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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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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Rapid Laser Reactive Sintering of Garnet Li 6.1 La 3 Zr 2 Al 0.3 O 12 Solid-State Electrolyte

All solid-state lithium-ion batteries (ASSLIBs) have gained significant interest in recent years due to their wide range of applications, including mobile devices, electric vehicles, and grid storage. Garnet-type Li 7 La 3 Zr 2 O 12 (LLZO) solid-state electrolyte (SSE) continues to be a significant player in the fabrication of ASSLIBs with excellent ionic conductivity on the order of 10 -3 S•cm -1 with the integration of dopants and sintering aids to assist conductivity and structural evolution during the sintering procedure. Traditional sintering techniques, such as solid-state sintering (SSS), have been proven to yield desirable crystal structures. However, the low ionic conductivity results from inferior microstructure, and lithium loss is a significant challenge. Recently, a relatively novel sintering process called rapid laser reactive sintering (RLRS) has shown great potential for achieving fully dense solid oxide electrolytes with less surface element loss, resulted in high ionic conductivity. Here, we applied the same RLRS method to fabricate LLZO dense electrolyte with different amounts of aluminum dopants. We hope the rapid high-temperature sintering can densify the electrolyte and avoid the lithium loss for achieving high lithium-ion conductivity. In this work, we optimized multiple combinations of laser parameters (speed, power, and defocus distance), initial precursor composition, and controlled atmospheres to discover the optimal conditions for reaching the efficacious crystal structure, microstructure, and ionic conductivity.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2024

High-pressure phase transitions in a laser directed energy deposited Fe-33Cu Alloy

Here, additively manufactured Fe-Cu alloys contain both equilibrium face-centered cubic (FCC) and metastable body-centered cubic (BCC) crystal structure Cu precipitates depending on their size. However, the stability of these nanoscale precipitates under extreme conditions such as high pressures has not been reported. This study investigates the phase transformations and microstructural stability of laser directed energy deposition (DED-LB) made Fe67Cu33 alloy (nominal composition in at.%) under high static pressure deformation using in-situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction under pressure, postmortem high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (HR-STEM), and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. In-situ XRD results reveal a reversible phase transformation from BCC to the hexagonal close-packed (HCP) structure in the Fe grains at an onset pressure of 16.4 GPa, significantly higher than reported in the literature for pure Fe. Although no high-pressure phase transition was observed in the FCC Cu grains through XRD, HR-STEM analysis uncovers a phase transition to the HCP structure in nanoscale metastable BCC Cu precipitates within the BCC Fe matrix. After decompression, the Fe matrix reverted back to the BCC structure with periodic lath martensite, while regions of the nanoscale BCC Cu precipitates retained the metastable HCP structure. MD simulations support the BCC → HCP transition in the embedded nanoscale coherent Cu precipitates, consistent with the classical Burgers mechanism. Thus, by leveraging in-situ XRD observation, postmortem high-resolution S/TEM microscopy, and MD simulations, this study offers profound insights into the distinctive phase transformations induced by high pressure in DED-LB Fe67Cu33 alloy, which is distinguished by its hierarchical microstructure.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Mechanically strengthened heterogeneous Sm-Co sintered magnets

Samarium-cobalt sintered magnets offer excellent magnetic properties, thermal stability, and corrosion resistance. They are used in a variety of defense and civilian applications, especially when elevated operation temperatures (e.g., 200 ºC to 550 ºC) are required. However, the utilization of these materials is restricted by their brittleness. Improving their mechanical resilience would make them more cost-effective, efficient, and robust in decarbonization and other function-related applications while reducing the pressure on critical material supply chains. In this paper, we engineer a series of novel heterogeneous microstructures, such as laminated coarse grain (CG)/fine grain (FG) and core/shell CG/FG microstructures, to produce unprecedented combinations of superior mechanical and magnetic properties without altering the chemical compositions of the magnets or common heat treatment procedures. Further, a 60% flexural strength enhancement is obtained using heterogeneous Sm 2 (CoFeCuZr) 17 sintered magnets with little impact on their magnetic properties. The mechanically robust heterogeneous Sm-Co sintered magnets have a minor (e.g., less than 4.6%) reduction in the energy product (BH) max due to a slightly reduced squareness of the demagnetization curve, with no decrease in either the remanence (B r ) or the intrinsic coercivity (H ci ). The flexural strengths of these heterogeneous Sm-Co magnets depend on the volume ratios and mean grain sizes of the FG/CG regions, as well as their microstructural architectures. The fine-grained regions act as mechanical strengthening sites, which can be strategically used when designing the magnet for different applications. This technology is highly compatible with existing magnet manufacturing processes and thus can be adopted readily by the magnet industry.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Void swelling of conventional and composition engineered HT9 alloys after high-dose self-ion irradiation

