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At least 1,009 records · Page 56

Analytical derivatives of the individual state energies in ensemble density functional theory. II. Implementation on graphical processing units (GPUs)

Conical intersections control excited state reactivity, and thus, elucidating and predicting their geometric and energetic characteristics are crucial for understanding photochemistry. Locating these intersections requires accurate and efficient electronic structure methods. Unfortunately, the most accurate methods (e.g., multireference perturbation theories such as XMS-CASPT2) are computationally challenging for large molecules. The state-interaction state-averaged restricted ensemble referenced Kohn–Sham (SI-SA-REKS) method is a computationally efficient alternative. The application of SI-SA-REKS to photochemistry was previously hampered by a lack of analytical nuclear gradients and nonadiabatic coupling matrix elements. We have recently derived analytical energy derivatives for the SI-SA-REKS method and implemented the method effectively on graphical processing units. We demonstrate that our implementation gives the correct conical intersection topography and energetics for several examples. Furthermore, our implementation of SI-SA-REKS is computationally efficient, with observed sub-quadratic scaling as a function of molecular size. This demonstrates the promise of SI-SA-REKS for excited state dynamics of large molecular systems.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Fault isolation and fault-tolerant control for Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy time-varying delay stochastic distribution systems

A fault isolation, estimation, and fault-tolerant control (FTC) scheme for nonlinear time-varying delay stochastic distribution control systems was presented in this paper. The Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy model was adopted to approach the nonlinear dynamics of time-varying delay systems. According to the output equivalence principle and Laplace transformation, an augmented state vector was given to solve the time-varying delay problem. When multiple actuator faults and interference occur simultaneously, fault detection, isolation and fault estimation was designed to obtained the fault information. To decouple faults and obtain the value and location information of the fault, the system was separated into two parts through the designed multiple conversion matrices, in which one subsystem was only affected by one actuator fault. This has simplified the design of fault isolation and estimation. A adaptive observer for fault estimation was given. Then, fault information such as the time, location, and size was determined. The observer gain matrices were calculated using linear matrix inequality (LMI). When a fault was detected and diagnosed, a FTC algorithm was devised using the proportional-integral control scheme to compensate the fault as much as possible. It has been shown that even if multiple faults actuator occurred simultaneously, the FTC controller still ensured the output probability density function of the system traced the desired probability density function when a fault occurred. Finally, the expected results were obtained through the simulation example, which confirmed the effectiveness of the method.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Redox-homogeneous, gel electrolyte-embedded high-mass-loading cathodes for high-energy lithium metal batteries

Lithium metal batteries have higher theoretical energy than their Li-ion counterparts, where graphite is used at the anode. However, one of the main stumbling blocks in developing practical Li metal batteries is the lack of cathodes with high-mass-loading capable of delivering highly reversible redox reactions. To overcome this issue, here we report an electrode structure that incorporates a UV-cured non-aqueous gel electrolyte and a cathode where the LiNi 0.8 Co 0.1 Mn 0.1 O 2 active material is contained in an electron-conductive matrix produced via simultaneous electrospinning and electrospraying. This peculiar structure prevents the solvent-drying-triggered non-uniform distribution of electrode components and shortens the time for cell aging while improving the overall redox homogeneity. Moreover, the electron-conductive matrix eliminates the use of the metal current collector. When a cathode with a mass loading of 60 mg cm -2 is coupled with a 100 µm thick Li metal electrode using additional non-aqueous fluorinated electrolyte solution in lab-scale pouch cell configuration, a specific energy and energy density of 321 Wh kg -1 and 772 Wh L -1 (based on the total mass of the cell), respectively, can be delivered in the initial cycle at 0.1 C (i.e., 1.2 mA cm -2 ) and 25 °C.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Subspace recursive Fermi-operator expansion strategies for large-scale DFT eigenvalue problems on HPC architectures

