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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 487 records · Page 27

Control Oriented Model of Cabin-HVAC System in a Long-Haul Trucks for Energy Management Applications

Super Truck II is a 48V mild hybrid class 8 truck with an all auxiliary loads powered purely by the battery pack. Electric Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) load is the most prominent battery load during the hotel period, when the truck driver is resting inside the sleeper. For the PACCAR Super Truck II (ST-II) project a 48 V battery system provides the required power during the hotel period. A cabin-HVAC model estimates the electric load on the 48V battery system, allowing the control system to implement an efficient energy management strategy that avoids engine idling during the hotel period. The thermal model accounts for the sun load due to the time of day and the geographic location of the truck during the hotel period. The cabin-HVAC model has two parts. First, a grey box model with two heat exchangers (Condenser and Evaporator) working in unison with refrigerant mass flow rate as an input and HVAC load as an output. Second, a two-node cabin model formulated to estimate the cabin temperature as a function of the Global Horizontal Irradiance (GHI), HVAC load and ambient temperature. The models are calibrated using experimental cabin-HVAC system data as for long-haul class 8 truck (e.g. ST-II). Here, the model simulations show that the overall Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) value of 0.4°C between the experimental and simulated cabin temperature.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Preparation and characterization of a siloxane containing bismaleimide

A novel siloxane containing bismaleimide has been prepared by reacting maleic anhydride, benzophenonetetracarboxylic dianhydride and bis(gamma-aminopropyl)tetramethyldisiloxane. Characterization of this monomer was done by comparing its nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum (NMR) to those of model compounds. Solubility of the prepolymer was tested in amide, chlorinated and ether solvents. Films were cast from solution as well as by melt processing and a cure cycle was determined. Infrared spectrum (IR) of the resulting film was obtained. Thermal polymerization was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Thermal properties of the cured resin were followed by means of thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), torsional braid analysis (TBA) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Thermomechanical analysis (TMA) was used to study the effect of postcure on the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the resin. Adhesive strength of the resin was obtained at ambient temperature.

Maudgal, S.↗

Development of design criteria and qualification tests for bypass diodes in photovoltaic applications

Design criteria have been developed for bypass diodes in p-n and Schottky barrier in photovoltaic applications. A test method for assessing conformity to the design criteria is described. Junction temperatures are defined in terms of expected worst-case field conditions, including ambient temperature and solar irradiance on the photovoltaic module. The rating criteria address the maximum allowable current and heat-sink characteristics of diodes mounted inside or outside the photovoltaic module. The method establishes worst-case module-to-diode thermal interfaces and may be adapted for laboratory or field-site experiments. A list of the design criteria is given.

Otth, D. H.↗

Effect of electric discharge machining on the fatigue life of Inconel 718

The effect of electric discharge machining on the fatigue life of Inconel 718 alloy at room temperature was investigated. Data were generated in the uniaxial tension fatigue mode at ambient temperature using flat 3.175 mm thick specimens. The specimens were machined on a wire-cut electric discharge machine at cutting speeds ranging from 0.5 to 2 mm per minute. The specimens were fatigued at a selected stress, and the resulting fatigue lives compared with that of the virgin material. The surfaces of the fatigued specimens were examined under optical and scanning electron microscopes, and the roughness of the surfaces was measured using a standard profilometer. From the results of the investigation, it was concluded that the fatigue life of the specimens machined using EDM decreased slightly as compared with that of the virgin material, but remained unchanged as the cutting speed was changed. The results are explained using data produced employing microhardness measurements, profilometry, and optical and scanning microscopy.

Jeelani, S.↗

Systems Characterization of Temperature, Ph and Electrical Conductivity in Aerobic Biodegradation of Wheat Biomass at Differing Mixing Rates

The purpose of this preliminary study is to observe and relate the rate of mixing to pH and electrical conductivity in an aerobic, continuously stirred bioreactor. The objective is to use data collected from successive experiments as a means of a system characterization. Tests were conducted to obtain these data using a continuously stirred 20 L Cytostir glass reaction vessel as a bioreactor operated without built-in temperature or pH control. The tests were conducted on the lab bench at ambient temperatures. The substrate in the bioreactor was ground wheat biomass obtained from the Biomass Production Chamber at NASA Kennedy Space Center. In this study, the data reflect characteristics of the native (uninoculated) systems as well as inoculated systems. In the native systems, it was found that pi levels became stable after approximately 2 to 3 days. The electrical conductivity levels for the native systems tended to decrease over time. In contrast, ion activity was increased after the introduction of bacteria into the system. This could be correlated with the release of nutrients, due to the activity of the bacteria. Also, there were slight increases in pH in the inoculated system, a result which is expected for a system with no active pr controls. The data will be used to test a mathematical model in an automated system.