Ferritic/martensitic (F/M) steels are being considered as potential structural materials for next generation nuclear reactors, and variants of the alloy HT9 are some of the most promising candidates. In this study, two conventional and two composition engineered HT9 alloys were irradiated using 3.5 MeV Fe 2+ up to 600 peak displacement-per-atom (dpa) at 450 °C. Void swelling and microstructure evolution were characterized for each alloy and compared. The two conventional HT9 alloys (INL and ACO3) showed similar void swelling behavior due to their similar elemental composition and processing conditions. The INL HT9 exhibited a maximum of 2.4% swelling and the ACO3 HT9 showed a maximum of 2.8% swelling at 342 and 393 average local dpa, respectively. On the other hand, the two-composition engineered HT9 alloys with varying N contents (10 ppm for low N and 440 ppm for high N) showed disparate swelling behavior. The low N HT9 exhibited a maximum of 4.6% swelling, while the high N HT9 showed a maximum of 0.7% swelling at 342 average local dpa. Changes in the N content also affected Ni/Si rich G-phase formation. The low N HT9 showed a larger size and lower density of G-phase precipitates compared with the high N HT9 after 600 peak dpa irradiation. This study compares the void swelling behavior of the ion irradiated four current HT9 alloys to extremely high doses, with the void swelling data from neutron irradiated HT9 alloys. Furthermore, the comparison lends critical insights into how well these current alloys can withstand high neutron fluxes in future reactors, especially since the low N and high N HT9 alloys have never been exposed to such high doses before.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Spectro-Microscopic Analysis of Soot Particle Composition and Source Attribution

Ambient soot particles significantly impact Earth’s radiative balance, human health, and atmospheric visibility. Their microstructural properties depend on formation and aging mechanisms, which vary by emission source and atmospheric processes. Hence, accurately identifying sources of soot enhances our understanding of their physicochemical properties and atmospheric implications. This study used a multi-modal approach to characterize and attribute sources of submicron soot particles collected in Israel during new particle formation events, biomass burning episodes, and background atmospheric conditions. Synchrotron-based X-ray microscopy was used to map soot (elemental carbon), organic carbon, and inorganic species. Implemented atomic force microscopy showed highly diverse phase states, with soot consistently exhibiting a solid-like phase. Automated µ-Raman analysis was subsequently performed on ~690 particles, identifying three soot classes based on spectral features corresponding to the "Defect" (D) and "Graphite" (G) bands of soot. We applied two-peak and five-peak fitting approaches to deconvolute the “Defect” peaks (D1, D2, D3, and D4) and G band from average Raman, revealing varying degrees of graphitic order. The degree of graphitic order was determined from metrics such as the D3 peak area, often observed when soot was internally mixed with organic material. Raman spectral features, along with temporal variations in particle classes contributions, suggest that Particle Type 1 corresponds to traffic related soot and Particle Type 2 to less graphitic soot from biomass burning, while Particle Type 3 is associated with more heterogeneous particulate representative of soot-OC mixtures emitted during new particle formation and biomass burning episodes.

Rivera-Adorno, Felipe (ORCID:0000000273557999)↗
DOE OSTI2021

Irradiation effects in tungsten—From surface effects to bulk mechanical properties

