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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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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

X-37 Flight Demonstrator Project: Capabilities for Future Space Transportation System Development

The X-37 Approach and Landing Vehicle (ALTV) is an automated (unmanned) spacecraft designed to reduce technical risk in the descent and landing phases of flight. ALTV mission requirements and Orbital Vehicle (OV) technology research and development (R&D) goals are formulated to validate and mature high-payoff ground and flight technologies such as Thermal Protection Systems (TPS). It has been more than three decades since the Space Shuttle was designed and built. Real-world hardware experience gained through the multitude of X-37 Project activities has expanded both Government and industry knowledge of the challenges involved in developing new generations of spacecraft that can fulfill the Vision for Space Exploration.

Daniel L Dumbacher↗
DOE OSTI2012

A Hybrid Sensitivity Analysis Approach for Agent-based Disease Spread Models

Agent-based models (ABM) have been widely deployed in different fields for studying the collective behavior of large numbers of interacting agents. Of particular interest lately is the application of agent-based and hybrid models to epidemiology, specifically Agent-based Disease Spread Models (ABDSM). Validation (one aspect of the means to achieve dependability) of ABDSM simulation models is extremely important. It ensures that the right model has been built and lends confidence to the use of that model to inform critical decisions. In this report, we describe our preliminary efforts in ABDSM validation by using hybrid model fusion technology.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Kilopower - Powering the Future of Space Exploration [Poster]

The Kilopower Project was initiated by NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate to demonstrate subsystem-level technology readiness of small space fission power in a relevant environment (TRL 5) for space science and human exploration power needs. The Kilopower Project centerpiece is the Kilowatt Reactor Using Stirling Technology (KRUSTY) test, which consists of the development and testing of a ground technology demonstrator of a 1 kWe class fission power system. The technologies to be developed and validated by KRUSTY are extensible to space fission power systems from 1 to 10 kWe, which can enable modular surface fission power systems for human exploration, as well as higher power future potential deep space science missions.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2026

Collaborative Approach to Identify Degradation Mechanisms and Validate Aging Protocols for a Diverse Set of DAC Materials (TCF Base Technology-Specific Final Report)

This work supports the mission of the U.S. Department of Energy to promote American energy leadership, technological innovation, and economic growth through the development of technologies for cost effective carbon capture. While capture technologies can provide carbon dioxide for enhanced oil recovery, many capture materials suffer from oxidative, hydrolytic and/or thermal degradation which leads to capacity loss and unwanted emissions such as ammonia. Short lifetimes increase operational costs and cost studies suffer from uncertainty because the true lifetimes of many capture materials are unknown. In this study, a suite of capture materials were studied to quantify their degradation, provide insight into the mechanisms that lead to their uptake loss and provide validated accelerated aging protocols for industry.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS2019

Pre-Demonstration Development of Controlled-Release Corrosion Inhibitors and Healing Agents as Alternatives to Hexavalent Chromium

This Limited Scope Study was directed to achieve the following objectives: (1) Scale-up of materials that can meet MIL-PRF-23377 (solvent-based primer). (2) Provide evidence of resistance to aircraft alkaline cleaners and de-icing fluids. (3) Provide formulation for initial ecological and toxicity screening. (4) Submit an interim report that will provide the basis for a future ESTCP (the Dept. of Defense's (DoD's) Environmental Security Technology Certification Program) demonstration effort.The encapsulation procedure for two corrosion inhibitors was scaled up from lab scale to 2.0 kilograms. This scale will accommodate high volume production of coatings with encapsulated corrosion inhibitors for large surface areas during a follow-on ESTCP demonstration effort. Test results provided evidence of resistance to alkaline cleaners and aircraft de-icing fluids and compliance with MIL-PRF-23377. All the MIL-PRF-23377 requirements were met with the exception of the adhesion requirement, in top coated panels, and the flexibility requirement. Work on solving these two problems will be done prior to validation and demonstration of the technology. An initial ecological and toxicity screening identified several factors that were not critical to the acceptance of the encapsulated corrosion inhibitor. This new technology will lead to environmentally friendly alternatives to hexavalent chromium that will enable DoD to protect its assets. Field demonstration, licensing, qualification, and commercialization will allow its real world utilization. Abstract for Appendix A. Toxicology Report: Corrosion controls a significant problem for military equipment. Many surface treatment materials currently in use on items of military or aerospace materiel contain chromium (VI) as a component, a source of significant human health and environmental hazard. The formulation under evaluation contains no chromium. Most of the proposed components are low to moderate toxicity and are not a significant concern. Two of the formulation components are associated with some cancer hazard - 2-mercaptobenzothiazole and formaldehyde, but both find widespread use in industry and additional investigation is not required for this project.

