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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 451 records · Page 25

Impurity Characterization in Device Quality Hot Filament Chemical Vapor Deposition (HFCVD) Grown 3C Silicon Carbide (3C-SiC) (CRADA CRD-17-00684 Final Report)

BASiC-3C needs advanced characterization of material properties to continue making progress towards high quality 3C-SiC. For over 190 growth runs, BASiC 3C has relied almost exclusively on feedback from commercially available metrology such as cross-sectional FESEM, AFM, Raman, XRD and SIMS. This standard feedback loop has enabled BASiC 3C to "rough-in" growth conditions and achieve growth of epitaxial growth over a 4" wafer size, at respectable growth rates. Still, the material quality deduced from X-ray rocking FWMH and APB density must be further improved to be viable for our industry partners. Electron Spin Resonance (EPR) and time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) data and interpretation by an experienced scientist is identified as a critical, yet not commercially readily available feedback that would enable further material improvement.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Hybrid Electric Drivetrain Testing and Design (CRADA CRD-17-00699 Final Report)

Hybrid electric drivetrains have recently become of a great interest in the medium and heavy-duty vehicle market as it enables substantial reduction of petroleum use, vehicle level fuel use and criteria pollutant emissions. These vehicle performance improvements are not only economically beneficial for business operations relying on large fleets of vehicles, they are also paramount for curbing energy use and the negative effects of vehicle operations on the environment. Efficient Drivetrains, Inc. (EDI), acquired in July 2018 by Cummins, Inc., is a small company focused on development of medium and heavy-duty hybrid electric drivetrains. EDI has already developed the general hardware architecture of their drivetrain system, but there is still a significant effort to be done on optimizing the system in terms of control strategies and component sizing in order to maximize the benefits of the hybrid drivetrain. Historically, hybrid electric systems have proven to deliver better fuel economy in certain applications than their conventional counterparts. Particular areas of advantageous applications are vocations with kinetically intensive transient duty cycles and operations requiring some sort of power take off whose power demand is not well matched to the size of the vehicle’s main engine, thus forcing it to operate in extremely inefficient operating modes. Hybrid drivetrains can be at a disadvantage when pressed into duty cycle operation consisting of extensive steady state highway cruise due to various design compromises optimized for more transient operation. This can also lead to increase in vehicle emissions if the system is not optimized properly. Ample opportunity for extensive optimization is needed to overcome these obstacles.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

Impact of Proton Activity on Fuel-Cell Performance (CRADA Final Report)

The key attribute that is being investigated is the dependence of the oxygen-reduction and hydrogen-oxidation reaction kinetics on proton activity. The influence of proton activity on the kinetics is also important in the determination of limiting factors that impact overall fuel-cell performance. At lower humidities, which are required to simplify fuel-cell water and thermal management (especially for higher-temperature operation) and enable next generation fuel cells, the ionomer water content will be different than that in today’s fuel cells. Such changes in water content directly impact the activity and concentration of protons. Thus, it is necessary to quantify this impact of proton activity on the reaction kinetics, and to determine means to mitigate any detrimental impacts to enable high performance. To realize the above goals of understanding the intrinsic interactions of proton activity on hydrogen-oxidation and oxygen-reduction kinetics, systematic investigations were carried out and a novel technique, a rapid microelectrode with environmental control, was realized. The experimental campaign at LBNL worked alongside that of TokyoTech and both were complemented by mathematical modeling of the key phenomena. The results demonstrated a robust method to analyze the kinetic behavior and an impact of proton activity, although greater delineation in terms of ion concentration versus activity was not obtained fully due in part to limited lab access during the COVID pandemic.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗

Utility of Big Area Additive Manufacturing for Part Production for Low-Head Hydropower (CRADA NFE-18-07280 Final Report)

ORNL worked with Cadens, LLC, to explore the use of additive manufacturing (AM) to produce low-cost parts for low-head hydropower systems. Cadens develops design optimization software that leverages the flexible, low-cost, high-strength benefits of AM and composite materials. Cadens also operates a micro-hydro lab to test AM components in controlled environments. Until now, Cadens’ tests have been limited to components of a size that they can cost-effectively manufacture using local commercial systems. This project provided an opportunity for Cadens to scale up their modular AM hydropower parts using the capabilities of Big Area Additive Manufacturing (BAAM). This project was a success and resulted in the design and fabrication of several end-use parts of a hydropower system, using a Big Area Additive Manufacturing (BAAM) system. The fabricated parts include a draft tube, thimble, runner housing mold, PVC end fitting and two PVC pipe supports. In addition, a runner system was fabricated using fused deposition modeling on a 3D Platform Workbench 400 Series System.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗

