Development and Experimental Validation of a Spin Forming Finite Element Model
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Spin Forming↗
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Results for “Thermal Modeling”
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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Additive‐Free Oxidized Spiro‐MeOTAD Hole Transport Layer Significantly Improves Thermal Solar Cell Stability
Perovskite solar cells are among the most promising new solar technologies, already surpassing polycrystalline silicon solar cell efficiencies. The stability of the highest efficiency devices at elevated temperature is, however, poor. These cells typically use Spiro-MeOTAD as the hole transporting layer. It is generally believed that additives, required for enhancing electrical conductivity and optimizing energy level alignment, are responsible for the reduced stability—inferring that Spiro-MeOTAD based hole transporting layers are intrinsically unstable. Here, a reliable noble metal free synthesis of Spiro-MeOTAD (bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide) 4 is presented which is used as the oxidizing agent. No additives are added to the partially oxidized Spiro-MeOTAD hole-transporting layer. Device efficiencies up to 24.2% are achieved. Electrical conductivity is largely developed by the first 1% oxidation. Further oxidation shifts the energy levels away from the vacuum level, which allows tuning of the energy level alignment without the use of additives—contradicting the current understanding of this system. Without additives, devices demonstrate significant improvement in stability at elevated temperatures up to 85 °C under one sun over 1400 h continuous illumination. The remaining degradation is pinpointed to ion migration and reactions in the perovskite layer which may be further suppressed with compositional engineering and adequate ion barrier layers.
14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
Modeling Hohlraum wall expansion with higher-moment multi-species fluid model
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Physics - Plasma physics↗
Nanoscale Compositional and Strain Gradients Enable High‐Speed and Amplitude‐Resolved Pyroelectric Sensing
The frequency response of pyroelectric sensors is fundamentally governed by thermal time constant (τth, determined by thermal mass and thermal conductance) and electrical impedance arising from film capacitance and readout circuit. Conventional bulk LiTaO3 detectors are optimized for high responsivity at low modulation frequencies (0.1-10 Hz), possessing a large τth that thermally averages rapid temperature oscillations at elevated modulation frequencies, limiting fidelity in resolving dynamic varying thermal signals. Here, compositional and strain gradients are introduced into 100-nm-thick relaxor-ferroelectric films reducing τth to ≈2 µs and producing built-in potentials (≈1.45 V or 145 kV cm-1) that enhance the pyroelectric coefficient and suppress the dielectric constant. This enables complementary dual-mode operation by enhancing current-mode electrical responsivity and improving the voltage-mode figure of merit - advantageous for superior temperature resolution (ΔTmin ≈ 30 µK). The responsivity peak shifts to near 1 kHz (>2500-times higher than conventional bulk sensors), with measurable responsivity extending to a carrier frequency of 100 kHz and amplitude-resolved detection at modulation frequencies up to 15 kHz. These results establish nanoscale internal-field engineering can reshape electro-thermal trade-off in pyroelectric thin films toward zero-bias, high-thermal-sensitivity, and amplitude-resolved thermal sensing across a wide frequency bandwidth.
Lin, Ching‐Che↗
Modeling Ni-Cd performance. Planned alterations to the Goddard battery model
The Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) currently has a preliminary computer model to simulate a Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd) performance. The basic methodology of the model was described in the paper entitled Fundamental Algorithms of the Goddard Battery Model. At present, the model is undergoing alterations to increase its efficiency, accuracy, and generality. A review of the present battery model is given, and the planned charges of the model are described.
Jagielski, J. M.↗
Full-core high-burnup BWR LOCA fuel performance analysis and FFRD susceptibility
The susceptibility of the boiling water reactor (BWR) Limerick Unit 1 to fuel fragmentation, relocation, and dispersal during a postulated large-break loss-of-coolant accident (LBLOCA) was calculated using a multiphysics framework. The simulations include full-core, rod-resolved neutronic, thermal hydraulic, and fuel performance models using the VERA, TRACE, and BISON codes. This work focused on the transient BISON simulations, which include both the normal operation and LBLOCA periods in the same simulations. Cladding integrity was assessed using two correlations that are included with BISON. make page break Several new BWR-specific features were recently added to BISON. This work represents the first time these features have been included in a core-scale set of simulations. This study hence evaluates the performance of these new models for an operating reactor with realistic operating conditions. Simulation results showed that cladding integrity was maintained (i.e., no rods burst). Finally, future work to improve BWR and PWR predictions using this framework is suggested.
BISON↗
Probing Model Sensitivity in Discharge Characteristics for a Li-O2 Battery using Uncertainty Quantification
For this presentation, we looked into using uncertainty quantification to understand the uncertainty in model parameters in predicting voltage and time response of a lithium-air battery.
