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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Paths Forward for Nuclear Energy: Using a Nationwide Post-Stratified Hierarchical Model to Facilitate Matching of New Nuclear Technologies to Receptive Host Communities

This project was a collaboration between the University of Oklahoma (OU) and the University of Michigan (UMich). The overall objective of the project was to address a critical problem facing the siting of nuclear facilities, where there is no mechanism for incorporating public attitudes at a state and local level into decision-making. Utilizing recent advances in data modeling over local spatial scales, the research team created a state and county level map of public attitudes towards nuclear energy. Current estimates for public acceptance of nuclear technologies primarily exists on a national level, and sub-national estimates of public opinion about reactor siting, research facilities, transport routes, or storage and disposal facilities are very scarce. Model results from this project provide a systematic basis for technology developers to evaluate public acceptance across alternative siting options as a critical component for weighing potential benefit-cost tradeoffs for alternative paths to deploy new nuclear facilities. The project utilized data from the largest database of nuclear attitudes in the US, coupled with Census and elections-related data as well as data on social vulnerability and proximity to current nuclear facilities. In addition to modeling public support, the team also developed an interactive map to showcase results, using an online tool called Public and Local Attitudes about Nuclear Energy Technologies (PLANET). The tool allows technology developers and stakeholders to interact with the model results and better understand variation in support for nuclear facility siting on a state and county level. The interactive nature of the tool also allows users to analyze results in a targeted way, by comparing levels of support across different states and/or counties as desired.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Cummins Electric Truck with Range-Extending Engine (ETREE) Project (Final Technical Report)

The Cummins Electric Truck with Range Extending Engine (ETREE) program designed, developed, and demonstrated a range extending electric vehicle that employs an electrified propulsion system installed in a class 6 commercial vehicle (Peterbilt 220). This project was relevant to industry and the greater public because at the time of the project there were two keys to widespread electrified commercial vehicle adoption yet to be realize: 1) For pure electrified vehicle adoption, battery improvements are needed: Cost must decrease, and energy density must increase. 2) Electric vehicles must overcome fleet operator risks such as: operations in cold climates, hilly terrain, or where majority of conventional trucks are replaced with electrified vehicles. In the near to medium term these adoption hurdles were address by the objectives of this project. A plug-in hybrid vehicle that could be operated in all electric mode for most of its workday optimizing the use of grid energy with the ability to supplement energy demand with the onboard range extending engine. This project’s architecture provided ability to match a conventional class 6 commercial vehicle range and performance characteristics prior to the ubiquitous adoption of battery electric vehicle charging infrastructure as well. Additionally, the vehicles produced as part of this project can be considered a prototype for a commercially viable heavily electrified commercial vehicle because most of the physical hardware used for the project is commercially available in the market today. The ETREE program met its main objectives and demonstrated 65% fuel consumption reduction as compared to a conventional class 6 vehicle while meeting performance and range expectations. This was achieved by drawing upon the strengths of the assembled team: Cummins, PACCAR, the Ohio State University, Argonne National Laboratory and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Lithographic crystallinity regulation in additive fabrication of thermoplastics (CRAFT)

For semicrystalline polyolefin thermoplastics, the balance between interconnected ordered crystalline and disordered amorphous regions is paramount to their performance and processability. However, contemporary manufacturing strategies, from injection molding to three-dimensional (3D) printing, result in monolithic objects, unable to spatially encode crystallinity. We develop a light-based approach for fabricating mechanically robust polyolefin thermoplastics with microscopic control over crystallinity in 3D space. Light dosage governs polymer stereochemistry giving access to a continuum of materials, from strong rigid plastics, such as high-density polyethylene, to more extensible materials akin to low-density polyethylene, all at the flick of a switch. Leveraging this finding in lithographic grayscale 3D printing enables rapid multimaterial fabrication with voxel-level control over optical and mechanical properties, opening avenues in information storage, soft robotics, and energy damping.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Application of emerging monitoring techniques at the Illinois Basin – Decatur Project

