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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 559 records · Page 31
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Ruthenium/Carbon Nanocomposites for Efficient Hydrogen Electrocatalysis: Impacts of Halide Residues

Ruthenium has emerged as a promising substitute for platinum toward the hydrogen evolution/oxidation reaction (HER/HOR). Herein, ruthenium/carbon composites are prepared by magnetic induction heating (300 A, 10 s) of RuCl3, RuBr3 or RuI3 loaded on hollow N-doped carbon cages (HNC). The HNC-RuCl3-300A sample consists of Ru nanoparticles (dia. 1.96 nm) and abundant Cl residues. HNC-RuBr3-300A possesses a larger nanoparticle size (≈19.36 nm) and lower content of Br residues. HNC-RuI3-300A contains only bulk-like Ru agglomerates with a minimal amount of I residues, due to reduced Ru-halide bonding interactions. Among these, HNC-RuCl3-300A exhibits the best HER activity in alkaline media, with a low overpotential of only -26 mV to reach 10 mA cm-2, even outperforming Pt/C, and can be used as the cathode catalyst for anion exchange membrane water electrolyzer (along with commercial RuO2 as the anode catalyst), producing 0.5 A cm- 2 at 1.88 V for up to 100 h, a performance markedly better than that with Pt/C. HNC-RuCl3-300A also exhibits the best HOR activity, with a half-wave potential (+18 mV) even lower than that of Pt/C (+35 mV). These activities are ascribed to the combined contributions of small Ru nanoparticles and Ru-to-halide charge transfer that weaken H adsorption.

Yu, Bingzhe↗
DOE OSTI2019

Pulsed Electrical Stimulation Enhances Body Fluid Transport for Collagen Biomineralization

Mechanical loads from physiologic activities such as walking and running generate bioelectricity in bones. By mimicking bioelectricity, external electrical stimulations have also been used therapeutically to stimulate bone-forming cells and, thus, to promote bone regeneration. However, little is known about the physicochemical mechanism(s) by which electrical stimulations drives calcium phosphate mineralization of collagen. Here, we showed that, during in vitro collagen mineralization in the absence of cells, application of pulsed electrical stimulation significantly enhanced the transport of ionic body fluid components through a micrometer-scale channel (~100–200 μm gap space between the inner surfaces of tube-like collagen scaffolds and a cathode placed inside the collagen scaffolds). The enhanced transport of ionic precursors increased diffusion of the charged precursors from the channel to the inner collagen surface, where bone mineralization was otherwise restricted. The results indicate that pulsed electrical signals can locally accelerate the nucleation of calcium phosphate nanocrystals in or on collagen, allowing us to better control the spatial distribution of the nanocrystals at the microscale. Finally, the findings from this study provide insights into the utilization of electrical stimulation for applications such as facilitating bone-fracture healing and designing better bone-specific biomaterials.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Durability of Pt-Co Alloy Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell Cathode Catalysts under Accelerated Stress Tests

The durability of Pt-Co alloy cathode catalysts supported on high surface area carbon is investigated by subjecting them to accelerated stress tests (ASTs). The catalysts had different initial Co contents and nanoparticle morphologies: a “spongy” porous morphology for the high-Co (H) content catalyst, and a fully alloyed crystalline morphology for the medium-Co (M) and low-Co (L) content catalysts. The specific activity of the catalysts depends on their initial Co content, morphology and nanoparticle size, and remained higher than 1000 μA/cm 2 -Pt after 27–50% Co loss. The H-catalyst electrode showed the smallest kinetic overpotentials (η c s ) due to higher initial Pt loading than the other two electrodes, but it had the fastest increase in ηcs with AST cycling due to lower Co retention; the L-catalyst electrode showed higher η c s due to a lower initial Pt loading, but had a smaller increase in η c s with aging due to higher Co retention; the M-catalyst electrode showed a similar increase in η c s with aging, but this increase was due to the combined effects of Co dissolution and electrochemically active surface area (ECSA) loss. In conclusion, the modeled increase in mass transfer overpotentials with aging correlates with the initial Pt loading, ECSA loss and the initial catalyst morphology

