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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 235 records · Page 13

Evaluation of Niowave's Proposed Solvent Washing Approach

Niowave, Inc., is a domestic supplier of medical and industrial isotopes from uranium (U) and radium (Ra). The company has recently entered into a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and plans to deploy a superconducting electron accelerator (LINAC) to fission U for molybdenum-99 ( 99 Mo) production without the need for a nuclear reactor or highly enriched uranium (HEU). NNSA provided funding to the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) to support Niowave in this effort. SRNL evaluated the application of the solvent washing process for Niowave.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Toward a high-voltage fast-charging pouch cell with TiO 2 cathode coating and enhanced battery safety

Nickel-rich layered lithium transition metal oxides, LiNi x Co y Mn 1-x-y O 2 , are key cathode materials for high-energy lithium-ion batteries owing to their high specific capacity. However, the commercial deployment of nickel-rich oxides has been hampered by their poor thermostability and insufficient cycle life. In this work full batteries with uncoated and TiO 2 -coated LiNi 0.5 Co 0.2 Mn 0.3 O 2 cathodes and graphite anodes are compared in terms of electrochemical performance and safety behavior. The battery using a TiO 2 -coated LiNi 0.5 Co 0.2 Mn 0.3 O 2 cathode exhibited better cyclic performance at high cutoff voltage. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis indicated that the TiO 2 -coated LiNi 0.5 Co 0.2 Mn 0.3 O 2 cathode gave the battery a more stable charge transfer resistance. Transmission electron microscopy demonstrated that TiO 2 coating reduced accumulation of the cathode electrolyte interface layer on the particle surface. Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry demonstrated that TiO 2 coating markedly enhanced the interface stability of the cathode particle and protected the particle from serious etching by the electrolyte. Accelerating rate calorimetry revealed that the trigger temperature of thermal runaway for the battery using TiO 2 -coated LiNi 0.5 Co 0.2 Mn 0.3 O 2 as cathode material was 257 °C, which was higher than that of the battery with the uncoated LiNi 0.5 Co 0.2 Mn 0.3 O 2 cathode (251 °C). In situ X-ray diffraction during heating demonstrated that this enhanced safety can be attributed to the suppressed phase evolution of the coated cathode material.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Feedstock powder processing research needs for additive manufacturing development

Additive manufacturing (AM) promises to redesign traditional manufacturing by enabling the ultimate in agility for rapid component design changes in commercial products and for fabricating complex integrated parts. Here, by significantly increasing quality and yield of metallic alloy powders, the pace for design, development, and deployment of the most promising AM approaches can be greatly accelerated, resulting in rapid commercialization of these advanced manufacturing methods. By successful completion of a critical suite of processing research tasks that are intended to greatly enhance gas atomized powder quality and the precision and efficiency of powder production, researchers can help promote continued rapid growth of AM. Finally, other powder-based or spray-based advanced manufacturing methods could also benefit from these research outcomes, promoting the next wave of sustainable manufacturing technologies for conventional and advanced materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Pressure-Driven Fiber-Optic Sensor for Online Corrosion Monitoring

For many industrial applications, corrosion is a life-limiting phenomenon and therefore requires careful consideration and rigorous experimental testing before structural materials can be reliably deployed, particularly in harsh chemical environments. The traditional approach to measuring corrosion requires exposing many samples to the intended environment and then extracting them individually at discrete intervals for postexposure characterization. This approach does not provide a high degree of temporal resolution, nor does it provide any real-time information regarding dynamic changes in corrosion rates. Additionally, developing an online corrosion monitor capable of surviving harsh chemical environments could provide valuable information regarding the structural health of components and changing process conditions that could accelerate corrosion. To this end, a corrosion sensor was developed based on a pressure-driven Fabry-Pérot cavity (FPC). This sensor uses a pressure control system to internally pressurize the FPC formed between the sensor’s housing and a metal-embedded singlemode optical fiber. Simultaneous measurement of the change in FPC length using low-coherence interferometry and the applied pressure enables the calculation of the relative changes in the sensor’s diaphragm thickness due to corrosion on its outer surface. Measurements were made in situ while actively corroding the sensor and were validated against surveillance specimens that were corroded simultaneously. The uncertainties in the measured corrosion were analyzed using error propagation of the uncertainties in the measured pressures and displacements and were found to be <1% of the initial diaphragm thickness.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Accelerated Fuel Qualification (AFQ) Workshop I Summary Report

