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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 OSTI2021

Free-standing ultrathin lithium metal–graphene oxide host foils with controllable thickness for lithium batteries

Thin (≤20 μm) and free-standing Li metal foils would enable precise prelithiation of anode materials and high-energy-density Li batteries. Existing Li metal foils are too thick (typically 50 to 750 μm) or too mechanically fragile for these applications. Here, we developed a facile and scalable process for the synthesis of an ultrathin (0.5 to 20 μm), free-standing and mechanically robust Li metal foil within a graphene oxide host. In addition to low areal capacities of ~0.1 to 3.7 mAh cm –2 , this Li foil also has a much-improved mechanical strength over conventional pure Li metal foil. Our Li foil can improve the initial Coulombic efficiency of graphite (93%) and silicon (79.4%) anodes to around 100% without generating excessive Li residue, and increases the capacity of Li-ion full cells by 8%. In conclusion, the cycle life of Li metal full cells is prolonged by nine times using this thin Li composite anode.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Using millimeter-sized carbon–deuterium foils for high-precision deuterium–tritium neutron spectrum measurements in direct-drive inertial confinement fusion at the OMEGA laser facility

Millimeter-sized CD foils fielded close (order mm) to inertial confinement fusion (ICF) implosions have been proposed as a game-changer for improving energy resolution and allowing time-resolution in neutron spectrum measurements using the magnetic recoil technique. This paper presents results from initial experiments testing this concept for direct drive ICF at the OMEGA Laser Facility. Additionally, while the foils are shown to produce reasonable signals, inferred spectral broadening is seen to be high (~5 keV) and signal levels are low (by ~20%) compared to expectation. Before this type of foil is used for precision experiments, the foil mount must be improved, oxygen uptake in the foils must be better characterized, and impact of uncontrolled foil motion prior to detection must be investigated.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2021

(U) A Theoretical Study of Asay Foil Trajectories (V.02)

We consider the trajectory of a generic Asay foil ejecta momentum diagnostic sensor, for scenarios where ejecta are produced at a planar surface and fly ballistically through a perfect vacuum to the sensor. To do so, we build upon a previously established mathematical formalism derived for the analytic study of stationary sensors (i.e., piezopins). First, we derive the momentum conservation equation for the problem, in a form amenable to accelerating sensors, in terms of a generic ejecta source areal mass function (“source model”). This defines an integro-differential equation (IDE) for the foil trajectory. When ejecta production is instantaneous - as is generally assumed in momentum diagnostic data analyses - the IDE leads to an implicit and easily calculable closed-form solution for the foil trajectory in a perfect system, as long as the ejecta particle velocity distribution is twice-integrable. General properties of the instant-production trajectory solution indicate the existence of a boundary condition the particle velocity distribution must satisfy in order for the analytically predicted foil trajectories to be compatible with certain features commonly observed in foil data. This boundary condition is identical to one derived previously from a consideration of piezopin data. Armed with the analytic solution for instant production, we also consider various techniques used to extract time-dependent cumulative ejecta masses from foil trajectories, and derive an expression for the error imposed by using an approximated equation of motion. This analytic trajectory solution furthermore makes it possible to examine the common practice of presenting inferred cumulative ejecta masses as a function of a normalized implied velocity; we derive conditions under which this methodology is and is not meaningful. We also propose a strategy for extending the instant-production trajectory solution to time-dependent source functions.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Beam Scattering Through Foil at NSRL

In this note, we describe the foil structure that is used in the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) transport line just before D6 septum magnet. Foils of different materials and thickness are used through which different ion species at different energies pass. Foil removes the electrons from the incoming ions and make it fully stripped (or partially stripped is also possible). Further, when charged particles pass through a foil, the outgoing particles form a Gaussian like angular distribution. This Gaussian like distribution passes through a set of octupole magnets creates a uniform beam distribution at the NSRL target which is required for various beam experiments. We utilize the Bmad and SRIM packages to calculate the energy loss through the foils for various ion species at different energies and charge states. Finally, we provide a summary of the energy loss calculations through the foils using these two different methods.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Using millimeter-sized carbon-deuterium foils for high-precision deuterium-tritium neutron spectrum measurements in direct-drive inertial confinement fusion at the OMEGA laser facility

