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At least 1,135 records · Page 63
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Chapter 10 - Thermal Energy Harvesting Using Thermomagnetic Effect

Low-grade thermal energy, either in the form of waste heat or nature heat, is available abundantly around us. Since Carnot efficiency reduces with decrease in operating temperature difference, there are very limited practical options for low-grade thermal energy conversion. Thermomagnetic effect is the effect of heat on magnetic properties of a material. This phenomenon can be used to generate electricity using either direct thermal to electrical energy conversion or indirect thermal to mechanical energy conversion. This chapter provides a broad overview of various aspects of thermomagnetic energy conversion. We first explain the working principle behind the thermomagnetic energy harvesting. We then formulate mathematical equations needed to calculate the work output and energy conversion efficiency of a thermomagnetic cycle. Based on this formulation, we provide a list of working materials that can be employed in the thermomagnetic harvesters. At last, we describe various thermomagnetic harvesters proposed in the literature.

ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION↗
DOE OSTI2021

Tool-workpiece stick-slip conditions and their effects on torque and heat generation rate in the friction stir welding

Friction stir welding (FSW) has found increased applications in automotive and aerospace industries due to its advantages of solid-state bonding, no fusion and melting, and versatility in various working conditions and material combinations. However, the relationship among processing parameters, material properties, and bonding extent and fidelity remains largely empirical, primarily because of the lack of the mechanistic understanding of the tool-workpiece frictional behavior that affects our subsequent understanding of microstructural evolution and interface bonding formation. While the tool-workpiece stick-slip condition is believed to dictate the resulting torque and heat generation rate during the welding process, it remains rare and elusive to conduct a quantitative experimental measurement of such interfacial field. On the other hand, numerical simulations based on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) rely on ad hoc assumptions of interfacial pressure and shear-stress conditions, but predictions can only be validated via the medium- and far-range temperature field which is known to be insensitive to the interfacial frictional behavior. This work first presents a comparison among two CFD-based simulation methodologies and the Coupled Eulerian Lagrangian (CEL) model in finite element method, the last of which uses the Coulomb friction so that the stick-slip is naturally developed. Based on the Hill-Bower similarity relationship in the contact analysis, an analytical model is developed here to prove why a constant stick-slip fraction will be developed in the steady state, to correlate the stick-slip fraction to processing parameters such as the tool spin rate, and further to derive dimensionless functions for torque and heat-generation-rate predictions. Pros and cons of various numerical approaches in predicting stick-slip are discussed, and our analytical model has been found to agree well with our numerical simulation and literature experimental results. These analyses provide the critical strain-rate and temperature fields that are needed for the bonding analysis in our future work.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Resonant interaction between phonons and PbTe/PbSe (001) misfit dislocation networks

Here this work aims at a quantitative and mechanistic understanding of the dynamic process of the phonon-dislocation interaction in PbTe/PbSe (001) heterostructures using the Concurrent Atomistic-Continuum (CAC) method as the simulation tool. The misfit dislocation network and the atomic-scale dislocation core structure obtained in the simulations are found to agree reasonably well with the experimental observations of the PbTe/PbSe (001) interface. Through visualizing the dynamic interaction between phonons and dislocations, as well as quantifying the dislocation vibration amplitude, the phonon energy transmission, and the thermal resistance of the misfit interfaces, this work has illustrated and quantified two mechanisms for phonon-dislocation interaction: (1) phonon scattering by the strain field of dislocations, and (2) phonon scattering by dislocations that vibrate via the local modes of a dislocation network; the latter, leads to resonant phonon-dislocation interaction, which is manifested as local maxima of out-of-phase vibration of the atoms on the two sides of the slip plane, leading to local minima of the energy transmission in the heterostructure that contains one interface. The local vibrational modes are found to be excited only by shear stress induced by transverse phonons. Among various resonant modes, the one with the lowest frequency has the strongest effect. This work has also demonstrated the collective motion of dislocations under ultrafast phonon pulses. In addition, the dynamic properties of the misfit dislocation network localized within one interface are found to be significantly altered by the presence of misfit dislocations at other interfaces, thus further confirming the cooperative dynamic nature of the motion of dislocations and phonons.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Strong interfaces: the key to high strength in nano metallic laminates