Lithium-air↗
Characterization Testing of a 20 Kelvin Cryocooler for Space Applications
Future NASA space exploration missions will require long-duration storage and liquefaction of cryogenic liquids, enabled by active cooling provided by cryocoolers. Recent gap analyses of Lunar and Mars transportation systems have identified 20 K-class cryocoolers as a critical enabling technology for chemical and nuclear thermal propulsion architectures using liquid hydrogen propellant. To address this technology gap, NASA has undergone the development of a high-efficiency, high-capacity 20 K cryocooler via an SBIR partnership with Creare. While the January 2025 testing demonstrated functionality and compliance with contractual requirements, the objective of the NASA-led characterization effort was to generate a dataset for supporting future mission designs across a broader operating envelope, including off-nominal conditions. The cryocooler demonstrated strong performance, achieving a peak coefficient of performance of 17.68% relative to Carnot efficiency and a maximum lift capacity of 24.4 W at 21 K. Overall, the results confirm that the 20 W 20 K cryocooler provides a flexible range of capabilities to enable zero boil-off storage of liquid hydrogen for future Lunar and Mars missions. The data collected provide a strong foundation for model validation and future system design efforts.
Cryocooler↗
Characterization Testing of a 20 Kelvin Cryocooler for Space Applications
Future NASA space exploration missions will require long-duration storage and liquefaction of cryogenic liquids, enabled by active cooling provided by cryocoolers. Recent gap analyses of Lunar and Mars transportation systems have identified 20 K-class cryocoolers as a critical enabling technology for chemical and nuclear thermal propulsion architectures using liquid hydrogen propellant. To address this technology gap, NASA has undergone the development of a high-efficiency, high-capacity 20 K cryocooler via an SBIR partnership with Creare. While the January 2025 testing demonstrated functionality and compliance with contractual requirements, the objective of the NASA-led characterization effort was to generate a dataset for supporting future mission designs across a broader operating envelope, including off-nominal conditions. The cryocooler demonstrated strong performance, achieving a peak coefficient of performance of 17.68% relative to Carnot efficiency and a maximum lift capacity of 24.4 W at 21 K. Overall, the results confirm that the 20 W 20 K cryocooler provides a flexible range of capabilities to enable zero boil-off storage of liquid hydrogen for future Lunar and Mars missions. The data collected provide a strong foundation for model validation and future system design efforts.
Zero boil-off↗
Challenges in Continuous In-Field Critical Current Testing of High-Temperature Superconducting Tapes: Thermal and Mechanical Perspectives
High-temperature superconductors (HTS) are essential for ultra-high-field applications requiring exceptional current-carrying capacity under extreme conditions. However, systematic characterization of critical current in long-length conductors remains challenging due to complex thermal, electromag netic, and mechanical interactions during continuous testing. This study reports the development of a continuous in-field magnetization testing system for position-dependent critical current measurement in HTS tapes at 20 K under 7.5 T fields applied normal to the tape plane, enabling identification of performance-limiting regions that could compromise magnet stability. Here, the system addresses two fundamental challenges inherent to cryogenic reel to-reel testing. First, thermal management requires continuous cooling of a moving conductor to 20 K, achieved through liquid nitrogen precooling combined with a 100 W@20 K Gifford McMahon cryocooler. Second, screening currents in high fields generate Lorentz forces that induce twisting, bowing, and potential delamination. To mitigate these risks, we propose mechanical reinforcement and active current density suppression strategies. Numerical simulations using the stream function formulation reveal four primary failure modes: frictional heating at guide interfaces, unstable equilibria causing deformation, transverse current-induced stresses at guide transitions, and unsupported forces in vertical spans. Our mitigation strategies include PTFE coated guides to minimize friction, spring-loaded stabilization mechanisms to maintain tape alignment, controlled pre-heating using the liquid nitrogen thermal jacket to suppress critical current at stress points, and optimized guide positioning to minimize force accumulation. The experimental system is nearing completion, with testing planned to commence within two months. Preliminary validation at 65 K under 0.5 T demonstrates strong correlation between simulation-predicted mechanical instabilities and observed critical current variations during conductor tran sitions through the measurement region. These findings establish a robust foundation for quality assurance protocols essential to next-generation superconducting magnet applications.
Chen, Siwei [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (↗
Atomic faulting drives exceptional toughness in low thermal expansion chromium alloys
Endowing functional properties with mechanical responses in traditional metals has been a frontier topic, akin to transforming base metal into gold. Chromium and its alloys, with their functional deficiencies and limited ductility, serve as typical examples. Herein, we report a Cr96Fe4Ge1.3B1 alloy that unifies low thermal expansion (LTE, αl = 1.79 × 10-6 K-1, 200 − 315 K) with exceptional toughness (240.2 J·cm-3). The enhancement in mechanical responses is primarily attributed to layered Cr2B intermetallic precipitates, which ameliorate interfacial cohesion and simultaneously refine the grain structure. The weakened interlayer interactions within the Cr-B layers facilitate the nucleation and movement of numerous tiny stacking faults in precipitates, efficiently alleviating strain energy and resulting in marked work-hardening ability. Additionally, antiferromagnetic fluctuations in the BCC matrix contribute to the unique LTE behavior. This paves the way for the design of high-performance alloys featuring layered-symmetry precipitates.
