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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 631 records · Page 35
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Effect of different manufacturing methods on polyamide reverse-osmosis membranes for desalination: Insights from molecular dynamics simulations

Membranes are a key technology platform for a broad application of energy-efficient separations. To best serve the separation demands of industry, the manufacturing processes for these membranes are garnering increasing attention. In particular, for water desalination, the industry leading polyamide (PA) reverse osmosis (RO) membranes can be manufactured via molecular layer-by-layer (mLBL) deposition, interfacial polymerization (IP), and 3D-printing technique. However, the influence of different manufacturing methods on PA membrane’s properties is far from understood. Here, in this study, we present the high-pressure transport behavior of water and salt ions for PA membranes formed with IP, mLBL, and 3D-printing through non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations. Studies show that membranes fabricated with 3D-printing have similar performances to those manufactured using mLBL, quantified by water permeability, rejection of salt ions, structural integrity, and porosity features. However, the membranes formed with IP exhibit faster water transport, lower rejection, worse structural integrity, and more inhomogeneous network pores than those constructed using mLBL and 3D-printing. The unconnected water-accessible space governs water transport for PA membranes formed with mLBL and 3D-printing, which offers the impermanent open-closed pores that enable water to jump through PA membranes. In contrast, the permeated water-enterable space plays a prominent role in water movement across the PA membrane formed with IP, providing a continuous transport channel at high pressure. Importantly, we observe the more significant compaction features at high pressure for PA membranes formed with IP than mLBL and 3D printing. In short, these findings provide a comprehensive understanding of existing membrane preparation technologies. It also provides a guide for developing the new membrane preparation process at the molecular level.

3D-printing↗
DOE OSTI2021

Performance of three-dimensional printed nasopharyngeal swabs for COVID-19 testing

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the US faced nationwide shortages of nasopharyngeal swabs due to both overwhelmed supply chains and an increase in demand. To address this shortfall, multiple 3D printed swabs were ultimately produced and sold for COVID-19 testing. In this work, we present a framework for mechanical and functional bench-testing of nasopharyngeal swabs using standard and widely available material testing equipment. Using this framework, we offer a comprehensive, quantitative comparison of the 3D printed swabs to benchmark their performance against traditional flocked swabs. The test protocols were designed to emulate the clinical use of the nasopharyngeal swabs and to evaluate potential failure modes. Overall, the 3D printed swabs performed comparably to, or outperformed, the traditional swabs in all mechanical tests. While traditional swabs outperformed some of the new 3D printed swabs in terms of sample uptake and retention, similar amounts of RNA were recovered from both 3D printed and traditional swabs.

3D printing↗
DOE OSTI2021

Revealing meso-structure dynamics in additive manufacturing of energy storage via operando coherent X-ray scattering

3D printing is an emerging technology for the fabrication of energy storage devices, offering advantages over traditional manufacturing methods. However, optimization and design of such devices requires an understanding of the meso-structure formation during the 3D printing process. This study utilizes operando coherent X-ray scattering, X-ray Photon Correlation Spectroscopy (XPCS), to study the spatiotemporally-resolved far-from-equilibrium dynamics during direct ink writing 3D printing. Here, Lithium Titanate (LTO) based ink is prepared and rheologically tested for its shear-thinning properties. Two-time intensity-intensity functions are calculated to be used in subsequent quantitative analysis, which allows for an overall characterization of the dynamics, description of an initial fast decorrelation and identification of sudden rearrangements of subdomains of the sample. The results show the dynamics to be anisotropic, spatiotemporally heterogenous and marked by distinct rearrangement events, all of which impact the electrochemical performance of energy storage devices. The studied 3D printing ink is used to fabricate electrodes which are then electrochemically tested, showing good performance in cycling and retaining structural integrity. This work furthers the understanding of the far-from-equilibrium material dynamics during 3D printing, giving quantitative characterization of this process, and highlights aspects of structure formation relevant to the electrochemical performance of the resultant energy storage device.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Selective Laser Sintering of High-Temperature Thermoset Polymer

Thermoplastic materials such as PA12 and PA6 have been extensively employed in Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) 3D printing applications due to their printability, processability, and crystalline structure. However, thermoplastic-based materials lack polymer inter-chain bonding, resulting in inferior mechanical and thermal properties and relatively low fatigue behavior. Therefore, 3D printing of high-performance crosslinked thermosets using SLS technology is paramount to pursue as an alternative to thermoplastics. In this work, a thermoset resin was successfully 3D printed using SLS, and its thermal stability of printed parts after a multi-step post-curing process was investigated. Dimensionally stable and high glass transition temperature (Tg: ~300 °C) thermoset parts were fabricated using SLS. The polymer crosslinking mechanism during the printing and curing process was investigated through FTIR spectra, while the mechanical stability of the SLS 3D-printed thermoset was characterized through compression tests. It is found that 100% crosslinked thermoset can be 3D printed with 900% higher compressive strength than printed green parts.