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Baselining Activity and Stability of ORR Catalysts and Electrodes for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells for Heavy-Duty Applications

Activity and stability of electrodes with Pt and PtCo alloy catalysts supported on high surface area carbon, hereafter to as a-Pt/C and d-PtCo/C, were evaluated for heavy-duty applications. Both catalysts had nearly identical Pt loading (50-wt% Pt on carbon and 0.25 mg Pt cm −2 ) and had undergone thermal treatment to stabilize them by growing the average particle size to 4–5 nm. Both were subjected to 90,000 (90 k) standard accelerated stress tests (AST) cycles consisting of 0.6–0.95 V square wave potentials, 3-s hold at upper and lower potential limits in H 2 /N 2 at 1.5 atm, 80 °C and 100% RH. Test protocols were developed to monitor the performance losses and characterize them in terms of activity for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), oxygen transport in the electrode and proton transport in the membrane and cathode catalyst layer. Despite the nearly double initial ORR activity, the PtCo/C electrode degraded faster due to the leaching of Co from the catalyst that had started even before the imposition of the AST potential cycles. Commensurate with Co leaching, Co poisoning of ionomer is responsible for the inferior performance of d-PtCo/C electrode at high current densities both before and after AST.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗
DOE OSTI2024

Revealing the role of redox reaction selectivity and mass transfer in current–voltage predictions for ensembles of photocatalysts

Photocatalysts are conceptually simple reaction units where nanoscale semiconductors integrated with catalysts drive a pair of redox reactions on illumination. However, the proximity of reaction sites performing cathodic and anodic reactions poses dire challenges to realize large light-to-fuel conversion efficiencies. In this study, a powerful, yet straightforward, equivalent-circuit detail-balance modeling framework is developed and applied to evaluate the performance of photocatalytic systems featuring multiple light absorbers. Specifically, low bandgap iridium-doped strontium titanate is modeled as a Z-scheme photocatalyst to achieve desirable hydrogen evolution and iron-based redox shuttle oxidation reactions. Our model has unique capabilities to simulate competing redox reactions and address mass-transfer limitations. In a significant departure from state-of-the-art circuit models, our study develops tools to perform load-line analyses by incorporating a net electrochemical load curve that includes both desired and competing redox reactions. Consequently, reaction selectivity is predicted from equivalent circuit models for photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical systems. Our investigation into ensembles comprised of multiple, semi-transparent light absorbers reveals their potential to outperform a single, optically thick light absorber, particularly when operated under mass-transfer-limited conditions. However, this outcome hinges on minimizing mass-transfer rates of select redox species to prevent undesired reactions of hydrogen oxidation and/or redox shuttle reduction. Our findings demonstrate that reaction selectivity can be achieved by tuning asymmetry in redox species mass-transfer even with perfectly symmetric electrocatalytic charge-transfer coefficients. The influences of various kinetic, mass-transfer, and thermodynamic parameters are explored to offer crucial insights for synthesis of the next-generation of photocatalysts and selective coatings, and reactor designs.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Pt monolayer shell on nitrided alloy core — A path to highly stable oxygen reduction catalyst

The inadequate activity and stability of Pt as a cathode catalyst under the severe operation conditions are the critical problems facing the application of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). Here we report on a novel route to synthesize highly active and stable oxygen reduction catalysts by depositing Pt monolayer on a nitrided alloy core. The prepared Pt ML PdNiN/C catalyst retains 89% of the initial electrochemical surface area after 50,000 cycles between potentials 0.6 and 1.0 V. By correlating electron energy-loss spectroscopy and X-ray absorption spectroscopy analyses with electrochemical measurements, we found that the significant improvement of stability of the Pt ML PdNiN/C catalyst is caused by nitrogen doping while reducing the total precious metal loading.

