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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 1,099 records · Page 61
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1989

Fast molecular shocks. II - Emission from fast dissociative shocks

The line radiations emitted in the cooling gas behind a fast dissociative shock are studied. The intensities emitted in high rotational transitions of the neutral molecules CO, SiO, HCN, CN, NO, and SO are estimated, as well as in rovibrational transitions of the molecular ions HeH(+) and OH(+) in radio recombination lines of atomic hydrogen and in fine-structure transitions of C, C(+), O, and Si(+). The predictions are compared with the observed intensities of line emission from the Orion-KL region. For Orion-KL the observations do not exclude, but probably do not require, the presence of a fast dissociative shock. Emission from SiO in high-J rotational states and from vibrationally excited OH(+), HeH(+), HeH(+), and SO(+) may be detectable from dissociative shocks under suitable conditions of preshock density and shock velocity; such emission may prove to be a useful diagnostic probe of fast shock activity.

Neufeld, David A.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Closed-loop optimization of fast-charging protocols for batteries with machine learning

Simultaneously optimizing many design parameters in time-consuming experiments causes bottlenecks in a broad range of scientific and engineering disciplines. One such example is process and control optimization for lithium-ion batteries during materials selection, cell manufacturing and operation. A typical objective is to maximize battery lifetime; however, conducting even a single experiment to evaluate lifetime can take months to years. Furthermore, both large parameter spaces and high sampling variability necessitate a large number of experiments. As such, the key challenge is to reduce both the number and the duration of the experiments required. Here we develop and demonstrate a machine learning methodology to efficiently optimize a parameter space specifying the current and voltage profiles of six-step, ten-minute fast-charging protocols for maximizing battery cycle life, which can alleviate range anxiety for electric-vehicle users. We combine two key elements to reduce the optimization cost: an early-prediction model, which reduces the time per experiment by predicting the final cycle life using data from the first few cycles, and a Bayesian optimization algorithm, which reduces the number of experiments by balancing exploration and exploitation to efficiently probe the parameter space of charging protocols. Using this methodology, we rapidly identify high-cycle-life charging protocols among 224 candidates in 16 days (compared with over 500 days using exhaustive search without early prediction), and subsequently validate the accuracy and efficiency of our optimization approach. Our closed-loop methodology automatically incorporates feedback from past experiments to inform future decisions and can be generalized to other applications in battery design and, more broadly, other scientific domains that involve time-intensive experiments and multi-dimensional design spaces.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
NASA NTRS1989

Fast molecular shocks. I - Reformation of molecules behind a dissociative shock

The physical and chemical processes that operate in the cooling gas behind a fast, dissociative, single-fluid shock propagating in a dense interstellar cloud are discussed. The treatment extends previous theoretical work on fast molecular shocks by including the effects of the conversion of Ly-alpha photons into radiation of the two-photon continuum and into H2 Lyman band emission lines, the effects of CO photodissociation following line absorption, and the formation and destruction of molecules containing the elements nitrogen, silicon, and sulphur, and of the complex hydrocarbons. Abundance profiles for the molecular species of interest are presented. After molecular hydrogen begins to reform, by means of gas phase and grain surface processes, the neutral species OH, H2O, O2, CO, CN, HCN, N2, NO, SO, and SiO reach substantial abundances. The molecular ions HeH(+), OH(+), SO(+), CH(+), H2(+), and H3(+), are produced while the gas is still hot and partially ionized. Emissions from them provide a possible diagnostic probe of fast molecular shocks.

Neufeld, David A.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Ponderomotive Force and Lower Hybrid Turbulence Effects in Space Plasmas Subjected to Large-Amplitude Low-Frequency Waves

