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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 703 records · Page 39
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Material and component developments for the DEMO divertor using fibre reinforcement and additive manufacturing

Within the research along the European Fusion Roadmap, water-cooled divertor PFCs are foreseen in the design of a first fusion demonstration power plant (DEMO) in order to provide reliable heat removal capability. In the frame of this concerted attempt, the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics is concentrating on the development and testing of composite materials based on tungsten (W, preferred armour material) and copper (Cu, preferred heat sink material). W fibres (W f ) as monofilaments and yarns as reinforcement play a central role in these investigations due to their extraordinary properties concerning ductility already at room temperature and high tensile strength. Recent investigations on the impact of radiation damage suggest that the fibres retain their ductility upon irradiation. W reinforced with W fibres (W f /W) allows to overcome the intrinsic brittleness of W. Quantitative mechanical fracture tests of W f /W confirm the basic mechanisms of fibre reinforcement and the increased resistance to mechanical fatigue. The good wettability of W with liquid Cu and the absence of any metallurgical solubility make up an ideal material pairing for composite production. W fibre-reinforced Cu (W f /Cu) cooling tubes provide a rather high thermal conductivity (> 250 W mK -1 ) and at least twice the strength of CuCrZr in hoop direction in the temperature range up to at least 500 °C. Very recent neutron irradiation experiments confirm the sustainment of ductility of the W f /Cu composite. Numerical simulations suggest that thermal stresses in W-Cu PFCs could be strongly reduced by tailoring the local W and Cu volume fraction. This 'freely' distributed material composition can be achieved by means of additively manufactured W skeletons consecutively infiltrated by Cu. Investigations with W preforms produced by Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion and infiltrated by Cu demonstrate the feasibility of this approach while testing of specifically prepared specimen is ongoing.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2018

Report on FY18 results on effects of sodium exposure on tensile properties and microstructure of Grade 91 steel

This report provides an update on the understanding of the effect of sodium exposures on microstructure and tensile properties of Grade 91 (G91) steel in support of the design and operation of G91 components in sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFRs). The report is a Level 3 deliverable in FY18 (M3NT- 18AN050503022), under the Work Package NT-18AN05050302, “G91 Sodium Compatibility” performed by the Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), as part of the Advanced Materials Development Program for Fast Reactors.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
NASA NTRS1976

Matrix of educational and training materials in remote sensing

Remote sensing educational and training materials developed by LARS have been organized in a matrix format. Each row in the matrix represents a subject area in remote sensing and the columns represent different types of instructional materials. This format has proved to be useful for displaying in a concise manner the subject matter content, prerequisite requirements and technical depth of each instructional module in the matrix. A general description of the matrix is followed by three examples designed to illustrate how the matrix can be used to synthesize training programs tailored to meet the needs of individual students. A detailed description of each of the modules in the matrix is contained in a catalog section.

Lindenlaub, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Development in tunable solid state lasers with high spectral purity, high efficiency and long lifetime for differential absorption lidar

The paper presents a review of tunable vibronic solid state lasers for DIAL measurements and provides new experimental results for tunable Ti:sapphire lasers, materials development, and spectral bandwidth narrowing through injection control. Pulsed injection control of a Ti:sapphire laser with a 2.5-pm narrow band pulsed dye laser and with another Ti:sapphire laser is demonstrated with nearly complete energy extraction, indicating homogeneous line broadening. The status of tunable solid state lasers in the 1.6-2.3 micron range for DIAL measurements of trace gases, and development trends for lasers with reduced cryogenic cooling needs, are included. The effects of laser gain on optical damage, energy extraction, and amplified spontaneous emission are indicated for several tunable lasers.