Quantum mechanical calculations for material modeling using Kohn–Sham density functional theory (DFT) involve the solution of a nonlinear eigenvalue problem for N smallest eigenvector-eigenvalue pairs, with N proportional to the number of electrons in the material system. Here, these calculations are computationally demanding and have asymptotic cubic scaling complexity with the number of electrons. Large-scale matrix eigenvalue problems arising from the discretization of the Kohn–Sham DFT equations employing a systematically convergent basis traditionally rely on iterative orthogonal projection methods, which are shown to be computationally efficient and scalable on massively parallel computing architectures. However, as the size of the material system increases, these methods are known to incur dominant computational costs through the Rayleigh–Ritz projection step of the discretized Kohn–Sham Hamiltonian matrix and the subsequent subspace diagonalization of the projected matrix. This work explores the potential of polynomial expansion approaches based on recursive Fermi-operator expansion as an alternative to the subspace diagonalization of the projected Hamiltonian matrix to reduce the computational cost. Subsequently, we perform a detailed comparison of various recursive polynomial expansion approaches to the traditional approach of explicit diagonalization on both multi-node central processing unit and graphics processing unit architectures and assess their relative performance in terms of accuracy, computational efficiency, scaling behavior, and energy efficiency.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Modeling graphene sheet growth and dynamical matrix calculations using molecular dynamics

Molecular dynamics (MD) has been an incredibly useful tool to model physical processes that were synthesized experimentally but not fully understood. MD, through the use of semi-empirical inter-atomic potentials, has allowed understanding of different physical processes in materials science. Yet as well as providing useful insights into materials science, molecular dynamics has a wider range of usability. In this report, I will be detailing how MD can be used to study graphene formation from a carbon liquid which requires high temperatures and pressures. Beyond this, I will describe the usefulness of MD for understanding the physics for phonon transport quantum sensors. To do this, MD was employed to determine the dynamical matrix by treating atoms as coupled oscillators. An accurate understanding of the dynamical matrix of a system is required to calculate the non-equilibrium Green’s function used to describe the phonon transport within phonon wave-guides. I found that, across multiple pressures and temperatures, randomly placed carbon atoms will show evidence of pent-first formation with semi-empirical models. Density functional theory (DFT), on the other hand, was too computationally expensive to use for full scale MD simulations, but we have the possibility of training a machine learned interatomic potential to approximate DFT for carbon in the environments being studied for pent-first graphene sheet formation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Phase-Field Modeling of Mechanical Damages in Ceramic Matrix Composites

Developed a phase-field model for mechanical damages in CMCs, which incorporates the CMC microstructures, matrix cracking, fiber breakage, and interfacial sliding. Two types of mechanisms, fiber bridging and fiber pull-out, are considered. The obtained simulation results agree with experimental observations and an analytical solution. Simulation results suggest that the performance of CMCs would be enhanced with thicker fibers, longer fibers, and higher fiber density. Opposite trends of interfacial sliding resistances are suggested for the two types of situations. In reality, a mixture of the two situations may exist, and then an intermediate interfacial sliding resistance may be optimal.

Xue, Fei↗

Inverse Calculation of Burden Distribution Matrix Using B-spline Model Based PDF control in Blast Furnace Burden Charging Process

The inverse calculation of burden distribution matrix (BDM) is one of the most important challenges in the blast furnace operation in iron-making processes. In general, blast furnace consumes 65% of the total energy for the whole steel-making. Focusing on this practical challenge, this article proposes a new burden distribution spatial model in calculating burden charging process, and develops a B-spline approximation-based probability density function (PDF) control algorithm to assign the expected thickness distribution of burden layer and, thus, develops a new method for the required inverse calculation of BDM. First, a novel method for the thickness distribution of burden layer is given using B-spline model to produce an expected distribution shape subjected to a desired tracking within a specific spatial constraint. Then, according to the coexistence of continuous and bounded discrete variables in BDM, a novel hybrid optimization control method by combining integer programming and PDF tracking is further established for the effective inverse calculation of BDM. Finally, the proposed PDF-based iterative inverse calculation of BDM using B-spline models are tested using various data from industrial examples. Furthermore, the simulation results show that the proposed method is well suited to solve the BDM inverse calculation problem in practice.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Developing Reaction Chemistry Models from Reactive Molecular Dynamics: TATB

