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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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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Advanced Alkaline Membrane H 2 /Air Fuel Cell System with Novel Technique for Air CO 2 Removal

Over the course of this project, significant progress was achieved in developing the hydroxide exchange membrane fuel cell (HEMFC) and the electrochemically-driven CO₂ separator (EDCS), with a focus on improving performance, durability, and scalability. Key milestones were met, and the technology demonstrated potential for a wide range of applications, including fuel cell vehicles, direct air capture (DAC), and life support systems.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2022

Scaling Sustainable Biochar Research & Commercialization for Agriculture & Conservation: A Summary from a Stakeholder Convening

Biochar is a carbon-rich substance with the potential to increase soil carbon sequestration, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improve soil health. When used as part of soil health management systems, biochar can provide multiple synergistic benefits for the agricultural sector and society, while also supporting the production of renewable, climate-neutral biofuels. Establishing a pyrolysis biochar bioenergy industry (PBBI) is necessary to harness the environmental benefits of biochar. To galvanize the necessary coordination to support a PBBI, the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR), the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT), and American Farmland Trust (AFT) co-hosted a virtual convening event on biochar research and commercialization in March 2022. Participants represented a diverse set of stakeholders, including biochar producers, agricultural producers, and members of nonprofit, industry and government agencies. This whitepaper offers a summary of the convening, as well as insights from subsequent stakeholder engagement. Sustainably sourced, fit-for-purpose biochar can be a powerful tool in the soil health management systems and climate-smart toolbox, with decades of research supporting the soil, environment, production, and climate benefits. However, because biochar represents a range of feedstocks, processes and products, there is a critical need to: • Coordinate efforts to characterize and test the application of biochar types across locations with diverse soil and management conditions • Address research and decision-support gaps • Support the growing industry These objectives can be addressed or advanced through a coordinated strategy. To support establishment of this strategy, the convening participants identified key gaps in implementation and research. The experiences of foresters, ranchers, and farmers already using biochar, some of whom participated in the convening, helped inform priorities. Key gaps include: • Practical, applied on-farm research • Supporting management for agricultural productivity • Maximum benefits for conservation • Decision support • Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) • Quantification of climate mitigation potential Existing research gaps include: • Potential synergies among biochar, soil organic matter, and enhanced rock weathering • Development of new storage reservoirs for biochar in industrial products Convening participants further provided next steps for rapidly developing a PBBI to produce sustainable, fit-for-purpose biochars that increase soil health and mitigate climate change. Participants also stressed the need for actionable, coordinated, large-scale research relevant to commercial production in the next five years. To have a chance to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, we need an array of tools that would aid in mitigation; a coordinated strategy to enable biochar to be an effective tool in the climate-smart toolbox must be created; We cannot wait 50 years.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Biomass for Carbon Removal and Storage (BiCRS) Variables Matrices

The Biomass for Carbon Removal and Storage (BiCRS) Variables Matrices provide insights related to measured, monitored, reported and verified (MMRV) components (variables) across a BiCRS value chain. Suggested variable values and components to be measured with literature references and context obtained from industry and scientists are provided for several biomass sources, conversion routes and storage scenarios. The Variables Matrices are meant to support life cycle assessment and MMRV efforts for BiCRS projects. These variables and insights may need to be updated in the future as additional information, scientific advancements, and data become available (Version 1 issued in 2025).

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Characterization of Interconnects

Combined-accelerated stress testing (C-AST) simultaneously combines stress factors of the natural environment (including UV radiation, temperature, humidity, electrical current, and external mechanical force) into a single test that requires fewer modules, fewer chambers, and makes it possible to discover weaknesses in new designs that are not known a-priori. C-AST reduces risk, accelerates time to market, and improves bankability by reducing costly overdesign using test levels not exceeding those seen in the natural environment. This project seeks to evaluate strengths and weaknesses of modern cell interconnect designs with combined-accelerated stress testing (C-AST) to screen multiple climates along with finite element and failure analysis to determine the potential for a 50-year life. Supporting this, we seek to develop methods of characterization to assess the degradation of interconnects, enable predictive rate models with material forensics and FEA and show C-AST's ability to find interconnect failures and benchmark it relative to other accelerated stress test methods like temperature cycling and cyclic dynamic mechanical loading. Examples of modern interconnect designs covered are Canadian Solar Hetero Technology ribbon enabling closer cell interconnections, SmartWire (eg. Meyer-Berger technology), and shingled cells with new interconnect materials.

