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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 OSTI2022

Bio-inspired bistable piezoelectric energy harvester for powering animal telemetry tags: Conceptual design and preliminary experimental validation

Here, this paper presents the conceptual design, preliminary experimental validation, and performance evaluation of a novel bio-inspired bi-stable piezoelectric energy harvester for self-powered animal telemetry tags. The overall conceptual design, which includes a bio-inspired attachment and a bi-stable piezoelectric energy harvester, is introduced firstly with a specific application example of marine fish tracking. The self-powered telemetry tag can be externally deployed on fish (dorsal fin) to monitor fish habitats, population, and underwater environment. Inspired by the Venus flytrap's rapid shape transition, a bi-stable piezoelectric energy harvester is developed to scavenge energy from fish maneuvering and the surrounding fluid flow for a sustainable power supply. The bistability of the harvester is characterized by the measured force-displacement curve and double potential wells. A bluff body is integrated to the free end of the bistable piezoelectric energy harvester to enhance the structure-fluid interaction for the large-amplitude snap-through vibrations and higher voltage output. Controlled laboratory experiments are conducted in a water tank on the bio-inspired bi-stable piezoelectric energy harvester using a servo motor system to simulate fish swing motion at various conditions to evaluate the power generation performance. The preliminary underwater experimental results demonstrated that the proposed bio-inspired bi-stable piezoelectric energy harvester could effectively convert fish swing motions into electricity. The device collected 17.25 mJ of energy over 130 s under a peak-to-peak swing angle of 30° at 1.5 Hz in the capacitor charging experiments.

Animal tracking↗
DOE OSTI2024

Dynamic embedding of effective harmonic normal mode vibrations in all-atomistic energy gap fluctuations: Case study of light harvesting 2 complex

Environmental effects in excitation energy transfer have mostly been modeled by baths of harmonic oscillators, but to what extent such modeling provides a reliable description of actual interactions between molecular systems and environments remains an open issue. Here, we address this issue by investigating fluctuations in the excitation energies of the light harvesting 2 complex using a realistic all-atomistic simulation of the potential energy surface. Our analyses reveal that molecular motions exhibit significant anharmonic features, even for underdamped intramolecular vibrations. In particular, we find that the anharmonicity contributes to the broadening of spectral densities and substantial overlaps between neighboring peaks, which complicates the meaning of mode frequencies constituting a bath model. Thus, we develop a strategy to construct a minimally underdamped harmonic bath that has a clear connection to all-atomistic dynamics by utilizing actual normal modes of molecules but optimizing their frequencies such that the resulting bath model can best reproduce the all-atomistic simulation results. By subtracting the underdamped contribution from the entire fluctuations, we also show that identifying a residual spectral density representing all other contributions with overdamped behavior is possible. We find that this can be fitted well with a well-established analytic form of a spectral density function or, alternatively, modeled as explicit time dependent fluctuations with muti-exponential or power law type correlation functions. We provide an assessment and the implications of these possibilities. The approach presented here can also serve as a general strategy to construct a simplified bath model that can effectively represent the underlying all-atomistic bath dynamics.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Vortex Induced Vibration Test of the WITT Device in a Tidal Channel

Fluid flow around a bluff body causes vibrations as the boundary layer separates and vortices are shed. This phenomenon, called vortex induced vibration (VIV), is minimized in most engineering applications, but can be utilized for power generation. Vortex induced vibration has potential for energy harvesting in low velocity water flows and therefore could open many locations to marine renewable energy. Here we present the results of a field test of a device that utilizes VIV to harvest energy from flow in a tidal channel. The pendulum-type device has been designed to generate electricity from motion around and along three axes. It is named the Whatever Input to Torsion Transfer (WITT) energy device and in this test is mounted on top of a pipe. During the field test, the WITT generated electricity at flow velocities from 0.27 to 2.82 m/s. The field test has proven that the WITT can utilize VIV to produce electricity and charge a battery in tidal flows with velocities as low as 0.27 m/s. In the future, the electricity could be used to charge a battery for ocean observation instruments such as temperature and nitrate sensors. In-situ power generation by the WITT would extend deployment times and increase the frequency of measurements.

