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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 217 records · Page 12
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1980

Solid state systems concepts

Two prototype solid state phased array systems concepts for potential use in the Solar Power Satellite are described; the end-mounted and the sandwich systems. In both concepts, the beam is centered on the rectenna by means of phase conjugation of a pilot signal emanating from the ground. In the end-mounted system 36-watt amplifiers are mounted on the ground-plane, whereas in the sandwich the amplifiers are elevated to the dipoles, and their waste heat is dissipated by beryllium oxide discs. The feed lines are underneath the ground-plane, and a coaxial transmission line is carried all the way to the amplifier input. Also discussed is solid state amplifier development.

Schroeder, I. K.↗
NASA NTRS1967

Electron and solid state physics

Electron and solid state physics - reflected light, Raman effects, solid and liquid optical properties, spectroscopy, Brillouin effects, and carbon dioxide laser

BRILLOUIN EFFECT↗
DOE OSTI2024

Development of Thin, Robust, Lithium-Impenetrable, HighConductivity, Electrochemically Stable, Scalable, and Low-Cost Glassy Solid Electrolytes for Solid State Lithium Batteries (Final Report)

Solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) must have thicknesses of < 50 microns in order to be competitive with current state-of-the-art organic liquid electrolyte batteries. Mixed oxy-sulfide-nitride (MOSN) glassy solid electrolytes (GSEs) can be drawn into thin ribbons using the glass redraw process, to form glasses with superior performance in a safe, lower-cost, monolithic glass film. It is expected that these new GSEs in solid-state lithium batteries (SSLBs) increase the energy density (anode basis) from ~300 mAh/g to ~ 4000 mAh/g. This project is focused on the development of candidate MOS GSE compositions, and optimization of the thin film drawing process to generate thin film glass ribbons for use in SSLBs.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Tunable Crosslinked Ether Polymer Network Electrolytes for High‐Performance All‐Solid‐State Sodium Batteries

All-solid-state batteries (ASSBs) are critical for achieving high energy density and enhanced safety. Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) offer key advantages over other electrolytes, including improved safety, flexibility, and interfacial contact. Among the SPEs, ether-based polymers are widely studied due to their ease of processing and high ionic conductivity (σi) in the amorphous state. In this work, the introduction of poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (PEGMEMA) into an SPE matrix composed of poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA), poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG2k), and sodium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (NaFSI) salt is investigated to facilitate the formation of amorphous, high σ i SPEs through end-group engineering and polymer ratio optimization. PEGMEMA enhances structural integrity via crosslinking with PEGDA through its methacrylate group, while its methyl end group aids ion conduction. A 2:1:7 ratio of PEGDA:PEGMEMA:PEG2k exhibits a σi of 1.16 x 10 -4 S cm -1 and oxidative stability up to 4.4 V at 60 °C. A solid-state cell incorporating this SPE, a Na 2/3 Ni 1/3 Mn 2/3 O 2 (NM12) cathode, and a sodium-metal anode demonstrates excellent cycling stability, retaining over 80 % of its initial capacity for 150 cycles at 60 °C. The findings highlight the potential of end-group engineering in improving the electrochemical performance of SPEs.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Advances in solid-state NMR for the studies of mesoporous solids: fast magic spinning and dynamic nuclear polarization

Here, this review provides an up-to-date account of the development of two solid-state (SS)NMR methods for enhancing resolution and sensitivity, fast magic angle spinning (MAS) and dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP), and the resulting progress in surface science. We demonstrate the high resolution and efficiency that can be achieved by using two-dimensional homo- and heteronuclear correlation experiments with small rotors capable of MAS at rates exceeding 100 kHz. DNP has offered significant enhancements in signal sensitivity and allowed access to nuclei and experiments that are beyond the limits of conventional SSNMR. The continuing progress in fast MAS and DNP methodologies in recent years generated an unprecedented shift in SSNMR’s capabilities in the studies of surface and interface regions of solids, especially mesoporous supports and catalysts. We give numerous examples of recent applications and discuss the prospects for further improvements of both methods.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Fabricating Solid-State Batteries for Electric Aviation

All-solid-state lithium batteries are widely reputed as the next major step in energy storage technology on account their drastically improved safety over wet cells, as solid electrolytes lack the volatile compounds in wet electrolytes that make them combustible. This enhanced safety enables a far wider range of products and vehicles to go fully electric and aligns with future NASA missions that require high performing, reliable, and safe batteries. However, they currently face issues with implementation in consumer products due to the often-poor mechanical properties of the solid electrolyte and relative difficulty to manufacture. Typical solid-state electrolyte challenges were bypassed by incorporating a range of polymeric binders into a solid electrolyte suspension and cast onto a composite carbon-sulfide cathode to create a single bilayer film. The resulting films display superior flexibility and durability compared to solid-electrolyte films typically discussed in literature without compromising the thinness of the films. The bilayer film was then punched into 12.7 cm diameter discs and 4 cm by 5 cm sheets, pressed, and assembled into coin cells and pouch cells respectively.

