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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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NREL will apply its battery machine learning pipeline on Smartville datasets to estimate 2nd-use battery state of health from operational data and show how Smartville data can transfer that knowledge to a certifiable product for solar plus storage markets.
In this work we report a framework to understand the role of solvent-salt interactions and how they mediate the performance of sodium-air/O 2 batteries. The utilization of suitable electrolyte materials remains a point of major concern within the research community, as their stability and decomposition pathways during cycling are intimately connected with capacity and cycle life. Glyme based solvents have been widely utilized in Na–O 2 batteries, however, to date no clear correlation between solvent/electrolyte properties and battery performance has been given. Herein, we have examined the effect of glyme chain length (ethylene glycol dimethyl ether DME; diethylene glycol dimethyl ether, DEGDME; and tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether, TEGME) on the cycling behaviour of Na–O 2 batteries and conclude that overall cell performance is highly dependent on solvent selection, salt concentration and rate of discharge/charge. We demonstrate how solvent selection helps define cell chemistry and performance by linking salt-solvent interactions to enthalpy of dissolution - and subsequently to sodium battery electrolyte properties - through the combination of both experimental and theoretical methodologies. The approaches detailed in this study could be used to predictively prepare electrolytes for Li-air batteries, other glyme-based electrochemical systems and low temperature applications.
This report was produced as part of the Equitable Solar Communities of Practice program through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO). Clean Energy Group (CEG) managed the Resilience, Storage, and Grid Benefits Community of Practice, which aimed to research, evaluate, and identify opportunities to scale the meaningful benefits of solar paired with battery storage in historically marginalized communities. The report is designed to 1) educate a broad audience on the benefits of solar paired with battery storage, 2) identify barriers to deploying solar paired with battery storage in historically marginalized communities, 3) amplify early-adopters and innovative programs that support battery storage access across the nation, and 4) recommend best practices for programs and policies to adopt in advancing equitable access to solar and battery storage technologies.
After five years on the International Space Station (ISS), the Astrobee Research Facility, has completed over 160 Test Sessions logging over 1200 hours of operations. Managed by the NASA ISS Program OZ office and supported by NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) in California, the Astrobee Team currently maintains two identical free-flying Astrobee robots and a Docking Station for research on the ISS. As a technology demonstration platform, the Astrobee Robots are available for Guest Scientists to use for a spectrum of research capabilities. Using ambient air on the ISS, propelled by battery-operated fans, Astrobee is designed to autonomously operate throughout most of the USOS (US Orbital Segment), with the objective of minimizing the need for astronaut support. Astrobee carries a suite of six cameras, a two degree-of-freedom (DOF) arm with a gripper that can grasp ISS handrails and other objects, and three payload bays that provide power and data for guest science hardware. Astrobee can autonomously execute hours-long flight plans or be tele-operated from the ground. While the Astrobee Team continues to improve mapping and autonomous flight capabilities, one of the main goals of Astrobee Robots is to provide research opportunities for Guest Scientists. The Astrobee Robot Software (ARS) makes extensive use of the open-source Robot Operating System (ROS). The ARS can be used interchangeably with an Astrobee Simulator or as Astrobee’s onboard software. ARS features include autonomous docking and perching, real-time teleoperations from the ground, plan based autonomous tasks, multi Astrobee communication, among other capabilities. Through simulation software and ground testing laboratories, the Astrobee Team is available to support Guest Scientists during development and testing and lead real-time ISS operations. The Astrobee Team and Guest Scientists have completed research including Astrobatics maneuvers, RFID and sound sensing capabilities, Gecko materials studies, student Robotics Programming Challenges, and Free Flyer formation flight investigations. Current science with the Astrobee Robots is investigating new docking capabilities through software only research as well as testing new docking hardware installed on the Astrobees. The Astrobee Team and other researchers at NASA Ames continue to explore robotics applications for future NASA missions such as Gateway and potential experiments involving human-robot interactions. Continued advanced mapping resolution capabilities, and high-resolution panoramic imagery also remains areas of research. Exciting in development research involves docking for rendezvous proximity operation (CLINGERS), multi resolution 3D scanning (MRS), space debris removal in microgravity (REACCH). This presentation will mainly focus on completed research over the past year and current science being performed on the Astrobees. This presentation will also focus on how a Guest Scientist/Researcher progresses from conception to running their science on the Astrobees on the ISS, as well as discuss the Astrobee Facility resources available for supporting ground testing and real-time ISS operations.
