Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “passive structures”

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 1,549 records · Page 86
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

Spatial Atomic Layer Deposition of Aluminum Oxide as a Passivating Hole Contact for Silicon Solar Cells

In this work, tunneling aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ) passivation layers are demonstrated to be a candidate for hole collecting, passivating contacts when coupled with a boron-doped surface. Here, these very thin Al 2 O 3 films (1.5-3 nm) are deposited using spatial atomic layer deposition (ALD) on boron diffused (110-115 Ω –1 ) hydrophilic surfaces operating as metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) contacts. Emitter saturation current density values of approximately ≈57 fA cm 2 are achieved for Al 2 O 3 film thicknesses of 2 nm before metallization. At this same thickness, contact resistivity values of 33 mΩ cm 2 are obtained after metallization. Most importantly, the boron diffusion, wet chemical surface preparation, and spatial ALD of Al 2 O 3 used to create these MIS structures were all performed with industrially relevant equipment on Cz wafers.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2018

Realizing an Epitaxial Decorated Stanene with an Insulating Bandgap

The exploration of intriguing topological quantum physics in stanene has attracted enormous interest but is challenged by lacking desirable material samples. The successful fabrication of monolayer stanene on PbTe(111) films with low-temperature molecular beam epitaxy and thorough characterizations of its atomic and electronic structures are reported here. In situ angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy together with first-principles calculations identify two hole bands of p xy orbital with a spin-orbit coupling induced band splitting and meanwhile reveal an automatic passivation of p z orbital of stanene. Importantly, material properties are tuned by substrate engineering, realizing a decorated stanene sample with truly insulating bulk on Sr-doped PbTe. In conclusion, this finding paves a road for studies of stanene-based topological quantum effects and electronics.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Ablation of (GeS{sub 2}){sub 0.3}(Sb{sub 2}S{sub 3}){sub 0.7} glass with an ultra-violet nano-second laser

Highlights: • The interaction of (GeS{sub 2}){sub 0.3}(Sb{sub 2}S{sub 3}){sub 0.7} bulk glass and film with UV nanosecond laser. • Ablation process, topography of crater and structure of the material were studied. • Ablation threshold fluencies changed with the spot diameter and number of pulses. • The photo-thermal expansion of the material occurred for low laser fluency. • Laser direct writing process applicable for fabrication of passive optical elements. - Abstract: The results of an experimental study of the laser ablation of bulk and thin films of a GeSbS chalcogenide glass using UV nanosecond pulses are reported. The response of the samples to illumination conditions was studied through the use of atomic force spectroscopy, digital holographic microscopy, Raman scattering and scanning electron microscopy. The multi-pulse ablation thresholds were determined for both the bulk and thin film samples for varying number of pulses and illuminated spot diameter. The possible application of direct laser writing into the bulk and thin films of this material is presented.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Surface Ligands for Methylammonium Lead Iodide Films: Surface Coverage, Energetics, and Photovoltaic Performance

Surface ligand treatment provides a promising approach for passivating defect states, improving material and device stability, manipulating interfacial energetics, and improving the performance of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). To facilitate targeted selection and design of surface ligands for PSCs, it is necessary to establish relationships between ligand structure and perovskite surface properties. In this work, surface ligands with different binding groups are investigated to determine their extent of surface coverage, whether they form a surface monolayer or penetrate the perovskite, how they influence material energetics and photoluminescence, and how this combination of factors affects PSC performance. Ultraviolet and inverse photoelectron spectroscopy measurements show that surface ligands can significantly shift the ionization energy and electron affinity. Lastly, these changes in surface energetics substantially impact PSC performance, with the performance decreasing for ligands that create less favorable energy landscapes for electron transfer from MAPbI 3 to the electron transport layer, C 60 .

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2019

The Potential of DAS in Teleseismic Studies: Insights From the Goldstone Experiment

Distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) is a recently developed technique that has demonstrated its utility in the oil and gas industry. Here we demonstrate the potential of DAS in teleseismic studies using the Goldstone OpticaL Fiber Seismic experiment in Goldstone, California. By analyzing teleseismic waveforms from the 10 January 2018 M7.5 Honduras earthquake recorded on ~5,000 DAS channels and the nearby broadband station GSC, we first compute receiver functions for DAS channels using the vertical-component GSC velocity as an approximation for the incident source wavelet. The Moho P -to- s conversions are clearly visible on DAS receiver functions. Here, we then derive meter-scale arrival time measurements along the entire 20-km-long array. We are also able to measure path-averaged Rayleigh wave group velocity and local Rayleigh wave phase velocity. The latter, however, has large uncertainties. Our study suggests that DAS will likely play an important role in many fields of passive seismology in the near future.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1976

