TY - JOUR A1 - Ziesche, R.F. A1 - Hack, J. A1 - Rasha, L. A1 - Maier, M. A1 - Tan, C. A1 - Heenan, T.M.M. A1 - Markötter, Henning A1 - Kardjilov, N. A1 - Manke, I. A1 - Kockelmann, W. A1 - Brett, D.J.L. A1 - Shearing, P.R. T1 - High-speed 4D neutron computed tomography for quantifying water dynamics in polymer electrolyte fuel cells N2 - In recent years, low-temperature polymer electrolyte fuel cells have become an increasingly important pillar in a zero-carbon strategy for curbing climate change, with their potential to power multiscale stationary and mobile applications. The performance improvement is a particular focus of research and engineering roadmaps, with water management being one of the major areas of interest for development. Appropriate characterisation tools for mapping the evolution, motion and removal of water are of high importance to tackle shortcomings. This article demonstrates the development of a 4D high-speed neutron imaging technique, which enables a quantitative analysis of the local water evolution. 4D visualisation allows the time-resolved studies of droplet formation in the flow fields and water quantification in various cell parts. Performance parameters for water management are identified that offer a method of cell classification, which will, in turn, support computer modelling and the engineering of next-generation flow field designs. KW - Neutron imaging KW - Tomography KW - Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell PY - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-545978 VL - 13 IS - 1 SP - 1616 PB - Nature Publishing Group UK CY - London AN - OPUS4-54597 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ziesche, R. A1 - Robinson, J. A1 - Kok, M. A1 - Markötter, Henning A1 - Kockelmann, W. A1 - Kardjilov, N. A1 - Manke, I. A1 - Brett, D. A1 - Shearing, P. T1 - Editors’ Choice—4D Neutron and X-ray Tomography Studies of High Energy Density Primary Batteries: Part I. Dynamic Studies of LiSOCl2 during Discharge N2 - The understanding of dynamic processes in Li-metal batteries is an important consideration to enable the full capacity of cells to be utilised. These processes, however, are generally not directly observable using X-ray techniques due to the low attenuation of Li; and are challenging to visualise using neutron imaging due to the low temporal resolution of the technique. In this work, complementary X-ray and neutron imaging are combined to track the dynamics of Li within a primary Li/SOCl2 cell. The temporal challenges posed by neutron imaging are overcome using the golden ratio imaging method which enables the identification of Li diffusion in operando. This combination of techniques has enabled an improved understanding of the processes which limit rate performance in Li/SOCl2 cells and may be applied beyond this chemistry to other Li-metal cells. KW - Nneutron imaging KW - X-ray imaging KW - Tomography KW - Primary Battery PY - 2020 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-515802 SN - 1945-7111 VL - 13 IS - 167 SP - 130545 PB - IOP Publishing AN - OPUS4-51580 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ziesche, R. F. A1 - Robinson, J. B. A1 - Markötter, Henning A1 - Bradbury, R. A1 - Tengattini, A. A1 - Lenoir, N. A1 - Helfen, L. A1 - Kockelmann, W. A1 - Kardjilov, N. A1 - Manke, I. A1 - Brett, D. J. L. A1 - Shearing, P. R. T1 - Editors’ Choice—4D Neutron and X-ray Tomography Studies of High Energy Density Primary Batteries: Part II. Multi-Modal Microscopy of LiSOCl2 Cells N2 - The ability to track electrode degradation, both spatially and temporally, is fundamental to understand performance loss during operation of lithium batteries. X-ray computed tomography can be used to follow structural and morphological changes in electrodes; however, the direct detection of electrochemical processes related to metallic lithium is difficult due to the low sensitivity to the element. In this work, 4-dimensional neutron computed tomography, which shows high contrast for lithium, is used to directly quantify the lithium diffusion process in spirally wound Li/SOCl2 primary cells. The neutron dataset enables the quantification of the lithium transport from the anode and the accumulation inside the SOCl2 cathode to be locally resolved. Complementarity between the collected neutron and X-ray computed tomographies is shown and by applying both methods in concert we have observed lithium diffusion blocking by the LiCl protection layer and identified all cell components which are difficult to distinguish using one of the methods alone. KW - Lithium-ion battery KW - Room-temperature KW - Thermal runaway KW - Gas evolution KW - Cells PY - 2020 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-520890 VL - 167 SP - 140509 PB - IOP Science AN - OPUS4-52089 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wu, Y. A1 - Lu, X. A1 - Cho, J.I.S. A1 - Rasha, L. A1 - Whiteley, M. A1 - Neville, T. P. A1 - Ziesche, R. A1 - Kardjilov, N. A1 - Markötter, Henning A1 - Manke, I. A1 - Zhang, X. A1 - Shearing, P. R. A1 - Brett, D. J. L. T1 - Multi-length scale characterization of compression on metal foam flow-field based fuel cells using X-ray computed tomography and neutron radiography N2 - The mechanical compression of metal foam flow-field based polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) is critical in determining the interfacial contact resistance with gas diffusion layers (GDLs), reactant