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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 1,315 records · Page 73
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

“Flower-like” LI 4 TI 5 O 12 -multiwalled carbon nanotube composite structures with performance as highrate anode-materials for Li-ion battery applications and methods of synthesis thereof

A method of fabricating nanocomposite anode material embodying a lithium titanate (LTO)-multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWNT) composite intended for use in a lithium-ion battery includes providing multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWNTs), including nanotube surfaces, onto which functional oxygenated carboxylic acid moieties are arranged, generating 3D flower-like, lithium titanate (LTO) microspheres, including thin nanosheets and anchoring the acid-functionalized MWNTs onto surfaces of the 3D LTO microspheres by π-π interaction strategy to realize the nanocomposite anode material.

Wong, Stanislaus S.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Passive Temperature Sensors for Nuclear Applications

Thermocouples are generally used to provide real-time temperature indications in instrumented tests performed at material and test reactors. Passive temperature monitors, such as Silicon Carbide (SiC) and melt wires, may be included in such tests as an independent technique of detecting peak temperatures experienced during irradiation. In less expensive static (drop-in) capsule tests, which have no leads attached for real-time data transmission, melt wires, and SiC temperature monitors (TMs) are essentially the only possibility for peak temperature indication. A melt wire involves placing materials (wires) of a known composition and melting temperature in a test. An inventory is maintained at Material Science Laboratory (MSL) for melt wires ranging in temperatures from 30°C to 1500°C. Unfortunately, melt wires are limited in that it can only detect whether a single temperature is or is not exceeded (melt wire melted or not). SiC TMs, which can also be used to detect peak irradiation temperatures, are advantageous because a single monitor can allow to determine the peak temperature reached within a relatively broad range (100 – 1200°C) resulting in accuracies within ±20°C. Irradiation temperature is determined by measuring a property change after isochronal annealing or during a continuously monitored annealing process using specialized equipment at MSL. Recent research has produced a passive monitor known as sublime temperature monitor. This passive sensor has the capability of recording temperature gradients and pinpointing exactly where a temperature is located along that gradient. Long measurement lengths are achieved with very high accuracy in the location of desired temperature measurements (±2 mm over a 1 m span); however, this sensor has not been deployed in a nuclear reactor. This article will focus only on passive temperature sensors currently being researched and implemented under the Advanced Sensors and Instrumentation (ASI) program at Idaho National Laboratory (INL).

11 - NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2025

AMMT 2025 Milestone

Idaho National Laboratory initiated the examination of nickel-based alloys manufactured laser powder directed energy deposition additive manufacturing for potential applications in nuclear, high temperature structural components. With the rapid push towards additive manufacturing, codes do not exist that definitively define what is or is not tolerable for each process and application, such as with conventional, wrought products. This report contains the initial work to understand possible manufacturing methods for high temperature alloys, and specifically, void formation, microstructure evolution, and mechanical properties. To generate mechanical test data, specimens were tested irrespective of voids and microstructures were analyzed to better understand how to negate/improve these issues. The preliminary results showed major decreases in mechanical performance for material tested. Test specimens will continue to be produced to further improve additive manufacturing processes, quantify void acceptance, and better understand the most suitable high temperature alloys receptive to additive manufacturing and high temperature nuclear applications.

36 - MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

ICME: The Design of Fit-for-Purpose Materials

With the increased emphasis on reducing the cost and time to market of new materials, ICME (Integrated Computational Materials Engineering) has become a fast growing discipline within materials science and engineering. The vision of ICME is compelling in many respects, not only for the value added in reducing time to market for new products with advanced, tailored materials, but also for enhanced efficiency and performance of these materials. Although the challenges and barriers (both technical and cultural) are formidable, substantial cost, schedule, and technical benefits can result from broad development, implementation, and validation of ICME principles. ICME is an integrated approach to the design of products, and the materials that comprise them, by linking material and structural models at multiple time and length scales. NASA’s Transformational Tools and Technology (TTT) Project sponsored a study (performed by a team led by Pratt & Whitney) in 2016 to define the potential 25-year future state required for integrated multiscale modeling of materials and systems (e.g., load-bearing structures) to accelerate the pace and reduce the expense of innovation in future aerospace and aeronautical systems. This talk will briefly review ICME, the findings of the 2040 Vision study, and discuss NASA’s TTT 2040 implementation activities: with special emphasis on recent accomplishments. The 2040 study, NASA CR 2018- 219771, envisions the development of a cyber-physical-social ecosystem comprised of experimentally verified and validated computational models, tools, and techniques, along with the associated digital tapestry, that impacts the entire supply chain to enable cost-effective, rapid, and revolutionary design of fit-for-purpose materials, components, and systems by enabling the engineer to not only “design-with-the” material but also concurrently “design-the” material.

