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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 757 records · Page 42
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Post-Deployment Characterization of Glass Fiber-Reinforced Thermoset and Thermoplastic Composite Tidal Turbine Blades: Preprint

In 2021, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) supported Verdant Power with the most successful tidal energy deployment in U.S. history. Three of their tidal turbines were deployed as part of the Roosevelt Island Tidal Energy project. Initially, the three rotors were manufactured from glass fiber-reinforced epoxy composites. Midway through the deployment, one rotor was replaced with one manufactured at NREL. Instead, it was infused with a novel, infusible thermoplastic resin system. Since the deployment, one epoxy rotor and one thermoplastic rotor were returned to NREL for continued materials and manufacturing research. The two rotors underwent full-scale structural testing before being sectioned and cut into specimens for a variety of manufacturing quality tests, thermos-mechanical characterization, and evaluation of material performance in marine environments, to understand the key differences between the fiberglass reinforced epoxy and Elium composites used for the respective rotors. Matrix burnoff tests showed that the Elium blades had a considerably higher fiber volume fraction compared to the epoxy blades (61% vs. 49%). Environmental aging of the specimens showed that the epoxy laminates absorbed more water over the conditioning period, however, it was determined that the Elium laminates had higher diffusion coefficients, so initially absorbed water faster. Finally, one full epoxy blade and one full Elium blade were conditioned at ambient temperatures for up to 11 months, while taking periodic mass measurements. The datasets were extrapolated out to assume a full 20 year operational life span and it was determined that the blades would not reach full saturation during that time span.

composite manufacturing↗
DOE OSTI2018

Effects of carbon content and size on Ti-C reaction behavior and resultant properties of Cu-Ti-C alloy system

Highlights: • TiC-strengthened Cu alloys were synthesized by an in situ powder metallurgy route. • Effect of C/Ti ratio on electrical and mechanical properties was studied. • Ti-C reaction behavior during powder metallurgy process was discussed. • Microstructure evolution during present process was analyzed. - Abstract: TiC-strengthened Cu alloys with various nominal compositions were prepared by a high-energy ball-milling process, followed by consolidation using spark plasma sintering (SPS), and a subsequent heat treatment. The results indicated that the lower atomic ratio of C/Ti, the more residual Ti in copper matrix, resulting in a lower electrical conductivity but higher microhardness of alloy. The optimal atomic ratio was found to be close to1.0. The reaction behavior of Ti-C in the Cu-Ti-C system during this process was investigated. Microstructural results suggested that TiC formation is through a diffusion-controlled mechanism. A thin TiC layer was formed at the surface of C particles, and the growth of TiC layer was controlled by interdiffusion of C and Ti atoms across the TiC layer. An incomplete chemical reaction between Ti and C, characterized by a core-shell structure, was observed when the initial C particles were large, and the TiC particle size was found to strongly depending on the C particle size.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Comparison of fission product release predictions using PARFUME with results from the AGR-1 safety tests

Safety tests were conducted on fuel compacts from AGR-1, the first irradiation experiment of the Advanced Gas Reactor (AGR) Fuel Development and Qualification program, at temperatures ranging from 1600 to 1800 °C to determine fission product release at temperatures that bound reactor accident conditions. The PARFUME (PARticle FUel ModEl) code was used to predict the release of fission products silver, cesium, strontium, and krypton from fuel compacts containing tristructural isotropic (TRISO) coated particles during 15 of these safety tests. Comparisons between PARFUME predictions and post-irradiation examination results of the safety tests were conducted on two types of AGR-1 compacts: compacts containing only intact particles and compacts containing one or more particles whose SiC layers failed during safety testing. In both cases, PARFUME globally over-predicted the experimental release fractions by several orders of magnitude: more than three (intact) and two (failed SiC) orders of magnitude for silver, more than three and up to two orders of magnitude for strontium, and up to two and more than one orders of magnitude for krypton. The release of cesium from intact particles was also largely over-predicted (by up to five orders of magnitude) but its release from particles with failed SiC was only over-predicted by a factor of about 3. These over-predictions can be largely attributed to an over-estimation of the diffusivities used in the modeling of fission product transport in TRISO-coated particles. The integral release nature of the data makes it difficult to estimate the individual over-estimations in the kernel or each coating layer. Nevertheless, a tentative assessment of correction factors to these diffusivities was performed to enable a better match between the modeling predictions and the safety testing results. The method could only be successfully applied to silver and cesium. In the case of strontium, correction factors could not be assessed because potential release during the safety tests could not be distinguished from matrix content released during irradiation. Furthermore, in the case of krypton, all the coating layers are partly retentive and the available data did not allow the level of retention in individual layers to be determined, hence preventing derivation of any correction factors.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
NASA NTRS1995

