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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 235 records · Page 13
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2003

Optical measurements of gravity fields

Optical measurements of a gravitational field with sensitivity close to the sensitivity of atomic devices are possible if one detects properties of light after its interaction with optically thick atomic cloud moving freely in the gravity field. A nondestructive detection of a number of ultracold atoms in a cloud as well as tracking of the ground state population distribution of the atoms is possible by optical means.

whispering gallery modes microwave detection modul↗
DOE OSTI2021

SIMS and HR-XPS characterization of lithiated graphite from the magnetic fusion device RFX-mod

Lithium wall conditioning has improved the performance of many magnetic fusion devices. Li conditioning in the RFX-mod device was performed by: (1) a single Li pellet injector and (2) a multi-Li pellet injector during He plasma discharges; (3) a Li evaporator after He glow discharge cleaning and He plasma discharge exposure. This report compares the spatial and depth distributions of Li deposited on polycrystalline graphite witness samples at different locations in RFX-mod and the elemental and chemical compositions of the resulting surfaces. The sample surfaces were analyzed ex situ using secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and high-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HR-XPS). The results showed that Li pellet injection provided a relatively uniform toroidal coverage while Li evaporation produced highly localized Li deposition. A Li 1s HR-XPS peak at 56.5 eV binding energy (BE) characteristic of lithium-intercalated graphite was only observed with the sample exposed to Li evaporation. All of the samples exhibited a HR-XPS C 1s peak at 285.1–285.2 eV BE that is largely attributed to hydrogenated graphite. This finding suggests that hydrogenation of fresh graphite occurs during He plasma discharge exposures. Finally, our results have implications for density control and the selection of Li conditioning techniques in magnetic fusion devices.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Auto Recycler Report: Results from a Questionnaire about Processing Electric Vehicles and Handling High-Voltage Batteries

With the transition to clean energy the demand for electric vehicles in the United States is rapidly growing. As demand continues to rise in the next couple of decades, sourcing materials (e.g., lithium, nickel, cobalt, graphite, etc.) to put into new batteries for electric vehicles will be critical. The U.S. does not have significant reserves of most of these materials and relies heavily on foreign countries. The lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles are large and contain substantial amounts of critical materials, therefore, they are a promising source of materials for new batteries. Recycling electric vehicle batteries when they reach their end-of-life will enable the United States to generate a domestic supply of materials needed for future batteries. [1-3] The auto recycling industry is the largest collective owner of end-of-life vehicles in the U.S. and will be the primary handlers of battery-powered vehicles (i.e., hybrid or electric) when they reach the end of their useful life. In an effort to better understand how the auto recycling industry currently handles battery-powered vehicles and their high-voltage batteries, DOE’s ReCell Center for Advanced Battery Recycling (ReCell) developed a questionnaire and distributed it to various trade organizations in the automotive recycling industry.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
NASA NTRS1991

Critical technology experiment results for lightweight space heat receiver

Critical technology experiments have been performed on thermal energy storage modules in support of the NASA Advanced Solar Dynamic Brayton Heat Receiver Program. The modules, wedge-shaped canisters containing lithium fluoride (LiF), were designed to minimize the mechanical stresses that occur during the phase change of the LiF. Nickel foam inserts were placed in two of the test canisters to provide thermal conductivity enhancement and to distribute the void volume throughout the canister. A procedure was developed for reducing the nickel oxides on the nickel foam to enhance the wicking ability of the foam. The canisters were filled with LiF and closure-welded at the NASA Lewis Research Center. Two canisters, one with a nickel foam insert, the other without an insert, were thermally cycled in various orientations in a fluidized bed furnace. Computer-aided tomography was successfully used to nondestructively determine void locations in the canisters. Finally, canister dimensional stability was measured after thermal cycling with an inspection fixture.

