Highly conductive cathode materials for Li-ion batteries prepared by thermal nanocrystallization of selected oxide glasses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pietrzak, T.K.; Wasiucionek, M.; Michalski, P.P.; Kaleta, A.; Garbarczyk, J.E., E-mail: garbar@if.pw.edu.pl

2016-11-15

Glassy analogs of two important cathode materials for Li-ion cells: V{sub 2}O{sub 5} and phosphoolivine LiFePO{sub 4} were heat-treated in order to prepare nanocrystallized materials with high electronic conductivity of up to 7 × 10{sup −2} S cm{sup −1} and ca 7 × 10{sup −3} S cm{sup −1} at 25 °C, respectively. There is a clear correlation between the crystallization phenomena and the increase in the electrical conductivity for both groups of glasses. Electrochemical tests of heat-treated glasses of the V{sub 2}O{sub 5}–P{sub 2}O{sub 5} system, used as cathodes in lithium cells confirm their good gravimetric capacity and reversibility. Heat-treatment of glasses of the Li{sub 2}O–FeO–V{sub 2}O{sub 5}–P{sub 2}O{sub 5} system also leads to a high increase in the conductivity and to formation of nanocrystalline grains in the glassy matrix, evidenced by HR-TEM images. The temperature dependence of the conductivity of these materials follows the Arrhenius formula. The presented results indicate that the overall increase in conductivity in nanocrystallized materials is due to good charge transport properties of their interfacial regions.

Cathode fall parameters of a self-sustained normal glow discharge in atmospheric-pressure helium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arkhipenko, V.I.; Zgirovskii, S.M.; Kirillov, A.A.; Simonchik, L.V.

2002-01-01

Results from comprehensive studies of a high-current self-sustained glow discharge in atmospheric-pressure helium are presented. The main parameters of the cathode fall, namely, the electric field profile, cathode fall thickness, current density, gas temperature, and heat flux to the cathode are determined. The results obtained are discussed using one-dimensional models of the cathode fall with allowance for volumetric heat release

The effect of oxygen transfer mechanism on the cathode performance based on proton-conducting solid oxide fuel cells

KAUST Repository

Hou, Jie

2015-01-01

Two types of proton-blocking composites, La2NiO4+δ-LaNi0.6Fe0.4O3-δ (LNO-LNF) and Sm0.2Ce0.8O2-δ-LaNi0.6Fe0.4O3-δ (SDC-LNF), were evaluated as cathode materials for proton-conducting solid oxide fuel cells (H-SOFCs) based on the BaZr0.1Ce0.7Y0.2O3-δ (BZCY) electrolyte, in order to compare and investigate the influence of two different oxygen transfer mechanism on the performance of the cathode for H-SOFCs. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) results showed that the chemical compatibility of the components in both compounds was excellent up to 1000°C. Electrochemical studies revealed that LNO-LNF showed lower area specific polarization resistances in symmetrical cells and better electrochemical performance in single cell tests. The single cell with LNO-LNF cathode generated remarkable higher maximum power densities (MPDs) and lower interfacial polarization resistances (Rp) than that with SDC-LNF cathode. Correspondingly, the MPDs of the single cell with the LNO-LNF cathode were 490, 364, 266, 180 mW cm-2 and the Rp were 0.103, 0.279, 0.587, 1.367 Ω cm2 at 700, 650, 600 and 550°C, respectively. Moreover, after the single cell with LNO-LNF cathode optimized with an anode functional layer (AFL) between the anode and electrolyte, the power outputs reached 708 mW cm-2 at 700°C. These results demonstrate that the LNO-LNF composite cathode with the interstitial oxygen transfer mechanism is a more preferable alternative for H-SOFCs than SDC-LNF composite cathode with the oxygen vacancy transfer mechanism.

Soft-contact conductive carbon enabling depolarization of LiFePO4 cathodes to enhance both capacity and rate performances of lithium ion batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Wenju; Wang, Kai; Yang, Jinlong; Tan, Rui; Hu, Jiangtao; Guo, Hua; Duan, Yandong; Zheng, Jiaxin; Lin, Yuan; Pan, Feng

2016-11-01

Conductive nanocarbons generally are used as the electronic conductive additives to contact with active materials to generate conductive network for electrodes of commercial Li-ion batteries (LIBs). A typical of LiFePO4 (LFP), which has been widely used as cathode material for LIBs with low electronic conductivity, needs higher quantity of conductive nanocarbons to enhance the performance for cathode electrodes. In this work, we systematically studied three types of conductive nanocarbons and related performances in the LFP electrodes, and classify them as hard/soft-contact conductive carbon (named as H/SCC), respectively, according to their crystallite size, surface graphite-defect, specific surface area and porous structure, in which SCC can generate much larger contact area with active nano-particles of cathode materials than that of HCC. It is found that LFP nanocrystals wrapped in SCC networks perform significantly enhanced both capacity and rate performance than that in HCC. Combined experiments with multiphysics simulation, the mechanism is that LFP nanoparticles embedded in SCC with large contact area enable to generate higher depolarized effects with a relatively uniform current density vector (is) and lithium flux vector (NLi) than that in HCC. This discovery will guide us to how to design LIBs by selective using conductive carbon for high-performance LIBs.

One-pot in situ redox synthesis of hexacyanoferrate/conductive polymer hybrids as lithium-ion battery cathodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Min Hao; Zhang, Zixuan; Yang, Xianfeng; Chen, Xiaojun; Ying, Jackie Y

2015-09-14

An efficient and adaptable method is demonstrated for the synthesis of lithium hexacyanoferrate/conductive polymer hybrids for Li-ion battery cathodes. The hybrids were synthesized via a one-pot method, involving a redox-coupled reaction between pyrrole monomers and the Li3Fe(CN)6 precursor. The hybrids showed much better cyclability relative to reported Prussian Blue (PB) analogs.

Self-organization in cathode boundary layer discharges in xenon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takano, Nobuhiko; Schoenbach, Karl H

2006-01-01

Self-organization of direct current xenon microdischarges in cathode boundary layer configuration has been studied for pressures in the range 30-140 Torr and for currents in the range 50 μA-1 mA. Side-on and end-on observations of the discharge have provided information on the structure and spatial arrangement of the plasma filaments. The regularly spaced filaments, which appear in the normal glow mode when the current is lowered, have a length which is determined by the cathode fall. It varies, dependent on pressure and current, between 50 and 70 μm. The minimum diameter is approximately 80 μm, as determined from the radiative emission in the visible. The filaments are sources of extensive excimer emission. Measurements of the cathode fall length have allowed us to determine the secondary emission coefficient for the discharge in the normal glow mode and to estimate the cathode fall voltage at the transition from normal glow mode to filamentary mode. It was found that the cathode fall voltage at this transition decreases, indicating the onset of additional electron gain processes at the cathode. The regular arrangement of the filaments, self-organization, is assumed to be due to Coulomb interactions between the positively charged cathode fall channels and positive space charges on the surface of the surrounding dielectric spacer. Calculations based on these assumptions showed good agreement with experimentally observed filament patterns

Application of M-type cathodes to high-power cw klystrons

Science.gov (United States)

Isagawa, S.; Higuchi, T.; Kobayashi, K.; Miyake, S.; Ohya, K.; Yoshida, M.

1999-05-01

Two types of high-power cw klystrons have been widely used at KEK in both TRISTAN and KEKB e +e - collider projects: one is a 0.8 MW/1.0 MW tube, called YK1302/YK1303 (Philips); the other is a 1.2 MW tube, called E3786/E3732 (Toshiba). Normally, the dispenser cathodes of the `B-type' and the `S-type' have been used, respectively, but for improved versions they have been replaced by low-temperature cathodes, called the `M-type'. An Os/Ru coating was applied to the former, whereas an Ir one was applied to the latter. Until now, all upgraded tubes installing M-type cathodes, 9 and 8 in number, respectively, have worked successfully without any dropout. A positive experience concerning the lifetime under real operation conditions has been obtained. M-type cathodes are, however, more easily poisoned. One tube installing an Os/Ru-coated cathode showed a gradual, and then sudden decrease in emission during an underheating test, although the emission could fortunately be recovered by aging at the KEK test field. Once sufficiently aged, the emission of an Ir-coated cathode proved to be very high and stable, and its lifetime is expected to be very long. One disadvantage of this cathode is, however, susceptibility to gas poisoning and the necessity of long-term initial aging. New techniques, like ion milling and fine-grained tungsten top layers, were not as successful as expected from their smaller scale applications to shorten the initial aging period. A burn-in process at higher cathode loading was efficient to make the poisoned cathode active and to decrease unwanted Wehnelt emission. On top of that, the emission cooling, and thus thermal conductivity near the emitting layer could play an important role in such large-current cathodes as ours.

Mechanistic Enhancement of SOFC Cathode Durability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wachsman, Eric [Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States)

2016-02-01

Durability of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) under “real world” conditions is an issue for commercial deployment. In particular cathode exposure to moisture, CO2, Cr vapor (from interconnects and BOP), and particulates results in long-term performance degradation issues. Here, we have conducted a multi-faceted fundamental investigation of the effect of these contaminants on cathode performance degradation mechanisms in order to establish cathode composition/structures and operational conditions to enhance cathode durability.

The influence of cathode excavation of cathodic arc evaporator on thickness uniformity and erosion products angle distribution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. V. Duhopel'nikov

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Cathodic arc evaporators are used for coating with functional films. Prolonged or buttend evaporators may be used for this purposes. In butt-end evaporator the cathode spots move continuously on the cathode work surface and evaporate cathode material. High depth excavation profile forms on the cathode work surface while the thick coating precipitation (tens or hundreds of microns. The cathode excavation profile is shaped like a “cup” with high walls for electrostatic discharge stabilization systems with axial magnetic fields. Cathode spots move on the bottom of the “cup”. It is very likely that high “cup” walls are formed as a result of lasting work time influence on the uniformity of precipitated films.In the present work the influence of excavation profile walls height on the uniformity of precipitated coating was carried out. The high profile walls are formed due to lasting work of DC vacuum arc evaporator. The cathode material used for tests was 3003 aluminum alloy. The extended substrate was placed parallel to the cathode work surface. Thickness distribution along the substrate length with the new cathode was obtained after 6 hours and after 12 hours of continuous operation.The thickness distribution of precipitated coating showed that the cathode excavation has an influence on the angular distribution of the matter escaping the cathode. It can be clearly seen from the normalized dependence coating thickness vs the distance from the substrate center. Also the angular distribution of the matter flow from the cathode depending on the cathode working time was obtained. It was shown that matter flow from the cathode differs from the LambertKnudsen law. The more the cathode excavation the more this difference.So, cathode excavation profile has an influence on the uniformity of precipitated coating and it is necessary to take in account the cathode excavation profile while coating the thick films.

Modeling and Predicting the Electrical Conductivity of Composite Cathode for Solid Oxide Fuel Cell by Using Support Vector Regression

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, J. L.; Cai, C. Z.; Xiao, T. T.; Huang, S. J.

2012-07-01

The electrical conductivity of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) cathode is one of the most important indices affecting the efficiency of SOFC. In order to improve the performance of fuel cell system, it is advantageous to have accurate model with which one can predict the electrical conductivity. In this paper, a model utilizing support vector regression (SVR) approach combined with particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm for its parameter optimization was established to modeling and predicting the electrical conductivity of Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2 O3-δ-xSm0.5Sr0.5CoO3-δ (BSCF-xSSC) composite cathode under two influence factors, including operating temperature (T) and SSC content (x) in BSCF-xSSC composite cathode. The leave-one-out cross validation (LOOCV) test result by SVR strongly supports that the generalization ability of SVR model is high enough. The absolute percentage error (APE) of 27 samples does not exceed 0.05%. The mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of all 30 samples is only 0.09% and the correlation coefficient (R2) as high as 0.999. This investigation suggests that the hybrid PSO-SVR approach may be not only a promising and practical methodology to simulate the properties of fuel cell system, but also a powerful tool to be used for optimal designing or controlling the operating process of a SOFC system.

Conductive additive content balance in Li-ion battery cathodes: Commercial carbon blacks vs. in situ carbon from LiFePO{sub 4}/C composites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Palomares, Veronica; Goni, Aintzane; Muro, Izaskun Gil de; Rojo, Teofilo [Departamento de Quimica Inorganica, Universidad del Pais Vasco UPV/EHU, P.O. Box. 644, 48080, Bilbao (Spain); de Meatza, Iratxe; Bengoechea, Miguel [Energy Department, CIDETEC-IK4, P Miramon 196, Parque Tecnologico de San Sebastian, 20009, San Sebastian (Spain); Cantero, Igor [Departamento I+D+i Nuevas Tecnologias, CEGASA, Artapadura, 11, 01013 Vitoria-Gasteiz (Spain)

2010-11-15

Two samples of commercial conducting carbon black and the carbon generated in situ during LiFePO{sub 4}/C composite synthesis from citric acid are studied, with the aim of finding out whether carbon from the composite can fulfil the same function as carbon black in the electrode blend for a Li-ion battery. For this purpose, the carbon samples are analyzed by several techniques, such as X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, granulometry, BET specific area and conductivity measurements. Different cathode compositions and component proportions are tested for pellet and cast electrodes. Electrochemical results show that a moderate reduction of commercial carbon black content in both kinds of cathodes, by adding more LiFePO{sub 4}/C composite, enhanced the electrochemical behaviour by around 10%. In situ generated carbon can partially replace commercial conducting carbon black because its high specific surface probably enhances electrolyte penetration into the cathode, but it is always necessary to maintain a minimum amount of carbon black that provides better conductivity in order to obtain a good electrochemical response. (author)

Oxide Fiber Cathode Materials for Rechargeable Lithium Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Rice, Catherine E.; Welker, Mark F.

2008-01-01

LiCoO2 and LiNiO2 fibers have been investigated as alternatives to LiCoO2 and LiNiO2 powders used as lithium-intercalation compounds in cathodes of rechargeable lithium-ion electrochemical cells. In making such a cathode, LiCoO2 or LiNiO2 powder is mixed with a binder [e.g., poly(vinylidene fluoride)] and an electrically conductive additive (usually carbon) and the mixture is pressed to form a disk. The binder and conductive additive contribute weight and volume, reducing the specific energy and energy density, respectively. In contrast, LiCoO2 or LiNiO2 fibers can be pressed and sintered to form a cathode, without need for a binder or a conductive additive. The inter-grain contacts of the fibers are stronger and have fewer defects than do those of powder particles. These characteristics translate to increased flexibility and greater resilience on cycling and, consequently, to reduced loss of capacity from cycle to cycle. Moreover, in comparison with a powder-based cathode, a fiber-based cathode is expected to exhibit significantly greater ionic and electronic conduction along the axes of the fibers. Results of preliminary charge/discharge-cycling tests suggest that energy densities of LiCoO2- and LiNiO2-fiber cathodes are approximately double those of the corresponding powder-based cathodes.

Performance Characteristics of a PEM Fuel Cell with Parallel Flow Channels at Different Cathode Relative Humidity Levels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sang Soon Hwang

2009-11-01

Full Text Available In fuel cells flow configuration and operating conditions such as cell temperature, humidity at each electrode and stoichiometric number are very crucial for improving performance. Too many flow channels could enhance the performance but result in high parasite loss. Therefore a trade-off between pressure drop and efficiency of a fuel cell should be considered for optimum design. This work focused on numerical simulation of the effects of operating conditions, especially cathode humidity, with simple micro parallel flow channels. It is known that the humidity at the cathode flow channel becomes very important for enhancing the ion conductivity of polymer membrane because fully humidified condition was normally set at anode. To investigate the effect of humidity on the performance of a fuel cell, in this study humidification was set to 100% at the anode flow channel and was changed by 0–100% at the cathode flow channel. Results showed that the maximum power density could be obtained under 60% humidified condition at the cathode where oxygen concentration was moderately high while maintaining high ion conductivity at a membrane.

Rare earth oxide doping in oxide cathodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Engelsen, Daniel den; Gaertner, Georg

2006-01-01

The effect on life performance and poisoning with O 2 by doping oxide cathodes with rare earth oxides and pseudo rare earth oxides, notably yttria, is qualitatively explained in terms of electrolysis of BaO during emission of electrons. Doped cathodes show less electrolysis and consume therefore less Ba during life: consequently, doped cathodes have a better life performance. However, the lower Ba-production makes doped cathodes more sensitive to oxygen poisoning. The experimentally found relation between conductivity and yttria concentration was the motive to propose a new model for the crystal imperfections in BaO. In this new imperfection model most Y 3+ -ions will combine with barium vacancies, therefore, the increase of the conductivity is modest and also the effect on the position of the Fermi level is modest. By assuming a combination of bulk and surface conductivity, the agreement between experiment and theory can be improved further

Layered SmBaCuCoO5+δ and SmBaCuFeO5+δ perovskite oxides as cathode materials for proton-conducting SOFCs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nian Qiong; Zhao Ling; He Beibei; Lin Bin; Peng Ranran; Meng Guangyao; Liu Xingqin

2010-01-01

A dense BaCe 0.8 Sm 0.2 O 5+δ (BCS) electrolyte was fabricated on a porous anode by in situ drop-coating to develop a simple and cost-effective route to fabricate proton-conducting solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). Layered perovskite-structure oxides SmBaCuCoO 5+δ (SBCC) and SmBaCuFeO 5+δ (SBCF) were prepared and the electrical conductivity, the thermal expansion coefficient and electrochemical performance were investigated as potential cathode materials for proton-conducting SOFCs. Thermal expansion coefficients of SBCC and SBCF were suitable for BCS electrolyte and the electrical conductivity of the SBCC is higher than that of the SBCF. The maximum power density of 449 mW cm 2 and 333 mW cm 2 at 700 o C were obtained for the SBCC/BCS/NiO-BCS and SBCF/BCS/NiO-BCS cells, respectively. The interfacial polarization resistances for SBCC and SBCF cathode are as low as 0.137 Ω cm -2 and 0.196 Ω cm -2 at 700 o C, respectively. The results indicate that the SBCC and SBCF are promising cathode materials for proton-conducting SOFCs.

The influence of reduced graphene oxide on electrical conductivity of LiFePO4-based composite as cathode material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arifin, Muhammad; Aimon, Akfiny Hasdi; Winata, Toto; Abdullah, Mikrajuddin; Iskandar, Ferry

2016-01-01

LiFePO 4 is fascinating cathode active materials for Li-ion batteries application because of their high electrochemical performance such as a stable voltage at 3.45 V and high specific capacity at 170 mAh.g −1 . However, their low intrinsic electronic conductivity and low ionic diffusion are still the hindrance for their further application on Li-ion batteries. Therefore, the efforts to improve their conductivity are very important to elevate their prospecting application as cathode materials. Herein, we reported preparation of additional of reduced Graphene Oxide (rGO) into LiFePO 4 -based composite via hydrothermal method and the influence of rGO on electrical conductivity of LiFePO 4 −based composite by varying mass of rGO in composition. Vibration of LiFePO 4 -based composite was detected on Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra, while single phase of LiFePO 4 nanocrystal was observed on X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) pattern, it furthermore, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images showed that rGO was distributed around LiFePO4-based composite. Finally, the 4-point probe measurement result confirmed that the optimum electrical conductivity is in additional 2 wt% rGO for range 1 to 2 wt% rGO

A Novel Cathode Material for Cathodic Dehalogenation of 1,1-Dibromo Cyclopropane Derivatives.

Science.gov (United States)

Gütz, Christoph; Selt, Maximilian; Bänziger, Markus; Bucher, Christoph; Römelt, Christina; Hecken, Nadine; Gallou, Fabrice; Galvão, Tomás R; Waldvogel, Siegfried R

2015-09-28

Leaded bronze turned out to be an excellent cathode material for the dehalogenation reaction of cyclopropanes without affecting the strained molecular entity. With this particular alloy, beneficial properties of lead cathodes are conserved, whereas the corrosion of cathode is efficiently suppressed. The solvent in the electrolyte determines whether a complete debromination reaction is achieved or if the process can be selectively stopped at the monobromo cyclopropane intermediate. The electroorganic conversion tolerates a variety of functional groups and can be conducted at rather complex substrates like cyclosporine A. This approach allows the sustainable preparation of cyclopropane derivatives. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Mechanical design and fabrication of the VHF-gun, the Berkeley normal-conducting continuous-wave high-brightness electron source

Science.gov (United States)

Wells, R. P.; Ghiorso, W.; Staples, J.; Huang, T. M.; Sannibale, F.; Kramasz, T. D.

2016-02-01

A high repetition rate, MHz-class, high-brightness electron source is a key element in future high-repetition-rate x-ray free electron laser-based light sources. The VHF-gun, a novel low frequency radio-frequency gun, is the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) response to that need. The gun design is based on a normal conducting, single cell cavity resonating at 186 MHz in the VHF band and capable of continuous wave operation while still delivering the high accelerating fields at the cathode required for the high brightness performance. The VHF-gun was fabricated and successfully commissioned in the framework of the Advanced Photo-injector EXperiment, an injector built at LBNL to demonstrate the capability of the gun to deliver the required beam quality. The basis for the selection of the VHF-gun technology, novel design features, and fabrication techniques are described.

Superconducting versus normal conducting cavities

CERN Document Server

Podlech, Holger

2013-01-01

One of the most important issues of high-power hadron linacs is the choice of technology with respect to superconducting or room-temperature operation. The favour for a specific technology depends on several parameters such as the beam energy, beam current, beam power and duty factor. This contribution gives an overview of the comparison between superconducting and normal conducting cavities. This includes basic radiofrequency (RF) parameters, design criteria, limitations, required RF and plug power as well as case studies.

One-dimensional conduction through supporting electrolytes: two-scale cathodic Debye layer.

Science.gov (United States)

Almog, Yaniv; Yariv, Ehud

2011-10-01

Supporting-electrolyte solutions comprise chemically inert cations and anions, produced by salt dissolution, together with a reactive ionic species that may be consumed and generated on bounding ion-selective surfaces (e.g., electrodes or membranes). Upon application of an external voltage, a Faraday current is thereby established. It is natural to analyze this ternary-system process through a one-dimensional transport problem, employing the thin Debye-layer limit. Using a simple model of ideal ion-selective membranes, we have recently addressed this problem for moderate voltages [Yariv and Almog, Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 176101 (2010)], predicting currents that scale as a fractional power of Debye thickness. We address herein the complementary problem of moderate currents. We employ matched asymptotic expansions, separately analyzing the two inner thin Debye layers adjacent to the ion-selective surfaces and the outer electroneutral region outside them. A straightforward calculation following comparable singular-perturbation analyses of binary systems is frustrated by the prediction of negative ionic concentrations near the cathode. Accompanying numerical simulations, performed for small values of Debye thickness, indicate a number unconventional features occurring at that region, such as inert-cation concentration amplification and electric-field intensification. The current-voltage correlation data of the electrochemical cell, obtained from compilation of these simulations, does not approach a limit as the Debye thickness vanishes. Resolution of these puzzles reveals a transformation of the asymptotic structure of the cathodic Debye layer. This reflects the emergence of an internal boundary layer, adjacent to the cathode, wherein field and concentration scaling differs from those of the Gouy-Chapman theory. The two-scale feature of the cathodic Debye layer is manifested through a logarithmic voltage scaling with Debye thickness. Accounting for this scaling, the

Spray-on polyvinyl alcohol separators and impact on power production in air-cathode microbial fuel cells with different solution conductivities

KAUST Repository

Hoskins, Daniel L.

2014-11-01

© 2014 Elsevier Ltd. Separators are used to protect cathodes from biofouling and to avoid electrode short-circuiting, but they can adversely affect microbial fuel cell (MFC) performance. A spray method was used to apply a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) separator to the cathode. Power densities were unaffected by the PVA separator (339 ± 29 mW/m2), compared to a control lacking a separator in a low conductivity solution (1mS/cm) similar to wastewater. Power was reduced with separators in solutions typical of laboratory tests (7-13 mS/cm), compared to separatorless controls. The PVA separator produced more power in a separator assembly (SEA) configuration (444 ± 8 mW/m2) in the 1mS/cm solution, but power was reduced if a PVA or wipe separator was used in higher conductivity solutions with either Pt or activated carbon catalysts. Spray and cast PVA separators performed similarly, but the spray method is preferred as it was easier to apply and use.

Effects of cathode channel size and operating conditions on the performance of air-blowing PEMFCs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Bosung; Lee, Yongtaek; Woo, Ahyoung; Kim, Yongchan

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Effect of cathode channel size on the air-blowing PEMFC is analyzed. • Performance and EIS tests of air-blowing PEMFCs are conducted. • Test conditions include the operating temperature, fan voltage, and anode humidity. • Flooding is a limiting factor for decreasing channel size at low temperature. • Water management is investigated by analyzing ohmic resistance. - Abstract: Air-blowing proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) have been developed as a potential new power source for portable electronic devices. However, air-blowing PEMFCs show lower performance than compressed-air PEMFCs because of their adverse operating conditions. In this study, the effects of the cathode channel size and operating conditions on the performance of the air-blowing PEMFC were analyzed. At the normal operating temperature, the performance of the air-blowing PEMFC improved with the decrease in the cathode channel size. However, at a low operating temperature and low fan voltage, massive flooding limits the decrease in the cathode channel size. In addition, water management in the air-blowing PEMFC was investigated by analyzing ohmic resistance. The transition current density between the humidification and the flooding region decreased with decreasing cathode channel size and operating temperature

Normal Conducting RF Cavity for MICE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, D.; DeMello, A.; Virostek, S.; Zisman, M.; Summers, D.

2010-01-01

Normal conducting RF cavities must be used for the cooling section of the international Muon Ionization Cooling Experiment (MICE), currently under construction at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) in the UK. Eight 201-MHz cavities are needed for the MICE cooling section; fabrication of the first five cavities is complete. We report the cavity fabrication status including cavity design, fabrication techniques and preliminary low power RF measurements.

High Performance Cathodes for Li-Air Batteries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xing, Yangchuan

2013-08-22

The overall objective of this project was to develop and fabricate a multifunctional cathode with high activities in acidic electrolytes for the oxygen reduction and evolution reactions for Li-air batteries. It should enable the development of Li-air batteries that operate on hybrid electrolytes, with acidic catholytes in particular. The use of hybrid electrolytes eliminates the problems of lithium reaction with water and of lithium oxide deposition in the cathode with sole organic electrolytes. The use of acid electrolytes can eliminate carbonate formation inside the cathode, making air breathing Li-air batteries viable. The tasks of the project were focused on developing hierarchical cathode structures and bifunctional catalysts. Development and testing of a prototype hybrid Li-air battery were also conducted. We succeeded in developing a hierarchical cathode structure and an effective bifunctional catalyst. We accomplished integrating the cathode with existing anode technologies and made a pouch prototype Li-air battery using sulfuric acid as catholyte. The battery cathodes contain a nanoscale multilayer structure made with carbon nanotubes and nanofibers. The structure was demonstrated to improve battery performance substantially. The bifunctional catalyst developed contains a conductive oxide support with ultra-low loading of platinum and iridium oxides. The work performed in this project has been documented in seven peer reviewed journal publications, five conference presentations, and filing of two U.S. patents. Technical details have been documented in the quarterly reports to DOE during the course of the project.

Increasing power generation for scaling up single-chamber air cathode microbial fuel cells

KAUST Repository

Cheng, Shaoan; Logan, Bruce E.

2011-01-01

Scaling up microbial fuel cells (MFCs) requires a better understanding the importance of the different factors such as electrode surface area and reactor geometry relative to solution conditions such as conductivity and substrate concentration. It is shown here that the substrate concentration has significant effect on anode but not cathode performance, while the solution conductivity has a significant effect on the cathode but not the anode. The cathode surface area is always important for increasing power. Doubling the cathode size can increase power by 62% with domestic wastewater, but doubling the anode size increases power by 12%. Volumetric power density was shown to be a linear function of cathode specific surface area (ratio of cathode surface area to reactor volume), but the impact of cathode size on power generation depended on the substrate strength (COD) and conductivity. These results demonstrate the cathode specific surface area is the most critical factor for scaling-up MFCs to obtain high power densities. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd.

Increasing power generation for scaling up single-chamber air cathode microbial fuel cells

KAUST Repository

Cheng, Shaoan

2011-03-01

Scaling up microbial fuel cells (MFCs) requires a better understanding the importance of the different factors such as electrode surface area and reactor geometry relative to solution conditions such as conductivity and substrate concentration. It is shown here that the substrate concentration has significant effect on anode but not cathode performance, while the solution conductivity has a significant effect on the cathode but not the anode. The cathode surface area is always important for increasing power. Doubling the cathode size can increase power by 62% with domestic wastewater, but doubling the anode size increases power by 12%. Volumetric power density was shown to be a linear function of cathode specific surface area (ratio of cathode surface area to reactor volume), but the impact of cathode size on power generation depended on the substrate strength (COD) and conductivity. These results demonstrate the cathode specific surface area is the most critical factor for scaling-up MFCs to obtain high power densities. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd.

Mathematical micro-model of a solid oxide fuel cell composite cathode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kenney, B.; Karan, K.

2004-01-01

In a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC), the cathode processes account for a majority of the overall electrochemical losses. A composite cathode comprising a mixture of ion-conducting electrolyte and electron-conducting electro-catalyst can help minimize cathode losses provided microstructural parameters such as particle-size, composition, and porosity are optimized. The cost of composite cathode research can be greatly reduced by incorporating mathematical models into the development cycle. Incorporated with reliable experimental data, it is possible to conduct a parametric study using a model and the predicted results can be used as guides for component design. Many electrode models treat the cathode process simplistically by considering only the charge-transfer reaction for low overpotentials or the gas-diffusion at high overpotentials. Further, in these models an average property of the cathode internal microstructure is assumed. This paper will outline the development of a 1-dimensional SOFC composite cathode micro-model and the experimental procedures for obtaining accurate parameter estimates. The micro-model considers the details of the cathode microstructure such as porosity, composition and particle-size of the ionic and electronic phases, and their interrelationship to the charge-transfer reaction and mass transport processes. The micro-model will be validated against experimental data to determine its usefulness for performance prediction. (author)

The influence of reduced graphene oxide on electrical conductivity of LiFePO{sub 4}-based composite as cathode material

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arifin, Muhammad; Aimon, Akfiny Hasdi; Winata, Toto; Abdullah, Mikrajuddin [Physics of Electronic Materials Research Division, Department of Physics, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Bandung 40132 Indonesia (Indonesia); Iskandar, Ferry, E-mail: ferry@fi.itb.ac.id [Physics of Electronic Materials Research Division, Department of Physics, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Bandung 40132 Indonesia (Indonesia); Research Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Institut Teknologi Bandung, Bandung 40132 Indonesia (Indonesia)

2016-02-08

LiFePO{sub 4} is fascinating cathode active materials for Li-ion batteries application because of their high electrochemical performance such as a stable voltage at 3.45 V and high specific capacity at 170 mAh.g{sup −1}. However, their low intrinsic electronic conductivity and low ionic diffusion are still the hindrance for their further application on Li-ion batteries. Therefore, the efforts to improve their conductivity are very important to elevate their prospecting application as cathode materials. Herein, we reported preparation of additional of reduced Graphene Oxide (rGO) into LiFePO{sub 4}-based composite via hydrothermal method and the influence of rGO on electrical conductivity of LiFePO{sub 4}−based composite by varying mass of rGO in composition. Vibration of LiFePO{sub 4}-based composite was detected on Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra, while single phase of LiFePO{sub 4} nanocrystal was observed on X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) pattern, it furthermore, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images showed that rGO was distributed around LiFePO4-based composite. Finally, the 4-point probe measurement result confirmed that the optimum electrical conductivity is in additional 2 wt% rGO for range 1 to 2 wt% rGO.

Mesh optimization for microbial fuel cell cathodes constructed around stainless steel mesh current collectors

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Fang; Merrill, Matthew D.; Tokash, Justin C.; Saito, Tomonori; Cheng, Shaoan; Hickner, Michael A.; Logan, Bruce E.

2011-01-01

that the mesh properties of these cathodes can significantly affect performance. Cathodes made from the coarsest mesh (30-mesh) achieved the highest maximum power of 1616 ± 25 mW m-2 (normalized to cathode projected surface area; 47.1 ± 0.7 W m-3 based on liquid

Cathodes for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells Operating at Low Temperatures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Samson, Alfred Junio

. High performance cathodes were obtained from strontium-doped lanthanum cobaltite (LSC) infiltrated - Ce0.9Gd0.1O1.95 (CGO) ionic conducting backbone. Systematic tuning of the CGO and LSC firing temperatures and LSC loading resulted in a cathode with low polarization resistance, Rp = 0.044 cm2 at 600......This dissertation focuses on the development of nanostructured cathodes for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and their performance at low operating temperatures. Cathodes were mainly fabricated by the infiltration method, whereby electrocatalysts are introduced onto porous, ionic conducting backbones...... with increasing LSC firing temperature, highlighting the importance of materials compability over higher ionic conductivity. The potential of Ca3Co4O9+delta as an electrocatalyst for SOFCs has also been explored and encouraging results were found i.e., Rp = 0.64 cm2 for a Ca3Co4O9+delta/CGO 50 vol % composite...

Rf Gun with High-Current Density Field Emission Cathode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jay L. Hirshfield

2005-01-01

High current-density field emission from an array of carbon nanotubes, with field-emission-transistor control, and with secondary electron channel multiplication in a ceramic facing structure, have been combined in a cold cathode for rf guns and diode guns. Electrodynamic and space-charge flow simulations were conducted to specify the cathode configuration and range of emission current density from the field emission cold cathode. Design of this cathode has been made for installation and testing in an existing S-band 2-1/2 cell rf gun. With emission control and modulation, and with current density in the range of 0.1-1 kA/cm2, this cathode could provide performance and long-life not enjoyed by other currently-available cathodes

Hybrid polyacrylamide/carbon coating on sulfur cathode for advanced lithium sulfur battery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Tao; Yuan, Yan; Hong, Bo; Cao, Huawei; Zhang, Kai; Lai, Yanqing; Liu, Yexiang; Huang, Zixin

2017-01-01

Commercialized conductive slurry consisting of polyacrylamide (PAM) and two kinds of carbon black was coated on the surface of sulfur cathode. The hybrid PAM/C coating not only physically blocks but also chemically anchors polysulfides within the cathode, confining their out-diffusion and shuttle. Besides, the flexible and highly-conductive coating layer buffers volume change of the cathode during discharge-charge process and reduces charge transfer resistance. A specific capacity of as high as ∼900 mAh g −1 after 300 cycles is demonstrated for the PAM/C coated cathode, which is a significant improvement of reversible capacity and cycle capability compared to uncoated or conventional PVDF/C coated cathode.

Effect of normal processes on thermal conductivity of germanium ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Abstract. The effect of normal scattering processes is considered to redistribute the phonon momentum in (a) the same phonon branch – KK-S model and (b) between differ- ent phonon branches – KK-H model. Simplified thermal conductivity relations are used to estimate the thermal conductivity of germanium, silicon and ...

Highly Flexible Self-Assembled V2O5 Cathodes Enabled by Conducting Diblock Copolymers

Science.gov (United States)

An, Hyosung; Mike, Jared; Smith, Kendall; Swank, Lisa; Lin, Yen-Hao; Pesek, Stacy; Verduzco, Rafael; Lutkenhaus, Jodie

Structural energy storage materials combining load-bearing mechanical properties and high energy storage performance are desired for applications in wearable devices or flexible displays. Vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) is a promising cathode material for possible use in flexible battery electrodes, but it remains limited by low Li+ diffusion coefficient and electronic conductivity, severe volumetric changes upon cycling, and limited mechanical flexibility. Here, we demonstrate a route to address these challenges by blending a diblock copolymer bearing electron- and ion-conducting blocks, poly(3-hexylthiophene)-block-poly(ethyleneoxide) (P3HT- b-PEO), with V2O5 to form a mechanically flexible, electro-mechanically stable hybrid electrode. V2O5 layers were arranged parallel in brick-and-mortar-like fashion held together by the P3HT- b-PEO binder. This unique structure significantly enhances mechanical flexibility, toughness and cyclability without sacrificing capacity. Electrodes comprised of 10 wt% polymer have unusually high toughness (293 kJ/m3) and specific energy (530 Wh/kg), both higher than reduced graphene oxide paper electrodes.

Electrodeposition of uranium and transuranic metals (Pu) on solid cathode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laplace, A. F.; Lacquement, J.; Willitt, J. L.; Finch, R. A.; Fletcher, G. A.; Williamson, M. A.

2008-01-01

The results from a study of U and Pu metal electrodeposition from molten eutectic LiCl-KCl on a solid inert cathode are presented. This study has been conducted using ∼ to 50 g of U-Pu together with rare earths (mostly Nd) and 1.5 kg of salt. The introduction of a three-electrode probe with an Ag/AgCl reference electrode has allowed voltammetric measurement during electrolysis and control of the cathode potential versus the reference. Cyclic and square-wave voltammetric measurements proved to be very useful tools for monitoring the electrolysis as well as selecting the cathode versus reference potential to maximize the separation between actinides and rare earths. The voltammetric data also highlighted the occurrence of back reactions between the cathode deposit and oxidizing equivalents formed at the anode that remained in the molten salt electrolyte. Any further electrolysis test needs to be conducted continuously and followed by immediate removal of the cathode to minimize those back reactions. (authors)

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy characterization of LiFePO4 cathode material with carboxymethylcellulose and poly-3,4-ethylendioxythiophene/polystyrene sulfonate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eliseeva, S.N.; Apraksin, R.V.; Tolstopjatova, E.G.; Kondratiev, V.V.

2017-01-01

Highlights: • New composition of perspective LiFePO 4 /PEDOT:PSS/CMC cathode material are explored. • Conducting polymer binder markedly reduce an interfacial resistance. • High rate performance due to enhanced ionic and electronic conductivity. • Comparison of kinetic parameters obtained from fitting of EIS data was performed. - Abstract: Novel cathode material compositions based on lithium iron phosphate (LFP) were prepared using conducting polymer dispersion poly-3,4-ethylenedioxythiopene/polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) and water-based carboxymethylcellulose (РЎРњРЎ) as a binder solely and in mixture PEDOT:PSS/РЎРњРЎ. The electrochemical properties of materials in lithium-ion batteries were investigated by galvanostatic charge-discharge curves and by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and the results were compared with conventional PVDF-bound material. Our best materials consisting of 92 wt% of C-LiFePO 4 , 4 wt% of carbon black and 4 wt% of conducting polymer binder exhibited excellent rate capability with discharge capacity 148 mAh g −1 (at 0.2C, normalized by the electrode mass), 143 mAh g −1 at 1C and 128 mAh g −1 at 5C as well as good cycling stability at 1C (less than 1% decay after 100 cycles). Impedance spectra of batteries with different compositions were measured and analyzed. Comparison of kinetic parameters obtained for different electrodes revealed main factors responsible for significant improvement of electrochemical performance of LFP-based cathode materials modified with conducting polymer in comparison with conventional electrode. The transition from conventional PVDF-bound LFP-based cathode composition to modified by conducting polymer PEDOT:PSS/CMC was found very effective. The electrode with optimal composition showed substantial decrease of interfacial charge transfer resistance for 30 times, and decrease of Warburg diffusion resistance. The mechanism of positive influence of

Multielectronic conduction in La1-xSrxGa1/2Mn1/2O3-δ as solid oxide fuel cell cathode

Science.gov (United States)

Iguchi, E.; Hashimoto, Y.; Kurumada, M.; Munakata, F.

2003-08-01

Four-probe dc conductivities, capacitances, and thermopower have been measured in the temperature range of 80-1123 K for La1-xSrxGa1/2Mn1/2O3-δ, which is a desirable cathode material for lanthanum-gallate electrolytes of solid oxide fuel cells. The dc conductivities in the specimens (0.1⩽x⩽0.3) are insensitive to x but the thermopower is very sensitive to x, although the x=0 specimen exhibits a somewhat different conduction behavior. At T500 K, the band conduction dominates the electronic transports. The ionic conduction due to O2- migration seems difficult to contribute directly to the dc conduction even at high temperature.

Oxyphosphorus-containing polymers as binders for battery cathodes

Science.gov (United States)

Pratt, Russell Clayton; Mullin, Scott Allen; Eitouni, Hany Basam

2018-05-29

A class of polymeric phosphorous esters can be used as binders for battery cathodes. Metal salts can be added to the polymers to provide ionic conductivity. The polymeric phosphorous esters can be formulated with other polymers either as mixtures or as copolymers to provide additional desirable properties. Examples of such properties include even higher ionic conductivity and improved mechanical properties. Furthermore, cathodes that include the polymeric phosphorous esters can be assembled with a polymeric electrolyte separator and an anode to form a complete battery.

Iron phosphate materials as cathodes for lithium batteries

CERN Document Server

Prosini, Pier Paolo

2011-01-01

""Iron Phosphate Materials as Cathodes for Lithium Batteries"" describes the synthesis and the chemical-physical characteristics of iron phosphates, and presents methods of making LiFePO4 a suitable cathode material for lithium-ion batteries. The author studies carbon's ability to increase conductivity and to decrease material grain size, as well as investigating the electrochemical behaviour of the materials obtained. ""Iron Phosphate Materials as Cathodes for Lithium Batteries"" also proposes a model to explain lithium insertion/extraction in LiFePO4 and to predict voltage profiles at variou

Imaging of Conductive Hearing Loss With a Normal Tympanic Membrane.

Science.gov (United States)

Curtin, Hugh D

2016-01-01

This article presents an approach to imaging conductive hearing loss in patients with normal tympanic membranes and discusses entities that should be checked as the radiologist evaluates this potentially complicated issue. Conductive hearing loss in a patient with a normal tympanic membrane is a complicated condition that requires a careful imaging approach. Imaging should focus on otosclerosis, and possible mimics and potential surgical considerations should be evaluated. The radiologist should examine the ossicular chain and the round window and keep in mind that a defect in the superior semicircular canal can disturb the hydraulic integrity of the labyrinth.

Post-Removal Examination of GTF Cathode No.2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kirby, R.

2005-01-01

This photo-cathode (PC), GTF Cathode No.2, was removed from the GTF in October, 2000. It was characterized in September, 1999 by G. Mulhollan and me (Report entitled ''A Brief Report on a Brief Examination of the Electropolished GTF Cathode'', LCLS-TN-99-10). The cathode conditions and results of that exam were: (1) The cathode was conventionally machined and cleaned in the SLAC Plating Shop. (2) The machining process left a central defect (400 microns diameter) which was not removed by electropolishing. (3) The electropolished surface was ''orange-peeled'', typical of excessive polishing. (4) Secondary electron microscopy (SEM) examination showed numerous 10 micron-diameter etch pits and a small number of copper surface particles. Operation of this cathode in the GTF exhibited ''holloW--beam'' behavior, suggesting that the central defect may have been responsible for non-normal emergence of the photo-emitted beam. No laser cleaning of the cathode was done, so all arc features are due to breakdowns. Post-removal analysis consisted of loW--magnification digital camera pictures (taken with glancing-incidence tungsten white light illumination, to emphasize particles/pitting) and SEM. All images are available in digital (TIFF) form. Also available is a Power Point presentation of the results. Contact me for either. These image files are high-resolution and, thus, large in size. A 200K loW--resolution contact sheet of a few images is attached to this report. Images are referred to by file name

Feasibility of applying cathodic protection to double-wall waste storage tanks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moore, E.L.

1977-01-01

A study was conducted to determine the feasibility of applying impressed current cathodic protection to double-wall storage tanks containing terminal waste solutions. Norton Corrosion Limited concluded that such a system could be designed for installation on the tanks. Under their direction, Battelle Northwest Laboratories conducted a laboratory study to develop necessary data for design of the system. A separate study conducted by Battelle Columbus Laboratories indicated that, while terminal waste solutions by themselves do not promote stress corrosion cracking, cathodic protection may promote this type of corrosion under certain conditions. As a result of these findings, the recommendation was made not to install cathodic protection on the double-wall tanks containing terminal waste solutions

A cobalt-free perovskite-type La{sub 0.6}Sr{sub 0.4}Fe{sub 0.9}Cr{sub 0.1}O{sub 3-{alpha}} cathode for proton-conducting intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ding, Zuolong; Yang, Zhijie; Zhao, Dongmei; Deng, Xuli [Key Laboratory of Organic Synthesis of Jiangsu Province, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123 (China); Ma, Guilin, E-mail: 32uumagl@suda.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Organic Synthesis of Jiangsu Province, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123 (China)

2013-02-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A cobalt-free cathode material LSFC10 for IT-SOFCs was prepared and studied in detail. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The conductivity of LSFC10 reached 138 S cm{sup -1} under oxygen at 550 Degree-Sign C. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer An anode-supported BZCY electrolyte membrane was successfully fabricated by a simple spin coating process. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Power density of the ceramic membrane fuel cell using LSFC10 as cathode reached 412 mW cm{sup -2} at 700 Degree-Sign C. - Abstract: A cobalt-free perovskite-type cathode material La{sub 0.6}Sr{sub 0.4}Fe{sub 0.9}Cr{sub 0.1}O{sub 3-{alpha}} (LSFC10) was prepared by a citric acid-nitrate process and investigated as a potential cathode material for proton-conducting intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs). The maximum conductivity of LSFC10 reached 138 S cm{sup -1} under oxygen at 550 Degree-Sign C. A Ni-BZCY composite anode-supported proton-conducting BaZr{sub 0.1}Ce{sub 0.7}Y{sub 0.2}O{sub 3-{alpha}} (BZCY) electrolyte membrane was successfully fabricated by a simple, cost-effective spin coating process. The peak power densities of the H{sub 2}/O{sub 2} fuel cell using BZCY electrolyte membrane, Ni-BZCY composite anode and LSFC10 cathode reached 412 mW cm{sup -2}, and the interfacial polarization resistance for the fuel cell was as low as 0.19 {Omega} cm{sup 2} under open circuit conditions, at 700 Degree-Sign C. These results reveal LSFC10 is a suitable cathode material for proton-conducting IT-SOFCs.

Separation of Electrolytic Reduction Product from Stainless Steel Wire Mesh Cathode Basket via Salt Draining and Reuse of the Cathode Basket

OpenAIRE

Choi, Eun-Young; Lee, Jeong; Heo, Dong Hyun; Hur, Jin-Mok

2017-01-01

We demonstrated that the metallic product obtained after electrolytic reduction (also called oxide reduction (OR)) can be simply separated from a stainless steel wire mesh cathode basket only by using a salt drain. First, the OR run of a simulated oxide fuel (0.6 kg/batch) was conducted in a molten Li2O–LiCl salt electrolyte at 650°C. The simulated oxide fuel of the porous cylindrical pellets was used as a cathode by loading a stainless steel wire mesh cathode basket. Platinum was employed as...

Heating of refractory cathodes by high-pressure arc plasmas: II

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benilov, M S; Cunha, M D

2003-01-01

Solitary spots on infinite planar cathodes and diffuse and axially symmetric spot modes on finite cathodes of high-pressure arc discharges are studied in a wide range of arc currents. General features are analysed and extensive numerical results on planar and cylindrical tungsten cathodes of atmospheric-pressure argon arcs are given for currents of up to 100 kA. It is shown, in particular, that the temperature of cathode surface inside a solitary spot varies relatively weakly and may be estimated, to the accuracy of about 200-300 K, without actually solving the thermal conduction equation in the cathode body. Asymptotic behaviour of solutions for finite cathodes in the limiting case of high currents is found and confirmed by numerical results. A general pattern of current-voltage characteristics of various modes on finite cathodes suggested previously on the basis of bifurcation analysis is confirmed. A transition from the spot modes on a finite cathode in the limit of large cathode dimensions to the solitary spot mode on an infinite planar cathode is studied. It is found that the solitary spot mode represents a limiting form of the high-voltage spot mode on a finite cathode. A question of distinguishing between diffuse and spot modes on finite cathodes is considered

Improvement on high rate performance of LiFePO4 cathodes using graphene as a conductive agent

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Xufang; Guan, Yibiao; Zheng, Xiaohui; Zhu, Qizhen; Shen, Jinran; Qiao, Ning; Zhou, Shuqin; Xu, Bin

2018-05-01

In this work, the electrochemical properties of the LiFePO4 cathode using graphene as a conductive agent were revealed. Compared to the conventional LiFePO4 electrodes with carbon black as a conductive agent, the graphene sheets can establish a more effective conductive framework due to their layered structure and excellent electronic conductivity, leading to better electrochemical rate performance. Furthermore, the obverse of increasing graphene content is continued gains in high-rate performance of the LiFePO4 electrodes. The electrodes with 30 wt% graphene show high capacities up to 103.1 mA h g-1 and 68 mA h g-1 during discharging with extremely high rates of 30 C and 50 C, respectively. Besides, good cycling performance at high rate is also achieved. The electrodes with 30 wt% graphene display a capacity retention higher than 80% after 1000 cycles at 30 C. These results not only indicate that the graphene could be a promising candidate as a conductive agent, but also provide a new insight for designing LiFePO4 electrodes with brilliant high-rate performance via a simple method.

A highly active hybrid catalyst modified (La0.60Sr0.40)0.95Co0.20Fe0.80O3-δ cathode for proton conducting solid oxide fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

Lei, Libin; Tao, Zetian; Hong, Tao; Wang, Xiaoming; Chen, Fanglin

2018-06-01

The sluggish reaction kinetics in the cathode usually leads to considerable cathode polarization resistance, hindering the development of proton conducting solid oxide fuel cells (H-SOFCs) operated at intermediate temperatures (400-650 °C). To address this problem, for the first time, a novel hybrid catalyst consisting of PrNi0.5Mn0.5O3 and PrOx is impregnated in the (La0.60Sr0.40)0.95Co0.20Fe0.80O3-δ (LSCF) cathode of H-SOFCs, resulting in significant enhancement of the cathode reaction kinetics. Single cells with impregnated LSCF cathode and BaZr0.8Y0.2O3 (BZY) electrolyte yield a maximum power density (MPD) of 0.198 W cm-2 at 600 °C, more than doubled of that with blank LSCF cathode (0.083 W cm-2). ECR and EIS studies reveal that the hybrid catalyst can substantially accelerate the oxygen-ion transfer and oxygen dissociation-absorption processes in the cathode, resulting in significantly lower polarization resistance and higher MPD. In addition, the hybrid catalyst possesses good chemical and microstructural stability at 600 °C. Consequently, the single cells with impregnated LSCF cathode show excellent durability. This study shows that the impregnation of this novel hybrid catalyst in the cathode could be a promising approach to improve the performance and stability of H-SOFCs.

Separation of Electrolytic Reduction Product from Stainless Steel Wire Mesh Cathode Basket via Salt Draining and Reuse of the Cathode Basket

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eun-Young Choi

2017-01-01

Full Text Available We demonstrated that the metallic product obtained after electrolytic reduction (also called oxide reduction (OR can be simply separated from a stainless steel wire mesh cathode basket only by using a salt drain. First, the OR run of a simulated oxide fuel (0.6 kg/batch was conducted in a molten Li2O–LiCl salt electrolyte at 650°C. The simulated oxide fuel of the porous cylindrical pellets was used as a cathode by loading a stainless steel wire mesh cathode basket. Platinum was employed as an anode. After the electrolysis, the residual salt of the cathode basket containing the reduction product was drained by placing it at gas phase above the molten salt using a holder. Then, at a room temperature, the complete separation of the reduction product from the cathode basket was achieved by inverting it without damaging or deforming the basket. Finally, the emptied cathode basket obtained after the separation was reused for the second OR run by loading a fresh simulated oxide fuel. We also succeeded in the separation of the metallic product from the reused cathode basket for the second OR run.

A novel cobalt-free layered GdBaFe{sub 2}O{sub 5+{delta}} cathode for proton conducting solid oxide fuel cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ding, Hanping; Xue, Xingjian [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208 (United States)

2010-07-01

While cobalt-containing perovskite-type cathode materials facilitate the activation of oxygen reduction, they also suffer from problems like poor chemical stability in CO{sub 2} and high thermal expansion coefficients. In this research, a cobalt-free layered GdBaFe{sub 2}O{sub 5+{delta}} (GBF) perovskite was developed as a cathode material for protonic ceramic membrane fuel cells (PCMFCs) based on proton conducting electrolyte of stable BaZr{sub 0.1}Ce{sub 0.7}Y{sub 0.2}O{sub 3-{delta}} (BZCY7). The button cells of Ni-BZCY7 vertical stroke BZCY7 vertical stroke GBF were fabricated and characterized using complex impedance technique from 600 to 700 C. An open-circuit potential of 1.007 V, maximum power density of 417 mW cm{sup -2}, and a low electrode polarization resistance of 0.18 {omega} cm{sup 2} were achieved at 700 C. The results indicate that layered GBF perovskite is a good candidate for cobalt-free cathode material, while the developed Ni-BZCY7 vertical stroke BZCY7 vertical stroke GBF cell is a promising functional material system for solid oxide fuel cells. (author)

Air cathode structure manufacture

Science.gov (United States)

Momyer, William R.; Littauer, Ernest L.

1985-01-01

An improved air cathode structure for use in primary batteries and the like. The cathode structure includes a matrix active layer, a current collector grid on one face of the matrix active layer, and a porous, nonelectrically conductive separator on the opposite face of the matrix active layer, the collector grid and separator being permanently bonded to the matrix active layer. The separator has a preselected porosity providing low IR losses and high resistance to air flow through the matrix active layer to maintain high bubble pressure during operation of the battery. In the illustrated embodiment, the separator was formed of porous polypropylene. A thin hydrophobic film is provided, in the preferred embodiment, on the current collecting metal grid.

Formation of an interface layer in thermionic oxide cathodes for CRT applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hashim, A A; Barratt, D S; Ray, A K; Hassan, A K

2004-01-01

Scanning electron microscopic techniques were employed to study the surface morphological changes of oxide cathodes and nickel caps as a result of cathode activation extending over periods of 1-12 h. Elemental analysis of barium, strontium, tungsten, magnesium and aluminium was performed using energy dispersion x-ray spectroscopy. An abrupt change was observed after activation longer than 3 h. Conduction through well activated cathode assemblies was found to be due to intergranular electron tunnelling at low temperatures (T ≤ 500 K), while trapping and detrapping at grain boundaries becomes the dominant mechanism at high temperatures (T ≥ 500 K). The contribution of the interfacial layer to conductivity was found to be significant for cathodes activated for smaller periods

Coherent tunnelling conductance in normal-metal/d-wave superconductor/normal-metal double tunnel junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dong, Z C; Zheng, Z M; Xing, D Y

2004-01-01

Taking simultaneously into account the electron-injected current from one normal-metal (N) electrode and the hole-injected current from the other N electrode, we study the coherent tunnelling conductance and quantum interference effects in N/d-wave superconductor (S)/N double tunnel junctions. It is found that oscillations of all quasiparticle transport coefficients and the conductance spectrum with quasiparticle energy and thickness of the d-wave S depend to a great extent on the crystal orientation of the d-wave S. The zero-bias conductance peak is gradually lowered with increasing barrier strength and/or temperature, its magnitude exhibiting damped oscillatory behaviour with thickness of S

Energy balance of the cathode connection and calculation of the yield of caesium diodes; Bilan des energies dans la connexion de cathode et calcul du rendement dans les diodes a cesium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Merard, R [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1964-07-01

The cathode connection is one of the critical elements in the calculation of the yield of caesium diodes. In particular a study is made of the balance of the losses due to the Joule effect, to radiation and to thermal conduction as a function of the shape and the nature of the cathode connection. The internal voltage drop of the diode is obtained from the expression for the total Joule losses of the metallic conductors. The length of the cathode connection is calculated as a function of the losses and the yield is optimized as a function of the relationship existing between the cathodic losses due to thermal conduction and the Joule losses in the connection. The calculations lead to hyper-elliptic integrals which can only be manipulated by series development. The results obtained are approximate. (author) [French] Dans le calcul du rendement des diodes a cesium, la connexion de cathode est l'un des elements critiques. On etudie specialement le bilan des pertes par effet joule, rayonnement et conduction thermique, en fonction de la forme et de la nature de la connexion de cathode. On obtient la chute de tension interne de la diode a partir de l'expression des pertes joules totales dans les conducteurs metalliques. La longueur de la connexion de cathode est calculee en fonction des pertes et l'on optimise le rendement en fonction du rapport qui existe entre les pertes par conduction thermique de la cathode et les pertes joules dans la connexion. Les calculs conduisent a des integrales hyperelliptiques dont la manipulation n'est possible que par des developpements en serie. Les resultats cherches sont approximatifs. (auteur)

A novel layered perovskite cathode for proton conducting solid oxide fuel cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ding, Hanping [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Hefei 230026 (China); Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208 (United States); Xue, Xingjian [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208 (United States); Liu, Xingqin; Meng, Guangyao [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Hefei 230026 (China)

2010-02-01

BaZr{sub 0.1}Ce{sub 0.7}Y{sub 0.2}O{sub 3-{delta}} (BZCY7) exhibits adequate proton conductivity as well as sufficient chemical and thermal stability over a wide range of SOFC operating conditions, while layered SmBa{sub 0.5}Sr{sub 0.5}Co{sub 2}O{sub 5+{delta}} (SBSC) perovskite demonstrates advanced electrochemical properties based on doped ceria electrolyte. This research fully takes advantage of these advanced properties and develops novel protonic ceramic membrane fuel cells (PCMFCs) of Ni-BZCY7 vertical stroke BZCY7 vertical stroke SBSC. The results show that the open-circuit potential of 1.015 V and maximum power density of 533 mW cm{sup -2} are achieved at 700 C. With temperature increase, the total cell resistance decreases, among which electrolyte resistance becomes increasingly dominant over polarization resistance. The results also indicate that SBSC perovskite cathode is a good candidate for intermediate temperature PCMFC development, while the developed Ni-BZCY7 vertical stroke BZCY7 vertical stroke SBSC cell is a promising functional material system for next generation SOFCs. (author)

Quantum efficiency temporal response and lifetime of a GaAs cathode in SRF electron gun

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, E.; Ben-Zvi, I.; Kewisch, J.; Burrill, A.; Rao, T.; Wu, Q.; Holmes, D.

