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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 577 records · Page 32
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Slippery liquid infused porous surface (SLIPS) condensers for high efficiency air gap membrane distillation

Abstract To address growing water scarcity, we must improve the energy efficiency of thermal desalination technologies such as air gap membrane distillation. However, promising functional materials such as slippery liquid infused porous surfaces have not yet implemented for any desalination technology. Here, we fabricate and test slippery liquid infused porous surfaces (using Krytox 16,256 lubricant and CuO nanostructures) in an air gap membrane distillation apparatus. System-level transport models, validated by experimental data, establish a framework for improving performance through enhanced condensation surfaces. Results are obtained across a range of temperatures (50–80 °C), salinities (5–105 g/kg), and module lengths. We find that small air gap thickness and efficient droplet shedding significantly improves performance. The CuO Krytox process achieves these with a conductive-self-limiting coating, high nanostructure rugosity, strong covalent and metallic bonding, high hydrophobicity, minimal droplet pinning sites, and ultra-low contact angle hysteresis. The greatest efficiency enhancement from SLIPS is derived from the improved droplet shedding, which allows for reduced gap sizes without flooding, and is further augmented by the increased permeate flux.

Yogi, Yashwant S.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Highly efficient removal and sequestration of Cr(VI) in confined MoS 2 interlayer Nanochannels: Performance and mechanism

Environmental contamination by Cr(VI) is of particular concern because of its severe toxicity and high mobility. In this study, we employed two-dimensional MoS 2 nanosheets in the removal of Cr(VI), with an emphasis on revealing the removal mechanisms, and how the compositional and structural uniqueness of 2D MoS 2 nanomaterials intrinsically impact the Cr removal efficiency. Through batch experiments with dispersed nanosheets, we found that MoS 2 nanosheets exhibited a high Cr(VI) removal capacity at ~1100 mg/g via a phase-dependent mechanism. Particularly, the 1T polymorph in the MoS 2 nanosheets removed Cr(VI) through a redox-reaction mechanism, which was different from the adsorptive removal of Cr(VI) by MoS 2 reported previously, highlighting the compositional effects on the removal mechanism and performance. More importantly, the reduced product Cr(III) was concurrently removed via precipitation and adsorption onto the MoS 2 nanosheets, which could avoid the additional pH-elevation step that is typically needed in the conventional treatment. The unique 2D flake-like structure of MoS 2 nanosheets enabled the formation of aligned and ion-accessible nanochannels, where Cr(VI) species were accommodated, reduced and sequestered. The irreversible shrinking of the nanochannels under drying modified the interior of the layer-stacked structure into confined compartments preventing the release and re-oxidation of the immobilized Cr(III). In conclusion, the compiled results highlight the effects of MoS 2 composition and structure on the Cr removal efficiency and mechanism, which has substantial implications on future studies tailoring these unique features of 2D nanomaterials for various remediation scenarios.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2022

Highly Efficient Organosulfur and Lithium‐Metal Hosts Enabled by C@Fe 3 N Sponge

Abstract Lithium‐organosulfur (Li‐OS) batteries, despite possessing high theoretical specific capacity, encounter a few practical challenges, including unsatisfactory lifespan and low active material utilization under realistic conditions. Here, diisoropyl xanthogen polysulfide (DIXPS) has been selected as a model organosulfur compound to investigate the practical feasibility of Li‐OS batteries under realistic conditions. A well‐designed freestanding carbon sponge decorated with Fe 3 N nanoparticles (C@Fe 3 N) is introduced into the Li‐OS cells as a scaffold for both Li and DIXPS. The lithiophilic property of the C@Fe 3 N host guides uniform lithium deposition at the anode, and the catalysis of the DIXPS conversion reaction promotes the kinetics at the cathode. Impressively, the synergistic effect of C@Fe 3 N leads to an extremely stable cycling performance over 1 000 cycles in a Li‐OS full cell under realistic conditions.

