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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 307 records · Page 17
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2014

Method for Making a Fuel Cell from a Solid Oxide Monolithic Framework

The invention is a novel solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stack comprising individual bi-electrode supported fuel cells in which a thin electrolyte is supported between electrodes of essentially equal thickness. Individual cell units are made from graded pore ceramic tape that has been created by the freeze cast method followed by freeze drying. Each piece of graded pore tape later becomes a graded pore electrode scaffold that subsequent to sintering, is made into either an anode or a cathode by means of appropriate solution and thermal treatment means. Each cell unit is assembled by depositing of a thin coating of ion conducting ceramic material upon the side of each of two pieces of tape surface having the smallest pore openings, and then mating the coated surfaces to create an unsintered electrode scaffold pair sandwiching an electrolyte layer. The opposing major outer exposed surfaces of each cell unit is given a thin coating of electrically conductive ceramic, and multiple cell units are stacked, or built up by stacking of individual cell layers, to create an unsintered fuel cell stack. Ceramic or glass edge seals are installed to create flow channels for fuel and air. The cell stack with edge sealants is then sintered into a ceramic monolithic framework. Said solution and thermal treatments means convert the electrode scaffolds into anodes and cathodes. The thin layers of electrically conductive ceramic become the interconnects in the assembled stack.

Cable, Thomas L.↗
DOE OSTI2016

Toward Interpreting Failure in Sintered-Silver Interconnection Systems

The mechanical strength and subsequent reliability of a sintered-silver interconnection system is a function of numerous independent parameters. That system is still undergoing process development. Most of those parameters (e.g., choice of plating) are arguably and unfortunately taken for granted and are independent of the silver s cohesive strength. To explore such effects, shear strength testing and failure analyses were completed on a simple, mock sintered-silver interconnection system consisting of bonding two DBC ceramic substrates. Silver and gold platings were part of the test matrix, as was pre-drying strategies, and the consideration of stencil-printing vs. screen-printing. Shear strength of sintered-silver interconnect systems was found to be was insensitive to the choice of plating, drying practice, and printing method provided careful and consistent processing of the sintered-silver are practiced. But if the service stress in sintered silver interconnect systems is anticipated to exceed ~ 60 MPa, then the system will likely fail.

Wereszczak, Andrew A↗
DOE OSTI2019

Method of fracking using silicone surfactants

Methods for fracking, particularly dry fracking, comprising the use of surfactants for preparation of substantially water-free carbon dioxide in oil foams are presented.

02 PETROLEUM↗
DOE OSTI2016

Electrical capacitance as a predictor of root dry weight in shrub willow ( Salix ; Salicaceae) parents and progeny

Premise of the study: Root biomass is an important trait often disregarded in woody perennial selection due to the challenge and expense of accurately and efficiently measuring large populations. In this study, we aim to develop a simple method that can predict root dry weight within a diverse shrub willow ( Salix ) breeding population representing species hybrids and their parents using root electrical capacitance (REC). Methods: The REC method was tested on plants started from cuttings and grown in pots with potting mix in the greenhouse for 11 wk to assess the relationship of REC with 24 biomass traits and its usefulness in allometric models for root and stem dry biomass. Results: Strong linear and positive correlations were found between REC and root dry biomass ( r = 0.88). The total proportion of variance of root and stem dry biomass explained by predictors in multiple regression was 85% and 69%, respectively. The relative importance of predictor variables in allometric models was dominated by the contribution of REC. Discussion: This work provides an efficient and nondestructive technique to indirectly quantify root biomass of genetically diverse shrub willow progeny, which has great promise for selection of genotypes with varying root biomass and for the accurate estimation of belowground carbon sequestration.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