multiscale analysis↗
DOE OSTI2024

Report on RIA Relevant Modified Burst Testing of ATF Cladding Materials

The mechanical performance of accident-tolerant fuel (ATF) cladding candidates in light-water reactors (LWRs) must be similar to or better than that of current conventional nuclear fuel claddings to reduce dose to the public and ensure a that the core coolable geometry is maintained during a postulated reactivity-initiated accident (RIA) in light-water reactors (LWRs). During an RIA event, the rapid thermal expansion of nuclear fuel can deform the cladding once the fuel–cladding gap closes. In some cases, the pellet–cladding mechanical interaction (PCMI) can induce mechanical failure in ATF candidates. Thus, the mechanical response of ATF cladding must be investigated by mimicking the conditions of RIA and potentially performing Transient Reactor Test (TREAT) experiments to establish or verify the safety envelope. The work presented in this report investigated the failure behavior of as-received, hydrided, and chromium-coated (Cr-coated) Zircaloy-4 (Zry-4) cladding tube under strain-driven mechanical conditions, mimicking postulated RIA loading conditions. Mechanical testing was performed at 300°C via modified burst test (MBT) equipment with pulse width control previously developed under the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Advanced Fuel Campaign (AFC). The mechanical strains were determined using 2D digital image correlation (DIC) techniques. The base Zry-4 acquired by Cameco Inc. was in stress-relieved annealed (SRA) condition. Because of the observed large deformation of the cladding tubes, the failure strain definition was updated for the MBT, which can also be applied to other tube tests where significant bulging (out-of-plane deformation) is present. The failure strain was determined to be affected by the speed of the test or the RIA event. As the RIA-like event duration decreased from 75 to 15 ms, the failure strain decreased 5, 7 and 1% for as-received, hydrided, and Cr-coated specimens, respectively. Fractography on the Cr-coated specimens indicated the presence of two failure mechanisms: (i) crenulation at the outer surface of the coating due to the tensile tractional forces along with coatings grain microstructure and (ii) formation of critical defect at the coating/cladding interface that initiated coating rupture after severe plastic deformation of the Zry- 4 substrate. Based on the MBT results and fractography observations, performing mechanical property testing at high strain rates—in particular on Cr-coated tubes—and semi-integral TREAT experiments are required future efforts to ensure ATF cladding performance during transients. The testing recommended would also inform the development of long-term generalized cladding technologies.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Recent Advances in Rechargeable Aluminum-Ion Batteries and Considerations for Their Future Progress

Owing to their high theoretical capacity and reliable operational safety, nonaqueous rechargeable aluminum batteries (RABs) have emerged as a promising class of battery materials and been intensively studied in recent years; however, a lack of suitable, high-performing positive electrode materials, along with the need for air-sensitive and expensive ionic liquid electrolytes, has significantly hindered the practical use of RABs in large-scale applications. Therefore, we sought to carefully analyze positive electrode materials and the associated electrolytes that have been reported in these battery systems in order to stimulate the design of the next generation of high-performance and low-cost RABs. In this review, we have summarized the electrode materials that have been used in both nonaqueous and aqueous RAB systems and provided a rational classification based on the types of materials used and their respective structures. Additionally, we have reviewed electrolytes employed in RABs and have categorized them according to two main types of applications, either for fixed battery systems or for use in portable devices. Here, a systematic account of recent developments on RABs, with a focus on electrode materials, innovative perspectives, and impending research efforts on future RABs, has been included. Finally, a proposed liquid RAB system is discussed with the aim of solving issues regarding fast-charging and long operational lifetimes, followed by insights into solid RABs for use in both portable and multistructural RAB systems.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
NASA NTRS1999

