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At least 199 records · Page 11

Anti-Icing Coatings using Ionomer Film Layer Structuring

This research effort examined the application of Nafion polymers in alcohol solvents as an anti-ice surface coating, as a mixture with hydrophilic polymers and freezing point depressant salt systems. Co-soluble systems of Nafion, polymer and salt were applied using dip coating methods to create smooth films for frost observation over a Peltier plate thermal system in ambient laboratory conditions. Cryo-DSC was applied to examine freezing events of the Nafion-surfactant mixtures, but the sensitivity of the measurement was insufficient to determine frost behavior. Collaborations with the Fog Chamber at Sandia-Albuquerque, and in environmental SAXS measurements with CINT-LANL were requested but were not able to be performed under the research duration. Since experimental characterization of these factors is difficult to achieve directly, computational modeling was used to guide the scientific basis for property improvement. Computational modeling was performed to improve understanding of the dynamic association between ionomer side groups and added molecules and deicing salts. The polyacrylic acid in water system was identified at the start of the project as a relevant system for exploring the effect of varying counterions on the properties of fully deprotonated polyacrylic acid (PAA) in the presence of water. Simulations were modeled with four different counterions, two monovalent counterions (K+ and Na+) and two divalent counterions (Ca2+ and Mg2+). The wt% of PAA in these systems was varied from ~10 to 80 wt% PAA for temperatures from 250K to 400K. In the second set of simulations, the interpenetration of water into a dry PAA film was studied for Na+ or Ca2+ counterions for temperatures between 300K and 400K. The result of this project is a sprayable Nafion film composite which resists ice nucleation at -20 °C for periods of greater than three hours. It is composed of Nafion polymer, hydrophilic polyethylene oxide polymer and CaCl2 anti-ice crosslinker. Durability and field performance properties remain to be determined.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Phase-Field Modeling of Materials Interfaces and Nanostructures

Nanostructured materials offer unique properties for a wide range of energy applications. Among various known processing methods, liquid metal dealloying (LMD)—the selective dissolution of a base alloy element into a metallic melt—has emerged as a powerful technique to produce a new class of nano-/meso-scale open porous and bicontinuous composite structures with ultra-high interfacial area. LMD has recently been complemented by the advent of vapor phase dealloying (VPD), a novel technique that exploits the selective evaporation of one element from a parent alloy containing elements with very different vapor pressures, thereby enabling to fabricate open nanoporous structures of various elements from less-noble metals to inorganic elements regardless of their chemical activity without requiring high LMD temperatures and chemical etching. Together LMD and VPD have greatly expanded the scope of dealloying techniques, limited by traditional electrochemical means to noble metals, and boosted the design of new functional and structural materials that combine a wide variety of elements. Topologically-connected open porous structures with ultra-high surface area allow mass transport within the structure while preserving structural integrity, enabling them to serve as catalysts, fuel cells, supercapacitors, or high-capacity battery materials. Bicontinuous composite structures in turn can display high strength and high ductility or superior radiation-damage resistance due to the ultra-high interface area between interpenetrating solid phases. This research program makes use of state-of-the-art computational methods to understand at a basic level the self-organizing dealloying process with main focus on dealloying kinetics and interfacial pattern formation at the dealloying front controlling initial structure size, topology, and phase compositions. Phase-field simulation studies of LMD focus on solid solutions, line compounds, and intermetallic systems that can form ternary composites by nucleation and growth of a new phase. Studies of VPD employ phase-field modeling and a hybrid method combining a kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) model of evaporation and surface diffusion with molecular dynamics for vapor-phase transport inside nanopores. Simulations explore mechanisms of interface- and diffusion-controlled dealloying kinetics, both observed in VPD but not fundamentally understood. In addition, our newly developed multi-physics phase-field approach of large-volume-change phase transformations is being used to model novel 3D anode geometries based on dealloyed nanoporous structures including novel sandwiched graphene/Si/silica for highrate Li ion battery. Those studies are aimed at elucidating geometric design principles that improve mechanical stability. We expect this research to enhance the capability to tailor nano-/mesoscale structures for a wide range of energy-related materials applications and to yield further advances in computational methodologies that benefit a broad materials research community.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

Studies of High Energy Density Discharge and Laser-Driven Deflagrating Plasma Stagnations

The goal of this proposal is to develop an understanding of the thermalization and mixing of high energy density (HED) interpenetrating and stagnating plasma deflagrations on two different platforms. The first is opposing gas-fed Z-pinch plasma expansions in a facility at Stanford University. The second is the convergence of multiple deflagration fronts generated by inverted corona laser ablations through experiments carried out by the P.I. as part of a larger team at the University of Rochester Laboratory for Laser Energetics. The link between the two platforms is the role played by kinetic effects that impact mixing and the conversion of directed to thermal energy. Such kinetic effects are important because of the relatively high temperatures despite high plasma densities.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Coupled Experimental/Computational Investigation of the Dynamics of Interacting Magnetized Plasmas

