Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “OXYGEN SENSOR”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 217 records · Page 12
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

Post-fire time series of sensor and geochemistry sample data from surface water, groundwater, precipitation, soil, and vegetation across Oak Creek watershed, Washington

This dataset supports a broader study examining wildfire impacts on hydrologic connectivity across 5 sites within the Oak Creek watershed and the resulting biogeochemical impacts. Stream sites were selected using the Advanced Terrestrial Simulator (ATS) hydrologic model to identify locations with varying groundwater contributions and hydrologic responses across different burn severity scenarios. The Retreat Fire burned from July 23 to August 2 in 2024, affecting the five study sites at varying burn severities. Each site is equipped with YSI EXO2 sondes logging sub-hourly throughout the year, and grab samples are collected approximately every six weeks. YSI sondes are used to measure temporally resolved proxies for groundwater inputs (specific conductivity) and organic matter (fluorescent dissolved organic matter; fDOM) along with basic water quality and depth. Grab samples of surface water, groundwater, and precipitation are analyzed for water stable isotopes and conductivity to understand endmembers for hydrologic mixing Grab samples of surface water, groundwater, soil water, and litter/vegetation/soil leachates are analyzed for organic matter composition measured by Fourier-Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry (FTICR-MS) to understand organic matter dynamics. Game camera photos are provided in a separate data package available at https://data.ess-dive.lbl.gov/datasets/doi:10.15485/3018598. Future versions of this dataset will include time series data from YSI EXO2 sondes (fDOM, dissolved oxygen, temperature, depth, specific conductance, turbidity, pH), BaroTROLL sensors (air temperature and barometric pressure), rain gauges (precipitation), and data from the soil and vegetation samples. Because this study is ongoing, this data package will be updated regularly to include newly collected data and the additional data types. For details on how to navigate data packages generated by this project, see https://data.ess-dive.lbl.gov/portals/PNNLRiverCorridorSFA/About. In addition to a readme, this data package also includes a file-level metadata (FLMD) file that describes each file and a data dictionary (DD) that describes all column/row headers and variable definitions. This dataset is comprised of (1) a folder of field photos; (2) a folder of surface water sample data; (3) a folder of raw Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR-MS) data; (4) a data checks report; (5) file-level metadata; (6) data dictionary; (7) field metadata; (8) readme; (9) international generic sample number (IGSN) mapping file; and (10) field protocols. The sample data subfolder contains (1) dissolved organic carbon (DOC, measured as non-purgeable organic carbon, NPOC) data and averages; (2) total dissolved nitrogen data and averages; (3) stable water isotopes and averages; (4) methods codes; (5) FTICR-MS methods; and (15) a subfolder of 9.4 Tesla (9.4T) FTICR-MS data. This folder contains the processed data and three subfolders, one containing the .xml files, one containing the water CoreMS output files, and the other containing instructions and scripts for processing the files in CoreMS (https://github.com/EMSL-Computing/CoreMS). All files are .csv, .pdf, .R, .xml, .d, .html, .Rmd, .py, .cal, .json, .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .mov, or .mp4.

Biogeochemistry↗
NASA NTRS2004

Electrochemical and Hydrodynamic Interferences on the Performances of an Oxygen Microsensor with Built-in Electrochemical Microactuator

A concept of novel electrochemical in situ self-calibration technique for an oxygen microsensor has been proposed to devise a convenient calibration method without an externally coupled apparatus. Systemic investigations on the influences of various electrochemical (pH) and hydrodynamic (solution stirring) conditions on the proposed microsensor performances are presented. The results suggest that: 1) The calibrating microenvironments can be manipulated with carefully engineered sensor designs and optimized generating signals; 2) The external oxygen permeable membrane is needed to minimize the electrochemical and hydrodynamic interferences.

Kim, Chang-Soo↗
NASA NTRS2005

Optical Cryogenic Tank Level Sensor

Cryogenic fluids play an important role in space transportation. Liquid oxygen and hydrogen are vital fuel components for liquid rocket engines. It is also difficult to accurately measure the liquid level in the cryogenic tanks containing the liquids. The current methods use thermocouple rakes, floats, or sonic meters to measure tank level. Thermocouples have problems examining the boundary between the boiling liquid and the gas inside the tanks. They are also slow to respond to temperature changes. Sonic meters need to be mounted inside the tank, but still above the liquid level. This causes problems for full tanks, or tanks that are being rotated to lie on their side.

