Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “HIGH”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 757 records · Page 42
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Disordered, Sub-Nanometer Ru Structures on CeO 2 are Highly Efficient and Selective Catalysts in Polymer Upcycling by Hydrogenolysis

We report non-degradable polyolefin plastics pose severe environmental threats, and thus demand efficient upcycling technologies. In this work, we discovered that low-loading (= 0.25 wt%) Ru/CeO 2 exhibits remarkable catalytic performance in the hydrogenolysis of polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), and n-C 16 H 34 that is superior to high-loading (= 0.5 wt%) Ru/CeO 2 . They possess high PP conversion efficiency (7-fold increase over current literature reports), low selectivity towards undesired CH 4 , and good isomerization ability. In the low-loading range, the intrinsic activity of Ru in PP hydrogenolysis increases as the particle size decreases, opposite of the trend in the high-loading range. Detailed characterization revealed that the abrupt changes in catalytic behaviors coincide with Ru species transitioning from well-defined to highly disordered structures in the low-loading domain. The disordered Ru species were shown to be sub-nanometer in size and cationic. Mechanistically, the regioselectivity and the rate dependence on hydrogen pressure of C-C bond cleavage are different on low- and high-loading Ru/CeO 2 , both explained by the higher coverage of adsorbed hydrogen (*H) on low-loading Ru/CeO 2 . This work uncovers the remarkable catalytic performance of highly disordered, sub-nanometer, cationic Ru species in polyolefin hydrogenolysis, opening immense opportunities to develop effective, selective, and versatile catalysts for plastic upcycling.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Toward the Development of a High-Voltage Mg Cathode Using a Chromium Sulfide Host

Development of Mg-ion batteries as advanced electrochemical energy storage systems relies on the design and discovery of high-voltage positive electrode (cathode) materials. To date, a variety of sulfide cathodes have been reported (e.g., Mg x Mo 6 S 8 , Mg x Ti 2 S4, etc.), but the voltages of these materials are too low to prepare a high energy density Mg cell. Theoretical computations predicted that Mg x Cr 2 S 4 operating with the high-voltage Cr 3+/4+ redox couple would serve as a suitable cathode candidate, but experimental attempts to extract Mg 2+ from the lattice have been largely unsuccessful. Here, we show that reversible electrochemical activity within a thiospinel framework (AB 2 S 4 ) relies on a redox-active transition metal present in the B site; otherwise, anionic redox activity triggers decomposition of the spinel structure. Since Cr and S states are highly coupled in MgCr 2 S 4 , the Cr 3+/4+ redox couple is inaccessible so that reversible (de)intercalation of Mg 2+ cannot occur and charging leads to dissolution of the active material. These findings point to an insufficiency in the screening criteria previously used to identify MgCr 2 S 4 as a promising Mg cathode. Thus, a computable descriptor based on the electronic structure of the discharged material is proposed to predict the prevalence of cation vs anion redox and improve future surveys of potential candidates. It is unlikely that the high-voltage Cr redox couple will be accessible to oxidation in the presence of sulfur within the restrictions of a spinel framework; however, it is possible that a suitable layered Mg x CrS 2 structure could serve as a reversible high-voltage Mg cathode.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2011

High-Pressure Synthesis and Local Structure of Corundum-Type In[subscript 2;#8722;2x]Zn[subscript x]Sn[subscript x]O[subscript 3] (x ;#8804; 0.7)

The corundum-type In{sub 2-2x}Zn{sub x}Sn{sub x}O{sub 3} solid solution (cor-ZITO, x {<=} 0.7) was synthesized at 1000 C under a high pressure of 70 kbar. cor-ZITO is a high-pressure polymorph of the transparent conducting oxide bixbyite-In{sub 2-2x}Zn{sub x}Sn{sub x}O{sub 3} (x {<=} 0.4). Analysis of the extended X-ray absorption fine structure suggests that significant face-sharing of Zn and Sn octahedra occurs, as expected for the corundum structure type. In contrast to the ideal corundum structure, however, Zn and Sn are displaced and form oxygen bonds with lengths that are similar to those observed in high-pressure ZnSnO{sub 3}. Powder X-ray diffraction patterns of cor-ZITO showed the expected unit cell contraction with increased cosubstitution, but no evidence for ilmenite-type ordering of the substituted Zn and Sn. A qualitative second harmonic generation measurement, for the solid solution x = 0.6 and using 1064 nm radiation, showed that Zn and Sn adopt a polar LiNbO{sub 3}-type arrangement.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2013

