Results for “research and development” — Page 11

DOE OSTI2022

Machine Learning for Correlated Intelligence. LDRD SAND Report

The Machine Learning for Correlated Intelligence Laboratory Directed Research & Development (LDRD) Project explored competing a variety of machine learning (ML) classification techniques against a known, open source dataset through the use of a rapid and automated algorithm research & development (RD) infrastructure. This approach relied heavily on creating an infrastructure in which to provide a pipeline for automatic target recognition (ATR) ML algorithm competition. Results are presented for nine ML classifiers against a primary dataset using the pipeline infrastructure developed for this project. New approaches to feature set extraction are presented and discussed as well.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

DOE OSTI2023

Inventory for Crystalline Silicon Module Recycling: Cooperative Research and Development (Final Report)

A critical challenge for the continued expansion of photovoltaics (PV) is to develop technically feasible, inexpensive and environmentally friendly practices for handling and recycling modules at the end of their usable life. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is requested by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) to collect primary data regarding the environmental performance of currently operational PV module recycling facilities in Europe. Very little has been published regarding crystalline silicon (C-Si) module recycling. Thus, much effort will be needed in direct industry outreach, collection of information and other business intelligence strategies similar to NREL's approaches for developing cost models for PV manufacturing. The goal of this work effort is to produce a detailed inventory that accounts for physical (e.g., energy, water, materials) flows through each step of a C-Si recycling process. The inventory (a life cycle inventory, or LCI) shall be designed so that it can be extended to include an accounting of costs for each process step, inputs, etc. This work effort shall leverage prior LCI data collection NREL performed for the United States Department of Energy, Solar Energy Technologies Office, under the auspices of the U.S. contribution to International Energy Agency's Photovoltaics Power Systems (PVPS) Task 12 (Environmental Health and Safety), which SETO nominated NREL to chair. The primary purpose of this work effort is to augment the prior data collection to increase the sample size of manufacturers' primary data in the LCI.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2024

Advancing Geothermal Research: Fiscal Year 2024 Accomplishments Report

Geothermal resources have delivered renewable electricity for more than 100 years, and renewable heat for far longer, but recent research and advancements have shown that geothermal is more than a 24/7 clean energy source. With the ability to also provide cooling and storage - plus the potential to access critical minerals, capture and sequester carbon, produce green hydrogen, and more - geothermal technologies and resources are emerging as key solutions to the climate crisis. In fiscal year 2024 (FY24), the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) broadened its research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D) portfolio and partnerships with exciting innovations such as next-generation geothermal technologies for power, geothermal energy networks for heating and cooling, subsurface thermal energy storage, well repurposing, and more. In support of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Geothermal Technologies Office's (GTO) mission to increase geothermal energy deployment through research, development, and demonstration of innovative technologies that enhance exploration and production, NREL led impactful research in geothermal technologies and resources, market acceleration, and grid integration while also demonstrating leadership in the sector and increasing stakeholder engagement and outreach efforts.

annual report↗

DOE OSTI2022

Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office

The Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO) researches, develops, and demonstrates next-generation materials and manufacturing technologies needed to increase U.S. industrial competitiveness and to advance economy-wide decarbonization. AMMTO supports the national plan to revitalize American manufacturing, secure critical supply chains, and develop diverse innovation ecosystems leading to new manufacturing jobs and increased economic strength and security of the nation. AMMTO provides planning, management, and direction necessary for a balanced program of research, development, demonstration, technical assistance, and workforce development to support domestic manufacturing that is critical to achieving a clean, decarbonized economy.

