Cyber Security Audit and Attack Detection Toolkit (open access)

Cyber Security Audit and Attack Detection Toolkit

This goal of this project was to develop cyber security audit and attack detection tools for industrial control systems (ICS). Digital Bond developed and released a tool named Bandolier that audits ICS components commonly used in the energy sector against an optimal security configuration. The Portaledge Project developed a capability for the PI Historian, the most widely used Historian in the energy sector, to aggregate security events and detect cyber attacks.
Date: May 31, 2012
Creator: Peterson, Dale
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Development of a National Center for Hydrogen Technology: A Summary Report of Activities Completed at the National Center for Hydrogen Technology - Year 6 (open access)

Development of a National Center for Hydrogen Technology: A Summary Report of Activities Completed at the National Center for Hydrogen Technology - Year 6

The Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, has operated the National Center for Hydrogen Technology� (NCHT�) since 2005 under a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL). The EERC has a long history of hydrogen generation and utilization from fossil fuels, and under the NCHT Program, the EERC has accelerated its research on hydrogen generation and utilization topics. Since the NCHT�s inception, the EERC has received more than $65 million in funding for hydrogen-related projects ($24 million for projects in the NCHT, which includes federal and corporate partner development funds) involving more than 85 partners (27 with the NCHT). The NCHT Program�s nine activities span a broad range of technologies that align well with the Advanced Fuels Program goals and, specifically, those described in the Hydrogen from Coal Program research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) plan that refers to realistic testing of technologies at adequate scale, process intensification, and contaminant control. A number of projects have been completed that range from technical feasibility of several hydrogen generation and utilization technologies to public and technical education and outreach tools. Projects under the NCHT have produced hydrogen from natural gas, …
Date: May 31, 2012
Creator: Holmes, Michael
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Experimental Investigation of Hadron Collisions at the Highest Center-of-Mass Energies (open access)

Experimental Investigation of Hadron Collisions at the Highest Center-of-Mass Energies

In this report, we summarize the research in physics of elementary particles conducted by the Florida Tech DOE supported group at the CMS experiment at CERN, during the last 3-year cycle under this grant.
Date: May 31, 2012
Creator: Marc, Baarmand & Hohlmann, Marcus
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Exploiting Universality in Atoms with Large Scattering Lengths (open access)

Exploiting Universality in Atoms with Large Scattering Lengths

The focus of this research project was atoms with scattering lengths that are large compared to the range of their interactions and which therefore exhibit universal behavior at sufficiently low energies. Recent dramatic advances in cooling atoms and in manipulating their scattering lengths have made this phenomenon of practical importance for controlling ultracold atoms and molecules. This research project was aimed at developing a systematically improvable method for calculating few-body observables for atoms with large scattering lengths starting from the universal results as a first approximation. Significant progress towards this goal was made during the five years of the project.
Date: May 31, 2012
Creator: Braaten, Eric
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Exploratory Use of Microaerosol Decontamination Technology (PAEROSOL) in Enclosed, Unoccupied Hospital Setting (open access)

Exploratory Use of Microaerosol Decontamination Technology (PAEROSOL) in Enclosed, Unoccupied Hospital Setting

The goal of this study was to validate the previously observed high biological kill performance of PAEROSOL, a semi-dry, micro-aerosol decontamination technology, against common HAI in a non-human subject trial within a hospital setting of Madigan Army Medical Center (MAMC) on Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Tacoma, Washington. In addition to validating the disinfecting efficacy of PAEROSOL, the objectives of the trial included a demonstration of PAEROSOL environmental safety, (i.e., impact to hospital interior materials and electronic equipment exposed during testing) and PAEROSOL parameters optimization for future deployment.
Date: May 31, 2012
Creator: Rainina, Evguenia I.; McCune, D. E.; Luna, Maria L.; Cook, J. E.; Soltis, Michele A.; Demons, Samandra T. et al.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Governance of the International Linear Collider Project (open access)