Batteries↗
DOE OSTI2025

Halide segregation to boost all-solid-state lithium-chalcogen batteries

Mixing electroactive materials, solid-state electrolytes, and conductive carbon to fabricate composite electrodes is the most practiced but least understood process in all-solid-state batteries, which strongly dictates interfacial stability and charge transport. Here, we report on universal halide segregation at interfaces across various halogen-containing solid-state electrolytes and a family of high-energy chalcogen cathodes enabled by mechanochemical reaction during ultrahigh-speed mixing. Bulk and interface characterizations by multimodal synchrotron x-ray probes and cryo–transmission electron microscopy show that the in situ segregated lithium halide interfacial layers substantially boost effective ion transport and suppress the volume change of bulk chalcogen cathodes. Various all-solid-state lithium-chalcogen cells demonstrate utilization close to 100% and extraordinary cycling stability at commercial-level areal capacities.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Promising performance of sulfide catholytes compared to halide alternatives in NMC811 cathodes for sheet-type sulfide solid-state batteries

Sulfide-based solid-state batteries (SSBs) show promise in achieving energy densities over 350 Wh/kg, yet challenges persist with their incorporation of high-voltage, nickel-rich layered oxide cathodes, such as LiNi₀.₈Mn₀.₁Co₀.₁O₂ (NMC811), due to the poor oxidation stability of sulfide solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) like Li₆PS₅Cl (LPSCl). Although halide SSEs such as Li₃InCl₆ (LIC) and Li₃YCl₆ (LYC) have previously shown promise in stabilizing high-voltage NMC cathodes, our research reveals that sulfide SSE catholytes, particularly when combined with surface-coated NMC cathodes, deliver superior performance. Here, this investigation assesses the cycling stability of various catholytes—LPSCl, LIC, Li₁₀GeP₂S₁₂ (LGPS), combined LIC-LPSCl, and LYC-LPSCl—in SSBs with LiNbO₃-coated NMC811 cathodes against sheet-type LPSCl separators. Findings indicate that while LGPS-based cathodes maintain higher capacity retention, they yield lower deliverable capacity, and LIC cathodes experience significant electrochemical degradation. Importantly, our results underscore that sulfide SSE catholytes, in conjunction with LiNbO₃-coated cathodes, optimize the cathode-electrolyte interphase (CEI), enhancing both kinetics and mass transport. These insights provide a strategic direction for optimizing catholyte composition in the development of sheet-type sulfide-based SSBs.

Catholyte↗
DOE OSTI2024

A Cellular Automaton Simulation for Predicting Phase Evolution in Solid-State Reactions

New computational tools for solid-state synthesis recipe design are needed in order to accelerate the experimental realization of novel functional materials proposed by high-throughput materials discovery workflows. This work contributes a cellular automaton simulation framework for predicting the time-dependent evolution of intermediate and product phases during solid-state reactions as a function of precursor choice and amount, reaction atmosphere, and heating profile. The simulation captures the effects of reactant particle spatial distribution, particle melting, and reaction atmosphere. Reaction rates based on rudimentary kinetics are estimated using density functional theory data from the Materials Project and machine learning estimators for the melting point and the vibrational entropy component of the Gibbs free energy. The resulting simulation framework allows for the prediction of the likely outcome of a reaction recipe before any experiments are performed. We analyze five experimental solid-state recipes for BaTiO 3 , CaZrN 2 , and YMnO 3 found in the literature to illustrate the performance of the model in capturing reaction selectivity and reaction pathways as a function of temperature and precursor choice. This simulation framework offers an easier way to optimize existing recipes, aid in the identification of intermediates, and design effective recipes for yet unrealized inorganic solids in silico .

