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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 1,279 records · Page 71

A multi-channel x-ray temporal diagnostic for measurement of time-resolved electron temperature in cryogenic deuterium–tritium implosions at OMEGA

Electron-temperature (T e ) measurements in implosions provide valuable diagnostic information, as Te is unaffected by residual flows and other non-thermal effects unlike ion temperature inferred from a fusion product spectrum. In OMEGA cryogenic implosions, measurement of T e (t) can be used to investigate effects related to time-resolved hot-spot energy balance. The proposed diagnostic utilizes five fast-rise (~15 ps) scintillator channels with distinct x-ray filtering. Furthermore, titanium and stepped aluminum filtering were chosen to maximize detector sensitivity in the 10 keV–20 keV range, as it has been shown that these x rays have similar density and temperature weighting to the emitted deuterium–tritium fusion neutrons. Initial data collected using a prototype nosecone on the existing neutron temporal diagnostic demonstrate the validity of this diagnostic technique. The proposed system will be capable of measuring spatially integrated T e (t) with 20 ps time resolution and <10% uncertainty at peak emission in cryogenic DT implosions.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Review—Thermal Safety Management in Li-Ion Batteries: Current Issues and Perspectives

Approaches for thermal management of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries do not always keep pace with advances in energy storage and power delivering capabilities. Root-cause analysis and empirical evidence indicate that thermal runaway (TR) in cells and cell-to-cell thermal propagation are due to adverse changes in physical and chemical characteristics internal to the cell. However, industry widely uses battery management systems (BMS) originally designed for aqueous-based batteries to manage Li-ion batteries. Even the "best" BMS that monitor both voltage and outside-surface temperature of each cell are not capable of preventing TR or TR propagation, because voltage and surface-mounted temperature sensors do not track fast-emerging adverse events inside a cell. Most BMS typically include a few thermistors mounted on select cells to monitor their surface temperature. Technology to track intra-cell changes that are TR precursors is becoming available. Simultaneously, the complex pathways resulting in cell-to-cell TR propagation are being successfully modelled and mapped. Innovative solutions to prevent TR and thermal propagation are being advanced. These include modern BMS for rapid monitoring the internal health of each individual cell and physical as well as chemical methods to reduce the deleterious effects of rapid cell-to-cell heat and material transport in case of TR.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Operation, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain of Lithium-ion Batteries for Electric Vehicles

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has a rich history of funding key innovations in batteries through multiple programs, including the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy programs sponsored by the Vehicle Technologies Office and Advanced Manufacturing Office. These DOE-sponsored innovations have been critical in lowering the cost of lithium-ion batteries to less than $160/kWh and increasing their energy density to more than 250 Wh/kg, enhancing the nation’s electrification system and achieving higher degrees of decarbonization. These investments continue to be crucial for positioning the United States as the hub for the most cumulative battery R&D programs worldwide. However, major breakthroughs in battery manufacturing are still needed to enable an electrified future evolving to predominantly incorporate rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. This will require a strong battery manufacturing base that will not only enable cutting-edge advancements in materials and manufacturing sciences but will also allow the United States to become a world leader in this fast-growing area. This review aims at supporting DOE’s Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Loan Program to give technology background and information that can be used to develop the basis for loan topics and evaluate battery applications. Such a program can represent a significant stride toward reinforcing the US position in advanced manufacturing by introducing artificial intelligence, machine learning, and sensing and smart controls to facilitate, expedite, and lead the battery industry by 2030.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

What is the Relationship Between Heavy Ion Outflow and High-Latitude Energetic Particle Precipitation?

