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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 289 records · Page 16

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NASA NTRS1988

Conceptual design of a water treatment system to support a manned Mars colony

The initial tasks addressed by the Prairie View A&M University team were the conceptual design of a breathable-air manufacturing system, a means of drilling for underground water, and a method for storing water for future use. Subsequently, the design objective of the team for the 1987-1988 academic year was the conceptual design of an integrated system for the supply of quality water for biological consumption, farming, residential and industrial use. The source of water for these applications is assumed to be artesian or subsurface. The first step of the project was to establish design criteria and major assumptions. The second step of the effort was to generate a block diagram of the expected treatment system and assign tasks to individual students. The list of processes for water purification and wastewater treatment given above suggests that there will be a need for on-site chemicals manufacturing for ion-exchange regeneration and disinfection. The third step of the project was to establish a basis for the design capacity of the system. A total need of 10,000 gal/day was assumed to be required. It was also assumed that 30,000 gallon raw-water intake volume is needed to produce the desired effluent volume.

Source record↗

DOE OSTI2023

Increasing resilience with wastewater reuse

Drinking water infrastructure in urban settings is increasingly affected by population growth and disruptions like extreme weather events. This study explores how the integration of direct wastewater reuse can help to maintain drinking water service when the system is compromised.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

NASA NTRS1992

Electrophoretic Process For Purifying Wastewater

Microbes, poisonous substances, and colloidal particles removed by combination of electric fields. Electrophoretic process removes pathogenicorganisms, toxins, toxic metals, and cooloidal soil particles from wastewater. Used to render domestic, industrial, and agricultural wastewater streams potable. Process also useful in bioregenerative and other closed systems like in space stations and submarines, where water must be recycled.

Sammons, David W.↗

DOE OSTI2024

NEWTS Integrated Dataset (version 1.0)

The National Energy Water Treatment and Speciation (NEWTS) Integrated Dataset v1.0 provides water researchers, community leaders, and regulators with a unified and standardized energy-related wastewater stream database. This resource is derived from 27 state and federal entities, and scientific publications, and contains more than 400,000 sample records, many of which also provide geospatial information. The dataset includes data for several different energy-related wastewater types including produced water, other oil and gas wastewaters, mine drainage, coal ash leachate, and power plant wastewater. The NEWTS Integrated Dataset was built to support environmentally prudent decision-making, explore treatment opportunities, and identify potential critical mineral sources. A subset of this novel resource is also featured on NETL NEWTS State-Level Database Dashboard. Additional data can be found in the NEWTS EDX Group and the NEWTS Federal Database Dashboard.

abandoned mine drainage↗

DOE OSTI2021

Net Zero Energy Model for Wastewater Treatment Plants

The primary objective of this study is to achieve net-zero energy (NZE) wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) by utilizing energy efficiency opportunities (EEO), combined heat and power (CHP) systems, and other renewable energy (RE) sources, e.g., solar, water, and wind powers. Herein, this study discusses an innovative energy solution for WWTPs in the United States, and one of the WWTPs with a flow capacity of 1.5 million gallons per day (MGD) was selected as a case study. An optimization tool, Hybrid Optimization of Multiple Energy Resources (HOMER) software, is used in this study to find the best energy system configuration to run the system. An energy audit for one WWTP was conducted in early 2020 and the report is used to do this study. The proposed EEOs were able to reduce WWTP energy consumption by about 11%. The excess anaerobic digester gas was utilized in a CHP system to cover about 42% of the facility’s consumption. Also, 3% of the utility energy consumption can be claimed by microturbines in the aeration tanks. Another two renewable energy systems, solar photovoltaic (PV) with 29% and water turbines with 15%, contribute to covering 100% of the WWTP energy consumption and achieving an NZE WWTP.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

DOE OSTI2026

Regeneration of anion-exchange resins for cyclic selenium removal from industrial wastewaters

