Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Particle Size Distribution”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,747 records · Page 97
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2016

The effect of acid treatment on the reactivity of natural zeolites used as supplementary cementitious materials

This work investigated the use of acid treatment as a method for increasing the reactivity of natural zeolite used as a supplementary cementitious material. The effects of treating a natural clinoptilolite zeolite with nine acid solutions, 0.1 M, 0.5 M, or 1 M hydrochloric or nitric acid or 0.1 M, 0.5 M, or 0.87 M acetic acid, were measured using x-ray diffraction, particle size analysis, pore size distribution and surface area analysis. The zeolite pozzolanic reactivity was determined by measuring the quantity of portlandite in hydrated zeolite-cement paste after 28 and 90 days. Results showed that acid treatment increased zeolite surface area, resulting in increased zeolite pozzolanic reactivity, independent of the solution concentration used. Cement hydration was also increased, evidenced by greater rates of heat evolution from cement-zeolite pastes. Additionally, although reductions of portlandite occurred most quickly in pastes with zeolites treated with strong acids, by 90 days the zeolites treated with acetic acid solutions showed comparable portlandite reductions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Simultaneous imaging of two-phase velocities in particle-laden flows by two-color optical phase discrimination

In this Letter, we present a particle image/tracking velocimetry (PIV/PTV) technique for simultaneous velocity measurement of both fluid and particle phases, adopting newly developed optical phase discrimination methods and novel optical particles. Spherical acrylic (PMMA) particles of diameter ∼ <#comment/> O ( 100 µ <#comment/> m ) were used as the particle phase, while fine B A M : E u 2 + phosphors of diameter ∼ <#comment/> O ( 1 µ <#comment/> m ) were used as the fluid tracer. Under Nd:YAG 355 nm laser excitation, both the laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) from PMMA and laser-induced phosphorescence (LIP) from B A M : E u 2 + provided sufficiently strong signals for PIV imaging with two non-intensified cameras and were clearly separable for phase discrimination using spectral filters and temporal profiles. The advantages of the PIV/PTV method include the relatively low cost of B A M : E u 2 + phosphors, high sphericity and narrow size distribution of PMMA particles with LIF emission, and direct optical discrimination eliminating artifacts, while requiring much less computational capacity for PIV/PTV processing of complex particle-laden flows.

Bi, Xiaopeng (ORCID:0000000190847325)↗
DOE OSTI2020

The Role of Ice Splintering on Microphysics of Deep Convective Clouds Forming Under Different Aerosol Conditions: Simulations Using the Model With Spectral Bin Microphysics

Observations during the Ice in Clouds Experiment-Tropical (ICE-T) field experiment show that the ice particles concentration in a developing deep convective clouds at the level of T = -15 °C reached about 500 L -1 , that is, many orders higher than that of ice-nucleating particle. To simulate microphysics of these clouds, the 2-D Hebrew University Cloud model (HUCM) with spectral bin microphysics was used in which two main types of ice multiplication mechanisms were included in addition to the Hallet-Mossop mechanism. In the first ice multiplication mechanism ice splinters form by drop freezing and drop-ice collisions. Ice multiplication of this type dominates during developing stage of cloud evolution, when liquid water content is significant. At later stage when clouds become nearly glaciated, ice crystals are produced largely by ice splintering during ice-ice collisions (the second ice multiplication mechanism). Simulations show that droplet size distributions, as well as size distributions of ice particles, agree well with the measurements during ICE-T. Simulations with different cloud condensation nuclei concentrations show the existence of the “optimum” cloud condensation nuclei concentration (or droplet concentration), at which concentration of ice splinters reaches maximum. In these simulations ice nucleation caused by the direct formation of ice crystals upon ice-nucleating particles, as well as the Hallett-Mossop process, has a negligible contribution to the ice crystal concentration.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1982

The Halley dust model

The properties of dust ejecta from Comet Halley are studied on the basis of (a) evidence from the comet's past apparitions and (b) analogy with recent, physically similar comets. Specifically discussed are the light curve and spectrum, discrete phenomena in the head, the physical properties of the nucleus (size, albedo, rotation, surface temperature, and morphology), and an interaction between the nucleus and dust atmosphere. Also reviewed are constraints on the size and mass distributions of dust particles, information on submicron-size and submillimeter-size grains from the comet's dust tail and antitail, and the apparent existence of more than one particle type. Similarities between the jet patterns of Halley and the parent comet of the Perseid meteor stream are depicted, and effects of the surface heterogeneity (discrete active regions) on the dust flow are assessed. Current dust models for Halley are summarized and the existence of short-term variations in the dust content in the comet's atmosphere is suggested.