Discovery of Cyclic Acylguanidines as Highly Potent and Selective β-Site Amyloid Cleaving Enzyme (BACE) Inhibitors: Part I–Inhibitor Design and Validation

A number of novel amidine containing heterocycles were designed to reproduce the unique interaction pattern, revealed by X-ray crystallography, between the BACE-1 catalytic diad and a weak NMR screening hit, with special attention paid to maintaining the appropriate basicity and limiting the number of H-bonding donors of these scaffolds. The iminohydantoin cores were examined first and found to interact with the catalytic diad in one of two binding modes (A and B), each with the iminohydantoin core flipped 180° in relation to the other. The amidine structural motif within each core forms a bidentate interaction with a different aspartic acid of the catalytic diad. Both modes reproduced a highly conserved interaction pattern between the inhibitors and the catalytic aspartates. Potent iminohydantoin BACE-1 inhibitors have been obtained, validating the molecular design as aspartyl protease catalytic site inhibitors. Brain penetrant small molecule BACE inhibitors with high ligand efficiencies have been discovered, enabling multiple strategies for further development of these inhibitors into highly potent, selective and in vivo efficacious BACE inhibitors.

Zhu, Zhaoning↗
DOE OSTI2015

A high-performance spectrally-selective solar absorber based on a yttria-stabilized zirconia cermet with high-temperature stability

Spectrally-selective solar absorbers are widely used in solar hot water and concentrating solar power (CSP) systems. However, their performance at high temperatures (>450 °C) is still not satisfactory due to high infrared (IR) emittance and lack of long-term thermal stability. In this work, we explore yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) cermet-based spectrally-selective surfaces for high-temperature solar absorber applications. The developed multilayer selective surface comprises two sunlight-absorbing W–Ni–YSZ cermet layers with different W–Ni volume fractions inside the YSZ matrix, two anti-reflection coatings (ARCs), and one tungsten IR reflection layer for reduced IR emittance and improved thermal stability, deposited on a polished stainless steel (SS) substrate. The fabricated solar absorbers are tested for their long-term thermal stability at 600 °C. We find a distinct change in the surface morphology of the solar absorbers when oxygen is highly deficient in the YSZ-ARC layers. The oxygen deficiency can be effectively overcome through increasing the oxygen partial pressure during sputtering, which leads to a stable solar absorber with a solar absorptance of ~0.91 and a total hemispherical emittance of ~0.13 at 500 °C. Those values are obtained at the actual operating temperature using an absolute and direct method that measures the total hemispherical emittance with high accuracy. In contrast, most reports on solar absorber development in the literature to date use only near room-temperature spectroscopy techniques that have been shown to significantly underestimate the total hemispherical emittance. This makes our experimentally demonstrated total hemispherical emittance value the lowest ever reported for a high-temperature stable solar absorber with solar absorptance above 0.9.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Scalable mechanochemical synthesis of high-quality Prussian blue analogues for high-energy and durable potassium-ion batteries

Prussian blue analogues (PBAs) are recognized as promising cathode materials for potassium-ion batteries (PIBs), particularly the low-cost and high-energy K 2 Mn[Fe(CN) 6 ](KMnF). However, conventional solution-based synthesis inevitably introduces [Fe(CN) 6 ] 4− defects and lattice water while suffering low synthesis efficiency, unfavorable to the improvement of electrochemical performance and scalability. Here, in this work, we report a simple solvent-free mechanochemical strategy for the synthesis of a wide variety of K 2 M[Fe(CN) 6 ] (M = Mn, Mg, Ca, etc.) with negligible defects and water, and it is unprecedented to achieve kilogram-level products of high-quality KMnF within just 10 minutes. The as-prepared KMnF delivers a high energy density of 590 Wh kg −1 at 0.2 C and exhibits an astonishing stability over 10 000 cycles and rate ability up to 50 C in a potassium metal half-cell. Encouragingly, a high-areal-capacity pouch cell with 2.2 mAh cm −2 (16.5 mg cm −2 ) exhibits a capacity retention of 80.7% after 500 cycles. Furthermore, systematic in situ characterization reveals underlying mechanism insights into structure–performance relationships. Specifically, the fully coordinated Mn–N 6 octahedral configuration effectively suppresses Mn 3+ Jahn–Teller distortion, enabling reversible phase transitions under both high-voltage and long-term cycling conditions. In addition, minimal defects provide sufficient redox centers, while the continuous three-dimensional framework facilitates rapid K + diffusion kinetics. This work provides a new opportunity for the ultrafast, universal and scalable synthesis of high-quality PBAs, facilitating the practical application of PIBs while enabling precise structural and compositional design of novel PBAs.

