SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “voltage indices”

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.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

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

At least 973 records · Page 54

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

DOE OSTI2026

Slow Quasiparticle Dynamics and Anyonic Statistics in a Fractional Quantum Hall Fabry-Pérot Interferometer

Anyons are two-dimensional particles with fractional exchange statistics that emerge as elementary excitations of fractional quantum Hall phases. Experimentally, their exchange statistics can be measured in the edge-state Fabry-Pérot interferometer, wherein the presence of 𝑁 𝑞⁢𝑝 localized anyons contributes a phase 𝑁 𝑞⁢𝑝⁢ 𝜃 𝑎 to the interference pattern where 𝜃 𝑎 is twice the exchange phase. Here we report the observation of large, hysteretic phase jumps in a monolayer graphene Fabry-Pérot interferometer at 𝜈 = 1/3. When the filling factor is increased from 𝜈 < 1/3 toward the center of the plateau, we observe phase slips with magnitude Δ⁢𝜃 ≈ 2⁢𝜋/3, consistent with the addition of individual quasiparticles to the interferometer bulk. These phase slips occur as instantaneous jumps in the interference signal, with intervals between the jumps indicating quasiparticle equilibration times exceeding 20 min. We use this long timescale to investigate the effect of changes in interferometer area 𝐴 𝐼 and 𝑁 𝑞⁢𝑝 independently at fixed magnetic field, revealing a striking memory effect in the phase slip magnitude. In particular, as the 𝜈 =1/3 plateau is approached from higher filling, we observed phase slips with Δ⁢𝜃 significantly larger than 2⁢𝜋/3 over the same range of gate voltage where quantized jumps are seen for increasing 𝜈. We discuss this asymmetry in terms of bulk-edge coupling of quasiparticles localized near the edge or in the bulk, and argue that this effect can be qualitatively reconciled with theoretical expectations for strongly interacting quasiparticles in the presence of weak disorder and strongly nonequilibrium charge dynamics. Besides providing a replication of interferometric measurements sensitive to 𝜃 𝑎 , our results highlight the key role played by charge dynamics on signatures of the anyon phase, and demonstrate that fractional quasiparticles can be indefinitely localized in nonequilibrium configurations.

anyons↗

DOE OSTI2023

Trimer Quinoxalines as Organic Cathode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Due to synthetic ease, high redox potentials, low solubility in polar electrolytes, and good electric conductivity of their semiconducting crystals, discotic quinoxaline trimers (3Q) have been considered as possible candidates for 4 V organic cathodes in lithium-ion batteries. To assess their feasibility as such materials, several 3Q derivatives have been synthesized and tested in half-cells. In voltage limited cycling tests at 1.2–3.9 V vs Li/Li + , the specific discharge capacities of 40–180 mAh g -1 were obtained at a rate of 1 C, and multiple lithiation of 3Q and its derivatives was observed during discharge. However, the obtained discharge capacity was only a fraction of the theoretical capacity expected for reversible six-electron reduction; there was also rapid capacity fade. Our spectroscopic studies indicate the reversible three-electron lithiation at 2 V vs Li/Li + , but suggest instability of more highly discharged states. Finally, our conclusion is that while the 3Q derivatives combine several traits that are desirable in an organic cathode material (including negligible solubility, capacity for multiple charging, and near-100% coulombic efficiency), these materials are still impractical to use.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

DOE OSTI2024

Real Time-Optimal Power Flow-Based Distributed Energy Resource Management System (DERMS)

This project aims to promote lab-proven clean energy technology to commercially scalable versions of the technology, integrate the technology with broader systems, provide extended performance data, and validate the manufacturability and reliability of the technology. The lab-proven technology, RT-OPF DERMS, was developed and validated through previous U.S. Department of Energy-funded efforts, including Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy funding under the Network Optimized Distributed Energy Systems program and Holy-Cross Energy High Impact Project. In the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy Network Optimized Distributed Energy Systems project, the RT-OPF DERMS was developed and implemented in multiple hardware platforms, demonstrating its performance and capabilities in the lab and field environments. The technology was also evaluated and matured via a participation in the U.S. Department of Energy I-Corps program, whose goal is to pair teams of researchers with industry mentors for an intensive 2-month training in which the researchers define technology value propositions, conduct customer discovery interviews, and develop viable market pathways for their technologies. These activities indicate the high technology maturity and Technology Readiness Level of the RT-OPF DERMS.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

