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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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A theoretical thrust density limit for Hall thrusters

Abstract Hall Thrusters typically operate at thrust densities on the order of 10 N/m $$^2$$ 2 , which appear to be orders of magnitude below the thrust density limits suggested in previous literature. These limits have been considered here and each component of thrust density is analyzed to demonstrate the relative contribution to the total thrust density. Dependencies of the thrust density limits upon the thruster geometry, electron mobility, and the applied magnetic field are revealed and compared with experimental measurements of thrust density. This analysis reveals that with conventional applied magnetic field strengths, Hall thruster thrust density appears to be on the order of 1000 N/m $$^2$$ 2 . It is shown that this limit can be further increased through higher applied magnetic fields, applied voltage, and suppression of anomalous electron transport. This suggests Hall thrusters can be made much more compact and operated at higher power densities, given improvements to the thermal management and materials.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

Light Duty Engine Performance Characteristics with Dimethyl Ether and Propane

Here, this paper explores the performance characteristics of a compression ignition HYUNDAI 2.2L engine operating with Dimethyl Ether (DME). Test are carried out at three operating conditions that weigh heavily in the FTP75 certification cycle (1000rpm-12Nm, 1500rpm-50Nm, 2000rpm-100Nm). The engine features a high-pressure common rail fuel injection system designed to operate with liquified gases. The main component of the fuel system is a high-pressure pump that incorporates an electronic inlet metering valve commanded on a crank-angle base to control the rail pressure. The pump, which requires no pressure regulator, provides the flow needed to the injectors without flow returning to the inlet. This novel fueling system is leveraged in tests that are conducted to examine the impact of EGR, combustion phasing, injection pressure on efficiency and emissions. In addition, the impact of introducing 15% Propane by mass is examined. During the tests, the engine ECU is aided by an Engine Controller High Speed Oversight unit (ECHO) to provide combustion phasing control, improved cylinder-to-cylinder uniformity, and an effective optimization over the testing effort. The use of DME and Propane allowed for peak thermal efficiency of nearly 43%. These fuels enable significant carbon index (CI) reductions over the baseline Diesel fuel, with indications that 50% reduction in CO 2 over the Diesel engine are possible.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

Analysis of Uncertainty Impacts on Emissions and Fuel Economy Evaluation for Chassis Dynamometer Testing

This study illustrates a methodology for quantifying the uncertainties encountered in the measurement of tailpipe emissions and in the fuel consumption measurements for light-duty conventional vehicles tested on a four-wheel drive chassis dynamometer. The study leverages high-fidelity experimental data collected over three standard drive cycles, UDDS, HWY and US06, intended to simulate a wide range of operating conditions. Here, a method is developed to estimate the measurement uncertainties in fuel consumption for a test cycle, which occur due to the accumulation of measurement uncertainties propagated through the system. The uncertainty determination model uses statistical analysis and standard propagation techniques to evaluate and combine the uncertainties introduced from various sources (including the vehicle, chassis dynamometer, driver, and instrumentation). The analysis also examines three different experimental methods for determining the fuel consumption: 1) carbon mass balance, 2) volumetric fuel scale and 3) gravimetric fuel scale, and takes into consideration the properties of the instrumentation used. The results show that the most significant influence on the determination of the emissions comes from the concentration measurement, and similarly the biggest impact on the total fuel consumption uncertainty comes from the uncertainty in the determination of the carbon dioxide mass, due to the large presence of this pollutant in the overall emissions. It was found that the fuel consumption uncertainties are in the range of ±1-2% for all three methods analyzed, with the lowest values being obtained for measurements performed using the gravimetric method for all three drive cycles considered.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

On the mechanism of ionization oscillations in Hall thrusters

Low-frequency ionization oscillations involving plasma and neutral density (breathing modes) are the most violent perturbations in Hall thrusters for electric propulsion. Because of its simplicity, the zero-dimensional (0D) predator–prey model of two nonlinearly coupled ordinary differential equations for plasma and neutral density has often been used for the characterization of such oscillations and scaling estimates. In this work, we investigate the properties of its continuum analog, the one-dimensional (1D) system of two nonlinearly coupled equations in partial derivatives (PDEs) for plasma and neutral density. This is a more general model, of which the standard 0D predator–prey model is a special limit case. We show that the 1D model is stable and does not show any oscillations for the boundary conditions relevant to Hall thrusters and the uniform ion velocity. We then propose a reduced 1D model based on two coupled PDEs for plasma and neutral densities that is unstable and exhibit oscillations if the ion velocity profile with the near-the-anode back-flow (toward the anode) region is used. Comparisons of the reduced model with the predictions of the full model that takes into account the self-consistent plasma response show that the main properties of the breathing mode are well captured. In particular, it is shown that the frequency of the breathing mode oscillations is weakly dependent on the final ion velocity but shows a strong correlation with the width of the ion back-flow region.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