He, Jiarui↗
DOE OSTI2025

Late-Stage Oxidation of C( sp 3 )─H Bonds with High Efficiency and Alkyl Group Dihydroxylation of Complex Molecules

Here, the late-stage oxidation of C(sp 3 )─H bonds is highly valuable for modulating the solubility and binding of bioactive compounds and for diversification of complex molecules. Undirected methods for C(sp 3 )─H oxidation are valuable for the installation of hydroxyl groups at sites remote from other functional groups present in the molecule, but existing catalysts are limited by low turnover numbers and lengthy ligand syntheses. Perfluorinated ruthenium porphyrins are highly active catalysts for the oxidation of alkyl C─H bonds, but the scope of the transformation with complex molecules under conditions of limiting substrate has not been investigated. We report that carbonylruthenium(II) tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin [Ru(TPFPP)(CO)] catalyzes the selective oxidation of tertiary C(sp 3 )─H bonds in a broad range of complex natural products and drugs, with turnover numbers as high as 1000, and the tolerance of the reaction to various functional groups was rapidly assessed by performing a model reaction in the presence of additives. We show how the combination of this undirected C(sp 3 )─H oxidation and a directed C(sp 3 )─H silylation and oxidation provides rapid access to highly oxidized, 1,2-diol derivatives of natural products by a formal dihydroxylation of an alkyl group.

Alcohols↗
DOE OSTI2023

CHEETAH: Compact High Efficiency Electrically Tunable Amplifier (Abbreviated Final Report)

The goal of this project was to develop a new type of optically triggered, high speed and high power switch for radiofrequency applications with potential to exceed current state-of-the-art power and bandwidth. This device operates under a new operation principle, where discrete packets of charge carriers are generated with defined size. These are then swept out of the device at high enough fields to prevent diffusion and expansion of these packets. Individual pulse width are determined by the spatial extent of these packets and their drift velocity, which would enable control over both amplitude and frequency by control of the initial packet size, illumination intensity, and applied voltage. This effort demonstrated this new mode of operation, while uncovering a new regime of pulse compression using negative differential mobility (NDM) semiconductors such as GaAs, where the output electrical pulse is substantially shorter than the input optical pulse.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS2006

Highly Efficient Multilayer Thermoelectric Devices

Multilayer thermoelectric devices now at the prototype stage of development exhibit a combination of desirable characteristics, including high figures of merit and high performance/cost ratios. These devices are capable of producing temperature differences of the order of 50 K in operation at or near room temperature. A solvent-free batch process for mass production of these state-of-the-art thermoelectric devices has also been developed. Like prior thermoelectric devices, the present ones have commercial potential mainly by virtue of their utility as means of controlled cooling (and/or, in some cases, heating) of sensors, integrated circuits, and temperature-critical components of scientific instruments. The advantages of thermoelectric devices for such uses include no need for circulating working fluids through or within the devices, generation of little if any noise, and high reliability. The disadvantages of prior thermoelectric devices include high power consumption and relatively low coefficients of performance. The present development program was undertaken in the hope of reducing the magnitudes of the aforementioned disadvantages and, especially, obtaining higher figures of merit for operation at and near room temperature. Accomplishments of the program thus far include development of an algorithm to estimate the heat extracted by, and the maximum temperature drop produced by, a thermoelectric device; solution of the problem of exchange of heat between a thermoelectric cooler and a water-cooled copper block; retrofitting of a vacuum chamber for depositing materials by sputtering; design of masks; and fabrication of multilayer thermoelectric devices of two different designs, denoted I and II. For both the I and II designs, the thicknesses of layers are of the order of nanometers. In devices of design I, nonconsecutive semiconductor layers are electrically connected in series. Devices of design II contain superlattices comprising alternating electron-acceptor (p)-doped and electron-donor (n)-doped, nanometer- thick semiconductor layers.

