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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 415 records · Page 23
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Highly efficient visible and near-IR photon pair generation with thin-film lithium niobate

Efficient on-chip entangled photon pair generation at telecom wavelengths is an integral aspect of emerging quantum optical technologies, particularly for quantum communication and computing. However, moving to shorter wavelengths enables the use of more accessible silicon detector technology, and opens up applications in imaging and spectroscopy. Here, we present high brightness ((1.6 ± 0.3) × 10 9 pairs/s/mW/nm) visible–near-IR photon pair generation in a periodically poled lithium niobate nanophotonic waveguide. The degenerate spectrum of the photon pairs is centered at 811 nm with a bandwidth of 117 nm when pumped with a spectrally multimode laser diode. The measured on-chip source efficiency of (2.3 ± 0.5) × 10 11 pairs/s/mW is on par with source efficiencies at telecom wavelengths and is also orders of magnitude higher than the efficiencies of other visible sources implemented in bulk crystal or diffused waveguide-based technologies. Further improvements in the brightness and efficiencies are possible by pumping the device with a single-frequency laser, which would also shrink the pair bandwidth. These results represent the shortest wavelength of photon pairs generated in a nanophotonic waveguide reported to date by nearly an octave.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2021

Supervised extraction of near-complete genomes from metagenomic samples: A new service in PATRIC

Large amounts of metagenomically-derived data are submitted to PATRIC for analysis. In the future, we expect even more jobs submitted to PATRIC will use metagenomic data. One in-demand use case is the extraction of near-complete draft genomes from assembled contigs of metagenomic origin. The PATRIC metagenome binning service utilizes the PATRIC database to furnish a large, diverse set of reference genomes. We provide a new service for supervised extraction and annotation of high-quality, near-complete genomes from metagenomically-derived contigs. Reference genomes are assigned to putative draft genome bins based on the presence of single-copy universal marker roles in the sample, and contigs are sorted into these bins by their similarity to reference genomes in PATRIC. Each set of binned contigs represents a draft genome that will be annotated by RASTtk in PATRIC. A structured-language binning report is provided containing quality measurements and taxonomic information about the contig bins. The PATRIC metagenome binning service emphasizes extraction of high-quality genomes for downstream analysis using other PATRIC tools and services. Due to its supervised nature, the binning service is not appropriate for mining novel or extremely low-coverage genomes from metagenomic samples.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Oxidation states of copper in preservative treated wood as studied by X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES)

Copper is a common component in wood preservatives and is used to protect the wood against fungal degradation. Previous research has shown that the Cu ++ oxidation state provides the best wood protection, and Cu ++ is widely believed to be the oxidation state of most copper within treated wood. A recent study using X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES) reported high amounts of Cu + in wood that had been in contact with corroded fasteners. This study uses XANES to examine the copper oxidation states in wood treated with several different wood preservatives as a function of time after treatment. In contrast with previous literature which focused on the fixation reaction in the first few hours after treatment, this paper examines the oxidation state of Cu in treated wood at longer times (up to 1-year) after treatment. The results showed in nearly all cases, Cu was in the Cu ++ oxidation state to within the measurement uncertainty. Cu XANES patterns taken approximately 1-year after treatment showed no discernable differences between preservative systems, indicating that regardless of the starting treatment the final Cu speciation is the same within one year. The results confirm previously held beliefs about the Cu oxidation states in wood and give further insights into the corrosion mechanism of metals embedded in treated wood.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Evaluation of simulations of near-surface variables using the regional climate model CCLM for the MOSAiC winter period

The ship-based experiment MOSAiC 2019/2020 was carried out during a full year in the Arctic and yielded an excellent data set to test the parameterizations of ocean/sea-ice/atmosphere interaction processes in regional climate models (RCMs). In the present paper, near-surface data during MOSAiC are used for the verification of the RCM COnsortium for Small-scale MOdel–Climate Limited area Mode (COSMO-CLM or CCLM). CCLM is used in a forecast mode (nested in ERA5) for the whole Arctic with 15 km resolution and is run with different configurations of sea ice data. These include the standard sea ice concentration taken from passive microwave data with around 6 km resolution, sea ice concentration from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) thermal infrared data and MODIS sea ice lead fraction data for the winter period. CCLM simulations show a good agreement with the measurements. Relatively large negative biases for temperature occur for November and December, which are likely associated with a too large ice thickness used by CCLM. The consideration of sea ice leads in the sub-grid parameterization in CCLM yields improved results for the near-surface temperature. ERA5 data show a large warm bias of about 2.5°C and an underestimation of the temperature variability.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Soil thickness map at two hillslopes near the pumphouse in the east river watershed, Colorado

