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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 487 records · Page 27
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

Hierarchical porous silicon structures with extraordinary mechanical strength as high-performance lithium-ion battery anodes

Abstract Porous structured silicon has been regarded as a promising candidate to overcome pulverization of silicon-based anodes. However, poor mechanical strength of these porous particles has limited their volumetric energy density towards practical applications. Here we design and synthesize hierarchical carbon-nanotube@silicon@carbon microspheres with both high porosity and extraordinary mechanical strength (>200 MPa) and a low apparent particle expansion of ~40% upon full lithiation. The composite electrodes of carbon-nanotube@silicon@carbon-graphite with a practical loading (3 mAh cm −2 ) deliver ~750 mAh g −1 specific capacity, <20% initial swelling at 100% state-of-charge, and ~92% capacity retention over 500 cycles. Calendered electrodes achieve ~980 mAh cm −3 volumetric capacity density and <50% end-of-life swell after 120 cycles. Full cells with LiNi 1/3 Mn 1/3 Co 1/3 O 2 cathodes demonstrate >92% capacity retention over 500 cycles. This work is a leap in silicon anode development and provides insights into the design of electrode materials for other batteries.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2011

Electrodeposition of Metals in Catalyst Synthesis: The Case of Platinum Monolayer Electrocatalysts

The concern about energy sources, their availability, and related environmental effects, is at an all time high. Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs) - with an efficiency higher than that of internal combustion engines, light weight, low operating temperature, and fast-start-up capability - are strong candidates for automotive applications. Transportation applications could be especially important in shaping up the new energy economy since they may entail a substantial decrease in the adverse environmental effects linked to the use of fossil fuels and prolong their availability. The largest portion of the cost of PEMFCs reflects the large amount of Pt needed in the cathode's catalytic layer due to the low catalytic activity of Pt for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Recently, considerable advances have been made in fuel cell electrocatalysis yielding improved electrocatalysts, and increasing our understanding of the kinetics of the ORR in combination with significant advances in theoretical treatments. Some of these studies involved: (1) alloying Pt to synthesize bi-metallic catalysts, (2) core-shell nanoparticles catalysts, (3) the role of size, structure, and shape of nanoparticles, and (4) de-alloying of bimetallic alloys. However, a complete understanding of the ORR kinetics on Pt, the best single element catalyst, and of its low efficiency, is yet to be achieved. These problems, compounded with the high Pt content in current cathode catalysts, and with their gradual loss of performance under operating conditions, still hamper commercialization of fuel cells. In order to minimize the amount of noble metal electrocatalysts and maximize their utilization, while achieving high catalytic activity, numerous synthetic approaches have been attempted. The electrocatalysts were prepared using vacuum deposition methods, wet chemistry methods, or electrodeposition techniques. Electrodeposition in particular has several attractive features with respect to the application in catalyst synthesis such as simplicity of operation and ease of control of the deposition conditions. In this article we describe the application of metal electrodeposition in the synthesis of a new type of electrocatalysts comprising a Pt monolayer (Pt{sub ML}) on metal or alloy nanoparticles. The concept of Pt{sub ML} electrocatalysts offers a possible solution to the impasse caused by a slow ORR kinetics and the consequent large Pt content of conventional electrocatalysts. A Pt{sub ML} shell on a nanoparticle substrate core ensures that every Pt atom is available for catalytic activity; in other words, a Pt{sub ML} achieves the ultimate reduction in Pt loading and complete Pt utilization. Also, through geometric and electronic interaction with the substrate a Pt{sub ML} can change its electronic properties and be more active and durable than pure-Pt electrocatalysts.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗
DOE OSTI2016

Status on the Component Models Developed in the Modelica Framework: High-Temperature Steam Electrolysis Plant & Gas Turbine Power Plant

