Browse Topic: Test facilities
This research investigates the potential of salt gradient solar ponds (SGSPs) as a sustainable and effective solution for thermal energy storage. The study examines the design, construction, and performance of SGSP systems that incorporate coal cinder, comparing their performance with traditional SGSPs without coal cinder. A combination of experimental and numerical approaches is used to evaluate the thermal characteristics and energy efficiency of these systems. The findings indicate that the salt gradient solar pond with coal cinder (SGSP-CC) achieves notably higher temperatures across the Upper Convective Zone (UCZ), Non-Convective Zone (NCZ), and Lower Convective Zone (LCZ), with measured temperatures of 42.57°C, 56.8°C, and 69.86°C, respectively. These represent increases of 7.53%, 12.01%, and 15.49% over those in the conventional SGSP (SGSP-C). Additionally, the energy efficiency gains in the UCZ, NCZ, and LCZ for the SGSP-CC are noteworthy, with increases of 38.06%, 39.61%, and
Researchers and engineers at the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical Biological Center have developed a prototype system for decontaminating military combat vehicles. U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical Biological Center (DEVCOM CBC) is paving the way and helping the Army transform into a multi-domain force through its modernization and priority research efforts that are linked to the National Defense Strategy and nation's goals. CBC continues to lead in the development of innovative defense technology, including autonomous chem-bio defense solutions designed to enhance accuracy and safety to the warfighter.
For all the engineering that takes place at the Treadwell Research Park (TRP), Discount Tire's chief product and technical officer John Baldwin told SAE Media that there's actually something akin to magic in the way giga-reams of test data are converted into information non-engineers can usefully understand. TRP is where Discount Tire generates data used by the algorithms behind its Treadwell tire shopping guide. The consumer-facing Treadwell tool, available in an app, a website and in stores, provides tire shoppers with personalized, simple-to-understand recommendations that are mostly based on a five-star scale. Discount Tire and its partners have tested over 20,000 SKUs, representing 500 to 1000 different types of tires over the years, Baldwin said, including variants and updates. Testing a tire to discover it has an 8.2 rolling resistance coefficient is one thing. The trick is finding a way to explain it to someone standing in a tire shop.
Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory have developed a machine learning method that could have a huge impact on understanding how material is formed during the additive manufacturing process. John Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, have demonstrated a novel approach for applying machine learning to predict microstructures produced by a widely used additive manufacturing technique. Their approach promises to dramatically reduce the time and cost of developing materials with tailored physical properties and will soon be implemented on a NASA-funded effort focused on creation of a digital twin. “We anticipate that this new approach will be extremely impactful in helping design and understand material formation during additive manufacturing processes, and this fits into our overarching strategy focused on accelerating materials development for national security,” said
In recent years, engineers at ETH Zurich have developed the technology to produce liquid fuels from sunlight and air. In 2019, they demonstrated the entire thermochemical process chain under real conditions for the first time, in the middle of Zurich, on the roof of ETH Machine Laboratory. These synthetic solar fuels are carbon neutral because they release only as much CO2 during their combustion as was drawn from the air for their production. Two ETH spin-offs, Climeworks and Synhelion, are further developing and commercializing the technologies.
Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, have demonstrated a novel approach for applying machine learning to predict microstructures produced by a widely used additive manufacturing technique. Their approach promises to dramatically reduce the time and cost of developing materials with tailored physical properties and will soon be implemented on a NASA-funded effort focused on creation of a digital twin.
U.S. Army Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 866-570-7247
This SAE Aerospace Information Report (AIR) has been written for individuals associated with ground level testing of turbofan and turbojet engines and particularly for those who might be interested in investigating the performance characteristics of a new test cell design or of proposed modifications to an existing test cell by means of a scale model test.
Rama Venkatasubramanian, Luke Osborn, Jeff Maranchi, Meiyong Himmtann, Jonathan Pierce, Richard Ung, Katy Carneal, Robert Armiger JHU Applied Physics Lab Laurel, MD
Fangzheng Liu, Nathan Perry, Tobias Roeddiger, Sean Auffinger, Joseph Paradiso, Ariel Ekblaw MIT Media Lab Cambridge, MA
This SAE Aerospace Information Report (AIR) has been written for individuals associated with the ground-level testing of large turbofan and turbojet engines, particularly those who are interested in infrasound phenomena.
Delivered by Team Hersa, a joint Defense Equipment & Support (DE&S) and Defense, Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) enterprise, the Radio Frequency Directed Energy Weapon (RFDEW) can detect, track and engage a range of threats across land, air and sea. The system uses radio waves to disrupt or damage critical electronic components inside enemy platforms, such as drones, causing them to stop in their tracks or fall out of the sky. As such, it offers a solution for the protection and defense of critical assets and bases.
U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground, AZ 928-328-2151
Because they can go where humans can’t, robots are especially suited for safely working with hazardous nuclear waste. Now, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory have designed and tested a remote-controlled, dual-arm telerobotics system with human-like capabilities that has the potential to revolutionize hazardous waste clean-up and holds potential for broader applications.