Calle, Luz Marina↗
DOE OSTI2022

Accelerated Materials Deployment in Advanced Nuclear Power Plants

The purpose of this report is to begin the development of a maximally efficient process for licensing and deploying new materials in Advanced Non-Light-Water Reactors (ANLWRs). Some new materials that are to be used in some new plants are seen as possibly introducing risks, because our understanding of those new materials’ behavior in the conditions generated by some novel plant designs is less complete than our understanding of the behavior of materials with long use histories in existing designs. In these cases, an approved code/standard or a code case to support the use of these materials in the novel design’s safety case may not exist for the regulator to utilize as part of the licensing determination. This circumstance creates the potential for an extremely long licensing process for new designs using new materials. The present strategy is to show how to manage these risks proactively, in such a way as to permit licensing decisions to be made in a timely manner, based on this risk management process. The present report outlines the gaps in the current codes to support deployment and use of novel materials and begins the development of the necessary risk management framework that is focused on the subject materials issues; it is based on risk-informed in-service surveillance practices, carried out in such a way as to compensate for current limitations in our state of knowledge. This development will enable licensing and deployment of the subject materials, conditional on the proactive surveillance process to be established. While this report is occasioned by limitations in our knowledge of certain materials issues that may arise in advanced designs, in-service surveillance is always done in order to compensate for a lack of knowledge: if we knew that components were not already failed and not trending toward failure, we would not perform surveillance, even in current-generation plants (except that prescriptive requirements would force us to do so). What is different about the surveillance program discussed here is that the issues are newer and the relevant experience base is less complete, so the surveillance presently contemplated may need to measure new things and/or measure them more often than has been traditional for surveillance coupons. The present report is devoted to the risk management framework and applies American Society of Mechanical Engineers Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section XI, Division [1] to establish the structure of a protocol for carrying out the necessary surveillance. These documents are generic: they do not tell us how often to surveille, or what to surveille, or what to measure, but rather how to determine those things, given certain technical inputs. The Regulatory Development R&D Program [2] is currently developing the companion supporting technical basis for the materials surveillance technology that, when completed and validated, can be used by owner/operator and NRC to implement a materials degradation management program for ANLWRs. This report also outlines salient points of discussion, positive potential outcomes, and potential concerns from industry and the USNRC. These aspects of the report intend to inform future work to develop a proposed technical process for adoption by the industry and endorsement by the USNRC to allow developers to propose a risk informed and conservative approach for the use of materials where operating experience/data and codes and standards may not exist for use of a novel material in an operating reactor environment. Additionally, such a technology could be leveraged to potentially reduce part of the upfront materials data requirements from ongoing long-term materials testing so that early action on license application could be undertaken by NRC, in parallel with the continuation of long-term data collection. This could accelerate the schedule for a first-of-a-kind ANLWR deployment or a nth-of-a-kind new materials insertion for established ANLWR designs.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Subcomponent Validation of Composite Joints for the Marine Energy Advanced Materials Project

