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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 1,657 records · Page 92
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Exploring Phosphonium‐Based Anion Exchange Polymers for Moisture Swing Direct Air Capture of Carbon Dioxide

This study explores the performance and stability of ammonium and phosphonium-based polymeric ionic liquids (PILs) with methyl and butyl substituents in moisture-swing direct air capture of CO 2 . The polymers are synthesized with chloride counterions, followed by ion exchange to the bicarbonate ion, and tests for CO 2 capture capacity and stability under cyclic wet–dry conditions. The phosphonium polymer with methyl substituents [PVBT-MeP] demonstrates the highest CO 2 capture capacity at ≈510 µmol g⁻¹, attributed to minimal steric hindrance and stronger ion pairing with bicarbonate. However, oxidative degradation is detected by 31 P NMR spectroscopy after the moisture swing experiment, with the appearance of a phosphine oxide peak at 61.28 ppm, which indicates phosphorus oxidation as the primary degradation pathway. In contrast, the ammonium polymer with butyl substituents [PVBT-BuN] exhibits the highest stability, showing no degradation over five moisture swing cycles. Additional stability experiments in 0.5 m KHCO 3 solutions reveal no degradation for any PIL, suggesting that oxidative degradation is driven by dynamic acid-base reactions during the moisture swing cycles in the air. Furthermore, these findings reveal the potential of phosphonium-based PILs for moisture-swing direct air capture, achieving high capacity while highlighting the need for optimized stability through counterion and structural design.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Healable Coatings as a Mechanism to Repair Leading Edge Erosion in Wind Energy

Wind turbine blades are highly engineered structures designed to face temperature extremes and high winds. However, erosion of the blade's leading edge and subsequent repair remains a significant and costly challenge for the wind energy industry. Repair of these leading edges can lead to large amounts of downtime for the turbine and significant operational inefficiencies. In this work, the strength of adhesion and healing ability of a commercially available vitrimer (Mallinda's VITRIMAX) was compared to that of a thermoplastic resin, which has previously been demonstrated in wind energy applications (Arkema's Elium) to evaluate their efficacy as surface coatings for wind turbine blades, particularly their leading edges. Vitrimers are a class of inherently reprocessable thermosets, and it was theorized that vitrimer-based leading edge coatings could enable more robust and efficient wind turbine blades with decreased operational downtime and safer maintenance practices. It was found that the VITRIMAX adhered better to the wind blades' surfaces than both the manufacturer's paint and Elium, with increases in pull-off strength of adhesion ranging from 24% to 83% above that of the original paint. Furthermore, the VITRIMAX adhered strongly to the underlying composite of each blade with strength of adhesion values increasing in ranges from 42% to 97% above that of the original paint. Finally, the vitrimer coating showed an 88% decrease in surface roughness compared to end-of-life blade materials, and initial healing demonstrations in which coatings were manually scratched and subsequently healed exhibited an ~84.5% decrease in scratch depths.

Hubbard, Amber [ORNL]↗
DOE OSTI2019

A Tunable Optimized Low-Temperature Sensor Based on the Hybrid Photonic Crystals (F{sub 4}/Bg{sub 5}/F{sub 4}) and (Bg{sub 5}/F{sub 4}/Bg{sub 5})

In this paper, we present a novel type of low-temperature sensor based precisely on the symmetrical hybrid photonic crystals. Thanks to the two-fluid model and the transfer matrix method, we study the temperature sensitivity of the hybrid multilayers (F{sub 4}/Bg{sub 5}/F{sub 4}) and (Bg{sub 5}/F{sub 4}/Bg{sub 5}) where F{sub 4} represents the fourth iteration of the quasi-periodic Fibonacci sequence and Bg5 designates the multilayer Bragg mirror (HLS){sub 5}. We assume that the layers H, L, and S indicate precisely the dielectric materials of Bi{sub 4}Ge{sub 3}O{sub 12}, SiO{sub 2}, and YaBO{sub 2}CuO{sub 7} superconductor one. The analysis of the transmittance spectra shows that the hybrid photonic crystal is more sensitive to the temperature than the periodic one. A higher sensibility value is reached due to the possible combination of the periodic and quasi-periodic sequences. Our investigation reveals that the photonic crystal (F{sub 4}/Bg{sub 5}/F{sub 4}) is more sensitive to low temperature compared to (Bg{sub 5}/F{sub 4}/Bg{sub 5}). The sensitivity is significantly affected by the position of quasi-periodic sequences. The sensitivity of such photonic crystals can be adequately controlled by applying a symmetrical chirping. The designed structures pave the way toward the achievement of a potential low-temperature sensor.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2018