Governance of the International Linear Collider Project

Governance models for the International Linear Collider Project are examined in the light of experience from similar international projects around the world. Recommendations for one path which could be followed to realize the ILC successfully are outlined. The International Linear Collider (ILC) is a unique endeavour in particle physics; fully international from the outset, it has no 'host laboratory' to provide infrastructure and support. The realization of this project therefore presents unique challenges, in scientific, technical and political arenas. This document outlines the main questions that need to be answered if the ILC is to become a reality. It describes the methodology used to harness the wisdom displayed and lessons learned from current and previous large international projects. From this basis, it suggests both general principles and outlines a specific model to realize the ILC. It recognizes that there is no unique model for such a laboratory and that there are often several solutions to a particular problem. Nevertheless it proposes concrete solutions that the authors believe are currently the best choices in order to stimulate discussion and catalyze proposals as to how to bring the ILC project to fruition. The ILC Laboratory would be set up by international treaty …
Date: May 31, 2012
Creator: Foster, B.; U., /Oxford; Barish, B.; /Caltech; Delahaye, J. P.; /CERN et al.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Hydroacoustic Evaluation of Juvenile Salmonid Passage and Distribution at Lookout Point Dam, 2010 (open access)

Hydroacoustic Evaluation of Juvenile Salmonid Passage and Distribution at Lookout Point Dam, 2010

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory evaluated juvenile salmonid passage and distribution at Lookout Point Dam (LOP) on the Middle Fork Willamette River for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District (USACE), to provide data to support decisions on long-term measures to enhance downstream passage at LOP and others dams in USACE's Willamette Valley Project. This study was conducted in response to the listing of Upper Willamette River Spring Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and Upper Willamette River steelhead (O. mykiss) as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. We conducted a hydroacoustic evaluation of juvenile salmonid passage and distribution at LOP during February 2010 through January 2011. Findings from this 1 year of study should be applied carefully because annual variation can be expected due to variability in adult salmon escapement, egg-to-fry and fry-to-smolt survival rates, reservoir rearing and predation, dam operations, and weather. Fish passage rates for smolt-size fish (> {approx}90 mm and < 300 mm) were highest during December-January and lowest in mid-summer through early fall. Passage peaks were also evident in early spring, early summer, and late fall. During the entire study period, an estimated total of 142,463 fish {+-} 4,444 (95% confidence interval) smolt-size fish passed through turbine …
Date: May 31, 2012
Creator: Khan, Fenton; Johnson, Gary E.; Royer, Ida M.; Hughes, James S.; Fischer, Eric S.; Trott, Donna M. et al.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Laser Processing of Metals and Polymers (open access)

Laser Processing of Metals and Polymers

A laser offers a unique set of opportunities for precise delivery of high quality coherent energy. This energy can be tailored to alter the properties of material allowing a very flexible adjustment of the interaction that can lead to melting, vaporization, or just surface modification. Nowadays laser systems can be found in nearly all branches of research and industry for numerous applications. Sufficient evidence exists in the literature to suggest that further advancements in the field of laser material processing will rely significantly on the development of new process schemes. As a result they can be applied in various applications starting from fundamental research on systems, materials and processes performed on a scientific and technical basis for the industrial needs. The interaction of intense laser radiation with solid surfaces has extensively been studied for many years, in part, for development of possible applications. In this thesis, I present several applications of laser processing of metals and polymers including polishing niobium surface, producing a superconducting phase niobium nitride and depositing thin films of niobium nitride and organic material (cyclic olefin copolymer). The treated materials were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron probe microanalysis (EPMA), atomic force microscopy (AFM), high resolution …
Date: May 31, 2012
Creator: Singaravelu, Senthilraja
Object Type: Thesis or Dissertation
System: The UNT Digital Library
Lower Columbia River and Estuary Ecosystem Restoration Program Reference Site Study: 2011 Restoration Analysis - FINAL REPORT (open access)

Lower Columbia River and Estuary Ecosystem Restoration Program Reference Site Study: 2011 Restoration Analysis - FINAL REPORT