The first AFQ workshop was held on Friday, May 31, 2019, in Washington, DC, with over 30 expert participants from industry (General Atomics, Framatome, Lightbridge, TerraPower, Westinghouse), national labs (ANL, INL, LANL, ORNL), DOE-NE, NRC and academia (University of Florida and University of Tennessee). The overall goal of the workshop was to discuss how modeling and experiments can be simultaneously exploited to markedly reduce the years of data (and associated costs) that are currently required for deployment of new nuclear fuels utilizing the new methodology of Accelerated Fuel Qualification (AFQ). There were nine presentations given during the workshop, which included an overview presentation, five case studies, summary of relevant national lab capabilities and on-going DOE programs, as well as perspective from the NRC.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Effect of Extended Aging and Oxidation on Linear Poly(propylenimine)-Mesoporous Silica Composites for CO 2 Capture from Simulated Air and Flue Gas Streams

Physical aging or degradation of amine-containing polymers and supported amine adsorbents is a critical issue that could limit practical application of such materials for CO 2 capture. However, to date, there is a scarcity of studies that evaluate the long-term stability of amine-based sorbents without the exclusive use of accelerated aging tests. Here, we demonstrate that extended aging (~2 years) of linear poly(propylenimine) (LPPI) confined in mesoporous silica (SBA-15) supports does not drastically impact the CO 2 adsorption performance under simulated flue gas (10% CO 2 ) and direct air capture (DAC, 400 ppm CO 2 ) conditions, although the behavior of the aged sorbents and polymers in the two CO 2 concentration regimes differs. Sorbents made with aged LPPI had modestly decreased CO 2 uptake performance (<~20% lower) compared to the fresh polymers, with overall good CO 2 cycling performance. The data indicate that only slow degradation occurs under the deployed ambient storage conditions. Even after extended aging, the LPPI-based sorbents preserved their ability to display stable temperature-swing cycling performance. In parallel, the impact of blending LPPI polymers of different number-average molecular weights, M n , is evaluated, seeking to understand its impact on adsorbent performance. We find that the results demonstrate that blends of two M n aged LPPI give similar CO 2 adsorption performance to adsorbents made from a single M n LPPI, suggesting that molecular weight will not negatively impact adsorbent performance in the studied M n range. After an accelerated oxidation experiment, the aged LPPI sorbents retained a larger portion of the samples’ original performance when cycling under simulated flue gas conditions than under DAC conditions. However, in each case, the oxidized sorbents could be cycled repeatedly with consistent uptake performance. Overall, these first of their kind extended aging tests suggest that LPPI-based amine adsorbents offer promise for long term, stable use in carbon capture applications.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Additive Manufacturing in the Nuclear Reactor Industry

This article discusses the application of additive manufacturing in the nuclear reactor industry.Additive manufacturing for nuclear applications increased significantly in the late 2010s due to rapid progress in technology, particularly with methods using metals and ceramics.Because these manufacturing technologies are uniquely data-rich, they allow for an advanced understanding of materials, and they offer the potential to predict part performance based on build data. The inherent characteristics of additive manufacturing technologies allow for rapid prototyping and geometric freedom, making it possible to implement an accelerated agile design process for advanced nuclear reactor applications. Predictive high-fidelity multiphysics simulations are crucial to fully leverage this geometric flexibility. Qualification and regulator acceptance ultimately determine the breadth and scope of applications for these technologies. The US Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy Transformational Challenge Reactor program integrates many of these elements to accelerate the deployment of additive manufacturing technologies to industry.