Excellent mechanical properties of nanomaterials are usually attributed to their nanoscale feature size and high-density interfaces. This work explores the effects of intrinsic interface properties on mechanical properties of nano metallic laminates (NMLs). We show that the interface strength significantly affects the mechanical properties of NMLs. Via in situ mechanical testing and characterization, we investigate the deformation behavior and concurrent microstructure evolution in NMLs with four types of dissimilar interfaces. Our results show that the strength and deformation behaviors of NMLs are largely determined by interface strength. Strong interfaces can simultaneously increase the strength, work hardening capability, and deformability of NMLs. In conclusion, this work brings new insight into the design of advanced metallic materials through tuning of interface properties.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Grain boundary solute segregation across the 5D space of crystallographic character

Solute segregation in materials with grain boundaries (GBs) has emerged as a popular method to thermodynamically stabilize nanocrystalline structures. However, the impact of varied GB crystallographic character on solute segregation has never been thoroughly examined. Here, this work examines Co solute segregation in a dataset of 7272 Al bicrystal GBs that span the 5D space of GB crystallographic character. Considerable attention is paid to verification of the calculations in the diverse and large set of GBs. In addition, the results of this work are favorably validated against similar bicrystal and polycrystal simulations. As with other work, we show that Co atoms exhibit strong segregation to sites in Al GBs and that segregation correlates strongly with GB energy and GB excess volume. Segregation varies smoothly in the 5D crystallographic space but has a complex landscape without an obvious functional form.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Anisotropic structure in a vapor-deposited Pd-based metallic glass

The understanding of the structure of amorphous solids beyond nearest-neighbors has long been sought after. While recent works have demonstrated evidence for medium-range ordering and its importance for the physical properties of glassy systems, few have investigated mesoscopic structural correlations beyond a few nanometers. In this work, combining X-ray nano-diffraction with high-energy X-ray total scattering with a small focus, we have not only found structural anisotropy in a vapor-deposited Pd 77.5 Cu 6 Si 16.5 metallic glass sample which appears to show two distinct and well-defined structures in different directions, but also obtained detailed characterizations of this anisotropic structure in real space. Upon annealing, the sample loses the long-range anisotropy, and at the same time, it appears to densify with a contraction of higher-order coordination shells. In light of recent works, our results may indicate a transition between two structures in the sample with different densities, medium-range ordering, and degrees of anisotropy. We expect these results to be relevant to a larger family of metallic glass systems, where similar discoveries may be made with the use of high-quality, small-focus X-ray beams.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

The structure and migration of twin boundaries in tetragonal β -Sn: An application of machine learning based interatomic potentials

Although atomistic simulations have contributed significantly to our understanding of twin boundary structure and migration in metals and alloys with hexagonal close packed (HCP) crystal structures, few direct atomistic studies of twinning have been conducted for other types of low symmetry materials, in large part due to a lack of reliable interatomic potentials. In this work, we examine twin boundary structure and migration in a tetragonal material, β-Sn, comparing high resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) images of deformation twins in β-Sn to the results of direct atomistic simulations using multiple interatomic potentials. ML-based potentials developed in this work are found to give results consistent with our experimental data, revealing faceted twin boundary structures formed by the nucleation and motion of twinning disconnections. We use bicrystallographic methods in combination with atomistic simulations to analyze the structure, energy and shear coupled migration of observed twin facets in β-Sn. In analogy to Prismatic-Basal (PB/BP) interfaces in HCP metals, we discover low energy asymmetric Prismatic-A-plane (PA/AP) interfaces important to twin growth in β-Sn. Finally, a Moment Tensor Potential (MTP) and Rapid Artificial Neural Network (RANN) interatomic potential suitable for studying twinning and phase transformations in Sn are made publicly available as part of this work.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Thermal characterization of the build chamber in electron beam melting

