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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

Giant energy storage and power density negative capacitance superlattices

Dielectric electrostatic capacitors, because of their ultrafast charge-discharge, are desirable for high-power energy storage applications. Along with ultrafast operation, on-chip integration can enable miniaturized energy storage devices for emerging autonomous microelectronics and microsystems. Moreover, state-of-the-art miniaturized electrochemical energy storage systems-microsupercapacitors and microbatteries-currently face safety, packaging, materials and microfabrication challenges preventing on-chip technological readiness, leaving an opportunity for electrostatic microcapacitors. Here, in this study, we report record-high electrostatic energy storage density (ESD) and power density, to our knowledge, in HfO 2 -ZrO 2 -based thin film microcapacitors integrated into silicon, through a three-pronged approach. First, to increase intrinsic energy storage, atomic-layer-deposited antiferroelectric HfO 2 -ZrO 2 films are engineered near a field-driven ferroelectric phase transition to exhibit amplified charge storage by the negative capacitance effect, which enhances volumetric ESD beyond the best-known back-end-of-the-line-compatible dielectrics (115 J cm -3 ). Second, to increase total energy storage, antiferroelectric superlattice engineering scales the energy storage performance beyond the conventional thickness limitations of HfO 2 -ZrO 2 -based (anti)ferroelectricity (100-nm regime). Third, to increase the storage per footprint, the superlattices are conformally integrated into three-dimensional capacitors, which boosts the areal ESD nine times and the areal power density 170 times that of the best-known electrostatic capacitors: 80 mJ cm -2 and 300 kW cm -2 , respectively. This simultaneous demonstration of ultrahigh energy density and power density overcomes the traditional capacity-speed trade-off across the electrostatic-electrochemical energy storage hierarchy. Furthermore, the integration of ultrahigh-density and ultrafast-charging thin films within a back-end-of-the-line-compatible process enables monolithic integration of on-chip microcapacitors, which can unlock substantial energy storage and power delivery performance for electronic microsystems.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Large space system - Charged particle environment interaction technology

Large high-voltage space power systems proposed for future applications in both low earth orbit and geosynchronous altitudes must operate in the space charged-particle environment with possible interactions between this environment and the high-voltage surfaces. The paper reviews the ground experimental work to provide indicators for the interactions that could exist in the space power system. A preliminary analytical model of a large space power system is constructed using the existing NASA Charging Analyzer Program, and its performance in geosynchronous orbit is evaluated. The analytical results are used to illustrate the regions where detrimental interactions could exist and to establish areas where future technology is required.

Stevens, N. J.↗

Polarization and phase control of electron injection and acceleration in the plasma by a self-steepening laser pulse

Abstract We describe an interplay between two injection mechanism of background electrons into an evolving plasma bubble behind an intense laser pulse: one due to the overall bubble expansion, and another due to its periodic undulation. The two mechanisms occur simultaneously when an intense laser pulse propagating inside a plasma forms a shock-like steepened front. Periodic undulations of the plasma bubble along the laser propagation path can either inhibit or conspire with electron injection due to bubble expansion. We show that carrier-envelope-phase (CEP) controlled plasma bubble undulation induced by the self-steepening laser pulse produces a unique electron injector—expanding phase-controlled undulating bubble (EPUB). The longitudinal structure of the electron bunch injected by the EPUB can be controlled by laser polarization and power, resulting in high-charge (multiple nano-Coulombs) high-current (tens of kilo-amperes) electron beams with ultra-short (femtosecond-scale) temporal structure. Generation of high-energy betatron radiation with polarization- and CEP-controlled energy spectrum and angular distribution is analyzed as a promising application of EPUB-produced beams.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Modeling Structured Electrodes and Graded Porosity for Improving Discharge Rate Capability in Ultra-Thick Graphite|LiNi 0.6 Mn 0.2 Co 0.2 O 2 Batteries

Long-range electric vehicles (EVs) require high-energy-density batteries that also meet the power demands of high current charge and discharge. Ultra-thick (>100 μm) Lithium-ion battery electrodes are critical to enable this need, but slow ion transport in conventional uniform electrodes (UEs) reduces battery capacity at increasing charge/discharge rates. We present a 3D computational analysis on the impact of structured electrode (SE) and graded electrode (GE) geometries on the discharge rate capability of ultra-thick graphite|LiNi 0.6 Mn 0.2 Co 0.2 O 2 (NMC-622) battery cells based on the footprint of a commercial EV pouch cell. SE cathodes with either a “grid” or “line” geometry and GEs with two layers of porosity were modeled. Based on the results of 230 models, we found that the electrolyte volume fraction is a key parameter that impacts capacity improvements in UEs, GEs, and SEs at 2 C–6 C discharge rates. SEs have the greatest discharge rate capability, outperforming GEs and UEs due to reduced Lithium-ion concentration gradients across the electrode thickness, which mitigates electrolyte depletion at high rates. The best SE model has a “grid” geometry with gravimetric and volumetric energy density improvements of 0.9%–4% at C/2–2 C and 18%–24% at 4 C–6 C relative to UEs.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

