SEARCH · Engineering Papers
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.
The article presents a control and communication architecture for interconnecting multiple microgrids by leveraging IEC 61850 data models with distributed energy resources (DER) extensions, IEC Common Information Model (CIM) and Open Field Message Bus (OpenFMB) frameworks. An example use case for planned islanding in the nested microgrid scenario is also provided.
The primary deliverable for this project will be to construct a power electronics package utilizing an organic electrically insulating substrate material with a direct chip-to-chip interconnect technology and demonstrate superior thermal performance and greater reliability under thermal cycling, thermal aging, vibration, power cycling, and electrical high-potential evaluation over traditional packages.
The primary deliverable for this project will be to construct a power electronics package utilizing an organic electrically insulating substrate material with a direct chip-to-chip interconnect technology and demonstrate superior thermal performance and greater reliability under thermal cycling, thermal aging, vibration, power cycling, and electrical high-potential evaluation over traditional packages.
Maintaining the reliability of photovoltaic (PV) modules in the face of rapidly changing technology is critical to maximizing solar energy's contribution to global decarbonization. Our presentation describes expected changes in PV technology and their impacts on performance and reliability. We leverage PV market reports, interviews with PV researchers and other industry stakeholders, and peer-reviewed literature to narrow the multitude of possible changes into a manageable set of 11 impactful trends likely to be incorporated in near-term crystalline-silicon module designs. We group the trends into four categories (module architecture, interconnect technologies, bifacial modules, and cell technology) and explore the drivers behind the changes, their interactions, and associated reliability risks and benefits. Our analysis identifies specific areas that would benefit from accelerating the PV reliability learning cycle, to assess emerging module products and designs more accurately. We recommend that researchers continue tracking module technologies and their reliability implications so efforts can be focused on the most impactful trends. As the rapid technological turnover continues, it is also critical to incorporate fundamental knowledge into models that can predict module reliability. Predictive capabilities complete the PV reliability learning cycle-reducing the time required to assess new designs and mitigating the risks associated with large-scale deployment of new products.
Olivine and pyroxene bearing rocks in the oceanic crust react with hydrothermal fluids producing changes in the physical characteristics and behaviors of the altered rocks. Notably, these reactions tend to increase solid volume, reducing pore volume, permeability and available reactive surface area; yet, entirely hydrated and/or carbonated rocks are commonly observed in the field. We investigate the evolution of porosity and permeability of fractured dunites reacted with CO 2 -rich solutions in laboratory experiments. The alteration of crack surfaces changes the mechanical and transport properties of the bulk samples. Analysis of three-dimensional microstructural data shows that although precipitation of secondary minerals causes the total porosity of the sample to decrease, an interconnected network of porosity is maintained through channelized dissolution and coupled carbonate precipitation. Lastly, the observed microstructure appears to be the result of chemo-mechanical coupling, which may provide a mechanism of porosity maintenance without the need to invoke reaction-driven cracking.
Additive manufacturing enables the rapid, cost effective production of large populations of material test coupons such as tensile bars. By adopting streamlined test methods including ‘drop-in’ grips and non-contact extensometry, testing these large populations becomes more efficient. Unlike hardness tests, the tensile test provides a direct measure of yield strength, flow properties, and ductility, which can be directly incorporated into solid mechanics simulations. In the present work, over 1000 nominally identical tensile tests were used to explore the effect of process variability on the mechanical property distributions of a precipitation hardened stainless steel, 17-4PH, produced by a laser powder bed fusion process, also known as direct metal laser sintering. With this large dataset, rare defects are revealed that affect only ~2% of the population, stemming from a single build lot of material. Lastly, the rare defects caused a substantial loss in ductility and were associated with an interconnected network of porosity.
An advanced monolithic cup comprising a thin liner and a trabecular coating is a promising alternative to the current modular ceramic cups for hip replacements because it can be anchored directly to the human bone and features larger femoral heads allowing a greater range of motion. In this study, the authors propose a fabrication route for an advanced monolithic cup of only one high-strength ceramic material by joining a partially sintered liner and a coating with a ceramic paste as an intermediate layer and subsequent sintering. Therefore, the challenge here is to avoid the formation of defects at the coating/intermediate layer interfaces during classical sintering which is due to compressive tension constrained coating sintering in the initial sintering stages. In this study, the defect formation is minimized by sintering at constant low shrinkage rates, as this results in favorable compressive stresses in the coating in the initial sintering stages and a decrease in the differences in the densification rates. For the first time, by using the proposed route, the authors prepare an advanced monolithic cup of only alumina-toughened zirconia (ATZ) that contains a coating with a porosity of 50 vol% and interconnected pores between 150 and 450 μm, as required for bone-ingrowth.
