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NASA NTRS2008

Andreyivanovite: A Second New Phosphide from the Kaidun Meteorite

Andreyivanovite (ideally FeCrP) is another new phosphide species from the Kaidun meteorite, which fell in South Yemen in 1980. Kaidun is a unique breccia containing an unprecedented variety of fragments of different chondritic as well as achondritic lithologies. Andreyivanovite was found as individual grains and linear arrays of grains with a maximum dimension of 8 m within two masses of Fe-rich serpentine. In one sample it is associated with Fe-Ni-Cr sulfides and florenskyite (FeTiP). Andreyivanovite is creamy white in reflected light, and its luster is metallic. The average of nine electron microprobe analyses yielded the formula Fe(Cr0.587 Fe0.150 V0.109 Ti0.081 Ni0.060 Co0.002)P. Examination of single grains of andreyivanovite using Laue patterns collected by in-situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD), and by electron backscattered diffraction revealed that it is isostructural with florenskyite; we were unable to find single crystals of sufficient quality to perform a complete structure analysis. Andreyivanovite crystallizes in the space group Pnma, and has the anti-PbCl2 structure. Previously-determined cell constants of synthetic material [a = 5.833(1), b = 3.569(1), c = 6.658(1) A] were consistent with our XRD work. We used the XPOW program to calculate a powder XRD pattern; the 5 most intense reflections are d = 2.247 (I = 100), 2.074 (81), 2.258 (46), 1.785 (43), and 1.885 A (34). Andreyivanovite is the second new phosphide to be described from the Kaidun meteorite. Andreyivanovite could have formed as a result of cooling and crystallization of a melted precursor consisting mainly of Fe-Ni metal enriched in P, Ti, and Cr. Serpentine associated with andreyivanovite would then have formed during aqueous alteration on the parent asteroid. It is also possible that the andreyivanovite could have formed during aqueous alteration, however, artificial FeTiP has been synthesized only during melting experiments, at low oxygen fugacity, and there is no evidence that a hydrothermal genesis is reasonable.

Zolensky, Michael↗

NASA NTRS2008

A Portable Infrasonic Detection System

During last couple of years, NASA Langley has designed and developed a portable infrasonic detection system which can be used to make useful infrasound measurements at a location where it was not possible previously. The system comprises an electret condenser microphone, having a 3-inch membrane diameter, and a small, compact windscreen. Electret-based technology offers the lowest possible background noise, because Johnson noise generated in the supporting electronics (preamplifier) is minimized. The microphone features a high membrane compliance with a large backchamber volume, a prepolarized backplane and a high impedance preamplifier located inside the backchamber. The windscreen, based on the high transmission coefficient of infrasound through matter, is made of a material having a low acoustic impedance and sufficiently thick wall to insure structural stability. Close-cell polyurethane foam has been found to serve the purpose well. In the proposed test, test parameters will be sensitivity, background noise, signal fidelity (harmonic distortion), and temporal stability. The design and results of the compact system, based upon laboratory and field experiments, will be presented.

Shams, Qamar A.↗

NASA NTRS2009

Symmetrical, bi-electrode supported solid oxide fuel cell

The present invention is a symmetrical bi-electrode supported solid oxide fuel cell comprising a sintered monolithic framework having graded pore electrode scaffolds that, upon treatment with metal solutions and heat subsequent to sintering, acquire respective anodic and cathodic catalytic activity. The invention is also a method for making such a solid oxide fuel cell. The graded pore structure of the graded pore electrode scaffolds in achieved by a novel freeze casting for YSZ tape.

Cable, Thomas L.↗

NASA NTRS2009

A3 Altitude Test Facility

This slide presentation shows drawings, diagrams and photographs of the A3 Altitude Test Facility. It includes a review of the A3 Facility requirements, and drawings of the various sections of the facility including Engine Deck and Superstructure, Test Cell and Thrust Takeout, Structure and Altitude Support Systems, Chemical Steam generators, and the subscale diffuser. There are also pictures of the construction site, and the facility under construction. A Diagram of the A3 Steam system schematic is also shown

