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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 469 records · Page 26
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Introducing a Phenyl End Group in the Inner Side Chains of A‐DA'D‐A Acceptors Enables High‐Efficiency Organic Solar Cells Processed with Nonhalogenated Solvent

Abstract Power conversion efficiency (PCE) of organic solar cells (OSCs) processed by nonhalogenated solvents is unsatisfactory due to the unfavorable morphology. Herein, two new small molecule acceptors (SMAs) Y6‐Ph and L8‐Ph are synthesized by introducing a phenyl end group in the inner side chains of the SMAs of Y6 and L8‐BO, respectively, for overcoming the excessive aggregation of SMAs in the long‐time film forming processed by nonhalogenated solvents. First, the effect of the film forming time on the aggregation property and photovoltaic performance of Y6, L8‐BO, Y6‐Ph, and L8‐Ph is studied by using the commonly used solvents: chloroform (CF) (rapid film forming process) and chlorobenzene (CB) (slow film forming process). It is found that Y6‐ and L8‐BO‐based OSCs exhibit a dramatic drop in PCE from CF‐ to CB‐processed devices owing to the large phase separation, while the Y6‐Ph and L8‐Ph based OSCs show obviously increased PCEs Furthermore, L8‐Ph‐based OSCs processed by nonhalogenated solvento‐xylene (o‐XY) achieved a high PCE of 18.40% with an FF of 80.11%. The results indicate that introducing a phenyl end group in the inner side chains is an effective strategy to modulate the morphology and improve the photovoltaic performance of the OSCs processed by nonhalogenated solvents.

Chemistry↗
DOE OSTI2022

Constraints on key O 17 ( α , γ ) Ne 21 resonances and impact on the weak s process

The efficiency of the slow neutron-capture process in massive stars is strongly influenced by neutron-capture reactions on light elements. At low metallicity, 16 O is an important neutron absorber, but the effectiveness of 16 O as a light-element neutron poison is modified by competition between subsequent 17 O(α,n) 20 Ne and 17 O(α,γ) 21 Ne reactions. The strengths of key 17 O(α,γ) 21 Ne resonances within the Gamow window for core helium burning in massive stars are not well constrained by experiment. This work presents more precise measurements of resonances in the energy range E c.m. = 612–1319 keV. We extract resonance strengths of ωγ 638 = 4.85 ± 0.79 μeV, ωγ 721 =13.1$^{+3.2}_{-2.4}$ μeV, ωγ 814 = 7.72 ± 0.55 meV, and ωγ 1318 = 136 ±13 meV, for resonances at E c.m. = 638, 721, 814, and 1318 keV, respectively. We also report an upper limit for the 612 keV resonance of ωγ < 140 neV (95% c.l.), which effectively rules out any significant contribution from this resonance to the reaction rate. From this work, a new 17 O(α,γ) 21 Ne thermonuclear reaction rate is calculated and compared to the literature. The effect of present uncertainties in the 17 O(α,γ) 21 Ne reaction rate on weak s-process yields are then explored using postprocessing calculations based on a rotating 20M ⊙ low-metallicity massive star. The resulting 17 O(α,γ) 21 Ne reaction rate is lower with respect to the preexisting literature and found to enhance weak s-process yields in rotating massive star models.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Laser-driven hydrothermal processing: a new, efficient technique to effect separation of silica from other oxides for analysis

