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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 37 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Concavity-based local erosion and sphere-size-based local dilation applied to lithium-ion battery electrode microstructures for particle identification

Performance metrics of lithium-ion batteries can be extracted from the analysis of electrode microstructures nanoscale imaging. The characterization workflow can involve a challenging particle identification, or instance segmentation, step. In this work, we propose a new identification method based on an original transformation: a sphere-size-based local dilation followed by a concavity-based local erosion, that is local morphology closing. The new transformation is much more efficient than the global morphology closing, with correct identification achieved with only 1.7 % dilation volume and 2.6 % erosion volume on a test geometry, compared to 39.2 % and more than 50 %, respectively, with its global counterpart. The new method has been then benchmarked versus other identification algorithms (watershed and pseudo coulomb repulsive field) on a real electrode microstructure with equal or better segmentation achieved.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2025

ED-cPSD: Fast Phase-Size Distribution via Sequential Erosion-Dilation

The Erosion-Dilation continuous Phase-Size Distribution, ED-cPSD, is an application for calculating continuous pore and particle-size distribution from digital reconstructions and/or image-based structural data. It is based on the erosion-dilation continuous phase-size distribution method. A continuous size distribution is a measure of the probability density of finding a particle or pore of a certain size. These distributions are of interest in any field of study involving porous media, including but not limited to electrochemistry, petroleum engineering, geology, and food science. The algorithm behind the software provides a computationally efficient way to calculate phase-size distributions for large domains. For a 3D battery electrode reconstruction with 1.3 x 10 8 voxels, the particle size distribution is derived in under 2 min on a desktop, while also retaining flexibility and computational efficiency for HPC-scale multi-threading. The software can handle structures with over 10 9 voxels. The algorithm is roughly 280 times faster than a previous version on the same task.

Characterization↗
DOE OSTI2025

Model to predict annual energy production loss based on blade erosion class

Leading edge erosion (LEE) of wind turbine blades has been identified as a major factor in decreased wind turbine blade lifetimes and energy output over time. Accordingly, the International Energy Agency Wind Technology Collaboration Programme (IEA Wind TCP) has created the Task 46 to undertake cooperative research in the key topic of blade erosion. Participants in the task are given in Table 1.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Spatiotemporal Variability in Wind Turbine Blade Leading Edge Erosion

Wind turbine blade leading edge erosion (LEE) reduces energy production and increases wind energy operation and maintenance costs. Degradation of the blade coating and ultimately damage to the underlying blade structure are caused by collisions of falling hydrometeors with rotating blades. The selection of optimal methods to mitigate/reduce LEE are critically dependent on the rates of coating fatigue accumulation at a given location and the time variance in the accumulation of material stresses. However, no such assessment currently exists for the United States of America (USA). To address this research gap, blade coating lifetimes at 883 sites across the USA are generated based on high-frequency (5-min) estimates of material fatigue derived using a mechanistic model and robust meteorological measurements. Results indicate blade coating failure at some sites in as few as 4 years, and that the frequency and intensity of material stresses are both highly episodic and spatially varying. Time series analyses indicate that up to one-third of blade coating lifetime is exhausted in just 360 5-min periods in the Southern Great Plains (SGP). Conversely, sites in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) exhibit the same level of coating lifetime depletion in over three times as many time periods. Thus, it may be more cost-effective to use wind turbine deregulation (erosion-safe mode) for damage reduction and blade lifetime extension in the SGP, while the application of blade leading edge protective measures may be more appropriate in the PNW. Annual total precipitation and mean wind speed are shown to be poor predictors of blade coating lifetime, re-emphasizing the need for detailed modeling studies such as that presented herein.

Pryor, Sara C. (ORCID:0000000348473440)↗
DOE OSTI2026

Electrode Erosion and Prefire Studies Towards Fusion Scale Pulsed Power

This study presents a comprehensive investigation of electrode erosion and discharge behavior in spark gap switches over long switching cycle lifetimes. Brass, copper–tungsten (CuW), and stainless steel electrodes are tested under controlled conditions to quantify material degradation, debris accumulation, and changes in breakdown voltage. High-resolution imaging and statistical analysis of spark channel locations and gap breakdown voltages reveal how surface evolution influences long-term performance and reliability. These results provide essential data for lifetime modeling and inform design strategies for pulsed power systems in emerging applications such as private sector fusion energy and large-scale facilities like Sandia’s Z Machine and proposed ZX upgrades, where high repetition reliability and predictable behavior are critical.

electrical breakdown↗
DOE OSTI2024

One-Step Spark Plasma Erosion Processing of Carbon-Coated Sn-Si Nanoparticles for Lithium-Ion Battery Anodes

