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Summary The realization of lithium-ion battery (LIB) anodes with high volumetric energy densities and minimal Li plating at high rates remains a key challenge for emerging technologies, including electric vehicles and grid-level energy storage. Here, we present graphene-functionalized Li2TiSiO5 (G-LTSO) as a high volumetric energy and power density anode for LIBs. G-LTSO forms a dense electrode structure with electronically and ionically conductive networks that deliver superior electrochemical performance. Upon lithiation, in situ transmission electron microscopy reveals that graphene functionalization yields minimal structural changes compared with pristine LTSO, resulting in high cycling stability. Furthermore, G-LTSO exhibits not only high charge and discharge capacities but also low overpotentials at high rates with minimal voltage fading due to reduced formation of a solid-electrolyte interphase. The combination of highly compacted electrode morphology, stable high-rate electrochemistry, and low operating potential enables G-LTSO to achieve exceptional volumetric energy and power densities that overcome incumbent challenges for LIBs.

A one-step phase inversion method was applied to fabricate an optimized anode structure for protonic ceramic fuel cells (PCFCs). The phase inversion process utilized raw starting chemicals, instead of crystalline BaCe0.7Zr0.1Y0.1Yb0.1O3-δ (BCZYYb) powder in an energy and time saving process. The resulting large and fingerlike pores exhibited enhanced performance as compared to the disordered pores produced by conventional preparation of anode structures using dry pressing methods. The electrochemical performance of the rational designed anode supported cell were 491, 402, 302 and 200 mW cm−2 at 700, 650, 600 and 550 C, respectively, which was nearly twice than the cell with dry pressing anode. An equivalent circuit modeling method was used to separate the anode polarization resistance from the single cell, confirming that the overall cell performance improvements were attributed to microstructural modifications of the anode by the phase inversion process. The one-step phase inversion method demonstrated great promise for improved processing of fuel cells and separation membranes.

It is so important that the bonding technology between tungsten and dissimilar metals for the PFC of ITER and DEMO, KSTAR. The development of tungsten brazing technology was first launched for the KSTAR PFC. Flat type tungsten block was brazed on CuCrZr in vacuum at a temperature of 980 °C for 30 min using silver free brazing alloy. The brazing filler is a 0.05 mm thick-plate made of a Ni-Cu-Mn alloy. Tungsten brazed mock-ups with a swirl and smooth tube were tested at an electron beam facility, KoHLT-EB(Korea heat load test facility-Electron Beam) in KAERI. The high heat flux test was performed for tungsten brazed mock-ups with a swirl and smooth tube under the heat flux of about 5.4–8 MW/m2. The test results show there are no delamination or failures at the bonding joints during and after all the heat flux test. According to the thermal hydraulic analysis and results of heat flux test, the cooling effect of the smooth tube was better than one of the swirl tube at the conditions of the coolant of about 0.35 MPa and the heat flux of over about 5 MW/m2.

In this study, we demonstrate an original elaboration route for producing a Mn-doped Ge self-assembled quantum dots on SiO 2 thin layer for MOS structure. These magnetic quantum dots are elaborated using dewetting phenomenon at solid state by Ultra-High Vacuum (UHV) annealing at high temperature of an amorphous Ge:Mn (Mn: 40%) nanolayer deposed at very low temperature by high-precision Solid Source Molecular Beam Epitaxy on SiO 2 thin film. The size of quantum dots is controlled with nanometer scale precision by varying the nominal thickness of amorphous film initially deposed. The magnetic properties of the quantum-dots layer have been investigated by superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometry. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), x-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (XEDS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to examine the nanostructure of these materials. Obtained results indicate that GeMn QDs are crystalline, monodisperse and exhibit a ferromagnetic behavior with a Curie temperature (TC) above room temperature. They could be integrated into spintronic technology.

One of the well-known pathways toward low power consuming chemoresistive gas sensors is the utilization of 2-dimensional materials. Especially, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), which are usually atomically thin semiconductors, have a notable characteristic of their highly reactive edge sites. The edge sites of TMDs having high d-orbital electron density can serve as highly favorable chemically active sites for direct interaction with target gas molecules. In this study, WS2 was synthesized on highly porous SiO2 nanorods template to have numerous edge-exposed WS2 flakes in a limited active area taking advantage of 1-dimensional nanostructures with extremely high surface-to-volume ratio. The fabricated WS2 on 1D nanostructures exhibited a gas response of 151.2 % toward 5 ppm NO2, which has not been reported in performance-wise at room temperature to the best of the author’s knowledge. Density functional theory calculations theoretically supported the highly sensitive and selective NO2 detection with a theoretical detection limit of 13.726 ppb.

The tungsten (W) brazed flat type mock-up which consists of W, OFHC-Cu (oxygen-free high conductive copper) and CuCrZr alloy has been designed for KSTAR divertor in preparation for KSTAR upgrade with 17 MW heating power. For verification of the W brazed mock-up, the high heat flux test is performed at KoHLT-EB (Korea High Heat Load Test Facility-Electron Beam) in KAERI (Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute). Three mock-ups are tested for several thousand thermal cycles with absorbed heat flux up to 5 MW/m 2 for 20 s duration. There is no evidence of the failure at the bonding joints of all mock-ups after HHF test. Finite element analysis (FEA) is performed to interpret the result of the test. As a result, it is considered that the local area in the water is in the subcooled boiling regime.

Korean superconducting tokamak advanced research (KSTAR) is a national superconducting tokamak with the aim of a high beta operation based on advanced tokamak (AT) scenarios, and an ion cyclotron ranges of frequency (ICRF) heating is one of the essential tools to achieve this goal. The fabrication and high voltage (HV) test of the antenna and the matching system were finished in 2006 and the installation of the antenna, matching system and the transmitter at the KSTAR site was completed in 2007. Antenna conditioning was carried out to improve the HV holding condition of the antenna installed on the KSTAR and to check on the electro-magnetic (EM) interference with other equipments such as the superconducting magnet monitoring system and other machine and/or plasma diagnostic systems. The first KSTAR tokamak experimental campaign started by a vacuum pumping, a cryostat cooling and an ICRF system contributed to the successful tokamak shots through an ICRF assisted discharge cleaning of the vacuum vessel. In this paper, the installation processes of the ICRF system (with an emphasis on the quality assurance procedures of KSTAR), as well as the results from the first RF discharge experiment for the discharge cleaning and FWEH (fast wave electron heating) experiment for the KSTAR 1st experimental campaign are outlined.

An ICRF discharge cleaning and a fast wave electron heating experiment were performed. For automated operation and providing the diagnostics of the ICRF system, the ICRF local network was designed and implemented. This internal network provides monitoring, RF protection, remote control, and RF diagnostics. All the functions of the control system were realized by customized DSP units. The DSP units were tied by a local network in parallel. Owing to the distributed feature of the control system, the ICRF local control system is quite flexible to maintain. Developing the subsystem is a more effective approach compared to developing a large controller that governs the entire system. During the first experimental campaign of the KSTAR tokamak, the control system operated as expected without any major problems that would affect the tokamak operation. The transmitter was protected from harmful over-voltage events through reliable operation of the system.