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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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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2018

Photovoltaic Recycling Processes

Solar photovoltaic (PV) installations must be properly dismantled and any waste treated and disposed of at the end of project life. However, because most of the world's nearly 400 GW of PV systems have been built in the past decade - each expected to operate for between 20 and 30 years-current PV module waste volumes do not yet justify widespread operation of PV recycling facilities. In anticipation of increasing demand however, several recycling companies are evaluating the PV waste market to assess waste-volume growth. Others are pursuing research- and pilot-stage PV module recycling activities. The latter are mostly commercial laminated glass and metal recyclers that process batches of PV modules on a periodic basis. This report describes a recent survey-based evaluation of existing commercial and pilot-scale recycling processes in Europe, and associated life cycle inventory data.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

MO-PIS-Exhibit Hall-01: Tools for TG-142 Linac Imaging QA I

Partners in Solutions is an exciting new program in which AAPM partners with our vendors to present practical “hands-on” information about the equipment and software systems that we use in our clinics. The therapy topic this year is solutions for TG-142 recommendations for linear accelerator imaging QA. Note that the sessions are being held in a special purpose room built on the Exhibit Hall Floor, to encourage further interaction with the vendors. Automated Imaging QA for TG-142 with RIT Presentation Time: 2:45 – 3:15 PM This presentation will discuss software tools for automated imaging QA and phantom analysis for TG-142. All modalities used in radiation oncology will be discussed, including CBCT, planar kV imaging, planar MV imaging, and imaging and treatment coordinate coincidence. Vendor supplied phantoms as well as a variety of third-party phantoms will be shown, along with appropriate analyses, proper phantom setup procedures and scanning settings, and a discussion of image quality metrics. Tools for process automation will be discussed which include: RIT Cognition (machine learning for phantom image identification), RIT Cerberus (automated file system monitoring and searching), and RunQueueC (batch processing of multiple images). In addition to phantom analysis, tools for statistical tracking, trending, and reporting will be discussed. This discussion will include an introduction to statistical process control, a valuable tool in analyzing data and determining appropriate tolerances. An Introduction to TG-142 Imaging QA Using Standard Imaging Products Presentation Time: 3:15 – 3:45 PM Medical Physicists want to understand the logic behind TG-142 Imaging QA. What is often missing is a firm understanding of the connections between the EPID and OBI phantom imaging, the software “algorithms” that calculate the QA metrics, the establishment of baselines, and the analysis and interpretation of the results. The goal of our brief presentation will be to establish and solidify these connections. Our talk will be motivated by the Standard Imaging, Inc. phantom and software solutions. We will present and explain each of the image quality metrics in TG-142 in terms of the theory, mathematics, and algorithms used to implement them in the Standard Imaging PIPSpro software. In the process, we will identify the regions of phantom images that are analyzed by each algorithm. We then will discuss the process of the creation of baselines and typical ranges of acceptable values for each imaging quality metric.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗
NASA NTRS1996

Processing Ultra Wide Band Synthetic Aperture Radar Data with Motion Detectors

Several issues makes the processing of ultra wide band (UWB) SAR data acquired from an airborne platform difficult. The character of UWB data invalidates many of the usual SAR batch processing techniques, leading to the application of wavenumber domain type processors...This paper will suggest and evaluate an algorithm which combines a wavenumber domain processing algorithm with a motion compensation procedure which enables motion compensation to be applied as a function of target range and the azimuth angle.

synthetic aperture radar sar ultra wide band sar m↗
DOE OSTI2019

Tank Closure Cesium Removal Project CST Simulant Cesium Batch Contact Kinetics Test Results and Column Performance Predictions

