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At least 649 records · Page 36

Early impact basins and the onset of plate tectonics

The fundamental crustal dichotomy of the Earth (high and low density crust) was established nearly 4 billion years ago. Therefore, subductable crust was concentrated at the surface of the Earth very early in its history, making possible an early onset for plate tectonics. Simple thermal history calculations spanning 1 billion years show that the basin forming impact thins the lithosphere by at least 25%, and increases the sublithosphere thermal gradients by roughly 20%. The corresponding increase in convective heat transport, combined with the highly fractured nature of the thinned basin lithosphere, suggest that lithospheric breakup or rifting occurred shortly after the formation of the basins. Conditions appropriate for early rifting persisted from some 100,000,000 years following impact. We suggest a very early stage of high temperature, fast spreading "microplate" tectonics, originating before 3.5 billion years ago, and gradually stabilizing over the Archaean into more modern large plate or Wilson Cycle tectonics.

Frey, H.↗

Analysis of bonded joints

A refined elastic analysis of bonded joints which accounts for transverse shear deformation and transverse normal stress was developed to obtain the stresses and displacements in the adherends and in the bond. The displacements were expanded in terms of polynomials in the thicknesswise coordinate; the coefficients of these polynomials were functions of the axial coordinate. The stress distribution was obtained in terms of these coefficients by using strain-displacement and stress-strain relations. The governing differential equations were obtained by integrating the equations of equilibrium, and were solved. The boundary conditions (interface or support) were satisfied to complete the analysis. Single-lap, flush, and double-lap joints were analyzed, along with the effects of adhesive properties, plate thicknesses, material properties, and plate taper on maximum peel and shear stresses in the bond. The results obtained by using the thin-beam analysis available in the literature were compared with the results obtained by using the refined analysis. In general, thin-beam analysis yielded reasonably accurate results, but in certain cases the errors were high. Numerical investigations showed that the maximum peel and shear stresses in the bond can be reduced by (1) using a combination of flexible and stiff bonds, (2) using stiffer lap plates, and (3) tapering the plates.

Srinivas, S.↗

Crack problems in cylindrical and spherical shells

Standard plate or shell theories were used as a starting point to study the fracture problems in thin-walled cylindrical and spherical shells, assuming that the plane of the crack is perpendicular to the surface of the sheet. Since recent studies have shown that local shell curvatures may have a rather considerable effect on the stress intensity factor, the crack problem was considered in conjunction with a shell rather than a plate theory. The material was assumed to be isotropic and homogeneous, so that approximate solutions may be obtained by approximating the local shell crack geometry with an ideal shell which has a solution, namely a spherical shell with a meridional crack, a cylindrical shell with a circumferential crack, or a cylindrical shell with an axial crack. A method of solution for the specially orthotropic shells containing a crack was described; symmetric and skew-symmetric problems are considered in cylindrical shells with an axial crack.

Erdogan, F.↗

Alloying Interlayers for Anode‐Less Lithium‐Metal Polymer Batteries

Anode‐less lithium‐metal batteries potentially offer further increased energy densities. However, the Coulombic efficiency (CE) of lithium plating and stripping, as a classical measure of Li inventory reversibility, is commonly still insufficient for achieving long‐lasting rechargeable batteries. Herein, the potential benefits of employing thin (20 nm) metal interlayers of Ag, Pt, and Au on Cu to alloy with Li in Cu||Li half‐cells and induce homogeneous Li plating with poly(ethylene oxide)‐based electrolytes are investigated. Interestingly, not all alloying interlayers enable a higher CE compared to neat Cu foil with 84%—specifically Ag@Cu with only 81%, while the best performing one, Au@Cu, provides a substantially increased CE of 91%. While generally the formation of “dead lithium” is found to be the major source of CE, this appears to be less pronounced in the case of Au@Cu, indeed. Further improvement can be achieved by carefully adjusting the cell voltage to a region in which the continuous de‐/alloying is suppressed, yielding a further enhanced CE of 94%, thus highlighting the need for a comprehensive approach to design suitable electrode chemistries and designs beyond a “simple” material improvement.

anode-less battery↗

Microstructural and micro-mechanical analysis of 14YWT nanostructured Ferritic alloy after varying thermo-mechanical processing paths into tubing

Microstructural analyses and micro-pillar compression were conducted on 14YWT nanostructured ferritic alloy (NFA) to compare different processing pathways: hydrostatic extrusion and Pilger processing with varying annealing temperatures into thin walled tubing, and after hot extrusion and cross-rolling into a plate. Hydrostatic extrusion at 815 °C resulted in the smallest grain sizes and highest yield strength of 1.20 GPa. Pilger processing with annealing at 800 °C had fine grained regions and bands of coarse grains, leading to a large variation in yield strength of 0.9–1.40 GPa. Higher annealing temperatures of 1200 °C after pilger processing significantly increased the grain size and lowered the yield strength to 1.01 GPa. These tubes showed a stronger (111) crystallographic texture in the normal direction and elongated grains in the extrusion direction. Characterization of the nano-oxides using TEM reveals more numerous, smaller oxides present in tubing processed at lower temperatures. Overall, this work shows NFA tubing after hydrostatic extrusion and pilger processing can lead to fine grained microstructures and texturing leading to higher yield strengths at lower annealing temperatures (e.g. 800 °C).

