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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 631 records · Page 35

Hexagonal Prisms Form in Water-ice Clouds on Mars, Producing Halo Displays Seen by Perseverance Rover

Observations by several cameras on the Perseverance rover showed a 22° scattering halo around the Sun over several hours during northern midsummer (solar longitude 142°). Such a halo has not previously been seen beyond Earth. The halo occurred during the aphelion cloud belt season and the cloudiest time yet observed from the Perseverance site. The halo required crystalline water-ice cloud particles in the form of hexagonal columns large enough for refraction to be significant, at least 11 μm in diameter and length. From a possible 40-50 km altitude, and over the 3.3-hour duration of the halo, particles could have fallen 3-12 km, causing downward transport of water and dust. Halo-forming clouds are likely rare due to the high supersaturation of water that is required but may be more common in northern subtropical regions during northern midsummer.

M.T. Lemmon↗

Modification of Hexagonal Boron Nitride with Metal Oxides

The development of multifunctional hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) materials aims to capitalize on the intrinsic properties of hBN which include being electrically insulating, thermally conductive, and chemically and thermally stable at high temperatures. The creation of novel composite materials that include these properties is required to address our current aerospace and space engineering challenges. Researchers at NASA Glenn have done significant prior work which has produced processes to intercalate, exfoliate, coat, and functionalize various hBN materials. This presentation covers our recent progress towards the integration of titanium oxides into hBN utilizing our previous methods along with optimizing and producing new methods to create novel functional hBN nanomaterials.

boron nitride↗

Engineered Hexagonal Boron Nitride:Titanium Dioxide Composites for High Voltage Insulation

Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) and Titanium dioxide are both ceramic materials with widespread use in commercial and consumer applications in everything from cosmetics and paint to deep space satellite components. As a dielectric material, hBN is electrically insulating, thermally conductive, and stable to most temperatures and environments. Titanium dioxide is also a good electrical insulator with a wide bandgap and large dielectric constant, as well as high temperature tolerance and chemical stability. This presentation covers our recent efforts to combine the best properties of hBN and titanium dioxide to produce an intercalated hBN:titanium dioxide composite which was then further processed and incorporated into polymer composites, as well as a standalone ceramic material for testing as a novel insulation material.

boron nitride↗

High Yield Exfoliation of a Sub-Micron Hexagonal Boron Nitride Using a Solvent Free Method

Sodium fluoride (NaF) has been found to be an activation agent in exfoliating a hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) platelet, using solvent free method. The procedure was carried out by enhancing the intercalation of ferric chloride (FeCl3) in an intermediate step, up to 330 °C, followed by removal of the by-product at room temperature. In this research, five additional common salts including lithium fluoride, potassium fluoride, lithium chloride, sodium chloride, and potassium chloride, were examined and compared to NaF for their effectiveness in producing the most exfoliation of a commercially available sub-micron-size hBN. It was found that, all fluoride and chloride salts significantly activated the intercalation of FeCl3 into this hBN. Analyses and characterization from X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscoy revealed NaCl to be one of most effective agents without further heat treatment and the least expensive salt in the intercalating reaction and exfoliation process. The synthetic route of this solvent free method is straightforward with 89% yield and above which can be produced on a large scale.

boron nitride↗

Hexagonal Distributed Embedded Energy Converter (HexDEEC)

Hexagonal Distributed Embedded Energy Converters are relatively small, centimeter scale, energy transducers that leverage variable capacitance to generate electricity when their hyperelastic structure is dynamically deformed. A multitude of HexDEECs can be woven to form construction materials that can be used to build complete energy conversion structures, such as ocean wave energy converters.

BFSF↗

Method for attaching nanomaterials comprising hexagonal lattices to polymer surfaces

The invention is directed to a method for attaching nanomaterials containing hexagonal lattices to polymer surfaces. For example, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can be attached to polycarbonate, polyethylene, or epoxy surfaces by amination of the polymer surface, functionalization of the surfaces of CNTs with ester groups, and reacting the aminated surface of the polymer with the ester groups of the functionalized surfaces of the CNTs in an organic solvent to chemically bind the CNTs to the polymer surface.

Redline, Erica Marie↗

The COMET method in 3-D hexagonal geometry

The hybrid stochastic-deterministic coarse mesh radiation transport (COMET) method developed at Georgia Tech now solves reactor core problems in 3-D hexagonal geometry. In this paper, the method is used to solve three preliminary test problems designed to challenge the method with steep flux gradients, high leakage, and strong asymmetry and heterogeneity in the core. The test problems are composed of blocks taken from a high temperature test reactor benchmark problem. As the method is still in development, these problems and their results are strictly preliminary. Results are compared to whole core Monte Carlo reference solutions in order to verify the method. Relative errors are on the order of 50 pcm in core eigenvalue, and mean relative error in pin fission density calculations is less than 1% in these difficult test cores. The method requires the one-time pre-computation of a response expansion coefficient library, which may be compiled in a comparable amount of time to a single whole core Monte Carlo calculation. After the library has been computed, COMET may solve any number of core configurations on the order of an hour, representing a significant gain in efficiency over other methods for whole core transport calculations. (authors)

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Critical heat flux in natural convection cooled TRIGA reactors with hexagonal bundle

A three-rod bundle Critical Heat Flux (CHF) study at low flow, low pressure, and natural convection condition has been conducted, simulating TRIGA reactors with the hexagonally configured core. The test section is a custom-made trefoil shape tube with three identical fuel pin heater rods located symmetrically inside. The full scale fuel rod is electrically heated with a chopped-cosine axial power profile. CHF experiments were carried out with the following conditions: inlet water subcooling from 30 K to 95 K; pressure from 110 kPa to 230 kPa; mass flux up to 150 kg/m{sup 2}s. About 50 CHF data points were collected and compared with a few existing CHF correlations whose application ranges are close to the testing conditions. Some tests were performed with the forced convection to identify the potential difference between the CHF under the natural convection and forced convection. The relevance of the CHF to test parameters is investigated. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

