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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 sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Atmospheric plasma spraying to fabricate metal‐supported solid oxide fuel cells with open‐channel porous metal support

Abstract Metal‐supported solid oxide fuel cells (MS‐SOFCs) have been fabricated by applying phase‐inversion tape‐casting and atmospheric plasma spraying (APS). The effect of the binder amount of the phase‐inversion slurries on the microstructure development of the 430L stainless steel metal support was investigated. The pore structures, the viscosity of the slurry, porosity and permeability of the as‐prepared metal supports are significantly influenced by the amount of the binder. NiO–scandia‐stabilized zirconia (ScSZ) anode, ScSZ electrolyte and La 0.6 Sr 0.4 Co 0.2 Fe 0.8 O 3−δ (LSCF) cathode layers were consecutively deposited on the metal support with an ideal microstructure by APS process. The effect of plasma power of the APS on the microstructure of the electrolyte and cathode was investigated. A dense electrolyte layer and a porous cathode layer were successfully obtained at 40 and 6 kW of the APS plasma power, respectively. MS‐SOFCs, with a cell configuration of 430L/Ni‐ScSZ/ScSZ/LSCF, achieved a maximum cell power density of 1079 mW cm −2 at 700°C using humidified H 2 as fuel and ambient air as oxidant. The corresponding ohmic resistance and total resistance of MS‐SOFCs was 0.14 and 0.32 Ω cm 2 , respectively. This work demonstrates the feasibility of fabricating high‐performance MS‐SOFCs with economical and scalable techniques.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Hydrogen reduction and metal-support interaction in a metastable metal-oxide system: Pd on rhombohedral In{sub 2}O{sub 3}

Highlights: • Metal-Support interaction in a metastable Pd/rh-In{sub 2}O{sub 3} material. • No influence of metal-support interaction on phase transformation rh-In{sub 2}O{sub 3}→c-In{sub 2}O{sub 3}. • Sequence of hydride, intermetallic compound formation and phase transformation. • High structural stability of reduced rh-In{sub 2}O{sub 3} and associated oxygen vacancies. • Metastable rh-In{sub 2}O{sub 3} more effective in initial intermetallic formation than c-In{sub 2}O{sub 3}. - Abstract: Structural and chemical consequences of reactive metal-support interaction (RMSI) effects occurring under hydrogen reduction in a metastable metal-oxide system have been exemplified for small PdO particles loaded onto rhombohedral In{sub 2}O{sub 3} (PdO/rh-In{sub 2}O{sub 3}) using synchrotron-based in situ X-ray diffraction experiments at temperatures up to 500 °C. rh-In{sub 2}O{sub 3} is a meta-stable In{sub 2}O{sub 3} polymorph that is prone to gas-phase dependent phase transformation to cubic In{sub 2}O{sub 3} (c-In{sub 2}O{sub 3}). Cross-influence of metal-support interaction and phase transformation can therefore be expected in similar temperature regimes. To separate both effects, comparable experiments have also been conducted on pure rh-In{sub 2}O{sub 3}. Phase transformation of pure rh-In{sub 2}O{sub 3} to cubic In{sub 2}O{sub 3} in hydrogen occurs between 415 °C and 450 °C. On Pd/rh-In{sub 2}O{sub 3}, a sequence of PdO reduction to Pd metal, followed by PdH{sub 0.706} hydride formation and subsequently, InPd and In{sub 3}Pd{sub 2} intermetallic compound formation have been observed between 30 °C and 500 °C. After the intermetallic compound formation is finished at around 400 °C, the phase transformation to c-In{sub 2}O{sub 3} sets in at exactly the same temperature as on pure rh-In{sub 2}O{sub 3} and extends over the same temperature range. This proves that the phase transformation of rh-In{sub 2}O{sub 3} to c-In{sub 2}O{sub 3} is not influenced by the reduction and the intermetallic compound formation. In contrast to Pd on c-In{sub 2}O{sub 3}, In-Pd compound formation from rh-In{sub 2}O{sub 3} occurs at much lower temperatures (230 °C vs. 300 °C), despite finally approaching the same compound stoichiometries (InPd and In{sub 3}Pd{sub 2}). This points to a high structural stability of reduced rh-In{sub 2}O{sub 3}/stability of oxygen vacancies (compared to c-In{sub 2}O{sub 3}) as well as to facilitated diffusion of reduced In(-O) species at low temperatures.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Pressure-stable supported ionic liquid membranes using isoporous supports for evaluating pure- and mixed-gas light paraffin fractionation