Betzler, Benjamin↗

Controlling Subsurface Fractures and Fluid Flow: A Basic Research Agenda

From beneath the surface of the earth, we currently obtain about 80-percent of the energy our nation consumes each year. In the future we have the potential to generate billions of watts of electrical power from clean, green, geothermal energy sources. Our planet’s subsurface can also serve as a reservoir for storing energy produced from intermittent sources such as wind and solar, and it could provide safe, long-term storage of excess carbon dioxide, energy waste products and other hazardous materials. However, it is impossible to underestimate the complexities of the subsurface world. These complexities challenge our ability to acquire the scientific knowledge needed for the efficient and safe exploitation of its resources. To more effectively harness subsurface resources while mitigating the impacts of developing and using these resources, the U.S. Department of Energy established SubTER – the Subsurface Technology and Engineering RD&D Crosscut team. This DOE multi-office team engaged scientists and engineers from the national laboratories to assess and make recommendations for improving energy-related subsurface engineering. The SubTER team produced a plan with the overall objective of “adaptive control of subsurface fractures and fluid flow.”This plan revolved around four core technological pillars—Intelligent Wellbore Systems that sustain the integrity of the wellbore environment; Subsurface Stress and Induced Seismicity programs that guide and optimize sustainable energy strategies while reducing the risks associated with subsurface injections; Permeability Manipulation studies that improve methods of enhancing, impeding and eliminating fluid flow; and New Subsurface Signals that transform our ability to see into and characterize subsurface systems. The SubTER team developed an extensive R&D plan for advancing technologies within these four core pillars and also identified several areas where new technologies would require additional basic research. In response, the Office of Science, through its Office of Basic Energy Science (BES), convened a roundtable consisting of 15 national lab, university and industry geoscience experts to brainstorm basic research areas that underpin the SubTER goals but are currently underrepresented in the BES research portfolio. Held in Germantown, Maryland on May 22, 2015, the round-table participants developed a basic research agenda that is detailed in this report. Highlights include the following: -A grand challenge calling for advanced imaging of stress and geological processes to help understand how stresses and chemical substances are distributed in the subsurface—knowledge that is critical to all aspects of subsurface engineering; -A priority research direction aimed at achieving control of fluid flow through fractured media; -A priority research direction aimed at better understanding how mechanical and geochemical perturbations to subsurface rock systems are coupled through fluid and mineral interactions; -A priority research direction aimed at studying the structure, permeability, reactivity and other properties of nanoporous rocks, like shale, which have become critical energy materials and exhibit important hallmarks of mesoscale materials; -A cross-cutting theme that would accelerate development of advanced computational methods to describe heterogeneous time-dependent geologic systems that could, among other potential benefits, provide new and vastly improved models of hydraulic fracturing and its environmental impacts; -A cross-cutting theme that would lead to the creation of “geo-architected materials” with controlled repeatable heterogeneity and structure that can be tested under a variety of thermal, hydraulic, chemical and mechanical conditions relevant to subsurface systems; -A cross-cutting theme calling for new laboratory studies on both natural and geo-architected subsurface materials that deploy advanced high-resolution 3D imaging and chemical analysis methods to determine the ;rates and mechanisms of fluid-rock processes, and to test predictive models of such phenomena. Many of the key energy challenges of the future demand a greater understanding of the subsurface world in all of its complexity. This greater under- standing will improve the ability to control and manipulate the subsurface world in ways that will benefit both the economy and the environment. This report provides specific basic research pathways to address some of the most fundamental issues of energy-related subsurface engineering.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

