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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 1,783 records · Page 99

A teleoperated robotic manipulator system for materials processing experiment servicing

In 1984 Congress authorized NASA to begin the Space Station Program, and requested that 10 percent of program funds be spent in implementing automation and robotics (A and R) on the Space Station. In response to that request, Boeing established several Independent Research and Development (IR and D) projects to explore possible uses for A and R on the Space Station. One of those projects, and automated materials processing experiment, is discussed. The project uses a teleoperated robot to demonstrate telescience applied to a Chemical Vapor Transport materials processing experiment.

Suchting, Steven↗

Non-Loudon-Fleury Raman scattering in spin-orbit coupled Mott insulators

In this work we revisit the theory of magnetic Raman scattering in Mott insulators with strong spin-orbit coupling, with a major focus on Kitaev materials. We show that Kitaev materials with bond-anisotropic interactions are generally expected to show both one- and two-magnon responses. It is further shown that, in order to obtain the correct leading contributions to the Raman vertex operator R, one must take into account the precise, photon-assisted microscopic hopping processes of the electrons and that, in systems with multiple hopping paths, R contains terms beyond those appearing in the traditional Loudon-Fleury theory. Most saliently, a numerical implementation of the revised formalism to the case of the three-dimensional hyperhoneycomb Kitaev material β– Li 2 Ir O 3 reveals that the non-Loudon-Fleury scattering terms actually dominate the Raman intensity. In addition, they induce a qualitative modification of the polarization dependence, including, e.g., the emergence of a sharp one-magnon peak at low energies, which is not expected in the traditional Loudon-Fleury theory. This peak is shown to arise from microscopic photon-assisted tunneling processes that are of similar type with the ones leading to the symmetric off-diagonal interaction Γ (known to be present in many Kitaev materials), but take the form of a bond-directional magnetic dipole term in the Raman vertex. These results are expected to apply across all Kitaev materials and mark a drastic change of paradigm for the understanding of Raman scattering in materials with strong spin-orbit coupling and multiple exchange paths.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

The R-Shell approach - Using scheduling agents in complex distributed real-time systems

Large, complex real-time systems such as space and avionics systems are extremely demanding in their scheduling requirements. The current OS design approaches are quite limited in the capabilities they provide for task scheduling. Typically, they simply implement a particular uniprocessor scheduling strategy and do not provide any special support for network scheduling, overload handling, fault tolerance, distributed processing, etc. Our design of the R-Shell real-time environment fcilitates the implementation of a variety of sophisticated but efficient scheduling strategies, including incorporation of all these capabilities. This is accomplished by the use of scheduling agents which reside in the application run-time environment and are responsible for coordinating the scheduling of the application.

Natarajan, Swaminathan↗

Forest Structural Complexity and Biomass Predict First-Year Carbon Cycling Responses to Disturbance

The pre-disturbance vegetation characteristics that predict carbon (C) cycling responses to disturbance are not well known. To address this gap, we initiated the Forest Resilience Threshold Experiment, a manipulative study in which more than 3600 trees were stem girdled to achieve replicated factorial combinations of four levels (control, 45, 65, and 85% gross defoliation) of disturbance severity and two disturbance types (targeting upper or lower canopy strata). Applying a standardized stability framework in which initial C cycling resistance to disturbance was calculated as the first-year natural log response ratio of disturbance and control treatments, we investigated to what extent pre-disturbance levels of species diversity, aboveground woody biomass, leaf area index, and canopy rugosity—a measure of structural complexity—predict the initial responses of subcanopy light-saturated leaf CO 2 assimilation (A sat ), aboveground wood NPP (ANPP w ), and soil respiration (R s ) to phloem-disrupting disturbance. In the year following stem girdling, we found that above-ground C cycling processes, A sat and ANPP w , were highly resistant to increases in disturbance severity, while Rs resistance declined as severity increased. Disturbance type had no effect on first-year resistance. Pre-disturbance aboveground woody biomass, and canopy rugosity were positive predictors of ANPP w resistance and, conversely, negatively related to R s resistance. Subcanopy A sat resistance was not related to pre-disturbance vegetation characteristics. Stability of C uptake processes along with R s declines suggest the net C sink was sustained in the initial months following disturbance. Therefore, we conclude that biomass and complexity are significant, but not universal, predictors of initial C cycling resistance to disturbance. Moreover, our findings highlight the utility of standardized stability measures when comparing functional responses to disturbance.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