This report has been prepared as part of an effort to design and build a modeling and simulation (M&S) framework to assess the economic viability of a nuclear-renewable hybrid energy system (N-R HES). In order to facilitate dynamic M&S of such an integrated system, research groups in multiple national laboratories have been developing various subsystems as dynamic physics-based components using the Modelica programming language. In fiscal year (FY) 2015, Idaho National Laboratory (INL) performed a dynamic analysis of two region-specific N-R HES configurations, including the gas-to-liquid (natural gas to Fischer-Tropsch synthetic fuel) and brackish water reverse osmosis desalination plants as industrial processes. In FY 2016, INL has developed two additional subsystems in the Modelica framework: a high-temperature steam electrolysis (HTSE) plant and a gas turbine power plant (GTPP). HTSE has been proposed as a high priority industrial process to be integrated with a light water reactor (LWR) in an N-R HES. This integrated energy system would be capable of dynamically apportioning thermal and electrical energy (1) to provide responsive generation to the power grid and (2) to produce alternative industrial products (i.e., hydrogen and oxygen) without generating any greenhouse gases. A dynamic performance analysis of the LWR/HTSE integration case was carried out to evaluate the technical feasibility (load-following capability) and safety of such a system operating under highly variable conditions requiring flexible output. To support the dynamic analysis, the detailed dynamic model and control design of the HTSE process, which employs solid oxide electrolysis cells, have been developed to predict the process behavior over a large range of operating conditions. As first-generation N-R HES technology will be based on LWRs, which provide thermal energy at a relatively low temperature, complementary temperature-boosting technology was suggested for integration with the HTSE process that requires higher temperature input. Simulation results involving several case studies show that the suggested control scheme could maintain the controlled variables (including the steam utilization factor, cathode stream inlet composition, and temperatures of the process streams at various locations) within desired limits under various plant operating conditions. The results also indicate that the proposed HTSE plant could provide operational flexibility to participate in energy management at the utility scale by dynamically optimizing the use of excess plant capacity within an N-R HES. A natural-gas fired GTPP has been proposed as a secondary energy supply to be included in an N-R HES. This auxiliary generator could be used to cover rapid dynamics in grid demand that cannot be met by the remainder of the N-R HES. To evaluate the operability and controllability of the proposed process during transients between load (demand) levels, the dynamic model and control design were developed. Special attention was given to the design of feedback controllers to regulate the power frequency, and exhaust gas and turbine firing temperatures. Several case studies were performed to investigate the system responses to the major disturbance (power load demand) in such a control system. The simulation results show that the performance of the proposed control strategies was satisfactory under each test when the GTPP experienced high rapid variations in the load.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2011

Effects of Tungsten Oxide Addition on the Electrochemical Performance of Nanoscale Tantalum Oxide-Based Electrocatalysts for Proton Exchange Membrane PEM Fuel Cells

In the present study, the properties of a series of non-platinum based nanoscale tantalum oxide/tungsten oxide-carbon composite catalysts was investigated for potential use in catalyzing the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) on the cathode side of a PEM fuel cell membrane electrode assembly. Electrochemical performance was measured using a half-cell test set up with a rotating disc electrode and compared with a commercial platinum-on-carbon (Pt/C) catalyst. Overall, all of the oxide-based composite catalysts exhibit high ORR on-set potentials, comparable to that of the baseline Pt/C catalyst. The addition of tungsten oxide as a dopant to tantalum oxide greatly improved mass specific current density. Maximum performance was achieved with a catalyst containing 32 mol% of tungsten oxide, which exhibited a mass specific current density ~8% that of the Pt/C catalyst at 0.6 V vs. the normal hydrogen electrode (NHE) and ~35% that of the Pt/C catalyst at 0.2 V vs. NHE. Results from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis indicated that the tungsten cations in the composite catalysts exist in the +6 oxidation state, while the tantalum displays an average valence of +5, suggesting that the addition of tungsten likely creates an oxygen excess in the tantalum oxide structure that influences its oxygen absorption kinetics. When the 32mol% tungsten doped catalyst loading on the working electrode was increased to five times that of the original loading (which was equivalent to that of the baseline Pt/C catalyst), the area specific current density improved four fold, achieving an area specific current density ~35% that of the Pt/C catalyst at 0.6 V vs. NHE.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2023

