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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 181 records · Page 10
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Enabling Multi-Material Structures of Co-Based Superalloy Using Laser Directed Energy Deposition Additive Manufacturing

Cobalt superalloys such as Tribaloys are widely used in environments that involve high temperatures, corrosion, and wear degradation. Additive manufacturing (AM) processes have been investigated for fabricating Co-based alloys due to design flexibility and efficient materials usage. AM processes are suitable for reducing the manufacturing steps and subsequently reducing manufacturing costs by incorporating multi-materials. Laser directed energy deposition (laser DED) is a suitable AM process for fabricating Co-based alloys. T800 is one of the commercially available Tribaloys that is strengthened through Laves phases and of interest to diverse engineering fields. However, the high content of the Laves phase makes the alloy prone to brittle fracture. In this study, a Ni-20%Cr alloy was used to improve the fabricability of the T800 alloy via laser DED. Different mixture compositions (20%, 30%, 40% NiCr by weight) were investigated. The multi-material T800 + NiCr alloys were heat treated at two different temperatures. These alloy chemistries were characterized for their microstructural, phase, and mechanical properties in the as-fabricated and heat-treated conditions. SEM and XRD characterization indicated the stabilization of ductile phases and homogenization of the Laves phases after laser DED fabrication and heat treatment. In conclusion, the NiCr addition improved the fabricability and structural integrity of the T800 alloy.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Unveiling the microstructural evolution of carbon fibers derived from polyamide-6

Polyacrylonitrile-based carbon fibers have dominated the industry for decades, but the high cost of polyacrylonitrile has prevented the widespread adoption of carbon fiber in high-volume structural applications. As such, a significant amount of research has been dedicated to finding an alternative, low-cost carbon fiber precursor. In this work, carbon fibers were produced from polyamide-6 using metal salt impregnation and a thermo-oxidative stabilization step. To gain further insight into the carbonization process and microstructural transformation, the morphologies, crystallinities, elemental compositions, and thermal stabilities of the fibers were characterized at various stages of processing. The stabilization step resulted in a significant increase in carbon yield, indicating a dramatic increase in thermal stability. This is due to the crosslinking of polyamide-6 chains, which was confirmed by functional group analysis. The crystallinity of the fibers was also significantly altered during processing, as the produced carbon fibers consisted of pseudo-amorphous carbon with two distinct regions of metal salt impregnation. Finally, the findings and microstructural evolution mechanisms provide guidelines for further research into carbon fiber produced from polyamide-6.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Land management effects on wet aggregate stability and carbon content

Land management affects soil structure and many other soil properties and processes. Our objectives were to evaluate soil organic C (SOC), aggregate size distribution, aggregate-associated C, and soil structure as affected by long-term land management and slope. A chronosequence of 38 on-farm sites with low to high (5–18%) slopes was selected to evaluate 5–40 yr of management. The sites were classified as business as usual (BAU) cropland (BAU-Crop), BAU pasture (BAU-Past), newly established conservation reserve program (CRP) areas (CRP-New), and established CRP (CRP-Old). Soil samples were collected from the 0-to-5- and 5-to-15-cm depth increments and processed for soil property measurements including fractionation by wet sieving into five aggregate size classes (>2,000, 1,000–2,000, 500–1,000, 250–500, and 53–250 μm). Within the surface 5 cm, mean weight diameter (MWD) and geometric mean diameter (GMD) were used to characterize soil structural stability. The BAU-Past and CRP-Old sites had 79% more macroaggregates (>2,000, 1,000–2,000, and 500–1,000 μm), 123% higher MWD, 38% higher GMD, and 47% higher SOC than BAU-Crop or CRP-New sites. The 5-to-15-cm depth increment showed a similar but lower magnitude response. Aggregate-associated C was quantified using a constant soil mass that reflected aggregate size distribution to prevent overestimating C content. Lower-slope locations had more SOC, more macroaggregates, more C associated with macroaggregates, and higher GMD and MWD compared with high-slope locations across all management classifications and soil depths. The results support our hypothesis that the high-slop soils may benefits from specific management decisions than the lower-sloping soils as a function of landscape property. We recommend reestablishing grassland on sloping land that is susceptible to excessive soil erosion, although those practices will likely take a long time to restore soil structural stability and SOC content to precultivation levels.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Improving Low-Bandgap Tin–Lead Perovskite Solar Cells via Contact Engineering and Gas Quench Processing

