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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 181 records · Page 10

Corrosion Control in Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) Composite-Aluminum Closure Panel Hem Joints

This project targeted the implementation of CFRP/Al closure panels as a drop-in replacement for all-aluminum closures used in automobile production today. The project focused on the development of corrosion fundamentals involving CFRP materials and the use of those materials in mixed-material joints. Numerous studies were completed to benchmark current materials and test mixed metal joints. Good correlation was found between outdoor exposures and laboratory cyclic corrosion testing. The insights from the corrosion testing fundamentals and benchmarking phases informed the development of low-cure adhesive and electrocoats and conductive primers for the CFRP. Adhesive and electrocoat materials were successfully developed meeting low-cure targets for bake (150C/10min). These materials were scaled-up and used to produce 5 prototype liftgates to further evaluate CFRP/Al joints in a full-scale part. The lower cure materials enabled mitigation of CTE mismatch and reduced the required bake temperature, resulting in reduced part distortion. Corrosion testing of the liftgates revealed unexpected increases in corrosion relative to the standard bake materials. While rigorous evaluation of the parts was not possible due to numerous complexities associated with prototype testing, the results provided significant insights into the material behavior of CFRP/Al joints. Key learnings from the project included a better understanding of the system complexity (interplay of substrate/primer conductivity, production of full-scale prototypes), advances in coating/adhesive design for low-cure applications involving CFRP, and advancement of corrosion test protocols for CFRP.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Advanced Thin Film Core Technology: CIGS Final Technical Report (FTR)

Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 (CIGS) thin-film photovoltaics are a high-efficiency and reliable technology. This project completed research in two important areas and was designed to work collaboratively with industrial partners. Task 1: Alkali Science focused on alkali post-deposition treatments (PDT). PDTs have been instrumental in the dramatic voltage improvements that have moved CIGS device efficiencies from 20% to 23.35% [1]. Based on a survey of CIGS companies at the beginning of the project, the single biggest breakthrough for the CIGS community would be a mechanistic understanding of the role of alkalis in the material system. Significant accomplishments of Task 1: Alkali Science: 1) KF post-deposition treatments were shown to improve lifetime, open-circuit voltage (VOC), and efficiency of industrial partner samples, even when done as a later step, separate from the original CIGS deposition. 2) KF boosted efficiency when incorporated at the end of the third stage of NREL CIGS growth. 3) XPS characterization of CIGS surfaces with and without PDTs led to a proposed mechanism whereby K drives structural transformation at 350 degrees C that is locked in at room temperature even after K is rinsed away. 4) Published recipes for KF and RbF PDTs. Literature to date did not provide enough detail to quickly reproduce experimental results. 5) Identified most important parameters (RbF cell temperature and lamp setpoint temperature) and set boundaries for successful RbF PDTs. The purpose of Task 2: Cell-level Reliability was to overcome the largest challenges to investor confidence and long product lifetime in CIGS-based photovoltaic products: metastability, shading-induced hot spots, and potential-induced degradation (PID). Key findings were made in each of these areas by studying CIGS reliability at the cell level: 1) Published NREL's cell-level reliability testing procedures along with challenges that were encountered while developing them. These were also distributed to the community through an MRS conference presentation. 2) Decreased metastability by adding a CdS hole-injection layer between the CIGS and Zn(O,S) in the device stack. It also improved device performance. Materials other than CdS can be used for the same purpose. 3) Reduced front-glass PID by replacing soda-lime glass with low-Na borosilicate glass. 4) Found that PID depends on leakage current and light/electrical bias. This will help labs avoid test-specific degradation. 5) Discovered that CIGS can suffer from two different types of PID with different mechanisms. Front is slower and leads to shunting ZnO. Back is faster and degrades the p-n junction. 6) Holding cells at open circuit slows PID compared to short circuit. This affects testing protocols for glass/glass modules.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Machine-Learning-Assisted Enhancement of Perovskite Stability and Photovoltaic Performance

