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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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12 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Ensuring reliable connectivity to cellular-connected UAVs with up-tilted antennas and interference coordination

To integrate unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in future large-scale deployments, a new wireless communication paradigm, namely, the cellular-connected UAV has recently attracted interest. However, the line-of-sight dominant air-to-ground channels along with the antenna pattern of the cellular ground base stations (GBSs) introduce critical interference issues in cellular-connected UAV communications. In particular, the complex antenna pattern and the ground reflection (GR) from the down-tilted antennas create both coverage holes and patchy coverage for the UAVs in the sky, which leads to unreliable connectivity from the underlying cellular network. To overcome these challenges, in this paper, we propose a new cellular architecture that employs an extra set of co-channel antennas oriented towards the sky to support UAVs on top of the existing down-tilted antennas for ground user equipment (GUE). To model the GR stemming from the down-tilted antennas, we propose a path-loss model, which takes both antenna radiation pattern and configuration into account. Next, we formulate an optimization problem to maximize the minimum signal-to-interference ratio (SIR) of the UAVs by tuning the up-tilt (UT) angles of the up-tilted antennas. Since this is an NP-hard problem, we propose a genetic algorithm (GA) based heuristic method to optimize the UT angles of these antennas. After obtaining the optimal UT angles, we integrate the 3GPP Release-10 specified enhanced inter-cell interference coordination (eICIC) to reduce the interference stemming from the down-tilted antennas. Our simulation results based on the hexagonal cell layout show that the proposed interference mitigation method can ensure higher minimum SIRs for the UAVs over baseline methods while creating minimal impact on the SIR of GUEs.

3GPP↗
DOE OSTI2022

Automated Sorghum Phenotyping and Trait Development Platform

There is an urgent need to accelerate energy crop development for the production of renewable transportation fuels from biomass. Our interdisciplinary team developed mobile, ground-based and aerial phenotyping platforms and advanced remote sensing data analysis tools to acquire and process imagery from different types of cameras (e.g. RGB, multispectral, hyperspectral, and thermal sensors) and LiDAR point cloud data in large-scale sorghum field trials during phase 1 of the project. Phase 2 focused on Technology to Market activities to deliver these systems to the market place coupled with targeted research programs to address specific limitations or challenges for these systems.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Design and Performance of lithium-Ion Batteries for Achieving Electric Vehicle Takeoff, Flight, and Landing

Today, the burgeoning drive towards global urbanization with over half the earth’s population living in cities, has created major challenges with regards to intracity and intercity transit and mobility. This problem is compounded due to the fact that almost always urbanization and increase in standard of living drives individual automobile ownerships. Over 95% of automobiles are presently powered by some form of fossil fuel and as an unintended consequence, urban centers have also been centers for peak greenhouse gas emissions, a major contributor to global climate change. A revolutionary solution to this conundrum is flight capable electric automobiles or electric aerial vehicles that can tackle both urban mobility and climate change challenges. For such advanced electric platforms, energy storage and delivery component is the vital component towards achieving takeoff, flight, cruise, and landing. The requirements and duty cycle demands on the energy storage system is drastically different when compared to the performance metrics required for terrestrial electric vehicles. As the widely deployed lithium ion-based battery systems are often the primary go-to energy storage choice in electric vehicle related applications, it is imperative that performance metrics and specifications for such batteries towards areal electric vehicles need to be established. In this nascent field, there exists ample opportunities for battery material innovations, understanding degradation mechanism, battery design, development and deployment of battery control and management systems. Thus, this chapter comprehensively discusses battery requirements and identifies battery material chemistries suitable for handling aerial electric automobile duty cycles. The chapter also discusses the battery cell-level metrics pertaining to electrochemical, chemical, mechanical, and structural parameters. Furthermore, specific models for battery degradation, state of health (SOH), capacity and models for full cell performance and degradation are also discussed here. Finally, the chapter also discusses battery safety and future directions of batteries that would power these next generation urban electric aircrafts.