Branch, Ruth A.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Optimizing Piezoelectric Material Location and Size for Multiple-Mode Vibration Reduction of Turbomachinery Blades

Modern turbomachinery blades have extremely low inherent damping, which can lead to high transient vibrations and failure through high-cycle fatigue. Smart materials enable vibration reduction while meeting strict blade requirements such as weight and aerodynamic efficiency. In particular, piezoelectric-based vibration reduction offers the potential to reduce vibration semi-actively while simultaneously harvesting sufficient energy to power the implementation. The placement and the size of the piezoelectric material is critical to the vibration reduction capabilities of the system. Furthermore, the implementation should target multiple vibration modes. In this study, we develop a procedure to optimize electromechanical coupling across multiple vibration modes for a representative turbomachinery blade with surface-mounted piezoelectric patches. Experimental validation demonstrates good coupling across three targeted modes with a single piezoelectric patch. Placing the piezoelectric material in regions of high signed strain energy for all targeted modes enables vibration reduction across all of the targeted modes.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Photosynthesis tunes quantum-mechanical mixing of electronic and vibrational states to steer exciton energy transfer

Significance Photosynthetic light-harvesting antennae transfer energy toward reaction centers with high efficiency, but in high light or oxidative environments, the antennae divert energy to protect the photosynthetic apparatus. For a decade, quantum effects driven by vibronic coupling, where electronic and vibrational states couple, have been suggested to explain the energy transfer efficiency, but questions remain whether quantum effects are merely consequences of molecular systems. Here, we show evidence that biology tunes interpigment vibronic coupling, indicating that the quantum mechanism is operative in the efficient transfer regime and exploited by evolution for photoprotection. Specifically, the Fenna–Matthews–Olson complex uses redox-active cysteine residues to tune the resonance between its excitons and a pigment vibration to steer excess excitation toward a quenching site.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2020

The role of resonant nuclear modes in vibrationally assisted energy transport: The LHCII complex

In this paper, we discuss the explicit role of resonant nuclear/vibrational modes in mediating energy transport among chlorophylls in the Light-harvesting Complex II (LHCII), the major light-harvesting complex in green plants. The vibrational modes are considered to be resonant/quasi-resonant with the energy gap between electronic excitons. These resonant vibrations, along with the remaining nuclear degrees of freedom, constitute the environment/bath to the electronically excited system and contribute to two major phenomena: (a) decoherence and (b) incoherent phonon-mediated population relaxation. In this work, we explore the subtle interplay among the electronic excitation, the resonant vibrations, and the environment in dictating environment assisted quantum transport in light-harvesting complexes. We conclusively show that resonant vibrations are capable of boosting the incoherent population relaxation pathways and cause rapid decoherence.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS2024

A Perspective on Multi-Source Energy Harvesting Technology Using Piezoelectric and Thermoelectric Materials

Energy harvesting using various locally available energy sources such as vibration energy, heat, sound, or magnetic field have become attractive topics for supplying power to modular electronic devices making them run independently in extreme environments. In this paper, we will be discussing the perspectives on thermoelectric (TE) and piezoelectric materials and devices, and then the concept of multi-source energy harvester using piezoelectric and thermoelectric devices and integration of them into a reliable and independent power source. TE materials having low thermal conductivity and high figure-of-merit ( zT ) are developed to convert even a small temperature gradient efficiently into electrical energy with the state-of-the-art conversion efficiency of ~15% and output power of ~56 W from single device. The piezoelectric device architecture is configured using high performance piezoelectric ceramics (Cu-Mn-PIN-PMN-PT). These ceramics exhibit high piezoelectric coefficient with high mechanical quality factor and low dielectric loss factor. Using these piezoelectric materials, power density as high a 2 mW/cm 2 is demonstrated in 1-1.5 g vibration environments. The piezoelectric device is attached on the surface of TE module to capture both the vibration and thermal energy sources to realize dual mode energy harvester. The multi-energy transfer strategy opens opportunities for a future generation of wireless and modular electronic devices. These devices would be useful in powering wearable electronic devices, micro sensor chargers, etc. in extreme environmental conditions using body heat/thermal sources and induced motion/vibrations.