2010-01-01

RF electron guns with a strained super lattice GaAs cathode can generate polarized electron beam of higher brightness and lower emittance than do DC guns, due to their higher field gradient at the cathode's surface. In a normal conducting RF gun, the extremely high vaccum required by these cathodes can not be met. We report on an experiment with a superconducting SRF gun, which can maintain a vacuum of nearly 10-12 torr because of cryo-pumping at the temperature of 4.2K. With conventional activation, we obtained a QE of 3% at 532 nm, with lifetime of nearly 3 days in the preparation chamber. We plan to use this cathode in a 1.3 GHz 1/2 cell SRF gun to study its performance. In addition, we studied the multipacting at the location of cathode. A new model based on the Forkker-Planck equation which can estimate the bunch length of the electron beam is discussed in this paper. Future particle accelerators such as eRHIC and ILC require high brightness, high current polarized electrons Recently, using a superlattice crystal, the maximum polarization of 95% was reached. Activation with Cs,O lowers the electron affinity and makes it energetically possible for all the electrons excited in to the conduction band and reach the surface to escape into the vacuum. Presently the polarized electron sources are based on DC gun, such as that at the CEBAF at Jlab. In these devices, the life time of the cathode is extended due to the reduced back bombardment in their UHV conditions. However, the low accelerating gradient of the DC guns lead to poor longitudinal emittance. The higher accelerating gradient of the RF gun generates low emittance beams. Superconducting RF guns combine the excellent vacuum conditions of the DC guns with the higher accelerating gradients of the RF guns and provide potentially a long lived cathode with very low transverse and longitudinal emittance. In our work at BNL, we successfully activated the GaAs. The quantum efficient is 3% at 532 nm and is expected

Quantum efficiency temporal response and lifetime of a GaAs cathode in SRF electron gun

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, E.; Ben-Zvi, I.; Kewisch, J.; Burrill, A.; Rao, T.; Wu, Q.; Holmes, D.

2010-05-23

RF electron guns with a strained super lattice GaAs cathode can generate polarized electron beam of higher brightness and lower emittance than do DC guns, due to their higher field gradient at the cathode's surface. In a normal conducting RF gun, the extremely high vaccum required by these cathodes can not be met. We report on an experiment with a superconducting SRF gun, which can maintain a vacuum of nearly 10-12 torr because of cryo-pumping at the temperature of 4.2K. With conventional activation, we obtained a QE of 3% at 532 nm, with lifetime of nearly 3 days in the preparation chamber. We plan to use this cathode in a 1.3 GHz 1/2 cell SRF gun to study its performance. In addition, we studied the multipacting at the location of cathode. A new model based on the Forkker-Planck equation which can estimate the bunch length of the electron beam is discussed in this paper. Future particle accelerators such as eRHIC and ILC require high brightness, high current polarized electrons Recently, using a superlattice crystal, the maximum polarization of 95% was reached. Activation with Cs,O lowers the electron affinity and makes it energetically possible for all the electrons excited in to the conduction band and reach the surface to escape into the vacuum. Presently the polarized electron sources are based on DC gun, such as that at the CEBAF at Jlab. In these devices, the life time of the cathode is extended due to the reduced back bombardment in their UHV conditions. However, the low accelerating gradient of the DC guns lead to poor longitudinal emittance. The higher accelerating gradient of the RF gun generates low emittance beams. Superconducting RF guns combine the excellent vacuum conditions of the DC guns with the higher accelerating gradients of the RF guns and provide potentially a long lived cathode with very low transverse and longitudinal emittance. In our work at BNL, we successfully activated the GaAs. The quantum efficient is 3% at 532 nm and is

Virtual cathode regime in nonstationary electric high-current discharge in hydrogen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baksht, F.G.; Borodin, V.S.; Zhuravlev, V.N.

1988-01-01

Virtual cathode (VC) regime in a non-stationary high-current hydrogen arch is constructed. Basic calculational characteristics of the near-the-cathode layer are presented. The calculation was conducted for a 1 cm long cathode under 2x10 4 A/cm 2 current density in pulse and 10 atm. pressure. A rectangular current pulse was considered. It is shown that VC formation is caused by electron temperature reduction in the near-the-cathode area. This results in the reduction of ion flux from plasma to the cathode surface and finally in the change of a sign of space charge and field intensity near the surface. Under the transition to VC regime only the cathode temperature and its effective work function are practically changed, while the rest of parameters remain approximately constant

Effects of cathodic protection on cracking of high-strength pipeline steels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elboujdaini, M.; Revie, R. W.; Attard, M. [CANMET Materials Technology Laboratory, Ottawa, ON(Canada)], email: melboujd@nrcan.gc.ca

2010-07-01

Four strength levels of pipeline steels, ranging from X-70 to X-120, were compared to determine whether higher strength materials are more susceptible to hydrogen embrittlement under cathodic protection. Ductility was measured in a solution at four protection levels, going from no cathodic protection to 500 mV of overprotection. All four steels showed loss of ductility under cathodic protection. Under cathodic polarization, the loss of ductility increased with the strength of the steel and the activity of the potential. After slow-strain-rate experiments conducted in air and examination of fracture surfaces, it is concluded that application of cathodic potentials, cathodic overprotection, higher strength of steel, and exposure to aqueous solution are factors that decrease the ductility of steel. Hydrogen reduction seems to be an important factor in ductility reduction and fractures. Observations suggest that high-strength pipelines need better control of cathodic protection than lower-strength pipelines.

Non-isothermal electrochemical model for lithium-ion cells with composite cathodes

Science.gov (United States)

Basu, Suman; Patil, Rajkumar S.; Ramachandran, Sanoop; Hariharan, Krishnan S.; Kolake, Subramanya Mayya; Song, Taewon; Oh, Dukjin; Yeo, Taejung; Doo, Seokgwang

2015-06-01

Transition metal oxide cathodes for Li-ion batteries offer high energy density and high voltage. Composites of these materials have shown excellent life expectancy and improved thermal performance. In the present work, a comprehensive non-isothermal electrochemical model for a Lithium ion cell with a composite cathode is developed. The present work builds on lithium concentration-dependent diffusivity and thermal gradient of cathode potential, obtained from experiments. The model validation is performed for a wide range of temperature and discharge rates. Excellent agreement is found for high and room temperature with moderate success at low temperatures, which can be attributed to the low fidelity of material properties at low temperature. Although the cell operation is limited by electronic conductivity of NCA at room temperature, at low temperatures a shift in controlling process is seen, and operation is limited by electrolyte transport. At room temperature, the lithium transport in Cathode appears to be the main source of heat generation with entropic heat as the primary contributor at low discharge rates and ohmic heat at high discharge rates respectively. Improvement in electronic conductivity of the cathode is expected to improve the performance of these composite cathodes and pave way for its wider commercialization.

Durable electrocatalytic-activity of Pt-Au/C cathode in PEMFCs.

Science.gov (United States)

Selvaganesh, S Vinod; Selvarani, G; Sridhar, P; Pitchumani, S; Shukla, A K

2011-07-21

Longevity remains as one of the central issues in the successful commercialization of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) and primarily hinges on the durability of the cathode. Incorporation of gold (Au) to platinum (Pt) is known to ameliorate both the electrocatalytic activity and stability of cathode in relation to pristine Pt-cathodes that are currently being used in PEMFCs. In this study, an accelerated stress test (AST) is conducted to simulate prolonged fuel-cell operating conditions by potential cycling the carbon-supported Pt-Au (Pt-Au/C) cathode. The loss in performance of PEMFC with Pt-Au/C cathode is found to be ∼10% after 7000 accelerated potential-cycles as against ∼60% for Pt/C cathode under similar conditions. These data are in conformity with the electrochemical surface-area values. PEMFC with Pt-Au/C cathode can withstand >10,000 potential cycles with very little effect on its performance. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy studies on the catalyst before and after AST suggest that incorporating Au with Pt helps mitigate aggregation of Pt particles during prolonged fuel-cell operations while X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reflects that the metallic nature of Pt is retained in the Pt-Au catalyst during AST in comparison to Pt/C that shows a major portion of Pt to be present as oxidic platinum. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy conducted on the membrane electrode assembly before and after AST suggests that incorporating Au with Pt helps mitigating deformations in the catalyst layer. This journal is © the Owner Societies 2011

The impact of new cathode materials relative to baseline performance of microbial fuel cells all with the same architecture and solution chemistry

KAUST Repository

Yang, Wulin

2017-04-21

Differences in microbial fuel cell (MFC) architectures, materials, and solution chemistries, have previously hindered direct comparisons of improvements in power production due to new cathode materials. However, one common reactor design has now been used in many different laboratories around the world under similar operating conditions based on using: a graphite fiber brush anode, a platinum cathode catalyst, a single-chamber cube-shaped (4-cm) MFC with a 3-cm diameter anolyte chamber, 50 mM phosphate buffer, and an acetate fuel. Analysis of several publications over 10 years from a single laboratory showed that even under such identical operational conditions, maximum power densities varied by 15%, with an average of 1.36 ± 0.20 W m–2 (n=24), normalized to cathode projected area (34 W m–3 liquid volume). In other laboratories, maximum power was significantly less, with an average of 1.03 ± 0.46 W m–2 (n=11), despite identical conditions. One likely reason for the differences in power is cathode age. Power production with Pt catalyst cathodes significantly declined after one month of operation or more to 0.87 ± 0.31 W m–2 (n=18) based on studies where cathode aging was examined, while in many studies the age of the cathode was not reported. Using these studies as a performance baseline, we review the claims of improvements in power generation due to new anode or cathode materials, or changes in solution conductivities and substrates.

Selection of high-brightness, laser-driven cathodes for electron accelerators and FELS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oettinger, P.E.

1987-01-01

Very intense, low emittance pulsed beams of electrons can be generated from laser-driven cathodes either by thermionic- or photo-emission. Several hundreds of amperes of electrons per square centimeter were observed for pulse lengths up to 50 ns. A normalized beam brightness of 10 7 A/cm 2 /rad 2 has been measured. These beams can be emission-gated at the cathode surface by modulating the laser-beam. Such beam bunching will generate picosecond-to-microsecond-long pulses at the source. A variety of cathodes are described, and a method of selection for specific applications is presented

Power generation using an activated carbon and metal mesh cathode in a microbial fuel cell

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Fang

2009-11-01

An inexpensive activated carbon (AC) air cathode was developed as an alternative to a platinum-catalyzed electrode for oxygen reduction in a microbial fuel cell (MFC). AC was cold-pressed with a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) binder to form the cathode around a Ni mesh current collector. This cathode construction avoided the need for carbon cloth or a metal catalyst, and produced a cathode with high activity for oxygen reduction at typical MFC current densities. Tests with the AC cathode produced a maximum power density of 1220 mW/m2 (normalized to cathode projected surface area; 36 W/m3 based on liquid volume) compared to 1060 mW/m2 obtained by Pt catalyzed carbon cloth cathode. The Coulombic efficiency ranged from 15% to 55%. These findings show that AC is a cost-effective material for achieving useful rates of oxygen reduction in air cathode MFCs. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Improved Cathode Structure for a Direct Methanol Fuel Cell

Science.gov (United States)

Valdez, Thomas; Narayanan, Sekharipuram

2005-01-01

An improved cathode structure on a membrane/electrode assembly has been developed for a direct methanol fuel cell, in a continuing effort to realize practical power systems containing such fuel cells. This cathode structure is intended particularly to afford better cell performance at a low airflow rate. A membrane/electrode assembly of the type for which the improved cathode structure was developed (see Figure 1) is fabricated in a process that includes brush painting and spray coating of catalyst layers onto a polymer-electrolyte membrane and onto gas-diffusion backings that also act as current collectors. The aforementioned layers are then dried and hot-pressed together. When completed, the membrane/electrode assembly contains (1) an anode containing a fine metal black of Pt/Ru alloy, (2) a membrane made of Nafion 117 or equivalent (a perfluorosulfonic acid-based hydrophilic, proton-conducting ion-exchange polymer), (3) a cathode structure (in the present case, the improved cathode structure described below), and (4) the electrically conductive gas-diffusion backing layers, which are made of Toray 060(TradeMark)(or equivalent) carbon paper containing between 5 and 6 weight percent of poly(tetrafluoroethylene). The need for an improved cathode structure arises for the following reasons: In the design and operation of a fuel-cell power system, the airflow rate is a critical parameter that determines the overall efficiency, cell voltage, and power density. It is desirable to operate at a low airflow rate in order to obtain thermal and water balance and to minimize the size and mass of the system. The performances of membrane/electrode assemblies of prior design are limited at low airflow rates. Methanol crossover increases the required airflow rate. Hence, one way to reduce the required airflow rate is to reduce the effect of methanol crossover. Improvement of the cathode structure - in particular, addition of hydrophobic particles to the cathode - has been

Lithium secondary batteries: Role of polymer cathode morphology

Science.gov (United States)

Naoi, Katsuhiko; Osaka, Tetsuya; Owens, Boone B.

1988-06-01

Electrically conducting polymers have been utilized both as the cathode and as the electrolyte element of Li secondary cells. Polymer cathodes were limited in their suitability for batteries because of the low energy content associated with low levels of doping and the inclusion of complex ionic species in the cathode. Recent studies have indicated that doping levels up to 100 percent can be achieved in polyanilene. High doping levels in combination with controlled morphologies have been found to improve the energy and rate capabilities of polymer cathodes. A morphology-modifying technique was utilized to enhance the charge/discharge characteristics of Li/liquid electrolyte polypyrrole cells. The polymer is electropolymerized in a preferred orientation morphology when the substrate is first precoated with an insulating film of nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR). Modification of the kinetic behavior of the electrode results from variations in the chemical composition of the NBR.

Power generation using an activated carbon and metal mesh cathode in a microbial fuel cell

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Fang; Cheng, Shaoan; Pant, Deepak; Bogaert, Gilbert Van; Logan, Bruce E.

2009-01-01

a maximum power density of 1220 mW/m2 (normalized to cathode projected surface area; 36 W/m3 based on liquid volume) compared to 1060 mW/m2 obtained by Pt catalyzed carbon cloth cathode. The Coulombic efficiency ranged from 15% to 55%. These findings

Electrical conductivity and reaction with lithium of LiFe{sub 1-y}Mn{sub y}PO{sub 4} olivine-type cathode materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Molenda, J.; Ojczyk, W.; Marzec, J. [Faculty of Materials Science and Ceramics, AGH University of Science and Technology, al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow (Poland)

2007-12-06

Structural, electrical and electrochemical properties of Mn-substituted phospho-olivines LiFe{sub 1-y}Mn{sub y}PO{sub 4} were investigated and compared to those of LiFePO{sub 4}. Rietvield refined XRD patterns taken in the course of delithiation process showed apparent difference between phase compositions of these cathode materials upon lithium extraction. Contrary to the LiFePO{sub 4} and LiMnPO{sub 4} compositions for which a two-phase mechanism of electrochemical lithium extraction/insertion is observed, in case of Mn-substituted LiFe{sub 1-y}Mn{sub y}PO{sub 4} samples a single-phase mechanism of deintercalation was observed in the studied range of lithium concentration. Electrochemical characterization of the cathode materials were performed in Li/Li{sup +}/Li{sub x}Fe{sub 1-y}Mn{sub y}PO{sub 4}-type cells for y = 0.0, 0.25, 0.55, 0.75 and 1.0 compositions. Voltammery studies showed low reversibility of the lithium extraction process in the high-voltage ''manganese'' range, while in the ''iron'' range the reversibility of lithium extraction is high. Impedance measurements of the LiFe{sub 1-y}Mn{sub y}PO{sub 4} cathode materials, which enabled separation of the ionic and electronic components of their entire electrical conductivity, showed distinct influence of Mn content on the electronic part of conductivity. EIS measurements performed at different states of cell charge revealed that the charge-transfer impedance in Li{sub x}Fe{sub 1-y}Mn{sub y}PO{sub 4} is much lower than that of Li{sub x}FePO{sub 4}. (author)

On the possibility of a normal conducting photo-injector for Tesla

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Travier, C.

1992-12-01

The possibility of using a normal conducting photo-injector for the TESLA linear collider is investigated. It is shown that the 8 nC,3 ps bunch can be produced with a normalized emittance less than 100 Π mm mrad. The generation of the train depends on the feasibility of the laser which has to be looked at more carefully

Novel layered perovskite GdBaCoFeO{sub 5+{delta}} as a potential cathode for proton-conducting solid oxide fuel cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ding, Hanping; Xue, Xingjian [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208 (United States)

2010-05-15

While cobalt-containing perovskite-type cathode materials facilitate the activation of oxygen reduction, they also suffer from problems like poor chemical stability in CO{sub 2}, high thermal expansion coefficients, etc. Partial B site substitution with Fe element is expected to be able to mitigate these problems while keeping high catalyst performance. In this paper, a layered perovskite GdBaCoFeO{sub 5+{delta}} (GBCF) was developed as a cathode material for protonic ceramic membrane fuel cells (PCMFCs) based on proton-conducting electrolyte of stable BaZr{sub 0.1}Ce{sub 0.7}Y{sub 0.2}O{sub 3-{delta}} (BZCY7). The button cells of Ni-BZCY7 vertical stroke BZCY7 vertical stroke GBCF were fabricated and tested from 600 to 700 C with humidified H{sub 2} ({proportional_to}3% H{sub 2}O) as a fuel and ambient oxygen as oxidant. An open-circuit potential of 1.002 V, maximum power density of 482 mW cm{sup -2}, and a low electrode polarization resistance of 0.11 {omega}cm{sup 2} were achieved at 700 C. The experimental results indicated that the layered perovskite GBCF is a good candidate for cathode material, while the developed Ni-BZCY7 vertical stroke BZCY7 vertical stroke GBCF cell is a promising functional material system for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells. (author)

Carboxymethyl chitosan/conducting polymer as water-soluble composite binder for LiFePO4 cathode in lithium ion batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, Haoxiang; He, Aiqin; Lu, Jidian; Sun, Minghao; He, Jiarong; Zhang, Lingzhi

2016-12-01

A water-soluble conductive composite binder consisting of carboxymethyl chitosan (CCTS) as a binder and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) as a conduction-promoting agent is reported for the LiFePO4 (LFP) cathode in Li-ion batteries. The introduction of conductive PEDOT:PSS as a conductive composite binder facilitates the formation of homogeneous and continuous conducting bridges throughout the electrode and raises the compaction density of the electrode sheet by decreasing the amounts of the commonly used conducting agent of acetylene black. The optimized replacement ratios of acetylene black with PEDOT:PSS (acetylene black/PEDOT:PSS = 1:1, by weight) are obtained by measuring electrical conductivity, peel strength and compaction density of the electrode sheets. The LFP half-cell with the optimized conductive binder exhibits better cycling and rate performance and more favorable electrochemical kinetics than that using only acetylene black conducting agent. The pilot application of PEDOT:PSS/CCTS binder in 10 Ah CCTS-LFP prismatic cell exhibits a comparable cycling performance, retaining 89.7% of capacity at 1 C/2 C (charge/discharge) rate as compared with 90% for commercial PVDF-LFP over 1000 cycles, and better rate capability than that of commercial PVDF-LFP, retaining 98% capacity of 1 C at 7 C rate as compared with 95.4% for PVDF-LFP.

Analysis of cathode geometry to minimize cathode erosion in direct current microplasma jet

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Causa, Federica [Dipartimento di Scienze dell' Ambiente, della Sicurezza, del Territorio, degli Alimenti e della Salute, Universita degli studi di Messina, 98122 Messina (Italy); Ghezzi, Francesco; Caniello, Roberto; Grosso, Giovanni [Istituto di Fisica del Plasma, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, EURATOM-ENEA-CNR Association, Via R. Cozzi 53, 20125 Milano (Italy); Dellasega, David [Istituto di Fisica del Plasma, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, EURATOM-ENEA-CNR Association, Via R. Cozzi 53, 20125 Milano (Italy); Dipartimento di Energia, Politecnico di Milano, Via Ponzio 34/3, 20133 Milano (Italy)

2012-12-15

Microplasma jets are now widely used for deposition, etching, and materials processing. The present study focuses on the investigation of the influence of cathode geometry on deposition quality, for microplasma jet deposition systems in low vacuum. The interest here is understanding the influence of hydrogen on sputtering and/or evaporation of the electrodes. Samples obtained with two cathode geometries with tapered and rectangular cross-sections have been investigated experimentally by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersion X-ray spectroscopy. Samples obtained with a tapered-geometry cathode present heavy contamination, demonstrating cathode erosion, while samples obtained with a rectangular-cross-section cathode are free from contamination. These experimental characteristics were explained by modelling results showing a larger radial component of the electric field at the cathode inner wall of the tapered cathode. As a result, ion acceleration is larger, explaining the observed cathode erosion in this case. Results from the present investigation also show that the ratio of radial to axial field components is larger for the rectangular geometry case, thus, qualitatively explaining the presence of micro-hollow cathode discharge over a wide range of currents observed in this case. In the light of the above findings, the rectangular cathode geometry is considered to be more effective to achieve cleaner deposition.

The cathodic reduction of dioxygen on uranium oxide in dilute alkaline aqueous solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hocking, W.H.; Betteridge, J.S.; Shoesmith, D.W.

1991-09-01

The cathodic reduction of dioxygen on uranium oxide in dilute alkaline aqueous solutions has been investigated within the context of a program to develop a comprehensive model to predict the behaviour of used CANDU (Canada Deuterium Uranium) nuclear fuel under disposal-vault conditions. Two different kinds of ceramic UO 2 were studied: reactor-grade CANDU fuel with normal p-type electrical conductivity and low-resistance material that exhibits n-type photoelectrochemical behaviour. The transport of electroactive species in solution was controlled by varying the rotation rate of rotating disc electrodes (RDE) and rotating ring-disc electrodes (RRDE). Steady-state polarization measurements were made using the current-interrupt method to compensate for the potential drop caused by ohmic resistance. Any release of peroxide to solution from the UO 2 (disc) surface could be monitored by oxidizing it at the Au ring of an RRDE. The existing theory for the cathodic 0 2 -reduction process as applied to RDE and RRDE experiments has been reviewed as a starting point for the interpretation of the results obtained in our work. (37 figs., 2 tabs., 170 refs.)

Model for solid oxide fuel cell cathodes prepared by infiltration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Samson, Alfred Junio; Søgaard, Martin; Hendriksen, Peter Vang

2017-01-01

A 1-dimensional model of a cathode has been developed in order to understand and predict the performance of cathodes prepared by infiltration of La0.6Sr0.4Co1.05O3-δ (LSC) into porous backbones of Ce0.9Gd0.1O1.95 (CGO). The model accounts for the mixed ionic and electronic conductivity of LSC......, ionic conductivity of CGO, gas transport in the porous cathode, and the oxygen reduction reaction at the surface of percolated LSC. Geometrical variations are applied to reflect a changing microstructure of LSC under varying firing temperatures. Using microstructural parameters obtained from detailed...... scanning electron microscopy and simulations of the measured polarization resistances, an expression for the area specific resistance (rp) associated with the oxygen exchange on the surface of the infiltrated LSC particles was extracted and compared with literature values. A series of microstructural...

Depression cathode structure for cathode ray tubes having surface smoothness and method for producing same

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rychlewski, T.V.

1984-01-01

Depression cathode structures for cathode ray tubes are produced by dispensing liquid cathode material into the depression of a metallic supporting substrate, removing excess cathode material by passing a doctor blade across the substrate surface and over the depression, and drying the cathode layer to a substantially immobile state. The cathode layer may optionally be further shaped prior to substantially complete drying thereof

Copper current collectors reduce long-term fouling of air cathodes in microbial fuel cells

KAUST Repository

Myung, Jaewook; Yang, Wulin; Saikaly, Pascal; Logan, Bruce E

2018-01-01

Long-term operation of wastewater-fed, microbial fuel cells (MFCs) with cathodes made of activated carbon and stainless steel (SS) current collectors can result in decreased performance due to cathode fouling. Copper has good antimicrobial properties, and it is more electrically conductive than SS. To demonstrate that a copper current collector could produce a more fouling resistant cathode, MFCs with air cathodes using either SS or copper current collectors were operated using domestic wastewater for 27 weeks. The reduction in biofouling over time was shown by less biofilm formation on the copper cathode surface compared to SS cathodes, due to the antimicrobial properties of copper. Maximum power densities from 17–27 weeks were 440 ± 38 mW/m2 using copper and 370 ± 21 mW/m2 using SS cathodes. The main difference in the microbial community was a nitrifying community on the SS cathodes, which was not present on the copper cathodes.

Copper current collectors reduce long-term fouling of air cathodes in microbial fuel cells

KAUST Repository

Myung, Jaewook

2018-02-05

Long-term operation of wastewater-fed, microbial fuel cells (MFCs) with cathodes made of activated carbon and stainless steel (SS) current collectors can result in decreased performance due to cathode fouling. Copper has good antimicrobial properties, and it is more electrically conductive than SS. To demonstrate that a copper current collector could produce a more fouling resistant cathode, MFCs with air cathodes using either SS or copper current collectors were operated using domestic wastewater for 27 weeks. The reduction in biofouling over time was shown by less biofilm formation on the copper cathode surface compared to SS cathodes, due to the antimicrobial properties of copper. Maximum power densities from 17–27 weeks were 440 ± 38 mW/m2 using copper and 370 ± 21 mW/m2 using SS cathodes. The main difference in the microbial community was a nitrifying community on the SS cathodes, which was not present on the copper cathodes.

Catalytic Surface Promotion of Composite Cathodes in Protonic Ceramic Fuel Cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Solis, Cecilia; Navarrete, Laura; Bozza, Francesco

2015-01-01

Composite cathodes based on an electronic conductor and a protonic conductor show advantages for protonic ceramic fuel cells. In this work, the performance of a La5.5WO11.25-δ/ La0.8Sr0.2MnO3+δ (LWO/LSM) composite cathode in a fuel cell based on an LWO protonic conducting electrolyte is shown...

Conductance of graphene based normal-superconductor junction with double magnetic barriers

Science.gov (United States)

Abdollahipour, B.; Mohebalipour, A.; Maleki, M. A.

2018-05-01

We study conductance of a graphene based normal metal-superconductor junction with two magnetic barriers. The magnetic barriers are induced via two applied magnetic fields with the same magnitudes and opposite directions accompanied by an applied electrostatic potential. We solve Dirac-Bogoliubov-De-Gennes (DBdG) equation to calculate conductance of the junction. We find that applying the magnetic field leads to suppression of the Andreev reflection and conductance for all energies. On the other hand, we observe a crossover from oscillatory to tunneling behavior of the conductance as a function of the applied potential by increasing the magnetic field.

Enhancing substrate utilization and power production of a microbial fuel cell with nitrogen-doped carbon aerogel as cathode catalyst.

Science.gov (United States)

Tardy, Gábor Márk; Lóránt, Bálint; Lóka, Máté; Nagy, Balázs; László, Krisztina

2017-07-01

Catalytic efficiency of a nitrogen-doped, mesoporous carbon aerogel cathode catalyst was investigated in a two-chambered microbial fuel cell (MFC) applying graphite felt as base material for cathode and anode, utilizing peptone as carbon source. This mesoporous carbon aerogel containing catalyst layer on the cathode increased the maximum power density normalized to the anode volume to 2.7 times higher compared to the maximum power density obtained applying graphite felt cathode without the catalyst layer. At high (2 and 3) cathode/anode volume ratios, maximum power density exceeded 40 W m -3 . At the same time, current density and specific substrate utilization rate increased by 58% resulting in 31.9 A m -3 and 18.8 g COD m -3  h -1 , respectively (normalized to anode volume). Besides the increase of the power and the rate of biodegradation, the investigated catalyst decreased the internal resistance from the range of 450-600 to 350-370 Ω. Although Pt/C catalyst proved to be more efficient, a considerable decrease in the material costs might be achieved by substituting it with nitrogen-doped carbon aerogel in MFCs. Such cathode still displays enhanced catalytic effect.

Study on pulsed current cathodic protection in a simulated system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yan, Milin; Li, Helin [Xi' an Jiao Tong Universitiy (China)]|[Tubular Goods Research Center of China National Petroleum Corp. (China); Qiu, Yubing; Guo, Xingpeng [Hua Zhong University of Science and Techonology (China)

2004-07-01

The pulsed current cathodic protection (PCCP) is a new cathodic protection (CP) technology and shows more advantages over the conventional DC cathodic protection (DCCP) in oil well casing system. However, little information about PCCP is reported. In this research, a simulated CP system was set up in a pool of 3.5 m x 2.0 m x 3.0 m size, in which the effects of the square wave pulsed current (SWPC) parameters (amplitude: IA, frequency: f, duty cycle: P), auxiliary anode distance (d) and media conductivity ({mu}) on the cathodic potential (E) distribution were studied, and the protection effects of PCCP and DCCP were compared. The results show that with increase of the square wave parameters (IA, f, P), the E distribution becomes more negative and the effects of each current parameter are relate closely to the cathode polarizing state. Only with suitable square wave parameters can the whole cathode be effectively protected. With increase of d and {mu}, the E distribution becomes more uniform. Compared with DCCP system, PCCP system has much more uniform E distribution, costs less average current, and gains much better protection effects. Further, the mechanism of PCCP was analyzed. (authors)

Ionic Conductivity and its Role in Oxidation Reactions

Science.gov (United States)

Tamimi, Mazin Abdulla

In the field of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), a substantial portion of research is focused on the ability of some oxide materials to conduct oxygen anions through their structure. For electrolytes, the benefits of improving bulk transport of ions are obvious: decrease the resistive losses of the electrolyte, and device efficiency goes up and higher power densities are possible. Even for cathode materials, better bulk ion transport leads to an increase in the oxygen exchange rate at the cathode surface, and the oxygen reduction reaction at the cathode surface is the rate limiting step for SOFC operation at intermediate temperatures (500-700ºC). As operation in this regime is a key step towards lowering the manufacturing cost and increasing the lifetime of devices, much effort is spent searching for new, more conductive materials, and analyzing existing materials to discover the structure-activity relationships that influence ionic conductivity. In the first part of this work, an overview is given of the neutron powder diffraction (NPD) techniques that are used to probe the structure of the materials in later parts. In the second part, NPD was used to analyze the structures of perovskite-type cathode materials, and show that increases in bulk conductivity led to increases in the surface oxygen exchange rate of these materials. In the final part, the methods used for SOFC cathode design were applied towards the design of oxide catalysts used for certain hydrocarbon partial oxidation reactions. The reactions studied follow the Mars van Krevelen mechanism, where oxygen atoms in the catalyst are consumed as part of the reaction and are subsequently replenished by oxygen in the gas phase. Similar to SOFC cathode operation, these processes include an oxygen reduction step, so it was hypothesized that increasing the ionic conductivity of the catalysts would improve their performance, just as it does for SOFC cathode materials. While the results are preliminary, the

A definitive criterion for cathodic protection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alexander, Roger [Cathodic Protection Network International Ltd., Reading (United Kingdom)

2009-07-01

The corrosion reaction is defined using the Pourbaix Diagram and includes consideration of the pH, temperature, pressure, nobility of the metal and conductivity of the electrolyte. The passive zone can be established in a laboratory by creating a closed circuit condition in which the voltages can be measured. Natural corrosion cells occurring in simple conditions can be evaluated for the purpose of monitoring the performance of cathodic protection. Metal pipelines are complex networks of conductors submerged in electrolyte of infinitely variable qualities. The present method used to ascertain the effectiveness of cathodic protection has many inherent errors and results in costly and unpredictable corrosion failures. An electrode has been devised to define the exact electrical status of the corrosion reaction at its location. The design allows a closed circuit measurement of the corrosion current that can determine whether or not corrosion has been stopped by cathodic protection. This has allowed the development of software that can calculate the condition and corrosion status throughout a network of pipelines, using electrical circuit analysis common in the electronics industry. (author)

Chromium (V) compounds as cathode material in electrochemical power sources

Science.gov (United States)

Delnick, F.M.; Guidotti, R.A.; McCarthy, D.K.

A cathode for use in a thermal battery, comprising a chromium (V) compound. The preferred materials for this use are Ca/sub 5/(CrO/sub 4/)/sub 3/Cl, Ca/sub 5/(CrO/sub 4/)OH, and Cr/sub 2/O/sub 5/. The chromium (V) compound can be employed as a cathode material in ambient temperature batteries when blended with a suitably conductive filler, preferably carbon black.

Structural, nanomechanical and variable range hopping conduction behavior of nanocrystalline carbon thin films deposited by the ambient environment assisted filtered cathodic jet carbon arc technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Panwar, O.S., E-mail: ospanwar@mail.nplindia.ernet.in [Polymorphic Carbon Thin Films Group, Physics of Energy Harvesting Division, CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, Dr. K. S. Krishnan Road, New Delhi - 110 012 (India); Rawal, Ishpal; Tripathi, R.K. [Polymorphic Carbon Thin Films Group, Physics of Energy Harvesting Division, CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, Dr. K. S. Krishnan Road, New Delhi - 110 012 (India); Srivastava, A.K. [Electron and Ion Microscopy, Sophisticated and Analytical Instruments, CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, Dr. K. S. Krishnan Road, New Delhi - 110 012 (India); Kumar, Mahesh [Ultrafast Opto-Electronics and Tetrahertz Photonics Group, CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, Dr. K. S. Krishnan Road, New Delhi - 110 012 (India)

2015-04-15

Highlights: • Nanocrystalline carbon thin films are grown by filtered cathodic jet carbon arc process. • Effect of gaseous environment on the properties of carbon films has been studied. • The structural and nanomechanical properties of carbon thin films have been studied. • The VRH conduction behavior in nanocrystalline carbon thin films has been studied. - Abstract: This paper reports the deposition and characterization of nanocrystalline carbon thin films by filtered cathodic jet carbon arc technique assisted with three different gaseous environments of helium, nitrogen and hydrogen. All the films are nanocrystalline in nature as observed from the high resolution transmission electron microscopic (HRTEM) measurements, which suggests that the nanocrystallites of size ∼10–50 nm are embedded though out the amorphous matrix. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic studies suggest that the film deposited under the nitrogen gaseous environment has the highest sp{sup 3}/sp{sup 2} ratio accompanied with the highest hardness of ∼18.34 GPa observed from the nanoindentation technique. The film deposited under the helium gaseous environment has the highest ratio of the area under the Raman D peak to G peak (A{sub D}/A{sub G}) and the highest conductivity (∼2.23 S/cm) at room temperature, whereas, the film deposited under the hydrogen environment has the lowest conductivity value (2.27 × 10{sup −7} S/cm). The temperature dependent dc conduction behavior of all the nanocrystalline carbon thin films has been analyzed in the light of Mott’s variable range hopping (VRH) conduction mechanism and observed that all the films obey three dimension VRH conduction mechanism for the charge transport.

Preparation and characterization of electronically conducting polypyrrole-montmorillonite nanocomposite and its potential application as a cathode material for oxygen reduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rajapakse, R.M.G.; Murakami, Kenji; Bandara, H.M.N.; Rajapakse, R.M.M.Y.; Velauthamurti, K.; Wijeratne, S.

2010-01-01

Simple wet chemical processes were deployed to prepare low-cost conducting nanocomposites based on natural clays with 2:1 layered structures such as sodium montmorillonite (MMT). Ce(IV) modified MMT was used for the spontaneous polymerization of pyrrole within clay interlayers. The resulted clay-conducting polypyrrole nanocomposites containing the reduced form of the oxidising agent, have been extensively characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique for interlayer spacing variations and by Fourier transform infra red (FT-IR) spectroscopy to study the interactions between the clay and polymer functional groups. DC polarization technique with both blocking and non-blocking electrodes was used to distinguish between the ionic and electronic transport numbers and to recognize the type of mobile ionic species. AC impedance analysis further resolved the electrical conduction of these materials. Bulk conductivity analysis implied that the polypyrrole (PPY) formed within Ce(IV) modified MMT posses dominant electronic conductivity. The low-cost, light-weight and stable polymer-clay nanocomposite prepared by Ce(IV) intercalated MMT, [Ce(III)-PPY-MMT], seems to be a promising cathode material for oxygen reduction and hence may find applications in fuel cell industries.

Numerical investigation of the possibility of ions acceleration by virtual cathode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lymar', A.G.; Bondarenko, L.A.; Egorov, A.M.

2012-01-01

The first results of studies of the behavior of the virtual cathode formed in the ribbon electron beam, which moves in a strong longitudinal magnetic field in the space between two parallel conducting plates: the dependence of the perveance of the electron beam, in which there is a virtual cathode, the thickness of the beam; the possibility of implementing an accelerated movement of the potential well formed by the virtual cathode, the time variation of the perveance of the injected electron beam. The results obtained suggest that in the test device can be implemented to accelerate the ions.

Long pulse, plasma cathode E-gun

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goebel, D.M.; Schumacher, R.W.; Watkins, R.M.

1993-01-01

A unique, long-pulse E-gun has been developed for high-power tube applications. The Hollow-Cathode-Plasma (HCP) E-gun overcomes the limitations of conventional thermionic-cathode guns that have limited current density (typically ≤ 10 A/cm 2 ) or field-emission guns that offer high current density but suffer from short pulsewidth capability (typically 50 A/cm 2 ), long-pulse operation without gap closure, and also requires no cathode-heater power. The gun employs a low-pressure glow discharge inside a hollow cathode (HC) structure to provide a stable, uniform plasma surface from which a high current-density electron beam can be extracted. The plasma density is controlled by a low-voltage HC discharge pulser to produce the desired electron current density at the first grid of a multi-grid accelerator system. A dc high-voltage electron-beam supply accelerates the electrons across the gap, while the HC pulser modulates the beam current to generate arbitrary pulse waveforms. The electron accelerator utilizes a multi-aperture array that produces a large area, high perveance (>35 μpervs) beam consisting initially of many individual beamlets. The E-beam is normally operated without an applied magnetic field in the ion-focused regime, where the plasma produced by beam ionization of a background gas space-charge neutralizes the beam, and the Bennett self-pinch compresses the beamlets and increases the current density. The self-pinched beam has been observed to propagate over a meter without beam breakup or instabilities. The HCP E-gun has been operated at voltages up to 150 kV, currents up to 750 A, and pulse lengths of up to 120 μsec

Renovation of the cathodic protection system

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schuten, G.; Leggedoor, J.; Polder, R.B.; Peelen, W.H.A.

2003-01-01

The first system for Cathodic Protection of concrete in the Netherlands was applied to a one bicycle lane of a bridge suffering corrosion due to de-icing salt penetration in 1986. This CP system was based on the Ferex 100S conducting polymer cable anode in a cementitious overlay. Its functioning was

A New RF System for the CEBAF Normal Conducting Cavities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Curt Hovater; Hai Dong; Alicia Hofler; George Lahti; John Musson; Tomasz Plawski

2004-01-01

The CEBAF Accelerator at Jefferson Lab is a 6 GeV five pass electron accelerator consisting of two superconducting linacs joined by independent magnetic transport arcs. CEBAF also has numerous normal conducting cavities for beam conditioning in the injector and for RF extraction to the experimental halls. The RF systems that presently control these cavities are becoming expensive to maintain, therefore a replacement RF control system is now being developed. For the new RF system, cavity field control is maintained digitally using an FPGA which contains the feedback algorithm. The system incorporates digital down conversion, using quadrature under-sampling at an IF frequency of 70 MHz. The VXI bus-crate was chosen as the operating platform because of its excellent RFI/EMI properties and its compatibility with the EPICS control system. The normal conducting cavities operate at both the 1497 MHz accelerating frequency and the sub-harmonic frequency of 499 MHz. To accommodate this, the ne w design will use different receiver-transmitter daughter cards for each frequency. This paper discusses the development of the new RF system and reports on initial results

Normal Conducting Separation Dipoles For The Lhc Beam Cleaning Insertions

CERN Document Server

Petrov, V; de Rijk, G; Gerard, D; Hans, O; Kalbreier, Willi; Kiselev, O; Protopopov, I V; Pupkov, Yu; Ramberger, S; Ruvinsky, E; Sukhanov, A

2004-01-01

In the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), two straight sections, IR3 and IR7, will be dedicated to beam cleaning [1]. These cleaning insertions will be equipped with normal conducting magnets. MBW magnets are dipole magnets used to increase the separation of the two beams. They have a core length of 3.4 m and a gap height of 52 mm and will operate at a magnetic field ranging from 0.09 T to 1.53 T. Limitations on the dimensions and total weight of the magnet resulted in a special design with a common yoke for the two beams. The orbits of the two beams will be separated horizontally by a distance between 194 mm and 224 mm in the gap of the magnet. The magnet was designed in collaboration between CERN and BINP. The report presents the main design issues and results of the pre-series acceptance tests including mechanical, electrical and magnetic field measurements. Index terms - LHC, normal conducting magnet, twin aperture design, separation dipole

Extreme regimes of femtosecond photoemission from a copper cathode in a dc electron gun

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. L. E. M. Pasmans

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The femtosecond photoemission yield from a copper cathode and the emittance of the created electron beams has been studied in a 12  MeV/m, 100 keV dc electron gun over a wide range of laser fluence, from the linear photoemission regime until the onset of image charge limitations and cathode damaging. The measured photoemission curves can be described well with available theory which includes the Schottky effect, second-order photoemission, and image charge limitation. The second-order photoemission can be explained by thermally assisted one-photon photoemission (1PPE and by above-threshold two-photon photoemission (2PPE. Measurements with a fresh cathode suggest that the 2PPE process is dominant. The beam emittance has been measured for the entire range of initial surface charge densities as well. The emittance measurements of space-charge dominated beams can be described well by an envelope equation with generalized perveance. The dc gun produces 0.1 pC bunches with 25 nm rms normalized emittance, corresponding to a normalized brightness usually associated with rf photoguns. In this experimental study the limits of femtosecond photoemission from a copper cathode have been explored and analyzed in great detail, resulting in improved understanding of the underlying mechanisms.

Cathode materials review

Science.gov (United States)

Daniel, Claus; Mohanty, Debasish; Li, Jianlin; Wood, David L.

2014-06-01

The electrochemical potential of cathode materials defines the positive side of the terminal voltage of a battery. Traditionally, cathode materials are the energy-limiting or voltage-limiting electrode. One of the first electrochemical batteries, the voltaic pile invented by Alessandro Volta in 1800 (Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. 90, 403-431) had a copper-zinc galvanic element with a terminal voltage of 0.76 V. Since then, the research community has increased capacity and voltage for primary (nonrechargeable) batteries and round-trip efficiency for secondary (rechargeable) batteries. Successful secondary batteries have been the lead-acid with a lead oxide cathode and a terminal voltage of 2.1 V and later the NiCd with a nickel(III) oxide-hydroxide cathode and a 1.2 V terminal voltage. The relatively low voltage of those aqueous systems and the low round-trip efficiency due to activation energies in the conversion reactions limited their use. In 1976, Wittingham (J. Electrochem. Soc., 123, 315) and Besenhard (J. Power Sources 1(3), 267) finally enabled highly reversible redox reactions by intercalation of lithium ions instead of by chemical conversion. In 1980, Goodenough and Mizushima (Mater. Res. Bull. 15, 783-789) demonstrated a high-energy and high-power LiCoO2 cathode, allowing for an increase of terminal voltage far beyond 3 V. Over the past four decades, the international research community has further developed cathode materials of many varieties. Current state-of-the-art cathodes demonstrate voltages beyond any known electrolyte stability window, bringing electrolyte research once again to the forefront of battery research.

Cathode materials review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daniel, Claus; Mohanty, Debasish; Li, Jianlin; Wood, David L.

2014-01-01

The electrochemical potential of cathode materials defines the positive side of the terminal voltage of a battery. Traditionally, cathode materials are the energy-limiting or voltage-limiting electrode. One of the first electrochemical batteries, the voltaic pile invented by Alessandro Volta in 1800 (Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. 90, 403-431) had a copper-zinc galvanic element with a terminal voltage of 0.76 V. Since then, the research community has increased capacity and voltage for primary (nonrechargeable) batteries and round-trip efficiency for secondary (rechargeable) batteries. Successful secondary batteries have been the lead-acid with a lead oxide cathode and a terminal voltage of 2.1 V and later the NiCd with a nickel(III) oxide-hydroxide cathode and a 1.2 V terminal voltage. The relatively low voltage of those aqueous systems and the low round-trip efficiency due to activation energies in the conversion reactions limited their use. In 1976, Wittingham (J. Electrochem. Soc., 123, 315) and Besenhard (J. Power Sources 1(3), 267) finally enabled highly reversible redox reactions by intercalation of lithium ions instead of by chemical conversion. In 1980, Goodenough and Mizushima (Mater. Res. Bull. 15, 783-789) demonstrated a high-energy and high-power LiCoO 2 cathode, allowing for an increase of terminal voltage far beyond 3 V. Over the past four decades, the international research community has further developed cathode materials of many varieties. Current state-of-the-art cathodes demonstrate voltages beyond any known electrolyte stability window, bringing electrolyte research once again to the forefront of battery research

Cathode materials review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Daniel, Claus, E-mail: danielc@ornl.gov; Mohanty, Debasish, E-mail: danielc@ornl.gov; Li, Jianlin, E-mail: danielc@ornl.gov; Wood, David L., E-mail: danielc@ornl.gov [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1 Bethel Valley Road, MS6472 Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6472 (United States)

2014-06-16

The electrochemical potential of cathode materials defines the positive side of the terminal voltage of a battery. Traditionally, cathode materials are the energy-limiting or voltage-limiting electrode. One of the first electrochemical batteries, the voltaic pile invented by Alessandro Volta in 1800 (Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. 90, 403-431) had a copper-zinc galvanic element with a terminal voltage of 0.76 V. Since then, the research community has increased capacity and voltage for primary (nonrechargeable) batteries and round-trip efficiency for secondary (rechargeable) batteries. Successful secondary batteries have been the lead-acid with a lead oxide cathode and a terminal voltage of 2.1 V and later the NiCd with a nickel(III) oxide-hydroxide cathode and a 1.2 V terminal voltage. The relatively low voltage of those aqueous systems and the low round-trip efficiency due to activation energies in the conversion reactions limited their use. In 1976, Wittingham (J. Electrochem. Soc., 123, 315) and Besenhard (J. Power Sources 1(3), 267) finally enabled highly reversible redox reactions by intercalation of lithium ions instead of by chemical conversion. In 1980, Goodenough and Mizushima (Mater. Res. Bull. 15, 783-789) demonstrated a high-energy and high-power LiCoO{sub 2} cathode, allowing for an increase of terminal voltage far beyond 3 V. Over the past four decades, the international research community has further developed cathode materials of many varieties. Current state-of-the-art cathodes demonstrate voltages beyond any known electrolyte stability window, bringing electrolyte research once again to the forefront of battery research.

Sulfur cathodes with hydrogen reduced titanium dioxide inverse opal structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Zheng; Zheng, Guangyuan; Li, Weiyang; Seh, Zhi Wei; Yao, Hongbin; Yan, Kai; Kong, Desheng; Cui, Yi

2014-05-27

Sulfur is a cathode material for lithium-ion batteries with a high specific capacity of 1675 mAh/g. The rapid capacity fading, however, presents a significant challenge for the practical application of sulfur cathodes. Two major approaches that have been developed to improve the sulfur cathode performance include (a) fabricating nanostructured conductive matrix to physically encapsulate sulfur and (b) engineering chemical modification to enhance binding with polysulfides and, thus, to reduce their dissolution. Here, we report a three-dimensional (3D) electrode structure to achieve both sulfur physical encapsulation and polysulfides binding simultaneously. The electrode is based on hydrogen reduced TiO2 with an inverse opal structure that is highly conductive and robust toward electrochemical cycling. The relatively enclosed 3D structure provides an ideal architecture for sulfur and polysulfides confinement. The openings at the top surface allow sulfur infusion into the inverse opal structure. In addition, chemical tuning of the TiO2 composition through hydrogen reduction was shown to enhance the specific capacity and cyclability of the cathode. With such TiO2 encapsulated sulfur structure, the sulfur cathode could deliver a high specific capacity of ∼1100 mAh/g in the beginning, with a reversible capacity of ∼890 mAh/g after 200 cycles of charge/discharge at a C/5 rate. The Coulombic efficiency was also maintained at around 99.5% during cycling. The results showed that inverse opal structure of hydrogen reduced TiO2 represents an effective strategy in improving lithium sulfur batteries performance.

Power generation using carbon mesh cathodes with different diffusion layers in microbial fuel cells

KAUST Repository

Luo, Yong

2011-11-01

An inexpensive carbon material, carbon mesh, was examined to replace the more expensive carbon cloth usually used to make cathodes in air-cathode microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Three different diffusion layers were tested using carbon mesh: poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and Goretex cloth. Carbon mesh with a mixture of PDMS and carbon black as a diffusion layer produced a maximum power density of 1355 ± 62 mW m -2 (normalized to the projected cathode area), which was similar to that obtained with a carbon cloth cathode (1390 ± 72 mW m-2). Carbon mesh with a PTFE diffusion layer produced only a slightly lower (6.6%) maximum power density (1303 ± 48 mW m-2). The Coulombic efficiencies were a function of current density, with the highest value for the carbon mesh and PDMS (79%) larger than that for carbon cloth (63%). The cost of the carbon mesh cathode with PDMS/Carbon or PTFE (excluding catalyst and binder costs) is only 2.5% of the cost of the carbon cloth cathode. These results show that low cost carbon materials such as carbon mesh can be used as the cathode in an MFC without reducing the performance compared to more expensive carbon cloth. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.

Nanostructured sulfur cathodes

KAUST Repository

Yang, Yuan

2013-01-01

Rechargeable Li/S batteries have attracted significant attention lately due to their high specific energy and low cost. They are promising candidates for applications, including portable electronics, electric vehicles and grid-level energy storage. However, poor cycle life and low power capability are major technical obstacles. Various nanostructured sulfur cathodes have been developed to address these issues, as they provide greater resistance to pulverization, faster reaction kinetics and better trapping of soluble polysulfides. In this review, recent developments on nanostructured sulfur cathodes and mechanisms behind their operation are presented and discussed. Moreover, progress on novel characterization of sulfur cathodes is also summarized, as it has deepened the understanding of sulfur cathodes and will guide further rational design of sulfur electrodes. © 2013 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Mesh optimization for microbial fuel cell cathodes constructed around stainless steel mesh current collectors

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Fang

2011-02-01

Mesh current collectors made of stainless steel (SS) can be integrated into microbial fuel cell (MFC) cathodes constructed of a reactive carbon black and Pt catalyst mixture and a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) diffusion layer. It is shown here that the mesh properties of these cathodes can significantly affect performance. Cathodes made from the coarsest mesh (30-mesh) achieved the highest maximum power of 1616 ± 25 mW m-2 (normalized to cathode projected surface area; 47.1 ± 0.7 W m-3 based on liquid volume), while the finest mesh (120-mesh) had the lowest power density (599 ± 57 mW m-2). Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy showed that charge transfer and diffusion resistances decreased with increasing mesh opening size. In MFC tests, the cathode performance was primarily limited by reaction kinetics, and not mass transfer. Oxygen permeability increased with mesh opening size, accounting for the decreased diffusion resistance. At higher current densities, diffusion became a limiting factor, especially for fine mesh with low oxygen transfer coefficients. These results demonstrate the critical nature of the mesh size used for constructing MFC cathodes. © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Arcjet cathode phenomena

Science.gov (United States)

Curran, Francis M.; Haag, Thomas W.; Raquet, John F.

1989-01-01

Cathode tips made from a number of different materials were tested in a modular arcjet thruster in order to examine cathode phenomena. Periodic disassembly and examination, along with the data collected during testing, indicated that all of the tungsten-based materials behaved similarly despite the fact that in one of these samples the percentage of thorium oxide was doubled and another was 25 percent rhenium. The mass loss rate from a 2 percent thoriated rhenium cathode was found to be an order of magnitude greater than that observed using 2 percent thoriated tungsten. Detailed analysis of one of these cathode tips showed that the molten crater contained pure tungsten to a depth of about 150 microns. Problems with thermal stress cracking were encountered in the testing of a hafnium carbide tip. Post test analysis showed that the active area of the tip had chemically reacted with the propellant. A 100 hour continuous test was run at about 1 kW. Post test analysis revealed no dendrite formation, such as observed in a 30 kW arcjet lifetest, near the cathode crater. The cathodes from both this test and a previously run 1000 hour cycled test displayed nearly identical arc craters. Data and calculations indicate that the mass losses observed in testing can be explained by evaporation.

Studies on normal-conducting coils for Wendelstein VII-X

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harmeyer, E.; Kisslinger, J.; Rau, F.; Sapper, J.; Wobig, H.

1990-08-01

For Wendelstein VII-X, the next step stellarator experiment at IPP Garching, a Helias configuration has been chosen. The goals of Wendelstein VII-X are to continue the development of the modular stellarator and to demonstrate the reactor capability of this stellarator line. The main data of the selected HS5-10 configuration with five field periods are: major radius R 0 = 5.5 m, magnetic induction B 0 = 3 T and stored magnetic energy W ≅ 0.6 GJ. For comparison with the superconducting coil system which is foreseen for Wendelstein VII-X, a pulsed water-cooled normal-conducting version has been designed in order to explore the limitations and restrictions of this approach. Limitations are the high ohmic power dissipated in the coils and the electric energy currently available at IPP. Normal-conducting coils would allow to apply the well-known techniques in manufactoring these coils, as successful in use in the Wendelstein VII-AS experiment. But these techniques are applicable also for the conductor proposed for the superconducting coils of Wendelstein VII-X. In this report the time-dependent current and resistance of the coil system circuit is considered; the electric power needed, the total dissipated energy, and the temperature rise of the coil copper is calculated. Scaling laws are derived and parameter studies are made by varying the geometrical dimensions of the system. (orig.)

