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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 1,009 records · Page 56
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2016

Spark channel propagation in a microbubble liquid

Experimental study on the development of the spark channel from the anode needle under pulsed electrical breakdown of isopropyl alcohol solution in water with air microbubbles has been performed. The presence of the microbubbles increases the velocity of the spark channel propagation and increases the current in the discharge gap circuit. The observed rate of spark channel propagation in microbubble liquid ranges from 4 to 12 m/s, indicating the thermal mechanism of the spark channel development in a microbubble liquid.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Liquid-phase exfoliation of chemical vapor deposition-grown single layer graphene and its application in solution-processed transparent electrodes for flexible organic light-emitting devices

Efficient and low-cost methods for obtaining high performance flexible transparent electrodes based on chemical vapor deposition (CVD)-grown graphene are highly desirable. In this work, the graphene grown on copper foil was exfoliated into micron-size sheets through controllable ultrasonication. We developed a clean technique by blending the exfoliated single layer graphene sheets with conducting polymer to form graphene-based composite solution, which can be spin-coated on flexible substrate, forming flexible transparent conducting film with high conductivity (∼8 Ω/□), high transmittance (∼81% at 550 nm), and excellent mechanical robustness. In addition, CVD-grown-graphene-based polymer light emitting diodes with excellent bendable performances were demonstrated.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2013

3D Motion of DNA-Au Nanoconjugates in Graphene Liquid Cell Electron Microscopy

Liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy (TEM) can probe and visualize dynamic events with structural or functional details at the nanoscale in a liquid medium. Prior efforts have focused on the growth and transformation kinetics of hard material systems, relying on their stability under electron beam. Our recently developed graphene liquid cell technique pushed the spatial resolution of such imaging to the atomic scale but still focused on growth trajectories of metallic nanocrystals. Here, we adopt this technique to imaging three-dimensional (3D) dynamics of soft materials instead, double strand (dsDNA) connecting Au nanocrystals as one example, at nanometer resolution. We show first that a graphene liquid cell can seal an aqueous sample solution of a lower vapor pressure than previously investigated well against the high vacuum in TEM. Then, from quantitative analysis of real time nanocrystal trajectories, we show that the status and configuration of dsDNA dictate the motions of linked nanocrystals throughout the imaging time of minutes. This sustained connecting ability of dsDNA enables this unprecedented continuous imaging of its dynamics via TEM. Moreover, the inert graphene surface minimizes sample-substrate interaction and allows the whole nanostructure to rotate freely in the liquid environment; we thus develop and implement the reconstruction of 3D configuration and motions of the nanostructure from the series of 2D projected TEM images captured while it rotates. In addition to further proving the nanoconjugate structural stability, this reconstruction demonstrates 3D dynamic imaging by TEM beyond its conventional use in seeing a flattened and dry sample. Altogether, we foresee the new and exciting use of graphene liquid cell TEM in imaging 3D biomolecular transformations or interaction dynamics at nanometer resolution.

3D motion↗
NASA NTRS1992

FNAS modify matric and transparent experiments

Monotectic alloy materials are created by rapid melt/rapid solidification processing on the NASA KC-135. Separation of the uniform liquid into two liquids may occur by either of two processes; spinodal decomposition or nucleation followed by growth. In the first case, the liquid is unstable to composition waves, which form and grow, giving liquids of two different compositions. In the latter process discrete particles of the second liquid phase form via thermal fluctuations and then grow by diffusion. The two processes are very different, with the determining process being dictated by temperature, composition, and thermodynamic characteristics of the alloy. The first two quantities are process variables, while the third is determined by electronic interactions between the atoms in the alloy. In either case the initial alloy decomposition is followed by coarsening, resulting in growth of the particle size at nearly constant volume fraction. In particular, reduced gravity experiments on monotectic solutions have shown a number of interesting results in the KC-135. Monotectic solutions exhibit a miscibility gap in the liquid state, and consequently, gravity driven forces can dominate the solidification parameters at 1 g. In reduced gravity however, the distribution of the phases is different, resulting in new and interesting microstructures. The Rapid Melt/Rapid Quench Furnace allows one to melt a sample and resolidify it in one parabola of the KC-135's flight path, thus eliminating any accumulative influence of multiple parabolas to affect the microstructure of the material.

