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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 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2015

Continuous motion scan ptychography: Characterization for increased speed in coherent x-ray imaging

Ptychography is a coherent diffraction imaging (CDI) method for extended objects in which diffraction patterns are acquired sequentially from overlapping coherent illumination spots. The object’s complex transmission function can be reconstructed from those diffraction patterns at a spatial resolution limited only by the scattering strength of the object and the detector geometry. Most experiments to date have positioned the illumination spots on the sample using a move-settle-measure sequence in which the move and settle steps can take longer to complete than the measure step. We describe here the use of a continuous “fly-scan” mode for ptychographic data collection in which the sample is moved continuously, so that the experiment resembles one of integrating the diffraction patterns from multiple probe positions. This allows one to use multiple probe mode reconstruction methods to obtain an image of the object and also of the illumination function. We show in simulations, and in x-ray imaging experiments, some of the characteristics of fly-scan ptychography, including a factor of 25 reduction in the data acquisition time. This approach will become increasingly important as brighter x-ray sources are developed, such as diffraction limited storage rings.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Continuous scanning mode for ptychography

We outline how ptychographic imaging can be performed without the need for discrete scan positions. Through an idealized experiment, we demonstrate how a discrete-position scan regime can be replaced with a continuously scanned one with suitable modification of the reconstruction scheme based on coherent modes. The impact of this is that acquisition times can be reduced, significantly aiding ptychographic imaging with x rays, electrons, or visible light.

Clark, Jesse N.↗
DOE OSTI2017

Developing Cost-Effective Dense Continuous SDC Barrier Layers for SOFCs

Significantly improved performance during electrochemical testing of a cell with a dense continuous pulsed laser deposited (PLD) samarium doped ceria (SDC) layer spurred investigations into the fabrication of dense continuous SDC barrier layers by means of cost-effective deposition using screen printing which is amenable to industrial production of SOFCs. Many approaches to improve the SDC density have been explored including the use of powder with reduced particle sizes, inks with increased solids loading, and doping with sintering aids (1). In terms of sintering aids, dopants like Mo or binary systems of Mo+Cu or Fe+Co greatly enhance SDC sinterability. In fact, adding dopants to a screen printed, prefired, porous SDC layer made it possible to achieve a dense continuous barrier layer atop the YSZ electrolyte without sintering above 1200°C. Although the objective of fabricating a dense continuous layer was achieved, additional studies have been initiated to improve the cell performance. Underlying issues with constrained sintering and dopant-enhanced ceria-zirconia solid solubility are also addressed in this paper.

Nguyen, Hoang Viet P.↗
DOE OSTI2014

Continuous mutual improvement of macromolecular structure models in the PDB and of X-ray crystallographic software: the dual role of deposited experimental data

Macromolecular structures deposited in the PDB can and should be continually reinterpreted and improved on the basis of their accompanying experimental X-ray data, exploiting the steady progress in methods and software that the deposition of such data into the PDB on a massive scale has made possible. Accurate crystal structures of macromolecules are of high importance in the biological and biomedical fields. Models of crystal structures in the Protein Data Bank (PDB) are in general of very high quality as deposited. However, methods for obtaining the best model of a macromolecular structure from a given set of experimental X-ray data continue to progress at a rapid pace, making it possible to improve most PDB entries after their deposition by re-analyzing the original deposited data with more recent software. This possibility represents a very significant departure from the situation that prevailed when the PDB was created, when it was envisioned as a cumulative repository of static contents. A radical paradigm shift for the PDB is therefore proposed, away from the static archive model towards a much more dynamic body of continuously improving results in symbiosis with continuously improving methods and software. These simultaneous improvements in methods and final results are made possible by the current deposition of processed crystallographic data (structure-factor amplitudes) and will be supported further by the deposition of raw data (diffraction images). It is argued that it is both desirable and feasible to carry out small-scale and large-scale efforts to make this paradigm shift a reality. Small-scale efforts would focus on optimizing structures that are of interest to specific investigators. Large-scale efforts would undertake a systematic re-optimization of all of the structures in the PDB, or alternatively the redetermination of groups of structures that are either related to or focused on specific questions. All of the resulting structures should be made generally available, along with the precursor entries, with various views of the structures being made available depending on the types of questions that users are interested in answering.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Hydrodeoxygenation of HMF over Pt/C in a continuous flow reactor