Next Generation materials and processes, secure an↗

DOE OSTI2025

The Artificial Intelligence Ontology: LLM-Assisted Construction of AI Concept Hierarchies

The Artificial Intelligence Ontology (AIO) is a systematization of artificial intelligence (AI) concepts, methodologies, and their interrelations. Developed via manual curation, with the additional assistance of large language models (LLMs), AIO aims to address the rapidly evolving landscape of AI by providing a comprehensive framework that encompasses both technical and ethical aspects of AI technologies. The primary audience for AIO includes AI researchers, developers, and educators seeking standardized terminology and concepts within the AI domain. We use the term “branches” for classes, and their subclasses, in our ontology that are subclasses of owl:Thing. AIO contains eight branches: Bias, Layer, Machine Learning Task, Mathematical Function, Model, Network, Preprocessing, and Training Strategy, each designed to support the modular composition of AI methods and facilitate a deeper understanding of deep learning architectures and ethical considerations in AI. AIO uses the Ontology Development Kit (ODK) for its creation and maintenance, with its content being more easily updated through AI-driven curation support. This approach not only ensures the ontology's relevance amidst the fast-paced advancements in AI but also significantly enhances its utility for researchers, developers, and educators by simplifying the integration of new AI concepts and methodologies. The ontology's utility is demonstrated through the annotation of AI methods data in a catalog of AI research publications and the integration into the BioPortal ontology resource, highlighting its potential for cross-disciplinary research. The AIO ontology is open source and is available on GitHub ( https://w3id.org/aio/ ) and BioPortal ( https://bioportal.bioontology.org/ontologies/AIO ).

Joachimiak, Marcin P. [Biosystems Data Science Dep↗

DOE OSTI2024

NREL Marine Energy Desalination Research and Development Portfolio: Preprint

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO), has developed a unique R&D approach to advance marine energy desalination. Desalination is a foundational investment within WPTO's Powering the Blue Economy portfolio, and was the first investment within this portfolio. NREL's marine energy desalination spans techno-economic feasibility studies, numerical modeling, and laboratory testing at the component and subsystem level, as well as development of the Hydraulic and Electric Reverse Osmosis Wave Energy Converter (HERO WEC). This multilayered approach enables an innovative feedback loop where the data and lessons learned from laboratory and field experiments are used to refine modeling tools and analysis techniques, prioritize out-year activities, and refine strategic directions within NREL and across the WPTO portfolio. The primary objective of the NREL-led research is to identify key barriers associated with the commercialization of wave-powered desalination and develop solutions that can be adopted by the marine energy industry. In parallel, these R&D activities can help inform technical assistance and support of industry and academic technologies. These two tracks help build a common solver community approach, while also identifying key stakeholders, government agencies, and other organizations outside of the marine sector that will be necessary for developing a robust industry. For the Spanish version of this report, see NREL/CP-5700-88483 (https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy24osti/88483.pdf).

analysis↗

DOE OSTI2022

Cooperative Research and Development Agreement between National Energy Technology Laboratory and University of Kentucky (Abstract)

The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) and University of Kentucky (Participant) will collaborate in the development of “Deep Learning Potential-based Molecular Dynamics Simulation Investigation of Chemical Conversion-Absorption Coupling of CO 2 at Air-Reactive Deep Eutectic Solvent Interface.” This project is supported by DOE-Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) program and managed by Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE). Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are promising alternative sorbents for direct air capture (DAC) CO 2 due to their low vapor pressure, low corrosion, non-toxicity, relatively low cost, and biodegradable nature. Understanding the CO 2 reaction-transport mechanisms at the interface can help develop cost-effective DAC by DESs with high capacity and stability. The collaboration will investigate the absorption and chemical conversion of CO 2 at the air-DES interface to facilitate the development of novel DAC technology using reactive DESs. The anticipated results will make DAC more efficient, allow more sustainable use of our Nation’s fossil energy resources, and advance NETL’s ongoing CO 2 capture efforts.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2026

Supplement Analysis for the Proposed Shipment of High Burnup Research Cask to Idaho National Laboratory for Research and Development Purposes

DOE needs to continue with the HBUSFDP and transfer the HBURC to a facility capable of examination and testing of HBU SNF. These types of facilities do not exist at NAPS but are available at DOE national laboratories. The removal and eventual opening of the TN-32B research cask will provide DOE with the opportunity to gather data that will support continued safe storage of SNF at existing nuclear power plants, or a future federal consolidated storage facility. This effort will also help build public trust and confidence by demonstrating DOE’s ability to safely and securely transport commercial SNF using the certified Atlas rail consist.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2025