Yu, Chengyi [University of Science and Technology ↗
Aerothermal Shape Optimization of Actively-Cooled Battery Packs Using Conjugate Heat Transfer
Thermal management for battery is important for electric aircraft because battery temperature is critically important to vehicle safety, and it also has direct impact on the efficiency of the battery system. Because ambient air is a readily available resource for aircraft, this paper considers an active cooling concept with forced convection of ambient air through the battery pack. Conjugate heat transfer analysis is used to solve the coupled aero-thermal problem, which consists of a finite-volume computational fluid dynamics solver for the fluid domain, and a conduction heat transfer solver for the solid domain. A mixed Neumann and Dirichlet boundary condition is developed for the fluid-solid interface, which allows the solid domain to completely submerge in the fluid domain. A gradient-based optimization method is adopted, and the discrete adjoint approach implemented in DAFoam is used to efficiently compute the gradients. The aero-thermal coupling for primal analysis and gradient computation is handled using the OpenMDAO-based MPhys framework. A constant heat source is prescribed for the battery cells, and the battery shape (design variable) is optimized to minimize cooling pump power and battery weight (composite objective function) while keeping the battery temperature below a threshold (constraint). The optimized design achieves a 44.6% and 1.5% reduction in the cooling pump power and battery weight, respectively, and the maximal temperature constraint is satisfied. This work has the potential to reduce battery-pack weight, improve performance, and reduce the weight of thermal management systems for electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft.
heat transfer↗
South Asian Monsoon Response to Regional Aerosol Emission Reductions: Insights From RAMIP
Anthropogenic aerosol and associated precursor gas emissions are already declining in many regions and are likely to decline significantly by 2050, with major implications for regional climate. Unlike greenhouse gases, aerosol impacts are spatially heterogeneous and can influence climate both near emission sources and through remote teleconnections. This is particularly important for the South Asian monsoon system, where both local and remote aerosol changes can significantly affect precipitation patterns. Using simulations from the Regional Aerosol Model Intercomparison Project, we examine how local and remote aerosol emission reductions influence South Asian climate across both pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons, including weakening of the elevated heat pump (EHP) mechanism during pre-monsoon months. Our analysis employs 10-member ensembles from 10 CMIP6-era models to compare three experiments with global, South Asian, and East Asian aerosol reductions relative to a high-emission baseline (SSP3-7.0). This experimental design allows us to isolate and quantify the distinct impacts of regional emission changes. Results reveal that global aerosol reductions produce a larger all-India precipitation increase (+0.28 mm day −1 ) than South Asian reductions alone (+0.19 mm day −1 ), with the strongest regional responses over the northern Bay of Bengal, the Western Ghats and Indo-Gangetic Plains. East Asian reductions show uncertain but modest precipitation reductions of 0.2-0.6 mm day −1 over parts of west-central and eastern Indian regions. Pre-monsoon carbonaceous aerosol reductions systematically weaken the EHP, cooling the mid-troposphere over the Himalayan foothills by up to 0.4 K and producing localised anomalous descent that opposes the climatological pre-monsoon ascent. Substantial inter-model diversity exists in the spatial patterns and magnitudes of these responses, highlighting key uncertainties in aerosol–monsoon interactions. The South Asian precipitation response is driven by enhanced land–sea thermal contrast, while the pre-monsoon EHP weakening is attributable exclusively to local South Asian carbonaceous aerosol forcing rather than remote teleconnections. These findings have direct implications for air quality and climate adaptation planning across South Asia as regional aerosol emissions diverge under different development pathways.
cmip6↗
Aerothermal Shape Optimization of Actively-Cooled Battery Packs using Conjugate Heat Transfer
Thermal management for battery is important for electric aircraft because battery temperature is critically important to vehicle safety, and it also has direct impact on the efficiency of the battery system. Because ambient air is a readily available resource for aircraft, this paper considers an active cooling concept with forced convection of ambient air through the battery pack. Conjugate heat transfer analysis is used to solve the coupled aero-thermal problem, which consists of a finite-volume computational fluid dynamics solver for the fluid domain, and a conduction heat transfer solver for the solid domain. A mixed Neumann and Dirichlet boundary condition is developed for the fluid-solid interface, which allows the solid domain to completely submerge in the fluid domain. A gradient-based optimization method is adopted, and the discrete adjoint approach implemented in DAFoam is used to efficiently compute the gradients. The aero-thermal coupling for primal analysis and gradient computation is handled using the OpenMDAO-based MPhys framework. A constant heat source is prescribed for the battery cells, and the battery shape (design variable) is optimized to minimize cooling pump power and battery weight (composite objective function) while keeping the battery temperature below a threshold (constraint). The optimized design achieves a 44.6% and 1.5% reduction in the cooling pump power and battery weight, respectively, and the maximal temperature constraint is satisfied. This work has the potential to reduce battery-pack weight, improve performance, and reduce the weight of thermal management systems for electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft.
