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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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At least 217 records · Page 12
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Water Availability for Biorefineries in the Contiguous United States and the Implications for Bioenergy Production Distribution

Renewable biofuel production depends on many factors, including feedstock availability, refinery and shipment infrastructure, and in particular, water availability. This study assesses water requirement and availability for mainstream biorefinery technologies in the contiguous United States (CONUS). The assessment is conducted in newly defined spatial units, namely, biorefinery planning boundaries, considering feedstock availability, transportation cost, and refinery capacity requirement for cost-effectiveness. The results suggest that the total biorefinery water use in the CONUS by 2030 will be low compared to the total water availability. However, biorefinery water requirements can aggravate the water stress situation in many regions, including the Great Plains, California Central Valley, and the upper Columbia-Snake River basin in Washington. Bioenergy productions in these regions can be largely constrained by water. Here, it is projected that biofuel production will concentrate in Northern Plains, Lake States, and Corn Belt regions, which contribute 94.4% of the conventional, 86.1% of biodiesel, and 54.8% of cellulosic biofuel production mandated by the renewable fuel standard. If biorefineries are constrained to use less than 10% of the locally available water, up to 7% of planned cellulosic biofuel production will be affected. Findings from this study can aid the sustainable planning of national bioenergy production.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Self-Lubricating Bushing Testing for John Day Dam Ka plan Turbine Replacement

The goal of this testing program is to find suitable self-lubricated alternatives to replace the in use oil lubricated grooved-bronze bushing in Kaplan runner hubs that are currently being utilized at John Day Dam operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Scaled bushing testing utilizing a Pacific Northwest National Laboratory designed, fabricated, and operated Bushing Test Stand under the direction and funding from USACE determined that self-lubricated bushings tested appear capable of outperforming the current oil-lubricated bronze bushings. Performance tests are focused on durability which includes cyclic load bearing properties and articulations under various loading scenarios. This testing was performed at nominally 1/5 th scale. A scaling sensitivity analysis determined that scaled testing results apply to prototypic size. This report shows the direct comparison between the current baseline bronze bushing to self-lubricated bushings from various manufacturers. Bushing data like coefficient of friction and bushing material loss (associated with bushing wear) was determined. Self-lubricated bushings tested include products manufactured specifically for hydropower applications by the following companies: Trelleborg, Kamatics, Anonymous, and Tenneco/Deva.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS2019

Performance of Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 Surface Reflectance Products for River Remote Sensing Retrievals of Chlorophyll-A and Turbidity

Rivers and other freshwater systems play a crucial role in ecosystems, industry, transportation and agriculture. Despite the more than 40 years of inland water observations made possible by optical remote sensing, a standardized reflectance product for inland waters is yet forthcoming. The aim of this work is to compare the standard USGS land surface reflectance product to two Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 aquatic remote sensing reflectance products over the Amazon, Columbia and Mississippi rivers. Landsat-8 reflectance products from all three routines are then evaluated for their comparative performance in retrieving chlorophyll-a and turbidity in reference to shipborne, underway in situ validation measurements. The land surface product shows the best agreement (4 percent Mean Absolute Percent Difference) with field measurements of radiometry collected on the Amazon River and generates 36 percent higher reflectance values in the visible bands compared to aquatic methods (ACOLITE (Atmospheric Correction for OLI (Operational Land Imager) 'lite') and SeaDAS (Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-View Sensor (SeaWiFS) Data Analysis System)) with larger differences between land and aquatic products observed in Sentinel-2 (0.01 per steraradian) compared to Landsat-8 (0.001 per steraradian). Choice of atmospheric correction routine can bias Landsat-8 retrievals of chlorophyll-a and turbidity by as much as 59 percent and 35 percent respectively. Using a more restrictive time window for matching in situ and satellite imagery can reduce differences by 5–31 percent depending on correction technique. This work highlights the challenges of satellite retrievals over rivers and underscores the need for future optical and biogeochemical research aimed at improving our understanding of the absorbing and scattering properties of river water and their relationships to remote sensing reflectance.

