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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 163 records · Page 9
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1999

High Energy Density Regenerative Fuel Cell Systems for Terrestrial Applications

Regenerative Fuel Cell System (RFCS) technology for energy storage has been a NASA power system concept for many years. Compared to battery-based energy storage systems, RFCS has received relatively little attention or resources for development because the energy density and electrical efficiency were not sufficiently attractive relative to advanced battery systems. Even today, RFCS remains at a very low technology readiness level (TRL of about 2 indicating feasibility has been demonstrated). Commercial development of the Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cells for automobiles and other terrestrial applications and improvements in lightweight pressure vessel design to reduce weight and improve performance make possible a high energy density RFCS energy storage system. The results from this study of a lightweight RFCS energy storage system for a remotely piloted, solar-powered, high altitude aircraft indicate an energy density up to 790 w-h/kg with electrical efficiency of 53.4% is attainable. Such an energy storage system would allow a solar-powered aircraft to carry hundreds of kilograms of payload and remain in flight indefinitely for use in atmospheric research, earth observation, resource mapping. and telecommunications. Future developments in the areas of hydrogen and oxygen storage, pressure vessel design, higher temperature and higher- pressure fuel cell operation, unitized regenerative fuel cells, and commercial development of fuel cell technology will improve both the energy density and electrical efficiency of the RFCS.

Burke, Kenneth A.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Techniques for studying materials under extreme states of high energy density compression

The properties of materials under extreme conditions of pressure and density are of key interest to a number of fields, including planetary geophysics, materials science, and inertial confinement fusion. In geophysics, the equations of state of planetary materials, such as hydrogen and iron, under ultrahigh pressure and density provide a better understanding of their formation and interior structure [Celliers et al., “Insulator-metal transition in dense fluid deuterium,” Science 361, 677–682 (2018) and Smith et al., “Equation of state of iron under core conditions of large rocky exoplanets,” Nat. Astron. 2, 591–682 (2018)]. The processes of interest in these fields occur under conditions of high pressure (100 GPa–100 TPa), high temperature (>3000 K), and sometimes at high strain rates (>103 s−1) depending on the process. With the advent of high energy density (HED) facilities, such as the National Ignition Facility (NIF), Linear Coherent Light Source, Omega Laser Facility, and Z, these conditions are reachable and numerous experimental platforms have been developed. To measure compression under ultrahigh pressure, stepped targets are ramp-compressed and the sound velocity, measured by the velocity interferometer system for any reflector diagnostic technique, from which the stress-density of relevant materials is deduced at pulsed power [M. D. Knudson and M. P. Desjarlais, “High-precision shock wave measurements of deuterium: Evaluation of exchange-correlation functionals at the molecular-to-atomic transition,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 035501 (2017)] and laser [Smith et al., “Equation of state of iron under core conditions of large rocky exoplanets,” Nat. Astron. 2, 591–682 (2018)] facilities. To measure strength under high pressure and strain rates, experimenters measure the growth of Rayleigh–Taylor instabilities using face-on radiography [Park et al., “Grain-size-independent plastic flow at ultrahigh pressures and strain rates,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 065502 (2015)]. The crystal structure of materials under high compression is measured by dynamic x-ray diffraction [Rygg et al., “X-ray diffraction at the national ignition facility,” Rev. Sci. Instrum. 91, 043902 (2020) and McBride et al., “Phase transition lowering in dynamically compressed silicon,” Nat. Phys. 15, 89–94 (2019)]. Medium range material temperatures (a few thousand degrees) can be measured by extended x-ray absorption fine structure techniques, Yaakobi et al., “Extended x-ray absorption fine structure measurements of laser-shocked V and Ti and crystal phase transformation in Ti,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 095504 (2004) and Ping et al., “Solid iron compressed up to 560 GPa,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 065501 (2013), whereas more extreme temperatures are measured using x-ray Thomson scattering or pyrometry. This manuscript will review the scientific motivations, experimental techniques, and the regimes that can be probed for the study of materials under extreme HED conditions.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