Stability of Solutions of Initial Boundary-Balue Problems of Aerohydroelasticity

In designing structures and devices interacting with the flow of gas or liquid, it is necessary to solve the problems associated with the investigation of the stability required for their functioning and operational reliability. The definition of stability of an elastic body taken in the article corresponds to Lyapunov’s concept of stability of a dynamical system. On the base of the proposed nonlinear mathematical model the dynamic stability of the elastic aileron of the wing taking into account the incident subsonic flow of gas or liquid (in an ideal model of an incompressible environment) is investigated. Also a nonlinear mathematical model of the device relating to the vibration technique, which is intended for intensification of technological processes, for example, the process of mixing, is considered. The action of these devices is based on the oscillations of elastic elements during the gas or liquid flow. The dynamic stability of the elastic element located on one wall of the flow channel with the subsonic flow of gas or liquid (in an ideal model of a compressible environment) is investigated. Both models are described by a coupled nonlinear system of differential equations for the unknown functions — the potential of the gas velocity and deformation of the elastic element. On the basis of the construction of functionals, we obtain the sufficient conditions of the stability, the imposed restrictions on the free-stream velocity of the gas, the flexural stiffness of the elastic element, and other parameters of the mechanical system. The examples of construction of the stability regions for particular parameters of the mechanical system are presented.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2019

Growth and characterization of type-II superlattice photodiodes with cutoff wavelength of 12 μm on 4-in. wafer

High performance InAs/GaSb superlattices for long-wavelength infrared detection were grown on a 4-in. GaSb wafer using molecular beam epitaxy. The influence of the growth temperature, V/III BEP ratio on the surface morphology and microstructure was researched. The good uniformity of the surface roughness and crystallization at four location along the radial direction on the wafer was obtained by balancing the inner and outer growth temperature. The performance deviation of the four photodiodes fabricated using the superlattices from center to edge on the wafer was below 20% which revealed the uniformity of the superlattice growth and the fabrication process. The 50% cutoff wavelength was about 12 μm. The peak responsivity was 2.54 A/W corresponding to a quantum efficiency of 35.1% at 77 K. The zero bias differential resistance-area product (R{sub 0}A) was 2.1 Ω cm{sup 2} due to the barrier structure design which restrains the diffusion dark current. The calculated Johnson noise limited detectivity was 5.75 × 10{sup 10} cm √Hz/W at 10 μm and 4.13 × 10{sup 10} cm √Hz/W at 14 μm.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Behavior and potential threats to survival of migrating lamprey ammocoetes and macrophthalmia

Upon metamorphosis, anadromous juvenile lamprey (macrophthalmia) exhibit distinct migration behaviors that take them from larval rearing habitats in streams to the open ocean. While poorly studied, lamprey larvae (ammocoetes) also engage in downstream movement to some degree. Like migrating salmon smolts, lamprey macrophthalmia undergo behavioral changes associated with a highly synchronized metamorphosis. Unlike salmon smolts, the timing of juvenile migration in lamprey is protracted and poorly documented. Lamprey macrophthalmia and ammocoetes are not strong swimmers, attaining maximum individual speeds of less than 1 m s-1, and sustained speeds of less than 0.5 m s-1. They are chiefly nocturnal and distribute throughout the water column, but appear to concentrate near the bottom in the thalweg of deep rivers. At dams and irrigation diversions, macrophthalmia can become impinged on screens or entrained in irrigation canals, suffer increased predation, and experience physical injury that may result in direct or delayed mortality. The very structures designed to protect migrating juvenile salmonids can be harmful to juvenile lamprey. Yet at turbine intakes and spillways, lampreys, which have no swim bladder, can withstand changes in pressure and shear stress large enough to injure or kill most teleosts. Lamprey populations are in decline in many parts of the world, with some species designated as species of concern for conservation that merit legally mandated protections. Hence, provisions for safe passage of juvenile lamprey are being considered at dams and water diversions in North America and Europe.