Low-bandgap Sn/Pb ABX 3 perovskites have reached photovoltaic power conversion efficiencies >20%, but they usually have poor stability due to the common use of acidic poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrenesulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) hole transport layers and A-site cation compositions containing methylammonium (MA). In this work, we develop a process to enable high-quality MA-free Sn/Pb perovskite films grown using a gas quenching process instead of the conventional antisolvents, which provides improved control of the film growth and eliminates wrinkling. Using this method in a device structure with poly[bis(4-phenyl)(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)amine] (PTAA) instead of PEDOT:PSS as the hole transport layer, devices can reach efficiencies up to 20% mppt at 0.06 cm 2 and up to 17.5% mppt at 1 cm 2 active area. With these improvements, the devices are characterized for thermal stability and show 80% of the initial power output remaining after 4000 h at 85 °C.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Design Trade-Offs in Composite Fuel Cell Membranes: Effects of Reinforcement and Chemical Additives

Perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) membranes are critical components in proton exchange membrane fuel cells, where performance depends on balancing ionic conductivity, mechanical durability, and chemical stability. This study characterizes a composite membrane (NC700) featuring PFSA-impregnated expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) reinforcement and cerium-based radical scavengers, benchmarked against unreinforced NR211. Complementary techniques, including electron microscopy, X-ray scattering, infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and dynamic mechanical analysis, identify the structural and compositional strategies employed in NC700. Water sorption isotherms reveal lower water uptake for NC700 across all conditions, attributed to reinforcement and cerium incorporation. Reinforcement reduces in-plane swelling from 11% to 2.1% at 90% RH, confirming strong swelling anisotropy, while maintaining mechanical properties at elevated temperatures. While the ionic conductivity of NC700 is approximately 10% lower than that of NR211, the reduced thickness yields a 40% decrease in calculated area-specific resistance, suggesting the composite architecture can favorably shift the conductivity-stability trade-off. The composite structure also reduces gas permeability, indicating potential for improved separator function alongside favorable transport properties. Systematic deconvolution of reinforcement and additive contributions shows that conductivity losses from cerium incorporation are largely offset by gains from the lower equivalent-weight polymer, providing quantitative relationships that may guide composite membrane design for fuel cells and other electrochemical applications.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Corrosion-Resistant Non-Carbon Electrocatalyst Supports for PEFCS

Insufficient durability of commercial catalysts is a persistent issue for PEFC applications.1 Herein, Pt on Nb-doped-TiO 2 is reported as a highly durable electrocatalyst on which the direct 4-electron reduction of oxygen to water is more facile compared to Pt/C. All performance metrics are reported comparing Pt/Nb-TiO2 with a 15% Pt loading, against a commercial Pt/C catalyst (46.5% Pt loading, Tanaka, K. K.). Nb-doped-TiO 2 with high surface area and high electronic conductivity was synthesized using the supercritical fluid method. Initially, the durability of the catalyst was characterized using accelerated stability tests (ASTs) involving 10,000 high potential cycles (DOE/FCCJ protocol) and the Pt/Nb-TiO 2 was found to retain 78% of its initial electrochemically active surface area (ECSA) compared to the 57.6 % retained by Pt/C. These observations were in excellent agreement with previous reports that the Pt particle size of Pt/C grew from 2nm to 8nm during the AST protocol along with severe corrosion and amorphization of the carbon surface.2, 3 TEM and XPS studies of the Pt-Nb-doped-TiO 2 catalyst showed that the Pt particle size grew from 3nm to 6nm and the Nb(IV) and Ti(III) in the support were oxidized to Nb(V) and Ti(IV) after the durability test. Thus, the improvement in Pt/Nb-TiO 2 ECSA retention was attributed to the lower extent of particle growth and lack of oxidative support loss upon oxidation as compared to Pt/C. The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) performance was characterized by linear polarization using a rotating disk electrode (RDE). The electrochemical surface areas of Pt/Nb-TiO 2 and Pt/C were found to be 48m2·g -1 and 83m2·g -1 respectively, and the mass activity for the ORR at 0.9V vs. RHE were found to be 150 mA·mg-1Pt and 124 mA·mg-1Pt respectively. The improved mass activity on Pt/Nb-TiO 2 was attributed to strong metal support interaction (SMSI) between the Nb-TiO 2 support and the Pt catalyst based on the 625 meV decrease in the binding energy of the Pt4f x-ray photo-electron spectroscopy (XPS) peaks of Pt/Nb-TiO 2 compared to Pt/C. To quantify the impact of the SMSI, a kinetic model was applied to calculate the elementary reaction rate constants for the various steps of the ORR on both catalysts. The reaction rate constant (k1) for the direct 4-electron transfer pathway to produce H 2 O was significantly larger in Pt/Nb-TiO 2 as compared to Pt/C. Thus, the reduction in the electron binding energy as observed in the XPS was found to aid the facile filling of the higher energy 2p orbitals of O 2 thereby leading to improved 4-electron transfer kinetics and improved overall activity.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2026

