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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 55 records · Page 3
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

Imputation of urban environmental sensor data using gated attention bidirectional long short-term memory (GA-BiLSTM): methods, performance, and implications

Urban environmental monitoring networks frequently encounter significant data gaps due to sensor malfunctions, environmental disturbances, and communication failures. Reliable approaches to address these gaps are essential for ensuring the continuity and quality of environmental data streams. In this study, we developed a gated attention bidirectional long short-term memory (GA-BiLSTM) model to impute missing data in a dense urban monitoring network. Using observations from the CROCUS network in Chicago, we evaluated GA-BiLSTM against widely used approaches (XGBoost and K-nearest neighbors) under scenarios of both short-term intermittent gaps and prolonged outages. GA-BiLSTM consistently outperformed comparative methods, particularly during extended outages of up to ten days, demonstrating its ability to capture spatiotemporal dependencies across sensor nodes. Beyond performance metrics, feature importance and spatial network analyses highlighted the unexpected but critical predictive role of peripheral rural nodes, underlining their strategic value for maintaining robust urban monitoring systems. These results emphasize that advanced imputation methods can substantially improve the reliability of environmental monitoring networks and support more resilient data infrastructures for urban sustainability.

Data imputation↗
DOE OSTI2021

Final Technical Report-WestSmart EV: Western Smart Plug-in Electric Vehicle Community Partnership

The WestSmartEV (WSEV) project has accelerated adoption of plug-in electric vehicles (PEV) throughout the PacifiCorp/Rocky Mountain Power’s (RMP) service territory in the intermountain west by developing a large-scale, sustainable PEV charging infrastructure network with coordinated PEV adoption programs. The project objectives have strategically deployed 79 DC fast charging to create two primary electric interstate highway corridors along I-15 and I-80; incentivized installation of Level 2 AC chargers at workplace locations; incentivized the purchase of PEVs; provided all electric solutions for first-mile and last-mile trips, including electrified mobility service; provided centralized data collection, analysis, modeling, and tool development to inform investment and policy decisions; and developed education outreach materials and conducted workshops across the WSEV region.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2021

IDEAS-Watersheds FY21 Annual Report for July 1, 2020-June 30, 2021

Watersheds play a critical role in our water supply infrastructure and require sustainable management in a changing environment. Sustainable management of watershed systems and their interaction with the built environment rely on understanding the hydrologic and biogeochemical processes that control watershed system dynamics and water availability and quality. The overarching objective of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Environmental System Science (ESS) program is to advance a robust, predictive understanding of how watersheds function and respond to perturbations as integrated hydrobiogeochemical systems. ESS supports a network of watershed testbeds within the United States where national laboratories and university partners work in interdisciplinary teams to advance watershed system science for energy.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Protection and Restoration Solutions to Reliable and Resilient Integration of Grid-connected PV Installations and Distributed Energy Resources: Design, Testbed, Proof of Work and Impact Studies (Final Report)

