Browse Topic: Nuclear energy

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Reliable Power for Long-Term Lunar Surface OperationsTBMG-4698111/7/2022
Nuclear powered air-breathing electric thrusters used in UAV for extra-terrestrial applications2022-26-12425/26/2022
With an interest in space exploration developing at a remarkable rate in the course of the most recent couple of years, it has become a daunting task to explore the different planets because of hostile environmental conditions present on them and here UAVs play a critical role. This paper aims to study and develop Unmanned Aerial Vehicles that run using motors & electric thrusters and uses nuclear fuel Plutonium-238 (238Pu) as their power generation source. The UAV being ideated plans to operate both in earth's atmosphere and extra-terrestrial space. The heat from the decay of 238Pu is extracted by using Multi-Mission Radio Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTGs) using thermocouples thus providing electricity. The idea of utilizing MMRTG in UAVs has been proposed as it works well in both the space vacuum and the planetary atmosphere. The heat energy from the MMRTG can be utilized as a consistent wellspring to keep up with appropriate working temperatures for a UAV and its instruments in cold
Bhurat, Shryas, Shetty, Naman, Das, Shubham
Automotive intelligent catalyst that contributes to hydrogen safety for the decommissioning of Fukushima Daiichi2022-01-06483/29/2022
March 2011, the Tohoku-Pacific-Ocean Earthquake and subsequent Tsunami caused insufficient nuclear reactor cooling at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, resulting in a catastrophe of hydrogen explosion. The development of long-term safe storage technology for high-dose radioactive fuel debris collected by the decommissioning of nuclear power plants is an urgent issue. Inside the storage container, strong radiation from fuel debris decomposes water to generate hydrogen and oxygen. The research and development have been proceeding in order to secure safety by simply placing a catalyst in the container for oxidizing hydrogen and returning it to water. The catalyst is called a Passive Autocatalytic Recombination (PAR), and unlike catalysts for chemical plants, it is required to have robustness that can maintain its activity for more than 30 years in an environment where temperature, humidity, gas concentration, etc. cannot be controlled. Here, it was confirmed that “An
Tanaka, Hirohisa, Masaki, Sayaka, Aotani, Takuro, Inagawa, Kohei, Iwata, Sogo, Aida, Tatsuya, Yamamoto, Tadasuke, Kita, Tomoaki, Ono, Hitomi, Takenaka, Keisuke, Taniguchi, Masashi, Matsumura PhD, Daiju, Reinecke PhD, Ernst-Arndt
Desalination Process Removes Toxic MetalsTBMG-395968/1/2021
Desalination — the removal of salt — is only one step in the process of producing drinkable water from ocean or wastewater. Either before or after the removal of salt, the water often has to be treated to remove boron, which is toxic to plants, and heavy metals like arsenic and mercury, which are toxic to humans. Often, the process leaves behind a toxic brine that can be difficult to dispose of.
Smart Windows Self-Illuminate on Rainy DaysTBMG-376609/1/2020
Smart windows that automatically change colors depending on the intensity of sunlight are gaining attention as they can reduce energy bills by blocking the sun's visible rays during summer. But what about windows that change colors depending on the humidity outside during the monsoon season or on hot days of summer? Recently, a Korean research team has developed the source technology for smart windows that change colors according to the amount of moisture, without needing electricity. The team successfully developed a variable color filter using a metal-hydrogel-metal resonator structure using chitosan-based hydrogel and combined it with solar cells to make a self-powering humidity sensor.
Detailed Spectrometry Makes Dangerous-Materials Testing SaferTBMG-363994/1/2020
Spinoff is NASA’s annual publication featuring successfully commercialized NASA technology. This commercialization has contributed to the development of products and services in the fields of health and medicine, consumer goods, transportation, public safety, computer technology, and environmental resources.
