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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 1,477 records · Page 82
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1984

Remote sensing of floe size distribution and surface topography

Floe size can be measured by several properties p- for instance, area or mean caliper diameter. Two definitions of floe size distribution seem particularly useful. F(p), the fraction of area covered by floes no smaller than p; and N(p), the number of floes per unit area no smaller than p. Several summertime distributions measured are a graph, their slopes range from -1.7 to -2.5. The variance of an estimate is also calculated.

Rothrock, D. A.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Oceanographic Conditions. 2007 - 2040. North Slope Alaska.

Complete representations of oceanographic conditions require spatial and temporal information about the significant wave height (Hs), peak wave period (Tp), wind speed, wind direction, wave direction, water level, salinity, and temperature. This data develops location-independent typologies to reduce the number of boundary conditions needed to assess nearshore oceanographic environments in both a Historical (2007-2019) and Future (2020-2040) timespan along the Alaskan North Slope. Wave information for both time spans were generated from WaveWatch III, Delft3D-FLOW, and Delft3D-WAVE simulations forced by wind conditions from reanalysis data (e.g., ASRv2 and ERA5) for the historical simulations while projected conditions were obtained from downscaled GFDL-CM3 forced under RCP8.5 conditions. Salinity was generated from GOFS 3.1 for the years between 2008-2015 and skin temperature of the ocean was obtained from ASRv2 reanalysis data for the years between 2007-2016. To identify generalized oceanographic typologies, K-means clustering was applied to the energy-weighted joint-probability distribution of Hs and Tp at six sites along the North Slope of Alaska. Distributions of wave and wind direction, wind speed, and water level associated with locaiton-indepndent centroids were assigned single values to describe a reduced order, typological rendition of offshore oceanographic conditions. These final typologies and their constituent data are provided here and can be used to evaluate the change in ocean energy over the next two decades in response to climate change and provide insight into expected consequences such as coastal erosion and flooding. A full assessment of the findings and techniques developed can be found in: Eymold, W.K., Flanary, C., Erikson, L., Nederhoff, K., Chartrand, C.C., Jones, C., Kasper, J., and Bull, D.L. Typological Representation of the Offshore Oceanographic Environment along the Alaskan North Slope. Continental Shelf Research (2022). 10.1016/j.csr.2022.104795

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Effects of redox-active interlayer anions on the oxygen evolution reactivity of NiFe-layered double hydroxide nanosheets

Nickel-iron layered double hydroxide (NiFe-LDH) nanosheets have shown optimal oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance; however, the role of the intercalated ions in the OER activity remains unclear. In this work, we show that the activity of the NiFe-LDHs can be tailored by the intercalated anions with different redox potentials. The intercalation of anions with low redox potential (high reducing ability), such as hypophosphites, leads to NiFe-LDHs with low OER overpotential of 240 mV and a small Tafel slope of 36.9 mV/dec, whereas NiFe-LDHs intercalated with anions of high redox potential (low reducing ability), such as fluorion, show a high overpotential of 370 mV and a Tafel slope of 80.8 mV/dec. The OER activity shows a surprising linear correlation with the standard redox potential. Density functional theory calculations and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis indicate that the intercalated anions alter the electronic structure of metal atoms which exposed at the surface. Anions with low standard redox potential and strong reducing ability transfer more electrons to the hydroxide layers. Finally, this increases the electron density of the surface metal sites and stabilizes their high-valence states, whose formation is known as the critical step prior to the OER process.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Two-dimensional electronic-vibrational spectroscopic study of conical intersection dynamics: an experimental and electronic structure study

The relaxation from the lowest singlet excited state of the triphenylmethane dyes, crystal violet and malachite green, is studied via two-dimensional electronic-vibrational (2DEV) spectroscopy. After excitation of the dyes at their respective absorption maxima, the ensuing excited state dynamics are tracked by monitoring the C[double bond, length as m-dash]C aromatic stretch. With the aid of electronic structure calculations, the observed transitions in the 2DEV spectra are assigned to specific geometries and a detailed story of the evolution of the nuclear wavepacket as it diffuses on the excited state potential energy surface (PES) and ultimately passes through the conical intersection is developed. Notably, it is revealed that the relaxation of the lowest singlet excited state involves intramolecular charge transfer while the nuclear wavepacket is on the excited state PES. Finally, through analyzing the center line slopes of the measured peaks, we show how both solvent motions and changes in the molecular dipole moment affect the correlation between electronic and vibrational degrees of freedom. This work clearly demonstrates the usefulness of 2DEV spectroscopy in following the motion of nuclear wavepackets after photoexcitation and in studying the interactions between the molecular dipole moment and surrounding solvent environment.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Three-Dimensional Site Effects at Mortandad Canyon, NM: I. Validation against ambient noise recordings of topography effects