Advances in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing have spurred the growth of domestic U.S. energy production. Membranes, typically silicone rubbers, have found utility in shale gas treatment as fuel gas conditioning units to selectively remove C 2 + hydrocarbons at pressures up to 30 bar, producing clean CH 4 for gas engines. However, more selective materials could be beneficial for broader shale gas treatment applications, such as dew point control units. Supported ionic liquid membranes (SILMs) offer a potential opportunity for improving C 3 H 8 /CH 4 selectivity, but they lack pressure-stability. Here, we report C 3 H 8 /CH 4 selective and pressure-stable SILMs using isoporous supports. SILMs with supports that had minimal defects remained stable up to 15 bar of transmembrane pressure. This stability allowed for pure- and mixed-gas testing of the resulting membranes at elevated pressures. Furthermore, these tests revealed that low viscosity ILs (<100 cp) may display mixed-gas permeances and permselectivity nearly identical to pure-gas results. On the other hand, higher viscosity ILs may display increasing permeances and permselectivity with increasing C 3 H 8 fugacity, similar to rubbery polymers. Ultimately, the SILMs demonstrated relatively high pressure-stability due to the isoporous supports and competitive mixed-gas C 3 H 8 /CH 4 permselectivity compared to silicone rubber.

Rosenthal, Justin J. [University of Texas at Austi↗
DOE OSTI2022

Ce x Zr 1– x O 2 -Supported CrO x Catalysts for CO 2 -Assisted Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Propane–Probing the Active Sites and Strategies for Enhanced Stability

CO 2 -assisted oxidative dehydrogenation of propane (CO 2 -ODH) represents an attractive approach for propylene production and CO 2 utilization. As a soft oxidant, CO 2 can minimize overoxidation of the hydrocarbons to enhance the propylene selectivity while increasing the equilibrium yield. However, a major challenge of CO 2 -ODH is the rapid deactivation of the catalysts. The current study focuses on designing Ce x Zr 1–x O 2 -mixed oxide-supported CrO x catalysts for CO 2 -ODH with enhanced product selectivity and catalyst stability. By doping 0–30% Ce in the Ce x Zr 1–x O 2 mixed oxide support, propane conversion of 53–79% was achieved at 600 °C, with propylene selectivity up to 82%. Compared to the pure ZrO 2 -supported catalyst (i.e., 5 wt %Cr/ZrO 2 ), 20–30 %Ce doped catalysts (i.e., 5 wt %Cr/Ce 0.2 Zr 0.8 O 2 and 5 wt %Cr/Ce 0.3 Zr 0.7 O 2 ) inhibited the formation of CH 4 and ethylene and improved propylene selectivity from 57 to 77–82%. Detailed characterizations of the 5%Cr/Ce 0.2 Zr 0.8 O 2 catalyst and density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicated that Cr 3+ is the active species during the CO 2 -ODH reaction, and the reaction follows a non-redox dehydrogenation pathway. Coke formation was determined to be the primary reason for catalyst deactivation, and the addition of Ce to the ZrO 2 support greatly enhanced the coke resistance, leading to superior stability. Furthermore, coke removal by oxidizing the catalyst in air is effective in restoring its activity.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2019

Stabilizing High Metal Loadings of Thermally Stable Platinum Single Atoms on an Industrial Catalyst Support

