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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 37 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Progress Towards the Reality of Low-Temperature Critical Experiments with Low-Temperature TEX

Integral benchmarks for criticality safety do not exist below room temperature. Incredible support for below room temperature benchmarks is present across the international community. Validation of low-temperature neutron cross sections is necessary to verify any operation at temperatures below room temperature which is typically observed in environments far from the equator. For example, a fissile material transportation truck may routinely observe ambient temperatures down to -40°C, which is the lower temperature bound of the normal conditions of transportation defined in the United States Title 10 Code of Federal Regulations §71.71c2. Similarly, the IAEA, which contains 176 member states, has the same requirement for subcriticality for fissile material transportation. Additionally, sub-room temperature benchmarks can validate newly produced cross sections, that include novel thermal scattering laws, from North Carolina State University. A six-case experiment designed based off the TEX-HEU baseline experiments has been proposed utilizing a chilled vacuum chamber capable of cooling the HEU stack down to -50°C. The six proposed configurations span the entire neutron fission energy range and can be tested at intermediate temperatures between room temperature and -40°C. Of the six configurations, the fastest case utilizes nearly 135 kg of HEU. Understanding the system is required prior to critical experiment operations. In order to test the functionality of the system, testing with surrogate fuel materials has been conducted. The following discusses the design of the low temperature TEX (LT-TEX) experiment as well as the progress made via surrogate testing towards a reality in which low-temperature integral benchmarks exist in the International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Project (ICSBEP).

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1995

Low-temperature and low atmospheric pressure infrared reflectance spectroscopy of Mars soil analog materials

Infrared reflectance spectra of carefully selected Mars soil analog materials have been measured under low atmospheric pressures and temperatures. Chemically altered montmorillonites containing ferrihydrite and hydrated ferric sulfate complexes are examined, as well as synthetic ferrihydrate and a palagonitic soil from Haleakala, Maui. Reflectance spectra of these analog materials exhibit subtle visible to near-infrared features, which are indicative of nanophase ferric oxides or oxyhydroxides and are similar to features observed in the spectra of the bright regions of Mars. Infrared reflectance spectra of these analogs include hydration features due to structural OH, bound H2O and adsorbed H2O. The spectal character of these hydration features is highly dependent on the sample environment and on the nature of the H2O/OH in the analogs. The behavior of the hydration features near 1.9 micrometers, 2.2 micrometers, 2.7 micrometers, 3 micrometers, and 6 micrometers are reported here in spetra measured under Marslike atmospheric environment. In spectra of these analogs measured under dry Earth atmospheric conditions the 1.9-micrometer band depth is 8-17%; this band is much stonger under moist conditions. Under Marslike atmospheric conditions the 1.9-micrometer feature is broad and barely discernible (1-3% band depth) in spectra of the ferrihydrite and palagonitic soil samples. In comparable spectra of the ferric sulfate-bearing montmorillonite the 1.9-micrometer feature is also broad, but stronger (6% band depth). In the low atmospheric pressure and temperature spectra of the ferrihydrite-bearing montmorillonite this feature is sharper than the other analogs and relatively stronger (6% band depth). Although the intensity of the 3- micrometer band is weaker in spectra of each of the analogs when measured under Marslike conditions, the 3-micromter band remains a dominant feature and is especially broad in spectra of the ferrihydrite and palagonitic soil. The structural OH features observed in these materials at 2.2-2.3 micrometers and 2.27 micrometers remain largely unaffected by the environmental conditions. A shift in the Christiansen feature towards shorter wavelengths has also been observed with decreasing atmospheric pressure and temperature in the midinfrared spectra of these samples.

Bishop, Janice L.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Low-temperature and low atmospheric pressure infrared reflectance spectroscopy of Mars soil analog materials

