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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 1,225 records · Page 68
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Cooperative Research and Development Agreement among National Energy Technology Laboratory, The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia by and on behalf of Georgia Institute of Technology, and University of Texas at El Paso [Abstract]

Georgia Institute of Technology (GIT), University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), and the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) will collaborate and develop cyber-physical systems for advanced power systems. GIT will test virtual models on hybrid power system hardware and cyber physical components. UTEP will test novel actuators on hybrid power system hardware. NETL will access GIT’s expertise in the engineering and real time simulation of power system processes for cyber-physical systems and simulations to control hardware. NETL will establish a relationship to promote UTEP’s capabilities in additive manufacturing and high-temperature piezo-electric devices with the potential for controlling high-temperature flows with a light and inexpensive device at high response rates. This project is the result of an EERE Advanced Manufacturing Office open Multi-Topic awarded proposal led by GIT titled, “Robust Combined Heat and Hybrid Power (CHHP) for High Electrical Efficiency Cogeneration”.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS2015

No-Oven, No-Autoclave Composite Processing

Very large composite structures, such as those used in NASA's Space Launch System, push the boundaries imposed by current autoclaves. New technology is needed to maintain composite performance and free manufacturing engineers from the restraints of curing equipment size limitations. Recent efforts on a Phase II project by Cornerstone Research Group, Inc. (CRG), have advanced the technology and manufacturing readiness levels of a unique two-part epoxy resin system. Designed for room-temperature infusion of a dry carbon preform, the system includes a no-heat-added cure that delivers 350 F composite performance in a matter of hours. This no-oven, no-autoclave (NONA) composite processing eliminates part-size constraints imposed by infrastructure and lowers costs by increasing throughput and reducing capital-specific, process-flow bottlenecks. As a result of the Phase II activity, NONA materials and processes were used to make high-temperature composite tooling suitable for further production of carbon-epoxy laminates and honeycomb/ sandwich-structure composites with an aluminum core. The technology platform involves tooling design, resin infusion processing, composite part design, and resin chemistry. The various technology elements are combined to achieve a fully cured part. The individual elements are not unusual, but they are combined in such a way that enables proper management of the heat generated by the epoxy resin during cure. The result is a self-cured carbon/ epoxy composite part that is mechanically and chemically stable at temperatures up to 350 F. As a result of the successful SBIR effort, CRG has launched NONA Composites as a spinoff subsidiary. The company sells resin to end users, fabricates finished goods for customers, and sells composite tooling made with NONA materials and processes to composite manufacturers.

Rauscher, Michael D.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Additive manufacturing of metal matrix composites

Although Metal matrix composites (MMCs) are superior to most sought-after metallic alloys, their challenging fabricability has limited their widespread use in bulk-form applications. Among the many advanced fabrication techniques, Additive Manufacturing (AM), owing to its unique capabilities to produce near-net shapes, has drawn significant traction in the past two decades, especially for materials that are difficult to process using traditional methods. However, unlike pure metal/alloy systems, MMCs are highly sensitive to the processing conditions prevailing in AM techniques due to factors such as the high melting point of reinforcement particles and the potential for in-situ reactions. Therefore, it may be a while before metal matrix composites are commercially produced via AM. This review will discuss the current state-of-the-art design, fabricability, and performance of various additively manufactured MMCs. A particular focus will be on microstructural evolution and microstructure-property relationships. The most employed AM techniques, such as directed energy deposition, powder bed fusion, binder jetting, sheet lamination, and solid-state friction stir processing, are fundamentally different in terms of thermo-kinetics, forming the perspective for this review. A detailed comparison of microstructural evolution and process parameter optimization, including feedstock preparation methods and the role of machine learning and modeling among the different AM processes, is also presented. Finally, a critical evaluation of emerging AM technologies for MMCs is also provided, highlighting their potential advantages and challenges.

