Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Capacitance”

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 19 records

Adsorption and capacitive regeneration of nitrate using inverted capacitive deionization with surfactant functionalized carbon electrodes [Nitrate removal using inverted capacitive deionization with surfactant-treated electrodes]

Nitrate is a pollutant present in groundwater worldwide. Several techniques are available to remove nitrate from water, but they are difficult to automate in remote settings or require chemicals for treatment for regeneration. Here, we demonstrate the use of two surfactant-treated high surface area porous electrodes for passive adsorption of nitrate followed by electrical regeneration. In order to generate the surface charge driving adsorption, we functionalized the active electrode (cathode) and capacitive counter electrode (anode) with cetrimonium bromide (CTAB) and sodium dodecyl benzene sulphonate (SDBS), respectively. We find voltage applied during regeneration is directly proportional to the subsequent available adsorption capacity at short circuit. In a recent preliminary work, we used a Faradaic counter electrode, and here, we compare both studies in terms of energy-normalized adsorbed salt (ENAS)—a measure of energy efficiency—and average salt adsorption rate (ASAR). Lastly, we show that capacitive counter electrode used in this work increases ENAS by two orders of magnitude, while maintaining a similar ASAR.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Nitrogen-enriched ordered mesoporous carbons through direct pyrolysis in ammonia with enhanced capacitive performance

Self-assembly of phenolic resins and a Pluronic block copolymer via the soft-template method enables the formation of well-organized polymeric mesostructures, providing an easy way for preparation of ordered mesoporous carbons (OMCs). However, direct synthesis of OMCs with high nitrogen content remains a significant challenge due to the limited availability of nitrogen precursors capable of co-polymerizing with phenolic resins without deterioration of the order of mesostructural arrangement and significant diminishment of nitrogen content during carbonization. In this work, we demonstrate pyrolysis of the soft-templated polymeric composites in ammonia as a direct, facile way towards nitrogen-enriched OMCs (N-OMCs). We find thisapproach does not require any nitrogen-containing carbon precursors or post-treatment, but takes advantage of the preferential reaction and/or replacement of oxygen with nitrogen species, generated by decomposition of ammonia at elevated temperatures, in oxygen-rich polymers during pyrolysis. It combines carbonization, nitrogen functionalization, and activation into one simple process, generating N-OMCs with a uniform pore size, large surface area (up to 1400 m 2 g -1 ), and high nitrogen content (up to 9.3 at%). More importantly, the ordering of the meso-structure is well-maintained as long as the heating temperature does not exceed 800 °C, above which (e.g., 850 °C) a slight structural degradation is observed. In conclusion, when being used as electrode materials for symmetric electric double layer capacitors, N-OMCs demonstrate enhanced capacitance (6.8 μF cm ₋2 vs. 3.2 μF cm ₋2 ) and reduced ion diffusion resistance compared to the non-NH 3 -treated sample.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Electron heating in low pressure capacitive discharges revisited

The electrons in capacitively coupled plasmas (CCPs) absorb energy via ohmic heating due to electron-neutral collisions and stochastic heating due to momentum transfer from high voltage moving sheaths. We use Particle-in-Cell (PIC) simulations to explore these heating mechanisms and to compare the PIC results with available theories on ohmic and stochastic heating. The PIC results for ohmic heating show good agreement with the ohmic heating calculation of Lafleur et al. [Phys. Plasmas 20, 124503 (2013)]. The PIC results for stochastic heating in low pressure CCPs with collisionless sheaths show good agreement with the stochastic heating model of Kaganovich et al. [IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci. 34, 696 (2006)], which revises the hard wall asymptotic model of Lieberman [IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci. 16, 638 (1988)] by taking current continuity and bulk oscillation into account.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Influence of Surface Oxidation on Ion Dynamics and Capacitance in Porous and Nonporous Carbon Electrodes

