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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 739 records · Page 41
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2017

Interfacial Charge Engineering in Ferroelectric-Controlled Mott Transistors

Heteroepitaxial coupling at complex oxide interfaces introduces a powerful tool for engineering the charge degree of freedom in strongly correlated materials, which can be utilized to achieve tailored functionalities that are inaccessible in the bulk form. In this work, the charge-transfer effect between two strongly correlated oxides, Sm 0.5 Nd 0.5 NiO 3 (SNNO) and La 0.67 Sr 0.33 MnO 3 (LSMO), is exploited to realize a giant enhancement of the ferroelectric field effect in a prototype Mott field-effect transistor. By switching the polarization field of a ferroelectric Pb(Zr,Ti)O 3 (PZT) gate, nonvolatile resistance modulation in the Mott transistors with single-layer SNNO and bilayer SNNO/LSMO channels is induced. For the same channel thickness, the bilayer channels exhibit up to two orders of magnitude higher resistance-switching ratio at 300 K, which is attributed to the intricate interplay between the charge screening at the PZT/SNNO interface and the charge transfer at the SNNO/LSMO interface. X-ray absorption spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies of SNNO/LSMO heterostructures reveal about 0.1 electron per 2D unit cell transferred between the interfacial Mn and Ni layers, which is corroborated by first-principles density functional theory calculations. The study points to an effective strategy to design functional complex oxide interfaces for developing high-performance nanoelectronic and spintronic applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Ultrafast nonlocal collective dynamics of Kane plasmon-polaritons in a narrow-gap semiconductor

The observation of ultrarelativistic fermions in condensed-matter systems has uncovered a cornucopia of novel phenomenology as well as a potential for effective ultrafast light engineering of new states of matter. While the nonequilibrium properties of two- and three-dimensional (2D and 3D) hexagonal crystals have been studied extensively, our understanding of the photoinduced dynamics in 3D single-valley ultrarelativistic materials is, unexpectedly, lacking. Here, we use ultrafast scanning near-field optical spectroscopy to access and control nonequilibrium large-momentum plasmon-polaritons in thin films of a prototypical narrow-bandgap semiconductor Hg 0.81 Cd 0.19 Te. We demonstrate that these collective excitations exhibit distinctly nonclassical scaling with electron density characteristic of the ultrarelativistic Kane regime and experience ultrafast initial relaxation followed by a long-lived highly coherent state. Our observation and ultrafast control of Kane plasmon-polaritons in a semiconducting material using light sources in the standard telecommunications fiber-optics window open a new avenue toward high-bandwidth coherent information processing in next-generation plasmonic circuits.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2022

Design Challenges in High-Current Pulsed Striplines

The Long Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) will produce the worlds most intense neutrino beam. Three series connected magnetic horns will require 5 kV, 300 kA, 800 $\mu$s pulses at a rate of 1.4 Hz to focus the beam. Connecting a single power supply to these focusing horns will require a low impedance connection measuring over 60 m in length. To meet the challenging requirements of connecting the horns to the power supply, this connection is engineered as a nine-conductor, high-current pulsed stripline. It must pass through a harsh radiation environment, be passively cooled, and have an operational lifetime of at least 30 years. This paper discusses mechanical and electrical considerations such as high-voltage holdoff, clamped joint performance, and Lorentz force mitigations in order to meet the specified requirements. The results of tests and experiments on several prototypes of key design features will be presented and discussed.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2011

A Pneumatic Actuated Microfluidic Beads-Trapping Device

The development of a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic microbeads trapping device is reported in this paper. Besides fluid channels, the proposed device includes a pneumatic control chamber and a beads-trapping chamber with a filter array structure. The pneumatic flow control chamber and the beads-trapping chamber are vertically stacked and separated by a thin membrane. By adjusting the pressure in the pneumatic control chamber, the membrane can either be pushed against the filter array to set the device in trapping mode or be released to set the device in releasing mode. In this paper, a computational fluid dynamics simulation was conducted to optimize the geometry design of the filter array structure; the device fabrication was also carried out. The prototype device was tested and the preliminary experimental results showed that it can be used as a beads-trapping unit for various biochemistry and analytical chemistry applications, especially for flow injection analysis systems.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2016