The three‐phase hydrodeoxygenation reaction of 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) with H 2 was studied over a 10 wt % Pt/C catalyst using both batch and flow reactors, with ethanol, 1‐propanol, and toluene solvents. The reaction is shown to be sequential, with HMF reacting first to furfuryl ethers and other partially hydrogenated products. These intermediate products then form dimethyl furan (DMF), which in turn reacts further to undesired products. Furfuryl ethers were found to react to DMF much faster than HMF, explaining the higher reactivity of HMF when alcohol solvents were used. With the optimal residence time, it was possible to achieve yields approaching 70% in the flow reactor with the Pt/C catalyst. Much higher selectivities and yields were obtained in the flow reactor than in the batch reactor because side products are formed sequentially, rather than in parallel, demonstrating the importance of choosing the correct type of reactor in catalyst screening. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J , 61: 590–597, 2015

Luo, Jing↗
DOE OSTI2015

Dynamic evolution of liquid-liquid phase separation during continuous cooling

Solidification from a multiphase fluid involves many unknown quantities due to the difficulty of predicting the impact of fluid flow on chemical partitioning. Real-time x-ray radiography has been used to observe liquideliquid phase separation in Al90In10 prior to solidification. Quantitative image analysis has been used to measure the motion and population characteristics of the dispersed indium-rich liquid phase during cooling. Here we determine that the droplet growth characteristics resemble well known steady-state coarsening laws with likely enhancement by concurrent growth due to supersaturation. Simplistic views of droplet motion are found to be insufficient until late in the reaction due to a hydrodynamic instability caused by the large density difference between the dispersed and matrix liquid phases.

Alloys↗
DOE OSTI2018

Continuous-wave upconverting nanoparticle microlasers

Reducing the size of lasers to microscale dimensions enables new technologies that are specifically tailored for operation in confined spaces ranging from ultra-high-speed microprocessors to live brain tissue. However, reduced cavity sizes increase optical losses and require greater input powers to reach lasing thresholds. Multiphoton-pumped lasers that have been miniaturized using nanomaterials such as lanthanide-doped upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) as lasing media require high pump intensities to achieve ultraviolet and visible emission and therefore operate under pulsed excitation schemes. Here, we make use of the recently described energy-looping excitation mechanism in Tm 3+ -doped UCNPs to achieve continuous-wave upconverted lasing action in stand-alone microcavities at excitation fluences as low as 14 kW cm -2 . Continuous-wave lasing is uninterrupted, maximizing signal and enabling modulation of optical interactions. By coupling energy-looping nanoparticles to whispering-gallery modes of polystyrene microspheres, we induce stable lasing for more than 5 h at blue and near-infrared wavelengths simultaneously. These microcavities are excited in the biologically transmissive second near-infrared (NIR-II) window and are small enough to be embedded in organisms, tissues or devices. The ability to produce continuous-wave lasing in microcavities immersed in blood serum highlights practical applications of these microscale lasers for sensing and illumination in complex biological environments.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2022

A directional microcrack damage theory for brittle solids based on continuous hyperplasticity

We present a novel microcrack-damage theory for brittle solids under compression. Instead of using internal variables like zeroth, second or fourth rank damage tensors, the state of material damage is represented by an internal function that encapsulates the information of direction, density and size of microcracks. Just like other internal variables, the evolution of this state function must obey the second law of thermodynamics for arbitrary loading paths. This is done by casting the model in the framework of continuous hyperplasticity and enforcing a non-negative dissipation rate functional. The proposed framework offers predictions on the continuous evolution of microcrack density and the induced material anisotropy along with the macroscopic stress-strain curves. The use of continuous damage function grants the model significantly enhanced resolution in characterizing the direction-dependent response of cracked solids compared to classical models that are based on damage tensors. Two scenarios are considered in developing the theory, one assumes frictionless cracks and the other incorporates friction between crack surfaces. The results highlight that inelasticity, pressure dependence, and loading-unloading hysteresis exhibited by brittle solids are natural consequences of frictional microcracks. The proposed theory offers a generic and versatile framework to upscale micromechanical processes operating at individual crack scale to explain the macroscopic behavior of cracked solids.