To gain a better understanding of the complex transients in a utility grid with a large number of solar PV installations coupled by PWM inverters during the protection and restoration period of the power grid, in this project a kW-level experimental system with dominating inverter-based resources and a hardware-in-loop simulation system with transmission and distribution models, as well as several SEL protective relays have been built and used. The major research findings of the project are summarized below in two perspectives: Experimental research: A self-organized ultra-high frequency solitary waveform is discovered and demonstrated in the hardware experimental system. Despite the familiarities, such a solitary waveform is distinct from any harmonics, transient, or resonance waves in that, it is 1) non-dispersive over time and space, 2) not associated with any active source or the linear superposition of sources, 3) half-cycle asymmetric, 4) not responding to filters or change of system characteristic resonance frequency, 5) ubiquitous as it occurs simultaneously everywhere in the system from DC supply, power lines, and the utility grid, and 6) explosive through tripping the protection or damaging susceptible devices or circuits. Analytical study: The nature of such a new waveform and an analytical explanation of its formation are studied based on related physics and non-linear science principles, with the following highlights: 1) such a new waveform follows the solutions to the Non-linear Schrödinger equation, so the classic linear perturbation theory is unable to explain or predict such a unique waveform as confirmed with the research team of RTDS; 2) the critical condition of occurrence of such a waveform is derived, which indicates that the breakings of solitary wave is a system synchronous issue between the utility grid in the 60Hz phasor domain and duty-ratio modulation of DC sources in the inverter switching frequency domain; 3) such a waveform carries energy mass so it could be detrimental; 4) such a waveform is deceiving as it is not readily detectable in the energy propagation direction by the primary protection equipment, while it is detrimental in the perpendicular direction of energy propagation, i.e. voltage direction. Thus, it has more likely challenges to the second primary equipment and devices, particularly at the weakest link and point such as aging insulation and inappropriate setting of susceptible devices. Therefore, such a waveform can be easily ignored in the aftermath investigation. The intellectual merits: The experimental discovery reveals certain unfamiliar transient phenomena that could challenge the integration of large-scale grid-connected solar PV installation during the group ride-through period of solar PV installations, commissioning of large-solar farms, or dramatic change of solar radiation conditions. Particularly, the research findings suggest that the occurrence of the unfamiliar transient phenomena is uniquely associated with the inverter-based solar PV installation, which is less likely to happen for rotary energy systems. The physics and non-linear science-based research work laid down an analytical path to the challenging transient stability problems including those that have been observed currently and future calls. Both experimental and analytical research results explain the limitation of many current research effects including some DoE research undertakings as well as possible solutions. The broader impacts: The research outcome of the project advances the understanding of the possible transient problems for the integration of inverter-based solar PV installation. It also highlights the theoretical and technical barriers for applying the conventional theory and technology to design and implement countermeasures against their adverse impacts of the large-scale solar PV installation and operation on grid reliability and security. More broadly, the research outcomes have shed some light on the open, fundamental challenges in the integration of large-scale solar photovoltaic energy into current and next-generation power grids across the country, and worldwide. The advanced physics and non-linear science-based analysis open up a path to harmonization of the renewables for societal energy needs via building a resilient and sustainable electric power infrastructure.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Theoretical investigation of surface chemical reactivity of compositionally disordered multi-metallic alloys

Alloys are widely used in both academic and industrial research as heterogeneous catalysts for accelerating technologically important reactions ranging from hydrocarbon reforming, selective hydrogenation, to electrochemical reactions involving hydrogen and oxygen that are fundamental and indispensable to a sustainable future energy infrastructure. Most basic catalysis research has been limited to combinations of two elements that are usually ordered in some manner at the nanoscale because doing so allows observable results to be easily rationalized. It however leaves a huge material space consisting of multi metallic, compositionally disordered alloys unexplored. This research demonstrates a viable theoretical approach combining different types of first principles calculations (including Green’s function-based Korringa–Kohn–Rostoker coherent potential approximation (KKR–CPA) and planewave-based density functional theory) to enable the surface chemical reactivity of compositionally complex alloy surfaces to be investigated. We demonstrate the approach by investigating hydrogen adsorption and evolution on two types of compositionally disordered alloys: a quaternary CoCrFeNi high-entropy alloy, and binary Pt-3d base metal alloys.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2024

Essence2.0 Development and Deployment (Final Report)

The objective of the project was to take two core technologies that have been developed under the Recipient’s solid laboratory products and integrate them into a single CyberPhysical awareness platform and complete development on current field-tested prototypes that will extend the integrated capability of the platform. During the final development phase, the Recipient development team and its selected industry partners tested and hardened the platform to ensure resilient and secure operation of the integrated platform. The team also executed substantial field testing and established the framework for defining the organization and/or commercial infrastructure needed to sustain operations and provide readiness for a national scale deployment. The focus of the project was (1) the improvement, refinement, and deployment of technology for the detection of cyber-attacks on utility operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT) networks and assets, including Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition Systems (SCADA) systems; and (2) support for containment and remediation of adversarial threats and actions against those systems and environments.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2025

An Agent-Based Modeling Approach for Spatiotemporal Optimization of Electric Vehicle Fast-Charging Station Demand

With increasing electric vehicle (EV) adoption, managing public fast-charging demand effectively is crucial to avoid grid strain. This study investigates the potential of using dynamic pricing schemes to address this challenge. Presented in this study is a scalable agent-based simulation framework, which is applied to a case study in Richmond, Virginia, that assumes a 50% EV adoption rate in 2040. Two pricing schemes are compared: (1) a dynamic-pricing scheme based on station utilization and (2) a dynamic-pricing scheme based on peak power at the station. These schemes are compared to two baseline scenarios: (1) unscheduled first-come, first-served and (2) scheduled with constant price. The study’s results suggest that dynamic pricing has the potential to influence EV charging behavior, inducing both spatial and temporal shifts, but does so at the cost of inducing inconvenience to EV drivers. The results suggest the peak-power dynamic pricing scheme has the potential to mitigate peak demand pressures on the grid with minimal inconvenience, offering a promising approach for sustainable EV charging infrastructure expansion.