A Spreadsheet Simulation Tool for Terrestrial and Planetary Balloon Design

During the early stages of new balloon design and development, it is necessary to conduct many trade studies. These trade studies are required to determine the design space, and aid significantly in determining overall feasibility. Numerous point designs then need to be generated as details of payloads, materials, mission, and manufacturing are determined. To accomplish these numerous designs, transient models are both unnecessary and time intensive. A steady state model that uses appropriate design inputs to generate system-level descriptive parameters can be very flexible and fast. Just such a steady state model has been developed and has been used during both the MABS 2001 Mars balloon study and the Ultra Long Duration Balloon Project. Using Microsoft Excel's built-in iteration routine, a model was built. Separate sheets were used for performance, structural design, materials, and thermal analysis as well as input and output sheets. As can be seen from figure 1, the model takes basic performance requirements, weight estimates, design parameters, and environmental conditions and generates a system level balloon design. Figure 2 shows a sample output of the model. By changing the inputs and a few of the equations in the model, balloons on earth or other planets can be modeled. There are currently several variations of the model for terrestrial and Mars balloons, as well there are versions of the model that perform crude material design based on strength and weight requirements. To perform trade studies, the Visual Basic language built into Excel was used to create an automated matrix of designs. This trade study module allows a three dimensional trade surface to be generated by using a series of values for any two design variables. Once the fixed and variable inputs are defined, the model automatically steps through the input matrix and fills a spreadsheet with the resulting point designs. The proposed paper will describe the model in detail, including current variations. The assumptions, governing equations, and capabilities will be addressed. Detailed examples of the model in practice will also be used.

Raquea, Steven M.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Material parameter determination from scattering measurements

The electrical, macroscopic performance of isotropic material can generally be described through their constitutive scalar parameters, permittivity and permeability which are symbolically represented by epsilon and mu, respectively. These parameters relate the electric and magnetic flux densities to the electric and magnetic fields through the following relationships: (1) D=epsilonE; and (2) B=muH. It is through these parameters that the interaction of electromagnetic waves with material can be quantized in terms of reflection and transmission coefficients, and propagation and attenuation factors.

Dominek, A.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Interlaminar shear test method development for long term durability testing of composites

The high speed civil transport is a commercial aircraft that is expected to carry 300 passengers at Mach 2.4 over a range of more than 6000 nautical miles. With the existing commercial structural material technology (i.e., aluminum) the performance characteristics of the high speed civil transport would not be realized. Therefore there has been a concerted effort in the development of light weight materials capable of withstanding elevated temperatures for long duration. Thermoplastic composite materials are such candidate materials and the understanding of how these materials perform over the long term under harsh environments is essential to safe and effective design. The matrix dominated properties of thermoplastic composites are most affected by both time and temperature. There is currently an effort to perform short term testing to predict long term behavior of in-plane mechanical properties E22 (transverse modulus of elasticity) and G12 (shear modulus). Out-of-plane properties such as E33, G13, and G23 are inherently more difficult to characterize. This is especially true for the out-of-plane shear modulus G23 and hence there is no existing acceptable standard test method. Since G23 is the most matrix dominated property, it is essential that a test method be developed. A shear test methodology is developed to do just that. The test method, called the double notched specimen, along with the previously developed shear gage was tested at room temperature. Mechanical testing confirmed the attributes of the methodology. A finite element parametric study was conducted for specimen optimization. Moire interferometry, a high sensitivity laser optical method, was used for full-field analysis of the specimen. From this work, material parameters will be determined and thus enable the prediction of long term material behavior of laminates subjected to general loading states.

Ifju, Peter G.↗
DOE OSTI2025

A Spatially Resolved Evaluation of Accelerated Environmental Aging on Emerging Polypropylene-Based Photovoltaic Backsheets Using Raman Spectroscopy

For this work, accelerated aging was used to assess environmental degradation in emerging co-extruded polypropylene (PP)-based backsheets under three different environmental conditions (65°C/20% relative humidity (RH), 75°C/20% RH, and 75°C/50% RH). Although differential scanning calorimetry did not measure crystallinity changes with exposure, spatially resolved Raman spectroscopy identified crystallinity increases in the core layer of aged samples, indicating a heterogeneous postcrystallization process. The Raman results were in agreement with synchrotron-based microfocused wide-angle X-ray scattering measurements. Cross-sectional nanoindentation was used to correlate localized crystallinity shifts with changes in Young's modulus. A similar trend was found where increased modulus was measured in the core layer, supporting the relationship between modulus and crystallinity. Finally, dielectric characterization was used to assess the impact of these material property changes on performance. While changes in the backsheet material properties and dielectric performance were observed with accelerated aging, these shifts generally equilibrated with time, indicating overall stability in response to environmental stressors. Additionally, the identified heterogeneous material property changes indicate that spatially resolved crystallinity measurements may be a valuable early failure indicator to be used in the assessment of PV backsheet long-term durability.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