Laboratory Studies of DIB Carriers

Spectroscopic studies of the following potential diffuse interstellar band (DIB) carriers are reviewed: unspecified organics, carbon chains, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), fullerenes and derivatives, as well as porphyrins and related material. An assessment of each is given, along with suggestions for further experimental studies needed to fully test each candidate. Of the experimental techniques in common use matrix isolation spectroscopy with neon matrices is the most appropriate for the DIBs. The low vapor pressure and high reactivity of these materials preclude gas phase studies on many of these species. At this point, given the type and quality of published data available, carbon chains and PARs are the most promising candidates for a number of the DIBs.

Allamandola, L. J.↗
DOE OSTI2015

The appearance, motion, and disappearance of three-dimensional magnetic null points

While theoretical models and simulations of magnetic reconnection often assume symmetry such that the magnetic null point when present is co-located with a flow stagnation point, the introduction of asymmetry typically leads to non-ideal flows across the null point. To understand this behavior, we present exact expressions for the motion of three-dimensional linear null points. The most general expression shows that linear null points move in the direction along which the magnetic field and its time derivative are antiparallel. Null point motion in resistive magnetohydrodynamics results from advection by the bulk plasma flow and resistive diffusion of the magnetic field, which allows non-ideal flows across topological boundaries. Null point motion is described intrinsically by parameters evaluated locally; however, global dynamics help set the local conditions at the null point. During a bifurcation of a degenerate null point into a null-null pair or the reverse, the instantaneous velocity of separation or convergence of the null-null pair will typically be infinite along the null space of the Jacobian matrix of the magnetic field, but with finite components in the directions orthogonal to the null space. Not all bifurcating null-null pairs are connected by a separator. Furthermore, except under special circumstances, there will not exist a straight line separator connecting a bifurcating null-null pair. The motion of separators cannot be described using solely local parameters because the identification of a particular field line as a separator may change as a result of non-ideal behavior elsewhere along the field line.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Pre-conceptual Development and characterization of an extruded graphite composite fuel for the TREAT Reactor

In an effort to explore fuel systems that are more robust under accident scenarios, the DOE-NE has identified the need to resume transient testing. The Transient Reactor Test (TREAT) facility has been identified as the preferred option for the resumption of transient testing of nuclear fuel in the United States. In parallel, NNSA’s Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI) Convert program is exploring the needs to replace the existing highly enriched uranium (HEU) core with low enriched uranium (LEU) core. In order to construct a new LEU core, materials and fabrication processes similar to those used in the initial core fabrication must be identified, developed and characterized. In this research, graphite matrix fuel blocks were extruded and materials properties of were measured. Initially the extrusion process followed the historic route; however, the project was expanded to explore methods to increase the graphite content of the fuel blocks and explore modern resins. Materials properties relevant to fuel performance including density, heat capacity and thermal diffusivity were measured. The relationship between process defects and materials properties will be discussed.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Insights into dynamic processes of cations in pyrochlores and other complex oxides