To evaluate the cesium removal capabilities of the caustic-washed R9120-B version of crystalline silicotitanate (CST) ion exchange media from Savannah River Site (SRS) waste during Tank Closure Cesium Removal (TCCR) column processing, batch contact kinetics tests were performed at 23 °C in SRS Average simulant. Cesium loading kinetics data was also collected (in current and previous testing; King, et al., 2018a) using the same simulant for an older CST sample (IE- 911) which was caustic-washed by the vendor many years ago and was recently retrieved from drums stored at SRS. (Note that R9120-B and IE-911 are believed to be identical materials, after the R9120-B was caustic washed by SRNL, and differ only by particle size and manufacturing date, and thus can be considered different batches). Although cesium loading kinetics testing can be conducted more rigorously using dynamic column tests, the batch contact method requires less simulant and considerably less experimental effort. Average percent removal data for batch contact samples for the two CST batches are provided in Table ES-1. Faster cesium uptake was observed with IE-911, although the loading rates for the two media batches were similar. After 5.5 hours of CST contact, 81% cesium removal was observed with R9120-B versus 86% removal with IE-911. Although these differences are small, the trend is consistent across the timed results, with the larger bead material always loading slower. These seemingly small differences in percent removal are believed to have a large impact on the column performance. Cesium loading curves for the two CST batches are provided in Figure ES-1 below. Faster cesium loading with IE-911 CST is presumed to be associated with the smaller average particle diameter (408 μm mean volume diameter) versus R9120-B (572 μm diameter). Cesium loading kinetic data was needed to conduct column performance comparisons (i.e., model predictions) for the two CST batches.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2024

CLAS12 remote data-stream processing using ERSAP framework

Implementing a physics data processing application is relatively straightforward with the use of current containerization technologies and container image runtime services, which are prevalent in most high-performance computing (HPC) environments. However, the process is complicated by the challenges associated with data provisioning and migration, impacting the ease of workflow migration and deployment. Transitioning from traditional file-based batch processing to data-stream processing workflows is suggested as a method to streamline these workflows. This transition not only simplifies file provisioning and migration but also significantly reduces the necessity for extensive disk space. Data-stream processing is particularly effective for real-time processing during data acquisition, thereby enhancing data quality assurance. This paper introduces the integration of the JLAB CLAS12 event reconstruction application within the ERSAP data-stream processing framework that facilitates the execution of streaming event reconstruction at a remote data center and enables the return streaming of reconstructed events to JLAB while circumventing the need for temporary data storage throughout the process.

Gyurjyan, Vardan↗
NASA NTRS2002

A System for Planning Ahead

A software system that uses artificial intelligence techniques to help with complex Space Shuttle scheduling at Kennedy Space Center is commercially available. Stottler Henke Associates, Inc.(SHAI), is marketing its automatic scheduling system, the Automated Manifest Planner (AMP), to industries that must plan and project changes many different times before the tasks are executed. The system creates optimal schedules while reducing manpower costs. Using information entered into the system by expert planners, the system automatically makes scheduling decisions based upon resource limitations and other constraints. It provides a constraint authoring system for adding other constraints to the scheduling process as needed. AMP is adaptable to assist with a variety of complex scheduling problems in manufacturing, transportation, business, architecture, and construction. AMP can benefit vehicle assembly plants, batch processing plants, semiconductor manufacturing, printing and textiles, surface and underground mining operations, and maintenance shops. For most of SHAI's commercial sales, the company obtains a service contract to customize AMP to a specific domain and then issues the customer a user license.

Source record↗
DOE OSTI2014

Colloidal quantum dot solar cells on curved and flexible substrates

Colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) are semiconductor nanocrystals synthesized with, processed in, and deposited from the solution phase, potentially enabling low-cost, facile manufacture of solar cells. Unfortunately, CQD solar cell reports, until now, have only explored batch-processing methods—such as spin-coating—that offer limited capacity for scaling. Spray-coating could offer a means of producing uniform colloidal quantum dot films that yield high-quality devices. Here, we explore the versatility of the spray-coating method by producing CQD solar cells in a variety of previously unexplored substrate arrangements. The potential transferability of the spray-coating method to a roll-to-roll manufacturing process was tested by spray-coating the CQD active layer onto six substrates mounted on a rapidly rotating drum, yielding devices with an average power conversion efficiency of 6.7%. We further tested the manufacturability of the process by endeavoring to spray onto flexible substrates, only to find that spraying while the substrate was flexed was crucial to achieving champion performance of 7.2% without compromise to open-circuit voltage. Having deposited onto a substrate with one axis of curvature, we then built our CQD solar cells onto a spherical lens substrate having two axes of curvature resulting in a 5% efficient device. These results show that CQDs deposited using our spraying method can be integrated to large-area manufacturing processes and can be used to make solar cells on unconventional shapes.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
NASA NTRS1971

