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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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The Parties are working together to utilize a one-step atmospheric microplasma reaction for the elimination of electrolyte degradation products and the relithiation of end-of-life cathode materials. This project aims to streamline the direct recycling process of battery components by reducing the required steps and time.
Battery development and testing efforts at Phillips Laboratory fall into three main categories: nickel hydrogen, sodium sulfur, and solid state batteries. Nickel hydrogen work is broken down into a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Life Test Program, a LEO Pulse Test Program, and a Hydrogen Embrittlement Investigation. Sodium sulfur work is broken down into a Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) Battery Flight Test and a Hot Launch Evaluation. Solid state polymer battery work consists of a GEO Battery Development Program, a Pulse Power Battery Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR), and an in-house evaluation of current generation laboratory cells. An overview of the program is presented.
Ex-situ carbon mineralization is a process by which CO2 is reacted with alkaline silicate minerals and rocks to produce stable carbonate materials, which can be used for other industrial processes. Arizona, U.S.A., hosts abundant surficial mafic rocks in three young volcanic fields, Geronimo-San Bernardino, San Francisco, and Springerville, and other distributed locations throughout the state. We created a Mafic Rock Resource Inventory (MRRI) that categorizes geochemical, physical, and textural characteristics of a diverse suite of surficial mafic rock samples and provide a benchmark reaction dataset parameterizing the temperature, pressure, and pH conditions best suited ex-situ mineralization in different rock types. MRRI data is publicly available online via a map-viewer. We establish two reaction condition sets, varied in temperature, pressure, and pH, where crystal-rich and glassy rocks reach maximum reaction extent and different carbonate phases are formed. Systematic ex-situ mineralization experiments on 21 diverse rock types show trends in geochemical, mineralogical, and reactivity behavior and establish maximum effective capture capacity. From this, scoria cones in three Arizona volcanic fields have a ~62 Gt effective CO₂ storage capacity with one of the fields having a ~42 Gt storage capacity in lava flows. Reactivity results have applications to alkaline mafic rock resources exposed globally, including producing additional effective storage capacity estimates and scaled commercialization of mafic rock ex-situ mineralization, should reaction extents be improved through advances in mineralization techniques. MRRI data were used to create a Direct Air Capture to Mineralization (DACM) systems model, technoeconomic analysis, and life-cycle assessment. These documents are presented as three appendices.
Extensive use of Li-ion batteries in electric vehicles, electronics, and other energy storage applications has resulted in a need to recycle valuable metals Li, Mn, Ni, and Co in these devices. In this work, an aqueous mixture of glycolic and lactic acid is shown as an excellent leaching agent to recover these critical metals from spent Li-ion laptop batteries combined with cathode and anode coatings without adding hydrogen peroxide or other reducing agents. An aqueous acid mixture of 0.15 M in glycolic and 0.35 M in lactic acid showed the highest leaching efficiencies of 100, 100, 100, and 89% for Li, Ni, Mn, and Co, respectively, in an experiment at 120 °C for 6 h. Subsequently, the chelate solution was evaporated to give a mixed metal-hydroxy acid chelate gel. Pyrolysis of the dried chelate gel at 800 °C for 15 h could be used to burn off hydroxy acids, regenerating lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide, and the novel method presented to avoid the precipitation of metals as hydroxide or carbonates. The Li, Ni, Mn, and Co ratio of regenerated lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide is comparable to this metal ratio in pyrolyzed electrode coating and showed similar powder X-ray diffractograms, suggesting the suitability of α-hydroxy carboxylic acid mixtures as leaching agents and ligands in regeneration of mixed metal oxide via pyrolysis of the dried chelate gel.