Current lithium-oxygen (Li-O 2 ) batteries suffer from large charge overpotentials related to electronic resistivity of the insulating lithium peroxide (Li 2 O 2 ) discharge product. One potential solution to this challenge is the stabilization of the lithium superoxide (LiO 2 ) discharge intermediate, which has much higher electronic conductivity compared to Li 2 O 2 . Cathodes based on small iridium (Ir) nanoparticles have been recently used in a LiO 2 battery to successfully stabilize the LiO 2 product, however, the LiO 2 had a short lifetime. In the previous study, researchers found that the LiO 2 was stabilized on Ir 3 Li surfaces which were formed from Ir nanoparticles during battery operation. Little is known about the electronic properties of Ir 3 Li and its role in stabilizing LiO 2 product formation. This work provides the first study of the electronic properties of Ir 3 Li, which was thermally synthesized in bulk prior to implementation on the reduced graphene oxide (rGO) cathode of a Li-O 2 cell. Here, the bulk Ir 3 Li was found to have comparable electrical conductivity to Ir metal, possess metal-like magnetic properties, and has an affinity towards O 2 adsorption. The LiO 2 discharge product formed from the Li-O 2 battery discharge was characterized using Raman spectroscopy, titration, along with a comprehensive transmission electron microscopy (TEM) study. This analysis revealed the formation of ultra-nanocrystalline LiO 2 particles greater than 200 nm. This result was attributed to the use of large micron sized Ir 3 Li particles, which could stabilize larger LiO 2 particles compared to previous cathodes that utilized Ir nanoparticles that partially converted to Ir 3 Li during cycling. These results demonstrate that cathode properties can be modified to stabilize the bulk LiO 2 discharge product, which can be useful for the further development of LiO 2 -based Li-O 2 batteries.
Soluble organic redox molecules have emerged as promising candidate active materials for multiple energy storage systems due to their structural versatility, fast redox process, high capacity storage, sustainability, and environmental friendliness. This review examines recent progress in developing such materials in green and sustainable batteries for grid applications and points out directions for future research.
This project is aimed to develop a chromium (Cr) tolerant, highly active, and stable coating layer on the internal surfaces of the porous composite cathode from commercially available SOFCs. Such coating layer was developed using the additive manufacturing process of Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) and has been applied on the cathode consisting of either an electronic conductor of LaxSr 1-x MnyO 3-δ (LSM) or mixed ionic and electronic conducting La x Sr 1-x Co y Fe 1-y O 3-δ (LSCF). PI's work has demonstrated that the internal surface of cathode from the commercial cells, can be further tailored using ALD coating to dramatically enhance the cell performance. For instance, ALD layer consisting heterostructured nano composite of nano-Pt and nano-(Mn 0.8 Co 0.2 ) 3 O 4 oxide on the internal surface of porous LSM/YSZ cathode from SOFCs, has resulted in the large reduction of the cell polarizations resistance by up to 53%, and enormous increase of power density over 370%. For the cells with LSCF/Sm 2 O 3 doped CeO 2 (SDC) cathode, the conformal layer of nano-composite consisting of superjacent CoOx and subjacent minimum amount of Pt nano-grains has resulted in the power density enhancement by 126% for the large scale industry tubular cells at 750°C, and both the performance enhancement and nanostructure of the ALD layer are stable over ~ 2000 h continuous operation performed at industry test station. In the meanwhile, those ALD coating layer developed by PI's work is also inherently Cr-tolerant, and could act as physical barrier for preventing Cr diffusion into the cathode backbone, so as to mitigate the Cr poisoning effect on the cathode. In this project, the impact of Cr on the performance of those ALD coated commercial cells has been evaluated. Based on evolution of the cell performance, the ALD coating layer chemistry and ALD coating layer thickness has been optimized to maximize the overall Cr tolerance, cell power density and cell longevity. Different ALD coating has been applied onto the internal surface of LSM/YSZ and LSCF/SDC backbone respectively. The architecture/scaffold structures on the internal surface of different cathode, designed by this project, was catalogued and analyzed using High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM), and cell power/durability performance are assured via comprehensive electrochemical performance testing in the industry operation relevant conditions. The impact of the electrochemical operation current density, the water humidity, the cell operation temperature, and cell operation duration on the Cr tolerance of ALD coated cells has been systematically investigated. There is completely different nanostructure degradation mechanisms between LSM and LSCF cells induced by Cr contamination. For the LSCF/SDC baseline cell, With the Cr source, there is no apparent Sr surface segregation