Hess, R. V.↗
DOE OSTI2017

Electric Motor Thermal Management Research: Annual Progress Report

Past work in the area of active convective cooling provided data on the average convective heat transfer coefficients of circular orifice automatic transmission fluid (ATF) jets impinging on stationary targets intended to represent the wire bundle surface of the motor end-winding. Work during FY16 focused on the impact of alternative jet geometries that could lead to improved cooling over a larger surface of the motor winding. Results show that the planar jet heat transfer coefficients over a small (12.7-mm-diameter) target surface are not too much lower than for the circular orifice jet in which all of the ATF from the jet impinges on the target surface. The planar jet has the potential to achieve higher heat transfer over a larger area of the motor end winding. A new test apparatus was constructed to measure the spatial dependence of the heat transfer relative to the jet nozzle over a larger area representative of a motor end-winding. The tested planar flow geometry has the potential to provide more uniform cooling over the full end-winding surface versus the conventional jet configuration. The data will be used by motor designers to develop thermal management strategies to improve motor power density. Work on passive thermal design in collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory to measure the thermal conductivity of wire bundle samples representative of end-winding and slot-winding materials was completed. Multiple measurement techniques were compared to determine which was most suitable for measuring composite wire bundle samples. NREL used a steady-state thermal resistance technique to measure the direction-dependent thermal conductivity. The work supported new interactions with industry to test new materials and reduce passive-stack thermal resistance in motors, leading to motors with increased power density. NREL collaborated with Ames Laboratory in the area of material characterization. The work focused on measuring the transverse rupture strength of new magnet materials developed at Ames. The impact of the improved transverse rupture strength is a mechanically stronger magnet that is easier for manufacturers to implement into motor designs. The thermal conductivity of the new magnet materials was also measured in comparison to two commercially available AlNiCo magnet materials. The impact of the thermal conductivity of the magnet material will need to be analyzed in the context of a motor application.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗
NASA NTRS2005

Glenn Refractory Adhesive for Bonding and Exterior Repair (GRABER) Developed for Repairing Shuttle Damage

Advanced in-space repair technologies for reinforced carbon/carbon composite (RCC) thermal protection system (TPS) structures are critically needed for the space shuttle Return To Flight (RTF) efforts. These technologies are also critical for the repair and refurbishment of thermal protection system structures of future Crew Exploration Vehicles of space exploration programs. The Glenn Refractory Adhesive for Bonding and Exterior Repair (GRABER) material developed at the NASA Glenn Research Center has demonstrated capabilities for repair of small cracks and damage in RCC leading-edge material. The concept consists of preparing an adhesive paste of desired ceramic in a polymer/phenolic resin matrix with appropriate additives, such as surfactants, and then applying the paste into the damaged or cracked area of the RCC composite components with caulking guns. The adhesive paste cures at 100 to 120 C and transforms into a high-temperature ceramic during simulated vehicle reentry testing conditions.

Singh, Mrityunjay↗
DOE OSTI2016

Advances and Achievements in In Situ Analysis of Corrosion and Structure–Property Relationship in Mg Alloys

Every year, TMS Magnesium Committee carefully selects a special topic in magnesium (Mg) related research and development not only having the hottest subject from both academic and industrial perspectives but also demonstrating major achievements within this subject. Following last year’s topic on Mg microallying [1], this year’s focus is on in-situ methods and associated techniques in their broad definition spanning from laboratory- to large- scale facilities to process monitoring. The applications of in-situ techniques have a wide spectrum from the analysis of melts and liquid-solid transitions to solid-state phenomena during thermo-mechanical processing and heat treatments to surface interactions with various environments. Therefore, such works are of significant interest to scientists working in the area of Mg alloy development as well as to a much broader audience from both academia and industry. This interest is primarily caused by challenges in the analysis of structure-property relationship in Mg alloys, and even cursory glance of literature reveals sharp increase of publications relevant to this topic recently. For instance, very high reactivity of Mg as well as its well-known propensity to substantially alter structure upon unloading in mechanical testing makes it difficult to understand and thus to simulate correlation between microstructures observed in post-mortem analysis and physical processes during testing or fabrication. However, recent advances in in-situ analysis based on large-scale research facilities such as neutron scattering and synchrotron radiation sources as well as microscopy-based, acoustic emission, and other more traditional techniques allowed significant achievements. Apart from apparent development of relevant experimental techniques, a significant part of this success should also be attributed to increasing accessibility of the facilities and simplification of their use from a user perspective. The selection of articles in this special topic is quite far from comprehensive review covering all aspects of in-situ methods available for metallic materials development. However, this was not the purpose in any case. Instead, this selection is intended to present several studies on Mg alloys and Mg-based composites with the use of in-situ techniques. In addition, it overviews two techniques, ‘Acoustic Emission’ (AE) and ‘Ambient-Pressure X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy’ (AP-XPS), that are rather novel to the Mg community. These studies are supposed to give readers representative examples of such techniques potential and to help in navigating the spectrum of modern state-of-the-art analytical methods facilitating the development of Mg alloys. These articles are organized in the order corresponding to typical Mg alloy lifecycle from material preparation and solidification to thermo-mechanical processing and product fabrication to degradation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2017

