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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 55 records · Page 3
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Analysis of hydrogen and lithium isotopes using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy

The detection and quantification of hydrogen (1,2,3H) and lithium (6,7Li) isotopes are critical to several energy and defense application areas, including hydrogen storage, nuclear forensics, and safeguards/non-proliferation. In this context, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is very promising and it comes with certain advantages such as rapid detection, and standoff capability. Although LIBS provides experimental simplicity and is capable of detecting all elements in the periodic table in any phase (solid, liquid, or gas), there exist certain challenges for isotopic analyses of H and Li due to spectral broadening, the presence of closely spaced fine and hyperfine structures, and line distortion effects (e.g., self-absorption and self-reversal) present in laser-produced plasmas. This article reports recent developments in H and Li isotopic analysis using LIBS, and existing challenges.

(020.3260) Isotope shifts, (140.3440) Laser-induce↗
DOE OSTI2022

Resolving Graphite‐Electrolyte Interphase of Lithium‐Ion Batteries using Air‐Tight Ambient Mass Spectrometry

Abstract The formation of a stable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) at graphite electrode is necessary for lithium‐ion batteries (LIB) to prevent excessive degradation of electrolytes. Until now, the exact organic composition of SEI has not been decisively determined with lithium ethylene mono‐carbonate (LEMC) being one of the debated components. An air‐tight ambient mass spectrometry (MS) platform is developed to directly characterize the air‐sensitive organic components present in SEI. Ionization occurs via a solvent‐free field‐induced process at atmospheric pressure. Our experimental data, based on tandem MS analysis, revealed LEMC to be the major organic component in SEI. This result resolves a long‐standing mystery surrounding the composition of native SEI in LIB, where no trace of the other debated compound, lithium ethylene dicarbonate, was detected. The energetics of fragmentation of LEMC and the corresponding stabilities of various ionic species detected during the air‐tight ambient MS analysis were calculated using density functional theory (DFT). Our findings confirmed favorable protonation energies and suggested the molecular structures for many of the detected species. Solvent (i. e., ethylene carbonate)‐induced stabilization effects observed during the ionization process were also confirmed by DFT. The reported study encourages the routine use of ambient mass spectrometry to characterize both anodic and cathodic electrodes of all battery types as well as to study other air‐sensitive materials in their native state.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2023

A mathematical approach to survey electrochemical impedance spectroscopy for aging in lithium-ion batteries

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is a valuable technique to detect the health status and aging phenomena in lithium-ion batteries (LiB). Equivalent circuit modeling (ECM) is conventionally used when interpreting EIS data and gaining physical insights into the aging mechanisms. However, performing ECM is resource intensive and expert-level of knowledge is usually required to select suitable models and fitting parameters. This article presents a quick and user-friendly data analysis algorithm as an alternative to ECM by mathematically fitting geometric features in Nyquist plots and obtaining the growth trends of the features. The evolving trends in the Nyquist plots, such as chord lengths of the arcs and interception points, are consistent with the growth of resistance components obtained using ECM with R 2 values from 0.67 to 0.99, and therefore can be used as indicators of battery aging. Our results show that the quick-fitting approach is suitable for analyzing a series of EIS data acquired during battery cycling and identifying the underlying aging mechanisms.

Chen, Bor-Rong↗
DOE OSTI2020

4D imaging of lithium-batteries using correlative neutron and X-ray tomography with a virtual unrolling technique

The temporally and spatially resolved tracking of lithium intercalation and electrode degradation processes are crucial for detecting and understanding performance losses during the operation of lithium-batteries. Here, high-throughput X-ray computed tomography has enabled the identification of mechanical degradation processes in a commercial Li/MnO 2 primary battery and the indirect tracking of lithium diffusion; furthermore, complementary neutron computed tomography has identified the direct lithium diffusion process and the electrode wetting by the electrolyte. Virtual electrode unrolling techniques provide a deeper view inside the electrode layers and are used to detect minor fluctuations which are difficult to observe using conventional three dimensional rendering tools. Moreover, the 'unrolling' provides a platform for correlating multi-modal image data which is expected to find wider application in battery science and engineering to study diverse effects e.g. electrode degradation or lithium diffusion blocking during battery cycling.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Correlative acoustic time-of-flight spectroscopy and X-ray imaging to investigate gas-induced delamination in lithium-ion pouch cells during thermal runaway

