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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Editorial: Innovations in climate resilience

At Battelle’s second Annual Innovations in Climate Resilience Conference, we were inspired this year by the phrase “Bold Leaps and Action.” Climate resilience is a goal and a field that requires boldness. Achieving a state in which societies, countries, continents, and even the globe is robust to changes in climate is often met with doubt, speculation, and indifference. Boldness is required to overcome the gap between an individual’s personal experience and the sheer scale of climate interactions that span from microbes to planets and from nanoseconds to millennia. Moreover, individual scientists, government leaders, and industrialists might each make a small impact and never directly see a measurable effect in Earth’s climate resilience. Is the scientific work in this area futile? Are we as a community on the right path or are we on the right track? Or are we collectively leveraging our potential and contributions toward scalable and more impactful climate resilience solutions that create compounding effects for cities, regions, countries? That leads us to the second part of the phrase that inspired us. It is not just bold leaps but it is action too. The scientific community must put into effect the discoveries that come along with our work in climate resilience. This includes the processes or activities that translate foundational science into real products that society can use. Never before in the history of this country have we had such a commitment to the Research Topic of climate resilience. The White House has made it a major part of their platform. Congress has appropriated and authorized billions of dollars in support. The part we need next is real action. Through our efforts we can discover the interconnected scientific breakthroughs at many spatial scales from city/regional/state to global that were not possible without those government programs.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
NASA NTRS2014

Innovation @ NASA

This presentation provides an overview of the activities National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is doing to encourage innovation across the agency. All information provided is available publicly.

Organizational Culture↗
NASA NTRS2016

Innovation at the Edge of Space- An Engine for Global Opportunities

Microgravity based commercial opportunities are broad, with applications ranging from fiber optics, device-grade semiconductor crystals, space beads, new materials, cells microencapsulation, 3D tissues and cell cultures, genetic and molecular changes of immune suppression, protein and virus crystal growth, perfume and hair care. To date, primarily the knowledge gained from observing and understanding new end states of systems unraveled in microgravity has been translated into unique technologies and business opportunities on Earth. In some instances existing flight qualified hardware is immediately available for commercial RD for small-scale in-space manufacturing. Overall, products manufactured in microgravity have key properties usually surpassing the best terrestrial counterparts. Commercially, these products have an attractive touch of space which aids in marketing.The talk will addresses the potential benefits of microgravity research for a variety of terrestrial markets by (1) surveying the level of awareness and interest of parties from different commercial sectors (2) assessing the potential of microgravity to stimulate innovation in future product development and (3) formulating a synergistic strategy to use microgravity for economic growth and public benefit.Our findings originating primarily from discussions with 100+ non-aerospace private companies among the high-tech Silicon Valley ecosystem, show that the opportunities and benefits of using the ISS are largely not considered by experts, primarily due to a lack of awareness of the breadth of terrestrial applications that have been enabled or enhanced by microgravity RD. Based on this dialogue, the concept of microgravity verticals is developed to translate the benefits of the microgravity environment into blue ocean business opportunities for various key US commercial sectors.

orbital economy↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NASA Centennial Challenges Deep Space Food Challenge Competition to Incentivize Innovation in Food Systems for Long-Duration Space Exploration Missions

The Centennial Challenges (CC) program, currently part of NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD), is one of the vehicles NASA uses to develop and execute public prize competitions. Since opening its first challenge in 2005, the CC program has initiated more than 20 challenges in a variety of technology areas. This paper provides the background, development and execution of the Deep Space Food Challenge as one approach to fulfilling NASA’s Space Policy Directive 1 (“To the Moon, then Mars”). Specifics about the CC program’s accomplishments will also be discussed. The Deep Space Food Challenge (DSF) was developed in collaboration with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) to create novel food production technologies with minimal inputs, and maximum safe, nutritious, palatable food outputs for long-duration space missions, which have potential to benefit people on Earth. When humans return to the lunar surface in the mid-2020s, the early missions will use prepackaged foods similar to those in use on the International Space Station (ISS) today. However, extending the duration of lunar missions requires reducing resupply dependency on Earth. Testing a sustainable system on the Moon that meets lunar crews’ needs is a fundamental step for lunar sustainability and future Mars exploration. NASA and CSA are focused on how to furnish crew members with a viable food system for long duration space missions that provides all daily nutritional needs through a variety of palatable, safe food with limited resource requirements and no dependency on resupply from Earth; and enables acceptable, safe and quick preparation methods. On Earth, technology solutions for food systems could also be used to produce nutritional sources for urban and rural environments; potentially leading to a reduced impact on our Earth’s resources. Challenges, such as the DSF, are an embodiment of NASA’s continuing commitment to technological advancement and innovation through non-traditional programs.

