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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
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2019

Fiber Optic Sensor for Corrosion Monitoring in Molten Salt Irradiation Experiments

Molten salt reactors (MSRs) are one of the more promising advanced reactor concepts because they offer passive safety, high-temperature process heat, and the potential for improved fuel cycle economics through online reprocessing [1]. However, before MSRs can be reliably deployed, structural materials must be identified that can survive extended exposure to highly-corrosive salts during irradiation at high temperatures. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is funding the design and eventual construction of a Versatile Test Reactor (VTR) that will include experimental facilities for testing under conditions representative of several advanced reactors, including MSRs [2]. These facilities will allow testing of candidate structural materials during irradiation with flowing salt. If properly designed, these experiments will allow for post-irradiation characterization of weight loss in the structural material coupons. However, significantly more information could be gained if the corrosion could be monitored in situ.There are currently no commercially available sensors for in situ corrosion monitoring at temperatures in the range of 500–900°C [3]. An in situ corrosion sensor would also have to survive high-dose neutron irradiation and extended exposure chemically aggressive media (e.g., molten salts). While there are ongoing efforts to use the change in magnetic susceptibility of Cr-containing alloys, this technique is limited to Cr-containing structural materials and there are concerns when using a magnetic susceptibility sensor at temperatures approaching the Curie temperature of iron (770°C) [4].

Petrie, Christian M.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Millimeter-Wave Atmospheric Sounder (MAS)

MAS is a remote sensing instrument for passive sounding (limb sounding) of the earth's atmosphere from the Space Shuttle. The main objective of the MAS is to study the composition and dynamic structure of the stratosphere, mesosphere, and lower thermosphere in the height range 20 to 100 km, the region known as the middle atmosphere. The MAS will be flown on the Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science (ATLAS 1) NASA mission scheduled for late 1990. The Millimeter-Wave Atmospheric Sounder will provide, for the first time, information obtained simultaneously on the temperature and on ozone concentrations in the 20 to 90 km altitude region. The information will cover a large area of the globe, will have high accuracy and high vertical resolution, and will cover both day and night times. Additionally, data on the two important molecules, H2O and ClO, will also be provided.

Hartmann, G. K.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Amorphous-Carbon Films

Report describes structure, preparation, characterization, and applications of films of amorphous-carbon. Amorphous-carbon films potentially useful as masks in x-ray lithography, layers for passivation of high-speed microelectronic circuits, hard films to protect magnetic recording media and optical components from degradation by chemical etching or wear, and radiation detectors.

Pouch, John J.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Precision Formation Delta-V Requirements for Distributed Platforms in Earth Orbit

Distributed spacecraft flying in formation can overcome the resolution limitations of monolithic, Earth-sensing systems. However, formation spacecraft must now expend fuel to counteract disturbances and the gravity gradients between spacecraft. We consider three different formation architectures and determine the (Delta)(nu) required to maintain relative positions at accuracies from 0.1 to 10 m (1(sigma)). The three architectures considered are: (i) Leader/Follower, in which individual spacecraft controllers track with respect to a passive, leader spacecraft, (ii) Center of Formation, in which individual spacecraft controllers track with respect to the geometric center of the formation, and (iii) Iterated Virtual Structure, in which a formation template is fit each timestep and individual spacecraft controllers track with respect to the fitted template.

formation flying↗
NASA NTRS2018

Modeling the Risk of U.S. Offshore Oil & Gas Exploration-Well Drilling, Commercial Nuclear Plants, and Human Spaceflight

Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) has been applied in different industries for many years. Each industry and technology area presents varying challenges and priorities, and the risk models therefore need to be somewhat different. This paper compares aspects of risk modeling of offshore drilling, nuclear plant operation, and human spaceflight. Risk models in all three technology areas have certain high-level similarities: (1) they employ redundancy and diversity in their means to prevent or mitigate risk, including a mix of active and passive systems designed to respond to off-normal evolutions; (2) they are affected by human reliability; (3) their models require consideration of coupling between scenario structure and scenario phenomenology. But in examining the models in more detail, one sees important differences in methodology and emphasis. For purposes of comparison, this paper discusses aspects of a risk model of an offshore drilling operation in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, focusing on where such a development differs in important ways from models of commercial U.S. nuclear plants and models developed for human spaceflight.

