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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 1,081 records · Page 60
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Calibration and characterization of the line-VISAR diagnostic at the HED-HIBEF instrument at the European XFEL

In dynamic-compression experiments, the line-imaging Velocity Interferometer System for Any Reflector (VISAR) is a well-established diagnostic used to probe the velocity history, including wave profiles derived from dynamically compressed interfaces and wavefronts, depending on material optical properties. Knowledge of the velocity history allows for the determination of the pressure achieved during compression. Such a VISAR analysis is often based on Fourier transform techniques and assumes that the recorded interferograms are free from image distortions. In this paper, we describe the VISAR diagnostic installed at the HED-HIBEF instrument located at the European XFEL along with its calibration and characterization. It comprises a two-color (532, 1064 nm), three-arm (with three velocity sensitivities) line imaging system. We provide a procedure to correct VISAR images for geometric distortions and evaluate the performance of the system using Fourier analysis. We finally discuss the spatial and temporal calibrations of the diagnostic. As an example, we compare the pressure extracted from the VISAR analysis of shock-compressed polyimide and silicon.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2024

How to Build a Quantum Supercomputer: Scaling from Hundreds to Millions of Qubits

In the span of four decades, quantum computation has evolved from an intellectual curiosity to a potentially realizable technology. Today, small-scale demonstrations have become possible for quantum algorithmic primitives on hundreds of physical qubits and proof-of-principle error-correction on a single logical qubit. Nevertheless, despite significant progress and excitement, the path toward a full-stack scalable technology is largely unknown. There are significant outstanding quantum hardware, fabrication, software architecture, and algorithmic challenges that are either unresolved or overlooked. These issues could seriously undermine the arrival of utility-scale quantum computers for the foreseeable future. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of these scaling challenges. We show how the road to scaling could be paved by adopting existing semiconductor technology to build much higher-quality qubits, employing system engineering approaches, and performing distributed quantum computation within heterogeneous high-performance computing infrastructures. These opportunities for research and development could unlock certain promising applications, in particular, efficient quantum simulation/learning of quantum data generated by natural or engineered quantum systems. To estimate the true cost of such promises, we provide a detailed resource and sensitivity analysis for classically hard quantum chemistry calculations on surface-code error-corrected quantum computers given current, target, and desired hardware specifications based on superconducting qubits, accounting for a realistic distribution of errors. Furthermore, we argue that, to tackle industry-scale classical optimization and machine learning problems in a cost-effective manner, heterogeneous quantum-probabilistic computing with custom-designed accelerators should be considered as a complementary path toward scalability.

Mohseni, Masoud↗
DOE OSTI2026

Dynamics of Radiation Damage Buildup in Ultrathin Hexagonal Boron Nitride Films under Ion Bombardment

Two-dimensional hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) is attractive for several emerging applications. Ion bombardment can be used to modify the hBN properties. However, the understanding of radiation damage buildup in hBN remains limited. Here, we investigate the effects of the dose rate and ion mass on radiation damage buildup by studying 40 nm-thick hBN films bombarded at room temperature with 500 keV 4 He, 15 N, 40 Ar, and 129 Xe ions and comparing with results for ion bombardment of polycrystalline hBN ceramics. Raman spectroscopy is used to quantify damage buildup, and transmission electron microscopy is used for microstructural analysis. Experiments are complemented by molecular dynamics simulations of the formation and evolution of point defects. Lighter ions are found to be more efficient at disordering hBN than heavier ions. This observation points to a critical role of intracascade defect processes. In contrast, a negligible dose rate effect observed suggests limited intercascade defect dynamic annealing processes for these irradiation conditions. These findings provide a fundamental basis for hBN defect engineering.

