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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 325 records · Page 18
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

Computational modeling of graphite degradation in molten salt reactors: Role of infiltration

Molten salt reactors (MSRs) often employ graphite as a moderator and reflector. An important challenge for deploying graphite in these reactors is that, due to limited experimental data, our understanding of graphite’s structural integrity in molten salt environments remains incomplete. Here, this study addresses heat generation from fuel-bearing salt that has infiltrated open pores in the graphite, driven primarily by pressure differentials. This is one of multiple identified physical and chemical mechanisms through which molten salt could potentially degrade graphite. Thermally driven stresses are quantified using the Molten-Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE) graphite moderator elements as a case study. Finite element simulations predict stress distributions at varying infiltration levels, indicating that thermal stresses increase with higher infiltration. Rare-event simulations using the parallel subset simulation framework identify the combinations and corresponding ranges of input parameters that lead to stresses above a specified threshold. In particular, combinations involving high infiltration amounts, high power density, and low thermal conductivity tend to induce the highest stresses. Under the inputs and assumptions considered in this work, the magnitudes of the thermally driven stresses are quite low, with a very low likelihood of causing failure due to exceeding the graphite’s tensile strength. Additionally, rare-event simulations were performed for two more scenarios: a scaled-up moderator geometry and a localized hotspot in the original geometry. Both cases resulted in increased susceptibility to failure, though not to a detrimental extent. Furthermore, the combined effects of irradiation and infiltration-induced thermal stresses were evaluated. The results showed that thermal stresses from infiltration were negligible compared to those caused by irradiation. The findings of such a study are inherently component-specific, but the methodology presented here could be used for similar assessments of salt-infiltration effects in other graphite components.

36 - MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

An additively-manufactured molten salt-to-supercritical carbon di-oxide primary heat exchanger for solar thermal power generation – Design and techno-economic performance

The design and techno-economic performance of a compact additively manufactured (AM) molten salt (MS)-to-supercritical carbon di-oxide (sCO2) primary heat exchanger (PHE) for solar thermal application is described. The PHE design consists of sCO2 flow through an array of microscale pin fins while the MS flows through mm-scale rectangular channels. Constraints imposed by AM using laser powder bed fusion method are considered in the design. Structural and fluid flow simulations are performed to arrive at a viable design of the core and headers. A simplified one-dimensional steady state model for the PHE is developed including the impact of surface roughness from the AM process. A process-based cost model is used to determine the tradeoff between thermofluidic design and manufacturing cost. A parametric study is performed using the thermo-fluidic and cost models to determine the set of geometrical and flow variables that result in high power density and low cost, while restricting the pressure drop on the sCO2 side to less than 2% of line pressure. Flow rates of MS and sCO2 were varied over heat capacity rate ratios ranging from 0.2 to 1. Results indicate that it is possible to design a low-pressure drop AM PHE with an effectiveness of 90% and a power density in excess of 10 MW/m3 (including headers). Fabrication of representative nickel superalloy specimens are shown to demonstrate that low-porosity parts with the requisite dimensional tolerance of PHE core can be generated.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Diffusivity and Structure of Room Temperature Ionic Liquid in Various Organic Solvents

Room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) hold promise for applications in electric double layer capacitors (EDLCs), owing to a much wider potential window, lower vapor pressure, and better thermal and chemical stabilities compared to conventional aqueous and organic electrolytes. However, because the low diffusivity of ions in neat RTILs negates the EDLCs’ advantage of high power density, the ionic liquids are often used in mixture with organic solvents. In this study, we measured the diffusivity of cations and anions in RTIL, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl) ([BMIM + ][TFSI – ]), mixed with 10 organic solvents, by using the pulsed-field gradient NMR method. The ion diffusivity was found to follow that of neat solvents and in most studied solvents showed an excellent agreement with the predicted values reported in the recent molecular dynamics (MD) study [Thompson, M. W.; J. Phys. Chem. B 2019, 123, 1340-1347]. In two solvents consisting of long-chain molecules, however, the MD simulations predictions slightly underestimated the ionic diffusivities. The degree of ion dissociation was also estimated for each solvent by comparing the ionic conductivity with the molar conductivity derived from the diffusion measurements. The degree of ion dissociation and the hydrodynamic radius of ions suggest that the ions are coordinated by ~1 solvent molecule. Finally, the scarcity of solvent–ion interactions explains the fact that the diffusivity of ions in the mixture significantly depends on the viscosity of the solvent.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2020

Structure and Dynamics of Aqueous Electrolytes Confined in 2D-TiO 2 /Ti 3 C 2 T 2 MXene Heterostructures

The synthesis of heterostructures of different two-dimensional (2D) materials offers an approach to combine advantages of different materials constituting the heterostructure and ultimately enhance their performance for applications such as electrochemical energy storage, achieving high energy, and high-power densities. Understanding the behavior of ions and solvents in confinement between these dissimilar layers is critical to understand their performance and control. Considering aqueous electrolytes, we explore the heterostructure of 2D lepidocrocite-type TiO 2 (2D-TiO 2 ) and hydroxylated or O-terminated Ti 3 C 2 MXene using ReaxFF molecular dynamics simulations and elastic/quasielastic neutron scattering techniques. Simulating a bilayer water intercalation, we find that the extent of interlayer hydration is impacted most by the surface terminations on the MXene and is marginally affected by 2D-TiO 2 . However, the introduction of 2D-TiO 2 decreases the water self-diffusion due to the notch sites (i.e., surface oxygen ridges) entrapping water molecules. Intercalating alkali cations into the heterostructures, we find that Li + is predominantly adsorbed at the 2D-TiO 2 surface instead of the MXenes with the preferential occupation of the notch sites. In contrast, Na+ forms a planar solvation with water, while K + is adsorbed both at the O-terminated MXene and 2D-TiO 2 . This behavior is altered when OH-terminated MXene is involved—the repulsion from the protons on the MXene surface forces the K + ions to be adsorbed exclusively to 2D-TiO 2 , while Na + retains some of its solvation in the water layer due to its smaller size. In OH-terminated MXenes, we see a consistent transfer of protons from the MXene surface toward 2D-TiO 2 , implying a greater capacity to store protons in the heterostructures. Of the three cations simulated, Na + hinders the proton migration the least and Li + the most because of its position near the 2D-TiO 2 surface. Furthermore, 2D-TiO 2 /MXene heterostructures are likely to exhibit a higher energy density but lower power density, especially with Na + intercalation.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Specifics of Thermal Transport in Graphene Composites: Effect of Lateral Dimensions of Graphene Fillers

In this work, we report on the investigation of thermal transport in noncured silicone composites with graphene fillers of different lateral dimensions. Graphene fillers are comprised of few-layer graphene flakes with lateral sizes in the range from 400 to 1200 nm and the number of atomic planes from 1 to ~100. The distribution of the lateral dimensions and thicknesses of graphene fillers has been determined via atomic force microscopy statistics. It was found that in the examined range of the lateral dimensions, the thermal conductivity of the composites increases with increasing size of the graphene fillers. The observed difference in thermal properties can be related to the average gray phonon mean free path in graphene, which has been estimated to be around ~800 nm at room temperature. The thermal contact resistance of composites with graphene fillers of 1200 nm lateral dimensions was also smaller than that of composites with graphene fillers of 400 nm lateral dimensions. The effects of the filler loading fraction and the filler size on the thermal conductivity of the composites were rationalized within the Kanari model. The obtained results are important for the optimization of graphene fillers for applications in thermal interface materials for heat removal from high-power-density electronics.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Lowering the operating temperature of protonic ceramic electrochemical cells to <450 °C

Protonic ceramic electrochemical cells (PCECs) can be employed for power generation and sustainable hydrogen production. Lowering the PCEC operating temperature can facilitate its scale-up and commercialization. However, achieving high energy efficiency and long-term durability at low operating temperatures is a long-standing challenge. Here, in this work, we report a simple and scalable approach for fabricating ultrathin, chemically homogeneous, and robust proton-conducting electrolytes and demonstrate an in situ formed composite positive electrode, Ba 0.62 Sr 0.38 CoO 3–δ –Pr 1.44 Ba 0.11 Sr 0.45 Co 1.32 Fe 0.68 O 6–δ , which significantly reduces ohmic resistance, positive electrode–electrolyte contact resistance and electrode polarization resistance. The PCECs attain high power densities in fuel-cell mode (~0.75 W cm –2 at 450 °C and ~0.10 W cm –2 at 275 °C) and exceptional current densities in steam electrolysis mode (–1.28 A cm –2 at 1.4 V and 450 °C). At 600 °C, the PCECs achieve a power density of ~2 W cm –2 . Additionally, we demonstrate the direct utilization of methane and ammonia for power generation at <450 °C. Our PCECs are also stable for power generation and hydrogen production at 400 °C.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2022

