Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “GREASES”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 145 records · Page 8
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

Techno-economic analysis of converting oil & gas produced water into valuable resources

Managing produced water from oil and gas wells constitutes a significant portion of the costs of operating a well. Here, in this work, we have designed two different centralized water treatment facilities capable of managing produced water from oil and gas wells in Texas and Louisiana, both of which convert the produced water into the following valuable resources: ten-pound brine and fresh water. The two main designs each use commercially available technology with varying levels of establishment in treating produced water. Both treatment processes remove oil and grease and suspended solids, reduce the divalent ion concentrations, and concentrate the brines to a near-saturation state. The baseline design uses chemical precipitation to remove the divalent ions to meet the reuse specifications, whereas the advanced design uses nanofiltration (NF) membranes to separate divalent ions and uses reverse osmosis (RO) membranes to partially concentrate the brine. Both models use mechanical vapor recompression to concentrate the brine up to NaCl saturation. The baseline process is shown to be cost-effective for low-hardness brines. In the case of high hardness, the chemical precipitation step is cost-prohibitive. We find that NF membranes are a promising alternative to chemical precipitation as a means of separating monovalent and divalent ions.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Evaluation of Performance Variables to Accelerate the Deployment of Sustainable Aviation Fuels at a Regional Scale

An increase in jet fuel consumption and its associated emissions across the world have led to the need for alternative technologies to produce sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). One option to produce SAFs is to utilize waste or biomass-based feedstocks that has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% or more compared to conventional jet fuel. However, there is a lack of understanding of how the synergistic effects of key performance variables could hinder or help the deployment of aviation fuels on a regional scale. Here, we assess the implications of key variables-including type and quantity of waste/biomass feedstock availability near the airport, cost of SAF production, life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, policies, and fuel/infrastructure logistics-on the deployment of SAF at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. We consider three ASTM International-approved SAF technologies (Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids, Fischer-Tropsch, and Alcohol to Jet) that can be blended up to 50% with petroleum-based jet fuel. Results from our analysis show that woody biomass-based Fischer-Tropsch technology has the lowest fuel production costs ($2.31-$2.81/gallon gasoline equivalent) of all pathways, and it reduces life cycle GHG emissions by 86% compared to conventional jet fuel despite the higher availability of crop residues compared to either woody biomass or fats, oils, and greases. Also, infrastructure is available at O'Hare International Airport to blend SAF with Jet A fuel through three terminals directly connected to the airport via pipelines. Our sensitivity analysis shows renewable fuel incentives and feedstock price to be key performance variables affecting the production cost and deployment of SAF.

alcohol-to-jet↗
DOE OSTI2021

Life Cycle Analysis of Renewable Natural Gas and Lactic Acid Production from Waste Feedstocks

Producing fuels and chemicals from waste is considered economically favorable, due to low feedstock cost, and environmentally favorable, due to avoided emissions from conventional waste management practices. In this study, we evaluate the life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction benefits of renewable natural gas (RNG) and lactic acid (LA) production from four types of wet waste feedstocks (wastewater sludge, food waste, swine manure, and fats, oil, and grease [FOG]) via anaerobic digestion (AD) and LA fermentation, respectively. RNG can be used as an alternative to fossil natural gas, while LA from waste feedstocks can displace conventional LA production pathways (mainly from corn via fermentation). Providing comprehensive life cycle GHG emissions of the combinations of waste feedstocks and products through different routes helps identify the GHG hotspots and show where emissions savings come from. The results show that the carbon intensities (CIs) of waste-derived RNG and LA are much lower than those of their counterparts. We estimated the life cycle GHG emissions for RNG to be between -146 and 27 g carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e)/MJ, much lower than the CI of fossil fuels. Waste-derived LA pathways also show substantially lower CIs, ranging from -4.2 to -1.4 kgCO2e/kg LA, compared to the CIs of LA from corn and corn stover (1.2 and 0.3 kgCO2e/kg LA, respectively). We will also discuss that the low CIs of waste-derived products can come from low yields leading to high emission credits. Thus, life cycle analysis results presented per weight of treated waste can be used to support decisions about which waste feedstocks and products are to be used for sustainable waste valorization. In addition, we found that monetary emission reduction credits can play an important role in driving waste valorization.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2018

