Results for “feedstock design” — Page 22

DOE OSTI2021

Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulation of Compressible Non-Newtonian Biomass in a Compression-Screw Feeder

Compression-screw feeders play a critical role in biorefineries to transport lignocellulosic biomass feedstocks from the feeding hoppers to biomass-conversion reactors in order to pretreat and convert biomass to hydrocarbon liquid biofuels and other power and energy resources. One of the main challenges in the operation of screw feeder is plugging and jamming of compressed biomass with high concentration of insoluble solids. The focus of this paper is to numerically investigate the screw feeder at these challenging operating conditions and help with the optimization of the screw feeder design to avoid operation failure. In this work a customized CFD model based on open-source OpenFOAM package [1] was developed to simulate the concentrated biomass as a highly viscous non-Newtonian fluid in the screw feeder. The biomass is modeled as a single-phase compressible Bingham fluid with a plastic viscosity as well as a density-dependent yield stress. The compressibility formulation (pressure-dependent density) and the density-dependent yield stress formulation in the governing equations follow the suggestions from a recent study by Duncan et al. [2]. A pilot-scale hopper/screw feeding system at NREL [3] is used to compare the experimental observations with our simulation results. The auger is 280 mm long and tapered with outer diameter changing from 80 mm to 35 mm. The auger rotates from 10 to 60 rpm in a conical throat which contains anti-rotational bars. The simulations predicted the required torque for the screw feeder and the pressure increase at the exit for biomass feedstocks with various fluid viscosity properties and auger rotating speeds. The analysis of the stress forces helped to identify the critical conditions were the screw feeder excessive wear or jamming could occur.

biofuels↗

DOE OSTI2023

Results from a controlled depleted uranium metal casting experiment designed to investigate nuclear Forensic Radiochronometry Signatures

The accurate interpretation of uranium metal 230 Th/ 234 U and 231 Pa/ 235 U radiochronometry model ages requires an understanding of how uranium parent nuclides and decay progeny ( 230 Th and 231 Pa) behave during uranium metal casting. In order to directly measure the spatial distribution of 230 Th and 231 Pa in uranium metal before and after vacuum induction melting (VIM), Los Alamos National Laboratory identified uranium metal feedstock, characterized the metal feedstock, conducted a controlled casting experiment of an approximately 120 kg uranium metal rod, and characterized the cast metal. Herein this study presents radiochronometry results and quantified 230 Th and 231 Pa VIM separation factors from bulk uranium.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗

DOE OSTI2025

Ink-based laser powder bed fusion of barium titanate

Barium titanate (BTO) is a lead-free functional ceramic that is widely used in sensors, transducers, and actuators. The increasing demand for complex geometries and quick design iterations motivates the use of additive manufacturing techniques. Laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) additive manufacturing technique enables the net-shape or near-net-shape fabrication of metals and alloys. Ceramic L-PBF remains challenging due to their high melting temperature. Here, to address this challenge, a nanoparticle ink feedstock was incorporated into the L-PBF process to allow low power melting of BTO. Key print parameters (i.e. laser power, scanning speed, and hatching spacing) were optimized to fabricate millimeter-scale BTO parts. The printed BTO samples possessed an inhomogeneous equiaxed-columnar-cellular microstructure. Semiconducting current-voltage behavior was observed in as-printed samples, which was attributed to the creation of oxygen vacancies. The piezoelectric d 33 coefficient was measured to be 4.6 pC/N.

Dielectrics↗

DOE OSTI2025

Supramolecular Assembly of Lanthanide-Binding Tag Peptides for Aqueous Separation of Rare Earth Elements