Military performance requirements for adhesives have been traditionally derived to fulfill niche defense needs in harsh operational environments with little consideration for dual-use commercial potential. U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen, MD The term “military-grade” can have a variety of meanings that are perspective dependent. In 2014, Ford Motor Company emphasized the term heavily in advertising campaigns to garner consumer acceptance for the transition from steel to aluminum in the body of their flagship F150 model. As cited by Ford, “Engineers selected these high-strength, military-grade aluminum alloys because of the metals' unique ability to withstand tough customer demands.” From this point-of-view, military-grade implies superior performance. However, the bureaucratic and logistical barriers required for certification to military-grade acceptance levels per DoD performance requirements can also be perceived as impediments to innovation and the transition of fundamental
Simulation company rFpro has already mapped over 180 digital locations around the world, including public roads, proving grounds and race circuits. But the company's latest is by far its biggest and most complicated. Matt Daley, technical director at rFpro, announced at AutoSens USA 2024 that its new Los Angeles route is an “absolutely massive, complicated model” of a 36-km (22-mile) loop that can be virtually driven in both directions. Along these digital roads - which were built off survey-grade LIDAR data with a 1 cm by 1 cm (1.1-in by 1.1 in) X-Y grid - rFpro has added over 12,000 buildings, 13,000 pieces of street infrastructure (like signs and lamps), and 40,000 pieces of vegetation. “It's a fantastic location,” Daley said. “It's a huge array of different types of challenging infrastructure for AVs. You can drive this loop with full vehicle dynamic inputs, ready to excite the suspension and, especially with AVs, shake the sensors in the correct way as you would be getting if you
Unlike glass, which is infinitely recyclable, plastic recycling is challenging and expensive because of the material’s complex molecular structure designed for specific needs. New research from the lab of Giannis Mpoumpakis, Associate Professor of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh, focuses on optimizing a promising technology called pyrolysis, which can chemically recycle waste plastics into more valuable chemicals.
Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory are developing battery technologies to fight climate change in two ways, by expanding the use of renewable energy and capturing airborne carbon dioxide.
The last time you dropped a mug, you may have been too preoccupied to take much notice of the intricate pattern of cracks that appeared in the broken object. But capturing the formation of such patterns is the specialty of John Kolinski and his team at the Laboratory of Engineering Mechanics of Soft Interfaces (EMSI) in EPFL’s School of Engineering.
“Everything old is new again and that is precisely why we’ve been investigating rammed earth construction,” said Sumi Siddiqua, Civil Engineering Professor and Lead Researcher with The University of British Columbia’s Advanced Geomaterials Testing Lab. Siddiqua is part of a research group at UBC Okanagan that’s revisiting old building practices — the use of byproducts and cast-offs — as a way to improve building materials and sustainability of the trade.
The automotive industry is continuously evolving, demanding innovative approaches to enhance testing methodologies and preventively identify potential issues. This paper proposes an advanced test approach in the area of the overall vehicle system including the steering system and powertrain on a Road to Rig test bench. The research aims to revolutionize the conventional testing process by identifying faults at an early stage and eliminating the need to rely solely on field tests. The motivation behind this research is to optimize the test bench setup and bring it even closer to real field tests. Key highlights of the publication include the introduction of an expanded load spectrum, incorporating both steering angle and speed parameters along the test track. The load includes different route and driving profiles like on a freeway, overland and city drive in combination with the steering angles. Furthermore, for the first instance, specific driving manoeuvres, including slalom driving
This SAE Aerospace Recommended Practice (ARP) provides recommendations for: The audit process in general A list of specific areas of attention to be audited Maintaining the test facility in such a manner that it meets audit requirements
Volvo Trucks is leading the charge to net-zero emissions by 2050, but will other OEMs follow? Volvo Trucks is betting on itself to reach the aggressive goal of being completely fossil-free by 2040, meaning its global population of trucks running on roads should be net-zero by 2050. The company is taking an almost fanatical approach to its emissions reduction targets in hopes that other OEMs will follow its lead. Volvo refers to this approach as “The Road to Net-Zero.” Truck & Off-Highway Engineering was invited to Gothenburg, Sweden, to tour many of Volvo's facilities and experience its latest truck offerings at its proving grounds. In addition to touring the newly christened World of Volvo, the company's new experience center located in the heart of Gothenburg, our group of North American journalists was provided unfettered access to company engineers and executives to glean how the company plans to achieve its ambitious targets.