Reactive Molecular Dynamic (RMD) are used to simulate the cook-off chemistry of TATB at a variety of fixed density and fixed temperature conditions. The chemical transformations are monitored using a Coordination Geometry Analysis (CGA) approach which tracks which atom types are bonded to each specific atom. This particularly identifies oxidation state changes that occur during the transformations. Correlations between these different chemical changes are identified using a Non-negative Matrix Factorization (NMF) approach. These identify reduced order chemistry models for the TATB system which contains six components whose concentration profiles are a function of both the temperature and density/pressure. The time histories of these transformations appear to show exponential growth/decay properties that could be fit with Arrhenius rates. These components should form the basis of deflagration rate models for these materials which could then be used in mesoscale simulations to analyze accidental initiation, shock-to-detonation and detonation propagation.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Effect of thermal treatments on electrochemical behavior of binder jetted 17-4 PH stainless steel

Binder jetted 17–4 PH stainless steel was post-processed to relate heat treatment, microstructure, and corrosion in 3.5 wt% NaCl. Specimens were sintered at 1380 or 1400 °C, solution-annealed at 1055 °C for 1 h, and aged at 482 °C for 1 h. Here, as-sintered parts showed α′-martensitic matrix with a δ-ferrite network and Cu-rich precipitates in ferrite; inclusions (MnS, NbC) promoted localized attack. solutionizing redistributed elements and reduced ferrite, while aging generated coherent Cu nano-precipitates. Corrosion resistance was highly sensitive to post-processing in which aged specimens exhibited the lowest corrosion current density and formed a thicker, stable Cr 2 O 3 -rich passive film, whereas sintered specimens degraded most. Pitting potential depended on sintering temperature and microstructure, with 1400 °C sintering yielding more positive pitting potentials and the best overall performance after aging. Although the 1400-solutionized condition showed a relatively noble pitting response versus 1380-solutionized, it displayed unstable corrosion kinetics attributed to an imperfect passive film linked to higher NbC density. XPS depth profiles corroborated these trends, showing thicker, more continuous Cr 2 O 3 in aged states and discontinuous/thinning oxides in less resistant conditions. Practically, high-temperature sintering (∼1400 °C) followed by solutionizing and aging is recommended, with further gains expected from reducing NbC/MnS populations and porosity via powder and process control.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

ElasTool v3.0: Efficient computational and visualization toolkit for elastic and mechanical properties of materials

Efficient computation and visualization of elastic and mechanical properties are crucial in the selection of materials and the design of new materials. Here, the ElasTool v3.0 toolkit marks a significant advancement in the computational analysis and visualization of elastic and mechanical properties of materials, essential in material selection and design. This enhanced version extends beyond standard calculations like elastic tensor, Young's modulus, bulk modulus, and Poisson's ratio. It introduces capabilities for computing minimum thermal conductivity, linear compressibility, rendering the Christoffel equation, and elastic energy density. Notably, it integrates advanced visualization tools, including compatibility with Plotly and Elate web platforms for interactive web-based property exploration. A key feature of ElasTool v3.0 is the implementation of second-order elastic constants (SOECs) for tubular 2D-based nanostructures and nanotubes. Leveraging high-efficiency strain-matrix sets (OHESS), the toolkit now facilitates efficient computation of elastic constants and mechanical properties at both zero and finite temperatures for 1D, 2D, and 3D dimensions. ElasTool is openly accessible on GitHub: https://github.com/gmp007/elastool.