Observations from large earthquakes have shown that the presence of a strong topographic relief can significantly aggravate the catastrophic consequences of strong seismic motions. Structures on the tops of hills, ridges, and canyons, for example, have suffered systematically greater damage than similar structures at the hill bases or on level ground. Various earthquake recordings have confirmed the macroseismic observations, indicating systematic amplification of seismic motion over convex topographies, deamplification over concave topographic features, and complex amplification and deamplification patterns on hill slopes that result in significant differential motion. Despite the documented evidence of their role in elevating seismic risk, however, topography effects are not accounted for in the majority of seismic code provisions and microzonation studies, which are based instead on models of flat earth surface.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1975

Topography of the polar layered deposits of Mars

Synthesis of polar topographic data derived from the Mariner 9 radio occultation, ultraviolet spectrometer, and television imaging experiments provides new information on the behavior of polar volatiles and the topographic configuration of the Martian polar layered deposits. Gentle slopes in the vicinity of the south pole may serve to shift the point of minimum annual solar insolation from the pole to a site within the perimeter of the offset residual frost cap. Localized defrosting which gives rise to the dark-banded appearance of both residual caps correlates with a series of outward-facing slopes descending from central topographic highs. Stability of the volatile involved apparently is largely insolation controlled. The south polar residual cap lies entirely higher (at lower pressure) than the northern cap, implying that the south residual cap is an unlikely site for any permanent surface deposit of solid carbon dioxide.

Dzurisin, D.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Empirical data on the origin of 'new' comets

The mass distribution of a group of 62 comets from the sample of Marsden et al (1978) was determined by assuming that the size of a comet is in proportion to the surface area of its vaporizing nucleus. A bimodal distribution was found, with a gap between magnitudes 8.1 and 9. The 50 brighter comets (magnitudes 1 to 8) have been tentatively identified as true 'new' comets; their size distribution cannot be fit to a constant slope on a log-log graph. These comets were apparently formed by a mechanism which differs from the fragmentation process. The 12 fainter may be fragments of comets which split or dimmed during their first passages. Results indicate that new comets could be identified with pristine planetesimals; they decay rapidly, probably by splitting when they enter the inner solar system.

Delsemme, A. H.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Transition boiling heat transfer and the film transition regime

The Berenson (1960) flat-plate transition-boiling experiment has been recreated with a reduced thermal resistance in the heater, and an improved access to those portions of the transition boiling regime that have a steep negative slope. Tests have been made in Freon-113, acetone, benzene, and n-pentane boiling on horizontal flat copper heaters that have been mirror-polished, 'roughened', or teflon-coated. The resulting data reproduce and clarify certain features observed by Berenson: the modest surface finish dependence of boiling burnout, and the influence of surface chemistry on both the minimum heat flux and the mode of transition boiling, for example. A rational scheme of correlation yields a prediction of the heat flux in what Witte and Lienhard (1982) previously identified as the 'film-transition boiling' region. It is also shown how to calculate the heat flux at the boundary between the pure-film, and the film-transition, boiling regimes, as a function of the advancing contact angle.

Ramilison, J. M.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Venus in 3D

Stereographic images of the surface of Venus which enable geologists to reconstruct the details of the planet's evolution are discussed. The 120-meter resolution of these 3D images make it possible to construct digital topographic maps from which precise measurements can be made of the heights, depths, slopes, and volumes of geologic structures.

Plaut, Jeffrey J.↗
DOE OSTI2014

Low-voltage organic field-effect transistors based on novel high-κ organometallic lanthanide complex for gate insulating materials

A novel high-κ organometallic lanthanide complex, Eu(tta){sub 3}L (tta=2-thenoyltrifluoroacetonate, L = 4,5-pinene bipyridine), is used as gate insulating material to fabricate low-voltage pentacene field-effect transistors (FETs). The optimized gate insulator exhibits the excellent properties such as low leakage current density, low surface roughness, and high dielectric constant. When operated under a low voltage of −5 V, the pentacene FET devices show the attractive electrical performance, e.g. carrier mobility (μ{sub FET}) of 0.17 cm{sup 2} V{sup −1} s{sup −1}, threshold voltage (V{sub th}) of −0.9 V, on/off current ratio of 5 × 10{sup 3}, and subthreshold slope (SS) of 1.0 V dec{sup −1}, which is much better than that of devices obtained on conventional 300 nm SiO{sub 2} substrate (0.13 cm{sup 2} V{sup −1} s{sup −1}, −7.3 V and 3.1 V dec{sup −1} for μ{sub FET}, V{sub th} and SS value when operated at −30 V). These results indicate that this kind of high-κ organometallic lanthanide complex becomes a promising candidate as gate insulator for low-voltage organic FETs.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Arctic Soil Patterns Analogous to Fluid Instabilities: Supporting Data