Boyer, Roger L.↗
NASA NTRS2023

Transformable Linkage-Based Gripper for Multi-Mode Grasping and Manipulation

Gripper hardware design often involves a trade-off between distinct and sometimes opposing goals (e.g., high grasping force vs. gentleness). To address this trade-off within a single device, we present a multi-mode gripper with fingers that are scissor linkages, that can actively transform between three distinct modes by varying the number and locations of mechanical singularities. Each of these modes has properties that are suitable for specific needs. Mode 1 provides high grip strength, using a short lever arm and rigid structure. Mode 2 allows precise finger positioning and in-hand manipulation, using two independently controlled DOFs per finger. Mode 3 provides underactuated grasping that can passively adapt to delicate or irregularly shaped objects, with four DOFs per finger. The kinematic relationships, joint torques, and fingertip forces are derived analytically for each of the three modes. Gripper performance and the kinematic model are verified experimentally.

Junghan Kwon↗
NASA NTRS2012

Small Radioisotope Power System at NASA Glenn Research Center

In April 2009, NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) formed an integrated product team (IPT) to develop a Small Radioisotope Power System (SRPS) utilizing a single Advanced Stirling Convertor (ASC) with passive balancer for possible use by the International Lunar Network (ILN) program. The ILN program is studying the feasibility of implementing a multiple node seismometer network to investigate the internal lunar structure. A single ASC produces approximately 80 W(sub e) and could potentially supply sufficient power for that application. The IPT consists of Sunpower, Inc., to provide the single ASC with balancer, The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL) to design an engineering model Single Convertor Controller (SCC) for an ASC with balancer, and NASA GRC to provide technical support to these tasks and to develop a simulated lunar lander test stand. A controller maintains stable operation of an ASC. It regulates the alternating current produced by the linear alternator of the convertor, provides a specified output voltage, and maintains operation at a steady piston amplitude and hot end temperature. JHU/APL also designed an ASC dynamic engine/alternator simulator to aid in the testing and troubleshooting of the SCC. This paper describes the requirements, design, and development of the SCC, including some of the key challenges and the solutions chosen to overcome those issues. In addition, it describes the plans to analyze the effectiveness of a passive balancer to minimize vibration from the ASC, characterize the effect of ASC vibration on a lunar lander, characterize the performance of the SCC, and integrate the single ASC, SCC, and lunar lander test stand to characterize performance of the overall system.

Dugala, Gina M.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Significantly Improved Cyclability of Conversion-Type Transition Metal Oxyfluoride Cathodes by Homologous Passivation Layer Reconstruction

Electrode stabilization by surface passivation has been explored as the most crucial step to develop long-cycle lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). In this work, functionally graded materials consisting of “conversion-type” iron-doped nickel oxyfluoride (NiFeOF) cathode covered with a homologous passivation layer (HPL) are rationally designed for long-cycle LIBs. The compact and fluorine-rich HPL plays dual roles in suppressing the volume change of NiFeOF porous cathode and minimizing the dissolution of transition metals during LIBs cycling by forming a structure/composition gradient. The structure and composition of HPL reconstructs during lithiation/delithiation, buffering the volume change and trapping the dissolved transition metals. As a result, a high capacity of 175 mAh g -1 (equal to an outstanding volumetric capacity of 936 Ah L -1 ) with a greatly reduced capacity decay rate of 0.012% per cycle for 1000 cycles is achieved, which is superior to the NiFeOF porous film without HPL and commercially available NiF 2 -FeF 3 powders. Finally, the proposed chemical and structure reconstruction mechanism of HPL opens a new avenue for the novel materials development for long-cycle LIBs.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Carrier transport through the ultrathin silicon-oxide layer in tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) c-Si solar cells