Duffell, Amanda↗
DOE OSTI2023

Robust highly durable solid oxide fuel cell cathodes – Improved materials compatibility & self-regulating surface chemistry

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are electrochemical conversion devices that directly transform hydrogen or hydrocarbon fuels to electricity, with energy efficiencies as high as 90%, coupled with reduced emissions. Several factors, however, remain to be addressed when considering scale-up of SOFC technology, including the need to overcome decreased performance due to sluggish rates of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at the cathode under reduced temperatures and susceptibility to degradation in performance from surface poisoning e.g. from chromia, while limiting the use of critical raw materials (lanthanides and transition metals) present in high performing mixed ionic electronic conducting electrodes like (La,Sr)CoO 3 (LSC). In this project we explored the key descriptors for determining ORR activity in SOFC electrodes and tried to recover performance degradation by applying them to SOFC electrodes. In order to do this, we first selected a model mixed ionic electronic conducting (MIEC) oxide, Pr-doped CeO 2 (Pr 0.1 Ce 0.9 O 2-δ , PCO), which is a chemically stable fluorite and free of inherent poison sources (e.g. Sr segregation in LSC) that potentially react with external impurities such as Cr-species vaporized from the interconnect. The three approaches originally planned in this project are as follows: 1) evaluation of scavenger exsolution characteristics, 2) study of scavengers gettering efficacy following Cr and Si poisoning and 3) integration of new compositions into porous electrodes. Among them, exceptional progress has been made in 2) and 3), especially understanding the role of surface infiltrants in impacting electrode performance and degradation of PCO materials. We found that the Smith acidity scale for binary oxides serves as a powerful descriptor for tuning and predicting the oxygen exchange kinetics on MIEC PCO surfaces. As a result, with infiltration with binary oxides, ranging from strongly basic (Li 2 O) to strongly acidic (SiO 2 ) onto the surface of porous PCO, it was possible to systematically vary the chemical surface exchange coefficient (k chem ) by 6 orders of magnitude! L i2 O increased k chem by nearly 1,000 times over that of pristine PCO, while SiO 2 decreased k chem by nearly the same factor. Strikingly, although the pre-exponential of k chem scales linearly with the acidity of the infiltrated binary oxide, there is nearly no change in the activation energy. With this insight, we attributed the origin of these dramatic changes in k chem values to the systematic increase and decrease in the surface electron density induced by infiltrated binary oxides. More interestingly, although both Cr 2 O 3 and SiO 2 were determined to be acidic by Smith, suggesting that this feature could likely be the primary reason that these compounds serve to poison the ORR on SOFC cathodes, the effect of poisoning could be subsequently tuned by adding multiple infiltrants and controlling their relative surface acidities. We also systematically examined the effect of serial infiltration of basic and acidic oxides. It turned out that serial infiltration of Li not only recovers approximately 20-fold degraded k chem of PCO by acidic Cr 2 O 3 but its k chem is enhanced even beyond that of the non-infiltrated PCO by more than three orders of magnitude. This was further verified with a screen-printing PCO symmetric cell in terms of the electrode performance (area-specific resistance, ASR) related to approach 3). These observations point to acidity as a key descriptor not only in tuning and predicting the ORR activity of SOFC cathodes that largely determines the overall performance of SOFC, but in mitigating and reactivating poisoned electrode performance. This work provides novel guidelines for making the electrode performance much more active and robust in SOFCs, which can further be applied to all applications requiring oxygen exchange reaction, such as electrolyzers, permeation membranes and gas sensors.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗
NASA NTRS1975

Shuttle propellant loading instrumenation development

A continuous capacitance sensor was developed and an analog signal conditioner was evaluated to demonstrate the acceptability of these items for use in the space shuttle propellant loading system. An existing basic sensor concept was redesigned to provide capability for cryogenic operation, to improve performance, and to minimize production costs. Sensor development verification consisted of evaluation of sensor linearity, cryogenic performance, and stability during vibration. The signal conditioner evaluation consisted mainly of establishing the effects of the variations in temperature and cable parameters and evaluating the stability. A sensor linearity of 0.04 in. was achieved over most of the sensor length. The sensor instability caused by vibration was 0.04 percent. The cryogenic performance data show a maximum instability of 0.19 percent at liquid hydrogen temperature; a theoretical calibration can be computed a within 1 percent. The signal conditioner evaluation showed that, with temperature compensation, all error sources typically contribute much less than 1 percent. An estimate of the accuracy achievable with the sensor and signal conditioner shows an rss estimate of 0.75 in. for liquid oxygen and 1.02 in. for liquid hydrogen. These are approximately four times better than the shuttle requirements. Comparison of continuous sensor and discrete sensor performance show the continuous sensor to be significantly better when there is surface activity due to sloshing, boiling, or other disturbances.