This document is the fourth quarter progress report for year two on contract NAW-99002 'What is the relationship between heavy ion outflow and high latitude energetic particle precipitation'. In this project we are studying the relationship between the fluxes, mean energies, and field-aligned flow speeds of escaping suprathermal H+ and O+ measured by the TEAMS instrument on FAST and the energy flux of precipitating electrons obtained form the LBHL images taken by the Ultraviolet Imagery (UVI) camera on the Polar spacecraft. We have analyzed data from three time intervals, 7-11 Feb, 25-31 Jan, and 1-6 Feb 1997. We find that there indeed is a relationship between the O+ escape fluxes and the intensity of the aurora at the foot point of the field line. The time delay between an auroral intensification and the corresponding increase in escape flux is very short, only a few minutes. At low auroral luminosity the relationship between escape flux and luminosity appears to break down due possibly to the lack of sensitivity of the auroral emissions to large fluxes of low energy electrons.

Wilson, Gordon R.↗

Messenger Observations of Mercury's Bow Shock and Magnetopause

The MESSENGER spacecraft made the first of three flybys of Mercury on January 14.2008 (1). New observations of solar wind interaction with Mercury were made with MESSENGER'S Magnetometer (MAG) (2.3) and Energetic Particle and Plasma Spectrometer (EPPS) - composed of the Energetic Particle Spectrometer (EPS) and Fast Imaging Plasma Spectrometer (FIPS) (3,4). These MESSENGER observations show that Mercury's magnetosphere has a large-scale structure that is distinctly Earth-like, but it is immersed in a comet-like cloud of planetary ions [5]. Fig. 1 provides a schematic view of the coupled solar wind - magnetosphere - neutral atmosphere - solid planet system at Mercury.

Slavin J. A.↗

Science Enhancements by the MAVEN Participating Scientists

NASA implemented a Participating Scientist Program and released a solicitation for the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN mission (MAVEN) proposals on February 14, 2013. After a NASA peer review panel evaluated the proposals, NASA Headquarters selected nine on June 12, 2013. The program’s intent is to enhance the science return from the mission by including new investigations that broaden and/or complement the base-line investigations, while still addressing key science goals. The selections cover a broad range of science investigations. Included are: a patching of a 3D exosphere model to an improved global ionosphere-thermosphere model to study the generation of the exosphere and calculate the escape rates; the addition of a focused study of upper atmosphere variability and waves; improvement of a multi-fluid magnetohydrodynamic model that will be adjusted according to MAVEN observations to enhance the understanding of the solar-wind plasma interaction; a global study of the state of the ionosphere; folding MAVEN measurements into the Mars International Reference Ionosphere under development; quantification of atmospheric loss by pick-up using ion cyclotron wave observations; the reconciliation of remote and in situ observations of the upper atmosphere; the application of precise orbit determination of the spacecraft to measure upper atmospheric density and in conjunction with other Mars missions improve the static gravity field model of Mars; and an integrated ion/neutral study of ionospheric flows and resultant heavy ion escape. Descriptions of each of these investigations are given showing how each adds to and fits seamlessly into MAVEN mission science design.

Mars↗

Fast Plasma Drifts in the High Latitude Lonosphere

We have identified over 200 fast plasma drift events (>5 km/s) in the high-latitude ionosphere, as measured by the electric field double probe on the Dynamics Explorer-2 satellite during its 18 months lifetime from August 1981 to February 1983. Although these drifts can appear at all local time sectors, they are most common on the dawnside and in the pre-midnight sector. The fast plasma drifts generally occur between 64° and 82° inv.lat. although they sometimes appear below 55° inv.lat. in the pre-midnight sector, in which case they appear associated with a phenomenon often referred to as sub-auroral ion drifts. For increasing Auroral Electrojet index, their occurrence rate increases and their latitudinal locations move equatorward. The observed events last between 0.1 and 60 s, corresponding to (north-south) widths of 1–500 km along the satellite trajectory. The observations show a seasonal dependence such that the faster drifts tend to occur over the dark (winter) hemisphere.