Development of a high capacity bubble domain memory element and related epitaxial garnet materials for application in spacecraft data recorders. Item 2: The optimization of material-device parameters for application in bubble domain memory elements for spacecraft data recorders

Bubble domain materials and devices are discussed. One of the materials development goals was a materials system suitable for operation of 16 micrometer period bubble domain devices at 150 kHz over the temperature range -10 C to +60 C. Several material compositions and hard bubble suppression techniques were characterized and the most promising candidates were evaluated in device structures. The technique of pulsed laser stroboscopic microscopy was used to characterize bubble dynamic properties and device performance at 150 kHz. Techniques for large area LPE film growth were developed as a separate task. Device studies included detector optimization, passive replicator design and test and on-chip bridge evaluation. As a technology demonstration an 8 chip memory cell was designed, tested and delivered. The memory elements used in the cell were 10 kilobit serial registers.

Besser, P. J.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Aerosol analysis techniques and results from micro pulse lidar

The effect of clouds and aerosol on the atmospheric energy balance is a key global change problem. Full knowledge of aerosol distributions is difficult to obtain by passive sensing alone. Aerosol and cloud retrievals in several important areas can be significantly improved with active remote sensing by lidar. Micro Pulse Lidar (MPL) is an aerosol and cloud profilometer that provides a detailed picture of the vertical structure of boundary layer and elevated dust or smoke plume aerosols. MPL is a compact, fully eyesafe, ground-based, zenith pointing instrument capable of full-time, long-term unattended operation at 523 nm. In October of 1993, MPL began taking full-time measurements for the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program at its Southern Great Plains (SGP) site and has since expanded to ARM sites in the Tropical West Pacific (TWP) and the North Slope of Alaska (NSA). Other MPL's are moving out to some of the 60 world-wide Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) sites which are already equipped with automatic sun-sky scanning spectral radiometers providing total column optical depth measurements. Twelve additional MPL's have been purchased by NASA to add to the aerosol and cloud database of the EOS ground validation network. The original MPL vertical resolution was 300 meters but the newer versions have a vertical resolution of 30 meters. These expanding data sets offer a significant new resource for atmospheric radiation analysis. Under the direction of Jim Spinhirne, the MPL analysis team at NASA/GSFC has developed instrument correction and backscatter analysis techniques for ARM to detect cloud boundaries and analyze vertical aerosol structures. A summary of MPL applications is found in Hlavka (1997). With the aid of independent total column optical depth instruments such as the Multifilter Rotating Shadowband Radiometer (MFRSR) at the ARM sites or sun photometers at the AERONET sites, the MPL data can be calibrated, and time-resolved vertical profiles of aerosol optical depth as well as aerosol extinction can be calculated. The techniques used to calibrate the lidar, calculate the aerosol extinction-to-backscatter ratio, and produce profiles of aerosol extinction and aerosol optical depths, will be described. Results using these techniques will be presented for case studies at the ARM site in the Tropical West Pacific and later in the Southern Great Plains.

Hlavka, Dennis L.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Impact Test and Simulation of Energy Absorbing Concepts for Earth Entry Vehicles

Nonlinear dynamic finite element simulations have been performed to aid in the design of an energy absorbing concept for a highly reliable passive Earth Entry Vehicle (EEV) that will directly impact the Earth without a parachute. EEV's are designed to return materials from asteroids, comets, or planets for laboratory analysis on Earth. The EEV concept uses an energy absorbing cellular structure designed to contain and limit the acceleration of space exploration samples during Earth impact. The spherical shaped cellular structure is composed of solid hexagonal and pentagonal foam-filled cells with hybrid graphite- epoxy/Kevlar cell walls. Space samples fit inside a smaller sphere at the center of the EEV's cellular structure. Comparisons of analytical predictions using MSC,Dytran with test results obtained from impact tests performed at NASA Langley Research Center were made for three impact velocities ranging from 32 to 40 m/s. Acceleration and deformation results compared well with the test results. These finite element models will be useful for parametric studies of off-nominal impact conditions.