Selective and eco-friendly separation and purification methods for rare earth elements (REEs) are necessary to meet the increasing demand for these valuable metals, which are extensively used in modern electronics and clean energy technologies. Mining feedstocks consist of REE mixtures as stable trivalent cations (Ln 3+ ) that are difficult to separate due to their identical charge and similar size. Lanthanide-binding tags (LBTs), peptide chelates that coordinate Ln 3+ in binding pockets, show promise as selective, high-affinity extractants. We demonstrate that the LBT variant LBTLLA 5– , designed for high selectivity for Tb 3+ , is an effective extractant, forming complexes with REEs in solution that subsequently organize into self-assembling structures rich in Ln 3+ . These structures condense into aggregates that can be separated, enabling an efficient, all-aqueous, eco-friendly separation process. The self-assembled structures are studied using dynamic light scattering, ζ-potential measurements, transmission electron microscopy, anomalous small-angle X-ray scattering, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy, and ultraviolet–visible absorption spectroscopy, which confirm LBTLLA 5– peptide-REE ion binding and the further assembly of micron-scale structures rich in REEs. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal the interactions promoting aggregation as well as the integrity of the binding pocket upon self-assembly. We find that LBTLLA 5– :Ln 3+ complexes recruit excess cations within the macrostructures, and we demonstrate that aggregation and selective separation can be controlled by manipulating the metal-peptide ratio in solution. Furthermore, we demonstrate separation from equimolar mixtures of REE pairs Tb 3+ -Lu 3+ and Tb 3+ -La 3+ , supporting the application of LBT peptides as a platform for the selective separation of REEs.

LBT peptides↗

DOE OSTI2020

Cooperative Research and Development Agreement between National Energy Technology Laboratory and The Pennsylvania State University (Final Report)

This project will use bipolar membranes to produce efficient vapor-phase electrolysis cells for splitting CO 2 to CO and oxygen. CO is a valuable chemical feedstock that can be combined catalytically with hydrogen in the Fischer-Tropsch process to make liquid fuels. CO is arguably the best target for CO 2 reduction since, as a gaseous product, it is easily collected and is relatively immune to membrane crossover losses. The keys to success in this project are to design and synthesize hydrophilic, low resistance bipolar membranes and to create optimized electrode/catalyst/electrolyte architectures based on these new membranes and advanced catalysts in order to achieve high current density at low overpotentials for CO 2 conversion. High current density is key to achieving industrially relevant throughput for the process and low overpotentials maintain high overall efficiency for the process.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2024

Hazards and Probabilistic Risk Assessments of Advanced Nuclear Reactors Coupled with Industrial Facilities

This report provides a roadmap and tool kit for site specific risk assessments across a broad range of industrial customers co-located with advanced nuclear power plants (ANPP) that are not currently built and operating in the U.S. This report builds upon the body of work sponsored by the Department of Energy (DOE) Integrated Energy Systems Pathway that has produced industrial requirements studies and techno-economic assessments on the topics of feasibility of ANPP supported industrial processes. This report also leverages the DOE Light Water Reactor Sustainability (LWRS) program that has presented hazards assessment and generic probabilistic risk assessments (PRAs) for the addition of a heat extraction system (HES) to light-water reactors (LWRs) co-located with hydrogen production facilities. Many of the hazard assessments and risk assessments performed for the LWRS report are agnostic to whether the nuclear reactor is an ANPP or were adapted to the ANPP focus. The report performs hazards assessments to include industrial facilities: an oil refinery, a methanol plant, a synthetic fuel (synfuel) plant, the production of synthetic gas (syngas) as part of the methanol and synfuel plants, wood pulp and paper mills, and hydrogen production. Hydrogen production facilities are assessed in depth through prior reports in the LWRS program and the results are leveraged in this report. All these facilities are specified through industrial process and requirements research performed by national laboratories, universities, and interaction with industry. Many of the processes used in this report are pre-conceptual designs to use for decarbonization of the current technology facilities. A process of failure modes and effects analysis (what can go wrong) and accidentology (what has historically gone wrong) was used to determine the hazards presented to the nuclear power plant by the addition of the HES and the industrial customer. Chemical properties of feedstocks and products are summarized as part of the hazards assessment. Example analysis procedures are provided for each of the hazard types identified. These deterministic analyses can be used to assess adherence to licensing criteria. They can also be used to meet other safety goals like protection of the public, workers, or industrial facility equipment. A modular high temperature gas-cooled reactor (MHTGR) PRA only existing on paper was modeled and verified in modern PRA software. This will provide a tool for representative ANPP probabilistic analyses for future research.