Ultracompliant Heterogeneous Copper–Tin Nanowire Arrays Making a Supersolder

Due to the substantial increase in power density, thermal interface resistance that can constitute more than 50% of the total thermal resistance has generally become a bottleneck for thermal management in electronics. However, conventional thermal interface materials (TIMs) such as solder, epoxy, gel, and grease cannot fulfill the requirements of electronics for high-power and long-term operation. Here, we demonstrate a high-performance TIM consisting of a heterogeneous copper-tin nanowire array, which we term 'supersolder' to emulate the role of conventional solders in bonding various surfaces. The supersolder is ultracompliant with a shear modulus 2-3 orders of magnitude lower than traditional solders and can reduce the thermal resistance by two times as compared with the state-of-the-art TIMs. This supersolder also exhibits excellent long-term reliability with >1200 thermal cycles over a wide temperature range. By resolving this critical thermal bottleneck, the supersolder enables electronic systems, ranging from microelectronics and portable electronics to massive data centers, to operate at lower temperatures with higher power density and reliability.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Fabrication and Performance Evaluation of Double-Sided Copper Nanowire Arrays as Thermal and Electrical Interfacial Layers

Reducing contact interface thermal and electrical resistances is in great demand across various industries, particularly in the semiconductor industry. This study introduces an approach using double-sided copper nanowire (Cu NW) arrays on copper sheets as both thermal and electrical interfacial layers, designed to effectively accommodate the topographical inconsistencies between contact surfaces. Further, experimental outcomes reveal a significant reduction in thermal contact resistance (TCR), with a value of 2.5 mm 2 K W –1 , thereby exceeding the efficiency of reported nanostructural thermal interface materials (TIMs). Additionally, when utilized as an electrical interfacial layer, these double-sided Cu NWs arrays dramatically reduced electrical contact resistance (ECR), outperforming traditional conductive grease in applications necessitating separable bonding, though showing comparable performance to costly silver-based conductive epoxies required for permanent, inseparable bonds. The promising results of the double-sided Cu NWs arrays in reducing both TCR and ECR, confirmed by finite element simulation, highlight their substantial potential in advancing TIMs and electrical interconnection applications across various sectors.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2017

DNA-SIP based genome-centric metagenomics identifies key long-chain fatty acid-degrading populations in anaerobic digesters with different feeding frequencies

Fats, oils and greases (FOG) are energy-dense wastes that can be added to anaerobic digesters to substantially increase biomethane recovery via their conversion through long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs). However, a better understanding of the ecophysiology of syntrophic LCFA-degrading microbial communities in anaerobic digesters is needed to develop operating strategies that mitigate inhibitory LCFA accumulation from FOG. In this research, DNA stable isotope probing (SIP) was coupled with metagenomic sequencing for a genome-centric comparison of oleate (C18:1)-degrading populations in two anaerobic codigesters operated with either a pulse feeding or continuous-feeding strategy. The pulse-fed codigester microcosms converted oleate into methane at over 20% higher rates than the continuous-fed codigester microcosms. Differential coverage binning was demonstrated for the first time to recover population genome bins (GBs) from DNA-SIP metagenomes. About 70% of the 13C-enriched GBs were taxonomically assigned to the Syntrophomonas genus, thus substantiating the importance of Syntrophomonas species to LCFA degradation in anaerobic digesters. Phylogenetic comparisons of 13C-enriched GBs showed that phylogenetically distinct Syntrophomonas GBs were unique to each codigester. Overall, these results suggest that syntrophic populations in anaerobic digesters can have different adaptive capacities, and that selection for divergent populations may be achieved by adjusting reactor operating conditions to maximize biomethane recovery.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Tunable analog thermal material

