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Wang, Hong

Publications and source records attributed to Wang, Hong.

At least 73 records · Page 4

Unsymmetric Pentacene- and Pentacenequinone-Fused Porphyrins: Understanding the Effect of Cross- and Linear-Conjugation

Unsymmetric pentacenequinone-fused (cross-conjugated) and pentacene-fused (linear-conjugated) porphyrins were designed and synthesized. The cross-conjugated (AM 1 –AM 3 ) and linear-conjugated (AM 5 –AM 7 ) porphyrins displayed strikingly different sets of optical and electronic properties, both of which are unusual and nontypical of porphyrins. MCD, DFT, and TDDFT calculations suggest that multiple charge transfer states exist in both π-conjugated systems, which contributes to the complex absorption and MCD spectra of these molecular systems. The general Gouterman’s four-orbital model used to explain porphyrin spectroscopy led to contradicting theoretical and experimental data, and is thus not applicable for these molecular systems. The “2 + 4” and “3 + 3” active spaces have been deduced and have proven effective to interpret the absorption and MCD spectra of the pentacenequinone-fused (cross-conjugated) and pentacene-fused (linear-conjugated) porphyrins, respectively. Spectroelectrochemistry of AM 5 –AM 7 revealed broad and intense IR absorptions in the range of 1500–2500 nm, illustrating the exceptional ability of these pentacene-fused systems to accommodate positive charges. A pronounced metal effect was observed for pentacene-fused porphyrins. While pentacene-fused Ni(II) porphyrin (AM 6 ) demonstrated an abnormal ability to stabilize pentacene with a half-life of >28.3 days, the half-life of the free base and Zn(II) counterparts were normal, similar to those of pentacene analogues. This work provides important and useful information on guiding new material designs.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Role of Ocean and Atmosphere Variability in Scale-Dependent Thermodynamic Air-Sea Interactions

This study investigates the influence of oceanic and atmospheric processes in extratropical thermodynamic air-sea interactions resolved by satellite observations (OBS) and by two climate model simulations run with eddy-resolving high-resolution (HR) and eddy-parameterized low-resolution (LR) ocean components. Here, in this work, spectral methods are used to characterize the sea surface temperature (SST) and turbulent heat flux (THF) variability and co-variability over scales between 50 and 10,000 km and 60 days to 80 years in the Pacific Ocean. The relative roles of the ocean and atmosphere are interpreted using a stochastic upper-ocean temperature evolution model forced by noise terms representing intrinsic variability in each medium, defined using climate model data to produce realistic rather than white spectral power density distributions. The analysis of all datasets shows that the atmosphere dominates the SST and THF variability over zonal wavelengths larger than ~2,000–2,500 km. In HR and OBS, ocean processes dominate the variability of both quantities at scales smaller than the atmospheric first internal Rossby radius of deformation (R 1 , ~600–2,000 km) due to a substantial ocean forcing coinciding with a weaker atmospheric modulation of THF (and consequently of SST) than at larger scales. The ocean forcing also induces oscillations in SST and THF with periods ranging from intraseasonal to multidecadal, reflecting a red spectrum response to ocean forcing similar to that driven by atmospheric forcing. Such features are virtually absent in LR due to a weaker ocean forcing relative to HR.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

An autonomous robot for shell and tube heat exchanger inspection

Shell and tube heat exchangers (STHEs) are critical to energy conversion efficiency of power plants. Eddy current examination is a way to evaluate working conditions of these tubes. However, the current testing apparatus requires human to manually insert an eddy current testing (ECT) probe into and extract it out of individual tubes, and meanwhile monitor measurement results for diagnosis. It is a time-consuming and labor-intensive procedure even for an experienced technician. To tackle this challenge, in this study, we developed a robot enabled ECT system for autonomous inspection of STHEs. The robotic platform employs Mecanum wheeled chassis for high mobility, machine vision to locate tube bundle and tube inlets, a rotational Cartesian mechanism to operate at planes with all possible inclinations, and a task-specific mechanism for ECT probe delivery. Machine vision locates tube bundle and tube inlets by an April tag detection algorithm and a Circle Hough Transform algorithm, respectively. Assisted by a guiding cone, the ECT probe is continuously fed into the tubes with a fill factor of 0.819. In conclusion, during this process, the eddy current data are automatically collected and real-time analyzed by convolutional neural networks, showing accuracy of nearly 100% for identifying defective and nondefective tubes and 85% for four types of defective tubes and nondefective tubes.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Synchrotron X‐Ray‐Driven Nitrogen Reduction on an AgCu Thin Film

