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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Advanced Reactor Designs Security Analysis, Risk, and Recommendations: Risks, Consequences, and Possible by-Design Mitigation Approaches Associated with Select Advanced Reactors

Next-generation advanced reactors (ARs) incorporate enhanced safety systems, have smaller source terms, and feature compact modular designs, which should lessen their collective risk profiles. However, to fully evaluate risk, security needs to be a part of the equation. Without taking security into consideration, safety systems and components in the new ARs may be vulnerable to sabotage. These base attributes, coupled with enhanced security features specific to AR design through sound engineering and security-by-design (SeBD), should provide developers and operators with lower inherent security risk profiles. Building security early into the AR design may remove or passively secure potential critical targets from an adversary’s reach , thereby increasing overall safety and security. An integrated approach and diverse design team that includes engineering, operations, and security experts are fundamental to building security into the design without sacrificing fundamental operational efficiencies and principles. The objective of this project was to evaluate the security and safety interfaces for five classes of reactors, identify potential security vulnerabilities of structures, systems, and components (SSC), and underscore the need to consider security alongside safety in the design o f these concepts. The five reactor classes evaluated in this project and presented in this report are molten-salt reactors (MSR), high temperature gas reactors (HTGR), sodium-fast reactors (SFR), advanced light-water reactors (ALWR), and microreactors. These designs were selected because they reflect the concepts that are closest to market deployment and have received significant resource investments from the public and private sector. This project assesses the inherent security risks posed by common classes of ARs, provides a methodology and framework to assess security along with safety, and offers an analysis of potential mitigation strategies that could be incorporated. For each AR technology, the SSCs that relate to radionuclide source safety functions are discussed to understand the SSC contribution to safety and relative importance in the protective strategy for the design. The assumptions that went into evaluating each reactor concept originated from generic publicly available nonproprietary information and should not directly be used to qualify an absolute risk profile nor to rank specific AR designs. Instead, the purpose of the analysis is to understand and compare the generic inherent security risks of different AR technologies.

98 - NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL↗
DOE OSTI2026

MOD-Amp System Design Spring: Spring 2026 – Georgetown University, SYSM–5620

High-energy lasers (HELs) play an important role in both national defense and scientific research. In defense applications, HELs are used for target detection, tracking, and engagement. In research environments, they support studies of extreme physical conditions relevant to fusion energy and plasma science. These systems depend on the amplification of light through stimulated emission of radiation, allowing optical energy to be increased to the levels required for operation. This amplification occurs when light passes through an energized gain medium that receives energy from an external optical or electrical source. To achieve the desired output, laser systems often use multiple amplification stages, including high-gain preamplifiers and lower-gain power or booster amplifiers. At Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and other national laboratories, many large-aperture laser amplifier systems are aging and rely on system-specific hardware, obsolete technologies, and incomplete documentation. These legacy systems create challenges for maintenance, supportability, and long-term operation. Their lack of standardization also increases the difficulty of sustaining reliable performance over time. As this infrastructure continues to age, the likelihood of unplanned downtime grows, which can negatively affect both national security missions and scientific research programs that depend on dependable HEL capabilities. The purpose of this document is to demonstrate the application of systems engineering fundamentals and design thinking through the development of a laser amplifier case study. The proposed system concept is intended as an academic exercise and not as a finalized engineering design. As a result, the development presented in this document is incomplete and may contain technical assumptions or errors that would require further investigation before any real-world implementation.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Site-specific Design Case Study for Wet Waste Hydrothermal Liquefaction and Biocrude Upgrading to Hydrocarbon Fuels

Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) is a thermal process that converts wet biomass to renewable hydrocarbon fuel blendstocks (i.e., renewable naphtha, renewable diesel, and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)). It can utilize a wide range of pure and blended wet feedstocks, including sewage sludge from water resource recovery facilities (WRRF), food and agriculture wastes, algae, fats, oils and greases (FOG) and blends of dry and wet wastes/feedstocks. Historically, techno-economic analysis (TEA) and annual state of technology (SOT) assessments with standard economic assumptions used by the Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) were conducted for the wet waste HTL pathway leveraging experimental data collected from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s (PNNL) continuous flow reactor systems. The objective of the SOT assessment has been to guide and track progress of BETO’s HTL research and development (R&D) toward reduced cost and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for the pathway. However, gaps exist between BETO’s traditional SOT updates and the needs of key external stakeholders that – if addressed – will accelerate technology adoption. This Business Case Study aims to bridge this gap by providing an updated design, TEA, and LCA based on PNNL’s FY23 R&D with added analyses and information that provide enhanced relevance for stakeholders of the HTL technology. This includes specific siting, regional wet waste resource inventory and transportation cost analyses, fuel market information, sustainable fuel policy impacts, economic metrics of net present value (NPV) and internal rate of return (IRR), greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions analysis, and statistical analysis of cost and technical uncertainties of the HTL plant design. The study focuses on the “Detroit combined statistical area (CSA)” region for siting of a wet waste HTL plant adjacent to the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) facility with guidance from industry participants. Regional resource and siting analyses were conducted to identify feedstock availability, scale, and cost, as well as a beneficial site location. TEA with detailed rigorous capital cost estimation for the specific site application was conducted to evaluate the key economic metrics of most value to industrial partners. These include total capital investment, operating costs, minimum fuel selling price (MFSP) of the biocrude and fuel blendstock, and NPV and internal rate of return IRR with sustainable fuel credits. Life cycle analysis was conducted to evaluate the supply chain greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for the wet waste HTL process as compared with petroleum derived diesel. This study is also informed by years of R&D and process de-risking learnings and was conducted with a basic engineering HTL plant design and costing that akin to a “first-of-a-kind” plant economics. This differs from our conventional “nth plant ” SOT assessments. Specifically, the HTL process model has been updated with more operationally reliable methods for feed heating and phase separations. Further, we have implemented additional spare equipment for redundancy, a more rigorous installed equipment cost estimation approach, and additional costs associated with feed formatting and delivery, building, piping and site development. An Excel-based cost sheet based on the basic engineering design is also released alongside the report that allows users to conduct customized TEA with their own feed composition and financial assumptions.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Science of Scale-Up: Accelerating chemical manufacturing technology development workshop report

The Science of Scale-Up: Accelerating chemical manufacturing technology development workshop report outlines key insights and actionable recommendations for accelerating the scale-up of disruptive chemical manufacturing technologies. Convened in October 2024, the workshop brought together approximately fifty experts from academia, industry, national laboratories, and government agencies to address the barriers and solutions for maturing technologies from proof-of-concept to commercialization. The report identifies seven critical themes for enabling faster scale-up. These themes were explored through general discussions and breakout sessions focused on three specific chemical manufacturing technologies—electrochemical, thermochemical, and biological conversion processes. The findings emphasize the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, robust funding mechanisms, and shared resources to overcome technical barriers and accelerate technology deployment. The report also highlights technology-specific challenges and opportunities, including the need for advanced materials, scalable manufacturing processes, and integrated testing environments. For electrochemical manufacturing processes, durability and material optimization are key priorities, while thermochemical processes require novel reactor designs and better supply chain integration. Biological conversion processes face hurdles in strain engineering, reactor design, and process integration. Across all technologies, the workshop emphasized the importance of leveraging computational tools, standardized protocols, and collaborative networks to address knowledge gaps and technical barriers. By acting on these insights, stakeholders can reduce the timeline for scaling up critical chemical manufacturing technologies, ensuring their timely impact on manufacturing competitiveness, and environmental sustainability.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

Recovery and Refining of Rare Earth Elements from Lignite Mine Wastes

The University of North Dakota (UND), in collaboration with a comprehensive team of technical, business and host-site partners, built on prior technology development to complete a front-end engineering and design (FEED) and business planning study to recover and refine rare earth elements (REE) and critical minerals (CM) from North Dakota (ND) lignite mine wastes. The end of project goal was to have an investment quality project and a committed team ready to commercialize the proposed technologies in a future construction and operations phase.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
DOE OSTI2025

Maturing Rational Design Methodologies and Industry Consensus Engineering Standards: Critical Fastened Joints - Solar PV Industry

Critical structural joints can be seen throughout a solar array and are called upon to secure modules and keep racking assembled and able to resist large demands from winds and snow loads. In the relatively new and fast-growing solar PV industry, the important role these hardware assemblies (e.g. clips, clamps, bolts, nuts, washers) play is not well understood by product designers. Failures with critical structural joints are surprisingly common and point to the need for maturing the engineering and assembly of these joints. The wide variety of design concepts (Figure 2&2) demonstrate interesting and innovative ideas but are lacking the basics of fastener engineering seen in matured industries (e.g. transportation, buildings). Complicating the maturing process for critical structural joints is that they are one component in rack supporting structures that exhibits a systems behavior; each component will affect the other and play a key role in maintaining structural integrity. When wind loads the surface of a module, the underlying racking members deflect and twist which in turn imparts forces back into the joints and into the mounted modules. Often, these supporting rack structures exhibit high deflections and low natural frequencies which amplify the demands placed into the joints even in moderate winds. Current engineering practices and associated structural conventions view solar racking support structures as they would a high mass building that exhibit more static behaviors in wind events. Solar structures are unique from high mass buildings and require the development of solar specific industry engineering consensus standards.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Recent advances in enzyme engineering for improved deconstruction of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) plastics

