Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “SCAVENGING”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 397 records · Page 22
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2011

A Finite Element Model Of Self-Resonating Bimorph Microcantilever For Fast Temperature Cycling In A Pyroelectric Energy Harvester

A self resonating bimorph cantilever structure for fast temperature cycling in a pyroelectric energy harvester has been modeled using a finite element method. The effect of constituting material properties and system parameters on the frequency and magnitude of temperature cycling and the efficiency of energy recycling using the proposed structure has been investigated. Results show that thermal contact conductance and heat source temperature play a key role in dominating the cycling frequency and efficiency of energy recycling. An optimal solution for the most efficient energy scavenging process has been sought by studying the performance trend with different variable parameters such as thermal contact conductance, heat source temperature, device aspect ratio and constituent materials of varying thermal conductivity and expansion coefficients.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2010

TOWARD LOW-COST FABRICATION OF MICROCHANNEL PROCESS TECHNOLOGIES - COST MODELING FOR MANUFACTURING DEVELOPMENT

Chemical and energy conversion systems based on microchannel process technology (MPT) demonstrate high performance in applications in which rates are controlled by diffusive heat and mass transfer flux. The performance of MPT-based heat exchangers, absorbers/desorbers and chemical reactors all benefit from process intensification and have been used in a variety of mobile energy conversion systems including fuel reformers/converters, heat pumps and waste heat scavenging technologies. The service environments typical of MPTs often require the devices to be fabricated from metals such as aluminum, titanium, stainless steel or high temperature super alloys. Flow channels and associated critical dimensions in these devices can be as small as 50 um, but generally range from 100 to 1000 um in width and height with characteristic flow channel lengths normally in the mm to cm range. High surface area architectures (e.g. wicks or textured surfaces) are often included in the flow channels as well for enhanced mass transfer and/or catalytic functionality. Fabrication of MPT devices has historically been performed using a stacked-shim approach in which individual metal sheets are first patterned with micro- and meso-scale flow channels and subsequently bonded in a stack to create an array of miniaturized, parallel flow paths. Typical proof-of-concept fabrication efforts have utilized photo chemical machining (PCM) for shim patterning and diffusion bonding or diffusion brazing for joining of shim stacks. While flexible and capable of supporting technology demonstration, however, these techniques can be expensive at prototyping volumes. The high fabrication cost associated with these prototyping processes has contributed to a perception that MPT technology is expensive and will be relegated to a small application space. Recent work at the Microproducts Breakthrough Institute (MBI) has focused on exploring the cost structure of high volume manufacturing of MPT devices in effort to identify new paths to lower cost fabrication. Through systematic exploration of fabrication process capabilities and associated cost structures, the MBI is developing volume-sensitive cost estimation models for predicting manufacturing costs of MPT devices fabricated using different processing technologies. The process-based cost models are used to develop an understanding of the economic trade-offs between candidate processes and are utilized in a design for manufacturing approach to MPT device fabrication. In this paper we present results and analysis of the cost modeling effort to date and apply the methodology in case study of a stainless steel MPT device designed, built and tested by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Extensions of the model to adjacent material sets and the interaction of device designs with fabrication processes will be discussed.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2016

Rain-aerosol relationships influenced by wind speed: RAIN-AEROSOL RELATIONSHIPS

The aerosol optical depth (AOD) has been shown to correlate with precipitation rate (R) in recent studies. The relationships between R and AOD are examined in this study using 150-year simulations in preindustrial conditions with the CESM model. Through partial correlation analysis, with the impact from 10-m wind speed removed, relationships between modeled AOD and R exert a significant change from positive to negative over the mid-latitude oceans, indicating that the wind speed has the largest contribution to the relationships over the mid-latitude oceans. Sensitivity simulation shows that variations in wind speed lead to increasing R by +0.99 mm day-1 averaged globally, offsetting 64% of the wet scavenging induced decrease in precipitation between polluted and clean conditions. These demonstrate that wind speed is one of the major drivers of R-AOD relationships. Relative humidity can also result in the positive relationships; however, its role is smaller than that of wind speed.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

Low-CCN concentration air masses over the eastern North Atlantic: Seasonality, meteorology, and drivers

