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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 685 records · Page 38
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Optimizing Fast Charging and Wetting in Lithium-Ion Batteries with Optimal Microstructure Patterns Identified by Genetic Algorithm

To sustain the high-rate current required for fast charging electric vehicle batteries, electrodes must exhibit sufficiently high effective ionic diffusion. Additionally, to reduce battery manufacturing costs, wetting time must decrease. Both of these issues can be addressed by structuring the electrodes with mesoscale pore channels. However, their optimal spatial distribution, or patterns, is unknown. Herein, a genetic algorithm has been developed to identify these optimal patterns using a CPU-cheap proxy distance-based model to evaluate the impact of the added pore networks. Both coin-cell and pouch cell form factors have been considered for the wetting analysis, with their respective electrolyte infiltration mode. Regular hexagonal and mud-crack-like patterns, respectively, for fast charging and fast wetting were found to be optimal and have been compared with pre-determined, easier to manufacture, patterns. The model predicts that using cylindrical channels arranged in a regular hexagonal pattern is ∼6.25 times more efficient for fast charging as compared to grooved lines with both structuring strategies being restricted to a 5% electrode total volume loss. The model also shows that only a very limited electrode volume loss (1%–2%) is required to dramatically improve the wetting (5–20 times) compared to an unstructured electrode.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2017

Tunnel Structured α-MnO 2 with Different Tunnel Cations (H + , K + , Ag + ) as Cathode Materials in Rechargeable Lithium Batteries: The Role of Tunnel Cation on Electrochemistry

α-MnO 2 type manganese dioxide is an interesting prospective cathode material for reversible lithium insertion owing to its cation accessible tunnels (0.46nm x 0.46nm), high voltage, and low cost. The tunneled structure is synthetically formed by the assistance of cations acting as structure directing agents where the cations may remain in the tunnel. The electrochemistry of this family of materials is strongly dependent on the morphological and physicochemical (i.e. surface area, crystallite size, and average manganese oxidation state) properties as well as tunnel occupancy. For this work, we prepared a set of materials Mn 8 O 16 ·0.81H 2 O, K 0.81 Mn 8 O 16 ·0.78H 2 O and Ag 1.33 Mn 8 O 16 ·0.95H 2 O with similar nanorod morphology, crystallite size, surface area, and tunnel water content. This set of samples allowed us to investigate the role of tunnel cations in the electrochemistry of α-MnO 2 type manganese dioxide in a lithium based environment while minimizing the effects of the other parameters. The electrochemistry was evaluated using cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic cycling, rate capability, and galvanostatic intermittent titration type testing. Mn 8 O 16 ·0.81H 2 O showed higher loaded voltages, improved capacity retention, and higher specific energy relative to K 0.81 Mn 8 O 16 ·0.78H 2 O and Ag 1.33 Mn 8 O 16 ·0.95H 2 O. After 100 cycles, Mn 8 O 16 ·0.81H 2 O delivered ~200% more capacity than Ag 1.33 Mn 8 O 16 ·0.95H 2 O (64 vs. 129 mAh/g) and ~35% more capacity than K 0.81 Mn 8 O 16 ·0.78H 2 O (85 vs. 129 mAh/g). Mn 8 O 16 ·0.81H 2 O also showed higher effective lithium diffusion coefficients (DLi+) and higher rate capability compared to K 0.81 Mn 8 O 16 ·0.78H 2 O and Ag 1.33 Mn 8 O 16 ·0.95H 2 O suggesting faster Li+ ion diffusion in the absence of large metal tunnel cations.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Assessing the Sensitivity of the Tropical Cyclone Boundary Layer to the Parameterization of Momentum Flux in the Community Earth System Model

