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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

PARTITIONING AND TRANSMUTATION OF USED NUCLEAR FUEL IN SUPPORT OF GEOLOGICAL WASTE DISPOSAL

Nuclear energy is a low-carbon technology that generates bulk baseload electricity and supports long-lasting eco-friendly sustainability goals. However, it still faces challenges, such as the securing and managing of long-lived nuclear actinides and fission products—most notably the used fuel, which is considered high-level waste (HLW). Direct geological waste disposal would be the most economical option for HLW but requires highly qualified sites whose geophysical behavior will remain stable for 10,000 years. Partitioning and transmutation (P&T) of used fuel reduces radioactivity and decay heat generation, enabling efficient geological waste disposal. P&T research and development, along with the prospects of P&T techniques such as wet/dry separation and accelerator-driven systems, were reviewed to identify critical needs that must be met to foster their successful implementation.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2023

PARTITIONING AND TRANSMUTATION OF USED NUCLEAR FUEL IN SUPPORT OF GEOLOGICAL WASTE DISPOSAL

Nuclear energy is a low-carbon technology that generates bulk baseload electricity and supports long-lasting eco-friendly sustainability goals. However, it still faces challenges, such as the securing and managing of long-lived nuclear actinides and fission products—most notably the used fuel, which is considered high-level waste (HLW). Direct geological waste disposal would be the most economical option for HLW but requires highly qualified sites whose geophysical behavior will remain stable for 10,000 years. Partitioning and transmutation (P&T) of used fuel reduces radioactivity and decay heat generation, enabling efficient geological waste disposal. P&T research and development, along with the prospects of P&T techniques such as wet/dry separation and accelerator-driven systems, were reviewed to identify critical needs that must be met to foster their successful implementation.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Improved precision in As speciation analysis with HERFD-XANES at the As K -edge: the case of As speciation in mine waste

High-energy-resolution fluorescence-detected (HERFD) X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (XANES) is a spectroscopic method that allows for increased spectral feature resolution, and greater selectivity to decrease complex matrix effects compared with conventional XANES. XANES is an ideal tool for speciation of elements in solid-phase environmental samples. Accurate speciation of As in mine waste materials is important for understanding the mobility and toxicity of As in near-surface environments. In this study, linear combination fitting (LCF) was performed on synthetic spectra generated from mixtures of eight measured reference compounds for both HERFD-XANES and transmission-detected XANES to evaluate the improvement in quantitative speciation with HERFD-XANES spectra. The reference compounds arsenolite (As 2 O 3 ), orpiment (As 2 S 3 ), getchellite (AsSbS 3 ), arsenopyrite (FeAsS), kaňkite (FeAsO 4 ·3.5H 2 O), scorodite (FeAsO 4 ·2H 2 O), sodium arsenate (Na 3 AsO 4 ), and realgar (As 4 S 4 ) were selected for their importance in mine waste systems. Statistical methods of principal component analysis and target transformation were employed to determine whether HERFD improves identification of the components in a dataset of mixtures of reference compounds. LCF was performed on HERFD- and total fluorescence yield (TFY)-XANES spectra collected from mine waste samples. Arsenopyrite, arsenolite, orpiment, and sodium arsenate were more accurately identified in the synthetic HERFD-XANES spectra compared with the transmission-XANES spectra. In mine waste samples containing arsenopyrite and either scorodite or kaňkite, LCF with HERFD-XANES measurements resulted in fits with smaller R -factors than concurrently collected TFY measurements. The improved accuracy of HERFD-XANES analysis may provide enhanced delineation of As phases controlling biogeochemical reactions in mine wastes, contaminated soils, and remediation systems.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2013

Flash Cracking Reactor for Waste Plastic Processing

Conversion of waste plastic to energy is a growing problem that is especially acute in space exploration applications. Moreover, utilization of heavy hydrocarbon resources (wastes, waxes, etc.) as fuels and chemicals will be a growing need in the future. Existing technologies require a trade-off between product selectivity and feedstock conversion. The objective of this work was to maintain high plastic-to-fuel conversion without sacrificing the liquid yield. The developed technology accomplishes this goal with a combined understanding of thermodynamics, reaction rates, and mass transport to achieve high feed conversion without sacrificing product selectivity. The innovation requires a reaction vessel, hydrocarbon feed, gas feed, and pressure and temperature control equipment. Depending on the feedstock and desired product distribution, catalyst can be added. The reactor is heated to the desired tempera ture, pressurized to the desired pressure, and subject to a sweep flow at the optimized superficial velocity. Software developed under this project can be used to determine optimal values for these parameters. Product is vaporized, transferred to a receiver, and cooled to a liquid - a form suitable for long-term storage as a fuel or chemical. An important NASA application is the use of solar energy to convert waste plastic into a form that can be utilized during periods of low solar energy flux. Unlike previous work in this field, this innovation uses thermodynamic, mass transport, and reaction parameters to tune product distribution of pyrolysis cracking. Previous work in this field has used some of these variables, but never all in conjunction for process optimization. This method is useful for municipal waste incinerator operators and gas-to-liquids companies.

