Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Sizing”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 127 records · Page 7
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Distinguishing localization from chaos: Challenges in finite-size systems

Highlights: • Provides an overview of the current understanding of the many-body localization phase transition. • Discusses the subtleties of finite-size scaling near this transition • Assesses the implications of these subtleties for numerical studies of spin chains. • Explores scaling of diagnostics in models with known localization transitions. • Presents suggestions for future numerical work. We re-examine attempts to study the many-body localization transition using measures that are physically natural on the ergodic/quantum chaotic regime of the phase diagram. Using simple scaling arguments and an analysis of various models for which rigorous results are available, we find that these measures can be particularly adversely affected by the strong finite-size effects observed in nearly all numerical studies of many-body localization. This severely impacts their utility in probing the transition and the localized phase. In light of this analysis, we discuss a recent study (Šuntajs et al., 2020) of the behaviour of the Thouless energy and level repulsion in disordered spin chains, and its implications for the question of whether MBL is a true phase of matter.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Particle size effect and the mechanism of hematite reduction by the outer membrane cytochrome OmcA of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1

The cycling of iron at the Earth’s near surface is profoundly influenced by dissimilatory metal reducing microorganisms, and many studies have focused on unraveling electron transfer mechanisms between these bacteria and Fe(III)-(oxyhydr)oxides. However, these efforts have been complicated by the fact that these minerals often occur in the micro- to nanosize regime, and in relevant natural environments as well as in the laboratory are subject to aggregation. The nature of the physical interface between the cellular envelope, the outer-membrane cytochromes responsible for facilitating the interfacial electron transfer step, and these complex mineral particulates is thus difficult to probe. Previous studies using whole cells have reported reduction rates that do not correlate with particle size. In the present study we isolate the interaction between the decaheme outer-membrane cytochrome OmcA of Shewanella oneidensis and nanoparticulate hematite, examining the reduction rate as a function of particle size and reaction products through detailed characterization of the electron balance and the structure and valence of iron at particle surfaces. By comparison with abiotic reduction via the smaller molecule ascorbic acid, we show that the reduction rate is systematically controlled by the sterically accessible interfacial contact area between OmcA and hematite in particle aggregates; rates increase once pore throat sizes in aggregates become as large as OmcA. Simultaneous measure of OmcA oxidation against Fe(II) release shows a ratio of 1:10, consistent with a cascade OmcA oxidation mechanism heme by heme. X-ray absorption spectroscopies reveal incipient magnetite on the reacted surfaces of the hematite nanoparticles after reaction. The collective findings establish the importance of accessibility of physical contact between the terminal reductases and iron oxide surfaces, and through apparent consistency of observations help reconcile behavior reported at the larger more complex scale of whole cell studies.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

Size-dependent characteristics of ultra-fine oxygen-enriched nanoparticles in austenitic steels

Here, a coordinated investigation of the elemental composition and morphology of ultra-fine-scale nanoparticles as a function of size within a variety of austenitic oxide dispersion-strengthened (ODS) steels is reported. Atom probe tomography was utilized to evaluate the elemental composition of these nanoparticles. Meanwhile, the crystal structures and orientation relationships were determined by high resolution transmission electron microscopy. The nanoparticles with sufficient size (>4 nm) to maintain a Y2Ti2-xO7-2x stoichiometry were found to have a pyrochlore structure, whereas smaller YxTiyOz nanoparticles lacked a well-defined structure. The size-dependent characteristics of the nanoparticles in austenitic ODS steels differ from those in ferritic/martensitic ODS steels.

atom probe tomography↗
DOE OSTI2017

Phase transformation kinetics in rolled U-10 wt. % Mo foil: Effect of post-rolling heat treatment and prior γ-UMo grain size

The effect of sub-eutectoid heat treatment on the phase transformation behavior in rolled U-10 wt.percent Mo (U10Mo) foils was systematically investigated. The as-cast 5 mm thick foils were initially homogenized at 900 degrees C for 48 hours and were hot rolled to 2 mm and later cold rolled down to 0.2 mm. Three starting microstructures were evaluated: (i) hot- + cold-rolled to 0.2 mm (as-rolled condition), (ii) hot- + cold-rolled to 0.2 mm + annealed at 700 deg. C for 1 hour, and (iii) hot- + cold-rolled to 0.2 mm + annealed at 1000 deg. C for 60 hours. U10Mo rolled foils went through various degrees of decomposition when subjected to the sub-eutectoid heat-treatment step and formed a lamellar microstructure through a cellular reaction mostly along the previous γ-UMo grain boundaries.