Nuclear Material Management Database Development at the Nevada National Security Site

The Nuclear Material Management & Storage (NMM&S) program at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) have the responsibility for the life-cycle management of accountable nuclear materials (NM) in accordance with Department of Energy (DOE) Order 410.2, “Management of Nuclear Materials” and for ensuring workers are protected from exposure to nuclear materials stored outside of an authorized shipping package under DOE Manual 441.1-1. To ensure these responsibilities were addressed in an effective, concise, and secure manner the development of NMM&S databases was undertaken. Using the existing database server structure and data acquired from the official Material Control & Accountability (MC&A) accounting program development of two separate applications, one for O 410.2 inventory requirements (NMIA) and one for M441, were begun in September 2015. The databases were deployed onto the production server in January 2017. The inventory database allows for entering NM characterization data, production of O 410.2 reports, and the ability to retain history files. The M441 database screens NM to determine if it is subject to the manual's requirements, ability to pull in unclassified RadCon materials, and provide reports as required by NMM&S, NM owners, and headquarters programs. These two databases provide NMM&S the ability to better ensure safe and secure packaging, storage, stabilization, consolidation, or disposition of NM and achieve life-cycle management goals.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2015

MO-DE-BRA-03: TOPAS-edu: A Window Into the Stochastic World Through the TOPAS Tool for Particle Simulation

Purpose: The stochastic nature of the subatomic world presents a challenge for physics education. Even experienced physicists can be amazed at the varied behavior of electrons, x-rays, protons, neutrons, ions and the any short-lived particles that make up the overall behavior of our accelerators, brachytherapy sources and medical imaging systems. The all-particle Monte Carlo particle transport tool, TOPAS Tool for Particle Simulation, originally developed for proton therapy research, has been repurposed into a physics teaching tool, TOPAS-edu. Methods: TOPAS-edu students set up simulated particle sources, collimators, scatterers, imagers and scoring setups by writing simple ASCII files (in the TOPAS Parameter Control System format). Students visualize geometry setups and particle trajectories in a variety of modes from OpenGL graphics to VRML 3D viewers to gif and PostScript image files. Results written to simple comma separated values files are imported by the student into their preferred data analysis tool. Students can vary random seeds or adjust parameters of physics processes to better understand the stochastic nature of subatomic physics. Results: TOPAS-edu has been successfully deployed as the centerpiece of a physics course for master’s students at Queen’s University Belfast. Tutorials developed there takes students through a step by step course on the basics of particle transport and interaction, scattering, Bremsstrahlung, etc. At each step in the course, students build simulated experimental setups and then analyze the simulated results. Lessons build one upon another so that a student might end up with a full simulation of a medical accelerator, a water-phantom or an imager. Conclusion: TOPAS-edu was well received by students. A second application of TOPAS-edu is currently in development at Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Switzerland. It is our eventual goal to make TOPAS-edu available free of charge to any non-profit organization, along with associated tutorial materials developed by the TOPAS-edu community. Work supported in part by the U.S. Department of Energy under contract number DE-AC02-76SF00515. B. Villagomez-Bernabe is supported by CONACyT (Mexican Council for Science and Technology) project 231844.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1992

