Developments of Spent Nuclear Fuel Pyroprocessing Technology at Idaho National Laboratory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Michael F. Simpson

This paper summarizes research in used fuel pyroprocessing that has been published by Idaho National Laboratory over the last decade. It includes work done both on treatment of Experimental Breeder Reactor-II and development of advanced technology for potential scale-up and commercialization. Collaborations with universities and other laboratories is included in the cited work.

EPOS-WP16: A coherent and collaborative network of Solid Earth Multi-scale laboratories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calignano, Elisa; Rosenau, Matthias; Lange, Otto; Spiers, Chris; Willingshofer, Ernst; Drury, Martyn; van Kan-Parker, Mirjam; Elger, Kirsten; Ulbricht, Damian; Funiciello, Francesca; Trippanera, Daniele; Sagnotti, Leonardo; Scarlato, Piergiorgio; Tesei, Telemaco; Winkler, Aldo

2017-04-01

Laboratory facilities are an integral part of Earth Science research. The diversity of methods employed in such infrastructures reflects the multi-scale nature of the Earth system and is essential for the understanding of its evolution, for the assessment of geo-hazards and for the sustainable exploitation of geo-resources. In the frame of EPOS (European Plate Observing System), the Working Package 16 represents a developing community of European Geoscience Multi-scale laboratories. The participant and collaborating institutions (Utrecht University, GFZ, RomaTre University, INGV, NERC, CSIC-ICTJA, CNRS, LMU, C4G-UBI, ETH, CNR*) embody several types of laboratory infrastructures, engaged in different fields of interest of Earth Science: from high temperature and pressure experimental facilities, to electron microscopy, micro-beam analysis, analogue tectonic and geodynamic modelling and paleomagnetic laboratories. The length scales encompassed by these infrastructures range from the nano- and micrometre levels (electron microscopy and micro-beam analysis) to the scale of experiments on centimetres-sized samples, and to analogue model experiments simulating the reservoir scale, the basin scale and the plate scale. The aim of WP16 is to provide two services by the year 2019: first, providing virtual access to data from laboratories (data service) and, second, providing physical access to laboratories (transnational access, TNA). Regarding the development of a data service, the current status is such that most data produced by the various laboratory centres and networks are available only in limited "final form" in publications, many data remain inaccessible and/or poorly preserved. Within EPOS the TCS Multi-scale laboratories is collecting and harmonizing available and emerging laboratory data on the properties and process controlling rock system behaviour at all relevant scales, in order to generate products accessible and interoperable through services for supporting research activities into Geo-resources and Geo-storage, Geo-hazards and Earth System Evolution. Regarding the provision of physical access to laboratories the current situation is such that access to WP16's laboratories is often based on professional relations, available budgets, shared interests and other constraints. In WP16 we aim at reducing the present diversity and non-transparency of access rules and replace ad-hoc procedures for access by a streamlined mechanisms, objective rules and a transparent policy. We work on procedures and mechanisms regulating application, negotiation, evaluation, feedback, selection, admission, approval, feasibility check, setting-up, use, monitoring and dismantling. In the end laboratories should each have a single point providing clear and transparent information on the facility itself, its services, access policy, data management policy and the legal terms and conditions for use of equipment. Through its role as an intermediary and information broker, EPOS will acquire a wealth of information from Research Infrastructures and users on the establishment of efficient collaboration agreements.

Lunar exploration rover program developments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klarer, P. R.

1994-01-01

The Robotic All Terrain Lunar Exploration Rover (RATLER) design concept began at Sandia National Laboratories in late 1991 with a series of small, proof-of-principle, working scale models. The models proved the viability of the concept for high mobility through mechanical simplicity, and eventually received internal funding at Sandia National Laboratories for full scale, proof-of-concept prototype development. Whereas the proof-of-principle models demonstrated the mechanical design's capabilities for mobility, the full scale proof-of-concept design currently under development is intended to support field operations for experiments in telerobotics, autonomous robotic operations, telerobotic field geology, and advanced man-machine interface concepts. The development program's current status is described, including an outline of the program's work over the past year, recent accomplishments, and plans for follow-on development work.

Everyday social and conversation applications of theory-of-mind understanding by children with autism-spectrum disorders or typical development.

PubMed

Peterson, Candida C; Garnett, Michelle; Kelly, Adrian; Attwood, Tony

2009-02-01

Children with autism-spectrum disorders (ASD) often fail laboratory false-belief tests of theory of mind (ToM). Yet how this impacts on their everyday social behavior is less clear, partly owing to uncertainty over which specific everyday conversational and social skills require ToM understanding. A new caregiver-report scale of these everyday applications of ToM was developed and validated in two studies. Study 1 obtained parent ratings of 339 children (85 with autism; 230 with Asperger's; 24 typically-developing) on the new scale and results revealed (a) that the scale had good psychometric properties and (b) that children with ASD had significantly more everyday mindreading difficulties than typical developers. In Study 2, we directly tested links between laboratory ToM and everyday mindreading using teacher ratings on the new scale. The sample of 25 children included 15 with autism and 10 typical developers aged 5-12 years. Children in both groups who passed laboratory ToM tests had fewer everyday mindreading difficulties than those of the same diagnosis who failed. Yet, intriguingly, autistic ToM-passers still had more problems with everyday mindreading than younger typically-developing ToM-failers. The possible roles of family conversation and peer interaction, along with ToM, in everyday social functioning were considered.

H2@Scale Laboratory CRADA Call | Hydrogen and Fuel Cells | NREL

Science.gov Websites

research and development agreement (CRADA) projects with the Hydrogen at Scale (H2@Scale) national CRADA Call H2@Scale CRADA Agreement Template Responses to CRADA Call Questions: Part 1 (includes

Multiscale Laboratory Infrastructure and Services to users: Plans within EPOS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spiers, Chris; Willingshofer, Ernst; Drury, Martyn; Funiciello, Francesca; Rosenau, Matthias; Scarlato, Piergiorgio; Sagnotti, Leonardo; EPOS WG6, Corrado Cimarelli

2015-04-01

The participant countries in EPOS embody a wide range of world-class laboratory infrastructures ranging from high temperature and pressure experimental facilities, to electron microscopy, micro-beam analysis, analogue modeling and paleomagnetic laboratories. Most data produced by the various laboratory centres and networks are presently available only in limited "final form" in publications. Many data remain inaccessible and/or poorly preserved. However, the data produced at the participating laboratories are crucial to serving society's need for geo-resources exploration and for protection against geo-hazards. Indeed, to model resource formation and system behaviour during exploitation, we need an understanding from the molecular to the continental scale, based on experimental data. This contribution will describe the plans that the laboratories community in Europe is making, in the context of EPOS. The main objectives are: • To collect and harmonize available and emerging laboratory data on the properties and processes controlling rock system behaviour at multiple scales, in order to generate products accessible and interoperable through services for supporting research activities. • To co-ordinate the development, integration and trans-national usage of the major solid Earth Science laboratory centres and specialist networks. The length scales encompassed by the infrastructures included range from the nano- and micrometer levels (electron microscopy and micro-beam analysis) to the scale of experiments on centimetre sized samples, and to analogue model experiments simulating the reservoir scale, the basin scale and the plate scale. • To provide products and services supporting research into Geo-resources and Geo-storage, Geo-hazards and Earth System Evolution. If the EPOS Implementation Phase proposal presently under construction is successful, then a range of services and transnational activities will be put in place to realize these objectives.

Biochemical Process Development and Integration | Bioenergy | NREL

Science.gov Websites

Process Development We develop and scale fermentation processes that produce fuels and chemicals from guide experimental designs. Our newly updated fermentation laboratory houses 38 bench-scale fermentors current projects cover the fermentation spectrum including anaerobic, micro-aerobic, aerobic, and gas-to

BISON and MARMOT Development for Modeling Fast Reactor Fuel Performance

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gamble, Kyle Allan Lawrence; Williamson, Richard L.; Schwen, Daniel

2015-09-01

BISON and MARMOT are two codes under development at the Idaho National Laboratory for engineering scale and lower length scale fuel performance modeling. It is desired to add capabilities for fast reactor applications to these codes. The fast reactor fuel types under consideration are metal (U-Pu-Zr) and oxide (MOX). The cladding types of interest include 316SS, D9, and HT9. The purpose of this report is to outline the proposed plans for code development and provide an overview of the models added to the BISON and MARMOT codes for fast reactor fuel behavior. A brief overview of preliminary discussions on themore » formation of a bilateral agreement between the Idaho National Laboratory and the National Nuclear Laboratory in the United Kingdom is presented.« less

Beyond-laboratory-scale prediction for channeling flows through subsurface rock fractures with heterogeneous aperture distributions revealed by laboratory evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishibashi, Takuya; Watanabe, Noriaki; Hirano, Nobuo; Okamoto, Atsushi; Tsuchiya, Noriyoshi

2015-01-01

The present study evaluates aperture distributions and fluid flow characteristics for variously sized laboratory-scale granite fractures under confining stress. As a significant result of the laboratory investigation, the contact area in fracture plane was found to be virtually independent of scale. By combining this characteristic with the self-affine fractal nature of fracture surfaces, a novel method for predicting fracture aperture distributions beyond laboratory scale is developed. Validity of this method is revealed through reproduction of the results of laboratory investigation and the maximum aperture-fracture length relations, which are reported in the literature, for natural fractures. The present study finally predicts conceivable scale dependencies of fluid flows through joints (fractures without shear displacement) and faults (fractures with shear displacement). Both joint and fault aperture distributions are characterized by a scale-independent contact area, a scale-dependent geometric mean, and a scale-independent geometric standard deviation of aperture. The contact areas for joints and faults are approximately 60% and 40%. Changes in the geometric means of joint and fault apertures (µm), em, joint and em, fault, with fracture length (m), l, are approximated by em, joint = 1 × 102 l0.1 and em, fault = 1 × 103 l0.7, whereas the geometric standard deviations of both joint and fault apertures are approximately 3. Fluid flows through both joints and faults are characterized by formations of preferential flow paths (i.e., channeling flows) with scale-independent flow areas of approximately 10%, whereas the joint and fault permeabilities (m2), kjoint and kfault, are scale dependent and are approximated as kjoint = 1 × 10-12 l0.2 and kfault = 1 × 10-8 l1.1.

The Mars Science Laboratory Touchdown Test Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

White, Christopher; Frankovich, John; Yates, Phillip; Wells Jr, George H.; Losey, Robert

2009-01-01

In the Touchdown Test Program for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission, a facility was developed to use a full-scale rover vehicle and an overhead winch system to replicate the Skycrane landing event.

Development of an Environmental Virtual Field Laboratory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramasundaram, V.; Grunwald, S.; Mangeot, A.; Comerford, N. B.; Bliss, C. M.

2005-01-01

Laboratory exercises, field observations and field trips are a fundamental part of many earth science and environmental science courses. Field observations and field trips can be constrained because of distance, time, expense, scale, safety, or complexity of real-world environments. Our objectives were to develop an environmental virtual field…

Note: Measurement system for the radiative forcing of greenhouse gases in a laboratory scale.

PubMed

Kawamura, Yoshiyuki

2016-01-01

The radiative forcing of the greenhouse gases has been studied being based on computational simulations or the observation of the real atmosphere meteorologically. In order to know the greenhouse effect more deeply and to study it from various viewpoints, the study on it in a laboratory scale is important. We have developed a direct measurement system for the infrared back radiation from the carbon dioxide (CO2) gas. The system configuration is similar with that of the practical earth-atmosphere-space system. Using this system, the back radiation from the CO2 gas was directly measured in a laboratory scale, which roughly coincides with meteorologically predicted value.

Wellbore Completion Systems Containment Breach Solution Experiments at a Large Scale Underground Research Laboratory : Sealant placement & scale-up from Lab to Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goodman, H.

2017-12-01

This investigation seeks to develop sealant technology that can restore containment to completed wells that suffer CO2 gas leakages currently untreatable using conventional technologies. Experimentation is performed at the Mont Terri Underground Research Laboratory (MT-URL) located in NW Switzerland. The laboratory affords investigators an intermediate-scale test site that bridges the gap between the laboratory bench and full field-scale conditions. Project focus is the development of CO2 leakage remediation capability using sealant technology. The experimental concept includes design and installation of a field scale completion package designed to mimic well systems heating-cooling conditions that may result in the development of micro-annuli detachments between the casing-cement-formation boundaries (Figure 1). Of particular interest is to test novel sealants that can be injected in to relatively narrow micro-annuli flow-paths of less than 120 microns aperture. Per a special report on CO2 storage submitted to the IPCC[1], active injection wells, along with inactive wells that have been abandoned, are identified as one of the most probable sources of leakage pathways for CO2 escape to the surface. Origins of pressure leakage common to injection well and completions architecture often occur due to tensile cracking from temperature cycles, micro-annulus by casing contraction (differential casing to cement sheath movement) and cement sheath channel development. This discussion summarizes the experiment capability and sealant testing results. The experiment concludes with overcoring of the entire mock-completion test site to assess sealant performance in 2018. [1] IPCC Special Report on Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage (September 2005), section 5.7.2 Processes and pathways for release of CO2 from geological storage sites, page 244

The innovative osmotic membrane bioreactor (OMBR) for reuse of wastewater.

PubMed

Cornelissen, E R; Harmsen, D; Beerendonk, E F; Qin, J J; Oo, H; de Korte, K F; Kappelhof, J W M N

2011-01-01

An innovative osmotic membrane bioreactor (OMBR) is currently under development for the reclamation of wastewater, which combines activated sludge treatment and forward osmosis (FO) membrane separation with a RO post-treatment. The research focus is FO membrane fouling and performance using different activated sludge investigated both at laboratory scale (membrane area of 112cm2) and at on-site bench scale (flat sheet membrane area of 0.1 m2). FO performance on laboratory-scale (i) increased with temperature due to a decrease in viscosity and (ii) was independent of the type of activated sludge. Draw solution leakage increased with temperature and varied for different activated sludge. FO performance on bench-scale (i) increased with osmotic driving force, (ii) depended on the membrane orientation due to internal concentration polarization and (iii) was invariant to feed flow decrease and air injection at the feed and draw side. Draw solution leakage could not be evaluated on bench-scale due to experimental limitation. Membrane fouling was not found on laboratory scale and bench-scale, however, partially reversible fouling was found on laboratory scale for FO membranes facing the draw solution. Economic assessment indicated a minimum flux of 15L.m-2 h-1 at 0.5M NaCl for OMBR-RO to be cost effective, depending on the FO membrane price.

Development opportunities for hospital clinical laboratory joint ventures.

PubMed

Van Riper, J A

1995-01-01

Regional health-care providers are being given the opportunity to collaborate in specialty health-care services. Collaboration to achieve superior economies of scale is very effective in the clinical laboratory industry. National laboratory chains are consolidating and enhancing their control of the industry to ensure their historic profitability. National companies have closed many laboratory facilities and have laid off substantial numbers of laboratory personnel. Health-care providers can regain control of their locally generated laboratory health-care dollars by joining forces with clinical laboratory joint ventures. Laboratorians can assist the healthcare providers in bringing laboratory services and employment back to the local community. New capital for operational development and laboratory information systems will help bring the laboratory to the point of care. The independent regional laboratory is focused on supporting the medical needs of the community. The profit generated from a laboratory joint venture is shared among local health-care providers, supporting their economic viability. The laboratories' ability to contribute to the development of profit-making ventures will provide capital for new laboratory development. All of the above will ensure the clinical laboratories' role in providing quality health care to our communities and employment opportunities for laboratory personnel.

A process for creating multimetric indices for large-scale aquatic surveys

EPA Science Inventory

Differences in sampling and laboratory protocols, differences in techniques used to evaluate metrics, and differing scales of calibration and application prohibit the use of many existing multimetric indices (MMIs) in large-scale bioassessments. We describe an approach to develop...

Biodegradation modelling of a dissolved gasoline plume applying independent laboratory and field parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schirmer, Mario; Molson, John W.; Frind, Emil O.; Barker, James F.

2000-12-01

Biodegradation of organic contaminants in groundwater is a microscale process which is often observed on scales of 100s of metres or larger. Unfortunately, there are no known equivalent parameters for characterizing the biodegradation process at the macroscale as there are, for example, in the case of hydrodynamic dispersion. Zero- and first-order degradation rates estimated at the laboratory scale by model fitting generally overpredict the rate of biodegradation when applied to the field scale because limited electron acceptor availability and microbial growth are not considered. On the other hand, field-estimated zero- and first-order rates are often not suitable for predicting plume development because they may oversimplify or neglect several key field scale processes, phenomena and characteristics. This study uses the numerical model BIO3D to link the laboratory and field scales by applying laboratory-derived Monod kinetic degradation parameters to simulate a dissolved gasoline field experiment at the Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Borden. All input parameters were derived from independent laboratory and field measurements or taken from the literature a priori to the simulations. The simulated results match the experimental results reasonably well without model calibration. A sensitivity analysis on the most uncertain input parameters showed only a minor influence on the simulation results. Furthermore, it is shown that the flow field, the amount of electron acceptor (oxygen) available, and the Monod kinetic parameters have a significant influence on the simulated results. It is concluded that laboratory-derived Monod kinetic parameters can adequately describe field scale degradation, provided all controlling factors are incorporated in the field scale model. These factors include advective-dispersive transport of multiple contaminants and electron acceptors and large-scale spatial heterogeneities.

Apparatus and methodology for fire gas characterization by means of animal exposure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marcussen, W. H.; Hilado, C. J.; Furst, A.; Leon, H. A.; Kourtides, D. A.; Parker, J. A.; Butte, J. C.; Cummins, J. M.

1976-01-01

While there is a great deal of information available from small-scale laboratory experiments and for relatively simple mixtures of gases, considerable uncertainty exists regarding appropriate bioassay techniques for the complex mixture of gases generated in full-scale fires. Apparatus and methodology have been developed based on current state of the art for determining the effects of fire gases in the critical first 10 minutes of a full-scale fire on laboratory animals. This information is presented for its potential value and use while further improvements are being made.

Scale-Up of GRCop: From Laboratory to Rocket Engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ellis, David L.

2016-01-01

GRCop is a high temperature, high thermal conductivity copper-based series of alloys designed primarily for use in regeneratively cooled rocket engine liners. It began with laboratory-level production of a few grams of ribbon produced by chill block melt spinning and has grown to commercial-scale production of large-scale rocket engine liners. Along the way, a variety of methods of consolidating and working the alloy were examined, a database of properties was developed and a variety of commercial and government applications were considered. This talk will briefly address the basic material properties used for selection of compositions to scale up, the methods used to go from simple ribbon to rocket engines, the need to develop a suitable database, and the issues related to getting the alloy into a rocket engine or other application.

Reduction of product-related species during the fermentation and purification of a recombinant IL-1 receptor antagonist at the laboratory and pilot scale.

PubMed

Schirmer, Emily B; Golden, Kathryn; Xu, Jin; Milling, Jesse; Murillo, Alec; Lowden, Patricia; Mulagapati, Srihariraju; Hou, Jinzhao; Kovalchin, Joseph T; Masci, Allyson; Collins, Kathryn; Zarbis-Papastoitsis, Gregory

2013-08-01

Through a parallel approach of tracking product quality through fermentation and purification development, a robust process was designed to reduce the levels of product-related species. Three biochemically similar product-related species were identified as byproducts of host-cell enzymatic activity. To modulate intracellular proteolytic activity, key fermentation parameters (temperature, pH, trace metals, EDTA levels, and carbon source) were evaluated through bioreactor optimization, while balancing negative effects on growth, productivity, and oxygen demand. The purification process was based on three non-affinity steps and resolved product-related species by exploiting small charge differences. Using statistical design of experiments for elution conditions, a high-resolution cation exchange capture column was optimized for resolution and recovery. Further reduction of product-related species was achieved by evaluating a matrix of conditions for a ceramic hydroxyapatite column. The optimized fermentation process was transferred from the 2-L laboratory scale to the 100-L pilot scale and the purification process was scaled accordingly to process the fermentation harvest. The laboratory- and pilot-scale processes resulted in similar process recoveries of 60 and 65%, respectively, and in a product that was of equal quality and purity to that of small-scale development preparations. The parallel approach for up- and downstream development was paramount in achieving a robust and scalable clinical process. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

An Extended, Problem-Based Learning Laboratory Exercise on the Diagnosis of Infectious Diseases Suitable for Large Level 1 Undergraduate Biology Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tatner, Mary; Tierney, Anne

2016-01-01

The development and evaluation of a two-week laboratory class, based on the diagnosis of human infectious diseases, is described. It can be easily scaled up or down, to suit class sizes from 50 to 600 and completed in a shorter time scale, and to different audiences as desired. Students employ a range of techniques to solve a real-life and…

Development of a Shipboard Remote Control and Telemetry Experimental System for Large-Scale Model’s Motions and Loads Measurement in Realistic Sea Waves

PubMed Central

Jiao, Jialong; Ren, Huilong; Adenya, Christiaan Adika; Chen, Chaohe

2017-01-01

Wave-induced motion and load responses are important criteria for ship performance evaluation. Physical experiments have long been an indispensable tool in the predictions of ship’s navigation state, speed, motions, accelerations, sectional loads and wave impact pressure. Currently, majority of the experiments are conducted in laboratory tank environment, where the wave environments are different from the realistic sea waves. In this paper, a laboratory tank testing system for ship motions and loads measurement is reviewed and reported first. Then, a novel large-scale model measurement technique is developed based on the laboratory testing foundations to obtain accurate motion and load responses of ships in realistic sea conditions. For this purpose, a suite of advanced remote control and telemetry experimental system was developed in-house to allow for the implementation of large-scale model seakeeping measurement at sea. The experimental system includes a series of technique sensors, e.g., the Global Position System/Inertial Navigation System (GPS/INS) module, course top, optical fiber sensors, strain gauges, pressure sensors and accelerometers. The developed measurement system was tested by field experiments in coastal seas, which indicates that the proposed large-scale model testing scheme is capable and feasible. Meaningful data including ocean environment parameters, ship navigation state, motions and loads were obtained through the sea trial campaign. PMID:29109379

Solar Cells in the School Physics Laboratory.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mikulski, Kazimeirz

1996-01-01

Discusses the goals of experiments which show examples of the use of solar energy on a scale suitable for a school laboratory. Highlights the history of discoveries and developments in photoelectricity. Presents investigations and experiments, that can be performed by students. (JRH)

Extreme-Scale Computing Project Aims to Advance Precision Oncology | Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research

Cancer.gov

Two government agencies and five national laboratories are collaborating to develop extremely high-performance computing capabilities that will analyze mountains of research and clinical data to improve scientific understanding of cancer, predict dru

Some Problems of Industrial Scale-Up.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, A. T.

1985-01-01

Scientific ideas of the biological laboratory are turned into economic realities in industry only after several problems are solved. Economics of scale, agitation, heat transfer, sterilization of medium and air, product recovery, waste disposal, and future developments are discussed using aerobic respiration as the example in the scale-up…

The role of the independent clinical laboratory in new assay development and commercialization.

PubMed

Ellis, David G

2003-01-01

Most would agree that these are exciting times in the field of laboratory medicine. As the body of scientific knowledge expands and research activities, such as those catalyzed by the sequencing of the human genome, bring us closer to the promise of personalized medicine, the clinical laboratory industry will have increasing opportunities to partner with owners of intellectual property to develop and commercialize new diagnostic tests. The large, independent clinical laboratories are particularly well positioned to commercialize important new tests, with their broad market penetration, infrastructure, and the scale to run esoteric tests cost-effectively.

The Protein Information Management System (PiMS): a generic tool for any structural biology research laboratory

PubMed Central

Morris, Chris; Pajon, Anne; Griffiths, Susanne L.; Daniel, Ed; Savitsky, Marc; Lin, Bill; Diprose, Jonathan M.; Wilter da Silva, Alan; Pilicheva, Katya; Troshin, Peter; van Niekerk, Johannes; Isaacs, Neil; Naismith, James; Nave, Colin; Blake, Richard; Wilson, Keith S.; Stuart, David I.; Henrick, Kim; Esnouf, Robert M.

2011-01-01

The techniques used in protein production and structural biology have been developing rapidly, but techniques for recording the laboratory information produced have not kept pace. One approach is the development of laboratory information-management systems (LIMS), which typically use a relational database schema to model and store results from a laboratory workflow. The underlying philosophy and implementation of the Protein Information Management System (PiMS), a LIMS development specifically targeted at the flexible and unpredictable workflows of protein-production research laboratories of all scales, is described. PiMS is a web-based Java application that uses either Postgres or Oracle as the underlying relational database-management system. PiMS is available under a free licence to all academic laboratories either for local installation or for use as a managed service. PMID:21460443

The Protein Information Management System (PiMS): a generic tool for any structural biology research laboratory.

PubMed

Morris, Chris; Pajon, Anne; Griffiths, Susanne L; Daniel, Ed; Savitsky, Marc; Lin, Bill; Diprose, Jonathan M; da Silva, Alan Wilter; Pilicheva, Katya; Troshin, Peter; van Niekerk, Johannes; Isaacs, Neil; Naismith, James; Nave, Colin; Blake, Richard; Wilson, Keith S; Stuart, David I; Henrick, Kim; Esnouf, Robert M

2011-04-01

The techniques used in protein production and structural biology have been developing rapidly, but techniques for recording the laboratory information produced have not kept pace. One approach is the development of laboratory information-management systems (LIMS), which typically use a relational database schema to model and store results from a laboratory workflow. The underlying philosophy and implementation of the Protein Information Management System (PiMS), a LIMS development specifically targeted at the flexible and unpredictable workflows of protein-production research laboratories of all scales, is described. PiMS is a web-based Java application that uses either Postgres or Oracle as the underlying relational database-management system. PiMS is available under a free licence to all academic laboratories either for local installation or for use as a managed service.

Photocatalytic destruction of chlorinated solvents in water with solar energy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pacheco, J.E.; Prairie, M.R.; Yellowhorse, L.

1993-08-01

Sandia National Laboratories and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory are developing a photocatalytic process to destroy organic contaminants in water. Tests with common water pollutants have been conducted at Sandia's Solar Thermal Facility using a near commercial scale, single-axis tracking parabolic trough system with a glass pipe reactor mounted at its focus. Experiments at this scale provide verification of laboratory studies and allow examination of design and operation issues at a real-lifescale. The catalyst, titanium dioxide (TiO[sub 2]), is a harmless material found in paint, cosmetics, and toothpaste. Experiments were conducted to determine the effects of key process parameters onmore » destruction rates of chlorinated organic compounds that are common water pollutants. This paper summarizes the engineering-scale results of these experiments and analyses.« less

High Fidelity Measurement and Modeling of Interactions between Acoustics and Heat Release in Highly-Compact, High-Pressure Flames

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-05-24

experimental data. However, the time and length scales, and energy deposition rates in the canonical laboratory flames that have been studied over the...is to obtain high-fidelity experimental data critically needed to validate research codes at relevant conditions, and to develop systematic and...validated with experimental data. However, the time and length scales, and energy deposition rates in the canonical laboratory flames that have been

Scale Up of Malonic Acid Fermentation Process: Cooperative Research and Development Final Report, CRADA Number CRD-16-612

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schell, Daniel J

The goal of this work is to use the large fermentation vessels in the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL) Integrated Biorefinery Research Facility (IBRF) to scale-up Lygos' biological-based process for producing malonic acid and to generate performance data. Initially, work at the 1 L scale validated successful transfer of Lygos' fermentation protocols to NREL using a glucose substrate. Outside of the scope of the CRADA with NREL, Lygos tested their process on lignocellulosic sugars produced by NREL at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's (LBNL) Advanced Biofuels Process Development Unit (ABPDU). NREL produced these cellulosic sugar solutions from corn stover using amore » separate cellulose/hemicellulose process configuration. Finally, NREL performed fermentations using glucose in large fermentors (1,500- and 9,000-L vessels) to intermediate product and to demonstrate successful performance of Lygos' technology at larger scales.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bigeleisen, J.

In tribute to Harold Urey, the author cites Urey's accomplishments as a scientist and public servant and gives insight of the man. Some of his accomplishments in science are: discovered deuterium for which he received the Nobel prize in 1934; worked with Rittenberg and Greiff on the theory and calculation of the differences in the thermodynamic properties of isotopic compounds; with Thode, Hutchison and others, separated the isotopes of the light elements by chemical methods on a laboratory scale; during World War II headed the Substitute Alloy Materials Laboratories of Columbia University where his group developed industrial scale processes formore » the separation of /sup 2/H, /sup 10/B, and /sup 235/U; with his associates developed the /sup 18/O paleotemperature scale; made fundamental contributions to a widely accepted theory of the origin of the earth. (ATT)« less

The Tanzania experience: clinical laboratory testing harmonization and equipment standardization at different levels of a tiered health laboratory system.

PubMed

Massambu, Charles; Mwangi, Christina

2009-06-01

The rapid scale-up of the care and treatment programs in Tanzania during the preceding 4 years has greatly increased the demand for quality laboratory services for diagnosis of HIV and monitoring patients during antiretroviral therapy. Laboratory services were not in a position to cope with this demand owing to poor infrastructure, lack of human resources, erratic and/or lack of reagent supply and commodities, and slow manual technologies. With the limited human resources in the laboratory and the need for scaling up the care and treatment program, it became necessary to install automated equipment and train personnel for the increased volume of testing and new tests across all laboratory levels. With the numerous partners procuring equipment, the possibility of a multitude of equipment platforms with attendant challenges for procurement of reagents, maintenance of equipment, and quality assurance arose. Tanzania, therefore, had to harmonize laboratory tests and standardize laboratory equipment at different levels of the laboratory network. The process of harmonization of tests and standardization of equipment included assessment of laboratories, review of guidelines, development of a national laboratory operational plan, and stakeholder advocacy. This document outlines this process.

High Temperature Perforating System for Geothermal Applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Smart, Moises E.

The objective of this project is to develop a perforating system consisting of all the explosive components and hardware, capable of reliable performance in high temperatures geothermal wells (>200 ºC). In this light we will focused on engineering development of these components, characterization of the explosive raw powder and developing the internal infrastructure to increase the production of the explosive from laboratory scale to industrial scale.

Integrated Graduate and Continuing Education in Protein Chromatography for Bioprocess Development and Scale-Up

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carta, Jungbauer

2011-01-01

We describe an intensive course that integrates graduate and continuing education focused on the development and scale-up of chromatography processes used for the recovery and purification of proteins with special emphasis on biotherapeutics. The course includes lectures, laboratories, teamwork, and a design exercise and offers a complete view of…

Application of lab derived kinetic biodegradation parameters at the field scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schirmer, M.; Barker, J. F.; Butler, B. J.; Frind, E. O.

2003-04-01

Estimating the intrinsic remediation potential of an aquifer typically requires the accurate assessment of the biodegradation kinetics, the level of available electron acceptors and the flow field. Zero- and first-order degradation rates derived at the laboratory scale generally overpredict the rate of biodegradation when applied to the field scale, because limited electron acceptor availability and microbial growth are typically not considered. On the other hand, field estimated zero- and first-order rates are often not suitable to forecast plume development because they may be an oversimplification of the processes at the field scale and ignore several key processes, phenomena and characteristics of the aquifer. This study uses the numerical model BIO3D to link the laboratory and field scale by applying laboratory derived Monod kinetic degradation parameters to simulate a dissolved gasoline field experiment at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Borden. All additional input parameters were derived from laboratory and field measurements or taken from the literature. The simulated results match the experimental results reasonably well without having to calibrate the model. An extensive sensitivity analysis was performed to estimate the influence of the most uncertain input parameters and to define the key controlling factors at the field scale. It is shown that the most uncertain input parameters have only a minor influence on the simulation results. Furthermore it is shown that the flow field, the amount of electron acceptor (oxygen) available and the Monod kinetic parameters have a significant influence on the simulated results. Under the field conditions modelled and the assumptions made for the simulations, it can be concluded that laboratory derived Monod kinetic parameters can adequately describe field scale degradation processes, if all controlling factors are incorporated in the field scale modelling that are not necessarily observed at the lab scale. In this way, there are no scale relationships to be found that link the laboratory and the field scale, accurately incorporating the additional processes, phenomena and characteristics, such as a) advective and dispersive transport of one or more contaminants, b) advective and dispersive transport and availability of electron acceptors, c) mass transfer limitations and d) spatial heterogeneities, at the larger scale and applying well defined lab scale parameters should accurately describe field scale processes.

A laboratory-scale comparison of rate of spread model predictions using chaparral fuel beds – preliminary results

Treesearch

D.R. Weise; E. Koo; X. Zhou; S. Mahalingam

2011-01-01

Observed fire spread rates from 240 laboratory fires in horizontally-oriented single-species live fuel beds were compared to predictions from various implementations and modifications of the Rothermel rate of spread model and a physical fire spread model developed by Pagni and Koo. Packing ratio of the laboratory fuel beds was generally greater than that observed in...

Nanotechnology Safety Self-Study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Grogin, Phillip W.

2016-03-29

Nanoparticles are near-atomic scale structures between 1 and 100 nanometers (one billionth of a meter). Engineered nanoparticles are intentionally created and are used in research and development at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). This course, Nanotechnology Safety Self-Study, presents an overview of the hazards, controls, and uncertainties associated with the use of unbound engineered nanoscale particles (UNP) in a laboratory environment.

SIMILARITY PROPERTIES AND SCALING LAWS OF RADIATION HYDRODYNAMIC FLOWS IN LABORATORY ASTROPHYSICS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Falize, E.; Bouquet, S.; Michaut, C., E-mail: emeric.falize@cea.fr

The spectacular recent development of modern high-energy density laboratory facilities which concentrate more and more energy in millimetric volumes allows the astrophysical community to reproduce and to explore, in millimeter-scale targets and during very short times, astrophysical phenomena where radiation and matter are strongly coupled. The astrophysical relevance of these experiments can be checked from the similarity properties and especially scaling law establishment, which constitutes the keystone of laboratory astrophysics. From the radiating optically thin regime to the so-called optically thick radiative pressure regime, we present in this paper, for the first time, a complete analysis of the main radiatingmore » regimes that we encountered in laboratory astrophysics with the same formalism based on Lie group theory. The use of the Lie group method appears to be a systematic method which allows us to construct easily and systematically the scaling laws of a given problem. This powerful tool permits us to unify the recent major advances on scaling laws and to identify new similarity concepts that we discuss in this paper, and suggests important applications for present and future laboratory astrophysics experiments. All these results enable us to demonstrate theoretically that astrophysical phenomena in such radiating regimes can be explored experimentally thanks to powerful facilities. Consequently, the results presented here are a fundamental tool for the high-energy density laboratory astrophysics community in order to quantify the astrophysics relevance and justify laser experiments. Moreover, relying on Lie group theory, this paper constitutes the starting point of any analysis of the self-similar dynamics of radiating fluids.« less

Introductory Physics Laboratories for Life Scientists - Hands on Physics of Complex Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Losert, Wolfgang; Moore, Kim

2015-03-01

We have developed a set of laboratories and hands on activities to accompany a new two-semester interdisciplinary physics course that has been successfully implemented as the required physics course for premeds at the University of Maryland. The laboratories include significant content on physics relevant to cellular scales, from chemical interactions to random motion and charge screening in fluids. We also introduce the students to research-grade equipment and modern physics analysis tools in contexts relevant to biology, while maintaining the pedagogically valuable open-ended laboratory structure of reformed laboratories.

Laboratory Scale Coal And Biomass To Drop-In Fuels (CBDF) Production And Assessment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lux, Kenneth; Imam, Tahmina; Chevanan, Nehru

This Final Technical Report describes the work and accomplishments of the project entitled, “Laboratory Scale Coal and Biomass to Drop-In Fuels (CBDF) Production and Assessment.” The main objective of the project was to fabricate and test a lab-scale liquid-fuel production system using coal containing different percentages of biomass such as corn stover and switchgrass at a rate of 2 liters per day. The system utilizes the patented Altex fuel-production technology, which incorporates advanced catalysts developed by Pennsylvania State University. The system was designed, fabricated, tested, and assessed for economic and environmental feasibility relative to competing technologies.

Transitioning glass-ceramic scintillators for diagnostic x-ray imaging from the laboratory to commercial scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beckert, M. Brooke; Gallego, Sabrina; Elder, Eric; Nadler, Jason

2016-10-01

This study sought to mitigate risk in transitioning newly developed glass-ceramic scintillator technology from a laboratory concept to commercial product by identifying the most significant hurdles to increased scale. These included selection of cost effective raw material sources, investigation of process parameters with the most significant impact on performance, and synthesis steps that could see the greatest benefit from participation of an industry partner that specializes in glass or optical component manufacturing. Efforts focused on enhancing the performance of glass-ceramic nanocomposite scintillators developed specifically for medical imaging via composition and process modifications that ensured efficient capture of incident X-ray energy and emission of scintillation light. The use of cost effective raw materials and existing manufacturing methods demonstrated proof-of-concept for economical viable alternatives to existing benchmark materials, as well as possible disruptive applications afforded by novel geometries and comparatively lower cost per volume. The authors now seek the expertise of industry to effectively navigate the transition from laboratory demonstrations to pilot scale production and testing to evince the industry of the viability and usefulness of composite-based scintillators.

Inquiry in the Physical Geology Classroom: Supporting Students' Conceptual Model Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Heather R.; McNeal, Karen S.; Herbert, Bruce E.

2010-01-01

This study characterizes the impact of an inquiry-based learning (IBL) module versus a traditionally structured laboratory exercise. Laboratory sections were randomized into experimental and control groups. The experimental group was taught using IBL pedagogical techniques and included manipulation of large-scale data-sets, use of multiple…

Fast laboratory-based micro-computed tomography for pore-scale research: Illustrative experiments and perspectives on the future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bultreys, Tom; Boone, Marijn A.; Boone, Matthieu N.; De Schryver, Thomas; Masschaele, Bert; Van Hoorebeke, Luc; Cnudde, Veerle

2016-09-01

Over the past decade, the wide-spread implementation of laboratory-based X-ray micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) scanners has revolutionized both the experimental and numerical research on pore-scale transport in geological materials. The availability of these scanners has opened up the possibility to image a rock's pore space in 3D almost routinely to many researchers. While challenges do persist in this field, we treat the next frontier in laboratory-based micro-CT scanning: in-situ, time-resolved imaging of dynamic processes. Extremely fast (even sub-second) micro-CT imaging has become possible at synchrotron facilities over the last few years, however, the restricted accessibility of synchrotrons limits the amount of experiments which can be performed. The much smaller X-ray flux in laboratory-based systems bounds the time resolution which can be attained at these facilities. Nevertheless, progress is being made to improve the quality of measurements performed on the sub-minute time scale. We illustrate this by presenting cutting-edge pore scale experiments visualizing two-phase flow and solute transport in real-time with a lab-based environmental micro-CT set-up. To outline the current state of this young field and its relevance to pore-scale transport research, we critically examine its current bottlenecks and their possible solutions, both on the hardware and the software level. Further developments in laboratory-based, time-resolved imaging could prove greatly beneficial to our understanding of transport behavior in geological materials and to the improvement of pore-scale modeling by providing valuable validation.

Formulation and development of tablets based on Ludipress and scale-up from laboratory to production scale.

PubMed

Heinz, R; Wolf, H; Schuchmann, H; End, L; Kolter, K

2000-05-01

In spite of the wealth of experience available in the pharmaceutical industry, tablet formulations are still largely developed on an empirical basis, and the scale-up from laboratory to production is a time-consuming and costly process. Using Ludipress greatly simplifies formulation development and the manufacturing process because only the active ingredient Ludipress and a lubricant need to be mixed briefly before being compressed into tablets. The studies described here were designed to investigate the scale-up of Ludipress-based formulations from laboratory to production scale, and to predict changes in tablet properties due to changes in format, compaction pressure, and the use of different tablet presses. It was found that the tensile strength of tablets made of Ludipress increased linearly with compaction pressures up to 300 MPa. It was also independent of the geometry of the tablets (diameter, thickness, shape). It is therefore possible to give an equation with which the compaction pressure required to achieve a given hardness can be calculated for a given tablet form. The equation has to be modified slightly to convert from a single-punch press to a rotary tableting machine. Tablets produced in the rotary machine at the same pressure have a slightly higher tensile strength. The rate of increase in pressure, and therefore the throughput, has no effect on the tensile strength of Ludipress tablets. It is thought that a certain minimum dwell time is responsible for this difference. The production of tablets based on Ludipress can be scaled up from one rotary press to another without problem if the powder mixtures are prepared with the same mixing energy. The tensile strength curve determined for tablets made with Ludipress alone can also be applied to tablets with a small quantity (< 10%) of an active ingredient.

Development of Solvent Extraction Approach to Recycle Enriched Molybdenum Material

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tkac, Peter; Brown, M. Alex; Sen, Sujat

2016-06-01

Argonne National Laboratory, in cooperation with Oak Ridge National Laboratory and NorthStar Medical Technologies, LLC, is developing a recycling process for a solution containing valuable Mo-100 or Mo-98 enriched material. Previously, Argonne had developed a recycle process using a precipitation technique. However, this process is labor intensive and can lead to production of large volumes of highly corrosive waste. This report discusses an alternative process to recover enriched Mo in the form of ammonium heptamolybdate by using solvent extraction. Small-scale experiments determined the optimal conditions for effective extraction of high Mo concentrations. Methods were developed for removal of ammonium chloridemore » from the molybdenum product of the solvent extraction process. In large-scale experiments, very good purification from potassium and other elements was observed with very high recovery yields (~98%).« less

Hardwood log grading scale stick improved

Treesearch

M. D. Ostrander; G. H. Englerth

1953-01-01

In February 1952 the Northeastern Forest Experiment Station described ( Research Note 13) a new log-grading scale stick developed by the Station for use as a visual aid in grading hardwood factory logs. It was based on the U. S. Forest Products Laboratory's log-grade specifications.

Predictive models of lyophilization process for development, scale-up/tech transfer and manufacturing.

PubMed

Zhu, Tong; Moussa, Ehab M; Witting, Madeleine; Zhou, Deliang; Sinha, Kushal; Hirth, Mario; Gastens, Martin; Shang, Sherwin; Nere, Nandkishor; Somashekar, Shubha Chetan; Alexeenko, Alina; Jameel, Feroz

2018-07-01

Scale-up and technology transfer of lyophilization processes remains a challenge that requires thorough characterization of the laboratory and larger scale lyophilizers. In this study, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was employed to develop computer-based models of both laboratory and manufacturing scale lyophilizers in order to understand the differences in equipment performance arising from distinct designs. CFD coupled with steady state heat and mass transfer modeling of the vial were then utilized to study and predict independent variables such as shelf temperature and chamber pressure, and response variables such as product resistance, product temperature and primary drying time for a given formulation. The models were then verified experimentally for the different lyophilizers. Additionally, the models were applied to create and evaluate a design space for a lyophilized product in order to provide justification for the flexibility to operate within a certain range of process parameters without the need for validation. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Argonne National Laboratory Annual Report of Laboratory Directed Research and Development program activities FY 2011.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Office of The Director)

As a national laboratory Argonne concentrates on scientific and technological challenges that can only be addressed through a sustained, interdisciplinary focus at a national scale. Argonne's eight major initiatives, as enumerated in its strategic plan, are Hard X-ray Sciences, Leadership Computing, Materials and Molecular Design and Discovery, Energy Storage, Alternative Energy and Efficiency, Nuclear Energy, Biological and Environmental Systems, and National Security. The purposes of Argonne's Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program are to encourage the development of novel technical concepts, enhance the Laboratory's research and development (R and D) capabilities, and pursue its strategic goals. projects are selectedmore » from proposals for creative and innovative R and D studies that require advance exploration before they are considered to be sufficiently developed to obtain support through normal programmatic channels. Among the aims of the projects supported by the LDRD Program are the following: establishment of engineering proof of principle, assessment of design feasibility for prospective facilities, development of instrumentation or computational methods or systems, and discoveries in fundamental science and exploratory development.« less

Spent fuel treatment and mineral waste form development at Argonne National Laboratory-West

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Goff, K.M.; Benedict, R.W.; Bateman, K.

1996-07-01

At Argonne National Laboratory-West (ANL-West) there are several thousand kilograms of metallic spent nuclear fuel containing bond sodium. This fuel will be treated in the Fuel Conditioning Facility (FCF) at ANL-West to produce stable waste forms for storage and disposal. Both mineral and metal high-level waste forms will be produced. The mineral waste form will contain the active metal fission products and the transuranics. Cold small-scale waste form testing has been on-going at Argonne in Illinois. Large-scale testing is commencing at ANL-West.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gromov, R.; Bailey, J.; Virgo, M.

Argonne National Laboratory, in cooperation with Los Alamos National Laboratory, is developing technology with NorthStar Medical Technologies to produce 99Mo from the γ,n reaction on a 100Mo target in an electron accelerator. During production runs and thermal testing of the helium-cooled target, it became obvious that a production-scale beam-line configuration would need a collimator to protect the target from accidental beam misplacement or a beam-profile change. A prototype high-power collimator and beam stop were designed and fabricated. Testing indicated that they will be able to operate at full power in the production-scale accelerator.

World Materials Summit (3rd). Held in Washington, DC on 9-12 October, 2011

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-05-23

It focused on the critical links among materials research, energy, and sustainable development on a global scale. Abundant clean energy supplies and...reliable energy storage systems are needed to address many critical societal issues in development and developed countries. On a broader scale, access...Houle of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory spoke next about "Energy Critical Elements," focusing on the well-known shortage of rare earth (RE

Best Practices: DOD Can Achieve Better Outcomes by Standardizing the Way Manufacturing Risks are Managed

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-04-01

scale needed can be proven. As an example, GE Healthcare’s Gemstone scintillator underwent years of laboratory development on a small scale until GE...GE Healthcare provides another example of proving out manufacturing processes prior to production in their development of the Gemstone scintillator...including the development and manufacturing of their Gemstone scintillator for use on advanced CT scanners. • Honeywell Aerospace, a global provider

Development of fire test methods for airplane interior materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tustin, E. A.

1978-01-01

Fire tests were conducted in a 737 airplane fuselage at NASA-JSC to characterize jet fuel fires in open steel pans (simulating post-crash fire sources and a ruptured airplane fuselage) and to characterize fires in some common combustibles (simulating in-flight fire sources). Design post-crash and in-flight fire source selections were based on these data. Large panels of airplane interior materials were exposed to closely-controlled large scale heating simulations of the two design fire sources in a Boeing fire test facility utilizing a surplused 707 fuselage section. Small samples of the same airplane materials were tested by several laboratory fire test methods. Large scale and laboratory scale data were examined for correlative factors. Published data for dangerous hazard levels in a fire environment were used as the basis for developing a method to select the most desirable material where trade-offs in heat, smoke and gaseous toxicant evolution must be considered.

Experimental Replication of an Aeroengine Combustion Instability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cohen, J. M.; Hibshman, J. R.; Proscia, W.; Rosfjord, T. J.; Wake, B. E.; McVey, J. B.; Lovett, J.; Ondas, M.; DeLaat, J.; Breisacher, K.

2000-01-01

Combustion instabilities in gas turbine engines are most frequently encountered during the late phases of engine development, at which point they are difficult and expensive to fix. The ability to replicate an engine-traceable combustion instability in a laboratory-scale experiment offers the opportunity to economically diagnose the problem (to determine the root cause), and to investigate solutions to the problem, such as active control. The development and validation of active combustion instability control requires that the causal dynamic processes be reproduced in experimental test facilities which can be used as a test bed for control system evaluation. This paper discusses the process through which a laboratory-scale experiment was designed to replicate an instability observed in a developmental engine. The scaling process used physically-based analyses to preserve the relevant geometric, acoustic and thermo-fluid features. The process increases the probability that results achieved in the single-nozzle experiment will be scalable to the engine.

Spray sealing: A breakthrough in integral fuel tank sealing technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richardson, Martin D.; Zadarnowski, J. H.

1989-11-01

In a continuing effort to increase readiness, a new approach to sealing integral fuel tanks is being developed. The technique seals potential leak sources by spraying elastomeric materials inside the tank cavity. Laboratory evaluations project an increase in aircraft supportability and reliability, an improved maintainability, decreasing acquisition and life cycle costs. Increased usable fuel volume and lower weight than conventional bladders improve performance. Concept feasibility was demonstrated on sub-scale aircraft fuel tanks. Materials were selected by testing sprayable elastomers in a fuel tank environment. Chemical stability, mechanical properties, and dynamic durability of the elastomer are being evaluated at the laboratory level and in sub-scale and full scale aircraft component fatigue tests. The self sealing capability of sprayable materials is also under development. Ballistic tests show an improved aircraft survivability, due in part to the elastomer's mechanical properties and its ability to damp vibrations. New application equipment, system removal, and repair methods are being investigated.

Filtration of micron-sized particles for coal liquids: carbonaceous precoats. [5 refs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rodgers, B.R.

Carbonaceous precoats, such as bituminous coal and char from hydrocarbonization, are shown to be effective, inexpensive substitutes for traditional diatomaceous earth materials, both at laboratory-scale and bench-scale. Model equations are developed for filtration of Solvent Refined Coal-Unfiltered Oil (SRC-UFO).

Toward better physics labs for future biologists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore, K.; Giannini, J.; Losert, W.

2014-05-01

We have developed a set of laboratories and hands on activities to accompany a new two-semester interdisciplinary physics course that has been developed and tested in two small test classes at the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD) in 2012-2013. We have designed the laboratories to be taken accompanying a reformed course in the student's second year, with calculus, biology, and chemistry as prerequisites. These prerequisites permit the laboratories to include significant content on physics relevant to cellular scales, from chemical interactions to random motion and charge screening in fluids. We also introduce students to research-grade equipment and modern physics analysis tools in contexts relevant to biology while maintaining the pedagogically valuable open-ended laboratory structure of reformed laboratories. Preliminary student response results from these two classes are discussed.

New scale-down methodology from commercial to lab scale to optimize plant-derived soft gel capsule formulations on a commercial scale.

PubMed

Oishi, Sana; Kimura, Shin-Ichiro; Noguchi, Shuji; Kondo, Mio; Kondo, Yosuke; Shimokawa, Yoshiyuki; Iwao, Yasunori; Itai, Shigeru

2018-01-15

A new scale-down methodology from commercial rotary die scale to laboratory scale was developed to optimize a plant-derived soft gel capsule formulation and eventually manufacture superior soft gel capsules on a commercial scale, in order to reduce the time and cost for formulation development. Animal-derived and plant-derived soft gel film sheets were prepared using an applicator on a laboratory scale and their physicochemical properties, such as tensile strength, Young's modulus, and adhesive strength, were evaluated. The tensile strength of the animal-derived and plant-derived soft gel film sheets was 11.7 MPa and 4.41 MPa, respectively. The Young's modulus of the animal-derived and plant-derived soft gel film sheets was 169 MPa and 17.8 MPa, respectively, and both sheets showed a similar adhesion strength of approximately 4.5-10 MPa. Using a D-optimal mixture design, plant-derived soft gel film sheets were prepared and optimized by varying their composition, including variations in the mass of κ-carrageenan, ι-carrageenan, oxidized starch and heat-treated starch. The physicochemical properties of the sheets were evaluated to determine the optimal formulation. Finally, plant-derived soft gel capsules were manufactured using the rotary die method and the prepared soft gel capsules showed equivalent or superior physical properties compared with pre-existing soft gel capsules. Therefore, we successfully developed a new scale-down methodology to optimize the formulation of plant-derived soft gel capsules on a commercial scale. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fate of the antibiotic sulfadiazine in natural soils: Experimental and numerical investigations.

PubMed

Engelhardt, Irina; Sittig, Stephan; Šimůnek, Jirka; Groeneweg, Joost; Pütz, Thomas; Vereecken, Harry

2015-01-01

Based on small-scale laboratory and field-scale lysimeter experiments, the sorption and biodegradation of sulfonamide sulfadiazine (SDZ) were investigated in unsaturated sandy and silty-clay soils. Sorption and biodegradation were low in the laboratory, while the highest leaching rates were observed when SDZ was mixed with manure. The leaching rate decreased when SDZ was mixed with pure water, and was smallest with the highest SDZ concentrations. In the laboratory, three transformation products (TPs) developed after an initial lag phase. However, the amount of TPs was different for different mixing-scenarios. The TP 2-aminopyrimidine was not observed in the laboratory, but was the most prevalent TP at the field scale. Sorption was within the same range at the laboratory and field scales. However, distinctive differences occurred with respect to biodegradation, which was higher in the field lysimeters than at the laboratory scale. While the silty-clay soil favored sorption of SDZ, the sandy, and thus highly permeable, soil was characterized by short half-lives and thus a quick biodegradation of SDZ. For 2-aminopyrimidine, half-lives of only a few days were observed. Increased field-scale biodegradation in the sandy soil resulted from a higher water and air permeability that enhanced oxygen transport and limited oxygen depletion. Furthermore, low pH was more important than the organic matter and clay content for increasing the biodegradation of SDZ. A numerical analysis of breakthrough curves of bromide, SDZ, and its TPs showed that preferential flow pathways strongly affected the solute transport within shallow parts of the soil profile at the field scale. However, this effect was reduced in deeper parts of the soil profile. Due to high field-scale biodegradation in several layers of both soils, neither SDZ nor 2-aminopyrimidine was detected in the discharge of the lysimeter at a depth of 1m. Synthetic 50 year long simulations, which considered the application of manure with SDZ for general agricultural practices in Germany and humid climate conditions, showed that the concentration of SDZ decreased below 0.1 μg/L in both soils below the depth of 50 cm. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fate of the antibiotic sulfadiazine in natural soils: Experimental and numerical investigations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Engelhardt, Irina; Sittig, Stephan; Šimůnek, Jirka; Groeneweg, Joost; Pütz, Thomas; Vereecken, Harry

2015-06-01

Based on small-scale laboratory and field-scale lysimeter experiments, the sorption and biodegradation of sulfonamide sulfadiazine (SDZ) were investigated in unsaturated sandy and silty-clay soils. Sorption and biodegradation were low in the laboratory, while the highest leaching rates were observed when SDZ was mixed with manure. The leaching rate decreased when SDZ was mixed with pure water, and was smallest with the highest SDZ concentrations. In the laboratory, three transformation products (TPs) developed after an initial lag phase. However, the amount of TPs was different for different mixing-scenarios. The TP 2-aminopyrimidine was not observed in the laboratory, but was the most prevalent TP at the field scale. Sorption was within the same range at the laboratory and field scales. However, distinctive differences occurred with respect to biodegradation, which was higher in the field lysimeters than at the laboratory scale. While the silty-clay soil favored sorption of SDZ, the sandy, and thus highly permeable, soil was characterized by short half-lives and thus a quick biodegradation of SDZ. For 2-aminopyrimidine, half-lives of only a few days were observed. Increased field-scale biodegradation in the sandy soil resulted from a higher water and air permeability that enhanced oxygen transport and limited oxygen depletion. Furthermore, low pH was more important than the organic matter and clay content for increasing the biodegradation of SDZ. A numerical analysis of breakthrough curves of bromide, SDZ, and its TPs showed that preferential flow pathways strongly affected the solute transport within shallow parts of the soil profile at the field scale. However, this effect was reduced in deeper parts of the soil profile. Due to high field-scale biodegradation in several layers of both soils, neither SDZ nor 2-aminopyrimidine was detected in the discharge of the lysimeter at a depth of 1 m. Synthetic 50 year long simulations, which considered the application of manure with SDZ for general agricultural practices in Germany and humid climate conditions, showed that the concentration of SDZ decreased below 0.1 μg/L in both soils below the depth of 50 cm.

The use of ethanol to remove sulfur from coal. Final report, September 1991--December 1992; Revision

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Savage, R.L.; Lazarov, L.K.; Prudich, M.E.

1994-03-10

The initial technical goal in the project was to develop a chemical method for the cost effective removal of both inorganic and organic sulfur from Ohio coals. Verifying and using a process of reacting ethanol vapors with coal under conditions disclosed in U.S. Patent 4,888,029, the immediate technical objectives were to convert a small scale laborative batch process to a larger scale continuous process which can serve as the basis for commercial development of the technology. This involved getting as much information as possible from small scale batch autoclave or fluid bed laboratory reactors for use in pilot plant studies.more » The laboratory data included material balances on the coal and sulfur, temperature and pressure ranges for the reaction, minimum reaction times at different conditions, the effectiveness of different activators such as oxygen and nitric oxide, the amount and nature of by-products such as sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide and acetaldehyde, the effect of coal particle size on the speed and completeness of the reaction, and the effectiveness of the reaction on different Ohio coals. Because the laboratory experiments using the method disclosed in U.S. 4,888,029 were not successful, the objective for the project was changed to develop a new laboratory process to use ethanol to remove sulfur from coal. Using copper as a catalyst and as an H{sub 2}S scavenger, a new laboratory procedure to use ethanol to remove sulfur from coal has been developed at Ohio University and a patent application covering this process was filed in March, 1993. The process is based on the use of copper as a catalyst for the dehydrogenation of ethanol to produce nascent hydrogen to remove sulfur from the coal and the use of copper as a scavenger to capture the hydrogen sulfide formed from the sulfur removed from coal.« less

Development of a large-scale isolation chamber system for the safe and humane care of medium-sized laboratory animals harboring infectious diseases*

PubMed Central

Pan, Xin; Qi, Jian-cheng; Long, Ming; Liang, Hao; Chen, Xiao; Li, Han; Li, Guang-bo; Zheng, Hao

2010-01-01

The close phylogenetic relationship between humans and non-human primates makes non-human primates an irreplaceable model for the study of human infectious diseases. In this study, we describe the development of a large-scale automatic multi-functional isolation chamber for use with medium-sized laboratory animals carrying infectious diseases. The isolation chamber, including the transfer chain, disinfection chain, negative air pressure isolation system, animal welfare system, and the automated system, is designed to meet all biological safety standards. To create an internal chamber environment that is completely isolated from the exterior, variable frequency drive blowers are used in the air-intake and air-exhaust system, precisely controlling the filtered air flow and providing an air-barrier protection. A double door transfer port is used to transfer material between the interior of the isolation chamber and the outside. A peracetic acid sterilizer and its associated pipeline allow for complete disinfection of the isolation chamber. All of the isolation chamber parameters can be automatically controlled by a programmable computerized menu, allowing for work with different animals in different-sized cages depending on the research project. The large-scale multi-functional isolation chamber provides a useful and safe system for working with infectious medium-sized laboratory animals in high-level bio-safety laboratories. PMID:20872984

MODELING HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM REDUCTION IN GROUND- WATER IN FIELD-SCALE TRANSPORT AND LABORATORY BATCH EXPERIMENTS

EPA Science Inventory

A plausible and consistent model is developed to obtain a quantitative description of the gradual disappearance of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) from groundwater in a small-scale field tracer test and in batch kinetic experiments using aquifer sediments under similar chemical cond...

Intermediate Scale Laboratory Testing to Understand Mechanisms of Capillary and Dissolution Trapping during Injection and Post-Injection of CO 2 in Heterogeneous Geological Formations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Illangasekare, Tissa; Trevisan, Luca; Agartan, Elif

2015-03-31

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) represents a technology aimed to reduce atmospheric loading of CO 2 from power plants and heavy industries by injecting it into deep geological formations, such as saline aquifers. A number of trapping mechanisms contribute to effective and secure storage of the injected CO 2 in supercritical fluid phase (scCO 2) in the formation over the long term. The primary trapping mechanisms are structural, residual, dissolution and mineralization. Knowledge gaps exist on how the heterogeneity of the formation manifested at all scales from the pore to the site scales affects trapping and parameterization of contributing mechanismsmore » in models. An experimental and modeling study was conducted to fill these knowledge gaps. Experimental investigation of fundamental processes and mechanisms in field settings is not possible as it is not feasible to fully characterize the geologic heterogeneity at all relevant scales and gathering data on migration, trapping and dissolution of scCO 2. Laboratory experiments using scCO 2 under ambient conditions are also not feasible as it is technically challenging and cost prohibitive to develop large, two- or three-dimensional test systems with controlled high pressures to keep the scCO 2 as a liquid. Hence, an innovative approach that used surrogate fluids in place of scCO 2 and formation brine in multi-scale, synthetic aquifers test systems ranging in scales from centimeter to meter scale developed used. New modeling algorithms were developed to capture the processes controlled by the formation heterogeneity, and they were tested using the data from the laboratory test systems. The results and findings are expected to contribute toward better conceptual models, future improvements to DOE numerical codes, more accurate assessment of storage capacities, and optimized placement strategies. This report presents the experimental and modeling methods and research results.« less

Unirradiated testing of the demonstration-scale ceramic waste form at ANL-West

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Goff, K.M.; Simpson, M.F.; Bateman, K.J.

1997-12-01

The ceramic waste form is being developed by Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) as part of the demonstration of the electrometallurgical treatment of spent nuclear fuel for disposal. The alkali, alkaline earth, halide, and rare earth fission products are stabilized in zeolite, which is combined with glass and processed in a hot isostatic press (HIP) to form a ceramic composite. The transuranics, including plutonium, are also stabilized in this high-level waste. Most of the laboratory-scale development work is performed in the Chemical Technology Division of ANL in Illinois. At ANL-West in Idaho, this technology is being demonstrated on an engineering scalemore » before implementation with irradiated materials in a remote environment.« less

Analytical investigation of a three-dimensional FRP-retrofitted reinforced concrete structure's behaviour under earthquake load effect in ANSYS program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Altun, F.; Birdal, F.

2012-12-01

In this study, a 1:3 scaled, three-storey, FRP (Fiber Reinforced Polymer) retrofitted reinforced concrete model structure whose behaviour and crack development were identified experimentally in the laboratory was investigated analytically. Determination of structural behaviour under earthquake load is only possible in a laboratory environment with a specific scale, as carrying out structural experiments is difficult due to the evaluation of increased parameter numbers and because it requires an expensive laboratory setup. In an analytical study, structure was modelled using ANSYS Finite Element Package Program (2007), and its behaviour and crack development were revealed. When experimental difficulties are taken into consideration, analytical investigation of structure behaviour is more economic and much faster. At the end of the study, experimental results of structural behaviour and crack development were compared with analytical data. It was concluded that in a model structure retrofitted with FRP, the behaviour and cracking model can be determined without testing by determining the reasons for the points where analytical results are not converged with experimental data. Better understanding of structural behaviour is analytically enabled with the study.

The Relationships between University Students' Chemistry Laboratory Anxiety, Attitudes, and Self-Efficacy Beliefs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kurbanoglu, N. Izzet; Akin, Ahmet

2010-01-01

The aim of this study is to examine the relationships between chemistry laboratory anxiety, chemistry attitudes, and self-efficacy. Participants were 395 university students. Participants completed the Chemistry Laboratory Anxiety Scale, the Chemistry Attitudes Scale, and the Self-efficacy Scale. Results showed that chemistry laboratory anxiety…

If You've Got It, Use It (Simulation, That Is...)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frost, Chad; Tucker, George

2006-01-01

This viewgraph presentation reviews the Rotorcraft Aircrew Systems Concept Airborne Laboratory (RASCAL) UH-60 in-flight simulator, the use of simulation in support of safety monitor design specification development, the development of a failure/recovery (F/R) rating scale, the use of F/R Rating Scale as a common element between simulation and flight evaluation, and the expansion of the flight envelope without benefit of simulation.

White Paper on Dish Stirling Technology: Path Toward Commercial Deployment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Andraka, Charles E.; Stechel, Ellen; Becker, Peter

2016-07-01

Dish Stirling energy systems have been developed for distributed and large-scale utility deployment. This report summarizes the state of the technology in a joint project between Stirling Energy Systems, Sandia National Laboratories, and the Department of Energy in 2011. It then lays out a feasible path to large scale deployment, including development needs and anticipated cost reduction paths that will make a viable deployment product.