Hassan, Md Sahid (ORCID:0000000304665395)↗
DOE OSTI2020

Material Extrusion Additive Manufacturing of Wood and Lignocellulosic Filled Composites

Wood and lignocellulosic-based material components are explored in this review as functional additives and reinforcements in composites for extrusion-based additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing. The motivation for using these sustainable alternatives in 3D printing includes enhancing material properties of the resulting printed parts, while providing a green alternative to carbon or glass filled polymer matrices, all at reduced material costs. Previous review articles on this topic have focused only on introducing the use of natural fillers with material extrusion AM and discussion of their subsequent material properties. This review not only discusses the present state of materials extrusion AM using natural filler-based composites but will also fill in the knowledge gap regarding state-of-the-art applications of these materials. Emphasis will also be placed on addressing the challenges associated with 3D printing using these materials, including use with large-scale manufacturing, while providing insight to overcome these issues in the future.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Printed Electrochemical Sensor for Quantifying Bone Density Loss in Microgravity

Printed electrochemical biosensors have been developed for astronaut point-of-care testing. Our fabrication approach is complimentary with in-space manufacturing for an on-demand and hands-free fabrication process. These sensors are developed using a combination of thin film materials printing and 3D printing and are comprised of carbon nanotube, gold nanoparticle, silver nanoparticle and dielectric inks to make traditional electrochemical sensor devices. Initial prototyped printed electrochemical sensors demonstrate good electrochemical performance while also displaying low batch to batch variability. Here we report the development of a printed sensor to monitor bone turnover. The absence of load bearing forces experienced in microgravity causes a reduction of overall bone mass and results in the development of space osteopenia/osteoporosis.(1,2) Our approach to identify space osteopenia/osteoporosis is to monitor the change in bone mass indirectly through an excreted biomarker of bone remodeling, amino-terminal collagen crosslinks (NTX). Antibodies specific to NTX are added to the sensor’s electrode ink and applied during the manufacturing process. NTX is measured from a urine sample by changes in voltammetry and electrochemical impedance as it binds to the antibody modified electrode surface. The measurement is rapid, quantitative and requires only small handheld electronics to perform the measurement. By this process, ground and flight physicians will receive frequent and real-time insight into the development of space osteopenia/osteoporosis to guide appropriate countermeasures. REFERENCES [1] Nabavi, N. et al (2011) Bone 49, 965-974. [2] Tamma, R. et al (2009) FASEB J 23, 2549-2554.

in-space manufacturing↗
DOE OSTI2022

Multiphysics simulation of microscale copper printing by confined electrodeposition using a nozzle array

3D printing of metals at the microscale and nanoscale is crucial to produce high-density interconnects and intricate structures in electronic devices. Conventional melting and sintering processes are not suitable for these scales due to a reliance on individual metal particles in the size range of tens of micrometers. Confined electrodeposition (CED) is an established alternative to conventional metal 3D printing processes in which an electrolyte is used to selectively induce deposition of the metal on the printing surface. However, commercialization and efficiency of this process have been limited due to a reliance on sub-micrometer nozzles to achieve desirable deposition rates and single nozzle to achieve uniformity of printed structures. Here, we address these challenges by computationally analyzing an array of microscale nozzles. We tailor the convection within the electrolyte to alter both deposition rate and geometric uniformity of the printed structures. The results show that for large nozzles the evaporation alone is not sufficient to obtain high deposition rates, yet an external pressure can be used to increase deposition and alter uniformity (thickness) of printed structures. Our results can be used to design and analyze new experiments toward parallel multi-nozzle deposition using CED toward high-throughput metal printing.