Insolubilization process increases enzyme stability

Enzymes complexed with polymeric matrices contain properties suggesting application to enzyme-controlled reactions. Stability of insolubilized enzyme derivatives is markedly greater than that of soluble enzymes and physical form of insolubilized enzymes is useful in column and batch processes.

Billingham, J.↗
DOE OSTI2019

Dismantling of the Spent Resins Hot Compaction Unit at Tihange NPP, Belgium - 19139

Design, construction and commissioning of the Spent Ion Exchange Resins Hot Compaction Unit at Tihange Nuclear Power Plant took place from 2005 till 2011. In this conditioning process, batches of radioactive resin beads were first dried to less than 4% moisture by a conical vacuum dryer. Resins were then poured in compactable 200-liter drums and super-compacted. Resulting pellets were emplaced in standard 400-liter drums, the packages qualified for final disposal in Belgium, and eventually grouted. The Belgian Waste Management Agency (ONDRAF/NIRAS) was consulted before initiating the project and issued a statement of no objection. The technology turned out to be used for the first time in the particular case of bead shaped resins (unlike powdered resins) and with a grouting requirement. Finally, commissioning tests ended in a safe and reproducible waste form, compliant with prevailing Waste Acceptance Criteria. Volume Reduction Factors of about 2 were recorded after drying and compaction. New tests were carried out to support the Qualification File of the process, which was submitted to ONDRAF/NIRAS. After performing many trials using inactive resins, the Operator dried two batches of radioactive resins and super-compacted four drums: this was a planned qualification step, aiming at the validation of process parameters. In the meantime, ONDRAF/NIRAS made parallel progress in the design of the future Near Surface Repository, where conditioned resins will be disposed of, and found some incompatibility between encapsulated dried resin beads and water intrusion hazards inside the repository. Based on the risk that dried resin beads will swell if they absorb water, causing mechanical stresses likely to compromise the integrity of the disposal site, ONDRAF/NIRAS informed Tihange NPP that the Hot Compaction Unit would not be qualified as spent resins conditioning process. Further to this irrevocable decision, the Operator undertook three actions: - The first one was the qualification and purchase of waste containers to provide additional temporary storage capacity on site for its operational spent resins; - The second one is the selection of a new spent resins conditioning process and the performance of the related qualification tests to demonstrate it meets the updated Waste Acceptance Criteria; - The last one is the dismantling of the Hot Compaction Unit to clear the space and enable the installation of new equipment. This latter task was carried out in 2018, involving decontamination and free release measurements of all the materials, a very limited fraction of it having to be further processed as radioactive waste. Nevertheless, Tihange NPP wishes to keep the super-compactor and its hydraulic unit for a possible resale or reuse for the treatment of mixed waste. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2023