Complex oxides are critical components of many key technologies, from solid oxide fuel cells and superionics to inert matrix fuels and nuclear waste forms. In many cases, understanding mass transport is important for predicting performance and, thus, extensive effort has been devoted to understanding mass transport in these materials. However, most work has focused on the behavior of oxygen while cation transport has received relatively little attention, even though cation diffusion is responsible for many phenomena, including sintering, radiation damage evolution, and deformation processes. Here, we use accelerated molecular dynamics simulations to examine the kinetics of cation defects in one class of complex oxides, A₂B₂O₇ pyrochlore. In some pyrochlore chemistries, B cation defects are kinetically unstable, transforming to A cation defects and antisites at rates faster than they can diffuse. When this occurs, transport of B cations occurs through defect processes on the A sublattice. Further, these A cation defects, either interstitials or vacancies, can interact with antisite disorder, reordering the material locally, though this process is much more efficient for interstitials than vacancies. Whether this behavior occurs in a given pyrochlore depends on the A and B chemistry. Pyrochlores with a smaller ratio of cation radii exhibit this complex behavior, while those with larger ratios exhibit direct migration of B interstitials. Similar behavior has been reported in other complex oxides such as spinels and perovskites, suggesting that this coupling of transport between the A and B cation sublattices, while not universal, occurs in many complex oxide.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Post-Deployment Characterization of Glass Fiber-Reinforced Thermoset and Thermoplastic Composite Tidal Turbine Blades

In 2021, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) supported Verdant Power with the most successful tidal energy deployment in U.S. history. Three of their Gen5d 5 m turbines were deployed as part of the Roosevelt Island Tidal Energy project. Initially, the three rotors initially deployed were manufactured from glass fiber-reinforced epoxy composites. Midway through the deployment, one rotor was replaced with one manufactured at NREL. The new rotor utilized a novel infusible thermoplastic resin system. Since the deployment, one epoxy rotor and one thermoplastic rotor were returned to NREL for continued materials and manufacturing research. The two rotors underwent full-scale structural testing before being sectioned and cut into specimens for a variety of manufacturing quality tests, thermomechanical characterization, and evaluation of material performance in marine environments to understand the key differences between the fiberglass-reinforced epoxy and Elium composites used for the respective rotors. Matrix burn-off tests showed that the Elium blades had a considerably higher fiber volume fraction compared to the epoxy blades (61% vs. 49%). Environmental aging of the specimens showed that the epoxy laminates absorbed more water over the conditioning period; however, it was determined that the Elium laminates had higher diffusion coefficients, so they initially absorbed water faster. Finally, one full epoxy blade and one full Elium blade were conditioned at ambient temperatures for up to 11 months, while periodic mass measurements were taken. The datasets were extrapolated to assume a full 20-year operational life span, and it was determined that the blades would not reach full saturation during that time span.

composite manufacturing↗
NASA NTRS1973

Matrix operator theory of radiative transfer. II - Scattering from maritime haze.

Matrix operator theory is used to calculate the reflected and transmitted radiance of photons that have interacted with plane-parallel maritime haze layers. The results are presented for three solar zenith angles, three values of the surface albedo, and a range of optical thicknesses from very thin to very thick. The diffuse flux at the lower boundary and the cloud albedo are tabulated. The forward peak and other features in the single-scattered phase function cause the radiance in many cases to be very different from that for Rayleigh scattering. In particular, the variation of the radiance with both the zenith or nadir angle and the azimuthal angle is more marked and the relative limb darkening under very thick layers is greater for haze M than for Rayleigh scattering. The downward diffuse flux at the lower boundary for A = 0 is always greater and the cloud albedo is always less for haze M than for Rayleigh layers.

Kattawar, G. W.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Application of program LAURA to three-dimensional AOTV flowfields

Program LAURA (Langley Aerothermodynamic Upwind Relaxation Algorithm) is a robust, finite volume, single-level storage, implicit upwind differencing algorithm which has been documented and tested on several three-dimensional blunt-body flows. The algorithm can run at unlimited Courant numbers (relaxing the steady-state equations) but requires the inversion of only a 5 x 5 matrix per computational cell. An alternating directional sweep Gauss-Seidel substitution strategy is used to relax the governing equations. At present, the Euler and thin-layer Navier-Stokes equations using Sutherland's law for viscosity have been modeled for a perfect gas, equilibrium air, and nonequilibrium air chemistry neglecting diffusion. The equilibrium and nonequilibrium air chemistry options have been described in a companion paper. Good comparisons with experimental data and another calculation method for pressure distributions, aerodynamic coefficients, and heat-transfer distributions have been demonstrated for three-dimensional blunt-body flows.