In the last ~20 years, a multitude of natural enzymes have been discovered that can catalyze the breakdown of the common plastic poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET). While enzymatic PET recycling is an attractive alternative end-of-life route for this waste plastic, the enzymes are not yet optimized for efficient and economical industrial use. Here, we discuss recent advances in engineering these PET-degrading enzymes, which include PET, bis(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (BHET), and 2-hydroxyethyl terephthalic acid (MHET) hydrolases, toward industrially-relevant engineering goals. We place emphasis on trends from past efforts in rational and semi-rational design and emerging areas in directed evolution/high throughput screening and computational design for engineering these enzymes.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

UNDERSTANDING THE SEMI-PROBABILISTIC APPROACHES IN STRUCTURAL RELIABILITY USED TO SET DESIGN RELIABILITY TARGETS FOR GRAPHITE COMPONENTS USING ASME BPVC METHODS

Graphite is a quasi-brittle material, resulting in random variability in tensile strength distributions. To account for the random variability in strength, HHA-3000 of the ASME BPVC provides two semi-probabilistic methods for qualifying nuclear graphite components in the design stage, the simplified and full assessments. The full and simplified assessments apply statistical methods to engineering-based design problems. This is often referred to as reliability-based design. Reliability-based design (RBD) is a method to develop reliable designs by accounting for uncertainties and result in small chances of failure when also considering safety factors. RBDs provide reliability targets using semi-probabilistic approaches. RBD is implemented in ASME BPVC HHA-3000 for nuclear graphite components, but is not specific to that application. There has been much confusion around the methods implemented in ASME BPVC HHA-3000 for qualifying nuclear graphite components. To address the confusion, this paper takes a hierarchical approach. First, the general RBD framework is presented. Then, the semi-probabilistic methods and the underlying assumptions implemented in the assessments are presented. The semi-probabilistic methods are separated from the engineering modifications that have been made to the assessments. After building the framework and underlying assumptions, the specific methods in the full and simplified assessments are explained in three steps: inputs, methods, outputs. The methods are applied to an H-451 reflector block. Tensile strength properties for other graphite grades are provided.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Enhanced accuracy through ensembling of randomly initialized auto-regressive models for dynamical systems

Computational mechanics simulations using traditional finite element methods (FEM) require prohibitively expensive computational resources for real-time engineering applications, design optimization, and digital twin implementations. While machine learning (ML) surrogate models offer significant computational speedups, autoregressive ML models for time-dependent mechanical systems suffer from error accumulation that compromises long-term prediction reliability - a critical concern for engineering applications where accuracy over extended time horizons is essential for safety and performance assessments. Here, we propose a deep ensemble framework specifically designed to address this challenge in computational mechanics applications, where multiple ML surrogate models with random weight initializations are trained in parallel and their predictions aggregated during inference. This approach leverages statistical diversity to maximize information gain from a fixed set of training data and to mitigate error propagation, while maintaining the computational efficiency that makes ML surrogates attractive for engineering practice. We validate the framework on three representative problems spanning critical areas of computational mechanics: stress field evolution in heterogeneous microstructures under complex loading (relevant to advanced materials design and composite analysis), planetary-scale shallow water dynamics (applicable to environmental and geotechnical engineering), and Gray-Scott reaction-diffusion systems (relevant to mass transport and chemical process engineering). Across all test cases, the ensemble approach demonstrates consistent error reduction of 15-33% compared to individual models. The codes for this work are available on GitHub (https://github.com/Graham-Brady-Research-Group/AutoregressiveEnsemble_SpatioTemporal_Evolution).

