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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
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Exploring the Use of Large Immersive Display Systems in the Nuclear Industry

Large immersive display systems play a critical role in the nuclear industry by enabling advanced training, design reviews, scientific visualization, and safety simulations. These systems, such as CAVE and powerwalls, allow engineers and operators to interact with virtual nuclear environments in real-time, providing a deeper understanding of complex systems. Their ability to simulate real-world scenarios for testing and optimization in a safe, controlled environment ensures that operators and engineers can refine process, enhance safety protocols, and troubleshoot complex challenges. This article outlines key lessons learned from deploying these systems, practical insights into their applications, and considerations for future improvements, aiming to guide their broader adoption and effective use in the nuclear industry.

99 - GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Process Systems Engineering-Informed Design and Scale-Up of Multi-stage Diafiltration Cascades for Lithium and Cobalt Recovery from Spent Lithium-Ion Batteries

These slides present work jointly completed by Tasks in PrOMMiS. The first half of the presentation motivates the importance of critical materials for national security and how the recovery of critical minerals via membrane separations can be more cost effective than currently used technology. The second half of the presentation presents cost-optimal results for the custom cost model for diafiltration using the superstructure flowsheet developed by CMU. These results highlight how PSE can inform process targets (i.e., product purity targets) and suitable design strategies for scaled-up membrane cascades.

critical materials↗
DOE OSTI2025

Retrobiosynthesis of unnatural lactams via reprogrammed polyketide synthase

Engineered polyketide synthases (PKSs) have great potential as biocatalysts. These unnatural enzymes are capable of synthesizing molecules that are either not amenable to biosynthesis or are extremely challenging to access chemically. PKSs can thus be a powerful platform to expand the chemical landscape beyond the limits of conventional metabolic engineering. Here we employ a retrobiosynthesis approach to design and construct PKSs to produce δ-valerolactam (VL) and three enantiopure α-substituted VL analogues that have no known biosynthetic route. We introduce the engineered PKSs and pathways for various malonyl-CoA derivatives into Pseudomonas putida and use proteomics, metabolomics and culture condition optimization to improve the production of our target compounds. These α-substituted VLs are polymerized into polyamides (nylon-5) or converted into their N-acryloyl derivatives. RAFT polymerization produces bio-derived polymers with potential biomedical applications. Overall, this interdisciplinary effort highlights the versatility and effectiveness of a PKS-based retrobiosynthesis approach in exploring and developing innovative biomaterials.

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

High Throughput Genome Releaser

In this study, we present the development of a High Throughput Genome Releaser, an innovative device addressing common challenges in screening PCR. This genome DNA releaser is designed for rapid, cost-effective, and efficient DNA extraction, optimized for subsequent PCR reactions. Our experimentation with various synthetic materials led us to select a particular type of plastic that mirrors the properties of glass cover slides, providing a smooth surface and effective compression capabilities. We engineered a 96-well device equipped with a 96-well plate and a top rod, operable both manually and automatically, which is compatible with widely used liquid-handling robot decks. This compatibility enhances ease of use in high-throughput PCR setups. Additionally, we developed software to support its automatic functions. The genome releaser facilitates the extraction of PCR-amplifiable genomic DNA from 96 samples within minutes, eliminates the need for extraction buffers, and is adaptable to a wide range of microorganisms and cells. This versatility could significantly advance biomanufacturing processes.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Robust Oxygen‐Vacancy‐Engineered Co(OH) 2 /Cu Heterostructures Boost Nitrate Electroreduction to Ammonia beyond 2 A cm −2

Electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction (NO 3 RR) presents a sustainable paradigm for green NH 3 synthesis and NO 3 − wastewater valorization. However, overcoming sluggish NO 3 RR kinetics under industrial-current operation persists as a critical challenge. Herein, robust oxygen vacancy-enriched heterostructures (O v -Co(OH) 2 /Cu) are engineered through in situ electrochemical reconstruction. By coupling Cu-mediated NO 3 − -to-NO 2 − conversion with O v -Co(OH) 2 -accelerated NO 2 − -to-NH 3 transformation, this heterostructured system delivers an unprecedented NH 3 yield rate of 167.8 mg h −1 cm −2 and 97.7% Faradaic efficiency at >2 A cm −2 , while maintaining exceptional current tolerance over 25 h. Operando spectroscopic characterizations and theoretical calculations reveal that the introduction of O v in Co(OH) 2 synergistically accelerates water dissociation to ensure continuous hydrogen supply and optimizes *NOOH adsorption, reducing the energy barrier for the rate-limiting step (*NO 2 to *NOOH). To demonstrate practical viability, a membrane-electrode-assembly electrolyzer integrating NO 3 RR with glycerol oxidation reaction achieves highly effective co-production of NH 3 and formate alongside wastewater treatment. In conclusion, this work offers new insights into the rational design of electrocatalysts through in situ reconstruction-induced vacancy engineering for scalable and practical NO 3 RR applications.