A high-performance hydroxide exchange membrane enabled by Cu 2+ -crosslinked chitosan

We report ion exchange membranes are widely used to selectively transport ions in various electrochemical devices. Hydroxide exchange membranes (HEMs) are promising to couple with lower cost platinum-free electrocatalysts used in alkaline conditions, but are not stable enough in strong alkaline solutions. Herein, we present a Cu 2+ -crosslinked chitosan (chitosan-Cu) material as a stable and high-performance HEM. The Cu 2+ ions are coordinated with the amino and hydroxyl groups of chitosan to crosslink the chitosan chains, forming hexagonal nanochannels (similar to 1nm in diameter) that can accommodate water diffusion and facilitate fast ion transport, with a high hydroxide conductivity of 67 ms cm -1 at room temperature. The Cu 2+ coordination also enhances the mechanical strength of the membrane, reduces its permeability and, most importantly, improves its stability in alkaline solution (only 5% conductivity loss at 80 degrees C after 1,000 h). These advantages make chitosan-Cu an outstanding HEM, which we demonstrate in a direct methanol fuel cell that exhibits a high power density of 305 mWcm -2 . The design principle of the chitosan-Cu HEM, in which ion transport channels are generated in the polymer through metal-crosslinking of polar functional groups, could inspire the synthesis of many ion exchange membranes for ion transport, ion sieving, ion filtration and more.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Design and optimization of high temperature optocouplers as galvanic isolation

The commercial InGaN-based (blue and green) and AlGaInP-based (red) multiple quantum well (MQW) lighting emitting diodes (LEDs) were studied in a wide range of temperatures up to 800 K for their light emission and detection (i.e., LEDs operated under reverse bias as photodiodes (PDs)) characteristics. The results indicate the feasibility of integrating a pair of selected LEDs to fabricate high temperature (HT) optocouplers, which can be utilized as galvanic isolation to replace the bulky isolation transforms in the high-density power modules. A detailed study on LEDs and PDs were performed. The external quantum efficiency (EQE) of the LED and PDs were calculated. Higher relative external quantum efficiency (EQE) and lower efficiency droops with temperatures are obtained from the blue and green LEDs for display compared with the blue one for lighting and red LED for display. The blue for lighting and red for display devices show superior responsivity, specific detectivity (D*), and EQE compared with blue and green for display when operated as PDs. The results suggest that red LED devices for display can be used to optimize HT optocouplers due to the highest wavelength overlapping compared with others.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2021

A perspective on the electro-thermal co-design of ultra-wide bandgap lateral devices

Fundamental research and development of ultra-wide bandgap (UWBG) semiconductor devices are under way to realize next-generation power conversion and wireless communication systems. Devices based on aluminum gallium nitride (AlxGa1-xN, x is the Al composition), ..beta..-phase gallium oxide (..beta..-Ga2O3), and diamond give promise to the development of power switching devices and radio frequency power amplifiers with higher performance and efficiency than commercial wide bandgap semiconductor devices based on gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC). However, one of the most critical challenges for the successful deployment of UWBG device technologies is to overcome adverse thermal effects that impact the device performance and reliability. Overheating of UWBG devices originates from the projected high power density operation and poor intrinsic thermal properties of AlxGa1-xN and ..beta..-Ga2O3. This Perspective delineates the need and process for the "electro-thermal co-design" of laterally configured UWBG electronic devices and provides a comprehensive review of current state-of-the-art thermal characterization methods, device thermal modeling practices, and both device- and package-level thermal management solutions.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2026

Technoeconomic Design Optimization for Fast Reactors. Part I: Workflow Development and Case Study for Small LFR District Energy Application

The nuclear industry is developing small reactor designs that can target a variety of deployment locations and energy products. Smaller nuclear designs have traditionally struggled to handle the steep trade-offs between size and cost that have historically incentivized large reactors. This motivates computational optimization of small reactors to minimize costs and quantify the trade-off between size and cost. In this paper, the cost/size trade-off for a small fast reactor is derived using a multi-objective genetic algorithm optimization, with steady-state, transient, and cost analysis of the fast reactor being performed. Specifically, the method is demonstrated on a small 10- to 120-MW(thermal) U-Pu-Zr–fueled lead-cooled fast reactor with a 10-year core life for district energy applications, which can have a thermal load compatible with this range. The results reinforced that fast reactor cores at the lower end of this power range suffer cost penalties due to critical mass considerations. It was found that high power density cores with strong reactivity swings and many control rods were favored over designing to minimize reactivity swing. Furthermore, this contrasts with some traditional configurations designed using engineering judgment and demonstrates that optimizers can find nontraditional but realistic solutions, along with demonstrating the value of incorporating cost functions into whole-reactor design optimization.