10 SYNTHETIC FUELS↗

DOE OSTI2024

Interparticle Characterization of Mechanical Biomass Particle-Particle and Particle-Wall Interactions

The biomass materials industry faces significant challenges in managing material variability and its impact on storage and handling systems. Physical properties such as moisture content, particle size, and density fluctuate considerably, leading to operational issues like bridging and ratholing that disrupt material flow. These variations create a complex cascade effect throughout the process chain, affecting transportation, storage, and conversion processes. The economic consequences of this variability manifest in increased operational costs, maintenance requirements, and system downtime. Environmental factors further complicate the situation, as weather conditions and seasonal availability influence material properties and system performance. Engineers employ specialized equipment design, material characterization protocols, and pre-processing steps like size reduction and homogenization to address these challenges. A critical knowledge gap exists between continuous-level constitutive models and particle-scale behavior. This project developed a novel device to quantify interparticle mechanics between biomass particles, measuring friction and adhesion forces between particles and wall materials. The research focused on corn stover and southern pine forest residue, creating a comprehensive database of particle interactions. This breakthrough enables direct application in particle-based computational modeling, advancing the field's understanding of biomass handling characteristics and supporting the development of more reliable and efficient storage and handling systems. The project's outcomes contribute significantly to understanding biomass's mechanical and flow characteristics, particularly how variability at the particle level affects larger-scale handling operations. This knowledge is crucial for engineering feedstock supply systems that consistently meet quality and cost specifications for various conversion processes. The innovative experimental setup developed through this research represents a significant advancement in biomass characterization methodology. Providing precise measurements of particle-level interactions establishes a foundation for more accurate predictive modeling of bulk material behavior. This enhanced understanding of fundamental particle mechanics enables engineers to anticipate better and address handling challenges before they manifest in full-scale operations. This research opens new avenues for optimizing biomass handling systems through data-driven design approaches. The comprehensive database of particle interactions serves as a valuable resource for future research and development efforts, potentially leading to more efficient and cost-effective biomass processing solutions. This advancement in particle-level mechanics could revolutionize how biomass handling systems are designed and operated, contributing to more sustainable and reliable renewable energy production.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

DOE OSTI2025

Acetate as a Platform for Carbon-Negative Production of Renewable Fuels and Chemicals (Final Technical Report)

This project was an industrial-academic collaboration between experts at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the University of Kentucky, and LanzaTech, a world leader in the use of gas fermentation to sustainably produce fuels and chemicals. The project developed technologies to create an integrated process for converting carbon dioxide and renewable hydrogen into molecules that can be blended with liquid transportation fuels or used in an array of chemical applications. The project was motivated by the Program Objectives of eliminating carbon dioxide release in the production of chemicals by integrating the unique and efficient capabilities of two microorganisms into a single process. The first microbe, an acetogen, produces acetate from carbon dioxide and hydrogen while the second microbe upgrades acetate from acetogen fermentation permeates to higher-value chemical products. The carbon dioxide released in the upgrading process is recycled internally to produce more acetate. As such, the process can be designed to operate with zero carbon dioxide release and net positive carbon dioxide capture. The process has the potential to provide an alternative paradigm to the current bioeconomy – one in which acetate is the primary energy carrier instead of sugars. Our process by-passes photosynthesis and the barriers created by biomass as primary chemical feedstock. As such, the process can be scaled to meet existing sources of carbon dioxide emissions and located anywhere renewable hydrogen can be provided. Our work developed microorganisms with optimized metabolism for producing acetate and other microorganisms with improved conversion of acetate to dodecanol and dodecyl-acetate. We developed synthetic biology tools for a promising non-model bacterium that could enhance metabolic engineering efforts to convert acetate to chemical products. We conducted protein engineering studies to improve the activity of key enzymes involved in our metabolic pathways. We conducted a full technoeconomic analysis that set technical targets for each strain to meet economic goals. We identified key technical barriers in our process and proposed strategies to overcome them.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

DOE OSTI2025

Net-Zero Lime Kiln and Carbon Removal Facility

The final scientific/technical report for DE-FE0032248. The Project Objective for DE-FE0032248, Net-Zero Lime Kiln and Carbon Removal Facility, was to execute and complete the initial design of a commercial-scale, advanced carbon capture system that separates CO2 with at least 95% capture efficiency from process streams at the Carmeuse Kentucky (KY) lime plant that will be retrofitted to utilize sustainably sourced biomass (SSB) alone or in combination with natural gas, and/or coal, with at least a 20-year available feedstock supply and remaining asset life.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

