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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 127 records · Page 7

ALL-Digital Baseband 65nm PLL/FPLL Clock Multiplier Using 10-Cell Library

PLLs for clock generation are essential for modern circuits, to generate specialized frequencies for many interfaces and high frequencies for chip internal operation. These circuits depend on analog circuits and careful tailoring for each new process, and making them fault tolerant is an incompletely solved problem. Until now, all digital PLLs have been restricted to sampled data DSP techniques and not available for the highest frequency baseband applications. This paper presents the design and preliminary evaluation of an all-digital baseband technique built entirely with an easily portable 10-cell digital library. The library is also described, as it aids in research and low volume design porting to new processes. The advantages of the digital approach are the wide variety of techniques available to give varying degrees of fault tolerance, and the simplicity of porting the design to new processes, even to exotic processes that may not have analog capability. The only tuning parameter is digital gate delay. An all-digital approach presents unique problems and standard analog loop stability design criteria cannot be directly used. Because of the quantization of frequency, there is effectively infinite gain for very small loop error feedback. The numerically controlled oscillator (NCO) based on a tapped delay line cannot be reliably updated while a pulse is active in the delay line, and ordinarily does not have enough frequency resolution for a low-jitter output.

Schuler, Robert L., Jr.↗

BOK-Printed Electronics

The use of printed electronics technologies (PETs), 2D or 3D printing approaches either by conventional electronic fabrication or by rapid graphic printing of organic or nonorganic electronic devices on various small or large rigid or flexible substrates, is projected to grow exponentially in commercial industry. This has provided an opportunity to determine whether or not PETs could be applicable for low volume and high-reliability applications. This report presents a summary of literature surveyed and provides a body of knowledge (BOK) gathered on the current status of organic and printed electronics technologies. It reviews three key industry roadmaps- on this subject-OE-A, ITRS, and iNEMI-each with a different name identification for this emerging technology. This followed by a brief review of the status of the industry on standard development for this technology, including IEEE and IPC specifications. The report concludes with key technologies and applications and provides a technology hierarchy similar to those of conventional microelectronics for electronics packaging. Understanding key technology roadmaps, parameters, and applications is important when judicially selecting and narrowing the follow-up of new and emerging applicable technologies for evaluation, as well as the low risk insertion of organic, large area, and printed electronics.

Ghaffarian, Reza↗

Fabrication and Performance of Zirconia Electrolysis Cells for Cabon Dioxide Reduction for Mars In Situ Resource Utilization Applications

Use of the Martian atmosphere (95% CO2) to produce oxygen (for propellant and life support) can significantly lower the required launch mass and dramatically reduce the total cost for Mars missions. Zirconia electrolysis cells are one of the technologies being considered for oxygen generation from carbon dioxide in Mars In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) production plants. The attractive features of the zirconia cell for this application include simple operation and lightweight, low volume system. A zirconia electrolysis cell is an all-solid state device, based on oxygen-ion conducting zirconia electrolytes, that electrochemically reduces carbon dioxide to oxygen and carbon monoxide. The cell consists of two porous electrodes (the anode and cathode) separated by a dense zirconia electrolyte. Typical zirconia cells contain an electrolyte layer which is 200 to 400 micrometer thick. The electrical conductivity requirement for the electrolyte necessitates an operating temperature of 9000 to 10000C. Recently, the fabrication of zirconia cells by the tape calendering has been evaluated. This fabrication process provides a simple means of making cells having very thin electrolytes (5 to 30 micrometers). Thin zirconia electrolytes reduce cell ohmic losses, permitting efficient operation at lower temperatures (8000C or below). Thus, tape-calendered cells provides not only the potential of low temperature operation but also the flexibility in operating temperatures. This paper describes the fabrication of zirconia cells by the tape calendering method and discusses the performance results obtained to date.

