Composites for Energy Applications: Materials for Renewable Energy Applications 2022: On-Demand Oral Presentations
Sponsored by: TMS Structural Materials Division, TMS: Composite Materials Committee
Program Organizers: Patrick Ward, Savannah River National Laboratory; Joseph Teprovich, California State University Northridge; Anthony Thompson, Savannah River National Laboratory; Simona Hunyadi Murph, Savannah River National Laboratory
Monday 8:00 AM
March 14, 2022
Room: Energy & Environment (including REWAS 2022 Symposia)
Location: On-Demand Room
Plasmon-initiated Hydrogen Desorption: Katherine Hurst1; Steven Christensen1; Ashley Gaulding1; Ana Sanz-Matias2; Pragya Verma2; Noemi Leick1; David Prendergast2; Thomas Gennett1; 1National Renewable Energy Laboratory; 2Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
The unique nature of plasmon-driven chemistry motivates the design and development of novel materials and composites for new applications. This methodology can result in important advances in energy storage by enabling the rapid release of hydrogen at low temperatures and pressures. Dehydrogenation reactions from traditional metal hydride materials require high temperatures. This work explores a dehydrogenation process using plasmonic nanomaterials combined with metal hydrides. Through localized heating via surface plasmon excitation, the bulk thermal signature for hydrogen release can be significantly reduced. In another example, thin coatings grown by atomic layer deposition onto metal hydrides can produce changes in the photo-initiated reaction selectivity based on tailoring the mass transfer of the reactants to the catalyst surface.
Nanoconfined Metal Hydrides as Solid-State Electrolytes and as Reversible Hydrogen Storage Materials: Vitalie Stavila1; 1Sandia National Laboratories
Nanoconfined metal hydrides have many attractive features for integration into solid-state batteries and hydrogen fuel cells, in particular for vehicular applications, where weight and volume are critical. I will present recent results that demonstrate that nanoconfinement of metal hydrides can be used to overcome the unfavorable thermodynamics of direct aluminum hydrogenation by stabilizing AlH3 and LiAlH4 within nanoporous carbon and Covalent-Triazine Framework nanoporous hosts, rendering the hydrides reversible. In the area of solid-state electrolytes, we demonstrated that nanoconfinement of Li2B12H12 and LiCB11H12 in nanoporous silica (8-12 nm pore sizes) yields dynamically disordered closo-(car)borate anions exhibiting liquid-like reorientational mobilities, with superionic cation conductivities down to room temperature. These results point out to possible uses of the nanoconfinement strategy to advance novel materials concepts in electrochemical energy storage devices and hydrogen storage.
Development of Hydrogen Storage and Gas Purification Materials for Renewable Energy Applications: Godwin Severa1; 1University of Hawaii, Hawaii Natural Energy Institute
Magnesium borohydride, Mg(BH4)2, has potential to meet requirements for practical PEM fuel cell applications. However, due to very slow kinetics, direct hydrogenation of bulk magnesium diboride, MgB2, to Mg(BH4)2 has only been demonstrated at forcing conditions of over 900 bar and 400 oC. We have found innovative approaches to drastically lower the hydrogenation temperature and/or pressure of MgB2, through using various inorganic and/or organic additives. Our recent results demonstrate hydrogenation of the modified MgB2 to Mg(BH4)2 at temperatures and pressures as low as 250 oC and 160 bar. PEM fuel cells utilize atmospheric air as cheap oxygen source for the cathodic reaction when generating energy. However, acid gas contaminants in air (e.g H2S and SO2) can lead to severe reduction in fuel cell performance, especially in environments with elevated levels of contaminants. Herein we report our efforts to develop alternate acid gas absorbents incorporating ionic liquids and inorganic salts.
System Modeling of Metal Hydrides for Fuel Cell Vehicles: Kriston Brooks1; Lenna Mahoney1; 1Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Metal hydrides (MH) and MH composites provide a significantly smaller volume alternative to gaseous hydrogen storage for light, medium and heavy-duty fuel cell vehicles. Models have been developed to size the MH storage system and evaluate its performance during refueling and operations. These models help direct the design of the MH and elucidate the importance of its physical, thermodynamic, and kinetic properties. This presentation will demonstrate the utility of these models in comparing state-of-the-art MH materials and will also provide guidance as to the improvements that are required to make these materials viable in real-world applications.