The soil thickness maps were created by using a hybrid model-data approach. Field sampling and remote sensing data of the spatial distribution of two hillslopes in the Pump House area in the East River Watershed in the CO., the U.S. The data package includes the geospatial data of the soil thickness maps at two hillslopes near the pumphouse, and the associated remote sensing data, including lidar DEM and a shape file of the boundary of the study area. The data can be viewed in GIS software such as QGIS or ArcGIS desktop. The geospatial data can also be viewed in Python or Matlab. The data were generated for the purpose of modeling surface hydrology and near-surface chemistry. This work shows how to combine sampling data and a process-based model to predict one of the highest uncertainty in the land surface process, the soil thickness.

2D Geospatial Maps↗
DOE OSTI2023

Observations and Machine-Learned Models of Near-Surface Permafrost along the Koyukuk River, Alaska, USA

This dataset contains GeoTIFs (raster) and GeoPackages (vector) that map observations of near-surface permafrost and not-permafrost from a field campaign conducted near the village of Huslia, AK along the Koyukuk River and its floodplain in July 2018. These data were collected as part of a campaign to understand if and how permafrost impacts riverbank erosion. This problem cannot be assessed without knowing where permafrost exists. Permafrost was observed via frost probing (to a maximum depth of one meter), coring (to a maximum depth of two meters) and bank/bar excavations. An additional boat survey was performed wherein expert (Joel Rowland) judgment assessed the presence or absence of distinctive permafrost features (e.g., overhanging tundra mats, thermoerosional niching, ice wedges, active drainage of ice melt from soils). This dataset also contains the input features and results of two machine learning models (random forest and convolutional neural network) that extrapolate the observations to the full floodplain that may be useful for building, testing, or validating other machine-learned permafrost models. Permafrost data are provided as georasters of the same shape and geovectors (polylines/polygons) and are all projected into EPSG:32605. All data can be visualized with a GIS (QGIS, ArcGIS, etc.).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Surface elevation, snow depth, vegetation height, and color imagery from multiple UAV surveys from 2018 to 2023 across a watershed near Teller road mile marker 27, Seward Peninsula, Alaska

Multiple photogrammetric surveys using an unoccupied aerial system (UAS) were performed across a watershed along Teller road on the Seward Peninsula (Alaska) to investigate terrain, vegetation and snowpack properties. This work was led by the environmental geophysics team from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory as part of the Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiments: Arctic (NGEE Arctic). The multiple photogrammetric surveys used mostly a DJI Matrice 210 UAS with a DJI X5S camera, Ground Control Points (GCPs) surveyed with a Real Time Kinematic (RTK)-GPS, and a structure from motion (SfM) technique for photogrammetric reconstruction. Digital Surface elevation Models (DSMs) were inferred at various times of year, including near peak in plant and leaf density (July 19 2017), close to peak in snow depth (April 1 2019 and April 11 2022), and at low plant and leaf density of tall after the first bare-ground date (June 9 2019). Snow and canopy height were obtained by subtracting DSMs from a Digital Terrain Model (DTM) proxy inferred from the June 9 2019 survey. The derived products include ortho-mosaiced RGB map, DSMs, a DTM proxy, snow depth (April 2019 and 2022) and canopy height (July 2017). Unprocessed and processed data products are included in this package (processing levels 0-2). Data and metadata are provided as text (*.csv), image (*.jpg), and GeoTiff (*.tif) formats. This metadata document contains a description of the survey and processing steps and the inferred products.The Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiments: Arctic (NGEE Arctic) was a 15-year research effort (2012-2027) to reduce uncertainty in Earth System Models by developing a predictive understanding of carbon-rich Arctic ecosystems and feedbacks to climate. NGEE Arctic was supported by the Department of Energy’s Office of Biological and Environmental Research. The NGEE Arctic project had two field research sites: 1) located within the Arctic polygonal tundra coastal region on the Barrow Environmental Observatory (BEO) and the North Slope near Utqiagvik (Barrow), Alaska and 2) multiple areas on the discontinuous permafrost region of the Seward Peninsula north of Nome, Alaska. Through observations, experiments, and synthesis with existing datasets, NGEE Arctic provided an enhanced knowledge base for multi-scale modeling and contributed to improved process representation at global pan-Arctic scales within the Department of Energy’s Earth system Model (the Energy Exascale Earth System Model, or E3SM), and specifically within the E3SM Land Model component (ELM).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Topography, surface water distribution and subsurface structure in 2023 across an Arctic coastal tundra site near Utqiagvik, Alaska

