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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 271 records · Page 15
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Co-Simulation of Electric Power Distribution Systems and Buildings including Ultra-Fast HVAC Models and Optimal DER Control

Smart homes and virtual power plant (VPP) controls are growing fields of research with potential for improved electric power grid operation. A novel testbed for the co-simulation of electric power distribution systems and distributed energy resources (DERs) is employed to evaluate VPP scenarios and propose an optimization procedure. DERs of specific interest include behind-the-meter (BTM) solar photovoltaic (PV) systems as well as heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems. The simulation of HVAC systems is enabled by a machine learning procedure that produces ultra-fast models for electric power and indoor temperature of associated buildings that are up to 133 times faster than typical white-box implementations. Hundreds of these models, each with different properties, are randomly populated into a modified IEEE 123-bus test system to represent a typical U.S. community. Advanced VPP controls are developed based on the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) 2045 standard to leverage HVAC systems as generalized energy storage (GES) such that BTM solar PV is better utilized locally and occurrences of distribution system power peaks are reduced, while also maintaining occupant thermal comfort. An optimization is performed to determine the best control settings for targeted peak power and total daily energy increase minimization with example peak load reductions of 25+%.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2020

Atomistic Study of the Plastic Deformation of Transition Metals and High Entropy Alloys (Final Report)

The overarching goal of the research performed in the studies supported by the DOE Basic Energy Sciences has been investigation of mechanical properties of materials employed in technologies related to energy production and conversion using atomic level computer modeling. The materials studied are body-centered-cubic (BCC) transition metals, including α-iron, their alloys and most recently also compositionally complex, so called high entropy alloys (HEAs), which are believed to become future materials in high temperature applications. The goal of the research has been to achieve atomic level understanding of the deformation and fracture of these materials starting from the electronic structure, coarse grain the material energetics into potentials describing interaction between atoms and proceed via atomistic modeling and mesoscopic models to investigation of the glide of dislocations and thus advance the theory of plastic deformation of studied materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Techno-Economic Analysis of Natural Gas Fuel Cell Plant Configurations

The United States (U.S.) Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) and the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) have been pursuing the development of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology to enable future power generation systems that are consistent with the cornerstones of the DOE mission—to ensure America’s security and prosperity by addressing its energy and environmental challenges through transformative science and technology solutions. The U.S. DOE FECM SOFC Program is currently focused on the development of low-cost, highly efficient, and reliable SOFC power systems. NETL’s SOFC technology development roadmap is aligned with near-term market opportunities in the distributed generation sector to validate and advance the technology while paving the way for utility-scale (> 50 MW) natural gas and coal-derived synthesis gas-fueled applications via progressively larger system demonstrations. The present study represents a part of a series of system evaluations being developed at NETL to aid in prioritizing technological advances along research pathways to the realization of utility-scale SOFC systems, a transformational goal of the fuel cell program. In particular, the system performance of utility-scale natural gas fuel cell (NGFC) systems with and without carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) capture is presented. The objective of the study is to provide targeted research and development (R&D) guidance to the FECM SOFC Program and SOFC commercial developers to accelerate technology deployment.

03 NATURAL GAS↗
DOE OSTI2025

National Energy Education Development Project (NEED Project) (CRADA Final Report)