phase even for the baseline cell operated for 3000 h at 750 °C. With the Cr source, there is significant amorphous (SrCr)Ox phase accumulated in the original pore region. For the commercial baseline cells, Cr contaminants on the LSM electrode severely impacted the entire cell's electrochemical performance and nanostructure degradation. Those degradations include (1). Peak power density loss of 64 % after 109 h of operation. The dramatic increase in Rp (2). They are cracking at LSM/SSZ interface, LSM grains. SSZ remains intact but with (CrMn)Ox. By contrast, ALD coating (MnCo)Ox/Pt dramatically improves the Cr resistance, as follows (1). ALD-coated cell with a power density is 280-380 % of the baseline cell, depending on the ALD layer thickness. (2). For a cell with a 20 nm thick ALD layer, there is a large performance enhancement (> 200 % power density) induced by ALD coating of Cr-tolerant Mn 0.8 Co 0.2 Ox. (3). For a cell with a 20 nm thick ALD layer, after 168 h at 750 °C power density of the ALD-coated cell is ~ 600% of that baseline cell upon operation with Cr contamination for 109 h. The ALD coating on the internal surface of cathode developed by this project integrated multi-functions. Those multi-functions include (1). Dramatically improving the cell power density for the commercial cells; (2). Dramatically improving contamination resistance of the cathode, for being an excellent protection coating layer sealing off Cr contamination. (3). Dramatically increasing the cell longevity by potentially preventing the microstructure evolution and grain coarsening of the cathode. Overall, this project will provide a simple solution to simultaneously enhance power density and increase the reliability, robustness, and endurance of commercial SOFCs, over the entire operating temperature range of 650-800 °C. For the inherently functional SOFC, the ALD coating of LSM based cathode mitigate the Cr-contamination. Power density of ALD-coated cell is ~ 600% of that baseline cell upon operation with Cr contamination. In addition to SOFCs, the novel on-demand design approach and creation of multifunctional heterogeneous architecture on the electrode surface presented in this work opens further research for their application in other types of fuel cells, batteries, and sensors for which electrochemical reactions on the surface are similarly critical.
Arctic observations are becoming increasingly valuable as researchers investigate climate change and its associated concerns, such as decreasing sea ice and increasing ship traffic. Networks of sensors with frequent sampling capabilities are needed to run forecast models, improve navigation, and inform climate research. Sampling frequency and deployment duration are currently constrained by battery power limitations. In-situ power generation using marine renewable energy sources such as waves and currents can be used to circumvent this constraint. Wave and current resources vary spatially and temporally in the Arctic, with some locations and seasons being better suited for marine renewable energy power generation. Locations and seasons with small resources may still be able to use marine renewable energy because of the low power requirements of the instruments. In this study, we describe the wave and current resources in the Arctic, outline the electricity generation developments that are needed to utilize the resources, and suggest use cases. Wave and current energy converters developed to power observations in the Arctic could also be used to power observations at lower latitudes. Marine renewable energy has the potential to decrease dependence on batteries and improve data collection capabilities in the Arctic; however, this would require the development of new low power technologies that can operate in extreme Arctic environments.
Acceptance tests were conducted on nickel cadmium, silver cadmium, and silver zinc cells to insure that all cells put into the life cycle program meet the specifications outlined in the respective purchase contracts. Statistical information is presented on cell performance characteristics and limitations. Weaknesses discovered in cell design are reported and aid in research and development efforts toward improving the reliability of space batteries. Battery weaknesses encountered in satellite programs such as IMP, NIMBUS, OGO, OAO, SAS, and TETR were studied and remedied through special tests.
A collection is presented of MHD problems that will provide researchers who have interests in modeling MHD phenomena with a battery of tests (a 'test suite') for calibrating their numerical algorithms. Use of these tests will provide a common reference for comparison of different numerical MHD algorithms. The test suite includes both 1D and 2D problems. Taken together, these problems test the abilities of a numerical method to propagate accurately all of the MHD wave families in moving and stationary media, to capture MHD shocks and contact discontinuities, and to model accurately Lorentz force terms in multiple dimensions. An example solution of each test problem is presented. Diagnostic convergence-testing procedures that provide a quantitative evaluation of MHD algorithms are demonstrated.