Schneider, Michael G.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Space Shuttle Upgrades Advanced Hydraulic Power System

Three Auxiliary Power Units (APU) on the Space Shuttle Orbiter each provide 145 hp shaft power to a hydraulic pump which outputs 3000 psi hydraulic fluid to 41 hydraulic actuators. A hydrazine fuel powered APU utilized throughout the Shuttle program has undergone many improvements, but concerns remain with flight safety, operational cost, critical failure modes, and hydrazine related hazards. The advanced hydraulic power system (AHPS), also known as the electric APU, is being evaluated as an upgrade to replace the hydrazine APU. The AHPS replaces the high-speed turbine and hydrazine fuel supply system with a battery power supply and electric motor/pump that converts 300 volt electrical power to 3000 psi hydraulic power. AHPS upgrade benefits include elimination of toxic hydrazine propellant to improve flight safety, reduction in hazardous ground processing operations, and improved reliability. Development of this upgrade provides many interesting challenges and includes development of four hardware elements that comprise the AHPS system: Battery - The battery provides a high voltage supply of power using lithium ion cells. This is a large battery that must provide 28 kilowatt hours of energy over 99 minutes of operation at 300 volts with a peak power of 130 kilowatts for three seconds. High Voltage Power Distribution and Control (PD&C) - The PD&C distributes electric power from the battery to the EHDU. This 300 volt system includes wiring and components necessary to distribute power and provide fault current protection. Electro-Hydraulic Drive Unit (EHDU) - The EHDU converts electric input power to hydraulic output power. The EHDU must provide over 90 kilowatts of stable, output hydraulic power at 3000 psi with high efficiency and rapid response time. Cooling System - The cooling system provides thermal control of the Orbiter hydraulic fluid and EHDU electronic components. Symposium presentation will provide an overview of the AHPS upgrade, descriptions of the four hardware elements, and a summary of development results to date.

Source record↗
DOE OSTI2023

Phosphate‐functionalized Zirconium Metal–Organic Frameworks for Enhancing Lithium–Sulfur Battery Cycling

Abstract Lithium–sulfur batteries are promising candidates for next‐generation energy storage devices due to their outstanding theoretical energy density. However, they suffer from low sulfur utilization and poor cyclability, greatly limiting their practical implementation. Herein, we adopted a phosphate‐functionalized zirconium metal–organic framework (Zr‐MOF) as a sulfur host. With their porous structure, remarkable electrochemical stability, and synthetic versatility, Zr‐MOFs present great potential in preventing soluble polysulfides from leaching. Phosphate groups were introduced to the framework post‐synthetically since they have shown a strong affinity towards lithium polysulfides and an ability to facilitate Li ion transport. The successful incorporation of phosphate in MOF‐808 was demonstrated by a series of techniques including infrared spectroscopy, solid‐state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and X‐ray pair distribution function analysis. When employed in batteries, phosphate‐functionalized Zr‐MOF (MOF‐808‐PO4) exhibits significantly enhanced sulfur utilization and ion diffusion compared to the parent framework, leading to higher capacity and rate capability. The improved capacity retention and inhibited self‐discharge rate also demonstrate effective polysulfide encapsulation utilizing MOF‐808‐PO4. Furthermore, we explored their potential towards high‐density batteries by examining the cycling performance at various sulfur loadings. Our approach to correlate structure with function using hybrid inorganic–organic materials offers new chemical design strategies for advancing battery materials.

Liu, Bingqian↗
DOE OSTI2023

Simulated sulfur K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy database of lithium thiophosphate solid electrolytes

X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) is a premier technique for materials characterization, providing key information about the local chemical environment of the absorber atom. In this work, we develop a database of sulfur K-edge XAS spectra of crystalline and amorphous lithium thiophosphate materials based on the atomic structures reported in Chem. Mater., 34, 6702 (2022). The XAS database is based on simulations using the excited electron and core-hole pseudopotential approach implemented in the Vienna Ab initio Simulation Package. Our database contains 2681 S K-edge XAS spectra for 66 crystalline and glassy structure models, making it the largest collection of first-principles computational XAS spectra for glass/ceramic lithium thiophosphates to date. This database can be used to correlate S spectral features with distinct S species based on their local coordination and short-range ordering in sulfide-based solid electrolytes. The data is openly distributed via the Materials Cloud, allowing researchers to access it for free and use it for further analysis, such as spectral fingerprinting, matching with experiments, and developing machine learning models.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Electrochemical cells with ionic sequestration provided by porous separators

