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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 523 records · Page 29
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Fuel Cell Stack Model for Real-Time Simulation of Grid-Connected Applications

Fuel cell stacks coupled with electrolyzers and hydrogen storage sites can be a promising category of distributed energy resources for both grid-connected and stand-alone power systems. However, because of high costs, at-scale hardware testing of fuel cell stacks for grid-connected applications is not economically viable at present. A model-based system that can accurately captures the steady-state and dynamic response of fuel cell stacks over long time periods (hours), is needed. This paper demonstrate a real-time electromagnetic transient model of a megawatt-scale, grid-connected proton exchange membrane fuel cell stack, coupled with a mass-based hydrogen storage system. This model can emulate the electrical steady-state and dynamic response of grid-connected fuel cell stacks. We validate the model using the response of commercial hardware fuel cell stacks and analytical models in the literature - using a digital real-time simulator (RSCAD). The proposed real-time model is then used to simulate cases spanning different time horizons and to design controller-hardware-in-the-loop experiments to evaluate controllers for hydrogen stations.

activation potential↗
DOE OSTI2021

Stress- and Time-Dependent Formation of Self-Lubricating In Situ Carbon (SLIC) Films on Catalytically-Active Noble Alloys

Abstract Low shear strength (30 MPa) organic films were grown in situ on Pt 0.9 Au 0.1 surfaces via cyclic sliding contact in dry N 2 with trace concentrations of ambient hydrocarbons. We present a systematic investigation of the stress- and time-dependent film formation. Steady-state friction coefficients were found to be as low as µ ~ 0.015 and inversely proportional to contact pressure, revealing non-Amontonian behavior. Above a Hertzian contact pressure of ~500 MPa, shear strength dropped, indicating an activated process. Raman spectroscopy identified non-uniformity in areal coverage and relative order with contact pressure. Regions of steady-state low-friction behavior exhibited spectra similar to DLC coatings. Atomic force microscopy was used to study the formation and growth of films at the nanoscale. Stress- and time-dependent measurements suggested a sublinear increase of film volume with time, and a transition from growth to wear at a Hertzian contact pressure of ~1.2 GPa.

Jones, Morgan R.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Global kinetic modeling of NH 3 -SCR with two sites of NH 3 storage on Cu-SSZ-13

A comprehensive selective catalytic reduction (SCR) model is developed to detail the global kinetic reactions in the catalyst which is involved in two type of sites for high- and low-temperature NH 3 adsorption/desorption, as well as a low temperature H 2 O storage. The model accounts for the formation of ammonium nitrate in fast SCR and the decomposition formation of ammonium nitrate in the absence of NO, and addresses N 2 O relative to NO and NO 2 reactions with NH 3 . The model has been validated against commercial Cu-SSZ-13 measurements of NH 3 inventory, NH 3 oxidation, NO oxidation, standard SCR, fast SCR and NO 2 SCR at both comprehensive steady-state and transient conditions. In addition, the application of the SCR model for emissions control over a transient drive cycle at cold start was demonstrated based on diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) and SCR aftertreatment system for a passenger car. In conclusion, the results show that the SCR model can provide the detailed emissions estimations for steady-state and transient conditions, can assist with understanding the impact of the SCR reaction mechanism, and can assist with the design and optimization of SCR catalysts to develop innovative technologies for co-optimization of engine fuel economy and emissions control technologies.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2026