Lab scale perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have reached power conversion efficiencies on par with silicon solar cells. Their potential for low-cost manufacturing combined with high performance make them attractive for commercialization. The major challenge impeding widespread development of PSCs is their stability. Halide perovskites are vulnerable to decomposition in the presence of moisture, oxygen, light, and heat. Furthermore, the chemical differences between halide perovskites and conventional semiconductors used in photovoltaics (e.g., silicon, chalcogenides, and III-V compounds) may render established accelerated lifetime testing protocols inaccurate.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

National Virtual Biotechnology Laboratory: Report on Rapid R&D Solutions to the COVID-19 Crisis

With funding from the CARES Act, the U.S Department of Energy (DOE) established the National Virtual Biotechnology Laboratory (NVBL) in March 2020 to address key challenges associated with the COVID-19 crisis. NVBL brought together the broad scientific and technical expertise and resources of DOE’s 17 national laboratories to help tackle medical supply short ages, discover potential drugs to fight the virus, develop and validate COVID-19 testing methods, model disease spread and impact across the nation, and understand virus transport in buildings and the environment. National laboratory resources leveraged for this effort include a suite of world-leading user facilities broadly available to the research community, such as light and neutron sources, nanoscale science research centers, sequencing and biocharacterization facilities, and high-performance computing facilities. Within months, NVBL teams produced innovations in materials and advanced manufacturing that mitigated shortages in test kits and personal protective equipment (PPE), creating nearly 1,000 new jobs. They used DOE’s high-performance computers and light and neutron sources to identify promising candidates for antibodies and antivirals that universities and drug companies are now evaluating. NVBL researchers also developed new diagnostic targets and sample collection approaches, and supported U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) efforts to establish national guidelines used in administering millions of tests. Researchers used artificial intelligence and high-performance computing to produce near-real-time data analysis to forecast disease transmission, stress on public health infrastructure, and economic impact, which supported decision-makers at the local, state, and national levels. NVBL teams also studied how to control indoor virus movement to minimize uptake and protect human health. NVBL’s accomplishments demonstrate not only the powerful resource represented by DOE’s national laboratories working together to meet national needs, but also the effectiveness of the integrated NVBL framework for rapidly responding to emergencies with research and development (R&D) solutions. As the fight against COVID continues, sustained efforts are needed to confront this pandemic as well as future threats. Examples include: 1) Establishing “supply chains on demand” to meet emergency production needs by leveraging the materials and manufacturing expertise of DOE national laboratories and developing advances in electronics, sensing, robotics, and automation capabilities; 2) Improving the speed and robustness of drug discovery by integrating experimental platforms with DOE’s computational and experimental user facilities, which provide unique resources to support the discovery of high-potential therapeutic agents; 3) Protecting public, environmental, and animal health by developing new testing protocols and instrumentation adaptable to diverse sample types (both physiological and environmental) to quickly detect a wide range of pathogens and monitor other biorisks; 4) Supporting near-real-time data needs of decision-makers at the local, regional, state, and national levels by advancing data curation, analysis, and modeling using artificial intelligence and new data science tools for managing and evaluating large diverse datasets; 5) Harnessing DOE’s expertise in environmental modeling to design rooms and air handling for offices, classrooms, restaurants, and other structures to minimize biorisk transmissions. Going forward, NVBL is poised to apply the unique capabilities and expertise of the national laboratory complex to future national and international emergencies, both natural and engineered. Through this framework, the Office of Science will continue to be an integral component of agency wide efforts to prepare for and respond to biorisks and other crises.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Improved Moisture Management Technology for Eco-N-Control Fertilizer