Timko, Michael T.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Applications of thermal energy storage to process heat and waste heat recovery in the iron and steel industry

The system identified operates from the primary arc furnace evacuation system as a heat source. Energy from the fume stream is stored as sensible energy in a solid medium (packed bed). A steam-driven turbine is arranged to generate power for peak shaving. A parametric design approach is presented since the overall system design, at optimum payback is strongly dependent upon the nature of the electric pricing structure. The scope of the project was limited to consideration of available technology so that industry-wide application could be achieved by 1985. A search of the literature, coupled with interviews with representatives of major steel producers, served as the means whereby the techniques and technologies indicated for the specific site are extrapolated to the industry as a whole and to the 1985 time frame. The conclusion of the study is that by 1985, a national yearly savings of 1.9 million barrels of oil could be realized through recovery of waste heat from primary arc furnace fume gases on an industry-wide basis. Economic studies indicate that the proposed system has a plant payback time of approximately 5 years.

Katter, L. B.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Lighting Policy Options to Incentivize the Circular Economy

Energy codes and energy efficiency policy are primed for significant shifts in the coming decade. Consumers are increasingly asking manufacturers to take responsibility for products over the course of the product lifespan, including at end-of-life. Consumer demand for social and environmental responsibility may push new codes and policies that incentivize the circular economy. Within the lighting sector, for example, rapid innovations have created large energy savings but also created a complex waste stream. Traditional energy code approaches to lighting efficiency have considered only lighting power density or energy-based metrics. Shifting codes and policy to consider environmental impacts of the product lifecycle could include circular economy mechanisms such as product deposits or service-based business models. In this paper we consider the possible structures for both codes and policies, and provide an analysis of the merits of each policy using life cycle assessment and sustainability index (SI).

Dillon, Heather↗
DOE OSTI2024

Backend Nuclear Fuel Cycle Radiation Chemistry

Given global commitments to significantly increase nuclear energy capacity, it is now more important than ever to develop efficient used nuclear fuel management strategies to improve resource utilization, energy security, and waste minimization. Here, an overview of nuclear energy, backend fuel cycle challenges, and advances in used nuclear fuel reprocessing radiation chemistry will be presented. More specifically, the use of electron pulse irradiation techniques to explore radiation-induced reaction mechanisms in actinide containing solutions and solvent systems.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗
NASA NTRS1973

G-189A analytical simulation of the integrated waste management-water system using radioisotopes for thermal energy

An analytical simulation of the RITE-Integrated Waste Management and Water Recovery System using radioisotopes for thermal energy was prepared for the NASA-Manned Space Flight Center (MSFC). The RITE system is the most advanced concept water-waste management system currently under development and has undergone extended duration testing. It has the capability of disposing of nearly all spacecraft wastes including feces and trash and of recovering water from usual waste water sources: urine, condensate, wash water, etc. All of the process heat normally used in the system is produced from low penalty radioisotope heat sources. The analytical simulation was developed with the G189A computer program. The objective of the simulation was to obtain an analytical simulation which can be used to (1) evaluate the current RITE system steady state and transient performance during normal operating conditions, and also during off normal operating conditions including failure modes; and (2) evaluate the effects of variations in component design parameters and vehicle interface parameters on system performance.