Pinned Clouds over Industrial Sources of Heat during TRACER

An analysis of stereo-camera data from the Tracking Aerosol Convection Interactions Experiment (TRACER) campaign in Houston, Texas, reveals the existence of pinned clouds sitting atop industrial heat sources. These are not plumes of vapor and condensate emanating from stacks: The pinned shallow cumuli have cloud bases at about the lifting condensation of near-surface air. On many mornings, the pinned clouds are the only shallow cumuli in the field of view of the stereo cameras, persisting by themselves for at least an hour. On those mornings, the lower atmosphere straddles the boundary between stable and unstable, and the waste heat from industrial facilities is able to pin moist convection overhead. When solar heating of the surface becomes sufficient later in the morning, those mornings transition to having widespread shallow moist convection. Occurring within the field of view of the stereo cameras and other TRACER instruments, these pinned clouds represent steady plume-like moist convection triggered by known heat sources in a well-characterized atmosphere, making them a rich target for further study. Significance Statement This article introduces steady-state cumulus clouds observed during the Tracking Aerosol Convection Interactions Experiment (TRACER) campaign that were pinned to industrial heat sources. These pinned clouds were present in the early morning only when conditions were primed for moist convection, but for which there was not yet enough solar heating to trigger widespread convection. They persist in a statistical steady state and therefore provide a natural setting to explore the mechanisms controlling convective dynamics, which play a central role in Earth’s atmospheric circulation and radiative balance.

Atmosphere↗
DOE OSTI2025

MPEX AI Digital Twins

All magnetically confined plasma fusion power plant concepts (Tokamak, Spherical Tokamak, Stellarator, Mirror, ...) must exhaust the heat and plasma from the core confinement region to the material walls. The primary channel for this exhaust is through a plasma divertor which directs plasma along open magnetic field lines to a material target. The Material Plasma Exposure eXperiment (MPEX) illustrated in Figure 1, is a high-power, steady-state linear plasma device designed to produce the plasma material interaction (PMI) conditions of the divertor of future magnetic confinement fusion power plants: energy flux 20MW/m 2 , ion fluence 1031/m 2 , pulse duration 106 sec. These goals of plasma exposure in MPEX are well beyond those achieved in magnetic fusion experimental devices. Successfully achieving these high power steady state conditions for long pulses requires operational control of the heating and particle sources and the plasma flux to the walls and target. The MPEX AI Hot Spot Controller, proposed in this project, will help achieve the operational milestones of MPEX. The MPEX device will begin commissioning at the end of FY26. A smaller proto-MPEX was operated for 14,666 plasma discharges and will resume operation in September of 2025 as proto-MPEX-lite, with reduced capability, to test a new window for the Helicon plasma source. The proto-MPEX data has undergone surrogate modeling with machine learning methods (R. Archibald, 2022 IEEE International Conference on Big Data). This proto-MPEX data will be used to begin development of the AI digital twins described in this white paper. The scientific mission of MPEX is to qualify materials of different composition for use in the high energy and plasma flux conditions of a fusion power plant. The materials exposed in MPEX will in some cases be exposed to high neutron fluxes at other ORNL facilities to measure the changes to their PMI properties. The targets exposed in MPEX will be transported under vacuum to a Surface Analysis Station (SAS). The SAS will be equipped with the following diagnostics: Focused Ion Beam (FIB) for trench milling, 100-400 angstrom resolution scanning electron microscope (SEM), surface mapping x-ray spectrometer, high resolution camera, and a future upgrade to a laser induced breakdown spectroscopy quadruple mass spectrometer (LIBS-QMS). The MPEX experiments will generate diverse pre- and post-exposure measurement data of detailed material properties down to the crystal grain level in 3D for post-exposure assessment of PMI damage (e.g. cracking, melting, erosion and redeposition of the material). Physics models for the PMI, and how the material composition and manufacturing impact its performance under high energy plasma exposure, need to be validated with MPEX data to guide the selection of new candidate materials. Our vision for the MPEX AI Digital Twins project is to supply experimental and physics model simulation data to train Artificial Intelligence (AI) models for data processing, analysis, operational control, PMI and materials simulation to maximize the scientific output of the MPEX device. Ultimately, an AI digital twin of MPEX material assessment metrics for tested and synthetic material types with simulated PMI will be trained by the AI Modeling Teams on the experimental and physics simulation data submitted to the American Science Cloud by this project. A purely empirical search for the best material is inefficient given the finite number of samples that can be tested on MPEX. In order to expand the material properties database for training the MPEX Material Assessment AI Digital Twin, and to gain physics understanding of the PMI processes, physics models of the material properties and PMI processes are required. The physics simulations provide detailed simulation data, like impact angles for plasma ions, sputtering yields, transport of the ionized sputtered target material in the plasma, and redeposition locations. This simulation data expands the measurement data for deeper physics understanding. The experimental data is essential to validate the PMI and material structure simulation models. The validated models can then be used to generate new simulation data of MPEX material assessments for synthetic material compositions that have not been exposed in MPEX. These predictive simulations, plus the whole experimental dataset, will be used to train the MPEX Material Assessment AI Digital Twin allowing a rapid generative AI search for new materials with reduced PMI damage by interpolating the domain of the training set. These new optimum materials can be simulated with the physics codes and/or tested in MPEX. The ability of AI neural networks to interpolate multi-dimensional parameter spaces and generate virtual data is exploited for a more efficient search for optimum materials. The advent of the Transformational AI Models Consortium (TAIMC) is an opportunity to engage with state of the art private and public AI developers to achieve the goals of the AI digital twins and AI accelerated physics models proposed in this project. Our partners at ORNL from the Advance Scientific Computing Research (ASCR) organization will collaborate in accelerating the integrated plasma material interaction simulation framework. This simulation framework will provide a platform for generating simulation data across a range of physical fidelities, including hybrid methods that produce multi-fidelity results. This data will be leveraged for AI model development, both for generation of surrogates and the automation of simulation campaigns. A part of the research below will include collaborative efforts with the TAIMC to (i) adapt data storage approaches to ensure AI-readiness, (ii) provide a protypical exemplar to inform and exercise constructed workflows, and (iii) generate and share data, using the TAIMC unified AI data standard, for foundational models that will be trained from multiple sources across the DOE complex. We will also collaborate with the TAIMC, as well as the planned AI modeling teams, to develop approaches for reducing the cost of data generation. These include tailored multi-fidelity approaches as well as fine-tuning strategies to augment general, large-scale foundational models.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

A Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) Bayesian inference approach to analyze apparent activation barriers and reaction orders from microreactor data

Statistical analysis of steady-state catalytic kinetic data is often limited by data sparsity due to the slow pace at which the data is collected. Data sparsity and limitations in statistical analysis make it difficult to differentiate between mechanistic models and catalytic sites. A Bayesian inference tool is reported for catalysis researchers to estimate error in the determination of reaction orders from steady state microreactor data. The benefits of a Bayesian inference approach are discussed, as an alternative to the more common frequentist approach. The approach incorporates prior knowledge of the system and the data collected to form an error estimate on reaction orders. We investigated the effects of three distinct data treatments—individual fitting of trials, pooled analysis, and constrained regression methods—on the precision and uncertainty of reaction order determinations. To assess the robustness of our findings, we conducted sensitivity analyses to evaluate the influence of Bayesian parameters on uncertainty estimation. Additionally, we utilized synthetic data to illustrate how data quality impacts the precision of uncertainty assessments. We show Bayesian analysis can obtain a more precise estimation of error with a sparse data set than a frequentist analysis. Finally, this work provides strong evidence that the adoption of Bayesian analysis of kinetic data may help researchers make more precise arguments as to the strength of their evidence for a particular mechanistic hypothesis, or in comparing across different catalysts.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2023

A reduced-order modeling of a tubular solar reactor for long duration thermochemical energy storage