The Reference Site (RS) study is part of the research, monitoring, and evaluation (RME) effort developed by the Action Agencies (Bonneville Power Administration [BPA], U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District [USACE], and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation) in response to Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS) Biological Opinions (BiOp). While the RS study was initiated in 2007, data have been collected at relatively undisturbed reference wetland sites in the LCRE by PNNL and collaborators since 2005. These data on habitat structural metrics were previously summarized to provide baseline characterization of 51 wetlands throughout the estuarine and tidal freshwater portions of the 235-km LCRE; however, further analysis of these data has been limited. Therefore, in 2011, we conducted additional analyses of existing field data previously collected for the Columbia Estuary Ecosystem Restoration Program (CEERP) - including data collected by PNNL and others - to help inform the multi-agency restoration planning and ecosystem management work underway in the LCRE.
Date: May 31, 2012
Creator: Borde, Amy B.; Cullinan, Valerie I.; Diefenderfer, Heida L.; Thom, Ronald M.; Kaufmann, Ronald M.; Zimmerman, Shon A. et al.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Mid-Atlantic Wind - Overcoming the Challenges (open access)

Mid-Atlantic Wind - Overcoming the Challenges

This study, supported by the US Department of Energy, Wind Powering America Program, Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Chesapeake Bay Foundation, analyzed barriers to wind energy development in the Mid-Atlantic region along with options for overcoming or mitigating them. The Mid-Atlantic States including Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia, have excellent wind energy potential and growing demand for electricity, but only two utility-scale projects have been installed to date. Reasons for this apathetic development of wind resources were analyzed and quantified for four markets. Specific applications are: 1) Appalachian mountain ridgeline sites, 2) on coastal plains and peninsulas, 3) at shallow water sites in Delaware and Chesapeake Bays, Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds, and 4) at deeper water sites off the Atlantic coast. Each market has distinctly different opportunities and barriers. The primary barriers to wind development described in this report can be grouped into four categories; state policy and regulatory issues, wind resource technical uncertainty, economic viability, and public interest in environmental issues. The properties of these typologies are not mutually independent and do interact. The report concluded that there are no insurmountable barriers to land-based wind energy projects and they could be economically viable today. Likewise potential sites …
Date: May 31, 2012
Creator: Ancona, Daniel F., III; George, Kathryn E.; Bowers, Richard P.; Sparling, Dr. Lynn; Buckheit, Bruce & LoBue, Daniel
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Multi-Scale Action Effectiveness Research in the Lower Columbia River and Estuary, 2011 - FINAL ANNUAL REPORT (open access)

Multi-Scale Action Effectiveness Research in the Lower Columbia River and Estuary, 2011 - FINAL ANNUAL REPORT

The study reported here was conducted by researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), the University of Washington (UW), and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District (USACE). This research project was initiated in 2007 by the Bonneville Power Administration to investigate critical uncertainties regarding juvenile salmon ecology in shallow tidal freshwater habitats of the lower Columbia River. However, as part of the Washington Memorandum of Agreement, the project was transferred to the USACE in 2010. In transferring from BPA to the USACE, the focus of the tidal freshwater research project shifted from fundamental ecology toward the effectiveness of restoration in the Lower Columbia River and estuary (LCRE). The research is conducted within the Action Agencies Columbia Estuary Ecosystem Restoration Program (CEERP). Data reported herein spans the time period May 2010 to September 2011.
Date: May 31, 2012
Creator: Sather, Nichole K.; Storch, Adam; Johnson, Gary E.; Teel, D. J.; Skalski, J. R.; Bryson, Amanda J. et al.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Next Generation Surfactants for Improved Chemical Flooding Technology (open access)