In the auroral region, simultaneous occurrences of upward-flowing ions and field-aligned electrons have been observed by the Viking satellite. The occurrence is strongly correlated with large amplitude low frequency fluctuations of the electric field. Large-amplitude shear Alfven waves have also been observed by sounding rockets in the auroral ionosphere. When such LF waves are propagating in a plasma, a ponderomotive force and other types of waves are produced which may lead to significant effects on the plasma. This force is directed toward decreasing density, providing the electromagnetic lift of the background plasma and an increase of collisionless plasma expansion. We find that even for modest wave strengths, the influence on the outflowing oxygen ions can be dramatic, increasing the high-altitude density by orders of magnitude. It is also demonstrated that large-amplitude low-frequency waves (LFW) may generate lower hybrid waves (LHW) in the auroral zone. The excitation of LHW by a LF wave may lead to the appearance of an additional channel of energy transfer from, for example, Alfven or fast magnetosonic waves, to particles. This process then influences the formation of the plasma distribution function at the expense of acceleration in the tail of the distribution during the collapse of the LHW. The ion energization due to the LHW can be comparable with that produced by the ponderomotive force of the LFW. It is shown that the LH turbulence leads to equalization of the ponderomotive acceleration of the different ion species. The mechanism of LHW excitation due to the oxygen ion relative drift in a plasma subjected to low-frequency waves is used for analysis of Viking satellite data for events in the cusp/cleft region. It is found that, in some cases, such a mechanism leads to LHW energy densities and ion distribution functions close to those observed.

Khazanov, G. V.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Distinct Dynamics of Lithium Intercalation and Plating on Graphite Anode for Li‐Ion Batteries in eVTOL Applications

In the absence of viable high-energy-density battery alternatives, lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries remain essential for enabling electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) platforms in advanced air mobility. Unlike Li-ion batteries used in electric vehicles and portable electronics, eVTOL battery systems operate under distinct high-power demands, which necessitate an independent assessment of material degradation mechanisms. This study presents a case analysis of graphite anode evolution under high-power cycling conditions. The findings reveal lithium entrapment within graphite particles, potentially resulting from incomplete Li-ion de-intercalation during a high-rate discharge event that is characteristic of eVTOL take-off and landing. This phenomenon leads to a progressive reduction in graphite-specific capacity and, over time, promotes lithium metal plating on the anode. Notably, the Li-metal plating observed in this study differs from that associated with fast-charging conditions, as it is primarily governed by concentration polarization-induced overpotential in the latter case. In conclusion, these findings highlight the inherent challenges of utilizing graphite in high-power Li-ion battery applications and elucidate the unique degradation mechanisms that arise due to the sluggish reaction kinetics of Li-ion intercalation and de-intercalation within graphite.

Li plating↗
DOE OSTI2021

Early reactivity of sodium silicate-activated slag pastes and its impact on rheological properties

The fast loss of fluidity of sodium silicate-activated slag (SS-AAS) systems have been widely studied in the literature. In this study, the rheology of these cements has been correlated with the evolution of the reaction products formed over time. For this purpose, a combination of experimental characterization techniques, to study the pore solution composition and microstructure of SS-AAS pastes and thermodynamic calculations have been applied. The initial precipitation of ill-defined N-A-S-H and C-N-A-S-H producta leads to a fast increase of the storage modulus after 40 min of reaction. These products are formed from the reaction of the Na{sup +} ions and silicate ions of the activator with the Ca{sup 2+} and aluminate species dissolved from the slag. However, when a shear is applied, the structure breaks down and fluidity is recovered, that infers that the attractive forces between the particles are low at the early stages of hydration.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Drift kinetic electrostatic simulations of the edge localized mode heat pulse

In the present work, electrostatic drift kinetic simulations of parallel plasma transport within the tokamak scrape-off layer (SOL) are conducted using the COGENT code. The SOL configuration is represented in one-dimensional slab geometry, incorporating a heat source localized in the midplane. The heat source parameters correspond to those characterizing edge-localized modes observed in the Joint European Torus (JET) tokamak. The numerical model includes kinetic treatment of both ions and electrons, a simplified model for the gyrokinetic Poisson equation that allows one to step over short time scales associated with fast electrostatic shear Alfvèn waves, and the logical sheath boundary condition (LSBC) that enforces global system quasineutrality. A third-order accurate LSBC is derived to be consistent with the third-order accurate upwind advection scheme utilized in the code, and it was shown to noticeably impact the simulation results, especially parallel heat flux at the target plate. The findings of this study are in agreement with results from preceding fluid and kinetic simulations.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

RF Harmonic Kicker R&D Demonstration and Its Application to the RCS Injection of the EIC

The Rapid Cycling Synchrotron (RCS) of the Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) is an accelerating component of the electron injection complex, which provides polarized electrons in electron-ion collisions in the main Electron Storage Ring (ESR). We present the injection scheme into the RCS based on an ultra-fast harmonic kicker, whose "five odd-harmonic modes" prototype was developed in the context of the Jefferson Lab EIC (JLEIC) conceptual design. In its early stage of R&D, the sharp (~3 ns width) waveform construction, beam dynamics, and pulsed power operation with short ramping time (~10 us) will be discussed together with the fabrication work of the JLEIC prototype.