Advanced materials such as tungsten fibre-reinforced composites allow to overcome severe weaknesses of the baseline materials for plasma-facing components — copper and tungsten. The effect of the fusion environment on the mechanical properties of these materials, e.g. the embrittlement by neutron irradiation, plays a key role for the development of future fusion reactors. To simulate this effect, high-energy ions are used as a substitute for the displacement damage by neutrons. We propose the use of very fine tungsten wire as a possibility of studying the influence of irradiation damage on the mechanical properties. This is possible as they allow full-depth irradiation of almost the entire volume despite the limited penetration depth of ions. Geometrical size effects are mitigated due to the nanoscale microstructure of the wire. In addition, similar wire is used in tungsten fibre-reinforced composites. Thus, the investigation of irradiated wire can directly be used for the prediction of the bulk composite properties. For the proof of this concept tungsten wire with a diameter of 16 μm was electrochemically thinned to 5 μm and irradiated with 20.5 MeV W 6+ ions. The mechanical properties were subsequently determined by macroscopic tensile testing. Irradiation to 0.3, 1 and 9 dpa did not lead to a change of the mechanical behaviour. Both strength and ductility, the latter indicated by the reduction of area, were similar to the as-fabricated state.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

A lightweight Fe–Mn–Al–C austenitic steel with ultra-high strength and ductility fabricated via laser powder bed fusion

Lightweight Fe–Mn–Al–C steels have become a topic of significant interest for the defense and automotive industries. These alloys can maintain high strength and ductility while also reducing weight in structural applications. Conventionally processed Fe–Mn–Al–C austenitic steels with high Al content (~9 wt%) demonstrate greater than 1.5 GPa strength with 35% elongation. Several recent studies have demonstrated success in fabricating steel parts using laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) additive manufacturing (AM), which can generate near-net-shape components with complex geometries and is capable of local microstructural control. However, studies on L-PBF processing of Fe–Mn–Al–C alloys have focused on low Al content (<5 wt%) compositional regimes representing alloys that undergo transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP) and twinning-induced plasticity (TWIP). Here, in this study, we present the effects of L-PBF processing on the microstructure and mechanical properties of an Fe–30Mn–9Al–1Si-0.5Mo-0.9C austenitic steel. A process optimization framework is employed to determine an ideal L-PBF processing space that will result in >99% density parts. Implementing this framework resulted in near-fully dense specimens fabricated over a broad range of process parameters. Additionally, two bi-directional scan rotation strategies (90° and 67°) were applied to understand their effects on texture and anisotropy in this material. As-printed specimens displayed considerable work-hardening characteristics with average strengths of up to 1.3 GPa and 36% elongation in the build direction. However, solidification microcracks oriented in the build direction resulted in anisotropy in tensile strength and ductility resulting in average strengths of 1.1 GPa and 20% elongation perpendicular to the build direction. The successful L-PBF fabrication of Fe–30Mn–9Al–1Si-0.5Mo-0.9C presented here is expected to open new avenues for weight reduction in structural applications with a high degree of control over part topology.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Multiscale investigation of thermomechanical and compositional developments in Ni alloy 718 under laser processing

Laser processing has been widely employed in various applications due to its exceptional spatial resolution. However, the rapid temperature gradients generated in localized areas present significant challenges for experimental characterization using conventional instruments. To characterize Ni alloy 718 during laser processing, we employed in-situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction with a high-speed detector, a method particularly well-suited for probing processes with high temporal and spatial resolution. Through a series of in-situ experiments, we investigated the local variations in the evolution of microstructures and thermomechanical behaviors within a keyhole mode melt pool. The in situ macroscopic thermomechanical behaviors were quantified using an empirical model derived from diffraction patterns, with experimental results showing reasonable agreement with finite element analysis. Various laser parameters were tested to assess their influences on the residual strains in the melt pools. The results revealed that the residual strain in the keyhole mode melt pool is relatively insensitive to variations in the parameters and is smaller than that in the melt pool created under conduction mode laser scanning. Additionally, we analyzed the shapes of individual diffraction spots, providing insights into the plastic behaviors and compositional developments in the resolidified alloy. The analysis confirmed that compositional variations in a dendritic microstructure manifest as asymmetric broadening of the diffraction spots.

Ni alloy 718↗
DOE OSTI2021

Strength-promoting mechanism of alkanolamines on limestone-calcined clay cement and the role of sulfate