EVSE Characterization, A Next-Gen Profiles Project Report

As part of the U.S. DOE EVs@Scale consortium Next-Generation Profiles project, results and analysis from the characterization of high-power conductive and wireless charging infrastructure are presented. This characterization was conducted over a wide range of DC output current and DC voltage charging for nominal test conditions and off-nominal test conditions. Test plans and procedures were developed to define the test configurations and requirements, measurement parameters, and test procedures used throughout testing. Results from a 2023 study conducted on electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) characterization by Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) include one 350 kW capable EVSE using a liquid-cooled combined charging system-1 (CCS-1, North American version) cable and connector and an ORNL-developed 100-kW polyphase wireless charger. Characterization results during nominal operation show the AC-to-DC power transfer efficiency for the 350kW conductive EVSE is 95.1% peak and is >92% when the AC power is at least 50 kW. The power quality of the 350 kW conductive EVSE is also measured during nominal conditions. The power factor is >0.91 for power transfer above 50 kW AC input during nominal conditions with a maximum power factor of 0.975. The AC current harmonics produced by the EVSE as measured at the AC input connection to the EVSE is <25% harmonics for power transfer greater than 50 kW and <10% harmonics for power transfer greater than 180 kW.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Battery Charge Equalizer with Transformer Array

High-power batteries generally consist of a series connection of many cells or cell banks. In order to maintain high performance over battery life, it is desirable to keep the state of charge of all the cell banks equal. A method provides individual charging for battery cells in a large, high-voltage battery array with a minimum number of transformers while maintaining reasonable efficiency. This is designed to augment a simple highcurrent charger that supplies the main charge energy. The innovation will form part of a larger battery charge system. It consists of a transformer array connected to the battery array through rectification and filtering circuits. The transformer array is connected to a drive circuit and a timing and control circuit that allow individual battery cells or cell banks to be charged. The timing circuit and control circuit connect to a charge controller that uses battery instrumentation to determine which battery bank to charge. It is important to note that the innovation can charge an individual cell bank at the same time that the main battery charger is charging the high-voltage battery. The fact that the battery cell banks are at a non-zero voltage, and that they are all at similar voltages, can be used to allow charging of individual cell banks. A set of transformers can be connected with secondary windings in series to make weighted sums of the voltages on the primaries.

Davies, Francis↗

Correlation of ISS Electric Potential Variations with Mission Operations

Orbiting approximately 400 km above the Earth, the International Space Station (ISS) is a unique research laboratory used to conduct ground-breaking science experiments in space. The ISS has eight Solar Array Wings (SAW), and each wing is 11.7 meters wide and 35.1 meters long. The SAWs are controlled individually to maximize power output, minimize stress to the ISS structure, and minimize interference with other ISS operations such as vehicle dockings and Extra-Vehicular Activities (EVA). The Solar Arrays are designed to operate at 160 Volts. These large, high power solar arrays are negatively grounded to the ISS and collect charged particles (predominately electrons) as they travel through the space plasma in the Earth's ionosphere. If not controlled, this collected charge causes floating potential variations which can result in arcing, causing injury to the crew during an EVA or damage to hardware [1]. The environmental catalysts for ISS floating potential variations include plasma density and temperature fluctuations and magnetic induction from the Earth's magnetic field. These alone are not enough to cause concern for ISS, but when they are coupled with the large positive potential on the solar arrays, floating potentials up to negative 95 Volts have been observed. Our goal is to differentiate the operationally induced fluctuations in floating potentials from the environmental causes. Differentiating will help to determine what charging can be controlled, and we can then design the proper operations controls for charge collection mitigation. Additionally, the knowledge of how high power solar arrays interact with the environment and what regulations or design techniques can be employed to minimize charging impacts can be applied to future programs.