36 - MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Intelligent Manufacturing for Extreme Environments Conference Proceedings

The Intelligent Manufacturing for Extreme Environments (IMEE) workshop was held at the Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAES) in Idaho Falls, Idaho, May 2–3, 2023, in support of the United States (U.S.) National Science Foundation (NSF) Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research: Workshop Opportunities (EPSCoR-WO) program. This workshop featured keynote speakers, panels, and breakout sessions with 58 participants. Nuclear reactors need to operate under extreme service conditions, such as high temperatures, corrosive environments, and high-radiation doses. Hence, reactor components must be able to withstand those conditions. The participants envision a future where on demand manufacture of components for small modular reactors (SMRs), microreactors, and other advanced reactor designs are possible. In this future, regulatory bodies accept validated manufacturing processes and standardized feedstocks, thus eliminating the need for individual component testing. However, the necessary technologies and regulatory policies needed for this future do not exist today. Successful innovation would revolutionize the nuclear power sector, enable fast commercial development, create economic opportunities in the U.S., reduce the carbon footprint and associated risks, and promote a skilled and highly competitive workforce. The objective of the workshop was to convene world-class experts, researchers, educators, and students to identify gaps and envision solutions for five interrelated challenges for intelligent manufacturing in extreme environments. The key outcomes of the conference were: (1) to take the opportunity for researchers and educators to network and form collaborations; and (2) to produce a full report to inform policy-makers, industry, and the academic community of various challenges and opportunities in the nuclear energy sector.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

TEM Specimen Manufacturing to Support Analysis of IASCC Mechanisms in Irradiated Austenitic Steels – Light-Water– Relevant Materials

The present report describes the manufacturing of samples for advanced microstructure studies of mechanisms of irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC) in the materials of light-water reactor (LWR) internal components. The samples were manufactured via FIB (focused ion beam milling) from 4-point-bend specimens subjected to oxidation and mechanical loading in a simulated LWR environment (primary water, PW). The corrosion tests were conducted at the University of Michigan (UM), and the tested specimens were transported to ORNL to perform FIB work. Finally, the manufactured FIB specimens were shipped back to the UM for microstructure characterization. Section 1 in the report provides a brief introduction; Section 2 describes materials, their in-service and irradiation history, and the geometry of specimens for IASCC testing. Section 3 documents typical work steps (specimen mapping) and reports the number of manufactured FIB objects. Section 4 briefly describes the preliminary results of microstructure analysis performed at the University of Michigan and highlights the key findings. The summary and conclusions section discusses future possible future steps and generalizes the obtained results, their unique character, and their importance for the nuclear industry.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Advanced Airfoil Cooling Schemes to Increase Efficiency in Gas Turbines for Combined Heat and Power Applications

This report describes a three-year interdisciplinary effort funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy/Advanced Manufacturing Office (EERE/AMO) to promote market penetration of combined heat and power (CHP) technologies. Prior studies have shown the technical potential for CHP in the United States is much larger than the current deployment of CHP systems. A large portion of the technical potential CHP market aligns with small (<20 MWe) gas turbines. CHP systems are an attractive alternative to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. For example, CHP systems can reduce GHG emissions by 30–40% relative to a conventional boiler and power configuration. These GHG emission reductions are “avoided emissions” which means no CO 2 separation or sequestration is required. This report describes an effort to use additive manufacturing (AM) technologies and advanced airfoil cooling designs to increase the turbine inlet temperature by 100 °C for small gas turbines typically used in CHP systems. At the beginning of this effort, baseline performance data for small gas turbines was not available, and the potential benefits of cooling system improvements were not quantified in the available literature.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
NASA NTRS1994

The use of interactive computer vision and robot hand controllers for enhancing manufacturing safety

Current available robotic systems provide limited support for CAD-based model-driven visualization, sensing algorithm development and integration, and automated graphical planning systems. This paper describes ongoing work which provides the functionality necessary to apply advanced robotics to automated manufacturing and assembly operations. An interface has been built which incorporates 6-DOF tactile manipulation, displays for three dimensional graphical models, and automated tracking functions which depend on automated machine vision. A set of tools for single and multiple focal plane sensor image processing and understanding has been demonstrated which utilizes object recognition models. The resulting tool will enable sensing and planning from computationally simple graphical objects. A synergistic interplay between human and operator vision is created from programmable feedback received from the controller. This approach can be used as the basis for implementing enhanced safety in automated robotics manufacturing, assembly, repair and inspection tasks in both ground and space applications. Thus, an interactive capability has been developed to match the modeled environment to the real task environment for safe and predictable task execution.