Sekanina, Z.↗
DOE OSTI2011

Weighted Flow Algorithms (WFA) for stochastic particle coagulation

Stochastic particle-resolved methods are a useful way to compute the time evolution of the multi-dimensional size distribution of atmospheric aerosol particles. An effective approach to improve the efficiency of such models is the use of weighted computational particles. Here we introduce particle weighting functions that are power laws in particle size to the recently-developed particle-resolved model PartMC-MOSAIC and present the mathematical formalism of these Weighted Flow Algorithms (WFA) for particle coagulation and growth. We apply this to an urban plume scenario that simulates a particle population undergoing emission of different particle types, dilution, coagulation and aerosol chemistry along a Lagrangian trajectory. We quantify the performance of the Weighted Flow Algorithm for number and mass-based quantities of relevance for atmospheric sciences applications.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2014

Enhanced magnetic behavior, exchange bias effect, and dielectric property of BiFeO{sub 3} incorporated in (BiFeO{sub 3}){sub 0.50} (Co{sub 0.4}Zn{sub 0.4}Cu{sub 0.2} Fe{sub 2}O{sub 4}){sub 0.5} nanocomposite

Nanoparticles of BiFeO{sub 3} (BFO) are incorporated in the nanocomposite of (BiFeO{sub 3}){sub 0.50} (Co{sub 0.4}Zn{sub 0.4}Cu{sub 0.2} Fe{sub 2}O{sub 4}){sub 0.5}, (BFO-CZCF) and these are prepared by chemical route. The formation of pure crystallographic phase of each component (BFO and CZCF) in the nanocomposite of BFO-CZCF has been confirmed by Rietveld analysis of the X-ray diffractograms using FULLPROF program. Morphology, average particle size and its distribution, crystallographic phase etc. are obtained from the high-resolution transmission electron microscopy of BFO-CZCF. Magnetic measurements of BFO-CZCF have been carried out to explore the modulation of magnetic behavior of BFO in BFO-CZCF. Interestingly, magnetization of BFO-CZCF has been drastically enhanced compared to that of the pristine BFO. An exchange bias effect is also observed in the M vs. H loops of BFO-CZCF recorded in field cooled and zero field cooled conditions, which suggest that nanoparticles of BFO (AFM) are encapsulated by nanoparticles of CZCF (FM) in BFO-CZCF. Thermal variation of dielectric constant of BFO-CZCF is recorded in the range of 300 to 1073 K and a ferroelectric to paraelectric transition is observed at ∼728 K. Enhanced magnetic property of BFO would quite interesting for this important multiferroic.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Understanding and control of Zener pinning via phase field and ensemble learning

Zener pinning refers to the dispersion of fine particles which influences grain size distribution via movement of grain boundaries in a polycrystalline material. Grain size distribution in polycrystals has a significant impact on their properties including physical, chemical, mechanical, and optical to name a few. We explore the use of Phase-field modeling and machine-learning techniques to understand and improve the control of grain size distribution via Zener pinning in polycrystalline materials. We develop a machine learning model that determines the relative importance of various parameters to exercise microstructure control via Zener pinning. Our workflow combines high-throughput phase-field simulations and machine learning to address the computational bottlenecks associated with large-scale simulations as well as identify features necessary for microstructure control in polycrystals. A random forest (RF) regression model was developed to predict grain sizes based on five Phase-field model parameters, achieving an average prediction error of 0.72 nm for the training data and 1.44 nm for the test data. The importance of the input parameters is analyzed using the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) approach which reveals that diffusivity, volume fraction, and particle diameter are the most important parameters in determining the final grain size. These findings will allow us to select the best second-phase particles, optimize grain size distributions and thus design microstructures with the desired properties. The developed method is a highly versatile and generalizable approach that can be used to assess the combined effects of individual features in the presence of multiple variables.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1992