ammonia synthesis↗
DOE OSTI2025

MiniMOD

SAND2025-03854O MiniMod is a user-friendly software tool designed to assess the performance of high-performance computing (HPC) systems. Researchers can use the program to test communication methods and computational tasks to understand how different setups can affect application efficiency. This software is particularly useful for optimizing network performance in scientific research, simulations, and data analysis. MiniMod‘s flexible design allows users to make informed decisions about their computing environments, which can enhance productivity and results in real-world applications. Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-NA0003525.

Dosanjh, Matthew [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), L↗
DOE OSTI2026

Carbon dioxide pipeline network transportation cost model: evaluating economic and geographic factors for efficient carbon capture, storage, and utilization

This study presents a comprehensive pipeline network modeling framework to estimate the CO 2 delivery cost for CO 2 utilization and geologic CO 2 storage across the United States. We developed a Python-based CO 2 pipeline transportation cost model leveraging Argonne National Laboratory’s pipeline engineering expertise and detailed natural gas transmission pipeline cost data across U.S. regions. Using existing road corridors as practical routing guides, the model designs pipeline networks that aggregate CO 2 from one or multiple sources and deliver it to selected destinations. It then minimizes the total transportation cost by optimizing pipeline diameters and incorporating booster pumps. A key contribution is the incorporation of up-to-date, region-specific cost factors with itemized components for materials, labor, miscellaneous construction expenses, and right-of-way acquisition. Results emphasize that regional variation and economies of scale associated with CO 2 pipeline costs are significant and should be explicitly accounted for in screening and planning studies. By combining realistic routing constraints with regionalized cost inputs, the model provides transparent design methodology and location-specific insights into source–destination delivery costs, including the effects of routing complexity along existing road networks. We demonstrate the model with two illustrative case studies – one for CO 2 storage and one for CO 2 utilization – in which the model designs pipeline networks spanning hundreds of miles across the states, collecting CO 2 from multiple sources and delivering it to designated endpoints while minimizing levelized cost of delivery via diameter and compression optimization. The model offers a practical, scalable approach for alternative design option screening and early-stage CO 2 transportation planning.

CCS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Mechanical characterization of Bi-2212 composite winding pack samples for high-field superconducting magnet design

Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O8−x (Bi-2212) multi-filament round wire is a high-temperature superconductor (HTS) capable of carrying high transport currents, which makes it suitable for high-field magnet applications. However, its weak Ag–Mg sheath leaves it vulnerable to mechanical stress, posing challenges for high-field magnet design. To better understand and improve mechanical stress management in Bi-2212 winding packs, we conducted an experimental study evaluating the axial stress–strain behavior of five winding pack configurations with varying insulation materials, reinforcement strategies, and construction quality. Using uniaxial tensile testing at 77 K, we measured Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio for each composition. Our results show that pure alumina braid insulation and co-wind reinforcements significantly enhance stiffness compared to aluminosilicate braids, with more than 2.5 times increased winding pack Young’s modulus. Rule of mixtures analysis further quantified the contribution of non-wire composite components to overall stiffness. These findings highlight the critical role of insulation material selection and reinforcement design in optimizing Bi-2212 coil performance under stress, providing a foundation for improved mechanical models and more reliable high-field HTS magnet designs.

Bi-2212 magnet↗
DOE OSTI2026

SPAROW: Stochastic Programming and Related Optimization Workflows

SAND2026-16703O SPAROW: Stochastic Programming and Related Optimization Workflows is a Python library tool that facilitates the development and solution of stochastic programming problems. It provides a user-friendly class structure for defining stochastic programs through scenario-based representations of uncertainties. SPAROW incorporates multiple optimization strategies, including integer programming with all scenarios, progressive hedging, Benders decomposition, and Snoglode, a novel technique developed by Carnegie Mellon University. It also features interfaces to external solvers and functions that are commonly used in analysis workflows, making it applicable to a wide range of scientific and engineering design challenges, particularly in power grid planning. Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-NA0003525.