Marzwell, Neville I.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Crowd-Sourced Data and Analysis Tools for Advancing the Chemical Vapor Deposition of Graphene: Implications for Manufacturing

Industrial production of graphene by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) requires more than the ability to synthesize large domain, high-quality graphene in a lab reactor. The integration of graphene in the fabrication process of electronic devices requires the cost-effective and environmentally friendly production of graphene on dielectric substrates, but current approaches can only produce graphene on metal catalysts. Sustainable manufacturing of graphene should also conserve the catalyst and reaction gases, but today the metal catalysts are typically dissolved after synthesis. Progress toward these objectives is hindered by the hundreds of coupled synthesis parameters that can strongly affect CVD of low-dimensional materials and poor communication in the published literature of the rich experimental data that exists in individual laboratories. We report here on a platform, "graphene recipes for synthesis of high quality material" (Gr-ResQ: pronounced graphene rescue), which includes powerful new tools for data-driven graphene synthesis. At the core of Gr-ResQ is a crowd-sourced database of CVD synthesis recipes and associated experimental results. The database captures similar to 300 parameters ranging from synthesis conditions such as a catalyst material and preparation steps, to ambient lab temperature and reactor details, as well as resulting Raman spectra and microscopy images. These parameters are carefully selected to unlock the potential of machine-learning models to advance synthesis. A suite of associated tools enable fast, automated, and standardized processing of Raman spectra and scanning electron microscopy images. To facilitate community-based efforts, Gr-ResQ provides tools for cyber-physical collaborations among research groups, allowing experiments to be designed, executed, and analyzed by different teams. Gr-ResQ also allows publication and discovery of recipes via the Materials Data Facility, which assigns each recipe a unique identifier when published and collects parameters in a search index. We envision that this holistic approach to data-driven synthesis can accelerate CVD recipe discovery and production control and open opportunities for advancing not only graphene but also many other 1D and 2D materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Advanced Processing of Rare Earth Elements and Critical Minerals from Acid Mine Drainage Feedstocks

Ongoing work by the project team identified a process for extracting rare earths and critical mineral (REE/CM) concentrates from acid mine drainage from coal mines, a major stream pollutant. The process removes harmful metals and separates REE/CM into economically attractive concentrates. This project explored the processing of those concentrates into individually separated, high purity metals, suitable for domestic manufacturers. The team brought unique experience in working with AMD-based feedstocks since the inception of USDOE’s coal-based REE/CM program in 2016. The project team has pioneered the recovery of rare earth/critical minerals (REE/CM) from acid mine drainage (AMD). This environmentally beneficial strategy will incentivize AMD treatment while recovering materials critical to the Nation’s defense and advanced manufacturing industries. In addition, the project will investigate the co-production of five high purity CMs from AMD, namely Co, Mn, Li, Cr, Ge. This team’s upstream and midstream recovery and processing technology has been demonstrated at the continuous, small scale pilot scale. In conjunction with the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, the team is constructing a full-scale, integrated, 500 gpm AMD treatment plant coupled with an REE/CM facility that will produce 21 tons REE/CM per year. Commissioning is scheduled for September 2021. This will provide feedstock for the team’s proprietary downstream processes that met the project objective: production of individually separated, high purity (ISHP) REE/CM oxides and their further processing to elemental metals (REM). To facilitate entry into the U.S. market, we have teamed up with companies that would use our products to strengthen their domestic supply chains and grow REE/CM based manufacturing in the U.S. They include Rockwell Automation, Rivian, Endress+Hauser, Inc., Northrop Grumman and Hela Novel Metals.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
DOE OSTI2021

