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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 OSTI2013

Plasma nitriding process by direct current glow discharge at low temperature increasing the thermal diffusivity of AISI 304 stainless steel

This work reports for the first time on the use of the open photoacoustic cell technique operating at very low frequencies and at room temperature to experimentally determine the thermal diffusivity parameter of commercial AISI304 stainless steel and AISI304 stainless steel nitrided samples. Complementary measurements of X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy were also performed. The results show that in standard AISI 304 stainless steel samples the thermal diffusivity is (4.0 {+-} 0.3) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -6} m{sup 2}/s. After the nitriding process, the thermal diffusivity increases to the value (7.1 {+-} 0.5) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -6} m{sup 2}/s. The results are being associated to the diffusion process of nitrogen into the surface of the sample. Carrying out subsequent thermal treatment at 500 Degree-Sign C, the thermal diffusivity increases up to (12.0 {+-} 2) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -6} m{sup 2}/s. Now the observed growing in the thermal diffusivity must be related to the change in the phases contained in the nitrided layer.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Increasing energy coupling into plasma waves by tailoring the laser radial focal spot distribution in a laser wakefield accelerator

By controlling the focal spot quality with a deformable mirror, we are able to show that increasing the fraction of pulse energy contained within the central part of the focal spot, while keeping the total energy and central spot size constant, significantly increases the amount of energy transferred to the wakefield: Our measurements show that the laser loses significantly more laser energy and undergoes greater redshifting and that more charge is produced in the accelerated beam. Three dimensional particle in cell simulations performed with accurate representations of the measured focal spot intensity distribution confirm that energy in the wings of the focal spot is effectively wasted. Even though self-focusing occurs, energy in the wings of the focal spot distribution is not coupled into the wakefield, emphasising the vital importance of high quality focal spot profiles in experiments.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Modeling the pressure increase in liquid helium cryostats after failure of the insulating vacuum

The pressure relief system of liquid helium cryostats requires a careful design, due to helium's low enthalpy of vaporization and due to the low operating temperature. Hazard analyses often involve the failure of the insulating vacuum in the worst-case scenario. The venting of the insulating vacuum and the implications for the pressure increase in the helium vessel, however, have not yet been fully analyzed. Therefore, the dimensioning of safety devices often requires experience and reference to very few experimental data. In order to provide a better foundation for the design of cryogenic pressure relief systems, this paper presents an analytic approach for the strongly dynamic process induced by the loss of insulating vacuum. The model is based on theoretical considerations and on differential equation modeling. It contains only few simplifying assumptions, which will be further investigated in future experiments. The numerical solutions of example calculations are presented with regard to the heat flux into the helium vessel, the helium pressure increase and the helium flow rate through the pressure relief device. Implications concerning two-phase flow and the influence of kinetic energy are discussed.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2014

Increase of the grating coupler bandwidth with a graphene overlay

We present theoretical and experimental results that demonstrate an increase in the grating bandwidth by placing a graphene on the chip. A focusing subwavelength grating with coupling efficiency of −4.3 dB and 1 dB bandwidth of ∼60 nm was demonstrated. After a graphene sheet was transferred onto the chip, the maximum 1 dB bandwidth was increased to ∼72 nm. Experimental results are consistent with the calculated graphene induced waveguide refractive index and dispersion changes, and the bandwidth improvement may be attributed to the reduction of grating dispersion. This study may be of interest for graphene-on-silicon photonic integrated circuit applications.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2014

Ceramic-polymer nanocomposites with increased dielectric permittivity and low dielectric loss

The use of lead free materials in device fabrication is very essential from environmental point of view. We have synthesized the lead free ferroelectric polymer nanocomposite films with increased dielectric properties. Lead free bismuth titanate has been used as active ceramic nanofillers having crystallite size 24nm and PVDF as the polymer matrix. Ferroelectric β-phase of the polymer composite films was confirmed by X-ray diffraction pattern. Mapping data confirms the homogeneous dispersion of ceramic particles into the polymer matrix. Frequency dependent dielectric constant increases up to 43.4 at 100Hz, whereas dielectric loss decreases with 7 wt% bismuth titanate loading. This high dielectric constant lead free ferroelectric polymer films can be used for energy density applications.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

The role of Nb in intensity increase of Er ion upconversion luminescence in zirconia

It is found that Nb co-doping increases the luminescence and upconversion luminescence intensity in rare earth doped zirconia. Er and Yb-doped nanocrystalline samples with or without Nb co-doping were prepared by sol-gel method and thermally annealed to check for the impact of phase transition on luminescence properties. Phase composition and grain sizes were examined by X-ray diffraction; the morphology was checked by scanning- and high-resolution transmission electron microscopes. Both steady-state and time-resolved luminescence were studied. Comparison of samples with different oxygen vacancy concentrations and different Nb concentrations confirmed the known assumption that oxygen vacancies are the main agents for tetragonal or cubic phase stabilization. The oxygen vacancies quench the upconversion luminescence; however, they also prevent agglomeration of rare-earth ions and/or displacement of rare-earth ions to grain surfaces. It is found that co-doping with Nb ions significantly (>20 times) increases upconversion luminescence intensity. Hence, ZrO{sub 2}:Er:Yb:Nb nanocrystals may show promise for upconversion applications.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Lithium inclusion in indium metal-organic frameworks showing increased surface area and hydrogen adsorption

