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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 91 records · Page 5

Photonic Doppler velocimetry probe used to measure grain boundaries of dynamic shocked materials

Material scientists have developed computational modeling to predict the dynamic response of materials undergoing stress, but there is still a need to make precision measurements of surfaces undergoing shock compression. Miniature photonic Doppler velocimetry (PDV) probes have been developed to measure the velocity distribution from a moving surface traveling tens of kilometers per second. These probes use hundreds of optical fibers imaged by optical relays onto different regions of this moving surface. While previous work examined large surface areas, we have now developed a PDV microscope that can interrogate 37 different spots within a field of view of <1 mm, with a standoff distance of 17 mm, to analyze the motion differences across grain boundaries of the material undergoing dynamic stress. Each PDV fiber interrogates a 10 μm spot size on the moving surface. A separate imaging system using a coherent bundle records the location of the PDV spots relative to the grain boundaries prior to the dynamic event. Designing the mounting structures for the lenses, fibers, and coherent bundle was a challenge. To minimize back reflections, the fibers are index matched onto the first relay lens, which is made of fused silica. The PDV fibers are aligned normal to the moving surface. The imaging probe views the surface at an 18° angle. The coherent bundle is tilted 11° to its optical relay. All components are assembled into a single probe head assembly. The coherent bundle is removed from the probe head to be used for the next dynamic event. Alignment issues will also be discussed.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Graph dynamical networks for unsupervised learning of atomic scale dynamics in materials

Understanding the dynamical processes that govern the performance of functional materials is essential for the design of next generation materials to tackle global energy and environmental challenges. Many of these processes involve the dynamics of individual atoms or small molecules in condensed phases, e.g. lithium ions in electrolytes, water molecules in membranes, molten atoms at interfaces, etc., which are difficult to understand due to the complexity of local environments. In this work, we develop graph dynamical networks, an unsupervised learning approach for understanding atomic scale dynamics in arbitrary phases and environments from molecular dynamics simulations. We show that important dynamical information, which would be difficult to obtain otherwise, can be learned for various multi-component amorphous material systems. With the large amounts of molecular dynamics data generated every day in nearly every aspect of materials design, this approach provides a broadly applicable, automated tool to understand atomic scale dynamics in material systems.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

A platform for x-ray absorption fine structure study of dynamically compressed materials above 1 Mbar [A platform for XAFS study of dynamically compressed materials above 1 Mbar]

Here, a platform consisting of a multi-shock drive and an implosion backlighter has been developed for x-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) measurements on materials compressed to multi-Mbar pressures. The experimental setup, target design, and backlighter characteristics are presented. Extended XAFS (EXAFS) measurements for various materials have been demonstrated. A quintuple-crystal design is described to enhance the efficiency of the x-ray spectrometer, enabling observation of very weak EXAFS signals in a single shot.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Quantum Mechanical Simulations of Dynamics of Electronic Excitations in Low-Dimensional Photovoltaics Materials

Dynamics of electronically excited states including exciton generation and relaxation, exciton-exciton interaction, and charge/energy transfer and transport, are critical to understanding and optimizing photovoltaic materials. Although considerable progress has been made, accurate experimental characterization of such crucial dynamics remains extremely challenging, especially in low-dimensional materials. In this talk, I will discuss how the advancement of quantum mechanical simulations of the dynamics of electronic excitations can reveal the physical mechanisms hindering or improving solar energy harvest. Specifically, we find that surface dangling-bond defects on silicon quantum dots cause rapid charge recombination and low carrier mobility in the inorganic-organic PV cells. Although small quantum dots are essentially free of defects, their optical gaps are too large. To solve this issue, a full-spectrum-light-absorption scheme is computationally designed, taking advantage of complexity and flexibility of low-dimensional materials consisting of different characteristics and dimensions. In this scheme the multifunctional ligands are used to (1) passivate against oxidation, (2) facilitate interfacial charge transfer, and (3) improve both charge transport and optical absorption. A joint theoretical and experimental study has demonstrated the feasibility of this approach. Finally, I will briefly talk about how this scheme and the well-tested quantum mechanical simulations can be employed to help improve energy-conversion efficiency in perovskite photovoltaics including perovskite-based tandem cells.

Zhigang Wu↗

Research in Structures, Structural Dynamics and Materials, 1990

The Structural Dynamics and Materials (SDM) Conference was held on April 2 to 4, 1990 in Long Beach, California. This publication is a compilation of presentations of the work-in-progress sessions and does not contain papers from the regular sessions since those papers are published by AIAA in the conference proceedings.

Barthelemy, Jean-Francois M.↗

Dynamic mechanical analysis and organization/storage of data for polymetric materials

Dynamic mechanical analysis was performed on a variety of temperature resistant polymers and composite resin matrices. Data on glass transition temperatures and degree of cure attained were derived. In addition a laboratory based computer system was installed and data base set up to allow entry of composite data. The laboratory CPU termed TYCHO is based on a DEC PDP 11/44 CPU with a Datatrieve relational data base. The function of TYCHO is integration of chemical laboratory analytical instrumentation and storage of chemical structures for modeling of new polymeric structures and compounds