DOE OSTI2022

Determination of fundamental mechanical properties of biomass using the cubical triaxial tester to model biomass flow

The flowability of biomass is an indicator of how amenable biomass is to handling. The flowability measurements are often determined with empirical or tertiary experiments. This status quo impedes employing engineering principles to advance the design and operation of biomass handling systems. It is imperative to establish an experimental protocol minimizing empirical aspects of flowability characterization to account for the variability of biomass. This study demonstrates the operational principles of the large chamber cubical triaxial tester and the procedure of triaxial tests to quantify bulk flow behaviors of two milled biomass feedstocks, namely corn stover 2 mm (CS) and Douglas fir 1 mm (DF). The Mohr-Coulomb (MC), Drucker-Prager (DP) and modified Cam Clay (mCC) models are calibrated for both biomasses. Analysis indicates that CS will exhibit a cohesive flow with a larger cohesion coefficient of MC (3.8 ± 3.5 kPa) than DF (0.42 ± 0.9 kPa) and a larger d value of DP (6.9 kPa) than DF (0.0 kPa), respectively. CS exhibits a higher spring-back index of mCC (0.39 ± 0.05) than DF (0.27 ± 0.05) also suggesting handling issues, which agrees with the experiences in the industry. This study demonstrates the capability of a CTT in a quantitative investigation of biomass handling characteristics.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

DOE OSTI2022

Energy-Efficient Microbial Electrochemical Lignin and Alkaline Hydroxide Recovery from DMR Black Liquor

Black liquor is a complex waste stream generated from the fast-expanding biorefinery industry, and the high management cost has been known as a major development barrier. In this work, we demonstrated a rationally designed 4-chamber microbial electrolysis process that was capable of recovering the value-added lignin, NaOH, and H2 products while removing waste organics from the Deacetylation and Mechanical Refining (DMR) black liquor, which could potentially reduce the disposal cost by up to 40%. The lab-scale MEC achieved 52% organic removal from a highly concentrated feedstock (28,960 ± 212 mg/L COD) and recovered 83.2 mM NaOH under a small voltage application (1.2 V). Lignin recovery was observed to be as high as 13.98 +/- 0.28 g/L, and 0.35 L/L/day H2 was produced with a faradaic efficiency of 93.5%. This work provided a good example on how complex liquid waste stream can be valorized via multi-functional microbial electrochemical technology, and how the traditionally unfavored pH gradient in an electrochemical reactor can be manipulated for lignin precipitation and alkaline recovery at the same time. The versatility and good performance in concurrent contaminants removal, lignin precipitation, H2 production and NaOH recovery demonstrate a good potential for microbial electrolysis in black liquor treatment.

BIOMASS FUELS,INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND AN↗

DOE OSTI2026

Biochemical Conversion of Herbaceous Biomass to Renewable Diesel: Biorefinery Marginal Air Quality Impacts and Comparison to Feedstock Production

This study assesses the air quality impacts of an advanced biorefinery that produces renewable diesel blendstock (RDB) from lignocellulosic biomass via aerobic respiration (Davis et al. 2022) by estimating fine particulate matter (PM2.5) impacts from biorefinery emissions. It continues a prior analysis that used a geospatial assessment to identify source regions for biomass feedstocks and studied the impact of feedstock production emissions on air quality (Thind et al. 2022). Thind et al. (2022) identified RDB biorefineries that can use corn stover feedstocks of 2,000; 5,200; and 9,100 dry metric tons per day (DMT/day), based in Iowa, and suggested 7 unique counties can serve as hosts for a biorefinery that draws biomass feedstock from neighboring counties. Given 13 unique county-biorefinery size combinations and two waste lignin end uses at the biorefinery (lignin as a fuel for electricity generation and lignin for pellet production), the air-quality-related sustainability aspects of each of these 26 scenarios are assessed by estimating the annual average impacts of biorefinery emissions on the dispersion and formation of secondary PM2.5 in the atmosphere using a novel reduced-complexity air quality model called the Intervention Model for Air Pollution (InMAP). The 26 biorefinery design combinations help capture how a biorefinery's emissions of air pollutants and their resulting impact on local and regional air quality are influenced by the magnitude of production scale, lignin utilization strategy, and location of a proposed biorefinery. Methods developed in Thind et al. (2022) are applied to estimate the constraints on primary PM2.5 and secondary PM2.5 precursor emissions based on compliance with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) annual primary National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) of PM2.5 (i.e.12.0 micrograms per cubic meter (microgram/m3)) at downwind receptors of a biorefinery. Incremental PM2.5 concentrations caused by the emission of biorefining corn stover into RDB are assessed and compared to those of corn stover production. To illuminate which upstream supply chain stage of renewable diesel production contributes most to air quality impacts, marginal PM2.5 concentrations are compared between both stages at multiple downwind air quality monitor locations. In addition, through a hotspot analysis, we identify the primary contributing factors of emissions within the feedstock production and biorefinery stage operations. In doing so, we provide insights for improving the air pollutant emission-related sustainability of advanced lignocellulosic biofuel production.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