Investigation of counterion exchange in two anionic In-Metal-Organic Frameworks (In-MOFs) showed that partial replacement of disordered ammonium cations was achieved through the pre-synthetic addition of LiOH to the reaction mixture. This resulted in a surface area increase of over 1600% in (Li [In(1,3 − BDC){sub 2}]){sub n} and enhancement of the H{sub 2} uptake of approximately 275% at 80 000 Pa at 77 K. This method resulted in frameworks with permanent lithium content after repeated solvent exchange as confirmed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Lithium counterion replacement appears to increase porosity after activation through replacement of bulkier, softer counterions and demonstrates tuning of pore size and properties in MOFs.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Significant increase of Curie temperature in nano-scale BaTiO{sub 3}

The low Curie temperature (T{sub c} = 130 °C) of bulk BaTiO{sub 3} greatly limits its applications. In this work, the phase structures of BaTiO{sub 3} nanoparticles with sizes ranging from 2.5 nm to 10 nm were studied at various temperatures by using aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy (TEM) equipped with an in-situ heating holder. The results implied that each BaTiO{sub 3} nanoparticle was composed of different phases, and the ferroelectric ones were observed in the shells due to the complicated surface structure. The ferroelectric phases in BaTiO{sub 3} nanoparticles remained at 600 °C, suggesting a significant increase of T{sub c}. Based on the in-situ TEM results and the data reported by others, temperature-size phase diagrams for BaTiO{sub 3} particles and ceramics were proposed, showing that the phase transition became diffused and the T{sub c} obviously increased with decreasing size. The present work sheds light on the design and fabrication of advanced devices for high temperature applications.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Increased InAs quantum dot size and density using bismuth as a surfactant

We have investigated the growth of self-assembled InAs quantum dots using bismuth as a surfactant to control the dot size and density. We find that the bismuth surfactant increases the quantum dot density, size, and uniformity, enabling the extension of the emission wavelength with increasing InAs deposition without a concomitant reduction in dot density. We show that these effects are due to bismuth acting as a reactive surfactant to kinetically suppress the surface adatom mobility. This mechanism for controlling quantum dot density and size has the potential to extend the operating wavelength and enhance the performance of various optoelectronic devices.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Solid-immersion fluorescence microscopy with increased emission and super resolution

We investigate solid-immersion fluorescence microscopy suitable for super-resolution nanotechnology and biological imaging, and have observed limit of resolution as small as 15 nm with microspheres, mitochondria, and chromatin fibers. We have further observed that fluorescence efficiency increases with excitation power density, implicating appreciable stimulated emission and increased resolution. We discuss potential advantages of the solid-immersion microscopy, including combined use with previously established super-resolution techniques for reaching deeper beyond the conventional diffraction limit.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Step-like increase of quantum yield of 1.5 μm Er-related emission in SiO{sub 2} doped with Si nanocrystals

We investigate the excitation dependence of the efficiency of the Si nanocrystals-mediated photoluminescence from Er{sup 3+} ions embedded in a SiO{sub 2} matrix. We show that the quantum yield of this emission increases in a step-like manner with excitation energy. The subsequent thresholds of this characteristic dependence are approximately given by the sum of the Si nanocrystals bandgap energy and multiples of 0.8 eV, corresponding to the energy of the first excited state of Er{sup 3+} ions. By comparing differently prepared materials, we explicitly demonstrate that the actual values of the threshold energies and the rate of the observed increase of the external quantum yield depend on sample characteristics—the size, the optical activity and the concentration of Si nanocrystals as well Er{sup 3+} ions to Si nanocrystals concentration ratio. In that way, detailed insights into the efficient excitation of Er{sup 3+} ions are obtained. In particular, the essential role of the hot-carrier-mediated Er excitation route is established, with a possible application perspective for highly efficient future-generation photovoltaics.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Increase of self-heating effects in nanodevices induced by surface roughness: A full-quantum study

We present a full-quantum approach to investigate self-heating effects in nanoelectronic devices and exploit it to simulate rough nanowire field-effect transistors. Self-heating is found to significantly contribute (up to about 16%) to the degradation of the transistor performances, with an impact that is stronger for stronger roughness. The mechanism at the origin of the enhanced backscattering is the temperature increase due to the thermal conductivity reduction and the consequent increase of electron-phonon coupling.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Efficiency droop improvement in InGaN light-emitting diodes with graded InGaN barriers of increasing indium composition

In this work, graded barrier InGaN light-emitting diodes with increasing indium composition barriers are proposed and investigated numerically. When the conventional GaN barriers are replaced by this unique graded InGaN barrier design, the forward voltage at 100 mA is reduced from 3.32 V to 3.27 V, and the efficiency droop is improved from 46.6% to 7.5%. The simulation results observed in this work indicate that these improvements can be attributed to increased electron confinement and enhanced hole injection efficiency caused by the modified energy band diagram.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