Naturally-occurring thermal materials usually possess specific thermal conductivity ($\textit{κ}$), forming a digital set of $\textit{κ}$ values. Emerging thermal metamaterials have been deployed to realize effective thermal conductivities unattainable in natural materials. However, the effective thermal conductivities of such mixing-based thermal metamaterials are still in digital fashion, i.e., the effective conductivity remains discrete and static. Here, we report an analog thermal material whose effective conductivity can be in-situ tuned from near-zero to near-infinity $\textit{κ}$. The proof-of-concept scheme consists of a spinning core made of uncured polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and fixed bilayer rings made of silicone grease and steel. Thanks to the spinning PDMS and its induced convective effects, we can mold the heat flow robustly with continuously changing and anisotropic $\textit{κ}$. Our work enables a single functional thermal material to meet the challenging demands of flexible thermal manipulation. It also provides platforms to investigate heat transfer in systems with moving components.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Towards non-contact pollution monitoring in sewers with hyperspectral imaging

Monitoring water quality in sewers is challenging, particularly because state-of-the-art technologies require contact with the raw wastewater. The presence of fat, oil, grease, and solids makes automated grab sampling difficult and causes sensor fouling. To overcome these limitations, non-contact methods based on light reflectance, such as hyperspectral imaging (HSI), are gaining attention. However, HSI has never been tested for raw wastewater. To assess its accuracy for measuring pollution, we developed a laboratory setup and performed targeted experiments with a combination of raw and diluted wastewater, as well as synthetic turbidity stock solutions. We measured seven pollution variables: chemical oxygen demand, turbidity, dissolved organic compounds, ammonium, total nitrogen, phosphate, and sulphates. We used automated pixel selection and partial least squares regression to retrieve pollution information from the hyperspectral images. Our results, based on 144 samples, suggest that HSI can estimate pollution levels with a precision in the range of state-of-the-art absorbance spectrophotometric methods. Additionally, we found that the combination of pixel and wavelength selection, enabled by the hyperspectral data structure, significantly influences the performance of partial least square modelling. Overall, our findings indicate that HSI is a promising technology for non-contact monitoring of water quality in raw wastewater.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2011

Phoswich scintillator for proton and gamma radiation of high energy

We present here a Phoswich scintillator design to achieve both high resolution gamma ray detection, and good efficiency for high energy protons. There are recent developments of new high resolution scintillator materials. Especially the LaBr3(Ce) and LaCl3(Ce) crystals have very good energy resolution in the order of 3% for 662 keV gamma radiation. In addition, these materials exhibit a very good light output (63 and 32 photons/keV respectively).A demonstrator detector in the form of an Al cylinder of 24 mm diameter and a total length of 80 mm with 2 mm wall thickness, containing a LaBr3(Ce) crystal of 20 mm diameter and 30 mm length directly coupled to a LaCl3(Ce) crystal of 50 mm length, and closed with a glass window of 5 mm, was delivered by Saint Gobain. To the glass window a Hamamatsu R5380 Photomultiplier tube (PMT) was coupled using silicon optical grease.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2011

Direct Deposition of Microcolumnar Scintillator on CMOS SSPM Array: Toward a Photon Counting Detector for X-Ray/Gamma Ray Imaging

We are developing a modular, low-cost, photon-counting detector based on a scintillator coupled to a solid-state photodetector. A working prototype was successfully developed by depositing CsI:Tl directly onto a CMOS SSPM array designed by RMD and custom-fabricated by a commercial foundry. The device comprised a 6x6 array of 1.5x1.5 mm{sup 2} macro-pixels, each containing a 36x36 array of resistively coupled micro-pixels, that was subjected to vapor deposition of columnar CsI:Tl. Direct deposition eliminates the gap between the scintillator and SSPM and creates a better optical bond than does index-matching grease. This paper compares the performance of SSPMs with directly deposited CsI:Tl, in terms of signal-to-noise ratio and light spread, against devices using monolithic single crystals or pixelated single crystals coupled to the SSPM. Due to the reduction in light scattering and optical losses in the interface, the directly deposited CsI:Tl demonstrated significantly better position sensitivity, with at least a factor of 2 increase in SNR compared to a single crystal. These data indicate that a photodetector with substantially smaller macro-pixel dimensions than used here could be used to implement a low-energy X-ray/gamma-ray imaging and spectroscopy detector, particularly for applications where high resolution is of prime importance.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2014

Actuating dielectric elastomers in pure shear deformation by elastomeric conductors