Electron beam powder bed fusion, commonly termed electron beam melting (EBM), offers great versatility in multiple-part processes and can produce high quality as-built components due to low residual stresses. The EBM process is complex and requires careful thermal management, including uniform and consistent preheating of the powder bed, in order to ensure quality and consistency of the product. However, most of the simulations in the literature focus on the selective melting stage of the process. As of today, optimal conditions for initial pre-heating temperatures are only available for specific materials. Thus, in order to extend the EBM technology to other desired build materials, a much better understanding of the pre-heating stages is required. In this work, numerical and experimental approaches are combined in order to investigate the effects and sensitivities of heat removal from the build plate during EBM pre-heating stages. For this purpose, a carefully reconstructed numerical model of the build chamber of an ARCAM Q20 + machine is developed. It includes all main parts of the chamber and all relevant heat transfer mechanisms, whereas special attention is paid to radiation heat exchange between various bodies. In order to validate the model, dedicated experiments are performed, in which a system of thermocouples is installed in the build chamber, allowing direct measurement of the local temperatures of the start-plate and heat shields. A good agreement between the simulation and experimental findings is achieved, leading to a better understanding of the thermal processes characteristic to the pre-heating stages. This basic analysis is followed by a representative pre-heating case, where a powder bed is also considered. The energy required to obtain the desired pre-heating temperatures is evaluated, and the role of the powder bed in heat transfer within the chamber is assessed. The pre-heating stage, simulated in the present work, is supposed to create proper conditions for sintering and consequent melting of the powder, which are highly dependent on the local temperatures and heat transfer features. Thus, the findings of the reported work present a step towards a better understanding of the thermal processes that characterize EBM. The reported model can be further used to provide realistic boundary condition inputs for other meso- or macro-scale models as a function of time and geometry. The model can serve also for verification of machine settings, i.e., jump-safe and melt-safe ones which actually provide desired preheat, and for development of settings for new powders.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Scale-dependent enhancement of productivity and stability in xenic Nannochloropsis cultures

Although bacterial amendments can enhance algal productivity and stability, the development of algal-bacteria consortia for commercial-scale utilization is limited. Here, for this work, we used an established high-throughput approach to generate algal-bacteria consortia, and tested consortia performance at spatial scales from microplates to 320 L raceway ponds. We used both lab and field-reared strains of Nannochloropsis oceanica to build consortia. In some experiments, we imposed environmental perturbations to test the ability of bacteria to enhance algal culture stability. In repeated assays at the scale of well plates, flasks, and bioreactors, strong effects of bacterial amendments on N. oceanica were observed. These effects were most dramatic when cultures experienced stressors such as temperature perturbations or removal of CO 2 augmentation. Isolates that were advanced for field testing included species in the genera Algoriphagus, Oceanicaulis, and Marinobacter. When consortia were generated in the field, positive effects of bacterial amendments were not observed. The amended bacteria were outcompeted, and bacterial community composition across treatments converged after the first grow out. These results highlight the complexity of using consortia in open systems, where interactions between the existing bacterial community, inoculated bacteria, and changing environmental conditions are layered upon other differences in scale and cultivation regimes. Moreover, functionally redundant bacteria are likely present in the field. Following this work, we hypothesize that tight interactions (e.g., obligate relationships between partners) will scale more predictably to outdoor systems. We suggest relying on true synthetic ecological approaches in which the relationships between bacteria and algae partners are well understood, or synthetic ecological approaches coupled with high throughput approaches to design and test consortia. We also recommend future work to examine the effect of algae-bacteria inoculation ratios on productivity and stability, track dynamics of partners through time, and manage ponds to retain beneficial symbioses.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Impact of Grain Size on Performance Degradation of TREAT LEU

We argue that radiation damage induced degradation of thermal conductivity does not set a lower limit on fuel grain sizes for the low enriched uranium fuel design of the Transient Reactor Test Facility (TREAT). Earlier work reports that smaller grains cause a larger degradation of thermal conductivity than larger grains constraining the smallest feasible size of fuel grains. This work assesses TREAT’s transient performance in the presence of radiation damage. The difference between the two studies is in treating damaged and fresh graphite as serial (this work) or parallel (previous) heat resistors. We use a multiphysics model of TREAT fuel grains to compute the reduction in transient capability measured by the total deposited energy as a function of irradiation dose. We find that radiation damage has a negligible effect on energy deposition.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Strategies for regeneration of Pt-alloy catalysts supported on silica for propane dehydrogenation

Catalyst stability, resistance to deactivation, and regeneration remain a challenge for high temperature reaction processes. For Pt alloys used in propane dehydrogenation (PDH), the primary pathways of catalyst deactivation include coke formation and metal nanoparticle sintering over time. Recent work shows that silica-supported catalysts provide excellent selectivity for this reaction, but the regenerability of silica-supported catalysts has not been established. In this work, we study a series of Pt alloys, including PtMn, PtZn, and PtSn, for the PDH reaction at 550 °C and 600 °C, and we subject the catalysts to regeneration over multiple cycles. While oxidation in air restores the reactivity completely with minimal catalyst sintering, it is surprising to find that these catalysts can also be regenerated in pure hydrogen. Here we explore the types of coke formed on these catalysts using in situ temperature programmed oxidation (TPO). Two types of coke are found: one on the metallic NP surface, and a second on the silica support. Our work shows that treatment in hydrogen causes redistribution of the coke between the metal and support, which can restore most catalytic activity lost during a reaction run. Finally, periodic introduction of H 2 during a reaction cycle may constitute an unexplored strategy for extending the lifetime of PDH catalysts.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Timing Value of Marine Renewable Energy Resources for Potential Grid Applications