This dataset characterizes solifluction lobe morphology and spatial patterns using pre-existing LiDAR-derived digital elevation models of 25 sites across Norway with accompanying long term climate data for each site. Data were collected as part of an effort to better understand controls on the formation of solifluction patterns and to test the idea that they are analogous to fluid instabilities. We also provide soil velocity profiles and estimates of effective viscosity from across the world, drawn from literature. They were collected to improve our understanding of the rheology of soliflucting soil. See this article for more information on the theoretical motivation behind this dataset see "Arctic soil patterns analogous to fluid instabilities" (Glade et al., 2021). Data files arranged in a hierarchy and include image files *.tif and *.png, GIS shapefiles and geopackages (*.gpkg), *.csv (with same file as *.xlsx), and *.py (Python scripts readable with a text editor). Files also bundled into *.zip files. Note (2021-10-20): unit corrections made on two files: RR.csv and snowfall.csv. The Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiments: Arctic (NGEE Arctic), was a research effort to reduce uncertainty in Earth System Models by developing a predictive understanding of carbon-rich Arctic ecosystems and feedbacks to climate. NGEE Arctic was supported by the Department of Energy's Office of Biological and Environmental Research. The NGEE Arctic project had two field research sites: 1) located within the Arctic polygonal tundra coastal region on the Barrow Environmental Observatory (BEO) and the North Slope near Utqiagvik (Barrow), Alaska and 2) multiple areas on the discontinuous permafrost region of the Seward Peninsula north of Nome, Alaska. Through observations, experiments, and synthesis with existing datasets, NGEE Arctic provided an enhanced knowledge base for multi-scale modeling and contributed to improved process representation at global pan-Arctic scales within the Department of Energy's Earth system Model (the Energy Exascale Earth System Model, or E3SM), and specifically within the E3SM Land Model component (ELM).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Cobalt Metal–Cobalt Carbide Composite Microspheres for Water Reduction Electrocatalysis

Microspheres of cobalt metal–cobalt carbide (Co–Co x C, Co x C: Co 2 C and Co 3 C) composite with carbon shells were prepared via an OH – - and Cl – -assisted polyol method and explored for electrocatalytic activity and stability for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in acidic media. From our transmission electron microscopy observations, the outermost surfaces of the as-prepared Co–Co x C composites were primarily covered with Co 2 C crystallites. Our best performing electrocatalyst exhibited superior HER activity with an overpotential of 78 mV to reach a current density of -10 mA·cm –2 , a Tafel slope of 87.8 mV·dec –1 , and 1 h of electrode durability. We show that this excellent HER performance is primarily due to the superior intrinsic activity of Co 2 C, as well as the high electrical conductivity resulting from the inclusion of cobalt metal and the presence of graphitic carbon shells in and on the composite, respectively. Using both computational and experimental approaches, we determine here that the carbon-rich cobalt carbide (Co 2 C) phase is more favorable for the HER than the carbon-poor phase (Co 3 C).

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2024

Insights on seasonal solifluction processes in warm permafrost Arctic landscape using a dense monitoring approach across adjacent hillslopes

Solifluction processes in the Arctic are highly complex, introducing uncertainties in estimating current and future soil carbon storage and fluxes, and assessment of hillslope and infrastructure stability. This study aims to enhance our understanding of triggers and drivers of soil movement of permafrost-affected hillslopes in the Arctic. To achieve this, we established an extensive soil deformation and temperature sensor network, covering 48 locations across multiple hillslopes within a 1 km² watershed on the Seward Peninsula, AK. We report depth-resolved measurements down to 1.8 m depth for May to September 2022, a period conducive to soil movement due to deepening thaw layers and frequent rain events. Over this period, surface movements of up to 334 mm were recorded. In general, these movements occur close to the thawing front, and are initiated as thawing reaches depths of 0.4 to 0.75 m. The largest movements were observed at the top of the south-east facing slope, where soil temperatures are cold (mean annual soil temperatures averaging -1.13°C) and slopes are steeper than 15°. Our analysis highlights three primary factors influencing movements: slope angle, soil thermal conditions, and thaw depth. The latter two significantly impact the generation of pore water pressures at the thaw–freeze interface. Specifically, soil thermal conditions govern the liquid water content, while thaw depth influences both the height of the water column and, consequently, the pressure at the thawing front. These factors affect soil properties, such as cohesion and internal friction angle, which are crucial determinants of slope stability. This underscores the significance of a precise understanding of subsurface thermal conditions, including spatial and temporal variability in soil temperature and thaw depth, when assessing and predicting slope instabilities. Based on our observations, we developed a Factor of Safety proxy that consistently falls below the triggering threshold for all probes exhibiting displacements exceeding 50 mm. This study offers novel insights into patterns and triggers of hillslope movements in the Arctic and provides a venue to evaluate their impact on soil redistribution.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2026