Landsat-8↗
DOE OSTI2023

Riverine Plastic Pollution: Field Sampling Protocol and Implementation in U.S. Rivers

Riverine plastic pollution is increasingly being recognized as a serious environmental concern. The flux of plastic from U.S. rivers into the oceans is estimated to be on the order of hundreds of tons per year. Plastic pollution has been detected in all major U.S. rivers but the observations did not measure metrics that could be used for mass flux calculations. The Department of Energy is addressing the problem of riverine plastic pollution with the Waterborne Plastics Resource Assessment and Debris Characterization (WaterPACT) project. Phase one of the WaterPACT project includes the development of a sampling protocol, field sampling events that implement the protocol, and numerical modeling studies. The field sampling will quantify and characterize the plastic pollution and the numerical modeling studies will analyze the movement of the plastic pollution by rivers. This report details the WaterPACT sampling protocol and its implementation in four major U.S. rivers. The WaterPACT sampling protocol was implemented in the Mississippi, Columbia, Delaware, and Los Angeles rivers with at least three sampling events in each river. The rivers represent four types ranging from the large Mississippi with its vast agricultural watershed to the small Los Angeles with its highly engineered urban waterway. The three sampling events covered a variety of discharge conditions from low drought flow to extreme storm events. The data obtained by the WaterPACT sampling of the four rivers will be combined to provide an invaluable dataset to researchers studying the source and chemical composition of plastic pollution and modelers estimating the flux of plastic being transported to and released into the oceans.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Evaluating the Impacts of Coordination for Cascaded Hydropower Plants on the Mid-Columbia

The Mid-Columbia region in the U.S. Pacific Northwest includes seven large, cascaded hydropower plants with a combined nameplate capacity of nearly 14 GW. These plants have several different operators, and there is currently limited coordination among the operators. We develop a detailed model of the Mid-Columbia system that captures both river flow constraints and power system operations. We then place this detailed model within a production cost model of a 2030 system of the Western Interconnection to evaluate how coordination of the Mid-Columbia hydropower plants might impact operations throughout the interconnection. We find that coordination of the Mid-Columbia plants leads to more generation from the Mid-Columbia plants and increased revenues for the Mid-Columbia operators. This benefit is achieved primarily through better utilization of the storage reservoirs and decreased spill through the cascade. We also evaluate the impacts of look-ahead on production costs and find that longer look-ahead values result in lower system-wide production costs.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Otolith 87 Sr / 86 Sr identifies natal origin, movement and life history of Burbot Lota lota in the Kootenai River following 45 years of impoundment

Abstract Hydropower has long been an effective form of renewable energy, but the development of the resource has negatively impacted fishes throughout the world. Formulating recovery plans to mitigate these effects requires a firm understanding of species‐specific provenance, life history and life stage habitat requirements. However, the importance of this information is often only recognised after a substantial population decline, when obtaining it becomes demographically challenging. We provide a case study for this scenario and present a post hoc approach to gain insight into these critical data gaps for Burbot Lota lota in the upper Kootenai River in Montana and British Columbia. The population once supported a robust tribal and recreational harvest but declined following impoundment and these fisheries have remained closed or curtailed for nearly 20 years. The reasons for the decline are unknown and actions to assist recovery have been constrained by limited information regarding natal origin, life history and habitat use. We addressed this issue using strontium isotope ratios ( 87 Sr/ 86 Sr) in otoliths collected over four decades in Lake Koocanusa, the reservoir on the Kootenai River above Libby Dam. Due to the geologic heterogeneity of the basin and resulting variation in water 87 Sr/ 86 Sr, the assignment probability for Burbot to their region of natal origin approached unity. Otolith 87 Sr/ 86 Sr also indicated the population was comprised of mainstem‐ and tributary‐origin forms and their relative abundance changed over time. Mainstem Burbot was most abundant during the 1970s and 2000s, whereas tributary forms dominated between these periods. We suggest ecosystem changes following impoundment contributed to this shift in life history forms and the overall decline of the population. Our findings underscore the need for additional investigations of these impacts to guide restoration efforts.

Dunnigan, James L.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Investigation of Americium-Containing Phosphates, Silicates, Borates, Molybdates, and Fluorides Synthesized via High-Temperature Flux Crystal Growth

The crystal chemistry of americium-containing extended structures was investigated, and several classes of americium-containing solid-state oxide materials were obtained in single-crystal form via high-temperature flux crystal growth. This enabled the structural characterization of rare examples of ternary, quaternary, and penternary americium-containing silicates K 3 Am (Si 2 O 7 ) and Cs 6 Am 2 Si 21 O 48 , phosphates Na 3 Am (PO 4 ) 2 and K 3 Am (PO 4 ) 2 , borates Ba 3 Am 2 (BO 3 ) 4 and AmBO 3 , borate halides Ca 5 Am(BO 3 ) 4 Cl, molybdates Li 0.5 Am 0.5 MoO 4 , and fluorides CsAm 2 F 7 . Using these crystallographic data, the ionic radii of Am 3+ with coordination numbers of six (0.975 Å), seven (1.052 Å), and nine (1.162 Å) were established. A maximum entropy method (MEM) analysis was performed on the single-crystal X-ray diffraction data that were collected for K 3 Nd(PO 4 ) 2 /K 3 Am(PO 4 ) 2 , K 3 NdSi 2 O 7 /K 3 AmSi 2 O 7 , and NdBO 3 /AmBO 3 , to qualitatively compare the ionicities of the Nd–O and Am–O bonds. In conclusion, Raman spectroscopy data were collected on single crystals of K 3 Am(PO 4 ) 2 and compared to the calculated Raman spectrum of K 3 Am(PO 4 ) 2 obtained from DFT calculations.