Hart, William [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albu↗
DOE OSTI2026

Scalable foundation models for numerical simulations on HPC platforms

In recent years, foundation models (FMs) have begun to reshape numerical simulations on high-performance computing (HPC) platforms. These large, pre-trained AI models enable rapid predictions across a broad range of physical domains, including Earth system modeling, fluid dynamics, materials science, as well as complex multi-modal simulations in aerospace engineering and fusion research. By training on diverse datasets, FMs learn intricate relationships and underlying physical behavior while also enabling the quantification of uncertainty in their predictions. This capability allows simulations that once required days of numerical calculation to be completed in minutes (FM inference), supporting real-time design optimization, uncertainty-aware decision making, and more comprehensive exploration of complex scenarios.

AI↗
DOE OSTI2024

Description of FY25 Theory and Simulation Performance Target: Development of an integrated modeling framework for fusion reactor design and assessment

The urgency to deliver fusion power is growing now more than ever, with increasing pressure for both public programs and private companies to meet milestones timelines and overcome significant remaining technical challenges to ensure growth of a nascent fusion industry in time to meet rapidly growing clean energy demands. With incredible advancements in computation and years of investment in fusion model development and validation, integrated modeling is poised to fill a key role in accelerating the timeline to a fusion pilot plant (FPP). Future fusion pilot plants will operate in regimes far beyond current experience, and device design will rely on physics-based prediction and extrapolation. Many concepts will also rely on simulation to assess safety (shielding, tritium management, materials activation and lifetimes), economics and scalability before the decision to build. Importantly, integrated simulation can be used to reveal and solve the complexities of system integration that may otherwise not be apparent in physical components or models developed in isolation. New experimental test facilities that produce relevant conditions to validate and resolve key technical challenges for various subsystems (materials, blankets, fuel cycle, etc.) have been repeatedly called for by the fusion community but are not yet realized. Integrated modeling has an important role in identifying realistic load conditions (thermal, electromagnetic, plasma, neutron and photon loads, etc.) and defining the components and experiments for these test facilities in order to ensure meaningful validation that sufficiently reduces modeling uncertainties and technical risk for the full integrated reactor. The Fusion REactor Design and Assessment (FREDA) SciDAC project is building a component-based integrated modeling framework & data structure to enable self-consistent, multi-fidelity, iterative optimization workflows for the fusion reactor design process. FREDA aims to shorten the time to viable designs by providing a set of flexible workflows to support the various stages of the design process using an integrated model hierarchy, ranging from the simple analytic descriptions to the highest fidelity, theory-based plasma and engineering modeling developed by the fusion and fission communities. These tools are expected to be needed for timely support of FPP design in the milestone program and in the FIRE collaboratives. The plasma simulation backbone of FREDA is IPS-FASTRAN with newly developed coupled Core-Edge Pedestal-SOL (CESOL) workflows, which is being extended to the far-SOL region up to the plasma facing components. FREDA incorporates the FERMI engineering modeling suite and will enable self-consistent evaluation of the thermal shields, limiters, blanket, magnets, and other surrounding structures with predictions of temperatures, erosion, dpa, activation, tritium generation and transport, creep, corrosion, material degradation, etc. Parametric generation of 3D CAD enables rapid iteration of component geometry in response to plasma and loading specifications.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Helium recovery system at IB3A

The growing demand for sustainable cryogenic operations at Fermilab has underscored the need to improve helium management, particularly at the Industrial Building 3A (IB3A) test facility. IB3A characterizes and tests superconductors, cables, and coils for projects such as the HL-LHC AUP and Mu2e, yet currently relies on 500 L Dewars whose boil-off is vented to atmosphere, wasting a critical, non-renewable resource and increasing the cost of testing. A project is therefore under way to link IB3A to an existing purification and liquefaction station in a neighboring building through a dedicated pipeline. Captured helium will be transferred, purified, reliquefied, and returned for reuse, cutting losses and operating costs. This paper details the first two project phases: "Design and Engineering" and "Procurement and Installation." The design phase finalizes pipeline specifications, establishes flow-control requirements, and resolves integration challenges with existing cryogenic infrastructure. The procurement and installation phase covers material sourcing, pipeline construction, and deployment of control and monitoring systems to assure reliable, efficient operation. Key technical hurdles-route optimization, pressure drop mitigation, and interface compatibility-are discussed alongside implemented solutions. Implementing the pipeline and upgrading IB3A will dramatically reduce helium consumption and therefore testing cost, strengthening Fermilab's capacity to support frontier science far into the future.