Piezoelectric↗
DOE OSTI2024

Energy Efficiency Improvement Approaches in Ice Related Processes

Application and development of energy efficient techniques to separate ice from different surfaces and substrates is of significant value in the context of building equipment performance. A hybrid approach to help dislocate the ice layer using advanced materials and ultrasonic vibration to lower ice adhesion strength was investigated. Application of advanced polymer materials in lowering the adhesion strength of ice was confirmed where the measured strength was lowered by 50-70% depending on the material and geometry. Additionally, utilization of induced ultrasonic vibration in further lowering the ice harvesting energy was confirmed on multiple materials and geometries. Durability of the coating enhancement was also confirmed in a thermal cycling test under realistic operating conditions. Integration of these technical approaches was implemented and validated in commercial ice makers showing energy consumption reduction by ~ 15% to 30% depending on the technical enhancement.

Cheekatamarla, Praveen↗
DOE OSTI2020

Vibronic mixing enables ultrafast energy flow in light-harvesting complex II

Since the discovery of quantum beats in the two-dimensional electronic spectra of photosynthetic pigment-protein complexes over a decade ago, the origin and mechanistic function of these beats in photosynthetic light-harvesting has been extensively debated. The current consensus is that these long-lived oscillatory features likely result from electronic-vibrational mixing, however, it remains uncertain if such mixing significantly influences energy transport. Here, we examine the interplay between the electronic and nuclear degrees of freedom (DoF) during the excitation energy transfer (EET) dynamics of light-harvesting complex II (LHCII) with two-dimensional electronic-vibrational spectroscopy. Particularly, we show the involvement of the nuclear DoF during EET through the participation of higher-lying vibronic chlorophyll states and assign observed oscillatory features to specific EET pathways, demonstrating a significant step in mapping evolution from energy to physical space. These frequencies correspond to known vibrational modes of chlorophyll, suggesting that electronic-vibrational mixing facilitates rapid EET over moderately size energy gaps.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS2015

Fluid Flow Nozzle Energy Harvesters

Power generation schemes that could be used downhole in an oil well to produce about 1 Watt average power with long-life (decades) are actively being developed. A variety of proposed energy harvesting schemes could be used to extract energy from this environment but each of these has their own limitations that limit their practical use. Since vibrating piezoelectric structures are solid state and can be driven below their fatigue limit, harvesters based on these structures are capable of operating for very long lifetimes (decades); thereby, possibly overcoming a principle limitation of existing technology based on rotating turbo-machinery. An initial survey identified that spline nozzle configurations can be used to excite a vibrating piezoelectric structure in such a way as to convert the abundant flow energy into useful amounts of electrical power. This paper presents current flow energy harvesting designs and experimental results of specific spline nozzle/ bimorph design configurations which have generated suitable power per nozzle at or above well production analogous flow rates. Theoretical models for non-dimensional analysis and constitutive electromechanical model are also presented in this paper to optimize the flow harvesting system.

bimorph↗
DOE OSTI2021

Bio-inspired Bistable Piezoelectric Energy Harvester for Powering Animal Telemetry Tags: Concept Design and Preliminary Experimental Validation