Experience with specifications applicable to certification. [of photovoltaic modules for large-scale application

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ross, R. G., Jr.

1982-01-01

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory has developed a number of photovoltaic test and measurement specifications to guide the development of modules toward the requirements of future large-scale applications. Experience with these specifications and the extensive module measurement and testing that has accompanied their use is examined. Conclusions are drawn relative to three aspects of product certification: performance measurement, endurance testing and safety evaluation.

A Simple Laboratory Scale Model of Iceberg Dynamics and its Role in Undergraduate Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burton, J. C.; MacAyeal, D. R.; Nakamura, N.

2011-12-01

Lab-scale models of geophysical phenomena have a long history in research and education. For example, at the University of Chicago, Dave Fultz developed laboratory-scale models of atmospheric flows. The results from his laboratory were so stimulating that similar laboratories were subsequently established at a number of other institutions. Today, the Dave Fultz Memorial Laboratory for Hydrodynamics (http://geosci.uchicago.edu/~nnn/LAB/) teaches general circulation of the atmosphere and oceans to hundreds of students each year. Following this tradition, we have constructed a lab model of iceberg-capsize dynamics for use in the Fultz Laboratory, which focuses on the interface between glaciology and physical oceanography. The experiment consists of a 2.5 meter long wave tank containing water and plastic "icebergs". The motion of the icebergs is tracked using digital video. Movies can be found at: http://geosci.uchicago.edu/research/glaciology_files/tsunamigenesis_research.shtml. We have had 3 successful undergraduate interns with backgrounds in mathematics, engineering, and geosciences perform experiments, analyze data, and interpret results. In addition to iceberg dynamics, the wave-tank has served as a teaching tool in undergraduate classes studying dam-breaking and tsunami run-up. Motivated by the relatively inexpensive cost of our apparatus (~1K-2K dollars) and positive experiences of undergraduate students, we hope to serve as a model for undergraduate research and education that other universities may follow.

Laboratory Modelling of Volcano Plumbing Systems: a review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galland, Olivier; Holohan, Eoghan P.; van Wyk de Vries, Benjamin; Burchardt, Steffi

2015-04-01

Earth scientists have, since the XIX century, tried to replicate or model geological processes in controlled laboratory experiments. In particular, laboratory modelling has been used study the development of volcanic plumbing systems, which sets the stage for volcanic eruptions. Volcanic plumbing systems involve complex processes that act at length scales of microns to thousands of kilometres and at time scales from milliseconds to billions of years, and laboratory models appear very suitable to address them. This contribution reviews laboratory models dedicated to study the dynamics of volcano plumbing systems (Galland et al., Accepted). The foundation of laboratory models is the choice of relevant model materials, both for rock and magma. We outline a broad range of suitable model materials used in the literature. These materials exhibit very diverse rheological behaviours, so their careful choice is a crucial first step for the proper experiment design. The second step is model scaling, which successively calls upon: (1) the principle of dimensional analysis, and (2) the principle of similarity. The dimensional analysis aims to identify the dimensionless physical parameters that govern the underlying processes. The principle of similarity states that "a laboratory model is equivalent to his geological analogue if the dimensionless parameters identified in the dimensional analysis are identical, even if the values of the governing dimensional parameters differ greatly" (Barenblatt, 2003). The application of these two steps ensures a solid understanding and geological relevance of the laboratory models. In addition, this procedure shows that laboratory models are not designed to exactly mimic a given geological system, but to understand underlying generic processes, either individually or in combination, and to identify or demonstrate physical laws that govern these processes. From this perspective, we review the numerous applications of laboratory models to understand the distinct key features of volcanic plumbing systems: dykes, cone sheets, sills, laccoliths, caldera-related structures, ground deformation, magma/fault interactions, and explosive vents. Barenblatt, G.I., 2003. Scaling. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Galland, O., Holohan, E.P., van Wyk de Vries, B., Burchardt, S., Accepted. Laboratory modelling of volcanic plumbing systems: A review, in: Breitkreuz, C., Rocchi, S. (Eds.), Laccoliths, sills and dykes: Physical geology of shallow level magmatic systems. Springer.

Photocatalytic destruction of chlorinated solvents with solar energy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pacheco, J.; Prairie, M.; Yellowhorse, L.

1990-01-01

Sandia National Laboratories and the Solar Energy Research Institute are developing a photocatalytic process to destroy organic contaminants in water. Tests with common water pollutants are being conducted at Sandia's Solar Thermal Test Facility using a near commercial-scale single-axis tracking parabolic trough system with glass pipe mounted at its focus. Experiments at this scale provide verification of laboratory studies and allow examination of design and operation issues at a real-life scale. The catalyst, titanium dioxide (TiO{sub 2}), is a harmless material found in paint, cosmetics and toothpaste. Experiments were conducted to determine the effect of key process parameters on destructionmore » rates of two chlorinated organic compounds which are common water pollutants: trichloroethylene and trichloroethane. In this paper, we summarize the engineering-scale results of these experiments and analyses. 21 refs., 8 figs.« less

A Cryogenic Detector Characterization Facility in the Shallow Underground Laboratory at the Technical University of Munich

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Langenkämper, A.; Defay, X.; Ferreiro Iachellini, N.; Kinast, A.; Lanfranchi, J.-C.; Lindner, E.; Mancuso, M.; Mondragón, E.; Münster, A.; Ortmann, T.; Potzel, W.; Schönert, S.; Strauss, R.; Ulrich, A.; Wawoczny, S.; Willers, M.

2018-04-01

The Physics Department of the Technical University of Munich operates a shallow underground detector laboratory in Garching, Germany. It provides ˜ 160 {m^2} of laboratory space which is shielded from cosmic radiation by ˜ 6 m of gravel and soil, corresponding to a shielding of ˜ 15 {m.w.e.} . The laboratory also houses a cleanroom equipped with work- and wetbenches, a chemical fumehood as well as a spin-coater and a mask-aligner for photolithographic processing of semiconductor detectors. Furthermore, the shallow underground laboratory runs two high-purity germanium detector screening stations, a liquid argon cryostat and a ^3 He-^4 He dilution refrigerator with a base temperature of ≤ 12-14 mK . The infrastructure provided by the shallow laboratory is particularly relevant for the characterization of CaWO_4 target crystals for the CRESST-III experiment, detector fabrication and assembly for rare event searches. Future applications of the laboratory include detector development in the framework of coherent neutrino nucleus scattering experiments (ν -cleus) and studying its potential as a site to search for MeV-scale dark matter with gram-scale cryogenic detectors.

The present development of time service in Brazil, with the application of the TV line-10 method for coordination and synchronization of atomic clocks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Silva, P. M.; Silva, I. M.

1974-01-01

Various methods presently used for the dissemination of time at several levels of precision are described along with future projects in the field. Different aspects of time coordination are reviewed and a list of future laboratories participating in a National Time Scale will be presented. A Brazilian Atomic Time Scale will be obtained from as many of these laboratories as possible. The problem of intercomparison between the Brazilian National Time Scale and the International one will be presented and probable solutions will be discussed. Needs related to the TV Line-10 method will be explained and comments will be made on the legal aspects of time dissemination throughout the country.

Hydrodynamic Scalings: from Astrophysics to Laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryutov, D. D.; Remington, B. A.

2000-05-01

A surprisingly general hydrodynamic similarity has been recently described in Refs. [1,2]. One can call it the Euler similarity because it works for the Euler equations (with MHD effects included). Although the dissipation processes are assumed to be negligible, the presence of shocks is allowed. For the polytropic medium (i.e., the medium where the energy density is proportional to the pressure), an evolution of an arbitrarily chosen 3D initial state can be scaled to another system, if a single dimensionless parameter (the Euler number) is the same for both initial states. The Euler similarity allows one to properly design laboratory experiments modeling astrophysical phenomena. We discuss several examples of such experiments related to the physics of supernovae [3]. For the problems with a single spatial scale, the condition of the smallness of dissipative processes can be adequately described in terms of the Reynolds, Peclet, and magnetic Reynolds numbers related to this scale (all three numbers must be large). However, if the system develops small-scale turbulence, dissipation may become important at these smaller scales, thereby affecting the gross behavior of the system. We analyze the corresponding constraints. We discuss also constraints imposed by the presence of interfaces between the substances with different polytropic index. Another set of similarities governs evolution of photoevaporation fronts in astrophysics. Convenient scaling laws exist in situations where the density of the ablated material is very low compared to the bulk density. We conclude that a number of hydrodynamical problems related to such objects as the Eagle Nebula can be adequately simulated in the laboratory. We discuss also possible scalings for radiative astrophysical jets (see Ref. [3] and references therein). This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by University of California Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under contract W-7405-Eng-48. 1. D.D. Ryutov, R.P. Drake, J. Kane, E. Liang, B. A. Remington, and W.M. Wood-Vasey. "Similarity criteria for the laboratory simulation of supernova hydrodynamics." Astrophysical Journal, v. 518, p. 821 (1999). 2. D.D. Ryutov, R.P. Drake, B.A. Remington. "Criteria for scaled laboratory simulations of astrophysical MHD phenomena." To appear in Astrophysical Journal - Supplement, April 2000. 3. Remington, B.A., Phys. Plasmas, 7, # 5 (2000).

A Different Laboratory Tale: Fifty Years of Mössbauer Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Westfall, Catherine

2006-05-01

I explore the fifty-year development of Mössbauer spectroscopy by focusing on three episodes in its development at Argonne National Laboratory: work by nuclear physicists using radioactive sources in the early 1960s, work by solid-state physicists using radioactive resources from the mid- 1960s through the 1970s,and work by solid-state physicists using the Advanced Photon Source from the 1980s to 2005. These episodes show how knowledge about the properties of matter was produced in a national-laboratory context and highlights the web of connections that allow nationallaboratory scientists working at a variety of scales to produce both technological and scientific innovations.

The WHO/PEPFAR collaboration to prepare an operations manual for HIV prevention, care, and treatment at primary health centers in high-prevalence, resource-constrained settings: defining laboratory services.

PubMed

Spira, Thomas; Lindegren, Mary Lou; Ferris, Robert; Habiyambere, Vincent; Ellerbrock, Tedd

2009-06-01

The expansion of HIV/AIDS care and treatment in resource-constrained countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, has generally developed in a top-down manner. Further expansion will involve primary health centers where human and other resources are limited. This article describes the World Health Organization/President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief collaboration formed to help scale up HIV services in primary health centers in high-prevalence, resource-constrained settings. It reviews the contents of the Operations Manual developed, with emphasis on the Laboratory Services chapter, which discusses essential laboratory services, both at the center and the district hospital level, laboratory safety, laboratory testing, specimen transport, how to set up a laboratory, human resources, equipment maintenance, training materials, and references. The chapter provides specific information on essential tests and generic job aids for them. It also includes annexes containing a list of laboratory supplies for the health center and sample forms.

Multiscale Multiphysics Developments for Accident Tolerant Fuel Concepts

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gamble, K. A.; Hales, J. D.; Yu, J.

2015-09-01

U 3Si 2 and iron-chromium-aluminum (Fe-Cr-Al) alloys are two of many proposed accident-tolerant fuel concepts for the fuel and cladding, respectively. The behavior of these materials under normal operating and accident reactor conditions is not well known. As part of the Department of Energy’s Accident Tolerant Fuel High Impact Problem program significant work has been conducted to investigate the U 3Si 2 and FeCrAl behavior under reactor conditions. This report presents the multiscale and multiphysics effort completed in fiscal year 2015. The report is split into four major categories including Density Functional Theory Developments, Molecular Dynamics Developments, Mesoscale Developments, andmore » Engineering Scale Developments. The work shown here is a compilation of a collaborative effort between Idaho National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory and Anatech Corp.« less

Principles and implementations of electrolysis systems for water splitting

DOE PAGES

Xiang, Chengxiang; Papadantonakis, Kimberly M.; Lewis, Nathan S.

2016-02-12

Efforts to develop renewable sources of carbon-neutral fuels have brought a renewed focus to research and development of sunlight-driven water-splitting systems. Electrolysis of water to produce H 2 and O 2 gases is the foundation of such systems, is conceptually and practically simple, and has been practiced both in the laboratory and industrially for many decades. In this Focus article, the fundamentals of water splitting and practices which distinguish commercial water-electrolysis systems from simple laboratory-scale demonstrations are described.

Designing a User-Friendly Microcomputer-Based Laboratory Package through the Factor Analysis of Teacher Evaluations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lavonen, Jari; Juuti, Kalle; Meisalo, Veijo

2003-01-01

In this study we analyse how the experiences of chemistry teachers on the use of a Microcomputer-Based Laboratory (MBL), gathered by a Likert-scale instrument, can be utilized to develop the new package "Empirica 2000." We used exploratory factor analysis to identify the essential features in a large set of questionnaire data to see how…

Effects of ambient temperature on egg and larval development of the invasive emerald ash borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae): implications for laboratory-rearing

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, an invasive beetle from Asia causing large scale ash (Fraxinus spp.) mortality in North America, has been extremely difficult to rear in the laboratory because of its long life cycle and cryptic nature of immature stages. This lack of effective ...

Outcomes of Student Participation in Apparel Construction/Sewing Laboratory Classes in Southern California Community Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis-Goldstein, Diane Evelyn

2010-01-01

This exploratory study was an attempt to understand the types of affective learning. The study focused on beginning students who were enrolled in apparel construction/sewing laboratory in community colleges within Los Angeles and Ventura counties during the spring of 2009 (n = 155). The primary purpose of the study was to develop scales that would…

Preparation and Viscosity of Biodiesel from New and Used Vegetable Oil: An Inquiry-Based Environmental Chemistry Laboratory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clarke, Nathan R.; Casey, John Patrick; Brown, Earlene D.; Oneyma, Ezenwa; Donaghy, Kelley J.

2006-01-01

A synthesis is developed to make biodiesel from vegetable oils such as soybean, sunflower, and corn oil, as an exercise in the laboratory. Viscosity measurements were used to gain an understanding of an intermolecular property of the biodiesel and that has limited the implementation of biodiesel on a wide scale basis, solidification at low…

Full-scale laboratory validation of a wireless MEMS-based technology for damage assessment of concrete structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trapani, Davide; Zonta, Daniele; Molinari, Marco; Amditis, Angelos; Bimpas, Matthaios; Bertsch, Nicolas; Spiering, Vincent; Santana, Juan; Sterken, Tom; Torfs, Tom; Bairaktaris, Dimitris; Bairaktaris, Manos; Camarinopulos, Stefanos; Frondistou-Yannas, Mata; Ulieru, Dumitru

2012-04-01

This paper illustrates an experimental campaign conducted under laboratory conditions on a full-scale reinforced concrete three-dimensional frame instrumented with wireless sensors developed within the Memscon project. In particular it describes the assumptions which the experimental campaign was based on, the design of the structure, the laboratory setup and the results of the tests. The aim of the campaign was to validate the performance of Memscon sensing systems, consisting of wireless accelerometers and strain sensors, on a real concrete structure during construction and under an actual earthquake. Another aspect of interest was to assess the effectiveness of the full damage recognition procedure based on the data recorded by the sensors and the reliability of the Decision Support System (DSS) developed in order to provide the stakeholders recommendations for building rehabilitation and the costs of this. With these ends, a Eurocode 8 spectrum-compatible accelerogram with increasing amplitude was applied at the top of an instrumented concrete frame built in the laboratory. MEMSCON sensors were directly compared with wired instruments, based on devices available on the market and taken as references, during both construction and seismic simulation.

SLIPTA e-Tool improves laboratory audit process in Vietnam and Cambodia

PubMed Central

Nguyen, Thuong T.; McKinney, Barbara; Pierson, Antoine; Luong, Khue N.; Hoang, Quynh T.; Meharwal, Sandeep; Carvalho, Humberto M.; Nguyen, Cuong Q.; Nguyen, Kim T.

2014-01-01

Background The Stepwise Laboratory Quality Improvement Process Towards Accreditation (SLIPTA) checklist is used worldwide to drive quality improvement in laboratories in developing countries and to assess the effectiveness of interventions such as the Strengthening Laboratory Management Toward Accreditation (SLMTA) programme. However, the paper-based format of the checklist makes administration cumbersome and limits timely analysis and communication of results. Development of e-Tool In early 2012, the SLMTA team in Vietnam developed an electronic SLIPTA checklist tool. The e-Tool was pilot tested in Vietnam in mid-2012 and revised. It was used during SLMTA implementation in Vietnam and Cambodia in 2012 and 2013 and further revised based on auditors’ feedback about usability. Outcomes The SLIPTA e-Tool enabled rapid turn-around of audit results, reduced workload and language barriers and facilitated analysis of national results. Benefits of the e-Tool will be magnified with in-country scale-up of laboratory quality improvement efforts and potential expansion to other countries. PMID:29043190

Fluid Pressure Variation in a Sedimentary Geothermal Reservoir in the North German Basin: Case Study Groß Schönebeck

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huenges, Ernst; Trautwein, Ute; Legarth, Björn; Zimmermann, Günter

2006-10-01

The Rotliegend of the North German basin is the target reservoir of an interdisciplinary investigation program to develop a technology for the generation of geothermal electricity from low-enthalpy reservoirs. An in situ downhole laboratory was established in the 4.3 km deep well Groβ Schönebeck with the purpose of developing appropriate stimulation methods to increase permeability of deep aquifers by enhancing or creating secondary porosity and flow paths. The goal is to learn how to enhance the inflow performance of a well from a variety of rock types in low permeable geothermal reservoirs. A change in effective stress due to fluid pressure was observed to be one of the key parameters influencing flow properties both downhole and in laboratory experiments on reservoir rocks. Fluid pressure variation was induced using proppant-gel-frac techniques as well as waterfrac techniques in several different new experiments in the borehole. A pressure step test indicates generation and extension of multiple fractures with closure pressures between 6 and 8.4 MPa above formation pressure. In a 24-hour production test 859 m3 water was produced from depth indicating an increase of productivity in comparison with former tests. Different depth sections and transmissibility values were observed in the borehole depending on fluid pressure. In addition, laboratory experiments were performed on core samples from the sandstone reservoir under uniaxial strain conditions, i.e., no lateral strain, constant axial load. The experiments on the borehole and the laboratory scale were realized on the same rock types under comparable stress conditions with similar pore pressure variations. Nevertheless, stress dependences of permeability are not easy to compare from scale to scale. Laboratory investigations reflect permeability variations due to microstructural heterogeneities and the behavior in the borehole is dominated by the generation of connections to large-scale structural patterns.

Importance of Public-Private Partnerships: Strengthening Laboratory Medicine Systems and Clinical Practice in Africa

PubMed Central

Shrivastava, Ritu; Gadde, Renuka; Nkengasong, John N.

2016-01-01

After the launch of the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief in 2003, it became evident that inadequate laboratory systems and services would severely limit the scale-up of human immunodeficiency virus infection prevention, care, and treatment programs. Thus, the Office of the US Global AIDS Coordinator, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Becton, Dickinson and Company developed a public-private partnership (PPP). Between October 2007 and July 2012, the PPP combined the competencies of the public and private sectors to boost sustainable laboratory systems and develop workforce skills in 4 African countries. Key accomplishments of the initiative include measurable and scalable outcomes to strengthen national capacities to build technical skills, develop sample referral networks, map disease prevalence, support evidence-based health programming, and drive continuous quality improvement in laboratories. This report details lessons learned from our experience and a series of recommendations on how to achieve successful PPPs. PMID:27025696

Photonically enabled Ka-band radar and infrared sensor subscale testbed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lohr, Michele B.; Sova, Raymond M.; Funk, Kevin B.; Airola, Marc B.; Dennis, Michael L.; Pavek, Richard E.; Hollenbeck, Jennifer S.; Garrison, Sean K.; Conard, Steven J.; Terry, David H.

2014-10-01

A subscale radio frequency (RF) and infrared (IR) testbed using novel RF-photonics techniques for generating radar waveforms is currently under development at The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL) to study target scenarios in a laboratory setting. The linearity of Maxwell's equations allows the use of millimeter wavelengths and scaled-down target models to emulate full-scale RF scene effects. Coupled with passive IR and visible sensors, target motions and heating, and a processing and algorithm development environment, this testbed provides a means to flexibly and cost-effectively generate and analyze multi-modal data for a variety of applications, including verification of digital model hypotheses, investigation of correlated phenomenology, and aiding system capabilities assessment. In this work, concept feasibility is demonstrated for simultaneous RF, IR, and visible sensor measurements of heated, precessing, conical targets and of a calibration cylinder. Initial proof-of-principle results are shown of the Ka-band subscale radar, which models S-band for 1/10th scale targets, using stretch processing and Xpatch models.

On the viability of supporting institutional sharing of remote laboratory facilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lowe, David; Dang, Bridgette; Daniel, Keith; Murray, Stephen; Lindsay, Euan

2015-11-01

Laboratories are generally regarded as critical to engineering education, and yet educational institutions face significant challenges in developing and maintaining high-quality laboratory facilities. Remote laboratories are increasingly being explored as a partial solution to this challenge, with research showing that - for the right learning outcomes - they can be viable adjuncts or alternatives to conventional hands-on laboratories. One consequential opportunity arising from the inherent support for distributed access is the possibility of cross-institutional shared facilities. While both technical feasibility and pedagogic implications of remote laboratories have been well studied within the literature, the organisational and logistical issues associated with shared facilities have received limited consideration. This paper uses an existing national-scale laboratory sharing initiative, along with a related survey and laboratory sharing data, to analyse a range of factors that can affect engagement in laboratory sharing. The paper also discusses the implications for supporting ongoing laboratory sharing.

SLIPTA e-Tool improves laboratory audit process in Vietnam and Cambodia.

PubMed

Nguyen, Thuong T; McKinney, Barbara; Pierson, Antoine; Luong, Khue N; Hoang, Quynh T; Meharwal, Sandeep; Carvalho, Humberto M; Nguyen, Cuong Q; Nguyen, Kim T; Bond, Kyle B

2014-01-01

The Stepwise Laboratory Quality Improvement Process Towards Accreditation (SLIPTA) checklist is used worldwide to drive quality improvement in laboratories in developing countries and to assess the effectiveness of interventions such as the Strengthening Laboratory Management Toward Accreditation (SLMTA) programme. However, the paper-based format of the checklist makes administration cumbersome and limits timely analysis and communication of results. In early 2012, the SLMTA team in Vietnam developed an electronic SLIPTA checklist tool. The e-Tool was pilot tested in Vietnam in mid-2012 and revised. It was used during SLMTA implementation in Vietnam and Cambodia in 2012 and 2013 and further revised based on auditors' feedback about usability. The SLIPTA e-Tool enabled rapid turn-around of audit results, reduced workload and language barriers and facilitated analysis of national results. Benefits of the e-Tool will be magnified with in-country scale-up of laboratory quality improvement efforts and potential expansion to other countries.

On the use of a laser ablation as a laboratory seismic source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Chengyi; Brito, Daniel; Diaz, Julien; Zhang, Deyuan; Poydenot, Valier; Bordes, Clarisse; Garambois, Stéphane

2017-04-01

Mimic near-surface seismic imaging conducted in well-controlled laboratory conditions is potentially a powerful tool to study large scale wave propagations in geological media by means of upscaling. Laboratory measurements are indeed particularly suited for tests of theoretical modellings and comparisons with numerical approaches. We have developed an automated Laser Doppler Vibrometer (LDV) platform, which is able to detect and register broadband nano-scale displacements on the surface of various materials. This laboratory equipment has already been validated in experiments where piezoelectric transducers were used as seismic sources. We are currently exploring a new seismic source in our experiments, a laser ablation, in order to compensate some drawbacks encountered with piezoelectric sources. The laser ablation source is considered to be an interesting ultrasound wave generator since the 1960s. It was believed to have numerous potential applications such as the Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) and the measurements of velocities and attenuations in solid samples. We aim at adapting and developing this technique into geophysical experimental investigations in order to produce and explore complete micro-seismic data sets in the laboratory. We will first present the laser characteristics including its mechanism, stability, reproducibility, and will evaluate in particular the directivity patterns of such a seismic source. We have started by applying the laser ablation source on the surfaces of multi-scale homogeneous aluminum samples and are now testing it on heterogeneous and fractured limestone cores. Some other results of data processing will also be shown, especially the 2D-slice V P and V S tomographic images obtained in limestone samples. Apart from the experimental records, numerical simulations will be carried out for both the laser source modelling and the wave propagation in different media. First attempts will be done to compare quantitatively the experimental data with simulations. Meanwhile, CT-scan X-ray images of these limestone cores will be used to check the relative pertinences of velocity tomography images produced by this newly developed laser ablation seismic source.

Fire extinguishing tests -80 with methyl alcohol gasoline

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holmstedt, G.; Ryderman, A.; Carlsson, B.; Lennmalm, B.

1980-10-01

Large scale tests and laboratory experiments were carried out for estimating the extinguishing effectiveness of three alcohol resistant aqueous film forming foams (AFFF), two alcohol resistant fluoroprotein foams and two detergent foams in various poolfires: gasoline, isopropyl alcohol, acetone, methyl-ethyl ketone, methyl alcohol and M15 (a gasoline, methyl alcohol, isobutene mixture). The scaling down of large scale tests for developing a reliable laboratory method was especially examined. The tests were performed with semidirect foam application, in pools of 50, 11, 4, 0.6, and 0.25 sq m. Burning time, temperature distribution in the liquid, and thermal radiation were determined. An M15 fire can be extinguished with a detergent foam, but it is impossible to extinguish fires in polar solvents, such as methyl alcohol, acetone, and isopropyl alcohol with detergent foams, AFFF give the best results; and performances with small pools can hardly be correlated with results from large scale fires.

Mathematical Modeling of the Effect of Roll Diameter on the Thermo-Mechanical Behavior of Twin Roll Cast AZ31 Magnesium Alloy Strips

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hadadzadeh, Amir; Wells, Mary

Although the Twin Roll Casting (TRC) process has been used in the aluminum sheet production industry for more than 60 years, the usage of this process to fabricate magnesium sheets is still at its early stages. Similar to other manufacturing processes, the development of the TRC process for magnesium alloys has followed a typical route of preliminary studies using a laboratory-scale facility, followed by pilot-scale testing and most recently attempting to use an industrial-scale twin roll caster. A powerful tool to understand and quantify the trends of the processing conditions and effects of scaling up from a laboratory size TRC machine to an industrial scale one is develop a mathematical model of the process. This can elucidate the coupled fluid-thermo-mechanical behavior of the cast strip during the solidification and then deformation stages of the process. In the present study a Thermal-Fluid-Stress model has been developed for TRC of AZ31 magnesium alloy for three roll diameters by employing the FEM commercial package ALSIM. The roll diameters were chosen as 355mm, 600mm and 1150mm. The effect of casting speed for each diameter was studied in terms of fluid flow, thermal history and stress-strain evolution in the cast strip in the roll bite region.

Integrated low emissions cleanup system for direct coal-fueled turbines

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lippert, T.E.; Newby, R.A.; Alvin, M.A.

1992-01-01

The Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Science Technology Center (W-STC) is developing an Integrated Low Emissions Cleanup (ILEC) concept for high-temperature gas cleaning to meet environmental standards, as well as to economical gas turbine life. The ILEC concept simultaneously controls sulfur, particulate, and alkali contaminants in high-pressure fuel gases or combustion gases at temperatures up to 1850[degrees]F for advanced power generation systems (PFBC, APFBC, IGCC, DCF7). The objective of this program is to demonstrate, at a bench scale, the conceptual, technical feasibility of the REC concept. The ELEC development program has a 3 phase structure: Phase 1 - laboratory-scale testing; phase 2more » - bench-scale equipment; design and fabrication; and phase 3 - bench-scale testing. Phase 1 laboratory testing has been completed. In Phase 1, entrained sulfur and alkali sorbent kinetics were measured and evaluated, and commercial-scale performance was projected. Related cold flow model testing has shown that gas-particle contacting within the ceramic barrier filter vessel will provide a good reactor environment. The Phase 1 test results and the commercial evaluation conducted in the Phase 1 program support the bench-scale facility testing to be performed in Phase 3. Phase 2 is nearing completion with the design and assembly of a modified, bench-scale test facility to demonstrate the technical feasibility of the ILEC features. This feasibility testing will be conducted in Phase 3.« less

Integrated low emissions cleanup system for direct coal-fueled turbines

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lippert, T.E.; Newby, R.A.; Alvin, M.A.

1992-12-31

The Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Science & Technology Center (W-STC) is developing an Integrated Low Emissions Cleanup (ILEC) concept for high-temperature gas cleaning to meet environmental standards, as well as to economical gas turbine life. The ILEC concept simultaneously controls sulfur, particulate, and alkali contaminants in high-pressure fuel gases or combustion gases at temperatures up to 1850{degrees}F for advanced power generation systems (PFBC, APFBC, IGCC, DCF7). The objective of this program is to demonstrate, at a bench scale, the conceptual, technical feasibility of the REC concept. The ELEC development program has a 3 phase structure: Phase 1 - laboratory-scale testing; phasemore » 2 - bench-scale equipment; design and fabrication; and phase 3 - bench-scale testing. Phase 1 laboratory testing has been completed. In Phase 1, entrained sulfur and alkali sorbent kinetics were measured and evaluated, and commercial-scale performance was projected. Related cold flow model testing has shown that gas-particle contacting within the ceramic barrier filter vessel will provide a good reactor environment. The Phase 1 test results and the commercial evaluation conducted in the Phase 1 program support the bench-scale facility testing to be performed in Phase 3. Phase 2 is nearing completion with the design and assembly of a modified, bench-scale test facility to demonstrate the technical feasibility of the ILEC features. This feasibility testing will be conducted in Phase 3.« less

Service Quality and Patient Satisfaction: An Exploratory Study of Pathology Laboratories in Jaipur.

PubMed

Agarwal, Anuradha; Singh, Maithili R P

2016-01-01

One of the most important parts of healthcare system is diagnostics. Nowadays, Indians have become more aware of their health, due to improved and better availability of health related information, increase in medical tourism, and expanding health insurance. The demand for better diagnostic facilities have increased with the increase in lifestyle related diseases, excesses use of chemicals in agriculture practices and change in food habits. It is expected that the Indian diagnostic market will grow from USD $5 billion in the year 2012 to USD $32 billion by the year 2020 with 20% CAGR (India Brand Equity Foundation 2015 ). Today patients have easy access of information regarding the health services and they have become more concerned about it as they look forward to receiving the maximum value for their money. To win the confidence of the patients and to maintain that trust, it is required to deliver the right services to the right person at the right time. The purpose of this study was to develop a scale to measure the service quality at pathology laboratory. A thorough review of literature revealed that there are studies related to healthcare service quality but there is no such established scale to measure service quality of pathology laboratory. Thus, the authors strived to develop a reliable and valid instrument to measure the patients' perception toward pathology laboratory service quality. For this exploratory study was conducted on the sample of 80 patients of the laboratories in Jaipur city. The reliability and factor structures were tested to purify the scale. The findings revealed 13 items, comprising of three dimensions of service quality: responsiveness, tangibility, and reliability.

Simulating flow in karst aquifers at laboratory and sub-regional scales using MODFLOW-CFP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallegos, Josue Jacob; Hu, Bill X.; Davis, Hal

2013-12-01

Groundwater flow in a well-developed karst aquifer dominantly occurs through bedding planes, fractures, conduits, and caves created by and/or enlarged by dissolution. Conventional groundwater modeling methods assume that groundwater flow is described by Darcian principles where primary porosity (i.e. matrix porosity) and laminar flow are dominant. However, in well-developed karst aquifers, the assumption of Darcian flow can be questionable. While Darcian flow generally occurs in the matrix portion of the karst aquifer, flow through conduits can be non-laminar where the relation between specific discharge and hydraulic gradient is non-linear. MODFLOW-CFP is a relatively new modeling program that accounts for non-laminar and laminar flow in pipes, like karst caves, within an aquifer. In this study, results from MODFLOW-CFP are compared to those from MODFLOW-2000/2005, a numerical code based on Darcy's law, to evaluate the accuracy that CFP can achieve when modeling flows in karst aquifers at laboratory and sub-regional (Woodville Karst Plain, Florida, USA) scales. In comparison with laboratory experiments, simulation results by MODFLOW-CFP are more accurate than MODFLOW 2005. At the sub-regional scale, MODFLOW-CFP was more accurate than MODFLOW-2000 for simulating field measurements of peak flow at one spring and total discharges at two springs for an observed storm event.

Persistence in soil of Miscanthus biochar in laboratory and field conditions

PubMed Central

Budai, Alice; O’Toole, Adam; Ma, Xingzhu; Rumpel, Cornelia; Abiven, Samuel

2017-01-01

Evaluating biochars for their persistence in soil under field conditions is an important step towards their implementation for carbon sequestration. Current evaluations might be biased because the vast majority of studies are short-term laboratory incubations of biochars produced in laboratory-scale pyrolyzers. Here our objective was to investigate the stability of a biochar produced with a medium-scale pyrolyzer, first through laboratory characterization and stability tests and then through field experiment. We also aimed at relating properties of this medium-scale biochar to that of a laboratory-made biochar with the same feedstock. Biochars were made of Miscanthus biomass for isotopic C-tracing purposes and produced at temperatures between 600 and 700°C. The aromaticity and degree of condensation of aromatic rings of the medium-scale biochar was high, as was its resistance to chemical oxidation. In a 90-day laboratory incubation, cumulative mineralization was 0.1% for the medium-scale biochar vs. 45% for the Miscanthus feedstock, pointing to the absence of labile C pool in the biochar. These stability results were very close to those obtained for biochar produced at laboratory-scale, suggesting that upscaling from laboratory to medium-scale pyrolyzers had little effect on biochar stability. In the field, the medium-scale biochar applied at up to 25 t C ha-1 decomposed at an estimated 0.8% per year. In conclusion, our biochar scored high on stability indices in the laboratory and displayed a mean residence time > 100 years in the field, which is the threshold for permanent removal in C sequestration projects. PMID:28873471

Proposal of a framework for scale-up life cycle inventory: A case of nanofibers for lithium iron phosphate cathode applications.

PubMed

Simon, Bálint; Bachtin, Krystyna; Kiliç, Ali; Amor, Ben; Weil, Marcel

2016-07-01

Environmental assessments are crucial for the management of the environmental impacts of a product in a rapidly developing world. The design phase creates opportunities for acting on the environmental issues of products using life cycle assessment (LCA). However, the LCA is hampered by a lack of information originating from distinct scales along the product or technology value chain. Many studies have been undertaken to handle similar problems, but these studies are case-specific and do not analyze the development options in the initial design phase. Thus, systematic studies are needed to determine the possible scaling. Knowledge from such screening studies would open the door for developing new methods that can tackle a given scaling problem. The present article proposes a scale-up procedure that aims to generate a new life cycle inventory (LCI) on a theoretical industrial scale, based on information from laboratory experiments. Three techniques are described to obtain the new LCI. Investigation of a laboratory-scale procedure is discussed to find similar industrial processes as a benchmark for describing a theoretical large-scale production process. Furthermore, LCA was performed on a model system of nanofiber electrospinning for Li-ion battery cathode applications. The LCA results support material developers in identifying promising development pathways. For example, the present study pointed out the significant impacts of dimethylformamide on suspension preparation and the power requirements of distinct electrospinning subprocesses. Nanofiber-containing battery cells had greater environmental impacts than did the reference cell, although they had better electrochemical performance, such as better wettability of the electrode, improving the electrode's electrosorption capacity, and longer expected lifetime. Furthermore, material and energy recovery throughout the production chain could decrease the environmental impacts by 40% to 70%, making the nanofiber a promising battery cathode. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2016;12:465-477. © 2016 SETAC. © 2016 SETAC.

Realizing a Framework for Enhancing the Laboratory Experiences of Non-Physics Majors: From Pilot to Large-Scale Implementation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kirkup, Les; Pizzica, Jenny; Waite, Katrina; Srinivasan, Lakshmi

2010-01-01

Physics experiments for students not majoring in physics may have little meaning for those students and appear to them unconnected in any way to their majors. This affects student engagement and influences the extent to which they regard their experiences in the physics laboratory as positive. We apply a framework for the development and…

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kawamura, Yoshiyuki

The radiative forcing of the greenhouse gases has been studied being based on computational simulations or the observation of the real atmosphere meteorologically. In order to know the greenhouse effect more deeply and to study it from various viewpoints, the study on it in a laboratory scale is important. We have developed a direct measurement system for the infrared back radiation from the carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) gas. The system configuration is similar with that of the practical earth-atmosphere-space system. Using this system, the back radiation from the CO{sub 2} gas was directly measured in a laboratory scale, which roughlymore » coincides with meteorologically predicted value.« less

A finite difference model used to predict the consolidation of a ceramic waste form produced from the electrometallurgical treatment of spent nuclear fuel.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bateman, K. J.; Capson, D. D.

2004-03-29

Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) has developed a process to immobilize waste salt containing fission products, uranium, and transuranic elements as chlorides in a glass-bonded ceramic waste form. This salt was generated in the electrorefining operation used in the electrometallurgical treatment of spent Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II) fuel. The ceramic waste process culminates with an elevated temperature operation. The processing conditions used by the furnace, for demonstration scale and production scale operations, are to be developed at Argonne National Laboratory-West (ANL-West). To assist in selecting the processing conditions of the furnace and to reduce the number of costly experiments, a finitemore » difference model was developed to predict the consolidation of the ceramic waste. The model accurately predicted the heating as well as the bulk density of the ceramic waste form. The methodology used to develop the computer model and a comparison of the analysis to experimental data is presented.« less

Motion sickness in cats - A symptom rating scale used in laboratory and flight tests

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Suri, K. B.; Daunton, N. G.; Crampton, G. H.

1979-01-01

The cat is proposed as a model for the study of motion and space sickness. Development of a scale for rating the motion sickness severity in the cat is described. The scale is used to evaluate an antimotion sickness drug, d-amphetamine plus scopolamine, and to determine whether it is possible to predict sickness susceptibility during parabolic flight, including zero-G maneuvers, from scores obtained during ground based trials.

Behavior of U 3Si 2 Fuel and FeCrAl Cladding under Normal Operating and Accident Reactor Conditions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gamble, Kyle Allan Lawrence; Hales, Jason Dean; Barani, Tommaso

2016-09-01

As part of the Department of Energy's Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation program, an Accident Tolerant Fuel High Impact Problem was initiated at the beginning of fiscal year 2015 to investigate the behavior of \\usi~fuel and iron-chromium-aluminum (FeCrAl) claddings under normal operating and accident reactor conditions. The High Impact Problem was created in response to the United States Department of Energy's renewed interest in accident tolerant materials after the events that occurred at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in 2011. The High Impact Problem is a multinational laboratory and university collaborative research effort between Idaho National Laboratory, Losmore » Alamos National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. This report primarily focuses on the engineering scale research in fiscal year 2016 with brief summaries of the lower length scale developments in the areas of density functional theory, cluster dynamics, rate theory, and phase field being presented.« less

Fracture induced electromagnetic emissions: extending laboratory findings by observations at the geophysical scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Potirakis, Stelios M.; Contoyiannis, Yiannis; Kopanas, John; Kalimeris, Anastasios; Antonopoulos, George; Peratzakis, Athanasios; Eftaxias, Konstantinos; Nomicos, Constantinos

2014-05-01

Under natural conditions, it is practically impossible to install an experimental network on the geophysical scale using the same instrumentations as in laboratory experiments for understanding, through the states of stress and strain and their time variation, the laws that govern the friction during the last stages of EQ generation, or to monitor (much less to control) the principal characteristics of a fracture process. Fracture-induced electromagnetic emissions (EME) in a wide range of frequency bands are sensitive to the micro-structural chances. Thus, their study constitutes a nondestructive method for the monitoring of the evolution of damage process at the laboratory scale. It has been suggested that fracture induced MHz-kHz electromagnetic (EM) emissions, which emerge from a few days up to a few hours before the main seismic shock occurrence permit a real time monitoring of the damage process during the last stages of earthquake preparation, as it happens at the laboratory scale. Since the EME are produced both in the case of the laboratory scale fracture and the EQ preparation process (geophysical scale fracture) they should present similar characteristics in these two scales. Therefore, both the laboratory experimenting scientists and the experimental scientists studying the pre-earthquake EME could benefit from each- other's results. Importantly, it is noted that when studying the fracture process by means of laboratory experiments, the fault growth process normally occurs violently in a fraction of a second. However, a major difference between the laboratory and natural processes is the order-of-magnitude differences in scale (in space and time), allowing the possibility of experimental observation at the geophysical scale for a range of physical processes which are not observable at the laboratory scale. Therefore, the study of fracture-induced EME is expected to reveal more information, especially for the last stages of the fracture process, when it is conducted at the geophysical scale. As a characteristic example, we discuss about the case of electromagnetic silence before the global rupture that was first observed in preseismic EME and recently was also observed in the EME measured during laboratory fracture experiments, completely revising the earlier views about the fracture-induced electromagnetic emissions.

Laboratory challenges in the scaling up of HIV, TB, and malaria programs: The interaction of health and laboratory systems, clinical research, and service delivery.

PubMed

Birx, Deborah; de Souza, Mark; Nkengasong, John N

2009-06-01

Strengthening national health laboratory systems in resource-poor countries is critical to meeting the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. Despite strong commitment from the international community to fight major infectious diseases, weak laboratory infrastructure remains a huge rate-limiting step. Some major challenges facing laboratory systems in resource-poor settings include dilapidated infrastructure; lack of human capacity, laboratory policies, and strategic plans; and limited synergies between clinical and research laboratories. Together, these factors compromise the quality of test results and impact patient management. With increased funding, the target of laboratory strengthening efforts in resource-poor countries should be the integrating of laboratory services across major diseases to leverage resources with respect to physical infrastructure; types of assays; supply chain management of reagents and equipment; and maintenance of equipment.

The Sulcis Storage Project: Status of the First Italian Initiative for Pilot-Scale Geological Sequestration of CO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plaisant, A.; Maggio, E.; Pettinau, A.

2016-12-01

The deep aquifer located at a depth of about 1000-1500 m within fractured carbonate in the Sulcis coal basin (South-West Sardinia, Italy) constitutes a potential reservoir to develop a pilot-scale CO2 storage site. The occurrence of several coal mines and the geology of the basin also provide favourable condition to install a permanent infrastructures where advanced CO2 storage technologies can be developed. Overall, the Sulcis project will allow to characterize the Sulcis coal basin (South West Sardinia, Italy) and to develop a permanent infrastructure (know-how, equipment, laboratories, etc.) for advanced international studies on CO2 storage. The research activities are structured in two different phases: (i) site characterization, including the construction of an underground and a fault laboratories and (ii) the installation of a test site for small-scale injection of CO2. In particular, the underground laboratory will host geochemical and geophysical experiments on rocks, taking advantages of the buried environment and the very well confined conditions in the galleries; in parallel, the fault laboratory will be constructed to study CO2 leakage phenomena in a selected fault. The project is currently ongoing and some preliminary results will be presented in this work as well as the structure of the project as a whole. More in detail, preliminary activities comprise: (i) geochemical monitoring; (ii) the minero-petrographycal, physical and geophysical characterization of the rock samples; (iii) the development of both static and dynamic geological models of the reservoir; (iv) the structural geology and fault analysis; (v) the assessment of natural seismicity through a monitoring network (vi) the re-processing and the analysis of the reflection seismic data. Future activities will comprise: (i) the drilling of shallow exploration wells near the faults; (ii) the construction of both the above mentioned laboratories; (iii) drilling of a deep exploration well (1,500 m); (iv) injection tests. Preliminary analyses show that the rocks of the carbonate formation present a low porosity, but the formation is characterized by a good permeability for fractures and karst. The faults are typically sealed and petrophysical properties of caprock and reservoir are spatially heterogeneous.

30 CFR 14.21 - Laboratory-scale flame test apparatus.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Laboratory-scale flame test apparatus. 14.21 Section 14.21 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR TESTING... Technical Requirements § 14.21 Laboratory-scale flame test apparatus. The principal parts of the apparatus...

30 CFR 14.21 - Laboratory-scale flame test apparatus.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Laboratory-scale flame test apparatus. 14.21 Section 14.21 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR TESTING... Technical Requirements § 14.21 Laboratory-scale flame test apparatus. The principal parts of the apparatus...

Determining the Influence of Groundwater Composition on the Performance of Arsenic Adsorption Columns Using Rapid Small-Scale Column Tests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aragon, A. R.; Siegel, M.

2004-12-01

The USEPA has established a more stringent drinking water standard for arsenic, reducing the maximum contaminant level (MCL) from 50 μ g/L to 10 μ g/L. This will affect many small communities in the US that lack the appropriate treatment infrastructure and funding to reduce arsenic to such levels. For such communities, adsorption systems are the preferred technology based on ease of operation and relatively lower costs. The performance of adsorption media for the removal of arsenic from drinking water is dependent on site-specific water quality. At certain concentrations, co-occurring solutes will compete effectively with arsenic for sorption sites, potentially reducing the sorption capacity of the media. Due to the site-specific nature of water quality and variations in media properties, pilot scale studies are typically carried out to ensure that a proposed treatment technique is cost effective before installation of a full-scale system. Sandia National Laboratories is currently developing an approach to utilize rapid small-scale columns in lieu of pilot columns to test innovative technologies that could significantly reduce the cost of treatment in small communities. Rapid small-scale column tests (RSSCTs) were developed to predict full-scale treatment of organic contaminants by adsorption onto granular activated carbon (GAC). This process greatly reduced the time and costs required to verify performance of GAC adsorption columns. In this study, the RSSCT methodology is used to predict the removal of inorganic arsenic using mixed metal oxyhydroxide adsorption media. The media are engineered and synthesized from materials that control arsenic behavior in natural and disturbed systems. We describe the underlying theory and application of RSSCTs for the performance evaluation of novel media in several groundwater compositions. Results of small-scale laboratory columns are being used to predict the performance of pilot-scale systems and ultimately to design full-scale systems. RSSCTs will be performed on a suite of water compositions representing the variety of water supplies in the United States that are affected by the new drinking water standard. Ultimately, this approach will be used to carry out inexpensive short-term pilot studies at a large number of sites where large-scale pilots are not economically feasible. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin company, for the United States Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under Contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.

Prediction of Gas Injection Performance for Heterogeneous Reservoirs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Blunt, Martin J.; Orr, Franklin M.

This report describes research carried out in the Department of Petroleum Engineering at Stanford University from September 1997 - September 1998 under the second year of a three-year grant from the Department of Energy on the "Prediction of Gas Injection Performance for Heterogeneous Reservoirs." The research effort is an integrated study of the factors affecting gas injection, from the pore scale to the field scale, and involves theoretical analysis, laboratory experiments, and numerical simulation. The original proposal described research in four areas: (1) Pore scale modeling of three phase flow in porous media; (2) Laboratory experiments and analysis of factorsmore » influencing gas injection performance at the core scale with an emphasis on the fundamentals of three phase flow; (3) Benchmark simulations of gas injection at the field scale; and (4) Development of streamline-based reservoir simulator. Each state of the research is planned to provide input and insight into the next stage, such that at the end we should have an integrated understanding of the key factors affecting field scale displacements.« less

Investigation of the Use of Geobags to Immobilize Submerged Munitions: A Report on the Concept, Development, and Testing

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-01

Halls Ferry Road; Bldg 3270; RM 1810 Vicksburg, MS 39180 Raymond S. Chapman Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory U.S. Army Engineer Research and...11  Figure 6. Olmsted 1:5 scale hydraulic flume, Phase 2 test bed...Bailey, Environmental Engineering Branch (EEB) of EPED; Andy Martin, EEB; Dr. Ray Chapman, ERDC Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory (CHL); and Pam

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lu, Ping

Controlling metallic nanoparticle (NP) interactions plays a vital role in the development of new joining techniques (nanosolder) that bond at lower processing temperatures but remain viable at higher temperatures. The pr imary objective of this project is t o develop a fundamental understanding of the actual reaction processes, associated atomic mechanisms, and the resulting microstructure that occur during thermally - driven bond formation concerning metal - metal nano - scale (%3C50nm) interfaces. In this LDRD pr oject, we have studied metallic NPs interaction at the elevated temperatures by combining in - situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM ) using an aberrationmore » - corrected scanning transmission electron microscope (AC - STEM) and atomic - scale modeling such as m olecular dynamic (MD) simulations. Various metallic NPs such as Ag, Cu and Au are synthesized by chemical routines. Numerous in - situ e xperiments were carried out with focus of the research on study of Ag - Cu system. For the first time, using in - situ STEM he ating experiments , we directly observed t he formation of a 3 - dimensional (3 - D) epitaxial Cu - Ag core - shell nanoparticle during the thermal interaction of Cu and Ag NPs at elevated temperatures (150 - 300 o C). The reaction takes place at temperatures as low as 150 o C and was only observed when care was taken to circumvent the effects of electron beam irradiation during STEM imaging. Atomic - scale modeling verified that the Cu - Ag core - shell structure is energetically favored, and indicated that this phenomenon is a nano - scale effect related to the large surface - to - volume ratio of the NPs. The observation potentially can be used for developing new nanosolder technology that uses Ag shell as the "glue" that stic ks the particles of Cu together. The LDRD has led to several journal publications and numerous conference presentations, and a TA. In addition, we have developed new TEM characterization techniques and phase - field modeling tools that can be used for future materials research at Sandia. Acknowledgeme nts This work was supported by the Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program of Sandia National Laboratories. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi - program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidia ry of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the US Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE - AC04 - 94AL85000.« less

Advances and Challenges In Uncertainty Quantification with Application to Climate Prediction, ICF design and Science Stockpile Stewardship

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klein, R.; Woodward, C. S.; Johannesson, G.; Domyancic, D.; Covey, C. C.; Lucas, D. D.

2012-12-01

Uncertainty Quantification (UQ) is a critical field within 21st century simulation science that resides at the very center of the web of emerging predictive capabilities. The science of UQ holds the promise of giving much greater meaning to the results of complex large-scale simulations, allowing for quantifying and bounding uncertainties. This powerful capability will yield new insights into scientific predictions (e.g. Climate) of great impact on both national and international arenas, allow informed decisions on the design of critical experiments (e.g. ICF capsule design, MFE, NE) in many scientific fields, and assign confidence bounds to scientifically predictable outcomes (e.g. nuclear weapons design). In this talk I will discuss a major new strategic initiative (SI) we have developed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to advance the science of Uncertainty Quantification at LLNL focusing in particular on (a) the research and development of new algorithms and methodologies of UQ as applied to multi-physics multi-scale codes, (b) incorporation of these advancements into a global UQ Pipeline (i.e. a computational superstructure) that will simplify user access to sophisticated tools for UQ studies as well as act as a self-guided, self-adapting UQ engine for UQ studies on extreme computing platforms and (c) use laboratory applications as a test bed for new algorithms and methodologies. The initial SI focus has been on applications for the quantification of uncertainty associated with Climate prediction, but the validated UQ methodologies we have developed are now being fed back into Science Based Stockpile Stewardship (SSS) and ICF UQ efforts. To make advancements in several of these UQ grand challenges, I will focus in talk on the following three research areas in our Strategic Initiative: Error Estimation in multi-physics and multi-scale codes ; Tackling the "Curse of High Dimensionality"; and development of an advanced UQ Computational Pipeline to enable complete UQ workflow and analysis for ensemble runs at the extreme scale (e.g. exascale) with self-guiding adaptation in the UQ Pipeline engine. This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344 and was funded by the Uncertainty Quantification Strategic Initiative Laboratory Directed Research and Development Project at LLNL under project tracking code 10-SI-013 (UCRL LLNL-ABS-569112).

Conversion of municipal solid waste to hydrogen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richardson, J. H.; Rogers, R. S.; Thorsness, C. B.

1995-04-01

LLNL and Texaco are cooperatively developing a physical and chemical treatment method for the conversion of municipal solid waste (MSW) to hydrogen via the steps of hydrothermal pretreatment, gasification and purification. LLNL's focus has been on hydrothermal pretreatment of MSW in order to prepare a slurry of suitable viscosity and heating value to allow efficient and economical gasification and hydrogen production. The project has evolved along 3 parallel paths: laboratory scale experiments, pilot scale processing, and process modeling. Initial laboratory-scale MSW treatment results (e.g., viscosity, slurry solids content) over a range of temperatures and times with newspaper and plastics will be presented. Viscosity measurements have been correlated with results obtained at MRL. A hydrothermal treatment pilot facility has been rented from Texaco and is being reconfigured at LLNL; the status of that facility and plans for initial runs will be described. Several different operational scenarios have been modeled. Steady state processes have been modeled with ASPEN PLUS; consideration of steam injection in a batch mode was handled using continuous process modules. A transient model derived from a general purpose packed bed model is being developed which can examine the aspects of steam heating inside the hydrothermal reactor vessel. These models have been applied to pilot and commercial scale scenarios as a function of MSW input parameters and have been used to outline initial overall economic trends. Part of the modeling, an overview of the MSW gasification process and the modeling of the MSW as a process material, was completed by a DOE SERS (Science and Engineering Research Semester) student. The ultimate programmatic goal is the technical demonstration of the gasification of MSW to hydrogen at the laboratory and pilot scale and the economic analysis of the commercial feasibility of such a process.

Comparing field investigations with laboratory models to predict landfill leachate emissions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fellner, Johann; Doeberl, Gernot; Allgaier, Gerhard

2009-06-15

Investigations into laboratory reactors and landfills are used for simulating and predicting emissions from municipal solid waste landfills. We examined water flow and solute transport through the same waste body for different volumetric scales (laboratory experiment: 0.08 m{sup 3}, landfill: 80,000 m{sup 3}), and assessed the differences in water flow and leachate emissions of chloride, total organic carbon and Kjeldahl nitrogen. The results indicate that, due to preferential pathways, the flow of water in field-scale landfills is less uniform than in laboratory reactors. Based on tracer experiments, it can be discerned that in laboratory-scale experiments around 40% of pore watermore » participates in advective solute transport, whereas this fraction amounts to less than 0.2% in the investigated full-scale landfill. Consequences of the difference in water flow and moisture distribution are: (1) leachate emissions from full-scale landfills decrease faster than predicted by laboratory experiments, and (2) the stock of materials remaining in the landfill body, and thus the long-term emission potential, is likely to be underestimated by laboratory landfill simulations.« less

A Shallow Underground Laboratory for Low-Background Radiation Measurements and Materials Development

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aalseth, Craig E.; Bonicalzi, Ricco; Cantaloub, Michael G.

Abstract: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory recently commissioned a new shallow underground laboratory, located at a depth of approximately 30 meters water-equivalent. This new addition to the small class of radiation measurement laboratories located at modest underground depths worldwide houses the latest generation of custom-made, high-efficiency, low-background gamma-ray spectrometers and gas proportional counters. This manuscript describes the unique capabilities present in the shallow underground laboratory; these include large-scale ultra-pure materials production and a suite of radiation detection systems. Reported data characterize the degree of background reduction achieved through a combination of underground location, graded shielding, and rejection of cosmic-ray events. Wemore » conclude by presenting measurement targets and future opportunities.« less

The Subsurface Flow and Transport Laboratory: A New Department of Energy User's Facility for Intermediate-Scale Experimentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wietsma, T. W.; Oostrom, M.; Foster, N. S.

2003-12-01

Intermediate-scale experiments (ISEs) for flow and transport are a valuable tool for simulating subsurface features and conditions encountered in the field at government and private sites. ISEs offer the ability to study, under controlled laboratory conditions, complicated processes characteristic of mixed wastes and heterogeneous subsurface environments, in multiple dimensions and at different scales. ISEs may, therefore, result in major cost savings if employed prior to field studies. A distinct advantage of ISEs is that researchers can design physical and/or chemical heterogeneities in the porous media matrix that better approximate natural field conditions and therefore address research questions that contain the additional complexity of processes often encountered in the natural environment. A new Subsurface Flow and Transport Laboratory (SFTL) has been developed for ISE users in the Environmental Spectroscopy & Biogeochemistry Facility in the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL) at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). The SFTL offers a variety of columns and flow cells, a new state-of-the-art dual-energy gamma system, a fully automated saturation-pressure apparatus, and analytical equipment for sample processing. The new facility, including qualified staff, is available for scientists interested in collaboration on conducting high-quality flow and transport experiments, including contaminant remediation. Close linkages exist between the SFTL and numerical modelers to aid in experimental design and interpretation. This presentation will discuss the facility and outline the procedures required to submit a proposal to use this unique facility for research purposes. The W. R. Wiley Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a national scientific user facility, is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Biological and Environmental Research and located at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

Customer Satisfaction Assessment at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Anderson, Dale N.; Sours, Mardell L.

2000-03-20

The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is developing and implementing a customer satisfaction assessment program (CSAP) to assess the quality of research and development provided by the laboratory. We present the customer survey component of the PNNL CSAP. The customer survey questionnaire is composed of 2 major sections, Strategic Value and Project Performance. The Strategic Value section of the questionnaire consists of 5 questions that can be answered with a 5 point Likert scale response. These questions are designed to determine if a project is directly contributing to critical future national needs. The Project Performance section of the questionnaire consistsmore » of 9 questions that can be answered with a 5 point Likert scale response. These questions determine PNNL performance in meeting customer expectations. Many approaches could be used to analyze customer survey data. We present a statistical model that can accurately capture the random behavior of customer survey data. The properties of this statistical model can be used to establish a "gold standard'' or performance expectation for the laboratory, and then assess progress. The gold standard is defined from input from laboratory management --- answers to 4 simple questions, in terms of the information obtained from the CSAP customer survey, define the standard: *What should the average Strategic Value be for the laboratory project portfolio? *What Strategic Value interval should include most of the projects in the laboratory portfolio? *What should average Project Performance be for projects with a Strategic Value of about 2? *What should average Project Performance be for projects with a Strategic Value of about 4? We discuss how to analyze CSAP customer survey data with this model. Our discussion will include "lessons learned" and issues that can invalidate this type of assessment.« less

System for Informatics in the Molecular Pathology Laboratory: An Open-Source End-to-End Solution for Next-Generation Sequencing Clinical Data Management.

PubMed

Kang, Wenjun; Kadri, Sabah; Puranik, Rutika; Wurst, Michelle N; Patil, Sushant A; Mujacic, Ibro; Benhamed, Sonia; Niu, Nifang; Zhen, Chao Jie; Ameti, Bekim; Long, Bradley C; Galbo, Filipo; Montes, David; Iracheta, Crystal; Gamboa, Venessa L; Lopez, Daisy; Yourshaw, Michael; Lawrence, Carolyn A; Aisner, Dara L; Fitzpatrick, Carrie; McNerney, Megan E; Wang, Y Lynn; Andrade, Jorge; Volchenboum, Samuel L; Furtado, Larissa V; Ritterhouse, Lauren L; Segal, Jeremy P

2018-04-24

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) diagnostic assays increasingly are becoming the standard of care in oncology practice. As the scale of an NGS laboratory grows, management of these assays requires organizing large amounts of information, including patient data, laboratory processes, genomic data, as well as variant interpretation and reporting. Although several Laboratory Information Systems and/or Laboratory Information Management Systems are commercially available, they may not meet all of the needs of a given laboratory, in addition to being frequently cost-prohibitive. Herein, we present the System for Informatics in the Molecular Pathology Laboratory, a free and open-source Laboratory Information System/Laboratory Information Management System for academic and nonprofit molecular pathology NGS laboratories, developed at the Genomic and Molecular Pathology Division at the University of Chicago Medicine. The System for Informatics in the Molecular Pathology Laboratory was designed as a modular end-to-end information system to handle all stages of the NGS laboratory workload from test order to reporting. We describe the features of the system, its clinical validation at the Genomic and Molecular Pathology Division at the University of Chicago Medicine, and its installation and testing within a different academic center laboratory (University of Colorado), and we propose a platform for future community co-development and interlaboratory data sharing. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Development of a quiet supersonic wind tunnel with a cryogenic adaptive nozzle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolf, Stephen W. D.

1993-01-01

The main objective of this work is to develop an interim Quiet (low-disturbance) supersonic wind tunnel for the NASA-Ames Fluid Mechanics Laboratory (FML). The main emphasis is to bring on-line a full-scale Mach 1.6 tunnel as rapidly as possible to impact the NASA High Speed Research Program (HSRP). The development of a cryogenic adaptive nozzle and other sophisticated features of the tunnel will now happen later, after the full scale wind tunnel is in operation. The work under this contract for the period of this report can be summarized as follows: provide aerodynamic design requirements for the NASA-Ames Fluid Mechanics Laboratory (FML) Laminar Flow Supersonic Wind Tunnel (LFSWT); research design parameters for a unique Mach 1.6 drive system for the LFSWT using an 1/8th-scale Proof-of-Concept (PoC) supersonic wind tunnel; carry out boundary layer transition studies in PoC to aid the design of critical components of the LFSWT; appraise the State of the Art in quiet supersonic wind tunnel design; and help develop a supersonic research capability within the FML particularly in the areas of high speed transition measurements and schlieren techniques. The body of this annual report summarizes the work of the Principal Investigator.

Development of Laboratory Seismic Exploration Experiment for Education and Demonstration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuwano, O.; Nakanishi, A.

2016-12-01

We developed a laboratory experiment to simulate a seismic refraction survey for educational purposes. The experiment is tabletop scaled experiment using the soft hydrogel as an analogue material of a layered crust. So, we can conduct the seismic exploration experiment in a laboratory or a classroom. The softness and the transparency of the gel material enable us to observe the wave propagation with our naked eyes, using the photoelastic technique. By analyzing the waveforms obtained by the image analysis of the movie of the experiment, one can estimate the velocities and the structure of the gel specimen in the same way as an actual seismic survey. We report details of the practical course and the public outreach activities using the experiment.

Technology demonstration of space intravehicular automation and robotics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morris, A. Terry; Barker, L. Keith

1994-01-01

Automation and robotic technologies are being developed and capabilities demonstrated which would increase the productivity of microgravity science and materials processing in the space station laboratory module, especially when the crew is not present. The Automation Technology Branch at NASA Langley has been working in the area of intravehicular automation and robotics (IVAR) to provide a user-friendly development facility, to determine customer requirements for automated laboratory systems, and to improve the quality and efficiency of commercial production and scientific experimentation in space. This paper will describe the IVAR facility and present the results of a demonstration using a simulated protein crystal growth experiment inside a full-scale mockup of the space station laboratory module using a unique seven-degree-of-freedom robot.

Nanocoatings for High-Efficiency Industrial and Tooling Systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Blau, P; Qu, J.; Higdon, C.