This paper reports the strength-promoting mechanism of alkanolamines on limestone-calcined clay cement (LC{sup 3}). The hydration kinetics, phase formation and microstructure of LC{sup 3} with triethanolamine (TEA) or triisopropanolamine (TIPA) were investigated. TEA enhanced the strength of LC{sup 3}, while TIPA was effective at 28 days, and a correct sulfate addition promoted their effects. Alkanolamines accelerated the aluminate reaction of LC{sup 3} during early hydration, increased sulfate slowed this reaction by producing more ettringite. TIPA favoured the hydration of ferrite in clinker, not only accelerated the silicate reaction of metakaolin, but also resulted in a rapid limestone reaction. Alkanolamines altered the morphology and chemical composition of the aluminate hydrates and C-A-S-H. Alkanolamines enabled the reduction of porosity of hardened pastes and the increased sulfate further refined them. It was the large pores being induced by TIPA at early ages that were considered to have an adverse impact on the early strength of LC{sup 3}.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Microstructure and properties of additively manufactured Al–Ce–Mg alloys

Additive manufacturing of aluminum alloys is largely dominated by a near-eutectic Al-Si compositions, which are highly weldable, but have mechanical properties that are not competitive with conventional wrought Al alloys. In addition, there is a need for new Al alloys with improved high temperature properties and thermal stability for applications in the automotive and aerospace fields. In this work, we considered laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing of two alloys in the Al–Ce–Mg system, designed as near-eutectic (Al–11Ce–7Mg) and hyper-eutectic (Al–15Ce–9Mg) compositions with respect to the binary L → Al + Al 11 Ce eutectic reaction. The addition of magnesium is used to promote solid solution strengthening. A custom laser scan pattern was used to reduce the formation of keyhole porosity, which was caused by excessive vaporization due to the high vapor pressure of magnesium. The microstructure and tensile mechanical properties of the alloys were characterized in the as-fabricated condition and following hot isostatic pressing. The two alloys exhibit significant variations in solidification structure morphology. These variations in non-equilibrium solidification structure were rationalized using a combination of thermodynamic and thermal modeling. Both alloys showed higher yield strength than AM Al-10Si-Mg for temperatures up to 350 °C and better strength retention at elevated temperatures than additively manufactured Scalmaloy.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Additive Manufacturing of C/C-SiC Ceramic Matrix Composites by Automated Fiber Placement of Continuous Fiber Tow in Polymer with Pyrolysis and Reactive Silicon Melt Infiltration

An additive manufacturing process for fabricating ceramic matrix composites has been developed based on the C/C-SiC system. Automated fiber placement of the continuous carbon fibers in a polyether ether ketone matrix was performed to consolidate the carbon fibers into a printed preform. Pyrolysis was performed to convert the polymer matrix to porous carbon, and then Si was introduced by reactive melt infiltration to convert a portion of the carbon matrix to silicon carbide. The densities and microstructures were characterized after each step during the processing, and the mechanical properties were measured. The C/C-SiC composites exhibited a porosity of 10–20%, characteristic flexural strength of 234.91 MPa, and Weibull modulus of 3.21. The composites displayed toughness via a significant displacement to failure.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Rapid Laser Reactive Sintering of Garnet Li 6.4 La 3 Zr 1.4 Ta 0.6 O 12 and Li 6.1 La 3 Zr 2 Al 0.3 O 12 and Solid-State Electrolytes

All solid-state lithium-ion batteries (ASSLIBs) have gained significant interest in recent years due to their wide range of applications, including mobile devices, electric vehicles, and grid storage. Garnet-type Li 7 La 3 Zr 2 O 12 (LLZO) solid-state electrolyte (SSE) continues to be a significant player in the fabrication of ASSLIBs with excellent ionic conductivity on the order of 10 -3 S•cm -1 with the integration of dopants and sintering aids to assist conductivity and structural evolution during the sintering procedure. Traditional sintering techniques, such as solid-state sintering (SSS), have been proven to yield desirable crystal structures. However, the low ionic conductivity results from inferior microstructure, and lithium loss is a significant challenge. Recently, a relatively novel sintering process called rapid laser sintering (RLS) has shown great potential for achieving fully dense solid oxide electrolytes with less lithium loss, resulting in high ionic conductivity [1] [2] [3] [4]. Here, we applied a modified RLS method using precursor powders instead of pre-synthesized LLZO powders to fabricate Al-doped LLZO (Li 6.1 La 3 Zr 2 Al 0.3 O 12 + 13 wt% Li 2 CO 3 ) and Ta-doped LLZO (Li 6.4 La 3 Zr 1.4 Ta 0.6 O 12 + 5 wt% LiOH•H 2 O) dense electrolytes. This rapid laser reactive sintering (RLRS) could potentially reduce the number of processing steps and therefore lower the manufacturing cost. We hope the rapid high-temperature sintering can densify the electrolyte and avoid the lithium loss for achieving high lithium-ion conductivity. In this work, we optimized a combination of laser parameters (speed and power), initial precursor composition, and controlled atmospheres to discover the optimal conditions for reaching the efficacious crystal structure, microstructure, and ionic conductivity.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Engineering Multi-scale B2 Precipitation in a Heterogeneous FCC Based Microstructure to Enhance the Mechanical Properties of a Al0.5Co1.5CrFeNi1.5 High Entropy Alloy

