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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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NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Battery Pack Shape Optimization using Transient Heat Conduction Coupled with Cell-Discharge Analysis

Battery electric systems exhibit significant time-dependence, especially when evaluated in the context of an aircraft mission profile with continually changing power demands. Additionally, when evaluating battery-powered aircraft concepts, it is important to accurately compute the temperature of the batteries and properly characterize the thermal response of the system. The temperature of the batteries has a significant impact on cell performance, in addition to safety considerations of maintaining battery temperatures below their operating limit. Because of these considerations, battery models for preliminary design and optimization of aircraft should include the capability to accurately compute the temperature distribution within the battery pack. Furthermore, battery pack designs should be as light-weight as possible to maximize the pack energy density, while also considering battery temperature limits. Here, we demonstrate a simultaneous trajectory and shape optimization of a battery pack concept, using a transient heat transfer finite element model coupled with a time-varying cell-discharge battery model to provide this capability. Including the transient finite element problem in the loop enables accurate temperatures that can be passed back to the cell discharge model, while the cell discharge model can supply the finite element model with time-varying heat boundary conditions to the finite element problem, further benefiting the fidelity of the thermal response of the batteries. We first demonstrate the coupling capability between the battery cell-discharge model and the transient finite-element heat transfer through an optimization which computes the optimal current profile for the battery pack while ensuring the battery temperatures remain below their operational limit. We then build on this optimization by adding shape optimization to the problem, which allows us to consider a composite objective function which also minimizes the mass of the battery pack, while also producing an optimal current discharge profile.

Optimization↗
DOE OSTI2024

Method and apparatus for providing thermal wear leveling

Exemplary embodiments provide thermal wear spreading among a plurality of thermal die regions in an integrated circuit or among dies by using die region wear-out data that represents a cumulative amount of time each of a number of thermal die regions in one or more dies has spent at a particular temperature level. In one example, die region wear-out data is stored in persistent memory and is accrued over a life of each respective thermal region so that a long term monitoring of temperature levels in the various die regions is used to spread thermal wear among the thermal die regions. In one example, spreading thermal wear is done by controlling task execution such as thread execution among one or more processing cores, dies and/or data access operations for a memory.

Roberts, David A.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Battery Pack Shape Optimization using Transient Heat Conduction Coupled with Cell-Discharge Analysis

Battery electric systems exhibit significant time-dependence, especially when evaluated in the context of an aircraft mission profile with continually changing power demands. Additionally, when evaluating battery-powered aircraft concepts, it is important to accurately compute the temperature of the batteries and properly characterize the thermal response of the system. The temperature of the batteries has a significant impact on cell performance, in addition to safety considerations of maintaining battery temperatures below their operating limit. Because of these considerations, battery models for preliminary design and optimization of aircraft should include the capability to accurately compute the temperature distribution within the battery pack. Furthermore, battery pack designs should be as light-weight as possible to maximize the pack energy density, while also considering battery temperature limits. Here, we demonstrate a simultaneous trajectory and shape optimization of a battery pack concept, using a transient heat transfer finite element model coupled with a time-varying cell-discharge battery model to provide this capability. The transient finite-element analysis is done using TACS, and the cell-discharge battery model uses OpenMDAO and dymos. Including the transient finite element problem in the loop enables accurate temperatures that can be passed back to the cell discharge model, while the cell discharge model can supply the finite element model with time-varying heat boundary conditions, further benefiting the fidelity of the thermal response of the batteries. We first demonstrate the coupling capability between the battery cell-discharge model and the transient finite-element heat transfer through an optimization which computes the optimal current profile for the battery pack while ensuring the battery temperatures remain below their operational limit. We then build on this optimization by adding shape optimization to the problem, which allows us to consider a composite objective function which also minimizes the mass of the battery pack, while also producing an optimal current discharge profile.