The Illinois Basin – Decatur Project is a large-scale carbon capture and storage demonstration project located in Decatur, Illinois, USA. In this project, one million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) was captured from an ethanol production facility and successfully injected into a deep saline reservoir over a period of three years. The scale of this project presented an opportunity to explore emerging technologies for effective long-term monitoring of the carbon capture and storage site. This research documents the application of three emerging monitoring techniques: (1) a prototype “open-path” sensor, a method of continuously monitoring atmospheric CO 2 by applying tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy to provide a warning system for personnel safety along pipelines and at wellheads; (2) the Greenhouse Gas Laser Imaging Tomography Experiment (GreenLITE), an automated system for measuring two-dimensional spatial distribution of atmospheric CO 2 concentrations; and (3) periodic aerial imagery, a method of documenting surface-vegetation dynamics to detect vegetative responses to CO 2 leaks. The objective of this work was to assess the advantages and limitations of these monitoring techniques and quantify their reliability over an extended deployment at an active industrial site. These results will aid in determining viability of long-term monitoring on a commercial scale.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2023

Assessing the Resource Adequacy and Community Impacts of an Evolving Grid: Considerations for State Regulators

As U.S. power systems continue to decarbonize, state regulators must be able to broadly assess the cost and reliability implications of proposed fossil retirements and the corresponding resources that are coming online to replace them. Specifically, regulators must evaluate whether proposed infrastructure investments are sufficient to ensure the long-term reliability of the system, while also protecting rate payers by ensuring that such investments are necessary and not excessive. Broadly speaking, this objective is typically framed in terms of maintaining long-term resource adequacy at the lowest cost, while also ensuring that other social and/or environmental objectives are satisfied. System planners currently have a host of sophisticated analytical tools at their disposal to evaluate the cost-benefit trade-offs of different approaches to ensuring resource adequacy. However, most of these tools and associated metrics were designed with traditional power systems in mind. Over the past decade, it has become increasingly clear that the metrics and models that have reliably assessed resource adequacy in systems dominated by large thermal and hydropower resources will be insufficient for systems with significant contributions from emerging technologies such as wind, solar and storage. Therefore, in recent years many new metrics and modeling approaches have been developed, and are increasingly being implemented, to meet the needs of the clean energy transition.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2022

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

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

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Integrated carbon capture and conversion: A review on C 2+ product mechanisms and mechanism-guided strategies

The need to reduce atmospheric CO 2 concentrations necessitates CO 2 capture technologies for conversion into stable products or long-term storage. A single pot solution that simultaneously captures and converts CO 2 could minimize additional costs and energy demands associated with CO 2 transport, compression, and transient storage. While a variety of reduction products exist, currently, only conversion to C 2+ products including ethanol and ethylene are economically advantageous. Cu-based catalysts have the best-known performance for CO 2 electroreduction to C 2+ products. Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs) are touted for their carbon capture capacity. Thus, integrated Cu-based MOFs could be an ideal candidate for the one-pot capture and conversion. In this paper, we review Cu-based MOFs and MOF derivatives that have been used to synthesize C 2+ products with the objective of understanding the mechanisms that enable synergistic capture and conversion. Furthermore, we discuss strategies based on the mechanistic insights that can be used to further enhance production. Finally, we discuss some of the challenges hindering widespread use of Cu-based MOFs and MOF derivatives along with possible solutions to overcome the challenges.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2026

Watershed response of the Feather River Basin, California, United States of America to future climate changes

Increasing mean annual temperatures under climate change are expected to reduce seasonal snowpack, increase evapotranspiration (ET), and alter summer baseflow in headwater watersheds worldwide. Strong regional variability in hydrologic responses highlights the need for catchment-scale, physically based models to assess future flood risk and water availability. This study examines climate-driven changes in the hydrologic response of the Upper Feather River watershed in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, California. Four priority climate models and two representative concentration pathways (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5) are used to evaluate future hydrologic responses of the watershed. Hydrologic processes are simulated using an objectively calibrated Soil and Water Assessment Tool Plus model for a historical baseline (1986–2005) and a future period 2070–2099), driven by observed and projected precipitation and temperature. Results indicate a declining contribution of snowfall to annual precipitation, with peak snowfall and water yield shifting 1–3 months earlier. Long-term annual maximum flows are projected to increase considerably, whereas low-flow responses are mixed, with both increases and decreases projected by the end of the century. These findings highlight the need for adaptive watershed management to enhance flood protection, water storage, and drought resilience. Future water resource planning should also account for one-to-three-month shifts in peak water yield and surface runoff due to changes in snowmelt timing and a lower snowfall-to-rainfall ratio under climate change. The modeling framework and insights are transferable to other snow-dominated headwater watersheds experiencing climate-driven change.