Rechargeable thin film microbatteries have recently become the topic of widespread research for use in low power applications such as battery-backed CMOS memory, miniaturized implantable medical devices and smart cards. In particular, the Center for Integrated Space Microsystems (CISM) at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has interest in applying this technology for secondary power systems in miniaturized satellites, microsensors, microactuators and other remote MEMS applications. The general requirements of the microbatteries for these applications are high specific energy, wide range of temperature stability. low self-discharge rate, and flexibility of cell design. The thin film Li ion materials system using LiCoO2(LiPO(x)N(1-x))SnO is expected to fulfill these requirements.
In a lithium-ion battery, the lithium-storage capacity of the carbon anode is greatly affected by a surface layer formed during the first half cycle of lithium insertion and release into and out of the carbon anode. The formation of this solid-electrolyte interface, in turn, is affected by the chemistry of the carbon surface. A study at the NASA Glenn Research Center examined the cause-and-effect relations. Information obtained from this research could contribute in designing a high-capacity lithium-ion battery and, therefore, small, powerful spacecraft. In one test, three types of surfaces were examined: (1) a surface with low oxygen content (1.5 at.%) and a high concentration of active sites, (2) a surface with 4.5 at.% -OH or -OC type oxygen, and (3) a surface with 6.5 at.% O=C type oxygen. The samples were made from the same precursor and had similar bulk properties. They were tested under a constant current of 10 mA/g in half cells that used lithium metal as the counter electrode and 0.5 M lithium iodide in 50/50 (vol%) ethylene carbonate and dimethyl carbonate as the electrolyte. For the first cycle of the electrochemical test, the graph describes the voltage of the carbon anode versus the lithium metal as a function of the capacity (amount of lithium insertion or release). From these data, it can be observed that the surface with low oxygen and a high concentration of active sites could result in a high irreversible capacity. Such a high irreversible capacity could be prevented if the active sites were allowed to react with oxygen in air, producing -OH or -OC type oxygen. The O=C type oxygen, on the other hand, could greatly reduce the capacity of lithium intercalation and, therefore, needs to be avoided during battery fabrication.
Over the past several years, Urban Air Mobility (UAM) has galvanized enthusiasm from investors and researchers, marrying expertise in aircraft design, transportation, logistics, artificial intelligence, battery chemistry, and broader policymaking. However, two significant questions remain unexplored: (1) What is the value of UAM in a region’s transportation network? and (2) How can UAM be effectively deployed to realize and maximize this value to all stakeholders, including riders and local economies? To adequately understand the value proposition of UAM for metropolitan areas, the authors develop a holistic multi-modal toolchain, SimUAM, to model and simulate UAM and its impacts on travel behavior. This toolchain has several components: (1) Microsimulation Analysis for Network Traffic Assignment (MANTA): A fast, high-fidelity regional-scale traffic microsimulator, (2) VertiSim: Agranular, discrete-event vertiport and pedestrian simulator, (3) Flexible Engine for Fast-time Evaluation of Flight Environments (Fe3): A high-fidelity, trajectory-based aerial microsimulation. SimUAM, rooted in granular, GPU-based microsimulation, models millions of trips and their movements in the street network and in the air, producing interpretable and actionable performance metrics for UAM designs and deployments. Once the ground-air interface is modeled, the authors find that the market for UAM decreases across all network designs relative to models with static assumptions about transfer times. However, significant improvements can be made to balance the demand and optimize the networks for transfer time, likely increasing the number of benefited trips. The modularity, extensibility, and speed of the platform will allow for rapid scenario planning and sensitivity analysis, effectively acting as a detailed performance assessment tool.