14YWT↗

A magnetic field measurement technique using a miniature transducer

The development, fabrication, and application of a magnetometer are described. The magnetometer has a miniature transducer and is capable of automatic scanning. The magnetometer described here is capable of detecting static magnetic fields as low as 1.6 A/m and its transducer has an active area 0.64 mm by 0.76 mm. Thin and rugged, the transducer uses wire, 0.05 mm in diameter, which is plated with a magnetic film, enabling measurement of transverse magnetic fields as close as 0.08 mm from a surface. The magnetometer, which is simple to operate and has a fast response, uses an inexpensive clip-on milliammeter (commonly found in most laboratories) for driving and processing the electrical signals and readout. A specially designed transducer holding mechanism replaces the XY recorder ink pen; this mechanism provides the basis for an automatic scanning technique. The instrument has been applied to the measurements of magnetic fields arising from remanent magnetization in experimental plated-wire memory planes and regions of magnetic activity in geological rock specimens.

Fales, C. L., Jr.↗

Adhesion and friction behavior of group 4 elements germanium, silicon, tin, and lead

Adhesion and friction studies were conducted with thin films of the group IV elements silicon, germanium, tin, and lead ion plated on the nickel (011) substrate. The mating surface was gold (111). Contacts were made for the elements in the clean state and with oxygen present. Adhesion and friction experiments were conducted at very light loads of 1 to 10 g. Sliding was at a speed of 0.7 mm/min. Friction results indicate that the more covalently bonded elements silicon and germanium exhibit lower adhesion and friction than the more metallic bonded tin and lead. The adhesion of gold to germanium was observed, and recrystallization of the transferred gold occurred. Plastic flow of germanium was seen with sliding. Oxygen reduced, but did not eliminate, the adhesion observed with germanium and silicon.

Buckley, D. H.↗

Experimental investigation of drag on a compliant surface

The feasibility of reducing turbulent skin-friction drag by means of surface compliance was studied experimentally in a fully developed flat-plate turbulent boundary layer in air, using a membranous surface backed by a thin cavity containing a layer of polyurethane foam. Surface motion characteristics, boundary layer structure, and overall drag were measured over a range of freestream speeds from 7 to 30 m/sec, and a range of membrane tensions from 44 to 350 N/m. Low-amplitude long-wavelength motions predominate, and no significant change from the rigid surface skin-friction coefficients was observed.

Mcmichael, J. M.↗

Reliability and Engineering of Thin-Film Photovoltaic Modules. Research forum proceedings

A Research Forum on Reliability and Engineering of Thin Film Photovoltaic Modules, under sponsorship of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Flat Plate Solar Array (FSA) Project and the U.S. Department of Energy, was held in Washington, D.C., on March 20, 1985. Reliability attribute investigations of amorphous silicon cells, submodules, and modules were the subjects addressed by most of the Forum presentations. Included among the reliability research investigations reported were: Arrhenius-modeled accelerated stress tests on a Si cells, electrochemical corrosion, light induced effects and their potential effects on stability and reliability measurement methods, laser scribing considerations, and determination of degradation rates and mechanisms from both laboratory and outdoor exposure tests.

Ross, R. G., Jr.↗

Temperature Mapping Above and Below Air Film-Cooled Thermal Barrier Coatings Using Phosphor Thermometry

Thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) are typically used in conjunction with air film cooling to maximize overall cooling effectiveness and reliability while minimizing sacrifices in engine performance. The effects of thermal barrier coating (TBC) thermal protection and air film cooling effectiveness have usually been studied separately; however, their contributions to combined cooling effectiveness are interdependent and are not simply additive. The combined cooling effectiveness is always less than the sum of the cooling effectiveness of stand-alone TBC protection and stand-alone air film cooling. These diminishing returns arise because adding the thermally insulating TBC between the cooling air and the surface to be cooled reduces the air film cooling effectiveness and because the air film cooling reduces the heat flux through the TBC and therefore reduces the temperature difference sustained across the TBC thickness. Due to these considerations, combined cooling effectiveness must be measured to achieve an optimum balance between TBC thermal protection and air film cooling. In this investigation, temperature mapping above and below air film-cooled TBCs was performed using luminescence lifetime imaging-based phosphor thermometry. Measurements were performed in the NASA GRC Mach 0.3 burner rig on a TBC-coated plate using a scaled-up cooling hole geometry where both the hot mainstream gas temperature and the blowing ratio were varied. Surface temperature maps were obtained from a Cr-doped GdAlO3 thermographic phosphor deposited on the surface of the electron-beam vapor-deposited yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) TBC. From separate plates, temperature maps from the bottom of the TBC were obtained from a thin Er-doped YSZ layer integrated into the TBC below the overlying undoped YSZ. Procedures for temperature and cooling effectiveness mapping above and below the air film-cooled TBC surface are described. Most importantly, these measurements enable mapping the combined cooling effectiveness below the TBC, which is more important than surface cooling effectiveness when there is a barrier coating between the hot mainstream gas and the surface that needs thermal protection. Advantages of the luminescence lifetime imaging method over infrared thermography, as well as its limitations to steady-state conditions are discussed.

cooling effectiveness.↗

Improved Rare-Earth Emitter Hollow Cathode

An improvement has been made to the design of the hollow cathode geometry that was created for the rare-earth electron emitter described in Compact Rare Earth Emitter Hollow Cathode (NPO-44923), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 34, No. 3 (March 2010), p. 52. The original interior assembly was made entirely of graphite in order to be compatible with the LaB6 material, which cannot be touched by metals during operation due to boron diffusion causing embrittlement issues in high-temperature refractory materials. Also, the graphite tube was difficult to machine and was subject to vibration-induced fracturing. This innovation replaces the graphite tube with one made out of refractory metal that is relatively easy to manufacture. The cathode support tube is made of molybdenum or molybdenum-rhenium. This material is easily gun-bored to near the tolerances required, and finish machined with steps at each end that capture the orifice plate and the mounting flange. This provides the manufacturability and robustness needed for flight applications, and eliminates the need for expensive e-beam welding used in prior cathodes. The LaB6 insert is protected from direct contact with the refractory metal tube by thin, graphite sleeves in a cup-arrangement around the ends of the insert. The sleeves, insert, and orifice plate are held in place by a ceramic spacer and tungsten spring inserted inside the tube. To heat the cathode, an insulating tube is slipped around the refractory metal hollow tube, which can be made of high-temperature materials like boron nitride or aluminum nitride. A screw-shaped slot, or series of slots, is machined in the outside of the ceramic tube to constrain a refractory metal wire wound inside the slot that is used as the heater. The screw slot can hold a single heater wire that is then connected to the front of the cathode tube by tack-welding to complete the electrical circuit, or it can be a double slot that takes a bifilar wound heater with both leads coming out the back. This configuration replaces the previous sheathed heater design that limited the cycling-life of the cathode.

Goebel, Dan M.↗

Variation of crack-opening stresses in three-dimensions - Finite thickness plate

A 3D elastic-plastic finite-element analysis is conducted to study crack-growth behavior of thin and thick center-cracked specimens under constant-amplitude loading conditions. The numerical analysis and the specimen configuration and loading are described for both the thin and thick conditions. Stabilized crack-opening stresses of interior and exterior regions are given as are the closure and opening profiles of the crack-surface plane after the tenth cycle. The effect of thickness is discussed with respect to the crack-opening stress levels and the plastic zones of the interior and exterior regions. A load-reduced-displacement technique allows the calculation of the crack-opening stresses at three locations on the crack surface plane. The constraint effect related to thickness gives a lower stabilized crack-opening stress level for the thick specimens.

Chermahini, R. G.↗

Jet to freestream velocity ratio computations for a jet in a crossflow

The flowfield induced by a single, subsonic jet exhausting perpendicularly from a flat plate into a subsonic crossflow has been numerically investigated. Time-averaged solutions were obtained using the thin-layer Navier-Stokes equations and two overlapping grids. Test cases were chosen to match available experimental data where the jet Mach number was 0.78 and the freestream Mach number was varied to represent effective velocity ratios R from 4 to 12. Comparisons of the pressures induced on the flat plate are presented. The results show that the best agreement is obtained for R of 4 and 6, R of 8 is more difficult to resolve, and the R of 12 solution was not satisfactory. It is anticipated that the resolution could be improved by using either smaller time steps or finer grid spacing as R increases.