The U.S. Department of Energy Building Technologies Office (BTO) funds student competitions that introduce students to careers in the building sciences and increase public awareness around high-performance buildings to support the goal of developing, demonstrating, and accelerating the adoption of cost-effective technologies, techniques, tools, and services that enable high-performing, energy-efficient and demand-flexible residential and commercial buildings in both the new and existing buildings markets. The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon® (DOE/SD) is a flagship, high-visibility international competition started in 2002 that advances the goals of BTO by introducing students to building science careers; educating students and the public about the latest technologies and materials in high-performance buildings; encouraging student-led projects and research centered around building science; and demonstrating to the public the comfort and savings of homes that combine energy-efficient construction, home systems, appliances and innovative design with onsite renewable energy production. SD is a collegiate competition, comprising 10 contests, that challenges student teams to design and build highly efficient and innovative buildings powered by renewable energy. The winners will be those teams that best blend architectural and engineering excellence with innovation, market potential, building efficiency, and smart energy production. Solar Decathlon is comprised of two Challenges – Design Challenge (annual) and Build Challenge (biennial). The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) provides competition management for Solar Decathlon. NREL and Participant establish this CRADA to enable the success of the overall Solar Decathlon program by managing sponsorship funds and creating a K12 education program. Participant is to act as an Education Partner to Solar Decathlon, which includes: 1) accepting and dispersing sponsorship funds for DOE/SD; and 2) providing K12 education program to support Solar Decathlon Competition Events in April each year.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2026

Nanoscale Amorphization of Poly(Triarylamine) for Efficient and Stable Inverted Perovskite Photovoltaics

Perovskite solar modules require hole-selective layers that combine efficient charge extraction, interfacial uniformity and scalable processing. Poly(triarylamine) (PTAA) is widely used in high-performance inverted perovskite photovoltaics, but its nanoscale crystallization and aggregation on indium tin oxide can disrupt film continuity, increase interfacial recombination and limit module stability. Here we show that 4-fluorobenzylphosphonic acid (4FBPA) modifies the surface of indium tin oxide to induce nanoscale amorphization of PTAA, forming a uniform sub-10-nm hole-selective layer. The molecule binds to indium tin oxide through a dehydration reaction, tunes the work function and surface free energy of the photoanode, and improves energy-level alignment with PTAA. The resulting amorphous PTAA film shows enhanced conductivity and hole extraction, suppresses non-radiative recombination at the buried interface and promotes more uniform perovskite growth. Inverted perovskite solar cells reach a power conversion efficiency of 26.63%, while blade-coated modules achieve a certified quasi-steady-state efficiency of 23.01%. The modules retain 95.9% of their initial efficiency after 2,600 hours of maximum-power-point operation under 1-sun illumination at 65 +- 5 degrees C in nitrogen. These results identify nanoscale amorphization of polymeric hole-selective layers as a route to efficient and stable inverted perovskite photovoltaics.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

A Method for Assessing Effectiveness and Technical Capabilities Required for Integrated Deterrence (NSLP-Final Report-Draft2022)

The United States faces an ever-increasingly multi-polar security environment dominated by great power competition with China and a lingering Russian threat as well as from would-be regional hegemons led by ambitions from Iran and North Korea. Our adversaries are pursuing and expanding the strategic means by-which they have an asymmetric offset (e.g., cyber, space, and other modes below the level of armed conflict). To combat and deter against the widening range of hostile actions, the U.S. must have additional capabilities with-which to deter. All of which drives us towards a more thoughtful integrated approach to deterrence, attempting to best align deterrent tools with the adversary actions in order to maximize the credibility of our deterrent. Such an approach complicates our deterrence strategy and demands a methodology to assess whether the U.S. has the deterrent tools necessary to deter the adversarial actions most costly to the U.S. To address this complexity, we create a framework to comprehensively and systematically assess our deterrent tools as qualitatively measured against the adversarial actions we wish to deter. Deterrence is ultimately an operation in the cognitive domain and at the heart of the framework presented here is the fundamental deterrence calculus which we use as the defining measure of whether a tool will credibly deter a given action. We describe the eight levers of the deterrence calculus and distill these levers to four products that are used to qualitatively assess the overall effectiveness of deterrence tools against adversarial actions. Credibility is determined by two principal variables: the technical credibility of the deterrent tool, and the principle of proportionality. Technical credibility of realized deterrence products is assessed through development of key mission requirements and hardware (e.g., components) that will impose costs, deny benefits, or encourage restraint. The principle of proportionality qualitatively asserts that for a deterrent tool to be cognitively credible, the costs imposed against, or benefits denied by, an action are commensurate to the magnitude of costs received from the adversarial action. By basing this framework on these two fundamentals, it is possible to compare deterrent tools in a systematic approach across the broad spectrum of hostile actions.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2023