Hamlet, J.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Development of High Temperature Gas Sensor Technology

The measurement of engine emissions is important for their monitoring and control. However, the ability to measure these emissions in-situ is limited. We are developing a family of high temperature gas sensors which are intended to operate in harsh environments such as those in an engine. The development of these sensors is based on progress in two types of technology: (1) The development of SiC-based semiconductor technology; and (2) Improvements in micromachining and microfabrication technology. These technologies are being used to develop point-contact sensors to measure gases which are important in emission control especially hydrogen, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, and oxygen. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the development of this point-contact sensor technology. The detection of each type of gas involves its own challenges in the fields of materials science and fabrication technology. Of particular importance is sensor sensitivity, selectivity, and stability in long-term, high temperature operation. An overview is presented of each sensor type with an evaluation of its stage of development. It is concluded that this technology has significant potential for use in engine applications but further development is necessary.

Hunter, Gary W.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Development of Microfabricated Chemical Gas Sensors and Sensor Arrays for Aerospace Applications

Aerospace applications require the development of chemical sensors with capabilities beyond those of commercially available sensors. In particular, factors such as minimal sensor size, weight, and power consumption are particularly important. Development areas which have potential aerospace applications include launch vehicle leak detection, engine health monitoring, fire detection, and environmental monitoring. Sensor development for these applications is based on progress in three types of technology: 1) Micromachining and microfabrication (Microsystem) technology to fabricate miniaturized sensors. 2) The use of nanocrystalline materials to develop sensors with improved stability combined with higher sensitivity. 3) The development of high temperature semiconductors, especially silicon carbide. However, due to issues of selectivity and cross-sensitivity, individual sensors are limited in the amount of information that they can provide in environments that contain multiple chemical species. Thus, sensor arrays are being developed to address detection needs in such multi-species environments. This paper discusses the needs of space applications as well as the point-contact sensor technology and sensor arrays being developed to address these needs. Sensors to measure hydrogen, hydrocarbons, hydrazine, nitrogen oxides (NO,), carbon monoxide, oxygen, and carbon dioxide are being developed as well as arrays for leak, fire, and emissions detection. Demonstrations of the technology will also be discussed. It is concluded that microfabricated sensor technology has significant potential for use in a range of aerospace applications.

Hunter, G. W.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Optical O 2 Sensors Also Respond to Redox Active Molecules Commonly Secreted by Bacteria

From a metabolic perspective, molecular oxygen (O 2 ) is arguably the most significant constituent of Earth’s atmosphere. Nearly every facet of microbial physiology is sensitive to the presence and concentration of O 2 , which is the most favorable terminal electron acceptor used by organisms and also a dangerously reactive oxidant. As O 2 has such sweeping implications for physiology, researchers have developed diverse approaches to measure O 2 concentrations in natural and laboratory settings. Recent improvements to phosphorescent O 2 sensors piqued our interest due to the promise of optical measurement of spatiotemporal O 2 dynamics. However, we found that our preferred bacterial model, Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14, secretes more than one molecule that quenches such sen sors, complicating O 2 measurements in PA14 cultures and biofilms. Assaying supernatants from cultures of 9 bacterial species demonstrated that this phenotype is common: all super natants quenched a soluble O 2 probe substantially. Phosphorescent O 2 probes are often embedded in solid support for protection, but an embedded probe called O 2 NS was quenched by most supernatants as well. Measurements using pure compounds indicated that quenching is due to interactions with redox-active small molecules, including phena zines and flavins. Uncharged and weakly polar molecules like pyocyanin were especially potent quenchers of O 2 NS. These findings underscore that optical O 2 measurements made in the presence of bacteria should be carefully controlled to ensure that O 2 , and not bacterial secretions, is measured, and motivate the design of custom O 2 probes for specific organisms to circumvent sensitivity to redox-active metabolites.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2014

Optical Multi-Gas Monitor Technology Demonstration on the International Space Station