Coggi, J. V.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Use of Micro-Gravity Sensors for External Fluid Level Monitoring in Waste and Nuclear Related Applications - 20315

There are a number of applications in nuclear energy and hazardous waste disposal that require monitoring of fluids under extreme environments, including high levels of temperature, pressure, toxicity and radioactivity. Many of these applications will benefit from a monitoring technique that is external and non-invasive. Currently the sensors used are invasive, must reside inside the pressurized vessels and must penetrate the vessel walls, which can create a weakness in the vessel. Additionally, instruments that are used inside such containers must be exceptionally hardened to the environment. Information Systems Laboratories (ISL) has developed an external mass (gravimetric) measuring technique for monitoring nuclear coolant in Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), which will also work for measuring fluid levels in waste tanks, that avoids the problems inherent in invasive sensors. It utilizes a COTS gravitational sensor of unprecedented accuracy, leveraged via proper sensor placement geometry, to detect fluid changes of small amplitude from an outside position, obviating the need to penetrate the vessel. The technique is called Gravisense{sup TM}. ISL has proven via simulation and experiment that this concept can be usefully applied to monitoring fluid levels in both nuclear reactors and large waste tanks. Numerical simulation algorithms were developed to calculate the gravity effect of small changes in water level, which were verified by experiments at the NIST Physical Simulator facility at the Oregon State University. The measured ultralow noise levels of the superconducting gravimeter type which utilizes a Niobium sphere suspended in a magnetic field to attain its phenomenal accuracy, demonstrated that fluid levels in SMRs can be measured at least to within 3 cm. Furthermore, the method can distinguish between a contained leak (from reactor to containment vessel) from an external leak (from reactor to outside of containment). Additionally, simulations of waste canisters that hold spent fuel rods show that the fluid level measuring accuracy can potentially do better than 1 cm accuracy by measuring from below the vessel, and judicious placement of sensors on top of large waste tanks can potentially achieve a very impressive 2 mm measurement accuracy. These encouraging results prove that the Gravisense{sup TM} technique for fluid determination can be very useful in nuclear energy generation, testing, and research, as well as in waste monitoring situations that are difficult to monitor via traditional sensing technology. We believe that the next step should be to test the technique on canisters of the type that are currently storing waste in various DOE locations. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2022

West Virginia University Industrial Assessment Center (Final Progress Report)

The Industrial Assessment Center at West Virginia University has been successful in workforce development, and in generation of energy savings for manufacturing facilities during the period 2016 to 2021. Graduate and undergraduate students have benefited from energy assessment experience and most of them have found good positions as energy engineers and analysts in the industrial sector. Several peer reviewed research papers in archival journals as well as conference papers on the topic of energy engineering and assessment have been published. The implemented energy savings for manufacturing facilities have been significant in the areas of lighting, compressed air, process heating, steam, HVAC, chillers and cooling towers, and motors. In addition, water use reduction, smart manufacturing applications to save energy, cyber security evaluation, energy management, productivity improvements and waste reduction opportunities that lead to energy intensity reductions have been explored. The students have obtained an opportunity to interact with energy efficiency and productivity improvement professionals at various conferences and workshops and their research has generated important results. In summary, the West Virginia University Industrial Assessment Center (WVU-IAC) has fulfilled its mission in regard to workforce development, energy efficiency for manufacturing facilities, and laid a strong platform enhancing sustainability through reductions in carbon emissions achieved through energy efficiency and energy management initiatives and reductions in water usage and waste reduction. During the project period (2016-2021) the WVU-IAC has made numerous energy efficiency, water use reduction, waste reduction, and productivity improvement recommendations, a significant number of them having been implemented by the manufacturing facilities. The research adds significant understanding to the area of energy efficiency, water and waste reduction, and productivity improvement. The technical effectiveness and economic feasibility of the methods and techniques investigated and demonstrated through this project have been exemplary, resulting in significant recommended and implemented resource savings and reductions in carbon emissions. The project has been of significant benefit to the public owing to replication of results within the industrial sector, thus reducing operating costs for businesses that result in increase of growth and employment, as well as community benefits in terms of reductions in carbon emissions.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2021

Unconventional Thermoelectric Materials for Energy Harvesting and Sensing Applications

Heat is an abundant but often wasted source of energy. Thus, harvesting just a portion of this tremendous amount of energy holds significant promise for a more sustainable society. While traditional solid-state inorganic semiconductors have dominated the research stage on thermal-to-electrical energy conversion, carbon-based semiconductors have recently attracted a great deal of attention as potential thermoelectric materials for low-temperature energy harvesting, primarily driven by the high abundance of their atomic elements, ease of processing/manufacturing, and intrinsically low thermal conductivity. This quest for new materials has resulted in the discovery of several new kinds of thermoelectric materials and concepts capable of converting a heat flux into an electrical current by means of various types of particles transporting the electric charge: (i) electrons, (ii) ions, and (iii) redox molecules. This has contributed to expanding the applications envisaged for thermoelectric materials far beyond simple conversion of heat into electricity. This is the motivation behind this review. This work is divided in three sections. In the first section, we present the basic principle of the thermoelectric effects when the particles transporting the electric charge are electrons, ions, and redox molecules and describe the conceptual differences between the three thermodiffusion phenomena. In the second section, we review the efforts made on developing devices exploiting these three effects and give a thorough understanding of what limits their performance. In the third section, we review the state-of-the-art thermoelectric materials investigated so far and provide a comprehensive understanding of what limits charge and energy transport in each of these classes of materials.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