NASA NTRS1972

Developable images produced by x-rays using the nickel-hypophosphite system. 2: Exposure and development parameters for sodium hypophosphite

Crystalline sodium hypophosphite was X-irradiated and then treated with an ammoniacal nickel hypophosphite solution. Treatment resulted in the precipitation of nickel metal. The yield of nickel metal varied directly with particle size, sample weight, X-ray voltage, target current, exposure time, and development time. These findings show the process to be potentially useful in X-ray type photography. The half-life for the latent image species was found to be relatively short; but this is not critical in most X-ray photography applications. Furthermore, the work can be interpreted on the basis that a hydrogen atom is involved in the mechanism and indicates that the autocatalytic development step may be self-poisoning.

May, C. E.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Mathematical modeling of a primary zinc/air battery

The mathematical model developed by Sunu and Bennion has been extended to include the separator, precipitation of both solid ZnO and K2Zn(OH)4, and the air electrode, and has been used to investigate the behavior of a primary Zn-Air battery with respect to battery design features. Predictions obtained from the model indicate that anode material utilization is predominantly limited by depletion of the concentration of hydroxide ions. The effect of electrode thickness on anode material utilization is insignificant, whereas material loading per unit volume has a great effect on anode material utilization; a higher loading lowers both the anode material utilization and delivered capacity. Use of a thick separator will increase the anode material utilization, but may reduce the cell voltage.

Mao, Z.↗

DOE OSTI2020

Extended Interfacial Stability through Simple Acid Rinsing in a Li-Rich Oxide Cathode Material

Layered Li-rich Ni, Mn, Co (NMC) oxide cathodes in Li-ion batteries provide high specific capacities (>250 mAh/g) via O-redox at high voltages. However, associated high-voltage interfacial degradation processes require strategies for effective electrode surface passivation. Here, we show that an acidic surface treatment of a Li-rich NMC layered oxide cathode material leads to a substantial suppression of CO 2 and O 2 evolution, ~90% and ~100% respectively, during the first charge up to 4.8 V vs. Li +/0 . CO 2 suppression is related to Li 2 CO 3 removal as well as effective surface passivation against electrolyte degradation. This treatment does not result in any loss of discharge capacity and provides superior long-term cycling and rate performance compared to as-received, untreated materials. We also quantify the extent of lattice oxygen participation in charge compensation (“O-redox”) during Li + removal by a novel ex-situ acid titration. Our results indicate that the peroxo-like species resulting from O-redox originate on the surface at least 300 mV earlier than the activation plateau region around 4.5 V. X-ray photoelectron spectra and Mn -L X-ray absorption spectra of the cathode powders reveal a Li + deficiency and a partial reduction of Mn ions on the surface of the acid-treated material. More interestingly, although the irreversible oxygen evolution is greatly suppressed through the surface treatment, our O K-edge resonant inelastic X-ray scattering shows the lattice O-redox behavior largely sustained. The acidic treatment, therefore, only optimizes the surface of the Li-rich material and almost eliminates the irreversible gas evolution, leading to improved cycling and rate performance. This work therefore presents a simple yet effective approach to passivate cathode surfaces against interfacial instabilities during high-voltage battery operation.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

DOE OSTI2022

Hall effect in gated single-wall carbon nanotube films

The presence of hopping carriers and grain boundaries can sometimes lead to anomalous carrier types and density overestimation in Hall-effect measurements. Previous Hall-effect studies on carbon nanotube films reported unreasonably large carrier densities without independent assessments of the carrier types and densities. Here, we have systematically investigated the validity of Hall-effect results for a series of metallic, semiconducting, and metal–semiconductor-mixed single-wall carbon nanotube films. With carrier densities controlled through applied gate voltages, we were able to observe the Hall effect both in the n- and p-type regions, detecting opposite signs in the Hall coefficient. By comparing the obtained carrier types and densities against values derived from simultaneous field-effect-transistor measurements, we found that, while the Hall carrier types were always correct, the Hall carrier densities were overestimated by up to four orders of magnitude. This significant overestimation indicates that thin films of one-dimensional SWCNTs are quite different from conventional hopping transport systems.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2022