Park, G. -T.↗
NASA NTRS1971

Energy deposition in parallel-plate plasma accelerators

To appraise the ratio of energy deposition into kinetic and thermal modes in plasma accelerators, a parallel-plate plasma accelerator has been operated in the quasi-steady mode with current pulses in the range of 10 to 100 kilo-amperes (kA), durations of the order of one millisecond, and argon mass flows up to 100 grams/sec. From photographic observations, spectroscopic measurements of velocity and electron density, and pressure measurements with a fast-rise piezoelectric transducer it is found that, for currents between 50 and 90 kA, the accelerated argon plasma is supersonic with ion velocities of 5 to 6 kilometers/sec.

Dicapua, M. S.↗
NASA NTRS1987

The joint NASA/Goddard-University of Maryland research program in charged particle and high energy photon detector technology

The first measurements of Fe charge states in two coronal hole-association high speed streams, using the sensor on ISEE-3, are presented. Eight event intervals from the January to June 1983 timeframe were chosen for the study of magnetotail dynamics and its relationship to substorm activity and the possible formation of plasmoids. Techniques are being explored for measurement of secondary electrons which are characteristically emitted when ions hit a target material. Efforts are continuing to understand kilometer wavelength shock associated radio events. An all-sky survey of fast X-ray transients of duration of 5 to 10,000 s was completed. Research using high resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy of celestial sources in the 20 keV to 20 MeV range to search for and study narrow lines in low-energy gamma-ray spectrum continues. Research in high energy radiation from pulsars is being conducted.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1990

Multiple-Dynode-Layer Microchannel Plate

Improved microchannel-plate electron image amplifier made of stack of discrete microchannel-plate layers. New plates easier to manufacture because no need to etch long, narrow holes, to draw and bundle thin glass tubes, or to shear plates to give microchannels curvatures necessary for reduction of undesired emission of ions. Discrete dynode layers stacked with slight offset from layer to layer to form microchannel plate with curved channels. Provides for relatively fast recharging of microchannel dynodes, with consequent enhancement of performance.

Woodgate, Bruce E.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Ion mixing in the plasma sheet boundary layer by drift instabilities

The linear stability properties of collisionless drift instabilities are analyzed in a Harris equilibrium model of the plasma sheet boundary layer (PSBL). The strearmng ions with drift-type instabilities driven in the PSBL are considered. The fluid approximation leads to growth but predicts that the mode width approaches the gyroradius of the energetic ions. Thus an integral equation theory for the modes is developed taking into account that in the PSBL the curvature drift is weak compared with the grad-B drift. The exact wave particle resonance is kept in the nonlocal response functions. Plasma density, temperature, and magnetic gradient drift motions are taken into account. The drift modes produce an anomalous cross-field momentum transport mixing the PSBL ions on the time scale of tens of seconds. A nonlinear simulation is performed which shows the coalescence of the small scale, fast growing modes into large-scale vortices. The relation between these collective modes and plasma sheet transport phenomena is discussed including the comparison with the competing plasma mixing from single-particle stochasticity.

Horton, W.↗
NASA NTRS2006

The Distant Magnetotail Under Long Duration, Very Northward IMF Conditions: October 22-24, 2003

A unique 32 hour interval of very northward Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) on October 22-24, 2003 created a exceptionally thick cold dense magnetotail plasma sheet, a small polar cap and accompanying small tail lobe. These features were detected by the Cluster DMSP and FAST spacecraft and modeled by a global simulation as described in papers by Oieroset et al. (2005) and Li et al. (2005). During the same interval the Wind spacecraft was passing through the center of the magnetotail about 130 Re downstream of Earth. Wind results will be described that reveal a very unusual magnetotail characterized by (1) continual tailward flow of 200-400 km/s with densities in the range 0.2-3/cc, both of whch are clearly less than those expected in the magnetosheath, (2) a mostly northward Bz but with a predominant Bx field component with sign reversals indicating crossings between the two hemispheres of the tail, and (3) velocity waves superposed on the downstream flow with peak-to-peak amplitudes of 100 to 200 km/s, periods of 10 to 20 minutes and clockwise polarization. Low altitude DMSP and Fast measurements reveal an auroral oval with enhanced latitudinal thickness and a small polar cap filled with structured precipitzting electrons and few ions. A new global MHD simulation of the event exhibits a highly elliptical tail of diminished cross-section at 130 Re with major axis aligned with the northward IMF. The tail current sheet also tends to be aligned in a north-south direction with the two tail hemispheres to the east and west with their polarities depending on prior history of the IMF. The simulation appears to be consistent with many, but not all, of the observations. High latitude cusp reconnection and subsequent downtail flow of closed field lines may explain the tail structure, but the waves are more likely due to the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability often thought to occur during northward IMF conditions.