Enzyme-assisted liquefaction for different fractions of corn stover pellets

With an increase in population, the world will depend on renewable sources to meet the increasing energy needs. The use of lignocellulosic biomass as a renewable source has been proven efficient for conversion to cellulosic ethanol and capable of contributing to thresholds for energy demand while reducing greenhouse gases by 90% when compared with fossil fuels. However, limitations in feeding and flow within biorefineries are encountered when system plugging occurs due to biomass compaction and a high yield stress for slurries formed during its processing. Furthermore, differences in the biomass source present a challenge to the continuity of operations and reliability in the process. This work explores enzyme-assisted liquefaction for solid loadings up to 30% as an alternative for the creation of slurry from two different types of biomass (pelleted corn stover and cobs) that were liquefied in a fed-batch process using commercial enzymes Celluclast 1.5L or Ctec-2 at 1FPU/g or 3 FPU/g of dry solids in a 10 mM sodium citrate buffer solution (pH 4.8). Pellets were fed into a 1 L stirred bioreactor according to a predefined fed-batch protocol during the first 5 hours until 30% solid loading was reached. After 6, 24 and 96 hours, samples were taken and characterized with respect to their composition, rheology, and water absorption. Successful slurry creation with dramatically reduced yield stress was achieved for corn stover for both enzymes assessed. Yield stresses of 178±7 Pa (3 FPU, Celluclast 1.5L) and 79±6 Pa (3 FPU, Ctec-2) were measured for corn stover at 24 hours, compared to 6,000 Pa for samples without enzyme. Yield stress was 155± 29 Pa (3FPU, Ctec-2) and 257 ± 72 Pa (1 FPU, Celluclast 1.5L) for corn cobs at 24 hours. A profile for 6, 24 and 96h of yield stress measurements and sugar conversion is presented.

Gutierrez, Diana↗
DOE OSTI2020

Improved Performance of Cu(InGa)(SeS) 2 PV Modules Using the Reaction of Metal Precursors. Final Report

This project “Improved Performance of Cu(InGa)(SeS) 2 PV Modules using the Reaction of Metal Precursors” was a partnership led by the Institute of Energy Conversion (IEC) at the University of Delaware with Columbia University and the Molecular Foundry at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The aim was to develop pathways to improve Cu(InGa)(SeS) 2 (CIGSS) thin film photovoltaic modules using processes compatible with low manufacturing cost. The CIGSS approach investigated was a two-step process including deposition of metal precursor films following by reaction in hydride gases utilizing IEC’s novel reactor. The process was similar to that under commercial development by the project’s industry partner Stion. When Stion went out of business mid-project the focus changed to a rapid thermal process considered more commercially viable. Approaches to improve the performance of solar cells using the reacted films focused on two material innovations. First, the overall Ga content was increased to increase the operating voltage, which is desirable for scale-up to commercial modules. Second, the processing and performance advantages arising from Ag alloying were investigated. Advanced characterization guided process and material development including control of relative composition gradients. Research on the formation of Cu-Ga-In metal precursors utilized sputtering deposition which is normally used in commercial applications. The work resulted in processes for deposition of precursor stacks with increased relative Ga content and effects of deposition parameters on morphology and phase composition were established. It was shown that the metal precursor films have comparable phase composition and morphology so subsequent reaction follows from the same starting point. The addition of Ag to the metal precursors gave more uniform morphology and improved adhesion of reacted films which enable higher reaction temperature for faster processing. A novel outcome was the discovery of a previously undocumented material phase in sputter-deposited and evaporated Ag-Cu-In-Ga thin films. Hydride gas reaction processes including time-temperature-concentration profiles were developed for different precursor compositions. This enables control of composition profiles to engineer through-film gradients for solar cell optimization with characterization and simulations used to correlate measured film composition profiles to measurements of devices. In particular, the gradient of sulfur at the front of the CIGSS film was found to be critical. The simulations guided process development leading to improved reproducibility of devices improved performance with higher Ga content and higher voltage. With Ag-alloyed precursors, the reaction pathways leading were determined. A significant finding was that Ag-alloying increases the reaction rate to completely convert precursor films to the final chalcopyrite which could enable reduced reaction time to benefit manufacturability. To maintain potential commercial viability, the process under investigation was refocused to a rapid thermal process that could potentially be incorporated into an in-line process for manufacturing. Precursors with different composition were capped with an extra selenium layer and reacted in hydrogen sulfide 5-15 minutes, compared to typically 2 hours in the previous multi-step batch process. Critical RTP parameters were identified to control the reaction. Further optimization would be needed for high efficiency solar cells but pathways to high quality devices with further optimization and improved heating uniformity were developed. The project also developed new optoelectronic characterization approaches with a focus on development and application of spatial- and time-resolved photoluminescence and a custom mapping photoluminescence microscope built. It was shown how critical electronic transport properties strongly depend on the chemical composition of the material and that a wide range of samples show inhomogeneity on a length scale larger than the grains in the films. Additionally, two-photon excitation capability was developed to distinguish bulk vs surface losses. The project advances the state-of-the -art for precursor reaction processes in several ways that could impact manufacturing. This includes validation of approaches to increase voltage and establishment of model-guided control to form optimal composition profiles. The application of process control approaches with knowledge of phase formation and reaction pathways can be critically valuable in designing a large-scale process.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Growth of carbon nanotube forests on flexible metal substrates: Advances, challenges, and applications