Dulreix, Lionel J.↗

NASA NTRS2011

Towards an Optimal Noise Versus Resolution Trade-Off in Wind Scatterometry

A scatterometer is a radar that measures the normalized radar cross section sigma(sup 0) of the Earth's surface. Over the ocean this signal is related to the wind via the geophysical model function (GMF). The objective of wind scatterometry is to estimate the wind vector field from sigma(sup 0) measurements; however, there are many subtleties that complicate this problem-making it difficult to obtain a unique wind field estimate. Conventionally, wind estimation is split into two stages: a wind retrieval stage in which several ambiguous solutions are obtained, and an ambiguity removal stage in which ambiguities are chosen to produce an appropriate wind vector field estimate. The most common approach to wind field estimation is to grid the scatterometer swath into wind vector cells and estimate wind vector ambiguities independently for each cell. Then, field wise structure is imposed on the solution by an ambiguity selection routine. Although this approach is simple and practical, it neglects field wise structure in the retrieval step and does not account for the spatial correlation imposed by the sampling. This makes it difficult to develop a theoretically appropriate noise versus resolution trade-off using pointwise retrieval. Fieldwise structure may be imposed in the retrieval step using a model-based approach. However, this approach is generally only practical if a low order wind field model is applied, which may discard more information than is desired. Furthermore, model-based approaches do not account for the structure imposed by the sampling. A more general fieldwise approach is to estimate all the wind vectors for all the WVCs simultaneously from all the measurements. This approach can account for structure of the wind field as well as structure imposed by the sampling in the wind retrieval step. Williams and Long in 2010 developed a fieldwise retrieval method based on maximum a posteriori estimation (MAP). This MAP approach can be extended to perform a noise versus resolution trade-off, and deal with ambiguity selection. This paper extends the fieldwise MAP estimation approach and investigates both the noise versus resolution trade-off as well as ambiguity removal in the fieldwise wind retrieval step. The method is then applied to the Sea Winds scatterometer and the results are analyzed. This paper extends the fieldwise MAP estimation approach and investigates both the noise versus resolution trade-off as well as ambiguity removal in the fieldwise wind retrieval step. The method is then applied to the Sea Winds scatterometer and the results are analyzed.

soil moisture↗

NASA NTRS2017

Mapping Vinyl Cyanide and Other Nitriles in Titan's Atmosphere Using ALMA

Vinyl cyanide (C2H3CN) is theorized to form in Titan's atmosphere via high-altitude photochemistry and is of interest regarding the astrobiology of cold planetary surfaces due to its predicted ability to form cell membrane-like structures (azotosomes) in liquid methane. In this work, we follow up on the initial spectroscopic detection of C2H3CN on Titan by Palmer et al. with the detection of three new C2H3CN rotational emission lines at submillimeter frequencies. These new, high-resolution detections have allowed for the first spatial distribution mapping of C2H3CN on Titan. We present simultaneous observations of C2H5CN, HC3N, and CH3CN emission, and obtain the first (tentative) detection of C3H8 (propane) at radio wavelengths. We present disk-averaged vertical abundance profiles, two-dimensional spatial maps, and latitudinal flux profiles for the observed nitriles. Similarly to HC3N and C2H5CN, which are theorized to be short-lived in Titan's atmosphere, C2H3CN is most abundant over the southern (winter) pole, whereas the longer-lived CH3CN is more concentrated in the north. This abundance pattern is consistent with the combined effects of high-altitude photochemical production, poleward advection, and the subsequent reversal of Titan's atmospheric circulation system following the recent transition from northern to southern winter. We confirm that C2H3CN and C2H5CN are most abundant at altitudes above 200 km. Using a 300 km step model, the average abundance of C2H3CN is found to be 3.03 +/- 0.29ppb, with a C2H5CN/C2H3CN abundance ratio of 2.43 +/- 0.26. Our HC3N and CH3CN spectra can be accurately modeled using abundance gradients above the tropopause, with fractional scale-heights of 2.05 +/- 0.16 and 1.63 +/- 0.02, respectively.