Abstract Nitrogen (N 2 ) is an essential element for life, but kinetically stable N 2 in the atmosphere needs to be reduced to biologically available forms as a nutrient for organisms. Abiotic nitrogen fixation is critical to the origin of life on the early Earth, which is due to lightning or mineral‐based reduction. Here, synchrotron X‐ray‐induced silver nitrate formation on a silver copper (AgCu) thin‐film is reported. Time‐resolved X‐ray diffraction measurements show that under intense X‐ray exposure, initially formed silver oxides (AgOx) are quickly converted to silver nitrate (AgNO 3 ). Interestingly, AgNO 3 is first formed in its high‐temperature phase with a space group of R3cH , which gradually transforms to the room temperature phase with a space group of Pbca under continuous X‐ray irradiation. The result not only provides a new clue about the abiotic nitrogen reduction prior to life but also demonstrates a novel strategy of materials synthesis using synchrotron X‐rays.

Hui, Jian↗

Foam Fracturing Fluid Half-life Experimental Data

Foam thermal stability was studies at Temple University in collaboration with Oak Ridge National Lab (ORNL). The goal of this project is to explore thermally stable foams as hydrofracking fluid media for potential applications in enhanced geothermal system (EGS). Data generated from this project will allow researchers to explore foam as potential fracturing fluid. More than 800 data points on the half-life of foams are recorded in Excel files in the included archive resource (Half-life of Foams with Different Surfactants and Stabilizing Agents). The Excel file within each surfactant folder contains half-life data of the respective surfactant with different stabilizing agents, pressure, and temperature. The respective folders also contains Word files describing the details of the data included in the respective Excel sheet.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

Foam Fracturing Study for Stimulation Development of Enhanced Geothermal Systems

This is a final technical report for the project: Foam Fracturing Study for Stimulation Development of Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS). The goal is to demonstrate the feasibility of foam fracturing in EGS applications. The project, led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), was conducted in collaboration with Temple University. The report describes the research activities with Task 1 at ORNL: foam fracturing testing system development and experimental study on foam fracturing, and Task 2 at Temple University: foam testing and foam characterization. Main findings are: 1. A foam fracturing test system has been developed at ORNL, which can be used to perform foam fracturing under pressure up to 6,000 psi. The system monitors foam density during fracturing online and is capable of testing materials in both monotonic and cyclic (up to 50 Hz) injections. 2. Foam fracturing tests were carried out on Charcoal black granite specimens with a blind borehole to the middle length. Two diameters of blind borehole were tested; G2 series: 9.53 mm and G3 series: 4.76 mm. N2-in-water foam was used with AOS as a surfactant. 3. There was a hole-size effect on fracture initiation pressure. The effect is smaller in the case of foam, which was influenced by the high penetrability of gas in foam. Breakdown pressure showed a behavior just as that of fracture pressure; namely an increased value for small hole samples, while the effect in water fracture was more impressive than in foam fracture. 4. Water mass was reduced in foam fracturing within similar range of breakdown pressures. In G2 series, it was decreased from 10.44 g for water fracturing to 5.17 g, representing more than 50% water reduction. Therefore, there is the potential to reduce water use in EGS stimulation through foam fracturing. 5. Use of cyclic injection has the potential to reduce the breakdown pressure and seismicity in EGS application. Experiments using 4-s cycle period found that specimens can be fractured with a low number of cycles. The fatigue pressure was approximately 64 - 77% of monotonic breakdown pressure for water fracturing and 58 - 94% of the breakdown pressure for foam fracturing. 6. A foam stability testing system has been developed that can test foam at 220 Deg C to 2,000 psi. Tested components of candidate foams included two gases: N2 and CO2; 4 surfactants: AOS, SDS, NP-40 and CTAC; 5 stabilizing agents: guar, bentonite clay, borate salt, silica NPs, and GO. 7. N2 and AOS provided the most stable performance over the tested ranges. Furthermore, the AOS foam with stabilizing agents of guar and borate salt (crosslinker) offered the highest half-life of 20 minutes at 200 Deg C and 1,000 psi. 8. Arrhenius equation and modified power law have been demonstrated to fit well the half-time vs. temperature and pressure data, respectively. These relations can be useful to provide the suggestion for future foam stability study. This submission contains the supporting data developed during the project: 1) A final technical report 2) Granite fracturing data in monotonic and cyclic injections with water and N2 foam Foam performance data in various temperatures and pressures, including half-time, is submitted separately.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