Amin, Ruhul↗
DOE OSTI2019

Evaluation of ARM tethered-balloon system instrumentation for supercooled liquid water and distributed temperature sensing in mixed-phase Arctic clouds

A tethered-balloon system (TBS) has been developed and is being operated by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) User Facility in order to collect in situ atmospheric measurements within mixed-phase Arctic clouds. Periodic tethered-balloon flights have been conducted since 2015 within restricted airspace at ARM's Advanced Mobile Facility 3 (AMF3) in Oliktok Point, Alaska, as part of the AALCO (Aerial Assessment of Liquid in Clouds at Oliktok), ERASMUS (Evaluation of Routine Atmospheric Sounding Measurements using Unmanned Systems), and POPEYE (Profiling at Oliktok Point to Enhance YOPP Experiments) field campaigns. The tethered-balloon system uses helium-filled 34 m 3 helikites and 79 and 104 m 3 aerostats to suspend instrumentation that is used to measure aerosol particle size distributions, temperature, horizontal wind, pressure, relative humidity, turbulence, and cloud particle properties and to calibrate ground-based remote sensing instruments. Supercooled liquid water content (SLWC) sondes using the vibrating-wire principle, developed by Anasphere Inc., were operated at Oliktok Point at multiple altitudes on the TBS within mixed-hase clouds for over 200 h. Sonde-collected SLWC data were compared with liquid water content derived from a microwave radiometer, Ka-band ARM zenith radar, and ceilometer at the AMF3, as well as liquid water content derived from AMF3 radiosonde flights. The in situ data collected by the Anasphere sensors were also compared with data collected simultaneously by an alternative SLWC sensor developed at the University of Reading, UK; both vibrating-wire instruments were typically observed to shed their ice quickly upon exiting the cloud or reaching maximum ice loading. Temperature sensing measurements distributed with fiber optic tethered balloons were also compared with AMF3 radiosonde temperature measurements. Combined, the results indicate that TBS-distributed temperature sensing and supercooled liquid water measurements are in reasonably good agreement with remote sensing and radiosonde-based measurements of both properties. From these measurements and sensor evaluations, tethered-balloon flights are shown to offer an effective method of collecting data to inform and constrain numerical models, calibrate and validate remote sensing instruments, and characterize the flight environment of unmanned aircraft, circumventing the difficulties of in-cloud unmanned aircraft flights such as limited flight time and in-flight icing.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2024

Multi-Scale Integrated Monitoring System for Enhancing Methane Emission Detection, Quantification & Prediction

This report details the progress and findings of a comprehensive study on reviewing existing solutions, identifying technology gaps, and formulating an “all-in-one” integrated strategy for developing the next-generation multiscale methane monitoring and modeling platform, conducted under grant number DE-FE0032292. Co-led by Dr. David Ebert, Dr. Binbin Weng, and Dr. Chenghao Wang at the University of Oklahoma, the project’s goal was to develop an integrated approach for building this engineering platform to detect, quantify, and mitigate methane emissions across various temporal scale, spatial scales, and sectors. The planning grant study began with an extensive review of various methane sensing and monitoring technologies and systems, surveying over 100 technology providers globally. This review revealed the prevalence of optical methods over chemical methods in commercially available sensors, with Non-Dispersive Infrared (NDIR), Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy (TDLAS), and Optical Gas Imaging (OGI) cameras being the most prevalent options. A trend towards more advanced optical techniques was observed, driven by increased regulatory focus and technological advancements. The technical evaluation of these sensing technologies provided crucial insights into their capabilities and limitations. The study examined emerging technologies such as Differential Absorption LiDAR (DIAL), which show promise for high-precision and long-range detection. The team then investigated the features and application bandwidth of various sensing platforms, including handheld, fixed/stationary, mobile, aerials, and spaceborne monitors. Pilot field studies were conducted to assess the capabilities of solutions for different emission scenarios. Field work with sensor deployments was conducted at three distinct site types: an oil & gas industry site, a cattle ranching operation, and a waste processing facility. The team also conducted a thorough review of methane flux inverse modeling approaches, focused on physically based methods. These approaches were categorized into simple, intermediate, and advanced methods. A realtime WRF-GHG (Weather Research and Forecasting-Greenhouse Gas) modeling system was developed and applied, incorporating multiple data sources to guide field experiments and inform methane plume detection. The project identified and analyzed numerous categories of methane data sources, including satellite measurements, ground-based sensors, and inventory databases. Key platforms examined include EDGAR, EPA GHGI, NASA TROPOMI, Carbon Mapper, and Climate TRACE, among others. The team proposed an architecture for a comprehensive methane monitoring platform. This system incorporates multi-source data acquisition, advanced data processing and assimilation, interactive visualization tools, and analytical capabilities for emissions forecasting and scenario analysis. The proposed platform aims to provide a user-friendly interface catering to various stakeholders, from researchers to policymakers. The architecture includes sophisticated data ingestion methods, a centralized data warehouse, and advanced analytical tools for data fusion and interpretation. To ensure the relevance and effectiveness of the proposed system, a comprehensive survey was conducted to gather stakeholder input on system requirements. Key findings include a strong need for integrating various data types and formats, a preference for real-time data updates and advanced visualization tools, and a demand for user-friendly interfaces catering to different expertise levels.

03 NATURAL GAS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Landfill Emissions of Methane Inferred from Unmanned Aerial Vehicle and Mobile Ground Measurements

Municipal solid waste landfills are significant sources of atmospheric methane, the second most important greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide. Large emissions of methane from landfills contribute not only to global climate change, but also to local ozone formation due to the enhancement of radical chain lengths in atmospheric reactions of volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides. Several advanced techniques were deployed to measure methane emissions from two landfills in the Southeast Michigan ozone nonattainment area during the Michigan–Ontario Ozone Source Experiment (MOOSE). These techniques included mobile infrared cavity ringdown spectrometry, drone-mounted meteorological sensors and tunable diode laser spectrometry, estimation of total landfill emissions of methane based on flux plane measurements, and Gaussian plume inverse modeling of distributed methane emissions in the presence of complex landfill terrain. The total methane emissions measured at the two landfills were of the order of 500 kg/h, with an uncertainty of around 50%. The results indicate that both landfill active faces and leaking gas collection systems are important sources of methane emissions.

Olaguer, Eduardo P.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Remote methane sensor for emissions from pipelines and compressor stations using chirped-laser dispersion spectroscopy

Leak rates of methane (CH 4 ) from the natural gas supply chain result in lost profit from unsold product, public safety and property concerns due to potential explosion hazards, and a potentially large source of economic damages from legal liabilities. Yet large measurement challenges exist in identifying and quantifying CH 4 leak rates along the vast number and type of components in the natural gas supply chain. This is particularly true of the “midstream” components involved in the gathering, processing, compression, transmission, and storage of natural gas. This project developed and deployed new advances in chirped laser dispersion spectroscopy (CLaDS) to detect methane leaks from pipelines, compressor stations, and other midstream infrastructure from a remote position (standoff detection). The system was deployed from a van to measure fugitive methane leaks from a local compressor station as a proof-of-concept. The technique was validated through mobile laboratory measurements with in-situ sensors as well as controlled releases of methane. The system also mapped a plume from a controlled release of methane by tracking a small unmanned aerial system (sUAS) that carried a corner cube retroreflector which reflected the beam back to the instrument. The drone-based system quantified a leak rate to within 30% of the actual rate and localized the emission location within 5 m of the actual release location at standoff distances of 25-45 m. This sUAS-reflector tracking approach has benefits for mapping leak locations remotely using small drones flying around a facility. Benefits of a commercial sensor with these capabilities include reductions of leaks for pipeline operators (more profit), earlier detection of leaks to avoid catastrophic explosion hazards for public health and to mitigate property damage, and reduced methane emissions to the atmosphere (improving air quality).