It remains difficult to detect internal mechanical deformation and gas-induced degradation in lithium-ion batteries, especially outside specialized diagnostics laboratories. In this work, we demonstrate that electrochemical acoustic time-of-flight (EA-ToF) spectroscopy can be used as an insightful and field-deployable diagnostic/prognostic technique to sense the onset of failure. A 210 mAh commercial lithium-ion cell undergoing thermal abuse testing is probed with in situ and operando EA-ToF spectroscopy, together with simultaneous fractional thermal runaway calorimetry (FTRC) and synchrotron X-ray imaging. The combination of X-ray imaging and EA-ToF analysis provides new understanding into the through-plane mechanical deformation in lithium-ion batteries through direct visualisation and the acoustic ToF response. Internal structural changes, such as gas-induced delamination, are identified using EA-ToF spectroscopy due to variations in the attenuation and signal peak shifts. This is corroborated using X-ray imaging, demonstrating EA-ToF spectroscopy as a promising technique for detecting onset of battery failure.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Comparing the Purity of Rolled versus Evaporated Lithium Metal Films Using X-ray Microtomography

Here, we present a comparison of lithium metal films produced via rolling and thermal evaporation using synchrotron hard X-ray microtomography. In past studies of rolled lithium metal foils, a large number of C, O, and N impurities were found and identified as the key cause for failure in lithium metal cells. In this comparison, the X-ray tomography data show that the evaporated lithium metal films have an average impurity concentration of 19 particles/mm3 in comparison to 1350 particles/mm3 in the rolled lithium metal. An analysis of the inner substrate/lithium interface and outer lithium surface of the thermally evaporated film shows a much greater concentration of impurities at these interfaces, further emphasizing the importance of interface engineering in producing high-quality lithium metal batteries. Furthermore, we show that, if surface contamination can be avoided, it is possible to obtain lithium films with no impurities detectable by synchrotron hard X-ray tomography.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

Detecting Short Circuits: Post Accident Electric Vehicle Battery Safety Check

Fast and accurate detection of soft short circuits (SCs) in the battery packs of damaged electric vehicles is needed by first responders and mechanics to mitigate the potential risk from battery fires that may occur hours, days, or weeks after an accident. Here, this paper presents an SC-detection algorithm for potentially damaged lithium-ion batteries that works quickly and without a priori knowledge of the battery-pack chemistry, capacity, state of charge, or state of health. The proposed universal SC-detection algorithm is designed to be implemented on an inexpensive handheld device that can connect to and monitor the voltages of all cells in a pack. Transient filtering and linear-quadratic state observation provide estimates of normalized SC current for every cell in the pack. Cells with SC-current estimates outside a sigma-based threshold are detected. Simulations, experiments, and electric vehicle (EV) crash data are used to verify the speed, sensitivity, and accuracy of the method, demonstrating 96% accurate detection of 0.0027 C SCs in under 1 h for 5S cell groups in the lab and no false positives for crashed Volkswagen, Chevrolet, and Tesla vehicles without SCs.

25 - ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Spectral analysis of ultra-cool white dwarfs polluted by planetary debris

ABSTRACT We identify two ultra-cool (${T_\mathrm{eff}}\lt 4000$ K) metal-polluted (DZ) white dwarfs WD J2147−4035 and WD J1922+0233 as the coolest and second coolest DZ stars known to date with ${T_\mathrm{eff}}\approx 3050$ K and ${T_\mathrm{eff}}\approx 3340$ K, respectively. Strong atmospheric collision-induced absorption (CIA) causes the suppression of red optical and infrared flux in WD J1922+0233, resulting in an unusually blue colour given its low temperature. WD J2147−4035 has moderate infrared CIA yet has the reddest optical colours known for a DZ white dwarf. Microphysics improvements to the non-ideal effects and CIA opacities in our model atmosphere code yields reasonable solutions to observations of these ultra-cool stars. WD J2147−4035 has a cooling age of over 10 Gyr which is the largest known for a DZ white dwarf, whereas WD J1922+0233 is slightly younger with a cooling age of 9 Gyr. Galactic kinematics calculations from precise Gaia EDR3 astrometry reveal these ultra-cool DZ stars as likely members of the Galactic disc thus they could be pivotal objects in future studies constraining an upper age limit for the disc of the Milky Way. We present intermediate-resolution spectroscopy for both objects, which provides the first spectroscopic observations of WD J2147−4035. Detections of sodium and potassium are made in both white dwarfs, in addition to calcium in WD J1922+0233 and lithium in WD J2147−4035. We identify the magnetic nature of WD J2147−4035 from Zeeman splitting in the lithium line and also make a tentative detection of carbon, so we classify this star as DZQH. WD J1922+0233 likely accreted planetary crust debris, while the debris composition that polluted WD J2147−4035 remains unconstrained.