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

River–aquifer interactions enhancing evapotranspiration in a semiarid riparian zone: A modelling study

The hydrologic flows across the river–aquifer interface play an important role in groundwater dynamics and biogeochemical reactions within the subsurface; however, little is known about the effects of river–aquifer interactions on land surface processes. In this study, we developed a fully coupled three-dimensional (3D) land surface and subsurface model at a high resolution (~1 km) that accounts for high-frequency hydrologic exchange flow conditions to investigate how river–aquifer interactions modulate surface water budgets in the Upper Columbia-Priest Rapids watershed, a typical semiarid watershed located in the northwestern United States where river stage fluctuates in response to reservoir releases changing. Our results show that the spatiotemporal dynamics of river–aquifer interactions are highly heterogeneous, driven mainly by river-stage fluctuations. Adding 6.64 × 10 6 m 3 year –1 of water over the watershed from the river to groundwater owing to the lateral flow, river–aquifer interactions led to an increase in soil evaporation and transpiration supplied by higher soil moisture content, particularly in deeper subsurface. In a hypothetic future scenarios where a 5-m rise in river stage was assumed, the hydrologic flow exchange rates were intensified, resulting in higher surface water over the entire watershed. Overall, lateral flow induced by river–aquifer exchanges leads to an increase in evapotranspiration of ~75% in the historical period and of ~83% in the hypothetical future scenario. Finally, our study demonstrates the potential of coupled model as an effective tool for understanding river–aquifer–land surface interactions, and indicates that river–aquifer interactions fundamentally alter the water balance of the riparian zone for the semiarid watershed and will likely become more frequent and intense in the future under the effects of climate change.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Graphene Oxide Nanoribbons for High Early-Strength Cement Concrete

Longitudinal oxidative unzipping of the outer walls of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) yields graphene oxide nanoribbons (GONRs), which exhibit greater open surface area and functional edge content than MWCNTs. This paper presents a study of the nano-amendment of Portland cement concrete with GONRs in concentrations between 0.05% (in weight of cement, wt%) and 0.0005 wt%, thus up to two orders of magnitude lower than that reported as lower-bound in the archival literature. The dispersibility in aqueous solution as a function of GONR concentration and oxygen weight content (O%) was assessed through dynamic light scattering (DLS) and zeta potential analysis. The results indicated that less effective suspensions were obtained for 0.05 wt% of GONRs and 22.7 O%. Therefore, GONR water suspensions with 30-40% O% were used to manufacture 50 mm × 100 mm cylindrical concrete specimens. After 7 days of curing, results from uniaxial compression tests using four specimens per configuration (MWCNT concentration and O%) showed that the incorporation of GONRs resulted in an average increase in compressive strength up to 45%. Consistent with the DLS and compression test results, SEM micrographs showed well-dispersed GONRs together with accelerated and preferential formation of calcium silicate hydrates (C-S-H) for all GONR concentrations. The results indicate, for the first time, that the incorporation of very small concentrations (as low as 0.0005 wt%) of well-dispersed GONR amendments can significantly enhance the early-age concrete strength. However, such enhancement became insignificant after 28 days of curing.

cement↗
DOE OSTI2026

Microstructural evolution, defect mitigation, and precipitation behavior in AA6061 via laser powder bed fusion with high-temperature substrate heating

Defects, particularly solidification cracking, remain persistent challenges in the laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) processing of AA6061 aluminum alloy. This study systematically investigates defect mitigation, microstructural evolution, and mechanical properties associated with high-temperature substrate preheating at 500 °C. Comprehensive microstructural analyses, including characterization of defects, grain structures, and precipitation behavior, were performed on samples in both as-built and T6 heat-treated states. Elevated preheating substantially reduced solidification cracking across a wide processing window, while demonstrating decreased crack sensitivity to laser parameters. Columnar cracks along the build direction were observed despite substrate preheating. Lack-of-fusion and keyhole porosity were effectively eliminated, though gas-induced microporosity persisted at higher powers. In-depth characterization of two distinct laser power and speed conditions confirmed the formation of micron-sized, non-coherent Mg 2 Si precipitates under heated substrate conditions, alongside α-AlFeCrMnSi intermetallic phases indicative of in-situ thermal effects during fabrication. Subsequent T6 heat treatment revealed the formation of fine, coherent needle-shaped β″ strengthening precipitates. Despite substantial differences in processing parameters, comparable mechanical properties were measured in the as-built samples (∼52 MPa yield strength, ∼130 MPa tensile strength), primarily due to reduced strain hardening effects and consistent precipitation characteristics. Meanwhile, the T6 heat treatment led to significant improvement in properties, enhancing yield strength by over 400%, aligning closely with the performance of conventional wrought AA6061-T6. These findings underscore that high-temperature substrate preheating offers an effective means to suppress cracks, control precipitation, and enhance mechanical performance in LPBF-processed AA6061.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