Brain-computer interfaces enabled by novel magnetometers (CRADA FP00007655 Final Report))

The work primarily focused on improving performance of magnetometers based on Acoustically Driven Ferromagnetic Resonance (ADFMR) as well as exploring and evaluating the market opportunities for such devices. Over the two year program, we were able to improve magnetometer performance by a factor of over 1000X, and were able to demonstrate the feasibility of scaling down a bench-scale implementation by developing a 4” x 4” printed circuit board (PCB) prototype. These advancements were achieved by making substantial improvements both in the core sensor technology as well as the detection circuitry that allows for readout of the sensor module.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Quantum hardware accelerators for real-world applications (CRADA FP00007654 Final Report)

The research Bleximo Corp. conducted at Cyclotron Road was focused on developing application-specific superconducting quantum processors for high-value problems in quantum chemistry, in particular, calculating chemical binding energy in biomolecular systems, such as protein-ligand complexes, with chemical precision. Several candidate architectures were identified through simulations, which included experimentally-proven quantum bit architectures and realistic noise and cross-talk models in multi-qubit superconducting quantum processors.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Mixed-Mechanism Stimulation Enabled Enhanced Geothermal Systems (CRADA FP00007509 Final Report)

In this project, we aimed to develop a robust, novel EGS design that would enable broad deployment of geothermal energy at costs competitive with other sources of renewable energy. The technical objectives included developing reservoir models for synthetic geothermal systems that meet target reservoir performance characteristics, performing a quantitative assessment of selection criteria for candidate geothermal sites, perform proppant studies under relevant geothermal conditions, and complete an induced seismicity risk analysis for potential geothermal development sites. The project team made significant progress towards these objectives. Specifically, we developed a prioritization to rank candidate sites for suitability of our technology based on 10 separate technical, operational, logistic, regulatory, and commercial criteria. The team performed laboratory testing at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to characterize the functionality of several different types of proppant materials at temperatures of up to 200 C for durations of up to 9 weeks. We also created an Induced Seismicity Mitigation Plan for the top two sites selected for our future field demonstrations.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Enabling System Technologies to Improve the Economies and Performance of Existing LWRs and Advanced BWR Plants: Improving Offgas System Performance. Final CRADA Report

The project goal is to study adsorbent materials and adsorption conditions in order to develop recommendations to improve the current BWR off-gas treatment operations with respect to cost savings. ANL tasks included a literature survey on relevant information for the adsorption of radionuclides (e.g., Xe and Kr), including adsorption coefficients on various charcoals, the effect of radionuclide concentration and moisture, and alternative sorption materials; participate in meetings and teleconferences as needed; prepare reports and support efforts INL and other organization Team Members.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Development of Process Flowsheets for the Recovery of Metals by Solvent Extraction to Recycle Battery Materials: Evaluation of Application of AMUSE Code. Final CRADA Report

RSR Technologies (RSRT) wished to investigate the use of the AMUSE solvent extraction code, housed at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) to evaluate the recycling of battery cells for the reclamation of metal values. The modeling studies were undertaken by the group at ANL to evaluate several separation schemes for battery metals using solvent extraction. These studies would develop a framework to be experimentally validated at RSRT at its facility in Dallas, TX. The AMUSE code modeling work would speed the development of recovery flowsheets for spent batteries.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

SAM Co-Development to Support Fluoride-salt-cooled High-temperature Reactor Design and Licensing (CRADA 2018-18177 Final Report)

This project aims to raise the SAM code's technical and commercial maturity level to enable the Kairos Power ("Kairos") to use SAM to support its KP-FHR design analysis and licensing application. Argonne National Laboratory ("Argonne") has actively developed and maintained SAM, a modern system-level analysis tool for advanced nonlight water reactors safety analysis. Kairos is currently actively pursuing development of an FHR design and associated technology, and consequently requires a pedigreed safety analysis tool. The purpose of this project is to increase the maturity of the SAM code for the modeling and simulation of the KP-FHR design, thus enabling its use in safety analyses that support licensing application. Argonne will primarily be responsible for software design, development, and testing; while Kairos will be responsible for software requirements, assessment of software capabilities, needs, gaps, and priorities, and development of proprietary models. The research and development activities for the joint SAM development project include: a series of identification and prioritization studies on design characteristics, event sequences, relevant phenomena, and software capabilities; SAM capability enhancements for specific KP-FHR systems and components; performing code verification and validations; integrating uncertainty quantification (UQ), model calibration, and sensitivity analysis (SA) techniques in safety analyses; and raising the software quality rigor level for commercial-grade applications.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Quantify Sodium Fluoride / Beryllium Fluoride Salt Properties for a Liquid Fueled Fluoride Molten Salt Reactor (CRADA C2018-18168 Final Report)