Subsurface electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), active layer thickness measurements, photogrammetry, and topographic data were collected in September 2023 along a 475 m long, 20 m wide corridor that traverses various polygon types within the Barrow Environmental Observatory (BEO) on the Alaskan Arctic Coastal Plain, approximately 4 miles from the Beaufort Sea near Utqiaġvik, Alaska. These measurements were designed to assess decadal changes in surface water distribution, topography, and subsurface structure across this dynamic landscape. This archive contains the datasets acquired in 2023 and references to the datasets acquired previously at the same location. The ERT survey was conducted along the 475 m transect using 0.5 m electrode spacing and a roll-along acquisition strategy. Thaw layer thicknesses were measured with a tile probe along the same transect. Photogrammetry data were acquired using an unoccupied aerial vehicle (UAV) and were used to generate a digital elevation model and an RGB mosaic. A real-time kinematic (RTK) GPS was used to survey the ERT electrodes and the ground control points for the aerial imagery. The dataset contains 5 *.csv data files, 6 *.csv metadata files, and 6 *.tif files.The Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiments: Arctic (NGEE Arctic), was a research effort to reduce uncertainty in Earth System Models by developing a predictive understanding of carbon-rich Arctic ecosystems and feedbacks to climate. NGEE Arctic was supported by the Department of Energy's Office of Biological and Environmental Research. The NGEE Arctic project had two field research sites: 1) located within the Arctic polygonal tundra coastal region on the Barrow Environmental Observatory (BEO) and the North Slope near Utqiagvik (Barrow), Alaska and 2) multiple areas on the discontinuous permafrost region of the Seward Peninsula north of Nome, Alaska. Through observations, experiments, and synthesis with existing datasets, NGEE Arctic provided an enhanced knowledge base for multi-scale modeling and contributed to improved process representation at global pan-Arctic scales within the Department of Energy's Earth system Model (the Energy Exascale Earth System Model, or E3SM), and specifically within the E3SM Land Model component (ELM).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Calcium is associated with specific soil organic carbon decomposition products at Blodgett Forest Research Center, Georgetown, California as analysed with scanning transmission X-ray microscopy carbon near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy

This data is from the paper calcium is associated with specific soil organic carbon decomposition products, published in SOIL. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-11-381-2025, 2025.This file contains CSVs with spectral data and bulk soil data and there is no specific program required to open this data. The data includes Scanning transmission X-ray microscopy carbon near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy. data from the measurement of samples from the Whole-soil Warming project, run by the Belowground Biogeochemistry team at Blodgett Forest Research Center, Georgetown, California run by the University of California, Berkeley. It also includes bulk soil chemical properties. The University of California's Blodgett Forest Research Station (Forest) is situated in the Sierra Nevada foothills (1370 m a.s.l.) near Georgetown, California. The samples were collected from here: 38.912013, -120.661469, https://maps.app.goo.gl/291bCJ1zVqUhgktz6. The Forest soils were characterised as Alfisols, which are equivalent to Dystric Cambisols (IUSS Working Group WRB, 2015), and formed in granitic parent materials, in a temperate climate, under thinned, mixed-coniferous forest (Fig. S3; Gaudinski et al., 2009). With these analyses we aimed to answer the question, is calcium associated with a specific type of organic matter enriched in aromatic and phenolic carbon at the microscale in samples from Blodgett Forest Research Center? and how does this specific type of carbon respond to experiments targetted at removing and adding calcium to the soils, specifically cation exchange and incubation after calcium addition? Abstract from the paper can be found below: Calcium (Ca) may contribute to the preservation of soil organic carbon (SOC) in more ecosystems than previously thought. Here we provide evidence that Ca is co-located with SOC compounds that are enriched in aromatic and phenolic groups, across different acidic soil-types and locations with different ecosystem properties, differing in terms of climate, parent material, soil type, and vegetation. In turn, this co-localised fraction of Ca-SOC is removed through cation-exchange, and the association is then only re-established during decomposition in the presence of Ca (Ca addition incubation). Thus, highlighting a causative link between decomposition and the co-location of Ca with a characteristic fraction of SOC. Decomposition increases the relative proportion of negatively charged functional groups, which can increase the propensity for the association between SOC and Ca, and in turn, this association inhibits dissolved organic carbon export or further decomposition. We propose that this mechanism could be driven by Ca hotspots on the microscale shifting local decomposition processes and thereby explaining the colocation of Ca with SOC of a specific composition across different acidic soil environments. Incorporating this biogeochemical process into Earth System Models could improve our understanding, predictions, and management of carbon dynamics in soils, and account for their response to Ca-rich amendments.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Metagenome-assembled genomes from East River floodplain sediments near Crested Butte, CO, USA (June to September 2019)