System Safety for Vertical FlightF-0075-2019-147115/13/2019
The field called System Safety evolved to satisfy the demand for an organized approach to safety management of complex new aerospace systems being developed in the 1960s. As technology has advanced and complexity has increased, its application spread to aviation, rail transportation, weapons, nuclear power, medical devices, oil and gas production, and almost every area of life where complex systems could lead to events having high consequences. System Safety is often defined as the application of engineering and management principles, criteria, and techniques to achieve acceptable mishap risks within the constraints of operational effectiveness, time, and cost throughout all phases of the system life cycle. The International System Safety Society states that for almost any system, product, or service, the most effective means of limiting product liability and accident risks is to implement an organized system safety function beginning in the conceptual design phase, and continuing
Hewitt, John
The Review of Present and Future Energy Structure in China2019-01-06124/2/2019
Both the economy and energy demand increase rapidly in China. The government is facing severe problems from energy security, carbon emissions and environmental issues. The past trends and future plans of energy will have great influence on the transportation, construction and industry development. This paper summarizes the present and future energy structure in China. Conventional fossil energy, nuclear energy and renewable energy are all included. Electricity will account for more proportion in total energy consumption in the future, and the structure of electricity will be cleaner. That will promote the development of electric vehicles and the transformation of China’s automotive industry. The optimization of energy structure will accelerate the low-carbon development in China. China’s energy development will enter a new stage from the expansion of total quantity to the upgrading of quality and efficiency. In order to realize the Paris Climate Agreement, China must steadily control
Liu, Feiqi, Zhao, Fuquan, Hao, Han, Liu, Zongwei
Wearable “Microbrewery” Monitors Radiation ExposureTBMG-336261/1/2019
Radiology workers are regularly exposed to low doses of radiation when they obtain patient imagery such as X-rays. While protective gear largely keeps workers within a safe range of radiation exposure, absorbing a little bit is still inevitable. Radiation doses creeping above regulated guidelines pose risk for developing conditions such as cancer, cataracts, skin irritation, or thyroid disease.
Facility Focus: Ames LaboratoryTBMG-3340812/1/2018
Ames Laboratory is a government-owned, contractor-operated national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), operated by and located on the campus of Iowa State University in Ames, IA. For more than 70 years, Ames Laboratory has successfully partnered with Iowa State University and is unique among the DOE laboratories in that it is physically located on the campus of a major research university.
The Distributed Simulation of Intelligent Terrain Exploration2018-01-191510/30/2018
In this study we consider the coordinated exploration of an unfamiliar Martian landscape by a swarm of small autonomous rovers, called Swarmies, simulated in a distributed setting. With a sustainable program of return missions to and from Mars in mind, the goal of said exploration is to efficiently prospect the terrain for water meant to be gathered and then utilized in the production of rocket fuel. The rovers are tasked with relaying relevant data to a home base that is responsible for maintaining a mining schedule for an arbitrarily large group of rovers extracting water-rich regolith. For this reason, it is crucial that the participants maintain a wireless connection with one another and with the base throughout the entire process. We describe the architecture of our simulation which is composed of HLA-compliant components that are visualized via the Distributed Observer Network tool developed by NASA. Additionally, a well-known terrain exploration algorithm, which takes the
Anekstein, David, Cornett, Jacob, Guerrero, Marc, Williamson, Cory
Idaho National LaboratoryTBMG-3310510/1/2018
In 1951, the first nuclear reactor in Idaho was built, starting a legacy at what is now Idaho National Laboratory (INL). INL is the site where 52 pioneering nuclear reactors were designed and constructed, including the first reactor to generate usable amounts of electricity. It was here that nuclear-generated electricity first powered an American community.
Integrated Multiphysics and Advanced DiagnosticsTBMG-328329/1/2018
The objective of this effort was to design, fabricate, integrate, and fly a nuclear thermal rocket without having to build massive ground test facilities. Furthermore, this nuclear rocket would be inspected internally without having to disassemble it. Another aim here was to predict the reliability for a 15-to-20-year lifetime for a surface nuclear power plant essential for supplying power to explorers on the Moon or Mars, all without having to build and test a full-scale reactor. If the performance of these systems could be predicted, one could establish the impact of manufacturing tolerances on the operations of these systems.