autoregressive prediction↗
DOE OSTI2024

A novel design optimization framework to sustain remanufacturability

The ever-increasing global carbon emissions have urged the need for environmentally conscious/sustainable product design, for which the design for remanufacturing (DfRem) is one potential approach. DfRem targets at designing products that have multiple life cycles, thus significantly reducing raw material usage, energy consumption, and carbon emissions. In this paper, we develop a three-stage framework that consists of (1) systematic design space exploration and a multi-objective optimization formulation to minimize the likelihood of failure causes (such as fatigue and wear) and environmental footprint, (2) topology optimization to further reduce material usage without significantly affecting the load-carrying capability of the product, and (3) post-topology optimization design verification to ensure the proposed design satisfies all design constraints. The environmental impact can be assessed at varying comprehensiveness levels (e.g., design and manufacturing phase, use phase) and in terms of carbon or GHG emission, energy use, and waste generation. Because the novel design framework predominantly adjusted the geometry, we focused on mass-based change and energy savings due to sustained remanufacturability. The multi-objective optimization formulation in the first step results in a Pareto optimal set of possible design solutions that the designer can use for the second step. Finally, we demonstrate the utility of this framework through a case study of an engine cylinder head subjected to thermo-mechanical loads, where we find that about 5% of the product mass can be conserved with only about a 3% increase in surface area that has a fatigue life less than 10,000 cycles.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2026

Cyber-Informed Engineering: Standards Development Organization Quick Start Guide

Cyber-Informed Engineering (CIE) is an emerging methodology focused on identifying and reducing high-consequence events that may affect physical critical infrastructure systems as a result of their dependence on digital technology. CIE, developed by National Laboratories and promoted by the Department of Energy (DOE), incorporates consequence-focused planning into the design and engineering process from the earliest stages of a project. This guide provides a concise overview of CIE and offers practical insight into how Standards Development Organizations (SDOs) can interpret CIE principles and apply those concepts in updates to various standards. It is important to remember that CIE extends beyond a compliance checklist, emphasizing a broader, interpretive approach. Instead, it encourages an interpretive mindset - a "turning of 'what if' to 'even if'" approach that anticipates and engineers out high-consequence events. The authors encourage SDOs to establish and promote CIE principles as enhancements for more resilient-by-design outcomes across critical infrastructure energy sectors. The 12 core principles of CIE outline specific behaviors and actions that SDOs and engineers may adopt to enhance system resilience. This guide applies these principles in a manner intended to be relevant across various technologies and threat landscapes. We welcome institutions and vendors to identify new or different framework alignments and mappings as we collectively work towards a safer and more reliable digital landscape.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2026

Technoeconomic Design Optimization for Fast Reactors. Part I: Workflow Development and Case Study for Small LFR District Energy Application

The nuclear industry is developing small reactor designs that can target a variety of deployment locations and energy products. Smaller nuclear designs have traditionally struggled to handle the steep trade-offs between size and cost that have historically incentivized large reactors. This motivates computational optimization of small reactors to minimize costs and quantify the trade-off between size and cost. In this paper, the cost/size trade-off for a small fast reactor is derived using a multi-objective genetic algorithm optimization, with steady-state, transient, and cost analysis of the fast reactor being performed. Specifically, the method is demonstrated on a small 10- to 120-MW(thermal) U-Pu-Zr–fueled lead-cooled fast reactor with a 10-year core life for district energy applications, which can have a thermal load compatible with this range. The results reinforced that fast reactor cores at the lower end of this power range suffer cost penalties due to critical mass considerations. It was found that high power density cores with strong reactivity swings and many control rods were favored over designing to minimize reactivity swing. Furthermore, this contrasts with some traditional configurations designed using engineering judgment and demonstrates that optimizers can find nontraditional but realistic solutions, along with demonstrating the value of incorporating cost functions into whole-reactor design optimization.

Fast reactor↗
DOE OSTI2024

The carbon challenge: Design, synthesis, and chemisorption behavior of solid sorbents in direct air capture of carbon dioxide

Direct air capture (DAC) of CO 2 is a promising solution for reducing the carbon footprint through "negative emission" technology. However, the low CO 2 concentration (~400 ppm) and the dynamic nature of DAC processes present challenges in designing effective sorbent systems. Recent advancements in material design and structural engineering have led to the development of high-performance solid sorbents, offering a more stable, safe, and energy-efficient alternative to traditional liquid CO 2 capture methods. This review highlights progress in solid sorbent-based DAC, focusing on amine-modified materials, hydrogen-bonded frameworks, and ionic liquid-engineered scaffolds. The discussion covers design principles, synthesis methodologies, and their impact on CO 2 chemisorption, comparing the advantages and limitations of each approach. Characterization techniques, especially operando methods and computational tools, are reviewed to understand sorbent behavior during CO 2 integration and release. The reaction pathways and interaction mechanisms of these sorbents with CO 2 are analyzed to guide future design. Additionally, the CO 2 chemisorption behaviors, including capacity, sorption kinetics, recyclability, and durability in the presence of gaseous impurities and under humid conditions will be evaluated and compared. Further, the review offers unique insights into the physical properties, chemical structures, and surface engineering effects of these sorbents, based on comprehensive characterization and evaluation techniques.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2024