In this paper, a 20 month cloud condensation nucleus concentration (N CCN ) data set from Graciosa Island (39°N, 28°W) in the remote North Atlantic is used to characterize air masses with low cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentrations. Low-CCN events are defined as 6 h periods with mean N CCN <20 cm -3 (0.1% supersaturation). A total of 47 low-CCN events are identified. Surface, satellite, and reanalysis data are used to explore the meteorological and cloud context for low-CCN air masses. Low-CCN events occur in all seasons, but their frequency was 3 times higher in December–May than during June–November. Composites show that many of the low-CCN events had a common meteorological basis that involves southerly low-level flow and rather low wind speeds at Graciosa. Anomalously low pressure is situated to the west of Graciosa during these events, but back trajectories and lagged SLP composites indicate that low-CCN air masses often originate as cold air outbreaks to the north and west of Graciosa. Finally, low-CCN events were associated with low cloud droplet concentrations (N d ) at Graciosa, but liquid water path (LWP) during low-CCN events was not systematically different from that at other times. Satellite N d and LWP estimates from MODIS collocated with Lagrangian back trajectories show systematically lower N d and higher LWP several days prior to arrival at Graciosa, consistent with the hypothesis that observed low-CCN air masses are often formed by coalescence scavenging in thick warm clouds, often in cold air outbreaks.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2017

A Case Study in Low Aerosol Number Concentrations Over the Eastern North Atlantic: Implications for Pristine Conditions in the Remote Marine Boundary Layer

We present a case study (20 September to 13 October 2015) of synergistic, multi-instrument observations of aerosols, clouds, and the marine boundary layer (MBL) at the Eastern North Atlantic (ENA) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement site centered on a period of exceptionally low (20–50 cm -3 ) surface accumulation mode (0.1–1 μm) aerosol particle number concentrations. We divide the case study into three regimes (high, clean, and ultraclean) based on daily median number concentrations and compare finer resolution (hourly or less) observations between these regimes. The analysis focuses on the possibility of using these ultraclean events to study pristine conditions in the remote MBL, as well as examining evidence for a recently proposed conceptual model for the large-scale depletion of cloud condensation nuclei-sized particles in postfrontal air masses. Relative to the high and clean regimes, the ultraclean regime tends to exhibit significantly fewer particles between 0.1 and 0.4 μm in diameter and a relatively increased prevalence of larger accumulation mode particles. In addition, supermicron particles tend to dominate total scattering in the ultraclean regime, and there is little evidence for absorbing aerosol. These observations are more in-line with a heavily scavenged but natural marine aerosol population and minimal contribution from continental sources such as anthropogenic pollution, biomass burning, or dust. The air masses with the consistently lowest accumulation mode aerosol number concentrations are largely dominated by heavily drizzling clouds with high liquid water path cores, deep decoupled boundary layers, open cellular organization, and notable surface forcing of subcloud turbulence, even at night.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Biosourced Antioxidants for Chemical Durability Enhancement of Perfluorosulfonic Acid Membrane

Abstract The chemical durability of perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) membranes is a topic of growing interest to meet Department of Energy (DOE) durability targets for heavy‐duty vehicle (HDV) applications. State‐of‐the‐art membranes like Nafion, rely on the use of cerium, heteropolyacids, and other inorganic additives to increase PFSA chemical durability. A less explored avenue for the oxidative stabilization of PFSA and hydrocarbon membranes is the use of organic antioxidants. No reversible organic antioxidant has been demonstrated to date which can enhance membrane lifetime by factors comparable to cerium. Here, ellagic acid (EA) is demonstrated as a promising radical scavenger for PFSA's. It is found that the incorporation of EA enhances the chemical durability of Nafion by 160%. EA, when incorporated with cerium as an electron donorenhances Nafion durability by at least 80% compared to a membrane incorporated with just cerium in DOE‐defined durability tests. EA is found to be reversible in acidic conditions like those of fuel cells and its reversibility could be further enhanced by the use of suitable co‐antioxidants.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Peak‐in‐Valley Metal Nano‐Architectures via E‐Beam‐Guided Metal Oxide Redox

Focused electron beams enable nanoscale material modification via localized etching or deposition. In liquid-phase electron-beam-mediated processing, radiolysis-driven redox reactions present an opportunity to control both etching and deposition simultaneously. Here, this duality using a water-ammonia solvent as a tunable redox mediator on copper surfaces is demonstrated. At lower ammonia concentrations, the oxidation process dominates, etching copper to sub-50-nm depths. The copper ions and ion-complexes released during this initial oxidation step are reduced by solvated electrons resulting in metal deposition into the etched sites, over longer e-beam exposures, producing characteristic peak-in-valley nanostructures. Conversely, at higher ammonia concentrations copper-ammine ion complexation and radiolytic oxidizing species scavenging by ammonia occur at higher rates, creating a reducing environment conducive to rapid beam-guided copper deposition. Reaction-transport simulations and experiments are performed to show the effects of ammonia-mediated radiolysis chemistry, describing the direct influence of solvent concentration on redox balance and the outcome of e-beam guided processing. By uniting both etching and deposition within a single framework, this work provides a versatile route for controlled surface nanostructuring.

copper nanostructures↗
DOE OSTI2020

Highly Tunable Thiol-Ene Photoresins for Volumetric Additive Manufacturing

Volumetric additive manufacturing (VAM) forms complete 3D objects in a single photocuring operation without layering defects, enabling 3D printed polymer parts with mechanical properties similar to their bulk material counterparts. This study presents the first report of VAM-printed thiol-ene resins. With well-ordered molecular networks, thiol-ene chemistry accesses polymer materials with a wide range of mechanical properties, moving VAM beyond the limitations of commonly used acrylate formulations. Since free-radical thiol-ene polymerization is not inhibited by oxygen, the nonlinear threshold response required in VAM is introduced by incorporating 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidinyloxy (TEMPO) as a radical scavenger. Tuning of the reaction kinetics is accomplished by balancing inhibitor and initiator content. Coupling this with quantitative measurements of the absorbed volumetric optical dose allows control of polymer conversion and gelation during printing. Importantly, this work thereby establishes the first comprehensive framework for spatial–temporal control over volumetric energy distribution, demonstrating structures 3D printed in thiol-ene resin by means of tomographic volumetric VAM. Mechanical characterization of this thiol-ene system, with varied ratios of isocyanurate and triethylene glycol monomers, reveals highly tunable mechanical response far more versatile than identical acrylate-based resins. This broadens the range of materials and properties available for VAM, taking another step toward high-performance printed polymers.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

On the Conversion of Bauxite Ores to Highly Activated Alumina Media for Water Remediation

Good quality drinking water is necessary to maintain a high quality of life. Millions lack access to clean and safe drinking water, and current trends suggest that billions will face acute water shortages in the coming decades. Development of new materials has led to technological impacts on water purification, from desalination membranes to atmospheric water scavenging. However, the most challenging aspect of technological solutions is cost: if the community being serviced cannot afford the solution, it is not likely to be sustainable. Repurposing Earth-abundant materials to replace highly engineered solutions is an atractive solution. Herein, minimal processing of bauxite rocks produces a high-porosity and reactive activated alumina in situ, without purification directly from the ore. This acid-treated, thermally activated bauxite (ATAB) exhibits a high surface area of 401 ± 6 m 2 g -1 , a 40-fold increase relative to its parent ore, and a 2× increase relative to the state-of-the-art fluoride adsorbent, activated alumina. The composition, preparation, and mechanism of adsorption are studied by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and multiple-quantum magic-angle spinning 27 Al nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Finally, the maximum adsorption density of ATAB is comparable with that of activated alumina, but ATAB requires fewer processing steps, thus warranting future consideration as a primary adsorbent of choice for fluoride removal from water.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

A Beehive Inspired Hydrogen Photocatalytic Device Integrating a Carbo–Benzene Triptych Material for Efficient Solar Photo–Reduction of Seawater