Jana, Saumyadeep↗
DOE OSTI2022

No One Size Fits All: Semiconductor Nanocrystal Sizing Curves

Although colloidal quantum dots or nanocrystals (NCs) are now long past their infancy, there remain basic issues that must be addressed to fully establish their fundamental, size-dependent properties. This is especially true for model systems such as CdSe where confinement effects are responsible for changes in their optical response and where significant effort has been invested in developing theories of their underlying electronic structure. Surprisingly, there still appears to be a lack of consensus on one of the most fundamental metrics for NCs, their sizing curves. As shown here, these are empirical functions that link the size of isotropically shaped semiconductor NCs (such as the diameter, d, for spherical NCs and edge length, l, for cube-shaped ones) to corresponding changes in optical response.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Influence of particle size, cycling rate and temperature on the lithiation process of anatase TiO 2

The nature of a phase transition plays an important role in controlling the kinetics of reaction of an electrode material in a lithium-ion battery. The actual phase transition path can be affected by particle size and cycling rate. In this study, we investigated the phase transition process during the electrochemical Li intercalation of anatase TiO 2 as a function of particle size (25 nm and 100 nm), cycling rate (1C, 2C, 5C, 10C, 20C) and temperature (room temperature and 80 °C) by in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction. The phase transition was found to be affected by the particle size: the 100 nm particles react simultaneously via a conventional nucleation and growth, i.e. two-phase, mechanism, while the 25 nm particles react sequentially via a two-phase mechanism. The Li miscibility gap decreases with increasing cycling rate, yet the phase separation was not suppressed even at a cycle rate of 20C. An increase in temperature from room temperature to 80 °C significantly improves the electrode's electrochemical performance despite undergoing a two-phase reaction. The failure to observe a continuous structural transition from tetragonal TiO 2 to orthorhombic Li 0.5 TiO 2 even at high rates and elevated temperature was attributed to the high energy barrier of a continuous phase transition path.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2014

Determination of lateral size distribution of type-II ZnTe/ZnSe stacked submonolayer quantum dots via spectral analysis of optical signature of the Aharanov-Bohm excitons

For submonolayer quantum dot (QD) based photonic devices, size and density of QDs are critical parameters, the probing of which requires indirect methods. We report the determination of lateral size distribution of type-II ZnTe/ZnSe stacked submonolayer QDs, based on spectral analysis of the optical signature of Aharanov-Bohm (AB) excitons, complemented by photoluminescence studies, secondary-ion mass spectroscopy, and numerical calculations. Numerical calculations are employed to determine the AB transition magnetic field as a function of the type-II QD radius. The study of four samples grown with different tellurium fluxes shows that the lateral size of QDs increases by just 50%, even though tellurium concentration increases 25-fold. Detailed spectral analysis of the emission of the AB exciton shows that the QD radii take on only certain values due to vertical correlation and the stacked nature of the QDs.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2016

Optimal Sizing and Placement of Battery Energy Storage in Distribution System Based on Solar Size for Voltage Regulation

This paper proposes a new strategy to achieve voltage regulation in distributed power systems in the presence of solar energy sources and battery storage systems. The goal is to find the minimum size of battery storage and its corresponding location in the network based on the size and place of the integrated solar generation. The proposed method formulates the problem by employing the network impedance matrix to obtain an analytical solution instead of using a recursive algorithm such as power flow. The required modifications for modeling the slack and PV buses (generator buses) are utilized to increase the accuracy of the approach. The use of reactive power control to regulate the voltage regulation is not always an optimal solution as in distribution systems R/X is large. In this paper the minimum size and the best place of battery storage is achieved by optimizing the amount of both active and reactive power exchanged by battery storage and its gridtie inverter (GTI) based on the network topology and R/X ratios in the distribution system. Simulation results for the IEEE 14-bus system verify the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Synthesis of Copper Birnessite, Cu x MnO y ·nH 2 O with Crystallite Size Control: Impact of Crystallite Size on Electrochemistry

This report describes the first detailed electrochemical examination of a series of copper birnessite samples under lithium-based battery conditions, allowing a structure/function analysis of the electrochemistry and related material properties. To obtain the series of copper birnessite samples, a novel synthetic approach for the preparation of copper birnessite, Cu x MnO y ·nH 2 O is reported. The copper content (x) in Cu x MnO y ·nH 2 O, 0.28 >= x >= 0.20, was inversely proportional to crystallite size, which ranged from 12 to 19 nm. The electrochemistry under lithium-based battery conditions showed that the higher copper content (x = 0.28) and small crystallite size (similar to 12 nm) sample delivered similar to 194 mAh/g, about 20% higher capacity than the low copper content (x = 0.22) and larger crystallite size (similar to 19 nm) material. In addition, Cu x MnO y ·nH 2 O displays quasi-reversible electrochemistry in magnesium based electrolytes, indicating that copper birnessite could be a candidate for future application in magnesium-ion batteries.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Usage of Parameterized Fatigue Spectra and Physics-Based Systems Engineering Models for Wind Turbine Component Sizing: Preprint