Single atom catalysts have attracted attention because of improved atom efficiency, higher reactivity, and better selectivity. A major challenge is to achieve high surface concentrations while preventing these atoms from agglomeration at elevated temperatures. Here we investigate the formation of Pt single atoms on an industrial catalyst support. Using a combination of surface sensitive techniques such as XPS and LEIS, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, electron microscopy, as well as density functional theory, we demonstrate that cerium oxide can support Pt single atoms at high metal loading (3 wt% Pt), without forming any clusters or 3D aggregates when heated in air at 800 °C. The mechanism of trapping involves a reaction of the mobile PtO2 with under-coordinated cerium cations present at CeO2(111) step edges, allowing Pt to achieve a stable square planar configuration. The strong interaction of mobile single atom species with the support, present during catalyst sintering and regeneration, helps explain the sinter-resistance of ceria-supported metal catalysts.

Kunwar, Deepak↗
DOE OSTI2016

Sintering-resistant Single-Site Nickel Catalyst Supported by Metal-Organic Framework

Developing supported single-site catalysts is an important goal in heterogeneous catalysis, since the well-defined active sites afford opportunities for detailed mechanistic studies, thereby facilitating the design of improved catalysts. We present herein a method for installing Ni ions uniformly and precisely on the node of a Zr-based MOF, NU-1000, in high density and large quantity (denoted as Ni-AIM) using atomic layer deposition (ALD) in a metal–organic framework (MOF) (AIM). Ni-AIM is demonstrated to be an efficient gas-phase hydrogenation catalyst upon activation. The structure of the active sites in Ni-AIM is proposed, revealing its single-site nature. More importantly, due to the organic linker used to construct the MOF support, the Ni ions stay isolated throughout the hydrogenation catalysis, in accord with its long-term stability. A quantum chemical characterization of the catalyst and the catalytic process complements the experimental results. With validation of computational modeling protocols, we further targeted ethylene oligomerization catalysis by Ni-AIM guided by theoretical prediction. Given the generality of the AIM methodology, this emerging class of materials should prove ripe for the discovery of new catalysts for the transformation of volatile substrates.

Li, Zhanyong↗
DOE OSTI2013

Bayesian calibration of thermodynamic models for the uptake of CO{sub 2} in supported amine sorbents using ab initio priors

A statistical methodology was applied to the simultaneous calibration and validation of thermodynamic models for the uptake of CO{sub 2} in mesoporous silica-supported amines. The methodology is Bayesian, and follows the procedure introduced by Kennedy and O'Hagan. One key aspect of the application presented is the use of quantum chemical calculations to define prior probability distributions for physical model parameters. Inclusion of this prior information proved to be crucial to the identifiability of model parameters against experimental thermogravimetric data. Through the statistical analysis, a quantitative assessment of the accuracy of various quantum chemical methods is produced. Another important aspect of the current approach is the conditioning of the model form discrepancy – a critical component of the Kennedy and O'Hagan methodology – to the experimental data in such a manner that it becomes an implicit function of the model parameters and thereby connected with the posterior distribution. It is shown that the inclusion of prior information in the analysis leads to a shifting of uncertainty from the posterior distribution for model parameters to this conditioned model form discrepancy. Prospects for more accurate model predictions and propagation of uncertainty in upscaling and extrapolation through a “model-plus-discrepancy” approach are discussed. The synthesis methods and thermogravimetric characterization of hybrid grafted/impregnated mesoporous silica-supported amine sorbents are presented, along with the details of the quantum chemical study, which shows that a carbamic acid–base acceptor complex is the most stable form of adsorbed CO{sub 2} in both alkanol- and ethyleneamines.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2016

Effect of carbon supports on RhRe bifunctional catalysts for selective hydrogenolysis of tetrahydropyran-2-methanol

