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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 595 records · Page 33
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

Integrating Immersive Visualization in Molten-Salt Reactor Waste Management for Experimental Design and Planning

Molten-salt reactors (MSRs) represent a promising solution for next-generation nuclear energy, offering advantages in safety, fuel efficiency, and waste minimization. However, their liquid-fueled design presents unique challenges for spent fuel management, making post-shutdown waste characterization essential for developing effective strategies. Despite this need, there is a notable absence of visualization platforms specifically tailored to the unique characteristics and analytical requirements of MSR waste management. Existing tools in the nuclear industry are primarily designed for reactor operations or generic data exploration and lack both integration with MSR-specific multiphysics frameworks and the ability to simultaneously visualize time-dependent thermal fields, chemical composition evolution, and radiation distribution patterns. To address these limitations, this paper presents an immersive virtual reality (VR) visualization platform that processes and displays high-fidelity multiphysics simulation output from the Multiphysics Object-Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE) framework in real-time, using Unity. The platform visualizes MSR waste characteristics such as nuclide decay, salt cooling, and corrosion by using Exodus II output data and running on a VR headset. It includes a user-friendly interface with features such as visibility toggling, cross-sectional slicing, and time-series animation for exploring simulation data. These capabilities support experimental design, stakeholder engagement, and public communication by making complex reactor behavior more accessible and understandable. By enhancing spatial reasoning and reducing cognitive load, this immersive environment fosters more effective communication and decision-making in MSR waste management.

11 - NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Development of a Framework and Methodology for an Advanced Reactor Materials Environmental Effects Design Guide

Advanced non-light-water reactor components may operate at elevated temperature while experiencing cyclic loading, significant neutron irradiation, and exposure to reactor coolant. ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section III, Division 5, provides design rules for elevated-temperature service but does not include specific procedures to account for environmental effects on material properties. This report develops an initial framework and methodology for an Environmental Effects Design Guide (EEDG) focused on neutron irradiation; coolant-environment effects are reserved for future work. The proposed approach treats irradiation as a property-based overlay on the existing Division 5 design process, with two routes: a sparse-data route applying two reduction factors — FCR on creep-rupture strength and FF on fatigue life — for the creep-fatigue evaluations that typically control the design of advanced high-temperature reactor components, and a fuller framework developing the property-to-rule chain across the four Division 5 checks (primary load, strain limits and ratcheting, creep-fatigue, and buckling), together with swelling and weldments as scope items. Both routes are scoped by an in-pile qualification that restricts the use of post-irradiation-examination-derived properties in regimes where an in-pile mechanism could control the design outcome. Illustrative outputs derived on a compiled annealed Type 316 database — FCR ≈ 0.78–0.86 and FF ≈ 0.4 — demonstrate the calculation method within that specific dataset. The framework is an initial, testable design-rule concept; it identifies a practical path for preliminary design evaluations under sparse data and the material data and testing needed to develop the framework further.

Barua, Bipul (ORCID:0000000247184113)↗
DOE OSTI2026

Nanometer Scale Imaging to Develop Quantitative Descriptors of Bipolar Membrane Junction Structure

Swings in pH can be achieved by electrically polarizing a bipolar membrane (BPM) to drive water dissociation at the BPM junction for electrochemical conversion and separation processes. BPM junction design is critical to tailor performance for specific applications; however, characterization techniques capable of resolving the nanometer scale physical structure of the junction are limited. We present sample preparation, imaging, and analysis workflows that are adaptable to a variety of BPM junction architectures. Atomic force microscopy produces BPM junction images with nanometer scale lateral resolution for samples with and without a graphene oxide water dissociation catalyst in the junction. Subsequent image segmentation and analysis quantify line edge roughness and catalyst layer thickness as descriptors of junction structure. Comparison of pre- and post-electrodialysis junctions suggests electric field-induced alignment of catalyst particles during electrodialysis. This characterization workflow can inform manufacturing protocols, computational modeling, and failure mode analysis for next-generation BPMs.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Swing Contract-Based Valuation for Distributed Energy Resources in Transactive Energy Systems: A Reinforcement Learning Approach