1D, 2D, 3D, and tubular 2D nanostructure and nanot↗

Nanoscale Ion Transport Enhances Conductivity in Solid Polymer-Ceramic Lithium Electrolytes

The predictive design of flexible and solvent-free polymer electrolytes for solid-state batteries requires an understanding of the fundamental principles governing the ion transport. In this work, we establish a correlation among the composite structures, polymer segmental dynamics, and lithium ion (Li + ) transport in a ceramic-polymer composite. Elucidating this structure–property relationship will allow tailoring of the Li + conductivity by optimizing the macroscopic electrochemical stability of the electrolyte. The ion dissociation from the slow polymer segmental dynamics was found to be enhanced by controlling the morphology and functionality of the polymer/ceramic interface. The chemical structure of the Li + salt in the composite electrolyte was correlated with the size of the ionic cluster domains, the conductivity mechanism, and the electrochemical stability of the electrolyte. Polyethylene oxide (PEO) filled with lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) or lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl) imide (LiFSI) salts was used as a matrix. A garnet electrolyte, aluminum substituted lithium lanthanum zirconium oxide (Al-LLZO) with a planar geometry, was used for the ceramic nanoparticle moieties. Further, the dynamics of the strongly bound and highly mobile Li + were investigated using dielectric relaxation spectroscopy. The incorporation of the Al-LLZO platelets increased the number density of more mobile Li + . The structure of the nanoscale ion-agglomeration was investigated by small-angle X-ray scattering, while molecular dynamics (MD) simulation studies were conducted to obtain the fundamental mechanism of the decorrelation of the Li + in the LiTFSI and LiFSI salts from the long PEO chain.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Vertical Architecture Solution-Processed Quantum Dot Photodetectors with Amorphous Selenium Hole Transport Layer

Colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) provide wide spectral tunability and high absorption coefficients owing to quantum confinement and large oscillator strengths, which along with solution processability, allow a facile, low-cost, and room-temperature deposition technique for the fabrication of photonic devices. However, many solution-processed CQD photodetector devices demonstrate low specific-detectivity and slow temporal response. To achieve improved photodetector characteristics, limiting carrier recombination and enhancing photogenerated carrier separation are crucial. In this study, we develop and present an alternate vertical-stack photodetector wherein we use a solution-processed quantum dot photoconversion layer coupled to an amorphous selenium (a-Se) wide-bandgap charge transport layer that is capable of exhibiting single-carrier hole impact ionization and is compatible with active-matrix readout circuitry. This a-Se chalcogenide transport layer enables the fabrication of high-performance and reliable solution-processed quantum dot photodetectors, with enhanced charge extraction capabilities, high specific detectivity (D* ~ 0.5–5 × 10 12 Jones), fast 3 dB electrical bandwidth (3 dB BW ~ 22 MHz), low dark current density (J D ~ 5–10 pA/cm 2 ), low noise current (i n ~ 20–25 fW/Hz 1/2 ), and high linear dynamic range (LDR ~130–150 dB) across the measured visible electromagnetic spectrum (~405–656 nm).

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

Photo-actuators via epitaxial growth of microcrystal arrays in polymer membranes

Photomechanical crystals composed of three-dimensionally ordered and densely packed photochromes hold promise for high-performance photochemical actuators. However, bulk crystals with high structural ordering are severely limited in their flexibility, resulting in poor processibility and a tendency to fragment upon light exposure, while previous nano- or microcrystalline composites have lacked global alignment. Here we demonstrate a photon-fuelled macroscopic actuator consisting of diarylethene microcrystals in a polyethylene terephthalate host matrix. These microcrystals survive large deformations and show a high degree of three-dimensional ordering dictated by the anisotropic polyethylene terephthalate, which critically also has a similar stiffness. Overall, these ordered and compliant composites exhibit rapid response times, sustain a performance of over at least hundreds of cycles and generate work densities exceeding those of single crystals. In conclusion, our composites represent the state-of-the-art for photochemical actuators and enable properties unattainable by single crystals, such as controllable, reversible and abrupt jumping (photosalient behaviour).