DOE OSTI2026

Biomass Demineralization: A Critical Need for Future Biorefineries

Biomass contains up to 14 essential elements that serve as nutrients for plant growth and development, including photosynthesis and enzyme functionalities. These elements in different chemical forms (e.g., minerals) constitute the inorganic fraction of biomass and can cause operational issues in thermal and biochemical biomass conversion technologies. In biomass gasification and pyrolysis processes, for instance, inorganics can cause fouling, tar formation, and corrosion. In catalytic and biochemical processes, inorganics can poison catalysts, alter biochemical pathways, and modify product yields and selectivity. This review provides an overview of the inorganic content in biomass feedstocks, the critical role inorganics play in plant biochemistry, the effect that inorganics have in various thermochemical and biochemical biomass conversion technologies, and different approaches to remove them from biomass. We provide recommendations for future research, focusing on developing technologies to effectively remove inorganics from biomass, using the inorganics to improve soil quality and for alternative applications, and designing biorefineries to convert demineralized biomass obtained from diverse sources.

09 - BIOMASS FUELS↗

DOE OSTI2024

Enabling Lignin Valorization Through Integrated Advances in Plant Biology and Biorefining

Despite lignin having long been viewed as an impediment to the processing of biomass for the production of paper, biofuels, and high-value chemicals, the valorization of lignin to fuels, chemicals, and materials is now clearly recognized as a critical element for the lignocellulosic bioeconomy. However, the intended application for lignin will likely require a preferred lignin composition and form. To that end, effective lignin valorization will require the integration of plant biology, providing optimal feedstocks, with chemical process engineering, providing efficient lignin transformations. Recent advances in our understanding of lignin biosynthesis have shown that lignin structure is extremely diverse and potentially tunable, while simultaneous developments in lignin refining have resulted in the development of several processes that are more agnostic to lignin composition. Here, we review the interface between in planta lignin design and lignin processing and discuss the advances necessary for lignin valorization to become a feature of advanced biorefining.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

DOE OSTI2021

Methods identifying cost reduction potential for water electrolysis systems

The electrochemical reduction of water to form hydrogen is an emerging alternative for energy storage, where hydrogen can be used as a transportation fuel, combusted to generate electricity, utilized in a fuel cell, or used as a feedstock for chemical synthesis. Techno-economic analysis (TEA) is a valuable tool for understanding how to inform research directions that could make hydrogen from electrolysis cost competitive with that produced by conventional means like steam methane reforming. The current state of knowledge on TEA of electrolysis systems suggests cost reductions are likely to result from advances in system design and materials, scale-up of manufacturing processes, and learning by doing effects as electrolysis deployment increases. Future directions and opportunities for TEA of electrolysis systems include dispatchable operation in wholesale power markets, optimization of capital cost and system durability, and analysis of pathways for hydrogen to support economy-wide decarbonization.