3D Woven Mid-Density Carbon Phenolic (3MDCP) Full-Scale Heatshield Development for Mars Sample Return (MSR) Earth Entry System (EES)

The Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission will be returning samples of Martian soil to Earth. The samples will be returned in the Earth Entry System (EES). The EES capsule is protected by a new thermal protection system; the 3-Dimensionally Woven, Mid-Density, Carbon Phenolic (3MDCP) material which is derived from the Heatshield for Extreme Entry Environment Technology (HEEET). The baseline 3MDCP design is a single piece thermal protection system that avoids the manufacturing and certification challenges associated with a tiled configuration. A 3MDCP heatshield begins as a flat woven preform that is formed to the final heatshield shape and then infused with phenolic resin. A NASA Ames lead team, in collaboration with Spirit Textiles (formerly TEAM Inc.), Fiber Materials Inc. (FMI, a Spirit AeroSystems Company), and Kratos SRE, has been developing and demonstrating the processes to fabricate the 3MDCP heatshield and characterize the resulting properties. The process of forming the flat woven preform into the final heatshield shape, a sphere-cone geometry with a 52.5° cone angle, involves local but substantial movement of the yarns in the weave. This results in continuous fibers across the single piece heatshield, albeit with property variations between different regions of the heatshield. This presentation will provide a high-level status of 3MDCP development for the MSR EES heatshield. This will include an overview of the manufacturing processes with an emphasis on the impact of forming on fiber orientation, material properties, and performance. Results comparing preliminary formed and flat materials will be shown. Additionally, the presentation will layout the broader plan for property testing and tie-in to aerothermal performance.

Peter Edward Marshall↗
DOE OSTI2022

Accelerating Materials Discovery: Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable, High-Performance Polymers

PolyID enables the discovery of polymers with advanced performance and greater sustainability while reducing material development timelines. The material design space is immense and cannot be reasonably probed using an Edisionian approach. High-throughput property prediction, enabled by artificial intelligence provides a hypothesis driven approach for down selection of candidate polymers to pursue experimentally. To aid experimentalists in the down selection of material targets this high-throughput, machine learning-based tool is capable of predicting polymer properties simply from molecular structures. Currently, transport, thermal, and mechanical properties across 7 polymer class (polyamides, polyesters, polycarbonates, polyimides, polyolefins, polyacrylates, and polyurethanes) can be predicted, and the PolyID platform has been flexibly designed so new materials and properties can be added.

artificial intelligence↗
DOE OSTI2020

Dual Phase Soft Magnetic Laminates for Low-cost, Non/Reduced-Rare-Earth Containing Electrical Machines

To accelerate the mass market adoption of electric drive vehicles, the key technology barriers in electric motors are (1) magnet cost and rare-earth element price volatility; (2) non-rare-earth electric motor performance; and (3) materials property optimization. The goal of this project was to address these barriers by advancing a unique and innovative dual phase soft magnetic material technology and demonstrating the material in a 30-kW synchronous reluctance motor without using any permanent magnet for electric vehicles. Dual phase magnetic materials offer the electric motor designer the ability to locally control the magnetic saturation level in a motor laminate, while at the same time enhancing the mechanical strength of the laminate material, resulting in an enhancement in motor performance and efficiency. Scalable dual phase soft magnetic laminates manufacturing technologies were developed in collaboration with multiple US manufacturers. 1000 lbs of alloy sheet with a thickness of 0.25mm and width of 280 mm was manufactured within the specifications. Batch sizes of up to 240 laminates per run were produced from the alloy sheet. Two prototype motors with dual phase soft magnetic laminates were designed, built, and tested. The major goal of building the subscale prototype as a pathway to develop scalable manufacturing technologies for the dual phase soft magnetic laminates was met. The additional goal of building and testing the subscale prototype in order to validate the calculated performance with the tested motor performance was also met. For the full-scale 30kW continuous power synchronous reluctance motor prototype, the tested performance met the targets in terms of continuous power at the operating speeds up to 8000 rpm. Post-test studies were conducted and the root causes for the discrepancy between the predicted and tested peak power, continuous power at high speed range, and efficiency were identified. Further modeling study showed that the dual phase rotor machine has a 27% higher torque to active weight ratio than an equivalent performance silicon steel rotor machine. Application space and multiple discussions with traction motor and electric vehicle manufacturers for commercialization of the dual phase soft magnetic material technology were identified and conducted. An initial cost model was established based on the developed manufacturing technologies with the US manufacturers. Future paths for further cost reduction were identified, including increasing the market volume by broadening the applications of the dual phase soft magnetic laminate technology for electric machines in other energy sections such as oil & gas, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), and power generation.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Insulation or Irradiance: Exploring Why Bifacial Photovoltaics Run Hot