Elms, Abbigail K. (ORCID:0000000176667416)↗
DOE OSTI2022

Developing extreme fast charge battery protocols – A review spanning materials to systems

Extreme fast charging (XFC) has become a focal research point in the lithium-battery community over the last several years. As adoption of electric vehicles increases, fast charging has become a key driver in enhancing consumer recharge experience. Recently, the research community has made significant improvements in developing charge protocols to support XFC. New charge protocol designs derived using a combination of advanced, physically derived models, and electrochemical and secondary characterization methods, increase charge acceptance and decrease aging. By coordinating these methods and modifying protocols to account for different material constraints, including lithium plating and cathode particle degradation, novel charge protocols have increased the energy accepted during charging by over 25% in 10 min and increased the charge acceptance prior to a constant-voltage step by approximately 3x. Here, we review several charge-protocol advances, aging factors which are enhanced by XFC and advances which will enable adoption of XFC capable vehicles. These advances include implementing machine learning and other detection algorithms to reduce and classify lithium plating, which is known to significantly degrade cell performance and reduce cell life. The review concludes by discussing full-system fast charge requirements, including electric vehicle service equipment needs for implementing XFC protocols.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2024

The nonexistence of a paddlewheel effect in superionic conductors

Since the 1980s, the paddlewheel effect has been suggested as a mechanism to boost lithium-ion diffusion in inorganic materials via the rotation of rotor-like anion groups. However, it remains unclear whether the paddlewheel effect, defined as large-angle anion group rotations assisting Li hopping, indeed exists; furthermore, the physical mechanism by which the anion-group dynamics affect lithium-ion diffusion has not yet been established. In this work, we differentiate various types of rotational motions of anion groups and develop quaternion-based algorithms to detect, quantify, and relate them to lithium-ion motion in ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. Our analysis demonstrates that, in fact, the paddlewheel effect, where an anion group makes a large angle rotation to assist a lithium-ion hop, does not exist and thus is not responsible for the fast lithium-ion diffusion in superionic conductors, as historically claimed. Instead, we find that materials with topologically isolated anion groups can enhance lithium-ion diffusivity via a more classic nondynamic soft-cradle mechanism, where the anion groups tilt to provide optimal coordination to a lithium ion throughout the hopping process to lower the migration barrier. This anion-group disorder is static in nature, rather than dynamic and can explain most of the experimental observations. Our work substantiates the nonexistence of the long-debated paddlewheel effect and clarifies any correlation that may exist between anion-group rotations and fast ionic diffusion in inorganic materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

An Experimental Feasibility Study on Applying Neutron Tomography to Encapsulated Spent Nuclear Fuel - 20050

Visual inspection makes easier to ensure the integrity and safety of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) than any classical techniques. Various classical techniques have been applied but there are no reliable methods to qualitatively and quantitatively verify spent fuel in dry storage. Thus, the present authors have developed the prototype safeguards apparatus for dry storage employing the array of He-4 gas scintillation detectors (S670E, Arktis Radiation Detectors Ltd., Switzerland), newly designed to simultaneously measure thermal and fast neutrons without any moderators. The S670E detector has a cylindrical shape with a diameter of 52 mm and active length of 600 mm (total length: 875 mm). The detector is filled by He-4 gas with an approximate pressure of 180 bar for fast neutron detection, and its inner wall is coated by Li-6 for thermal neutron detection. The scintillation lights generated via Li-6 nuclear reaction and elastic scattering are collected by 24 SiPMs linearly paired at the center of the detector. The detector delivers a TTL (Transistor-Transistor Logic) output for pulse readout and UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter) for device control. In order to assess feasibility of the apparatus, an experimental system has been designed, built, and optimized via computational studies. Cf-252 neutron sources and linearly arrayed detectors, working as a single detector, were occupied for this study due to the difficulties in working with SNF. The laboratory scale cask (diameter: 0.67 m, height: 1.5 m), minimized by a factor of 10 compared to the actual thickness of a commercial TN-32 cask, was also manufactured. The detector array was designed to rotate the lab-scale cask and obtain 36 image profiles at every 10 degrees. All profiles were aligned in single frame image called a sinogram, and the cross-sectional image was then fabricated by the inverse radon transform algorithm. These experiments have been repeated with different configurations and numbers of sources. Some gamma-ray sources were also measured with neutron sources in order to distinguish between neutron and gamma-ray pulses. Basically, a He-4 detector is designed to run on Linux OS so it is difficult to directly apply to Windows-based equipment widely used in S. Korea. Therefore, a new data acquisition board working on Windows OS was designed and built. The board mainly consists of FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) and SoC (System on Chip) for TTL pulse readout, sorting measured data, and transferring data to a user interface. In conclusion, the tomographic system at lab-scale has shown considerable potential to detect a partial or gross defect of encapsulated assemblies in dry storage. Next steps of this study will be to 1) repeatedly carry out experiments to demonstrate scientific reliability and validity, and 2) numerically integrate signals with weight factors to enhance the image quality since the suggested system based on passive interrogation method requires longer measurement time. Finally, the system will apply to a commercial dry storage phased out soon in S. Korea. (authors)