Smith, Guy A.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Micro and Macro Segregation in Alloys Solidifying with Equiaxed Morphology

To understand macro segregation formation in Al-Cu alloys, experiments were run under terrestrial gravity (1g) and under low gravity during parabolic flights (10(exp -2) g). Alloys of two different compositions (2% and 5% Cu) were solidified at two different cooling rates. Systematic microscopic and SEM observations produced microstructural and segregation maps for all samples. These maps may be used as benchmark experiments for validation of microstructure evolution and segregation models. As expected, the macro segregation maps are very complex. When segregation was measured along the central axis of the sample, the highest macro segregation for samples solidified at 1g was obtained for the lowest cooling rate. This behavior is attributed to the longer time available for natural convection and shrinkage flow to affect solute redistribution. In samples solidified under low-g, the highest macro-segregation was obtained at the highest cooling rate. In general, low-gravity solidification resulted in less segregation. To explain the experimental findings, an analytical (Flemings-Nereo) and a numerical model were used. For the numerical model, the continuum formulation was employed to describe the macroscopic transports of mass, energy, and momentum, associated with the microscopic transport phenomena, for a two-phase system. The model proposed considers that liquid flow is driven by thermal and solutal buoyancy, and by solidification shrinkage. The Flemings-Nereo model explains well macro segregation in the initial stages of low-gravity segregation. The numerical model can describe the complex macro segregation pattern and the differences between low- and high-gravity solidification.

Stefanescu, Doru M.↗
DOE OSTI2015

Communication: Cosolvency and cononsolvency explained in terms of a Flory-Huggins type theory

Standard Flory-Huggins (FH) theory is utilized to describe the enigmatic cosolvency and cononsolvency phenomena for systems of polymers dissolved in mixed solvents. In particular, phase boundaries (specifically upper critical solution temperature spinodals) are calculated for solutions of homopolymers B in pure solvents and in binary mixtures of small molecule liquids A and C. The miscibility (or immiscibility) patterns for the ternary systems are classified in terms of the FH binary interaction parameters (χ{sub αβ}) and the ratio r = ϕ{sub A}/ϕ{sub C} of the concentrations ϕ{sub A} and ϕ{sub C} of the two solvents. The trends in miscibility are compared to those observed for blends of random copolymers (A{sub x}C{sub 1−x}) with homopolymers (B) and to those deduced for A/B/C solutions of polymers B in liquid mixtures of small molecules A and C that associate into polymeric clusters (A{sub p}C{sub q}){sub i}, (i = 1, 2, …, ∞). Although the classic FH theory is able to explain cosolvency and cononsolvency phenomena, the theory does not include a consideration of the mutual association of the solvent molecules and the competitive association between the solvent molecules and the polymer. These interactions can be incorporated in refinements of the FH theory, and the present paper provides a foundation for such extensions for modeling the rich thermodynamics of polymers in mixed solvents.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2011

Determination of Ca and Mg in aqueous solution by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy using absorbent paper substrates

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy has been performed to detect trace metal elements (Ca and Mg) in aqueous solution. In order to overcome the sensitivity drawbacks in liquid sample analysis, an absorbent paper was used as the sample support in this experiment. Calibration curves were constructed by using the standard solution with variable concentration and the limit of detection was estimated for each element. Finally this system was used to analyze three types of water samples collected from different locations in Nanjing, China and the results were compared with inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy and showed good correlation.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

An XAFS Study of Tantalum Chloride in the Ionic Liquid 1-ethyl-3-methyl Imidazolium Chloride/ aluminum Chloride