Calhoun, M.↗

60 Kelvin Absorption Cell for Planetary Spectroscopic Research

We will describe a 30 cm long absorption cell which has been in operation for about two years. The cell is designed for use with sensitive-wide-spectral-coverage Fourier transform spectrometers. A helium compressor refrigerator allows temperatures to be achieved down to about 57 K. Heaters allow above-ambient temperatures as well. A unique vibration isolation system effectively quenches the transfer of vibration of the compressor unit to the spectrometer. An acid-resistant stainless steel liner in the copper body of the call permits the use of corrosive gases.

Chackerian, Charles, Jr.↗

The high-pressure lithium-palladium and lithium-palladium-hydrogen systems

The lithium-palladium and lithium-palladium-hydrogen systems are investigated at high pressures at and above room temperature. Two novel lithium-palladium compounds are found below 18.7 GPa. An ambient temperature phase is tentatively assigned as $F\bar{4}3m$ Li 17 Pd 4 , with a = 17.661(1) Å at 8.64 GPa, isostructural with Li 17 Sn 4 . The other phase occurs at high-temperature and is $I\bar{4}3m$ Li 11 Pd 2 , a = 9.218(1) Å at 3.88 GPa and 200 °C, similar to Li 11 Pt 2 , which is also known at high pressure. The presence of hydrogen in the system results in an $I\bar{4}3m$ structure with a = 8.856(1) Å at 9.74 GPa. This persists up to 13.3 GPa, the highest pressure studied. Below 2 GPa an fcc phase with a large unit cell, a = 19.324(1) Å at 0.39 GPa, is also observed in the presence of hydrogen. On heating the hydrogen containing system at 4 GPa the $I\bar{4}3m$ phases persists to the melting point of lithium. In both systems melting the lithium results in the loss of crystalline diffraction from palladium containing phases. This is attributed to dissolution of the palladium in the molten lithium, and on cooling the palladium remains dispersed.

Frost, Mungo↗

Unconventional solitonic high-temperature superfluorescence from perovskites

Fast thermal dephasing limits macroscopic quantum phenomena to cryogenic conditions and hinders their use at ambient temperatures. For electronic excitations in condensed media, dephasing is mediated by thermal lattice motion. Therefore, taming the lattice influence is essential for creating collective electronic quantum states at high temperatures. Although there are occasional reports of high-T c quantum effects across different platforms, it is unclear which lattice characteristics and electron–lattice interactions lead to macroscopically coherent electronic states in solids. Here we studied intensity fluctuations in the macroscopic polarization during the emergence of superfluorescence in a lead halide perovskite and showed that spontaneously synchronized polaronic lattice oscillations accompany collective electronic dipole emission. We further developed an effective field model and theoretically confirmed that exciton–lattice interactions lead to a new electronically and structurally entangled coherent extended solitonic state beyond a critical polaron density. The analysis shows a phase transition with two processes happening in tandem: incoherent disordered polaronic lattice deformations establish an order, while macroscopic quantum coherence among excitons simultaneously emerges. Recombination of excitons in this state culminates in superfluorescence at high temperatures. Our study establishes fundamental connections between the transient superfluorescence process observed after the impulsive excitation of perovskites and general equilibrium phase transitions achieved by thermal cooling. By identifying various electron–lattice interactions in the perovskite structure and their respective role in creating collectively coherent electronic effects in solids, our work provides unprecedented insight into the design and development of new materials that exhibit high-temperature macroscopic quantum phenomena.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Demonstration of 4H-SiC JFET Digital ICs Across 1000 °C Temperature Range Without Change to Input Voltages

Operational testing of prototype 4H-SiC JFET ICs across an unrivaled ambient temperature span in excess of 1000 °C, from -190 °C to +812 °C, has been demonstrated without any change/adjustment of input signal levels or power supply voltages. This unique ability is expected to simplify infusion of this IC technology into a broader range of beneficial applications.

