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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 505 records · Page 28
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Imaging the Breakdown and Restoration of Topological Protection in Magnetic Topological Insulator MnBi 2 Te 4

Quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) insulators transport charge without resistance along topologically protected chiral 1D edge states. Yet, in magnetic topological insulators to date, topological protection is far from robust, with zero-magnetic field QAH effect only realized at temperatures an order of magnitude below the Néel temperature T N , though small magnetic fields can stabilize QAH effect. Understanding why topological protection breaks down is therefore essential to realizing QAH effect at higher temperatures. Here a scanning tunneling microscope is used to directly map the size of exchange gap (E g,ex ) and its spatial fluctuation in the QAH insulator 5-layer MnBi 2 Te 4 . Long-range fluctuations of E g,ex are observed, with values ranging between 0 (gapless) and 70 meV, appearing to be uncorrelated to individual surface point defects. The breakdown of topological protection is directly imaged, showing that the gapless edge state, the hallmark signature of a QAH insulator, hybridizes with extended gapless regions in the bulk. Finally, it is unambiguously demonstrated that the gapless regions originate from magnetic disorder, by demonstrating that a small magnetic field restores E g,ex in these regions, explaining the recovery of topological protection in magnetic fields. The results indicate that overcoming magnetic disorder is the key to exploiting the unique properties of QAH insulators.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Strong ultralight foams based on nanocrystalline cellulose for high-performance insulation

Environmentally friendly, sustainable, and high-performance thermal insulators are in high demand. Petroleum based insulator foams usually have high thermal conductivity and pose health hazards. In this paper, we report ultralight composite foams that are highly strong, elastic, and super-insulating. The foams are composed of nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) (74 wt%), polyvinyl alcohol (7.5 wt%), and a crosslinking agent (18.5 wt%). The fabrication process is simple and uses only water. The composite foams exhibit an elastic strain of ⁻13% at a modulus of 250 K Pa and a stress of 73 K Pa at 50% strain (100+ and 18 times, respectively, higher than those of pure NCC foam); both exceed the values of reported nanocellulose-based foams with no reinforcement. The foams exhibit a thermal conductivity of 0.027 Wm -1 K -1 , which is superior to those of traditional insulating materials. The structural integrity is also preserved after burning. Our results show that NCC-based materials can be engineered towards high-performance insulation applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Origin of Metal-Insulator Transition in Rare-Earth Nickelates

Rare-earth nickelates RNiO3 (R=rare-earth element) undergo coupled structural, metal-insulator, and magnetic changes as temperature is lowered. Because the metal-insulator transition often occurs together with a symmetry-lowering distortion, it is commonly viewed as lattice driven. Here we use QSGW calculations to separate the roles of spin and structure. In the high-symmetry Pbnm phase, imposing spin disproportionation already starts to open an electronic gap, although the undistorted lattice cannot stabilize a full insulating state in both spin channels. In the low-symmetry P21/n phase, removing the spin disproportionation destroys the insulating solution even though the bond disproportionation remains. These tests show that spin disproportionation is the primary electronic driver of gap formation, while structural disproportionation acts as the enabler that allows the inequivalent Ni states to become spatially separated and fully insulating. As an explicit finite-temperature example, machine-learned molecular dynamics for NdNiO3 at 220 K shows that a nominally high-symmetry Pbnm structure dynamically samples local Ni-O bond disproportionation, while retaining Pbnm symmetry on average. This illustrates a general structural channel by which thermal fluctuations in the high-symmetry phase can help stabilize locally spin-disproportionated states.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Impacts of environmental exposure on thermal and mycological characteristics of insulation wools

