Browse Topic: On-board energy sources
To investigate the effect of negative pressure environment on the aging behavior of solid propellants, a 60-day negative pressure accelerated aging test was carried out on SG-2 propellant with five working conditions: atmospheric pressure at room temperature, atmospheric pressure at 80°C, and negative pressure at 40°C/60°C/80°C. Combined with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), the functional group evolution law and thermal decomposition kinetic characteristics of the periphery zone and core zone of the propellant were analyzed. The results show that the propellant exhibits significant inhomogeneous aging characteristics under negative pressure aging. The functional group structure in the periphery zone is more stable in the early aging stage; in the middle stage, components such as DNT and C2 in the core zone migrate to the periphery zone; in the late stage, the undegraded components in the core zone continuously supplement the periphery zone, making the functional group integrity of the periphery zone better than that of the core zone. DSC tests combined with Kissinger and Ozawa methods show that the thermal decomposition activation energy of the propellant decreases continuously with the increase of aging temperature under negative pressure environment, and the activation energy drops to 428.91 kJ/mol after aging at negative pressure 80°C. High temperature accelerates the volatilization of NG, the cross- linking of NC molecular chains and the consumption of stabilizer, leading to the easy breakage of O-NO₂ groups and the significant deterioration of thermal stability. This study clarifies that the aging mechanism of the propellant under negative pressure environment is the synergistic effect of component migration and diffusion, functional group decomposition and molecular chain cross-linking, which provides a theoretical basis for the storage and application of solid propellants in negative pressure service scenarios such as deep space exploration.
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We present atomistic molecular dynamics simulations of linear and branched fluorinated polymer chains, with and without imidazole functionalization, designed as a model for solvent-free proton-conducting membranes for high-temperature fuel cell applications. Simulations conducted over a temperature range of 300 to 550 K, and diffusion-based relaxation times reveal that glass transition temperatures depend on polymer architecture: the branched and functionalized systems exhibit transitions near 400 K compared to 500 K for the linear chain. Fluorine-fluorine radial distribution functions demonstrate that branching disrupts local packing order, while imidazole substitution creates specific intra-chain interactions. Radius-of-gyration distributions reveal that branching significantly increases chain extension and creates multiple conformational families, whereas imidazole groups stabilize compact conformations at low temperatures that transition to more diverse states upon heating. These findings provide molecular-scale insight into how polymer architecture controls thermal transitions and structural organization in model high-temperature polymer electrolyte membranes.
Biomanufacturing uses microorganisms to produce chemicals or materials of interest, much like a brewery uses fermentation by yeast to produce the alcohol in beer. Biomanufacturing relies upon synthetic biology to reprogram yeast or other microorganisms to produce something of greater value, such as fuel, food, or pharmaceuticals. Industrial biomanufacturing has made significant advances and the products it can deliver include reactive coatings and textiles, sensors, optical materials that can bend light, and new therapeutics such as antimicrobials and vaccines. The convergence of synthetic biology, robotics, and artificial intelligence is opening the way to produce materials never before possible in the commercial market. These same technologies create the opportunity for the miniaturization of this technology to fit into ever more compact spaces, bringing forward deployment of these mini-factories closer and closer to the point of need.
The global automotive industry is facing an unprecedented convergence of uncertainties driven by geopolitical tensions, evolving trade policies, emissions related regulations, and increasingly volatile consumer demand. Shifting emissions legislation, including the EU’s tightened CO2 targets and long-term plans to phase out internal combustion engines, is imposing strategic and financial pressures on automakers and suppliers as they navigate divergent regional regulatory trajectories. Demand side volatility further complicates the landscape. Consumer preferences are fluctuating due to economic pressures, infrastructure constraints, and uneven EV adoption patterns. While some markets show stagnation in battery electric vehicle uptake, hybrids are rising as consumers seek cost efficient alternatives amid uncertain energy and regulatory environments. Within this unstable context, the transition toward Software Defined Vehicles (SDVs) is emerging as a critical strategic response. SDVs, characterized by centralized computing, updatable software architectures, and over the air feature deployment, offer automakers greater adaptability in addressing regulatory shifts and market dynamics. By decoupling hardware from software cycles, SDVs enable faster innovation, reduced development risk, and new digital revenue models, while virtualization and AI driven analytics enhance development efficiency and lifecycle value.
Multiphase compressible flow problems are widespread in aviation, aerospace, transportation, military, and industrial fields, for instance, in underwater explosion bubble dynamics, fuel injection for hypersonic vehicles, liquid sloshing in propellant tanks, and supercavitating underwater vehicles. This paper proposes an improved THINC (Tangent of Hyperbola for Interface Capturing) method for multiphase flow simulations, based on a selective reconstruction strategy for the dominant material. The core of the strategy is to apply the THINC reconstruction exclusively to the material with the largest volume fraction within a multiphase mixed cell, which numerically governs the local interface evolution. The volume fractions of non-dominant materials are then obtained through a proportional distribution that inherently ensures the summation (Σαk = 1) and boundedness (0 ≤ αk> ≤ 1) constraints are met without explicit corrections. This approach reduces the number of THINC reconstructions for each time step in a multiphase mixed cell from Nm (the number of materials) to one, significantly simplifying the algorithm and lowering computational cost. It thereby avoids the error accumulation and complex renormalization procedures associated with conventional schemes that reconstruct all materials. While strictly maintaining volume fraction conservation, the proposed method preserves interface sharpness through the underlying THINC framework. The method is implemented in a diffuse-interface, multiphase Eulerian framework and validated with a series of challenging benchmarks, including shock-helium bubble interaction, triple-point problem, gas impact, and the more complex modified gas impact. Numerical results show that, compared with conventional multiphase THINC approaches that reconstruct every material, the proposed scheme can reduce CPU time by about 40.0% without compromising the accuracy of key physical quantities.
As the impending ILSAC GF-8, dexos 1 Gen 4, and a hybrid specification continue to obscure the North American landscape, passenger car engine oils need additive solutions that can help simplify blending operations and optimize product portfolios. Modern passenger car engine oils have evolved far beyond basic lubrication, becoming highly engineered fluids that support advanced engine technologies. Driven largely by the need to meet increasingly demanding efficiency and emissions requirements, today's engine oils must deliver a broad range of performance benefits in addition to wear protection. These requirements are defined through industry performance specifications, such as those established by the International Lubricant Standardization and Approval Committee (ILSAC). In North America, current passenger car engine oils are formulated to meet ILSAC GF-7 standards, helping ensure that lubricants are aligned with the operational needs of modern vehicles. Change is on the horizon. ILSAC is in the early part of its development process for ILSAC GF-8, which will further push the envelope in terms of how an engine oil must contribute to greater fuel economy.
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