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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 73 records · Page 4
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Stabilizing a low temperature phase change material based on Glaubers salt

The aim of this research is to enhance the performance of Glauber's salt (sodium sulfate decahydrate, SSD) as a phase change material (PCM) for thermal energy storage applications, as well as for shipping of temperature-sensitive materials. The study investigates the effects of modifying SSD with potassium chloride (KCl) and ammonium chloride (NH 4 Cl) to achieve lower phase transition temperatures of between +6 °C and + 13 °C. Sodium polyacrylate (PAAS) is employed as a thickening agent to prevent phase separation, and borax is used as a nucleating agent to suppress supercooling. Various ratios of KCl:NH 4 Cl are tested, and the impact of PAAS concentration on phase segregation is explored. The results show that a 2 wt% concentration of PAAS effectively prevents phase separation. Samples with a KCl:NH 4 Cl ratio of 1:1.83 exhibit stable phase transition behavior and maintain latent heat values within the range of 130–140 J/g after 30 thermal cycles. Maintaining a total KCl and NH 4 Cl proportion of 10 wt% is crucial to achieve the desired lower melting temperature. As a result, the study highlights the significance of thermal cycling in improving the stability of the PCM. The optimized SSD-based eutectic PCM formulations hold promise for applications in the cold chain industry.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Flash Freeze Flow Tube to Vitrify Aerosol Particles at Fixed Relative Humidity Values

Development of methods to measure the phase transitions and physical properties of submicron atmospheric aerosol particles is needed to better model these systems. Here, we introduce a method to flash freeze submicron particles to measure phase transitions as a function of relative humidity (RH). Particles are equilibrated at a fixed RH, vitrified in a temperature-controlled flow tube, and imaged with cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM). We demonstrate the use of the technique for measuring the efflorescence relative humidity (ERH) of potassium sulfate and potassium chloride aerosol as well as the separation RH for a multicomponent organic/inorganic system that undergoes liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). The location of phase transitions can shift between the micrometer and nanometer size regimes and particles in a given population may have a range of RH over which a phase transition occurs. This technique addresses these requirements by allowing for characterization of the phase transitions for individual particles in a population on the submicron scale.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Integrated Experimental and Modeling Study of Geochemical Reactions of Simple Fracturing Fluids with Caney Shale

Interactions between rock minerals and hydraulic fluids directly impact the geochemical and geomechanical properties of shale formations. However, the mechanisms of geochemical reactions in shale unconventional reservoirs remain poorly understood. Here, to investigate the geochemical reactions between shale and hydraulic fracturing fluids, a series of batch reactor experiments were undertaken. Three rock samples with different mineralogical compositions and three fluid samples of different compositions (deionized water, deionized water + 2% potassium chloride (KCl), and deionized water + 0.5% choline chloride (C 5 H 14 ClNO) were used. Experiments were undertaken at reservoir temperature and atmospheric pressure. Elemental compositions of effluents after 1, 3, 7, 14, 28 days were analyzed using Inductively Couple Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Medical Computed Tomography (CT) scan and X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) were conducted on the entire core run to help upscale results obtained from rock-fluid interaction experiments. Geochemical modeling using a reactive simulator, TOUGHREACT, was undertaken to corroborate experimental results. Results show that lower pH triggered high dissolution rates in the rock samples, especially the carbonate components. As pH increased, the rate of dissolution declined significantly, though for most cases dissolution still continued. Observed dissolved silica concentrations were much higher than the quartz solubility, suggesting that much of the silica originates from more soluble silica polymorphs and possibly desorption from clay mineral exchange sites. Concentration of most elemental species in solution increased but aluminium and magnesium concentrations declined rapidly following initial entry into solution. Geochemical modeling corroborated the conclusions regarding mineral dissolution and precipitation observed from experiments, notably; the dissolution of calcite and oxidation of pyrite in reacted shale samples, the likely presence of silica polymorphs such as opal, chalcedony or amorphous silica in these samples, and the reduction of Al and Mg concentrations in solution by precipitation of secondary aluminosilicate phases. The de-flocculation of clay minerals during reaction implies fines migration after hydraulic fracturing. This is detrimental to reservoir productivity as clay fines are displaces and lodged within the micro and nano-fractures created during fracturing. The immediate consumption of aluminium and magnesium also has implications on blockage of hydrocarbon pathways due to precipitation of new minerals in these locations.