2023 High Energy Density Science Summer School

The University of California San Diego (UCSD) hosted the High Energy-Density Science (HEDS) Summer School from July 17 – 28, 2023 on the UCSD campus. The goal of the Summer School was to introduce new talent to the breadth of the U.S. HEDS community through lectures, engaging workshops, and discussion sessions with leaders in academia and the national laboratories. The objectives were to inspire young scientists to pursue graduate and professional careers in the fields of HEDS, teach them fundamental HEDS and critical skills, and grant them the opportunity to network with leading academic and national laboratory researchers. Our focus was to attract promising early-career students from across the country.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Magnetized laser–plasma interactions in high-energy-density systems: Parallel propagation

In this study, we investigate parametric processes in magnetized plasmas, driven by a large-amplitude pump light wave. Our focus is on laser–plasma interactions relevant to high-energy-density (HED) systems, such as the National Ignition Facility and the Sandia MagLIF concept. We present a self-contained derivation of a “parametric” dispersion relation for magnetized three-wave interactions, meaning the pump wave is included in the equilibrium, similar to the unmagnetized work of Drake et al., Phys. Fluids 17, 778 (1974). For this, we use a multi-species plasma fluid model and Maxwell's equations. The application of an external B field causes right- and left-polarized light waves to propagate with differing phase velocities. This leads to Faraday rotation of the polarization, which can be significant in HED conditions. Phase-matching and linear wave dispersion relations show that Raman and Brillouin scattering have modified spectra due to the background B field, though this effect is usually small in systems of current practical interest. We study a scattering process we call stimulated whistler scattering, where a light wave decays to an electromagnetic whistler wave (ω≲ω ce ) and a Langmuir wave. This only occurs in the presence of an external B field, which is required for the whistler wave to exist.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Invited article: X-ray phase contrast imaging in inertial confinement fusion and high energy density research

X-ray phase contrast imaging (XPCI) provides enhanced image contrast beyond absorption-based x-ray imaging alone due to refraction and diffraction from gradients in the object material density. It is sensitive to small variations in density, such as internal voids, cracks, grains, defects, and material flow, as well as to stronger density variations such as from a shock wave. Beyond its initial use in biology and materials science, XPCI is now routinely used in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) and high energy density (HED) research, first to characterize ICF capsules and targets, and later applied in dynamic experiments, where coherent x-ray sources, ultrafast x-ray pulses, and high temporal and spatial resolution are required. In this Review article, XPCI image formation theory is presented, its diverse use in ICF and HED research is discussed, the unique requirements for ultrafast XPCI imaging are given, as well as current challenges and issues in its use.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Expansion-Driven Self-Magnetization of High-Energy-Density Plasmas

Understanding plasma self-magnetization is one of the fundamental challenges in both laboratory and astrophysical plasmas. Self-magnetization can modify plasma transport properties, altering the dynamical evolution of plasmas. Multiple high-energy-density (HED) experiments have observed the formation of ion-scale magnetic filaments of megagauss strength, though their origin remains debated. Here, in this study, we conduct 2D collisional particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations with a laser ray-tracing module for a fully self-consistent simulation of the plasma ablation, expansion, and magnetization. The simulations use a planar geometry, effectively suppressing the Biermann magnetic fields, to focus on anisotropy-driven instabilities. The laser intensity is varied between 10 13 and 10 14 W/cm 2 , which is relevant to HED and inertial fusion experiments where collisions must be considered. We find that, above a critical intensity, the plasma rapidly self-magnetizes via an expansion-driven Weibel process, producing a plasma beta of 100 (𝛽 = 8⁢𝜋⁢𝑘 𝐵 ⁢𝑛 𝑒 ⁢𝑇 𝑒 /𝐵 2 ) and Hall parameter 𝜔 ce ⁢𝜏 𝑒 >1 within the first few hundred picoseconds. The magnetic field is sufficiently strong to modify plasma heat transport, and simulations with an artificially suppressed magnetic field show noticeably different temperature profiles.