Mechanically Polishing Electroplated Nb3Sn for Higher Accelerating Gradients

As the demand for more efficient SRF technology continues to rise, so does the need to improve the performance of Nb3Sn, the most promising alternative to niobium. Leveraging recent breakthroughs in Nb3Sn research from Cornell University and Fermilab, namely the electrochemical synthesis-based growth of Nb3Sn and the centrifugal barrel polishing (CBP) technique to smoothen the final Nb3Sn film, our primary goal is to reduce surface roughness while preserving the film’s quality. We present promising RF results from an electroplated cavity that underwent mechanical polishing using the CBP technique, which showed an increase in the maximum accelerating gradient compared to the baseline test. However, contamination-induced Q-slope limited performance. Temperature mapping reveals quench location and heating response before, during and after quench.

Shpani, L. [Cornell U.]↗
NASA NTRS1977

Lightweight reflector assembly

An inexpensive, lightweight reflective assembly member having good optical quality and particularly adaptable to accommodating temperature variations without providing destructive thermal stresses and reflective slope errors is described. The reflective assembly consists of a thin sheet of glass with appropriate reflective coating and a cellular glass block substrate bonded together. The method of fabrication includes abrading the cellular substrate with an abrasive master die to form an appropriate concave surface. An adhesive is applied to the abraded surface and a lamina reflective surface is placed under a uniform pressure to conform the reflective surface onto the desired abraded surface of the substrate.

Argoud, M. J.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Asteroid surface compositions from infrared spectroscopic observations - Results and prospects

Advances in IR detector technology, the increased availability of large aperture telescopes, and the techniques of Fourier transform spectroscopy now permit IR (with wavelengths greater than 1 micron) spectroscopic observations of asteroid surfaces. Asteroids already observed include Ceres, Vesta, and Eros. These initial results demonstrate that such studies can contribute new data concerning asteroid compositions. Some of the most diagnostic features of mineral spectra are in the IR spectral region, and for featureless spectra characterized only by slopes the extension of the spectral reflectivity curve into the IR provides tighter constraints on possible mineralogies. A systematic study of additional asteroids should exploit even further this new observational link to problems of meteorite origin and solar system evolution.

Larson, H. P.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Development and Testing of Shingle-type Solar Cell Modules

The design, development, fabrication and testing of a shingle-type terrestrial solar cell module which produces 98 watts/sq m of exposed module area at 1 kW/sq m insolation and 61 C are reported. These modules make it possible to easily incorporate photovoltaic power generation into the sloping roofs of residential or commercial buildings by simply nailing the modules to the plywood roof sheathing. This design consists of nineteen series-connected 53 mm diameter solar cells arranged in a closely packed hexagon configuration. These cells are individually bonded to the embossed surface of a 3 mm thick thermally tempered hexagon-shaped piece of glass. Polyvinyl butyral is used as the laminating adhesive.

Shepard, N. F., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Algebraic grid generation with boundary orthogonality control

This paper presents a new approach in applying the blending function method to the generation of structured finite-difference meshes. It is shown that the surface equation developed by Coons (1967) can be easily adapted to generate two-dimensional meshes, and its extension to hyperspace allows the construction of three-dimensional meshes. The robust method in its basic form blends among the boundary curves/surfaces conforming to their intrinsic slopes. When parameter-controlled boundary-slope corrections are introduced, it is possible to establish varying degrees of orthogonality along the boundaries. Additional controls are made possible by moving points in the parameter space, which affects the movement of points in the physical space. The combination of these controls provides a simple and yet powerful means for exploiting the blending-function method to satisfy the needs of practical CFD applications. Results from a validation program for two-dimensions are shown for a variety of geometries.

Luh, Raymond Ching-Chung↗