This paper presents an exact solution of two-dimensional laminar flow through a finite length channel with one porous wall. It improves upon previous solutions by (1) satisfying the no-slip boundary condition at the channel dead end, (2) adding a turbulent term to the porous wall boundary condition, (3) allowing for arbitrary variable suction or injection across the porous wall, and (4) model validation against new cryogenic liquid hydrogen and oxygen experimental data. Of particular interest in the current work is the modeling of cryogenic propellant flow through a porous liquid acquisition device (LAD) screen and channel inside a propellant tank. First, a detailed review of the literature is presented for previously attempted solutions to channel flow with one porous wall. Next, the governing equations, boundary conditions, and model assumptions are used to derive the analytical flow solution and present general model results for pressure and velocity fields within the channel. Then, the model solution is compared with horizontal LAD channel flow data in liquid oxygen as well as vertical LAD channel flow data in an inverted outflow configuration in liquid hydrogen. Model results are used to update the static cryogenic bubble point pressure model with a dynamic bubble point term which factors in enhanced convection and cooling at the screen during propellant outflow. Convective heat transfer at the LAD screen during outflow is also quantified by comparing model and data. The new analytical flow solution with the dynamic bubble point model is shown to compare well with available cryogenic experimental data
In many convective liquid-vapor phase change heat transfer engineering applications, cryogenic fluids are widely used in industrial processes, spacecraft and cryosurgery systems, and so on. For example, cryogens are usually used as liquid fuels such as liquid hydrogen and oxygen in the rocket industry, liquid nitrogen (LN2) and helium are frequently used to cool superconducting magnetic device for medical applications. In these systems, proper transport, handling, and storage of cryogenic fluids are of extreme importance. Among all the cryogenic transport processes performed in room temperatures, quenching, also termed chilldown, is a unavoidable initial, transient phase-change heat transfer process that brings the system down to the cryogenic condition. The Leidenfrost temperature or rewet temperature that signals the end of film boiling is practically considered the completion point of a quenching process. Therefore, rewet temperature has been considered the most important parameter for the engineering design of cryogenic thermal management systems. As most of the previous correlations for predicting the Leidenfrost temperature and the rewet temperature have been basically developed for water, they are shown to disagree with recent liquid nitrogen pipe chilldown experiments in upward and downward flow directions over a wide range of flow rates, pressures, and degrees of inlet subcooling. In addition to a complete review of the literature, two new correlations are presented in this work, one based on bubble growth and another based on the theoretical maximum limit of superheat. Each correlation performs well over the entire data set.
Before cryogenic fuel depots can be fully realized, efficient methods with which to chill down the spacecraft transfer line and receiver tank are required. This paper presents numerical modeling of the chilldown of a liquid hydrogen tank-to-tank propellant transfer line using the Generalized Fluid System Simulation Program (GFSSP). To compare with data from recently concluded turbulent LH2 chill down experiments, seven different cases were run across a range of inlet liquid temperatures and mass flow rates. Both trickle and pulse chill down methods were simulated. The GFSSP model qualitatively matches external skin mounted temperature readings, but large differences are shown between measured and predicted internal stream temperatures. Discrepancies are attributed to the simplified model correlation used to compute two-phase flow boiling heat transfer. Flow visualization from testing shows that the initial bottoming out of skin mounted sensors corresponds to annular flow, but that considerable time is required for the stream sensor to achieve steady state as the system moves through annular, churn, and bubbly flow. The GFSSP model does adequately well in tracking trends in the data but further work is needed to refine the two-phase flow modeling to better match observed test data.
The goal of this project will be to establish manufacturing processes for PEM electrolyzers in Rochester, New York capable of producing 5GW of PEM electrolyzer stacks per year, while achieving the cost, production and performance targets.
Deploying advanced building control strategies in small- and medium-sized commercial buildings (SMBs) is critical but constrained by two major challenges: (1) the lack of sensor and control infrastructure (SCI) and (2) the significant engineering effort required for implementation and configuration. While these barriers limit large-scale adoption in SMBs, they remain underexplored in the literature, which has largely emphasized feasibility over scalability.