Tigabu, T [UC Davis]↗
DOE OSTI2021

Advanced Energy Approaches for Mixed-Use Developments in the Front Range Urban Corridor

The primary objective of the document is to present example technical approaches and strategies that planners and developers can reference for all-electric mixed-use developments in the Rocky Mountain Front Range urban corridor that are considering advanced energy performance goals such as high levels of energy efficiency and renewable integration. The strategies are tailored toward the vision for a zero energy, all-electric, district thermal system-connected starter district. In this example, on-site solar generation is emphasized as a strategy that can be combined with electrical and thermal energy storage for enhanced community resilience and demand flexibility. Opportunities for utilizing or adapting these strategies include: sharing with vertical developers for potential integration of strategies into vertical design guidelines; incorporation into Owner Project Requirements (OPRs); providing example strategies to design teams as a starting point for design; informing structure of agenda for a building design charrette; comparing building designs to example strategies at various points in the design process to evaluate design progression. While the technical strategies outlined in this document can help inform the development of guidelines for projects in the Front Range urban corridor, this document does not set requirements for any rating, certification, program, or policy.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2021

Tank Side Cesium Removal IXC-150 Cask Detonation Report

A set of experiments were conducted at Los Alamos National Laboratory’s firing point 88 to determine the blast pressure and effects of a stoichiometric gas mixture of Hydrogen (H 2 ) and Nitrous Oxide (N 2 O) on the IXC-150 Storage Pad Vent Stack assemblies. The Lab was asked to design, build, and test the vent stack assemblies using a reaction gas volume of 340 in 3 that mimics the Tank Side Cesium Removal (TSCR) Ion Exchange Column (IXC) assembly. The experimental system with vent stack assembly was designed with input from the Washington River Protection Services (WRPS) to ensure an accurate test setup. The tests were conducted at LANL on the newly built filter/gas assembly at the end of April 2021 timeframe, using WRPS supplied vent stack assemblies and internal HEPA filters. The objective of these tests was to observe that the structural integrity of the vent stack assemblies was maintained and determine the resulting blast overpressures at a distance of 16 and 32 inches from the assembly. All work was performed under the LANL Quality Assurance Program (SD330), using a graded application of ASME NQA-1- 2008/NQA-1a-2009. To ensure that all client quality assurance (QA) expectations were addressed, evaluation of the end data needs was performed and the appropriate controls applied for this work.

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

How does Mercury Methylation Respond to Intensive Forest Management and the Creation of Anoxia in Floodplain Soils

This research endeavor, entitled “How does Mercury Methylation Respond to Intensive Forest Management and the Creation of Anoxia in Floodplain Soils?” represents a collaborative effort undertaken by the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, led by Principal Investigator Dr. James S. Coleman, the United States Forest Service Santee Experimental Forest (SEF) Station Director Dr. Carl C. Trettin as Co-Principal Investigator, and The Chinese University of Hong Kong Dr. Martin Tsz-Ki Tsui and Dr. Alex T. Chow serving as Co-Principal Investigators. The overarching objective of this proposed project was to capture and elucidate the immediate and short-term effects of forest disturbances, namely clear-cutting and thinning, on the biogeochemical cycling of mercury (Hg) within the SEF in Huger, South Carolina. To accomplish this objective, a two-year exploratory study was proposed to conduct soil sampling and measurements of Hg and toxic methylmercury (MeHg), and soil physiochemical data within the experimental watershed (WS77) at SEF, following the clear-cutting process initiated for the preparation of the native longleaf pine restoration project by the USFS. Based on our mercury and hydrological data assessment, we concluded that the implementation of forest management practices, particularly mechanical thinning and clear-cutting, appears to enhance the potential for Hg methylation. Furthermore, these forest management practices may disrupt and alter the storage, mobility, and transformations of atmospherically deposited Hg in these lowland forests. We advocate for further research to comprehensively evaluate the impact of forest management on Hg cycling within forest ecosystems.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

The Impact of Surficial Biochar Treatment on Acute H2S Emissions during Swine Manure Agitation before Pump-Out: Proof-of-the-Concept