Three fertilizer technologies to manage nitrogen (N) release rates in soil dominate the market today: 1) bulk controlled-release technologies, which use the intrinsic solubility properties of a N-organic co-polymer to control N release; 2) barrier-based controlled-release technologies, which use porous polymer or sulfur coatings as a physical barrier to control N release from encapsulated N nutrients; and 3) slow-release technologies, which use enzyme inhibitors to chemically slow down the transformation of N nutrients into ammonia (NH 3 ) or to temporarily reduce populations of bacteria in the soil that are responsible for converting ammonium (NH 4 + ) to highly soluble nitrates. These technologies are expensive and provide only limited control of N-release rates. Also, from another environmental perspective, synthetic polymer coatings do not decompose easily and will accumulate over time with continuous application of fertilizer. For most of the past two decades we have been developing the Eco-N-Control solid-nitride fertilizer technology, a type of bulk controlled-release technology. With Eco-N-Control, solid-nitride compounds weather like a mineral, slowly releasing N at a rate determined by their composition. Testing by an industrial collaborator, however, showed that earlier versions of Eco-N-Control released at 25% of the desired rate when deployed in unsaturated soils. The overall goal of the current project, therefore, was to strengthen our IP position and the potential for licensing of Eco-N-Control solid-nitride fertilizer technology by developing new ways to manage the level of moisture in contact with the fertilizer when applied to soil thereby ensuring the desired N-release rate. We achieved this goal by developing a biodegradable polymer cross-linking approach that substantially improved performance of our patented solid-nitride fertilizer. We found that cross-linking an environmentally friendly and biodegradable polymer with a mixture of solid nitrides, other N-nutrient compounds and other additives offers several advantages: 1) mechanical robustness of fertilizer beads, 2) chemical stability during storage, 3) maintenance of sufficient water content in the vicinity of the nitride, and 4) control of N-release rates. We also updated our N-release testing protocol to more realistically simulate the conditions found in soil. Finally, we filed an invention disclosure record to protect these new aspects of Eco-N-Control technology, which offers a potential way to lower both agricultural and industrial pollution by providing an efficient N-delivery mechanism to plants.

42 ENGINEERING↗

PacWave Anchoring and Mooring Study

PacWave, with its location in some of the most energetic waters in the nation and a buildout to support grid-connected devices, is poised to become a leader in field testing of wave energy converters (WECs) at high technology readiness levels. As part of the device deployment and testing protocols at PacWave, the client is responsible for providing all mooring system components, since there are currently no mooring system components specified for PacWave. NREL and PNNL have been tasked with conducting a preliminary analysis of permanent or temporary mooring systems at the PacWave South site. Previous work for this task included a global trade study of mooring systems used for WECs, and a site characterization of PacWave South. This current report will use the results of the previous studies to inform the design of various mooring systems to be installed at PacWave, which will allow cost analyses to be performed to compare the costs of acquisition of these mooring systems and the costs of mooring systems designed specifically for clients' devices.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗

Low-Cost, High-Performance Carbon Fiber for Compressed Natural Gas Storage Tanks (Final Technical Report – Down Select Report)

The aim of this project is to reduce the cost of Type IV, carbon fiber (CF) composite overwrap compressed gas storage tanks by reducing the cost of CF and CF composites. The project team worked to reduce the cost of CF by exploring and testing opportunities for a low-cost alternative precursor material for CF production to supplant market-dominant and costly polyacrylonitrile (PAN). Concurrently, the team aimed to reduce the cost of the tanks at the composite level by improving the interfacial adhesion between the fibers and the matrix resin through the incorporation of low-cost nanoparticles recycled from waste materials, which would reduce the volume of costly CF required to achieve the same tank performance. At the end of the first year, the project team selected mesophase pitch as the primary precursor candidate from a field of materials based on the superior mechanical performance and cost-saving potential. During the second year, the team produced CFs derived from mesophase pitch achieving an average tensile strength of 365.6 ksi and average tensile modulus of 40.74 Msi. Facility availability for spinning and converting these fibers at greater scale has hindered scale-up demonstration, but the team has identified opportunities to conduct this work in the near term. Cost modeling shows that these mesophase pitch-derived CFs can be up to 40% less expensive than PAN-derived CFs due to the lower cost of the feedstock material, higher throughput, greater conversion yield, and lower cost spinning method and compared to PAN. Additionally, the team has demonstrated at lab-scale that nanoparticle coating CFs can significantly increase the interfacial shear strength and load transfer efficiency of CFs in a matrix. Single filament pull-out testing showed a 27% average increase in max interfacial shear strength due to this coating. A continuous method of applying these coatings to a tow of CF has been developed for scale-up. 26 m tows of coated CFs were produced using this system and formed into composite ring samples for ASTM ring burst testing. Issues with the testing protocol have limited assessment of these results. A prototype Type IV tank was designed to meet ANSI HGV2 standards, and the design criteria set out by DOE, using the CF properties developed by the team paired with a proprietary resin matrix, a polyamide liner, and aluminum end bosses. The tank weighs 153.1 kg and with a total capacity of 5.8 kg H2 (5.6 kg usable), which yields a gravimetric capacity of 1.17 kWh/kg. Cost modeling predicts that the tank will have a projected cost of $15.73/kWh. Tank performance modeling does not include considerations for fiber-matrix load transfer efficiency improvements offered by nanoparticle coating method.