Gnoffo, P. A.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Overview of Base Model in Parametric Studies Specific to Performance of U-Mo Plates

This paper provides an overview of the base model specifically developed to perform parametric sensitivity studies on the U-10Mo monolithic fuel system. U-Mo monolithic fuels are being considered for the conversion of test reactors into high-performance research reactors that operate using proliferation-resistant, low-enriched uranium (LEU) fuels. These plate-type fuels contain a high-density, low-enrichment fuel sandwiched between zirconium diffusion barriers and encapsulated in aluminum claddings. All U.S. high-performance research reactors have released the designs of their LEU monolithic fuel reactor cores. These designs include nearly 50 distinct fuel plate geometries with different operational parameters. Consequently, a single generic plate geometry representing all the extreme points in this design matrix is unrealistic. To evaluate the performance for various parameters, a set of sensitivity studies was performed. These studies considered various input parameters (i.e., geometric, operational, and material property-related). The results revealed valuable information about plate performance and the sensitivity of this performance to various modeling inputs. To establish a reference state for comparing these result, base model featuring representative irradiation conditions was developed. To capture in-reactor behavior accurately, incorporation of representative constitutive models capable of evolving properties with respect to temperature, irradiation time, and burnup was needed. The behavioral models considered burnup-dependent properties, swelling, creep, and degradation. This paper introduces the base model created for the parametric sensitivity studies. The detailed description of the procedure includes the model geometry, model discretization, thermo-mechanical coupling, material properties and behavioral models. This paper also provides selected results and assesses the performance of the base model.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Post-Deployment Characterization of Glass Fiber-Reinforced Thermoset and Thermoplastic Composite Tidal Turbine Blades

In 2021, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) supported Verdant Power with the most successful tidal energy deployment in U.S. history. Three of their Gen5d 5 m turbines were deployed as part of the Roosevelt Island Tidal Energy project. Initially, the three deployed rotors were manufactured from glass fiber-reinforced epoxy composites. Midway through the deployment, one rotor was replaced with one manufactured at NREL. The new rotor utilized a novel infusible thermoplastic resin system (Elium from Arkema). Since the deployment, one epoxy rotor and one thermoplastic rotor were returned to NREL for continued materials and manufacturing research. The two rotors underwent full-scale structural testing before being sectioned and cut into specimens for a variety of manufacturing quality tests, thermomechanical characterization, and evaluation of material performance in marine environments to understand the key differences between the fiberglass-reinforced epoxy and Elium composites used for the respective rotors. Matrix burn-off tests showed that the Elium blades had a considerably higher fiber volume fraction compared to the epoxy blades (61% vs. 49%). Environmental aging of the specimens showed that the epoxy laminates absorbed more water over the conditioning period; however, it was determined that the Elium laminates had higher diffusion coefficients, so they initially absorbed water faster. Finally, one full epoxy blade and one full Elium blade were conditioned at ambient temperatures for up to 11 months, while periodic mass measurements were taken. The datasets were extrapolated to assume a full 20-year operational life span, and it was determined that the blades would not reach full saturation during that time span.