Optimization↗
DOE OSTI2026

Multifunctional electrochemical memory stabilized by phase coexistence

Our growing computing needs, especially in applications that heavily rely on artificial intelligence (AI), motivate a search for new components that could substantially augment the performance of general-purpose digital computers. Beyond ON/OFF switching, new components with linear multistate analog resistive tuning, nonlinear volatile switching, spiking, oscillatory, stochastic and other complex functionalities could enable highly efficient neuromorphic computing schemes for AI information processing. Compared to the extreme multifunctionality of biological neurons, realizing all the above characteristics in a single, scalable analog component remains a grand challenge. Here we investigate electrochemical gating combined with localized thermal activation to program and switch a single, vertically integrated and dimensionally scaled electrothermal chemical random access memory (ETCRAM) with a channel and reservoir composed of phase-separated vanadium oxide. Closely related to electrochemical RAM (ECRAM), ETCRAM uses an integrated gate-heater electrode to overcome kinetic barriers that help retain states at ambient temperatures. In addition to synapse-like stable and programmable analog resistance states arising from redox-tunable phase coexistence, a single component exhibits neuron-like nonlinear conductance switching with a tunable threshold and self-driven dynamics owing to the thermally driven metal-insulator phase transition in vanadium dioxide. More broadly, we demonstrate that electrochemically stabilized phase coexistence could unlock analog electronics with novel functionality, stability, reconfigurability, and scalability.

Oh, Sangheon [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Liver↗
DOE OSTI2026

Physical Modeling and Design of a Nonvolatile Optically Gated High‐Power Diamond Transistor

In this work, we present the theory and modeling framework of a diamond optically gated junction field‐effect transistor (DOGFET). The device utilizes nitrogen substitutional centers in type‐1b diamond to optically modulate a p‐ boron doped diamond channel. Using sub‐gap lasers with intensities as low as 100 W/cm 2 , electrons are optically excited from substitutional nitrogen sites to the conduction band of the diamond substrate, thus enabling the optical gate to exercise control on modulating the space‐charge region at the junction and therefore the channel conductivity. We show that the device can deliver a current of 7 μA/μm, or equivalently 1750 A/cm 2 , while switching at a frequency greater than 100 kHz, in a form factor of 5 μm 2 . The breakdown voltage is found to be greater than 1850 V, with a breakdown field strength of ~13 MV/cm. Moreover, the device supports nonvolatile operation with a “memory effect” enabling single transistor state retention. The presented simulation framework provides a physically grounded insight into the limits and opportunities of optoelectronic diamond systems.

Engineering - Electronic and electrical engineerin↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Aerothermal Shape Optimization of Actively-Cooled Battery Packs Using Conjugate Heat Transfer

Thermal management for battery is important for electric aircraft because battery temperature is critically important to vehicle safety, and it also has direct impact on the efficiency of the battery system. Because ambient air is a readily available resource for aircraft, this paper considers an active cooling concept with forced convection of ambient air through the battery pack. Conjugate heat transfer analysis is used to solve the coupled aero-thermal problem, which consists of a finite-volume computational fluid dynamics solver for the fluid domain, and a conduction heat transfer solver for the solid domain. A mixed Neumann and Dirichlet boundary condition is developed for the fluid-solid interface, which allows the solid domain to completely submerge in the fluid domain. A gradient-based optimization method is adopted, and the discrete adjoint approach implemented in DAFoam is used to efficiently compute the gradients. The aero-thermal coupling for primal analysis and gradient computation is handled using the OpenMDAO-based MPhys framework. A constant heat source is prescribed for the battery cells, and the battery shape (design variable) is optimized to minimize cooling pump power and battery weight (composite objective function) while keeping the battery temperature below a threshold (constraint). The optimized design achieves a 44.6% and 1.5% reduction in the cooling pump power and battery weight, respectively, and the maximal temperature constraint is satisfied. This work has the potential to reduce battery-pack weight, improve performance, and reduce the weight of thermal management systems for electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft.

heat transfer↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Aerothermal Shape Optimization of Actively-Cooled Battery Packs using Conjugate Heat Transfer