Infrared reflectance spectra of carefully selected Mars soil analog materials have been measured under low atmospheric pressures and temperatures. Chemically altered montmorillonites containing ferrihydrite and hydrated ferric sulfate complexes are examined, as well as synthetic ferrihydrite and a palagonitic soil from Haleakala, Maui. Reflectance spectra of these analog materials exhibit subtle visible to near-infrared features, which are indicative of nanophase ferric oxides or oxyhydroxides and are similar to features observed in the spectra of the bright regions of Mars. Infrared reflectance spectra of these analogs include hydration features due to structural OH, bound H2O, and adsorbed H2O. The spectral character of these hydration features is highly dependent on the sample environment and on the nature of the H2O/OH in the analogs. The behavior of the hydration features near 1.9 micron, 2.2 micron, 2.7 micron, 3 micron, and 6 microns are reported here in spectra measured under a Marslike atmospheric environment. In spectra of these analogs measured under dry Earth atmospheric conditions the 1.9-micron band depth is 8-17%; this band is much stronger under moist conditions. Under Marslike atmospheric conditions the 1.9-micron feature is broad and barely discernible (1-3% band depth) in spectra of the ferrihydrite and palagonitic soil samples. In comparable spectra of the ferric sulfate-bearing montmorillonite the 1.9-micron feature is also broad, but stronger (6% band depth). In the low atmospheric pressure and temperature spectra of the ferrihydrite-bearing montmorillonite this feature is sharper than the other analogs and relatively stronger (6% band depth). Although the intensity of the 3-micron band is weaker in spectra of each of the analogs when measured under Marslike conditions, the 3-micron band remains a dominant feature and is especially broad in spectra of the ferrihydrite and palagonitic soil. The structural OH features observed in these materials at 2.2-2.3 micron and 2.75 microns remain largely unaffected by the environmental conditions. A shift in the Christiansen feature towards shorter wavelengths has also been observed with decreasing atmospheric pressure and temperature in the midinfrared spectra of these samples.

Bishop, Janice L.↗
NASA NTRS1981

On the cause of the flat spot phenomenon observed in silicon solar cells at low temperatures and low intensities

The results of an effort to determine the mechanisms involved in the flat spot (FS) effect are given. It is suggested that the FS effect is due to a resistive metal-semiconductor-like (MSL) interface in parallel with the cell PN junction. Regions responsible for the FS effect lie under the front surface metallization in these cells, where the PN junction has been destroyed and replaced with a metal silicide-semiconductor interface. Such structural changes, which appear to be due to the thermally activated dissolution of the silicon, have been induced in cells as a result of isochronal heat treatments at temperatures between 450 C and 560 C. It has been found that a 650 A layer of Ta2O5 evaporated over the metallization is sufficient to prevent the underlying silicon from pitting during the subsequent heat treatment, although pitting at the metal silicon ambient interface could still be observed.

Weizer, V. G.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Advancing a Low-Temperature, Low-Cost Direct Air Capture System Based on Organic Chemistry

Holocene Climate Corporation (Holocene) partnered with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to conduct bench-scale testing of a new optimized Direct Air Capture (DAC) process to assist the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in achieving the Carbon Negative Shot target of under $\$$100/net tonne CO₂ removed by 2031. Holocene’s DAC process for carbon dioxide (CO₂) removal uses amino acids and guanidine compounds, an ORNL-invented chemical process and licensed by Holocene. Holocene will use this novel chemistry to develop a new process and deploy the technology commercially.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1982

On the cause of the flat-spot phenomenon observed in silicon solar cells at low temperatures and low intensities

A model that explains the flat-spot power loss phenomenon is presented. Evidence suggests that the effect is due to localized metallurgical interactions between the silicon substrate and the contact metallization. These reactions are shown to result in localized regions in which the P-N junction is destroyed and replaced with a metal semiconductor-like interface. The effects of thermal treatment, crystallographic orientation, junction depth, and metallization are shown along with a method of preventing the effect through the suppression of vacancy formation at the free surface of the contact metallization. Data indicating the effectiveness of a TiN diffusion barrier in preventing the effect are also given.

Weizer, V. G.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Enhancing Li + Transport in NMC811||Graphite Lithium–Ion Batteries at Low Temperatures by Using Low–Polarity–Solvent Electrolytes

LiNi x Co y MnzO 2 (x+y+z=1)||graphite lithium-ion battery (LIB) chemistry promises practical applications. However, its low-temperature (≤ –20°C) performance is poor because the increased resistance encountered by Li + transport in and across the bulk electrolytes and the electrolyte/electrode interphases induces capacity loss and battery failures. Though tremendous efforts have been made, there is still no effective way to reduce the charge transfer resistance (R ct ) which dominates low-temperature LIBs performance. In this work, we propose a strategy of using low-polarity-solvent electrolytes which have weak interactions between the solvents and the Li + to reduce R ct , achieving facile Li + transport at sub-zero temperatures. The exemplary electrolyte enables LiNi 0.8 Mn 0.1 Co 0.1 O 2 ||graphite cells to deliver a capacity of ≈113 mAh g –1 (98% full-cell capacity) at 25°C and to remain 82% of their room-temperature capacity at –20°C without lithium plating at 1/3C. They also retain 84% of their capacity at –30°C and 78% of their capacity at –40°C and show stable cycling at 50°C.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2024

From sensing to acclimation: The role of membrane lipid remodeling in plant responses to low temperatures