Artificial Intelligence for Data Center Operations (AIOps): Cooperative Research and Development (Final Report)

High performance computing data centers will increasingly need to rely on automation to keep pace with exascale growth in compute capability and to manage and optimize the data center environment and facility resources. Artificial intelligence and machine learning approaches provide the means to improve HPC data center operational efficiency, by learning historical trends and training models to operate on real-time data collected from both IT and facilities sources. NREL has developed methods of real-time collection, aggregation and streaming of these data in the ESIF HPC Data Center and has collected a significant dataset of relevant metrics across computer systems, racks, environmental, building and utility sources for research into various predictive analytics problems. HPE's Advanced Technology Group (ATG) is doing comprehensive research into exascale monitoring and management for High Performance Computing (HPC) systems (hereinafter HPE's Data Monitoring/ Management Technology). NREL and HPE will collaborate to add Artificial Intelligence (AI) to NREL's real-time data collection/ aggregation/ streaming system and HPE's Data Monitoring/ Management System, with the goal of improving the operational efficiency of NREL's Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF) HPC Data Center through data analytics on both historical and real-time data from IT systems and facilities operations. This collaboration will consist of efforts in Data Management, Data Analytics, and AI/ML Optimization for both manual and autonomous intervention in data center operations. This will be a multi-year, multi-staged effort with a goal towards building capabilities for an Advanced Smart Facility, and demonstration of these techniques in the NREL ESIF HPC Data Center.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

DOE OSTI2024

Nontraditional Sensors for Aqueous Separation Research & Workforce Development

Idaho National Laboratory’s (INL) nuclear fuel cycle capabilities enable the deployment of technologies that sustain the current reactor fleet, support demonstration and deployment of new advanced reactors, and facilitate management and disposition of existing and future radiological waste materials. INL focuses on deploying nuclear energy systems with confidence by decreasing proliferation risk through research that demonstrates process transparency and supports safeguards and security by design. An example of these capabilities is the Beartooth test bed, set to begin operations toward the end of fiscal year 2026. Beartooth will include a cascade of centrifugal contactors, glove box lines, and solidification and dissolution equipment to aid in the progression of novel separation techniques and to provide hands-on experience to cultivate and maintain a robust workforce of experts. To support Beartooth’s enhanced instrumentation and monitoring equipment needs, several nontraditional sensors are being considered for future deployment. The non-traditional sensors include accelerometers, acoustic microphones, and infrared cameras. These nontraditional sensors have the potential to not only help monitor the process but also enhance nuclear safeguards.

98 - NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL↗

DOE OSTI2020

Project Task Statement 2 to Umbrella Cooperative Research and Development Agreement between National Energy Technology Laboratory and Ramaco Carbon [Abstract]

NETL and Ramaco will collaborate to characterize domestic coal, beneficiated coal, and coal byproducts to evaluate these materials for rare earth element (REE) content and ease of extraction. Ramaco will provide samples of coal, beneficiated coal, and coal byproducts to NETL, as well as provide research expertise on coal extraction and processing. NETL will characterize these feedstocks using the chemical/physical methods being utilized in its research laboratories. The objectives of this project are: identify promising coal-related REE reserves by testing and analysis of core samples from coal bearing formations; provide insights and expertise into opportunities for the extraction of REEs and other value-added products from domestic coal; and collect data that will be used to create quantitative modeling tools for predicting the likelihood of successful prospecting for REEs in coal, beneficiated and processed coal, and related geologic formation.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗

DOE OSTI2021

Materials and Fuels Complex Five-Year Mission Strategy (FY21- FY25)