Tantalum chloride was studied with extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (XAFS) in acidic and basic aluminum chloride/1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium chloride ionic liquids (ILs). Anhydrous Ta2Cl10 is more soluble in the basic solution than in the acidic solution and the X-ray absorption data shows that the coordination shell of chlorides around the tantalum is larger in the basic solution. In the acidic solution, tantalum has five chlorides in its coordination shell while in the basic solution; the tantalum is coordinated by seven chlorides. This indicates that the Lewis acidity of the tantalum chloride causes the Ta to coordinate differently in the acidic and the basic solutions.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2017

Aqueous solution of [EMIM][OAc]: Property formulations for use in air conditioning equipment design

Liquid desiccant air conditioning (LDAC) is a promising alternative to vapor compression refrigeration based space cooling and dehumidification for the reduction of energy consumption and the improvement of indoor air quality. However, its use in the air conditioning market is still very limited due to its high installation cost, intensive carryover, and high cost of operation and maintenance associated to the corrosion of the current desiccant liquids. Substitutes for the traditional desiccant liquids with better properties and no corrosion are highly needed. Ionic liquids, which are salts comprised of organic cations and inorganic anions or organic anions, have high thermal stability, negligible or no vapor pressure, varied solubility in water, low or no corrosion to metals, and low driving temperatures to achieve dew point temperatures. All of those characteristics make them as perfect substitutes for traditional desiccant liquids. Up to date, a very few research groups investigated ILs as potential alternatives to traditional desiccant liquids for LDAC. The study aimed to identify the ionic liquids as ideal desiccant liquids to achieve better cost-effectiveness and higher system performance of LDAC. There were 13 different ionic liquids (IL) identified and screened for the most promising candidate. 1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate, [EMIM][OAc], was selected as an ideal candidate for the capable of the most adsorption and desorption. The study was mainly focused on the development of calculation models for the thermo-physical properties of the aqueous solution of [EMIM][OAc] to represent the property data needed for use as the desiccant liquid in sorption-based air conditioning equipment. It aims to provide convenient methods for use in the design and model of the sorption-based air conditioning. Finally, the calculation models for the following thermo-physical properties of the aqueous solution of [EMIM][OAc] were proposed and presented in the study: the vapor pressures, specific heat capacity, density, and dynamic viscosity at various temperatures and concentrations.

1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate↗
NASA NTRS1986

Containerless processing of hypermonotectic and glass forming alloys using the Marshall Space Flight Center 100 meter drop tube facility

Two separate projects were carried out to study alloys whose solidification structures can be strongly influenced by the presence of a container during melting and solidifications. One project involved containerless solidification of hypermonotectic Au35Rh65 alloys. This alloy exhibits liquid immiscibility over a temperature range. It has been suggested that containerless melting might be one solution to the problem of sedimentation in the dispersions of immiscible liquid phases. However, surface tension driven flows could also lead to accumulation of the minority liquid phase at the external surface of a containerlessly melted alloy. The research underway is a first step in determining the influence of containerless, microgravity processing on immiscible alloys. Nickel-niobium alloys were studied using the drop tube facility. One alloy in this system, a Ni60Nb40 alloy, is a good candidate for the formation of a bulk metallic glass. Amorphous alloys of this composition were produced using thin film and mechanical alloying techniques. However, theory indicates that if heterogeneous nucleation can be avoided, it should be possible to produce an amorphous structure in this system using a moderate cooling rate from the melt. The containerless melting and solidification capabilities of the drop tube faciltiy provide ideal conditions for a study of this type. To date, several Ni60Nb40 samples have been levitated, melted and cooled during 4.6 seconds of free fall in the 100 meter drop tube. Structures obtained are discussed.