Vacuum arc cathode spot motion in oblique magnetic fields: An interpretation of the Robson experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beilis, I. I. [Electrical Discharge and Plasma Laboratory, School of Electrical Engineering, Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, P.O.B. 39040, Tel Aviv 69978 (Israel)

2016-09-15

A model was developed of vacuum arc cathode spot motion in a magnetic field that obliquely intercepts the cathode surface. The model takes into account a force under an electric field caused by retrograde spot motion across the normal component of the magnetic field, producing a drift velocity component in the direction of the acute angle between the magnetic field and the cathode surface. The relationship between velocity of the retrograde direction and drift velocity of the cathode spot motion to the acute angle was developed. The dependencies of the drift angle θ on the acute angle φ, magnetic field strength B, and arc current I were calculated. It was found that the calculated θ increased with φ, B, and I in accordance with Robson's measurements.

Characterization of LiFePO{sub 4} cathode by addition of graphene for lithium ion batteries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Honggowiranto, Wagiyo, E-mail: wagiyo@batan.go.id; Kartini, Evvy, E-mail: kartini@batan.go.id [Center for Science and Technology Advanced Materials, National Nuclear Energy Agency Kawasan Puspiptek Serpong, Tangerang Selatan 15314 (Indonesia)

2016-02-08

The improvement of LiFePO{sub 4} (LFP) cathode performance has been performed by addition of Graphene (LFP+Graphene). The cathode was prepared from the active material with 5 wt % graphene and 10 wt % polyvinylidene fluoride in an n-methyl pyrrolidone solvent. Another cathode material used only 5% artificial graphite for comparison (LFP+Graphite). The crystal structure, microstructure, electronic conductivity, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) of the cathodes were characterized by X-ray diffraction, SEM, and Impedance spectroscopy, respectively. Two half cell coin batteries were assembled using a lithium metal as an anode and LiPf{sub 6} as an electrolyte, and two cathodes (LFP+Graphene) and (LFP+Graphite). Charge discharge performance of battery was characterized by Battery analyser (BTS 8). The electronic conductivity of cathode with grapheme increased of about one order magnitude compared with the only cathode with graphite, namely from 1.97E-7S/cm (LFP+Graphite) to 1.92E-6S/cm (LFP+Graphene). The charge-discharge capacity after 10{sup th} cycles of LiFePO{sub 4} with graphene decreased of about 0.68% from 114.3 mAh/g to113.1 mAh/g, while LFP with graphite decreased of about 2.84% from 110.2 mAh/g to 107.1 mAh, at 0.1C-rates. It could be concluded that the addition of graphene has increased the ionic conductivity, and improved performance of the LFP lithium ion battery, such as higher capacity and better efficiency.

A CuNi bimetallic cathode with nanostructured copper array for enhanced hydrodechlorination of trichloroethylene (TCE).

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Bo; Zhang, Hao; Lu, Qi; Li, Guanghe; Zhang, Fang

2018-09-01

To address the challenges of low hydrodechlorination efficiency by non-noble metals, a CuNi bimetallic cathode with nanostructured copper array film was fabricated for effective electrochemical dechlorination of trichloroethylene (TCE) in aqueous solution. The CuNi bimetallic cathodes were prepared by a simple one-step electrodeposition of copper onto the Ni foam substrate, with various electrodeposition time of 5/10/15/20 min. The optimum electrodeposition time was 10 min when copper was coated as a uniform nanosheet array on the nickel foam substrate surface. This cathode exhibited the highest TCE removal, which was twice higher compared to that of the nickel foam cathode. At the same passed charge of 1080C, TCE removal increased from 33.9 ± 3.3% to 99.7 ± 0.1% with the increasing operation current from 5 to 20 mA cm -2 , while the normalized energy consumption decreased from 15.1 ± 1.0 to 2.6 ± 0.01 kWh log -1  m -3 . The decreased normalized energy consumption at a higher current density was due to the much higher removal efficiency at a higher current. These results suggest that CuNi cathodes prepared by simple electrodeposition method represent a promising and cost-effective approach for enhanced electrochemical dechlorination. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Capacity Fade Analysis of Sulfur Cathodes in Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Jianhua; Liu, Xingbo

2016-01-01

Rechargeable lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries are receiving ever‐increasing attention due to their high theoretical energy density and inexpensive raw sulfur materials. However, their rapid capacity fade has been one of the key barriers for their further improvement. It is well accepted that the major degradation mechanisms of S‐cathodes include low electrical conductivity of S and sulfides, precipitation of nonconductive Li2S2 and Li2S, and poly‐shuttle effects. To determine these degradation factors, a comprehensive study of sulfur cathodes with different amounts of electrolytes is presented here. A survey of the fundamentals of Li–S chemistry with respect to capacity fade is first conducted; then, the parameters obtained through electrochemical performance and characterization are used to determine the key causes of capacity fade in Li–S batteries. It is confirmed that the formation and accumulation of nonconductive Li2S2/Li2S films on sulfur cathode surfaces are the major parameters contributing to the rapid capacity fade of Li–S batteries. PMID:27981001

On the nanostructuring and catalytic promotion of intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cell (IT-SOFC) cathodes

Science.gov (United States)

Serra, José M.; Buchkremer, Hans-Peter

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are highly efficient energy converters for both stationary and mobile purposes. However, their market introduction still demands the reduction of manufacture costs and one possible way to reach this goal is the decrease of the operating temperatures, which entails the improvement of the cathode electrocatalytic properties. An ideal cathode material may have mixed ionic and electronic conductivity as well as proper catalytic properties. Nanostructuring and catalytic promotion of mixed conducting perovskites (e.g. La 0.58Sr 0.4Fe 0.8Co 0.2O 3- δ) seem to be promising approaches to overcoming cathode polarization problems and are briefly illustrated here. The preparation of nanostructured cathodes with relatively high surface area and enough thermal stability enables to improve the oxygen exchange rate and therefore the overall SOFC performance. A similar effect was obtained by catalytic promoting the perovskite surface, allowing decoupling the catalytic and ionic-transport properties in the cathode design. Noble metal incorporation may improve the reversibility of the reduction cycles involved in the oxygen reduction. Under the cathode oxidizing conditions, Pd seems to be partially dissolved in the perovskite structure and as a result very well dispersed.

Diffusion layer characteristics for increasing the performance of activated carbon air cathodes in microbial fuel cells

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Xiaoyuan; He, Weihua; Yang, Wulin; Liu, Jia; Wang, Qiuying; Liang, Peng; Huang, Xia; Logan, Bruce E.

2016-01-01

The characteristics of several different types of diffusion layers were systematically examined to improve the performance of activated carbon air cathodes used in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). A diffusion layer of carbon black and polytetrafluoroethylene (CB + PTFE) that was pressed onto a stainless steel mesh current collector achieved the highest cathode performance. This cathode also had a high oxygen mass transfer coefficient and high water pressure tolerance (>2 m), and it had the highest current densities in abiotic chronoamperometry tests compared to cathodes with other diffusion layers. In MFC tests, this cathode also produced maximum power densities (1610 ± 90 mW m−2) that were greater than those of cathodes with other diffusion layers, by 19% compared to Gore-Tex (1350 ± 20 mW m−2), 22% for a cloth wipe with PDMS (1320 ± 70 mW m−2), 45% with plain PTFE (1110 ± 20 mW m−2), and 19% higher than those of cathodes made with a Pt catalyst and a PTFE diffusion layer (1350 ± 50 mW m−2). The highly porous diffusion layer structure of the CB + PTFE had a relatively high oxygen mass transfer coefficient (1.07 × 10−3 cm s−1) which enhanced oxygen transport to the catalyst. The addition of CB enhanced cathode performance by increasing the conductivity of the diffusion layer. Oxygen mass transfer coefficient, water pressure tolerance, and the addition of conductive particles were therefore critical features for achieving higher performance AC air cathodes.

Tunneling Conductance in Ferromagnetic Metal/Normal Metal/Spin-Singlet -Wave Ferromagnetic Superconductor Junctions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hamidreza Emamipour

2013-01-01

Full Text Available In the framework of scattering theory, we study the tunneling conductance in a system including two junctions, ferromagnetic metal/normal metal/ferromagnetic superconductor, where ferromagnetic superconductor is in spin-singlet -wave pairing state. The non-magnetic normal metal is placed in the intermediate layer with the thickness ( which varies from 1 nm to 10000 nm. The interesting result which we have found is the existence of oscillations in conductance curves. The period of oscillations is independent of FS and FN exchange field while it depends on . The obtained results can serve as a useful tool to determine the kind of pairing symmetry in ferromagnetic superconductors.

Improving lithium-ion battery performances by adding fly ash from coal combustion on cathode film

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dyartanti, Endah Retno; Jumari, Arif, E-mail: arifjumari@yahoo.com; Nur, Adrian; Purwanto, Agus [Research Group of Battery & Advanced Material, Department of Chemical Engineering, Sebelas Maret University, Jl. Ir. Sutami 36 A Kentingan, Surakarta Indonesia 57126 (Indonesia)

2016-02-08

A lithium battery is composed of anode, cathode and a separator. The performance of lithium battery is also influenced by the conductive material of cathode film. In this research, the use of fly ash from coal combustion as conductive enhancer for increasing the performances of lithium battery was investigated. Lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO{sub 4}) was used as the active material of cathode. The dry fly ash passed through 200 mesh screen, LiFePO{sub 4} and acethylene black (AB), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) as a binder and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) as a solvent were mixed to form slurry. The slurry was then coated, dried and hot pressed to obtain the cathode film. The ratio of fly ash and AB were varied at the values of 1%, 2%, 3%, 4% and 5% while the other components were at constant. The anode film was casted with certain thickness and composition. The performance of battery lithium was examined by Eight Channel Battery Analyzer, the composition of the cathode film was examined by XRD (X-Ray Diffraction), and the structure and morphology of the anode film was analyzed by SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope). The composition, structure and morphology of cathode film was only different when fly ash added was 4% of AB or more. The addition of 2% of AB on cathode film gave the best performance of 81.712 mAh/g on charging and 79.412 mAh/g on discharging.

Discharging a Li-S battery with ultra-high sulphur content cathode using a redox mediator.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Kwi Ryong; Lee, Kug-Seung; Ahn, Chi-Yeong; Yu, Seung-Ho; Sung, Yung-Eun

2016-08-30

Lithium-sulphur batteries are under intense research due to the high specific capacity and low cost. However, several problems limit their commercialization. One of them is the insulating nature of sulphur, which necessitates a large amount of conductive agent and binder in the cathode, reducing the effective sulphur load as well as the energy density. Here we introduce a redox mediator, cobaltocene, which acts as an electron transfer agent between the conductive surface and the polysulphides in the electrolyte. We confirmed that cobaltocene could effectively convert polysulphides to Li2S using scanning electron microscope, X-ray absorption near-edge structure and in-situ X-ray diffraction studies. This redox mediator enabled excellent electrochemical performance in a cathode with ultra-high sulphur content (80 wt%). It delivered 400 mAh g(-1)cathode capacity after 50 cycles, which is equivalent to 800 mAh g(-1)S in a typical cathode with 50 wt% sulphur. Furthermore, the volumetric capacity was also dramatically improved.

Theory of electroreduction of solid oxide electrolytes. Kinetics and mechanism of the galvanostatic process with blocking cathodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chebotin, V.N.; Brainin, M.I.; Lukach, Yu. S.; Pakhnutov, I.A.; Solov'eva, L.M.

1986-01-01

This paper discusses dc flow through cells with MO 2 + MeOΓ solid electrolyte (M = Zr, Hf, Ce, or Th; Me = Ca, Sr, Sc, Y, or lanthanides), a blocking cathode, and a reversible anode which leads to departures of the electrolytes from stoichiometry in the direction of oxygen deficiency. A nonlinear differential equation of the diffusion type describes the degree of this departure and the n-type electronic conductivity which is proportional to it, as functions of the coordinate and time. The electrolyte's electronic conductivity increases with time near the cathode, and approaches a limiting value that is proportional to the current being passed. The electronic conductivity falls off exponentially with increasing distance from the cathode; this changes to a linear fall as a function of time

Cathodic protection for the bottoms of above ground storage tanks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mohr, John P. [Tyco Adhesives, Norwood, MA (United States)

2004-07-01

Impressed Current Cathodic Protection has been used for many years to protect the external bottoms of above ground storage tanks. The use of a vertical deep ground bed often treated several bare steel tank bottoms by broadcasting current over a wide area. Environmental concerns and, in some countries, government regulations, have introduced the use of dielectric secondary containment liners. The dielectric liner does not allow the protective cathodic protection current to pass and causes corrosion to continue on the newly placed tank bottom. In existing tank bottoms where inadequate protection has been provided, leaks can develop. In one method of remediation, an old bottom is covered with sand and a double bottom is welded above the leaking bottom. The new bottom is welded very close to the old bottom, thus shielding the traditional cathodic protection from protecting the new bottom. These double bottoms often employ the use of dielectric liner as well. Both the liner and the double bottom often minimize the distance from the external tank bottom. The minimized space between the liner, or double bottom, and the bottom to be protected places a challenge in providing current distribution in cathodic protection systems. This study examines the practical concerns for application of impressed current cathodic protection and the types of anode materials used in these specific applications. One unique approach for an economical treatment using a conductive polymer cathodic protection method is presented. (author)

The feasibility and application of PPy in cathodic polarization antifouling.

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Meng-Yang; Zhang, Zhi-Ming; Yu, Liang-Min; Wang, Jia; Zheng, Tong-Tong

2018-04-01

Cathodic polarization antifouling deserves attention because of its environmentally friendly nature and good sustainability. It has been proven that cathodic voltages applied on metal substrates exhibit outstanding antifouling effects. However, most metals immersed in marine environment are protected by insulated anticorrosive coatings, restricting the cathodic polarization applied on metals. This study developed a conducting polypyrrole (PPy)/acrylic resin coating (σ = 0.18 Scm -1 ), which can be applied in cathodic polarization antifouling. The good stability and electro-activity of PPy in the negative polarity zone in alkalescent NaCl solution were verified by linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), chronoamperometry (CA), cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), demonstrating the feasibility of PPy as cathodic polarization material. Furthermore, the antifouling effects of PPy/acrylicresin coating on 24-h old Escherichia coli bacteria (E. coli) which formed on PPy/acrylic resin-coated plastic plate were measured under different cathodic potentials and treatment time, characterized by fluorescent microscope. The results suggest that at cathodic potential around -0.5 V (vs. saturated calomel electrode (SCE)), there was little trace of attached bacteria on the substrate after 20 min of treatment. PPy/acrylicresin-coated substrates were also subjected to repeated cycles of biofilm formation and electrochemical removal, where high removal efficiencies were maintained throughout the total polarization process. Under these conditions, the generation of hydrogen peroxide is believed to be responsible for the antifouling effects because of causing oxidative damage to cells, suggesting the potential of the proposed technology for application on insulated surfaces in various industrial settings. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Erosion behavior of composite Al-Cr cathodes in cathodic arc plasmas in inert and reactive atmospheres

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Franz, Robert, E-mail: robert.franz@unileoben.ac.at; Mendez Martin, Francisca; Hawranek, Gerhard [Montanuniversität Leoben, Franz-Josef-Strasse 18, 8700 Leoben (Austria); Polcik, Peter [Plansee Composite Materials GmbH, Siebenbürgerstrasse 23, 86983 Lechbruck am See (Germany)

2016-03-15

Al{sub x}Cr{sub 1−x} composite cathodes with Al contents of x = 0.75, 0.5, and 0.25 were exposed to cathodic arc plasmas in Ar, N{sub 2}, and O{sub 2} atmospheres and their erosion behavior was studied. Cross-sectional analysis of the elemental distribution of the near-surface zone in the cathodes by scanning electron microscopy revealed the formation of a modified layer for all cathodes and atmospheres. Due to intermixing of Al and Cr in the heat-affected zone, intermetallic Al-Cr phases formed as evidenced by x-ray diffraction analysis. Cathode poisoning effects in the reactive N{sub 2} and O{sub 2} atmospheres were nonuniform as a result of the applied magnetic field configuration. With the exception of oxide islands on Al-rich cathodes, reactive layers were absent in the circular erosion zone, while nitrides and oxides formed in the less eroded center region of the cathodes.

Design study of a normal conducting helical snake for AGS

CERN Document Server

Takano, Junpei; Okamura, Masahiro; Roser, Thomas; MacKay, William W; Luccio, Alfredo U; Takano, Koji

2004-01-01

A new normal conducting snake magnet is being fabricated for the Alternate Gradient Synchrotron (AGS) at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL). In the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) project, a superconducting type helical dipole magnets had been developed and it performed successfully in high-energy polarized proton acceleration. The new AGS helical snake has the same basic magnetic structure but is more complicated. To achieve no beam shift and no beam deflection in one magnetic device, helical pitches and rotating angles were carefully calculated. Compared to a superconducting magnet, a normal warm magnet must have a large cross- sectional area of conductors which make it difficult to design a magnet with large helical pitch. We developed a modified window frame structure to accommodate the large number of conductors. Its three dimensional magnetic field was simulated by using OPERA3D/TOSCA. 3 Refs.

Synopsis of Cathode No.4 Activation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwan, Joe; Ekdahl, C.; Harrison, J.; Kwan, J.; Leitner, M.; McCruistian, T.; Mitchell, R.; Prichard, B.; Roy, P.

2006-01-01

The purpose of this report is to describe the activation of the fourth cathode installed in the DARHT-II Injector. Appendices have been used so that an extensive amount of data could be included without danger of obscuring important information contained in the body of the report. The cathode was a 612 M type cathode purchased from Spectra-Mat. Section II describes the handling and installation of the cathode. Section III is a narrative of the activation based on information located in the Control Room Log Book supplemented with time plots of pertinent operating parameters. Activation of the cathode was performed in accordance with the procedure listed in Appendix A. The following sections provide more details on the total pressure and constituent partial pressures in the vacuum vessel, cathode heater power/filament current, and cathode temperature

Zero-bias conductance quantization in a normal / superconducting junction of nano wire

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asano, Yasuhiro; Tanaka, Yukio

2012-01-01

We discuss a strong relationship between Majorana fermions and odd-frequency Cooper pairs which appear at a disordered normal nano wire attached to a topologically nontrivial superconducting one. The zero-bias differential conductance in a normal / superconducting nano wire junctions is quantized at 2e 2 /h irrespective of degree of disorder, length of disordered segment, and random realization of disordered potential. Such behaviors are exactly the same as those in the anomalous proximity effect of p x -wave spin-triplet superconductors. We show that odd-frequency Cooper pairs assist the unusual transport properties.

Cathode characterization system: preliminary results with (Ba,Sr,Ca) O coated cathodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nono, M.C.A.; Goncalves, J.A.N.; Barroso, J.J.; Dallaqua, R.S.; Spassovsky, I.

1993-01-01

The performance of a cathode characterization system for studying the emission parameters of thermal electron emitters is reported. The system consists of vacuum chamber, power supplies and equipment for measuring and control. Measurements have been taken of the emission current as function of cathode temperature and anode voltage. Several (Ba, Sr) O coated cathodes were tested and the results have shown good agreement with Child's and Richardson's laws. The experimental work function is between 1.0 and 2.0 e V. All emission parameters measured are consistent with international literature data. (author)

Research on an improved explosive emission cathode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Guozhi; Sun Jun; Shao Hao; Chen Changhua; Zhang Xiaowei

2009-01-01

This paper presents a physical description of the cathode plasma process of an explosive emission cathode (EEC) and experimental results on a type of oil-immersed graphite EEC. It is believed that the generation of a cathode plasma is mainly dependent on the state of the cathode surface, and that adsorbed gases and dielectrics on the cathode surface play a leading role in the formation of the cathode plasma. Based on these ideas, a type of oil-immersed graphite EEC is proposed and fabricated. The experiments indicate that the oil-immersed cathodes have improved emissive properties and longer lifetimes.

Conductive Carbon Coatings for Electrode Materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doeff, Marca M.; Kostecki, Robert; Wilcox, James; Lau, Grace

2007-01-01

A simple method for optimizing the carbon coatings on non-conductive battery cathode material powders has been developed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The enhancement of the electronic conductivity of carbon coating enables minimization of the amount of carbon in the composites, allowing improvements in battery rate capability without compromising energy density. The invention is applicable to LiFePO 4 and other cathode materials used in lithium ion or lithium metal batteries for high power applications such as power tools and hybrid or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. The market for lithium ion batteries in consumer applications is currently $5 billion/year. Additionally, lithium ion battery sales for vehicular applications are projected to capture 5% of the hybrid and electric vehicle market by 2010, and 36% by 2015 (http://www.greencarcongress.com). LiFePO 4 suffers from low intrinsic rate capability, which has been ascribed to the low electronic conductivity (10 -9 S cm -1 ). One of the most promising approaches to overcome this problem is the addition of conductive carbon. Co-synthesis methods are generally the most practical route for carbon coating particles. At the relatively low temperatures ( 4 , however, only poorly conductive disordered carbons are produced from organic precursors. Thus, the carbon content has to be high to produce the desired enhancement in rate capability, which decreases the cathode energy density

Improving the conductance of ZnO thin film doping with Ti by using a cathodic vacuum arc deposition process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Chun-Sen; Lin, Bor-Tsuen; Jean, Ming-Der

2011-01-01

The Ti-doped ZnO films compared to un-doped ZnO films were deposited onto Corning XG glass substrates by using a cathodic vacuum arc deposition process in a mixture of oxygen and argon gases. The structural, electrical and optical properties of un-doped and Ti-doped ZnO films have been investigated. When the Ti target power is about 750 W, the incorporation of titanium atoms into zinc oxide films is obviously effective. Additionally, the resistivity of un-doped ZnO films is high and reduces to a value of 3.48 x 10 -3 Ω-cm when Ti is incorporated. The Ti doped in the ZnO films gave rise to the improvement of the conductivity of the films obviously. The Ti-doped ZnO films have > 85% transmittance in a range of 400-700 nm.

An experimental investigation of cathode erosion in high current magnetoplasmadynamic arc discharges

Science.gov (United States)

Codron, Douglas A.

(SEM) in conjunction with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Such studies have provided a qualitative understanding of the typical pathways in which thorium diffuses and how it is normally redistributed along the cathode surface. Lastly, the erosion rates of both pure and thoriated tungsten cathodes were measured after various run times by use of an analytical scale. These measurements have revealed the ability of thoriated tungsten cathodes to run as long as that of pure tungsten but with significantly less material erosion.

Connectivity between Right Inferior Frontal Gyrus and Supplementary Motor Area Predicts After-Effects of Right Frontal Cathodal tDCS on Picture Naming Speed

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rosso, Charlotte; Valabregue, R.; Arbizy, C.

2014-01-01

Background: Cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of the right frontal cortex improves language abilities in post-stroke aphasic patients. Yet little is known about the effects of right frontal cathodal tDCS on normal language function. Objective/hypothesis: To explore the catho...

Effect of Aging on the Electrochemical Performance of LSM-YSZ Cathodes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Baqué, L. C.; Jørgensen, Peter Stanley; Zhang, Wei

2015-01-01

resistance shows no clear tendency with aging time, while the ionic conductivity decreases up to ∼79%. Accordingly, the electrochemically active thickness contracts from 60–135 μm to 45–60 μm. The changes observed in the cathode transport and electrochemical properties are mostly explained by the evolution......Investigations of degradation mechanisms of solid oxide fuel cells are crucial for achieving a widespread commercialization of the technology. In this work, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was applied for studying the aging effect on LSM-YSZ cathodes exposed to humidified air at 900°C...... for up to 3000 h. EIS spectra were fitted by a transmission line model for estimating relevant parameters associated with the LSM/YSZ charge transfer reaction and the oxide ion conduction through the YSZ network. For the reference non-aged sample, the ionic conductivity values are the expected ones...

Experimental investigation on the motion of cathode spots in removing oxide film on metal surface by vacuum arc

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shi Zongqian; Jia Shenli; Wang Lijun; Yuan Qingjun; Song Xiaochuan

2008-01-01

The motion of vacuum arc cathode spots has a very important influence on the efficiency of removing the oxide film on the metal surface. In this paper, the characteristics of cathode spot motion are investigated experimentally. Experiments were conducted in a detachable vacuum chamber with ac (50 Hz) arc current of 1 kA (rms). A stainless steel plate covered by an oxide layer was used as the cathode. The motion of cathode spots during the descaling process was photographed by a high-speed digital camera with an exposure time of 2 μs. Experimental results indicate that the motion of cathode spots is influenced by the interaction among individual cathode jets and the position of the anode as well as the surface condition. The waveform of arc voltage is also influenced by the motion of cathode spots

Materials characterization of impregnated W and W–Ir cathodes after oxygen poisoning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Polk, James E.; Capece, Angela M.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Impregnated W and W–Ir cathodes were operated with 100 ppm of oxygen in Xe gas. • High concentrations of oxygen accelerated the formation of tungstate layers. • The W–Ir emitter exhibited less erosion and redeposition at the upstream end. • Tungsten was preferentially transported in the insert plasma of the W–Ir cathode. - Abstract: Electric thrusters use hollow cathodes as the electron source for generating the plasma discharge and for beam neutralization. These cathodes contain porous tungsten emitters impregnated with BaO material to achieve a lower surface work function and are operated with xenon propellant. Oxygen contaminants in the xenon plasma can poison the emitter surface, resulting in a higher work function and increased operating temperature. This could lead directly to cathode failure by preventing discharge ignition or could accelerate evaporation of the BaO material. Exposures over hundreds of hours to very high levels of oxygen can result in increased temperatures, oxidation of the tungsten substrate, and the formation of surface layers of barium tungstates. In this work, we present results of a cathode test in which impregnated tungsten and tungsten–iridium emitters were operated with 100 ppm of oxygen in the xenon plasma for several hundred hours. The chemical and morphological changes were studied using scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and laser profilometry. The results provide strong evidence that high concentrations of oxygen accelerate the formation of tungstate layers in both types of emitters, a phenomenon not inherent to normal cathode operation. Deposits of pure tungsten were observed on the W–Ir emitter, indicating that tungsten is preferentially removed from the surface and transported in the insert plasma. A W–Ir cathode surface will therefore evolve to a pure W composition, eliminating the work function benefit of W–Ir. However, the W–Ir emitter exhibited less erosion

Effects of Pr-deficiency on thermal expansion and electrochemical properties in Pr_1_−_xBaCo_2O_5_+_δ cathodes for IT-SOFCs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Leilei; Yao, Guibin; Song, Zhaoyuan; Niu, Bingbing; Long, Wen; Zhang, Lei; Shen, Yu; He, Tianmin

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Single phase oxides P_1_−_xBCO with x = 0.00–0.10 were successfully prepared. • TECs and electrical conductivities of P_1_−_xBCO cathodes decrease with Pr-deficiency. • Among P_1_−_xBCO cathodes, P_0_._9_2BCO exhibits the lowest polarization resistance. • Electron charge transfer plays a dominant role in cathode oxygen reduction. • P_m_a_x of 987 mW cm"−"2 at 800 °C for P_0_._9_2BCO cathode is obtained on SDC electrolyte. - Abstract: Pr-deficient Pr_1_−_xBaCo_2O_5_+_δ (P_1_−_xBCO) oxides are evaluated as cathode materials for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs). Effects of Pr-deficiency on electrical conductivity, thermal expansion and electrochemical properties are investigated. Both the conductivity and thermal expansion coefficient (TEC) decrease with increasing Pr-deficiency. All of the conductivity, thermal expansion and TGA measurements demonstrate the existence of high temperature order-disorder transition. The oxygen reduction mechanism for P_1_−_xBCO cathodes are characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Over the temperature range of 600−800 °C, the cathode polarization resistance is mainly contributed from electronic charge transfer over the cathode surface. Proper Pr-deficiency reduces cathode polarization resistance (R_p), and the lowest R_p (0.081 Ω cm"2 at 700 °C) is obtained for the P_0_._9_2BCO cathode. In addition, the effects of order-disorder transition on the properties of P_1_−_xBCO cathodes have also been discussed. Maximum power densities of a single-cell with P_0_._9_2BCO cathode on 300-μm thick Sm_0_._2Ce_0_._8O_1_._9 (SDC) electrolyte achieve 446–987 mW cm"−"2 at 650–800 °C. These results suggest that, among various P_1_−_xBCO oxides, P_0_._9_2BCO is the most promising candidate cathode material for IT-SOFCs.

Air humidity and water pressure effects on the performance of air-cathode microbial fuel cell cathodes

KAUST Repository

Ahn, Yongtae

2014-02-01

To better understand how air cathode performance is affected by air humidification, microbial fuel cells were operated under different humidity conditions or water pressure conditions. Maximum power density decreased from 1130 ± 30 mW m-2 with dry air to 980 ± 80 mW m -2 with water-saturated air. When the cathode was exposed to higher water pressures by placing the cathode in a horizontal position, with the cathode oriented so it was on the reactor bottom, power was reduced for both with dry (1030 ± 130 mW m-2) and water-saturated (390 ± 190 mW m-2) air. Decreased performance was partly due to water flooding of the catalyst, which would hinder oxygen diffusion to the catalyst. However, drying used cathodes did not improve performance in electrochemical tests. Soaking the cathode in a weak acid solution, but not deionized water, mostly restored performance (960 ± 60 mW m-2), suggesting that there was salt precipitation in the cathode that was enhanced by higher relative humidity or water pressure. These results showed that cathode performance could be adversely affected by both flooding and the subsequent salt precipitation, and therefore control of air humidity and water pressure may need to be considered for long-term MFC operation. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Durability and performance optimization of cathode materials for fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

Colon-Mercado, Hector Rafael

The primary objective of this dissertation is to develop an accelerated durability test (ADT) for the evaluation of cathode materials for fuel cells. The work has been divided in two main categories, namely high temperature fuel cells with emphasis on the Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell (MCFC) cathode current collector corrosion problems and low temperature fuel cells in particular Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell (PEMFC) cathode catalyst corrosion. The high operating temperature of MCFC has given it benefits over other fuel cells. These include higher efficiencies (>50%), faster electrode kinetics, etc. At 650°C, the theoretical open circuit voltage is established, providing low electrode overpotentials without requiring any noble metal catalysts and permitting high electrochemical efficiency. The waste heat is generated at sufficiently high temperatures to make it useful as a co-product. However, in order to commercialize the MCFC, a lifetime of 40,000 hours of operation must be achieved. The major limiting factor in the MCFC is the corrosion of cathode materials, which include cathode electrode and cathode current collector. In the first part of this dissertation the corrosion characteristics of bare, heat-treated and cobalt coated titanium alloys were studied using an ADT and compared with that of state of the art current collector material, SS 316. PEMFCs are the best choice for a wide range of portable, stationary and automotive applications because of their high power density and relatively low-temperature operation. However, a major impediment in the commercialization of the fuel cell technology is the cost involved due to the large amount of platinum electrocatalyst used in the cathode catalyst. In an effort to increase the power and decrease the cathode cost in polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEMFC) systems, Pt-alloy catalysts were developed to increase its activity and stability. Extensive research has been conducted in the area of new alloy development and

Cathode material for lithium batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Sang-Ho; Amine, Khalil

2013-07-23

A method of manufacture an article of a cathode (positive electrode) material for lithium batteries. The cathode material is a lithium molybdenum composite transition metal oxide material and is prepared by mixing in a solid state an intermediate molybdenum composite transition metal oxide and a lithium source. The mixture is thermally treated to obtain the lithium molybdenum composite transition metal oxide cathode material.

Cathode erosion in a high-pressure high-current arc: calculations for tungsten cathode in a free-burning argon arc

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nemchinsky, Valerian

2012-01-01

The motion of an evaporated atom of the cathode material in a near-cathode plasma is considered. It is shown that the evaporated atom is ionized almost instantly. The created ion, under the influence of a strong electric field existing in the cathode proximity, has a high probability of returning to the cathode. A small fraction of evaporated atoms are able to diffuse away from the cathode to the region where they are involved in plasma flow and lose their chance to return to the cathode. The fraction of the total evaporated atoms, which do not return to the cathode, the escape factor, determines the net erosion rate. In order to calculate this factor, the distributions of the plasma parameters in the near-cathode plasma were considered. Calculations showed that the escape factor is on the order of a few per cent. Using experimental data on the plasma and cathode temperatures, we calculated the net erosion rate for a free-burning 200 A argon arc with a thoriated tungsten cathode. The calculated erosion rate is close to 1 µg s -1 , which is in agreement with available experimental data. (paper)

The effect of cathode geometry on barium transport in hollow cathode plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Polk, James E.; Mikellides, Ioannis G.; Katz, Ira; Capece, Angela M.

2014-01-01

The effect of barium transport on the operation of dispenser hollow cathodes was investigated in numerical modeling of a cathode with two different orifice sizes. Despite large differences in cathode emitter temperature, emitted electron current density, internal xenon neutral and plasma densities, and size of the plasma-surface interaction region, the barium transport in the two geometries is qualitatively very similar. Barium is produced in the insert and flows to the surface through the porous structure. A buildup of neutral Ba pressure in the plasma over the emitter surface can suppress the reactions supplying the Ba, restricting the net production rate. Neutral Ba flows into the dense Xe plasma and has a high probability of being ionized at the periphery of this zone. The steady state neutral Ba density distribution is determined by a balance between pressure gradient forces and the drag force associated with collisions between neutral Ba and neutral Xe atoms. A small fraction of the neutral Ba is lost upstream. The majority of the neutral Ba is ionized in the high temperature Xe plasma and is pushed back to the emitter surface by the electric field. The steady state Ba + ion density distribution results from a balance between electrostatic and pressure forces, neutral Xe drag and Xe + ion drag with the dominant forces dependent on location in the discharge. These results indicate that hollow cathodes are very effective at recycling Ba within the discharge and therefore maintain a high coverage of Ba on the emitter surface, which reduces the work function and sustains high electron emission current densities at moderate temperatures. Barium recycling is more effective in the cathode with the smaller orifice because the Ba is ionized in the dense Xe plasma concentrated just upstream of the orifice and pushed back into the hollow cathode. Despite a lower emitter temperature, the large orifice cathode has a higher Ba loss rate through the orifice because the Xe

High thrust-to-power ratio micro-cathode arc thruster

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joseph Lukas

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The Micro-Cathode Arc Thruster (μCAT is an electric propulsion device that ablates solid cathode material, through an electrical vacuum arc discharge, to create plasma and ultimately produce thrust in the μN to mN range. About 90% of the arc discharge current is conducted by electrons, which go toward heating the anode and contribute very little to thrust, with only the remaining 10% going toward thrust in the form of ion current. A preliminary set of experiments were conducted to show that, at the same power level, thrust may increase by utilizing an ablative anode. It was shown that ablative anode particles were found on a collection plate, compared to no particles from a non-ablative anode, while another experiment showed an increase in ion-to-arc current by approximately 40% at low frequencies compared to the non-ablative anode. Utilizing anode ablation leads to an increase in thrust-to-power ratio in the case of the μCAT.

Cathodic protection -- Rectifier 47

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lane, W.M.

1995-01-01

This Acceptance Test Procedure (ATP) has been prepared to demonstrate that the cathodic protection system functions as required by project criteria. The cathodic protection system is for the tank farms at the Hanford Reservation. The tank farms store radioactive waste

Cathodic protection -- Rectifier 46

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lane, W.M.

1995-01-01

This Acceptance Test Procedure (ATP) has been prepared to demonstrate that the cathodic protection system functions as required by project criteria. The cathodic protection system is for the tank farms on the Hanford Reservation. The tank farms store radioactive waste

Cathode R&D for Future Light Sources

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dowell, D.H.; /SLAC; Bazarov, I.; Dunham, B.; /Cornell U., CLASSE; Harkay, K.; /Argonne; Hernandez-Garcia; /Jefferson Lab; Legg, R.; /Wisconsin U., SRC; Padmore, H.; /LBL, Berkeley; Rao, T.; Smedley, J.; /Brookhaven; Wan, W.; /LBL, Berkeley

2010-05-26

This paper reviews the requirements and current status of cathodes for accelerator applications, and proposes a research and development plan for advancing cathode technology. Accelerator cathodes need to have long operational lifetimes and produce electron beams with a very low emittance. The two principal emission processes to be considered are thermionic and photoemission with the photocathodes being further subdivided into metal and semi-conductors. Field emission cathodes are not included in this analysis. The thermal emittance is derived and the formulas used to compare the various cathode materials. To date, there is no cathode which provides all the requirements needed for the proposed future light sources. Therefore a three part research plan is described to develop cathodes for these future light source applications.

X- or gamma ray converter and manufacturing method for its cathode system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baeuerlein, R; Uhl, D; Diepers, H; Jablonski, K H

1981-02-05

The X-ray converter serves for application in medical diagnostics. For the cathode system of the converter a system based on low-pressure ionography is suited making use of the X-ray photoelectric emission. The electrodes of the cathode system consist of double-layer films with two external conduction layers and an insulator in between. As an auxiliary voltage can be applied between the individual layers the field gradient in the holes may be adjusted, thus increasing the quantum yield.

X- or gamma ray converter and manufacturing method for its cathode system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baeuerlein, R.; Uhl, D.; Diepers, H.; Jablonski, K.H.

1981-01-01

The X-ray converter serves for application in medical diagnostics. For the cathode system of the converter a system based on low-pressure ionography is suited making use of the X-ray photoelectric emission. The electrodes of the cathode system consist of double-layer films with two external conduction layers and an insulator in between. As an auxiliary voltage can be applied between the individual layers the field gradient in the holes may be adjusted, thus increasing the quantum yield. (orig./HP)

Research to develop guidelines for cathodic protection of concentric neutral cables, volume 3

Science.gov (United States)

Hanck, J. A.; Nekoksa, G.

1982-08-01

Data associated with the corrosion of concentric neutral (CN) wires of direct buried primary cables were statistically analyzed, and guidelines for cathodic protection of CN wires for the electric utility industry were developed. The cathodic protection are reported. Field tests conducted at 36 bellholes excavated in California, Oklahoma, and North Carolina are described. Details of the electrochemical, chemical, bacteriological, and sieve analyses of native soil and imported backfill samples are also included.

OPTIMIZATION OF THE CATHODE LONG TERM STABILITY IN MOLTEN CARBONATE FUEL CELLS: EXPERIMENTAL STUDY AND MATHEMATICAL MODELING

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anand Durairajan; Bala Haran; Branko N. Popov; Ralph E. White

2000-05-01

The cathode materials for molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFCs) must have low dissolution rate, high structural strength and good electrical conductivity. Currently available cathodes are made of lithiated NiO which have acceptable structural strength and conductivity. However a study carried out by Orfeld et al. and Shores et al. indicated that the nickel cathodes dissolved, then precipitated and reformed as dendrites across the electrolyte matrix. This results in a decrease in cell utilization and eventually leads to shorting of the cell. The solubility of NiO was found to depend upon the acidity/basicity of the melt (basicity is directly proportional to log P{sub CO2}), carbonate composition, H{sub 2}O partial pressure and temperature. Urushibata et al. found that the dissolution of the cathode is a primary life limiting constraint of MCFCs, particularly in pressurized operation. With currently available NiO cathodes, the goal of 40,000 hours for the lifetime of MCFC appears achievable with cell operation at atmospheric pressure. However, the cell life at 10 atm and higher cell pressures is in the range between 5,000 to 10,000 hours. The overall objective of this research is to develop a superior cathode for MCFC's with improved catalytic ability, enhanced corrosion resistance with low ohmic losses, improved electronic conductivity. We also plan to understand the corrosion processes occurring at the cathode/molten carbonate interface. The following cathode materials will be subjected to detailed electrochemical, performance, structural and corrosion studies. (i) Passivated NiO alloys using chemical treatment with yttrium ion implantation and anodic yttrium molybdate treatment; (ii) Novel composite materials based on NiO and nanosized Ce, Yt, Mo; (iii) Co doped LiNiO{sub 2} LiNiO{sub 2} doped with 10 to 20% Co (LiCo{sub 0.2}NiO{sub 2}) and NiO cathodes; and (iv) CoO as a replacement for NiO. Passivation treatments will inhibit corrosion and increase the

Two-beam virtual cathode accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peter, W.

1992-01-01

A proposed method to control the motion of a virtual cathode is investigated. Applications to collective ion acceleration and microwave generation are indicated. If two counterstreaming relativistic electron beams of current I are injected into a drift tube of space-charge-limiting current I L = 2I, it is shown that one beam can induce a moving virtual cathode in the other beam. By dynamically varying the current injected into the drift tube region, the virtual cathode can undergo controlled motion. For short drift tubes, the virtual cathodes on each end are strongly-coupled and undergo coherent large-amplitude spatial oscillations within the drift tube

Diffuse and spot mode of cathode arc attachments in an atmospheric magnetically rotating argon arc

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Tang; Wang, Cheng; Liao, Meng-Ran; Xia, Wei-Dong

2016-01-01

A model including the cathode, near-cathode region, and arc column was constructed. Specifically, a thermal perturbation layer at the arc fringe was calculated in order to couple sheath/presheath modelling with typical arc column modelling. Comparative investigation of two modes of attachment of a dc (100, 150, 200 A) atmospheric-pressure arc in argon to a thermionic cathode made of pure tungsten was conducted. Computational data revealed that there exists two modes of arc discharge: the spot mode, which has an obvious cathode surface temperature peak in the arc attachment centre; and the diffuse mode, which has a flat cathode surface temperature distribution and a larger arc attachment area. The modelling results of the arc attachment agree with previous experimental observations for the diffuse mode. A further 3D simulation is obviously needed to investigate the non-axisymmetrical features, especially for the spot mode. (paper)

Normal processes of phonon-phonon scattering and thermal conductivity of germanium crystals with isotopic disorder

CERN Document Server

Kuleev, I G

2001-01-01

The effect of normal processes of the phonon-phonon scattering on the thermal conductivity of the germanium crystals with various isotopic disorder degrees is considered. The phonon pulse redistribution in the normal scattering processes both inside each oscillatory branch (the Simons mechanism) and between various phonon oscillatory branches (the Herring mechanism) is accounted for. The contributions of the longitudinal and cross-sectional phonons drift motion into the thermal conductivity are analyzed. It is shown that the pulse redistribution in the Herring relaxation mechanism leads to essential suppression of the longitudinal phonons drift motion in the isotopically pure germanium crystals. The calculations results of thermal conductivity for the Herring relaxation mechanism agree well with experimental data on the germanium crystals with various isotopic disorder degrees

Understanding Mn-Based Intercalation Cathodes from Thermodynamics and Kinetics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yin Xie

2017-07-01

Full Text Available A series of Mn-based intercalation compounds have been applied as the cathode materials of Li-ion batteries, such as LiMn2O4, LiNi1−x−yCoxMnyO2, etc. With open structures, intercalation compounds exhibit a wide variety of thermodynamic and kinetic properties depending on their crystal structures, host chemistries, etc. Understanding these materials from thermodynamic and kinetic points of view can facilitate the exploration of cathodes with better electrochemical performances. This article reviews the current available thermodynamic and kinetic knowledge on Mn-based intercalation compounds, including the thermal stability, structural intrinsic features, involved redox couples, phase transformations as well as the electrical and ionic conductivity.

Electron emission from pseudospark cathodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anders, A.; Anders, S.; Gundersen, M.A.

1994-01-01

The pseudospark cathode has the remarkable property of macroscopically homogeneous electron emission at very high current density (>1 kA/cm 2 ) over a large area (some cm 2 ). The model of electron emission presented here is based on the assumption that the pseudospark microscopically utilizes explosive arc processes, as distinct from earlier models of ''anomalous emission in superdense glow discharges.'' Explosive emission similar to vacuum are cathode spots occurs rapidly when the field strength is sufficiently high. The plasma remains macroscopically homogeneous since the virtual plasma anode adapts to the cathode morphology so that the current is carried by a large number of homogeneously distributed cathode spots which are similar to ''type 1'' and ''type 2'' spots of vacuum arc discharges. The net cathode erosion is greatly reduced relative to ''spark gap-type'' emission. At very high current levels, a transition to highly erosive spot types occurs, and this ''arcing'' leads to a significant reduction in device lifetime. Assuming vacuum-arc-like cathode spots, the observed current density and time constants can be easily explained. The observed cathode erosion rate and pattern, recent fast-camera data, laser-induced fluorescence, and spectroscopic measurements support this approach. A new hypothesis is presented explaining current quenching at relatively low currents. From the point of view of electron emission, the ''superdense glow'' or ''superemissive phase'' of pseudosparks represents an arc and not a glow discharge even if no filamentation or ''arcing'' is observed

Beam brightness from a relativistic, field-emission diode with a velvet covered cathode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bekefi, G.; Shefer, R.E.; Tasker, S.C.

1985-08-01

The beam emittance and brightness from a mildly relativistic (200 to 400 kV) high current density (0.5 to 3.5kA/cm 2 ) planar, field emission diode provided with a velvet covered cathode have been studied experimentally as a function of the applied electric field (100 to 600kV/cm). Transverse beam spreading has been measured using a conventional pinhole arrangement followed by a fluorescent screen and open shutter camera. Good turn-on, and a high normalized beam brightness (B/sub n/ = 300kA/cm 2 -rad 2 ) have been observed. The results are compared with those obtained with a graphite cathode. 11 refs., 6 figs

Effect of low temperature in-situ sintering on the impedance and the performance of intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cell cathodes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Jimmi; Hjalmarsson, Per; Hansen, Martin Hangaard

2014-01-01

The effect of in-situ sintering temperature and time on the electronic conductivity, impedance and performance of IT-SOFC cathodes were studied. The studied cathodes were for comparison (La0.6Sr0.4)0.99CoO3 (LSC), (La0.6Sr0.4)0.99CoO3:Ce0.9Gd0.1O1.95 (LSC:CGO), La0.58Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3 (LSCF) and La......0.58Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3:Ce0.9Gd0.1O1.95 (LSCF:CGO). The LSCF-based cathodes showed poor sintering capabilities compared to the LSC-based cathodes in the studied temperature range of 650–950 °C. The poor necking between individual LSCF grains lower the electronic conductivity. Furthermore, poor cathode....../electrolyte adhesion was seen as an additional high frequency impedance arc, which gradually disappeared as the LSCF cathodes were sintered at increasing temperature. Effects on the impedance shape from poor cathode grain connectivity was shown through impedance simulations to result in a possible increase in the high...

Cold cathode arc model in mercury discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Y.M.; Byszewski, W.W.; Budinger, A.B.

1990-01-01

Voltage/current characteristics measured during the starting of metal halide lamps indicate a low voltage discharge when condensates (mainly mercury) are localized on the electrodes. In this case, even with a cold cathode which does not emit electrons, the current is very high and voltage across the lamp drops to about 15 to 20 V. This type of discharge is similar to the cold cathode mercury vapor arc found in mercury pool rectifiers. The cathode sheath in the mercury vapor arc is characterized by very small cathode spot size, on the order of 10 -c cm 2 , very high current density of about 10 6 A/cm 2 and very low cathode fall of approximately 10 volts. The discharge is modified and generalized to describe the cathode phenomena in the cold cathode mercury vapor arc. The sensitivity of calculated discharge parameters with respect to such modifications were examined. Results show that the cathode fall voltage remains fairly constant (7-8 volts) with large fractional variations of metastable mercury atoms bombarding the cathode. This result compares very well with experimental waveforms when anode fall and plasma voltage approximations are incorporated

Electron emission mechanism of carbon fiber cathode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Lie; Li Limin; Wen Jianchun; Wan Hong

2005-01-01

Models of electron emission mechanism are established concerning metal and carbon fiber cathodes. Correctness of the electron emission mechanism was proved according to micro-photos and electron scanning photos of cathodes respectively. The experimental results and analysis show that the surface flashover induces the electron emission of carbon fiber cathode and there are electron emission phenomena from the top of the carbon and also from its side surface. In addition, compared with the case of the stainless steel cathode, the plasma expansion velocity for the carbon fiber cathode is slower and the pulse duration of output microwave can be widened by using the carbon fiber cathode. (authors)

Synthesis of thick diamond films by direct current hot-cathode plasma chemical vapour deposition

CERN Document Server

Jin Zeng Sun; Bai Yi Zhen; Lu Xian Yi

2002-01-01

The method of direct current hot-cathode plasma chemical vapour deposition has been established. A long-time stable glow discharge at large discharge current and high gas pressure has been achieved by using a hot cathode in the temperature range from 1100 degree C to 1500 degree C and non-symmetrical configuration of the poles, in which the diameter of the cathode is larger than that of anode. High-quality thick diamond films, with a diameter of 40-50 mm and thickness of 0.5-4.2 mm, have been synthesized by this method. Transparent thick diamond films were grown over a range of growth rates between 5-10 mu m/h. Most of the thick diamond films have thermal conductivities of 10-12 W/K centre dot cm. The thick diamond films with high thermal conductivity can be used as a heat sink of semiconducting laser diode array and as a heat spreading and isolation substrate of multichip modules. The performance can be obviously improved

Cathodic current enhancement via manganese and oxygen related reactions in marine biofilms

Science.gov (United States)

Strom, Matthew James

Corrosion is a threat that has economic, and environmental impacts worldwide. Many types of corrosive attack are the subject of ongoing research. One of these areas of research is microbiologically influenced corrosion, which is the enhancement and/or initiation of corrosion events caused by microorganisms. It is well known that colonies of microorganisms can enhance cathodic currents through biofilm formation. The aim of the present work was to elucidate the role of manganese in enhancing cathodic currents in the presence of biofilms. Repeated polarizations conducted in Delaware Bay waters, on biofilm coated Cr identified potentially sustainable reduction reactions. The reduction of MnO2 and the enhancement of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) were proven to be factors that influence cathodic current enhancement. The removal of ambient oxygen during polarizations resulted in a shutdown of cathodic current enhancement. These field data led to an exploration of the synergistic relationship between MnO2 and the ORR. Laboratory studies of the catalysis of peroxide disproportionation by MnO2 were monitored using a hanging mercury drop electrode. Experiments were run at an ambient sweater pH of 8 and pH 9, which simulated the near-surface conditions typical of cathodes immersed in seawater. Rapid reoxidation at the more basic pH was shown to allow manganese to behave as a persistent catalyst under the typical electrochemical surface conditions of a cathode. As a result a mechanism for ORR enhancement by manganese was proposed as a unique mechanism for cathodic current enhancement in biofilms. A separate field study of Delaware biofilms on stainless steel coupled to a sacrificial Al anode was carried out to identify the ORR enhancement mechanism and sustainable redox reactions at the cathode. Chemical treatments of glutaraldehyde and formaldoxime were applied to cathodes with biofilms to distinguish between enzymatic and MnO2 related ORR enhancement. The results ruled

Protection of Hardware: Powering Systems (Power Converter, Normal Conducting, and Superconducting Magnets)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pfeffer, H. [Fermilab; Flora, B. [Fermilab; Wolff, D. [Fermilab

2016-01-01

Along with the protection of magnets and power converters, we have added a section on personnel protection because this is our highest priority in the design and operation of power systems. Thus, our topics are the protection of people, power converters, and magnet loads (protected from the powering equipment), including normal conducting magnets and superconducting magnets.

Plasma processes inside dispenser hollow cathodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mikellides, Ioannis G.; Katz, Ira; Goebel, Dan M.; Polk, James E.; Jameson, Kristina K.

2006-01-01

A two-dimensional fluid model of the plasma and neutral gas inside dispenser orificed hollow cathodes has been developed to quantify plasma processes that ultimately determine the life of the porous emitters inserted in these devices. The model self-consistently accounts for electron emission from the insert as well as for electron and ion flux losses from the plasma. Two cathodes, which are distinctively different in size and operating conditions, have been simulated numerically. It is found that the larger cathode, with outer tube diameter of 1.5 cm and orifice diameter of 0.3 cm, establishes an effective emission zone that spans approximately the full length of the emitter when operated at a discharge current of 25 A and a flow rate of 5.5 sccm. The net heating of the emitter is caused by ions that are produced by ionization of the neutral gas inside the tube and are then accelerated by the sheath along the emitter. The smaller cathode, with an outer diameter of 0.635 cm and an orifice diameter of 0.1 cm, does not exhibit the same operational characteristics. At a flow rate of 4.25 sccm and discharge current of 12 A, the smaller cathode requires 4.5 times the current density near the orifice and operates with more than 6 times the neutral particle density compared to the large cathode. As a result, the plasma particle density is almost one order of magnitude higher compared to the large cathode. The plasma density in this small cathode is high enough such that the Debye length is sufficiently small to allow 'sheath funneling' into the pores of the emitter. By accessing areas deeper into the insert material, it is postulated that the overall emission of electrons is significantly enhanced. The maximum emission current density is found to be about 1 A/mm 2 in the small cathode, which is about one order of magnitude higher than attained in the large cathode. The effective emission zone in the small cathode extends to about 15% of the emitter length only, and the

Compact Rare Earth Emitter Hollow Cathode

Science.gov (United States)

Watkins, Ronald; Goebel, Dan; Hofer, Richard

2010-01-01

A compact, high-current, hollow cathode utilizing a lanthanum hexaboride (LaB6) thermionic electron emitter has been developed for use with high-power Hall thrusters and ion thrusters. LaB6 cathodes are being investigated due to their long life, high current capabilities, and less stringent xenon purity and handling requirements compared to conventional barium oxide (BaO) dispenser cathodes. The new cathode features a much smaller diameter than previously developed versions that permit it to be mounted on axis of a Hall thruster ( internally mounted ), as opposed to the conventional side-mount position external to the outer magnetic circuit ("externally mounted"). The cathode has also been reconfigured to be capable of surviving vibrational loads during launch and is designed to solve the significant heater and materials compatibility problems associated with the use of this emitter material. This has been accomplished in a compact design with the capability of high-emission current (10 to 60 A). The compact, high-current design has a keeper diameter that allows the cathode to be mounted on the centerline of a 6- kW Hall thruster, inside the iron core of the inner electromagnetic coil. Although designed for electric propulsion thrusters in spacecraft station- keeping, orbit transfer, and interplanetary applications, the LaB6 cathodes are applicable to the plasma processing industry in applications such as optical coatings and semiconductor processing where reactive gases are used. Where current electrical propulsion thrusters with BaO emitters have limited life and need extremely clean propellant feed systems at a significant cost, these LaB6 cathodes can run on the crudest-grade xenon propellant available without impact. Moreover, in a laboratory environment, LaB6 cathodes reduce testing costs because they do not require extended conditioning periods under hard vacuum. Alternative rare earth emitters, such as cerium hexaboride (CeB6) can be used in this

Co-free, iron perovskites as cathode materials for intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hou, Shu-en [Engineering Research Center of Nano-Geo Materials of Ministry of Education, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074 (China); Texas Materials Institute, ETC 9.102, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712 (United States); Alonso, Jose Antonio [Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid, CSIC, Cantoblanco, E-28049 Madrid (Spain); Texas Materials Institute, ETC 9.102, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712 (United States); Goodenough, John B. [Texas Materials Institute, ETC 9.102, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712 (United States)

2010-01-01

We have developed a Co-free solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) based upon Fe mixed oxides that gives an extraordinary performance in test-cells with H{sub 2} as fuel. As cathode material, the perovskite Sr{sub 0.9}K{sub 0.1}FeO{sub 3-{delta}} (SKFO) has been selected since it has an excellent ionic and electronic conductivity and long-term stability under oxidizing conditions; the characterization of this material included X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermal analysis, scanning microscopy and conductivity measurements. The electrodes were supported on a 300-{mu}m thick pellet of the electrolyte La{sub 0.8}Sr{sub 0.2}Ga{sub 0.83}Mg{sub 0.17}O{sub 3-{delta}} (LSGM) with Sr{sub 2}MgMoO{sub 6} as the anode and SKFO as the cathode. The test cells gave a maximum power density of 680 mW cm{sup -2} at 800 C and 850 mW cm{sup -2} at 850 C, with pure H{sub 2} as fuel. The electronic conductivity shows a change of regime at T {approx} 350 C that could correspond to the phase transition from tetragonal to cubic symmetry. The high-temperature regime is characterized by a metallic-like behavior. At 800 C the crystal structure contains 0.20(1) oxygen vacancies per formula unit randomly distributed over the oxygen sites (if a cubic symmetry is assumed). The presence of disordered vacancies could account, by itself, for the oxide-ion conductivity that is required for the mass transport across the cathode. The result is a competitive cathode material containing no cobalt that meets the target for the intermediate-temperature SOFC. (author)

Effects of cathodal trans-spinal direct current stimulation on lower urinary tract function in normal and spinal cord injury mice with overactive bladder

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Zaghloul

2017-10-01

Objective. Lower urinary tract (LUT) dysfunction is a monumental problem affecting quality of life following neurotrauma, such as spinal cord injury (SCI). Proper function of the bladder and its associated structures depends on coordinated activity of the neuronal circuitry in the spinal cord and brain. Disconnection between the spinal and brain centers controlling the LUT causes fundamental changes in the mechanisms involved in the micturition and storage reflexes. We investigated the effects of cathodal trans-spinal direct current stimulation (c-tsDCS) of the lumbosacral spine on bladder and external urinary sphincter (EUS) functions. Approach. We used cystometry and electromyography (EMG), in mice with and without SCI. Main results. c-tsDCS caused initiation of the micturition reflex in urethane-anesthetized normal mice with depressed micturition reflexes. This effect was associated with normalized EUS-EMG activity. Moreover, in urethane-anesthetized normal mice with expressed micturition reflexes, c-tsDCS increased the firing frequency, amplitude, and duration of EUS-EMG activity. These effects were associated with increased maximum intravesical pressure (P max) and intercontraction interval (ICI). In conscious normal animals, c-tsDCS caused significant increases in P max, ICI, threshold pressure (P thres), baseline pressure (P base), and number and amplitude of non-voiding contractions (NVCnumb and P im, respectively). In conscious mice with severe contusive SCI and overactive bladder, c-tsDCS increased P max, ICI, and P thres, but decreased P base, NVCnumb, and P im. c-tsDCS reduced the detrusor-overactivity/cystometry ratio, which is a measure of bladder overactivity associated with renal deterioration. Significance. These results indicate that c-tsDCS induces robust modulation of the lumbosacral spinal-cord circuitry that controls the LUT.