LA100 Equity Strategies

LA100 Equity Strategies is a collaborative effort between LADWP, NREL, UCLA, and Kearns & West that employs an interdisciplinary approach utilizing distinct - but connected - research efforts informed and guided by the project Steering Committee, which met monthly through the duration of the project. Chapters 1 through 4 address recognition and procedural justice through recognition, process, and community strategies, while Chapters 5 through 12 address distributional justice through program and infrastructure strategies. Chapters 13 through 17 provide policy and program strategies. Each chapter provides data, methods, tools, insights, and strategies to help LADWP make data-driven, community-informed decisions for equitable investments and program development.

ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS,ENERGY CONSERVATION, C↗

Annual Technology Baseline (ATB): The 2024 Transportation Update

The Transportation Annual Technology Baseline (ATB) provides detailed cost and performance data, estimates, and assumptions for vehicle and fuel technologies in the United States. It includes current and projected estimates for vehicle technologies as well as fuels, and it details the assumptions used to calculate those costs, such as gas and electricity prices, discount rates, and vehicle miles traveled. The 2024 update added more biofuels pathways to align with pathways used in the Biomass Scenario Model.

ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS,DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSI↗

LA100 Equity Strategies: Executive Summary

LA100 Equity Strategies is a collaborative effort between LADWP, NREL, UCLA, and Kearns & West that employs an interdisciplinary approach utilizing distinct - but connected - research efforts informed and guided by the project Steering Committee, which met monthly through the duration of the project. Chapters 1 through 4 address recognition and procedural justice through recognition, process, and community strategies, while Chapters 5 through 12 address distributional justice through program and infrastructure strategies. Chapters 13 through 17 provide policy and program strategies. Each chapter provides data, methods, tools, insights, and strategies to help LADWP make data-driven, community- informed decisions for equitable investments and program development.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

A Report on Actions for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicle Energy and Emissions Innovation

A Report on Actions for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicle Energy and Emissions Innovation (the MHDV Plan) summarizes strategies and actions to substantially reduce emissions in the U.S. commercial on-road medium- and heavy-duty vehicle (MHDV) sector. This includes all on-road vehicles over 8,500 pounds used for commercial purposes. The intended audience of this report are industry and stakeholders who will take on the suite of actions needed to drive forward MHDV emissions reduction and decarbonization in a sustainable and economic way.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

The hierarchical growth of bright central galaxies and intracluster light as traced by the magnitude gap

Using a sample of 2800 galaxy clusters identified in the Dark Energy Survey across the redshift range 0.20 < z < 0.60, we characterize the hierarchical assembly of bright central galaxies (BCGs) and the surrounding intracluster light (ICL). To quantify hierarchical formation we use the stellar mass–halo mass (SMHM) relation, comparing the halo mass, estimated via the mass–richness relation, to the stellar mass within the BCG + ICL system. Moreover, we incorporate the magnitude gap (M14), the difference in brightness between the BCG (measured within 30 kpc) and fourth brightest cluster member galaxy within 0.5 $R_{200,c}$, as a third parameter in this linear relation. The inclusion of M14, which traces BCG hierarchical growth, increases the slope and decreases the intrinsic scatter, highlighting that it is a latent variable within the BCG + ICL SMHM relation. Moreover, the correlation with M14 decreases at large radii. However, the stellar light within the BCG + ICL transition region (30 –80 kpc) most strongly correlates with halo mass and has a statistically significant correlation with M14. Since the transition region and M14 are independent measurements, the transition region may grow due to the BCG’s hierarchical formation. Additionally, as M14 and ICL result from hierarchical growth, we use a stacked sample and find that clusters with large M14 values are characterized by larger ICL and BCG + ICL fractions, which illustrates that the merger processes that build the BCG stellar mass also grow the ICL. Furthermore, this may suggest that M14 combined with the ICL fraction can identify dynamically relaxed clusters.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