Willis, Emily M.↗

The Novel Hybrid Ab Initio Model of High-Performance Structural Alloys Design for Fossil Energy Power Plants

The current project developed a novel HT-CALPHAD/DFT approach, which can quickly design new high-performance structural alloys for the application of FE power plants. The PI will mainly take charge of high-throughput DFT simulations and computational thermodynamics of the selected multicomponent alloy systems for the FE power plant applications. At the end of the project, a novel hybrid model based on high throughput CALPHAD/DFT simulations and computational thermodynamics will be developed to provide guidance on how to identify multi-component new high-performance structural alloys with much less computational effort needed. It will address the extensive computation time needed for DFT on the new alloys design. In addition, it will also address the well-known headache of DFT, i.e. how to make the accurate prediction of the high-temperature equilibria. The novel hybrid model the PI proposed will not only be applied to the design of high-performance structural alloys in FE power plants but in many different applications, such as nuclear reactors. This hybrid modeling approach includes four sections: 1) HT-CALPHAD modeling of Al-Co-Cr-Ni-Fe system with FCC and BCC phase. In this section, 3561 non-equiatomic compositions were randomly generated in order to investigate the phase stability of single FCC and BCC phases. Meanwhile, we proposed a data screening procedure to screen out the good candidates within these compositions, considering the temperature range, average density, and melting temperature, etc. 2) Investigation of FCC-Cr lattice stability in Fe-Cr system. We systematically assessed the reliability of FCC-Cr lattice stability derived by DFT and CALPHAD approaches. Meanwhile, the Fe-Cr binary system was chosen as a case study to verify the Cr lattice stability obtained by both approaches. 3) High-throughput DFT modeling on elastic properties of Al-Co-Cr-Ni-Fe systems. We predicted and established the FCC quinary elastic constant database of the Al-Co-Cr-Fe-Ni systems at 0K by using special quasi-random structure (SQS) approach. The predictions will start with pure elements of Al-Co-Cr-Fe-Ni system and will be continued with binaries, ternaries, quaternaries, and finally the quinary compositions. 3) Modeling of temperature-dependent elastic properties in Al-Co-Cr-Ni-Fe systems. In this part, we predict the thermal expansion coefficient and elastic stiffness coefficient as a function of temperature by applying quasiharmonic approximation. With this approach, the elastic properties of HEAs at elevate temperature can be estimated.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗

Magnetic Shield Design for the Double-D Coil-Based Wireless Charging System

In this work, magnetic field emission (MFE) of the high-power double-D (DD) coil-based wireless charging system is investigated and a shielding technique is proposed. The MFE pattern produced by the DD coils is significantly different from the MFE of the unipolar (e.g., circular, square, or rectangular) coils, and the traditional aluminum shield does not suppress the MFE from the DD coils. This study shows that a conventional aluminum shield increases the MFE, and a magnetic shield effectively suppresses the MFE of the DD coils. Therefore, a magnetic shield consisting of high-permeability magnetic material, such as ferrites, nanocrystalline, etc., is proposed for the DD pads. The shielding effectiveness of the proposed shield is evaluated through finite element analysis and verified through experiments. An 11 kW DD coil-based wireless charging system was used to test the proposed shielding technique. The experimental results show that a traditional aluminum shield increased the MFE by 29.8%, and the proposed magnetic shield suppressed the MFE by 50.5%.

42 ENGINEERING↗

High-Power Polyphase PCB-Type Inductive Coupler for Wireless Electric Vehicle Charging

The cost and manufacturing difficulty of traditionally wound coils for wireless charging of electric vehicles has led to the exploration of alternative manufacturing for scalable deployment at a range of rated powers. A rotating-field polyphase wireless coupler is developed with balanced fully pitched coils which are not possible with conventional Litz wire. The usage of printed circuit board (PCB) technology is proposed for the innovative construction at large dimensions due to reduced cost, increased ease of manufacturability, and potential geometric customization compared to would coils. Design considerations specific to PCBs are detailed for wireless power transfer coils including advantages such as the potential for many turns and transposition with planar interconnections. A design procedure is developed which may be used to investigate the frequency to power to dimension correlation and limits associated with PCB coils. Designs are simulated in 3D electromagnetic finite element analysis (FEA) for the polyphase coil to evaluate the coupling between coils with varying geometric parameters at 100mm and 500mm outer diameters. A discussion is included on methods to increase PCB power ratings through a mixture of layer stacking, connections, and material selection.

