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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 55 records · Page 3
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

(110)-Oriented GaAs Devices and Spalling as a Platform for Low-Cost III-V Photovoltaics

We demonstrate the growth of (110) GaAs solar cells by hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) as an advance towards a (110)-oriented device platform with substrate reuse via spalling. Controlled spalling offers a fracture-based path to substrate amortization, allowing device removal and substrate reuse, but the faceted surface generated in spalling of (100)-GaAs presents hurdles to direct regrowth of subsequent devices. Spalling of (110)-oriented substrates takes advantage of the natural (110) cleavage plane in zinc-blende III-V materials, eliminating this faceting. The vast majority of III-V epitaxy development is on (100)-oriented substrates, but epitaxy is not limited to this orientation. Here, we demonstrate (110)-based GaAs solar cells grown by HVPE with equivalent performance to devices grown on the more standard (100) orientation. We also demonstrate spalling of (110) oriented substrates, revealing surfaces with flat terraces separated by steps. These results provide preliminary evidence of a potentially low-cost path for terrestrial III-V photovoltaics via the (110) substrate orientation.

(110) orientation↗
NASA NTRS1999

Sea Surface Slope Statistics for Intermediate and Shore Scale Ocean Waves Measured Using a Low-Altitude Aircraft

Ocean surface remote sensing techniques often rely on scattering or emission linked to shorter- scale gravity-capillary ocean wavelets. However, it is increasingly apparent that slightly longer wavelengths of O(10 to 500 cm) are vital components in the robust sea surface description needed to link varied global remote sensing data sets. This paper describes a sensor suite developed to examine sea surface slope variations in the field using an aircraft flying at very low altitude (below 30 m) and will also provide preliminary measurements detailing changes in slope characteristics versus sea state and friction velocity. Two-dimensional surface slope is measured using simultaneous range measurements from three compact short-range laser altimeters mounted in an equilateral triangle arrangement with spacing of about 1 m. In addition, all three lasers provide independent wave elevation profiles after GPS-aided correction for aircraft altitude. Laser range precision is 1 cm rms while vertical motion correction is 15 cm rms. The measurements are made along-track at approximately 1 m intervals setting the spatial scale of the measurement to cover waves of intermediate to long scale. Products available for this array then include surface elevation, two-dimensional slope distribution, and the cross- and along-track 1-D slope distributions. To complement the laser, a down-looking mm-wave radar scatterometer is centered within the laser array to measure radar backscatter simultaneously with the laser slope. The radar's footprint is nominally 1 m in diameter. Near-vertical radar backscatter is inversely proportional to the small-scale surface slope variance and to the tilt of the underlying (laser-measured) surface facet. Together the laser and radar data provide information on wave roughness from the longest scales down to about 1 cm. These measurements are complemented by aircraft turbulence probe data that provides robust surface flux information.

Vandemack, Douglas↗
DOE OSTI2026

Assessing metal nitrides and metal carbides as supports for thermally stable single-atom catalysts

Single-atom catalysts supported on metal oxides have been demonstrated to exhibit exceptional activity while also maintaining single-atom stability. However, alternative supports such as metal nitrides and carbides have received far less attention. Herein, we use density functional theory to systematically investigate the relative thermal stability of single-atom catalysts over a host of transition metal nitride and carbide supports. By considering the binding and dimerization energies of isolated transition metal atoms across various surface facets, we identify transition metal/support pairs that show the most promise for high-density single-atom catalysts. We find that transition metal atoms can be stabilized on both defect sites and pristine surfaces over transition metal nitrides and carbides. Furthermore, we identify promising metal/support pairings that may be suitable for achieving both stable and high-density single-atom catalysts. Furthermore, these results provide valuable insights to guide synthesis efforts towards achieving stable single-atom transition metal catalysts.

Density functional theory↗
NASA NTRS1989

Unfurlable, continuous-surface reflector concept

Various concepts for large, deployable reflectors were developed and some have flown. In each case the surface material was either a continuous mesh of some sort or an assembly of rigid, continuous-surface facets or petals. Performance issues arise in each case. For mesh, reflectance diminishes with increasing frequency. For rigid sections, seams and relative positioning of the segments have to be dealt with. These two issues prompted the evolution of the concept of an unfurlable, continuous-surface reflector. The concept is described and what is learnt is presented, what is suspected will be learned, and also questions raised yet to be addressed.