Synchrotron X-ray-induced Synthesis of Copper Hydroxide Nitrate Nanoplates on Cu Thin Films in an Ambient Atmosphere

Synchrotron X-rays are widely used for material characterizations. However, they can also ionize atoms and molecules to damage and manipulate probed materials. We report here an X-ray-induced growth of copper hydroxide nitrate, Cu 2 (OH) 3 NO 3 , on copper thin films in the ambient atmosphere without solvents and thermal treatment. In situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction measurements showed that the time-dependent growth process of the Cu 2 (OH) 3 NO 3 is accompanied by the consumption of Cu metal and can be described by a sigmoidal model. The growth rate was reduced after the initial fast growth period. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images show that the isolated islands of Cu 2 (OH) 3 NO 3 nanoplates formed in the beginning, which grew together with new nanoplates formed under continued X-ray irradiation. The result demonstrated that high-flux synchrotron X-rays may provide an unconventional approach to synthesizing and manipulating materials, which will inspire future investigation both experimentally and theoretically.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Optical and photophysical properties of platinum benzoporphyrins with C 2v and D 2h symmetry

Platinum(II) mono- and di-benzoporphyrins carrying either ester or imide peripheral groups have been successfully synthesized. These benzoporphyrins possessing C 2v and D 2h symmetry were investigated using a range of techniques including UV-Vis and phosphorescence spectroscopy, differential pulse voltammetry, and transient absorption spectroscopy covering wide spatial and temporal ranges. Up to three oxidation and three reductions within the accessible potential window of dichlorobenzene were observed. Facile reductions for both mono- and dibenzoporphyrin derivatives, more so with imide peripheral substituents were witnessed. Computational studies were supportive of push-pull type interactions within these molecular systems. Here, the formation of triplet excited states within 5 ps after laser excitation was confirmed by femtosecond transient absorption studies. Nanosecond transient absorption studies coupled with phosphorescence lifetime studies revealed relatively rapid relaxation of the triplet excited states as compared to a controlled platinum porphyrin suggesting push-pull type interactions on a slower time scale.

DFT calculations↗

Foam Fracturing Study for Stimulation Development of Enhanced Geothermal Systems

The large thermal gradients and high subsurface temperatures of the western region of the U.S. hold great potential for the implementation of enhanced geothermal systems (EGS). The development of these potential EGS resources requires stimulation of the reservoir to enhance permeability and it has been widely reported that a substantial amount of water will be required should conventional hydraulic stimulation be used. This presents a huge challenge and a high risk to the geothermal development because the water stress1 in these areas is already high or extremely high. The use of foam, a gas/liquid mixture predominantly composed of gas, in fracturing is considered and explored in this project as a potential approach to address water concerns with hydraulic stimulation in the development of EGS. This project, led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in collaboration with Temple University, was awarded in an open lab call in 2018, and was part of the DOE GTO waterless stimulation initiative. The goal of the project was to demonstrate the feasibility of foam fracturing for EGS development through two primary tasks: Task 1: Laboratory study of the effectiveness of foam fracturing for representative geological materials, including cyclic pressurization using foam (led by ORNL) and Task 2: High temperature foam material selection and characterization (led by Temple University). In FY19, ORNL finished the critical review on serval issues associated with foam fracturing and the implementation of the proposed tasks in a lab study (Wang, et al., 2019), and completed the foam fracturing testing using cement as a model material (Wang, et al, 2020a). The work at ORNL was geared up to develop a brand-new foam testing system in FY20. The purchase of main components for the new system was finished in the first half of the FY20. The assembly of the foam testing system and foam fracturing testing were completed in the second half of the FY20 (Wang, et al., 2021a). Task 1 required the development of a test system which can be used to perform hydraulic fracturing of geological specimens with both water and foamed liquids at pressure up to 6,000 psi (41.4 MPa). The system possesses several capabilities that conventional injection systems lack for hydraulic fracturing. In addition to its ability to generate foam with controlled quality, it is capable of cycling pressure levels between specified values up to frequencies of 50 Hz. The latter capability was developed to evaluate the hypothesis that cyclic loading of samples would produce enhanced fracturing. The system consists of two sections: one for foam generation and another for foam injection. The foam is generated through separate control and pressurization of liquid and gas phases with controlled flow rates. The injection section is equipped with a low-flow Coriolis flow that monitors the density of foam to ensure the injection is in the range of target foam quality2. Experimental results of foam fracturing are reported for cylindrical granite specimens using water and aqueous N2 foam as the fracturing fluids. All experiments were performed for unconfined conditions. The effects of injection mode (i.e., monotonic vs cyclic pressurization) on breakdown pressure and failure response sample were investigated using water alone as a fracturing fluid and foams with a range of compositions. It was found that in the case of monotonic injection, the breakdown pressure of granite specimens tended to be slightly higher when fracturing with foam. Additionally, with a foam quality of 90%, the water use can be reduced by 50 to 84%, depending on hole size. On the other hand, it was observed that the breakdown pressure can be brought down to 70% of the monotonic breakdown pressure by using low cycle fatigue. Finally, discussions are presented regarding injectivity and water use reduction.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