Petromyzontiformes,Transformers, Passage, Metamorp↗
DOE OSTI2018

Additive Manufacturing of Catalyst Substrates for Steam–Methane Reforming

Steam–methane reforming is a highly endothermic reaction, which is carried out at temperatures up to 1100 °C and pressures up to 3000 kPa, typically with a Ni-based catalyst distributed over a substrate of discrete alumina pellets or beads. Standard pellet geometries (spheres, hollow cylinders) limit the degree of mass transfer between gaseous reactants and catalyst. Further, heat is supplied to the exterior of the reactor wall, and heat transfer is limited due to the nature of point contacts between the reactor wall and the substrate pellets. This limits the degree to which the process can be intensified, as well as limiting the diameter of the reactor wall. Additive manufacturing now gives us the capability to design structures with tailored heat and mass transfer properties, not only within the packed bed of the reactor, but also at the interface between the reactor wall and the packed bed. In this work, the use of additive manufacturing to produce monolithic-structured catalyst substrate models, made from acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene, with enhanced conductive heat transfer is described. By integrating the reactor wall into the catalyst substrate structure, the effective thermal conductivity increased by 34% from 0.122 to 0.164 W/(m K).

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

3D printing of metal-based materials for renewable energy applications

Large-scale renewable energy must overcome conversion and storage challenges before it can replace fossil fuels due to its intermittent nature. However, current sustainable energy devices still suffer from high cost, low efficiency, and poor service life problems. Recently, porous metal-based materials have been widely used as desirable cross-functional platforms for electrochemical and photochemical energy systems for their unique electrical conductivity, catalytic activity, and chemical stability. To tailor the porosity length scale, ordering, and compositions, 3D printing has been applied as a disruptive manufacturing revolution to create complex architected components by directly joining sequential layers into designed structures. In conclusion, this article intends to summarize cutting-edge advances of metal-based materials for renewable energy devices (e.g., fuel cells, solar cells, supercapacitors, and batteries) over the past decade.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Characterization of molecular interactions between Zika virus protease and peptides derived from the C-terminus of NS2B

Highlights: • The TGKR residues in eZiPro protease are dynamic in solution. • Peptides derived from NS2B C-terminus exhibit different binding affinities to protease. • Free NS2B cofactor region is flexible in solution. • The eZiPro construct binds to peptides and a fragment. Zika virus (ZIKV) protease is a two-component complex in which NS3 contains the catalytic triad and NS2B cofactor region is important for protease folding and activity. A protease construct-eZiPro without the transmembrane domains of NS2B was designed. Structural study on eZiPro reveals that the Thr-Gly-Lys-Arg (TGKR) sequence at the C-terminus of NS2B binds to the active site after cleavage. The bZiPro construct only contains NS2B cofactor region and the N-terminus of NS3 without any artificial linker or protease cleavage site, giving rise to an empty pocket accessible to substrate and inhibitor binding. Herein, we demonstrate that the TGKR sequence of NS2B in eZiPro is dynamic. Peptides from NS2B with various lengths exhibit different binding affinities to bZiPro. TGKR binding to the active site in eZiPro does not affect protease binding to small-molecule compounds. Our results suggest that eZiPro will also be useful for evaluating small-molecule protease inhibitors.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2019

First-row transition metal polypyridine complexes that catalyze proton to hydrogen reduction