We report on what appeared to be an unstudied regime of laser-matter interactions, when modest-intensity, modest-fluence laser pulses struck weakly-absorbing, silica-rich material that was submerged in water: material was efficiently removed from the surface and colorless particles were left behind, decorating crater's surface. One explanation for this color loss was a transient dissolution of the material, due to the pressure and temperature pulse caused by the laser absorption and thermally-driven expansion of the material. Yet, other explanations were possible. Here, we have studied this process with laser intensity and fluence so low that no crater was formed, when a sample of natural quartzite rock was submerged in deionized water and illuminated with 40 MW cm –2 , 527 nm laser pulses. After one hundred laser pulses, the treated surface of the originally colored quartzite was colorless. We cut the quartzite in cross section and examined the colorless material on the surface with x-ray fluorescence. We report that the transition element Fe was found to be significantly depleted in this colorless layer, while Si was not. This bolsters the hypothesis that the laser exposure led to a transient hydrothermal dissolution of the material, followed by a recrystallization process of the SiO 2 that preferentially released iron oxides into the submerging water.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Enhancing Cloud Radiative Processes and Radiation Efficiency in the Advanced Research Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model

The objective of this research has been to evaluate and implement enhancements to the computational performance of the RRTMG radiative transfer option in the Advanced Research version of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. Efficiency is as essential as accuracy for effective numerical weather prediction, and radiative transfer is a relatively time-consuming component of dynamical models, taking up to 30-50 percent of the total model simulation time. To address this concern, this research has implemented and tested a version of RRTMG that utilizes graphics processing unit (GPU) technology (hereinafter RRTMGPU) to greatly improve its computational performance; thereby permitting either more frequent simulation of radiative effects or other model enhancements. During the early stages of this project the development of RRTMGPU was completed at AER under separate NASA funding to accelerate the code for use in the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Goddard Earth Observing System GEOS-5 global model. It should be noted that this final report describes results related to the funded portion of the originally proposed work concerning the acceleration of RRTMG with GPUs in WRF. As a k-distribution model, RRTMG is especially well suited to this modification due to its relatively large internal pseudo-spectral (g-point) dimension that, when combined with the horizontal grid vector in the dynamical model, can take great advantage of the GPU capability. Thorough testing under several model configurations has been performed to ensure that RRTMGPU improves WRF model run time while having no significant impact on calculated radiative fluxes and heating rates or on dynamical model fields relative to the RRTMG radiation. The RRTMGPU codes have been provided to NCAR for possible application to the next public release of the WRF forecast model.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

Cycling excitation process: An ultra efficient and quiet signal amplification mechanism in semiconductor

Signal amplification, performed by transistor amplifiers with its merit rated by the efficiency and noise characteristics, is ubiquitous in all electronic systems. Because of transistor thermal noise, an intrinsic signal amplification mechanism, impact ionization was sought after to complement the limits of transistor amplifiers. However, due to the high operation voltage (30-200 V typically), low power efficiency, limited scalability, and, above all, rapidly increasing excess noise with amplification factor, impact ionization has been out of favor for most electronic systems except for a few applications such as avalanche photodetectors and single-photon Geiger detectors. Here, we report an internal signal amplification mechanism based on the principle of the phonon-assisted cycling excitation process (CEP). Si devices using this concept show ultrahigh gain, low operation voltage, CMOS compatibility, and, above all, quantum limit noise performance that is 30 times lower than devices using impact ionization. Established on a unique physical effect of attractive properties, CEP-based devices can potentially revolutionize the fields of semiconductor electronics.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2013

Efficient solution-processed small molecule: Cadmium selenide quantum dot bulk heterojunction solar cells

We report bulk heterojunction solar cells based on blends of solution-processed small molecule [7,7′-(4,4-bis(2-ethylhexyl)-4H-silolo[3,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene-2,6-diyl) bis(6-fluoro-4-(5′-hexyl-[2,2′-bithiophen]-5yl)benzo[c] [1,2,5] thiadiazole)] p-DTS(FBTTh{sub 2}){sub 2}: Cadmium Selenide (CdSe) (70:30, 60:40, 50:50, and 40:60) in the device configuration: Indium Tin Oxide /poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS)/p-DTS(FBTTh{sub 2}){sub 2}: CdSe/Ca/Al. The optimized ratio of p-DTS(FBTTh{sub 2}){sub 2}:CdSe::60:40 leads to a short circuit current density (J{sub sc}) = 5.45 mA/cm{sup 2}, open circuit voltage (V{sub oc}) = 0.727 V, and fill factor (FF) = 51%, and a power conversion efficiency = 2.02% at 100 mW/cm{sup 2} under AM1.5G illumination. The J{sub sc} and FF are sensitive to the ratio of p-DTS(FBTTh{sub 2}){sub 2}:CdSe, which is a crucial factor for the device performance.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2012