Fairfield, Donald H.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Machinable, high‐conductivity NaSICON through mitigation of humidity effects during solid‐state synthesis

The Na + super ion conductor (NaSICON, Na 1+x Zr 2 Si x P 3-x O 12 ) is a solid electrolyte well-known for fast, selective Na + transport at low temperatures, uniquely enabling sodium-based batteries. Producing high-quality NaSICON from solid-state methods, especially when cost-effective, potentially hygroscopic precursors are used, is not trivial. To understand and eliminate the influence of humidity during processing, a scheme was developed to reproducibly yield a high Na + conductivity (3.75 mS/cm at 25°C, 81.7 mS/cm at 150°C), high density (97%), and machinable NaSICON without the use of binders, sintering aids, or dopants. Controlled humidity studies over 20%–50% RH coupled with thermal, structural, and electrical analysis reveal that calcination temperatures < 1000°C leave NaSICON processing susceptible to water absorption at > 20% RH due to the presence of hygroscopic Na 3 PO 4 and Na 2 CO 3 during shaping, pressing, and sintering. Water absorption results in NaSICON with lower densities, machinability, and Na+ conductivity, due to impaired intergranular Na+ transport. At the other extreme, fully converting precursor to the NaSICON phase at 1230°C before pressing and sintering leads to poor conductivity and density. By calcining at 1000°C, excellent quality NaSICON may be produced under a range of laboratory environments, enabling low-cost production of high-conductivity, machinable NaSICON necessary the ever-growing energy storage market.

NaSICON↗
DOE OSTI2024

Moderate active Fe 3+ doping enables improved cationic and anionic redox reactions for wide-voltage-range sodium storage

Layered metal oxides are promising cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) due to their high theoretical specific capacity and wide Na + diffusion channels. However, the irreversible phase transitions and cationic/anionic redoxes cause fast capacity decay. Herein, P2-type Na 0.67 Mg 0.1 Mn 0.8 Fe 0.1 O 2 (NMMF-1) cathode material with moderate active Fe 3+ doping has been designed for sodium storage. Uneven Mn 3+ /Mn 4+ distribution is observed in NMMF-1 and the introduction of Fe 3+ is beneficial for reducing the Mn 3+ contents both at the surface and in the bulk to alleviate the Jahn–Teller effect. The moderate Fe 3+ /Fe 4+ redox can realize the best tradeoff between capacity and cyclability. Therefore, the NMMF-1 demonstrates a high capacity (174.7 mAh g -1 at 20 mA g -1 ) and improved cyclability (78.5% over 100 cycles) in a wide-voltage range of 1.5–4.5 V (vs. Na + /Na). In-situ X-ray diffraction reveals a complete solid-solution reaction with a small volume change of 1.7% during charge/discharge processes and the charge compensation is disclosed in detail. This study will provide new insights into designing high-capacity and stable layered oxide cathode materials for SIBs.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
NASA NTRS1995

The microscopic state of the solar wind: Links between composition, velocity distributions, waves and turbulence