Thermal management for battery is important for electric aircraft because battery temperature is critically important to vehicle safety, and it also has direct impact on the efficiency of the battery system. Because ambient air is a readily available resource for aircraft, this paper considers an active cooling concept with forced convection of ambient air through the battery pack. Conjugate heat transfer analysis is used to solve the coupled aero-thermal problem, which consists of a finite-volume computational fluid dynamics solver for the fluid domain, and a conduction heat transfer solver for the solid domain. A mixed Neumann and Dirichlet boundary condition is developed for the fluid-solid interface, which allows the solid domain to completely submerge in the fluid domain. A gradient-based optimization method is adopted, and the discrete adjoint approach implemented in DAFoam is used to efficiently compute the gradients. The aero-thermal coupling for primal analysis and gradient computation is handled using the OpenMDAO-based MPhys framework. A constant heat source is prescribed for the battery cells, and the battery shape (design variable) is optimized to minimize cooling pump power and battery weight (composite objective function) while keeping the battery temperature below a threshold (constraint). The optimized design achieves a 44.6% and 1.5% reduction in the cooling pump power and battery weight, respectively, and the maximal temperature constraint is satisfied. This work has the potential to reduce battery-pack weight, improve performance, and reduce the weight of thermal management systems for electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft.

thermal management↗
DOE OSTI2026

Improving creep resistance of Al-0.27Zr-0.08Sn (wt%) via cold swaging while maintaining high electrical conductivity

This study investigates the effect of mechanical cold work (0, 50, and 90% cross-sectional area reduction via swaging) on the creep properties of cast aluminum alloys with high electrical conductivity including high-purity Al (HP-Al), Al-0.15Zr (Al-Zr), and Al-0.27Zr-0.08Sn (Al-Zr-Sn, wt%). The Al-Zr alloy is strengthened by Zr in solid solution while the Al-Zr-Sn alloy is additionally strengthened by Al3Zr nanoprecipitates (8 nm diameter). After 90% cold swaging, the alloys exhibit grains elongated along the swaging direction with their widths ranging between 8 and 152 μm perpendicular to the swaging direction. Creep testing at 200 °C shows that the minimum creep rate of all 90% swaged alloys shows high sensitivity to stress, which can be modeled via a threshold stress σth. Increasing swaging magnitude from 0 to 50 to 90% in Al-Zr-Sn improves the creep resistance without reducing electrical conductivity. The formation of subgrains, increased dislocation density, and columnar grain structure in swaged alloys all enhance creep resistance. HP-Al swaged to 90% exhibits much lower creep resistance (σth = 18 MPa) due to subgrain coarsening and the absence of precipitates compared to Al-Zr (σth = 40 MPa) and Al-Zr-Sn (σth = 40 MPa), which maintain stable subgrain structures and benefit from solid solution strengthening and Al3Zr nanoprecipitates, respectively. Although Al3Zr precipitates are known to stabilize the deformed microstructure by pinning grain-boundaries, this work demonstrates that Zr in solid solution alone can effectively stabilize the deformed microstructure resulting in enhanced creep resistance. This effect of Zr solute on stabilizing grain boundaries for creep performance was not previously well-defined in the literature. Despite similar creep performances of Al-Zr and Al-Zr-Sn, the latter shows 70% higher room-temperature microhardness and slightly improved electrical conductivity (56%IACS (International Annealed Copper Standard) vs. 57%IACS, respectively). This work provides new insights into creep mechanisms of cold-worked Al–Zr alloys that will guide the design of heat-resistant Al conductors for high-demand applications.

Coello ramirez, Ismael [Northwestern University,]↗
DOE OSTI2026

Advanced blade-shaped thermal energy storage device: Development and application

Thermal energy storage (TES) using phase change materials (PCMs) is a promising approach for capturing and reusing excess thermal energy, yet widespread adoption is limited by low thermal conductivity, bulky configurations, and inadequate scalability. Here, this study presents a modular, blade-shaped TES prototype designed to address these challenges. The device integrates a lightweight aluminum shell, an embedded serpentine coil for active or passive heat exchange, and a cost-effective corrugated metal mesh for enhanced PCM thermal conductivity. With thickness-to-length and thickness-to-width ratios of 0.03 and 0.08, respectively, the blade-shaped TES achieves a compact, modular form factor suitable for space-constrained applications. Experimental testing demonstrated the efficient charge and discharge behavior of blade-shaped TES, capturing PCM superheating, phase-change transitions, and subcooling dynamics, with charging and discharging efficiencies of 94.9% and 94.6%, respectively. Also, the system can potentially achieve higher energy density than that of conventional TES designs. When integrated into a household refrigerator during the study, three blade-shaped TES modules successfully shifted 100% of peak-time compressor operation to off-peak hours, reducing energy consumption while maintaining more stable compartment temperatures. The blade-shaped TES's thin geometry, modularity, and enhanced thermal performance support scalable deployment across residential, commercial, and industrial applications, providing a versatile, cost-effective solution for high-efficiency, demand-flexible thermal energy management.