The storage of solar energy in a solid form, referred to as a “solar fuel”, can be achieved through a process known as endothermic solar thermochemistry. This process transforms the absorbed solar energy into a stable and retrievable form that can be stored for extended periods of time. This paper presents a low–order heat transfer model of a counter–current tubular falling bed reactor designed to produce thermally reduced magnesium manganese oxide pellets for long duration thermochemical energy storage. The energy required for the endothermic reduction was supplied by concentrated solar energy or renewable electricity via indirect heating of the gas and solid reactants flowing in a ceramic tube. The counter-current gas flow enhances the mixing of the solid particles with the heat recuperation zone, allowing the gas and particles to enter and exit the tubular reactor close to room temperature. Further, the reactor was vertically oriented and was heated circumferentially by an adjustable level heat flux along a finite segment of its length. The temperature distribution of the reactor in response to transient changes along the tube was modeled by considering conduction, convection, and radiation heat transfer. Governing equations for the heat transfer model were solved by discretizing the reactor tube into a finite number of control volumes and using an energy balance for the heat exchange between the reactor wall, gas, and particles within the control volume. The energy absorbed during this endothermic reaction was modeled numerically by fitting the data of the chemical conversion rate with the corresponding temperature of particles in the heating zone. The numerical model has been experimentally validated using a reactor prototype made of a 121.92 cm alumina tube heated by a 7kW electric tube–furnace. The alumina tube receives magnesium manganese oxide pellets of 3.66±0.516 mm in diameter from the top, and a counter–current gas flow from the bottom. The reactor wall temperature was monitored by six thermocouples installed along the reactor tube length. The experimental procedure was numerically simulated, and the temperature variation along the reactor tube was compared with a matrix of experimental runs for a range of particles mass flowrates (0.75–1.25g/s) and corresponding gas flowrates (36–65 SLPM). The reactor system was heated gradually from room temperature to a steady state temperature of 1673K, and then cooled down to room temperature. The heating and cooling processes were simulated, and the numerical and experimental results were compared throughout processes. The numerical model showed similar trends to the experimental results, with an error of 0.69 to 7.9% for the particle inlet and 0.7 to 7.9% for the gas inlet during steady-state operation. The proposed numerical model can be implemented as a simplified physical model to design a feedback control system to regulate reactor temperature.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Low temperature, ambient pressure electrochemical ammonia synthesis in alkaline media — Mechanistic studies and catalyst design. Final Report

Ammonia synthesis via the Haber-Bosch process is a pillar of modern agriculture, which converts the abundant but inert dinitrogen in the atmosphere to nitrogen-based fertilizers. Despite more than a century of optimization, the Haber-Bosch process remains energy intensive and reliant on fossil fuels and produces large amounts of CO 2 . Distributed and modular ammonia synthesis via the electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (ENRR) at or close to ambient conditions, powered by renewable electricity is an attractive alternative because it allows as needed production of ammonia, and in turn fertilizers. However, selective ENRR catalysts remain lacking. In this project, we systematically investigated two categories of catalytic materials, i.e., precious metals and transition metal nitrides, in the ENRR. Precious metals exhibit low activity and selectivity in the ENRR, which is in agreement with recent computational studies. Transition metal nitrides, especially VN, has been demonstrated as active and selective ENRR catalysts. We developed the first quantitative method to determine the amount of ammonia produced in the ENRR on N-containing containing catalysts in the membrane electrode assembly configuration. An initial ammonia production rate of 6.6 × 10 -10 mol s -1 mg -1 and a Faradaic efficiency of 6.0% at -0.1 V were reached on VN. After the initial deactivation, VN was shown to be stable in the ENRR for 116 hours with a steady state ammonia production rate of 1.1 × 10 -10 mol s -1 cm -2 . A vanadium oxynitride species was identified as the active phase in the ENRR via a combination of operando and ex situ characterization techniques. In addition, we established that the ENRR proceeded on transition metal nitrides via the Mars van Krevelen mechanism and determined the initial and steady state active site densities by developing a quantitative isotopic exchange method.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2022

Frictional properties of Opalinus Clay: influence of humidity, normal stress and grain size on frictional stability

