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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 OSTI2024

Radioimaging for real-time tracking of high-voltage breakdown

Development of a radioimaging diagnostic for high-voltage component reliability testing and electrical breakdown computational model validation is described. Radioimaging has its roots in radio astronomy, where aperture synthesis (also known as synthesis imaging) has been utilized for decades to image radio sources far from Earth. Radioimaging as described herein, in contrast, seeks to image radio sources in close proximity to its receivers (i.e., in a laboratory environment). Here it is shown that corona discharge, a non-destructive precursor to catastrophic (thermal) arc discharge, electromagnetically radiates strongly within a 250 kHz – 2.5 GHz bandwidth, and is readily detected and located by postprocessing the received radio signals. The ability of radioimaging to detect both corona and arc discharge (grouped together herein as high voltage breakdown or HVB) makes it a valuable tool for 100% HVB detection in materials, components, and devices, and has the ability to indicate electrical weakness (via corona detection) prior to a destructive arc discharge event. Radioimaging enables HVB to be located both internal and external to dielectric components under test in near-real-time, with multiple and/or extended HVB events located simultaneously. In contrast, existing non-destructive diagnostics (at the time of this writing) either indicate electrical breakdown without resolving failure locations (e.g., current, voltage, and chemical measurements), locate external HVB (e.g., high-speed optical and ultraviolet (UV) measurements or photography), or locate both external and internal HVB but with low fidelity (e.g., a single HVB source can be located by existing time-of-arrival (TOA) UHF or acoustic emissions). Radioimaging instead creates a sequence of high-fidelity images similar to an optical high-speed camera but at radiofrequencies (RF), and is not limited to two-dimensions. Moreover, radioimaging has already served one internal and two external industry customers, the results of which are detailed in this report. The radioimaging results described herein were part of a three-year effort funded by the Sandia Lab Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program within the Radiation, Electromagnetic, High Energy Density Science (REHEDS) investment area.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2024

Radio Frequency Sensor: Very High Frequency Radio Frequency Lightning Detection in Geostationary Orbit

Abstract The Radio Frequency Sensor (RFS), a new radio frequency lightning detector, was launched into geosynchronous orbit in December 2021, and first collected data in January 2022. RFS is a specialized software‐defined radio receiver that detects, records, and reports impulsive broadband radio‐frequency (RF) signatures from lightning in the very high frequency (VHF; 30–300 MHz) range. Its vantage point from a Western hemisphere geosynchronous orbit provides unique opportunities to study evolution of RF lightning signatures over the durations of thunderstorms over the Americas and Pacific Ocean. Its overlapping view with the Geostationary Lightning Mappers (GOES‐16 & 17) enables additional comparisons between the sources of optical emissions and associated VHF emissions that were not possible with previous sensors. We find that RFS preferentially detects bright VHF signals called transionospheric pulse pairs (trans‐ionospheric pulse pairs (TIPPs)). It is estimated that more than 85% of the RFS‐detected lightning events are TIPPs. This paper presents initial results from the first year and a half of on‐orbit operation.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Detecting dark matter substructures on small scales with fast radio bursts