C-AST↗
DOE OSTI2022

Hydrogen Life-Cycle Analysis in Support of Clean Hydrogen Production

Hydrogen is a basic molecule which is commonly used in the production of chemicals or as an energy carrier or a fuel. Its zero-carbon content means that it does not produce carbon dioxide upon its use. However, depending on the energy source and technology for hydrogen production and delivery, there can be greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the hydrogen for various end use applications. To provide the largest reduction in GHG emissions, hydrogen produced from clean energy sources should be used. As concerns regarding climate change grows, there is an increasing focus on economic production of clean hydrogen to displace less climate neutral sources of hydrogen. However, there are many different methods of hydrogen production with unique processes that result in different levels of life cycle GHG emissions of hydrogen production and its end use applications. Therefore, a comprehensive life cycle accounting methodology that takes all these factors into account is required. he GREET ® (Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Technologies) model was first developed in 1995 by Argonne National Laboratory with the support from the various offices of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). GREET provides in-depth Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) simulations for a variety of products and is available as an Excel spreadsheet (GREET Excel), or as an application (GREET .Net). Both versions are available for public download at no cost. This report accompanies GREET 2022 release to describe the major updates and expansions to the hydrogen technology pathways, and to provide data sources and sample carbon intensity results for each of the pathways.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2025

A dynamic protein interactome drives energy conservation and electron flux in Thermococcus kodakarensis

ABSTRACT Life is supported by energy gains fueled by catabolism of a wide range of substrates, each reliant on the selective partitioning of electrons through redox ( red uction and ox idation) reactions. Electron flux through tunable and regulated protein interactions provides dynamic routes for energy conservation, but how electron flux is regulated in vivo , particularly for archaeal metabolisms that support rapid growth at the thermodynamic limits of life, is poorly understood. Identification of bona fide in vivo protein assemblies and how such assemblies dictate the totality of electron flux is critical to our understanding of the regulation imposed on metabolism, energy production, and energy conservation. Here, 25 key proteins in central metabolic redox pathways in the model, genetically accessible, hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus kodakarensis , were purified to reveal an extensive, dynamic, and tightly interconnected network of protein interactions that responds to environmental cues (such as the availability of various reductive sinks) to direct electron flux to maximize energetic gains. Interactions connecting disparate functions suggest many catabolic and anabolic activities occur in spatial proximity in vivo , and while protein complexes have been historically defined under optimal conditions, many of these complexes appear to maintain alternative partnerships in changing conditions. The totality of the results obtained redefines our understanding of in vivo assemblies driving ancient metabolic strategies supporting the growth of modern Archaea. IMPORTANCE Given the potential for rational genetic manipulations of biofuel- and biotech-promising archaea to yield transformative results for major markets, it is a priority to define how the metabolisms of such species are controlled, at least in part, by in vivo protein assemblies, and from such, define routes of energy flux that can be most efficiently altered toward biofuel or biotechnological gains. Proteinaceous electron carriers (PECs, such as ferredoxins) offer the potential for specific protein–protein interactions to coordinate selective reductive flow. Employing the model, genetically accessible, hyperthermophilic archaeon, Thermococcus kodakarensis , we establish the metabolic protein interactome of 25 key redox proteins, revealing that each redox active protein has a dynamic partnership profile, suggesting catabolic and anabolic activities may occur in concert and in temporal and spatial proximity in vivo . These results reveal critical importance in evaluating the newly identified partnerships and their role and utility in providing regulated redox flux in T. kodakarensis .

