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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
NASA NTRS2001

Status of the Nuclear-Induced Conductivity Experiment (NICE) Project

Nuclear-based magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) energy conversion has been pursued in various forms since the 1950's. The majority of this work was motivated by the compatibility of MHD generators with the high temperature achievable with a nuclear reactor and the associated potential for very high cycle efficiency. As a result of this perspective, methods for enhancing the electrical conductivity of the MHD flow have primarily focused on traditional thermal ionization processes, especially those utilizing alkali metal seeds. However, electrical conductivity enhancement via thermal interactions imposes significant limitations on the flow expansion through the generator, and hence on the ultimate power density. Furthermore, the introduction of an alkali metal seed into the flow significantly complicates the engineering design and increases the potential for system failures due to plating of the evaporated metal on cold surfaces.

Bitteker, Leo↗
DOE OSTI2017

Material-Process-Performance Relationships for Roll-to-Roll Coated PEM Electrodes

Roll-to-roll (R2R) coating is the most economical and highest throughput method for producing fuel cell electrodes. R2R coating encompasses many different methodologies to create uniform films on a moving web substrate. Here we explore two coating methods, gravure and slot die, to understand the impacts of each on film uniformity and performance.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗
DOE OSTI2021

Aerosol-Based Method Seals the Deal for Tighter New Homes

What if an aerosol-based sealing method could tighten new home envelopes more quickly and effectively than traditional sealing methods? The method involves pressurizing an entire building while dispersing an aerosol sealant "fog" to the building interior. As air escapes the building through leaks in the envelope, sealant particles are carried to the leaks where they make contact and stick, sealing the leaks. A standard blower door and connected laptop facilitate the sealing process and provide real-time feedback and a permanent record of the sealing. The technology is thus capable of simultaneously measuring, locating, and automatically sealing leaks in a building. In fact, hundreds of linear feet of narrow leaks can be sealed simultaneously, reducing the time needed for manual inspection and sealing. To investigate the use of this method in new homes, the Center for Energy and Environment and partners worked with builders who performed the technique on 11 homes in California and 15 homes in Minnesota.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗
NASA NTRS1999

Shear-Sensitive Liquid Crystal Coating Method Applied Through Transparent Test Surfaces

Research conducted at NASA Ames Research Center has shown that the color-change response of a shear-sensitive liquid crystal coating (SSLCC) to aerodynamic shear depends on both the magnitude of the local shear vector and its direction relative to the observer's in-plane line of sight. In conventional applications, the surface of the SSLCC exposed to aerodynamic shear is illuminated with white light from the normal direction and observed from an oblique above-plane view angle of order 30 deg. In this top-light/top-view mode, shear vectors with components directed away from the observer cause the SSLCC to exhibit color-change responses. At any surface point, the maximum color change (measured from the no-shear red or orange color) always occurs when the local vector is aligned with, and directed away from, the observer. The magnitude of the color change at this vector-observer-aligned orientation scales directly with shear stress magnitude. Conversely, any surface point exposed to a shear vector with a component directed toward the observer exhibits a non-color-change response, always characterized by a rusty-red or brown color, independent of both shear magnitude and direction. These unique, highly directional color-change responses of SSLCCs to aerodynamic shear allow for the full-surface visualization and measurement of continuous shear stress vector distributions. The objective of the present research was to investigate application of the SSLCC method through a transparent test surface. In this new back-light/back-view mode, the exposed surface of the SSLCC would be subjected to aerodynamic shear stress while the contact surface between the SSLCC and the solid, transparent wall would be illuminated and viewed in the same geometrical arrangement as applied in conventional applications. It was unknown at the outset whether or not color-change responses would be observable from the contact surface of the SSLCC, and, if seen, how these color-change responses might relate to those observed in standard practice.