Blade-shaped↗
DOE OSTI2024

Connectivity, Pathology, and ApoE4 Interactions Predict Longitudinal Tau Spatial Progression and Memory

ABSTRACT Tau pathology spread into neocortex indicates a transition from healthy aging to Alzheimer's disease (AD). Connectivity between tau epicenters and later accumulating regions of cortex has been proposed as a mechanism of tau spread, but how this relationship changes with greater AD pathology burden or genotype is not understood. We investigated tau accumulation in two key regions, precuneus and inferior temporal cortex, using resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) and longitudinal PET imaging from a multicohort sample of cognitively unimpaired older adults. We examined how baseline tau PET, Aβ PET, and ApoE4 genotype status interact with rsFC between hippocampus and these downstream regions to predict rate of tau accumulation in neocortex. We found that the 3‐way interaction between connectivity, baseline tau, and baseline Aβ or ApoE4 status was associated with neocortical tau accumulation in precuneus and inferior temporal cortex. In addition, baseline tau, Aβ, and ApoE4 status also moderated the association between connectivity and rate of memory decline. Together, these results suggest that the extent and distribution of future tau accumulation may be predicted by the interaction of baseline connectivity, AD pathology, and genetic risk.

Neurosciences & Neurology↗
DOE OSTI2026

Selective depolymerization of polyolefin copolymer via high-entropy alloy catalyzed pyrolysis in a double-layered ultrafast heating reactor

Chemical recycling of polyolefin copolymers (PCPs) is essential for mitigating plastic pollution, yet achieving selective depolymerization into C 2 –C 3 monomers at high productivity remains challenging. Here, we introduce a double-layered ultrafast heating reactor (DUHR) that integrates Joule heating with a high-entropy alloy (HEA) catalyst composed of near-equimolar Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Ni. We achieve highly selective depolymerization of PCP into ethylene and propylene, yielding a 70% non-condensable fraction. Significant aromatic fractions form via radical-driven pathways—a behavior distinct from conventional externally heated pyrolyzers—highlighting DUHR's ability to generate reactive species and modulate reaction pathways. Furthermore, these findings demonstrate an effective strategy for chemical recycling of real-world plastic waste for polyolefin circularity and sustainable resource recovery.

Chemical recycling↗
DOE OSTI2024

A First-Principles Study of the Structural and Thermo-Mechanical Properties of Tungsten-Based Plasma-Facing Materials

Tungsten (W) and tungsten alloys are being considered as leading candidates for structural and functional materials in future fusion energy devices. The most attractive properties of tungsten for the design of magnetic and inertial fusion energy reactors are its high melting point, high thermal conductivity, low sputtering yield, and low long-term disposal radioactive footprint. Despite these relevant features, there is a lack of understanding of how the structural and mechanical properties of W-based alloys are affected by the temperature in fusion power plants. In this work, we present a study on the thermo-mechanical properties of five W-based plasma-facing materials. First-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations are combined with the quasi-harmonic approximation (QHA) theory to investigate the electronic, structural, mechanical, and thermal properties of these W-based alloys as a function of temperature. The coefficient of thermal expansion, temperature-dependent elastic constants, and several elastic parameters, including bulk and Young’s modulus, are calculated. Our work advances the understanding of the structural and thermo-mechanical behavior of W-based materials, thus providing insights into the design and selection of candidate plasma-facing materials in fusion energy devices.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Thermal stability of 3D interface Cu/Nb nanolaminates

Nanocrystalline alloys are promising structural materials yet lack thermal stability in many cases. Recent work shows that interface structure has an outsize effect on the thermal behavior of nanostructured alloys. Here, this work focuses on the role of controlled heterophase interface structure in the thermal evolution of model Cu/Nb nanolaminates. We introduce 3D interfaces containing nanoscale heterogeneities in all spatial dimensions between Cu and Nb, forming 3D Cu/Nb. TEM, nanoindentation, and DSC are used in tandem to establish thermal stability and to identify shifts in microstructure as a function of static annealing temperature. 3D interfaces are shown to survive annealing to 300 °C for 1 hr., while 3D Cu/Nb microstructure evolves to form low-density and voided regions correlating to the onset of layer pinch-off between 500 and 600 °C annealing temperatures. A diffusivity- and vacancy energetics-based mechanism is developed to explain void formation driven by 3D interface degradation at elevated temperature.