flow and water management. The distinct scale between the pore structure of metal foams and the entire flow-field warrant a multilength scale characterization that combines ex-situ tests of compressed metal foam samples and in-operando analysis of operating PEFCs using X-ray computed tomography (CT) and neutron radiography. An optimal ‘medium’ compression was found to deliver a peak power density of 853 mW/cm². The X-ray CT data indicates that the compression process significantly decreases the mean pore size and narrows the pore size distribution of metal foams. Simulation results suggest compressing metal foam increases the pressure drop and gas velocity, improving the convective liquid water removal. This is in agreement with the neutron imaging results that demonstrates an increase in the mass of accumulated liquid water with minimum compression compared to the medium and maximum compression cases. The results show that a balance between Ohmic resistance, water removal capacity and parasitic power is imperative for the optimal performance of metal foam based PEFCs. KW - Fuel cell KW - Compression effect KW - Metal foam microstructure KW - Neutron radiography KW - X-ray CT PY - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2020.113785 VL - 239 SP - 10 EP - 113785 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-53842 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Williams, S. H. A1 - Hilger, A. A1 - Kardjilov, N. A1 - Manke, I. A1 - Strobl, M. A1 - Douissard, P.A. A1 - Martin, T. A1 - Riesemeier, Heinrich A1 - Banhart, J. T1 - Detection system for microimaging with neutrons N2 - A new high-resolution detector setup for neutron imaging has been developed based on infinity-corrected optics with high light collection, combined with customized mounting hardware. The system can easily be installed, handled and fitted to any existing facility, avoiding the necessity of complex optical systems or further improved electronics (CCD). This is the first time optical magnification higher than 1:1 has been used with scintillator-based neutron detectors, as well as the first implementation of infinity corrected optics for neutron imaging, achieving the smallest yet reported effective pixel size of 3.375 µm. A novel transparent crystal scintillator (GGG crystal) has been implemented with neutrons for the first time to overcome limitations of traditional powder scintillators (Li6/ZnS, Gadox). The standardized procedure for resolution measurements with the Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) is summarized to facilitate comparison between instruments and facilities. Using this new detector setup, a resolution of 14.8 µm with a field of view of 6 mm × 6 mm has been achieved while maintaining reasonable count times. These advances open a wide range of new possible research applications and allow the potential for additional future developments. KW - Instrumentation for neutron sources KW - Neutron radiography KW - Neutron detectors (cold, thermal, fast neutrons) PY - 2012 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-0221/7/02/P02014 SN - 1748-0221 VL - 7 IS - P02014 SP - 1 EP - 26 PB - Inst. of Physics Publ. CY - London AN - OPUS4-26433 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Van Tran, K. A1 - Woracek, R. A1 - Kardjilov, N. A1 - Markötter, Henning A1 - Abou-Ras, D. A1 - Puplampu, S. A1 - Förster, C. A1 - Penumadu, D. A1 - Dahlberg, C. F. O. A1 - Banhart, J. A1 - Manke, I. T1 - Torsion of a rectangular bar: Complex phase distribution in 304L steel revealed by neutron tomography N2 - Metastable austenitic stainless steel (304L) samples with a rectangular cross-section were plastically deformed in torsion during which they experienced multiaxial stresses that led to a complex martensitic phase distribution owing to the transformation induced plasticity effect. A three-dimensional characterization of the phase distributions in these cm-sized samples was carried out by wavelength-selective neutron tomography. It was found that quantitatively correct results are obtained as long as the samples do not exhibit any considerable preferential grain orientation. Optical microscopy, electron backscatter diffraction, and finite element modeling were used to verify and explain the results obtained by neutron tomography. Altogether, neutron tomography was shown to extend the range of microstructure characterization methods towards the meso- and macroscale. KW - Neutron tomography KW - Phase distribution KW - Rectangular cross-section KW - Torsion KW - Geometrical effect PY - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-561649 SN - 0264-1275 VL - 222 SP - 111037 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-56164 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Trogadas, P. A1 - Cho, J. I. S. A1 - Rasha, L. A1 - Lu, X. A1 - Kardjilov, N. A1 - Markötter, Henning A1 - Manke, I. A1 - Shearing, P. R. A1 - Brett, D. J. L. A1 - Coppens, M. O. T1 - A nature-inspired solution for water management in flow fields for electrochemical devices N2 - A systematic, nature-inspired chemical engineering approach is employed to solve the issue of flooding in electrochemical devices. The mechanism of passive water transport utilized by lizards living in arid environments is leveraged to design flow-fields with a microchannel structure on their surface, through which capillary pressure rapidly removes the water generated in the