Materials Science↗
DOE OSTI2018

Continuous enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass in a membrane-reactor system: Continuous enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass in a membrane-reactor system

Converting abundant lignocellulosic biomass to sugars as fungible precursors to fuels and chemicals has the potential to diversify the supply chain for those products, but further process improvements are needed to achieve economic viability. In the current work, process intensification of the key enzymatic hydrolysis unit operation is demonstrated by means of a membrane reactor system that was operated continuously. Lignocellulosic biomass (pretreated corn stover) and buffered enzyme solution were fed to a continuously stirred-tank reactor, and clarified sugar solution was withdrawn via a commercial tubular ultrafiltration membrane. The membrane permeance decline and membrane cleaning efficacy were studied and did not vary significantly when increasing fraction insoluble solids (FIS) from 2.5% to 5%. Continuous enzymatic hydrolysis was successfully operated for more than 80 h. A model for the reactor system was able to predict dynamic behavior that was in reasonable agreement with experimental results. The modeled technical performance of anticipated commercial batch and continuous enzymatic hydrolysis processes were compared and showed that continuous operation would provide at least twice the volumetric productivity for the conditions studied. Further improvements are anticipated by better membrane selection and by increasing FIS.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Continuous-flow synthesis of thermochromic M-phase VO2 particles via rapid one-step hydrothermal reaction – effect of mixers

VO2 particles are promising materials for thermochromic smart windows that reduce building energy loss. Continuous-flow hydrothermal processes showcase advantages for synthesizing VO2 particles compared with traditional batch reaction systems. Mixers play a crucial role in particle fabrication in continuous-flow systems. In this study, a Center T-Mixer and a Collision Cross-Mixer are developed and implemented in a hot water fluidized suspension reaction (HWFSR) system. The influence of the resident time on the particle phase and size was evaluated, and properties of particles derived from systems equipped with differing mixers were compared. The resulting particles were characterized using techniques of X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). When compared with the Center T-Mixer, results indicate that the Collision Cross-Mixer has better control regarding the morphology and size distribution of resulting particles while improving the transition temperatures of the as-synthesized materials. HWFSR systems containing novel mixer designs are capable of producing pure M-phase VO2 particles in a single step contrary to the current reactor design that use a second postheat treatment step, and they are capable of synthesizing many other nanoparticle species, especially those requiring high temperature and pressure reaction conditions.

continuous-flow process↗
DOE OSTI2016

Fate of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation: Strong decline under continued warming and Greenland melting

The most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessment report concludes thatthe Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) could weaken substantially but is very unlikely tocollapse in the 21st century. However, the assessment largely neglected Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS)mass loss, lacked a comprehensive uncertainty analysis, and was limited to the 21st century. Here in acommunity effort, improved estimates of GrIS mass loss are included in multicentennial projections usingeight state-of-the-science climate models, and an AMOC emulator is used to provide a probabilisticuncertainty assessment. We find that GrIS melting affects AMOC projections, even though it is of secondaryimportance. By years 2090–2100, the AMOC weakens by 18% [3%, 34%; 90% probability] in an intermediategreenhouse-gas mitigation scenario and by 37% [15%, 65%] under continued high emissions. Afterward, itstabilizes in the former but continues to decline in the latter to 74% [+4%, 100%] by 2290–2300, with a 44%likelihood of an AMOC collapse. This result suggests that an AMOC collapse can be avoided by CO2mitigation.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Learning continuous models for continuous physics