Acute releases of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) are of serious concern in agriculture, especially when farmers agitate manure to empty storage pits before land application. Agitation can cause the release of dangerously high H2S concentrations, resulting in human and animal fatalities. To date, there is no proven technology to mitigate these short-term releases of toxic gas from manure. In our previous research, we have shown that biochar, a highly porous carbonaceous material, can float on manure and mitigate gaseous emissions over extended periods (days–weeks). In this research, we aim to test the hypothesis that biochar can mitigate H2S emissions over short periods (minutes–hours) during and shortly after manure agitation. The objective was to conduct proof-of-the-concept experiments simulating the treatment of agitated manure. Two biochars, highly alkaline and porous (HAP, pH 9.2) made from corn stover and red oak (RO, pH 7.5), were tested. Three scenarios (setups): Control (no biochar), 6 mm, and 12 mm thick layers of biochar were surficially-applied to the manure. Each setup experienced 3 min of manure agitation. Real-time concentrations of H2S were measured immediately before, during, and after agitation until the concentration returned to the initial state. The results were compared with those of the Control using the following three metrics: (1) the maximum (peak) flux, (2) total emission from the start of agitation until the concentration stabilized, and (3) the total emission during the 3 min of agitation. The Gompertz’s model for determination of the cumulative H2S emission kinetics was developed. Here, 12 mm HAP biochar treatment reduced the peak (1) by 42.5% (p = 0.125), reduced overall total emission (2) by 17.9% (p = 0.290), and significantly reduced the total emission during 3 min agitation (3) by 70.4%. Further, 6 mm HAP treatment reduced the peak (1) by 60.6%, and significantly reduced overall (2) and 3 min agitation’s (3) total emission by 64.4% and 66.6%, respectively. Moreover, 12 mm RO biochar treatment reduced the peak (1) by 23.6%, and significantly reduced overall (2) and 3 min total (3) emission by 39.3% and 62.4%, respectively. Finally, 6 mm RO treatment significantly reduced the peak (1) by 63%, overall total emission (2) by 84.7%, and total emission during 3 min agitation (3) by 67.4%. Biochar treatments have the potential to reduce the risk of inhalation exposure to H2S. Both 6 and 12 mm biochar treatments reduced the peak H2S concentrations below the General Industrial Peak Limit (OSHA PEL, 50 ppm). The 6 mm biochar treatments reduced the H2S concentrations below the General Industry Ceiling Limit (OSHA PEL, 20 ppm). Research scaling up to larger manure volumes and longer agitation is warranted.

Chen, Baitong (ORCID:0000000266071253)↗
DOE OSTI2020

Ozone Gas: Scientific Justification and Practical Guidelines for Improvised Disinfection using Consumer-Grade Ozone Generators and Plastic Storage Boxes

Here, we describe direct measurements of ozone concentration achievable in small enclosed containers (plastic storage boxes) for use as improvised decontamination systems for small articles such as disposable PPE (N95 masks, nitrile gloves, etc.), clothing, mail and small packages, food, and other miscellaneous articles. The emphasis is on the reliable and sustained generation of ozone gas concentrations of sufficient concentration and duration to create an effective virucidal environment to achieve more than 95% to 99% viral inactivation, based upon the data already published in the peer-review literature on this topic. The suggestion that ozone be used to inactivate virus is certainly not a new idea. Our objective in this report is to make clear that the necessary levels of ozone can be improvised using simple, easy-to-use, inexpensive, and widely available supplies, and that there is every theoretical and experimental reason to believe that this approach is as highly effective in viral inactivation by ozone as are the far more expensive, complex, cumbersome, and less available equivalent ozone (and other) disinfectant systems that have themselves become unavailable during times of pandemic crisis. Using multiple types of readily available commercial ozone generators, concentration in the tested improvised enclosure is tracked over time to assess ozone charging and decay rates, and the ozone quenching effects of items placed in the box. Generator performance is compared against published ozone dosage values for virucidal and antimicrobial activity. Bubbler and box-fan-type ozone generators were found to be effective at achieving and maintaining target concentrations of 10ppm ozone or higher, whereas automotive cigarette lighter and universal serial bus type plug in “air freshener” ozone generators could not achieve the target concentrations in these experiments. Calculations and practical guidelines for assembly and effective use of an ozone box for improvised decontamination are offered. The majority of this report is directed toward the scientific justification and rationale for this approach. The end of the document summarizes the findings and offers simplified designs for the construction and use of ozone boxes as an improvised method of disinfection.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Root Influences on Mobilization and Export of Mineral-bound Soil Organic Matter