Next Generation Surfactants for Improved Chemical Flooding Technology

The principle objective of this project was to characterize and test current and next generation high performance surfactants for improved chemical flooding technology, focused on reservoirs in the Pennsylvanian-aged (Penn) sands. In order to meet this objective the characteristic curvatures (Cc) of twenty-eight anionic surfactants selected for evaluation for use in chemical flooding formulations were determined. The Cc values ranged from -6.90 to 2.55 with the majority having negative values. Crude oil samples from nine Penn sand reservoirs were analyzed for several properties pertinent to surfactant formulation for EOR application. These properties included equivalent alkane carbon numbers, total acid numbers, and viscosity. The brine samples from these same reservoirs were analyzed for several cations and for total dissolved solids. Surfactant formulations were successfully developed for eight reservoirs by the end of the project period. These formulations were comprised of a tertiary mixture of anionic surfactants. The identities of these surfactants are considered proprietary, but suffice to say the surfactants in each mixture were comprised of varying chemical structures. In addition to the successful development of surfactant formulations for EOR, there were also two successful single-well field tests conducted. There are many aspects that must be considered in the development and …
Date: May 31, 2012
Creator: Wesson, Laura; Lohateeraparp, Prapas; Harwell, Jeffrey & Shiau, Bor-Jier
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Probing Novel Properties of Nucleons and Nuclei via Parity Violating Electron Scattering (open access)

Probing Novel Properties of Nucleons and Nuclei via Parity Violating Electron Scattering

This thesis reports on two experiments conducted by the HAPPEx (Hall A Proton Parity Experiment) collaboration at the Thomas Je#11;erson National Accelerator Facil- ity. For both, the weak neutral current interaction (WNC, mediated by the Z{sup 0} boson) is used to probe novel properties of hadronic targets. The WNC interaction amplitude is extracted by measuring the parity-violating asymmetry in the elastic scattering of longitudinally polarized electrons o#11; unpolarized target hadrons. HAPPEx-III, con- ducted in the Fall of 2009, used a liquid hydrogen target at a momentum transfer of Q{sup 2} = 0.62 GeV{sup 2}. The measured asymmetry was used to set new constraints on the contribution of strange quark form factors (G{sup s}{sub E,M} ) to the nucleon electromagnetic form factors. A value of A{sub PV} = -23.803{+-}#6; 0.778 (stat){+-}#6; 0.359 (syst) ppm resulted in G{sup s}{sub E} + 0:517G{sup s}{sub M} = 0.003{+-} 0.010 (stat){+-} #6;0.004 (syst){+-}#6; #6;0.009 (FF). PREx, conducted in the Spring of 2010, used a polarized electron beam on a 208Pb target at a momentum transfer of Q{sup 2} = 0.009 GeV{sup 2}. This parity-violating asymmetry can be used to obtain a clean measurement of the root-mean-square radius of the neutrons in the {sup 208}Pb nucleus. …
Date: May 31, 2012
Creator: Mercado, Luis
Object Type: Thesis or Dissertation
System: The UNT Digital Library
TANK 21 AND TANK 24 BLEND AND FEED STUDY: BLENDING TIMES, SETTLING TIMES, AND TRANSFERS (open access)

TANK 21 AND TANK 24 BLEND AND FEED STUDY: BLENDING TIMES, SETTLING TIMES, AND TRANSFERS

The Salt Disposition Integration (SDI) portfolio of projects provides the infrastructure within existing Liquid Waste facilities to support the startup and long term operation of the Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF). Within SDI, the Blend and Feed Project will equip existing waste tanks in the Tank Farms to serve as Blend Tanks where salt solutions of up to 1.2 million gallons will be blended in 1.3 million gallon tanks and qualified for use as feedstock for SWPF. In particular, Tanks 21 and 24 are planned to be used for blending and transferring to the SDI feed tank. These tanks were evaluated here to determine blending times, to determine a range of settling times for disturbed sludge, and to determine that the SWPF Waste Acceptance Criteria that less than 1200 mg/liter of solids will be entrained in salt solutions during transfers from the Tank 21 and Tank 24 will be met. Overall conclusions for Tank 21 and Tank 24 operations include: (1) Experimental correction factors were applied to CFD (computational fluid dynamics) models to establish blending times between approximately two and five hours. As shown in Phase 2 research, blending times may be as much as ten times greater, or more, …
Date: May 31, 2012
Creator: Lee, S.; Leishear, R. & Poirier, M.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Towards a Precision Measurement of Parity-Violating e-p Elastic Scattering at Low Momentum Transfer (open access)

Towards a Precision Measurement of Parity-Violating e-p Elastic Scattering at Low Momentum Transfer

The goal of the Q-weak experiment is to make a measurement of the proton's weak charge Q{sub W}{sup p} = 1 - 4 sin{sup 2}({theta}{sub W}) to an accuracy of {approx} 4%. This would represent a {approx} 0.3% determination of the weak mixing angle sin{sup 2}({theta}{sub W}) at low energy. The measurement may be used for a precision test of the Standard Model (SM) prediction on the running of sin{sup 2}({theta}{sub W}) with energy scale. The Q-weak experiment operates at Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (Jefferson Lab). The experiment determines Q{sub W}{sup p} by measuring the parity violating asymmetry in elastic electron-proton scattering at low momentum transfer Q{sup 2} = 0.026 (GeV/c){sup 2} and forward angles (?8 degrees). The anticipated size of the asymmetry, based on the SM, is about 230 parts per billion (ppb). With the proposed accuracy, the experiment may probe new physics beyond Standard Model at the TeV scale. This thesis focuses on my contributions to the experiment, including track reconstruction for momentum transfer determination of the scattering process, and the focal plane scanner, a detector I designed and built to measure the flux profile of scattered electrons on the focal plane of the Q-weak spectrometer to …
Date: May 31, 2012
Creator: Pan, Jie
Object Type: Thesis or Dissertation
System: The UNT Digital Library
Training toward Advanced 3D Seismic Methods for CO2 Monitoring, Verification, and Accounting (open access)

Training toward Advanced 3D Seismic Methods for CO2 Monitoring, Verification, and Accounting

The objective of our work is graduate and undergraduate student training related to improved 3D seismic technology that addresses key challenges related to monitoring movement and containment of CO{sub 2}, specifically better quantification and sensitivity for mapping of caprock integrity, fractures, and other potential leakage pathways. We utilize data and results developed through previous DOE-funded CO{sub 2} characterization project (DE-FG26-06NT42734) at the Dickman Field of Ness County, KS. Dickman is a type locality for the geology that will be encountered for CO{sub 2} sequestration projects from northern Oklahoma across the U.S. midcontinent to Indiana and Illinois. Since its discovery in 1962, the Dickman Field has produced about 1.7 million barrels of oil from porous Mississippian carbonates with a small structural closure at about 4400 ft drilling depth. Project data includes 3.3 square miles of 3D seismic data, 142 wells, with log, some core, and oil/water production data available. Only two wells penetrate the deep saline aquifer. In a previous DOE-funded project, geological and seismic data were integrated to create a geological property model and a flow simulation grid. We believe that sequestration of CO{sub 2} will largely occur in areas of relatively flat geology and simple near surface, similar to …
Date: May 31, 2012
Creator: Liner, Christopher
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
UC Davis Fuel Cell, Hydrogen, and Hybrid Vehicle (FCH2V) GATE Center of Excellence (open access)

UC Davis Fuel Cell, Hydrogen, and Hybrid Vehicle (FCH2V) GATE Center of Excellence

This is the final report of the UC Davis Fuel Cell, Hydrogen, and Hybrid Vehicle (FCH2V) GATE Center of Excellence which spanned from 2005-2012. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) established the Graduate Automotive Technology Education (GATE) Program, to provide a new generation of engineers and scientists with knowledge and skills to create advanced automotive technologies. The UC Davis Fuel Cell, Hydrogen, and Hybrid Vehicle (FCH2V) GATE Center of Excellence established in 2005 is focused on research, education, industrial collaboration and outreach within automotive technology. UC Davis has had two independent GATE centers with separate well-defined objectives and research programs from 1998. The Fuel Cell Center, administered by ITS-Davis, has focused on fuel cell technology. The Hybrid-Electric Vehicle Design Center (HEV Center), administered by the Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, has focused on the development of plug-in hybrid technology using internal combustion engines. The merger of these two centers in 2005 has broadened the scope of research and lead to higher visibility of the activity. UC Davis’s existing GATE centers have become the campus’s research focal points on fuel cells and hybrid-electric vehicles, and the home for graduate students who are studying advanced automotive technologies. The centers have been …
Date: May 31, 2012
Creator: Erickson, Paul
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Use of an Accurate DNS Particulate Flow Method to Supply and Validate Boundary Conditions for the MFIX Code (open access)

Use of an Accurate DNS Particulate Flow Method to Supply and Validate Boundary Conditions for the MFIX Code

The simulation of particulate flows for industrial applications often requires the use of two-fluid models, where the solid particles are considered as a separate continuous phase. One of the underlining uncertainties in the use of the two-fluid models in multiphase computations comes from the boundary condition of the solid phase. Typically, the gas or liquid fluid boundary condition at a solid wall is the so called no-slip condition, which has been widely accepted to be valid for single-phase fluid dynamics provided that the Knudsen number is low. However, the boundary condition for the solid phase is not well understood. The no-slip condition at a solid boundary is not a valid assumption for the solid phase. Instead, several researchers advocate a slip condition as a more appropriate boundary condition. However, the question on the selection of an exact slip length or a slip velocity coefficient is still unanswered. Experimental or numerical simulation data are needed in order to determinate the slip boundary condition that is applicable to a two-fluid model. The goal of this project is to improve the performance and accuracy of the boundary conditions used in two-fluid models such as the MFIX code, which is frequently used in multiphase …
Date: May 31, 2012
Creator: Feng, Zhi-Gang
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
A 12 GHZ 50 MW Klystron for Support of Accelerator Research (open access)

A 12 GHZ 50 MW Klystron for Support of Accelerator Research

A 12 GHz 50MW X-band klystron is under development at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory Klystron Department. The klystron will be fabricated to support programs currently underway at three European Labs; CERN, PSI, and INFN Trieste. The choice of frequency selection was due to the CLIC RF frequency changing from 30 GHz to the European X-band frequency of 11.99 GHz in 2008. Since the Klystron Department currently builds 50MW klystrons at 11.424 GHz known collectively as the XL4 klystrons, it was deemed cost-effective to utilize many XL4 components by leaving the gun, electron beam transport, solenoid magnet and collector unchanged. To realize the rf parameters required, the rf cavities and rf output hardware were necessarily altered. Some improvements to the rf design have been made to reduce operating gradients and increase reliability. Changes in the multi-cell output structure, waveguide components, and the window will be discussed along with testing of the devices. Five klystrons known as XL5 klystrons are scheduled for production over the next two years.
Date: May 31, 2011
Creator: Sprehn, Daryl; Haase, Andrew; Jensen, Aaron; Jongewaard, Erik; Nantista, Christopher & Vlieks, Arnold
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Advanced Instrumentation and Control Methods for Small and Medium Reactors with IRIS Demonstration (open access)

Advanced Instrumentation and Control Methods for Small and Medium Reactors with IRIS Demonstration

Development and deployment of small-scale nuclear power reactors and their maintenance, monitoring, and control are part of the mission under the Small Modular Reactor (SMR) program. The objectives of this NERI-consortium research project are to investigate, develop, and validate advanced methods for sensing, controlling, monitoring, diagnosis, and prognosis of these reactors, and to demonstrate the methods with application to one of the proposed integral pressurized water reactors (IPWR). For this project, the IPWR design by Westinghouse, the International Reactor Secure and Innovative (IRIS), has been used to demonstrate the techniques developed under this project. The research focuses on three topical areas with the following objectives. Objective 1 - Develop and apply simulation capabilities and sensitivity/uncertainty analysis methods to address sensor deployment analysis and small grid stability issues. Objective 2 - Develop and test an autonomous and fault-tolerant control architecture and apply to the IRIS system and an experimental flow control loop, with extensions to multiple reactor modules, nuclear desalination, and optimal sensor placement strategy. Objective 3 - Develop and test an integrated monitoring, diagnosis, and prognosis system for SMRs using the IRIS as a test platform, and integrate process and equipment monitoring (PEM) and process and equipment prognostics (PEP) toolboxes. …
Date: May 31, 2011
Creator: Hines, J. Wesley; Upadhyaya, Belle R.; Doster, J. Michael; Edwards, Robert M.; Lewis, Kenneth D.; Turinsky, Paul et al.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Agave: a biofuel feedstock for arid and semi-arid environments (open access)