Target Design for XFEL Experiments

High-energy-density (HED) experiments utilizing X-ray free electron lasers (XFELs) must take a different approach to fielding these experiments than the current methodology used for the large HED facilities in the United States. The XFELs and their associated laser drivers have a much faster repetition rate than do the larger facilities. Experiments must be designed to execute hundreds rather than a few shots per experimental run. The new paradigm requires a different approach to data collection and analysis. It also requires an integrated approach to experiment and target design. Here, in this study, we developed new target designs for a future XFEL experiment that meet both experiment and cost goals.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Accelerator Technologies and Science: Progress and Outlook

For over half a century, high-energy particle accelerators play a key role and shape modern nuclear and particle physics, they are also the instruments at the forefront of research for material science and biology. The physics needs continuously push us to invent novel ways to increase energy and improve the performance of accelerators, reduce their cost and make them more power-efficient. Here we briefly overview the most notable accelerator facilities which recently became operational and are now employed for research in nuclear physics, basic energy sciences, neutrinos, high energy particle frontier. We also present upcoming and planned future facilities and outline their main goals, challenges, and required R&D. Focus will be given to the core accelerator technologies such as magnets, RF acceleration, and targets as we as leading beam physics developments such as beam cooling, colliding beams and plasma acceleration.

Shiltsev, Vladimir D.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Metal-to-Ceramic Joining Methods to Support Development of Advanced Ceramic-Based CSP Components

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Missouri University of Science and Technology (MS&T), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Colorado School of Mines (CSM) collaborated to design, develop, and test a material concept at bench scale which will be used to achieve a ceramic-to-metal (C2M) joint between a selected metal HTF loop material and a selected ceramic material used by the Gen3 CSP technology pathway. The final joint assembly will need to possess sufficient mechanical properties to withstand static high-temperature (650 degrees-700 degrees C) and high-pressure (20 MPa) and thermal cycling (between 650 degrees C and 100 degrees C) conditions. The material concept consists of three key components: (1) a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) that serves as a compliant transition material aiming to mitigate the stresses due to the mismatch of coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) from a direct ceramic-to-metal joint, (2) a metal-end joint utilizing a multi-principal element alloy (MPEA) with changing percentage of particle loading to bond the candidate metal to the CMC, and (3) a ceramic-end joint utilizing a glass ceramic to bond the candidate ceramic to the CMC.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Chemical and Structural Alterations in the Amorphous Structure of Obsidian due to Nanolites

Obsidian is volcanic glass that results from the rapid cooling of silica-rich melt. Nanoscale crystallites precipitate out of the melt prior to solidification and remain embedded in the amorphous matrix. These crystallites provide information on the flow kinetics and composition of the melt. Due to the sparsity and size of nanolites, studies often focus on supramicron crystallites. This research takes advantage of the conchoidal fracture of obsidian by knapping samples with nanometer-thin edges for transmission electron microscopy characterization. Nanolites in the amorphous matrix are studied using energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and electron diffraction. Certain alkali and alkaline-earth cations exhibit patterns of depletion near Fe-oxide nanolites. EDS is used to identify nanolites and variations in the composition of the matrix. Parallel beam diffraction and radial distribution function analysis of nearest-neighbor distances determine average bond lengths in the matrix near nanolites, showing that nanolites influence the nearby short-range ordering and atomic character of the matrix. Analysis reveals decreased mean nearest-neighbor distances in the matrix adjacent to nanolites compared to the bulk. Our methods exhibit the required sensitivity to detect variations in the composition and structure near nanolites, and our findings indicate that obsidian nanolites contribute to quantifiable localized changes in the amorphous structure.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