This industry-driven project was the result of a successful response by Eaton Corporation to a DOE/ITP Program industry call. It consisted of three phases in which ORNL participated. In addition to Eaton Corporation and ORNL (CRADA), the project team included Ames Laboratory, who developed the underlying concept for aluminum-magnesium-boron based nanocomposite coatings [1], and Greenleaf, a small tooling manufacturer in western Pennsylvania. This report focuses on the portion of this work that was conducted by ORNL in a CRADA with Eaton Corporation. A comprehensive final report for the entire effort, which ended in September 2010, has been prepared by Eatonmore » Corporation. Phase I, “Proof of Concept” ran for one year (September 1, 2006 to September 30, 2007) during which the applicability of AlMgB14 single-phase and nanocomposite coatings on hydraulic material coupons and components as well as on tool inserts was demonstrated.. The coating processes used either plasma laser deposition (PLD) or physical vapor deposition (PVD). During Phase I, ORNL conducted laboratory-scale pin-on-disk and reciprocating pin-on-flat tests of coatings produced by PLD and PVD. Non-coated M2 tool steel was used as a baseline for comparison, and the material for the sliding counterface was Type 52100 bearing steel since it simulated the pump materials. Initial tests were run mainly in a commercial hydraulic fluid named Mobil DTE-24, but some tests were later run in a water-glycol mixture as well. A tribosystem analysis was conducted to define the operating conditions of pump components and to help develop simulative tests in Phase II. Phase II, “Coating Process Scale-up” was intended to use scaled-up process to generate prototype parts. This involved both PLD practices at Ames Lab, and a PVD scale-up study at Eaton using its production capable equipment. There was also a limited scale-up study at Greenleaf for the tooling application. ORNL continued to conduct friction and wear tests on process variants and developed tests to better simulate the applications of interest. ORNL also employed existing lubrication models to better understand hydraulic pump frictional behavior and test results. Phase III, “Functional Testing” focused on finalizing the strategy for commercialization of AlMgB14 coatings for both hydraulic and tooling systems. ORNL continued to provide tribology testing and analysis support for hydraulic pump applications. It included both laboratory-scale coupon testing and the analysis of friction and wear data from full component-level tests performed at Eaton Corp. Laboratory-scale tribology test methods are used to characterize the behavior of nanocomposite coatings prior to running them in full-sized hydraulic pumps. This task also includes developing tribosystems analyses, both to provide a better understanding of the performance of coated surfaces in alternate hydraulic fluids, and to help design useful laboratory protocols. Analysis also includes modeling the lubrication conditions and identifying the physical processes by which wear and friction of the contact interface changes over time. This final report summarizes ORNL’s portion of the nanocomposite coatings development effort and presents both generated data and the analyses that were used in the course of this effort.« less

Multiscale Porosity and Mechanical Properties of Mancos Shale: Evaluation of REV and Scale Separation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heath, J. E.; Dewers, T. A.; Yoon, H.; Mozley, P.

2016-12-01

Heterogeneity from the nanometer to core and larger length scales is a major challenge to understanding coupled processes in shale. To develop methods to address this challenge, we present application of high throughput multi-beam scanning electron microscopy (mSEM) and nano-to-micro-scale mechanics to the Mancos Shale. We use a 61-beam mSEM to collect 6 nm resolution SEM images at the scale of several square millimeters. These images are analyzed for pore size and shape characteristics including spatial correlation and structure. Nano-indentation, micropillar compression, and axisymmetric testing at multiple length scales allows for examining the influence of sampling size on mechanical response. The combined data set is used to: investigate representative elementary volumes (and areas for the 2D images) for the Mancos Shale; determine if scale separation occurs; and determine if transport and mechanical properties at a given length scale can be statistically defined. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.

Scientific management and implementation of the geophysical fluid flow cell for Spacelab missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hart, J.; Toomre, J.

1980-01-01

Scientific support for the spherical convection experiment to be flown on Spacelab 3 was developed. This experiment takes advantage of the zero gravity environment of the orbiting space laboratory to conduct fundamental fluid flow studies concerned with thermally driven motions inside a rotating spherical shell with radial gravity. Such a system is a laboratory analog of large scale atmospheric and solar circulations. The radial body force necessary to model gravity correctly is obtained by using dielectric polarization forces in a radially varying electric field to produce radial accelerations proportional to temperature. This experiment will answer fundamental questions concerned with establishing the preferred modes of large scale motion in planetary and stellar atmospheres.

EFFECTS OF LARVAL STOCKING DENSITY ON LABORATORY-SCALE AND COMMERICAL-SCALE PRODUCTION OF SUMMER FLOUNDER, PARALICHTHYS DENTATUS

EPA Science Inventory

Three experiments investigating larval stocking densities of summer flounder from hatch to metamorphosis, Paralichthys dentatus, were conducted at laboratory-scale (75-L aquaria) and at commercial scale (1,000-L tanks). Experiments 1 and 2 at commercial scale tested the densities...

The impact of SLMTA in improving laboratory quality systems in the Caribbean Region.

PubMed

Guevara, Giselle; Gordon, Floris; Irving, Yvette; Whyms, Ismae; Parris, Keith; Beckles, Songee; Maruta, Talkmore; Ndlovu, Nqobile; Albalak, Rachel; Alemnji, George

Past efforts to improve laboratory quality systems and to achieve accreditation for better patient care in the Caribbean Region have been slow. To describe the impact of the Strengthening of Laboratory Management Toward Accreditation (SLMTA) training programme and mentorship amongst five clinical laboratories in the Caribbean after 18 months. Five national reference laboratories from four countries participated in the SLMTA programme that incorporated classroom teaching and implementation of improvement projects. Mentors were assigned to the laboratories to guide trainees on their improvement projects and to assist in the development of Quality Management Systems (QMS). Audits were conducted at baseline, six months, exit (at 12 months) and post-SLMTA (at 18 months) using the Stepwise Laboratory Quality Improvement Process Towards Accreditation (SLIPTA) checklist to measure changes in implementation of the QMS during the period. At the end of each audit, a comprehensive implementation plan was developed in order to address gaps. Baseline audit scores ranged from 19% to 52%, corresponding to 0 stars on the SLIPTA five-star scale. After 18 months, one laboratory reached four stars, two reached three stars and two reached two stars. There was a corresponding decrease in nonconformities and development of over 100 management and technical standard operating procedures in each of the five laboratories. The tremendous improvement in these five Caribbean laboratories shows that SLMTA coupled with mentorship is an effective, user-friendly, flexible and customisable approach to the implementation of laboratory QMS. It is recommended that other laboratories in the region consider using the SLMTA training programme as they engage in quality systems improvement and preparation for accreditation.

Development and Application of Plasma Actuators for Active Control of High-Speed and High Reynolds Number Flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sammy, Mo

2010-01-01

Active flow control is often used to manipulate flow instabilities to achieve a desired goal (e.g. prevent separation, enhance mixing, reduce noise, etc.). Instability frequencies normally scale with flow velocity scale and inversely with flow length scale (U/l). In a laboratory setting for such flow experiments, U is high, but l is low, resulting in high instability frequency. In addition, high momentum and high background noise & turbulence in the flow necessitate high amplitude actuation. Developing a high amplitude and high frequency actuator is a major challenge. Ironically, these requirements ease up in application (but other issues arise).

Extreme-Scale Computing Project Aims to Advance Precision Oncology | FNLCR Staging

Cancer.gov

Two government agencies and five national laboratories are collaborating to develop extremely high-performance computing capabilities that will analyze mountains of research and clinical data to improve scientific understanding of cancer, predict dru

Mental workload in decision and control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sheridan, T. B.

1979-01-01

This paper briefly reviews the problems of defining and measuring the 'mental workload' of aircraft pilots and other human operators of complex dynamic systems. Of the alternative approaches the author indicates a clear preference for the use of subjective scaling. Some recent experiments from MIT and elsewhere are described which utilize subjective mental workload scales in conjunction with human decision and control tasks in the laboratory. Finally a new three-dimensional mental workload rating scale, under current development for use by IFR aircraft pilots, is presented.

Biological Conversion of Sugars to Hydrocarbons Technology Pathway

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Davis, Ryan; Biddy, Mary J.; Tan, Eric

2013-03-31

In support of the Bioenergy Technologies Office, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) are undertaking studies of biomass conversion technologies to identify barriers and target research toward reducing conversion costs. Process designs and preliminary economic estimates for each of these pathway cases were developed using rigorous modeling tools (Aspen Plus and Chemcad). These analyses incorporated the best information available at the time of development, including data from recent pilot and bench-scale demonstrations, collaborative industrial and academic partners, and published literature and patents. This technology pathway case investigates the biological conversion of biomass derivedmore » sugars to hydrocarbon biofuels, utilizing data from recent literature references and information consistent with recent pilot scale demonstrations at NREL. Technical barriers and key research needs have been identified that should be pursued for the pathway to become competitive with petroleum-derived gasoline, diesel and jet range hydrocarbon blendstocks.« less

Development of flame resistant treatment for Nomex fibrous structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Toy, M. S.

1977-01-01

Flame resistant fibrous materials for space shuttle application were developed through chemical modification of commercially available aromatic polyamide fibrous products. The new surface treatment was achieved in the laboratory by ultraviolet activation of the fabric in the presence of fluoroolefin monomers and a diluent gas. The monomers grafted under these conditions provide the improved properties of the fabric in flame resistance, chemical inertness, and nonwettability without the sacrifice of color or physical properties. The laboratory reaction vessel was scaled-up to a batch continuous process, which treats ten yards of the commercial width textiles. The treated commercial width Nomex (HT-10-41) from the scaled-up reactor is self-extinguishing in an oxygen-enriched environment, water-repellent, soft, silky, and improved in chemical resistance. Unlike most textile processes, the grafting unit operates under dry conditions and no chemical by-products have to be washed out of the finished product.

Development of an advanced anaerobic digester design and a kinetic model for biogasification of water hyacinth/sludge blends

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Srivastava, V.; Fannin, K.F.; Biljetina, R.

1986-07-01

The Institute of Gas Technology (IGT) conducted a comprehensive laboratory-scale research program to develop and optimize the anaerobic digestion process for producing methane from water hyacinth and sludge blends. This study focused on digester design and operating techniques, which gave improved methane yields and production rates over those observed using conventional digesters. The final digester concept and the operating experience was utilized to design and operate a large-scale experimentla test unit (ETU) at Walt Disney World, Florida. This paper describes the novel digester design, operating techniques, and the results obtained in the laboratory. The paper also discusses a kinetic modelmore » which predicts methane yield, methane production rate, and digester effluent solids as a function of retention time. This model was successfully utilized to predict the performance of the ETU. 15 refs., 6 figs., 6 tabs.« less

The suite of small-angle neutron scattering instruments at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

DOE PAGES

Heller, William T.; Cuneo, Matthew J.; Debeer-Schmitt, Lisa M.; ...

2018-02-21

Oak Ridge National Laboratory is home to the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR), a high-flux research reactor, and the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS), the world's most intense source of pulsed neutron beams. The unique co-localization of these two sources provided an opportunity to develop a suite of complementary small-angle neutron scattering instruments for studies of large-scale structures: the GP-SANS and Bio-SANS instruments at the HFIR and the EQ-SANS and TOF-USANS instruments at the SNS. This article provides an overview of the capabilities of the suite of instruments, with specific emphasis on how they complement each other. As a result, amore » description of the plans for future developments including greater integration of the suite into a single point of entry for neutron scattering studies of large-scale structures is also provided.« less

The suite of small-angle neutron scattering instruments at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Heller, William T.; Cuneo, Matthew J.; Debeer-Schmitt, Lisa M.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory is home to the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR), a high-flux research reactor, and the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS), the world's most intense source of pulsed neutron beams. The unique co-localization of these two sources provided an opportunity to develop a suite of complementary small-angle neutron scattering instruments for studies of large-scale structures: the GP-SANS and Bio-SANS instruments at the HFIR and the EQ-SANS and TOF-USANS instruments at the SNS. This article provides an overview of the capabilities of the suite of instruments, with specific emphasis on how they complement each other. As a result, amore » description of the plans for future developments including greater integration of the suite into a single point of entry for neutron scattering studies of large-scale structures is also provided.« less

Engines for experiment: laboratory revolution and industrial labor in the nineteenth-century city.

PubMed

Dierig, Sven

2003-01-01

This article brings together what until now have been separate fields of nineteenth-century history: the development of experimental physiology, the growth of mechanized industry, and the city, where their threads intertwined. The main argument is that the laboratory in the city employed the same technological and organizational approaches to modernize that the city used to industrialize. To bring the adoption of technology into focus, the article discusses laboratory research as it developed after the introduction of small-scale power engines. With its machines, the industrialized city provided not only the key metaphor of the nineteenth-century life sciences but also a key technology that shifted experimental practices in animal research from a kind of preindustrial craft to a more mechanized production of knowledge. With its "factory-laboratories," the late-nineteenth-century city became the birthplace for the first living, data-producing hybird---part animal and part machine.

Plasma Discharge Initiation of Explosives in Rock Blasting Application: A Case Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jae-Ou, Chae; Young-Jun, Jeong; V, M. Shmelev; A, A. Denicaev; V, M. Poutchkov; V, Ravi

2006-07-01

A plasma discharge initiation system for the explosive volumetric combustion charge was designed, investigated and developed for practical application. Laboratory scale experiments were carried out before conducting the large scale field tests. The resultant explosions gave rise to less noise, insignificant seismic vibrations and good specific explosive consumption for rock blasting. Importantly, the technique was found to be safe and environmentally friendly.

ADMS Evaluation Platform

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

2018-01-23

Deploying an ADMS or looking to optimize its value? NREL offers a low-cost, low-risk evaluation platform for assessing ADMS performance. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has developed a vendor-neutral advanced distribution management system (ADMS) evaluation platform and is expanding its capabilities. The platform uses actual grid-scale hardware, large-scale distribution system models, and advanced visualization to simulate realworld conditions for the most accurate ADMS evaluation and experimentation.

Cold-Cap Temperature Profile Comparison between the Laboratory and Mathematical Model

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dixon, Derek R.; Schweiger, Michael J.; Riley, Brian J.

2015-06-01

The rate of waste vitrification in an electric melter is connected to the feed-to-glass conversion process, which occurs in the cold cap, a layer of reacting feed on top of molten glass. The cold cap consists of two layers: a low temperature (~100°C – ~800°C) region of unconnected feed and a high temperature (~800°C – ~1100°C) region of foam with gas bubbles and cavities mixed in the connected glass melt. A recently developed mathematical model describes the effect of the cold cap on glass production. For verification of the mathematical model, a laboratory-scale melter was used to produce a coldmore » cap that could be cross-sectioned and polished in order to determine the temperature profile related to position in the cold cap. The cold cap from the laboratory-scale melter exhibited an accumulation of feed ~400°C due to radiant heat from the molten glass creating dry feed conditions in the melter, which was not the case in the mathematical model where wet feed conditions were calculated. Through the temperature range from ~500°C – ~1100°C, there was good agreement between the model and the laboratory cold cap. Differences were observed between the two temperature profiles due to the temperature of the glass melts and the lack of secondary foam, large cavities, and shrinkage of the primary foam bubbles upon the cooling of the laboratory-scale cold cap.« less

Fire extinguishing tests -80 with methyl alcohol gasoline (in MIXED)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Holmstedt, G.; Ryderman, A.; Carlsson, B.

1980-01-01

Large scale tests and laboratory experiments were carried out for estimating the extinguishing effectiveness of three alcohol resistant aqueous film forming foams (AFFF), two alcohol resistant fluoroprotein foams and two detergent foams in various poolfires: gasoline, isopropyl alcohol, acetone, methyl-ethyl ketone, methyl alcohol and M15 (a gasoline, methyl alcohol, isobutene mixture). The scaling down of large scale tests for developing a reliable laboratory method was especially examined. The tests were performed with semidirect foam application, in pools of 50, 11, 4, 0.6, and 0.25 sq m. Burning time, temperature distribution in the liquid, and thermal radiation were determined. An M15more » fire can be extinguished with a detergent foam, but it is impossible to extinguish fires in polar solvents, such as methyl alcohol, acetone, and isopropyl alcohol with detergent foams, AFFF give the best results, and performances with small pools can hardly be correlated with results from large scale fires.« less

Cross-flow turbines: progress report on physical and numerical model studies at large laboratory scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wosnik, Martin; Bachant, Peter

2016-11-01

Cross-flow turbines show potential in marine hydrokinetic (MHK) applications. A research focus is on accurately predicting device performance and wake evolution to improve turbine array layouts for maximizing overall power output, i.e., minimizing wake interference, or taking advantage of constructive wake interaction. Experiments were carried with large laboratory-scale cross-flow turbines D O (1 m) using a turbine test bed in a large cross-section tow tank, designed to achieve sufficiently high Reynolds numbers for the results to be Reynolds number independent with respect to turbine performance and wake statistics, such that they can be reliably extrapolated to full scale and used for model validation. Several turbines of varying solidity were employed, including the UNH Reference Vertical Axis Turbine (RVAT) and a 1:6 scale model of the DOE-Sandia Reference Model 2 (RM2) turbine. To improve parameterization in array simulations, an actuator line model (ALM) was developed to provide a computationally feasible method for simulating full turbine arrays inside Navier-Stokes models. Results are presented for the simulation of performance and wake dynamics of cross-flow turbines and compared with experiments and body-fitted mesh, blade-resolving CFD. Supported by NSF-CBET Grant 1150797, Sandia National Laboratories.

Development of a parallel FE simulator for modeling the whole trans-scale failure process of rock from meso- to engineering-scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Gen; Tang, Chun-An; Liang, Zheng-Zhao

2017-01-01

Multi-scale high-resolution modeling of rock failure process is a powerful means in modern rock mechanics studies to reveal the complex failure mechanism and to evaluate engineering risks. However, multi-scale continuous modeling of rock, from deformation, damage to failure, has raised high requirements on the design, implementation scheme and computation capacity of the numerical software system. This study is aimed at developing the parallel finite element procedure, a parallel rock failure process analysis (RFPA) simulator that is capable of modeling the whole trans-scale failure process of rock. Based on the statistical meso-damage mechanical method, the RFPA simulator is able to construct heterogeneous rock models with multiple mechanical properties, deal with and represent the trans-scale propagation of cracks, in which the stress and strain fields are solved for the damage evolution analysis of representative volume element by the parallel finite element method (FEM) solver. This paper describes the theoretical basis of the approach and provides the details of the parallel implementation on a Windows - Linux interactive platform. A numerical model is built to test the parallel performance of FEM solver. Numerical simulations are then carried out on a laboratory-scale uniaxial compression test, and field-scale net fracture spacing and engineering-scale rock slope examples, respectively. The simulation results indicate that relatively high speedup and computation efficiency can be achieved by the parallel FEM solver with a reasonable boot process. In laboratory-scale simulation, the well-known physical phenomena, such as the macroscopic fracture pattern and stress-strain responses, can be reproduced. In field-scale simulation, the formation process of net fracture spacing from initiation, propagation to saturation can be revealed completely. In engineering-scale simulation, the whole progressive failure process of the rock slope can be well modeled. It is shown that the parallel FE simulator developed in this study is an efficient tool for modeling the whole trans-scale failure process of rock from meso- to engineering-scale.

2017 GTO Project review Laboratory Evaluation of EGS Shear Stimulation.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bauer, Stephen J.

The objectives and purpose of this research has been to produce laboratory-based experimental and numerical analyses to provide a physics-based understanding of shear stimulation phenomena (hydroshearing) and its evolution during stimulation. Water was flowed along fractures in hot and stressed fractured rock, to promote slip. The controlled laboratory experiments provide a high resolution/high quality data resource for evaluation of analysis methods developed by DOE to assess EGS “behavior” during this stimulation process. Segments of the experimental program will provide data sets for model input parameters, i.e., material properties, and other segments of the experimental program will represent small scale physicalmore » models of an EGS system, which may be modeled. The coupled lab/analysis project has been a study of the response of a fracture in hot, water-saturated fractured rock to shear stress experiencing fluid flow. Under this condition, the fracture experiences a combination of potential pore pressure changes and fracture surface cooling, resulting in slip along the fracture. The laboratory work provides a means to assess the role of “hydroshearing” on permeability enhancement in reservoir stimulation. Using the laboratory experiments and results to define boundary and input/output conditions of pore pressure, thermal stress, fracture shear deformation and fluid flow, and models were developed and simulations completed by the University of Oklahoma team. The analysis methods are ones used on field scale problems. The sophisticated numerical models developed contain parameters present in the field. The analysis results provide insight into the role of fracture slip on permeability enhancement-“hydroshear” is to be obtained. The work will provide valuable input data to evaluate stimulation models, thus helping design effective EGS.« less

Multiscale Modeling in the Clinic: Drug Design and Development

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Clancy, Colleen E.; An, Gary; Cannon, William R.

A wide range of length and time scales are relevant to pharmacology, especially in drug development, drug design and drug delivery. Therefore, multi-scale computational modeling and simulation methods and paradigms that advance the linkage of phenomena occurring at these multiple scales have become increasingly important. Multi-scale approaches present in silico opportunities to advance laboratory research to bedside clinical applications in pharmaceuticals research. This is achievable through the capability of modeling to reveal phenomena occurring across multiple spatial and temporal scales, which are not otherwise readily accessible to experimentation. The resultant models, when validated, are capable of making testable predictions tomore » guide drug design and delivery. In this review we describe the goals, methods, and opportunities of multi-scale modeling in drug design and development. We demonstrate the impact of multiple scales of modeling in this field. We indicate the common mathematical techniques employed for multi-scale modeling approaches used in pharmacology and present several examples illustrating the current state-of-the-art regarding drug development for: Excitable Systems (Heart); Cancer (Metastasis and Differentiation); Cancer (Angiogenesis and Drug Targeting); Metabolic Disorders; and Inflammation and Sepsis. We conclude with a focus on barriers to successful clinical translation of drug development, drug design and drug delivery multi-scale models.« less

The Rat Grimace Scale: A partially automated method for quantifying pain in the laboratory rat via facial expressions

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

We recently demonstrated the utility of quantifying spontaneous pain in mice via the blinded coding of facial expressions. As the majority of preclinical pain research is in fact performed in the laboratory rat, we attempted to modify the scale for use in this species. We present herein the Rat Grimace Scale, and show its reliability, accuracy, and ability to quantify the time course of spontaneous pain in the intraplantar complete Freund's adjuvant, intraarticular kaolin-carrageenan, and laparotomy (post-operative pain) assays. The scale's ability to demonstrate the dose-dependent analgesic efficacy of morphine is also shown. In addition, we have developed software, Rodent Face Finder®, which successfully automates the most labor-intensive step in the process. Given the known mechanistic dissociations between spontaneous and evoked pain, and the primacy of the former as a clinical problem, we believe that widespread adoption of spontaneous pain measures such as the Rat Grimace Scale might lead to more successful translation of basic science findings into clinical application. PMID:21801409

Characterization and Scaling of Heave Plates for Ocean Wave Energy Converters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosenberg, Brian; Mundon, Timothy

2016-11-01

Ocean waves present a tremendous, untapped source of renewable energy, capable of providing half of global electricity demand by 2040. Devices developed to extract this energy are known as wave energy converters (WECs) and encompass a wide range of designs. A somewhat common archetype is a two-body point-absorber, in which a surface float reacts against a submerged "heave" plate to extract energy. Newer WEC's are using increasingly complex geometries for the submerged plate and an emerging challenge in creating low-order models lies in accurately determining the hydrodynamic coefficients (added mass and drag) in the corresponding oscillatory flow regime. Here we present experiments in which a laboratory-scale heave plate is sinusoidally forced in translation (heave) and rotation (pitch) to characterize the hydrodynamic coefficients as functions of the two governing nondimensional parameters, Keulegan-Carpenter number (amplitude) and Reynolds number. Comparisons against CFD simulations are offered. As laboratory-scale physical model tests remain the standard for testing wave energy devices, effects and implications of scaling (with respect to a full-scale device) are also investigated.

Ensuring the reliability of stable isotope ratio data--beyond the principle of identical treatment.

PubMed

Carter, J F; Fry, B

2013-03-01

The need for inter-laboratory comparability is crucial to facilitate the globalisation of scientific networks and the development of international databases to support scientific and criminal investigations. This article considers what lessons can be learned from a series of inter-laboratory comparison exercises organised by the Forensic Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (FIRMS) network in terms of reference materials (RMs), the management of data quality, and technical limitations. The results showed that within-laboratory precision (repeatability) was generally good but between-laboratory accuracy (reproducibility) called for improvements. This review considers how stable isotope laboratories can establish a system of quality control (QC) and quality assurance (QA), emphasising issues of repeatability and reproducibility. For results to be comparable between laboratories, measurements must be traceable to the international δ-scales and, because isotope ratio measurements are reported relative to standards, a key aspect is the correct selection, calibration, and use of international and in-house RMs. The authors identify four principles which promote good laboratory practice. The principle of identical treatment by which samples and RMs are processed in an identical manner and which incorporates three further principles; the principle of identical correction (by which necessary corrections are identified and evenly applied), the principle of identical scaling (by which data are shifted and stretched to the international δ-scales), and the principle of error detection by which QC and QA results are monitored and acted upon. To achieve both good repeatability and good reproducibility it is essential to obtain RMs with internationally agreed δ-values. These RMs will act as the basis for QC and can be used to calibrate further in-house QC RMs tailored to the activities of specific laboratories. In-house QA standards must also be developed to ensure that QC-based calibrations and corrections lead to accurate results for samples. The δ-values assigned to RMs must be recorded and reported with all data. Reference materials must be used to determine what corrections are necessary for measured data. Each analytical sequence of samples must include both QC and QA materials which are subject to identical treatment during measurement and data processing. Results for these materials must be plotted, monitored, and acted upon. Periodically international RMs should be analysed as an in-house proficiency test to demonstrate results are accurate.

Laboratory-Scale Development of a Structural Exterior Flakeboard from Hardwoods Growing on Southern Pine Sites

Treesearch

C. -Y. Hse; P. Koch; C.W. McMillin; E.W. Price

1975-01-01

A series of experiments was conducted to develop a 1/2-inch-thick, structural, exterior, mixed-species flakeboard functionally competitive with sheathing grades of plywood. The board design settled on is comprised of equal-weight portions throughout of Carya spp., Quercus alba L., Quercus falcata Michx.,

Laboratory-scale development of structural exterior flakeboard from hardwoods growing on southern pine sites

Treesearch

Chung-Yun Hse; Peter Koch; Charles W. Mcmillin; Eddie W. Price

1975-01-01

A seriex of experiments was conducted to develop a 1/2-inch-thick, structural, exterior, mixed-species flakeboard functionally competitive with sheathing grades of plywood. The board design settled on is comprised of equal-weight portions throughout of Carya spp., Quercus alba L., Quercus falcata Michx.,

Medical Products Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1982-01-01

Ventrex Laboratories, Inc. develops, manufactures and markets a line of medical diagnostic assays based on biochemical techniques, in particular immunochemical techniques. Their products are sold worldwide to hospitals and medical laboratories for use in testing blood samples and other biological fluids. Analysis of a patient's body fluids, compared with normal values, aids a physician in confirming or otherwise diagnosing a suspected disease condition. NERAC's rapid information retrieval has provided Ventrex invaluable up-to-date information, and has permitted large scale savings. NERAC's service was particularly important in the development of a new product in the company's Ventre/Sep line, which is used in radioimmunoassays.

A high-frequency sonar for profiling small-scale subaqueous bedforms

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dingler, J.R.; Boylls, J.C.; Lowe, R.L.

1977-01-01

A high-resolution ultrasonic profiler has been developed which permits both laboratory and field studies of small-scale subaqueous bedforms. The device uses a 2.5-cm diameter piezoelectric ceramic crystal pulsed at a frequency of 4.5 MHz to obtain vertical accuracy and resolution of at least 1 mm. Compared to other small-scale profiling methods, this ultrasonic technique profiles the bottom more accurately and more rapidly without disturbing the bedforms. These characteristics are vital in wave-dominated nearshore zones where oscillatory flow and low visibility for the most part have stymied detailed bedform studies. In the laboratory the transducer is mounted directly to an instrument carriage. For field work the transducer housing is mounted in a 2 m long aluminum frame which is situated and operated by scuba divers. Observations using the device include ripple geometry and migration, the suspension height of sand during sheet flow, and long-term erosion/deposition at a point. ?? 1977.

A Large Scale, High Resolution Agent-Based Insurgency Model

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-30

CUDA) is NVIDIA Corporation’s software development model for General Purpose Programming on Graphics Processing Units (GPGPU) ( NVIDIA Corporation ...Conference. Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL, October, 2005. NVIDIA Corporation . NVIDIA CUDA Programming Guide 2.0 [Online]. NVIDIA Corporation

A Synergistic Combination of Advanced Separation and Chemical Scale Inhibitor Technologies for Efficient Use of Imparied Water As Cooling Water in Coal-based Power Plants

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jasbir Gill

2010-08-30

Nalco Company is partnering with Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) in this project to jointly develop advanced scale control technologies that will provide cost-effective solutions for coal-based power plants to operate recirculating cooling water systems at high cycles using impaired waters. The overall approach is to use combinations of novel membrane separations and scale inhibitor technologies that will work synergistically, with membrane separations reducing the scaling potential of the cooling water and scale inhibitors extending the safe operating range of the cooling water system. The project started on March 31, 2006 and ended in August 30, 2010. The project was amore » multiyear, multi-phase project with laboratory research and development as well as a small pilot-scale field demonstration. In Phase 1 (Technical Targets and Proof of Concept), the objectives were to establish quantitative technical targets and develop calcite and silica scale inhibitor chemistries for high stress conditions. Additional Phase I work included bench-scale testing to determine the feasibility of two membrane separation technologies (electrodialysis ED and electrode-ionization EDI) for scale minimization. In Phase 2 (Technology Development and Integration), the objectives were to develop additional novel scale inhibitor chemistries, develop selected separation processes, and optimize the integration of the technology components at the laboratory scale. Phase 3 (Technology Validation) validated the integrated system's performance with a pilot-scale demonstration. During Phase 1, Initial evaluations of impaired water characteristics focused on produced waters and reclaimed municipal wastewater effluents. Literature and new data were collected and evaluated. Characteristics of produced waters vary significantly from one site to another, whereas reclaimed municipal wastewater effluents have relatively more uniform characteristics. Assessment to date confirmed that calcite and silica/silicate are two common potential cycle-limiting minerals for using impaired waters. For produced waters, barium sulfate and calcium sulfate are two additional potential cycle-limiting minerals. For reclaimed municipal wastewater effluents, calcium phosphate scaling can be an issue, especially in the co-presence of high silica. Computational assessment, using a vast amount of Nalco's field data from coal fired power plants, showed that the limited use and reuse of impaired waters is due to the formation of deposit caused by the presence of iron, high hardness, high silica and high alkalinity in the water. Appropriate and cost-effective inhibitors were identified and developed - LL99B0 for calcite and gypsum inhibition and TX-15060 for silica inhibition. Nalco's existing dispersants HSP-1 and HSP-2 has excellent efficacy for dispersing Fe and Mn. ED and EDI were bench-scale tested by the CRADA partner Argonne National Laboratory for hardness, alkalinity and silica removal from synthetic make-up water and then cycled cooling water. Both systems showed low power consumption and 98-99% salt removal, however, the EDI system required 25-30% less power for silica removal. For Phase 2, the EDI system's performance was optimized and the length of time between clean-in-place (CIP) increased by varying the wafer composition and membrane configuration. The enhanced EDI system could remove 88% of the hardness and 99% of the alkalinity with a processing flux of 19.2 gal/hr/m{sup 2} and a power consumption of 0.54 kWh/100 gal water. Bench tests to screen alternative silica/silicate scale inhibitor chemistries have begun. The silica/silicate control approaches using chemical inhibitors include inhibition of silicic acid polymerization and dispersion of silica/silicate crystals. Tests were conducted with an initial silica concentration of 290-300 mg/L as SiO{sub 2} at pH 7 and room temperature. A proprietary new chemistry was found to be promising, compared with a current commercial product commonly used for silica/silicate control. Additional pilot cooling tower testing confirmed the bench study. We also developed a molecule to inhibit calcium carbonate precipitation and calcium sulfate precipitation at high supersaturations. During Phase 3, a long-term test of the EDI system and scale inhibitors was done at Nalco's cooling tower water testing facility, producing 850 gallons of high purity water (90+% salt removal) at a rate of 220 L/day. The EDI system's performance was stable when the salt concentration in the concentrate compartment (i.e. the EDI waste stream) was controlled and a CIP was done after every 48 hours of operation time. A combination of EDI and scale inhibitors completely eliminated blowdown discharge from the Pilot cooling Tower. The only water-consumption came from evaporation, CIP and EDI concentrate. Silica Inhibitor was evaluated in the field at a western coal fired power plant.« less

An immersed boundary method for direct and large eddy simulation of stratified flows in complex geometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rapaka, Narsimha R.; Sarkar, Sutanu

2016-10-01

A sharp-interface Immersed Boundary Method (IBM) is developed to simulate density-stratified turbulent flows in complex geometry using a Cartesian grid. The basic numerical scheme corresponds to a central second-order finite difference method, third-order Runge-Kutta integration in time for the advective terms and an alternating direction implicit (ADI) scheme for the viscous and diffusive terms. The solver developed here allows for both direct numerical simulation (DNS) and large eddy simulation (LES) approaches. Methods to enhance the mass conservation and numerical stability of the solver to simulate high Reynolds number flows are discussed. Convergence with second-order accuracy is demonstrated in flow past a cylinder. The solver is validated against past laboratory and numerical results in flow past a sphere, and in channel flow with and without stratification. Since topographically generated internal waves are believed to result in a substantial fraction of turbulent mixing in the ocean, we are motivated to examine oscillating tidal flow over a triangular obstacle to assess the ability of this computational model to represent nonlinear internal waves and turbulence. Results in laboratory-scale (order of few meters) simulations show that the wave energy flux, mean flow properties and turbulent kinetic energy agree well with our previous results obtained using a body-fitted grid (BFG). The deviation of IBM results from BFG results is found to increase with increasing nonlinearity in the wave field that is associated with either increasing steepness of the topography relative to the internal wave propagation angle or with the amplitude of the oscillatory forcing. LES is performed on a large scale ridge, of the order of few kilometers in length, that has the same geometrical shape and same non-dimensional values for the governing flow and environmental parameters as the laboratory-scale topography, but significantly larger Reynolds number. A non-linear drag law is utilized in the large-scale application to parameterize turbulent losses due to bottom friction at high Reynolds number. The large scale problem exhibits qualitatively similar behavior to the laboratory scale problem with some differences: slightly larger intensification of the boundary flow and somewhat higher non-dimensional values for the energy fluxed away by the internal wave field. The phasing of wave breaking and turbulence exhibits little difference between small-scale and large-scale obstacles as long as the important non-dimensional parameters are kept the same. We conclude that IBM is a viable approach to the simulation of internal waves and turbulence in high Reynolds number stratified flows over topography.

Evaluation of a permeable reactive barrier technology for use at Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (RFETS)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

DWYER,BRIAN P.

2000-01-01

Three reactive materials were evaluated at laboratory scale to identify the optimum treatment reagent for use in a Permeable Reactive Barrier Treatment System at Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (RFETS). The contaminants of concern (COCS) are uranium, TCE, PCE, carbon tetrachloride, americium, and vinyl chloride. The three reactive media evaluated included high carbon steel iron filings, an iron-silica alloy in the form of a foam aggregate, and a peculiar humic acid based sorbent (Humasorb from Arctech) mixed with sand. Each material was tested in the laboratory at column scale using simulated site water. All three materials showed promise for themore » 903 Mound Site however, the iron filings were determined to be the least expensive media. In order to validate the laboratory results, the iron filings were further tested at a pilot scale (field columns) using actual site water. Pilot test results were similar to laboratory results; consequently, the iron filings were chosen for the fill-scale demonstration of the reactive barrier technology. Additional design parameters including saturated hydraulic conductivity, treatment residence time, and head loss across the media were also determined and provided to the design team in support of the final design. The final design was completed by the Corps of Engineers in 1997 and the system was constructed in the summer of 1998. The treatment system began fill operation in December, 1998 and despite a few problems has been operational since. Results to date are consistent with the lab and pilot scale findings, i.e., complete removal of the contaminants of concern (COCs) prior to discharge to meet RFETS cleanup requirements. Furthermore, it is fair to say at this point in time that laboratory developed design parameters for the reactive barrier technology are sufficient for fuel scale design; however,the treatment system longevity and the long-term fate of the contaminants are questions that remain unanswered. This project along with others such as the Durango, CO and Monticello, UT reactive barriers will provide the data to determine the long-term effectiveness and return on investment (ROI) for this technology for comparison to the baseline pump and treat.« less

The Children's Social Understanding Scale: construction and validation of a parent-report measure for assessing individual differences in children's theories of mind.

PubMed

Tahiroglu, Deniz; Moses, Louis J; Carlson, Stephanie M; Mahy, Caitlin E V; Olofson, Eric L; Sabbagh, Mark A

2014-11-01

Children's theory of mind (ToM) is typically measured with laboratory assessments of performance. Although these measures have generated a wealth of informative data concerning developmental progressions in ToM, they may be less useful as the sole source of information about individual differences in ToM and their relation to other facets of development. In the current research, we aimed to expand the repertoire of methods available for measuring ToM by developing and validating a parent-report ToM measure: the Children's Social Understanding Scale (CSUS). We present 3 studies assessing the psychometric properties of the CSUS. Study 1 describes item analysis, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and relation of the scale to children's performance on laboratory ToM tasks. Study 2 presents cross-validation data for the scale in a different sample of preschool children with a different set of ToM tasks. Study 3 presents further validation data for the scale with a slightly older age group and a more advanced ToM task, while controlling for several other relevant cognitive abilities. The findings indicate that the CSUS is a reliable and valid measure of individual differences in children's ToM that may be of great value as a complement to standard ToM tasks in many different research contexts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).

Development of a method for reliable power input measurements in conventional and single‐use stirred bioreactors at laboratory scale

PubMed Central

Werner, Sören; Jossen, Valentin; Kraume, Matthias; Eibl, Dieter

2016-01-01

Power input is an important engineering and scale‐up/down criterion in stirred bioreactors. However, reliably measuring power input in laboratory‐scale systems is still challenging. Even though torque measurements have proven to be suitable in pilot scale systems, sensor accuracy, resolution, and errors from relatively high levels of friction inside bearings can become limiting factors at smaller scales. An experimental setup for power input measurements was developed in this study by focusing on stainless steel and single‐use bioreactors in the single‐digit volume range. The friction losses inside the air bearings were effectively reduced to less than 0.5% of the measurement range of the torque meter. A comparison of dimensionless power numbers determined for a reference Rushton turbine stirrer (N P = 4.17 ± 0.14 for fully turbulent conditions) revealed good agreement with literature data. Hence, the power numbers of several reusable and single‐use bioreactors could be determined over a wide range of Reynolds numbers between 100 and >104. Power numbers of between 0.3 and 4.5 (for Re = 104) were determined for the different systems. The rigid plastic vessels showed similar power characteristics to their reusable counterparts. Thus, it was demonstrated that the torque‐based technique can be used to reliably measure power input in stirred reusable and single‐use bioreactors at the laboratory scale. PMID:28579937

PEM Electrolyzer Incorporating an Advanced Low-Cost Membrane

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hamdan, Monjid

The Department of Energy (DOE) has identified hydrogen production by electrolysis of water at forecourt stations as a critical technology for transition to the hydrogen economy; however, the cost of hydrogen produced by present commercially available electrolysis systems is considerably higher than the DOE 2015 and 2020 cost targets. Analyses of proton-exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer systems indicate that reductions in electricity consumption and electrolyzer stack and system capital cost are required to meet the DOE cost targets. The primary objective is to develop and demonstrate a cost-effective energy-based system for electrolytic generation of hydrogen. The goal is to increase PEMmore » electrolyzer efficiency and to reduce electrolyzer stack and system capital cost to meet the DOE cost targets for distributed electrolysis. To accomplish this objective, work was conducted by a team consisting of Giner, Inc. (Giner), Virginia Polytechnic Institute & University (VT), and domnick hunter group, a subsidiary of Parker Hannifin (Parker). The project focused on four (4) key areas: (1) development of a high-efficiency, high-strength membrane; (2) development of a long-life cell-separator; (3) scale-up of cell active area to 290 cm2 (from 160 cm²); and (4) development of a prototype commercial electrolyzer system. In each of the key stack development areas Giner and our team members conducted focused development in laboratory-scale hardware, with analytical support as necessary, followed by life-testing of the most promising candidate materials. Selected components were then scaled up and incorporated into low-cost scaled-up stack hardware. The project culminated in the fabrication and testing of a highly efficient electrolyzer system for production of 0.5 kg/hr hydrogen and validation of the stack and system in testing at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).« less

Laboratory meter-scale seismic monitoring of varying water levels in granular media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pasquet, S.; Bodet, L.; Bergamo, P.; Guérin, R.; Martin, R.; Mourgues, R.; Tournat, V.

2016-12-01

Laboratory physical modelling and non-contacting ultrasonic techniques are frequently proposed to tackle theoretical and methodological issues related to geophysical prospecting. Following recent developments illustrating the ability of seismic methods to image spatial and/or temporal variations of water content in the vadose zone, we developed laboratory experiments aimed at testing the sensitivity of seismic measurements (i.e., pressure-wave travel times and surface-wave phase velocities) to water saturation variations. Ultrasonic techniques were used to simulate typical seismic acquisitions on small-scale controlled granular media presenting different water levels. Travel times and phase velocity measurements obtained at the dry state were validated with both theoretical models and numerical simulations and serve as reference datasets. The increasing water level clearly affects the recorded wave field in both its phase and amplitude, but the collected data cannot yet be inverted in the absence of a comprehensive theoretical model for such partially saturated and unconsolidated granular media. The differences in travel time and phase velocity observed between the dry and wet models show patterns that are interestingly coincident with the observed water level and depth of the capillary fringe, thus offering attractive perspectives for studying soil water content variations in the field.

Initial test of large panels of structural flakeboard from southern hardwoods

Treesearch

Eddie W. Price

1975-01-01

A strong structural exterior flakeboard from mixed southern hardwoods has been developed on a laboratory scale; the problem is transfer of the technique to pilot-plant scale in the manufacture of 4- by 8-ft panels. From the pilot-plant trial here reported, it is concluded that a specific platen pressure of at least 575 psi and a hot press closing time of about 45...

SCALE TSUNAMI Analysis of Critical Experiments for Validation of 233U Systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mueller, Don; Rearden, Bradley T

2009-01-01

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) staff used the SCALE TSUNAMI tools to provide a demonstration evaluation of critical experiments considered for use in validation of current and anticipated operations involving {sup 233}U at the Radiochemical Development Facility (RDF). This work was reported in ORNL/TM-2008/196 issued in January 2009. This paper presents the analysis of two representative safety analysis models provided by RDF staff.

The impact of SLMTA in improving laboratory quality systems in the Caribbean Region

PubMed Central

Gordon, Floris; Irving, Yvette; Whyms, Ismae; Parris, Keith; Beckles, Songee; Maruta, Talkmore; Ndlovu, Nqobile; Albalak, Rachel; Alemnji, George

2014-01-01

Background Past efforts to improve laboratory quality systems and to achieve accreditation for better patient care in the Caribbean Region have been slow. Objective To describe the impact of the Strengthening of Laboratory Management Toward Accreditation (SLMTA) training programme and mentorship amongst five clinical laboratories in the Caribbean after 18 months. Method Five national reference laboratories from four countries participated in the SLMTA programme that incorporated classroom teaching and implementation of improvement projects. Mentors were assigned to the laboratories to guide trainees on their improvement projects and to assist in the development of Quality Management Systems (QMS). Audits were conducted at baseline, six months, exit (at 12 months) and post-SLMTA (at 18 months) using the Stepwise Laboratory Quality Improvement Process Towards Accreditation (SLIPTA) checklist to measure changes in implementation of the QMS during the period. At the end of each audit, a comprehensive implementation plan was developed in order to address gaps. Results Baseline audit scores ranged from 19% to 52%, corresponding to 0 stars on the SLIPTA five-star scale. After 18 months, one laboratory reached four stars, two reached three stars and two reached two stars. There was a corresponding decrease in nonconformities and development of over 100 management and technical standard operating procedures in each of the five laboratories. Conclusion The tremendous improvement in these five Caribbean laboratories shows that SLMTA coupled with mentorship is an effective, user-friendly, flexible and customisable approach to the implementation of laboratory QMS. It is recommended that other laboratories in the region consider using the SLMTA training programme as they engage in quality systems improvement and preparation for accreditation. PMID:27066396

Quantification of Uncertainty in Extreme Scale Computations (QUEST)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ghanem, Roger

QUEST was a SciDAC Institute comprising Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratory, the University of Southern California, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Texas at Austin, and Duke University. The mission of QUEST is to: (1) develop a broad class of uncertainty quantification (UQ) methods/tools, and (2) provide UQ expertise and software to other SciDAC projects, thereby enabling/guiding their UQ activities. The USC effort centered on the development of reduced models and efficient algorithms for implementing various components of the UQ pipeline. USC personnel were responsible for the development of adaptive bases, adaptive quadrature, and reduced modelsmore » to be used in estimation and inference.« less

Study and Development of an Air Conditioning System Operating on a Magnetic Heat Pump Cycle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Pao-Lien

1991-01-01

This report describes the design of a laboratory scale demonstration prototype of an air conditioning system operating on a magnetic heat pump cycle. Design parameters were selected through studies performed by a Kennedy Space Center (KSC) System Simulation Computer Model. The heat pump consists of a rotor turning through four magnetic fields that are created by permanent magnets. Gadolinium was selected as the working material for this demonstration prototype. The rotor was designed to be constructed of flat parallel disks of gadolinium with very little space in between. The rotor rotates in an aluminum housing. The laboratory scale demonstration prototype is designed to provide a theoretical Carnot Cycle efficiency of 62 percent and a Coefficient of Performance of 16.55.

A comparison of refuse attenuation in laboratory and field scale lysimeters.

PubMed

Youcai, Zhao; Luochun, Wang; Renhua, Hua; Dimin, Xu; Guowei, Gu

2002-01-01

For this study, small and middle scale laboratory lysimeters, and a large scale field lysimeter in situ in Shanghai Refuse Landfill, with refuse weights of 187,600 and 10,800,000 kg, respectively, were created. These lysimeters are compared in terms of leachate quality (pH, concentrations of COD, BOD and NH3-N), refuse composition (biodegradable matter and volatile solid) and surface settlement for a monitoring period of 0-300 days. The objectives of this study were to explore both the similarities and disparities between laboratory and field scale lysimeters, and to compare degradation behaviors of refuse at the intensive reaction phase in the different scale lysimeters. Quantitative relationships of leachate quality and refuse composition with placement time show that degradation behaviors of refuse seem to depend heavily on the scales of the lysimeters and the parameters of concern, especially in the starting period of 0-6 months. However, some similarities exist between laboratory and field lysimeters after 4-6 months of placement because COD and BOD concentrations in leachate in the field lysimeter decrease regularly in a parallel pattern with those in the laboratory lysimeters. NH3-N, volatile solid (VS) and biodegradable matter (BDM) also gradually decrease in parallel in this intensive reaction phase for all scale lysimeters as refuse ages. Though the concrete data are different among the different scale lysimeters, it may be considered that laboratory lysimeters with sufficient scale are basically applicable for a rough simulation of a real landfill, especially for illustrating the degradation pattern and mechanism. Settlement of refuse surface is roughly proportional to the initial refuse height.

Development and evaluation of an interactive electronic laboratory manual for cooperative learning of medical histology.

PubMed

Khalil, Mohammed K; Kirkley, Debbie L; Kibble, Jonathan D

2013-01-01

This article describes the development of an interactive computer-based laboratory manual, created to facilitate the teaching and learning of medical histology. The overarching goal of developing the manual is to facilitate self-directed group interactivities that actively engage students during laboratory sessions. The design of the manual includes guided instruction for students to navigate virtual slides, exercises for students to monitor learning, and cases to provide clinical relevance. At the end of the laboratory activities, student groups can generate a laboratory report that may be used to provide formative feedback. The instructional value of the manual was evaluated by a questionnaire containing both closed-ended and open-ended items. Closed-ended items using a five-point Likert-scale assessed the format and navigation, instructional contents, group process, and learning process. Open-ended items assessed student's perception on the effectiveness of the manual in facilitating their learning. After implementation for two consecutive years, student evaluation of the manual was highly positive and indicated that it facilitated their learning by reinforcing and clarifying classroom sessions, improved their understanding, facilitated active and cooperative learning, and supported self-monitoring of their learning. Copyright © 2013 American Association of Anatomists.

Early Training Estimation System

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-06-01

Cybernetics and Society, 1980, pp. 1067-1974. J. David , J. Price, Successful communication in full scale engineering development statements of work. Air Force...Technical Memorandum 24-80, 1980, US Army Engineering Laboratory. S. Shrier , Algorithms for system design. Proceedings of the international conference on

Developing integral projection models for aquatic ecotoxicology

EPA Science Inventory

Extrapolating laboratory measured effects of chemicals to ecologically relevant scales is a fundamental challenge in ecotoxicology. In addition to influencing survival in the wild (e.g., over-winter survival) size has been shown to control onset of reproduction for the toxicologi...

Extreme-Scale Computing Project Aims to Advance Precision Oncology | Poster

Cancer.gov

Two government agencies and five national laboratories are collaborating to develop extremely high-performance computing capabilities that will analyze mountains of research and clinical data to improve scientific understanding of cancer, predict drug response, and improve treatments for patients.

The Telecommunications and Data Acquisition Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Posner, E. C. (Editor)

1985-01-01

Developments in programs managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Office of Telecommunications and Data acquisition are discussed. Space communications, radio antennas, the Deep Space Network, antenna design, Project SETI, seismology, coding, very large scale integration, downlinking, and demodulation are among the topics covered.

A Future State for NASA Laboratories - Working in the 21st Century

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kegelman, Jerome T.; Harris, Charles E.; Antcliff, Richard R.; Bushnell, Dennis M.; Dwoyer, Douglas L.

2009-01-01

The name "21 st Century Laboratory" is an emerging concept of how NASA (and the world) will conduct research in the very near future. Our approach is to carefully plan for significant technological changes in products, organization, and society. The NASA mission can be the beneficiary of these changes, provided the Agency prepares for the role of 21st Century laboratories in research and technology development and its deployment in this new age. It has been clear for some time now that the technology revolutions, technology "mega-trends" that we are in the midst of now, all have a common element centered around advanced computational modeling of small scale physics. Whether it is nano technology, bio technology or advanced computational technology, all of these megatrends are converging on science at the very small scale where it is profoundly important to consider the quantum effects at play with physics at that scale. Whether it is the bio-technology creation of "nanites" designed to mimic our immune system or the creation of nanoscale infotechnology devices, allowing an order of magnitude increase in computational capability, all involve quantum physics that serves as the heart of these revolutionary changes.

Data Quality Assurance for Supersonic Jet Noise Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Clifford A.; Henderson, Brenda S.; Bridges, James E.

2010-01-01

The noise created by a supersonic aircraft is a primary concern in the design of future high-speed planes. The jet noise reduction technologies required on these aircraft will be developed using scale-models mounted to experimental jet rigs designed to simulate the exhaust gases from a full-scale jet engine. The jet noise data collected in these experiments must accurately predict the noise levels produced by the full-scale hardware in order to be a useful development tool. A methodology has been adopted at the NASA Glenn Research Center s Aero-Acoustic Propulsion Laboratory to insure the quality of the supersonic jet noise data acquired from the facility s High Flow Jet Exit Rig so that it can be used to develop future nozzle technologies that reduce supersonic jet noise. The methodology relies on mitigating extraneous noise sources, examining the impact of measurement location on the acoustic results, and investigating the facility independence of the measurements. The methodology is documented here as a basis for validating future improvements and its limitations are noted so that they do not affect the data analysis. Maintaining a high quality jet noise laboratory is an ongoing process. By carefully examining the data produced and continually following this methodology, data quality can be maintained and improved over time.

Development of ITM oxygen technology for integration in IGCC and other advanced power generation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Armstrong, Phillip A.

2015-03-31

Ion Transport Membrane (ITM) technology is based on the oxygen-ion-conducting properties of certain mixed-metal oxide ceramic materials that can separate oxygen from an oxygen-containing gas, such as air, under a suitable driving force. The “ITM Oxygen” air separation system that results from the use of such ceramic membranes produces a hot, pure oxygen stream and a hot, pressurized, oxygen-depleted stream from which significant amounts of energy can be extracted. Accordingly, the technology integrates well with other high-temperature processes, including power generation. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., the Recipient, in conjunction with a dozen subcontractors, developed ITM Oxygen technology under thismore » five-phase Cooperative Agreement from the laboratory bench scale to implementation in a pilot plant capable of producing power and 100 tons per day (TPD) of purified oxygen. A commercial-scale membrane module manufacturing facility (the “CerFab”), sized to support a conceptual 2000 TPD ITM Oxygen Development Facility (ODF), was also established and operated under this Agreement. In the course of this work, the team developed prototype ceramic production processes and a robust planar ceramic membrane architecture based on a novel ceramic compound capable of high oxygen fluxes. The concept and feasibility of the technology was thoroughly established through laboratory pilot-scale operations testing commercial-scale membrane modules run under industrial operating conditions with compelling lifetime and reliability performance that supported further scale-up. Auxiliary systems, including contaminant mitigation, process controls, heat exchange, turbo-machinery, combustion, and membrane pressure vessels were extensively investigated and developed. The Recipient and subcontractors developed efficient process cycles that co-produce oxygen and power based on compact, low-cost ITMs. Process economics assessments show significant benefits relative to state-of-the-art cryogenic air separation technology in energy-intensive applications such as IGCC with and without carbon capture.« less

Pharmaceutical process chemistry: evolution of a contemporary data-rich laboratory environment.

PubMed

Caron, Stéphane; Thomson, Nicholas M

2015-03-20

Over the past 20 years, the industrial laboratory environment has gone through a major transformation in the industrial process chemistry setting. In order to discover and develop robust and efficient syntheses and processes for a pharmaceutical portfolio with growing synthetic complexity and increased regulatory expectations, the round-bottom flask and other conventional equipment familiar to a traditional organic chemistry laboratory are being replaced. The new process chemistry laboratory fosters multidisciplinary collaborations by providing a suite of tools capable of delivering deeper process understanding through mechanistic insights and detailed kinetics translating to greater predictability at scale. This transformation is essential to the field of organic synthesis in order to promote excellence in quality, safety, speed, and cost efficiency in synthesis.

Demonstration-scale evaluation of a novel high-solids anaerobic digestion process for converting organic wastes to fuel gas and compost.

PubMed

Rivard, C J; Duff, B W; Dickow, J H; Wiles, C C; Nagle, N J; Gaddy, J L; Clausen, E C

1998-01-01

Early evaluations of the bioconversion potential for combined wastes such as tuna sludge and sorted municipal solid waste (MSW) were conducted at laboratory scale and compared conventional low-solids, stirred-tank anaerobic systems with the novel, high-solids anaerobic digester (HSAD) design. Enhanced feedstock conversion rates and yields were determined for the HSAD system. In addition, the HSAD system demonstrated superior resiliency to process failure. Utilizing relatively dry feedstocks, the HSAD system is approximately one-tenth the size of conventional low-solids systems. In addition, the HSAD system is capable of organic loading rates (OLRs) on the order of 20-25 g volatile solids per liter digester volume per d (gVS/L/d), roughly 4-5 times those of conventional systems. Current efforts involve developing a demonstration-scale (pilot-scale) HSAD system. A two-ton/d plant has been constructed in Stanton, CA and is currently in the commissioning/startup phase. The purposes of the project are to verify laboratory- and intermediate-scale process performance; test the performance of large-scale prototype mechanical systems; demonstrate the long-term reliability of the process; and generate the process and economic data required for the design, financing, and construction of full-scale commercial systems. This study presents conformational fermentation data obtained at intermediate-scale and a snapshot of the pilot-scale project.

Modelling high Reynolds number wall–turbulence interactions in laboratory experiments using large-scale free-stream turbulence

PubMed Central

Dogan, Eda; Hearst, R. Jason

2017-01-01

A turbulent boundary layer subjected to free-stream turbulence is investigated in order to ascertain the scale interactions that dominate the near-wall region. The results are discussed in relation to a canonical high Reynolds number turbulent boundary layer because previous studies have reported considerable similarities between these two flows. Measurements were acquired simultaneously from four hot wires mounted to a rake which was traversed through the boundary layer. Particular focus is given to two main features of both canonical high Reynolds number boundary layers and boundary layers subjected to free-stream turbulence: (i) the footprint of the large scales in the logarithmic region on the near-wall small scales, specifically the modulating interaction between these scales, and (ii) the phase difference in amplitude modulation. The potential for a turbulent boundary layer subjected to free-stream turbulence to ‘simulate’ high Reynolds number wall–turbulence interactions is discussed. The results of this study have encouraging implications for future investigations of the fundamental scale interactions that take place in high Reynolds number flows as it demonstrates that these can be achieved at typical laboratory scales. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Toward the development of high-fidelity models of wall turbulence at large Reynolds number’. PMID:28167584

Modelling high Reynolds number wall-turbulence interactions in laboratory experiments using large-scale free-stream turbulence.

PubMed

Dogan, Eda; Hearst, R Jason; Ganapathisubramani, Bharathram

2017-03-13

A turbulent boundary layer subjected to free-stream turbulence is investigated in order to ascertain the scale interactions that dominate the near-wall region. The results are discussed in relation to a canonical high Reynolds number turbulent boundary layer because previous studies have reported considerable similarities between these two flows. Measurements were acquired simultaneously from four hot wires mounted to a rake which was traversed through the boundary layer. Particular focus is given to two main features of both canonical high Reynolds number boundary layers and boundary layers subjected to free-stream turbulence: (i) the footprint of the large scales in the logarithmic region on the near-wall small scales, specifically the modulating interaction between these scales, and (ii) the phase difference in amplitude modulation. The potential for a turbulent boundary layer subjected to free-stream turbulence to 'simulate' high Reynolds number wall-turbulence interactions is discussed. The results of this study have encouraging implications for future investigations of the fundamental scale interactions that take place in high Reynolds number flows as it demonstrates that these can be achieved at typical laboratory scales.This article is part of the themed issue 'Toward the development of high-fidelity models of wall turbulence at large Reynolds number'. © 2017 The Author(s).

Blended Inquiry with Hands-On and Virtual Laboratories: The Role of Perceptual Features during Knowledge Construction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Toth, Eva Erdosne; Ludvico, Lisa R.; Morrow, Becky L.

2014-01-01

This study examined the characteristics of virtual and hands-on inquiry environments for the development of blended learning in a popular domain of bio-nanotechnology: the separation of different-sized DNA fragments using gel-electrophoresis, also known as DNA-fingerprinting. Since the latest scientific developments in nano- and micro-scale tools…

Development of USPS Laboratory and pilot-scale testing protocols

Treesearch

Carl Houtman; Nancy Ross Sutherland; David Bormett; Donald Donermeyer

2000-01-01

The ultimate goal of the US Postal Service (USPS) Environmentally Benign Stamp Program is to develop stamp adhesives that can be removed by unit operations found in recycling mills. The maintenance of final product quality specifications for a recycling mill while loading the feedstock with a significant quantity of adhesive is the criterion for success of this program...

Laboratory Observations of Dune Erosion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maddux, T. B.; Ruggiero, P.; Palmsten, M.; Holman, R.; Cox, D. T.

2006-12-01

Coastal dunes are an important feature along many coastlines, owing to their input to the sediment supply, use as habitat, and ability to protect onshore resources from wave attack. Correct predictions of the erosion and overtopping rates of these features are needed to develop improved responses to coastal dune damage events, and to determining the likelihood and magnitude of future erosion and overtopping on different beaches. We have conducted a large-scale laboratory study at Oregon State University's O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory (HWRL) with the goal of producing a comprehensive, near prototype-scale, physical model data set of hydrodynamics, sediment transport, and morphological evolution during extreme dune erosion events. The two goals of this work are (1) to develop a better understanding of swash/dune dynamics and (2) to evaluate and guide further development of dune erosion models. We present initial results from the first phase of the experimental program. An initial beach and dune profile was selected based on field LIDAR-based observations of various U.S. east coast and Gulf coast dune systems. The laboratory beach was brought to equilibrium with pre-storm random wave conditions. It was subsequently subjected to attack from steadily increasing water level and offshore wave heights. Observations made include inner surf zone and swash free surface and velocities as well as wave-by-wave estimates of topographical change at high spatial resolution through the use of stereo video imagery. Future work will include studies of fluid overtopping of the dune and sediment overwash and assessment of the resilience of man-made "push-up" dunes to wave attack in comparison with their more-compacted "natural" cousins.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Retterer, S. T.; Holsapple, M. P.

A Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) was established between Battelle Memorial Institute (BMI), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) with the goal of combining the analytical and synthetic strengths of the National Laboratories with BMI's expertise in basic and translational medical research to develop a collaborative pipeline and suite of high throughput and imaging technologies that could be used to provide a more comprehensive understanding of material and drug toxicology in humans. The Multi-Scale Toxicity Initiative (MSTI), consisting of the team members above, was established tomore » coordinate cellular scale, high-throughput in vitro testing, computational modeling and whole animal in vivo toxicology studies between MSTI team members. Development of a common, well-characterized set of materials for testing was identified as a crucial need for the initiative. Two research tracks were established by BMI during the course of the CRADA. The first research track focused on the development of tools and techniques for understanding the toxicity of nanomaterials, specifically inorganic nanoparticles (NPs). ORNL"s work focused primarily on the synthesis, functionalization and characterization of a common set of NPs for dissemination to the participating laboratories. These particles were synthesized to retain the same surface characteristics and size, but to allow visualization using the variety of imaging technologies present across the team. Characterization included the quantitative analysis of physical and chemical properties of the materials as well as the preliminary assessment of NP toxicity using commercially available toxicity screens and emerging optical imaging strategies. Additional efforts examined the development of high-throughput microfluidic and imaging assays for measuring NP uptake, localization, and toxicity in vitro. The second research track within the MSTI CRADA focused on the development of ex vivo animal models for examining druginduced cardiotoxicity. ORNL's role in the second track was limited initially, but was later expanded to include the development of microfluidic platforms that might facilitate the translation of Cardiac 'Microwire' technologies developed at the University of Toronto into a functional platform for drug screening and predictive assessment of cardiotoxicity via highthroughput measurements of contractility. This work was coordinated by BMI with the Centre for the Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine (CCRM) and the University of Toronto (U Toronto). This partnership was expanded and culminated in the submission of proposal to Work for Others (WFO) agencies to explore the development of a broader set of microphysiological systems, a so call human-on-a-chip, that could be used for toxicity screening and the evaluation of bio-threat countermeasures.« less

Building a Laboratory-Scale Biogas Plant and Verifying its Functionality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boleman, Tomáš; Fiala, Jozef; Blinová, Lenka; Gerulová, Kristína

2011-01-01

The paper deals with the process of building a laboratory-scale biogas plant and verifying its functionality. The laboratory-scale prototype was constructed in the Department of Safety and Environmental Engineering at the Faculty of Materials Science and Technology in Trnava, of the Slovak University of Technology. The Department has already built a solar laboratory to promote and utilise solar energy, and designed SETUR hydro engine. The laboratory is the next step in the Department's activities in the field of renewable energy sources and biomass. The Department is also involved in the European Union project, where the goal is to upgrade all existed renewable energy sources used in the Department.