We present a study directly measuring the electron-beam-induced plasticity of amorphous Al 2 O 3 coatings. Core–shell nanostructures are employed as small-scale model systems for two-dimensional coatings made by atomic layer deposition (ALD). Copper nanowires (NWs) are used as substrates for ALD deposition, representing a model system for interconnects commonly found in integrated circuits. Experiments are performed in situ in a transmission electron microscope (TEM) and further analyzed with electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). Our in situ TEM tensile experiments reveal the highly plastic behavior of the ALD shell, which withstands a maximum strain of 188%. Comparable samples under beam-off conditions show a brittle fracture, which underlines the effect of electron irradiation. The electron-beam-activated bond switching within the amorphous network enables compensation of the applied tensile strain, leading to viscous flow. By incorporating an intermediate nanocrystalline layer within the Al 2 O 3 shell, the plasticity is suppressed and brittle fracture occurs. This work directly demonstrates the tuning of mechanical properties in amorphous ALD structures through electron irradiation.
An in-situ study is reported on the structural evolution in nanocluster films under He+ ion irradiation using an advanced helium ion microscope. The films consist of loosely interconnected nanoclusters of magnetite or iron-magnetite (Fe-Fe3O4) core-shells. The nanostructure is observed to undergo dramatic changes under ion-beam irradiation, featuring grain growth, phase transition, particle aggregation, and formation of nanowire-like network and nano-pores. Studies based on ion irradiation, thermal annealing and election irradiation have indicated that the major structural evolution is activated by elastic nuclear collisions, while both electronic and thermal processes can play a significant role once the evolution starts. The electrical resistance of the Fe-Fe3O4 films measured in situ exhibits a super-exponential decay with dose. The behavior suggests that the nanocluster films possess an intrinsic merit for development of an advanced online monitor for neutron radiation with both high detection sensitivity and long-term applicability, which can enhance safety measures in many nuclear operations.
3D helical mesostructures are attractive for applications in a broad range of microsystem technologies due to their mechanical and electromagnetic properties as stretchable interconnects, radio frequency antennas, and others. Controlled compressive buckling of 2D serpentine-shaped ribbons provides a strategy to formation of such structures in wide ranging classes of materials (from soft polymers to brittle inorganic semiconductors) and length scales (from nanometer to centimeter), with an ability for automated, parallel assembly over large areas. The underlying relations between the helical configurations and fabrication parameters require a relevant theory as the basis of design for practical applications. In this work, an analytic model of compressive buckling in serpentine microstructures is presented based on the minimization of total strain energy that results from various forms of spatially dependent deformations. Experiments at micro- and millimeter scales, together with finite element analyses, have been exploited to examine the validity of developed model. The theoretical analyses shed light on general scaling laws in terms of three groups of fabrication parameters (related to loading, material, and 2D geometry), including a negligible effect of material parameters and a square root dependence of primary displacements on the compressive strain. Furthermore, analytic solutions were obtained for the key physical quantities (e.g., displacement, curvature and maximum strain). A demonstrative example illustrates how to leverage the analytic solutions in choosing the various design parameters, such that brittle fracture or plastic yield can be avoided in the assembly process.
Membrane-based carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) capture has attracted great research interest owing to its potential for higher separation efficiency and lower energy consumption. However, it is still a challenging task to capture CO 2 with membrane from flue gas, especially under moderate-temperature and high-humidity conditions. Here, a stable CO 2 -selective membrane that can operate at temperatures up to 90 °C and under high humidity is reported. The positively charged amine carriers for CO 2 are confined within the negatively charged polymer modified carbon nanotube (CNT) network. In this structure, interconnected CNTs act as the framework for the selective layer and provide numerous nanochannels for gas transport. The negatively charged polymer ensures the carrier stability and further regulates the size of nanochannels in the CNT network. By virtue of carrier-facilitated transport, high CO 2 permeance (up to 3300 gas permeation units) and high CO 2 /N 2 selectivity (400) are achieved under simulated flue gas conditions. Moreover, theoretical calculations verify that the stable separation performance is due to the strong electrostatic interaction between the amine carriers and polymer matrix. The high performance and good stability indicate the great potential of this novel membrane structure for practical application in CO 2 capture.
Abstract Shape‐persistent, conductive ionogels where both mechanical strength and ionic conductivity are enhanced are developed using multiphase materials composed of cellulose nanocrystals and hyperbranched polymeric ionic liquids (PILs) as a mechanically strong supporting network matrix for ionic liquids with an interrupted ion‐conducting pathway. The integration of needlelike nanocrystals and PIL promotes the formation of multiple hydrogen bonding and electrostatic ionic interaction capacitance, resulting in the formation of interconnected networks capable of confining a high amount of ionic liquid (≈95 wt%) without losing its self‐sustained shape. The resulting nanoporous and robust ionogels possess outstanding mechanical strength with a high compressive elastic modulus (≈5.6 MPa), comparable to that of tough, rubbery materials. Surprisingly, these rigid materials preserve the high ionic conductivity of original ionic liquids (≈7.8 mS cm −1 ), which are distributed within and supported by the nanocrystal network‐like rigid frame. On the one hand, such stable materials possess superior ionic conductivities in comparison to traditional solid electrolytes; on the other hand, the high compression resistance and shape‐persistence allow for easy handling in comparison to traditional fluidic electrolytes. The synergistic enhancement in ion transport and solid‐like mechanical properties afforded by these ionogel materials make them intriguing candidates for sustainable electrodeless energy storage and harvesting matrices.
