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Results for “Photon detectors for UV, visible and IR photons (vacuum) (photomultipliers, HPDs, others)”

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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1,748 records · Page 91
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

Interactions Between Climate Policy and Technology-influenced Travel Behavior: Mitigating Induced Demand from CACC

Advances in vehicle technology have influenced the development of automated vehicle systems, where vehicles that do not require human intervention are already deployed in the roadway networks. While these advances are proved to increase roadway safety and highway capacity, more research is needed to understand the long-term and regional-level impacts on mobility, land use, energy consumption, and emissions. This study proposes a multi-model approach to analyze the effect of vehicle automation and deep decarbonization policies over a period from 2020 to 2040 in Austin, Texas. We use the Global Change Analysis Model (GCAM) to develop internally the scenarios that are then passed to the SMART Mobility modeling workflow, a large-scale simulation framework combining the POLARIS activity-based travel demand model and mesoscopic traffic simulator with the Autonomie vehicle energy consumption model and the UrbanSim land use simulator. Results suggest that the introduction of vehicles with advanced automation could increase fuel consumption when no decarbonization policies are implemented. Also, advances in vehicle technology research and development could lead to a decline in energy use in the long-term. Energy pricing and vehicle electrification incentives could help reduce the impact of vehicle automation. Finally, our analysis indicates the relevance of introducing land use processes in longterm vehicle automation studies.

land use↗
DOE OSTI2025

Three-dimensional nucleation and growth of deformation twins in magnesium

At two-thirds the weight of aluminum, magnesium alloys have the potential to reduce the fuel consumption of transportation vehicles. These advancements depend on our ability to optimize the desirable versus undesirable effects of deformation twins, which are three-dimensional (3D) microstructural domains that form under mechanical stresses. Previously only characterized through surface or thin-film measurements, we here present 3D in situ characterization of deformation twinning inside an embedded grain over mesoscopic fields of view using dark-field x-ray microscopy supported by crystal plasticity finite element analysis. The results revealed the role of triple junctions on twin nucleation and the sequence and irregularity of twin growth and showed that twin-grain junctions, twin-twin junctions, and twin boundaries were the sites of localized dislocation accumulation.

Lee, Sangwon [Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (Un↗
DOE OSTI2025

Technology & Design Innovations to Maximize the Reduction Effect on DCFC Unit Cost Economics (Max‐REDUCE)

With the high cost and reliability issues of DCFC infrastructure the project specifically addressed the needs of innovating on the AC to DC power conversion. We proved the integration of a new power module into existing charger units, and that theoretical educational work on single stage energy conversion is commercially viable, and a reduced cost compared to existing methods. Our A sample shown 3 PH 480VAC 60hz to 350VDC 8.5kW power transfer, and our software and simulation proved efficiency greater than 97% from 20kW to > 60kW, over the DC output voltage range 200 – 1200V. The project was stopped before we could implement B sample and execute full power testing, validation and integration into a demonstration charger (budget period 3).

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2025

Decoupling thermal and irradiation effects on grain boundary segregation

Radiation-induced segregation (RIS) is most often measured by peak solute concentration at a boundary. However, this may give an incomplete picture of segregation quantity and phenomena. Radiation-induced and thermal segregation at grain boundaries was investigated in Fe-9.6 at.% Cr after 9 MeV Fe 3+ ion irradiation at 400 °C. The experimental results were compared to kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) simulations. The study revealed that Cr enrichment (peak segregation) at the grain boundaries was comparable in both the irradiated and non-irradiated conditions, although irradiation resulted in broader segregation profiles in both experiments and simulations, indicating an overall increase in grain boundary segregation due to irradiation. This broadening is attributed to back diffusion into the grain interior. While it is an established phenomenon, this study offers a quantitative evaluation using experimental data and KMC modeling. Further, these results emphasize the importance of analyzing the entire segregation profile and decoupling the thermal and irradiation contributions to solute segregation.

Grain boundary segregation↗
DOE OSTI2026

Scaling Real Estate Development Innovation With Emerging Local Area Developers

These case studies provide tangible examples within the development field that show how true innovation in real estate and property development hinges on shaping and optimizing diverse connections and relationships to create widely available, market-viable, and high-performance buildings.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2026

Influence of linkage chemistry and side-chain polarity on Ion 2 transport in click-functionalized polymerized ionic liquids.

Post-polymerization functionalization offers precise molecular weight control and enables the high-throughput investigation of structure−property relationships in polymer research. However, post-polymerization functionalization strategies often introduce additional linkage chemistry, and its role in the physical properties of polymerized ionic liquids (PILs) has yet to be explored. In this work, a series of PILs were synthesized using Cu(I)-catalyzed azide−alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC), with comparison made to N-alkylation substitution chemistry. The triazole ring introduced by CuAAC chemistry was found to induce extensive ion aggregation and deteriorate ion transport. The impact of linkage chemistry on ion transport can be alleviated by incorporating polar ethylene glycol spacers in the side chain, achieving an ionic conductivity of 2.1 × 10−4 S/cm at 30 °C. Furthermore, the effect of polar spacer placement was explored, revealing that overall side-chain polarity, rather than polarity in the vicinity of the ionic group, governs ion aggregation and ion transport in PILs.