Stumm, J. E.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Fabrication of low blaze angle gratings by replication and plasma etch

We suggest a new method of making ultra-low blaze angle gratings for synchrotron application. The method is based on reduction of the blaze angle of a master grating by replication followed by a plasma etch. A master blazed grating with a relatively large blaze angle is fabricated by anisotropic wet etching of a Si single crystal substrate. The surface of the master grating is replicated by a polymer material on top of a quartz substrate by nanoimprinting and then transferred into quartz by a plasma etch. Then a 2nd nanoimprint step is applied to transfer the saw-tooth surface into a resist layer on top of a Si grating substrate. The plasma etch through the patterned resist layer provides transfer of the grooves into the Si substrate and results in reduction of the blaze angle due to the difference in etch rates of the resist and Si. We investigated the impact of the replication process on the groove shape, facet surface roughness, and diffraction efficiency of the fabricated 200 lines/mm low blaze angle grating.

Park, Sooyeon↗
DOE OSTI2023

Synthesis of Zwitterionic CsPbBr 3 Nanocrystals with Controlled Anisotropy using Surface‐Selective Ligand Pairs

Abstract Mechanistic studies of the morphology of lead halide perovskite nanocrystals (LHP‐NCs) are hampered by a lack of generalizable suitable synthetic strategies and ligand systems. Here, the synthesis of zwitterionic CsPbBr 3 NCs is presented with controlled anisotropy using a proposed “surface‐selective ligand pairs” strategy. Such a strategy provides a platform to systematically study the binding affinity of capping ligand pairs and the resulting LHP morphologies. By using zwitterionic ligands (ZwL) with varying structures, majority ZwL‐capped LHP NCs with controlled morphology are obtained, including anisotropic nanoplatelets and nanorods, for the first time. Combining experiments with density functional theory calculations, factors that govern the ligand binding on the different surface facets of LHP‐NCs are revealed, including the steric bulkiness of the ligand, the number of binding sites, and the charge distance between binding moieties. This study provides guidance for the further exploration of anisotropic LHP‐NCs.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Mascon distribution techniques for asteroids and comets

The mass-concentration model is an approach that has been used to model the gravitational fields of irregularly shaped bodies such as asteroids and comets. By this approach, the body is treated as a collection of point masses. The method is conceptually simple, easy to program, valid down to the surface, and capable of modeling arbitrary density heterogeneities. How the mass concentrations are distributed as well as how mass is assigned to these concentrations is, however, nontrivial. These aspects significantly affect the accuracy and efficiency of the gravitational model. In this paper, we frame the distribution process in terms of numerical integration applied to finite volume meshes. We describe a new method using unstructured, curvilinear, finite volume meshes to significantly improve the accuracy of the mass-concentration model. We then compare the accuracy and efficiency of several variations of our distribution technique to those from literature using Asteroid Eros and Bennu as example bodies. Our results show that the mascon model can be as accurate as the analytic polyhedral model at the surface using an equivalent number of computational elements—i.e., mascon to surface facets. We report the improvement in the model’s performance can be mainly attributed to the volume mesh topology while mesh curving can provide modest case-dependent improvements.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Scalable Gas Diffusion Electrode Fabrication for Electrochemical CO 2 Reduction Using Physical Vapor Deposition Methods

Electrochemical CO 2 reduction (ECR) promises the replacement of fossil fuels as the source of feedstock chemicals and seasonal storage of renewable energy. While much progress has been made in catalyst development and electrochemical reactor design, few studies have addressed the effect of catalyst integration on device performance. Using a microfluidic gas diffusion electrolyzer, we systematically studied the effect of thickness and the morphology of electron beam (EB) and magnetron-sputtered (MS) Cu catalyst coatings on ECR performance. We observed that EB-Cu outperforms MS-Cu in current density, selectivity, and energy efficiency, with 400 nm thick catalyst coatings performing the best. Additionally, the superior performance of EB-Cu catalysts is assigned to their faceted surface morphology and sharper Cu/gas diffusion layer interface, which increases their hydrophobicity. Tests in a large-scale zero-gap electrolyzer yielded similar product selectivity distributions with an ethylene Faradaic efficiency of 39% at 200 mA/cm 2 , demonstrating the scalability for industrial ECR applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Facet-selective morphology-controlled remote epitaxy of ZnO microcrystals via wet chemical synthesis