Pressure Measurements in a Wire-Wrapped 61-Pin Hexagonal Fuel Bundle

Texas A and M University is conducting isothermal experiments in a wire-wrapped 61-pin hexagonal fuel bundle to support the research on advanced nuclear fuel development sponsored by the Department of Energy (DOE). The purpose of these experiments is to produce high spatial and temporal resolution measurements of the flow and pressure measurements at different locations of the test bundle. The experimental data will be used to benchmark numerical simulations of the experiments using both industry-standard Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) based computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods and highly resolved large eddy simulations (LES). (authors)

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

CVD growth of graphene under exfoliated hexagonal boron nitride for vertical hybrid structures

Graphical abstract: We have demonstrated a novel yet simple method for fabricating graphene-based vertical hybrid structures by performing the CVD growth of graphene at an h-BN/Cu interface. Our systematic Raman measurements combined with plasma etching process indicate that a graphene film is grown under exfoliated h-BN rather than on its top surface, and that an h-BN/graphene vertical hybrid structure has been fabricated. Electrical transport measurements of this h-BN/graphene, transferred on SiO2, show the carrier mobility up to approximately 2250 cm{sup 2} V{sup −1} s{sup −1}. The developed method would enable the exploration of the possibility of novel hybrid structure integration with two-dimensional material systems. - Abstract: We have demonstrated a novel yet simple method for fabricating graphene-based vertical hybrid structures by performing the CVD growth of graphene at an h-BN/Cu interface. Our systematic Raman measurements combined with plasma etching process indicate that a graphene film is grown under exfoliated h-BN rather than on its top surface, and that an h-BN/graphene vertical hybrid structure has been fabricated. Electrical transport measurements of this h-BN/graphene, transferred on SiO{sub 2}, show the carrier mobility up to approximately 2250 cm{sup 2} V{sup −1} s{sup −1}. The developed method would enable the exploration of the possibility of novel hybrid structure integration with two-dimensional material systems.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Hexagonal boron nitride luminescence dependent on vacuum level and surrounding gases

Highlights: • 400 nm Luminescence of hBN powder is sensitive to surrounding vacuum or oxygen gas. • Decrease of hBN powder grain size improves its oxygen sensing properties. • hBN powder is proposed as prospective material for oxygen gas sensors. - Abstract: Gas sensing properties of hBN powder bulk and nanosize were studied. It was demonstrated that for hBN powders with grain sizes of 70 nm, 1 μm and 5 μm the native defect-induced luminescence observed at 400 nm under 265 nm light excitation and room temperature is sensitive to oxygen gas reducing luminescence intensity. The highest value of luminescence intensity is reached when sample is in vacuum. Results obtained allow conclusion that the hBN powder is prospective for sensing of oxygen gas. Some material properties such as dependence of luminescence intensity on vacuum level and pumping time, ratio of luminescence intensity when sample is in vacuum and gas, its dependence on material grain size were studied.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Two-level quenching of photoluminescence in hexagonal boron nitride micropowder

The processes of photoluminescence thermal quenching in the range RT – 800 K of h-BN micropowder in the 3.56 eV band were studied. It was found that two non-radiative channels of excitations relaxation with activation energies of 0.27 and 0.81 eV control the quenching for emission observed. It was assumed that emptying the shallow traps based on O{sub N}-centers characterized external quenching in RT – 530 K range and non-radiative mechanism of donor-acceptor recombination began to dominate at T > 530 K.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Interface structures and twinning mechanisms of {1¯012} twins in hexagonal metals

In this paper, a controversy concerning the description of {1¯012} {1¯012} twinning, whether it is shear-shuffle or pure glide-shuffle or pure shuffle, has developed. There is disagreement about the interpretation of transmission electron microscopic observations, atomistic simulations and theories for twin growth. In this article, we highlight the atomic-level, characteristic, equilibrium and non-equilibrium boundaries and corresponding boundary defects associated with the three-dimensional ‘normal’, ‘forward’ and ‘lateral’ propagation of {1¯011} growth/annealing and deformation twins. Although deformation twin boundaries (TBs) after recovery exhibit some similarity to growth/annealing TBs because of the plastic accommodation of stress fields, there are important distinctions among them. These distinctions distinguish among the mechanisms of twin growth and resolve the controversy. In addition, a new type of disconnection, a glide disclination, is described for twinning. Synchroshear, seldom considered, is shown to be a likely mechanism for {1¯012} twinning.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Electronic structure of two-dimensional hexagonal diselenides: Charge density waves and pseudogap behavior

We theoretically study the electronic structure (spectral functions and Fermi surfaces) of incommensurate pseudogap and charge density wave (CDW) and commensurate CDW phases of quasi-two-dimensional diselenides 2H-TaSe{sub 2} and 2H-NbSe{sub 2}. The incommensurate pseudogap regime is described within the scenario based on short-range-order CDW fluctuations, considered within the static Gaussian random field model. In contrast, e.g., to high-T{sub c} cuprates, layered dichalcogenides have several different CDW scattering vectors and an electronic spectrum with two bands at the Fermi level. For this, we present a theoretical background for the description of multiple scattering processes within a multiple-band electronic spectrum. Theoretical spectral functions and Fermi surfaces thus obtained are compared with recent ARPES experimental data, demonstrating rather good qualitative agreement.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