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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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851 records · Page 12
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

Advanced-Research-on-Integrated-Energy-Systems-Based Analysis to Support Resilient System Upgrades: Energy to Communities Energyshed In-Depth Partnership with Molokai, Hawaii

The Molokai, Hawaii, Energy to Communities (E2C) Energyshed project represents a collaborative effort between the National Laboratory of the Rockies, Shake Energy Collaborative, the Molokai Clean Energy Hui, Sustainable Molokai, and Ho'ahu Energy Cooperative Molokai to advance Molokai's Community Energy Resilience Action Plan (CERAP). Supported by Hawaiian Electric Company and the Hawaii State Energy Office, the initiative aims to develop a community-defined portfolio of renewable energy solutions that enhance energy resilience while aligning with the Hawaiian Electric Integrated Grid Plan (IGP) and Molokai's energy goals. Phase 1 focused on technical analyses and community engagement to co-design feasible energy scenarios. Challenges such as grid upgrades, storage sizing, and inverter ride-through standards were addressed to align technical and operational requirements with community preferences. The project equips Molokai with actionable data and insights to implement energy initiatives while ensuring resilient and culturally informed solutions. Future efforts aim to finalize project designs, secure interconnection agreements, and deploy energy projects that reflect community priorities and technical feasibility.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2025

Keldysh tuning of photoluminescence in a lead halide perovskite crystal

In 1964, Keldysh laid the groundwork for strong-field physics in atomic, molecular, and solid-state systems by delineating a ubiquitous transition from multiphoton absorption to quantum electron tunneling under intense AC driving forces. While both processes in semiconductors can generate carriers and result in photon emission through electron-hole recombination, the low quantum yields in most materials have hindered direct observation of the Keldysh crossover. Leveraging the large quantum yields of photoluminescence in lead halide perovskites, we show that we can not only induce bright light emission from extreme sub-bandgap light excitation but also distinguish between photon-induced and electric-field-induced processes. Our results are rationalized by the Landau-Dykhne formalism, providing insights into the non-equilibrium dynamics of strong-field light-matter interactions. These findings open new avenues for light upconversion and sub-bandgap photon detection, highlighting the potential of lead halide perovskites in advanced optoelectronic applications.

FOS: Physical sciences↗
DOE OSTI2025

Energy 101 - Wind [Slides]

The Energy 101: Wind presentation, developed for the Energy Technology Innovation Partnership Project (ETIPP), provides an overview of wind energy. It covers fundamental concepts, technologies, considerations, case studies, and additional resources.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Commercial and Industrial Energy Procurement in Nigeria: A Consumer's Guidebook

Across Africa, countries have incorporated a variety of new energy sources into their energy mix to account for increasing demand. In Nigeria, electricity consumption per capita has grown nearly 50% in the past 20 years. To address rising demand for energy in Nigeria, the country has passed several recent policies and regulations aimed at increasing energy generation across the country, improving the country's transmission infrastructure, and ensuring that electricity reliably reaches end users, including commercial and industrial (C&I) customers. This guidebook is designed for C&I customers in Nigeria to use in the consideration of procuring such onsite, captive energy systems to supplement their energy needs. Each section of this guidebook touches on a step of the procurement process and details the relevant stakeholders, processes, and data needed to make decisions during that step.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Synthesis and application of thermally responsive nanofiber coatings for overtemperature monitoring

This study presents a one-pot synthesis route to organometallic nanofibers based on copper thiolate, exhibiting distinctive chemical and physical characteristics. Electron microscopy analysis of morphology and composition revealed 2-10 μm-long, 50-90 nm-diameter hollow and non-hollow fibers composed of copper, sulfur, oxygen, hydrocarbon, and chlorine. Thermogravimetric analysis showed a pronounced mass loss within 120°C-135°C. To elucidate the thermal responsive pathways, the nanofibers were characterized before and after heating. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicates that an initially mixed Cu(I)/Cu(II) oxidation states transition to predominantly Cu(I) upon heating. A layer of nanofiber was coated on battery pouch foil and evaluated as a candidate thermally sensitive coating. At elevated temperature (100-130°C), nanofiber coating released volatile organic compounds, sulfide and sulfur dioxide as detected using multiple gas sensors. This thermally responsive gas release/sensing approach provides a potential large-area temperature monitoring strategy, which is particularly relevant where direct temperature measurements of individual batteries is impractical. The results established proof of concept for nanofiber-coated battery pouch foil as overtemperature warning platform that can provide alerts when surface temperatures exceed a critical threshold. More broadly, the ability to form interconnected fiber networks positions copper thiolate nanofiber coatings as promising materials for advanced applications.