Application of ion exchange for the removal of selenium (Se) oxyanions from industrial wastewaters is often limited by ineffective regeneration of the ion-exchange resins, particularly in complex systems containing competing ions, such as coal-ash leachate containing high-sulfate concentrations and heavy metal ions. Here, in this study, it was first demonstrated that while conventional regeneration with sodium chloride (NaCl) is effective for simulated wastewater, with ∼80% efficiency, NaCl fails to regenerate resin loaded with real industrial wastewater, achieving less than 20% efficiency. To overcome this challenge, a two-step regeneration process was investigated using a sodium carbonate (Na 2 CO 3 ) solution for elution, followed by a NaCl solution for restoration. Compared to the one-step NaCl regeneration, this integrated process restored more than 80% of the resin's capacity with real industrial wastewaters. Beyond demonstrating regeneration performance, this research emphasizes fundamental mechanistic interpretations of the observed regeneration behavior across different water matrices and experimental conditions. Particularly, accounting for pH-dependent carbonate speciation, it is proposed that the elution step exploits the resin's strong affinity for divalent carbonate ions to displace strongly bound contaminants, while the subsequent restoration step relies mainly on the mass action effects of chloride ions to regenerate the resin sites. The protocol was optimized to achieve rapid regeneration (<10 min) using moderate chemical concentrations (0.5 M) in treating real leachate. In batch cyclic experiments, Se regeneration reached nearly complete recovery after five consecutive sorption and desorption cycles, while in the fixed-bed system, the regeneration efficiency remained at approximately 80% after five cycles.

Anion-exchange resin↗

DOE OSTI2020

Bio-Restore Workshop Summary Report

This report summarizes the results of a Bioenergy Technologies Office-sponsored public workshop held at Argonne National Laboratory on September 25–26, 2019. The purpose of the Bio-Restore Workshop was to bring together experts to discuss the current state of the technology and to identify data and R&D relevant to the bio-restore concept. Specific topics included using dedicated energy crops and other biomass sources to provide environmental benefits, implementing algae technologies (e.g., wastewater treatment, direct bloom harvest, turf scrubbers, macroalgae), quantifying and valorizing ecosystem services, developing low-cost sensors and data management systems, and integrating “bio-restore biomass” with supply chain needs. For the purposes of the workshop, the term “bio-restore biomass” refers to terrestrial and algal biomass that provides environmental benefits when produced or harvested. For terrestrial biomass, this primarily includes energy crops (herbaceous and woody), other cellulosic biomass, and waste biomass. For algal biomass, this includes wastewater treatment algal biomass, algal blooms, algal turf scrubbers/attached growth systems, and macroalgae. Types of biomass not of interest to the workshop discussions include oilseed crops, crops generally grown for food or feed, and algae grown in artificial light conditions or other energy-intensive cultivation designs.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

DOE OSTI2026

A Boundary Element Model for Assessing Large‐Scale Pressurization in Faulted Geological Storage Systems

Assessing large-scale pressurization at the regional scale—a possible outcome of large subsurface storage applications such as wastewater injection and geological carbon sequestration—presents significant computational challenges. These challenges are particularly pronounced when accounting for complex geologic structures with multiple reservoir and caprock layers, fault zones, and wells. This study introduces a computationally efficient model that integrates single-phase semi-analytical solutions with a boundary element (BE) approach. The model simulates pressure propagation in multilayered 3D systems, including vertical faults, caprock, basement, and confining units. We apply this new model to a representative scenario involving CO 2 injection near a partially sealing fault with verification against an independent two-phase flow model. Results demonstrate that our model accurately captures far-field pressure responses and that, outside the CO 2 plume zone, pressure predictions from single-phase and two-phase models are nearly identical. This supports the use of single-phase models like ours for efficient estimation of far-field pressure changes. Additionally, we demonstrate its effectiveness at a large scale, incorporating multiple wells and faults. With its ability to represent multiple wells, fault zones, and geological heterogeneity, our model is well suited for assessments of basin-scale pressurization. Its computational efficiency also makes it a promising tool for integration with optimization frameworks aimed at designing and managing injection strategies in faulted storage systems.