Pressure-Stabilized MnSb2 with Complex Incommensurate Magnetic Order

Marcasite-type compounds have been proposed as promising hosts of exotic magnetic quantum states, yet experimental realizations in stoichiometric, disorder-free systems remain limited. Here, we report the high-pressure stabilization and magnetic characterization of MnSb2, a marcasite-type compound that is thermodynamically metastable under ambient pressure. Single crystals were synthesized using a cubic multianvil press at 3.3 GPa and 490 °C for 24 h, and powder and single-crystal X-ray diffraction confirm the orthorhombic Pnnm structure. These crystals are stable at ambient pressure for a long time up to between 450 and 500 K. Heat-capacity measurements reveal phase transitions at approximately T0 ∼ 118 K and T1 ∼ 220 K. Neutron diffraction uncovers an unconventional magnetic state below T1 ∼ 220 K. Magnetic powder neutron diffraction refinements reveal possible multiple magnetic configurations that provide comparably acceptable fits to the experimental data. While most solutions are consistent with a spin-density-wave (SDW) description, helical models systematically yield inferior agreement factors. Across a broad range of models, the Mn ordered moment reaches a maximum value of approximately 2 μB and remains predominantly collinear, with minimal canting along the c-axis. At 200 K, the magnetic propagation vector is q = (0, 0.3975, 0.3783); upon cooling, the b component increases toward 0.5, reflecting a temperature-dependent evolution of the modulation. The need for modification of the magnetic model between high and low temperatures further highlights the complex and strongly temperature-dependent nature of the magnetic order in this system. These results establish MnSb2 as a pressure-stabilized marcasite magnet with a tunable, complex magnetic state and a compelling stoichiometric platform for exploring unconventional magnetic behavior, including potential altermagnetism.

Xu, Mingyu [Michigan State University , , , ,; Iow↗
NASA NTRS1994

Measurement of the frequency stability of responders in aircraft

Measurement on an aircraft orbit, such as a satellite launching orbit, is made by the responder in the aircraft along with several remote track stations on the ground. During the launching, the system is required to have precise time synchronization and frequency accuracy. At the same time, accurate measurement of aircraft velocity requires high frequency stability of the system. However, atomic frequency standards in the ground stations supply time and frequency reference standard with excellent long term and short term frequency stability for the above-mentioned goals. The stability of responder is also an important factor affecting the performance of the system and there are more requirements for the corresponding time/frequency measurements. In the system, the responders do not use continuous wave (CW) but narrow pulse modulated wave; consequently, the characterization theory of their stability is more complicated and the measurement technique is more difficult for pulsed wave than that for CW. A systematic characterization theory of the frequency stability for pulsed wave is demonstrated and the measuring methods are discussed. The measurement systems, which have been set up in Beijing Institute of Radio Metrology and Measurement (BIRMM) and can be used to test the frequency stability of pulse coherent responders in time domain and frequency domain with high sensitivity and accuracy, are described. Using these measurement systems, successful measurements for the responders were made with which the satellite launching orbits were precisely obtained and tracked.

Liu, Xiaofan↗
DOE OSTI2025

Polymorphs of the n–Type Polymer P(NDI2OD–T2): A Comprehensive Description of the Impact of Processing on Crystalline Morphology and Charge Transport

A systematic study of the polymorphs emerging in P(NDI2OD-T2) (also commercially known as N2200), a prototypical organic semiconducting n-type polymer, is presented. Using a tightly integrated experimental and computational approach, detailed atomistic-level descriptions are provided investigating the three known P(NDI2OD-T2) polymorphs observed at room temperature as a function of thin-film processing. Importantly, over the course of the work, a missing link is uncovered, a fourth polymorph referred to here as Form I-β; this new form is a morphological intermediary observed upon thermal annealing, which evolves from Form I but tends to disappear upon full polymer chain melting. The computationally derived polymorph structures show excellent agreement with experimental X-ray scattering characterization. The relative stabilities of each polymorph are calculated in terms of both the bulk material and the polymorph-air interface. An energy landscape is then constructed to qualitatively compare the thermodynamic versus kinetic origins of each polymorph, and the factors driving (supra)assembly and associated transformations among polymorphs using an approach generalizable to other organic semiconducting polymers. Lastly, the relationships among preferential polymorphic crystallinity, relative chain orientations, and directional charge transport properties in P(NDI2OD-T2) are explored. Altogether, this work provides unprecedented insights into complex structure-processing-transport relationships in a representative semiconducting organic polymer.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Impedance‐matching model‐in‐the‐loop simulation

