Photovoltaic cable jackets A comparison of representative products using combined-accelerated stress testing
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Miller, David C. (ORCID:0000000246985277)↗
SEARCH · Engineering Papers
Results for “accelerated aging”
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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Probabilistic Multi-Hazard Assessment of Dry Cask Structures
systems the concrete shall not only provide shielding but insures stability of the upright canister, facilitates anchoring, allows ventilation, and provides physical protection against theft, severe weather and natural (seismic) as well as man-made events (blast incidences). Given the need to remain functional for 40 years or even longer in case of interim storage, the concrete outerpack and the internal canister components need to be evaluated with regard to their long-term ability to perform their intended design functions. Just as evidenced by deteriorating concrete bridges, there are reported visible degradation mechanisms of dry storage systems especially when high corrosive environments are considered in maritime locations. The degradation of reinforced concrete is caused by multiple physical and chemical mechanisms, which may be summarized under the heading of environmental aging. The underlying hygro-thermal transport processes are accelerated by irradiation effects, hence creep and shrinkage need to include the effect of chloride penetration, alkali aggregate reaction as well as corrosion of the reinforcing steel. In light of the above, the two main objectives of this project are to (1) develop a probabilistic multi-hazard assessment framework, and (2) through experimental and numerical research perform a comprehensive assessment under combined earthquake loads and aging induced deterioration, which will also provide data for the development and validation of the probabilistic framework.
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
Modeling memoryless degradation under variable stress
Accelerated degradation tests can be used as the basis for predicting the performance or state of health of products and materials at use conditions over time. Measurements acquired at accelerated levels of stress are used to develop models that relate to the degradation of one or more performance measures. Frequently, products/materials of interest are subjected to variable stress levels during their lifetimes. However, testing is usually performed only at a few fixed stress levels. In such cases, cumulative degradation models are developed and assessed by using data acquired under those fixed stress conditions. The degradation rate at any stress condition within the range of the model can be estimated by the derivative of the cumulative model at that stress condition. It follows that, to predict cumulative degradation over variable use conditions, one might integrate the fluctuating degradation rate over time. Existing approaches for doing this consider degradation rates that depend only on the current stress level. Here, we propose to allow the degradation rate to also depend on the current state of health as indicated by the associated performance measure(s). The resulting modeling approach is capable of portraying a broader range of degradation behavior than existing approaches. The assertion of memoryless degradation by using this or any other approach should be assessed experimentally with data acquired under variable stress in order to increase confidence that the integrated rate model is accurate. In this article, we demonstrate the additional capability of the proposed approach by developing empirical memoryless rate-based degradation models to predict resistance increase and capacity decrease in lithium-ion cells that are being evaluated for use in electric vehicles. Here, we then assess the plausibility of these models.
42 ENGINEERING↗
The Shuttle and its importance to space medicine
The physiological effects of space flights on humans are reviewed, and the opportunities offered by frequent and repetitive Space Shuttle flights for space medical research are discussed. The most significant changes encountered in the vestibular, cardiopulmonary, musculoskeletal and hematopoietic systems during and after past space missions are indicated, and the time courses of the physiological shifts associated with space acclimatization and readaptation to a 1-g environment are summarized. Effects directly attributable to the absence of gravity, including postural changes and fluid shifts, are considered, and additional contributing factors to physiological changes imposed by the spacecraft operational environment are pointed out. Differences between the Space Shuttle missions and all previous missions in the areas of reentry profiles and varied crew composition are discussed, and results of experiments on the relative acceleration tolerances of men and women of different ages and the usefulness of the anti-g suit are presented. Directions for future research in space medicine available with the Shuttle are examined, with particular emphasis on the neurovestibular system cardiopulmonary dynamics, calcium metabolism, the erythropoietic system and the effects of space radiation.
Nicogossian, A.↗
Handbook of photothermal test data on encapsulant materials
Laboratory tests performed to characterize candidate encapsulation materials with respect to changes in their physical and chemical properties caused by photothermal aging are described. Several key material properties relating directly to material degradation and deterioration of performance were identified and were monitored as functions of aging conditions and time. A status report on accelerated testing activities is provided and experimental data are presented. It will be updated periodically as more data become available.
Liang, R. H.↗
Radioactivities in returned lunar materials and in meteorites
Carbon 14 terrestial ages were determined with low level minicomputers and accelerator mass spectrometry on 1 Yamato and 18 Allan Hills and nearby sited meteorites. Techniques for an accelerator mass spectrometer which make C(14) measurements on small samples were developed. Also Be(10) concentrations were measured in Byrd core and Allan Hills ice samples.