33 - ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Pulse Electrodeposition for Carbonate-Rich Deposits from Seawater

Seawater electrodeposition is gaining renewed interest in the context of sustainable development, both to build climate-resilient coastal infrastructure and for ocean-based decarbonization applications. Most of the applications benefit from CaCO 3 -rich deposits, but constant-voltage electrodeposition results in a mixture of CaCO 3 and Mg(OH) 2 , especially at higher voltages where precipitation rates are more desirable. The use of pulse voltages can help control interfacial pH that dictates the precipitation reactions. Here, we explore the use of pulse electrodeposition as a function of pulse frequency and duty cycle to control deposit composition. The most CaCO 3 -rich deposits were obtained under 10 Hz frequency and 10% duty cycle conditions for the voltage window investigated (-0.8 V to -1.2 V vs. SCE). While pulsing the voltage increases the amount of CaCO 3 deposited, the energy required per gram of CaCO 3 is significantly higher (14.5×) when compared to the base case of applying a constant voltage of -0.8 V vs. SCE. Further optimization of pulse conditions, electrode materials, and system configuration could lead to finding parameters that result in exclusively carbonate deposits without compromising precipitation rates, which may prove to be more useful for corrosion protection, coastal infrastructure, and other applications in sustainable development.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

FY 2022 Site Sustainability Plan

The United States Department of Energy's (DOE's) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is a recognized leader in sustainability, as evidenced by its ongoing optimization of resources in campus operations, including water, energy, waste, and purchasing, as well as continued commitment to meeting federal mandates and goals. NREL's dedication to sustainability supports the laboratory's success by applying what is learned through research and development to campus facilities and infrastructure systems. The Site Sustainability Plan provides a road map for all site planning and development. NREL drives the adoption of these initiatives to a global audience by conducting business operations that demonstrate the incorporation of clean energy practices. NREL will continue to develop a sustainable and resilient campus while growing greater technological capabilities to advance the national renewable energy marketplace.

climate change↗
DOE OSTI2024

Sustainability Criteria for Hydrogen Deployments

This presentation is an update of progress to date on the work done on developing sustainability metrics for hydrogen projects. Here we outline the motivation and objective for the work as well as the process we use to derive a sustainability framework and metrics to be considered when evaluating the sustainability of a hydrogen infrastructure project.

DEIA↗
DOE OSTI2022

Infrastructure inequality is a characteristic of urbanization

Urbanization can challenge sustainable development if it produces unequal outcomes. Infrastructure is an important urbanization dimension, providing services to support diverse urban activities. However, it can lock in unequal outcomes due to its durable nature. This paper studies inequalities in infrastructure distributions to derive insights into the structure and characteristics of unequal outcomes associated with urbanization. We analyzed infrastructure inequalities in two emerging economies in the Global South: India and South Africa. We developed and applied an inequality measure to understand the structure of inequality in infrastructure provisioning (based on census data) and infrastructure availability (based on satellite nighttime lights [NTLs] data). Consistent with differences in economic inequality, results show greater inequalities in South Africa than in India and greater urban inequalities than rural inequalities. Nevertheless, inequalities in urban infrastructure provisioning and infrastructure availability increase from finer to coarser spatial scales. NTL-based inequality measurements additionally show that inequalities are more concentrated at coarse spatial scales in India than in South Africa. Finally, results show that urban inequalities in infrastructure provisioning covary with urbanization levels conceptualized as a multidimensional phenomenon, including demographic, economic, and infrastructural dimensions. Similarly, inequalities in urban infrastructure availability increase monotonically with infrastructure development levels and urban population size. Together, these findings underscore infrastructure inequalities as a feature of urbanization and suggest that understanding urban inequalities requires applying an inequality lens to urbanization.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Accounting for Sustainability and Performance: Contrasting Effects of PET-Derived Modifiers on Asphalt Durability