electrochemical device. This water management strategy is implemented in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) with a lunginspired flow-field, which ensures uniform distribution of reactants across the catalyst layer. Jointly, this nature-inspired approach results in flood-free, stable operation at 100% RH and a B60% increase in current (B1.9 A cm-2) and peak power density (B650 mW cm−2) compared to current PEMFCs with a flood-prone, serpentine flow-field (B0.8 A cm-2 and 280 mW cm-2, respectively). This significant advance allows for PEMFC operation at fully humidified conditions. KW - Neutron imaging KW - X-ray tomography KW - Fuel cell PY - 2024 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-596662 VL - 17 SP - 2007 EP - 2017 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) AN - OPUS4-59666 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Tran, K. V. A1 - Woracek, R. A1 - Kardjilov, N. A1 - Markötter, Henning A1 - Hilger, A. A1 - Kockelmann, W. A1 - Kelleher, J. A1 - Puplampu, S. B. A1 - Penumadu, D. A1 - Tremsin, A. S. A1 - Banhart, J. A1 - Manke, I. T1 - Spectral neutron tomography N2 - Combined three-dimensional (3D) mapping of (micro-)structures with elemental and crystalline phase variations is of significant importance for the characterization of materials. Neutron wavelength selective imaging is a spectral imaging technique that exploits unique contrast differences e.g. for mapping dissimilar elemental, isotope, or phase compositions, and has the particular advantage of being applicable to sample volumes on the meso- and macroscale. While being mostly applied as radiography (2D) so far, we herein report that the extension to tomography allows for the display of the full spectral information for every voxel and in 3D. The development is supported by example data from a continuous as well as a pulsed neutron source. As a practical example, we collected 4D data sets (3D + spectral) of plastically deformed metastable stainless steel and herein demonstrate an improved quantification strategy for crystalline phase fractions. These exemplary results illustrate that localized phase transformations can be quantified even in complex geometries within centimeter-sized samples, and we will discuss the limits and future prospects of the technique that is not limited to crystalline materials. KW - 4D tomographic data KW - Multi-energy CT KW - Spectral CT KW - Phase distribution KW - Full-field phase tomography PY - 2021 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-521668 VL - 9 SP - 132 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-52166 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Tran, K. V. A1 - Woracek, R. A1 - Kardjilov, N. A1 - Markötter, Henning A1 - Abou-Ras, D. A1 - Puplampu, S. A1 - Förster, C. A1 - Penumadu, D. A1 - Dahlberg, C. F. O. A1 - Banhart, J. A1 - Manke, I. T1 - Torsion of a rectangular bar: Complex phase distribution in 304L steel revealed by neutron tomography N2 - Metastable austenitic stainless steel (304L) samples with a rectangular cross-section were plastically deformed in torsion during which they experienced multiaxial stresses that led to a complex martensitic phase distribution owing to the transformation induced plasticity effect. A three-dimensional characterization of the phase distributions in these cm-sized samples was carried out by wavelength-selective neutron tomography. It was found that quantitatively correct results are obtained as long as the samples do not exhibit any considerable preferential grain orientation. Optical microscopy, electron backscatter diffraction, and finite element modeling were used to verify and explain the results obtained by neutron tomography. Altogether, neutron tomography was shown to extend the range of microstructure characterization methods towards the meso- and macroscale. KW - Neutron tomography KW - Phase distribution KW - Rectangular cross-section KW - Torsion KW - Geometrical effect PY - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-569101 VL - 222 SP - 1 EP - 13 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-56910 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Tengattini, A A1 - Kardjilov, N A1 - Helfen, L A1 - Douissard, P A A1 - Lenoir, N A1 - Markötter, Henning A1 - Hilger, A A1 - Arlt, T A1 - Paulisch, M A1 - Turek, T A1 - Manke, Ingo T1 - Compact and versatile neutron imaging detector with sub-4μm spatial resolution based on a single-crystal thin-film scintillator N2 - A large and increasing number of scientific domains pushes for high neutron imaging resolution achieved in reasonable times. Here we present the principle, design and performance of a detector based on infinity corrected optics combined with a crystalline Gd3Ga5O12 : Eu scintillator, which provides an isotropic sub-4 μm true resolution. The exposure times are only of a few minutes per image. This is made possible also by the uniquely intense cold neutron flux available at the imaging beamline NeXT-Grenoble. These comparatively rapid acquisitions are compatible with multiple high quality tomographic acquisitions, opening new venues for in-operando testing, as briefly exemplified here. KW - Neutron imaging KW - Scintillator KW - Resolution PY - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-549836 VL - 30 IS - 9 SP - 14461 EP - 14477 PB - Optica CY - Washington, DC AN - OPUS4-54983 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -