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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 OSTI2020

Integrating Commercial Ready Autonomous Robotic Platforms to Enhance Worker Safety and Efficiency - 20053

This paper will explore the challenges and triumphs of implementing advanced robotic systems and the supporting technology for the waste management industry. Deployment-ready solutions for autonomous robotic platforms are new to the radioactive waste management industry and have been slow to implement across the complex. Specifically, it will explore Hanford Tank Operations Contractor's implementation of ground-based autonomous robotic platforms to enhance workforce safety and efficiency. The first objective of the project is to demonstrate safe operation of autonomous instrumented robots, followed by a scaling up of capabilities for the platform to meet any additional requests of internal stakeholders. Autonomous robotics platforms offer a fantastic range of capabilities that will aid in decreasing long-term liability of radioactive waste management industry by enhancing clean-up efforts and worker safety. Over the past five years, deployment-ready solutions for autonomous robotic platforms have come a long way. Autonomous robotic platforms are increasingly available to purchase from many vendors, often for prices under $100,000. Additionally, the vendors who produce these products are efficient in accommodating customized solutions to unique challenges, such as those often found in the radioactive waste management industry. However, the newness of this technology to the radioactive waste management industry and has resulted in a slow implementation across the complex. This paper will explore the challenges and triumphs of implementing advanced robotic systems and supporting technology for the waste management industry. Specifically, it will explore Hanford Tank Operations Contractor's implementation of ground based autonomous robotic platforms to enhance workforce safety and efficiency. While the company has utilized robots in many parts of the tank farms mission, this was first attempted in the deployment of an autonomous platform that required no operator with only minor maintenance and created challenges not yet encountered. These challenges included stakeholder buy-in, operational safety, procurement uncertainties, adaption of 'off the shelf products, overcoming the 'Fukushima complexity' perception, security concerns, and the initial criteria down select. Hanford Tank Operations Contractor's management identified the need for a workforce protecting low cost robotics solution in the fall of 2017. The project scope generated was part of the response to the Tank Vapor Assessment Team recommendation to enhance the safety of the workforce by utilizing new technology. Since the projects inception, it has been incorporated into the Tank Stewardship Plan. This project was unique to Hanford Tank Operations Contractor, as the company does not frequently incorporate advanced technology for field deployment quickly. The project was also progressive to the Hanford Tank Operations Contractor as it functions as a partnership project with a local university. The first objective of the project is to demonstrate safe operations of autonomous instrumented robotics, monitoring and collecting data, and the wireless transmission of data to a central computing system. Following the completion of this first objective, the project will scale up capabilities of the platform to meet the requests of additional internal stakeholders throughout the tank farms - including completion of specific in-field tasks. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2021

The FRAM robotic telescope for atmospheric monitoring at the Pierre Auger Observatory

FRAM (F/Photometric Robotic Atmospheric Monitor) is a robotic telescope operated at the Pierre Auger Observatory in Argentina for the purposes of atmospheric monitoring using stellar photometry. As a passive system which does not produce any light that could interfere with the observations of the fluorescence telescopes of the observatory, it complements the active monitoring systems that use lasers. We discuss the applications of stellar photometry for atmospheric monitoring at optical observatories in general and the particular modes of operation employed by the Auger FRAM. We describe in detail the technical aspects of FRAM, the hardware and software requirements for a successful operation of a robotic telescope for such a purpose and their implementation within the FRAM system.