Upcycling Polyethylene Waste Into Advanced Carbon Materials Used for Energy Storage Applications

Upcycling plastic into advanced carbons, such as graphite and graphene, offers attractive options to manage waste streams by converting the plastic into carbon electrode materials for energy storage devices. However, polyethylene (PE) is notoriously difficult to upcycle because it decomposes into light gases at approximately 350-400 °C which prevents processing it at higher temperatures to convert it into advanced carbons. This work addresses this challenge by oxidatively functionalizing PE between 300-330 C which stabilizes it for higher temperature processing into graphite & graphene. In addition, the graphite & graphene are tested as lithium-ion battery or supercapacitor electrodes where their electrochemical performances outperform commercial materials.

graphene↗
DOE OSTI2025

Upcycling Polyethylene Waste Into Advanced Carbon Materials Used for Energy Storage Applications

Upcycling plastic into advanced carbons, such as graphite and graphene, offers attractive options to manage waste streams by converting the plastic into carbon electrode materials for energy storage devices. However, polyethylene (PE) is notoriously difficult to upcycle because it decomposes into light gases at approximately 350-400 °C which prevents processing it at higher temperatures to convert it into advanced carbons. This work addresses this challenge by oxidatively functionalizing PE between 300-330 C which stabilizes it for higher temperature processing into graphite & graphene. In addition, the graphite & graphene are tested as lithium-ion battery or supercapacitor electrodes where their electrochemical performances outperform commercial materials.

graphene↗
DOE OSTI2020

Crystal Structure and Atomic Vacancy Optimized Thermoelectric Properties in Gadolinium Selenides

Thermoelectric materials enable the energy conversion of waste heat into electricity, helpful to relieve global energy crisis. Here, we report a systematic investigation on high-temperature thermoelectric gadolinium selenides, cubic Gd 3-x Se 4 (x = 0.16, 0.21 and 0.25) and orthorhombic Gd 2 Se 3-y (y = 0.02, 0.06 and 0.08). High energy synchrotron x-ray diffraction and total scattering have been used to investigate the crystallographic and local structures. Atomic-scale clusters of Gd vacancy in the cubic phase are observed by employing the reverse Monte Carlo simulation. For cubic Gd 3-x Se 4 , adjusting Gd vacancy triggers the effect of multiple conduction bands, confirmed by the increase in effective masses and theoretical calculations. A reasonable peak zT value of 0.27 is achieved at 850 K for Gd 3-x Se 4 (x = 0.16). On the other hand, tuning Se vacancy enables the optimization of electron concentration for the orthorhombic Gd 2 Se 3-y . More significantly, its low deformation potential (Ξ = 12eV) gives rise to enhanced electron mobility and higher peak zT value of 0.54 at 850 K for Gd 2 Se 3-y (y = 0.02). Intriguingly, a higher zT of 1.2 at 1200 K is reasonably predicted by quality factor analysis. Finally, this work extends the scope of high-temperature thermoelectric materials and facilitates the exploration of novel high-temperature thermoelectric materials

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Transportation and Systems Analysis Collaborations in Support of a Federal Consolidated Interim Storage Facility