Depowering of Batteries to Reduce Cost of Ownership

(1) Executive Summary: End of life batteries (EOLBs) present a cost and safety liability for their owners and stakeholders. This is due flammability, energy, and power with EOLBs. Current approaches include cumbersome, expensive packaging, specialized shipping, regulated storage, and they are responsible for over half of the cost of recycling. They all expensively and inadequately address symptoms. OnTo has developed and proven a simple way to resolve the problem systemically, through depowering of lithium-ion batteries (and most any battery other than lead). The low-cost process removes flammability, power, and energy in EOLBs through non-toxic chemical processing. The opportunity for commerce of inert scrap is at least $5 billion greater than the commerce in hazardous scrap, all made possible through OnTo’s technology for efficiency and safety. (2) Depowering Improves Safety and Decreases Cost of Battery Ownership: OnTo’s depowering technology will remove half of the cost of EOLB management and recycling. Without this technology, EOLB recycling will always be a liability. EOLB is hazardous due to inherent flammability of electrolyte and lithium. The shipping and commerce of EOLBs is costly and dangerous all along the chain of custody from owner, dealership/shop, shipper, second-life sorter, (shipper again), and finally to the destination facility recycler. OnTo’s depowering service renders inert most any EOLB packs, modules, and cells. The technology uses a brief, non-toxic treatment applicable to most any chemistry. The industry needs a safe, simple, modular, and inexpensive method to render EOLBs as inert scrap. OnTo’s deactivation system is scalable to the needs of any customer along the EOLB chain of custody. (3) Evidence of Successful Depowering: Untreated batteries will catch fire and explode under abuse conditions such as heat or crush. Slide 2 below shows that untreated batteries will blow-up and expel their internal components with heating, after OnTo’s depowering treatment, the same battery is inert with the same heat treatment (Fig. 7 in the slide). Depowering also removes electrolyte reactivity, eliminating the production of HF and other toxins (Fig 6. in the slide) The depowering process is applicable to large, 26 Ah cells. Fig. 5 in the slide shows the removal of all the electrolyte from whole cells. Removal of flammable material from an EOLB contributes to the inert behavior. OnTo developed this technology through a project supported by the US Department of Energy EERE program, with partners including Seattle King County Metro Transit. While OnTo has generated evidence of successful depowering of batteries, in 2020, a follow-on voucher opportunity for third party analysis of depowered cells and materials was approved through CalTestBed. The expertise of the battery and materials research groups at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory will characterize these depowered cells to provide better understanding of the materials level changes in depowering. (4) Pilot Plant for Depowering EOLBs: Making the spoke work in hub-and-spoke While other companies are marketing the hub-and-spoke approach for recycling EOLBs, they rely on dangerous, expensive shredding methods with flimsy IP protection. OnTo offers the only patented, proven ability to depower EOLBs from most any chemistry – at half of the capital cost required for shredding, while eliminating the liability, danger, and waste streams inherent with shredding. The proposed commercial pilot facility is (5) OnTo Technology LLC Company: OnTo develops advanced battery recycling innovations that produce manufacturing quality electrode materials from recycled batteries. Their patented Cathode-healing™ and Deactivation/Depowering processes improve safety and reduce the cost of recycling. OnTo’s breakthrough technologies produce advanced materials for manufacturing batteries useful in applications from portable power to electric vehicles. Contact: Steve Sloop OnTo Technology LLC, 63221 Service Road, STE F, Bend, OR 97703, ssloop@onto-technology.com , 541-389-7897

deactivation↗
NASA NTRS1991

Cost-efficient manufacturing of composite structures

The Advanced Composites Technology (ACT) program is seeking research breakthroughs that will allow structures made of graphite epoxy materials to replace metals in the wings and fuselages of future aircrafts. NASA's goals are to reduce acquisition cost by 20 to 25 percent, structural weight for a resized aircraft by 40 to 50 percent, and the number of parts by half compared to current production aluminum aircraft. The innovative structural concepts, materials, and fabrication techniques emerging from the ACT program are described, and the relationship between aerospace developments and industrial, commercial, and sporting goods applications are discussed.