The valorization of waste plastics in roadway infrastructure requires careful balance between sustainability and performance, as ineffective modifiers may incur both environmental and financial costs. This study shows that two modifiers derived from the same waste plastic source (PET)-DOTP (N1,N4-(dioctyl)terephthalamide) and HETP (N1,N4-Bis(2-hydroxyethyl)terephthalamide)-exhibit opposite effects on asphalt properties, despite having nearly the same carbon footprint. DOTP improves elastic recovery in multiple creep recovery tests (MCRT), while HETP increases strain accumulation and reduces elasticity. Density functional theory (DFT) shows that DOTP's molecular structure can disperse well in bitumen mixtures by binding to both polar and non-polar components. In contrast, HETP binds only to the binder's polar sites, lacking adequate dispersion. This increases the risk of aggregation of polar compounds in the bitumen mixture, resulting in a more deformation-prone binder. A techno-economic analysis highlights trade-offs between sustainability and performance in industrial-scale synthesis. This study advocates for applying first-principles thinking in material design, coupled with experimental validation, to engineer plastic waste-derived additives that achieve both performance and sustainability goals.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Sustainability Criteria for Hydrogen Deployments

Hydrogen sustainability metrics that exist today are primarily limited to economic and environmental factors. While these are good, further research is needed to refine existing metrics and provide frameworks with which to consider other future, quantifiable metrics such as social metrics. This research, funded by Mission Innovation in collaboration with Department of State and the Department of Energy, will aim to expand sustainability framework considerations in a manner that can be accurately measured which will guide deployment of and investment in hydrogen supply chain infrastructure projects.

ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY,HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2025

Evaluating Acoustic vs. AI-Based Satellite Leak Detection in Aging US Water Infrastructure: A Cost and Energy Savings Analysis

The aging water distribution system in the United States, constructed mainly during the 1970s with some pipes dating back 125 years, is experiencing significant deterioration leading to substantial water losses. Along with the potential for water loss savings, improvements in the distribution system by using leak detection technologies can create net energy and cost savings. In this work, a new framework has been presented to calculate the economic level of leakage within water supply and distribution systems for two primary leak detection technologies (acoustic vs. satellite). In this work, a new framework is presented to calculate the economic level of leakage (ELL) within water supply and distribution systems to support smart infrastructure in smart cities. A case study focused using water audit data from Atlanta, Georgia, compared the costs of two leak mitigation technologies: conventional acoustic leak detection and artificial intelligence–assisted satellite leak detection technology, which employs machine learning algorithms to identify potential leak signatures from satellite imagery. The ELL results revealed that conducting one survey would be optimum for an acoustic survey, whereas the method suggested that it would be expensive to utilize satellite-based leak detection technology. However, results for cumulative financial analysis over a 3-year period for both technologies revealed both to be economically favorable with conventional acoustic leak detection technology generating higher net economic benefits of USD 2.4 million, surpassing satellite detection by 50%. A broader national analysis was conducted to explore the potential benefits of US water infrastructure mirroring the exemplary conditions of Germany and The Netherlands. Achieving similar infrastructure leakage index (ILI) values could result in annual cost savings of $\$4$–$\$4.8$ billion and primary energy savings of 1.6–1.9 TWh. These results demonstrate the value of combining economic modeling with advanced leak detection technologies to support sustainable, cost-efficient water infrastructure strategies in urban environments, contributing to more sustainable smart living outcomes.

acoustic leak detection↗
DOE OSTI2022

A review of water valuation metrics: Supporting sustainable water use in manufacturing