03 NATURAL GAS↗
DOE OSTI2025

New Mobility Technology Assessment - Benefits, Risks, and Safety

The age of vehicle automation is upon us. The fundamental perception and control technology is maturing as we speak (and write) with robo-taxis proliferating in select US cities. The news cycle is no longer filled with technological skepticism, but rather societal commentary on our collective response and use of the technology. This maturing of the technology is also accompanied by a renaissance in new types of urban movement technology to more effectively link people with goods, services, and employment, particularly in dense development areas where vehicle congestion (even automated vehicles) prevents high quality mobility. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory, through the DOE Clean Energy to Communities (C2C) program has worked with two jurisdictions to assess the benefits, risks, and safety concerns for a new product offering based on suspended cable technology which is fully automated and proposes an aerial network of self-propelled gondolas. The recognized need, independent of the technology, is to fairly assess the benefits of the proposed transportation system, assess its technical maturity, as well as risks and safety concerns. Using this new technology as an example, a technology represented by Swyft Cities, NREL developed a succession of mini-studies that characterized the technical maturity level, assessed the proposed benefits for Greenville, SC, examined the risks involved in moving forward with an emerging mobility technology, and determined the governing safety protocols and standards that are applicable to the space. These mini-case studies, though centered on Swyft Cities aerial automated gondola technology, are highly transferable to any type of new mobility technology and lays out a repeatable process for assessing new technology within an city or community context.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2026

A primer on forest structure measurement with lidar for ecologists

Light detection and ranging (lidar) technology has fundamentally advanced the way we measure forest structure, facilitating new insights into ecological processes. Lidar for forest ecology applications is deployed on multiple types of platforms that operate from the ground, air, or space, and each has associated strengths and limitations. Ideally, the choice of what kind of lidar to use in a particular study should be guided by the ecological question of interest; however, practical considerations of cost, data availability, and processing tools can be equally important. This synthesis is a practical introduction to how different lidar platforms characterize forest structure (e.g., tree size/location, wood volume, branching structure, aboveground biomass, leaf properties), designed for a general audience of ecologists (not remote sensing scientists) seeking an accessible introduction to the use of lidar. We also provide examples of novel ecological insights from recent lidar research and describe current limitations and areas of expected improvement. Last, we include an appendix of data collected from terrestrial, mobile, unoccupied aerial system, airplane, and satellite lidar platforms within a common temperate forest area, with associated code to allow new lidar users to visualize and manipulate data in R.

Cushman, KC [ORNL] (ORCID:0000000234641151)↗
DOE OSTI2018

2018 Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Annual Report

In fiscal year 2018 (FY2018), the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility carried out important measurement missions around the globe and worked to better couple ARM measurements with the needs of the science community through the evaluation of priorities and the continued development of new capabilities, including efforts to better link data and models. While many of these efforts have been ongoing, their importance was supported by recommendations from the 2017 ARM Triennial Review. In February 2018, we submitted the final plans to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) that ARM will commit to accomplish over the next two years to address the Triennial Review recommendations. We then began implementing activities to: improve and track communications effectiveness at conferences and through the User Executive Committee implement additional metrics to track ARM’s scientific impact, including on model improvement engage users beyond the traditional DOE Office of Biological and Environmental Research (BER)/Atmospheric System Research (ASR) communities increase the timely production and delivery of ARM Mobile Facility value-added products (VAPs) and create a mechanism to better set expectations for VAP delivery to users improve Data Discovery, ARM’s portal for accessing more than 25 years’ worth of data, for users define a clear process for biennially reviewing instrumentation, data products, and other activities with the goal of determining where resources should be applied update the radar plan and create a plan for optimizing aerosol data collection implement operational plans for the Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) ARM Symbiotic Simulation and Observation (LASSO) project and establish a plan for selecting the next science target for LASSO. We have made great progress in all of these areas, much of which is shared in this report, including plans for setting priorities for aerosol measurements and data product development. In FY2018, ARM also brought many plans to fruition that were outlined in its 2014 Decadal Vision strategy, such as the implementation of the LASSO project that integrates observations and models and the continued advancement in the use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS).

MARCUS, POPEYE, Oliktok Point, Eastern North Atlan↗
DOE OSTI2018

Standoff Over the LRSO: Assessing the long-range stand-off missile's impact on strategic stability.