Biogeochemical cycles within mountainous watersheds are key regulators of ecosystem carbon storage and downstream nutrient loadings, and they have shown to be particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts. Increasing temperature and persistent droughts have already dramatically changed vegetation cover across the mountainous western US, with unknown consequences for soil carbon and nutrient cycles belowground. What remains elusive is to what extent associated changes in root-soil interactions may mobilize the vast pool of organic matter (OM) that has been stabilized by associations with minerals for centuries or millennia. Although plant root-driven OM mobilization from minerals may be a central control on carbon loss and nutrient export, such mechanisms are currently missing from conceptual and numerical models. The overall objective of this Exploratory Project is to identify the biogeochemical mechanisms by which roots destabilize mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM) and the cumulative impact on carbon and nutrient fate. To accomplish this goal, we integrated well-controlled laboratory experiments with in-field measurements and a scalable modeling approach. First, we conducted model system experiments to assess the vulnerability of MAOM to exudate-mediated mechanisms. Our results show that common root exudates effectively destabilize MAOM not only through direct, ligand-driven mobilization mechanisms, but also indirect, microbially-mediated mechanisms relying on secondary metabolites and enzymes. We further found that OM bound to poorly crystalline Fe and Al (hydr)oxides is more vulnerable to exudate-induced destabilization than OM bound to more crystalline phases, particularly in response to direct, ligand-promoted mechanisms. These findings demonstrate that the stability of MAOM is not just a function of their inherent properties, but also will depend in large parts on the ability of plant roots and microbes to produce exudates capable of triggering suitable mobilization mechanisms. We further employed a well-controlled rhizobox approach, combining advanced microsensor and mass spectrometry techniques, to resolve spatiotemporal variations in the composition and availability of exudates along single growing roots of grasses. Our results show that the composition of functionally relevant exudate compounds varies at extremely short time scales, seemingly shifting from ligands such as aromatic acids around root tips to less reactive metabolites such as amino acids around mature root segments. These results suggest a prevalence of direct MAOM mobilization mechanisms around the root tip, while indirect MAOM mobilization strategies may dominate around more mature root segments. Additionally, we utilized microsensor measurements in rhizoboxes to parameterize a rhizosphere (hydro)biogeochemistry reactive transport model (eSTOMP-ROOTS). The resulting model was used to assess how root exudations affects the stability of MAOM. Model simulations show that diel pulses of root exudation are strong enough to cause oscillations in biogeochemical conditions—particularly in pH, oxygen concentrations, and microbial activity— that repeatedly disrupt MAOM. Finally, we assessed field-scale impacts of root-driven MAOM destabilization over short and long time scales. A combination of in-field incubations and field-based characterizations showed that MAOM may not only be vulnerable to seasonal variations in root activity, but also to root-driven weathering over pedogenic time scales. In sum, results from our Exploratory Award highlight the strong control plant roots exert on MAOM mobilization and, thus, on the potential for carbon and nutrient export from watersheds.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Randomized low-rank decompositions of nuclear three-body interactions

First-principles simulations of many-fermion systems are commonly limited by the computational requirements of processing large data objects. As a remedy, we propose the use of low-rank approximations of three-body interactions, which are the dominant such limitation in nuclear physics. We introduce a randomized decomposition technique to handle the excessively large matrix dimensions and study the sensitivity of low-rank properties to interaction details. The developed low-rank three-nucleon interactions are benchmarked in ab initio simulations of few- and many-body systems. Exploiting low-rank properties provides a promising route to extend the microscopic description of atomic nuclei to large systems where storage requirements exceed the computational capacities of the most advanced high-performance computing facilities.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Cross Section Measurements of Photonuclear Reaction Pathways Towards Promising Medical Radioisotopes