Design and Optimization of Composite Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine (Hawt) Blade2018-01-10344/3/2018
Wind energy is clean and renewable source of energy that is an attractive alternative to non-conventional sources of energy. Due to rapid increase in global energy requirements, this form of energy is gaining its share of importance. Unlike nuclear power or tar sand oils, wind energy does not leave a long-term toxic legacy. Using MATLAB algorithms, multi-optimization of wind turbine design can be achieved. Therefore, an aerodynamic mathematical model is developed to obtain the optimal chord length and twist angle distribution along the blade span. Further, a promising generic blade design is used to initialize a detailed structure optimization wherein leading edge panel (LEP), Spar cap, Shear web, Trailing edge panel (TEP) reinforcement are sized using composite laminates so that the blade is according to the intended design standard. Initially blade airfoils are analyzed on 2D platform and then the results are used to construct 3D model of Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine (HAWT) blade
Brella, Rohan, Sehgal, Mayank, Kumar, Naveen
Assessment of Non-Traditional Isotopic Ratios by Mass Spectrometry for Analysis of Nuclear ActivitiesTBMG-273848/1/2017
The objective of this work is to identify isotopic ratios suitable for analysis via mass spectrometry that distinguish between commercial nuclear reactor fuel cycles, fuel cycles for weapons grade plutonium, and products from nuclear weapons explosions. Methods will also be determined to distinguish the above from medical and industrial radionuclide sources.
Assessment of Non-Traditional Isotopic Ratios by Mass Spectrometry for Analysis of Nuclear Activities17AERP08_106/1/2017
Technique can be used to distinguish between commercial nuclear reactor fuel cycles, fuel cycles for weapons grade plutonium, and products from nuclear weapons explosions. Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Fort Belvoir, Virginia The objective of this work is to identify isotopic ratios suitable for analysis via mass spectrometry that distinguish between commercial nuclear reactor fuel cycles, fuel cycles for weapons grade plutonium, and products from nuclear weapons explosions. Methods will also be determined to distinguish the above from medical and industrial radionuclide sources. There are many sources for radionuclides in our environment. These include natural sources, the commercial nuclear industry, nuclear weapons, the medical industry, and other sources. Often times, the source of the radionuclide may be determined through just identification of the radionuclide. If radionuclides are produced through different sources, the identification of the source is complex. In order to
Fluid Harmonic AbsorberTBMG-251818/1/2016
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center’s Fluid Structure Coupling (FSC) technology is a highly efficient and passive method to control the way fluids and structures communicate and dictate the behavior of a system. This technology has the demonstrated potential to mitigate a multitude of different types of vibration issues, and can be applied anywhere internal or external fluids interact with physical structures. For example, in a multistory building, water from a rooftop tank or swimming pool could be used to mitigate seismic or wind-induced vibration by simply adding an FSC device that controls the way the building engages the water.
Helicopter Operation at Fukushima Nuclear DisasterF-0072-2016-115085/17/2016
At 14:46 JST on March 11, 2011, a massive earthquake hit the northeastern coast of Japan. The magnitude of the earthquake was 9.0 (Mw). It was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Japanese history. The earthquake triggered a deadly tsunami and swept away thousands of houses and lives. At the same time, the Fukushima Dai-ichi (No1) nuclear power plant was struck by the tsunami and the reactor took serious damage. This caused reactors to have a core meltdown and explode. There had been a radiation leak in the nuclear power plant. On March 15, the Japanese government set the restricted area within 30 km from the Fukushima nuclear power plant due to the radiation leakage. On March 17, two Japan Self Defense Force (JSDF) CH-47J helicopters dropped water to cool the failing reactor. The mission was successful, and the radiation around the reactor was gradually decreased, allowing for further operations. On April 14, one month after the disaster, the Japanese government requested the
Sagane, Hajime
Actuation Technique for Miniature Robots Developed Using Multiphysics SimulationTBMG-2309010/1/2015
Minimally invasive surgery depends on small, flexible tools with reliable actuation and consistent performance. Robotic devices have entered the operating room as assistants to procedures requiring hours of standing on the part of the surgeon. But many robotic surgery devices are expensive, bulky, and exhausting to operate. Christine Rotinat, researcher at the Systems and Technologies Integration Laboratory of the French Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies Commission (CEA LIST) Gif-sur-Yvette, France, has sought to create an alternative. By making miniature robotic manipulators easier to build and operate, she hopes to offer a less expensive actuator than those currently used in surgical devices.
Optically Modulated Miniature MagnetometerTBMG-225668/1/2015
The optically modulated miniature magnetometer (OMMM) is intended to replace two separate instruments (each with their respective mass and power allotments) that are commonly needed together for scientific studies of magnetic fields — a triaxial fluxgate vector magnetometer and an optically pumped alkali vapor scalar magnetometer. For all vector instruments, the scalar data is necessary for calibrating the vector data.