Abstract Impedance matching is a novel approach to executing model‐in‐the‐loop (MIL) simulations. The concept, key features, and sample applications of this approach have been described in a series of publications. This paper advances theory and implementation for impedance‐matching MIL by: (1) developing a feedback linearization technique for implementing MIL for nonlinear virtual systems, (2) systematically characterizing MIL performance‐stability tradeoffs using three design‐oriented criteria—performance: defined as closeness of the controlled‐actuator impedance to the virtual‐boundary impedance;control effort: low controller response at high frequencies to reduce sensitivity to measurement noise and uncertainties in the actuator model; andstability: pursued using passivity of the controlled actuator system, and (3) assessing, through experimentation, the robustness of two ways to estimate feedback reaction force from the test article. These fundamental advancements to MIL are described using a one‐dimensional configuration consisting of a fluid‐filled cylindrical vessel as the physical test article and a uniaxial hydraulic shake table controlled to imitate different seismic isolation systems at the base of the vessel.

Engineering↗
DOE OSTI2022

Three-Electrode Study of Electrochemical Ionomer Degradation Relevant to Anion-Exchange-Membrane Water Electrolyzers

Among existing water electrolysis (WE) technologies, anion-exchange-membrane water electrolyzers (AEMWEs) show promise for low-cost operation enabled by the basic solid-polymer electrolyte used to conduct hydroxide ions. The basic environment within the electrolyzer, in principle, allows the use of non-platinum-group metal catalysts and less-expensive cell components compared to acidic-membrane systems. Nevertheless, AEMWEs are still underdeveloped, and the degradation and failure modes are not well understood. To improve performance and durability, supporting electrolytes such as KOH and K 2 CO 3 are often added to the water feed. The effect of the anion interactions with the ionomer membrane (particularly other than OH – ), however, remains poorly understood. We studied three commercial anion-exchange ionomers (Aemion, Sustainion, and PiperION) during oxygen evolution (OER) at oxidizing potentials in several supporting electrolytes and characterized their chemical stability with surface-sensitive techniques. We analyzed factors including the ionomer conductivity, redox potential, and pH tolerance to determine what governs ionomer stability during OER. Specifically, we discovered that the oxidation of Aemion at the electrode surface is favored in the presence of CO 3 2– /HCO 3 – anions perhaps due to the poor conductivity of that ionomer in the carbonate/bicarbonate form. Sustainion tends to lose its charge-carrying groups as a result of electrochemical degradation favored in basic electrolytes. PiperION seems to be similarly negatively affected by a pH drop and low carbonate/bicarbonate conductivity under the applied oxidizing potential. Furthermore, the insight into the interactions of the supporting electrolyte anions with the ionomer/membrane helps shed light on some of the degradation pathways possible inside of the AEMWE and enables the informed design of materials for water electrolysis.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2026

Frieze charge-stripes in a correlated kagome superconductor

In kagome metals, geometric frustration, electronic correlations and band topology combine to produce a wide range of intriguing phenomena. Among them, CsCr$_3$Sb$_5$ offers an opportunity to investigate unconventional superconductivity in a strongly correlated kagome system, with indications of frustrated magnetism and quantum criticality. Here, we demonstrate a cascade of density-wave transitions with distinct symmetries in bulk single crystals of CsCr$_3$Sb$_5$. Using spectroscopic imaging scanning tunneling microscopy, we uncover a unidirectional density wave that breaks all mirror symmetries -- resembling a chiral density wave -- but that also retains a mirror glide symmetry. We refer to this as a frieze charge stripe order phase, as its symmetry properties correspond to one of the fundamental frieze symmetry groups. A combination of high-resolution imaging, Fourier analysis and theoretical simulations reveal the key role of sublattice degrees of freedom in stabilizing this phase, characterized by internal chiral textures of opposite handedness. These findings suggest that superconductivity in CsCr$_3$Sb$_5$ emerges from this distinct density wave state and provide fresh insight into realizing electronic phases governed by frieze symmetry groups in quantum materials.