Highlights: • Insulation materials (IM) suffer expositions to weather on energy efficient buildings. • Induced exposure to weather of IM reveals differences in ATR-FTIR spectra. • Mycological analysis shows a significant effect of exposure condition on IM. • Mold species detected may induce human health risk and degradation of IM. • Thermal conductivity of IM according humidity of air may impact energy performance. - Abstract: Fieldwork was conducted on 138 energy efficient buildings, to check if building site practices induced exposure to weather of thermal insulation. In nearly 80% of cases, insulation was exposed to weather due to insufficient protection. Therefore insulating wools were exposed, divided into three parts (control, exposure under shelter, exposure to weather). After the exposure period these samples were submitted to thermal conductivity measurements and infrared spectroscopy. A numerical study was carried out to evaluate the influence of weather conditions on thermal performance. Identifications of molds were realized by direct cultures of each sample. Mycological analyses provided the most significant results, showing a significant effect of exposure condition, with possible consequences in human health (toxinogenic, allergenic or pathogenic species) and material properties (cellulolytic species). Infrared spectrometry also showed some changes in sensitivity to water. These results show the interest to study in more detail the variations in the sensitivity, to moisture and mold, of insulation material throughout its ageing on site, and the interactions with the practices of the building process.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

The joint influence of albedo and insulation on roof performance: An observational study

We focus on understanding the temperature and heat flux fields in building roofs, and how they are modulated by the interacting influences of albedo and insulation at annual, seasonal and diurnal scales. High precision heat flux plates and thermocouples were installed over multiple rooftops of varying insulation thickness and albedo in the Northeastern United States to monitor the temperature and the heat flux into and out of the roof structures for a whole year. This analysis shows that while membrane reflectivity (albedo) plays a dominant role in reducing the heat conducted inward through the roof structures during the warmer months, insulation thickness becomes the main roof attribute in preventing heat loss from the buildings during colder months. On a diurnal scale, the thermal state of the white roof structures fluctuated little compared to black roof structures; membrane temperature over white roofs ranged between 10 °C and 45 °C during summer months compared to black membranes that ranged between 10 °C and 80 °C. Insulation thickness, apart from reducing the heat conducted through the roof structure, also delayed the transfer of heat, owing to the thermal inertia of the insulation layer. Furthermore, this has important implications for determining the peak heating and cooling times.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2015

Insulation materials for commercial buildings in North America: An assessment of lifetime energy and environmental impacts

In the United States, commercial buildings accounted for about 19 percent of the total primary energy consumption in 2012. Further, 29 percent of the site energy in commercial buildings was consumed for space heating and cooling. Applying insulation materials to building envelopes is an effective way of reducing energy consumption for heating and cooling, and limiting the negative environmental impacts from the buildings sector. While insulation materials have a net positive impact on the environment due to reduced energy consumption, they also have some negative impacts associated with their 'embodied energy'. The total lifetime environmental impacts of insulation materials are a summation of: (1) direct impacts due to their embodied energy, and (2) indirect or impacts avoided due to the reduced building energy consumption. Here, assessments of the lifetime environmental impacts of selected insulation materials are presented. Direct and indirect environmental impact factors were estimated for the cradle-to-grave insulation life cycle stages. Impact factors were calculated for two categories: primary energy consumption and global warming potential. The direct impact factors were calculated using data from existing literature and a life cycle assessment software. The indirect impact factors were calculated through simulations of a set of standard whole-building models.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2025

Foam-insulated cryo-compressed hydrogen storage vessels for buses

Here, large reductions (40 % vs. compressed gaseous hydrogen vessels and 17 % vs. vacuum insulated cryo-compressed vessels) in hydrogen storage system cost are possible by operating buses with foam-insulated cryo-compressed hydrogen (CcH 2 ) vessels. Detailed thermodynamic analysis reveals that large size and rapid H 2 consumption in buses compensate for the poor performance of foam insulation (∼100 times more conductive than vacuum multilayer insulation), resulting in compact and inexpensive H 2 storage systems with sufficient H 2 capacity for the longest routes (500 km) while maintaining previously identified advantages of CcH 2 systems: increased autonomy, rapid high density refueling, and improved safety, while simultaneously avoiding vacuum insulation stability problems resulting from composite resin outgassing.