SUMMARY The Opalinus Clay (OPA) is a clay-rich formation considered as a potential host rock for radioactive waste repositories and as a caprock for carbon storage in Switzerland. Its very low permeability (10−19 to 10−21 m2) makes it a potential sealing horizon, however the presence of faults that may be activated during the lifetime of a repository project can compromise the long-term hydrological confinement, and lead to mechanical instability. Here, we have performed laboratory experiments to test the effect of relative humidity (RH), grain size (g.s.) and normal stress on rate-and-state frictional properties and stability of fault laboratory analogues corresponding to powders of OPA shaly facies. The sifted host rock powders at different grain size fractions (<63 μm and 63 < g.s. < 125 μm), at room (∼25 per cent) and 100 per cent humidity, were slid in double-direct shear configuration, under different normal stresses (5–70 MPa). We observe that peak friction, μpeak and steady-state friction, μss, depend on water vapour content and applied normal stress. Increasing relative humidity from ∼25 per cent RH (room humidity) to 100 per cent RH causes a decrease of frictional coefficient from 0.41 to 0.35. The analysis of velocity-steps in the light of rate-and-state friction framework shows that the stability parameter (a–b) is always positive (velocity-strengthening), and it increases with increasing sliding velocity and humidity. The dependence of (a–b) on slip rate is lost as normal stress increases, for each humidity condition. By monitoring the variations of the layer thickness during the velocity steps, we observe that dilation (Δh) is directly proportional to the sliding velocity, decreases with normal stress and is unaffected by humidity. Microstructural analysis shows that most of the deformation is accommodated within B-shear zones, and the increase of normal stress (σn) promotes the transition from strain localization and grain size reduction to distributed deformation on a well-developed phyllosilicate network. These results suggest that: (1) the progressive loss of velocity dependence of frictional stability parameter (a–b) at σn > 35 MPa is dictated by a transition from localized to distributed deformation and (2) water vapour content does not affect the deformation mechanisms and dilation, whereas it decreases steady-state friction (μss), and enhances fault stability.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Stable Symmetry-Protected Topological Phases in Systems with Heralded Noise

Here, we present a family of local quantum channels whose steady-states exhibit stable mixed-state symmetry-protected topological (SPT) order. Motivated by recent experimental progress on "erasure conversion" techniques that allow one to identify ($\textit{herald}$) decoherence processes, we consider open systems with biased erasure noise, which leads to strongly symmetric heralded errors. We utilize this heralding to construct a local correction protocol that effectively confines errors into short-ranged pairs in the steady-state. Using a combination of numerical simulations and mean-field analysis, we show that our protocol stabilizes SPT order against a sufficiently low rate of decoherence. As the rate of heralded noise increases, SPT order is eventually lost through a directed percolation transition. We further find that while introducing unheralded errors destroys SPT order in the limit of long length- and time-scales, the correction protocol is sufficient for ensuring that local SPT order persists, with a correlation length that diverges as $\xi \sim (1-f_e)^{-1/2}$, where $f_e$ is the fraction of errors that are heralded.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2020

The Role of Interfacial Thermal Resistance in Li-Ion Battery Thermal Management: Preprint

Temperature critically affects the performance, life and safety of lithium-ion batteries. Therefore, it is essential to understand heat generation and dissipation within individual battery cells and battery packs to plan a proper thermal management strategy. One of the key challenges is that interfacial heat transfer of a battery unit is difficult to quantify. The steady-state absolute method and the transient laser-flash-diffusivity method were employed to measure heat conductivities of battery layer stacks and individual battery layer separately. Results show flash diffusivity method gives higher thermal conductivity at both cross-plane and in-plane directions. The difference is primarily caused by interfacial thermal resistance so that it can be estimated by steady-state and transient measurements. To investigate the effects of interfacial thermal transport beyond individual cell level, a multiphysics battery model is used. The model is built upon a multi-scale multi-domain modeling framework for battery packs that accounts for the interplay across multiple physical phenomena. Benefits of a battery module using thermal management materials are quantified through numerical experiments. During a thermal runaway event, it is found interfacial thermal resistance can mitigate thermal runaway in a battery module by significantly reducing heat transfer between cells.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Involute Working Group – FSI Analysis of Fuel Plates Using Finite Volume and Finite Element Methods