Lezhnin, K. V. [Princeton Plasma Physics Laborator↗
DOE OSTI2021

Ion Acceleration in Driven Magnetic Reconnection during High-energy–Density Plasma Interaction

Strongly driven magnetic reconnection occurs in astrophysical events and also in laboratory experiments with laser-produced plasma. We have performed 2.5D particle-in-cell simulations of collisions of two high-energy–density plasmas resulting in strongly driven magnetic reconnection that demonstrates significant non-thermal ion acceleration. Such acceleration is significant only when the plasma beta is sufficiently low that the Alfvén speed at the reconnection inflow exceeds the thermal speed. Under these conditions, the most energetic ions are primarily accelerated by the Hall electric field in the reconnection outflow, especially at the trailing edge of an emerging plasmoid in the outflow. Here, laboratory experiments in the near future should be able to confirm these predictions and their applicability to astrophysical situations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Shock compression experiments using the DiPOLE 100-X laser on the high energy density instrument at the European x-ray free electron laser: Quantitative structural analysis of liquid Sn

X-ray free electron laser (XFEL) sources coupled to high-power laser systems offer an avenue to study the structural dynamics of materials at extreme pressures and temperatures. The recent commissioning of the DiPOLE 100-X laser on the high energy density (HED) instrument at the European XFEL represents the state-of-the-art in combining x-ray diffraction with laser compression, allowing for compressed materials to be probed in unprecedented detail. Here, we report quantitative structural measurements of molten Sn compressed to 85(5) GPa and ~3500 K. The capabilities of the HED instrument enable liquid density measurements with an uncertainty of ~1% at conditions which are extremely challenging to reach via static compression methods. We discuss best practices for conducting liquid diffraction dynamic compression experiments and the necessary intensity corrections which allow for accurate quantitative analysis. We also provide a polyimide ablation pressure vs input laser energy for the DiPOLE 100-X drive laser which will serve future users of the HED instrument.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2025

Addressing key physics problems in high-energy-density plasmas with a novel kinetic simulation capability

Many important physical processes in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) and dense Z-pinch (DZP) experiments require a kinetic (velocity-space-dependent) description. Conventional particle-in-cell (PIC) methods are poorly suited for high-energy-density (HED) plasmas, due to restrictive time-step constraints and the inability to conserve energy. In a previous LDRD (21-FS-048), we demonstrated that a fully implicit PIC formulation overcomes these limitations: it conserves energy even when coupled with Coulomb collision models and can be solved efficiently with large grid cells and large time steps. Thus, it is feasible to use this method to study kinetic effects in ICF and DZP plasmas on hydro-like time and spatial scales. In this follow-on LDRD, we advanced this methodology into a high-fidelity tool for production-scale simulations and used it to answer key questions relevant to ICF and DZP experiment.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS2001

Theoretical Studies of Possible Synthetic Routes for the High Energy Density Material Td N4: Excited Electronic States

Vertical electronic excitation energies for single states have been computed for the high energy density material (HEDM) Td N4 in order to assess possible synthetic routes that originate from excited electronic states of N2 molecules. Several ab initio theoretical approaches have been used, including complete active space self-consistent field (CASSCF), state averaged CASSCF (SA-CASSCF), singles configuration interaction (CIS), CIS with second-order and third-order correlation corrections [CIS(D)) and CIS(3)], and linear response singles and doubles coupled-cluster (LRCCSD), which is the highest level of theory employed. Standard double zeta polarized (DZP) and triple zeta double polarized (TZ2P) one-particle basis sets were used. The CASSCF calculations are found to overestimate the excitation energies, while the SA-CASSCF approach rectifies this error to some extent, but not completely. The accuracy of the CIS calculations varied depending on the particular state, while the CIS(D), CIS(3), and LRCCSD results are in generally good agreement. Based on the LRCCSD calculations, the lowest six excited singlet states are 9.35(l(sup)T1), 10.01(l(sup)T2), 10.04(1(sup)A2), 10.07(1(sup)E), 10.12(2(sup)T1), and 10.42(2(sup)T2) eV above the ground state, respectively. Comparison of these excited state energies with the energies of possible excited states of N2+N2 fragments, leads us to propose that the most likely synthetic route for Td N4 involving this mechanism arises from combination of two bound quintet states of N2.

Lee, Timothy J.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Review of pulsed power-driven high energy density physics research on Z at Sandia

Pulsed power accelerators compress electrical energy in space and time to provide versatile experimental platforms for high energy density and inertial confinement fusion science. The 80-TW “Z” pulsed power facility at Sandia National Laboratories is the largest pulsed power device in the world today. Z discharges up to 22 MJ of energy stored in its capacitor banks into a current pulse that rises in 100 ns and peaks at a current as high as 30 MA in low-inductance cylindrical targets. Considerable progress has been made over the past 15 years in the use of pulsed power as a precision scientific tool. This paper reviews developments at Sandia in inertial confinement fusion, dynamic materials science, x-ray radiation science, and pulsed power engineering, with an emphasis on progress since a previous review of research on Z in Physics of Plasmas in 2005.