Fireman, E. L.↗
Cosmic ray sources, acceleration and propagation
A review is given of selected papers on the theory of cosmic ray (CR) propagation and acceleration. The high isotropy and a comparatively large age of galactic CR are explained by the effective interaction of relativistic particles with random and regular electromagnetic fields in interstellar medium. The kinetic theory of CR propagation in the Galaxy is formulated similarly to the elaborate theory of CR propagation in heliosphere. The substantial difference between these theories is explained by the necessity to take into account in some cases the collective effects due to a rather high density of relativisitc particles. In particular, the kinetic CR stream instability and the hydrodynamic Parker instability is studied. The interaction of relativistic particles with an ensemble of given weak random magnetic fields is calculated by perturbation theory. The theory of CR transfer is considered to be basically completed for this case. The main problem consists in poor information about the structure of the regular and the random galactic magnetic fields. An account is given of CR transfer in a turbulent medium.
Ptuskin, V. S.↗
Gamma-rays from supernova remnants and the signatures of diffusive shock acceleration
A nonlinear shock acceleration model which generates non-thermal proton distributions and includes a self-consistent determination of shock hydrodynamics, is considered. Gamma ray spectra are obtained for supernova remnants, allowing for the cessation of acceleration to high energies due to the finite ages and the sizes of the remnants. Gamma ray spectral cutoffs can be observed in the TeV range for reasonable remnant parameters and deviations from power law behavior are found at all energies from 1 MeV to cutoff. Correlated observations by the International Gamma Ray Astrophysics Laboratory, Whipple and other instruments may provide stringent constraints to understanding supernova remnants.
Baring, Matthew G.↗
Adventures in Space Medicine
Human space flight experience has demonstrated a variety of hazards and risks to health and performance. In developing ways to help respond to these issues, the field of space medicine has developed a comprehensive program of space flight health risk management that has resulted in positive contributions to medicine and society in general. Examples include accelerated focus on critical health issues such as aging and osteoporosis, and development of new technologies such as non-invasive diagnostic testing for diabetics. The role of health care professionals in human space exploration represents a fulfillment of new adventures and expanding frontiers.
Billica, Roger D.↗
Delayed deglaciation or extreme Arctic conditions 21-16 cal. kyr at southeastern Laurentide Ice Sheet margin?
The conventionally accepted ages of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) retreat of the southeastern Laurentide Ice Sheet (LIS) are 26–21 cal. kyr (derived from bulk-sediment radiocarbon ages) and 28–23 cal. kyr (varve estimates). By utilizing accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) 14 C dating of earliest macrofossils in 13 lake/bog inorganic clays, we find that vegetation first appeared on the landscape at 16–15 cal. kyr, suggesting ice had not retreated until that time. The gap between previous age estimates and ours is significant and has large implications for our understanding of ocean-atmosphere linkages. Older ages imply extreme Arctic conditions for 9–5 cal kyr; a landscape with no ice, yet no deposition in lakes. Also, our new AMS chronology of LIS retreat is consistent with marine evidence of deglaciation from the N. Atlantic, showing significant freshwater input and sea level rise only after 19 cal kyr with a cold meltwater lid, perhaps delaying ice melt.
58 GEOSCIENCES↗
The Role of Topography in Controlling Evapotranspiration Age
Abstract Evapotranspiration (ET) age is a key metric of water sustainability but a major unknown partly due to the extreme difficulty in modeling it. Groundwater is found to be important in ET age variations in small‐scale studies, yet our understanding is insufficient because groundwater systems are nested across scales. Here, we conducted GPU‐accelerated particle tracking with integrated hydrologic modeling to quantify the variations in ET age at a regional scale of ∼0.4 M km 2 . Simulation results reveal topography‐driven flow paths shaping the spatial and temporal patterns of ET age variations. On ridges, where root zone decoupling with deep subsurface storage, ET age is generally young, with seasonal variations dominated by meteorological conditions. In the valley bottom, ET age is generally old, with significant subseasonal variations caused by the convergence of subsurface flow paths. On hillslopes with water table depths ranging from 1 to 10 m, ET age shows strong seasonal variations caused by the connections with lateral groundwater regulated by ET demand. Our modeling approach provides insights into the basic linkages between ET age and topography at large scale. Our work highlights the perspective of multiscale studies of ET age, suggesting new field experiments to test these process connections and to determine if such linkages warrant inclusion in Earth System Models.
