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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 253 records · Page 14

Clean Cities Coalitions: Advancing Affordable, Domestic Transportation Fuels and Technologies Across the Country

This fact sheet provides an overview of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Vehicle Technologies Office Clean Cities coalitions, which advance affordable, domestic transportation fuels and technologies nationwide. Nearly 100 coalitions serve as the foundation of Clean Cities, working in communities across the country to help local decision makers and fleets understand and implement alternative and renewable fuels, idle-reduction measures, fuel economy improvements, new mobility choices, and emerging transportation technologies. At the national level, VTO develops and promotes publications, tools, and other unique resources to support coordinators. At the local level, coalitions leverage these resources to create networks of stakeholders.

accomplishments↗

Clean Cities Coalitions: Advancing Affordable, Domestic Transportation Fuels and Technologies Across the Country

This fact sheet provides an overview of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Vehicle Technologies Office Clean Cities Coalition Network, which advances affordable, domestic transportation fuels and technologies nationwide. More than 75 active coalitions serve as the foundation of Clean Cities, working in communities across the country to help local decision makers and fleets understand and implement alternative and renewable fuels, idle-reduction measures, fuel economy improvements, new mobility choices, and emerging transportation technologies. At the national level, VTO develops and promotes publications, tools, and other unique resources to support coordinators. At the local level, coalitions leverage these resources to create networks of stakeholders.

accomplishments↗

Clean Cities Coalitions: Advancing Affordable, Domestic Transportation Fuels and Technologies Across the Country

This fact sheet provides an overview of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Vehicle Technologies Office Clean Cities Coalition Network, which advances affordable, domestic transportation fuels and technologies nationwide. More than 75 active coalitions serve as the foundation of Clean Cities, working in communities across the country to help local decision makers and fleets understand and implement alternative and renewable fuels, idle-reduction measures, fuel economy improvements, new mobility choices, and emerging transportation technologies. At the national level, VTO develops and promotes publications, tools, and other unique resources to support coordinators. At the local level, coalitions leverage these resources to create networks of stakeholders.

accomplishments↗

Clean Cities Coalitions: Advancing Affordable, Domestic Transportation Fuels and Technologies Across the Country

This fact sheet provides an overview of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Vehicle Technologies Office Clean Cities Coalition Network, which advances affordable, domestic transportation fuels and technologies nationwide. More than 75 active coalitions serve as the foundation of Clean Cities, working in communities across the country to help local decision makers and fleets understand and implement alternative and renewable fuels, idle-reduction measures, fuel economy improvements, new mobility choices, and emerging transportation technologies. At the national level, VTO develops and promotes publications, tools, and other unique resources to support coordinators. At the local level, coalitions leverage these resources to create networks of stakeholders.

accomplishments↗

Electrochemical reduction of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS): is it possible? Applying experimental and quantum mechanical insights from the reductive defluorination literature

Remediation of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) in global water systems is a critical human and environmental health challenge facing society. PFAS consumption is associated with a litany of adverse health effects, and our knowledge of these dangers is still evolving. Current techniques to remove PFAS from water include adsorption to media (e.g. granular activated carbon, ion-exchange resin), nanofiltration, and reverse osmosis. However, these processes create a concentrated PFAS residual that requires further management. Destructive techniques are therefore needed to detoxify these residuals. Oxidative techniques have garnered the most attention (e.g. supercritical water oxidation, electrochemical oxidation) but are energy intensive and potentially form toxic by-products. As an alternative, several groups have researched advanced reduction processes that form aqueous electrons, but these processes are still chemical and energy intensive (e.g. ultraviolet/SO 3 2− , electron beam). This concise review therefore focuses on whether electrochemical reduction — a chemical-free, modular process — could be technically feasible for PFAS destruction.