Harri Laakso↗

Challenges and Strategies to Advance High-Energy Nickel-Rich Layered Lithium Transition Metal Oxide Cathodes for Harsh Operation

Nickel-rich layered lithium transition metal oxides (LiNi 1–x–y Co x Mn y O 2 and LiNi 1–x–y Co x Al y O 2 , x + y ≤ 0.2) are the most attractive cathode materials for the next generation lithium-ion batteries for automotive application. However, they suffer from structural/interfacial instability during repeated charge/discharge, resulting in severe performance degradation and serious safety concerns. Here we provide a comprehensive review about challenges and strategies to advance nickel-rich layered cathodes specifically for harsh (high-voltage, high-temperature, and fast charging) operations. Firstly, the degradation pathways of nickel-rich cathodes including surface/interface degradation, undesired cathode–electrolytes parasitic reactions, gas evolution, inter/intragranular cracking, and electrical/ionic isolation are discussed. Then, recent achievements in stabilizing the structure/interface of nickel-rich cathodes via surface coating, cation/anion doping, composition tailoring, morphology engineering, and electrolytes optimization are summarized. Moreover, challenges and strategies to improve the performance of Ni-rich cathodes at the electrode level are discussed. Outlook and perspectives to promote the practical application of nickel-rich layered cathodes toward automotive application are provided as well.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Monofluorinated acetal electrolyte for high-performance lithium metal batteries

High degree of fluorination for ether electrolytes has resulted in improved cycling stability of lithium metal batteries due to stable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation and good oxidative stability. However, the sluggish ion transport and environmental concerns of high fluorination degree drive the need to develop less fluorinated structures. Here, we depart from the traditional ether backbone and introduce bis(2-fluoroethoxy)methane (F2DEM), featuring monofluorination of the acetal backbone. High coulombic efficiency and stable long-term cycling in Li||Cu half cells can be achieved with F2DEM even under fast Li metal plating conditions. The performance of F2DEM is further compared with diethoxymethane (DEM) and 2-[2-(2,2-difluoroethoxy)ethoxy]-1,1,1-trifluoroethane (F5DEE). A significantly lower overpotential is observed with F2DEM, which improves energy efficiency and enables its application in high-rate conditions. Comparative studies of F2DEM with DEM and F5DEE in anode-free lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) LFP pouch cells and high-loading LFP coin cells further show improved capacity retention of F2DEM electrolyte, demonstrating its practical applicability. More importantly, we also extensively investigate the underlying mechanism for the superior performance of F2DEM through various techniques, including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, cryogenic electron microscopy, focused ion beam, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and titration gas chromatography. Overall, F2DEM facilitates improved Li deposition morphology with reduced amount of dead Li. This enables F2DEM to show superior performance, especially under higher charging and slower discharging rate conditions.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Multiprincipal Component P2-Na 0.6 (Ti 0.2 Mn 0.2 Co 0.2 Ni 0.2 Ru 0.2 )O 2 as a High-Rate Cathode for Sodium-Ion Batteries

Mixing transition metal cations in nearly equiatomic proportions in layered oxide cathode materials is a new strategy for improving the performances of Na-ion batteries. The mixing of cations not only offers entropic stabilization of the crystal structure but also benefits the diffusion of Na ions with tuned diffusion activation energy barriers. In light of this strategy, a high-rate Na 0.6 (Ti 0.2 Mn 0.2 Co 0.2 Ni 0.2 Ru 0.2 )O 2 cathode was designed, synthesized, and investigated, combining graph-based deep learning calculations and complementary experimental characterizations. This new cathode material delivers high discharge capacities of 164 mA g –1 at 0.1 C and 68 mAh g –1 at a very high rate of 86 C, demonstrating an outstanding high rate capability. Ex situ and operando synchrotron X-ray diffraction were used to reveal the detailed structural evolution of the cathode upon cycling. Using the climbing-image nudged elastic-band calculation and Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, we show that the optimal transition metal composition enables a percolating network of low barrier pathways for fast, macroscopic Na diffusion, resulting in the observed high rate performance.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Electrodes with Electrodeposited Water-excluding Polymer Coating Enable High-Voltage Aqueous Supercapacitors

