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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 595 records · Page 33
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2019

Flux Pinning Mechanism in BaSnO{sub 3}-Added GdBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7-x} Films with Different Thickness

Types of flux pinning mechanism in pure and BaSnO{sub 3} (BSO)-added GdBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7-x} (GdBCO) superconducting films have been determined by using the Dew-Hughes model. We have found that as the BSO content increases up to 4 wt%, dominant pinning mechanism of GdBCO films has changed from normal surface pinning due to intrinsic linear defects to normal point pinning by BSO addition. Careful analysis on the scaling of the flux pinning for the 4 wt% BSO-doped GdBCO films with various film thicknesses revealed that the pinning mechanism came from the hybrid pinning of two kinds of pinning types. In addition to the normal point pinning by BSO addition, another type of Δκ-pinning was observed to be prominent in the thinner films in low magnetic field region as normal point pinning was deteriorated. Through the EXAFS analysis, it was found that the Δκ-pinning is possibly originated from the oxygen deficiency in localized position. These results suggested that film thickness directly affects the flux pinning mechanism of the BSO-doped GdBCO films, and in the application point of view, an optimization of the film thickness may be crucial to operate normal point pinning induced by BSO addition.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2019

Optimal absorber thickness in long-wave multiple-stage detector

The detectivity characteristics of interband cascade infrared type-II superlattice detectors for long-wave infrared detection (λ{sub cut-off} = 8 μm at room temperature) are discussed. We present comparison of two superlattices: InAs/GaSb and InAs/InAsSb, assuming the characteristic parameters—absorption coefficients α and carrier lifetimes τ published in literature. Dependence of the Johnson-noise limited detectivity on the absorber thickness for a different number of stages is reported. Higher detectivity D{sup *} value can be achieved by increasing the carrier lifetime. However, for detectors based on type-II InAs/GaSb superlattice increasing the carrier lifetime up to 25 ns leads to a situation in which one stage is preferred, i.e. for detector with a single absorber, we obtain the highest detectivity value. In the case of InAs/InAsSb material, the situation is similar for τ ≥ 80 ns. We have shown that the optimal absorber thickness at which the highest detectivity values are obtained depends not only on the absorption coefficient α and the number of stages N{sub S}, but also on the carrier diffusion length L. According to a calculations, cascade detectors based on Ga-free material should have much higher optimal absorber thicknesses than materials based on InAs/GaSb.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2018

Numerical Simulation of Bulging Deformation for Wide-Thick Slab Under Uneven Cooling Conditions

In the present work, the bulging deformation of a wide-thick slab under uneven cooling conditions was studied using finite element method. The non-uniform solidification was first calculated using a 2D heat transfer model. The thermal material properties were derived based on a microsegregation model, and the water flux distribution was measured and applied to calculate the cooling boundary conditions. Based on the solidification results, a 3D bulging model was established. The 2D heat transfer model was verified by the measured shell thickness and the slab surface temperature, and the 3D bulging model was verified by the calculated maximum bulging deflections using formulas. The bulging deformation behavior of the wide-thick slab under uneven cooling condition was then determined, and the effect of uneven solidification, casting speed, and roll misalignment were investigated.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

An Artificial Neural Network Model to Predict the Bainite Plate Thickness of Nanostructured Bainitic Steels Using an Efficient Network-Learning Algorithm

Nanostructured bainitic steel has an extraordinary ultrahigh strength of about 2.0 GPa along with good toughness of 30 MPa m{sup 1/2}. The finer thickness of plate 20-80 nm is largely responsible for achieving such a large hardness of 690-720 HV. In this work, a multilayer perceptron-based artificial neural network (ANN) model has been developed to predict the thickness of bainite plate pertaining to nanostructured bainitic steels. The inputs of the ANN model are, namely, Gibbs free energy for bainitic transformation, austenite strength, transformation temperature for bainite and carbon concentration in the steel. The model prediction revealed that the bainite plate thickness critically depends on austenite strength and Gibbs free energy. From the neural prediction, it is concluded that formation of nanostructured bainitic steel is feasible only if sufficient austenite strength (above 165 MPa) has been achieved. This can be accomplished with a minimum carbon content of 0.5 wt.% in steel and transformation temperature below 300 °C. Higher driving force (Gibbs free energy) below − 1800 J/mol is another prerequisite condition of formation of nanostructured bainite steel. The network-learning architecture has been optimized using the Broyden–Fletcher–Goldfarb–Shanno (BFGS) algorithm to minimize the network training error within eight training cycles. The algorithm facilitates a faster convergence of network training and testing errors.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Elastic Modulus Estimation for Copper Syntactic Foams Reinforced with Iron Hollow Spheres of Different Wall Thicknesses