Comparing and Combining Data across Multiple Sources via Integration of Paired-sample Data to Correct for Measurement Error

PubMed Central

Huang, Yunda; Huang, Ying; Moodie, Zoe; Li, Sue; Self, Steve

2014-01-01

Summary In biomedical research such as the development of vaccines for infectious diseases or cancer, measures from the same assay are often collected from multiple sources or laboratories. Measurement error that may vary between laboratories needs to be adjusted for when combining samples across laboratories. We incorporate such adjustment in comparing and combining independent samples from different labs via integration of external data, collected on paired samples from the same two laboratories. We propose: 1) normalization of individual level data from two laboratories to the same scale via the expectation of true measurements conditioning on the observed; 2) comparison of mean assay values between two independent samples in the Main study accounting for inter-source measurement error; and 3) sample size calculations of the paired-sample study so that hypothesis testing error rates are appropriately controlled in the Main study comparison. Because the goal is not to estimate the true underlying measurements but to combine data on the same scale, our proposed methods do not require that the true values for the errorprone measurements are known in the external data. Simulation results under a variety of scenarios demonstrate satisfactory finite sample performance of our proposed methods when measurement errors vary. We illustrate our methods using real ELISpot assay data generated by two HIV vaccine laboratories. PMID:22764070

Technologies for Extracting Valuable Metals and Compounds from Geothermal Fluids

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Harrison, Stephen

2014-04-30

Executive Summary Simbol Materials studied various methods of extracting valuable minerals from geothermal brines in the Imperial Valley of California, focusing on the extraction of lithium, manganese, zinc and potassium. New methods were explored for managing the potential impact of silica fouling on mineral extraction equipment, and for converting silica management by-products into commercial products.` Studies at the laboratory and bench scale focused on manganese, zinc and potassium extraction and the conversion of silica management by-products into valuable commercial products. The processes for extracting lithium and producing lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide products were developed at the laboratory scale andmore » scaled up to pilot-scale. Several sorbents designed to extract lithium as lithium chloride from geothermal brine were developed at the laboratory scale and subsequently scaled-up for testing in the lithium extraction pilot plant. Lithium The results of the lithium studies generated the confidence for Simbol to scale its process to commercial operation. The key steps of the process were demonstrated during its development at pilot scale: 1. Silica management. 2. Lithium extraction. 3. Purification. 4. Concentration. 5. Conversion into lithium hydroxide and lithium carbonate products. Results show that greater than 95% of the lithium can be extracted from geothermal brine as lithium chloride, and that the chemical yield in converting lithium chloride to lithium hydroxide and lithium carbonate products is greater than 90%. The product purity produced from the process is consistent with battery grade lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide. Manganese and zinc Processes for the extraction of zinc and manganese from geothermal brine were developed. It was shown that they could be converted into zinc metal and electrolytic manganese dioxide after purification. These processes were evaluated for their economic potential, and at the present time Simbol Materials is evaluating other products with greater commercial value. Potassium Silicotitanates, zeolites and other sorbents were evaluated as potential reagents for the extraction of potassium from geothermal brines and production of potassium chloride (potash). It was found that zeolites were effective at removing potassium but the capacity of the zeolites and the form that the potassium is in does not have economic potential. Iron-silica by-product The conversion of iron-silica by-product produced during silica management operations into more valuable materials was studied at the laboratory scale. Results indicate that it is technically feasible to convert the iron-silica by-product into ferric chloride and ferric sulfate solutions which are precursors to a ferric phosphate product. However, additional work to purify the solutions is required to determine the commercial viability of this process. Conclusion Simbol Materials is in the process of designing its first commercial plant based on the technology developed to the pilot scale during this project. The investment in the commercial plant is hundreds of millions of dollars, and construction of the commercial plant will generate hundreds of jobs. Plant construction will be completed in 2016 and the first lithium products will be shipped in 2017. The plant will have a lithium carbonate equivalent production capacity of 15,000 tonnes per year. The gross revenues from the project are expected to be approximately $ 80 to 100 million annually. During this development program Simbol grew from a company of about 10 people to over 60 people today. Simbol is expected to employ more than 100 people once the plant is constructed. Simbol Materials’ business is scalable in the Imperial Valley region because there are eleven geothermal power plants already in operation, which allows Simbol to expand its business from one plant to multiple plants. Additionally, the scope of the resource is vast in terms of potential products such as lithium, manganese and zinc and potentially potassium.« less

Embedding measurement within existing computerized data systems: scaling clinical laboratory and medical records heart failure data to predict ICU admission.

PubMed

Fisher, William P; Burton, Elizabeth C

2010-01-01

This study employs existing data sources to develop a new measure of intensive care unit (ICU) admission risk for heart failure patients. Outcome measures were constructed from laboratory, accounting, and medical record data for 973 adult inpatients with primary or secondary heart failure. Several scoring interpretations of the laboratory indicators were evaluated relative to their measurement and predictive properties. Cases were restricted to tests within first lab draw that included at least 15 indicators. After optimizing the original clinical observations, a satisfactory heart failure severity scale was calibrated on a 0-1000 continuum. Patients with unadjusted CHF severity measures of 550 or less were 2.7 times more likely to be admitted to the ICU than those with higher measures. Patients with low HF severity measures (550 or less) adjusted for demographic and diagnostic risk factors are about six times more likely to be admitted to the ICU than those with higher adjusted measures. A nomogram facilitates routine clinical application. Existing computerized data systems could be programmed to automatically structure clinical laboratory reports using the results of studies like this one to reduce data volume with no loss of information, make laboratory results more meaningful to clinical end users, improve the quality of care, reduce errors and unneeded tests, prevent unnecessary ICU admissions, lower costs, and improve patient satisfaction. Existing data typically examined piecemeal form a coherent scale measuring heart failure severity sensitive to increased likelihood of ICU admission. Marked improvements in ROC curves were found for the aggregate measures relative to individual clinical indicators.

Practices for Identifying and Rejecting Hemolyzed Specimens Are Highly Variable in Clinical Laboratories.

PubMed

Howanitz, Peter J; Lehman, Christopher M; Jones, Bruce A; Meier, Frederick A; Horowitz, Gary L

2015-08-01

Hemolysis is an important clinical laboratory quality attribute that influences result reliability. To determine hemolysis identification and rejection practices occurring in clinical laboratories. We used the College of American Pathologists Survey program to distribute a Q-Probes-type questionnaire about hemolysis practices to Chemistry Survey participants. Of 3495 participants sent the questionnaire, 846 (24%) responded. In 71% of 772 laboratories, the hemolysis rate was less than 3.0%, whereas in 5%, it was 6.0% or greater. A visual scale, an instrument scale, and combination of visual and instrument scales were used to identify hemolysis in 48%, 11%, and 41% of laboratories, respectively. A picture of the hemolysis level was used as an aid to technologists' visual interpretation of hemolysis levels in 40% of laboratories. In 7.0% of laboratories, all hemolyzed specimens were rejected; in 4% of laboratories, no hemolyzed specimens were rejected; and in 88% of laboratories, some specimens were rejected depending on hemolysis levels. Participants used 69 different terms to describe hemolysis scales, with 21 terms used in more than 10 laboratories. Slight and moderate were the terms used most commonly. Of 16 different cutoffs used to reject hemolyzed specimens, moderate was the most common, occurring in 30% of laboratories. For whole blood electrolyte measurements performed in 86 laboratories, 57% did not evaluate the presence of hemolysis, but for those that did, the most common practice in 21 laboratories (24%) was centrifuging and visually determining the presence of hemolysis in all specimens. Hemolysis practices vary widely. Standard assessment and consistent reporting are the first steps in reducing interlaboratory variability among results.

Importance of Public-Private Partnerships: Strengthening Laboratory Medicine Systems and Clinical Practice in Africa.

PubMed

Shrivastava, Ritu; Gadde, Renuka; Nkengasong, John N

2016-04-15

After the launch of the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief in 2003, it became evident that inadequate laboratory systems and services would severely limit the scale-up of human immunodeficiency virus infection prevention, care, and treatment programs. Thus, the Office of the US Global AIDS Coordinator, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Becton, Dickinson and Company developed a public-private partnership (PPP). Between October 2007 and July 2012, the PPP combined the competencies of the public and private sectors to boost sustainable laboratory systems and develop workforce skills in 4 African countries. Key accomplishments of the initiative include measurable and scalable outcomes to strengthen national capacities to build technical skills, develop sample referral networks, map disease prevalence, support evidence-based health programming, and drive continuous quality improvement in laboratories. This report details lessons learned from our experience and a series of recommendations on how to achieve successful PPPs. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail journals.permissions@oup.com.

A comparison of relative toxicity rankings by some small-scale laboratory tests

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hilado, C. J.; Cumming, H. J.

1977-01-01

Small-scale laboratory tests for fire toxicity, suitable for use in the average laboratory hood, are needed for screening and ranking materials on the basis of relative toxicity. The performance of wool, cotton, and aromatic polyamide under several test procedures is presented.

Development plan for the External Hazards Experimental Group. Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Coleman, Justin Leigh; Smith, Curtis Lee; Burns, Douglas Edward

This report describes the development plan for a new multi-partner External Hazards Experimental Group (EHEG) coordinated by Idaho National Laboratory (INL) within the Risk-Informed Safety Margin Characterization (RISMC) technical pathway of the Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program. Currently, there is limited data available for development and validation of the tools and methods being developed in the RISMC Toolkit. The EHEG is being developed to obtain high-quality, small- and large-scale experimental data validation of RISMC tools and methods in a timely and cost-effective way. The group of universities and national laboratories that will eventually form the EHEG (which is ultimately expectedmore » to include both the initial participants and other universities and national laboratories that have been identified) have the expertise and experimental capabilities needed to both obtain and compile existing data archives and perform additional seismic and flooding experiments. The data developed by EHEG will be stored in databases for use within RISMC. These databases will be used to validate the advanced external hazard tools and methods.« less

Achieving across-laboratory replicability in psychophysical scaling

PubMed Central

Ward, Lawrence M.; Baumann, Michael; Moffat, Graeme; Roberts, Larry E.; Mori, Shuji; Rutledge-Taylor, Matthew; West, Robert L.

2015-01-01

It is well known that, although psychophysical scaling produces good qualitative agreement between experiments, precise quantitative agreement between experimental results, such as that routinely achieved in physics or biology, is rarely or never attained. A particularly galling example of this is the fact that power function exponents for the same psychological continuum, measured in different laboratories but ostensibly using the same scaling method, magnitude estimation, can vary by a factor of three. Constrained scaling (CS), in which observers first learn a standardized meaning for a set of numerical responses relative to a standard sensory continuum and then make magnitude judgments of other sensations using the learned response scale, has produced excellent quantitative agreement between individual observers’ psychophysical functions. Theoretically it could do the same for across-laboratory comparisons, although this needs to be tested directly. We compared nine different experiments from four different laboratories as an example of the level of across experiment and across-laboratory agreement achievable using CS. In general, we found across experiment and across-laboratory agreement using CS to be significantly superior to that typically obtained with conventional magnitude estimation techniques, although some of its potential remains to be realized. PMID:26191019

AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT ACROSS SCALES

EPA Science Inventory

The mission of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) is to protect human health and the environment. As part of the Office of Research and Development within the USEPA, the Ecosystems Research Branch of the National Exposure Research Laboratory, located in Ci...

LABORATORY-SCALE SIMULATION OF RUNOFF RESPONSE FROM PERVIOUS-IMPERVIOUS SYSTEMS

EPA Science Inventory

Urban development yields landscapes that are composites of impervious and pervious areas, with a consequent reduction in infiltration and increase in stormwater runoff. Although basic rainfall-runoff models are used in the vast majority of runoff prediction in urban landscapes, t...

Autonomous benthic algal cultivator under feedback control of ecosystem metabolism

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

An autonomous and internally-controlled techno-ecological hybrid was developed that controls primary production of algae in a laboratory-scale cultivator. The technoecosystem is based on an algal turf scrubber (ATS) system that combines engineered feedback control programming with internal feedback...

REDUCING WASTEWATER FROM CUCUMBER PICKLING PROCESS BY CONTROLLED CULTURE FERMENTATION

EPA Science Inventory

On a demonstration scale, the controlled culture fermentation process (CCF) developed by the U.S. Food Fermentation Laboratory was compared with the conventional natural fermentation process (NF) in regard to product quality and yield and volume and concentration of wastewaters. ...

BENCH-SCALE EVALUATION OF AMMONIA REMOVAL FROM WASTEWATER BY STEAM STRIPPING

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of the study was to generate laboratory data to support the development of wastewater discharge standards for ammonia in nonferrous metal winning processes. The objective was accomplished by studying ammonia removal from synthetically compounded 'wastewater' samples u...

Blueprints for green biotech: development and application of standards for plant synthetic biology.

PubMed

Patron, Nicola J

2016-06-15

Synthetic biology aims to apply engineering principles to the design and modification of biological systems and to the construction of biological parts and devices. The ability to programme cells by providing new instructions written in DNA is a foundational technology of the field. Large-scale de novo DNA synthesis has accelerated synthetic biology by offering custom-made molecules at ever decreasing costs. However, for large fragments and for experiments in which libraries of DNA sequences are assembled in different combinations, assembly in the laboratory is still desirable. Biological assembly standards allow DNA parts, even those from multiple laboratories and experiments, to be assembled together using the same reagents and protocols. The adoption of such standards for plant synthetic biology has been cohesive for the plant science community, facilitating the application of genome editing technologies to plant systems and streamlining progress in large-scale, multi-laboratory bioengineering projects. © 2016 The Author(s). published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society.

Laboratory animal science in China: current status and potential for adoption of Three R alternatives.

PubMed

Kong, Qi; Qin, Chuan

2010-03-01

This paper aims to describe the development of laboratory animal science in China on the basis of historical evidence and recent national survey data, and to identify the problems facing the adoption of Three R alternatives. The authors undertook a national survey in 2006, by means of a questionnaire sent to 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions, and also compared data from a variety of sources, including several national surveys and published papers. Laboratory animal science in China has developed rapidly over the past 30 years, as a result of a combination of economic, governmental and societal forces. More than 100,000 people work in the field of laboratory animal science, in 2,000 laboratory animal centres, institutes, universities, organisations, and companies. During the year of our survey, more than 19 million laboratory animals were produced from 320 licensed production facilities. Approximately 16 million laboratory animals were used in animal experiments, in 1530 facilities licensed for their use. The scale of the market for the supply and use of laboratory animals is huge, and thus it is very important to improve the level of adoption of these alternatives, in education, research and testing. For China, this presents a significant economic and technological opportunity in the field of biosciences research. The concept of the Three Rs first appeared in China in the 1980s, when the scale of laboratory animal sciences was starting to increase. In the 1990s, the Three Rs concept became commonly accepted among laboratory animal scientists, and began to appear in government documents. In the first decade of the 21st century, the Three Rs principles have become increasingly applied in our day-to-day work. But further time is still needed to achieve the full application of the Three Rs principles, especially the adoption of Three R alternatives. This paper describes the achievements in China relating to laboratory animal science, the use of Three R alternatives, and animal welfare, and shows that there is currently great potential for the adoption of alternatives. The information will help scientists and organisations around the world to gain better insight into the current state of laboratory animal science in China, and hopefully, will enable them to give advice on how we can improve the adoption of Three R alternatives in our country. 2010 FRAME.

Biogeochemistry of hypersaline microbial mats illustrates the dynamics of modern microbial ecosystems and the early evolution of the biosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Des Marais, David J.

2003-01-01

Photosynthetic microbial mats are remarkably complete self-sustaining ecosystems at the millimeter scale, yet they have substantially affected environmental processes on a planetary scale. These mats may be direct descendents of the most ancient biological communities in which even oxygenic photosynthesis might have developed. Photosynthetic mats are excellent natural laboratories to help us to learn how microbial populations associate to control dynamic biogeochemical gradients.

Status of the Flooding Fragility Testing Development

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pope, C. L.; Savage, B.; Bhandari, B.

2016-06-01

This report provides an update on research addressing nuclear power plant component reliability under flooding conditions. The research includes use of the Component Flooding Evaluation Laboratory (CFEL) where individual components and component subassemblies will be tested to failure under various flooding conditions. The resulting component reliability data can then be incorporated with risk simulation strategies to provide a more thorough representation of overall plant risk. The CFEL development strategy consists of four interleaved phases. Phase 1 addresses design and application of CFEL with water rise and water spray capabilities allowing testing of passive and active components including fully electrified components.more » Phase 2 addresses research into wave generation techniques followed by the design and addition of the wave generation capability to CFEL. Phase 3 addresses methodology development activities including small scale component testing, development of full scale component testing protocol, and simulation techniques including Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamic (SPH) based computer codes. Phase 4 involves full scale component testing including work on full scale component testing in a surrogate CFEL testing apparatus.« less

Scale-Up Information for Gas-Phase Ammonia Treatment of Uranium in the Vadose Zone at the Hanford Site Central Plateau

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Truex, Michael J.; Szecsody, James E.; Zhong, Lirong

Uranium is present in the vadose zone at the Hanford Central Plateau and is of concern for protection of groundwater. The Deep Vadose Zone Treatability Test Plan for the Hanford Central Plateau identified gas-phase treatment and geochemical manipulation as potentially effective treatment approaches for uranium and technetium in the Hanford Central Plateau vadose zone. Based on laboratory evaluation, use of ammonia vapor was selected as the most promising uranium treatment candidate for further development and field testing. While laboratory tests have shown that ammonia treatment effectively reduces the mobility of uranium, additional information is needed to enable deployment of thismore » technology for remediation. Of importance for field applications are aspects of the technology associated with effective distribution of ammonia to a targeted treatment zone, understanding the fate of injected ammonia and its impact on subsurface conditions, and identifying effective monitoring approaches. In addition, information is needed to select equipment and operational parameters for a field design. As part of development efforts for the ammonia technology for remediation of vadose zone uranium contamination, field scale-up issues were identified and have been addressed through a series of laboratory and modeling efforts. This report presents a conceptual description for field application of the ammonia treatment process, engineering calculations to support treatment design, ammonia transport information, field application monitoring approaches, and a discussion of processes affecting the fate of ammonia in the subsurface. The report compiles this information from previous publications and from recent research and development activities. The intent of this report is to provide technical information about these scale-up elements to support the design and operation of a field test for the ammonia treatment technology.« less

Final Technical Report: Quantification of Uncertainty in Extreme Scale Computations (QUEST)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Knio, Omar M.

QUEST is a SciDAC Institute comprising Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratory, University of Southern California, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Texas at Austin, and Duke University. The mission of QUEST is to: (1) develop a broad class of uncertainty quantification (UQ) methods/tools, and (2) provide UQ expertise and software to other SciDAC projects, thereby enabling/guiding their UQ activities. The Duke effort focused on the development of algorithms and utility software for non-intrusive sparse UQ representations, and on participation in the organization of annual workshops and tutorials to disseminate UQ tools to the community, and to gather inputmore » in order to adapt approaches to the needs of SciDAC customers. In particular, fundamental developments were made in (a) multiscale stochastic preconditioners, (b) gradient-based approaches to inverse problems, (c) adaptive pseudo-spectral approximations, (d) stochastic limit cycles, and (e) sensitivity analysis tools for noisy systems. In addition, large-scale demonstrations were performed, namely in the context of ocean general circulation models.« less

Predictive modelling of flow in a two-dimensional intermediate-scale, heterogeneous porous media

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barth, Gilbert R.; Hill, M.C.; Illangasekare, T.H.; Rajaram, H.

2000-01-01

To better understand the role of sedimentary structures in flow through porous media, and to determine how small-scale laboratory-measured values of hydraulic conductivity relate to in situ values this work deterministically examines flow through simple, artificial structures constructed for a series of intermediate-scale (10 m long), two-dimensional, heterogeneous, laboratory experiments. Nonlinear regression was used to determine optimal values of in situ hydraulic conductivity, which were compared to laboratory-measured values. Despite explicit numerical representation of the heterogeneity, the optimized values were generally greater than the laboratory-measured values. Discrepancies between measured and optimal values varied depending on the sand sieve size, but their contribution to error in the predicted flow was fairly consistent for all sands. Results indicate that, even under these controlled circumstances, laboratory-measured values of hydraulic conductivity need to be applied to models cautiously.To better understand the role of sedimentary structures in flow through porous media, and to determine how small-scale laboratory-measured values of hydraulic conductivity relate to in situ values this work deterministically examines flow through simple, artificial structures constructed for a series of intermediate-scale (10 m long), two-dimensional, heterogeneous, laboratory experiments. Nonlinear regression was used to determine optimal values of in situ hydraulic conductivity, which were compared to laboratory-measured values. Despite explicit numerical representation of the heterogeneity, the optimized values were generally greater than the laboratory-measured values. Discrepancies between measured and optimal values varied depending on the sand sieve size, but their contribution to error in the predicted flow was fairly consistent for all sands. Results indicate that, even under these controlled circumstances, laboratory-measured values of hydraulic conductivity need to be applied to models cautiously.

Bacterial Transport in Heterogeneous Porous Media: Laboratory and Field Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fuller, M. E.

2001-12-01

A fully instrumented research site for examining field-scale bacterial transport has been established on the eastern shore of Virginia. Studies employing intact sediment cores from the South Oyster site have been performed to examine the effects of physical and chemical heterogeneity, to derive transport parameters, and to aid in the selection of bacterial strains for use in field experiments. A variety of innovative methods for tracking bacteria were developed and evaluated under both laboratory and field conditions, providing the tools to detect target cell concentrations in groundwater down to <20 cells/ml, and to perform real-time monitoring in the field. Comprehensive modeling efforts have provided a framework for the layout and instrumentation of the field site, and have aided in the design and interpretation of field-scale bacterial transport experiments. Field transport experiments were conducted in both aerobic and an anoxic flow cells to determine the effects of physical and chemical heterogeneity on field-scale bacterial transport. The results of this research not only contribute to the development of more effective bioremediation strategies, but also have implications for a better understanding of bacterial movement in the subsurface as it relates to public health microbiology and general microbial ecology.

Subterranean gravity and other deep hole geophysics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stacey, F.D.

1983-01-01

The early history of the determination of the Newtonian gravitational constant, G, was closely linked with the developments of geodesy and gravity surveying. The current search for non-Newtonian effects that may provide an experimental guide to unification theories has led to our retracting some of this history. Modern geophysical techniques and facilities, using especially mines and deep ocean probes, permit absolute measurements of G for distance scales up to a few kilometers. Although the accuracy of the very long range determinations cannot equal that of the best laboratory measurements, they are crucial to assessment of the possibility of a scalemore » dependence of G. Preliminary data give values of G on a scale 100-1000 m biased about 1% higher than the laboratory value. Possibilities of systematic error compel us to question this apparently significant bias but it provides the incentive for better controlled large scale experiments. Several are in progress or under development. A particular difficulty concerns the measurement of in situ density. Even for hard rock, release from overburden pressure causes microcracks and pores to open. Natural pore closure is effective only with deep burial and for this reason there are advantages in deep instrument placement for several geophysical studies.« less

Application of simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) from viscosity reducing of raw sweet potato for bioethanol production at laboratory, pilot and industrial scales.

PubMed

Zhang, Liang; Zhao, Hai; Gan, Mingzhe; Jin, Yanlin; Gao, Xiaofeng; Chen, Qian; Guan, Jiafa; Wang, Zhongyan

2011-03-01

The aim of this work was to research a bioprocess for bioethanol production from raw sweet potato by Saccharomyces cerevisiae at laboratory, pilot and industrial scales. The fermentation mode, inoculum size and pressure from different gases were determined in laboratory. The maximum ethanol concentration, average ethanol productivity rate and yield of ethanol after fermentation in laboratory scale (128.51 g/L, 4.76 g/L/h and 91.4%) were satisfactory with small decrease at pilot scale (109.06 g/L, 4.89 g/L/h and 91.24%) and industrial scale (97.94 g/L, 4.19 g/L/h and 91.27%). When scaled up, the viscosity caused resistance to fermentation parameters, 1.56 AUG/g (sweet potato mash) of xylanase decreased the viscosity from approximately 30000 to 500 cp. Overall, sweet potato is a attractive feedstock for be bioethanol production from both the economic standpoints and environmentally friendly. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Monitoring of well-controlled turbidity currents using the latest technology and a dredger

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vellinga, A. J.; Cartigny, M.; Clare, M. A.; Mastbergen, D. R.; Van den Ham, G.; Koelewijn, A. R.; de Kleine, M.; Hizzett, J. L.; Azpiroz, M.; Simmons, S.; Parsons, D. R.

2017-12-01

Recent advances in technology enable monitoring of turbidity currents at field scale. This now allows us to test models developed at small-scale in the laboratory. However, interpretation of field measurements is complicated, as the instruments used are not bespoke for monitoring turbidity currents. For example, Acoustic Doppler Current Profiles (ADCPs) are developed to measure clear water flows, and 3D multimode multibeam echosounders (M3s) are made to find shoals of fish. Calibration of field-scale measurements is complicated, as we often do not know fundamental information about the measured flows, such as grain size and initial sediment volume. We present field-scale measurements of two turbidity currents for which the pre- and post-flow bathymetry, grain size and initial sediment volume is known precisely. A dredger created two turbidity currents by twice discharging 500m3 of sediment on a slope in the Western Scheldt Estuary, the Netherlands. Flow velocity and echo intensity were directly measured using three frequencies of ADCPs, and two M3 sonars imaged the flow morphology in 3D. This experiment was part of the IJkdijk research program. The turbidity currents formed upstream-migrating crescentic shaped bedforms. The ADCPs measured peak flow velocities of 1-1.5 m/s. The M3s however suggest head velocities are 2-4 m/s. The two measured turbidity currents have thicknesses of about 3m, are up to 50m in width and travel downslope for about 150m. Flow dimensions, duration, and sediment discharge indicate a mean sediment concentration of 1-5 vol. %. Flow morphology evolves from a fast but thin, snout-like head, to a thicker body, and a dilute tail. The initial flow dynamics contrast with many laboratory experiments, but are coherent with direct measurements of much larger flows in the Congo Canyon. Well-constrained field studies, like this one, thus help to understand the validity of scaling from the laboratory to the deep sea.

A review of the processes and lab-scale techniques for the treatment of spent rechargeable NiMH batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Innocenzi, Valentina; Ippolito, Nicolò Maria; De Michelis, Ida; Prisciandaro, Marina; Medici, Franco; Vegliò, Francesco

2017-09-01

The purpose of this work is to describe and review the current status of the recycling technologies of spent NiMH batteries. In the first part of the work, the structure and characterization of NiMH accumulators are introduced followed by the description of the main scientific studies and the industrial processes. Various recycling routes including physical, pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical ones are discussed. The hydrometallurgical methods for the recovery of base metals and rare earths are mainly developed on the laboratory and pilot scale. The operating industrial methods are pyrometallurgical ones and are efficient only on the recovery of certain components of spent batteries. In particular fraction rich in nickel and other materials are recovered; instead the rare earths are lost in the slag and must be further refined by hydrometallurgical process to recover them. Considering the actual legislation regarding the disposal of spent batteries and the preservation of raw materials issues, implementations on laboratory scale and plant optimization studies should be conducted in order to overcome the industrial problems of the scale up for the hydrometallurgical processes.

Experimental and operational modal analysis of a laboratory scale model of a tripod support structure.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luczak, M. M.; Mucchi, E.; Telega, J.

2016-09-01

The goal of the research is to develop a vibration-based procedure for the identification of structural failures in a laboratory scale model of a tripod supporting structure of an offshore wind turbine. In particular, this paper presents an experimental campaign on the scale model tested in two stages. Stage one encompassed the model tripod structure tested in air. The second stage was done in water. The tripod model structure allows to investigate the propagation of a circumferential representative crack of a cylindrical upper brace. The in-water test configuration included the tower with three bladed rotor. The response of the structure to the different waves loads were measured with accelerometers. Experimental and operational modal analysis was applied to identify the dynamic properties of the investigated scale model for intact and damaged state with different excitations and wave patterns. A comprehensive test matrix allows to assess the differences in estimated modal parameters due to damage or as potentially introduced by nonlinear structural response. The presented technique proves to be effective for detecting and assessing the presence of representative cracks.

EPOS Multi-Scale Laboratory platform: a long-term reference tool for experimental Earth Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trippanera, Daniele; Tesei, Telemaco; Funiciello, Francesca; Sagnotti, Leonardo; Scarlato, Piergiorgio; Rosenau, Matthias; Elger, Kirsten; Ulbricht, Damian; Lange, Otto; Calignano, Elisa; Spiers, Chris; Drury, Martin; Willingshofer, Ernst; Winkler, Aldo

2017-04-01

With continuous progress on scientific research, a large amount of datasets has been and will be produced. The data access and sharing along with their storage and homogenization within a unique and coherent framework is a new challenge for the whole scientific community. This is particularly emphasized for geo-scientific laboratories, encompassing the most diverse Earth Science disciplines and typology of data. To this aim the "Multiscale Laboratories" Work Package (WP16), operating in the framework of the European Plate Observing System (EPOS), is developing a virtual platform of geo-scientific data and services for the worldwide community of laboratories. This long-term project aims at merging the top class multidisciplinary laboratories in Geoscience into a coherent and collaborative network, facilitating the standardization of virtual access to data, data products and software. This will help our community to evolve beyond the stage in which most of data produced by the different laboratories are available only within the related scholarly publications (often as print-version only) or they remain unpublished and inaccessible on local devices. The EPOS multi-scale laboratory platform will provide the possibility to easily share and discover data by means of open access, DOI-referenced, online data publication including long-term storage, managing and curation services and to set up a cohesive community of laboratories. The WP16 is starting with three pilot cases laboratories: (1) rock physics, (2) palaeomagnetic, and (3) analogue modelling. As a proof of concept, first analogue modelling datasets have been published via GFZ Data Services (http://doidb.wdc-terra.org/search/public/ui?&sort=updated+desc&q=epos). The datasets include rock analogue material properties (e.g. friction data, rheology data, SEM imagery), as well as supplementary figures, images and movies from experiments on tectonic processes. A metadata catalogue tailored to the specific communities will link the growing number of datasets to a centralized EPOS hub. Acknowledging the fact that we are dealing with a variety in levels of maturity regarding available data infrastructures within the different labs, we have set up an architecture that provides different scenarios for participation. Thus, research groups which do not have access to localized repositories and catalogues for sustainable storage of data and metadata can rely on shared services within the Multi-scale Laboratories community. As an example of the usage of data retrieved through the community, an experimentalist willing to decide which material is suitable for his experimental setup can get "virtual lab access" to retrieve information about material parameters with a minimum effort and then may decide to move in a specific laboratory equipped with the instruments needed. The currently participating and collaborating laboratories (Utrecht University, GFZ, Roma Tre University, INGV, NERC, CSIC-ICTJA, CNRS, LMU, UBI, ETH, CNR) warmly welcome everyone who is interested in participating at the development of this project.

Potential for improved radiation thermometry measurement uncertainty through implementing a primary scale in an industrial laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Willmott, Jon R.; Lowe, David; Broughton, Mick; White, Ben S.; Machin, Graham

2016-09-01

A primary temperature scale requires realising a unit in terms of its definition. For high temperature radiation thermometry in terms of the International Temperature Scale of 1990 this means extrapolating from the signal measured at the freezing temperature of gold, silver or copper using Planck’s radiation law. The difficulty in doing this means that primary scales above 1000 °C require specialist equipment and careful characterisation in order to achieve the extrapolation with sufficient accuracy. As such, maintenance of the scale at high temperatures is usually only practicable for National Metrology Institutes, and calibration laboratories have to rely on a scale calibrated against transfer standards. At lower temperatures it is practicable for an industrial calibration laboratory to have its own primary temperature scale, which reduces the number of steps between the primary scale and end user. Proposed changes to the SI that will introduce internationally accepted high temperature reference standards might make it practicable to have a primary high temperature scale in a calibration laboratory. In this study such a scale was established by calibrating radiation thermometers directly to high temperature reference standards. The possible reduction in uncertainty to an end user as a result of the reduced calibration chain was evaluated.

PILOT-SCALE EVALUATION OF AN INCINERABILITY RANKING SYSTEM FOR HAZARDOUS ORGANIC COMPOUNDS

EPA Science Inventory

The subject study was conducted to evaluate an incinerability ranking system developed by teh University of Dayton Research Institute under contract to the EPA Risk Reduction Engineering Laboratory. Fixtures of organic compounds were prepared and combined with a clay-based sorben...

STRATEGIES AND TECHNOLOGY FOR MANAGING HIGH-CARBON ASH

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Robert Hurt; Eric Suuberg; John Veranth

2004-02-13

The overall objective of the present project was to identify and assess strategies and solutions for the management of industry problems related to carbon in ash. Specific issues addressed included: (1) the effect of parent fuel selection on ash properties and adsorptivity, including a first ever examination of the air entrainment behavior of ashes from alternative (non-coal) fuels; (2) the effect of various low-NOx firing modes on ash properties and adsorptivity based on pilot-plant studies; and (3) the kinetics and mechanism of ash ozonation. This laboratory data has provided scientific and engineering support and underpinning for parallel process development activities.more » The development work on the ash ozonation process has now transitioned into a scale-up and commercialization project involving a multi-industry team and scheduled to begin in 2004. This report describes and documents the laboratory and pilot-scale work in the above three areas done at Brown University and the University of Utah during this three-year project.« less

Development and operation of innovative scum to biodiesel pilot-system for the treatment of floatable wastewater scum.

PubMed

Anderson, Erik; Addy, Min; Chen, Paul; Ruan, Roger

2018-02-01

A novel process was developed for the biorefining of floatable wastewater scum and other waste oils from water treatment facilities into biodiesel and other value-added bio-products. To test the scalability and commercial potential of the technology, a 7000 l/year pilot-scale system was designed and built. Scum from a wastewater treatment facility, located in St. Paul, Mn, was collected and converted into methyl esters (biodiesel) according to the process chemistry. All of the incoming and outgoing process streams were sampled, tested, weighed and recorded to calculate both the process efficiency and product quality. Data from the pilot-scale system operation was compared to laboratory results and the theoretically expected values for each individual unit operation. The biodiesel was tested using a third party laboratory and confirmed it met all of the US EPA's test requirements for commercial-grade biodiesel. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Field application of a planted fixed bed reactor (PFR) for support media and rhizosphere investigation using undisturbed samples from full-scale constructed wetlands.

PubMed

Barreto, A B; Vasconcellos, G R; von Sperling, M; Kuschk, P; Kappelmeyer, U; Vasel, J L

2015-01-01

This study presents a novel method for investigations on undisturbed samples from full-scale horizontal subsurface-flow constructed wetlands (HSSFCW). The planted fixed bed reactor (PFR), developed at the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research (UFZ), is a universal test unit for planted soil filters that reproduces the operational conditions of a constructed wetland (CW) system in laboratory scale. The present research proposes modifications on the PFR original configuration in order to allow its operation in field conditions. A mobile device to obtain undisturbed samples from real-scale HSSFCW was also developed. The experimental setting is presented with two possible operational configurations. The first allows the removal and replacement of undisturbed samples in the CW bed for laboratory investigations, guaranteeing sample integrity with a mobile device. The second allows the continuous operation of the PFR and undisturbed samples as a fraction of the support media, reproducing the same environmental conditions outside the real-scale system. Investigations on the hydrodynamics of the adapted PFR were carried out with saline tracer tests, validating the proposed adaptation. Six adapted PFR units were installed next to full-scale HSSFCW beds and fed with interstitial liquid pumped from two regions of planted and unplanted support media. Fourteen points were monitored along the system, covering carbon fractions, nitrogen and sulfate. The results indicate the method as a promising tool for investigations on CW support media, rhizosphere and open space for studies on CW modeling, respirometry, kinetic parameters, microbial communities, redox potential and plant influence on HSSFCW.

MHD scaling: from astrophysics to the laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryutov, Dmitri

2000-10-01

During the last few years, considerable progress has been made in simulating astrophysical phenomena in laboratory experiments with high power lasers [1]. Astrophysical phenomena that have drawn particular interest include supernovae explosions; young supernova remnants; galactic jets; the formation of fine structures in late supernova remnants by instabilities; and the ablation driven evolution of molecular clouds illuminated by nearby bright stars, which may affect star formation. A question may arise as to what extent the laser experiments, which deal with targets of a spatial scale 0.01 cm and occur at a time scale of a few nanoseconds, can reproduce phenomena occurring at spatial scales of a million or more kilometers and time scales from hours to many years. Quite remarkably, if dissipative processes (like, e.g., viscosity, Joule dissipation, etc.) are subdominant in both systems, and the matter behaves as a polytropic gas, there exists a broad hydrodynamic similarity (the ``Euler similarity" of Ref. [2]) that allows a direct scaling of laboratory results to astrophysical phenomena. Following a review of relevant earlier work (in particular, [3]-[5]), discussion is presented of the details of the Euler similarity related to the presence of shocks and to a special case of a strong drive. After that, constraints stemming from possible development of small-scale turbulence are analyzed. Generalization of the Euler similarity to the case of a gas with spatially varying polytropic index is presented. A possibility of scaled simulations of ablation front dynamics is one more topic covered in this paper. It is shown that, with some additional constraints, a simple similarity exists. This, in particular, opens up the possibility of scaled laboratory simulation of the aforementioned ablation (photoevaporation) fronts. A nonlinear transformation [6] that establishes a duality between implosion and explosion processes is also discussed in the paper. 1. B.A. Remington et al., Phys. Plasmas, v.7, p. 1641 (2000); Science, v. 284, p. 1488 (1999). 2. D.D. Ryutov et al., Ap. J, v. 518, 821 (1999). 3. B.B. Kadomtsev. Sov. J. Plasma Phys., v. 1, p. 296 (1975). 4. J.W. Connor, J.B. Taylor. Nucl. Fus., v. 17, p. 377 (1977). 5. Q. Zhiang, M.J. Graham. Phys. Rev. Lett., v. 79, p. 2674 (1997). 6. L. O'C. Drury, J.T. Mendonca. Paper at 3rd Intern. Conf. on Laser. Astrophys., Rice Univ., Houston, 2000.

Early Training Estimation System

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-08-01

first year efforts in CTES development were Cecil Wakelin, Gavin Livingstone, Ray Walsh« Peter Weddle, David Herlihy, Laurel Brown, Drs. Paul Ronco...and Society, 1980, pp. 1067-1974. David , J., Price, J. Successful communication in full scale engineering development statements of work. Air Force...1980, U.S. Army Engineering Laboratory. Shrier , S. Algorithms for system design. Proceedings of the International Conference on Cybernetics and

Open Learning Systems in Further Education. Some Aspects of Resource Management. Coombe Lodge Working Paper. Information Bank Number 1611.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Birch, D. W.; Latcham, J.

Open learning systems require the development of learning materials. Potential economies of scale and quality control advantages argue in favor of the central development of materials packages. Instructors would be free to concentrate upon the provision of tutorial and counseling support and laboratory and workshop hands-on experience. Some method…

Medications Development for the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder: Insights into the Predictive Value of Animal and Human Laboratory Models

PubMed Central

Yardley, Megan M.; Ray, Lara A.

2016-01-01

Development of effective treatments for alcohol use disorder (AUD) represents an important public health goal. This review provides a summary of completed preclinical and clinical studies testing pharmacotherapies for treatment of AUD. We discuss opportunities for improving the translation from preclinical findings to clinical trial outcomes, focusing on the validity and predictive value of animal and human laboratory models of AUD. Specifically, while preclinical studies of medications development have offered important insights into the neurobiology of the disorder and alcohol's molecular targets, limitations include the lack of standardized methods and streamlined processes whereby animal studies can readily inform human studies. Behavioral pharmacology studies provide a less expensive and valuable opportunity to assess the feasibility of a pharmacotherapy prior to initiating larger scale clinical trials by providing insights into the mechanism of the drug, which can then inform recruitment, analyses, and assessments. Summary tables are provided to illustrate the wide range of preclinical, human laboratory, and clinical studies of medications development for alcoholism. Taken together, this review highlights the challenges associated with animal paradigms, human laboratory studies and clinical trials with the overarching goal of advancing treatment development and highlighting opportunities to bridge the gap between preclinical and clinical research. PMID:26833803

Scaling of coupled dilatancy-diffusion processes in space and time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Main, I. G.; Bell, A. F.; Meredith, P. G.; Brantut, N.; Heap, M.

2012-04-01

Coupled dilatancy-diffusion processes resulting from microscopically brittle damage due to precursory cracking have been observed in the laboratory and suggested as a mechanism for earthquake precursors. One reason precursors have proven elusive may be the scaling in space: recent geodetic and seismic data placing strong limits on the spatial extent of the nucleation zone for recent earthquakes. Another may be the scaling in time: recent laboratory results on axi-symmetric samples show both a systematic decrease in circumferential extensional strain at failure and a delayed and a sharper acceleration of acoustic emission event rate as strain rate is decreased. Here we examine the scaling of such processes in time from laboratory to field conditions using brittle creep (constant stress loading) to failure tests, in an attempt to bridge part of the strain rate gap to natural conditions, and discuss the implications for forecasting the failure time. Dilatancy rate is strongly correlated to strain rate, and decreases to zero in the steady-rate creep phase at strain rates around 10-9 s-1 for a basalt from Mount Etna. The data are well described by a creep model based on the linear superposition of transient (decelerating) and accelerating micro-crack growth due to stress corrosion. The model produces good fits to the failure time in retrospect using the accelerating acoustic emission event rate, but in prospective tests on synthetic data with the same properties we find failure-time forecasting is subject to systematic epistemic and aleatory uncertainties that degrade predictability. The next stage is to use the technology developed to attempt failure forecasting in real time, using live streamed data and a public web-based portal to quantify the prospective forecast quality under such controlled laboratory conditions.

Ultra scale-down device to predict dewatering levels of solids recovered in a continuous scroll decanter centrifuge.

PubMed

Lopes, A G; Keshavarz-Moore, E

2013-01-01

During centrifugation operation, the major challenge in the recovery of extracellular proteins is the removal of the maximum liquid entrapped within the spaces between the settled solids-dewatering level. The ability of the scroll decanter centrifuge (SDC) to process continuously large amounts of feed material with high concentration of solids without the need for resuspension of feeds, and also to achieve relatively high dewatering, could be of great benefit for future use in the biopharmaceutical industry. However, for reliable prediction of dewatering in such a centrifuge, tests using the same kind of equipment at pilot-scale are required, which are time consuming and costly. To alleviate the need of pilot-scale trials, a novel USD device, with reduced amounts of feed (2 mL) and to be used in the laboratory, was developed to predict the dewatering levels of a SDC. To verify USD device, dewatering levels achieved were plotted against equivalent compression (Gtcomp ) and decanting (Gtdec ) times, obtained from scroll rates and feed flow rates operated at pilot-scale, respectively. The USD device was able to successfully match dewatering trends of the pilot-scale as a function of both Gtcomp and Gtdec , particularly for high cell density feeds, hence accounting for all key variables that influenced dewatering in a SDC. In addition, it accurately mimicked the maximum dewatering performance of the pilot-scale equipment. Therefore the USD device has the potential to be a useful tool at early stages of process development to gather performance data in the laboratory thus minimizing lengthy and costly runs with pilot-scale SDC. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Pilot scale system for the production of palm-based Monoester-OH

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ngah, Muhammad Syukri; Badri, Khairiah Haji

2016-11-01

A mechanically agitate reactor vessel in a moderate scale size of 500 L has been developed. This vessel was constructed to produce palm-based polyurethane polyol with a capacity of maximum 400 L. This is to accomodate the demand required for marketing trial run as part of the commercialization intention. The chemistry background of the process design was thoroughly studied. The esterification and condensation in batch process was maintained from the laboratory scale. Only RBD palm kernel oil was used in this study. This paper will describe the engineering design for the reactor vessel development beginning at the stoichiometric equations for the production process to the detail engineering including the equipment selection and fabrication in order to meet the design and objective specifications.

Demonstrating the feasibility of large-scale development of standardized assays to quantify human proteins

PubMed Central

Kennedy, Jacob J.; Abbatiello, Susan E.; Kim, Kyunggon; Yan, Ping; Whiteaker, Jeffrey R.; Lin, Chenwei; Kim, Jun Seok; Zhang, Yuzheng; Wang, Xianlong; Ivey, Richard G.; Zhao, Lei; Min, Hophil; Lee, Youngju; Yu, Myeong-Hee; Yang, Eun Gyeong; Lee, Cheolju; Wang, Pei; Rodriguez, Henry; Kim, Youngsoo; Carr, Steven A.; Paulovich, Amanda G.

2014-01-01

The successful application of MRM in biological specimens raises the exciting possibility that assays can be configured to measure all human proteins, resulting in an assay resource that would promote advances in biomedical research. We report the results of a pilot study designed to test the feasibility of a large-scale, international effort in MRM assay generation. We have configured, validated across three laboratories, and made publicly available as a resource to the community 645 novel MRM assays representing 319 proteins expressed in human breast cancer. Assays were multiplexed in groups of >150 peptides and deployed to quantify endogenous analyte in a panel of breast cancer-related cell lines. Median assay precision was 5.4%, with high inter-laboratory correlation (R2 >0.96). Peptide measurements in breast cancer cell lines were able to discriminate amongst molecular subtypes and identify genome-driven changes in the cancer proteome. These results establish the feasibility of a scaled, international effort. PMID:24317253

Development and Lab-Scale Testing of a Gas Generator Hybrid Fuel in Support of the Hydrogen Peroxide Hybrid Upper Stage Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lund, Gary K.; Starrett, William David; Jensen, Kent C.; McNeal, Curtis (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

As part of a NASA funded contract to develop and demonstrate a gas generator cycle hybrid rocket motor for upper stage space motor applications, the development and demonstration of a low sensitivity, high performance fuel composition was undertaken. The ultimate goal of the development program was to demonstrate successful hybrid operation (start, stop, throttling) of the fuel with high concentration (90+%) hydrogen peroxide. The formulation development and lab-scale testing of a simple DOT Class 1.4c gas generator propellant is described. Both forward injected center perforated and aft injected end burner hybrid combustion behavior were evaluated with gaseous oxygen and catalytically decomposed 90% hydrogen peroxide. Cross flow and static environments were found to yield profoundly different combustion behaviors, which were further governed by binder type, oxidizer level and, significantly, oxidizer particle size. Primary extinguishment was accomplished via manipulation of PDL behavior and oxidizer turndown, which is enhanced with the hydrogen peroxide system. Laboratory scale combustor results compared very well with 11-inch and 24-inch sub-scale test results with 90% hydrogen peroxide.

Epistemology and expectations survey about experimental physics: Development and initial results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zwickl, Benjamin M.; Hirokawa, Takako; Finkelstein, Noah; Lewandowski, H. J.

2014-06-01

In response to national calls to better align physics laboratory courses with the way physicists engage in research, we have developed an epistemology and expectations survey to assess how students perceive the nature of physics experiments in the contexts of laboratory courses and the professional research laboratory. The Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey for Experimental Physics (E-CLASS) evaluates students' epistemology at the beginning and end of a semester. Students respond to paired questions about how they personally perceive doing experiments in laboratory courses and how they perceive an experimental physicist might respond regarding their research. Also, at the end of the semester, the E-CLASS assesses a third dimension of laboratory instruction, students' reflections on their course's expectations for earning a good grade. By basing survey statements on widely embraced learning goals and common critiques of teaching labs, the E-CLASS serves as an assessment tool for lab courses across the undergraduate curriculum and as a tool for physics education research. We present the development, evidence of validation, and initial formative assessment results from a sample that includes 45 classes at 20 institutions. We also discuss feedback from instructors and reflect on the challenges of large-scale online administration and distribution of results.

ELECTROCHEMICAL CHROMIC ACID REGENERATION PROCESS: FITTING OF MEMBRANE TRANSPORT PROPERTIES. (R827125)

EPA Science Inventory

Abstract

A mathematical model was developed to predict changes in contaminant concentrations with time, and to estimate contaminant fluxes due to migration, diffusion, and convection in a laboratory-scale batch electrolysis cell for the regeneration of contaminated har...

Ash characterization in laboratory-scale oxy-coal combustor

EPA Science Inventory

Oxygen enriched coal (oxy-coal) combustion is a developing technology. During oxy-coal combustion, combustion air is separated and the coal is burned in a mixture of oxygen and recycled flue gas. The resulting effluent must be further processed before the C02 can be compressed, t...

TREATABILITY STUDY BULLETIN: MOBILE VOLUME REDUCTION UNIT AT THE SAND CREEK SUPERFUND SITE

EPA Science Inventory

The Risk Reduction Engineering Laboratory (RREL) Releases Control Branch (RCB) has developed a pilot-scale Mobile Volume Reduction Unit (VRU) to determine the feasibility of soil washing for the remediation of contaminated soils. This mobile unit, mounted on two trailers, can pro...

Formulation, Preparation, and Characterization of Polyurethane Foams

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pinto, Moises L.

2010-01-01

Preparation of laboratory-scale polyurethane foams is described with formulations that are easy to implement in experiments for undergraduate students. Particular attention is given to formulation aspects that are based on the main chemical reactions occurring in polyurethane production. This allows students to develop alternative formulations to…

Standardization of Terminology in Laboratory Medicine II

PubMed Central

Lee, Kap No; Yoon, Jong-Hyun; Min, Won Ki; Lim, Hwan Sub; Song, Junghan; Chae, Seok Lae; Jang, Seongsoo; Ki, Chang-Seok; Bae, Sook Young; Kim, Jang Su; Kwon, Jung-Ah; Lee, Chang Kyu

2008-01-01

Standardization of medical terminology is essential in data transmission between health care institutes and in maximizing the benefits of information technology. The purpose of this study was to standardize medical terms for laboratory observations. During the second year of the study, a standard database of concept names for laboratory terms that covered those used in tertiary health care institutes and reference laboratories was developed. The laboratory terms in the Logical Observation Identifier Names and Codes (LOINC) database were adopted and matched with the electronic data interchange (EDI) codes in Korea. A public hearing and a workshop for clinical pathologists were held to collect the opinions of experts. The Korean standard laboratory terminology database containing six axial concept names, components, property, time aspect, system (specimen), scale type, and method type, was established for 29,340 test observations. Short names and mapping tables for EDI codes and UMLS were added. Synonym tables were prepared to help match concept names to common terms used in the fields. We herein described the Korean standard laboratory terminology database for test names, result description terms, and result units encompassing most of the laboratory tests in Korea. PMID:18756062

Development and demonstration of a lignite-pelletizing process. Phase II report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1980-01-01

The current work began with scale-up of laboratory equipment to commercial size equipment. For this purpose, BCI used an existing pilot plant that had been assembled to pelletize and indurate taconite ore. BCI determined therewith that lignite pellets can be produced continuously on a pilot scale using the basic process developed in the laboratory. The resulting pellets were found to be similar to the laboratory pellets at equivalent binder compositions. Tests of product made during a 5-ton test run are reported. A 50-ton demonstration test run was made with the pilot plant. Pellet production was sustained for a two-week period.more » The lignite pelletizing process has, therefore, been developed to the point of demonstration in a 50-ton test. BCI has completed and cost estimated a conceptually designed 4000 TPD facility. BCI believes it has demonstrated a technically feasible process to agglomerate lignite by using an asphalt emulsion binder. Product quality is promising. Capital and operating costs appear acceptable to justify continuing support and development. The next step should focus on three areas: production development, process refinement, and cost reduction. For further development, BCI recommends consideration of a 5 to 10 ton/h pilot plant or a 20 to 40 ton/h module of a full sized plant, the lower first cost of the former being offset by the ability to incorporate the latter into a future production unit. Other specific recommendations are made for future study that could lead to process and cost improvements: Binder Formulation, disc Sizing, Drier Bed Depth, and Mixing Approach. Pellet use other than power plant fuel is considered.« less

Report of the Fermilab ILC Citizens' Task Force

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory convened the ILC Citizens' Task Force to provide guidance and advice to the laboratory to ensure that community concerns and ideas are included in all public aspects of planning and design for a proposed future accelerator, the International Linear Collider. In this report, the members of the Task Force describe the process they used to gather and analyze information on all aspects of the proposed accelerator and its potential location at Fermilab in northern Illinois. They present the conclusions and recommendations they reached as a result of the learning process and their subsequent discussions and deliberations.more » While the Task Force was charged to provide guidance on the ILC, it became clear during the process that the high cost of the proposed accelerator made a near-term start for the project at Fermilab unlikely. Nevertheless, based on a year of extensive learning and dialogue, the Task Force developed a series of recommendations for Fermilab to consider as the laboratory develops all successor projects to the Tevatron. The Task Force recognizes that bringing a next-generation particle physics project to Fermilab will require both a large international effort and the support of the local community. While the Task Force developed its recommendations in response to the parameters of a future ILC, the principles they set forth apply directly to any large project that may be conceived at Fermilab, or at other laboratories, in the future. With this report, the Task Force fulfills its task of guiding Fermilab from the perspective of the local community on how to move forward with a large-scale project while building positive relationships with surrounding communities. The report summarizes the benefits, concerns and potential impacts of bringing a large-scale scientific project to northern Illinois.« less

Development of Molten Corium Using An Exothermic Chemical Reaction for the Molten- Fuel Moderator-Interaction Studies at Chalk River Laboratories

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nitheanandan, T.; Sanderson, D.B.; Kyle, G.

2004-07-01

Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) has partnered with Argonne National Laboratory to develop a corium thermite prototypical of Candu material and test the concept of ejecting {approx}25 kg of the molten material from a pressure tube with a driving pressure of 10 MPa. This development program has been completed and the technology transferred to AECL. Preparation for the molten-fuel moderator-interaction tests at AECL's Chalk River Laboratories is well underway. A mixture of 0.582 U/0.077 U{sub 3}O{sub 8}/0.151 Zr/0.19 CrO{sub 3} (wt%) as reactant chemicals has been demonstrated to produce a corium consisting of 0.73 UO{sub 2}/0.11 Zr/0.06 ZrO{sub 2}/0.10more » Cr (wt%) at {approx}2400 deg. C. This is comparable to the target Candu specific corium of 0.9 UO{sub 2}/0.1 Zr (wt%), with limited oxidation. The peak melt temperature was confirmed from small-scale thermitic reaction tests. Several small-scale tests were completed to qualify the thermite to ensure operational safety and a quantifiable experimental outcome. The proposed molten-fuel moderator-interaction experiments at Chalk River Laboratories will consist of heating the thermite mixture inside a 1.14-m long insulated pressure tube. Once the molten material has reached the desired temperature of {approx}2400 deg. C, the pressure inside the tube will be raised to about 10 MPa, and the pressure tube will fail at a pre-machined flaw, ejecting the molten material into the surrounding tank of water. The test apparatus, instrumentation, data acquisition and control systems have been assembled, and a series of successful commissioning tests have been completed. (authors)« less

Supplementing the Braden scale for pressure ulcer risk among medical inpatients: the contribution of self-reported symptoms and standard laboratory tests.

PubMed

Skogestad, Ingrid Johansen; Martinsen, Liv; Børsting, Tove Elisabet; Granheim, Tove Irene; Ludvigsen, Eirin Sigurdssøn; Gay, Caryl L; Lerdal, Anners

2017-01-01

To evaluate medical inpatients' symptom experience and selected laboratory blood results as indicators of their pressure ulcer risk as measured by the Braden scale. Pressure ulcers reduce quality of life and increase treatment costs. The prevalence of pressure ulcers is 6-23% in hospital populations, but literature suggests that most pressure ulcers are avoidable. Prospective, cross-sectional survey. Three hundred and twenty-eight patients admitted to medical wards in an acute hospital in Oslo, Norway consented to participate. Data were collected on 10 days between 2012-2014 by registered nurses and nursing students. Pressure ulcer risk was assessed using the Braden scale, and scores <19 indicated pressure ulcer risk. Skin examinations were categorised as normal or stages I-IV using established definitions. Comorbidities were collected by self-report. Self-reported symptom occurrence and distress were measured with 15 items from the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale, and pain was assessed using two numeric rating scales. Admission laboratory data were collected from medical records. Prevalence of pressure ulcers was 11·9, and 20·4% of patients were identified as being at risk for developing pressure ulcers. Multivariable analysis showed that pressure ulcer risk was positively associated with age ≥80 years, vomiting, severe pain at rest, urination problems, shortness of breath and low albumin and was negatively associated with nervousness. Our study indicates that using patient-reported symptoms and standard laboratory results as supplemental indicators of pressure ulcer risk may improve identification of vulnerable patients, but replication of these findings in other study samples is needed. Nurses play a key role in preventing pressure ulcers during hospitalisation. A better understanding of the underlying mechanisms may improve the quality of care. Knowledge about symptoms associated with pressure ulcer risk may contribute to a faster clinical judgment of patients at risk. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Building Blocks of Materials: Gathering Knowledge at the Molecular Level

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

Two start-up positions were created within SD46 to pursue developments in the rapidly expanding areas of biomineralization and nano-technology. As envisioned by Dr. Sandor Lehoczy, the new laboratories to be developed must have the capacity to investigate not only processes associated with the self-assembly of molecules but also the examination of self-assembled structures. For these purposes, laboratories capable of performing the intended function, particularly light scattering spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy were created. What follows then are recent advances arising from the development of these new laboratories. With the implementation of the Atomic Force Microscopy Facility, examples of investigations that determine a correlation between the molecular structure of materials and their macroscopic physical properties are provided. In addition, examples of investigations with particular emphasis on the physical properties of protein crystals, at the molecular level, and subsequent macroscopic characteristics are as provided. Finally, progress in fabrication of technology at the nano-scale levels at the developmental stage is also presented.

Interlaboratory Study Characterizing a Yeast Performance Standard for Benchmarking LC-MS Platform Performance*

PubMed Central

Paulovich, Amanda G.; Billheimer, Dean; Ham, Amy-Joan L.; Vega-Montoto, Lorenzo; Rudnick, Paul A.; Tabb, David L.; Wang, Pei; Blackman, Ronald K.; Bunk, David M.; Cardasis, Helene L.; Clauser, Karl R.; Kinsinger, Christopher R.; Schilling, Birgit; Tegeler, Tony J.; Variyath, Asokan Mulayath; Wang, Mu; Whiteaker, Jeffrey R.; Zimmerman, Lisa J.; Fenyo, David; Carr, Steven A.; Fisher, Susan J.; Gibson, Bradford W.; Mesri, Mehdi; Neubert, Thomas A.; Regnier, Fred E.; Rodriguez, Henry; Spiegelman, Cliff; Stein, Stephen E.; Tempst, Paul; Liebler, Daniel C.

2010-01-01

Optimal performance of LC-MS/MS platforms is critical to generating high quality proteomics data. Although individual laboratories have developed quality control samples, there is no widely available performance standard of biological complexity (and associated reference data sets) for benchmarking of platform performance for analysis of complex biological proteomes across different laboratories in the community. Individual preparations of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae proteome have been used extensively by laboratories in the proteomics community to characterize LC-MS platform performance. The yeast proteome is uniquely attractive as a performance standard because it is the most extensively characterized complex biological proteome and the only one associated with several large scale studies estimating the abundance of all detectable proteins. In this study, we describe a standard operating protocol for large scale production of the yeast performance standard and offer aliquots to the community through the National Institute of Standards and Technology where the yeast proteome is under development as a certified reference material to meet the long term needs of the community. Using a series of metrics that characterize LC-MS performance, we provide a reference data set demonstrating typical performance of commonly used ion trap instrument platforms in expert laboratories; the results provide a basis for laboratories to benchmark their own performance, to improve upon current methods, and to evaluate new technologies. Additionally, we demonstrate how the yeast reference, spiked with human proteins, can be used to benchmark the power of proteomics platforms for detection of differentially expressed proteins at different levels of concentration in a complex matrix, thereby providing a metric to evaluate and minimize preanalytical and analytical variation in comparative proteomics experiments. PMID:19858499

Emulsified systems based on glyceryl monostearate and potassium cetyl phosphate: scale-up and characterization of physical properties.

PubMed

Baby, André Rolim; Santoro, Diego Monegatto; Velasco, Maria Valéria Robles; Dos Reis Serra, Cristina Helena

2008-09-01

Introducing a pharmaceutical product on the market involves several stages of research. The scale-up stage comprises the integration of previous phases of development and their integration. This phase is extremely important since many process limitations which do not appear on the small scale become significant on the transposition to a large one. Since scientific literature presents only a few reports about the characterization of emulsified systems involving their scaling-up, this research work aimed at evaluating physical properties of non-ionic and anionic emulsions during their manufacturing phases: laboratory stage and scale-up. Prototype non-ionic (glyceryl monostearate) and anionic (potassium cetyl phosphate) emulsified systems had the physical properties by the determination of the droplet size (D[4,3], mum) and rheology profile. Transposition occurred from a batch of 500-50,000g. Semi-industrial manufacturing involved distinct conditions: intensity of agitation and homogenization. Comparing the non-ionic and anionic systems, it was observed that anionic emulsifiers generated systems with smaller droplet size and higher viscosity in laboratory scale. Besides that, for the concentrations tested, augmentation of the glyceryl monostearate emulsifier content provided formulations with better physical characteristics. For systems with potassium cetyl phosphate, droplet size increased with the elevation of the emulsifier concentration, suggesting inadequate stability. The scale-up provoked more significant alterations on the rheological profile and droplet size on the anionic systems than the non-ionic.

Advances in Field Deployable Instrumented Particles for the Study of Alluvial Transport Mechanisms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dillon, B.; Strom, K.

2017-12-01

Advances in microelectromechanical systems (MEMs) in the past decade have lead to the development of various instrumented or "smart" particles for use in the study of alluvial transport. The goal of many of these devices is to collect data on the interaction between hydrodynamic turbulence and individual sediment particles. Studying this interaction provides a basis to better understand entrainment and deposition processes which leads to better predictive morphologic and transport models. In collecting data on these processes, researchers seek to capture the time history of the forces incident on the particle and the particle's reaction. Many methods have been employed to capture this data - miniaturized pressure traps, accelerometers, gyroscopes, MEMs pressure transducers, and cantilevered load cells. However no system to date has been able to capture the pressure forces incident on the particle and its reaction while remaining mobile and of a size and density comparable to most gravels. Advances in the development, deployment, and use of waterproofed laboratory instrumentation have led our research group to develop such a particle. This particle has been used in both laboratory settings and large-scale fluvial environments (coupled with a field-deployable PIV system) to capture data on turbulent erosion processes. This system advances the practice in several ways: 1) It is, at present, the smallest (⌀ 19mm) instrumented erodible particle reported in the literature. 2) It contains novel developments in pressure sensing technology which allow the inclusion of six pressure ports, a 3-axis accelerometer, and a 1-axis gyroscope - all of which can be recorded simultaneously. 3) It expands the researcher's abilities to gather data on phenomena that, previously, have mandated the use of a laboratory scale model. The use of this system has generated observations of the so-called very large scale motions (VLSMs) in a reach of the Virginia section of the New River. Their effects on erosional processes are presented.

Interval Analysis Approach to Prototype the Robust Control of the Laboratory Overhead Crane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smoczek, J.; Szpytko, J.; Hyla, P.

2014-07-01

The paper describes the software-hardware equipment and control-measurement solutions elaborated to prototype the laboratory scaled overhead crane control system. The novelty approach to crane dynamic system modelling and fuzzy robust control scheme design is presented. The iterative procedure for designing a fuzzy scheduling control scheme is developed based on the interval analysis of discrete-time closed-loop system characteristic polynomial coefficients in the presence of rope length and mass of a payload variation to select the minimum set of operating points corresponding to the midpoints of membership functions at which the linear controllers are determined through desired poles assignment. The experimental results obtained on the laboratory stand are presented.