Cheng, Siyu [Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA (Un↗
DOE OSTI2021

Logarithmic profile of temperature in sheared and unstably stratified atmospheric boundary layers

The impact of buoyancy on the mean velocity, temperature, and scalar concentration profiles in the lower atmosphere is typically investigated within the framework of Monin-Obukhov similarity theory (MOST). MOST is the theoretical foundation for parametrizing surface-atmosphere exchanges in nearly all weather, climate, and hydrological models.According to MOST, the classic logarithmic profiles of mean velocity and temperature break down as the buoyancy effects become important. However, recent studies on turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection and natural convection along vertical walls suggest that the mean temperature in the near-surface region still follows a logarithmic profile.Motivated by these new results, we study the mean potential temperature profile in sheared and unstably stratified atmospheric boundary layers using direct numerical simulations and field observations. We find that the mean potential temperature profile remains logarithmic across a wide range of stability parameters, which characterizes the relative importance of buoyancy versus shear effects. Compared to MOST, our results suggest that the buoyancy force does not modify the logarithmic nature of the mean potential temperature profile, but instead modulates its slope, which is no longer universal and differs from 1/κ,whereκisthe von Kármán constant. Furthermore, this study provides another perspective on scalar turbulence in the atmospheric boundary layer

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Literature Data on Foam Fracturing Fluid

At the beginning of this project, the Temple team spent significant effort to collect data relevant to foam fracturing. More than 40 articles/reports were found in the open literature that reported the properties of aqueous foams under various testing conditions. The foam properties included viscosity and stability in terms of half-life, while were influenced by the foam quality, shear rate, temperature, pressure, as well as surfactants and additives used in making the foam base solutions. As a result, more than 1100 data points were collected, which are included in a master worksheet named "Literature data on Foam Fracturing Fluid". These data points are organized based on following parameters: 1. Literature source, including authors and publication year 2. Gaseous phase (e.g. CO2, N2) 3. Liquid phase (e.g. tap water, DI water, salt water) 4. Surfactants and their concentrations 6. Additives 7. Foam quality 8. Pressure 9. Temperature 10. Viscosity 11. Foam stability, which was characterized by its half-life: Half-life Foam study data base with data analysis was completed and a webpage is designed hosted on public server at https://surfactant-dashboard.herokuapp.com

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

EXPRES. I. HD 3651 as an Ideal RV Benchmark

The next generation of exoplanet-hunting spectrographs should deliver up to an order of magnitude improvement in radial velocity (RV) precision over the standard 1 m s{sup −1} state-of-the-art spectrographs. This advance is critical for enabling the detection of Earth-mass planets around Sun-like stars. New calibration techniques such as laser frequency combs and stabilized etalons ensure that the instrumental stability is well characterized. However, additional sources of error include stellar noise, undetected short-period planets, and telluric contamination. To understand and ultimately mitigate error sources, the contributing terms in the error budget must be isolated to the greatest extent possible. Here, we introduce a new high-cadence RV program, the Extreme Precision Spectrograph (EXPRES) 100 Earths Survey, which aims to identify rocky planets around bright, nearby G and K dwarfs. We also present a benchmark case: the 62 day orbit of a Saturn-mass planet orbiting the chromospherically quiet star, HD 3651. The combination of high eccentricity (0.6) and a moderately long orbital period ensures significant dynamical clearing of any inner planets. Our Keplerian model for this planetary orbit has a residual rms of 58 cm s{sup −1} over a ∼6 month time baseline. By eliminating significant contributors to the RV error budget, HD 3651 serves as a standard for evaluating the long-term precision of extreme precision RV programs.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1975

Modelling atmospheric turbulence for a motion-based simulator

The background information in establishing several proposed atmospheric turbulence models for use on motion based aircraft simulators was documented. A specific model was proposed which, in addition to varying turbulence intensity (rms velocity), varies the atmospheric turbulence scale length to achieve compatibility with real atmospheric turbulence. With a suitable combination of scale length and intensity distribution, the model will simulate various atmospheric conditions characterized by altitude, stability, and terrain. The model is mechanized to be included in a flight simulator experiment in order to determine to what extent the pilots are sensitive to changes in atmospheric conditions and the realism of the model. The following topics were covered: literature survey, presently used techniques, proposed model, and simulation details.

Jacobson, I. D.↗
NASA NTRS1983

New polymers for composites: A summary of research on polystyrylpyridines

Styrylpyridine and its derivatives are studied. The synthesis, characterization, and thermal stability of styrylpyridine based polymers are discussed, as well as the preparation of a diglycidyl ester of styrylpridine. Also discussed are the preparation of polyarylates, and styrylpyridine based polytriazines and prepolymers.

Pearce, E. M.↗