Aqueous supercapacitors are powerful energy sources, but they are limited by energy density that is much lower than lithium-ion batteries. Since raising the voltage beyond the thermodynamic potential for water splitting (1.23 V) can boost the energy density, there has been much effort on water-stabilizing salvation additives such as Li 2 SO 4 that can provide an aqueous electrolyte capable of withstanding ~1.8 V. Guided by the first-principles calculations that reveal water can promote hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions, here, we pursue a new strategy of covering the electrode with a dense electroplated polymerized polyacrylic acid, which is an electron insulator but a proton conductor and proton reservoir. The combined effect of salvation and coating expands the electrochemical window throughout pH 3 to pH 10 to 2.4 V for both fast and slow proton-mediated redox reactions. This allows activated carbon to quadruple the energy density, a kilogram of nitrogen-doped graphene to provide 127 Watt-hour, and both to have improved endurance because of suppression of water-mediated corrosion. Therefore, aqueous supercapacitors can now achieve energy densities quite comparable to that of a lithium-ion battery, but at 100 times the charging/discharging speed and cycle durability.

Dong, Wujie↗

Superior electrochemical performance and reduced heat generation in 3D printed vs. 2D tape-casted NMC622 electrodes

This study compares the charge storage mechanisms, thermodynamics behavior, ion transport, and heat generation in NMC622 electrodes fabricated using a novel 3D printing process and the conventional 2D tape casting process. First, potentiometric entropy measurements revealed that the charge storage mechanisms for both types of electrodes consisted of lithium deintercalation in a homogeneous solid solution of NMC622 followed by a transition from a hexagonal (H1) phase to another hexagonal (H2) phase through a monoclinic (M) phase. Both types of electrodes had similar thermodynamics behavior with overlapping entropic potential profiles. Furthermore, operando isothermal calorimetry at high C-rates indicated that the 3D printed electrodes featured larger specific capacity and better rate performance than the 2D tape-casted electrodes. The better performance of 3D printed electrodes was attributed to their larger electrode/electrolyte interfacial surface area and electrical conductivity as well as their faster lithium ion transport. As a result, the instantaneous heat generation rates were smaller in 3D printed electrodes than in 2D tape-casted electrodes, thus resulting in lower overall specific electrical energy and thermal energy dissipation per unit charge stored. Overall, additive manufacturing techniques offer great potential in producing electrodes with superior electrochemical performance and reduced heat generation for fast charging batteries.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Overview of the ICRF heating system in SPARC

Ion Cyclotron Range of Frequencies (ICRF) heating is a critical system for the SPARC mission of demonstrating net positive fusion gain. In the first campaign, 20 MW of installed power at 120 MHz will be supplied to 10 four-strap antennas, arranged in poloidal pairs. The matching network is designed to accommodate for a range of loading conditions and a fast controller adjusts the matching during a pulse with frequency modulation of ±1 MHz. For the main L-mode scenario of the first experimental campaign, the power coupling and absorption is analysed in this work. Several feeding schemes are compared and limits on the amount of the total coupled power are evaluated. Coupling of the full 20 MW power is possible well within the limit of the peak electric field in the transmission line of 15 kV/cm. The 3 He minority and 2 nd harmonic T heating scheme is validated in full-wave modelling to be efficient for heating plasma in the SPARC L-mode Q>1 scenario, with dominant ion heating and efficient single-pass absorption. A range of ICRF wave parameters and minority concentration would be suitable for operation and allow tailoring the heating properties for plasma conditions and experimental objectives.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Lithiating magneto-ionics in a rechargeable battery

Magneto-ionics, real-time ionic control of magnetism in solid-state materials, promise ultralow-power memory, computing, and ultralow-field sensor technologies. The real-time ion intercalation is also the key state-of-charge feature in rechargeable batteries. Here, we report that the reversible lithiation/delithiation in molecular magneto-ionic material, the cathode in a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, accurately monitors its real-time state of charge through a dynamic tunability of magnetic ordering. The electrochemical and magnetic studies confirm that the structural vacancy and hydrogen-bonding networks enable reversible lithiation and delithiation in the magnetic cathode. Coupling with microwave-excited spin wave at a low frequency (0.35 GHz) and a magnetic field of 100 Oe, we reveal a fast and reliable built-in magneto-ionic sensor monitoring state of charge in rechargeable batteries. The findings shown herein promise an integration of molecular magneto-ionic cathode and rechargeable batteries for real-time monitoring of state of charge.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Neural network model of the multi-mode anomalous transport module for accelerated transport simulations