Development of solid materials for UF 6 sampling: FY16 Annual Report

A handheld implementation of the ABACC-developed Cristallini method, which captures uranium hexafluoride samples as an inert salt, was organized in FY17 and succeeded in demonstrating the handheld sampler concept with reactive hexafluoride gases. The Cristallini method relies on the use of a hydrated substrate to react the incoming hexafluoride resulting in the formation of a stable uranyl fluoride salt. The Cristallini method has been demonstrated as a facility modification installed near the sampling tap of a gas centrifuge enrichment plant. While very successful in reducing the hazards of uranium hexafluoride sample, the method still takes a considerable amount of time and can only be used in facilities where the apparatus has been installed; this arrangement generally prohibits the sampling of filled cylinders that have already exited the facility and have been deposited in the on-site tank storage yard. The handheld unit under development will allow the use of the Cristallini method at facilities that have not been converted as well as tanks in the storage yard. The handheld system utilizes an active vacuum system, rather than a passive vacuum system in the facility setup, to drive the uranium hexafluoride onto the adsorbing media. The handheld unit will be battery operated for fully autonomous operation and will include onboard pressure sensing and flushing capability. To date, the system concept of operations was demonstrated with tungsten hexafluoride that showed the active vacuum pump with multiple cartridges of adsorbing media was viable. Concurrently, the hardened prototype system was developed and tested; removable sample cartridges were developed (the only non-COTS component to date); and preparations were made for uranium tests and a domestic field test.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Misalignment Tolerant Three-phase Wireless Fast Charging System for Electric Vehicles

This project proposes improving the technology level of the three-phase wireless charging technology developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Successful commercialization of wireless charging systems require that they meet strict safety standards for electromagnetic field emissions and interoperability with other wireless charging technology. ORNL has previously demonstrated a 50kW three-phase wireless power transfer system with 95% efficiency. This prototype system weighed less than 50% of similar high-power wireless charging system while simultaneously exhibiting better safety characteristics. Due to better material utilization, the reduction in mass is expected to translate into similar cost reduction for the magnetic coupler. Additionally, the smaller footprint of the system can ease vehicle integration difficulties that would be encountered using other technology. Furthermore, the three-phase design can be made to operate with existing single-phase coupler design more easily and without intentional physical misalignment which would otherwise pose safety issues. This project developed ORNL’s WPT technology to satisfy the specifications and requirements for electric vehicle (EV) charging. The result of the project will be a prototype and reference design for a high-power wireless charging system—including magnetics, power electronics, and controls—serving as a baseline for product development.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Electric Hybrid Truck Demonstration (Final Technical Report)

The purpose of the project was to demonstrate three (3) fully developed, operational, advanced vehicle technology prototypes for ON-ROAD goods movement applications. The major vehicle OEM for this demonstration was Navistar International Trucks, with the fuel cell and power control hybrid technology provided and integrated by US Hybrid. CEM was to provide independent data collection and analysis, while EDF would provide education, outreach, and communication for the project. GTI managed the partnership and arranged for hydrogen fuel for the demonstration. The drayage truck is used to transfer the cargo container from/to ports in a warehouse or logistic yard. For port facilities in the Port of Houston Area, as well as virtually all other ports, drayage trucks often queue for long periods, inching along at slow speeds to await loading and unloading. During this process, the trucks are essentially idle, with conventional diesel engines continuously running and producing accompanying emissions. The ZECT would essentially power off during idle periods, or at least utilize minimal electric energy. As such, range limitation by using a gaseous fuel would be mitigated by the fact that the vehicle is not using fuel during much of its duty cycle. The project team expected the vehicle range to be about 200 miles which is well within the duty cycle requirements of the original fleet partner, Richardson Trucking. The project was intended to demonstrate commercialization and production potential, and to clearly illustrate the selected vehicle technology’s potential to reduce GHG emissions and petroleum use if implemented widely. To achieve this, the project team proposed a two-year demonstration project in the Port of Houston area to assess and track vehicle performance, and evaluate fuel savings, petroleum reduction, and emissions reduction benefits of the prototype technology. Additional time at the front end of the project was required for vehicle and support infrastructure preparation. In June 2017 the remaining project partners, which now included Air Liquide, agreed that the project would be unlikely to move forward with the vehicle demonstration, primarily due to the lack of a viable cargo truck fleet partner in the Port of Houston area willing to make a sufficient commitment of resources to operate the vehicles for the demonstration.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2019

Effects of Defects on Band Structure and Excitons in WS 2 Revealed by Nanoscale Photoemission Spectroscopy

Two-dimensional materials with engineered composition and structure will provide designer materials beyond conventional semiconductors. Yet, the potentials of defect engineering remain largely untapped, because it hinges on a precise understanding of electronic structure and excitonic properties, which are not yet predictable by theory alone. In this report, we use correlative, nanoscale photoemission spectroscopy to visualize how local introduction of defects modifies electronic and excitonic properties of two-dimensional materials at the nanoscale. As a model system, we study chemical vapor deposition grown monolayer WS 2 , a prototypical, direct gap, two-dimensional semiconductor. By cross-correlating nanoscale angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, core level spectroscopy, and photoluminescence, we unravel how local variations in defect density influence electronic structure, lateral band alignment, and excitonic phenomena in synthetic WS 2 monolayers.