STS-75 Flight Day 1

On this first day of the STS-75 mission, the flight crew, Cmdr. Andrew Allen, Pilot Scott Horowitz, Payload Cmdr. Franklin Chang-Diaz, Payload Specialist Umberto Guidoni (Italy), and Mission Specialists Jeffrey Hoffman, Maurizio Cheli (ESA) and Claude Nicollier (ESA), were shown performing pre-launch and launching activities. This international space mission's primary objective is the deployment of the Tethered Satellite System Reflight (TSS-1R) to a 12 mile length from the shuttle, a variety of experiments, and the satellite retrieval. These experiments include: Research on Orbital Plasma Electrodynamics (ROPE); TSS Deployer Core Equipment and Satellite Core Equipment (DCORE/SCORE); Research on Electrodynamic Tether Effects (RETE); Magnetic Field Experiments for TSS Missions (TEMAG); Shuttle Electrodynamic Tether Systems (SETS); Shuttle Potential and Return Electron Experiment (SPREE); Tether Optical Phenomena Experiment (TOP); and Observations at the Earth's Surface of Electromagnetic Emissions by TSS (OESSE). The mission's secondary objectives were those experiments found in the United States Microgravity Payload-3 (USMP-3), which include: Advanced Automated Directional Solidification Furnace (AADSF); Material pour l'Etude des Phenomenes Interessant la Solidification sur Terre et en Orbite (MEPHISTO); Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS); Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment (OARE); Critical Fluid Scattering Experiment (ZENO); and Isothermal Dendritic Growth Experiment (IDGE).

Source record↗

Overview of Clean Hydrogen Program at NREL

Comprehensive, concerted efforts supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO) are advancing research and development to demonstrate clean hydrogen production and industrial decarbonization pathways. These pathways enable an economically competitive and environmentally beneficial future energy system across sectors and can address specific applications that are difficult to decarbonize. NREL's research accelerates development, integration, and scale up of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies to enable widespread deployment across multiple energy sectors. Our work helps industry overcome technical challenges and supports DOE's H2@Scale vision for clean hydrogen across multiple applications and economic sectors. We also bridge technologies with other research areas across the lab and through multiple DOE and national lab research initiatives, consortia, and collaborations including: the Hydrogen Energy Earthshot, H2@Scale, National Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap, H2NEW: Hydrogen from Next-generation Electrolyzers of Water Consortium, HydroGEN: Advanced Water Splitting Materials Consortium, HyMARC Hydrogen Materials Advanced Research Consortium.

ARIES↗

Solid Amine CO2 Adsorbent Degradation: Insights from Experiments and Atomistic Simulations

Direct air capture (DAC) has received significant attention this decade as a viable solution to limit global warming, although large-scale deployment is currently not economically feasible. To reach the ambitious cost target set by the U.S. of $100/ton CO2 captured and stored, significant improvements must be made to sorbent lifetime and capacity. Aminosilanes grafted onto silica supports are promising candidates for deployment in DAC systems due to their relatively high oxidative stability and low regeneration temperature. Despite myriad advancements in the field, there still exists a fundamental knowledge gap relating sorbent structure to performance. In this work, we grafted various aminosilanes onto the highly porous silica SBA-15 and characterized both oxidative stability and CO2 capacity. Material properties systematically investigated included amine moiety (primary vs. secondary), silane group structure, number of linkages to the silica support, and co-addition of impregnated amines (e.g., PEI), among others. A fixed bed system was used to execute accelerated degradation studies in the presence of humidity and varying temperatures to simulate realistic operating conditions. Atomistic simulations were combined with the experimental results to gain mechanistic insight, ultimately informing the design of next-generation materials

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Review of the U.S. Policies, Codes, and Standards of Zero-Carbon Buildings