The three involute plate research reactors RHF, HFIR, and FRM II have expressed an interest in using computational software to carry their steady-state safety analysis. Since these tools represent a significant departure from the methods used currently (one-dimensional), the acceptability of the new approach by regulators requires thorough verification and validation of these tools. Therefore, Argonne National Laboratory and the three involute-plate reactors formed an informal group called the Involute Working Group aiming at qualifying computational tools to perform steady-state safety analysis. The present report focuses on a comparison of finite volume and finite element methods to model solids in fluid-structure interaction problems with the goal to estimate the coolant flow-induced fuel plate deflections obtained with the two methods. The finite volume method will be obsoleted in STARCCM+ by the end of 2021, nevertheless, this evaluation is important because the method was used by ANL researchers to model the response of the fuel plates, despite its drawbacks, which are discussed in the report. It was essential to check how those estimates compare to the results obtained with the finite element method that is considered superior for structural analysis. Various geometries, i.e., flat, cylindrical and circle-involute fuel plates, as well as coolant flow speed, were considered. The comparison shows that, independently of the plate geometry, the finite volume method significantly underestimates the deflection as compared to finite element method for coarser meshes. When the discretization is developed as a result of a mesh sensitivity study using finite element method, the result obtained using finite volume method can be a few times smaller than the corresponding finite element method solution. A code-to-code comparison , between STAR-CCM+ and LS-DYNA was included in the analysis. Within the LS-DYNA models, two types of finite element formulations were used: solid and shell finite elements. Mesh sensitivity study showed that both approaches converge to a similar value that was obtained with STAR-CCM+ finite element solver. The evaluation of the computational solvers was extended by adding two benchmark cases from the STAR-CCM+ Verification Suite and presented in the Appendix A. The selected cases are: (1) bending of a cantilever beam under external load, and (2) cylindrical shell deformation analysis, known in the literature as ‘Scordelis-Lo roof’. The problems were solved with finite volume, and finite element methods, and the results confirmed the previously discussed findings. The analysis shows that the finite element solver is superior to the finite volume solver in terms of representation of model geometry and estimating the structural behavior of fuel plates. Depending on the ratio of the load to the flexibility of the plate, the finite volume solver can greatly under- or overestimate the structural response if a very carefully selected mesh is not used.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Integrated Transmission-and-Distribution System Modeling of Power Systems: State-of-the-Art and Future Research Directions

Integrated transmission-and-distribution (T&D) modeling is a new and developing method for simulating power systems. Interest in integrated T&D modeling is driven by the changes taking place in power systems worldwide that are resulting in more decentralized power systems with increasingly high levels of distributed energy resources. Additionally, the increasing role of the hitherto passive energy consumer in the management and operation of power systems requires more capable and detailed integrated T&D modeling to understand the interactions between T&D systems. Although integrated T&D modeling has not yet found widespread commercial application, its potential for changing the decades-old power system modeling approaches has led to several research efforts in the last few years that tried to (i) develop algorithms and software for steady-state and dynamic modeling of power systems and (ii) demonstrate the advantages of this modeling approach compared with traditional, separated T&D system modeling. In this paper, we provide a review of integrated T&D modeling research efforts and the methods employed for steady-state and dynamic modeling of power systems. We also discuss our current research in integrated T&D modeling and the potential directions for future research. This paper should be useful for power systems researchers and industry members because it will provide them with a critical summary of current research efforts and the potential topics where research efforts are needed to further advance and demonstrate the utility of integrated T&D modeling.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2026

Sliding friction and wear behavior of nuclear graphite in high temperature inert environment: Influence of contact load, speed and temperature