Extinction and scattering in the Orion Nebula - Comparison of optical and VLA 21 centimeter studies

We have compared VLA 21 cm continuum maps of M42 with extinction-corrected H-beta images and found that much of M42 has an excess of H-beta surface brightness. This is interpreted as reflection by particles lying close to the principal ionization front. Comparison of column densities of H I near M42 and extinction (C(H-beta)) indicates an excellent area-by-area correlation, establishing that most of the extinction in M42 arises in the neutral lid that lies on the near side of the nebula. A more quantitative comparison of (C(H-beta)) and N(H I), the column density, is consistent with this conclusion and indicates a dust scattering cross section per hydrogen atom that is similar to the value for the general interstellar medium. The usual model for extinction in the Trapezium region is that it occurs very near the stars and produces an anomalous reddening curve through modification of the nature or size distribution of the particles. These new results question the basic assumptions and conclusions of that model.

O'Dell, C. R.↗
DOE OSTI2014

Multiphase flow simulations of a moving fluidized bed regenerator in a carbon capture unit

To accelerate the commercialization and deployment of carbon capture technologies, computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-based tools may be used to model and analyze the performance of carbon capture devices. This work presents multiphase CFD-based flow simulations for the regeneration device responsible for extracting CO 2 from CO 2 -loaded sorbent particles before the particles are recycled. The use of solid particle sorbents in this design is a departure from previously reported systems, where aqueous sorbents are employed. Another new feature is the inclusion of a series of perforated plates along the regenerator height. The influence of these plates on sorbent distribution is examined for varying sorbent holdup, fluidizing gas velocity, and particle size. The residence time distribution of sorbents is also measured to classify the low regime as plug flow or well-mixed flow. The purpose of this work is to better understand the sorbent flow characteristics before reaction kinetics of CO 2 desorption can be implemented.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
DOE OSTI2021

Towards replacing physical testing of granular materials with a Topology-based Model

In the study of packed granular materials, the performance of a sample (e.g., the detonation of a high-energy explosive) often correlates to measurements of a fluid flowing through it. The “effective surface area,” the surface area accessible to the airflow, is typically measured using a permeametry apparatus that relates the flow conductance to the permeable surface area via the Carman-Kozeny equation. This equation allows calculating the flow rate of a fluid flowing through the granules packed in the sample for a given pressure drop. However, Carman-Kozeny makes inherent assumptions about tunnel shapes and flow paths that may not accurately hold in situations where the particles possess a wide distribution in shapes, sizes, and aspect ratios, as is true with many powdered systems of technological and commercial interest. To address this challenge, we replicate these measurements virtually on micro-CT images of the powdered material, introducing a new Pore Network Model based on the skeleton of the Morse-Smale complex. Pores are identified as basins of the complex, their incidence encodes adjacency, and the conductivity of the capillary between them is computed from the cross-section at their interface. We build and solve a resistive network to compute an approximate laminar fluid flow through the pore structure. Here, we provide two means of estimating flow-permeable surface area: (i) by direct computation of conductivity, and (ii) by identifying dead-ends in the flow coupled with isosurface extraction and the application of the Carman-Kozeny equation, with the aim of establishing consistency over a range of particle shapes, sizes, porosity levels, and void distribution patterns.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS2012

Improvement of Aerosol Optical Depth Retrieval from MODIS Spectral Reflectance over the Global Ocean Using New Aerosol Models Archived from AERONET Inversion Data and Tri-axial Ellipsoidal Dust Database