Cryo-compressed↗
DOE OSTI2019

Magnetic field-tuned Fermi liquid in a Kondo insulator

Abstract Kondo insulators are expected to transform into metals under a sufficiently strong magnetic field. The closure of the insulating gap stems from the coupling of a magnetic field to the electron spin, yet the required strength of the magnetic field–typically of order 100 T–means that very little is known about this insulator-metal transition. Here we show that Ce $${}_{3}$$ 3 Bi $${}_{4}$$ 4 Pd $${}_{3}$$ 3 , owing to its fortuitously small gap, provides an ideal Kondo insulator for this investigation. A metallic Fermi liquid state is established above a critical magnetic field of only $${B}_{{\rm{c}}}\approx$$ B c ≈ 11 T. A peak in the strength of electronic correlations near $${B}_{{\rm{c}}}$$ B c , which is evident in transport and susceptibility measurements, suggests that Ce $${}_{3}$$ 3 Bi $${}_{4}$$ 4 Pd $${}_{3}$$ 3 may exhibit quantum criticality analogous to that reported in Kondo insulators under pressure. Metamagnetism and the breakdown of the Kondo coupling are also discussed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Two-dimensional topological insulators with tunable band gaps: Single-layer HgTe and HgSe

Here, we report that two-dimensional (2D) topological insulators (TIs) with large band gaps are of great importance for the future applications of quantum spin Hall (QSH) effect. Employing ab initio electronic calculations we propose a novel type of 2D topological insulators, the monolayer (ML) low-buckled (LB) mercury telluride (HgTe) and mercury selenide (HgSe), with tunable band gap. We demonstrate that LB HgTe (HgSe) monolayers undergo a trivial insulator to topological insulator transition under in-plane tensile strain of 2.6% (3.1%) due to the combination of the strain and the spin orbital coupling (SOC) effects. Furthermore, the band gaps can be tuned up to large values (0.2 eV for HgTe and 0.05 eV for HgSe) by tensile strain, which far exceed those of current experimentally realized 2D quantum spin Hall insulators. Our results suggest a new type of material suitable for practical applications of 2D TI at room-temperature.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2017

Tracking the insulator-to-metal phase transition in VO 2 with few-femtosecond extreme UV transient absorption spectroscopy

We present coulomb correlations can manifest in exotic properties in solids, but how these properties can be accessed and ultimately manipulated in real time is not well understood. The insulator-to-metal phase transition in vanadium dioxide (VO 2 ) is a canonical example of such correlations. Here, few-femtosecond extreme UV transient absorption spectroscopy (FXTAS) at the vanadium M 2,3 edge is used to track the insulator-to-metal phase transition in VO 2 . This technique allows observation of the bulk material in real time, follows the photoexcitation process in both the insulating and metallic phases, probes the subsequent relaxation in the metallic phase, and measures the phase-transition dynamics in the insulating phase. An understanding of the VO 2 absorption spectrum in the extreme UV is developed using atomic cluster model calculations, revealing V 3+ /d 2 character of the vanadium center. We find that the insulator-to-metal phase transition occurs on a timescale of 26 ± 6 fs and leaves the system in a long-lived excited state of the metallic phase, driven by a change in orbital occupation. Potential interpretations based on electronic screening effects and lattice dynamics are discussed. A Mott–Hubbard-type mechanism is favored, as the observed timescales and d 2 nature of the vanadium metal centers are inconsistent with a Peierls driving force. In conclusion, the findings provide a combined experimental and theoretical roadmap for using time-resolved extreme UV spectroscopy to investigate nonequilibrium dynamics in strongly correlated materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Possible Spin-Triplet Excitonic Insulator in the Ultraquantum Limit of HfTe 5