Reda, Daniel C.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Process strategies for recovery of sugars, lipids, and lignin from oilcane bagasse using natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES)

Sugarcane is being enhanced as a bioenergy crop by engineering it to accumulate and store lipids along with polymeric sugars in vegetative tissues. However, there is no existing process that allows for processing this new crop to recover both lipid and cellulosic sugars from the oilcane bagasse. Therefore, a comprehensive investi- gation of two pretreatment methods—natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) and chemical-free hydrothermal pretreatment (HT) was conducted to judge their suitability for recovering fermentable sugars, lipids, and lignin from bagasse. Two NADES, i.e., choline chloride: lactic acid (ChCl:LA) and betaine: lactic acid (BT:LA) were prepared using a 1:2 M ratio and were evaluated for pretreatment of oilcane bagasse at 10, 20, and 50 % (w/w) solids, followed by enzymatic hydrolysis at 10 % (w/w) solids. Notably, ChCl:LA NADES treatment at 10 % (w/ w) solids at 140 °C for 2 h, solubilized 78.8 % of lignin and 80.4 % of hemicellulose and allowed 82.7 % enzymatic conversion of glucans to glucose. In contrast, HT pretreatment removed approximately 87.6 % of the hemicellulose and provided an enzymatic glucose yield of 69.7 %. Furthermore, ChCl:LA operated at 50 % solids loading the enriched lipids 2.6-fold (9.2 wt%) in recovered solids compared to HT (6.4 %) and BT:LA (5.1 %) pretreatment processes. NMR-HSQC and GPC analysis showed that ChCl:LA also cleaved the most lignin β–O–4 linkages and demonstrated lower molecular weight compared to HT. As a result, this study demonstrates that NADES pretreatment is an effective green processing method for recovering lipids, sugars, and lignin from bioenergy crops at high solid loading (50 % w/w) within the context of an integrated biorefinery.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2018

The evolution of the M1 local structure during preparation of VMoNbTeO catalysts for ethane oxidative dehydrogenation to ethylene

The so-called M1 phase (the common formula (TeO) x (Mo, V, Nb) 5 O 14 ) is a very promising catalyst for ethane oxidative dehydrogenation (ODE). It shows 90% selectivity to ethylene at 78% ethane conversion (400 °C, contact time – 5.5 s). The active crystal structure is formed under certain synthetic conditions in VMoNbTe mixed oxides. This paper is devoted to the analysis of how the local and average structure of the M1 phase is developed during the synthesis and what happens at particular synthetic steps. The analysis of the local structure was performed using the EXAFS and pair distribution function (PDF) methods. The EXAFS analysis of the initial VMoTe water solution and VMoNbTe slurry showed that Anderson-type heteropoly anions are formed in the solution and are preserved after fast spray-drying of the slurry. Nb cations do not enter the structure of the polyanions, but form an extended hydrated oxide matrix, where distorted NbO 6 and NbO 7 polyhedrons are connected to each other. The hydrated oxide matrix with captured polyanions provides the compositional homogeneity of the precursor. The distances in the second coordination shell are redistributed after thermal treatment at 310 °C. After being heated at T > 350°, the local structure of the M1 phase is organized and pentagonal domains are formed. These domains consist of a NbO 7 pentagonal bipyramid and five MeO 6 adjacent octahedra (Me = Mo, V). In the first stages, the building blocks are stacked along the [001] direction. The crystallization process results in the connection of the pentagonal domains to the extended polygonal grid. The formation of the regular grid with TeO x containing channels is accompanied by the increase in ethane conversion and ethylene selectivity of the catalysts.

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

α- and β-CoNi binary hydroxides nanostructures: Synthesis, characterization, and application as heterogeneous catalysts

The aim of this study is to show that α- and β-CoNi binary hydroxides nanostructures can be used as heterogeneous catalysts in the oxidation of benzyl alcohol, N-formylation of aniline, and the Claisen–Schmidt condensation. The catalysts were synthesized by hydrothermal method and characterized by XRD, FE-SEM/EDX, FT-IR, TGA, UV–vis and N{sub 2} adsorption-desorption techniques. The α-phase is similar to layered double hydroxide (LDH), while β-phase is isostructural with brucite. In all of the three reactions, the conversion enhanced by increasing the amount of catalysts from 10 to 30 mg, and the catalytic activity of α-phase was better than β-phase. In benzyl alcohol oxidation, the best conversion for α- and β-phases was 90% and 80%, respectively, under solvent-free conditions. In N-formylation, the best yield for both catalysts was obtained 95% in solvent-free conditions. However, the time required for α-phase to reach this amount was a quarter of that for β-phase. For the Claisen–Schmidt condensation, the best yield was obtained at 90 °C, which was 70% and 50% for α- and β-CoNi binary hydroxides, respectively. Both catalysts were stable and subsequent to each step of recovery and reuse, no significant loss in activity was observed.