The Marine Energy Advanced Materials project is an ongoing multi-year, multi-lab project with the main goals of addressing barriers and uncertainties facing marine energy developers in adopting advanced materials for structural applications. NREL's goals of the project were to address subcomponents testing needs for marine energy materials, to improve understanding of design allowables at the full-scale and provide near net-scale static and fatigue data of composite subcomponents using materials applicable to the marine energy industry. In the long term, the test method development and data generated would be used to inform standards development. This report outlines perhaps one of the largest-scale studies conducted with regards to saltwater conditioning of various composite material subcomponents and their subsequent structural validation, specifically directed at the marine renewable energy industry. A variety of fiberglass composite panels with epoxy and vinyl ester epoxy resin systems were manufactured at Montana State University, which were then used to manufacture an array of different types of subcomponent test specimens at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Flatirons Campus. These subcomponents were in the form of T-bolt and double-ended-insert specimens, which were intended to represent bonded and mechanical bolted connections for thick composite laminates, metal-metal and composite lap shear specimens to evaluate adhesion of constituent materials, and adhesive beam-shear specimens as part of an effort to better evaluate the characteristics of thick adhesive bondlines. Overall, the materials used were fiberglass reinforced epoxy and vinyl ester matrix composites, epoxy and methacrylate adhesives, and 316 and 2507 stainless steels. Specimens were then conditioned in salt water at various temperatures and for various periods of time at Florida Atlantic University and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. All specimens were then mechanically characterized and validated using various test methods under static and fatigue loading conditions at NREL's Structural Technology Laboratory. Throughout the conditioning and mechanical validation process, valuable experience was gained, which will help guide future test method development for marine energy materials. In many instances, the results indicated similar observations as to what had been observed during previous coupon scale characterization efforts that provided a vital understanding of the scale up process. However in some instances, unexpected phenomena were observed, such as interactions between the adhesives and 316 steel. Furthermore, some materials exhibited significant degradation due to the saltwater conditioning. Ultimately, this report provides a detailed summary of the specimens that were designed, the subcomponent test methods that were developed, and the results that were generated, which will serve as important guidance for marine renewable energy developers and researchers for future structural designs and validation.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
NASA NTRS2011

TBCC Discipline Overview. Hypersonics Project

The "National Aeronautics Research and Development Policy" document, issued by the National Science and Technology Council in December 2006, stated that one (among several) of the guiding objectives of the federal aeronautics research and development endeavors shall be stable and long-term foundational research efforts. Nearly concurrently, the National Academies issued a more technically focused aeronautics blueprint, entitled: the "Decadal Survey of Civil Aeronautics - Foundations for the Future." Taken together these documents outline the principles of an aeronautics maturation plan. Thus, in response to these overarching inputs (and others), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) organized the Fundamental Aeronautics Program (FAP), a program within the NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD). The FAP initiated foundational research and technology development tasks to enable the capability of future vehicles that operate across a broad range of Mach numbers, inclusive of the subsonic, supersonic, and hypersonic flight regimes. The FAP Hypersonics Project concentrates on two hypersonic missions: (1) Air-breathing Access to Space (AAS) and (2) the (Planetary Atmospheric) Entry, Decent, and Landing (EDL). The AAS mission focuses on Two-Stage-To-Orbit (TSTO) systems using air-breathing combined-cycle-engine propulsion; whereas, the EDL mission focuses on the challenges associated with delivering large payloads to (and from) Mars. So, the FAP Hypersonic Project investments are aligned to achieve mastery and intellectual stewardship of the core competencies in the hypersonic-flight regime, which ultimately will be required for practical systems with highly integrated aerodynamic/vehicle and propulsion/engine technologies. Within the FAP Hypersonics, the technology management is further divided into disciplines including one targeting Turbine-Based Combine-Cycle (TBCC) propulsion. Additionally, to obtain expertise and support from outside (including industry and academia) the hypersonic uses both NASA Research Announcements (NRAs) and a jointly sponsored, Air Force Office of Scientific Research and NASA, National Hypersonic Science Center that are focused on propulsion research. Finally, these two disciplines use selected external partnership agreements with both governmental agencies and industrial entities. The TBCC discipline is comprised of analytic and experimental tasks, and is structured into the following two research topic areas: (1) TBCC Integrated Flowpath Technologies, and (2) TBCC Component Technologies. These tasks will provide experimental data to support design and analysis tool development and validation that will enable advances in TBCC technology.