Cihan, A. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (↗

DOE OSTI2025

Crossflow membrane filtration system for operando fouling characterization using transmission x-ray scattering

Membrane-based separations are widely used for wastewater treatment due to their low cost and efficiency. However, membrane fouling, which is the unwanted deposition or attachment of contaminants on membrane surfaces and/or within membrane pores, remains a major challenge as it increases the mass transfer resistance and reduces membrane productivity. Membrane fouling is typically probed by macroscopic performance metrics, such as flux decline, and ex situ characterization. However, this does not capture the membrane and fouling layer evolution under operating conditions, potentially masking important mechanisms and nonequilibrium pathways that impact fouling. Here, we present a remotely controlled crossflow membrane system and a custom membrane cell for operando fouling characterization using transmission small/wide angle x-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS). This approach allows direct observation of the nanoscale changes occurring at the membrane surface during pressurized water treatment processes, enabling a new way to understand the connections between dynamic fouling behaviors and membrane performance. Nanoparticle fouling of porous membranes during ultrafiltration was investigated using operando SAXS, and mineral scaling of reverse osmosis membranes was investigated using operando WAXS. Furthermore, this system allows for tracking membrane fouling in real time and under realistic conditions, providing fundamental physical insights into how water chemistry and operating conditions affect macroscopic membrane performance. Moreover, this system opens the door for future in situ and operando studies, and it serves as a testbed for evaluating novel materials/processes for membrane-based separations.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2025

Morphotype-resolved characterization of microalgal communities in a nutrient recovery process with ARTiMiS flow imaging microscopy

Microalgae-driven nutrient recovery represents a promising technology for phosphorus removal from wastewater while simultaneously generating biomass that can be valorized to offset treatment costs. As full-scale processes come online, system parameters including biomass composition must be carefully monitored to optimize performance and prevent culture crashes. In this study, flow imaging microscopy (FIM) was leveraged to characterize microalgal community composition in near real-time at a full-scale municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Wisconsin, USA, and population and morphotype dynamics were examined to identify relationships between water chemistry, biomass composition, and system performance. Two FIM technologies, FlowCam and ARTiMiS, were evaluated as monitoring tools. ARTiMiS provided a more accurate estimate of total system biomass, and estimates derived from particle area as a proxy for biovolume yielded better approximations than particle counts. Deep learning classification models trained on annotated image libraries demonstrated equivalent performance between FlowCam and ARTiMiS, and convolutional neural network (CNN) classifiers proved significantly more accurate when compared to feature table-based dense neural network (DNN) models. Across a two-year study period, Scenedesmus spp. appeared most important for phosphorus removal, and were negatively impacted by elevated temperatures and increase in nitrite/nitrate concentrations. Chlorella and Monoraphidium also played an important role in phosphorus removal. For both Scenedesmus and Chlorella, smaller morphological types were more often associated with better system performance, whereas larger morphotypes likely associated with stress response(s) correlated with poor phosphorus recovery rates. Furthermore, these results demonstrate the potential of FIM as a critical technology for high-resolution characterization of industrial microalgal processes.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

NASA NTRS1987

Recent developments in water quality monitoring for Space Station reclaimed wastewaters

This paper discusses the recent developments in water quality monitoring for Space Station reclaimed wastewaters. A preprototype unit that contains an ultraviolet absorbance organic carbon monitor integrated with pH and conductivity sensors is presented. The preprototype has provisions for automated operation and is a reagentless flow-through system without any gas/liquid interfaces. The organic carbon monitor detects by utraviolet absorbance the organic impurities in reclaimed wastewater which may be correlated to the organic carbon content of the water. A comparison of the preprototype organic carbon detection values with actual total organic carbon measurements is presented. The electrolyte double junction concept for the pH sensor and fixed electrodes for both the pH and conductivity sensors are discussed. In addition, the development of a reagentless organic carbon analyzer that incorporates ultraviolet oxidation and infrared detection is presented. Detection sensitivities, hardware development, and operation are included.