Provided are electrochemical cells including separators permeable to some materials and impermeable to other materials in electrolytes. Also provide are methods of forming such separators. The selective permeability of a separator is achieved by its specific pore diameter and a narrow distribution of this diameter. Specifically, a species responsible for ion transport in an electrochemical cell are allowed to pass through the separator, while another species is blocked thereby preventing degradation of the cell. For example, a species containing lithium ions is allowed to pass in rechargeable cells, while one or more species containing transition metals are blocked. In some embodiments, a separator may include a membrane layer with at least 90% of pores of this having a diameter of between about 0.1 nanometers and 1.0 nanometer. The membrane layer may be a standalone layer or supported by a membrane support.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Controlled Dy-doping to nickel-rich cathode materials in high temperature aerosol synthesis

Layered nickel-rich materials are promising next-generation cathode materials for lithium ion batteries due to their high capacity and low cost. However, the poor thermal stability and longtime cycling performance hinders the commercial applications of high nickel materials. Doping with heteroatoms has been an effective approach for improving electrochemical performance of cathode materials. Controlling doping concentration and geometrical distribution is desired for optimal electrochemical performance, but it is challenging in traditional co-precipitation methods. In this work, controlled dysprosium (Dy) doping to NCM811 was studied in an aerosol synthesis method by controlling the precursor concentrations and heating parameters. The obtained materials were characterized by SEM, XRD, and XPS, and their electrochemical properties and thermal stability were evaluated. By controlling the doping concentration (1.5%), Dy-doped NCM811 was improved simultaneously in long-term cycling and high-rate performance. Here, the thermal-chemical stability of the Dy-doped cathode materials was examined in a microflow reactor with a mass spectrometer. The results showed that Dy-doping shifted the O 2 onset temperature to a higher temperature and reduced O 2 release by 80%, thus dramatically increasing the thermal-chemical stability and improving the fire safety of cathode materials. Since high temperature aerosol synthesis is a low-cost and scalable method, the findings in this work have broad implications for commercial synthesis of novel materials with controlled doping modification to achieve high electrochemical performance and safety in lithium ion batteries.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Optimizing Fast Charging and Wetting in Lithium-Ion Batteries with Optimal Microstructure Patterns Identified by Genetic Algorithm

To sustain the high-rate current required for fast charging electric vehicle batteries, electrodes must exhibit sufficiently high effective ionic diffusion. Additionally, to reduce battery manufacturing costs, wetting time must decrease. Both of these issues can be addressed by structuring the electrodes with mesoscale pore channels. However, their optimal spatial distribution, or patterns, is unknown. Herein, a genetic algorithm has been developed to identify these optimal patterns using a CPU-cheap proxy distance-based model to evaluate the impact of the added pore networks. Both coin-cell and pouch cell form factors have been considered for the wetting analysis, with their respective electrolyte infiltration mode. Regular hexagonal and mud-crack-like patterns, respectively, for fast charging and fast wetting were found to be optimal and have been compared with pre-determined, easier to manufacture, patterns. The model predicts that using cylindrical channels arranged in a regular hexagonal pattern is ∼6.25 times more efficient for fast charging as compared to grooved lines with both structuring strategies being restricted to a 5% electrode total volume loss. The model also shows that only a very limited electrode volume loss (1%–2%) is required to dramatically improve the wetting (5–20 times) compared to an unstructured electrode.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Dynamics of Intra-Cell Thermal Front Propagation in Lithium-Ion Battery Safety Issues

Thermal runaway (TR), a critical failure mode in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), poses significant safety risks and hinders wider application of LIBs. TR typically begins at a localized heat source and spreads across the cell. Understanding thermal front propagation (TFP) characteristics, such as front and velocity, is crucial for assessing energy release and temperature distribution for battery hazardous estimation. Recent studies assume that TR within cells propagates at a near-constant velocity, based on the reaction kinetics and thermal properties. Here, in this study, an intra-battery TR model is further proposed and it indicates that TFP velocity stabilizes when the front is distanced from the heat source. Theoretical estimates for propagation velocity and front are developed and validated through numerical simulations and experimental tests from the NREL Battery Failure Databank. The energy release rate during TFP and the impact of preheating based on a point heat source are explored. This work clarifies the long-standing clouds of the thermal font propagation behaviors within the single cell, highlights the power and beauty of mathematics modeling to describe the complicated thermal behaviors, and provides important guidelines for thermal hazardous understanding for next-generation batteries.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Zinc batteries for grid-scale energy storage: Challenges, opportunities, and future directions