Brainwave Monitoring Software Improves Distracted MindsTBMG-3609512/1/2014
Imagine moving an object using only your mind. Software company Unique Logic’s Time on Task exercise makes that feat possible, at least on a computer screen. The game, which is designed to teach people how to sustain their attention in order to complete tasks, involves getting a forklift operator to transport a stack of crates from the ground onto the back of a big rig. It doesn’t seem like a particularly interesting plot, except for the fact that, instead of using a remote control to dictate the action, you’re using your concentration—measured by sensors that detect patterns of brainwave activity—to induce the operator to complete the job.
Integrated Reliability and Safety Education Program2013-01-21219/17/2013
The safe operation of technical systems is a mandatory basic requirement for the entire industry. However, there are specific industries where the safety of operation is critical and is considered as a required characteristic. These types of industries include the aerospace, military, civil aviation, nuclear power, as well as chemical and automotive industries. Safety is everyone's responsibility but engineering plays the most important role in the course of achieving a safe product operation. There are two specific phases of the product life cycle where the safety characteristics should be addressed by engineering activities: the design and development and operation phases. Modern engineering education is oriented to provide future engineers with a sufficient background to be able to Conceive-Design-Implement-Operate. The emphasis of this approach is on the achievement of dual objectives; first to teach the students a large spectrum of technologies and second to develop their personal
Klim, Zdzislaw H., Skorek, Adam
Radioisotope System Keeps Mars Rover MovingTBMG-166146/1/2013
The instruments aboard NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory “Curiosity” rover receive their power from a radioisotope system assembled and tested at Idaho National Laboratory. The Multi- Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator is a “space battery” that can reliably power a deep space mission for many years.
Turbomachinery Solutions for Green and Renewable EnergyTBMG-164515/1/2013
For more than two decades, nearly all renewable energy endeavors have incorporated the latest advances in turbomachinery design and turbomachinery manufacturing technology in an evolving effort to achieve and even surpass the economics of utility scale. Even mature turbomachines continue to be optimized for increments of better performance, efficiency, and energy conservation.
Determining Key Isotopic Ratios In The FieldTBMG-1517411/1/2012
On August 6th, 2012 the automatic Mars Science Laboratory rover named Curiosity landed on Mars. One of the scientific instruments on board is ChemCam, which has a pulsed laser capable of ablating a focused spot on a remote sample to create a glowing plasma plume of target material. Light from plasma is collected by rover’s telescope on a mast, and the optical spectra are then analyzed by an internal spectrometer. ChemCam can take thousands of spectra per day from a distance of about 7 meters, thus making chemical analyses on the surface of Mars with unprecedented speed. Operationally, the ChemCam data facilitates decisions of where the rover should be driven.
Project Ciclar: A Light, Electric Powered Vehicle for Selective Waste Collection2012-36-020610/2/2012
In response to the increasing scarcity of oil reserves and the negative impact carbon emissions have on the environment, clean technologies and renewable energy must take priority in research. Project Ciclar combines clean technology with sustainability to create an environmentally friendly vehicle for selective waste collection. Unlike conventional waste collection vehicles in Brazil, the Electric-powered Lightweight vehicle for selective waste Collection (ELC) is powered entirely by electrical and solar energy, thereby ensuring zero emissions. Even though ELC is electric, a major concern of the project was to produce a vehicle that would be as energy efficient as possible. By employing an electric motor, ELC reduces the per kilometer cost of operation by approximately 50% in comparison to petroleum-based fueled engines. With the proper infrastructure, refueling vehicles with electricity rather than gas is both less expensive and more convenient, which should eventually not only
Dodge, Eduardo Jose Ferreira, Orrico, Marcos V. M., Souza, Pedro Vinicius Guimaraes, Shayani, Rafael Amaral, Viana, Dianne Magalhaes
Onboard Sensor Data Qualification in Human-Rated Launch VehiclesTBMG-1483510/1/2012
The avionics system software for human-rated launch vehicles requires an implementation approach that is robust to failures, especially the failure of sensors used to monitor vehicle conditions that might result in an abort determination. Sensor measurements provide the basis for operational decisions on human-rated launch vehicles. This data is often used to assess the health of system or subsystem components, to identify failures, and to take corrective action. An incorrect conclusion and/or response may result if the sensor itself provides faulty data, or if the data provided by the sensor has been corrupted. Operational decisions based on faulty sensor data have the potential to be catastrophic, resulting in loss of mission or loss of crew. To prevent these later situations from occurring, a Modular Architecture and Generalized Methodology for Sensor Data Qualification in Human-rated Launch Vehicles has been developed.
