Geförderte OA-Publikationen

This article presents a fiber interferometric sensor (FIS) for measuring the velocity amplitude of an oscillatory vibrating object, with a focus on velocity mode measurement in applications using the Kibble balance principle. The sensor uses the range-resolved interferometry method to measure the displacement of the moving object and employs a multi-harmonic sine-fit algorithm to estimate the displacement amplitude and frequency, thereby determining the velocity amplitude. This article provides a comprehensive explanation of the experimental setup and the measurement techniques employed, as well as a detailed analysis of the uncertainty budget, with the performance validation of the FIS benchmarked against a commercial interferometer within a Kibble balance setup. The velocity amplitude of a coil of the Kibble balance, oscillating with an approx. amplitude of 20 μm and a frequency of 0.25 Hz, was measured using the sensor and found to be 31.282 31 μm s^−1 with a relative deviation of −1.9 ppm compared to a commercial interferometer. The high performance of the FIS, especially with regard to non-linearity errors, and the small size of the measuring head enable universality of integration into a wide variety of measurement systems, also including the use as general-purpose vibration and displacement sensor.

The use of bio-based and biodegradable matrix materials in fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs) is an approach to reduce the consumption of fossil resources and the amount of polymer waste. This study aims to assess the influence of the process parameters on the resulting mechanical properties of extruded bio-based and biodegradable continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastics (CFRTPs) in the form of sheets. Therefore, the impregnation temperature during the production of PLA/flax fiber composites is varied between 220 ˚C and 280 ˚C, and the consolidation pressure, between 50 bar and 90 bar. A design of experiments approach is used. Fiber contents of 28.8% to 34.8% and void contents of 6.8% to 15.5% are determined for the composites by optical measurements. To assess the mechanical properties, tensile tests are performed. Using the evaluation software Minitab, a strong negative influence of the consolidation pressure on the tensile modulus and the tensile strength is observed. Increasing the pressure from 50 bar to 90 bar results in a reduction in the tensile modulus of 50.7% and a reduction in the tensile strength of 54.8%, respectively. It is assumed that this is due to fibers being damaged by the external force exerted onto the materials during the consolidation process in the calender. The influence of the impregnation temperature on the mechanical properties cannot be verified.

In metal-air batteries, the integrated solid-state cathode is considered a promising design because it can solve the problem of high interfacial resistance of conventional solid-state cathodes. However, solid discharge products cannot be efficiently decomposed in an integrated solid-state cathode, resulting in batteries that are unable to operate for long periods of time. Herein, an integrated solid-state cathode (Gel-Tempo cathode) of sodium-air batteries (SABs) capable of promoting efficient decomposition of discharge product Na2O2 is designed. The Gel-Tempo cathode is synthesized by cationic-π interaction of redox mediator 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidinyloxy (Tempo) and ionic liquid with carbon nanotubes. The Gel-Tempo cathode serves multiple functions as a redox mediator, flame retardancy, and high stability to air. In quasi-solid-state SABs, the Gel-Tempo cathode reduces overpotential to 1.15 V and improves coulomb efficiency to 84.5% (at a limited discharge capacity of 3000 mAh g−1) compared to gel cathodes. Experiments and density functional theory calculations indicate that Tempo significantly reduces the Gibbs free energy in the decomposition reaction of Na2O2, and high Tempo content is more conducive to enhancing the decomposition kinetics of Na2O2 and hence resulting in an ultra-long cycle life (1746 h). This work is crucial to promote practical applications of SABs, providing guidelines for functionalization design of integrated solid-state cathodes for metal-air batteries.

This paper provides a fundamental understanding of “false friend” formation, i.e., hidden defects associated with lack of fusion, using an experimental setup that allowed an insight into the processing zone based on high-speed synchrotron X-ray imaging. The setup enabled the welding of a lap joint of AISI 304 high-alloy steel sheets (X5CrNi18-10/1.4301), with the ability to adjust different gap heights between top and bottom sheet (up to 0.20 mm) and to acquire high-speed X-ray images at 100 kHz simultaneously with the welding process. On this basis, a time-resolved description of the “false friend” formation can be provided by visualizing the interaction between keyhole and melt pool during laser welding and solidification processes within the gap area. The bridgeability of the gap was limited due to the gap height and insufficient melt supply leading to the solidification of the bridge. The distance between the solidified bridge and the keyhole increased with time, while the keyhole and melt pool dynamics initiated the formation of new melt bridges whose stability was defined by melt flow conditions, surface tension, and gap heights. The alternating formation and solidification of melt bridges resulted in entrapped areas of lacking fusion within the weld, i.e., “false friends.” Finally, based on the results of this study, a model concept is presented that concludes the main mechanisms of “false friend” formation.

Identifying an effective electrolyte is a primary challenge for hybrid ion capacitors, due to the intricacy of dual-ion storage. Here, this study demonstrates that the electrochemical behavior of graphite oxide in ether-solvent electrolyte outperforms those in ester-solvent electrolytes for the cathode of potassium-ion hybrid capacitor. The experimental and theoretical assessments verify that the anion and cation are isolated effectively in dimethyl ether, endowing a weaker interaction between cations and anions compared to that of ester-solvent electrolytes, which facilitates the dual-ion diffusion and thus enhances the electrochemical performance. This result provides a rational strategy to realize high-rate cations and anions storage on the carbon cathode. Furthermore, a new low-cost and high-performance capacitor prototype, modified graphite oxide (MGO) cathode versus pristine graphite (PG) in ether-solvent electrolyte (MGOǁDMEǁPG), is proposed. It exhibits a high energy density of 150 Wh kg^−1cathode at a high power density of 21443 W kg^−1cathode (calculation based on total mass: 60 Wh kg^−1 at 8577 W kg^−1).