3D printing↗
NASA NTRS2018

Zero Launch Mass Three Dimensional Print Head

NASA's strategic goal is to put humans on Mars in the 2030s. The NASA Human Spaceflight Architecture Team (HAT) and NASA Mars Design Reference Architecture (DRA) 5.0 has determined that in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) is an essential technology to accomplish this mission. Additive construction technology using in-situ materials from planetary surfaces will reduce launch mass, allow structures to be three dimensionally (3D) printed on demand, and will allow building designs to be transmitted digitally from Earth and printed in space. This will ultimately lead to elimination of reliance on structural materials launched from Earth (zero launch mass of construction consumables). The zero launch mass (ZLM) 3D print head project addressed this need by developing a system that 3D prints using a mixture of in-situ regolith and polymer as feedstock, determining the optimum mixture ratio and regolith particle size distribution, developing software to convert g-code into motion instructions for a FANUC robotic arm, printing test samples, performing materials testing, and printing a reduced scale habitable structure concept. This paper will focus on the ZLM 3D Print Head design, materials selection, software development, and lessons learned from operating the system in the NASA KSC Swamp Works Granular Mechanics & Regolith Operations (GMRO) Laboratory.

Regolith↗
NASA NTRS2018

Zero Launch Mass Three Dimensional Print Head

NASA's strategic goal is to put humans on Mars in the 2030's. The NASA Human Spaceflight Architecture Team (HAT) and NASA Mars Design Reference Architecture (DRA) 5.0 has determined that in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) is an essential technology to accomplish this mission. Additive construction technology using in-situ materials from planetary surfaces will reduce launch mass, allow structures to be three dimensionally (3D) printed on demand, and will allow building designs to be transmitted digitally from Earth and printed in space. This will ultimately lead to elimination of reliance on structural materials launched from Earth (zero launch mass of construction consumables). The zero launch mass (ZLM) 3D print head project addressed this need by developing a system that 3D prints using a mixture of in-situ regolith and polymer as feedstock, determining the optimum mixture ratio and regolith particle size distribution, developing software to convert g-code into motion instructions for a FANUC robotic arm, printing test samples, performing materials testing, and printing a reduced scale habitable structure concept. This paper will focus on the ZLM 3D Print Head design, materials selection, software development, and lessons learned from operating the system in the NASA KSC Swamp Works Granular Mechanics & Regolith Operations (GMRO) Laboratory.

3D print↗
DOE OSTI2021

Fused filament fabrication of novel phase-change material functional composites

Additively manufactured polymer heat exchangers are of recent interest in the thermal sciences due to their lightweight and intricate heat-transfer-enhancing geometrical features. The goal of the present research is to directly encapsulate phase-change material (PCM) into polymer filament for the purpose of 3D printing polymer heat exchangers capable of latent heat thermal energy storage and management. PCMs have the ability to absorb large amounts of latent heat while undergoing a solid-to-liquid phase change at a nearly constant temperature. Encapsulation or containment of PCMs is necessary to prevent leaking since the material continuously cycles between a liquid and a solid state. An organic-based PCM and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) were combined and extruded into a functional composite filament. For the first time, with the aid of a heated enclosure and HDPE build plates, it was demonstrated that these functional composite materials can be printed using fused filament fabrication (FFF). Printing HDPE is known to be difficult; however, based on what was observed in the current study, the PCM and HDPE composite was easier to print than pure HDPE. Thermal properties, such as latent heat of fusion, phase-change temperature, and thermal conductivity, of the composite filament and 3D printed samples were investigated and compared with compression-molded bulk material. Finally, the microstructures of the composite filament and 3D printed samples were visualized, and the basic structures of the HDPE and PCM within both the filament and 3D printed parts were clearly delineated.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Design, fabrication, simulation, and testing of additively manufactured lattice-based copper heat sinks

Here, this study investigates the potential advantages of lattice structure-based bound metal material extrusion (MEX) 3D printing for fabricating high-performance copper heat sinks. Copper powder-filled polymer filaments, with a copper content of > 90 wt.%, were developed specifically for the bound metal MEX 3D printing process. Three types of structures—planar, strut, and surface lattices—were 3D printed to facilitate efficient heat transfer pathways within the heat sinks. Subsequent post-processing steps, including polymer removal and sintering, were performed to achieve dense copper parts. Hot isostatic pressing was further employed to enhance the sintered density from 93 to 98%. Finite element analysis (FEA) simulations were conducted to assess the heat transfer efficiency of the designs, and heat transfer experiments were performed using a custom setup to validate the simulation results. Additionally, this research explores the use of extended hold times during pre-sintering and a reduced atmosphere to enhance the %IACS values (electrical conductivity) and thermal performance of the bound metal MEX 3D printed copper heat sinks. The investigation combines experimental analysis, including simulations and heat transfer experiments, to gain insights into the structure-material property relationships and optimize the thermal performance of the printed heat sinks.