Microorganisms play a key role in cycling nutrients and contaminants in the terrestrial environment depending on their genetic potential. Here, we present metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) for the bacterial and archaeal community in floodplain sediment samples taken in 2019 in June (flooded conditions) and September (drained conditions) at two locations (MCB1 and MCB3) near the Meander C/Pumphouse floodplain sites of the East River. Sediment cores were collected from 2 depths, a near-surface, generally unsaturated depth (30-40 centimeter (cm) depth below surface) and a deeper depth influenced by flooding with redoximorphic features (70-80 cm depth below surface). Sediments were homogenized from the 10 cm core for microbial analyses. A total of 24 metagenomes were sequenced through the Joint genome institute (JGI) corresponding to 8 samples sequenced in triplicate. These metagenomes can be found under Genomes Online Database (GOLD) sequencing project: Gs0141020. Metagenomes were assembled, binned, and refined using metawrap to generate MAGs (>50% complete and < 10% contamination based on checkM scores). This dataset includes a zip file of 436 MAG fasta files and a csv file with quality, taxonomic classification (Genome Taxonomy Database Release RS220), and metagenome accessions for MAGs. This dataset also includes a file-level metadata (flmd.csv) file that lists each file contained in the dataset with associated metadata and a data dictionary (dd.csv) file that contains column/row headers used throughout the files along with a definition, units, and data type.This work was supported by the Watershed Function Science Focus Area at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory funded by the US Department of Energy, Office of Science, Biological and Environmental Research under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231. Part of this work was performed at SLAC Accelerator Laboratory funded by the US Department of Energy, Office of Science, Biological and Environmental Research under Contract No. DE-AC02-76SF00515.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Metagenome-assembled genomes from East River floodplain sediments near Crested Butte, CO, USA (May to September 2018)

Microorganisms play a key role in cycling nutrients and contaminants in the terrestrial environment depending on their genetic potential. Here, we present metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) for the bacterial and archaeal community in floodplain sediment samples taken in 2018 in May (flooded conditions) and September (drained conditions) at two locations (MCB1 and MCB3) near the Meander C/Pumphouse floodplain sites of the East River. Sediment cores were collected from 2 depths, a near-surface, generally unsaturated depth (30-40 centimeter (cm) depth below surface) and a deeper depth influenced by flooding with redoximorphic features (70-80 cm depth below surface). Sediments were homogenized from the 10 cm core for microbial analyses. A total of 24 metagenomes were sequenced through the Joint genome institute (JGI) corresponding to 8 samples sequenced in triplicate. These metagenomes can be found under Genomes Online Database (GOLD) sequencing project: Gs0141020. Metagenomes were assembled, binned, and refined using metawrap to generate MAGs (>50% complete and < 10% contamination based on checkM scores). This dataset includes a zip file of 478 MAG fasta files and a csv file with quality, taxonomic classification (Genome Taxonomy Database Release RS220), and metagenome accessions for MAGs. This dataset also includes a file-level metadata (flmd.csv) file that lists each file contained in the dataset with associated metadata and a data dictionary (dd.csv) file that contains column/row headers used throughout the files along with a definition, units, and data type.This work was supported by the Watershed Function Science Focus Area at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory funded by the US Department of Energy, Office of Science, Biological and Environmental Research under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231. Part of this work was performed at SLAC Accelerator Laboratory funded by the US Department of Energy, Office of Science, Biological and Environmental Research under Contract No. DE-AC02-76SF00515.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Chicago Pile-1 paved the way for nuclear science and a lab in Los Alamos First self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction was nearly 80 years ago

