corrections: An anthropomorphic phantom study of radiotherapy treatment planning

Purpose: To achieve accurate tissue inhomogeneity corrections in radiotherapy treatment planning, the authors had previously proposed a novel conversion of the energy-subtracted computed tomography (CT) number to an electron density (ΔHU–ρ{sub e} conversion), which provides a single linear relationship between ΔHU and ρ{sub e} over a wide range of ρ{sub e}. The purpose of this study is to present an initial implementation of the ΔHU–ρ{sub e} conversion method for a treatment planning system (TPS). In this paper, two example radiotherapy plans are used to evaluate the reliability of dose calculations in the ΔHU–ρ{sub e} conversion method. Methods: CT images were acquired using a clinical dual-source CT (DSCT) scanner operated in the dual-energy mode with two tube potential pairs and an additional tin (Sn) filter for the high-kV tube (80–140 kV/Sn and 100–140 kV/Sn). Single-energy CT using the same DSCT scanner was also performed at 120 kV to compare the ΔHU–ρ{sub e} conversion method with a conventional conversion from a CT number to ρ{sub e} (Hounsfield units, HU–ρ{sub e} conversion). Lookup tables for ρ{sub e} calibration were obtained from the CT image acquisitions for tissue substitutes in an electron density phantom (EDP). To investigate the beam-hardening effect on dosimetric uncertainties, two EDPs with different sizes (a body EDP and a head EDP) were used for the ρ{sub e} calibration. Each acquired lookup table was applied to two radiotherapy plans designed using the XiO TPS with the superposition algorithm for an anthropomorphic phantom. The first radiotherapy plan was for an oral cavity tumor and the second was for a lung tumor. Results: In both treatment plans, the performance of the ΔHU–ρ{sub e} conversion was superior to that of the conventional HU–ρ{sub e} conversion in terms of the reliability of dose calculations. Especially, for the oral tumor plan, which dealt with dentition and bony structures, treatment planning with the HU–ρ{sub e} conversion exhibited apparent discrepancies between the dose distributions and dose–volume histograms (DVHs) of the body-EDP and head-EDP calibrations. In contrast, the dose distributions and DVHs of the body-EDP and head-EDP calibrations coincided with each other almost perfectly in the ΔHU–ρ{sub e} conversion for 100–140 kV/Sn. The difference between the V{sub 100}’s (the mean planning target volume receiving 100% of the prescribed dose; a DVH parameter) of the body-EDP and head-EDP calibrations could be reduced to less than 1% using the ΔHU–ρ{sub e} conversion, but exceeded 11% for the HU–ρ{sub e} conversion. Conclusions: The ΔHU–ρ{sub e} conversion can be implemented for currently available TPS’s without any modifications or extensions. The ΔHU–ρ{sub e} conversion appears to be a promising method for providing an accurate and reliable inhomogeneity correction in treatment planning for any ill-conditioned scans that include (i) the use of a calibration EDP that is nonequivalent to the patient’s body tissues, (ii) a mismatch between the size of the patient and the calibration EDP, or (iii) a large quantity of high-density and high-atomic-number tissue structures.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2004