Centennial Challenges↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Seeding Innovative Ideas and Partnering with the Ecosystem

Jenn Gustetic will talk about how NASA selects ideas and collaborates with the ecosystem to develop new technologies for NASA’s portfolio. She will explain how the organization encourages collaboration, co-invests to develop ideas from lab to market, and acts as the hub-and-spoke of the ecosystem. Jenn will also discuss NASA’s journey to break silos and work horizontally across programs. • Gathering and evaluating ideas internally and externally with diverse players – engaging communities, being the hub-and-spoke of the ecosystem, and encouraging collaboration through co-investments • Identify the best ideas, funding ideas from maturation to hand-off with fluctuating budgets, and managing IP and tech transfer • Balancing investments in projects that address NASA’s needs with higher risk ideas that may not have an obvious application • Transitioning ideas to the next phase – training people and teams and ensuring ownership • Developing a 3.0 innovation capacity strategy – disrupting silos, enabling the ecosystem to work seamlessly together, and taking people and leaders along

innovation↗
DOE OSTI2024

National Reactor Innovation Center Update

Authorized by the Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act (NEICA) DOE-Office of Nuclear Energy; INL Nuclear Science & Tech Partner with industry to bridge the gap between research and commercial deployment Leverage national lab expertise and infrastructure

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Cybersecurity Operational Research, Experimentation, Innovation, and Integration (COREII)

The Department of Energy’s Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response Office (CESER) has partnered with Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and energy companies to develop COREII. This research initiative aims to align with the national cybersecurity strategy, enhance the resilience of critical energy infrastructure, facilitate efforts to improve grid-enhancing technologies (GET) and major effects from other critical and emerging technologies, and to enable discovery of innovative solutions for emerging cybersecurity challenges

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Innovative Nuclear Materials Outboard-A Project Specimen Preparation Guide

The Innovative Nuclear Materials (INM) Program was recently established by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to develop advanced material technologies for use in nuclear reactors. The INM program is presently focused on researching in-core non-fueled materials for application in fast spectrum nuclear reactors. The widespread deployment of fast reactors continues to be a prominent aspiration for advanced nuclear technology developers. However, companies working to license these reactors have no choice but to rely on historic material technologies since further optimization and advancement of these materials is impeded by the lack of fast neutron irradiation test facilities. INM-OA is a non-fueled drop-in experiment which will irradiate material specimens of interest to fast reactor applications. This experiment will be irradiated at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) outboard-A (OA) position during normal and high temperature steady state (HTSS) cycles. It will include material specimens supplied by members of the INM program and will utilize a cadmium-lined basket to filter out incident thermal neutrons, thus simulating a faster neutron energy spectrum. Material specimens will undergo post-irradiation examination including microscopy and mechanical testing. In addition to absorption reactions, fast neutrons cause microstructural damage in materials by atom displacement, which can cause exacerbated changes in physical properties and behavior. Thus, the data obtained from the INM-OA experiment will be crucial for understanding the engineering-scale behavior of reactor materials. This document is intended for the Principal Investigators providing samples for this project. Topics included are a general description of the experiment, the irradiation experiment/capsule design, sample geometries, number of samples to be provided, documentation to be provided, a brief list potentially useful characterization methods that can be leveraged at INL, and other miscellaneous requirements specific to this project. This document is intended for informational use only.

innovative nuclear materials↗
DOE OSTI2026

Industry Growth Forum: Innovation and Investment

The Industry Growth Forum (IGF) is the premier convening for energy innovation entrepreneurs, investors, and industry leaders. Hosted by NLR, the nation's leading energy systems integration laboratory, the IGF leverages decades of technical expertise and industry partnerships to bring together promising startups and forward-thinking investors. Gain meaningful visibility and recognition of your organization as a sponsor at the 2026 Industry Growth Forum.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Energy Technology Innovation Partnership Project

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Energy Technology Innovation Partnership Project (ETIPP) helps coastal, remote, and island communities increase the affordability, reliability, and security of their energy systems through energy planning and deep-dive technical assistance.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Energy Technology Innovation Partnership Project (Bilingual)

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Energy Technology Innovation Partnership Project (ETIPP) helps coastal, remote, and island communities increase the affordability, reliability, and security of their energy systems through energy planning and deep-dive technical assistance. This is a English and Spanish translation.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Innovative Approach to Recycle Lithium‐Ion Battery Electrolytes via Sequential Chemical Processes