Over the past several years, Urban Air Mobility (UAM) has galvanized enthusiasm from investors and researchers, marrying expertise in aircraft design, transportation, logistics, artificial intelligence, battery chemistry, and broader policymaking. However, two significant questions remain unexplored: (1) What is the value of UAM in a region’s transportation network?, and (2) How can UAM be effectively deployed to realize and maximize this value to all stakeholders, including riders and local economies? To adequately understand the value proposition of UAM for metropolitan areas, we develop a holistic multi-modal toolchain, SimUAM, to model and simulate UAM and its impacts on travel behavior. This toolchain has several components: (1) MANTA: A fast, high-fidelity regional-scale traffic microsimulator, (2) VertiSim: A granular, discrete-event vertiport and pedestrian, (3) 3: A high-fidelity, trajectory-based aerial microsimulation. SimUAM, rooted in granular, GPU-based microsimulation, models millions of trips and their exact movements in the street network and in the air, producing interpretable and actionable performance metrics for UAM designs and deployments. The modularity, extensibility, and speed of the platform will allow for rapid scenario planning and sensitivity analysis, effectively acting as a detailed performance assessment tool. As a result, stakeholders in UAM can understand the impacts of critical infrastructure, and subsequently define policies, requirements, and investments needed to support UAM as a viable transportation mode.
The objective of our effort under the DOE EPSCoR Implementation grant is to establish a comprehensive and internationally recognized research program at Brown University and University of Rhode Island in understanding degradation mechanisms and to improve the cycle and calendar life of lithium ion battery (LIB) materials. A series of basic investigations are undertaken to characterize the mechanical and chemical degradation mechanisms, which can help enable new higher capacity and longer lasting electrode designs. Controlling mechanical and chemical degradation is the primary challenge in developing the next generation of higher energy density batteries. The development of failure resistant battery microstructures will require a fundamental understanding of the evolution of stress, deformation, damage, and electrochemistry in battery materials during cyclic charging and discharging. In addition, controlling the reactions at the electrode/electrolyte interface is critical for the formation of a stable SEI layer. We address these issues through a combination of controlled experiments on model battery materials and practical composite electrodes, together with multi-scale computations. Our effort is organized into three focus areas that encompass many critical challenges in Lithium Ion Battery Technologies: (i) Mechanical properties, fracture and damage in electrode materials; (ii) Chemistry and Mechanics of Solid Electrolyte Interphase (SEI); (iii) Mechanical and Chemical Integrity of Solid-Solid Interfaces in Practical Electrodes.
Future NASA missions require high specific energy battery technologies, greater than 400 Wh/kg. Current NASA missions are using "state-of-the-art" (SOA) Li-ion batteries (LIB), which consist of a metal oxide cathode, a graphite anode and an organic electrolyte. NASA Glenn Research Center is currently studying the physical and electrochemical properties of the anode-electrolyte interface for ionic liquid based Li-air batteries. The voltage-time profiles for Pyr13FSI and Pyr14TFSI ionic liquids electrolytes studies on symmetric cells show low over-potentials and no dendritic lithium morphology. Cyclic voltammetry measurements indicate that these ionic liquids have a wide electrochemical window. As a continuation of this work, sp2 carbon cathode and these low flammability electrolytes were paired and the physical and electrochemical properties were studied in a Li-air battery system under an oxygen environment.
This research project supported Avista’s Shared Energy Economy (SEE) Project in Spokane’s University District (UDistrict), as funded by the WA Department of Commerce Clean Energy Fund (CEF) Phase 2. The SEE project comprises a microgrid with two campus buildings, two solar photovoltaic generators, and two batteries. The microgrid can operate grid-connected or off-grid. This research project included modeling the buildings and other microgrid components, simulating a transactive energy system, and supporting Avista’s testing of different use cases for the WA Department of Commerce. The main research finding is that buildings can be modeled successfully in a data-driven approach.
Mesoporous Si electrodes have an interesting set of structural parameters, which, when carefully optimized, can lead to ultrahigh energy density Si electrodes for Li-ion batteries. We present here in this paper details of a systematic research leading to the discovery of an “ideal” structure of mesoporous Si electrode, which results in exceptional cracking/damage resistance, while simultaneously having very high specific (>2000 mAh g-1) and total (>1.5 mAh cm-2) capacities for large number of cycles. The electrodes near the “ideal” value of the characteristic structural parameter (the ratio of Si wall thickness to pore diameter) are free from first-cycle capacity degradation, and are efficient in accommodating the volume changes during lithiation by uniformly filling up the porous space between Si walls. Interestingly, these electrodes are also found to be structurally damage-resistant, surviving through many lithiation-delithiation cycles. Using charge-discharge cycling and electron microscopy we show that ideal structure is the key for achieving ultrahigh energy storage density in Si mesoporous electrodes for Li-ion batteries.