Ihala Gamaralalage, Chanaka [ORNL] (ORCID:00000002↗
DOE OSTI2008

Vehicle Technologies Program: Energy Storage R&D (2008 Annual Progress Report)

One of the primary objectives of the Energy Storage effort is the development of durable and affordable advanced batteries (and ultracapacitors) for use in a full range of vehicle applications, from start/stop to full-power HEVs, EVs, and PHEVs. The battery technology development activity spans three areas: system development of full battery systems; benchmark testing of emerging technologies in order to remain abreast of the latest industry developments; and Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) to fund early-stage R&D for small businesses/entrepreneurs.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Research and Development on Advanced Electrochemical Energy Storage Devices Enabling a Spectrum of Electrified Vehicles

The USABC Advanced Battery development plan had the following three focus areas: 1. Existing technology validation, implementation, and cost reduction 2. Identification of the next viable technology with emphasis on the potential to meet USABC cost and energy density goals. 3. Support high-risk, high-reward battery technology R&D The primary aim of this project was focused on the barriers that most impede wider public adoption of electrification in vehicles-cost, energy density, low-temp performance, calendar life, and improvements in abuse tolerance. The specific objectives are as follows: Cost Reduction: drive to significantly reduce battery cost to be in-line with the $\$$100/kWh or less (by the end of calendar year 2020) DOE cost goals. Additionally, goals of $\$$75/KWh were set for 2023 aligned with fast charge and some offset of energy density. Energy Density Increase: focus on improving the cell-level specific energy and energy densities to >350 watt hours per kilogram (Wh/kg) and >750Wh/L. Low Temperature Performance Increase: strive toward developments that improve the discharge power and eliminate or dramatically reduce the life limiting lithium plating associated with regenerative braking at low temperatures, during the program. Calendar Life Increase: drive to achieve a 15-year calendar life. Abuse Tolerance Improvement: strive to develop improvements in Li-ion abuse tolerance and/or development of electrochemical energy storage technologies with inherently better response to abuse circumstances. Emerging Areas: initiate new programs that address emerging technologies that arise during the contract period.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Physics basis for the reference flat-top plasma scenario in the ST–E1 fusion power plant

As part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Milestone-Based Fusion Energy Development Program, Tokamak Energy has completed the pre-concept design of the ST–E1 fusion power plant. ST–E1 is envisaged to operate in two phases: a pilot plant phase, targeting sustained net power production of 300 - 500 MWe for a duration >1 hr, followed by a commercial power plant phase targeting steady-state operations and a normalised overnight capital cost of ⩽12 000 $\$$/kWe. The design process adopted was highly iterative, integrating all major plant systems and progressing in a phased fidelity approach. At the pre-conceptual stage, the emphasis has been on exploring the design space, identifying the main system-level trade-offs, and making the key decisions that define the overall plant concept, rather than optimising a single operating point. This paper, part of a focused collection detailing the ST–E1 pre-concept design, addresses the development of a series of reference flat-top plasma operating points for the pilot plant phase. A modelling workflow was established to develop and assess candidate plasma design points and explore key dependencies. The workflow includes integrated core plasma modelling, magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) stability assessment, equilibrium generation, scrape-off-layer and exhaust modelling, heating & current drive design and optimisation, and turbulent transport modelling. Using this framework, the impact of several key parameters on the flat-top operating space was investigated, including the density limit, core radiation fraction and divertor power loading, level of external heating and curent drive power and assumed pedestal characteristics. The MHD stability, controllability and micro-stability characteristics of these plasmas were also analysed. These investigations informed the definition of a set of fully non-inductive, flat-top reference operating points that satisfy the high-level ST–E1 mission, including a low and high density case, a case that is stable to resistive wall modes and a case with reduced divertor power loading.

ST–E1↗
DOE OSTI2026

Fracture Analysis of Cohesive Zone Models for Modeling Residual Stress Induced Delamination in Composite Structures

A fracture study of coupon-scale composite cylinders with embedded defects was conducted with an objective to assess and validate a modeling approach using two available cohesive material models. The study included experimental and simulation evaluations of initiation of crack growth and progression. Interrupted thermal experiments used acoustic emissions monitoring to identify the onset of crack progression during each cooling interval and ultrasonic scanning provided images of defect growth. Verification, validation, and uncertainty quantification (VVUQ) processes were performed in the assessment of the simulation predicted temperature at which crack propagation begins (quantity of interest). The Sobol sensitivity analysis identified the hoop direction elastic modulus in the carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) plies as the most influential parameter for simulations using both cohesive models, accounting for at least 70% of the variation in the temperature at crack propagation. The UQ temperature range for the Tvergaard-Hutchinson model was higher (more conservative) than the experimental acoustic measurement indicators of crack progression, while the temperature range for the Thouless-Parmigiani model enveloped the experimental data points for the primary defect size of 0.75 x 1 in. The simulations could not capture the stable crack growth indicated in the experiments. This is likely due to the models’ inability to represent anisotropic fracture toughness attributed to the structure of the orthotropic fiber weave in a woven composite laminate.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Bi‐Continuous W‐Rich Refractory High Entropy Alloy‐Cu Composite: Toward Material Innovation of Nuclear Reactor Coolant System