Ajjarapu, Kameswara Pavan Kumar [Oak Ridge Nationa↗
DOE OSTI2024

Additive Manufacturing for Large Displacement Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (LDUUVs)

Oak Ridge National Laboratory partnered with Anduril Industries to develop the process for adapting large format additive manufacturing for the production of underwater vehicles. This research started by defining and selecting a polymer for the vehicle panels. Coatings were tested at 9000PSI to ensure proper bonding to the 3D printed panels, then tensile tested to understand the mechanical properties. A vehicle panel fairing set was design optimized for the 3D printing process and then 3D printed. Additional work optimized coatings and tested additional reinforcements methods such as fiber weave and z-casting with fiber rods and resin. Finally, a full vehicle was constructed and successfully tested in open water by Anduril.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Relevant Environment Additive Construction Technology (REACT)

Project Overview This project is focused on developing technologies that enable construction of a Lunar Safe Haven type structure on the moon. A full scale architectural and structural design will be completed based on lunar conditions and Artemis mission needs. A scaled structure will be 3D printed in simulated lunar environments. Technical Approach Polymer bound regolith composite materials will be developed and characterized for lunar additive construction applications. A full scale architectural and structural design will be completed based on the latest scientific data on lunar environments including radiation, meteoroids, thermal conditions, reduced gravity, and moonquakes. The project will culminate with a demonstration of additive construction in simulated lunar vacuum, thermal, regolith, and UV conditions. Results/Summary Preliminary material specifications have been developed and an initial batch has been produced. A first iteration of the architectural and structural designs have been completed. Hardware for 3D printing in simulated lunar conditions is under development. Contributing Partners AI Space Factory – Winner of the NASA 3D Printed Habitat Centennial Challenge Infusion and Transition Plan On-surface construction of infrastructure is a critical capability of the sustainable phase of the Artemis Program and eventual sustainable human presence on Mars. It provides the ability to create protective shelters on-demand using local resources. The 3D-printing technology will achieve TRL 6 in 1g/vacuum tests with thermal/UV exposure in this project. CLPS missions will be pursued for infusion to demonstrate vertical construction with lunar regolith and conditions. Modeling and simulation will be used to define the pilot-scale shelter construction mission for long-term exposure on the lunar surface to validate the system for Artemis operational deployment.

Lunar Construction↗
NASA NTRS2019

Evaluation of Ultem 1000, 1010, and 9085 for Radome Applications at 24.5 GHz

The UAS in the NAS project Flight Test 6 (FT6) campaign scheduled for FY19Q3 will evaluate the proficiency of a Honeywell DAPA-Lite Radar installed on a Tiger Shark unmanned vehicle to detect the presence of air traffic operating in its vicinity. A 3D printed radome will be manufactured for the front of the Tiger Shark to enclose the radar during FT6 operations. The DAPA-Lite radar operates in the 24.5 GHz frequency band. Material properties of 3D printer filaments are widely available for the mechanical and thermal properties, but limited knowledge exists on the electrical properties for radome applications and no data was found to correspond at the 24.5 Ghz frequency band. To minimize project risk associated with the radome performance, transmissivity and reflectivity measurements were conducted on two candidate 3D printed dielectric material filaments (Ultem 1010 Natural and Ultem 9085 Black) and two thicknesses of a solid laminate (Ultem 1000) material. The 3D printed Ultem coupons were tested shortly after being printed and again 8 months later to examine ageing effects of the open cell structure. This paper presents the transmissivity and reflectivity measurement results collected on the Ultem coupons and concludes the 3D printed 1010 Natural coupon is a suitable candidate filament for radome applications at 24.5 GHz. The design of the structure’s open cell matrix has a significant impact on the material’s surface reflectivity.