Andrews, J. B.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Stability of erythrocyte suspensions layered on stationary and flowing liquids

The apparent stability of erythrocyte suspensions layered on stationary and flowing Ficoll solutions was studied considering the effects of particle concentration, type and size, and the different flow rates of the particle suspensions and chamber liquid. The data from the flowing system were empirically fitted and, when extrapolated to zero chamber liquid flow rate, gave values comparable to the data from the stationary system, thus confirming the validity of the data and our approach to obtain that data.

Omenyi, S. N.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Evaluation of Portable Acceleration Solutions for LArTPC Simulation Using Wire-Cell Toolkit

The Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber (LArTPC) technology plays an essential role in many current and future neutrino experiments. Accurate and fast simulation is critical to developing efficient analysis algorithms and precise physics model projections. The speed of simulation becomes more important as Deep Learning algorithms are getting more widely used in LArTPC analysis and their training requires a large simulated dataset. Heterogeneous computing is an efficient way to delegate computationally intensive tasks to specialized hardware. However, as the landscape of compute accelerators quickly evolves, it becomes increasingly difficult to manually adapt the code to the latest hardware or software environments. A solution which is portable to multiple hardware architectures without substantially compromising performance would thus be very beneficial, especially for long-term projects such as the LArTPC simulations. In search of a portable, scalable and maintainable software solution for LArTPC simulations, we have started to explore high-level portable programming frameworks that support several hardware backends. In this paper, we present our experience porting the LArTPC simulation code in the Wire-Cell Toolkit to NVIDIA GPUs, first with the CUDA programming model and then with a portable library called Kokkos. Preliminary performance results on NVIDIA V100 GPUs and multi-core CPUs are presented, followed by a discussion of the factors affiecting the performance and plans for future improvements.

Yu, Haiwang↗
NASA NTRS2001

Coupled Growth in Hypermonotectics

The overall objective of this project is to obtain a fundamental understanding of the physics controlling solidification processes in immiscible alloy systems. The investigation involves both experimentation and the development of a model describing solidification in monotectic systems. The experimental segment was designed to first demonstrate that it is possible to obtain interface stability and steady state coupled growth in hypermonotectic alloys through microgravity processing. Microgravity results obtained to date have verified this possibility. Future flights will permit experimental determination of the limits of interface stability and the influence of alloy composition and growth rate on microstructure. The objectives of the modeling segment of the investigation include prediction of the limits of interface stability, modeling of convective flow due to residual acceleration, and the influence of surface tension driven flows at the solidification interface. The study of solidification processes in immiscible alloy systems is hindered by the inherent convective flow that occurs on Earth and by the possibility of sedimentation of the higher density immiscible liquid phase. It has been shown that processing using a high thermal gradient and a low growth rate can lead to a stable macroscopically planar growth front even in hypermonotectic alloys. Processing under these growth conditions can avoid constitutional supercooling and prevent the formation of the minor immiscible liquid phase in advance of the solidification front. However, the solute depleted boundary layer that forms in advance of the solidification front is almost always less dense than the liquid away from the solidification front. As a result, convective instability is expected. Ground based testing has indicated that convection is a major problem in these alloy systems and leads to gross compositional variations along the sample and difficulties maintaining interface stability. Sustained low gravity processing conditions are necessary in order to minimize these problems and obtain solidification conditions which approach steady state.

Andrews, J. Barry↗
DOE OSTI2013

Deep liquid-chromatographic purification of uranium extract from technetium

The recycling of uranium in the nuclear fuel cycle requires the removal of a number of radioactive and stable impurities like {sup 99}Tc from spent fuels. In order to improve the grade of uranium extract purification from technetium the method of liquid chromatography and the apparatus for its performance have been developed. Process of technetium extraction and concentrating in aqueous solution containing reducing agent has been studied on simulated solutions (U-Tc-HNO{sub 3}-30% TBP-isoparM). The dynamic tests of the method have been carried out on the laboratory unit. Solution of diformyl-hydrazine in nitric acid was used as a stationary phase. Silica gel with specific surface of 186 m{sup 2}/g was used as a carrier of the stationary phase. It is shown that the volume of purified extract increases as the solution temperature increases, concentration of reducing agent increases and extract flow rate decreases. It is established that the technetium content in uranium by this method could achieve a value below 0.3 ppm. Some variants of overload and composition of the stationary phase containing the extracted technetium have been offered and tested. It is defined that the method provides reduction of processing medium-active wastes by more than 10 times during finish refining process. (authors)