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

Photocatalytic reduction of CO2 using CdS nanorods on porous anodic alumina support

Highlights: • Commercial grade quality of aluminum foil was used to fabricate uniformly ordered PAA. • A more compassionate method of SILAR was adopted for synthesis on CdS on PAA. • Photocatalytic reduction of CO{sub 2} was carried on flat sheet reactor with mirror reflectors, which proves to be a potential candidate for large scale application. • Enhanced photocatalytic reduction of CO{sub 2} was obtained, when CdS was retained along the pore wall of the support. - Abstract: Solar reduction of CO{sub 2} to valuable chemicals has captured attention of several researchers due to its cumulative effect on reduction of global warming and also as an alternative to fossil fuels. Hexagonally ordered porous anodic alumina (PAA), prepared from commercial aluminium foil, was used as a support for CdS photocatalyst due to its unique honeycomb structure. The CdS nanorods were vertically grown on the PAA template by successive ion layer adsorption reaction (SILAR) method. The photocatalytic reduction of CO{sub 2} by CdS to CH{sub 3}OH was investigated using a flat sheet reactor under 10 W LED lamp. A peak CH{sub 3}OH formation at 144.5 μmol/g/h with 45.4% of photocatalytic efficiency and 1.97% of CO{sub 2} conversion efficiency in a single pass were obtained.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2019

Incorporation of spatially-resolved current density measurements with photoluminescence for advanced parameter imaging of solar cells

The spatial distribution of device performance parameters of solar cells provides important insight into their operation, including the type and magnitude of conversion losses and potential areas of improvement. In most of the procedures used to create these parameter images, a uniform (i.e., global) short-circuit current density (J SC ) is usually assumed. However, J SC is known to vary over the surface of a solar cell, especially in polycrystalline absorber materials like multicrystalline silicon. In this work, a high speed quantum efficiency measurement rastered over the surface of a solar cell is used to obtain images of J SC . These J SC images are then used to calculate images of series resistance, dark saturation current density, fill factor, and conversion efficiency. Comparisons are made between the images created with a global J SC and with the spatially-resolved J SC . Negligible variation is observed in the series resistance and dark saturation current density images, but a drastic change is observed in the efficiency images between these two methods.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Size Dependent Optical Properties and Structure of ZnS Nanocrystals Prepared from a Library of Thioureas

Here, ZnS nanocrystals (λ max (1S e -1S 3/2h ) = 260 - 320 nm, d = 1.7 - 10.0 nm) are synthesized from Zn(O 2 CR) 2 (O 2 CR = tetra-decanoate, oleate and 2-hexyldecanoate), N,N'-disubstituted and N,N',N'-trisubstituted thioureas, and P,P,N-trisubstituted phos-phanecarbothioamides. The influence of precursor substitution, ligand sterics, and reaction temperature on the final nanocrystal size were evaluated. By using saturated hydrocarbon solvents and saturated aliphatic carboxylate ligands, polymeric byproducts could be avoided and pure ZnS nanocrystals isolated. Elevated temperatures, slower precursor conversion reactivity and branched zinc 2-hexyldecanoate yield the largest ZnS nanocrystals. Carefully purified zinc carboxylate, rapidly converting precursors, and cooling the synthesis mixture following complete precursor conversion provide quasi spherical nanocrystals with the narrowest shape dispersity. Nanocrystal sizes were measured using pair distribution function (PDF) analysis of X-ray scattering and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and plotted versus the energy of their first excitonic optical absorption. The resulting empirical relationship provides a useful method to characterize the nanocrystal size from 1.7-4.0 nm using optical absorption spectroscopy.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2022

Probing topological phase transitions using high-harmonic generation

We report the prediction and realization of topological insulators have sparked great interest in experimental approaches to the classification of materials. The phase transition between non-trivial and trivial topological states is important, not only for basic materials science but also for next-generation technology, such as dissipation-free electronics. It is therefore crucial to develop advanced probes that are suitable for a wide range of samples and environments. Here we demonstrate that circularly polarized laser-field-driven high-harmonic generation is distinctly sensitive to the non-trivial and trivial topological phases in the prototypical three-dimensional topological insulator bismuth selenide. The phase transition is chemically initiated by reducing the spin–orbit interaction strength through the substitution of bismuth with indium atoms. We find strikingly different high-harmonic responses of trivial and non-trivial topological surface states that manifest themselves as a conversion efficiency and elliptical dichroism that depend both on the driving laser ellipticity and the crystal orientation. The origins of the anomalous high-harmonic response are corroborated by calculations using the semiconductor optical Bloch equations with pairs of surface and bulk bands. As a purely optical approach, this method offers sensitivity to the electronic structure of the material, including its nonlinear response, and is compatible with a wide range of samples and sample environments.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2018