A novel application of cosmic rays for spent nuclear fuel monitoring - 15738

Monitoring nuclear waste and controlling spent nuclear fuel at its source is one of the main strategies to minimize the risks of nuclear proliferation and reduce potential homeland threats. Storage of high level waste from a fission reactor typically involves placing spent fuel in sealed dry casks. After the spent nuclear fuel has been placed inside the dry cask, the cask is welded, not allowing for visual inspection. Conventional methods for examining the interior of materials e.g., X-rays, are limited by the fact that they cannot penetrate very dense well-shielded objects. Instead, cosmic ray muons have the potential to allow for assessment of spent nuclear fuel stored within sealed dense dry casks. Objectives: 1.Exploit the ability of cosmic ray muons to penetrate high density materials allowing the distribution of materials within the object to be inferred from the muon tracks. 2. Develop a monitoring system that tracks the path of cosmic ray muons, including their deflection and attenuation, to identify the contents of a closed dry cask. Methods: - Monte-Carlo simulations using Geant4; - Bayesian decision theory for signal classification; - Wavelet analysis for noise cancellation; - Chaotic Neural Networks for signal encryption. Results: 1. Preliminary statistical analysis proved that the method is feasible and has the ability to identify the presence of spent nuclear fuel in a dry cask. 2. Using monoenergetic muons, a dry cask with one fuel assembly missing can be correctly identified with error rate <1%. Broader merit: Once completed, the proposed project for cosmic ray muon transport will enable a new and potentially transformative approach towards efficient, inexpensive and remote cosmic ray muon applications in archaeology, medicine and safeguarding of nuclear materials.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2025

Single Crystalline Na 0.67 Ni 0.33 Mn 0.67 O 2 Positive Electrode Material via Molten Salt Synthesis for Sodium Ion Batteries

P2-layered Na 0.67 Ni 0.33 Mn 0.67 O 2 (NNMO) has emerged as a promising positive electrode material for sodium ion batteries due to its appealing electrochemical properties. Synthesis of polycrystalline NNMO (PC-NNMO) materials through conventional calcination of solid precursors remains the prevailing method, where heating occurs in a dry environment with air or O 2 . On the other hand, the molten salt method, where precursors are submerged in molten salt medium during calcination, emerged in recent years to be a scalable technique for more controlled crystal growth and uniform morphology in a variety of materials. Here, we utilize the molten salt method to synthesize single crystalline NNMO (SC-NNMO) materials with enhanced electrochemical properties. The SC-NNMO material exhibits an initial specific discharge capacity of 95 mAh g –1 at a 0.1C rate, retaining approximately 88.5% of its capacity after 100 cycles over a wide voltage range of 2.0–4.2 V. Furthermore, SC-NNMO maintains a capacity retention of 83.9% after 300 cycles at a 1C rate compared to 66.6% for PC-NNMO, indicating excellent long-term cycling stability. This stability is further confirmed by the performance of an SC-NNMO//hard carbon full cell, which retains 90.3% of its capacity after 200 cycles at 1C within a voltage window of 1.9–4.1 V. The enhancement in stability of the SC-NNMO sample is attributed to the single crystalline structure suppressing the undesired P2–O2 phase transition at high voltage. This study also presents an easy, efficient, and straightforward molten salt process for SC-NNMO material synthesis, offering valuable insights into the potential application of such methodology for the large-scale, cost-effective production of various sodium-layered transition metal oxide positive electrode materials for SIBs.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Direct Surface and Droplet Microsampling for Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry Analysis with an Integrated Dual-Probe Microfluidic Chip

Ambient mass spectrometry (MS) has revolutionized the way of MS analysis and broadened its application in various fields. This paper describes the use of microfluidic techniques to simplify the setup and improve the functions of ambient MS by integrating the sampling probe, electrospray emitter probe, and online mixer on a single glass microchip. Two types of sampling probes, including a parallel-channel probe and a U-shaped channel probe, were designed for dryspot and liquid-phase droplet samples, respectively. We demonstrated that the microfabrication techniques not only enhanced the capability of ambient MS methods in analysis of dry-spot samples on various surfaces, but also enabled new applications in the analysis of nanoliter-scale chemical reactions in an array of droplets. The versatility of the microchip-based ambient MS method was demonstrated in multiple different applications including evaluation of residual pesticide on fruit surfaces, sensitive analysis of low-ionizable analytes using postsampling derivatization, and high-throughput screening of Ugi-type multicomponent reactions.

Huang, Cong-Min↗
DOE OSTI2018

Partial flocculation for spray drying of spherical mixed metal oxide particles

Abstract Particles are an important design consideration for many proposed solar thermochemical water splitting reactor concepts. These particles must maintain physical integrity and chemical performance at very high temperatures (>900°C) while flowing within a system. Spray drying is a commonly used, scalable method to produce solid spherical particles that have the best opportunity to meet these requirements. Spray drying is used to produce hercynite (FeAl 2 O 4 ) particles using pH ‐modification of a charge‐stabilized sol. This process involves inducing partial flocculation in nanoparticle suspensions to yield larger particles that are spherical and structurally robust. A commercial boehmite suspension is characterized along with a mixture of the boehmite suspension with an iron oxide suspension. Zeta potential near zero and peak yield stress measurements at the same pH indicate flocculation, but associated sedimentation behavior is not observed. The behavior of both the boehmite‐only and mixed suspensions both seem to be driven by the behavior of the boehmite suspension alone. Spray dried particles from the mixed suspension at the critical pH gave significantly larger and more spherical particles, which also indicates flocculation. This relatively simple technique shows promise for new mixed‐metal material formulations and scalable applications.