Minh, N. Q.↗

Magnetic shielding of interplanetary spacecraft against solar flare radiation

The ultimate objective of this work is to design, build, and fly a dual-purpose, piggyback payload whose function is to produce a large volume, low intensity magnetic field and to test the concept of using such a magnetic field (1) to protect spacecraft against solar flare protons, (2) to produce a thrust of sufficient magnitude to stabilize low satellite orbits against orbital decay from atmospheric drag, and (3) to test the magsail concept. These all appear to be capable of being tested using the same deployed high temperature superconducting coil. In certain orbits, high temperature superconducting wire, which has now been developed to the point where silver-sheathed high T sub c wires one mm in diameter are commercially available, can be used to produce the magnetic moments required for shielding without requiring any mechanical cooling system. The potential benefits of this concept apply directly to both earth-orbital and interplanetary missions. The usefulness of a protective shield for manned missions needs scarcely to be emphasized. Similarly, the usefulness of increasing orbit perigee without expenditure of propellant is obvious. This payload would be a first step in assessing the true potential of large volume magnetic fields in the US space program. The objective of this design research is to develop an innovative, prototype deployed high temperature superconducting coil (DHTSC) system.

Cocks, Franklin H.↗

A high-throughput skim-sequencing approach for genotyping, dosage estimation and identifying translocations

The development of next-generation sequencing (NGS) enabled a shift from array-based genotyping to directly sequencing genomic libraries for high-throughput genotyping. Even though whole-genome sequencing was initially too costly for routine analysis in large populations such as breeding or genetic studies, continued advancements in genome sequencing and bioinformatics have provided the opportunity to capitalize on whole-genome information. As new sequencing platforms can routinely provide high-quality sequencing data for sufficient genome coverage to genotype various breeding populations, a limitation comes in the time and cost of library construction when multiplexing a large number of samples. Here we describe a high-throughput whole-genome skim-sequencing (skim-seq) approach that can be utilized for a broad range of genotyping and genomic characterization. Using optimized low-volume Illumina Nextera chemistry, we developed a skim-seq method and combined up to 960 samples in one multiplex library using dual index barcoding. With the dual-index barcoding, the number of samples for multiplexing can be adjusted depending on the amount of data required, and could be extended to 3,072 samples or more. Panels of doubled haploid wheat lines ( Triticum aestivum , CDC Stanley x CDC Landmark), wheat-barley ( T . aestivum x Hordeum vulgare ) and wheat-wheatgrass ( Triticum durum x Thinopyrum intermedium ) introgression lines as well as known monosomic wheat stocks were genotyped using the skim-seq approach. Bioinformatics pipelines were developed for various applications where sequencing coverage ranged from 1 × down to 0.01 × per sample. Using reference genomes, we detected chromosome dosage, identified aneuploidy, and karyotyped introgression lines from the skim-seq data. Leveraging the recent advancements in genome sequencing, skim-seq provides an effective and low-cost tool for routine genotyping and genetic analysis, which can track and identify introgressions and genomic regions of interest in genetics research and applied breeding programs.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Compact, portable, automatic sample changer stick for cryostats and closed-cycle refrigerators

Beamlines are facilities that produce and deliver highly focused and intense beams of radiation, typically x rays, synchrotron radiation, or neutrons, for scientific research purposes. Millions of dollars are spent annually to maintain and operate these scientific beamlines, oftentimes running continuously between cycles. To reduce human intervention and improve productivity, mechanical sample changers are often commissioned for use. Designing sample changers is difficult because mechanical parts can be bulky, expensive, and challenging to design for instruments with low volume access, high radiation, and cryogenic environments. We present a portable and inexpensive sample changer stick that can hold and manipulate up to four samples, specifically designed for use with cryogenic closed-cycle refrigerators. The sample changer stick enables rapid and efficient exchange of samples without manual intervention, and is compatible with standard sample mounts such as vanadium cans. The sample changer stick includes a motorized rotation and lancing mechanism, which enables the precise positioning of each sample in the neutron beam, while ensuring compatibility with the operating temperatures and vacuum conditions required for closed-cycle refrigerators. The design has been successfully tested at the VISION beamline at the Spallation Neutron Source. The mechanical action and software controls are detailed. Furthermore, the sample changer stick is a valuable tool for scientists working with cryogenic closed-cycle refrigerators.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Dynamics of Sheared Granular Materials