The dream to produce green, clean and sustainable hydrogen from earth-abundant and free resources such as seawater and sunlight is highly motivating because of the interest for desirable economical and societal applications in energy. However, it remains challenging to develop an efficient and unassisted photocatalytic device to split seawater molecules with just sunlight without any external bias. For the first time, a such novel hierarchical material has been developed, based on thin film technology that integrates TiO 2 semiconductor layers, embedded gold nanoparticles and a photosensitive carbo-benzene layer. The design of the triptych device placing the photocatalyst in be-to-be increases the photoactive surface area by a factor 2. Its stability (>120 successive hours of hydrogen production and >5 days in a day/night representative alternation) and efficiency (STH 0.06%) are measured in NaCl-salted water. Here, the chloride ions act as hole scavengers and induce an increase of pH increasing in turn the sun-driven hydrogen production rate.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2022

Filament Formation in TaO x Thin Films for Memristor Device Application: Modeling Electron Energy Loss Spectra and Electron Transport

Abstract Although understanding filament formation in oxide‐based memristive devices by theory has emerged, there are still fundamental unanswered questions. Importantly, for practical application of thin films the material in its amorphous state is to be considered, but mostly lacking so far, and details on sub‐stoichiometry are also scarce. To gain insight into the optical and electronic properties of sub‐stoichiometric amorphous tantalum oxide (TaO x ), the electron energy loss spectrum (EELS) of model systems is characterized theoretically and electron transport characteristics are analyzed in detail. Calculated blue‐shifts by increasing sub‐stoichiometry explained the measurements, potentially suggesting estimation of oxygen vacancy concentrations through EEL spectra. Electron transport results based on TaO x material models validated by EELS measurements show that oxygen vacancy filamentary paths are initiated at low bias upon increasing sub‐stoichiometry yet noting an interplay with the local amorphous structure. Contact resistances at interfaces of the TaO x switching layer and a tantalum scavenging layer or titanium nitride electrode are quantified, indicating the possibility for either oxygen vacancy‐ or metal cluster‐based conduction mechanisms at the interface. The computational work, combined with experimental characterization for validation, provides a basis for investigating effects of sub‐stoichiometry on filament formation in TaO x thin film memristive devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Anion Reactivity in Cation‐Disordered Rocksalt Cathode Materials: The Influence of Fluorine Substitution

Abstract The demand for high energy‐density, mass‐producible cathode materials has spurred the exploration of new material structures and compositions. Lithium‐excess, cation‐disordered rocksalt (DRX) materials are a new class of transition metal oxides that display high capacity and environmental friendly composition. These materials achieve their high capacities partially through oxygen redox, which leads to oxygen loss and detrimental reactivity with the electrolyte. It has previously been shown that oxygen loss can be suppressed by partial substitution of the lattice oxygen for fluorine, but the explicit mechanism behind this effect remains unknown. In this work, differential electrochemical mass spectrometry (DEMS) and titration mass spectrometry are used to quantify the primary electrochemical reactions occurring during the first cycle in DRX materials. Comparing a DRX oxide and a DRX oxyfluoride, it is shown that fluorination limits oxygen redox and suppresses oxygen loss. Additionally, DEMS is coupled with fluoride‐scavenging to demonstrate that small amounts of fluorine dissolve from DRX oxyfluorides during the first cycle. Finally, these techniques are extended over the first several cycles, demonstrating that CO 2 evolution persists and fluoride dissolution continues to a diminishing extent during the first few cycles. These findings motivate surface modifications to control interfacial reactivity and improve long‐term cycling.

Crafton, Matthew J.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Prospective Application, Mechanism, and Deficiency of Lithium Bis(oxalate)Borate as the Electrolyte Additive for Lithium-Batteries

Lithium bis(oxalate)borate (LiBOB) is one of the most common film-forming electrolyte additives used in lithium ion batteries (LIBs), since it can form a dense boron-containing polymer as a solid electrolyte interlayer (or cathode electrolyte interlayer) in order to isolate the electrode material from the electrolyte and prevent side reactions. LiBOB can serve as HF scavenger to maintain the structural integrity of electrodes via avoiding the transition metal dissolution caused by HF attack. Additionally, LiBOB also can react with LiPF 6 to generate lithium difluoro (oxalate)borate (LiDFOB) that can be further used as a clean-up agent for reactive oxygen radicals. This article lists the application of LiBOB in high capacity and high voltage cathode materials, and also reviews the working mechanisms of LiBOB used in these materials to improve the performance of LIBs. Finally, it presents the current shortcomings of LiBOB and strategies to overcome these. This article is expected to provide useful insights for employing LiBOB as a feasible method of dealing with the difficulty of running high capacity LIBs stably under high voltage.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2018