2D materials↗
DOE OSTI2023

Low-damage electron beam lithography for nanostructures on Bi 2 Te 3 -class topological insulator thin films

Nanostructured topological insulators (TIs) have the potential to impact a wide array of condensed matter physics topics, ranging from Majorana physics to spintronics. However, the most common TI materials, the Bi 2 Se 3 family, are easily damaged during nanofabrication of devices. In this paper, we show that electron beam lithography performed with a 30 or 50 kV accelerating voltage—common for nanopatterning in academic facilities—damages both nonmagnetic TIs and their magnetically doped counterparts at unacceptable levels. We additionally demonstrate that electron beam lithography with a 10 kV accelerating voltage produces minimal damage detectable through low-temperature electronic transport. In conclusion, although reduced accelerating voltages present challenges in creating fine features, we show that with careful choice of processing parameters, particularly the resist, 100 nm features are reliably achievable.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2021

Characterization of Oil Well Cement Performance during Early Hydration under Simulated Borehole Conditions

Summary Experiments on oil well cement (OWC) slurries were performed using the newly developed laboratory-scale wellbore simulation chamber (WSC). The WSC can simulate hydrostatic pressure reduction in the cemented annulus and possible gas migration under representative conditions. Forensic analysis shows that pressurized fluids can result in porous cement and gas channeling during cement slurry gelation. The effects of different factors on slurry pore pressure were also studied, including formation permeability, initial overburden pressure (OBP) representing the depth of interest, wellbore temperature, water/cement (w/c) ratio, cement composition, and the use of a calcium chloride (CaCl2)-based accelerator. By analyzing the temperature history of hydrating cement using degree of hydration, the evolution of cement hydration was characterized for slurry designs cured at different hydration rates. This provides the opportunity to parameterize the slurry designs and other important factors associated with wellbore conditions.

Engineering↗
DOE OSTI2022

Sustainable Low-Carbon Building Materials Workshop Report

The virtual Sustainable Low-Carbon Building Materials Workshop, organized and held by the US Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) on January 25, 2022, focused on identifying the technical barriers to the research, development, and deployment (RD&D) of low-carbon building materials, and on determining what can be done to overcome these technical barriers in the short-, mid-, and long-term future. The meeting brought together key players in the construction chain from industry, academia, and ORNL to promote collaborations that could help meet the goals of accelerating the development and deployment of low-carbon building materials in the United States, and of developing a net-zero (or even negative) carbon neighborhood in the Southeast United States by 2030.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Power Electronics Materials and Bonded Interfaces - Reliability and Lifetime

Advanced packaging technologies are currently being designed and developed by the power electronics industry however, the maximum operating temperature is still limited to 175 degrees Celsius for the silicon carbide devices. Bonded materials such as sintered copper and polymeric materials are potential candidates for high temperature operation, but it is critical to characterize and evaluate its reliability under harsh operating conditions. In this project, we discuss the results of the accelerated experiments conducted on sintered copper and polymeric materials. Additionally, a novel framework to develop the lifetime prediction model of bonded interfaces through employing statistical and machine learning models are described. In this task, scanning acoustic microscope images of bonded interfaces obtained under thermal cycling experiments are used as the data.

ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

A Pseudo‐Surfactant Chemical Permeation Enhancer to Treat Otitis Media via Sustained Transtympanic Delivery of Antibiotics

Abstract Chemical permeation enhancers (CPEs) represent a prevalent and safe strategy to enable noninvasive drug delivery across skin‐like biological barriers such as the tympanic membrane (TM). While most existing CPEs interact strongly with the lipid bilayers in the stratum corneum to create defects as diffusion paths, their interactions with the delivery system, such as polymers forming a hydrogel, can compromise gelation, formulation stability, and drug diffusion. To overcome this challenge, differing interactions between CPEs and the hydrogel system are explored, especially those with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), an ionic surfactant and a common CPE, and those with methyl laurate (ML), a nonionic counterpart with a similar length alkyl chain. Notably, the use of ML effectively decouples permeation enhancement from gelation, enabling sustained delivery across TMs to treat acute otitis media (AOM), which is not possible with the use of SDS. Ciprofloxacin and ML are shown to form a pseudo‐surfactant that significantly boosts transtympanic permeation. The middle ear ciprofloxacin concentration is increased by 70‐fold in vivo in a chinchilla AOM model, yielding superior efficacy and biocompatibility than the previous highest‐performing formulation. Beyond improved efficacy and biocompatibility, this single‐CPE formulation significantly accelerates its progression toward clinical deployment.