This work focuses on the properties of sheared granular materials near the jamming transition. The project currently involves two aspects. The first of these is an experiment that is a prototype for a planned ISS (International Space Station) flight. The second is discrete element simulations (DES) that can give insight into the behavior one might expect in a reduced-g environment. The experimental arrangement consists of an annular channel that contains the granular material. One surface, say the upper surface, rotates so as to shear the material contained in the annulus. The lower surface controls the mean density/mean stress on the sample through an actuator or other control system. A novel feature under development is the ability to 'thermalize' the layer, i.e. create a larger amount of random motion in the material, by using the actuating system to provide vibrations as well control the mean volume of the annulus. The stress states of the system are determined by transducers on the non-rotating wall. These measure both shear and normal components of the stress on different size scales. Here, the idea is to characterize the system as the density varies through values spanning dense almost solid to relatively mobile granular states. This transition regime encompasses the regime usually thought of as the glass transition, and/or the jamming transition. Motivation for this experiment springs from ideas of a granular glass transition, a related jamming transition, and from recent experiments. In particular, we note recent experiments carried out by our group to characterize this type of transition and also to demonstrate/ characterize fluctuations in slowly sheared systems. These experiments give key insights into what one might expect in near-zero g. In particular, they show that the compressibility of granular systems diverges at a transition or critical point. It is this divergence, coupled to gravity, that makes it extremely difficult if not impossible to characterize the transition region in an earth-bound experiment. In the DE modeling, we analyze dynamics of a sheared granular system in Couette geometry in two (2D) and three (3D) space dimensions. Here, the idea is to both better understand what we might encounter in a reduced-g environment, and at a deeper level to deduce the physics of sheared systems in a density regime that has not been addressed by past experiments or simulations. One aspect of the simulations addresses sheared 2D system in zero-g environment. For low volume fractions, the expected dynamics of this type of system is relatively well understood. However, as the volume fraction is increased, the system undergoes a phase transition, as explained above. The DES concentrate on the evolution of the system as the solid volume fraction is slowly increased, and in particular on the behavior of very dense systems. For these configurations, the simulations show that polydispersity of the sheared particles is a crucial factor that determines the system response. Figures 1 and 2 below, that present the total force on each grain, show that even relatively small (10 %) nonuniformity of the size of the grains (expected in typical experiments) may lead to significant modifications of the system properties, such as velocity profiles, temperature, force propagation, and formation shear bands. The simulations are extended in a few other directions, in order to provide additional insight to the experimental system analyzed above. In one direction, both gravity, and driving due to vibrations are included. These simulations allow for predictions on the driving regime that is required in the experiments in order to analyze the jamming transition. Furthermore, direct comparison of experiments and DES will allow for verification of the modeling assumptions. We have also extended our modeling efforts to 3D. The (preliminary) results of these simulations of an annular system in zero-g environment will conclude the presentation.

Kondic, Lou↗

Deciphering the Dynamic Balance Between Solvation Strength and Polysulfides Reaction Heterogeneity in Practical Lithium‐Sulfur Batteries

Achieving stable interfacial chemistry in lithium–sulfur batteries under practical conditions remains a key barrier to commercialization. Here, we demonstrate that interfacial dynamics can be effectively regulated by coupling solvation-power control with intrinsic heterogeneity of sulfur redox chemistry through the introduction of a weakly solvating fluorinated cosolvent, LIB 1200ET (1200ET). Compared with conventional fluorinated ethers, 1200ET efficiently shifts Li + solvation environment toward a more non-coordinated configuration at low volume fractions, enabling substantial solvation modulation without significantly impairing sulfur redox kinetics. This solvation transition weakens Li + –solvent interactions while strengthening Li + –anion and Li + –lithium polysulfide (LPS) coordination, suppressing LPS solubility and promoting reconstruction of solid–electrolyte interphase (SEI). Regulated LPS chemistry, together with 1200ET, leads to formation of a S 4+ -rich, LiF-reinforced SEI with enhanced ionic conductivity and mechanical robustness. Spatially resolved sulfur K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy on pouch cells reveals pronounced current-density-dependent chemical heterogeneity, distinguishing kinetically dominated and solvation-controlled regions. Under practical conditions (3.7 mg cm −2 sulfur loading, E/S = 6 µL mg −1 ), a single-layer pouch cell delivers 527 mAh g −1 over 200 cycles at C/3, while an Ah-level multilayer pouch cell achieves an energy density of 358 Wh kg −1 . These results establish non-coordinating cosolvent-driven solvation engineering as a scalable strategy for practical Li–S batteries.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