Sister Rod Destructive Examinations (FY2021) Appendix F: Cyclic Integrated Reversible-Bending Fatigue Tests

As a part of DOE NE High Burnup Spent Fuel Data Project, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is performing destructive examinations (DEs) of high burnup (HBU) (>45 GWd/MTU) spent nuclear fuel (SNF) rods from the North Anna Nuclear Power Station operated by Dominion Energy. The SNF rods, called sister rods or sibling rods, are all HBU and include four different kinds of fuel rod cladding: standard Zircaloy-4 (Zirc-4), low-tin (LT) Zirc-4, ZIRLO, and M5. This appendix documents the status of the ORNL Phase 1 DE activities related to tests of the sister rods using the Cyclic Integrated Reversible-Bending Fatigue Tester (CIRFT) in Phase 1 of the sister rod test program.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Optimal operational controls for power grid

Power grid operation is facing increased penetration of renewables and distributed energy resources at both transmission and distribution levels. This presents an increased level of randomness and uncertainty for its operational quality, where the challenges are mainly how controls and optimizations can be performed so that the operational quality of the power grid can be maintained. An interesting feature is also that we need to make a good use of uncertainties embedded in the swing equation from the renewable contributions rather than simply trying to minimize the impact of uncertainties. Furthermore, this requires effective solutions on system estimation, control, and optimization. Indeed, in past decades, work has been carried out on the development of advanced controls and optimization for such complicated dynamic systems. Examples are optimal operational control for both performance and stability enhancement considering random renewables penetration, frequency, and active power control for microgrids and parameter estimation for various parts of the power grid.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Inverse Calculation of Burden Distribution Matrix Using B-spline Model Based PDF control in Blast Furnace Burden Charging Process

The inverse calculation of burden distribution matrix (BDM) is one of the most important challenges in the blast furnace operation in iron-making processes. In general, blast furnace consumes 65% of the total energy for the whole steel-making. Focusing on this practical challenge, this article proposes a new burden distribution spatial model in calculating burden charging process, and develops a B-spline approximation-based probability density function (PDF) control algorithm to assign the expected thickness distribution of burden layer and, thus, develops a new method for the required inverse calculation of BDM. First, a novel method for the thickness distribution of burden layer is given using B-spline model to produce an expected distribution shape subjected to a desired tracking within a specific spatial constraint. Then, according to the coexistence of continuous and bounded discrete variables in BDM, a novel hybrid optimization control method by combining integer programming and PDF tracking is further established for the effective inverse calculation of BDM. Finally, the proposed PDF-based iterative inverse calculation of BDM using B-spline models are tested using various data from industrial examples. Furthermore, the simulation results show that the proposed method is well suited to solve the BDM inverse calculation problem in practice.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Traffic Signal Control With Adaptive Online-Learning Scheme Using Multiple-Model Neural Networks

This article proposes a new traffic signal control algorithm to deal with unknown-traffic-system uncertainties and reduce delays in vehicle travel time. Unknown-traffic-system dynamics are approximated using a recurrent neural network (NN). To accurately identify the traffic system model, an online-learning scheme is developed to switch among a set of candidate NNs (i.e., multiple-model NNs) based on their estimation errors. Then, a bank of optimal signal-timing controllers is designed based on the online identification of the traffic system. Simulation studies have been carried out for the obtained control strategies using multiple-model NNs, and the desired results have been obtained. Moreover, compared with the widely used actuated traffic signal control schemes, it is shown that the proposed method can reduce vehicle travel delays and improve traffic system robustness.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