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Integrating Contaminant Source Indicators, Water Quality Measures, and Ecotoxicity to Characterize Contaminant Mixtures and Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance (PFAS) Variability in an Urban Watershed

Thousands of chemical contaminants threaten watersheds but are time and cost prohibitive to monitor. Identifying their sources, transport, and ecological risk is limited in heterogeneous urban watersheds. We present an integrative watershed approach using source-specific indicator compounds, common water quality measures, and ecotoxicity assays to examine the distribution of contaminant mixtures in an urbanized watershed. Indicator compound concentrations were temporally and spatially distributed for treated/untreated sewage (sucralose, artificial sweetener), road runoff (diphenyl-guanidine [DPG] and 6PPD-quinone [6PPD-Q], automobile tire additives), and lawncare runoff (aminomethanephosphonic acid (AMPA), major degradant of the herbicide glyphosate). Sucralose was predominately sourced from treated wastewater; measurable concentrations in tributaries indicated raw sewage inputs. DPG and 6PPD-Q concentrations correlated to road density during base flow and were elevated during stormflow. AMPA was measurable spring through fall, especially where lawns were dense. When specific sources dominated flow, water quality measures correlated with wastewater (sulfate, potassium, chloride, and sodium) and road runoff (chromium and lead) indicators. The limited behavioral toxicity observed in exposed zebrafish (Danio rerio) (18%) was not well explained by source-indicators. PFAS concentrations were highly variable spatially but not well explained by our source-specific indicator compounds. Here, more costly compound-specific monitoring may be necessary when multiple sources exist or when unexpected toxicity trends occur.

computer simulations↗
DOE OSTI2026

Relaxor Ferroelectric-Like Spatiotemporal Memory in Field-Driven Lipid Bilayers

Lipid membranes are often regarded as passive barriers, yet their nonlinear dielectric response remains poorly understood. Using all-atom molecular dynamics, we show that fully hydrated dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine bilayers exhibit relaxor ferroelectric-like behavior under time-dependent electric fields. Unlike crystalline relaxors, which are bipolar and display little remanent polarization, lipid bilayers exhibit a unipolar polarization response: even an alternating current field produces persistent, asymmetric polarization. Furthermore, the underlying free-energy landscape contains two distinct minima, a nonpolarized state and a unipolarly polarized state, between which stochastic thermally activated transitions occur. Directionally resolved Van Hove analysis reveals pronounced anisotropy arising from out-of-plane electric dipole alignment, interleaflet coupling, and lateral polarization domains. Each field cycle nucleates polarization at distinct sites and monitors their relaxation, marking a crossover from thermal fluctuations to field-sustained polarization. Remarkably, these polarized domains persist after field removal, generating long-lived, spatially coherent dipolar patterns that encode nanoscale polarization memory. Potassium chloride amplifies these effects via dielectric screening and a modified hydration structure, enhancing electric dipole flexibility and cooperativity. Together, these results establish protein-free bilayers as nonlinear, history-dependent dielectrics capable of sustaining field-tunable electromechanical coupling, providing an emergent physical foundation for nanoscale information storage and memory phenomena reminiscent of short- and long-term plasticity in soft neuromorphic systems.

Insulators↗
DOE OSTI2021

Parametric Study of Used Nuclear Oxide Fuel Constituent Dissolution in Molten LiCl-KCl-UCl 3