“Development and application of analytical detection techniques for droplet-based microfluidics”-A review

Droplet-based microfluidics has emerged as a powerful platform for high-throughput and low-volume analysis and screening. At present, droplet-based microfluidics is transitioning from the proof-of-concept stage to real-world applications. During this process, analytical detection techniques play indispensable roles for successfully implementing droplet-based chemical or biological assays. Here, we provide an overview of recent developments in analytical techniques for droplet analysis and elucidate the advantages and limitations of each technique. We cover the majority of technology categories, including optical detection, electrical detection, mass spectrometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Additionally, we highlight new research areas that have been enabled by these technical advances. Finally, we provide perspectives on both future technological directions and potential enabling applications.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Future foundries: A convergent manufacturing platform

This article introduces the Future Foundries platform developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a first-generation research system designed to demonstrate convergent manufacturing. Convergent manufacturing brings together additive, subtractive, and transformative processes in a digitally interconnected environment to enable end-to-end production workflows. By linking traditionally discrete steps, convergent platforms accelerate production, improve repeatability, and support high-mix, low-volume manufacturing. The Future Foundries platform exemplifies this vision in practice by combining four modular, vendor-agnostic process cells that include robotic WAAM, induction heating, optical metrology, and machining, coordinated through an automated pallet handler and a ROS 2-based digital thread. This architecture provides the flexibility and scalability needed for agile production in small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises and for field deployable manufacturing. Two case studies illustrate the platform’s capabilities. The first presents an integrated workflow for fabricating, transforming, and repairing critical replacement components, showing how consolidated thermal, additive, inspection, and machining operations reduce manual part handling and streamline process flow. The second case study highlights coordinated multi-part production enabled by automated pallet logistics and multi-cell scheduling. Together, these examples showcase convergent manufacturing as a practical and scalable strategy for strengthening domestic casting and forging capacity, improving supply-chain resilience, and enabling rapid, adaptable production of mission-critical components.

Convergent manufacturing↗

There’s plenty of room at the top

Richard Feynman’s famous words, “there’s plenty of room at the bottom,” referred to the opportunities for revolutionizing the electronics industry by developing the science and technology of how to manufacture very small components (sub-micron to nanometer sized features). In additive manufacturing (AM), the opposite may be true: There’s plenty of room at the top. AM’s strength is in the low volume production of complex components, which is demanded in big industries such as oil and gas, construction, tooling, wind and water turbines, and infrastructure. Is AM’s ‘big’ future in the manufacture of large structures? Here, this special issue surveys the technical challenges and enormous opportunities associated with large scale additive manufacturing while discussing the materials, processes and applications that are enabled by scaling to much larger structures, much faster speeds and lower manufacturing costs. The authors believe that, if Professor Feynman was alive, he’d say “There’s plenty of room at the top.”

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Electrodialysis through nafion membranes coated with polyelectrolyte multilayers yields >99% pure monovalent ions at high recoveries