Billings, Marcus D.↗
DOE OSTI2022

[Presentation Slides] Code-to-Code Benchmark Study for Thermal Stress Modeling and Preliminary Analysis of the High-temperature Single Heat-Pipe Experiment

In the heat-pipe-cooled microreactor, heat pipes remove heat from the reactor core as a passive heat-transfer device, so the fluid circulation is not required for cooling, which can substantially simplify the overall reactor design. However, given the extremely high temperatures in the core region and potentially large temperature gradients across the structure materials, thermal stresses need to be well-analyzed to ensure structural integrity during normal operations and accident scenarios. This presentation slides discuss finite element method-based thermal-stress analysis for the high-temperature single heat-pipe test article in the Single Primary Heat Extraction and Removal Emulator (SPHERE) facility at Idaho National Laboratory (INL), using two commercial software packages, Abaqus and Star-CCM+. A code-to-code benchmark study was performed to crosscheck the model setup and capability of each code and to gain preliminary insights into the potential thermal stress concerns from the current experimental setup. It is observed the significant thermal stresses happen at the inner surface of the heat pipe hole surrounded by electric heaters where the largest temperature gradients appear. The temperature fields have good agreements between Abaqus and Star-CCM+, while the induced thermal stresses show modest deviations probably due to differences of meshing engines used in these two codes. It is found that the local maximum thermal stresses may reach close to the ultimate tensile strength and yield strength of structural material depending on the heater power. Ultimately, the coupled thermal-structural analysis will help guide the current experimental plan and ensure the facility safety for future experimental study.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2022

CODE-TO-CODE BENCHMARK STUDY FOR THERMAL STRESS MODELING AND PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS OF THE HIGH-TEMPERATURE SINGLE HEAT PIPE EXPERIMENT

Microreactors are very small nuclear reactors with typical thermal-energy output of up to 20 MWth. The microreactor concept is gaining more and more attention for safe, robust, and reliable supply of electricity for remote locations and to meet industrial process heat needs. Heat-pipe-cooled microreactor is one of the microreactors being investigated at Idaho National Laboratory. In the heat-pipe-cooled microreactor, heat pipes remove heat from the reactor core as a passive heat-transfer device, so the fluid circulation is not required for cooling, which can substantially simplify the overall reactor design. However, given the extremely high temperatures in the core region and potentially large temperature gradients across the structure materials, thermal stresses need to be well-analyzed to ensure structural integrity during normal operations and accident scenarios for the heat-pipe-cooled microreactor designs. This paper discusses finite element method-based thermal-stress analysis for the high-temperature single heat-pipe test article in the Single Primary Heat Extraction and Removal Emulator (SPHERE) facility at Idaho National Laboratory, using two commercial software packages, Abaqus and STAR-CCM+. A code-to-code benchmark study was performed to crosscheck the model setup and capability of each code and to gain insights into the potential thermal stress concerns from the current experimental setup. It is observed the significant thermal stresses happen at the locations where the largest temperature gradients appeared between heat pipe and electric heater. The temperature fields have good agreements between Abaqus and STAR-CCM+, while the induced thermal stresses show modest deviations probably due to differences of meshing engines used in these two codes.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Computational modeling predicts the stability of both Pd + and Pd2 + ion-exchanged into H-CHA

Passive NO x adsorbers (PNA) using Pd/zeolites have emerged as a promising solution for the reduction of cold-start emissions from vehicle exhaust. However, the nature of the active sites and the mechanisms underlying NO x adsorption in Pd/zeolites remain a subject of ongoing investigation. In this study, we employ quantum chemical simulations to investigate the structure of Pd species in cation-exchange sites at isolated Al and Al pairs in the 6-ring and 8-ring of the CHA framework before the introduction of NO x . Our calculations show that the speciation of Pd in these exchange sites strongly depends on the precise Al arrangement within the framework, as well as the operating conditions. Ionically dispersed Pd is found to be the most favorable species over a wide range of oxidizing and reducing conditions. Small oligomers of PdO and metallic Pd do not appear to be competitive at either isolated Al or Al pairs. Notably, our calculations show that ion exchange sites other than next–next–nearest neighbor Al pairs in the 6-ring will be preferentially occupied by Pd + instead of Pd 2+ . The stability of Pd + in the zeolite environment is an interesting contrast with its rareness in molecular Pd compounds. Nonetheless, a detailed analysis of the electronic structure shows that predicted Pd oxidation states are consistent with chemical intuition for all complexes investigated in this study. We also discuss the potential ambiguity in Pd characterization provided by typical experimental techniques such as XANES, EXAFS and UV-Vis, and highlight the need for additional EPR spectroscopy studies to further elucidate the initial Pd speciation in zeolites for PNA applications.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Assessing the Impact of SMAP Soil Moisture Data Assimilation on the Simulation and Prediction of Tropical Cyclone Idai