Concealed Cathode Degradation in Lithium-Ion Cells with a Ni-Rich Oxide

Difficulties with sourcing cobalt and the interest in increasing cell energy have motivated the development of Ni-rich oxide materials for lithium-ion battery cathodes. Despite the intense research on the topic, there is limited information available on the long-term performance of novel cathode formulations. Here, we evaluate the stability of LiNi 0.9 Mn 0.05 Co 0.05 O 2 in full-cells tested for over five months, assessing how cycling, voltage and electrolyte additives impact cathode aging. We use differential voltage analysis to extract insights about the cathode from the full-cell data and identify the isolation of cathode particles in the delithiated (charged) state as a relevant mode of aging. Importantly, this particular mechanism of cathode aging does not cause immediate cell capacity fade, causing the simple analysis of cell capacity retention to overestimate the cathode stability under the investigated conditions. So, our observations serve as cautionary tale indicating that careful analysis of data from extended testing may be required for assessing the performance of Ni-rich cathodes and for evaluating how these materials are affected by electrolyte additives.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

NASA NTRS1982

A system for measuring methane fluxes from inland and coastal wetland environments

A CH4 measuring system with a sensitivity of 0.01 ppmv and a response time of 1 sec is described. Pulses are separable from moving and stationary readings, the device floats, and air velocity in the chamber can be controlled in the range 0-4.4 m/sec. The system is set on the water so that controlled speed air from beneath can enter an inner chamber and be pumped through a gas filter correlation system (GFC) before being returned to the chamber. The GFC mechanism yields an absorption signal in the form of a dc voltage, which a processor orders printed on a strip chart as a function of time. Detection of the CH4 amounts is through IR absorption, and the sensitivity of the instrument has been measured at .002-.051 g/sq m per day with air flows in the range 0.90-4.40 m/sec. The unit can be modified to detect CO and CO2, and further applications for low plant canopies and land surfaces are indicated.

Sebacher, D. I.↗

NASA NTRS1996

Cellular responses to endogenous electrochemical gradients in morphological development

Endogenous electric fields give vectorial direction to morphological development in Zea mays (sweet corn) in response to gravity. Endogenous electrical fields are important because of their ability to influence: (1) intercellular organization and development through their effects on the membrane potential, (2) direct effects such as electrophoresis of membrane components, and (3) both intracellular and extracellular transport of charged compounds. Their primary influence is in providing a vectorial dimension to the progression of one physiological state to another. Gravity perception and transduction in the mesocotyl of vascular plants is a complex interplay of electrical and chemical gradients which ultimately provide the driving force for the resulting growth curvature called gravitropism. Among the earliest events in gravitropism are changes in impedance, voltage, and conductance between the vascular stele and the growth tissues, the cortex, in the mesocotyl of corn shoots. In response to gravistimulation: (1) a potential develops which is vectorial and of sufficient magnitude to be a driving force for transport between the vascular stele and cortex, (2) the ionic conductance changes within seconds showing altered transport between the tissues, and (3) the impedance shows a transient biphasic response which indicates that the mobility of charges is altered following gravistimulation and is possibly the triggering event for the cascade of actions which leads to growth curvature.

Desrosiers, M. F.↗

NASA NTRS2013

Reactor Simulator Testing Overview

Test Objectives Summary: a) Verify operation of the core simulator, the instrumentation & control system, and the ground support gas and vacuum test equipment. b) Examine cooling & heat regeneration performance of the cold trap purification. c) Test the ALIP pump at voltages beyond 120V to see if the targeted mass flow rate of 1.75 kg/s can be obtained in the RxSim. Testing Highlights: a) Gas and vacuum ground support test equipment performed effectively for operations (NaK fill, loop pressurization, and NaK drain). b) Instrumentation & Control system effectively controlled loop temperature and flow rates or pump voltage to targeted settings and ramped within prescribed constraints. It effectively interacted with reactor simulator control model and defaulted back to temperature control mode if the transient fluctuations didn't dampen. c) Cold trap design was able to obtain the targeted cold temperature of 480 K. An outlet temperature of 636 K was obtained which was lower than the predicted 750 K but 156 K higher than the minimum temperature indicating the design provided some heat regeneration. d) ALIP produce a maximum flow rate of 1.53 kg/s at 800 K when operated at 150 V and 53 Hz.