Inflatable Space Structures Technology Development for Large Radar Antennas

There has been recent interest in inflatable space-structures technology for possible applications on U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) missions because of the technology's potential for high mechanical-packaging efficiency, variable stowed geometry, and deployment reliability. In recent years, the DOD sponsored Large Radar Antenna (LRA) Program applied this new technology to a baseline concept: a rigidizable/inflatable (RI) perimeter-truss structure supporting a mesh/net parabolic reflector antenna. The program addressed: (a) truss concept development, (b) regidizable materials concepts assessment, (c) mesh/net concept selection and integration, and (d) developed potential mechanical-system performance estimates. Critical and enabling technologies were validated, most notably the orbital radiation durable regidized materials and the high modulus, inflatable-deployable truss members. These results in conjunction with conclusions from previous mechanical-packaging studies by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Special Program Office (SPO) were the impetus for the initiation of the DARPA/SPO Innovative Space-based Antenna Technology (ISAT) Program. The sponsor's baseline concept consisted of an inflatable-deployable truss structure for support of a large number of rigid, active radar panels. The program's goal was to determine the risk associated with the application of these new RI structures to the latest in radar technologies. The approach used to define the technology maturity level of critical structural elements was to: (a) develop truss concept baseline configurations (s), (b) assess specific inflatable-rigidizable materials technologies, and (c) estimate potential mechanical performance. The results of the structures portion of the program indicated there was high risk without the essential materials technology flight experiments, but only moderate risk if the appropriate on-orbit demonstrations were performed. This paper covers both programs (LRA and ISAT) in two sections, Parts 1 and 2 respectively. Please note that the terms strut, tube, and column are all used interchangeably and refer to the basic strut element of a truss. Also, the paper contains a mix of English and metric dimensional descriptions that reflect prevailing technical discipline conventions and common usage.

Freeland, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Deep Moonquakes: Remaining Problems

We have recently reexamined more than 9000 United States previously unidentified seismic events catalogued during the Apollo landing missions and positively identified for the first time about 30 deep moonquake nests on the far side of the Moon. Although only a few of them are currently locatable, the relative arrival times among stations for the rest and presence or absence of seismic signals at particular stations suggest that either (a) the region within about $40\deg$ of the antipode is aseismic or (b) the deep interior of the Moon severely attenuates or deflects seismic waves. Aside from the obvious question of how to distinguish between such hypothetical models, this effort raised several more general questions concerning the use of deep moonquake signals to infer the structure and dynamics of the deep interior of the Moon. Among more important ones are: (1) How reliable are the seismic arrival picks from which to compute the seismic velocity variations in the Moon? (2) How do the possible lateral variations in seismic velocity affect the computed radial variation in seismic velocity at depth? (3) Can we tell more about the distribution and mechanism of deep moonquakes from the newly expanded database of identified deep moonquakes? Questions (1) and (2) are especially important because the inferred deep internal structure of the Moon depends critically on their answers. Answering these questions may demand additional data collected on future lunar missions, but some may be resolved with further examination of the existing data.

Nakamura, Y.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Deployable and retractable telescoping tubular structure development

A new deployable and retractable telescoping boom capable of high deployed stiffness and strength is described. Deployment and retraction functions are controlled by simple, reliable, and fail-safe latches between the tubular segments. The latch and a BI-STEM (Storable Tubular Extendible Member) actuator work together to eliminate the need for the segments to overlap when deployed. This yields an unusually lightweight boom and compact launch configuration. An aluminum space-flight prototype with three joints displays zero structural deadband, low hysteresis, and high damping. The development approach and difficulties are discussed. Test results provide a joint model for sizing flight booms of any diameter and length.

Thomson, M. W.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Materials for a Stirling engine heater head

Work done on the 25-kW advanced Stirling conversion system (ASCS) terrestrial solar program in establishing criteria and selecting materials for the engine heater head and heater tubes is described. Various mechanisms contributing to incompatibility between materials are identified and discussed. Large thermal gradients, coupled with requirements for long life (60,000 h at temperature) and a large number of heatup and cooldown cycles (20,000) drive the design from a structural standpoint. The pressurized cylinder is checked for creep rupture, localized yielding, reverse plasticity, creep and fatigue damage, and creep ratcheting, in addition to the basic requirements for bust and proof pressure. In general, creep rupture and creep and fatigue interaction are the dominant factors in the design. A wide range of materials for the heater head and tubes was evaluated. Factors involved in the assessment were strength and effect on engine efficiency, reliability, and cost. A preliminary selection of Inconel 713LC for the heater head is based on acceptable structural properties but driven mainly by low cost. The criteria for failure, the structural analysis, and the material characteristics with basis for selection are discussed.