Thomas, Scott R.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Data Analytics and Visualization of Energy Systems for Critical Infrastructure Insights

Modernization of energy systems including transportation facilities provides opportunities for increased efficiency, expansion of commerce and meeting industry and federal goals. A significant increase in electrical demand is projected to meet these needs, which concentrates at facilities such as airports. For example, Xcel Energy working with two airports in their service area recently published information projecting an up to fivefold increase in electricity demand in the next 25 years [1]. Concurrently, the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently surveyed 30 commercial service airports identifying more than 300 outages of more than 5 minutes between 2015 and 2022 [2]. Power, reliability, and resilience planning becomes more important to safely maintain operations and the flow of commerce with fewer energy carriers providing necessary energy to safely move passengers and goods. NREL proposes to develop methodologies to allow owners, utilities, and federal agencies to dynamically analyze, forecast, and manage energy loads at airports, focused upon maintaining the flow of commerce in an efficient, sustainable, and resilient way. To address these energy challenges, a suite of technologies and methodologies can be leveraged to validate concepts, inform design, de-risk solutions and optimize energy management during deployment. These technologies include digitalization of energy systems, microgrid methodologies, and related energy technologies for building and vehicle loads. [1] Electrifying Airport Ecosystems - https://www.enterprisemobility.com/content/dam/enterpriseholdings/marketing/innovation-in-mobility/vehicle-innovation/airport-electrification-study-full-report-2024.pdf [2] Airport Infrastructure: Selected Airport's Efforts to Enhance Electrical Resilience https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-23-105203.

critcal infrastructure↗
DOE OSTI2016

Feature Extraction for Structural Dynamics Model Validation

As structural dynamics becomes increasingly non-modal, stochastic and nonlinear, finite element model-updating technology must adopt the broader notions of model validation and uncertainty quantification. For example, particular re-sampling procedures must be implemented to propagate uncertainty through a forward calculation, and non-modal features must be defined to analyze nonlinear data sets. The latter topic is the focus of this report, but first, some more general comments regarding the concept of model validation will be discussed.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2018

NuScale Power Module Instrumentation

The safe and efficient operation of any nuclear power plant (NPP) depends on accurate and timely measurement of the primary system temperature, pressure, level, flow, and neutron flux. Integral pressurized water reactor (iPWR) or small modular reactors (SMRs) present unique challenges to instrumentation and control (I&C) sensors and their maintenance strategies. More specifically, the calibration and response time of these sensors may have to be verified periodically to ensure that they maintain their required degree of accuracy and speed of response. A review of technical reports and safety analysis documentation of the NuScale Power Module (NPM) by Analysis and Measurement Services Corporation (AMS), together with NuScale engineers, confirms that the I&C sensors within the NPM will need to be testable as installed to verify their static and dynamic performance at plant operating conditions. Sensor placement and installation as well as the process conditions expected in natural circulation integral SMRs like the NPM are very different from those in large scale NPPs with conventional primary system loop piping. In particular, reactor coolant system (RCS) flows are more complex and flow rates much lower, the average containment temperature is higher, nuclear radiation levels in some areas are greater, and the accessibility of sensors for hands-on maintenance is very limited. These challenges among others related to I&C sensors can be overcome by adapting existing I&C sensor test methods, developing new techniques for non-conventional I&C sensors, and incorporating online monitoring (OLM) technologies into the I&C architecture of the plant to verify the calibration and response time of sensors within the NPM prior to startup, during operation, and during subsequent refueling outages. These methods and technologies will be demonstrated and validated through a research and development (R&D) grant recently awarded to AMS by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to facilitate timely deployment of the first NuScale SMR in the United States and to enable efficient I&C maintenance strategies during the life of the plant. Lastly, this paper presents the R&D plan for the DOE project with a focus on temperature measurement needs of NuScale.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2012