The role of soil moisture in the evolution of tropical cyclones (TCs) approaching land has long been recognized. Dry land surface conditions can lead to faster dissipation of a TC over land (often associated with changes in precipitation structure), whereas very wet conditions can help sustain or even re-intensify a TC. The ability to forecast post-landfall TC evolution and mitigate the associated socio-economic impact thus hinges on accurate knowledge of land surface conditions prior to landfall. The NASA Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission provides accurate observations of soil moisture globally and at high revisit times of 2-3 days. It has been shown that the assimilation of SMAPbrightness temperatures (Tb) significantly improves modeled land surface states and thus has the potential to constrain land surface initial conditions in TC forecasts. In this presentation, we investigate this potential through an extensive set of Observing System Experiments that systematically assess the impact of assimilating SMAP Tbs on TC forecast skill in the Goddard Earth Observing System. Focusing on the case of TC Idai, we show that the assimilation of SMAP generally leads to a drier soil moisture analysis for the land surface underneath much of the storm’s circulation. An exception is the direct TC track, where SMAP assimilation increases soil moisture. These changes are reflected in the surface fluxes, which propagate the land surface state changes to the atmosphere. This results a TC that is overall weaker with lower winds, but with a better-defined eye and a slightly smaller track error than a simulation without SMAP DA. The changes in soil moisture resulting from the assimilation of SMAP also impact the total precipitation amounts as well as the precipitation structure associated with TC Idai.

SMAP↗
DOE OSTI2021

The differences between mass- and light-derived structural parameters over time for MaNGA elliptical galaxies

ABSTRACT We apply stellar population synthesis analysis to obtain spatially resolved archaeological inferences for a large sample of ‘red and dead’ Elliptical galaxies (Classical Ellipticals, CLEs) from the MaNGA/SDSS-IV DR15 survey. From their 2D stellar light and mass maps, we explore the differences between the radial mass and light distributions in the rest-frame bands g, r, and i as functions of look-back time, tlb, or redshift, z. We characterize these differences through the ratios between the following mass- and light-derived global properties: sizes, concentrations, and effective surface densities. We find that the mass-to-light ratios of these properties change with tlb, more the more massive the galaxies are. The CLE galaxy archaeological progenitors are, on average, less compact, concentrated, and dense in light than in mass as z decreases. However, at later times, when also the evolution of the progenitors becomes passive at all radii, there is an upturn in these trends and the differences between mass and light in compactness/concentration decrease towards z ∼ 0. The trends in the ratios of mass-to-light sizes agree qualitatively with results from direct observations in galaxy surveys at different redshifts. We discuss the caveats and interpretations of our results, and speculate that the strong structural evolution found in some previous studies for early-type galaxies could be explained partially by photometric changes rather than by intrinsic structural changes.

Ibarra-Medel, H. (ORCID:0000000297906313)↗
DOE OSTI2015

A concept of integrated environmental approach for building upgrades and new construction: Part 1—setting the stage

This article highlights the need for an active role for building physics in the development of near-zero energy buildings while analyzing an example of an integrated system for the upgrade of existing buildings. The science called either Building Physics in Europe or Building Science in North America has so far a passive role in explaining observed failures in construction practice. In its new role, it would be integrating modeling and testing to provide predictive capability, so much needed in the development of near-zero energy buildings. The authors attempt to create a compact package, applicable to different climates with small modifications of some hygrothermal properties of materials. This universal solution is based on a systems approach that is routine for building physics but in contrast to separately conceived sub-systems that are typical for the design of buildings today. One knows that the building structure, energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality, and moisture management all need to be considered to ensure durability of materials and control cost of near-zero energy buildings. These factors must be addressed through contributions of the whole design team. The same approach must be used for the retrofit of buildings. As this integrated design paradigm resulted from demands of sustainable built environment approach, building physics must drop its passive role and improve two critical domains of analysis: (i) linked, real-time hygrothermal and energy models capable of predicting the performance of existing buildings after renovation and (ii) basic methods of indoor environment and moisture management when the exterior of the building cannot be modified.