Schoenfeld, Michael P.↗

DOE OSTI2022

Decreasing the Overpotential of Aprotic Li-CO 2 Batteries with the In-Plane Alloy Structure in Ultrathin 2D Ru-Based Nanosheets

We report the aprotic Li-CO 2 battery is emerging as a promising energy storage technology with the capability of CO 2 fixation and conversion. However, its practical applications are still impeded by the large overpotential. Herein, the general synthesis of a series of ultrathin 2D Ru-M (M = Co, Ni, and Cu) nanosheets by a facile one-pot solvothermal method is reported. As a proof-of-concept application, the representative RuCo nanosheets are used as the cathode catalysts for Li-CO 2 batteries, which demonstrate a low charge voltage of 3.74 V, a small overpotential of 0.94 V, and hence a high energy efficiency of 75%. Ex/in situ studies and density functional theory calculations reveal that the excellent catalytic performance of RuCo nanosheets originates from the enhanced adsorption toward Li and CO 2 during discharge as well as the elevated electron interaction with Li 2 CO 3 during charge by the in-plane RuCo alloy structure. This work indicates the feasibility of boosting the electrochemical performance of Li-CO 2 batteries by in-plane metal alloy sites of ultrathin 2D alloy nanomaterials.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

DOE OSTI2026

Effect of a transparent water-cooled cathode on the neutron production rate in the glow discharge-type fusion neutron source

In glow discharge-type deuterium–deuterium fusion neutron sources, fusion reactions occurring on the cathode surface contribute significantly to the neutron production rate (NPR); therefore, cathode design plays a crucial role in enhancing NPR. Although the NPR generally increases with discharge current, deuterium desorption caused by cathode heating tends to stagnate it in the high-current regime. Water cooling has been shown to mitigate this stagnation for nontransparent cathodes, but its effectiveness for transparent cathodes has not been experimentally clarified. Here, in this study, a transparent cathode with active water cooling and a spherical geometry was designed and fabricated using stainless steel tubing. Neutron production experiments were conducted with and without water cooling: with water cooling, applied voltages of 20–40 kV were investigated, while without water cooling, the applied voltage was limited to 25 kV. The results showed that the NPR increased continuously with discharge current without stagnation when water cooling was applied. A maximum NPR of (1.8 ± 0.02) × 10 6 n/s was achieved at 40 kV and 50 mA. Compared with our previously reported disk cathode and nontransparent water-cooled cathode of the same diameter, the transparent water-cooled cathode exhibited a significantly enhanced NPR. These findings indicate that combining cathode transparency with active cooling is an effective strategy for improving neutron production in glow discharge-type fusion neutron sources.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

DOE OSTI2025

Ionic Associations and Hydration in the Electrical Double Layer of Water-in-Salt Electrolytes

Water-in-Salt-Electrolytes (WiSEs) are an exciting class of concentrated electrolytes finding applications in energy storage devices because of their expanded electrochemical stability window, good conductivity and cation transference number, and fire-extinguishing properties. These distinct properties are thought to originate from the presence of an anion-dominated ionic network and interpenetrating water channels for cation transport, which indicates that associations in WiSEs are crucial to understanding their properties. Currently, associations have mainly been investigated in the bulk, while little attention has been given to the electrolyte structure near electrified interfaces. Here, we develop a theory for the electrical double layer (EDL) of WiSEs, where we consistently account for the thermoreversible associations of species into Cayley tree aggregates. The theory predicts an asymmetric structure of the EDL. At negative voltages, hydrated Li + dominates, and cluster aggregation is initially slightly enhanced before disintegration at larger voltages. At positive voltages, when compared to the bulk, clusters are strictly diminished. Performing atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the EDL of WiSE provides EDL data for validation and bulk data for parametrization of our theory. Validating the predictions of our theory against MD showed good qualitative agreement. Furthermore, we performed electrochemical impedance measurements to determine the differential capacitance of the studied LiTFSI WiSE and also found reasonable agreement with our theory. Overall, the developed approach can be used to investigate ionic aggregation and solvation effects in the EDL, which, among other properties, can be used to understand the precursors for solid-electrolyte interphase formation.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2020