The global issue of climate change has accelerated the international commitment to net-zero carbon emission development. Decarbonizing the building sector has been put on several governments’ sustainable development agendas. To provide a reference for decarbonizing the building sector, this paper summarizes the U.S. experience in zero-carbon buildings (ZCBs) from the aspects of policies, codes, and standards at the federal and local levels and those of professional societies. Based on the definition and boundaries of ZCBs, this paper introduces policies on building energy efficiency, electrification, on-site renewable energy deployment, and “buy clean”, illustrating highlights in building phases, energy systems, materials production, and fiscal incentives. The synergic efforts and coordination between federal and local levels and with professional societies are also introduced. Successful experiences in policy and standard implementation are summarized, including the systemic work of multilevel governance, clearly defined goals and stringent policies, constant upgrades of codes and standards, transparency in reporting and information sharing, and increased financial and investment opportunities. This paper provides concrete recommendations for developing zero-carbon building policies.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Cadmium Telluride Photovoltaics Accelerator Consortium Solicitation: Request for Proposals Information

Cadmium telluride photovoltaics (CdTe PV) is a leading PV technology built on U.S. innovations that currently holds significant market share within domestic utility scale PV systems. In order to keep pace with a highly competitive and innovative global PV module market, CdTe manufacturing needs readily adaptable advances at the cell and module levels that simultaneously enable higher conversion efficiencies and manufacturing cost reductions without risking long-term module durability. In pursuit of this goal, the Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) has asked the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to launch and support a Consortium to accelerate domestic CdTe technology development through a competitive solicitation process. NREL will competitively select a CdTe Consortium with the goals of enhancing U.S. competitiveness and expanding domestic CdTe PV material and module production through 2030. NREL will provide coordination and oversight through development of technical scopes, review of technical proposals, subcontract support, and review of deliverables along with research support to the Consortium. The new Consortium is expected to include major U.S. companies and universities that possess strong technology development, transfer, and validation capabilities. The research and analysis output of the CdTe Consortium will inform purchasing, design, deployment, and operations decisions of companies in the domestic CdTe PV supply chain, leading to increased material and module production in the U.S.

41 EE - Solar Energy Technologies Office (EE-4S)↗

Development of Manufacturing Technology to Accelerate Cost Reduction of Low Concentration and

The purpose of this project was to accelerate deployment of cost-effective US-based manufacturing of Solaria’s unique c-Si module technology. This effort successfully resulted in the development of US-based manufacturing technology to support two highly-differentiated, market leading product platforms. The project was initially predicated on developing Solaria’s low-concentration PV (LCPV) module technology which at the time of the award was uniquely positioned to exceed the SunShot price goal of $0.50/Wp for standard c-Si modules. The Solaria LCPV module is a 2.5x concentrator that leverages proven, high-reliability PV module materials and low silicon cell usage into a technology package that already had the lowest direct material cost and leading Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE). With over 25 MW commercially deployed globally, the Solaria module was well positioned to continue to lead in PV module cost reduction. Throughout the term of the contract, market conditions changed dramatically and so to did Solaria’s product offerings to support this. However, the manufacturing technology developed for the LCPV module was successfully leveraged and optimized to support two new and different product platforms. BIPV “PowerVision” and High-efficiency “PowerXT” modules. The primary barrier to enabling high-volume PV module manufacturing in the US is the high manual labor component in certain unique aspects of our manufacturing process. The funding was used to develop unique manufacturing automation which makes the manual labor components of these key processes more efficient and increase throughput. At the core of Solaria’s product offerings are its unique and proprietary techniques for dicing and re-arranging solar cells into modules with highly-differentiated characteristics that address key gaps in the c-Si market. It is these techniques that were successfully evolved and deployed into US-based manufacturing site with SunShot funding. Today, Solaria is currently positioned to become the market leader with these two technologies over the coming 24 months largely due to the successful innovations of the underlying manufacturing technology. This success will leverage US-based manufacturing technology and the associated US-jobs to support. Solaria views the project as highly successful and a great example of SunShot funding enabling the creating of US jobs and the deployment of ubiquitous solar energy products.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Commercial integration of advanced nuclear energy with Artificial Intelligence (AI): Possible implications