Prior work identified dissolution of used nuclear oxide fuel constituents from a uranium oxide matrix into molten LiCl-KCl-UCl 3 at 500°C, prompting a subsequent series of three progressive studies (including an initial scoping study, an electrolytic dissolution study, and a chemical-seeded dissolution study) to further investigate associated parameters and mechanisms. Thermodynamic calculations were performed to identify possible reaction mechanisms and their propensities in used oxide fuel constituent dissolution. Used nuclear oxide fuels with varying preconditions from fast and thermal test reactors were separately immersed in the subject salt system to assess fuel constituent migration from the bulk fuel matrix to the salt phase in an initial scoping study. Dissolution of expected fuel constituents, including alkali, alkaline earth, lanthanide, and transuranium oxides, into the chloride salt phase varied widely, ranging from 12% to 99% in the initial study. Uranium isotope blending between the salt phase and bulk fuel matrix was also observed, which was attributed to reducing conditions in the fuel matrix. Electrolytic and chemical-seeded dissolution studies were subsequently performed to effect reducing conditions in the fuel. Other parameters, including temperature (at 500°C, 650°C, 725°C, and 800°C) and uranium trichloride concentrations (at 6, 9, and 19 wt% uranium), were investigated in the latter two studies, resulting in fuel constituent dissolution above 90%. Extents of dissolution were based on initial and final fuel constituent concentrations in the oxide fuels following operations in the salt and subsequent removal of the salt via distillation. Finally, in this series of progressive studies, oxide fuel preconditioning and in situ reducing conditions, along with elevated temperature and uranium trichloride concentrations, were the primary parameters promoting used nuclear oxide fuel constituent dissolution in accordance with identified reaction mechanisms.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2021

In situ synchrotron diffraction of pressure-induced phase transition in DyPO 4 under variable hydrostaticity

In situ synchrotron x-ray diffraction was conducted on polycrystalline DyPO 4 to elucidate the details of the pressure-induced transition from the xenotime polymorph to the monazite polymorph. We used three different pressure-transmitting media (neon, a 16:3:1 methanol-ethanol-water mixture, and potassium chloride) to investigate the effect of hydrostaticity on the phase behavior. Specifically, our data clearly show a hydrostatic onset pressure of the xenotime-monazite transition of 9.1 GPa, considerably lower than the 15.3 GPa previously determined by Raman spectroscopy. Based on (quasi)hydrostatic data taken in a neon environment, third-order Birch-Murnaghan equation-of-state fits give a xenotime bulk modulus of 144 GPa and a monazite bulk modulus of 180 GPa (both with pressure derivatives of 4.0). Structural data and axial compressibilities show that DyPO 4 is sensitive to shear and has an anisotropic response to pressure. More highly deviatoric conditions cause the onset of the transition to shift to pressures at least as low as 7.0 GPa. We attribute early transition to shear-induced distortion of the PO4 tetrahedra. Finally, our characterization of the high-pressure behavior of DyPO 4 under variable hydrostaticity is critical for advancing rare earth orthophosphate fiber coating applications in ceramic matrix composites and may inform future tailoring of phase composition for controlled shear and pressure applications.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2020

Natural abundance nitrate isotopes from Rifle and the East River Watershed, Colorado

This data package provides data on the natural abundance isotopes of nitrate from various sources, including porewater, stream, and precipitation. The overall purpose of this data package is to complement additional data streams for nitrogen cycling metrics (e.g., riverine inorganic and organic nitrogen measurements) with specific data gleaned from the interpretation of terrestrial and riverine isotope measurements and collectively understand on how nitrogen is cycled around this system. The Rifle and East River are part of the Watershed Function Scientific Focus Area (WFSFA) located in the Upper Colorado River Basin, United States. Collection locations include: Pumphouse (multiple sampling dates), River (upstream/ downstream meander C), Shallow soil lysimeters (hillslope, toeslope, floodplain), Hillslope-floodplain borehole wells (i.e., Pumphouse Lower Montane (PLM) wells), and Potassium chloride(KCL)-extracted soil samples. Copper Creek sampling includes 8x river sample points and two tributaries sampled on Sept. Oct. 2017, July 2018. East River below the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory sampling includes 1 access point sampled on July, Sept. Oct. 2017. Rifle floodplain sampling includes well TT03 across multiple collection times over 2014. Data is provided in 5 individual files by location in csv format, or all compiled in Excel format.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2026

Denudation, solute export, landscape evolution modeling, and geographic information system data for the East River watershed, Colorado, USA (2020-2024)