Engineering↗
DOE OSTI2018

Experimental Investigation on Acoustic Control Droplet Transfer in Ultrasonic-Wave-Assisted Gas Metal Arc Welding

Ultrasonic-wave-assisted gas metal arc welding (U-GMAW) is a new, advanced arc welding method that uses an ultrasonic wave emitted from an ultrasonic radiator above the arc. However, it remains unclear how the ultrasonic wave affects the metal droplet, hindering further application of U-GMAW. In this paper, an improved U-GMAW system was used and its superiority was experimentally demonstrated. Then a series of experiments were designed and performed to study how the ultrasonic wave affects droplet transfer, including droplet size, velocity, and motion trajectory. The behavior of droplet transfer was observed in high-speed images. The droplet transfer is closely related to the distribution of the acoustic field, determined by the ultrasonic current. Moreover, by analyzing the variably accelerated motion of the droplet, the acoustic control of the droplet transfer was intuitively demonstrated. Finally, U-GMAW was successfully used in vertical-up and overhead welding experiments, showing that U-GMAW is promising for use in welding in all positions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Transformational Regional-Scale Earthquake Simulations with the DOE EarthQuake SIMulation Exascale Framework

Earthquakes present worldwide risk to economic and human safety. The 2023 earthquakes in Turkiye provided a reminder of the potential for catastrophic consequences with 50,700 deaths and 15.7 million people affected. The ability to predict ground motions and infrastructure damage for earthquakes continues to be a challenging problem for scientists and engineers. Until now, estimates of ground motions have been performed empirically by looking at sparse data from past earthquakes. This approach can provide statistical information on intensity amplitudes but cannot inform site-specific ground motions essential to developing the most effective resilience. Interest has grown in large-scale computational models to simulate earthquakes at regional scale. The U.S. Department of Energy EarthQuake SIMulation (EQSIM) framework was developed for regional-scale earthquake simulations at unprecedented fidelity, taking advantage of emerging GPU-accelerated systems. This article describes the EQSIM workflow and demonstrates regional-scale simulations with the new computational capability available to scientists in their quest to mitigate future disasters.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Enhanced domain dynamics in alternating current poled rhombohedral Pb(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 –PbTiO 3 single crystals

Abstract The understanding of domain dynamics in ferroelectric materials is crucial for optimizing their performance in piezoelectric and electro‐optic applications. Although previous studies have focused on static domain structures and macroscopic characteristics, the time‐resolved approach of domains remains largely unexplored. In this study, we compare the dynamic responses of direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC) poled [001]‐oriented rhombohedral Pb(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 –PbTiO 3 (PMN–PT) single crystals using X‐ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS) during the application of external electric fields. Our results demonstrate that the AC‐poled sample exhibit enhanced reconfiguration of domain variants in response to driving fields compared to the DC‐poled counterpart, as evidenced by accelerated correlation decay and faster relaxation time. This phenomenon is attributed to enhanced reversible domain wall motion achieved through AC poling, which facilitates field‐induced domain realignment. These findings provide insight into the relationship between dynamics and macroscopic properties in relaxor‐PT single crystals for high‐performance applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Light field–controlled PHz currents in intrinsic metals

Oriented electric currents in metals are routinely driven by applying an external electric potential. Although the response of electrons to the external electric fields occurs within attoseconds, conventional electronics do not use this speed potential. Ultrashort laser pulses with controlled shapes of electric fields that switch direction at petahertz frequencies open perspectives for driving currents in metals. Light field–driven currents were demonstrated in various media including dielectrics, semiconductors, and topological insulators. Now, our research question is whether we can drive and control orders of magnitude more charge carriers in metals enabling ultrafast switching with practically low-energy, picojoule-level pulses. Here, we demonstrate the interaction of light with nanometer-thick metallic layers, which leads to a generation of light field–controlled electric currents. We show that the implantation of metallic layers into a dielectric matrix leads to up to 40 times increase of the sensitivity in contrast to a bare dielectric, decreasing the intensity threshold for lightwave electronics.