High-throughput investigation of structural evolution upon solid-state in Cu–Cr–Co combinatorial multilayer thin-film

Cu-Cr-Co combinatorial multilayer thin-films were prepared by a high-throughput ion beam sputtering system. Based on the thickness ratio among the individual nanoscale monolayers (Cu, Cr, Co), the resulting stoichiometry covered the entire phase diagram. The chemical composition and structure of Cu-Cr-Co combinatorial chip upon solid-state reaction were studied by lab-based micro-X-ray fluorescence (mu-XRF) and high-throughput synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. A composition-structure map for Cu-Cr-Co combinatorial chip was developed through automated data analysis employing hierarchical clustering techniques. The structural evolution of Cu-Cr-Co combinatorial chip as a function of heat-treatment temperature, time, and modulation period were studied systematically. Furthermore, the effect of the elemental distribution in-depth direction was investigated to gain more insights regarding phase transformation. This work provides an efficient method and new perspectives for the design and optimization of the composition and structure of high-performance thin-films.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Effects of applied stress and grain size on creep-rupture lifetime prediction for Haynes 282 alloy

A multiple-heat set of tensile and creep-rupture data generated from a single laboratory was used to establish and evaluate predictive equations for the average creep-limited lifetime of an aged wrought Haynes 282 alloy using two different time- and temperature-compensated parametric models (those of Larson and Miller and Wilshire et al.). The range of temperatures and stresses used to produce the creep-rupture data used in the analyses revealed that two distinct regimes, above and below the proportional limit, were necessary for more accurate predictions of creep lifetimes over the range of conditions studied. Furthermore, a 2x difference in grain size amongst the three heats revealed a breakdown in the relationship between ultimate tensile strength and creep-rupture time, thus impacting the predictive ability of the Wilshire model. Finally, lifetime predictions based on the formulations from the respective models were compared to other available Haynes 282 datasets and found to reasonably replicate the experimental trends established in other studies.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

High Temperature, High Pressure Stability of Aqueous Foams for Potential Application in Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS)

Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) are typically constructed by injecting high-pressure water into deep hot dry rocks (HDR) under carefully controlled conditions to create new or re-open existing fractures, which usually uses an immense quantity of water. In lieu, a more sustainable technique is to utilize aqueous foams as fracturing fluid to reduce water consumption and waste-water treatments of conventional hydraulic fracturing. Although foam-based fracturing has shown promising results in oil and gas industries, its feasibility is not demonstrated in EGS conditions that usually involve high temperature and high pressures. One potential barrier of utilizing foams in EGS applications is that foams are thermodynamically unstable and will become more unstable with increasing temperature due to liquid drainage, bubble coarsening, and coalescence. This work focuses on evaluation of the stability of selected aqueous foams under high-temperature and high-pressure conditions. Specifically, foams generated with surfactant alfa olefin sulfonate (AOS) were studied at temperature up to 200oC, while the pressure ranged between 100 psi and 1000 psi. The effect of additional stabilizing agents was also examined, including guar gum, bentonite clay, borate salt crosslinker, silicon dioxide nanoparticles (SiO2), and graphene oxide (GO) dispersion. Results showed that the stabilizing agents can enhance the foam thermal stability. Foams made with AOS and the borate salt crosslinker exhibited the longest half-life of 20 min at 200°C when the pressure was at 1000 psi. Data fitting showed that foam stability decreased exponentially as temperature increased. On the other hand, pressure increased the foam half-life which followed a power model. This study indicates that it may be possible to obtain highly stable foams at high-temperature and high-pressure conditions with appropriate stabilizing agents.

Thakore, Viren↗

Design and processing for high performance Li ion battery electrodes with double-layer structure

A two-layer LiNi 0.8 Mn 0.1 Co 0.1 O 2 (NMC811) cathode has been designed and fabricated containing a “power layer” and “energy layer”, with corresponding porosity and particle size prescribed to each layer to achieve best utilization of electrode material (maximum integrated depth of discharge across the electrode thickness) at high applied current. The cathode showed a 17% improvement in capacity when tested in symmetric cells. When applying the design to a full cell, where both positive and negative electrodes contain power and energy layers, a 74% increase in discharge capacity at 2C was achieved compared to the cell with conventional electrodes. Furthermore, this demonstrates an avenue to increase energy and power density of lithium–ion batteries and enable fast charging capability.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