While ordered L12 or gamma prime precipitates in face centered cubic (FCC) based microstructures have been extensively used for strengthening Nickel or Cobalt base superalloys, and more recently in high entropy alloys (HEAs) or complex concentrated alloys (CCAs), the possibility of exploiting ordered B2 precipitates in FCC-based systems has been relatively less investigated. The present study shows the propensity of developing a heterogeneous microstructure, consisting of two different distributions of FCC grain sizes, and two different size scales of B2 precipitates, within an FCC-based Al0.5Co1.5CrFeNi1.5 HEA/CCA. This alloy composition has been designed using solution thermodynamics-based modeling such that it has a high phase fraction and solvus temperature of the B2 phase. The resulting heterogenous microstructure exhibited an approximately 400% increase in yield strength with respect to the single-phase FCC solid solution condition of the same alloy while maintaining very good tensile ductility ~20 %.

Dasari, Sriswaroop↗
DOE OSTI2021

Experimental and computational analysis of bending fatigue failure in chopped carbon fiber chip reinforced composites

With a better balance among good mechanical performance, high freedom of design, and low material and manufacturing cost, chopped carbon fiber chip reinforced sheet molding compound (SMC) composites show great potential in different engineering applications. Here in this paper, bending fatigue behaviors of SMC composites considering the heterogeneous fiber orientation distributions have been thoroughly investigated utilizing both experimental and computational methods. First, four-point bending fatigue tests are performed with designed SMC composites, and the local modulus is adopted as a metric to represent the local fiber orientation of two opposing sides. Interestingly, SMC composites with and without large discrepancy in local modulus of opposing sides show different fatigue behaviors. Interrupted tests are conducted to explore the bending fatigue failure mechanism, and the damage processes of valid specimens are also closely examined. We find that the fatigue failure of SMC composites under four-point bending is governed by crack propagation instead of crack initiation. Because of this, the heterogeneous local fiber orientations of both sides of the specimen influence fatigue life. The microstructure of the lower side shows a direct influence while that of the upper side also exhibiting influence which becomes more prominent for high cycle fatigue cases. Furthermore, a hybrid micro–macro computational model is proposed to efficiently study the cyclic bending behavior of SMC composites. The region of interest is reconstructed with a modified random sequential absorption algorithm to conserve all the microstructural details including the heterogeneous fiber orientation, while the rest of the regions are modeled as homogenized macro-scale continua. Combined with a framework to capture the progressive fatigue damage under cyclic bending, the bending fatigue behaviors of SMC composites are accurately captured by the hybrid computational model comparing with our experimental analysis.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Computational Modeling of Heterogeneity of Stress, Charge, and Cyclic Damage in Composite Electrodes of Li-Ion Batteries

Charge heterogeneity is a prevalent feature in many electrochemical systems. In a commercial cathode of Li-ion batteries, the composite is hierarchically structured across multiple length scales including the sub-micron single-crystal primary-particle domains up to the macroscopic particle ensembles. The redox kinetics of charge transfer and mass transport strongly couples with mechanical stresses. This interplay catalyzes substantial heterogeneity in the charge (re)distribution, stresses, and mechanical damage in the composite electrode during charging and discharging. We assess the heterogeneous electrochemistry and mechanics in a LiNi x Mn y Co z O 2 (NMC) cathode using a fully coupled electro-chemo-mechanics model at the cell level. A microstructure-resolved model is constructed based on the synchrotron X-ray tomography data. We calculate the stress field in the composite and then quantitatively evaluate the kinetics of surface charge transfer and Li transport biased by mechanical stresses. We further model the cyclic behavior of the cell. The repetitive deformation of the active particles and the weakening of the interfacial strength cause gradual increase of the interfacial debonding. The mechanical damage impedes electron transfer, incurs more charge heterogeneity, and results in the capacity degradation in batteries over cycles.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Emulation of neutron-irradiated microstructure of austenitic 21Cr32Ni model alloy using dual-ion irradiation