Fehér, Beatrix [HUN-REN Wigner Research Centre for↗
DOE OSTI2023

Characterization of Interconnects

Combined-accelerated stress testing (C-AST) simultaneously combines stress factors of the natural environment (including UV radiation, temperature, humidity, electrical current, and external mechanical force) into a single test that requires fewer modules, fewer chambers, and makes it possible to discover weaknesses in new designs that are not known a-priori. C-AST reduces risk, accelerates time to market, and improves bankability by reducing costly overdesign using test levels not exceeding those seen in the natural environment. This project seeks to evaluate strengths and weaknesses of modern cell interconnect designs with combined-accelerated stress testing (C-AST) to screen multiple climates along with finite element and failure analysis to determine the potential for a 50-year life. Supporting this, we seek to develop methods of characterization to assess the degradation of interconnects, enable predictive rate models with material forensics and FEA and show C-AST's ability to find interconnect failures and benchmark it relative to other accelerated stress test methods like temperature cycling and cyclic dynamic mechanical loading. Examples of modern interconnect designs covered are Canadian Solar Hetero Technology ribbon enabling closer cell interconnections, SmartWire (eg. Meyer-Berger technology), and shingled cells with new interconnect materials.

C-AST↗
DOE OSTI2026

An Autonomous MCP Bridge to Rucio: Enhancing Data Management Accessibility for High Energy Physics

The Rucio Data Management System [1] is an important tool used by High Energy Physics experiments, including those at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, to store and manage exabyte-scale scientific datasets. Despite its central role in coordinating data across globally distributed storage sites, Rucio's command line interface (CLI) presents a steep learning curve, and makes it difficult for scientists to navigate through. To solve this issue, a containerized Model Context Protocol (MCP) [2] server was built that connects Large Language Models directly to Rucio, allowing AI agents to handle data tasks by using simple, natural language rather than memorized terminal commands. The core engineering focus of this project was moving the server away from slow terminal commands that require text parsing and replacing them with a native Python Client API toolset and a planned REST API framework. Moving to the Python API handles data operations directly in memory, which helps clear up formatting errors, provides the AI with clean, structured JSON data and speeds up tool execution. To prove that the system actually works, a benchmarking pipeline was also built with various questions to test the AI across four different model configurations. The questions included finding data scopes, tracking down specific datasets, and checking replication rules. Through benchmarking, early runs showed that with raw terminal text, the model would get confused and stuck, whereas switching to the Python API to feed the AI clean, structured data yielded massive improvement. By creating an intelligent and autonomous bridge to a storage network, this project shows how AI can be implemented in scientific data management, which ultimately helps scientists at Fermilab spend less time sorting through data and more time focusing on their experiments and analysis.

Akella, Kashyap [William Rainey Harper Coll.]↗
DOE OSTI2022

An Engineered Multifunctional Composite for Passive Sensing, Power Harvesting, and In Situ Damage Identification with Enhanced Mechanical Performance

A multifunctional fiber-reinforced composite with passive self-sensing, energy-harvesting, and damage detection capabilities is presented. In this work, barium titanate piezoelectric microparticles are deposited on basalt fibers by a scalable, low-cost, environmentally friendly continuous feed-through process. The resulting composite derives a superior interlaminar shear strength from the microparticle-modified fiber–matrix interfaces. The composite also demonstrates passive self-sensing capabilities that produce electrical signals proportional to various dynamic loading events. Vibration and strain-controlled experiments are performed on composite beams to quantify the sensitivity and power output as a function of input acceleration and strain. Furthermore, these composite-generated electrical signals are used to identify in situ damage initiation for structural health monitoring to inform composite damage prior to structural failure. In brief, this truly multifunctional composite simultaneously displays a sensitivity of 0.5–2.6 mV g -1 at a resolution of 0.045–0.20g (g = gravitational acceleration), energy harvesting in the range of nW cc -1 , and prediction of early damage by exhibiting 0.017–1.17 mV peaks in voltage–time history profiles while assuring ≈20% improved interlaminar shear strength.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2018

Loss of trefoil factor 1 inhibits biliary regeneration but accelerates the hepatic differentiation of progenitor cells in mice