Mechanochemical method↗
DOE OSTI2011

Solar Wind Charge Exchange Studies Of Highly Charged Ions On Atomic Hydrogen

Accurate studies of low-energy charge exchange (CX) are critical to understanding underlying soft X-ray radiation processes in the interaction of highly charged ions from the solar wind with the neutral atoms and molecules in the heliosphere, cometary comas, planetary atmospheres, interstellar winds, etc.. Particularly important are the CX cross sections for bare, H-like, and He-like ions of C, N, O and Ne, which are the dominant charge states for these heavier elements in the solar wind. Absolute total cross sections for single electron capture by H-like ions of C, N, O and fully-stripped O ions from atomic hydrogen have been measured in an expanded range of relative collision energies (5 eV/u-20 keV/u) and compared to previous H-oven measurements. The present measurements are performed using a merged-beams technique with intense highly charged ion beams extracted from a 14.5 GHz ECR ion source installed on a high voltage platform at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. For the collision energy range of 0.3 keV/u-3.3 keV/u, which corresponds to typical ion velocities in the solar wind, the new measurements are in good agreement with previous H-oven measurements. The experimental results are discussed in detail and compared with theoretical calculations where available.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

High-order harmonics from bow wave caustics driven by a high-intensity laser

We propose a new mechanism of high-order harmonic generation during an interaction of a high-intensity laser pulse with underdense plasma. A tightly focused laser pulse creates a cavity in plasma pushing electrons aside and exciting the wake wave and the bow wave. At the joint of the cavity wall and the bow wave boundary, an annular spike of electron density is formed. This spike surrounds the cavity and moves together with the laser pulse. Collective motion of electrons in the spike driven by the laser field generates high-order harmonics. A strong localization of the electron spike, its robustness to oscillations imposed by the laser field and, consequently, its ability to produce high-order harmonics is explained by catastrophe theory. The proposed mechanism explains the experimental observations of high-order harmonics with the 9 TW J-KAREN laser (JAEA, Japan) and the 120 TW Astra Gemini laser (CLF RAL, UK) [A. S. Pirozhkov, et al., arXiv:1004.4514 (2010); A. S. Pirozhkov et al, AIP Proceedings, this volume]. The theory is corroborated by high-resolution two-and three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2012

A high-resolution multi-slit phase space measurement technique for low-emittance beams

Precise measurement of transverse phase space of a high-brightness electron beamis of fundamental importance in modern accelerators and free-electron lasers. Often, the transverse phase space of a high-brightness, space-charge-dominated electron beam is measured using a multi-slit method. In this method, a transverse mask (slit/pepperpot) samples the beaminto a set of beamlets, which are then analyzed on to a screen downstream. The resolution in this method is limited by the type of screen used which is typically around 20 {mu}m for a high-sensitivity Yttrium Aluminum Garnet screen. Accurate measurement of sub-micron transverse emittance using this method would require a long drift space between the multi-slit mask and observation screen. In this paper, we explore a variation of the technique that incorporates quadrupole magnets between the multi-slit mask and the screen. It is shown that this arrangement can improve the resolution of the transverse-phase-space measurement with in a short footprint.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2013