Szatkowski, George N.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Additive Manufactured Compact Microwave Absorbers

A high-performance, compact microwave absorber was created using Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printing. Both a narrowband and a broadband absorber were created. The narrowband absorber was designed at 4.9 GHz, mid-band in WR-187 waveguide. The broadband absorber tried to achieve the best attenuation across the entire 3.95 to 5.85 GHz band. Two types of carbon loaded polylactic acid (PLA) plastic and one type of unloaded PLA were 3D printed with variable percentages of air to achieve different values of effective dielectric constant and loss tangent. The absorber comprised five or six rectangular pieces of these plastic materials. The thickness and fill factor values for each piece were optimized to minimize reflection through fast analytic modeling in MATLAB®. The results were then verified by HFSS® simulation as well. The stack progressed from the lowest loss and lowest dielectric constant to the highest at the shorting end. The final narrowband load had simulated return loss of 87 dB at 4.9 GHz with an analytic solution in MATLAB. The measured return loss of the 3D printed attenuator was 73 dB at 4.929 GHz. The total length of the absorber was 2.44 inches. A commercial absorber for WR-187 with return loss of 40 dB has length of 13 inches. The experiment proves that an effective and compact microwave absorber can be created using 3D printing.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Corrosion Prevention of Additively Manufactured Aluminum Packing Devices Developed for Process Intensification of CO 2 Capture by Aqueous Amines

Corrosion of additively manufactured (i.e., 3D printed) aluminum packing devices, developed to enhance heat and mass transfer in CO 2 absorption columns using amine-CO 2 scrubbing solutions, is investigated in this paper. The aluminum structures printed by selective laser melting with Al-10Si-0.3Mg feed powder are susceptible to corrosion in aqueous monoethanolamine, both fresh and used CO 2 -saturated solutions. The efficacy of corrosion-protective surface layers of aqueous polyether–ketone–ketone (PEKK) dip coating to provide amine corrosion resistance to the 3D printed aluminum structure is also evaluated. PEKK nanothick layers were coated on the corrugated surface of a 3D printed structure, identical to that of the intensified device, yielding 27 times higher corrosion resistance than the uncoated Al alloy surface. Finally, a systematic long-term electrochemical corrosion analysis revealed that a multilayer PEKK dip coating protocol enables protection of the 3D printed Al alloy surface in various CO 2 –monoethanolamine solutions.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS2013

Three-Dimensional (3D) Additive Construction: Printing with Regolith

Three dimensional (3D) printing is a new and booming topic in many realms of research and engineering technology. When it comes to space science and aerospace engineering, it can be useful in numerous ways. As humans travel deeper into space and farther from Earth, sending large quantities of needed supplies from Earth for a mission becomes astronomically expensive and less plausible. In order to reach further to new places, In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU), a project that pushes for technologies to use materials already present in the destination's environment, is necessary. By using materials already available in space such as regolith from the Moon, Mars, or an asteroid's surface, fewer materials need to be brought into space on a launched vehicle. This allows a vehicle to be filled with more necessary supplies for a deep space mission that may not be found in space, like food and fuel. This project's main objective was to develop a 3D printer that uses regolith to "print" large structures, such as a dome, to be used as a heat shield upon a vehicle's reentry into the atmosphere or even a habitat. 3D printing is a growing technology that uses many different methods to mix, heat, and mold a material into a specific shape. In order to heat the regolith enough to stick together into a solid shape, it must be sintered at each layer of material that is laid. Sintering is a process that heats and compresses a powdered material until it fuses into a solid, which requires a lot of energy input. As an alternative, a polymer can be mixed with the regolith before or as it is sent to the 3D printer head to be placed in the specific shape. The addition of the polymer, which melts and binds at much lower temperatures than sintering temperatures, greatly decreases the required heating temperature and energy input. The main task of the project was to identify a functional material for the printer. The first step was to find a miscible. polymer/solvent solution. This solution was added to the regolith and the solvent was evaporated essentially leaving polymer-coated regolith particles. This material would be sent through the printer head and heated layer by layer to melt the polymer and bind the regolith. This method was one of many in a large goal to utilize materials in space with a custom-made 3D printer that builds dome-shaped habitats and other essential equipment for future deep space missions.

Tsoras, Alexandra↗
DOE OSTI2020

Material Developments for 3D/4D Additive Manufacturing (AM) Technologies

Additive Manufacturing (AM), or 3D printing, is a unique technology in which structurally complex objects can be easily manufactured. While AM allows for the creation of intricate 3D objects, these objects are inactive and motionless. With recent incorporation of a “pre-programmed functionality’’ to the 3D printed objects, a new concept has emerged, 4D printing. Specifically, the 4D printing technology enables a static 3D printed object to change its shape, functionality or property over time upon exposure to a specific stimulus such as heat, stress, light, pH, and moisture, etc. We designed and produced compact 3D/4D printable materials that can be used as (a) structural components of the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and (b) as hydrogen storage materials that supply hydrogen to a fuel cell to expand the operational reach, namely flight time, and endurance of the UA Vs.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