An overview is given of the microscopic state of the solar wind with emphasis on recent Ulysses high-latitude observations and previous Helios in-ecliptic observations. The possible links between composition, ionization state. velocity distribution functions of electrons, protons and heavy ions. kinetic plasma waves and MHD-scale turbulence are elaborated. Emphasis is placed on a connection of interplanetary kinetic-scale phenomena with their generating microscopic processes in the corona. The fast streams seem to consist of mesoscale pressure-balanced plasma filaments and magnetic flux tubes, reminiscent of the supergranular-size structures building the open corona, from which copious Alfven waves emanate. The wind from the magnetically structured and active corona shows developed compressive turbulence and considerable abundance and ionization state variations. Some modelling attempts to explain the observed element fractionation are briefly reviewed. The causes of the nonthermal particle features. such as proton-ion differential streaming, ion beams. temperature anisotropies, and skewed distributions associated with collisionless heat conduction, are ultimately to be searched in the fact, that the corona is never quiescent but fundamentally variable in space and time. Consequently, the radial evolution of the internal state of the wind resembles at all latitudes a complicated relaxation process, in the course of which the free (in comparison with LTE conditions) particle kinetic energy is converted into plasma waves and MHD turbulence on a wide range of scales. This leads to intermittent wave-particle interactions and unsteady anomalous transport, mixed with the weak effects of the rare Coulomb collisions. Spherical expansion and large-scale inhomogeneity forces the wind to attain microscopically a complex internal state of dynamic statistical equilibrium.

Marsch, E.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Evaluation of Pulse Counting for the Mars Organic Mass Analyzer (MOMA) Ion Trap Detection Scheme

The Mars Organic Mass Analyzer is being developed at Goddard Space Flight Center to identify organics and possible biological compounds on Mars. In the process of characterizing mass spectrometer size, weight, and power consumption, the use of pulse counting was considered for ion detection. Pulse counting has advantages over analog-mode amplification of the electron multiplier signal. Some advantages are reduced size of electronic components, low power consumption, ability to remotely characterize detector performance, and avoidance of analog circuit noise. The use of pulse counting as a detection method with ion trap instruments is relatively rare. However, with the recent development of high performance electrical components, this detection method is quite suitable and can demonstrate significant advantages over analog methods. Methods A prototype quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer with an internal electron ionization source was used as a test setup to develop and evaluate the pulse-counting method. The anode signal from the electron multiplier was preamplified. The an1plified signal was fed into a fast comparator for pulse-level discrimination. The output of the comparator was fed directly into a Xilinx FPGA development board. Verilog HDL software was written to bin the counts at user-selectable intervals. This system was able to count pulses at rates in the GHz range. The stored ion count nun1ber per bin was transferred to custom ion trap control software. Pulse-counting mass spectra were compared with mass spectra obtained using the standard analog-mode ion detection. Prelin1inary Data Preliminary mass spectra have been obtained for both analog mode and pulse-counting mode under several sets of instrument operating conditions. Comparison of the spectra revealed better peak shapes for pulse-counting mode. Noise levels are as good as, or better than, analog-mode detection noise levels. To artificially force ion pile-up conditions, the ion trap was overfilled and ions were ejected at very high scan rates. Pile-up of ions was not significant for the ion trap under investigation even though the ions are ejected in so-called 'ion-micro packets'. It was found that pulse counting mode had higher dynamic range than analog mode, and that the first amplification stage in analog mode can distort mass peaks. The inherent speed of the pulse counting method also proved to be beneficial to ion trap operation and ion ejection characterization. Very high scan rates were possible with pulse counting since the digital circuitry response time is so much smaller than with the analog method. Careful investigation of the pulse-counting data also allowed observation of the applied resonant ejection frequency during mass analysis. Ejection of ion micro packets could be clearly observed in the binned data. A second oscillation frequency, much lower than the secular frequency, was also observed. Such an effect was earlier attributed to the oscillation of the total plasma cloud in the ion trap. While the components used to implement pulse counting are quite advanced, due to their prevalence in consumer electronics, the cost of this detection system is no more than that of an analog mode system. Total pulse-counting detection system electronics cost is under $250

Van Amerom, Friso H.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Rapid failure mode classification and quantification in batteries: A deep learning modeling framework

Unique, rapid identification and quantification of the dominant aging modes in lithium-ion batteries (LiBs) with early and non-specialized test data is a significant scientific challenge. Leveraging synthetic-data, deep-learning (DL) techniques have great potential to enable fast and robust classification and quantification of battery aging modes that produce different patterns of cell aging. This study, for the first time, presents a synthetic–data-based DL modeling framework for rapid and automatic classification and quantification of battery-aging modes and resultant aging with experimental validation. Availing synthetic dQ.dV -1 curves for ~26000 initial conditions and aging modes, the framework classified the dominant aging modes, for cells undergoing fast charge, in fewer than 100 cycles. Upon classification, the framework quantified the evolution of the aging modes, which were often nonuniform with cycling, for 22 gr/NMC532 pouch cells tested up to 600 cycles at different charging rates (1C–9C).

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