King, Jacob F.↗

Selection and Validation of Alternate Slag Sources for Saltstone Production - 16145

To stabilize low activity salt solution produced at the Savannah River Site (SRS) the salt waste is mixed with a combination of fly ash (FA), ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS), and ordinary Portland cement (OPC) to form a grout termed saltstone. Upon curing, the low activity waste is encapsulated within the hardened cementitious matrix. While the sources of the dry feed components have remained unchanged for several years, SRS was recently notified that its domestic source of GGBFS would no longer be available due to the shutdown of the steel making plant that produced the ferrous slag as a by-product. This shut-down follows a trend in the reduction of domestic ferrous slag sources. Alternate GGBFS vendors were sought and a program developed to validate the alternate sources for use in saltstone. GGBFS is primarily utilized in the construction industry as a replacement for OPC and the requirements of a GGBFS source, based on an American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standard, are predominantly limited to demonstrating that the GGBFS replacement will provide equivalent strength in comparison to the baseline OPC-based concrete. This affords the construction industry significant flexibility with respect to the GGBFS source that can be used. In contrast, GGBFS has a role of significantly more importance when utilized in saltstone. In particular, the reducing blast furnace environment under which GGBFS is produced yields reducing species, such as sulfide (S{sup 2-}) and ferrous iron (Fe{sup 2+}), which are believed to facilitate the long-term immobilization of redox sensitive contaminants (e.g. technetium-99 ({sup 99}Tc)). In addition, a change in GGBFS source has the potential to impact the rheological properties and the reactive heat generation of the grout, which may adversely affect the ability to pump the grout to a Saltstone Disposal Unit (SDU) and the temperatures attained within an SDU, respectively. As such, alternate GGBFS sources for the processing of saltstone require significantly more scrutiny than is prescribed by the ASTM standard. Four alternate GGBFS sources were evaluated. All four sources met the ASTM requirements, only one source was considered viable for use in saltstone based on preliminary evaluation. The other three sources will require a more intensive assessment to determine their potential applicability. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Alternatives for jet engine control

Tensor model order reduction, recursive tensor model identification, input design for tensor model identification, software development for nonlinear feedback control laws based upon tensors, and development of the CATNAP software package for tensor modeling, identification and simulation were studied. The last of these are discussed.

Sain, M. K.↗

An integrated landscape designed for commodity and bioenergy crops for a tile-drained agricultural watershed

Here, locating bioenergy crops on strategically selected subfield areas of marginal interest for commodity agriculture can increase environmental sustainability. Location and choice of bioenergy crops should improve environmental benefits with minimal disruption of current food production systems. We identified subfield soils of a tile-drained agricultural watershed as marginal if they had areas of low crop productivity index (CPI), were susceptible to nitrate-nitrogen (NO 3 –N) leaching, or were susceptible to at least two other forms of environmental degradation (marginal areas). In the test watershed (Indian Creek watershed, IL) with annual precipitation of 852 mm, 3% of soils were CPI areas and 22% were marginal areas. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool was used to forecast the impact of growing switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum L.), willow ( Salix spp.), and big bluestem ( Andropogon gerardi Vitman) in these subfield areas on annual grain yields, NO 3 –N and sediment exports, and water yield. Simulated conversion of CPI areas from current land use to bioenergy crops had no significant (p ≤ 0.05) impact on grain production and reduced NO 3 –N and sediment exports by 5.0 to 6.0% and 3.0%, respectively. Conversion of marginal areas from current land use to switchgrass forecasted the production of 34,000 t of biomass and reductions in NO 3 –N (26.0%) and sediment (33.0%) exports. Alternatively, conversion of marginal areas from current land use to willow forecasted similar reductions as switchgrass for sediment but significantly (p ≤ 0.01) lower reductions in annual NO 3 –N export (18.0 vs. 26.0%).

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

State and Alternative Fuel Provider Fleets Alternative Compliance; U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE)

The final rule of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and its associated regulations enable covered state and alternative fuel provider fleets to obtain waivers from the alternative fuel vehicle (AFV)-acquisition requirements of Standard Compliance. Under Alternative Compliance, covered fleets instead meet a petroleum-use reduction requirement. This guidance document is designed to help fleets better understand the Alternative Compliance option and successfully complete the waiver application process.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Efficient solar-driven electrochemical CO 2 reduction to hydrocarbons and oxygenates