08 HYDROGEN↗

Material Test Reactors; Annular Core Research Reactor Testing

The Material Test Reactors Fifth Workshop reviews the successes and failures of material test protocols and lessons learned. This presentation introduces the Annular Core Research Reactor (ACRR), the history of nuclear reactors at Sandia National Labs and the experiment review process. Included are actual examples of experimental activities at ACRR.

Martin, Lonnie E. [Sandia National Laboratories (S↗

Large Scale Field Demonstration Evaluation Plan

This Evaluation Plan defines practical, commissioning-oriented test protocols for in-field assessment of grid-forming (GFM) inverter-based resources (IBRs) deployed under the UNIFI Consortium Field Demonstration. The demonstration’s overarching objective is to validate multi vendor GFM technologies at impactful unit/plant scale, assess interoperability and grid-service performance, and evaluate the applicability of the UNIFI Specifications for Grid-forming Inverter-based Resources in real utility environments, including integration with operational systems and protection schemes.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Robust Polymer Electrolytes For Flexible Energy Storage (CRADA Final Report)

As part of the Cyclotron Road program, Anthro Energy investigated the formulation, synthesis, and application of advanced supramolecular compounds for lithium-ion batteries. Anthro Energy developed and tested formulations and chemistries to create polymeric materials with improved mechanical strength, safety, and electrochemical performance. These materials were explored for use in next-generation batteries with a variety of form factors. Initially, Anthro Energy tested these materials to create flexible and deformable batteries, which are in high demand for the wearable/flexible electronics industry. In future work, Anthro Energy’s materials may be applied to create rigid structural batteries, or to enable novel chemistries such as silicon anodes or lithium metal anodes. In the process of testing the company’s unique lithium-ion cells, Anthro Energy explored the development and utilization of novel cell components, cell architectures, and testing protocols. These next-generation flexible and structural batteries may eventually enable new categories of electronic devices.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Measurement of ion transport properties in ion exchange membranes for photoelectrochemical water splitting

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water-splitting systems have the unique ability to produce renewable hydrogen directly from sunlight, independent of the electrical grid. These systems are therefore appealing technological options for resilient long-term energy storage. Ion selective membranes, such as monopolar and bipolar membranes, are a vital component of PEC water-splitting systems. These membranes allow for ionic conduction between the cathode and anode chambers, separation of products, and improved catalyst environments for reactions. In order to measure key properties and to study the performance of these ion exchange membranes, it is imperative to develop a robust testing protocol that can be used across the field. This paper introduces two standard electrochemical cells designed to directly measure ion transport properties in monopolar and bipolar membranes. The first electrochemical cell uses commercially available Pt disk electrodes to preform electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and reliably measure through-plane conductivity of monopolar membranes. The second electrochemical cell uses four-point measurements with Luggin capillaries and a series of membrane configurations to perform current density-voltage and Faradaic efficiency (FE) measurements for water dissociation (WD) reactions on bipolar membranes. The cell designs and techniques laid out below allow for accurate measurement of ion transport parameters in ion exchange membranes, direct comparison of membranes being developed across the field, and in turn, greater advancements in ion exchange membranes and PEC water-splitting systems.

cation exchange membrane↗

A Bifunctional Pt/CeO 2 -Cu 1 /CeO 2 Catalyst System for Isooctane Oxidation under Fully Simulated Engine-Exhaust Condition: Eliminating the Inhibition by CO