The carrier transport through the silicon-oxide (SiO x ) layer in tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) c-Si solar cells has been studied experimentally and by simulation. The current intensity versus voltage (J-V) characteristics of GaIn/n-c-Si/SiO x /n + -poly-Si/Al structures shows a linear Ohmic characteristic, while a non-Ohmic behavior is observed in the samples without the n + -poly-Si contact layer. Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy (c-AFM) images reveal some current spikes on the surface of the samples, which could be related to the transport through pinholes. The simulation results show that 1) a rectification characteristic is obtained when only the tunneling mechanism is included, 2) both the reverse saturation current and the forward current increase when a small amount of transport through pinholes is introduced, and 3) finally a linear Ohmic behavior is observed when the pinhole transport component reaches a certain level. Furthermore, the simulation for whole TOPCon solar cells provides some useful results. For very thin SiO x (< 1.2 nm), the tunneling provides sufficient high tunneling probability and high efficiency TOPCon solar cells can be obtained without transport through pinholes if the passivation is ensured; while for a relatively thick SiO x (> 1.2 nm) without the transport through pinholes, the TOPCon solar cell shows a poor fill factor (FF) with a high series resistance (Rs) because the tunneling does not provide a sufficient high transport channel for carrier transport, and the introduction of a small number of transports through pinholes improves the FF and reduces the Rs, hence improves the PCE. However, a high possibility for carrier going through pinholes reduces all of the performance parameters and degrades PCE for all the cases simulated. Therefore, an optimized pinhole density and size distribution is critical engineering for solar cell performance optimization. However, the establishment of an optimized method to precisely control the pinhole formation and characterization is still on the way.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS2000

Background Simulation of the MSFC GSPC Balloon Payload

Numerical simulations are used to predict the cosmic-ray induced background in a passively shielded gas scintillation proportional counter to be used as the focal plane instrument of a balloon-borne hard x-ray telescope system. The predicted background in the 20-75 keV operating range of the detector shows a spectral shape characteristic of a power law photoelectrically absorbed by the stainless steel pressure vessel walls. It is found that the dominant background radiation component is simply cosmic diffuse and atmospheric gamma-ray leakage though there is a contribution from nuclear interactions of energetic particles in the walls and nearby payload structures. The correlation between shielding properties and background flux is examined parametrically using one-dimensional slab models, within material and weight constraints, in order to optimize predicted sensitivity. The addition of a few mm thick Sn passive shielding reduces the primary photon contribution by up to 50% at the spectral peak, E 150 keV, and adds only negligibly to the flux due to photon production within the high-Z shields at lower energies.

Swartz, D. A.↗
NASA NTRS1998

X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy Study of the Heating Effects on Pd/6H-SiC Schottky Structure

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy is used to study the effects of heat treatment on the Pd/6H-SiC Schottky diode structure. After heating the structure at 425 C for 140 h, a very thin surface layer of PdO mixed with SiO(x) formed on the palladium surface of the Schottky structure. Heat treatment promoted interfacial diffusion and reaction which significantly broadened the interfacial region. In the interfacial region, the palladium concentration decreases with depth, and the interfacial products are Pd(x)Si (x = 1,2,3,4). In the high Pd concentration regions, Pd4Si is the major silicide component while gr and Pd2Si are major components in the low Pd concentration region. At the center of the interface, where the total palladium concentration equals that of silicon, the concentrations of palladium associated with various palladium silicides (Pd(x)Si, x= 1,2,3,4) are approximately equal. The surface passivation layer composed of PdO and SiO, may significantly affect the electronic and catalytic properties of the surface of the Schottky diode which plays a major role in gas detection. The electronic properties of the Schottky structure may be dominated by a (Pd+Pd(x)Si)/SiC interface. In order to stabilize the properties of the Schottky structure the surface and interface diffusion and reactions must be controlled.

Chen, Liang-Yu↗
DOE OSTI2024

Control-inspired design and power optimization of an active mechanical motion rectifier based power takeoff for wave energy converters

Ocean waves have high energy density and are persistent and predictable. Yet, converting wave energy to a useable form remains challenging. A significant hurdle is the oscillatory nature of waves resulting in the alternating loads, which necessitate the use of rectification at some stage of the energy conversion. This research effort presents a novel design of active mechanical motion rectifier (AMMR) for the power takeoff (PTO), which provides enhanced controllability and better power performance when compared to passive mechanical motion rectifiers (MMR). Inspired by transistors used in synchronous electrical rectifiers, the proposed design uses controllable electromagnetic clutches in the mechanical transmission to allow active engagement-disengagement control; thus, rectifying the oscillatory motion into a unidirectional rotation for high energy conversion efficiency and allowing the generator in unidirectional rotation to control the bidirectional wave capture structure for maximizing the power output. A semi-analytical computational approach is developed to efficiently evaluate the optimal power achieved using the proposed AMMR-based PTO and active control. It is found that the AMMR-based PTO design yields a higher optimal power than the previous passive MMR design across the wave spectrum. The influences of generator inertia and reactive power are discussed. Furthermore, the effects of control parameters on the power output and the optimal trajectories are analyzed. Wave tank tests with the AMMR prototype demonstrated the effectiveness of AMMR based PTO design and validated the numerical analysis.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2011