Composite materials microstructure for radiation shielding

Shielding against radiation is a concern for applications on earth, in space, and on extraterrestrial surfaces. On earth EMI is an important factor, while in space and on extraterrestrial surfaces particle (high charge-Z and high energy-E) radiation is a critical issue. Conventional metallic materials currently used for EMI shielding incur large weight penalties. To overcome this weight penalty, ultra-lightweight composite materials utilizing fillers ranging from carbon microballoons to silver coated ceramic microballoons are proposed. The crucial shielding requirement is conductivity of the constituent materials, while the hollow microballoon geometry is utilized to yield low weight. Methods of processing and composition effects are examined and these results are compared to the effectiveness of varying the conductive microballoon material. The resulting ultralightweight materials, developed for EMI shielding, can be tailored through the application of the understanding of the relative effects of variables such as those tested. Initial experimental results reveal that these tailored ultralightweight composite materials are superior to traditional aluminum shielding at only a small fraction of the weight.

Radford, Donald W.↗
DOE OSTI2013

Metallic Inks for Solar Cells: Cooperative Research and Development (Final Report)

This document describes the statement of work for National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) as a subcontractor for Applied Nanotech, Inc. (ANI) for the Phase II SBIR contract with the Department of Energy to build silicon solar cells using non-contact printed, nanoparticle-based metallic inks. The conductive inks are based upon ANI's proprietary method for nanoparticle dispersion. The primary inks under development are aluminum for silicon solar cell back plane contacts and copper for top interdigitated contacts. The current direction of silicon solar cell technology is to use thinner silicon wafers. The reduction in wafer thickness reduces overall material usage and can increase efficiency. These thin silicon wafers are often very brittle and normal methods used for conductive feed line application, such as screen-printing, are detrimental. The Phase II program will be focused on materials development for metallic inks that can be applied to a silicon solar cell using non-contact methods. Uniform BSF (Back Surface Field) formation will be obtained by optimizing ink formulation and curing conditions to improve cell efficiency.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

High–Nickel NMA: A Cobalt–Free Alternative to NMC and NCA Cathodes for Lithium–Ion Batteries

High-nickel LiNi 1–x–y Mn x Co y O 2 (NMC) and LiNi 1–x–y Co x Al y O 2 (NCA) are the cathode materials of choice for next-generation high-energy lithium-ion batteries. Both NMC and NCA contain cobalt, an expensive and scarce metal generally believed to be essential for their electrochemical performance. Herein, a high-Ni LiNi 1–x–y Mn x Al y O 2 (NMA) cathode of desirable electrochemical properties is demonstrated benchmarked against NMC, NCA, and Al–Mg-codoped NMC (NMCAM) of identical Ni content (89 mol%) synthesized in-house. Despite a slightly lower specific capacity, high-Ni NMA operates at a higher voltage by ≈40 mV and shows no compromise in rate capability relative to NMC and NCA. In pouch cells paired with graphite, high-Ni NMA outperforms both NMC and NCA and only slightly trails NMCAM and a commercial cathode after 1000 deep cycles. Further, the superior thermal stability of NMA to NMC, NCA, and NMCAM is shown using differential scanning calorimetry. Here, considering the flexibility in compositional tuning and immediate synthesis scalability of high-Ni NMA very similar to NCA and NMC, this study opens a new space for cathode material development for next-generation high-energy, cobalt-free Li-ion batteries.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Planned FY19 Sodium Compatibility Testing of Grade 91 Steel

This report provides an update on the understanding of the effect of sodium exposures on microstructure and tensile properties of Grade 91 (G91) steel in support of the design and operation of G91 components in sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFRs). The report is a Level 2 deliverable in FY19 (M2AT- 19AN020503011), under the Work Package AT-19AN02050301, “G91 Sodium Compatibility - ANL”, as part of the Advanced Materials Development Program for Fast Reactors.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
NASA NTRS1966

Research Achievements Review, volume II

Materials research - diffusion bonding methods, stress corrosion tests, nondestructive testing, material designs for electronic equipment, and nonmetallic material development.