The benefits of nanotechnology have been realized in almost every component of lithium-ion batteries. From electrodes to electrolytes, the incorporation of nanoparticles as dopants and coatings has shown marked improvements in cell cycle life, efficiency, mechanical and thermal stabilities, and lithium-ion transport. The improvements realized depends on several factors, from processing methods, nanoparticle type, structure, and concentration, to the material into which the nanoparticulate will be incorporated. Regardless of these many factors, nanotechnology has vastly improved the performance of secondary lithium-ion batteries. Here we will highlight some of the works that demonstrate these improvements and the quantitative benefits of nanotechnology.
The primary objective of this project was to leverage digital twin technology to enhance the design and operation of DFW Airport terminals and their associated energy systems. To achieve this, Morpheus, a building digital twin, was developed to guide improvements in airport operations, specifically targeting reductions in peak power demand and overall energy consumption.
Nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) stores buffer tree metabolism, osmotic regulation, and defense, thereby mediating tolerance and survival under climate extremes. Yet, the functional and evolutionary determinants of interspecific variation in NSC remain elusive, limiting understanding and prediction of forest carbon allocation and mortality under global change. Here, we present a cross-species synthesis of NSC concentrations across multiple organs for 281 woody species from 102 mixed forest communities worldwide, where we quantified species-specific deviations from community means to disentangle intrinsic trait effects from environmental and methodological variation. We found phylogenetic signals in NSC deviations, with coniferous gymnosperms and evergreen species consistently maintaining lower stem soluble sugars and starch concentrations than co-occurring angiosperms and deciduous species, respectively. A global pattern emerged where greater stomatal sensitivity to leaf water potential was associated with declines in the relative concentrations of both sugars and starch. In contrast, xylem hydraulic safety traits showed weak and organ-dependent relationships with NSC concentrations. Sugars increased with photosynthetic capacity and declined with wood density, whereas starch showed the reverse pattern, which aligned with the distinct functional-metabolic roles of sugars and starch. By integrating trait-based ecology with a community-centered framework, our study provides global evidence that stomatal regulation, photosynthetic capacity, specific leaf area, and wood density jointly govern interspecific NSC variation, through contrasting effects on sugars and starch. These are among the most broadly measured traits globally, thus the emergent carbohydrate–trait relationships can have broad applications toward understanding and predicting forest growth and survival under climate change.
Abstract Nuclear quantum effects (NQEs) influence many physical and chemical phenomena, particularly those involving light atoms or occurring at low temperatures. However, their impact has been carefully quantified in few systems-like water-and is rarely considered more broadly. Here we use path-integral molecular dynamics to systematically investigate NQEs on thermophysical properties of 92 organic liquids at ambient conditions. Depending on chemical constitution, we find substantial impact across thermal expansivity, compressibility, dielectric constant, enthalpy of vaporization, and notably molar volume, which shows consistent, positive quantum-classical differences up to 5%; similar, less pronounced trends manifest as isotope effects from deuteration. Using data-driven analysis, we identify three features-molar mass, classical hydrogen density, and classical thermal expansivity-that accurately predict NQEs and facilitate understanding of how characteristics like branching and heteroatom content influence behavior. This work highlights the broad relevance of NQEs in molecular liquids, while also providing a conceptual and practical framework to anticipate their impact.
NASA aeronautics goals include pioneering new technology to increase efficiency and reduce emissions from air travel. The feasibility of using of on-board cryogenic fuels systems in combination with fuel cells, high efficiency engines, and electric motors for high efficiency commercial transport aircraft is being examined at NASA in collaborations with external partners. Growing emphasis on next generation air transportation resulted in the development of strategic investigations into cryogenic fuels aviation, including roadmaps for maturing new technologies, needs to improve testing and manufacturing capabilities, and the requirements for establishing regulatory and certification standards. A NASA cross-organizational multidisciplinary project team is exploring new aircraft architectures, enabling materials, and the engineering challenges associated with cryogenic fuels for aircraft. The engineering challenges include high performance cryogenic, thermal management, and power/propulsion components and subsystems to tackle the challenging problem of development of commercially viable aircraft that would radically transform air transportation.