Recent studies have demonstrated that high-resolution (~25 km) Earth System Models (ESMs) have the potential to skillfully predict tropical cyclone (TC) occurrence and intensity. However, biases in ESM TCs still exist, largely due to the need to parameterize processes such as boundary layer (PBL) turbulence. Building on past studies, we hypothesize that the depiction of the TC PBL in ESMs is sensitive to the configuration of the PBL parameterization scheme, and that the targeted perturbation of tunable parameters can reduce biases. The Morris one-at-a-time (MOAT) method is implemented to assess the sensitivity of the TC PBL to tunable parameters in the PBL scheme in an idealized configuration of the Community Atmosphere Model, version 6 (CAM6). The MOAT method objectively identifies several parameters in an experimental version of the Cloud Layers Unified by Binormals (CLUBB) scheme that appreciably influence the structure of the TC PBL. We then perturb the parameters identified by the MOAT method within a suite of CAM6 ensemble simulations and find a reduction in model biases compared to observations and a high-resolution, cloud-resolving model. Importantly, we demonstrate that the high-sensitivity parameters are tied to PBL processes that reduce turbulent mixing and effective eddy diffusivity, and that in CAM6 these parameters alter the TC PBL in a manner consistent with past modeling studies. In this way, we provide an initial identification of process-based input parameters that, when altered, have the potential to improve TC predictions by ESMs.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2017

Chromium (VI) reduction in acetate- and molasses-amended natural media: empirical model development

Stimulating indigenous microbes to reduce heavy metals from highly toxic oxidized species to more benign reduced species is a promising groundwater remediation technique that has already seen successful field applications. Designing such a bio-remediation scheme requires a model incorporating the kinetics of nonlinear bio-geochemical interactions between multiple species. With this motivation, we performed a set of microcosm experiments in natural sediments and their indigenous pore water and microbes, generating simultaneous time series for concentrations of Cr(VI), an electron donor (both molasses and acetate were considered), and biomass. Molasses was found to undergo a rapid direct abiotic reaction which eliminated all Cr(VI) before any biomass had time to grow. This was not found in the acetate microcosms, and a distinct zero-order bio-reduction process was observed. Existing models were found inappropriate and a new set of three coupled governing equations representing these process dynamics were developed and their parameters calibrated against the time series from the acetate-amended microcosms. Cell suspension batch experiments were also performed to calibrate bio-reduction rates in the absence of electron donor and sediment. The donor used to initially grow the cells (molasses or acetate) was found not to impact the reduction rate constants in suspension, which were orders of magnitude larger than those explaining the natural media microcosm experiments. This suggests the limited utility of kinetics determined in suspension for remedial design. Scoping studies on the natural media microcosms were also performed, suggesting limited impact of foreign abiotic material and minimal effect of diffusion limitation in the vertical dimension. These analyses may be of independent value to future researchers.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Examination of Legacy Metallic Fuel Pins (U-10Zr) Tested in FFTF

The MFF series of metallic fuel (U-10wt%Zr) tests performed in the Fast Fuel Test Facility (FFTF) were the beginning tests to qualify the fuel as a driver fuel for FFTF. They all performed very well, to relatively high burnup and with no pin breaches. Tests MFF-3 and MFF-5 were chosen to be destructively examined because they were run at high peak cladding temperatures, 643 and 649°C respectively, and to modest to high burnup (138 and 101 MWd/kgM respectively). They were the only sodium fast reactor (SFR) metallic tests, with long (91.4 cm) fuel columns and clad in HT9, to be operated at these high temperatures. Extensive operating condition reconstruction was performed to accompany the examination, providing detailed operating conditions axially along the pins. In addition, detailed ORIGEN calculations provided fuel burnup along the pin length. These calculations and detailed cross-section metallography allowed a PhD dissertation to be performed where the fuel/cladding chemical interaction (FCCI) was modeled using Fickian and Soret Effect driven diffusion of rare earth fission products to the cladding surface and interact with the cladding. The examination of the MFF-3 and MFF-5 pins included neutron radiography, axial profilometry including pin bow and length measurements, precision gamma scanning, plenum gas puncturing to measure fission gas release, detailed chemical/isotopic analyses of fuel samples to confirm burnup calculations, and metallography of pin cross-sections, including micro-hardness measurements of fuel and cladding.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Deep vadose zone respiration contributions to CO2 fluxes from a semi-arid floodplain, Vadose Zone Journal: Dataset