The matter power spectrum is only weakly constrained on subgalactic scales, while physics beyond the Standard Model can leave unique imprints, especially on sub-parsec scales. We propose measuring the arrival-time difference of fast radio bursts (FRBs) along two adjacent sightlines as a new probe to dark matter substructures on scales down to ∼ 1 AU . We discuss two observational scenarios in which it may be possible to place interesting constraints on such models through the monitoring of repeating FRB sources: (i) By sending radio receivers to space to form a baseline of tens of AU or more and measuring the temporal variation of the arrival-time difference between receivers. (ii) By measuring the temporal variation of the arrival-time difference between two lensed images of one strongly lensed repeater. In both scenarios, obtaining interesting constraints requires correlating the voltage time series to measure the radio signal arrival time to sub-nanosecond precision. We find that two radio dishes separated by 20 AU may be sensitive to the enhancement of small-scale structures at ∼ 10 - 8 M ⊙ masses in the QCD axion dark matter scenario, or from an early epoch of matter domination with a reheating temperature up to 60 MeV. Other dark matter models, such as those composed of ∼ 10 - 13 M ⊙ primordial black holes produced during inflation, would also be probed by this method. We further show that a strong lensing situation of multiple images provides an equivalent ∼ 2000 AU ( σ v / 10 3 km s - 1 ) ( δ t / 10 yr ) baseline, for a typical velocity of dark matter substructures σ v and an observational time span δ . This is much more sensitive, but with the uncertainty that intervening decoherence from the interstellar medium may degrade the timing precision, and that spatial variation in the FRB emission spot may result in confounding signals. We show that the lensing magnifications of Type Ia supernovae constrain a similar quantity to such FRB timing, with present limits being equivalent to ruling out the same parameter space that would be probed by a 0.14 AU baseline.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Multiple Phase Screen Scintillation Code Execution and Examples

The phenomenon of random fluctuations in the amplitude and phase of received transionospheric radio frequency (RF) signals is well known and documented. For wide band signals, sometimes a set of frequencies in the the band or even the whole band can suffer degradation or complete drop out at the receiver. The former is known as frequency selective scintillation where only a fraction of the signal bandwidth is affected, whereas the latter is known as flat fading.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

First Axionlike Particle Results from a Broadband Search for Wavelike Dark Matter in the 44 to 52 μ ⁢eV Range with a Coaxial Dish Antenna

We present the results from the first axionlike particle search conducted using a dish antenna. The experiment was conducted at room temperature and sensitive to axionlike particles in the 44–52 μ ⁢eV range (10.7–12.5 GHz). The novel dish antenna geometry was proposed by the BREAD Collaboration and previously used to conduct a dark photon search in the same mass range. To allow for axionlike particle sensitivity, the BREAD dish antenna was placed in a 3.9 T solenoid magnet at Argonne National Laboratory. In the presence of a magnetic field, axionlike dark matter converts to photons at the conductive surface of the reflector. The signal is focused onto a custom coaxial horn antenna and read out with a low-noise radio-frequency receiver. No evidence of axionlike dark matter was observed in this mass range and we place the most stringent laboratory constraints on the axion-photon coupling strength, 𝑔 𝑎⁢𝛾⁢𝛾 , in this mass range at 90% confidence.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

First Axionlike Particle Results from a Broadband Search for Wavelike Dark Matter in the 44 to 52 μ eV Range with a Coaxial Dish Antenna

We present the results from the first axionlike particle search conducted using a dish antenna. The experiment was conducted at room temperature and sensitive to axionlike particles in the 44 – 52 μ eV range (10.7–12.5 GHz). The novel dish antenna geometry was proposed by the BREAD Collaboration and previously used to conduct a dark photon search in the same mass range. To allow for axionlike particle sensitivity, the BREAD dish antenna was placed in a 3.9 T solenoid magnet at Argonne National Laboratory. In the presence of a magnetic field, axionlike dark matter converts to photons at the conductive surface of the reflector. The signal is focused onto a custom coaxial horn antenna and read out with a low-noise radio-frequency receiver. No evidence of axionlike dark matter was observed in this mass range and we place the most stringent laboratory constraints on the axion-photon coupling strength, g a γ γ , in this mass range at 90% confidence.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2024

Near-Field Passive Wireless Sensor for High-Temperature Metal Corrosion Monitoring