Recovery Act. Development and Validation of an Advanced Stimulation Prediction Model for Enhanced Geothermal System

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gutierrez, Marte

The research project aims to develop and validate an advanced computer model that can be used in the planning and design of stimulation techniques to create engineered reservoirs for Enhanced Geothermal Systems. The specific objectives of the proposal are to: 1) Develop a true three-dimensional hydro-thermal fracturing simulator that is particularly suited for EGS reservoir creation. 2) Perform laboratory scale model tests of hydraulic fracturing and proppant flow/transport using a polyaxial loading device, and use the laboratory results to test and validate the 3D simulator. 3) Perform discrete element/particulate modeling of proppant transport in hydraulic fractures, and use the resultsmore » to improve understand of proppant flow and transport. 4) Test and validate the 3D hydro-thermal fracturing simulator against case histories of EGS energy production. 5) Develop a plan to commercialize the 3D fracturing and proppant flow/transport simulator. The project is expected to yield several specific results and benefits. Major technical products from the proposal include: 1) A true-3D hydro-thermal fracturing computer code that is particularly suited to EGS, 2) Documented results of scale model tests on hydro-thermal fracturing and fracture propping in an analogue crystalline rock, 3) Documented procedures and results of discrete element/particulate modeling of flow and transport of proppants for EGS applications, and 4) Database of monitoring data, with focus of Acoustic Emissions (AE) from lab scale modeling and field case histories of EGS reservoir creation.« less

Recovery Act. Development and Validation of an Advanced Stimulation Prediction Model for Enhanced Geothermal Systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gutierrez, Marte

2013-12-31

This research project aims to develop and validate an advanced computer model that can be used in the planning and design of stimulation techniques to create engineered reservoirs for Enhanced Geothermal Systems. The specific objectives of the proposal are to; Develop a true three-dimensional hydro-thermal fracturing simulator that is particularly suited for EGS reservoir creation; Perform laboratory scale model tests of hydraulic fracturing and proppant flow/transport using a polyaxial loading device, and use the laboratory results to test and validate the 3D simulator; Perform discrete element/particulate modeling of proppant transport in hydraulic fractures, and use the results to improve understandmore » of proppant flow and transport; Test and validate the 3D hydro-thermal fracturing simulator against case histories of EGS energy production; and Develop a plan to commercialize the 3D fracturing and proppant flow/transport simulator. The project is expected to yield several specific results and benefits. Major technical products from the proposal include; A true-3D hydro-thermal fracturing computer code that is particularly suited to EGS; Documented results of scale model tests on hydro-thermal fracturing and fracture propping in an analogue crystalline rock; Documented procedures and results of discrete element/particulate modeling of flow and transport of proppants for EGS applications; and Database of monitoring data, with focus of Acoustic Emissions (AE) from lab scale modeling and field case histories of EGS reservoir creation.« less

Strategies for laboratory cost containment and for pathologist shortage: centralised pathology laboratories with microwave-stimulated histoprocessing and telepathology.

PubMed

Leong, Anthony S Y; Leong, F Joel W M

2005-02-01

The imposition of laboratory cost containment, often from external forces, dictates the necessity to develop strategies to meet laboratory cost savings. In addition, the national and worldwide shortage of anatomical pathologists makes it imperative to examine our current practice and laboratory set-ups. Some of the strategies employed in other areas of pathology and laboratory medicine include improvements in staff productivity and the adoption of technological developments that reduce manual intervention. However, such opportunities in anatomical pathology are few and far between. Centralisation has been an effective approach in bringing economies of scale, the adoption of 'best practices' and the consolidation of pathologists, but this has not been possible in anatomical pathology because conventional histoprocessing takes a minimum of 14 hours and clinical turnaround time requirements necessitate that the laboratory and pathologist be in proximity and on site. While centralisation of laboratories for clinical chemistry, haematology and even microbiology has been successful in Australia and other countries, the essential requirements for anatomical pathology laboratories are different. In addition to efficient synchronised courier networks, a method of ultra-rapid tissue processing and some expedient system of returning the prepared tissue sections to the remote laboratory are essential to maintain the turnaround times mandatory for optimal clinical management. The advent of microwave-stimulated tissue processing that can be completed in 30-60 minutes and the immediate availability of compressed digital images of entire tissue sections via telepathology completes the final components of the equation necessary for making centralised anatomical pathology laboratories a reality.

Pretreatment Engineering Platform Phase 1 Final Test Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kurath, Dean E.; Hanson, Brady D.; Minette, Michael J.

2009-12-23

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) was tasked by Bechtel National Inc. (BNI) on the River Protection Project, Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (RPP-WTP) project to conduct testing to demonstrate the performance of the WTP Pretreatment Facility (PTF) leaching and ultrafiltration processes at an engineering-scale. In addition to the demonstration, the testing was to address specific technical issues identified in Issue Response Plan for Implementation of External Flowsheet Review Team (EFRT) Recommendations - M12, Undemonstrated Leaching Processes.( ) Testing was conducted in a 1/4.5-scale mock-up of the PTF ultrafiltration system, the Pretreatment Engineering Platform (PEP). Parallel laboratory testing wasmore » conducted in various PNNL laboratories to allow direct comparison of process performance at an engineering-scale and a laboratory-scale. This report presents and discusses the results of those tests.« less

Outlook and Challenges of Perovskite Solar Cells toward Terawatt-Scale Photovoltaic Module Technology

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhu, Kai; Kim, Donghoe; Whitaker, James B

Rapid development of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) during the past several years has made this photovoltaic (PV) technology a serious contender for potential large-scale deployment on the terawatt scale in the PV market. To successfully transition PSC technology from the laboratory to industry scale, substantial efforts need to focus on scalable fabrication of high-performance perovskite modules with minimum negative environmental impact. Here, we provide an overview of the current research and our perspective regarding PSC technology toward future large-scale manufacturing and deployment. Several key challenges discussed are (1) a scalable process for large-area perovskite module fabrication; (2) less hazardous chemicalmore » routes for PSC fabrication; and (3) suitable perovskite module designs for different applications.« less

Consolidated fuel reprocessing program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1985-02-01

Improved processes and components for the Breeder Reprocessing Engineering Test (BRET) were identified and developed as well as the design, procurement and development of prototypic equipment. The integrated testing of process equipment and flowsheets prototypical of a pilot scale full reprocessing plant, and also for testing prototypical remote features of specific complex components in the system are provided. Information to guide the long range activities of the Consolidated Fuel Reprocessing Program (CERP), a focal point for foreign exchange activities, and support in specialized technical areas are described. Research and development activities in HTGR fuel treatment technology are being conducted. Head-end process and laboratory scale development efforts, as well as studies specific to HTGR fuel, are reported. The development of off-gas treatment processes has generic application to fuel reprocessing, progress in this work is also reported.

Los Alamos National Laboratory Economic Analysis Capability Overview

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Boero, Riccardo; Edwards, Brian Keith; Pasqualini, Donatella

Los Alamos National Laboratory has developed two types of models to compute the economic impact of infrastructure disruptions. FastEcon is a fast running model that estimates first-­order economic impacts of large scale events such as hurricanes and floods and can be used to identify the amount of economic activity that occurs in a specific area. LANL’s Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model estimates more comprehensive static and dynamic economic impacts of a broader array of events and captures the interactions between sectors and industries when estimating economic impacts.

The Development of a Plan for the Assessment, Improvement and Deployment of a Radar Acoustic Sounding System (RASS) for Wake Vortex Detection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morris, Philip J.; McLaughlin, Dennis K.; Gabrielson, Thomas B.; Boluriaan, Said

2004-01-01

This report describes the activities completed under a grant from the NASA Langley Research Center to develop a plan for the assessment, improvement, and deployment of a Radar Acoustic Sounding System (RASS) for the detection of wake vortices. A brief review is provided of existing alternative instruments for wake vortex detection. This is followed by a review of previous implementations and assessment of a RASS. As a result of this review, it is concluded that the basic features of a RASS have several advantages over other commonly used wake vortex detection and measurement systems. Most important of these features are the good fidelity of the measurements and the potential for all weather operation. To realize the full potential of this remote sensing instrument, a plan for the development of a RASS designed specifically for wake vortex detection and measurement has been prepared. To keep costs to a minimum, this program would start with the development an inexpensive laboratory-scale version of a RASS system. The new instrument would be developed in several stages, each allowing for a critical assessment of the instrument s potential and limitations. The instrument, in its initial stages of development, would be tested in a controlled laboratory environment. A jet vortex simulator, a prototype version of which has already been fabricated, would be interrogated by the RASS system. The details of the laboratory vortex would be measured using a Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) system. In the early development stages, the scattered radar signal would be digitized and the signal post-processed to determine how extensively and accurately the RASS could measure properties of the wake vortex. If the initial tests prove to be successful, a real-time, digital signal processing system would be developed as a component of the RASS system. At each stage of the instrument development and testing, the implications of the scaling required for a full-scale instrument would be considered. It is concluded that a RASS system, developed for the specific application of wake vortex detection, could become part of a robust Aircraft Vortex Spacing System (AVOSS). This system, in turn, could contribute to Reduced Spacing Operations (RSO) in US airports and improvements in Terminal Area productivity (TAP).

DEVELOPMENT OF REAL-TIME SITE-SPECIFIC MICROSCALE EMISSION FACTOR MODEL FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF HUMAN EXPOSURE TO MOTOR VEHICLE EMISSIONS

EPA Science Inventory

The United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) National Expsoure Research Laboratory (NERL) has initiated a project to improve the methodology for modeling urban-scale human exposure to mobile source emissions. The modeling project has started by considering the nee...

Energy Storage for the Power Grid

ScienceCinema

Imhoff, Carl; Vaishnav, Dave; Wang, Wei

2018-05-30

The iron vanadium redox flow battery was developed by researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory as a solution to large-scale energy storage for the power grid. This technology provides the energy industry and the nation with a reliable, stable, safe, and low-cost storage alternative for a cleaner, efficient energy future.

ACTIVATION AND REACTIVITY OF NOVEL CALCIUM-BASED SORBENTS FOR DRY SO2 CONTROL IN BOILERS

EPA Science Inventory

Chemically modified calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) sorbents developed in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Air and Energy Engineering Research Laboratory (AEERL) for sulfur dioxide (SO2) control in utility boilers were tested in an electrically heated, bench-scale isotherma...

CONTROL OF VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS BY AN AC ENERGIZED FERROELECTRIC PELLET REACTOR AND A PULSED CORONA REACTOR

EPA Science Inventory

The paper gives results of a study to develop baseline engineering data to demonstrate the feasibility of application of plasma reactors to the destruction of various volatile organic compounds at ppm levels. Two laboratory-scale reactors, an alternating current energized ferroel...

Developing a Physics Laboratory Anxiety Scale

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berber, Nilufer Cerit

2013-01-01

Although the level of cognitive behaviours is continually controlled in school environments, affective behaviours cannot be both acquired and measured in a planned manner way. In fact, the functionality of educational activities, which are orientated towards cognitive targets, can be enhanced by placing more emphasis on the affective dimension.…

DEVELOPMENT AND DEMONSTRATION OF CONCEPTS FOR IMPROVING COKE-OVEN DOOR SEALS

EPA Science Inventory

The report discusses the design, laboratory scale tests, construction, and field tests of an improved metal-to-metal seal for coke-oven end doors. Basic features of the seal are: high-strength temperature-resistant steel capable of 3 times the deflection of current seals without ...

REGIONAL ASSESSMENT OF FISH HEALTH: A PROTOTYPE METHODOLOGY AND CASE STUDY FOR THE ALBEMARLE-PAMLICO RIVER BASIN, NORTH CAROLINA

EPA Science Inventory

BASE (Basin-Scale Assessments for Sustainable Ecosystems) is a research program developed by the Ecosystems Research Division of the National Exposure Research Laboratory to explore and formulate approaches for assessing the sustainability of ecological resources within watershed...

Particulate Meso-scale Mechanics Diagnostics: Magnetic Sensors for Dynamic State Orientation

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-12-01

Research Laboratory for giving this opportunity to work at the Eglin AFB, FL. REFERENCES 1. Brian D. Reding , “Development of Particulate Materials...Measurements," Sandia Report, 1984. 15. I.N. Tansel, B. Reding , W. L. Cooper, “Lagrangian Point State Estimation with Optimized, Redundant Induction Coil

DEVELOPMENT OF AN AFFORDABLE FAMILY-SCALE BIOGAS GENERATOR

EPA Science Inventory

From laboratory experiments we calculated that our system would have to deliver 262 liters/hr of biogas to cook a meal. Biogas produced by slurries of various wastes was measured with a two liter bench-top digester system designed by the team. Gas volume was measured by displa...

SURFACTANT ENHANCED RECOVERY OF TETRACHLOROETHYLENE FROM A POROUS MEDIUM CONTAINING LOW PERMEABILITY LENSES. 2. NUMERICAL SIMULATION. (R825409)

EPA Science Inventory

Abstract

A numerical model of surfactant enhanced solubilization was developed and applied to the simulation of nonaqueous phase liquid recovery in two-dimensional heterogeneous laboratory sand tank systems. Model parameters were derived from independent, small-scale, ...

Divalent Ion Parameterization Strongly Affects Conformation and Interactions of an Anionic Biomimetic Polymer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Daily, Michael D.; Baer, Marcel D.; Mundy, Christopher J.

2016-03-10

The description of peptides and the use of molecular dynamics simulations to refine structures and investigate the dynamics on an atomistic scale are well developed. Through a consensus in this community over multiple decades, parameters were developed for molecular interactions that only require the sequence of amino-acids and an initial guess for the three-dimensional structure. The recent discovery of peptoids will require a retooling of the currently available interaction potentials in order to have the same level of confidence in the predicted structures and pathways as there is presently in the peptide counterparts. Here we present modeling of peptoids usingmore » a combination of ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) and atomistic resolution classical forcefield (FF) to span the relevant time and length scales. To properly account for the dominant forces that stabilize ordered structures of peptoids, namely steric-, electrostatic, and hydrophobic interactions mediated through sidechain-sidechain interactions in the FF model, those have to be first mapped out using high fidelity atomistic representations. A key feature here is not only to use gas phase quantum chemistry tools, but also account for solvation effects in the condensed phase through AIMD. One major challenge is to elucidate ion binding to charged or polar regions of the peptoid and its concomitant role in the creation of local order. Here, similar to proteins, a specific ion effect is observed suggesting that both the net charge and the precise chemical nature of the ion will need to be described. MDD was supported by MS3 (Materials Synthesis and Simulation Across Scales) Initiative at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Research was funded by the Laboratory Directed Research and Development program at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. MDB acknowledges support from US Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Material & Engineering. CJM acknowledges support from US Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Chemical Sciences, Geosciences & Biosciences. PNNL is a multiprogram national laboratory operated by Battelle for the U.S. Department of Energy.« less

Growth laws for sub-delta crevasses in the Mississippi River Delta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yocum, T. A.; Georgiou, I. Y.; Straub, K. M.

2017-12-01

River deltas are threatened by environmental change, including subsidence, global sea level rise, reduced sediment inputs and other local factors. In the Mississippi River Delta (MRD) these impacts are exemplified, and have led to proposed solutions to build land that include sediment diversions to reinitiate the delta cycle. Deltas were studied extensively using numerical models, theoretical and conceptual frameworks, empirical scaling relationships, laboratory models and field observations. But predicting the future of deltas relies on field observations where for most deltas data are still lacking. Moreover, empirical and theoretical scaling laws may be influenced by the data used to develop them, while laboratory deltas may be influenced by scaling issues. Anthropogenic crevasses in the MRD are large enough to overcome limitations of laboratory deltas, and small enough to allow for rapid channel and wetland development, providing an ideal setting to investigate delta development mechanics. Here we assessed growth laws of sub-delta crevasses (SDC) in the MRD, in two experimental laboratory deltas (LD - weakly and strongly cohesive) and compared them to river dominated deltas worldwide. Channel and delta geometry metrics for each system were obtained using geospatial tools, bathymetric datasets, sediment size, and hydrodynamic observations. Results show that SDC follow growth laws similar to large river dominated deltas, with the exception of some that exhibit anomalous behavior with respect to the frequency and distance to a bifurcation and the fraction of wetted delta shoreline (allometry metrics). Most SDC exhibit a systematic decrease of non-dimensional channel geometries with increased bifurcation order, indicating that channels are adjusting to decreased flow after bifurcations occur, and exhibit linear trends for land allometry and width-depth ratio, although geometries decrease more rapidly per bifurcation order. Measured distance to bifurcations in SDC and LD appear longer compared to those predicted by power law metrics. With less channel splitting in some crevasses, channel extension creates wetted perimeter faster than or at the same rate as wetted area, which explains why some SDC displayed fractal growth of the wetted allometry.

Effects of compressibility on turbulent relative particle dispersion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shivamoggi, Bhimsen K.

2016-08-01

In this paper, phenomenological developments are used to explore the effects of compressibility on the relative particle dispersion (RPD) in three-dimensional (3D) fully developed turbulence (FDT). The role played by the compressible FDT cascade physics underlying this process is investigated. Compressibility effects are found to lead to reduction of RPD, development of the ballistic regime and particle clustering, corroborating the laboratory experiment and numerical simulation results (Cressman J. R. et al., New J. Phys., 6 (2004) 53) on the motion of Lagrangian tracers on a surface flow that constitutes a 2D compressible subsystem. These formulations are developed from the scaling relations for compressible FDT and are validated further via an alternative dimensional/scaling development for compressible FDT similar to the one given for incompressible FDT by Batchelor and Townsend (Surveys in Mechanics (Cambridge University Press) 1956, p. 352). The rationale for spatial intermittency effects is legitimized via the nonlinear scaling dependence of RPD on the kinetic-energy dissipation rate.

Scaled laboratory experiments explain the kink behaviour of the Crab Nebula jet.

PubMed

Li, C K; Tzeferacos, P; Lamb, D; Gregori, G; Norreys, P A; Rosenberg, M J; Follett, R K; Froula, D H; Koenig, M; Seguin, F H; Frenje, J A; Rinderknecht, H G; Sio, H; Zylstra, A B; Petrasso, R D; Amendt, P A; Park, H S; Remington, B A; Ryutov, D D; Wilks, S C; Betti, R; Frank, A; Hu, S X; Sangster, T C; Hartigan, P; Drake, R P; Kuranz, C C; Lebedev, S V; Woolsey, N C

2016-10-07

The remarkable discovery by the Chandra X-ray observatory that the Crab nebula's jet periodically changes direction provides a challenge to our understanding of astrophysical jet dynamics. It has been suggested that this phenomenon may be the consequence of magnetic fields and magnetohydrodynamic instabilities, but experimental demonstration in a controlled laboratory environment has remained elusive. Here we report experiments that use high-power lasers to create a plasma jet that can be directly compared with the Crab jet through well-defined physical scaling laws. The jet generates its own embedded toroidal magnetic fields; as it moves, plasma instabilities result in multiple deflections of the propagation direction, mimicking the kink behaviour of the Crab jet. The experiment is modelled with three-dimensional numerical simulations that show exactly how the instability develops and results in changes of direction of the jet.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Radiation Hazard Scale Data Product Review Feedback Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Askin, A.; Buddemeier, B.; Alai, M.

In support of the Department of Energy (DOE) National nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) assisted in the development of new data templates for disseminating and communicating FRMAC1 data products using the CDC Radiation Hazard Scale communication tool. To ensure these data products will be useful to stakeholders during a radiological emergency, LLNL facilitated opportunities for product socialization and review.

SCALE: A modular code system for performing Standardized Computer Analyses for Licensing Evaluation. Volume 1, Part 2: Control modules S1--H1; Revision 5

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

SCALE--a modular code system for Standardized Computer Analyses Licensing Evaluation--has been developed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory at the request of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The SCALE system utilizes well-established computer codes and methods within standard analysis sequences that (1) allow an input format designed for the occasional user and/or novice, (2) automated the data processing and coupling between modules, and (3) provide accurate and reliable results. System development has been directed at problem-dependent cross-section processing and analysis of criticality safety, shielding, heat transfer, and depletion/decay problems. Since the initial release of SCALE in 1980, the code system hasmore » been heavily used for evaluation of nuclear fuel facility and package designs. This revision documents Version 4.3 of the system.« less

A Plan for the Development and Demonstration of Optical Communications for Deep Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lesh, J. R.; Deutsch, L. J.; Weber, W. J.

1990-01-01

In this article, an overall plan for the development and demonstration of optical communications for deep-space applications is presented. The current state of the technology for optical communications is presented. Then, the development and demonstration plan is presented in two parts: the overall major systems activities, followed by the generic technology developments that will enable them. The plan covers the path from laboratory subsystems demonstrations out to a full-scale flight experiment system for the proposed Mars Communications Relay Orbiter mission.

Final Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chidambaram, Dev; Misra, Mano; Heske, Clemens

2014-12-21

The objectives included: Develop high efficiency metal oxide nanotubular array photo-anodes for generating hydrogen by water splitting; Develop density functional theory to understand the effect of the morphology of the nanotubes on the photo-electrochemical (PEC) properties of the photo-anodes; Develop kinetics and formation mechanism of the metal oxide nanotubes under different synthesis conditions; Develop combinatorial approach to prepare hybrid photo-anodes having multiple hetero-atoms incorporation in a single photo anode; Improve the durability of the material; and Scale up the laboratory demonstration to production unit.

A perspective on modeling the multiscale response of energetic materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rice, Betsy M.

2017-01-01

The response of an energetic material to insult is perhaps one of the most difficult processes to model due to concurrent chemical and physical phenomena occurring over scales ranging from atomistic to continuum. Unraveling the interdependencies of these complex processes across the scales through modeling can only be done within a multiscale framework. In this paper, I will describe progress in the development of a predictive, experimentally validated multiscale reactive modeling capability for energetic materials at the Army Research Laboratory. I will also describe new challenges and research opportunities that have arisen in the course of our development which should be pursued in the future.

Laboratory simulation of cratering on small bodies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schmidt, Robert M.

1991-01-01

A new technique using external pressure was developed to simulate the lithostatic pressure due to self-gravity of small bodies. A 13-in. diameter cylindrical test chamber with L/D of 1 was fabricated to accommodate firing explosive charges with gas overpressures of up to 6000 psi. The chamber was hydrotested to 9000 psi. The method allows much larger scale factors that can be obtained with existing centrifuges and has the correct spherical geometry of self gravity. A simulant for jointed rock to be used in this fixture was developed using weakly cemented basalt. Various strength/pressure scaling theories can now be examined and tested.

In situ Raman spectroscopy for simultaneous monitoring of multiple process parameters in mammalian cell culture bioreactors.

PubMed

Whelan, Jessica; Craven, Stephen; Glennon, Brian

2012-01-01

In this study, the application of Raman spectroscopy to the simultaneous quantitative determination of glucose, glutamine, lactate, ammonia, glutamate, total cell density (TCD), and viable cell density (VCD) in a CHO fed-batch process was demonstrated in situ in 3 L and 15 L bioreactors. Spectral preprocessing and partial least squares (PLS) regression were used to correlate spectral data with off-line reference data. Separate PLS calibration models were developed for each analyte at the 3 L laboratory bioreactor scale before assessing its transferability to the same bioprocess conducted at the 15 L pilot scale. PLS calibration models were successfully developed for all analytes bar VCD and transferred to the 15 L scale. Copyright © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE).

Fuel alcohol production from agricultural lignocellulosic feedstocks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Farina, G.E.; Barrier, J.W.; Forsythe, M.L.

1988-01-01

A two-stage, low-temperature, ambient pressure, acid hydrolysis process that utilizes separate unit operations to convert hemicellulose and cellulose in agricultural residues and crops to fermentable sugars is being developed and tested. Based on the results of the bench-scale tests, an acid hydrolysis experimental plant to demonstrate the concepts of low-temperature acid hydrolysis on a much larger scale was built. Plant tests using corn stover have been conducted for more that a year and conversion efficiences have equaled those achieved in the laboratory. Laboratory tests to determine the potential for low-temperature acid hydrolysis of other feedstocks - including red clover, alfalfa,more » kobe lespedeza, winter rape, and rye grass - are being conducted. Where applicable, process modifications to include extraction before or after hydrolysis also are being studied. This paper describes the experimental plant and process, results obtained in the plant, results of alternative feedstocks testing in the laboratory, and a plan for an integrated system that will produce other fuels, feed, and food from crops grown on marginal land.« less

Geometric factor and influence of sensors in the establishment of a resistivity-moisture relation in soil samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

López-Sánchez, M.; Mansilla-Plaza, L.; Sánchez-de-laOrden, M.

2017-10-01

Prior to field scale research, soil samples are analysed on a laboratory scale for electrical resistivity calibrations. Currently, there are a variety of field instruments to estimate the water content in soils using different physical phenomena. These instruments can be used to develop moisture-resistivity relationships on the same soil samples. This assures that measurements are performed on the same material and under the same conditions (e.g., humidity and temperature). A geometric factor is applied to the location of electrodes, in order to calculate the apparent electrical resistivity of the laboratory test cells. This geometric factor can be determined in three different ways: by means of the use of an analytical approximation, laboratory trials (experimental approximation), or by the analysis of a numerical model. The first case, the analytical approximation, is not appropriate for complex cells or arrays. And both, the experimental and numerical approximation can lead to inaccurate results. Therefore, we propose a novel approach to obtain a compromise solution between both techniques, providing a more precise determination of the geometrical factor.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Proficiency Testing on Small-Scale Safety and Thermal Testing of Improvised Explosives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reynolds, John; Sandstrom, Mary; Brown, Geoffrey; Warner, Kirstin; Phillips, Jason; Shelley, Timothy; Reyes, Jose; Hsu, Peter

2013-06-01

One of the first steps in establishing safe handling procedures for explosives is small-scale safety and thermal (SSST) testing. To better understand the response of improvised materials or HMEs to SSST testing, 18 HME materials were compared to 3 standard military explosives in a proficiency-type round robin study among five laboratories--2 DoD and 3 DOE--sponsored by DHS. The testing matrix has been designed to address problems encountered with improvised materials--powder mixtures, liquid suspensions, partially wetted solids, immiscible liquids, and reactive materials. Over 30 issues have been identified that indicate standard test methods may require modification when applied to HMEs to derive accurate sensitivity assessments needed for development safe handling and storage practices. This presentation will discuss experimental difficulties encountered when testing these problematic samples, show inter-laboratory testing results, show some statistical interpretation of the results, and highlight some of the testing issues. Some of the work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344. LLNL-ABS-617519 (721812).

Development of a 3D printer using scanning projection stereolithography

PubMed Central

Lee, Michael P.; Cooper, Geoffrey J. T.; Hinkley, Trevor; Gibson, Graham M.; Padgett, Miles J.; Cronin, Leroy

2015-01-01

We have developed a system for the rapid fabrication of low cost 3D devices and systems in the laboratory with micro-scale features yet cm-scale objects. Our system is inspired by maskless lithography, where a digital micromirror device (DMD) is used to project patterns with resolution up to 10 µm onto a layer of photoresist. Large area objects can be fabricated by stitching projected images over a 5cm2 area. The addition of a z-stage allows multiple layers to be stacked to create 3D objects, removing the need for any developing or etching steps but at the same time leading to true 3D devices which are robust, configurable and scalable. We demonstrate the applications of the system by printing a range of micro-scale objects as well as a fully functioning microfluidic droplet device and test its integrity by pumping dye through the channels. PMID:25906401

Workplace Exposure to Titanium Dioxide Nanopowder Released from a Bag Filter System

PubMed Central

Ji, Jun Ho; Kim, Jong Bum; Lee, Gwangjae; Noh, Jung-Hun; Yook, Se-Jin; Cho, So-Hye; Bae, Gwi-Nam

2015-01-01

Many researchers who use laboratory-scale synthesis systems to manufacture nanomaterials could be easily exposed to airborne nanomaterials during the research and development stage. This study used various real-time aerosol detectors to investigate the presence of nanoaerosols in a laboratory used to manufacture titanium dioxide (TiO2). The TiO2 nanopowders were produced via flame synthesis and collected by a bag filter system for subsequent harvesting. Highly concentrated nanopowders were released from the outlet of the bag filter system into the laboratory. The fractional particle collection efficiency of the bag filter system was only 20% at particle diameter of 100 nm, which is much lower than the performance of a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. Furthermore, the laboratory hood system was inadequate to fully exhaust the air discharged from the bag filter system. Unbalanced air flow rates between bag filter and laboratory hood systems could result in high exposure to nanopowder in laboratory settings. Finally, we simulated behavior of nanopowders released in the laboratory using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). PMID:26125024

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shull, H.E.

The objective of the project was to investigate the economic feasibility of converting potato waste to fuel alcohol. The source of potato starch was Troyer Farms Potato Chips. Experimental work was carried out at both the laboratory scale and the larger pilot scale batch operation at a decommissioned waste water treatment building on campus. The laboratory scale work was considerably more extensive than originally planned, resulting in a much improved scientific work. The pilot scale facility has been completed and operated successfully. In contrast, the analysis of the economic feasibility of commercial production has not yet been completed. The projectmore » was brought to a close with the successful demonstration of the fermentation and distillation using the large scale facilities described previously. Two batches of mash were cooked using the procedures established in support of the laboratory scale work. One of the batches was fermented using the optimum values of the seven controlled factors as predicted by the laboratory scale application of the Box-Wilson design. The other batch was fermented under conditions derived out of Mr. Rouse's interpretation of his long sequence of laboratory results. He was gratified to find that his commitment to the Box-Wilson experiments was justified. The productivity of the Box-Wilson design was greater. The difference between the performance of the two fermentors (one stirred, one not) has not been established yet. Both batches were then distilled together, demonstrating the satisfactory performance of the column still. 4 references.« less

Experimental methods for the simulation of supercritical CO2 injection at laboratory scale aimed to investigate capillary trapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trevisan, L.; Illangasekare, T. H.; Rodriguez, D.; Sakaki, T.; Cihan, A.; Birkholzer, J. T.; Zhou, Q.

2011-12-01

Geological storage of carbon dioxide in deep geologic formations is being considered as a technical option to reduce greenhouse gas loading to the atmosphere. The processes associated with the movement and stable trapping are complex in deep naturally heterogeneous formations. Three primary mechanisms contribute to trapping; capillary entrapment due to immobilization of the supercritical fluid CO2 within soil pores, liquid CO2 dissolving in the formation water and mineralization. Natural heterogeneity in the formation is expected to affect all three mechanisms. A research project is in progress with the primary goal to improve our understanding of capillary and dissolution trapping during injection and post-injection process, focusing on formation heterogeneity. It is expected that this improved knowledge will help to develop site characterization methods targeting on obtaining the most critical parameters that capture the heterogeneity to design strategies and schemes to maximize trapping. This research combines experiments at the laboratory scale with multiphase modeling to upscale relevant trapping processes to the field scale. This paper presents the results from a set of experiments that were conducted in an intermediate scale test tanks. Intermediate scale testing provides an attractive alternative to investigate these processes under controlled conditions in the laboratory. Conducting these types of experiments is highly challenging as methods have to be developed to extrapolate the data from experiments that are conducted under ambient laboratory conditions to high temperatures and pressures settings in deep geologic formations. We explored the use of a combination of surrogate fluids that have similar density, viscosity contrasts and analogous solubility and interfacial tension as supercritical CO2-brine in deep formations. The extrapolation approach involves the use of dimensionless numbers such as Capillary number (Ca) and the Bond number (Bo). A set of experiments that captures some of the complexities of the geologic heterogeneity and injection scenarios are planned in a 4.8 m long tank. To test the experimental methods and instrumentation, a set of preliminary experiments were conducted in a smaller tank with dimensions 90 cm x 60 cm. The tank was packed to represent both homogeneous and heterogeneous conditions. Using the surrogate fluids, different injection scenarios were tested. Images of the migration plume showed the critical role that heterogeneity plays in stable entrapment. Destructive sampling done at the end of the experiments provided data on the final saturation distributions. Preliminary analysis suggests the entrapment configuration is controlled by the large-scale heterogeneities as well as the pore-scale entrapment mechanisms. The data was used in modeling analysis that is presented in a companion abstract.

Post Audit of a Field Scale Reactive Transport Model of Uranium at a Former Mill Site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Curtis, G. P.

2015-12-01

Reactive transport of hexavalent uranium (U(VI)) in a shallow alluvial aquifer at a former uranium mill tailings site near Naturita CO has been monitored for nearly 30 years by the US Department of Energy and the US Geological Survey. Groundwater at the site has high concentrations of chloride, alkalinity and U(VI) as a owing to ore processing at the site from 1941 to 1974. We previously calibrated a multicomponent reactive transport model to data collected at the site from 1986 to 2001. A two dimensional nonreactive transport model used a uniform hydraulic conductivity which was estimated from observed chloride concentrations and tritium helium age dates. A reactive transport model for the 2km long site was developed by including an equilibrium U(VI) surface complexation model calibrated to laboratory data and calcite equilibrium. The calibrated model reproduced both nonreactive tracers as well as the observed U(VI), pH and alkalinity. Forward simulations for the period 2002-2015 conducted with the calibrated model predict significantly faster natural attenuation of U(VI) concentrations than has been observed by the persistent high U(VI) concentrations at the site. Alternative modeling approaches are being evaluating evaluated using recent data to determine if the persistence can be explained by multirate mass transfer models developed from experimental observations at the column scale(~0.2m), the laboratory tank scale (~2m), the field tracer test scale (~1-4m) or geophysical observation scale (~1-5m). Results of this comparison should provide insight into the persistence of U(VI) plumes and improved management options.

Catalytic multi-stage liquefaction of coal at HTI: Bench-scale studies in coal/waste plastics coprocessing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pradhan, V.R.; Lee, L.K.; Stalzer, R.H.

1995-12-31

The development of Catalytic Multi-Stage Liquefaction (CMSL) at HTI has focused on both bituminous and sub-bituminous coals using laboratory, bench and PDU scale operations. The crude oil equivalent cost of liquid fuels from coal has been curtailed to about $30 per barrel, thus achieving over 30% reduction in the price that was evaluated for the liquefaction technologies demonstrated in the late seventies and early eighties. Contrary to the common belief, the new generation of catalytic multistage coal liquefaction process is environmentally very benign and can produce clean, premium distillates with a very low (<10ppm) heteroatoms content. The HTI Staff hasmore » been involved over the years in process development and has made significant improvements in the CMSL processing of coals. A 24 month program (extended to September 30, 1995) to study novel concepts, using a continuous bench scale Catalytic Multi-Stage unit (30kg coal/day), has been initiated since December, 1992. This program consists of ten bench-scale operations supported by Laboratory Studies, Modelling, Process Simulation and Economic Assessments. The Catalytic Multi-Stage Liquefaction is a continuation of the second generation yields using a low/high temperature approach. This paper covers work performed between October 1994- August 1995, especially results obtained from the microautoclave support activities and the bench-scale operations for runs CMSL-08 and CMSL-09, during which, coal and the plastic components for municipal solid wastes (MSW) such as high density polyethylene (HDPE)m, polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), and polythylene terphthlate (PET) were coprocessed.« less

Development of a New Punch Head Shape to Replicate Scale-Up Issues on a Laboratory Tablet Press III: Replicating sticking phenomenon using the SAS punch and evaluation by checking the tablet surface using 3D laser scanning microscope.

PubMed

Ito, Manabu; Aoki, Shigeru; Uchiyama, Jumpei; Yamato, Keisuke

2018-04-20

Sticking is a common observation in the scale-up stage on the punch tip using a commercial tableting machine. The difference in the total compression time between a laboratory and a commercial tableting machine is considered one of the main root causes of scale up issues in the tableting processes. The proposed Size Adjusted for Scale-up (SAS) punch can be used to adjust the consolidation and dwell times for commercial tableting machine. As a result, the sticking phenomenon is able to be replicated at the pilot scale stage. As reported in this paper, the quantification of sticking was measured using a 3D laser scanning microscope to check the tablet surface. It was shown that the sticking area decreased with the addition of magnesium stearate in the formulation, but the sticking depth was not affected by the additional amount of magnesium stearate. It is proposed that use of a 3D laser scanning microscope can be applied to evaluate sticking as a process analytical technology (PAT) tool and so sticking can be monitored continuously without stopping the machine. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

A refuge for inorganic chemistry: Bunsen's Heidelberg laboratory.

PubMed

Nawa, Christine

2014-05-01

Immediately after its opening in 1855, Bunsen's Heidelberg laboratory became iconic as the most modern and best equipped laboratory in Europe. Although comparatively modest in size, the laboratory's progressive equipment made it a role model for new construction projects in Germany and beyond. In retrospect, it represents an intermediate stage of development between early teaching facilities, such as Liebig's laboratory in Giessen, and the new 'chemistry palaces' that came into existence with Wöhler's Göttingen laboratory of 1860. As a 'transition laboratory,' Bunsen's Heidelberg edifice is of particular historical interest. This paper explores the allocation of spaces to specific procedures and audiences within the laboratory, and the hierarchies and professional rites of passage embedded within it. On this basis, it argues that the laboratory in Heidelberg was tailored to Bunsen's needs in inorganic and physical chemistry and never aimed at a broad-scale representation of chemistry as a whole. On the contrary, it is an example of early specialisation within a chemical laboratory preceding the process of differentiation into chemical sub-disciplines. Finally, it is shown that the relatively small size of this laboratory, and the fact that after ca. 1860 no significant changes were made within the building, are inseparably connected to Bunsen's views on chemistry teaching.

Quantification of pathogen inactivation efficacy by free chlorine disinfection of drinking water for QMRA.

PubMed

Petterson, S R; Stenström, T A

2015-09-01

To support the implementation of quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) for managing infectious risks associated with drinking water systems, a simple modeling approach for quantifying Log10 reduction across a free chlorine disinfection contactor was developed. The study was undertaken in three stages: firstly, review of the laboratory studies published in the literature; secondly, development of a conceptual approach to apply the laboratory studies to full-scale conditions; and finally implementation of the calculations for a hypothetical case study system. The developed model explicitly accounted for variability in residence time and pathogen specific chlorine sensitivity. Survival functions were constructed for a range of pathogens relying on the upper bound of the reported data transformed to a common metric. The application of the model within a hypothetical case study demonstrated the importance of accounting for variable residence time in QMRA. While the overall Log10 reduction may appear high, small parcels of water with short residence time can compromise the overall performance of the barrier. While theoretically simple, the approach presented is of great value for undertaking an initial assessment of a full-scale disinfection contactor based on limited site-specific information.

Operating characteristic analysis of a 400 mH class HTS DC reactor in connection with a laboratory scale LCC type HVDC system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Sung-Kyu; Kim, Kwangmin; Park, Minwon; Yu, In-Keun; Lee, Sangjin

2015-11-01

High temperature superconducting (HTS) devices are being developed due to their advantages. Most line commutated converter based high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission systems for long-distance transmission require large inductance of DC reactor; however, generally, copper-based reactors cause a lot of electrical losses during the system operation. This is driving researchers to develop a new type of DC reactor using HTS wire. The authors have developed a 400 mH class HTS DC reactor and a laboratory scale test-bed for line-commutated converter type HVDC system and applied the HTS DC reactor to the HVDC system to investigate their operating characteristics. The 400 mH class HTS DC reactor is designed using a toroid type magnet. The HVDC system is designed in the form of a mono-pole system with thyristor-based 12-pulse power converters. In this paper, the investigation results of the HTS DC reactor in connection with the HVDC system are described. The operating characteristics of the HTS DC reactor are analyzed under various operating conditions of the system. Through the results, applicability of an HTS DC reactor in an HVDC system is discussed in detail.

Modelling and scale-up of chemical flooding: Second annual report for the period October 1986--September 1987

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pope, G.A.; Lake, L.W.; Sepehrnoori, K.

1988-11-01

The objective of this research is to develop, validate, and apply a comprehensive chemical flooding simulator for chemical recovery processes involving surfactants, polymers, and alkaline chemicals in various combinations. This integrated program includes components of laboratory experiments, physical property modelling, scale-up theory, and numerical analysis as necessary and integral components of the simulation activity. Developing, testing and applying flooding simulator (UTCHEM) to a wide variety of laboratory and reservoir problems involving tracers, polymers, polymer gels, surfactants, and alkaline agent has been continued. Improvements in both the physical-chemical and numerical aspects of UTCHEM have been made which enhance its versatility, accuracymore » and speed. Supporting experimental studies during the past year include relative permeability and trapping of microemulsion, tracer flow studies oil recovery in cores using alcohol free surfactant slugs, and microemulsion viscosity measurements. These have enabled model improvement simulator testing. Another code called PROPACK has also been developed which is used as a preprocessor for UTCHEM. Specifically, it is used to evaluate input to UTCHEM by computing and plotting key physical properties such as phase behavior interfacial tension.« less

A simple scaled down system to mimic the industrial production of first generation fuel ethanol in Brazil.

PubMed

Raghavendran, Vijayendran; Basso, Thalita Peixoto; da Silva, Juliana Bueno; Basso, Luiz Carlos; Gombert, Andreas Karoly

2017-07-01

Although first-generation fuel ethanol is produced in Brazil from sugarcane-based raw materials with high efficiency, there is still little knowledge about the microbiology, the biochemistry and the molecular mechanisms prevalent in the non-aseptic fermentation environment. Learning-by-doing has hitherto been the strategy to improve the process so far, with further improvements requiring breakthrough technologies. Performing experiments at an industrial scale are often expensive, complicated to set up and difficult to reproduce. Thus, developing an appropriate scaled down system for this process has become a necessity. In this paper, we present the design and demonstration of a simple and effective laboratory-scale system mimicking the industrial process used for first generation (1G) fuel ethanol production in the Brazilian sugarcane mills. We benchmarked this system via the superior phenotype of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae PE-2 strain, compared to other strains from the same species: S288c, baker's yeast, and CEN.PK113-7D. We trust that such a system can be easily implemented in different laboratories worldwide, and will allow a better understanding of the S. cerevisiae strains that can persist and dominate in this industrial, non-aseptic and peculiar environment.

High-resolution computational algorithms for simulating offshore wind turbines and farms: Model development and validation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Calderer, Antoni; Yang, Xiaolei; Angelidis, Dionysios

2015-10-30

The present project involves the development of modeling and analysis design tools for assessing offshore wind turbine technologies. The computational tools developed herein are able to resolve the effects of the coupled interaction of atmospheric turbulence and ocean waves on aerodynamic performance and structural stability and reliability of offshore wind turbines and farms. Laboratory scale experiments have been carried out to derive data sets for validating the computational models.

Customer satisfaction assessment at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

DN Anderson; ML Sours

2000-03-23

The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is developing and implementing a customer satisfaction assessment program (CSAP) to assess the quality of research and development provided by the laboratory. This report presents the customer survey component of the PNNL CSAP. The customer survey questionnaire is composed of two major sections: Strategic Value and Project Performance. Both sections contain a set of questions that can be answered with a 5-point Likert scale response. The strategic value section consists of five questions that are designed to determine if a project directly contributes to critical future national needs. The project Performance section consists ofmore » nine questions designed to determine PNNL performance in meeting customer expectations. A statistical model for customer survey data is developed and this report discusses how to analyze the data with this model. The properties of the statistical model can be used to establish a gold standard or performance expectation for the laboratory, and then to assess progress. The gold standard is defined using laboratory management input--answers to four questions, in terms of the information obtained from the customer survey: (1) What should the average Strategic Value be for the laboratory project portfolio? (2) What Strategic Value interval should include most of the projects in the laboratory portfolio? (3) What should average Project Performance be for projects with a Strategic Value of about 2? (4) What should average Project Performance be for projects with a Strategic Value of about 4? To be able to provide meaningful answers to these questions, the PNNL customer survey will need to be fully implemented for several years, thus providing a link between management perceptions of laboratory performance and customer survey data.« less

Continuing professional development training needs of medical laboratory personnel in Botswana

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Laboratory professionals are expected to maintain their knowledge on the most recent advances in laboratory testing and continuing professional development (CPD) programs can address this expectation. In developing countries, accessing CPD programs is a major challenge for laboratory personnel, partly due to their limited availability. An assessment was conducted among clinical laboratory workforce in Botswana to identify and prioritize CPD training needs as well as preferred modes of CPD delivery. Methods A self-administered questionnaire was disseminated to medical laboratory scientists and technicians registered with the Botswana Health Professions Council. Questions were organized into domains of competency related to (i) quality management systems, (ii) technical competence, (iii) laboratory management, leadership, and coaching, and (iv) pathophysiology, data interpretation, and research. Participants were asked to rank their self-perceived training needs using a 3-point scale in order of importance (most, moderate, and least). Furthermore, participants were asked to select any three preferences for delivery formats for the CPD. Results Out of 350 questionnaires that were distributed, 275 were completed and returned giving an overall response rate of 79%. The most frequently selected topics for training in rank order according to key themes were (mean, range) (i) quality management systems, most important (79%, 74–84%); (ii) pathophysiology, data interpretation, and research (68%, 52–78%); (iii) technical competence (65%, 44–73%); and (iv) laboratory management, leadership, and coaching (60%, 37–77%). The top three topics selected by the participants were (i) quality systems essentials for medical laboratory, (ii) implementing a quality management system, and (iii) techniques to identify and control sources of error in laboratory procedures. The top three preferred CPD delivery modes, in rank order, were training workshops, hands-on workshops, and internet-based learning. Journal clubs at the workplace was the least preferred method of delivery of CPD credits. Conclusions CPD programs to be developed should focus on topics that address quality management systems, case studies, competence assessment, and customer care. The findings from this survey can also inform medical laboratory pre-service education curriculum. PMID:25134431

Freeze-Drying Process Development and Scale-Up: Scale-Up of Edge Vial Versus Center Vial Heat Transfer Coefficients, Kv.

PubMed

Pikal, Michael J; Bogner, Robin; Mudhivarthi, Vamsi; Sharma, Puneet; Sane, Pooja

2016-11-01

This report presents calculations of the difference between the vial heat transfer coefficient of the "edge vial" and the "center vial" at all scales. The only scale-up adjustment for center vials is for the contribution of radiation from the shelf upon which the vial sits by replacing the emissivity of the laboratory dryer shelf with the emissivity of the production dryer shelf. With edge vials, scales-up adjustments are more complex. While convection is not important, heat transfer from the wall to the bands (surrounding the vial array) by radiation and directly from the band to the vials by both radiation and conduction is important; this radiation heat transfer depends on the emissivity of the vial and the bands and is nearly independent of the emissivity of the dryer walls. Differences in wall temperatures do impact the edge vial effect and scale-up, and estimates for wall temperatures are needed for both laboratory and manufacturing dryers. Auto-loading systems (no bands) may give different edge vial heat transfer coefficients than when operating with bands. Satisfactory agreement between theoretical predictions and experimental values of the edge vial effect indicate that results calculated from the theory are of useful accuracy. Copyright © 2016 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Enabling UAS Research at the NASA EAV Laboratory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ippolito, Corey A.

2015-01-01

The Exploration Aerial Vehicles (EAV) Laboratory at NASA Ames Research Center leads research into intelligent autonomy and advanced control systems, bridging the gap between simulation and full-scale technology through flight test experimentation on unmanned sub-scale test vehicles.

TREATMENT OF INORGANIC CONTAMINANTS USING PERMEABLE REACTIVE BARRIERS

EPA Science Inventory

Permeable reactive barriers are an emerging alternative to traditional pump and treat systems for groundwater remediation. This technique has progressed rapidly over the past decade from laboratory bench-scale studies to full-scale implementation. Laboratory studies indicate the ...

The development of small-scale mechanization means positioning algorithm using radio frequency identification technology in industrial plants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Astafiev, A.; Orlov, A.; Privezencev, D.

2018-01-01

The article is devoted to the development of technology and software for the construction of positioning and control systems for small mechanization in industrial plants based on radio frequency identification methods, which will be the basis for creating highly efficient intelligent systems for controlling the product movement in industrial enterprises. The main standards that are applied in the field of product movement control automation and radio frequency identification are considered. The article reviews modern publications and automation systems for the control of product movement developed by domestic and foreign manufacturers. It describes the developed algorithm for positioning of small-scale mechanization means in an industrial enterprise. Experimental studies in laboratory and production conditions have been conducted and described in the article.

Creating self-formed meandering channels in laboratory flumes (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braudrick, C. A.

2009-12-01

Our ability to construct predictive numerical models for meandering rivers is hampered by the inability to create meandering channels in the laboratory where individual variables can be isolated and controlled. Typically, experimental channels braid, straighten, or cease migration once they develop curvature. By using alfalfa sprouts to provide bank strength and fine sediment to attach point bars to the floodplain, we have successfully created and maintained meandering morphology in a laboratory flume. The 6.1 by 17 m flume has a floodplain slope of approximately 0.005 with a sandy bed and banks that scales as a gravel bed river. The alfalfa sprouts slow bank erosion allowing time for the bars to create new floodplain deposits. The sprouts also increase floodplain roughness, armor new bar deposits, and promote deposition of overbank sediment. The fine sediment, a lightweight plastic that scaled as sand, was crucial for blocking chutes formed between the bar and the floodplain, isolating cut-off channels from the main flow, and creating levees. During this 136-hour long experiment, the channel width stabilized as the channel migrated across the floodplain, and the curvature was recreated following cutoffs. Although the sinuosity (about 1.2) was low relative to meandering channels observed in the field, the spacing of bends was within the upper bounds of field examples. Subsequent experiments with higher bank strength had more limited chute development were able to generate a sinuosity of about 1.4. Scaling analysis indicates that the bank migration rates in the lower sinuosity experiment were approximately 10 times faster than migration rates in the field. A particular challenge in these experiments is maintaining a healthy alfalfa crop. After 15-20 hours of flood flows, the alfalfa begins to die off and new emergent bars need to be seeded. It then takes about 7 days for the alfalfa to grow to the size used in these experiments. The 15-20 hours scale to about one year of flood flows in the field. Therefore experiments that replicate the long-term evolution of meandering rivers would be prohibitively long with alfalfa. Future experiments should therefore focus on developing and testing models that to examine longer-term channel evolution.

Laboratory-Scale Simulation and Real-Time Tracking of a Microbial Contamination Event and Subsequent Shock-Chlorination in Drinking Water

PubMed Central

Besmer, Michael D.; Sigrist, Jürg A.; Props, Ruben; Buysschaert, Benjamin; Mao, Guannan; Boon, Nico; Hammes, Frederik

2017-01-01

Rapid contamination of drinking water in distribution and storage systems can occur due to pressure drop, backflow, cross-connections, accidents, and bio-terrorism. Small volumes of a concentrated contaminant (e.g., wastewater) can contaminate large volumes of water in a very short time with potentially severe negative health impacts. The technical limitations of conventional, cultivation-based microbial detection methods neither allow for timely detection of such contaminations, nor for the real-time monitoring of subsequent emergency remediation measures (e.g., shock-chlorination). Here we applied a newly developed continuous, ultra high-frequency flow cytometry approach to track a rapid pollution event and subsequent disinfection of drinking water in an 80-min laboratory scale simulation. We quantified total (TCC) and intact (ICC) cell concentrations as well as flow cytometric fingerprints in parallel in real-time with two different staining methods. The ingress of wastewater was detectable almost immediately (i.e., after 0.6% volume change), significantly changing TCC, ICC, and the flow cytometric fingerprint. Shock chlorination was rapid and detected in real time, causing membrane damage in the vast majority of bacteria (i.e., drop of ICC from more than 380 cells μl-1 to less than 30 cells μl-1 within 4 min). Both of these effects as well as the final wash-in of fresh tap water followed calculated predictions well. Detailed and highly quantitative tracking of microbial dynamics at very short time scales and for different characteristics (e.g., concentration, membrane integrity) is feasible. This opens up multiple possibilities for targeted investigation of a myriad of bacterial short-term dynamics (e.g., disinfection, growth, detachment, operational changes) both in laboratory-scale research and full-scale system investigations in practice. PMID:29085343

Indomethacin nanocrystals prepared by different laboratory scale methods: effect on crystalline form and dissolution behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martena, Valentina; Censi, Roberta; Hoti, Ela; Malaj, Ledjan; Di Martino, Piera

2012-12-01

The objective of this study is to select very simple and well-known laboratory scale methods able to reduce particle size of indomethacin until the nanometric scale. The effect on the crystalline form and the dissolution behavior of the different samples was deliberately evaluated in absence of any surfactants as stabilizers. Nanocrystals of indomethacin (native crystals are in the γ form) (IDM) were obtained by three laboratory scale methods: A (Batch A: crystallization by solvent evaporation in a nano-spray dryer), B (Batch B-15 and B-30: wet milling and lyophilization), and C (Batch C-20-N and C-40-N: Cryo-milling in the presence of liquid nitrogen). Nanocrystals obtained by the method A (Batch A) crystallized into a mixture of α and γ polymorphic forms. IDM obtained by the two other methods remained in the γ form and a different attitude to the crystallinity decrease were observed, with a more considerable decrease in crystalline degree for IDM milled for 40 min in the presence of liquid nitrogen. The intrinsic dissolution rate (IDR) revealed a higher dissolution rate for Batches A and C-40-N, due to the higher IDR of α form than γ form for the Batch A, and the lower crystallinity degree for both the Batches A and C-40-N. These factors, as well as the decrease in particle size, influenced the IDM dissolution rate from the particle samples. Modifications in the solid physical state that may occur using different particle size reduction treatments have to be taken into consideration during the scale up and industrial development of new solid dosage forms.

Process for vitrification of contaminated sodium oxide

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Blair, H.T.; Mellinger, G.B.

1983-03-01

A glass composition was developed to accommodate 30 wt % sodium oxide and resist devitrification and leaching. An in-can melting process that is compatible with a comtaminated sodium calciner developed by Argonne National Laboratory was tested both on a laboratory and on an engineering scale and found to be viable. The Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor experimental program continues to produce elemental sodium contaminated with radionuclides. This material is presently in temporary storage facilities because the current criterion will not permit alkali metals to be disposed of in shallow land burials. As a first step in treatment, Argonne National Laboratorymore » (ANL) has developed a calciner that will convert the sodium metal to an oxide. In work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) is developing and demonstrating a process that is compatible with the calciner and facilities at ANL-West for incorporating sodium oxide into a glass. Glass, which normally contains sodium oxide, was chosen as the waste form because it is chemically durable and nondispersible. It is simple to produce, and the technology for incorporating nuclear wastes into glass is well developed.« less

Development of the fine-particle agglomerator

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Feldman, P.; Balasic, P.

1999-07-01

This paper presents the current status of the commercial development of a new technology to more efficiently control fine particulate emissions. The technology is based on an invention by Environmental Elements Corporation (EEC) which utilizes laminar flow to promote contact of fine submicron particles with larger particles to form agglomerates prior to their removal in a conventional particulate control device, such as an ESP. As agglomerates the particles are easily captured in the control device, whereas a substantial amount would pass through if allowed to remain as fine particles. EEC has developed the laminar-flow agglomerator technology through the laboratory proof-of-conceptmore » stage, which was funded by a DOE SBIR grant, to pilot-scale and full-scale demonstrations.« less

Developments in a methodology for the design of engineered invert traps in combined sewer systems.

PubMed

Buxton, A; Tait, S; Stovin, V; Saul, A

2002-01-01

Sediments within sewers can have a significant effect on the operation of the sewer system and on the surrounding natural and urban environment. One possible method for the management of sewer sediments is the use of slotted invert traps. Although invert traps can be used to selectively trap only inorganic bedload material, little is known with regard to the design of these structures. This paper presents results from a laboratory investigation comparing the trapping performance of three slot size configurations of a laboratory-scale invert trap. The paper also presents comparative results from a two-dimensional computational model utilising stochastic particle tracking. This investigation shows that particle tracking consistently over-predicts sediment retention efficiencies observed within the laboratory model.

Laboratory Astrophysics: Enabling Scientific Discovery and Understanding

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kirby, K.

2006-01-01

NASA's Science Strategic Roadmap for Universe Exploration lays out a series of science objectives on a grand scale and discusses the various missions, over a wide range of wavelengths, which will enable discovery. Astronomical spectroscopy is arguably the most powerful tool we have for exploring the Universe. Experimental and theoretical studies in Laboratory Astrophysics convert "hard-won data into scientific understanding". However, the development of instruments with increasingly high spectroscopic resolution demands atomic and molecular data of unprecedented accuracy and completeness. How to meet these needs, in a time of severe budgetary constraints, poses a significant challenge both to NASA, the astronomical observers and model-builders, and the laboratory astrophysics community. I will discuss these issues, together with some recent examples of productive astronomy/lab astro collaborations.

Test Results From The Idaho National Laboratory Of The NASA Bi-Supported Cell Design

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

C Stoots; J O'Brien; T Cable

The Idaho National Laboratory has been researching the application of solid-oxide fuel cell technology for large-scale hydrogen production. As a result, the Idaho National Laboratory has been testing various cell designs to characterize electrolytic performance. NASA, in conjunction with the University of Toledo, has developed a new cell concept with the goals of reduced weight and high power density. This paper presents results of the INL's testing of this new solid oxide cell design as an electrolyzer. Gas composition, operating voltage, and other parameters were varied during testing. Results to date show the NASA cell to be a promising designmore » for both high power-to-weight fuel cell and electrolyzer applications.« less

Acoustic Treatment Design Scaling Methods. Volume 3; Test Plans, Hardware, Results, and Evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yu, J.; Kwan, H. W.; Echternach, D. K.; Kraft, R. E.; Syed, A. A.

1999-01-01

The ability to design, build, and test miniaturized acoustic treatment panels on scale-model fan rigs representative of the full-scale engine provides not only a cost-savings, but an opportunity to optimize the treatment by allowing tests of different designs. To be able to use scale model treatment as a full-scale design tool, it is necessary that the designer be able to reliably translate the scale model design and performance to an equivalent full-scale design. The primary objective of the study presented in this volume of the final report was to conduct laboratory tests to evaluate liner acoustic properties and validate advanced treatment impedance models. These laboratory tests include DC flow resistance measurements, normal incidence impedance measurements, DC flow and impedance measurements in the presence of grazing flow, and in-duct liner attenuation as well as modal measurements. Test panels were fabricated at three different scale factors (i.e., full-scale, half-scale, and one-fifth scale) to support laboratory acoustic testing. The panel configurations include single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) perforated sandwich panels, SDOF linear (wire mesh) liners, and double-degree-of-freedom (DDOF) linear acoustic panels.

A GIS-BASED MULTI-SCALE APPROACH TO HABITAT MODEL FOR THE COMMON LOON, GAVIA IMMER, IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, USA.

EPA Science Inventory

The U.S. EPA National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory's (NHEERL) Wildlife Research Strategy was developed to provide methods, models and data to address concerns related to toxic chemicals and habitat alteration in the context of wildlife risk assessment and ...

EVALUATION OF SOIL WASHING TECHNOLOGY: RESULTS OF BENCH SCALE EXPERIMENTS ON PETROLEUM FUELS CONTAMINATED SOILS - EPA/600/S2-91/023

EPA Science Inventory

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through its Risk Reduction Engineering Laboratory's Release Control Branch has undertaken research and development efforts to address the problem of leaking underground storage tanks (USTs). Under this effort, EPA is currently eva...

Deriving Childhood Temperament Measures from Emotion-Eliciting Behavioral Episodes: Scale Construction and Initial Validation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gagne, Jeffrey R.; Van Hulle, Carol A.; Aksan, Nazan; Essex, Marilyn J.; Goldsmith, H. Hill

2011-01-01

The authors describe the development and initial validation of a home-based version of the Laboratory Temperament Assessment Battery (Lab-TAB), which was designed to assess childhood temperament with a comprehensive series of emotion-eliciting behavioral episodes. This article provides researchers with general guidelines for assessing specific…

Stress Related Overeating Among College Students: Development of a Mood Eating Scale.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Linda J.; Hawkins, Raymond C.

The hypothesis that negative emotional life states accompanying life stresses are associated with overeating and weight gain cannot be adequately tested solely by laboratory analogue studies. Naturalistic, short-term longitudinal designs are needed in which individuals susceptible to mood eating can be identified prior to a stressful event and…

Ironing Out the Wrinkles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ayres, Thomas

2009-07-01

This is a Calibration Archival proposal to develop, implement, and test enhancements to the pipeline wavelength scales of STIS echelle spectra, to take full advantage of the extremely high performance of which the instrument is capable. The motivation is a recent extensive investigation--The Deep Lamp Project--which identified systematic wavelength distortions in all 44 primary and secondary settings of the four STIS echelle modes: E140M, E140H, E230M, and E230H. The method was to process deep exposures of the onboard Pt/Cr-Ne calibration source as if they were science images, and measure deviations of the lamp lines from their laboratory wavelengths. An approach has been developed to correct the distortions post facto, but it would be preferable to implement a more robust dispersion model in the pipeline itself. The proposed study will examine a more extensive set of WAVECALs than in the exploratory Deep Lamp effort, and will benefit from a new laboratory line list specifically for the STIS lamps. Ironing out the wrinkles in the STIS wavelength scales will impact many diverse science investigations, especially the Legacy Archival project "StarCAT."

Technology for Water Treatment (National Water Management)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

The buildup of scale and corrosion is the most costly maintenance problem in cooling tower operation. Jet Propulsion Laboratory successfully developed a non-chemical system that not only curbed scale and corrosion, but also offered advantages in water conservation, cost savings and the elimination of toxic chemical discharge. In the system, ozone is produced by an on-site generator and introduced to the cooling tower water. Organic impurities are oxidized, and the dissolved ozone removes bacteria and scale. National Water Management, a NASA licensee, has installed its ozone advantage systems at some 200 cooling towers. Customers have saved money and eliminated chemical storage and discharge.

Chemistry as the defining science: discipline and training in nineteenth-century chemical laboratories.

PubMed

Jackson, Catherine M

2011-06-01

The institutional revolution has become a major landmark of late-nineteenth century science, marking the rapid construction of large, institutional laboratories which transformed scientific training and practice. Although it has served historians of physics well, the institutional revolution has proved much more contentious in the case of chemistry. I use published sources, mainly written by chemists and largely focused on laboratories built in German-speaking lands between about 1865 and 1900, to show that chemical laboratory design was inextricably linked to productive practice, large-scale pedagogy and disciplinary management. I argue that effective management of the novel risks inherent in teaching and doing organic synthesis was significant in driving and shaping the construction of late-nineteenth century institutional chemical laboratories, and that these laboratories were essential to the disciplinary development of chemistry. Seen in this way, the laboratory necessarily becomes part of the material culture of late-nineteenth century chemistry, and I show how this view leads not only to a revision of what is usually known as the laboratory revolution in chemistry but also to a new interpretation of the institutional revolution in physics. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

FLARE: A New User Facility for Laboratory Studies of Multiple-Scale Physics of Magnetic Reconnection and Related Phenomena in Heliophysics and Astrophysics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ji, H.; Bhattacharjee, A.; Goodman, A.; Prager, S.; Daughton, W.; Cutler, R.; Fox, W.; Hoffmann, F.; Kalish, M.; Kozub, T.; Jara-Almonte, J.; Myers, C.; Ren, Y.; Sloboda, P.; Yamada, M.; Yoo, J.; Bale, S. D.; Carter, T.; Dorfman, S.; Drake, J.; Egedal, J.; Sarff, J.; Wallace, J.

2017-10-01

The FLARE device (Facility for Laboratory Reconnection Experiments; flare.pppl.gov) is a new laboratory experiment under construction at Princeton with first plasmas expected in the fall of 2017, based on the design of Magnetic Reconnection Experiment (MRX; mrx.pppl.gov) with much extended parameter ranges. Its main objective is to provide an experimental platform for the studies of magnetic reconnection and related phenomena in the multiple X-line regimes directly relevant to space, solar, astrophysical and fusion plasmas. The main diagnostics is an extensive set of magnetic probe arrays, simultaneously covering multiple scales from local electron scales ( 2 mm), to intermediate ion scales ( 10 cm), and global MHD scales ( 1 m). Specific example space physics topics which can be studied on FLARE will be discussed.

Electrochemistry of actinides and fission products in molten salts-Data review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jinsuo

2014-04-01

The thermodynamic and electrochemical properties of actinides and fission products in the molten salt determine the pyroprocessing separation performance. Extensive measurements have been carried out to provide fundamental data for evaluating the separation efficiency and technology feasibility of pyroprocessing although the technology has been very well developed in laboratory. The state of the art of fundamental data for substance or materials involved in pyropocessing will be reviewed in the present article. The available data will be summarized and reanalyzed. New correlations, which extend the available data to a broad range of applications, will be developed based on available data from different measurements. Further research topics on providing fundamental data that is needed for scaling the current laboratory technology to industrial applications are identified.

Miniature infrared data acquisition and telemetry system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stokes, J. H.; Ward, S. M.