Boufelfel, Ali↗
DOE OSTI2026

Aqueous electrolyte solutions with anion-bridged secondary solvation sheaths for highly efficient zinc metal batteries

Aqueous zinc metal batteries are low-cost electrochemical devices suitable for safe grid energy storage. However, water decomposition and Zn dendrite formation detrimentally affect their coulombic efficiency. Conventional aqueous electrolyte solutions, with a concentration around 1 M, are cost-effective and exhibit high bulk ionic conductivity but cannot form a stable solid electrolyte interphase. Water-in-salt and aqueous-organic hybrid electrolyte solutions can form robust solid electrolyte interphases, but they are not kinetically efficient and cost-effective. Here, to circumvent these issues, we design variously concentrated aqueous electrolyte solutions using several salts with different donor numbers to extend anion coordination into the secondary solvation sheath. We show that salt-derived anions with donor number > 18 enter the Zn2+ first solvation sheath, and ensure a strong binding energy between the Zn2+(H2O)5-anion nanometric clusters and water molecules in the secondary solvation sheath. In particular, 2 M aqueous electrolyte solutions containing fluorinated anions exhibit bulk ionic conductivities of 26-35 mS cm−1 at 25 °C and form a ZnF2-rich solid electrolyte interphase. When tested in Zn||NaV3O8·1.5H2O Swagelok cells, the best-performing electrolyte solution enables an average coulombic efficiency of 99.99% for 1,000 cycles at 1.5 mA cm−2, corresponding to an initial specific energy of 130 Wh kg−1 (based on the combined weight of the positive and negative electrodes).

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
NASA NTRS2015

High-Efficiency Hall Thruster Discharge Power Converter

Busek Company, Inc., is designing, building, and testing a new printed circuit board converter. The new converter consists of two series or parallel boards (slices) intended to power a high-voltage Hall accelerator (HiVHAC) thruster or other similarly sized electric propulsion devices. The converter accepts 80- to 160-V input and generates 200- to 700-V isolated output while delivering continually adjustable 300-W to 3.5-kW power. Busek built and demonstrated one board that achieved nearly 94 percent efficiency the first time it was turned on, with projected efficiency exceeding 97 percent following timing software optimization. The board has a projected specific mass of 1.2 kg/kW, achieved through high-frequency switching. In Phase II, Busek optimized to exceed 97 percent efficiency and built a second prototype in a form factor more appropriate for flight. This converter then was integrated with a set of upgraded existing boards for powering magnets and the cathode. The program culminated with integrating the entire power processing unit and testing it on a Busek thruster and on NASA's HiVHAC thruster.

Jaquish, Thomas↗
NASA NTRS1960

Transonic and Supersonic Wind-Tunnel Tests of Wing-Body Combinations Designed for High Efficiency at a Mach Number of 1.41

Wind-tunnel force tests of a number of wing-body combinations designed for high lift-drag ratio at a Mach number of 1.41 are reported. Five wings and six bodies were used in making up the various wing-body combinations investigated. All the wings had the same highly swept dis- continuously tapered plan form with NACA 65A-series airfoil sections 4 percent thick at the root tapering linearly to 3 percent thick at the tip. The bodies were based on the area distribution of a Sears-Haack body of revolution for minimum drag with a given length and volume. These wings and bodies were used to determine the effects of wing twist., wing twist and camber, wing leading-edge droop, a change from circular to elliptical body cross-sectional shape, and body indentation by the area-rule and streamline methods. The supersonic test Mach numbers were 1.41 and 2.01. The transonic test Mach number range was from 0.6 to 1.2. For the transition-fixed condition and at a Reynolds number of 2.7 x 10(exp 6) based on the mean aerodynamic chord, the maximum value of lift- drag ratio at a Mach number of 1.41 was 9.6 for a combination with a twisted wing and an indented body of elliptical cross section. The tests indicated that the transonic rise in minimum drag was low and did not change appreciably up to the highest test Mach number of 2.01. The lower values of lift-drag ratio obtained at a Mach number of 2.01 can be attributed to the increase of drag due to lift with Mach number.

Grant, Frederick C.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Hydrophobic Carbon Nanosheets as Passivation Layer for Perovskite Solar Cells with High Efficiency and Stability (Final Technical Report)

Hybrid organic-inorganic metal halide perovskites have continually demonstrated competitive advantages for photovoltaic applications due to their high light absorption coefficient, tunable bandgaps, ambipolar charge mobility and high tolerance of defects. However, there are many challenges yet to overcome to bring this technology to the market. For instance, bridging the ‘scaling gap’ and transitioning PSCs from a lab scale to an industrial scale is a serious challenge. This project developed a high stability and inexpensive perovskite solar cell (PSC) by incorporating hydrophobic carbon nanosheets as counter electrodes (CEs). We demonstrated that the hydrogenated carbon nanosheets with tunable hydrophobic properties as CEs can improve life-time stability of PSCs in operating conditions (i.e. humid air) while achieving impressive power conversion efficiency (PCE).