High Performance Infiltrated Backbones for Cathode-Supported SOFC's

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gil, Vanesa; Kammer Hansen, Kent

2014-01-01

The concept of using highly ionic conducting backbones with subsequent infiltration of electronically conducting particles has widely been used to develop alternative anode-supported SOFC's. In this work, the idea was to develop infiltrated backbones as an alternative design based on cathode......, microstructural characterization and electrochemical testing are discussed. Data on polarization resistance, Rp, are obtained from impedance spectra recorded on quasi-symmetrical cells (YSZ backbones/YSZ/LSM-YSZ (screen printed)). The backbones are infiltrated with LSM and compared to a standard LSM-YSZ screen...

Impedance of thin film cathodes: thickness and current collector dependence

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boukamp, Bernard A.; Hildenbrand, N.; Bouwmeester, Henricus J.M.; Blank, David H.A.

2015-01-01

The influence of the layer thickness of mixed ionic–electronic conducting (MIEC) cathodes and the type of noble metal current collector on the apparent surface exchange resistance is studied with impedance spectroscopy. The impedance data is analyzed with the ‘General Finite Length Diffusion’

Influence of carbon black distribution on performance of oxide cathodes for Li ion batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dominko, Robert; Gaberscek, Miran; Drofenik, Jernej; Bele, Marjan; Jamnik, Janez

2003-01-01

The influence of carbon black content and carbon black distribution on performance of oxide-based cathodes, such as LiCoO 2 and LiMn 2 O 4 , is investigated. The electronic conductivity of oxide material/carbon black composites is compared with electrochemical characteristics of the same composites. Uniformity of carbon black distribution in cathode composites is achieved using novel coating technology in cathode preparation. In this technology, the active particles are first pretreated in a gelatin solution. The adsorbed gelatin then controls the deposition of carbon black so that carbon black particles are uniformly distributed in the final composite. The influence of various parameters, such as pH of gelatin, amount of gelatin and concentration of carbon black on the uniformity of carbon black distribution is investigated. It is shown that the conventional technology of cathode preparation yields quite non-uniform distribution of carbon black in cathode material. At the end, we demonstrate that uniformity of carbon black distribution has a crucial impact on reversible capacity, especially at high current densities

Study of electron current extraction from a radio frequency plasma cathode designed as a neutralizer for ion source applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jahanbakhsh, Sina, E-mail: sinajahanbakhsh@gmail.com; Satir, Mert; Celik, Murat [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Bogazici University, Istanbul 34342 (Turkey)

2016-02-15

Plasma cathodes are insert free devices that are developed to be employed as electron sources in electric propulsion and ion source applications as practical alternatives to more commonly used hollow cathodes. Inductively coupled plasma cathodes, or Radio Frequency (RF) plasma cathodes, are introduced in recent years. Because of its compact geometry, and simple and efficient plasma generation, RF plasma source is considered to be suitable for plasma cathode applications. In this study, numerous RF plasma cathodes have been designed and manufactured. Experimental measurements have been conducted to study the effects of geometric and operational parameters. Experimental results of this study show that the plasma generation and electron extraction characteristics of the RF plasma cathode device strongly depend on the geometric parameters such as chamber diameter, chamber length, orifice diameter, orifice length, as well as the operational parameters such as RF power and gas mass flow rate.

Dynamic behaviour of interphases and its implication on high-energy-density cathode materials in lithium-ion batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Wangda; Dolocan, Andrei; Oh, Pilgun; Celio, Hugo; Park, Suhyeon; Cho, Jaephil; Manthiram, Arumugam

2017-01-01

Undesired electrode–electrolyte interactions prevent the use of many high-energy-density cathode materials in practical lithium-ion batteries. Efforts to address their limited service life have predominantly focused on the active electrode materials and electrolytes. Here an advanced three-dimensional chemical and imaging analysis on a model material, the nickel-rich layered lithium transition-metal oxide, reveals the dynamic behaviour of cathode interphases driven by conductive carbon additives (carbon black) in a common nonaqueous electrolyte. Region-of-interest sensitive secondary-ion mass spectrometry shows that a cathode-electrolyte interphase, initially formed on carbon black with no electrochemical bias applied, readily passivates the cathode particles through mutual exchange of surface species. By tuning the interphase thickness, we demonstrate its robustness in suppressing the deterioration of the electrode/electrolyte interface during high-voltage cell operation. Our results provide insights on the formation and evolution of cathode interphases, facilitating development of in situ surface protection on high-energy-density cathode materials in lithium-based batteries. PMID:28443608

Impact of salinity on cathode catalyst performance in microbial fuel cells (MFCs)

KAUST Repository

Wang, Xi; Cheng, Shaoan; Zhang, Xiaoyuan; Li, Xiao-yan; Logan, Bruce E.

2011-01-01

Several alternative cathode catalysts have been proposed for microbial fuel cells (MFCs), but effects of salinity (sodium chloride) on catalyst performance, separate from those of conductivity on internal resistance, have not been previously

Testing a GaAs cathode in SRF gun

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, E.; Kewisch, J.; Ben-Zvi, I.; Burrill, A.; Rao, T.; Wu, Q.; Holmes, D.

2011-01-01

RF electron guns with a strained superlattice GaAs cathode are expected to generate polarized electron beams of higher brightness and lower emittance than do DC guns, due to their higher field gradient at the cathode's surface and lower cathode temperature. We plan to install a bulk GaAs:Cs in a SRF gun to evaluate the performance of both the gun and the cathode in this environment. The status of this project is: In our 1.3 GHz 1/2 cell SRF gun, the vacuum can be maintained at nearly 10 -12 Torr because of cryo-pumping at 2K. With conventional activation of bulk GaAs, we obtained a QE of 10% at 532 nm, with lifetime of more than 3 days in the preparation chamber and have shown that it can survive in transport from the preparation chamber to the gun. The beam line has been assembled and we are exploring the best conditions for baking the cathode under vacuum. We report here the progress of our test of the GaAs cathode in the SRF gun. Future particle accelerators, such as eRHIC and the ILC require high-brightness, high-current polarized electrons. Strained superlattice GaAs:Cs has been shown to be an efficient cathode for producing polarized electrons. Activation of GaAs with Cs,O(F) lowers the electron affinity and makes it energetically possible for all the electrons, excited into the conduction band that drift or diffuse to the emission surface, to escape into the vacuum. Presently, all operating polarized electron sources, such as the CEBAF, are DC guns. In these devices, the excellent ultra-high vacuum extends the lifetime of the cathode. However, the low field gradient on the photocathode's emission surface of the DC guns limits the beam quality. The higher accelerating gradients, possible in the RF guns, generate a far better beam. Until recently, most RF guns operated at room temperature, limiting the vacuum to ∼10 -9 Torr. This destroys the GaAs's NEA surface. The SRF guns combine the excellent vacuum conditions of DC guns and the high accelerating

Normal Conducting Deflecting Cavity Development at the Cockcroft Institute

CERN Document Server

Burt, G; Dexter, A C; Woolley, B; Jones, R M; Grudiev, A; Dolgashev, V; Wheelhouse, A; Mackenzie, J; McIntosh, P A; Hill, C; Goudket, P; Buckley, S; Lingwood, C

2013-01-01

Two normal conducting deflecting structures are currently being developed at the Cockcroft Institute, one as a crab cavity for CERN linear collider CLIC and one for bunch slice diagnostics on low energy electron beams for Electron Beam Test Facility EBTF at Daresbury. Each has its own challenges that need overcome. For CLIC the phase and amplitude tolerances are very stringent and hence beamloading effects and wakefields must be minimised. Significant work has been undertook to understand the effect of the couplers on beamloading and the effect of the couplers on the wakefields. For EBTF the difficulty is avoiding the large beam offset caused by the cavities internal deflecting voltage at the low beam energy. Prototypes for both cavities have been manufactured and results will be presented.

Microbial Fuel Cell Cathodes With Poly(dimethylsiloxane) Diffusion Layers Constructed around Stainless Steel Mesh Current Collectors

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Fang; Saito, Tomonori; Cheng, Shaoan; Hickner, Michael A.; Logan, Bruce E.

2010-01-01

A new and simplified approach for making cathodes for microbial fuel cells (MFCs) was developed by using metal meshcurrent collectorsandinexpensive polymer/carbon diffusion layers (DLs). Rather than adding a current collector to a cathode material such as carbon cloth, we constructed the cathode around the metal mesh itself, thereby avoiding the need for the carbon cloth or other supporting material. A base layer of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) and carbon black was applied to the air-side of a stainless steel mesh, and Pt on carbon black with Nafion binder was applied to the solutionside as catalyst for oxygen reduction. The PDMS prevented water leakage and functioned as a DL by limiting oxygen transfer through the cathode and improving coulombic efficiency. PDMS is hydrophobic, stable, and less expensive than other DL materials, such as PTFE, that are commonly applied to air cathodes. Multiple PDMS/carbon layers were applied in order to optimize the performance of the cathode. Two PDMS/ carbon layers achieved the highest maximum power density of 1610 ± 56 mW/m 2 (normalized to cathode projected surface area; 47.0 ± 1.6 W/m3 based on liquid volume). This power output was comparable to the best result of 1635 ± 62 mW/m2 obtained using carbon cloth with three PDMS/carbon layers and a Pt catalyst. The coulombic efficiency of the mesh cathodes reached more than 80%, and was much higher than the maximum of 57% obtained with carbon cloth. These findings demonstrate that cathodes can be constructed around metal mesh materials such as stainless steel, and that an inexpensive coating of PDMS can prevent water leakage and lead to improved coulombic efficiencies. © 2010 American Chemical Society.

Microbial Fuel Cell Cathodes With Poly(dimethylsiloxane) Diffusion Layers Constructed around Stainless Steel Mesh Current Collectors

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Fang

2010-02-15

A new and simplified approach for making cathodes for microbial fuel cells (MFCs) was developed by using metal meshcurrent collectorsandinexpensive polymer/carbon diffusion layers (DLs). Rather than adding a current collector to a cathode material such as carbon cloth, we constructed the cathode around the metal mesh itself, thereby avoiding the need for the carbon cloth or other supporting material. A base layer of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) and carbon black was applied to the air-side of a stainless steel mesh, and Pt on carbon black with Nafion binder was applied to the solutionside as catalyst for oxygen reduction. The PDMS prevented water leakage and functioned as a DL by limiting oxygen transfer through the cathode and improving coulombic efficiency. PDMS is hydrophobic, stable, and less expensive than other DL materials, such as PTFE, that are commonly applied to air cathodes. Multiple PDMS/carbon layers were applied in order to optimize the performance of the cathode. Two PDMS/ carbon layers achieved the highest maximum power density of 1610 ± 56 mW/m 2 (normalized to cathode projected surface area; 47.0 ± 1.6 W/m3 based on liquid volume). This power output was comparable to the best result of 1635 ± 62 mW/m2 obtained using carbon cloth with three PDMS/carbon layers and a Pt catalyst. The coulombic efficiency of the mesh cathodes reached more than 80%, and was much higher than the maximum of 57% obtained with carbon cloth. These findings demonstrate that cathodes can be constructed around metal mesh materials such as stainless steel, and that an inexpensive coating of PDMS can prevent water leakage and lead to improved coulombic efficiencies. © 2010 American Chemical Society.

Cathode Effects in Cylindrical Hall Thrusters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Granstedt, E.M.; Raitses, Y.; Fisch, N. J.

2008-09-12

Stable operation of a cylindrical Hall thruster (CHT) has been achieved using a hot wire cathode, which functions as a controllable electron emission source. It is shown that as the electron emission from the cathode increases with wire heating, the discharge current increases, the plasma plume angle reduces, and the ion energy distribution function shifts toward higher energies. The observed effect of cathode electron emission on thruster parameters extends and clarifies performance improvements previously obtained for the overrun discharge current regime of the same type of thruster, but using a hollow cathode-neutralizer. Once thruster discharge current saturates with wire heating, further filament heating does not affect other discharge parameters. The saturated values of thruster discharge parameters can be further enhanced by optimal placement of the cathode wire with respect to the magnetic field.

A one-dimensional model illustrating virtual-cathode formation in a novel coaxial virtual-cathode oscillator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turner, Geoffrey R.

2014-01-01

A one-dimensional electrostatic sheet model of a coaxial geometry Virtual Cathode Oscillator (VCO) is presented. The cathode is centrally located and connects to a peripherally located plate electrode to form a resonant cavity, and is thus considered to be a novel design. Charge is modelled as concentric sheets about the cathode whose absolute position and velocity are determined as a function of time by solving the relativistic equations of motion. The model predicts the formation of a virtual cathode between the grid and plate electrodes for the case of a space-charge limited current. Setting the electron reflexing frequency (as a function of the grid potential) comparable with the cavity resonant frequency is predicted to improve the efficiency of microwave emission

Experimental Modeling of VHTR Plenum Flows during Normal Operation and Pressurized Conduction Cooldown

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Glenn E McCreery; Keith G Condie

2006-09-01

The Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) is the leading candidate for the Next Generation Nuclear Power (NGNP) Project in the U.S. which has the goal of demonstrating the production of emissions free electricity and hydrogen by 2015. The present document addresses experimental modeling of flow and thermal mixing phenomena of importance during normal or reduced power operation and during a loss of forced reactor cooling (pressurized conduction cooldown) scenario. The objectives of the experiments are, 1), provide benchmark data for assessment and improvement of codes proposed for NGNP designs and safety studies, and, 2), obtain a better understanding of related phenomena, behavior and needs. Physical models of VHTR vessel upper and lower plenums which use various working fluids to scale phenomena of interest are described. The models may be used to both simulate natural convection conditions during pressurized conduction cooldown and turbulent lower plenum flow during normal or reduced power operation.

Pushing the Limits: 3D Layer-by-Layer-Assembled Composites for Cathodes with 160 C Discharge Rates.

Science.gov (United States)

Mo, Runwei; Tung, Siu On; Lei, Zhengyu; Zhao, Guangyu; Sun, Kening; Kotov, Nicholas A

2015-05-26

Deficiencies of cathode materials severely limit cycling performance and discharge rates of Li batteries. The key problem is that cathode materials must combine multiple properties: high lithium ion intercalation capacity, electrical/ionic conductivity, porosity, and mechanical toughness. Some materials revealed promising characteristics in a subset of these properties, but attaining the entire set of often contrarian characteristics requires new methods of materials engineering. In this paper, we report high surface area 3D composite from reduced graphene oxide loaded with LiFePO4 (LFP) nanoparticles made by layer-by-layer assembly (LBL). High electrical conductivity of the LBL composite is combined with high ionic conductivity, toughness, and low impedance. As a result of such materials properties, reversible lithium storage capacity and Coulombic efficiency were as high as 148 mA h g(-1) and 99%, respectively, after 100 cycles at 1 C. Moreover, these composites enabled unusually high reversible charge-discharge rates up to 160 C with a storage capacity of 56 mA h g(-1), exceeding those of known LFP-based cathodes, some of them by several times while retaining high content of active cathode material. The study demonstrates that LBL-assembled composites enable resolution of difficult materials engineering tasks.

RF Breakdown in Normal Conducting Single-cell Structures

CERN Document Server

Dolgashev, Valery A; Higo, Toshiyasu; Nantista, Christopher D; Tantawi, Sami G

2005-01-01

Operating accelerating gradient in normal conducting accelerating structures is often limited by rf breakdown. The limit depends on multiple parameters, including input rf power, rf circuit, cavity shape and material. Experimental and theoretical study of the effects of these parameters on the breakdown limit in full scale structures is difficult and costly. We use 11.4 GHz single-cell traveling wave and standing wave accelerating structures for experiments and modeling of rf breakdown behavior. These test structures are designed so that the electromagnetic fields in one cell mimic the fields in prototype multicell structures for the X-band linear collider. Fields elsewhere in the test structures are significantly lower than that of the single cell. The setup uses matched mode converters that launch the circular TM01 mode into short test structures. The test structures are connected to the mode launchers with vacuum rf flanges. This setup allows economic testing of different cell geometries, cell materials an...

Real-time thermal imaging of solid oxide fuel cell cathode activity in working condition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Montanini, Roberto; Quattrocchi, Antonino; Piccolo, Sebastiano

2016-01-01

Electrochemical methods such as voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy are effective for quantifying solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) operational performance, but not for identifying and monitoring the chemical processes that occur on the electrodes’ surface, which are thought...... to be strictly related to the SOFCs’ efficiency. Because of their high operating temperature, mechanical failure or cathode delamination is a common shortcoming of SOFCs that severely affects their reliability. Infrared thermography may provide a powerful tool for probing in situ SOFC electrode processes...... in detecting the onset of cell failure during normal operation and in monitoring cathode activity when the cell is fed with different types of fuels....

Monte Carlo studies on Cathode Strip/Pad Chambers for the ALICE Di-Muon Arm

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wurzinger, R.; Le Bornec, Y.; Willis, N.

1996-04-01

A general overview about the properties of Cathode Strip and Pad Chambers is given. Position finding methods are discussed and compared within Monte Carlo studies. Noise contributions and their minimization are discussed. Pad chambers allow a two-dimensional readout with spatial resolution of {sigma} < 100 {mu}m in direction parallel to the anode wire. The resolution normal to the anode wire depends mainly on the wire spacing. Special attention is paid on the double-hit resolution capability of the pad chamber. An outlook is given on the possible utilisation of Cathode Pad Chambers in the Di-Muon Arm of the ALICE detector at LHC. (author). 44 refs.

Reflective article having a sacrificial cathodic layer

Science.gov (United States)

Kabagambe, Benjamin; Buchanan, Michael J.; Scott, Matthew S.; Rearick, Brian K.; Medwick, Paul A.; McCamy, James W.

2017-09-12

The present invention relates to reflective articles, such as solar mirrors, that include a sacrificial cathodic layer. The reflective article, more particularly includes a substrate, such as glass, having a multi-layered coating thereon that includes a lead-free sacrificial cathodic layer. The sacrificial cathodic layer includes at least one transition metal, such as a particulate transition metal, which can be in the form of flakes (e.g., zinc flakes). The sacrificial cathodic layer can include an inorganic matrix formed from one or more organo-titanates. Alternatively, the sacrificial cathodic layer can include an organic polymer matrix (e.g., a crosslinked organic polymer matrix formed from an organic polymer and an aminoplast crosslinking agent). The reflective article also includes an outer organic polymer coating, that can be electrodeposited over the sacrificial cathodic layer.

Nanotube cathodes.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Overmyer, Donald L.; Lockner, Thomas Ramsbeck; Siegal, Michael P.; Miller, Paul Albert

2006-11-01

Carbon nanotubes have shown promise for applications in many diverse areas of technology. In this report we describe our efforts to develop high-current cathodes from a variety of nanotubes deposited under a variety of conditions. Our goal was to develop a one-inch-diameter cathode capable of emitting 10 amperes of electron current for one second with an applied potential of 50 kV. This combination of current and pulse duration significantly exceeds previously reported nanotube-cathode performance. This project was planned for two years duration. In the first year, we tested the electron-emission characteristics of nanotube arrays fabricated under a variety of conditions. In the second year, we planned to select the best processing conditions, to fabricate larger cathode samples, and to test them on a high-power relativistic electron beam generator. In the first year, much effort was made to control nanotube arrays in terms of nanotube diameter and average spacing apart. When the project began, we believed that nanotubes approximately 10 nm in diameter would yield sufficient electron emission properties, based on the work of others in the field. Therefore, much of our focus was placed on measured field emission from such nanotubes grown on a variety of metallized surfaces and with varying average spacing between individual nanotubes. We easily reproduced the field emission properties typically measured by others from multi-wall carbon nanotube arrays. Interestingly, we did this without having the helpful vertical alignment to enhance emission; our nanotubes were randomly oriented. The good emission was most likely possible due to the improved crystallinity, and therefore, electrical conductivity, of our nanotubes compared to those in the literature. However, toward the end of the project, we learned that while these 10-nm-diameter CNTs had superior crystalline structure to the work of others studying field emission from multi-wall CNT arrays, these nanotubes still

Nanotube cathodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Overmyer, Donald L.; Lockner, Thomas Ramsbeck; Siegal, Michael P.; Miller, Paul Albert

2006-01-01

Carbon nanotubes have shown promise for applications in many diverse areas of technology. In this report we describe our efforts to develop high-current cathodes from a variety of nanotubes deposited under a variety of conditions. Our goal was to develop a one-inch-diameter cathode capable of emitting 10 amperes of electron current for one second with an applied potential of 50 kV. This combination of current and pulse duration significantly exceeds previously reported nanotube-cathode performance. This project was planned for two years duration. In the first year, we tested the electron-emission characteristics of nanotube arrays fabricated under a variety of conditions. In the second year, we planned to select the best processing conditions, to fabricate larger cathode samples, and to test them on a high-power relativistic electron beam generator. In the first year, much effort was made to control nanotube arrays in terms of nanotube diameter and average spacing apart. When the project began, we believed that nanotubes approximately 10 nm in diameter would yield sufficient electron emission properties, based on the work of others in the field. Therefore, much of our focus was placed on measured field emission from such nanotubes grown on a variety of metallized surfaces and with varying average spacing between individual nanotubes. We easily reproduced the field emission properties typically measured by others from multi-wall carbon nanotube arrays. Interestingly, we did this without having the helpful vertical alignment to enhance emission; our nanotubes were randomly oriented. The good emission was most likely possible due to the improved crystallinity, and therefore, electrical conductivity, of our nanotubes compared to those in the literature. However, toward the end of the project, we learned that while these 10-nm-diameter CNTs had superior crystalline structure to the work of others studying field emission from multi-wall CNT arrays, these nanotubes still

Geiger counters of gamma rays with a bismuth cathode; Compteurs de geiger a rayons gamma a cathode de bismuth

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meunier, R; Legrand, J P [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay(France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1953-07-01

Geiger Muller counters present a lake of efficiency of some per cent, for the {gamma} radiations. In the region 0,3 - 1 MeV, a substantial growth of their output can be obtained by a special construction of their cathode. In accordance with previous works, we constructed some counter of formed cathode by a pleated copper wire fencing covered of Bi by electrolysis. The successive modifications brought to a cylindrical conventional cathode in sheet metal of copper, that succeeds to this type of cathode, drive to an improvement of the output. (M.B.) [French] Les compteurs de Geiger Muller presentent une efficacite assez faible de l'ordre de quelques pour cent, pour les rayonnements {gamma}. Dans la region 0,3 - 1 MeV, un accroissement substantiel de leur rendement peut etre obtenu par une construction speciale de leur cathode. Conformement a des travaux anterieurs, nous avons construit des compteurs a cathode formee par un grillage de cuivre plisse recouvert de Bi par electrolyse. Les modifications successives apportees a une cathode conventionnelle cylindrique en tole de cuivre, qui aboutissent a ce type de cathode, conduisent a une amelioration du rendement. (M.B.)

An experimental study of molten salt electrorefining of uranium using solid iron cathode and liquid cadmium cathode for development of pyrometallurgical reprocessing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koyama, Tadafumi; Iizuka, Masatoshi; Tanaka, Hiroshi; Tokiwai, Moriyasu; Shoji, Yuichi; Fujita, Reiko; Kobayashi, Tsuguyuki.

1997-01-01

Electrorefining of uranium was studied for developing pyrometallurgical reprocessing technology of metal fuel cycle. After concentration dependence of polarization curve was measured, uranium was electrodeposited either on solid iron cathode or in liquid cadmium cathode. Design and operational conditions of the cathode were improved for obtaining much greater quantity of deposit, resulting in recovery of 732g of dendritic uranium on a single solid cathode, and of 232g of uranium in 2,344g of a liquid cadmium cathode. The behaviors of electro-codeposition of rare earth elements with uranium were observed for liquid cadmium cathode, and were found to follow the local equilibrium between salt electrolyte and cathode. The decontamination factors of FP simulating elements from uranium were tentatively determined as >2,000 for deposition to solid cathode and as >7 for deposition to liquid cadmium cathode, respectively. (author)

Electrotransport of Uranium from a Liquid Cadmium Anode to a Solid Cathode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahluwalia, Rajesh K.; Hua, Thanh Q.

2002-01-01

During anodic dissolution of irradiated binary Experimental Breeder Reactor-II fuel, a portion of the electrorefined uranium collects in the underlying cadmium pool. It is periodically recovered by setting up a cell configuration in which the pool is made the anode and uranium is electrodeposited on a solid cathode mandrel. A theoretical model is used to determine the current structure of the liquid cadmium anode. The model is validated by comparing against the measured composition of the cathode deposits. Multinodal simulations are conducted to explain the bell shape of deposits observed with this mode of electrotransport. The simulations also determine the dependence of collection efficiency on the electrical charge passed that is functionally consistent with the experimental data. Finally, a simplified operating map of the electrorefiner is presented that can be used to determine the conditions for growing cathode deposits of target composition

Cathode R and D for future light sources

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dowell, D.H., E-mail: dowell@slac.stanford.ed [SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025 (United States); Bazarov, I.; Dunham, B. [Cornell University, Cornell Laboratory for Accelerator-Based Sciences and Education (CLASSE) Wilson Laboratory, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 (United States); Harkay, K. [Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 S. Cass Avenue, Argonne, Il 60439 (United States); Hernandez-Garcia, C. [Thomas Jefferson Laboratory, 12000 Jefferson Ave, Free Electron Laser Suite 19 Newport News, VA 23606 (United States); Legg, R. [University of Wisconsin, SRC, 3731 Schneider Dr., Stoughton, WI 53589 (United States); Padmore, H. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Rd, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Rao, T.; Smedley, J. [Brookhaven National Laboratory, 20 Technology Street, Bldg. 535B, Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton, NY 11973 (United States); Wan, W. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Rd, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States)

2010-10-21

This paper reviews the requirements and current status of cathodes for accelerator applications, and proposes a research and development plan for advancing cathode technology. Accelerator cathodes need to have long operational lifetimes and produce electron beams with a very low emittance. The two principal emission processes to be considered are thermionic and photoemission with the photocathodes being further subdivided into metal and semi-conductors. Field emission cathodes are not included in this analysis. The thermal emittance is derived and the formulas used to compare the various cathode materials. To date, there is no cathode which provides all the requirements needed for the proposed future light sources. Therefore a three part research plan is described to develop cathodes for these future light source applications.

Emission mechanism in high current hollow cathode arcs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krishnan, M.

1976-01-01

Large (2 cm-diameter) hollow cathodes have been operated in a magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD) arc over wide ranges of current (0.25 to 17 kA) and mass flow (10 -3 to 8 g/sec), with orifice current densities and mass fluxes encompassing those encountered in low current steady-state hollow cathode arcs. Detailed cathode interior measurements of current and potential distributions show that maximum current penetration into the cathode is about one diameter axially upstream from the tip, with peak inner surface current attachment up to one cathode diameter upstream of the tip. The spontaneous attachment of peak current upstream of the cathode tip is suggested as a criterion for characteristic hollow cathode operation. This empirical criterion is verified by experiment

Properties of Copper Doped Neodymium Nickelate Oxide as Cathode Material for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lee Kyoung-Jin

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Mixed ionic and electronic conducting K2NiF4-type oxide, Nd2Ni1-xCuxO4+δ (x=0~1 powders were synthesized by solid state reaction technique and solid oxide fuel cells consisting of a Nd2Ni1-xCuxO4+δ cathode, a Ni-YSZ anode and ScSZ as an electrolyte were fabricated. The effect of copper substitution for nickel on the electrical and electrochemical properties was examined. Small amount of copper doping (x=0.2 resulted in the increased electrical conductivity and decreased polarization resistance. It appears that this phenomenon was associated with the high mean valence of nickel and copper and the resulting excess oxygen (δ. It was found that power densities of the cell with the Nd2Ni1-xCuxO4+δ (x=0.1 and 0.2 cathode were higher than that of the cell with the Nd2NiO4+δ cathode.

Beryllium electrodeposition on aluminium cathode from chloride melts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nichkov, I.F.; Novikov, E.A.; Serebryakov, G.A.; Kanashin, Yu.P.; Sardyko, G.N.

1980-01-01

Cathodic processes during beryllium deposition on liquid and solid aluminium cathodes are investigated. Mixture of sodium, potassium and beryllium chloride melts served as an lectrolyte. Beryllium ion discharge at the expense of alloy formation takes place at more positive potentials than on an indifferent cathode at low current densities ( in the case of liquid aluminium cathode). Metallographic analysis and measurements of microhardness have shown, that the cathodic product includes two phases: beryllium solid solution in aluminium and metallic beryllium. It is concluded, that aluminium-beryllium alloys with high cathodic yield by current can be obtained by the electrolytic method

Emission ability of La-Sc-Mo cathode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Jiancan; Nie Zuoren; Xi Xiaoli; Wang Yiman

2004-01-01

In this paper La-Sc-Mo cathode has been prepared and its electron emission ability was measured. This type of cathode shows good electron emission performance that the saturated current density is 6.74 A cm -1 and the work function is about 2.59 eV at 1300 deg. C, which is much lower than thoriated tungsten cathode (Th-W). So it is a potential cathode to replace the Th-W cathode with radioactive pollution. Surface analysis shows that good emission ability due to the 20 nm surplus La layer and the element Sc may do good to the La diffusion to the surface

High-Capacity, High-Voltage Composite Oxide Cathode Materials

Science.gov (United States)

Hagh, Nader M.

2015-01-01

This SBIR project integrates theoretical and experimental work to enable a new generation of high-capacity, high-voltage cathode materials that will lead to high-performance, robust energy storage systems. At low operating temperatures, commercially available electrode materials for lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries do not meet energy and power requirements for NASA's planned exploration activities. NEI Corporation, in partnership with the University of California, San Diego, has developed layered composite cathode materials that increase power and energy densities at temperatures as low as 0 degC and considerably reduce the overall volume and weight of battery packs. In Phase I of the project, through innovations in the structure and morphology of composite electrode particles, the partners successfully demonstrated an energy density exceeding 1,000 Wh/kg at 4 V at room temperature. In Phase II, the team enhanced the kinetics of Li-ion transport and electronic conductivity at 0 degC. An important feature of the composite cathode is that it has at least two components that are structurally integrated. The layered material is electrochemically inactive; however, upon structural integration with a spinel material, the layered material can be electrochemically activated and deliver a large amount of energy with stable cycling.

DARHT 2 kA Cathode Development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Henestroza, E.; Houck, T.; Kwan, J.W.; Leitner, M.; Miram, G.; Prichard, B.; Roy, P.K.; Waldron, W.; Westenskow, G.; Yu, S.; Bieniosek, F.M.

2009-03-09

In the campaign to achieve 2 kA of electron beam current, we have made several changes to the DARHT-II injector during 2006-2007. These changes resulted in a significant increase in the beam current, achieving the 2 kA milestone. Until recently (before 2007), the maximum beam current that was produced from the 6.5-inch diameter (612M) cathode was about 1300 A when the cathode was operating at a maximum temperature of 1140 C. At this temperature level, the heat loss was dominated by radiation which is proportional to temperature to the fourth power. The maximum operating temperature was limited by the damage threshold of the potted filament and the capacity of the filament heater power supply, as well as the shortening of the cathode life time. There were also signs of overheating at other components in the cathode assembly. Thus it was clear that our approach to increase beam current could not be simply trying to run at a higher temperature and the preferred way was to operate with a cathode that has a lower work function. The dispenser cathode initially used was the type 612M made by SpectraMat. According to the manufacturer's bulletin, this cathode should be able to produce more than 10 A/cm{sup 2} of current density (corresponding to 2 kA of total beam current) at our operating conditions. Instead the measured emission (space charge limited) was 6 A/cm{sup 2}. The result was similar even after we had revised the activation and handling procedures to adhere more closely to the recommend steps (taking longer time and nonstop to do the out-gassing). Vacuum was a major concern in considering the cathode's performance. Although the vacuum gauges at the injector vessel indicated 10{sup -8} Torr, the actual vacuum condition near the cathode in the central region of the vessel, where there might be significant out-gassing from the heater region, was never determined. Poor vacuum at the surface of the cathode degraded the emission (by raising the work function

DARHT 2 kA Cathode Development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henestroza, E.; Houck, T.; Kwan, J.W.; Leitner, M.; Miram, G.; Prichard, B.; Roy, P.K.; Waldron, W.; Westenskow, G.; Yu, S.; Bieniosek, F.M.

2009-01-01

In the campaign to achieve 2 kA of electron beam current, we have made several changes to the DARHT-II injector during 2006-2007. These changes resulted in a significant increase in the beam current, achieving the 2 kA milestone. Until recently (before 2007), the maximum beam current that was produced from the 6.5-inch diameter (612M) cathode was about 1300 A when the cathode was operating at a maximum temperature of 1140 C. At this temperature level, the heat loss was dominated by radiation which is proportional to temperature to the fourth power. The maximum operating temperature was limited by the damage threshold of the potted filament and the capacity of the filament heater power supply, as well as the shortening of the cathode life time. There were also signs of overheating at other components in the cathode assembly. Thus it was clear that our approach to increase beam current could not be simply trying to run at a higher temperature and the preferred way was to operate with a cathode that has a lower work function. The dispenser cathode initially used was the type 612M made by SpectraMat. According to the manufacturer's bulletin, this cathode should be able to produce more than 10 A/cm 2 of current density (corresponding to 2 kA of total beam current) at our operating conditions. Instead the measured emission (space charge limited) was 6 A/cm 2 . The result was similar even after we had revised the activation and handling procedures to adhere more closely to the recommend steps (taking longer time and nonstop to do the out-gassing). Vacuum was a major concern in considering the cathode's performance. Although the vacuum gauges at the injector vessel indicated 10 -8 Torr, the actual vacuum condition near the cathode in the central region of the vessel, where there might be significant out-gassing from the heater region, was never determined. Poor vacuum at the surface of the cathode degraded the emission (by raising the work function value). We reexamined

Rechargeable lithium/polymer cathode batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Osaka, Tetsuya; Nakajima, Toshiki; Shiota, Koh; Owens, Boone B.

1989-06-01

Polypyrrole (PPy) and polyaniline (PAn) were investigated for cathode materials of rechargeable lithium batteries. PPy films prepared with PF6(-) anion and/or platinum substrate precoated with nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) were excellent cathode materials because of rough and/or highly oriented film structure. PAn films were successfully prepared from non-aqueous propylene carbonate solution containing aniline, CF3COOH and lithium perchlorate. Its acidity strongly affects the anion doping-undoping behavior. The PAn cathode prepared in high acidic solution (e.g., 4:1 ratio of acid:aniline) gives the excellent battery performance.

MWPC with highly segmented cathode pad readout

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Debbe, R.; Fischer, J.; Lissauer, D.

1989-01-01

Experiments being conducted with high energy heavy ion beams at Brookhaven National Laboratory and at CERN have shown the importance of developing position sensitive detectors capable of handling events with high multiplicity in environments of high track density as will also be the case in future high luminosity colliders like SSC and RHIC. In addition, these detectors are required to have a dynamic range wide enough to detect minimum ionizing particles and heavy ions like oxygen or silicon. We present here a description of work being done on a prototype of such a detector at BNL. Results from a similar counter are also presented in this Conference. The ''pad chamber'' is a detector with a cathode area subdivided into a very large number of pixel-like elements such that a charged particle traversing the detector at normal incidence leaves an induced charge on a few localized pads. The pads are interconnected by a resistive strip, and readout amplifiers are connected to the resistive strip at appropriate, carefully determined spacings. The pattern of tracks in a multi-hit event is easily recognized, and a centroid-finding readout system allows position determination to a small fraction of the basic cell size. 5 refs., 9 figs

Electrodeposition of americium on a liquid cadmium cathode from a molten salt bath

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laplace, A.; Lacquement, J.; Maillard, C.; Donner, L.

2004-01-01

A high-activity experiment involving the electrode position of americium on a liquid cadmium cathode from a LiCl-KCl eutectic with about 3 g of AmO 2 was conducted in a shielded cell in the ATALANTE complex. After describing the electrolyzer and the experimental conditions, the authors discuss the preparation of the LiCl-KCl-AmCl 3 solution and briefly review its electrochemical properties. It was clearly confirmed that Am(III) reduction on an inert solid cathode occurs in two steps forming Am(II) before Am(0), whereas only one reduction step was observed on liquid cadmium. The main results of this study concern americium electrode position on the liquid cadmium cathode (recovery yields, current densities, problems encountered). The solvent properties of cadmium for actinide/lanthanide separation are discussed. (authors)

Thermodynamic Evaluation of LSCF Cathode Stability and Tolerance towards Gas Impurities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Weiwei; Chen, Ming; Hendriksen, Peter Vang

2014-01-01

for intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells. Despite its technological importance, the phase stability of the LSCF perovskite has not yet been fully mapped out and may be critical for the use of the materials during long-term operation. For cells with LSCF or LSCF/CGO (CGO: gadolinia doped ceria) cathodes......Strontium and iron co-doped lanthanum cobaltites (La1-xSrxCo1-yFeyO3-δ, LSCF) show good oxygen ion and electronic conductivity and fast oxygen surface exchange kinetics at temperatures between 600 and 800 °C, and is considered today one of the most promising class of cathode materials...

Ultrathin Graphite Foam: A Three-Dimensional Conductive Network for Battery Electrodes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ji, HX; Zhang, LL; Pettes, MT; Li, HF; Chen, SS; Shi, L; Piner, R; Ruoff, RS

2012-05-01

We report the use of free-standing, lightweight, and highly conductive ultrathin graphite foam (UGF), loaded with lithium iron phosphate (LFP), as a cathode in a lithium ion battery. At a high charge/discharge current density of 1280 mA g(-1), the specific capacity of the LFP loaded on UGF was 70 mAh g(-1), while LFP loaded on Al foil failed. Accounting for the total mass of the electrode, the maximum specific capacity of the UGF/LFP cathode was 23% higher than that of the Al/LFP cathode and 170% higher than that of the Ni-foam/LFP cathode. Using UGF, both a higher rate capability and specific capacity can be achieved simultaneously, owing to its conductive (similar to 1.3 x 10(5) S m(-1) at room temperature) and three-dimensional lightweight (similar to 9.5 mg cm(-3)) graphitic structure. Meanwhile, UGF presents excellent electrochemical stability comparing to that of Al and Ni foils, which are generally used as conductive substrates in lithium ion batteries. Moreover, preparation of the UGF electrode was facile, cost-effective, and compatible with various electrochemically active materials.

Electron beam generation form a superemissive cathode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hsu, T.-Y.; Liou, R.-L.; Kirkman-Amemiya, G.; Gundersen, M.A.

1991-01-01

An experimental study of electron beams produced by a superemissive cathode in the Back-Lighted Thyratron (BLT) and the pseudospark is presented. This work is motivated by experiments demonstrating very high current densities (≥10 kA/cm 2 over an area of 1 cm 2 ) from the pseudospark and BLT cathode. This high-density current is produced by field-enhanced thermionic emission from the ion beam-heated surface of a molybdenum cathode. This work reports the use of this cathode as a beam source, and is to be distinguished from previous work reporting hollow cathode-produced electron beams. An electron beam of more than 260 A Peak current has been produced with 15 kV applied voltage. An efficiency of ∼10% is estimated. These experimental results encourage further investigation of the super-emissive cathode as an intense electron beam source for applications including accelerator technology

Asymmetric anode and cathode extraction structure fast recovery diode

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Jiaqiang; Ma, Li; Gao, Yong

2018-05-01

This paper presents an asymmetric anode structure and cathode extraction fast and soft recovery diode. The device anode is partial-heavily doped and partial-lightly doped. The P+ region is introduced into the cathode. Firstly, the characteristics of the diode are simulated and analyzed. Secondly, the diode was fabricated and its characteristics were tested. The experimental results are in good agreement with the simulation results. The results show that, compared with the P–i–N diode, although the forward conduction characteristic of the diode is declined, the reverse recovery peak current is reduced by 47%, the reverse recovery time is shortened by 20% and the softness factor is doubled. In addition, the breakdown voltage is increased by 10%. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51177133).

LaCoO3: Promising cathode material for protonic ceramic fuel cells based on a BaCe0.2Zr0.7Y0.1O3−δ electrolyte

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ricote, Sandrine; Bonanos, Nikolaos; Lenrick, Filip

2012-01-01

Symmetric cells (cathode/electrolyte/cathode) were prepared using BaCe0.2Zr0.7Y0.1O3−δ (BCZY27) as proton conducting electrolyte and LaCoO3 (LC) infiltrated into a porous BCZY27 backbone as cathode. Single phased LC was formed after annealing in air at 600 °C for 2 h. Scanning electron micrograph...... that the presence of oxide ion conduction in the cathode material is not necessary for good performance.......Symmetric cells (cathode/electrolyte/cathode) were prepared using BaCe0.2Zr0.7Y0.1O3−δ (BCZY27) as proton conducting electrolyte and LaCoO3 (LC) infiltrated into a porous BCZY27 backbone as cathode. Single phased LC was formed after annealing in air at 600 °C for 2 h. Scanning electron micrographs...... showed the presence of the infiltrated LC in the full cathode depth. Transmission electron micrographs revealed LC grains (60–80 nm) covering partly the BCZY27 grains (200 nm–1 μm). Impedance spectra were recorded at 500 °C and 600 °C, varying the oxygen partial pressure and the water vapour pressure...

A multiple gap plasma cathode electron gun and its electron beam analysis in self and trigger breakdown modes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, Niraj; Pal, Udit Narayan; Prakash, Ram; Pal, Dharmendra Kumar; Jadon, Arvind Singh; Rahaman, Hasibur

2016-01-01

In the present paper, a pseudospark discharge based multiple gap plasma cathode electron gun is reported which has been operated separately in self and trigger breakdown modes using two different gases, namely, argon and hydrogen. The beam current and beam energy have been analyzed using a concentric ring diagnostic arrangement. Two distinct electron beams are clearly seen with hollow cathode and conductive phases. The hollow cathode phase has been observed for ∼50 ns where the obtained electron beam is having low beam current density and high energy. While in conductive phase it is high current density and low energy electron beam. It is inferred that in the hollow cathode phase the beam energy is more for the self breakdown case whereas the current density is more for the trigger breakdown case. The tailor made operation of the hollow cathode phase electron beam can play an important role in microwave generation. Up to 30% variation in the electron beam energy has been achieved keeping the same gas and by varying the breakdown mode operations. Also, up to 32% variation in the beam current density has been achieved for the trigger breakdown mode at optimized trigger position by varying the gas type.

A multiple gap plasma cathode electron gun and its electron beam analysis in self and trigger breakdown modes.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Niraj; Pal, Dharmendra Kumar; Jadon, Arvind Singh; Pal, Udit Narayan; Rahaman, Hasibur; Prakash, Ram

2016-03-01

In the present paper, a pseudospark discharge based multiple gap plasma cathode electron gun is reported which has been operated separately in self and trigger breakdown modes using two different gases, namely, argon and hydrogen. The beam current and beam energy have been analyzed using a concentric ring diagnostic arrangement. Two distinct electron beams are clearly seen with hollow cathode and conductive phases. The hollow cathode phase has been observed for ∼50 ns where the obtained electron beam is having low beam current density and high energy. While in conductive phase it is high current density and low energy electron beam. It is inferred that in the hollow cathode phase the beam energy is more for the self breakdown case whereas the current density is more for the trigger breakdown case. The tailor made operation of the hollow cathode phase electron beam can play an important role in microwave generation. Up to 30% variation in the electron beam energy has been achieved keeping the same gas and by varying the breakdown mode operations. Also, up to 32% variation in the beam current density has been achieved for the trigger breakdown mode at optimized trigger position by varying the gas type.

A multiple gap plasma cathode electron gun and its electron beam analysis in self and trigger breakdown modes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kumar, Niraj; Pal, Udit Narayan; Prakash, Ram [CSIR-Central Electronics Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-CEERI), Pilani, Rajasthan 333031 (India); Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-CEERI Campus, Pilani (India); Pal, Dharmendra Kumar; Jadon, Arvind Singh; Rahaman, Hasibur [CSIR-Central Electronics Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-CEERI), Pilani, Rajasthan 333031 (India)

2016-03-15

In the present paper, a pseudospark discharge based multiple gap plasma cathode electron gun is reported which has been operated separately in self and trigger breakdown modes using two different gases, namely, argon and hydrogen. The beam current and beam energy have been analyzed using a concentric ring diagnostic arrangement. Two distinct electron beams are clearly seen with hollow cathode and conductive phases. The hollow cathode phase has been observed for ∼50 ns where the obtained electron beam is having low beam current density and high energy. While in conductive phase it is high current density and low energy electron beam. It is inferred that in the hollow cathode phase the beam energy is more for the self breakdown case whereas the current density is more for the trigger breakdown case. The tailor made operation of the hollow cathode phase electron beam can play an important role in microwave generation. Up to 30% variation in the electron beam energy has been achieved keeping the same gas and by varying the breakdown mode operations. Also, up to 32% variation in the beam current density has been achieved for the trigger breakdown mode at optimized trigger position by varying the gas type.

Electrodeposition of uranium in stirred liquid cadmium cathode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koyama, T.; Tanaka, H.

1997-01-01

The electrodeposition of U in a liquid Cd cathode was known to be hampered by the formation of dendritic U on the Cd surface. Electrotransports of uranium to the stirred liquid Cd cathode were carried out at 773 K for different cathode current densities and different Reynolds number of stirring. The maximum amount of U taken in the liquid Cd cathode without forming dendrites was found to increase with an increasing Reynolds number of stirring and decrease with increasing cathode current density. (orig.)

A one-dimensional model illustrating virtual-cathode formation in a novel coaxial virtual-cathode oscillator.

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Turner, GR

2014-09-01

Full Text Available A one-dimensional electrostatic sheet model of a coaxial geometry Virtual Cathode Oscillator (VCO) is presented. The cathode is centrally located and connects to a peripherally located plate electrode to form a resonant cavity, and is thus...

Comprehensive methods to enhance the electrochemical performances of LiFe0.94Mg0.03Cu0.03PO4/C cathode for lithium ion batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fan, Chang-ling; Zhang, Ke-he; Han, Shao-chang

2013-01-01

Graphical abstract: Relationships between the conductivities of LFPC-2 cathode and the volume percentages of AB (a) and PAn (b). - Highlights: • LiFe 0.94 Mg 0.03 Cu 0.03 PO 4 /C is synthesized by adding glucose with two-step method. • Conductive polymer polyaniline is used to replace acetylene black. • The content of conductive additive is optimized by the percolation theory. • LFPC-2 cathode containing polyaniline possesses the excellent performance. - Abstract: Comprehensive methods were utilized to improve the electrochemical performances of LiFe 0.94 Mg 0.03 Cu 0.03 PO 4 /C (LFPC) composite cathode. Experimental results show that LFPC-2, prepared by adding glucose in two steps, possesses the effective incorporated of doping ions and well-distributed pyrolysis carbon. It possesses higher conductivity and discharge capacity. The percolation theory analysis shows that the conductivity of LFPC-2 cathode film reaches its maximum value at the mass content of 15 wt.%. The replacement of acetylene black with polyaniline can greatly improve the electrochemical performances of LFPC-2 cathode. Its discharge capacity is 85.3 mAh g −1 and its potential platform is as high as 3.2 V at the current density of 850 mA g −1 when 15 wt.% polyaniline is used. The cycle performance of LFPC-2 is improved when polyaniline is used as conductive additives. And the change of charge transfer resistance of LFPC-2 cathode containing polyaniline is very small after 24 cycles

Cathode material for lithium ion accumulators prepared by screen printing for Smart Textile applications

Science.gov (United States)

Syrový, T.; Kazda, T.; Syrová, L.; Vondrák, J.; Kubáč, L.; Sedlaříková, M.

2016-03-01

The presented study is focused on the development of LiFePO4 based cathode for thin and flexible screen printed secondary lithium based accumulators. An ink formulation was developed for the screen printing technique, which enabled mass production of accumulator's cathode for Smart Label and Smart Textile applications. The screen printed cathode was compared with an electrode prepared by the bar coating technique using an ink formulation based on the standard approach of ink composition. Obtained LiFePO4 cathode layers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and galvanostatic charge/discharge measurements at different loads. The discharge capacity, capacity retention and stability at a high C rate of the LiFePO4 cathode were improved when Super P and PVDF were replaced by conductive polymers PEDOT:PSS. The achieved capacity during cycling at various C rates was approximately the same at the beginning and at the end, and it was about 151 mAh/g for cycling under 1C. The obtained results of this novelty electrode layer exceed the parameters of several electrode layers based on LiFePO4 published in literature in terms of capacity, cycling stability and overcomes them in terms of simplicity/industrial process ability of cathode layer fabrication and electrode material preparation.

Vapor phase polymerization deposition of conducting polymer/graphene nanocomposites as high performance electrode materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yajie; Li, Shibin; Zhang, Luning; Xu, Jianhua; Yang, Wenyao; Jiang, Yadong

2013-05-22

In this paper, we report chemical vapor phase polymerization (VPP) deposition of novel poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT)/graphene nanocomposites as solid tantalum electrolyte capacitor cathode films. The PEDOT/graphene films were successfully prepared on porous tantalum pentoxide surface as cathode films through the VPP procedure. The results indicated that the high conductivity nature of PEDOT/graphene leads to the decrease of cathode films resistance and contact resistance between PEDOT/graphene and carbon paste. This nanocomposite cathode film based capacitor showed ultralow equivalent series resistance (ESR) ca. 12 mΩ and exhibited better capacitance-frequency performance than the PEDOT based capacitor. The leakage current investigation revealed that the device encapsulation process does not influence capacitor leakage current, indicating the excellent mechanical strength of PEDOT-graphene films. The graphene showed a distinct protection effect on the dielectric layer from possible mechanical damage. This high conductivity and mechanical strength graphene based conducting polymer nanocomposites indicated a promising application future for organic electrode materials.

Influence of conductive electroactive polymer polyaniline on ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Conductive electroactive polymer polyaniline is utilized to substitute conductive additive acetylene black in the LiMn1.95Al0.05O4 cathode for lithium ion batteries. Results show that LiMn1.95Al0.05O4 possesses stable structure and good performance. Percolation theory is used to optimize the content of conductive additive ...

Explosive-emission cathode fabricated from superconducting cable

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vavra, I.; Korenev, S.A.

1989-01-01

The authors describe on explosive-emission cathode that is based on stock superconducting cable - type NT-50, for example - that is bunched and held in a copper matrix. The copper matrix is partially etched away to create a multipoint structure for the cathode-plasma initiators. With 100-300 kV on the diode and a distance of 1 cm between the anode and cathode, electron currents of 20-80 and 60-300 A are obtained with cathode diameters of 0.5 and 1 cm, respectively

RF Breakdown in Normal Conducting Single-Cell Structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dolgashev, V.A.; Nantista, C.D.; Tantawi, S.G.; Higashi, Y.; Higo, T.

2006-01-01

Operating accelerating gradient in normal conducting accelerating structures is often limited by rf breakdown. The limit depends on multiple parameters, including input rf power, rf circuit, cavity shape and material. Experimental and theoretical study of the effects of these parameters on the breakdown limit in full scale structures is difficult and costly. We use 11.4 GHz single-cell traveling wave and standing wave accelerating structures for experiments and modeling of rf breakdown behavior. These test structures are designed so that the electromagnetic fields in one cell mimic the fields in prototype multicell structures for the X-band linear collider. Fields elsewhere in the test structures are significantly lower than that of the single cell. The setup uses matched mode converters that launch the circular TM 01 mode into short test structures. The test structures are connected to the mode launchers with vacuum rf flanges. This setup allows economic testing of different cell geometries, cell materials and preparation techniques with short turn-around time. Simple 2D geometry of the test structures simplifies modeling of the breakdown currents and their thermal effects

Hollow cathode for positive ion sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schechter, D.E.; Kim, J.; Tsai, C.C.

1979-01-01

Development to incorporate hollow cathodes into high power ion sources for neutral beam injection systems is being pursued. Hollow tube LaB 6 -type cathodes, similar to a UCLA design, have been constructed and tested in several ORNL ion source configurations. Results of testing include arc discharge parameters of >1000 and 500 amps for 0.5 and 10 second pulse lengths, respectively. Details of cathode construction and additional performance results are discussed

Explosive-emission cathode fabricated using track method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akap'ev, G.N.; Korenev, S.A.

1989-01-01

Fabrication technique for large area multipoint cathodes is described. The technique is based on channels filling with metal in the ion-irradiated dielectric film producted after channel etching. It is shown, that cathode may be used under explosive emission conditions. Characteristics of diode with the mentioned type cathodes are measured

Organic photovoltaic cell incorporating electron conducting exciton blocking layers

Science.gov (United States)

Forrest, Stephen R.; Lassiter, Brian E.

2014-08-26

The present disclosure relates to photosensitive optoelectronic devices including a compound blocking layer located between an acceptor material and a cathode, the compound blocking layer including: at least one electron conducting material, and at least one wide-gap electron conducting exciton blocking layer. For example, 3,4,9,10 perylenetetracarboxylic bisbenzimidazole (PTCBI) and 1,4,5,8-napthalene-tetracarboxylic-dianhydride (NTCDA) function as electron conducting and exciton blocking layers when interposed between the acceptor layer and cathode. Both materials serve as efficient electron conductors, leading to a fill factor as high as 0.70. By using an NTCDA/PTCBI compound blocking layer structure increased power conversion efficiency is achieved, compared to an analogous device using a conventional blocking layers shown to conduct electrons via damage-induced midgap states.

Plasma Deposition of Oxide-Coated Cathodes

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Umstattd, Ryan

1998-01-01

...; such cathodes may also have applicability for lower current density continuous wave devices. This novel approach to manufacturing an oxide cathode eliminates the binders that may subsequently (and unpredictably...