Energy Efficient Microwave Hybrid Processing of Lime for Cement, Steel, and Glass Industries

In this study, the microwave materials interactions were studied through dielectric property measurements, process modeling, and lab scale microwave hybrid calcination tests. Characterization and analysis were performed to evaluate material reactions and energy usage. Processing parameters for laboratory scale and larger scale calcining experiments were developed for MAT limestone calcination. Early stage equipment design concepts were developed, with a focus on microwave post heating treatment. The retrofitting of existing rotary calcine equipment in the lime industry was assessed and found to be feasible. Ceralink sought to address some of the major barriers to the uptake of MAT identified as the need for (1) team approach with end users, technology partners, and equipment manufacturers, (2) modeling that incorporates kiln materials and variations to the design of industrial microwave equipment.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2022

Atomically Precise Manufacturing for 2D-Designed Materials

The primary purpose of this program was to develop atomically precise fabrication techniques for semiconductor systems that places dopant atoms in a single buried (100) atomic plane in silicon with near atomic precision to create unprecedented structures that can be used for a wide variety of quantum experiments, devices, and potentially designer quantum materials. The potential impacts on reducing industrial energy use are many: 1) optimized and more energy efficient industrial processes via more efficient computational approaches, 2) dramatically improved materials for industrial use including higher critical-temperature superconductors eliminating losses in electrical transmission, 3) the better understanding of quantum chemistry via Analog Quantum Simulation(AQS) in the near term and universal quantum computing in the longer term that will lead to new industrial processes with smaller or zero production of greenhouse gases.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2017

Scale-up of high specific activity 186g Re production using graphite-encased thick 186 W targets and demonstration of an efficient target recycling process

Production of high specific activity 186g Re is of interest for development of theranostic radiopharmaceuticals. Previous studies have shown that high specific activity 186g Re can be obtained by cyclotron irradiation of enriched 186 W via the 186 W(d,2n) 186g Re reaction, but most irradiations were conducted at low beam currents and for short durations. In this paper, enriched 186 W metal targets were irradiated at high incident deuteron beam currents to demonstrate production rates and contaminants produced when using thick targets. Full-stopping thick targets, as determined using SRIM, were prepared by uniaxial pressing of powdered natural abundance W metal or 96.86% enriched 186 W metal encased between two layers of graphite flakes for target material stabilization. An assessment of structural integrity was made on each target preparation. To assess the performance of graphite-encased thick 186 W metal targets, along with the impact of encasing on the separation chemistry, targets were first irradiated using a 22 MeV deuteron beam for 10 min at 10, 20, and 27 μA, with an estimated nominal deuteron energy of 18.7 MeV on the 186 W target material (after energy degradation correction from top graphite layer). Gamma-ray spectrometry was performed post EOB on all targets to assess production yields and radionuclidic byproducts. The investigation also evaluated a method to recover and recycle enriched target material from a column isolation procedure. Material composition analyses of target materials, pass-through/wash solutions and recycling process isolates were conducted with SEM, FTIR, XRD, EDS and ICP-MS spectrometry. Finally, to demonstrate scaled-up production, a graphite-encased 186 W target made from recycled 186 W was irradiated for ~2 h with 18.7 MeV deuterons at a beam current of 27 μA to provide 0.90 GBq (24.3 mCi) of 186g Re, decay-corrected to the end of bombardment. ICP-MS analysis of the isolated 186g Re solution provided data that indicated the specific activity of 186g Re in this scaled-up production run was 2.6±0.5 GBq/μg (70±10 Ci/mg).

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