Low-Emissivity, Energy-Control, Retrofit Window Film: Final Report

Solutia Performance Films, utilizing funding from the U.S. Department of Energy's Buildings Technologies Program, completed research to develop, validate, and commercialize a range of cost-effective, low-emissivity energy-control retrofit window films with significantly improved emissivity over current technology. These films, sold under the EnerLogic® trade name, offer the energy-saving properties of modern low-e windows, with several advantages over replacement windows, such as: lower initial installation cost, a significantly lower product carbon footprint, and an ability to provide a much faster return on investment. EnerLogic® window films also offer significantly greater energy savings than previously available with window films with similar visible light transmissions. EnerLogic® window films offer these energy-saving advantages over other window films due to its ability to offer both summer cooling and winter heating savings. Unlike most window films, that produce savings only during the cooling season, EnerLogic® window film is an all-season, low-emissivity (low-e) film that produces both cooling and heating season savings. This paper will present technical information on the development hurdles as well as details regarding the following claims being made about EnerLogic® window film, which can be found at www.EnerLogicfilm.com: 1. Other window film technologies save energy. EnerLogic® window film's patent-pending coating delivers excellent energy efficiency in every season, so no other film can match its annual dollar or energy consumption savings. 2. EnerLogic® window film is a low-cost, high-return technology that compares favorably to other popular energy-saving measures both in terms of energy efficiency and cost savings. In fact, EnerLogic® window film typically outperforms most of the alternatives in terms of simple payback. 3. EnerLogic® window film provides unparalleled glass insulating capabilities for window film products. With its patent-pending low-e technology, EnerLogic® window film has the best insulating performance of any film product available. The insulating power of EnerLogic® window film gives single-pane windows the annual insulating performance of double-pane windows - and gives double-pane windows the annual insulating performance of triple-pane windows.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2013

Importance of Second-Order Difference-Frequency Wave-Diffraction Forces in the Validation of a Fast Semi-Submersible Floating Wind Turbine Model: Preprint

To better access the abundant offshore wind resource, efforts across the world are being undertaken to develop and improve floating offshore wind turbine technologies. A critical aspect of creating reliable, mature floating wind turbine technology is the development, verification, and validation of efficient computer-aided-engineering (CAE) tools that can be relied upon in the design process. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has created a comprehensive, coupled analysis CAE tool for floating wind turbines, FAST, which has been verified and utilized in numerous floating wind turbine studies. Several efforts are currently underway that leverage the extensive 1/50th-scale DeepCwind wind/wave basin model test dataset, obtained at the Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (MARIN) in 2011, to validate the floating platform functionality of FAST to complement its already validated aerodynamic and structural simulation capabilities. In this paper, further work is undertaken to continue this validation. In particular, the ability of FAST to replicate global response behaviors associated with dynamic wind forces, second-order difference-frequency wave-diffraction forces and their interaction with one another are investigated.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS1999

The New Millenium Program ST-5 Mission: Nanosatellite Constellation Trailblazer

NASA's New Millenium Program has recently selected the Nanosatellite Constellation Trailblazer (NCT) as its fifth mission (ST-5). NCT will consist of 3 small, very capable and highly autonomous satellites which will be operated as a single "constellation" with minimal ground operations support. Each spacecraft will be approximately 40 cm in diameter by 20 cm in height and weigh only 20 kg. These small satellites will incorporate 8 new technologies essential to the further miniaturization of space science spacecraft which need space flight validation. In this talk we will describe in greater detail the NCT mission concept and goals, the exciting new technologies it will validate, and the role of miniaturized particles and fields sensors in this project. Finally, NCT's pathfinder function for such future NASA missions as Magnetotail Constellation and Inner Magnetosphere Constellation will be discussed.

Slavin, James A.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Infrared Sensing Aeroheating Flight Experiment: STS-96 Flight Results

Major elements of an experiment called the Infrared Sensing Aeroheating Flight Experiment are discussed. The primary experiment goal is to provide reentry global temperature images from infrared measurements to define the characteristics of hypersonic boundary-layer transition during flight. Specifically, the experiment is to identify, monitor, and quantity hypersonic boundary layer windward surface transition of the X-33 vehicle during flight. In addition, the flight data will serve as a calibration and validation of current boundary layer transition prediction techniques, provide benchmark laminar, transitional, and fully turbulent global aeroheating data in order to validate existing wind tunnel and computational results, and to advance aeroheating technology. Shuttle Orbiter data from STS-96 used to validate the data acquisition and data reduction to global temperatures, in order to mitigate the experiment risks prior to the maiden flight of the X-33, is discussed. STS-96 reentry midwave (3-5 micron) infrared data were collected at the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization/Innovative Sciences and Technology Experimentation Facility site at NASA-Kennedy Space Center and subsequently mapped into global temperature contours using ground calibrations only. A series of image mapping techniques have been developed in order to compare each frame of infrared data with thermocouple data collected during the flight. Comparisons of the ground calibrated global temperature images with the corresponding thermocouple data are discussed. The differences are shown to be generally less than about 5%, which is comparable to the expected accuracy of both types of aeroheating measurements.