The Idaho National Laboratory (INL), through its designated mission of advancing innovative nuclear energy solutions, is actively engaged in the research, development, demonstration and deployment of advanced nuclear technology, as well as in fostering private-public partnership for technology development. Key to the success of INL’s mission is the Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC), the only complex in the U.S. that hosts a world-class assemblage of facilities, capabilities and instruments for handling, testing, and characterizing radioactive materials. Driven by its mission/vision of “Engineering and Experiments that Drive the World’s Nuclear Energy Future,” MFC is at the center of INL’s – and indeed the Department of Energy’s – advanced nuclear technology development initiatives, providing essential capabilities such as engineering-scale high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) fuel production, reactor demonstration facilities, post-irradiation examination, and transient irradiation testing. Furthermore, MFC provides an ideal environment for test beds that are utilized for research, development and demonstration (RD&D) activities on used fuel treatment, nuclear non-proliferation, forensics, and nuclear power sources used for space exploration missions conducted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

DOE OSTI2021

Materials and Fuels Complex (FY2021-2025 Five-Year Mission Strategy)

The Idaho National Laboratory (INL), through its designated mission of advancing innovative nuclear energy solutions, is actively engaged in the research, development, demonstration and deployment of advanced nuclear technology, as well as in fostering private-public partnership for technology development. Key to the success of INL’s mission is the Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC), the only complex in the U.S. that hosts a world-class assemblage of facilities, capabilities and instruments for handling, testing, and characterizing radioactive materials. Driven by its mission/vision of “Engineering and Experiments that Drive the World’s Nuclear Energy Future,” MFC is at the center of INL’s – and indeed the Department of Energy’s – advanced nuclear technology development initiatives, providing essential capabilities such as engineering-scale high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) fuel production, reactor demonstration facilities, post-irradiation examination, and transient irradiation testing. Furthermore, MFC provides an ideal environment for test beds that are utilized for research, development and demonstration (RD&D) activities on used fuel treatment, nuclear non-proliferation, forensics, and nuclear power sources used for space exploration missions conducted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

DOE OSTI2025

FY24 LLNL Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Project Accomplishments

Large duration energy storage is the key to couple renewable energy generation with power supply. This project aimed to advance the durability of a low-cost and eco-friendly flow battery technology based on iron chemistry to speed up the technology readiness level rapidly and radically. A novel device which is called “an artificial kidney” was innovated through disruptive research to integrate with the flow battery for rebalancing capacity. Key results at 50 cm2 scale demonstrates that artificial kidney enabled retaining the storage capacity of the flow battery over 100 cycles. Comparison of outcome of this work showing 0% capacity degradation to the state-of-the-art technology corroborates that this novel system is a game changing innovation.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

DOE OSTI2022

Innovative Separations Research and Development Needs for Advanced Fuel Cycles

Deployment of advanced nuclear reactors will inevitably introduce new challenges for devising and implementing an efficient, safe, and economical nuclear fuel cycle that meets society’s need for clean energy and expectations for environmental stewardship. The growing urgency for decarbonizing the US and global economies makes such technological challenges all the more compelling. The Office of Materials and Chemical Technologies within US Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy stewards the capabilities and knowledge relied upon by government policy makers to make informed decisions regarding nuclear fuel cycle options. Such decisions in turn rely on the development of efficient and economical separation methods that can accept the used nuclear fuel containing actinides and fission products (FPs) to recycle selected actinides, recover valuable by-products, and deliver waste streams that are suitable for disposal. To help guide the future direction of fuel cycle separations research, taking into account emerging technologies, the Office of Materials and Chemical Technologies sponsored the Innovative Separations R&D Needs for Advanced Fuel Cycles workshop, held virtually August 30–September 1, 2021. Based upon 60 contributed white papers, 6 plenary lectures, and 3 days of discussions, the outcome of the workshop and subsequent deliberations was the generation of this report identifying seven future research directions (FRDs) plus three crosscutting areas of research.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

DOE OSTI2021

Isobutanol Octane Blending Model with Gasoline: Cooperative Research and Development Final Report, CRADA Number CRD-17-00689