Margason, Richard J.↗

Surface texturing of fluoropolymers

A method is disclosed for improving surface texture for adhesive bonding, metal bonding, substrate plating, decal substrate preparation, and biomedical implant applications. The surface to be bonded is dusted in a controlled fashion to produce a disbursed layer of fine mesh particles which serve as masks. The surface texture is produced by impinging gas ions on the masked surface. The textured surface takes the form of pillars or cones. The bonding material, such as a liquid epoxy, flows between the pillars which results in a bond having increased strength. For bonding metals a thin film of metal is vapor or sputter deposited onto the textured surface. Electroplating or electroless plating is then used to increase the metal thickness in the desired amount.

Banks, B. A.↗

Effects of debonds on the strength of composite plates

The effect of debonds on composite structures under compressive loads is investigated in this paper. Because of the inclusion of debonds, unsymmetric laminated rectangular plates are considered. The resulting bending-extension coupling is included and is shown to be quite significant for thin laminates typical of debonded regions. The solution technique is based on the Theorem of Minimum Potential Energy; and both simply supported and clamped boundaries are considered. The need to include transverse shear deformation in the analysis is documented. Also, the range of applicability of the reduced stiffness matrix technique for such plates is stated. The consideration of non-rectangular boundaries, as would normally occur for debonded regions, has been included through a finite element study. Using the results of this study, an effective laminated plate theory for irregularly shaped debonded regions is proposed.

Daugherty, R. L.↗

Precipitate Phase Stability and Mechanical Properties of Alloy 263 and Variants in Wrought or Cast Form

Alloy 263 is a candidate Ni-based superalloy for use in advanced ultra-supercritical (AUSC) power plants that are targeted to operate above 700 °C. Exposure times in this type of environment are considerable with target creep properties specified at 100,000 h making phase stability an important parameter in the alloy selection process. In this investigation, the microstructure of alloy 263 and two modified compositions in both cast and cast/wrought forms were investigated after exposure at 800 °C for various times ranging from 1,000 h to 10,000 h. Tension and creep properties were assessed for all alloys in both forms. Modification to the Ti and Al concentrations successfully slowed down the γ' to η transformation while doubling the γ' fraction. Thin elongated η needles or platelets formed in the wrought products while thicker, plate-like, η precipitates were found in the castings. The effect of the various microstructures on the creep properties were determined using isothermally aged specimens aged at 800 °C for 3,000 h and 10,000 h prior to creep screening. Strong precipitation of the η phase was found to considerably decrease creep life and increase minimum creep rate. By modifying the Ti and Al content, the creep life and ductility of the new formulation tested on specimens isothermally aged for 3,000 and 10,000 h were near that of the nominal alloy in its standard aged condition.

Detrois, Martin↗

A dynamically bare metal interface enables reversible magnesium electrodeposition at 50 mAh cm −2

Understanding and facilitating pure magnesium nucleation/growth electrodeposition behavior with ultrahigh Coulombic efficiency is complicated by the phenomenon of solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation in state-of-the-art, halogen-free magnesium electrolytes. Defining the electrolyte properties necessary to achieve ideal electrodeposition/stripping (E/S) thus remains elusive. Here, in this work, we reveal for the first time, rapid magnesium electrodeposition behavior that forms densely aligned, micron-sized thin platelets by establishing a dynamic bare magnesium/electrolyte interface during high-rate net plating. This effectively “SEI-free” interface allows facile magnesium diffusion and migration in stripping with near-unity E/S efficiency under demanding conditions over long-term cycling. The intrinsic electrolyte stability of the salt/solvent at the molecular level is the key to forming such an interface. The efficacy of the dynamic bare interface and an electrodeposited, free-standing magnesium anode is demonstrated in a high-areal-capacity full cell. These findings provide new design principles and fundamental understanding of interfacial chemistry in multivalent metal batteries.

Mg full cell↗

Methane Plume Emissions Associated With Puget Sound Faults in the Cascadia Forearc

Methane gas plumes have been discovered to issue from the seafloor in the Puget Sound estuary. These gas emission sites are co-located over traces of three major fault zones that fracture the entire forearc crust of the Cascadia Subduction Zone. Multibeam and single-beam sonar data from cruises conducted in 2011, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 identified the acoustic signature of over 330 bubble plumes. Dissolved gas from the plumes combines to elevate seawater methane concentrations of the entire Puget Sound estuary. Fluid samples from adjacent terrestrial hot springs and deep-water wells surrounding the estuary contain a helium-3 isotope signature, indicating a deep fluid source located near the underlying Cascadia Subduction Zone. However, Puget Sound seawater emission sites lack chemical isotope signatures and elevated thermal anomalies expected from association with a deep plate-interface reservoir. The existence of vigorous marine methane plumes located in areas of thin sediment cover and above the traces of deeply-penetrating forearc fault zones – but still presenting no thermal or chemical anomalies that are found in many other similar forearc environments and remain an unresolved paradox.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