Abstract Low temperatures pose a dramatic challenge to plant viability. Chilling and freezing disrupt cellular processes, forcing metabolic adaptations reflected in alterations to membrane compositions. Understanding the mechanisms of plant cold tolerance is increasingly important due to anticipated increases in the frequency, severity, and duration of cold events. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the adaptive changes of membrane glycerolipids, sphingolipids, and phytosterols in response to cold stress. We delve into key mechanisms of low-temperature membrane remodeling, including acyl editing and headgroup exchange, lipase activity, and phytosterol abundance changes, focusing on their impact at the subcellular level. Furthermore, we tabulate and analyze current gycerolipidomic data from cold treatments of Arabidopsis, maize, and sorghum. This analysis highlights congruencies of lipid abundance changes in response to varying degrees of cold stress. Ultimately, this review aids in rationalizing observed lipid fluctuations and pinpoints key gaps in our current capacity to fully understand how plants orchestrate these membrane responses to cold stress.

Plant Sciences↗
DOE OSTI2023

Low-Temperature Plasma Assisted Kinetics Study of Ethanol

Non-equilibrium plasma assisted kinetics of ethanol at 0.5 atm over a temperature range of 523-1203 K were studied at stoichiometric conditions by using a plasma flow reactor (PFR). The effects of plasma chemistry on fuel and its influence on neutral chemistry is decoupled with both experimental and modelling efforts. Enhanced reactivity was observed experimentally in both plasma-assisted oxidation and pyrolysis cases with fuel consumption beginning at temperatures as low as 523 K. Absolute fuel consumption was observed at temperatures nearly 200 K earlier than pure thermal reactions highlighting the effectiveness of non-equilibrium plasma to promote reactivity. Furthermore, modelling results illustrated the effect of electron impact reactions towards accelerating fuel consumption and promoting low temperature chemistry by generating excited state N2 and reactive O and OH radicals.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2023

Towards an Era of Low-Temperature Integral Critical Experiments: Surrogate Testing of Low-Temperature TEX Configurations

United States and IAEA regulations for the transportation of radioactive materials require that fissile materials must be subcritical under expected ambient temperatures ranging from -40°C to 38°C. While historical experiments have been conducted at room and elevated temperatures, no criticality integral benchmarks exist for temperatures below room temperature. The Low-Temperature Thermal Epithermal eXperiments (LT-TEX) aim to provide benchmark evaluations down to -40°C. The LT-TEX design incorporates stacked HEU plates interspersed with varying thicknesses of polyethylene disks to provide varying levels of moderation, with five configurations at 20°C having already been benchmarked. A novel vacuum/cryogenic chamber was fabricated to contain the LT-TEX configurations in a thermally isolated environment and cool it to -40°C. Prior to testing with fissile materials, testing with surrogate fuel plates was performed to characterize the thermal properties of the system, ensure no condensation forms on the stack, and to test that the uranium plates would not warp, or fracture during the thermal cycling. Surrogate testing has characterized the cryogenic chamber and verified its viability to perform the benchmark experiments, allowing for the next steps in the LT-TEX experimental campaign. The results of the surrogate testing are discussed and compared to heat transfer calculations performed as part of the experiment design process, to establish confidence in the thermal behavior of the system.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
NASA NTRS1992

On the melting temperatures of low-temperature phases of polymorphic metals

An improved analytical formula for determining the melting temperatures of the low-temperature phases of polymorphic metals is proposed which uses the specific heat differences at the equilibrium transition temperatures. The formula is solved by an iterative method, with no more than one iteration necessary to converge. The results obtained using the formula proposed here are generally in good agreement with the analytical solution.

Ohsaka, K.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Dynamical States of Low Temperature Cirrus

Low ice crystal concentration and sustained in-cloud supersaturation, commonly found in cloud observations at low temperature, challenge our understanding of cirrus formation. Heterogeneous freezing from effloresced ammonium sulfate, glassy aerosol, dust and black carbon are proposed to cause these phenomena; this requires low updrafts for cirrus characteristics to agree with observations and is at odds with the gravity wave spectrum in the upper troposphere. Background temperature fluctuations however can establish a dynamical equilibrium between ice production and sedimentation loss (as opposed to ice crystal formation during the first stages of cloud evolution and subsequent slow cloud decay) that explains low temperature cirrus properties. This newly-discovered state is favored at low temperatures and does not require heterogeneous nucleation to occur (the presence of ice nuclei can however facilitate its onset). Our understanding of cirrus clouds and their role in anthropogenic climate change is reshaped, as the type of dynamical forcing will set these clouds in one of two preferred microphysical regimes with very different susceptibility to aerosol.