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Impact of CH 4 addition on the electron properties and electric field dynamics in a Ar nanosecond-pulsed dielectric barrier discharge

Non-equilibrium plasmas derive their low temperature reactivity from producing and driving energetic electrons and active species under large electric fields. Therefore, the impact of reactants on the plasma properties including electron number density, electric field, and electron temperature is critical for applications such as plasma CH 4 reforming. Due to experimental complexity, electron properties and the electric field are rarely measured together in the same discharge. Here, we combine time-resolved Thomson scattering and electric field induced second harmonic generation (EFISH) to probe electron temperature, electron density, and electric field strength in a 60 Torr CH 4 /Ar nanosecond-pulsed dielectric barrier discharge (ns-DBD) while varying the CH 4 mole fraction from 0 to 8%. These measurements are compared to a 1-D numerical model to benchmark its predictions and identify areas of uncertainty. Nonlinear coupling between CH 4 addition, electron temperature, electron density, and the electric field was directly observed. Contrary to previous measurements in He, the electron temperature increased with CH 4 mole fraction. This rise in electron temperature is identified as electron heating by residual electric fields that increased with larger CH 4 mole fraction. Moreover, the electron number density has been found to decrease rapidly with the increase of methane mole fraction. Comparison of these measurements with the model yielded better agreement at higher CH 4 mole fractions and with the usage of ab initio calculated Ar electron-impact cross-sections from the B-spline R-matrix (BSR) database. Furthermore, the calculated plasma properties are shown to be sensitive to the residual surface charge implanted on the quartz dielectric surfaces. Without considering surface charge in the simulations, the calculated electric field profiles agreed well with the measurements, but the electron properties were underpredicted by more than a factor of three. Therefore, measurements of either the electric field or electron properties measurements alone are insufficient to fully validate modelling predictions.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Report on partially complete post-irradiation-examination of the INL samples

Ferritic-martensitic steels (NF616 and T91), and austenitic stainless steel 800H and its Grain Boundary Engineering (GBE)-treated version 800H-TMP (ThermoMechanical Processing) were irradiated in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and their microstructures and mechanical properties were characterized. Ferritic-martensitic steels were irradiated up to 8.16 dpa in the irradiation temperatures ranging from 241 °C to 447.5 °C. Selected 800H and 800H-TMP samples were also irradiated up to 9.12 dpa at 359°C to 431°C. Vickers hardness measurement, fractography, and microstructural characterization were performed on the selected samples in the LAMDA lab. Radiation-induced hardening of NF616 and T91 was observed in the hardness measurements which show ~37% to ~65% increases, depending on irradiation dose and irradiation temperature. Within the irradiation conditions studied in this work, samples with a higher dose had a higher hardness. All the tested alloy 800H and 800H-TMP in this work showed irradiation-hardening by ~96±7% to ~152±10%. Alloy 800HTMP tended to have slightly smaller irradiation-hardening than alloy 800H. The fractography of NF616 samples D2 (2.96 dpa at 291.5°C), D4 (5.91 dpa at 359°C), and D6 (8.16 dpa at 431°C) indicated loss of ductility with negligible necking for the sample D2, yet obvious ductile failure for samples D4 and D6. Fractography of alloy 800H samples N4 (7.27 dpa at 359°C), N5 (3.9 dpa at 451.5°C), and N6 (9.01 dpa at 431°C), and alloy 800H-TMP samples P4 (7.36 dpa at 359°C), P5 (3.95 dpa at 451.5°C), and P6 (9.12 dpa at 431°C) indicated that all samples failed in a ductile mode, with obvious necking. Dimples were observed where large Ti-containing particles were observed for the samples. TEM characterization was performed on alloy 800H (N4, N5, N6) and 800H-TMP (P4, P5 and P6). Accumulation of M23C6 precipitates at grain boundaries was observed in all samples, and the presence of Ti(C,N) precipitates at grain boundaries and in the matrix was observed in alloy 800H-TMP. M23C6 precipitates were found to have the cube-on-cube orientation relationship with the matrix. In addition, nanoscale Si-rich clusters were observed in the matrix of all samples. Atom probe tomography was conducted on the same samples, and their results are being analyzed to be integrated with the TEM results for a confident description of the clustering behavior. Due to the low irradiation temperature (up to 451.5°C), dislocation loops formed in all samples, with the density and the average size of dislocation loops in the order of 1022 – 1023 m-3 and 11.7 – 15.9 nm, respectively. The loop densities in alloy 800H were higher than that in alloy 800H-TMP under the same irradiation conditions. Further systematic data analyses, together with some complementary experiments, will be pursued for these samples to foster peer-reviewed journal article publications.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