A miniaturized piezoelectric turbine with self-regulation for increased air speed range

This paper presents the design and demonstration of a piezoelectric turbine with self-regulation for increased air speed range. The turbine's transduction is achieved by magnetic “plucking” of a piezoelectric beam by the passing rotor. The increased speed range is achieved by the self-regulating mechanism which can dynamically adjust the magnetic coupling between the magnets on the turbine rotor and the piezoelectric beam using a micro-spring. The spring is controlled passively by the centrifugal force of the magnet on the rotor. This mechanism automatically changes the relative position of the magnets at different rotational speeds, making the coupling weak at low airflow speeds and strong at high speeds. Hence, the device can start up with a low airflow speed, and the output power can be ensured when the airflow speed is high. A theoretical model was established to analyse the turbine's performance, advantages, and to optimize its design parameters. A prototype was fabricated and tested in a wind tunnel. The start-up airflow speed was 2.34 m/s, showing a 30% improvement against a harvester without the mechanism.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2016

Increase of dielectric constant in PVDF by incorporating La{sub 1.8}Sr{sub 0.2}NiO{sub 4} into its matrix

To obtain the material with high dielectric constant and high dielectric strength for the technological applications, nanocomposite of Lanthanum Strontium Nickelete (La{sub 1.8}Sr{sub 0.2}NiO{sub 4}) as nanofiller and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) as polymer matrix has been prepared. The different nanofiler weight concentration varies from 2-8 weight percent. X-ray diffraction technique confirms the phase formation of nanocomposite. Differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) has been employed to study the percentage of crystallinity and Impedance measurement has been carried out to study the dielectric constant. DSC analysis shows decreasing trend of crystallinity whereas impedance analysis gives increasing dielectric constant with increasing La{sub 1.8}Sr{sub 0.2}NiO{sub 4} concentration in the nanocomposite. Also, these materials can be used as insulator in the transformer as the strength and dielectric behavior of present composite meets the technological requirements.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2017

Increasing plasma parameters using sheared flow stabilization of a Z-pinch

The ZaP and ZaP-HD Flow Z-pinch experiments at the University of Washington have successfully demonstrated that sheared plasma flows can be used as a stabilization mechanism over a range of parameters that has not previously been accessible to long-lived Z-pinch configurations. The stabilization is effective even when the plasma column is compressed to small radii, producing predicted increases in magnetic field and electron temperature. The flow shear value, extent, and duration are shown to be consistent with theoretical models of the plasma viscosity, which places a design constraint on the maximum axial length of a sheared flow stabilized Z-pinch. Measurements of the magnetic field topology indicate simultaneous azimuthal symmetry and axial uniformity along the entire 100 cm length of the Z-pinch plasma. Separate control of plasma acceleration and compression has increased the accessible plasma parameters and has generated stable plasmas with radii of 0.3 cm, as measured with a high resolution digital holographic interferometer. Compressing the plasma with higher pinch currents has produced high magnetic fields (8.5 T) and electron temperatures (1 keV) with an electron density of 2×10 17 cm -3 , while maintaining plasma stability for many Alfvén times (approximately 50 μs). Thus, the results suggest that sheared flow stabilization can be applied to extend Z-pinch plasma parameters to high energy densities.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2017

Unexpected significant increase in bulk conductivity of a dielectric arising from charge injection

Charge injection is a common phenomenon in heterostructures or devices containing metal-insulator interfaces under a voltage bias ranging from dielectric capacitors to electroluminescent and lasing devices. It is generally believed that charge injection only significantly increases the conductivity near the interfacial region or in capacitors with very thin dielectric layers. In this work, the impact of charge injection on bulk conductivity of a 0.5 mm thick Fe-doped SrTiO 3 single crystal is investigated with a combination of experimental impedance measurements and computational modelling. As a result, it is found that the interfacial charge injection may increase the predicted bulk conductivity of a dielectric by more than one order of magnitude as a consequence of Schottky barrier height lowering.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2017

Increased mobility and on/off ratio in organic field-effect transistors using low-cost guanine-pentacene multilayers

Layer-by-layer deposited guanine and pentacene in organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) is introduced. Through adjusting the layer thickness ratio of guanine and pentacene, the tradeoff of two electronic parameters in OFETs, charge carrier mobility and current on/off ratio, was controlled. The charge mobility was enhanced by depositing pentacene over and between guanine layers and by increasing the proportion of pentacene in the layer-by-layer system, while the current on/off ratio was increased via the decreased off current induced by the guanine layers. The tunable device performance was mainly ascribed to the trap and dopant neutralizing properties of the guanine layers, which would decrease the density of free hydroxyl groups in the OFETs. Furthermore, the cost of the devices could be reduced remarkably via the adoption of low-cost guanine.

42 ENGINEERING↗