Software models that use design-level input variables and physics-based engineering analysis for estimating the mass and geometrical properties of components in large-scale machinery can be very useful for analyzing design trade-offs in complex systems. This study uses DriveSE, an OpenMDAO-based drivetrain model that uses stress and deflection criteria to size drivetrain components within a geared, upwind wind turbine. Because a full lifetime fatigue load spectrum can only be defined using computationally-expensive simulations in programs such as FAST, a parameterized fatigue loads spectrum that depends on wind conditions, rotor diameter, and turbine design life has been implemented. The parameterized fatigue spectrum is only used in this paper to demonstrate the proposed fatigue analysis approach. This paper details a three-part investigation of the parameterized approach and a comparison of the DriveSE model with and without fatigue analysis on the main shaft system. It compares loads from three turbines of varying size and determines if and when fatigue governs drivetrain sizing compared to extreme load-driven design. It also investigates the model's sensitivity to shaft material parameters. The intent of this paper is to demonstrate how fatigue considerations in addition to extreme loads can be brought into a system engineering optimization.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS1979

Spatial quantification of maps or images - Cell size or pixel size implications

The paper discusses spatial quantification of maps or images. Spatial accuracies evaluated by mapping and inventory measures were observed with a range of cell sizes for a 10.36 sq km soil survey segment. The distribution of interboundary distances in a map was evaluated as unique, characterizing information; experimentally observed relationships between accuracy and cell size and interboundary distance distribution parameters and cell size led to a model of the process of spatial quantization. Grid positioning effects were evaluated and were significant only at the level of individual mapping units; two generations of 'universal' process models were derived, implemented, and evaluated.

Wehde, M. E.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Light scattering by size-shape distributions of randomly oriented axially symmetric particles of a size comparable to a wavelength

Rigorously light scattering by size-shape distributions of randomly oriented axially symmetric particles are calculated by the T-matrix method, as extended to randomly oriented scatterers. The computational scheme is described along with a newly developed convergence procedure that makes it possible to substantially reduce computer time and storage requirements. The elements of the Stokes scattering matrix for a power-law size distribution of randomly oriented moderately aspherical spheroids are shown to be much smoother than and differ substantially from those of equivalent monodisperse spheroids; averaging over orientations does not eliminate the necessity of averaging over particle sizes. The angular-scattering behavior of the ensembles of nonspherical particles is found to be significantly different from that of the equivalent polydisperse spheres.

Mishchenko, Michael I.↗
DOE OSTI2017

Synthesis and characterization of metastable, 20 nm-sized Pna2{sub 1}-LiCoPO{sub 4} nanospheres

The majority of research activities on LiCoPO{sub 4} are focused on the phospho-olivine (space group Pnma), which is a promising high-voltage cathode material for Li-ion batteries. In contrast, comparably little is known about its metastable Pna2{sub 1} modification. Herein, we present a comprehensive study on the structure–property relationships of 15–20 nm Pna2{sub 1}-LiCoPO{sub 4} nanospheres prepared by a simple microwave-assisted solvothermal process. Unlike previous reports, the results indicate that the compound is non-stoichiometric and shows cation-mixing with Co ions on the Li sites, which provides an explanation for the poor electrochemical performance. Co L{sub 2,3}-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopic data confirm the local tetrahedral symmetry of Co{sup 2+}. Comprehensive studies on the thermal stability using thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and in situ powder X-ray diffraction show an exothermic phase transition to olivine Pnma-LiCoPO{sub 4} at 527 °C. The influence of the atmosphere and the particle size on the thermal stability is also investigated. - Graphical abstract: Blue nano-sized Pna2{sub 1}-LiCoPO{sub 4,} featuring tetrahedrally-coordinated Co{sup 2+}, was synthesized in a rapid one-step microwave-assisted solvothermal process. The phase relation between this metastable and the stable polymorph was analyzed and electrochemical properties are discussed. - Highlights: • Preparation of uniform 15–20 nm nanospheres of metastable Pna2{sub 1}-LiCoPO{sub 4} polymorph. • Structure redetermination shows cation-mixing (Co blocking Li sites). • In situ investigation of phase transformation to olivine Pnma-LiCoPO{sub 4} at 527 °C. • Pna2{sub 1}-LiCoPO{sub 4} reemerges as a stable high-temperature phase above 800 °C. • X-ray absorption spectroscopy confirms local tetrahedral symmetry (T{sub d} Co{sup 2+}).

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