Tetrahydropyran-2-methanol undergoes selective C–O–C hydrogenolysis to produce 1,6-hexanediol using a bifunctional RhRe (reducible metal with an oxophilic promoter) catalyst supported on Vulcan XC-72 carbon (VXC) with >90% selectivity. This RhRe/VXC catalyst is stable over 40 h of reaction in a continuous flow fixed bed reactor. The hydrogenolysis activity of RhRe/VXC is two orders-of-magnitude higher than that of RhRe supported on Norit Darco 12X40 activated carbon (NDC). STEM–EDS analysis reveals that, compared to the RhRe/VXC catalyst, the Re and Rh component metals are segregated on the surface of the low activity RhRe/NDC catalyst, suggesting that Rh and Re in close proximity (“bimetallic” particles) are required for an active hydrogenolysis catalyst. Differences in metal distribution on the carbon surfaces are, in turn, linked to the properties of the carbons: NDC has both a higher surface area and surface oxygen content. Thus, the low areal density of Rh and Re precursors on the high area NDC and/or interactions of the precursors with its O functional groups may interfere with the formation of the bimetallic species required for an active catalyst.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Efficient magnetic fields for supporting toroidal plasmas

The magnetic field that supports tokamak and stellarator plasmas must be produced by coils well separated from the plasma. However, the larger the separation, the more difficult it is to produce a given magnetic field in the plasma region, so plasma configurations should be chosen that can be supported as efficiently as possible by distant coils. The efficiency of an externally generated magnetic field is a measure of the field's shaping component magnitude at the plasma compared to the magnitude near the coils; the efficiency of a plasma equilibrium can be measured using the efficiency of the required external shaping field. Counterintuitively, plasma shapes with low curvature and spectral width may have low efficiency, whereas plasma shapes with sharp edges may have high efficiency. Two precise measures of magnetic field efficiency, which correctly identify such differences in difficulty, will be examined. These measures, which can be expressed as matrices, relate the externally produced normal magnetic field on the plasma surface to the either the normal field or current on a distant control surface. A singular value decomposition (SVD) of either matrix yields an efficiency ordered basis for the magnetic field distributions. Calculations are carried out for both tokamak and stellarator cases. For axisymmetric surfaces with circular cross-section, the SVD is calculated analytically, and the range of poloidal and toroidal mode numbers that can be controlled to a given desired level is determined. If formulated properly, these efficiency measures are independent of the coordinates used to parameterize the surfaces.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Viscous flow properties and hydrodynamic diameter of phenothiazine-based redox-active molecules in different supporting salt environments

We report viscous flow properties of a redox-active organic molecule, N-(2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethyl)phenothiazine (MEEPT), a candidate for non-aqueous redox flow batteries, and two of its radical cation salts. A microfluidic viscometer enabled the use of small sample volumes in determining viscosity as a function of shear rate and concentration in the non-aqueous solvent, acetonitrile, both with and without supporting salts. All solutions tested show Newtonian behavior over shear rates of up to 30 000 s−1, which was rationalized by scaling arguments for the diffusion-based relaxation time of a single MEEPT molecule without aggregation. Neat MEEPT is flowable but with a large viscosity (412 mPa⋅s at room temperature), which is ∼1000 times larger than that of acetonitrile. MEEPT solutions in acetonitrile have low viscosities; at concentrations up to 0.5 M, the viscosity increases by less than a factor of two. From concentration-dependent viscosity measurements, molecular information was inferred from intrinsic viscosity (hydrodynamic diameter) and the Huggins coefficient (interactions). Model fit credibility was assessed using the Bayesian Information Criterion. It is found that the MEEPT and its charged cations are “flowable” and do not flocculate at concentrations up to 0.5 M. MEEPT has a hydrodynamic diameter of around 8.5 Å, which is almost insensitive to supporting salt and state of charge. This size is comparable to molecular dimensions of single molecules obtained from optimized structures using density functional theory calculations. The results suggest that MEEPT is a promising candidate for redox flow batteries in terms of its viscous flow properties.