We report on morphology-controlled remote epitaxy via hydrothermal growth of ZnO micro- and nanostructure crystals on graphene-coated GaN substrate. The morphology control is achieved to grow diverse morphologies of ZnO from nanowire to microdisk by changing additives of wet chemical solution at a fixed nutrient concentration. Although the growth of ZnO is carried out on poly-domain graphene-coated GaN substrate, the direction of hexagonal sidewall facet of ZnO is homogeneous over the whole ZnO-grown area on graphene/GaN because of strong remote epitaxial relation between ZnO and GaN across graphene. Atomic-resolution transmission electron microscopy corroborates the remote epitaxial relation. The non-covalent interface is applied to mechanically lift off the overlayer of ZnO crystals via a thermal release tape. The mechanism of facet-selective morphology control of ZnO is discussed in terms of electrostatic interaction between nutrient solution and facet surface passivated with functional groups derived from the chemical additives.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Essential effect of the electrolyte on the mechanical and chemical degradation of LiNi 0.8 Co 0.15 Al 0.05 O 2 cathodes upon long-term cycling

Capacity fading during long-term cycling (>1500×) is still a critical challenge for Li-ion batteries that use Ni-rich layered oxides, e.g. LiNi 0.8 Co 0.15 Al 0.05 O 2 (NCA), as the cathode. Microcracks have been previously recognized as one of the primary reasons for the observed capacity fade. Although there exists a generally developed mechanical understanding of microcracks, the role of the electrolyte has not been clearly understood, especially after extended cycling and at the atomic scale. Here, we unveil the microstructural evolution of spherical NCA secondary particles after long-term cycling using scanning transmission electron microscopy accompanied with electron energy loss spectroscopy. In this work, we found that the microcracks initiated and grew through grain boundaries, which then serve as the pathway for electrolyte penetration into secondary NCA particles. Additionally, the rock-salt phase reconstruction is prone to occur at the (003) surfaces of the primary particles or the crack surfaces, largely due to electrolyte (LiPF 6 EC/EMC) corrosion. Crack propagation within the NCA grains is primarily a joint consequence from electrolyte corrosion and mechanical strain during lithiation/delithiation. During extended cycling, due to the distinctive surface facets, the primary grains located in the center of the secondary particles experience more intensive electrolyte corrosion, leading to a reduced contact with nearby particles, impairing the overall capacity. These results establish the initiation and growth mechanism of microcracks and voids in NCA-based cathodes during cycling and point out the role of the electrolyte in affecting the degradation of NCA-based cathodes.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2020

The Langmuir probe system in the Wendelstein 7-X test divertor

Here, the design and evaluation of the Langmuir probe system used in the first divertor operation phase of Wendelstein 7-X is described. The probes are integrated into the target plates and have individually facetted surfaces to keep the angle of incidence of the magnetic field within an appropriate range for different magnetic configurations. Multiple models for the derivation of plasma parameters from current–voltage characteristics are introduced. These are analyzed with regard to their assumptions and limitations, generalized, and adapted to our use case. A detailed comparison is made to determine the most suitable model. It is found that the choice of model has a large impact, for example, resulting in a change in the inferred temperatures of up to a factor two. This evaluation is implemented in a Bayesian modeling framework and automated to allow for joint analysis with other diagnostics and a replacement of ad hoc assumptions. We rigorously treat parameter uncertainties, revealing strong correlations between them. General and flexible model formulations permit an expansion to additional effects.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2025

Metal-organic chemical vapor deposition of MgGeN2 films on GaN and sapphire

MgGeN2 films were synthesized using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition on GaN/c-sapphire templates and c-plane sapphire substrates. Energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy was used to estimate the cation composition ratios. To mitigate magnesium evaporation, the films were grown at pyrometer temperature 745 °C with a wafer rotation speed of 1000 rpm. Growth rates were determined by fitting energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy spectra to film thicknesses using NIST DTSA-II software. The thickness estimates determined by this method were consistent with scanning transmission electron microscopy measurements done for selected samples. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed faceted surfaces indicative of a tendency toward three-dimensional growth. X-ray diffraction spectra confirmed that the films were highly crystalline and exhibited preferential orientation in alignment with the substrate. Atomic force microscopy measurements show that film thicknesses are consistent across samples grown on both GaN templates and sapphire substrates, with typical roughnesses around 10 nm. Transmittance spectra of films grown on double-side-polished sapphire substrates yielded band gaps of 4.28 ± 0.06 eV for samples exhibiting close-to-ideal stoichiometry. Comparison of the measured spectra with ab initio calculations are in good agreement both near the bandgap and at higher energies where excitation is into higher-lying bands. These findings provide insight into the growth and characterization of MgGeN2, contributing to the development of this material for potential applications in optoelectronics and power electronics.