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

Revealing the Rate-Limiting Li-Ion Diffusion Pathway in Ultrathick Electrodes for Li-Ion Batteries

Increasing the loading of active materials by thickening the battery electrode coating can enhance the energy density of a Li-ion cell, but the trade-off is the much reduced Li + transport kinetics. To reach the optimum energy and power density for thick electrodes, the effective chemical diffusion coefficient of Li + (D Li ) must be maximized. However, the diffusion of Li + inside an electrode is a complex process involving both microscopic and macroscopic processes. Fundamental understandings are needed on the rate-limiting process that governs the diffusion kinetics of Li + to minimize the negative impact of the large electrode thickness on their electrochemical performance. In this study, lithium Ni–Mn–Co oxide (NMC) cathodes of various thicknesses ranging from 100 to 300 μm were used as a model system to study the rate-limiting diffusion process during charge/discharge. The rate-limiting diffusion coefficient of Li + was investigated and quantified, which was correlated to the electrochemical performance degradation of thick electrodes. Lastly, it is revealed here that the under-utilization of the active material was caused by the limited diffusion of Li + inside the porous electrode, leading to a critical electrode thickness, beyond which the specific capacity was significantly reduced.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Antibacterial Copper–Hydroxyapatite Composite Coatings via Electrochemical Synthesis

Antibacterial copper-hydroxyapatite (Cu-HA) composite coatings on titanium were synthesized using a novel process consisting of two consecutive electrochemical reactions. In the first stage, HA nanocrystals were grown on titanium using cathodic electrolytic synthesis. The HA-coated titanium was then used as the cathode in a second reaction stage to electrochemically reduce Cu 2+ ions in solution to metallic Cu nanoparticles. Reaction conditions were found that result in nano-scale Cu particles growing on the surface of the HA crystals. The two-stage synthesis allows facile control of copper content in the HA coatings. Antibacterial activity was measured by culturing Escherichia coli (Gram-negative) and Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive) in the presence of coatings having varying copper content. The coatings displayed copper concentration-dependent antibacterial activity against both types of bacteria, likely due to the slow release of copper ions from the coatings. Lastly, the observation of antibacterial activity from a relatively low loading of copper on the bioactive HA support suggests that multifunctional implant coatings can be developed to supplement or supplant prophylactic antibiotics used in implant surgery that are responsible for creating resistant bacteria strains.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2019

First Operation of a Resistive Shell Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber: A New Approach to Electric-Field Shaping

We present a new technology for the shaping of the electric field in Time Projection Chambers (TPCs) using a carbon-loaded polyimide foil. This technology allows for the minimisation of passive material near the active volume of the TPC and, thus, is capable to reduce background events originating from radioactive decays or scattering on the material itself. Furthermore, the high and continuous electric resistivity of the foil limits the power dissipation per unit area and minimizes the risks of damages in the case of an electric field breakdown. Replacing the conventional field cage with a resistive plastic film structure called “shell” decreases the number of components within the TPC and, therefore, reduces the potential points of failure when operating the detector. A prototype liquid argon (LAr) TPC with such a resistive shell and with a cathode made of the same material was successfully tested for long-term operation with electric field values up to 1 . 6 k V /. The experiment shows that it is feasible to successfully produce and shape the electric field in liquefied noble-gas detectors with this new technology.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2022

Development of high-energy non-aqueous lithium-sulfur batteries via redox-active interlayer strategy

Abstract Lithium-sulfur batteries have theoretical specific energy higher than state-of-the-art lithium-ion batteries. However, from a practical perspective, these batteries exhibit poor cycle life and low energy content owing to the polysulfides shuttling during cycling. To tackle these issues, researchers proposed the use of redox-inactive protective layers between the sulfur-containing cathode and lithium metal anode. However, these interlayers provide additional weight to the cell, thus, decreasing the practical specific energy. Here, we report the development and testing of redox-active interlayers consisting of sulfur-impregnated polar ordered mesoporous silica. Differently from redox-inactive interlayers, these redox-active interlayers enable the electrochemical reactivation of the soluble polysulfides, protect the lithium metal electrode from detrimental reactions via silica-polysulfide polar-polar interactions and increase the cell capacity. Indeed, when tested in a non-aqueous Li-S coin cell configuration, the use of the interlayer enables an initial discharge capacity of about 8.5 mAh cm −2 (for a total sulfur mass loading of 10 mg cm −2 ) and a discharge capacity retention of about 64 % after 700 cycles at 335 mA g −1 and 25 °C.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Design and Fabrication of a Thyristor Using Ion Implantation of Anode and Cathode