Designing Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 /LiMn 2 O 4 Cells: Negative-to-Positive Ratio and Electrolyte

Li 4 Ti 5 O12/LiMn2O 4 (LTO/LMO) system is a promising candidate for behind-the-meter storage (BTMS) applications due to its critical-material-free chemistry exhibiting good safety and long lifetime. In this paper we design LTO/LMO cells to mitigate their major degradation mechanism, loss of Li inventory, and improve their long-term cyclability. First, LMO electrodes with different loadings (2.61, 3.29, and 4.26 mAh cm -2 ) are paired with an LTO electrode (3.35 mAh cm -2 ) to create varying negative-to-positive ratios (N/P>1, =1, and <1). Additionally, conventional ethylene carbonate (EC)/ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC) mixture electrolyte and safety enhanced EC-only electrolyte are examined. We show that storing additional Li inventory in the cathode (i.e., using a thicker electrode and having N/P<1) is a convenient method to enhance the capacity retention of LTO/LMO cells, but only if the electrode utilization is not limited by the Li + ion transport. For systems that suffer from limited transport properties, prelithiating the anode will be more effective since LTO (~165 mAh g -1 LTO ) can store the same amount of capacity using less material compared to LMO (~100 mAh g -1 LMO ). In this work, we demonstrate how the electrolyte properties and the electrode thickness of LTO/LMO cells can be designed to enhance their performance.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2018

High capacity 3D structured tin-based electroplated Li-ion battery anodes

3D structured porous electrodes have been considered as a possible solution for accommodating the volume change of alloying lithium ion battery anode materials during cycling. However, lab-scale porous electrodes tend to be thin, and the loading of the activity materials is also small, the combination of which results in electrodes with impractically low areal and volumetric capacities. In this work, we develop a high areal and volumetric capacity 3D-structured Sn/C anode by using a two steps electroplating process. An electrode with a 20% v/v Sn loading exhibits a high volumetric/areal capacity of similar to 879 mA h/cm 3 /6.59 mA h/cm 2 after 100 cycles at 0.5 C and a good rate performance of about 750 mA h/cm 3 and 5.5 mA h/cm 2 (delithiation) at 10 C in a half-cell configuration. The 3D Sn/C anode also shows good compatibility with a commercial LCO cathode in a full cell configuration.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2018

A Plasma Focus Device with a 2-MA Discharge Current as a Hard X-Ray Source

A device based on a pulsed current generator with capacitive energy storage loaded on a plasma focus (PF) chamber is described. The device provides a discharge current amplitude of up to 2 MA in the PF chamber at a stored energy in the capacitor bank of up to 150 kJ. The PF chamber is designed to study hard X-ray (HXR) emission. It has windows for output of HXR emission in the cathode direction, as well as a special insert for output of HXR emission into the anode cavity. A study of operation of the chamber as a part of the setup with the use of various X-ray targets on the anode has been carried out. At a discharge current of 1.5MA, an HXR pulse with an average duration of 16 ns and energy spectrum from 10 to 200 keV, which provides an absorbed dose in the irradiated samples on the order of 1 Sv, is generated in the PF chamber.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2017

Constitutive behavior and progressive mechanical failure of electrodes in lithium-ion batteries