Millimeter-sized CD foils fielded close (order mm) to inertial confinement fusion (ICF) implosions have been proposed as a game-changer for improving energy resolution and allowing time-resolution in neutron spectrum measurements using the magnetic recoil technique. This paper presents results from initial experiments testing this concept for direct drive ICF at the OMEGA laser facility. While the foils are shown to produce reasonable signals, inferred spectral broadening is seen to be high (~5 keV) and signal levels low (by ~20%) compared to expectation. Before this type of foil is used for precision experiments, the foil mount must be improved, oxygen uptake in the foils better characterized, and impact of uncontrolled foil motion prior to detection investigated.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Optimising Foil Selection for Neutron Activation Systems

Abstract Neutron spectrum unfolding using activation foils is currently the primary technique planned for measuring the neutron energy spectrum at the first wall of power-generating fusion reactors. Room for improvement in the effectiveness of current foil selection was identified, and a program produced to select foils procedurally in order to maximise the accuracy of the unfolding procedure. Using Kullback–Leibler Divergence to quantify the accuracy, the spectrum unfolded by the procedurally selected set of foils is found to be more accurate than the spectrum unfolded by a set of foils used in the literature.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Sequential separation of battery electrode materials and metal foils in aqueous media

To recycle high-value lithium-ion battery components, it is imperative to efficiently separate electrode materials from current collector foils and to separate cathodes from anodes. This study investigates the delamination behaviors of cathodes and anodes from their respective current collectors in aqueous media. Whereas anode films can easily detach from copper foils in water, the delamination of cathode films does not exhibit the same behavior in water; instead, the cation exchange reaction results in lithium leaching and aluminum corrosion in the presence of water. Here, a buffer solution with surfactant additives has been designed to prevent aluminum corrosion and to improve solution wetting behavior, thereby facilitating cathode delamination. The delamination difference enables the sequential recovery of electrode materials and metal foils at different separation stages, simplifying the traditionally intricate processes within a one-pot recovery system. The recovered materials retain their crystal structure and morphology, and there are no signs of aluminum corrosion or residues on the metal foils. The sequential separation technique achieves nearly 100% separation efficiency for electrode materials from metal foils and over 98% separation efficiency for cathode and anode materials.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Extended magnetohydrodynamics simulations of thin-foil Z-pinch implosions with comparison to experiments

Cylindrical foil liners, with foil thicknesses on the order of 400 nm, are often used in university-scale Z-pinch experiments (~1 MA in 100 ns) to study physics relevant to inertial confinement fusion efforts on larger-scale facilities (e.g., the MagLIF effort on the 25-MA Z facility at Sandia National Laboratories). The use of ultrathin foil liners typically requires a central support rod to maintain the structural integrity of the liner target assembly prior to implosion. The radius of this support rod sets a limit on the maximum convergence ratio achievable for the implosion. In recent experiments with a support rod and a preimposed axial magnetic field, helical instability structures in the imploding foil plasma were found to persist as the foil plasma stagnated on the rod and subsequently expanded away from the rod. We have now used the 3D extended magnetohydrodynamics simulation code PERSEUS (which includes Hall physics) to study these experiments. The results suggest that it is the support rod which is responsible for the helical structures persisting beyond stagnation. Furthermore, we find that as the radius of the support rod decreases (i.e., as the convergence ratio increases), the integrity and persistence of the helical modes diminish. In the limit with no support rod, we find that the structure of the final stagnation column is governed by the structure of the central precursor plasma column. Furthermore, these simulation results and their comparisons to experiment are presented.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Analytic solutions for Asay foil trajectories with implications for ejecta source models and mass measurements