PEDOT:PSS-based Multilayer Bacterial-Composite Films for Bioelectronics

Abstract Microbial electrochemical systems provide an environmentally-friendly means of energy conversion between chemical and electrical forms, with applications in wastewater treatment, bioelectronics, and biosensing. However, a major challenge to further development, miniaturization, and deployment of bioelectronics and biosensors is the limited thickness of biofilms, necessitating large anodes to achieve sufficient signal-to-noise ratios. Here we demonstrate a method for embedding an electroactive bacterium, Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, inside a conductive three-dimensional poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) matrix electropolymerized on a carbon felt substrate, which we call a multilayer conductive bacterial-composite film (MCBF). By mixing the bacteria with the PEDOT:PSS precursor in a flow-through method, we maintain over 90% viability of S. oneidensis during encapsulation. Microscopic analysis of the MCBFs reveal a tightly interleaved structure of bacteria and conductive PEDOT:PSS up to 80 µm thick. Electrochemical experiments indicate S. oneidensis in MCBFs can perform both direct and riboflavin-mediated electron transfer to PEDOT:PSS. When used in bioelectrochemical reactors, the MCBFs produce 20 times more steady-state current than native biofilms grown on unmodified carbon felt. This versatile approach to control the thickness of bacterial composite films and increase their current output has immediate applications in microbial electrochemical systems, including field-deployable environmental sensing and direct integration of microorganisms into miniaturized organic electronics.

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

Ultrafast conformational dynamics of Rydberg-excited N -methyl piperidine

We have observed the ultrafast conformational dynamics of electronically excited N-methyl piperidine (NMP) using time-resolved Rydberg fingerprint spectroscopy. Optical excitation at various wavelengths ranging from 212 nm to 229 nm leads to the 3s or 3p Rydberg states and induces coherent oscillatory motions with periods of about 700 fs. Furthermore, these coherent motions survive the internal conversion from 3p to 3s but then dephase on a time scale of a few oscillations. Intramolecular vibrational energy redistribution on a picosecond time scale leads to an equilibrium between two conformeric structures that are separated in binding energy by 0.09 eV. Model calculations using the DFT-SIC method are in excellent agreement with the experiments and identify the conformers as the chair and twist structures of NMP. The analysis of the equilibrium parameters at long time delays as a function of excitation wavelength allows for the extraction of thermodynamic parameters for the conformeric transformation. We derive an enthalpy of the chair to twist reaction in the 3s excited state of 62 meV with an entropy of 19.70 J mol –1 K –1 . An activation energy of 276 meV is also obtained with a kinetic model.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Differential Power Processing for Ultra-Efficient Data Storage

Here this paper presents the hardware, software, and power codesign of an ultra-efficient data storage server with differential power processing (DPP). DPP can reduce the power conversion stress, improve the efficiency, and enhance the functionality of modular power electronics systems. The power inputs of a large number of hard disk drives (HDDs) were connected in series and supported by a multiport ac-coupled differential power processing (MAC-DPP) converter through a multiwinding transformer. Methods for controlling the multi-input multi-output power flow in the multiwinding transformer while avoiding core saturation were investigated. A ten-port MAC-DPP prototype with 700-W/in 3 power density was built to support a 450-W HDD storage system with ten series-stacked voltage domains. The prototype was tested on a 50-HDD server testbench, and the overall system loss is below 1 W (99.77% system efficiency). The server was able to maintain high-speed reading and writing operation of all 50 HDDs against the worst hot-swapping scenarios. A variety of hardware/software configurations and many cloud storage techniques were tested on the fully functioning server. Experimental results show that the energy efficiency of large-scale information systems (CPU/GPU clusters, memory banks, HDD arrays, etc.) can be greatly improved by software, hardware, and power codesign.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2019

Controlling for Survey Effort Is Worth the Effort: Comparing Bottlenose Dolphin ( Tursiops truncatus ) Habitat Use Between Standardized and Opportunistic Photographic-Identification Surveys