Optics↗
DOE OSTI2020

Additive Manufacturing of Controlled Porous Elastomeric Nanocomposites for Enhanced Sensing Function

Sensors manufactured using piezoresistive elastomeric nanocomposites have a wide range of applications in many fields such as structural health monitoring, robotics, and biomedical industries. Additive manufacturing of these sensors, achieved using Direct Ink Writing (DIW), has provided numerous advantages including increased sensitivity and the fabrication of complex geometry. However, solid sensors manufactured either additively or using conventional methods, display a greater level of hysteresis, especially at strains higher than 10%, which limits their sensitivity. The solid sensors also display a greater level of piezoresistive relaxation where the resistance change with time either in a static or dynamic loading environment. Porosity can be introduced in the form of varying infill patterns and densities to reduce bulk material effects. In this paper, a lattice structure with four infill densities are investigated, and the samples are printed using a grid infill pattern. The fabricated samples are characterized using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to validate the microstructural features and layer bonding. The pressure-sensing capability of each sensor is investigated using cyclic compression loading at various strain levels. Sensing results show that an increase in sensitivity, as well as a decrease in hysteresis with an increase in porosity, compared to solid samples (100% in-fill). The highest porosity was measured to be 62.3% with a corresponding 112% increase in the gauge factor compared to the solid bulk. These results indicate that introducing porosity using DIW is a sensible strategy to improve the piezoresistive performance of nanocomposites and to allow for the tunability of sensing capacity in pressure sensors

Sukati, Musa↗
DOE OSTI2020

Robotic Mapping and Monitoring of Nuclear Infrastructure

Routine inspection of nuclear infrastructure is currently expensive and slow. To remedy this the Applied Research Center (ARC) at Florida International University (FIU) is developing a field robot capable of gathering valuable data quickly, safely, and cheaply. Motivation: Nuclear infrastructure should be inspected routinely to ensure early detection of problems. This process is expensive, hazardous, and slow. Objective: Develop a platform capable of surveying nuclear infrastructure autonomously. Discussion: The quality of the captured data depends on the success of every component of the robot. Good sensors, hardware, localization, data collection, and autonomy are required. Conclusion: This is a promising approach for surveying nuclear infrastructure. The captured data is rich with information and can be evaluated by both people and algorithms.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Quantitative and three-dimensional assessment of holdup material

Nuclear material deposited in equipment, transfer lines, and ventilation systems of a processing facility is usually referred to as holdup. Operators need to know the location and amount of holdup in their facility for radiation safety and material accountability. In this work, we propose to use an array of detectors co-axial to the inspected pipe to measure the holdup material. This method is implementable into an automated system capable of crawling on surfaces and pipes of various curvatures, which would enable faster, easier, and more accurate holdup safeguards measurements. We first demonstrated that the current holdup assay procedure could lead to a non-negligible bias in the estimate of special nuclear material mass, due to the simplified assumption of deposited geometry introduced by the Generalized Geometry Holdup (GGH) model. The new approach consists of imaging the inner holdup material by characterizing the detector array’s response and unfolding it from the measured light output. Our experimental proof of principle consists of three NaI(Tl) detectors surrounding an aluminum pipe containing two cesium-137 ( 137 Cs) sources. We derived the source distribution inside the pipe by first calculating the detector response matrix using a method adaptive to the surface geometry of the object containing the measured holdup material. Creating a matrix of the detector array’s measured counts, we then proceed to solve an inverse problem, resulting in an accurately located source position and activity distribution within the response matrix’s spatial resolution. Furthermore, we then developed a simulated model of the envisioned experimental setup, which accurately described both the activity and position of the source in 2D. Finally, we extended our model onto a discretized three-dimensional model of the system, encompassing 36 detectors. The model was simulated to measure the source distribution and activity of multiple sources in pipes of varied geometries, which could then be conveniently translated to a real-time holdup measurement protocol. For the 3D simulation of four different source geometries, the model accurately localized the source position in 3D, while the activity retained a maximum relative error of ±5.32%.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2020

Microengineering Pressure Sensor Active Layers for Improved Performance

Abstract Pressure sensors play an integral role in a wide range of applications, such as soft robotics and health monitoring. In order to meet this demand, many groups microengineer the active layer—the layer that deforms under pressure and dictates changes in the output signal—of capacitive, resistive/piezoresistive, piezoelectric, and triboelectric pressure sensors in order to improve sensor performance. Geometric microengineering of the active layer has been shown to improve performance parameters such as sensitivity, dynamic range, limit of detection, and response and relaxation times. There are a wide range of implemented designs, including microdomes, micropyramids, lines or microridges, papillae, microspheres, micropores, and microcylinders, each offering different advantages for a particular application. It is important to compare the techniques by which the microengineered active layers are designed and fabricated as they may provide additional insights on compatibility and sensing range limits. To evaluate each fabrication method, it is critical to take into account the active layer uniformity, ease of fabrication, shape and size versatility and tunability, and scalability of both the device and the fabrication process. By better understanding how microengineering techniques and design compares, pressure sensors can be targetedly designed and implemented.