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Hydrogen generation via ammonia decomposition on highly efficient and stable Ru-free catalysts: approaching complete conversion at 450 °C

We report Hydrogen (H 2 ) is a prospective zero-carbon and high-energy-density fuel alternative to fossil fuels for generating power and clean energy. Ammonia (NH 3 ) is a promising H 2 (17.7%) carrier, which can easily overcome the challenges associated with H 2 storage and transportation. Thermocatalytic ammonia decomposition reaction (ADR) is an effective way to produce clean H 2 but it relies on the use of expensive and rare ruthenium (Ru)-based catalysts at elevated temperatures (>500 °C), hence is not sustainable and economically feasible. Herein, we report a synergistic strategy to design a heterostructured Ru-free catalyst, consisting of CoNi alloy nanoparticles well-dispersed on a MgO–CeO 2 –SrO mixed oxide support with potassium promotion. The resulting K–CoNi alloy –MgO–CeO 2 –SrO catalyst presents 97.7% and 87.5% NH 3 conversion efficiency at 450 °C at gas hourly space velocities (GHSVs) of 6000- and 12 000-mL h -1 g cat -1 , respectively. At 500 °C, the H 2 production rate (57.75 mmol g cat -1 min -1 ) becomes comparable to that of most of the reported Ru-based catalysts. The catalyst stability has been successfully demonstrated in both a fixed-bed reactor under high pressure (120 h at 5.0 bar) and a membrane reactor prototype (600 h at 1.5 bar) at 500 °C. High-temperature in situ XPS analysis, temperature-programmed desorption/reduction, and density functional theory calculations have been carried out to elucidate the possible active sites and performance enhancement mechanisms. This work highlights the importance of constructing optimal interfaces between active metal nanoparticles and oxide support for boosting the NH 3 to H 2 conversion efficiency and long-term stability.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Highly efficient terahertz photoconductive metasurface detectors operating at microwatt-level gate powers

Despite their wide use in terahertz (THz) research and technology, the application spectra of photoconductive antenna (PCA) THz detectors are severely limited due to the relatively high optical gating power requirement. This originates from poor conversion efficiency of optical gate beam photons to photocurrent in materials with sub-picosecond carrier lifetimes. Here we show that using an ultra-thin (160 nm), perfectly absorbing low-temperature grown GaAs metasurface as the photoconductive channel drastically improves the efficiency of THz PCA detectors. This is achieved through perfect absorption of the gate beam in a significantly reduced photoconductive volume, enabled by the metasurface. This Letter demonstrates that sensitive THz PCA detection is possible using optical gate powers as low as 5 µW—three orders of magnitude lower than gating powers used for conventional PCA detectors. We show that significantly higher optical gate powers are not necessary for optimal operation, as they do not improve the sensitivity to the THz field. This class of efficient PCA THz detectors opens doors for THz applications with low gate power requirements.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2022

Highly Efficient Organosulfur and Lithium-Metal Hosts Enabled by C@Fe 3 N Sponge

Lithium-organosulfur (Li-OS) batteries, despite possessing high theoretical specific capacity, encounter a few practical challenges, including unsatisfactory lifespan and low active material utilization under realistic conditions. Here, diisoropyl xanthogen polysulfide (DIXPS) has been selected as a model organosulfur compound to investigate the practical feasibility of Li-OS batteries under realistic conditions. A well-designed freestanding carbon sponge decorated with Fe 3 N nanoparticles (C@Fe 3 N) is introduced into the Li-OS cells as a scaffold for both Li and DIXPS. The lithiophilic property of the C@Fe 3 N host guides uniform lithium deposition at the anode, and the catalysis of the DIXPS conversion reaction promotes the kinetics at the cathode. Impressively, the synergistic effect of C@Fe 3 N leads to an extremely stable cycling performance over 1000 cycles in a Li-OS full cell under realistic conditions.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Amorphous silicon carbide high contrast gratings as highly efficient spectrally selective visible reflectors