Although opportunistic data collected from wildlife ecotours can provide useful information on marine mammal distribution and behavior, concerns exist about whether resultant analyses have diminished accuracy due to spatial bias. To address these concerns, this study compared common bottlenose dolphin ( Tursiops truncatus ) habitat use results derived from standardized boat-based photographic-identification surveys and opportunistic photographic-identification surveys conducted during wildlife ecotours in Roanoke Sound, North Carolina. The main objectives of this study were to (1) identify areas of importance to dolphins, (2) identify activities (feed, mill, social, and travel) most often observed in these areas, and (3) determine the consistency of habitat use results between standardized and opportunistic surveys. Standardized survey hot spots for feeding and travel were located in southern Roanoke Sound according to the hot spot (Getis-Ord Gi*) spatial statistic. Conversely, opportunistic survey hot spots for feeding and travel were detected in central Roanoke Sound near the wildlife ecotour launch site. Opportunistic survey effort was concentrated around the ecotour launch site which introduced spatial bias by overestimating dolphin density in this area. These hot spot location differences between survey methods indicate that opportunistic survey results are affected by spatial bias which can lead to inaccurate conclusions about dolphin habitat use. Hot spot results of standardized data without survey effort supported the conclusion that spatial bias affected opportunistic habitat use results. Furthermore this study provides a direct comparison of standardized and opportunistic datasets and demonstrates the importance of controlling for survey effort when examining marine mammal distribution and habitat use.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1990

Conversion of piston-driven shocks from powerful solar flares to blast waves in the solar wind

Published observational data on 39 combined type-II/type-IV solar radio bursts from the period 1972-1982 are analyzed, with a focus on the potential use of the type-IV burst duration to predict the time of arrival at earth of piston-driven shock waves (extending and modifying the prediction method proposed by Smart and Shea, 1985). The data and analysis results are presented in tables and graphs and characterized in detail. It is found that a typical shock of this type leaves the solar flare at velocity 1560 km/sec and continues for a distance of 0.12 AU, decelerates as it is convected by the solar wind, and has a travel time of about 48.5 h. The mean deviation between predicted and measured arrival times is 1.40 h, with standard deviation 1.25 h.

Pinter, S.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Time-Dependent Traveling Wave Tube Model for Intersymbol Interference Investigations

For the first time, a computational model has been used to provide a direct description of the effects of the traveling wave tube (TWT) on modulated digital signals. The TWT model comprehensively takes into account the effects of frequency dependent AM/AM and AM/PM conversion, gain and phase ripple; drive-induced oscillations; harmonic generation; intermodulation products; and backward waves. Thus, signal integrity can be investigated in the presence of these sources of potential distortion as a function of the physical geometry of the high power amplifier and the operational digital signal. This method promises superior predictive fidelity compared to methods using TWT models based on swept-amplitude and/or swept-frequency data. The fully three-dimensional (3D), time-dependent, TWT interaction model using the electromagnetic code MAFIA is presented. This model is used to investigate assumptions made in TWT black-box models used in communication system level simulations. In addition, digital signal performance, including intersymbol interference (ISI), is compared using direct data input into the MAFIA model and using the system level analysis tool, SPW.

Kory, Carol L.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Intersymbol Interference Investigations Using a 3D Time-Dependent Traveling Wave Tube Model

For the first time, a physics based computational model has been used to provide a direct description of the effects of the TWT (Traveling Wave Tube) on modulated digital signals. The TWT model comprehensively takes into account the effects of frequency dependent AM/AM and AM/PM conversion; gain and phase ripple; drive-induced oscillations; harmonic generation; intermodulation products; and backward waves. Thus, signal integrity can be investigated in the presence of these sources of potential distortion as a function of the physical geometry of the high power amplifier and the operational digital signal. This method promises superior predictive fidelity compared to methods using TWT models based on swept amplitude and/or swept frequency data. The fully three-dimensional (3D), time-dependent, TWT interaction model using the electromagnetic code MAFIA is presented. This model is used to investigate assumptions made in TWT black box models used in communication system level simulations. In addition, digital signal performance, including intersymbol interference (ISI), is compared using direct data input into the MAFIA model and using the system level analysis tool, SPW (Signal Processing Worksystem).

Kory, Carol L.↗