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

TestSNAP

TestSNAP is a stand-alone prototype of the SNAP force kernel used in the LAMMPS molecular dynamics code. It contains synthetic input data (neighbor atom positions) and reference output data (forces on atoms) for several different SNAP models. The prototype performs the force calculation repeatedly, checking the results against the reference data. At the end it reports the grind time [msec/atomstep] and RMS force error [eV/A]. This allows performance experts to quickly test new hardware and software strategies, obtain a realistic performance estimate and verify that the computation was performed correctly. SAND2019-12243 M Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-NA0003525.

Thompson, Aidan↗
DOE OSTI2019

Prototype Ceramic HEPA Filter Testing and Filter Media Research and Development for Nuclear Facility Ventilation

This is a brief summary of recent and past Ceramic HEPA Filter research and development activities under an NNSA NSR&D funded project and describes on-going plans for FY19 work as presently planned. Prior work has evaluated concepts for a ceramic HEPA filter including ceramic support materials, filter media including electrospun filter media, and metal housing designs to accommodate the conservative temperature performance target of up to 500°C. This has been supported by modelling efforts discussed with nuclear facility system engineers and their management. The temperature and time-attemperature are based on conservative, bounding temperatures from fire analysis presented as an EFCOG best practice paper for nuclear facility safety analysis. The overall goal is to improve safety of DOE nuclear facilities during fire scenarios by developing improved filtration technology including increasing temperature performance while maintaining acceptable filter pressure drop. Ceramic filtration technology can provide robust, passive mitigation against radiological releases. The goal of the ceramic HEPA filter is to provide a HEPA filter that provides increased temperature performance in an equivalent form factor (size and shape) that is similar to existing conventional HEPA filters used in facilities. Once development is complete and qualified for use in facilities, ceramic HEPA filters could simplify and reduce safety and support system costs, as well as lower life-cycle costs. Installation, monitoring, and maintenance of active fire suppression systems, as well as other related systems, are a considerable on-going cost to nuclear facilities. Reducing the level of dependence on Safety Class and Safety Significant fire alarm and fire suppression systems could allow significant cost savings. At present we are continuing research and development efforts towards the goal of a ceramic filter design, including improved ceramic filter media, that could reduce total operation cost for facilities utilizing HEPA filters.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Prototype Ceramic HEPA Filter Testing and Filter Media Research and Development for Nuclear Facility Ventilation

This is a brief summary of recent and past Ceramic HEPA Filter research and development activities under an NNSA NSR&D funded project and describes on-going plans for FY19 work as presently planned. Prior work has evaluated concepts for a ceramic HEPA filter including ceramic support materials, filter media including electrospun filter media, and metal housing designs to accommodate the conservative temperature performance target of up to 500°C. This has been supported by modelling efforts discussed with nuclear facility system engineers and their management. The temperature and time-at-temperature are based on conservative, bounding temperatures from fire analysis presented as an EFCOG best practice paper for nuclear facility safety analysis. The overall goal is to improve safety of DOE nuclear facilities during fire scenarios by developing improved filtration technology including increasing temperature performance while maintaining acceptable filter pressure drop. Ceramic filtration technology can provide robust, passive mitigation against radiological releases. The goal of the ceramic HEPA filter is to provide a HEPA filter that provides increased temperature performance in an equivalent form factor (size and shape) that is similar to existing conventional HEPA filters used in facilities. Once development is complete and qualified for use in facilities, ceramic HEPA filters could simplify and reduce safety and support system costs, as well as lower life-cycle costs. Installation, monitoring, and maintenance of active fire suppression systems, as well as other related systems, are a considerable on-going cost to nuclear facilities. Reducing the level of dependence on Safety Class and Safety Significant fire alarm and fire suppression systems could allow significant cost savings, while maintaining safety. At present we are continuing research and development efforts towards the goal of a ceramic filter design, including improved ceramic filter media, that could reduce total operation cost for facilities utilizing HEPA filters.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Efficient facemask decontamination via forced ozone convection