Blanchard, Robert C.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Infrared Sensing Aeroheating Flight Experiement: STS-96 Flight Results

Major elements of an experiment called the Infrared Sensing Aeroheating Flight Experiment are discussed. The primary experiment goal is to provide reentry global temperature images from infrared measurements to define the characteristics of hypersonic boundary-layer transition during flight. Specifically, the experiment is to identify, monitor, and quantify hypersonic boundary layer windward surface transition of the X-33 vehicle during flight. In addition, the flight data will serve as a calibration and validation of current boundary layer transition prediction techniques, provide benchmark laminar, transitional, and fully turbulent global aeroheating data in order to validate existing wind tunnel and computational results, and to advance aeroheating technology. Shuttle Orbiter data from STS-96 used to validate the data acquisition and data reduction to global temperatures, in order to mitigate the experiment risks prior to the maiden flight of the X-33, is discussed. STS-96 reentry mid-wave (3-5 Pm) infrared data were collected at the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization/Innovative Sciences and Technology Experimentation Facility site at NASA-Kennedy Space Center and subsequently mapped into global temperature contours using ground calibrations only. A series of image mapping techniques have been developed in order to compare each frame of infrared data with thermocouple data collected during the flight. Comparisons of the ground calibrated global temperature images with the corresponding thermocouple data are discussed. The differences are shown to be generally less than about 5%, which is comparable to the expected accuracy of both types of aeroheating measurements.

Blanchard, Robert C.↗
DOE OSTI2018

Florida International University Research on Soil and Groundwater Contamination at DOE's Hanford and Savannah River Sites - 18547

Nuclear weapons production and other defense-related activities at U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) sites have resulted in radionuclide and heavy metal contamination in surface and subsurface environments nationwide. The DOE Office of Environmental Management (DOE EM) faces a number of environmental challenges that are technically complex and unique to EM with tremendous associated cleanup costs. The success of the DOE EM mission will require development and insertion of innovative approaches and novel technologies to address the significant challenges associated with the remaining cleanup of contaminated sites. A key focus of the applied research portfolio addresses data gaps related to the behavior and chemistry of radionuclides of concern as well as the co-mingling of these contaminants in groundwater at EM sites such as Hanford, Savannah River, Oak Ridge and others. Florida International University (FIU) is conducting research in conjunction with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) scientists to support environmental remediation efforts at Hanford and SRS. This research is focused on remediation technologies for contaminated soil and groundwater as well as the assessment of the fate and transport of contaminants in the environment. The overall objective is to reduce contaminant mobility through the development and application of state-of-the-art scientific and environmental remediation technologies. The FIU strategy is to conduct basic science research that fills knowledge gaps and complements work conducted at DOE sites. Support to Hanford includes contributing to the understanding of {sup 99}Tc chemistry and the fate and transport mechanisms of co-mingled contaminants including {sup 99}Tc, U(VI), Cr, and iodine (I). FIU has also provided basic science research that supports a treatability study currently underway at Hanford, which uses ammonia gas injection to manipulate pH and immobilize U(VI) in the subsurface. In addition, support for long-term monitored natural attenuation is provided through geophysical research that monitors subsurface contaminant and microbial responses. Research to evaluate the environmental factors that control the fate and transport of contaminants and co-contaminants in soil and groundwater is being performed for SRS. This research has contributed to the development, design, and deployment of innovative strategies to enhance the natural attenuation processes and to validate novel in situ remediation technologies. The SRS EM test bed demonstrations directly benefit SRS cleanup initiatives. Current investigations focus on natural organic compounds, such as humate, as a potential amendment for the treatment of uranium in groundwater associated with the SRS F-Area Seepage Basins plume, investigates the synergy between humate and silica to optimize the pH adjustment strategy for uranium remediation and investigates the interaction of Tc and I with soil from the Four Mile Branch wetland. Collaborative relationships between FIU and the national laboratories have provided synergy and benefits over the years to FIU, the national laboratories, the DOE complex, and the DOE EM mission. By working closely with the national laboratories, FIU research is not only closely aligned with the cleanup mission priorities at the DOE sites, but complements and supports the work at national laboratories. This coordination and leveraging of research efforts results in time- and cost-savings, and accelerates progress in the DOE EM environmental restoration mission. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2012