The present study estimates the effect on Young’s modulus of the percentage and thickness of iron hollow spheres reinforcing copper syntactic foams. The resulting materials were modeled by inserting hollow spheres in a random arrangement, using a combination of Discrete Element Method (DEM) for generating the sphere location coordinates and Finite Element Analysis (FEA). Estimations for syntactic foams were compared to those obtained for conventional copper foams with the same porosity. Results showed that the elastic modulus of both syntactic and conventional foams drops significantly as the percentage of spheres or porosity increases. Furthermore, the increase in the wall thickness of the iron hollow spheres leads to significant rises in the Young’s modulus. Depending on the desired mechanical properties, the outcomes presented in this work could be used for selecting the kind of foam (syntactic or conventional) and predesign some characteristics such as porosity or thickness of the spheres or pores.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Modeling of deformation of battery cells using thick shell element formulation

Here, we describe a new approach for modeling nonlinear deformation and stress distribution of battery cells using a new thick shell finite element formulation with a through-thickness calculation of stresses and strains that satisfy equilibrium conditions. Battery cells are transversely layered materials that contain numerous thin layers in a repeating sequence. The layers are made of materials with significantly different mechanical responses. Explicit discretization of the layers is computationally impractical except for very small domains, while homogenized material models cannot account for stress and strain variations and partition through the thickness. The new formulation allows for calculation of the transverse and interlayer stresses based on the material properties of the individual cell layers. The application to problems where the transverse stresses have strong influence is also possible.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Coupling of multiscale imaging analysis and computational modeling for understanding thick cathode degradation mechanisms

Here, using a thick NMC811 (LiNi 0.8 Mn 0.1 Co 0.1 O 2 ) electrode as an example, we present a macro- to nanoscale 2D and 3D imaging analysis approach coupled with 4D (space + time) computational modeling to probe its degradation mechanism in a lithium-ion battery cell. Particle cracking increases and contact loss between particles and carbon-binder domain are observed to correlate with the cell degradation. This study unravels that the reaction heterogeneity within the thick cathode caused by the unbalanced electron conduction is the main cause of the battery degradation over cycling. The increased heterogeneity in the system will entail more cathode regions where the degree of active material utilization is uneven, leading to higher probabilities of particle cracking. These findings shed light on the crucial role of the electronic and ionic transportation networks in the performance deterioration of the thick cathode. They also provide guidance for cathode architecture optimization and performance improvement.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Impact of electrode porosity architecture on electrochemical performances of 1 mm-thick LiFePO4 binder-free Li-ion electrodes fabricated by Spark Plasma Sintering

Thick electrodes with high active material loadings have been intensively studied over the last couple of decades in pursuit of achieving high energy density systems. To optimize and enhance the electrochemical performance of such electrodes, one has to control the pore morphology by, for example, varying the pore size and shape, and the level of porosity. In the present work, the fabrication of thick binder-free LiFePO4 (LFP) electrodes with two different pore sizes (12 and 20 mu m) and porosities (21 vol% and 44 vol%) using Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) and templating approach is reported. The well-controlled porous architecture inside the thick electrodes is realized by fine-tuning experimental parameters. The impact of porosity architecture on electrochemical performance is quantified and correlated with the 3D tortuosity values determined from both micro-computed tomography and electrochemical impedance-based experimental methods. Based on the micro-computed tomography data analysis, estimated tortuosity values along X, Y, and Z axes reveal an anisotropic effect perpendicularly to the SPS compression axis (Z-direction). This is particularly profoundly observed in the samples with larger pores (20 mu m). The correlation between morphological properties and the rate capability performance is established indicating that the capacity loss happens mainly due to the Li-ion diffusion limitations.