The COVID-19 crisis has taken a significant toll on human life and the global economy since its start in early 2020. Healthcare professionals have been particularly vulnerable because of the unprecedented shortage of Facepiece Respirators (FPRs), which act as fundamental tools to protect the medical staff treating the coronavirus patients. In addition, many FPRs are designed to be disposable single-use devices, creating an issue related to the generation of large quantities of non-biodegradable waste. In this contribution, we describe a plasma-based decontamination technique designed to circumvent the shortages of FPRs and alleviate the environmental problems posed by waste generation. The system utilizes a Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) to generate ozone and feed it through the fibers of the FPRs. The flow-through configuration is different than canonical ozone-based sterilization methods, in which the equipment is placed in a sealed ozone-containing enclosure without any flow through the mask polymer fibers. We demonstrate the rapid decontamination of surgical masks using Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) and Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (VSV) as model pathogens, with the flow-through configuration providing a drastic reduction in sterilization time compared to the canonical approach. We also demonstrate that there is no deterioration in mask structure or filtration efficiency resulting from sterilization. Finally, we show that this decontamination approach can be implemented using readily available tools, such as a plastic box, a glass tube, few 3D printed components, and the high-voltage power supply from a plasma globe toy. The prototype assembled for this study is portable and affordable, with effectiveness comparable to that of larger and more expensive equipment.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2017

High-Frequency Transformer Design for Modular Power Conversion From Medium-Voltage AC to 400 VDC

This paper presents a high-frequency modular medium-voltage AC (4160 VAC or 13.8 kVAC) to low-voltage DC (400 VDC) system that is scalable in order to be used for different scale microgrids. A 15 kW, 500 kHz DC/DC converter is demonstrated as the most important stage of the system overall, which can be scalable to a 225 kW 4160 VAC to 400 VDC system. Motivation of a CLLC resonant converter and its design parameters determination is carefully illustrated. The high-frequency transformer is the key element for the DC/DC converter. Then, the paper focuses on high-frequency transformer design to realize high-voltage insulation, high efficiency, and high density at the same time. Based on a split winding UU core transformer structure, transformer insulation materials and dimension parameters are determined referring to the IEEE insulation standard. The transformer magnetic loss model is reviewed based on which loss design tradeoff is carefully analyzed. Different working frequency impact on transformer design over three different core materials is also presented. Finally, a 500 kHz transformer prototype has been developed and demonstrated with the IEEE standard required insulation tests. A whole CLLC resonant converter is also present with experiments results. Here, the converter holds outstanding 98% efficiency and 2.9 kW/L power density.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2021

Stacked Low-Inertia Converter or Solid-State Transformer: Modeling and Model Predictive Priority-Shifting Control for Voltage Balance

This paper presents control challenges of stacked low-inertia converter (SLIC) or cascaded reduced dc-link solid-state transformer (SST) and proposes a novel model predictive priority-shifting (MPPS) control with implicit modulator and a discrete-time large-signal model for voltage balancing and dc-link regulation. Low-inertia converters, featuring small electrolytic capacitor-less dc links, dramatically reduce cost, size, and weight compared to conventional solutions. However, without a large dc-link buffer, the input and output are tightly coupled, leading to significant control challenges. The control becomes even more challenging with these converters stacked input-series output-parallel (ISOP) for medium-voltage (MV) grid, which causes coupling between the modules besides the coupling within each module. This paper analyzes the multi-objective, multi-degree of freedom control problem, using the modular soft-switching solid-state transformer (M-S4T) as an example of the SLIC. First, distribution of control efforts under controller saturation is critical because multiple control objectives can be conflicting, especially when the module voltages are unbalanced and are being restored. The MPPS can shift the priorities to address this issue. Second, due to the low inertia and high dc-link ripple, classic space vector pulse-width modulation (SVPWM), average model with small-ripple assumption, and control design based on small-signal model cannot accurately modulate, model, and control the nonlinear reduced dc link. Therefore, a discrete-time large-signal model of the M-S4T is established to derive the predictive control in the MPPS. The MPPS and the PI control are compared in MV simulations to show the issue of applying the PI to the SLIC and the effectiveness of the MPPS for voltage balancing and dc-link regulation in a deadbeat manner. Finally, the proposed control is tested on a 5 kV ISOP SiC SST prototype to verify priority shifting to address controller saturation issue and fast and robust voltage balancing.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Development of a 250 Degree C 15kV Supercascode Switch Using SiC JFET Technology