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Development of a Small Liquid Sodium Purification Loop

Generation IV nuclear reactors provide management solutions to address spent fuel problems. The most researched Generation IV reactor is the sodium cooled fast reactor (SFR). Improved engineering is has allowed for systematic improvements in both the safety and efficiency of power production. However, before a SFR can be brought back online in the Untied States, constructive research must be pursued on numerous scales to ensure the capabilities of aforementioned reactors. While larger research facilities such as the one at Argonne National Laboratory or the University of Wisconsin - Madison address some of the larger scale studies surrounding the SFR, Fort Lewis College (FLC) is aiming to provide small scale studies on liquid sodium as a thermal hydraulic cooling system. The sodium diagnostic loop at FLC is constructed to conduct research that includes: analyzing pumping characteristics, thermal stratification, freeze plug analysis, and corrosion studies. The FLC loop is attached to an inert glovebox so these experiments can be conducted with an additional layer of safety. The objective of this sodium research apparatus is to combine the best features of each instrument commonly associated with sodium research loops in a cost effective manner while still obtaining high fidelity data. Furthermore, an innovative design of the loop maximizes the volume of available research space inside of the glovebox by mounting the diagnostic loop adjacent to the glovebox.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2019

A Kinetic Model for Dissolution of Zinc Oxide Powder Obtained from Waste Alkaline Batteries in Sodium Hydroxide Solutions

The determination of individual dissolution behaviors of zinc and manganese in waste alkaline battery powders is an important subject from the points of the leaching yield, design of leaching reactor, and separation and recovery steps of hydrometallurgical process. In the current study, we investigated the dissolution kinetics of zinc oxide powder. Zinc oxide was obtained from waste alkaline batteries, and sodium hydroxide solutions were used as solvent. In the experiments, the effects of solution concentration, reaction temperature, stirring speed, solid-to-liquid ratio, and particle size on the dissolution of zinc oxide were investigated. It was demonstrated that the dissolution increased with the increasing concentration, reaction temperature, and stirring speed, and with the decreasing solid-to-liquid ratio and particle size. In consequence of the kinetic analysis performed, it was found that the dissolution kinetics of zinc powder obeyed the Avrami model. Activation energy for the process was determined to be 19.42 kJ/mol. Zinc ions in the resulting solution after dissolution process was recovered in the form of hydroxy-carbonate product by precipitation method. Zinc oxide was produced by isothermal decomposition of hydroxy-carbonate product.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1976

Flight 1 technical report for experiment 74-37 contained polycrystalline solidification in low-G

A .005 M solution of fluorescein in cyclohexanol was directionally solidified in a standard 10 x 10 x 45mm UV silica cuvette, using a bottom thermoelectric chilling device. Progress of the experiment was monitored by time lapse photography. During flight (SPAR I) the camera malfunctioned and only one quarter of the expected data were collected. Comparison of flight and ground specimens indicated that: (1) The dark green layer observed ahead of the solid-liquid interface which is most likely the solute-enriched zone, appears to be wider in the flight specimen; (2) Parasitic nucleation ahead of the solid-liquid interface in the flight sample led to an irregularly shaped interface, smaller grain size, equiaxed grain morphology and a larger average macroscopic growth rate; (3) The formation of equiaxed grains ahead of the solid-liquid interface in the flight specimen may be attributed to ordered islands within the liquid, which survived remelting because of the low degree of superheating (approximately equal to 1.5 C), did not settle because of reduced gravity and acted as nuclei during cooling.

Papaziak, J. M.↗