More than 50 years ago, excitonic insulators formed by the pairing of electrons and holes due to Coulomb interactions were first predicted [A. N. Kozlov and L. A. Maksimov, Sov. J. Exp. Theor. Phys. 21, 790 (1965); L. V. Keldysh and Y. V. Kopaev, Sov. Phys. Solid State 6, 2219 (1965); D. Jérome, T. M. Rice, and W. Kohn, Phys. Rev. 158, 462 (1967)]. Since then, excitonic insulators have been observed in various classes of materials, including quantum Hall bilayers, graphite, transition metal chalcogenides, and more recently in moiré superlattices. In these excitonic insulators, an electron and a hole with the same spin bind together, and the resulting exciton is a spin singlet. Here, we report the experimental observation of a spin-triplet excitonic insulator in the ultra-quantum limit of a three-dimensional topological material HfTe 5 . We observe that the spin-polarized zeroth Landau bands dispersing along the field direction cross each other beyond a characteristic magnetic field in HfTe 5 , forming the one-dimensional Weyl mode. Transport measurements reveal the emergence of a gap of about 2⁢5⁢0 μ⁢eV when the field surpasses a critical threshold. By performing the material-specific modeling, we identify this gap as a consequence of a spin-triplet exciton formation, where electrons and holes with opposite spin form bound states, and the translational symmetry is preserved. The system reaches charge neutrality following the gap opening, as evidenced by the zero Hall conductivity over a wide magnetic field range (10–72 T). In conclusion, our finding of the spin-triplet excitonic insulator paves the way for studying novel spin transport including spin superfluidity, spin Josephson currents, and Coulomb drag of spin currents in analogy to the transport properties associated with the layer pseudospin in quantum Hall bilayers.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Magnetic resonance induced pseudoelectric field and giant current response in axion insulators

Here, a quantized version of the magnetoelectric effect, known as the topological magnetoelectric effect, can exist in a time-reversal invariant topological insulator with all its surface states gapped out by magnetism. This topological phase, called the axion insulator phase, has been theoretically proposed but still lacks conclusive experimental evidence due to the small signal of topological magnetoelectric effect. In this work, we propose that the dynamical in-plane magnetization in an axion insulator can generate a pseudoelectric field, which acts on the surface state of topological insulator films and leads to the nonzero response current. Strikingly, we find that the current at magnetic resonance (either ferromagnetic or antiferromagnetic) is larger than that of topological magnetoelectric effect by several orders of magnitude and thereby serves as evidence to confirm the axion insulator phase in the candidate materials.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2018

Unified first-principles theory of thermal properties of insulators

The conventional first-principles theory for the thermal and thermodynamic properties of insulators is based on the perturbative treatment of the anharmonicity of crystal bonds. While this theory has been a successful predictive tool for strongly bonded solids such as diamond and silicon, here we show that it fails dramatically for strongly anharmonic (weakly bonded) materials, and that the conventional quasiparticle picture breaks down at relatively low temperatures. To address this failure, we present a unified first-principles theory of the thermodynamic and thermal properties of insulators that captures multiple thermal properties within the same framework across the full range of anharmonicity from strongly bonded to weakly bonded insulators. This theory features a new phonon renormalization approach derived from many-body physics that creates well-defined quasiparticles even at relatively high temperatures, and it accurately captures the effects of strongly anharmonic bonds on phonons and thermal transport. Using a prototypical strongly anharmonic material, sodium chloride (NaCl), as an example, we demonstrate that our new first-principles framework simultaneously captures the apparently contradictory experimental observations of large thermal expansion and low thermal conductivity of NaCl on the one hand, and anomalously weak temperature dependence of phonon modes on the other, while the conventional theory fails in all three cases. Here we demonstrate that four-phonon scattering due to higher-order anharmonicity significantly lowers the thermal conductivity of NaCl and is required for a proper comparison to experiment. Furthermore, we show that our renormalization framework, along with four-phonon scattering, also successfully predicts the measured phonon frequencies and thermal properties of a weakly anharmonic material, diamond, indicating universal applicability for thermal properties of insulators. Our work gives new insights into the physics of heat flow in solids, and presents a computationally efficient and rigorous framework that captures the thermal and thermodynamic properties of both weakly and strongly bonded insulators simultaneously.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Voltage-Controlled Magnetic Reversal in Orbital Chern Insulators

