The combined use of brush anodes and glass fiber (GF1) separators, and plastic mesh supporters were used here for the first time to create a scalable microbial fuel cell architecture. Separators prevented short circuiting of closely-spaced electrodes, and cathode supporters were used to avoid water gaps between the separator and cathode that can reduce power production. The maximum power densit...

Behavior of the xenon dispenser hollow cathode is complex, exhibiting high through-anode ion emission, unusual particle energy distributions, and high plume erosion rates. The device may find new application as an ion micro-thruster. A flight-type hollow cathode was characterized using several diagnostic methods. Measurements involved a retarding potential analyzer, quadrupole mass spectrometer...

Li-ion batteries dominate portable energy storage due to their exceptional power and energy characteristics. Yet, various consumer devices and electric vehicles demand higher specific energy and power with longer cycle life. Here we report a full-cell battery that contains a lithiated Si/graphene anode paired with a selenium disulfide (SeS2) cathode with high capacity and long-term stability. S...

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) with nitrite as an electron acceptor in cathode provided a new technology for nitrogen removal and electricity production simultaneously. The influences of influent nitrite concentration and external resistance on the performance of denitrifying MFC were investigated. The optimal effectiveness were obtained with the maximum total nitrogen (TN) removal rate of 54.80 ± 0...

LiNi1/3Mn1/3Co1/3O2-layered cathode is often fabricated in the form of secondary particles, consisting of densely packed primary particles. This offers advantages for high energy density and alleviation of cathode side reactions/corrosions, but introduces drawbacks such as intergranular cracking. Here, we report unexpected observations on the nucleation and growth of intragranular cracks in a c...

BACKGROUND Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) use bioelectrochemical reactions to remove organic contaminants at the bioanode and produce hydrogen gas at the cathode. High local pH conditions near the cathode can also be utilized to produce struvite from nutrient-rich wastewater. This beneficial aspect was investigated using lab-scale MECs fed with dewatering centrate collected at a local wast...

Conversion of solar radiation to electricity with Photon-Enhanced Thermionic Emission (PETE) uses both photonic and thermal excitation of charge carriers in a semiconductor. This device includes a semiconductor cathode (which can be composed of several semiconductor materials) illuminated and heated by concentrated sunlight, and a cooler anode, separated by a small vacuum gap. First theoretical...

In the present study, the effect of porosity on the cathode microstructure (50:50 wt. % LSM: YSZ) of a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) has been examined. A 3-D finite element method for Mixed Ionic and Electronic Conducting Cathodes (MIEC) is presented to study the effects of porosity on cell performance. Each microstructure was realized using the Monte Carlo approach with the isotropic type of gr...

Clusters of Hall thrusters are being considered for use on a variety of missions requiring electric propulsion systems capable of operating at power levels in excess of the current state of the art. One of the key factors to be considered in determining the optimum cluster architecture is the configuration of the electron-emitting cathode(s). This work presents experimentally determined plume p...

Clusters of Hall thrusters may be used to produce electric propulsion systems capable of operating at power levels in excess of the current state of the art. One of the key factors to be considered in determining the optimum cluster architecture is the configuration of the electron-emitting cathode(s). This work presents experimentally determined plume properties and discharge current character...