Abstract Dynamical systems that evolve continuously over time are ubiquitous throughout science and engineering. Machine learning (ML) provides data-driven approaches to model and predict the dynamics of such systems. A core issue with this approach is that ML models are typically trained on discrete data, using ML methodologies that are not aware of underlying continuity properties. This results in models that often do not capture any underlying continuous dynamics—either of the system of interest, or indeed of any related system. To address this challenge, we develop a convergence test based on numerical analysis theory. Our test verifies whether a model has learned a function that accurately approximates an underlying continuous dynamics. Models that fail this test fail to capture relevant dynamics, rendering them of limited utility for many scientific prediction tasks; while models that pass this test enable both better interpolation and better extrapolation in multiple ways. Our results illustrate how principled numerical analysis methods can be coupled with existing ML training/testing methodologies to validate models for science and engineering applications.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2019

Detection of random noise and anatomy of continuous seismic waveforms in dense array data near Anza California

We develop a methodology to separate continuous seismic waveforms into random noise (RN), not random noise (NRN) produced by earthquakes, wind, traffic and other sources of ground motions, and an undetermined mixture of signals. The analysis is applied to continuous records from a dense seismic array on the San Jacinto fault zone. To detect RN signals, we cut hourly waveforms into non-overlapping 1 s time windows and apply cross-correlations to separate RN candidates from outliers. The cross-correlation coefficients between different RN candidates fall into a tight range (i.e. 0.09–0.35), while cross-correlation coefficients of RN candidates with NRN signals (e.g. seismic or air-traffic events) are lower. The amplitude spectra of RN candidates have a well-defined level, while the amplitude spectra of other signals deviate from that level. Using these properties, we examine the amplitude spectra of moving time windows and cross-correlation coefficients with RN templates in each hour. The hourly RN is quasi-stationary and the results cluster tightly in the parameter space of cross-correlation coefficients and L2 norm deviations from the mean spectra of RN candidates. Time windows with parameters in this tight cluster are identified as RN, windows that deviate significantly from the RN cluster are identified as NRN and windows with values in between are identified as mixed signals. Several iterations on each hourly data are used to update and stabilize the selection of RN templates and mean noise spectra. For the days examined, the relative fractions of RN, NRN and mixed signals in local day (night) times are about 26 (42 percent), 40 (33 percent) and 34 percent (25 percent), respectively.

Geochemistry & Geophysics↗
DOE OSTI2021

Continuous Liquid–Liquid Extraction and in-Situ Membrane Separation of Miscible Liquid Mixtures

Separation operations are critical across a wide variety of manufacturing industries and account for about one quarter of all in-plant energy consumption in the United States. Conventional liquid-liquid separation operations require either thermal or chemical treatment, both of which have a large environmental impact and carbon footprint. Consequently, there is a great need to develop sustainable, clean methodologies for separation of miscible liquid mixtures. The greatest opportunities to achieve this lie in replacing high-energy separation operations (e.g., distillation) with low-energy alternatives such as liquid-liquid extraction. One of the primary design challenges in liquid-liquid extraction is to maximize the interfacial area between two immiscible (e.g., polar and non-polar) liquids for efficient mass transfer. However, this often involves energy-intensive methods including ultrasonication, pumping the feed and the extractant through packed columns with high tortuosity, or using a supercritical fluid as an extractant. Emulsifying the feed and the extractant, especially with a surfactant, offers a large interfacial area, but subsequent separation of emulsions can be energy-intensive and expensive. Thus, emulsions are typically avoided in conventional extraction operations. Herein, we discuss a novel, easily scalable, platform separation methodology termed CLEANS (Continuous Liquid-liquid Extraction And iN-situ membrane Separation). CLEANS integrates emulsion-enhanced extraction with continuous, gravity-driven, membrane-based separation of emulsions into a single unit operation. Furthermore, our results demonstrate that the addition of a surfactant and emulsification significantly enhance extraction (by > 250% in certain cases), even for systems where the best extractants for miscible liquid mixtures are known. Utilizing the CLEANS methodology, we demonstrate continuous separation of a wide range of miscible liquid mixtures, including soluble organic molecules from oils, alcohols from esters, and even azeotropes.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2018