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Integrated Waste Management (IWM) program under the Office of Nuclear Energy is planning for the future transportation, storage, and eventual disposal of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high-level radioactive waste (HLW) from nuclear power plant sites across the United States. To better enable informed decision-making regarding the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle, the IWM program has been sponsoring the development and application of system analysis tools capable of analyzing various options for managing SNF and HLW. With these tools, integrated waste management system (IWMS) architecture analyses are being conducted to support the future deployment of a comprehensive nuclear waste management system that considers all major back-end aspects of the nuclear fuel cycle (i.e., transportation, storage, and disposal). System analyses and assessments typically use these modeling and simulation tools to investigate implications of changes in various assumptions and parameters such as acceptance rates, receipt logic, facility capacities and capabilities, use of standardized canisters, start and stop dates of facilities, etc. The Next Generation System Analysis Model (NGSAM) is an agent-based simulation toolkit that is used for a system-level simulation and analysis focused on SNF management in the United States. An analyst using NGSAM has the ability to define several factors like the number of storage facilities, capacity at each facility, transportation schedules, shipment rates, and other conditions. NGSAM’s primary purpose is to provide a system analyst with capabilities to model the IWMS and gain insights into SNF and HLW management alternatives including the impact of system choices, associated cost estimates, and development of integrated yet flexible approaches. IWM is also developing the Stakeholder Tool for Assessing Radioactive Transportation (START). START is a web-based geospatial tool developed to provide visualization and initial evaluation of transportation options associated with future SNF and HLW shipment planning and operations. This includes characterizing safety, economic, and environmental conditions on and in proximity to shipment origins as well as along prospective transportation routes. Information from the START tool can be presented/shared as maps, graphics, geospatial files, and tabular form to enable easy data representation and export functionality. The system analysis, NGSAM, and START teams had been working closely for several years before formalizing this collaboration. START provides the SNF routing information for use in NGSAM. System analysts use the NGSAM tool to generate results (schedule, costs, infrastructure acquisitions, shipment rates, etc.). Subject-matter experts and system analysts work together to inform how NGSAM should model the waste management system. Specifically, this paper discusses the collaborations between the system analysis, NGSAM, and START teams and their accomplishments over the past year. Some examples of these efforts include calibrating and adding data to the START output files to meet NGSAM needs, gaining a better understanding of START data used in NGSAM, as well as how updates in START data could result in an improved NGSAM analysis. Detailed examples of various tasks that have been performed by the team will be discussed in the full paper. Continued efforts in this direction are expected in the coming years.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Transportation and System Analysis Collaborations in Support of a Federal Consolidated Interim Storage Facility

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Integrated Waste Management (IWM) program under the Office of Nuclear Energy is planning for the future transportation, storage, and eventual disposal of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high-level radioactive waste (HLW) from nuclear power plant and waste custodian sites across the United States. To better enable informed decision-making regarding the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle, the IWM program has been sponsoring the development and application of system analysis tools capable of analyzing various options for managing SNF and HLW. With these tools, integrated waste management system (IWMS) architecture analyses are being conducted to support the future deployment of a comprehensive nuclear waste management system that considers all major back-end aspects of the nuclear fuel cycle (i.e., transportation, storage, and disposal). System analyses and assessments typically use these modeling and simulation tools to investigate implications of changes in various assumptions and parameters such as acceptance rates, receipt logic, facility capacities and capabilities, use of standardized canisters, start and stop dates of facilities, etc. The Next Generation System Analysis Model (NGSAM) is an agent-based simulation toolkit that is used for a system-level simulation and analysis focused on SNF management in the United States. NGSAM’s primary purpose is to provide a system analyst with capabilities to model the IWMS and gain insights into SNF and HLW management alternatives including the impact of system choices, associated cost estimates, and development of integrated yet flexible approaches. An analyst using NGSAM can define several factors like the number of storage facilities, capacity at each facility, transportation schedules, shipment rates, and other conditions. IWM is also developing the Stakeholder Tool for Assessing Radioactive Transportation (START). START is a web-based geospatial tool developed to provide the visualization and initial evaluation of transportation options associated with future SNF and HLW shipment planning and operations. This includes characterizing safety, economic, and environmental conditions at and in proximity to shipment origins as well as along prospective transportation routes. Information from the START tool can be presented/shared as maps, graphics, geospatial files, and tabular form to enable easy data representation and export functionality. The system analysis, NGSAM, and START teams have been working closely for several years before formalizing this collaboration. START provides the SNF transportation routing information for use in NGSAM. System analysts use the NGSAM tool to generate results (schedule, costs, infrastructure acquisitions, shipment rates, etc.). Subject-matter experts and system analysts work together to inform how NGSAM should model the waste management system. Specifically, this paper discusses the collaborations between the system analysis, NGSAM, and START teams and their accomplishments over the past year. Some examples of these efforts include calibrating and adding data to the START output files to meet NGSAM needs, gaining a better understanding of START data used in NGSAM as well as how updates in START data could result in an improved NGSAM analysis. Detailed examples of various tasks that have been performed by the team will be discussed in the full paper. Continued efforts in this direction are expected in the coming years.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Summary of Federal and State Funding Sources for the Solid Waste and Wastewater Sectors

This quick-reference sheet provides a list of funding programs for the solid waste and wastewater sectors available at the national state levels. These funding programs are related to existing infrastructure improvements, as well as the development of new energy efficiency and renewable energy systems (including waste-to-energy).

ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