Williams, Sere A. (ORCID:0000000235509590)↗
DOE OSTI2023

Decision-making Framework to Support the End-of-Life Management of High-Activity Radioactive Sources

Sealed radioactive sources are used for an extremely wide range of purposes, including as radiation sources in various nuclear facilities, universities, hospitals, biomedical and industrial applications, as well as for geological prospecting and exploration. The proper management of these sealed radioactive sources once they have reached their end-of-life is still a global challenge. Very few field-tested Mobile Hot Cells (MHC) exist in the world to support the end-of-life management of disused high-activity radioactive sources. One of the critical challenges that a source recovery team encounters on each site is to find adequate space, and access to that space to complete the staging and recapture process with a MHC; this process is tedious, uncertain, and time-consuming. Therefore, it is essential to understand the planning and management of the MHC setup and takedown. Currently, there isn't an single capable planning tool that will provide an effective medium to plan, inform, educate, and communicate knowledge about the environment where the MHC will be deployed. We present a novel approach for the planning and management of the deployment of the MHC to several different sites that relies on technology. Furthermore, this planning tool will support collaboration, promote information sharing, and foster better decision making processes, resulting in a more efficient, and reliable setup and source recovery with the MHC.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Deep-branching acetogens in serpentinized subsurface fluids of Oman

Little is known of acetogens in contemporary serpentinizing systems, despite widely supported theories that serpentinite-hosted environments supported the first life on Earth via acetogenesis. To address this knowledge gap, genome-resolved metagenomics was applied to subsurface fracture water communities from an area of active serpentinization in the Samail Ophiolite, Sultanate of Oman. Two deeply branching putative bacterial acetogen types were identified in the communities belonging to the Acetothermia (hereafter, types I and II) that exhibited distinct distributions among waters with lower and higher water–rock reaction (i.e., serpentinization influence), respectively. Metabolic reconstructions revealed contrasting core metabolic pathways of type I and II Acetothermia, including in acetogenic pathway components (e.g., bacterial- vs. archaeal-like carbon monoxide dehydrogenases [CODH], respectively), hydrogen use to drive acetogenesis, and chemiosmotic potential generation via respiratory (type I) or canonical acetogen ferredoxin-based complexes (type II). Notably, type II Acetothermia metabolic pathways allow for use of serpentinization-derived substrates and implicate them as key primary producers in contemporary hyperalkaline serpentinite environments. Phylogenomic analyses indicate that 1) archaeal-like CODH of the type II genomes and those of other serpentinite-associated Bacteria derive from a deeply rooted horizontal transfer or origin among archaeal methanogens and 2) Acetothermia are among the earliest evolving bacterial lineages. The discovery of dominant and early-branching acetogens in subsurface waters of the largest near-surface serpentinite formation provides insight into the physiological traits that likely facilitated rock-supported life to flourish on a primitive Earth and possibly on other rocky planets undergoing serpentinization.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗
DOE OSTI2025

Expanding on the ability of trivalent actinides to support microbial alcohol metabolism in evolved methylotrophic bacterium

The 4 f elements, known as the lanthanides, have only recently been recognized as biologically essential metals. These elements can be found in the active site of certain alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) enzymes, which are used by methylotrophic bacteria to metabolize simple alcohols such as methanol and ethanol. The 5 f elements, known as the actinides, often show similar chemical behaviour to the lanthanides and recent reports demonstrated that americium (Am) and curium (Cm) can replace lanthanides in certain ADHs to yield a catalytically competent enzyme and support bacterial life. In this work, we expand on these results to show the trivalent ions actinium (Ac3+), americium (Am3+), curium (Cm3+), berkelium (Bk3+), and californium (Cf3+) all support growth of an evolved strain of the model methylotroph Methylobacterium extorquens AM1. Further in vitro experiments using a reconstituted ethanol dehydrogenase enzyme confirm the ability of this enzyme to utilize trivalent actinide ions.

Woods, Joshua J↗
DOE OSTI2020

Emerging technologies and radical collaboration to advance predictive understanding of watershed hydrobiogeochemistry

Increasing population and resource-intensive lifestyles are driving enhanced demands for clean water, food, and energy. In parallel, land-use change, climate change, and perturbations—including drought, floods, fires, and early snowmelt—are significantly reshaping interactions within watersheds throughout the world. While watersheds are the Earth's key functional unit for assessing and managing water resources, hydrological processes in watersheds also mediate biogeochemical interactions that support terrestrial life on Earth (Kaushal, Gold, Bernal, & Tank, 2018; National Research Council, 2012). Although society is dependent upon clean water availability, tractable prediction of watershed hydrobiogeochemical behavior, including watershed response to perturbations, remains a challenge. Central to the challenge are complex, multiscale interactions between plants, microorganisms, organic matter, minerals, dissolved constituents, and migrating fluids, which occur within and across bedrock-to-canopy compartments and along extensive lateral gradients of a watershed. Several recent community reports have synthesized formidable challenges associated with watershed science and technology (AGU, 2018; Blöschl et al., 2019). Here, we discuss emerging technologies and collaboration modes that are critical for developing generalizable insights about and predictive understanding of complex watershed hydrobiogeochemical behavior, which are important for underpinning optimized natural resource management.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Exploratory Precipitation Metrics: Spatiotemporal Characteristics, Process-Oriented, and Phenomena-Based