Cathode plasma expansion in diode with explosive emission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zuo Yinghong; Fan Ruyu; Wang Jianguo; Zhu Jinhui

2012-01-01

The evolution characteristics of the cathode plasma in a planar diode with explosive emission were analyzed. Be- sides the axial expansion which can reduce the effective anode-cathode gap, the radial expansion of the cathode plasma which can affect the effective emitting area was also taken into account. According to the Child-Langmuir law and the experimental data of current and voltage with a electron vacuum diode under four-pulse mode, the dynamics of the cathode plasma was investigated, on the assumption that the radial speeds of the cathode plasma was approximately equal to the axial speed. The results show that the radial and axial expansion speeds of the cathode plasma are 0.9-2.8 cm/μs. (authors)

Cathodic corrosion: Part 2. Properties of nanoparticles synthesized by cathodic corrosion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yanson, A.I.; Yanson, Yu.I.

2013-01-01

We demonstrate how cathodic corrosion in concentrated aqueous solutions enables one to prepare nanoparticles of various metals and metal alloys. Using various characterization methods we show that the composition of nanoparticles remains that of the starting material, and the resulting size distribution remains rather narrow. For the case of platinum we show how the size and possibly even the shape of the nanoparticles can be easily controlled by the parameters of corrosion. Finally, we discuss the advantages of using the nanoparticles prepared by cathodic corrosion for applications in (electro-)catalysis.

Cathodic disbonding of organic coatings on submerged steel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Knudsen, Ole oeystein

1998-12-31

In offshore oil production, submerged steel structures are commonly protected by an organic coating in combination with cathodic protection. The main advantage is that the coating decreases the current demand for cathodic protection. But the coating degrades with time. This thesis studies one of the most important mechanisms for coating degradation in seawater, cathodic disbonding. Seven commercial coatings and two model coatings with various pigmentations have been studied. Parameter studies, microscopy and studies of free films were used in the mechanism investigations. Exposure to simulated North Sea conditions was used in the performance studies. The effect of aluminium and glass barrier pigments on cathodic disbonding was investigated. The mechanism for the effect of the aluminium pigments on cathodic disbonding was also investigated. The transport of charge and oxygen to the steel/coating interface during cathodic disbonding was studied for two epoxy coatings. Cathodic disbonding, blistering and current demand for cathodic protection was measured for nine commercial coatings for submerged steel structures, using the ASTM-G8 standard test and a long term test under simulated North Sea conditions. The relevance of the ASTM-G8 test as a prequalification test was evaluated. 171 refs., 40 figs., 6 tabs.

A centre-triggered magnesium fuelled cathodic arc thruster uses sublimation to deliver a record high specific impulse

Science.gov (United States)

Neumann, Patrick R. C.; Bilek, Marcela; McKenzie, David R.

2016-08-01

The cathodic arc is a high current, low voltage discharge that operates in vacuum and provides a stream of highly ionised plasma from a solid conducting cathode. The high ion velocities, together with the high ionisation fraction and the quasineutrality of the exhaust stream, make the cathodic arc an attractive plasma source for spacecraft propulsion applications. The specific impulse of the cathodic arc thruster is substantially increased when the emission of neutral species is reduced. Here, we demonstrate a reduction of neutral emission by exploiting sublimation in cathode spots and enhanced ionisation of the plasma in short, high-current pulses. This, combined with the enhanced directionality due to the efficient erosion profiles created by centre-triggering, substantially increases the specific impulse. We present experimentally measured specific impulses and jet power efficiencies for titanium and magnesium fuels. Our Mg fuelled source provides the highest reported specific impulse for a gridless ion thruster and is competitive with all flight rated ion thrusters. We present a model based on cathode sublimation and melting at the cathodic arc spot explaining the outstanding performance of the Mg fuelled source. A further significant advantage of an Mg-fuelled thruster is the abundance of Mg in asteroidal material and in space junk, providing an opportunity for utilising these resources in space.

Cathode fall thickness of abnormal glow discharges between parallel-plane electrodes in different radii at low pressure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fu, Yangyang; Luo, Haiyun; Zou, Xiaobing; Wang, Xinxin, E-mail: wangxx@tsinghua.edu.cn [Department of Electrical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)

2015-02-15

In order to investigate the influence of electrode radius on the characteristics of cathode fall thickness, experiments of low-pressure (20 Pa ≤ p ≤ 30 Pa) abnormal glow discharge were carried out between parallel-plane electrodes in different radii keeping gap distance unchanged. Axial distributions of light intensity were obtained from the discharge images captured using a Charge Coupled Device camera. The assumption that the position of the negative glow peak coincides with the edge of cathode fall layer was verified based on a two-dimensional model, and the cathode fall thicknesses, d{sub c}, were calculated from the axial distributions of light intensity. It was observed that the position of peak emission shifts closer to the cathode as current or pressure grows. The dependence of cathode fall thickness on the gas pressure and normalized current J/p{sup 2} was presented, and it was found that for discharges between electrodes in large radius the curves of pd{sub c} against J/p{sup 2} were superimposed on each other, however, this phenomenon will not hold for discharges between the smaller electrodes. The reason for this phenomenon is that the transverse diffusions of charged particles are not the same in two gaps between electrodes with different radii.

Design Of Photovoltaic Powered Cathodic Protection System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Golina Samir Adly

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The corrosion caused by chemical reaction between metallic structures and surrounding mediums such as soil or water .the CP cathodic protection system is used to protect metallic structure against corrosion. Cathodic protection CP used to minimize corrosion by utilizing an external source of electrical current which forces the entire structure to become a cathode. There are two Types of cathodic protection system Galvanic current Impressed current.the Galvanic current is called a sacrificial anode is connected to the protected structure cathode through a DC power supply. In Galvanic current system a current passes from the sacrificing anode to the protected structure .the sacrificial anode is corroded rather than causing the protected structure corrosion .protected structure requires a constant current to stop the corrosion which determined by area structure metal and the surrounding medium. The rains humidity are decrease soil resistivity and increase the DC current .The corrosion and over protection resulting from increase in the DC current is harmful for the metallic structure. This problem can be solved by conventional cathodic protection system by manual adjustment of DC voltage periodically to obtain a constant current .the manual adjustment of DC voltage depends on experience of the technician and using the accuracy of the measuring equipment. The errors of measuring current depend on error from the technician or error from the measuring equipment. the corrosion of structure may occur when the interval between two successive adjustment is long .An automatically regulated cathodic protection system is used to overcome problems from conventional cathodic protection system .the regulated cathodic protection system adjust the DC voltage of the system automatically when it senses the variations of surrounding medium resistivity so the DC current is constant at the required level.

Cold cathodes on ultra-dispersed diamond base

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alimova, A.N.; Zhirnov, V.V.; Chubun, N.N.; Belobrov, P.I.

1998-01-01

Prospects of application of nano diamond powders for fabrication of cold cathodes are discussed.Cold cathodes based on silicon pointed structures with nano diamond coatings were prepared.The deposition technique of diamond coating was dielectrophoresis from suspension of nano diamond powder in organic liquids.The cathodes were tested in sealed prototypes of vacuum electronic devices

Preliminary results on the chemical characterisation of the cathode nickel--emissive layer interface in oxide cathodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jenkins, S.N.; Barber, D.K.; Whiting, M.J.; Baker, M.A.

2003-01-01

In cathode ray tube (CRT) thermionic oxide cathodes, the nickel-oxide interface properties are key to understanding the mechanisms of operation. At the elevated operational temperatures, free barium is formed at the interface by the reaction of reducing activators, from the nickel alloy, with barium oxide. The free barium diffuses to the outer surface of the oxide providing a low work function electron-emitting surface. However, during cathode life an interface layer grows between the nickel alloy and oxide, comprised of reaction products. The interfacial layer sets limits on the cathode performance and useful operational lifetime by inhibiting the barium reducing reaction. This paper discusses sample preparation procedures for exposure of the interface and the use of several surface and bulk analytical techniques to study interface layer formation. SEM, AES and SIMS data are presented, which provide preliminary insight into the mechanisms operating during the cathode's lifetime. There is evidence that the activator elements in the nickel alloy base, Al and Mg, are able to diffuse to the surface of the oxide during activation and ageing and that these elements are enriched at the interface after accelerated life

AB/sub 5/-catalyzed hydrogen evolution cathodes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hall, D E; Sawada, T; Shepard, V R; Tsujikawa, Y

1984-01-01

The AB/sub 5/ metal compounds are highly efficient hydrogen evolution electrocatalysts in alkaline electrolyte. Three types of AB/sub 5/-catalyzed cathode structures were made, using the hydride-forming AB/sub 5/ compounds in particulate form. Plastic-bonded cathodes containing >90 w/o AB/sub 5/ (finished-weight basis) were the most efficient, giving hydrogen evolution overpotentials (/eta/ /SUB H2/ ) of about 0.05 V at 200 mA cm/sup -2/. However, they tended to swell and shed material during electrolysis. Pressed, sintered cathodes containing 40-70 w/o catalyst in a nickel binder gave /eta/ /SUB H2/ about0.08 V; catalyst retention was excellent. Porous, sintered cathode coatings were made with 30-70 w/o AB/sub 5/ catalyst loadings. Their overpotentials were similar to those of the pressed, sintered cathodes. However, at catalyst loadings below about 40 w/o, high overpotentials characteristic of the nickel binder were observed. The structural and electrochemical properties of the three AB/sub 5/-catalyzed cathodes are discussed.

Redox-reversible perovskite ferrite cathode for high temperature solid oxide steam electrolyser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Zhe; Li, Shisong; Tseng, Chung-Jen; Tao, Shanwen; Xie, Kui

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Redox reversible ferrite cathode is demonstrated for solid oxide electrolyser. • Promising electrical conductivity is obtained with Pr doping in hydrogen. • High performance of steam electrolysis is achieved with ferrite cathode. - Abstract: In this work, perovskite Sr 1−x Pr x FeO 3-δ (SPF) (x = 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08 and 0.10) are investigated and employed as solid oxide steam electrolyser cathode at 800 °C. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis together indicate that the Sr 1−x Pr x FeO 3-δ is redox reversible with a phase transition from cubic to orthorhombic structure in redox cycles. The doping of Pr in A site has remarkably enhanced the electronic conduction to 1.0–1.2 S cm −1 at intermediate temperatures in reducing atmosphere. Electrochemical measurements demonstrate that the polarization resistance with Sr 0.96 Pr 0.04 FeO 3-δ electrode shows the lowest values of 0.25 Ω cm 2 in symmetric cells in reducing atmosphere at 800 °C. Direct steam electrolysis with Sr 0.96 Pr 0.04 FeO 3-δ cathode shows a current density of 1.64 A cm −2 at 2.0 V when fed with 5%H 2 O/Ar. The hydrogen production rate reaches 4.73, 6.68, 8.35 and 10.23 mL min −1 cm −2 at 1.4, 1.6, 1.8, 2.0 V, respectively, while the highest Faraday efficiency is as high as 97.16% at 1.8 V.

Application of lithiated perfluorosulfonate ionomer binders to enhance high rate capability in LiMn2O4 cathodes for lithium ion batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chiu, Kuo-Feng; Su, Shih Hsuan; Leu, Hoang-Juh; Chen, Yi Shiang

2014-01-01

Lithiated perfluorosulfonate ionomer has been used as the binder for LiMn 2 O 4 cathodes. Casted membranes of the lithiated ionomer exhibit ionic conductivity of 1.4 × 10 −4 S/cm. Composite cathodes composed of LiMn 2 O 4 , carbon black and the ionomer binder have been fabricated. All components of the cathodes are well bound and dispersed as characterized by scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive spectroscope. The cathodes using the conventional poly-vinylidene fluoride binder have also been prepared for comparison. Under high rate (5 C-20 C) and high temperature (60 °C) operation, the LiMn 2 O 4 cathodes with the ionomer binder exhibit higher capacity and improved cycling stability. As indicated by the electrochemical impedance spectra, the ionomer binder forms ion-conducting interface layers on the LiMn 2 O 4 particles and results in lower interface resistance. It enables the cells utilizing the ionomer binder to achieve higher capacity and enhanced cycling stability even under harsh conditions

Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator is correlated closely with sperm progressive motility and normal morphology in healthy and fertile men with normal sperm parameters.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, L-Y; Shan, J-J; Tong, X-M; Zhu, H-Y; Yang, L-Y; Zheng, Q; Luo, Y; Shi, Q-X; Zhang, S-Y

2014-10-01

Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) has been demonstrated to be expressed in mature spermatozoa and correlated with sperm quality. Sperm CFTR expression in fertile men is higher than that in infertile men suffering from teratospermia, asthenoteratospermia, asthenospermia and oligospermia, but it is unknown whether CFTR is correlated with sperm parameters when sperm parameters are normal. In this study, 282 healthy and fertile men with normal semen parameters were classified into three age groups, group (I): age group of 20-29 years (98 cases, 27.1 ± 6.2), group (II): age group of 30-39 years (142 cases, 33.7 ± 2.6) and group (III): age group of more than or equal to 40 years (42 cases, 44.1 ± 4.6). Sperm concentration, total count and progressive motility were analysed by computer-assisted sperm analysis. Sperm morphology was analysed by modified Papanicolaou staining. Sperm CFTR expression was conducted by indirect immunofluorescence staining. There was a significant positive correlation (P sperm progressive motility (r = 0.221) and normal morphology (r = 0.202), but there were no correlations between sperm CFTR expression and semen volume, sperm concentration, sperm total count as well as male age (P > 0.05). Our findings show that CFTR expression is associated with sperm progressive motility and normal morphology in healthy and fertile men with normal sperm parameters, but not associated with the number of spermatozoa and male age. © 2013 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Filtered cathodic arc source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Falabella, S.; Sanders, D.M.

1994-01-01

A continuous, cathodic arc ion source coupled to a macro-particle filter capable of separation or elimination of macro-particles from the ion flux produced by cathodic arc discharge is described. The ion source employs an axial magnetic field on a cathode (target) having tapered sides to confine the arc, thereby providing high target material utilization. A bent magnetic field is used to guide the metal ions from the target to the part to be coated. The macro-particle filter consists of two straight solenoids, end to end, but placed at 45 degree to one another, which prevents line-of-sight from the arc spot on the target to the parts to be coated, yet provides a path for ions and electrons to flow, and includes a series of baffles for trapping the macro-particles. 3 figures

Development of plasma cathode electron guns

Science.gov (United States)

Oks, Efim M.; Schanin, Peter M.

1999-05-01

The status of experimental research and ongoing development of plasma cathode electron guns in recent years is reviewed, including some novel upgrades and applications to various technological fields. The attractiveness of this kind of e-gun is due to its capability of creating high current, broad or focused beams, both in pulsed and steady-state modes of operation. An important characteristic of the plasma cathode electron gun is the absence of a thermionic cathode, a feature which leads to long lifetime and reliable operation even in the presence of aggressive background gas media and at fore-vacuum gas pressure ranges such as achieved by mechanical pumps. Depending on the required beam parameters, different kinds of plasma discharge systems can be used in plasma cathode electron guns, such as vacuum arcs, constricted gaseous arcs, hollow cathode glows, and two kinds of discharges in crossed E×B fields: Penning and magnetron. At the present time, plasma cathode electron guns provide beams with transverse dimension from fractional millimeter up to about one meter, beam current from microamperes to kiloamperes, beam current density up to about 100 A/cm2, pulse duration from nanoseconds to dc, and electron energy from several keV to hundreds of keV. Applications include electron beam melting and welding, surface treatment, plasma chemistry, radiation technologies, laser pumping, microwave generation, and more.

Understanding the Role of Temperature and Cathode Composition on Interface and Bulk: Optimizing Aluminum Oxide Coatings for Li-Ion Cathodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Binghong; Paulauskas, Tadas; Key, Baris; Peebles, Cameron; Park, Joong Sun

2017-01-01

Here, surface coating of cathode materials with Al_2O_3 has been shown to be a promising method for cathode stabilization and improved cycling performance at high operating voltages. However, a detailed understanding on how coating process and cathode composition changes the chemical composition, morphology and distribution of coating within cathode interface and bulk lattice, is still missing. In this study, we use a wet-chemical method to synthesize a series of Al_2O_3-coated LiNi_0_._5Co_0_._2Mn_0_._3O_2 and LiCoO_2 cathodes treated under various annealing temperatures and a combination of structural characterization techniques to understand the composition, homogeneity and morphology of coating layer and the bulk cathode. Nuclear magnetic resonance and electron microscopy results reveal that the nature of the interface is highly depended on the annealing temperature and cathode composition. For Al_2O_3-coated LiNi_0_._5Co_0_._2Mn_0_._3O_2, higher annealing temperature leads to more homogeneous and more closely attached coating on cathode materials, corresponding to better electrochemical performance. Lower Al_2O_3 coating content is found to be helpful to further improve the initial capacity and cyclability, which can greatly outperform the pristine cathode material. For Al_2O_3-coated LiCoO_2, the incorporation of Al into the cathode lattice is observed after annealing at high temperatures, implying the transformation from “surface coatings” to “dopants”, which is not observed for LiNi_0_._5Co_0_._2Mn_0_._3O_2. As a result, Al_2O_3-coated LiCoO_2 annealed at higher temperature shows similar initial capacity but lower retention compared to that annealed at a lower temperature, due to the intercalation of surface alumina into the bulk layered structure forming a solid solution.

Understanding the Role of Temperature and Cathode Composition on Interface and Bulk: Optimizing Aluminum Oxide Coatings for Li-Ion Cathodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Binghong; Paulauskas, Tadas; Key, Baris; Peebles, Cameron; Park, Joong Sun; Klie, Robert F; Vaughey, John T; Dogan, Fulya

2017-05-03

Surface coating of cathode materials with Al 2 O 3 has been shown to be a promising method for cathode stabilization and improved cycling performance at high operating voltages. However, a detailed understanding on how coating process and cathode composition change the chemical composition, morphology, and distribution of coating within the cathode interface and bulk lattice is still missing. In this study, we use a wet-chemical method to synthesize a series of Al 2 O 3 -coated LiNi 0.5 Co 0.2 Mn 0.3 O 2 and LiCoO 2 cathodes treated under various annealing temperatures and a combination of structural characterization techniques to understand the composition, homogeneity, and morphology of the coating layer and the bulk cathode. Nuclear magnetic resonance and electron microscopy results reveal that the nature of the interface is highly dependent on the annealing temperature and cathode composition. For Al 2 O 3 -coated LiNi 0.5 Co 0.2 Mn 0.3 O 2 , higher annealing temperature leads to more homogeneous and more closely attached coating on cathode materials, corresponding to better electrochemical performance. Lower Al 2 O 3 coating content is found to be helpful to further improve the initial capacity and cyclability, which can greatly outperform the pristine cathode material. For Al 2 O 3 -coated LiCoO 2 , the incorporation of Al into the cathode lattice is observed after annealing at high temperatures, implying the transformation from "surface coatings" to "dopants", which is not observed for LiNi 0.5 Co 0.2 Mn 0.3 O 2 . As a result, Al 2 O 3 -coated LiCoO 2 annealed at higher temperature shows similar initial capacity but lower retention compared to that annealed at a lower temperature, due to the intercalation of surface alumina into the bulk layered structure forming a solid solution.

Normal-state conductance used to probe superconducting tunnel junctions for quantum computing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chaparro, Carlos; Bavier, Richard; Kim, Yong-Seung; Kim, Eunyoung; Oh, Seongshik [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854 (United States); Kline, Jeffrey S; Pappas, David P, E-mail: carlosch@physics.rutgers.ed, E-mail: ohsean@physics.rutgers.ed [National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80305 (United States)

2010-04-15

Here we report normal-state conductance measurements of three different types of superconducting tunnel junctions that are being used or proposed for quantum computing applications: p-Al/a-AlO/p-Al, e-Re/e-AlO/p-Al, and e-V/e-MgO/p-V, where p stands for polycrystalline, e for epitaxial, and a for amorphous. All three junctions exhibited significant deviations from the parabolic behavior predicted by the WKB approximation models. In the p-Al/a-AlO/p-Al junction, we observed enhancement of tunneling conductances at voltages matching harmonics of Al-O stretching modes. On the other hand, such Al-O vibration modes were missing in the epitaxial e-Re/e-AlO/p-Al junction. This suggests that absence or existence of the Al-O stretching mode might be related to the crystallinity of the AlO tunnel barrier and the interface between the electrode and the barrier. In the e-V/e-MgO/p-V junction, which is one of the candidate systems for future superconducting qubits, we observed suppression of the density of states at zero bias. This implies that the interface is electronically disordered, presumably due to oxidation of the vanadium surface underneath the MgO barrier, even if the interface was structurally well ordered, suggesting that the e-V/e-MgO/p-V junction will not be suitable for qubit applications in its present form. This also demonstrates that the normal-state conductance measurement can be effectively used to screen out low quality samples in the search for better superconducting tunnel junctions.

DESCRIPTION OF BRAINSTEM AUDITORY EVOKED RESPONSES (AIR AND BONE CONDUCTION IN CHILDREN WITH NORMAL HEARING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. V. Pashkov

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Diagnosis of hearing level in small children with conductive hearing loss associated with congenital craniofacial abnormalities, particularly with agenesis of external ear and external auditory meatus is a pressing issue. Conventional methods of assessing hearing in the first years of life, i. e. registration of brainstem auditory evoked responses to acoustic stimuli in the event of air conduction, does not give an indication of the auditory analyzer’s condition due to potential conductive hearing loss in these patients. This study was aimed at assessing potential of diagnosing the auditory analyzer’s function with registering brainstem auditory evoked responses (BAERs to acoustic stimuli transmitted by means of a bone vibrator. The study involved 17 children aged 3–10 years with normal hearing. We compared parameters of registering brainstem auditory evoked responses (peak V depending on the type of stimulus transmission (air/bone in children with normal hearing. The data on thresholds of the BAERs registered to acoustic stimuli in the event of air and bone conduction obtained in this study are comparable; hearing thresholds in the event of acoustic stimulation by means of a bone vibrator correlates with the results of the BAERs registered to the stimuli transmitted by means of air conduction earphones (r = 0.9. High correlation of thresholds of BAERs to the stimuli transmitted by means of a bone vibrator with thresholds of BAERs registered when air conduction earphones were used helps to assess auditory analyzer’s condition in patients with any form of conductive hearing loss.  

Behavior of conduct disordered children in interaction with each other and with normal peers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

MATTHYS, W; VANLOO, P; PACHEN, [No Value; de Vries, Han; VANHOOFF, JARAM; VANENGELAND, H

1995-01-01

This study investigated the behavior of children with conduct disorder or oppositional defiant disorder (CD/ODD) in interaction with each other and with normal control (NC) children in a semi-standardized setting over a period of 25 minutes. This short time turned out to be sufficient to demonstrate

Fullerene derivative-doped zinc oxide nanofilm as the cathode of inverted polymer solar cells with low-bandgap polymer (PTB7-Th) for high performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, Sih-Hao; Jhuo, Hong-Jyun; Cheng, Yu-Shan; Chen, Show-An

2013-09-14

Modification of a ZnO cathode by doping it with a hydroxyl-containing derivative - giving a ZnO-C60 cathode - provides a fullerene-derivative-rich surface and enhanced electron conduction. Inverted polymer solar cells with the ZnO-C60 cathode display markedly improved power conversion efficiency compared to those with a pristine ZnO cathode, especially when the active layer includes the low-bandgap polymer PTB7-Th. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Li- and Mn-Rich Cathode Materials: Challenges to Commercialization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zheng, Jianming [Energy and Environmental Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 902 Battelle Boulevard Richland WA 99354 USA; Myeong, Seungjun [School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Green Energy Materials Development Center, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Korea 689-798; Cho, Woongrae [School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Green Energy Materials Development Center, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Korea 689-798; Yan, Pengfei [Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 902 Battelle Boulevard Richland WA 99354 USA; Xiao, Jie [Energy and Environmental Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 902 Battelle Boulevard Richland WA 99354 USA; Wang, Chongmin [Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 902 Battelle Boulevard Richland WA 99354 USA; Cho, Jaephil [School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Green Energy Materials Development Center, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Korea 689-798; Zhang, Ji-Guang [Energy and Environmental Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 902 Battelle Boulevard Richland WA 99354 USA

2016-12-14

The lithium- and manganese-rich (LMR) layered structure cathode exhibit one of the highest specific energy (~900 Wh kg-1) among all the cathode materials. However, the practical applications of LMR cathodes are still hindered by several significant challenges including voltage fade, large initial capacity loss, poor rate capability and limited cycle life. Herein, we review the recent progresses and understandings on the application of LMR cathode materials from practical point of view. Several key parameters of LMR cathodes that affect the LMR/graphite full cell operation are systematically analysed. These factors include the first cycle capacity loss, voltage fade, powder tap density, electrode density of LMR based cathode etc. New approaches to minimize the detrimental effect of these factors are highlighted in this work. We also provided the perspectives for the future research on LMR cathode materials, focusing on addressing the fundamental problems of LMR cathodes while always keeping practical considerations in mind.

Degradation factors of a new long life cathode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Mingchen; Zhang Honglai; Liu Pukun; Li Yutao

2011-01-01

This paper analyses the degradation factors of a new long life coated impregnated cathode after accelerated life test. The surface state of the cathode is investigated with scanning electron microscope (SEM) as well as the content and variation of the various elements on the surface and the longitudinal section of the cathode are analyzed with Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) before and after the life test. The analyzing results with SEM show that the cathode coating shrinks at the life end and leads to a rise in its work function. The analyzing results with AES show that the percent of the W increases and the active materials Ba decreases on the cathode surface at the life end. Furthermore, there is less Ba underneath the cathode surface but still a lot of Ba in the tungsten matrix at the life end.

Cathode Composition in a Saltwater Metal-Air Battery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

William Shen

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Metal-air batteries consist of a solid metal anode and an oxygen cathode of ambient air, typically separated by an aqueous electrolyte. Here, simple saltwater-based models of aluminum-air and zinc-air cells are used to determine the differences between theoretical cell electric potentials and experimental electric potentials. A substantial difference is observed. It is also found that the metal cathode material is crucial to cell electric potential, despite the cathode not participating in the net reaction. Finally, the material composition of the cathode appears to have a more significant impact on cell potential than the submerged surface area of the cathode.

Protection Performance Simulation of Coal Tar-Coated Pipes Buried in a Domestic Nuclear Power Plant Using Cathodic Protection and FEM Method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chang, H. Y.; Lim, B. T.; Kim, K. S.; Kim, J. W.; Park, H. B. [KEPCO Engineering and Construction Company, Gimcheon (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Y. S.; Kim, K. T. [Andong National University, Andong (Korea, Republic of)

2017-06-15

Coal tar-coated pipes buried in a domestic nuclear power plant have operated under the cathodic protection. This work conducted the simulation of the coating performance of these pipes using a FEM method. The pipes, being ductile cast iron have been suffered under considerably high cathodic protection condition beyond the appropriate condition. However, cathodic potential measured at the site revealed non-protected status. Converting from 3D CAD data of the power plant to appropriate type for a FEM simulation was conducted and cathodic potential under the applied voltage and current was calculated using primary and secondary current distribution and physical conditions. FEM simulation for coal tar-coated pipe without defects revealed over-protection condition if the pipes were well-coated. However, the simulation for coal tar-coated pipes with many defects predict that the coated pipes may be severely degraded. Therefore, for high risk pipes, direct examination and repair or renewal of pipes are strongly recommended.

Nanostructured lanthanum manganate composite cathode

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, Wei Guo; Liu, Yi-Lin; Barfod, Rasmus

2005-01-01

that the (La1-xSrx)(y)MnO3 +/-delta (LSM) composite cathodes consist of a network of homogenously distributed LSM, yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ), and pores. The individual grain size of LSM or YSZ is approximately 100 nm. The degree of contact between cathode and electrolyte is 39% on average. (c) 2005...

Co-deposition of metallic actinides on a solid cathode

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Limmer, S. J.; Williamson, M. A.; Willit, J. L. [Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne (United States)

2008-08-15

The amount of rare earth contamination that will be found in a co-deposit of actinides is a function of the type of cathode used. A non-alloying solid cathode will result in a significantly lower rare earth contamination in the actinide co-deposit than a liquid cadmium cathode. With proper control of the cathode potential vs. a stable reference electrode, co-deposition of uranium with other more electroactive metals has been demonstrated using a non-alloying solid cathode.

Co-deposition of metallic actinides on a solid cathode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Limmer, S. J.; Williamson, M. A.; Willit, J. L.

2008-01-01

The amount of rare earth contamination that will be found in a co-deposit of actinides is a function of the type of cathode used. A non-alloying solid cathode will result in a significantly lower rare earth contamination in the actinide co-deposit than a liquid cadmium cathode. With proper control of the cathode potential vs. a stable reference electrode, co-deposition of uranium with other more electroactive metals has been demonstrated using a non-alloying solid cathode

Impedance of porous IT-SOFC LSCF:CGO composite cathodes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Jimmi; Jacobsen, Torben; Wandel, Marie

2011-01-01

The impedance of technological relevant LSCF:CGO composite IT-SOFC cathodes was studied over a very wide performance range. This was experimentally achieved by impedance measurements on symmetrical cells with three different microstructures in the temperature range 550–850 °C. In order to account...... for the impedance spectra of the poor performing cathodes the Finite-Length-Gerischer (FLG) impedance was derived and applied to the impedance data. The FLG impedance describes for a given microstructure the situation where the cathode is made too thin from a cathode development point of view. The moderate...... performing cathodes showed a slightly suppressed Gerischer impedance, while the impedance spectra of the well performing cathodes showed the presence of an arc due to oxygen gas diffusion. The overall impedance of the well performing cathodes could be described with a slightly suppressed Gerischer impedance...

Coated particles for lithium battery cathodes

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Mohit; Eitouni, Hany Basam; Pratt, Russell Clayton; Mullin, Scott Allen; Wang, Xiao-Liang

2017-07-18

Particles of cathodic materials are coated with polymer to prevent direct contact between the particles and the surrounding electrolyte. The polymers are held in place either by a) growing the polymers from initiators covalently bound to the particle, b) attachment of the already-formed polymers by covalently linking to functional groups attached to the particle, or c) electrostatic interactions resulting from incorporation of cationic or anionic groups in the polymer chain. Carbon or ceramic coatings may first be formed on the surfaces of the particles before the particles are coated with polymer. The polymer coating is both electronically and ionically conductive.

Preventing Corrosion by Controlling Cathodic Reaction Kinetics

Science.gov (United States)

2016-03-25

3. DATES COVERED (From - To) 09/23/15 - 04/22/16 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Sa. CONTRACT NUMBER Preventing Corrosion by Controlling Cathodic Reaction...Preventing corrosion by controlling cathodic reaction kinetics Progress Report for Period: 1 SEP 2015-31 MAR 2016 John Keith Department of...25 March 2016 Preventing corrosion by controlling cathodic reaction kinetics Annual Summary Report: FY16 PI: John Keith, 412-624-7016,jakeith

Knife-edge thin film field emission cathodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, B.; Demroff, H.P.; Drew, M.M.; Elliott, T.S.; Mazumdar, T.K.; McIntyre, P.M.; Pang, Y.; Smith, D.D.; Trost, H.J.

1993-01-01

Cathodes made of thin-film field emission arrays (FEA) have the advantages of high current density, pulsed emission, and low bias voltage operation. The authors have developed a technology to fabricate knife-edge field emission cathodes on (110) silicon wafers. The emitter geometry is optimized for efficient modulation at high frequency. Cathode fabrication progress and preliminary analysis of their applications in RF power sources are presented

Novel Carbon Materials in the Cathode Formulation for High Rate Rechargeable Hybrid Aqueous Batteries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiao Zhu

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Novel carbon materials, carbon nanotubes (CNTs and porous graphene (PG, were exploited and used as conductive additives to improve the rate performance of LiMn2O4 cathode for the rechargeable aqueous Zn/LiMn2O4 battery, namely the rechargeable hybrid aqueous battery (ReHAB. Thanks to the long-range conductivity and stable conductive network provided by CNTs, the rate and cycling performances of LiMn2O4 cathode in ReHAB are highly improved—up to about 100 mAh·g−1 capacity is observed at 10 C (1 C = 120 mAh·g−1. Except for CNTs, porous graphene (PG with a high surface area, an abundant porous structure, and an excellent electrical conductivity facilitates the transportation of Li ions and electrons, which can also obviously enhance the rate capability of the ReHAB. This is important because the ReHAB could be charged/discharged in a few minutes, and this leads to potential application of the ReHAB in automobile industry.

Cold cathode diode X-ray source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cooperstein, G.; Lanza, R.C.; Sohval, A.R.

1983-01-01

A cold cathode diode X-ray source for radiation imaging, especially computed tomography, comprises a rod-like anode and a generally cylindrical cathode, concentric with the anode. The spacing between anode and cathode is so chosen that the diode has an impedance in excess of 100 ohms. The anode may be of tungsten, or of carbon with a tungsten and carbon coating. An array of such diodes may be used with a closely packed array of detectors to produce images of rapidly moving body organs, such as the beating heart. (author)

Composite cathode materials development for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cell systems

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, Ya

Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) systems are of particular interest as electrochemical power systems that can operate on various hydrocarbon fuels with high fuel-to-electrical energy conversion efficiency. Within the SOFC stack, La0.8Sr 0.2Ga0.8Mg0.115Co0.085O3-delta (LSGMC) has been reported as an optimized composition of lanthanum gallate based electrolytes to achieve higher oxygen ionic conductivity at intermediate temperatures, i.e., 500-700°C. The electrocatalytic properties of interfaces between LSGMC electrolytes and various candidate intermediate-temperature SOFC cathodes have been investigated. Sm0.5Sr0.5CoO 3-delta (SSC), and La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe 0.8O3-delta (LSCF), in both pure and composite forms with LSGMC, were investigated with regards to both oxygen reduction and evolution, A range of composite cathode compositions, having ratios of SSC (in wt.%) with LSGMC (wt.%) spanning the compositions 9:1, 8:2, 7:3, 6:4 and 5:5, were investigated to determine the optimal cathode-electrolyte interface performance at intermediate temperatures. All LSGMC electrolyte and cathode powders were synthesized using the glycine-nitrate process (GNP). Symmetrical electrochemical cells were investigated with three-electrode linear dc polarization and ac impedance spectroscopy to characterize the kinetics of the interfacial reactions in detail. Composite cathodes were found to perform better than the single phase cathodes due to significantly reduced polarization resistances. Among those composite SSC-LSGMC cathodes, the 7:3 composition has demonstrated the highest current density at the equivalent overpotential values, indicating that 7:3 is an optimal mixing ratio of the composite cathode materials to achieve the best performance. For the composite SC-LSGMC cathode/LSGMC interface, the cathodic overpotential under 1 A/cm2 current density was as low as 0.085 V at 700°C, 0.062V at 750°C and 0.051V at 800°C in air. Composite LSCF-LSGMC cathode/LSGMC interfaces were found to have

Novel iron-cobalt derivatised lithium iron phosphate nanocomposite for lithium ion battery cathode

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Ikpo, CO

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Described herein is the electrochemical study conducted on lithium ion battery cathode material consisting of composite of lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO(sub4), iron-cobalt derivatised carbon nanotubes (FeCo-CNT) and polyaniline (PA) nanomaterials...

Research and Development of a New Field Enhanced Low Temperature Thermionic Cathode that Enables Fluorescent Dimming and Loan Shedding without Auxiliary Cathode Heating

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Feng Jin

2009-01-07

This is the final report for project entitled 'Research and development of a new field enhanced low temperature thermionic cathode that enables fluorescent dimming and load shedding without auxiliary cathode heating', under Agreement Number: DE-FC26-04NT-42329. Under this project, a highly efficient CNT based thermionic cathode was demonstrated. This cathode is capable of emitting electron at a current density two order of magnitude stronger then a typical fluorescent cathode at same temperatures, or capable of emitting at same current density but at temperature about 300 C lower than that of a fluorescent cathode. Detailed fabrication techniques were developed including CVD growth of CNTs and sputter deposition of oxide thin films on CNTs. These are mature technologies that have been widely used in industry for large scale materials processing and device fabrications, thus, with further development work, the techniques developed in this project can be scaled-up in manufacturing environment. The prototype cathodes developed in this project were tested in lighting plasma discharge environment. In many cases, they not only lit and sustain the plasma, but also out perform the fluorescent cathodes in key parameters such like cathode fall voltages. More work will be needed to further evaluate more detailed and longer term performance of the prototype cathode in lighting plasma.

Cationic fluorinated polymer binders for microbial fuel cell cathodes

KAUST Repository

Chen, Guang; Wei, Bin; Logan, Bruce E.; Hickner, Michael A.

2012-01-01

Fluorinated quaternary ammonium-containing polymers were used as catalyst binders in microbial fuel cell (MFC) cathodes. The performance of the cathodes was examined and compared to NAFION ® and other sulfonated aromatic cathode catalyst binders using linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), impedance spectroscopy, and performance tests in single chamber air-cathode MFCs. The cathodes with quaternary ammonium functionalized fluorinated poly(arylene ether) (Q-FPAE) binders showed similar current density and charge transfer resistance (R ct) to cathodes with NAFION ® binders. Cathodes containing either of these fluorinated binders exhibited better electrochemical responses than cathodes with sulfonated or quaternary ammonium-functionalized RADEL ® poly(sulfone) (S-Radel or Q-Radel) binders. After 19 cycles (19 d), the power densities of all the MFCs declined compared to the initial cycles due to biofouling at the cathode. MFC cathodes with fluorinated polymer binders (1445 mW m -2, Q-FPAE-1.4-H; 1397 mW m -2, Q-FPAE-1.4-Cl; 1277 mW m -2, NAFION ®; and 1256 mW m -2, Q-FPAE-1.0-Cl) had better performance than those with non-fluorinated polymer binders (880 mW m -2, S-Radel; 670 mW m -2, Q-Radel). There was a 15% increase in the power density using the Q-FPAE binder with a 40% higher ion exchange capacity (Q-FPAE-1.4-H compared to Q-FPAE-1.0-Cl) after 19 cycles of operation, but there was no effect on the power production due to counter ions in the binder (Cl -vs. HCO 3 -). The highest-performance cathodes (NAFION ® and Q-FPAE binders) had the lowest charge transfer resistances (R ct) in fresh and in fouled cathodes despite the presence of thick biofilms on the surface of the electrodes. These results show that fluorinated binders may decrease the penetration of the biofilm and associated biopolymers into the cathode structure, which helps to combat MFC performance loss over time. © 2012 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

The effects of minor elements in La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-δ cathodes on oxygen reduction reaction

Science.gov (United States)

Oishi, Junya; Otomo, Junichiro; Oshima, Yoshito; Koyama, Michihisa

2015-03-01

It is known that the minor elements affect the performance of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). In this study, we focus on the influence of minor elements on the SOFC cathode properties. The Ca, Ba, Al, and Si, which originate from raw materials and production processes for SOFC cathodes, are investigated as minor elements that may have effect on the properties of La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-δ (LSCF) cathode. To examine the effects of minor elements on the cathode properties, Ca, Ba, Al, and Si with a controlled concentration are added to the LSCF reference sample. Conductivity relaxation measurements are conducted to determine the chemical diffusion coefficient (Dchem) and surface exchange coefficient (ktr), which governs the overpotential characteristics of the LSCF cathode. The results show that Al and Si have negative effects on both Dchem and ktr while Ca and Ba do not alter Dchem and show weakly positive effects on ktr. The effects of Ca and Ba for the cathode properties are discussed on the basis of XPS measurements.

Magnetron sputtering system with an annual discharge zone and two cathode modules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Savich, V. A.; Yasyunas, A. A.; Kovrigo, V. M.; Kotov, D. A.; Shiripov, V. Ya.

2013-01-01

In this article, general discharge characteristics of a cylindrical magnetron sputtering system with an annual sputtering zone and a high target usage coefficient designed for transparent conducting coatings are shown. Two coupled DC-cathodes are used to improve coating uniformity. Radial sputtered material fluxes are being created. The engineered magnetic system is extremely balanced (G-factor is much higher than 2) and thus provides maximal effective operating power higher than 6 kW. The effectiveness of a magnetic trap results in a fast work cycle (less than 1.5 min) and a high target material usage coefficient (higher than 40%). A multipole magnetic field with null magnetic flux density zones lower target’s surface is being created. There is an influence between cathode modules despite mutual magnetic isolation, so magnetic conductors-shunts are used to weaken it. The magnetron can be used to sputter both metals and conducting ceramics (including ITO). (authors)

The study of the effect of Ba coverage through the accelerations lifetime of activated BaO/SrO cathodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hashim, A.A.; Ray, A.K.; Hassan, A.K.; Barratt, D.S.

2005-01-01

A novel type of BaO/SrO oxide cathode with 5% addition of Ni powder by weight on a Ni cap containing an activating impurity was studied. The conductivity and the electron activation energy were studied as a function of temperature in the range of 300-1200 K after conversion and activation of the cathode at 1200 K for 1 h. The experimental results yield three values for the activation energy of 1.49, 2.23 and 3.3 eV, which are close to BaO band structure parameters with a small shift due to the effect of other oxide components and metallic fraction additions. The experiments furthermore confirm that the current density of the cathode was enhanced at high temperature range with the long operation. The conduction mechanisms observed a metallic conduction at low temperature after operation for several 100 h due to improvements in the Ba coverage layer on the grains of oxide layer. Additionally, there appears a qualified conduction stability of the current density J = 10-45 mA cm -2 at the acceleration temperature range of 1100-1150 K under the duty of low voltage. The low voltage duty V = 30 mV is focused on the conduction electrons faraway from the emission electrons

Development and evaluation of carbon and binder loading in low-cost activated carbon cathodes for air-cathode microbial fuel cells

KAUST Repository

Wei, Bin; Tokash, Justin C.; Chen, Guang; Hickner, Michael A.; Logan, Bruce E.

2012-01-01

Activated carbon (AC) air cathodes were constructed using variable amounts of carbon (43-171 mg cm-2) and an inexpensive binder (10 wt% polytetrafluoroethylene, PTFE), and with or without a porous cloth wipe-based diffusion layer (DL) that was sealed with PDMS. The cathodes with the highest AC loading of 171 mg cm-2, and no diffusion layer, produced 1255 ± 75 mW m-2 and did not appreciably vary in performance after 1.5 months of operation. Slightly higher power densities were initially obtained using 100 mg cm-2 of AC (1310 ± 70 mW m-2) and a PDMS/wipe diffusion layer, although the performance of this cathode decreased to 1050 ± 70 mW m-2 after 1.5 months, and 1010 ± 190 mW m-2 after 5 months. AC loadings of 43 mg cm-2 and 100 mg cm-2 did not appreciably affect performance (with diffusion layers). MFCs with the Pt catalyst and Nafion binder initially produced 1295 ± 13 mW m-2, but the performance decreased to 930 ± 50 mW m -2 after 1.5 months, and then to 890 ± 20 mW m-2 after 5 months. Cathode performance was optimized for all cathodes by using the least amount of PTFE binder (10%, in tests using up to 40%). These results provide a method to construct cathodes for MFCs that use only inexpensive AC and a PTFE, while producing power densities similar to those of Pt/C cathodes. The methods used here to make these cathodes will enable further tests on carbon materials in order to optimize and extend the lifetime of AC cathodes in MFCs. © 2012 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

High Performance Fe-Co Based SOFC Cathodes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kammer Hansen, Kent; Hansen, Karin Vels; Mogensen, Mogens Bjerg

2010-01-01

With the aim of reducing the temperature of the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC), a new high-performance perovskite cathode has been developed. An area-specific resistance (ASR) as low as 0.12 Ωcm2 at 600 °C was measured by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) on symmetrical cells. The cathode...... is a composite between (Gd0.6Sr0.4)0.99Fe0.8Co0.2O3-δ (GSFC) and Ce0.9Gd0.1O1.95 (CGO10). Examination of the microstructure of the cathodes by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed a possibility of further optimisation of the microstructure in order to increase the performance of the cathodes. It also...... seems that an adjustment of the sintering temperature will make a lowering of the ASR value possible. The cathodes were compatible with ceria-based electrolytes but reacted to some extent with zirconia-based electrolytes depending on the sintering temperature....

Manganese Dioxide As Rechargeable Magnesium Battery Cathode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ling, Chen; Zhang, Ruigang

2017-01-01

Rechargeable magnesium battery (rMB) has received increased attention as a promising alternative to current Li-ion technology. However, the lack of appropriate cathode that provides high-energy density and good sustainability greatly hinders the development of practical rMBs. To date, the successful Mg 2+ -intercalation was only achieved in only a few cathode hosts, one of which is manganese dioxide. This review summarizes the research activity of studying MnO 2 in magnesium cells. In recent years, the cathodic performance of MnO 2 was impressively improved to the capacity of >150–200 mAh g −1 at voltage of 2.6–2.8 V with cyclability to hundreds or more cycles. In addition to reviewing electrochemical performance, we sketch a mechanistic picture to show how the fundamental understanding about MnO 2 cathode has been changed and how it paved the road to the improvement of cathode performance.

Manganese Dioxide As Rechargeable Magnesium Battery Cathode

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ling, Chen, E-mail: chen.ling@toyota.com; Zhang, Ruigang [Toyota Research Institute of North America, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)

2017-11-03

Rechargeable magnesium battery (rMB) has received increased attention as a promising alternative to current Li-ion technology. However, the lack of appropriate cathode that provides high-energy density and good sustainability greatly hinders the development of practical rMBs. To date, the successful Mg{sup 2+}-intercalation was only achieved in only a few cathode hosts, one of which is manganese dioxide. This review summarizes the research activity of studying MnO{sub 2} in magnesium cells. In recent years, the cathodic performance of MnO{sub 2} was impressively improved to the capacity of >150–200 mAh g{sup −1} at voltage of 2.6–2.8 V with cyclability to hundreds or more cycles. In addition to reviewing electrochemical performance, we sketch a mechanistic picture to show how the fundamental understanding about MnO{sub 2} cathode has been changed and how it paved the road to the improvement of cathode performance.

Enhanced Activated Carbon Cathode Performance for Microbial Fuel Cell by Blending Carbon Black

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Xiaoyuan; Xia, Xue; Ivanov, Ivan; Huang, Xia; Logan, Bruce E.

2014-01-01

Activated carbon (AC) is a useful and environmentally sustainable catalyst for oxygen reduction in air-cathode microbial fuel cells (MFCs), but there is great interest in improving its performance and longevity. To enhance the performance of AC cathodes, carbon black (CB) was added into AC at CB:AC ratios of 0, 2, 5, 10, and 15 wt % to increase electrical conductivity and facilitate electron transfer. AC cathodes were then evaluated in both MFCs and electrochemical cells and compared to reactors with cathodes made with Pt. Maximum power densities of MFCs were increased by 9-16% with CB compared to the plain AC in the first week. The optimal CB:AC ratio was 10% based on both MFC polarization tests and three electrode electrochemical tests. The maximum power density of the 10% CB cathode was initially 1560 ± 40 mW/m2 and decreased by only 7% after 5 months of operation compared to a 61% decrease for the control (Pt catalyst, 570 ± 30 mW/m2 after 5 months). The catalytic activities of Pt and AC (plain or with 10% CB) were further examined in rotating disk electrode (RDE) tests that minimized mass transfer limitations. The RDE tests showed that the limiting current of the AC with 10% CB was improved by up to 21% primarily due to a decrease in charge transfer resistance (25%). These results show that blending CB in AC is a simple and effective strategy to enhance AC cathode performance in MFCs and that further improvement in performance could be obtained by reducing mass transfer limitations. © 2014 American Chemical Society.

Enhanced Activated Carbon Cathode Performance for Microbial Fuel Cell by Blending Carbon Black

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Xiaoyuan

2014-02-04

Activated carbon (AC) is a useful and environmentally sustainable catalyst for oxygen reduction in air-cathode microbial fuel cells (MFCs), but there is great interest in improving its performance and longevity. To enhance the performance of AC cathodes, carbon black (CB) was added into AC at CB:AC ratios of 0, 2, 5, 10, and 15 wt % to increase electrical conductivity and facilitate electron transfer. AC cathodes were then evaluated in both MFCs and electrochemical cells and compared to reactors with cathodes made with Pt. Maximum power densities of MFCs were increased by 9-16% with CB compared to the plain AC in the first week. The optimal CB:AC ratio was 10% based on both MFC polarization tests and three electrode electrochemical tests. The maximum power density of the 10% CB cathode was initially 1560 ± 40 mW/m2 and decreased by only 7% after 5 months of operation compared to a 61% decrease for the control (Pt catalyst, 570 ± 30 mW/m2 after 5 months). The catalytic activities of Pt and AC (plain or with 10% CB) were further examined in rotating disk electrode (RDE) tests that minimized mass transfer limitations. The RDE tests showed that the limiting current of the AC with 10% CB was improved by up to 21% primarily due to a decrease in charge transfer resistance (25%). These results show that blending CB in AC is a simple and effective strategy to enhance AC cathode performance in MFCs and that further improvement in performance could be obtained by reducing mass transfer limitations. © 2014 American Chemical Society.

Progress of air-breathing cathode in microbial fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zejie; Mahadevan, Gurumurthy Dummi; Wu, Yicheng; Zhao, Feng

2017-07-01

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) is an emerging technology to produce green energy and vanquish the effects of environmental contaminants. Cathodic reactions are vital for high electrical power density generated from MFCs. Recently tremendous attentions were paid towards developing high performance air-breathing cathodes. A typical air-breathing cathode comprises of electrode substrate, catalyst layer, and air-diffusion layer. Prior researches demonstrated that each component influenced the performance of air-breathing cathode MFCs. This review summarized the progress in development of the individual component and elaborated main factors to the performance of air-breathing cathode.

Joule heat generation in thermionic cathodes of high-pressure arc discharges

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Benilov, M. S.; Cunha, M. D. [Departamento de Fisica, CCCEE, Universidade da Madeira, Largo do Municipio, 9000 Funchal (Portugal)

2013-02-14

The nonlinear surface heating model of plasma-cathode interaction in high-pressure arcs is extended to take into account the Joule effect inside the cathode body. Calculation results are given for different modes of current transfer to tungsten cathodes of different configurations in argon plasmas of atmospheric or higher pressures. Special attention is paid to analysis of energy balances of the cathode and the near-cathode plasma layer. In all the cases, the variation of potential inside the cathode is much smaller than the near-cathode voltage drop. However, this variation can be comparable to the volt equivalent of the energy flux from the plasma to the cathode and then the Joule effect is essential. Such is the case of the diffuse and mixed modes on rod cathodes at high currents, where the Joule heating causes a dramatic change of thermal and electrical regimes of the cathode. The Joule heating has virtually no effect over characteristics of spots on rod and infinite planar cathodes.

Electrically Conductive and Protective Coating for Planar SOFC Stacks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choi, Jung-Pyung; Stevenson, Jeffry W.

2017-12-04

Ferritic stainless steels are preferred interconnect materials for intermediate temperature SOFCs because of their resistance to oxidation, high formability and low cost. However, their protective oxide layer produces Cr-containing volatile species at SOFC operating temperatures and conditions, which can cause cathode poisoning. Electrically conducting spinel coatings have been developed to prevent cathode poisoning and to maintain an electrically conductive pathway through SOFC stacks. However, this coating is not compatible with the formation of stable, hermetic seals between the interconnect frame component and the ceramic cell. Thus, a new aluminizing process has been developed by PNNL to enable durable sealing, prevent Cr evaporation, and maintain electrical insulation between stack repeat units. Hence, two different types of coating need to have stable operation of SOFC stacks. This paper will focus on the electrically conductive coating process. Moreover, an advanced coating process, compatible with a non-electrically conductive coating will be

Mechanism of chromium poisoning the conventional cathode material for solid oxide fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiaoqiang; Yu, Guangsen; Zeng, Shumao; Parbey, Joseph; Xiao, Shuhao; Li, Baihai; Li, Tingshuai; Andersson, Martin

2018-03-01

Chromium poisoning the La0.875Sr0.125MnO3 (LSM) cathode for solid oxide fuel cells is a critical issue that can strongly affect the stability. In this study, we evaluate the temperature distribution in a SOFC based on a 3D model and then combine conductivity test and material computation to reveal the effects of chromium in SUS430 stainless steels on LSM conductivities. The starch concentration in LSM pellets and the applied pressure on the contact with interconnect materials show close relationships with the chromium poisoning behavior. The density functional theory (DFT) computing results indicate that chromium atoms preferably adsorb on the MnO2-terminated and La (Sr)-O-terminated (001) surfaces. The resulting conclusions are expected to deeply understand mechanism of chromium deactivating conventional cathodes at some typical operational conditions, and offer crucial information to optimize the structure to avoid the poisoning effect.

Using cathode spacers to minimize reactor size in air cathode microbial fuel cells

KAUST Repository

Yang, Qiao

2012-04-01

Scaling up microbial fuel cells (MFCs) will require more compact reactor designs. Spacers can be used to minimize the reactor size without adversely affecting performance. A single 1.5mm expanded plastic spacer (S1.5) produced a maximum power density (973±26mWm -2) that was similar to that of an MFC with the cathode exposed directly to air (no spacer). However, a very thin spacer (1.3mm) reduced power by 33%. Completely covering the air cathode with a solid plate did not eliminate power generation, indicating oxygen leakage into the reactor. The S1.5 spacer slightly increased columbic efficiencies (from 20% to 24%) as a result of reduced oxygen transfer into the system. Based on operating conditions (1000ς, CE=20%), it was estimated that 0.9Lh -1 of air would be needed for 1m 2 of cathode area suggesting active air flow may be needed for larger scale MFCs. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.

Investigation of the Effects of Cathode Flow Fraction and Position on the Performance and Operation of the High Voltage Hall Accelerator

Science.gov (United States)

Kamhawi, Hani; Huang, Wensheng; Haag, Thomas

2014-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Science Mission Directorate In- Space Propulsion Technology office is sponsoring NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) to develop a 4 kW-class Hall thruster propulsion system for implementation in NASA science missions. Tests were performed within NASA GRC Vacuum Facility 5 at background pressure levels that were six times lower than what has previously been attained in other vacuum facilities. A study was conducted to assess the impact of varying the cathode-to-anode flow fraction and cathode position on the performance and operational characteristics of the High Voltage Hall Accelerator (HiVHAc) thruster. In addition, the impact of injecting additional xenon propellant in the vicinity of the cathode was also assessed. Cathode-to-anode flow fraction sensitivity tests were performed for power levels between 1.0 and 3.9 kW. It was found that varying the cathode flow fraction from 5 to approximately 10% of the anode flow resulted in the cathode-to-ground voltage becoming more positive. For an operating condition of 3.8 kW and 500 V, varying the cathode position from a distance of closest approach to 600 mm away did not result in any substantial variation in thrust but resulted in the cathode-to-ground changing from -17 to -4 V. The change in the cathode-to-ground voltage along with visual observations indicated a change in how the cathode plume was coupling to the thruster discharge. Finally, the injection of secondary xenon flow in the vicinity of the cathode had an impact similar to increasing the cathode-to-anode flow fraction, where the cathode-to-ground voltage became more positive and discharge current and thrust increased slightly. Future tests of the HiVHAc thruster are planned with a centrally mounted cathode in order to further assess the impact of cathode position on thruster performance.

Polymer coatings as separator layers for microbial fuel cell cathodes

KAUST Repository

Watson, Valerie J.