With the proliferation of distributed energy resources (DERs) and power grids with high fractions of renewable energy, market constructs are evolving to allow DERs to participate in multiple possible markets, at different levels of grid hierarchy. The effective participation of DERs in market environments is aided by swing contract-based pricing mechanisms, whereby DERs have a two-part compensation structure – one for their reservation/commitment and another for performancedriven ex-post payment for their actual mobilization during dispatch. In this paper, we propose a reinforcement learningbased (Q-learning) approach that allows a rational DER agent to select the market it wants to participate in within a composite market environment where individual markets are coordinated by possibly different actors. The proposed Q-learning framework aids DERs in their self-valuation by implicitly maximizing their own payoff through market participation, assuming a swing contract-based compensation structure. We complement our work through simulation-based investigations where factors affecting the DER decision making process, such as parametric uncertainties in market (and grid) environments, are studied.

Naqvi, Syed Ahsan Raza↗
DOE OSTI2024

Techno-Economic Optimization of Fixed Bed and Moving Bed Contactors for CO2 Capture from NGCC Plants Using a Functionalized Metal-Organic Framework

Amine-appended metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have strong potential for post-combustion CO2 capture from NGCC plants. In this work, a specific tetramine-appended MOF, Mg2(dobpdc)(3-4-3) (dobpdc4− = 4,4′-dioxidobiphenyl-3,3′dicarboxylate; 3-4-3 = N,N′bis(3-aminopropyl)-1,4-diaminobutane), is evaluated due to its superior performance compared to other candidate diamine-appended and tetraamine-appended MOFs. Techno-economic optimization is performed to minimize the cost of capture by using the Framework for Optimization, Quantification of Uncertainty, and Surrogates (FOQUS), which is capable of optimizing systems by using derivative-free optimization solvers where process models are built using numerous modeling platforms. The technical and economic performances of both fixed bed and moving bed processes are compared with state-of-the-art amine-based solvent systems.

Hughes, Ryan↗
DOE OSTI2024

Spatiotemporally Registered In-Situ and Ex-Situ Datasets for Laser-based Blown Powder Directed Energy Deposition

This dataset is comprised of in situ sensing data collected during laser-based, blown powder directed energy deposition (DED) of Inconel 718 representing eight different printing conditions: (1) nominal, (2) +15% scan speed, (3) +12% laser power, (4) +42% powder feed rate, (5) +100% jerk limit, (6) +10% layer height, (7) +20% hatch spacing, (8) +20% carrier gas flow. All eight DED builds constructed an identical test coupon geometry consisting of geometric features representative of industrial print requirements (e.g., bulk deposition, thin walls, overhangs). In situ data consists of xyz-coordinates (100 Hz) and on-axis melt pool camera video (60 Hz), both of which have been temporally synchronized to spatially map the melt pool camera data. In addition, post-build X-ray computed tomography (XCT) data for each of the eight test geometries have been spatially registered to the recorded xyz-coordinates, allowing for comparisons between melt pool camera data and flaws identified in the XCT data.

additive manufacturing↗
DOE OSTI2025

Spatial top-down proteomics for the functional characterization of human kidney

Background: The Human Proteome Project has credibly detected nearly 93% of the roughly 20,000 proteins which are predicted by the human genome. However, the proteome is enigmatic, where alterations in amino acid sequences from polymorphisms and alternative splicing, errors in translation, and post-translational modifications result in a proteome depth estimated at several million unique proteoforms. Recently mass spectrometry has been demonstrated in several landmark efforts mapping the human proteoform landscape in bulk analyses. Herein, we developed an integrated workflow for characterizing proteoforms from human tissue in a spatially resolved manner by coupling laser capture microdissection, nanoliter-scale sample preparation, and mass spectrometry imaging. Results: Using healthy human kidney sections as the case study, we focused our analyses on the major functional tissue units including glomeruli, tubules, and medullary rays. After laser capture microdissection, these isolated functional tissue units were processed with microPOTS (microdroplet processing in one-pot for trace samples) for sensitive top-down proteomics measurement. This provided a quantitative database of 616 proteoforms that was further leveraged as a library for mass spectrometry imaging with near-cellular spatial resolution over the entire section. Notably, several mitochondrial proteoforms were found to be differentially abundant between glomeruli and convoluted tubules, and further spatial contextualization was provided by mass spectrometry imaging confirming unique differences identified by microPOTS, and further expanding the field-of-view for unique distributions such as enhanced abundance of a truncated form (1-74) of ubiquitin within cortical regions. Conclusions: We developed an integrated workflow to directly identify proteoforms and reveal their spatial distributions. Where of the 20 differentially abundant proteoforms identified as discriminate between tubules and glomeruli by microPOTS, the vast majority of tubular proteoforms were of mitochondrial origin (8 of 10) where discriminate proteoforms in glomeruli were primarily hemoglobin subunits (9 of 10). These trends were also identified within ion images demonstrating spatially resolved characterization of proteoforms that has the potential to reshape discovery-based proteomics because the proteoforms are the ultimate effector of cellular functions. Applications of this technology have the potential to unravel etiology and pathophysiology of disease states, informing on biologically active proteoforms, which remodel the proteomic landscape in chronic and acute disorders.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Status on Genetic Resistance to Rice Blast Disease in the Post-Genomic Era