This data package contains geographic information system (GIS) layers and tabular datasets associated with the study of lithologic controls on denudation, solute export, carbon-scaling relationships, and transient landscape evolution in the East River watershed near Crested Butte, Colorado, USA. The package includes GIS layers used to produce the Figure 2 map, including drainage, hillshade, lithology, sample locations, and basin polygons, together with comma-separated value (CSV) tables and matching CSV data dictionaries. One group of tables reports sample-level and catchment-level information for river-sediment samples analyzed for in situ-produced cosmogenic beryllium-10 (10Be), including sample names, outlet elevations, geographic coordinates, upstream drainage area, rock-type classes, production-rate scaling scheme, analyzed nuclide, catchment-averaged denudation rates, and associated lower and upper analytical uncertainties. Sample and catchment attributes provide the basis for comparing denudation rates across intrusive, shale, sedimentary, and mixed-lithology settings. A second group of tables reports supporting information for landscape-evolution modeling and the mapped geologic framework of the study area. Included files list parameter values and definitions for the two-phase landscape-evolution simulations, summarize full-domain model erosion fluxes and topographic metrics for different simulation configurations, provide a fixed-area carbon-model scaling table, and summarize mapped geologic units within the East River study domain, including geologic code, formation name, lithologic description, mapped area, and lithologic class grouping. Model outputs and geologic summaries support interpretation of transient landscape behavior and its relation to the mapped distribution of shale, intrusive, sedimentary, and surficial units. A third group of tables reports hydrologic and hydrochemical information used to quantify dissolved export from the watershed. Included files provide site-level values for drainage area, mean annual solute export, standard error of annual export, area-normalized solute yield, and equivalent weathering rate for five East River monitoring sites, along with metadata describing the number, sampling cadence, and date range of discharge records and partial and full total dissolved solids observations used in the solute-yield analyses. The package also contains a supplementary daily ion-load time series with daily mean discharge, discharge observation counts, dissolved concentrations, and daily loads for calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride, sulfate, nitrate, fluoride, dissolved silica, charge-balance bicarbonate, and total dissolved solids. The package contains GIS files, comma-separated value files (.csv), CSV data dictionaries, a file-level metadata table, a package-tree text file, and a readme text file.

10Be↗
NASA NTRS1970

Determination of nitrogen in titanium nitride

Quantitative determination of nitrogen in titanium nitride involves dissolution of TiN in 10M hydrofluoric acid containing an oxidant. Released nitrogen is determined as ammonia. Best oxidizers are ferric chloride, potassium iodate, and potassium dichromate.

Philipp, W. H.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Hydrogen defects in proton bombarded KCl.

Optical absorption bands are observed in the UV and IR proton bombarded potassium chloride at liquid nitrogen temperature. It is demonstrated that the absorption is due to trapped protons, and the largest UV band has been identified with the U center.

Chu, Y. H.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Automated potentiometric electrolyte analysis system

The feasibility is demonstrated of utilizing chemical sensing electrode technology as the basis for an automatically-controlled system for blood gas and electrolyte analyses under weightlessness conditions. The specific measurements required were pH, pCO2, sodium, chloride, potassium ions, and ionized calcium. The general electrode theory, and ion activity measurements are described along with the fluid transport package, electronics unit, and controller for the automated potentiometric analysis system.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1975

Effect of fluorocarbons on acetylcholinesterase activity and some counter measures

An isolated vagal sympathetic heart system has been successfully used for the study of the effect of fluorocarbons (FCs) on cardiac performance and in situ enzyme activity. Dichlorodifluoromethane sensitizes this preparation to sympathetic stimulation and to exogenous epinephrine challenge. Partial and complete A-V block and even cardiac arrest have been induced by epinephrine challenge in the FC sensitized heart. Potassium chloride alone restores the rhythmicity but not the normal contractility of the heart in such a situation. Addition of glucose will, however, completely restore the normal function of the heart which is sensitized by dichlorodifluoromethane. The ED 50 values of acetylcholinesterase activity which are used as a measure of relative effectiveness of fluorocarbons are compared with the maximum permissible concentration. Kinetic studies indicate that all the fluorocarbons tested so far are noncompetitive.

Young, W.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Fluid and Electrolyte Balance model (FEB)

The effects of various oral input water loads on solute and water distribution throughout the body are presented in the form of a model. The model was a three compartment model; the three compartments being plasma, interstitial fluid and cellular fluid. Sodium, potassium, chloride and urea were the only major solutes considered explicitly. The control of body water and electrolyte distribution was affected via drinking and hormone levels.

Fitzjerrell, D. G.↗