In this paper, the applicability of marine renewable energy for potential grid applications is presented. We show that many of the unique value streams from marine-based electricity generation stem from their inherent temporal characteristics, especially when compared to wind and solar. Specifically, in this work, we evaluate the timing value for three types of marine energy resources - (a) tidal (b) wave and (c) ocean currents. Firstly, through a suite of novel metrics such as resource availability, persistence and versatility, we evaluate the temporal value characteristics of these resources. Secondly, through a more grid-oriented numerical study, we comment on the potential ramifications of those temporal characteristics in context of energy balancing and effective load carrying capability, for one marine-based resource i.e. wave. Subsequently, we further our understanding of the relative advantages which may be leveraged by operating wave-based generation resources in tandem with more established renewable choices, such as solar and wind. Our results indicate that compared to wind and solar, marine energy resources are consistently more available and persistent on an hourly level, throughout an entire year of operation. In addition to this, wave resources are also seen to reduce both the magnitudes and the degree of volatility in balancing requirements within the power system. Our work not only focuses on sites specific to the Unites States (US), but also includes a parallel study for a location in Great Britain (GB). Results are found to be consistent for sites in both the US and GB, implying that the grid benefits discussed in this work could apply to a number of locations globally.

Bhattacharya, Saptarshi↗
DOE OSTI2021

Managing the techno-economic impacts of partial string failure in multistring energy storage systems

The role of energy storage systems (ESSs) is becoming increasingly important for today’s electric power systems. Unavailability of an ESS assigned to critical grid services may cause unwanted disruption of those services and hence, may have a significant techno-economic impact. Like any physical equipment, an ESS is vulnerable to various types of faults. Failure of one or more strings in a multistring ESS does not have to be the cause of shutting down the entire ESS. It can still operate with a partial number of strings and continue providing critical services to the grid, if there are no reliability or safety issues and is acceptable under applicable standards. However, it is important to make sure that the control strategies are adaptable to the changes in ESS capacity caused by failed strings. Also, depending on the previous operation and type of failure, the reallocation of duty cycle burden among available strings could be non-uniform. These complexities suggest that mitigation of the impact of partial failure in multistring ESSs is not trivial and needs careful consideration. This is the topic of this paper. The proposed work investigates the impact of partial failure of a large multistring ESS on the assigned service and develops strategies to adjust the ESS control duty cycles for reducing such impacts. In doing so, the paper proposes a novel two-stage framework that plans for the multistring failure using robust optimization theory and then adjusts in real-time using a rule-based algorithm, based on the real-time information on the power availability of the string. Illustrations provided in this work are based on frequency regulation use-case, which is a common application for many utility-scale ESSs. A 750 kilowatt (kW)/1500 kilowatt-hour (kWh) 3-string ESS is used for the demonstration in this work and the efficacy of the proposed method is demonstrated and compared against methods that do not incorporate string failure in their strategy. In particular, here we show that revenue loss of 93% can be incurred when partial string failure is not included in operation and planning. These losses in revenue are reduced by 60% with the proposed method.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Energy and power quality measurement for electrical distribution in AC and DC microgrid buildings

Today's selection of DC microgrid buildings features a diverse set of electrical topologies and turnkey solutions, each with specific design trade-offs and optimizations. Designers desperately need standardized metrics and procedures for measurement and verification (M&V) to analyze and compare the advantages of each DC solution to traditional AC building networks. This work develops M&V procedures for quantifying and comparing the energy efficiency and power quality in buildings. To calculate full-building efficiency, this work introduces the measurement-informed modeling method, a procedure that develops and refines a building's energy model with metered data. To quantify power quality, this work defines a new voltage quality index that applies to both AC and DC buildings. This article describes the equipment, instrumentation, and operation necessary to calculate the efficiency and power quality. It then demonstrates these methods with a set of field tests. We report these M&V procedures can ultimately be used to compare and improve the efficiency and power quality of various DC topologies.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2022

Application of a Novel Heat Pump Model for Estimating Economic Viability and Barriers of Heat Pumps in Dairy Applications in the United States