Rice blast, caused by Magnaporthe oryzae, is a major threat to global rice production, necessitating the development of resistant cultivars through genetic improvement. Breakthroughs in rice genomics, including the complete genome sequencing of japonica and indica subspecies and the availability of various sequence-based molecular markers, have greatly advanced the genetic analysis of blast resistance. To date, approximately 122 blast-resistance genes have been identified, with 39 of these genes cloned and molecularly characterized. The application of these findings in marker-assisted selection (MAS) has significantly improved rice breeding, allowing for the efficient integration of multiple resistance genes into elite cultivars, enhancing both the durability and spectrum of resistance. Pangenomic studies, along with AI-driven tools like AlphaFold2, RoseTTAFold, and AlphaFold3, have further accelerated the identification and functional characterization of resistance genes, expediting the breeding process. Future rice blast disease management will depend on leveraging these advanced genomic and computational technologies. Emphasis should be placed on enhancing computational tools for the large-scale screening of resistance genes and utilizing gene editing technologies such as CRISPR-Cas9 for functional validation and targeted resistance enhancement and deployment. These approaches will be crucial for advancing rice blast resistance, ensuring food security, and promoting agricultural sustainability.

Pedrozo, Rodrigo↗
DOE OSTI2025

Spatial Glycomics and Kidney Disease

Glycans are critical for the kidney's physiological and pathological cellular functions, and our ability to reveal their spatial distributions within tissues has helped us reveal how these carbohydrate moieties are involved in many of these processes. This review discusses the role of different types of glycans in kidney biology and disease, common approaches used for glycan imaging, and how glycan imaging has helped us better understand kidney pathology. Here, we mainly focus on emerging methods using mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) because this technology is untargeted and provides complete information on glycan composition compared to the other methods, such as lectin and metabolite labeling, which are targeted and often inform only on the specific part of a glycan structure. We especially focus on protein N-glycosylation, as this is one of the most common post-translational modifications, and these moieties play a vital role in renal structure and function. The recent advancements in MSI of N-glycans we reviewed have provided new insights into the pathophysiology of the kidney and paved the way for clinical application.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2026

Quality Assurance of Legacy Post-Irradiation Examination Data for Metallic Fuels

The U.S. DOE-NE’s Advanced Reactor Technologies (ART) Fast Reactor Program (FRP) and the NE-4 Advanced Fuels Campaign (AFC) have jointly undertaken the qualification of the legacy post-irradiation examination (PIE) data held in the Fuels Irradiation & Physics Database (FIPD), covering metallic fuel experiments conducted in the Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBR-II) and the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF). In FY26 this effort reached a milestone: six major types of PIE data—contact profilometry, isotopic gamma scan, fission gas chemistry, fission gas release, laser profilometry, and neutron radiography—have been qualified for all available experiments in FIPD, and the U.S. nuclear industry can now draw on them with confidence in licensing activities for metallic fuel-based advanced fast reactors. This report documents the qualification process and the resulting status of the PIE data.