This paper presents the concept design, preliminary experimental validation, and performance evaluation of a novel bio-inspired bi-stable piezoelectric energy harvester for self-powered animal telemetry tags. The overall concept design, which includes a bio-inspired attachment and a bi-stable piezoelectric energy harvester, is introduced firstly with a specific application example of marine fish tracking. The self-powered telemetry tag can be externally deployed on fish (dorsal fin) to monitor fish habitats, population, and underwater environment. Inspired by the Venus flytrap’s rapid shape transition, a bistable piezoelectric energy harvester is developed to scavenge energy from fish maneuvering and the surrounding fluid flow for a sustainable power supply. The bistability of the harvester is characterized by the measured force-displacement curve and double potential wells. A bluff body is integrated to the free end of the bistable piezoelectric energy harvester to enhance the structure-fluid interaction for the large-amplitude snap-through vibrations and higher voltage output. Controlled laboratory experiments are conducted in a water tank on the bio-inspired bi-stable piezoelectric energy harvester using a servo motor system to simulate fish swing motion at various conditions to evaluate the power generation performance. The preliminary underwater experimental results demonstrated that the proposed bio-inspired bi-stable piezoelectric could effectively converter fish swing motions into electricity. 17.25 mJ energy was obtained within 130 s under the peak-to-peak swing angle of 30o at 1.5 Hz in the capacitor charging experiments.

Qian, Feng↗
NASA NTRS2014

Flow Energy Piezoelectric Bimorph Nozzle Harvester

There is a need for a long-life power generation scheme that could be used downhole in an oil well to produce 1 Watt average power. There are a variety of existing or proposed energy harvesting schemes that could be used in this environment but each of these has its own limitations. The vibrating piezoelectric structure is in principle capable of operating for very long lifetimes (decades) thereby possibly overcoming a principle limitation of existing technology based on rotating turbo-machinery. In order to determine the feasibility of using piezoelectrics to produce suitable flow energy harvesting, we surveyed experimentally a variety of nozzle configurations that could be used to excite a vibrating piezoelectric structure in such a way as to enable conversion of flow energy into useful amounts of electrical power. These included reed structures, spring mass-structures, drag and lift bluff bodies and a variety of nozzles with varying flow profiles. Although not an exhaustive survey we identified a spline nozzle/piezoelectric bimorph system that experimentally produced up to 3.4 mW per bimorph. This paper will discuss these results and present our initial analyses of the device using dimensional analysis and constitutive electromechanical modeling. The analysis suggests that an order-of-magnitude improvement in power generation from the current design is possible.

transducers↗
DOE OSTI2025

Control of Energy Transport and Transduction in Photosynthetic Down-Conversion (Final Technical Report)

The research conducted under this contract focused on three areas related to control of energy transport and transduction in natural and synthetic light harvesting systems: (1) experimental and theoretical studies exploring the use of ultrafast laser pulse shaping to manipulate the initially excited states of multi-chromophore biological light harvesting networks and influence the early time energy transfer and electronic and vibrational relaxation pathways, (2) fundamental theoretical developments aimed at computing and analyzing the dynamics of excitations of complex heterogeneous environments and nano structures, and (3) joint experimental and theoretical design studies of artificial light harvesting materials exploring the influence of incorporating different types of organic layers in low dimensional lead halide perovskite materials on their hot carrier relaxation dynamics, and theoretical studies of the design of nano structured light harvesting antenna systems. These research projects supported the training of three theoretical and computational graduate students, one experimental graduate student, and one experimental post-doctoral researcher. The research has been published in seven peer reviewed papers and presented at several international meetings and workshops.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2023

Performance analysis of functionally graded multifunctional piezoelectric energy harvesting microgyroscopes