Chern insulator ferromagnets are characterized by a quantized anomalous Hall effect and have so far been identified experimentally in magnetically doped topological insulator thin films and in bilayer graphene moiré superlattices. We classify Chern insulator ferromagnets as either spin or orbital, depending on whether the orbital magnetization results from spontaneous spin polarization combined with spin-orbit interactions, as in the magnetically doped topological insulator case, or directly from spontaneous orbital currents, as in the moiré superlattice case. We argue that, in a given magnetic state, characterized, for example, by the sign of the anomalous Hall effect, the magnetization of an orbital Chern insulator will often have opposite signs for weak n and weak p electrostatic or chemical doping. Finally, this property enables pure electrical switching of a magnetic state in the presence of a fixed magnetic field.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2021

Conduction via surface states in antiferromagnetic Mott-insulating Ni S 2 single crystals

Pyrite structure transition-metal disulfides exhibit diverse ground states vs d-band filling, spanning diamagnetic semiconducting, ferromagnetic metallic, antiferromagnetic Mott insulating, and superconducting in FeS 2 , CoS 2 , NiS 2 , and CuS 2 . NiS is particularly interesting and poorly understood as its Mott insulating behavior is accompanied by complex antiferromagnetic ordering below ~38 K and perplexing weak ferromagnetism below ~30 K. Temperature-, pressure-, and composition-dependent insulator-metal transitions also occur, particularly in bandwidth-controlled NiS 2–x Se x , hole-doped Ni 1–x Co x S 2 , etc. Here, we use high-quality chemical-vapor-transport-grown NiS 2 single crystals characterized by x-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, magnetometry, and extensive transport and magnetotransport measurements, to generate new insight into this system. In particular, resistivity, magnetoresistance, and Hall effect analyses vs temperature, thickness, and surface preparation, provide unequivocal evidence of surface conduction, where the more conductive surface shunts essentially all current at low temperatures. The surface transport changes from two dimensional and insulating to three dimensional and metallic as the surface preparation is varied (also displaying intriguing sensitivity to magnetic ordering), significantly clarifying literature ambiguities with respect to the electronic ground state. These results have immediate implications. First, the temperature-, pressure-, and composition-dependent insulator-metal transitions deduced in the extensive prior work on NiS 2-x Se x , Ni 1–x Co x S 2 , etc., must clearly be reexamined in light of rife metallic surface conduction, not previously taken into account. Second, NiS 2 now joins FeS 2 and CoS 2 as systems in which bulk and surface electronic behaviors are strikingly different, suggesting that metallic surface states could be a universal feature of pyrite structure transition-metal disulfides.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Evaluation of Copper Catalytic Effects in Cable Insulation Polymers

This paper summarizes work performed to evaluate a phenomenon that occurs in electrical cable insulation polymers subjected to accelerated aging while in contact with copper metal. This effect, commonly known as the copper catalytic effect, is a result of chemical reactions that occur when copper ions diffuse into insulation polymers. This diffusion process is observed in various types of polymeric materials exposed to elevated temperatures and happens at the interface between the insulation and metallic components (e.g., conductor, shielding, etc.) in a cable. This polymer-metal interaction has only been observed in cables constructed with copper components (i.e., no interactions observed in cables with aluminum or other metal conductor/shielding) and results in a significant catalytic effect that increases the oxidation rate (e.g., aging) of the material. Under this research, the copper catalytic effects observed in cross-linked polyethylene, cross-linked polyolefin and ethylene propylene rubber insulated cables subjected to thermal accelerated aging were evaluated. These evaluations involved applying infrared spectroscopy, microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy cross-sectional depth profiling to obtain an in-depth understanding of the aging characteristics of the materials under accelerated conditions. Based on the results of these assessments, the copper catalytic effect can have a significant impact on the mechanical, thermal, chemical, and electrical properties of cable insulation polymers. Here, the results acquired from this research provided the information needed to characterize the copper catalytic effects observed in these polymers, analyze how this phenomenon affected the polymer degradation process, and compare and understand the differences in the properties of the materials.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2018