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
EVOLUTION OF ROTATIONAL VELOCITIES OF A-TYPE STARS
The equatorial velocity of A-type stars undergoes an acceleration in the first third of the main sequence (MS) stage, but the velocity decreases as if the stars were not undergoing any redistribution of angular momentum in the external layers in the last stage of the MS phase. Our calculations show that the acceleration and the decrease of the equatorial velocity can be reproduced by the evolution of the differential rotation zero-age MS model with the angular momentum transport caused by hydrodynamic instabilities during the MS stage. The acceleration results from the fact that the angular momentum stored in the interiors of the stars is transported outward. In the last stage, the core and the radiative envelope are uncoupling, and the rotation of the envelope is a quasi-solid rotation; the uncoupling and the expansion of the envelope indicate that the decrease of the equatorial velocity approximately follows the slope for the change in the equatorial velocity of the model without any redistribution of angular momentum. When the fractional age 0.3 {approx}< t/t{sub MS} {approx}< 0.5, the equatorial velocity remains almost constant for stars whose central density increases with age in the early stage of the MS phase, while the velocity decreases with age for stars whose central density decreases with age in the early stage of the MS phase.
79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
Scale-invariant Cosmology and CMB Temperatures as a Function of Redshifts
Cosmological models assuming the scale invariance of the macroscopic empty space show an accelerated expansion, without calling for some unknown particles. Several comparisons between models and observations (tests on distances, m−z diagram, Ω{sub Λ} versus Ω{sub m} plot, age versus H {sub 0}, H(z) versus z, transition braking-acceleration) have indicated an impressive agreement. We pursue the tests with the CMB temperatures T{sub CMB} as a function of redshifts z. CO molecules in DLA systems provide the most accurate excitation temperatures T{sub exc} up to z≈2.7. Such data need corrections for local effects like particle collisions, optical depths, UV radiation, etc., We estimate these corrections as a function of the (CO/H{sub 2}) ratios from far-UV observations of CO molecules in the Galaxy. The results show that it is not sufficient to apply theoretical collisional corrections to get the proper values of T{sub CMB} versus z. Thus, the agreement often found with the standard model may be questioned. The T{sub CMB}(z) relation needs further careful attention and the same for the scale-invariant cosmology in view of its positive tests.
79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
A new limit on the time between the nucleosynthesis and the acceleration of cosmic rays in supernova remnants using the Co/Ni ratio
Using new cross section measurements of Ni into Co, data on the Co/Ni ratio in cosmic rays from the HEAO C spacecraft have been reinterpreted in terms of the time between nucleosynthesis and the acceleration of cosmic rays, delta t. The observed Co/Ni ratio is now consistent with interstellar fragmentation only, leading to a small or zero source abundance. In terms of the decay of e-process nucleosynthesis nuclides into Co after a supernova explosion, this permits an estimate of delta t = 4-30,000 yr for the time between nucleosynthesis and the acceleration of cosmic rays if supernovae are the direct progenitors of cosmic rays. These age limits are used in conjunction with models of the expansion of supernova remnants (SNRs), to estimate that cosmic rays are accelerated when the radius of these remnants is between 0.1 and 25 pc.
Webber, W. R.↗
Towards linking lab and field lifetimes of perovskite solar cells
Metal halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) represent a promising low-cost, thin-film photovoltaic (PV) technology, with unprecedented power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) obtained for both single-junction and tandem applications. To push PSCs toward commercialization, it is critical, albeit challenging, to understand device reliability under real-world outdoor conditions where multiple stress factors (e.g., light, heat, humidity) coexist, generating complicated degradation behaviors. It is necessary to identify accelerated indoor testing protocols - which can correlate specific stressors with observed degradation modes in fielded devices - to quickly guide PSC development. Here, we use a state-of-the-art p-i-n PSC stack (with PCE up to ~25.5%) to show that indoor accelerated stability tests can predict our 6-month outdoor aging tests. Device degradation rates under illumination and at elevated temperatures are most instructive for understanding outdoor device reliability. Further, we also find that the indium tin oxide (ITO)/self-assembled monolayer (SAM)-based hole transport layer (HTL)/perovskite interface most strongly affects our device operation stability. Improving the ion-blocking properties of the SAM HTL increases averaged device operational stability at 50 degree C-85 °C by a factor of ~2.8, reaching over 1000 h at 85 °C and to near 8200 h at 50 °C with a projected 20% degradation, which is among the best to date for high-efficiency p-i-n PSCs.