The global electricity sector is undergoing rapid transformation, increasing demand for reliable stationary energy storage and intensifying the need for safe, cost-effective, and scalable technologies for grid-scale applications. While lithium-ion batteries currently dominate the market, concerns over cost, safety, and resource availability motivate the exploration of alternative chemistries. Zinc-based batteries have emerged as a promising option due to the abundance, low cost, and wide geographic distribution of zinc, combined with the inherent safety of aqueous electrolytes. This perspective examines the potential of zinc batteries for stationary energy storage, with particular focus on rechargeable zinc-air systems. We discuss the evolution of zinc battery technologies and compare zinc-air, zinc-bromine, nickel-zinc, and aqueous zinc-ion chemistries, highlighting their advantages for grid applications. Key challenges limiting rechargeable zinc battery performance are analyzed, including dendrite formation and corrosion at the zinc anode, electrolyte degradation from carbonation and evaporation, and sluggish oxygen electrocatalysis at the air cathode. Emerging strategies to address these limitations are reviewed, including advanced electrode architectures, electrolyte engineering, catalyst development, and system-level design improvements. Lastly, we outline future research directions and opportunities for developing durable, efficient, and economically viable zinc-based energy storage systems for grid-scale applications.

Aqueous electrolytes↗
DOE OSTI2022

Unraveling the Effects of Hierarchical Bimodal Microscale Porosity on Thick Electrodes

The thick electrode design is preferential in high-energy lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) systems. However, the sluggish ionic transport in homogeneous porous thick electrodes severely limits the areal capacity at high charging/discharging rates. The hierarchical porous design is a promising approach to mitigate kinetic limitations because it can distribute mass effectively in natural systems. In this study, the effects of bimodal microscale pores are fully investigated in thick electrodes from both architectural and electrochemical perspectives. Notably, by introduction of the bimodal microscale porous structure, the rate capability improves remarkably in thick electrodes with a low porosity (39%). Herein, by combining experimental results with simulations, this work presents a rational design guideline for preparing thick electrodes with a porosity at the commercial level, as well as simultaneous high energy and power densities, which brings new insights into the advanced electrode architecture design in scalable high-energy and high-power energy storage systems for practical applications.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Particle Tracking Methods for Battery Precipitation Reactions

Precipitation and deposition reactions at solid–liquid interfaces play a key role in a number of battery chemistries, including Li-ion, so-called “anode free” batteries, zinc-based battery chemistries, and lithium–sulfur, among others. Although models with heterogeneous nucleation and growth phenomena are present in the literature, papers have not to date provided much detail on the numerical algorithms used to track the temporal evolution of the particle size distribution of deposits on electrode surfaces. In this paper we examine several approaches to discretize and track the particle size distribution, demonstrating that common approaches lead to anomalous flattening of the particle size distribution. We conclude by presenting an algorithm that preserves the appropriate particle size distribution during particle growth.

Algorithms↗
DOE OSTI2024

Voltage Mining for (De)lithiation-Stabilized Cathodes and a Machine Learning Model for Li-Ion Cathode Voltage

Advances in lithium-metal anodes have inspired interest in discovery of Li-free cathodes, most of which are natively found in their charged state. This is in contrast to today's commercial lithium-ion battery cathodes, which are more stable in their discharged state. In this study, we combine calculated cathode voltage information from both categories of cathode materials, covering 5577 and 2423 total unique structure pairs, respectively. The resulting voltage distributions with respect to the redox pairs and anion types for both classes of compounds emphasize design principles for high-voltage cathodes, which favor later Period 4 transition metals in their higher oxidation states and more electronegative anions like fluorine or polyanion groups. Generally, cathodes that are found in their charged, delithiated state are shown to exhibit voltages lower than those that are most stable in their lithiated state, in agreement with thermodynamic expectations. Deviations from this trend are found to originate from different anion distributions between redox pairs. In addition, a machine learning model for voltage prediction based on chemical formulas is trained and shows state-of-the-art performance when compared to two established composition-based ML models for material properties predictions, Roost and CrabNet.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2024