2011-03-01

Membrane separators reduce oxygen flux from the cathode into the anolyte in microbial fuel cells (MFCs), but water accumulation and pH gradients between the separator and cathode reduces performance. Air cathodes were spray-coated (water-facing side) with anion exchange, cation exchange, and neutral polymer coatings of different thicknesses to incorporate the separator into the cathode. The anion exchange polymer coating resulted in greater power density (1167 ± 135 mW m-2) than a cation exchange coating (439 ± 2 mW m-2). This power output was similar to that produced by a Nafion-coated cathode (1114 ± 174 mW m-2), and slightly lower than the uncoated cathode (1384 ± 82 mW m-2). Thicker coatings reduced oxygen diffusion into the electrolyte and increased coulombic efficiency (CE = 56-64%) relative to an uncoated cathode (29 ± 8%), but decreased power production (255-574 mW m-2). Electrochemical characterization of the cathodes ex situ to the MFC showed that the cathodes with the lowest charge transfer resistance and the highest oxygen reduction activity produced the most power in MFC tests. The results on hydrophilic cathode separator layers revealed a trade off between power and CE. Cathodes coated with a thin coating of anion exchange polymer show promise for controlling oxygen transfer while minimally affecting power production. © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

SmBaCoCuO5+x as cathode material based on GDC electrolyte for intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lue Shiquan; Long, Guohui; Ji Yuan; Meng Xiangwei; Zhao Hongyuan; Sun Cuicui

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → We synthesize a new kind of layered perovskite SmBaCoCuO 5+x (SBCCO) as a cathode material of a solid oxide fuel cell. → There are some reports on the performance of cathodes in proton-conducting SOFCs based on BaCe 0.8 Sm 0.2 O 3-δ electrolyte. → However, to the best of our knowledge, the performance of SBCCO cathodes in oxygen-ion conducting SOFCs has not been reported to date. → In this work, the ceramic powder SBCCO is examined as a cathode for IT-SOFCs based on Ce 0.9 Gd 0.1 O 1.95 (GDC) electrolyte. - Abstract: The performance of SmBaCoCuO 5+x (SBCCO) cathode has been investigated for their potential utilization in intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs). The powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermal expansion and electrochemical performance on Ce 0.9 Gd 0.1 O 1.95 (GDC) electrolyte are evaluated. XRD results show that there is no chemical reaction between SBCCO cathode and GDC electrolyte when the temperature is below 950 o C. The thermal expansion coefficient (TEC) value of SBCCO is 15.53 x 10 -6 K -1 , which is ∼23% lower than the TEC of the SmBaCo 2 O 5+x (SBCO) sample. The electrochemical impedance spectra reveals that SBCCO symmetrical half-cells by sintering at 950 deg. C has the best electrochemical performance and the area specific resistance (ASR) of SBCCO cathode is as low as 0.086 Ω cm 2 at 800 o C. An electrolyte-supported fuel cell generates good performance with the maximum power density of 517 mW cm -2 at 800 deg. C in H 2 . Preliminary results indicate that SBCCO is promising as a cathode for IT-SOFCs.

2013 Estorm - Invited Paper - Cathode Materials Review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Daniel, Claus [ORNL; Mohanty, Debasish [ORNL; Li, Jianlin [ORNL; Wood III, David L [ORNL

2014-01-01

The electrochemical potential of cathode materials defines the positive side of the terminal voltage of a battery. Traditionally, cathode materials are the energy-limiting or voltage-limiting electrode. One of the first electrochemical batteries, the voltaic pile invented by Alessandro Volta in 1800 (Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. 90, 403 431) had a copper-zinc galvanic element with a terminal voltage of 0.76 V. Since then, the research community has increased capacity and voltage for primary (nonrechargeable) batteries and round-trip efficiency for secondary (rechargeable) batteries. Successful secondary batteries have been the lead acid with a lead oxide cathode and a terminal voltage of 2.1 V and later the NiCd with a nickel(III) oxide hydroxide cathode and a 1.2 V terminal voltage. The relatively low voltage of those aqueous systems and the low round-trip efficiency due to activation energies in the conversion reactions limited their use. In 1976, Wittingham (J. Electrochem. Soc., 123, 315) and Besenhard (J Power Sources 1(3), 267) finally enabled highly reversible redox reactions by intercalation of lithium ions instead of by chemical conversion. In 1980, Goodenough and Mizushima (Mater. Res. Bull. 15, 783 789) demonstrated a high-energy and high-power LiCoO2 cathode, allowing for an increase of terminal voltage far beyond 3 V. Over the past four decades, the international research community has further developed cathode materials of many varieties. Current state-of-the-art cathodes demonstrate voltages beyond any known electrolyte stability window, bringing electrolyte research once again to the forefront of battery research.

Measuring current emission and work functions of large thermionic cathodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fortgang, C.M.

2001-01-01

As one component of the nations Stockpile Stewardship program, Los Alamos National Laboratory is constructing a 20 MeV, 2 kA (with a 4 kA upgrade capability), 3ps induction linac for doing x-ray radiography of explosive devices. The linac is one leg of a facility called the Dual-Axis Radiography Hydrodynamic Test Facility (DARHT). The electron gun is designed to operate at 3.2 MV. The gun is a Pierce type design and uses a 6.5' cathode for 2 kA operation and an 8' cathode for 4 kA operation. We have constructed a small facility called the Cathode Test Stand (CTS) to investigate engineering and physics issues regarding large thermionic dispenser-cathodes. In particular, we have looked at the issues of temperature uniformity on the cathode surface and cathode quality as measured by its work function. We have done thermal imaging of both 8' and 6.5' cathodes. Here we report on measurements of the cathode work function, both the average value and how it vanes across the face of the cathode.

Hollow Cathode Assembly Development for the HERMeS Hall Thruster

Science.gov (United States)

Sarver-Verhey, Timothy R.; Kamhawi, Hani; Goebel, Dan M.; Polk, James E.; Peterson, Peter Y.; Robinson, Dale A.

2016-01-01

To support the operation of the HERMeS 12.5 kW Hall Thruster for NASA's Asteroid Redirect Robotic Mission, hollow cathodes using emitters based on barium oxide impregnate and lanthanum hexaboride are being evaluated through wear-testing, performance characterization, plasma modeling, and review of integration requirements. This presentation will present the development approach used to assess the cathode emitter options. A 2,000-hour wear-test of development model Barium Oxide (BaO) hollow cathode is being performed as part of the development plan. Specifically this test is to identify potential impacts cathode emitter life during operation in the HERMeS thruster. The cathode was operated with a magnetic field-equipped anode that simulates the HERMeS hall thruster operating environment. Cathode discharge performance has been stable with the device accumulating 743 hours at the time of this report. Observed voltage changes are attributed to keeper surface condition changes during testing. Cathode behavior during characterization sweeps exhibited stable behavior, including cathode temperature. The details of the cathode assembly operation of the wear-test will be presented.

The Impact of Strong Cathodic Polarization on SOC Electrolyte Materials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kreka, Kosova; Hansen, Karin Vels; Jacobsen, Torben

2016-01-01

One of the most promising reversible energy conversion/storage technologies is that of Solid Oxide Fuel/Electrolysis Cells (SOFC/SOEC, collectively termed SOC). Long term durability is typically required for such devises to become economically feasible, hence considerable amount of work has...... of impurities at the grain boundaries, electrode poisoning, delamination or cracks of the electrolyte etc., have been observed in cells operated at such conditions, lowering the lifetime of the cell1,2. High polarizations are observed at the electrolyte/cathode interface of an electrolysis cell operated at high...... current density. In case of a cell voltage above 1.6 V, p-type and n-type electronic conductivity are often observed at the anode and cathode respectively3. Hence, a considerable part of the current is lost as leakage through the electrolyte, thus lowering the efficiency of the cell considerably....

Magnetically insulated coaxial vacuum diode with partial space-charge-limited explosive emission from edge-type cathode

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Belomyttsev, S. Ya.; Rostov, V. V.; Romanchenko, I. V. [Institute of High Current Electronics SB RAS, 2/3 Akademichesky Avenue, 634055 Tomsk (Russian Federation); Shunailov, S. A.; Sharypov, K. A.; Shpak, V. G.; Ulmaskulov, M. R. [Institute of Electrophysics UB RAS, 106 Amundsen Str., 620016 Ekaterinburg (Russian Federation); Kolomiets, M. D. [Ural Federal University, 19 Mira Str., 620002 Ekaterinburg (Russian Federation); Mesyats, G. A. [P. N. Lebedev Physical Institute, RAS, 53 Lenin Avenue, 119991 Moscow (Russian Federation); Yalandin, M. I. [Institute of Electrophysics UB RAS, 106 Amundsen Str., 620016 Ekaterinburg (Russian Federation); P. N. Lebedev Physical Institute, RAS, 53 Lenin Avenue, 119991 Moscow (Russian Federation)

2016-01-14

The vacuum current associated with any type of electron emission for arbitrary configuration of the diode depends on the combination of the applied electric field and vacuum space charge (VSC) field created by the current. Such fundamental statement should give very close links between the diode current and the normalized cathode field θ which has been introduced by Forbes in 2008 for planar diodes as a reduction in the cathode surface field: θ = field-with/field-without VSC. This article reports the universal approximation of the type of cos(πθ/2) that is the ratio of the actual current and the fully space-charge-limited current. Also, the theoretical treatment and the experimental method of determination of the dynamic emissive characteristics of the macroscopic explosive emission from edge-type cathodes in the coaxial diode are developed. The experimental results obtained with a picosecond time reference between the cathode voltage and the onset of the high-current electron beam exhibit a good coincidence with the theoretical predictions. The presented methods enable the analysis of a real-time-resolved dynamics associated with the dense, magnetized electron beam formation, acceleration and drift motion, including kinematic effects and the phase-stable excitation of high-power microwave oscillators.

RF Electron Gun with Driven Plasma Cathode

CERN Document Server

Khodak, Igor

2005-01-01

It's known that RF guns with plasma cathodes based on solid-state dielectrics are able to generate an intense electron beam. In this paper we describe results of experimental investigation of the single cavity S-band RF gun with driven plasma cathode. The experimental sample of the cathode based on ferroelectric ceramics has been designed. Special design of the cathode permits to separate spatially processes of plasma development and electron acceleration. It has been obtained at RF gun output electron beam with particle energy ~500 keV, pulse current of 4 A and pulse duration of 80 ns. Results of experimental study of beam parameters are referred in. The gun is purposed to be applied as the intense electron beam source for electron linacs.

A Transient Model for Fuel Cell Cathode-Water Propagation Behavior inside a Cathode after a Step Potential

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Der-Sheng Chan

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Most of the voltage losses of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC are due to the sluggish kinetics of oxygen reduction on the cathode and the low oxygen diffusion rate inside the flooded cathode. To simulate the transient flooding in the cathode of a PEMFC, a transient model was developed. This model includes the material conservation of oxygen, vapor, water inside the gas diffusion layer (GDL and micro-porous layer (MPL, and the electrode kinetics in the cathode catalyst layer (CL. The variation of hydrophobicity of each layer generated a wicking effect that moves water from one layer to the other. Since the GDL, MPL, and CL are made of composite materials with different hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties, a linear function of saturation was used to calculate the wetting contact angle of these composite materials. The balance among capillary force, gas/liquid pressure, and velocity of water in each layer was considered. Therefore, the dynamic behavior of PEMFC, with saturation transportation taken into account, was obtained in this study. A step change of the cell voltage was used to illustrate the transient phenomena of output current, water movement, and diffusion of oxygen and water vapor across the entire cathode.

Cathode erosion in high-current high-pressure arc

CERN Document Server

Nemchinsky, V A

2003-01-01

Cathode erosion rate was experimentally investigated for two types of arcs: one with tungsten cathode in nitrogen atmosphere and one with hafnium cathode in oxygen atmosphere. Conditions were typical for plasma arc cutting systems: gas pressure from 2 to 5 atm, arc current from 200 to 400 A, gas flow rate from 50 to 130 litre min sup - sup 1. It was found that the actual cathode evaporation rate G is much lower than G sub 0 , the evaporation rate that follows from the Hertz-Knudsen formula: G = nu G sub 0. The difference is because some of the evaporated particles return back to the cathode. For conditions of our experiments, the factor nu could be as low as 0.01. It was shown experimentally that nu depends strongly on the gas flow pattern close to the cathode. In particular, swirling the gas increases nu many times. To explain the influence of gas swirling, model calculations of gas flows were performed. These calculations revealed difference between swirling and non-swirling flows: swirling the gas enhances...

Structured electron beams from nano-engineered cathodes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lueangaramwong, A. [NICADD, DeKalb; Mihalcea, D. [NICADD, DeKalb; Andonian, G. [RadiaBeam Tech.; Piot, P. [Fermilab

2017-03-07

The ability to engineer cathodes at the nano-scale have open new possibilities such as enhancing quantum eciency via surface-plasmon excitation, forming ultra-low-emittance beams, or producing structured electron beams. In this paper we present numerical investigations of the beam dynamics associated to this class of cathode in the weak- and strong-field regimes.We finally discuss the possible applications of some of the achievable cathode patterns when coupled with other phase space manipulations.

Small polaron hopping conduction mechanism in LiFePO4 glass and crystal

Science.gov (United States)

Banday, Azeem; Murugavel, Sevi

2017-01-01

The optimization of a cathode material is the most important criterion of lithium ion battery technology, which decides the power density. In order to improve the rate capability, a cathode material must possess high electronic and ionic conductivities. Therefore, it is important to understand the charge transport mechanism in such an advanced cathode material in its intrinsic state before modifying it by various means. In this work, we report the thermal, structural, and electrical conductivity studies on lithium iron phosphate, LiFePO4, both in its polycrystalline (LFPC) and glassy (LFPG) counterpart states. The vibrational spectroscopic measurements reveal the characteristic vibrational modes, which are the intrinsic part of LFPC, whereas in LFPG, the phonon modes become broader and overlap with each other due to the lattice disorder. The electrical conductivity measurements reveal that LFPG exhibits a higher polaronic conductivity of 1.6 orders than the LFPC sample. The temperature dependent dc conductivity has been analyzed with the Mott model of polarons and reveals the origin of enhanced polaronic conductivity in LFPG. Based on the analysis, the enhanced polaronic conductivity in LFPG has been attributed to the combined effect of reduced hopping length, decreased activation energy, and enhanced polaron concentration.

Highly Graphitic Carbon Nanofibers Web as a Cathode Material for Lithium Oxygen Batteries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hyungkyu Han

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The lithium oxygen battery is a promising energy storage system due to its high theoretical energy density and ability to use oxygen from air as a “fuel”. Although various carbonaceous materials have been widely used as a cathode material due to their high electronic conductivity and facial processability, previous studies mainly focused on the electrochemical properties associated with the materials (such as graphene and carbon nanotubes and the electrode configuration. Recent reports demonstrated that the polarization associated with cycling could be significantly increased by lithium carbonates generated from the reaction between the carbon cathode and an electrolyte, which indicates that the physicochemical properties of the carbon cathode could play an important role on the electrochemical performances. However, there is no systematic study to understand these phenomena. Here, we systematically explore the electrochemical properties of carbon nanofibers (CNF webs with different graphitization degree as a cathode for Li oxygen batteries. The physicochemical properties and electrochemical properties of CNF webs were carefully monitored before and after cycling. CNF webs are prepared at 1000, 1200 and 1400 °C. CNF web pyrolyzed at 1400 °C shows lowered polarization and improved cycle retention compared to those of CNF webs pyrolyzed at 1000 and 1200 °C.

1 ms pulse beam generation and acceleration by photo-cathode RF gun

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watanabe, Ken; Hayano, Hitoshi; Urakawa, Jyunji

2012-01-01

We report successful generation of 1 ms long pulse and multi-bunch electron beam by a normal conducting photo-cathode RF gun at KEK-STF (Superconducting accelerator Test Facility). The 1 ms long Pulse beam generated by the RF gun is delivered to the injection line to examine stable acceleration and precise RF control. The 1 ms pulse beam is also used to demonstrate high brightness X-ray generation by inverse laser Compton scattering which will be also carried out at STF, supported by MEXT Quantum Beam project. The RF gun cavity has been fabricated by DESY-FNAL-KEK collaboration. Performing high power RF process and ethanol rinse to the cavity, a stable operation of the cavity up to 4.0 MW RF input power with ∼1 ms pulse length was achieved by keeping even low dark current. The beam generation test has been started since February 2012, 1 ms pulse was generated in March 2012. We explain about the STF injector and report the basic property of this 1 ms beam generation. (author)

High power coupler issues in normal conducting and superconducting accelerator applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matsumoto, H. [High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki (Japan)

2001-02-01

The ceramic material (Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}) commonly used for the klystron output coupler in normal conducting, and for an input coupler to superconducting cavities is one of the most troublesome parts in accelerator applications. But the performance can be improved very much by starting with high purity (>99.9%) alumina powder of controlled grain-size (0.1-0.5-{mu}m), and reducing the magnesium (Mg) sintering-binder to lower the dielectric loss to the order of 10{sup -4} at S-band frequencies. It has been confirmed that the new ceramic can stand a peak S-band frequency rf power of up to 300 MW and 2.5 {mu}sec pulse width. (author)

Plasma-induced field emission study of carbon nanotube cathode

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yi Shen

2011-10-01

Full Text Available An investigation on the plasma-induced field emission (PFE properties of a large area carbon nanotube (CNT cathode on a 2 MeV linear induction accelerator injector is presented. Experimental results show that the cathode is able to emit intense electron beams. Intense electron beams of 14.9–127.8  A/cm^{2} are obtained from the cathode. The CNT cathode desorbs gases from the CNTs during the PFE process. The fast cathode plasma expansion affects the diode perveance. The amount of outgassing is estimated to be 0.06–0.49  Pa·L, and the ratio of outgassing and electron are roughly calculated to be within the range of 170–350 atoms per electron. The effect of the outgassing is analyzed, and the outgassing mass spectrum of the CNT cathode has been studied during the PFE. There is a significant desorption of CO_{2}, N_{2}(CO, and H_{2} gases, which plays an important role during the PFE process. All the experiments demonstrate that the outgassing plays an important role in the formation of the cathode plasma. Moreover, the characteristic turn-on time of the CNT cathode was measured to be 39 ns.

Cathode refunctionalization as a lithium ion battery recycling alternative

Science.gov (United States)

Ganter, Matthew J.; Landi, Brian J.; Babbitt, Callie W.; Anctil, Annick; Gaustad, Gabrielle

2014-06-01

An approach to battery end-of-life (EOL) management is developed involving cathode refunctionalization, which enables remanufacturing of the cathode from EOL materials to regain the electrochemical performance. To date, the optimal end-of-life management of cathode materials is based on economic value and environmental impact which can influence the methods and stage of recycling. Traditional recycling methods can recover high value metal elements (e.g. Li, Co, Ni), but still require synthesis of new cathode from a mix of virgin and recovered materials. Lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) has been selected for study as a representative cathode material due to recent mass adoption and limited economic recycling drivers due to the low inherent cost of iron. Refunctionalization of EOL LiFePO4 cathode was demonstrated through electrochemical and chemical lithiation methods where the re-lithiated LiFePO4 regained the original capacity of 150-155 mAh g-1. The environmental impact of the new recycling technique was determined by comparing the embodied energy of cathode material originating from virgin, recycled, and refunctionalized materials. The results demonstrate that the LiFePO4 refunctionalization process, through chemical lithiation, decreases the embodied energy by 50% compared to cathode production from virgin materials.

Surface Characterization of the LCLS RF Gun Cathode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brachmann, Axel; Decker, Franz-Josef; Ding, Yuantao; Dowell, David; Emma, Paul; Frisch, Josef; Gilevich, Sasha; Hays, Gregory; Hering, Philippe; Huang, Zhirong; Iverson, Richard; Loos, Henrik; Miahnahri, Alan; Nordlund, Dennis; Nuhn, Heinz-Dieter; Pianetta, Piero; Turner, James; Welch, James; White, William; Wu, Juhao; Xiang, Dao

2012-01-01

The first copper cathode installed in the LCLS RF gun was used during LCLS commissioning for more than a year. However, after high charge operation (> 500 pC), the cathode showed a decline of quantum efficiency within the area of drive laser illumination. They report results of SEM, XPS and XAS studies that were carried out on this cathode after it was removed from the gun. X-ray absorption and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveal surface contamination by various hydrocarbon compounds. In addition they report on the performance of the second installed cathode with emphasis on the spatial distribution of electron emission.

Cathode protection for underground steel tanks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Angelovski, Zoran

1998-01-01

Cathodic protection of underground petroleum storage tanks and piping systems is acceptable for both economic and ecological reasons. With out the cathodic protection of underground steel reservoirs, short time after the exploitation, there was a bore as a result of underground corrosion. The bore causes ecological consequences and at the same time its repair needs big investments. Furthermore, there are great number of tanks placed near cities, so in the future this problem needs a special attention in order to preserve ecological surrounding. The topic of this paper is underground corrosion as well as cathodic protection of steel tanks for oil derivatives storage. (author)

A Simple Surface Modification of NiO Cathode with TiO2 Nano-Particles for Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells (MCFCs)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Hee Seon; Kim, Keon; Yi, Cheolwoo

2014-01-01

The TiO 2 -modified Ni powders, prepared by the simple method (ball-milling and subsequent annealing) without resorting to any complex coating process, eventually form nickel titanate passive layer at high temperature. It as good corrosion resistance in molten carbonates media and higher electrical conductivity at high temperature. In addition, the modified cathode increases the degree of lithiation during the operation of MCFC. These positive effects provide a decrease in the internal resistance and improve the cell performance. Results obtained from this study can be applied to develop the surface modification of cathode materials and the performance of molten carbonate fuel cells. Molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFCs) are efficient energy conversion devices to convert chemical energy into electrical energy through the electrochemical reaction. Because of a lot of advantages of MCFC operated at high temperature, many researchers have been trying to apply it to large-scaled power generations, marine boats, and so on. Among various cathode materials, nickel oxide, NiO, is the most widely used cathode for MCFCs due to its stability and high electrical conductivity, but the degradation of cathode material, so-called NiO dissolution, prevents a long-term operation of MCFC. In order to overcome the drawback, numerous studies have been performed. One of the most useful ways to enhance the surface property and maintain the bulk property of the host materials is the surface modification. The most common modification method is coating and these coating procedures which need some complicated steps with the use of organic materials, but it restricts the large-scale fabrication. In this study, to improve the electrochemical performance, we have prepared an alternative MCFC cathode material, TiO 2 -modified NiO, by simple method without resorting to any complex coating process. Results obtained in this study can provide an effective way to mass-produce the cathode materials

Study of the hollow cathode plasma electron-gun

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Yonghui; Jiang Jinsheng; Chang Anbi

2003-01-01

For developing a novel high-current, long pulse width electron source, the theoretics and mechanism of the hollow cathode plasma electron-gun are analyzed in detail in this paper, the structure and the physical process of hollow cathode plasma electron-gun are also studied. This gun overcomes the limitations of most high-power microwave tubes, which employ either thermionic cathodes that produce low current-density beams because of the limitation of the space charge, or field-emission cathodes that offer high current density but provide only short pulse width because of plasma closure of the accelerating gap. In the theories studying on hollow cathode plasma electron-gun, the characteristic of the hollow-cathode discharge is introduced, the action during the forming of plasma of the stimulating electrode and the modulating anode are discussed, the movement of electrons and ions and the primary parameters are analyzed, and the formulas of the electric field, beam current density and the stabilization conditions of the beam current are also presented in this paper. The numerical simulation is carried out based on Poisson's equation, and the equations of current continuity and movement. And the optimized result is reported. On this basis, we have designed a hollow-cathode-plasma electron-gun, whose output pulse current is 2 kA, and pulse width is 1 microsecond

Experimental study of cathodic protection of concrete from a 30 year old bridge

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Polder, R.B.; Nerland, O.C.

1998-01-01

An experimental study of cathodic protection (CP) was carried out with a conductive primer anode applied to specimens from a concrete bridge. The bridge was demolished after 30 years of service due to severe delaminations and reinforcement corrosion. Four specimens of approximately 1 m2 each were

Pre-acclimation of a wastewater inoculum to cellulose in an aqueous–cathode MEC improves power generation in air–cathode MFCs

KAUST Repository

Cheng, Shaoan

2011-01-01

Cellulose has been used in two-chamber microbial fuel cells (MFCs), but power densities were low. Higher power densities can be achieved in air-cathode MFCs using an inoculum from a two-chamber, aqueous-cathode microbial electrolysis cell (MEC). Air-cathode MFCs with this inoculum produced maximum power densities of 1070mWm-2 (cathode surface area) in single-chamber and 880mWm-2 in two-chamber MFCs. Coulombic efficiencies ranged from 25% to 50%, and COD removals were 50-70% based on total cellulose removals of 60-80%. Decreasing the reactor volume from 26 to 14mL (while maintaining constant electrode spacing) decreased power output by 66% (from 526 to 180mWm-2) due to a reduction in total mass of cellulose added. These results demonstrate that air-cathode MFCs can produce high power densities with cellulose following proper acclimation of the inoculum, and that organic loading rates are important for maximizing power densities from particulate substrates. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd.

New Cathode Materials for Intermediate Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Allan J. Jacobson

2006-09-30

Operation of SOFCs at intermediate temperatures (500-800 C) requires new combinations of electrolyte and electrode materials that will provide both rapid ion transport across the electrolyte and electrode-electrolyte interfaces and efficient electrocatalysis of the oxygen reduction and fuel oxidation reactions. This project concentrates on materials and issues associated with cathode performance that are known to become limiting factors as the operating temperature is reduced. The specific objectives of the proposed research are to develop cathode materials that meet the electrode performance targets of 1.0 W/cm{sup 2} at 0.7 V in combination with YSZ at 700 C and with GDC, LSGM or bismuth oxide based electrolytes at 600 C. The performance targets imply an area specific resistance of {approx}0.5 {Omega}cm{sup 2} for the total cell. The research strategy is to investigate both established classes of materials and new candidates as cathodes, to determine fundamental performance parameters such as bulk diffusion, surface reactivity and interfacial transfer, and to couple these parameters to performance in single cell tests. The initial choices for study were perovskite oxides based on substituted LaFeO{sub 3} (P1 compositions), where significant data in single cell tests exist at PNNL for example, for La{sub 0.8}Sr{sub 0.2}FeO{sub 3} cathodes on both YSZ and CSO/YSZ. The materials selection was then extended to La{sub 2}NiO{sub 4} compositions (K1 compositions), and then in a longer range task we evaluated the possibility of completely unexplored group of materials that are also perovskite related, the ABM{sub 2}O{sub 5+{delta}}. A key component of the research strategy was to evaluate for each cathode material composition, the key performance parameters, including ionic and electronic conductivity, surface exchange rates, stability with respect to the specific electrolyte choice, and thermal expansion coefficients. In the initial phase, we did this in parallel with

Development of a high-performance composite cathode for LT-SOFC

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Byung Wook

Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) has drawn considerable attention for decades due to its high efficiency and low pollution, which is made possible since chemical energy is directly converted to electrical energy through the system without combustion. However, successful commercialization of SOFC has been delayed due to its high production cost mainly related with using high cost of interconnecting materials and the other structural components required for high temperature operation. This is the reason that intermediate (IT) or low temperature (LT)-SOFC operating at 600~800°C or 650°C and below, respectively, is of particular significance because it allows the wider selection of cheaper materials such as stainless steel for interconnects and the other structural components. Also, extended lifetime and system reliability are expected due to less thermal stress through the system with reduced temperature. More rapid start-up/shut-down procedure is another advantage of lowering the operating temperatures. As a result, commercialization of SOFC will be more viable. However, there exists performance drop with reduced operating temperature due to increased polarization resistances from the electrode electrochemical reactions and decreased electrolyte conductivity. Since ohmic polarization of the electrolyte can be significantly reduced with state-of-the art thin film technology and cathode polarization has more drastic effect on total SOFC electrochemical performance than anode polarization as temperature decreases, development of the cathode with high performance operating at IT or LT range is thus essential. On the other hand, chemical stability of the cathode and its chemical compatibility with the electrolyte should also be considered for cathode development since instability and incompatibility of the cathode will also cause substantial performance loss. Based on requirements of the cathode mentioned above, in this study, several chemico-physical approaches were

The effect of cathode surface impurities on gap closure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hinshelwood, D.D.

1983-01-01

Gap closure due to cathode (or anode) plasma motion is often the principal limitation on the pulse length of intense beam diodes and magnetically insulated transmission lines. Since the plasma expansion velocity is typically on the order of the sound speed, a high atomic number plasma is desirable. In recent experiments performed on a Sandia Nereus accelerator (240kV, 50kA, 3-30kA/cm 2 , 70ns) with a parallel plate diode, the cathode plasma was seen to be composed of both the cathode substrate material and constituents (hydrogen and carbon) of surface contaminants such as pump oils. The plasma expansion velocities, inferred from impedance measurements, were 1.5-2 cm/μs and were the same for carbon, aluminum and stainless steel cathodes. This similarity, combined with the temperature estimates of 2-3eV obtained from spectroscopy, implied that the expansion was due to protons from surface contaminants. Similar results were reported from studies of ablatively driven plasmas. In a continuation of the work, the results of time and spatially resolved spectroscopic studies of plasma formed on aluminum cathodes, yielding measurements of the expansion velocities of different components of the cathode plasma, are presented. We have heated stainless steel cathodes in situ to 700 0 C. The Hα line emission was seen to decrease by more than an order of magnitude (becoming lost in the background) when the cathodes were heated but no change in the impedance behavior was observed. Evidently the heating was insufficient to remove the last monolayer, which should contain more than enough hydrogen to close the gap. Preliminary experiments with gold-plated cathodes (which should be more resistant to chemisorption) yielded similar results. Further measurements of plasma formed on heated cathodes are presented

Fabrication of polypyrrole/vanadium oxide nanotube composite with enhanced electrochemical performance as cathode in rechargeable batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, Xiaowei; Chen, Xu; He, Taoling; Bi, Qinsong; Sun, Li; Liu, Zhu

2017-01-01

Highlights: • VO_xNTs were hydrothermally prepared using C_1_2H_2_7N as soft template with scalability. • Polypyrrole/VO_xNTs with less C_1_2H_2_7N template and higher conductivity were obtained. • Polypyrrole/VO_xNTs exhibit better performance as cathode for LIBs compared to VO_xNTs. • Further modification to VO_xNTs with desired electrochemical property can be expected. - Abstract: Vanadium oxide nanotubes (VO_xNTs) with hollow as well as multi-walled features were fabricated under hydrothermal condition by soft-template method. This novel VO_xNTs can be used as cathode material for lithium ion batteries (LIBs), but displaying low specific capacity and poor cycling performance owing to the residual of a mass of soft-template (C_1_2H_2_7N) and intrinsic low conductivity of VO_x. Cation exchange technique and oxidative polymerization process of pyrrole monomers were conducted to wipe off partial soft-template without electrochemical activity within VO_xNTs and simultaneously form polypyrrole coating on VO_xNTs, respectively. The resulting polypyrrole/VO_xNTs nanocomposite delivers much improved capacity and cyclic stability. Further optimizations, such as complete elimination of organic template and enhancing the crystallinity, can make this unique nanostructure a promising cathode for LIBs.

Fabrication of polypyrrole/vanadium oxide nanotube composite with enhanced electrochemical performance as cathode in rechargeable batteries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhou, Xiaowei, E-mail: zhouxiaowei@ynu.edu.cn [Department of Physics, School of Physics and Astronomy, Yunnan University, Kunming 650504, Yunnan (China); Chen, Xu; He, Taoling; Bi, Qinsong [Department of Physics, School of Physics and Astronomy, Yunnan University, Kunming 650504, Yunnan (China); Sun, Li [Department of Physics, School of Physics and Astronomy, Yunnan University, Kunming 650504, Yunnan (China); Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston 77204, TX (United States); Liu, Zhu, E-mail: zhuliu@ynu.edu.cn [Department of Physics, School of Physics and Astronomy, Yunnan University, Kunming 650504, Yunnan (China); Yunnan Key Laboratory of Micro/Nano-Materials and Technology, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, Yunnan (China)

2017-05-31

Highlights: • VO{sub x}NTs were hydrothermally prepared using C{sub 12}H{sub 27}N as soft template with scalability. • Polypyrrole/VO{sub x}NTs with less C{sub 12}H{sub 27}N template and higher conductivity were obtained. • Polypyrrole/VO{sub x}NTs exhibit better performance as cathode for LIBs compared to VO{sub x}NTs. • Further modification to VO{sub x}NTs with desired electrochemical property can be expected. - Abstract: Vanadium oxide nanotubes (VO{sub x}NTs) with hollow as well as multi-walled features were fabricated under hydrothermal condition by soft-template method. This novel VO{sub x}NTs can be used as cathode material for lithium ion batteries (LIBs), but displaying low specific capacity and poor cycling performance owing to the residual of a mass of soft-template (C{sub 12}H{sub 27}N) and intrinsic low conductivity of VO{sub x}. Cation exchange technique and oxidative polymerization process of pyrrole monomers were conducted to wipe off partial soft-template without electrochemical activity within VO{sub x}NTs and simultaneously form polypyrrole coating on VO{sub x}NTs, respectively. The resulting polypyrrole/VO{sub x}NTs nanocomposite delivers much improved capacity and cyclic stability. Further optimizations, such as complete elimination of organic template and enhancing the crystallinity, can make this unique nanostructure a promising cathode for LIBs.

Synchrotron Investigations of SOFC Cathode Degradation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Idzerda, Yves

2013-09-30

The atomic variations occurring in cathode/electrolyte interface regions of La{sub 1-x}Sr{sub x}Co{sub y}Fe{sub 1-y}O{sub 3-δ} (LSCF) cathodes and other SOFC related materials have been investigated and characterized using soft X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) and diffuse soft X-ray Resonant Scattering (XRS). X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy in the soft X-ray region (soft XAS) is shown to be a sensitive technique to quantify the disruption that occurs and can be used to suggest a concrete mechanism for the degradation. For LSC, LSF, and LSCF films, a significant degradation mechanism is shown to be Sr out-diffusion. By using the XAS spectra of hexavalent Cr in SrCrO4 and trivalent Cr in Cr2O3, the driving factor for Sr segregation was identified to be the oxygen vacancy concentration at the anode and cathode side of of symmetric LSCF/GDC/LSCF heterostructures. This is direct evidence of vacancy induced cation diffusion and is shown to be a significant indicator of cathode/electrolyte interfacial degradation. X-ray absorption spectroscopy is used to identify the occupation of the A-sites and B-sites for LSC, LSF, and LSCF cathodes doped with other transition metals, including doping induced migration of Sr to the anti-site for Sr, a significant cathode degradation indicator. By using spatially resolved valence mapping of Co, a complete picture of the surface electrochemistry can be determined. This is especially important in identifying degradation phenomena where the degradation is spatially localized to the extremities of the electrochemistry and not the average. For samples that have electrochemical parameters that are measured to be spatially uniform, the Co valence modifications were correlated to the effects of current density, overpotential, and humidity.

Reducing DRIFT backgrounds with a submicron aluminized-mylar cathode

Science.gov (United States)

Battat, J. B. R.; Daw, E.; Dorofeev, A.; Ezeribe, A. C.; Fox, J. R.; Gauvreau, J.-L.; Gold, M.; Harmon, L.; Harton, J.; Lafler, R.; Landers, J.; Lauer, R. J.; Lee, E. R.; Loomba, D.; Lumnah, A.; Matthews, J.; Miller, E. H.; Mouton, F.; Murphy, A. St. J.; Paling, S. M.; Phan, N.; Sadler, S. W.; Scarff, A.; Schuckman, F. G.; Snowden-Ifft, D.; Spooner, N. J. C.; Walker, D.

2015-09-01

Background events in the DRIFT-IId dark matter detector, mimicking potential WIMP signals, are predominantly caused by alpha decays on the central cathode in which the alpha particle is completely or partially absorbed by the cathode material. We installed a 0.9 μm thick aluminized-mylar cathode as a way to reduce the probability of producing these backgrounds. We study three generations of cathode (wire, thin-film, and radiologically clean thin-film) with a focus on the ratio of background events to alpha decays. Two independent methods of measuring the absolute alpha decay rate are used to ensure an accurate result, and agree to within 10%. Using alpha range spectroscopy, we measure the radiologically cleanest cathode version to have a contamination of 3.3±0.1 ppt 234U and 73±2 ppb 238U. This cathode reduces the probability of producing an RPR from an alpha decay by a factor of 70±20 compared to the original stainless steel wire cathode. First results are presented from a texturized version of the cathode, intended to be even more transparent to alpha particles. These efforts, along with other background reduction measures, have resulted in a drop in the observed background rate from 500/day to 1/day. With the recent implementation of full-volume fiducialization, these remaining background events are identified, allowing for background-free operation.

RF Photoelectric injectors using needle cathodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lewellen, J.W.; Brau, C.A.

2003-01-01

Photocathode RF guns, in various configurations, are the injectors of choice for both current and future applications requiring high-brightness electron beams. Many of these applications, such as single-pass free-electron lasers, require beams with high brilliance but not necessarily high charge per bunch. Field-enhanced photoelectric emission has demonstrated electron-beam current density as high as 10 10 A/m 2 , with a quantum efficiency in the UV that approaches 10% at fields on the order of 10 10 V/m. Thus, the use of even a blunt needle holds promise for increasing cathode quantum efficiency without sacrificing robustness. We present an initial study on the use of needle cathodes in photoinjectors to enhance beam brightness while reducing beam charge. Benefits include lower drive-laser power requirements, easier multibunch operation, lower emittance, and lower beam degradation due to charge-dependent effects in the postinjector accelerator. These benefits result from a combination of a smaller cathode emission area, greatly enhanced RF field strength at the cathode, and the charge scaling of detrimental postinjector linac effects, e.g., transverse wakefields and CSR

RF Photoelectric injectors using needle cathodes

Science.gov (United States)

Lewellen, J. W.; Brau, C. A.

2003-07-01

Photocathode RF guns, in various configurations, are the injectors of choice for both current and future applications requiring high-brightness electron beams. Many of these applications, such as single-pass free-electron lasers, require beams with high brilliance but not necessarily high charge per bunch. Field-enhanced photoelectric emission has demonstrated electron-beam current density as high as 10 10 A/m 2, with a quantum efficiency in the UV that approaches 10% at fields on the order of 10 10 V/m. Thus, the use of even a blunt needle holds promise for increasing cathode quantum efficiency without sacrificing robustness. We present an initial study on the use of needle cathodes in photoinjectors to enhance beam brightness while reducing beam charge. Benefits include lower drive-laser power requirements, easier multibunch operation, lower emittance, and lower beam degradation due to charge-dependent effects in the postinjector accelerator. These benefits result from a combination of a smaller cathode emission area, greatly enhanced RF field strength at the cathode, and the charge scaling of detrimental postinjector linac effects, e.g., transverse wakefields and CSR.

Functionally Graded Cathodes for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lei Yang; Ze Liu; Shizhone Wang; Jaewung Lee; Meilin Liu

2008-01-01

The main objective of this DOE project is to demonstrate that the performance and long-term stability of the state-of-the-art LSCF cathode can be enhanced by a catalytically active coating (e.g., LSM or SSC). We have successfully developed a methodology for reliably evaluating the intrinsic surface catalytic properties of cathode materials. One of the key components of the test cell is a dense LSCF film, which will function as the current collector for the electrode material under evaluation to eliminate the effect of ionic and electronic transport. Since it is dense, the effect of geometry would be eliminated as well. From the dependence of the electrode polarization resistance on the thickness of a dense LSCF electrode and on partial pressure of oxygen, we have confirmed that the surface catalytic activity of LSCF limits the performances of LSCF-based cathodes. Further, we have demonstrated, using test cells of different configurations, that the performance of LSCF-based electrodes can be significantly enhanced by infiltration of a thin film of LSM or SSC. In addition, the stability of LSCF-based cathodes was also improved by infiltration of LSM or SSC. While the concept feasibility of the electrode architecture is demonstrated, many details are yet to be determined. For example, it is not clear how the surface morphology, composition, and thickness of the coatings change under operating conditions over time, how these changes influence the electrochemical behavior of the cathodes, and how to control the microscopic details of the coatings in order to optimize the performance. The selection of the catalytic materials as well as the detailed microstructures of the porous LSCF and the catalyst layer may critically impact the performance of the proposed cathodes. Further, other fundamental questions still remain; it is not clear why the degradation rates of LSCF cathodes are relatively high, why a LSM coating improves the stability of LSCF cathodes, which catalysts

Analysing bifurcations encountered in numerical modelling of current transfer to cathodes of dc glow and arc discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Almeida, P G C; Benilov, M S; Cunha, M D; Faria, M J

2009-01-01

Bifurcations and/or their consequences are frequently encountered in numerical modelling of current transfer to cathodes of gas discharges, also in apparently simple situations, and a failure to recognize and properly analyse a bifurcation may create difficulties in the modelling and hinder the understanding of numerical results and the underlying physics. This work is concerned with analysis of bifurcations that have been encountered in the modelling of steady-state current transfer to cathodes of glow and arc discharges. All basic types of steady-state bifurcations (fold, transcritical, pitchfork) have been identified and analysed. The analysis provides explanations to many results obtained in numerical modelling. In particular, it is shown that dramatic changes in patterns of current transfer to cathodes of both glow and arc discharges, described by numerical modelling, occur through perturbed transcritical bifurcations of first- and second-order contact. The analysis elucidates the reason why the mode of glow discharge associated with the falling section of the current-voltage characteristic in the solution of von Engel and Steenbeck seems not to appear in 2D numerical modelling and the subnormal and normal modes appear instead. A similar effect has been identified in numerical modelling of arc cathodes and explained.

Tailored Core Shell Cathode Powders for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Swartz, Scott [NexTech Materials, Ltd.,Lewis Center, OH (United States)

2015-03-23

In this Phase I SBIR project, a “core-shell” composite cathode approach was evaluated for improving SOFC performance and reducing degradation of lanthanum strontium cobalt ferrite (LSCF) cathode materials, following previous successful demonstrations of infiltration approaches for achieving the same goals. The intent was to establish core-shell cathode powders that enabled high performance to be obtained with “drop-in” process capability for SOFC manufacturing (i.e., rather than adding an infiltration step to the SOFC manufacturing process). Milling, precipitation and hetero-coagulation methods were evaluated for making core-shell composite cathode powders comprised of coarse LSCF “core” particles and nanoscale “shell” particles of lanthanum strontium manganite (LSM) or praseodymium strontium manganite (PSM). Precipitation and hetero-coagulation methods were successful for obtaining the targeted core-shell morphology, although perfect coverage of the LSCF core particles by the LSM and PSM particles was not obtained. Electrochemical characterization of core-shell cathode powders and conventional (baseline) cathode powders was performed via electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) half-cell measurements and single-cell SOFC testing. Reliable EIS testing methods were established, which enabled comparative area-specific resistance measurements to be obtained. A single-cell SOFC testing approach also was established that enabled cathode resistance to be separated from overall cell resistance, and for cathode degradation to be separated from overall cell degradation. The results of these EIS and SOFC tests conclusively determined that the core-shell cathode powders resulted in significant lowering of performance, compared to the baseline cathodes. Based on the results of this project, it was concluded that the core-shell cathode approach did not warrant further investigation.

Improved Rare-Earth Emitter Hollow Cathode

Science.gov (United States)

Goebel, Dan M.

2011-01-01

An improvement has been made to the design of the hollow cathode geometry that was created for the rare-earth electron emitter described in Compact Rare Earth Emitter Hollow Cathode (NPO-44923), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 34, No. 3 (March 2010), p. 52. The original interior assembly was made entirely of graphite in order to be compatible with the LaB6 material, which cannot be touched by metals during operation due to boron diffusion causing embrittlement issues in high-temperature refractory materials. Also, the graphite tube was difficult to machine and was subject to vibration-induced fracturing. This innovation replaces the graphite tube with one made out of refractory metal that is relatively easy to manufacture. The cathode support tube is made of molybdenum or molybdenum-rhenium. This material is easily gun-bored to near the tolerances required, and finish machined with steps at each end that capture the orifice plate and the mounting flange. This provides the manufacturability and robustness needed for flight applications, and eliminates the need for expensive e-beam welding used in prior cathodes. The LaB6 insert is protected from direct contact with the refractory metal tube by thin, graphite sleeves in a cup-arrangement around the ends of the insert. The sleeves, insert, and orifice plate are held in place by a ceramic spacer and tungsten spring inserted inside the tube. To heat the cathode, an insulating tube is slipped around the refractory metal hollow tube, which can be made of high-temperature materials like boron nitride or aluminum nitride. A screw-shaped slot, or series of slots, is machined in the outside of the ceramic tube to constrain a refractory metal wire wound inside the slot that is used as the heater. The screw slot can hold a single heater wire that is then connected to the front of the cathode tube by tack-welding to complete the electrical circuit, or it can be a double slot that takes a bifilar wound heater with both leads coming out

Chromium poisoning in (La,Sr)MnO3 cathode: Three-dimensional simulation of a solid oxide fuel cell

OpenAIRE

Miyoshi, Kota; Iwai, Hiroshi; Kishimoto, Masashi; Saito, Motohiro; Yoshida, Hideo

2016-01-01

A three-dimensional numerical model of a single solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) considering chromium poisoning on the cathode side has been developed to investigate the evolution of the SOFC performance over long-term operation. The degradation model applied in the simulation describes the loss of the cathode electrochemical activity as a decrease in the active triple-phase boundary (TPB) length. The calculations are conducted for two types of cell: lanthanum strontium manganite (LSM)/yttria-sta...

Ultra High Energy Density Cathodes with Carbon Nanotubes

Science.gov (United States)

2013-12-10

a) Carbon nanotube paper coated with NCA cathode composite for testing as positive electrode in Li-ion battery (b) Comparison of NCA specific...received and purified CNT electrodes coated with NCA cathode composite. (b) Discharge capacities as a function of rate and cycle for NCA on Al and...thickness increases. The first approach was to cast SOA NCA cathode composites onto CNT current collectors using an adjustable blade coater. The

Hollow Cathode Studies for the Next Generation Ion Engines in JAXA

Science.gov (United States)

Ohkawa, Yasushi; Hayakawa, Yukio; Yoshida, Hideki; Miyazaki, Katsuhiro; Kitamura, Shoji; Kajiwara, Kenichi

The current status of experimental studies of hollow cathodes for the next-generation ion engines in the Aerospace Research and Development Directorate, JAXA is described. One of the topics on the hollow cathode studies is a life test of a discharge cathode. The keeper disk, orifice plate, and cathode tube of this discharge cathode are made of "high density graphite," which possesses much higher tolerance to ion impingement compared with conventional metal materials. The life test had started in March 2006 and the cumulative operation time reached 15,600 hours in April 2008. No severe degradation has been found both in the operation voltages and electrodes so far, and the test is favorably in progress. In addition to the life test of the discharge cathode, some experiments for design optimization of neutralizer cathodes have been performed. A life test of the neutralizer cathode is being started in June 2008.

Performance Enhancement of Small Molecular Solar Cells by Bilayer Cathode Buffer.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Qinjun; Zhao, Huanbin; Zhou, Miao; Gao, Liyan; Hao, Yuying

2016-04-01

An effective composite bilayer cathode buffer structure is proposed for use in small molecular solar cells. CsF was doped in Alq3 to form the first cathode buffer, leading to small serial resistances. BCP was used as the second cathode buffer to block the holes to the electrode. The optimized bilayer cathode buffer significantly increased the short circuit and fill factor of devices. By integrating this bilayer cathode buffer, the CuPc/C60 small molecular heterojunction cell exhibited a power conversion efficiency of up to 0.8%, which was an improvement of 56% compared to a device with only the Alq3 cathode buffer. Meanwhile, the bilayer cathode buffer still has a good protective effect on the performance of the device.

High Performance Infiltrated Backbones for Cathode-Supported SOFC's

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gil, Vanesa; Kammer Hansen, Kent

2014-01-01

A four-step infiltration method has been developed to infiltrate La0.75Sr0.25MnO3+δ (LSM25) nanoparticles into porous structures (YSZ or LSM-YSZ backbones). The pore size distribution in the backbones is obtained either by using PMMA and/or graphites as pore formers or by leaching treatment of sa...... of samples with Ni remained in the YSZ structure at high temperatures. All impregnated backbones, presented Rs comparable to a standard screen printed cathode, which proves that LSM nanoparticles forms a pathway for electron conduction....

Electrocoagulation mechanism of perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) on a zinc anode: Influence of cathodes and anions.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yujuan; Lin, Hui; Jin, Fangyuan; Niu, Junfeng; Zhao, Jinbo; Bi, Ying; Li, Ying

2016-07-01

Batch experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of cathode materials and anions (Cl(-), SO4(2-), NO3(-), and CO3(2-)/HCO3(-)) on perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) removal in electrocoagulation process using zinc anode. The results indicated that the hydroxide flocs generated in-situ in the electrocoagulation process using the stainless steel rod as cathode were more effective than those using aluminum rod as cathode for the removal of PFOA after 20min of electrocoagulation at a current density of 0.5mAcm(-2). Hydroxide flocs generated in-situ in the electrocoagulation in the presence of Cl(-)/NO3(-) could effectively remove PFOA from aqueous solution with the removal ratios of 99.7%/98.1% and 98.9%/97.3% using stainless steel rod and aluminum rod as cathode, respectively. However, the PFOA removal ratios were 96.2%/4.1% and 7.4%/4.6% using stainless steel rod and aluminum rod as cathode, respectively, in the presence of SO4(2-) and CO3(2-)/HCO3(-). The different removal ratios of PFOA during the electrocoagulation process were primarily due to the fact that the hydroxide flocs generated in-situ were different in the presence of diverse cathodes and anions. We firstly demonstrated that Zn0.70Al0.30(OH)2(CO3)0.15·xH2O and ZnO generated in-situ in the electrocoagulation process (except for CO3(2-)/HCO3(-)) using zinc anode and aluminum/stainless steel rod cathode governed the sorption of PFOA. The adsorbent hydroxide flocs in-situ generated in the presence of Cl(-) could effectively remove PFOA from aqueous solution containing CO3(2-)/HCO3(-) anion at the initial hydroxide flocs concentration of 2000mgL(-1). These results provided an effective and alternative method to remove PFOA from aqueous solution containing CO3(2-)/HCO3(-) anion. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

TPC cathode read-out with C-pads

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Janik, R.; Pikna, M.; Sitar, B.; Strmen, P.; Szarka, I.

2009-01-01

A Time Projection Chamber with 'C' like shaped cathode pads was built and tested. It offers a low gas gain operation, a good pulse shape and a lightweight construction. The Pad Response Function (PRF), the cathode to anode pulse height ratios and the pad pulse shapes of the C-pad structure were measured and compared with planar cathode structures in two different wire geometries. The cathode to anode signal ratio was improved from between 0.2 and 0.4 up to 0.7. The PRF was considerably improved, it has a Gaussian shape and is narrower than in the case of the planar pads. The pulse shape from the C-pad read-out is similar to the pulse shape from a detector with a cylindrical shape of electrodes. A method for aluminum pad mass production based on a precise cold forging was developed and tested.

Geiger counters of gamma rays with a bismuth cathode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meunier, R.; Legrand, J.P.

1953-01-01

Geiger Muller counters present a lake of efficiency of some per cent, for the γ radiations. In the region 0,3 - 1 MeV, a substantial growth of their output can be obtained by a special construction of their cathode. In accordance with previous works, we constructed some counter of formed cathode by a pleated copper wire fencing covered of Bi by electrolysis. The successive modifications brought to a cylindrical conventional cathode in sheet metal of copper, that succeeds to this type of cathode, drive to an improvement of the output. (M.B.) [fr

Methanol-Tolerant Cathode Catalyst Composite For Direct Methanol Fuel Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Yimin; Zelenay, Piotr

2006-03-21

A direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) having a methanol fuel supply, oxidant supply, and its membrane electrode assembly (MEA) formed of an anode electrode and a cathode electrode with a membrane therebetween, a methanol oxidation catalyst adjacent the anode electrode and the membrane, an oxidant reduction catalyst adjacent the cathode electrode and the membrane, comprises an oxidant reduction catalyst layer of a platinum-chromium alloy so that oxidation at the cathode of methanol that crosses from the anode through the membrane to the cathode is reduced with a concomitant increase of net electrical potential at the cathode electrode.

Textile Inspired Lithium-Oxygen Battery Cathode with Decoupled Oxygen and Electrolyte Pathways.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Shaomao; Yao, Yonggang; Guo, Yuanyuan; Zeng, Xiaoqiao; Lacey, Steven D; Song, Huiyu; Chen, Chaoji; Li, Yiju; Dai, Jiaqi; Wang, Yanbin; Chen, Yanan; Liu, Boyang; Fu, Kun; Amine, Khalil; Lu, Jun; Hu, Liangbing

2018-01-01

The lithium-air (Li-O 2 ) battery has been deemed one of the most promising next-generation energy-storage devices due to its ultrahigh energy density. However, in conventional porous carbon-air cathodes, the oxygen gas and electrolyte often compete for transport pathways, which limit battery performance. Here, a novel textile-based air cathode is developed with a triple-phase structure to improve overall battery performance. The hierarchical structure of the conductive textile network leads to decoupled pathways for oxygen gas and electrolyte: oxygen flows through the woven mesh while the electrolyte diffuses along the textile fibers. Due to noncompetitive transport, the textile-based Li-O 2 cathode exhibits a high discharge capacity of 8.6 mAh cm -2 , a low overpotential of 1.15 V, and stable operation exceeding 50 cycles. The textile-based structure can be applied to a range of applications (fuel cells, water splitting, and redox flow batteries) that involve multiple phase reactions. The reported decoupled transport pathway design also spurs potential toward flexible/wearable Li-O 2 batteries. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Strategies toward High-Performance Cathode Materials for Lithium-Oxygen Batteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Kai-Xue; Zhu, Qian-Cheng; Chen, Jie-Sheng

2018-05-11

Rechargeable aprotic lithium (Li)-O 2 batteries with high theoretical energy densities are regarded as promising next-generation energy storage devices and have attracted considerable interest recently. However, these batteries still suffer from many critical issues, such as low capacity, poor cycle life, and low round-trip efficiency, rendering the practical application of these batteries rather sluggish. Cathode catalysts with high oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and evolution reaction activities are of particular importance for addressing these issues and consequently promoting the application of Li-O 2 batteries. Thus, the rational design and preparation of the catalysts with high ORR activity, good electronic conductivity, and decent chemical/electrochemical stability are still challenging. In this Review, the strategies are outlined including the rational selection of catalytic species, the introduction of a 3D porous structure, the formation of functional composites, and the heteroatom doping which succeeded in the design of high-performance cathode catalysts for stable Li-O 2 batteries. Perspectives on enhancing the overall electrochemical performance of Li-O 2 batteries based on the optimization of the properties and reliability of each part of the battery are also made. This Review sheds some new light on the design of highly active cathode catalysts and the development of high-performance lithium-O 2 batteries. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

DIFFERENCE IN THE INTENSITY OF DEPRESSION BETWEEN PARENTS HAVING CHILDREN WITH CONDUCT DISORDER AND PARENTS HAVING NORMAL CHILDREN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bindu Meethale Veettil

2017-10-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND Parents experience psychological trauma if they recognise that their children are having conduct disorder, which is unacceptable to the society and against the social norms. The intensity of depression in parents having children with conduct disorder is included in this study. MATERIALS AND METHODS Exploratory research was used in this study as the method of study. A sample was selected from parents having children with conduct disorder reported in various psychiatric settings in Kerala, India, and also from parents having normal children. Random sampling was used for selecting the sample. All the parents of children diagnosed with conduct disorder in the age group of 6 to 12 reported in the psychiatric settings on a random day is selected as sample. Mann-Whitney U test was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS Depression in parents affect their skills in caregiving, support to their children, nurturance and it will affect proper development of children physically and mentally. Similarly, conduct disorder in children will affect their parents mental and social functioning and their life functioning and the parents maybe suffering from depression. Mothers of children with conduct disorders are reported to have exhibit more depressed and they show very poor parenting skills and negative interactions with their children compared to normal mothers. Parents having children with conduct disorder did have higher intensity of depression compared to parents having normal children. CONCLUSION The study hopes to make contributions in identifying the intensity of depression in parents having children with conduct disorder and it’s serious and least recognised impact on their parents. The study will also help to find out the areas in which parents need intervention and to decide which type of therapy will be more helpful to the family as a whole. Identifying and understanding the relevant and feasible components of therapy can then facilitate

Pipelines cathodic protection design methodologies for impressed ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Several inadequate designs of cathodically polarized offshore and onshore pipelines have been reported in Nigeria owing to design complexity and application of the cathodic protection system. The present study focused on critical and detailed approach in impressed current and sacrificial anode design calculation ...