ATP biosensor reveals microbial energetic dynamics and facilitates bioproduction

Adenosine-5’-triphosphate (ATP), the primary energy currency in cellular processes, drives metabolic activities and biosynthesis. Despite its importance, understanding intracellular ATP dynamics’ impact on bioproduction and exploiting it for enhanced bioproduction remains largely unexplored. Here, we harness an ATP biosensor to dissect ATP dynamics across different growth phases and carbon sources in multiple microbial strains. We find transient ATP accumulations during the transition from exponential to stationary growth phases in various conditions, coinciding with fatty acid (FA) and polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production in Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas putida, respectively. We identify carbon sources (acetate for E. coli, oleate for P. putida) that elevate steady-state ATP levels and boost FA and PHA production. Moreover, we employ ATP dynamics as a diagnostic tool to assess metabolic burden, revealing bottlenecks that limit limonene bioproduction. Our results not only elucidate the relationship between ATP dynamics and bioproduction but also showcase its value in enhancing bioproduction in various microbial species.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Molecular insights and future frontiers in cell photosensitization for solar-driven CO 2 conversion

The conversion of CO 2 to value-added products powered with solar energy is an ideal solution to establishing a closed carbon cycle. Combining microorganisms with light-harvesting nanomaterials into photosynthetic biohybrid systems (PBSs) presents an approach to reaching this solution. Metabolic pathways precisely evolved for CO 2 fixation selectively and reliably generate products. Nanomaterials harvest solar light and biocompatibly associate with microorganisms owing to similar lengths scales. Although this is a nascent field, a variety of approaches have been implemented encompassing different microorganisms and nanomaterials. To advance the field in an impactful manner, it is paramount to understand the molecular underpinnings of PBSs. In this perspective, we highlight studies inspecting charge uptake pathways and singularities in photosensitized cells. We discuss further analyses to more completely elucidate these constructs, and we focus on criteria to be met for designing photosensitizing nanomaterials. As a result, we advocate for the pairing of microorganisms with naturally occurring and highly biocompatible mineral-based semiconductor nanomaterials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Integrated Reference Electrodes in Anion-Exchange-Membrane Electrolyzers: Impact of Stainless-Steel Gas-Diffusion Layers and Internal Mechanical Pressure

Alkaline-membrane electrolyzers operating in pure water might provide scalable low-cost H 2 production but currently lag in performance and durability compared to commercial technologies. Typically, membrane–electrode assemblies (MEAs) are optimized in electrolyzers by changing one parameter at a time and assessing the resulting system performance via two-electrode polarization and impedance measurements. These approaches are limited in their ability to assign performance changes and durability to specific electrodes or processes. We integrate a reference electrode with the MEA to separate anode and cathode responses in both polarization and impedance measurements. Here we illustrate the power of the approach by showing how the fiber diameter of stainless-steel gas-diffusion layers (GDLs) affects performance solely at the anode, while changing the thickness of the cathode GDL simultaneously affects the performance of the anode and cathode due to changes in internal pressure from mechanical compression. This finding was obscured in conventional two-electrode measurements. The work thus guides both high-performance alkaline-membrane water-electrolyzer development and illustrates a useful strategy to study structure–activity relationships in the MEA.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2020

The Gulf Nuclear Energy Infrastructure Institute: A Multidisciplinary Educational Approach for Integrated Nuclear Energy Safety Security and Safeguards in the Middle East

The Gulf Nuclear Energy Infrastructure Institute (GNEII) at Khalifa University of Science and Technology was created as a regional institute offering education, research and technical services to support nuclear energy safety, security and safeguards (3S) objectives. A mixed methods approach—using the (1) Course Evaluation, (2) GNEH Alumni Survey, (3) Capstone Project and, (4) GNEII-Related Literature data sets—was used to evaluate the effect of implementing this multidisciplinary `3S' educational program and the broader impact of the associated `3S' multidisciplinary institute on nuclear energy human resource development. Data sets (1), (2) and (3) illustrate how well GNEII implemented this novel 3S curriculum and resulted in successful knowledge transfer. Data sets (2), (3) and (4) illustrate how well GNEII's impact has positively influenced professional workplace behaviors and the institute's broader reputation to support responsible nuclear energy program education. Furthermore, GNEII demonstrates one option for successfully providing a multidisciplinary, 3S curriculum to support broader nuclear infrastructure and human resource development aims.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2024