Here, in this study, the capability of heavy-ion irradiation to emulate neutron irradiation was demonstrated on an austenitic 21Cr32Ni type ternary model alloy. The model alloy used in this study is chemically analogous but compositionally simpler than of alloy 800H, which is a candidate austenitic Ni alloy which has been proposed for use in Generation IV reactors. The microstructure of the 21Cr32Ni model alloy irradiated in the BOR-60 fast reactor to 17.1 dpa and 35 dpa at ~380°C was characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The 17.1 dpa BOR-60 irradiated microstructure was then compared with the microstructure of the same material developed under dual-ion (DI) irradiation using various He/dpa ratios between 0.1 and 16.6 appm He/dpa in the temperature range of 430°C-500°C. The results showed that both neutron and DI irradiation of 21Cr32Ni model alloy produced dislocations in the form of a dislocation network as well as {111}-type faulted dislocation loops, cavities, and radiation-induced Ni enrichment at radiation-induced sinks. When the dose and the He/dpa ratio were kept similar to those in neutron irradiation, DI irradiation of the 21Cr32Ni model alloy at 460°C resulted in over-nucleation of small cavities and in a high density of faulted dislocation loops compared to those observed in the fast-neutron irradiated alloy of the same heat irradiated at ~380°C. The optimal condition for reproducing the neutron-irradiated microstructure was DI irradiation at 460°C and 0.1 appm He/dpa. In that case, the faulted loop and cavity size distributions in the BOR-60 irradiated 21Cr32Ni model alloy samples closely matched with those measured in the DI irradiated 21Cr32Ni model alloy sample. The fact that the He/dpa is an order of magnitude smaller than the helium generation rate for fast neutron irradiation, stops over nucleation and allows for the development of a similar microstructure as for neutron irradiation.

21Cr32Ni model alloy↗
DOE OSTI2024

Insight into the interfacial microstructure and chemistry of hot isostatically pressed AA6061-AA6061 bonds for U-10Mo fuel cladding application

Here, in the present study, hot isostatic pressing (HIP) bonding was carried out using AA6061-AA6061 plates for U-10Mo monolithic fuel cladding application. HIP was performed at 560°C with an applied isostatic pressure of 103 MPa for 90 min. Interfacial microstructure characterizations were performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) combined with electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) to quantify precipitate fractions and study recrystallization, grain growth, and orientation relationships across the interface. EBSD results confirmed that no interfacial grain growth occurred during the HIP process. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was also employed to quantify composition and identify phases of various precipitates and an oxide layer that formed at the interface during HIP bonding. Microstructural analyses revealed the formation of a large fraction of Mg 2 Si precipitate and a ~50 nm thick Mg-oxide layer at the interface. Further TEM analysis confirmed that the oxide layer was not continuous, and Mg 2 Al 2 O 5 oxide particles with an average size of 18 nm were present in the oxide layer. Finite element modeling analysis was performed to study the stress distribution at the interface during HIP processing.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Computational prediction of dielectric breakdown strength of a transformer paper in oil with uncertainty quantification

The determination of the dielectric breakdown strengths of microstructurally heterogeneous materials has been a primarily experimental endeavor. We report the development of a microstructure-level model for computationally predicting the breakdown strength and analyzing the interactions between electromagnetic pulses (EMP) and the constituents in a composite of cellulose-based paper and mineral oil found in electrical transformers. The model allows explicit simulation of the material breakdown process by tracking the transition of dielectric constituents from non-conductive to conductive states. The focus is on the electric fields induced in the materials and the overall conditions for dielectric breakdown (defined as the onset of avalanche) caused by the electric field induced in the composite. Responses to three distinct pulse shapes, i.e., Steep Front (SF), Lightning (L), and AC with spectra spanning 60–9 × 105 Hz are considered. It is found that the breakdown strength of the material is significantly affected by microstructure heterogeneities, the spatial variations of the constituent properties, and the pulse shapes. A probabilistic characterization of the breakdown strength is computationally obtained and compared with experimental measurements. Although one particular material is analyzed, the model and approach are applicable to other heterogeneous materials as well.

breakdowns↗