Neudeck, Philip G.↗

Integrated Solar Concentrator and Shielded Radiator

A shielded radiator is integrated within a solar concentrator for applications that require protection from high ambient temperatures with little convective heat transfer. This innovation uses a reflective surface to deflect ambient thermal radiation, shielding the radiator. The interior of the shield is also reflective to provide a view factor to deep space. A key feature of the shield is the parabolic shape that focuses incoming solar radiation to a line above the radiator along the length of the trough. This keeps the solar energy from adding to the radiator load. By placing solar cells along this focal line, the concentration of solar energy reduces the number and mass of required cells. By shielding the radiator, the effective reject temperature is much lower, allowing lower radiator temperatures. This is particularly important for lower-temperature processes, like habitat heat rejection and fuel cell operations where a high radiator temperature is not feasible. Adding the solar cells in the focal line uses the concentrating effect of the shield to advantage to accomplish two processes with a single device. This shield can be a deployable, lightweight Mylar structure for compact transport.

Clark, David Larry↗

A Lithium Metal Anode Surviving Battery Cycling Above 200 °C

Lithium (Li) metal electrode cannot endure elevated temperature (e.g., >200 °C) with the regular battery configuration due to its low melting point (180.5 °C) and high reactivity, which restricts its application in high-temperature Li metal batteries for energy storage and causes safety concerns for regular ambient-temperature Li metal batteries. Herein, this work reports a Li 5 B 4 /Li composite featuring a 3D Li 5 B 4 fibrillar framework filled with metallic Li, which maintains its initial structure at 325 °C in Ar atmosphere without leakage of the liquid Li. The capillary force caused by the porous structure of the Li 4 B 5 fibrillar framework, together with its lithiophilic surface, restricts the leakage of liquid metallic Li and enables good thermal tolerance of the Li 5 B 4 /Li composite. Thus, it can be facilely operated for rechargeable high-temperature Li metal batteries. Li 5 B 4 /Li electrodes are coupled with a garnet-type ceramic electrolyte (Li 6.5 La 3 Zr 0.5 Ta 1.5 O 12 ) to fabricate symmetric cells, which exhibit stable Li stripping/plating behaviors with low overpotential of approximate to 6 mV at 200 °C using a regular sandwich-type cell configuration. This study affords new insights into realizing a stable Li metal anode for high-temperature Li metal batteries with a simple battery configuration and high safety, which is different from traditional molten-salt Li metal batteries using a pristine metallic Li anode.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Asymmetric daytime and nighttime surface temperature feedback induced by crop greening across Northeast China

Mid-high latitude Northeast China witnessed significant crop greening from 2001 to 2020, as evidenced by satellite records and field observations. The land surface temperature of croplands during the growing season showed a decreasing trend, suggesting negative surface temperature feedback to crop greening of agricultural ecosystems in mid-high latitude Northeast China. Here, using time-series remote sensing products and long-term scenario simulations, the present study highlights that crop greening can slow climate warming. Our study noted a stronger surface cooling effect induced by crop greening during the growing season in the day than at the night, which contributed to asymmetric diurnal temperature cycle changes in Northeast China. In addition, our biophysical mechanism analysis revealed aerodynamic and surface resistances as the major driving factors for the daytime land surface temperature (LST) cooling effect induced by crop greening, while the ground heat flux and ambient temperature feedback as the major attributes of the nighttime LST cooling impact due to crop greening.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Stabilizing the crystal structures of NaFePO 4 with Li substitutions

Due to the high cost and insufficient resources of lithium, alternative sodium-ion batteries have been widely investigated for large-scale applications. NaFePO 4 has the highest theoretical capacity of 154 mA h g -1 among the iron-based phosphates, which makes it an attractive cathode material for Na-ion batteries. Experimentally, LiFePO 4 has been highly successful as a cathode material in Li-ion batteries because its olivine crystal structure provides a stable framework during battery cycling. In NaFePO 4 , maricite replaces olivine as the most stable phase. However, the maricite phase is experimentally found to be electrochemically inactive under normal battery operating voltages (0–4.5 V). We found that partial substitutions of Na with Li stabilize the olivine structure and may be a way to improve the performance of NaFePO 4 cathodes. Using the previously developed structural LiFePO 4 database, here we examine the low-energy crystal structures in the system when we replace Li with Na. The known maricite and olivine NaFePO 4 phases are reconfirmed and an unreported phase with energy between them is identified by our calculations. Besides, the Li-doped olivine type compound Li x Na 1- x FePO 4 with mixed alkali ions retains better energetic stability compared with the other two types of structures of the same composition, as long as the proportion of Li exceeds 0.25. The thermodynamic stability of o-type Li x Na 1- x FePO 4 can be further improved at finite temperatures. The primary limitation of the calculations is that we mainly focus on the zero-temperature condition; however, the relative stability of the structures may vary depending on the ambient temperature.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Winter roosting ecology of tricolored bats ( Perimyotis subflavus ) in trees and bridges