The rapid growth of electric vehicles (EV) has driven the widespread use of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). This will result in a large amount of spent batteries that if not properly disposed will pose significant environmental damage, especially from the electrolyte. The electrolyte contains lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF 6 ), which when treated by either incineration or water washing can generate harmful F- and P-containing substances such as hydrofluoric acid (HF). In this study, an innovative two-step process is presented to separate and purify both the solvents and lithium salts from the spent electrolyte. Antisolvent assisted precipitation is used to selectively isolate LiPF 6 salt in the form of a complex with ethylene carbonate. Subsequent distillation then separates the volatile electrolyte solvents and antisolvent from each other effectively. In addition, a new process to further purify LiPF 6 from its ethylene carbonate (EC) complex is also presented. This electrolyte recycling method not only enables the recovery of the high-value LiPF 6 salt and the electrolyte solvents, but also paves the way for environmentally responsible and circular LIB recycling.

electrolyte↗
DOE OSTI2024

Narrowing lab–to–market gaps: Device innovations in fuel generation, solar–cell, and photodetection

Academic translational research efforts to industry are often an underlying sought–after goal among various researchers. Through the interchanges of research endeavors between academia–industry, great innovations can/has been achieved that cater to the real–world application by bridging “industrially relevant” problem solving with pursuing fundamental studies. It is pertinent that most of the studies from university–level research works may not translate into demonstrable market products due to various reasons. Funding support, individual researcher goals, socioeconomic factors, and most importantly the technical know–how of generating revenue strategies for startups, are a few of the factors that have slowed the pace of collaborative efforts. However, we believe that the most crucial component is the identification of the critical parameters that solve long–standing problems that hinder the scale–up of the lab scale research into marketable products considering the techno–economic analysis. Here, to illustrate this, we take the three most relevant examples of devices for fuel generation, devices to utilize solar radiation, and devices for detection and other related applications. In this perspective, we provide an in–depth case study of each of these critical parameters to comment on the direction of research avenues that can serve as step–stones for the commercialization of university–level lab research studies.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2026

Towards High-Speed friction stir welding of 25 mm Thick AA2139-T8: tool innovation and process development

Joining thick plates (≥ 12 mm) of aluminum (Al) alloys is challenging due to high tool forces, uneven material flow, and non-uniform heat distribution through the material’s thickness. Recent advancements in tool design and welding parameters for friction stir welding (FSW) in thick plates butt joining have encountered a developmental plateau, highlighting the need for innovative approaches to overcome existing limitations. Here, this study focuses on the systematic development of single-pass and double-pass FSW processes for high-strength aluminum alloy AA2139-T8, to improve joint efficiency and enable high-speed welding capabilities. Experimental evidence is presented for a novel tool design with opposing pin threads, enabling high-speed (178 mm/min) single-pass friction stir butt welding of 25 mm thick AA2139-T8. A series of FSW trials was conducted both in air and with a trailing water spray, using steel backing plates (BPs) to investigate the impact of quenching and cooling rates on process response and joint performance. A joint efficiency of 83% was attained using the novel tool features and effectively controlling process forces and thermal boundary conditions.

AA2139-T8↗
DOE OSTI2024

Innovative control mechanism for research and test reactors using mandrel-shaped control rods

Research and test reactors have historically played a pivotal role in supporting the initial development of nuclear reactors. They continue to provide essential data for enhancing fuel designs and material knowledge. However, with many such reactors aging and the growing demand for data to bolster advanced reactor development, it is more necessary to research potential design attributes of the next generation of research and test reactors. For test reactors dedicated to fuel and material testing, the design of control mechanisms significantly influences the stabilization of neutron flux levels in irradiation positions while sustaining criticality. This study presents an innovative control mechanism for potential research and test reactor designs. It employs small absorber rods that move in opposite axial directions to maintain axial symmetry of power and neutron flux during burnup cycles. These rods maximize reactivity worth while also offering flexibility to flatten the radial power distribution. An axial translation of the control mechanisms’ absorbers, as compared to the rotational movement of absorbers in control cylinders, also provides a benefit to available excess reactivity and cycle length. Additionally, this work utilizes a simplified core model of the Advanced Test Reactor to assess the performance of this control mechanism. Compared to the current control system based on rotating control cylinders, the new control mechanism has the potential to enhance, or at least maintain, neutronic performance parameters in this reactor design.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