Small, John W.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Thermoelectric integrated membrane evaporation subsystem testing

An advanced preprototype Thermoelectric Integrated Membrane Evaporation Subsystem (TIMES) has been developed to provide high quality water recovery from various types of wastewater on extended duration space flights. The subsystem has undergone extensive wastewater processing testing, in order to evaluate its potential as an essential part of the Space Station Water Reclamation System. A discussion of the operating performance of the TIMES is presented in this paper, with special attention given to the water quality attained for a number of simulated Space Station wastewater feedstocks.

Dehner, Gerard F.↗

DOE OSTI2021

Life cycle energy and environmental impacts of hydroprocessed renewable jet fuel production from pennycress

There is a growing interest in making the overall aviation industry more environmentally-friendly by developing advanced biofuels. In this context, the main driver is establishing feedstocks with lower environmental loads and higher energy use efficiency. The objective of this study was to evaluate the energy requirement and environmental impacts of hydroprocessed renewable jet fuel (HRJ) production from pennycress. The system boundary included pennycress production, logistics, oil extraction and conversion to HRJ, wastewater treatment, and electricity and steam generation. Energy allocation method was used for the analysis. The functional unit was considered to be one GJ of HRJ, and the biorefinery size was considered to be 18.9 million l/yr (5 million gal/yr) HRJ. Energy use efficiency of pennycress-based HRJ production was estimated to be 3.9–5.5 (90% central range), which was higher than that of HRJ from other oilseeds, such as canola. Global warming potential of pennycress-based HRJ (35–49 kgCO 2 eq/GJ of HRJ (90% central range)) was also lower than those of HRJ from similar oilseeds and the commercial jet fuel baseline. Pennycress production was the main contributor to the total energy use and environmental impacts of HRJ production, mainly due to the use of nitrogen fertilizer for production, and fuel combustion for farm operations. Pennycress yield was identified as the most sensitive parameter affecting the energy use efficiency and environmental impacts of HRJ production. Furthermore, the outcomes of this study are useful for identifying the performance targets towards improving energy use efficiency and environmental performance of pennycress-based HRJ production at the commercial scale.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

DOE OSTI2022

Regionalized Life-Cycle Water Impacts of Microalgal-Based Biofuels in the United States

While algal biofuels have the potential to reduce the national reliance on fossil fuels, high water consumption associated with algal biomass cultivation represents a major concern potentially compromising the sustainable commercialization of this technology. This study focuses on quantifying the water footprint (WF) and water scarcity footprint (WSF) of renewable diesel derived from algal biomass and provides insights into where algal cultivation is less water-intensive than traditional ethanol and biodiesel feedstocks. Results are generated with an engineering process model developed to predict the life-cycle water consumption, considering green, blue, and gray water, of algae facilities across the United States at a high spatiotemporal resolution. The total WFs for Florida and Arizona are determined to be 13.1 and 17.6 m 3 GJ –1 , respectively. The blue WF in Arizona is shown to be 8.5 times larger than in Florida, while the green WF is 4.5 times smaller, but when combined into a total WF, there is just a 26% difference between the two locations. The analysis reveals that the total life-cycle WFs of algal renewable diesel are smaller than the optimal WFs of corn ethanol and soybean biodiesel. Algal systems benefit from higher growth rates and offer the opportunity to manage wastewater streams, therefore generating smaller green and gray WFs than those of conventional biofuels. Here, the WSF analysis identifies the Gulf Coast as the most suitable region for algal cultivation, with cultivation in the western US shown to exacerbate local water stress levels.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