The electrodes of lithium-ion batteries (LIB) are known to be brittle and to fail earlier than the separators during an external crush event. Thus, the understanding of mechanical failure mechanism for LIB electrodes (anode and cathode) is critical for the safety design of LIB cells. In this paper, we present experimental and numerical studies on the constitutive behavior and progression of failure in LIB electrodes. Mechanical tests were designed and conducted to evaluate the constitutive properties of porous electrodes. Constitutive models were developed to describe the stress-strain response of electrodes under uniaxial tensile and compressive loads. The failure criterion and a damage model were introduced to model their unique tensile and compressive failure behavior. The failure mechanism of LIB electrodes was studied using the blunt rod test on dry electrodes, and numerical models were built to simulate progressive failure. The different failure processes were examined and analyzed in detail numerically, and correlated with experimentally observed failure phenomena. Finally, the test results and models improve our understanding of failure behavior in LIB electrodes, and provide constructive insights on future development of physics-based safety design tools for battery structures under mechanical abuse.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Facet Impact of CuMn 2 O 4 Spinel Nanocatalysts on Enhancement of the Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Alkaline Media

Surface-structure engineering represents an attractive strategy to optimize the energy conversion performance of nanocatalysts using their deliberately controlled exposed facets. To further exploit the potential of non-PGM-based spinel catalysts for alkaline oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), a cathodic fuel cell reaction, we hereby report a strategy of ORR improvement by controlling the crystallographic facets of ultra-small CuMn 2 O 4 spinel nanocatalysts through a developed colloidal synthesis approach. The synthesis of CuMn 2 O 4 nanocrystals with morphological control relies on the design and selection of the Cu-/Mn-precursors with striking discrepancies in reaction kinetics. Following carbon loading and an annealing post-treatment of the as-synthesized nanocatalysts, the exclusively {101} facet-exposed CuMn 2 O 4 spinel nano-octahedra exhibit improved electrocatalytic activity toward ORR in 1 M KOH, when compared to their spherical counterparts, exhibiting a mass activity (MA) of 37.6 A/g at 0.85 V. After 10,000 cycles of ORR durability test, the nano-octahedra still retain an MA of 24.5 A/g, which is twice that of the CuMn 2 O 4 spinel nanospheres. Structural characterizations after durability testing indicate that the MA decay is likely associated with a decrease in the Mn 3+ fraction and the emergence of Cu + on CuMn 2 O 4 nano-octahedral surfaces. Finally, as a paradigm, this synthesis approach could be extended to other Mn-based spinel nanocatalysts with precise shape control, enabling us to understand and establish the relationship between the surface lattice/valence state and electrocatalytic properties.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Low coordination number copper catalysts for electrochemical CO 2 methanation in a membrane electrode assembly

The electrochemical conversion of CO 2 to methane provides a means to store intermittent renewable electricity in the form of a carbon-neutral hydrocarbon fuel that benefits from an established global distribution network. The stability and selectivity of reported approaches reside below technoeconomic-related requirements. Membrane electrode assembly-based reactors offer a known path to stability; however, highly alkaline conditions on the cathode favour C-C coupling and multi-carbon products. In computational studies herein, we find that copper in a low coordination number favours methane even under highly alkaline conditions. Experimentally, we develop a carbon nanoparticle moderator strategy that confines a copper-complex catalyst when employed in a membrane electrode assembly. In-situ XAS measurements confirm that increased carbon nanoparticle loadings can reduce the metallic copper coordination number. At a copper coordination number of 4.2 we demonstrate a CO 2 -to-methane selectivity of 62%, a methane partial current density of 136 mA cm –2 , and > 110 hours of stable operation.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2018

Mitigation of Shuttle Effect in Li–S Battery Using a Self-Assembled Ultrathin Molybdenum Disulfide Interlayer

Lithium–sulfur batteries are promising for low-cost and high-energy storage, but their applications are still limited by poor cycling stability owing to soluble lithium polysulfide shuttling during battery operation. Avoiding shuttle effect is challenging but it is essential to avoid active material loss and prevent performance decay. We use an ultrathin layer of MoS 2 with thickness of 10–40 nm, which is 1–2 orders of magnitude thinner than conventional interlayers, for Li–S batteries to mitigate polysulfide shuttling. The MoS2 layer formed by exfoliated nanoflakes is deposited by the scalable liquid-based self-assembly method. With less than 1% of additional weight in the cathode, the MoS 2 interlayer with complete coverage inhibits polysulfide diffusion across the separator and therefore remarkably improves the battery performances. Reversible specific capacity reaches 1010 and 600 mA h g –1 at 0.5 and 2C rates, respectively, which decay slowly over 400 cycles (0.11% per cycle). Moreover, the MoS 2 films with high density of catalytic active flake edges enable high areal sulfur loading up to 10 mg cm –2 and areal capacity up to 9.7 mA h cm –2 at a current density of 3.2 mA cm –2 .