The exponential growth of the lithium‐ion (LIB) market is causing a significant disparity between the supply chain and demand for its resources. In this regard, sodium‐ion and potassium‐ion batteries are promising alternatives to LIBs due to their low cost. However, the larger sizes of Na + and K + ions create challenges that prevent them from achieving energy densities comparable to LIBs while maintaining an acceptable cycle life. Here, in this perspective, the aim is to evaluate the status of Na‐ion and K‐ion batteries and the challenges associated with them on both fundamental and commercial levels. The focus is on the structural instability arising from phase transitions during cycling, intricate chemical degradation processes, and potential avenues for enhancing their performance with a specific goal of improving their viability for grid‐scale energy storage. Materials production and abundance limitations for the chemistries of the state‐of‐the‐art materials and account for critical parameters from both the perspective of researchers and investors are analyzed. This analysis aims to provide insights into the strategic trade‐offs required to effectively implement the technology in real‐world applications, such as grid‐scale storage and other areas. Furthermore, the utilization of metals with low or no supply‐chain problems as an important aspect of these trade‐offs is considered.
Efficient management of extreme heat fluxes in the divertor region to extend the lifetime of the components remains a critical challenge for the realization of nuclear fusion-based power plants. Among the alternative concepts explored for the divertor region, the use of liquid metals, particularly lithium, is of interest due its ability to dissipate the incoming plasma heat flux through the vapour shielding effect (VS). In this work, we experimentally investigated a ‘closed’ configuration of a dedicated Vapour Box Module (VBM) in the linear plasma device Magnum-PSI. The goal of the experiments is to simulate the vapour box divertor environment conditions and assess its performance in terms of power mitigation and redistribution and lithium confinement. Initial testing without Li demonstrated the efficacy of a closed VBM structure in inducing detachment via neutral gas accumulation. Apertures which enabled non-condensing gas to be effectively pumped while ensuring lithium condensed on the inner surfaces were therefore added. With a lithium capillary porous structure target used, lithium is directly vaporized by the plasma, forming a dense lithium vapour cloud that interacts with the incoming plasma. This resulted in a significant reduction of the target temperature of at least 48%, together with a temperature locking effect, a phenomenon typically observed in the VS regime. Lithium vapour confinement within the VBM was strongly correlated with the wall temperature. Relatively cold walls promoted Li re-condensation and therefore improved Li confinement, although with the expected trade-off of increased hydrogenic retention on lithium-wetted surfaces. As the wall temperature increased, the confinement efficiency decreased, consistent with reduced Li re-condensation and thermally activated Li–H chemistry and remobilization at the walls. Diagnostic measurements through embedded thermocouples and calorimetry revealed that lithium vaporization and re-condensation processes also playedsignificant roles in plasma power dissipation. The results advance the case for a closed divertor chamber with direct lithium evaporation from the strike-points as a viable method to manage divertor heat fluxes in future fusion reactors.
The Wyoming Trails Carbon Hub (WyoTCH) project completed a front-end engineering and design (FEED) study for a commercial-scale, open-access carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) transport pipeline in Wyoming under U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Award DEFE0032347, funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Carbon Capture Technology Program and administered by the National Energy Technology Laboratory. The project’s approach of designing a multi-source, multi-destination pipeline, rather than a dedicated line serving a single project, would lower the barrier to entry for individual CO 2 projects. The projects would leverage Wyoming's concentrated industrial and power generation CO 2 sources, its existing CO 2 pipeline infrastructure, and its extensive CO 2 storage and utilization capacity. This is the project's final technical report.
The 1996 Workshop was held on three consecutive days and was divided into five sessions. The first day consisted of a General Primary Battery Session and a Nickel-Hydrogen Battery On-Orbit Reconditioning Experience Focused Session. The second day consisted of a Nickel-Hydrogen Session and a Nickel-Cadmium Session. The third and final day was devoted to an Other Secondary Technologies Session which covered sodium-sulfur, nickel-zinc, nickel-metal hydride, and lithium ion technologies.