Owing to their remarkable properties and ordered architecture, vertically aligned CNT forests (VACNT) hold promises for countless applications ranging from energy storage to multifunctional fiber production. Over the last three decades, studies of carbon nanotube (CNT) growth have provided invaluable insight into the CNT nucleation and growth mechanism and enabled critical advancements in nanotechnology. Nevertheless, the ability to fully harness the exceptional VACNT properties in commercial devices is bottlenecked by compatibility of current CNT synthesis processes with large-scale manufacturing. Metal foil substrates present an economic alternative to traditional insulating substrates, like silicon or quartz, and are compatible with both roll-to-roll and automated, large-scale, batch processes. Compared to CNT growth on Si substrates, metal foils present additional challenges, such as increased roughness and reactivity at high temperatures. Nonetheless, many successful VACNT growths on conducting metal foils have been reported, which demonstrate the feasibility of metal substrate use for large-volume production of high-quality CNTs. Here, in this review, we discuss advancements in the field of VACNT growth on metal foil and specifically examine different choices for metal substrates, barrier and catalyst layers, deposition and growth methods, resulting CNT characteristics, and highlight a number of applications that benefit from CNT growth on metal substrates and transition to large-scale manufacturing.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Stabilizing NMC 811 Li-Ion Battery Cathode through a Rapid Coprecipitation Process

Improving the capacity of LiNi x Mn y Co 1-x-y O 2 (NMC) by increasing the Ni content results in materials with poor cycling performance and reduced thermal stability. These problems can be alleviated by creating concentration gradients in the materials, but this requires more expensive batch processing. Herein, a simple process is described that can create a coating that penetrates into the precursor particles, creating unique gradients in the precursor material. The coated material demonstrates improved cycling performance and thermal stability as compared to uncoated materials. Additionally, rapid heating to simulate a thermal runaway event while observing these materials with X-rays gives a deeper understanding of how the coating affects the decomposition process.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Real-time Multi-granular Analytics Framework for HIT Systems

Streaming analytics is the process of ingesting and digesting live data from multiple data sources. In the healthcare domain, as the importance of extracting immediate insights while data are streaming into the system grows, the focus is shifting from batch processing to streaming analytics. With data increasing dramatically at high speeds, many informatics designs have been proposed to adapt healthcare domain into this new environment. In our previous work, we introduced a prototype of health informatics technology (HIT) framework that aims to address challenges in adopting state-of-the-art technologies to enable advanced healthcare analytic tasks in new streaming environments. We recently made major updates to the framework so that anomaly from multiple streaming data sources at different granularity levels can be detected in near real-time. In this paper, we detail the implementation and deployment of the framework in Kubernetes clusters and report its performances when tested on electronic health record (EHR) data of Veterans Affairs.

Park, Byung↗
NASA NTRS1976

A program continuation to develop processing procedures for advanced silicon solar cells

Shallow junctions, aluminum back surface fields and tantalum pentoxide (Ta205) antireflection coatings coupled with the development of a chromium-palladium-silver contact system, were used to produce a 2 x 4 cm wraparound contact silicon solar cell. One thousand cells were successfully fabricated using batch processing techniques. These cells were 0.020 mm thick, with the majority (800) made from nominal ten ohm-cm silicon and the remainder from nominal 30 ohm-cm material. Unfiltered, these cells delivered a minimum AMO efficiency at 25 C of 11.5 percent and successfully passed all the normal in-process and acceptance tests required for space flight cells.