We report spectrally selective visible wavelength reflectors using hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC:H) as a high index contrast material. Beyond 610nm and through the near infrared spectrum, a-SiC:H exhibits very low loss and exhibits an wavelength averaged index of refraction of n = 3.1. Here we design, fabricate, and characterize such visible reflectors using a hexagonal array of a-SiC:H nanopillars as wavelength-selective mirrors with a stop-band of approximately 40 nm full-width at half maximum. The fabricated high contrast grating exhibits reflectivity R >94% at a resonance wavelength of 642nm with a single layer of a-SiC:H nanopillars. The resonance wavelength is tunable by adjusting the geometrical parameters of the a-SiC:H nanopillar array, and we observe a stop-band spectral center shift from 635 nm up to 642 nm. High contrast gratings formed from a-SiC:H nanopillars are a promising platform for various visible wavelength nanophotonics applications.

Bauser, Haley C.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Development of a Computationally Efficient, High Fidelity, Finite Element Based Hall Thruster Model

This report documents the development of a two dimensional finite element based numerical model for efficient characterization of the Hall thruster plasma dynamics in the framework of multi-fluid model. Effect of the ionization and the recombination has been included in the present model. Based on the experimental data, a third order polynomial in electron temperature is used to calculate the ionization rate. The neutral dynamics is included only through the neutral continuity equation in the presence of a uniform neutral flow. The electrons are modeled as magnetized and hot, whereas ions are assumed magnetized and cold. The dynamics of Hall thruster is also investigated in the presence of plasma-wall interaction. The plasma-wall interaction is a function of wall potential, which in turn is determined by the secondary electron emission and sputtering yield. The effect of secondary electron emission and sputter yield has been considered simultaneously, Simulation results are interpreted in the light of experimental observations and available numerical solutions in the literature.

Jacobson, David↗
NASA NTRS2004

Highly Efficient Vector-Inversion Pulse Generators

Improved transmission-line pulse generators of the vector-inversion type are being developed as lightweight sources of pulsed high voltage for diverse applications, including spacecraft thrusters, portable x-ray imaging systems, impulse radar systems, and corona-discharge systems for sterilizing gases. In this development, more than the customary attention is paid to principles of operation and details of construction so as to the maximize the efficiency of the pulse-generation process while minimizing the sizes of components. An important element of this approach is segmenting a pulse generator in such a manner that the electric field in each segment is always below the threshold for electrical breakdown. One design of particular interest, a complete description of which was not available at the time of writing this article, involves two parallel-plate transmission lines that are wound on a mandrel, share a common conductor, and are switched in such a manner that the pulse generator is divided into a "fast" and a "slow" section. A major innovation in this design is the addition of ferrite to the "slow" section to reduce the size of the mandrel needed for a given efficiency.

Rose, Franklin↗
DOE OSTI2025

High-energy ion beams generated with high efficiency using laser-driven 3D microstructures

Laser-driven ion acceleration in plasma is being proposed as a source of ion beams with a high peak current that can be useful in many fields of science and medicine. Using this method, high proton energies have been achieved by increasing the laser power and by using ultrathin (≤ 200 nm) foils. However, this approach is limited by survivability of the nanotargets to laser prepulses and by difficulty in controlling the plasma acceleration properties. Here, we introduce a new target platform using two-photon polymerization, 3D laser-printed “clone” microstructures with average densities lower than solid that are relatively insensitive to the laser prepulse. Two types of microstructured targets consisting of either a multilayered log-pile or a stochastic arrangement of one micron diameter wires are used. Both demonstrate a higher energy and higher yield proton acceleration compared to thin solid-density foil targets by the robust target normal sheath acceleration (TNSA) mechanism. We find that when such 10–20 μm thick structures are irradiated with a petawatt laser, protons with energies up to 110 MeV and a laser-to-proton conversion efficiency of ~ 10% are obtained. Our work suggests that such microstructures optimized for 60–200 MeV compact proton accelerators are promising for future radiotherapy and other applications.

Physics - Plasma physics↗