Functionally graded materials (FGMs) are composite materials with varying material properties in one or more directions. These materials possess distinct characteristics compared to their constituent components. The ability to control material distribution and compositions in FGMs offers improved constraints over the natural frequencies of the system, making them highly suitable for energy harvesting applications. In this study, we focus on a piezoelectric FGM composed of Platinum (Pt) and Lead Titanate Zirconate (PZT). By utilizing FGMs for energy harvesting, we simplify the system from a multilayer structure to a single-layer system, thereby increasing power density by reducing volume. In this work, a power law distribution is used to model the material variation throughout the thickness of the single-layered beam. The governing equations of motion and boundary conditions for FG energy harvesting microgyroscope are derived using Euler-Bernoulli beam theory, the constitutive piezoelectric principle, and the extended Hamilton's principle. To simulate the nonlinear motion of the FG energy harvester, we employ the differential quadrature method (DQM). Subsequently, an investigation is carried out to examine the effects of various factors including material distribution, platinum percentage, base rotation, DC voltage, and electrical load resistance on the energy harvesting microgyroscope with functionally graded materials. Here, the findings suggest that functionally graded energy harvesting gyroscopes can be adjusted to obtain effective energy harvesting and sensing capabilities by carefully selecting the material distribution, input voltage, and electrical load resistance.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2023

Biomimetic Light Harvesting Complexes Based on Self-Assembled Dye-DNA Nanostructures (Final Technical Report)

A fundamental limitation in the development of artificial molecular light harvesting structures is that generally if one places pigment molecules close enough to achieve very high energy transfer efficiency and absorbance cross section, the dyes interact in such a way that self-quenching occurs. This limits both the optical cross section and the overall efficiency of light capture in such systems. Nature overcomes this problem and achieves efficient energy transfer without self-quenching by controlling the environment, vibration characteristics, orientation and dynamics of the pigments involved in light harvesting. Natural light harvesting systems have evolved highly intricate chromophore architectures of protein-bound organic molecules that absorb and funnel solar energy with high efficiency and fast transfer rates using elegant excitonic circuitries. Nature achieves this precise control over the properties of pigment complexes by using specific proteins as templates to guide the formation of very well-defined pigment aggregates, groups of pigment molecules that are in close enough contact to undergo excitonic interactions resulting in new electronic properties that were not present in the monomer. In synthetic systems, pigment aggregates are well known, and J-aggregates and H-aggregates have been long studied for their unique properties. In Nature, the chlorosomes of green bacteria form what appear to be classical J-aggregates and the light harvesting complexes of purple nonsulfur bacteria form ring structures that have many of the properties of J-aggregates such as a red-shifted absorbance spectrum and excited states that are delocalized over multiple pigment molecules. These photosynthetic systems leverage the spectral and enhanced transport properties of J-like aggregates to achieve fast exciton transport within the antenna and thus high light-harvesting efficiency. The close interaction of the pigments results in substantial electronic coupling that lifts the degeneracy of excitonic states and therefore modifies the absorption and emission spectra of the monomer. In the case of J-aggregation, lower energy excitonic states acquire significant oscillator strength, resulting in a characteristic bathochromic shift of the absorption and fluorescence and often superradiant delocalized exciton states.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Enhancement of vibrationally assisted energy transfer by proximity to exceptional points, probed by fluorescence-detected vibrational spectroscopy

Emulation of energy transfer processes in natural systems on quantum platforms can further our understanding of complex dynamics in nature. One notable example is the demonstration of vibrationally assisted energy transfer (VAET) on a trapped-ion quantum emulator, which offers insights for the energetics of light harvesting. In this work, we expand the study of VAET simulation with trapped ions to a non-Hermitian quantum system comprising a 𝒫⁢𝑇-symmetric chromophore dimer weakly coupled to a vibrational mode. We first characterize exceptional points (EPs) and non-Hermitian features of the excitation energy transfer processes in the absence of the vibration, finding a degenerate pair of second-order EPs. Exploring the non-Hermitian dynamics of the whole system including vibrations, we find that energy transfer accompanied by absorption of phonons from a vibrational mode can be significantly enhanced near such a degenerate EP. Our calculations reveal a unique spectral feature accompanying the coalescing of eigenstates and eigenenergies that provides a unique approach to probe the degenerate EP by fluorescence-detected vibrational spectroscopy. Enhancement of the VAET process near the EP is found to be due to maximal favorability of phonon absorption at the degenerate EP, enabling multiple simultaneous excitations. Our work on improving VAET processes in non-Hermitian quantum systems paves the way for leveraging non-Hermiticity in quantum dynamics related to excitation energy transfer.