Avery, J. E.↗
DOE OSTI2017

Techno-economic and Life Cycle Analysis for Bioleaching Rare-Earth Elements from Waste Materials

A bioleaching process to extract rare earth elements (REE) from fluidized catalytic cracking (FCC) catalysts was optimized using a heterotrophic bacterium Gluconobacter oxydans to produce organic acids from glucose. Parameters optimized included agitation intensity, oxygen levels, glucose concentrations and nutrient additions. Biolixiviants from the optimized batch process demonstrated REE leaching efficiencies up to 56%. A continuous bioreactor system was subsequently developed to feed a continuous leach process and demonstrated leaching efficiencies of 50%. A techno-economic analysis showed glucose to be the single largest expense for the bioleach process constituting 37.8% of the total cost. The bioleaching plant described here was found profitable although the margin was small. Lower cost carbon and energy sources for producing the biolixiviant and improved leaching efficiencies would improve profitability as well as sourcing FCC catalysts with higher levels of REE. In conclusion, a life cycle analysis showed that electricity generation and glucose production required for the bioreactor had the largest potential for environmental impacts.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Yield stress and flow behavior of enzyme liquefied slurries from corn cobs and corn stover pellets

With the increase in population, the world will depend on renewable sources to meet the increasing energy needs. The use of lignocellulosic biomass as a renewable source has been proven efficient for conversion to cellulosic ethanol and capable of contributing to thresholds for energy demand while reducing greenhouse gases by 90% when compared with fossil fuels. However, limitations in feeding and flow within biorefineries is encountered when system plugging occurs due to biomass compaction and a high yield stress for slurries formed during its processing, thereby preventing transport of biomass materials between plant unit operations. In some cases, this leads to unexpected plant shutdowns increasing industrial operational costs. As an alternative, enzyme-assisted liquefaction for slurry creation from corn stover at solids loadings up to 30% is reported in this work. Two different kinds of biomass (pelleted corn stover and cobs) were liquefied in a fed-batch process using commercial enzymes Celluclast 1.5L or Ctec-2 at 1FPU or 3 FPU per gram of dry solids in 10 mM sodium citrate buffer solution (pH 4.8). Pellets were fed into a 1 L stirred bioreactor according to a pre-defined fed-batch protocol over the first 5 hours until reaching 30% of solids loading. After 6, 24 and 96 hours, samples were taken and characterized with respect to their sugar composition, rheology and water absorption. Successful slurry creation with dramatically reduced yield stress was achieved for corn stover for both assessed enzymes. Yield stresses of 178±7 Pa (3 FPU, Celluclast 1.5L) and 79±6 Pa (3 FPU, Ctec-2) were measured for corn stover at 24 hours, compared to 6,000 Pa for samples without enzyme. Yield stress was 155± 29 Pa (3FPU, Ctec-2) and 257 ± 72 Pa (1 FPU,Celluclast 1.5L) for corn cobs at 24 hours. Yield stress decreased when residence time increased with an enhanced fluidity noted for higher enzyme concentrations. A profile for 6, 24 and 96h of yield stress measurements is presented.

Guitierrez, Diana↗
DOE OSTI2023

Continuous Processing of Carbon Foam Products Made from Coal at Atmospheric Pressure

The main goal of the project was to create a continuous manufacturing process for carbon foam that operates at atmospheric pressure and can generate well-formed carbon foam panels and lightweight aggregates. This objective was accomplished and has enabled a platform where carbon foam products can be manufactured at significantly reduced cost and cycle time relative to the conventional high-pressure batch process, which in turn can enable the manufacture of much larger volumes of carbon foam. All these features should enable carbon foam to enter much larger markets and create meaningful demand for U.S. coal. Carbon foam panels and aggregate both consisted of at least 70 weight percent carbon per program requirements (typical was over 90-wt%), and at least 51 weight percent of the carbon was to be coal derived (typical was over 90-wt% carbon was from coal). Analyses regarding life cycle, technoeconomics, and final technological gaps have been documented in separate reports. This final report documents the methods used to attain the main goal and describes the technical results.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