We consider the trajectory of an Asay foil ejecta diagnostic for scenarios where ejecta are produced at a singly shocked planar surface and fly ballistically through a perfect vacuum to the sensor. We do so by building upon a previously established mathematical framework derived for the analytic study of stationary sensors. First, we derive the momentum conservation equation for the problem, in a form amenable to accelerating sensors, in terms of a generic ejecta source model. The result is an integrodifferential equation of motion for the foil trajectory. This equation yields an easily calculable closed-form implicit solution for the foil trajectory in instant-production scenarios. From there, we derive a boundary condition that particle velocity distributions must satisfy if their associated foil trajectories are to exhibit a smooth initial acceleration, as occurs in some experiments. This condition is identical to one derived previously from a consideration of piezoelectric voltage data obtained in similar experiments. We also compare techniques for inferring accumulated ejecta masses from foil trajectories, first by deriving the exact solution, and then by quantifying the error imposed by a frequently used approximate solution (both subject to the assumption of instantaneous ejecta production). Finally, we examine the common practice of presenting inferred cumulative ejecta masses as a function of implied ejecta velocity, establishing the conditions under which this methodology is most meaningful.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Study of SXR/EUV radiation of exploded foils and wires with spectral, spatial and temporal resolution simultaneously on KING electric discharge facility.

The results of studies of the soft X-ray and extreme ultraviolet (SXR/EUV) radiation of thin flat aluminum foils and wires under the explosion in an electric discharge on the compact high-current KING generator are presented. These studies were based on the SXR/EUV spectroscopy with a spectral resolution of 6 Å, a temporal resolution of 5 ns and a spatial resolution of 200 μm. To study the plasma radiation of exploded foils and wires in the SXR/EUV range, we used a transmission diffraction grating spectrograph which in combination with two additional slits provided spectral and spatial resolution. The spectrograph was coupled with a 4-frame recorder based on a microchannel plate for providing temporal resolution. The analysis and comparison of the spectral, spatial, temporal, and energy characteristics of the SXR/EUV radiation of plasma formed under the explosion of foils and wires of a similar mass made of aluminum was carried out. Here, the spectra were calculated as well and the plasma parameters and their changes in time and space were estimated on the basis of these calculations and comparison with relevant experimental results. Experiments have shown that when foils explode, a single intense source of SXR/EUV radiation is formed with radiated energy in the range of 10-20 J and a power of up to 100 MW in the quantum energy range from 30 to 250 eV. At the same time, the radiation power under the explosion of foils turned out to be about twice above the power under the explosion of wires of comparable mass.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

An In-Depth Analysis of the Transformation of Tin Foil Anodes during Electrochemical Cycling in Lithium-Ion Batteries

Tin foils have an impressive lithium-storage capacity more than triple that of graphite anodes, and their adoption could facilitate a drastic improvement in battery energy density. However, implementation of a dense foil electrode architecture represents a significant departure from the standard blade-cast geometry with a distinct electrochemical environment, and this has led to confusion with regards to the first cycle efficiency of the system. In this work, we investigate the unique behavior of a tin active material in a foil architecture to understand its performance as an anode. We find shallow cycling of the foil results in an irreversible formation (< 40%) due to diffusional trapping, but intermediate and complete utilization allows for a remarkably reversible formation reaction (> 90%). This striking nonlinearity stems from an in situ transformation from bulk metal to porous electrode that occurs during formation cycles and defines electrode-level lithium-transport on subsequent cycles. As a result, an alternative cycling procedure for assessing the stability of foils is proposed to account for this chemomechanical effect.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2026

FOILPOLARS (Grassmannian Foil Shape Sweeps for Polar Generation) [SWR-26-095]