Pt-based catalysts, because of their outstanding activity for hydrocarbon oxidation, are widely used in the engine-exhaust aftertreatment system to remove hydrocarbon emissions. However, the CO and NO x present in real engine exhausts compete with hydrocarbons for active Pt sites, and thus inhibit hydrocarbon oxidation. In this work, we evaluated the inhibition effects of CO and NO on isooctane oxidation over a Pt/CeO 2 catalyst under the simulated condition of the US DRIVE test protocol (S-GDI, stoichiometric gasoline direct injection). We also leveraged a low-cost single-atom Cu 1 /CeO 2 catalyst, which is highly active for low-temperature CO oxidation, to eliminate the inhibition effect of CO. Specifically, by physically mixing Cu 1 /CeO 2 and Pt/CeO 2 , all the CO is completely converted below 200 °C under simulated exhaust condition, which helps lower the isooctane oxidation temperature. However, the unconverted NO still strongly suppresses HC oxidation. Possible strategies to address the NO inhibitor were proposed.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Leveraging Cell Expansion Sensing in State of Charge Estimation: Practical Considerations

Measurements such as current and terminal voltage that are typically used to determine the battery’s state of charge (SOC) are augmented with measured force associated with electrode expansion as the lithium intercalates in its structure. The combination of the sensed behavior is shown to improve SOC estimation even for the lithium ion iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry, where the voltage–SOC relation is flat (low slope) making SOC estimation using measured voltage difficult. For the LFP cells, the measured force has a non-monotonic F–SOC relationship. This presents a challenge for estimation as multiple force values can correspond to the same SOC. The traditional linear quadratic estimator can be driven to an incorrect SOC value. To address these difficulties, a novel switching estimation gain is used based on determining the operating region that corresponds to the actual SOC. Moreover, a drift in the measured force associated with a shift of the cell SOC–expansion behavior over time is addressed with a bias estimator for the force signal. The performance of Voltage-based (V) and Voltage and Force-based (V&F) SOC estimation algorithms are then compared and evaluated against a desired ±5% absolute error bound of the SOC using a dynamic stress test current protocol that tests the proposed estimation scheme across wide range of SOC and current rates.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Insights into Engine Knock: Comparisons of Knock Metrics across Ranges of Intake Temperature and Pressure in the CFR Engine

Of late there has been a resurgence in studies investigating parameters that quantify combustion knock in both standardized platforms and modern spark-ignition engines. However, it is still unclear how metrics such as knock (octane) rating, knock onset, and knock intensity are related and how fuels behave according to these metrics across a range of conditions. As part of an ongoing study, the air supply system of a standard Cooperative Fuel Research (CFR) F1/F2 engine was modified to allow mild levels of intake air boosting while staying true to its intended purpose of being the standard device for American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)-specified knock rating or octane number tests. For instance, the carburation system and intake air heating manifold are not altered, but the engine was equipped with cylinder pressure transducers to enable both logging of the standard knockmeter readout and state-of-the-art indicated data. For this study, the engine was operated using primary reference fuel 90 (PRF90) at 600 rpm, first following the procedures of the ASTM D2699 research octane number test protocol in order to define the geometric compression ratio set point for standard knock number. Thereafter, compression ratio sweeps were conducted at intake temperatures ranging from 30 to 150°C and intake air boost extending from 0 to 0.3 bar above ambient. The resulting operating map provided a broad envelope of compressed in-cylinder conditions relevant to modern spark-ignition engines. Detailed analysis of the indicated data highlighted a poor correlation between established knock intensity metrics and the knockmeter reading, which is used to characterize a fuel’s octane number. It was further found that the auto-ignition characteristics of PRF90 could be perturbed by means of intake air boosting and heating without being captured by the knockmeter reading.

