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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 739 records · Page 41
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

Solute diffusion behavior during heat treatment and its impact in Sc-microalloyed Al-Cu system

Scandium (Sc) is a promising microalloying element that enhances the strength and thermal stability of aluminum (Al) alloys. However, these benefits are not fully realized in aluminum-copper (Al-Cu) systems, and corrosion resistance often declines due to the complex phase evolution and diffusion behavior of Cu and Sc. Here, to clarify this, solute diffusion behavior and Cu-Sc interaction during heat treatment (HT) were investigated using in situ synchrotron-based transmission x-ray microscopy (TXM), wide-angle x-ray scattering (WAXS), and x-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy. The results, supported by electron microscopy, reveal strong Cu-Sc bonding that significantly impedes solute diffusion, leading to inhomogeneous solute distribution and non-uniform precipitation. Moreover, the Al-Cu-Sc eutectic phase exhibits high thermal stability, resisting dissolution even near the matrix liquidus. These findings quantitatively elucidate the sluggish diffusion kinetics of Cu and Sc, which can help redesign HT schedules to improve both mechanical properties and corrosion resistance in Sc-microalloyed Al-Cu alloys.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Shock-induced phase transitions and stacking fault formation in additively manufactured eutectic high-entropy alloy Ni 40 Co 20 Fe 10 Cr 10 Al 18 W 2

Ni 40 Co 20 Fe 10 Cr 10 Al 18 W 2 additively manufactured using laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) is among the toughest as-built alloys reported and is a promising candidate for use in extreme environments. However, its behavior under multi-megabar pressure regimes remains unexplored. We used femtosecond in situ X-ray diffraction to investigate the shock response of LPBF Ni40Co20Fe10Cr10Al18W2 under laser-driven shock compression and release. Our results reveal that the initial dual-phase face-centered + body-centered structure transforms to a single face-centered phase over a wide pressure range of 84±10 to 277±55 GPa, followed by a transition to a single body-centered phase at 431±48 GPa. We establish the Hugoniot equation-of-state of LPBF Ni 40 Co 20 Fe 10 Cr 10 Al 18 W 2 and compare it to the benchmark alloy AlCoCrFeNi 2.1 , demonstrating the effects of W-doping and increased Al content. High stacking fault probabilities, close to those measured in Au and Ag, are observed upon compression. A portion of the stacking faults are annihilated upon release to ambient pressure.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Fractal analysis on Ag 2 O thin film using a data-driven approach

The synthesis of fractal Ag oxide (Ag 2 O) on the surface of Ag thin film has been achieved at room temperature by using Synchrotron X-ray irradiation. We have performed an automated quantitative analysis of a batch of 1879 fractal Ag 2 O patterns in a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image within a radius of 2000 mm outward from the center of the X-ray beam. The morphology is similar to that of the diffusion-limited cluster aggregation (DLCA) model. The fractal dimension (D) of Ag 2 O is between 1.7 and 1.5 from the center to the edge. The area distribution density of fractal Ag 2 O follows a quadratic function with radius R. It is found that the branches’ number of fractal Ag 2 O is a key factor affecting the fractal dimension. The more branches the fractal has, the greater the D is. This is the first time that Ag fractal has been investigated by combining automated data analysis methods with batch experimental data. This data-driven approach provides a new research perspective for rationally regulating materials’ fractal morphology and performance.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Distributed and communication-efficient solutions to linear equations with special sparse structure

In this paper we report two distributed and communication-efficient algorithms based on the multi-agent system are proposed to solve a system of linear equations with the Laplacian sparse system matrix. One algorithm is based on the gradient descent method in optimization. In this algorithm, the agents only share partial information instead of all of their collective state vectors to save significant communication. The other algorithm is obtained by approximating Newton’s method for a faster convergence rate. Although it requires twice as much communication as the first one, it is still communication-efficient given the low dimension of the information shared among agents. The convergence at a linear rate is proved for both algorithms, and a comprehensive comparison of their convergence rate, communication burden, and computation costs is also performed. The proposed algorithms can be applied to various systems to solve those problems that can be modeled as a system of linear equations with a Laplacian sparse system matrix. Simulation results with the electric power system illustrate their effectiveness.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2023

Scale-up and techno-economic analysis of microbial electrolysis cells for hydrogen production from wastewater

Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) have demonstrated high-rate H 2 production while concurrently treating wastewater, but the transition in scale from laboratory research to systems that can be practically applied has encountered challenges. It has been more than a decade since the first pilot-scale MEC was reported, and in recent years, many attempts have been made to overcome the barriers and move the technology to the market. This study provided a detailed analysis of MEC scale-up efforts and summarized the key factors that should be considered to further develop the technology. We compared the major scale-up configurations and systematically evaluated their performance from both technical and economic perspectives. We characterized how system scale-up impacts the key performance metrics such as volumetric current density and H 2 production rate, and we proposed methods to evaluate and optimize system design and fabrication. In addition, preliminary techno-economic analysis indicates that MECs can be profitable in many different market scenarios with or without subsidies. Here, we also provide perspectives on future development needed to transition MEC technology to the marketplace.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Pilot microbial electrolysis cell closes the hydrogen loop for hydrothermal wet waste conversion to jet fuel