FOILPOLARS (Grassmannian Foil Shape Sweeps for Polar Generation): Multifidelity aerodynamic polar data generation for hydrofoil/tidal-turbine airfoil sections. Foilpolars ties together three pieces: *AeroSandbox supplies the baseline airfoil coordinates (UIUC database). *G2Aero parameterizes those shapes on a Grassmannian manifold (Karcher mean + PGA basis) and samples new perturbed shapes around that basis. *XFoil (panel method) and NeuralFoil (neural-network surrogate, shipped with AeroSandbox) each solve the resulting shapes for lift, drag, moment, and pressure at the swept angles of attack, Reynolds numbers, and n_crit values. Design optimization of foil shapes in a computationally efficient way requires polars data across many candidate shapes, not just a handful of baseline foils. However, high-fidelity CFD at that scale is too costly, and naive shape perturbation strays from realistic geometries. FOILPOLARS addresses this by loading baseline airfoils (via AeroSandbox) and mapping them onto a Grassmannian manifold (via G2Aero), computing a Karcher mean and principal geodesic analysis (PGA) basis. New shapes are sampled by perturbing PGA coefficients, keeping them close to the manifold of realistic foils. Each sampled shape is evaluated across a configurable sweep of angle of attack, Reynolds number, and critical amplification factor using two solvers: XFoil (panel method) and NeuralFoil (neural-network surrogate), producing a paired dataset of lift, drag, moment, pressure, convergence, and confidence, indexed alongside each shape's PGA coefficients and shared Grassmannian basis in a single xarray dataset. From this, FOILPOLARS produces convergence summaries and comparison plots per shape, Reynolds number, and n_crit. A command-line interface exposes each pipeline stage independently, supporting data-driven design, optimization, and machine-learning workflows for foils.

Sandhu, Rimple [National Laboratory of the Rockies↗
DOE OSTI2020

Characterization of Uranium Foil Irradiations at the WSU TRIGA Reactor Using a New Reactor Model in SCALE [Slides]

A depleted uranium foil and a highly enriched uranium foil that were irradiated at the Washington State University TRIGA reactor were used to measure the relative production of 237 U and 239 U, two key isotopes of interest in nuclear forensics, as well as their decay daughters 237 Np and 239 Pu. Total fissions in the two foils were also estimated using 99 Mo measurement. A reactor model of the TRIGA was built in the SCALE neutron transport code using dimensions obtained from an existing MCNP geometry. The model was successfully used to simulate foil fissions and the reaction rate ratios in 238 U, using the laboratory-measured isotope ratios as a benchmark. The flux distribution in the foils was determined. Finally, using the continuous energy Tsunami-3d module of SCALE, a sensitivity/uncertainty analysis was performed to determine the effects on the reaction ratio caused by other reactions in the reactor and by uncertainties in the known cross-sections.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Foil-based additive manufacturing system and method

An additive manufacturing system, method of manufacturing, and fabricated part. The system uses a material joining laser system to join together foil sheets to form a metal part. The material joining laser system can be configured to join adjacent foil sheets together in a substantially uniform manner. The manufacturing system also includes a material removal system that removes material from selected locations of the foil sheets to shape the foil sheets to correspond with selective slices of the part. The material removal system can be a laser system, such as a laser system configured to remove material from a foil sheet without removing material from an underlying layer. One embodiment involves the manufacture of amorphous alloy components.

Tsai, Hai-Lung↗
DOE OSTI2021

Effect of Water Vapor on Lifetime of 625 and 120 Foils During Oxidation Between 650 and 800 °C

In this work, the oxidation behavior of alloy 625 and 120 foils was studied at 650, 700 and 800 °C in dry air and flowing air + 10% H 2 O up to 10,000 h (alloy 625) or 30,000 h (alloy 120). The effect of water vapor on Cr loss was investigated. Manganese and iron in the 120 foil induced faster Cr depletion in the foil and breakdown of the Cr 2 O 3 scale into Fe and Cr-rich oxide compared to the alloy 625 foil. In the latter case, the presence of Nb led to the formation of Nb and Cr-rich oxide after breakdown of the Cr 2 O 3 scale. Simultaneous Cr loss due to oxidation and volatilization of the Cr 2 O 3 oxide scale was predicted and compared to experimental Cr loss measurements for exposures up to 30,000 h.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