New Concepts For High Power ICRF Antennas

This paper presents new concepts for Ion Cyclotron Heating antennas based on cascaded sequences of tuned radiating structures. It is shown that, in large arrays, such as the ones proposed for fusion reactors applications, these schemes offer, in principle, a number of desirable features, such as operation at power density significantly higher than currently adopted systems, at equal maximum voltage and array geometry, simple mechanical layout, suitable for water cooling, a compact impedance tuning system, passive decoupling of the array elements, single ended or balanced feed from two power sources. The antenna layout also allows the remote, real time measurement of the complex impedance of the radiating elements and the detection, location, and measurement of the complex admittance of arcs occurring anywhere in the structure, as discussed in [1].

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Pushing the efficiency limit of low-cost, industrially relevant Si solar cells to > 22.5% by advancing cell structures and technology innovations (Final Report)

The overall objective of this program is to achieve ~23% bifacial n-type cell efficiencies by developing and implementing optimized homogeneous or selective boron (B) emitter on front and tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) on rear side, in combination with advanced fine-line screen-printing metallization with floating busbars. During this research project, first we developed a technology roadmap to drive the 21% n-PERT cell efficiency from 21% to 23% by transforming the cell design to n-TOPCon and establishing the requirements for each layer, including B emitter, rear n-TOPCon, n-base Si and screen-printed contacts. Next, consistent with our roadmap, we developed advanced homogeneous implanted B emitter (150-180 Ω/⌫) passivated with ALD Al 2 O 3 layer capped with PECVD SiN x /SiO x double-layer antireflection coating This gave a very low recombination current density of 10-15 fA/cm 2 prior to metallization. In addition, we demonstrated metallized recombination current density of ~31 fA/cm 2 for this advanced homogeneous B emitter with industrial screen-printed, fire-through contacts with 40 μm wide grid lines, floating busbars and implementation of an advanced Ag-Al paste which resulted in local or reduced area metal-Si contact under the grid lines with virtually no emitter surface etching. This paste reduced the full area metallized J oe,metal from >1100 fA/cm 2 to ~700 fA/cm 2 . We also developed novel processes for the formation of p + /p ++ selective B emitter by a) single B diffusion with selective etch back and b) two-steps diffusion with implanted B in field region and APCVD B diffusion under the metal grid. We achieved very low un-metallized recombination current density (J 0 ) of ~18 fA/cm 2 for the selective p ++ p + emitters (30/150 Ω/⌫) and metallized J 0 of ~28 fA/cm 2 with ~3% screen-printed metal contact to p ++ regions. Next, we developed the technology for n-TOPCon by growing phosphorus-doped LPCVD and PECVD poly-Si on top of ~ 15Å chemically grown (NAO) tunnel oxide. After an optimized anneal at 875 °C for 30 min, passivated n-TOPCon have unmetallized J 0 of ~ 5 fA/cm 2 which went down further to ~ 1 fA/cm 2 after a 700 Å SiN x capping layer and simulated contact firing cycle at 770 °C. After screen-printed fire-through metallization on this n-TOPCon with ~13% metal coverage, metallized J 0 value increased to only ~5 fA/cm 2 which is among the lowest reported value to the best of our knowledge for screen-printed metallization. Finally, we integrated all the above technology innovations and enhancements and demonstrated low-cost manufacturable screen-printed n-TOPCon bifacial Si solar cell with ~23% efficiencies. Based on the experimental and theoretical understanding developed in this project, we have developed a new technology roadmap that shows that implementation of busbarless contacts, 10-20 ms bulk lifetime Si, and selective B emitter or selective TOPCon on the front can drive ~23% efficient cells achieved in this research to ~25% at low-cost.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS1982

Vertical density and temperature structure over northern Europe

Vertical profiles of upper-atmosphere temperature and density over northern Europe constructed from data obtained in November and December 1980, as part of the Energy Budget Campaign, are presented and discussed. Temperature sondes, passive spheres, accelerometers, mass and IR spectrometers, and density gauges were rocket launched from ESRANGE, Sweden and Andoya, Norway; the data are combined with ground measurements to construct 20-120-km-altitude profiles for night periods of severe, moderate, and minimal geomagnetic storm activity. The profiles are compared with each other and with the 1976 U.S. Standard Atmosphere (USSA). In the temperature profiles, increased geomagnetic activity is associated with lower temperatures and flattened profiles in the stratopause region, and higher temperatures in the 70-90-km range. The density profiles show a variation of less than about 15 percent, except for a 25-percent range for the moderate-geomagnetic-activity period. The inferred wavelengths and periods are those expected for internal gravity waves at this altitude, and the divergence from USSA is accounted for by season and latitude dependence.