Mo, Kun↗
DOE OSTI2025

X-Ray and Electron Spectroscopy of the CdS/(Ag,Cu)(In,Ga)Se 2 Interface With RbF Treatment

The chemical and electronic structure of the CdS/(Ag,Cu)(In,Ga)Se 2 (CdS/ACIGSe) interface for thin-film solar cells, involving an absorber with a bulk [Ag]/([Ag]+[Cu]) (AAC) ratio of 0.06, a state-of-the-art RbF post-deposition treatment (PDT), and a chemical-bath deposited CdS buffer layer, is studied. To gain a detailed and depth-resolved picture of the CdS/ACIGSe interface, synchrotron- and laboratory-based hard X-ray, soft X-ray, and UV photoelectron spectroscopy, inverse photoemission spectroscopy, and X-ray emission spectroscopy are combined. Compared to the bulk of the absorber, a Cu- and Ga-poor ACIGSe surface is found, with a slightly increased AAC ratio. Strong evidence of a Rb–In–Se species (possibly with some Ag) at the absorber surface is compiled, with a corresponding band gap of 2.79 ± 0.12 eV. This finding is in clear contrast to comparable Ag-free Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 absorbers with RbF-PDT. The Rb–In–Se surface species is not removed by the (wet-chemical) CdS deposition process, while some Se diffuses into the CdS layer and segregates at its surface. The CdS buffer layer shows a band gap of 2.48 ± 0.12 eV, and a cliff (≈ -0.4 eV) is determined in the conduction band alignment at the interface between the Rb–In–Se species and the CdS buffer.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

A Survey on the Design, Detection, and Prevention of Pre-Silicon Hardware Trojans

The complexity of the semiconductor design lifecycle and globalized manufacturing process creates concern over the threat of deliberate malicious alterations, or hardware Trojans, being inserted into microelectronic designs. This has resulted in a significant corpus of hardware Trojan research including Trojan design and benchmarking efforts and development of corresponding metrics and detection and prevention techniques, over the last two decades. In this survey, we first highlight efforts in Trojan design and benchmarking, followed by a cataloging of seminal and recent works in Trojan detection and prevention and their accompanied metrics. Given the volume of literature in this field, this survey considers only pre-silicon techniques. We make this distinction between pre- and post-silicon to properly scope and provide appropriate context into the capabilities of existing hardware Trojan literature. Each major section (design, prevention, and detection) is accompanied by insights, and common pitfalls, which we highlight can be addressed by future research.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Utah FORGE: Injection and Production Test results and Reports from August 2024

This dataset includes results and reports from the injection/production test for wells 16A(78)-32 and 16B(78)-32 in August, 2024 at Utah FORGE. Materials include injection, post stimulation production, flow rate, gamma, temperature and pressure survey results. For the respective wells, injection and production profile results and interpretations are provided in .xlsx and .las file formats. Additionally, for both wells, preliminary and final reports are included and provide logging procedures and visualizations of the results.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

S. elongatus PCC 7942 Carbon Metabolism Proteomics (MC-DP2)

The purpose of this experiment was to examine the redox proteome of S. elongatus PCC 7942 CscB/SPS under different light conditions (light and dark) and culture conditions (dense and dilute optical density). Samples were processed using a resin-assisted capture (RAC) workflow with TMT labeling to enrich and quantify protein cysteines which were differentially oxidized under four conditions. The datasets were generated by a Q Exactive Plus Orbitrap Mass Spectrometer coupled with a Waters nanoAcquity UPLC, then searched by MSGF+ for downstream redox PTM analysis.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2026

Post-fire time series photos from five sites across the Oak Creek watershed, Washington

This dataset supports a broader study examining wildfire impacts on hydrologic connectivity across 5 sites within the Oak Creek watershed and the resulting biogeochemical impacts. Sites were selected using the Advanced Terrestrial Simulator (ATS) hydrologic model to identify locations with varying groundwater contributions and hydrologic responses across different burn severity scenarios. The Retreat Fire burned from July 23 to August 2, 2024, affecting all five sites. This dataset provides time series game camera photos, while the broader study includes continuous water quality monitoring, biogeochemical sampling of water and soils, precipitation data, and organic matter analysis. The other data types and additional metadata (include site environmental information) can be found at https://data.ess-dive.lbl.gov/datasets/doi:10.15485/3018020. Because this study is ongoing, this data package will be updated regularly to include newly collected photos. For details on how to navigate data packages generated by this project, see https://data.ess-dive.lbl.gov/portals/PNNLRiverCorridorSFA/About. In addition to a readme, this data package also includes a file-level metadata (FLMD) file that describes each file and a data dictionary (DD) that describes all column/row headers and variable definitions. This dataset is comprised of (1) file-level metadata; (2) data dictionary; (3) field metadata; (4) readme; (5) field protocol; and (6) folders of game camera photos. The game camera photos are organized by site with subfolders by month of collection. The field metadata contains a subset of the information collected that is most relevant to photo-processing. The full set of field metadata can be found at https://data.ess-dive.lbl.gov/datasets/doi:10.15485/3018020. All files are .csv, .pdf, or .jpg.