Fast reactor↗
DOE OSTI2021

Plasma performance and operational space without ELMs in DIII-D

A database of DIII-D plasmas without ELMs compares the operating space and plasma performance of stationary no-ELM regimes: RMP-ELM suppression, QH-mode, I-mode, EDA H-mode, L-mode, and negative triangularity L-mode (Neg-D). Here, operational space is documented in terms of engineering and physics parameters, revealing divergent constraints. Some operational space discriminants (like pedestal collisionality) are well known, while others, such as low torque & safety factor, or high power & density, are less commonly emphasized. Normalized performance (H-factor and betan) also discriminate the no-ELM regimes and favor regimes tolerant to power in DIII-D: RMP, QH, and Neg-D.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Simulations of the fault current limiting operation of a long-length REBCO CORC ® superconducting cable cooled by helium gas

Conductor-on-round-core (CORC®) cables composed of rare-earth-barium-copper-oxide high-temperature superconducting (HTS) tapes are of great interest for power transmission applications due to their many advantages such as high power density, light weight, and low loss. Closed circulation loops of cryogenic helium gas can be used to cool HTS cables down to low temperatures to significantly improve their current-carrying capacity. Coupled circuit-electromagnetic-thermal finite element simulations implemented in the COMSOL Multiphysics package were developed, validated, and then used for simulating the fault current limiting (FCL) performance and the cooling processes of an 8-layer CORC® cable cooled with a flow of cryogenic helium gas. In the simulations, the temperature dependence of the electrical and thermal properties of all component materials is implemented for improved accuracy. To overcome computational challenges caused by the considerable difference in geometrical scales (i.e. few-µm-thick HTS layers versus 10 m-long HTS cable), the model is divided into two separate simulations. The first simulation is performed on the transverse cross-section of the cable to calculate the electric field, heating power and temperature rise in each component of a CORC® cable during FCL operation. The heating power calculated in the first simulation is transferred to the second model to simulate the cooling of a 10 m-long cable after the fault is cleared. The effect of the helium gas flow rate on the cooling process is also investigated to develop strategic approaches for optimizing cooling systems for HTS cables with FCL capability. The simulations indicated that a 40 ms fault with a voltage drop of 20 V m −1 along the cable can result in a temperature increase from 60 K to about 165 K inside the cable, and it takes about 500 s to cool the cable back to nearly 60 K with a flow of cold helium gas at a rate of 5 g s −1 .

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2022

3.5 kW/in3 Planar Coupled Inductor Design and Optimization for a 50 kW 3-level Four-Switch Buck-Boost (3L-FSBB) Converter

Planar magnetics design has been widely used in power electronics field because of the low profile, ease of manufacturability, and high power density. This paper first proposes a 3-level four-switch buck-boost (3L-FSBB) converter for the dc-dc applications where the zero common-mode (CM) voltage emissions, step-up and step-down are all required. With the consideration of power density, efficiency, and cost, a 15oz heavy copper coupled inductor for 3-level FSBB converter was designed and optimized with the low-cost commercial core and planar windings. According to the soft-switching quadrangle modulation for 3-L FSBB, the turns number and stacked core number are optimized first. And then, a two-board design is proposed to reduce the fringing effect and improve the thermal performance. Finally, a 75 kVA two-stage ac-dc-dc converter including a 3-level FSBB converter was built to verify the electrical design.

Cao, Yuliang↗
DOE OSTI2023

Surface Merging Technique to Design GA-Optimized Heat Sinks

High-power density inverters require efficient and small heat dissipation systems. For liquid cooling systems, an effective heat sink design is important to enable higher heat transfer and keep the pressure drop within reasonable limits. A heat sink geometry generated from an extruded, 1D fast Fourier transform can achieve more even temperature distribution and improved heat transfer than a conventional heat sink. Building on this concept, this paper proposes a new heat sink geometry creation algorithm. Instead of one plane profile being extruded, multiple plane profiles, each created from the fast Fourier transform method, are subsequently merged by smooth surfaces along the flow direction of the heat sink. Thus, a 3D heat sink geometry is created that enables 3D coolant flow and efficient heat transfer. The volume of this design was reduced by 50% compared with pin fin heat sinks. Compared with extruded 1D fast Fourier transform heat sinks, the proposed design showed an approximately 5% device temperature reduction and a 20% pressure drop reduction.