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Advancing Li-plating detection: Motivating a multi-signal correlation approach

Facilitating fast charging in lithium-ion batteries (LiBs) is often linked to Li-plating, which harms performance, longevity, and safety. Early detection of Li-plating is essential for rapid technological development and for preventing performance deterioration and ensuring safety during operation. Fast and real-time detection, using commonly collected measurements like voltage (V), current (I), temperature (T), and pressure (P), is highly desirable. Existing standalone methods relying on electrochemical and mechanical signatures, using half, smaller, or specially designed cells often operated at lower temperatures, fail to account for real-world fast-charging conditions. These signatures may also have inherent unreliability in aged LiBs, a phenomenon currently not-well understood. All these uncertainties have complicated practical implementation of a robust Li-plating detection technique. This study, through multiple case studies involving real-world fast-charging conditions using automotive-grade 11.6 Ah LiBs, shows that many single signal-based diagnostic techniques may be inadequate to detect Li-plating. Among various signatures, end-of-charge rest pressure, differential pressure-sensing, and end-of-charge rest voltage were identified as particularly useful in detecting Li-plating. Furthermore, A multi-signal-based detection technique is shown to be more robust in detecting Li-plating. Using both fresh and aged cells, the results and analysis highlight how detection capabilities are influenced by various factors, including battery design, size, charging speed, operating temperature, and degradation level. Adopting such a multi-signal Li-plating detection approach may be instrumental in the rapid development of battery technology in laboratories, as well as ensuring the enhanced safety of next-generation LiBs in real-world fast-charging applications.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Rapid Electrochemical Diagnosis of Battery Health and Safety from Cells to Modules

Rapid electrochemical diagnosis of battery health and failure is critical for ensuring reliable battery performance and battery safety. Traditional battery health diagnostics such as capacity measurements and DC pulse tests are reliable and well-understood, however, these measurements of battery capacity and resistance do not capture all aspects of battery degradation. Other aspects of degradation, such as electrolyte decomposition, lithium-plating, and particle cracking are difficult to detect electrochemically but are crucial to measure to get a full picture of battery safety and flag out potential failures. In this work, lab- and field-aged commercial lithium-ion batteries and modules of various chemistries and formats are tested using a variety of traditional electrochemical characterization methods as well as using 2-minute pseudo-random DC pulse sequences at rest and during charge/discharge. The electrochemical measurements are compared to physical cell measurements, cell efficiency, drive cycle performance, physical and thermal heterogeneity, and qualitative safety metrics using statistical and machine-learning methods to discover if a comprehensive "battery health map" can be accurately identified using only rapid DC measurements.

ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS,ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Investigations of radiation damaged arranged scintillating particle composites

Composites consisting of periodically arranged scintillating particles within an acrylic (poly methyl methacrylate) matrix are excellent templates for the gamma-insensitive detection of fast neutrons. In order to study the impact of radiation damage on acrylic-based scintillating particle composites, we exposed acrylic samples to different doses of fast neutrons up to 119.7 kGy and investigated the change in optical characteristics using optical absorption spectroscopy in the 200–800 nm wavelength range. The experimental results are compared to coupled MCNP6 and optical ray-tracing (FRED) simulations, and qualitative agreement is found. Neutron-induced radiation damage in the acrylic matrix manifests as a red-shift in the ultra-violet absorption edge of the acrylic and a corresponding decrease in the light propagation efficiency, which leads to detector performance degradation. We show for the first time that the effects of radiation damage can be mitigated by the use of wavelength-shifting coatings. We predict that composites with wavelength-shifting coatings can enable neutron detectors with high tolerance against neutron-induced radiation damage, a property that is particularly desired for neutron detection in high radiation environments.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Ionic-Based Electrochemical Gas Sensors for Low-Cost, High-Sensitivity SO2 Detection

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is a toxic gas associated with adverse health and environmental effects that necessitate reliable monitoring techniques. Here, we report the development of an all-solid-state electrochemical sensor utilizing a lithium borate (Li3BO3) solid electrolyte capable of subppm of SO2 detection. While subppm of SO2 sensing has been previously demonstrated in other solid-state electrolyte systems─such as stabilized zirconia, natrium super ionic conductors (NASICON) under mixed-potential conditions─here we establish Li3BO3 as an alternative solid electrolyte enabling equilibrium potentiometric sensing in an all-solid architecture. This sensor demonstrates a detection limit of at least 0.25 ppm, surpassing the human-olfactory threshold and meeting the rigorous requirements for industrial and personal monitoring applications. The sensing mechanism relies on the formation of Li2SO4 on the electrode surface, as evidenced by multimodal characterization techniques, including Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). The strong linear correlation between the open-circuit potential (OCV) and the logarithm of SO2 concentration between 0.25 and 2 ppm indicates that the response is Nernstian in nature.

Lagunas, Francisco (ORCID:000000026377683X)↗
DOE OSTI2021

TESS Hunt for Young and Maturing Exoplanets (THYME). V. A Sub-Neptune Transiting a Young Star in a Newly Discovered 250 Myr Association

The detection and characterization of young planetary systems offer a direct path to study the processes that shape planet evolution. We report on the discovery of a sub-Neptune-sized planet orbiting the young star HD 110082 (TOI-1098). Transit events we initially detected during TESS Cycle 1 are validated with time-series photometry from Spitzer. High-contrast imaging and high-resolution, optical spectra are also obtained to characterize the stellar host and confirm the planetary nature of the transits. The host star is a late-F dwarf (M {sub ⋆} = 1.2M {sub ⊙}) with a low-mass, M dwarf binary companion (M {sub ⋆} = 0.26M {sub ⊙}) separated by nearly one arcminute (∼6200 au). Based on its rapid rotation and Lithium absorption, HD 110082 is young, but is not a member of any known group of young stars (despite proximity to the Octans association). To measure the age of the system, we search for coeval, phase-space neighbors and compile a sample of candidate siblings to compare with the empirical sequences of young clusters and to apply quantitative age-dating techniques. In doing so, we find that HD 110082 resides in a new young stellar association we designate MELANGE-1, with an age of 250{sub −70}{sup +50} Myr. Jointly modeling the TESS and Spitzer light curves, we measure a planetary orbital period of 10.1827 days and radius of R {sub p} = 3.2 ± 0.1R {sub ⊕}. HD 110082 b’s radius falls in the largest 12% of field-age systems with similar host-star mass and orbital period. This finding supports previous studies indicating that young planets have larger radii than their field-age counterparts.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2022

In situ visualization of multicomponents coevolution in a battery pouch cell

Lithium-ion battery (LIB) is a broadly adopted technology for energy storage. With increasing demands to improve the rate capability, cyclability, energy density, safety, and cost efficiency, it is crucial to establish an in-depth understanding of the detailed structural evolution and cell-degradation mechanisms during battery operation. Here, we present a laboratory-based high-resolution and high-throughput X-ray micro–computed laminography approach, which is capable of in situ visualizing of an industry-relevant lithium-ion (Li-ion) pouch cell with superior detection fidelity, resolution, and reliability. This technique enables imaging of the pouch cell at a spatial resolution of 0.5 μm in a laboratory system and permits the identification of submicron features within cathode and anode electrodes. We also demonstrate direct visualization of the lithium plating in the imaged pouch cell, which is an important phenomenon relevant to battery fast charging and low-temperature cycling. Our development presents an avenue toward a thorough understanding of the correlation among multiscale structures, chemomechanical degradation, and electrochemical behavior of industry-scale battery pouch cells.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