Avoiding vacuum arcs in high gradient normal conducting RF structures

CERN Document Server

Sjøbæk, Kyrre Ness; Adli, Erik; Grudiev, Alexej; Wuensch, Walter

In order to build the Compact LInear Collider (CLIC), accelerating structures reaching extremely high accelerating gradients are needed. Such structures have been built and tested using normal-conducting copper, powered by X-band RF power and reaching gradients of 100 MV/m and above. One phenomenon that must be avoided in order to reliably reach such gradients, is vacuum arcs or “breakdowns”. This can be accomplished by carefully designing the structure geometry such that high surface fields and large local power flows are avoided. The research presented in this thesis presents a method for optimizing the geometry of accelerating structures so that these breakdowns are made less likely, allowing the structure to operate reliably at high gradients. This was done primarily based on a phenomenological scaling model, which predicted the maximum gradient as a function of the break down rate, pulse length, and field distribution in the structure. The model is written in such a way that it allows direct comparis...

Normal Conducting Separation Dipoles for the LHC Beam Cleaning Insertions

CERN Document Server

Bidon, S; Hans, O; Kalbreier, Willi; Kiselev, O; Petrov, V; Protopopov, I V; Pupkov, Yu A; Ramberger, S; de Rijk, G; Ruvinsky, E; Sukhanov, A

2004-01-01

In the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), two straight sections, IR3 and IR7, will be dedicated to beam cleaning. These cleaning insertions will be equipped with normal conducting magnets. MBW magnets are dipole magnets used to increase the separation of the two beams. They have a core length of 3.4 m and a gap height of 52 mm and will operate at a magnetic field ranging from 0.09 T to 1.53 T. Limitations on the dimensions and total weight of the magnet resulted in a special design with a common yoke for the two beams. The orbits of the two beams will be separated horizontally by a distance between 194 mm and 224 mm in the gap of the magnet. The magnet was designed in collaboration between CERN and BINP. The report presents the main design issues and results of the pre-series acceptance tests including mechanical, electrical and magnetic field measurements.

Feasibility and normal values of an integrated conductivity (Nanoduct™) sweat test system in healthy newborns.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuehni, Claudia E; Schindler, Matthias; Mazur, Agnieszka; Malzacher, Andreas; Hornung, René; Barben, Juerg

2017-07-01

Nanoduct™ is a simple and practical sweat analysis system measuring conductivity in situ. It requires only three microlitres of sweat, making it especially applicable to newborns. We measured conductivity in 260 healthy term infants at the age of four days, and again at four weeks to determine the proportion of successful tests, test duration, and normal values for sweat conductivity in newborns. Sufficient sweat was collected in 159/260 of four-day olds (61%), and in 225/239 of four-week olds (94%). Mean (sd) test duration was 27 (5) and 25 (5) min. Mean (sd, range) conductivity was 53mmol/l (16, 8-114) at age four days, and 36 (9, 12-64) at four weeks. Determination of sweat conductivity using Nanoduct™ cannot be recommended for four-day old newborns. However, at the age of four weeks the success rate is high (94%), and conductivity values at that age are comparable to older healthy children. Copyright © 2017 European Cystic Fibrosis Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Numerical study on rectangular microhollow cathode discharge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He Shoujie; Ouyang Jiting; He Feng; Li Shang

2011-01-01

Rectangular microhollow cathode discharge in argon is investigated by using two-dimensional time-dependent self-consistent fluid model. The electric potential, electric field, particle density, and mean electron energy are calculated. The results show that hollow cathode effect can be onset in the present configuration, with strong electric field and high mean electron energy in the cathode fall while high density and quasineutral plasma in the negative glow. The potential well and electric filed reversal are formed in the negative glow region. It is suggested that the presence of large electron diffusion flux necessitates the field reversal and potential well.

Plasma distribution of cathodic ARC deposition system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anders, S.; Raoux, S.; Krishnan, K.; MacGill, R.A.; Brown, I.G.

1996-01-01

The plasma distribution using a cathodic arc plasma source with and without magnetic macroparticle filter has been determined by depositing on a transparent plastic substrate and measuring the film absorption. It was found that the width of the distribution depends on the arc current, and it also depends on the cathode material which leads to a spatial separation of the elements when an alloy cathode is used. By applying a magnetic multicusp field near the exit of the magnetic filter, it was possible to modify the plasma distribution and obtain a flat plasma profile with a constant and homogeneous elemental distribution

Cyclotron resonance in a cathode ray tube

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gherbanovschi, N.; Tanasa, M.; Stoican, O.

2002-01-01

Absorption of the RF energy by the electron beam in a cathode ray tube due to the cyclotron resonance is described. The cathode ray tube is placed within a Helmholtz coils system supplied by a sawtooth current generator. In order to generate RF field and to detect RF absorption a gate dip-meter equipped with a FET transistor is used. The bias voltage variations of the FET transistors as a function of the magnetic field are recorded. The operating point of the cathode ray tube has been chosen so that the relaxation oscillations of the detection system can be observed. (authors)

Investigations Of A Pulsed Cathodic Vacuum Arc

Science.gov (United States)

Oates, T. W. H.; Pigott, J.; Denniss, P.; Mckenzie, D. R.; Bilek, M. M. M.

2003-06-01

Cathodic vacuum arcs are well established as a method for producing thin films for coatings and as a source of metal ions. Research into DC vacuum arcs has been going on for over ten years in the School of Physics at the University of Sydney. Recently a project was undertaken in the school to design and build a pulsed CVA for use in the investigation of plasma sheaths and plasma immersion ion implantation. Pulsed cathodic vacuum arcs generally have a higher current and plasma density and also provide a more stable and reproducible plasma density than their DC counterparts. Additionally it has been shown that if a high repetition frequency can be established the deposition rate of pulsed arcs is equal to or greater than that of DC arcs with a concomitant reduction in the rate of macro-particle formation. We present here results of our investigations into the building of a center-triggered pulsed cathodic vacuum arc. The design of the power supply and trigger mechanism and the geometry of the anode and cathode are examined. Observations of type I and II arc spots using a CCD camera, and cathode spot velocity dependence on arc current will be presented. The role of retrograde motion in a high current pulsed arc is discussed.

Investigations Of A Pulsed Cathodic Vacuum Arc

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oates, T.W.H.; Pigott, J.; Denniss, P.; Mckenzie, D.R.; Bilek, M.M.M.

2003-01-01

Cathodic vacuum arcs are well established as a method for producing thin films for coatings and as a source of metal ions. Research into DC vacuum arcs has been going on for over ten years in the School of Physics at the University of Sydney. Recently a project was undertaken in the school to design and build a pulsed CVA for use in the investigation of plasma sheaths and plasma immersion ion implantation. Pulsed cathodic vacuum arcs generally have a higher current and plasma density and also provide a more stable and reproducible plasma density than their DC counterparts. Additionally it has been shown that if a high repetition frequency can be established the deposition rate of pulsed arcs is equal to or greater than that of DC arcs with a concomitant reduction in the rate of macro-particle formation. We present here results of our investigations into the building of a center-triggered pulsed cathodic vacuum arc. The design of the power supply and trigger mechanism and the geometry of the anode and cathode are examined. Observations of type I and II arc spots using a CCD camera, and cathode spot velocity dependence on arc current will be presented. The role of retrograde motion in a high current pulsed arc is discussed

Neutral hydrophilic cathode catalyst binders for microbial fuel cells

KAUST Repository

Saito, Tomonori

2011-01-01

Improving oxygen reduction in microbial fuel cell (MFC) cathodes requires a better understanding of the effects of the catalyst binder chemistry and properties on performance. A series of polystyrene-b-poly(ethylene oxide) (PS-b-PEO) polymers with systematically varying hydrophilicity were designed to determine the effect of the hydrophilic character of the binder on cathode performance. Increasing the hydrophilicity of the PS-b-PEO binders enhanced the electrochemical response of the cathode and MFC power density by ∼15%, compared to the hydrophobic PS-OH binder. Increased cathode performance was likely a result of greater water uptake by the hydrophilic binder, which would increase the accessible surface area for oxygen reduction. Based on these results and due to the high cost of PS-b-PEO, the performance of an inexpensive hydrophilic neutral polymer, poly(bisphenol A-co-epichlorohydrin) (BAEH), was examined in MFCs and compared to a hydrophilic sulfonated binder (Nafion). MFCs with BAEH-based cathodes with two different Pt loadings initially (after 2 cycles) had lower MFC performance (1360 and 630 mW m-2 for 0.5 and 0.05 mg Pt cm-2) than Nafion cathodes (1980 and 1080 mW m -2 for 0.5 and 0.05 mg Pt cm-2). However, after long-term operation (22 cycles, 40 days), power production of each cell was similar (∼1200 and 700-800 mW m-2 for 0.5 and 0.05 mg Pt cm-2) likely due to cathode biofouling that could not be completely reversed through physical cleaning. While binder chemistry could improve initial electrochemical cathode performance, binder materials had less impact on overall long-term MFC performance. This observation suggests that long-term operation of MFCs will require better methods to avoid cathode biofouling. © 2011 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Sintered Cathodes for All-Solid-State Structural Lithium-Ion Batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Huddleston, William; Dynys, Frederick; Sehirlioglu, Alp

2017-01-01

All-solid-state structural lithium ion batteries serve as both structural load-bearing components and as electrical energy storage devices to achieve system level weight savings in aerospace and other transportation applications. This multifunctional design goal is critical for the realization of next generation hybrid or all-electric propulsion systems. Additionally, transitioning to solid state technology improves upon battery safety from previous volatile architectures. This research established baseline solid state processing conditions and performance benchmarks for intercalation-type layered oxide materials for multifunctional application. Under consideration were lithium cobalt oxide and lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide. Pertinent characteristics such as electrical conductivity, strength, chemical stability, and microstructure were characterized for future application in all-solid-state structural battery cathodes. The study includes characterization by XRD, ICP, SEM, ring-on-ring mechanical testing, and electrical impedance spectroscopy to elucidate optimal processing parameters, material characteristics, and multifunctional performance benchmarks. These findings provide initial conditions for implementing existing cathode materials in load bearing applications.

Barium depletion in hollow cathode emitters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Polk, James E.; Mikellides, Ioannis G.; Katz, Ira; Capece, Angela M.

2016-01-01

Dispenser hollow cathodes rely on a consumable supply of Ba released by BaO-CaO-Al 2 O 3 source material in the pores of a tungsten matrix to maintain a low work function surface. The examination of cathode emitters from long duration tests shows deposits of tungsten at the downstream end that appear to block the flow of Ba from the interior. In addition, a numerical model of Ba transport in the cathode plasma indicates that the Ba partial pressure in the insert may exceed the equilibrium vapor pressure of the dominant Ba-producing reaction, and it was postulated previously that this would suppress Ba loss in the upstream part of the emitter. New measurements of the Ba depletion depth from a cathode insert operated for 8200 h reveal that Ba loss is confined to a narrow region near the downstream end, confirming this hypothesis. The Ba transport model was modified to predict the depletion depth with time. A comparison of the calculated and measured depletion depths gives excellent qualitative agreement, and quantitative agreement was obtained assuming an insert temperature 70 °C lower than measured beginning-of-life values

Carbon nanostructures modified LiFePO4 cathodes for lithium ion battery applications: optimized porosity and composition

Science.gov (United States)

Mahmoud, Lama; Singh Lalia, Boor; Hashaikeh, Raed

2016-12-01

Lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery cathode was fabricated without using any metallic current collector and polymeric binder. Carbon nanostructures (CNS) were used as microbinders for LiFePO4 particles and at the same time as a 3D current collector. A facile and cost effective method of fabricating composite cathodes of CNS and LiFePO4 was developed. Thick electrodes with high loading of active material (20-25 mg cm-2) were obtained that are almost 2-3 folds higher than commercial electrodes. SEM images confirm that the 3D CNS conductive network encapsulated the LiFePO4 particles homogenously facilitating the charge transfer at the electrode-CNS interface. The composition, scan rate and porosity of the paper-like cathode were sequentially varied and their influence was systematically monitored by means of linear sweep cyclic voltammetry and AC electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Addition of CNS improved the electrode’s bulk electronic conductivity, mechanical integrity, surface area and double layer capacitance, yet compromised the charge transfer resistance at the electrode-electrolyte interface. Based on a range of the tested binder-free electrodes, this study proposes that electrodes with 20 wt% CNS having 49 ± 2.5% porosity had realized best improvements of two folds and four folds in the electronic conductivity and diffusion coefficient, respectively.

Air-cathode structure optimization in separator-coupled microbial fuel cells

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Xiaoyuan

2011-12-01

Microbial fuel cells (MFC) with 30% wet-proofed air cathodes have previously been optimized to have 4 diffusion layers (DLs) in order to limit oxygen transfer into the anode chamber and optimize performance. Newer MFC designs that allow close electrode spacing have a separator that can also reduce oxygen transfer into the anode chamber, and there are many types of carbon wet-proofed materials available. Additional analysis of conditions that optimize performance is therefore needed for separator-coupled MFCs in terms of the number of DLs and the percent of wet proofing used for the cathode. The number of DLs on a 50% wet-proofed carbon cloth cathode significantly affected MFC performance, with the maximum power density decreasing from 1427 to 855mW/m 2 for 1-4 DLs. A commonly used cathode (30% wet-proofed, 4 DLs) produced a maximum power density (988mW/m 2) that was 31% less than that produced by the 50% wet-proofed cathode (1 DL). It was shown that the cathode performance with different materials and numbers of DLs was directly related to conditions that increased oxygen transfer. The coulombic efficiency (CE) was more affected by the current density than the oxygen transfer coefficient for the cathode. MFCs with the 50% wet-proofed cathode (2 DLs) had a CE of >84% (6.8A/m 2), which was substantially larger than that previously obtained using carbon cloth air-cathodes lacking separators. These results demonstrate that MFCs constructed with separators should have the minimum number of DLs that prevent water leakage and maximize oxygen transfer to the cathode. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.

Cathode power distribution system and method of using the same for power distribution

Science.gov (United States)

Williamson, Mark A; Wiedmeyer, Stanley G; Koehl, Eugene R; Bailey, James L; Willit, James L; Barnes, Laurel A; Blaskovitz, Robert J

2014-11-11

Embodiments include a cathode power distribution system and/or method of using the same for power distribution. The cathode power distribution system includes a plurality of cathode assemblies. Each cathode assembly of the plurality of cathode assemblies includes a plurality of cathode rods. The system also includes a plurality of bus bars configured to distribute current to each of the plurality of cathode assemblies. The plurality of bus bars include a first bus bar configured to distribute the current to first ends of the plurality of cathode assemblies and a second bus bar configured to distribute the current to second ends of the plurality of cathode assemblies.

Power generation by packed-bed air-cathode microbial fuel cells

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Xiaoyuan

2013-08-01

Catalysts and catalyst binders are significant portions of the cost of microbial fuel cell (MFC) cathodes. Many materials have been tested as aqueous cathodes, but air-cathodes are needed to avoid energy demands for water aeration. Packed-bed air-cathodes were constructed without expensive binders or diffusion layers using four inexpensive carbon-based materials. Cathodes made from activated carbon produced the largest maximum power density of 676±93mW/m2, followed by semi-coke (376±47mW/m2), graphite (122±14mW/m2) and carbon felt (60±43mW/m2). Increasing the mass of activated carbon and semi-coke from 5 to ≥15g significantly reduced power generation because of a reduction in oxygen transfer due to a thicker water layer in the cathode (~3 or ~6cm). These results indicate that a thin packed layer of activated carbon or semi-coke can be used to make inexpensive air-cathodes for MFCs. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

High performance protonic ceramic membrane fuel cells (PCMFCs) with Sm{sub 0.5}Sr{sub 0.5}CoO{sub 3-{delta}} perovskite cathode

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ding Hanping [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208 (United States); Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Hefei 230026 (China); Xue Xingjian, E-mail: Xue@cec.sc.ed [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208 (United States); Liu Xingqin; Meng Guangyao [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Hefei 230026 (China)

2010-04-02

Protonic ceramic membrane fuel cells (PCMFCs) based on proton-conducting electrolytes have attracted much attention because of many advantages, such as low activation energy and high energy efficiency. A stable, easily sintered perovskite oxide BaCe{sub 0.5}Zr{sub 0.3}Y{sub 0.16}Zn{sub 0.04}O{sub 3-{delta}} (BCZYZ) as electrolyte for proton-conducting solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) with Sm{sub 0.5}Sr{sub 0.5}CoO{sub 3-{delta}} (SSC) composite cathode is investigated. By fabricating thin membrane BCZYZ electrolyte ({approx}20 {mu}m) synthesized by a modified Pechini method on NiO-BCZYZ anode support, PCMFCs are assembled and tested by selecting SSC perovskite cathode with high mixed ionic and electronic conductivities. An open-circuit potential of 1.015 V, a maximal power density of 528 mW cm{sup -2}, and a low polarization resistance of the electrodes of 0.15 {Omega} cm{sup 2} is achieved at 700 {sup o}C. The results indicate that BCZYZ proton-conducting electrolyte with SSC cathode is a promising material system for SOFCs.

Reservoir Cathode for Electric Space Propulsion, Phase II

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — We propose a hollow reservoir cathode to improve performance in ion and Hall thrusters. We will adapt our existing reservoir cathode technology to this purpose....

Reactive-environment, hollow cathode sputtering: Basic characteristics and application to Al2O3, doped ZnO, and In2O3:Mo

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delahoy, A.E.; Guo, S.Y.; Paduraru, C.; Belkind, A.

2004-01-01

A method for thin-film deposition has been studied. The method is based on metal sputtering in a hollow cathode configuration with supply of a reactive gas in the vicinity of the substrate. The working gas and entrained sputtered atoms exit the cathode through an elongated slot. The reactive gas is thereby largely prevented from reaching the target. The basic operation of the cathode was studied using a Cu target and pulsed power excitation. These studies included the dependence of deposition rate on power, pressure, and flow rate, film thickness profiles, and film resistivity as a function of substrate conditions. Modeling was conducted to calculate the gas velocity distribution and pressure inside the cavity. Al 2 O 3 films were prepared in a reactive environment of oxygen by sputtering an Al target. It was demonstrated that only a very small amount of oxygen passing through the cathode will oxidize (poison) the target, whereas large quantities of oxygen supplied externally to the cathode need not affect the target at all. A very stable discharge and ease of Al 2 O 3 formation were realized in this latter mode. The method was applied to the preparation of transparent, conductive films of ZnO doped with either Al or B. High deposition rates were achieved, and, at appropriate oxygen flow rates, low film resistivities. High-mobility In 2 O 3 :Mo transparent conductors were also prepared, with resistivities as low as 1.9x10 -4 Ω cm. Scaling relations for hollow cathodes, and deposition efficiency, and process comparisons between magnetron sputtering and linear, reactive-environment, hollow cathode sputtering are presented

Explosive emission cathode on the base of carbon plastic fibre

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Korenev, S.A.; Baranov, A.M.; Kostyuchenko, S.V.; Chernenko, N.M.

1989-01-01

A fabrication process for explosive emission cathodes on the base of carbon plastic fibre of practically any geometrical shape and dimensions is developed. Experimental studies of electron beam current collection from cathodes, 2cm in diameter, at voltages across the diode of 10 and 150-250kV. It is shown that the ignition voltage for cathode plasma is ∼2kV at the interelectrode diode gap of 5mm and residual gas pressure of ∼5x10 -5 Torr. The carbon-fibre cathode, fabricated in this way, provides more stable current collection of an electron beam (without oscillations) than other cathodes

Surface studies of thermionic cathodes and the mechanism of operation of an impregnated tungsten cathode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Forman, R.

1976-09-01

The surface properties of conventional impregnated cathodes were investigated by the use of Auger spectroscopy and work function measurements, and these were compared with a synthesized barium- or barium oxide coated tungsten surface. The barium- and barium oxide coated surfaces were prepared by evaporating barium onto a tungsten surface that can be heated to elevated temperatures. Multilayer or monolayer coverages can be investigated using this technique. The results of this study show that the surface of an impregnated tungsten cathode is identical to that observed for a synthesized monolayer or partial monolayer of barium on partially oxidized tungsten, using the criteria of identical Auger patterns and work functions. Desorption measurements of barium from a tungsten surface were also made. These results in conjunction with Auger and work function data were interpreted to show that throughout most of its life an impregnated cathode operating in the range of 1100 C has a partial monolayer rather than a monolayer of barium on its surface

Research to develop guidelines for cathodic protection of concentric neutral cables, volume 1

Science.gov (United States)

Hanck, J. A.; Nekoksa, G.

1981-08-01

Data associated with corrosion of concentric neutrals (CN) of direct buried cables from field tests conducted at 36 bellholes excavated in California, Oklahoma, and North Carolina are presented. The electrochemical, chemical, bacteriological, and sieve analyses of native soil and imported backfill samples are included. Up to 129 values were determined for each bellhole and stored on cards as a data bank. All values were statistically analyzed and correlated with corrosion found. The severity of corrosion correlated best with CN corrosion potentials, CN resistance measurements, coarseness of backfill, and soil resistivity. The guidelines for installation of cathodic protection on CN cables are to be based upon the evaluation of over 100 experimental cathodic protection systems and upon laboratory testing for protection criteria with and without ac effects.

Barium depletion study on impregnated cathodes and lifetime prediction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roquais, J.M.; Poret, F.; Doze, R. le; Ricaud, J.L.; Monterrin, A.; Steinbrunn, A.

2003-01-01

In the thermionic cathodes used in cathode ray-tubes (CRTs), barium is the key element for the electronic emission. In the case of the dispenser cathodes made of a porous tungsten pellet impregnated with Ba, Ca aluminates, the evaporation of Ba determines the cathode lifetime with respect to emission performance in the CRT. The Ba evaporation results in progressive depletion of the impregnating material inside the pellet. In the present work, the Ba depletion with time has been extensively characterized over a large range of cathode temperature. Calculations using the depletion data allowed modeling of the depletion as a function of key parameters. The link between measured depletion and emission in tubes has been established, from which an end-of-life criterion was deduced. Taking modeling into account, predicting accelerated life-tests were performed using high-density maximum emission current (MIK)

New doped tungsten cathodes. Applications to power grid tubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cachard, J. de; Cadoret, K; Martinez, L.; Veillet, D.; Millot, F.

2001-01-01

Thermionic emission behavior of tungsten/tungsten carbide modified with rare earth (La, Ce, Y) oxides is examined on account of suitability to deliver important current densities in a thermo-emissive set up and for long lifetime. Work functions of potential cathodes have been determined from Richardson plots for La 2 O 3 doped tungsten and for tungsten covered with variable compositions rare earth tungstates. The role of platinum layers covering the cathode was also examined. Given all cathodes containing mainly lanthanum oxides were good emitters, emphasis was put on service lifetime. Comparisons of lifetime in tungsten doped with rare earth oxides and with rare earth tungstates show that microstructure of the operating cathodes may play the major role in the research of very long lifetime cathodes. Based on these results, tests still running show lifetime compatible with power grid tubes applications. (author)

Testing Iodine as a New Fuel for Cathodes

Science.gov (United States)

Glad, Harley; Branam, Richard; Rogers, Jim; Warren, Matthew; Burleson, Connor; Siy, Grace

2017-11-01

The objective of this research is to demonstrate the viability of using iodine as an alternative space propulsion propellant. The demonstration requires the testing of a cathode with xenon and then the desired element iodine. Currently, cathodes run on noble gases such as xenon which must be stored in high pressure canisters and is very expensive. These shortcomings have led to researching possible substitutes. Iodine was decided as a suitable candidate because it's cheaper, can be stored as a solid, and has similar mass properties as xenon. In this research, cathodes will be placed in a vacuum chamber and operated on both gases to observe their performance, allowing us to gain a better understanding of iodine's behavior. Several planned projects depend on the knowledge gained from this project, such as larger scaled tests and iodine fed hall thrusters. The tasks of this project included protecting the stainless-steel vacuum chamber by gold plating and Teflon® coating, building a stand to hold the cathode, creating an anode resistant to iodine, and testing the cathode once setup was complete. The successful operation of the cathode was demonstrated. However, the experimental setup proved ineffective at controlling the iodine flow. Current efforts are focused on this problem. REU Site: Fluid Mechanics with Analysis using Computations and Experiments NSF Grant EEC 1659710.

Study on the cathode of ion source for neutral beam injector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanaka, Shigeru

1983-08-01

Durability of the cathode is an important problem in developing a high power long pulse ion source for neutral beam injector. The Purpose of this study is to develope a long life cathode and investigate the applicability of it to the source. Directly heated filaments which are commonly used as the cathode of injector source do not live very long in general. In the present work, an indirectly heated hollow cathode made of impregnated porous tungsten tube is proposed as the alternative of the directly heated cathode. At first, we fabricated a small hollow cathode to study the discharge characteristcs in a bell-jar configuration and to apply it to a duoPIGatron hydrogen ion source. The experiment showed that the gas flow rate for sustaining the stable arc discharge in the discharge chamber becomes higher than that when the filament cathode is used. To solve this problem, an experiment for gas reduction was made using a newly fabricated larger hollow cathode and a magnetic multi-pole ion source. The influence of the orifice diameter, the effect of a button and of magnetic field on the gas flow rate were experimentally studied and a method for gas reduction was found. In addition, effect of the magnetic field on the characteristics of the hollow cathode ion source was examined in detail and an optimum field configuration around the cathode was found. Finally, beam extraction from an intensively cooled hollow cathode ion source for up to 10 sec was successfully carried out. (author)

LOW TEMPERATURE CATHODE SUPPORTED ELECTROLYTES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harlan U. Anderson; Fatih Dogan; Vladimir Petrovsky

2002-03-31

This project has three main goals: Thin Films Studies, Preparation of Graded Porous Substrates and Basic Electrical Characterization and testing of Planar Single Cells. This period has continued to address the problem of making dense 1/2 to 5 {micro}m thick dense layers on porous substrates (the cathode LSM). Our current status is that we are making structures of 2-5 cm{sup 2} in area, which consist of either dense YSZ or CGO infiltrated into a 2-5 {micro}m thick 50% porous layer made of either nanoncrystalline CGO or YSZ powder. This composite structure coats a macroporous cathode or anode; which serves as the structural element of the bi-layer structure. These structures are being tested as SOFC elements. A number of structures have been evaluated both as symmetrical and as button cell configuration. Results of this testing indicates that the cathodes contribute the most to cell losses for temperatures below 750 C. In this investigation different cathode materials were studied using impedance spectroscopy of symmetric cells and IV characteristics of anode supported fuel cells. Cathode materials studied included La{sub 0.8}Sr{sub 0.2}Co{sub 0.2}Fe{sub 0.8}O{sub 3} (LSCF), La{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.2}MnO{sub 3} (LSM), Pr{sub 0.8}Sr{sub 0.2}Fe{sub 0.8}O{sub 3} (PSCF), Sm{sub 0.8}Sr{sub 0.2}Co{sub 0.2}Fe{sub 0.8}O{sub 3} (SSCF), and Yb{sub .8}Sr{sub 0.2}Co{sub 0.2}Fe{sub 0.8}O{sub 3} (SSCF). A new technique for filtering the Fourier transform of impedance data was used to increase the sensitivity of impedance analysis. By creating a filter specifically for impedance spectroscopy the resolution was increased. The filter was tailored to look for specific circuit elements like R//C, Warburg, or constant phase elements. As many as four peaks can be resolved using the filtering technique on symmetric cells. It may be possible to relate the different peaks to material parameters, like the oxygen exchange coefficient. The cathode grouped in order from lowest to highest ASR is

Polymer coatings as separator layers for microbial fuel cell cathodes

KAUST Repository

Watson, Valerie J.; Saito, Tomonori; Hickner, Michael A.; Logan, Bruce E.

2011-01-01

and increased coulombic efficiency (CE = 56-64%) relative to an uncoated cathode (29 ± 8%), but decreased power production (255-574 mW m-2). Electrochemical characterization of the cathodes ex situ to the MFC showed that the cathodes with the lowest charge

Cathodic Protection Model Facility

Data.gov (United States)

Federal Laboratory Consortium — FUNCTION: Performs Navy design and engineering of ship and submarine impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP) systems for underwater hull corrosion control and...

Cathodic behavior of zirconium in aqueous solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hine, F.; Yasuda, M.; Sato, H.

1977-01-01

The electrochemical behavior of Zr was studied by polarization measurements. The surface oxide and zirconium hydride formed by cathodic polarization of Zr have been examined by X-ray, SEM, and a hardness tester. Zirconium hydride would form on Zr cathode after the surface oxide is reduced at the potential, which is several hundred mV more noble than the predicted value shown by the Pourbaix diagram. The parameters for the hydrogen evolution reaction on the hydride formed Zr cathode differs from that on the oxide covered surface, which means that hydrogen evolution takes place on both surfaces under a different mechanism, while details are still veiled at present

The cathode material for a plasma-arc heater

Science.gov (United States)

Yelyutin, A. V.; Berlin, I. K.; Averyanov, V. V.; Kadyshevskii, V. S.; Savchenko, A. A.; Putintseva, R. G.

1983-11-01

The cathode of a plasma arc heater experiences a large thermal load. The temperature of its working surface, which is in contact with the plasma, reaches high values, as a result of which the electrode material is subject to erosion. Refractory metals are usually employed for the cathode material, but because of the severe erosion do not usually have a long working life. The most important electrophysical characteristic of the electrode is the electron work function. The use of materials with a low electron work function allows a decrease in the heat flow to the cathode, and this leads to an increase in its erosion resistance and working life. The electroerosion of certain materials employed for the cathode in an electric arc plasma generator in the process of reduction smelting of refractory metals was studied.

Performance evaluation of Mn and Fe doped SrCo0.9Nb0.1O3-δ cathode for IT-SOFC application

Science.gov (United States)

Bele, Lokesh; Lenka, R. K.; Patro, P. K.; Muhmood, L.; Mahata, T.; Sinha, P. K.

2018-02-01

Cathode materials of Mn and Fe doped SrCo0.9Nb0.1O3-δ, are synthesized by solid state route for intermediate temperature fuel cell applications. Phase pure material is obtained after calcining the precursors at 1100 °C. Phase compatibility is observed between this novel cathode material with gadolinia doped ceria (GDC) electrolyte material as reflected in the diffraction pattern. The state of art YSZ electrolyte is not compatible with this cathode material. Average thermal expansion coefficient of the material varies between 17 to 22 X 10-6 K-1 on doping, from room temperature to 800 °C. Increase in thermal expansion coefficient is observed with Mn and Fe doping associated with the loss of oxygen from the crystal. The electrical conductivity of the cathode material decreases with Fe and Mn doping. Mn doped samples show lowest conductivity. From the symmetric cell measurement lower area specific resistance (0.16 Ω-cm2) is obtained for un-doped samples, at 850 °C. From the initial results it can be inferred that Mn/Fe doping improves neither the thermal expansion co-efficient nor the electrochemical activity.

On the actual cathode mixed potential in direct methanol fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

Zago, M.; Bisello, A.; Baricci, A.; Rabissi, C.; Brightman, E.; Hinds, G.; Casalegno, A.

2016-09-01

Methanol crossover is one of the most critical issues hindering commercialization of direct methanol fuel cells since it leads to waste of fuel and significantly affects cathode potential, forming a so-called mixed potential. Unfortunately, due to the sluggish anode kinetics, it is not possible to obtain a reliable estimation of cathode potential by simply measuring the cell voltage. In this work we address this limitation, quantifying the mixed potential by means of innovative open circuit voltage (OCV) tests with a methanol-hydrogen mixture fed to the anode. Over a wide range of operating conditions, the resulting cathode overpotential is between 250 and 430 mV and is strongly influenced by methanol crossover. We show using combined experimental and modelling analysis of cathode impedance that the methanol oxidation at the cathode mainly follows an electrochemical pathway. Finally, reference electrode measurements at both cathode inlet and outlet provide a local measurement of cathode potential, confirming the reliability of the innovative OCV tests and permitting the evaluation of cathode potential up to typical operating current. At 0.25 A cm-2 the operating cathode potential is around 0.85 V and the Ohmic drop through the catalyst layer is almost 50 mV, which is comparable to that in the membrane.

High-Performance Direct Methanol Fuel Cells with Precious-Metal-Free Cathode.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Qing; Wang, Tanyuan; Havas, Dana; Zhang, Hanguang; Xu, Ping; Han, Jiantao; Cho, Jaephil; Wu, Gang

2016-11-01

Direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) hold great promise for applications ranging from portable power for electronics to transportation. However, apart from the high costs, current Pt-based cathodes in DMFCs suffer significantly from performance loss due to severe methanol crossover from anode to cathode. The migrated methanol in cathodes tends to contaminate Pt active sites through yielding a mixed potential region resulting from oxygen reduction reaction and methanol oxidation reaction. Therefore, highly methanol-tolerant cathodes must be developed before DMFC technologies become viable. The newly developed reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-based Fe-N-C cathode exhibits high methanol tolerance and exceeds the performance of current Pt cathodes, as evidenced by both rotating disk electrode and DMFC tests. While the morphology of 2D rGO is largely preserved, the resulting Fe-N-rGO catalyst provides a more unique porous structure. DMFC tests with various methanol concentrations are systematically studied using the best performing Fe-N-rGO catalyst. At feed concentrations greater than 2.0 m, the obtained DMFC performance from the Fe-N-rGO cathode is found to start exceeding that of a Pt/C cathode. This work will open a new avenue to use nonprecious metal cathode for advanced DMFC technologies with increased performance and at significantly reduced cost.

Performance Enhancement of a Sulfur/Carbon Cathode by Polydopamine as an Efficient Shell for High-Performance Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xuqing; Xie, Dong; Zhong, Yu; Wang, Donghuang; Wu, Jianbo; Wang, Xiuli; Xia, Xinhui; Gu, Changdong; Tu, Jiangping

2017-08-04

Lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) are considered to be among the most promising next-generation high-energy batteries. It is a consensus that improving the conductivity of sulfur cathodes and impeding the dissolution of lithium polysulfides are two key accesses to high-performance LSBs. Herein we report a sulfur/carbon black (S/C) cathode modified by self-polymerized polydopamine (pDA) with the assistance of polymerization treatment. The pDA acts as a novel and effective shell on the S/C cathode to stop the shuttle effect of polysulfides. By the synergistic effect of enhanced conductivity and multiple blocking effect for polysulfides, the S/C@pDA electrode exhibits improved electrochemical performances including large specific capacity (1135 mAh g -1 at 0.2 C), high rate capability (533 mAh g -1 at 5 C) and long cyclic life (965 mAh g -1 after 200 cycles). Our smart design strategy may promote the development of high-performance LSBs. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

ICCP cathodic protection of tanks with photovoltaic power supply

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janowski Mirosław

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Corrosion is the result of the electrochemical reaction between a metal or composite material usually having conducting current properties. Control of corrosion related defect is a very important problem for structural integrity in ground based structures. Cathodic protection (CP is a technique to protect metallic structures against corrosion in an aqueous environment, it is employed intense on the steel drains in oil and gas industry, specifically to protect underground tanks and pipelines. CP is commonly applied to a coated structure to provide corrosion control to areas where the coating may be damaged. It may be applied to existing structures to prolong their life. There are two types of cathodic protection systems: sacrificial (galvanic anode cathodic protection (SACP; the other system is Impressed Current Cathodic Protection (ICCP. Majority of the structures protected employ impressed current system. The main difference between the two is that SACP uses the galvanic anodes which are electrochemically more electronegative than the structure to be protected - the naturally occurring electrochemical potential difference between different metallic elements to provide protection; ICCP uses an external power source (electrical generator with D.C. with inert anodes, and this system is used for larger structures, or where electrolyte resistivity is high and galvanic anodes cannot economically deliver enough current to provide protection. The essential of CP is based on two parameters, the evolution of the potential and the current of protection. A commonly accepted protection criterion used for steel is a potential value of minus 850 mV. ICCP system consist of anodes connected to a DC power source. As power sources may be used such as solar panels, wind turbines, etc. The object of this study is analysis of the possibilities and operating parameters of ICCP system supplied with photovoltaic solar panels. Photovoltaic generator made up of the

Plasma-induced field emission and plasma expansion of carbon nanotube cathodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liao Qingliang; Zhang Yue; Qi Junjie; Huang Yunhua; Xia Liansheng; Gao Zhanjun; Gu Yousong

2007-01-01

High intensity electron emission cathodes based on carbon nanotube films have been successfully fabricated. An investigation of the explosive field emission properties of the carbon nanotube cathode in a double-pulse mode was presented and a high emission current density of 245 A cm -2 was obtained. The formation of the cathode plasma layer was proved and the production process of the electron beams from the cathode was explained. The time and space resolution of the electron beams flow from the cathode was investigated. The plasma expanded at a velocity of ∼8.17 cm μs -1 towards the anode and influenced on the intensity and distribution of electron beams obviously. The formation of cathode plasma had no preferential position and the local enhancement of electron beams was random. This carbon nanotube cathode appears to be suitable for high-power microwave device applications

High-Current Cold Cathode Employing Diamond and Related Materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hirshfield, Jay L. [Omega-P, Inc., New Haven, CT (United States)

2014-10-22

The essence of this project was for diamond films to be deposited on cold cathodes to improve their emission properties. Films with varying morphology, composition, and size of the crystals were deposited and the emission properties of the cathodes that utilize such films were studied. The prototype cathodes fabricated by the methods developed during Phase I were tested and evaluated in an actual high-power RF device during Phase II. These high-power tests used the novel active RF pulse compression system and the X-band magnicon test facility at US Naval Research Laboratory. In earlier tests, plasma switches were employed, while tests under this project utilized electron-beam switching. The intense electron beams required in the switches were supplied from cold cathodes embodying diamond films with varying morphology, including uncoated molybdenum cathodes in the preliminary tests. Tests with uncoated molybdenum cathodes produced compressed X-band RF pulses with a peak power of 91 MW, and a maximum power gain of 16.5:1. Tests were also carried out with switches employing diamond coated cathodes. The pulse compressor was based on use of switches employing electron beam triggering to effect mode conversion. In experimental tests, the compressor produced 165 MW in a ~ 20 ns pulse at ~18× power gain and ~ 140 MW at ~ 16× power gain in a 16 ns pulse with a ~ 7 ns flat-top. In these tests, molybdenum blade cathodes with thin diamond coatings demonstrated good reproducible emission uniformity with a 100 kV, 100 ns high voltage pulse. The new compressor does not have the limitations of earlier types of active pulse compressors and can operate at significantly higher electric fields without breakdown.

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis with a symmetric cell for LiCoO2 cathode degradation correlated with Co dissolution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hiroki Nara

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Static degradation of LiCoO2 cathodes is a problem that hinders accurate analysis using our developed separable symmetric cell. Therefore, in this study we investigate the static degradation of LiCoO2 cathodes in separable symmetric cells by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS and inductively coupled plasma analyses. EIS measurements of LiCoO2 cathodes are conducted in various electrolytes, with different anions and with or without HF and/or H2O. This allows us to determine the static degradation of LiCoO2 cathodes relative to their increase of charge transfer resistance. The increase of the charge transfer resistance of the LiCoO2 cathodes is attributed to cobalt dissolution from the active material of LiCoO2. Cobalt dissolution from LiCoO2 is revealed to occur even at low potential in the presence of HF, which is generated from LiPF6 and H2O. The results indicate that avoidance of HF generation is important for the analysis of lithium-ion battery electrodes by using the separable cell. These findings reveal the condition to achieve accurate analysis by EIS using the separable cell.

Fundamental Investigations and Rational Design of Durable High-Performance SOFC Cathodes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Yu [Georgia Inst. of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States); Ding, Dong [Georgia Inst. of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States); Wei, Tao [Georgia Inst. of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States); Liu, Meilin [Georgia Inst. of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States)

2016-03-31

The main objective of this project is to unravel the degradation mechanism of LSCF cathodes under realistic operating conditions with different types of contaminants, aiming towards the rational design of cathodes with high-performance and enhanced durability by combining a porous backbone (such as LSCF) with a thin catalyst coating. The mechanistic understanding will help us to optimize the composition and morphology of the catalyst layer and microstructure of the LSCF backbone for better performance and durability. More specifically, the technical objectives include: (1) to unravel the degradation mechanism of LSCF cathodes under realistic operating conditions with different types of contaminants using in situ and ex situ measurements performed on specially-designed cathodes; (2) to examine the microstructural and compositional evolution of LSCF cathodes as well as the cathode/electrolyte interfaces under realistic operating conditions; (3) to correlate the fuel cell performance instability and degradation with the microstructural and morphological evolution and surface chemistry change of the cathode under realistic operating conditions; (4) to explore new catalyst materials and electrode structures to enhance the stability of the LSCF cathode under realistic operating conditions; and (5) to validate the long term stability of the modified LSCF cathode in commercially available cells under realistic operating conditions. We have systematically evaluated LSCF cathodes in symmetrical cells and anode supported cells under realistic conditions with different types of contaminants such as humidity, CO₂, and Cr. Electrochemical models for the design of test cells and understanding of mechanisms have been developed for the exploration of fundamental properties of electrode materials. It is demonstrated that the activity and stability of LSCF cathodes can be degraded by the introduction of contaminants. The microstructural and compositional evolution of LSCF

SOFC LSM:YSZ cathode degradation induced by moisture: An impedance spectroscopy study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Jimmi; Mogensen, Mogens Bjerg

2011-01-01

The cause of the degradation effect of moisture during operation of LSM cathode based SOFCs has been investigated by means of a detailed impedance characterization on LSM:YSZ composite cathode based SOFCs. Further the role of YSZ as cathode composite material was studied by measurements on SOFCs...... with a LSM:CGO composite cathode on a CGO interdiffusion barrier layer. It was found that both types of cathodes showed similar electrochemical characteristics towards the presence of moisture during operation. Upon addition and removal of moisture in the fed air the impedance study showed a change...... in the high frequency cathode arc, which is associated with the charge transport/transfer at the LSM/YSZ interface. On prolonged operation with the presence of moisture an ongoing increase in the high frequency cathode arc resulted in a permanent loss of cathode/electrolyte contact and thus increase...

Insights into the Influence of Work Functions of Cathodes on Efficiencies of Perovskite Solar Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Yue, Shizhong; Lu, Shudi; Ren, Kuankuan; Liu, Kong; Azam, Muhammad; Cao, Dawei; Wang, Zhijie; Lei, Yong; Qu, Shengchun; Wang, Zhanguo

2017-05-01

Though various efforts on modification of electrodes are still undertaken to improve the efficiency of perovskite solar cells, attributing to the large scope of these methods, it is of significance to unveil the working principle systematically. Herein, inverted perovskite solar cells based on indium tin oxide (ITO)/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS)/CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 /phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PC 61 BM)/buffer metal/Al are constructed. Through the choice of different buffer metals to tune work function of the cathode, the contact nature of the active layer with the cathode could be manipulated well. In comparison with the device using Au/Al as the electrode that shows an unfavorable band bending for conducting the excited electrons to the cathode, the one with Ca/Al presents a dramatically improved efficiency over 17.1%, ascribed to the favorable band bending at the interface of the cathode with the active layer. Details for tuning the band bending and the corresponding charge transfer mechanism are given in a systematic manner. Thus, a general guideline for constructing perovskite photovoltaic devices efficiently is provided. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Large area dispenser cathode applied to high current linac

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Anmin; China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang; Wu Dengxue; Liu Chenjun; Xia Liansheng; Wang Wendou; Zhang Kaizhi

2005-01-01

The paper introduced a dispenser cathode (411 M) which was 55 mm in diameter. A 200 kV long pulsed power generator with 2 μs flattop based on Marx-PEN and system with heat and voltage insulation were built. A 52 A space charge limited current was gained, when the temperature was 1165 degree C and the filament current was 18 A on the cathode and the voltage of the pulse was 75 kV at the cathode test stand. Experimental results show that the current values are consistent with the numerical simulation. The experiment reveals that the deflated gas will influence the cathode emission ability. (authors)

Beam dynamics design of the 211 MeV APT normal conducting linac

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Young, L.M.; Billen, J.H.; Takeda, H.; Wood, R.L.

1998-01-01

This paper describes the normal conducting linac design that is part of the Accelerator for Production of Tritium (APT) project. The new version of PARMILA designed this linac. This linac accepts the beam from the 6.7 MeV radio frequency quadrupole without a separate matching section. At about 10 MeV, it has a smooth transition in the length of period from 8βλ to 9βλ in quadrupole focusing lattice. This adjustment of the period was needed to provide sufficient space for the quadrupole focusing magnets and beam diagnostic equipment. The linac consists of the coupled cavity drift tube linac up to 97 MeV and coupled cavity linac above 97 MeV

Experimental study of the negative glow and cathode sheath of an electron beam discharge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zeller, Philippe

1988-01-01

This research thesis reports the study of a middle-pressure (0.1-5 Torr) discharge in which a negative-glow-type plasma is created by a continuous electron beam (1 to 10 keV, 1 to 30 mA/cm 2 ). Such a discharge is characterised by a highly abnormal cathodic drop with a beam generation displaying an electric efficiency close to 1. In a first part, the author presents the main operation characteristics, discharge regimes and emission spectrum, and discusses bibliographical data related to cathode emission processes and to the distribution function of plasma electron velocities. The author then describes an original method of measurement of plasma conductivity. In the next part, he reports the study of the cathode region in which the electron beam generation occurs. The electric field has been measured in this region by using spatially resolved laser opto-galvanic spectroscopy. Results highlight an essentially linear spatial decay of the field. Besides, and based on these results, the author indicates scale laws leading to simple relationships between discharge parameters [fr

Chromium poisoning of LSM/YSZ and LSCF/CGO composite cathodes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bentzen, Janet Jonna; Høgh, Jens Valdemar Thorvald; Barfod, Rasmus

2009-01-01

from 300 to 2,970 h. Both LSM/YSZ and LSCF/CGO cathodes were sensitive to chromium poisoning; LSCF/CGO cathodes to a lesser extent than LSM/YSZ. Humid air aggravated the degradation of the cathode performance. Post-mortem electron microscopic investigations revealed several Cr-containing compounds...

Advanced Measurement and Modeling Techniques for Improved SOFC Cathodes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stuart Adler; L. Dunyushkina; S. Huff; Y. Lu; J. Wilson

2006-12-31

The goal of this project was to develop an improved understanding of factors governing performance and degradation of mixed-conducting SOFC cathodes. Two new diagnostic tools were developed to help achieve this goal: (1) microelectrode half-cells for improved isolation of cathode impedance on thin electrolytes, and (2) nonlinear electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (NLEIS), a variant of traditional impedance that allows workers to probe nonlinear rates as a function of frequency. After reporting on the development and efficacy of these tools, this document reports on the use of these and other tools to better understand performance and degradation of cathodes based on the mixed conductor La{sub 1-x}Sr{sub x}CoO{sub 3-{delta}} (LSC) on gadolinia or samaria-doped ceria (GDC or SDC). We describe the use of NLEIS to measure O{sub 2} exchange on thin-film LSC electrodes, and show that O{sub 2} exchange is most likely governed by dissociative adsorption. We also describe parametric studies of porous LSC electrodes using impedance and NLEIS. Our results suggest that O{sub 2} exchange and ion transport co-limit performance under most relevant conditions, but it is O{sub 2} exchange that is most sensitive to processing, and subject to the greatest degradation and sample-to-sample variation. We recommend further work that focuses on electrodes of well-defined or characterized geometry, and probes the details of surface structure, composition, and impurities. Parallel work on primarily electronic conductors (LSM) would also be of benefit to developers, and to improved understanding of surface vs. bulk diffusion.

Surface Modification Technique of Cathode Materials for LI-ION Battery

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Yongzhong; Han, Jinduo; Jing, Yan; Jin, Shan; Qi, Taiyuan

Cathode materials for Li-ion battery LiMn2O4 and LiCo0.1Mn1.9O4 were prepared by soft chemical method. Carbon, which was made by decomposing organic compounds, was used as modifying agent. Cathode material matrix was mixed with water solution that had contained organic compound such as cane sugar, soluble amylum, levulose et al. These mixture were reacted at 150 200 °C for 0.5 4 h in a Teflon-lined autoclave to get a series of homogeneously C-coated cathode materials. The new products were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and infrared (IR). Morphology of cathode materials was characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transition electron microscope (TEM). The new homogeneously C-coated products that were used as cathode materials of lithium-ion battery had good electrochemical stability and cycle performance. This technique has free-pollution, low cost, simpleness and easiness to realize the industrialization of the cathode materials for Li-ion battery.

Normal-Conducting Separation and Compensation Dipoles for the LHC Experimental Insertions

CERN Document Server

Ramberger, S; Cornuet, D; Gérard, D; Gurov, D; Hans, O; Kalbreier, Willi; Kiselev, O; Morozov, I; Ogurtsov, A; Petrov, V; de Rijk, G; Ruvinsky, E; Sukhanov, A; Zhilayev, K

2006-01-01

The experimental insertions of the LHC make use of normal-conducting magnets to provide for part of the beam separation and to compensate the effect of two large spectrometer dipoles. Three different types with respect to the length were designed and are based on the same type of lamination. The main type of magnet MBXW has a core length of 3.4 m while the MBXWT and MBXWS magnets are 1.5 m and 0.75 m long versions respectively. The magnet design was done in collaboration between CERN and BINP and the dipole magnets are produced by BINP. So far all three MBXWS magnets, all three MBXWT magnets and fifteen of twenty-nine MBXW magnets have been manufactured and delivered to CERN. The report presents the main design issues and results of the acceptance tests including mechanical, electrical and magnetic field measurements.

Cathodic behaviour of nonstoichiometric (la,Sr){sub 1-x}(Co,Mn)O{sub 3} materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abrantes, J.C.C.; Rodrigues, C.M.S. [ESTG, Inst. Politecnico Viana do Castelo (Portugal); Labrincha, J.A.; Frade, J.R.; Marques, F.M.B. [Aveiro Univ. (Portugal). Dept. de Engenharia de Ceramica e do Vidro

1996-10-01

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are expected to become competitive devices for electrical power generation, but successful application might be dependent on decreasing working temperatures to 800{sup o}C or lower, without detrimental effects on electrode processes and ohmic losses. This requires alternative electrode and electrolyte materials. The high electronic and oxygen ion conductivities of (La,Sr)CoO{sub 3} are promising for oxygen reduction, but high temperature reaction with yttria-stabilised zirconia (YSZ) electrolytes and excessive thermal expansion mismatch have prevented the current application of these cathode materials. Expected ways to try to minimise the reactivity of cobaltates involve A-site deficiency, and partial Mn for Co substitution. The latter is also expected to contribute to lower the thermal expansion mismatch. In this work (La,Sr){sub 1-x}(Co,Mn)O{sub 3} materials were prepared by solid state reaction and characterised by X-ray diffraction, thermal expansion and electrical conductivity measurements. The reactivity between these electrode materials and YSZ was also evaluated by XRD and SEM. Electrode layers were screen-printed on YSZ substrates and cathodic polarisation was measured at temperatures up to 1000{sup o}C. A-site substoichiometry and Co for Mn substitution affect the cathodic polarisation, but this also depends on some morphological features of screen-printed electrode layers. (author)

Synthesis and characterization of a novel Gd0.9Ba0.1CoO3-δ SOFC cathode material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lenka, R.K.; Mahata, T.; Sinha, P.K.; Tyagi, A.K.

2012-01-01

Perovskite materials with general formula ABO 3 (A = La and other rare earth metals, Ca, Sr, Ba etc.; B = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni etc.) are widely used as cathode materials in SOFCs. Doped cobaltites are reported to have better electro-catalytic activities for oxygen reduction reaction as well as higher electronic conductivities than other electrode materials. However, thermal expansion coefficient values of many cobaltites are significantly higher than that of commonly used oxygen ion conducting electrolyte materials. Among the different rare earth metals that form lanthanide cobaltite perovskites the thermal expansion coefficients (TEC) of the cobaltites decrease in the order of La, Pr, Nd, Sm and Gd. TEC can be tailored by substituting 'A' sites or Co sites with suitable elements. In general, substitution of Co site decreases catalytic activity and electronic conductivity. Increase in ionic conductivity has been reported with substitution in the 'A' site. In the present investigation 10 mol% Ba substituted GdCoO 3 has been studied as a SOFC cathode material

Oxide cathodes produced by plasma deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scheitrum, G.; Caryotakis, G.; Pi, T.; Umstattd, R.; Brown, I.; Montiero, O.

1997-01-01

These are two distinct applications for high-current-density, long-life thermionic cathodes. The first application is as a substitute for explosive emission cathodes used in high-power microwave (HPM) devices being developed for Air Force programs. The second application is in SLAC's X-band klystrons for the Next Linear Collider (NLC). SLAC, UCD, and LBL are developing a plasma deposition process that eliminates the problems with binders, carbonate reduction, peeling, and porosity. The emission layer is deposited using plasma deposition of metallic barium in vacuum with an oxygen background gas. An applied bias voltage drives the oxide plasma into the nickel surface. Since the oxide is deposited directly, it does not have problems with poisoning from a hydrocarbon binder. The density of the oxide layer is increased from the 40--50% for standard oxide cathodes to nearly 100% for plasma deposition

Properties of LiCoO{sub 2}-coated NiO MCFC cathode

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuk, S.T.; Kim, C.K.; Chun, H.S. [Korea Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kwon, H.J. [Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Suwon (Korea, Republic of)

1996-12-31

PVA-assisted sol-gel method is useful in producing metal oxides with large surface area at low temperature. We fabricated LiCoO{sub 2}-coated NiO(LC-NiO) cathode by PVA-assisted sol-gel method and measured its properties, The electrical conductivity of LC-NiO cathode was measured to be more than 5 times as high as that of NiO and unit cell test showed improved performance. From the SEM images and Raman spectra. we confirmed that the structure of LC-NiO was different from that of NiO. For 250 hours of steady operation of unit cells. the mean voltage of the cells were 0.78V for NiO and 0.85V for LiCoO{sub 2}-Coated NiO at a current density of l50mA/cm{sup 2}.

An adjustable electron achromat for cathode lens microscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tromp, R.M., E-mail: rtromp@us.ibm.com [IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, 1101 Kitchawan Road, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598 (United States); Leiden Institute of Physics, Kamerlingh Onnes Laboratory, Niels Bohrweg 2, 2333 CA Leiden (Netherlands)

2015-12-15

Chromatic aberration correction in light optics began with the invention of a two-color-corrected achromatic crown/flint lens doublet by Chester Moore Hall in 1730. Such color correction is necessary because any single glass shows dispersion (i.e. its index of refraction changes with wavelength), which can be counteracted by combining different glasses with different dispersions. In cathode lens microscopes (such as Photo Electron Emission Microscopy – PEEM) we encounter a similar situation, where the chromatic aberration coefficient of the cathode lens shows strong dispersion, i.e. depends (non-linearly) on the energy with which the electrons leave the sample. Here I show how a cathode lens in combination with an electron mirror can be configured as an adjustable electron achromat. The lens/mirror combination can be corrected at two electron energies by balancing the settings of the electron mirror against the settings of the cathode lens. The achromat can be adjusted to deliver optimum performance, depending on the requirements of a specific experiment. Going beyond the achromat, an apochromat would improve resolution and transmission by a very significant margin. I discuss the requirements and outlook for such a system, which for now remains a wish waiting for fulfilment. - Highlights: • The properties of cathode objective lens plus electron mirror are discussed. • In analogy with light-optical achromats, cathode lens plus mirror can be configured as an electron achromat. • Unlike light optics, the electron achromat can be adjusted to best fulfill experimental requirements.

Determination of electric field strength and kinetic temperature in the cathode fall region of a hollow cathode discharge

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

De la Rosa, M I; Perez, C; Gruetzmacher, K [Universidad de Valladolid, Facultad de Ciencias, 47071 Valladolid (Spain); Gonzalo, A B; Del Val, J A, E-mail: delarosa@opt.uva.e [Universidad de Salamanca, Escuela Politecnica Superior, 05003 Avila (Spain)

2010-05-01

In this work, we demonstrate the high potential of two-photon excitation of the 1S -2S transition of atomic hydrogen followed by optogalvanic detection, for measuring under identical experimental conditions, the kinetic temperature and the electric field strength in the cathode sheath region of a hollow cathode discharge. The first obtained results for both parameters are discussed in this paper.