NASA NTRS2013

Characterization of Microbial Communities Found in Bioreactor Effluent

The purpose of this investigation was to examine microbial communities of simulated wastewater effluent from hollow fiber membrane bioreactors collected from the Space Life Science Laboratory and Texas Technical University. Microbes were characterized using quantitative polymerase chain reaction where a total count of bacteria and fungi were determined. The primers that were used to determine the total count of bacteria and fungi were targeted for 16S rDNA genes and the internal transcribed spacer, respectively. PCR products were detected with SYBR Green I fluorescent dye and a melting curve analysis was performed to identify unique melt profiles resulting from DNA sequence variations from each species of the community. Results from both the total bacteria and total fungi count assays showed that distinct populations were present in isolates from these bioreactors. This was exhibited by variation in the number of peaks observed on the melting curve analysis graph. Further analysis of these results using species-specific primers will shed light on exactly which microbes are present in these effluents. Information gained from this study will enable the design of a system that can efficiently monitor microbes that play a role in the biogeochemical cycling of nitrogen in wastewater on the International Space Station to assist in the design of a sustainable system capable of converting this nutrient.

Flowe, Candice↗

DOE OSTI2021

Co-Generation Wastewater Treatment at Coal-Fired Energy Plants (Final Report)

Steam electric energy generation typically results in the discharge of one or more effluent streams. Coal-fired energy plant air quality regulations have had the effect of transferring pollutants previously in the flue gas to water by means of the flue gas desulfurization (FGD) system. Combined physical-chemical and biological treatment solutions are currently the most economical approach for treating FGD wastewater. Multi-effect evaporators are significantly higher cost but can meet potential upcoming regulations that are more stringent.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗

NASA NTRS2017

Getting Out of Orbit: Water Recycling Requirements and Technology Needs for Long Duration Missions Away from Earth

Deep-space crewed missions will not have regular access to the Earth's resources or the ability to rapidly return to Earth if a system fails. As crewed missions extend farther from Earth for longer periods, habitation systems must become more self-sufficient and reliable for safe, healthy, and sustainable human exploration. For human missions to Mars, Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS) must be able operate for up to 1,100 days with minimal spares and consumables. These missions will require capabilities to more fully recycle atmospheric gases and wastewater to substantially reduce mission costs. Even with relatively austere requirements for use, water represents one of the largest consumables by mass. Systems must be available to extract and recycle water from all sources of waste. And given that there will be no opportunity to send samples back to Earth for analysis, analytical measurements will be limited to monitoring hardware brought on board the spacecraft. The Earth Reliant phase of NASA's exploration strategy includes leveraging the International Space Station (ISS) to demonstrate advanced capabilities for a robust and reliable ECLSS. The ISS Water Recovery System (WRS) includes a Urine Processor Assembly (UPA) for distillation and recovery of water from urine and a Water Processor Assembly (WPA) to process humidity condensate and urine distillate into potable water. Possible enhancements to more fully "close the water loop" include recovery of water from waste brines and solid wastes. A possible game changer is the recovery of water from local planetary resources through use of In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) technologies. As part of the development and demonstration sequence, NASA intends to utilize cis-Lunar space as a Proving Ground to verify systems for deep space habitation by conducting extended duration missions to validate our readiness for Mars.

Barta, Daniel J.↗

DOE OSTI2021

Assessing the future of global energy-for-water

This study incorporates the energy demands of water abstraction, treatment, distribution, and post-use (wastewater) treatment into the Global Change Assessment Model (GCAM), an integrated human-Earth systems model, and analyzes a range of scenarios that estimate the future evolution of this demand of energy. The study builds on prior research on the historical demands of energy-for-water, fitting these demands of energy into existing nation-level energy balances, where demands for energy-for-water have heretofore been aggregated with other energy use in the commercial and public services, industrial, agricultural, and/or electric power sectors. This development allows for improved projections of future energy demands in general, and in this study, allows for assessment of the energy implications of different scenarios of improvements in water access and water quality that are consistent with the Sustainable Development Goals. In our baseline scenario, energy-for-water approximately doubles from 2010 to 2050, and in the scenario with the greatest level of water access, standards for treatment of wastewater, and irrigation expansion, the consequent energy-for-water demands increase three-fold from 2010 to 2050. Note also that these increases do not consider future scarcity-driven increases in energy requirements per unit of water abstraction, treatment, and distribution.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