thermal management↗
NASA Hybrid Thermally Efficient Core (HyTEC) Phase 2 Q3’GFY25 to Q2’GFY26 Unlimited Rights Annual Report for CLIN 1 and 2
The HyTEC Phase 2 Project focuses on the development and demonstration of high-power density, small engine core gas turbine engine technologies. The focus of HyTEC on these small engine core technologies will provide direct benefits to the next single-aisle class aircraft in terms of thermal efficiency, as well as integrate with other technologies, through increased hybridization, as they mature to provide substantial continuous fuel burn reductions during the aircraft lifecycle. These advances will strengthen the US position in the commercial aviation engine market and enable cost benefits in commercial aviation. In Government fiscal year 26 the HyTEC Project was closed and contract moved to the Subsonic Vehicle Technologies and Tools Project. GE Aerospace is executing two major work plans as part of the HyTEC Phase 2 contract. The first is Contract Line-Item Number (CLIN) 001 and its objective is to mature High Pressure Turbine (HPT) aerodynamics technology to TRL 5 through multiple rigs so that it may be incorporated into a complete TRL 6 evaluation and unlock learnings for the engine core demonstration as applicable. CLIN 002, the second work plan, is to design, procure and test a cost shared portion of technologies on the TRL6 Compact Core test vehicle. The compact core demonstrated through HyTEC Phase 2 along with the HPT rig TRL advancement directly matures the technologies being developed as part of the CFM RISE demonstrator program which is targeting a more than 20% fuel burn reduction at the engine level versus today’s state of the art. The RISE program’s objective is to advance both the novel Open Fan architecture, compact core technologies and advanced systems such as hybrid electric needed to achieve the desired fuel burn reduction to TRL6 ahead of a new product introduction in the single-aisle class aircraft in the 2030s timeframe.
gas turbine engine↗
The Shape Effect: Influence of 1D and 2D Boron Nitride Nanostructures on the Radiation Shielding, Thermal, and Damping Properties of High-Temperature Epoxy Composites
In space exploration, lightweight multifunctional materials capable of shielding neutron radiation, dissipating heat, and providing damping are essential. Polymer composites reinforced with boron nitride (BN) nanomaterials—specifically one-dimensional boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) and two-dimensional boron nitride nanoplatelets (BNNPs)—offer promising solutions. This study investigates how BN nanomaterial morphology influences the performance of high-temperature (HT) epoxy composites. We developed ultralightweight, three-dimensional BN foams comprising 1D BNNTs, 2D BNNPs, and hybrid 1D BNNT/2D BNNP structures via freeze-drying, then infiltrated them with HT epoxy to form dense composites. The BNNT foam exhibited the highest neutron radiation shielding, with a mass absorption coefficient of 26.64 cm2 g −1 , outperforming the hybrid foam (18.18 cm 2 g −1 ) and the BNNP foam (11.12 cm 2 g −1 ). A similar trend was observed in the HT epoxy composites; incorporating these foams at least doubled the mass absorption coefficient compared to the neat polymer. In terms of thermal conductivity, the BNNT/BNNP foam-epoxy composite achieved the highest value of 0.34 W m −1 K −1 , a 2.13-fold increase over neat HT epoxy. The BNNT/BNNP foam-epoxy composites also improved by 1.88 and 1.75 times, respectively. Mechanical testing revealed that BNNP foams withstood the highest loads during nanoindentation (3.53 kN), followed by BNNT/BNNP foams (1.93 kN) and BNNT foams (1.56 kN). All BN foam-epoxy composites exhibited enhanced damping properties, with tan δ increasing by at least 30 % compared to neat HT epoxy. These findings elucidate the impact of BN nanomaterial morphology on the multifunctional performance of HT epoxy composites, offering insights for developing high-performance, tailorable materials for demanding environments.
Kazue Orikasa↗
Inspection of Back-Contacted Modules Using a Conductive Backsheet Approach: Cooperative Research and Development (Final Report)
This work will focus on analysis of defects in modules fabricated using a conductive backsheet. While most defect types are known, reasonable methods for easily detecting manufactured defects are still relatively unknown.
14 SOLAR ENERGY↗