composite manufacturing↗
DOE OSTI2023

Irradiation Effects on Stability of δ-UZr2 phase in U-50 wt% Zr Alloy

U-50wt%Zr is a candidate metallic nuclear fuel with potential application in light water reactors due to its excellent thermal properties and high radiation tolerance. The Zr-rich UZr fuels possess greater swelling resistance and fission gas release characteristics compared with U-rich UZr fuels. In this current study, the δ-phase U-50wt%Zr is proton irradiated at room temperature to 1 displacement per atom (dpa) to provide insights on phase stability under irradiation conditions. High resolution characterization of Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Atom Probe Tomography (APT) characterization techniques are used to elucidate microstructural changes due to irradiation. TEM and APT results show highly oriented bcc β-Zr-rich platelet precipitates nucleating adjacent to α-U phases inside the UZr 2 matrix. Formation of this platelet morphology is characteristic of Widmänstatten structure which can be attributed to a variety of factors such as differences in thermal expansion coefficient between the phases, grain size, alloy composition, and cooling rate. The phases present are distinctly different than those observed through in situ annealing, but irradiation accelerates diffusion and phase separation kinetics. These microstructural changes in U-50wt%Zr are different from those achieved by pure thermodynamic or high temperature heavy ion irradiation experiments. Finally, our work, together with previous ones, highlight the necessity to study the U-Zr phase diagram under non-equilibrium thermodynamics conditions to support this material's deployment as a viable nuclear fuel form.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

In Situ Oxidation Studies of High-Entropy Alloy Nanoparticles

Although high-entropy alloys (HEAs) have shown tremendous potential for elevated temperature, anticorrosion, and catalysis applications, little is known on how HEA materials behave under complex service environments. Herein, we studied the high-temperature oxidation behavior of Fe 0.28 Co 0.21 Ni 0.20 Cu 0.08 Pt 0.23 HEA nanoparticles (NPs) in an atmospheric pressure dry air environment by in situ gas-cell transmission electron microscopy. It is found that the oxidation of HEA NPs is governed by Kirkendall effects with logarithmic oxidation rates rather than parabolic as predicted by Wagner's theory. Further, the HEA NPs are found to oxidize at a significantly slower rate compared to monometallic NPs. The outward diffusion of transition metals and formation of disordered oxide layer are observed in real time and confirmed through analytical energy dispersive spectroscopy, and electron energy loss spectroscopy characterizations. Localized ordered lattices are identified in the oxide, suggesting the formation of Fe 2 O 3 , CoO, NiO, and CuO crystallites in an overall disordered matrix. Hybrid Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics simulations based on first-principles energies and forces support these findings and show that the oxidation drives surface segregation of Fe, Co, Ni, and Cu, while Pt stays in the core region. The present work offers key insights into how HEA NPs behave under high-temperature oxidizing environment and sheds light on future design of highly stable alloys under complex service conditions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Niobium hydride formation in superconducting qubit thin films

The formation of nonsuperconducting hydrides in 160–170-nm-thick films of niobium is examined. We identify six elastically distinct orientation relationships ɛ−Nb 4 ⁢H 3 takes within the matrix, solid-solution 𝛼−NbH 𝑥 phase. We employ a phase field model to assess the impact of elastic energy induced by the strain of phase transformation on the morphology and transformation dynamics of ɛ precipitates within a thin film. We consider the dimensions of the thin film, crystallographic growth direction, and diffusion rates to predict the timescale of hydride evolution. Leveraging the finite element method, we predict two-dimensional and three-dimensional equilibrium shapes of ɛ-hydrides within a bulk sample and in a thin film that has a traction-free surface. Our results suggest that niobium hydrides migrate to the free surface of the film. Precipitates which reach the free surface coarsen, while precipitates within the film dissolve. Precipitates in both two dimensions and three dimensions experience a repulsive interaction force at the free surface, that is attractive in the bulk, shown in experiment and theory of previous studies.