Project Objectives: The goal of this project was to generate data relevant to radioisotope production while developing innovative technologies that foster and enhance novel production of radioisotopes, and, also, while providing opportunities for cultivating and training future generations of scientists. This work has provided the foundation for methodologies for determination of photonuclear cross sections over multiple energies in a single irradiation. Simultaneously, the feasibility of electron LINAC production of several in-demand radioisotopes such as 47 Sc, 67 Cu, 77 As, and 186 Re has been demonstrated. To accomplish these objectives a collaboration was formed between two complimentary facilities, the Low Energy Accelerator Facility (LEAF) at Argonne National Laboratory and the High Intensity Gamma-ray Source (HIGS) at Triangular Universities Nuclear Laboratory (TUNL). The involvement of the research group from North Carolina Central University gave students at this Historically Black University experience in forefront nuclear-physics research relevant to addressing a high-priority interdisciplinary issue. Project Description: HIGS provides a nearly monoenergetic gamma-ray beam by intra-cavity Compton backscattering of free-electron photons from electrons circulating in a storage ring. This beam can be collimated to produce a very precise energy beam. If the beam is un-collimated a calculated and precise energy spread of the beam occurs radially. The γ-flux can be evenly distributed over the radial distribution of energy and used to perform activation experiments on concentric ring targets. Thus providing multiple energy ranges in a single irradiation. Each concentric ring target can be counted separately in order to determine activation at the given energy and successively be correlated to the activation cross section. Targets were activated to determine production feasibility using electron beams at LEAF. Potential Impact: The Nuclear Science Advisory Committee recently named production of radioisotopes with electron LINACs as one of the most compelling and largest-impact opportunities for the production of high specific activity radioisotopes. Improving the photonuclear cross sectional data base with experimentally verified results will greatly enhance a researcher’s ability to rationalize electron LINAC production routes towards desired radioisotopes. This work will provide the foundation for methodologies for determination of photonuclear cross sections over multiple energies and multiple targets in a single irradiation. The techniques developed in this project will enable future studies to continue verifying theoretically predicted photonuclear cross section with experimental results. These data will also enable adaptation of models and support more precise theoretical calculation of photonuclear cross sections. This research will involve undergraduates, graduate students, and post-docs to give them a valuable research experience leading towards the next generation of scientists in the field of medical isotopes.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Unveiling the Essential Parameters Driving Mineral Reactions during CO2 Storage in Carbonate Aquifers through Proxy Models

Numerical simulation is a commonly employed technique for studying carbon dioxide (CO2) storage processes in porous media, particularly saline aquifers. It enables the representation of diverse trapping mechanisms and the assessment of CO2 retention capacity within the subsurface. The intricate physicochemical phenomena involved necessitate the incorporation of multiphase flow, accurate depiction of fluid and rock properties, and their interactions. Among these factors, geochemical reaction rates and mechanisms are pivotal for successful CO2 trapping in carbonate reactive rocks. However, research on kinetic parameters and the influence of lithology on CO2 storage remains limited. This limitation is partly due to the challenges faced in laboratory experiments, where the time scale of the reactions and the lack of in situ conditions hinder accurate measurement of mineral reaction rates. This study employs proxy models constructed using response surfaces calibrated with simulation results to address uncertainties associated with geochemical reactions. Monte Carlo simulation is utilized to explore a broader range of parameters and identify influential factors affecting CO2 mineralization. The findings indicate that an open database containing kinetic parameters can support uncertainty assessment. Additionally, the proxy models effectively represent objective functions related to CO2 injectivity and mineralization, with calcite dissolution playing a predominant role. pH, calcite concentration, and CO2 injection rate significantly impact dolomite precipitation, while quartz content remains unaffected.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2026

Cost Competitive Process of Battery Grade Oxides Preparation from Aged LIBs

The increasing demand for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is driving development of advanced recycling and refining methods. In this project, new cathode active materials are prepared from recycled lithium battery materials and subsequently electrochemically evaluated in coin cells. In detail, scrap LIBs were mechanically processed into a metal rich black mass, then reductive acid leached into an aqueous metal solution, and finally high-purity metal hydroxide precursor materials were prepared by selective electrochemical flow precipitation. Closed-loop LIB recycling into active electrode materials will enable US manufacturers to break their reliance on foreign sources of critical materials. For example, electroextraction process used here has potential to significantly reduce chemical & water use as well as waste production as compared to traditional metallurgic techniques. To this end, electroextracted materials refined from used batteries were collected and processed to be tested as precursor cathode active material (pCAM). For this project, two samples of high purity recycled NMC hydroxide (~1 kg each) were received from N th Cycle’s Ohio demonstration facility. The NMC compositions of the two materials are similar, and the levels of impurities have been confirmed. Indeed, impurities like copper, boron and sodium are present in quantities that could negatively impact battery performance. However, some studies have demonstrated that the control of the quantity of elements like copper or boron may improve the electrochemistry properties of Lithium-NMC batteries. The principal objective is to determine the electrochemical performance of these 2 NMC hydroxide batches and clearly determine the effect of the impurities on the performance.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