Barahona, D.↗
DOE OSTI2024

TEX-HEU: Integral Experiment Execution with Polyethylene at Very Low Temperatures

The low-temperature variant of the TEX HEU (called Low-Temperature TEX or sometimes LT TEX) campaign is a highly anticipated and necessary experimental series by the greater nuclear science community. Fundamentally, the need for low-temperature integral experiments is required to perform validation of cross sections below room temperature. There has been substantial international interest in low-temperature benchmarks to validate below room temperature cross sections, namely talks given at the 2019 International Conference on Nuclear Criticality (ICNC): UK (Watson, 2019), France (Milin, 2019), and UK (Gan & Wilson, 2019). Additionally, NCSP funded thermal scattering laws (TSLs) were produced by North Carolina State University and require low-temperature benchmarks to validate them. Validation of low-temperature cross sections is also necessary for criticality safety applications. One particularly important application is to ensure that during transportation, fissile materials must remain subcritical under normal ambient conditions which is defined as temperatures down to -40°C/°F by the United States 10 CRF 71 as well as a regulation put forward by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Geospatial characterization of low-temperature heating and cooling demand in residential, commercial, manufacturing, agricultural, and data center sectors for potential geothermal applications in the United States

Thermal demand for heating and cooling has been predominantly supplied by fossil fuel combustion in the United States, although low-carbon alternatives are extensively available including geothermal, solar thermal, and waste heat. Here, this study analyzed end-use energy consumption, fuel expenditure, and data center commissioned power data to geospatially characterize the U.S. low-temperature heating and cooling demand at the county level in residential, commercial, manufacturing, agricultural, and data center sectors and understand potential opportunities for geothermal applications. In the analysis, the regional-scale energy consumption data was incorporated with system efficiencies to address actual demand and was then disaggregated with weighting factors to the county level. The results indicated that total low-temperature heating and cooling demand is 16.7 EJ, combining heating demand of 10.8 EJ and cooling demand of 5.9 EJ. Overall, 59.9 % (10 EJ) of the low-temperature heating and cooling demand occurred in the residential sector. The heating and cooling demand visualized in maps represented that the geospatial distribution of heating and cooling demand in the residential and commercial sectors is governed by the number of housing units and climate zone designations, while heating and cooling demand in the manufacturing, agricultural, and data center sectors is dependent on the number and location of facilities. The results also demonstrated that geothermal heat pumps are broadly used in the residential and commercial sectors for heating and cooling in the U.S. Midwest, South, and Northeast regions but are limited in the West, implying great decarbonization potential in the future.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Grand challenges in low temperature plasmas

Low temperature plasmas (LTPs) enable to create a highly reactive environment at near ambient temperatures due to the energetic electrons with typical kinetic energies in the range of 1 to 10 eV (1 eV = 11600K), which are being used in applications ranging from plasma etching of electronic chips and additive manufacturing to plasma-assisted combustion. LTPs are at the core of many advanced technologies. Without LTPs, many of the conveniences of modern society would simply not exist. New applications of LTPs are continuously being proposed. Researchers are facing many grand challenges before these new applications can be translated to practice. In this paper, we will discuss the challenges being faced in the field of LTPs, in particular for atmospheric pressure plasmas, with a focus on health, energy and sustainability.

atmospheric pressure plasmas↗
DOE OSTI2021

Particle charge distributions in the effluent of a flow-through atmospheric pressure low temperature plasma

Atmospheric pressure low-temperature plasmas are often utilized to perform particle synthesis, treatment, and removal. It is well-known that dust particles are highly negatively charged in these plasmas; however, little is known about dust particle charging behavior as particles leave the plasma volume and pass through the spatial afterglow region. In this work, monodisperse particles of various sizes and work functions were introduced into an atmospheric pressure radiofrequency capacitively coupled flow-through plasma. Dust particle electrical mobility distributions downstream of the flow-through plasma were measured utilizing a differential mobility analyzer in conjunction with a condensation particle counter at various gas flow velocities. Charge distributions were determined from the measured electrical mobility distributions. Experiments confirm that particles become less negatively charged, and even net-positively charged after leaving the plasma volume, with a distribution that follows a shifted Boltzmann charge distribution. Additionally, particle charge in the effluent of the flow-through plasma is negligibly dependent on work function but highly size and flow velocity dependent. Larger particles were shown to have a higher magnitude of charge under all studied conditions; however, particle polarity was switchable by varying gas flow velocity. The charging dynamics were simulated utilizing a constant number Monte Carlo model that accounts for electron temperature decay and the transition from ambipolar to free diffusion of electrons and ions in the spatial afterglow. Simulation results also suggest that, at the same flow velocity, larger particles obtain a greater magnitude of charge, negative or positive. Furthermore, the decrease in electron mobility and the difference between ion and electron convective loss rates create an ion-rich region in the plasma effluent that promotes ion–particle collisions and drives particle charge removal and even reversal of polarity. Larger particles more favorably collide with energetic species in these environments, which results in higher charge states.

atmospheric pressure low temperature plasma↗