Lai, J. C.-Y.↗

NASA NTRS2022

2019 ARIA Proposal Final Report Public Abstract: What Happens to Life in an Ocean World Plume?

The NASA Cassini mission to Saturn discovered persistent jets of water being ejected into space from a subsurface ocean on the small moon Enceladus and evidence that this ocean is habitable for life. The ice resulting from these plumes forms the E Ring of Saturn. Missions are under study to fly through these plumes and collect and analyze samples to look for evidence of life. To support design and instrument selection for these missions, there is a critical need to understand what happens to microbial life adapted to a liquid environment when suddenly ejected into the vacuum of space. We experimentally determined the structural changes in microbial cells in liquid medium when ejected into vacuum. We first developed a vacuum chamber fitted with a feedthrough and nozzle allowing fluid to be injected into vacuum. The nozzle dispersed the fluid into micron-sized droplets. Fluid containing a population of E. Coli microbes was injected into the chamber and droplets were collected on microscope slides and small cups for imaging with a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Epifluorescence microscopy, using a lipid stain, and SEM imaging were used to evaluate the cellular integrity of E. coli after injection through the pressurized nozzle into vacuum. The experimental samples showed a 94% decrease in visible intact E. coli cells as compared with control samples but showed a fluorescent residue in the shape of the sublimated droplets that indicated the presence of lipids. E. coli was selected for testing although other cell types could vary physiologically which could affect their response to a vacuum environment. More testing is needed to determine whether other types of microbial cells can survive the plume environment. However, these results suggest that lipids may be directly detectable evidence of life in icy world plumes, but organisms are unlikely to survive due to disruption of their cell walls.

C. R. Stoker↗

DOE OSTI2020

CdSexTe1-x /CdTe Devices With Reduced Interface Recombination Through Novel Back Contacts and Doping Strategies

In order to study rear interface recombination in CdSexTe1-x/CdTe solar cells, several back contact structures were fabricated using combinations of tellurium, alumina, amorphous silicon, and indium tin oxide. Film side Time-Resolved Photoluminescence measurements were taken to measure carrier lifetimes and interface recombination at the back interface. We show increasingly improved interface passivation through the subsequent use of alumina, amorphous silicon, and ITO. Additionally, we provide evidence that an arsenic-doped absorber forms a better interface with numerous back contact structures. Reductions in the back interface recombination velocity are shown to correlate with improvements in device external radiative efficiency.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2023

In Cell Thermal Creep Frames for Demonstration Project Preparations

The thrust of advanced nuclear reactor demonstrations demands the accelerated qualification of in-core materials to enable licensing processes and developing the performance data. Due to the high-operating temperatures of such reactors, long-term mechanical behavior under constant load is essential to determine the geometrical and mechanical integrity of in-core components during operation and off-normal conditions. Therefore, the thermal creep behavior of neutron-irradiated advanced reactor materials must be determined. The feasibility of using subsize specimens for the irradiation campaigns and the limited available infrastructure challenge the assessment of thermal creep behavior of advanced reactor materials. Therefore, the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) National Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC) prioritizes the development of a thermal creep testing infrastructure for multiple subsize specimens to accelerate the demonstration and deployment of advanced reactor concepts. This report describes the activities for the construction of a thermal creep testing capability at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The overall project consists of conceptual design, out-of-cell demonstration, and in-cell demonstration phases. During fiscal year (FY)-2021, the team finished the conceptual design of a thermal creep test facility that can test multiple subsize specimens. This conceptual design consisted of the determination of technical and functional requirements, the determination of the design space, and the preparation of the technical drawings. Technical and functional requirements were categorized as required and desired capabilities and the conceptual design was performed to meet all the required capabilities with the flexibility to achieve the desired capabilities. The design space identified the operational capacity of the creep frame for different advanced reactor relevant materials with the consideration of the feasible operation in the hotcell at the Fuels and Applied Science Building (FASB) at INL. Based on the requirements and design space, the multiple specimen creep frame was designed. The official INL engineering drawing process was started and the procurement of materials for construction was initiated. For FY-2022, the out-of-cell demonstration and final installation of the multiple creep frame is planned.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2025

Feedstock Variability: Differences Among Biomass Anatomical Fractions and Tissues

Corn stover is a versatile feedstock for producing biofuels and other sustainable products. However, its diverse chemical and physical attributes can hinder the processes that convert it into these compounds. The composition of corn stover varies according to factors including corn plant variety, cultivation conditions and maturity at harvest. In essence, corn stover consists of the polymers cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. The structural core of plant cell walls consists of elongated chains of glucose molecules arranged in bundles of cellulose. Additionally, lower concentrations of hemicellulose, a complex carbohydrate composed of various sugars, form part of the matrix surrounding cellulose bundles. Lignin is a complex aromatic polymer that reinforces plant cell walls. Corn stover generally comprises 40%-50% cellulose, 20%-30% hemicellulose, and 20%-30% lignin. The ratios of these components vary based on the specific type of corn plant and the growth conditions. For example, corn plants cultivated in drought conditions exhibit higher lignin levels than those grown under optimal conditions. The compositional diversity resulting from growth conditions is most pronounced among the different anatomical fractions of the corn plant. Understanding and accommodating the variation among the anatomical fractions of corn stover can enhance the effective utilization of this resource.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

DOE OSTI2021

First Principles Predictions of SnO2/CdTe and SnO2/CdCl2/CdTe Interface Structures

Interfaces become increasingly the limiting factor of solar cell efficiency, raising the interest in computational models. However, explicit atomic structure models from microscopy are rare, and hypothetical assumptions about the atomic structure become ambiguous for incoherent or highly lattice mismatched interfaces. Adopting a bulk crystal structure prediction algorithm to interfacial systems enables explicit structure models for the bare and CdCl 2 treated SnO 2 /CdTe interface.