Highlights: • In models of hepatic injury, the effect of TFF1-deficiency is investigated. • The TFF1-deficiency result in the impaired regeneration of the bile duct. • On the other hand, the differentiation of HPCs into hepatocytes is accelerated. • Hepatic and biliary regeneration depends on the TFF1 protein in injured liver. Although the regeneration of the adult liver depends on hepatic progenitor cells (HPCs), many uncertainties regarding hepatic regeneration in the injured liver remain. Trefoil factor family 1 (TFF1), a secretory protein predominantly expressed in the gastrointestinal tract, is responsible for mucosal restitution. Here, we investigated the role of TFF1 in liver regeneration using a mouse model of hepatic injury (choline-deficient ethionine-supplemented diet and carbon tetrachloride administration) and genetically engineered mice (TFF1 knockout (TFF1−/−)). Immunohistochemistry analysis of human liver samples revealed TFF1 expression in the hepatocytes close to ductular reaction and the regenerating biliary epithelium in injured liver. The number of cytokeratin 19 (CK19)-positive bile ducts was significantly decreased in the TFF1−/− mice after liver injury. Notch pathway in the TFF1−/− mice was also downregulated. HPCs in the control mice differentiated into biliary cells (CK19{sup +}/SRY HMG box 9 (SOX9){sup +}) more frequently. In contrast, HPCs in the TFF1−/− mice more frequently differentiated into a hepatic lineage (alpha fetoprotein{sup +}/SOX9{sup +}) after acute liver damage. Hepatocyte proliferation was upregulated, and the liver weight was increased in TFF1−/− mice in response to chronic liver damage. Thus, TFF1 is responsible for liver regeneration after liver injury by promoting HPC differentiation into a biliary lineage and inhibiting HPC differentiation into a hepatic lineage.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Competing mechanisms at vibrated interfaces of density-contrast fluids

Fluid-fluid interfacial instability and subsequent fluid mixing are ubiquitous in nature and engineering. The hydrodynamic instability of fluid interfaces has long centered on the pressure gradient-driven long-wavelength Rayleigh-Taylor instability and the resonance-induced short-wavelength Faraday instability. However, neither instability alone can explain the dynamics when both mechanisms are present. We identify a previously unseen multi-modal instability emerging from their coexistence. When the denser fluid is polydimethylsiloxane, the mixed region at a high density contrast (Atwood number = 0.9) spans a vibration amplitude range approximately twice the gravitational acceleration. Using Floquet stability analysis, we show how vibrations govern transitions between the RT and Faraday instabilities, leading to contention between these instabilities rather than resonant enhancement. Here, the initial transient growth is represented by the exponential modal growth of the most unstable Floquet exponent, along with its accompanying periodic behavior. Direct numerical simulations validate these findings and track interface breakup into the multiscale and nonlinear regimes. Specifically, we show that growing RT modes nonlinearly suppresses Faraday responses even when the initial growth rate of the Faraday instability is 3.63 times that of RT, so a bidirectional competition hinders their sustained coexistence.

Direct numerical simulations↗
DOE OSTI2024

From Chaos to Clarity: Autonomous Materials Discovery for Extreme Environments [Slides]

The pursuit of advanced functional materials for energy applications demands an understanding of their behavior under the most challenging conditions. Extreme environments, characterized by intense radiation, high temperatures, and corrosive chemistries, push materials to their limits, often revealing unexpected behaviors and degradation pathways. Traditional materials research approaches, relying on trial-and-error experimentation, are often slow and resource-intensive, ill-suited to the complexities of extreme environments. This talk will explore the transformative potential of autonomous materials science in revolutionizing our understanding of materials synthesis and degradation in extreme environments. By integrating advanced microscopy techniques, artificial intelligence, and robotic experimentation, we can accelerate the discovery and design of resilient materials for a sustainable future. The presentation will highlight recent breakthroughs in autonomous microscopy, computer vision, and machine learning, showcasing their ability to unravel complex material transformations at the atomic scale. The talk will also delve into the challenges and opportunities associated with deploying autonomous systems to probe extreme environments, emphasizing the importance of robust algorithms, real-time data analysis, and adaptive experimentation. The ultimate goal is to empower scientists with unprecedented capabilities to explore, understand, and engineer materials that can withstand the harshest conditions, paving the way for innovations in energy, aerospace, and beyond.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