Scalable, Infiltration-Free Ceramic Matrix Composite (SIF-CMC) manufacturing for Molten Salt Receiver: Investigation of particle-loaded preceramic resin

Due to their unique combination of high temperature, corrosion resistance, and toughness, Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMC) are the optimal materials to be used in the next generation of Concentrated Solar Power (CSP), which will operate at working temperatures up to 800 °C. However, today, CMC is too costly to be used in CSP applications due to its complex manufacturing process based on repeated infiltration-pyrolysis cycles. To solve this issue, PARC is developing a scalable, infiltration-free method (SIF) to manufacture CMC, which can reduce the production cost, increase batch consistency, and leverage all of the intrinsic advantages of current CMCs. The key to the SIF method is using a flowable preceramic resin with high loading of functional components. The formulation impregnates the fiber during curing and leads to high-density, low-shrinkage parts upon pyrolysis. In this paper, we demonstrate a proof-of-concept of the SIF process and report the relationships between key process parameters in the manufacturing process: functional material loading in the resin vs. resin’s flowability and morphology changes upon pyrolysis.

ceramic matrix composite, concentrated solar power↗

Quantitative assessment of fitting errors associated with streak camera noise in Thomson scattering data analysis

Thomson scattering measurements in high energy density experiments are often recorded using optical streak cameras. In the low-signal regime, noise introduced by the streak camera can become an important and sometimes the dominant source of measurement uncertainty. In this paper, we present a formal method of accounting for the presence of streak camera noise in our measurements. We present a phenomenological description of the noise generation mechanisms and present a statistical model that may be used to construct the covariance matrix associated with a given measurement. This model is benchmarked against simulations of streak camera images. We demonstrate how this covariance may then be used to weight fitting of the data and provide quantitative assessments of the uncertainty in the fitting parameters determined by the best fit to the data and build confidence in the ability to make statistically significant measurements in the low-signal regime, where spatial correlations in the noise become apparent. These methods will have general applicability to other measurements made using optical streak cameras.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Experimental evaluation of localized creep deformation in grade 91 steel weldments

Spatially resolved measurement of localized creep deformation in heterogeneous creep resistant steel weldments is crucial but challenging for lifetime assessments of critical steam components in power plants. Here, experimental approaches were established to quantitatively evaluate commonly observed localized creep deformation in multi-pass Grade 91 steel weldments. An in-situ digital image correlation (DIC) system was utilized with a creep testing frame to monitor and measure both full-field strain and localized strain accumulation across the weldments during long-term creep testing at elevated temperatures. The in situ DIC method measured not only the creep deformation behavior of the weld metal, heat affected zone (HAZ), and base metal, but also creep strain evolution for each sub-region within the HAZ itself, including coarse-grained HAZ, fine-grained HAZ (FGHAZ), and intercritical HAZ (ICHAZ). The DIC results revealed that local creep strain in the ICHAZ reached up to 90% strain before final rupture, whereas nominal creep strain measured by the standard extensometer of the tested cross-weld specimen was below 10%, indicative of Type IV cracking of the Grade 91 weld. Microstructural analyses revealed that the faster creep degradation/deformation in the HAZ was caused mainly by accelerated matrix grain recrystallization/growth and a reduced pinning effect from the segregated and coarsened precipitates in the FGHAZ and ICHAZ. The ultimate creep rupture occurred in the ICHAZ owing to its lowest creep resistance induced by the largest recrystallized grain size, the lowest fraction of coincidence site lattice, and the lowest local strain energies/dislocation densities.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