Pure shear experiments are commonly used to characterize dielectric elastomer (DE) material properties and to evaluate DE actuator/generator performance. It is increasingly important for many applications to replace conventional carbon grease electrodes with stretchable elastomeric conductors. We formulate a theory for DE with elastomeric conductors, synthesize transparent hydrogel as ionic conductors, and measure actuation of DE in pure shear deformation. Maximum 67% actuation strain is demonstrated. The theory agrees well with our measurement and also correlates well with reported experiments on DE with electronic conductors.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

High throughput, spatially resolved thermal properties measurement using attachable and reusable 3ω sensors

The 3ω method is a well-established thermal technique used to measure the thermal conductivity of materials and the thermal resistance of interfaces. It has significant advantages over other steady state and transient thermal techniques in its ability to provide spatially resolved thermal property measurements over a wide range of thermal conductivity. Despite its advantages, it has been restricted to lab-scale use because of the difficulty involved in sample preparation and sensor fabrication and is limited to non-metallic substrates. High-throughput 3ω measurements with reusable sensors have not been realized yet. In this work, we demonstrate a method of applying reusable 3ω sensors fabricated on flexible polyimide films to measure bulk and spatially resolved thermal properties. Here, we establish the limits of thermal conductivity measurement with the method to be 1 to 200 W/mK, and within the measurement limit, we verify the method by comparing the measured thermal conductivities of standard samples with established values. From the 3ω measurements, we also determine the thermal resistance of an interlayer of thermal grease as a function of pressure and compare it against the resistance calculated from direct thickness measurements to demonstrate the ability of this method to provide spatially resolved subsurface information. The technique presented is general and applicable to both metallic and non-metallic substrates, providing a method for high-throughput 3ω measurements with reusable sensors and without considerable sample preparation.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2026

Development of thermal joints for conduction-cooling applications

Abstract In support of the development of conduction-cooled superconducting radiofrequency (SRF) niobium cavities for use in continuous-wave linear accelerators, an experimental study of thermal contact resistance was performed on bolted joints using high-purity niobium, aluminium, and copper along with Apiezon N grease and indium foil as interfacial materials. The geometry of each joint investigated aims at replicating the design adopted in conduction-cooled SRF cavities currently under development at Jefferson Lab. The materials’ thermal conductivity and the joints’ thermal resistance were measured in the temperature range of 3.5 - 10 K. The results showed that the low thermal contact resistance of 2-4 K·cm 2 /W at 4.3 K achieved with Al-In-Nb and Al-Apiezon N-Cu joints should allow the operation of conduction-cooled SRF cavities at a targeted accelerating gradient of ∼10 MV/m.

Lewis, J. [Old Dominion University]↗
DOE OSTI2015

Reliability of emerging bonded interface materials for large-area attachments

In this study, conventional thermal interface materials (TIMs), such as greases, gels, and phase change materials, pose bottlenecks to heat removal and have long caused reliability issues in automotive power electronics packages. Bonded interface materials (BIMs) with superior thermal performance have the potential to be a replacement to the conventional TIMs. However, due to coefficient of thermal expansion mismatches between different components in a package and resultant thermomechanical stresses, fractures or delamination could occur, causing serious reliability concerns. These defects manifest themselves in increased thermal resistance in the package. In this paper, the results of reliability evaluation of emerging BIMs for large-area attachments in power electronics packaging are reported. Thermoplastic (polyamide) adhesive with embedded near-vertical-aligned carbon fibers, sintered silver, and conventional lead solder (Sn 63 Pb 37 ) materials were bonded between 50.8 mm x 50.8 mm cross-sectional footprint silicon nitride substrates and copper base plate samples, and were subjected to accelerated thermal cycling until failure or 2500 cycles. Damage in the BIMs was monitored every 100 cycles by scanning acoustic microscopy. Thermoplastic with embedded carbon fibers performed the best with no defects, whereas sintered silver and lead solder failed at 2300 and 1400 thermal cycles, respectively. Besides thermal cycling, additional lead solder samples were subjected to thermal shock and thermal cycling with extended dwell periods. A finite element method (FEM)-based model was developed to simulate the behavior of lead solder under thermomechanical loading. Strain energy density per cycle results were calculated from the FEM simulations. A predictive lifetime model was formulated for lead solder by correlating strain energy density results extracted from modeling with cycles-to-failure obtained from experimental accelerated tests. A power-law-based approach was used to formulate the - redictive lifetime model.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗
DOE OSTI2013