Interflow Is Not Binary: A Continuous Shallow Perched Layer Does Not Imply Continuous Connectivity

Hillslopes exert critical controls on the quality and quantity of downstream waters. To understand and model dominant headwater catchment processes, we need to estimate the relative importance of different runoff generation processes. In this work we analyze published data from studies of 17 hillslopes from a range of landscapes to better understand the relative role of interflow, that is, shallow lateral subsurface flow moving over a layer impeding percolation, in streamflow generation. For each slope, we calculated downslope interflow travel distances, that is, the potential distance a water parcel travels downslope above an impeding layer until it percolates into the impeding layer. The downslope travel distances for the 17 hillslopes ranged from around 1 m to several hundred meters. The vector analysis of downslope travel distances revealed that all but three hillslopes had slope lengths that were much longer than downslope travel distances. For the remaining 14 cases we could show that most water perched above a shallow impeding layer percolates through the impeding layer before reaching the valley or the stream channel. Thus, interflow usually contributes directly to valley water or streamflow only from the lower portions of the hillslope in most landscapes. A critical finding of our analysis is that a continuously perched saturated zone with downslope flow does not imply continuous connectivity to the stream. Such a continuous connectivity is the exception rather than the rule in most landscapes. Future hillslope and headwater processes and modeling studies will need to account for this.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2014

The Development of a Long-Term, Continually Updated Global Solar Resource at 10 km Resolution: Preliminary Results From Test Processing and Continuing Plans

Background: Considering the likelihood of global climatic weather pattern changes and the global competition for energy resources, there is an increasing need to provide improved and continuously updated global Earth surface solar resource information. Toward this end, a project was funded under the NASA Applied Science program involving the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Langley Research Center (LaRC), National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the State University of New York/Albany (SUNY) and the NOAA National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) to provide NREL with a global long-term advanced global solar mapping production system for improved depiction of historical solar resources and variability and to provide a mechanism for continual updates of solar resource information. This new production system is made possible by the efforts of NOAA and NASA to completely reprocess the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) data set that provides satellite visible and infrared radiances together with retrieved cloud and surface properties on a 3-hourly basis beginning from July 1983. The old version of the ISCCP data provided this information for all the world TMs available geosynchronous satellite systems and NOAA TMs AVHRR data sets at a 30 km effective resolution. This new version aims to provide a new and improved satellite calibration at an effective 10 km resolution. Thus, working with SUNY, NASA will develop and test an improved production system that will enable NREL to continually update the Earth TM solar resource. Objective and Methods: In this presentation, we provide a general overview of this project together with samples of the new solar irradiance mapped data products and comparisons to surface measurements at various locations across the world. An assessment of the solar resource values relative to calibration uncertainty and assumptions are presented. Errors resulting assumptions in snow cover and background aerosol amount are described. These uncertainties and the statistics of the agreement between the measurements and new satellite estimates are also reviewed and compared to other solar data sets. Findings and Conclusions: Preliminary results show that insolation values show an overall small bias (less than 1%) with a RMS of 25% relative to surface measurements. Exceptions at certain locations were found and will be discussed relative to the uncertainties identified above. Lastly, we will identify the next steps in the development and improvement of this production system including some accuracy goals in preparation for ultimate delivery to NREL.

Stackhouse, P.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Synthesis of Acid Hydrazides from Carboxylic Acids in Continuous Flow

A concise methodology for the synthesis of acid hydrazides from carboxylic acids via a continuous flow process in yields ranging from 65 to 91% is described. Using short residence times of between 13 and 25 mins, the conditions proved amenable to a variety of mono- and diacids, including aliphatic, aromatic, and heteroaromatic functionalities. Furthermore, to demonstrate scalability, a large-scale (200 g) synthesis of azelaic dihydrazide was conducted over a continuous run of 9 h with an 86% overall yield, equating to a 22 g/h output.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