Non-Hermitian systems↗
DOE OSTI2025

Dissipation Pathways in a Photosynthetic Complex

Determining how energy flows within and between molecules is crucial for understanding chemical reactions, material properties, and even vital processes such as photosynthesis. While the general principles of energy transfer are well established, elucidating the specific molecular pathways by which energy is funneled remains challenging, as it requires tracking energy flow in complex molecular environments. Here, we demonstrate how photon excitation energy is partially dissipated in the light-harvesting Fenna–Matthews–Olson (FMO) complex, mediating the excitation energy transfer from light-harvesting chlorosomes to the photosynthetic reaction center in green sulfur bacteria. Specifically, we isolate the contribution of the protein and specific vibrational modes of the pigment molecules to the energy dynamics. For this, we introduce an efficient computational implementation of a recently proposed theory of dissipation pathways for open quantum systems, based on second-order perturbation theory in the electronic couplings. Using it and a state-of-the-art FMO model with highly structured and chromophore-specific spectral densities, we demonstrate that energy dissipation is dominated by low-frequency modes (<800 cm –1 ) as their energy range is near-resonance with the energy gaps between electronic states of the pigments. We identify the most important modes for dissipation to be in-plane breathing modes (∼200 cm –1 ) of the bacteriochlorophylls in the complex. Conversely, far-detuned intramolecular vibrations with higher frequencies (>800 cm –1 ) play no role in dissipation. Interestingly, the FMO complex first needs to borrow energy from the environment to release excess photonic energy, indicating that the energy exchange between the system and thermal environment is not strictly unidirectional in time but involves a transient thermally activated step. Beyond their fundamental value, these insights can guide the development of artificial light-harvesting devices and, more broadly, engineer environments for chemical and quantum control tasks.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

Studying Open Quantum Systems Relevant to Chemistry on a Trapped-Ion Quantum Simulator (Final Technical Report)

This project advances the trapped-ion quantum simulator as a versatile platform for studying open quantum system phenomena. We aim to contribute to the emerging quantum simulation toolkits and enable simulation of nanoscale energy processes. Trapped-ion platforms offer unique capabilities: their vibrational motion can be precisely manipulated, measured, and coherently coupled to auxiliary qubits. The vibrational mode can function both as a highly sensitive quantum sensor and a programmable environment bath. Using this platform, we achieved three major outcomes. First, we demonstrated using the vibrational mode as an ultrasensitive probe for testing fundamental physics, including possible nonlinear quantum mechanics effects. Second, we established that these modes can act as controllable baths in which tunable noise and loss can enhance or modify energy-transfer dynamics, providing the experimental preparation toward studying mechanisms relevant to chemical reactions and light-harvesting systems. Third, by introducing controllable nonlinear gain and loss, we showed theoretically how simulations using trapped ions can model vibrationally-assisted energy transport in a non‐Hermitian quantum system comprising a chromophore dimer weakly coupled to a vibrational mode. Exploring the non‐Hermitian dynamics of the whole system including vibrations, we found that energy transfer accompanied by absorption of phonons from a vibrational mode can be significantly enhanced near an exceptional point. This theoretical work on simulation of energy transfer processes in driven non‐Hermitian quantum systems revealed an interesting novel path to study open quantum systems dynamics under conditions of gain and loss. We then further explored the benefits of controllable gain and loss with an experimental realization of quantum analogs of nonlinear oscillators, namely, the van der Pol oscillator. Here we observed mutual synchronization mediated by collective dissipation between two oscillators. In parallel, we explored related quantum networking protocols using the same trapped-ion platform, developing fast, high-fidelity schemes for distributing entanglement. Together, these achievements show that trapped-ion vibrational modes provide a highly programmable and high-fidelity platform for investigating complex dissipative quantum behavior, while enabling new approaches to remote quantum sensing, energy science, and nonlinear quantum dynamics.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