1985-01-01

The Miniature Infrared Data Acquisition and Telemetry (MIRDAT) Phase 1 study was performed to determine the technical and commercial feasibility of producing a miniaturized electro-optical telemetry system. This system acquires and transmits experimental data from aircraft scale models for realtime monitoring in wind tunnels. During the Phase 1 study, miniature prototype MIRDAT telemetry devices were constructed, successfully tested in the laboratory and delivered to the user for wind tunnel testing. A search was conducted for commercially available components and advanced hybrid techniques to further miniaturize the system during Phase 2 development. A design specification was generated from laboratory testing, user requirements and discussions with component manufacturers. Finally, a preliminary design of the proposed MIRDAT system was documented for Phase 2 development.

Status of the prototype Pulsed Photonuclear Assessment (PPA) inspection system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, James L.; Blackburn, Brandon W.; Norman, Daren R.; Watson, Scott M.; Haskell, Kevin J.; Johnson, James T.; Hunt, Alan W.; Harmon, Frank; Moss, Calvin

2007-08-01

The Idaho National Laboratory, in collaboration with Idaho State University's Idaho Accelerator Center and the Los Alamos National Laboratory, continues to develop the Pulsed Photonuclear Assessment (PPA) technique for shielded nuclear material detection in large volume configurations, such as cargo containers. In recent years, the Department of Homeland Security has supported the development of a prototype PPA cargo inspection system. This PPA system integrates novel neutron and gamma-ray detectors for nuclear material detection along with a complementary and unique gray scale, density mapping component for significant shield material detection. This paper will present the developmental status of the prototype system, its detection performance using several INL Calibration Pallets, and planned enhancements to further increase its nuclear material detection capability.

Some relevant parameters for assessing fire hazards of combustible mine materials using laboratory scale experiments

PubMed Central

Litton, Charles D.; Perera, Inoka E.; Harteis, Samuel P.; Teacoach, Kara A.; DeRosa, Maria I.; Thomas, Richard A.; Smith, Alex C.

2018-01-01

When combustible materials ignite and burn, the potential for fire growth and flame spread represents an obvious hazard, but during these processes of ignition and flaming, other life hazards present themselves and should be included to ensure an effective overall analysis of the relevant fire hazards. In particular, the gases and smoke produced both during the smoldering stages of fires leading to ignition and during the advanced flaming stages of a developing fire serve to contaminate the surrounding atmosphere, potentially producing elevated levels of toxicity and high levels of smoke obscuration that render the environment untenable. In underground mines, these hazards may be exacerbated by the existing forced ventilation that can carry the gases and smoke to locations far-removed from the fire location. Clearly, materials that require high temperatures (above 1400 K) and that exhibit low mass loss during thermal decomposition, or that require high heat fluxes or heat transfer rates to ignite represent less of a hazard than materials that decompose at low temperatures or ignite at low levels of heat flux. In order to define and quantify some possible parameters that can be used to assess these hazards, small-scale laboratory experiments were conducted in a number of configurations to measure: 1) the toxic gases and smoke produced both during non-flaming and flaming combustion; 2) mass loss rates as a function of temperature to determine ease of thermal decomposition; and 3) mass loss rates and times to ignition as a function of incident heat flux. This paper describes the experiments that were conducted, their results, and the development of a set of parameters that could possibly be used to assess the overall fire hazard of combustible materials using small scale laboratory experiments. PMID:29599565

Some relevant parameters for assessing fire hazards of combustible mine materials using laboratory scale experiments.

PubMed

Litton, Charles D; Perera, Inoka E; Harteis, Samuel P; Teacoach, Kara A; DeRosa, Maria I; Thomas, Richard A; Smith, Alex C

2018-04-15

When combustible materials ignite and burn, the potential for fire growth and flame spread represents an obvious hazard, but during these processes of ignition and flaming, other life hazards present themselves and should be included to ensure an effective overall analysis of the relevant fire hazards. In particular, the gases and smoke produced both during the smoldering stages of fires leading to ignition and during the advanced flaming stages of a developing fire serve to contaminate the surrounding atmosphere, potentially producing elevated levels of toxicity and high levels of smoke obscuration that render the environment untenable. In underground mines, these hazards may be exacerbated by the existing forced ventilation that can carry the gases and smoke to locations far-removed from the fire location. Clearly, materials that require high temperatures (above 1400 K) and that exhibit low mass loss during thermal decomposition, or that require high heat fluxes or heat transfer rates to ignite represent less of a hazard than materials that decompose at low temperatures or ignite at low levels of heat flux. In order to define and quantify some possible parameters that can be used to assess these hazards, small-scale laboratory experiments were conducted in a number of configurations to measure: 1) the toxic gases and smoke produced both during non-flaming and flaming combustion; 2) mass loss rates as a function of temperature to determine ease of thermal decomposition; and 3) mass loss rates and times to ignition as a function of incident heat flux. This paper describes the experiments that were conducted, their results, and the development of a set of parameters that could possibly be used to assess the overall fire hazard of combustible materials using small scale laboratory experiments.

Particle-In-Cell Modeling For MJ Dense Plasma Focus with Varied Anode Shape

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Link, A.; Halvorson, C.; Schmidt, A.; Hagen, E. C.; Rose, D.; Welch, D.

2014-10-01

Megajoule scale dense plasma focus (DPF) Z-pinches with deuterium gas fill are compact devices capable of producing 1012 neutrons per shot but past predictive models of large-scale DPF have not included kinetic effects such as ion beam formation or anomalous resistivity. We report on progress of developing a predictive DPF model by extending our 2D axisymmetric collisional kinetic particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations to the 1 MJ, 2 MA Gemini DPF using the PIC code LSP. These new simulations incorporate electrodes, an external pulsed-power driver circuit, and model the plasma from insulator lift-off through the pinch phase. The simulations were performed using a new hybrid fluid-to-kinetic model transitioning from a fluid description to a fully kinetic PIC description during the run-in phase. Simulations are advanced through the final pinch phase using an adaptive variable time-step to capture the fs and sub-mm scales of the kinetic instabilities involved in the ion beam formation and neutron production. Results will be present on the predicted effects of different anode configurations. This work performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344 and supported by the Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program (11-ERD-063) and the Computing Grand Challenge program at LLNL. This work supported by Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation Research and Development within U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.

Identification of oxidative coupling products of xylenols arising from laboratory-scale phytoremediation.

PubMed

Poerschmann, J; Schultze-Nobre, L; Ebert, R U; Górecki, T

2015-01-01

Oxidative coupling reactions take place during the passage of xylenols through a laboratory-scale helophyte-based constructed wetland system. Typical coupling product groups including tetramethyl-[1,1'-biphenyl] diols and tetramethyl diphenylether monools as stable organic intermediates could be identified by a combination of pre-chromatographic derivatization and GC/MS analysis. Structural assignment of individual analytes was performed by an increment system developed by Zenkevich to pre-calculate retention sequences. The most abundant analyte turned out to be 3,3',5,5'-tetramethyl-[1,1'-biphenyl]-4,4'-diol, which can be formed by a combination of radicals based on 2,6-xylenol or by an attack of a 2,6-xylenol-based radical on 2,6-xylenol. Organic intermediates originating from oxidative coupling could also be identified in anaerobic constructed wetland systems. This finding suggested the presence of (at least partly) oxic conditions in the rhizosphere. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Scaled laboratory experiments explain the kink behaviour of the Crab Nebula jet

PubMed Central

Li, C. K.; Tzeferacos, P.; Lamb, D.; Gregori, G.; Norreys, P. A.; Rosenberg, M. J.; Follett, R. K.; Froula, D. H.; Koenig, M.; Seguin, F. H.; Frenje, J. A.; Rinderknecht, H. G.; Sio, H.; Zylstra, A. B.; Petrasso, R. D.; Amendt, P. A.; Park, H. S.; Remington, B. A.; Ryutov, D. D.; Wilks, S. C.; Betti, R.; Frank, A.; Hu, S. X.; Sangster, T. C.; Hartigan, P.; Drake, R. P.; Kuranz, C. C.; Lebedev, S. V.; Woolsey, N. C.

2016-01-01

The remarkable discovery by the Chandra X-ray observatory that the Crab nebula's jet periodically changes direction provides a challenge to our understanding of astrophysical jet dynamics. It has been suggested that this phenomenon may be the consequence of magnetic fields and magnetohydrodynamic instabilities, but experimental demonstration in a controlled laboratory environment has remained elusive. Here we report experiments that use high-power lasers to create a plasma jet that can be directly compared with the Crab jet through well-defined physical scaling laws. The jet generates its own embedded toroidal magnetic fields; as it moves, plasma instabilities result in multiple deflections of the propagation direction, mimicking the kink behaviour of the Crab jet. The experiment is modelled with three-dimensional numerical simulations that show exactly how the instability develops and results in changes of direction of the jet. PMID:27713403

Semiconductor Chemical Reactor Engineering and Photovoltaic Unit Operations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Russell, T. W. F.

1985-01-01

Discusses the nature of semiconductor chemical reactor engineering, illustrating the application of this engineering with research in physical vapor deposition of cadmium sulfide at both the laboratory and unit operations scale and chemical vapor deposition of amorphous silicon at the laboratory scale. (JN)

Electrohydraulic Forming of Near-Net Shape Automotive Panels

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Golovaschenko, Sergey F.

2013-09-26

The objective of this project was to develop the electrohydraulic forming (EHF) process as a near-net shape automotive panel manufacturing technology that simultaneously reduces the energy embedded in vehicles and the energy consumed while producing automotive structures. Pulsed pressure is created via a shockwave generated by the discharge of high voltage capacitors through a pair of electrodes in a liquid-filled chamber. The shockwave in the liquid initiated by the expansion of the plasma channel formed between two electrodes propagates towards the blank and causes the blank to be deformed into a one-sided die cavity. The numerical model of the EHFmore » process was validated experimentally and was successfully applied to the design of the electrode system and to a multi-electrode EHF chamber for full scale validation of the process. The numerical model was able to predict stresses in the dies during pulsed forming and was validated by the experimental study of the die insert failure mode for corner filling operations. The electrohydraulic forming process and its major subsystems, including durable electrodes, an EHF chamber, a water/air management system, a pulse generator and integrated process controls, were validated to be capable to operate in a fully automated, computer controlled mode for forming of a portion of a full-scale sheet metal component in laboratory conditions. Additionally, the novel processes of electrohydraulic trimming and electrohydraulic calibration were demonstrated at a reduced-scale component level. Furthermore, a hybrid process combining conventional stamping with EHF was demonstrated as a laboratory process for a full-scale automotive panel formed out of AHSS material. The economic feasibility of the developed EHF processes was defined by developing a cost model of the EHF process in comparison to the conventional stamping process.« less

Baking sunflower hulls within an aluminum envelope in a common laboratory oven yields charcoal.

PubMed

Arnal, Pablo Maximiliano

2015-01-01

Charcoals have been widely used by scientist to research the removal of contaminants from water and air. One key feature of charcoal is that it keeps macropores from the parent material - though anisotropically contracted - and can even develop meso- and micropores. However, the controlled thermochemical conversion of biomass into charcoal at laboratory scale normally requires special setups which involve either vacuum or inert gas. Those setups may not be affordable in research groups or educational institutions where the research of charcoals would be highly welcome. In this work, I propose a simple and effective method to steer the thermochemical process that converts sunflower hulls (SFH) into charcoal with basic laboratory resources. The carbonization method: •Place SFH in an airtight aluminum envelope.•Thermally treat SFH within the envelope in a common laboratory oven.•Open the envelope to obtain the carbonized sunflower hulls.

Spacecraft Complexity Subfactors and Implications on Future Cost Growth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leising, Charles J.; Wessen, Randii; Ellyin, Ray; Rosenberg, Leigh; Leising, Adam

2013-01-01

During the last ten years the Jet Propulsion Laboratory has used a set of cost-risk subfactors to independently estimate the magnitude of development risks that may not be covered in the high level cost models employed during early concept development. Within the last several years the Laboratory has also developed a scale of Concept Maturity Levels with associated criteria to quantitatively assess a concept's maturity. This latter effort has been helpful in determining whether a concept is mature enough for accurate costing but it does not provide any quantitative estimate of cost risk. Unfortunately today's missions are significantly more complex than when the original cost-risk subfactors were first formulated. Risks associated with complex missions are not being adequately evaluated and future cost growth is being underestimated. The risk subfactor process needed to be updated.

Sigma Metrics Across the Total Testing Process.

PubMed

Charuruks, Navapun

2017-03-01

Laboratory quality control has been developed for several decades to ensure patients' safety, from a statistical quality control focus on the analytical phase to total laboratory processes. The sigma concept provides a convenient way to quantify the number of errors in extra-analytical and analytical phases through the defect per million and sigma metric equation. Participation in a sigma verification program can be a convenient way to monitor analytical performance continuous quality improvement. Improvement of sigma-scale performance has been shown from our data. New tools and techniques for integration are needed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Air Force Geophysics Laboratory portable PCM ground station

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shaw, H.; Lawrence, F. A.

The present paper is concerned with the development of a portable Pulse-Code Modulation (PCM) telemetry station for the Air Force Geophysics Laboratory (AFGL). A system description is provided, taking into account the system equipment, the interface, the decommutator (DECOM) section of the interface, the direct memory access (DMA) section, and system specifications and capabilities. In the context of selecting between two conflicting philosophies regarding software, it was decided to favor a small scale specialized approach. Attention is given to the operating system, aspects of setting up the software, the application software, and questions of portability.

[Standardization of terminology in laboratory medicine I].

PubMed

Yoon, Soo Young; Yoon, Jong Hyun; Min, Won Ki; Lim, Hwan Sub; Song, Junghan; Chae, Seok Lae; Lee, Chang Kyu; Kwon, Jung Ah; Lee, Kap No

2007-04-01

Standardization of medical terminology is essential for data transmission between health-care institutions or clinical laboratories and for maximizing the benefits of information technology. Purpose of our study was to standardize the medical terms used in the clinical laboratory, such as test names, units, terms used in result descriptions, etc. During the first year of the study, we developed a standard database of concept names for laboratory terms, which covered the terms used in government health care centers, their branch offices, and primary health care units. Laboratory terms were collected from the electronic data interchange (EDI) codes from National Health Insurance Corporation (NHIC), Logical Observation Identifier Names and Codes (LOINC) database, community health centers and their branch offices, and clinical laboratories of representative university medical centers. For standard expression, we referred to the English-Korean/ Korean-English medical dictionary of Korean Medical Association and the rules for foreign language translation. Programs for mapping between LOINC DB and EDI code and for translating English to Korean were developed. A Korean standard laboratory terminology database containing six axial concept names such as components, property, time aspect, system (specimen), scale type, and method type was established for 7,508 test observations. Short names and a mapping table for EDI codes and Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) were added. Synonym tables for concept names, words used in the database, and six axial terms were prepared to make it easier to find the standard terminology with common terms used in the field of laboratory medicine. Here we report for the first time a Korean standard laboratory terminology database for test names, result description terms, result units covering most laboratory tests in primary healthcare centers.

Applying systems engineering methodologies to the micro- and nanoscale realm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garrison Darrin, M. Ann

2012-06-01

Micro scale and nano scale technology developments have the potential to revolutionize smart and small systems. The application of systems engineering methodologies that integrate standalone, small-scale technologies and interface them with macro technologies to build useful systems is critical to realizing the potential of these technologies. This paper covers the expanding knowledge base on systems engineering principles for micro and nano technology integration starting with a discussion of the drivers for applying a systems approach. Technology development on the micro and nano scale has transition from laboratory curiosity to the realization of products in the health, automotive, aerospace, communication, and numerous other arenas. This paper focuses on the maturity (or lack thereof) of the field of nanosystems which is emerging in a third generation having transitioned from completing active structures to creating systems. The emphasis of applying a systems approach focuses on successful technology development based on the lack of maturity of current nano scale systems. Therefore the discussion includes details relating to enabling roles such as product systems engineering and technology development. Classical roles such as acquisition systems engineering are not covered. The results are also targeted towards small-scale technology developers who need to take into account systems engineering processes such as requirements definition, verification, and validation interface management and risk management in the concept phase of technology development to maximize the likelihood of success, cost effective micro and nano technology to increase the capability of emerging deployed systems and long-term growth and profits.

CALIBRATION OF FULL-SCALE OZONATION SYSTEMS WITH CONSERVATIVE AND REACTIVE TRACERS

EPA Science Inventory

A full-scale ozonation reactor was characterized with respect to the overall oxidation budget by coupling laboratory kinetics with reactor hydraulics. The ozone decomposition kinetics and the ratio of the OH radical to the ozone concentration were determined in laboratory batch ...

Weighing the costs: Implementing the SLMTA programme in Zimbabwe using internal versus external facilitators.

PubMed

Shumba, Edwin; Nzombe, Phoebe; Mbinda, Absolom; Simbi, Raiva; Mangwanya, Douglas; Kilmarx, Peter H; Luman, Elizabeth T; Zimuto, Sibongile N

2014-01-01

In 2010, the Zimbabwe Ministry of Health and Child Welfare (MoHCW) adopted the Strengthening Laboratory Management Toward Accreditation (SLMTA) programme as a tool for laboratory quality systems strengthening. To evaluate the financial costs of SLMTA implementation using two models (external facilitators; and internal local or MoHCW facilitators) from the perspective of the implementing partner and to estimate resources needed to scale up the programme nationally in all 10 provinces. The average expenditure per laboratory was calculated based on accounting records; calculations included implementing partner expenses but excluded in-kind contributions and salaries of local facilitators and trainees. We also estimated theoretical financial costs, keeping all contextual variables constant across the two models. Resource needs for future national expansion were estimated based on a two-phase implementation plan, in which 12 laboratories in each of five provinces would implement SLMTA per phase; for the internal facilitator model, 20 facilitators would be trained at the beginning of each phase. The average expenditure to implement SLMTA in 11 laboratories using external facilitators was approximately US$5800 per laboratory; expenditure in 19 laboratories using internal facilitators was approximately $6000 per laboratory. The theoretical financial cost of implementing a 12-laboratory SLMTA cohort keeping all contextual variables constant would be approximately $58 000 using external facilitators; or $15 000 using internal facilitators, plus $86 000 to train 20 facilitators. The financial cost for subsequent SLMTA cohorts using the previously-trained internal facilitators would be approximately $15 000, yielding a break-even point of 2 cohorts, at $116 000 for either model. Estimated resources required for national implementation in 120 laboratories would therefore be $580 000 using external facilitators ($58 000 per province) and $322 000 using internal facilitators ($86 000 for facilitator training in each of two phases plus $15 000 for SLMTA implementation in each province). Investing in training of internal facilitators will result in substantial savings over the scale-up of the programme. Our study provides information to assist policy makers to develop strategic plans for investing in laboratory strengthening.

EDITORIAL: Interrelationship between plasma phenomena in the laboratory and in space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koepke, Mark

2008-07-01

The premise of investigating basic plasma phenomena relevant to space is that an alliance exists between both basic plasma physicists, using theory, computer modelling and laboratory experiments, and space science experimenters, using different instruments, either flown on different spacecraft in various orbits or stationed on the ground. The intent of this special issue on interrelated phenomena in laboratory and space plasmas is to promote the interpretation of scientific results in a broader context by sharing data, methods, knowledge, perspectives, and reasoning within this alliance. The desired outcomes are practical theories, predictive models, and credible interpretations based on the findings and expertise available. Laboratory-experiment papers that explicitly address a specific space mission or a specific manifestation of a space-plasma phenomenon, space-observation papers that explicitly address a specific laboratory experiment or a specific laboratory result, and theory or modelling papers that explicitly address a connection between both laboratory and space investigations were encouraged. Attention was given to the utility of the references for readers who seek further background, examples, and details. With the advent of instrumented spacecraft, the observation of waves (fluctuations), wind (flows), and weather (dynamics) in space plasmas was approached within the framework provided by theory with intuition provided by the laboratory experiments. Ideas on parallel electric field, magnetic topology, inhomogeneity, and anisotropy have been refined substantially by laboratory experiments. Satellite and rocket observations, theory and simulations, and laboratory experiments have contributed to the revelation of a complex set of processes affecting the accelerations of electrons and ions in the geospace plasma. The processes range from meso-scale of several thousands of kilometers to micro-scale of a few meters to kilometers. Papers included in this special issue serve to synthesise our current understanding of processes related to the coupling and feedback at disparate scales. Categories of topics included here are (1) ionospheric physics and (2) Alfvén-wave physics, both of which are related to the particle acceleration responsible for auroral displays, (3) whistler-mode triggering mechanism, which is relevant to radiation-belt dynamics, (4) plasmoid encountering a barrier, which has applications throughout the realm of space and astrophysical plasmas, and (5) laboratory investigations of the entire magnetosphere or the plasma surrounding the magnetosphere. The papers are ordered from processes that take place nearest the Earth to processes that take place at increasing distances from Earth. Many advances in understanding space plasma phenomena have been linked to insight derived from theoretical modeling and/or laboratory experiments. Observations from space-borne instruments are typically interpreted using theoretical models developed to predict the properties and dynamics of space and astrophysical plasmas. The usefulness of customized laboratory experiments for providing confirmation of theory by identifying, isolating, and studying physical phenomena efficiently, quickly, and economically has been demonstrated in the past. The benefits of laboratory experiments to investigating space-plasma physics are their reproducibility, controllability, diagnosability, reconfigurability, and affordability compared to a satellite mission or rocket campaign. Certainly, the plasma being investigated in a laboratory device is quite different from that being measured by a spaceborne instrument; nevertheless, laboratory experiments discover unexpected phenomena, benchmark theoretical models, develop physical insight, establish observational signatures, and pioneer diagnostic techniques. Explicit reference to such beneficial laboratory contributions is occasionally left out of the citations in the space-physics literature in favor of theory-paper counterparts and, thus, the scientific support that laboratory results can provide to the development of space-relevant theoretical models is often under-recognized. It is unrealistic to expect the dimensional parameters corresponding to space plasma to be matchable in the laboratory. However, a laboratory experiment is considered well designed if the subset of parameters relevant to a specific process shares the same phenomenological regime as the subset of analogous space parameters, even if less important parameters are mismatched. Regime boundaries are assigned by normalizing a dimensional parameter to an appropriate reference or scale value to make it dimensionless and noting the values at which transitions occur in the physical behavior or approximations. An example of matching regimes for cold-plasma waves is finding a 45° diagonal line on the log--log CMA diagram along which lie both a laboratory-observed wave and a space-observed wave. In such a circumstance, a space plasma and a lab plasma will support the same kind of modes if the dimensionless parameters are scaled properly (Bellan 2006 Fundamentals of Plasma Physics (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) p 227). The plasma source, configuration geometry, and boundary conditions associated with a specific laboratory experiment are characteristic elements that affect the plasma and plasma processes that are being investigated. Space plasma is not exempt from an analogous set of constraining factors that likewise influence the phenomena that occur. Typically, each morphologically distinct region of space has associated with it plasma that is unique by virtue of the various mechanisms responsible for the plasma's presence there, as if the plasma were produced by a unique source. Boundary effects that typically constrain the possible parameter values to lie within one or more restricted ranges are inescapable in laboratory plasma. The goal of a laboratory experiment is to examine the relevant physics within these ranges and extrapolate the results to space conditions that may or may not be subject to any restrictions on the values of the plasma parameters. The interrelationship between laboratory and space plasma experiments has been cultivated at a low level and the potential scientific benefit in this area has yet to be realized. The few but excellent examples of joint papers, joint experiments, and directly relevant cross-disciplinary citations are a direct result of the emphasis placed on this interrelationship two decades ago. Building on this special issue Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion plans to create a dedicated webpage to highlight papers directly relevant to this field published either in the recent past or in the future. It is hoped that this resource will appeal to the readership in the laboratory-experiment and space-plasma communities and improve the cross-fertilization between them.

Fluidized bed coal desulfurization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ravindram, M.

1983-01-01

Laboratory scale experiments were conducted on two high volatile bituminous coals in a bench scale batch fluidized bed reactor. Chemical pretreatment and posttreatment of coals were tried as a means of enhancing desulfurization. Sequential chlorination and dechlorination cum hydrodesulfurization under modest conditions relative to the water slurry process were found to result in substantial sulfur reductions of about 80%. Sulfur forms as well as proximate and ultimate analyses of the processed coals are included. These studies indicate that a fluidized bed reactor process has considerable potential for being developed into a simple and economic process for coal desulfurization.

Classification of wetlands vegetation using small scale color infrared imagery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williamson, F. S. L.

1975-01-01

A classification system for Chesapeake Bay wetlands was derived from the correlation of film density classes and actual vegetation classes. The data processing programs used were developed by the Laboratory for the Applications of Remote Sensing. These programs were tested for their value in classifying natural vegetation, using digitized data from small scale aerial photography. Existing imagery and the vegetation map of Farm Creek Marsh were used to determine the optimal number of classes, and to aid in determining if the computer maps were a believable product.

Minimum impulse thruster valve design and development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huftalen, Richard L.; Platt, Andrea L.; Parker, Morgan J.; Yankura, George A.

2003-01-01

The design and development of a minimum impulse thruster valve was conducted, by Moog, under contract by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, for deep space propulsion systems. The effort was focused on applying known solenoid design techniques scaled to provide a 1 -millisecond response capability for monopropellant, hydrazine ACS thruster applications. The valve has an extended operating temperature range of 20(deg)F to +350(deg)F with a total mass of less than 25 grams and nominal power draw of 7 watts. The design solution resulted in providing a solenoid valve that is one-tenth the scale of the standard product line. The valve has the capability of providing a mass flow rate of 0.0009 pounds per second hydrazine. The design life of 1,000,000 cycles was demonstrated both dry and wet. Not all design factors scaled as expected and proved to be the focus of the final development effort. These included the surface interactions, hydrodynamics and driver electronics. The resulting solution applied matured design approaches to minimize the program risk with innovative methods to address the impacts of scale.

Pilot-Scale Biorefinery: Sustainable Transport Fuels from Biomass via Integrated Pyrolysis and Catalytic Hydroconversion - Wastewater Cleanup by Catalytic Hydrothermal Gasification

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Elliott, Douglas C.; Olarte, Mariefel V.; Hart, Todd R.

2015-06-19

DOE-EE Bioenergy Technologies Office has set forth several goals to increase the use of bioenergy and bioproducts derived from renewable resources. One of these goals is to facilitate the implementation of the biorefinery. The biorefinery will include the production of liquid fuels, power and, in some cases, products. The integrated biorefinery should stand-alone from an economic perspective with fuels and power driving the economy of scale while the economics/profitability of the facility will be dependent on existing market conditions. UOP LLC proposed to demonstrate a fast pyrolysis based integrated biorefinery. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has expertise in an importantmore » technology area of interest to UOP for use in their pyrolysis-based biorefinery. This CRADA project provides the supporting technology development and demonstration to allow incorporation of this technology into the biorefinery. PNNL developed catalytic hydrothermal gasification (CHG) for use with aqueous streams within the pyrolysis biorefinery. These aqueous streams included the aqueous phase separated from the fast pyrolysis bio-oil and the aqueous byproduct streams formed in the hydroprocessing of the bio-oil to finished products. The purpose of this project was to demonstrate a technically and economically viable technology for converting renewable biomass feedstocks to sustainable and fungible transportation fuels. To demonstrate the technology, UOP constructed and operated a pilot-scale biorefinery that processed one dry ton per day of biomass using fast pyrolysis. Specific objectives of the project were to: The anticipated outcomes of the project were a validated process technology, a range of validated feedstocks, product property and Life Cycle data, and technical and operating data upon which to base the design of a full-scale biorefinery. The anticipated long-term outcomes from successful commercialization of the technology were: (1) the replacement of a significant fraction of petroleum based fuels with advanced biofuels, leading to increased energy security and decreased carbon footprint; and (2) establishment of a new biofuel industry segment, leading to the creation of U.S. engineering, manufacturing, construction, operations and agricultural jobs. PNNL development of CHG progressed at two levels. Initial tests were made in the laboratory in both mini-scale and bench-scale continuous flow reactor systems. Following positive results, the next level of evaluation was in the scaled-up engineering development system, which was operated at PNNL.« less

Pore scale modelling of electrical and hydraulic properties of a semi-consolidated sandstone under unsaturated conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cassiani, G.; dalla, E.; Brovelli, A.; Pitea, D.; Binley, A. M.

2003-04-01

The development of reliable constitutive laws to translate geophysical properties into hydrological ones is the fundamental step for successful applications of hydrogeophysical techniques. Many such laws have been proposed and applied, particularly with regard to two types of relationships: (a) between moisture content and dielectric properties, and (b) between electrical resistivity, rock structure and water saturation. The classical Archie's law belongs to this latter category. Archie's relationship has been widely used, starting from borehole logs applications, to translate geoelectrical measurements into estimates of saturation. However, in spite of its popularity, it remains an empirical relationship, the parameters of which must be calibrated case by case, e.g. on laboratory data. Pore-scale models have been recently recognized and used as powerful tools to investigate the constitutive relations of multiphase soils from a pore-scale point of view, because they bridge the microscopic and macroscopic scales. In this project, we develop and validate a three-dimensional pore-scale method to compute electrical properties of unsaturated and saturated porous media. First we simulate a random packing of spheres [1] that obeys the grain-size distribution and porosity of an experimental porous medium system; then we simulate primary drainage with a morphological approach [2]; finally, for each state of saturation during the drainage process, we solve the electrical conduction equation within the grain structure with a new numerical model and compute the apparent electrical resistivity of the porous medium. We apply the new method to a semi-consolidated Permo-Triassic Sandstone from the UK (Sherwood Sandstone) for which both pressure-saturation (Van Genuchten) and Archie's law parameters have been measured on laboratory samples. A comparison between simulated and measured relationships has been performed.

Quarterly Research Performance Progress Report (2015 Q3). Ultrasonic Phased Arrays and Interactive Reflectivity Tomography for Nondestructive Inspection of Injection and Production Wells in Geothermal Energy Systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Santos-Villalobos, Hector J; Polsky, Yarom; Kisner, Roger A

2015-09-01

For the past quarter, we have placed our effort in implementing the first version of the ModelBased Iterative Reconstruction (MBIR) algorithm, assembling and testing the electronics, designing transducers mounts, and defining our laboratory test samples. We have successfully developed the first implementation of MBIR for ultrasound imaging. The current algorithm was tested with synthetic data and we are currently making new modifications for the reconstruction of real ultrasound data. Beside assembling and testing the electronics, we developed a LabView graphic user interface (GUI) to fully control the ultrasonic phased array, adjust the time-delays of the transducers, and store the measuredmore » reflections. As part of preparing for a laboratory-scale demonstration, the design and fabrication of the laboratory samples has begun. Three cement blocks with embedded objects will be fabricated, characterized, and used to demonstrate the capabilities of the system. During the next quarter, we will continue to improve the current MBIR forward model and integrate the reconstruction code with the LabView GUI. In addition, we will define focal laws for the ultrasonic phased array and perform the laboratory demonstration. We expect to perform laboratory demonstration by the end of October 2015.« less

Technology base research project for electrochemical energy storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kinoshita, Kim

1988-07-01

The progress made by the technology base research (TBR) project for electrochemical energy storage during calendar year 1987 was summarized. The primary objective of the TBR Project, which is sponsored by the Department of Energy (DOE) and managed by Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL), is to identify electrochemical technologies that can satisfy stringent performance and economic requirements for electric vehicles and stationary energy storage applications. The ultimate goal is to transfer the most promising electrochemical technologies to the private sector or to another DOE project (e.g., Sandia National Laboratories' Exploratory Technology Development and Testing Project) for further development and scale-up. Besides LBL, which has overall responsibility for the TBR Project, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) and Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) participate in the TBR Project by providing key research support in several of the project elements. The TBR Project consists of three major project elements: exploratory research; applied science research; and air systems research. The objectives and the specific battery and electrochemical systems addressed by each project element are discussed in the following sections, which also include technical summaries that relate to the individual projects. Financial information that relates to the various projects and a description of the management activities for the TBR Project are described in the Executive Summary.

Warp-X: A new exascale computing platform for beam–plasma simulations

DOE PAGES

Vay, J. -L.; Almgren, A.; Bell, J.; ...

2018-01-31

Turning the current experimental plasma accelerator state-of-the-art from a promising technology into mainstream scientific tools depends critically on high-performance, high-fidelity modeling of complex processes that develop over a wide range of space and time scales. As part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Exascale Computing Project, a team from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, in collaboration with teams from SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, is developing a new plasma accelerator simulation tool that will harness the power of future exascale supercomputers for high-performance modeling of plasma accelerators. We present the various components of the codes such asmore » the new Particle-In-Cell Scalable Application Resource (PICSAR) and the redesigned adaptive mesh refinement library AMReX, which are combined with redesigned elements of the Warp code, in the new WarpX software. Lastly, the code structure, status, early examples of applications and plans are discussed.« less

Warp-X: A new exascale computing platform for beam–plasma simulations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vay, J. -L.; Almgren, A.; Bell, J.

Turning the current experimental plasma accelerator state-of-the-art from a promising technology into mainstream scientific tools depends critically on high-performance, high-fidelity modeling of complex processes that develop over a wide range of space and time scales. As part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Exascale Computing Project, a team from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, in collaboration with teams from SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, is developing a new plasma accelerator simulation tool that will harness the power of future exascale supercomputers for high-performance modeling of plasma accelerators. We present the various components of the codes such asmore » the new Particle-In-Cell Scalable Application Resource (PICSAR) and the redesigned adaptive mesh refinement library AMReX, which are combined with redesigned elements of the Warp code, in the new WarpX software. Lastly, the code structure, status, early examples of applications and plans are discussed.« less

Chapter 1.1 Process Scale-Up of Cellulose Nanocrystal Production to 25 kg per Batch at the Forest Products Laboratory

Treesearch

Richard S. Reiner; Alan W. Rudie

2013-01-01

The Fiber and Chemical Sciences Research Work Unit at the Forest Products Laboratory began working out the preparation of cellulose nanocrystals in 2006, using the method of Dong, Revol, and Gray. Initial samples were provided to several scientists within the Forest Service. Continued requests for this material forced scale-up from the initial 20 g scale to kg...

Predicting the performance uncertainty of a 1-MW pilot-scale carbon capture system after hierarchical laboratory-scale calibration and validation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xu, Zhijie; Lai, Canhai; Marcy, Peter William

2017-05-01

A challenging problem in designing pilot-scale carbon capture systems is to predict, with uncertainty, the adsorber performance and capture efficiency under various operating conditions where no direct experimental data exist. Motivated by this challenge, we previously proposed a hierarchical framework in which relevant parameters of physical models were sequentially calibrated from different laboratory-scale carbon capture unit (C2U) experiments. Specifically, three models of increasing complexity were identified based on the fundamental physical and chemical processes of the sorbent-based carbon capture technology. Results from the corresponding laboratory experiments were used to statistically calibrate the physical model parameters while quantifying some of theirmore » inherent uncertainty. The parameter distributions obtained from laboratory-scale C2U calibration runs are used in this study to facilitate prediction at a larger scale where no corresponding experimental results are available. In this paper, we first describe the multiphase reactive flow model for a sorbent-based 1-MW carbon capture system then analyze results from an ensemble of simulations with the upscaled model. The simulation results are used to quantify uncertainty regarding the design’s predicted efficiency in carbon capture. In particular, we determine the minimum gas flow rate necessary to achieve 90% capture efficiency with 95% confidence.« less

Teacher Beliefs about Implementing Guided-Inquiry Laboratory Experiments for Secondary School Chemistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheung, Derek

2011-01-01

One of the characteristics of teaching chemistry through inquiry is that teachers need to encourage students to design their experimental procedures. Although the benefits of inquiry teaching are well documented in the literature, few teachers implement it in schools. The purpose of this study was to develop a guided-inquiry scale (GIS) to measure…

Modern developments for ground-based monitoring of fire behavior and effects

Treesearch

Colin C. Hardy; Robert Kremens; Matthew B. Dickinson

2010-01-01

Advances in electronic technology over the last several decades have been staggering. The cost of electronics continues to decrease while system performance increases seemingly without limit. We have applied modern techniques in sensors, electronics and instrumentation to create a suite of ground based diagnostics that can be used in laboratory (~ 1 m2), field scale...

NREL Research Team Wins R&D 100 Award | News | NREL

Science.gov Websites

performance PV modules for large-scale solar power plants, commercial and residential buildings, and off-grid Laboratory (NREL) and First Solar have been selected to receive a 2003 R&D 100 award from R&D Magazine for developing a new process for depositing semiconductor layers onto photovoltaic (PV) modules

2016 Offshore Wind Energy Resource Assessment for the United States

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Musial, Walt; Heimiller, Donna; Beiter, Philipp

2016-09-01

This report, the 2016 Offshore Wind Energy Resource Assessment for the United States, was developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and updates a previous national resource assessment study, and refines and reaffirms that the available wind resource is sufficient for offshore wind to be a large-scale contributor to the nation's electric energy supply.

Recycled fiber quality from a laboratory-scale blade separator/blend

Treesearch

Bei-Hong Liang; Stephen M. Shaler; Laurence Mott; Leslie Groom

1994-01-01

A simple and inexpensive fiber separator/blender was developed to generate useful secondary fibers from hydropulped waste paper. Processing wet hydropulped fiber resulted in a furnish with no change in average fiber length in three out of four types of recycled fibers tested. In all cases, the Canadian Standard freeness increased after processing compared to...

Recycled fiber quality from a laboratory-scale blade separator/blender

Treesearch

Bei-Hong Liang; Stephen M. Shaler; Laurence Mott; Leslie Groom

1994-01-01

A simple and inexpensive fiber separator/blender was developed to generate useful secondary fibers from hydropulped waste paper. Processing wet hydropulped fiber resulted in a furnish with no change in average fiber length in three out of four types of recycled fibers tested. In all cases, the canadian standard freeness increased after processing compared to...

Developing Biofuel in the Teaching Laboratory: Ethanol from Various Sources

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Epstein, Jessica L.; Vieira, Matthew; Aryal, Binod; Vera, Nicolas; Solis, Melissa

2010-01-01

In this series of experiments, we mimic a small-scale ethanol plant. Students discover that the practical aspects of ethanol production are determined by the quantity of biomass produced per unit land, rather than the volume of ethanol produced per unit of biomass. These experiments explore the production of ethanol from different sources: fruits,…

Using the Moon as a Tool for Discovery-Oriented Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cummins, Robert Hays; Ritger, Scott David; Myers, Christopher Adam

1992-01-01

Students test the hypothesis that the moon revolves east to west around the earth, determine by observation approximately how many degrees the moon revolves per night, and develop a scale model of the earth-sun-moon system in this laboratory exercise. Students are actively involved in the scientific process and are introduced to the importance of…

3D chemical imaging in the laboratory by hyperspectral X-ray computed tomography

PubMed Central

Egan, C. K.; Jacques, S. D. M.; Wilson, M. D.; Veale, M. C.; Seller, P.; Beale, A. M.; Pattrick, R. A. D.; Withers, P. J.; Cernik, R. J.

2015-01-01

We report the development of laboratory based hyperspectral X-ray computed tomography which allows the internal elemental chemistry of an object to be reconstructed and visualised in three dimensions. The method employs a spectroscopic X-ray imaging detector with sufficient energy resolution to distinguish individual elemental absorption edges. Elemental distributions can then be made by K-edge subtraction, or alternatively by voxel-wise spectral fitting to give relative atomic concentrations. We demonstrate its application to two material systems: studying the distribution of catalyst material on porous substrates for industrial scale chemical processing; and mapping of minerals and inclusion phases inside a mineralised ore sample. The method makes use of a standard laboratory X-ray source with measurement times similar to that required for conventional computed tomography. PMID:26514938

Coal Technology Program progress report, March 1976

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

Shakedown tests of the bench-scale hydrocarbonization system were successfully completed. Wyodak coal was fed to the reactor at a rate of 9.9 lb/hr where it was hydrocarbonized at 1050/sup 0/F under 20-atm hydrogen pressure. Laboratory results including settling tests, bench-scale settling tests, and sample ageing tests were continued. Two of ten compounds tested with the laboratory-scale apparatus were effective in increasing settling rates of solids in Solvent Refined Coal unfiltered oil, but bench-scale tests failed to show any improvements in the settling rate over the untreated SRC-UFO. Analytical chemistry efforts involved the removal and concentration of organic components in by-productmore » waters from fossil fuel conversion processes. A sephadex gel is being used to achieve hydrophilic-lipophilic separations in organic mixtures as a step in the analysis of fossil fuel related materials. Engineering Evaluations of the Synthiol and Hydrocarbonization Processes continued with the Synthiol process flow diagrams, heat and material balances, and utilities requirements being completed. Inspection techniques were developed for wear- and process-resistant coatings. Orders were placed for the Incoloy 800 tubing and a smaller quantity of Inconel 600 tubing for the tube matrix in the coal-fueled MIUS fluidized bed. An engineering feasibility review of General Atomic's proposal to ERDA for a bench-scale test program on thermochemical water splitting for hydrogen production was completed. (auth)« less

50 Years of ``Scaling'' Jack Kilby's Invention

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doering, Robert

2008-03-01

This year is the 50th anniversary of Jack Kilby's 1958 invention of the integrated circuit (IC), for which he won the 2000 Nobel Prize in Physics. Since that invention in a laboratory at Texas Instruments, IC components have been continuously miniaturized, which has resulted in exponential improvement trends in their performance, energy efficiency, and cost per function. These improvements have created a semiconductor industry that has grown to over 250B in annual sales. The process of reducing integrated-circuit component size and associated parameters in a coordinated fashion is traditionally called ``feature-size scaling.'' Kilby's original circuit had active (transistor) and passive (resistor, capacitor) components with dimensions of a few millimeters. Today, the minimum feature sizes on integrated circuits are less than 30 nanometers for patterned line widths and down to about one nanometer for film thicknesses. Thus, we have achieved about five orders of magnitude in linear-dimension scaling over the past fifty years, which has resulted in about ten orders of magnitude increase in the density of IC components, a representation of ``Moore's Law.'' As IC features are approaching atomic dimensions, increasing emphasis is now being given to the parallel effort of further diversifying the types of components in integrated circuits. This is called ``functional scaling'' and ``more then Moore.'' Of course, the enablers for both types of scaling have been developed at many laboratories around the world. This talk will review a few of the highlights in scaling and its applications from R&D projects at Texas Instruments.

SiC layer microstructure in AGR-1 and AGR-2 TRISO fuel particles and the influence of its variation on the effective diffusion of key fission products

DOE PAGES

Gerczak, Tyler J.; Hunn, John D.; Lowden, Richard A.; ...

2016-08-15

Tristructural isotropic (TRISO) coated particle fuel is a promising fuel form for advanced reactor concepts such as high temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGR) and is being developed domestically under the US Department of Energy’s Nuclear Reactor Technologies Initiative in support of Advanced Reactor Technologies. The fuel development and qualification plan includes a series of fuel irradiations to demonstrate fuel performance from the laboratory to commercial scale. The first irradiation campaign, AGR-1, included four separate TRISO fuel variants composed of multiple, laboratory-scale coater batches. The second irradiation campaign, AGR-2, included TRISO fuel particles fabricated by BWX Technologies with a larger coater representativemore » of an industrial-scale system. The SiC layers of as-fabricated particles from the AGR-1 and AGR-2 irradiation campaigns have been investigated by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) to provide key information about the microstructural features relevant to fuel performance. The results of a comprehensive study of multiple particles from all constituent batches are reported. The observations indicate that there were microstructural differences between variants and among constituent batches in a single variant. Finally, insights on the influence of microstructure on the effective diffusivity of key fission products in the SiC layer are also discussed.« less

Laboratory and Pilot Scale Evaluation of Coagulation, Clarification, and Filtration for Upgrading Sewage Lagoon Effluents.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-08-01

AD-AGAB 906 ARMY ENGINEER WATERWAYS EXPERIMENT STATION VICKSBURG--ETC FIG 14/2 LABORATORY AND PILOT SCALE EVALUATION OF COAGULATION, CLARIFICA -ETC U...FILTRATION FOR LWGRADING JEWAGE LAGOON EFFLUENTS~ w IL j0 ( M John ullinane, Jr., Richard A. hafer (0 Environmental Laboratory gel U. S. Army Engineer ...Shafer 9. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME AND ADORESS SO. PROGRAM ELEMENT, PROJECT, TASK AREA a WORK UNIT NUMBERS U. S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment

Fluid dynamics structures in a fire environment observed in laboratory-scale experiments

Treesearch

J. Lozano; W. Tachajapong; D.R. Weise; S. Mahalingam; M. Princevac

2010-01-01

Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) measurements were performed in laboratory-scale experimental fires spreading across horizontal fuel beds composed of aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx) excelsior. The continuous flame, intermittent flame, and thermal plume regions of a fire were investigated. Utilizing a PIV system, instantaneous velocity fields for...

Regeneration of Exhausted Arsenic Adsorptive media of a Full Scale Treatment System

EPA Science Inventory

This presentation will describe the method and results of laboratory tests showing the feasibility of regenerating exhausted, iron-based, adsorptive media and the results of a follow up regeneration test at a full scale system in Twentynine Palms CA. The laboratory studies on se...

Fate of estrone in laboratory-scale constructed wetlands

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A horizontal, subsurface, laboratory-scale constructed wetland (CW) consisting of four cells in series was used to determine the attenuation of the steroid hormone estrone (E1) present in animal wastewater. Liquid swine manure diluted 1:80 with farm pond water and dosed with [14C]E1 flowed through ...

Iron Phosphate Glass-Containing Hanford Waste Simulant

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sevigny, Gary J.; Kimura, Marcia L.; Fischer, Christopher M.

2012-01-18

Resolution of the nation's high-level tank waste legacy requires the design, construction, and operation of large and technically complex one-of-a-kind processing waste treatment and vitrification facilities. While the ultimate limits for waste loading and melter efficiency have yet to be defined or realized, significant reductions in glass volumes for disposal and mission life may be possible with advancements in melter technologies and/or glass formulations. This test report describes the experimental results from a small-scale test using the research-scale melter (RSM) at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to demonstrate the viability of iron-phosphate-based glass with a selected waste composition that ismore » high in sulfate (4.37 wt% SO3). The primary objective of the test was to develop data to support a cost-benefit analysis related to the implementation of phosphate-based glasses for Hanford low-activity waste (LAW) and/or other high-level waste streams within the U.S. Department of Energy complex. The testing was performed by PNNL and supported by Idaho National Laboratory, Savannah River National Laboratory, Missouri University of Science and Technology, and Mo-Sci Corporation.« less

Extraction of mercury from groundwater using immobilized algae.

PubMed

Barkley, N P

1991-10-01

Bio-Recovery Systems, Inc. conducted a project under the Emerging Technology portion of the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPAs) Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) Program to evaluate the ability of immobilized algae to adsorb mercury from contaminated groundwater in laboratory studies and pilot-scale field tests. Algal biomass was incorporated in a permeable polymeric matrix. The product, AlgaSORB, packed into adsorption columns, exhibited excellent flow characteristics, and functioned as a "biological" ion exchange resin. A sequence of eleven laboratory tests demonstrated the ability of this product to adsorb mercury from groundwater that contained high levels of total dissolved solids and hard water components. However, use of a single AlgaSORB preparation yielded nonrepeatable results with samples collected at different times of the year. The strategy of sequentially extracting the groundwater through two columns containing different preparations of AlgaSORB was developed and proved successful in laboratory and pilot-scale field tests. Field test results indicate that AlgaSORB could be economically competitive with ion exchange resins for removal of mercury, with the advantage that hardness and other dissolved solids do not appear to compete with heavy metals for binding capacity.

3D-PTV around Operational Wind Turbines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brownstein, Ian; Dabiri, John

2016-11-01

Laboratory studies and numerical simulations of wind turbines are typically constrained in how they can inform operational turbine behavior. Laboratory experiments are usually unable to match both pertinent parameters of full-scale wind turbines, the Reynolds number (Re) and tip speed ratio, using scaled-down models. Additionally, numerical simulations of the flow around wind turbines are constrained by the large domain size and high Re that need to be simulated. When these simulations are preformed, turbine geometry is typically simplified resulting in flow structures near the rotor not being well resolved. In order to bypass these limitations, a quantitative flow visualization method was developed to take in situ measurements of the flow around wind turbines at the Field Laboratory for Optimized Wind Energy (FLOWE) in Lancaster, CA. The apparatus constructed was able to seed an approximately 9m x 9m x 5m volume in the wake of the turbine using artificial snow. Quantitative measurements were obtained by tracking the evolution of the artificial snow using a four camera setup. The methodology for calibrating and collecting data, as well as preliminary results detailing the flow around a 2kW vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT), will be presented.

Role of Laboratory Plasma Experiments in exploring the Physics of Solar Eruptions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tripathi, S.

2017-12-01

Solar eruptive events are triggered over a broad range of spatio-temporal scales by a variety of fundamental processes (e.g., force-imbalance, magnetic-reconnection, electrical-current driven instabilities) associated with arched magnetoplasma structures in the solar atmosphere. Contemporary research on solar eruptive events is at the forefront of solar and heliospheric physics due to its relevance to space weather. Details on the formation of magnetized plasma structures on the Sun, storage of magnetic energy in such structures over a long period (several Alfven transit times), and their impulsive eruptions have been recorded in numerous observations and simulated in computer models. Inherent limitations of space observations and uncontrolled nature of solar eruptions pose significant challenges in testing theoretical models and developing the predictive capability for space-weather. The pace of scientific progress in this area can be significantly boosted by tapping the potential of appropriately scaled laboratory plasma experiments to compliment solar observations, theoretical models, and computer simulations. To give an example, recent results from a laboratory plasma experiment on arched magnetic flux ropes will be presented and future challenges will be discussed. (Work supported by National Science Foundation, USA under award number 1619551)

A novel multiplex poliovirus binding inhibition assay applicable for large serosurveillance and vaccine studies, without the use of live poliovirus.

PubMed

Schepp, Rutger M; Berbers, Guy A M; Ferreira, José A; Reimerink, Johan H; van der Klis, Fiona R

2017-03-01

Large-scale serosurveillance or vaccine studies for poliovirus using the "gold standard" WHO neutralisation test (NT) are very laborious and time consuming. With the polio eradication at hand and with the removal of live attenuated Sabin strains from the oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV), starting with type 2 (as of April 2016), laboratories will need to conform to much more stringent laboratory biosafety regulations when handling live poliovirus strains. In this study, a poliovirus binding inhibition multiplex immunoassay (polio MIA) using inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV-Salk) was developed for simultaneous quantification of serum antibodies directed to all three poliovirus types. Our assay shows a good correlation with the NT and an excellent correlation with the ELISA-based binding inhibition assay (POBI). The assay is highly type-specific and reproducible. Additionally, serum sample throughput increases about fivefold relative to NT and POBI and the amount of serum needed is reduced by more than 90%. In conclusion, the polio MIA can be used as a safe and high throughput application, especially for large-scale surveillance and vaccine studies, reducing laboratory time and serum amounts needed. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Residual Strength Analysis Methodology: Laboratory Coupons to Structural Components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dawicke, D. S.; Newman, J. C., Jr.; Starnes, J. H., Jr.; Rose, C. A.; Young, R. D.; Seshadri, B. R.

2000-01-01

The NASA Aircraft Structural Integrity (NASIP) and Airframe Airworthiness Assurance/Aging Aircraft (AAA/AA) Programs have developed a residual strength prediction methodology for aircraft fuselage structures. This methodology has been experimentally verified for structures ranging from laboratory coupons up to full-scale structural components. The methodology uses the critical crack tip opening angle (CTOA) fracture criterion to characterize the fracture behavior and a material and a geometric nonlinear finite element shell analysis code to perform the structural analyses. The present paper presents the results of a study to evaluate the fracture behavior of 2024-T3 aluminum alloys with thickness of 0.04 inches to 0.09 inches. The critical CTOA and the corresponding plane strain core height necessary to simulate through-the-thickness effects at the crack tip in an otherwise plane stress analysis, were determined from small laboratory specimens. Using these parameters, the CTOA fracture criterion was used to predict the behavior of middle crack tension specimens that were up to 40 inches wide, flat panels with riveted stiffeners and multiple-site damage cracks, 18-inch diameter pressurized cylinders, and full scale curved stiffened panels subjected to internal pressure and mechanical loads.

The metrology of time.

PubMed

Arias, Elisa Felicitas

2005-09-15

Measuring time is a continuous activity, an international and restless enterprise hidden in time laboratories spread all over the planet. The Bureau International des Poids et Mesures is charged with coordinating activities for international timekeeping and it makes use of the world's capacity to produce a remarkably stable and accurate reference time-scale. Commercial atomic clocks beating the second in national laboratories can reach a stability of one part in 10(14) over a 5 day averaging time, compelling us to research the most highly performing methods of remote clock comparison. The unit of the international time-scale is the second of the International System of Units, realized with an uncertainty of the order 10(-15) by caesium fountains. Physicists in a few time laboratories are making efforts to gain one order of magnitude in the uncertainty of the realization of the second, and more refined techniques of time and frequency transfer are in development to accompany this progress. Femtosecond comb technology will most probably contribute in the near future to enhance the definition of the second with the incorporation of optical clocks. We will explain the evolution of the measuring of time, current state-of-the-art measures and future challenges.

Barriers to Implementation of Optimal Laboratory Biosafety Practices in Pakistan

PubMed Central

Shafaq, Humaira; Hasan, Rumina; Qureshi, Shahida M.; Dojki, Maqboola; Hughes, Molly A.; Zaidi, Anita K. M.; Khan, Erum

2016-01-01

The primary goal of biosafety education is to ensure safe practices among workers in biomedical laboratories. Despite several educational workshops by the Pakistan Biological Safety Association (PBSA), compliance with safe practices among laboratory workers remains low. To determine barriers to implementation of recommended biosafety practices among biomedical laboratory workers in Pakistan, we conducted a questionnaire-based survey of participants attending 2 workshops focusing on biosafety practices in Karachi and Lahore in February 2015. Questionnaires were developed by modifying the BARRIERS scale in which respondents are required to rate barriers on a 1-4 scale. Nineteen of the original 29 barriers were included and subcategorized into 4 groups: awareness, material quality, presentation, and workplace barriers. Workshops were attended by 64 participants. Among barriers that were rated as moderate to great barriers by at least 50% of respondents were: lack of time to read biosafety guidelines (workplace subscale), lack of staff authorization to change/improve practice (workplace subscale), no career or self-improvement advantages to the staff for implementing optimal practices (workplace subscale), and unclear practice implications (presentation subscale). A lack of recognition for employees' rights and benefits in the workplace was found to be a predominant reason for a lack of compliance. Based on perceived barriers, substantial improvement in work environment, worker facilitation, and enabling are needed for achieving improved or optimal biosafety practices in Pakistan. PMID:27400192

Mission and Objectives for the X-1 Advanced Radiation Source*

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rochau, Gary E.; Ramirez, Juan J.; Raglin, Paul S.

1998-11-01

Sandia National Laboratories PO Box 5800, MS-1178, Albuquerque, NM 87185 The X-1 Advanced Radiation Source represents a next step in providing the U.S. Department of Energy's Stockpile Stewardship Program with the high-energy, large volume, laboratory x-ray source for the Radiation Effects Science and Simulation, Inertial Confinement Fusion, and Weapon Physics Programs. Advances in fast pulsed power technology and in z-pinch hohlraums on Sandia National Laboratories' Z Accelerator provide sufficient basis for pursuing the development of X-1. The X-1 plan follows a strategy based on scaling the 2 MJ x-ray output on Z via a 3-fold increase in z-pinch load current. The large volume (>5 cm3), high temperature (>150 eV), temporally long (>10 ns) hohlraums are unique outside of underground nuclear weapon testing. Analytical scaling arguments and hydrodynamic simulations indicate that these hohlraums at temperatures of 230-300 eV will ignite thermonuclear fuel and drive the reaction to a yield of 200 to 1,200 MJ in the laboratory. Non-ignition sources will provide cold x-ray environments (<15 keV) and high yield fusion burn sources will provide high fidelity warm x-ray environments (15 keV-80 keV). This paper will introduce the X-1 Advanced Radiation Source Facility Project, describe the project mission, objective, and preliminary schedule.

Addressing case specific biogas plant tasks: industry oriented methane yields derived from 5L Automatic Methane Potential Test Systems in batch or semi-continuous tests using realistic inocula, substrate particle sizes and organic loading.

PubMed

Kolbl, Sabina; Paloczi, Attila; Panjan, Jože; Stres, Blaž

2014-02-01

The primary aim of the study was to develop and validate an in-house upscale of Automatic Methane Potential Test System II for studying real-time inocula and real-scale substrates in batch, codigestion and enzyme enhanced hydrolysis experiments, in addition to semi-continuous operation of the developed equipment and experiments testing inoculum functional quality. The successful upscale to 5L enabled comparison of different process configurations in shorter preparation times with acceptable accuracy and high-through put intended for industrial decision making. The adoption of the same scales, equipment and methodologies in batch and semi-continuous tests mirroring those at full scale biogas plants resulted in matching methane yields between the two laboratory tests and full-scale, confirming thus the increased decision making value of the approach for industrial operations. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessing sorbent injection mercury control effectiveness in flue gas streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carey, T.R.; Richardson, C.F.; Chang, R.; Meserole, F.B.; Rostam-Abadi, M.; Chen, S.

2000-01-01

One promising approach for removing mercury from coal-fired, utility flue gas involves the direct injection of mercury sorbents. Although this method has been effective at removing mercury in municipal waste incinerators, tests conducted to date on utility coal-fired boilers show that mercury removal is much more difficult in utility flue gas. EPRI is conducting research to investigate mercury removal using sorbents in this application. Bench-scale, pilot-scale, and field tests have been conducted to determine the ability of different sorbents to remove mercury in simulated and actual flue gas streams. This paper focuses on recent bench-scale and field test results evaluating the adsorption characteristics of activated carbon and fly ash and the use of these results to develop a predictive mercury removal model. Field tests with activated carbon show that adsorption characteristics measured in the lab agree reasonably well with characteristics measured in the field. However, more laboratory and field data will be needed to identify other gas phase components which may impact performance. This will allow laboratory tests to better simulate field conditions and provide improved estimates of sorbent performance for specific sites. In addition to activated carbon results, bench-scale and modeling results using fly ash are presented which suggest that certain fly ashes are capable of adsorbing mercury.

Earthquakes in the Laboratory: Continuum-Granular Interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ecke, Robert; Geller, Drew; Ward, Carl; Backhaus, Scott

2013-03-01

Earthquakes in nature feature large tectonic plate motion at large scales of 10-100 km and local properties of the earth on the scale of the rupture width, of the order of meters. Fault gouge often fills the gap between the large slipping plates and may play an important role in the nature and dynamics of earthquake events. We have constructed a laboratory scale experiment that represents a similitude scale model of this general earthquake description. Two photo-elastic plates (50 cm x 25 cm x 1 cm) confine approximately 3000 bi-disperse nylon rods (diameters 0.12 and 0.16 cm, height 1 cm) in a gap of approximately 1 cm. The plates are held rigidly along their outer edges with one held fixed while the other edge is driven at constant speed over a range of about 5 cm. The local stresses exerted on the plates are measured using their photo-elastic response, the local relative motions of the plates, i.e., the local strains, are determined by the relative motion of small ball bearings attached to the top surface, and the configurations of the nylon rods are investigated using particle tracking tools. We find that this system has properties similar to real earthquakes and are exploring these ``lab-quake'' events with the quantitative tools we have developed.

Monitoring Local Changes in Granite Rock Under Biaxial Test: A Spatiotemporal Imaging Application With Diffuse Waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Fan; Ren, Yaqiong; Zhou, Yongsheng; Larose, Eric; Baillet, Laurent

2018-03-01

Diffuse acoustic or seismic waves are highly sensitive to detect changes of mechanical properties in heterogeneous geological materials. In particular, thanks to acoustoelasticity, we can quantify stress changes by tracking acoustic or seismic relative velocity changes in the material at test. In this paper, we report on a small-scale laboratory application of an innovative time-lapse tomography technique named Locadiff to image spatiotemporal mechanical changes on a granite sample under biaxial loading, using diffuse waves at ultrasonic frequencies (300 kHz to 900 kHz). We demonstrate the ability of the method to image reversible stress evolution and deformation process, together with the development of reversible and irreversible localized microdamage in the specimen at an early stage. Using full-field infrared thermography, we visualize stress-induced temperature changes and validate stress images obtained from diffuse ultrasound. We demonstrate that the inversion with a good resolution can be achieved with only a limited number of receivers distributed around a single source, all located at the free surface of the specimen. This small-scale experiment is a proof of concept for frictional earthquake-like failure (e.g., stick-slip) research at laboratory scale as well as large-scale seismic applications, potentially including active fault monitoring.

Earthquake source properties from instrumented laboratory stick-slip

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kilgore, Brian D.; McGarr, Arthur F.; Beeler, Nicholas M.; Lockner, David A.; Thomas, Marion Y.; Mitchell, Thomas M.; Bhat, Harsha S.

2017-01-01

Stick-slip experiments were performed to determine the influence of the testing apparatus on source properties, develop methods to relate stick-slip to natural earthquakes and examine the hypothesis of McGarr [2012] that the product of stiffness, k, and slip duration, Δt, is scale-independent and the same order as for earthquakes. The experiments use the double-direct shear geometry, Sierra White granite at 2 MPa normal stress and a remote slip rate of 0.2 µm/sec. To determine apparatus effects, disc springs were added to the loading column to vary k. Duration, slip, slip rate, and stress drop decrease with increasing k, consistent with a spring-block slider model. However, neither for the data nor model is kΔt constant; this results from varying stiffness at fixed scale.In contrast, additional analysis of laboratory stick-slip studies from a range of standard testing apparatuses is consistent with McGarr's hypothesis. kΔt is scale-independent, similar to that of earthquakes, equivalent to the ratio of static stress drop to average slip velocity, and similar to the ratio of shear modulus to wavespeed of rock. These properties result from conducting experiments over a range of sample sizes, using rock samples with the same elastic properties as the Earth, and scale-independent design practices.

Development and implementation of a laboratory spray device and rainfall simulator for retention research using small amounts of agroformulations.

PubMed

Zwertvaegher, Ingrid Ka; Van Daele, Inge; Verheesen, Peter; Peferoen, Marnix; Nuyttens, David

2017-01-01

Rainfall greatly affects the retention of foliar-applied agroformulations. Improving their resistance to wash-off is therefore of great importance in spray applications. When developing such formulations, small-scale laboratory assays are generally required. A set-up for retention studies using only small amounts of agroformulations (<0.5 L) was developed. The set-up consists of a spray device and a rainfall simulator. The effect of rain quantity (1, 3, 6 mm) on the spray retention of agroformulations was evaluated using this set-up. The data showed that uniform and repeatable spraying was achieved with the small-scale spray device (coefficient of variation 23.4%) on potato pot plants (Solanum tuberosum L.). Rain quantity significantly affected the spray retention. Approximately 40% of the initial deposition was lost after 1 mm of rain at an intensity of 25 mm h -1 . Additional losses decreased with increasing volumes of rain (65 and 80% loss after 3 and 6 mm of rain respectively). Future studies could implement the set-up to evaluate the effect of different rainfall characteristics and formulations on spray retention in order to improve the rainfastness of agroformulations. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Experimental approaches to assessing the impact of a cesium chloride radiological dispersal device

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lee, S.; Gibb, Snyder E.; Barzyk, J.; McGee, J.; Koenig, A.

2008-01-01

The US EPA, as a part of the Chemical, Biological, Radiological-Nuclear, and Explosives (CBRNE) Research and Technology Initiative (CRTI) project team, is currently working to assess the impacts of an urban radiological dispersion device (RDD) and to develop containment and decontamination strategies. Three efforts in this area are currently underway: development of a laboratory-scale cesium chloride deposition method to mimic a RDD; assessment of cesium (Cs) penetration depth and pathways in urban materials using two dimensional (2-D) mapping laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS); and experimental determination of distribution coefficients (kd) for Cs in water-building material systems. It is critical that, when performing laboratory-scale experiments to assess the fate of Cs from an RDD, the Cs particle deposition method mimics the RDD deposition. Once Cs particles are deposited onto urban surfaces, 2-D mapping of Cs concentrations using LA-ICP-MS is a critical tool for determining Cs transport pathways through these materials. Lastly, distribution coefficients are critical for understanding the transport of Cs in urban settings when direct measurements of its penetration depth are unavailable. An assessment of the newly developed deposition method along with preliminary results from the penetration experiments are presented in this paper.