A Roadmap for HEP Software and Computing R&D for the 2020s

Particle physics has an ambitious and broad experimental programme for the coming decades. This programme requires large investments in detector hardware, either to build new facilities and experiments, or to upgrade existing ones. Similarly, it requires commensurate investment in the R&D of software to acquire, manage, process, and analyse the shear amounts of data to be recorded. In planning for the HL-LHC in particular, it is critical that all of the collaborating stakeholders agree on the software goals and priorities, and that the efforts complement each other. In this spirit, this white paper describes the R&D activities required to prepare for this software upgrade.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

UP2 400 High Activity Oxide Legacy Waste Retrieval Project Scope and Progress-13048

The High Activity Oxide facility (HAO) reprocessed sheared and dissolved 4500 metric tons of light water reactor fuel the fuel of the emerging light water reactor spent fuel between 1976 and 1998. Over the period, approximately 2200 tons of process waste, composed primarily of sheared hulls, was produced and stored in a vast silo in the first place, and in canisters stored in pools in subsequent years. Upon shutdown of the facility, AREVA D and D Division in La Hague launched a thorough investigation and characterization of the silos and pools content, which then served as input data for the definition of a legacy waste retrieval and reconditioning program. Basic design was conducted between 2005 and 2007, and was followed by an optimization phase which lead to the definition of a final scenario and budget, 12% under the initial estimates. The scenario planned for the construction of a retrieval and reconditioning cell to be built on top of the storage silo. The retrieved waste would then be rinsed and sorted, so that hulls could subsequently be sent to La Hague high activity compacting facility, while resins and sludge would be cemented within the retrieval cell. Detailed design was conducted successfully from 2008 until 2011, while a thorough research and development program was conducted in order to qualify each stage of the retrieval and reconditioning process, and assist in the elaboration of the final waste package specification. This R and D program was defined and conducted as a response and mitigation of the major project risks identified during the basic design process. Procurement and site preparatory works were then launched in 2011. By the end of 2012, R and D is nearly completed, the retrieval and reconditioning process have been secured, the final waste package specification is being completed, the first equipment for the retrieval cell is being delivered on site, while preparation works are allowing to free up space above and around the silo, to allow for construction which is scheduled to being during the first semester of 2013. The elaboration of the final waste package is still undergoing and expected to be completed by then end of 2013, following some final elements of R and D required to demonstrate the full compatibility of the package with deep geological repository. The HAO legacy waste retrieval project is so far the largest such project entering operational phase on the site of La Hague. It is on schedule, under budget, and in conformity with the delivery requirements set by the French Safety Authority, as well as other stakeholders. This project paves the way for the successful completion of AREVA La Hague other legacy waste retrieval projects, which are currently being drafted or already in active R and D phase. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Kinetics of the functionalization of mesoporous silica nanoparticles: Implications on surface group distributions, adsorption and catalysis

The post-synthesis functionalization (grafting) kinetics of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) with organotrimethoxysilanes (R-TMS) is studied via solution 1 H NMR spectroscopy. The process involves a rapid adsorption/ desorption pre-equilibrium followed by reaction of R-TMS with surface silanols. Grafting rates are affected by the functional group in R-TMS. For example, the grafting rate of aminopropyl-trimethoxysilane (AP-TMS) is one order of magnitude higher than other R-TMS. High concentrations of AP-TMS result in substrate-inhibition kinetics, likely due to steric and mobility constraints for reactant alignment at high coverage. The higher rates of AP-TMS grafting indicate a catalytic effect of amine groups. This effect depends on the amine’s basicity and can be used to control the grafting rates and degree of condensation of other R-TMS. Adjusting the rate of mercaptopropyl-trimethoxysilane (MP-TMS) grafting using amines gives MP-MSN materials of varying adsorptive and catalytic activities, illustrated by Pd scavenging experiments and use of Pd@MP-MSN as catalysts for a Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Spiral Development for Safeguards Instrumentation