High precision measurement of the proton charge radius: The PRad experiment

The recent high precision measurements of the proton charge radius performed at PSI from muonic hydrogen Lamb shift puzzled the hadronic physics community. A value of 0.8418 ± 0.0007 fm was extracted which is 7σ smaller than the previous determinations obtained from electron-proton scattering experiments and based on precision spectroscopy of electronic hydrogen. An additional extraction of the proton charge radius from electron scattering at Mainz is also in good agreement with these 'electronic' determinations. An independent measurement of the proton charge radius from unpolarized elastic ep scattering using a magnetic spectrometer free method was proposed and fully approved at Jefferson Laboratory in June 2012. This novel technique uses the high precision calorimeter HyCal and a windowless hydrogen gas target which makes possible the extraction of the charge radius at very forward angles and thus very low momentum transfer Q{sup 2} up to 10{sup −4} (GeV/c){sup 2} with an unprecedented sub-percent precision for this type of experiment. In this paper, after a review of the recent progress on the proton charge radius extraction and the new high precision experiment PRad will be presented.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2014

A compact high-performance low-field NMR apparatus for measurements on fluids at very high pressures and temperatures

We discuss an innovative new high-performance apparatus for performing low-field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) relaxation times and diffusion measurements on fluids at very high pressures and high temperatures. The apparatus sensor design and electronics specifications allow for dual deployment either in a fluid sampling well logging tool or in a laboratory. The sensor and electronics were designed to function in both environments. This paper discusses the use of the apparatus in a laboratory environment. The operating temperature and pressure limits, and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the new system exceed by a very wide margin what is currently possible. This major breakthrough was made possible by a revolutionary new sensor design that breaks many of the rules of conventional high pressure NMR sensor design. A metallic sample holder capable of operating at high pressures and temperatures is provided to contain the fluid under study. The sample holder has been successfully tested for operation up to 36 Kpsi. A solenoid coil wound on a slotted titanium frame sits inside the metallic sample holder and serves as an antenna to transmit RF pulses and receive NMR signals. The metal sample holder is sandwiched between a pair of gradient coils which provide a linear field gradient for pulsed field gradient diffusion measurements. The assembly sits in the bore of a low-gradient permanent magnet. The system can operate over a wide frequency range without the need for tuning the antenna to the Larmor frequency. The SNR measured on a water sample at room temperature is more than 15 times greater than that of the commercial low-field system in our laboratory. Thus, the new system provides for data acquisition more than 200 times faster than was previously possible. Laboratory NMR measurements of relaxations times and diffusion coefficients performed at pressures up to 25 Kpsi and at temperatures up to 175 °C with crude oils enlivened with dissolved hydrocarbon gases (referred to as “live oils”) are shown. This is the first time low-field NMR measurements have been performed at such high temperatures and pressures on live crude oil samples. We discuss the details of the apparatus design, tuning, calibration, and operation. NMR data acquired at multiple temperatures and pressures on a live oil sample are discussed.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2014

Extended-range grazing-incidence spectrometer for high-resolution extreme ultraviolet measurements on an electron beam ion trap

A high-resolution grazing-incidence grating spectrometer has been implemented on the Livermore electron beam ion traps for performing very high-resolution measurements in the soft x-ray and extreme ultraviolet region spanning from below 10 Å to above 300 Å. The instrument operates without an entrance slit and focuses the light emitted by highly charged ions located in the roughly 50 μm wide electron beam onto a cryogenically cooled back-illuminated charge-coupled device detector. The measured line widths are below 0.025 Å above 100 Å, and the resolving power appears to be limited by the source size and Doppler broadening of the trapped ions. Comparisons with spectra obtained with existing grating spectrometers show an order of magnitude improvement in spectral resolution.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2015

A rotational and axial motion system load frame insert for in situ high energy x-ray studies

High energy x-ray characterization methods hold great potential for gaining insight into the behavior of materials and providing comparison datasets for the validation and development of mesoscale modeling tools. A suite of techniques have been developed by the x-ray community for characterizing the 3D structure and micromechanical state of polycrystalline materials; however, combining these techniques with in situ mechanical testing under well characterized and controlled boundary conditions has been challenging due to experimental design requirements, which demand new high-precision hardware as well as access to high-energy x-ray beamlines. We describe the design and performance of a load frame insert with a rotational and axial motion system that has been developed to meet these requirements. An example dataset from a deforming titanium alloy demonstrates the new capability.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2015

A new apparatus design for high temperature (up to 950 °C) quasi-elastic neutron scattering in a controlled gaseous environment