Separation of monovalent and multivalent ions is important in processes ranging from water softening to recycling of Li. Previous studies show that cation-exchange membranes coated with multilayer polyelectrolyte films exhibit monovalent/divalent ion selectivities as high as 1000 in electrodialysis (ED) under ideal conditions with low ion recoveries. This work shows that even at 60-80% monovalent-ion recoveries, ED through Nafion membranes coated with protonated poly(allylamine)/poly(4-styrenesulfonate) multilayers can separate equimolar K + and Mg 2+ or Li + and Mg 2+ to give 99.5% pure monovalent ion. Moreover, the use of a low-volume receiving phase allows ED to concentrate the monovalent ion. Typical current efficiencies are around 70% for these separations. Selectivities appear to increase when the membrane-coating procedure uses a higher polyelectrolyte concentration in the deposition solution. Because the limiting current declines with ED time due to depletion of the monovalent ion in the source phase, use of a gradually decreasing applied current enhances current efficiency compared to ED at a constant high current. Further, the membranes also show Li + /Mg 2+ selectivities around 100 when Mg 2+ is in a 20-fold excess in the source phase at an ionic strength of 0.6 M, but selectivity decreases at even higher ionic strengths.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

AA2024/SiC metal matrix composites simultaneously improve ductility and cracking resistance during elevated temperature deformation

Here this study uses the stir-casting technique to combine a semi-solid AA2024 alloy directly with finely-sized β-SiC p embedded as a powder or with mechanically alloyed granules as a delivery agent. Liquid-state primary fabrication tends to form agglomerates of reinforcement particles, whereas rolling better distributes the composite constituents. Sub-micron reinforcements of low volume fractions do not significantly increase the hardness of the composite materials. Uniaxial tensile testing at elevated temperatures over a wide range of strain rates showed simultaneous increases in the ductility and crack resistance of AA2024 + SiC p granules embedded as a powder when compared to the non-reinforced control material at lower strain rates, with the same toughness as the control material. The maximum engineering strain of 252.7 ± 19.2% was observed in AA2024/SiCp at a strain rate of 10 -4 s -1 . This improvement in properties is attributed to grain refinement in the MMCs, leading to pinning events during the straining and ductility increases. The resultant impediments to grain growth and crack propagation allow the fine-sized reinforcements to control dynamic microstructural changes during fatigue. Cube {001}<100> is a dominant texture component in AA2024, whereas the Goss {011}<100> and S {123}<634> components mainly represent the texture of the discontinuously reinforced aluminum matrix.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Effect of Re and Al additions on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Nb-18Ti-12W alloy

Microstructure and mechanical properties at 25–1200 °C of new refractory alloys, Nb-18Ti-12W (NTW), Nb-18Ti-12W-5Re (NTW-R) and Nb-18Ti-12W-5Re-1Al (NTW-RA), all compositions are in atomic percent, are reported. The alloys are developed as an alternative to a denser, more expensive and difficult-to-process refractory alloy WC-3009. After production by arc melting and hot isostatic pressing at 1400 °C, 207 MPa for 3 h, the alloys have a BCC crystal structure with the average grain size of ~150–200 μm and contain low volume fraction of (Ti,N)-rich precipitates near grain boundaries. NTW shows excellent malleability at all studied temperatures. Its yield stress at 25 °C, 1000 °C and 1200 °C is 874 MPa, 353 MPa and 202 MPa, respectively. The NTW-R and NTW-RA alloys are stronger at all the studied temperatures; however, they lack in compression ductility at 25 °C. As a result, extensive deformation twinning and formation of intergranular voids precede the fracture of these two alloys at 25 °C.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Hydrodynamic irreversibility of non-Brownian suspensions in highly confined duct flow

The irreversible behaviour of a highly confined non-Brownian suspension of spherical particles at low Reynolds number in a Newtonian fluid is studied experimentally and numerically. In the experiment, the suspension is confined in a thin rectangular channel that prevents complete particle overlap in the narrow dimension and is subjected to an oscillatory pressure-driven flow. In the small cross-sectional dimension, particles rapidly separate to the walls, whereas in the large dimension, features reminiscent of shear-induced migration in bulk suspensions are recovered. Furthermore, as a consequence of the channel geometry and the development and application of a single-camera particle tracking method, three-dimensional particle trajectories are obtained that allow us to directly associate relative particle proximity with the observed migration. Companion simulations of a steadily flowing suspension highly confined between parallel plates are conducted using the force coupling method, which also show rapid migration to the walls as well as other salient features observed in the experiment. While we consider relatively low volume fractions compared to most prior work in the area, we nevertheless observe significant and rapid migration, which we attribute to the high degree of confinement.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Coupling Microdroplet-Based Sample Preparation, Multiplexed Isobaric Labeling, and Nanoflow Peptide Fractionation for Deep Proteome Profiling of the Tissue Microenvironment