Steam atmosphere dryer project: System development and field test. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1999-02-01

The objective of this project was to develop and demonstrate the use of a superheated steam atmosphere dryer as a highly improved alternative to conventional hot air-drying systems, the present industrial standard method for drying various wet feedstocks. The development program plan consisted of three major activities. The first was engineering analysis and testing of a small-scale laboratory superheated steam dryer. This dryer provided the basic engineering heat transfer data necessary to design a large-scale system. The second major activity consisted of the design, fabrication, and laboratory checkout testing of the field-site prototype superheated steam dryer system. The third majormore » activity consisted of the installation and testing of the complete 250-lb/hr evaporation rate dryer and a 30-kW cogeneration system in conjunction with an anaerobic digester facility at the Village of Bergen, NY. Feedstock for the digester facility at the Village of Bergen, NY. Feedstock for the digester was waste residue from a nearby commercial food processing plant. The superheated steam dryer system was placed into operation in August 1996 and operated successfully through March 1997. During this period, the dryer processed all the material from the digester to a powdered consistency usable as a high-nitrogen-based fertilizer.« less

Influence of engine coolant composition on the electrochemical degradation behavior of EPDM radiator hoses

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vroomen, G.L.M.; Lievens, S.S.; Maes, J.P.

1999-08-01

EPDM (ethylene-propylene rubber) has been used for more than 25 years as the main elastomer in radiator hoses because it offers a well-balanced price/performance ratio in this field of application. Some years ago the automotive and rubber industry became aware of a problem called electrochemical degradation and cracking. Cooling systems broke down due to a typical cracking failure of some radiator hoses. Different test methods were developed to simulate and solve the problem on laboratory scale. The influence of different variables with respect to the electrochemical degradation and cracking. Cooling systems broke down due to a typical cracking failure ofmore » some radiator hoses. Different test methods were developed to simulate and solve the problem on laboratory scale. The influence of different variables with respect to the electrochemical degradation process has been investigated, but until recently the influence of the engine coolant was ignored. Using a test method developed by DSM elastomers, the influence of the composition of the engine coolant as well as of the EPDM composition has now been evaluated. This paper gives an overview of test results with different coolant technologies and offers a plausible explanation of the degradation mechanisms as a function of the elastomer composition.« less

A Virtual Laboratory for the 4 Bed Molecular Sieve of the Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coker, Robert; Knox, James; O'Connor, Brian

2016-01-01

Ongoing work to improve water and carbon dioxide separation systems to be used on crewed space vehicles combines sub-scale systems testing and multi-physics simulations. Thus, as part of NASA's Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) program and the Life Support Systems Project (LSSP), fully predictive COMSOL Multiphysics models of the Four Bed Molecular Sieve (4BMS) of the Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) on the International Space Station (ISS) have been developed. This Virtual Laboratory is being used to help reduce mass, power, and volume requirements for exploration missions. In this paper we describe current and planned modeling developments in the area of carbon dioxide removal to support future missions as well as the resolution of anomalies observed in the ISS CDRA.

Replicating the microbial community and water quality performance of full-scale slow sand filters in laboratory-scale filters.

PubMed

Haig, Sarah-Jane; Quince, Christopher; Davies, Robert L; Dorea, Caetano C; Collins, Gavin

2014-09-15

Previous laboratory-scale studies to characterise the functional microbial ecology of slow sand filters have suffered from methodological limitations that could compromise their relevance to full-scale systems. Therefore, to ascertain if laboratory-scale slow sand filters (L-SSFs) can replicate the microbial community and water quality production of industrially operated full-scale slow sand filters (I-SSFs), eight cylindrical L-SSFs were constructed and were used to treat water from the same source as the I-SSFs. Half of the L-SSFs sand beds were composed of sterilized sand (sterile) from the industrial filters and the other half with sand taken directly from the same industrial filter (non-sterile). All filters were operated for 10 weeks, with the microbial community and water quality parameters sampled and analysed weekly. To characterize the microbial community phyla-specific qPCR assays and 454 pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA gene were used in conjunction with an array of statistical techniques. The results demonstrate that it is possible to mimic both the water quality production and the structure of the microbial community of full-scale filters in the laboratory - at all levels of taxonomic classification except OTU - thus allowing comparison of LSSF experiments with full-scale units. Further, it was found that the sand type composing the filter bed (non-sterile or sterile), the water quality produced, the age of the filters and the depth of sand samples were all significant factors in explaining observed differences in the structure of the microbial consortia. This study is the first to the authors' knowledge that demonstrates that scaled-down slow sand filters can accurately reproduce the water quality and microbial consortia of full-scale slow sand filters. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

FLARE: a New User Facility for Studies of Magnetic Reconnection Through Simultaneous, in-situ Measurements on MHD Scales, Ion Scales and Electron Scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ji, H.; Bhattacharjee, A.; Goodman, A.; Prager, S.; Daughton, W. S.; Cutler, R.; Fox, W.; Hoffmann, F.; Kalish, M.; Kozub, T.; Jara-Almonte, J.; Myers, C. E.; Ren, Y.; Sloboda, P.; Yamada, M.; Yoo, J.; Bale, S. D.; Carter, T.; Dorfman, S. E.; Drake, J. F.; Egedal, J.; Sarff, J.; Wallace, J.

2017-12-01

The FLARE device (Facility for Laboratory Reconnection Experiments; flare.pppl.gov) is a new laboratory experiment under construction at Princeton for the studies of magnetic reconnection in the multiple X-line regimes directly relevant to space, solar, astrophysical, and fusion plasmas, as guided by a reconnection phase diagram [Ji & Daughton, (2011)]. The whole device has been successfully assembled with rough leak check completed. The first plasmas are expected in the fall to winter. The main diagnostic is an extensive set of magnetic probe arrays to cover multiple scales from local electron scales ( ˜2 mm), to intermediate ion scales ( ˜10 cm), and global MHD scales ( ˜1 m), simultaneously providing in-situ measurements over all these relevant scales. By using these laboratory data, not only the detailed spatial profiles around each reconnecting X-line are available for direct comparisons with spacecraft data, but also the global conditions and consequences of magnetic reconnection, which are often difficult to quantify in space, can be controlled or studied systematically. The planned procedures and example topics as a user facility will be discussed in detail.

Toward Active Control of Noise from Hot Supersonic Jets

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-11-15

several laboratory - and full- scale data sets. Two different scaling scenarios are presented for the practising scientist to choose from. The first...As will be detailed below, this simple proof-of-concept experiment yielded good quality data that reveals details about the large-scale 3D structure...the light-field. Co-PI Thurow has recently designed and assembled a plenoptic camera in his laboratory with its key attributes being its compact

Developing Renewable Energy Projects Larger Than 10 MWs at Federal Facilities

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

2013-03-01

To accomplish Federal goals for renewable energy, sustainability, and energy security, large-scale renewable energy projects must be developed and constructed on Federal sites at a significant scale with significant private investment. For the purposes of this Guide, large-scale Federal renewable energy projects are defined as renewable energy facilities larger than 10 megawatts (MW) that are sited on Federal property and lands and typically financed and owned by third parties.1 The U.S. Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) helps Federal agencies meet these goals and assists agency personnel navigate the complexities of developing such projects and attract the necessarymore » private capital to complete them. This Guide is intended to provide a general resource that will begin to develop the Federal employee’s awareness and understanding of the project developer’s operating environment and the private sector’s awareness and understanding of the Federal environment. Because the vast majority of the investment that is required to meet the goals for large-scale renewable energy projects will come from the private sector, this Guide has been organized to match Federal processes with typical phases of commercial project development. FEMP collaborated with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and professional project developers on this Guide to ensure that Federal projects have key elements recognizable to private sector developers and investors. The main purpose of this Guide is to provide a project development framework to allow the Federal Government, private developers, and investors to work in a coordinated fashion on large-scale renewable energy projects. The framework includes key elements that describe a successful, financially attractive large-scale renewable energy project. This framework begins the translation between the Federal and private sector operating environments. When viewing the overall« less

Tensor scale-based fuzzy connectedness image segmentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saha, Punam K.; Udupa, Jayaram K.

2003-05-01

Tangible solutions to image segmentation are vital in many medical imaging applications. Toward this goal, a framework based on fuzzy connectedness was developed in our laboratory. A fundamental notion called "affinity" - a local fuzzy hanging togetherness relation on voxels - determines the effectiveness of this segmentation framework in real applications. In this paper, we introduce the notion of "tensor scale" - a recently developed local morphometric parameter - in affinity definition and study its effectiveness. Although, our previous notion of "local scale" using the spherical model successfully incorporated local structure size into affinity and resulted in measureable improvements in segmentation results, a major limitation of the previous approach was that it ignored local structural orientation and anisotropy. The current approach of using tensor scale in affinity computation allows an effective utilization of local size, orientation, and ansiotropy in a unified manner. Tensor scale is used for computing both the homogeneity- and object-feature-based components of affinity. Preliminary results of the proposed method on several medical images and computer generated phantoms of realistic shapes are presented. Further extensions of this work are discussed.

SOBA: sequence ontology bioinformatics analysis.

PubMed

Moore, Barry; Fan, Guozhen; Eilbeck, Karen

2010-07-01

The advent of cheaper, faster sequencing technologies has pushed the task of sequence annotation from the exclusive domain of large-scale multi-national sequencing projects to that of research laboratories and small consortia. The bioinformatics burden placed on these laboratories, some with very little programming experience can be daunting. Fortunately, there exist software libraries and pipelines designed with these groups in mind, to ease the transition from an assembled genome to an annotated and accessible genome resource. We have developed the Sequence Ontology Bioinformatics Analysis (SOBA) tool to provide a simple statistical and graphical summary of an annotated genome. We envisage its use during annotation jamborees, genome comparison and for use by developers for rapid feedback during annotation software development and testing. SOBA also provides annotation consistency feedback to ensure correct use of terminology within annotations, and guides users to add new terms to the Sequence Ontology when required. SOBA is available at http://www.sequenceontology.org/cgi-bin/soba.cgi.

Laser detonator development for test-firing applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Munger, A. C.; Thomas, K. A.; Kennedy, J. E.

2004-01-01

Los Alamos National Laboratory has historically fielded two types of electro-explosive detonators. The exploding-bridgewire detonator (EBW) has an exploding wire as the initiating element, a low-density transfer charge and a high-density output pellet. The slapper detonator, or exploding-foil initiator (EFI), utilizes an exploding foil to drive a flying plate element into a high-density output pellet. The last twenty years has seen various research and development activities from many laboratories and manufacturing facilities around the world to develop laser-driven analogs of these devices, but to our knowledge none of those is in general use. Los Alamos is currently committed to designmore » and manufacture a laser analog to the long-standing, generic, general-purpose SE-1 EBW detonator, which is intended to provide increased safety in large-scale test-firing operations. This paper will discuss the major design parameters of this laser detonator and present some preliminary testing results.« less

Emerging technologies in point-of-care molecular diagnostics for resource-limited settings.

PubMed

Peeling, Rosanna W; McNerney, Ruth

2014-06-01

Emerging molecular technologies to diagnose infectious diseases at the point at which care is delivered have the potential to save many lives in developing countries where access to laboratories is poor. Molecular tests are needed to improve the specificity of syndromic management, monitor progress towards disease elimination and screen for asymptomatic infections with the goal of interrupting disease transmission and preventing long-term sequelae. In simplifying laboratory-based molecular assays for use at point-of-care, there are inevitable compromises between cost, ease of use and test performance. Despite significant technological advances, many challenges remain for the development of molecular diagnostics for resource-limited settings. There needs to be more advocacy for these technologies to be applied to infectious diseases, increased efforts to lower the barriers to market entry through streamlined and harmonized regulatory approaches, faster policy development for adoption of new technologies and novel financing mechanisms to enable countries to scale up implementation.

Fiber Based Optical Amplifier for High Energy Laser Pulses Final Report CRADA No. TC02100.0

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Messerly, M.; Cunningham, P.

This was a collaborative effort between Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC (formerly The Regents of the University of California)/Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), and The Boeing Company to develop an optical fiber-based laser amplifier capable of producing and sustaining very high-energy, nanosecond-scale optical pulses. The overall technical objective of this CRADA was to research, design, and develop an optical fiber-based amplifier that would meet specific metrics.

Performance Prediction Relationships for AM2 Airfield Matting Developed from Full-Scale Accelerated Testing and Laboratory Experimentation

DTIC Science & Technology

2018-01-01

work, the prevailing methods used to predict the performance of AM2 were based on the CBR design procedure for flexible pavements using a small number...suitable for design and evaluation frameworks currently used for airfield pavements and matting systems. DISCLAIMER: The contents of this report...methods used to develop the equivalency curves equated the mat-surfaced area to an equivalent thickness of flexible pavement using the CBR design

Post-Cold War Science and Technology at Los Alamos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Browne, John C.

2002-04-01

Los Alamos National Laboratory serves the nation through the development and application of leading-edge science and technology in support of national security. Our mission supports national security by: ensuring the safety, security, and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile; reducing the threat of weapons of mass destruction in support of counter terrorism and homeland defense; and solving national energy, environment, infrastructure, and health security problems. We require crosscutting fundamental and advanced science and technology research to accomplish our mission. The Stockpile Stewardship Program develops and applies, advanced experimental science, computational simulation, and technology to ensure the safety and reliability of U.S. nuclear weapons in the absence of nuclear testing. This effort in itself is a grand challenge. However, the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001, reminded us of the importance of robust and vibrant research and development capabilities to meet new and evolving threats to our national security. Today through rapid prototyping we are applying new, innovative, science and technology for homeland defense, to address the threats of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons globally. Synergistically, with the capabilities that we require for our core mission, we contribute in many other areas of scientific endeavor. For example, our Laboratory has been part of the NASA effort on mapping water on the moon and NSF/DOE projects studying high-energy astrophysical phenomena, understanding fundamental scaling phenomena of life, exploring high-temperature superconductors, investigating quantum information systems, applying neutrons to condensed-matter and nuclear physics research, developing large-scale modeling and simulations to understand complex phenomena, and exploring nanoscience that bridges the atomic to macroscopic scales. In this presentation, I will highlight some of these post-cold war science and technology advances including our national security contributions, and discuss some of challenges for Los Alamos in the future.

Rethinking Big Science. Modest, mezzo, grand science and the development of the Bevalac, 1971-1993.

PubMed

Westfall, Catherine

2003-03-01

Historians of science have tended to focus exclusively on scale in investigations of largescale research, perhaps because it has been easy to assume that comprehending a phenomenon dubbed "Big Science" hinges on an understanding of bigness. A close look at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory's Bevalac, a medium-scale "mezzo science" project formed by uniting two preexisting machines--the modest SuperHILAC and the grand Bevatron--shows what can be gained by overcoming this preoccupation with bigness. The Bevalac story reveals how interconnections, connections, and disconnections ultimately led to the development of a new kind of science that transformed the landscape of large-scale research in the United States. Important lessons in historiography also emerge: the value of framing discussions in terms of networks, the necessity of constantly expanding and refining methodology, and the importance of avoiding the rhetoric of participants and instead finding words to tell our own stories.

The New Big Science at the NSLS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crease, Robert

2016-03-01

The term ``New Big Science'' refers to a phase shift in the kind of large-scale science that was carried out throughout the U.S. National Laboratory system, when large-scale materials science accelerators rather than high-energy physics accelerators became marquee projects at most major basic research laboratories in the post-Cold War era, accompanied by important changes in the character and culture of the research ecosystem at these laboratories. This talk explores some aspects of this phase shift at BNL's National Synchrotron Light Source.

Impact Flash Physics: Modeling and Comparisons With Experimental Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rainey, E.; Stickle, A. M.; Ernst, C. M.; Schultz, P. H.; Mehta, N. L.; Brown, R. C.; Swaminathan, P. K.; Michaelis, C. H.; Erlandson, R. E.

2015-12-01

Hypervelocity impacts frequently generate an observable "flash" of light with two components: a short-duration spike due to emissions from vaporized material, and a long-duration peak due to thermal emissions from expanding hot debris. The intensity and duration of these peaks depend on the impact velocity, angle, and the target and projectile mass and composition. Thus remote sensing measurements of planetary impact flashes have the potential to constrain the properties of impacting meteors and improve our understanding of impact flux and cratering processes. Interpreting impact flash measurements requires a thorough understanding of how flash characteristics correlate with impact conditions. Because planetary-scale impacts cannot be replicated in the laboratory, numerical simulations are needed to provide this insight for the solar system. Computational hydrocodes can produce detailed simulations of the impact process, but they lack the radiation physics required to model the optical flash. The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) developed a model to calculate the optical signature from the hot debris cloud produced by an impact. While the phenomenology of the optical signature is understood, the details required to accurately model it are complicated by uncertainties in material and optical properties and the simplifications required to numerically model radiation from large-scale impacts. Comparisons with laboratory impact experiments allow us to validate our approach and to draw insight regarding processes that occur at all scales in impact events, such as melt generation. We used Sandia National Lab's CTH shock physics hydrocode along with the optical signature model developed at APL to compare with a series of laboratory experiments conducted at the NASA Ames Vertical Gun Range. The experiments used Pyrex projectiles to impact pumice powder targets with velocities ranging from 1 to 6 km/s at angles of 30 and 90 degrees with respect to horizontal. High-speed radiometer measurements were made of the time-dependent impact flash at wavelengths of 350-1100 nm. We will present comparisons between these measurements and the output of APL's model. The results of this validation allow us to determine basic relationships between observed optical signatures and impact conditions.

SHynergie: Development of a virtual project laboratory for monitoring hydraulic stimulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Renner, Jörg; Friederich, Wolfgang; Meschke, Günther; Müller, Thomas; Steeb, Holger

2016-04-01

Hydraulic stimulations are the primary means of developing subsurface reservoirs regarding the extent of fluid transport in them. The associated creation or conditioning of a system of hydraulic conduits involves a range of hydraulic and mechanical processes but also chemical reactions, such as dissolution and precipitation, may affect the stimulation result on time scales as short as hours. In the light of the extent and complexity of these processes, the steering potential for the operator of a stimulation critically depends on the ability to integrate the maximum amount of site-specific information with profound process understanding and a large spectrum of experience. We report on the development of a virtual project laboratory for monitoring hydraulic stimulations within the project SHynergie (http://www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/shynergie/). The concept of the laboratory envisioned product that constitutes a preparing and accompanying rather than post-processing instrument ultimately accessible to persons responsible for a project over a web-repository. The virtual laboratory consists of a data base, a toolbox, and a model-building environment. Entries in the data base are of two categories. On the one hand, selected mineral and rock properties are provided from the literature. On the other hand, project-specific entries of any format can be made that are assigned attributes regarding their use in a stimulation problem at hand. The toolbox is interactive and allows the user to perform calculations of effective properties and simulations of different types (e.g., wave propagation in a reservoir, hydraulic test). The model component is also hybrid. The laboratory provides a library of models reflecting a range of scenarios but also allows the user to develop a site-specific model constituting the basis for simulations. The laboratory offers the option to use its components following the typical workflow of a stimulation project. The toolbox incorporates simulation instruments developed in the course of the SHynergie project that account for the experimental and modeling results of the various sub-projects.

The assessment of pathologists/laboratory medicine physicians through a multisource feedback tool.

PubMed

Lockyer, Jocelyn M; Violato, Claudio; Fidler, Herta; Alakija, Pauline

2009-08-01

There is increasing interest in ensuring that physicians demonstrate the full range of Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education competencies. To determine whether it is possible to develop a feasible and reliable multisource feedback instrument for pathologists and laboratory medicine physicians. Surveys with 39, 30, and 22 items were developed to assess individual physicians by 8 peers, 8 referring physicians, and 8 coworkers (eg, technologists, secretaries), respectively, using 5-point scales and an unable-to-assess category. Physicians completed a self-assessment survey. Items addressed key competencies related to clinical competence, collaboration, professionalism, and communication. Data from 101 pathologists and laboratory medicine physicians were analyzed. The mean number of respondents per physician was 7.6, 7.4, and 7.6 for peers, referring physicians, and coworkers, respectively. The reliability of the internal consistency, measured by Cronbach alpha, was > or = .95 for the full scale of all instruments. Analysis indicated that the medical peer, referring physician, and coworker instruments achieved a generalizability coefficient of .78, .81, and .81, respectively. Factor analysis showed 4 factors on the peer questionnaire accounted for 68.8% of the total variance: reports and clinical competency, collaboration, educational leadership, and professional behavior. For the referring physician survey, 3 factors accounted for 66.9% of the variance: professionalism, reports, and clinical competency. Two factors on the coworker questionnaire accounted for 59.9% of the total variance: communication and professionalism. It is feasible to assess this group of physicians using multisource feedback with instruments that are reliable.

The Role of Laboratory-Based Studies of the Physical and Biological Properties of Sea Ice in Supporting the Observation and Modeling of Ice Covered Seas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Light, B.; Krembs, C.

2003-12-01

Laboratory-based studies of the physical and biological properties of sea ice are an essential link between high latitude field observations and existing numerical models. Such studies promote improved understanding of climatic variability and its impact on sea ice and the structure of ice-dependent marine ecosystems. Controlled laboratory experiments can help identify feedback mechanisms between physical and biological processes and their response to climate fluctuations. Climatically sensitive processes occurring between sea ice and the atmosphere and sea ice and the ocean determine surface radiative energy fluxes and the transfer of nutrients and mass across these boundaries. High temporally and spatially resolved analyses of sea ice under controlled environmental conditions lend insight to the physics that drive these transfer processes. Techniques such as optical probing, thin section photography, and microscopy can be used to conduct experiments on natural sea ice core samples and laboratory-grown ice. Such experiments yield insight on small scale processes from the microscopic to the meter scale and can be powerful interdisciplinary tools for education and model parameterization development. Examples of laboratory investigations by the authors include observation of the response of sea ice microstructure to changes in temperature, assessment of the relationships between ice structure and the partitioning of solar radiation by first-year sea ice covers, observation of pore evolution and interfacial structure, and quantification of the production and impact of microbial metabolic products on the mechanical, optical, and textural characteristics of sea ice.

LABORATORY-SCALE ANALYSIS OF AQUIFER REMEDIATION BY IN-WELL VAPOR STRIPPING 2. MODELING RESULTS. (R825689C061)

EPA Science Inventory

Abstract

The removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from groundwater through in-well vapor stripping has been demonstrated by Gonen and Gvirtzman (1997, J. Contam. Hydrol., 00: 000-000) at the laboratory scale. The present study compares experimental breakthrough...

LOW OZONE-DEPLETING HALOCARBONS AS TOTAL-FLOOD AGENTS: VOLUME 2. LABORATORY-SCALE FIRE SUPPRESSION AND EXPLOSION PREVENTION TESTING

EPA Science Inventory

The report gives results from (1) flame suppression testing of potential Halon-1301 (CF3Br) replacement chemicals in a laboratory cup burner using n-heptane fuel and (2) explosion prevention (inertion) testing in a small-scale explosion sphere using propane and methane as fuels. ...

CORRELATIONS BETWEEN HOMOLOGUE CONCENTRATIONS OF PCDD/FS AND TOXIC EQUIVALENCY VALUES IN LABORATORY-, PACKAGE BOILER-, AND FIELD-SCALE INCINERATORS

EPA Science Inventory

The toxic equivalency (TEQ) values of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) are predicted with a model based on the homologue concentrations measured from a laboratory-scale reactor (124 data points), a package boiler (61 data points), and ...

Remediation and recycling of WBP-treated lumber for use as flakeboard

Treesearch

Ronald Sabo; Jerrold E. Winandy; Carol A. Clausen; Altaf Basta

2008-01-01

Laboratory-scale experiments were conducted in which preservative metals (As, Cr, & Cu) were thermochemically extracted from CCA-treated spruce (Picea engelmannii) using oxalic acid and sodium hydroxide. The effects of extraction time, temperature, and pH were examined and laboratory scale optimization was achieved. Two series of experiments were carried out. In...

Testing of Composite Fan Vanes With Erosion-Resistant Coating Accelerated

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bowman, Cheryl L.; Sutter, James K.; Otten, Kim D.; Samorezov, Sergey; Perusek, Gail P.

2004-01-01

The high-cycle fatigue of composite stator vanes provided an accelerated life-state prior to insertion in a test stand engine. The accelerated testing was performed in the Structural Dynamics Laboratory at the NASA Glenn Research Center under the guidance of Structural Mechanics and Dynamics Branch personnel. Previous research on fixturing and test procedures developed at Glenn determined that engine vibratory conditions could be simulated for polymer matrix composite vanes by using the excitation of a combined slip table and electrodynamic shaker in Glenn's Structural Dynamics Laboratory. Bench-top testing gave researchers the confidence to test the coated vanes in a full-scale engine test.

Optimization of the extraction and purification of the compatible solute ectoine from Halomonas elongate in the laboratory experiment of a commercial production project.

PubMed

Chen, Ruifeng; Zhu, Lijun; Lv, Lihuo; Yao, Su; Li, Bin; Qian, Junqing

2017-06-01

Optimization of compatible solutes (ectoine) extraction and purification from Halomonas elongata cell fermentation had been investigated in the laboratory tests of a large scale commercial production project. After culturing H. elongata cells in developed medium at 28 °C for 23-30 h, we obtained an average yield and biomass of ectoine for 15.9 g/L and 92.9 (OD 600 ), respectively. Cell lysis was performed with acid treatment at moderate high temperature (60-70 °C). The downstream processing operations were designed to be as follows: filtration, desalination, cation exchange, extraction of crude product and three times of refining. Among which the cation exchange and extraction of crude product acquired a high average recovery rate of 95 and 96%; whereas a great loss rate of 19 and 15% was observed during the filtration and desalination, respectively. Combined with the recovering of ectoine from the mother liquor of the three times refining, the average of overall yield (referring to the amount of ectoine synthesized in cells) and purity of final product obtained were 43% and over 98%, respectively. However, key factors that affected the production efficiency were not yields but the time used in the extraction of crude product, involving the crystallization step from water, which spended 24-72 h according to the production scale. Although regarding to the productivity and simplicity on laboratory scale, the method described here can not compete with other investigations, in this study we acquired higher purity of ectoine and provided downstream processes that are capable of operating on industrial scale.

Lithofacies and Diagenetic Controls on Formation-scale Mechanical, Transport, and Sealing Behavior of Caprocks: A Case Study of the Morrow shale and Thirteen Finger Limestone, Farnsworth Unit, Texas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trujillo, N. A.; Heath, J. E.; Mozley, P.; Dewers, T. A.; Cather, M.

2016-12-01

Assessment of caprock sealing behavior for secure CO2 storage is a multiscale endeavor. Sealing behavior arises from the nano-scale capillarity of pore throats, but sealing lithologies alone do not guarantee an effective seal since bypass systems, such as connected, conductive fractures can compromise the integrity of the seal. We apply pore-to-formation-scale data to characterize the multiscale caprock sealing behavior of the Morrow shale and Thirteen Finger Limestone. This work is part of the Southwest Regional Partnership on Carbon Sequestration's Phase III project at the Farnsworth Unit, Texas. The caprock formations overlie the Morrow sandstone, the target for enhanced oil recovery and injection of over one million metric tons of anthropogenically-sourced CO2. Methods include: focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy; laser scanning confocal microscopy; electron and optical petrography; multi-stress path mechanical testing and constitutive modeling; core examinations of sedimentary structures and fractures; and a noble gas profile for formation-scale transport of the sealing lihologies and the reservoir. We develop relationships between diagenetic characteristics of lithofacies to mechanical and petrophysical measurements of the caprocks. The results are applied as part of a caprock sealing behavior performance assessment. Funding for this project is provided by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory through the Southwest Regional Partnership on Carbon Sequestration (SWP) under Award No. DE-FC26-05NT42591. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.

Improved Strength and Damage Modeling of Geologic Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stewart, Sarah; Senft, Laurel

2007-06-01

Collisions and impact cratering events are important processes in the evolution of planetary bodies. The time and length scales of planetary collisions, however, are inaccessible in the laboratory and require the use of shock physics codes. We present the results from a new rheological model for geological materials implemented in the CTH code [1]. The `ROCK' model includes pressure, temperature, and damage effects on strength, as well as acoustic fluidization during impact crater collapse. We demonstrate that the model accurately reproduces final crater shapes, tensile cracking, and damaged zones from laboratory to planetary scales. The strength model requires basic material properties; hence, the input parameters may be benchmarked to laboratory results and extended to planetary collision events. We show the effects of varying material strength parameters, which are dependent on both scale and strain rate, and discuss choosing appropriate parameters for laboratory and planetary situations. The results are a significant improvement in models of continuum rock deformation during large scale impact events. [1] Senft, L. E., Stewart, S. T. Modeling Impact Cratering in Layered Surfaces, J. Geophys. Res., submitted.

Estimation of Confined Peak Strength of Crack-Damaged Rocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bahrani, Navid; Kaiser, Peter K.

2017-02-01

It is known that the unconfined compressive strength of rock decreases with increasing density of geological features such as micro-cracks, fractures, and veins both at the laboratory specimen and rock block scales. This article deals with the confined peak strength of laboratory-scale rock specimens containing grain-scale strength dominating features such as micro-cracks. A grain-based distinct element model, whereby the rock is simulated with grains that are allowed to deform and break, is used to investigate the influence of the density of cracks on the rock strength under unconfined and confined conditions. A grain-based specimen calibrated to the unconfined and confined strengths of intact and heat-treated Wombeyan marble is used to simulate rock specimens with varying crack densities. It is demonstrated how such cracks affect the peak strength, stress-strain curve and failure mode with increasing confinement. The results of numerical simulations in terms of unconfined and confined peak strengths are used to develop semi-empirical relations that relate the difference in strength between the intact and crack-damaged rocks to the confining pressure. It is shown how these relations can be used to estimate the confined peak strength of a rock with micro-cracks when the unconfined and confined strengths of the intact rock and the unconfined strength of the crack-damaged rock are known. This approach for estimating the confined strength of crack-damaged rock specimens, called strength degradation approach, is then verified by application to published laboratory triaxial test data.

Non-destructive evaluation of laboratory scale hydraulic fracturing using acoustic emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hampton, Jesse Clay

The primary objective of this research is to develop techniques to characterize hydraulic fractures and fracturing processes using acoustic emission monitoring based on laboratory scale hydraulic fracturing experiments. Individual microcrack AE source characterization is performed to understand the failure mechanisms associated with small failures along pre-existing discontinuities and grain boundaries. Individual microcrack analysis methods include moment tensor inversion techniques to elucidate the mode of failure, crack slip and crack normal direction vectors, and relative volumetric deformation of an individual microcrack. Differentiation between individual microcrack analysis and AE cloud based techniques is studied in efforts to refine discrete fracture network (DFN) creation and regional damage quantification of densely fractured media. Regional damage estimations from combinations of individual microcrack analyses and AE cloud density plotting are used to investigate the usefulness of weighting cloud based AE analysis techniques with microcrack source data. Two granite types were used in several sample configurations including multi-block systems. Laboratory hydraulic fracturing was performed with sample sizes ranging from 15 x 15 x 25 cm3 to 30 x 30 x 25 cm 3 in both unconfined and true-triaxially confined stress states using different types of materials. Hydraulic fracture testing in rock block systems containing a large natural fracture was investigated in terms of AE response throughout fracture interactions. Investigations of differing scale analyses showed the usefulness of individual microcrack characterization as well as DFN and cloud based techniques. Individual microcrack characterization weighting cloud based techniques correlated well with post-test damage evaluations.

Transcriptomics as a tool for assessing the scalability of mammalian cell perfusion systems.

PubMed

Jayapal, Karthik P; Goudar, Chetan T

2014-01-01

DNA microarray-based transcriptomics have been used to determine the time course of laboratory and manufacturing-scale perfusion bioreactors in an attempt to characterize cell physiological state at these two bioreactor scales. Given the limited availability of genomic data for baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells, a Chinese hamster ovary (CHO)-based microarray was used following a feasibility assessment of cross-species hybridization. A heat shock experiment was performed using both BHK and CHO cells and resulting DNA microarray data were analyzed using a filtering criteria of perfect match (PM)/single base mismatch (MM) > 1.5 and PM-MM > 50 to exclude probes with low specificity or sensitivity for cross-species hybridizations. For BHK cells, 8910 probe sets (39 %) passed the cutoff criteria, whereas 12,961 probe sets (56 %) passed the cutoff criteria for CHO cells. Yet, the data from BHK cells allowed distinct clustering of heat shock and control samples as well as identification of biologically relevant genes as being differentially expressed, indicating the utility of cross-species hybridization. Subsequently, DNA microarray analysis was performed on time course samples from laboratory- and manufacturing-scale perfusion bioreactors that were operated under the same conditions. A majority of the variability (37 %) was associated with the first principal component (PC-1). Although PC-1 changed monotonically with culture duration, the trends were very similar in both the laboratory and manufacturing-scale bioreactors. Therefore, despite time-related changes to the cell physiological state, transcriptomic fingerprints were similar across the two bioreactor scales at any given instance in culture. Multiple genes were identified with time-course expression profiles that were very highly correlated (> 0.9) with bioprocess variables of interest. Although the current incomplete annotation limits the biological interpretation of these observations, their full potential may be realized in due course when richer genomic data become available. By taking a pragmatic approach of transcriptome fingerprinting, we have demonstrated the utility of systems biology to support the comparability of laboratory and manufacturing-scale perfusion systems. Scale-down model qualification is the first step in process characterization and hence is an integral component of robust regulatory filings. Augmenting the current paradigm, which relies primarily on cell culture and product quality information, with gene expression data can help make a substantially stronger case for similarity. With continued advances in systems biology approaches, we expect them to be seamlessly integrated into bioprocess development, which can translate into more robust and high yielding processes that can ultimately reduce cost of care for patients.

MEMS Stirling Cooler Development Update

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moran, Matthew E.; Wesolek, Danielle

2003-01-01

This presentation provides an update on the effort to build and test a prototype unit of the patented MEMS Stirling cooler concept. A micro-scale regenerator has been fabricated by Polar Thermal Technologies and is currently being integrated into a Stirling cycle simulator at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. A discussion of the analysis, design, assembly, and test plans for the prototype will be presented.

Final Report: Sensorpedia Phase 3

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gorman, Bryan L; Resseguie, David R

2011-02-01

This report is a summary of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory s (ORNL s) Phase 3 development of Sensorpedia, a sensor information sharing platform. Sensorpedia is ORNL s Wikipedia for Sensors. The overall goal of Sensorpedia is to enable global scale sensor information sharing for scientific research, national security and defense, public health and safety, emergency preparedness and response, and general community awareness and outreach.

Computer Laboratory for Multi-scale Simulations of Novel Nanomaterials

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-15

schemes for multiscale modeling of polymers. Permselective ion-exchange membranes for protective clothing, fuel cells , and batteries are of special...polyelectrolyte membranes ( PEM ) with chemical warfare agents (CWA) and their simulants and (2) development of new simulation methods and computational...chemical potential using gauge cell method and calculation of density profiles. However, the code does not run in parallel environments. For mesoscale

Let us keep observing and play in sand boxes (Henry Darcy Medal Lecture)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Illangasekare, T. H.

2012-04-01

Henry Darcy was a civil engineer recognized for a number of technical achievements and scientific discoveries. The sand column experiments for which he is known revealed the linear relationship that exists between fluid motion and driving forces at low velocities. Freeze and Back (1983) stated, ''The experiments carried out by Darcy with the help of his assistant, Ritter, in Dijon, France in 1855 and 1856 represent the beginning of groundwater hydrology as a quantitative science." Because of the prominence given to this experiment, two important facts behind Darcy's contributions to subsurface hydrology have not received much attention. First, Darcy was not only a good engineer, but he was also a highly respected scientist whose knowledge of both the fundamentals of fluid mechanics and the natural world of geology led to better conceptualizing and quantifying of groundwater processes at relevant scales to solve practical problems. The experiments for which he is known may have already been conceived, based on his theoretical understanding, and the results were anticipated (Brown 2002). Second, Darcy, through his contributions with Dupuit, showed that they understood hydrologeology at a regional scale and developed methods for quantification at the scale of geologic stratum (Ritz and Bobek, 2008). The primary thesis of this talk is that scientific contributions such as the one Darcy made require appreciation and a thorough understanding of fundamental theory coupled with observation and recording of phenomena both in nature and in the laboratory. Along with all of the significant theoretical, mathematical modeling, and computational advances we have made in the last several decades, laboratory experiments designed to observe phenomena and processes for better insight, accurate data generation, and hypothesis development are critically important to make scientific and engineering advances to address some of the emerging and societally important problems in hydrology and water resources engineering. Kleinhans et al. (2010) convincingly argued the same point, noting, "Many major issues of hydrology are open to experimental investigation." Current and emerging problems with water supply and their hydrologic implications are associated with sustainability of water as a resource for global food production, clean water for potable use, protection of human health, and impacts and implications of global warming and climate change on water resources. This talk will address the subsurface hydrologic science issues that are central to these problems and the role laboratory experimentation can play in helping to advance the basic knowledge. Improved understanding of fundamental flow, transport, reactive, and biological processes that occur at the pore-scale and their manifestation at different modeling and observational scales will continue to advance the subsurface science. Challenges also come from the need to integrate porous media systems with bio-geochemical and atmospheric systems, requiring observing and quantifying complex phenomena across interfaces (e.g., fluid/fluid in pores to land/atmospheric in the field). This talk will discuss how carefully designed and theory driven experiments at various test scales can play a central role in providing answers to critical scientific questions and how they will help to fill knowledge gaps. It will also be shown that careful observations will lead to the refinement of existing theories or the development of new ones. Focusing on the subsurface, the need to keep observing through controlled laboratory experimentation in various test scales from small cells to large sand boxes will be emphasized. How the insights obtained from such experiments will complement modeling and field investigations are highlighted through examples.

Simulations of Tornadoes, Tropical Cyclones, MJOs, and QBOs, using GFDL's multi-scale global climate modeling system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Shian-Jiann; Harris, Lucas; Chen, Jan-Huey; Zhao, Ming

2014-05-01

A multi-scale High-Resolution Atmosphere Model (HiRAM) is being developed at NOAA/Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory. The model's dynamical framework is the non-hydrostatic extension of the vertically Lagrangian finite-volume dynamical core (Lin 2004, Monthly Wea. Rev.) constructed on a stretchable (via Schmidt transformation) cubed-sphere grid. Physical parametrizations originally designed for IPCC-type climate predictions are in the process of being modified and made more "scale-aware", in an effort to make the model suitable for multi-scale weather-climate applications, with horizontal resolution ranging from 1 km (near the target high-resolution region) to as low as 400 km (near the antipodal point). One of the main goals of this development is to enable simulation of high impact weather phenomena (such as tornadoes, thunderstorms, category-5 hurricanes) within an IPCC-class climate modeling system previously thought impossible. We will present preliminary results, covering a very wide spectrum of temporal-spatial scales, ranging from simulation of tornado genesis (hours), Madden-Julian Oscillations (intra-seasonal), topical cyclones (seasonal), to Quasi Biennial Oscillations (intra-decadal), using the same global multi-scale modeling system.

Yield cultivation of magnetotactic bacteria and magnetosomes: A review.

PubMed

Ali, Imran; Peng, Changsheng; Khan, Zahid M; Naz, Iffat

2017-08-01

Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) have started to be employed for the biosynthesis of magnetic nanoparticles, due to the rapidly increasing demand for nanoparticles in biomedical, biotechnology and environmental protection. MBT are the group of prokaryotes that have the ability to produce bio-magnetic minerals or bio-magnetic crystals of either magnetite (Fe 3 O 4 ) or greigite (Fe 3 S 4 ) in numerous shapes and size ranges, known as magnetosomes (MS). MS compel MTB to respond to the applied external magnetic field. However, it is extremely difficult to grow MTB and produce high yield of MS under artificial environmental conditions, thus creating a major hurdle to relocate MTB technology from laboratory scale to industrial or commercial level. Therefore, to best of our knowledge this review is the first attempt to highlight existing research developments about the laboratory scale and mass production of MS by MTB. Moreover, the optimum culture media and environmental conditions used for the cultivation of MTB were also considered. Finally, future research is encouraged for the improvement of MS yield which will result in the development of advanced nanotechnology/magnetotechnology. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Airborne Subscale Transport Aircraft Research Testbed: Aircraft Model Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jordan, Thomas L.; Langford, William M.; Hill, Jeffrey S.

2005-01-01

The Airborne Subscale Transport Aircraft Research (AirSTAR) testbed being developed at NASA Langley Research Center is an experimental flight test capability for research experiments pertaining to dynamics modeling and control beyond the normal flight envelope. An integral part of that testbed is a 5.5% dynamically scaled, generic transport aircraft. This remotely piloted vehicle (RPV) is powered by twin turbine engines and includes a collection of sensors, actuators, navigation, and telemetry systems. The downlink for the plane includes over 70 data channels, plus video, at rates up to 250 Hz. Uplink commands for aircraft control include over 30 data channels. The dynamic scaling requirement, which includes dimensional, weight, inertial, actuator, and data rate scaling, presents distinctive challenges in both the mechanical and electrical design of the aircraft. Discussion of these requirements and their implications on the development of the aircraft along with risk mitigation strategies and training exercises are included here. Also described are the first training (non-research) flights of the airframe. Additional papers address the development of a mobile operations station and an emulation and integration laboratory.

Fabrication methods for YF-12 wing panels for the Supersonic Cruise Aircraft Research Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoffman, E. L.; Payne, L.; Carter, A. L.

1975-01-01

Advanced fabrication and joining processes for titanium and composite materials are being investigated by NASA to develop technology for the Supersonic Cruise Aircraft Research (SCAR) Program. With Lockheed-ADP as the prime contractor, full-scale structural panels are being designed and fabricated to replace an existing integrally stiffened shear panel on the upper wing surface of the NASA YF-12 aircraft. The program involves ground testing and Mach 3 flight testing of full-scale structural panels and laboratory testing of representative structural element specimens. Fabrication methods and test results for weldbrazed and Rohrbond titanium panels are discussed. The fabrication methods being developed for boron/aluminum, Borsic/aluminum, and graphite/polyimide panels are also presented.

Laboratory Applications of the Vortex Tube.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bruno, Thomas J.

1987-01-01

Discussed are a brief explanation of the function of the vortex tube and some applications for the chemistry laboratory. It is a useful and inexpensive solution to many small-scale laboratory heating and cooling applications. (RH)

Development of a regional groundwater flow model for the area of the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Eastern Snake River Plain Aquifer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McCarthy, J.M.; Arnett, R.C.; Neupauer, R.M.

This report documents a study conducted to develop a regional groundwater flow model for the Eastern Snake River Plain Aquifer in the area of the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. The model was developed to support Waste Area Group 10, Operable Unit 10-04 groundwater flow and transport studies. The products of this study are this report and a set of computational tools designed to numerically model the regional groundwater flow in the Eastern Snake River Plain aquifer. The objective of developing the current model was to create a tool for defining the regional groundwater flow at the INEL. The model wasmore » developed to (a) support future transport modeling for WAG 10-04 by providing the regional groundwater flow information needed for the WAG 10-04 risk assessment, (b) define the regional groundwater flow setting for modeling groundwater contaminant transport at the scale of the individual WAGs, (c) provide a tool for improving the understanding of the groundwater flow system below the INEL, and (d) consolidate the existing regional groundwater modeling information into one usable model. The current model is appropriate for defining the regional flow setting for flow submodels as well as hypothesis testing to better understand the regional groundwater flow in the area of the INEL. The scale of the submodels must be chosen based on accuracy required for the study.« less

Quality Indicators of Cervical Cytopathology Tests in the Public Service in Minas Gerais, Brazil.

PubMed

Tobias, Alessandra Hermógenes Gomes; Amaral, Rita Goreti; Diniz, Elói Martins; Carneiro, Cláudia Martins

2016-02-01

The objective of this study is to assess the performance of cytopathology laboratories providing services to the Brazilian Unified Health System (Sistema Único de Saúde - SUS) in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. This descriptive study uses data obtained from the Cervical Cancer Information System from January to December 2012. Three quality indicators were analyzed to assess the quality of cervical cytopathology tests: positivity index, percentage of atypical squamous cells (ASCs) in abnormal tests, and percentage of tests compatible with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSILs). Laboratories were classified according to their production scale in tests per year ≤ 5,000; from 5,001 to 10,000; from 10,001 to 15,000; and ≥ 15,001. Based on the collection of variables and the classification of laboratories according to production scale, we created and analyzed a database using Microsoft Office Excel 97-2003. In the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, 146 laboratories provided services to the SUS in 2012 by performing a total of 1,277,018 cervical cytopathology tests. Half of these laboratories had production scales ≤ 5,000 tests/year and accounted for 13.1% of all tests performed in the entire state; in turn, 13.7% of these laboratories presented production scales of > 15,001 tests/year and accounted for 49.2% of the total of tests performed in the entire state. The positivity indexes of most laboratories providing services to the SUS in 2012, regardless of production scale, were below or well below recommended limits. Of the 20 laboratories that performed more than 15,001 tests per year, only three presented percentages of tests compatible with HSILs above the lower limit recommended by the Brazilian Ministry of Health. The majority of laboratories providing services to the SUS in Minas Gerais presented quality indicators outside the range recommended by the Brazilian Ministry of Health. Thieme Publicações Ltda Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Mapping cognitive structures of community college students engaged in basic electrostatics laboratories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haggerty, Dennis Charles

Community college students need to be abstract thinkers in order to be successful in the introductory Physics curriculum. The purpose of this dissertation is to map the abstract thinking of community college Physics students. The laboratory environment was used as a vehicle for the mapping. Three laboratory experiments were encountered. One laboratory was based on the classic Piagetian task, the centripetal motion (CM) problem. The other two laboratories were introductory electrostatic Physics experiments, Resistance (RES) and Capacitance (CAP). The students performed all laboratories using the thinking-aloud technique. The researcher collected their verbal protocols using audiotapes. The audiotaped data was quantified by comparing it to a scoring matrix based on the Piagetian logical operators (Inhelder & Piaget, 1958) for abstract thinking. The students received scores for each laboratory experiment. These scores were compared to a reliable test of intellectual functioning, the Shipley Institute of Living Scale (SILS). Spearman rank correlation coefficients (SRCC) were obtained for SILS versus CM; SILS versus RES; and SILS versus CAP. Statistically significant results were obtained for SILS versus CM and SILS versus RES at the p < 0.05 level. When an outlier to the data was considered and suppressed, the SILS versus CAP was also statistically significant at the p < 0.05 level. The scoring matrix permits a bridge from the qualitative Piagetian level of cognitive development to a quantified, mapped level of cognitive development. The ability to quantify student abstract thinking in Physics education provides a means to adjust an instructional approach. This approach could lead to a proper state of Physics education.

Scale-up bioprocess development for production of the antibiotic valinomycin in Escherichia coli based on consistent fed-batch cultivations.

PubMed

Li, Jian; Jaitzig, Jennifer; Lu, Ping; Süssmuth, Roderich D; Neubauer, Peter

2015-06-12

Heterologous production of natural products in Escherichia coli has emerged as an attractive strategy to obtain molecules of interest. Although technically feasible most of them are still constrained to laboratory scale production. Therefore, it is necessary to develop reasonable scale-up strategies for bioprocesses aiming at the overproduction of targeted natural products under industrial scale conditions. To this end, we used the production of the antibiotic valinomycin in E. coli as a model system for scalable bioprocess development based on consistent fed-batch cultivations. In this work, the glucose limited fed-batch strategy based on pure mineral salt medium was used throughout all scales for valinomycin production. The optimal glucose feed rate was initially detected by the use of a biocatalytically controlled glucose release (EnBase® technology) in parallel cultivations in 24-well plates with continuous monitoring of pH and dissolved oxygen. These results were confirmed in shake flasks, where the accumulation of valinomycin was highest when the specific growth rate decreased below 0.1 h(-1). This correlation was also observed for high cell density fed-batch cultivations in a lab-scale bioreactor. The bioreactor fermentation produced valinomycin with titers of more than 2 mg L(-1) based on the feeding of a concentrated glucose solution. Valinomycin production was not affected by oscillating conditions (i.e. glucose and oxygen) in a scale-down two-compartment reactor, which could mimic similar situations in industrial bioreactors, suggesting that the process is very robust and a scaling of the process to a larger industrial scale appears a realistic scenario. Valinomycin production was scaled up from mL volumes to 10 L with consistent use of the fed-batch technology. This work presents a robust and reliable approach for scalable bioprocess development and represents an example for the consistent development of a process for a heterologously expressed natural product towards the industrial scale.

Enabling systematic, harmonised and large-scale biofilms data computation: the Biofilms Experiment Workbench.

PubMed

Pérez-Rodríguez, Gael; Glez-Peña, Daniel; Azevedo, Nuno F; Pereira, Maria Olívia; Fdez-Riverola, Florentino; Lourenço, Anália

2015-03-01

Biofilms are receiving increasing attention from the biomedical community. Biofilm-like growth within human body is considered one of the key microbial strategies to augment resistance and persistence during infectious processes. The Biofilms Experiment Workbench is a novel software workbench for the operation and analysis of biofilms experimental data. The goal is to promote the interchange and comparison of data among laboratories, providing systematic, harmonised and large-scale data computation. The workbench was developed with AIBench, an open-source Java desktop application framework for scientific software development in the domain of translational biomedicine. Implementation favours free and open-source third-parties, such as the R statistical package, and reaches for the Web services of the BiofOmics database to enable public experiment deposition. First, we summarise the novel, free, open, XML-based interchange format for encoding biofilms experimental data. Then, we describe the execution of common scenarios of operation with the new workbench, such as the creation of new experiments, the importation of data from Excel spreadsheets, the computation of analytical results, the on-demand and highly customised construction of Web publishable reports, and the comparison of results between laboratories. A considerable and varied amount of biofilms data is being generated, and there is a critical need to develop bioinformatics tools that expedite the interchange and comparison of microbiological and clinical results among laboratories. We propose a simple, open-source software infrastructure which is effective, extensible and easy to understand. The workbench is freely available for non-commercial use at http://sing.ei.uvigo.es/bew under LGPL license. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Waste management technology development and demonstration programs at Brookhaven National Laboratory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kalb, Paul D.; Colombo, Peter

1991-01-01

Two thermoplastic processes for improved treatment of radioactive, hazardous, and mixed wastes were developed from bench scale through technology demonstration: polyethylene encapsulation and modified sulfur cement encapsulation. The steps required to bring technologies from the research and development stage through full scale implementation are described. Both systems result in durable waste forms that meet current Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Environmental Protection Agency regulatory criteria and provide significant improvements over conventional solidification systems such as hydraulic cement. For example, the polyethylene process can encapsulate up to 70 wt pct. nitrate salt, compared with a maximum of about 20 wt pct. for the best hydraulic cement formulation. Modified sulfur cement waste forms containing as much as 43 wt pct. incinerator fly ash were formulated, whereas the maximum quantity of this waste in hydraulic cement is 16 wt pct.

Experiences Integrating Transmission and Distribution Simulations for DERs with the Integrated Grid Modeling System (IGMS)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Palmintier, Bryan; Hale, Elaine; Hodge, Bri-Mathias

2016-08-11

This paper discusses the development of, approaches for, experiences with, and some results from a large-scale, high-performance-computer-based (HPC-based) co-simulation of electric power transmission and distribution systems using the Integrated Grid Modeling System (IGMS). IGMS was developed at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) as a novel Independent System Operator (ISO)-to-appliance scale electric power system modeling platform that combines off-the-shelf tools to simultaneously model 100s to 1000s of distribution systems in co-simulation with detailed ISO markets, transmission power flows, and AGC-level reserve deployment. Lessons learned from the co-simulation architecture development are shared, along with a case study that explores the reactivemore » power impacts of PV inverter voltage support on the bulk power system.« less

Implementation of quality management systems and progress towards accreditation of National Tuberculosis Reference Laboratories in Africa

PubMed Central

de Dieu Iragena, Jean; Kao, Kekeletso; Erni, Donatelle; Mekonen, Teferi

2017-01-01

Background Laboratory services are essential at all stages of the tuberculosis care cascade, from diagnosis and drug resistance testing to monitoring response to treatment. Enabling access to quality services is a challenge in low-resource settings. Implementation of a strong quality management system (QMS) and laboratory accreditation are key to improving patient care. Objectives The study objective was to determine the status of QMS implementation and progress towards accreditation of National Tuberculosis Reference Laboratories (NTRLs) in the African Region. Method An online questionnaire was administered to NTRL managers in 47 World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa member states in the region, between February and April 2015, regarding the knowledge of QMS tools and progress toward implementation to inform strategies for tuberculosis diagnostic services strengthening in the region. Results A total of 21 laboratories (43.0%) had received SLMTA/TB-SLMTA training, of which 10 had also used the Global Laboratory Initiative accreditation tool. However, only 36.7% of NTRLs had received a laboratory audit, a first step in quality improvement. Most NTRLs participated in acid-fast bacilli microscopy external quality assurance (95.8%), although external quality assurance for other techniques was lower (60.4% for first-line drug susceptibility testing, 25.0% for second-line drug susceptibility testing, and 22.9% for molecular testing). Barriers to accreditation included lack of training and accreditation programmes. Only 28.6% of NTRLs had developed strategic plans and budgets which included accreditation. Conclusion Good foundations are in place on the continent from which to scale up accreditation efforts. Laboratory audits should be conducted as a first step in developing quality improvement action plans. Political commitment and strong leadership are needed to drive accreditation efforts; advocacy will require clear evidence of patient impact and cost-benefit. PMID:28879161

NETL Extreme Drilling Laboratory Studies High Pressure High Temperature Drilling Phenomena

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lyons, K.D.; Honeygan, S.; Moroz, T.H.

2008-12-01

The U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) established the Extreme Drilling Laboratory to engineer effective and efficient drilling technologies viable at depths greater than 20,000 ft. This paper details the challenges of ultradeep drilling, documents reports of decreased drilling rates as a result of increasing fluid pressure and temperature, and describes NETL's research and development activities. NETL is invested in laboratory-scale physical simulation. Its physical simulator will have capability of circulating drilling fluids at 30,000 psi and 480°F around a single drill cutter. This simulator is not yet operational; therefore, the results will be limited to themore » identification of leading hypotheses of drilling phenomena and NETL's test plans to validate or refute such theories. Of particular interest to the Extreme Drilling Laboratory's studies are the combinatorial effects of drilling fluid pressure, drilling fluid properties, rock properties, pore pressure, and drilling parameters, such as cutter rotational speed, weight on bit, and hydraulics associated with drilling fluid introduction to the rock-cutter interface. A detailed discussion of how each variable is controlled in a laboratory setting will be part of the conference paper and presentation.« less

Inertial Fusion and High-Energy-Density Science in the United States

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tarter, C B

2001-09-06

Inertial fusion and high-energy density science worldwide is poised to take a great leap forward. In the US, programs at the University of Rochester, Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), the Naval Research Laboratory, and many smaller laboratories have laid the groundwork for building a facility in which fusion ignition can be studied in the laboratory for the first time. The National Ignition Facility (NIF) is being built by the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Agency to provide an experimental test bed for the US Stockpile Stewardship Program (SSP) to ensure the dependabilitymore » of the country's nuclear deterrent without underground nuclear testing. NIF and other large laser systems being planned such as the Laser MegaJoule (LMJ) in France will also make important contributions to basic science, the development of inertial fusion energy, and other scientific and technological endeavors. NIF will be able to produce extreme temperatures and pressures in matter. This will allow simulating astrophysical phenomena (on a tiny scale) and measuring the equation of state of material under conditions that exist in planetary cores.« less

Incorporating Scale-Dependent Fracture Stiffness for Improved Reservoir Performance Prediction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crawford, B. R.; Tsenn, M. C.; Homburg, J. M.; Stehle, R. C.; Freysteinson, J. A.; Reese, W. C.

2017-12-01

We present a novel technique for predicting dynamic fracture network response to production-driven changes in effective stress, with the potential for optimizing depletion planning and improving recovery prediction in stress-sensitive naturally fractured reservoirs. A key component of the method involves laboratory geomechanics testing of single fractures in order to develop a unique scaling relationship between fracture normal stiffness and initial mechanical aperture. Details of the workflow are as follows: tensile, opening mode fractures are created in a variety of low matrix permeability rocks with initial, unstressed apertures in the micrometer to millimeter range, as determined from image analyses of X-ray CT scans; subsequent hydrostatic compression of these fractured samples with synchronous radial strain and flow measurement indicates that both mechanical and hydraulic aperture reduction varies linearly with the natural logarithm of effective normal stress; these stress-sensitive single-fracture laboratory observations are then upscaled to networks with fracture populations displaying frequency-length and length-aperture scaling laws commonly exhibited by natural fracture arrays; functional relationships between reservoir pressure reduction and fracture network porosity, compressibility and directional permeabilities as generated by such discrete fracture network modeling are then exported to the reservoir simulator for improved naturally fractured reservoir performance prediction.

Aging aircraft NDI Development and Demonstration Center (AANC): An overview. [nondestructive inspection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walter, Patrick L.

1992-01-01

A major center with emphasis on validation of nondestructive inspection (NDI) techniques for aging aircraft, the Aging Aircraft NDI Development and Demonstration Center (AANC), has been funded by the FAA at Sandia National Laboratories. The Center has been assigned specific tasks in developing techniques for the nondestructive inspection of static engine parts, assessing inspection reliability (POD experiments), developing testbeds for NDI validation, maintaining a FAA library of characterized aircraft structural test specimens, and leasing a hangar to house a high flight cycle transport aircraft for use as a full scale test bed.

Purchase of Microwave Reactors for Implementation of Small-scale Microwave-accelerated Organic Chemistry Laboratory Program in Undergraduate Curriculum and Synthetic Chemistry Research at HU

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-16

synthesis of iron magnetic nanoparticles is being investigated (Appendix A; Scheme IV). In the first step, precursor iron(III) chloride nanoparticles...and other methods. Currently, we are developing a two-step scheme for the synthesis of esters that will require distillation and/or column...recognize the link between them. We are developing for the above purpose, the microwave-assisted, two-step synthesis of high boiling point esters. The

Fiber-Optic Sensing System: Overview, Development and Deployment in Flight at NASA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chan, Hon Man; Parker, Allen R.; Piazza, Anthony; Richards, W. Lance

2015-01-01

An overview of the research and technological development of the fiber-optic sensing system (FOSS) at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Armstrong Flight Research Center (NASA AFRC) is presented. Theory behind fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors, as well as interrogation technique based on optical frequency domain reflectometry (OFDR) is discussed. Assessment and validation of FOSS as an accurate measurement tool for structural health monitoring is realized in the laboratory environment as well as large-scale flight deployment.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Siranosian, Antranik Antonio; Schembri, Philip Edward; Luscher, Darby Jon

The Los Alamos National Laboratory's Weapon Systems Engineering division's Advanced Engineering Analysis group employs material constitutive models of composites for use in simulations of components and assemblies of interest. Experimental characterization, modeling and prediction of the macro-scale (i.e. continuum) behaviors of these composite materials is generally difficult because they exhibit nonlinear behaviors on the meso- (e.g. micro-) and macro-scales. Furthermore, it can be difficult to measure and model the mechanical responses of the individual constituents and constituent interactions in the composites of interest. Current efforts to model such composite materials rely on semi-empirical models in which meso-scale properties are inferredmore » from continuum level testing and modeling. The proposed approach involves removing the difficulties of interrogating and characterizing micro-scale behaviors by scaling-up the problem to work with macro-scale composites, with the intention of developing testing and modeling capabilities that will be applicable to the mesoscale. This approach assumes that the physical mechanisms governing the responses of the composites on the meso-scale are reproducible on the macro-scale. Working on the macro-scale simplifies the quantification of composite constituents and constituent interactions so that efforts can be focused on developing material models and the testing techniques needed for calibration and validation. Other benefits to working with macro-scale composites include the ability to engineer and manufacture—potentially using additive manufacturing techniques—composites that will support the application of advanced measurement techniques such as digital volume correlation and three-dimensional computed tomography imaging, which would aid in observing and quantifying complex behaviors that are exhibited in the macro-scale composites of interest. Ultimately, the goal of this new approach is to develop a meso-scale composite modeling framework, applicable to many composite materials, and the corresponding macroscale testing and test data interrogation techniques to support model calibration.« less

State-wide hospital clinical laboratory plan for measuring cholinesterase activity for individuals suspected of exposure to nerve agent chemical weapons.

PubMed

Wu, Alan H B; Smith, Andrew; McComb, Robert; Bowers, George N; Makowski, Gregory S; McKay, Charles A; Vena, Jason; McDonagh, John; Hopfer, Sidney; Sena, Salvatore F; Malkus, Herbert; Forte, Elaine; Kelly, Katherine

2008-02-01

Hospital laboratories currently lack the capacity to provide emergency determination of cholinesterase activity. We have developed a hospital-based 3-tiered system to test plasma for butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) activity and whole blood for red cell acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity using available technology and personnel. Interagency communications, toxidrome definition, and patient triage will be coordinated by the Connecticut Department of Public Health and the Poison Control Center. Initial BChE data documents good precision between institutions (coefficient of variation < 8%). Laboratory testing of plasma or blood for cholinesterase activity is important in the management of nerve agent exposure and in ruling out disease in those with non-specific symptoms in the setting of a terrorist attack or accidental exposure. Rapid availability of strong hospital-based analytic support in a smoothly functioning network of clinical, public health, and laboratory services will facilitate overall regional response to chemical terrorism or large scale HazMat events.

BOW SHOCK FRAGMENTATION DRIVEN BY A THERMAL INSTABILITY IN LABORATORY ASTROPHYSICS EXPERIMENTS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Suzuki-Vidal, F.; Lebedev, S. V.; Pickworth, L. A.

The role of radiative cooling during the evolution of a bow shock was studied in laboratory-astrophysics experiments that are scalable to bow shocks present in jets from young stellar objects. The laboratory bow shock is formed during the collision of two counterstreaming, supersonic plasma jets produced by an opposing pair of radial foil Z-pinches driven by the current pulse from the MAGPIE pulsed-power generator. The jets have different flow velocities in the laboratory frame, and the experiments are driven over many times the characteristic cooling timescale. The initially smooth bow shock rapidly develops small-scale nonuniformities over temporal and spatial scalesmore » that are consistent with a thermal instability triggered by strong radiative cooling in the shock. The growth of these perturbations eventually results in a global fragmentation of the bow shock front. The formation of a thermal instability is supported by analysis of the plasma cooling function calculated for the experimental conditions with the radiative packages ABAKO/RAPCAL.« less

Overview and challenges of molecular technologies in the veterinary microbiology laboratory.

PubMed

Cunha, Mónica V; Inácio, João

2015-01-01

Terrestrial, aquatic, and aerial animals, either domestic or wild, humans, and plants all face similar health threats caused by infectious agents. Multifaceted anthropic pressure caused by an increasingly growing and resource-demanding human population has affected biodiversity at all scales, from the DNA molecule to the pathogen, to the ecosystem level, leading to species declines and extinctions and, also, to host-pathogen coevolution processes. Technological developments over the last century have also led to quantic jumps in laboratorial testing that have highly impacted animal health and welfare, ameliorated animal management and animal trade, safeguarded public health, and ultimately helped to "secure" biodiversity. In particular, the field of molecular diagnostics experienced tremendous technical progresses over the last two decades that significantly have contributed to our ability to study microbial pathogens in the clinical and research laboratories. This chapter highlights the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (or challenges) of molecular technologies in the framework of a veterinary microbiology laboratory, in view of the latest advances.