On a bitter-cold winter day, 43 scientists gathered at an abandoned squash court at the University of Chicago where they would ultimately enable a secret lab in Los Alamos to change the world just years later. It was December 2, 1942. The group, led by Italian physicist and Nobel laureate Enrico Fermi, stacked graphite bricks, piling 57 layers that totaled more than 770,000 pounds. Later named Chicago Pile-1, their goal was to create the world’s first self-sustaining, controlled nuclear chain reaction. Inside the approximately 20-feet-tall pile were smaller blocks of uranium and control rods that, when removed, would cause the reaction to go critical – meaning create a nuclear chain reaction. It was roughly $1 million worth of materials, equivalent to nearly $16 million today, and a concept that a nuclear chain reaction would allow the weaponization of the atom. “Its success would be the crucial proof needed to know it would be possible to create an atomic bomb,” said LANL Historian Roger Meade (C-NR). “This was the precursor to the Lab we have today, nearly 80 years later.”

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Analysis of Transient Groundwater Flow Near the Cheshire Test at Pahute Mesa, Nevada National Security Site

This report focuses on analysis and determination of the causes of transient water levels measured between 1964 and 2017 near the Cheshire underground nuclear test, which was detonated on February 14, 1976 in Area 20 (USDOE, 2015) of the Pahute Mesa (PM) testing areas of the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) located in southern Nevada (Figure 1). Transient water levels near Cheshire indicate influences of a water-production well and yet-unexplained water level rise attributed to testing effects (Jackson and Fenelon, 2018; Jackson et al. 2021). Transient groundwater flow is relevant to the implementation of the hydrologic source term (HST), which prescribes the quantity and release rates of radionuclide source terms to be applied at individual test locations in assessment of regional-scale radionuclide transport (Carle and Tompson, 2021; Carle et al., 2021), as previously investigated for NNSS testing areas at PM (Pawloski et al., 2001), Frenchman Flat (Carle et al, 2007), Yucca Flat (Mcnab, 2009; Tompson, 2009), and Rainier Mesa (Carle, 2011; Tompson et al., 2011).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Analysis of Transient Groundwater Flow Near the Cheshire Test at Pahute Mesa, Nevada National Security Site

This report focuses on analysis and determination of the causes of transient water levels measured between 1964 and 2017 near the Cheshire underground nuclear test, which was detonated on February 14, 1976 in Area 20 (USDOE, 2015b) of the Pahute Mesa (PM) testing areas of the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) located in southern Nevada (Figure 1). Transient water levels near Cheshire indicate influences of a water-production well and yet-unexplained water level rise attributed to testing effects (Jackson and Fenelon, 2018; Jackson et al. 2021). Transient groundwater flow is relevant to the implementation of the hydrologic source term (HST), which prescribes the quantity and release rates of radionuclide source terms to be applied at individual test locations in assessment of regional-scale radionuclide transport (Carle and Tompson, 2021; Carle et al., 2021), as previously investigated for NNSS testing areas at PM (Pawloski et al., 2001), Frenchman Flat (Carle et al, 2007), Yucca Flat (Carle et al., 2009; Mcnab, 2009; Tompson et al., 2009), and Rainier Mesa (Carle, 2011; Tompson et al., 2011).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Linear Seismic Source Equivalents in 3D Nonlinear Models: Effects of Embedded Small-Scale, Near-Source Structures

Gaining a proper understanding of how Earth structure and other near-source properties affect estimates of explosion yield is important to the nonproliferation mission. The yields of explosion sources are often based on seismic moment or waveform amplitudes. Quantifying how the seismic waveforms or estimates of the source characteristics derived from those waveforms are influenced by natural or man-made structures within the near-source region, where the wavefield behaves nonlinearly, is required to understand the full range of uncertainty in those yield estimates. We simulate tamped chemical explosions using a nonlinear, shock physics code and couple the ground motions beyond the elastic radius to a linear elastic, full waveform seismic simulation algorithm through 3D media. In order to isolate the effects of simple small-scale 3D structures on the seismic wavefield and linear seismic source estimates, we embed spheres and cylinders close to the fully- tamped source location within an otherwise homogenous half-space. The 3 m diameters spheres, given their small size compared to the predominate wavelengths investigated, not surprisingly are virtually invisible with only negligible perturbations to the far-field waveforms and resultant seismic source time functions. Similarly, the 11 m diameter basalt sphere has a larger, but still relatively minor impact on the wavefield. However, the 11 m diameter air-filled sphere has the largest impact on both waveforms and the estimated seismic moment of any of the investigated cases with a reduction of ~25% compared to the tamped moment. This significant reduction is likely due in large part to the cavity collapsing from the shock instead of being solely due to diffraction effects . Although the cylinders have the same diameters as the 3 m spheres, their length of interaction with the wavefield produces noticeable changes to the seismic waveforms and estimated source terms with reductions in the peak seismic moment on the order of 10%. Both the cylinders and 11 m diameter spheres generate strong shear waves that appear to emanate from body force sources.