36 - MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Hierarchical morphologies in co-sputter deposited thin films

Co-depositions of immiscible alloy films at specific processing conditions have yielded hierarchical microstructures which consist of distinct features at multiple length scales, often agglomerates and concentration modulations on the sub-micrometer-scale and fine nanoprecipitates in a matrix on the nanoscale. The present work examined a series of immiscible alloy systems: Cu-Mo, Cu-Ag, Cu-Fe, Cu-Ta, Mo-Ag, Cu-Mo-Ag, to determine the kinetic conditions favorable for hierarchical organization and the formation mechanism of such structures. Thin films of six immiscible systems were sputter co-deposited over a range of deposition rates from 0.12 to 2 nm/s and various temperatures from 400 to 800°C. The resulting microstructures indicate that hierarchical structures form with sufficient disparity in kinetic energy between the constituent atoms, one species being highly mobile (A) and the other relatively immobile (B). This condition arises typically at elevated deposition temperatures and reduced deposition rates but is also alloy dependent. The hierarchical structures form during deposition via phase separation and self-organization processes across the multiple length scales. The adatoms diffuse on the film surface with the highly mobile species swiftly agglomerating into A-rich domains within which B-rich nanoprecipitates form, often self-organizing into periodic arrays. The smallest B-rich nanoprecipitates in the A-rich domains are found to be coherent and in a metastable crystal structure (B taking the structure of A), but coarser precipitates that exhibit the equilibrium structure of B element. The A-rich domains are surrounded by a B-rich matrix that phase-separates into a concentration modulated structure. In conclusion, the observations are interpreted via a model incorporating material properties and process parameters.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Oxidation and Ignition Behaviors of Molten Mg-Nd-Zr Alloy in Resin-Sand Mold

High-temperature oxidation behavior of molten Mg-Nd-Zr in the pyrolysis atmosphere of resin-bind sand mold was investigated. The results showed that pouring temperature higher than 1023 K would sharply increase the ignition risk of melt in mold. The oxide formed on Mg-Nd-Zr melt below 973 K consists of two layers: mainly MgO for outer layer; mixture of MgO and Nd{sub 2}O{sub 3} for inner layer. The inner oxide mixture layer played an essential role in the protection of Mg-Nd-Zr matrix. Based on the experimental results and thermodynamic analysis, the oxidation process containing three stages was proposed. Nd- and Zn-enriched zone was found at the subsurface of oxide scale, without the enrichment of Zr. DICTRA calculation results indicated that this phenomenon was caused by the depletion of Mg and up-hill diffusion of Zr. Thus, Zr showed limited protection to the melt in long-term oxidation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS2004

Quantitative Relationships between Photosynthetic, Nitrogen Fixing, and Fermentative H2 Metabolism in a Photosynthetic Microbial Mat

The ultimate potential of any microbial ecosystem to contribute chemically to its environment - and therefore, to impact planetary biogeochemistry or to generate recognizable biosignatures - depends not only on the individual metabolic capabilities of constituent organisms, but also on how those capabilities are expressed through interactions with neighboring organisms. This is particularly important for microbial mats, which compress an extremely broad range of metabolic potential into a small and dynamic system. H2 participates in many of these metabolic processes, including the major elemental cycling processes of photosynthesis, nitrogen fixation, sulfate reduction, and fermentation, and may therefore serve as a mediator of microbial interactions within the mat system. Collectively, the requirements of energy, electron transfer, and biomass element stoichiometry suggest quantitative relationships among the major element cycling processes, as regards H2 metabolism We determined experimentally the major contributions to 32 cycling in hypersaline microbial mats from Baja California, Mexico, and compared them to predicted relationships. Fermentation under dark, anoxic conditions is quantitatively the most important mechanism of H2 production, consistent with expectations for non-heterocystous mats such as those under study. Up to 16% of reducing equivalents fixed by photosynthesis during the day may be released by this mechanism. The direct contribution of nitrogen fixation to H2 production is small in comparison, but this process may indirectly stimulate substantial H2 generation, by requiring higher rates of fermentation. Sulfate reduction, aerobic consumption, diffusive and ebulitive loss, and possibly H2-based photoreduction of CO2 serve as the principal H2 sinks. Collectively, these processes interact to create an orders-of-magnitude daily variation in H2 concentrations and fluxes, and thereby in the oxidation-reduction potential that is imposed on microbial processes occuring within the mat matrix.

Hoehler, Tori M.↗