Freeman, W. Tom↗
DOE OSTI2024

Sonic Wafering of III-V substrates for High Efficiency Cells: A path to <$0.50/W

This project developed and demonstrated Sonic Lift-off, a novel technology that enables the reuse of expensive semiconductor substrates used to manufacture high-efficiency solar cells. By using sound waves to precisely separate thin layers of material, the process significantly reduces manufacturing costs while maintaining the performance of advanced III–V solar cells. These solar cells are among the most efficient in the world and are used in space, aerospace, and emerging terrestrial applications. The results of this work show that substrate reuse can be achieved without degrading device performance, offering a pathway to more affordable, high-performance solar technologies. This advancement supports U.S. clean energy goals by enabling broader deployment of renewable energy systems and strengthening domestic manufacturing capabilities in advanced photovoltaics.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS2012

Materials Advance Chemical Propulsion Technology

In the future, the Planetary Science Division of NASA's Science Mission Directorate hopes to use better-performing and lower-cost propulsion systems to send rovers, probes, and observers to places like Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. For such purposes, a new propulsion technology called the Advanced Materials Bipropellant Rocket (AMBR) was developed under NASA's In-Space Propulsion Technology (ISPT) project, located at Glenn Research Center. As an advanced chemical propulsion system, AMBR uses nitrogen tetroxide oxidizer and hydrazine fuel to propel a spacecraft. Based on current research and development efforts, the technology shows great promise for increasing engine operation and engine lifespan, as well as lowering manufacturing costs. In developing AMBR, ISPT has several goals: to decrease the time it takes for a spacecraft to travel to its destination, reduce the cost of making the propulsion system, and lessen the weight of the propulsion system. If goals like these are met, it could result in greater capabilities for in-space science investigations. For example, if the amount (and weight) of propellant required on a spacecraft is reduced, more scientific instruments (and weight) could be added to the spacecraft. To achieve AMBR s maximum potential performance, the engine needed to be capable of operating at extremely high temperatures and pressure. To this end, ISPT required engine chambers made of iridium-coated rhenium (strong, high-temperature metallic elements) that allowed operation at temperatures close to 4,000 F. In addition, ISPT needed an advanced manufacturing technique for better coating methods to increase the strength of the engine chamber without increasing the costs of fabricating the chamber.

Source record↗
DOE OSTI2021

Tuning the 3D Printability and Thermomechanical Properties of Radiation Shields

Additive manufacturing, with its rapid advances in materials science, allows for researchers and companies to have the ability to create novel formulations and final parts that would have been difficult or near impossible to fabricate with traditional manufacturing methods. One such 3D printing technology, direct ink writing, is especially advantageous in fields requiring customizable parts with high amounts of functional fillers. Nuclear technology is a prime example of a field that necessitates new material design with regard to unique parts that also provide radiation shielding. Indeed, much effort has been focused on developing new rigid radiation shielding components, but DIW remains a less explored technology with a lot of potential for nuclear applications. In this study, DIW formulations that can behave as radiation shields were developed and were printed with varying amounts of porosity to tune the thermomechanical performance.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS2008

Friction Stir Welding: Standards and Specifications in Today's U.S. Manufacturing and Fabrication

New welding and technology advancements are reflected in the friction stir welding (FSW) specifications used in the manufacturing sector. A lack of publicly available specifications as one of the reasons that the FSW process has not propagate through the manufacturing sectors. FSW specifications are an integral supporting document to the legal agreement written between two entities for deliverable items. Understanding the process and supporting specifications is essential for a successful FSW manufacturing operation. This viewgraph presentation provides an overview of current FSW standards in the industry and discusses elements common to weld specifications.

Ding, Robert Jeffrey↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Advanced Materials and Feedstock Development for On-orbit Manufacturing

This presentation is for the On-orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (OSAM) Technology Transfer Workshop. The content discusses materials research done to date, and research that is ongoing, applicable to OSAM applications. The talk includes content from the In-Space Manufacturing and Moon to Mars Planetary Autonomous Construction Technology projects.

On-orbit Servicing Assembly and Manufacturing↗