A Photoactivatable BODIPY Probe for Localization‐Based Super‐Resolution Cellular Imaging

Abstract The synthesis and application of a photoactivatable boron‐alkylated BODIPY probe for localization‐based super‐resolution microscopy is reported. Photoactivation and excitation of the probe is achieved by a previously unknown boron‐photodealkylation reaction with a single low‐power visible laser and without requiring the addition of reducing agents or oxygen scavengers in the imaging buffer. These features lead to a versatile probe for localization‐based microscopy of biological systems. The probe can be easily linked to nucleophile‐containing molecules to target specific cellular organelles. By attaching paclitaxel to the photoactivatable BODIPY, in vitro and in vivo super‐resolution imaging of microtubules is demonstrated. This is the first example of single‐molecule localization‐based super‐resolution microscopy using a visible‐light‐activated BODIPY compound as a fluorescent probe.

Wijesooriya, Chamari S.↗
DOE OSTI2015

Enhanced Photoreversible Color Switching of Redox Dyes Catalyzed by Barium-Doped TiO 2 Nanocrystals

We developed colloidal barium-doped TiO 2 nanocrystals that enable the highly reversible light-responsive color switching of redox dyes with excellent cycling performance and high switching rates. Oxygen vacancies resulting from the Ba doping serve as effective sacrificial electron donors (SEDs) to scavenge the holes photogenerated in TiO 2 nanocrystals under UV irradiation and subsequently promote the reduction of methylene blue to its colorless leuco form. Effective color switching can therefore be realized without relying on external SEDs, thus greatly increasing the number of switching cycles. Moreover, Ba doping can also accelerate the recoloration under visible-light irradiation by shifting the absorption edge of TiO 2 nanocrystals to a shorter wavelength. Such a system can be further casted into a solid film to produce a rewritable paper on which letters and patters can be repeatedly printed using UV light and then erased by heating; this process can be repeated for many cycles and does not require additional inks.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

A Photoactivatable BODIPY Probe for Localization-based Super-Resolution Cellular Imaging

Here, the synthesis and application of a photoactivatable boron–alkylated BODIPY probe for localization–based super–resolution microscopy is reported. Photoactivation and excitation of the probe is achieved by a previously–unknown boron–photodealkylation reaction with a single low–power visible laser and without requiring the addition of reducing agents or oxygen scavengers in the imaging buffer. These features lead to a versatile probe for localization–based microscopy of biological systems. The probe can be easily linked to nucleophile–containing molecules to target specific cellular organelles. By attaching paclitaxel to the photoactivatable BODIPY, in vitro and in vivo super–resolution imaging of microtubules is demonstrated. This is the first example of single molecule localization–based super–resolution microscopy using a visible–light activated BODIPY compound as a fluorescent probe.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2019

Successful Decontamination of 99 TcO 4 - in Groundwater at Legacy Nuclear Sites by a Cationic Metal-Organic Framework with Hydrophobic Pockets

99 Tc contamination at legacy nuclear sites is a serious and unsolved environmental issue. The selective remediation of 99 TcO 4 - in the presence of a large excess of NO 3 - and SO 4 2- from natural waste systems represents a significant scientific and technical challenge, since anions with a higher charge density are often preferentially sorbed by traditional anion exchange materials. We present a solution to this challenge based on a stable cationic metal-organic framework, SCU-102 (Ni 2 (tipm) 3 (NO 3 ) 4 ), which exhibits fast sorption kinetics, a large capacity (291 mg g 1 ), a high distribution coefficient, and, most importantly, a record-high TcO 4 - uptake selectivity. This material can almost quantitatively remove TcO 4 - in the presence of a large excess of NO 3 - and SO 4 2- . Finally, decontamination experiments confirm that SCU-102 represents the optimal Tc scavenger with the highest reported clean-up efficiency, while first-principle simulations reveal that the origin of the selectivity is the recognition of TcO 4 - by the hydrophobic pockets of the structure.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