Cathode material↗
DOE OSTI2021

Impact of secondary particle size and two-layer architectures on the high-rate performance of thick electrodes in lithium-ion battery pouch cells

Increasing lithium-ion battery gravimetric energy density to > 300 Wh/kg, while simultaneously meeting a cost target of $80/kWh, is of paramount importance to increasing the driving range and affordability of electric vehicles. One way to address this goal is to reduce inactive components by increasing electrode areal capacities, but conventional thick electrode designs typically perform poorly at high discharge rates due to Li + mass transport limitations. Here we compare the rate capability and cycle life of NMC 532/graphite pouch cells made with five different thick cathode and anode designs paired together in 25 combinations. We find that using different particle sizes to structure both the cathode and anode architectures in two-layer configurations results in a 2X capacity improvement over the worst-performing combination at high discharge rates (97 vs. 46 mAh/g at 2C). These different cathode/anode designs also translate to different cycle life performance, with many cells cycled at C/2 achieving ~80% capacity retention after 1000 cycles, and cells cycled at 2C showing different degrees of capacity fade. Altogether, these results demonstrate that simple, scalable changes in electrode design can significantly improve the performance of thick electrodes for high energy density batteries.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Thickness-dependent optical properties in compressively strained BiFeO{sub 3}/LaAlO{sub 3} films grown by pulsed laser deposition

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • BFO with various thicknesses was grown on LAO substrates by pulsed laser deposition. • The structure and compressive strains were clarified via Raman scattering. • The charge transfer excitation was blue shifted with increasing compressive strain. • The compressive strain affects the distortion of Fe{sup 3+} local environment and O 2p states. - Abstract: Bismuth ferrite (BiFeO{sub 3}) films with various thicknesses were epitaxially grown on LaAlO{sub 3} substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The X-ray diffraction and Raman scattering spectra reveal that the films were highly (11{sup ¯}1) oriented with the single phase. With increasing the thickness, the compressive strain decreases and the strain ratios between the film and bulk crystal are evaluated to be 1.75, 1.57, and 1. Moreover, the compressive strain induces band gap shrinkage from 2.7 to 2.65 eV, while the charge transfer transition energy increases from 3.5 to 4.1 eV. It could be due to the shift of O 2p states and the variation of local Fe{sup 3+} crystal field.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

A simple formula to determine the bolus thickness on an oblique surface

For certain clinical situations such as breast treatments, a bolus is used and must be accounted for in monitor unit calculations. Because of the oblique incidence involved, the thickness of bolus traversed by the radiation beam, as opposed to its nominal thickness, must be used. Using principles of geometry, a simple method is derived to calculate the thickness of bolus for these calculations.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Prediction of the thickness of the compensator filter in radiation therapy using computational intelligence

In this study, artificial neural networks (ANNs) and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) are investigated to predict the thickness of the compensator filter in radiation therapy. In the proposed models, the input parameters are field size (S), off-axis distance, and relative dose (D/D{sub 0}), and the output is the thickness of the compensator. The obtained results show that the proposed ANN and ANFIS models are useful, reliable, and cheap tools to predict the thickness of the compensator filter in intensity-modulated radiation therapy.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗
DOE OSTI2023

High-speed friction stir butt welding of 25.4 mm thick 7175-T79 aluminum alloy

This presents the first experimental demonstration of friction stir butt welding of 25.4 mm thick high-strength, precipitate-strengthened 7XXX aluminum alloy at a welding speed above 500 mm/min and penetration depth greater than 10 mm. Tool pin threads that terminate away from the shoulder region, helped mitigate nearby stress concentration during tool traversing, enabling a higher welding speed while avoiding pin fracture near shoulder. Two kinds of welds—one-sided with full penetration of the plate thickness and double-sided with partial penetration of the plate thickness—were conducted. Significant grain refinement (grain size 1.3 ± 0.8 µm) was evident at the junction of double-sided friction stir welding (FSW) compared to other regions of weld-nugget or base material. Cross-weld tensile testing with digital image correlation revealed high local strains at the junction of double-sided FSW before macro-yield. This strain concentration impeded the typical early necking on advancing/retreating sides of FSW joints, improving the yield strength of as-welded double-sided FSW by 20–24% over slow- to medium-speed one-sided FSW. In conclusion, the joint efficiency of as-welded, double-sided high-speed FSW was about 76% with respect to the base material’s ultimate tensile strength.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Simultaneous orientation and thickness mapping in transmission electron microscopy

In this paper we introduce an approach for simultaneous thickness and orientation mapping of crystalline samples by means of transmission electron microscopy. We show that local thickness and orientation values can be extracted from experimental dark-field (DF) image data acquired at different specimen tilts. The method has been implemented to automatically acquire the necessary data and then map thickness and crystal orientation for a given region of interest. We have applied this technique to a specimen prepared from a commercial semiconductor device, containing multiple 22 nm technology transistor structures. The performance and limitations of our method are discussed and compared to those of other techniques available.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Versailles Project on Advanced Materials and Standards Interlaboratory Study on Measuring the Thickness and Chemistry of Nanoparticle Coatings Using XPS and LEIS