A design for a sample cell system suitable for high temperature Quasi-Elastic Neutron Scattering (QENS) experiments is presented. The apparatus was developed at the Spallation Neutron Source in Oak Ridge National Lab where it is currently in use. The design provides a special sample cell environment under controlled humid or dry gas flow over a wide range of temperature up to 950 °C. Using such a cell, chemical, dynamical, and physical changes can be studied in situ under various operating conditions. While the cell combined with portable automated gas environment system is especially useful for in situ studies of microscopic dynamics under operational conditions that are similar to those of solid oxide fuel cells, it can additionally be used to study a wide variety of materials, such as high temperature proton conductors. The cell can also be used in many different neutron experiments when a suitable sample holder material is selected. The sample cell system has recently been used to reveal fast dynamic processes in quasi-elastic neutron scattering experiments, which standard probes (such as electrochemical impedance spectroscopy) could not detect. In this work, we outline the design of the sample cell system and present results demonstrating its abilities in high temperature QENS experiments.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2016

Ultra-high vacuum compatible optical chopper system for synchrotron x-ray scanning tunneling microscopy

High-speed beam choppers are a crucial part of time-resolved x-ray studies as well as a necessary component to enable elemental contrast in synchrotron x-ray scanning tunneling microscopy (SX-STM). However, many chopper systems are not capable of operation in vacuum, which restricts their application to x-ray studies with high photon energies, where air absorption does not present a significant problem. To overcome this limitation, we present a fully ultra-high vacuum (UHV) compatible chopper system capable of operating at variable chopping frequencies up to 4 kHz. The lightweight aluminum chopper disk is coated with Ti and Au films to provide the required beam attenuation for soft and hard x-rays with photon energies up to about 12 keV. The chopper is used for lock-in detection of x-ray enhanced signals in SX-STM.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Electrostatic levitation facility optimized for neutron diffraction studies of high temperature liquids at a spallation neutron source

Neutron diffraction studies of metallic liquids provide valuable information about inherent topological and chemical ordering on multiple length scales as well as insight into dynamical processes at the level of a few atoms. However, there exist very few facilities in the world that allow such studies to be made of reactive metallic liquids in a containerless environment, and these are designed for use at reactor-based neutron sources. We present an electrostatic levitation facility, NESL (for Neutron ElectroStatic Levitator), which takes advantage of the enhanced capabilities and increased neutron flux available at spallation neutron sources (SNSs). NESL enables high quality elastic and inelastic neutron scattering experiments to be made of reactive metallic and other liquids in the equilibrium and supercooled temperature regime. The apparatus is comprised of a high vacuum chamber, external and internal neutron collimation optics, and a sample exchange mechanism that allows up to 30 samples to be processed between chamber openings. Two heating lasers allow excellent sample temperature homogeneity, even for samples approaching 500 mg, and an automated temperature control system allows isothermal measurements to be conducted for times approaching 2 h in the liquid state, with variations in the average sample temperature of less than 0.5%. To demonstrate the capabilities of the facility for elastic scattering studies of liquids, a high quality total structure factor for Zr{sub 64}Ni{sub 36} measured slightly above the liquidus temperature is presented from experiments conducted on the nanoscale-ordered materials diffractometer (NOMAD) beam line at the SNS after only 30 min of acquisition time for a small sample (∼100 mg)

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2016

Elasticity of methane hydrate phases at high pressure

Determination of the full elastic constants (c{sub ij}) of methane hydrates (MHs) at extreme pressure-temperature environments is essential to our understanding of the elastic, thermodynamic, and mechanical properties of methane in MH reservoirs on Earth and icy satellites in the solar system. Here, we have investigated the elastic properties of singe-crystal cubic MH-sI, hexagonal MH-II, and orthorhombic MH-III phases at high pressures in a diamond anvil cell. Brillouin light scattering measurements, together with complimentary equation of state (pressure-density) results from X-ray diffraction and methane site occupancies in MH from Raman spectroscopy, were used to derive elastic constants of MH-sI, MH-II, and MH-III phases at high pressures. Analysis of the elastic constants for MH-sI and MH-II showed intriguing similarities and differences between the phases′ compressional wave velocity anisotropy and shear wave velocity anisotropy. Our results show that these high-pressure MH phases can exhibit distinct elastic, thermodynamic, and mechanical properties at relevant environments of their respective natural reservoirs. These results provide new insight into the determination of how much methane exists in MH reservoirs on Earth and on icy satellites elsewhere in the solar system and put constraints on the pressure and temperature conditions of their environment.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