EM-Enhanced HyPOR Loop for Fast Fusion Cycles

Vacuum pumps are the heart of a fusion energy facility – fusion power cannot be generated without them. Nevertheless, the vacuum technology needed to operate a viable fuel cycle for a compact fusion power plant does not exist. Commercial vacuum technology offers the best solution to this challenge, but a pump oil recycling and detritiation system is necessary. Conventional oil detritiation processes have only been developed to deal with legacy waste and are too slow and destructive to the oil. Further, post hoc detritiation strategies are intrinsically inefficient. Our approach is to rethink the challenge holistically by designing the pumping fluid and tritium extraction system in an integrated manner to achieve an innovative solution. By selecting an oil for the specific task of pumping tritium and then designing our catalytic system to selectively target the tritium-bearing functional groups, an effective detritiation system (hydrocarbon pump oil recycling, HyPOR, loop) for fusion power plants can be obtained. The project demonstrated a HyPOR loop process that can selectively remove heavier hydrogen isotopes from pump oil, reaching the target of 99.5 % removal, with an uptake of less than 0.01% of tritium throughput, while also purifying the oil of radiation-induced damage. The recycled oil retained its pumping characteristics over 7 recycles and gamma irradiation over 30 MGy. By meeting these targets, the project enable a reduction in pump operational costs from $\$$14.5M/year to $\$$103k/year (>140× reduction), reducing pump electric power consumption from 2.8 MW to 0.25 MW (>10× reduction), and reducing in-process tritium inventory from 2.03 kg to 0.48 kg (>4× reduction).

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

High entropy alloys as catalysts: A focused review

A brief literature review of recent experimental and computational efforts on the use of high entropy alloys (HEAs) as catalysts is presented, while also sharing some perspectives and future insights. To fully broach the vast compositional possibilities of HEA materials, integrating computational modeling with high-throughput experimental synthesis and validation is necessary to accelerate their design and development. Once identified, specific HEAs can be a class of materials for the next generation of catalysts when addressing global challenges related to energy independence, commodity chemical production, environmental remediation, abating emissions, and modernized domestic supply chain resilience.

42 - ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Numerical simulation for the design of induction heating based radio frequency reactor for ethylene production

Ethylene is a vital petrochemical compound produced in vast amounts yearly by manufacturers that have enough scale to overcome the inherent thermodynamic inefficiencies of the process. In order to address the inefficiencies that prevent smaller scale or intermittent production ethylene, investigation of new production methods are required. In this work, we investigate the use of a radio frequency (RF) based reactor system that generates heat internally as opposed to applying heat externally via steam or direct combustion of fossil fuels. In order to guide the design of an electromagnetic based reactor system, we have created a macroscale model capable of capturing heat generation at the susceptors from a produced electromagnetic field and subsequent chemical reactions. Several susceptor and induction coil designs were investigated to better understand the performance of the system.

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

AmeriFlux CA-RBM Richmond Brackish Marsh

This is the AmeriFlux version of the carbon flux data for the site CA-RBM Richmond Brackish Marsh. Site Description - This site is a tidal brackish marsh on the southern side of the Sturgeon Bank Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. This area is situated within the estuary of the Fraser River. The total area of Sturgeon Bank WMA is 5,152 ha, of which the tidal marsh area is 205 ha. The southern of the WMA is characterized as a brackish marsh, which transitions to a salt marsh as you go north. Human development has influenced this area for almost 200 years. Human activities in this area began in the early 1800s, which included dredging, dyke and entrainment structures, agriculture, and other uses. The areas were designated as WMA in 1998. This area experiences a semidiurnal tidal cycle. The flux tower is located near the southern edge of the marsh, where the dominant species is cattail (Typha latifolia), with a canopy height of 160 cm. The tower is in a high marsh system and was installed to analyze energy, H2O, CO2, and CH4 fluxes on June 1, 2022.