Safeguards instrumentation is highly specialized, so a common approach in the US has been to develop initial prototypes for performance, operability and security within the US National Laboratories for the IAEA and then seek one or more commercial partners. Transfer of technology from US National Laboratories is a legal requirement for products that have the potential for mass production. Other important objectives include minimizing time to deployment and lifecycle cost, and optimizing product maintainability, sustainability and manufacturability. Unfortunately, the deployment of systems developed via this model has sometimes been seriously delayed or never adopted because of the difficulty of optimizing the significant parameters of the process between the public and private sectors. The authors suggest that forming an R&D partnership between a research laboratory and a commercial company much earlier in the process would provide significant advantages. The present US practice leads to unnecessary expenditures during the early R&D phase since many decisions are made based on research needs that are counterproductive for commercialization and manufacturability. If the ultimate goal of the project is to produce a reliable and cost effective commercial product, the commercial input is needed early and often. The new “model” of developing systems in a closer collaboration with the private sector, in a spiral “Commercialization by Design” approach, should also limit the long term financial mortgages that Member States frequently experience with respect to safeguards instrumentation development using the present process. As a concrete example, the potential for incorporating Wire Integrity Verification Technology into the iCobra Reader System is discussed.

Koskelo, M.↗

Perspectives on the relationship between materials chemistry and roll-to-roll electrode manufacturing for high-energy lithium-ion batteries

As lithium-ion battery (LIB) active material and cell manufacturing costs continue to drop with wider adoption of electric vehicles, electrode and cell processing costs remain too high in terms of reaching the ultimate U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) cell cost target of $80/kWh. This paper primarily covers major materials chemistry advancements made over the last 10 years at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in the space of advanced manufacturing science for LIBs with the aim of simultaneously meeting the ultimate cost target, 500 Wh/kg gravimetric energy density, 10-15-min fast charge times, and 1000 deep discharge cycles. Aqeous electrode processing with a variety of active anode and cathode materials is now a standard procedure at the DOE Battery Manufacturing R&D Facility at ORNL (BMF), including the latest processes developed for Ni-rich cathodes. New results on cobalt-free LiNi 0.8 Fe 0.1 Al 0.1 O 2 (NFA 811) are also included and discussed in an electrode processing advantage context. In addition, colloidal processing advancements have been made for Si/C composite anodes for achieving >600 mA h/g capacities. Optimization of electrode coating parameters and drying protocols have been completed, which has elucidated how key processing variables need to be changed when parameters such as slurry solids loading, solvent type, and wet electrode thickness are changed. ORNL has also increased the line speeds at which thick cathodes can be processed using ultra-fast electron beam (EB) curing and substantially decreased formation cycling times to <1 day. Finally, key details of these advancements are discussed in the context of materials chemistry and process-property-performance relationships.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Highly tritiated water processing by isotopic exchange

Highly tritiated water (HTW) is produced in fusion machines and one of the promising technologies to process it is isotopic exchange. 3 kinds of Pt-catalyzed zeolite (13X-APG, CBV-100-CY and HiSiv-1000) were tested as candidates for isotopic exchange of highly tritiated water (HTW), and CBV-100-CY (Na-Y type with a SiO{sub 2}/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} ratio of ∼ 5.0) shows the best performance. Small-scale tritium testing indicates that this method is efficient for reaching an exchange factor (EF) of 100. Full-scale non-tritium testing implies that an EF of 300 can be achieved in 24 hours of operation if a temperature gradient is applied along the column. For the isotopic exchange, deuterium recycled from the Isotope Separation System (deuterium with 1% T and/or 200 ppm T) should be employed, and the tritiated water regenerated from the Pt-catalyzed zeolite bed after isotopic exchange should be transferred to Water Detritiation System (WDS) for further processing.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Creating Portfolio Management Concepts for Highly Agile and Innovative Government Research Programs Using Design Thinking and Lean Startup Methodologies