Proton reduction is a critical reaction for the efficient utilization of solar fuels and the development of a hydrogen economy. Molecular proton reduction catalysts help us to understand how hydrogenases function in nature, on one hand, and inspire us to design new practical materials on the other. This manuscript introduces the concept of electrocatalytic and photocatalytic proton (hydrogen evolution) in a homogeneous system, and then reviews recent studies on molecular proton reduction catalysts that contain 3d transition metal centers (Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni) surrounded by polypyridine ligands. The discussion focuses on the design, structure, and catalytic behavior of these metal polypyridine catalysts. Catalytic pathways, and how they are affected by complex structure, are addressed in order to offer rational suggestions for the future preparation of promising hydrogen evolution catalysts.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2018

Education for sustainable use of cement based materials

Structural design and application have always been linked to the compressive strength of concrete as the main relevant criterion. This was justifiable in the past, where concrete consisted of water, ordinary Portland cement and aggregates, but this concept is no longer relevant for modern and more sustainable cement and concrete. Despite these new developments, existing standards, guidelines and academic curricula have not been much updated and are still used worldwide. There is a need to change this situation by proper education of the users. }This overview describes the challenges that arise at a user level from the higher complexity of modern concrete, and defines needs and requirements for enhanced applicability of sustainable concrete concepts. Furthermore, recommendations are given on how better concrete practice can be communicated to all the involved parties, from civil and design engineers to constructors and site-appliers on the construction site.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

A bifunctional zeolitic porous liquid with incompatible Lewis pairs for antagonistic cascade catalysis

The emergence of porous liquids (PLs) opened opportunities to form unique antagonistic systems capable of fulfilling cascade reactions promoted by incompatible active sites in one pot, which is a long-term challenging subject in catalysis. Herein, unique bifunctional type III PL-based systems were facilely fabricated via assembly of zeolite nanosheets with ionic liquids. Rational structural design afforded PLs that feature high zeolite concentration, stable dispersion after 2 years, abundant cavity distribution, and involvement of antagonistic groups (acid and base sites) in separated and active form via steric hindrance control and electronic repulsion regulation. These unique properties worked cooperatively to fulfill the cascade deacetalization-Knoevenagel/Aldol condensation in one pot with superior catalytic efficiency outperforming the traditional systems. The key to success lies in the formation of bifunctional composites, transformation of zeolite from heterogeneous to homogeneous via surface modification, as well as rapid mass transfer ensured by the rigid porous architecture.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2019

Effect of patterned inclusions on the fracture behavior of ceramic composites

Developments in additive manufacturing have enabled the reinforcement of ceramic composites across the scales. Understanding the fracture behavior of such composites is critical for structural design and engineering. However, systematic investigations on the relationship between the patterning characteristics and the effective fracture properties have been scarce. In this work, we propose a mixed-mode phase field model to investigate the effects of elastic modulus and pattern characteristics of circular inclusions on the fracture behavior of a ceramic composite beam. The modeling results have shown that the stiff and compliant inclusions can either repel or attract the crack. The extent of repelling and attraction can be controlled by altering the pattern characteristics. In addition, utilizing the relationship between the pattern characteristics and resulting fracture path, fracture growth can be controlled with appropriate inclusion properties. The targeted enhancement in fracture toughness can also be predicted using an effective fracture model linked with the underlying fracture path computed by the proposed mixed-mode phase field model.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Soft matter approach for creating novel protein hydrogels using fractal whey protein assemblies as building blocks