CdTe↗

DOE OSTI2025

Electronic Structural Optimization of the Air Electrodes for Reversible Protonic Ceramic Electrochemical Cells via IIIA Cation Doping

Reversible protonic ceramic electrochemical cells (R-PCECs) have emerged as a novel technology for clean and efficient energy generation and storage. Improving the oxygen and proton conduction characteristics and stability of air electrodes at intermediate temperatures is crucial for achieving a high performance. Herein, we optimize the electronic structure of a state-of-the-art PrBa 0.8 Ca 0.2 Co 2 O 5+δ (PBCC) air electrode via doping IIIA cations (Al 3+ , Ga 3+ , and In 3+ ). Also, it is shown that PrBa 0.8 Ca 0.2 Co 1.9 Ga 0.10 O 5+δ (PBCCGa 0.10 ) exhibits improved oxygen reaction activity and hydration capability. Density functional theory calculations confirm that Ga doping provides the most favorable electronic structure. An R-PCEC with PBCCGa 0.10 achieves a peak power density of 2.21 W cm -2 and a current density of −4.64 A cm -2 at 1.3 V at 650 °C. Additionally, the PBCCGa 0.10 electrode performs good operational stability in FC mode (for about 100 h), EC mode (for about 100 h), and reversible cyclic testing (over 200 h) at 600 °C.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗

DOE OSTI2025

Soft X-ray tomography reveals variations in B. subtilis biofilm structure upon tasA deletion

Bacterial biofilms are complex cell communities within a self-produced extracellular matrix, crucial in various fields but challenging to analyze in 3D. We developed a "biofilm-in-capillary" growth method compatible with full-rotation soft X-ray tomography, enabling high-resolution 3D imaging of bacterial cells and their matrix during biofilm formation. This approach offers 50 nm isotropic spatial resolution, rapid imaging, and quantitative native analysis of biofilm structure. Using Bacillus subtilis biofilms, we detected coherent alignment and chaining of wild-type cells towards the oxygen-rich capillary tip. In contrast, the ΔtasA genetic knock-out showed a loss of cellular orientation and changes in the extracellular matrix. Adding TasA protein to the ΔtasA strain restored matrix density and led to cell assembly compaction, but without the chaining observed in wild-type biofilms. This scalable and transferable approach opens new avenues for examining biofilm structure and function across various species, including mixed biofilms, and response to genetic and environmental factors.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

NASA NTRS2002

Three-Dimensional High-Order Spectral Finite Volume Method for Unstructured Grids

Many areas require a very high-order accurate numerical solution of conservation laws for complex shapes. This paper deals with the extension to three dimensions of the Spectral Finite Volume (SV) method for unstructured grids, which was developed to solve such problems. We first summarize the limitations of traditional methods such as finite-difference, and finite-volume for both structured and unstructured grids. We then describe the basic formulation of the spectral finite volume method. What distinguishes the SV method from conventional high-order finite-volume methods for unstructured triangular or tetrahedral grids is the data reconstruction. Instead of using a large stencil of neighboring cells to perform a high-order reconstruction, the stencil is constructed by partitioning each grid cell, called a spectral volume (SV), into 'structured' sub-cells, called control volumes (CVs). One can show that if all the SV cells are partitioned into polygonal or polyhedral CV sub-cells in a geometrically similar manner, the reconstructions for all the SVs become universal, irrespective of their shapes, sizes, orientations, or locations. It follows that the reconstruction is reduced to a weighted sum of unknowns involving just a few simple adds and multiplies, and those weights are universal and can be pre-determined once for all. The method is thus very efficient, accurate, and yet geometrically flexible. The most critical part of the SV method is the partitioning of the SV into CVs. In this paper we present the partitioning of a tetrahedral SV into polyhedral CVs with one free parameter for polynomial reconstructions up to degree of precision five. (Note that the order of accuracy of the method is one order higher than the reconstruction degree of precision.) The free parameter will be determined by minimizing the Lebesgue constant of the reconstruction matrix or similar criteria to obtain optimized partitions. The details of an efficient, parallelizable code to solve three-dimensional problems for any order of accuracy are then presented. Important aspects of the data structure are discussed. Comparisons with the Discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method are made. Numerical examples for wave propagation problems are presented.