Abstract Tricolored bats (Perimyotis subflavus) that roost in subterranean hibernacula have experienced precipitous declines from white-nose syndrome (WNS); however, understudied populations also use during winter non-subterranean roosts such as tree cavities, bridges, and foliage. Our objectives were to determine winter roost use by tricolored bats in an area devoid of subterranean roosts, determine roost microclimates to relate them to growth requirements of the fungal causal agent of WNS, and determine habitat factors influencing winter tree selection. From November to March 2017–2019, we used radiotelemetry to track 15 bats to their day roosts in the upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina and recorded microclimates in accessible tree cavities and bridges. We also characterized habitat and tree characteristics of 24 used trees and 153 random, available trees and used discrete choice models to determine selection. Roost structures included I-beam bridges, cavities in live trees, and foliage. Bridges were warmer and less humid than cavities. Roost temperatures often were amenable to fungal growth (< 19.5°C) but fluctuated widely depending on ambient temperatures. Bats used bridges on colder days (8.7°C ± 5.0 SD) and trees on warmer days (11.3°C ± 5.4). Bats selected low-decay trees closer to streams in areas with high canopy closure and cavity abundance. Bats also appeared to favor hardwood forests and avoid pine forests. Our results suggest that access to multiple roost microclimates might be important for tricolored bats during winter, and forest management practices that retain live trees near streams and foster cavity formation in hardwood forests likely will benefit this species. Our results also suggest tricolored bats using bridge and tree roosts might be less susceptible to WNS than bats using subterranean hibernaculum roosts. Thus, forests in areas without subterranean hibernacula in the southeastern United States that support bats during winter might represent important refugia from WNS for multiple species.

Zoology↗

Understanding Mechanistic Controls of Heterotrophic CO 2 and CH 4 Fluxes in a Peatland with Deep Soil Warming and Atmospheric CO 2 Enrichment

This project was funded from August 1, 2016 – July 31, 2019 with a no-cost extension until July 31, 2020 (and built upon the PI-team’s previous work supported by DE-SC0008092 (June 2012 – September 2016)). Our project focused on the Spruce and Peatland Responses Under Changing Environments (SPRUCE: https://mnspruce.ornl.gov/) experiment taking place in the S1 Bog in the Marcell Experimental Forest in northern Minnesota, USA. The SPRUCE project is a unique whole-ecosystem experiment where a bog peatland is subjected to warming and atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) enrichment. Deep peat heating of the soil profile (to a depth of at least 2 m) began in June of 2014 and was followed by whole-ecosystem warming in August of 2015. Warming treatments included +0 °C, +2.25 °C, +4.5 °C, +6.75 °C, and +9 °C above ambient temperatures, with 2 experimental chambers for each warming treatment. Half of these chambers received ambient atmospheric CO 2 concentrations, and starting in June of 2016, the other half received elevated atmospheric CO 2 concentrations (~ +500 ppm(v) above ambient). Our primary goal with this project was to explore the mechanistic controls of anaerobic carbon cycling – especially the dynamics of the potent greenhouse gas methane (CH 4 ) – within the SPRUCE experiment.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

External auditory canal temperature as an estimate of core temperature.

Measurement of rectal (T sub re), auditory canal (T sub ac), positioned 8 to 10 mm from the tympanic membrane, and mean skin temperature (mean T sub sk) in five men during various exercise regimens at an ambient temperature (T sub a) of 25 C (phase one) and in two men during rest and exercise at 5, 15, 25, and 35 C T sub a (phase two). The purpose was to determine if T sub ac can be used as an accurate estimate of core temperature. Previous observations that T sub ac was highly correlated with T sub re but T sub ac was consistently lower than T sub re are confirmed; the mean difference varied from 0.4 C at rest to 1.1 C at the end of exercise. It is concluded that auditory canal temperature cannot be utilized as an estimate of core temperature, but T sub ac may be used to estimate mean body temperature where very accurate measurements are not required.

Greenleaf, J. E.↗

Magnesium-lithium casting alloys

The strength properties of magnesium-lithium alloys at room, low, and high temperatures are investigated. It is found that the alloys may have practical application at ambient temperatures up to 100 C, that negative temperatures have a favorable influence on the alloy strength, and that cyclic temperature variations have practically no effect on the strength characteristics. The influence of chemical coatings on corrosion resistance of the MgLi alloys is examined. Several facilities based on pressure casting machines, low-pressure casting machines, and magnetodynamic pumps were designed for producing MgLi alloy castings. Results were obtained for MgLi alloys reinforced with fibers having a volumetric content of 15%.

Latenko, V. P.↗