Silicon Block Inspection with SWIR ImagingTBMG-1223411/29/2011
In a world where oil production is declining, and where both nuclear energy plant and spent-fuel storage safety have proven to be inadequate, there is increased pressure on solar power generation to fill the gap. In response to the increased demands for energy, the photovoltaic manufacturing industry has focused on two primary objectives: driving down the cost of solar panels and increasing panel efficiency.
Energy Storage: Regenerative Fuel Cell Systems for Space Exploration2011-01-262410/18/2011
Future exploration missions, including human missions to the Moon and Mars, are expected to have increasingly demanding operational requirements. Generating electrical power, and also maintaining a specific thermal environment, are both critical capabilities for any mission. In the case of exploration, both a wide range of mission types (robotic, human, ISRU etc.) and a variety of environments exist: from interplanetary space, to the shadow of a lunar crater, to the attenuated and red-shifted lighting on the Martian surface, power requirements must be met. This objective could be met with different technologies. The choice is dictated by the operating conditions and the different types of mission. TAS-I is historically mainly involved in missions related to the space exploration with the presence of astronauts. A typical example is the exploration of the Moon with the installation on the Moon surface of a base inclusive of pressurized habitats and rovers. For this kind of application
Ferrari, Giorgio Luigi, Pelle, Stewart, Antonini, Massimiliano, Cabrera, Manuel, Armandi, Marco, Bonelli, Barbara, Zanzottera, Cristina
Wide-Range Neutron Detector for Space Nuclear ApplicationsTBMG-90161/1/2011
A digital, wide-range, neutron detection (WRND) system in a compact, VME form factor monitors neutron activity within the core of a nuclear reactor across the reactor’s entire operating range, from 1.0 n/cm2/s up to 1010 n/cm2/s. This allows for a reduction in the complexity of space-based nuclear instrumentation systems, as a single instrument can be used instead of requiring different instrumentation for each of the operation ranges of the reactor (start-up, ramp-up, and nominal power).
Topical Compositions and Glove for Protection and Shielding Against Radiation ExposureTBMG-83939/1/2010
Over the past several decades, there has been a proliferation of medical diagnostic and treatment devices that involve the use of X-rays, beta rays, gamma rays, and radioactive isotopes. In addition, there has been recent concern regarding possible radiation exposure from nuclear weapons and terrorist attacks on nuclear facilities. Thus, there is a need for devices that can protect areas of the body that may be exposed to damaging radiation without hindering the user’s dexterity or loss of touch sensation.
Integrated Safety Management System2009-01-317111/10/2009
The Safety Management System requires a structured Risk Management Process to be effective. In the technical fields where numerous potentially catastrophic risks exist, processes and procedures need to account not only for the hardware random failures but also of human errors. The technology has progressed to the point where the predominant safety risks are not so much the machine failures but that of the human interaction. Accidents are rarely the result of a single cause but of a number of latent contributing factors that when combined result in the accident. In the Aerospace industry, the operational risk to the fleet is assessed by the manufacturer and the operator independently and is used in safety and/or regulatory decision-making. For the manufacturer, the risk assessment is a philosophy whereby risk of a potential or actual occurrence is evaluated in comparison to the event analyzed in the system safety assessment or structural analysis performed for certification of the
Kavoliunas, Michael, Klim, Zdzislaw H., Komljenovic, Dragan
Experimental Study of Coupled Longitudinal and Transverse Vibration of Automotive Belts2009-01-11984/20/2009
There are many studies on vibrations of moving belts originated from automotive belt drives. However, they mainly consider nonlinear effect of the transversal vibration of the belt under transversal excitation without considering the coupling effect between the transversal and longitudinal vibrations under longitudinal excitation. This paper presents the experimental methodology and the experiments results analysis on a stationary belt excited longitudinally only. It is found that the induced transversal vibration appears as a stable beating phenomenon due to internal resonance from the periodic energy transfer between the coupled longitudinal excitation and the transversal vibration, manifested as a standing wave.
Scurtu, Petru Razvan, Clark, Mike, Zu, Jean W.
Grooved Fuel Rings for Nuclear Thermal Rocket EnginesTBMG-35452/1/2009
An alternative design concept for nuclear thermal rocket engines for interplanetary spacecraft calls for the use of grooved-ring fuel elements. Beyond spacecraft rocket engines, this concept also has potential for the design of terrestrial and spacecraft nuclear electric-power plants.