Shan, Naisong↗
DOE OSTI2026

Fire Protection Design

The purpose of this project is to design the demolition and installation of a deluge valve swap from a DV-5 to a DV-5A valve.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Conserved Macromolecular Architecture of Poplar Secondary Cell Walls Revealed by ssNMR and Atomistic Modeling

The macromolecular architecture of plant secondary cell walls governs wood's mechanical and biochemical properties, yet its natural intra-species variability remains poorly characterized. Here, we combined 13C solid-state NMR (ssNMR), multivariate statistical analysis, and molecular modeling to profile nanoscale structure across 13 genetically diverse Populus trichocarpa genotypes grown in 13C-enriched atmospheres. SsNMR-derived phenotypes spanning composition, structure, mobility, and inter-polymer proximities reveal a conserved architecture, with a subtle yet coordinated variation organizing into dominant structural and secondary mobility axes. A representative atomistic model captures these features and reproduces experimental metrics. Molecular dynamics simulations support a weak but consistent positive correlation between cellulose abundance and crystalline-like order, with interior cellulose chains enriched in tg (trans-gauche) conformations without expanding crystalline cores. Together, experiment and simulation reveal a genetically buffered, broadly conserved nanoscale architecture across genotypes, where subtle fine-tuning of cellulose bundling and matrix packing balances mechanical performance with biological function.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Crustal Deformation and Gravitational Effects From Dynamic Ocean Mass Redistribution Impact Projected Sea‐Level Change

As the climate warms, associated changes in ocean dynamics will redistribute sea‐water mass within the ocean, contributing to relative sea‐level change. This mass redistribution will cause additional sea‐level changes due to gravitational self‐attraction, deformation of the solid Earth, and shifts in the Earth's rotation axis (GRD), which are not incorporated in sea‐level projections. Using CMIP6 climate model output, we quantify relative sea‐level changes induced by GRD from ocean‐dynamic mass loading through 2100. These effects act to amplify projected ocean‐dynamic sea‐level patterns, causing sea‐level rise in coastal regions, particularly along wide continental shelves and at high latitudes. On average, the magnitude of such GRD‐induced sea‐level change is equivalent to ∼15% of the signal due to dynamic ocean mass redistribution. Although our results show substantial inter‐model spread, they reveal that GRD‐induced relative sea‐level changes from ocean mass redistribution represent a non‐negligible component of regional sea‐level change and should be considered in projections.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

High Sulfur Loading and Capacity Retention in Bilayer Garnet Sulfurized‐Polyacrylonitrile/Lithium‐Metal Batteries with Gel Polymer Electrolytes

The cubic‐garnet (Li 7 La 3 Zr 2 O 12 , LLZO) lithium–sulfur battery shows great promise in the pursuit of achieving high energy densities. The sulfur used in the cathodes is abundant, inexpensive, and possesses high specific capacity. In addition, LLZO displays excellent chemical stability with Li metal; however, the instabilities in the sulfur cathode/LLZO interface can lead to performance degradation that limits the development of these batteries. Therefore, it is critical to resolve these interfacial challenges to achieve stable cycling. Here, an innovative gel polymer buffer layer to stabilize the sulfur cathode/LLZO interface is created. Employing a thin bilayer LLZO (dense/porous) architecture as a solid electrolyte and significantly high sulfur loading of 5.2 mg cm −2 , stable cycling is achieved with a high initial discharge capacity of 1542 mAh g −1 (discharge current density of 0.87 mA cm −2 ) and an average discharge capacity of 1218 mAh g −1 (discharge current density of 1.74 mA cm −2 ) with 80% capacity retention over 265 cycles, at room temperature (22 °C) and without applied pressure. Achieving such stability with high sulfur loading is a major step in the development of potentially commercial garnet lithium–sulfur batteries.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Asymmetric fluctuations and self-folding of active interfaces

We study the structure and dynamics of the interface separating a passive fluid from a microtubule-based active fluid. Turbulent-like active flows power giant interfacial fluctuations, which exhibit pronounced asymmetry between regions of positive and negative curvature. Experiments, numerical simulations, and theoretical arguments reveal how the interface breaks up the spatial symmetry of the fundamental bend instability to generate local vortical flows that lead to asymmetric interface fluctuations. The magnitude of interface deformations increases with activity: In the high activity limit, the interface self-folds invaginating passive droplets and generating a foam-like phase, where active fluid is perforated with passive droplets. These results demonstrate how active stresses control the structure, dynamics, and break-up of soft, deformable, and reconfigurable liquid–liquid interfaces.

active fluid↗