This work focuses on the fabrication and evaluation of a passive wireless sensor for the monitoring of the temperature and corrosion of a metal material at high temperatures. An inductor–capacitor (LC) resonator sensor was fabricated through the screen printing of Ag-based inks on dense polycrystalline Al 2 O 3 substrates. The LC design was modeled using the ANSYS HFSS modeling package, with the LC passive wireless sensors operating at frequencies from 70 to 100 MHz. The wireless response of the LC was interrogated and received by a radio frequency signal generator and spectrum analyzer at temperatures from 50 to 800 °C in real time. The corrosion kinetics of the Cu 110 was characterized through thermogravimetric (TGA) analysis and microscopy images, and the oxide thickness growth was then correlated to the wireless sensor signal under isothermal conditions at 800 °C. The results showed that the wireless signal was consistent with the corrosion kinetics and temperature, indicating that these two characteristics can be further deconvoluted in the future. In addition, the sensor also showed a magnitude- and frequency-dependent response to crack/spallation events in the oxide corrosion layer, permitting the in situ wireless identification of these catastrophic events on the metal surface at high temperatures.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

SORCER TEST UTQIAĠVIK DEPLOYMENT FOR IONOGRAMS (STUDI) 2021-2024

The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has developed a passive broadband radio frequency (RF) receiver, called a Sounder Receiver (SoRcer), as an ionospheric diagnostic instrument. These systems can produce ionospheric specifications to characterize the local ionosphere. The specifications from the SoRcers can then be used to inform data-assimilation models; monitor diurnal, seasonal, or other cyclical changes; and detect irregularities or abnormalities in the ionosphere, such as traveling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs), sporadic E, and spread F.

frequency↗
DOE OSTI2026

Digital Grid Twin–Direct Communication Scheme Test Bed for Assessing Relay-to-Relay Radio Antenna and Optical Fiber Performance and Misoperations

This study introduces a novel “Digital Grid Twin–Direct Communication Scheme” test bed. This advanced platform evaluates point-to-point communication between transmitter and receiver relays with optical fiber and radio omnidirectional antenna systems, implemented at the Advanced Protection lab in the Grid Research Innovation and Development Center at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The increased diversity of energy sources has led to more protective relay misoperations. In North America, microgrid protection schemes now use point-to-point communication along distribution lines between relays to implement advanced logic in nonradial grids that include both high- and low-inertia generators. This trend challenges utilities to minimize misoperations while ensuring rapid fault clearance and accurate selectivity coordination between primary and backup relays. This study assesses relay-to-relay communication schemes by introducing an advanced testing platform based on a digital grid twin protection test bed using a synchronized time source system. The platform evaluates the communication system using radio antennas or optical fiber links by integrating protective relays that operate breakers within the digital twin and record relay events and communication signals. In the experiments, transmitter and receiver relays were configured with inverse time overcurrent and breaker trip detection logic to assess the total time of the communication protection schemes based on the sum of the relay protection element operating time, radio latency, propagation delay, baud rate delay, and relay processing time. These delays were derived from recorded relay events and communication signals from the interface of a real-time simulator set as a digital grid twin. The test bed successfully simulated various electrical faults along a distribution line while ensuring effective and reliable point-to-point communication between transmitter and receiver relays. The radio antenna communication system exhibited latency because of the radio. This latency depends on the baud rate setting and type of radio application; in general, the higher the baud rate, the lower the radio latency. The measured radio latency (for Mirrored Bits with an encryption card at 9,600 bps) was about 9–10 ms. Additionally, calculated propagation delay per mile for radio antennas and optical fiber was 5.36 µs/mi and 8.04 µs/mi, respectively. Optical fiber communication did not demonstrate radio latency. Instead, the protection element operating time depends mainly on the protection logic function set in the relay, and the relay processing time depends on the processing rate of the relay in samples per power system cycle.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2024

Integrated energy harvesting transceivers and transmitters with dual-antenna architecture for miniaturized implants and electrochemical sensors

Systems and methods for utilizing a small form-factor, wirelessly powered transceiver are disclosed. In one embodiment, a wireless powered transceiver includes a receive antenna configured to receive a receive signal, a transmit antenna configured to transmit a transmit signal, a power harvesting system including a rectifier circuit configured convert radio frequency energy from the receive signal into DC (direct current) voltage, and a power management unit (PMU) configured to set the operating mode and biasing condition of the receive and transmit circuitry blocks and provide DC voltage from the receive circuitry block to the transmit circuitry block to maintain a minimum voltage, a receiver circuitry block configured to provide energy from the receive signal to the power harvesting system, and a transmitter circuitry block including a data modulator circuit, the data modulator circuit configured to generate the transmit signal using DC voltage received from the power management unit.