A 3D graphene cage with a thin layer of electrodeposited nickel phosphosulfide for Li 2 S impregnation, using ternary nickel phosphosulphide as a highly conductive coating layer for stabilized polysulfide chemistry, is accomplished by the combination of theoretical and experimental studies. As a result, the 3D interconnected graphene cage structure leads to high capacity, good rate capability and excellent cycling stability in a Li 2 S cathode.
The electrode materials conducive to conversion reactions undergo large volume change in cycles which restrict their further development. It has been demonstrated that incorporation of a third element into metal oxides can improve the cycling stability while the mechanism remains unknown. Here in this work, an in situ and ex situ electron microscopy investigation of structural evolutions of Cu-substituted Co 3 O 4 supplemented by first-principles calculations is reported to reveal the mechanism. An interconnected framework of ultrathin metallic copper formed provides a high conductivity backbone and cohesive support to accommodate the volume change and has a cube-on-cube orientation relationship with Li 2 O. In charge, a portion of Cu metal is oxidized to CuO, which maintains a cube-on-cube orientation relationship with Cu. The Co metal and oxides remain as nanoclusters (less than 5 nm) thus active in subsequent cycles. Finally, this adaptive architecture accommodates the formation of Li 2 O in the discharge cycle and underpins the catalytic activity of Li 2 O decomposition in the charge cycle.
The rational design and construction of 3D graphene assemblies is a crucial step to extend the graphene properties for practical applications. In this work, a novel interfacially reactive self-assembling process is reported to prepare well-organized 3D honeycomb-like graphene assemblies with unique polygonal nanopores interconnected by silicon-oxygen chemical bonds. The newly developed silicate-bridged graphene assembly (SGA) exhibits an exceptionally high hardness of 13.09 GPa, outperforming all existing 3D graphene materials, while maintains high Young’s modulus (162.96 GPa), elastic recovery (75.27%), and superb thermal stability (600 °C in air). The observed unusual merits are resulted from unique pore structure combining the mechanical stability of the trihedral-nanopore structure and the deformability of the other polygonal nanopores. As a filling material, a merely 0.05% (w/w) addition of SGA could double the impact resistance of unsaturated resins (e.g., polyester). While SGA is attractive for various applications, including body armors, wearable electronics, space elevators, and multifunctional reinforcement fibers for automobiles, and aerospace vehicles, the novel liquid sodium-water interfacial reactive self-assembling developed in this study could open avenues for further development of various well-defined 3D assemblies from graphene and many other materials.
High-energy all-solid-state lithium (Li) batteries have great potential as next-generation energy-storage devices. Among all choices of electrolytes, polymer-based systems have attracted widespread attention due to their low density, low cost, and excellent processability. However, they are generally mechanically too weak to effectively suppress Li dendrites and have lower ionic conductivity for reasonable kinetics at ambient temperature. Here, an ultrastrong reinforced composite polymer electrolyte (CPE) is successfully designed and fabricated by introducing a stiff mesoporous SiO 2 aerogel as the backbone for a polymer-based electrolyte. The interconnected SiO 2 aerogel not only performs as a strong backbone strengthening the whole composite, but also offers large and continuous surfaces for strong anion adsorption, which produces a highly conductive pathway across the composite. As a consequence, a high modulus of ≈0.43 GPa and high ionic conductivity of ≈0.6 mS cm -1 at 30°C are simultaneously achieved. Furthermore, LiFePO 4 –Li full cells with good cyclability and rate capability at ambient temperature are obtained. Full cells with cathode capacity up to 2.1 mAh cm -2 are also demonstrated. The aerogel-reinforced CPE represents a new design principle for solid-state electrolytes and offers opportunities for future all-solid-state Li batteries.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Abstract The synthesis of low‐dimensional transition metal nitride (TMN) nanomaterials is developing rapidly, as their fundamental properties, such as high electrical conductivity, lead to many important applications. However, TMN nanostructures synthesized by traditional strategies do not allow for maximum conductivity and accessibility of active sites simultaneously, which is a crucial factor for many applications in plasmonics, energy storage, sensing, and so on. Unique interconnected two‐dimensional (2D) arrays of few‐nanometer TMN nanocrystals not only having electronic conductivity in‐plane, but also allowing transport of ions and electrolyte through the porous nanosheets, which are obtained by topochemical synthesis on the surface of a salt template, are reported. As a demonstration of their application in a lithium–sulfur battery, it is shown that 2D arrays of several nitrides can achieve a high initial capacity of >1000 mAh g −1 at 0.2 C and only about 13% degradation over 1000 cycles at 1 C under a high areal sulfur loading (>5 mg cm −2 ).