Adopting Aerospace Development and Verification Standards for SoftwareTBMG-620911/1/2008
An ever-increasing reliance on software control has meant that many companies from non-aerospace business sectors (automotive, nuclear power, MRI scanners, financial systems) that do not have a traditional requirement for sophisticated software development processes now find themselves compelled to undertake safety-critical and safety-related analysis and testing. With the need for increased software quality across different industries, a tendency has emerged for companies to look outside their own market sector for best practice approaches, techniques or standards. Examples of such industry crossover have been seen in the automotive and avionics industries with the adoption of elements of the DO-178B standard by the former and a similar adoption of the Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA) standards by the latter.
Green Energy for the BattlefieldTBMG-29337/1/2008
The amount of energy the United States consumes increases every year and this growth in energy consumption outpaces energy production. To fill this gap, the U.S. imports 35% of its energy. More importantly, the U.S. imports over 60% of its total oil consumption. Added to this, 70% of this energy is from non-renewable sources.
Validation Studies of the GRNTRN Code for Radiation Transport2007-01-31187/9/2007
To meet the challenge of future deep space programs an accurate and efficient engineering code for analyzing the shielding requirements against high-energy galactic heavy radiations is needed. Such engineering design codes require establishing validation processes using laboratory ion beams and space flight measurements in realistic geometries. In consequence, a new version of the HZETRN code capable of simulating HZE ions with either laboratory or space boundary conditions is currently under development. The new code, GRNTRN, is based on a Green's function approach to the solution of Boltzmann's transport equation and like its predecessor is deterministic in nature. Code validation in the laboratory environment is addressed by showing that GRNTRN accurately predicts energy loss spectra as measured by solid-state detectors in ion beam experiments. In order to validate the code with space boundary conditions measured particle fluences are propagated through several thickness of
Tweed, J., Walker, S. A., Wilson, J. W., Tripathi, R. K., Badavi, F. F., Miller, J., Zeitlin, C., Heilbronn, L. H.
Improved Operation of CO 2 Separator for Preventing Increases in CO 2 Concentration of Air in the Habitation Room during Closed Habitation Experiments2007-01-30977/9/2007
The main objective of the activities of the Closed Ecology Experiment Facilities (CEEF) is to construct a mathematical model to predict the transfer of radiocarbon (14C) released from a nuclear fuel reprocessing plant in the village of Rokkasho into the local ecosystem. For this purpose, an artificial ecosystem, including crops, domestic animals, and human inhabitants, needs to be maintained in the CEEF for several months. As a preparatory study, two-week habitation experiments using the CEEF were planned in 2006. In the first habitation experiment, a CO2 separator was continuously operated with a cycle of 60-minute adsorption and 60-minute desorption periods in order to remove excess CO2 from the habitation room, and the maximum CO2 concentration of air in this room slightly exceeded 5000 ppm, which was identical to the maximum 8-hour exposure permitted for industrial settings. In the second habitation experiment, therefore, the duration of both the adsorption and desorption periods
Tani, Takashi, Tsuga, Shouichi, Tako, Yasuhiro
Design Concept for a Nuclear Reactor-Powered Mars RoverTBMG-17965/1/2007
A report presents a design concept for an instrumented robotic vehicle (rover) to be used on a future mission of exploration of the planet Mars. The design incorporates a nuclear fission power system to provide long range, long life, and high power capabilities unachievable through the use of alternative solar or radioisotope power systems. The concept described in the report draws on previous rover designs developed for the 2009 Mars Science laboratory (MSL) mission to minimize the need for new technology developments.
Nuclear Reactor Cooling Valve Design Optimized With FEATBMG-128212/1/2006
Atomic Energy of Canada, Ltd., a subcontractor of Societatea Nationala Nucleoelectrica S.A. (SNN) of Romania, contracted Badger Meter to model, test, and produce a set of precision valves for Cernavoda Unit 2, the second nuclear power plant in Cernavoda, Romania. The main concern for the construction and operation of the valves was their survivability and continued functioning after enduring an earthquake. In nuclear power plants, such valves control the cooling of the nuclear reactors where continued flow of water around the nuclear core is essential for safety. After the earthquake that precipitated the eruption of Mt. Saint Helens in 1980, testing criteria for valves routinely has included their capability to ensure the safe functioning of the reactor after seismic events, at least in terms of cooling capacity.