We investigate the influence of surface chemistry and ion confinement on capacitance and electrosorption dynamics of room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) in supercapacitors. Using air oxidation and vacuum annealing, we produced defunctionalized and oxygen-rich surfaces of carbide-derived carbons (CDCs) and graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs). While oxidized surfaces of porous CDCs improve capacitance and rate handling abilities of ions, defunctionalized nonporous GNPs improve charge storage densities on planar electrodes. Quasi-elastic neutron scattering (QENS) and inelastic neutron scattering (INS) probed the structure, dynamics, and orientation of RTIL ions confined in divergently functionalized pores. Oxidized, ionophilic surfaces draw ions closer to pore surfaces and enhance potential-driven ion transport during electrosorption. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations corroborated experimental data and demonstrated the significance of surface functional groups on ion orientations, accumulation densities, and capacitance.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Interplay of negative electronic compressibility and capacitance enhancement in lightly-doped metal oxide Bi 0.95 La 0.05 FeO 3 by quantum capacitance model

Light-sensitive capacitance variation of Bi 0.95 La 0.05 FeO 3 (BLFO) ceramics has been studied under violet to UV irradiation. The reversible capacitance enhancement up to 21% under 405 nm violet laser irradiation has been observed, suggesting a possible degree of freedom to dynamically control this in high dielectric materials for light-sensitive capacitance applications. By using ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy (UPS), we show here that exposure of BLFO surfaces to UV light induces a counterintuitive shift of the O 2p valence state to lower binding energy of up to 243 meV which is a direct signature of negative electronic compressibility (NEC). A decrease of BLFO electrical resistance agrees strongly with the UPS data suggesting the creation of a thin conductive layer on its insulating bulk under light irradiation. By exploiting the quantum capacitance model, we find that the negative quantum capacitance due to this NEC effect plays an important role in this capacitance enhancement.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Electric double layer capacitance for ionic liquids in nanoporous electrodes: Effects of pore size and ion composition

The energy density of an electric double layer (EDL) capacitor, a type of supercapacitor, depends on the ion distribution within the micropores of electrodes that are typically made of amorphous carbon. By using coarse-grained models and the classical density functional theory, we investigate the distributions of ionic species among different idealized nanopores in contact with an asymmetric ionic liquid mixture and the effects of the bulk electrolyte composition on capacitive energy storage. We find that a charged pore is always small-ion selective, provided all ions have the same valence and similar non-electrostatic interactions. While small ions enhance both the EDL capacitance and the accessibility of micropores, an ionic mixture containing ions of different sizes may yield a capacitance higher than those corresponding to pure ionic liquids. Furthermore, the increased capacitance may be attributed to more efficient ion packing near the charged surface. At certain conditions, the improvement is on a par with the anomalous capacitance rise for pure ionic liquids in electrodes with ultranarrow pores.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Surface Pb nanoparticle aggregation, coalescence and differential capacitance in a deep eutectic solvent using a simultaneous sample-rotated small angle x-ray scattering and electrochemical methods approach [Surface Pb nanoparticle aggregation, coalescence and differential capacitance in a deep eutectic solvent using a simultaneous grazing transmission small angle x-ray scattering and electrochemical methods approach]

Nanoparticle electrodeposition is a simple and scalable approach to synthesizing supported nanoparticles. Used with a deep eutectic solvent (DES), surface nanoparticles can be assembled and exhibit unique surface charge separation when the DES is adsorbed on the nanoparticle surface. Key to understanding and controlling the assembly and the capacitance is a thorough understanding of surface particle mobility and charge screening, which requires an in-situ approach. In this study, Pb particle formation, size, shape and capacitance are resolved in a 1:2 choline Cl – : urea deep eutectic solvent whilst sweeping the cell potential in the range: 0.2 V to –1.2 V (vs. Ag/AgCl). These system parameters were resolved using a complementary suite of sample-rotated small angle X-ray scattering (SR-SAXS) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), which are presented and discussed in detail. This approach is able to show that both particle and ion transport are impeded in the DES, as aggregation occurs over the course of 6 minutes, and dissolved Pb ions accumulate and remain near the surface after a nucleation pulse is applied. The DES-Pb interactions strongly depend on the cell potential as evidenced by the specific differential capacitance of the Pb deposit, which has a maximum value of 2.5 +/– 0.5 F g –1 at –1.0 V vs. Ag/AgCl. Together, the SR-SAXS-EIS approach is able to characterize the unique nanoparticle capacitance, mobility and ion mobility in a DES and can be used to study a wide range of nanoparticle deposition systems in-situ .

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