Burn severity↗
DOE OSTI2025

Microstructure, stored energy, and stability of H/He-filled nanocavities in low temperature irradiated Inconel 718

The microstructure, trapped transmutation gases, stored energy, and mechanical behavior of samples from an irradiated Inconel 718 proton beam window were characterized using transmission electron microcopy, thermal desorption spectrometry (TDS), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and tensile testing. In the as-irradiated condition the microstructure contained a high number density of 1–3 nm gas-filled nanocavities. Emissions of trapped gases, H and He, during TDS correlated with peaks of the energy release curves from DSC examinations, which suggest these gases were likely stored in highly stable defect traps. The stored energy from radiation damage saturated at doses of a few dpa and did not increase with increasing radiation dose, but the amount of stored H and He increased with increasing dose. Effects of post-irradiation annealing were studied as well. After exposure to 700 °C, the nanocavities grew only slightly to 2–4 nm in diameter, but after exposure to 900 °C, the cavities grew to 10–20 nm in diameter and electron energy-loss spectroscopy showed these cavities contained a core of He surrounded by a shell of H. Further, this study demonstrated that the irradiation defect structures containing H and He were remarkably stable during irradiation and after exposure up to 700 °C. The effect of the irradiation temperature, defect mobility, and interaction of H, He, and irradiation defects on mechanical behavior provides insight into the processes responsible for the unusual recovery in ductility with increasing radiation dose observed in Inconel 718 after high energy proton and spallation neutron irradiation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Rewiring the unfolded protein response for plant growth recovery after stress

The unfolded protein response (UPR) is a highly coordinated signaling network that alleviates endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, a condition induced by diverse environmental challenges in plants. Over the past two decades, substantial progress has been made in elucidating the genetic and molecular mechanisms of ER stress sensing and signal transduction in plants, largely through studies in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana . These advances have established the UPR as a central regulator of proteostasis and underscored its broader relevance to plant growth and development and crop productivity under stress conditions. Despite this progress, critical knowledge gaps remain, particularly concerning the downstream biological processes required for growth recovery once ER stress has subsided and how these processes are coordinated by UPR regulators. Recent systems-level and integrative studies have begun to reveal critical roles of UPR signaling in pathways governing growth re-establishment and homeostasis of nutrient allocation and energy metabolism. In this review, we highlight recent findings on the functional roles of the plant UPR in recovery from ER stress, with a focus on mechanisms mediated by UPR regulators and downstream biological pathways that enable the transition from stress mitigation to growth restoration. Although this research area is still emerging, accumulating evidence supports a model in which the UPR functions as a dynamic regulatory network that actively coordinates post-stress physiological recovery to support plant fitness.

ER stress↗
DOE OSTI2025

Proteomic insights into the physiology and metabolism of oleaginous yeasts and filamentous fungi

Fungi are vital to the bioeconomy, serving as key producers of food, beverages, biofuels, and medicines, while also acting as essential resource recyclers in ecosystem management. For nearly a century, oleaginous yeast and filamentous fungi have been explored for their proficiency in oleochemicals production and carbon storage. Lipogenesis is one of the most well-studied fungal processes, with substantial progress having been made through reductionist biochemical approaches; however, the physiology and metabolism of fungal systems operating under different conditions arise from the functions of thousands of proteins, for which very little is known outside of model yeast. In this review, we discuss how proteomics provides a valuable analytical approach to contextualize lipogenesis within a complex biological system, where lipid accumulation is fundamentally governed by changes in proteins of multiple pathways. In the past two decades, proteomics has been applied to study stress response to nutrient limitations, metabolism of various carbon and nitrogen sources, the lipid droplet hub of carbon storage, protein post-translational modifications and signaling pathways, as well as oleochemical biosynthesis, thereby advancing our understanding of the oleaginous phenotype. Over 40 studies are reviewed herein to evaluate the impact, critically assess the utility, and propose future applications of proteomics. In the coming years, large systems-level proteomics studies will lay a foundation for marrying modeling and metabolic engineering strategies to optimize oleochemicals production in oleaginous fungi.

Lipid production↗