This data package provides lists of parameter values presented in the paper “Deep vadose zone respiration contributions to CO2 fluxes from a semi-arid floodplain” by Tokunaga et al., Vadose Zone J. 2016. Each table or figure from that paper that contains numerical information is represented as a sheet within the Excel file. Table 1 lists depth profile values for particle-size, bulk density, and parameters for correlating moisture contents with matric potentials. Table 2 lists soil respiration fluxes reported in other studies of semi-arid environments. Figure 3. Presents representative relations between moisture contents with matric potentials. Figure 4 presents depth profiles on different dates at site TT03 for hydraulic head, matric head, pore space volumetric air fraction, temperature, and the effective CO2 diffusion coefficient. Figure 5a presents the time-dependence of relative water table elevation (relative to the deepest measured depth during the study), daily CO2 flux rates at the soil surface, and soil temperature at a depth of 0.20 m. Figure 5b presents continuous measurements of CO2 flux and soil temperature. Figure 6 presents depth profiles on different dates of CO2 concentrations in the gas phase at the 5 monitoring stations. Figure 7 presents CO2 surface fluxes calculated by the gradient method, comparisons between calculated and measured rates at the soil surface, CO2 fluxes at 2m depth, and the ratio of deep (2 m) to surface CO2 fluxes.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2017

Observations of the Ultraviolet-bright Star Y453 in the Globular Cluster M4 (NGC 6121)

We present a spectral analysis of the UV-bright star Y453 in M4. Model fits to the star’s optical spectrum yield T{sub eff} ∼ 56,000 K. Fits to the star’s FUV spectrum, obtained with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph on board the Hubble Space Telescope, reveal it to be considerably hotter, with T{sub eff} ∼ 72,000 K. We adopt T{sub eff} = 72,000 ± 2000 K and logg = 5.7 ± 0.2 as our best-fit parameters. Scaling the model spectrum to match the star’s optical and near-infrared magnitudes, we derive a mass M{sub ∗}=0.53±0.24 M{sub ⊙} and luminosity logL/L{sub ⊙}=2.84±0.05, consistent with the values expected of an evolved star in a globular cluster. Comparing the star with post-horizontal-branch evolutionary tracks, we conclude that it most likely evolved from the blue horizontal branch, departing the asymptotic giant branch before third dredge-up. It should thus exhibit the abundance pattern (O-poor and Na-rich) characteristic of the second-generation (SG) stars in M4. We derive the star’s photospheric abundances of He, C, N, O, Si, S, Ti, Cr, Fe, and Ni. CNO abundances are roughly 0.25 dex greater than those of the cluster’s SG stars, while the Si and S abundances match the cluster values. Abundances of the iron-peak elements (except for iron itself) are enhanced by 1–3 dex. Rather than revealing the star’s origin and evolution, this pattern reflects the combined effects of diffusive and mechanical processes in the stellar atmosphere.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Estimates of climate system properties incorporating recent climate change

Abstract. Historical time series of surface temperature and ocean heat content changes are commonly used metrics to diagnose climate change and estimate properties of the climate system. We show that recent trends, namely the slowing of surface temperature rise at the beginning of the 21st century and the acceleration of heat stored in the deep ocean, have a substantial impact on these estimates. Using the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Earth System Model (MESM), we vary three model parameters that influence the behavior of the climate system: effective climate sensitivity (ECS), the effective ocean diffusivity of heat anomalies by all mixing processes (Kv), and the net anthropogenic aerosol forcing scaling factor. Each model run is compared to observed changes in decadal mean surface temperature anomalies and the trend in global mean ocean heat content change to derive a joint probability distribution function for the model parameters. Marginal distributions for individual parameters are found by integrating over the other two parameters. To investigate how the inclusion of recent temperature changes affects our estimates, we systematically include additional data by choosing periods that end in 1990, 2000, and 2010. We find that estimates of ECS increase in response to rising global surface temperatures when data beyond 1990 are included, but due to the slowdown of surface temperature rise in the early 21st century, estimates when using data up to 2000 are greater than when data up to 2010 are used. We also show that estimates of Kv increase in response to the acceleration of heat stored in the ocean as data beyond 1990 are included. Further, we highlight how including spatial patterns of surface temperature change modifies the estimates. We show that including latitudinal structure in the climate change signal impacts properties with spatial dependence, namely the aerosol forcing pattern, more than properties defined for the global mean, climate sensitivity, and ocean diffusivity.

Libardoni, Alex G.↗
NASA NTRS1966

Surface depletion during effusion.

Surface depletion errors in using effusion method for determining alloy thermodynamic properties, noting time factor

THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTY↗