Repeated dynamic interactions of graphitic components in pebble-bed gas-cooled nuclear reactors can cause abrasive wear-induced pebble surface damage, generate hazardous fine graphite debris, and alter fuel circulation dynamics due to changes in friction behavior. Comprehensive tribological characterization of nuclear graphitic materials in conditions relevant to reactor operation is needed to assess reactor long-term safety and performance. This work reports sliding friction and wear behavior of self-mated nuclear graphite ET-10 at various elevated temperatures (650 °C and 750 °C), sliding speeds (1 and 10 mm/s) and contact loads (20 and 40 N) in a controlled argon environment. The results revealed nonmonotonic frictional behavior with a higher running-in coefficient of friction (COF) followed by a lower steady-state COF, as a result of transition from two-body abrasion to three-body abrasion along with formation of a tribofilm. A key finding of this work is the sensitivity of the running-in COF to experimental conditions; maximum running-in values were lower at either elevated temperature (0.52–0.54) or reduced sliding speed (0.51–0.54). Conversely, the steady-state COF remained invariant at approximately 0.3 across all tested parameters. Transmission electron microscopy revealed a 0.5–2.0 μm thick nanocrystalline tribofilm that was thought to be formed by the compaction of the graphitic wear debris on the contact surface during the sliding process. The nanocrystalline nature of the tribofilm was further confirmed by Raman spectroscopy. As a result, the combination of tribological testing and morphological characterization provided a mechanistic understanding of the frictional behavior of nuclear graphite upon sliding.

Friction↗
DOE OSTI2021

Dynamic thermal behavior of polycrystalline LaB 6 hollow cathodes

Lanthanum hexaboride (LaB6) hollow cathodes have demonstrated a capability for long life operation, which is critical to many space exploration missions. Thermal characterization of LaB6 hollow cathodes has revealed lower than expected electron emitter temperatures when the cathode reaches a steady state. This phenomenon is observed at discharge currents ranging from 5 to 35 A and xenon mass flow rates of 5–25 SCCM in cathodes with three different orifice diameters. Thus, the currently accepted value of the work function for polycrystalline LaB 6 , 2.67 eV, does not describe well the emission characteristics of LaB6 hollow cathodes operating with internal gas discharges at a steady state. We use empirically measured temperatures combined with a model of the hollow cathode emitter and xenon discharge to estimate the value of the work function, yielding a value ranging from 2.1 to 2.44 eV. This lower work function value implies that LaB6 hollow cathodes are expected to have even longer lifetimes than previously anticipated, further establishing them as a more suited alternative to other conventional cathode technologies for the task of long duration travel. Direct measurements of the work function as a function of depth on a hollow cathode emitter using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and ion beam milling indicate that the work function decreases with depth. We postulate several mechanisms that could explain the observed work function enhancement. Altogether, our results have important implications to the design, study approach, and operation of LaB 6 cathodes and potentially other cathodes with hollow configuration. Finally, our work opens the question of why the work function is reduced upon interaction with Xe plasma.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2026

The effect of relative humidity and temperature on the response of stomatal conductance to vapor pressure deficit in tropical trees

Understanding how leaf gas exchange responds to changes in vapor pressure deficit (VPD) is key to predicting tropical forest resilience to climate change. Stomata regulate leaf water and CO2 diffusion, and respond to changes in temperature and relative humidity (RH), two drivers of VPD. At high temperatures, the cuticular pathway may also become significant and participate in the overall leaf conductance. Here, we measured gas exchange under light and dark conditions to investigate the stomatal and cuticular responses to temperature and RH on detached branches in five tropical tree species. Leaf conductance in the dark, when stomata are essentially closed, was not markedly impacted by temperature and RH, suggesting a minimal response of the cuticular pathway to these conditions. We compared six steady-state conductance models incorporating different effects of photosynthesis and evaporative demand on stomatal control. All models performed well (residual standard deviation, σ, < 0.025 mol m-2 s-1), but the best-fitting model (σ = 0.017 mol m-2 s-1) used a nonlinear relationship between photosynthesis and stomatal conductance and incorporated RH rather than vapor pressure difference. All models overestimated the steady-state conductance at high RH. Furthermore, leaf conductance immediately increased after a decrease in RH (wrong-way response), but not after an increase in leaf temperature. This suggests that the mechanisms underlying stomatal response to VPD need further investigation. The non-linear coupling between photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance indicates a sharper physiological response than previously acknowledged.

Lamour, Julien↗