In the manufacturing sector, water has been often considered too cheap to conserve. Such thinking relies on water valuations that limit the value of water to the price paid. Using such simple methods, the share of water cost to total manufacturing cost is significantly small, <3%. As a result, conserving water and enabling technology uptake is difficult to justify economically and slow to advance, hindering progress toward sustainable water use. However, the value of water to a manufacturer is far greater than the price paid. Valuations such as the true cost of water consider the additional in-plant treatment and energy costs and have been gaining greater traction in the manufacturing sector. However, true cost alone still undervalues water by not accounting for economic and social costs related to scarcity and environmental externalities. This paper makes the case and presents a framework for valuing manufacturing water beyond the price paid and the true cost. The proposed fuller valuation of manufacturing water takes into account the internal and opportunity costs associated with the realization of water risks. The paper follows with a review of a wide range of water valuation metrics, both at the specific industry level and regional/economy-wide level. The use of various valuation metrics incorporating the relationship between the change in value with change in water use, such as marginal value of water, shadow price, and elasticity at the specific industry level, has been limited in the U.S. manufacturing sector. Further, a limited number of studies exist on data-intensive subjective evaluation techniques such as computable general equilibrium modeling and input-output modeling for regional water valuation. After reviewing water value metrics, several recent case studies from manufacturers from the literature are presented to illustrate both the promise and challenges of a fuller valuation of water as proposed here. Some large multinational corporations have moved toward assessing the value of water via supply chain sustainability initiatives, environmental profit and loss accounting, estimating risk-adjusted values of water, hydro-economic modeling, natural capital asset valuation, and developing value chain indices. This paper provides policymakers and technology developers a framework for monetizing water value beyond its true cost and current metrics. If adopted, such fuller water valuations can help make the business case for the development and deployment of cost-effective water-conserving technologies, thereby improving the sustainability of the manufacturing sector with respect to water.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Contrasting effects of urbanization on vegetation between the Global South and Global North

Urban vegetation, the core component of green infrastructure and critical for sustainable cities, is profoundly affected by the process of urbanization. Urbanization not only leads to substantial vegetation loss (direct impact) but also fosters urban vegetation growth (indirect impact). However, the extent to which these direct and indirect impacts affect vegetation dynamics across cities worldwide and how urban greening will change in the future remain unclear. Using satellite-based greenness and impervious surface datasets, we show that positive indirect impacts mitigated 56.85% of the negative direct impacts across 4,718 cities worldwide from 2000 to 2019. Notably, the offsetting coefficient is much greater in Global North cities (79.13%) than in Global South cities (38.01%) partly due to their socioeconomic differences. This disparity in urban greening dynamics will continue in the future. Approximately 60% of Global North cities and 30% of Global South cities will become greener by 2040. Our results reveal the divergent trade-offs between vegetation loss and enhanced vegetation growth in cities of different socioeconomic levels and stages of urbanization. In conclusion, such insights are crucial for a comprehensive understanding of urban greening dynamics and for devising strategies to attain sustainable development goals.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Establishing a sustainable regulatory framework for the security of radioactive sources through harmonization with a safety regulatory framework

In order to establish and maintain sustainable nuclear security regulatory infrastructures for radioactive sources, it is important for States to develop nuclear security regulations with regulatory requirements and relevant criteria for security, which are consistent and well integrated with those for radiation safety. In establishing national regulations, experts worldwide follow the international recommendations on safety and security of radioactive sources published by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Within the IAEA publications on safety and security of radioactive sources, some international recommendations are identical or very similar for both safety and security, for example, the requirement for the establishment of a national registry of radioactive sources. However, some other international recommendations are unique to the security area, such as the recommendation to examine the trustworthiness of employees, or to the safety area, such as the need to establish public exposure controls. Additionally, many international recommendations fall somewhere in between, such as the need for effective authorization of facilities and activities, a regulatory inspection and enforcement regime and the graded approach to establish and apply regulatory requirements. This paper examines how the IAEA international recommendations for establishing regulatory frameworks for safety and security relate to one another.

98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL P↗
DOE OSTI2023

Development and Characterization of a Sustainable Bio-Polymer Concrete with a Low Carbon Footprint

Polymer concrete (PC) has been used to replace cement concrete when harsh service conditions exist. Polymers have a high carbon footprint when considering their life cycle analysis, and with increased climate change concerns and the need to reduce greenhouse gas emission, bio-based polymers could be used as a sustainable alternative binder to produce PC. This paper examines the development and characterization of a novel bio-polymer concrete (BPC) using bio-based polyurethane used as the binder in lieu of cement, modified with benzoic acid and carboxyl-functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The mechanical performance, durability, microstructure, and chemical properties of BPC are investigated. Moreover, the effect of the addition of benzoic acid and MWCNTs on the properties of BPC is studied. The new BPC shows relatively low density, appreciable compressive strength between 20–30 MPa, good tensile strength of 4 MPa, and excellent durability resistance against aggressive environments. The new BPC has a low carbon footprint, 50% lower than ordinary Portland cement concrete, and can provide a sustainable concrete alternative in infrastructural applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