Design and Selection Considerations for High-Temperature Aerospace AccelerometersTBMG-628/1/2006
Accelerometers used for shock and vibration measurement in extreme environments require special consideration in the design and manufacturing process. Certain unique applications can require the same accelerometer to function from -54 to 649 °C (-65 to 1,200 ° F). This might include such applications as vibration measurement on gas turbine engines, in flight, or in test cells; rocket motor vibration measurements; and thruster vibration. These accelerometers also may need to function in nuclear radiation environments, and possibly in a combination of temperature extremes and radiation. This might include nuclear power generation or space vehicle applications. Materials and construction must then be selected not only to enhance high temperature performance, but also to allow operation in the presence of gamma and neutron radiation
An Improved Green’s Function Code for HZE Ion Transport2006-01-21477/17/2006
A new Green’s function code (GRNTRN) capable of simulating HZE ions with either laboratory or space boundary conditions is currently under development. The computational model consists of combinations of physical perturbation expansions based on the scales of atomic interaction, multiple scattering, and nuclear reactive processes with use of the Neumann-asymptotic expansions with non-perturbative corrections. The code contains energy loss due to straggling, nuclear attenuation, nuclear fragmentation with energy dispersion and downshifts. Recent publications have focused on code validation in the laboratory environment and have shown that the code predicts energy loss spectra accurately as measured by solid-state detectors in ion beam experiments. In this paper emphasis is placed on code validation with space boundary conditions. Measured particle fluences associated with the 1977 solar minimum are propagated through several thickness of Aluminum using both GRNTRN and current version of
Tweed, J., Walker, S. A., Wilson, J. W., Tripathi, R. K., Cucinotta, F. A., Badavi, F. F.
Standardized Radiation Shield Design Method: 2005 HZETRN2006-01-21097/17/2006
Research committed by the Langley Research Center through 1995 resulting in the HZETRN code provides the current basis for shield design methods according to NASA STD-3000 (2005). With this new prominence, the database, basic numerical procedures, and algorithms are being re-examined with new methods of verification and validation being implemented to capture a well defined algorithm for engineering design processes to be used in this early development phase of the Bush initiative. This process provides the methodology to transform the 1995 HZETRN research code into the 2005 HZETRN engineering code to be available for these early design processes. In this paper, we will review the basic derivations including new corrections to the codes to insure improved numerical stability and provide benchmarks for code verification.
Wilson, J. W., Tripathi, R. K., Badavi, F. F., Cucinotta, F. A.
Dielectric Heaters for Testing Spacecraft Nuclear ReactorsTBMG-4052/1/2006
Like the electrical-resistance heaters used heretofore for such testing, the dielectric heaters would be inserted in the reactors in place of nuclear fuel rods. A typical heater according to the proposal would consist of a rod of lossy dielectric material sized and shaped like a fuel rod and containing an electrically conductive rod along its center line. Exploiting the dielectric loss mechanism that is usually considered a nuisance in other applications, an RF signal, typically at a frequency =50 MHz and an amplitude between 2 and 5 kV, would be applied to the central conductor to heat the dielectric material. The main advantage of the proposal is that the wiring needed for the RF dielectric heating would be simpler and easier to fabricate than is the wiring needed for resistance heating. In some applications, it might be possible to eliminate all heater wiring and, instead, beam the RF heating power into the dielectric rods from external antennas.