ThorCon is developing a thermal thorium-uranium fueled molten salt reactor that uses a fuel salt consisting of NaF - BeF 2 - ThF 4 - UF 4 - UF 3 , which uses 19.75% enriched uranium. It is not a breeder reactor but requires regular additions of fissile material. A thorough understanding of the thermophysical properties of the fuel salt at the beginning (BOL) and end (EOL) of its life is critical to establishing its thermal hydraulic behavior and enables ThorCon to design a system with the required natural convection. Experimentally determining the heat capacity and thermal conductivity of the fuel salt will provide data necessary for detailed system design and safety analysis.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Comprehensive Characterization of Mixed Metal Oxide Catalysts for Enhanced Catalyst Lifetime During Bio-Based C2-C6 Oxygenates to Olefins Processes (CRADA CRD-18-00728 Final Report)

Participant has developed mixed metal oxide (MMO) catalysts to selectively convert biomass-derived C2-C6 oxygenates to olefins and then hydrocarbon fuels to meet DOE 2022 fuel targets. Selective conversion ethanol to isobutylene with MMO catalysts (ZnOZrOx) requires low ethanol feeds to maintain performance. Increasing the feed results in rapid catalyst deactivation. Participant has increased catalyst stability by adding additional metal oxides. However, variations in performance based on the level and type of additive and catalytic conditions have been observed. This project will use advanced catalyst characterization methods through the ChemCatBio Advanced Catalyst Synthesis and Characterization (ACSC) project to gain insight into key catalyst features and deactivation modes with the goal of tailoring catalyst composition to improve performance.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

MW-Scale PEM-Based Electrolyzers for RES Applications (CRADA CRD-18-00742 Final Report)

Many nations are rapidly increasing electrical generation capacity from renewable energy sources (RES) such as wind and solar. The wide penetration of RES requires an energy storage solution which has come in the form of hydrogen generated via polymer exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysis. A study of the current state-of-the-art PEM electrolysis indicates that the largest PEM-based stacks range from 150 - 250kW and that a significant scale-up of the technology is required to accommodate multi-Megawatt (MW) energy storage solutions in large-scale RES applications.

08 HYDROGEN↗

Predicting Deformation of Parts from HP Printers due to Sintering with Modeling and Simulation (CRADA NFE-18-07363)

This work proposes to leverage Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s (ORNL) sintering simulation software developed at the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility to 1) investigate the deformation of sintered parts and 2) to develop fast surrogate-based optimization methods for HP Inc. This includes the development of ORNL’s software on HP systems, integration and testing with HP part geometries and material properties, the development of surrogate models based on the results of the simulation, and modifications to the software based on feedback from HP. The expected impacts of this work are a drastic reduction in print costs, an increase in printer throughput, and the identification of novel, possibly exotic materials for 3D printing. This work will also decrease the time to market for HP’s print technology by decreasing the amount of resources and type dedicated to physical testing.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Improved Preparedness in Galveston County, Texas (CRADA TC02275 Final Report)

LLNS, as manager and operator of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), and UTMB have a multi-year, ongoing, collaborative effort. This effort aimed to improve preparedness in Galveston County, Texas region and, more generally, identifying improved methods to (a) understand and mitigate the hazards of a large industrial chemical release and (b)implement and adapt national response plans and guidance to meet local planning and response needs.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Enabling generalized phage therapy to treat secondary infections in COVID-19 (CRADA Final Report)

COVID-19 is a global health threat, with 32 millions infected and more than 500,000 deaths in the U.S. alone. A key aspect of COVID-19 deaths is bacterial secondary infections, with Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa identified as some of the major causative pathogens. Phage therapy, i.e., the administration of bacteriophages (viruses infecting these bacterial pathogens) to patients offers a complementary solution to antibiotics with multiple key advantages. Felix Biotechnology’s is developing a high-throughput platform to identify phages that not only kill pathogens, but also drive targeted trade-off of pathogenic phenotypes such as reduced virulence and antibiotic resistance, at a fraction of the time and R&D cost of any competitor. In this project, collaboration with scientists from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory enabled Felix Biotechnology to establish robust analysis pipeline to investigate phage-host interactions in complex samples. These should enable a quick and robust identification of promising phages and key genetic determinants for therapy applications, paving the way towards a streamlined and safe use of phages in the clinic.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