Hu, Chenxi (ORCID:0000000236299660)↗
NASA NTRS1985

Seeing Comet IRAS with a radar eye

IRAS data in April 1983 held evidence for the approach of a comet which would pass close enough to earth to bounce radar signals off the cometary nucleus. The closest pass was calculated to be 450,000 km. Ephemerides were prepared for the object while radio observatory tracking schedules were arranged. S-band observations were selected for the JPL 64 m antenna to obtain 2.7 arcmin resolution. A 400 kW signal was generated. Two 4 hr observational periods were achieved, revealing a rough, faceted surface by using S-band in the first run and the X-band in the second. The comet was concluded irregularly shaped and roughly elliptical, with a 2 d period.

Jurgens, R. F.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Space station solar concentrator materials research

The Space Station will represent the first time that a solar dynamic power system will be used to generate electrical power in space. In a system such as this, sunlight is collected and focused by a solar concentrator onto the receiver of a heat engine which converts the energy into electricity. The concentrator must be capable of collecting and focusing as much of the incident sunlight as possible, and it must also withstand the atomic oxygen bombardment which occurs in low Earth orbit (LEO). This has led to the development of a system of thin film coatings applied to the concentrator facet surface in a chamber designed especially for this purpose. The system of thin film coatings employed gives both the necessary degree of reflectance and the required protection from the LEO atomic oxygen environment.

Gulino, Daniel A.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Wide-bandgap epitaxial heterojunction windows for silicon solar cells

It is shown that the efficiency of a solar cell can be improved if minority carriers are confined by use of a wide-bandgap heterojunction window. For silicon (lattice constant a = 5.43 A), nearly lattice-matched wide-bandgap materials are ZnS (a = 5.41 A) and GaP (a = 5.45 A). Isotype n-n heterojuntions of both ZnS/Si and GaP/Si were grown on silicon n-p homojunction solar cells. Successful deposition processes used were metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MO-CVD) for GaP and ZnS, and vacuum evaporation of ZnS. Planar (100) and (111) and texture-etched - (111)-faceted - surfaces were used. A decrease in minority-carrier surface recombination compared to a bare surface was seen from increased short-wavelength spectral response, increased open-circuit voltage, and reduced dark saturation current, with no degradation of the minority carrier diffusion length.

Landis, Geoffrey A.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Unstructured 3D Delaunay mesh generation applied to planes, trains and automobiles

Technical issues associated with domain-tessellation production, including initial boundary node triangulation and volume mesh refinement, are presented for the 'TGrid' 3D Delaunay unstructured grid generation program. The approach employed is noted to be capable of preserving predefined triangular surface facets in the final tessellation. The capabilities of the approach are demonstrated by generating grids about an entire fighter aircraft configuration, a train, and a wind tunnel model of an automobile.

Blake, Kenneth R.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Models for dynamic surface temperatures during rarefied aeropass maneuvers

New models for calculating dynamic surface temperatures in a direct simulation Monte Carlo particle method during atmospheric entry are described. The models take into account the radiative emissivity, thermal conductivity, and heat capacity of the material. They are applied to thin panels in a highly rarefied flows and yield the transient thermal response of individual surface facets. Simulation results for radiation panels with internal conductivity are verified by comparing them with free molecule theory.

Haas, Brian L.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Intrinsic fatigue crack growth rates for Al-Li-Cu-Mg alloys in vacuum

The influences of microstructure and deformation mode on inert environment intrinsic fatigue crack propagation were investigated for Al-Li-Cu-Mg alloys AA2090, AA8090, and X2095 compared to AA2024. The amount of coherent shearable delta-prime (Al3Li) precipitates and extent of localized planar slip deformation were reduced by composition (increased Cu/Li in X2095) and heat treatment (double aging of AA8090). Intrinsic growth rates, obtained at high constant K(max) to minimize crack closure and in vacuum to eliminate any environmental effect, were alloy dependent; da/dN varied up to tenfold based on applied Delta-K or Delta-K/E. When compared based on a crack tip cyclic strain or opening displacement parameter, growth rates were equivalent for all alloys except X2095-T8, which exhibited unique fatigue crack growth resistance. Tortuous fatigue crack profiles and large fracture surface facets were observed for each Al-Li alloy independent of the precipitates present, particularly delta-prime, and the localized slip deformation structure. Reduced fatigue crack propagation rates for X2095 in vacuum are not explained by either residual crack closure or slip reversibility arguments; the origin of apparent slip band facets in a homogeneous slip alloy is unclear.

Slavik, D. C.↗