3D interfaces↗
DOE OSTI2026

Combinatorial deposition of Au–Bi alloys via high-rate magnetron sputtering

Gold–bismuth (Au–Bi) alloy films are promising candidate materials for inertial confinement fusion (ICF) hohlraums due to their high laser-to-x-ray conversion efficiency, particularly compared with Au, Ta–Au, and Bi hohlraums. However, the fabrication of uniform and dense Au–Bi alloy films remains a challenge. Here, we use a combination of Monte-Carlo modeling and experiments to demonstrate that the microstructure and properties of Au–Bi alloy films can be greatly improved when direct-current magnetron sputtering with high deposition rates of ⩾5 μm h -1 is used. Resultant films are ~90% of their maximum theoretical densities and have low O content of <1 at.%. Films with Bi content above 40 at. % exhibit high electrical resistivity >100μΩ cm, making them suitable for both magnetized and non-magnetized ICF schemes.

Materials science↗
DOE OSTI2026

Electronegativity-Guided Site Differentiation in High-Entropy Alloy for pH-universal Hydrogen Evolution Reactions

Enhancing the intrinsic activity of transition metal catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) remains a critical challenge in sustainable energy conversion. Herein, we report an electronegativity-guided site differentiation strategy in a single-phase CoNiCuMoW high-entropy alloy (HEA) via electrodeposition by incorporating high-electronegativity 4d/5d orbital transition metals (Mo, W) into the face-centered cubic (fcc) matrix (CoNiCu). The as-synthesized HEA demonstrates exceptional HER performance in all pH conditions, delivering an outstanding overpotential of 65 mV (alkaline), 28 mV (acidic), and 155 mV (neutral) at a current density of 100 mA cm−2, showing performance comparable to commercial Pt/C and has excellent long-term stability at high current density (1 A cm−2, 1000 h). X-Ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the incorporation of Mo/W simultaneously alters the local coordination environment and induces element-dependent charge redistribution, accompanied by a system-level d-band center downshift, thereby optimizing the hydrogen binding strength across multimetallic sites. Meanwhile, oxophilic Mo/W sites lower the water dissociation energy barrier. These synergistic effects collectively enable efficient and durable pH-universal HER performance.

Wu, Yutong↗
DOE OSTI2026

Oceanic fronts shape hemispheric contrasts in polar stratospheric extremes

Sudden Stratospheric Warmings (SSWs) and Polar Stratospheric Clouds (PSCs) exhibit striking inter-hemispheric asymmetries: SSWs are frequent in the Arctic but rare in the Antarctic, while PSCs are more persistent in the Antarctic. Although land–sea thermal contrast and orography (LSCO) have been traditionally invoked to explain these asymmetries, here we show using semi-idealized model experiments that even though LSCO strongly impacts the mean state of SSWs and PSCs, it alone cannot fully account for the observed differences. Using model experiments, we reveal that midlatitude oceanic sea surface temperature (SST) fronts represent a crucial supporting additional driver of the hemispheric stratospheric differences. Like LSCO, SST fronts enhance stratospheric convergence of resolved waves, strengthening the Brewer–Dobson Circulation and inducing high-latitude adiabatic warming. This warming significantly enhances Arctic SSW frequency and strongly suppresses PSC formation. Sub-grid-scale non–resolved wave forcing modulates the stratospheric resolved waves effect. The oceanic impact is dominated by North Pacific SST fronts. Our results highlight the indispensable role of SST fronts in shaping Arctic–Antarctic asymmetries in stratospheric dynamics and associated extremes.

Omrani, Nour-Eddine [Univ. of Bergen (Norway)] (OR↗