Babakhani, Aydin↗
DOE OSTI2026

Digital Grid Twin–Direct Communication Scheme Test Bed for Assessing Relay-to-Relay Radio Antenna and Optical Fiber Performance and Misoperations

This study introduces a novel “Digital Grid Twin–Direct Communication Scheme” test bed. This advanced platform evaluates point-to-point communication between transmitter and receiver relays with optical fiber and radio omnidirectional antenna systems, implemented at the Advanced Protection lab in the Grid Research Innovation and Development Center at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Daily Arctic Lightning Strokes

In recent decades, lightning activity at high latitudes has increased. Tall thunderstorm clouds affect radiation balance directly, as well as indirectly through lightning-initiated fires and the resulting smoke. One can remotely sense lightning strokes over the globe through their VLF radio emission, and, with multiple receivers, it is possible to precisely locate lightning strokes. This technique makes it possible to continuously monitor arctic lightning--a capability not possible by other means. In this research effort, a World-Wide Lightning Location Network station, consisting of a VLF receiver, signal processing hardware, and analysis software, were installed at the North Slope of Alaska (NSA) facility and planned to operate for several years. This far north location is expected to improve the network's high-latitude detection efficiency.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Overview of RFID Applications Utilizing Neural Networks

As Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) methods continue to evolve to higher levels of complexity, one form of machine learning is making its appearance. The use of Neural Networks (NN) in the RFID field is steadily increasing, and in the fields of localization and activity recognition, promising results are being shown from a variety of research. RFID applications fall primarily under two types of problems including regression and classification. We analyze RIFD localization techniques which fall under regression, and activity recognition which falls under classification. Many works don’t classify themselves as activity recognition methods, but because they fall under the classification category, we still consider them as activity recognition techniques. This research overviews the Neural Network models in the localization field based on whether they can perform independently of the environment in which they were tested. For activity recognition and accessory fields, the major methods involve tag-based and tag-free approaches. In conclusion, after the models are surveyed, a comparison study is given to examine what may be the cause for increased accuracy between different Neural Network models.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Radio Frequency Spectrum Audit to Inventory Private Cellular Base Station Infrastructure

The ever-changing cellular communication landscape makes it difficult to identify, map, and localize cellular base stations. Localizing cellular base stations provides various advantages, including information security, cybersecurity, spectrum management, and interference detection. For example, the MITRE ATT&CK® (Adversarial Tactics, Techniques, and Common Knowledge architecture) [1] and Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification [2] emphasize the importance of being able to minimize the cyber security threat presented by unregulated private cellular base stations (PCBS). The majority of published research looks at the malicious use of PCBSs and focuses on using data retrieved from user equipment (UE), data obtained from an application on the UE, or data shared between the UE and a mobile network to locate it. This innovative strategy, however, focuses on the passively discovered uniqueness of radio frequency (RF) transmissions from commercial cellular infrastructure received in a designated monitoring position (DMP).

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Optical encoder devices and systems

Devices, systems and methods for encoding information using optical components are described. An example photonic filtered sampler includes a spectral shaper configured to receive an optical pulse train, a dispersive element positioned to receive an output of the spectral shaper and to expand spectral contents thereof in time, and a modulator configured to receive an output of the dispersive element and a radio frequency (RF) signal, and to produce a modulated output optical signal in accordance with the RF signal. In this configuration, one or more characteristics of the modulated output optical signal is determined based on a spectral shape provided by the spectral shaper and dispersive properties of the dispersive element.