The purpose of this agreement between the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Gevo, under the DOE Small Business Vouchers Pilot, is to develop a predictive octane blending model for isobutanol and blendstocks for oxygenated blending (BOBs). Validated models of ethanol octane blending effects are currently used in refinery blending models. While it is known that isobutanol increases octane when blended into BOBs, the effect is non-linear, and dependent on hydrocarbon blendstock properties. Because no predictive model currently exists for isobutanol and BOBs, blenders must perform expensive and time-consuming tests to determine the octane effect on each batch of finished fuel. NREL will make basic measurements of research octane number (RON) and motor octane number (MON) of finished gasoline-isobutanol blends prepared in a broad range of BOBs. The key properties and detailed composition of BOBs utilized will be measured by NREL. Using these measured fuel properties, NREL will develop a predictive octane blending model for isobutanol in BOBs that can be used by terminals to further reduce barriers to market penetration of isobutanol.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2021

Research and Development of a Ventilation-Integrated Comfort System

From an indoor air quality perspective, the best residential ventilation strategies include filtering outdoor air and distributing that air to all occupied parts of a home. From an energy standpoint, it is desirable that energy be transferred from the exhaust air to the incoming outdoor air to limit heating and cooling impacts. Heat or energy recovery ventilators (HRVs or ERVs) can provide these functions, but researchers have seen many poor installations related to design, installation, and operation and maintenance. More robust ventilation systems may involve an ERV with a dedicated duct distribution system and controls. Such a duct system can be costly to install, and many builders reduce these costs by connecting an ERV to a central heating and cooling duct system. Although this can sometimes be done effectively, researchers have seen consistent challenges with low, inconsistent, or imbalanced flow rates; high electricity consumption; and—of greatest concern—outdoor air short-circuiting or not being delivered to occupied spaces at all. Most ERVs are designed to operate with their own duct system; they are not designed as an add-on to much larger heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems. The ventilation-integrated comfort system (VICS) is expressly designed to integrate with low-capacity, efficient, ducted heating and cooling systems. Overall, the latest VICS prototype consumed 40–75 watts (W), including the air handler power, to deliver 50–120 cfm of whole-dwelling ventilation. The large, cross-flow ERV core performed to match manufacturer values (73% winter sensible effectiveness, 64% summer total effectiveness), but further improvements are possible. The VICS system researched and tested during this project will provide efficient, controllable, balanced energy recovery ventilation that is integrated with heating and cooling systems. The integration reduces space and ductwork needed for separate ventilation systems, and there are no compromises to heating, cooling, or ventilation performance. The integrated nature of the device also reduces risks for improper installation and commissioning. Even when using the air handler blower to distribute outdoor air, the total power consumption is lower than that of most available ERV products in the same airflow range. This system has the potential to offer very high-performance ventilation with much smoother and simpler installation than conventional systems.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

DOE OSTI2021

Research and Development of a Ventilation-Integrated Comfort System

From an indoor air quality perspective, the best residential ventilation strategies include filtering outdoor air and distributing that air to all occupied parts of a home. From an energy standpoint, it's desirable that energy be transferred from the exhaust air to the incoming outdoor air to limit heating and cooling impacts. Heat or energy recovery ventilation systems (HRVs or ERVs) can provide these functions, but researchers have seen many poor installations related to design, installation, and operation and maintenance. More robust ventilation systems may involve an ERV with a dedicated duct distribution system and controls. Such a duct system can be costly to install, and many builders reduce these costs by connecting an ERV to a central heating and cooling duct system. While this can sometimes be done effectively, researchers have seen consistent challenges with low, inconsistent, or imbalanced flow rates; high electricity consumption; and - of greatest concern - outdoor air short-circuiting or not being delivered to occupied spaces at all. Most ERVs are designed to operate with their own duct system; they are not designed as an add-on to much larger HVAC systems. With support from the US DOE Building Technologies Office, Steven Winter Associates, Inc. (SWA) partnered with Mitsubishi Electric Trane US, CORE Energy Recovery Solutions, and Therma-Stor LLC to design and test VICS prototypes. A conceptual diagram is shown in Figure 1, and the latest prototype (shown in Figure 2) was manufactured by Therma-Stor and tested in SWA's facility in Norwalk, CT. The ERV heat exchanger was provided by CORE, and the VICS was installed in conjunction with a 1-ton, inverter heat pump provided by Mitsubishi.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