Abstract Precipitation sustains life and supports human activities, making its prediction one of the most societally relevant challenges in weather and climate modeling. Limitations in modeling precipitation underscore the need for diagnostics and metrics to evaluate precipitation in simulations and predictions. While routine use of basic metrics is important for documenting model skill, more sophisticated diagnostics and metrics aimed at connecting model biases to their sources and revealing precipitation characteristics relevant to how model precipitation is used are critical for improving models and their uses. This paper illustrates examples of exploratory diagnostics and metrics including 1) spatiotemporal characteristics metrics such as diurnal variability, probability of extremes, duration of dry spells, spectral characteristics, and spatiotemporal coherence of precipitation; 2) process-oriented metrics based on the rainfall–moisture coupling and temperature–water vapor environments of precipitation; and 3) phenomena-based metrics focusing on precipitation associated with weather phenomena including low pressure systems, mesoscale convective systems, frontal systems, and atmospheric rivers. Together, these diagnostics and metrics delineate the multifaceted and multiscale nature of precipitation, its relations with the environments, and its generation mechanisms. The metrics are applied to historical simulations from phases 5 and 6 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project. Models exhibit diverse skill as measured by the suite of metrics, with very few models consistently ranked as top or bottom performers compared to other models in multiple metrics. Analysis of model skill across metrics and models suggests possible relationships among subsets of metrics, motivating the need for more systematic analysis to understand model biases for informing model development.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Recovery of critical elements from end-of-life lithium ion batteries with supported membrane solvent extraction

Single-stage and multi-stage systems and methods for the recovery of critical elements in substantially pure form from lithium ion batteries are provided. The systems and methods include supported membrane solvent extraction using an immobilized organic phase within the pores of permeable hollow fibers. The permeable hollow fibers are contacted by a feed solution on one side, and a strip solution on another side, to provide the simultaneous extraction and stripping of elements from dissolved lithium ion cathode materials, while rejecting other elements from the feed solution. The single- and multi-stage systems and methods can selectively recover cobalt, manganese, nickel, lithium, aluminum and other elements from spent battery cathodes and are not limited by equilibrium constraints as compared to traditional solvent extraction processes.

Bhave, Ramesh R.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Corrosion Fatigue Life Evaluation of 17-4PH in Support of Water Filled Turbine Hubs

High cycle corrosion fatigue (HCCF) life S-N tests were conducted on wrought 17-4PH in various water environments under accelerated testing conditions. For tests conducted in aerated Columbia River water and in aerated ASTM Type IV water, at ~10 6 cycles, the HCCF stress amplitude was ~70% of the value in air. For deaerated water, the value was ~80%. These values are consist with the small amount of literature data on HCCF life of 17-4PH in water environments. The measured fatigue life both in air and water are much better than the ASME trend curve of high cycle fatigue life of moderate and high strength steels. Measured values were also much better than found in a hydropower-relevant study in the literature on cast 17-4PH. The effect of Amersite 61W on HCCF life was evaluated and found to cause very low times to specimen failure compared to all other water environments.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Fiberboard Properties and Degradation Rates for Storage of 9975 Shipping Packages in KAC (2021 Status Report)