We report the results of a VAMAS (Versailles Project on Advanced Materials and Standards) inter-laboratory study on the measurement of the shell thickness and chemistry of nanoparticle coatings. Peptide-coated gold particles were supplied to laboratories in two forms: a colloidal suspension in pure water and; particles dried onto a silicon wafer. Participants prepared and analyzed these samples using either X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) or low energy ion scattering (LEIS). Careful data analysis revealed some significant sources of discrepancy, particularly for XPS. Degradation during transportation, storage or sample preparation resulted in a variability in thickness of 53%. The calculation method chosen by XPS participants contributed a variability of 67%. However, variability of 12% was achieved for the samples deposited using a single method and by choosing photoelectron peaks that were not adversely affected by instrumental transmission effects. The study identified a need for more consistency in instrumental transmission functions and relative sensitivity factors, since this contributed a variability of 33%. The results from the LEIS participants were more consistent, with variability of less than 10 % in thickness and this is mostly due to a common method of data analysis. The calculation was performed using a model developed for uniform, flat films and some participants employed a correction factor to account for the sample geometry, which appears warranted based upon a simulation of LEIS data from one of the participants and comparison to the XPS results.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Spatiotemporal Imaging of Thickness-Induced Band-Bending Junctions

van der Waals materials exhibit naturally passivated surfaces and an ability to form versatile heterostructures to enable an examination of carrier transport mechanisms not seen in traditional materials. Here, we report a new type of homojunction termed a "band-bending junction" whose potential landscape depends solely on the difference in thickness between the two sides of the junction. Using MoS 2 on Au as a prototypical example, we find that surface potential differences can arise from the degree of vertical band bending in thin and thick regions. Furthermore, by using scanning ultrafast electron microscopy, we examine the spatiotemporal dynamics of charge carriers generated at this junction and find that lateral carrier separation is enabled by differences in the band bending in the vertical direction, which we verify with simulations. As a result, band-bending junctions may therefore enable new optoelectronic devices that rely solely on band bending arising from thickness variations to separate charge carriers.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Thickness-Dependent Interlayer Charge Transfer in MoSe 2 /MoS 2 Heterostructures Studied by Femtosecond Transient Absorption Measurements

We report observations of a strong thickness dependence for charge transfer (CT) from MoSe 2 to MoS 2 , as evidenced by transient absorption measurements. By time-resolving CT from MoSe 2 monolayers (1Ls) to MoS 2 flakes of varying thicknesses, including 1L, bilayer (2L), and trilayer (3L), we find that the CT time is several picoseconds in the 1L-MoSe 2 /3L-MoS 2 heterostructure, which is much longer than that of 1L-MoSe 2 /1L-MoS 2 and 1L-MoSe 2 /2L-MoS 2 heterostructures. In addition, the recombination lifetime of the interlayer excitons in the 1L/3L heterostructure is several times longer than that of 1L/1L and 1L/2L heterostructures, reaching 800 ps. Furthermore, we show that a prepulse can reduce the CT time and enhance the interlayer exciton recombination in the 1L/3L heterostructure. Furthermore, these findings illustrate that layer thickness can be an important parameter to control the CT property of van der Waals heterostructures. These experimental results also provide important information for further refining the understanding of the physical mechanisms of CT in van der Waals heterostructures.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Evidence That Sharp Interfaces Suppress Recombination in Thick Organic Solar Cells

Commercialization and scale-up of organic solar cells (OSCs) using industrial solution printing requires maintaining maximum performance at active-layer thicknesses >400 nm – a characteristic still not generally achieved in non-fullerene acceptor OSCs. NT812:PC71BM is a rare system whose performance increases up to these thicknesses due to highly suppressed charge recombination relative to the classic Langevin model. The suppression in this system, however, uniquely depends on device processing, pointing towards the role of nano-morphology. We investigate the morphological origins of this suppressed recombination by combining results from a suite of X-ray techniques. We are surprised to find that while all investigated devices are composed of pure, similarly aggregated nanodomains, Langevin reduction factors can still be tuned from ~2 to >1000. This indicates that pure aggregated phases are insufficient for non-Langevin (reduced) recombination. Instead, we find that large well-ordered conduits and, in particular, sharp interfaces between domains appear to help to keep opposite charges separated and percolation pathways clear for enhanced charge collection in thick active layers. To our knowledge, this is the first quantitative study to isolate donor/acceptor interfacial width correlated to non-Langevin charge recombination. Furthermore, this new structure-property relationship will be key to successful commercialization of printed OSCs at scale.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