Sinars, D. B. (ORCID:0000000155473532)↗
DOE OSTI2021

Characterizing x-ray transmission through filters used in high energy density physics diagnostics

We report on the design and implementation of a new system used to characterize the energy-dependent x-ray transmission curve, Θ(E), through filters used in high-energy density physics diagnostics. Using an Amptek X-123-CdTe x-ray spectrometer together with a partially depleted silicon surface barrier detector, both the energy spectrum and total emission of an x-ray source have been accurately measured. By coupling these detectors with a custom PROTO-XRD x-ray source with interchangeable cathodes, accurate characterizations of Θ(E) for filters of varying materials and thicknesses have been obtained. The validity of the technique has been confirmed by accurately reproducing areal densities for high-purity filters with known x-ray transmission properties. In this paper, the experimental setup is described and the results of absorption calibrations performed on a variety of different filters are presented.

Pearcy, J.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Studies of particle transport in high-energy-density plasma in the presence of a megagauss magnetic field

Charged particle transport in a magnetic field is among the most fundamental phenomena in plasma physics. Magnetic fields are often introduced in conventional magnetized fusion devices to suppress particle and heat transport, a phenomenon that has been extensively studied. In contrast, particle and heat transport in magnetized high-energy-density (HED) plasmas remain relatively unexplored due to the challenges of generating an external magnetic field strong enough to significantly alter particle dynamics.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Crack‐Free Single‐Crystalline LiNiO 2 for High Energy Density All‐Solid‐State Batteries

Abstract Single‐crystalline layered oxide (LiNi 1‐ x ‐ y Mn x Co y O 2 ) cathodes have been found to exhibit exceptional electrochemical properties when coupled with various inorganic solid electrolytes (ISEs) in all‐solid‐state batteries (ASSBs). Their advantages stem from the robust morphological integrity with the absence of grain boundaries and the high electrochemical oxidative stability. Here, ASSBs featuring single‐crystalline LiNiO 2 (LNO) with the highest Ni content are reported, offering a high theoretical specific capacity of 275 mAh g ‐1 alongside a high average discharge voltage (3.7 V vs Li + /Li). Through a careful investigation, it is demonstrated that micron‐sized single‐crystalline LNO (µSC‐LNO) composite cathodes with a halide ISE exhibit a high initial discharge capacity of 205 mAh g ‐1 with an outstanding cycle performance over 200 cycles in room‐temperature ASSBs. The significance of engineering parameters is emphasized, such as particle size and specific density, in promoting a homogeneous and fast Li + transport within the composite cathodes. Furthermore, the formation of undesirable interphase between the halide ISE in the cathode and sulfide ISE separator is elucidated, which may be a critical factor impeding long‐term cyclability of ASSBs. This work provides insights into the design of composite cathodes for high‐energy‐density ASSBs.

Chemistry↗
DOE OSTI2024

Faraday Rotation Measurements in High-Energy-Density Plasmas Using Shaped Laser Beams

Magnetic fields play an important role in plasma dynamics, yet it is a quantity difficult to measure accurately with physical probes, whose presence disturbs the very field they measure. The Faraday rotation of a polarized beam of light provides a mechanism to measure the magnetic field without disturbing the dynamics, and has been used with great success in astrophysics and high energy density plasma science, where physical probes cannot be used. Furthermore, the rotation is typically small, which degrades the accuracy of the measurement. Since polarization cannot be measured directly, detectors rely on a polarizer to measure a small change in beam intensity instead. In this work, we show how beam shaping can improve Faraday rotation measurements using an optical derivative setup. Since the rotation measurement is now strictly proportional to the beam shape and intensity, the system allows to improve the measurement accuracy simply by increasing the laser beam power.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS1981

High energy density batteries for satellite applications

The performance requirements of high-energy batteries for terrestrial applications were examined to establish whether or not these systems showed any promise in aerospace applications. The technology assessment is reported and consists of a battery technology evaluation, preliminary engineering studies, and system selection. Major candidate systems are compared and a program schedule is provided.

Marcoux, L.↗