Heat pumps represent an important opportunity for energy savings and decarbonization. This work investigates the techno-economic performance of high-temperature heat pumps (HTHPs) for use in the U.S. dairy industry. The studied heat pump performs a 50 °C temperature lift on a waste heat stream of cleaning water and applies the upgraded heat stream to a fluid milk pasteurization process. This work involved the creation of a HTHP model that estimated the coefficient of performance (COP), internal rate of return (IRR), net present value (NPV), and payback period (PBP), and emissions saved for a heat pump replacing a natural gas boiler. Capital costs, operations, and maintenance (O&M) cost, heat pump lifetime, electricity prices, natural gas prices, and a cost of carbon were varied to perform a parametric study on the factors affecting the break-even price of HTHPs. The results show that HTHP economics are highly sensitive to COP and energy price environment, and less sensitive to capital and O&M cost variance, leading to a large scatter of positive and negative NPVs based on U.S. location. PBPs demonstrate a defined threshold, based on energy price environment, below which favorable two-to-three-year PBPs predominate. This work is focused on the U.S. dairy industry, but international application in relation to fossil vs. electricity price regimes. Heat pumps have seen wider adoption in regions with a high ratio of fossil energy to electricity prices ($/MMBTU vs. $/kWh). The U.S. has plentiful natural gas resulting in lower fossil energy prices which has reduced heat pump adoption. This paper identifies potential first mover industries for HTHP adoption and their associated price regimes even in regions with lower ratios of fossil energy to electricity prices that exist many places globally.

ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION,↗
DOE OSTI2022

COVID-19 impacts on residential occupancy schedules and activities in U.S. Homes in 2020 using ATUS

Many aspects of the daily lives of those living in the United States were substantially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in the year 2020. A broad diversity of measures was implemented to curb the spread of the virus, many of which included adjustments to where and how people worked, went to school, and otherwise conducted their daily lives compared to pre-pandemic times. This has impacted how residential buildings are used, how much time people spend in their homes, and as a result, how much energy these buildings consume. The main objective of this study is to analyze, at a national scale, the differences in the occupancy schedules and activities conducted in homes in the U.S., as compared to pre-pandemic. 15 years of American Time Use Survey and Current Population Survey data, from 2006 to 2020, was used in this study to analyze the occupancy schedules for both pandemic (2020) and pre-pandemic (2006–2019) times. These impacts were also analyzed with respect to variables including, weekday/weekend, month of the year, age of the occupants, household income, and household size. The impact of the pandemic on occupant schedules were most substantial in the initial months, whereas as the months progressed, these occupancy profiles slowly changed. Across 2020, people spent, on average, 8 % more time (1.9 h) in their home on weekdays, and 3–6 % (1.2 h) on weekend days. The percentage of time spent for different activities and locations within homes were also studied. For 1-member households, their time spent at home decreased whereas for 2-, 3-, and 4- member households, they spent more time at home. Overall, people spent around 45% more time doing office- and work-related activities at home compared to pre-pandemic, which is likely due to increased remote working and schooling. This research helps to improve the understanding of the occupancy presence and absence profiles in U.S. residential buildings due to the pandemic and provides new insights as to modified profiles for researchers, building designers, and policy makers.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2024

Dual-module humidity pump for efficient air dehumidification: Demonstration and performance limitations

Condensation dehumidification in conventional air conditioning technologies is energy-intensive, accounting for up to 50% of building cooling energy used in some climates. Selective vacuum membrane dehumidification (VMD) is one of the leading alternative dehumidification technologies due to its potential for significant energy savings, and the “dual-module humidity pump” is one of the most promising VMD concepts. Here, this work is the first to provide experimental proof-of-concept for the dual-module humidity pump system and provides the first thermodynamic modeling framework that accounts for realistic steady-state operating limitations, both of which are lacking in the current literature. Additionally, this work is the first to provide a system design solution that overcomes practical challenges associated with air accumulation in the vacuum channels. The experimental results in this work show that the current prototype can remove up to 45% of the water vapor in the air stream, and the vapor pressure difference in the vapor rejection module needs to be approximately 2–4 times greater than that of the dehumidification module in order to maintain balanced mass transfer. The thermodynamic model applied to typical air conditioning conditions shows that the ideal dehumidification (latent) COPs can reach up to 40, but practical COPs are limited to approximately 10. Furthermore, the model shows that the overall energy efficiency increases as the membrane air selectivity increases, though this improvement gradually starts to diminish when the membrane selectivity is increased above 10,000.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