Design and Characterization of the Engineering Model of the Spectrometer Onboard LuSEE‐Night

Abstract The Lunar Surface Electromagnetics Explorer—Night, LuSEE‐Night, is a low‐frequency radio astronomy experiment that will explore the cosmic Dark Ages signal on the radio‐quiet farside of the Moon. The LuSEE‐Night carries a radio frequency spectrometer consisting of a set of antennas, analog and digital processing electronics, and will be launched by NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services in 2025. The spectrometer is designed to observe the spectrum of the radio sky in the 0.5−50 MHz band. The engineering model (EM) of the four‐channel spectrometer has been developed. The EM has been characterized for linearity, gain, noise, and their temperature dependence, confirming that the EM meets all the requirements for LuSEE‐Night. Three mitigation techniques have been implemented and verified to suppress self‐induced electromagnetic interference. The flight model of the spectrometer is currently being developed and is scheduled to be shipped to the integration site in early 2024.

Tamura, Emi↗
DOE OSTI2025

Plant Reload Optimization (prlo)

The PRLO framework is built on a modular and extensible architecture that tightly couples advanced evolutionary optimization algorithms with nuclear fuel depletion solvers (i.e., nuclear physics neutronics code). It supports exploring complex, high-dimensional design spaces constrained by user-specified operational, safety, and economic constraints. Objectives such as minimizing fresh fuel enrichment, flattening radial and axial power distributions, and maximizing discharge burnup are evaluated. PRLO’s equilibrium cycle optimization capability enables the identification of core configurations that maintain fuel cycle sustainability over extended planning horizons. Its integration with the RAVEN platform facilitates optimization of loading patterns or fuel shuffling schemes across multiple cycles. The interface with SIMULATE, a licensed industry-standard nodal code developed by Studsvik, ensures accurate neutronic and thermal-hydraulic feedback for reactor core design. PRLO’s automated workflow engine supports iterative design refinement, enabling utilities to streamline core design processes and meet evolving performance and regulatory targets.

Kim, Junyung [Idaho National Laboratory] (00090005↗
DOE OSTI2024

PDV Sensitivity [Slides]

The concept of PDV sensitive is not new. But we tend not to discuss sensitivity in a rigorous, quantified way. That should change. Indeed there is a natural definition, which is just the energy of light from the target within the analysis window that gives a SNR of 10 in the frequency domain. Systems designers, diagnostic engineers, and operators should use the language of sensitivity: (1) Absolute sensitivity: nW * ns; (2) Launch power: mW or dBm; (3) Relative surface return: dB; (4) Relative sensitivity: dB * ns. This will help us design better systems, choose the correct system for the job, maintain our systems, and tune our systems.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2025

Bacterial microcompartment architectures as biomaterials for conversion of gaseous substrates

Bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) are protein shells encapsulating multiple enzymes of a metabolic pathway. Interpretations of early experiments on carboxysomes led to the narrative that transport of small gases (CO 2 , O 2 ) across the shell membrane is restricted. Since then, this notion has been largely contradicted by studies of engineered shells, although these shell constructs lack important proteins present in the native BMCs, altering the synthetic shells’ topology, surface and mechanical properties. Here, we discuss here an updated model of gas permeability that informs the design of engineered shells for catalysis on gas substrates and outline how nonshell suprastructures of BMC shell proteins could be used in formulating sustainable biomaterials for hydrogen generation via methane pyrolysis and for other greenhouse gas mitigations.

Bacterial microcompartment↗
DOE OSTI2024

Accelerating the Adoption of the Solid Panel Structural System

This report, "Accelerating the Adoption of the Solid Panel Structural System", explores the structural properties, capabilities, and applications for an innovative “studless” building system that uses a plate-like approach and “Perfect Wall” principles for an efficient, durable, and robust wall system. A comprehensive testing regime was completed to fully characterize the structural behavior of the Solid Panel Structural system. These results were used to develop an engineering guide that can be used by architects and engineers for design and code approval.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