Agave: a biofuel feedstock for arid and semi-arid environments

Efficient production of plant-based, lignocellulosic biofuels relies upon continued improvement of existing biofuel feedstock species, as well as the introduction of newfeedstocks capable of growing on marginal lands to avoid conflicts with existing food production and minimize use of water and nitrogen resources. To this end, specieswithin the plant genus Agave have recently been proposed as new biofuel feedstocks. Many Agave species are adapted to hot and arid environments generally unsuitable forfood production, yet have biomass productivity rates comparable to other second-generation biofuel feedstocks such as switchgrass and Miscanthus. Agavesachieve remarkable heat tolerance and water use efficiency in part through a Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM) mode of photosynthesis, but the genes andregulatory pathways enabling CAM and thermotolerance in agaves remain poorly understood. We seek to accelerate the development of agave as a new biofuelfeedstock through genomic approaches using massively-parallel sequencing technologies. First, we plan to sequence the transcriptome of A. tequilana to provide adatabase of protein-coding genes to the agave research community. Second, we will compare transcriptome-wide gene expression of agaves under different environmentalconditions in order to understand genetic pathways controlling CAM, water use efficiency, and thermotolerance. Finally, we aim to compare the transcriptome of A.tequilana with that of other …
Date: May 31, 2011
Creator: Gross, Stephen; Martin, Jeffrey; Simpson, June; Wang, Zhong & Visel, Axel
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
AGING PERFORMANCE OF MODEL 9975 PACKAGE FLUOROELASTOMER O-RINGS (open access)

AGING PERFORMANCE OF MODEL 9975 PACKAGE FLUOROELASTOMER O-RINGS

The influence of temperature and radiation on Viton{reg_sign} GLT and GLT-S fluoroelastomer O-rings is an ongoing research focus at the Savannah River National Laboratory. The O-rings are credited for leaktight containment in the Model 9975 shipping package used for transportation of plutonium-bearing materials. At the Savannah River Site, the Model 9975 packages are being used for interim storage. Primary research efforts have focused on surveillance of O-rings from actual packages, leak testing of seals at bounding aging conditions and the effect of aging temperature on compression stress relaxation behavior, with the goal of service life prediction for long-term storage conditions. Recently, an additional effort to evaluate the effect of aging temperature on the oxidation of the materials has begun. Degradation in the mechanical properties of elastomers is directly related to the oxidation of the polymer. Sensitive measurements of the oxidation rate can be performed in a more timely manner than waiting for a measurable change in mechanical properties, especially at service temperatures. Measuring the oxidation rate therefore provides a means to validate the assumption that the degradation mechanisms(s) do not change from the elevated temperatures used for accelerated aging and the lower service temperatures. Monitoring the amount of oxygen uptake …
Date: May 31, 2011
Creator: Hoffman, E.; Daugherty, W.; Skidmore, E.; Dunn, K. & Fisher, D.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
AlGaN UV LED and Photodiodes Radiation Hardness and Space Qualifications and Their Applications in Space Science and High Energy Density Physics (open access)

AlGaN UV LED and Photodiodes Radiation Hardness and Space Qualifications and Their Applications in Space Science and High Energy Density Physics

This presentation provides an overview of robust, radiation hard AlGaN optoelectronic devices and their applications in space exploration & high energy density physics. Particularly, deep UV LED and deep UV photodiodes are discussed with regard to their applications, radiation hardness and space qualification. AC charge management of UV LED satellite payload instruments, which were to be launched in late 2012, is covered.
Date: May 31, 2011
Creator: Sun, K. X.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Atomic Phase Shifts In Mixed-Glass, Multi-Petawatt Laser Systems (open access)

Atomic Phase Shifts In Mixed-Glass, Multi-Petawatt Laser Systems

None
Date: May 31, 2011
Creator: Filip, C V
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library