There is increasing interest in developing in-depth proteomic approaches for mapping tissue heterogeneity in a cell-type-specific manner to better understand and predict the function of complex biological systems such as human organs. Existing spatially resolved proteomics technologies cannot provide deep proteome coverage due to limited sensitivity and poor sample recovery. Herein, we seamlessly combined laser capture microdissection with a low-volume sample processing technology that includes a microfluidic device named microPOTS (microdroplet processing in one pot for trace samples), multiplexed isobaric labeling, and a nanoflow peptide fractionation approach. The integrated workflow allowed us to maximize proteome coverage of laser-isolated tissue samples containing nanogram levels of proteins. We demonstrated that the deep spatial proteomics platform can quantify more than 5000 unique proteins from a small-sized human pancreatic tissue pixel (∼60,000 μm2) and differentiate unique protein abundance patterns in pancreas. Furthermore, the use of the microPOTS chip eliminated the requirement for advanced microfabrication capabilities and specialized nanoliter liquid handling equipment, making it more accessible to proteomic laboratories.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Measurement of Spray Chamber Ignition Delay and Cetane Numbers for Aviation Turbine Fuels

Experiments using pure compounds, National Jet Fuels Combustion Program (NJFCP) test fuels, and commercial jet fuels were conducted to demonstrate the equivalence of the indicated cetane number (ICN) and derived cetane number (DCN) for jet fuels. The calibrated range for ICN was also extended to lower cetane number (CN) values (5 to 35) to allow CN quantification for jet fuel synthetic blending components (SBCs) with low CN. ICN and DCN were shown to be highly correlated for values above about 30. This study presents the most comprehensive comparison of these two methods published to date. Because of the importance of low-volume test methods for early-stage SBC production process development, we demonstrated that ICN and DCN can be accurately measured with 15 mL of fuel, well below 40 to 100 mL required by standard methods. ICN or DCN is important for jet fuels because fuels with lower CN are more prone to lean blowout (LBO), an undesirable operational failure in a jet engine. Comparing data on a fuel-to-air ratio (Φ) at LBO for the NJFCP fuels shows similar linear correlations for ICN and DCN. Ignition delay measurements at lower-pressure and higher-temperature conditions may be more directly relevant to LBO. At 675 °C, 0.5 MPa, and a global Φ of roughly 0.68, ignition delay time correlations to LBO were similar to those produced from DCN and ICN. A much weaker correlation was obtained with a global Φ value of 0.34.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

Sample Preparation Methods for Targeted Single-Cell Proteomics

We compared three cell isolation and two proteomic sample preparation methods for single-cell and near-single-cell analysis. Whole blood was used to quantify hemoglobin (Hb) and glycated-Hb (gly-Hb) in erythrocytes using targeted mass spectrometry and stable isotope-labeled standard peptides. Each method differed in cell isolation and sample preparation as follows: 1) FACS and automated preparation in one-pot for trace samples (autoPOTS); 2) limited dilution via microscopy and a novel rapid one-pot sample preparation method that circumvented the need for the solid-phase extraction, low-volume liquid handling instrumentation and humidified incubation chamber; and 3) CellenONE-based cell isolation and the same one-pot sample preparation method used for limited dilution. Only the CellenONE device routinely isolated single-cells from which Hb was measured to be 540–660 amol per red blood cell (RBC), which was comparable to the calculated SI reference range for mean corpuscular hemoglobin (390–540 amol/RBC). FACSAria sorter and limited dilution could routinely isolate single-digit cell numbers, to reliably quantify CMV-Hb heterogeneity. Finally, we observed that repeated measures, using 5–25 RBCs obtained from N = 10 blood donors, could be used as an alternative and more efficient strategy than single RBC analysis to measure protein heterogeneity, which revealed multimodal distribution, unique for each individual.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