The interaction, or interpenetration, of magnetized plasmas of different density and/or pressure occurs in a wide variety of natural and man-made systems. Such systems include extragalactic jets propagating into the intergalactic medium, solar coronal mass ejections into background solar wind, compact toroid (CT) fueling of magnetic fusion plasmas, and jets of capsule shell impurities into DT fusion fuel, which can lead to enhanced impurity mix in inertial fusion implosions. These plasmas may take the form of jets, with open, helical magnetic structure, or plasma “bubbles” with closed magnetic fields (B-fields), such as spheromaks or CT’s. Such structures, both open and closed B-field cases, can transport heat, particles and magnetic flux or magnetic helicity into background plasma regions. For example, the origin of extragalactic magnetic fields may be due, at least in part, to transport by astrophysical jets. The goal of this proposed work was to elucidate the detailed plasma and magnetic field dynamics of high-density plasma jets (open B-field) and bubbles (closed B-field) propagating into lower density background magnetized plasma through controlled laboratory experiments and closely coupled nonlinear MHD modeling. These experiments were conducted in the HelCat (Helicon-Cathode) linear plasma device at the University of New Mexico (UNM). Plasma jets and bubbles were launched via an existing compact coaxial plasma gun, mounted on the HelCat device. This gun produced plasmas tens of cm in scale and lasting tens of microseconds, thereby allowing detailed multipoint, space- and time-resolved measurements to be made routinely. The experiments were directly modeled using the extended magnetohydrodynamic (XMHD) PERSEUS code, developed at Cornell University [23,24]. Both experimental and numerical modeling work are ongoing. The main results to date are reported here. Additional supplemental funding for one year (8/1/2019 – 7/31/2020) supported numerical investigation of photoionization processes important in many low temperature plasmas, including the HelCat device. Initial results of this modeling work is also reported.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Heat-operated cryogenic electrical generator

Generator operation is based upon unusual hydrodynamic properties exhibited by liquid helium below superfluid critical point. Below that temperature, liquid behaves as though it is mixture of two interpenetrating fluids. When transition takes place between superfluid and normal states, conservation of momentum is always balanced by normal fluid.

Wang, T. G.↗

Does the galaxy possess a gaseous halo

Observational data are presented that suggest both the existence of extensive halo slabs of ionized gas and the probable presence of a hot corona around our galaxy. Evidence shows that when considering the galactic plane this ionized or neutral gas has a more extended distribution than the HI component. The characteristics of the halo gas consist of the ability (1) to interpenetrate, (2) to be heated, and (3) to be in a pressure equilibrium with the intercloud component of the local interstellar medium.

Silk, J.↗

Suprathermal protons in the interplanetary solar wind

Using the Mariner 5 solar wind plasma and magnetic field data, we present observations of field-aligned suprathermal proton velocity distributions having pronounced high-energy shoulders. These observations, similar to the interpenetrating stream observations of Feldman et al. (1974), are clear evidence that such proton distributions are interplanetary rather than bow shock associated phenomena. Large Alfven speed is found to be a requirement for the occurrence of suprathermal proton distribution; further, we find the proportion of particles in the shoulder to be limited by the magnitude of the Alfven speed. It is suggested that this last result could indicate that the proton thermal anisotropy is limited at times by wave-particle interactions

Goodrich, C. C.↗

Finite elements for contact problems in two-dimensional elastodynamics

A finite element approach for contact problems in two dimensional elastodynamics was proposed. Sticking, sliding, and frictional contact were taken into account. The method consisted of a modification of the shape functions, in the contact region, in order to involve the nodes of the contacting body. The formulation was symmetric (both bodies were contactors and targets), in order to avoid interpenetration. Compatibility over the interfaces was satisfied. The method was applied to the impact of a block on a rigid target. It is shown that the formulation can be applied to fluid structure interaction, and to problems involving material nonlinearity.

Zimmermann, T. K.↗

Numerical simulation of the generation of electrostatic turbulence in the magnetotail

A two-dimensional plasma model is used to investigate the development of electrostatic turbulence in a magnetized plasma from plasma instabilities. The simulation consists of following the motion of 100,000 ions in their self-consistent electrostatic field. The electrons are treated as a constant neutralizing background. The instabilities modeled are driven by a ring-type velocity distribution and by interpenetrating ion beams in a time-variable magnetic field. Instability growth times are of the order of an ion gyroperiod in the case of the ring distribution and of the order of an ion plasma period in the case of the beam simulation. Maximum potential differences generated are of the order of the ion kinetic energies. These simulations demonstrate the cascade of wave energy to long wavelengths, thus showing the E x B turbulence can be generated from plasma microinstabilities. After the free energy feeding, the instabilities are exhausted, and wave energy at wavelengths less than an ion gyrodiameter decays quickly to equilibrium levels, while longer wavelength modes persist for much longer times. In one model with a time dependent, but spatially uniform, magnetic field the electric field energy at long wavelengths appeared to increase as a result of the increase of the magnetic field.