A thyristor is a solid-state semiconductor switch made up of four alternating p and n type layers. When the switch is turned on by a small pulse, current can flow as long as the device stays on. When the voltage drops below the turn on level or the current reverses, the switch will turn off. Thyristors only allow current to flow in one direction. One of the benefits of a thyristor device is in its capacity to conduct large voltages with a small device and a small turn-on pulse requirement. Another distinguishing feature of thyristors compared to other semiconductor devices is that it can only be in the on or off state, there’s no in-between state for the device to exist within. These properties make thyristors very useful as switch devices, especially in applications where current flow is only needed in one direction and could potentially be damaging in the opposite direction. Currently, thyristors are most commonly used to control very high power loads and they are available commercially in many designs to control different amounts of current.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2020

Characterization of Self-Magnetic Pinch (SMP) Radiographic Diode Performance on RITS-6 at Sandia National Laboratories

The goals of an electron beam-driven radiographic source are the focusing of high current at high voltage to a minimal spot size with excellent shot-to-shot reproducibility. The Self-Magnetic Pinch (SMP) diode makes use of such an intense electron beam impinging on a high-atomic weight (tantalum) converter, a counter-streaming ion beam to help minimize the spot size, and operation in a magnetic field-free diode region which further encourages small spot size. Through a series of diode development experiments, output voltages up to 12.5 MV and output currents up to 225 kA have been characterized, with resulting spot sizes below ~ few mm. Scaling studies with parameter variation, such as diode aspect ratio and anode-cathode (A-K) gap variation, give systematic validation to what has heretofore been noted anecdotally by other research groups. While the lack of an imbedded magnetic field helps minimize the SMP spot size, a secondary result may be the generation of beam instabilities which can terminate the radiation pulse. There is anecdotal evidence that in-situ DC heating of the diode region can help stabilize the beam pinch. Clear experimental evidence exists that DC heating/RF cleaning results in better control over the counter-streaming ion population. Expanded use of spatial dose-rate detection is shown to yield new insights into electron beam dynamics in the SMP diode. An attendant study of the SMP diode as a load for an Inductive Voltage Adder (IVA) driver leads to insights into the behavior of the IVA-SMP diode configuration, viewed as a total system, and yields constraints on the overall impedance behavior of the SMP diode load.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

High Throughput Solvent-free Manufacturing of Battery Electrodes

The project goal is to develop and demonstrate an advanced solvent-free lithium-ion battery electrode process through proposed Advanced Dry Electrode Process (ADEP) equipment, which is expected to exhibit a better binder fibrillization and high throughput and suitable for high performance electrode manufacturing, and commonize the anode and cathode dry processing equipment, supply chain and operation for lithium-ion battery OEMs for replacing the solvent-based slurry casting. Our proposed approach will facilitate low-cost battery production by addressing the following gaps in present dry electrode processing: • Extend the dry electrode fabrication process to lithium-ion battery anode manufacturing • Increase the active material content for anodes and cathodes • Intensify the process through improved mixing, powder rheology and surface modifications • Enable processing of next-generation electrode materials that are not stable to solvent or ambient air exposure. The project objectives include the development of anode-compatible binder and binder fibrillization promoter for low irreversible capacity loss, low electrode binder content yet higher film mechanical strength, and the optimization of solvent-free anode and cathode process for low cost (>60% electrode cost reduction), high performance (10% increase in energy density without sacrificing cycle life) and high throughput to enable next generation lithium-ion battery electrode production. Solvent-free electrode manufacturing will also enable next-generation cell designs based on prelithiated anodes or solid-state electrolytes.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Structural and Mechanical Properties of the ZrC/Ni-Nanodiamond Coating Synthesized by the PVD and Electroplating Processes for the Cutting Knifes