Managing a research and development (R&D) portfolio presents numerous challenges, such as prioritizing research areas, remaining agile, strategic workforce planning, and measuring return on investment, impact, and innovation. One government R&D program is charged with producing a high degree of innovative, transformational breakthroughs in aviation technology. A practical, structured methodology for strategically prioritizing emerging aviation R&D in such an environment is lacking. The existing multi-criteria decision aid tools are primarily utilized at an enterprise level, take months to set up and collect data, require large teams of experts, are used on an infrequent basis, and are not conducive to a highly innovative, high-risk portfolio. Prior to audaciously creating a new portfolio prioritization process, the exact challenges with portfolio management for R&D projects were identified using the design thinking and lean start-up methods. A key part of this discovery process was interviewing stakeholders, as well as other managers of organizations charged with producing innovative portfolios. These interviews, as well as additional techniques, were used to develop a deeper understanding of the challenges and, subsequently, lay the foundation for development of an effective portfolio prioritization process. Four potential concepts that represent key findings emerged: carefully selected criteria for portfolio assessment and selection, targeted portfolio turnover rate, dynamic portfolio prioritization framework, and streamlined transition or commercialization of R&D. Acting on any one of the resulting portfolio management concepts will increase the transparency and confidence in portfolio decisions and, ideally, result in a greater degree of transformational breakthroughs in aviation technology.

project portfolio management↗

Scintillating glasses for total absorption dual readout calorimetry

Scintillating glasses are a potentially cheaper alternative to crystal - based calorimetry with common problems related to light collection, detection and processing. As such, their use and development are part of more extensive R&D aimed at investigating the potential of total absorption, combined with the readout (DR) technique, for hadron calorimetry. A recent series of measurements, using cosmic and particle beams from the Fermilab test beam facility and scintillating glass with the characteristics required for application of the DR technique, serve to illustrate the problems addressed and the progress achieved by this R&D. Alternative solutions for light collection (conventional and silicon photomultipliers) and signal processing are compared, the separate contributions of scintillation and Cherenkov processes to the signal are evaluated and results are compared to simulation.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Quantum process tomography of a Mølmer-Sørensen gate via a global beam

Here, we present a framework for quantum process tomography of two-ion interactions that leverages modulations of the trapping potential and composite pulses from a global laser beam to achieve individual-ion addressing. Tomographic analysis of identity and delay processes reveals dominant error contributions from laser decoherence and slow qubit frequency drift during the tomography experiment. We use this framework on two co-trapped 40 Ca + ions to analyze both an optimized and an overpowered Mølmer–Sørensen gate and to compare the results of this analysis to a less informative Bell-state tomography measurement and to predictions based on a simplified noise model. These results show that the technique is effective for the characterization of two-ion quantum processes and for the extraction of meaningful information about the errors present in the system. The experimental convenience of this method will allow for more widespread use of process tomography for characterizing entangling gates in trapped-ion systems.

quantum computing↗

Study for identification of beneficial Uses of Space (BUS). Volume 2: Technical report. Book 3: Development and business analysis of space processed tungsten fox X-ray targets

The development plans, analysis of required R and D and production resources, the costs of such resources, and finally, the potential profitability of a commercial space processing opportunity for containerless melting and resolidification of tungsten are discussed. The aim is to obtain a form of tungsten which, when fabricated into targets for X-ray tubes, provides at least, a 50 percent increase in service life.