New over-ocean aerosol models are developed by integrating the inversion data from the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) sun/sky radiometers with a database for the optical properties of tri-axial ellipsoid particles. The new aerosol models allow more accurate retrieval of aerosol optical depth (AOD) from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) in the case of high AOD (AOD greater than 0.3). The aerosol models are categorized by using the fine-mode fraction (FMF) at 550 nm and the singlescattering albedo (SSA) at 440 nm from the AERONET inversion data to include a variety of aerosol types found around the globe. For each aerosol model, the changes in the aerosol optical properties (AOPs) as functions of AOD are considered to better represent aerosol characteristics. Comparisons of AODs between AERONET and MODIS for the period from 2003 to 2010 show that the use of the new aerosol models enhances the AOD accuracy with a Pearson coefficient of 0.93 and a regression slope of 0.99 compared to 0.92 and 0.85 calculated using the MODIS Collection 5 data. Moreover, the percentage of data within an expected error of +/-(0.03 + 0.05xAOD) is increased from 62 percent to 64 percent for overall data and from 39 percent to 51 percent for AOD greater than 0.3. Errors in the retrieved AOD are further characterized with respect to the Angstrom exponent (AE), scattering angle, SSA, and air mass factor (AMF). Due to more realistic AOPs assumptions, the new algorithm generally reduces systematic errors in the retrieved AODs compared with the current operational algorithm. In particular, the underestimation of fine-dominated AOD and the scattering angle dependence of dust-dominated AOD are significantly mitigated as results of the new algorithm's improved treatment of aerosol size distribution and dust particle nonsphericity.

aerosol optical depth↗
NASA NTRS1993

Micrometeoroids and debris on LDEF

Two experiments within the French Cooperative Payload (FRECOPA) and devoted to the detection of cosmic dust were flown on the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF). A variety of sensors and collecting devices have made possible the study of impact processes on dedicated sensors and on materials of technological interest. Examination of hypervelocity impact features on these experiments gives valuable information on the size distribution and nature of interplanetary dust particles in low-Earth orbit (LEO), within the 0.5-300 micrometer size range. However no crater smaller than 1.5 microns has been observed, thus suggesting a cut-off in the near Earth particle distribution. Chemical investigation of craters by EDX clearly shows evidence of elements (Na, Mg, Si, S, Ca, and Fe) consistent with cosmic origin. However, remnants of orbital debris have been found in a few craters; this can be the result of particles in eccentric orbits about the Earth and of the 8 deg offset in the orientation of LDEF. Crater size distribution is compared with results from other dust experiments flown on LDEF and with current models. Possible origin and orbital evolution of micrometeoroids is discussed. Use of thin foil detectors for the chemical study of particle remnants looks promising for future experiments.

Mandeville, Jean-Claude↗
NASA NTRS2015

Using Dust from Asteroids as Regolith Microsamples

Meteorite science is rich with compositional indicators by which we classify parent bodies, but few sample groups are definitively linked with asteroid spectra. More robust links need to be forged between meteorites and their parent bodies to understand the composition, diversity and distribution. A major link can be sample analysis of the parent body material and comparison with meteorite data. Hayabusa, the first sample return mission of the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), was developed to rendezvous with and collect samples from asteroid Itokawa and return them to Earth. Thousands of sub-100 micron particles were recovered, apparently introduced during the spacecraft impact into the surface of the asteroid, linking the asteroid Itokawa to LL chondrites [1]. Upcoming missions Hayabusa 2 and OSIRIS-REx will collect more significant sample masses from asteroids. In all these cases, the samples are or will be a collection of regolith particles. Sample return to earth is not the only method for regolith particle analysis. Dust is present around all airless bodies, generated by micrometeorite impact into their airless surfaces, which in turn lofts regolith particles into a "cloud" around the body. The composition, flux, and size-frequency distribution of dust particles can provide significant insight into the geological evolution of airless bodies [2]. For example, the Cassini Cosmic Dust Analyzer (CDA) detected salts in Enceladus' icy plume material, providing evidence for a subsurface ocean in contact with a silicate seafloor [3]. Similar instruments have flown on the Rosetta, LADEE, and Stardust missions. Such an instrument may be of great use in obtaining the elemental, isotopic and mineralogical composition measurement of dust particles originating from asteroids without returning the samples to terrestrial laboratories. We investigated the ability of a limited sample analysis capability using a dust instrument to forge links between asteroid regolith particles and known meteorite groups. We further set limits on the number of individual particles statistically needed to robustly reproduce a bulk composition.