Rosenberg, M.↗

On computing the evolution of temperature for materials under dynamic loading

Modeling and simulation of the dynamic response of materials is important to many applications including the development of armor systems, understanding the safety of explosives, and assessing the crashworthiness of vehicles. Within such applications it is often critical to accurately compute the evolution of the temperature because it is a state variable that affects the kinetics of competing active processes within the material (e.g., dislocation motion, phase transformation, decomposition). Depending on the selection of an independent state variable, e.g. temperature or entropy, the approach for computing temperature is well understood based on the thermodynamic framework attributed to Coleman and Noll. However, different computational codes used for modeling the dynamic response of materials adopt different independent state variables. In this work, two thermodynamically consistent strategies for computing the temperature of a coupled thermodynamic state are compared and implemented into two different Lagrangian computational codes. The equivalence of these two approaches is established through the numerical solutions of several test problems. Finally, the implication of various approximations made to each of these approaches within the literature are assessed in the context of uniaxial stress conditions (split Hopkinson pressure bar experiments) and uniaxial strain conditions (plate impact experiments). Here, it is shown that the temperature rate or energy partition approaches are equivalent when implemented in their complete forms, but that several common simplifying assumptions, that are warranted in the case of uniaxial stress, lead to significant errors in the resulting Hugoniot state for plate impact.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Transmitted wave measurements in cold sprayed materials under dynamic compression

Spray-formed materials have complex microstructures which pose challenges for microscale and mesoscale modeling. To constrain these models, experimental measurements of wave profiles when subjecting the material to dynamic compression are necessary. The use of a gas gun to launch a shock into a material is a traditional method to understand wave propagation and provide information of time-dependent stress variations due to complex microstructures. This data contains information on wave reverberations within a material and provides a boundary condition for simulation. Here we present measurements of the wavespeed and wave profile at the rear surface of tantalum, niobium, and a tantalum/niobium blend subjected to plate impact. Measurements of the Hugoniot elastic limit are compared to previous work and wavespeeds are compared to longitudinal sound velocity measurements to examine wave damping due to the porous microstructure.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

High-Brightness Beam Technology Development for a Future Dynamic Mesoscale Materials Science Capability

A future capability in dynamic mesoscale materials science is needed to study the limitations of materials under irreversible and extreme conditions, where these limitations are caused by nonuniformities and defects in the mesoscale. This capability gap could potentially be closed with an X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL), producing 5 × 10 10 photons with an energy of 42 keV, known as the Matter–Radiation Interactions in Extremes (MaRIE) XFEL. Over the last few years, researchers at the Los Alamos National Laboratory have developed a preconceptual design for a MaRIE-class XFEL based on existing high-brightness beam technologies, including superconducting L-band cryomodules. However, the performance of a MaRIE-class XFEL can be improved and the risk of its operation reduced by investing in emerging high-brightness beam technologies, such as the development of high-gradient normal conducting radio frequency (RF) structures. Additionally, an alternative XFEL architecture, which generates a series of high-current microbunches instead of a single bunch with uniformly high current along it, may suppress the most important emittance degradation effects in the accelerator and in the XFEL undulator. In this paper, we describe the needed dynamic mesoscale materials science capability, a MaRIE-class XFEL, and the proposed microbunched XFEL accelerator architecture in detail.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Fission Fragment Damage in Nuclear Fuel and Surrogate Material

We have performed classical molecular dynamics simulations of swift heavy ion damage, typical of fission fragments, in nuclear fuel (UO2) for energy deposition per unit length of 3.9 keV/nm. We did not observe amorphization. The damage mainly consisted of isolated point defects. Only about 1% of the displacements occur on the uranium sublattice. Oxygen Frenkel pairs are an order of magnitude more numerous than uranium Frenkel pairs in the primary damage state. In contrast, previous results show that the ratio of Frenkel pairs on the two sublattices is close to the stoichiometric ratio in ceria. These differences in the primary damage state may lead to differences in radiation response of UO2 and CeO2.

Molecular dynamics, radiation damage in materials,↗

Enhancing building energy performance by effectively using phase change material and dynamic insulation in walls

Deploying phase change materials (PCMs) in building envelopes can be efficacious in reducing space heating/cooling loads and providing load shedding and shifting capacity. However, the full potential of PCM-integrated envelopes can only be harnessed if the PCM undergoes phase change using free ambient heating/cooling, and the stored energy is effectively transferred between the exterior and the interior environments. Traditional thermal insulation (with a fixed thermal resistance) limits PCM utilization, which restrains the energy saving potential of a PCM-integrated envelope to a small percentage. Proposed dynamic insulation material and system (DIMS) provides the option of varying its thermal resistance based on the indoor and outdoor conditions. Although it has been established that employing PCM as well as DIMS in building envelopes separately improves buildings’ energy performance, no prior studies that analyzed the combined influence of both technologies were identified. In this study, we examine a novel wall design, comprising a layer of PCM between two layers of DIMS. We note that the PCM-DIMS-integrated wall provides significantly higher energy saving potential than the DIMS-only integrated wall or the PCM-only integrated wall in all the climates and wall orientations analyzed in this study. Depending on the climate, the PCM-DIMS-integrated wall could provide 15–72% reduction in annual heat gain and 7–38% reduction in annual heat loss. The analysis presented in this study supports the need to develop scalable dynamic insulations combined with thermal energy storage systems for buildings.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Compact acoustic levitation device for studies in fluid dynamics and material science in the laboratory and microgravity

An ultrasonic levitation device operable in both ordinary ground-based as well as in potential space-borne laboratories is described together with its various applications in the fields of fluid dynamics, material science, and light scattering. Some of the phenomena which can be studied by this instrument include surface waves on freely suspended liquids, the variations of the surface tension with temperature and contamination, the deep undercooling of materials with the temperature variations of their density and viscosity, and finally some of the optical diffraction properties of transparent substances.

Trinh, E. H.↗