Liu, Yen↗

DOE OSTI2020

Perovskite Quantum Dot Solar Cells: Mapping Interfacial Energetics for Improving Charge Separation

Colloidal halide perovskite nanocrystals or quantum dots (QDs) show similar defect tolerance as thin film perovskite materials with added nanoscale phenomena. Perovskite QD solar cells have demonstrated efficiencies of 16.6%, greater than that of any other QD material system. While the efficiency lags behind the best thin-film perovskite devices, these solar cells could have advantages over the thin-film versions in terms of processability, phase stability, and high open-circuit voltages. However, some operating principles behind perovskite quantum dot device stacks and the associated electric field properties are still unknown. Here, we characterize the junction structure within perovskite QD solar cells, by exposing functioning cross-sections and using nanometer-scale Kelvin probe force microscopy to offer insight into the selection and performance of charge selective contacts. We also evaluated various solar cell device architectures with different selective contacts to isolate the role of each junction in device performance. We show that in high-performance n-i-p architectures, both electron- and hole-transport layer (HTL) interfaces possess a strong electric field, but in the case of the inverted p-i-n architecture, we find that high interfacial recombination at the HTL/QD junction is responsible for subpar device performance. Perovskite QD and thin film materials can synergistically be combined to offer more design flexibility in PV devices, and here we demonstrate that the interface between perovskite thin films and QDs are relatively benign and amenable for synergistic device design.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2023

Structures of elemental potassium at terapascal pressures

Here we investigate the pressure-temperature phase diagram of elemental potassium (K) up to multiterapascal (TPa) pressures using ab initio random structure searching (AIRSS), discovering eight structural phase transitions beyond the already known double hexagonal close-packed (dhcp) structure. Starting at 1.15 TPa, K transitions from the dhcp structure and passes through a variety of close-packed hexagonal and trigonal phases (dhcp → P6 3 /mmc → P3m1 → P$\bar{6}m2$), which differ only in their stacking sequence along the c axis. At 2.55 TPa, K adopts the hexagonal close-packed (hcp) structure, and at 7.21 TPa transitions into a complex orthorhombic phase of Fddd symmetry with 64 atoms in its (conventional) unit cell, before assuming an Ibam structure at 8.60 TPa, and, eventually, the face centered cubic (fcc) structure at 23.6 TPa, which persists well into the petapascal (PPa) regime. Further, we calculate the full pressure-temperature dependence of the melting line of K through extensive molecular dynamics simulations. We study the evolution of the bonding topology of K with pressure, finding that K passes through two quasi-molecular phases featuring diatomic pairs (the Fddd and Ibam structures), before ultimately becoming a high pressure electride (HPE) in the fcc phase. The electron-phonon and superconducting properties of K at these extreme pressures are also investigated, where we find the critical temperature T c rises to a maximum of between 7.65 K and 15.70 K in the hcp phase, before eventually decreasing to essentially zero in the fcc phase. Our results fully elucidate the structural and electronic behavior of K under the most extreme conditions, and provide new case studies for multi-TPa dynamic compression experiments.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

NASA NTRS1997

Aqueous liquid feed organic fuel cell using solid polymer electrolyte membrane

A liquid organic fuel cell is provided which employs a solid electrolyte membrane. An organic fuel, such as a methanol/water mixture, is circulated past an anode of a cell while oxygen or air is circulated past a cathode of the cell. The cell solid electrolyte membrane is preferably fabricated from Nafion.TM.. Additionally, a method for improving the performance of carbon electrode structures for use in organic fuel cells is provided wherein a high surface-area carbon particle/Teflon.TM.-binder structure is immersed within a Nafion.TM./methanol bath to impregnate the electrode with Nafion.TM.. A method for fabricating an anode for use in a organic fuel cell is described wherein metal alloys are deposited onto the electrode in an electro-deposition solution containing perfluorooctanesulfonic acid. A fuel additive containing perfluorooctanesulfonic acid for use with fuel cells employing a sulfuric acid electrolyte is also disclosed. New organic fuels, namely, trimethoxymethane, dimethoxymethane, and trioxane are also described for use with either conventional or improved fuel cells.

Surampudi, Subbarao↗

NASA NTRS2001

Organic fuel cell methods and apparatus

Surampudi, Subbarao↗