Knox, Sara [The University of British Columbia]↗
DOE OSTI2026

AmeriFlux FLUXNET-1F CA-RBM Richmond Brackish Marsh

This is the AmeriFlux Management Project (AMP) created FLUXNET-1F version of the carbon flux data for the site CA-RBM Richmond Brackish Marsh. This is the FLUXNET version of the carbon flux data for the site CA-RBM Richmond Brackish Marsh produced by applying the standard ONEFlux (1F) software. Site Description - This site is a tidal brackish marsh on the southern side of the Sturgeon Bank Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. This area is situated within the estuary of the Fraser River. The total area of Sturgeon Bank WMA is 5,152 ha, of which the tidal marsh area is 205 ha. The southern of the WMA is characterized as a brackish marsh, which transitions to a salt marsh as you go north. Human development has influenced this area for almost 200 years. Human activities in this area began in the early 1800s, which included dredging, dyke and entrainment structures, agriculture, and other uses. The areas were designated as WMA in 1998. This area experiences a semidiurnal tidal cycle. The flux tower is located near the southern edge of the marsh, where the dominant species is cattail (Typha latifolia), with a canopy height of 160 cm. The tower is in a high marsh system and was installed to analyze energy, H2O, CO2, and CH4 fluxes on June 1, 2022.

Knox, Sara [The University of British Columbia]↗
DOE OSTI2025

AmeriFlux FLUXNET-1F CA-DSM Delta Salt Marsh

This is the AmeriFlux Management Project (AMP) created FLUXNET-1F version of the carbon flux data for the site CA-DSM Delta Salt Marsh. This is the FLUXNET version of the carbon flux data for the site CA-DSM Delta Salt Marsh produced by applying the standard ONEFlux (1F) software. Site Description - This site is a tidal salt marsh on the eastern side of the Boundary Bay Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Delta, British Columbia, Canada. This area is located on the southern front of the Fraser River. The total area of the Boundary Bay WMA is 11,470 ha, and the eastern part surrounding the flux tower accounts for 39 ha. This area is surrounded by farms and dikes. The Provincial Government purchased this area in 1974 limiting public access and designated it as WMA in 1995. This area has a mixed semidiurnal tidal cycle. The dominant species is Saltgrass (Distichlis spicata) with a canopy height of ~40 cm. The tower is in a high marsh system and was installed to analyze energy, H2O, CO2, and CH4 fluxes on September 3, 2021.

Knox, Sara [The University of British Columbia]↗
DOE OSTI2023

AmeriFlux CA-DSM Delta Salt Marsh

This is the AmeriFlux version of the carbon flux data for the site CA-DSM Delta Salt Marsh. Site Description - This site is a tidal salt marsh on the eastern side of the Boundary Bay Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Delta, British Columbia, Canada. This area is located on the southern front of the Fraser River. The total area of the Boundary Bay WMA is 11,470 ha, and the eastern part surrounding the flux tower accounts for 39 ha. This area is surrounded by farms and dikes. The Provincial Government purchased this area in 1974 limiting public access and designated it as WMA in 1995. This area has a mixed semidiurnal tidal cycle. The dominant species is Saltgrass (Distichlis spicata) with a canopy height of ~40 cm. The tower is in a high marsh system and was installed to analyze energy, H2O, CO2, and CH4 fluxes on September 3, 2021.

Knox, Sara↗
DOE OSTI2025

A low-temperature, one-step synthesis for monazite can transform monazite into a readily usable advanced nuclear waste form

It has been demonstrated that monazite-type materials are excellent candidates for nuclear waste forms, and hence, their facile synthesis is of great importance for the needed sequestration of existing nuclear waste. The synthesis of monazite, LaPO 4 , requires inconveniently high temperatures near 1000°C and generally involves the conversion of the presynthesized rhabdophane, LaPO 4 •nH 2 O, to the LaPO 4 monazite phase. During this structure transformation, the rhabdophane converts irreversibly to the thermodynamically stable monoclinic monazite structure. A low-temperature (185° to 260°C) mild hydrothermal acid-promoted synthesis of monazite is described that can both transform presynthesized rhabdophane or assemble reagents to the monoclinic monazite structure. The pH dependence of this reaction is detailed, and its applicability to the LnPO 4 (Ln = La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm-Gd), Ca 0.5 Th 0.5 PO 4 , and Sr 0.5 Th 0.5 PO 4 systems is discussed. The crystal growth of Ca 0.5 Th 0.5 PO 4 and Sr 0.5 Th 0.5 PO 4 is described, and their crystal structures were reported. In situ x-ray diffraction studies, performed as a function of temperature, provide insight into the structure transformation process.

Biogeochemistry↗