Estimation of Water Circulation Based on Experimental Results from Sequential Crop Cultivation, Closed Goat Breeding and Simulated Habitation Using CEEF2004-01-23497/19/2004
Closed habitation experiments are to be carried out using Closed Ecology Experiment Facilities (CEEF) from FY2005 to FY2009. The last target of duration of closed habitation is four months. Preliminary study and testing have been conducted in order to carry out the closed habitation experiments. The CEEF has three closed plantation chambers (PC-A, B and C) with artificial lighting solely having each cultivation area of 30 m2 and a closed plantation chamber (PC-F) with both natural lighting and supplemental artificial lighting having a 60-m2 cultivation area. A ‘stable’ period of sequential crop cultivation was maintained for four weeks in a trial experiment conducted in FY2003 using the Plantation Module (PM), in which rice, soybean and crops including rice sapling, soybean sapling, soybean, peanuts and safflower were cultivated in PC-A, PC-B, PC-C and PC-F, respectively. Amount of total clean water input to PM was 741 L day−1 on the average for the period. That includes 645 L day−1 of
Tako, Yasuhiro, Tsuga, Shou-ichi, Arai, Ryuji, Tani, Takashi, Honda, Go, Nitta, Keiji
Some New Results in the Green’s Function Method for Ion Beam Transport2004-01-23227/19/2004
The development of a Green’s function approach to ion transport greatly facilitates the modeling of laboratory radiation environments and allows for the direct testing of transport approximations of material transmission properties. Using this approach radiation investigators at the NASA Langley Research Center have established that simple solutions can be found for HZE ions by ignoring nuclear energy downshifts and dispersion. Such solutions were found to be supported by experimental evidence with HZE ion beams when multiple scattering was added. Lacking from the prior solutions were range and energy straggling and energy downshift and dispersion associated with nuclear events. In a more recent publication it was shown how these effects can be incorporated into the multiple fragmentation perturbation series. Analytical approximations for the first two perturbation terms were presented and the third term was evaluated numerically. We now exhibit an analytical approximation for the
Walker, S. A., Tweed, J., Wilson, J. W., Tripathi, R. K.
Thermal Properties of the Intelligent Catalyst2004-01-12723/8/2004
We have developed a revolutionary automotive catalyst that maintains high activity by the suppression of grain growth of precious metals. This catalyst contains Pd-perovskite crystal which has shown a capacity for self-regeneration of Pd in a cycle of solid solution and segregation in perovskite crystals [1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6]. We named this catalyst the “Intelligent Catalyst” and first commercialized it in the Japanese market in October 2002 [7, 8]. In this study, we investigated the activity of Pd at various temperatures to confirm that the self-regenerative mechanism worked well at low temperatures like those right after engine starting. We also examined the durability of perovskite structure at high temperatures and tested its catalytic activity after engine aging at high temperatures above 1000 °C up to 1100 °C. It is proved that the intelligent catalyst has both excellent activity and durability under practical conditions.
Taniguchi, Masashi, Uenishi, Mari, Tan, Isao, Tanaka, Hirohisa, Kimura, Mareo, Nishihata, Yasuo, Mizuki, Jun'ichiro
AIN-Based Packaging for SiC High-Temperature ElectronicsTBMG-6863/1/2004
Packaging made primarily of aluminum nitride has been developed to enclose silicon carbide-based integrated circuits (ICs), including circuits containing SiC-based power diodes, that are capable of operation under conditions more severe than can be withstood by silicon-based integrated circuits. A major objective of this development was to enable packaged SiC electronic circuits to operate continuously at temperatures up to 500 °C. AlN-packaged SiC electronic circuits have commercial potential for incorporation into high-power electronic equipment and into sensors that must withstand high temperatures and/or high pressures in diverse applications that include exploration in outer space, well logging, and monitoring of nuclear power systems. This packaging embodies concepts drawn from flip-chip packaging of silicon-based integrated circuits. One or more SiC-based circuit chips are mounted on an aluminum nitride package substrate or sandwiched between two such substrates. Intimate
Aerospace Engineering 2003-12-01AERODEC0312/1/2003
Telling the future Technology and the environment, BWBs and UAVs, and nuclear power may be the forces for the future of aerospace engineering. Top technologies for 2003 "Aerospace Engineering's" annual review of the technologies chosen by its editors and readers to be the most significant. Supporting aerospace design The proper use of COTS technologies can change the range of new processes and products in the electrical sector. American attack UAVs- Part II The second article in a two-part series of a perspective on more than 100 years of unmanned flight details some of the major developments in the use of unmanned aerial vehicles for combat.
Lightning Protection: Experimental Approach and Solutions for Large Sensitive Systems - Example of a Nuclear Power Plant -2001-01-29229/11/2001
This document describes the unclassified part of the lightning protection studies for a video control system. The study was held during September 1994 at Cruas Nuclear Power Plant (F-07). Positive improvements were seen immediately and long term benefits have been reinforced by continued protection. The studies were conducted with a new EMC (Electromagnetic Compatibility) concept: “Zero Method”. This concept uses an accessible and easy process to control the industrial electromagnetic interference from radio, cellular phones and lightning effects. The adopted solutions improve personnel and facility safety and provide a cost effective solution.
Soleil, Daniel, Alcaras, Alain
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