Here, a neural network version of the Multi-Mode Anomalous Transport Module, known as MMMnet, has been developed to calculate plasma turbulent diffusivities in DIII-D with a calculation time suitable for control applications. MMMnet uses a simple artificial neural network structure to predict the ion thermal, electron thermal, and toroidal momentum diffusivities while reproducing Multi-Mode Model (MMM) data with good accuracy and keeping the calculation time as a fraction of that associated with MMM. Model-based control techniques require models with fast calculation times, making many existing physics-oriented predictive codes unsuitable. The control-oriented predictive code COTSIM (Control Oriented Transport SIMulator) calculates the most significant plasma dynamics in response to the different actuators while running at a speed useful for control design. In order to achieve this calculation speed, COTSIM often relies on scaling laws and control-level models. Replacing some of these scaling laws and control-level models with neural network versions of more complex physics-level models has the potential of increasing the range of validity and the level of accuracy of COTSIM without compromising its computational speed. In this work, MMMnet is integrated into COTSIM to improve the turbulent diffusivity predictions, which will in turn improve the prediction accuracy associated with the dynamics of many plasma properties.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

High-fidelity simultaneous detection of a trapped-ion qubit register

Qubit state detection is an important part of a quantum computation. As number of qubits in a quantum register increases, it is necessary to maintain high fidelity detection to accurately measure the multi-qubit state. Here we present experimental demonstration of high-fidelity detection of a multi-qubit trapped ion register with average single qubit detection error of 4.2(1.5) ppm and a 4-qubit state detection error of 17(2) ppm, limited by the decay lifetime of the qubit, using a novel single-photon-sensitive camera with fast data collection, excellent temporal and spatial resolution, and low instrumental crosstalk.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

The role of impulsive particle acceleration in magnetotail circulation

Recent results from investigations carried out using the active magnetospheric particle tracer explorer/ion release module (AMPTE/IRM) satellite and International Sun-Earth Explorer (ISEE) show that bursty, near-neutral sheet fast flows are an important part of the transport in the near-earth tail. The results related to such flows are reviewed, and information is presented on their relation to the average plasma sheet characteristics and substorms. The average ion density, temperature and flow variability in the quiet inner plasma sheet exhibit a spatial dependence which suggests a dependence on Bursty Bulk Flows (BBFs). The energy and flux transport in the tail is discussed and it is stated that BBFs are responsible for such transport. The tailward progression of activity is considered.

Angelopoulos, V.↗

Influences of the Driver and Ambient Medium Characteristics on the Formation of Shocks in the Solar Atmosphere

Traveling interplanetary (IP) shocks were discovered in the early 1960s, but their solar origin has been controversial. Early research focused on solar flares as the source of the shocks, but when coronal mass ejections (CMEs) were discovered, it became clear that fast CMEs clearly can drive the shocks. Type II radio bursts are excellent signatures of shocks near the Sun. The close correspondence between type II radio bursts and solar energetic particles (SEPs) makes it clear that the same shock accelerates ions and electrons. A recent investigation involving a large number of IP shocks revealed that about 35% of IP shocks do not produce type II bursts or SEPs. Comparing these radio quiet (RQ) shocks with the radio loud (RL) ones revealed some interesting results: (1) there is no evidence for blast waves, in that all IP shocks can be attributed to CMEs, (2) a small fraction (20%) of RQ shocks is associated with ion enhancements at the shocks when they move past the observing spacecraft, (3) the primary difference between the RQ and RL shocks can be traced to the different kinematic properties of the associated CMEs and the variation of the characteristic speeds of the ambient medium, and (4) the shock properties measured at 1 AU are not too different for the RQ and RL cases due to the interaction of the shock driver with the IP medium that seems to erase the difference.

Nat, Gopalswamy↗