14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
Evidence for percolation diffusion of cations and reordering in disordered pyrochlore from accelerated molecular dynamics
Diffusion in complex oxides is critical to ionic transport, radiation damage evolution, sintering, and aging. In complex oxides such as pyrochlores, anionic diffusion is dramatically affected by cation disorder. However, little is known about how disorder influences cation transport. Here, we report results from classical and accelerated molecular dynamics simulations of vacancy-mediated cation diffusion in Gd 2 Ti 2 O 7 pyrochlore, on the microsecond timescale. We find that diffusion is slow at low levels of disorder, while higher disorder allows for fast diffusion, which is then accompanied by antisite annihilation and reordering, and thus a slowing of cation transport. Cation diffusivity is therefore not constant, but decreases as the material reorders. We also show that fast cation diffusion is triggered by the formation of a percolation network of antisites. This is in contrast with observations from other complex oxides and disordered media models, suggesting a fundamentally different relation between disorder and mass transport.
74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
OPTICAL POLARIZATION AND SPECTRAL VARIABILITY IN THE M87 JET
During the last decade, M87's jet has been the site of an extraordinary variability event, with one knot (HST-1) increasing by over a factor 100 in brightness. Variability has also been seen on timescales of months in the nuclear flux. Here we discuss the optical-UV polarization and spectral variability of these components, which show vastly different behavior. HST-1 shows a highly significant correlation between flux and polarization, with P increasing from {approx}20% at minimum to >40% at maximum, while the orientation of its electric vector stayed constant. HST-1's optical-UV spectrum is very hard ({alpha}{sub UV-O} {approx} 0.5, F{sub {nu}}{proportional_to}{nu}{sup -{alpha}}), and displays 'hard lags' during epochs 2004.9-2005.5, including the peak of the flare, with soft lags at later epochs. We interpret the behavior of HST-1 as enhanced particle acceleration in a shock, with cooling from both particle aging and the relaxation of the compression. We set 2{sigma} upper limits of 0.5{delta} pc and 1.02c on the size and advance speed of the flaring region. The slight deviation of the electric vector orientation from the jet position angle (P.A.) makes it likely that on smaller scales the flaring region has either a double or twisted structure. By contrast, the nucleus displays much more rapid variability, with a highly variable electric vector orientation and 'looping' in the (I, P) plane. The nucleus has a much steeper spectrum ({alpha}{sub UV-O} {approx} 1.5) but does not show UV-optical spectral variability. Its behavior can be interpreted as either a helical distortion to a steady jet or a shock propagating through a helical jet.
79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
THE HARD X-RAY VIEW OF THE YOUNG SUPERNOVA REMNANT G1.9+0.3
NuSTAR observed G1.9+0.3, the youngest known supernova remnant in the Milky Way, for 350 ks and detected emission up to ∼30 keV. The remnant's X-ray morphology does not change significantly across the energy range from 3 to 20 keV. A combined fit between NuSTAR and Chandra shows that the spectrum steepens with energy. The spectral shape can be well fitted with synchrotron emission from a power-law electron energy distribution with an exponential cutoff with no additional features. It can also be described by a purely phenomenological model such as a broken power law or a power law with an exponential cutoff, though these descriptions lack physical motivation. Using a fixed radio flux at 1 GHz of 1.17 Jy for the synchrotron model, we get a column density of N {sub H} = (7.23 ± 0.07) × 10{sup 22} cm{sup –2}, a spectral index of α = 0.633 ± 0.003, and a roll-off frequency of ν{sub rolloff} = (3.07 ± 0.18) × 10{sup 17} Hz. This can be explained by particle acceleration, to a maximum energy set by the finite remnant age, in a magnetic field of about 10 μG, for which our roll-off implies a maximum energy of about 100 TeV for both electrons and ions. Much higher magnetic-field strengths would produce an electron spectrum that was cut off by radiative losses, giving a much higher roll-off frequency that is independent of magnetic-field strength. In this case, ions could be accelerated to much higher energies. A search for {sup 44}Ti emission in the 67.9 keV line results in an upper limit of 1.5 × 10{sup –5} photons cm{sup –2} s{sup –1} assuming a line width of 4.0 keV (1 sigma)
79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