The integration of advanced nuclear technologies (both fission and fusion) with artificial intelligence (AI) presents unprecedented national security challenges and opportunities. As fusion energy approaches commercial viability alongside advanced Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), their integration with AI and Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) systems could fundamentally transform the global energy and AI landscapes — two pillars of national security. This document briefly examines how AI could accelerate nuclear energy development and deployment while altering existing power structures, a lot could be done to deepen the discussions. Simultaneously, it observes how nuclear-powered AI may expedite advances toward AGI and beyond. These issues are deeply interconnected and thus need to be examined as a whole and more comprehensively than what’s being summarized here. For instance, AI-powered autonomous operation of nuclear facilities could reduce human error but introduce new cybersecurity vulnerabilities and uncertainties. Further investigation would also address how AI-enhanced nuclear technologies might complicate proliferation concerns through advanced fuel cycle management, nuclear materials production and safeguard. The strategic advantage gained by first entities achieving successful AI-nuclear integration could reshape global and national security framework. Timely analysis of these implications may be crucial for policymakers seeking to harness these technologies' benefits while effectively mitigating their potential risks.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Overview of the ultrasonic instrumentation research in the MYRRHA project

The Belgian Nuclear Research Centre SCK.CEN is in the process of developing MYRRHA, a new generation IV fast flux research reactor to replace the aging BR2. MYRRHA is conceptualized as an accelerator driven system cooled with lead bismuth eutectic mixture (LBE). As LBE is opaque to visual light, ultrasonic measurement techniques are employed as the main technology to provide feedback where needed. This paper we will give an overview of the R and D at SCK.CEN with respect to ultrasonic instrumentation in heavy liquid metals. High temperature ultrasonic transducers are deployed into the reactor to generate and receive the required ultrasonic signals. The ultrasonic waves are generated and sensed by means of a piezo-electric disc at the heart of the transducer. The acoustic properties of commonly used piezo-electric materials match rather well with the acoustic properties of heavy liquid metals, simplifying the design and construction of high bandwidth ultrasonic transducers for use in heavy liquid metals. The ultrasonic transducers will operate in a liquid metal environment, where radiation and high temperature limit the choice of materials for construction. Moreover, the high surface tension of the liquid metal hinders proper wetting of the transducer, required for optimal transmission and reception of the ultrasonic waves. In a first part of the paper, we will discuss the effect of these parameters on the performance of the overall ultrasonic system. In the second part of the paper, past, present and future ultrasonic experiments in LBE will be reviewed. We will show the results of an experiment where a transducer is scanned near the free surface of an LBE pool to render ultrasonic images of objects submerged in the heavy liquid metal. Additionally, the preliminary results of an ongoing experiment that measures the evolution of LBE wetting on different types of metals and various surface conditions will be reported. The evolution of wetting is an important parameter to assess the performance of ultrasonic systems that are submerged in LBE over longer time periods. In the last part we will briefly present the overall design of the two main ultrasonic systems that will be deployed in MYRRHA: the ultrasonic fuel identification system and the ultrasonic lost fuel localization system. (authors)

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Promoting the Regulatory Acceptance of Combined Ion and Neutron Irradiation for Material Degradation in Nuclear Reactors

The Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies (AMMT) program within the Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy has developed its current recommendation for promoting the use of combined ion and neutron irradiation data for the accelerated qualification of nuclear reactor materials. This plan is intended to provide a collaborative path forward that can be adopted by academia, national laboratories, and industry, and has been developed with input from the regulatory research arm of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). In the context of nuclear energy, the U.S. Department of Energy is responsible for nuclear energy-related research and development and promotion of nuclear technologies, while the NRC is an independent regulatory agency responsible for the safety of the civilian use of nuclear technologies. These two agencies thus have distinct but interconnected roles regarding the development and deployment of nuclear technologies. As the needs for the nuclear energy industry continue to evolve in the 21st century, it is critical to set the pace for timely industry adoption of new technological solutions that also can be accepted by regulatory agencies. New ways of collecting and utilizing data for regulatory purposes have become a necessity.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