Ehrhart, Brian D.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Floating Ultrasonic Transducer Inspection System and Method for Nondestructive Evaluation

A method for inspecting a structural sample using ultrasonic energy includes positioning an ultrasonic transducer adjacent to a surface of the sample, and then transmitting ultrasonic energy into the sample. Force pulses are applied to the transducer concurrently with transmission of the ultrasonic energy. A host machine processes ultrasonic return pulses from an ultrasonic pulser/receiver to quantify attenuation of the ultrasonic energy within the sample. The host machine detects a defect in the sample using the quantified level of attenuation. The method may include positioning a dry couplant between an ultrasonic transducer and the surface. A system includes an actuator, an ultrasonic transducer, a dry couplant between the transducer the sample, a scanning device that moves the actuator and transducer, and a measurement system having a pulsed actuator power supply, an ultrasonic pulser/receiver, and a host machine that executes the above method.

Zalameda, Joseph N.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Laser Cleaning for Decontamination of a Nuclear Facility - 20609

This paper describes laser cleaning of contaminated tools in a nuclear power facility in Chalk River, Ontario Canada and also the same for EnergySolutions facility in Memphis facility. For the Chalk River facility, other methods of cleaning which included dry ice blasting, disassemble and wipe clean and steam cleaning, generated secondary waste and were time consuming. Laser cleaning of the tools in facility did not create secondary waste, was more efficient and safer for the operator. The laser cleaning method was compared with other methods. For the EnergySolutions facility in Memphis, laser cleaning was compared with hands on cleaning and laser removal by applying them to a rail car, a metal plate and a metal skate. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
NASA NTRS1986

Effect of impregnation method on cycle life of the nickel electrode

The nickel electrode has been identified as the life limiting component for individual pressure vessel (IPV) nickel-hydrogen cells when cycled under a low earth orbit (LEO) cycle regime at deep depths of discharge. As a part of an overall program to develop a long life nickel electrode for nickel-hydrogen cells, the effect of two different methods of electrochemical impregnation on the cycle life of the nickel electrode was investigated. One method was the Pickett (aqueous/ethanolic) process. The other was the modified Bell (aqueous) process. The plaques for both impregnation methods were made by sintering dry carbonyl nickel powder in a reducing atmosphere. The plaques contain a nickel screen substrate. Electrodes made from both processes were cycle tested in Air Force design IPV nickel-hydrogen cells. The only factor different for this test was the method of plaque impregnation; all other factors were the same. The cells were cycled to failure under a 90 min LEO cycle regime at a deep depth of discharge (80 percent DOD). Failure for this test was defined to occur when the cell voltage degraded to 1.0 V prior to the completion of the 35 min discharge.

Smithrick, J. J.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Effect of impregnation method on cycle life of the nickel electrode

The nickel electrode has been identified as the life limiting component for individual pressure vessel (IPV) nickel-hydrogen cells when cycled under a low earth orbit (LEO) cycle regime at deep depths of discharge. As a part of an overall program to develop a long life nickel electrode for nickel-hydrogen cells, the effect of two different methods of electrochemical impregnation on the cycle life of the nickel electrode was investigated. One method was the Pickett (aqueous/ethanolic) process. The other was the modified Bell (aqueous) process. The plaques for both impregnation methods were made by sintering dry carbonyl nickel powder in a reducing atmosphere. The plaques contain a nickel screen substrate. Electrodes made from both processes were cycle tested in Air Force design IPV nickel-hydrogen cells. The only factor different for this test was the method of plaque impregnation; all other factors were the same. The cells were cycled to failure under a 90 min LEO cycle regime at a deep depth of discharge (80 percent DOD). Failure for this test was defined to occur when the cell voltage degraded to 1.0 V prior to the completion of the 35 min discharge.