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEF↗
DOE OSTI2022

Nuclear Waste Attributes of SMRs Scheduled for Near-Term Deployment

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the nuclear waste attributes of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) scheduled for deployment within this decade using available data and established nuclear waste metrics, with the results compared to a reference large Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR). The current fleet of commercial nuclear reactors in the U.S. is composed of 92 large Light Water Reactors (LWR) with an average electricity generating capacity of over 1,000 MWe each. These large LWRs built on-site in massive construction projects have been the mainstay of the industry for the last 50 years. However, new construction soon is expected to include several designs of smaller reactors primarily fabricated in factories and installed in the field in modules. Some of these SMRs will also be LWRs, while some will use other coolants such as liquid metals, molten salts or gases, and different types of fuels. The technologies and economics of SMRs have been the focus of many studies, but there has been only minimal information published on the amount of nuclear waste different types of SMRs are expected to generate and no reports focused on near-term-deployable designs. In this study, the nuclear waste attributes of three small reactors scheduled for near-term-deployment, VOYGR TM (from NuScale Power), Natrium TM ab (from TerraPower), and Xe-100 (from X-energy), were assessed by comparing nuclear waste metrics with those of a reference large Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR).

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

Near-Term Reliability and Resilience (NTRR) (Final Report)

The Near-Term Reliability and Resiliency (NTRR) was awarded in December 2020 as an inter-lab project to examine the reliability and resilience of the electricity grid and natural gas transportation availability. The project builds on studies conducted by The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and other non-governmental research and operational focused on reliability and resilience analyses challenges. The research was conceived to address near-term scenarios (within 10 years), when many local and regional policy transitions could begin to impact grid reliability, resilience, and supporting infrastructure availability. To integrate the natural gas interdependency, the team began with the generating capacity and demand projections from the 2020 NERC Long-Term Reliability Assessment and the Bulk Electric System (BES) transmission topologies defined in the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) Anchor Data Set, Eastern Interconnection Reliability Assessment Group Multi-Regional Modeling Working Group (ERAG/MMWG) Data Set, the team calculated baseline regional power sector gas demands from present electricity delivery year through the end of delivery year 2030/31 by applying security constrained economic dispatch. This demand was compiled along with demand projections for regional residential, commercial, and industrial natural gas demands from the most recent Energy Information Administration (EIA) Annual Energy Outlook Reference Case into Deloitte’s MarketBuilder® North American Gas Model. Through the application of these demands, MarketBuilder® was projected the topology of natural gas flows in the natural gas pipeline network across the interconnected North American system along with regional natural gas prices that may be seen by market participants in future years Additionally, contingencies and sensitivities focused on the built models of the Eastern Interconnection (EI) and Western Interconnection (WI). They address challenges from the following with the outcomes being an identification of performance under the extreme conditions and an identification of potential grid weaknesses that should be addressed to mitigate the reduced performance and improve the resilience and reliability of the specific regions as well as the National Grid: • Weather events including extreme heat, extreme cold, high wind, no wind, wind and solar forecasting errors, and wildfires. • Gas availability, factoring in supply disruption (contractual and physical), seasonal availability constraints, and infrastructure limitations; and • Transmission availability and congestion.

03 NATURAL GAS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Perspectives on the status of fusion energy research and near term directions [Slides]

Over the past few years, nearly five billion dollars of private investments from private industry sparked excitement for accelerating the development of fusion energy technologies. Driving these investments are various technical advances in research such as those at facilities such as JET, EAST, NIF, etc. At the same time, the Office of the President, in the spring of 2022, announced a commitment to fusion energy development as part of its strategy to combat climate change. With the goal of a pilot power plant by the 2040s, the research strategy shifted to public private partnerships as a means for the government to support the lofty goal of shorten the deployment time of fusion energy technologies. The rapid change in strategy created a quickly changing research landscape with many potential opportunities. In this presentation, I will attempt to paint a picture of the current state of fusion energy, highlight major challenges, and provide insights into some near-term opportunities for LANL.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