The International Space Station (ISS) employs a suite of portable and permanently located gas monitors to insure crew health and safety. These sensors are tasked with functions ranging from fixed mass spectrometer based major constituents analysis to portable electrochemical sensor based combustion product monitoring. An all optical multigas sensor is being developed that can provide the specificity of a mass spectrometer with the portability of an electrochemical cell. The technology, developed under the Small Business Innovation Research program, allows for an architecture that is rugged, compact and low power. A four gas version called the Multi-Gas Monitor was launched to ISS in November 2013 aboard Soyuz and activated in February 2014. The portable instrument is comprised of a major constituents analyzer (water vapor, carbon dioxide, oxygen) and high dynamic range real-time ammonia sensor. All species are sensed inside the same enhanced path length optical cell with a separate vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) targeted at each species. The prototype is controlled digitally with a field-programmable gate array/microcontroller architecture. The optical and electronic approaches are designed for scalability and future versions could add three important acid gases and carbon monoxide combustion product gases to the four species already sensed. Results obtained to date from the technology demonstration on ISS are presented and discussed.

Pilgrim, Jeffrey S.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Development of a Self-calibrating Dissolved Oxygen Microsensor Array for the Monitoring and Control of Plant Growth in a Space Environment

Plant experiments in space will require active nutrient delivery concepts in which water and nutrients are replenished on a continuous basis for long-term growth. The goal of this study is to develop a novel microsensor array to provide information on the dissolved oxygen environment in the plant root zone for the optimum control of plant cultivation systems in the space environment. Control of water and oxygen is limited by the current state-of-the-art in sensor technology. Two capabilities of the new microsensor array were tested. First, a novel in situ self-diagnosis/self-calibration capability for the microsensor was explored by dynamically controlling the oxygen microenvironment in close proximity to an amperometric dissolved oxygen microsensors. A pair of integrated electrochemical actuator electrodes provided the microenvironments based on water electrolysis. Miniaturized thin film dissolved oxygen microsensors on a flexible polyimide (Kapton(Registered Trademark)? substrate were fabricated and their performances were tested. Secondly, measurements of dissolved oxygen in two representative plant growth systems were made, which had not been performed previously due to lack of proper sensing technology. The responses of the oxygen microsensor array on a flexible polymer substrate properly reflected the oxygen contents on the surface of a porous tube nutrient delivery system and within a particulate substrate system. Additionally, we demonstrated the feasibility of using a 4-point thin film microprobe for water contents measurements for both plant growth systems. mechanical flexibility, and self-diagnosis. The proposed technology is anticipated to provide a reliable sensor feedback plant growth nutrient delivery systems in both terrestrial environment and the microgravity environment during long term space missions. The unique features of the sensor include small size and volume, multiple-point sensing,

Kim, Chang-Soo↗
NASA NTRS2006

Method and apparatus for monitoring oxygen partial pressure in air masks

Method and apparatus are disclosed for monitoring an oxygen partial pressure in an air mask and providing a tactile warning to the user. The oxygen partial pressure in the air mask is detected using an electrochemical sensor, the output signal from which is provided to a comparator. The comparator compares the output signal with a preset reference value or range of values representing acceptable oxygen partial pressures. If the output signal is different than the reference value or outside the range of values, the air mask is vibrated by a vibrating motor to alert the user to a potentially hypoxic condition.

Kelly, Mark E.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Continued Development of Compact Multi-Gas Monitor for Life Support Systems Control in Space

Miniature optic gas sensors (MOGS) based on luminescent materials have shown great potential as alternatives to NIR-based gas sensor systems for the Portable Life Support System (PLSS). The unique capability of MOGS for carbon dioxide and oxygen monitoring under wet conditions has been reported, as has the fast recovery of MOGS humidity sensors after long periods of being wet. Lower volume and power requirements are also potential advantages of MOGS over both traditional and advanced Non-Dispersive Infrared (NDIR) gas sensors, which have shown so far longer life than luminescent sensors. In this paper we present the most recent results in the development and analytical validation of a compact multi-gas sensor unit based on luminescent sensors for the PLSS. Results of extensive testing are presented, including studies conducted at Intelligent Optical Systems laboratories, a United Technology Corporation Aerospace Systems (UTAS) laboratory, and a Johnson Space Center laboratory. The potential of this sensor technology for gas monitoring in PLSSs and other life support systems and the advantages and limitations found through detailed sensor validation are discussed.