Noble, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Lewis Structures Technology, 1988. Volume 2: Structural Mechanics

Lewis Structures Div. performs and disseminates results of research conducted in support of aerospace engine structures. These results have a wide range of applicability to practitioners of structural engineering mechanics beyond the aerospace arena. The engineering community was familiarized with the depth and range of research performed by the division and its academic and industrial partners. Sessions covered vibration control, fracture mechanics, ceramic component reliability, parallel computing, nondestructive evaluation, constitutive models and experimental capabilities, dynamic systems, fatigue and damage, wind turbines, hot section technology (HOST), aeroelasticity, structural mechanics codes, computational methods for dynamics, structural optimization, and applications of structural dynamics, and structural mechanics computer codes.

Source record↗
DOE OSTI2023

An Interface–Type Memristive Device for Artificial Synapse and Neuromorphic Computing

Interface-type (IT) metal/oxide Schottky memristive devices have attracted considerable attention over filament-type (FT) devices for neuromorphic computing because of their uniform, filament-free, and analog resistive switching (RS) characteristics. The most recent IT devices are based on oxygen ions and vacancies movement to alter interfacial Schottky barrier parameters and thereby control RS properties. However, the reliability and stability of these devices have been significantly affected by the undesired diffusion of ionic species. Herein, a reliable interface-dominated memristive device is demonstrated using a simple Au/Nb-doped SrTiO 3 (Nb:STO) Schottky structure. The Au/Nb:STO Schottky barrier modulation by charge trapping and detrapping is responsible for the analog resistive switching characteristics. Because of its interface-controlled RS, the proposed device shows low device-to-device, cell-to-cell, and cycle-to-cycle variability while maintaining high repeatability and stability during endurance and retention tests. Furthermore, the Au/Nb:STO IT memristive device exhibits versatile synaptic functions with an excellent uniformity, programmability, and reliability. A simulated artificial neural network with Au/Nb:STO synapses achieves a high recognition accuracy of 94.72% for large digit recognition from MNIST database. These results suggest that IT resistive switching can be potentially used for artificial synapses to build next-generation neuromorphic computing.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

SU-C-18A-04: 3D Markerless Registration of Lung Based On Coherent Point Drift: Application in Image Guided Radiotherapy

Purpose: This study evaluated a new probabilistic non-rigid registration method called coherent point drift for real time 3D markerless registration of the lung motion during radiotherapy. Method: 4DCT image datasets Dir-lab (www.dir-lab.com) have been used for creating 3D boundary element model of the lungs. For the first step, the 3D surface of the lungs in respiration phases T0 and T50 were segmented and divided into a finite number of linear triangular elements. Each triangle is a two dimensional object which has three vertices (each vertex has three degree of freedom). One of the main features of the lungs motion is velocity coherence so the vertices that creating the mesh of the lungs should also have features and degree of freedom of lung structure. This means that the vertices close to each other tend to move coherently. In the next step, we implemented a probabilistic non-rigid registration method called coherent point drift to calculate nonlinear displacement of vertices between different expiratory phases. Results: The method has been applied to images of 10-patients in Dir-lab dataset. The normal distribution of vertices to the origin for each expiratory stage were calculated. The results shows that the maximum error of registration between different expiratory phases is less than 0.4 mm (0.38 SI, 0.33 mm AP, 0.29 mm RL direction). This method is a reliable method for calculating the vector of displacement, and the degrees of freedom (DOFs) of lung structure in radiotherapy. Conclusions: We evaluated a new 3D registration method for distribution set of vertices inside lungs mesh. In this technique, lungs motion considering velocity coherence are inserted as a penalty in regularization function. The results indicate that high registration accuracy is achievable with CPD. This method is helpful for calculating of displacement vector and analyzing possible physiological and anatomical changes during treatment.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1998

Observational and Modeling Studies of Radiative, Chemical, and Dynamical Interactions in the Earth''s Atmosphere