In this work, combined gradient ZrC/Ni-nanodiamond ultradispersed diamonds (UDD) coatings were synthesized on the surface of knife blades made of hard alloy WC-2 wt.% Co by electroplating and cathode arc evaporation PVD techniques to increase the durability period of a wood-cutting milling tool. The microstructure, phase and elemental composition, microhardness, and adhesion strength of the coatings were investigated. Ni-UDD layer is not mixed with the ZrC coating and hard alloy substrate. Cobalt is present in Ni-UDD layer after deposition of ZrC. The ZrC/Ni-nanodiamond coating consists of separate phases of zirconium carbide (ZrC), α-Ni, and Ni-UDD. The maximum value of microhardness of the Ni-nanodiamond coating is 5.9 GPa. The microhardness value of the ZrC/Ni-nanodiamond coatings is 25 ± 6 GPa, which corresponds to the microhardness of the hard alloy substrate and ZrC coating. The obtained high values of the critical loads on the scratch track of the ZrC/Ni-nanodiamond coating in 24 N prove a sufficiently high value of the adhesion strength of the bottom Ni-UDD layer with WC-Co substrate. Pilot testing of ZrC/Ni-nanodiamond-coated cutting tools proved their increasing durability period to be 1.5-1.6 times higher than that of bare tools, when milling laminated chipboard.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Nanotechnology for Sulfur Cathodes

The field of lithium-sulfur batteries has benefited enormously from the advances in nanotechnology. At each step of technological improvement, lithium-sulfur batteries have relied upon techniques and methodologies brought upon by nanotechnology. Nanoporous material, heterogeneous nanocomposite, and hierarchical electrode developments have all been well-established as critical milestones for lithium-sulfur batteries. Overall, this review will briefly discuss the specific major roles of nanotechnology in lithium-sulfur batteries regarding practically relevant testing conditions in addition to research trends and future directions for electrocatalysis.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2017

Mesoscale Physicochemical Interactions in Lithium–Sulfur Batteries: Progress and Perspective

The shuttle effect and poor conductivity of the discharge products are among the primary impediments and scientific challenges for lithium–sulfur batteries. The lithium–sulfur battery is a complex energy storage system, which involves multistep electrochemical reactions, insoluble polysulfide precipitation in the cathode, soluble polysulfide transport, and self-discharge caused by chemical reactions between polysulfides and Li metal anode. These phenomena happen at different length and time-scales and are difficult to be entirely gauged by experimental techniques. In this paper, we reviewed the multiscale modeling studies on lithium–sulfur batteries: (1) the atomistic simulations were employed to seek alternative materials for mitigating the shuttle effect; (2) the growth kinetics of Li2S film and corresponding surface passivation were investigated by the interfacial model based on findings from atomistic simulations; (3) the nature of Li2S2, which is the only solid intermediate product, was revealed by the density functional theory simulation; and (4) macroscale models were developed to analyze the effect of reaction kinetics, sulfur loading, and transport properties on the cell performance. The challenge for the multiscale modeling approach is translating the microscopic information from atomistic simulations and interfacial model into the meso-/macroscale model for accurately predicting the cell performance.

Electrochemistry↗
DOE OSTI2012

Preliminary Experimental Results of Integrated Gasification Fuel Cell Operation Using Hardware Simulation

A newly developed integrated gasification fuel cell (IGFC) hybrid system concept has been tested using the Hybrid Performance (Hyper) project hardware-based simulation facility at the U.S. Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory. The cathode-loop hardware facility, previously connected to the real-time fuel cell model, was integrated with a real-time model of a gasifier of solid (biomass and fossil) fuel. The fuel cells are operated at the compressor delivery pressure, and they are fueled by an updraft atmospheric gasifier, through the syngas conditioning train for tar removal and syngas compression. The system was brought to steady state; then several perturbations in open loop (variable speed) and closed loop (constant speed) were performed in order to characterize the IGFC behavior. Coupled experiments and computations have shown the feasibility of relatively fast control of the plant as well as a possible mitigation strategy to reduce the thermal stress on the fuel cells as a consequence of load variation and change in gasifier operating conditions. Results also provided an insight into the different features of variable versus constant speed operation of the gas turbine section.

10 SYNTHETIC FUELS↗