Thermal, mechanical, and physical properties have been measured on fiberboard samples following accelerated aging for up to 16 years. The aging environments include elevated temperature up to 250 ºF (the maximum allowed service temperature for fiberboard in 9975 packages) and elevated humidity. Accelerated aging results have been analyzed and used to build aging models. Correlations relating several properties (thermal conductivity, energy absorption, weight, dimensions, and density) to their rate of change in potential storage environments have been developed. Combined with an estimate of the actual conditions the fiberboard experiences in K-Area Complex (KAC), these models allow development of service life predictions. KAC completed calculations that supported extending the service life of 9975 packages with 3013 and non3013 containers in storage from 15 years to 20 years. These calculations addressed the potential for degraded fiberboard properties following 20 years in storage using degradation models developed previously. The updated degradation models developed in this report have been compared to the assumptions in these calculations, and the current results for fiberboard dimensions, density, radial thermal conductivity, and energy absorption remain consistent with those calculations. The axial thermal conductivity degradation rate slightly exceeds calculations estimate of 0.5% per year between 130 and 160 °F. Additional data will continue to be collected to permit future refinements to the models and assumptions. Some of the predicted degradation rates presented in this report are extreme. However, these relate to environments that do not exist within KAC or would be postulated only as upset conditions that would not likely persist for an extended period. For a typical package stored in KAC with approximately 10-12 watts internal heat load or less, and ambient temperatures below 90 ºF, the fiberboard assemblies experience storage conditions less severe than any of the aging environments. Fiberboard in conforming packages with lower internal heat loads should experience little or no degradation and is expected to provide a service life beyond the currently approved 20 year storage period. Packages with higher internal heat loads may not continue to perform their required safety functions beyond 20 years. Ultimately, service life will be determined by the cumulative effect of degradation from all the conditions these packages might encounter. The results and model predictions presented in this report are applicable to 9975 packages with cane or softwood fiberboard overpack assemblies. These degradation models do not address the effects of nonconforming conditions such as the presence of excess moisture and mold or beetle infestations.

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

Fiberboard Properties and Degradation Rates for Storage of 9975 Shipping Package in KAC (2022 Status Report)

Thermal, mechanical, and physical properties have been measured on fiberboard samples following accelerated aging for up to 17 years. The aging environments include elevated temperature up to 250 °F (the maximum allowed service temperature for fiberboard in 9975 packages) and elevated humidity. Accelerated aging results have been analyzed and used to build aging models. Correlations relating several properties (thermal conductivity, energy absorption, weight, dimensions, and density) to their rate of change in potential storage environments have been developed. Combined with an estimate of the actual conditions the fiberboard experiences in K-Area Complex (KAC), these models allow development of service life predictions. KAC completed calculations that supported extending the service life of 9975 packages with 3013 containers in storage from 20 years to 40 years. These calculations addressed the potential for degraded fiberboard properties following 40 years in storage using degradation models developed previously. Due to differences in containers, 9975 packages with non-3013 containers are only approved for 20 years of storage. The updated degradation models developed in this report have been compared to the assumptions in those calculations, and the current results for fiberboard dimensions, density, radial thermal conductivity, and energy absorption remain consistent with those calculations. The axial thermal conductivity degradation rate slightly exceeds calculations estimate of 0.5% per year between 130 and 160 °F. Additional data will continue to be collected to permit future refinements to the models and assumptions. Some of the predicted degradation rates presented in this report are extreme. However, these relate to environments that do not exist within KAC or would be postulated only as upset conditions that would not likely persist for an extended period. For a typical package stored in KAC with approximately 10-12 watts internal heat load or less, and ambient temperatures below 90 °F, the fiberboard assemblies experience storage conditions less severe than any of the aging environments. Fiberboard in conforming packages with lower internal heat loads should experience little or no degradation and is expected to provide a service life beyond the currently approved 40 year storage period. Packages with higher internal heat loads may not continue to perform their required safety functions beyond 40 years. Ultimately, service life will be determined by the cumulative effect of degradation from all the conditions these packages might encounter. The results and model predictions presented in this report are applicable to 9975 packages with cane or softwood fiberboard overpack assemblies. These degradation models do not address the effects of non-conforming conditions such as the presence of excess moisture and mold or beetle infestations.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