Lewis, Donovin D.↗

The Local Tissue Environment During the September 29, 1989 Solar Particle Event

The solar particle event (SPE) of September 29, 1989, produced an iron-rich spectrum with energies approaching 1 GeV/amu with an energy power index of 2.5. These high charge and energy (HZE) ions of the iron-rich SPEs challenge conventional methods of SPE shield design and assessment of astronaut risks. Shield and risk assessments are evaluated using the HZETRN code with computerized anatomical man (CAM) model for astronaut s body tissues. Since the HZE spectra decline rapidly with energy and HZE attenuation in materials is limited by their penetration power, details of the mass distributions about the sensitive tissues (shielding materials and the astronaut's body) are important determining factors of the exposure levels. Typical space suit and lightly shielded structures allow significant contributions from HZE components to some critical body tissues and have important implications on the models for risk assessment. Only a heavily shielded equipment room of a space vehicle or habitat provides sufficient shielding for the early response at sensitive organs from this event. The February 23, 1956 event of similar spectral characteristics and ten times this event may have important medical consequences without a well-shielded region.

Kim, M.-H. Y.↗

Job Scheduler-Driven Power Gateway for High Performance Computing

Power gateways in the form of a microgrid can incorporate multiple distributed energy resources (DER) in either grid forming or grid following mode and support high performance computing (HPC) power profiles including the large load-follow requirements observed in multi-user HPC systems. The microgrid’s flexibility to operate in either grid forming or grid following mode and to actively switch between these modes enables baseline power from multiple non-baseline DER while maintaining high power quality metrics for the HPC system. But this enormous flexibility in demand response and time of use shifting is generally programmed independently of any integration with an HPC job scheduler which can better inform the load shaping by the microgrid. While there are many existing approaches where the HPC job scheduler takes in information from the grid to make queue scheduling decisions, this work takes the opposite view and explores a scheduler where the jobs in the queue can directly impact the settings of the grid. Several HPC scheduler strategies are tested where the jobs in the queue directly impact the settings of a microgrid designed for HPC operation which is driving a datacenter with three classes of HPC architectures. The scheduler operation is shown using a microgrid with 64 kW of solar capacity and 320 kWh of battery over a period of 21 days operating with significant low-follow swings, a throttled grid, cloudy conditions, switching between grid following and grid forming modes, and a wide range of battery states-of-charge all while maintaining high quality power metrics. The scheduler provides a mechanism for the job queue to directly impact a power gateway like a microgrid and to improve HPC power outcomes such as maximizing renewable energy usage

microgrid↗

Cost‐Effective Layered Oxide – Olivine Blend Cathodes for High‐Rate Pulse Power Lithium‐Ion Batteries

Abstract Sustainability and supply‐chain concerns require lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) free from critical minerals, such as nickel and cobalt. While recent advances provide encouraging signs that cobalt can be removed, the question remains how much Ni can be removed from Co‐free layered oxide cathodes before sacrificing critical performance metrics. This study highlights the effect of reducing Ni by benchmarking several Co‐free cathodes with decreasing Ni content. Keeping the energy density the same by increasing the charge voltage, cathodes below 80% Ni content exhibit worsened capacity fade due to increasing oxygen release and electrolyte decomposition. Charge transfer and diffusion kinetics are also hindered with increasing Mn content and exacerbated by resistive surface phases formed at high voltages, rendering lower‐Ni, Co‐free cathodes less competitive than high‐Ni cathodes for high energy and power applications. It is demonstrated blending layered oxide with olivine as an effective alternative to deliver energy density and cycling stability comparable to lower‐Ni cathodes with moderate charging voltages. Blending with 30 wt% olivine LiMn 0.5 Fe 0.5 PO 4 (LMFP) virtually eliminates the diffusion limitation of layered oxides at low state‐of‐charge, with enhanced pulse power characteristics rivaling the high‐Ni counterparts. Cathode blending can further reduce the overall Ni content and cost without the performance limitations of lower‐Ni, Co‐free cathodes.