NCERC-CL TREAT Free Field Characterization Foil Reaction Rate Results

This report summarizes the analysis and preliminary MCNP reaction rate modeling of free field characterization measurements performed in the Transient Reaction Test Facility (TREAT) at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) between 12/18/2023 and 2/22/2024. A series of seven irradiations were performed using the Big-BUSTER (Broad Use Specimen Transient Experiment Rig) core configuration. Foil sets including 19.5% LEU-Zr alloy wire, S, Au, Fe, Ni, Co, Ti, and Zr were deployed in each irradiation. Identical foil sets were supplied to Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), and INL. All foils were supplied by INL. Additional details on the experiment can be found in [2]. The foil sets were shipped to the National Criticality Experiments Research Center Counting Laboratory (NCERC-CL) branch at LANL (NCERC-CL NISC) and were received on 3/25/2024. Additional details on receipt and counting are reported in [3]. All reactor dosimetry measurements were performed in adherence to the ASTM standards applicable to reactor dosimetry. Measured reaction rates from Au, Co, Fe, Ni, and Ti are reported. Select reaction rate ratios and simulated reaction rates and ratios are discussed. Reaction rates for all measured reaction products were modeled with MCNP 6.3.1 and a TREAT input deck supplied by Edward Lum. Neutron emission estimates calculated using the measured and simulated reaction rates show excellent agreement between the three fast-threshold n-p reactions with the percent differences being < 9% between the three reactions. The capture reactions had poorer, but still reasonable, agreement with < 20% percent differences between the neutron emission estimates of the three capture reactions. The percent difference between the fast-threshold and capture reactions is ∼ 100% for each reaction. This supports the TREAT model is not accurately modeling the neutron spectrum and additional measurements are required to characterize TREAT and match measurements to simulation.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Phase imaging of irradiated foils at the OMEGA EP facility using phase-stepping X-ray Talbot–Lau deflectometry

Abstract Diagnosing the evolution of laser-generated high energy density (HED) systems is fundamental to develop a correct understanding of the behavior of matter under extreme conditions. Talbot–Lau interferometry constitutes a promising tool, since it permits simultaneous single-shot X-ray radiography and phase-contrast imaging of dense plasmas. We present the results of an experiment at OMEGA EP that aims to probe the ablation front of a laser-irradiated foil using a Talbot–Lau X-ray interferometer. A polystyrene (CH) foil was irradiated by a laser of 133 J, 1 ns and probed with 8 keV laser-produced backlighter radiation from Cu foils driven by a short-pulse laser (153 J, 11 ps). The ablation front interferograms were processed in combination with a set of reference images obtained ex situ using phase-stepping. We managed to obtain attenuation and phase-shift images of a laser-irradiated foil for electron densities above ${10}^{22}\;{\mathrm{cm}}^{-3}$ . These results showcase the capabilities of Talbot–Lau X-ray diagnostic methods to diagnose HED laser-generated plasmas through high-resolution imaging.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2023

Development of low-loss minimal exposure technique for thallium foil fabrication

Despite its availability as a solid bead or ingot, non-isotopic thallium metal is no longer commercially produced as a foil because of its high toxicity. To conduct fundamental studies on the material, the Stable Isotope Materials and Chemistry Group (SIMC) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) was approached to develop a safe method to process thallium and produce 40 non-isotopic thallium foils. The commercially sourced metal was consolidated into an ingot by melting the material in a special tube furnace under a reducing atmosphere. The resulting ingot was cold rolled using a work-hardened, stainless-steel pack and oil lubricant before cutting the final foils to 2.5 × 2.5 cm2 area and thickness of 50–75 mg/cm2. The appropriate safeguards used at each step are outlined to ensure the safe and consistent production of high-quality foils. The low-loss process enables future requests for isotopic thallium and other hazardous and rare materials.

Conner, Jenny↗