High density portable energy storage is desirable owing to the energy requirements of portable electronics and electric vehicles. The Li-ion battery’s high energy density could be even further improved through the utilization of alternative materials (instead of carbon) for the anode, such as Sn or Si. Nonetheless, the large volume expansion upon lithiation, up to ~300% for Li 22 Si 5 , causes pulverization and rapid capacity degradation during cycling. Sn also forms a Li 22 Sn 5 compound with the equivalent stoichiometric Li capacity but with enhanced ductility. Nano-sized Si and Sn have demonstrated distinctive nanoscale properties, facilitating the retention of higher capacities, particularly when coated with carbon, which improves mechanical stability. To date, the methods of synthesizing coated Si, Sn, or Si-Sn alloyed nanoparticles are complicated, costly, and not readily scalable to meet the demands of cost-effective manufacturing. Spark plasma erosion in a hydrocarbon dielectric has been explored as a one-step process to produce Sn-Si alloy nanoparticles coated with a thin carbon film, offering a scalable and cost-effective processing route. The resulting Sn-Si particles exhibited a bi-modal size distribution at ~5 nm and ~500 nm and were carbon-coated, as intended, from the hydrocarbon dielectric breakdown. The spark-eroded nanoparticles were thoroughly characterized using TEM/EDS, XPS, AES, SSNMR, and TGA, and their improved electrochemical performance was assessed through half-cell experiments.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Healable Coatings as a Mechanism to Repair Leading Edge Erosion in Wind Energy

Wind turbine blades are highly engineered structures designed to face temperature extremes and high winds. However, erosion of the blade's leading edge and subsequent repair remains a significant and costly challenge for the wind energy industry. Repair of these leading edges can lead to large amounts of downtime for the turbine and significant operational inefficiencies. In this work, the strength of adhesion and healing ability of a commercially available vitrimer (Mallinda's VITRIMAX) was compared to that of a thermoplastic resin, which has previously been demonstrated in wind energy applications (Arkema's Elium) to evaluate their efficacy as surface coatings for wind turbine blades, particularly their leading edges. Vitrimers are a class of inherently reprocessable thermosets, and it was theorized that vitrimer-based leading edge coatings could enable more robust and efficient wind turbine blades with decreased operational downtime and safer maintenance practices. It was found that the VITRIMAX adhered better to the wind blades' surfaces than both the manufacturer's paint and Elium, with increases in pull-off strength of adhesion ranging from 24% to 83% above that of the original paint. Furthermore, the VITRIMAX adhered strongly to the underlying composite of each blade with strength of adhesion values increasing in ranges from 42% to 97% above that of the original paint. Finally, the vitrimer coating showed an 88% decrease in surface roughness compared to end-of-life blade materials, and initial healing demonstrations in which coatings were manually scratched and subsequently healed exhibited an ~84.5% decrease in scratch depths.

Hubbard, Amber [ORNL]↗
DOE OSTI2024

Erosion and impurity transport for the edge localized mode suppression window in KSTAR

A 3D analysis of plasma wall interactions and global impurity transport for the edge localized mode suppression window in KSTAR during H-Mode discharges has shown that carbon erosion at the divertor plates is a strong function of the resonant magnetic perturbation (n = 1) coil current and relative phasing. The Generalized Perturbation Equilibrium Code was used to determine a realistic initial perturbed plasma equilibrium, and EMC3-EIRENE was used to calculate the resulting scrape-off layer plasma used in this study as a fixed background for the ERO2.0 plasma–material interaction model. The resulting transport leads to deposition of impurities along the targets positioned at the high-field side of the device. An attempt at calculating the resulting effective charge state has demonstrated a similar dependence on the perturbation coil current and has been able to determine a window for the experimentally observed values of Zeff by including contributions of all ionized carbon charge states and deuterium.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

High-Power Impulse Magnetron Sputter Deposition of Boron Carbide with Full-Face Erosion Magnetron and Mixed Ar-Ne Plasma

Boron carbide (B 4 C) is an attractive inertial confinement fusion ablator material. The fabrication of B4C ablators by magnetron sputtering requires process optimization. To increase process flexibility, here we explore high-power impulse magnetron sputter (HiPIMS) deposition of B 4 C in pure Ar and mixed Ar-Ne plasmas. Here, the results show that higher plasma discharge currents can be reached with a mixed Ar-Ne plasma in the entire working pressure range studied (5 𝑡𝑜 50 mTorr). At 45 mTorr with 10% of Ne in the Ar-Ne mix, high peak target current densities of ~1 A cm −2 were demonstrated. Films deposited with such a mixed Ar-Ne plasma with a full-face erosion magnetron source on substrates biased at −25 V exhibited higher density and improved mechanical properties, albeit with higher compressive residual stresses compared to the case of HiPIMS deposition in a pure Ar plasma. This work demonstrates additional process flexibility of the HiPIMS discharge mode for the deposition of B 4 C coatings.