Similarity of capacitive radio-frequency discharges in nonlocal regimes

Similarity transformations are essential for correlating discharges at different scales, which are mostly utilized with local field or local energy approximations. In this work, we report the fully kinetic results from particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo collision simulations that unambiguously demonstrate the similarity of radio frequency (rf) discharges in nonlocal regimes where the electron energy relaxation length is much larger than the gap dimension. It is found that at a constant rf voltage amplitude, discharges will be similar if the gas pressure, inverse of gap distance, and rf driving frequency are all changed by the same scaling factor. The scaling relations of fundamental parameters are illustrated for rf discharges in the alpha-mode with secondary electron emission ignored, and the temporal electron kinetics are shown to have invariance in similar discharges. The results explicitly validate the scaling laws in nonlocal kinetic regimes, indicating promising application potentials of the similarity transformations across a wide range of kinetic regimes.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

DOE OSTI2020

The Value of Increased HVDC Capacity Between Eastern and Western U.S. Grids: The Interconnections Seam Study

The Interconnections Seam Study examines the potential economic value of increasing electricity transfer between the Eastern and Western Interconnections using high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) transmission and cost-optimizing both generation and transmission resources across the United States. The study conducted a multi-model analysis that used co-optimized generation and transmission expansion planning and production cost modeling. Four transmission designs under eight scenarios were developed and studied to estimate costs and potential benefits. The results show benefit-to-cost ratios that reach as high as 2.9, indicating significant value to increasing the transmission capacity between the interconnections under the cases considered, realized through sharing generation resources and flexibility across regions.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗

NASA NTRS1979

The importance of surface recombination and energy-bandgap narrowing in p-n-junction silicon solar cells

Experimental data demonstrating the sensitivity of open-circuit voltage to front-surface conditions are presented for a variety of p-n-junction silicon solar cells. Analytical models accounting for the data are defined and supported by additional experiments. The models and the data imply that a) surface recombination significantly limits the open-circuit voltage (and the short-circuit current) of typical silicon cells, and b) energy-bandgap narrowing is important in the manifestation of these limitations. The models suggest modifications in both the structural design and the fabrication processing of the cells that would result in substantial improvements in cell performance. The benefits of one such modification - the addition of a thin thermal silicon-dioxide layer on the front surface - are indicated experimentally.

Fossum, J. G.↗

DOE OSTI2025

Fabrication of Piezoelectric Polymer and Metal–Organic Framework Composite Thin Films Using Solution Shearing

Polymer-metal–organic framework (polymer-MOF) composites have garnered significant interest as polymers can enhance the processability and industrial applicability of MOFs. Thin films of these composites are particularly attractive for applications in sensing, separations, and flexible electronics. Solution shearing, a meniscus-guided coating technique, has emerged as a scalable process for fabricating thin films of MOFs, and can produce large-area films within minutes. In this study, we utilized solution shearing to fabricate composite thin films of a MOF UiO-66 and a piezoelectric polymer poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) (P(VDF-TrFE)), investigating how polymer concentration during MOF synthesis and composite formation influences thin film properties, including crystallinity, surface coverage, and piezoelectric performance. Additionally, solid-state NMR spectroscopy was utilized to probe the interactions between P(VDF-TrFE) and UiO-66 in the composite. Evidence from solid-state NMR indicated polymer-MOF interactions, suggesting that the polymer strands are in close proximity to the UiO-66 pores, supporting a mixed surface coating and pore infiltration model. Furthermore, incorporating P(VDF-TrFE) enhanced the film’s areal coverage from 70% to 100%. While the thermal conductivity remained essentially unchanged, the composite film showed an improved piezoelectric effect. The composite with 91 wt % P(VDF-TrFE) exhibited the highest output voltage of 9.1 V and a sensitivity of 0.26 V/N under applied pressure. This work demonstrates the potential of solution shearing as a scalable technique for fabricating polymer-MOF composite thin films.

P(VDF-TrFE)↗