Smithrick, J. J.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Drying Thermoplastics

In searching for an improved method of removing water from polyester type resins without damaging the materials, Conair Inc. turned to the NASA Center at the University of Pittsburgh for assistance. Taking an organized, thorough look at existing technology before beginning research has helped many companies save significant time and money. They searched the NASA and other computerized files for microwave drying of thermoplastics. About 300 relevant citations were retrieved - eight of which were identified as directly applicable to the problem. Company estimates it saved a minimum of a full year in compiling research results assembled by the information center.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2009

Propellant Mass Fraction Calculation Methodology for Launch Vehicles and Application to Ares Vehicles

Propellant Mass Fraction (pmf) calculation methods vary throughout the aerospace industry. While typically used as a means of comparison between candidate launch vehicle designs, the actual pmf calculation method varies slightly from one entity to another. It is the purpose of this paper to present various methods used to calculate the pmf of launch vehicles. This includes fundamental methods of pmf calculation that consider only the total propellant mass and the dry mass of the vehicle; more involved methods that consider the residuals, reserves and any other unusable propellant remaining in the vehicle; and calculations excluding large mass quantities such as the installed engine mass. Finally, a historical comparison is made between launch vehicles on the basis of the differing calculation methodologies, while the unique mission and design requirements of the Ares V Earth Departure Stage (EDS) are examined in terms of impact to pmf.

Holt, James B.↗
DOE OSTI2016

Inspection of Dry Storage Casks Using PGAA and NAA Techniques

In this effort, an assessment of a chloride detection method is performed for inspecting the surfaces of dry cask storage system (DCSS) canisters, with focus on the implementation of a non-destructive nuclear analysis and methodology. Some DCSS canisters (especially those located in coastal environments) will be exposed to marine environments, which can cause atmospheric stress corrosion cracking (SCC). Chloride deposits on canister surfaces provide the corrosive environment necessary for atmospheric SCC with the residual stresses and materials properties conditions. The most susceptible regions on the canister surface are the weld areas, or where cold work has been performed, and may provide the necessary driving force for crack growth. The heat-affected zones (HAZs) near welds are also potentially susceptible to atmospheric SCC due to sensitization of the material caused by chromium depletion during the welding process. Information collected from the field and from laboratory studies has not been able to rule out the possibility of atmospheric chloride induced stress corrosion cracking (CISCC), although no occurrences of atmospheric SCC in DCSS canisters have been detected to-date. A number of researchers have demonstrated that localized corrosion can take place under such situations on materials commonly used for interim storage containers, including 304SS (Cook et al. 2010; Shirai et al. 2011) and 316SS (Tani et al. 2009). In this summary, the preliminary results of a neutron activation analysis (NAA) and prompt gamma activation analysis (PGAA) are performed using MCNP6, a highly sophisticated, multi-particle Monte Carlo simulation code (with the employment of the high performance computing system at the Idaho National Laboratory), and confirm the feasibility of using PGAA and NAA as an environmental inspection methodology for detection and monitoring of small quantities of chlorine on canister surfaces. The specific signature of gamma rays due reactions of sea salt constituents are documented and summarized in this paper. The environmental constituent for passive oxide film breaching is chlorine, which can cause pitting initiation and incubation time that may lead to cracking in stainless steel. Therefore, an assessment of chloride presence at a canister surface is essential before moving to other nondestructive analysis (NDA) methods for detection of pitting and cracking. Two nonlinear acoustic techniques will also be used in our integrated research project (IRP) research study that proves to be useful in the detection of SCC: nonlinear resonant ultrasound spectroscopy (NRUS), and time revisited elastic nonlinear diagnostic (TREND). These two techniques are complementary to marine atmospheric detection techniques. In this presentation only PGAA and NAA are described in detail. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2016

Processing of surrogate nuclear fuel pellets for better dimensional control with dry bag isostatic pressing

A study of improved methods of processing fuel pellets was undertaken using ceria and zirconia/yttria/alumina as surrogates. Through proper granulation and vertical vibration (tapping) of the parts bag prior to dry bag isostatic pressing (DBIP), reproducibility of diameter profiles among multiple pellets of ceria was improved by almost an order of magnitude. Reproducibility of sintered pellets was sufficiently good to possibly avoid grinding. Deviation from the mean diameter along the length of multiple pellets, as well as, deviation from roundness, decreased after sintering. This is not generally observed with dry pressed pellets. Thus it is possible to machine to tolerance before sintering if grinding is necessary.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