Building physics↗
DOE OSTI2016

Monocrystalline CdTe solar cells with open-circuit voltage over 1 V and efficiency of 17%

The open-circuit voltages of mature single-junction photovoltaic devices are lower than the bandgap energy of the absorber, typically by a gap of 400 mV. For CdTe, which has a bandgap of 1.5 eV, the gap is larger; for polycrystalline samples, the open-circuit voltage of solar cells with the record efficiency is below 900 mV, whereas for monocrystalline samples it has only recently achieved values barely above 1 V. Here, we report a monocrystalline CdTe/MgCdTe double-heterostructure solar cell with open-circuit voltages of up to 1.096 V. The latticed-matched MgCdTe barrier layers provide excellent passivation to the CdTe absorber, resulting in a carrier lifetime of 3.6 μs. The solar cells are made of 1- to 1.5-μm-thick n-type CdTe absorbers, and passivated hole-selective p-type a-SiC y :H contacts. This design allows CdTe solar cells to be made thinner and more efficient. As a result, the best power conversion efficiency achieved in a device with this structure is 17.0%.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2018

Electrocatalytic transformation of HF impurity to H 2 and LiF in lithium-ion batteries

The formation of solid electrolyte interphase on graphite anodes plays a key role in the efficiency of Li-ion batteries. However, to date, fundamental understanding of the formation of LiF as one of the main solid electrolyte interphase components in hexafluorophosphate-based electrolytes remains elusive. In this paper, we present experimental and theoretical evidence that LiF formation is an electrocatalytic process that is controlled by the electrochemical transformation of HF impurity to LiF and H 2 . Although the kinetics of HF dissociation and the concomitant production of LiF and H 2 is dependent on the structure and nature of surface atoms, the underlying electrochemistry is the same. The morphology, and thus the role, of the LiF formed is strongly dependent on the nature of the substrate and HF inventory, leading to either complete or partial passivation of the interface. Finally, our finding is of general importance and may lead to new opportunities for the improvement of existing, and design of new, Li-ion technologies.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2016

SU-F-T-168: Development and Implementation of An Anthropomorphic Head & Neck Phantom for the Assessment of Proton Therapy Treatment Procedures

Purpose: To design a Head and Neck (H&N) anthropomorphic QA phantom that the Imaging and Radiation Oncology Core Houston (IROC-H) can use to verify the quality of intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) H&N treatments for institutions participating in NCI clinical trials. Methods: The phantom was created to serve as a remote auditing tool for IROC-H to evaluate an institution’s IMPT planning and delivery abilities. The design was based on the composition, size, and geometry of a generalized oropharyngeal tumor and contains critical structures (parotids and spinal cord). Radiochromic film in the axial and sagittal planes and thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD)-100 capsules were embedded in the phantom and used to perform the dose delivery evaluation. A CT simulation was used to create a passive scatter and a spot scanning treatment plan with typical clinical constraints for H&N cancer. The IMPT plan was approved by a radiation oncologist and the phantom was irradiated multiple times. The measured dose distribution using a 7%/4mm gamma analysis (85% of pixels passing) and point doses were compared with the treatment planning system calculations. Results: The designed phantom could not achieve the target dose prescription and organ at risk dose constraints with the passive scatter treatment plan. The target prescription dose could be met but not the parotid dose constraint. The average TLD point dose ratio in the target was 0.975, well within the 5% acceptance criterion. The dose distribution analysis using various acceptance criteria, 5%/4mm, 5%/3mm, 7%/4mm and 7%/5mm, had average pixel passing rates of 85.9%, 81.8%, 89.6% and 91.6%, and respectively. Conclusion: An anthropomorphic IMPT H&N phantom was designed that can assess the dose delivery of proton sites wishing to participate in clinical trials using a 5% TLD dose and 7%/4mm gamma analysis acceptance criteria.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Development of self-sensing materials for extreme environments based on metamaterial concept and additive manufacturing

Structural health monitoring of an engineered component in a harsh environment is critical for multiple DOE missions including nuclear fuel cycle, subsurface energy production/storage, and energy conversion. Supported by a seeding Laboratory Directed Research & Development (LDRD) project, we have explored a new concept for structural health monitoring by introducing a self-sensing capability into structural components. The concept is based on two recent technological advances: metamaterials and additive manufacturing. A self-sensing capability can be engineered by embedding a metastructure, for example, a sheet of electromagnetic resonators, either metallic or dielectric, into a material component. This embedment can now be realized using 3-D printing. The precise geometry of the embedded metastructure determines how the material interacts with an incident electromagnetic wave. Any change in the structure of the material (e.g., straining, degradation, etc.) would inevitably perturbate the embedded metastructures or metasurface array and therefore alter the electromagnetic response of the material, thus resulting in a frequency shift of a reflection spectrum that can be detected passively and remotely. This new sensing approach eliminates complicated environmental shielding, in-situ power supply, and wire routing that are generally required by the existing active-circuit-based sensors. The work documented in this report has preliminarily demonstrated the feasibility of the proposed concept. The work has established the needed simulation tools and experimental capabilities for future studies.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