Delgado, Jesus↗
NASA NTRS2003

New Active Optical Technique Developed for Measuring Low-Earth-Orbit Atomic Oxygen Erosion of Polymers

Polymers such as polyimide Kapton (DuPont) and Teflon FEP (DuPont, fluorinated ethylene propylene) are commonly used spacecraft materials because of desirable properties such as flexibility, low density, and in the case of FEP, a low solar absorptance and high thermal emittance. Polymers on the exterior of spacecraft in the low-Earth-orbit (LEO) environment are exposed to energetic atomic oxygen. Atomic oxygen reaction with polymers causes erosion, which is a threat to spacecraft performance and durability. It is, therefore, important to understand the atomic oxygen erosion yield E (the volume loss per incident oxygen atom) of polymers being considered in spacecraft design. The most common technique for determining E is a passive technique based on mass-loss measurements of samples exposed to LEO atomic oxygen during a space flight experiment. There are certain disadvantages to this technique. First, because it is passive, data are not obtained until after the flight is completed. Also, obtaining the preflight and postflight mass measurements is complicated by the fact that many polymers absorb water and, therefore, the mass change due to water absorption can affect the E data. This is particularly true for experiments that receive low atomic oxygen exposures or for samples that have a very low E. An active atomic oxygen erosion technique based on optical measurements has been developed that has certain advantages over the mass-loss technique. This in situ technique can simultaneously provide the erosion yield data on orbit and the atomic oxygen exposure fluence, which is needed for erosion yield determination. In the optical technique, either sunlight or artificial light can be used to measure the erosion of semitransparent or opaque polymers as a result of atomic oxygen attack. The technique is simple and adaptable to a rather wide range of polymers, providing that they have a sufficiently high optical absorption coefficient. If one covers a photodiode with a uniformly thick sheet of semitransparent polymer such as Kapton H polyimide, then as atomic oxygen erodes the polymer, the short-circuit current from the photodiode will increase in an exponential manner with fluence. This nonlinear response with fluence results in a lack of sensitivity for measuring low atomic oxygen fluences. However, if one uses a variable-thickness polymer or carbon sample, which is configured as shown in the preceding figure, then a linear response can be achieved for opaque materials using a parabolic well for a circular geometry detector or a V-shaped well for a rectangular-geometry detector. Variable-thickness samples can be fabricated using many thin polymer layers. For semitransparent polymers such as Kapton H polyimide, there is an initial short-circuit current that is greater than zero. This current has a slightly nonlinear dependence on atomic oxygen fluence in comparison to opaque materials such as black Kapton as shown in the graph. For this graph figure, the total thickness of Kapton H was assumed to be 0.03 cm. The photodiode short-circuit current shown in the graph was generated on the basis of preliminary measurements-a total reflectance rho of 0.0424 and an optical absorption coefficient a of 146.5 cm(sup -1). In addition to obtaining on-orbit data, the advantage of this active erosion and erosion yield measurement technique is its simplicity and reliance upon well-characterized fluence witness materials as well as a nearly linear photodiode short-circuit current dependence upon atomic oxygen fluence. The optical technique is useful for measuring either atomic oxygen fluence or erosion, depending on the information desired. To measure the atomic oxygen erosion yield of a test material, one would need to have two photodiode sensors, one for the test material and one that uses a known erosion yield material (such as Kapton) to measure the atomic oxygen fluence.

Banks, Bruce A.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Testing Bearing Balls For Ignition In Liquid Oxygen

Inexpensive, safe apparatus built to test cooling by, ignition in, and nucleate boiling to film boiling of liquid oxygen flowing around ball bearings. Provides for heating of bearing specimens, direct observations, and measurements of temperatures and temperature distributions by thermocouples and infrared sensors. Used to evaluate suitability of various materials and surface treatments for ball bearings in high-pressure liquid-oxygen turbopumps. Ball rests in fixture while liquid oxygen flows around it. Flow reversed so observer or infrared sensor can view phenomena on trailing or leading side of ball.

Wagner, William R.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Sensor Recommendations for Long Term Monitoring of the F-Area Seepage Basins