Resistively Graded Insulation System for Next-Generation Converter-Fed Motors

The objective of this project was to demonstrate the feasibility of a new insulation material system capable of withstanding 10 kV/μs switching voltage ramp rate (dV/dt) with operating frequencies and temperatures targeted at converter-fed motors. If successful, with additional development, this insulation material can enable 5%-10% electric machine energy savings from advanced silicon carbide (SiC) drive implementation. To accomplish these goals, we propose to eliminate partial discharge as a degradation mechanism in high voltage, taped insulation. This can be accomplished through the use of a two-sided coating on a polymer film system that will envelop any residual defects on all sides, effectively creating a Faraday cage around the defect. This project focused on demonstrating the proof of concept for the coating. It was shown that concept of providing a stress grading coating around voids can prevent partial discharge. Simulation and lab scale experiments showed that the design can be implemented in a practical layered structure without causing overheating of the insulation due to conduction. Short term testing and calculations show there is a reasonable likelihood to improved insulation life. A path to full scale production was demonstrated, with gaps in process optimization identified as needing to be closed for full scale implementation. Longer term testing and integration onto a conductor is required to fully quantify life and show benefits at an application level.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2016

Evaluating an Exterior Insulation and Finish System for Deep Energy Retrofits

This report provides a case study of a deep energy retrofit using a site-applied exterior insulation and finish system (EIFS). Prefabricated EIFS panels are also discussed as a potential wall insulation retrofit solution. EIFSs are common in new and retrofit commercial construction. Such products typically consist of five layers installed over the top of a water resistive barrier as follows: (1) Adhesive (2) Foam insulation (3) Base coat (4) Reinforcing mesh embedded in the base coat (5) Top or finish coat. They can be applied to new or existing buildings that employ wood or masonry construction, and can utilize an insulation thickness of up to 16 in. However, such systems are rarely used in lowrise residential retrofits. Reasons for this might include a lack of demand for or knowledge of the systems in residential retrofit industry, high cost, and/or lack of suitable distribution channels serving the residential market. While the final appearance of an EIFS installation resembles stucco, it is a distinctly different system. Stucco is a generic cementitious-based material, whereas EIFSs are proprietary synthetic formulations distributed by manufacturers to a network of authorized applicators. An EIFS is composed of polymeric (organic) bonded aggregate and cement reinforced with a glass mesh. Stucco is made of inorganic cement, sand, and lime. In this project, a home was retrofitted using a site-applied 4-in.-thick EIFS. Site-specific details were developed as required for the residential retrofit application. Site work and the costs of the EIFS were documented. The case study home was modeled using version 2 of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory-developed Building Energy Optimization (BEopt) energy and cost analysis software. While a package utilizing the 4-in. EIFS is the optimal retrofit of the options analyzed in terms of annualized energy-related costs, it is higher cost than replacing the siding with midrange vinyl alone. However, compared to high-end vinyl, the EIFS package has a lower annualized energy cost. This held true for both the Islip, New York (climate zone 4) and Boston (climate zone 5) case studies. The report discusses the risks, selection criteria, interactions with other building systems, cost, performance, and other aspects of using an EIFS in a deep energy retrofit. EIFSs do not require special site safety precautions beyond general construction site precautions. Moisture design is important. Trapping moisture between two vapor/air barriers is a risk of all wall systems, including EIFS cladding applications if an interior vapor barrier exists and if there is not adequate ventilation through the drainage plane behind the insulation layer. Face-sealed approaches that rely on exposed sealants do not provide acceptable rain control or durability and are very risky. Generally, fire codes permit EIFSs for most building types and conditions.

airtightness↗