Buckley, Brandon Walter↗
DOE OSTI2026

Effect of Density Irregularities on Radio Frequency Wave Propagation in Ionospheric Plasmas

Density irregularities play a vital role in determining how radio frequency (RF) waves travel through plasmas. In the Earth’s ionosphere, these density irregularities also impact radio communication. In this study, we conduct a detailed numerical analysis of RF wave propagation in small-scale ionospheric density irregularities using the advanced Petra-M code. We focus specifically on high-frequency (HF) waves, ranging from 3 to 30 MHz, which are essential for military, amateur radio operators, and emergency communications. By introducing density structures, such as equatorial plasma bubbles derived from fluid simulations, we demonstrate that HF waves can scatter in multiple directions when they encounter these irregularities. Additionally, we observe significant mode conversion, where incoming electromagnetic waves transform into electrostatic modes within the density gradient layer. This shows that smaller density irregularities can greatly weaken signals or cause complete signal loss for receivers, emphasizing the need for increased awareness and innovative solutions in radio communication transmission.

Kim, Eun-Hwa [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory ↗
DOE OSTI2024

Production of Medically Desirable Radioisotopes in the EIRENE Molten Salt Reactor

Radioisotopes play a vital role in nuclear medicine, enabling the performance of diagnostic procedures such as Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT), in addition to innovative targeted therapies for selectively delivering cytotoxic radiation doses to tumor cells while minimizing damage to healthy tissue [1]. Beta emitting radionuclides such as 90Y and 131I find wide use in radio-immunotherapy, with the radiopharmaceuticals 90Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan (Zevalin®) and 131I-tositumomab (Bexxar®) having received FDA approval for treatment of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma through targeting the CD20 surface receptor, which is commonly expressed in many B cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma subtypes [2, 3]. 90Y has also been successfully applied for treatment of brain tumors [4, 5] and liver cancer [6]. The favorable chelation chemistry of 90Y enables its use with a variety of ligands for the development of radiopharmaceuticals suitable for targeting different carcinoma types [1].

42 - ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2026

SPT-3G D1: A Measurement of Secondary Cosmic Microwave Background Anisotropy Power

We report new measurements of millimeter-wave temperature power spectra in the angular multipole range $1700 \le \ell \le 11,000$ (wavelengths $13^\prime \gtrsim λ\gtrsim 2^\prime$). We use two years of data in three observing bands centered near 95, 150, and 220 GHz from the SPT-3G receiver on the South Pole Telescope that cover a 1646 deg$^2$ region of the Southern sky. Using the measured power spectra, we present constraints on the thermal and kinematic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) effects, radio galaxies, and cosmic infrared background (CIB). We find that inferred SZ powers are dependent on the detailed modeling of the thermal SZ-CIB correlation, and to a lesser extent on the assumed angular dependence of the SZ spectra. We report constraints for simulation-based model templates as well as fits where the angular dependencies of the SZ and CIB power spectra are allowed to vary. In the latter case at $\ell=3000$, we find thermal SZ power at 143 GHz of $D_{3000}^{\rm tSZ} = 4.91\pm0.37\, μ{\rm K}^2$ and kinematic SZ power of $D_{3000}^{\rm kSZ} =1.75\pm0.86\, μ{\rm K}^2$. We use the measured kinematic SZ power to estimate the duration of reionization, noting that the reionization inferences are sensitive to the model choices and assumed level of homogeneous kinematic SZ power from the late-time universe. We find a 95% limit on the duration from an ionization fraction of 25% to 75% of $Δ^{50} z_{\rm re} <\,3.8$ based on a semi-analytic model, or a limit on the duration from an ionization fraction of 5% to 95% of $Δ^{90} z_{\rm re} <\,6.1$ based on the AMBER simulations.

Chaubal, P. [Melbourne U.]↗