A 3-dimensional model was developed to support mechanistic studies. The model solves the global primitive equations in isentropic coordinates, which directly characterize diabatic processes forcing the Brewer-Dobson circulation of the middle atmosphere. It's numerical formulation is based on Hough harmonics, which partition horizontal motion into its rotational and divergent components. These computational features, along with others, enable 3D integrations to be performed practically on RISC computer architecture, on which they can be iterated to support mechanistic studies. The model conserves potential vorticity quite accurately under adiabatic conditions. Forced by observed tropospheric structure, in which integrations are anchored, the model generates a diabatic circulation that is consistent with satellite observations of tracer behavior and diabatic cooling rates. The model includes a basic but fairly complete treatment of gas-phase photochemistry that represents some 20 chemical species and 50 governing reactions with diurnally-varying shortwave absorption. The model thus provides a reliable framework to study transport and underlying diabatic processes, which can then be compared against chemical and dynamical structure observed and in GCM integrations. Integrations with the Langley GCM were performed to diagnose feedback between simulated convection and the tropical circulation. These were studied in relation to tropospheric properties controlling moisture convergence and environmental conditions supporting deep convection, for comparison against mechanistic integrations of wave CISK that successfully reproduce the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) of the tropical circulation. These comparisons were aimed at identifying and ultimately improving aspects of the convective simulation, with the objective of recovering a successful simulation of the MJO in the Langley GCM, behavior that should be important to budgets of upper-tropospheric water vapor and chemical species.

Salby, Murry↗
NASA NTRS1999

Multi-Spacecraft Observations of Interplanetary Shocks

Using multi-spacecraft observations primarily from ACE and WIND and from IMP 8 and Geotail when available, the 3-dimensional structure of interplanetary shocks on the hundred Earth radii scale will be discussed. The complete magnetic field, and solar wind ion and electron data sets were used to fit the shocks with a full non-linear least squares fitting "Rankine-Hugoniot" technique yielding the local shock surface normals and speeds with associated uncertainties. Multi-spacecraft results reveal that on the distance scale of ACE's L1 halo orbit the shocks deviate from a simple planar geometry. This result has important consequences for the prediction of the exact arrival times of interplanetary shocks at the Earth's magnetosphere, and hence, on the reliability of space weather predictions. It also has implications on the coherence scale of solar wind structures and their evolution from the Sun to Earth.

Smith, C. W.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Multi-Spacecraft Observations of Interplanetary Shocks

Using multi-spacecraft observations primarily from ACE and WIND, and from IMP 8 and Geotail when available, the 3-dimensional structure of interplanetary shocks on the hundred Earth radii scale will be discussed. The complete magnetic field, and solar wind ion and electron data sets were used to fit the shocks with a full non-linear least squares fit "Rankine-Hugoniot" technique yielding the local shock surface normals and speeds with associated uncertainties. Multi-spacecraft results reveal that on the distance scale of ACE's L1 halo orbit the shocks deviate significantly from a simple planar geometry. This result has important consequences for the prediction of the exact arrival times of interplanetary shocks at the Earth's magnetosphere, and hence, on the reliability of space weather predictions. It also has implications on the coherence scale of solar wind structures and their evolution from the Sun to Earth.

Szabo, A.↗
DOE OSTI2015

Modification of the structural and magnetic properties of granular FePt films by seed layer conditioning

The steadily increasing amount of digital information necessitates the availability of reliable high capacity magnetic data storage. Here, future hard disk drives with extended areal storage densities beyond 1.0 Tb/in{sup 2} are envisioned by using high anisotropy granular and chemically L1{sub 0}-ordered FePt (002) perpendicular media within a heat-assisted magnetic recording scheme. Perpendicular texturing of the [001] easy axes of the individual grains can be achieved by using MgO seed layers. It is therefore investigated, if and how an Ar{sup +} ion irradiation of the MgO seed layer prior to the deposition of the magnetic material influences the MgO surface properties and hereby the FePt [001] texture. Structural investigations reveal a flattening of the seed layer surface accompanied by a change in the morphology of the FePt grains. Moreover, the fraction of small second layer particles and the degree of coalescence of the primarily deposited FePt grains strongly increases. As for the magnetic performance, this results in a reduced coercivity along the magnetic easy axis (out of plane) and in enhanced hard axis (in-plane) remanence values. The irradiation induced changes in the magnetic properties of the granular FePt-C films are traced back to the accordingly modified atomic structure of the FePt-MgO interface region.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