Mutual vulnerability to strategic forces seems to remain the de facto foundation for strategic stability across the U.S.-Russia and U.S.-China dyadic relationships; This work has suggested the bomber force tasked with delivering the LRSO is characterized by relatively long flight times and rich signature sets which make its use inconsistent with the requirements for a disarming first-strike. Therefore, the LRSO would not be expected to disrupt mutual vulnerability by making a disarming strike more possible or attractive; Even if a stealthy air-launched cruise missile is paired with a stealth bomber aircraft, the signatures associated with bomber generation and aerial refueling from non-stealth tanker aircraft make it unlikely the LRSO could be launched against a peer or near-peer nation-state without advance warning; To the extent a nuclear armed air-launched cruise missile deters would-be U.S. adversaries from nuclear use, maintaining a survivable weapon system is crucial for maintaining that stable deterrent effect. A modern stand-off weapon and stealth delivery platform increase the probability this capability will be maintained in the future against other nations' increasingly capable A2/AD systems; The LRSO has been touted as a flexible option to deter, or conduct should deterrence fail, limited nuclear strikes pursuant to Russia's reported "escalate-to-deescalate" doctrine. The concept of limited nuclear use is still intensely debated, and there is no guarantee that escalation could be controlled even with tailored LRSO employment; The challenge of warhead discrimination has not historically led to a nuclear response to a cruise missile launch, but there is no guarantee that cannot change. Having accurate military intelligence coupled with discerning analysis of the context in which cruise missiles are employed (e.g., how escalated is the conflict, how many missiles have been launched, have there been signatures of strategic force mobilization, or has the nuclear threshold been crossed?) will likely be essential for reducing the danger of misperception. Developing norms and/or communication channels in the aforementioned dyadic relationships may also further these ends. In sum, this work has identified and analyzed many of the major arguments in the debate regarding the LRSO's impact on strategic stability. During this study and survey of other nation's conceptions of strategic stability, it became clear that the LRSO is neither inherently stabilizing or destabilizing; rather, it is one instrument in addition to unambiguous U.S. policy, clear messaging, and signaling of intent that may promote stability by reducing the risk of miscalculation and unintended escalation.

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEF↗
DOE OSTI2019

ADVANCING THE TRANSPORTATION – SECURITY, TRACKING, AND REPORTING (T-STAR) SYSTEM

The Transportation – Security, Tracking and Reporting (T-STAR) System was developed by NNSA NA-21 Office of Radiological Security (ORS) to provide a transportation security system for use during transport of Category 1 and Category 2 radiological material to provide detection and tracking capability for shipments. While many off the shelf systems provide asset tracking of the conveyance, few offer detection of a breach into the cargo compartment or the removal of cargo from the conveyance. Systems that do offer such capability need to be permanently installed on the conveyance, requiring drilling of holes and running of cables throughout the conveyance itself. This means that dedicated shipping containers or vehicles are required, and this is not sustainable in many countries where ORS is building capacity for the security of radioactive materials in use, storage, and in transport. T-STAR is leveraging various ORNL technologies for improved communications capability and reduced power requirements; the multimode communications module developed by the Unmanned Aerial Systems group and the low power and extensible Authenticatable Container Tracking System (ACTS) tag developed for the US Department of Energy’s Packaging Certification Program provide a small footprint tracking system which can be installed quickly as needed. T-STAR uses a cellular and an Iridium modem to communicate configuration and alert information to a server used to monitor the shipment and incorporates a Z-wave © wireless security system allowing various intrusion detection sensors to be located in the conveyance. The Z-wave sensors are readily available, inexpensive, and power efficient, making them replaceable and low maintenance. The server software be configured as a standalone system installed on a light duty computer hosted by the competent authority, carrier, or response agency, or hosted as part of an Amazon Cloud Server (AWS) accessible via a secure login. The server has two functions, first is to handle messages to/from the T-STAR field unit, second is to host the user interface which can be accessed using a web browser on desktop or mobile device. The user interface implements roles to determine the level of access to shipment information, define geo-fences, and configure notifications. The user interface also supports multiple languages for display as well as notifications by using a simple lookup file which can be modified by the host country to ensure translations are correct and meaningful to responders receiving notifications and alerts. This paper will detail the overarching T-STAR capabilities, architecture and components, and provide insights on how it is deployed, used, and monitored during transportation of radioactive material.

Schultze, Michael↗