Solar to chemical energy conversion could provide an alternative to mankind's unsustainable use of fossil fuels. One promising approach is the electrochemical reduction of CO 2 into chemical products, in particular hydrocarbons and oxygenates which are formed by multi-electron transfer reactions. Here, a nanostructured Cu-Ag bimetallic cathode is utilized to selectively and efficiently facilitate these reactions. When operated in an electrolysis cell, the cathode provides a constant energetic efficiency for hydrocarbon and oxygenate production. As a result, when coupled to Si photovoltaic cells, solar conversion efficiencies of 3-4% to the target products are achieved for 0.35 to 1 Sun illumination. Use of a four-terminal III-V/Si tandem solar cell configuration yields a conversion efficiency to hydrocarbons and oxygenates exceeding 5% at 1 Sun illumination. Here, this study provides a clear framework for the future advancement of efficient solar-driven CO 2 reduction devices. In a process analogous to natural photosynthesis, solar-driven reduction of carbon dioxide to hydrocarbon and oxygenate products is demonstrated with an overall efficiency exceeding 5%.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Mitigating life cycle GHG emissions of roads to be built through 2030: Case study of a Chinese province

We report the expansion of road networks in emerging economies such as China causes significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This development is conflicting with China's commitment to achieve carbon neutrality. Thus, there is a need to better understand life cycle emissions of road infrastructure and opportunities to mitigate these emissions. Existing impact studies of roads in developing countries do not address recycled materials, improved pavement maintenance, or pavement-vehicle interaction and electric vehicle (EV) adoption. Combining firsthand information from Chinese road construction engineers with publicly available data, this paper estimates a comprehensive account of GHG emissions of the road pavement network to be constructed in the next ten years in the Shandong province in Northern China. Further, we estimate the potential of GHG emission reductions achievable under three scenario sets: maintenance optimization, alternative pavement material replacement, and EV adoption. Results show that the life cycle GHG emissions of highways and Class 1–4 roads to be constructed in the next 10 years amount to 147 Mt CO2-eq. Considering the use phase in our model reveals that it is the dominant stage in terms of emissions, largely due to pavement-vehicle interaction. Vehicle electrification can only moderately mitigate these emissions. Other stages, such as materials production and road maintenance and rehabilitation, contribute substantially to GHG emissions as well, highlighting the importance of optimizing the management of these stages. Surprisingly, longer, not shorter maintenance intervals, yield significant emission reductions. Another counter-intuitive finding is that thicker and more material-intensive pavement surfaces cause lower emissions overall. Taken together, optimal maintenance and rehabilitation schedules, alternative material use, and vehicle electrification provide GHG reduction potentials of 11%, 4%–16% and 2%–6%, respectively.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

State and Alternative Fuel Provider Fleet Compliance Methods [Brochure]

The Energy Policy Act of 1992 has been amended several times, allowing covered state government and alternative fuel provider fleets multiple means to comply with EPAct 1992’s alternative fuel vehicle (AFV) acquisition requirements. Originally, under what is termed Standard Compliance, these fleets had to acquire a certain percentage of AFVs each model year. Since 2001, fleets have been able to obtain some compliance credit through the purchase and use of biodiesel. More recently, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) provided covered fleets additional compliance flexibility under Alternative Compliance. This compliance method allows covered fleets to employ petroleum reduction measures in lieu of acquiring AFVs under Standard Compliance. DOE’s Alternative Fuel Transportation Program is responsible for implementing the two compliance methods.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Leveraging chiral induced spin selectivity to improve the efficiency and selectivity of electrocatalytic reduction

Energy production is a fundamental pillar of modern society, but it remains heavily reliant on fossil fuel combustion, which leads to environmental degradation and resource depletion. Electrocatalytic reduction reactions (ERRs) offer a cleaner alternative by functioning under mild conditions, eliminating the need for high temperatures or pressures. However, their widespread adoption is hindered by challenges such as low efficiency, inadequate selectivity, and sluggish kinetics. Here, the introduction of chiral-induced spin selectivity (CISS) offers a promising strategy to address these limitations by reducing energy barriers in reactions involving spin-sensitive intermediates or transition states. By leveraging CISS, ERR pathways can be manipulated to favor desired reactions, enhance product yield, and suppress unwanted byproducts, improving selectivity. Beyond reducing the impact of competing side reactions, CISS also enhances the kinetics of ERRs by accelerating reaction rates and lowering the energy barriers associated with multi-electron transfer steps. Thanks to its straightforward and versatile application, CISS shows significant potential in optimizing well-studied ERRs, such as the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR), facilitating the future transition of these technologies from research laboratories to commercial energy plants worldwide.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Efficient hydrogen peroxide generation using reduced graphene oxide-based oxygen reduction electrocatalysts