Porwisiak, D. [Fermilab; Wroclaw Tech. U.]↗
DOE OSTI2025

Design of Novel Hot Gas Component for Gas Turbine Engines Enabled by Materials and Additive Manufacturing Process Development

This CRADA project was the result of a project award under FOA-DOE-0001980. The overarching FOA project team consisted of researchers from Carpenter Technology Corporation (CTC), Solar Turbines Incorporated (Solar), Pennsylvania State University (PSU), University of California-Santa Barbara (UCSB), and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Evaluations were conducted on two high-γ’ superalloys that were designed by CTC and the UCSB. One alloy named GammaPrint-700 (GP-700) is a cobalt-base superalloy. The other alloy named GammaPrint-1100 (GP-1100) is a nickel-base (Ni-base) superalloy. PSU provided expertise and experimental testing of the thermal performance of AM micro-cooling architectures. ORNL provided expertise with the AM superalloy materials characterization and AM processing science. Solar provided turbine component design expertise. The focus of this CRADA report is to document the efforts between ORNL and CTC towards the development of superalloys designed for AM. The project goal was to use an AM processable high-temperature superalloy and design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) techniques to design an efficient turbine component (i.e. a turbine tip shoe) with enhanced cooling features that can only be fabricated through additive manufacturing (AM). The efficiencies of existing combined heat and power (CHP) engines are capped by both component design and materials limitations. However, AM of a tip shoe component from a γ’strengthened superalloy offers the design flexibility to increase the efficiency and power of an industrial gas turbine. This project brought about advancements in the DfAM tip shoe design space and in the area of high temperature superalloys processable through laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) AM. State of art computation design tools were utilized to optimize unique cooling features into a tip shoe component design. A two-prong materials development approach was taken to support development of the AM tip shoe geometry. The first approach centered on investigating the processability and the appropriate process science for the industry standard high-γ’ nickel-base (Ni-base) superalloy Mar-M247. This superalloy is typically cast and considered non-weldable by traditional welding standards. In the course of this work, the alloy was not deemed feasible for process scale-up due to significant cracking issues during printing. The second approach focused on the development and evaluation of a novel cobalt-base superalloy, GammaPrint™-700 (GP-700 and a Ni-base superalloy, GammaPrint™-1100 (GP-1100) designed to mitigate the significant AM processing issues with Mar-M247. The processability of these two alloys were investigated through electron beam melting (EBM) binder-jet AM (BJAM), and LPBF as a risk mitigation for manufacturability. To be considered a candidate material for down-selection to proceed to fullscale AM tip shoe engine testing trials, the high temperature creep rupture strength was required to achieve at a minimum, a Larsen Miller Parameter (LMP) increase of 10.9% over the baseline material LPBF AM Hastelloy X.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Design of Novel Hot Gas Component for Gas Turbine Engines Enabled by Materials and Additive Manufacturing Process Development

This CRADA project was the result of a project award under FOA-DOE-0001980. The overarching FOA project team consisted of researchers from Carpenter Technology Corporation (CTC), Solar Turbines Incorporated (Solar), Pennsylvania State University (PSU), University of California-Santa Barbara (UCSB), and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Evaluations were conducted on two high-γ’ superalloys that were designed by CTC and the UCSB. One alloy named GammaPrint-700 (GP-700) is a cobalt-base superalloy. The other alloy named GammaPrint-1100 (GP-1100) is a nickel-base (Ni-base) superalloy. PSU provided expertise and experimental testing of the thermal performance of AM micro-cooling architectures. ORNL provided expertise with the AM superalloy materials characterization and AM processing science. Solar provided turbine component design expertise. The focus of this CRADA report is to document the efforts between ORNL and CTC towards the development of superalloys designed for AM. The project goal was to use an AM processable high-temperature superalloy and design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) techniques to design an efficient turbine component (i.e. a turbine tip shoe) with enhanced cooling features that can only be fabricated through additive manufacturing (AM). The efficiencies of existing combined heat and power (CHP) engines are capped by both component design and materials limitations. However, AM of a tip shoe component from a γ’strengthened superalloy offers the design flexibility to increase the efficiency and power of an industrial gas turbine. This project brought about advancements in the DfAM tip shoe design space and in the area of high temperature superalloys processable through laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) AM. State of art computation design tools were utilized to optimize unique cooling features into a tip shoe component design. A two-prong materials development approach was taken to support development of the AM tip shoe geometry. The first approach centered on investigating the processability and the appropriate process science for the industry standard high-γ’ nickel-base (Ni-base) superalloy Mar-M247. This superalloy is typically cast and considered non-weldable by traditional welding standards. In the course of this work, the alloy was not deemed feasible for process scale-up due to significant cracking issues during printing. The second approach focused on the development and evaluation of a novel cobalt-base superalloy, GammaPrint™-700 (GP-700 and a Ni-base superalloy, GammaPrint™-1100 (GP-1100) designed to mitigate the significant AM processing issues with Mar-M247. The processability of these two alloys were investigated through electron beam melting (EBM) binder-jet AM (BJAM), and LPBF as a risk mitigation for manufacturability. To be considered a candidate material for down-selection to proceed to full-scale AM tip shoe engine testing trials, the high temperature creep rupture strength was required to achieve at a minimum, a Larsen Miller Parameter (LMP) increase of 10.9% over the baseline material LPBF AM Hastelloy X.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Design and optimization of flexible decoupled high-temperature gas-cooled reactor plants with thermal energy storage