SPACECRAFT COMPONENT↗
NASA NTRS2009

Technical Aspects of Acoustical Engineering for the ISS [International Space Station]

It is important to control acoustic levels on manned space flight vehicles and habitats to protect crew-hearing, allow for voice communications, and to ensure a healthy and habitable environment in which to work and live. For the International Space Station (ISS) this is critical because of the long duration crew-stays of approximately 6-months. NASA and the JSC Acoustics Office set acoustic requirements that must be met for hardware to be certified for flight. Modules must meet the NC-50 requirement and other component hardware are given smaller allocations to meet. In order to meet these requirements many aspects of noise generation and control must be considered. This presentation has been developed to give an insight into the various technical activities performed at JSC to ensure that a suitable acoustic environment is provided for the ISS crew. Examples discussed include fan noise, acoustic flight material development, on-orbit acoustic monitoring, and a specific hardware development and acoustical design case, the ISS Crew Quarters.

Allen, Christopher S.↗
NASA NTRS1990

FTIR Monitoring Of Curing Of Composites

Infrared-sensing optical fiber system developed to monitor principal infrared absorption bands resulting from vibrations of atoms and molecules as chemical bonds form when resin cured. System monitors resin chemistry more directly. Used to obtain Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum from graphite fiber/polyimide matrix resin prepreg. Embedded fiber optic FTIR sensor used to indicate state of cure of thermosetting composite material. Developed primarily to improve quality of advanced composites, many additional potential applications exist because principal of operation applicable to all organic materials and most inorganic gases. Includes monitoring integrities of composite materials in service, remote sensing of hazardous materials, and examination of processes in industrial reactors and furnaces.

Druy, Mark A.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Tape Casting of Thin Electrolyte and Thick Cathode for Halide-Based All-Solid-State Batteries

Most previous studies about halide solid-state electrolytes have used pellets prepared by uniaxial pressing, which is a good approach for materials development but is not suitable for commercialization. Thinner electrolyte layers that can be scaled up to large cell areas are required, and tape casting is a promising approach. It is challenging, however, as halide materials are reactive with most of the conventional solvents used in the process. In this study, solvents with low polarity, such as toluene, are found to be compatible with the Li 3 YBr 6 halide material. A wide variety of candidate binders that are soluble in toluene are studied. MSB1–13 binder is preferred, based on the ionic conductivity and mechanical properties of the tape. Electrolyte tapes (<70 μ m) are successfully cast on Al substrates, using 2 wt% binder. The resulting room temperature ionic conductivity is 2 × 10 −4 S cm −1 . Two composite cathodes including active material (LiFePO 4 or LiNi 0.82 Mn 0.07 Co 0.11 O 2 ) and 1 to 1.5 wt% MSB1–13 are tape cast as proof-of-concept for a scalable cell fabrication approach. A LiFePO 4 cell shows good retention at 25 °C. The performance of NMC cells with tape electrolyte or pellet electrolyte is similar. This study demonstrates the feasibility of tape casting halide-based electrolytes and cathodes.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2017

Materials and Designs for High-Efficacy LED Light Engines

Cree, Inc. conducted a narrow-band downconverter (NBD) materials development and implementation program which will lead to warm-white LED light engines with enhanced efficacy via improved spectral efficiency with respect to the human eye response. New red (600-630nm) NBD materials could result in as much as a 20% improvement in warm-white efficacy at high color quality relative to conventional phosphor-based light sources. Key program innovations included: high quantum yield; narrow peak width; minimized component-level losses due to “cross-talk” and light scattering among red and yellow-green downconverters; and improved reliability to reach parity with conventional phosphors. NBD-enabled downconversion efficiency gains relative to conventional phosphors yielded an end-of-project LED light engine efficacy of >160 lm/W at room temperature and 35 A/cm2, with a correlated color temperature (CCT) of ~3500K and >90 CRI (Color Rending Index). NBD-LED light engines exhibited equivalent luminous flux and color point maintenance at >1,000 hrs. of highly accelerated reliability testing as conventional phosphor LEDs. A demonstration luminaire utilizing an NBD-based LED light engine had a steady-state system efficacy of >150 lm/W at ~3500K and >90 CRI, which exceeded the 2014 DOE R&D Plan luminaire milestone for FY17 of >150 lm/W at just 80 CRI.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