Ruth, Sara Rachel Arussy↗
DOE OSTI2021

Additive manufacturing and applications of nanomaterial-based sensors

Nanoscale materials possess distinct physical and chemical attributes including size-dependent properties, quantum confinement, high surface-to-volume ratio, and superior catalytic activity. These unique qualities enable sensors with high sensitivity, robustness, and fast time response. As the emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT) demands increased production of sensors, it also provides an impetus for concentrated nanomaterial-based sensor research. Meanwhile, additive manufacturing (AM) of nanomaterial-based sensors is critical to bridge the gap between one-off, lab-scale fabrication and cost-effective, industrial-scale production with high reproducibility. By applying the design flexibility and cost savings of AM techniques, a new generation of nanomaterial-based sensing platforms can be integrated with IoT devices in the consumer space. Furthermore, emergent research in human-machine interfaces, food safety, and point-of-care diagnostics will be expedited by the development of sensors that can be printed with irregular form factors. In this Review, the relative strengths and weaknesses of printed sensor systems based on zero-, one-, and two-dimensional nanomaterials are discussed. In addition, sensors enabled by printable soft nanomaterials, heterostructures, and nanocomposites are surveyed due to their synergistic advantages for wearable healthcare monitoring and soft robotics. Lastly, a roadmap for the next decade of research on this topic is provided.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Tracking Robot Location for Non-Destructive Evaluation of Double-Shell Tanks

(1) Background: Non-destructive evaluation of double-shell nuclear-waste storage tanks at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Hanford site requires a robot to navigate a network of air slots in the confined space between primary and secondary tanks. Situational awareness, data collection, and data interpretation require continuous tracking of the robot’s location. (2) Methods: Robot location is continuously monitored using video image analysis for short distances and laser ranging for absolute location. (3) Results: The technique was demonstrated in our laboratory using a mockup of air slot and robot. (4) Conclusions: Location tracking and display provide decision support to inspectors and lay the groundwork for automated data collection.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2022

Ambient Aerosol Is Physically Larger on Cloudy Days in Bondville, Illinois

Particle chemical composition affects aerosol optical and physical properties in ways important for the fate, transport, and impact of atmospheric particulate matter. For example, hygroscopic constituents take up water to increase the physical size of a particle, which can alter the extinction properties and atmospheric lifetime. At the collocated AERosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) and Interagency Monitoring of PROtected Visual Environments (IMPROVE) network monitoring stations in rural Bondville, Illinois, we employ a novel cloudiness determination method to compare measured aerosol physicochemical properties on predominantly cloudy and clear sky days from 2010 to 2019. On cloudy days, aerosol optical depth (AOD) is significantly higher than on clear sky days in all seasons. Measured angstrom ngstro''m exponents are significantly smaller on cloudy days, indicating physically larger average particle size for the sampled populations in all seasons except winter. Mass concentrations of fine particulate matter that include estimates of aerosol liquid water (ALW) are higher on cloudy days in all seasons but winter. More ALW on cloudy days is consistent with larger particle sizes inferred from angstrom ngstro''m exponent measurements. Aerosol chemical composition that affects hygroscopicity plays a determining impact on cloudy versus clear sky differences in AOD, angstrom ngstro''m exponents, and ALW. This work highlights the need for simultaneous collocated, high-time-resolution measurements of both aerosol chemical and physical properties, in particular at cloudy times when quantitative understanding of tropospheric composition is most uncertain.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Flexible Siting Criteria and Staff Minimization for Micro-Reactors