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Formation of Stable Interphase of Polymer-in-Salt Electrolyte in All-Solid-State Lithium Batteries

The integration of solid-polymer electrolytes into all-solid-state lithium batteries is highly desirable to overcome the limitations of current battery configurations that have a low energy density and severe safety concerns. Polyacrylonitrile is an appealing matrix for solid-polymer electrolytes; however, the practical utilization of such polymer electrolytes in all-solid-state cells is impeded by inferior ionic conductivity and instability against a lithium-metal anode. In this work, we show that a polymer-in-salt electrolyte based on polyacrylonitrile with a lithium salt as the major component exhibits a wide electrochemically stable window, a high ionic conductivity, and an increased lithium-ion transference number. The growth of dendrites from the lithium-metal anode was suppressed effectively by the polymer-in-salt electrolyte to increase the safety features of the batteries. In addition, we found that a stable interphase was formed between the lithium-metal anode and the polymer-in-salt electrolyte to restrain the uncontrolled parasitic reactions, and we demonstrated an all-solid-state battery configuration with a LiFePO 4 cathode and the polymer-in-salt electrolyte, which exhibited a superior cycling stability and rate capability.

Gao, Hongcai↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Improving Cell-Level Specific Energy for All-Solid-State Lithium Sulfur Batteries

All-solid-state lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are considered as one of the top choices toward 500 Wh/kg of specific energy, a key metric for an energy storage system to enable large regional electric aircrafts. Many obstacles remain, such as S utilization in the cathode, cyclability regarding both cathode and anode as well as electrode-electrolyte interfaces, and effective means to increase the S content within the all-solid-state cell architecture. The latter is directly related to cell-level specific energy when considering the weights of all battery cell components. In this presentation, we discuss the efforts in both cathode optimization and cell-level improvement toward increasing the overall specific energy. Various strategies for improving S utilization and reducing the solid electrolyte layer thickness will be presented.

Solid state batteries↗
DOE OSTI2021

Spatially Resolved Potential and Li-Ion Distributions Reveal Performance-Limiting Regions in Solid-State Batteries

The performance of solid-state electrochemical systems is intimately tied to the potential and lithium distributions across electrolyte–electrode junctions that give rise to interface impedance. Here, we combine two operando methods, Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) and neutron depth profiling (NDP), to identify the rate-limiting interface in operating Si-LiPON-LiCoO 2 solid-state batteries by mapping the contact potential difference (CPD) and the corresponding Li distributions. The contributions from ions, electrons, and interfaces are deconvolved by correlating the CPD profiles with Li-concentration profiles and by comparisons with first-principles-informed modeling. Furthermore, we find that the largest potential drop and variation in the Li concentration occur at the anode–electrolyte interface, with a smaller drop at the cathode–electrolyte interface and a shallow gradient within the bulk electrolyte. Correlating these results with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy following battery cycling at low and high rates confirms a long-standing conjecture linking large potential drops with a rate-limiting interfacial process.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Materials design of sodium chloride solid electrolytes Na3MCl6 for all-solid-state sodium-ion batteries

All-solid-state sodium-ion batteries have attracted increasing attention owing to the low cost of sodium and the enhanced safety compared to conventional Li-ion batteries. Recently, halides have been considered as promising solid electrolytes (SEs) due to their favorable combination of high ionic conductivity and chemical stability against high-voltage cathode materials. Although a wide variety of lithium chloride SEs, Li 3 MCl 6 , have been developed for high-voltage all-solid-state batteries, only a limited number of sodium chloride SEs have been reported. This study aims to offer a material design insight for the development of sodium chloride SEs through systematic assessment of the phase stability, electrochemical stability, and transport properties of novel Na 3 MCl 6 SEs. Structural calculations indicate that Na 3 MCl 6 exhibits trigonal $P\bar{3}$1c, monoclinic P2 1 /n, and trigonal $R\bar{3}$ phases, and the stable phase of Na 3 MCl 6 is dependent on the type and ionic radius of M. Na 3 MCl 6 typically exhibits a high oxidation potential, demonstrating good electrochemical stability against cathodes. The bond-valence site energy and ab initio molecular dynamics calculations revealed that Na 3 MCl 6 with P2 1 /n and $R\bar{3}$ phases showed low ionic conductivity, while the $P\bar{3}$1c phase slightly improved the ionic conductivity of Na 3 MCl 6 . The formation of Na vacancies by aliovalent substitution considerably increased the ionic conductivity up to four orders of magnitude for pristine Na 3 MCl 6 , exhibiting ~10 –5 S cm –1 for trigonal $P\bar{3}$1c and $R\bar{3}$ phases. The formation of defects could further enhance the ionic conductivity of Na 3 MCl 6 , and the optimization of defect type and ratio can be helpful in developing superionic Na chloride SEs. The material design of Na 3 MCl 6 in this study will provide fundamental guidelines for the development of novel sodium halide SEs for all-solid-state sodium-ion batteries.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2026