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2012

An asymmetric emittance electron source for the GALAXIE dielectric-laser accelerator injector

The GALAXIE project is a program to develop an all-optical, very high field accelerator and undulator integrated SASE FEL system based on dielectric laser-excited structures that support >GV/m fields. These structures are very wide in one direction to allow adequate charge given beam loading considerations, but also having small (subwavelength) apertures in the narrow direction. Such small vertical dimensions yield strict restrictions on the emittance in this direction, while no such constraint exists in the wide transverse direction. However, the overall beam brightness is restricted by the performance requirements on the FEL. To meet these demands, we are studying a very high field gun with a magnetized cathode, yielding a beam with angular momentum content. This beam is then subject to a skew-quad triplet that splits the emittances; this process is reversed to give a round beam after acceleration. This symmetric emittance beam avoids gain-degrading multiple-transverse-mode operation of the FEL, which also demands that the effects of the angular momentum in the beam be mitigated. In this paper we discuss the RF design of an X-band gun to be operated at {approx}200 MV/m peak field giving a 1 pC magnetized beam with unprecedented brightness. We examine the design of the focusing and skew-quad systems, investigating the associated beam dynamics and efficacy of emittance splitting.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Controlled Nucleation and Growth Process of Li 2 S 2 /Li 2 S in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Lithium-sulfur battery is a promising next-generation energy storage system because of its potentially three to five times higher energy density than that of traditional lithium ion batteries. However, the dissolution and precipitation of soluble polysulfides during cycling initiate a series of key-chain reactions that significantly shorten battery life. Herein, we demonstrate that through a simple but effective strategy, significantly improved cycling performance is achieved for high sulfur loading electrodes through controlling the nucleation and precipitation of polysulfieds on the electrode surface. More than 400 or 760 stable cycling are successfully displayed in the cells with locked discharge capacity of 625 mAh g -1 or 500 mAh g -1 , respectively. The nucleation and growth process of dissolved polysulfides has been electrochemically altered to confine the thickness of discharge products passivated on the cathode surface, increasing the utilization rate of sulfur while avoiding severe morphology changes on the electrode. More importantly, the exposure of new lithium metal surface to the S-containing electrolyte is also greatly reduced through this strategy, largely minimizing the anode corrosion caused by polysulfides. This work interlocks the electrode morphologies and its evolution with electrochemical interference to modulate cell performances by using Li-S system as a platform, providing different but critical directions for this community.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2011

Tore Supra LH transmitter upgrade, a new RF driver for the power spectrum

New real time tools have been developed for testing new 700kW/3.7GHz/CW klystrons and for the operations on very long plasma shots. After the commissioning of the 18 series tubes on the high power test bed facility, the installation of the first 8 klystrons in the Tore Supra transmitter and the adjustment tests on load, this upgrade work has been materialized during the last 2010 campaign by a successful operation on the Full Active Multijunction (FAM) C3 antenna, with new performances: 3.5MW/40s on plasma. The RF output power control in amplitude and phase has been improved for a better control of the wave spectrum launched into the plasma. The new klystrons have no modulating anode and the high cathode voltage must be adjusted with the RF input power in order to optimize the RF output power with a minimization of the thermal power losses in the collector. A new phase correction, depending on the 3 RF output power ranges used, has been introduced. The improvements made in 2009 and 2010 on the generic phase loop and the procedures used during the real time tests of the RF transfer functions in amplitude and phase are detailed below. All RF measurements systems, RF safety systems and the RF calibration procedures have been revised in order to have the best consistency, reproducibility and with a measurement error against the calorimetry measurement lower than 10%.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Axial mass fraction measurements in a 300kA dense plasma focus