The global shift toward net-zero emissions necessitates resource recovery from wet waste. In this study, we demonstrate the first feasibility of combining pilot-scale microbial electrolytic cells (MECs) with hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) for simultaneous post-hydrothermal liquefaction wastewater (PHW) treatment and efficient hydrogen (H₂) production to meet biocrude upgrading requirements. Long-term single reactor operation revealed that fixed anode potential enabled rapid startup, and low catholyte pH and high salinity were effective in suppression of cathodic methanogenesis and acetogenesis – resulting in high current density of 16.6 A m –2 and 9.3 A m –2 when feeding synthetic wastewater and PHW respectively. Additionally, the anode biofilm exhibited spatial variations in response to local environmental conditions. In conclusion, onsite parallel or serial operations of multiple MECs showed good performance using actual PHW with a record-high H 2 production rate of 0.5 L L R day –1 for MEC over 10 liters scale, and the optimal chemical oxygen demand (COD)-to-H 2 yield reached 0.127 kg-H 2 per kg-COD, supporting a self-sufficient, closed-loop upgrade to jet fuel.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2025

Discrepant wear behavior of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and dispersant in four-ball unidirectional and ball-on-flat reciprocating sliding tests

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs), basically rolled graphene sheets, have been studied lately as oil additives in the literature. However, we observed discrepant impact of CNTs on wear protection from two common tribological tests, four-ball unidirectional sliding and high frequency reciprocating rig (HFRR) ball-on-flat reciprocating sliding. To gain a stable suspension and dispersion of the CNTs in the oil, the CNT surface was functionalized with a phenyl ligand and a dispersant, polyisobutylene succinimide (PIBSI), was added. In the four-ball test, PIBSI alone failed to protect the surface but the CNTs effectively reduced the wear loss. The observations in the HFRR test however were the opposite: the PIBSI alone provided strong wear reduction but the CNTs had no positive impact. Here, such a discrepancy was hypothetically attributed to the different wear protection mechanisms by the PIBSI and CNTs which responded distinctively under different testing conditions. Additional unidirectional and reciprocating sliding tests with matching Hertzian contact pressures were able to validate the hypothesis. Worn surface morphological examination and tribofilm chemical analysis further supported the proposed wear mechanisms. Fundamental understanding gained in this study provides insights into the potential benefits and limitations of using CNTs in lubrication.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

A carbon-efficient bicarbonate electrolyzer

Carbon efficiency is one of the most pressing problems of carbon dioxide electroreduction today. While there have been studies on anion exchange membrane electrolyzers with carbon dioxide (gas) and bipolar membrane electrolyzers with bicarbonate (aqueous) feedstocks, both suffer from low carbon efficiency. In anion exchange membrane electrolyzers, this is due to carbonate anion crossover, whereas in bipolar membrane electrolyzers, the exsolution of carbon dioxide (gas) from the bicarbonate solution is the culprit. Here, we first elucidate the root cause of the low carbon efficiency of liquid bicarbonate electrolyzers with thermodynamic calculations and then achieve carbon-efficient carbon dioxide electroreduction by adopting a near-neutral-pH cation exchange membrane, a glass fiber intermediate layer, and carbon dioxide (gas) partial pressure management. We convert highly concentrated bicarbonate solution to solid formate fuel with a yield (carbon efficiency) of greater than 96%. A device test is demonstrated at 100 mA cm -2 with a full-cell voltage of 3.1 V for over 200 h.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Carbon-sequestration gradient insulation composites

The massive use of carbon-sequestration building materials promises a potential global carbon sink in decarbonizing the building industry. Renewable biogenic materials from abundant agriculture waste for building practice have been around over thousands of years. However, in addition to their flammability and moisture problems, addressing their low thermal and structural performance is also becoming indispensable and urgent when it comes to environmentally sustainable and energy-efficient buildings. Here, we report a nature-inspired biogenic gradient insulation composite with an optimized silica concentration of 30 wt %, a density of 0.246 g/cm 3 , and a porosity of 86%. The gradient hybrid composite exhibits a thermal conductivity of 28.2 mW m -1 K -1 , which is the lowest achieved under optimal preparation conditions. Here, it also shows a flexural modulus of 590 MPa for the aerogel-rich layer without surface modification, and it demonstrates superior fire retardancy and superhydrophobicity after surface treatment.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