Pressure Heterogeneity and Material Utilization in Thin-Film Solid-State Cathodes

Intimate interfacial contact between the solid electrolyte and the cathode active material is critical for maximizing cathode utilization in solid-state batteries. However, volume changes during electrochemical cycling induce internal stresses that drive interfacial degradation, particularly under nonuniform stack pressure. In this study, we employ in situ energy-dispersive X-ray diffraction tomography to visualize and quantify reaction heterogeneities across a 3 mm-diameter solid-state cathode with a well-defined interface. Our results reveal that regions under a lower stack pressure exhibit reduced material utilization and reversibility, which negatively affect the high-pressure regions. Interfacial degradation further impedes lithium-ion transport and amplifies microscale reaction heterogeneity. These findings highlight the critical role of stack pressure distribution in governing interfacial stability and electrochemical performance, offering important design insights into practical solid-state battery systems.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Mixed ionic and electronic conductor for solid state battery

Disclosed are electrochemical devices, such as lithium ion battery electrodes, lithium ion conducting solid-state electrolytes, and solid-state lithium ion batteries including these electrodes and solid-state electrolytes. Also disclosed are methods for making such electrochemical devices. Also disclosed are composite electrodes for solid state electrochemical devices. The composite electrodes include one or more separate phases within the electrode that provide electronic and ionic conduction pathways in the electrode active material phase.

Sakamoto, Jeffrey↗
DOE OSTI2022

Review—Electrospun Inorganic Solid-State Electrolyte Fibers for Battery Applications

Inorganic solid-state electrolytes (SSEs), especially Li 7 La 3 Zr 2 O 12 (LLZO), are promising candidates for all solid-state batteries. Generally, SSEs are synthesized by solid-state reactions at high temperatures. The high temperature required to synthesize useful polymorphs (e.g., cubic phase, in the case of LLZO) increases their production cost. To lower the synthesis temperature, several approaches, including doping and crystallite size control via sol-gel processes, have been explored. Recently, electrospinning was used to synthesize the inorganic SSE fibers to control the crystallite size and lower the calcination temperature. Several publications followed that investigated the properties of fibers and demonstrated the use of these fibers in inorganic-polymer composite SSEs. This paper presents a concise discussion of electrospinning, the parameters that control fiber morphology, the synthesis of inorganic SSE fibers, the effect of sintering conditions on the fiber morphology and composition, and the recent use of these fibers in making composite SSEs and other battery applications. Additionally, most of the discussion focuses on LLZO, but this paper also discusses applications of other types of electrospun inorganic electrolyte fibers, the challenges of using these fibers, and possible future directions in this research field.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Soft-Switching Solid-State Transformer With Reduced Conduction Loss

Solid-state transformers (SSTs) are a promising solution photovoltaic (PV), wind, traction, data center, battery energy storage system (BESS), and fast charging electric vehicle (EV) applications. The traditional SSTs are typically three-stage, i.e., hard-switching cascaded multilevel rectifiers and inverters with dual active bridge (DAB) converters, which leads to bulky passives, low efficiency, and high electromagnetic interference (EMI). This article proposes a new soft-switching solid-state transformer (S4T). The S4T has full-range zero-voltage switching (ZVS), electrolytic capacitor-less dc link, and controlled dv/dt, which reduces EMI. The S4T comprises two reverse-blocking current-source inverter (CSI) bridges, auxiliary branches for ZVS, and transformer magnetizing inductor as a reduced dc link with 60% ripple. Compared with the prior S4T, an effective change on the leakage inductance diode is made to reduce the number of the devices on the main power path by 20% for significant conduction loss saving and retain the same functionality of damping the resonance between the leakage and resonant capacitors and recycling trapped leakage energy. The conduction loss saving is crucial, being the dominating loss mechanism in SSTs. Importantly, the proposed single-stage SST not only holds the potential for high power density and high efficiency but also has full functionality, e.g., multiport dc loads integration, voltage regulation, and reactive power compensation, unlike the traditional single-stage matrix SST. The S4T can achieve single-stage isolated bidirectional dc–dc, ac–dc, dc–ac, or ac–ac conversion. It can also be configured input-series output-parallel (ISOP) in a modular way for medium-voltage (MV) grids. Hence, the S4T is a promising candidate for the SST. The full functionality, e.g., voltage buck–boost, multiport, etc., and the universality of the S4T for the dc–dc, dc–ac, and ac–ac conversion are verified through the simulations and experiments of two-port and three-port MV prototypes based on 3.3 kV SiC MOSFETs in dc–dc, dc–ac, and ac–ac modes at 2 kV.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