Wang, Yilin (ORCID:0000000316102995)↗
DOE OSTI2017

Assessment of System Frequency Support Effect of PMSG-WTG Using Torque-Limit-Based Inertial Control

To release the 'hidden inertia' of variable-speed wind turbines for temporary frequency support, a method of torque-limit-based inertial control is proposed in this paper. This method aims to improve the frequency support capability considering the maximum torque restriction of a permanent magnet synchronous generator. The advantages of the proposed method are improved frequency nadir (FN) in the event of an under-frequency disturbance; and avoidance of over-deceleration and a second frequency dip during the inertial response. The system frequency response is different, with different slope values in the power-speed plane when the inertial response is performed. The proposed method is evaluated in a modified three-machine, nine-bus system. The simulation results show that there is a trade-off between the recovery time and FN, such that a gradual slope tends to improve the FN and restrict the rate of change of frequency aggressively while causing an extension of the recovery time. These results provide insight into how to properly design such kinds of inertial control strategies for practical applications.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2012

Investigating the effects of proton exchange membrane fuel cell conditions on carbon supported platinum electrocatalyst composition and performance

Changes that carbon-supported platinum electrocatalysts undergo in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell environment were simulated by ex situ heat treatment of catalyst powder samples at 150 C and 100% relative humidity. In order to study modifications that are introduced to chemistry, morphology, and performance of electrocatalysts, XPS, HREELS and three-electrode rotating disk electrode experiments were performed. Before heat treatment, graphitic content varied by 20% among samples with different types of carbon supports, with distinct differences between bulk and surface compositions within each sample. Following the aging protocol, the bulk and surface chemistry of the samples were similar, with graphite content increasing or remaining constant and Pt-carbide decreasing for all samples. From the correlation of changes in chemical composition and losses in performance of the electrocatalysts, we conclude that relative distribution of Pt particles on graphitic and amorphous carbon is as important for electrocatalytic activity as the absolute amount of graphitic carbon present

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2021

Editors’ Choice—Necessity to Avoid Titanium Oxide as Electrocatalyst Support in PEM Fuel Cells: A Membrane Durability Study

Pt/TiO 2 as electrocatalyst was found to significantly increase the rate of the membrane chemical degradation in a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell. The increased degradation was proved to be due to TiO x (TiO 2 or Ti 4 O 7 ), which is widely recognized as a promising corrosion-resistant electrocatalyst support. The membrane degradation (thinning) appears to be preferentially in the side facing anode electrode. Migrated Ti species as a result of TiO x dissolution during fuel cell operation in an acidic environment was quantified by electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). Total fluorine inventory loss of the membrane strongly depends on the quantity of migrated Ti species (likely Ti 3+ and/or Ti 4+ ). The membrane chemical degradation induced by TiO x is proposed to be due to dissolved ionic Ti species reacting with H 2 O 2 through a Fenton reaction. TiO x is determined to be inviable as electrocatalyst support for PEM fuel cells, and future research is suggested to be directed toward alternative oxides with similar corrosion-resistance.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2015

Correspondence: In support of the IES method of evaluating light source colour rendition

In this editorial, written as an open letter to the lighting community, we stand in support of widespread adoption of TM-30-15: The IES Method of Evaluating Light Source Color Rendition. We introduce important considerations related to light source color rendition, define the need for a new method of evaluation, provide a high-level overview of the IES method, discuss some of the practical considerations related to the development of the IES method and the consensus process, and conclude by inviting you to join us in support of the new measures and graphics described in TM-30-15.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1991

Hypersonic Research Vehicle (HRV) real-time flight test support feasibility and requirements study. Part 2: Remote computation support for flight systems functions

The requirements are assessed for the use of remote computation to support HRV flight testing. First, remote computational requirements were developed to support functions that will eventually be performed onboard operational vehicles of this type. These functions which either cannot be performed onboard in the time frame of initial HRV flight test programs because the technology of airborne computers will not be sufficiently advanced to support the computational loads required, or it is not desirable to perform the functions onboard in the flight test program for other reasons. Second, remote computational support either required or highly desirable to conduct flight testing itself was addressed. The use is proposed of an Automated Flight Management System which is described in conceptual detail. Third, autonomous operations is discussed and finally, unmanned operations.

Rediess, Herman A.↗