08 HYDROGEN↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The Lunar Regolith Terrain (LRT) Field: A New Lunar Surface Planetary Analog Facility at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)

Introduction: NASA is moving toward a new age of exploration and resource utilization of the lunar surface. Challenges related to exploration, resource utilization, and construction at the Lunar South Pole will require advanced technology and well-designed mission concepts and operations. NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has added new capabilities to support surface mobility and construction activities to meet industry, academia, and NASA research and development goals for lunar applications. The Lunar Regolith Terrain (LRT) field is a new, large-area, lunar regolith simulant planetary analog testing ground for users interested in surface mobility and lunar construction activities. The LRT complements NASA MSFC’s other lunar environment testing facilities such as the Lunar Surface Simulator (V20 dirty vacuum chamber), the Lunar Environment Testing System (LETS), among many others. Lunar Regolith Terrain (LTR) Description: The Lunar Regolith Terrain field is an outdoor planetary analog environment facility located on base at MSFC. The lunar regolith simulant is JSC-1A feedstock material (volcanic cinder sand sourced from Meriam Crater, Flagstaff, AZ). The field contains more than 500 tons of lunar regolith simulant confined within a 125 ft x 125 ft (38 m x 38 m) area. The field is placed ~ 50% over paved parking lot and ~ 50% over a natural ground. Currently, the depth of regolith ranges between ~ 5 in - ~ 4 ft (~ 13cm – 1.2m) but can be modified to suit user needs. The lunar regolith simulant that makes up the field has representative geotechnical, geochemical, and optical properties of lunar mare basalt. An area within the LRT of lunar highlands terrain simulant is planned. Additional Features of the LRT: The LRT was designed to allow rapid modification of the terrain’s topography obstacles in the field. The terrain can be reshaped to suit specific testing requirements that may require flat expanses, steep hills, or heavily cratered and rocky landscapes. Large rocky obstacles in Fig. 1 are artificial landscape boulders (faux-rocks) that can be easily placed by users or removed entirely. Areas of the field also contain buried fiducials, large sheets, bar stock, and pipes of various composition and dimensions to allow for possible ground penetrating radar and shallow seismic studies. Rapid modification capabilities will also allow for burial of additional user-specific materials to enable in-situ resource utilization detection (e.g., burial of hydrogen sources for neutron detection or other materials). The field is also equipped with on-site office space with an air-conditioned and heated trailer with 120/240V power and lighting. The site has Wi-Fi and Cellular signal coverage. Direct radio frequency communication with the Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) is in development. Additional on-site workspace and secure equipment storage is available in adjacent buildings. Accessibility to the field is straightforward with on-site parking and access for delivery of instruments, payloads, and additional equipment. Community Availability: The LRTF provides an accessible planetary analog surface environment for surface mobility testing, autonomous roving operations, developing advanced navigation techniques and operations development. Interested parties can contact the abstract authors for additional details, tours, and scheduling.

Lunar Regolith↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Marshall Space Flight Center: Lunar Regolith Terrain (LRT)

Introduction: NASA is moving toward a new age of exploration and resource utilization of the lunar surface. Challenges related to exploration, resource utilization, and construction at the Lunar South Pole will require advanced technology and well-designed mission concepts and operations. NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has added new capabilities to support surface mobility and construction activities to meet industry, academia, and NASA research and development goals for lunar applications. The Lunar Regolith Terrain (LRT) field is a new, large-area, lunar regolith simulant planetary analog testing ground for users interested in surface mobility and lunar construction activities. The LRT complements NASA MSFC’s other lunar environment testing facilities such as the Lunar Surface Simulator (V20 dirty vacuum chamber), the Lunar Environment Testing System (LETS), among many others. Lunar Regolith Terrain (LTR) Description: The Lunar Regolith Terrain field is an outdoor planetary analog environment facility located on base at MSFC. The lunar regolith simulant is JSC-1A feedstock material (volcanic cinder sand sourced from Meriam Crater, Flagstaff, AZ). The field contains more than 500 tons of lunar regolith simulant confined within a 125 ft x 125 ft (38 m x 38 m) area. The field is placed ~ 50% over paved parking lot and ~ 50% over a natural ground. Currently, the depth of regolith ranges between ~ 5 in - ~ 4 ft (~ 13cm – 1.2m) but can be modified to suit user needs. The lunar regolith simulant that makes up the field has representative geotechnical, geochemical, and optical properties of lunar mare basalt. An area within the LRT of lunar highlands terrain simulant is planned. Additional Features of the LRT: The LRT was designed to allow rapid modification of the terrain’s topography obstacles in the field. The terrain can be reshaped to suit specific testing requirements that may require flat expanses, steep hills, or heavily cratered and rocky landscapes. Large rocky obstacles in Fig. 1 are artificial landscape boulders (faux-rocks) that can be easily placed by users or removed entirely. Areas of the field also contain buried fiducials, large sheets, bar stock, and pipes of various composition and dimensions to allow for possible ground penetrating radar and shallow seismic studies. Rapid modification capabilities will also allow for burial of additional user-specific materials to enable in-situ resource utilization detection (e.g., burial of hydrogen sources for neutron detection or other materials). The field is also equipped with on-site office space with an air-conditioned and heated trailer with 120/240V power and lighting. The site has Wi-Fi and Cellular signal coverage. Direct radio frequency communication with the Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) is in development. Additional on-site workspace and secure equipment storage is available in adjacent buildings. Accessibility to the field is straightforward with on-site parking and access for delivery of instruments, payloads, and additional equipment. Community Availability: The LRTF provides an accessible planetary analog surface environment for surface mobility testing, autonomous roving operations, developing advanced navigation techniques and operations development. Interested parties can contact the abstract authors for additional details, tours, and scheduling.