The dynamics and characteristics of the plasma sheath during the axial phase in a ~300 kA, ~2 kJ dense plasma focus using a static gas load of Ne at 1–4 Torr are reported. The sheath, which is driven axially at a constant velocity ~10 5 m/s by the j × B force, is observed using optical imaging, to form an acute angle between the electrodes. This angle becomes more acute (more parallel to the axis) along the rundown. The average sheath thickness nearer the anode is 0.69 ± 0.02 mm and nearer the cathode is 0.95 ± 0.02 mm. The sheath total mass increases from 1 ± 0.02 μg to 6 ± 0.02 μg over the pressure range of 1–4 Torr. However, the mass fraction (defined as the sheath mass/total mass of cold gas between the electrodes) decreases from 7% to 5%. In addition, the steeper the plasma sheath, the more mass is lost from the sheath, which is consistent with radial and axial motion. Lastly, experimental results are compared to the Lee code when 100% of the current drives the axial and radial phase.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Application of a temporal multiscale method for efficient simulation of degradation in PEM Water Electrolysis under dynamic operating conditions

Hydrogen is emerging as a vital energy carrier, driven by the need to reduce carbon emissions. Proton Electrolyte Membrane Water Electrolysis (PEMWE) enables hydrogen production under fluctuating renewable power conditions but requires improved understanding and stability of the anode catalyst layer under dynamic operating conditions, especially with low noble metal loadings. Long-term degradation experiments are both time-consuming and costly; therefore, a systematic, model-aided approach is essential. In the present work, a temporal multiscale method is applied to reduce the computational effort of simulating long-term degradation processes in PEMWE, with an exemplary focus on catalyst dissolution. A mechanistic model incorporating the oxygen evolution reaction, catalyst dissolution, and hydrogen permeation from the cathode to the anode was hypothesized and implemented. In this way, the local periodicity of transport and reaction processes in dynamic PEMWE operation, which influence the gradual degradation of the catalyst layer, is captured. The temporal multiscale method significantly reduces the computational effort of simulation, decreasing processing time from hours to mere minutes. This efficiency gain is attributed to the limited evolution of Slow-Scale variables during each period of time P of the Fast-Scale variables. Consequently, simulation is required only until local periodicity is achieved within each Slow-Scale time step. Hence, the fully resolved dynamic problem is decoupled into these two scales, employing a heterogeneous multiscale technique. The developed approach effectively accelerates parameter estimation and predictive simulations, supporting systematic modeling of PEMWE degradation under dynamic conditions.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2011

Enhanced Densification of SDC Barrier Layers

This technical report explores the Enhanced Densification of SCD Barrier Layers A samaria-doped ceria (SDC) barrier layer separates the lanthanum strontium cobalt ferrite (LSCF) cathode from the yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte in a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) to prevent the formation of electrically resistive interfacial SrZrO 3 layers that arise from the reaction of Sr from the LSCF with Zr from the YSZ. However, the sintering temperature of this SDC layer must be limited to 1200°C to avoid extensive interdiffusion between SDC and YSZ to form a resistive CeO 2 -ZrO 2 solid solution. Therefore, the conventional SDC layer is often porous and therefore not as impervious to Sr-diffusion as would be desired. In the pursuit of improved SOFC performance, efforts have been directed toward increasing the density of the SDC barrier layer without increasing the sintering temperature. The density of the SDC barrier layer can be greatly increased through small amounts of Cu-doping of the SDC powder together with increased solids loading and use of an appropriate binder system in the screen print ink. However, the resulting performance of cells with these barrier layers did not exhibit the expected increase in accordance with that achieved with the prototypical PLD SDC layer. It was determined by XRD that increased sinterability of the SDC also results in increased interdiffusivity between the SDC and YSZ, resulting in formation of a highly resistive solid solution.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