Swift, D. W.↗

Two-component Fermi-liquid theory - Equilibrium properties of liquid metallic hydrogen

It is reported that the transition of condensed hydrogen from an insulating molecular crystal phase to a metallic liquid phase, at zero temperature and high pressure, appears possible. Liquid metallic hydrogen (LMH), comprising interpenetrating proton and electron fluids, would constitute a two-component Fermi liquid with both a very high component-mass ratio and long-range, species-dependent bare interactions. The low-temperature equilibrium properties of LMH are examined by means of a generalization to the case of two components of the phenomenological Landau Fermi-liquid theory, and the low-temperature specific heat, compressibility, thermal expansion coefficient and spin susceptibility are given. It is found that the specific heat and the thermal expansion coefficient are vastly greater in the liquid than in the corresponding solid, due to the presence of proton quasiparticle excitations in the liquid.

Oliva, J.↗

Fluid dynamical description of relativistic nuclear collisions

On the basis of both a conventional relativistic nuclear fluid dynamic model and a two fluid generalization that takes into account the interpenetration of the target and projectile upon contact, collisions between heavy nuclei moving at relativistic speeds are calculated. This is done by solving the relevant equations of motion numerically in three spatial dimensions by use of particle in cell finite difference computing techniques. The effect of incorporating a density isomer, or quasistable state, in the nuclear equation of state at three times normal nuclear density, and the effect of doubling the nuclear compressibility coefficient are studied. For the reaction 20Ne + 238U at a laboratory bombarding energy per nucleon of 393 MeV, the calculated distributions in energy and angle of outgoing charged particles are compared with recent experimental data both integrated over all impact parameters and for nearly central collisions.

Nix, J. R.↗

Advances in Multivalued-Velocity Theory of Turbulence

Developments reported in modeling of fluid turbulence as superposition of number of interpenetrating velocity fields. Multivalued-velocity model has practical implications in design of aircraft, turbines, nozzles, pumps, and other systems that involve turbulent flow. In both viscous and inviscid cases, equations made to predict stable regine of oscillations, both finite and independent of initial conditions as in case of real turbulence.

Zak, M. A.↗

Plasma turbulence in the downstream ionosheath of Venus

Observations made by the Pioneer Venus Orbiter plasma analyzer and the plasma wave instrument in the Venus ionosheath are compared. Large increases in plasma wave turbulence levels appear to be connected with changing plasma distributions and interpenetrating plasma beams. Some of these plasma waves are identified as Doppler - shifted ion acoustic waves due to beam/beam interactions, but it is noted that different forms of instabilities are probably also operative. The changes in the temperature, intensity and energy of the peak in the PVO plasma distributions are similar to those observed by Venera 10 closer to the planet and appear to be evidence for rarefaction and compression in the downstream ionosheath. Some of the changes in the PVO plasma distributions may be related to the presence of a second ion population or the acceleration of protons.

Intriligator, D. S.↗

Collisions and merging of disk galaxies

The stable disks required as initial states for an experiment are produced by embedding the disk (which is visible) in a halo (invisible). The disk is a luminous tracer that represents only 1 percent of the total mass of the system. The stability of the initial state of the model is confirmed experimentally. Collisions with various combinations of initial orbital energy and angular momentum and of disk orientations are investigated. Two initially parabolic cases with different impact parameters are followed in time until the interactions lead to a merger. The interpenetration of the two galaxies gives rise to a contraction and subsequent disruption of the entire system. A variety of responses is found for the visible disks, ranging from stretched-out nearly linear features to rapidly propagating ringlike patterns. It is noted that these forms depend critically on initial disk orientations but do not depend strongly on the sense of disk rotation. The ringlike patterns are found even for collisions with significant impact parameters.

Smith, B. F.↗

Modification of epoxy-reinforced glass-cloth composites with a perfluorinated alkyl ether elastomer

A perfluorinated alkyl ether diacyl fluoride prepolymer (molecular weight about 1500) was coreacted with Epon 828 epoxy resin and diamino diphenyl sulfone to obtain an elastomer-toughened, glass-cloth composite. Improvements in flexural toughness, impact resistance, and water resistance, without loss of strength, modulus of elasticity or a lowering of the glass-transition temperature, were realized over those of the unmodified composite. Factors concerning optimization of the process are discussed. Results suggest that a simultaneously interpenetrating polymer network may be formed which gives rise to a measured improvement in composite mechanical properties.

Rosser, R. W.↗

Phase stability of weakly crosslinked interpenerating polymer networks

A phenomenological theory is formulated for chemically quenched binary interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs), considering both simultaneously crosslinked networks and sequentially crosslinked networks, as well as pseudointerpenetrating networks (where only one component is crosslinked and the other is a linear polymer). The construction of free energy functionals for homogeneous weakly crosslinked IPNs and pseudo-IPNs and their spinodal curves and critical points of unmixing is described. These free energy functionals are augmented with gradient energy terms in order to consider effects due to spatially varying small inhomogeneities in the network chain concentration. The dynamic response and the initial spinodal decomposition of IPNs are discussed.

Binder, K.↗