Rockstroh, Toby↗

A Review of Recent Advances in the Understanding of Liquid Metal Embrittlement

Significant advances in the study of liquid metal embrittlement have occurred since 2000 but there have been few reviews of the liquid metal embrittlement literature since that time. This paper discusses recent advances in modelling and testing. Specific solid - liquid systems (including steel exposed to molten lead-bismuth and aluminum - gallium ) are reviewed. Relationships between various studies are considered and the need for careful test protocols is emphasized. The individual effects of wetting, crack initiation and propagation are discussed. Finally, mechanisms of liquid metal embrittlement including interatomic and mass-transport based phenomena are analyzed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Do Flashing and Sealant Materials Need to be Exposed to Extreme Cycling?

In the U.S., over 50% of homes were built before 1980, when minimal building codes existed. The aging of building envelopes can significantly contribute to the air leakage, moisture intrusion, and durability of buildings leading to higher energy demands. Although the durability of building materials and envelope systems has been studied extensively, the durability of specific components like window-wall flashing and sealants remains underexplored. Current standards such as ASTM, NIST, and AAMA primarily focus on durability testing considering the high temperatures only and require sealant testing on anodized aluminum panels, leaving questions about performance in cold or fluctuating temperatures unanswered. Current ASTM and AAMA standards provide guidelines for durability testing but predominantly focus on exposure to higher temperature conditions. It remains unclear how exposure to cold temperatures, or cycles of both hot and cold conditions, affect the durability of these materials. Furthermore, AAMA standards mandate that flashing materials be tested on anodized aluminum panels, which may not reflect real-world applications. Therefore, this initial study aims to explore this concern through testing by constructing two window-wall interface prototypes and applying five different flashing and sealant materials to their joints. These samples were subjected to extreme temperatures, ranging from −34 ℃ (−30 °F) to 50 ℃ (122 °F), over a 28-day period (fourteen cycles of 24 hours), with daily visual inspections to document any signs of deterioration such as wrinkling, distortion, or warping. The study has two main objectives: (1) to determine whether flashing and sealant materials lose their durability and strength when exposed to varying climate conditions, specifically cold climates, and (2) to assess whether the interaction of these materials with different substrates (e.g., lumber, PVC, insulation) affects their durability and strength under varying climate conditions. The findings demonstrate how aging impacts the durability of window-wall systems interfaces, justifying future research that potentially could lead to the development of new testing protocols if significant defects are identified.

Palani, Hevar [ORNL] (ORCID:0000000220211994)↗

Machine-Learning Assisted Identification of Battery Life Models

Predictive battery life models are commonly utilized to extrapolate degradation trends observed during accelerated aging tests for simulation of degradation in real-world applications. Thus, fitting accelerated aging data as accurately as possible and with low uncertainty is crucial for making believable projections of battery lifetime, but it is challenging to identify algebraic expressions that accurately fit multivariate degradation trends. A review of models published in literature reveal some common expressions for fitting calendar aging data, which is only dependent on temperature and state-of-charge, but no consistency across many models for fitting cycle aging data, indicating the need for a statistically rigorous data driven approach for developing empirical models. This talk will describe a machine-learning assisted method for identification of predictive battery life models utilizing bilevel optimization and symbolic regression. Bilevel optimization with cross-validation is used to statistically determine cell- and stress-dependent model parameters, while symbolic regression identifies both linear and multiplicative candidate expressions to predict stress-dependent degradation rates by selecting low-order subsets of features from a generated feature library. Because model expressions are identified empirically, it is crucial to ensure resulting models behave according to physical expectations, so the stability of models for interpolation or extrapolation is interrogated qualitatively through simulation and quantitatively through cross-validation and uncertainty quantification via bootstrap resampling. This model identification approach substantially improves upon models identified purely using expert judgement in terms of both accuracy and uncertainty. Model simulation and validation is then conducted by deriving a state-equation form of the predictive model, enabling simulation of battery aging under dynamic stresses. This enables validation of the predictive battery model on lab-based tests with varying conditions or on drive-cycle or application-cycle testing protocols. Parameter uncertainty can be carried forward into model simulation, giving lifetime estimates and confidence windows for cell- or system-level lifetime. The financial impact of battery model uncertainty can be estimated by incorporating uncertainty into a technoeconomic model.

battery↗