Source record↗

State estimation of an acid gas removal (AGR) plant as part of an integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) plant with CO2 capture

An accurate estimation of process state variables not only can increase the effectiveness and reliability of process measurement technology, but can also enhance plant efficiency, improve control system performance, and increase plant availability. Future integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power plants with CO2 capture will have to satisfy stricter operational and environmental constraints. To operate the IGCC plant without violating stringent environmental emission standards requires accurate estimation of the relevant process state variables, outputs, and disturbances. Unfortunately, a number of these process variables cannot be measured at all, while some of them can be measured, but with low precision, low reliability, or low signal-to-noise ratio. As a result, accurate estimation of the process variables is of great importance to avoid the inherent difficulties associated with the inaccuracy of the data. Motivated by this, the current paper focuses on the state estimation of an acid gas removal (AGR) process as part of an IGCC plant with CO2 capture. This process has extensive heat and mass integration and therefore is very suitable for testing the efficiency of the designed estimators in the presence of complex interactions between process variables. The traditional Kalman filter (KF) (Kalman, 1960) algorithm has been used as a state estimator which resembles that of a predictor-corrector algorithm for solving numerical problems. In traditional KF implementation, good guesses for the process noise covariance matrix (Q) and the measurement noise covariance matrix (R) are required to obtain satisfactory filter performance. However, in the real world, these matrices are unknown and it is difficult to generate good guesses for them. In this paper, use of an adaptive KF will be presented that adapts Q and R at every time step of the algorithm. Results show that very accurate estimations of the desired process states, outputs or disturbances can be achieved by using the adaptive KF.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

239 Pu R -matrix Analysis and Neutron Multiplicities in the Neutron Energy Region up to a few keVs [Abstract]

The evaluation of 239 Pu neutron resonance parameters coupled to neutron multiplicities $\overline{v}_p$ is of particular importance to investigate the ($\mathcal{n, γf}$) reaction in which a $\mathcal{γ}$-ray emission occurs before the scission of the compound nuclear. This reaction has offered one explanation for the fluctuations in the measured values of $\overline{v}_p$ In this regard, the competition between ($\mathcal{n, γf}$) reaction and the direct fission process can be also included in the R matrix analysis of fission and capture measured data. The goal of this work is the coupled evaluation of the $\mathcal{n}$+ 239 Pu resonance parameters and related neutron multiplicities by ensuring the adoption of thermal neutron constants recently evaluated at the International Atomic Nuclear Energy as well as the recommended (thermal-neutron) induced prompt neutron fission spectrum (PFNS). Moreover, this new set of physical evaluated quantities should also guarantee the agreement for high-leakage solution benchmarks while keeping the good performance of large thermal solution assemblies.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗

Roll-to-Roll Advanced Materials Manufacturing DOE Laboratory Collaboration - Early Stage R&D: Phase 2 and FY21 (Final Report)

R2R processing is used to manufacture a wide range of products for various applications which span many industrial business sectors. The overall R2R methodology has been in use for decades and this continuous technique traditionally involves deposition of material(s) onto substrates or membranes that are on moving webs, carriers or other continuous belt-fed or conveyor-based processes that enable successive steps to build a final product. Established methods that typify R2R processing include tape casting, silk-screen printing, reel-to-reel vacuum deposition/coating, and R2R lithography. Products supported by R2R manufacturing include micro-electronics, electro-chromic window films, PVs, fuel cells for energy conversion, battery electrodes and electrolytes for energy storage, and barrier and membrane materials for decarbonization and air and water filtration. Due to innovation in materials and process equipment, high-quality yet very low-cost multilayer technologies have the potential to be manufactured on a very cost-competitive basis. To move energy-related products from high-cost niche applications to the commercial sector, the means must be available to enable manufacture of these products in a cost-competitive manner. Fortunately, products such as fuel cells, thin- and mid-film PVs, batteries, electrochromic and piezoelectric films, water separation membranes, and other energy saving technologies readily lend themselves to manufacture using R2R approaches. However, more early-stage research is needed to solve the challenge of linking the materials (particles, polymers, solvents, additives) used in ink and slurry formulations and the coating and heated drying processes to the ultimate performance of the final R2R product, especially for a process that uses multiple layers of deposition to achieve the end product.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