High Elevation Radiation Array (HERA) detectors for airborne thunderstorm investigations

A high-energy atmospheric physics phenomenon, referred to as a terrestrial gamma ray flash (TGF), is associated with lightning and produces large bursts of energetic photon radiation. TGFs will be investigated using a suite of gamma-ray instruments designed and constructed to fly on ten United States Air Force (USAF) WC-130J Hurricane Hunter aircraft as part of an aircrew ionization study led by the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) and the United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine (USAFSAM), in cooperation with the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron (WRS). Each instrument consists of one NaI and one plastic detector, a GPS timing device, and an instrument computer that performs data acquisition. High Elevation Radiation Array (HERA) detectors will be employed to maximize the chances of observing TGFs near their source and to gain a better understanding of their origin, mechanism, ubiquity, and to assess potential hazards posed to military and commercial aircrew and passengers. The HERA program, deployed on 10 separate Air Force aircraft over a multi-year campaign, will result in thousands of observational flight hours and be the largest concerted effort to date to observe TGFs in situ through aircraft observations. In this paper, we give an overview of the scientific goals of this campaign and how the HERA instruments have been designed to meet those goals. Here, we include a detailed description of the HERA instrument, along with mass model and signal processing simulations.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2024

Narrowing lab–to–market gaps: Device innovations in fuel generation, solar–cell, and photodetection

Academic translational research efforts to industry are often an underlying sought–after goal among various researchers. Through the interchanges of research endeavors between academia–industry, great innovations can/has been achieved that cater to the real–world application by bridging “industrially relevant” problem solving with pursuing fundamental studies. It is pertinent that most of the studies from university–level research works may not translate into demonstrable market products due to various reasons. Funding support, individual researcher goals, socioeconomic factors, and most importantly the technical know–how of generating revenue strategies for startups, are a few of the factors that have slowed the pace of collaborative efforts. However, we believe that the most crucial component is the identification of the critical parameters that solve long–standing problems that hinder the scale–up of the lab scale research into marketable products considering the techno–economic analysis. Here, to illustrate this, we take the three most relevant examples of devices for fuel generation, devices to utilize solar radiation, and devices for detection and other related applications. In this perspective, we provide an in–depth case study of each of these critical parameters to comment on the direction of research avenues that can serve as step–stones for the commercialization of university–level lab research studies.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2022

Efficient reconstruction and validation of heterogeneous microstructures for energy applications

The digital reconstruction of microstructures is necessary for simulations in fields ranging from geology to electrochemistry, but the state-of-the-art digital reconstruction techniques often compromise between resolution and field of view. It is challenging to retain detailed microstructure information in large-scale reconstructions. Here, this study investigates different aspects of the Yeong-Torquato algorithm based on correlation functions to make it more efficient. We achieve this goal by reducing the computational complexity of the chord-length distribution function and the two-point correlation function, applying the random sphere-packing method as the initial condition, and restricting potential voxel swaps to interfaces. In addition, a novel superposition parallel scheme is introduced to aid in searching for potential voxel swaps. The algorithm proposed is validated by comparing the pore-size distributions of reconstructed 3D custom battery electrodes from a sample dataset obtained from transmission X-ray microscopy. From a sample image with 200 x 200 pixels, the code can reconstruct a 300 x 300 x 300 structure in under 22 h and reconstruct a 400 x 400 x 400 structure in 43 h with eight cores.

42 ENGINEERING↗