microsamples↗
DOE OSTI2023

Composite Lithium Metal Structure to Mitigate Pulverization and Enable Long‐Life Batteries

In lithium metal batteries, non‐uniform stripping of lithium results in pit formation, which promotes subsequent non‐uniform, dendritic deposition. This viscous cycle leads to pulverization of lithium which promotes cell shorting or capacity degradation, symptoms further exaggerated by high electrode areal loading and lean electrolytes. Here, to address this challenge, a composite lithium metal anode is engineered that contains uniformly distributed, nanometer‐sized carbon particles. This composite lithium is shown to strip more uniformly since the growth of non‐uniform pits is intercepted by the carbon particles. This mechanism is corroborated by a continuum electrochemical model. Subsequent lithium deposition on carbon particles is also found to be more uniform than on the surface with irregular pits. Notably, the pulverization rate of composite lithium is 26 times slower than that of commercial lithium. Moreover, in a Li‐S battery with sulfurized polyacrylonitrile cathode, the use of the composite anode extends the cycle life by three times when the areal capacity is 8 mAh cm −2 . The approach of using an engineered lithium composite structure to address challenges during both stripping and plating can inform future designs of lithium metal anodes for high areal capacity operations.

high areal capacity↗
DOE OSTI2016

Processing and consolidation of copper/tungsten

Here, we developed a copper/tungsten (Cu/W) composite for mesoscale Materials Science applications using the novel High-Energy Diffraction Microscopy (HEDM) technique. Argon-atomized copper powder was selected as the starting raw powder and screened to remove the extremely large particle fraction. Tungsten particles were collected by milling and screening the -325 mesh tungsten powder between 500 and 635 mesh sieves. Hot pressing of screened Cu powder was performed at 900 °C in Ar/4 %H 2 atmosphere. XRD and ICP results show that the hot-pressed Cu sample consists of about 5 vol% Cu 2 O, which is caused by the presence of oxygen on the surface of the starting Cu powder. Hot pressing the copper powder in a pure hydrogen atmosphere was successful in removing most of the surface oxygen. Our process was also implemented for hot pressing the Cu/W composite. The density of the Cu/W composites hot pressed at 950 °C in pure hydrogen was about 94 % of the theoretical density (TD). The hot-pressed Cu/W composites were further hot isostatic pressed at 1050 °C in argon atmosphere, which results in 99.6 % of the TD with the designed Cu grain size and W particle distribution. Tensile specimens with D-notch were machined using the wire EDM method. Furthermore, the processing and consolidation of these materials will be discussed in detail. The HEDM images are also showed and discussed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Uncertainty quantification and optimization of precipitating hydrometeor parameters for winter precipitation in a cloud microphysics scheme

The precipitating hydrometeor parameters used in cloud microphysics schemes carry inherent uncertainties. The quantification of these uncertainties, together with parameter optimization, can significantly improve precipitation forecasts. This study investigates the effects of 13 parameters in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Double-Moment 6-class (WDM6) microphysics scheme, which define the hydrometeor characteristics such as fall velocity–diameter and mass–diameter relationships, as well as the shape parameter of the drop size distribution for precipitating particles such as rain, snow, and graupel on simulated winter precipitation. A comparison between the model's pre-defined parameters and observations from the International Collaborative Experiments for the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic winter games (ICE-POP 2018) field campaign reveals that the fall velocity–diameter relationship for rain, the mass–diameter relationships for snow and graupel, and the shape parameters for all precipitating particles in the WDM6 scheme deviate from the median values observed by the two-dimensional video disdrometer (2DVD). To quantify parameter sensitivities, a perturbed parameter ensemble (PPE) of 256 simulations was conducted within parameter ranges constrained by 2DVD observations for three winter precipitation cases. Bayesian optimization was then applied to identify parameter sets that minimized the root mean square error (RMSE) for each case, achieving reductions of up to 30.2 %. These results demonstrate that ensemble-based uncertainty quantification and parameter optimization can help identify key parameters and provide a pathway to improving precipitation simulation performance. In addition, measurement sites can be strategically selected based on regions that show high sensitivity to variations in hydrometeor characteristic parameters.

Bayesian optimization↗