Severe problem of aerodynamic heating and drag force are inherent with any hypersonic space vehicle like space shuttle, missiles etc. For proper design of vehicle, the drag force measurement become very crucial. Ground based test facilities are employed for these estimates along with any suitable force balance as well as sensors. There are many sensors (Accelerometer, Strain gauge and Piezofilm) reported in the literature that is used for evaluating the actual aerodynamic forces over test model in high speed flow. As per previous study, the piezofilm also become an alternative sensor over the strain gauges due to its simple instrumentation. For current investigation, the piezofilm and strain gauge sensors have mounted on same stress force balance to evaluate the response time as well as accuracy of predicted force at the same instant. However, these force balance need to be calibrated for inverse prediction of the force from recorded responses. A reliable multi point calibration
Researchers introduce a fiber-optic computing architecture based on temporal multiplexing and distributed feedback that performs multiple convolutions on the input data in a single layer. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C. U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) researchers have outlined a novel contribution in fiber optics computing in a paper recently published in Communications Physics Journal that brings the Navy one step closer to faster, more efficient computing technologies. Optical computing uses the properties of light, such as its speed and ability to carry large amounts of data, to process information more efficiently than traditional electronic computers.
A commonplace chemical used in water treatment facilities has been repurposed for large-scale energy storage in a new battery design by researchers at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The design provides a pathway to a safe, economical, water-based, flow battery made with Earth-abundant materials. It provides another pathway in the quest to incorporate intermittent energy sources such as wind and solar energy into the nation’s electric grid.
A new robotic suction cup which can grasp rough, curved, and heavy stone, has been developed by scientists at the University of Bristol. The team, based at Bristol Robotics Laboratory, studied the structures of octopus biological suckers, which have superb adaptive suction abilities enabling them to anchor to rock.
U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) researchers have outlined a novel contribution in fiber optics computing in a paper recently published in Communications Physics Journal that brings the Navy one step closer to faster, more efficient computing technologies.
Jet Propulsion Laboratory Pasadena, CA
U.S. Naval Research Laboratory scientists unveil the Cascaded Variational Quantum Eigensolver (CVQE) algorithm expected to become a powerful tool to investigate the physical properties in electronic systems for disruptive defense technologies. U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington D.C. U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) scientists published the Cascaded Variational Quantum Eigensolver (CVQE) algorithm in a recent Physical Review Research article, expected to become a powerful tool to investigate the physical properties in electronic systems. The CVQE algorithm is a variant of the Variational Quantum Eigensolver (VQE) algorithm that only requires the execution of a set of quantum circuits once rather than at every iteration during the parameter optimization process, thereby increasing the computational throughput.
Recent advances in both alloy development and additive manufacturing have enabled the production of ultrahigh-strength steels in nearnet shape parts. Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland Ultrahigh-strength steels are traditionally defined as those steels with a minimum yield strength of approximately 1380 MPa. Notable examples of steels in this category include AISI 4130, AISI 4140, and AISI 4340. In many cases, maximizing the performance of these alloys requires a rather complex approach that involves a series of tempering, annealing, or stress-relieving treatments. As a result, they are produced using a variety of traditional processing methods such as casting, rolling, extrusion, or forging. These traditional methods - combined with the ultrahigh strength of the steels - often meant that the production of complex, near-net shape parts of high quality was quite difficult. In addition, these production methods often entailed repetitive treatments or long
In 2023, Parry Labs was awarded two tasks under the Aviation and Missile Technology Consortium's (AMTC) Other Transactions Agreement to lead a multi-vendor team to collaboratively define the Army's Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) requirements for computing and software operating environments for all future Army Aviation procurements. This relatively new approach for the Army and industry drove collaboration and allowed U.S. Government (USG) to make key modularity and openness decisions relative to Aviation Mission Computing Environment (AMCE). This unique opportunity provided a platform for industry to openly inform requirements at a much more granular level than previously possible, providing assurances that such detailed requirements wouldn't be an overreach or constrain innovation and disrupt industry business models. Solicited to the entire AMTC, which represents the vast majority of the aviation industrial base, the AMTC and USG team selected the most qualified vendors to
As head of software engineering at Volvo Cars, Alwin Bakkenes is involved not just with all of the software and electronics in Volvo's vehicles but also the automaker's automotive cloud, the data center that trains Volvo's algorithms, the connectivity pipeline and software updates as well as interactions with Volvo's autonomous driving software development subsidiary Zenseact and HaleyTek, a joint venture with ECARX to develop Android-based infotainment systems for Volvo and Polestar. This growing digital footprint gives Volvo an array of tools to improve its future vehicles, something Bakkenes made clear when speaking with SAE Media at the 2024 NVIDIA GTC event in San Jose in March. Volvo started working with NVIDIA around eight years ago and first used the NVIDIA DRIVE Orin system-on-a-chip (SoC) technology in the updated XC90 SUV, introduced in 2022. In 2023, Volvo built a new 22,000 sq m (236,806 sq ft) software testing center in Sweden at a cost of around SEK 300 million (U.S
There are times when scientific progress comes in the form of discovering something completely new. Other times, progress boils down to doing something better, faster, or more easily. New research from the lab of Caltech’s Lihong Wang, the Bren Professor of Medical Engineering and Electrical Engineering, is the latter. In a paper published in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering, Wang and postdoctoral scholar Yide Zhang show how they have simplified and improved an imaging technique they first announced in 2020.
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