Bifacial photovoltaics are predicted to become the dominant device architecture over the next couple of years, but their thermal performance is not yet well understood. In this study, we model the thermal effects of different backside lamination materials on the performance of bifacial PERC cells. Glass-glass laminated cells were found to operate hotter than equivalent glass-polymer backsheet packed cells. This was solely due to the increased absorption of rear side incident light.

bifacial↗
DOE OSTI2024

Surpassing millisecond coherence in on chip superconducting quantum memories by optimizing materials and circuit design

The performance of superconducting quantum circuits for quantum computing has advanced tremendously in recent decades; however, a comprehensive understanding of relaxation mechanisms does not yet exist. In this work, we utilize a multimode approach to characterizing energy losses in superconducting quantum circuits, with the goals of predicting device performance and improving coherence through materials, process, and circuit design optimization. Using this approach, we measure significant reductions in surface and bulk dielectric losses by employing a tantalum-based materials platform and annealed sapphire substrates. With this knowledge we predict the relaxation times of aluminum- and tantalum-based transmon qubits, and find that they are consistent with experimental results. We additionally optimize device geometry to maximize coherence within a coaxial tunnel architecture, and realize on-chip quantum memories with single-photon Ramsey times of 2.0 – 2.7 ms, limited by their energy relaxation times of 1.0 – 1.4 ms. These results demonstrate an advancement towards a more modular and compact coaxial circuit architecture for bosonic qubits with reproducibly high coherence.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2025

Enhancing electrocatalytic performance of RuO 2 -based catalysts: mechanistic insights, strategic approaches, and recent advances

Abstract Electrochemical water splitting presents the ultimate potential of hydrogen and oxygen production; however, regulating the rate and efficiency of water splitting is highly dependent on the accessibility of extremely efficient electrode materials for slow performance kinetics and large overpotential of both oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Ruthenium oxide (RuO 2 ) based materials display high performance for OER and HER because of their capacity to bind oxygen, eminent catalytic activity, low cost compared to other precious metals, and stability in a wide pH range. However, there is still much space to promote the OER and HER activity and stability of RuO 2 to fulfill the necessity for practical applications in water splitting. Different researchers applied multiple approaches that boosted the catalytic performance of RuO 2 -based electrocatalysts toward overall water splitting. Herein, this review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advancements in RuO 2 -based materials in the field of water electrolysis for the generation of alternative energies. It gives a general description of water splitting in acidic and alkaline settings, including reaction mechanisms as well as common evaluation elements for the catalytic function of the materials. Most of the reviews reported based on RuO 2 materials are only focused on OER performance, but this review highlighted comprehensive ideas on different strategies like morphology design, electronic structure, electrolytes, and compositions for optimizing both electrocatalytic HER and OER functioning of RuO 2 -based electrocatalysts.

KC, Binod Raj (ORCID:0009000885806906)↗
DOE OSTI2022

Multiphysics Simulation of the NASA SIRIUS-CAL Fuel Experiment in the Transient Test Reactor Using Griffin

After approximately 50 years, NASA is restarting efforts to develop nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) for interplanetary missions. Building upon nuclear engine tests performed from the late 1950s to the early 1970s, the present research and testing focuses on advanced materials and fabrication methods. A number of transient tests have been performed to evaluate materials performance under high-temperature, high-flux conditions, with several more experiments in the pipeline for future testing. The measured data obtained from those tests are being used to validate the Griffin reactor multiphysics code for this particular type of application. Griffin was developed at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) using the MOOSE framework. This article describes the simulation results of the SIRIUS-CAL calibration experiment in the Transient Reactor Test Facility (TREAT). SIRIUS-CAL was the first transient test conducted on NASA fuels, and although the test was performed with a relatively low core peak power, the test specimen survived a temperature exceeding 900 K. Griffin simulations of the experiment successfully matched the reactor’s power transient after calibrating the initial control rod position to match the initial reactor period. The thermal-hydraulics model largely matches the time-dependent response of a thermocouple located within the experiment specimen to within the uncertainty estimate. However, the uncertainty range is significant and must be reduced in the future.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