Metallic surfaces decontamination by using laser light

Metal surface cleaning appears to be one of the major priorities for industries especially for nuclear industries. The research and the development of a new technology that is able to meet the actual requirements (i.e. waste volume minimization, liquid effluents and chemicals free process...) seems to be the main commitment. Currently, a wide panel of technologies already exists (e.g. blasting, disk sander, electro-decontamination...) but for some of them, the efficiency is limited (e.g, Dry Ice blasting) and for others, the wastes production (liquid and/or solid) remains an important issue. One answer could be the use of a LASER light process. Since a couple of years, the Clean- Up Business Unit of the AREVA group investigates this decontamination technology. Many tests have been already performed in inactive (i.e. on simulants such as paints, inks, resins, metallic oxides) or active conditions (i.e. pieces covered with a thick metallic oxide layer and metallic pieces covered with grease). The paper will describe the results obtained in term of decontamination efficiency during all our validation process. Metallographic characterizations (i.e. SEM, X-ray scattering) and radiological analysis will be provided. We will also focus our paper on the future deployment of the LASER technology and its commercial use at La Hague reprocessing facility in 2013. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2022

Thermal Optimization of a Silicon Carbide, Half-Bridge Power Module

This project describes the modeling process to design the packaging and heat exchanger for a half-bridge wide-bandgap (WBG) power semiconductor module. The module uses two silicon carbide, metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) devices per switch position that are soldered to an aluminum nitride, direct-bond copper (DBC) substrate. A baseplate cooling configuration (e.g., no thermal grease) is used along with a water-ethylene glycol, jet-impingement-style heat exchanger. The heat exchanger was designed to be fabricated using prototyping equipment from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, complies with automotive standards (for minimal channel sizes, flow rates, and coolant), and considers reliability aspects (i.e., erosion/corrosion). Device-scale computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is used first to design the slot jet impingement cooling configuration and compute the effective heat transfer coefficient (HTC) of the concept. The computed HTCs are then used as boundary conditions for a finite element study to optimize the package geometry (e.g., device layout and baseplate thickness) to minimize thermal resistance and minimize temperature variation between the module's four devices. Finally, a fluid manifold is designed to generate the slot jets and cool the devices. Module-scale CFD predicts a relatively low junction-to-fluid thermal resistance of 16.7 mm2 K/W, a 1.4 degrees C temperature variation between devices, and a total pressure drop of 5,860 Pa (0.85 psi) for the design. The thermal resistance of the module design is about 67% lower than the 2015 BMW i3 power electronics/modules thermal resistance.

DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗
DOE OSTI2019

Experimental Setup for Neutron Lifetime Measurements with a Large Gravitational Trap at Low Temperatures

Currently the most accurate measurements of neutron lifetime are being performed at the Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute with ultracold neutrons (UCNs) stored in a gravitational trap. A modified setup with a large gravitational trap and cooling to 10–15 K is presented. The results of measurements of temperature dependence of UCN losses in collisions with walls, which were coated with a perfluorinated grease (Fomblin UT 18), at 300–77 K, are detailed. The probable heat inflow to the trap is estimated, and the feasibility of cooling to indicated temperatures in experiments with the modified setup is demonstrated.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2024

BioSiting Tool (BioSiting) v2

The BioSiting Tool provides a geospatial interface for analyzing bioeconomy resources and infrastructure across the continental U.S. The tool integrates empirical and modeled data from a broad range of sources. Bioeconomy resources mapped in the tool include agricultural residues, forest residues, municipal solid waste streams, food waste, manure, fats, oils and greases and potential yields of energy crops. Infrastructure mapped in the tool includes biorefineries, material recovery facilities, anaerobic digesters, wastewater treatment plants, combustion plants, district energy systems, crude oil pipelines, petroleum pipelines, natural gas pipelines, railways and freight terminals. Additional data layers include environmental justice indicators at the census tract level and carbon dioxide geologic storage potential. Users can select a location on the map, define a buffer radius in kilometers and generate an inventory of all bioecomony resources within the buffer zone. Data from the tool can be downloaded from individual buffer zones, or at the state or national level.

Huntington, Tyler↗