Ablator capsule↗
DOE OSTI2024

Deuterium plasma induced preferential erosion in ultra-high temperature ceramics TiB 2 and ZrB 2 *

Abstract Steady-state deuterium plasma exposures were performed on ultra-high temperature ceramics titanium diboride (TiB 2 ) and zirconium diboride (ZrB 2 ) using the PISCES-RF linear plasma device (LPD) as early screening for first wall, plasma-facing applications. Deuterium plasma exposures were performed using 40 eV ion energies at 240, 525, and 800 °C sample temperatures and 90 eV ion energies at 240 °C sample temperatures to analyze TiB 2 and ZrB 2 surface morphology and chemistry evolution behavior. Post-plasma exposure chemistry characterization of the near surface ( < 50 nm) region of the samples all show transition metal enrichment, indicating boron preferential erosion. Transition metal to boron fractions vary with plasma exposure temperature under the 40 eV ion energy; metal enrichment is maximized at 800 °C and then minimized at 525 °C. SEM micrographs of all plasma exposed sample surfaces show no significant or noticeable plasma induced damage from cracking or blistering.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Modeling of melting and erosion in high velocity microparticle impacts

High velocity collisions can cause melting, a situation involving elasticity, plasticity, and phase transformations in tandem, which is very challenging for mechanical modeling. Here, this paper advances the use of smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) simulations for this complex situation, investigating stainless steel microspheres impacting a tin substrate. After extensive validation against a range of mechanical and geometrical measurements of experimental impacts, the model provides a detailed, quantitative view of melt volume production over a broad range of impact velocities. It also enables direct decomposition of the impact energy partitioning, including analysis of the energy absorbed by plasticity in the impactor, the system kinetic energy, and the adiabatic heating of the substrate in addition to the melting itself. Since these quantities are not available experimentally, SPH modeling substantially enhances the quantitative understanding of such impacts. Finally, the model speaks to the phase characteristics of the ejecta formed during impact, confirming the experimental inference that the ejected material likely contains a significant fraction of solid material.

Constitutive modeling↗
DOE OSTI2025

Recrystallization, cracking, and erosion of dispersoid-strengthened tungsten materials during exposure to divertor plasmas

In this study, we investigated the effects of combined intense particle and heat flux exposure on advanced tungsten plasma-facing materials within the DIII-D fusion facility. Our test matrix included two types of dispersoid-strengthened tungsten (containing either 100 nm diameter TiO 2 or Ni particles), along with high-purity polycrystalline tungsten as a reference. This experiment relied on a sample geometry angled at 15° relative to the divertor surface, thereby allowing the surfaces to intercept steady-state perpendicular heat fluxes (q ⟂ ) ranging from 10.1 to 19.6 MW/m 2 . During each shot, the samples were exposed to 42 Hz edge-localized modes (ELMs), allowing us to test the material response to transient heating. We correlated the exposure conditions with extensive post-test surface composition analysis and microscopy to determine how the plasma modified each surface. The angled specimens closest to the strike point received the highest combined heat and particle flux and melted midway through the experiment. EBSD analysis revealed they were completely recrystallized throughout, with an average grain size >100 µm. On the other hand, the specimens that received a lower steady state heat flux survived with more superficial surface damage. Whereas the high-purity polycrystalline tungsten exhibited a higher surface roughness, the dispersoid-strengthened material exhibited more extensive shallow inter-granular cracking. In addition, the surface was depleted of dispersoids following plasma exposure, possibly because of evaporation and/or sputtering. The results described here provide insights into the performance of these materials in a fusion environment which can guide further optimization for use in long-pulse devices.

Kolasinski, Robert D. [Sandia National Laboratorie↗
DOE OSTI2025

Climatic controls on erosional efficiency vary with lithology across the Himalaya

Although climate can strongly influence erosional efficiency (i.e., erosion rate for a given topography), demonstrating its impact in tectonically active areas has been challenging due to other confounding controlling factors, such as lithology. Here, we show that 10 Be-derived erosion rates and efficiencies in the Himalayan orogen exhibit distinct relationships with climatic factors depending on lithology. We compile 173 10 Be-derived, basin-averaged erosion rates across the orogen, including 12 newly measured rates from the Dibang and Lohit valleys in the easternmost Himalaya, regions characterized by high precipitation magnitudes and variability. We group basins based on lithologies separated by orogen-scale thrust faults and quantify erosional efficiency coefficients based on the relationships between erosion rates and topographic metrics. Our results show that erosion rates and erosional efficiency from sedimentary and metasedimentary rocks along the Himalayan range front display a positive, nonlinear correlation with climatic factors, such as the number of extreme rainfall events and mean annual precipitation rates. In contrast, erosion rates from crystalline lithologies in the hanging wall of the Main Central thrust show a strong correlation with fluvial topography, whereas erosional efficiency shows no statistically significant correlation with climatic factors. Rapid erosion rates and high erosional efficiencies in the eastern Himalayan range front are likely driven by extreme precipitation on tectonically active, steep slopes composed of mechanically weak metasedimentary rocks. Our findings highlight the importance of the interplay between controlling factors, which include tectonics, lithology, and climate, that drive surface erosion and influence the topographic evolution of orogenic systems.

Channel steepness↗