The economic potential of micro-reactors is vast and underestimated. Commonly-emphasized applications include niche markets such as remote communities, mines and military bases. However, micro-reactors could be used as flexible energy generators also for larger markets, such as mobile and containerized agriculture and manufacturing facilities, district heating, micro-grids for data centers, sea ports, airports and hospitals. The implication is that micro-reactors may have to be deployed also in non-remote locations. Successful implementation of micro-reactors needs a navigable and predictable licensing process, technology-appropriate siting restrictions, risk-informed emergency and safety requirements, and practical operating and maintenance requirements. The primary goal of this project was to develop siting criteria that are tailored to micro-reactors deployable in densely-populated areas, e.g., urban environments. To achieve that goal, we compared the characteristics of the MIT research reactor (MITR) with those of leading micro-reactor concepts (e.g., eVinci, USNC, Aurora), and evaluated whether and how the MITR design basis (e.g., inherent safety features, engineered safety systems, source term, emergency planning and emergency operating procedures) and associated regulations may be applicable to these new micro-reactors as well. What makes MITR a unique analogue in this context is its small power rating (6 MWt) and physical size, mode of operations (24/7 with a somewhat more commercial flavor than typical university reactors), and especially its urban location. Of course significant differences exist, such as mission (power production vs. research) and the reactor design itself. Leveraging the MITR experience, this project was able to generate criteria that will allow micro-reactors to realize their full economic potential as flexible heat and electricity generators for a diverse portfolio of applications in non-remote locations. As such, the outcome of this project might encourage investment in and use of micro-reactors. A second goal of the project was to conceptualize a model of operations for micro-reactors that would minimize the staffing requirements, and thus reduce the cost of electricity and heat generated by these systems. Here too our approach was to systematically review the MITR experience and requirements, as well as survey the innovations in autonomous control technologies and monitoring (e.g., advanced sensors, drones, robotics, AI) that would permit a dramatic reduction in staffing at future micro-reactor installations. The scope of work was expanded after the start date to include also an evaluation of micro-reactor security, using the so-called consequence-based analysis, and the development of a methodology to perform dynamic risk assessment for micro-reactors, using system theory and modeling and simulation.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Digitally Optimized Autonomous Robotic System for Hanford Waste Tank Handling [Slides]

Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is developing a robotic system and digital twin to perform monitoring, inspection, and mapping of underground tank pits at the Hanford Site, operated by the U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE). The Autonomous Pit Exploration System (APES) will consist of four primary components: an electric vehicle truck with a robotic system developed by INL to deploy payloads into the tanks through small diameter preexisting risers, a robotic arm developed by Florida International University (FIU) for the purposes of deploying a variety of payloads into the tank pit environment, and a small robotic COTS crawler platform for examining the bottom of the pits.

42 - ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2020

Photonic methods and technologies for monitoring the ocean and atmosphere

In this paper, we review photonic methods and technologies that are promising for monitoring the ocean and atmosphere and have been implemented mainly in recent years at the Institute of Automation and Control Processes, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences. We present results of lidar studies that have made it possible to understand key features of ocean – atmosphere interaction processes under continent – ocean transition conditions, which determine specific features of the atmospheric aerosol distribution, small gaseous components of the atmosphere and its optical characteristics. We consider methods and tools for combined optical and laser fluorescence monitoring of the ocean surface. Particular attention is paid to results of research on remote methods and tools for real-time laser-induced and laser fluorescence environmental monitoring of the ocean, including specialised fibre-optic probes and mobile underwater robotic systems. We present results of the development and investigation of highly sensitive, noise-proof fibre-optic hydro- and seismic/acoustic sensors for remote monitoring of the ocean and robotic systems for underwater laser protection of marine vessels, hydraulic structures and oceanographic instruments against the negative impact of biofouling. (invited paper)

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2022

A Multi-Objective Approach for Optimizing Edge-Based Resource Allocation Using TOPSIS