Tetra Corporation is developing a pulsed power drilling system for the geothermal industry. The system requires a high temperature switching technology to replace the existing technology based on Si thyristors with a temperature limit of 150 degrees C. This work focuses on the development of such switch based on a Supercascode configuration using SiC JFET technology. The development presented contains thermal models, packaging design and processes, circuit simulations and prototypes of both the Supercascode switch and the high temperature packaged SiC JFETs.

cascaded switch↗
DOE OSTI2015

Rapid imbibition of water in fractures within unsaturated sedimentary rock

The spontaneous imbibition of water and other liquids into gas-filled fractures in variably-saturated porous media is important in a variety of engineering and geological contexts. However, surprisingly few studies have investigated this phenomenon. In this paper, we present a theoretical framework for predicting the 1-dimensional movement of water into air-filled fractures within a porous medium based on early-time capillary dynamics and spreading over the rough surfaces of fracture faces. The theory permits estimation of sorptivity values for the matrix and fracture zone, as well as a dispersion parameter which quantifies the extent of spreading of the wetting front. Quantitative data on spontaneous imbibition of water in unsaturated Berea sandstone cores were acquired to evaluate the proposed model. The cores with different permeability classes ranging from 50 to 500 mD and were fractured using the Brazilian method. Spontaneous imbibition in the fractured cores was measured by dynamic neutron radiography at the Neutron Imaging Prototype Facility (beam line CG-1D, HFIR), Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Water uptake into both the matrix and the fracture zone exhibited square-root-of-time behavior. The matrix sorptivities ranged from 2.9 to 4.6 mm s -0.5 , and increased linearly as the permeability class increased. The sorptivities of the fracture zones ranged from 17.9 to 27.1 mm s -0.5 , and increased linearly with increasing fracture aperture width. The dispersion coefficients ranged from 23.7 to 66.7 mm 2 s -1 and increased linearly with increasing fracture aperture width and damage zone width. Both theory and observations indicate that fractures can significantly increase spontaneous imbibition in unsaturated sedimentary rock by capillary action and surface spreading on rough fracture faces. Fractures also increase the dispersion of the wetting front. In conclusion, further research is needed to investigate this phenomenon in other natural and engineered porous media.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Side chain engineering control of mixed conduction in oligoethylene glycol-substituted polythiophenes

A major limitation for polymeric mixed ionic/electronic conductors (MIECs) is the trade-off between ionic and electronic conductivity; changes made that improve one typically hinder the other. In order to address this fundamental problem, this work provides insight into ways that we could improve one type of conduction without hindering the other. Here, we investigated a common oligoethylene glycol side chain polymer by adjusting the oxygen atom content and position, providing structural insights for materials that better balanced the two conduction pathways. The investigated polymer series showed the prototypical conflict between ionic and electronic conduction for oxygen atom content, with increasing oxygen atom content increasing ionic conductivity, but decreasing electronic conductivity; however, by increasing the oxygen atom distance from the polymer backbone, both ionic and electronic conductivity could be improved. Following these rules, we show that poly(3-(methoxyethoxybutyl)thiophene), when blended with lithium bistrifluoromethanesulfonimide (LiTFSI), matches the ionic conductivity of a comparable MIEC [poly(3-(methoxyethoxyethoxymethyl)thiophene)], while simultaneously showing higher electronic conductivity, highlighting the potential of this design strategy. We also provide strategies for tuning the MIEC performance to fit a desired application, depending on if electronic, ionic, or balanced conduction is most important. These results have implications beyond just polythiophene-based MIECs, as these strategies for balancing backbone crystallization and coordinating group interconnectivity apply for all semicrystalline conjugated polymers.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Interface engineering of phase separation in SrRuO 3 /SrTiO 3 hybrid superlattices

Most observed phase separation phenomena in complex oxides occur in systems with chemical dopants or structural defects, and theories have established the strong connection between phase separation and the random distribution of chemical dopants. Recent experiments on fabricated high-quality oxide superlattices also confirmed that the phase separation is suppressed in the clean systems without chemical disorders. Thus far, phase separation in strongly correlated oxides without the need of chemical dopants or structural defects has not been fully demonstrated. Here, we have built chemically ordered hybrid superlattices using prototypical SrRuO 3 and SrTiO 3 perovskite oxides. Contrary to previous understandings, we observe phase separation of two magnetic phases with different spin easy axes. We elucidate this phenomenon through first-principles calculations that the hybrid superlattices have a spontaneous structural instability, leading to a coexistence of ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic phases. In this work, our findings provide an alternative pathway other than chemical doping to introduce phase separation in correlated oxides and imply that phase separation can exist in clean systems without the need of chemical disorders.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