Philbrick, C. R.↗
DOE OSTI2017

Understanding the nanoscale redox-behavior of iron-anodes for rechargeable iron-air batteries

Iron-air cells provide a promising and resource-efficient alternative battery concept with superior area specific power density characteristics compared to state-of-the-art Li-air batteries and potentially superior energy density characteristics compared to present Li-ion batteries. Understanding charge-transfer reactions at the anode-electrolyte interface is the key to develop high-performance cells. By employing in-situ electrochemical atomic force microscopy (in-situ EC-AFM), in-depth insight into the electrochemically induced surface reaction processes on iron in concentrated alkaline electrolyte is obtained. The results highlight the formation and growth of the redox-layer on iron over the course of several oxidation/reduction cycles. By this means, a direct correlation between topography changes and the corresponding electrochemical reactions at the nanoscale could unambiguously be established. Here in this paper, the twofold character of the nanoparticulate redox-layer in terms of its passivating character and its contribution to the electrochemical reactions is elucidated. Furthermore, the evolution of single nanoparticles on the iron electrode surface is evaluated in unprecedented and artifact-free detail. Based on the dedicated topography analysis, a detailed structural model for the evolution of the redox-layer which is likewise elementary for corrosion science and battery research is derived.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Corrosion of Ferrous Alloys by Organic Compounds in Simulated Bio-Oils

Bio-oils derived from biomass contain organic species and acids that can be corrosive to steel-based structural materials used for pipelines and storage tanks. It is, therefore, important to assess corrosivity of organic constituents in bio-oils and identify ferrous alloys with sufficient corrosion resistance. In this work, lactobionic acid, formic acid and catechol were selected for corrosive constituents in bio-oils and used to formulate simulated bio-oils where 4 ferrous alloys, including 2.25Cr-1Mo steel and type 410, 201 and 316 stainless steels, were tested by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). The corrosivity of each simulated bio-oils was assessed using R2, a charge transfer limiting resistance fitted from EIS spectra. Whie 2.25Cr-1Mo steel exhibited active corrosion with low R2 values, the stainless steels showed high R2 values associated with passive state. The values of R2, considered proportional to the stability of the passive film, appeared lower in lactobionic acid than the other simulated bio-oils for the stainless steels, suggesting that lactobionic acid could be more aggressive to passive film than the other constituents of bio-oils. The overall goal of this work is to use EIS to systematically study the impact of bio-oil constituents on corrosion of candidate structural materials for bio-oil production, transport, and storage, as well as provide feedback for potential optimization of bio-oil chemistries to reduce the risk of corrosion.

Jun, Jiheon↗
DOE OSTI2024

MOOSE-Based Fast Reactor Core Bowing Capabilities: Coupled Structural Mechanics – Thermal Fluids Demonstration and Related Verification Efforts

Under the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy’s Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) Program, an integrated multiphysics approach is being developed to model the core bowing phenomena important to liquid metal-cooled fast reactors. Core bowing is an important passive safety mechanism in liquid metal-cooled fast reactors and involves multiphysics effects including radiation transport, fluid flow, heat transfer, and mechanical response to temperature and flux gradients. Verification and assessment efforts continued on the Multiphysics Object Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE) capabilities relevant for modeling thermo-mechanical core bowing behavior. IAEA Verification Problem 4, which was started in FY23, was further examined with MOOSE capabilities to rectify discrepancies observed in previous years when compared to IAEA benchmark participant data. Meshing and postprocessing capabilities in MOOSE were also advanced by other teams and utilized this year. A thermal fluids-structural mechanical coupling demonstration has performed on 7-assemblyand 19-assembly fast reactor assembly configurations using MOOSE. Subchannel capabilities are used to calculate coolant temperature, and heat conduction capabilities calculate duct wall temperature as well as heat transfer through the inter-assembly gap. Structural mechanical capabilities then deform the mesh, accounting for contact between assemblies, according to the temperature gradients calculated by the thermal solvers. Power distributions are imposed rather than calculated to demonstrate different deformations.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