Electrochemical oxygen reduction has garnered attention as an emerging alternative to the traditional anthraquinone oxidation process to enable the distributed production of hydrogen peroxide. Here, we demonstrate a selective and efficient non-precious electrocatalyst, prepared through an easily scalable mild thermal reduction of graphene oxide, to form hydrogen peroxide from oxygen. During oxygen reduction, certain variants of the mildly reduced graphene oxide electrocatalyst exhibit highly selective and stable peroxide formation activity at low overpotentials (<10 mV) under basic conditions, exceeding the performance of current state-of-the-art alkaline catalysts. Spectroscopic structural characterization and in situ Raman spectroelectrochemistry provide strong evidence that sp 2 -hybridized carbon near-ring ether defects along sheet edges are the most active sites for peroxide production, providing new insight into the electrocatalytic design of carbon-based materials for effective peroxide production.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Warming promotes the use of organic matter as an electron acceptor in a peatland

Peatlands store approximately one-half of terrestrial soil organic carbon (C) and the future of this C in the face of ongoing global change remains a key question in global biogeochemistry. Particularly pressing is the need to understand if this C will remain in peatland soils or be returned to the atmosphere as the potent greenhouse gas methane (CH 4 ) in response to warming. Past work has demonstrated that the microbial reduction of organic matter (OM) as an alternative terminal electron acceptor (TEA) under anaerobic conditions can suppress CH 4 production and is a key mechanistic control of peatland CH 4 dynamics. Here we show that warming directly enhances rates of potential OM reduction in peatland soils, enhancing acetate availability and allowing for a faster onset of CH 4 production. Finally, using soils collected from the ecosystem-scale Spruce and Peatland Responses Under Changing Environments (SPRUCE) experiment, we also show that while there were no indirect effects of 2 years of soil warming on potential OM reduction through changes in soil quality, warming-mediated lowering of the water table increased the volume of oxidized OM which will suppress CH 4 production following rewetting events.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Heterogeneous M-N-C Catalysts for Aerobic Oxidation Reactions: Lessons from Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalysts

Nonprecious metal heterogeneous catalysts composed of first-row transition metals incorporated into nitrogen-doped carbon matrices (M-N-Cs) have been studied for decades as leading alternatives to Pt for the electrocatalytic O 2 reduction reaction (ORR). More recently, similar M-N-C catalysts have been shown to catalyze the aerobic oxidation of organic molecules. Here, this Focus Review highlights mechanistic similarities and distinctions between these two reaction classes and then surveys the aerobic oxidation reactions catalyzed by M-N-Cs. As the active-site structures and kinetic properties of M-N-C aerobic oxidation catalysts have not been extensively studied, the array of tools and methods used to characterize ORR catalysts are presented with the goal of supporting further advances in the field of aerobic oxidation.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Novel order-level lineage of ammonia-oxidizing archaea widespread in marine and terrestrial environments

Ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) are among the most ubiquitous and abundant archaea on Earth, widely distributed in marine, terrestrial, and geothermal ecosystems. However, the genomic diversity, biogeography, and evolutionary process of AOA populations in subsurface environments are vastly understudied compared to those in marine and soil systems. Here, we report a novel AOA order Candidatus (Ca.) Nitrosomirales which forms a sister lineage to the thermophilic Ca. Nitrosocaldales. Metagenomic and 16S rRNA gene-read mapping demonstrates the abundant presence of Nitrosomirales AOA in various groundwater environments and their widespread distribution across a range of geothermal, terrestrial, and marine habitats. Terrestrial Nitrosomirales AOA show the genetic capacity of using formate as a source of reductant and using nitrate as an alternative electron acceptor. Nitrosomirales AOA appear to have acquired key metabolic genes and operons from other mesophilic populations via horizontal gene transfer, including genes encoding urease, nitrite reductase, and V-type ATPase. The additional metabolic versatility conferred by acquired functions may have facilitated their radiation into a variety of subsurface, marine, and soil environments. We also provide evidence that each of the four AOA orders spans both marine and terrestrial habitats, which suggests a more complex evolutionary history for major AOA lineages than previously proposed. Together, these findings establish a robust phylogenomic framework of AOA and provide new insights into the ecology and adaptation of this globally abundant functional guild.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