In mid-2018, a new paradigm for long-term monitoring was developed after of decade of applied research projects funded by the Department of Energy’s office of Environmental Management Technology Development program. The program at SRNL was focused on transitioning complex environmental waste sites from active to passive remediations strategies. A key result of these studies was that the use of enhanced attenuation approaches at radiologically contaminated sites will result in the creation of secondary source areas in the subsurface that will require monitoring for decades. Alternative monitoring approaches are being developed and tested at the Savannah River Site’s F-Area Hazardous Waste Management Facility, the new paradigm provides innovative solutions that will significantly lower costs of monitoring through the coupling of data collection, machine learning and deterministic groundwater modeling. The foundation of this approach is a well-optimized network of sensors for measuring hydrogeochemical master variables that control, and therefore act as indicators of groundwater contaminant transport. By monitoring changes in the controlling master variables over time arising from geological and environmental shifts, predictive modelling can assist with identifying new strategies for ensuring regulatory requirements are met if trends toward conditions for potential remobilization of attenuated contaminants are detected. In this report, we evaluated commercially available single parameter sensor platforms (e.g., temperature/depth) and configurable multi-parameter sensor platforms (e.g., pH, oxidation-reduction potential, temperature, depth, dissolved oxygen, and conductivity). Each was scored using an optimization function based on how well the system supports the proposed long-term monitoring paradigm, in general, and the site-specific conditions at F-Area, in particular. Several viable sensor systems were identified. Of these, a combined platform including the In-Situ Aqua TROLL 500 multi-parameter sensor platform and the In-Situ temperature/depth sensor had the highest rating and was identified as the most suitable candidate for installation and monitoring of the master variables and potentiometric surface that control groundwater contaminant plumes emanating from the F-Area Seepage Basins. The discussion of recommended potential deployment locations builds upon recommendations made by Denham et al (2019).

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
NASA NTRS2018

Sensor Integrated Pilot Mask for On-Board, Real-Time, Monitoring of Pilot Breathing Gas

A pilot's job is unique in the demands it places on the human body, and many conditions can seriously affect pilot performance, threatening mission completion and pilot safety. The gas in a flight mask contains key indicators of the pilot's physiological state, including oxygen inhaled and carbon dioxide exhaled, which can signal hypoxia, hyperoxia, hypocapnia, and hypercapnia. A fiber optic-based sensor system, integrated into the pilot mask, has been developed to monitor in real time, during flight, the pilot breathing gas levels. Monitoring the partial pressure of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the pilot mask supports real-time closed loop control of the on-board oxygen generation system, based on a direct reading of what the pilot is actually breathing. The pilot Mask Sensor (MASES) system incorporates luminescence sensors for pO2, pCO2, relative humidity, pressure, and temperature in a compact probe in the pilot mask; it is based on sensor technology developed for gas monitoring in space suit systems, in work supported by NASA under the Small Business Innovation Research program. Relevant requirements for the MASES system include sensor operation while wet, operation at reduced pressure, ability to withstand rapid decompression, operation in a pure oxygen atmosphere, low power consumption, a compact readout unit, and flexible miniature sensors; many of these requirements are shared with gas monitors in space suits. Data are presented from tests conducted with human subjects in an altitude chamber and in a centrifuge.

Delgado Alonso, Jesus↗
DOE OSTI2025

Ultrafast Oxygen Conduction in Sillén Oxychlorides

Oxygen ion conductors are crucial for enhancing the efficiency of various clean energy technologies, including fuel cells, solid oxide air batteries, electrolyzers, membranes, sensors, and more. In this study, a structure-similarity analysis of ≈62k oxygen-containing compounds identified the MBi 2 O 4 X (M = rare-earth element, X = halogen element) family as promising candidates for fast oxygen transport. Among these, LaBi 2 O 4 Cl is found as an ultrafast oxygen conductor with an ultralow migration barrier of 0.1 eV based on ab initio studies. Its 2D layered structure, featuring a “triple fluorite” layer, supports diffusion of both oxygen vacancies and interstitials. In addition to vacancy diffusion with a 0.1 eV barrier, ab initio studies show interstitial diffusion exhibits a modest barrier of 0.6–0.8 eV. Frenkel pairs are found to be the dominant defects in intrinsic LaBi 2 O 4 Cl, facilitating significant vacancy-mediated oxygen diffusion at elevated temperatures. With 2.8% oxygen vacancies, LaBi 2 O 4 Cl is predicted to achieve a conductivity of 0.3 S/cm at 25 °C in a single crystal. Experimental synthesis and characterization of polycrystalline LaBi 2 O 4 Cl and Sr-doped LaBi 2 O 4 Cl revealed conductivity exceeding that of YSZ and LSGM below 400 °C, with lower activation energies, achieving a total conductivity of 0.1−0.2 mS/cm at 300 °C. Here, while these results confirm its potential of fast oxygen transport, we suggest further experimental optimization of LaBi 2 O 4 Cl, including aliovalent doping and microstructure refinement, could significantly enhance its performance, facilitating fast oxygen conduction approaching room temperature.

Defects↗