The design of cathode for organic photovoltaic devices

Science.gov (United States)

Song, De; Shi, Feng; Xia, Xuan; Li, Ye; Duanmu, Qingduo

2016-11-01

We have discussed the effect of the residual gas in the Al metal cathode deposition process and consequently influence the performance of organic photovoltaic devices (such as organic photoelectron detector or solar cell). We believe that the origin of degradation in Jsc and FF from the Al cathode device should be the formation of AlOx in the C60-Al interface, which contaminate the interface and plays a role like an energy barrier that block the charge collect process. To solve this problem the Ag and Alq3 layer had been inserted before the Al. Owing to the advantageous of Alq3 and Ag layer, the device which Al cathode prepared at a lower vacuum condition exhibits a comparable performance to that device which Al cathode deposited in regular situation. As an additional benefit, since the introducing of Alq3/Ag layer in the VOPc/C60 organic photovoltaic device performs a better near-infrared response, this phenomenon has been confirmed by means of both simulation and experimental data. So the design of our new cathode structure provides a degree of freedom to modulate the light absorption for organic photovoltaic devices in short-wave and long-wave.

Space and time dependent properties of the virtual cathode in a reflex-type pulsed ion diode (virtual cathode in a reflex-type pulsed ion diode)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsumoto, Yoshio; Yano, Syukuro

1982-01-01

Properties of a virtual cathode in a pulsed ion diode composed of an insulator-mesh anode and a metal-mesh cathode were studied experimentally at anode voltages below 360kV. Potential distribution in the virtual cathode side was measured with an insulated electrostatic potential probe, and ion beam currents in virtual and real cathode sides were measured with biased ion collectors. A loss parameter for the electron current at the virtual cathode was evaluated from the measured electron current values by using relations derived from the one-dimensional Child-Langmuir theory applied to the reflex triode. The ion beam accompanies a considerable amount of electron current, and this influences the stability of the virtual cathode; this perturbation results in variations of ion current with time. Space potentials in the emitted ion beam are given, suggesting an existence of high energy electrons of several keV accelerated by positive space potential of the ion beam. (author)

Impressed current cathodic protection of deep water structures

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Venkatesan, R.

that the cathodic protection design approaches for shallow water may not be adequate for deeper water. This paper discusses on environmental factors encountered in deep water and their effect on cathodic protection behaviour of steel. Further, current CP design...

Analytical study of electron flows with a virtual cathode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dubinov, A.E.

2000-01-01

The dynamics of the electron flow behavior by its injection into a half-space is considered. Two problems are considered, namely the long-term injection of a monoenergetic electron flow and instantaneous flow injection with an assigned electron energy spectrum. The all flow electrons in both cases return to the injection plane. The simple analytical self-consistent model of the initial stage of the virtual cathode formation in a plane-parallel equipotential gap is plotted in the course of analysis whereof the duration of the virtual cathode formation process is determined. The performance of this model is not limited by the multivalence of the electron velocity in the flow. This makes it possible to extend the frames of the model performance relative to the moment of the virtual cathode formation and to consider its dynamics. The frequency of electron oscillations in the potential cathode-virtual cathode well is determined on the basis of the above model [ru

Effect of ‘A’-site non stoichiometry in strontium doped lanthanum ferrite based solid oxide fuel cell cathodes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Banerjee, Koyel; Mukhopadhyay, Jayanta, E-mail: jayanta_mu@cgcri.res.in; Barman, Madhurima; Basu, Rajendra N., E-mail: rnbasu@cgcri.res.in

2015-12-15

Highlights: • La{sub 1−x}Sr{sub x}Co{sub y}Fe{sub 1−y}O{sub 3−δ}, x = 0.4; y = 0.2 system varying La-site (0.6–0.54) are studied. • Combustion synthesis technique is used to prepare the powder samples. • Highest electrical conductivity observed with largest A-site deficit composition. • Lowest cathode polarization is found with the same composition (0.02 Ω cm{sup 2}). • Composition with largest A-site deficiency exhibits best performance (2.84 A cm{sup −2}). - Abstract: Effect of A-site non-stoichiometry in strontium doped lanthanum cobalt ferrite (La{sub 1−x}Sr{sub x}Co{sub y}Fe{sub 1−y}O{sub 3−δ}, x = 0.4; y = 0.2) is studied in a systematic manner with variation of ‘A’ site stoichiometry from 1 to 0.94. The perovskite based cathode compositions are synthesized by combustion synthesis. Powder characterizations reveal rhombohedral crystal structure with crystallite size ranging from 29 to 34 nm with minimum lattice spacing of 0.271 nm. Detailed sintering studies along with total DC electrical conductivities are evaluated in the bulk form with variation of sintering temperatures. The electrode polarizations are measured in the symmetric cell configuration by impedance spectroscopy which is found to be the lowest (0.02 Ω cm{sup 2} at 800 °C) for cathode having highest degree of ‘A’-site deficiency. The same cathode composition exhibits a current density of 2.84 A cm{sup −2} (at 0.7 V, 800 °C) in anode-supported single cell. An attempt has been made to correlate the trend of electrical behaviour with increasing ‘A’-site deficiency for such cathode compositions.

The explosive cathode on the base of carbon-fibrous plastic material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Korenev, S.A.; Baranov, A.M.; Kostyuchenko, S.V.; Chernenko, N.M.

1988-01-01

Production process of exploseve cathodes on the base of carbon-fibrous plastic material of any geometric form and size is discussed. Experimental study of current take-off from cathodes with diameter 2 cm of 10 kV and 150-250 kV voltage are given. It is shown that ignition voltage of cathode plasma is 2 kV with 5 mm gap electrode of diode and 5 ·10 -5 Tor pressure of residual gas. It is shown that carbon-fibrous cathode, made by this technology, provides more stable current take-off electron beam (withoud oscillations) in comparison with other cathodes

Physics design of APT linac with normal conducting rf cavities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nath, S.; Billen, J.H.; Stovall, J.E.; Takeda, Harunori; Young, L.M.

1996-01-01

The accelerator based production of tritium calls for a high-power, cw proton linac. Previous designs for such a linac use a radiofrequency quadrupole (RFQ), followed by a drift-tube linac (DTL) to an intermediate energy and a coupled-cavity linc (CCL) to the final energy. The Los Alamos design uses a high-energy (6.7 MeV) RFQ followed by the newly developed coupled-cavity drift-tube linac (CCDTL) and a CCL. This design accommodates external electromagnetic quadrupole lenses which provide a strong uniform focusing lattice from the end of the RFQ to the end of the CCL. The cell lengths in linacs of traditional design are typically graded as a function of particle velocity. By making groups of cells symmetric in both the CCDTL and CCL, the cavity design as well as mechanical design and fabrication is simplified without compromising the performance. At higher energies, there are some advantages of using superconducting rf cavities. Currently, such schemes are under vigorous study. This paper describes the linac design based on normal conducting cavities and presents simulation results

Development of cathode material for lithium-ion batteries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rustam Mukhtaruly Turganaly

2014-08-01

Full Text Available The electrochemical characteristics of the cathode material coated with carbon layer has been developed. Various carbon coating methods. There  has been carried out a comparative electrochemical analysis of the coated and uncoated with carbon cathode material. 

Space-time-dependent development of the plasma in a pulsed hollow-cathode discharge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schaefer, G.; Wages, M.

1988-01-01

This paper presents streak camera investigations on the space-time-dependent development of pulsed hollow-cathode discharges (HCD's) starting from low-current preionization discharges. The discharges started closer to the end of the cathode, then moved further into the cathode, and then spread over a longer range along the axis of the cathode. The depth range of the intense pulsed hollow-cathode plasma was found to be two to eight times the cathode diameter

Electricity generation of microbial fuel cell with waterproof breathable membrane cathode

Science.gov (United States)

Xing, Defeng; Tang, Yu; Mei, Xiaoxue; Liu, Bingfeng

2015-12-01

Simplification of fabrication and reduction of capital cost are important for scale-up and application of microbial electrochemical systems (MES). A fast and inexpensive method of making cathode was developed via assembling stainless steel mesh (SSM) with waterproof breathable membrane (WBM). Three assemble types of cathodes were fabricated; Pt@SSM/WBM (SSM as cathode skeleton, WBM as diffusion layer, platinum (Pt) catalyst applied on SSM), SSM/Pt@WBM and Pt@WBM. SSM/Pt@WBM cathode showed relatively preferable with long-term stability and favorable power output (24.7 W/m3). Compared to conventional cathode fabrication, air-cathode was made for 0.5 h. The results indicated that the novel fabrication method could remarkably reduce capital cost and simplify fabrication procedures with a comparable power output, making MFC more prospective for future application.

Pre-acclimation of a wastewater inoculum to cellulose in an aqueous–cathode MEC improves power generation in air–cathode MFCs

KAUST Repository

Cheng, Shaoan; Kiely, Patrick; Logan, Bruce E.

2011-01-01

-cathode MFCs with this inoculum produced maximum power densities of 1070mWm-2 (cathode surface area) in single-chamber and 880mWm-2 in two-chamber MFCs. Coulombic efficiencies ranged from 25% to 50%, and COD removals were 50-70% based on total cellulose

Alkaline and non-aqueous proton-conducting pouch-cell batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Young, Kwo-hsiung; Nei, Jean; Meng, Tiejun

2018-01-02

Provided are sealed pouch-cell batteries that are alkaline batteries or non-aqueous proton-conducing batteries. A pouch cell includes a flexible housing such as is used for pouch cell construction where the housing is in the form of a pouch, a cathode comprising a cathode active material suitable for use in an alkaline battery, an anode comprising an anode active material suitable for use in an alkaline battery, an electrolyte that is optionally an alkaline or proton-conducting electrolyte, and wherein the pouch does not include or require a safety vent or other gas absorbing or releasing system as the anode active material and the cathode active material do not increase the internal atmospheric pressure any more than 2 psig during cycling. The batteries provided function contrary to the art recognized belief that such battery systems were impossible due to unacceptable gas production during cycling.

Thermal Characteristics of Conversion-Type FeOF Cathode in Li-ion Batteries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liwei Zhao

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Rutile FeOF was used as a conversion-type cathode material for Li-ion batteries. In the present study, 0.6Li, 1.4Li, and 2.7Li per mole lithiation reactions were carried out by changing the electrochemical discharge reaction depth. The thermal characteristics of the FeOF cathode were investigated by thermogravimetric mass spectrometric (TG-MS and differential scanning calorimeter (DSC systems. No remarkable HF release was detected, even up to 700 °C, which indicated a low toxic risk for the FeOF cathode. Changes in the thermal properties of the FeOF cathode via different conversion reaction depths in the associated electrolyte were studied by changing the cathode/electrolyte ratio in the mixture. LiFeOF was found to exothermically react with the electrolyte at about 210 °C. Similar exothermic reactions were found with charged FeOF cathodes because of the irreversible Li ions. Among the products of the conversion reaction of FeOF, Li2O was found to exothermically react with the electrolyte at about 120 °C, which induced the main thermal risk of the FeOF cathode. It suggests that the oxygen-containing conversion-type cathodes have a higher thermal risk than the oxygen-free ones, but controlling the cathode/electrolyte ratio in cells successfully reduced the thermal risk. Finally, the thermal stability of the FeOF cathode was evaluated in comparison with FeF3 and LiFePO4 cathodes.

Spontaneous L-H transitions under marginal hot cathode biasing in the Tohoku University Heliac

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kitajima, S; Takahashi, H; Tanaka, Y; Utoh, H; Yokoyama, M; Inagaki, S; Suzuki, Y; Nishimura, K; Shinde, J; Ogawa, M; Iwazaki, K; Aoyama, H; Okamoto, A; Shinto, K; Sasao, M

2006-01-01

A series of hot cathode biasing experiments with marginal conditions for improved mode transition were carried out in the Tohoku University Heliac (TU-Heliac). Spontaneous transitions were observed accompanied by a delay of a few milliseconds. Transition conditions were explored over a wide operation range. The transition points can be identified clearly and easily in the operation range, because the plasma parameters changed slowly until the spontaneous transition. Although operation conditions were spread over a wide range, poloidal Mach numbers for transitions were concentrated in the range of -M p = 1-2 and normalized driving forces for poloidal rotation agreed well with the local maximum value of ion viscosity predicted by neoclassical theory. The local maximum of ion viscosity against the poloidal Mach number was found to play a key role in the L-H transition. Marginal hot cathode biasing is suitable to determine the threshold conditions for the L-H transition

MnO2-x nanosheets on stainless steel felt as a carbon- and binder-free cathode for non-aqueous lithium-oxygen batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Z. H.; Zhao, T. S.; Zhu, X. B.; Tan, P.

2016-02-01

Manganese dioxide (MnO2) has been recognized as an effective catalyst for the oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution reactions in non-aqueous lithium-oxygen batteries. However, a further improvement in battery performance with the MnO2 catalyst is limited by its low electronic conductivity and catalytic activity, which strongly depend on the morphology and composition. In this work, we develop a carbon- and binder-free MnO2-x nanosheets/stainless steel (SS) cathode via a simple and effective electrodeposition-solvothermal route. The created Mn(III) and oxygen vacancy in MnO2-x nanosheets allows an significant increase in the electronic conductivity and catalytic activity. It is experimentally shown that the use of the present nanostructure MnO2-x/SS cathode in a non-aqueous lithium-oxygen battery results in a rechargeable specific capacity of 7300 mAh g-1 at a current density of 200 mA g-1, which is 39% higher than that with the MnO2/SS cathode. In addition, the specific capacities at 400 mA g-1 and 800 mA g-1 reach 5249 mAh g-1 and 2813 mAh g-1, respectively, which are over 30% higher than that with the MnO2/SS cathode. Furthermore, the discharge/charge cycle test shows no degradation for 120 cycles. All the results show that the present nanostructure MnO2-x/SS cathode is a promising candidate for high-performance lithium-oxygen batteries.

Plasma generation using the hollow cathod

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moon, K.J.

1983-01-01

A hollow cathode of tungsten was adapted to an University of California, Berkely, LBL bucket ion source to investigate ion density fluctuations at the extractior grid. Fluctuations in plasma ion density are observed to range between 100kHz to 2 MHz. The observed fluctuation frequencies of plasma ion density are found to be inversely proportional to the square root of ion masses. It is guessed that the plasma fluctuation are also correlated with the hollow cathode length. (Author)

Wire winding increases lifetime of oxide coated cathodes

Science.gov (United States)

Kerslake, W.; Vargo, D.

1965-01-01

Refractory-metal heater base wound with a thin refractory metal wire increases the longevity of oxide-coated cathodes. The wire-wound unit is impregnated with the required thickness of metal oxide. This cathode is useful in magnetohydrodynamic systems and in electron tubes.

Resistivity network and structural model of the oxide cathode for CRT application

OpenAIRE

Hashim, A. A.; Barratt, D. S.; Hassan, A. K.; Evans-Freeman, J. H.; Nabok, A.

2006-01-01

In this paper, the electrical properties of oxide cathode\\ud and oxide cathode plus, supplied by LG Philips Displays, have been\\ud investigated in relation to different cathode activation regimes and\\ud methods. Oxide cathode activation treatment for different durations\\ud has been investigated. The formations of the compounds associated\\ud to the diffusion of reducing elements (Mg, Al, and W) to the Ni cap surface of oxide cathode were studied by a new suggestion method. Scanning electron mi...

Stabilizing nanostructured solid oxide fuel cell cathode with atomic layer deposition.

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, Yunhui; Palacio, Diego; Song, Xueyan; Patel, Rajankumar L; Liang, Xinhua; Zhao, Xuan; Goodenough, John B; Huang, Kevin

2013-09-11

We demonstrate that the highly active but unstable nanostructured intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cell cathode, La0.6Sr0.4CoO3-δ (LSCo), can retain its high oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity with exceptional stability for 4000 h at 700 °C by overcoating its surfaces with a conformal layer of nanoscale ZrO2 films through atomic layer deposition (ALD). The benefits from the presence of the nanoscale ALD-ZrO2 overcoats are remarkable: a factor of 19 and 18 reduction in polarization area-specific resistance and degradation rate over the pristine sample, respectively. The unique multifunctionality of the ALD-derived nanoscaled ZrO2 overcoats, that is, possessing porosity for O2 access to LSCo, conducting both electrons and oxide-ions, confining thermal growth of LSCo nanoparticles, and suppressing surface Sr-segregation is deemed the key enabler for the observed stable and active nanostructured cathode.

Influence of the radial spacing between cathodes on the surface composition of iron samples sintered by hollow cathode electric discharge

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brunatto S.F.

2001-01-01

Full Text Available The present work reports an investigation of the influence of the radial spacing between cathodes on the iron sintering process by hollow cathode electrical discharge, with surface enrichment of the alloying elements Cr and Ni. Pressed cylindrical samples of 9.5 mm diameter and density of 7.0 ± 0.1 g/cm³ were prepared by compaction of Ancorsteel 1000C iron powder. These samples, constituting the central cathode, were positioned concentrically in the interior of an external cathode machined from a tube of stainless steel AISI 310 (containing: 25% Cr, 16% Ni, 1.5% Mn, 1.5% Si, 0.03% C and the remainder Fe. Sintering was done at 1150 °C, for 120 min, utilizing radial spacings between the central and hollow cathodes of 3, 6 and 9 mm and a gas mixture of 80% Ar and 20% H2, with a flow rate of 5 cm³/s at a pressure of 3 Torr. The electric discharge was generated using a pulsed voltage power source, with a period of 200 mus. The radial spacing had only a slight influence on the quantity of atoms of alloying elements deposited and diffused on the surface of the sample. Analysis with a microprobe showed the presence of chrome (up to 4.0% and nickel (up to 3.0%, in at. % at the surface of the samples. This surface enrichment can be attributed to the mechanism of sputtering of the metallic atoms present in the external cathode, with the deposition of these elements on the sample surface and consequent diffusion within the sample.

Characterization of scandia doped pressed cathode fabricated by spray drying method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cui Yuntao; Wang Jinshu; Liu Wei; Wang Yiman; Zhou Meiling

2011-01-01

Scandia doped pressed cathode was prepared by a new method of spray drying combined with two-step hydrogen reduction process. The Sc 2 O 3 and barium-calcium aluminate co-doped powders have sub-micrometer size in the range of 0.1-1 μm and scandium oxide and barium-calcium aluminate are distributed evenly in the powders. The cathodes sintered by powder metallurgy at 1600 deg. C b have a smooth surface and sub-micrometer grain structure with homogeneous distribution of scandium, barium, calcium and aluminum which are dispersed over and among the tungsten grains. This cathode has good emission, e.g., the current density of this cathode reaches 31.50 A/cm 2 at 850 deg. C b . After proper activation, the cathode surface is covered by a Ba-Sc-O active substances layer with a preferable atomic ratio, leading to its good emission property. The evaporation activation energy of SDP cathode with 4.58 eV is the highest among the Ba-W, M-type and SDP cathodes, and the average evaporation velocity v t of SDP cathode with 1.28 x 10 -8 g cm -2 s -1 at 1150 deg. C b is the lowest one.

Back bombardment for dispenser and lanthanum hexaboride cathodes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mahmoud Bakr

2011-06-01

Full Text Available The back bombardment (BB effect limits wide usage of thermionic rf guns. The BB effect induces not only ramping-up of a cathode’s temperature and beam current, but also degradation of cavity voltage and beam energy during a macropulse. This paper presents a comparison of the BB effect for the case of dispenser tungsten-base (DC and lanthanum hexaboride (LaB_{6} thermionic rf gun cathodes. For each, particle simulation codes are used to simulate the BB effect and electron beam dynamics in a thermionic rf gun cathode. A semiempirical equation is also used to investigate the stopping range and deposited heat power of BB electrons in the cathode material. A numerical simulation method is used to calculate the change of the cathode temperature and current density during a single macropulse. This is done by solving two differential equations for the rf gun cavity equivalent circuit and one-dimensional thermal diffusion equation. High electron emission and small beam size are required for generation of a high-brightness electron beam, and so in this work the emission properties of the cathode are taken into account. Simulations of the BB effect show that, for a pulse of 6  μs duration, the DC cathode experiences a large change in the temperature compared with LaB_{6}, and a change in current density 6 times higher. Validation of the simulation results is performed using experimental data for beam current beyond the gun exit. The experimental data is well reproduced using the simulation method.

Polyamidoamine dendrimer-based binders for high-loading lithium–sulfur battery cathodes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bhattacharya, Priyanka; Nandasiri, Manjula I.; Lv, Dongping; Schwarz, Ashleigh M.; Darsell, Jens T.; Henderson, Wesley A.; Tomalia, Donald A.; Liu, Jun; Zhang, Ji-Guang; Xiao, Jie

2016-01-01

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are regarded as one of the most promising candidates for next generation energy storage systems because of their ultra high theoretical specific energy. To realize the practical application of Li-S batteries, however, a high S active material loading is essential (>70 wt% in the carbon-sulfur (C-S) composite cathode and >2 mg cm-2 in the electrode). A critical challenge to achieving this high capacity in practical electrodes is the dissolution of the longer lithium polysulfide reaction intermediates in the electrolyte (resulting in loss of active material from the cathode and contamination of the anode due to the polysulfide shuttle mechanism). The binder material used for the cathode is therefore crucial as this is a key determinant of the bonding interactions between the active material (S) and electronic conducting support (C), as well as the maintenance of intimate contact between the electrode materials and current collector. The battery performance can thus be directly correlated with the choice of binder, but this has received only minimal attention in the relevant Li-S battery published literature. Here, we investigated the application of polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers as functional binders in Li-S batteries—a class of materials which has been unexplored for electrode design. By using dendrimers, it is demonstrated that high S loadings (>4 mg cm-2) can be easily achieved using "standard" (not specifically tailored) materials and simple processing methods. An exceptional electrochemical cycling performance was obtained (as compared to cathodes with conventional linear polymeric binders such as carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR)) with >100 cycles and 85-98% capacity retention, thus demonstrating the significant utility of this new binder architecture which exhibits critical physicochemical properties and flexible nanoscale design parameters (CNDP's).

Development of multi-pixel x-ray source using oxide-coated cathodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Kandlakunta, Praneeth; Pham, Richard; Khan, Rao; Zhang, Tiezhi

2017-07-07

Multiple pixel x-ray sources facilitate new designs of imaging modalities that may result in faster imaging speed, improved image quality, and more compact geometry. We are developing a high-brightness multiple-pixel thermionic emission x-ray (MPTEX) source based on oxide-coated cathodes. Oxide cathodes have high emission efficiency and, thereby, produce high emission current density at low temperature when compared to traditional tungsten filaments. Indirectly heated micro-rectangular oxide cathodes were developed using carbonates, which were converted to semiconductor oxides of barium, strontium, and calcium after activation. Each cathode produces a focal spot on an elongated fixed anode. The x-ray beam ON and OFF control is performed by source-switching electronics, which supplies bias voltage to the cathode emitters. In this paper, we report the initial performance of the oxide-coated cathodes and the MPTEX source.

La{sub 0.84}Sr{sub 0.16}MnO{sub 3-{delta}} cathodes impregnated with Bi{sub 1.4}Er{sub 0.6}O{sub 3} for intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Junliang; Wang, Shaorong; Wang, Zhenrong; Liu, Renzhu; Wen, Tinglian; Wen, Zhaoyin [The Key Laboratory of Energy Conversion Materials, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1295 Dingxi Road, Shanghai 200050 (China)

2009-12-01

La{sub 0.84}Sr{sub 0.16}MnO{sub 3-{delta}}-Bi{sub 1.4}Er{sub 0.6}O{sub 3} (LSM-ESB) composite cathodes are fabricated by impregnating LSM electronic conducting matrix with the ion-conducting ESB for intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs). The performance of LSM-ESB cathodes is investigated at temperatures below 750 C by AC impedance spectroscopy. The ion-impregnation of ESB significantly enhances the electrocatalytic activity of the LSM electrodes for the oxygen reduction reactions, and the ion-impregnated LSM-ESB composite cathodes show excellent performance. At 750 C, the value of the cathode polarization resistance (R{sub p}) is only 0.11 {omega} cm{sup 2} for an ion-impregnated LSM-ESB cathode, which also shows high stability during a period of 200 h. For the performance testing of single cells, the maximum power density is 0.74 W cm{sup -2} at 700 C for a cell with the LSM-ESB cathode. The results demonstrate the ion-impregnated LSM-ESB is one of the promising cathode materials for intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells. (author)

An explosive-emitter cathode produced using the heavy ion track technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akap'ev, G.N.; Korenev, S.A.

1988-01-01

A cathode based on thin metallic foils with a homogeneous needle surface is described. The cathode was manufactured using the heavy ion track technique which permits the production of cathodes with an unlimited area and a needle density ranging from about 10 3 to 10 9 needles per cm 2 . An electron gun using this type of cathode has a current of 200-900 A and an energy of 100-300 keV. The cross section of the electron beam is fairly uniform. It is shown that needle emitters of similar shape and size play the principal role in forming a homogeneous cathode plasma

Formation of virtual cathodes and microwave generation in relativistic electron beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwan, T.J.T.; Thode, L.E.

1984-01-01

Simulation of the generation of a relativistic electron beam in a foil diode configuration and the subsequent intense microwave generation resulting from the formation of the virtual cathode is presented. The oscillating virtual cathode and the trapped beam electrons between the real and the virtual cathodes were found to generate microwaves at two distinct frequencies. Generation of high-power microwaves with about 10% efficiency might reasonably be expected from such a virtual-cathode configuration

Lipon coatings for high voltage and high temperature Li-ion battery cathodes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dudney, Nancy J.; Liang, Chengdu; Nanda, Jagjit; Veith, Gabriel M.; Kim, Yoongu; Martha, Surendra Kumar

2017-12-05

A lithium ion battery includes an anode and a cathode. The cathode includes a lithium, manganese, nickel, and oxygen containing compound. An electrolyte is disposed between the anode and the cathode. A protective layer is deposited between the cathode and the electrolyte. The protective layer includes pure lithium phosphorus oxynitride and variations that include metal dopants such as Fe, Ti, Ni, V, Cr, Cu, and Co. A method for making a cathode and a method for operating a battery are also disclosed.

Mosaic-shaped cathode for highly durable solid oxide fuel cell under thermal stress

Science.gov (United States)

Joo, Jong Hoon; Jeong, Jaewon; Kim, Se Young; Yoo, Chung-Yul; Jung, Doh Won; Park, Hee Jung; Kwak, Chan; Yu, Ji Haeng

2014-02-01

In this study, we propose a novel "mosaic structure" for a SOFC (solid oxide fuel cell) cathode with high thermal expansion to improve the stability against thermal stress. Self-organizing mosaic-shaped cathode has been successfully achieved by controlling the amount of binder in the dip-coating solution. The anode-supported cell with mosaic-shaped cathode shows itself to be highly durable performance for rapid thermal cycles, however, the performance of the cell with a non-mosaic cathode exhibits severe deterioration originated from the delamination at the cathode/electrolyte interface after 7 thermal cycles. The thermal stability of an SOFC cathode can be evidently improved by controlling the surface morphology. In view of the importance of the thermal expansion properties of the cathode, the effects of cathode morphology on the thermal stress stability are discussed.

Modular cathode assemblies and methods of using the same for electrochemical reduction

Science.gov (United States)

Wiedmeyer, Stanley G.; Barnes, Laurel A.; Williamson, Mark A.; Willit, James L.

2018-03-20

Modular cathode assemblies are useable in electrolytic reduction systems and include a basket through which fluid electrolyte may pass and exchange charge with a material to be reduced in the basket. The basket can be divided into upper and lower sections to provide entry for the material. Example embodiment cathode assemblies may have any shape to permit modular placement at any position in reduction systems. Modular cathode assemblies include a cathode plate in the basket, to which unique and opposite electrical power may be supplied. Example embodiment modular cathode assemblies may have standardized electrical connectors. Modular cathode assemblies may be supported by a top plate of an electrolytic reduction system. Electrolytic oxide reduction systems are operated by positioning modular cathode and anode assemblies at desired positions, placing a material in the basket, and charging the modular assemblies to reduce the metal oxide.

Coating for lithium anode, thionyl chloride active cathode electrochemical cell

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Catanzarite, V.O.

1983-01-04

Electrochemical power cells having a cathode current collector, a combination liquid active cathode depolarizer electrolyte solvent and an anode that forms surface compounds when in intimate contact with the liquid cathode are enhanced by the addition of a passivation limiting film contiguous to said anode. The passivating film is a member of the cyanoacrilate family of organic compounds.

Coating for lithium anode, thionyl chloride active cathode electrochemical cell

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Catanzarite, V.O.

1981-10-20

Electrochemical power cells having a cathode current collector, a combination liquid active cathode depolarizer electrolyte solvent and an anode that forms surface compounds when in intimate contact with the liquid cathode are enhanced by the addition of a passivation limiting film contiguous to said anode. The passivating film is a member of the cyanoacrilate family of organic compounds.

Evaporation equipment with electron beam heating for the evaporation of metals and other conducting materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mueller, P.

1977-01-01

Equipment for the evaporation of metals and other conducting materials by electron beam heating is to be improved by surrou nding the evaporation equipment with a grid, which has a negative voltage compared to the cathode. This achieves the state where the cathode is hit and damaged less by the ions formed, so that its life period is prolonged. (UWI) [de

1999 Annual Cathodic Protection Survey Report for PFP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

BOWMAN, T.J.

2000-01-01

This cathodic protection (CP) report documents the results of the 1999 annual CP survey of the underground piping within PFP property. An annual survey of CP systems is required by Washington Administrative Code (WAC). A spreadsheet to document the 1999 annual survey polarization data is included in this report. Graphs are included to trend the cathodic voltages and the polarization voltages at each test station on PFP property. The trending spans from 1994 to 1999. Graphs are also included to trend voltage and amperage outputs of each rectifier during the annual surveys. During the annual survey, resistance testing between the underground piping was conducted at each test station. The testing showed that all piping (with test leads into the test stations) was continuous with every pipe represented in the test stations. The resistance data is not documented in this report but can be accessed in work package 22-99-01003. During the annual survey, the wiring configurations of anode junction boxes AJB(R45-1) and AJB(45-1) were documented. The sketches can be accessed from the JCS work record of work package 22-99-01003. Analysis, conclusions, and recommendations of the 1999 annual CP survey results are included in this report

(La{sub 0.74}Bi{sub 0.10}Sr{sub 0.16})MnO{sub 3-{delta}}-Ce{sub 0.8}Gd{sub 0.2}O{sub 2-{delta}} cathodes fabricated by ion-impregnating method for intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Junliang; Wang, Shaorong; Wang, Zhenrong; Liu, Renzhu; Ye, Xiaofeng; Sun, Xiufu; Wen, Tinglian; Wen, Zhaoyin [Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1295 Dingxi Road, Shanghai 200050 (China)

2009-03-15

Porous composite cathodes were fabricated by impregnating (La{sub 0.74}Bi{sub 0.10}Sr{sub 0.16})MnO{sub 3-{delta}} (LBSM) electronic conducting structure with the ionic conducting Ce{sub 0.8}Gd{sub 0.2}O{sub 2-{delta}} (GDC) phase. The ion impregnation of the GDC phase significantly enhanced the electrocatalytic activity of the LBSM electrodes for the O{sub 2} reduction reactions, and the ion-impregnated LBSM-GDC composite cathodes showed excellent performance. At 700 C, the value of the cathode polarization resistance (Rc) was only 0.097 {omega} cm{sup 2} for an ion-impregnated LBSM-GDC cathode, and the performance was gradually improved by increasing the loading of the impregnated GDC. For the performance testing of single cells, the maximum power density was 1036 mW cm{sup -2} at 700 C for a cell with the LBSM-GDC cathode. The results demonstrated the unique combination of the LBSM electronic conducting structure with high ionic conducting GDC phase was a valid method to improve the electrode performance, and the ion-impregnated LBSM-GDC was a promising composite cathode material for the intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells. (author)

Oxide-cathode activation and surface temperature calculation of electron cooler

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Jie; Yang Xiaodong; Mao Lijun; Li Guohong; Yuan Youjin; Liu Zhanwen; Zhang Junhui; Yang Xiaotian; Ma Xiaoming; Yan Tailai

2011-01-01

The pollution on electron gun ceramic insulation of electron cooler restricted the operation of electron cooler at HIRFL-CSR main ring. To cool and accumulate ion beam well, the pollution was cleared and a new oxide-coated cathode was assembled. The processes of cathode replacement,vacuum chamber baking-out, and thermal decomposition of coating binders and alkaline earth metal carbonates, and cathode activation are presented. The electron gun perveance of 10.6 μA/V 1.5 was attained under the heating power of 60 W. The typical surface temperature of oxide-coated cathode that is calculated through grey-body radiation is 1 108 K which shows a comparable result to the experimental measurement 1 078 K. The perveance growth of electron gun during the electron cooler operation is also explained by partial activation of the cathode. (authors)

Theory of hollow cathode arc discharges. II. Metastable state balance inside the cathode. Application to argon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferreira, C.M.; Delcroix, J.L.

1975-01-01

In the hollow cathode the metastable species are created by fast electrons, which are emitted by the cathode wall and injected in the plasma across a space-charge sheath, and destroyed by Maxwellian electrons. A detailed analysis of the different electronic destruction mechanisms in argon shows that the re-excitation up to 3p 5 4p states plays a very important role. Solutions of the metastable balance equation were obtained in a wide range of variation of the discharge parameters displaying the best conditions of operation to obtain high concentrations [fr

Modelling current transfer to cathodes in metal halide plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benilov, M S; Cunha, M D; Naidis, G V

2005-01-01

This work is concerned with investigation of the main features of current transfer to cathodes under conditions characteristic of metal halide (MH) lamps. It is found that the presence of MHs in the gas phase results in a small decrease of the cathode surface temperature and of the near-cathode voltage drop in the diffuse mode of current transfer; the range of stability of the diffuse mode expands. Effects caused by a variation of the work function of the cathode surface owing to formation of a monolayer of alkali metal atoms on the surface are studied for particular cases where the monolayer is composed of sodium or caesium. It is found that the formation of the sodium monolayer affects the diffuse mode of current transfer only moderately and in the same direction that the presence of metal atoms in the gas phase affects it. Formation of the caesium monolayer produces a dramatic effect: the cathode surface temperature decreases very strongly, the diffuse-mode current-voltage characteristic becomes N-S-shaped

Phase transition of a cobalt-free perovskite as a high-performance cathode for intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Shanshan; Zhou, Wei; Niu, Yingjie; Zhu, Zhonghua; Shao, Zongping

2012-10-01

It is generally recognized that the phase transition of a perovskite may be detrimental to the connection between cathode and electrolyte. Moreover, certain phase transitions may induce the formation of poor electronic and ionic conducting phase(s), thereby lowering the electrochemical performance of the cathode. Here, we present a study on the phase transition of a cobalt-free perovskite (SrNb(0.1)Fe(0.9)O(3-δ), SNF) and evaluate its effect on the electrochemical performance of the fuel cell. SNF exists as a primitive perovskite structure with space group P4mm (99) at room temperature. As evidenced by in situ high-temperature X-ray diffraction measurements over the temperature range of 600 to 1000 °C, SNF undergoes a transformation to a tetragonal structure with a space group I4/m (87). This phase transition is accompanied by a moderate change in the volume, allowing a good cathode/electrolyte interface on thermal cycling. According to the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy evaluation, the I4/m phase exhibits positive effects on the cathode's performance, showing the highest oxygen reduction reaction activity of cobalt-free cathodes reported so far. This activity improvement is attributed to enhanced oxygen surface processes. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Durability and Performance of High Performance Infiltration Cathodes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Samson, Alfred Junio; Søgaard, Martin; Hjalmarsson, Per

2013-01-01

The performance and durability of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) cathodes consisting of a porous Ce0.9Gd0.1O1.95 (CGO) infiltrated with nitrates corresponding to the nominal compositions La0.6Sr0.4Co1.05O3-δ (LSC), LaCoO3-δ (LC), and Co3O4 are discussed. At 600°C, the polarization resistance, Rp......, varied as: LSC (0.062Ωcm2)cathode was found to depend on the infiltrate firing temperature and is suggested to originate...... of the infiltrate but also from a better surface exchange property. A 450h test of an LSC-infiltrated CGO cathode showed an Rp with final degradation rate of only 11mΩcm2kh-1. An SOFC with an LSC-infiltrated CGO cathode tested for 1,500h at 700°C and 0.5Acm-2 (60% fuel, 20% air utilization) revealed no measurable...

Beam Dynamics Simulations of Optically-Enhanced Field Emission from Structured Cathodes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seymour, A. [Northern Illinois U.; Grote, D. [LLNL, Livermore; Mihalcea, D. [Northern Illinois U.; Piot, P. [Fermilab; Vay, J.-L. [LBNL, Berkeley

2014-01-01

Structured cathodes - cathodes with a segmented emission surface - are finding an increasing number of applications and can be combined with a variety of emission mechanisms, including photoemission and field emission. These cathodes have been used to enhance the quantum efficiency of metallic cathodes when operated as plasmonic cathodes, have produced high-current electron bunches though field emission from multiple tips, and can be used to form beams with transverse segmentations necessary for improving the performance of accelerator-based light sources. In this report we present recent progress towards the development of finite-difference time-domain particle-in-cell simulations using the emission process in structured cathodes based on the WARP framework. The simulations give further insight on the localized source of the emitted electrons which could be used for additional high-fidelity start-to-end simulations of electron accelerators that employ this type of electron source.

Impact of cathode evaporation on a free-burning arc

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Etemadi, K.

1990-01-01

In the center of a free-burning, high intensity argon arc at atmospheric pressure, a highly ionized vapor beam of copper has been generated by a continuous feeding of a thin (0.5 and 1 mm diameter) copper wire to the hot surface region of the cathode in the vicinity of the plasma attachment. The copper vapor is carried into the plasma column between the electrodes by the self-magnetic induced plasma flow caused by the conical shape of the cathode. In order to study the vapor beam, the arc is modeled at atmospheric pressure, with a current of 150 A, a gap spacing of 1 cm, a cathode tip of 60 degrees and a copper vapor flow of 1 mg/s. The temperature, mass flow, current flow and Cu concentration are calculated for the entire plasma region. The intensity distribution of CuI spectral line at 5218.2 angstrom is also recorded by emission spectroscopy and compared with the calculated values. The copper vapor in the cathode region has velocities of 210 m/s with a mass concentration of above 90% within 0.5 mm from the arc axis. The vapor passes from the cathode toward the anode with a slight diffusion in the argon plasma. Higher temperatures and current densities in the core of the arc, caused by the cathode evaporation, are calculated

Development of alloy-film coated dispenser cathode for terahertz vacuum electron devices application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barik, R.K.; Bera, A.; Raju, R.S.; Tanwar, A.K.; Baek, I.K.; Min, S.H.; Kwon, O.J.; Sattorov, M.A.; Lee, K.W.; Park, G.-S.

2013-01-01

High power terahertz vacuum electron devices demand high current density and uniform emission dispenser cathode. It was found that the coating of noble metals e.g., Os, Ir, and Re on the surface of tungsten dispenser cathodes enhances the emission capabilities and uniformity. Hence metal coated cathode might be the best candidate for terahertz devices applications. In this study, ternary-alloy-film cathode (2Os:2Re:1 W) and Os coated cathode have been developed and the results are presented. The cathodes made out of this alloy coating showed 1.5 times higher emission and 0.02 eV emission uniformity as compared to those of simply Os coated cathodes which can be used in terahertz devices application.

Development of alloy-film coated dispenser cathode for terahertz vacuum electron devices application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barik, R. K.; Bera, A. [School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Seoul National University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Raju, R. S. [Central Electronics Engineering Research Institute (CEERI), Rajasthan (India); Tanwar, A. K.; Baek, I. K.; Min, S. H.; Kwon, O. J.; Sattorov, M. A. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Center for THz-Bio Application Systems, and Seoul-Teracom Inc., Seoul National University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Lee, K. W. [LIG Nex1, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Park, G.-S., E-mail: gunsik@snu.ac.kr [School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Seoul National University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Department of Physics and Astronomy, Center for THz-Bio Application Systems, and Seoul-Teracom Inc., Seoul National University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Advanced Institute of Convergence Technology, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do (Korea, Republic of)

2013-07-01

High power terahertz vacuum electron devices demand high current density and uniform emission dispenser cathode. It was found that the coating of noble metals e.g., Os, Ir, and Re on the surface of tungsten dispenser cathodes enhances the emission capabilities and uniformity. Hence metal coated cathode might be the best candidate for terahertz devices applications. In this study, ternary-alloy-film cathode (2Os:2Re:1 W) and Os coated cathode have been developed and the results are presented. The cathodes made out of this alloy coating showed 1.5 times higher emission and 0.02 eV emission uniformity as compared to those of simply Os coated cathodes which can be used in terahertz devices application.

Turning Waste Chemicals into Wealth-A New Approach To Synthesize Efficient Cathode Material for an Li-O2 Battery.

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, Ying; Wu, Feng

2017-09-20

An Li-O 2 battery requires the oxygen-breathing cathode to be highly electronically conductive, rapidly oxygen diffusive, structurally stable, and often times electrocatalytically active. Catalyst-decorated porous carbonaceous materials are the chosen air cathode in this regard. Alternatively, biomass-derived carbonaceous materials possess great ability to remove heavy and toxic metal ions from waste, forming a metal-adsorbed porous carbonaceous material. The similar structure between the air cathode and the metal-adsorbed biomass-derived carbon nicely bridges these two irrelevant areas. In this study, we investigated the electrochemical activity of a biochar material Ag-ESB directly synthesized from ethanol sludge residue in a rechargeable aprotic Li-O 2 battery. Ag ions were adsorbed from sewage and became Ag nanoparticles with uniform coverage on the biochar surface. The as-prepared material exhibits good electrochemical behavior in battery testing, especially toward the battery efficiency and cyclability. This study provides the possibility of synthetically efficient cathode material by reusing "waste" such as biofuel sludge residue. It is an economically and environmentally friendly approach both for an energy-storage system and for waste recycling.

Probabilistic modelling of the high-pressure arc cathode spot displacement dynamic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coulombe, Sylvain

2003-01-01

A probabilistic modelling approach for the study of the cathode spot displacement dynamic in high-pressure arc systems is developed in an attempt to interpret the observed voltage fluctuations. The general framework of the model allows to define simple, probabilistic displacement rules, the so-called cathode spot dynamic rules, for various possible surface states (un-arced metal, arced, contaminated) and to study the resulting dynamic of the cathode spot displacements over one or several arc passages. The displacements of the type-A cathode spot (macro-spot) in a magnetically rotating arc using concentric electrodes made up of either clean or contaminated metal surfaces is considered. Experimental observations for this system revealed a 1/f -tilde1 signature in the frequency power spectrum (FPS) of the arc voltage for anchoring arc conditions on the cathode (e.g. clean metal surface), while it shows a 'white noise' signature for conditions favouring a smooth movement (e.g. oxide-contaminated cathode surface). Through an appropriate choice of the local probabilistic displacement rules, the model is able to correctly represent the dynamic behaviours of the type-A cathode spot, including the FPS for the arc elongation (i.e. voltage) and the arc erosion trace formation. The model illustrates that the cathode spot displacements between re-strikes can be seen as a diffusion process with a diffusion constant which depends on the surface structure. A physical interpretation for the jumping probability associated with the re-strike event is given in terms of the electron emission processes across dielectric contaminants present on the cathode surface

Oxygen reduction kinetics on graphite cathodes in sediment microbial fuel cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Renslow, Ryan; Donovan, Conrad; Shim, Matthew; Babauta, Jerome; Nannapaneni, Srilekha; Schenk, James; Beyenal, Haluk

2011-12-28

Sediment microbial fuel cells (SMFCs) have been used as renewable power sources for sensors in fresh and ocean waters. Organic compounds at the anode drive anodic reactions, while oxygen drives cathodic reactions. An understanding of oxygen reduction kinetics and the factors that determine graphite cathode performance is needed to predict cathodic current and potential losses, and eventually to estimate the power production of SMFCs. Our goals were to (1) experimentally quantify the dependence of oxygen reduction kinetics on temperature, electrode potential, and dissolved oxygen concentration for the graphite cathodes of SMFCs and (2) develop a mechanistic model. To accomplish this, we monitored current on polarized cathodes in river and ocean SMFCs. We found that (1) after oxygen reduction is initiated, the current density is linearly dependent on polarization potential for both SMFC types; (2) current density magnitude increases linearly with temperature in river SMFCs but remains constant with temperature in ocean SMFCs; (3) the standard heterogeneous rate constant controls the current density temperature dependence; (4) river and ocean SMFC graphite cathodes have large potential losses, estimated by the model to be 470 mV and 614 mV, respectively; and (5) the electrochemical potential available at the cathode is the primary factor controlling reduction kinetic rates. The mechanistic model based on thermodynamic and electrochemical principles successfully fit and predicted the data. The data, experimental system, and model can be used in future studies to guide SMFC design and deployment, assess SMFC current production, test cathode material performance, and predict cathode contamination.

High performance screen printable lithium-ion battery cathode ink based on C-LiFePO4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sousa, R.E.; Oliveira, J.; Gören, A.; Miranda, D.; Silva, M.M.; Hilliou, Loic; Costa, C.M.; Lanceros-Mendez, S.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • C-LiFePO 4 paste was been prepared for screen-printing technique. • The inks produced have a Newtonian viscosity of 3 Pa.s for this printing technique. • C-LiFePO 4 inks present a 48.2 mAh.g −1 after 50 cycles at 5C. • This ink is suitable in the development of printed lithium ion batteries. - Abstract: Lithium-ion battery cathodes have been fabricated by screen-printing through the development of C-LiFePO 4 inks. It is shown that shear thinning polymer solutions in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) with Newtonian viscosity above 0.4 Pa s are the best binders for formulating a cathode paste with satisfactory film forming properties. The paste shows an elasticity of the order of 500 Pa and, after shear yielding, shows an apparent viscosity of the order of 3 Pa s for shear rates corresponding to those used during screen-printing. The screen-printed cathode produced with a thickness of 26 μm shows a homogeneous distribution of the active material, conductive additive and polymer binder. The total resistance and diffusion coefficient of the cathode are ∼ 450 Ω and 2.5 × 10 −16 cm 2 s −1 , respectively. The developed cathodes show an initial discharge capacity of 48.2 mAh g −1 at 5C and a discharge value of 39.8 mAh g −1 after 50 cycles. The capacity retention of 83% represents 23% of the theoretical value (charge and/or discharge process in twenty minutes), demonstrating the good performance of the battery. Thus, the developed C-LiFePO 4 based inks allow to fabricate screen-printed cathodes suitable for printed lithium-ion batteries.

Comparison of hollow cathode discharge plasma configurations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farnell, Casey C; Farnell, Cody C; Williams, John D

2011-01-01

Hollow cathodes used in plasma contactor and electric propulsion devices provide electrons for sustaining plasma discharges and enabling plasma bridge neutralization. Life tests show erosion on hollow cathodes exposed to the plasma environment produced in the region downstream of these devices. To explain the observed erosion, plasma flow field measurements are presented for hollow cathode generated plasmas using both directly immersed probes and remotely located plasma diagnostics. Measurements on two cathode discharge configurations are presented: (1) an open, no magnetic field configuration and (2) a setup simulating the discharge chamber environment of an ion thruster. In the open cathode configuration, large amplitude plasma potential oscillations, ranging from 20 to 85 V within a 34 V discharge, were observed using a fast response emissive probe. These oscillations were observed over a dc potential profile that included a well-defined potential hill structure. A remotely located electrostatic analyzer (ESA) was used to measure the energy of ions produced within the plasma, and energies were detected that met, and in some cases exceeded, the peak oscillatory plasma potentials detected by the emissive probe. In the ion thruster discharge chamber configuration, plasma potentials from the emissive probe again agreed with ion energies recorded by the remotely located ESA; however, much lower ion energies were detected compared with the open configuration. A simplified ion-transit model that uses temporal and spatial plasma property measurements is presented and used to predict far-field plasma streaming properties. Comparisons between the model and remote measurements are presented.

Molten carbonate fuel cell cathode with mixed oxide coating

Science.gov (United States)

Hilmi, Abdelkader; Yuh, Chao-Yi

2013-05-07

A molten carbonate fuel cell cathode having a cathode body and a coating of a mixed oxygen ion conductor materials. The mixed oxygen ion conductor materials are formed from ceria or doped ceria, such as gadolinium doped ceria or yttrium doped ceria. The coating is deposited on the cathode body using a sol-gel process, which utilizes as precursors organometallic compounds, organic and inorganic salts, hydroxides or alkoxides and which uses as the solvent water, organic solvent or a mixture of same.

OPTIMIZATION OF THE CATHODE LONG-TERM STABILITY IN MOLTEN CARBONATE FUEL CELLS: EXPERIMENTAL STUDY AND MATHEMATICAL MODELING

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hector Colonmer; Prabhu Ganesan; Nalini Subramanian; Dr. Bala Haran; Dr. Ralph E. White; Dr. Branko N. Popov

2002-09-01

This project focused on addressing the two main problems associated with state of art Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells, namely loss of cathode active material and stainless steel current collector deterioration due to corrosion. We followed a dual approach where in the first case we developed novel materials to replace the cathode and current collector currently used in molten carbonate fuel cells. In the second case we improved the performance of conventional cathode and current collectors through surface modification. States of art NiO cathode in MCFC undergo dissolution in the cathode melt thereby limiting the lifetime of the cell. To prevent this we deposited cobalt using an electroless deposition process. We also coated perovskite (La{sub 0.8}Sr{sub 0.2}CoO{sub 3}) in NiO thorough a sol-gel process. The electrochemical oxidation behavior of Co and perovskites coated electrodes is similar to that of the bare NiO cathode. Co and perovskite coatings on the surface decrease the dissolution of Ni into the melt and thereby stabilize the cathode. Both, cobalt and provskites coated nickel oxide, show a higher polarization compared to that of nickel oxide, which could be due to the reduced surface area. Cobalt substituted lithium nickel oxide (LiNi{sub 0.8}Co{sub 0.2}O{sub 2}) and lithium cobalt oxide were also studied. LiNi{sub x}Co{sub 1-x}O{sub 2} was synthesized by solid-state reaction procedure using lithium nitrate, nickel hydroxide and cobalt oxalate precursor. LiNi{sub x}Co{sub 1-x}O{sub 2} showed smaller dissolution of nickel than state of art nickel oxide cathode. The performance was comparable to that of nickel oxide. The corrosion of the current collector in the cathode side was also studied. The corrosion characteristics of both SS304 and SS304 coated with Co-Ni alloy were studied. This study confirms that surface modification of SS304 leads to the formation of complex scales with better barrier properties and better electronic conductivity at 650 C. A three

Fe-N-C catalyst modified graphene sponge as a cathode material for lithium-oxygen battery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu, Ling; Shen, Yue; Huang, Yunhui

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Hydrothermally-synthesized graphene sponge is excellent skeleton of Li-O 2 cathode. • Fe-N-C catalyst loaded on GS was attained via pyrolysis of FePc and GS composites. • High capacity and good cyclability were achieved with Fe-N-GS air electrode. • The synergy of porous structure and catalytic activity leads to the high performance. - Abstract: The cathode of a lithium-oxygen battery needs the synergism of a porous conducting material and a catalyst to facilitate the formation and decomposition of lithium peroxide. Here we introduce a graphene sponge (GS) modified with Fe-N-C catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The porous, 3-dimensional conductive and free standing nature of the graphene sponge makes it become excellent skeleton of cathode for lithium-oxygen battery. The Fe-N-C catalyst nanoparticles dispersed uniformly on the graphene sheets show excellent catalytic reactivity in both discharge and charge processes. This kind of composite material greatly improves the capacity and cyclability of the lithium-oxygen battery. With dimethyl sulphoxide as electrolyte, the capacity reaches 6762 mAh g −1 which is twice of the pure graphene sponge. In addition, the cell containing Fe-N-GS air electrode exhibits stable cyclic performance and effective reduction of charge potential plateau, indicating that Fe-N-GS is promising as an OER catalyst in rechargeable lithium-air batteries

Freestanding graphene/MnO2 cathodes for Li-ion batteries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Şeyma Özcan

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Different polymorphs of MnO2 (α-, β-, and γ- were produced by microwave hydrothermal synthesis, and graphene oxide (GO nanosheets were prepared by oxidation of graphite using a modified Hummers’ method. Freestanding graphene/MnO2 cathodes were manufactured through a vacuum filtration process. The structure of the graphene/MnO2 nanocomposites was characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD and Raman spectroscopy. The surface and cross-sectional morphologies of freestanding cathodes were investigated by scanning electron microcopy (SEM. The charge–discharge profile of the cathodes was tested between 1.5 V and 4.5 V at a constant current of 0.1 mA cm−2 using CR2016 coin cells. The initial specific capacity of graphene/α-, β-, and γ-MnO2 freestanding cathodes was found to be 321 mAhg−1, 198 mAhg−1, and 251 mAhg−1, respectively. Finally, the graphene/α-MnO2 cathode displayed the best cycling performance due to the low charge transfer resistance and higher electrochemical reaction behavior. Graphene/α-MnO2 freestanding cathodes exhibited a specific capacity of 229 mAhg−1 after 200 cycles with 72% capacity retention.

Cathode fall measurement in a dielectric barrier discharge in helium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hao, Yanpeng; Zheng, Bin; Liu, Yaoge [School of Electric Power, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640 (China)

2013-11-15

A method based on the “zero-length voltage” extrapolation is proposed to measure cathode fall in a dielectric barrier discharge. Starting, stable, and discharge-maintaining voltages were measured to obtain the extrapolation zero-length voltage. Under our experimental conditions, the “zero-length voltage” gave a cathode fall of about 185 V. Based on the known thickness of the cathode fall region, the spatial distribution of the electric field strength in dielectric barrier discharge in atmospheric helium is determined. The strong cathode fall with a maximum field value of approximately 9.25 kV/cm was typical for the glow mode of the discharge.

Space-charge-limited currents for cathodes with electric field enhanced geometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lai, Dingguo, E-mail: laidingguo@nint.ac.cn; Qiu, Mengtong; Xu, Qifu [State Key Laboratory of Intense Pulsed Radiation Simulation and Effect, Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology, Xi' an 701124 (China); Huang, Zhongliang [Department of Engineering Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)

2016-08-15

This paper presents the approximate analytic solutions of current density for annulus and circle cathodes. The current densities of annulus and circle cathodes are derived approximately from first principles, which are in agreement with simulation results. The large scaling laws can predict current densities of high current vacuum diodes including annulus and circle cathodes in practical applications. In order to discuss the relationship between current density and electric field on cathode surface, the existing analytical solutions of currents for concentric cylinder and sphere diodes are fitted from existing solutions relating with electric field enhancement factors. It is found that the space-charge-limited current density for the cathode with electric-field enhanced geometry can be written in a general form of J = g(β{sub E}){sup 2}J{sub 0}, where J{sub 0} is the classical (1D) Child-Langmuir current density, β{sub E} is the electric field enhancement factor, and g is the geometrical correction factor depending on the cathode geometry.

Resonant cavity operation of a virtual cathode oscillator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fazio, M.V.; Hoeberling, R.F.

1986-01-01

Gigawatt level virtual cathode sources have been proposed for several applications. These include microwave weapons and drivers for high-energy particle accelerators. Both of these require a microwave source with very high power output that is controllable in frequency and phase. A conventional virtual cathode oscillator will not meet these requirements. The addition of a resonant cavity surrounding the oscillating virtual cathode either alone or pumped with a low-power injection signal, causing it to operate as an amplifier, could greatly influence the performance of this type of source making it more practical for accelerator and weapon applications. The progress on an experiment to test these concepts will be discussed