Advanced nuclear power plants are well-positioned for future zero-carbon grids, however, the need for flexible power generation will be required over the traditional emphasis on baseload generation for meeting historical demands. To achieve such flexibility, this work examines viable configurations for coupling nuclear energy production with thermal energy storage. Previous designs on nuclear-thermal energy storage configurations for advanced reactor designs, which utilized reactor steam as the heat source for charging the thermal energy storage, are restricted by the heat diversion ratio and efficiency losses, thus their impacts can be limited. In this context, this study proposes configurations for fully decoupling the nuclear reactor from the power cycle and positioning the storage as an intermediate loop, thereby achieving an unconstrained heat diversion ratio and improved efficiency. Compared with a standard high-temperature gas-cooled reactor’s power cycle, steady-state thermodynamic modeling and dispatch optimizations quantify the benefits of a steam reheat cycle within the fully decoupled thermal energy system to separate the plant cycle from the high-pressure primary side. These benefits are further detailed, compatible with required high-temperature and high-pressure conditions, through (1) open-source dynamic transient models that examine the impact of off-design operation on the systems, (2) the investigation of components design and costing and finally (3) sizing and dispatch optimization. The fully-decoupled design achieves a cycle efficiency of 43.1%, an enhancement over the vendor’s standard efficiency of 42.2% (Xe-100 design). Here, the proposed design offers strengthened physical barriers from the nuclear island as well as superior operational flexibility and power boosting. Dispatch optimization and market analysis reveal that thermal energy storage size is highly dependent on the peak patterns of electricity prices and the minimum generation level constraint imposed on the balance of plant. Evaluation of off-design operation demonstrates that the full decoupling design with the suggested fail-safe control mechanisms ensures a minimal impact on reactor parameters, even during rapid power ramping.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Process intensification approach to enhancing heat and mass transfer during drying: Ultrasonic (US) assisted drying of paper and board

Drying of paper and board is conventionally achieved through alternating conduction (steam-heated cylinders) and pocket convection (heated air over the paper web surface). These conventional drying systems rely heavily on steam from fossil fuels, resulting in inefficiencies, high energy usage, and thermal losses due to surface-driven mechanisms. Here, to address these challenges, an experimental system, with in-situ drying characteristics measurements, was developed to investigate process intensification using ultrasonic-based dewatering—a volumetric, pressure-driven acoustic energy system—integrated with conventional drying. The objectives of this study are to assess the impact of ultrasonics (US) on dewatering; compare performances to conventional drying systems; identify improvements in drying rate and energy use as a function of moisture content; and gain potential insights on heat and mass transfer mechanisms during US-assisted drying. US performance was evaluated across frequencies, power levels, pulp types, and basis weights. Results show that improvements to ultrasonic applications in conjunction with convection were 30-43% in drying rate and 20-35% in drying time over continuous and intermittent applications. When combined with conduction and convection, ultrasonics yielded up to 20% improvement in both rate and time and up to 20% reduction in energy consumption. Observations support a hypothesis of extension of the constant rate period due to improved capillary flow at higher moisture content and enhancing vapor diffusion and boundary layer disruption at lower moisture contents during falling rate period. These findings will inform future modeling, simulation, design and optimization of advanced drying systems.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

REDLY

SAND2025-11838O REDLY provides a framework for designing, training, and validating physics-informed neural networks for power system applications. It trains surrogates for Alternating Current Power Flow prediction and general economic dispatch problems, such as Alternating Current Optimal Power Flow and Direct Current Power Flow. Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-NA0003525.

Blakely, Logan↗