Lee, Steven↗

High-Voltage, Asymmetric-Waveform Generator

The shapes of waveforms generated by commercially available analytical separation devices, such as some types of mass spectrometers and differential mobility spectrometers are, in general, inadequate and result in resolution degradation in output spectra. A waveform generator was designed that would be able to circumvent these shortcomings. It is capable of generating an asymmetric waveform, having a peak amplitude as large as 2 kV and frequency of several megahertz, which can be applied to a capacitive load. In the original intended application, the capacitive load would consist of the drift plates in a differential-mobility spectrometer. The main advantage to be gained by developing the proposed generator is that the shape of the waveform is made nearly optimum for various analytical devices requiring asymmetric-waveform such as differential-mobility spectrometers. In addition, this waveform generator could easily be adjusted to modify the waveform in accordance with changed operational requirements for differential-mobility spectrometers. The capacitive nature of the load is an important consideration in the design of the proposed waveform generator. For example, the design provision for shaping the output waveform is based partly on the principle that (1) the potential (V) on a capacitor is given by V=q/C, where C is the capacitance and q is the charge stored in the capacitor; and, hence (2) the rate of increase or decrease of the potential is similarly proportional to the charging or discharging current. The proposed waveform generator would comprise four functional blocks: a sine-wave generator, a buffer, a voltage shifter, and a high-voltage switch (see Figure 1). The sine-wave generator would include a pair of operational amplifiers in a feedback configuration, the parameters of which would be chosen to obtain a sinusoidal timing signal of the desired frequency. The buffer would introduce a slight delay (approximately equal to 20 ns) but would otherwise leave the fundamental timing signal unchanged. The buffered timing signal would be fed as input to the level shifter. The output of the level shifter would serve as a timing and control signal for the high-voltage switch, causing the switch to alternately be (1) opened, allowing the capacitive load to be charged from a high-voltage DC power supply; then (2) closed to discharge the capacitive load to ground. Hence, the output waveform would closely approximate a series of exponential charging and discharging curves (see Figure 2).

Beegle, Luther W.↗

Accelerator commissioning and rare isotope identification at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams

In 2008, Michigan State University was selected to establish the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB). Construction of the FRIB accelerator was completed in January 2022. Phased accelerator commissioning with heavy ion beams started in 2017 with the normal-conducting ion source and radio-frequency quadrupole. In April 2021, the full FRIB driver linear accelerator (linac) was commissioned, with heavy ion beams accelerated to energies above 200 MeV/nucleon by 324 superconducting radiofrequency (SRF) resonators operating at 2 K and 4 K with liquid-helium cooling. Further, in preparation for high-power operation, a liquid lithium charge stripper was commissioned with heavy ion beams up to uranium-238, followed by the simultaneous acceleration of multiple-charge-state heavy ion beams to energies above 200 MeV/nucleon. In December 2021, selenium-84 was produced with the FRIB target using a krypton-86 primary beam, demonstrating FRIB’s capability for scientific discovery.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗

A 65 Ah rechargeable lithium molybdenum disulfide battery

A rechargeable lithium molybdenum disulfide battery which has a number of superior performance characteristics which includes a high energy density, a high power density, and a long charge retention time was developed. The first cell sizes developed included a C size cell and an AA size cell. Over the last two years, a project to demonstrate the feasibility of the scale up to this technology to a BC size cell with 65 Ah capacity was undertaken. The objective was to develop, build, and test a .6 kWh storage battery consisting of 6 BC cells in series.

Brandt, K.↗

A high reliability battery management system

Over a period of some 5 years Canadian Astronautics Limited (CAL) has developed a system to autonomously manage, and thus prolong the life of, secondary storage batteries. During the development, the system was aimed at the space vehicle application using nickel cadmium batteries, but is expected to be able to enhance the life and performance of any rechargeable electrochemical couple. The system handles the cells of a battery individually and thus avoids the problems of over, and under, drive that inevitably occur in a battery of cells managed by an averaging system. This individual handling also allow cells to be totally bypassed in the event of failure, thus avoiding the losses associated with low capacity, partial short circuit, and the catastrophe of open circuit. The system has an optional capability of managing redundant batteries simultaneously, adding the advantage of on line reconditioning of one battery, while the other maintains the energy storage capability of the overall system. As developed, the system contains a dedicated, redundant, microprocessor, but the capability exists to have this computing capability time shared, or remote, and operating through a data link. As adjuncts to the basic management system CAL has developed high efficiency, polyphase, power regulators for charge and discharge power conditioning.

Moody, M. H.↗

A new, simple electrostatic-acoustic hybrid levitator

Battelle has developed a hybrid levitator by combining the known single-axis acoustic standing wave levitator with a coaxial DC electric field. The resulting Coulomb forces on the charged liquid or solid sample support its weight and, together with the acoustic force, center the sample. Liquid samples with volumes approximately less than 100 micro-liters are deployed from a syringe reservoir into the acoustic pressure node. The sample is charged using a miniature high voltage power supply (approximately less than 20 kV) connected to the syringe needle. As the electric field, generated by a second miniature power supply, is increased, the acoustic intensity is reduced. The combination of both fields allows stable levitation of samples larger than either single technique could position on the ground. Decreasing the acoustic intensity reduces acoustic convection and sample deformation. Neither the electrostatic nor the acoustic field requires sample position sensing or active control. The levitator, now used for static and dynamic fluid physics investigations on the ground, can be easily modified for space operations.

Lierke, E. G.↗