Low-Cost Production of Lithium-Ion Separator Membranes w/ Improved Safety

The purpose of this Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) between Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Porous Power Technologies, LLC (PPT) was to validate the performance, durability, and safety of a new type of reinforced, composite lithium ion battery separator produced as either a free-standing product or by a method of direct coating after electrode fabrication. ORNL’s primary roles were to develop novel separator thermophysical and mechanical property characterization methods and assist with fundamental understanding of SYMMETRIX® HPX and HPX-F product line chemical makeup and microstructure. PPT’s primary roles were to implement the understanding gained from the ORNL developed characterization methods into a refined product line featuring nonwoven-reinforced, ceramic-filled composite HPX-F separators for the lithium ion battery industry and quantify long-term cell performance improvements associated with HPX-F separators. Over the course of this CRADA, the product line of PPT was expanded from a pure polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) HP and polyester nonwoven-reinforced HPX separator platform to one that includes a variety of ceramic-filled HPX-F separators. In addition, the laminating and direct coating technologies for HPX and HPX-F separators are now more developed and moving towards commercial licensing. PPT’s SYMMETRIX® production process will revolutionize the production of lithium ion batteries by eliminating one of the most expensive components (the free-standing separator membrane) while improving performance and safety. The performance and safety improvements are due primarily to replacement of the conventional polyethylene/polypropylene (PE/PP) separator material with polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), and to ceramic materials added to the PVDF to form a short-resistant, thermally-stable composite structure. Ultimately, lithium ion battery manufacturers will be able to produce PPT separators in-house through the laminating or direct coating methods such as those based on the SYMMETRIX® product line, giving them higher performance cells at a fraction of the cost required to purchase separators from existing vendors. Direct coating of separators onto electrodes eliminates the cost of a downstream thermal lamination step and requires little or no change to existing equipment. It is a clear path for lithium ion battery manufacturers to reach the <$1/m2 separator price target set by the U.S. Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC). The technology enabled by this project will have a substantial impact on energy efficiency required to produce cells and is anticipated to save up to $1B annually by 2014 in reduced manufacturing costs. In addition, it will contribute significantly to production energy savings associated with transporting free-standing polyolefin (PE/PP) separators from the vendor to the cell manufacturer locations. SYMMETRIX® separators have shown increased cell capacity, improved thermal stability, and longer cycle life over their PE/PP counterparts and have been repeatedly demonstrated to improve nearly all aspects of lithium ion battery performance Prior to the start of this CRADA, widespread adoption has been limited by three factors: 1) difficulty in handling the material on high-speed processing equipment due to lower tensile strength than oriented PE/PP materials; 2) cost concerns associated with the higher expense of PVDF as a raw material; and 3) questions regarding short resistance and durability. The first factor was addressed through thorough mechanical (ultimate tensile strength and dynamic mechanical analysis, etc.) property characterization of HPX and HPX-F materials against the commercial polyolefin baselines. The second factor was address by shifting the focus of PPT’s product line towards the HPX-F materials with low-PVDF (high ceramic filler) content to reduce overall separator cost. Concerns associated with the third factor were alleviated by evaluating the internal shorting resistance of the separators using a custom developed ORNL measurement method and obtaining long-term cycling data of the new HPX-F separator formulations. A materials emphasis was placed on polyester fiber mats for the nonwoven reinforcement (to boost overall separator tensile strength) and proprietary metal oxides for the HPX-F fillers (to improve thermomechanical properties of the separator and make it more resistant to overcharge and internal shorting).

batteries↗