ENDF/B-VIII.1: Thermal Neutron Scattering Sublibrary

The thermal neutron scattering law (TSL) sublibrary aims to describe the interaction of incident neutrons at thermal or sub-thermal energies with different compound materials such fuels, moderators and special-purpose materials. In ENDF/B-VIII.1 there was a large number of new and updated TSL evaluations, including traditional moderators (light water, Beryllium metal, Beryllium Oxide, Calcium Hydride, plastics (Polystyrene and Lucite), graphite (reactor-grade and crystalline), anhydrous Hydrogen Fluoride, and heavy paraffinic oil); exotic moderators (Beryllium Carbide, Zirconium Hydride, Yttrium Hydride, Lithium-7 Hydride and Deuteride), FLiBe molten salt, structural materials and cladding (Silicon Carbide, Silicon Dioxide, Zirconium Carbide), fuels (Plutonium Dioxide, Uranium Carbide, Uranium metal, Uranium Nitride, Uranium Dioxide, Uranium Hydride), and special purpose materials. In ENDF/B-VIII.1 we also distribute alongside the evaluated files, a comma-separated file (CSV), named TSL_MAT_numbers.csv, which lists all evaluated files in the current release and their corresponding unique MAT number.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Lithium Metal Electrode — Understanding Its Unique Characteristics and Functions

Lithium metal electrode (LME) is attractive for the next generation of commercial high-energy rechargeable lithium battery (RLB) design and development. As a light element with a very reducing electrochemical potential, Li metal certainly has the unique characteristics that also present challenges for its application in RLBs. To overcome technical barriers with LME such as the dendrite formation that causes uneven current distributions, excessive SEI formation that consumes Li inventory, and formation of inactive Li metal in granular forms that induces safety hazards, more fundamental understanding of the unique characteristics of LME and its impact on functions in performance in RLBs is critical. Here, we present some recent work based on temporally-correlated reactive molecular dynamics simulations to understand the Li deposition and the associated nucleation and growth process on the LME or graphitic electrode surfaces. Such a study provides some intriguing perspectives on how Li reacts with electrolytes on LME and conventional graphitic electrodes in the RLB operation. Such an insight could help improving our strategy to deal with LME problems and provide functional improvements for LME’s application in RLBs. This presentation is dedicated to Professor Robert Huggins for his life-long teaching of the fundamentals on solid state ionics and its implications in understanding the electrochemical behavior of Li in RLB applications.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Tailoring Mesopores and Nitrogen Groups of Carbon Nanofibers for Polysulfide Entrapment in Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

In the current work, we combined different physical and chemical modifications of carbon nanofibers through the creation of micro-, meso-, and macro-pores as well as the incorporation of nitrogen groups in cyclic polyacrylonitrile (CPAN) using gas-assisted electrospinning and air-controlled electrospray processes. We incorporated them into electrode and interlayer in Li–Sulfur batteries. First, we controlled pore size and distributions in mesoporous carbon fibers (mpCNF) via adding polymethyl methacrylate as a sacrificial polymer to the polyacrylonitrile carbon precursor, followed by varying activation conditions. Secondly, nitrogen groups were introduced via cyclization of PAN on mesoporous carbon nanofibers (mpCPAN). We compared the synergistic effects of all these features in cathode substrate and interlayer on the performance Li–Sulfur batteries and used various characterization tools to understand them. Our results revealed that coating CPAN on both mesoporous carbon cathode and interlayer greatly enhanced the rate capability and capacity retention, leading to the capacity of 1000 mAh/g at 2 C and 1200 mAh/g at 0.5 C with the capability retention of 88% after 100 cycles. The presence of nitrogen groups and mesopores in both cathodes and interlayers resulted in more effective polysulfide confinement and also show more promise for higher loading systems.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