Abstract Refractory high‐entropy alloys (RHEAs) are considered promising candidate materials for next‐generation nuclear reactors due to their superior mechanical strength, irradiation resistance, and thermal stability at high temperatures. However, the significant positive heat of mixing between refractory alloying elements and Cu, commonly used in cooling systems, poses challenges in forming composite structures. This study addresses the issue using a liquid metal dealloying (LMD) process. A precursor alloy (WTaVTi) with a directional dendrite‐interdendrite structure is fabricated and reacted with molten Cu at 1200 °C for 96 h. This approach produced a RHEA‐Cu composite with a stable interface between RHEA (W 31.5 Ta 30.9 V 21.4 Ti 14.3 ) and Cu, featuring a spontaneously formed W‐rich interlayer that enhances interfacial bonding. The composite showed excellent irradiation resistance, with 30% less swelling under α‐ion irradiation than pure W. It also exhibited low thermal conductivity at room temperature, but reached ≈120 W m −1 ·K −1 at ≈650 °C, surpassing pure W. This temperature‐dependent rise in κ, with a positive gradient of +0.075 W m −1 ·K − 2 , is attributed to decreasing diffuse mismatch at elevated temperatures. The large‐scale reaction and stable microstructure achieved through LMD process highlight its industrial potential. This work offers a strategy for developing high‐performance materials by combining RHEA's radiation resistance with Cu's thermal conductivity for extreme environments.

Chemistry↗
DOE OSTI2026

Insights into elevated temperature tensile deformation mechanisms and kink banding in additively manufactured tungsten

Additive manufacturing (AM) potentially enables fabrication and repair of plasma facing components (PFCs) of tungsten. However, deformation mechanisms in AM-fabricated tungsten under service-relevant thermomechanical conditions remain unknown majorly due to challenges in achieving crack-free W. This study reveals the deformation mechanisms operative under tension at 800 °C and 1200 °C in the electron beam melting powder bed fusion (EBM-PBF) fabricated W. Textured columnar grains with mixed <001 >/<111 >|| build-direction were observed. Strong anisotropy in tensile properties persisted across test temperatures, and all specimens exhibited extensive deformation-induced banding phenomena. Grain boundary character analysis of the deformed specimens indicated that these deformation bands were kink bands with tilt grain boundaries prominently present at the band-matrix interface. Interestingly, the material within the kink bands rotated toward higher resolved shear stress, providing insights into the origins of kink band formation in body-centered cubic refractory metals. Intragranular misorientation axis analysis revealed that plasticity was dominated by {110} <111 > slip at 800 °C, whereas additional (213)[11⁢̄1] and (112)[11⁢̄1] slip systems activated at 1200 °C. A dense low-angle boundary networks observed near fractured surface indicated the onset of dynamic recrystallization. Results reveal plasticity governing mechanisms in AM-fabricated W under power plant-relevant conditions, and provide insights into kink band attributes in refractory metals.

Mayes, Riley [ORNL] (ORCID:000900089307010X)↗
DOE OSTI2025

Investigating the Combustion Performance of Dual Fuel Combustion with Diesel and Port Injected Hydrogen in a Large Bore Locomotive Engine

The heavy-duty transportation sector has primarily relied on conventional diesel combustion engines given their reliability and high thermal efficiency relative to spark ignition engines, but increased focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions has led to investigation into alternative fuels. Gaseous hydrogen fuel has garnered a great deal of recent interest in the engine community given it has zero carbon, but hydrogen is not available at the scale and cost that petroleum fuels are currently available, and this is a barrier to adoption for industries that are looking to decarbonize their operations. Because of the fuel flexibility provided, dual fuel technology offers a pathway for some industries to adopt hydrogen as a fuel source while maintaining sufficient flexibility in times and locations where the new fuel is not yet available. This computational study investigates dual fuel combustion in a large bore locomotive engine architecture using direct injected diesel and port injected gaseous hydrogen fuel. With an optimal port fuel injection configuration from previous work, simulations of varying substitution ratio, compression ratio, manifold air temperature, diesel injection timing, and diesel injection pressure were performed to understand their effect on combustion performance. Results indicated that both increased substitution ratio and higher intake air temperature accelerates hydrogen flame propagation and can result in high peak cylinder pressures. Additionally, diesel injection timing and injection pressure were demonstrated as effective methods for controlling dual fuel combustion heat release rates.

ODonnell, Patrick Christopher↗