2025 Status Report - Fiberboard Properties and Degradation Rates for Storage of 9975 Shipping Package in KAC

Fiberboard assemblies in the 9975 package were identified as susceptible to aging and degradation under long-term storage conditions. Thermal, mechanical, and physical properties have been measured on fiberboard samples aging for up to 20 years at accelerated conditions. The aging environments include elevated temperature up to 250 ºF (the maximum allowed service temperature for fiberboard in 9975 packages) and elevated humidity. Accelerated aging results have been analyzed and used to build aging models. Correlations relating several properties (thermal conductivity, energy absorption, weight, dimensions, and density) to their rate of change in potential storage environments have been developed. Combined with an estimate of the actual conditions the fiberboard experiences in K-Area Complex (KAC), these models allow development of service life predictions. KAC completed calculations that supported extending the service life of 9975 packages with 3013 containers in storage from 20 years to 40 years. These calculations addressed the potential for degraded fiberboard properties following 40 years in storage using degradation models. The 40 year storage evaluations assumed the degradation rates from initial values for density, dimensional, and thermal properties were 0.5% per year (i.e., after 40 years, the density, dimensional, and thermal properties of fiberboard were 80% of its initial values). The updated degradation models developed in this report were compared to the assumptions in those calculations, and the current results for fiberboard dimensions, density, axial and radial thermal conductivities, and energy absorption remain consistent with those calculations. Additional data will continue to be collected to permit future refinements to the models and assumptions. Some of the predicted degradation rates presented in this report are purposely high to accelerate aging. These rates relate to environments that do not exist within KAC or are postulated to only occur as upset conditions that are unlikely to persist for an extended period. For a typical package stored in KAC with approximately 10-12 watts internal heat load or less, and ambient temperatures below 90 ºF, the fiberboard assemblies experience storage conditions less severe than any of the aging environments (i.e., under 125 °F) used in this study. Fiberboard in conforming packages with lower internal heat loads should experience little or no degradation and is expected to provide a service life beyond the currently approved 40 year storage period. Packages with higher internal heat loads may not continue to perform their required safety functions beyond 40 years. Ultimately, service life will be determined by the cumulative effect of degradation from all the conditions these packages might encounter. The results and model predictions presented in this report are applicable to 9975 packages with cane or softwood fiberboard overpack assemblies. These degradation models do not address the effects of nonconforming conditions such as the presence of excess moisture and mold or beetle infestations.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2023

Relationships between fluid mixing, biodiversity, and chemosynthetic primary productivity in Yellowstone hot springs

The factors that influence biodiversity and productivity of hydrothermal ecosystems are not well understood. Here we investigate the relationship between fluid mixing, biodiversity, and chemosynthetic primary productivity in three co-localized hot springs (RSW, RSN, and RSE) in Yellowstone National Park that have different geochemistry. All three springs are sourced by reduced hydrothermal fluid, but RSE and RSN receive input of vapour phase gas and oxidized groundwaters, with input of both being substantially higher in RSN. Metagenomic sequencing revealed that communities in RSN were more biodiverse than those of RSE and RSW in all dimensions evaluated. Microcosm activity assays indicate that rates of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) uptake were also higher in RSN than in RSE and RSW. Together, these results suggest that increased mixing of reduced volcanic fluid with oxidized fluids generates additional niche space capable of supporting increasingly biodiverse communities that are more productive. These results provide insight into the factors that generate and maintain chemosynthetic biodiversity in hydrothermal systems and that influence the distribution, abundance, and diversity of microbial life in communities supported by chemosynthesis. These factors may also extend to other ecosystems not supported by photosynthesis, including the vast subterranean biosphere and biospheres beneath ice sheets and glaciers.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Methods for R&D Portfolio Analysis and Evaluation (Workshop Report)

The Workshop on Methods for R&D Portfolio Analysis and Evaluation convened on 17–18 July 2019 at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado, and examined strengths and weaknesses of the various methodologies applicable to R&D portfolio modeling, analysis, and decision support, given pragmatic constraints such as data availability, uncertainties in estimating the impact of R&D spending, and practical operational overheads. Participants employed their deep expertise in approaches such as stochastic optimization, real options, Monte-Carlo analysis, Bayesian networks, decision theory, complex systems analysis, deep uncertainty, and technology-evolution modeling to critique the initial example models developed by the project’s core team and to conduct thought experiments grounded in real-life technology models, progress data, expert elicitation, and portfolio information. This engagement of participants’ methodological expertise with the practical requirements of real-life portfolio decision support yielded ideas for improved approaches, alternative methodological hypotheses, and hybridization of methodologies that are well-grounded theoretically, computationally sound, and realistically executable given data availability and other practical constraints.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