Existing approaches for allocating resources on edge environments are inefficient and lack the support of heterogeneous edge devices, which in turn fail to optimize the dependency on cloud infrastructures or datacenters. To this extent, we propose in this paper OpERA, a multi-layered edge-based resource allocation optimization framework that supports heterogeneous and seamless execution of offloadable tasks across edge, fog, and cloud computing layers and architectures. By capturing offloadable task requirements, OpERA is capable of identifying suitable resources within nearby edge or fog layers, thus optimizing the execution process. Throughout the paper, we present results which show the effectiveness of our proposed optimization strategy in terms of reducing costs, minimizing energy consumption, and promoting other residual gains in terms of processing computations, network bandwidth, and task execution time. We also demonstrate that by optimizing resource allocation in computation offloading, it is then possible to increase the likelihood of successful task offloading, particularly for computationally intensive tasks that are becoming integral as part of many IoT applications such robotic surgery, autonomous driving, smart city monitoring device grids, and deep learning tasks. The evaluation of our OpERA optimization algorithm reveals that the TOPSIS MCDM technique effectively identifies optimal compute resources for processing offloadable tasks, with a 96% success rate. Moreover, the results from our experiments with a diverse range of use cases show that our OpERA optimization strategy can effectively reduce energy consumption by up to 88%, and operational costs by 76%, by identifying relevant compute resources.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Automating Testing of DUNE Electronics via a Finite State Machine

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) is a flagship international collaboration designed to study neutrinos tiny, nearly massless particles that may hold answers to fundamental questions about the Universe. Fermilab s Robotic Test Stand (RTS) plays a critical role in ensuring the quality of approximately 50,000 Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) chips that will be used in DUNE s massive liquid argon detectors. These electronics will be inside the cryostat; therefore, they will need to have a high yield of working chips and low noise. To improve the automation and reliability of the RTS, this project focused on designing and implementing a Python-based finite state machine (FSM) to manage chip handling workflows. The FSM was developed as a modular software framework to coordinate robotic arm movements, manage chip tray positions, and monitor system states during testing. Key features include robust error handling routines, a pause/resume system for safe mid-cycle interruptions, and a simulation mode for iterative testing without hardware dependencies. The system was designed to prepare for seamless integration with RTS hardware components such as the robotic arm and vision system. This integration will streamline collaboration and enable efficient deployment of updates across the six total institutions performing testing. The outcomes of this internship contribute to Fermilab s mission to advance high-energy physics and support the DOE s national goals by directly improving the testing of equipment to be used in DUNE. The project also provided valuable experience in software design and contributing to the success of DUNE.

Kang, Caleb [William Rainey Harper Coll.]↗
DOE OSTI2025

Automating Testing of DUNE Electronics via a Finite State Machine

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) is a flagship international collaboration designed to study neutrinos—tiny, nearly massless particles that may hold answers to fundamental questions about the Universe. Fermilab’s Robotic Test Stand (RTS) plays a critical role in ensuring the quality of approximately 50,000 Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) chips that will be used in DUNE’s massive liquid argon detectors. These electronics will be inside the cryostat; therefore, they will need to have a high yield of working chips and low noise. To improve the automation and reliability of the RTS, this project focused on designing and implementing a Python-based finite state machine (FSM) to manage chip handling workflows. The FSM was developed as a modular software framework to coordinate robotic arm movements, manage chip tray positions, and monitor system states during testing. Key features include robust error handling routines, a pause/resume system for safe mid-cycle interruptions, and a simulation mode for iterative testing without hardware dependencies. The system was designed to prepare for seamless integration with RTS hardware components such as the robotic arm and vision system. This integration will streamline collaboration and enable efficient deployment of updates across the six institutions performing testing. The outcomes of this internship contribute to Fermilab’s mission to advance high-energy physics and support the DOE’s national goals by directly improving the testing of equipment to be used in DUNE. The project also provided valuable experience in software design and contributing to the success of DUNE.

Kang, Caleb [Fermilab]↗