A Review on Epoxy Filled Metallurgical Dust- phase change materials Systems for Enhanced Thermal Energy Storage: Daniel Okanigbe1; 1Tshwane University of Technology
The use of organic Phase change materials (PCMs) is often faced with leakage, reduction of heat transfer efficiency and consequently increases in production costs. To counter this drawback, an organic matrix like epoxy can be made to serve as capsule of the PCMs. However, this system is often challenged by poor rates of charge and discharge of energy because of low thermal conductivity. Hence, the need to develop an efficient thermal energy storage system using epoxy as capsule. This paper therefore reports the outcome of a literature review of publications under the following sub-themes: inorganic PCM-Epoxy systems; organic resin-PCM systems; Thermal analysis of the different systems. It was therefore concluded that a gap of knowledge exist in the area of using metallurgical dust (MD) to produce an efficient thermal energy storage system. Future research, should focus on developing an epoxy filled MD-PCM systems for enhanced thermal energy storage.
Eutectic Electrolytes for Lithium Ion Batteries: Nathaniel Hardin1; 1SRNL
Electrolytes represent a fundamental component of many energy storage systems. With the growing demand for electrification of vehicles and push for renewable energy and grid storage, continued research on electrolytes is paramount to meet these demands. Eutectic electrolytes are a relatively new class of electrolytes being studied for battery applications such as lithium ion batteries. Eutectics can offer benefits over conventional carbonate electrolytes such as decreased flammability and increased safety, cost, and high concentration of active ion in the eutectic. This talk will cover the formation of a novel eutectic electrolyte and its characterization and application in lithium ion batteries.
Spectroscopic Investigation of the Electronic and Excited State Properties of Para-substituted Tetraphenyl Porphyrins and Their Electrochemically Generated Ions: Lauren Hanna1; Joseph Teprovich2; Patrick Ward1; 1Savannah River National Laboratory; 2California State University Northridge
Porphyrins play pivotal roles in many crucial biological processes including photosynthesis. Electrochemical and spectroscopic signatures reveal that minor substitutions on the macrocycle may significantly alter the electronic and excited state dynamics of this class of complexes. To obtain a deeper insight into the influences of porphyrin functionalization, four free-base, meso-substituted porphyrins were investigated and the influence of various substituents, (-hydroxy,-carboxy, and -nitro) in the para position of the meso-substituted phenyl moieties were evaluated. The spectral features observed among the various porphyrins were further explained using rendered frontier molecular orbitals pertaining to the relevant transitions. Electrochemically generated anionic and cationic porphyrin species, formed via in-situ spectroelectrochemistry, yield additional electronic information as a function of the nature of the substituent. Excited state properties were revealed through femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy analysis, in which, global analysis extracted various lifetime details suggesting differing relaxation dynamics among the porphyrins. Herein, this focuses on an in-depth and comprehensive analysis of the electronic and excited state effects associated with systematically varying the induced dipole at the methine bridge of the free-base porphyrin macrocycle and the spectroscopic signatures related to the neutral, anionic, and cationic species of these porphyrins.
Densification and Microstructure Features of Lithium Hydride Fabrication: Christian Bustillos1; Gabriella King1; Jaben Root1; Joshua Kuntz1; Wyatt Du Frane1; 1Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Lithium hydride is the lightest binary compound with versatile application in nuclear reactor technology, hydrogen storage, and thermal energy storage. Although ceramic lithium hydride has historically been manufactured through casting processes, uniaxial pressing of lithium hydride offers fabrication of material with tailorable properties via microstructure control which can lead to the expansion in application of lithium hydride. Full densification of lithium hydride was achieved at temperatures between 150 – 500 °C and a pressure range of 10 – 288 MPa. By varying pressure, dwell time and powder load at 150 °C, densities relevant to applications requiring a specific level of density were acquired. Of note, the densification of lithium hydride is highly dependent on powder load. Microscopy revealed lithium hydride powder to be an agglomeration of fine particles, and grain formation (10 μm) and elimination of porosity are observed after sintering. Prepared by LLNL under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344.