Barua, Himel↗
DOE OSTI2024

Polyphase Rotary Transformer for Field Excitation of Electric Machines

This paper presents the magnetic design of a high-frequency three-phase rotary transformer for Wound Rotor Synchronous Motors (WRSM). The traditional DC field excitation of the WRSM is highly challenging as it relies on the brushed connection. The brush/slipring-based connections need cooling, sealing and prone to wear and tear requiring regular maintenance. The proposed three-phase rotary transformer replaces the traditional brushed excitation by a high-power density polyphase wireless excitation. Furthermore, compared to a traditional single-phase rotary transformer, the proposed three-phase rotary transformer significantly enhances the power density, and reduces the eddy current losses and the output voltage ripples.

Aydin, Emrullah↗
DOE OSTI2021

Thermal Analysis of a 50 kW Three-Phase Wireless Charging System

In this paper, the thermal analysis of a 50 kW three-phase wireless charging system (WCS) is presented. Addressing the thermal challenge is essential for designing a compact charging pad for 50 kW and higher-power WCS pads. Low thermal conductivity of the Litz wire and ferrite, and uneven distribution of the coil, and core loss cause the high temperature in the charging pads. In this paper, the loss distribution of a 50 kW three-phase WCS is investigated, and the temperature distribution is simulated using finite element analysis (FEA) considering the magnetic and non-magnetic materials of a charging pad. The thermal characteristics of an extremely high-power density 50 kW WCS prototype are tested experimentally for 10 minutes of operation. The simulation and experimental results show that the coil temperature increases to 65°C, the core temperature varies between 50°C to 150°C, and the packaging temperature increases to 65°C after 10 minutes of operation at rated 50 kW output power.

Mohammad, Mostak↗
DOE OSTI2022

Laminated Permanent Magnets Enable Compact Magnetic Components in Current-Source Converters

Magnetic components have become one of the primary barriers to high power density converters, especially to current-source converters (CSCs). In CSCs, the inductors/transformers have a predominantly dc flux to store energy, which can be offset by standard permanent magnets (PMs). However, eddy currents in standard PMs induce significant losses and thermal stress for medium-frequency applications. This article proposes using laminated PMs to offset the dc flux while reducing eddy currents, leading to significant reductions in the size, cost, and losses of inductors/transformers. Furthermore, the laminated PMs’ optimal location, orientation, and distribution are investigated to generalize this approach for maximum benefits. Here, three-dimensional finite-element analysis simulation and hardware experiments are presented to validate the effectiveness of the proposed approach in a medium-frequency transformer (MFT) for CSCs. Compared with standard PMs, the proposed use of laminated PMs reduces aggregate core-plus-PM losses by 85% in experiments, and thus, relaxes the MFT thermal design. Finally, the proposed approach is experimentally validated in a 40 kVA flyback-type MFT for a soft-switching solid-state transformer. Compared to the traditional design without any PMs, the proposed design increases the saturation current by 46% while inducing only 5% more losses, leading to significant savings in magnetics cost and size.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗
DOE OSTI2022

Validation and Parametric Investigations of an Internal Permanent Magnet Motor Using a Lumped Parameter Thermal Model

One of the key challenges for the electric vehicle industry is to develop high-power-density electric motors. Achieving higher power density requires efficient heat removal from inside the motor. In order to improve thermal management, a multiphysics modeling framework that is able to accurately predict the behavior of the motor, while being computationally efficient, is essential. This paper first presents a detailed validation of a lumped parameter thermal network (LPTN) model of an Internal Permanent Magnet synchronous motor within the commercially available MOTOR-CAD modeling environment. The validation is based on temperature comparison with experimental data and with more detailed finite element analysis (FEA). All critical input parameters of the LPTN are considered in detail for each layer of the stator, especially the contact resistances between the impregnation, liner, laminations, and housing. Finally, a sensitivity analysis for each of the critical input parameters is provided. A maximum difference of 4% - for the highest temperature in the slot-winding and the end-winding - was found between the LPTN and the experimental data. Comparing the results from the LPTN and the FEA model, the maximum difference was 2% for the highest temperature in the slot-winding and end-winding. As for the LPTN sensitivity analysis, the thermal parameter with the highest sensitivity was found to be the liner-to-lamination contact resistance.

42 ENGINEERING↗