In this study, mesoscopic sized fractal assembly (FA) particles were prepared using whey protein isolate; the coldset gelation properties of FA particles were investigated in-depth. Two types of FA particles (FA -62 and FA -90) with different mean sizes were synthesized through controlled thermal treatment of whey protein solutions at two concentrations (62 g/L and 90 g/L). Particle characteristics e.g. hydrodynamic radius, ζ-potential and surface hydrophobicity were dependent on pH and structure of FA. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation confirmed the fractal morphology and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) analysis suggested an internal fractal structure for the obtained FA particles. Eight cold-set FA protein gels (2 % w/v) were manufactured by controlling two gelling factors at two levels: pH (5.8 and 7.0) and Ca 2+ content (5 mM and 10 mM). Rheological characteristics in the large amplitude oscillatory shear regime revealed that pH 7.0 gels were softer and elastic while pH 5.8 gels were harder and brittle. Rheology Pipkin diagrams demonstrated that the strain softening/stiffening and the shear-thinning/thickening behaviors may be fine-tuned by manipulating the key gelation factors: e.g. FA structure, pH, and Ca 2+ . The entrainment speed-dependent friction coefficient curves showed that at an intermediate velocity regime (6-250 mm s -1 ), FA -90 particles induced hydrogels had superior lubrication effect compared to FA -62 gels. Further, this work demonstrated a food structure design approach regarding tuning texture and lubrication properties of protein gels without changing protein content and protein composition. The optimized protein hydrogels may be used as texturizer for "cleaner label" food formulas and/or as delivery system for carrying micronutrients.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

An analysis of fluff formation in metallic fuel via data analyzes from EBR-II experiments and BISON fuel code modeling

During the operation of EBR-II, it was found that a highly porous structure (over 40% area fraction) formed at the top of several fuel columns. Previous work has shown that this structure, designated fluff in this paper, contains a significant fraction of fuel elements (e.g., U and Pu) which could potentially impact neutronics. This work aims in analyzing the formation mechanism of this microstructure so its impact can be incorporated into future metallic fuel modeling codes and algorithms. This paper details a preliminary examination into the formation mechanisms of fluff by performing qualitative and statistical analysis of EBR-II experimental data. Additionally, the operating conditions that have the greatest impact on fluff formation were determined based on this data set. Also, BISON fuel code simulations were used to help postulate potential fluff formation mechanisms. From this analysis it was found that the largest contributors to fluff formation were fuel burnup and composition, with fluff formation exhibiting a roughly linear positive correlation with increasing burnup and a negative correlation with increasing Pu content. It was also found that higher pin operating temperatures decreased fluff formation but only for U-10Zr fuels.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Combustion synthesis of MgFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}/graphene nanocomposite as a high-performance negative electrode for lithium ion batteries

We present a facile and cost-effective urea-assisted auto-combustion method for synthesizing pure MgFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} nanoparticle and MgFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}/graphene nanocomposite samples followed by annealing at 600 °C for 5 h under N{sub 2} atmosphere. The X-ray diffraction pattern confirmed the single phase formation for both samples. The obtained morphology of the nanocomposite sample shows that the MgFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} nanoparticles are highly dispersed on conductive graphene nanosheets with particle size in the range of 50–100 nm. When applied as an anode material, MgFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}/graphene nanocomposite electrode shows a high reversible charge capacity of 764.4 mAh g{sup −1} at 0.04 C over 60 charge/discharge cycles and in spite of that it also retained a capacity of 219.9 mAh g{sup −1} at high current rate of 4.2 C. The obtained result is much better than the synthesized pure MgFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} nanoparticle electrode. The excellent electrochemical performance of the MgFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}/graphene nanocomposite electrode can be attributed to the strong favorable synergistic interaction between MgFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} and reduced graphene nanosheets, which supplied a large number of accessible active sites for Li{sup +}-ion insertion and short diffusion length for both Li{sup +} ions and electrons. In addition, the graphene nanosheets in the nanocomposite electrode provide high conductivity and accommodate the large volume expansion/contraction during cycling, resulting in high capacity and long cycling stability. - Highlights: • MgFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}/graphene nanocomposite was synthesized by facile urea-assisted method. • Such well-designed structure results in fine and strong interfacial interaction. • Nanocomposite anode shows high rate capability and long cycling stability. • Better performance is due to synergistic effect between MgFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} and graphene. • Simple, low cost and fast synthesis is attractive for large scale applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