Atmospheric Research 2016 Technical Highlights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Platnick, Steven

2017-01-01

Atmospheric research in the Earth Sciences Division (610) consists of research and technology development programs dedicated to advancing knowledge and understanding of the atmosphere and its interaction with the climate of Earth. The Divisions goals are to improve understanding of the dynamics and physical properties of precipitation, clouds, and aerosols; atmospheric chemistry, including the role of natural and anthropogenic trace species on the ozone balance in the stratosphere and the troposphere; and radiative properties of Earth's atmosphere and the influence of solar variability on the Earth's climate. Major research activities are carried out in the Mesoscale Atmospheric Processes Laboratory, the Climate and Radiation Laboratory, the Atmospheric Chemistry and Dynamics Laboratory, and the Wallops Field Support Office. The overall scope of the research covers an end-to-end process, starting with the identification of scientific problems, leading to observation requirements for remote-sensing platforms, technology and retrieval algorithm development; followed by flight projects and satellite missions; and eventually, resulting in data processing, analyses of measurements, and dissemination from flight projects and missions. Instrument scientists conceive, design, develop, and implement ultraviolet, infrared, optical, radar, laser, and lidar technology to remotely sense the atmosphere. Members of the various laboratories conduct field measurements for satellite sensor calibration and data validation, and carry out numerous modeling activities. These modeling activities include climate model simulations, modeling the chemistry and transport of trace species on regional-to-global scales, cloud resolving models, and developing the next-generation Earth system models. Satellite missions, field campaigns, peer-reviewed publications, and successful proposals are essential at every stage of the research process to meeting our goals and maintaining leadership of the Earth Sciences Division in atmospheric science research. Figure 1.1 shows the 22-year record of peer-reviewed publications and proposals among the various laboratories.

Parachute Testing for Mars Science Laboratory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2007-01-01

The team developing the landing system for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory tested the deployment of an early parachute design in mid-October 2007 inside the world's largest wind tunnel, at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California.

In this image, an engineer is dwarfed by the parachute, which holds more air than a 280-square-meter (3,000-square-foot) house and is designed to survive loads in excess of 36,000 kilograms (80,000 pounds).

The parachute, built by Pioneer Aerospace, South Windsor, Connecticut, has 80 suspension lines, measures more than 50 meters (165 feet) in length, and opens to a diameter of nearly 17 meters (55 feet). It is the largest disk-gap-band parachute ever built and is shown here inflated in the test section with only about 3.8 meters (12.5 feet) of clearance to both the floor and ceiling.

The wind tunnel, which is 24 meters (80 feet) tall and 37 meters (120 feet) wide and big enough to house a Boeing 737, is part of the National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex, operated by the U.S. Air Force, Arnold Engineering Development Center.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, is building and testing the Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft for launch in 2009. The mission will land a roving analytical laboratory on the surface of Mars in 2010. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology.

Preliminary Validation and Reliability Testing of the Montreal Instrument for Cat Arthritis Testing, for Use by Veterinarians, in a Colony of Laboratory Cats

PubMed Central

Klinck, Mary P.; Rialland, Pascale; Guillot, Martin; Moreau, Maxim; Frank, Diane; Troncy, Eric

2015-01-01

Simple Summary Feline osteoarthritis (OA) is challenging to diagnose. A pain scale was developed for use by veterinarians, in association with their physical examination, and tested for reliability and validity. The scale items were: Interaction with the examiner, Exploration of the room, Body Posture, Gait, Body Condition, condition of Coat and Claws, and abnormal Findings or Cat Reaction upon joint Palpation. Expert review supported the scale content. Two studies using laboratory-housed cats found the most promising results for Gait and Body Posture, in terms of distinguishing between OA and non-OA cats, repeatability of results, and correlations with objectively measured kinetics (weight-bearing). Abstract Subtle signs and conflicting physical and radiographic findings make feline osteoarthritis (OA) challenging to diagnose. A physical examination-based assessment was developed, consisting of eight items: Interaction, Exploration, Posture, Gait, Body Condition, Coat and Claws, (joint) Palpation–Findings, and Palpation–Cat Reaction. Content (experts) and face (veterinary students) validity were excellent. Construct validity, internal consistency, and intra- and inter-rater reliability were assessed via a pilot and main study, using laboratory-housed cats with and without OA. Gait distinguished OA status in the pilot (p = 0.05) study. In the main study, no scale item achieved statistically significant OA detection. Forelimb peak vertical ground reaction force (PVF) correlated inversely with Gait (Rhos = −0.38 (p = 0.03) to −0.41 (p = 0.02)). Body Posture correlated with Gait, and inversely with forelimb PVF at two of three time points (Rhos = −0.38 (p = 0.03) to −0.43 (p = 0.01)). Palpation (Findings, Cat Reaction) did not distinguish OA from non-OA cats. Palpation—Cat Reaction (Forelimbs) correlated inversely with forelimb PVF at two time points (Rhos = −0.41 (p = 0.02) to −0.41 (p = 0.01)), but scores were highly variable, and poorly reliable. Gait and Posture require improved sensitivity, and Palpation should be interpreted cautiously, in diagnosing feline OA. PMID:26633524

Systems Engineering Provides Successful High Temperature Steam Electrolysis Project

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Charles V. Park; Emmanuel Ohene Opare, Jr.

2011-06-01

This paper describes two Systems Engineering Studies completed at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to support development of the High Temperature Stream Electrolysis (HTSE) process. HTSE produces hydrogen from water using nuclear power and was selected by the Department of Energy (DOE) for integration with the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP). The first study was a reliability, availability and maintainability (RAM) analysis to identify critical areas for technology development based on available information regarding expected component performance. An HTSE process baseline flowsheet at commercial scale was used as a basis. The NGNP project also established a process and capability tomore » perform future RAM analyses. The analysis identified which components had the greatest impact on HTSE process availability and indicated that the HTSE process could achieve over 90% availability. The second study developed a series of life-cycle cost estimates for the various scale-ups required to demonstrate the HTSE process. Both studies were useful in identifying near- and long-term efforts necessary for successful HTSE process deployment. The size of demonstrations to support scale-up was refined, which is essential to estimate near- and long-term cost and schedule. The life-cycle funding profile, with high-level allocations, was identified as the program transitions from experiment scale R&D to engineering scale demonstration.« less

Constructing constitutive relationships for seismic and aseismic fault slip

USGS Publications Warehouse

Beeler, N.M.

2009-01-01

For the purpose of modeling natural fault slip, a useful result from an experimental fault mechanics study would be a physically-based constitutive relation that well characterizes all the relevant observations. This report describes an approach for constructing such equations. Where possible the construction intends to identify or, at least, attribute physical processes and contact scale physics to the observations such that the resulting relations can be extrapolated in conditions and scale between the laboratory and the Earth. The approach is developed as an alternative but is based on Ruina (1983) and is illustrated initially by constructing a couple of relations from that study. In addition, two example constitutive relationships are constructed; these describe laboratory observations not well-modeled by Ruina's equations: the unexpected shear-induced weakening of silica-rich rocks at high slip speed (Goldsby and Tullis, 2002) and fault strength in the brittle ductile transition zone (Shimamoto, 1986). The examples, provided as illustration, may also be useful for quantitative modeling.

Coupled Physical/Chemical and Biofiltration Technologies to Reduce Air Emissions from Forest Products Industries

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gary D. McGinnis

2001-12-31

The research is a laboratory and bench-scale investigation of a system to concentrate and destroy volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including hazardous air pollutants, formed from the drying of wood and the manufacture of wood board products (e.g., particle board and oriented strandboard). The approach that was investigated involved concentrating the dilute VOCs (<500 ppmv) with a physical/chemical adsorption unit, followed by the treatment of the concentrated voc stream (2,000 to 2,500 ppmv) with a biofiltration unit. The research program lasted three years, and involved three research organizations. Michigan Technological University was the primary recipient of the financial assistance, the USDAmore » Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) and Mississippi State University (MSU) were subcontractors to MTU. The ultimate objective of this research was to develop a pilot-scale demonstration of the technology with sufficient data to provide for the design of an industrial system. No commercialization activities were included in this project.« less

Affordable proteomics: the two-hybrid systems.

PubMed

Gillespie, Marc

2003-06-01

Numerous proteomic methodologies exist, but most require a heavy investment in expertise and technology. This puts these approaches out of reach for many laboratories and small companies, rarely allowing proteomics to be used as a pilot approach for biomarker or target identification. Two proteomic approaches, 2D gel electrophoresis and the two-hybrid systems, are currently available to most researchers. The two-hybrid systems, though accommodating to large-scale experiments, were originally designed as practical screens, that by comparison to current proteomics tools were small-scale, affordable and technically feasible. The screens rapidly generated data, identifying protein interactions that were previously uncharacterized. The foundation for a two-hybrid proteomic investigation can be purchased as separate kits from a number of companies. The true power of the technique lies not in its affordability, but rather in its portability. The two-hybrid system puts proteomics back into laboratories where the output of the screens can be evaluated by researchers with experience in the particular fields of basic research, cancer biology, toxicology or drug development.

Hybrid Encapsulated Ionic Liquids for Post-Combustion Carbon Dioxide (CO 2) Capture

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brennecke, Joan F; Degnan, Jr, Thomas Francis; McCready, Mark J.

Ionic liquids (ILs) and Phase Change Ionic Liquids (PCILs) are excellent materials for selective removal of carbon dioxide from dilute post-combustion streams. However, they are typically characterized as having high viscosities, which impairs their effectiveness due to mass transfer limitations, caused by the high viscosities. In this project, we are examining the benefits of encapsulating ILs and PCILs in thin polymeric shells to produce particles of approximately 100 to 600 µm in diameter that can be used in a fluidized bed absorber. The particles are produced by microencapsulation of the ILs and PCILs in CO 2-permeable polymer shells. Here wemore » report on the encapsulation of the IL and PCIL materials, thermodynamic testing of the encapsulated materials, mass transfer measurements in both a fluidized bed and a packed bed, determination of the effect of impurities (SO 2, NO x and water) on the free and encapsulated IL and PCIL, recyclability of the CO 2 uptake, selection and synthesis of kg quantities of the IL and PCIL, identification of scale-up methods for encapsulation and production of a kg quantity of the PCIL, construction and shakedown of the laboratory scale unit to test the encapsulated particles for CO 2 capture ability and efficiency, use of our mass transfer model to predict mass transfer and identify optimal properties of the encapsulated particles, and initial testing of the encapsulated particles in the laboratory scale unit. We also show our attempts at developing shell materials that are resistant to water permeation. Overall, we have shown that the selected IL and PCIL can be successfully encapsulated in polymer shells and the methods scaled up to production levels. The IL/PCIL and encapsulated IL/PCIL react irreversibly with SO 2 and NO x so the CO 2 capture unit would need to be placed after the flue gas desulfurization and NO x reduction units. However, the reaction with CO 2 in the presence of water is completely reversible. Therefore, it is not necessary to exclude water from the capsules. Mass transfer in the fluidized and packed beds confirm that the fluidized bed arrangement is preferred and that the mass transfer can be predicted accurately by the rate based model that we have developed. Absorption and desorption experiments in the laboratory scale unit show good uptake and recyclability.« less

Mega-electron-volt ultrafast electron diffraction at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Weathersby, S. P.; Brown, G.; Chase, T. F.

Ultrafast electron probes are powerful tools, complementary to x-ray free-electron lasers, used to study structural dynamics in material, chemical, and biological sciences. High brightness, relativistic electron beams with femtosecond pulse duration can resolve details of the dynamic processes on atomic time and length scales. SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory recently launched the Ultrafast Electron Diffraction (UED) and microscopy Initiative aiming at developing the next generation ultrafast electron scattering instruments. As the first stage of the Initiative, a mega-electron-volt (MeV) UED system has been constructed and commissioned to serve ultrafast science experiments and instrumentation development. The system operates at 120-Hz repetition ratemore » with outstanding performance. In this paper, we report on the SLAC MeV UED system and its performance, including the reciprocal space resolution, temporal resolution, and machine stability.« less

Mega-electron-volt ultrafast electron diffraction at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory.

PubMed

Weathersby, S P; Brown, G; Centurion, M; Chase, T F; Coffee, R; Corbett, J; Eichner, J P; Frisch, J C; Fry, A R; Gühr, M; Hartmann, N; Hast, C; Hettel, R; Jobe, R K; Jongewaard, E N; Lewandowski, J R; Li, R K; Lindenberg, A M; Makasyuk, I; May, J E; McCormick, D; Nguyen, M N; Reid, A H; Shen, X; Sokolowski-Tinten, K; Vecchione, T; Vetter, S L; Wu, J; Yang, J; Dürr, H A; Wang, X J

2015-07-01

Ultrafast electron probes are powerful tools, complementary to x-ray free-electron lasers, used to study structural dynamics in material, chemical, and biological sciences. High brightness, relativistic electron beams with femtosecond pulse duration can resolve details of the dynamic processes on atomic time and length scales. SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory recently launched the Ultrafast Electron Diffraction (UED) and microscopy Initiative aiming at developing the next generation ultrafast electron scattering instruments. As the first stage of the Initiative, a mega-electron-volt (MeV) UED system has been constructed and commissioned to serve ultrafast science experiments and instrumentation development. The system operates at 120-Hz repetition rate with outstanding performance. In this paper, we report on the SLAC MeV UED system and its performance, including the reciprocal space resolution, temporal resolution, and machine stability.

Voltage Impacts of Utility-Scale Distributed Wind

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Allen, A.

2014-09-01

Although most utility-scale wind turbines in the United States are added at the transmission level in large wind power plants, distributed wind power offers an alternative that could increase the overall wind power penetration without the need for additional transmission. This report examines the distribution feeder-level voltage issues that can arise when adding utility-scale wind turbines to the distribution system. Four of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory taxonomy feeders were examined in detail to study the voltage issues associated with adding wind turbines at different distances from the sub-station. General rules relating feeder resistance up to the point of turbinemore » interconnection to the expected maximum voltage change levels were developed. Additional analysis examined line and transformer overvoltage conditions.« less

Collisionless coupling of a high- β expansion to an ambient, magnetized plasma. I. Rayleigh model and scaling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonde, Jeffrey

2018-04-01

The dynamics of a magnetized, expanding plasma with a high ratio of kinetic energy density to ambient magnetic field energy density, or β, are examined by adapting a model of gaseous bubbles expanding in liquids as developed by Lord Rayleigh. New features include scale magnitudes and evolution of the electric fields in the system. The collisionless coupling between the expanding and ambient plasma due to these fields is described as well as the relevant scaling relations. Several different responses of the ambient plasma to the expansion are identified in this model, and for most laboratory experiments, ambient ions should be pulled inward, against the expansion due to the dominance of the electrostatic field.

Physical barriers formed from gelling liquids: 1. numerical design of laboratory and field experiments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Finsterle, S.; Moridis, G.J.; Pruess, K.

1994-01-01

The emplacement of liquids under controlled viscosity conditions is investigated by means of numerical simulations. Design calculations are performed for a laboratory experiment on a decimeter scale, and a field experiment on a meter scale. The purpose of the laboratory experiment is to study the behavior of multiple gout plumes when injected in a porous medium. The calculations for the field trial aim at designing a grout injection test from a vertical well in order to create a grout plume of a significant extent in the subsurface.

Factors Affecting the Development of Oxide Scales on Austenitic Stainless Steels during Hot Rolling in Steckel Mills

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cobo, S. J.; Rainforth, W. M.

2008-10-01

The hot rolling of austenitic stainless steels in Steckel Mills introduces particular characteristics to the development of oxides scales and surface structures. In this work, the formation of oxide structures during multipass hot rolling of 302 steel was studied under different sets of processing parameters in a laboratory system designed for the simulation of the Steckel process. The resulting surface structures were characterized by a set of complementary techniques involving scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and glow discharge optical spectroscopy (GDOS). The surface analysis revealed two alternative surface structures: one consisting in a thin protective oxide layer rich in Cr2O3 and the other consisting in thick complex structures containing several successive nonprotective oxide scale and metal layers resulting from a cyclic oxidation pattern involving stages of protective oxidation, chemical breakaway, and duplex oxidation. The critical condition that determined the activation of one mechanism or the other was identified associated with the parabolic rate constant for Cr2O3 growth and the diffusivity of Cr in the alloy. The effects of changes in temperature, deformation, and furnace atmosphere are discussed. Alternatives for controlling scale development are presented.

Space Laboratory on a Table Top: A Next Generative ECLSS design and diagnostic tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ramachandran, N.

2005-01-01

This paper describes the development plan for a comprehensive research and diagnostic tool for aspects of advanced life support systems in space-based laboratories. Specifically it aims to build a high fidelity tabletop model that can be used for the purpose of risk mitigation, failure mode analysis, contamination tracking, and testing reliability. We envision a comprehensive approach involving experimental work coupled with numerical simulation to develop this diagnostic tool. It envisions a 10% scale transparent model of a space platform such as the International Space Station that operates with water or a specific matched index of refraction liquid as the working fluid. This allows the scaling of a 10 ft x 10 ft x 10 ft room with air flow to 1 ft x 1 ft x 1 ft tabletop model with water/liquid flow. Dynamic similitude for this length scale dictates model velocities to be 67% of full-scale and thereby the time scale of the model to represent 15% of the full- scale system; meaning identical processes in the model are completed in 15% of the full- scale-time. The use of an index matching fluid (fluid that matches the refractive index of cast acrylic, the model material) allows making the entire model (with complex internal geometry) transparent and hence conducive to non-intrusive optical diagnostics. So using such a system one can test environment control parameters such as core flows (axial flows), cross flows (from registers and diffusers), potential problem areas such as flow short circuits, inadequate oxygen content, build up of other gases beyond desirable levels, test mixing processes within the system at local nodes or compartments and assess the overall system performance. The system allows quantitative measurements of contaminants introduced in the system and allows testing and optimizing the tracking process and removal of contaminants. The envisaged system will be modular and hence flexible for quick configuration change and subsequent testing. The data and inferences from the tests will allow for improvements in the development and design of next generation life support systems and configurations. Preliminary experimental and modeling work in this area will be presented. This involves testing of a single inlet-exit model with detailed 3-D flow visualization and quantitative diagnostics and computational modeling of the system.

Messiah College Biodiesel Fuel Generation Project Final Technical Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zummo, Michael M; Munson, J; Derr, A

Many obvious and significant concerns arise when considering the concept of small-scale biodiesel production. Does the fuel produced meet the stringent requirements set by the commercial biodiesel industry? Is the process safe? How are small-scale producers collecting and transporting waste vegetable oil? How is waste from the biodiesel production process handled by small-scale producers? These concerns and many others were the focus of the research preformed in the Messiah College Biodiesel Fuel Generation project over the last three years. This project was a unique research program in which undergraduate engineering students at Messiah College set out to research the feasibilitymore » of small-biodiesel production for application on a campus of approximately 3000 students. This Department of Energy (DOE) funded research program developed out of almost a decade of small-scale biodiesel research and development work performed by students at Messiah College. Over the course of the last three years the research team focused on four key areas related to small-scale biodiesel production: Quality Testing and Assurance, Process and Processor Research, Process and Processor Development, and Community Education. The objectives for the Messiah College Biodiesel Fuel Generation Project included the following: 1. Preparing a laboratory facility for the development and optimization of processors and processes, ASTM quality assurance, and performance testing of biodiesel fuels. 2. Developing scalable processor and process designs suitable for ASTM certifiable small-scale biodiesel production, with the goals of cost reduction and increased quality. 3. Conduct research into biodiesel process improvement and cost optimization using various biodiesel feedstocks and production ingredients.« less

3-D Printing as a Tool to Investigate the Effects of Changes in Rock Microstructures on Permeability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Head, D. A.; Vanorio, T.

2016-12-01

Rocks are naturally heterogeneous; two rock samples with identical bulk properties can vary widely in microstructure. Understanding the evolutionary trends of rock properties requires the ability to connect time-lapse measurements of properties at different scales: the macro- scale used in the laboratory and field analyses capturing the bulk scale changes and the micro- scale used in imaging and digital techniques capturing the changes to the pore space. However, measuring those properties at different scales is very challenging, and sometimes impossible. The advent of modern 3D printing has provided an unprecedented opportunity to link those scales by combining the strengths of digital and experimental rock physics. To determine the feasibility of this technique we characterized the resolution capabilities of two different 3D printers. To calibrate our digital models with our printed models, we created a sample with an analytically solvable permeability. This allowed us to directly compare analytic calculation, numerical simulation, and laboratory measurement of permeability of the exact same sample. Next we took a CT-scanned model of a natural carbonate pore space, then iteratively digitally manipulated, 3D printed, and measured the flow properties in the laboratory. This approach allowed us to access multiple scales digitally and experimentally, to test hypotheses about how changes in rock microstructure due to compaction and dissolution affect bulk transport properties, and to connect laboratory measurements of porosity and permeability to quantities that are traditionally impossible to measure in the laboratory such as changes in surface area and tortuosity. As 3D printing technology continues to advance, we expect this technique to contribute to our ability to characterize the properties of remote and/or delicate samples as well as to test the impact of microstructural alteration on bulk physical properties in the lab in a highly consistent, repeatable manner.

Tenth International Colloquium on UV and X-Ray Spectroscopy of Astrophysical and Laboratory Plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silver, Eric H.; Kahn, Steven M.

UV and X-ray spectroscopy of astrophysical and laboratory plasmas draws interest from many disciplines. Contributions from international specialists are collected together in this book from a timely recent conference. In astrophysics, the Hubble Space Telescope, Astro 1 and ROSAT observatories are now providing UV and X-ray spectra and images of cosmic sources in unprecedented detail, while the Yohkoh mission recently collected superb data on the solar corona. In the laboratory, the development of ion-trap facilities and novel laser experiments are providing vital new data on high temperature plasmas. Recent innovations in the technology of spectroscopic instrumentation are discussed. These papers constitute an excellent up-to-date review of developments in short-wavelength spectroscopy and offer a solid introduction to its theoretical and experimental foundations. These proceedings give an up-to-date review of developments in short-wavelength spectroscopy and offer a solid introduction to its theoretical and experimental foundations. Various speakers presented some of the first results from the high resolution spectrograph on the Hubble Space Telescope, the high sensitivity far ultraviolet and X-ray spectrometers of the ASTRO 1 Observatory, the imaging X-ray spectrometer on the ROSAT Observatory, and the high resolution solar X-ray spectrometer on Yohkoh. The development of ion trap devices had brought about a revolution in laboratory investigations of atomic processes in highly charged atoms. X-ray laser experiments had not only yielded considerable insight into electron ion interactions in hot dense plasmas, but also demonstrated the versatility of laser plasmas as laboratory X-ray sources. Such measurements also motivated and led to refinements in the development of large-scale atomic and molecular codes. On the instrumental side, the design and development of the next series of very powerful short wavelength observatories had generated a large number of technological innovations in both dispersive and nondispersive spectroscopic instrumentation.

Full-scale fatigue tests of CX-100 wind turbine blades. Part I: testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farinholt, Kevin M.; Taylor, Stuart G.; Park, Gyuhae; Ammerman, Curtt M.

2012-04-01

This paper overviews the test setup and experimental methods for structural health monitoring (SHM) of two 9-meter CX-100 wind turbine blades that underwent fatigue loading at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL) National Wind Technology Center (NWTC). The first blade was a pristine blade, which was manufactured to standard specifications for the CX-100 design. The second blade was manufactured for the University of Massachusetts, Lowell with intentional simulated defects within the fabric layup. Each blade was instrumented with piezoelectric transducers, accelerometers, acoustic emission sensors, and foil strain gauges. The blades underwent harmonic excitation at their first natural frequency using the Universal Resonant Excitation (UREX) system at NREL. Blades were initially excited at 25% of their design load, and then with steadily increasing loads until each blade reached failure. Data from the sensors were collected between and during fatigue loading sessions. The data were measured over multi-scale frequency ranges using a variety of acquisition equipment, including off-the-shelf systems and specially designed hardware developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The hardware systems were evaluated for their aptness in data collection for effective application of SHM methods to the blades. The results of this assessment will inform the selection of acquisition hardware and sensor types to be deployed on a CX-100 flight test to be conducted in collaboration with Sandia National Laboratory at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Conservation and Production Research Laboratory (CPRL) in Bushland, Texas.

Characterization of sounds in maize produced by internally feeding insects:investigations to develop inexpensive devices for detection of Prostephanus truncatus& Sitophilus zeamais in small-scale storage facilities in Africa

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The detectability and spectral characteristics of sounds produced by internally feeding stored product insects in Zea mays L. (maize or corn) were investigated in a noise-free laboratory setting to consider the feasibility of constructing a low-cost acoustic detection device that would assist pest m...

Robotics Laboratory to Enhance the STEM Research Experience

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-04-30

the Chemistry Program has a student working on the design and development of a Stirling Engine , which the student is planning to construct using...scale): Number of graduating undergraduates funded by a DoD funded Center of Excellence grant for Education, Research and Engineering : The number of... engineering or technology fields: Student Metrics This section only applies to graduating undergraduates supported by this agreement in this reporting

Project Fire Model: Summary Progress Report, Period November 1, 1958 to April 30, 1960

Treesearch

W.L. Fons; H.D. Bruce; W.Y. Pong; S.S. Richards

1960-01-01

This report summarizes progress from November 1, 1958, to April 30, 1960, in a study conducted by the Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station of the Forest Service in cooperation with the Office of Civil and Defense Mobilization. Called PROJECT FIRE MODEL for convenience, the project sought to develop and study a laboratory-scale fire which would...

Large-Scale Physical Separation of Depleted Uranium from Soil

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-09-01

Earth and Environment 285 Davidson Avenue, Suite 100 Somerset, NJ 08873 Catherine Nestler Applied Research Associates, Inc. 119 Monument Place...square meters square miles 2.589998 E+06 square meters square yards 0.8361274 square meters yards 0.9144 meters ERDC/EL TR-12-25 viii...depleted uranium EL Environmental Laboratory ERDC Engineer Research and Development Center ICP-MS Inductively coupled plasma - mass spectroscopy

Student perceptions of an upper-level, undergraduate human anatomy laboratory course without cadavers.

PubMed

Wright, Shirley J

2012-01-01

Several programs in health professional education require or are considering requiring upper-level human anatomy as prerequisite for their applicants. Undergraduate students are confronted with few institutions offering such a course, in part because of the expense and logistical issues associated with a cadaver-based human anatomy course. This study describes the development of and student reactions to an upper-level human anatomy laboratory course for undergraduate students that used a regional approach and contemporary, alternative teaching methods to a cadaver-based course. The alternative pedagogy to deliver the curriculum included use of commercially available, three-dimensional anatomical virtual dissection software, anatomical models coupled with a learning management system to offer Web-based learning, and a new laboratory manual with collaborative exercises designed to develop the student's anatomical skills and collaborative team skills. A Likert-scale survey with open-ended questions was used to ascertain student perceptions of the course and its various aspects. Students perceived that the noncadaver-based, upper-level human anatomy course with an engaging, regional approach is highly valuable in their learning of anatomy. anatomy. Copyright © 2012 American Association of Anatomists.

The generation and amplification of intergalactic magnetic fields in analogue laboratory experiments with high power lasers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gregori, G.; Reville, B.; Miniati, F.

2015-11-01

The advent of high-power laser facilities has, in the past two decades, opened a new field of research where astrophysical environments can be scaled down to laboratory dimensions, while preserving the essential physics. This is due to the invariance of the equations of magneto-hydrodynamics to a class of similarity transformations. Here we review the relevant scaling relations and their application in laboratory astrophysics experiments with a focus on the generation and amplification of magnetic fields in cosmic environment. The standard model for the origin of magnetic fields is a multi stage process whereby a vanishing magnetic seed is first generated by a rotational electric field and is then amplified by turbulent dynamo action to the characteristic values observed in astronomical bodies. We thus discuss the relevant seed generation mechanisms in cosmic environment including resistive mechanism, collision-less and fluid instabilities, as well as novel laboratory experiments using high power laser systems aimed at investigating the amplification of magnetic energy by magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence. Future directions, including efforts to model in the laboratory the process of diffusive shock acceleration are also discussed, with an emphasis on the potential of laboratory experiments to further our understanding of plasma physics on cosmic scales.

Development of a molecular method for testing the effectiveness of UV systems on-site.

PubMed

Nizri, Limor; Vaizel-Ohayon, Dalit; Ben-Amram, Hila; Sharaby, Yehonatan; Halpern, Malka; Mamane, Hadas

2017-12-15

We established a molecular method for quantifying ultraviolet (UV) disinfection efficacy using total bacterial DNA in a water sample. To evaluate UV damage to the DNA, we developed the "DNA damage" factor, which is a novel cultivation-independent approach that reveals UV-exposure efficiency by applying a simple PCR amplification method. The study's goal was to prove the feasibility of this method for demonstrating the efficiency of UV systems in the field using flow-through UV reactors. In laboratory-based experiments using seeded bacteria, the DNA damage tests demonstrated a good correlation between PCR products and UV dose. In the field, natural groundwater sampled before and after being subjected to the full-scale UV reactors was filtered, and the DNA extracted from the filtrate was subjected to PCR amplification for a 900-bp fragment of the 16S rRNA gene with initial DNA concentrations of 0.1 and 1 ng/μL. In both cases, the UV dose predicted and explained a significant proportion of the variance in the log inactivation ratio and DNA damage factor. Log inactivation ratio was very low, as expected in groundwater due to low initial bacterial counts, whereas the DNA damage factor was within the range of values obtained in the laboratory-based experiments. Consequently, the DNA damage factor reflected the true performance of the full-scale UV system during operational water flow by using the indigenous bacterial array present in a water sample. By applying this method, we were able to predict with high confidence, the UV reactor inactivation potential. For method validation, laboratory and field iterations are required to create a practical field calibration curve that can be used to determine the expected efficiency of the full-scale UV system in the field under actual operation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A SIMPLE METHOD FOR EVALUATING DATA FROM AN INTERLABORATORY STUDY

EPA Science Inventory

Large-scale laboratory-and method-performance studies involving more than about 30 laboratories may be evaluated by calculating the HORRAT ratio for each test sample (HORRAT=[experimentally found among-laboratories relative standard deviation] divided by [relative standard deviat...

Bridging the gap between sample collection and laboratory analysis: using dried blood spots to identify human exposure to chemical agents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamelin, Elizabeth I.; Blake, Thomas A.; Perez, Jonas W.; Crow, Brian S.; Shaner, Rebecca L.; Coleman, Rebecca M.; Johnson, Rudolph C.

2016-05-01

Public health response to large scale chemical emergencies presents logistical challenges for sample collection, transport, and analysis. Diagnostic methods used to identify and determine exposure to chemical warfare agents, toxins, and poisons traditionally involve blood collection by phlebotomists, cold transport of biomedical samples, and costly sample preparation techniques. Use of dried blood spots, which consist of dried blood on an FDA-approved substrate, can increase analyte stability, decrease infection hazard for those handling samples, greatly reduce the cost of shipping/storing samples by removing the need for refrigeration and cold chain transportation, and be self-prepared by potentially exposed individuals using a simple finger prick and blood spot compatible paper. Our laboratory has developed clinical assays to detect human exposures to nerve agents through the analysis of specific protein adducts and metabolites, for which a simple extraction from a dried blood spot is sufficient for removing matrix interferents and attaining sensitivities on par with traditional sampling methods. The use of dried blood spots can bridge the gap between the laboratory and the field allowing for large scale sample collection with minimal impact on hospital resources while maintaining sensitivity, specificity, traceability, and quality requirements for both clinical and forensic applications.

Advanced core-analyses for subsurface characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pini, R.

2017-12-01

The heterogeneity of geological formations varies over a wide range of length scales and represents a major challenge for predicting the movement of fluids in the subsurface. Although they are inherently limited in the accessible length-scale, laboratory measurements on reservoir core samples still represent the only way to make direct observations on key transport properties. Yet, properties derived on these samples are of limited use and should be regarded as sample-specific (or `pseudos'), if the presence of sub-core scale heterogeneities is not accounted for in data processing and interpretation. The advent of imaging technology has significantly reshaped the landscape of so-called Special Core Analysis (SCAL) by providing unprecedented insight on rock structure and processes down to the scale of a single pore throat (i.e. the scale at which all reservoir processes operate). Accordingly, improved laboratory workflows are needed that make use of such wealth of information by e.g., referring to the internal structure of the sample and in-situ observations, to obtain accurate parameterisation of both rock- and flow-properties that can be used to populate numerical models. We report here on the development of such workflow for the study of solute mixing and dispersion during single- and multi-phase flows in heterogeneous porous systems through a unique combination of two complementary imaging techniques, namely X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET). The experimental protocol is applied to both synthetic and natural porous media, and it integrates (i) macroscopic observations (tracer effluent curves), (ii) sub-core scale parameterisation of rock heterogeneities (e.g., porosity, permeability and capillary pressure), and direct 3D observation of (iii) fluid saturation distribution and (iv) the dynamic spreading of the solute plumes. Suitable mathematical models are applied to reproduce experimental observations, including both 1D and 3D numerical schemes populated with the parameterisation above. While it validates the core-flooding experiments themselves, the calibrated mathematical model represents a key element for extending them to conditions prevalent in the subsurface, which would be otherwise not attainable in the laboratory.

The FP7 ULTimateCO2 project: a study of the long term fate of CO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Audigane, Pascal; Waldmann, Svenja; Pearce, Jonathan; Dimier, Alain; Le Gallo, Yann; Frykman, Peter; Maurand, Nicolas; Gherardi, Fabrizio; Yalamas, Thierry; Cremer, Holger; Spiers, Chris; Nussbaum, Christophe

2014-05-01

The objectives of the European FP7 ULTimateCO2 project are to study specific processes that could influence the long-term fate of geologically stored CO2, mainly: the trapping mechanisms occurring in the storage reservoir, the influence of fluid-rock interactions on mechanical integrity of caprock and well vicinity, and also the modifications induced at the regional scale (brine displacement, fault reactivation, hydrogeology changes...). A comprehensive approach combining laboratory experiments, numerical modeling and natural analogue studies is developed to assess all the processes mentioned above. A collection of data has been generated from natural and industrial (oil industry) analogues on the fluid flow and mechanical properties, structure, and mineralogy of faults and fractures that could affect the long-term storage capacity of underground CO2 storage sites. To address geochemical trapping at reservoir scale, an experimental approach is developed using sandstone core materials in batch reactive mode with CO2 and impurities at reservoir pressure and temperature conditions. Three inter-related lines of laboratory experiments investigate the long-term evolution of the mechanical properties and sealing integrity of fractured and faulted caprocks using Opalinus clay of Mont Terri Gallery (Switzerland), an analogue for caprock well investigated in the past for nuclear waste disposal purpose. To evaluate the interactions between CO2 (and formation fluid) and the well environment (formation, cement, casing) and to assess the consequences of these interactions on the transport properties of well materials, a 1 to 1 scale experiment has been set in the Mont Terri Gallery Opalinus clay to reproduce classical well objects (cemented annulus, casing and cement plug) perforating caprock formations. An extensive program of numerical modeling is also developed to calibrate, to reproduce and to extrapolate the experimental results at longer time scales including uncertainty assessment methods. www.ultimateco2.eu

FLARE: A New User Facility for Studies of Multiple-Scale Physics of Magnetic Reconnection and Related Phenomena Through in-situ Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ji, Hantao; Bhattacharjee, A.; Goodman, A.; Prager, S.; Daughton, W.; Cutler, R.; Fox, W.; Hoffmann, F.; Kalish, M.; Kozub, T.; Jara-Almonte, J.; Myers, C.; Ren, Y.; Sloboda, P.; Yamada, M.; Yoo, J.; Bale, S. D.; Carter, T.; Dorfman, S.; Drake, J.; Egedal, J.; Sarff, J.; Wallace, J.

2017-10-01

The FLARE device (Facility for Laboratory Reconnection Experiments; flare.pppl.gov) is a new laboratory experiment under construction at Princeton for the studies of magnetic reconnection in the multiple X-line regimes directly relevant to space, solar, astrophysical, and fusion plasmas, as guided by a reconnection phase diagram. The whole device have been assembled with first plasmas expected in the fall of 2017. The main diagnostics is an extensive set of magnetic probe arrays, currently under construction, to cover multiple scales from local electron scales ( 2 mm), to intermediate ion scales ( 10 cm), and global MHD scales ( 1 m), simultaneously providing in-situ measurements over all these relevant scales. The planned procedures and example topics as a user facility will be discussed.

A new multiscale approach for monitoring vegetation using remote sensing-based indicators in laboratory, field, and landscape.

PubMed

Lausch, Angela; Pause, Marion; Merbach, Ines; Zacharias, Steffen; Doktor, Daniel; Volk, Martin; Seppelt, Ralf

2013-02-01

Remote sensing is an important tool for studying patterns in surface processes on different spatiotemporal scales. However, differences in the spatiospectral and temporal resolution of remote sensing data as well as sensor-specific surveying characteristics very often hinder comparative analyses and effective up- and downscaling analyses. This paper presents a new methodical framework for combining hyperspectral remote sensing data on different spatial and temporal scales. We demonstrate the potential of using the "One Sensor at Different Scales" (OSADIS) approach for the laboratory (plot), field (local), and landscape (regional) scales. By implementing the OSADIS approach, we are able (1) to develop suitable stress-controlled vegetation indices for selected variables such as the Leaf Area Index (LAI), chlorophyll, photosynthesis, water content, nutrient content, etc. over a whole vegetation period. Focused laboratory monitoring can help to document additive and counteractive factors and processes of the vegetation and to correctly interpret their spectral response; (2) to transfer the models obtained to the landscape level; (3) to record imaging hyperspectral information on different spatial scales, achieving a true comparison of the structure and process results; (4) to minimize existing errors from geometrical, spectral, and temporal effects due to sensor- and time-specific differences; and (5) to carry out a realistic top- and downscaling by determining scale-dependent correction factors and transfer functions. The first results of OSADIS experiments are provided by controlled whole vegetation experiments on barley under water stress on the plot scale to model LAI using the vegetation indices Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and green NDVI (GNDVI). The regression model ascertained from imaging hyperspectral AISA-EAGLE/HAWK (DUAL) data was used to model LAI. This was done by using the vegetation index GNDVI with an R (2) of 0.83, which was transferred to airborne hyperspectral data on the local and regional scales. For this purpose, hyperspectral imagery was collected at three altitudes over a land cover gradient of 25 km within a timeframe of a few minutes, yielding a spatial resolution from 1 to 3 m. For all recorded spatial scales, both the LAI and the NDVI were determined. The spatial properties of LAI and NDVI of all recorded hyperspectral images were compared using semivariance metrics derived from the variogram. The first results show spatial differences in the heterogeneity of LAI and NDVI from 1 to 3 m with the recorded hyperspectral data. That means that differently recorded data on different scales might not sufficiently maintain the spatial properties of high spatial resolution hyperspectral images.

Multi-mode evaluation of power-maximizing cross-flow turbine controllers

DOE PAGES

Forbush, Dominic; Cavagnaro, Robert J.; Donegan, James; ...

2017-09-21

A general method for predicting and evaluating the performance of three candidate cross-flow turbine power-maximizing controllers is presented in this paper using low-order dynamic simulation, scaled laboratory experiments, and full-scale field testing. For each testing mode and candidate controller, performance metrics quantifying energy capture (ability of a controller to maximize power), variation in torque and rotation rate (related to drive train fatigue), and variation in thrust loads (related to structural fatigue) are quantified for two purposes. First, for metrics that could be evaluated across all testing modes, we considered the accuracy with which simulation or laboratory experiments could predict performancemore » at full scale. Second, we explored the utility of these metrics to contrast candidate controller performance. For these turbines and set of candidate controllers, energy capture was found to only differentiate controller performance in simulation, while the other explored metrics were able to predict performance of the full-scale turbine in the field with various degrees of success. Finally, effects of scale between laboratory and full-scale testing are considered, along with recommendations for future improvements to dynamic simulations and controller evaluation.« less

Multi-mode evaluation of power-maximizing cross-flow turbine controllers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Forbush, Dominic; Cavagnaro, Robert J.; Donegan, James

A general method for predicting and evaluating the performance of three candidate cross-flow turbine power-maximizing controllers is presented in this paper using low-order dynamic simulation, scaled laboratory experiments, and full-scale field testing. For each testing mode and candidate controller, performance metrics quantifying energy capture (ability of a controller to maximize power), variation in torque and rotation rate (related to drive train fatigue), and variation in thrust loads (related to structural fatigue) are quantified for two purposes. First, for metrics that could be evaluated across all testing modes, we considered the accuracy with which simulation or laboratory experiments could predict performancemore » at full scale. Second, we explored the utility of these metrics to contrast candidate controller performance. For these turbines and set of candidate controllers, energy capture was found to only differentiate controller performance in simulation, while the other explored metrics were able to predict performance of the full-scale turbine in the field with various degrees of success. Finally, effects of scale between laboratory and full-scale testing are considered, along with recommendations for future improvements to dynamic simulations and controller evaluation.« less

Granular activated carbon adsorption of MIB in the presence of dissolved organic matter.

PubMed

Summers, R Scott; Kim, Soo Myung; Shimabuku, Kyle; Chae, Seon-Ha; Corwin, Christopher J

2013-06-15

Based on the results of over twenty laboratory granular activated carbon (GAC) column runs, models were developed and utilized for the prediction of 2-methylisoborneol (MIB) breakthrough behavior at parts per trillion levels and verified with pilot-scale data. The influent MIB concentration was found not to impact the concentration normalized breakthrough. Increasing influent background dissolved organic matter (DOM) concentration was found to systematically decrease the GAC adsorption capacity for MIB. A series of empirical models were developed that related the throughput in bed volumes for a range of MIB breakthrough targets to the influent DOM concentration. The proportional diffusivity (PD) designed rapid small-scale column test (RSSCT) could be directly used to scale-up MIB breakthrough performance below 15% breakthrough. The empirical model to predict the throughput to 50% breakthrough based on the influent DOM concentration served as input to the pore diffusion model (PDM) and well-predicted the MIB breakthrough performance below a 50% breakthrough. The PDM predictions of throughput to 10% breakthrough well simulated the PD-RSSCT and pilot-scale 10% MIB breakthrough. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

SCALE: A modular code system for performing standardized computer analyses for licensing evaluation. Functional modules F1--F8 -- Volume 2, Part 1, Revision 4

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Greene, N.M.; Petrie, L.M.; Westfall, R.M.

SCALE--a modular code system for Standardized Computer Analyses Licensing Evaluation--has been developed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory at the request of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The SCALE system utilizes well-established computer codes and methods within standard analysis sequences that (1) allow an input format designed for the occasional user and/or novice, (2) automate the data processing and coupling between modules, and (3) provide accurate and reliable results. System development has been directed at problem-dependent cross-section processing and analysis of criticality safety, shielding, heat transfer, and depletion/decay problems. Since the initial release of SCALE in 1980, the code system hasmore » been heavily used for evaluation of nuclear fuel facility and package designs. This revision documents Version 4.2 of the system. The manual is divided into three volumes: Volume 1--for the control module documentation; Volume 2--for functional module documentation; and Volume 3--for documentation of the data libraries and subroutine libraries.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dale K. Kotter; Steven D. Novack

DRAFT For Submittal to Journal of Solar Energy - Rev 10.1 ---SOL-08-1091 SOLAR Nantenna Electromagnetic Collectors Dale K. Kotter Idaho National Laboratory Steven D. Novack Idaho National Laboratory W. Dennis Slafer MicroContinuum, Inc. Patrick Pinhero University of Missouri ABSTRACT The research described in this paper explores a new and efficient approach for producing electricity from the abundant energy of the sun, using nanoantenna (nantenna) electromagnetic collectors (NECs). NEC devices target mid-infrared wavelengths, where conventional photovoltaic (PV) solar cells are inefficient and where there is an abundance of solar energy. The initial concept of designing NECs was based on scaling ofmore » radio frequency antenna theory to the infrared and visible regions. This approach initially proved unsuccessful because the optical behavior of materials in the terahertz (THz) region was overlooked and, in addition, economical nanofabrication methods were not previously available to produce the optical antenna elements. This paper demonstrates progress in addressing significant technological barriers, including: 1) development of frequency-dependent modeling of double-feedpoint square spiral nantenna elements; 2) selection of materials with proper THz properties; and 3) development of novel manufacturing methods that could potentially enable economical large-scale manufacturing. We have shown that nantennas can collect infrared energy and induce THz currents, and we have also developed cost-effective proof-of-concept fabrication techniques for the large-scale manufacture of simple square loop nantenna arrays. Future work is planned to embed rectifiers into the double-feedpoint antenna structures. This work represents an important first step toward the ultimate realization of a low-cost device that will collect as well as convert this radiation into electricity. This could lead to a broadband, high conversion efficiency low-cost solution to complement conventional PV devices.« less

Modelling and scale-up of chemical flooding

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pope, G.A.; Lake, L.W.; Sepehrnoori, K.

1990-03-01

The objective of this research is to develop, validate, and apply a comprehensive chemical flooding simulator for chemical recovery processes involving surfactants, polymers, and alkaline chemicals in various combinations. This integrated program includes components of laboratory experiments, physical property modelling, scale-up theory, and numerical analysis as necessary and integral components of the simulation activity. We have continued to develop, test, and apply our chemical flooding simulator (UTCHEM) to a wide variety of laboratory and reservoir problems involving tracers, polymers, polymer gels, surfactants, and alkaline agents. Part I is an update on the Application of Higher-Order Methods in Chemical Flooding Simulation.more » This update focuses on the comparison of grid orientation effects for four different numerical methods implemented in UTCHEM. Part II is on Simulation Design Studies and is a continuation of Saad's Big Muddy surfactant pilot simulation study reported last year. Part III reports on the Simulation of Gravity Effects under conditions similar to those of some of the oil reservoirs in the North Sea. Part IV is on Determining Oil Saturation from Interwell Tracers UTCHEM is used for large-scale interwell tracer tests. A systematic procedure for estimating oil saturation from interwell tracer data is developed and a specific example based on the actual field data provided by Sun E P Co. is given. Part V reports on the Application of Vectorization and Microtasking for Reservoir Simulation. Part VI reports on Alkaline Simulation. The alkaline/surfactant/polymer flood compositional simulator (UTCHEM) reported last year is further extended to include reactions involving chemical species containing magnesium, aluminium and silicon as constituent elements. Part VII reports on permeability and trapping of microemulsion.« less

Laboratory-Directed Research and Development 2016 Summary Annual Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pillai, Rekha Sukamar; Jacobson, Julie Ann

The Laboratory-Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) reports its status to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) by March of each year. The program operates under the authority of DOE Order 413.2C, “Laboratory Directed Research and Development” (April 19, 2006), which establishes DOE’s requirements for the program while providing the laboratory director broad flexibility for program implementation. LDRD funds are obtained through a charge to all INL programs. This report includes summaries of all INL LDRD research activities supported during Fiscal Year (FY) 2016. INL is the lead laboratory for the DOE Office of Nuclearmore » Energy (DOE-NE). The INL mission is to discover, demonstrate, and secure innovative nuclear energy solutions, other clean energy options, and critical infrastructure with a vision to change the world’s energy future and secure our critical infrastructure. Operating since 1949, INL is the nation’s leading research, development, and demonstration center for nuclear energy, including nuclear nonproliferation and physical and cyber-based protection of energy systems and critical infrastructure, as well as integrated energy systems research, development, demonstration, and deployment. INL has been managed and operated by Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC (a wholly owned company of Battelle) for DOE since 2005. Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC, is a partnership between Battelle, BWX Technologies, Inc., AECOM, the Electric Power Research Institute, the National University Consortium (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Ohio State University, North Carolina State University, University of New Mexico, and Oregon State University), and the Idaho university collaborators (i.e., University of Idaho, Idaho State University, and Boise State University). Since its creation, INL’s research and development (R&D) portfolio has broadened with targeted programs supporting national missions to advance nuclear energy, enable clean energy deployment, and secure and modernize critical infrastructure. INL’s research, development, and demonstration capabilities, its resources, and its unique geography enable integration of scientific discovery, innovation, engineering, operations, and controls into complex large-scale testbeds for discovery, innovation, and demonstration of transformational clean energy and security concepts. These attributes strengthen INL’s leadership as a demonstration laboratory. As a national resource, INL also applies its capabilities and skills to the specific needs of other federal agencies and customers through DOE’s Strategic Partnership Program.« less

The Laboratory Course Assessment Survey: A Tool to Measure Three Dimensions of Research-Course Design

PubMed Central

Corwin, Lisa A.; Runyon, Christopher; Robinson, Aspen; Dolan, Erin L.

2015-01-01

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) are increasingly being offered as scalable ways to involve undergraduates in research. Yet few if any design features that make CUREs effective have been identified. We developed a 17-item survey instrument, the Laboratory Course Assessment Survey (LCAS), that measures students’ perceptions of three design features of biology lab courses: 1) collaboration, 2) discovery and relevance, and 3) iteration. We assessed the psychometric properties of the LCAS using established methods for instrument design and validation. We also assessed the ability of the LCAS to differentiate between CUREs and traditional laboratory courses, and found that the discovery and relevance and iteration scales differentiated between these groups. Our results indicate that the LCAS is suited for characterizing and comparing undergraduate biology lab courses and should be useful for determining the relative importance of the three design features for achieving student outcomes. PMID:26466990

Comparison Between Simulated and Experimentally Measured Performance of a Four Port Wave Rotor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paxson, Daniel E.; Wilson, Jack; Welch, Gerard E.

2007-01-01

Performance and operability testing has been completed on a laboratory-scale, four-port wave rotor, of the type suitable for use as a topping cycle on a gas turbine engine. Many design aspects, and performance estimates for the wave rotor were determined using a time-accurate, one-dimensional, computational fluid dynamics-based simulation code developed specifically for wave rotors. The code follows a single rotor passage as it moves past the various ports, which in this reference frame become boundary conditions. This paper compares wave rotor performance predicted with the code to that measured during laboratory testing. Both on and off-design operating conditions were examined. Overall, the match between code and rig was found to be quite good. At operating points where there were disparities, the assumption of larger than expected internal leakage rates successfully realigned code predictions and laboratory measurements. Possible mechanisms for such leakage rates are discussed.

Generation and Evolution of High-Mach-Number Laser-Driven Magnetized Collisionless Shocks in the Laboratory.

PubMed

Schaeffer, D B; Fox, W; Haberberger, D; Fiksel, G; Bhattacharjee, A; Barnak, D H; Hu, S X; Germaschewski, K

2017-07-14

We present the first laboratory generation of high-Mach-number magnetized collisionless shocks created through the interaction of an expanding laser-driven plasma with a magnetized ambient plasma. Time-resolved, two-dimensional imaging of plasma density and magnetic fields shows the formation and evolution of a supercritical shock propagating at magnetosonic Mach number M_{ms}≈12. Particle-in-cell simulations constrained by experimental data further detail the shock formation and separate dynamics of the multi-ion-species ambient plasma. The results show that the shocks form on time scales as fast as one gyroperiod, aided by the efficient coupling of energy, and the generation of a magnetic barrier between the piston and ambient ions. The development of this experimental platform complements present remote sensing and spacecraft observations, and opens the way for controlled laboratory investigations of high-Mach number collisionless shocks, including the mechanisms and efficiency of particle acceleration.

Deepest Trenching at Phoenix Site on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2008-01-01

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander widened the deepest trench it has excavated, dubbed 'Stone Soup,' (in the lower half of this image) to collect a sample from about 18 centimeters (7 inches) below the surface for analysis by the lander's wet chemistry laboratory.

Phoenix's Surface Stereo Imager took this image on Sol 95 (Aug. 30, 2008), the 95th Martian day since landing. For scale, the rock to the right of the Stone Soup trench is about 15 centimeters (6 inches) across. The lander's robotic arm scooped up a sample from the left half of the trench for delivery the following sol to the wet chemistry laboratory.

The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.

Comparison of Refractory Performance in Black Liquor Gasifiers and a Smelt Test System

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Peascoe, RA

2001-09-25

Prior laboratory corrosion studies along with experience at the black liquor gasifier in New Bern, North Carolina, clearly demonstrate that serious material problems exist with the gasifier's refractory lining. Mullite-based and alumina-based refractories used at the New Bern facility suffered significant degradation even though they reportedly performed adequately in smaller scale systems. Oak Ridge National Laboratory's involvement in the failure analysis, and the initial exploration of suitable replacement materials, led to the realization that a simple and reliable, complementary method for refractory screening was needed. The development of a laboratory test system and its suitability for simulating the environment ofmore » black liquor gasifiers was undertaken. Identification and characterization of corrosion products were used to evaluate the test system as a rapid screening tool for refractory performance and as a predictor of refractory lifetime. Results from the test systems and pl ants were qualitatively similar.« less

Final Report, University of California Merced: Uranium and strontium fate in waste-weathered sediments: Scaling of molecular processes to predict reactive transport

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chorover, Jon; Mueller, Karl; O'Day, Peggy Anne

2016-06-30

Objectives of the Project: 1. Determine the process coupling that occurs between mineral transformation and contaminant (U and Sr) speciation in acid-uranium waste weathered Hanford sediments. 2. Establish linkages between molecular-scale contaminant speciation and meso-scale contaminant lability, release and reactive transport. 3. Make conjunctive use of molecular- to bench-scale data to constrain the development of a mechanistic, reactive transport model that includes coupling of contaminant sorption-desorption and mineral transformation reactions. Hypotheses Tested: Uranium and strontium speciation in legacy sediments from the U-8 and U-12 Crib sites can be reproduced in bench-scale weathering experiments conducted on unimpacted Hanford sediments from themore » same formations; Reactive transport modeling of future uranium and strontium releases from the vadose zone of acid-waste weathered sediments can be effectively constrained by combining molecular-scale information on contaminant bonding environment with grain-scale information on contaminant phase partitioning, and meso-scale kinetic data on contaminant release from the waste-weathered porous media; Although field contamination and laboratory experiments differ in their diagenetic time scales (decades for field vs. months to years for lab), sediment dissolution, neophase nucleation, and crystal growth reactions that occur during the initial disequilibrium induced by waste-sediment interaction leave a strong imprint that persists over subsequent longer-term equilibration time scales and, therefore, give rise to long-term memory effects. Enabling Capabilities Developed: Our team developed an iterative measure-model approach that is broadly applicable to elucidate the mechanistic underpinnings of reactive contaminant transport in geomedia subject to active weathering.« less

A review of dynamic stability of repulsive-force maglev suspension systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cai, Y.; Rote, D.M.

1998-07-01

Vehicle dynamics and the need to satisfy ride quality requirements have long been recognized as crucial to the commercial success of passenger-carrying transportation systems. Design concepts for maglev systems are no exception. Early maglev investigators and designers were well aware of the importance of ride quality and took care to ensure that their designs would meet acceptable ride quality standards. In contrast, the dynamic stability of electrodynamic suspension (EDS) systems, which has obvious implications for system safety and cost as well as for ride quality, has not received nearly as much attention. Because of the well-known under-damped nature of EDSmore » suspension systems and the observation of instabilities in laboratory-scale model systems, it is prudent to develop a better understanding of vehicle stability characteristics. The work reported in this was undertaken with the intention of summarizing information that has been accumulated worldwide and that is relevant to dynamic stability of repulsive-force maglev suspension systems, assimilating that information, and gaining an understanding of the factors that influence that stability. Included in the paper is a discussion and comparison of results acquired from some representative tests of large-scale vehicles on linear test tracks, together with analytical and laboratory-scale investigations of stability and dynamics of EDS systems. This paper will also summarize the R and D activities at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) since 1991 to study the nature of the forces that are operative in an EDS system and the dynamic stability of such systems.« less

Hydrodynamic parameters estimation from self-potential data in a controlled full scale site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chidichimo, Francesco; De Biase, Michele; Rizzo, Enzo; Masi, Salvatore; Straface, Salvatore

2015-03-01

A multi-physical approach developed for the hydrodynamic characterization of porous media using hydrogeophysical information is presented. Several pumping tests were performed in the Hydrogeosite Laboratory, a controlled full-scale site designed and constructed at the CNR-IMAA (Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche - Istituto di Metodologia per l'Analisi Ambientale), in Marsico Nuovo (Basilicata Region, Southern Italy), in order to obtain an intermediate stage between laboratory experiments and field survey. The facility consists of a pool, used to study water infiltration processes, to simulate the space and time dynamics of subsurface contamination phenomena, to improve and to find new relationship between geophysical and hydrogeological parameters, to test and to calibrate new geophysical techniques and instruments. Therefore, the Hydrogeosite Laboratory has the advantage of carrying out controlled experiments, like in a flow cell or sandbox, but at field comparable scale. The data collected during the experiments have been used to estimate the saturated hydraulic conductivity ks [ms-1] using a coupled inversion model working in transient conditions, made up of the modified Richards equation describing the water flow in a variably saturated porous medium and the Poisson equation providing the self-potential ϕ [V], which naturally occurs at points of the soil surface owing to the presence of an electric field produced by the motion of underground electrolytic fluids through porous systems. The result obtained by this multi-physical numerical approach, which removes all the approximations adopted in previous works, makes a useful instrument for real heterogeneous aquifer characterization and for predictive analysis of its behavior.

Hydrogen production from algal biomass - Advances, challenges and prospects.

PubMed

Show, Kuan-Yeow; Yan, Yuegen; Ling, Ming; Ye, Guoxiang; Li, Ting; Lee, Duu-Jong

2018-06-01

Extensive effort is being made to explore renewable energy in replacing fossil fuels. Biohydrogen is a promising future fuel because of its clean and high energy content. A challenging issue in establishing hydrogen economy is sustainability. Biohydrogen has the potential for renewable biofuel, and could replace current hydrogen production through fossil fuel thermo-chemical processes. A promising source of biohydrogen is conversion from algal biomass, which is abundant, clean and renewable. Unlike other well-developed biofuels such as bioethanol and biodiesel, production of hydrogen from algal biomass is still in the early stage of development. There are a variety of technologies for algal hydrogen production, and some laboratory- and pilot-scale systems have demonstrated a good potential for full-scale implementation. This work presents an elucidation on development in biohydrogen encompassing biological pathways, bioreactor designs and operation and techno-economic evaluation. Challenges and prospects of biohydrogen production are also outlined. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A description of the new 3D electron gun and collector modeling tool: MICHELLE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Petillo, J.; Mondelli, A.; Krueger, W.

1999-07-01

A new 3D finite element gun and collector modeling code is under development at SAIC in collaboration with industrial partners and national laboratories. This development program has been designed specifically to address the shortcomings of current simulation and modeling tools. In particular, although there are 3D gun codes that exist today, their ability to address fine scale features is somewhat limited in 3D due to disparate length scales of certain classes of devices. Additionally, features like advanced emission rules, including thermionic Child's law and comprehensive secondary emission models also need attention. The program specifically targets problems classes including gridded-guns, sheet-beammore » guns, multi-beam devices, and anisotropic collectors. The presentation will provide an overview of the program objectives, the approach to be taken by the development team, and a status of the project.« less

The Underground Laboratory in South Korea : facilities and experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Yeongduk

2017-01-01

We have developed underground physics programs for last 15 years in South Korea. The scientific and technical motivation for this initiative was the lack of local facility of a large accelerator in Korea. Thanks to the large underground electric power generator in Yangyang area, we could construct a deep underground laboratory (Yangyang Laboratory, Y2L) and has performed some pioneering experiments for dark matter search and double beta decay experiments. Since year of 2013, a new research center in the Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Center for Underground Physics (CUP), is approved by the government and Y2L laboratory is managed by CUP. Due to the limited space in Y2L, we are proposing to construct a new deep underground laboratory where we can host larger scale experiments of next generation. The site is in an active iron mine, and will be made in 1100 meter underground with a space of about 2000 m2 by the end of 2019. I will describe the status and future plan for this underground laboratory. CUP has two main experimental programs. (1) Identification of dark matter : The annual modulation signal of DAMA/LIBRA experiment has been contradictory to many other experiments such as XENON100, LUX, and Super CDMS. Yale University and CUP (COSINE-100) experimentalists agreed to do an experiment together at the Y2L and recently commissioned a 100kg scale low background NaI(Tl) crystal experiment. In future, we will develop NaI(Tl) crystals with lower internal backgrounds and try to run identical detectors at both north and south hemisphere. Low mass WIMP search is also planned with a development of low temperature sensors coupled with highly scintillating crystals. (2) Neutrinoless double beta decay search : The mass of the lightest neutrino and the Majorana nature of the neutrinos are not determined yet. Neutrinoless double beta decay experiment can answer both of the questions directly, and ultra-low backgrounds and excellent energy resolution are critical to discover this ultra rare phenomena. AMoRE (Advanced Mo-based Rare phenomena Experiment) is a state-of-art experiment based on low temperature MMC sensor and ultra pure molybdate crystals containing highly enriched isotopes. With 200 kg of molybdate crystals running 3 years, It's sensitivity goal is reaching 1027 years of half-life and down to 15-30 meV neutrino mass. AMoRE-pilot experiment with 1.5 kg of enriched Mo-100 crystals is running at Y2L now. In addition to the two main physics program, CUP is doing NEOS short baseline neutrino experiment and also develops new experiments for new parameter search for dark photons, WIMPs, and double beta decay experiments.

Laboratory Earth: Connecting Everything to Everything Else Online for Pre-college Educators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gosselin, D.; Bonnstetter, R.; Yendra, S.; Slater, T.

2007-12-01

The Laboratory Earth professional development series, which has been funded by NASA, consists of three, three- credit hour, graduate level, distance-delivered, online courses designed for K- 8 (and above) educators. Currently, we have delivered two module-based courses, Laboratory Earth I: Earth and its Systems and Laboratory Earth II: Earth's Natural Resource Systems. A third course tentatively titled, Laboratory Earth: Earth's Changing Environments, is under development. Our objectives are to deliver a high quality professional development experience, improve participant's ability to understand and apply Earth system science concepts in their classroom, and to increase teacher's sense of belonging to a community. Each course consists of four modules that engage students using multiple strategies to meet a variety of learning styles. To document learning, content questions are used to focus the student on the concepts they will be learning throughout the course. These questions are also used to assess the progress the student has made toward learning the concepts from the beginning to the end of the course. Analysis of the responses to the content questions from Lab Earth I demonstrates significant knowledge gains from the beginning to the end of the course. Preliminary data also suggests that the extent of learning is higher in the 8-week version than it is in the 16-week version of the course. An implicit goal of the courses is to help participants focus on learning, not grades. Unfortunately, grades have to be issued. Our grading strategy has evolved to a system that uses the ability of students to master course content along with active participation and the on-time, quality completion of the grading elements in the course. Course content mastery can be demonstrated in a variety of ways and it is up to the student to choose the method that they would like to use. Methods include writing essays, creating presentations, preparing an oral journal, and developing concept maps. If tasks that a student submits are not complete, they are asked to revisit the assignment. The goal is for the student to be intrinsically motivated to learn the material and reduce the need for grades as a motivator and distract from their learning. We want everyone to work until they have the required concept knowledge and understanding. The combined results from STEBI-A (teacher efficacy for teaching science scale), LEO, (scale to assess teacher's sense of community within the course), and BES (Beliefs About Earth Science to assess the degree to which teachers enjoy teaching science) demonstrate statistically significant growth in teachers' sense of cohesion of the course and the value they place on teaching Earth science. The Laboratory Earth series is a key component of an initiative to create a collaborative online, distance delivered, masters degree program at UNL.