Lunar Regolith↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Marshall Space Flight Center: Lunar Regolith Terrain (LRT)

Introduction: NASA is moving toward a new age of exploration and resource utilization of the lunar surface. Challenges related to exploration, resource utilization, and construction at the Lunar South Pole will require advanced technology and well-designed mission concepts and operations. NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has added new capabilities to support surface mobility and construction activities to meet industry, academia, and NASA research and development goals for lunar applications. The Lunar Regolith Terrain (LRT) field is a new, large-area, lunar regolith simulant planetary analog testing ground for users interested in surface mobility and lunar construction activities. The LRT complements NASA MSFC’s other lunar environment testing facilities such as the Lunar Surface Simulator (V20 dirty vacuum chamber), the Lunar Environment Testing System (LETS), among many others. Lunar Regolith Terrain (LTR) Description: The Lunar Regolith Terrain field is an outdoor planetary analog environment facility located on base at MSFC. The lunar regolith simulant is JSC-1A feedstock material (volcanic cinder sand sourced from Meriam Crater, Flagstaff, AZ). The field contains more than 500 tons of lunar regolith simulant confined within a 125 ft x 125 ft (38 m x 38 m) area. The field is placed ~ 50% over paved parking lot and ~ 50% over a natural ground. Currently, the depth of regolith ranges between ~ 5 in - ~ 4 ft (~ 13cm – 1.2m) but can be modified to suit user needs. The lunar regolith simulant that makes up the field has representative geotechnical, geochemical, and optical properties of lunar mare basalt. An area within the LRT of lunar highlands terrain simulant is planned. Additional Features of the LRT: The LRT was designed to allow rapid modification of the terrain’s topography obstacles in the field. The terrain can be reshaped to suit specific testing requirements that may require flat expanses, steep hills, or heavily cratered and rocky landscapes. Large rocky obstacles in Fig. 1 are artificial landscape boulders (faux-rocks) that can be easily placed by users or removed entirely. Areas of the field also contain buried fiducials, large sheets, bar stock, and pipes of various composition and dimensions to allow for possible ground penetrating radar and shallow seismic studies. Rapid modification capabilities will also allow for burial of additional user-specific materials to enable in-situ resource utilization detection (e.g., burial of hydrogen sources for neutron detection or other materials). The field is also equipped with on-site office space with an air-conditioned and heated trailer with 120/240V power and lighting. The site has Wi-Fi and Cellular signal coverage. Direct radio frequency communication with the Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) is in development. Additional on-site workspace and secure equipment storage is available in adjacent buildings. Accessibility to the field is straightforward with on-site parking and access for delivery of instruments, payloads, and additional equipment. Community Availability: The LRTF provides an accessible planetary analog surface environment for surface mobility testing, autonomous roving operations, developing advanced navigation techniques and operations development. Interested parties can contact the abstract authors for additional details, tours, and scheduling.

Lunar Regolith↗